I was growing more worried by the second. Will was supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago at the courtyard for our moonlit walk.

"He's never late for our walks."

I shivered as a cold wind blew through. It had been a few weeks since Mrs. Norris was petrified and no other victims had been claimed. My parents wouldn't say anything about what they knew about this "Chamber of Secrets", only that it brought great danger. On top of it all, Harry had been injured in a quiditch match with Slytherin and was in the hospital wing, healing his broken bones.

I grew tired of waiting for Will and turned to go back to Gryffindor Tower, when I heard a yell of fright from down the hall. I ran towards the sound without a thought in my mind. When I turned a corner, I saw Will laying on the floor, still as stone, in a frozen state. I was about to approach when I saw a large snake-like form in the shadows, slithering towards Will. It made my heart shatter and my body freeze in place at the horrifying scene. I saw the snake about to attack when a voice, deep and sly, speak a sort of language I didn't recognize.

"Ssssi alancha ssseee..."

The monster stopped in its tracks and retreated back to the darker shadows. Once I was sure it was gone, I rushed to Will's side and touched his cold face. His mouth was open and his eyes wide in fear. His head was turned to the window beside me, making me whimper in heartbreak. I cried and kissed his cheek, letting my pain fall on his face.

"Why? Why did it have to be him?"

I curled up next to him, embracing his stiff chest. I cried harder than ever at seeing my lover like this. I wiped my eyes and pulled out my wand as I got up from his side.

"Persona Liftotus!"

He was levitated in mid-air and brought behind me. I cried as I walked weakly to the hospital wing.

I opened the hospital wings doors with some difficulty and looked back to Will. I choked as I saw how pale and frozen he looked in the moonlight. I placed him down on a bed and sat beside him. I shut the curtains after a moment to give us some privacy. I traced my hand over his face, my tears returning at the sight of him.

"He didn't deserve this... My heart didn't deserve this..."

I whispered as I kissed his cheek lovingly. I hugged him as I cried. I heard movement outside the curtains but ignored it, to upset to care. Voices came closer to us and I placed a freezing spell on the curtains, ensuring that they were not moved. A few minutes later, one voice spoke louder.

"I'm sure I didn't close any of the curtains before I left, Professors. And it seems that someone's put a spell on them."

I whimpered at Madame Pomfrey and closed my eyes as the counter spell was said. The curtains were drawn and I felt my mothers hands on me immediately. I cried louder and gripped onto Will tightly, not wanting to let go. They tried to pull me off him, but I struggled to get them off me. They wouldn't stop and I grew so angry that I pulled my wand out, whirling around as they stood and I glared at them.

"Froziana!"

They were frozen in place as I ground my teeth angrily. What right did they have to rip me away from Will's side, especially like this? Their eyes widened, seeming as that's all they could move, and I lowered my arm and turned back to Will, my tears resurfacing. I touched his cheek softly before I turned back to my parents and Madame Pomfrey.

"Never try to take me away from him like that again, understand?"

They looked shocked and frightened as I lifted my wand again to reverse the spell.

"Warmaria!"

Their bodies relaxed as I sat back down, holding Will's hand. I felt their presence hesitantly come forward, obvious questions on their lips.

"I don't think now is the time to ask me questions."

My parents looked at eachother worriedly. I let my face rest on his hand as I cried. My mother held my shoulder and knelt down to hold me. I turned to embrace her tightly and cried into her shoulder for comfort. I sat there, quietly sobbing, before my mother softly spoke to me.

"Sweetie, you need to rest. I can tell you've had a very heartbreaking evening."

I nodded numbly and got up to leave with my parents.

The next morning when I awoke, I didn't want to move from bed. I put my face in my hands and sobbed softly as last nights sorrowful and distraught thoughts hit me full force. It wasn't long before mother came up to wake me when she heard my sobs from inside the room.

"Esme? May I come in?"

I whimpered before speaking.

"Y-Yes, c-come in."

She strode into the room with grace and sat next to me calmly. I looked up at her with red rimmed eyes and cried harder. I'd never felt more heartbroken then in that moment. She hugged me tightly and let me cry on her robes

"Esme? Sweetie, you need to talk to me."

I sniffled and released myself from her hold. My head bent down as I avoided her gaze.

"I'm just so worried for William, mom. He's one of my best friends and now..."

I didn't want her to know about my love for William just yet, and I seemed to get away with the lie. She hugged me again and stroked my hair gently.

"I know it hurts, sweetie, but the mandrakes are almost fully grown and he'll be up and about soon, a month or two at the latest."

I nodded slightly. I got up from my mothers arms and went to grab my robes for class.

I absentmindedly poured the last of the ingredients into the Ethereal potion as silent tears gently caressed my face. I saw a cloud of dull grey smoke release from the vial, making me give a blank expression at its completion. My friends gave me a worried glance from across the room before returning to their own potions. Professor Snape was waking around the room to make sure everyone was doing it right when I saw his eyes on me. I looked at the book and saw that I had done the potion exactly correct. I raised my hand dully as Professor Snape came closer.

"Yes, Miss Esmeralda?"

I looked up at Snape and pointed blankly at my potion.

"I've completed the potion. May I test it on myself?"

He seemed a little resistant at my request, but slowly nodded and watched me proceed. I drank a small sip of that potion and felt my body feel lighter and clearer. Professor Snape's eyes widened as he saw that the potion was exceeding its usual outcome. As I knew no one could see me, I held my hands to my eyes and cried to my hearts content. Apparently they could still hear me so Snape pulled me out of the classroom and down to mothers secret chamber as she had a free block of time. When we got in, no one was there. I whimpered and sat down on the couch, feeling the potion's affects leave me, making me hold my head.

"Esme?"

Snape looked less strict now and more concerned for me, more like my uncle rather then my teacher. He came closer but I held up a pleading hand as my body became normal again.

"I'm fine, Professor. But you need to get back to your class so the Slytherins and Gryffindors don't try to completely botch your classroom or each other."

He paled but crossed his arms before starting to leave.

"I'll inform your mother that your here and I'll excuse you from your other classes for today."

I paled at the thought of my mother hearing about this and stopped him.

"No, please don't tell mother, uncle! I don't want to burden her with this, please?"

He turned to face me and saw my pleading eyes, begging him not to breath a word. He sighed and opened the door.

"Alright, I won't tell her. But don't be gallivanting around the castle, alright, niece?"

I smiled and hugged him thankfully, as I followed him out the door.

"I'll only be in the hospital wing, uncle. I won't leave there until supper."

Before leaving Williams side, I kissed his cheek and stroked his hair tenderly.

"You'll be back to normal soon, my love. I promise."

I left the wing to head to supper when my legs began to shake as a large movement shook the halls. I turned a corner past the library when I gasped at who lay on the ground. Tears streamed down face as my legs collapsed beneath me as I sat sobbing on the ground in front of Hermione. My teeth ground in anger as I sobbed. I grabbed my wand and levitated Hermione as I had William. Before I left, I saw a glittering mirror on the ground. Picking it up, I placed it in Hermione's hand. I sobbed down the halls back to the the hospital wing. My anger was growing rapidly before I gripped my face in rage, raising my wand to my throat as my father had done the year before, making my voice boom through the empty halls.

"First you take the love of my life, then my most trusted friend! Why not take me instead of them?! Why?!"

I was met with silence, disappointingly, before voices and rushed footsteps came down the hall. I growled and let my anger burst through my magic, releasing blue lights from my body and letting them fly through the room. My eyes seemed to glow and, through an open window, the lights destroyed a tree ten feet away. Teachers came into the hall, including my parents, and gasped at the sight of me. I was like a wild animal, fierce and filled with anger.

"Esmeralda?"

"Go away before I hurt you, Professor... I'm... not well"

My mother cautiously approached making me whimper.

"Please... don't..."

She continued before she was a mere few feet away. I felt Hermione stir and snapped my attention to look at her. She was moving. She wasn't petrified. She was ok. I smiled and let more tears stream down my face as I let her sit on the ground. I paled as I realized that in my over reaction and anguish, I had frightened and practically threatened my mother and father. I cried and hung my head. Hermione's hands held my shoulders, trying to stop the shaking, when I looked up. I gasped when I saw new bruises on her arms and one on her face. I growled at the realization of who had done this. Slytherin, no doubt in my mind.

"The s-snivelling, heartless fools for i-idiot Slytherins... Hermione, I'm s-sorry... I-I wasn't here to stop t-them"

Hermione hushed me and cried with me, talking in a whispering tone.

"I know your already broken up about William, but don't blame yourself for this. I'm fine, Esme."

I whimpered pathetically.

"You are n-n-not f-fine. Not af-after this, after w-what they d-did to-"

Evil snickers came down from the hall, making my eyes twitch in fury. They were still here. I stumbled as I got up and approached the sounds furiously, but silently. The teachers and Hermione didn't move an inch as I clenched my hand around my wand, before

"Oh my Lord, this is better then I thought!"

I growled hatefully at Malfoy's amused voice. When I turned the corner the voices were coming from, I let my magic turn my voice into a dragons roar.

"RRRRAAAAAOOOOOWWWWRRRRAAAA!"

Quick A/N: I have no idea what else to do to describe a dragons roar so I'm sorry XD

All the boys shook in there place. I glared before yelling a spell at the frightened fools.

"IMOBELOUS!"

They all froze in time, letting me relax my muscles and sigh. Hermione and the teachers approached scarcely when I dragged Draco's immobile body towards me hatefully. I addressed everyone by pushing Draco away, making his back slam onto the ground.

"Your lucky,"

I pointed to Draco as I spoke.

"That I had enough restraint as to not perform an Unforgivable Curse. I was this close,"

I made a small distance between my fingers, barely larger than a fly.

"To doing the Cruciatus Curse."

I heard Hermione and the teachers gasp, but ignored it as I turned away from the motionless bodies in disgust. I held my head as it began to throb and leaned on the wall for support. Hermione came forward to assist me, but I held up a calm hand.

"I'm f-fine. I just need to... ah..."

My vision became blurred and blackened completely before my knees collapsed.

I saw an image, in the center of my eyes, of a damp hallway or something of the sort. At the end, was a haunting face of someone that resembled my father slightly. It's mouth opened slowly to reveal only darkness. Then the vision sped up and I came to be right in front of the statues mouth. Silence was all I heard before the frightened scream of a girl broke out through the darkness. Before I could turn, two gold eyes glared at me in the shadows. My body gave a jerk of pain... before my eyes opened.