UNKNOWN | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 4)

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Fuzzy. Cold. Brutal. Dark—

The familiar setting welcomes Aine when she closes her eyes at night, drifting away to a corridor she knew all too well. The same aisle filled with mirroring black glossy tiles, reflecting everything it catches except her very own reflection. The cool flooring sends shivers down Aine's spine as she drags her feet across it. Trying to find her way out of this place, to whatever path she had walked on. The room wasn't as dark as the girl had recalled, the faint whisper calling ahead of her, luring her closer... And closer to the brass knob door.

She looks down at it, the little light revealing the engravings of the letter 'M' and a pair of scales. Her fingers reach to it, trailing over the inscriptions before she held the knob. Without hesitation, she twists the handle and pushes the black wooden door...

Aine...

Aine..! 

"AINE, WAKE UP!" 

The girl jolts awake, gasping for air when a pair of arms shook her body. Her eyes widened in alarm and she nearly screamed, thinking that it was another one of the reoccurring nightmares she had before. She scanned around her surroundings, scarlet and gold tapestries greeting her as a brightly lit candle blinded her sight momentarily. She blinks and sat her body upright, feeling her numbing lips quivering before her eyes set on a familiar brunette.

"H... Hermione..?" she calls out warily, her vision of her friend slowly clearing up as she squints at the girl. It was still dark outside the windows and deadly silent. Everyone must still be asleep.

"Yeah. It's me, Aine," Hermione replies, feeling apologetic that she had to wake her sleeping friend from her deep slumber. Though she wasn't exactly sure if she had done the right job or not, judging by how shaken Aine was. "Are you alright?" she asks the younger girl who cursed under her breath, thankful that she wasn't stuck in another nightmare.

Nodding her head furiously, Aine sweeps her raven locks away from her slightly drenched face, further waking herself up. She became more aware of her environment, realizing she was back in the Gryffindor's Common Room. "Y... Yeah, I'm— I'm fine... What's wrong? What time is it?" she asks her friend who was clearly freaking out just as much as she was. Aine turned her head around her room, then her attention focused on the other empty bed next to Hermione's.

It was Ginny's bed.

Furrowing her brows to make sure she wasn't seeing wrongly, she gulps. "Where's Ginny?" she asks again nervously.

"It's past three in the morning," Hermione said, slowly lowering herself to sit on the edge of Aine's bed. She bit her lips and went on, "There was an accident..."

Aine's ears perked up immediately, concern plastered across her pale face as she gasps, "Accident..? What happened? Is Ginny alright? Was she hurt?" she bombards Hermione who quickly waves her hand, calming the girl down. Her heart was pounding so quickly at the thought of her best friend. What the bloody hell happened when she was asleep?

"She's fine! Don't worry...!" Hermione reassures, patting Aine's tensed shoulders. "In fact, it's actually Mr Weasley who was caught in an accident..." she trails away, watching Aine's eyes get even larger as if any bigger it may pop from its sockets. "He was attacked in the Ministry while patrolling at night earlier. Authorities had rushed to the scene as soon as they could and he will be getting treated when they find him. Ginny, Ron, Fred and George had left not long ago to St. Mungo's..." she explained, bitterness in her voice.

A sigh of relief escaped Aine's lips, and she covers her face with her hands. Worry still swirling in her wavering golden pupils, the thought of Mr Weasley being attacked had thrown Aine's mind. "Is... Is he alright?" she asks, genuinely concerned and afraid for the Weasley family head.