Disclaimer: All characters, places, names, etc. in Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling and all the wonderful people she works with, be they the publishers or the movie producers. *sniff* I'm just poor.
Talking to Myself
~Onua Wingstar~
*
It was a cold, rather damp night. The waning crescent moon hung low in the velvet sky, speckled with distant stars. Across the grounds the grass glittered with frosty dew and the lake caressed the cliffs with its icy fingers. Draco Malfoy, third year Slytherin at the esteemed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sat quietly atop the castle's south tower, deep in thought.
*SMACK!
Hermione slapped Malfoy across the face as hard as she could. He staggered back, shocked at her sudden aggression. "How dare you call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil - " The malice in her voice was astonishing. Realizing it would be suicidal to aggravate her further, Draco signaled to Crabbe and Goyle and the three of them disappeared into the dungeons.*
The blonde boy hung his head. He had been scared of her, for heaven's sake. But he didn't care about that. He reached up and touched a finger to his cheek. The sting on his flesh was gone, but it remained in his heart. Hermione had always been the quiet girl, the one who would stand and let you say whatever you wanted to her face; without flinching, as nonchalant as someone being told the time of day. She never fought back; it was always her holding the back of her friends' robes, keeping them from tearing him to shreds, but not today.
He had never seen such fury in anyone's eyes.
"She hates you; she always has - you knew she'd crack one day." Draco looked up, surprised, searching for the speaker whom had interrupted his revere. There was no one.
"And you hate her, too. Oh, you think, if only it were that simple...But you know the truth." Now Draco pulled himself to his feet. He really wanted to know who was talking, who was saying these things. A faint breeze blew about the turret, playing with his silver hair.
"You can't even admit it! You're sad, you know. Doesn't it seem strange that you're always thinking of her? Don't you even look to see what you're thinking? Don't you notice?" He was angry now. The person was taunting him! They had no business spying on him. Not that he was doing anything, mind you, but all the same.
"Who are you?" Called Draco.
"Who are you?" Answered the voice.
"I.........I don't know. I'm awfully confused right now, and I was wondering if you would mind terribly leaving me alone for a while."
"Are you sure? You seem like you could use some help."
"I don't need anybody's help! I just need you to leave me alone!"
"........."
The voice did not answer. Draco was silent for a moment, contemplating whether this was a good thing or not. 'Well,' he thought, 'serves them right.' But his triumph ended when he heard another sound. It was a voice, but it spoke in a whisper, like the voice one hears in the back of their head when they're thinking.
"You don't need anybody's help! .........But you don't want to be left alone."
The words were his own, echoed on the wind. Draco slid back down onto his perch as a single tear fell from his eye.
~End~
Talking to Myself
~Onua Wingstar~
*
It was a cold, rather damp night. The waning crescent moon hung low in the velvet sky, speckled with distant stars. Across the grounds the grass glittered with frosty dew and the lake caressed the cliffs with its icy fingers. Draco Malfoy, third year Slytherin at the esteemed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sat quietly atop the castle's south tower, deep in thought.
*SMACK!
Hermione slapped Malfoy across the face as hard as she could. He staggered back, shocked at her sudden aggression. "How dare you call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil - " The malice in her voice was astonishing. Realizing it would be suicidal to aggravate her further, Draco signaled to Crabbe and Goyle and the three of them disappeared into the dungeons.*
The blonde boy hung his head. He had been scared of her, for heaven's sake. But he didn't care about that. He reached up and touched a finger to his cheek. The sting on his flesh was gone, but it remained in his heart. Hermione had always been the quiet girl, the one who would stand and let you say whatever you wanted to her face; without flinching, as nonchalant as someone being told the time of day. She never fought back; it was always her holding the back of her friends' robes, keeping them from tearing him to shreds, but not today.
He had never seen such fury in anyone's eyes.
"She hates you; she always has - you knew she'd crack one day." Draco looked up, surprised, searching for the speaker whom had interrupted his revere. There was no one.
"And you hate her, too. Oh, you think, if only it were that simple...But you know the truth." Now Draco pulled himself to his feet. He really wanted to know who was talking, who was saying these things. A faint breeze blew about the turret, playing with his silver hair.
"You can't even admit it! You're sad, you know. Doesn't it seem strange that you're always thinking of her? Don't you even look to see what you're thinking? Don't you notice?" He was angry now. The person was taunting him! They had no business spying on him. Not that he was doing anything, mind you, but all the same.
"Who are you?" Called Draco.
"Who are you?" Answered the voice.
"I.........I don't know. I'm awfully confused right now, and I was wondering if you would mind terribly leaving me alone for a while."
"Are you sure? You seem like you could use some help."
"I don't need anybody's help! I just need you to leave me alone!"
"........."
The voice did not answer. Draco was silent for a moment, contemplating whether this was a good thing or not. 'Well,' he thought, 'serves them right.' But his triumph ended when he heard another sound. It was a voice, but it spoke in a whisper, like the voice one hears in the back of their head when they're thinking.
"You don't need anybody's help! .........But you don't want to be left alone."
The words were his own, echoed on the wind. Draco slid back down onto his perch as a single tear fell from his eye.
~End~