A/N: Challenges & prompts below. Thanks to Bex for looking it over. Also a nod to "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails, which I listened to on repeat while writing this.

For the Love of Dark

She presides over breakfast at the centre of the Slytherin table like a queen. Her loyal subjects flock towards her like mindless moths drawn to a flame. You can't tell if it's because of her prestigious last name, her beauty or the power that radiates from her.

You've spent weeks watching her. She flirts shamelessly with the wizards. She laughs at their stupid jokes while batting their greedy fingertips away from the laces of her trademark black corset. She cozies up with the witches, pretending to care about what they've got to say. You know she doesn't give a damn.

She beckons each one forward, tugging on the invisible strings binding them. One word, one gesture, one look makes or breaks them. You've seen this played out time and time again as her youngest sister runs away from the table, barely concealing her telltale tears.

She's a fucking bully – a manipulative monster who won't stop until she gets her way. She has no tolerance for weakness, especially from those in her most ancient and noble house. Her soul is as black as her last name.

And yet, you want to fall into her darkness. You want her strings around you, wrapping around your body until you can barely breathe. You want to feel the pain you know she can deliver.

What the fuck's wrong with you? Since when did you start lusting (because let's be real; this isn't love, and you know it) after her? When did you become a freak?

Couldn't you have satisfied your perverse proclivity with a proper witch?

Why can't you fancy someone like Lily with her heart of gold and gorgeous green eyes? Why can't you fancy someone like Amelia? The righteous causes she fights for are more in line with your views. Why not Hestia? Her hair is just as dark, if not darker than your chosen, and her defensive skills are something to behold.

But no, you're drawn to the dark, and for now, there's nothing you can do to shake the need that's filled you. Perhaps part of you has always been drawn to the darkness. You realise that now as you fantasize about running your fingers through the dark, curly locks that tumble down her back.

You wonder if there's another side to her – a softer one. Is her interior as hard as the shell she's built around herself? You sense she's protecting herself from something, but you can't tell what.

You're positive this fascination is a problem, but you don't care. Nothing you tell yourself can justify your feelings.

You want to get closer. You need to get closer. Damn it all to hell if you get burned for this – if you pay for this, and she rejects your advances.

Why would she be interested in you? You're insignificant. You're a lion with a forgettable surname. The only thing going for you is your blood - it's pure, but your ideologies aren't.

The chime of the bell pulls you from your musing. You wallow in self-misery as you roll up your parchment and shove your ink and quills into your bag.

Shame fills you, and you promise you'll try harder tomorrow. You won't look at her tomorrow or ever again. There's no point in wishing for something that won't happen.

Maybe you'll even return Frank's attention. He's been trying to get yours for ages now, and perhaps it's time to let him. He's a nice guy – proper and pure.

Lost in your thoughts, you don't watch where you're going, and you collide into something solid, yet soft. Your heart races a bit faster in your chest as you lift your head.

And there she is.

You stare into her onyx eyes, falling headfirst into their deep depths.

"See something you like?" she sneers, looking you up and down as if she's assessing you. It's over in a second, but to you, it lasts a lifetime. Your hands shake, and you feel hot all over.

She licks her lips and winks at you. She bumps you with her hip, throwing you off balance as she saunters past. Her high heels click against the floor, and she whistles a tune you've never heard before.

Yes! Yes, I do! You'd scream it at her, but you can't since her words have rendered you useless and speechless.

You turn, hoping that she's still there.

She stands, a dark angel basking in the sunlight that's crept through an open window. The light bounces off her dark locks, temporarily blinding you. An evocative look graces her face - an open challenge. She places a hand on her hip making it clear that she doesn't like to be kept waiting. She tilts her chin and cocks her head toward the exit.

You've got no idea what she's got to say, where she wants to go and if this will end well.

But you have to know.

So, you give into the madness and follow.

Word Count: 827.

Submitted for Hogwarts Writing Club:

-Character Appreciation: 10 (setting) Hogwarts.

-Book Club. The Blue Man (action) waiting for someone, (word) freak and (emotion) shame.

-Showtime. #4 At the End of the Day – (word) righteous.

-Buttons. O3 Parchment and W1 chime.

-Sophie's Shelf: Associates 13b. Write about someone who is 'always watching'.

Also submitted for:

-The Insane House Challenge #394 (word) evocative.

-365 Prompt Challenge #351 (word) justify.

-Resolutions Challenge: #4 11/50 stories written in 2018.

-May Scavenger Hunt #9 Prompt Set (character) Bellatrix Lestrange, (object) black corset, (action) laughing and (word) madness.

-Film Festival Challenge (Knocked Up): #25 (word) problem and #27 (word) positive.

-May Fanfiction Writing Month – 827 words.

Also submitted for the Conversation Starter Prompt Challenge on the HPFC. #7 Have Hogwarts as your setting.