Fire

I woke up sweating, and clawed myself out of my blankets. My breath came hard and fast as I stared at the ceiling above me, trying to forget my dream.

Unlike yesterday, when I had woken from a sweet dream, today my dream was back to what I had been experiencing over the summer. My body felt hot, and I reached past my curtains for my wand, on my dresser, before conjuring a small breeze in an attempt to cool myself down.

But try as I might, my mind still focused on the dream. I remembered the cold gaze, the flash of green, and worse, the cool hard ground, solid underneath me, the flowing of water nearby, and the slithering of a giant serpent.

Of course, someone who had experienced what I had, in my first year, here at Hogwarts, would have nightmares of it ever since. Of course I would wake up in a sweat as I remembered the cold, sticky feeling of blood on my fingers as I was forced, by him to write those threatening messages on the walls. Of course I would cringe whenever I heard the slithering sound that reminded me of the dreadful Basilisk, which for a few brief moments I had simultaneously controlled, and been controlled by.

But it had been getting worse.

When I first returned to the Burrow this summer, I hadn't been surprised when I'd woken up in a sweat the next day, biting my lip to keep from screaming, before hugging my pillow close to myself, in an attempt to quiet the beating of my heart. But when it didn't stop, that did surprise me.

And it seemed to be getting even worse.

It had been getting better. I'd been going from nightly dreams, to weekly, and slowly to monthly. Only last Summer I had been confronted by a boggart, and hadn't had it turn into a snake. To be fair, it turned into him and I had frozen in fear when his red eyes had met mine. But I hadn't been killed when I met the cold eyes of the basilisk.

So when I had woken up the next day in a sweat, I had started to worry about what was bringing it back. I began spending my nights flying. No one had an idea. I would keep myself awake until my spells revealed that everyone was asleep, then I would sneak outside to the broom cupboard, and take Harry's firebolt out.

I felt comfortable when I was in the air, but that wasn't the only reason I went flying. I also went flying because I knew that the brisk air would help keep me awake, no matter how tired I was.

I had set my alarm time earlier, and earlier as well. When I had finally gotten into bed last night, I was so exhausted from a summer of barely sleeping, that to my detriment I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. And now as I slipped out of bed, I realised that my habits had helped me, somewhat. I was awake before anyone else, and as I glanced out of the window near my bed I could see it was still dark. Looking at my watch, my eyes widened as I read that it was midnight. There was no way I could go back to sleep tonight, though. Knowing that he would be there, waiting for me, as soon as I closed my eyes...

Instead I changed into my robes and slipped down the stairs. I thought for a moment, about going up to the boys sixth year dormitory, and finding the marauders map in Harry's belongings, to make sure I had a clear path to the nearest girls bathroom. But thinking on that reminded me that I was a prefect. The badge glinted dully in the dying light of the fire, and I tried to recall the password to the prefects bathroom as I slipped out of the Gryffindor Common room, glad that the Fat Lady was asleep, and unaware that there was a student, even a prefect, out of bed after hours.

Despite myself, I crept, all the way to the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor, before whispering the password to Boris the Bewildered (Lemon twist).

I was stunned when I entered the bathroom. It was so luxurious. I tapped my wand on some of the knobs, finding out what they were. There were taps for different scents, as well as for different feelings, and for different lifts. There were about ten of each. I turned on a milk tap, which made the water milky, a wonderful feeling in a bath, Hermione told me last year, as well as a strawberry one, and one to help you feel refreshed. While the taps poured together, I slipped out of my robes.

The taps turned off as soon as the swimming pool sized bath tub was filled, and I slipped in.

The effect was immediate. As soon as my toes touched the water, I began to feel refreshed, as if I had just woken up from the best sleep of my life.

I started to do laps, in the milky water. I felt like I could do laps forever, if I wanted to, but after a few, I'll admit I grew somewhat lazy, and decided instead to just sit, and soak.

The milky feeling of the water against my skin was wonderful. I didn't have many baths, and certainly none with milk, but it felt really nice. I leaned against the wall, as I sat in a seat that felt like it was perfectly designed for me, and rested my head on a little pillow that was waiting for it.

I don't know how it happened, but despite the refreshing feeling of having just woken up from the best sleep ever, my eyes closed, and I began to drift off. I think I could probably attribute it to the softly snoring sound of the mermaid, who was sleeping on her rock.

Naturally, when a hand grabbed my shoulder, I jumped awake, thrashing in the milky water, struggling to remember what was happening. I hadn't dreamt, which I was thankful of, but now that I was awake again I had no idea of the time.

Of course, I was too worried about thinking that maybe I was late for class, that I completely forgot what had woken me up.

"Are you too poor to afford a bed in your dormitory, or is it just not as comfortable as sleeping in the prefects bathroom?" Malfoy's cold voice scoffed behind me. I froze as I turned around, glad that the milky water offered my naked body some protection.

"None of your business, ferret." I said, glaring at him, and wishing that my wand weren't too far for me to reach.

"Oh, well if that's the case then, I guess I'd better get comfortable so you can go back to sleeping." He sat down on the large couch that the prefects bathroom offered, and kept his cold, grey gaze on me.

"Malfoy, get out of here." I said, my voice low, and (I hope, at least) threatening.

"Oh? And what if I don't? Are you going to dream me away? Or splash some water on me?" He laughed, and I frowned. But he was right. There was nothing I could do. At least not with my body naked under the milky water.

I somehow managed to sit back down, keeping my eyes on him. He had to look away eventually. If he could do it for just long enough for me to reach my wand, or for just long enough for me to grab a towel, I'd be set.

"The water does look nice." He said after a while. "And the bath is large enough so that I could join you." He paused for a moment, as if contemplating it. "But that would involve sharing something with a filthy Weaselette. I'll just wait. We've got a few hours before anyone will start serving breakfast, and, after all, how long can it take you to have a bath?" He smirked, as if he'd just said something funny, but his eyes remained on me the entire time. Despite the warmth of the water, I shivered.

The time dragged on, and he barely seemed to blink, his gaze on me the entire time. I was sure that I flushed, but was desperate to out wait him. He would leave, eventually. Or look away. All I needed was a few seconds.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want me to leave?" Draco said after what felt like an hour. He glanced quickly towards the door, as if pondering it, but it was enough. The towel was closest, so I leaned out and grabbed that, dragging it towards the water as I slipped back in before Draco managed to look back at me. He frowned slightly, as if disappointed that he didn't get to see anything as I used the towel to get out of the water without showing him anything.

I grabbed my wand, and sent his bogeys attacking his face again in moments. I was slightly surprised when he didn't stop them, before realising that he mustn't have brought his wand.

He ran out of the bathroom, and I quickly dried myself and got dressed, before emptying the bath tub, and leaving the room.

A/N: Yay, I got a review ^^ Remember, the more reviews I get, the more I write. (I wouldn't have written this chapter today at all if I hadn't have received that review)