Chapter 2

THE LETTER DREAM

She was heading near a moor. The shadows of trees around her were twisted in a brutal sort of way that it gave her shivers. As she moved on, her led sank deep into the soil. It was like quicksand. She was as pale as her grey eyes. Her dark lips were drained out of blood.

She slipped over something and fell face first. She pushed her hands against the ground for some thrust but it sank deeper. She turned her around, as much as her posture allowed, to find the object she slipped over. It was a shriveled hand, as white as parchment. She then observed its ring finger. A gleaming golden ring with a fat ruby stone on top of it. The red stone was topped with a shock of gold. Massive realization flooded over her. The symbol of the Sparks.

'GRANDMA!' she thundered.

The hand seemed to stir. The forest which was around her twirled and whirled. Her body slipped from the ground and drowned deep into the soil. Her mind was full of the picture of her grandmother's hand. Was it actually her grandmother's? Abruptly she plunged on something moist and slippery. It seemed to wrap itself around her like a coiling snake. She thrashed around like a child throwing tantrum. She gasped for more air. Her already pale face was turning green now. She suddenly was reminded of all her fears. Her worst horror was insects. Immediately a swarm of bees buzzed towards her. 'Think of the devil' she thought.

Then the mechanisms of her mind seemed to click on the right place. She thought hard…'DEVIL'S SNARE!' she squalled. She allowed her body to relax and let herself fall. The coils untied itself and made her enough room to continue her fall.

She hit the ground hard. A sharp pain went through her spine. She winced. This place was darker. As her eyes got adjusted to the lightlessness, she noted a pale figure bent over something. It was wearing an expensive black cloak. Its fingers were jeweled with extravagant stones. Curiosity won over sanity, she moved towards it, trying not to make a sound. Yet it managed to hear her. It looked up. His face was bloodless yet his lips were as red as roses. His features appeared to be chiseled out of white stone by a skillful sculptor. Fangs as sharp as newly sheathed daggers protruded out of his mouth as he smiled menacingly. Her eyes traveled towards the body lying beneath the vampire. She observed the light brown hair, just like hers, on him. He stirred and groaned in pain, unable to muster any more noise. The shock drained the leftover blood in her. Recognition streamed into her heart, spreading icy coldness throughout her chest. She was unable to make any movement. She felt nauseated. Not because of the sight she just encountered but because of the swift flow of anger, aghast, devastation and desperation. Suddenly she felt light-headed. Her legs seemed to turn into the silvery, cloud-like substance that fills the pensieve. Conspicuous to the laws of the nature, it was not able to hold her body's weight. She strived not to blackout. But she could not resist it.

Instead of the world turning blank, a band of flashing light blinded her eyes. When her eyes adapted to the brightness she found the vampire dead, her brother fully alive and

Draco. But he was not the hollowed faced boy with lines of misery who slept on her lap. He was a radiant angel with clean-cut face. He was dazzling a dauntless smile.

Tears of gratitude gushed out of her eyes. 'Thank you….thank you so much..t-thank y-you..' she hiccoughed over the pouring tears. She wanted to rush to him at once and embrace him. But something about his appearance curbed her from doing so.

Before she could do or utter anything else he turned his back to them and moved away from the place. Her brother didn't seem bothered at all. But her heart was racing like the horse Arion from the Greek mythology.

'Where are you going Draco? Come back!' she wailed in vain. The boy moved without a slightest turn of his head. She dropped to the ground and dissolved in the river of hot tears pouring from her eyes…

She woke up with a jolt. She turned her head around to find herself in the Room of Requirements, alone. Her eyes searched for the white blond boy. But there was no sign of him. 'Did she imagine all these or did Draco actually fall asleep on her?' she wondered. The former seemed more reasonable. Yet she knew deep within her that Draco, a pure-blood maniac and a cruel bully, found her comforting.

She visualized the dream she had. She knew perfectly well that it was just the reflection of the tormenting letter her parents sent her. It read that if she wants her brother to be free of the werewolf and vampire attacks that are taking place lately and if she wished to defend her muggle grandparents, she should leave Hogwarts and go into hiding with the rest of the family. But it was impossible for her. It was in Hogwarts where she learnt about her true self. It was in Hogwarts where she felt the importance of the wizarding community in the life of the Earth. She didn't want to betray the place which gave her abundance of erudition. Hogwarts was like a mother to her. A mother who never thinks twice before feeding her child. Will anyone abandon their own mother? She definitely won't. She doesn't have to be a Gryffindor to be brave in a situation like this.

In addition to all this, she has another strong reason to stay back at Hogwarts now. Draco Malfoy. She can't help but be empathetic towards him. The image of the tear stained boy would never fade away from her mind. It gashed a deep wound in her heart. The only medicine to the wound is Draco himself. Not the Draco with the helpless and sullen face but the Draco with the angelic smile.

But where was he now? She stood up and searched the room frantically. There was no sign of him. Then, she viewed the tall windows. Morning light filled the room. She realized that someone by now must have grasped her disappearance. She hurried out of the room. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around her redwood wand. She was not able to round up an alibi as her mind was already filled with the thoughts of Draco Malfoy. She left her muggle written book in the Room of Requirements. She didn't forget to take it. She left it there purposefully because now she had a better book to read. A book full of misery and mystery. The book of her pale angel.