Birth of a Nightmare Man

Chapter Thirty-One

The Nightmare Lord was asleep, again. This time he had been sleeping for almost a month. It had been like that ever since the death of Helga Hufflepuff twenty years earlier. He'd wake up, spend time with the portraits, slowly descending into memories which turned into at least one violent attempt on his own life before he returned to sleep again.

Also, Dementor time which meant the Dementors crowded him and he did his best to spend a little time with each and every one of them. Salazar once said he didn't know how the lord saw the difference between them.

"They're all unique and individual," the lord replied.

"Maybe to you, you madman," Salazar muttered.

However, Elise couldn't for the life of her remember some parts of the four friends. There had been a place where they met, she was sure of it, but whenever she tried to remember something snapped in her mind, saying master doesn't want you to talk about it. And she'd put it out of her mind for a while. It never occurred to her to think she had blocked her own memories.

While the lord slept, Elise tended to check up on him per Rowena's request. She always knocked, softly, before entering. Always announcing herself in case he was aware of people coming and going. She didn't want him to think he was in danger, so she always said it was her once she reached the bed.

The lord was breathing deeply and easily. He looked peaceful. Elise tucked the covers back over his shoulder, making sure his temperature was normal. He healed quickly, could survive everything thrown at him so far, but the common cold was the one thing to still defeat him at times. He found it hilarious.

"I can survive having my heart ripped out of my chest but Merlin forbid that I can prevent the sniffles," he'd say.

Sometimes he would get colds while he slept but there was no fever this time, just the warmth of sleepy contentment. Elise couldn't help herself, and strokes back some of his hair. She had washed it just yesterday. The lord might not care he slept without cleaning, but she didn't want him to wake up grimy.

Lucian usually washed the rest of the body, and changed the lord's clothing. At one point, the lord might have complained but now he just waved it away, saying they were free to do whatever.

"Is he still sleeping?"

Lucian stood at the doorway, and Elise nodded. He entered the room and came to a stop next to her.

"For how long will this continue?" he wondered.

"I don't know," Elise confessed. "The last time he lost a friend though, he made himself forget. So I suppose he's dealing with it better this time around. Barely."

The Nightmare Lord moved on the bed, and they straightened up. From sleeping on his side, the lord changed to his back, huffing out a breath and his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times, hissed at the bright lights coming through the window and Lucian hurried to close the curtains. The lord sighed and looked over at Elise.

"Hello," he mumbled.

"Good morning, master," she said. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Hmm… I suppose I should eat."

"I'll ready a bath for you, master," Lucian whispered to him. The lord tended to enjoy a bath after long periods of sleep.