Chapter One – Haunting Me
He walked up to me with that leer in place. I braced myself for his vulgarity. His eyes lingered too long, like they always do. Steady feet approach me with a thwat every other step. I was repulsed but had nowhere to go. What could a mere student say to him? What chance did I have of making him leave me alone? My breath is almost non-existent; every rise of my chest catches his dark eyes and silently allows him to look, or so he would reason.
Thick black hair falls to his cheeks and limply hangs with a desolate look. Long fingers run through the slightly tangled hair in a suave manner. Pulling on the corner of his lips is a smile, indicating he is amused by the situation. No one has ever seen this smile before, or any smile from his tall frame. His crooked nose whistles as he breaths, making a bodily musical. Whistle, thwat, and the chink of his wand slapping his waist are the forefront of the music with the creaking of his arms and rumble of his announcement working as the backup singers.
The stubble on his face stands out upon his pale complexion as if he is standing in shadows. A black robe wraps around his form, as does his dark and menacing disposition. It's always black, always the same darkness.
He is so close that his yellowing teeth are visible through the slanted smile. Inside the almost black eyes lies a sliver of an emotion, yet which one it is today is still not known. My brown eyes fall away from his black ones as he stops two feet away from me, invading the mental bubble I occupy. Nervously I tuck my red hair behind my ears and feel the blood slowly drain from my face. I can imagine how my freckles stand out against my skin at the moment. My lips are so dry from quidditch practice; my tongue desires to dart out and quench the thirst of my lips but I refuse to lick them before him.
Cool skin contacts with my chin and with some force lift my head upward, forcing my neck to bend so his face, so far above mine, is clearly seen. The cold from his hand is spreading over my face and down my neck to my shoulders. Briefly I wonder if he is somehow cold blooded for he is like an ice cube, chilling my bones and leaving me with shivers.
My eyes have successfully avoided his until he speaks. Husky words assault my ears. My pulse quickens as I discover the emotion the black eyes in front of me shine with…lust. Bile begins to rise in my throat and I feel my vocal cords constrict as if trying to speak, but they are paralyzed. Silence suffocates me in the emptiness of the hallway.
A slapping of shoes rings loudly off the stone walls. Without looking away from me he drops his arm and steps back. One, two, three, four steps he takes backwards before, with a flick of his robes, he disappears into the shadows.
Glistening tears fall from my eyes, their salty texture crashing onto my red and gold tie. I never thought he would leave me alone. Silently I thank the steps that broke us apart. He was becoming to bold, taking so many chances that one day he would have the courage to finish the deed that I know lurks behind his greasy hair and lives nestled in his brain. He will take what he thinks is his. Tears fall faster at that revelation.
"Ginny."
My name surrounds me in his sing song voice of mock. He never left after all. A slight movement directs my red-rimmed eyes in his direction. Without a thought my lithe legs turn and run, run up seven flights of stairs and two corridors to escape the man who haunts my every day. His chuckle chases me.