(A/N): THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN!

Trigger Warning: Nightmare. Depiction of two characters being terrified/horrified. References to a character being drugged against their will and being forced to hurt people (the spharmus incident), and hurting themselves, along with references to Leo's suicide plan. In depth description that basically, uh... acts out Leo's suicide plan, as part of the dream? Except it's twisted, a bit? If you have any sort of phobia that makes it where reading about a character being drowned/held under water for a prolonged period of time bothers you, maybe skip this one. Spoiler Alert, Elaine isn't aware that this is a dream until after she wakes up, and is appropriately terrified because in her mind, she's basically forced to watch as Leo dies, and can't do anything to stop it, no matter how hard she tries.

Elaine

We were all in the boys' dorm room, as per usual. I was watching the others- the Marauders and Lily- playing around in the open center of the room, from my position on Leo's bed. Sirius and James were wrestling- or... maybe there was a pillow fight ongoing? All I know is my friends were having fun in the distance, and it made me happy... but not as happy as the warm body I could feel next to me- the shoulder I could feel under my cheek. I knew, even without looking, that it was Leo.

It made sense, considering that we were on his bed, but that wasn't how I knew it was him. I knew it was him, because I felt that unique feeling only he could inspire. That entirely 'Leo' sensation of safety, and love, and... a slight giddiness. Something simultaneously comfortable and exciting; familiar and new. He was both my best friend and my first love- and I never for a second questioned how or why he was here.

Sirius's trademark barking laugh echoed around the room, and Leo sighed contentedly into my hair. "I miss this," He whispered, and I felt a grin spread across my face at the sound of his voice. I hadn't heard it for so long, but I didn't question why I was hearing it now, either.

"I miss you," I told him firmly, and when he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, I felt his answering smile.

And then, I felt it slowly turn into a frown. "What are you doing over here?" It was an odd thing to ask. Given the choice, I'd always pick snuggling with Leo over being directly in James and Sirius's path of destruction- in fact, I'd choose that over most things.

"Where else would I be?" Even without looking at him I could tell he was confused, which didn't make much sense to me.

"With them," He said simply. "You should be with them, enjoying yourself." But I was enjoying myself. Being with him, over here, didn't lessen my happiness- it only enhanced it. "Safe." What was that supposed to mean?

I felt my eyebrows furrow, but it felt sluggish. Heavy, like my own body was fighting my reaction. "But I want to be with you," I told him, and I tried to sit up to meet his eyes, but found I couldn't. "Leo, why can't I look at you?" Once again, I felt his confusion.

"I... I don't know. Did I do something wrong?" Why would he think- oh. Oh, Leo...

"I mean physically look at you. As in, I can't seem to turn my head in your direction- do you know why?"

A chill swept through the room like someone had opened a window, but when I checked, the others hadn't moved. In fact, they didn't seemed to notice our conversation at all. "Elaine..." The tone of his voice was extraordinarily concerning. "Is this mine, or... yours?" 'My' what, exactly? I tried to look at him again, and this time, I actually could. I wasn't sure what had changed, but when my eyes landed on him, my entire world flipped on its head as I took in what I was seeing.

He was perfectly normal- just the same as he'd been when he'd boarded the train to leave for Christmas break, other than the befuddled look on his face... and the thick chains winding around his body at various points. "Leo- what- what's- what are you-?" A crease appeared between his brows, and he shook his head, effectively cutting me off by virtue of the fact that I had no idea what to say.

"Don't worry," He said, which wasn't reassuring in the slightest. "I have a plan." Also not reassuring. "You're not going to like it, though." Did I ever? Of course, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, even as I raised an eyebrow.

"...what sort of plan?" He glanced over my shoulder at the others, then gestured me closer with a jerk of his head- must be a secret.

When I leaned in close, he put his lips to my ear and whispered something that made my heart clench in my chest. "'I'm going to make him drain you dry- and you should know that he's going to revel in it.'" I knew those words- knew exactly where I'd heard them, and knew that Leo hadn't been the one to say them. Well, technically, his body had said it, but Leo- the boy I loved, his soul, whatever made him, him- hadn't been present at the time. So how then, did he know them now?

I reeled back and found him just as shocked and horrified- if not more so- than I was. As if he was hearing it for the very first time, and was feeling the same visceral terror I'd felt back then. He shook his head as if trying to dislodge those emotions, and whatever had made him say it in the first place. "Elaine, what- what was that? What was that?" His voice was shaky in a way that made me want to cry.

I opened my mouth to try to comfort him, but what came out wasn't- it wasn't me, and it certainly wasn't anywhere close to 'comforting'. "'I've already laid a hand on him, where I knew none of you could stop me- King's Cross.'" What? Was that- his mother? It made sense to me, given that we were- against our will- talking about when he'd been drugged with spharmus, and Cipicia was the one behind that incident. But when had Leo been in contact with her since? I assumed, given the context, that this must been something he'd heard, since I certainly hadn't, and he hadn't heard what he'd said while under the influence, but I had. Had he not told us- "'I was going to make you slaughter your little friends,'" I breathed, unable to stop myself. "'And then, in your last moment of stunning clarity, pitch yourself off the astronomy tower.'" Oh, Merlin... that- that.

It was quite possibly the worst thing I'd ever heard, and even if I wasn't the one saying it, it was still coming out of my mouth- but part of what made it so horrible was that I knew it likely would've worked. If we hadn't been able to stop Leo in time- if Lily and Peter hadn't managed to get behind him and stun him unconscious, while he was hissing bitter somethings into my ear- then the person controlling him would've kept their complete power over him. And... after 'slaughtering' all of us, his friends... I don't think Leo would've put up much of a fight, even if he could have. Knowing the mental state he's been in lately- hiding from us, lately- maybe... maybe they wouldn't have even needed to use mind control, at that point.

Leo looked less confused now, so I suspected my earlier assumption was correct, and somehow, I was repeating things he'd heard, that I should have no business knowing- like he had, just before. He looked less confused, yes, but I also knew that face like the back of my hand. He was guilty, and wary, and- he was getting that look he always got, whenever he felt the need to lecture one of us- usually me- about how dangerous he was. "Elaine-" I cut him off, with some unexpected difficulty.

"No." He blinked. "No, you listen to me, Leo- it's okay." His eyebrows furrowed, and I saw a flash of what might've been anger in his eyes, but I didn't give him the chance to form it any further. I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead, before pulling back just enough to resume eye contact. "It's okay, because I won't let you hurt anyone." He seemed skeptical. "I won't let you hurt anyone, because I know if you do, you'll never forgive yourself- and the last thing I want is for you to be unhappy."

He stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes scanning my face as if searching for something- lies, maybe- before his entire being softened, and it felt like the world around me lit up, accompanied by his tender smile. I don't mean that in a sentimental sort of way, like 'oh, he makes me happy, he lights up my world', I mean it literally felt like things got brighter- more vibrant. And also the other thing. "Elaine..." I leaned down and gave him another kiss, this time on the lips.

It was only when I'd already pulled back that I noticed something odd- his lips were cold. Not just cold, but positively freezing, and a little wet- as though he'd just finished eating an ice lolly. "Leo, what-" While we were at it, was the fact that his lips were cold really the most pressing question, here? "What's with the chains?"

He blinked, his expression displaying shock, then a little horror, followed by confusion. "How- how do you-?" He refused to finish his query, so I refused to give him a proper answer- only mainly because I wasn't entirely sure what he was asking. 'How do you know I'm in chains?' Because I can see them, dummy! I lowered my hand and gave the chain wrapped around his upper chest and arms a tug- his body jerked as if the sensation was both unfamiliar and unwelcome. His eyes dropped to the rest of his body, and I was forced to watch as he apparently got his first glimpse at the bindings holding him captive.

His eyes widened with horror, and his mouth dropped open- but it was only a second later, when his eyes shot back up to lock to mine, that he sucked in a big breath- bigger than any sort of typical gasp would entail- and snapped his mouth shut. There was utter terror in his eyes, and a split second later, I found out why. He just sort of... phased through the bed? It was as if the covers and mattress had lost their mass, and he sunk into them- through them- and in the span of half a second, he disappeared.

Immediately, I shoved my hand into the space he'd just been, trying to push my way through it in order to follow him, and the bed dipped as if it was still too malleable to resist my efforts the way it wanted to. I heard laughter echo from behind me, but I ignored it- somehow, I knew our friends weren't laughing at us, or purposefully ignoring us, but were simply blissfully unaware of the situation. Of my distress. There was nothing else for it; merely pushing wasn't doing it, I needed to do more- I channeled my desperation into digging my way through the bed. Fabric tore, feathers and stuffing flew, and then suddenly, all at once, the bed gave way, and I felt myself falling.

It was dark, I could tell it was dark, and yet, I could see almost perfectly. Maybe it was part of this weird scenario we'd found ourselves in, where we were saying things we had no way of knowing, and phasing through mattresses, but either way, I was able to see Leo hit the water ahead of me as clearly as if we were under the midday sun. He sunk into the water the same way he sunk through the mattress- it was less like his weight was dragging him down, and more like... well, like something else, was dragging him under. And he did go under. It made sense to me now, why he'd taken such a deep breath- had he expected this? Was that why he'd looked so horrified?

The wait nearly killed me. Leo reached the water seconds before I did- even one second would've been too long, but this was- this was torture. It was like whatever force was in control of what was happening was determined to separate us- not just physically, but to treat us differently. Leo slammed into the water like a rock, and sunk similarly- I slipped into the water like most people fell asleep, and when my feet met the bottom, things didn't add up.

Leo had disappeared under the surface of the water as if it were almost endlessly deep, and yet here I was standing on the bottom, with the water only coming up to my waist. It didn't matter that it didn't make sense- the only thing that mattered to me right now was Leo... and the fact that he was currently under the water, bound in chains. I ran for him.

It was only now I was running that I noticed the water was absolutely freezing- to the point where it reminded me of Leo's unusually cold lips. I ignored it; the water could've been literally boiling, and it wouldn't have deterred me in the slightest. I simply waded through the water as rapidly as I could, hoping- praying- I'd make it to him in time. That I'd have the strength to pull him up, out of the water, away from whatever was pulling him under.

When I made it to where he'd gone under what simultaneously felt like hours and seconds later, I peered down, and through the murky water, I could see him. I was relieved to see he was still moving- still fighting- but when I tried to reach for him, it felt like I was hitting some sort of barrier. Like something was refusing to let me cross that last little distance, and finally get through to him.

"Leo!" I screamed, because I didn't know what else to do at this point. Even my fiercest fighting didn't seem to be doing anything, and I needed him to know- I didn't know if he could see me, but I needed him to know I was here. That I was trying, and I'd never stop trying, for as long as I lived. "Leo! Leo!" I'm not sure how, considering I could only see the outline of his body through the water, but I knew when our eyes met.

Something changed. I don't know what I did- maybe Leo had done something, though what he could do from underwater, I don't know- but suddenly, the barrier broke. Instead of hitting that invisible wall, my fingers hit Leo- his chest through his shirt, and the chains binding him. There were no thoughts in my head about why, or how; I simply grabbed him, and yanked him upward with all of my strength.

It honestly shocked me when his face broke through the water- I lifted him so easily, so quickly, that with the way things had been unnecessarily difficult this whole time, it almost didn't feel real. Nonetheless, relief flooded my veins as I watched him gasp for air, and I couldn't help but lean down to pepper kiss all around his face- being very careful not to hinder his breathing in any way, as I did so.

"Leo," I breathed against the cold, wet skin of his cheek. "Leo, Leo, Leo." I felt a tug in the back of my brain telling me to pull back, and when I did, I saw the horror in his eyes. Except, they weren't the eyes I was used to- those big bright blues. They were darker- the same eyes I'd seen when he'd finished biting me before Christmas break. He was in Sensory Alert now, just like he had been then- albeit for exceptionally different reasons. "Leo-"

He cut me off. He was still panting, struggling for breath, and the first thing he did with that breath was to deliver a warning. "Run," He choked out. "Run!" I had a split second to be confused- by the warning, and by the way the hair stood up on the back of my neck- before the water around us started to ripple. There was something wrong with it- other than the fact that it seemed to be moving for no discernible reason. There was some sort of colorful reflection dancing across it, almost like an oil slick, but I barely had time to do more than notice, before a hand broke the surface much like Leo had.

It... it wasn't a human hand. Well, I didn't think it belonged to something that was currently human. It was the shape of a human hand, but it was pure black, and it wasn't... it wasn't solid. It almost appeared to be made of smoke- the most toxic, acrid smoke I could possibly imagine, but smoke nevertheless. Unfortunately, it very much was corporeal- as I found out when it slithered around the side of Leo's neck to grab him by the throat, and yanked him out of my grip as if I hadn't been holding him as tightly as I could.

"Leo!" I screamed as the hand pulled him under yet again, but when I tried to reach for him, the barrier must have been back in place, because I couldn't get to him. I felt helpless, and I couldn't imagine how much worse Leo was feeling, being the one dragged under- suffocated-

A tug, then another. It wasn't in my mind, now, it was physical. It didn't feel like hands, and it didn't feel- it wasn't threatening, but it still scared me, because I understood the intention. My feet slid through the silty bottom of the- lake?- I was standing in, and I fought it. Fought those tugs, because they were trying to take me away from Leo. Leo, who was currently under the water, being pulled down by... whatever that hand belonged to. Drowned. No- No, absolutely not!

"Leo! No! No, Leo!" I skidded, my palms slapping the water as I tried to grab something- anything- to hold onto; to allow me to stay. To allow me to fight my way back to him- and I was fighting with everything I had, because I wasn't just being tugged or yanked, now. It was as if I was being lifted by some sort of divine force; pulled off the ground, ascending, like something was trying to return me to wherever I'd fallen from, when I'd dug my way through Leo's bed.

"No! No!" There was a flash of light, color- as if I was back in the boys' dorm before any of this had happened, and I saw Lily's face for a split second, staring down at me with a disturbingly blank smile-

And then it changed. The light died down, and the colors were far less vibrant- which in hindsight, should've been my first clue. Lily was, in fact, staring down at me, but she definitely wasn't smiling. Instead, she looked downright terrified- as did Mary, Alice, and Marlene, who were all crowded around my bedside. That was clue number two.

Unfortunately, none of said clues really registered with me- and the first thing I did, when I regained the ability to move, was to launch myself off of the bed, into the gap between Lily and Alice. "Elaine!" Lily cried as I fell, my legs too wobbly to support my weight. "Elaine, stop!" I shook my head, and flinched at the feeling of my wet hair slapping my neck. My... sweat-wet hair? I blinked, and paused.

"Lily?" She came to my side rather tentatively, but didn't hesitate to slip her hand into mine so I could squeeze it in an attempt to anchor myself. "It... I was dreaming, wasn't I?" She nodded, but the look on her face was incredibly concerned, which told me this wasn't one of my usual nightmares.

"Elaine, you..." She winced. "You were screaming Leo's name." Oh. Well. That was... probably to be expected, honestly, given the context of the dream, and the way my nightmares tended to play out in general.

I took a second to think- to truly come to terms with the fact I'd been dreaming, and Leo wasn't- he wasn't currently drowning, wrapped in chains. "He's... at home, isn't he?" She stared at me like she was confused, and I saw the feeling echoed on the other girls' faces, as well. "It's Christmas break. He's not here." It was mostly for my own benefit, but after a second, Lily nodded as if she understood a little better now.

"But in your dream, he was?" I hesitated, then shrugged.

"Sort of. It- it's complicated. It doesn't... matter. It wasn't real." She eyed me warily, and I forced a smile onto my face. "It's okay, Lily. I just have a bit of an overactive imagination- and with everything that's been going on lately..." I trailed off, but I saw Lily's eyes widen, before she nodded quickly. She knew I was referencing Leo's self-harm, but the other girls probably thought it had something to do with the upcoming war- and honestly, both were sort of true. But what none of them knew, was what I suspected the real cause to be: Leo's struggle with his vampire side.

"Right. Okay. Um, do you... need anything?"

I considered this, then shook my head. "No, I don't think so. I- you know my dreams are... complicated. I think I'm just going to... I'll write about it." Which was a dangerous prospect, given that Lily had shown herself willing to read my letters, if she was curious enough. "I don't know if I'll send it- what's the point?- but maybe it... maybe it'll help to write about it."

Lily stared at me for a second, the concern evident on her face, before she gave me a small, tender smile. "I think he'd want to know." I blinked, and when my eyebrows furrowed, she clarified. "Clearly, it upset you. If Leo knew you didn't talk to him about it because you didn't see the point, how do you think that would make him feel?" Probably the same way I'd felt when I found out he hadn't talked to me about the way he'd been feeling, recently- which got the message across perfectly.

Unfortunately, I didn't know how to explain any of it without sounding like an idiot- a mentally unstable idiot, even. "Lily-" She gave me a sharp look, and I cut myself off, feeling oddly chastised. "I'll- I'll try."

(A/N): So, it was all a dream... or was it?

This is part 1 of the what I originally planned to be Chapter 400, but obviously, I was a bit ambitious with my timing. There were supposed to be two parts- a split POV first chapter, and a single POV second chapter, but then I got to the 'halfway' point (aka right here), and realised that I was definitely going to have to split it into two parts. So, now there are going to be three parts- or more. Because knowing me, when I say it's going to be x number of parts... there's always a chance for more parts to spontaneously appear.

Now, I didn't write this whole thing in italics like I've done for (I think) all of the dream based chapters in the past, because I thought it would be exceptionally annoying to read a whole chapter like that, and also because I (sort of) wanted it to be a surprise that Elaine was dreaming, at least up until the point where she reveals that Leo is there. I promise this serves a purpose (several, in fact), and isn't just for funsies. More context incoming.