in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Seventy-One

October 2016

THAT NIGHT, it happens again.

Diana's eyes snap open, thoughts bleary and disjointed in the dead of night. She stirs, groaning at whatever's woken her up at this godforsaken hour. Her sound of discomfort pierces the still, quiet atmosphere in their Gryffindor triple, swirling around her in a way that makes the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She didn't expect to hear an orchestra or anything — it's probably three or four in the morning, by her semi-accurate estimation — but the room is almost too quiet, the stillness weighing down with an intensity that makes something in Diana's consciousness flicker with suspicion.

She props herself up on her elbows, blearily rubbing at her eyes. Maybe it was just the wind, Diana thinks to herself, slowly cracking her eyes open as a yawn escapes her lips—

What she sees next sets free a choke of terror from her mouth.

Because it's back — that thing, that entity from a few fortnights ago. She can remember it's rippling black edges, like a wound in the fabric of something not of their world. Just like before, it looms over Maya's bed, Diana not daring to breathe as the other girl's breaths rise and fall, unaware of the danger a just a few centimetres away. She freezes, heart thudding rapidly as the figure makes no move to attack. Watching, waiting — for what, she doesn't know.

Just as Diana reaches for her wand, she hears a whimper that makes her freeze. Maya stirs in her sleep, her face twisting in pain as another sharp, desperate sound escapes her lips. Diana watches in horror as Maya's hands twitch on top of the sheets, grasping at them rapidly before twisting as another pained choke escapes her lips, "No — no — stop!!"

"Maya?" Diana's voice rapidly grows in pitch, no longer able to hide in fear.

"Please," Maya wheezes, nearly thrashing now, "Just stop — get off —!"

Diana doesn't wait another moment, flicking her wand in a fluid motion as she aims a curse directly at the dark figure, "Expulso!".

The blast of raw magic jolts through the night like a crack of a whip and Maya's eyes snap open, jolting upright. But before the warlock can catch sight of it, the figure vanishes. Making no moves to duck or hide, it just — dematerializes. Fading away as though it was never there. As if it never disturbed their peace.

The sheen of sweat covering Maya's panting form is the only indicator that their intruder wasn't a figure of Diana's imagination. All color is gone from the warlock's face, nearly white with terror as she gasps out, "What — what was that?"

"I thought I saw something, " Diana's voice is merely a hushed whisper now, barely daring to believe herself, "Something next to your bed."

"What?" Maya's eyes grow wide with fear. Her hand moves in a practice flourish, "Homenium Revelio."

The spell casts a burst of light across the room, causing Clarissa to stir in her bed, her red curls nearly falling over her face as she raises her arms to combat the brightness. But oddly enough, there's no answering hum. No confirmation of Diana's worst fears, that someone broke into their dorm to do god knows what. But she still can't shake the sense of dread deep in her bones, the feeling that something is wrong — though she has no clue what.

"There's no one here." Maya whispers, her teeth catching onto her bottom lip as though she barely believes herself.

"I swear — I — " Diana's voice catches, a lump of doubt falling into her tone, "I know I saw something. It was like a shadow...." She pauses, swallowing, trying to glean any identifying details from her sleep-deprived memories, "I don't know how to — "