laconic • t.nott ✓

19 ➺ punished

「 PUNISHED 」

content warning: physical and sexual assault

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SHOCKED AND DISORIENTED, THEO STUMBLED up the stairs, not knowing where to go but determined to be as far away from Blaise as possible.

The chatter of students died more the higher he went. Soon, they would all go to bed and he would be on his own. It was dark where he was - no window was visible anywhere near him and the thick stones of the walls sheltered him from the moonlight and the wind. He wished they could shelter him from the hurt and betrayal cutting through his skin.

Blaise has kidnapped Luna.

He tripped over something and went sprawling to the ground. So disoriented was he that he was unable to block his fall with his hands and his chin hit the floor with a thud. He gave out a cry of pain, clutching his chin, as he slowly got to his feet again.

Where was he?

He couldn't recognise the place. For one, it was too dark. Wisps of moonlight splattered on him from the small rectangular openings on the wall to his left. He could spot the faint outlines of paintings on the wall to his right, and ahead of him was unending darkness. He decided to move forward.

His chin stung, sending waves of pain shooting over his head but he found it easy to ignore it. The thought of Blaise was enough to draw out everything else from his mind.

Theo wondered, briefly, whether Neville could have been lying. But then he remembered the furtive glances from his housemates, Blaise's eyes when he had looked at him coldly and left without dinner, not even stopping to say hi. Did Daphne know? She must know by now - Astoria must have told her. Then he thought of Luna, and guilt flooded him.

She was in captivity, Merlin knew what they could be doing to her now. She must be scared out of her wits, missing her father, and all he could think about was Blaise.

He stopped, suddenly blinded by a bright light. With a hand shielding his face, he squinted. There was a large window before him and he saw the sky through the thick window panes. Faint grey clouds floated by; he could see no moon.

Automatically, he moved toward the window and forced it open. He couldn't tell which part of the castle he was in, but it seemed like no one usually came here. It took some effort to get the window to open, and it made a loud noise as the iron frame moved against the stone wall. A gust of wind hit him instantly but Theo ignored it and pulled off the bag from his shoulders - the bag that still held Luna's shawl -, placed it on the ground and climbed up on the window ledge. 

It was big enough for him to sit comfortably. It was the fifth floor, as far as he could decipher, and he could see the Forbidden Forest right in front of him. A blanket of mist clouded his view but he could just make out the dark layer of foliage. His muscles crawled with delicious anticipation as he hung his legs over the ledge, but he was not scared. He settled down comfortably over the ledge and clasped his hands on his lap.

It was cold. Too cold. And he wasn't dressed warmly enough.

Soon, his temples began to ache. Any small movement took enormous effort. His lips and fingers trembled. Ignoring the obvious signs of freezing, he remained there, wishing the cold would freeze his memories and keep him from remembering what Blaise has done to him. Was he looking for him, he wondered. He was probably fast asleep.

He did not want to see Blaise for the rest of the year. Betrayal and shame hung heavily over his chest, like a boulder tied to his heart by a rope. He remembered how he had been planning to confess his feelings to Blaise. It seemed so long ago. The boy he was in love with was dead and the Blaise he met at the Entrance Hall, the one who was now in the Slytherin dormitories, was someone else. An impersonator who must have replaced Blaise on the train on the way home for the Christmas holiday.