Ziam oneshots ✔️

The Chosen One

Liam Payne caught sight of Katie Bell talking to Malik by the Gryffindor table and felt the familiar knot in his stomach growing until he felt like he was going to be sick. He ran out of the hall, trying to contain his rebellious tears to his eyes as he did so. All of the terror and anxiety of the past few months was hitting him now, all of it at once, and he couldn't bear it. Somehow he made his way to a bathroom and turned on the sink. Myrtle was beside him almost instantly. Liam let the tears hit, knowing that trying to hold them back would be futile. Myrtle was trying to comfort him, saying useless things about not crying and how everything was going to be alright.

"It's not going to be alright," Liam choked out. "He's going to kill me. He's going to kill my whole family if I fail." Myrtle was floating around helplessly waving her arms as if that could help. As if anyone could help him now. He sunk to the ground, sobbing.

"I know what you did, Payne." Liam spun around as the voice of Zayn Malik rang out through the dimly lit bathroom. The one person who could possibly make this situation worse right now. Of course bloody Malik had to show up. He was suddenly very self conscious of how tear-streaked his face was, how pathetic he must look. His face flushed in shame, and his hand grabbed his wand instinctively. He pulled it out and pointed it at Malik, his hand shaking. Malik disarmed him almost instantly and stepped forward.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Katie, you bastard," Malik snarled. Myrtle shrieked. Liam hung his head, utterly defeated, and waited for Malik's revenge. Gods knew, Liam deserved it. He closed his eyes, wishing that Malik had the guts to do him any real damage, and knowing at the same time that he wouldn't. After a moment of nothing happening, Liam looked up and met Malik's gaze. The Gryffindor's expression had softened, and he was looking almost sympathetically at Liam's broken form lying on the bathroom floor.

"What did they do to you, Payne?" he asked incredulously. Liam hated being pitied. He would far prefer the other boy's rage to his pity. He forced a sneer on to his face.

"They didn't do anything to me, Malik. What did 'they' do to you? Those stupid mudbloods and bloodtraitors. Are you getting soft now? The man who poisoned two members of your house is lying helpless in front of you and you aren't even going to do anything about it?" He was surprised at how weakly his voice came out. Hopefully Malik wouldn't notice, and would take the bait. Liam was desperate for... something. He wasn't sure what. Punishment, maybe? He had done some terrible things this year and he knew that they could never be forgiven. Mostly he just wanted to feel a different kind of feeling than the crushing reality of his situation and the things he had done. He needed any kind of distraction, and maybe Malik's stupid banter would distract him for a moment.

Malik's face had twisted back into anger, though it seemed less than before. He strode up to Liam and sat down on his chest, pushing the tip of his wand against the brunette's throat.

"Is this what you want, Payne?" he asked softly, as if reading Liam's mind. Yes. Liam's mind responded. Yes, do it. Make me feel something.

Aloud he said, "You don't have the guts, Malik. Go on. Do it."

Furious hazel eyes met his own for a moment, and Liam was surprised to feel another emotion. One he hadn't felt in months, not since the Dark Mark had been tattooed onto his arm. Not since the Dark Lord had sat him down and quietly explained in gruesome detail exactly what would happen to his family if he failed in his mission. Desire. It was desire. For the fucking Chosen One. He quickly broke the stare, looking towards the ceiling instead.

"Get out of here, Scarhead," he finally muttered. "This isn't a place for the Chosen One. Crawl back to your safe little dormitory with your sheltered little friends."