As You Are // D.M.

HOUSE OF BALLOONS

I lifted my head up from the desk, giving Pansy a slight smile.

"Thank you, Pansy" I sighed, "truly, thank you. Any bad word I have ever said about you, I take it back right now." 

Pansy smirked, winking at me before diving into conversation about some witch in Magical Artifacts. I glanced over to the large clock on the wall. If I left Pansy's office now, I could be in the training room before lunch hour ended and the rush of witches and wizards would be successfully avoided. I collected all of my books and gave my friends a kiss on the head, before departing to the training room.

The halls were quiet, I was thankful for that. I allowed myself a moment to slow down my pace and just breathe. It had been a while since I just breathed. It was a mantra that I used to tell myself but I had forgotten about it. 

Breathe. 

I expected to hear the sound of my shoes clicking on the floor, but instead I felt light. I felt different because I was letting my guard down for one time in the past ten years. I knew this wasn't the right time and place to do it, but I wanted to feel free— even if it was just for a minute.

This whole entire week was a fucking disaster. Draco and I have avoided each other like the plague. Well— I have avoided him and he has just done his best not to talk to me. I pressed my hand on the black tile, letting them fall away as the mirrored room revealed itself to me. I took in a deep breath and walked towards the far wall, dropping my books and red oak wand to my side. It felt cool in the training room. The air had a haze to it, where the crystal chandeliers reflected orbs and rainbows of light.

It was peaceful.

It was just what I needed after this shit storm of a week. 

Well, it was peaceful until Draco Malfoy stormed into the room. I don't even know what happened. One minute, he was screaming at me then I started fighting him. Words were being thrown, accusations tossed, blaming me for things that were not in my control but it was his best mates that made all the calls back then. 

But I couldn't tell him that.

I felt anger that I had not felt in a long time swarming in my veins. It was seething deep and it was angry. The dark magic was swimming under my skin, yelling at me and telling me to let it out to play. I could have sworn at one point that I heard Tom Riddle's voice, coaxing me and telling me to do it... kill... do it now. I didn't listen, instead I fought back at Draco watching him with narrowed eyes as he deflected my spells. 

"You're acting like a fucking whore."

His voice rang in my ears.

I don't know what hurt more— the curse or his words. There was just a constant buzzing, static in my eardrums that silenced his voice to a meer echo. I dropped my wand, not even hearing it hit the wooden floor. I collapsed to my knees, my hand going to my heart— right where he hit me.

He hit me in my heart.

I could feel the pulsing of my dark blood as it oozed and spilled out of the crevice that he created with his wand. I could see Draco's lips moving but I couldn't hear him.

He hurt me.

I don't know what I felt at that moment. There was a mixture of sadness, pain, shock, anger, madness, lust even. I felt my mouth open and someone far away let out a noise that sounded like a banshee. I looked up at him, my eyes cloudy.

"Armena?" the distant voice cried.

I couldn't see him, I was crying too hard to make out the disfigured human in front of me.