The Moon Cursed Child

Chapter Nine: Professor Slughorn

I enter the Slytherin Common room and am immediately surrounded by happy girls chattering away. 

"Rose darling!" Marie says excitedly, "You're living in our dorm now!"

"Hope you don't mind sleep talkers." I joke and she punches my arm in a friendly way. 

"We're just happy you're staying with us. Now! How was your summer?"

We join the other girls on the couches and catch up. However, my mind is miles away. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. The common room is full of chattering students too excited to sleep right away. Draco's gang sit on the couch to our right chattering away while he himself, sits on a chair in front of it. He looks deep in thought and reserved. I am so used to the happy and arrogant boy but now he looks lonely and sad. I feel like I should get up and say hi but I miss my chance as he suddenly stands and leaves. Then I remember that his father is in Azkaban still and it kind of makes sense to why he would be so upset. Not only that, but he obviously has been roped into helping the Dark Lord as well. 

I watch as all my fellow Slytherins have fun and talk but my heart just isn't in it so I take my leave as well. I slip up to our dorm and change into my pyjamas and brush my teeth then burrow under my blankets. As I lay there, I feel my human form changing to vampire. The thirst is worse now that there are so many students so much closer but I'm sure I can handle it. 

I lay until the other girls come up as well. They whisper thinking that I'm asleep but I'm not. To be honest, I'm scared that if I fall asleep, I will relax too much and attack the other girls. So once they are all finally sleeping, I get a scarf from my chest (That I already retrieved from the Room of Requirement.) and tie my wrist to the bedpost. This way I won't be able to get far if the worst comes to worst. After that, it only takes me seconds to fall asleep. 

***

I'm walking by myself in a dark forest. I can hear dozens of wild animals making their natural noises. I step carefully but I can still hear the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. The wind picks up and a horrible feeling trails down my spine. I'm being watched. I jerk my head in every direction but I can't see a thing. I continue on but now I can hear the footsteps of my pursuer. I tremble with fear and cold. My heart rate picks up as it draws near and I start to run. This was a bad choice because now it's running too. I'm in full vampire mode and I run with a speed I have never felt before. My feet hit the ground heavily and something behind me howls. As I think I'm losing it, my foot catches on a root and I tumble to the dirt. My chins slams into the ground and my vision starts to go fuzzy. I try to pick myself up but I'm too disoriented to keep moving. I hear a loud growl coming closer and closer. I close my eyes briefly and struggle to my hands and knees. I look up and see a huge form approaching me through my blurry eyesight. 

"No!" I gasp, "Stay away!"

It growls louder and I know that this growl belongs to the werewolf. The one that killed my mother. My whole body trembles and it stops just a foot or two away from me. I can feel its hot dog breath on my face. 

"No, please." I say weakly.

Then it opens it's large jaws and springs forward. 

***

"NOOOOOO!" I scream bolting upright in my bed. 

My whole body's drenched in sweat and my blankets are all on the floor. I glance around and all the girls are sitting wide awake in their beds looking at me. How long have I kept them up? 

"Ohhh boy, I so thought you were over exaggerating." Lydia says rubbing her eyes. 

"Huh?"

"I didn't literally think you screamed in your sleep every night."