Chapter 9: Swift and Silent
Jason went to bed that day, or rather, morning, very happy. Although he didn't dance with Martha, he still had lots of fun. Another revelation also came to him: that girls would actually like him, and also that Martha did in fact was attracted to him. He fell asleep thinking that.
Nothing much happened that bleak month of November, nor did much happen in the first half of December. Jason, who was still too nervous too make a move on Martha was greatly tormented by his hormones every moment he was around her… and that is quite a lot you see. They had become the best of friends, and had become inseparable.
However, something did happen starting Christmas break. Most students of Hogwarts obviously journeyed home to visit their families, but Martha and Jason still stayed behind—they had to study, and of course it game them more time alone, for both of them were still chicken to make a move on each other.
That night, when Jason was sleeping, he heard a tapping noise next to his bed. He swiftly sat up as sweat started to formulate along his back. Jason still did not dare to pull the curtains of his four-poster bead.
Then he heard almost silent footsteps walking out the boy's dormitory. This prompted Jason to courageously pull over the curtains, but all he saw was the darkness of his room.
God, I must be hallucinating… probably had too much candy, he thought, and went into a restless sleep.
More frightful than his incident of his actual consciousness was his nightmare, this time he dreamt that the strange man was holding both Martha's mother and his dad hostage in some sort of dungeon as he ruthlessly tortured them demanding answers.
What was more terrifying was the details were so vivid. He could almost smell the blood that came out the scars of the victims, he winced at their pain, he screamed when they screamed…
Jason woke up, again, in the dark, trembling, with sweat all over his body. He heard a small yelp that came out of girl's dormitory. It almost sounded like Martha's.
Then, composing himself, he pulled on a robe, grabbed his wand and warily walked towards the girl's dormitory as he heard footsteps coming out of it. Jason readied his wand and cautiously walked forward. The footsteps seemed to be getting closer…
As if a suddenly burst of prowess, he ran forward, blindly towards the girl's dormitory but bumped into someone running in the opposite direction. This gave Jason quite a fright you see… frightful enough to pee in one's pants (if he hadn't went for a while).
"Jason!" it was Martha's voice.
"Martha! It's you!" Jason said, relieved that it wasn't some ogre or monster of some sort.
"You scare the crap out of me!" she said.
"Shhh… you too," Jason whispered, "I heard like a scream coming from your room, so I came to investigate.
"That's odd, I thought I heard that voice from your dormitory," said Martha, then she paused a bit and asked, "Nightmare?"
"Yea, you… that man was like torturing… your mom… and my dad…" choked out Jason.
"Same here… man… I'm so terrified; you think we can spend the rest of the night together… I'm so scared…." Cried Martha, and tears came out of her blinking eyes.
"Well, the boy's dorm is empty, we'll go there," Jason said, with a slight blush.
So that night, Jason and Martha cuddled up against each other, not for passion or love, but of a common fear; at least they knew that if they stayed close, they'd be there for each other.
Author's Note: They did NOT, I repeat, they did NOT, do anything inappropriate… Sorry for the three plus months delay of updating this story, I've been… very busy. The end will come out before you can say "Christmas". I also noticed many errors at my part upon rereading this story, I will correct that once I am done with this.
