Monster

Parchment 16: Hatched and Blood

Coming up to the common room I say the password and enter in. Slytherins were all in the common room, laughing and making jokes about one another or other people they looked down upon. Once I'm seen it goes quiet, a dark haired boy leans over and whispers.

"It's her, the Lion Lover," there comes a smirk from his buddy and then the whole room is laughing. Biting my tongue I have to choose.

Confront them or walk away.

Well, I can show them what this Lion Lover has to say about that. With a small smile, I come up to the boy who said it and raise my eyebrow.

"And you are?"

"Matthew Cliff, Lion Lover," he smirks, he's at least a third year, but that doesn't scare or intimate me in any way.

"Well, Mr. Cliff I hope you don't mind my reply to that name.." I say taping my right foot against the ground. That foot comes right up and knocks him in the bonkers, a yell along with a plop on the floor it what I get in return. Letting out a huff of air I go straight to my room to work on scrolls and assignments we were given that day.

Opening my door I smell something burning, I see two books on fire. Running over I quickly put them out, then I look around for what could have caused that. Corral calls me over to her side and I see a small, very small dragon. He's about the size of a baby lizard just covered in scales and horns. Laying my hand out for him, he takes a small sniff then jumps on. He fits in the palm of my hand, (that's pretty small) running my finger over his markings and scales I know just what dragon he is.

This being a good and a bad thing. Good because I finally have my own pet dragon and bad because someone might find out and tell someone else about this. So I must keep him hidden much longer, but he will stay this size for a long time.

But one thing that surprised me was how short of time it was, a little over two months and it hatched. Normally takes about a year or more for them to come out of the shell, guess Hagrid had this one for a while before giving it to me...

The dragon, though he looks like a lizard now, is a Hungarian Horntail.

One of the biggest and deadliest beats out there in the magic world.

I let him crawl up my arm and on to my shoulder where he sits, like a blue bird may do or an owl. Hagrid must have raised him carefully, for even though he did set the two books on fire, he was gentle and kind.

Pulling out the scrolls I need for my class, oh, which one, ah Herbology! We need a report on all of the healing herbs and how they are properly used. Getting multiple books from the shelve I start my report. Scroll after scroll I go, not stopping till I finish.

。。。

Looking out the window I see the moon far up, almost straight up at a ninety-degree angle. It's beaming shine down on Hogwarts letting everyone know it's time to sleep. Letting out a yawn myself, I feel a small poke on my shoulder every second or so, he is asleep. Guess it wouldn't hurt him if I let him be with me while I sleep.. The worst thing he could do would be to bite me or sizzle off some of my hair during the night.

Grabbing the black blanket I make a bowl-like shape and place him inside. Laying down on my bed I place him down next to me, moving the books I originally had there on to the ground.

I should name him, but I don't know yet... I'll dream about it while I sleep tonight.

And just like that, I was asleep with only one thing on my mind.

。。。

There I stand, with a wand in my right hand, at least I think it's me. I'm all dressed in my muggle clothes with someone in front of me, I can't see who they are but they tower over me, there shadow devouring me easily. Pale, clear, shiny skin that's all too perfect for a figure like them, and they possess an oak wand in their left hand.

I raise my wand and yell something that I don't understand, it almost sounds like a different language. The shadow replies with a bright beam that cancels out mine, an explosion makes me fall back on the ground. Getting ready to stand up the oak wand touches my skin. The point very sharp, like the blade of a new and clean sword that the blacksmith just finished.

A huge jerk of pain throbs throughout my arm, my mouth is open but nothing comes from it. Just what comes out is tears that have a red taint, no, it's really blood.

Then dozen upon dozen hooded, lean figures gather around me and this thing, they're holding me down, the throbbing just increases, my heart can't take any of this!

Then another loop of people come, but it's only made of about ten people. Not the dozen upon dozens of lean figures surrounding me.

The image became engraved on my skin..never to leave, always there to stay until the end...

That's when I hear the scream...

I find a pair of curious eyes staring down at me, sitting up I'm covered in sweat, and thankfully not blood like my nightmare showed me. Letting out huge gulps of air the hand finds my shoulder, making me look up at who it is.

It's someone I wouldn't expect, someone I thought wouldn't even come near me, especially in this situation. But did...

"Malfoy?" That's all I could answer, my voice was hoarse. I was really screaming... Malfoy just holds a lantern in his left hand, gets up and heads toward the door.

"I came to see what the screaming was about," he says turning his head every so slightly to the left, so I can only see his eyes, "you had it too?"

"Wait, what did you say?"

"You had a nightmare too?" I can't understand what he is talking about right now. Doesn't everyone have nightmares? But this one seemed so real, and vivid, almost horrifying to think that it was real and that it could happen.

"Yeah," he lets out a small sigh and sits at the edge of the bed. Laying the lantern down on the ground he turns to me. "What about it?"

"We don't get dreams or nightmares for random reasons Nebula," he just called me by my first name, I can't decide if I want to punch him or slap him, "you know that, there's something here, in Hogwarts or in our minds, for we both had nightmares and both woke up screaming."

He did the same thing? I can't imagine that. It's like him crying those months ago during 'practice'. If something was out of place it would be Malfoy, he doesn't act like this nice guy with wisdom and stuff. I don't say that of course, I don't want this peaceful conversation going down the drain just yet.

"Crabbe and Goyle get you up?" I ask, he nods his head, rubbing his tired eyes, small bags starting to form underneath his silver orbs.

"Yep, they heard the screaming and came to me, then I heard someone else scream and I followed it and it was you," he rests his hands on his legs and takes a breath in, "what was in your nightmare.."

"P-people, me, and a guy, I couldn't see his face.."

"What happened, don't waste on making it short," Malfoy says seriously towards me.

"I was being held down by them, then a ring of ten people came around and then my arm started to hurt, then in the dream, I heard the scream and then I woke up.. And you were here.." I mumble quietly at the end, he nods his head and gets up. This surprises me, he wasn't going to tell me his own nightmare.

With a blink of an eye, he leaves. Without saying good bye or thanks for sharing my dream. Huffing angrily I pull the covers over my head, against my will I start to cry again.

I don't understand him. Or he doesn't understand a monster like me. I don't blame him, I don't understand myself either...

。。。

She had the exact same nightmare, except I saw the face, I saw the people in the hoods and those around them. Another thing would be how mine ended, yes, I did scream, but, there came a voice with two hands reaching out to me with a smile quite so gentle. It spoke to me.

"We can do this together Draco, just believe in yourself and believe in me... That's how we get through, together..."

Only if I knew what this whole blasted thing meant, it would help solve many things that just came around recently.

But time is a very, very tricky thing...