The Green Games (Dramione)

Day 13

It was early in the morning when they found the body.

Pansy winced as she came across it, staunch recognition settling into her bones, but like staring at a train-wreck...she simply couldn't look away. Pike, who she never expected to see do, stumbled a couple feet past the tree line, holding his lips together, before vomiting on the ground.

"You tortured a girl beyond recognition, but this makes you squeamish?" Pansy questioned with a disappointed frown, although her eyes traveled backwards to where he lay, dead.

"It was different." Pike was kneeling at her feet, wiping his sleeve across his lips, a shadowy look on his face, "I did that by choice. I knew what was doing it. I didn't even know the bird, anyway."

Pansy considered his words. "Still," She mumbled, dragging Pike up by his collar. She supposed she forgot he was still only 16 sometimes. Often, she forgot she was only 17 as well.

Pike shuddered as she brought them upon the body once again, staring down at it with so many questions.

"What in the hell did that? Wasn't snakes." Pike deduced.

"Snakes?"

"Yeah, snakes. I was being attacked by a whole hoard of them, and suddenly, then went away. Right before you found me." He said, and Pansy stiffened. She had not seen a single snake in the area yet.

"Well, it could have been my mother." She said with a dry laugh, "I wouldn't put it past her."

Pike sent her a confused look, and she ignored him. She was still caught up with what she'd found.

"Merlin." She whistled, "I almost didn't even recognize him." She admitted, almost a bit guilty. She'd spent days with this boy, and came to appreciate his darker side, something that had been non-existent at Hogwarts. And, truth be told, he wouldn't have been the worst in the world to win if she didn't, and although she always knew he was a half-blood, she couldn't imagine a scenario where she was the one to kill him.

Perhaps then, this was all the better, so she never would have to make that choice.

"Corner...he didn't deserve this."

"Worried about your own fate, Pike?" Pansy asked with a bark of laughter, and watched his face contort. She'd hit it on the mark.

Aside from Lavender, which was only from word of mouth of Pike, there hadn't been a more gruesome ending to a contestant yet so far. Michael Corner's whole body was incredibly deteriorated, the flesh torn away. His fingernails were coated with blood, and on the spots remaining, Pansy could see where his nails scored down his skin. The remainder of it seemed to be eaten away.

It was a grisly sight, a god-awful one that if Pansy were the slightest bit queasier, she too might have lost her dinner. Even she was beginning to wish to look away, leave the image in her mind behind. She knew that would be impossible though, not when his face (or, what was left) was so...haunting. Lips shaped into a scream, eyes bloody and simply gone, bits of his cheek missing, leading into the gaping mouth and showing slivers of teeth one shouldn't ever be able to see...

She felt dizzy, and stumbled away.

"Where are you going?" Pike asked, bounding after her.

"Away." She snapped, "What's the use?" She covered.

"Shouldn't we do something? Don't you find it strange he hasn't been picked up by the carriers yet?" He pressed.

"I dunno." Pansy shrugged, but in truth, it did bother her. Set something in her stomach not right, although it might have been the body, "He's dead. No longer our problem." She said firmly, much to Pike's dismay. She would bet anyone a thousand galleons he felt guilty.