The Deeper you Dig, The Darker it Gets

5.

          "Slytherin versus Gryffindor this time." I say, irritated.

       Malory laughs. "Well whether we win or lose, I'm down for a party."

         I'm glad I'm not the only one.

        "Do you think you and Aary could pick up some stuff in Hogsmeade before then? I can give you a list tomorrow."

         I see her starting to nod her head, but then something gets in the way. Her face goes from happy and excited, to anxious and confused. Her eyes widen and her right hand presses into her left forearm.

       It's the same thing that happened at the last party; The same thing that happened at the tournament as well.

         "I-Uh..." Malory tries to speak but she's too focused on something else.

                    "Are you alright?" I ask, while walking closer.

        Instantly, her hand lets go of her forearm and she tries to stand normally.

         "Yeah, I'm okay! I think I'm going to go, though..." Her words keep trailing off.

        Before I can say anything else, she rushes down the stairs to the girl's dormitories. As badly as I want to follow her and snoop, I know I can't. Getting into a girl's business is always the wrong thing to do, I've learned.

Malory's POV

        "Do you think you and Aary could pick up some stuff in Hogsmeade before then? I can give you a list tomorrow."

       I want to say yes, but I can't. The pain doesn't come back right away, at first it just feels like right before a panic attack. My heart drops into my stomach and I can't swallow the saliva building up in my throat. My arm doesn't hurt but it doesn't feel good.

            And then all at once, it hits me.

                            "Are you alright?"

         I notice Draco moving closer and start to panic.

        "Yeah, I'm okay! I think I'm going to go, though..." I say while looking around to see if anyone else is in the common room. Thankfully, it's just us.

         Draco's mouth opens to reply but if I stand here any longer I feel like I'll collapse. I cut him off and hurry down to my dorm room.

     I swing the door open and scan the room for Aary, then remember she's still with Fred.

                  Thank Merlin.

      It's been about 30 seconds, meaning the pain should be going away soon. It only lasts for a little over a minute if I remember correctly.

      I move to the bathroom in our dorm and lock the door, even though I've learned that does nothing. When I lift up my sleeve and turn to the mirror, I see the mark on my arm moving underneath my skin.

       Staring at it for too long makes my eyes fill with water. My heart that's still in my stomach starts to turn and I feel ill. Sweat falls from my neck, onto my chest and down my hips. I try to keep myself together and wait for the single minute to be up, but one minute turns into two.

       The clock on the wall clicks more and more, making two minutes now three. The burning grows and the snake continues to move inside my arm. I squeeze it harder and harder in hopes of making it stop but all that does is leave bright red fingerprints.

        My eyes scan the bathroom for anything to press onto it that's harder than my hand. It always stops when I put pressure on it, why isn't it now?

       I feel my fingers digging into my forearm intensely as my fear grows. My nails manage to push their way into my first layer of skin. At first when I see red I get nervous, but then the pain decreases a little.

       A small amount of blood falls from the skull of the mark and I feel a release. I exhale but quickly it comes right back.

        For a second time, I dig my nail into my arm and blood appears. The pain fades for another second but starts to fill me again.

       I look around the room frantically and stop at the bathtub beside me; on the ledge lays a straight razor. Quickly, I grab it and pull it open.

     I stare down at the mark on my arm and without another thought, press the blade into my skin, right below the skull's head. My eyes squeeze them self shut as I feel it split, but once I reach the end the pain from the mark vanishes.

      More blood spills out this time, but I'm too focused on the snake that has now stopped moving. It turns from black to red so I dig underneath the sink to try and find some sort of bandage. Once I find one, I wrap my arm and roll my sleeve back down.

                "Mal, I have something to tell you!"

       I jump when I hear Aary's voice from the room and quickly start putting things back in place. Before she can unlock the door herself I come out.

                   "What is it?" I ask.

        Her cheeks turn red and her smile grows. "Fred asked me to the dance!"

                   "No way!" I say happily. "That's so great, Aary."

       "You have to help me find a dress, and we have to find you one too!"

         Aary continues to mumble on about what color's match her green eyes best and how Fred is probably going to wear something ghastly but she doesn't mind.

             "Well we have to pick up stuff for the party, we can look at dresses then." I say.

          "Really?! That means I barely have any time. Oh Merlin, I'm not good at this..."

       I laugh to myself and watch as she continues to pace around the room. The fabric from my sleeve rubs against my arm every so often and I feel a slight sting, but that's nothing compared to the pain before.