Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition-Round 2

Some of you are pretty new to QL, and it's still early in the season, so what better time to take a look around?

I'm sure most of you have seen the tourist-y sights, and who among us hasn't seen Hogwarts, Gringotts or the Ministry? So, grab your maps (and a returning player willing to act as tour-guide) and let's get exploring! Don't get too lost though, you still have a match to play!

Use the location assigned to your position as the setting for your story.

Position: Beater 2

Prompt: write a story using the location assigned to you as your setting

Beater 2: Spinner's End

Word Count: 2046

Prompts:

10. (genre) suspense

12. (word) shadow

"This looks like a great neighborhood," said Tobias, staring at endless rows of gloomy houses. He turned to his wife, looking lovingly at her. "Don't you agree?"

Eileen hesitated. "Erhm… yes, I suppose it is."

She peered behind the houses to find a small river polluted with trash and oil. The sky was covered with gray smoke, which came from the mills in the distance. They cast a shadow on the neighborhood, making it more creepy than it already was.

They turned the corner, coming across a rusted sign. "Spinner's End," Eileen whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Tobias blurted out.

"Oh, nothing. I think I like this street."

"You want to take a look?"

Spinner's End seemed to be the cleanest part of the neighborhood. They walked along the street, looking left and right at the identical houses, and were drawn to one house in particular. It was towards the very end of the street, with a white flower sprouting in between the floorboards of the porch. No other house had this. Lucky for them, there was a sign with bright red letters, saying For Sale.

Tobias stepped through the doorway first. The floor creaked as he walked. He turned on a couple lamps to illuminate the dark room. Eileen watched as he scanned the room with a small smile on his face. Her husband seemed to like the home.

The next week, the couple moved in. Eileen did her best to make the shabby house into a home for her and her husband. Eileen couldn't recall a moment where either had been happier.

A couple years later, Eileen announced that she was pregnant. Everything changed then.

Eileen expected such an occurrence to bring them even closer together, after all their little family would be growing; however, Tobias became more and more distant. They weren't the happy couple they once were.

She hoped that once their child was born, things would go back to the way they were. She hoped, and then, Severus was born.

"Mum! I'm going out!" Severus yelled as he stumbled out the door, trying to put on his shoe.

"That's fine, but be back by—" Eileen was interrupted by the slam of the door. "Six o'clock," she sighed.

There was absolutely nothing to do in this house but clean. "Tobias wants it spick and span by the time he comes home," she spoke to herself. She tried to keep the smile on her lips, but she didn't quite manage. The shudder that ran down her spine, though, those she was getting used to.

She was lucky that she had her wand. Of course, she only used it when Tobias was away. She knew how he felt about her magic. There needed to be compromises for a marriage to work, and she had already been so selfish by having Severus—who was just as magical as her—she couldn't ask more of her Tobias. She waved her wand, ignoring the guilty twinge she felt as the house started putting itself together. It's better like this, she told herself, better than the alternative. She pulled the sleeve of her blouse further down, trying to forget what hid beneath the blemish free white linen.

Hours later, Eileen awoke to the sound of a slamming door. She berated herself for having fallen asleep. She couldn't help it though. It was becoming harder and harder to sleep beside her husband. She ignored another stab of guilt. She jumped to her feet, smoothing out any wrinkles in her clothing, and hiding her wand the best she could. Then, as the footsteps grew closer to the living room, she sat back down, throwing a quick glance around to make sure everything was where it should be. She looked up just in time to see Tobias walk into the room. Her breath caught in her throat for just a moment when she saw the dark expression on his red face; then, she smiled at him, praying—something she hadn't done before Severus was born—that her smile didn't look as strained as it felt.

"Where's Severus?" Tobias spat.

"I… I told him to be back by six," Eileen said, part of her despising just how weak she sounded. What would her parents think of her now? She had been raised for so much more than this. She had been raised as the Heiress of the Prince House, and now… Where was her Pureblood pride now?

"Well, it's almost eight! And what happened to dinner? Did it magically disappear?" Tobias sneered. "Or did you just not make it?"

"Tobias, please… I—" Eileen stopped when she heard the door creak open.

No, no, no, no. Why now? Eileen fisted the hem of her blouse, eyes widening just a smidgen.

"I'm home!" Severus yelled from the mud room.

Eileen heard the heavy thumps of his shoes hitting the floor. The house was quiet, the quiet before the storm. She glanced at Tobias, freezing in place at the sheer loathing in his expression. Please, please, please, she begged a being she hadn't truly believed in until she had Severus, don't let him come in, please. Severus entered the living room, her prayers going unanswered.

"Where were you?" Tobias roared.

Severus looked down at his feet.

"Severus. Where were you?" Eileen spoke calmly, doing her best to get Tobias' attention off Severus. Tobias hated being interrupted in any way. What she was doing was close to outright spitting in his face, as far as Tobias was concerned. She did her best to stop herself from shivering when she felt that hateful gaze lock on her. Better it be on her than Severus.

"At the park," Severus answered.

Eileen could hear the tremor in his voice. There was nothing she hated more than seeing how much Severus feared his own father. It shouldn't have to be like this. She would make sure that it wouldn't be like this. For Severus, she could do nothing else.

"With Lily… I didn't mean to come home so late."

"Who's—" Tobias was cut off.

"Severus, go to your room."

Twice now, she had cut him off. She didn't know if she would be able to live with the consequences.

Severus walked to his room, turning to look back every so often. Eileen saw him peeking from behind the door, tears in his worried eyes. She tried to tell him to look away, to go to his room, she knew what was coming, and there was no need for Severus to witness it. However, Severus either didn't understand, or outright ignored her demand.

"How dare you interrupt me!" Tobias advanced on her as soon as Severus was out of his sight. "Do you know how hard I work to provide for this family? You can at least do your part!"

He hit her across the cheek, and she fell to the floor, barely able to brace her fall with her hands. Tears filled her eyes, her long, dark hair serving as a makeshift shield from her enraged husband. Though, her head snapped up when she heard the door slam open and Severus' running into the room.

"Mum!" Severus yelled, reaching for her.

Before he could, Tobias grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him from the floor.

"And you! You are nothing but a brat! Get out!" Tobias bellowed, throwing him out of the room.

Eileen watched as Severus got up and ran to his room, tears running down his face. She felt nothing but utter hatred for her husband in that moment.

"Get up!" Tobias yelled at Eileen, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up.

She stumbled when he let her go, but quickly righted herself, and brushed the tears from her face. Tobias hated it when she didn't look presentable.

"You're sleeping on the couch tonight," he huffed as he walked to the bedroom.

Eileen jumped at the sound of the slamming door. She stood frozen in place for several moments, far too afraid to move from her spot.

Why? Why? Everything had seemed so perfect. She had married for love, going against her parents' wishes, how could it have turned into this? She was a powerful witch, a powerful woman, how had she been reduced to this?

Her legs gave up on her, and she curled up in a ball on the couch. I can't do this anymore. I'm so tired. Of him, of living in fear, of seeing Severus suffer so. She cried herself to sleep, hating the weak woman she had become, and loathing the man that had turned her into said woman.

Tobias left for work early that morning. Eileen heard him leave while she laid on the couch, flinching when she heard his heavy footsteps coming closer to the living room.

Tears streamed down her face as she replayed the previous night in her head, over and over. Eileen just wanted to get away from Tobias, one way or another. She needed to get away from him. Severus would understand, she was sure.

She picked up her wand. It can be over now. I can get away. I can be free from this life. She stared at her wand, feeling the soft wood with her sweaty palms. Her heart was pounding as she pointed it at herself. She held it there for a few moments, before hastily throwing it to the floor. It doesn't have to be this way. Not with her wand. She had never used her wand to harm anyone, she wouldn't start now. Tobias might have turned her into someone she didn't recognize, but he wouldn't take this from her, too.

Eileen got up and walked slowly to Severus' room to make sure he was still asleep.

The door creaked open. She peered through the crack, seeing a small child, her child, in a lump under the covers. She closed the door softly and walked to the hall closet, taking out a small cauldron.

How long had it been since she had brewed? How long since she allowed herself to truly immerse herself into something she had been so passionate about? They had called her a potion prodigy once upon a time. She will go far, they had said. She chuckled bitterly. How wrong they had been.

Now, though, she would take this life changing step as she had once been: a powerful witch, youngest Potion Mistress of the century.

She felt a familiar presence of someone in the room with her. She turned around to find Severus standing in front of the bookshelf, with a puzzled expression on his face. Simply giving him a smile, she poured the potion into a vial and put it on the table, proceeding to make dinner.

"Didn't you have a date with Lily?" she asked a teasing lilt to her tone, ignoring the look Severus was giving the little vial with the dark blue potion in it.

Severus nodded, not taking his eyes of the vial.

She just smiled. So smart, her little boy, he would be fine, no matter the outcome of her decision.

"Go on, then." She shooed him away, smile never leaving her lips.

"Bye, Mum," Severus said, leaving the room. "I'll be home by six!" he yelled just as the door shut.

Yes, her son would be just fine. She continued making dinner, smile never leaving her lips.

Severus headed into the living room when he got home. He was mentally berating himself for once again being late. He just knew that his father would take it out on him this time.

"Is dinner ready?" he asked, not raising his voice when he saw his father's jacket thrown over the back of the couch. His father hated when people raised their voices. He frowned when there was no answer, not even his father's yelling.

"Hello?"

He walked into the dining room, almost hesitant. There, on the table was the same vial he had seen that afternoon, only now it was empty. However, Severus' gaze wouldn't move from the person lying on the floor, their chest still and eyes wide open.

That evening, when Severus came home late once again, no yelling greeted him, and just this once, Severus wished it had.