Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Twenty Eight

Delilah was a girl who could handle herself.

Stepping out into the open expanse, the light blinded her for a moment. It wasn't exactly sunny outside, more rain clouds had accumulated and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

Her eyes passed over the stands for a moment before she looked in front of her, and she stiffened.

There were eight cloaked figures, their hoods thankfully covering the death eater masks from the crowd above.

They were stalking towards her, but confusion caused her to be rooted to the spot. Delilah didn't feel an ounce of fear in her as they neared.

A howl of laughter and the crack of a whip rang through the air then and Delilah nearly blacked out.

Anything but this, she mentally pleaded. She didn't want anyone seeing this, they had no right.

Bellatrix emerged from thin air, her cracked yellow teeth gleaming in a crazed smile. "Did you miss me?" Her voice was shrill and her hair wild.

"You're not real," the weakness in Delilah's voice was anything but comforting, and it only seemed to fuel the boggart further.

"Filthy little-"

"Riddikulus!"

Her wand was pointed squarely at Bellatrix's chest and the woman froze, glaring furiously at her and her form began to change.

Usually when a boggart is defeated, it's form turns into something one would typically find amusing. Such as Snape dressed like an old woman.

She blinked once before she was met with her change; a lifeless Bellatrix lying on the floor, wide eyed in her own pool of blood.

Delilah laughed.

Purely laughed to the point where her ribs hurt, her eyes crinkled, and her cheeks felt warm. Completely oblivious to those watching above.

Professors and students observing from the stands sat in a shocked silence, not knowing what they were watching. Or why on earth Delilah was laughing, her cries of amusement were audible even from how high they were.

Tom had stood up and walked to the edge, leaning his elbows on the railing as he observed with furrowed brows. Who was that woman on the ground? Why did Delilah feel such joy at the sight of her corpse?

He was aware she had used the killing curse, perhaps this is who she killed? He knew Delilah though, she wouldn't kill unless she had to. In using such a curse, so dark and forbidden, the caster had to mean it. So who was that woman and what did she do?

Why had Delilah never told him about her before?

What a curious little thing she was, he mused as he watched the way her golden hair gleamed despite the lack of sunshine.

When Delilah got back up to the stands, she was met with either wide eyes, or people were avoiding looking at her in total.

She wasn't really surprised, she did just laugh over a dead persons body.

Eventually Tom got called, and despite herself she stood up to get a better seat to view. He went through the trials easily, seeing as he made it across the maze in just over fifteen minutes. Everyone else took nearly thirty to forty minutes. That put Delilah in second place, she made it out in twenty two, which annoyed her.

When he emerged from the end she sat up straighter, beyond curious what his boggart would be. It would mostly likely involve death, considering what he's told her.