Eliza's pov
My eyes ached with exhaustion from a sleepless night. Fear kept me awake, kept me locked up in a cage with nothing but my endless thoughts. Why is he doing this? Why is he watching me? Why me? And most of all, who the bloody hell is he? The question was burning in my head but deep down, I knew who he was.
At least I had a very strong feeling. I just didn't want to admit it to myself.
He not only threatened me but my friends also and I think I care about them more than me. The guilt I would feel if something happened to any of them. Anyone for that matter. So as the sun started to peek through the curtains and Daphne groaned, waking up from her slumber, I decided that I will keep quiet.
Allow the darkness to eat me up whole and keep me quiet. It should be easy, I've had to do it all my life.
~
During breakfast, I was shaking with anxiety, although I hid it well. Everyone around me was laughing away and drowning in conversations, but I was growing inside my head. Everything else was an echo in my ears. I made myself look like I was simply too busy eating but really, every bite was forced. It took every inch of strength I had to bite into my toast and then swallow it.
My leg shook under the table, like the tail of a rattlesnake, and just like a snake getting ready to pounce, I was readying to leave this deafening great hall.
But I knew I had to remain seated to keep everyone's attention away from me. If they don't ask questions then I don't need to lie to them.
I adverted my eyes up to Draco who was sitting in front of me, enjoying an apple while listening to Blaise talk about something. He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked up at me the second my lingering eyes landed on him. His lip curled up into a grin and I forced my own lips to smile too.
Oh, how badly I wanted to cry into his shoulder and beg for his protection. To tell him everything and tell him now afraid I am. Draco makes me feel safe, like when his arm is around me, it feels like nothing and nobody could hurt me. Like the world could be on fire but I would be untouchable if he was by my side.
Truth is, I've never really felt safe but when Draco and I got close, I finally learned what it's like to feel so secure and safe.
But right now, even with Draco in front of me and with a smile on my face, I feel terrified. I feel like the clocked devil is watching me. Like he is waiting to pounce out at any second. I feel like I know who this devil stalker is but at the same time, I don't, he could be anyone in here.
I want to ask for help, report everything to a professor, and let Dumbledore know that there's a stalker after me. But he has threatened my friends and I don't know what he would do to them. But I'd rather suffer alone and be scared to death than risk them going down with me.
~
Draco held my hand as we left the great hall, It was chaotic and students consumed the hallways. He could be anyone. I held on to Draco for dear life and clung to all of the safety. With every shoulder that barged into my own, my heart skipped a beat and sometimes I even flinched like a scared kitten.
Fear is good sweetheart, it makes you strong. My father voice echoed inside my head and I closed my eyes. Now was not the time to be reminded of his preposterous words.
"Sorry," a young student muttered when they were pushed into me. A group of Gryfindors were messing around, yelling, pushing and shoving each other ahead of us. Every yell and every shove made me jump with panic.
"Fucks sake," Draco muttered, glaring at the students, "if everyone just walked like a normal person, we wouldn't be huddled like this."
Gods, this hallway had at least a hundred, maybe even two-hundred students in and we were only shuffling along like cattle awaiting slaughter. This was awful. It felt like I was awaiting slaughter. I felt my hands sweating and my heart pounding. I even felt like crying which made me feel so weak and so stupid.
"Keep walking," Blaise yelled, a few students ahead of Draco and me. He and Theo started shoving people, trying to get out of this huddle but it was pointless.
Daphne and Pansy are somewhere to the left of me but I lost sight of them a few minutes ago. I gripped Draco's hand so tight, I was so afraid he would let go and I was afraid of what I'd do if I was alone in this hectic hallway. It was so loud and more and more students had started shoving each other, yelling and some even found this laughable.
It was chaotic.
"It's okay," I opened my eyes and saw Draco looking at me over his shoulder. We weren't walking side by side anymore but awkwardly in front and behind each other, still holding my hand. However, it was slipping.
Someone was pushed into Draco and our hands slipped even more.
"Draco," I called out, my voice weak over the loudness of this hallway. It was a plea, a beg.
Draco shoved the Gryffindor boy away from us but then the blonde-haired Gryffindor turned and shoved Draco back.
"Watch it," the boy seethed.
"Get your filthy hands off of me," Draco yelled back and I knew this was going to end badly and I didn't have the bravery to stop it.
Our hands slipped further apart and I held onto his hand for dear life. And it was like I was hanging over a cliff and Draco was holding me, keeping me from falling. But then, the Gryffindor's friends got involved in the brawl and as he stepped forward to get in Draco's face, the girl in front of me was pushed into me, causing our hands to separate.
And then I fell from the cliff.
"Draco," I yelled but it was pointless. Students filled the gap between Draco and me and somehow I was being yanked backwards through the crowd. Further and further away from Draco.
He called out my name and the last thing I saw before students' bodies consumed my sight of him, was a fist flying into his cheek and then Draco swinging his fist right back. And before I knew it students were yelling and I couldn't see but I knew Draco was fighting those two boys.
And the worst part was, I had no idea who was winning.
And then, as I was lost in fear and worry, I felt a large hand grip my wrist and I was pulled out of the crowd, into a small classroom. Terror blinded me as the door swung closed and my back was forced against the back of it, one hand around my wrist and the other around my neck.
"Gods, that was a bit topsy-turvy out there," a deep chuckle echoed through the darkness. The familiar cold chill was back and every inch of my body was begging for me to run. But I couldn't.
His oddly large hand gripped my neck tighter, preventing me from escaping. Catching my breathing in his grasp, I clawed at his wrist, pleading with him to let me go but he didn't budge, even as I felt warm blood in my nails.
The room was nearly pitch black, so all I could see was a cloaked figure standing tall above me, forcing me still. I wiggled, under his hold and kept clawing at his wrist.
"Simmer down, little witch," he growled and shivers slithered up my back from the evil leaking out of his tone.
Gods, he was menacingly terrifying.
"Why are you doing this?" I muttered, tears stinging my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Refused to let him see my fear but I had a feeling I wasn't doing a good job of hiding it.
The darkness didn't allow me to see his face and it made this all so much more terrifying.
"I will answer any questions you have, little witch," he sneered, lowering his face and raising my chin, "this evening at six I would like you to meet me in the astronomy tower."
I swallowed the lump inside my throat, as if it would somehow sink my fear.
"Alone," he added and I knew he was smiling.
"Why?" I whispered.
His grip tightened, and he tutted, "all your questions will be answere when you meet me this evening."
Confusion blinded me and fear consumed me. I felt like I was drowning. But among all of it, like I found the shore, I breathed in a slither of bravery, "and if I don't?" I tempted.
A deep chuckle filled the darkness, "I suggest you do unless you want blood on your hands."
Fear clamped onto my heart, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I hope you never find out," he growled, "because I happen to like you and I don't want you to be morning your friends when I need you."
He needs me? What on earth for?
His grip loosened and I was left in a daze of confusion. His hand wrapped around the door handle and as he opened the door, I was forced forward a step.
"See you tonight, little witch," his words echoed and then he was gone. I should have run after him, follow him and find out who the arsehole is but I was left bewildered.
~
When I found the courage to leave the room I felt like apart of me was gone. Like I was a walking corpse with no emotion. I was confused and had been so scared and all I wanted was for this to end. And now, there's nothing. But among all of that, I know what I have to do.
Tonight at six I will meet with the devil and find out what the hellh wants with me.
The crowd was gone and only a few students remained. I wandered down the hallways making my way to potions because that was what I was supposed to be doing, right? There was nothing else for me to do.
"There she is."
I looked up and saw Blaise and Theo walking toward me in the opposite direction. I forced a smile.
"Weres Draco?" I asked as we met and then walked down the other corridor, toward potions.
"He got in a fight and was taken to Snape," Theo explained.
"The git is like a beast, he has no control," Blaise said.
"Is he hurt?" I asked, Theo walked around me so now I was walking between two large males and I felt oddly safe.
"He'll live," Theo assured, "just a few bruises and a bloody nose."
"He didn't seem to care though, he kept asking about you," Blaise said, "he didn't know where you went."
I should tell them. I should tell them the truth.
"I have shoved away and was lost in the crowd," I said instead, which was the truth I just didn't tell them the rest.
"This school needs wider hallways," Blaise said, like he was thinking out loud to himself. Theo chuckled and then we where approached Potion's classroom door.
Just get through today and I will be okay.
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