Pansy paused in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. The painted
woman's gaze followed Pansy. She slipped into the shadows at the end of the
hallway and sat down in the corner. Her book bag rested beside her. She
closed her eyes and leaned back against the cold stone wall. After a few
minutes- it could have been even an hour, she lost track of time- the sound
of heavy footsteps brought her back to a concious state. She sat up, rigid
and waiting.
"Pansy?" A hoarse voice called through the darkness. Pansy's eyes darted to the fat lady- she was asleep- and crept forward.
"Yes?" She whispered, fear gripping her throat.
"Do you know what time it is?"
"No," Her voice shook, she felt tears begin to push their way through the corners of her eyelids.
"Do you want to know?"
Pansy couldn't answer. Instead, she gasped for air. Her lungs seemed to shrink, she couldn't get enough air.
"It's midnight, Pansy."
Pansy choked and stretched her arms out in front of her, searching for the voice. Her chest felt on the verge of exploding, pain shot down her stomache and even into her head. She collapsed onto the floor in a kneeling position.
"Do you know what's happening?" He paused long enough to hear Pansy gasp in pain, releasing what precious air her lungs still held. Why wouldn't the stupid portrait wake up and call for help? Why did it never wake up? "You're dying. Do you want to die, Pansy?"
The pain stopped, Pansy took a deep breath. "No." She croaked, grasping her throat. Then the pain returned.
"Why not? Haven't I done my job? Made you wish you were dead?" The voice laughed and took a form. Pansy reached out and grabbed the person's ankle. She squeezed tightly and pulled herself forward. The person kicked her away. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold her breath. The person obviously knew that she couldn't possibly survive this torture for much longer. There was a strange yellow light, and Pansy could breath.
She took a few deep breaths and stood up. "You can't break me." She muttered coldly. "You might as well as leave me alone."
The person laughed again and stepped into the light. Pansy gasped, she had never seen her nightly attacker. But here he was. Her legs felt like they had turned rubber. She leaned back against the wall. "Why are you doing it?" She asked, breathless once again.
"You'll never understand, Pansy," He said, holding his wand in one hand and taking a step forward. He poked her in the chest with the wand, and laughed again. "But I understand. And that's all that really matters, isn't it?"
"I- I- trusted you!" Pansy cried, pushing the boy as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards, then recovered his balance. He laughed harder. "How could you do this to me? I didn't even do anything to you!"
"Yes, you did."
"And what, pray tell, was that?" Pansy was suddenly very afraid of the seemingly kind figure before her.
"I know." He said simply before vanishing back into the shadows.
Pansy broke down into tears. How was this happening to her? She had liked him so much, maybe even loved him! But now he. he was trying to kill her! Or was he? Maybe he was a sadist. And he knew what? Pansy was sure she didn't have anything to hide from him.
She slowly made her way back to the Slytherin common room. Suprisingly, Draco was still awake. His eyes widened when he saw her tearstreaked face. He ran over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. He slowly led her back to a chair. She reluctantly sat down.
"What happened?" He asked, concerned.
"He- he put a spell on me!" Pansy cried. "He made me stop breathing!"
"Who?" Goyle asked from behind Draco. "I'll beat him."
Draco glared over his shoulder at Goyle. "I'll handle it, Goyle."
Pansy smiled slightly, it was rare to see two boys so close to her. "It doesn't matter anymore. I just want to go to bed. Good night, Draco." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheeck. "Good night, Goyle." She kissed him, too. Then she turned on her heels and left.
"Pansy?" A hoarse voice called through the darkness. Pansy's eyes darted to the fat lady- she was asleep- and crept forward.
"Yes?" She whispered, fear gripping her throat.
"Do you know what time it is?"
"No," Her voice shook, she felt tears begin to push their way through the corners of her eyelids.
"Do you want to know?"
Pansy couldn't answer. Instead, she gasped for air. Her lungs seemed to shrink, she couldn't get enough air.
"It's midnight, Pansy."
Pansy choked and stretched her arms out in front of her, searching for the voice. Her chest felt on the verge of exploding, pain shot down her stomache and even into her head. She collapsed onto the floor in a kneeling position.
"Do you know what's happening?" He paused long enough to hear Pansy gasp in pain, releasing what precious air her lungs still held. Why wouldn't the stupid portrait wake up and call for help? Why did it never wake up? "You're dying. Do you want to die, Pansy?"
The pain stopped, Pansy took a deep breath. "No." She croaked, grasping her throat. Then the pain returned.
"Why not? Haven't I done my job? Made you wish you were dead?" The voice laughed and took a form. Pansy reached out and grabbed the person's ankle. She squeezed tightly and pulled herself forward. The person kicked her away. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold her breath. The person obviously knew that she couldn't possibly survive this torture for much longer. There was a strange yellow light, and Pansy could breath.
She took a few deep breaths and stood up. "You can't break me." She muttered coldly. "You might as well as leave me alone."
The person laughed again and stepped into the light. Pansy gasped, she had never seen her nightly attacker. But here he was. Her legs felt like they had turned rubber. She leaned back against the wall. "Why are you doing it?" She asked, breathless once again.
"You'll never understand, Pansy," He said, holding his wand in one hand and taking a step forward. He poked her in the chest with the wand, and laughed again. "But I understand. And that's all that really matters, isn't it?"
"I- I- trusted you!" Pansy cried, pushing the boy as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards, then recovered his balance. He laughed harder. "How could you do this to me? I didn't even do anything to you!"
"Yes, you did."
"And what, pray tell, was that?" Pansy was suddenly very afraid of the seemingly kind figure before her.
"I know." He said simply before vanishing back into the shadows.
Pansy broke down into tears. How was this happening to her? She had liked him so much, maybe even loved him! But now he. he was trying to kill her! Or was he? Maybe he was a sadist. And he knew what? Pansy was sure she didn't have anything to hide from him.
She slowly made her way back to the Slytherin common room. Suprisingly, Draco was still awake. His eyes widened when he saw her tearstreaked face. He ran over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. He slowly led her back to a chair. She reluctantly sat down.
"What happened?" He asked, concerned.
"He- he put a spell on me!" Pansy cried. "He made me stop breathing!"
"Who?" Goyle asked from behind Draco. "I'll beat him."
Draco glared over his shoulder at Goyle. "I'll handle it, Goyle."
Pansy smiled slightly, it was rare to see two boys so close to her. "It doesn't matter anymore. I just want to go to bed. Good night, Draco." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheeck. "Good night, Goyle." She kissed him, too. Then she turned on her heels and left.
