Enemies - Fred Weasley X OC

Attacked

~Zephyra~

I woke up next to Fred in the Great hall, he was still fast asleep and I watched him. His chest was rising and falling steadily, his lips slightly parted, a strand of red hair pressed to his cheek. He was still in the dress, which had risen slightly and I leant across to pull it down.

I stood up carefully, not trying to wake him and walked to the door to the Great Hall, where Flitwick was standing. 

"Keep an eye on him, would you?" I asked him. 

"Will do. Have a good night, Zephyra," he replied with a smile. I took off my heels and ran off through the corridors of Hogwarts, hair flying behind me - Merlin was it a wonderful feeling; it feels like you're running at superhuman speed through those winding corridors. I laughed all the way to the dungeons, unsure where the euphoria came from but knowing one thing. I was happy.

I wanted nothing less than to curl up in my bed, think about the evening and fall asleep. I was out of luck.

As I reached the corridor where the entrance was to the Slytherin common room, I noticed them. Around fifteen Slytherins were mingling around, quiet, as though attending a funeral. They stretched from my brother's year up to seventh year. When they looked up and saw me I knew they were waiting for me.

My breath stopped. Surely they wouldn't do anything to me - a stinging hex or something like that, maybe. Nothing more. I lifted my head and strode forwards.

"Let me through," I said, sharply. I took another step, meaning to push past them, but a burly seventh year shoved me back.

"We don't consort with blood traitors, Malfoy," he said, spitting out the words 'blood traitor' venomously. I bristled. Wondering how best to evade this situation without a, showing my beliefs and getting hurt, or b, lying. I didn't like to lie, even though I did it often. Most of my lies, though, were only lies of evasion - I didn't talk about it. They weren't usually lies when answering a direct question. 

"Move," I tried. And when they didn't I realised that there would be a fight whether or not I admitted that yes, I was a blood traitor.

I'd spent years of my life pretending I agreed with their nonsense, years just surviving and dealing with it. Tonight though? I had fun. I'd enjoyed myself. Could I just ignore that?

"Blood traitor," hissed a voice close by, and I whirled around to stare at my brother, who was looking at me with a snarl. He would regret this choice. One day he'd realise the prejudice in his words. But only... only if he had the option to. 

"Yes," I said to him, "I am, Dray. Because this isn't a little club that you've got going on here. This is hatred." I paused, looking at his face, still soft, like the toddler that had wrapped around my leg when I'd tried to leave his room. "And I don't hate them."

I knew there was no going back from what I'd just said. Whispers spread around the group but I didn't look away from Draco, who's eyes had gone wide with confusion. I wanted to pull him into my arms - wanted to hold him and run back to the Great Hall. I didn't.

Instead, I wrapped my hand around my wand, knowing what would happen.

"Incarcerous!"

I blocked the binding spell, my wand quickly raised in front of me. I took some steps backwards, throwing the heels I had in my hand to the floor. Now that the first spell had been uttered the others raised their wands and started firing curses, jinxes and hexes at me.

I blocked them, trying to shout my own stupefy spells back, but was struggling to do that and protect myself from the sparks flying at me. My heart was racing as my arm moved rapidly. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead as I strained to keep up. 

It continued for long minutes, this back and forth, and I started to tire. I needed to get out of here and fast because I couldn't fend off so many people for much longer.

"Bombarda!" I yelled, hoping that they would all fly back, giving me time to escape. I turned to run but from behind me I heard Draco block my spell.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Someone yelled. I was still running but I turned in an attempt to block it, only to find the spell hit me in the chest before I had time to utter a sound. My body froze. 

I fell back, my head hitting the floor as I went. The momentum of running sent me skidding, and I scratched myself on the floor. Pain shot through me from the impact. Everything went quiet for a moment, as the Slytherins collectively held their breath.

"Diffindo!" Yelled Pansy Parkinson. The severing charm cut into my arm, not strong enough to cut through but still leaving a deep gash. I let out a muffled scream of pain, lips not moving around the sound. My insides feeling as though they were contorting as blood rushed from the gash just below my elbow. All the while my body remained frozen.

"Expulso!" I heard someone yell and I saw a shot of blue light and felt a strong force, like an explosion, throw me hard into the wall. My shoulder took most of the impact, though my neck yanked horribly and my head hit the floor again, face down. I could feel sticky blood in my hair. It started to run onto my face and I could see it drip into my eyes. The scuffling of feet approached and I wondered what they could do next. 

Thankfully, I didn't find out. It was only one more kick in the head I blacked out.