𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓| 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲✔️

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍|𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

MARA WILLIAMS

There was a certain sanctity in the loneliness of the night. It was getting late and I worried that Draco would never come, It had seemed like hours that I'd sat alone staring up at the night sky, not that I minded. It was my only haven in this wicked world.

The air was colder than usual, which wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't been sat waiting for the past half an hour, the frigid tendrils of wind toying gently with my hair as I watched the path of a lone owl, stark white contrasting against the blackness as it flew overhead.

"You're late." I said to the empty air, not breaking sight from the bird until it disappeared into the confines of Owlery. I wondered who the letter was for, not that it mattered, maybe it was a howler from my aunt, I still hadn't replied to her last letter. Draco sat quietly besides me, staring up into the night as he echoed our previous conversation. "You never specified a time."

I scoffed as I repeated exactly what he'd said to me, "-You're still late."

Shaking his head with an eye roll he held out a hand to me. "Get up." Which begrudgingly I took.
We gathered our brooms and took off into the night, soaring high above the tree line as we had so many times.
Despite the recent coldness between us, he seemed to be back to his usual devilish self, and for that I was glad. Something about seeing him so off sounded a dissonance within me.

"...Do you want to try something?" Malfoy suggested with a smirk, clutching the struggling snitch tightly in his fist.

I raised my eyebrows slightly as I levelled my broom with his, childishly tempted to give his a kick. "I guess that depends on what you have in mind?"

"Just a little game..." He said mockingly, cocking his head as he pouted. "You're not afraid are you?"

I scoffed throwing the smirk straight back at him, "Try your worst Malfoy."

His grin was blinding, sending a mix of the most marvellous feelings spiralling from my chest only to hitch at the hilt of my throat.

"I'll give you a ten second head start, first to catch the snitch wins..." His face dampened with sickening glee. "...Loser owes a dare."

With that he released his fist, and the ball sprouted a pair of fine gold wings from which is quickly disappeared into the thick of the night.
Instantly I took off after it, and a moment later Draco was besides me, our brooms neck and neck as he plunged towards the ground.
There was a glimmer of pale moonlight as the snitch changed direction and began to climb, Draco saw it before I did as he soared off towards the sky without looking back.

Higher and higher we flew, until the dewy damp of the clouds began to settle on my skin and the strong winds stole my breath away.
There was a moment of darkness as the clouds misted my view. I couldn't see anything as I slammed to a halt, even Draco had disappeared.

Only inky black surrounded me, suffocating me.
I stared around frantically, trying to find something, anything. "Draco?"

Silence ensued, I wasn't sure exactly what I feared most, the echo or the answer but a whisper of wind whistled through the pale stars, taking with it the last shreds of my resolve.

"Draco!" I cried as I felt my throat began to close and my breaths beginning to draw heavy. Calm down Mara, but it was no use.
I should never have looked down. With a frightful shout I clutched my broom tightly, I'd never been this high before, I couldn't even see the ground from up here, only the fog of pale grey mist and the slightest twinkle of the castle lights below.

The bass of my heart thundered in tandem with my rapid breaths, and I felt it's thick pulse in every inch of my body, right the way down to my fingertips as I closed my eyes tightly, desperately trying to subdue the wicked creature that manifested within me, it awoke to claw at me eyes and throat, threatening tears that I didn't hold back.
-A familiar beast of angst.