Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Twenty Three

Pulling his hand away from his head, his fingers shone with crimson and he looked up at her, his vision tilting this way and that. He must've gotten a concussion. She watched as he tried to stand up, but his blood covered hand slipped on the floor and his head must've been spinning so much that his balance quickly gave out, sending him back to the floor. He landed on his side and the wind was knocked out of him, he had a cracked rib.

"Nearly hurtling me off a tower to my death?" She ground out as he tried to reach for his wand, but with a simple gesture of her hand, it flew into her grasp.

She wasn't letting him get away this time, she wasn't going to let him defend himself. The odds were in her favor now.

Tom gaped at her slightly, not really being able to believe what was in front of him. For one, he's never seen magic like this before. And new things always did fascinate him. And two, Delilah had warped into a completely different person. Someone much more powerful, much more deadly, and much less forgiving.

"Cutting into people's skin and marking them as property?"

As he went to sit up, Delilah raised her free hand and dragged him up against the wall. Tom choked out slightly due to the invisible grip around his throat that was slowly starting to tighten.

"Intruding into my mind, which is private, and mine alone? Even after you saw me visibly crawling to get away from you?"

Pressure increased on his throat and his hands flew up, clawing at nothing but his own flesh. Delilah watched apathetically as his watering eyes bulged and he began to choke. She was about to fire another wave when something caught her attention.

There was a cut above his right eye, the blood from the wound had dripped dangerously close, nearly getting into his waterline. Her dream from the other night suddenly shot forward.

Shaking her furiously, she sent another wave at him since her grip had loosened, pushing him painfully into the stone. His ears were ringing and his focus kept going in and out, he wasn't full on suffocating either but his chest was heaving due to hyperventilation.

The light from the curling magic reflected in his dark eyes, making them practically shine red due to the reflection of his own blood. Delilah suddenly went stiff as the dream finally shoved its way forward again.

Those red eyes that seemed so familiar.

That tingling she's gotten every once in awhile since she arrived in this time grew stronger, though it turned into something more painful. Her vision went white for a moment as that ache suddenly exploded. Causing her focus to drop from Tom and he slid to the floor the second her hold released him.

Blood trailed on the wall from his head and he fell on his side, spluttering out wet coughs and there was something warm and metallic on his tongue.

A memory from sixth year popped into her head, making her tug at her hair since the image wouldn't go away. It was similar to what one may experience when using a pensive.
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She sat in the Great Hall next to Luna, her other housemates chatting loudly around her. The voices of students rebounded off the walls as people greeted their friends and asked about their summer.

Dumbledore walked up to the golden owl podium then, effectively making the room quiet almost instantly. Though a few whispers were heard here and there.

"Now as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. And you have the right to know why." He began ominously, his eyes twinkling due to the candle light behind his half-moon spectacles.