Chapter 5 – Rooms
White.
This time, the room is white.
Again, there are no windows or doors, but now, I know that doesn't mean there is no way out.
But why?
It always seems to be the question.
"What's really going on here?" I ask. "I know you say I won't believe you and that I have to figure it out on my own, but things are very strange. I don't think there's much that I won't believe at this point."
I sit across from Malfoy at a white table, matching in shade and brightness of the room itself. It is a bit disconcerting and my eyes aren't liking the bright light, making me want to squint.
"You need to remember what happened to you," he simply tells me.
"To me? Something happened to me?" I don't like the sound of that.
Malfoy nods.
Something.
Opposite.
Opposite to this.
And with that realization, the room begins to dim. The walls transform from smooth white to a dark, stone-like surface. I stand up as the table and chairs move, join and elongate to form stairs. The walls seem to close in, making the space smaller. And it's cold and damp and dark.
Darker and darker the room becomes.
And with the darkness comes fear.
I am afraid.
Terrified.
I don't know why. I don't know what's coming, but I'm petrified. My hands shake, breathing comes fast, my heart beats against my ribcage like a drum.
Footsteps.
I hear footsteps above me, coming closer.
A door creaks open at the top of the staircase and ever so slowly, the footsteps descend.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
It creaks.
I move backwards as far as I can, until my back hits the cool surface behind me.
And the fear takes hold of everything within me, freezing me to the spot. I can't breathe, I can't scream, the terror overtakes me.
"Granger."
Malfoy is there. He is right beside me. But he can't protect me. No one can. Not from this.
"Granger, you can change it," he reminds me. "Close your eyes and change it. Think of something, anything. Think of the details, think of calm."
But I can't.
I can't think of anything but disaster, but pain, but fear.
Light.
I can see light.
Simply closing my eyes seems far too frightening. I can't do this. I can't do what he's asking.
"Granger," he urges. "Trust me. It will be over when you think of something else."
But I can't.
Then blackness.
What is he doing?
Malfoy is covering my eyes!
I can feel him against me, feel his tight hold, and I fight, struggling against his grip. I have to move, have to get out of here! Someone is coming! They're right there!
"Think," he whispers next to my ear. "Where do you want to go?"
The beach.
And Malfoy loosens his grip, stepping away from me.
What I see is not the small, dark room of impending doom, but the water.
I'm shaking, tears rolling down my face.
And I fall to my knees, unable to stand any longer on my trembling legs.
"What the hell was that?" I demand to know.
"A memory," he replies quietly, sitting down beside me.
I dig my hands into the sand, hoping to return some warmth to my extremities.
"What do you mean, a memory?" I ask. "I don't understand. It was so real . . . I just . . . I've never . . ."
"You will. You'll understand. All if it," Malfoy tells me. "Eventually."
I take a deep breath to calm my, still racing, heart.
We sit in silence, the pulse of the ocean the only sound between us.
"Why here?" he finally asks. "Why is this the place we come back to? I mean, I understand it's nice, it's calming, but there must be something else."
I think about that for a moment.
"I can't really place it, the feeling it gives," I start. "It's calming, yes, but . . . I don't know. It's familiar maybe."
"Nothing overly significant then?"
What's he searching for here?
"Is it supposed to be?" I ask.
"Not necessarily," he responds. "Just wondering."
We return to silence; open, mysterious, lonely.
For a moment, I feel so alone.
I miss my friends.
Harry and Ron.
I miss them.
I have no idea how long it's been. It could be only minutes for all I know.
But it feels like a long time, and they feel very far away. I don't know where I am, but there is this sensation of distance looking out at the seemingly never ending vastness of the ocean before me.
I'm alone.
"We're all alone," Malfoy says.
Did I say that out loud? I didn't think so, but I must have. I'm such an idiot. Malfoy is helping me – I think – and here I go saying how lonely I am with him sitting right beside me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . ."
"It's alright," he stops me. "I get that feeling a lot."
He looks at me with this small, half smile, and that moment is gone. I'm not alone. Wherever I am, he's here too. Whatever I'm going through, he is as well.
We aren't alone.
We're together.
Author's Note:
Hello wonderful people! I hope you all had a great week. Thanks for checking out my latest chapter!
What was going on with what Malfoy claimed was a memory? Did she really say that out loud? Are you still as confused as Hermione is?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thank-you so much to those few of you who left your comments, I always appreciate your thoughts and love hearing any guesses you have or questions you face. They'll all be answered in time but I'm going for confusion now so as things unfold there will be one of those 'ohhhhhh' moments.
Here I go, diving into another insane week, but I hope yours is awesome and I will post again next Sunday!
~TheQuietAwakening
