𝑨 𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑪𝑯 𝑶𝑭 𝑫𝑨𝑹𝑲𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑺

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟑: 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐬𝐭

HOGWARTS WAS EERILY quiet. The walk to the dungeons had never felt so isolating. Lilith stood in momentary confusion as even the paintings had all vanished from view, hiding in the darkness that Lilith continued to plough through.

As she progressed deeper down the outstretched corridor, she realised that she truly was encompassed by the dark. No candles were lit. No sounds emerged from anywhere. She was well and truly alone. But something wasn't right.

She lifted out her wand, waving it to cast out a spell.
"Lumos."

The darkness stayed. Unmoving and unfazed by her attempt to draw light. "Lumos." She spoke again, louder and clearer with slight aggravation.

Darkness ensued.

Darkness over light. Darkness instead of night.

The anxious feeling continued to grow in her stomach, pushing her body into a corner of uncertainty and slight fear. Lilith slowly placed her wand back into her pocket and instead held onto the wall to guide her down the corridor.

Her heavy beating heart was the only noise to emanate within the empty corridor. She wasn't scared but she felt like she was supposed to be, like there was something the stoney walls and empty paintings already knew that she didn't. It felt as though she was willingly leading herself to something wrong. But she couldn't turn back. Her feet could only walk forward, refusing her to even consider the possibility of turning around. Maybe she wasn't even gripping onto the wall for support. Maybe she was gripping onto it to stop her from walking further.

Slowly edging closer to her door, she settled slightly at the fact that the candlesticks beside the walls of her door were lit. They ignited not only light but also comfort within Lilith. Despite that comfort though, she didn't want to stay out on the corridor longer than what was necessary. She pulled out her key, forcefully jamming it into the lock and twisting the handle as she did so.

There was a noise.

She paused in her movement, allowing the growing silence around her to make her question whether or not she had actually heard a noise. She shook her head.

You're not thinking straight, Lilith.

She put her hand back on the door handle and pushed it open.

Another noise. Another voice. That voice.

Lilith was stunned into place. She didn't know which part was worse; the fact that she recognised the voice or the fact that it came from within Severus' room.

Severus had asked Lilith to trust him. But trust what exactly? How far was he expecting her to place her trust without intervening.

No. Lilith. You don't know what's happening. Leave it alone.

She looked inside her room, at the darkness, at the void she lived in and then she turned to Severus' door, feeling humiliated as she continued to listen to that voice she hated the sound of. She didn't know what to do. Should she walk into her room and pretend she didn't hear anything?

Don't be ridiculous, Lilith? Since when did you allow yourself to be disrespected? She cursed at herself. Now isn't a time for high self morality Lilith.

As she stepped into her room, the sound of Severus' door opening echoed along the walls. She stood in her place, gritting her teeth together as hard as possible in attempt to suppress her desire to walk back outside. The sound of clicking heels replaced the silence until the noise stopped outside her door.

"Ah, Lilith..."

Breathe.

She kept her back turned, the key in her hand threatened to cut into her skin from the pressure of her clenched fist.