Stars in Her Eyes {Wolfstar's Daughter}

Chapter 24: Prophecies

Attempting to ease the tension, the girl found herself joking along with the boy who tightly gripped her hand. Darkness enveloped the forbidden forest at this hour and each other were their only sources of comfort - with a very grumpy Draco trudging behind of course. Hagrid had taken off in the other direction with Hermione and Ron, leaving the other three to search this section of the trees on their own. What they were looking for? Unicorn blood.

According to Hagrid, one had been injured somewhere in the woods and because they had been caught out of bed the previous night, it was their job to find it. Why they'd send a group of first years into the forbidden - as in should not be entered ever - forest at this hour, she didn't know. All she knew was that they were all terrified. In particular the three that had been left to fend for themselves without the protective company of the half-giant.

The girl tried to lighten the mood by suggesting they might run into a werewolf, earning a snigger from the boy at her side but only scaring an oblivious Draco further.

Just as their feeble laughter died down the world began to swirl around them before the girl had the chance to make another witty comment. Without even realising it, she was now desperately sprinting through the forest, her bare feet burning against the rough ground and her previous companions no where to be found.

She hopelessly searched her brain for the source of her fear, for the reason she was running so relentlessly, but it was no use. Despite having no idea what was chasing her, she couldn't help but imagine it must be something bad and her feet continued to carry her forward regardless. Her breaths tore raggedly from her lungs as her knees grew weaker and shaky. She knew it wouldn't be too long before threatened to give out beneath her entirely.

But before this had a chance to happen, a rogue log, which lay disguised amongst the shrubbery, caught her foot and sent her hurdling to the ground. Her hands scraped across the rough floor as she skidded to a halt.

Pushing herself up slightly, she desperately tried to crawl away, somehow sensing that her unknown predator was gaining on her without even knowing what it was. It was all in vain though as a shrill hiss screeched through the air behind her causing her to flip herself around so that she was leaning back on her elbows. Eyes widening. Lip trembling. She had finally laid eyes on her hunter. If she wasn't so utterly paralysed, she'd have noticed her hair taking on a deathly white colour to match her paling face and the cold feeling that now ran through her veins.

She was once again in the company of the
red-eyed figure.

Before she could even let herself scream, the figure had advanced on her, clamping its bony grey fingers over her mouth. By now it was hovering over her, it's hood hanging down around it's face so that all could be seen was it's glaring red eyes, burning a hole through the shadows. Her brain was screaming at her to scramble up and run or to at least struggle beneath its grasp but she couldn't. She was completely and utterly frozen, her body turning eerily frigid for a living person. It's chilling breath burned on her face and it's nails began to claw deep into the skin of her cheek.

Nell shot up bed, sucking the warm, familiar air of her room into her icy lungs. A figure looming in the darkness of the room sent her jolting backwards until her back met the headboard and she could escape no further.
It was only when her vision began to focus that she let out a sigh of relief and wiped her hand across her cold sweaty forehead.

"Harry?" She rubbed her eyes, seeing her friend shuffling awkwardly at the end of her bed.

"Nightmare." He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck and staring at the floor. Just as he had done for her, she pulled her covers back and he joined her in an instant. His breathing was just as shaky as hers and she couldn't help but notice lingering beads of sweat on his temples that matches her own. They lay in silence for a while their breathing levelled out but neither of them dared to fall asleep. Too traumatised by what they had just seen.