mahogany ; d.m

61 - remember

She couldn't remember the last time she saw the light.

Darkness was all there was. The damp scent of the cellar, especially on days the rain would creak through the pipes, and the ever present darkness.

She might as well have been dead already because this wasn't living. Who knew if she'd ever get to live again.

A while ago she had strived to stay away from the very concept of sleep, but now she was well acquainted with it.

The nightmares consumed her. But she never woke in a fluster or fearful outburst. She simply didn't have enough energy for that—any energy really.

Now she was immune to that green flash in her conscience that used to freeze her blood to ice.

Her mind would simply slip into slumber whenever it could afford to. Which was all the time. It's all she could do whilst trapped in this cellar.

Memories would arise. Some painful, some joyous, but filled her with a pang of despair when she'd awaken, remembering what she had lost. What she may never get back.

Memories were all she had. And she needed to cling onto them in order to survive.

The upbeat music was bouncing off of the glistening walls of the Great Hall whilst everybody danced and exerted so much excitement.

They'd been anticipating this night for a while. It's all the girls had been talking about for the past few weeks. The Yule Ball, the grandest night there could ever be at Hogwarts.

Athena and Dean were jumping around together in sync with the jovial tunes, surrounded by everyone else. Radiant smiles, bashful laughter and no worries in the world.

The song faded into its end and when Athena paused her dancing, she realised how hot she was. If it weren't for the cooling charms, she would be dripping with sweat this very minute.

"Want a drink?" she asked Dean in a loud voice against the volume of the next song that was played.

"No, you're alright," he beamed, winking at her whilst continuing to dance with the mass of bodies around him.

She nodded and squeezed her way through the crowd, pushing past people to get to the drinks stand.

There was a giant bowl of what she thought was fruit punch, though it glistened under the icy lights above. She shrugged, grabbed a goblet and filled it with the liquid.

She took a sip and it was divine. She took a moment to enthuse over it.

"It's nice to see you put some effort in for once, Greene," a nasty drawl sounded from behind her.

She drew in a sharp breath, pressed her lips into a frustrated line, before turning around to face the annoying aura of Draco Malfoy.

"You do scrub up nice," he said tauntingly, surveying her with predatory eyes.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she seethed behind her teeth, not wanting to allow this vermin to even attempt to ruin her night.