Stars in Her Eyes {Wolfstar's Daughter}

Chapter 17: Partners

{A/N Cormac is in their year in this Story}

As if under a spell, she felt her legs moving down the steps. As much as her mind struggled and fought to resist, her legs where in control, pushing her further and further down the staircase.

Firelight was he only source illuminating the room at the base of the stairs. The room that looked so eerily familiar. What lay at the centre of the room triggered something in her mind. Pieces clicked and fell together in her head as she approached the towering mirror, rubbing her fingers along the intricate metal frame. Her breath hitched in her throat as realisation flooded her mind. She'd been here before.

Coming to the conclusion a second too late, she attempted to make a run back up the stairs to the door but a looming figure had placed itself in her path. Before her stood a turbanless Professor Quirrel, except his back was to her allowing the hideous second face on the back of his head to burn its gaze into her eyes.

It's pupils were like slits amongst bloody red pools, piercing into her soul and it's teeth were filed to a point. So fixated by its gaze she didn't notice the world transforming around her. The stone walls swirled into the darkness as the ground turned to mud beneath her feet. Rather than the familiar room she was just in, gravestones lay scattered around her feet and the darkness of the night sky enveloped the scene.

To her horror, the hideous face began to morph and contort, elongating before her eyes until it stood before her with a body of its own.
Frosted grass crunched beneath her feet as the girl rushed back in shock, only to stumble over and land with her back against a tombstone. As if attempting to melt into it, she pressed herself against the smooth cold surface of the stone, desperate to escape.

As it gathered its surroundings, the figure's eyes darkened with malice as they finally landed on the girl. It began to glide towards her, hand stretched out aiming for her throat. Air emptied from her lungs as she attempted to scream but nothing came out. All she could do was sit there helpless as its cold lifeless fingers closed around her throat.

Nell jolted up in bed, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Her hands tore through her hair as her breathing gradually slowed. Unable to get the image of those piercing red eyes out of her head she refused to close her eyes again. Instead she swung her legs off the bed and cautiously moved towards the door, conscious of the sleeping girls around her.

Her breath continued to shake as whilst she tiptoed down into the common room and collapsed onto the tattered red sofa. But she couldn't settle. Even now all she could see were those hideous eyes staring back at her, going for her throat.

Making a move to head back to bed, she stopped at the base of the staircase, before continuing up the one to her right this time.
Closing the door to the boys dormitory behind her, she shuffled over to Harry's bed.

To her surprise, he lay there awake, sitting up slightly against his pillows rubbing his eyes, "Hey, what's wrong?" his voice was groggy as he sat up further after noticing her in the room.

"Nightmare. Couldn't sleep." She shrugged her shoulders, standing at the post of his bed.

Without hesitation he pulled back his duvet and shuffled over, making room for her on the bed. She crawled in next to him, resting her head on the pillow beside him as he pulled the covers back over them. They lay side by side both feeling a lot more comfortable with the company.

"Night Nells." Harry whispered through the darkness.

"Night Harry."

The red eyed figure didn't bother them again that night, either of them. Because little did Nell know Harry had just woken up from the very same nightmare.