to be or not to be| sixth year | draco malfoy

sectumsempra

"i tried really hard for you to hate me but you still gave me second chances."
-

The morning after was a blur, like waking up from a nightmare but still trapped inside it. I could feel the weight of the world pressing down on me, suffocating me in the quiet of my room. The storm of emotions from the night before hadn't subsided—it had only grown darker. Every breath felt like a battle, every thought a new weight on my chest. I hadn't eaten in what felt like days—weeks, maybe. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered.

The mornings had become my worst enemy. The silence, the emptiness. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my body aching from the lack of nourishment, my skin cold to the touch, despite the warmth of the blankets wrapped around me. I could hear Camille and Abigail moving in the hallway, their voices muffled but insistent. They were coming. I knew they were coming.

They knocked softly on my door, but it felt like they were knocking on my very soul.

"Violet?" Camille's voice was gentle, but I could hear the worry behind it. "We're going to breakfast. Come on, you have to eat something."

I didn't respond. I didn't have the energy to respond. I just lay there, staring at the wall, the tears already starting to burn my eyes again. The thought of getting out of bed was unbearable. I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want to face the world. Not today. Not any day.

Abigail's voice followed, softer but still firm. "Please, Violet. We're worried about you. Come with us. Just for a little while."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw something. But I didn't. I just stayed still, the numbness creeping in further, curling around my heart and making everything feel heavy, too heavy to lift. But Camille and Abigail wouldn't relent. I heard the door creak open.

"You can't stay in here forever," Camille said, her tone no longer gentle, but firm. "We're not leaving you alone with this. Come on."

I sat up slowly, the world spinning as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My hands trembled as I tried to push myself to my feet. It felt like my body wasn't my own. My legs were unsteady, and I almost collapsed back onto the bed. But then Abigail was there, helping me stand, her arm around my waist for support.

"Violet, we'll be here," she said softly, her voice breaking through the fog in my mind.

I didn't look at them as we walked toward the door. I didn't want to look at anyone. I couldn't meet their eyes. Every glance felt like an accusation. Every moment of their concern made me feel weaker. They didn't know. They couldn't know how much everything hurt.

-

I sat at the Slytherin table with Cammy and Abby, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I hadn't told anyone, but last night, in the abandoned girls' laboratory, I had cried. I felt a vast emptiness inside of me—a deep, hollow valley that seemed to consume everything I had left. I hadn't slept. I hadn't eaten... again. Each day, I was becoming more paranoid, more tense. I flipped through the pages of my potions book, pretending to focus, but the words blurred together. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Are you going to eat, Violet?" Abigail asked gently. Her voice pierced through the fog in my mind, but I didn't look up. I shook my head, too focused on the page in front of me.

Then, I saw it. The words I had written weeks ago, scrawled at the top of the page: Sectumsempra~ for enemies. The thought that crossed my mind was dangerous, but it flickered through my head all the same. I quickly pushed it away.

"You need to eat, Violet. You're hollowing out," Camille said. The words hit harder than she knew. I rolled my eyes, shutting the book with a force that felt satisfying, if only for a moment. I hated to admit it, but I was shrinking—my jawline sharper, dark bags under my eyes, my body growing frailer.