E L I Z A
"Wake the fuck up!"
I felt a hand on my leg and instantly was sitting up, gasping as a storm of fear engulfed me. I wasn't breathing as I stared wide eyed at Pansy, half leaning inside our tent with damp hair and her eyes wide.
"Jesus, pansy," I tiredly wiped my eyes, "you scared me."
For a moment, when I felt her hand on my leg, I thought it was Noah. I thought he had finally come out of the dark to drag me into those dark woods.
"Good. Get the fuck up. Now," Pansy turned her head over her shoulder, peering out into the darkness of the woods.
Draco groaned beside me and I looked down at him, who was lazily raising up. Rain tapped against the tent and night was still upon us, making this terribly confusing situation more horrifying.
"Hurry," Pansy hissed.
"What the hell, Pansy?" Draco mumbled, resting a hand on my thigh but he was still half asleep. And in truth, so was I.
Then, startling me half to death, the flap of the tent entrance was torn upward and Theo appeared, "If you two don't hurry up I swear to fucking Merlin I will leave you."
"What's going on?" I asked, furrowing my brows.
For a moment, silence washed over us and I only heard the patter of the rain.
Then, Pansy looked at me, and I saw deep terror in her dark eyes, "There's someone in the woods."
~
Instantly, we were up and scattering out of the tent. Draco, who had just been half asleep, was now heaving. Pansy stood and stepped back into Theo's chest as she watched Draco stand and scour the woods. He was thinking exactly what I was thinking, still huddled inside the tent, my eyes slowly scanning the woods. Waiting for Noah to show himself.
"What?" Pansy asked, "What is it?"
She was looking at Draco but then her eyes, mixed with fear and confusion, looked over at me. But all I could do was shake my head.
"Malfoy?" Theo hissed, his voice quiet, like he didn't want whoever he saw to hear him.
Draco then turned around and walked toward Theo and Pansy, "who was it? Did you sew them? Where—"
"Woah—mate, you need to calm down and tell us what the fuck is going on," Theo spoke louder, his chest heaving with anger or fear—I couldn't tell.
I looked at Draco. If he looked at me he would see me silently begging him with my eyes not to tell them about Noah. He isn't even supposed to know—and I am terrified of what Noah will do if he finds out. Draco just paced and ran his hands through his disheveled hair.
Then he stopped and looked Pansy and Theo dead in the eyes, "Tell me exactly what you saw."
Theo sighed and then started explaining, "Pansy and I were in the woods. . ." His pause told me they weren't just talking, "—then we saw a figure. Just standing there, watching us."
I looked at Draco and he caught my eye. Noah.
"At first we thought it was one of your lot trying to be funny," Pansy said, "and no matter how many times we yelled at. . . whoever it was, they just stood there. . . staring at us."
I closed my eyes, pleading with my eyes to keep my tears sealed in my eyes but my throat was tightening, and I feel chills crawl up my spine.
"Did you see what they looked like?" Draco asked.
"No," Pansy breathed and I have never heard her speak so fearfully, "the pervert had a good over his head."
"No—not a hood," Theo shook his head, "It was more like a cloak."
"We ran back here, woke Daph and Blaise up and they went ahead, back to the castle," Pansy explained, "then we came to wake you up."
That wasn't long ago then. He is still out there. He could be watching us. I stood and Draco came to my side, wrapping his arm around my waist and I felt a little safer.
"We really should go," Pansy said, her eyes darting around the woods, "like fucking now."
"I don't know who that was but I'm not getting murdered tonight," Theo said, gripping Pansy's hand.
We started speed walking back to the castle and I couldn't have been any closer to Draco as we scurried through the woods. The entire time, it felt like he was following us. Like we were being hunted by the boogeyman. There were times when I'd close my eyes, and grip Draco's arm tighter, letting him guide me. I was terrified.
When we finally reached the end of the trees and beheld the hill which led to the castle, we saw Daphne and Balise walking up the hill. Daphne held onto our bag and I was glad they were ahead and safe. Soon, we will be too.
We began walking up the hill, and my legs were tired and my feet ached from how fast we just sped walking but I wanted to be safe again. I wanted to be away from these woods and far, far away from Noah.
Theo and Pansy walked a step ahead of Draco and I. My eyes wandered up and saw Theo turn his head of his shoulder, "When we get back to the castle you two are telling us what the hell is going—" Theo paused, not only his words but his steps. His eyes grew wide and even in this darkness, I saw his face pale, "—on."
It was then I felt that familiar coldness crawl up my skin and settle deep in my core. He was behind us.
I turned my head and looked behind me, even though every inch of my body was begging me to make a run for it. I was frozen in place. Draco turned his head the same time I did and instinctively stood in front of me.
"Oh, shit—Oh, shit—Oh, shit," Pansy muttered, tears filling her eyes.
Standing in front of the forest, between two trees was a cloaked figure. I couldn't see his face but I knew it was him. He just stood there, and it was horrifying.
Draco looked back at Theo and Pansy and seethed, "Run."
"What—" Theo yelled.
"Run." Draco said and this time with a devilish tone. And they listened. Theo and Pansy began running back to the castle.
When Draco turned back, and faced Noah who I hadn't taken my eyes off. Not because I was brave but because I was making sure he didn't start charging toward us. But when Draco looked back, Noah, ever so slowly tilted his head to the side. It was menacing.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Draco yelled and I gripped the arm Draco held out in front of me harsher.
Rain still poured down around us and I could feel it dripping down my face, almost blurring my vision which only made this so much worse.
Noah didn't answer.
He just stood there, watching us.
It was then I noticed the wand he was holding—A long sharp black wand which seemed to spiral in the pattern—then I noticed the top of it start to glow the darkest shade of Red.
"Draco," I whispered and he noticed what I had.
"Fuck—" Draco grabbed my hand and we began running up the hill. Our friends were out of sight and I was incredibly thankful for that.
As we ran up the hill with all the strength and speed we had, a crash hit the grass beside us and we just about dodged it. I took a second to look back and saw Noah chasing after us. I turned back immediately and we ran faster. Another crash hit the grass and I saw it explode with what seemed like red power. Smoke is emitting into the night.
What power did Noah possess? I've never seen that type of curse. Whatever it was, I didn't want to find out. It looked deadly—But it can't be an unforgivable curse, at least not one the ministry was aware of.
Another crash hit the ground behind us and I yelped. I felt a hot chill hit my back, like an Icy burn. Somewhere between the chaos Draco pulled out his wand and started firing curses back but I knew whatever curses he was firing would be nothing compared to the magic Noah was using.
We ran and we didn't stop until we reached the castle. The castle looked horrifyingly haunted at this early hour of the morning but it seemed like heaven compared to the devil that was chasing us. Panting, we three are backs against the wall and Draco looks out, cracking for Noah but he must have been gone. The sun slowly rose up behind the lake and created a beautiful swirl in the sky.
"Is he gone?" I asked, my breathing unsteady.
Draco nodded his head, then leaned his head back against the wall, "Yes. I can't see him."
I lowered my head, almost sinking to the floor, "What the hell was that? Why— What type of magic is that?"
"I have no idea," Draco replied, "I've never seen it."
I shook my head, confused, "It burnt. . . but it was cold."
Draco looked at me, his eyes narrowed into worry, "I felt it too—Did you feel it? Does it still hurt?"
"Not anymore," I said truthfully and I hoped to every God that I would never feel the full power of whatever curse that was.
"Where do you think he went?" I asked.
"I don't know but we should get out of here in case the bastard decides to have another round," Draco suggested and I nodded my head, desperate to go inside.
As we walked I asked, "What are we going to tell them?" I asked. No matter what, we couldn't tell them the truth, not yet. I hated that we had to lie but it was for their own good.
"I'm too tired to think of something right now," he said, placing his arm on my shoulder and then placing a kiss on my forehead, "but we'll sleep on it and figure something out."
I nodded in agreement. I was just glad to be safe again. At least safer than being in those woods. Draco was right, we shouldn't have gone. He was also right about feeling sick after drinking so much. My head was pounding and I felt like shit. I remembered when I told myself I would never drink again and I wished I stuck to my promise.
But can you blame me when drinking is the only thing that takes away the fear and worry?
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Copyright © Kirsten Enn