Fatal Flaws

Chapter 10

I took a deep breath in and leant over the potion, inhaling the small twists of smoke. " I smell,  expensive cologne, apples, vanilla..."

I caught him staring out the corner of my eye, a smirk had crept up on to his chiseled face. I diverted  my eyes to the floor and cowered backward into the crowd. Being with sixth years for potions had always proven to be a lot more difficult. I was stood next to Lavender brown, who had leant into my ear. "Fallen for the bad boy Blair?" I closed my eyes and bit my tongue, stopping myself from rejecting her statement and making it too obvious. She chuckled in my ear before moving back with a triumphant grin. Her eyes slipped to Ron and it was my turn to chuckle.

Slughorn had dismissed us to our tables to brew our own draught of living death and Harry caught my arm as I went to follow Lavender. " Blair.. who was that?"

I just shrugged. Even i was in doubt at the time. He reluctantly let me go and hurried off to join Ron and Hermione and i went over to the potions cupboard, grabbing bottles of Powdered Root of Asphodel and Sopophorous bean's juice. Just as i reached for the last bottle, hot breath tickled my neck. I caught my breath, freezing with my hand wrapped around the glass bottle.  " Pathetic little girl..." He whispered in my ear as he snatched the bottle from my clutch.  The hairs in the back of my neck stood on end as his lips brushed past my neck....

I shot up, my heart racing my breathing as if i had just run a marathon. I clutched at my chest and doubled over, using my other hand to feel around me. I was in complete darkness, unable to make out a thing. A slither of light illuminated a floorboard and a skinny hand wrapped around the side of the door. A huge pair of eyes peered around the door begun my heart was pounding.

" Blair Potter..." it hushed as it crept in the room and shut the door. There was a noiseless hop and the light above my head switched on. Lorie was hanging from the light switch, looking incredibly apologetic. "Lorie walked past the door and started to worry, as Miss Blair Potter sounded to be struggling."

I took a deep, steady breath in an attempt to slow my heart beat. " Just a bad dream Lorie."

" Can Lorie make a cup of tea for you miss? It may help."

The kindness of his words made me smile but i still shook my head. He nodded and returned a weak toothy smile, then jumped off the light switch, pulling it down with him so the room plunged back into darkness. I heard the door click shut and I sunk back into my bed, staring at the ceiling as it was a starry sky. I closed my eyes and let all my muscles relax into the comfort of my mattress, however they just sprung back open. I tried again. But they'd till refused to remain shut. I lead still for a minute, pleading with my mind to let me slip back into a deep sleep, but it argued back and fought with me to stay awake.

I flung my legs out of bed and my feet hit the cold wood floor. I pushed myself up as a shiver ran down my spine from the draft coming through the crack in the window. I reached for the door handle, opening it as silently as i was able too, then crept into the dimly lit hall. The candles flickered as I snuck past them, but the closer i got to the bottom of the atari case the fewer that were lit.  I poked my head around the wall and the main light was on in the study. I debated whether to return to bed but knew i would just remain staring into the ceiling with no hope of sleep, so i ventured round. I stood, mute, in the doorway of the study, watching with great intent as he caressed his own bare arm with a blood stained cloth. i cupped my hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp as i caught what was underneath the cloth. Fresh words has been etched into his arm. The further up my eyes dared to go, the more scars i noticed. Both of his arms were patterned with numbers, letters and symbols, from his wrists to his shoulders.

" You shouldn't be here Blair.." he muttered, recovering his arm with the cloth.

Curiosity beat my viciously to a curb. " W-hat is that?"