Sleeping With Ghosts
Chapter One
"Do you mind?"
The blond stirred, his ears perking to the sound that was unfortunately familiar—and very unwelcome.
"This is my bed that you are laying on you big tub of blonde blubber!"
Draco shot awake, his eyes wide and searching. Not again! he thought as he clutched the blanket to his chest in a very childish manner.
His room at Hogwarts College was empty of life, save himself. He could hear the snores of his suite mate, drunken snores that rattled the window of their shared bathroom.
Real.
The sound was real. Ron's snores could wake the dead…
A shiver ran down his skin in the fashion of an ice shard—slick, cold, wetness trailing down his warm skin. His gray eyes darted about once more, noting that which was real.
His books were neatly stacked where he'd left them on the table, his work lamp…hadn't he turned that off?...his clothes. They were all there, all real.
But that voice!
He shook his head, what he needed was to haggle a strong sedative off the nurse. If this kept happening there was no way he'd be able to sleep soundly. If these…
"Nightmares?"
Draco let out a high pitched squeak before promptly clasping one hand over his mouth as the other clutched the blankets close.
"What the hell?" His head turned fast, scouting the room for life and finding it devoid of any but his own once more. "Oh, sweet Jesus." This was not happening to him. He wasn't supposed to go senile until…well never would have been nice…but god, he hadn't thought he'd be insane at nineteen!
He'd been convinced that it had been a one-time thing the first time he'd heard the voice.
He'd been convinced that it had been a figment of his imagination the second time he'd heard the voice.
He'd been convinced that it was his friends playing a less than appropriate trick on him the third time he'd heard the voice.
And now, he had to contemplate the option of actually being crazy.
"Oh yes. You are crrrraaazzzy, Blondie."
Draco narrowed his eyes, pushing the covers from his body he stalked over to his closet. Maybe he wasn't his father…yet. "Goyle! Get your ass out of my closet!" He yelled, yanking the door open sharply, glare in place.
"Tsk, tsk, Blondie."
Draco spun around. Two weeks into college and he'd been broken.
No, there had to be some other explanation.
But the room was empty.
Empty.
"Yes, very good. Empty. Spelled e-m-p-t-y, just in case you were interested."
If he were less a man, he'd be sorely tempted to clench fists in his beautiful hair and give it a mind numbing tug. But…this time, he was going to figure this out.
"Where are you?"
"Here." Said the voice in a bored drawl.
Draco looked around the room as casually as was possible. "Where exactly?"
"Where would you like me?"
Warm breath trickled down his neck as the voice changed yet again, this time sexy and…wanton?
"Don't do that!" Draco cried out, jumping away.
"As you wish."
Silence filled the room once more as Draco shook his head. Either he was having a conversation with himself, or he was asleep and dreaming of having this conversation with himself.
He stalked over to his lamp, switching it off. Neither of those options suited him well and he wouldn't take either of them. Collapsing on his small bed, his fingers went to his temples, rubbing the soft skin in circles.
"Aww…did I give you a headache?"
Draco flinched. He wouldn't acknowledge this. No. If you acknowledge the crazy voices in your head, then you give them life.
He wouldn't do that.
He wouldn't become his father.
"Ignoring me now, Blondie?"
"Stop calling me that!" Draco screamed. So much for ignoring the voice.
The voice didn't answer.
Draco sat up, opening silver eyes. His lamp was on.
"Hello?"
The light turned off.
Draco blinked.
Had he imagined it? He brought the flesh of his arm to his mouth and bit down. Not hard enough to bruise, but enough to make sure that he was indeed awake…and alive.
"Cannibalism went out last century, Blondie."
Draco bit just a tiny bit harder.
The light turned on once more, its yellow glow a spotlight aimed at his laptop.
"Turn that off." He said gruffly.
The light went out.
Draco glanced at the clock, 2:13 a.m. He almost growled with annoyance. It always was 2:13.
"I just want to sleep." He said as he crawled back into bed, pulling the covers up over his head. If there had been anyone left to see him, they would have only seen a tuff of blond hair and the shape of the body beneath.
"Then sleep." But he knew the boy was already asleep. He'd exhausted his energy. Had been for days.
A dark shadow quivered as it jumped from shadow to shadow until it hovered over the clock. It's dark red digits reading 2:13. A shadow descended over it, maybe if it had been solid, it would have simply been aiming for the snooze button.
But it wasn't solid…only a shadow.
As it crossed over the glowing red digits the numbers began to run backwards, descending into nightmares that only the shadows witnessed.
As always, thanks very much for reading. Tell me what you think and I'll continue!
Until next time,
jd.