Restricted | Draco Malfoy

34

I was freezing my ass off in the morning hours when my body woke itself up with a shiver. I could hardly move any of my stuff and tired muscles, feeling like I had run a marathon the day before without any training to prepare. It was almost a sensation similar to if my body had been dragged across 100 yards of concrete and then thrown against a brick wall to complete shatter. Everything hurt.

I did my best to peel open my swollen and damp eyes, the task much harder after the tears I remembered shedding just a few hours prior. The first thing I noticed was that the bright light of the sun was reflecting off of the cold floor that I had fallen asleep against.

My tense back was still pressed up against the wooden door, and all of the horrible memories started to pour into my already polluted brain. Please, Merlin, make it stop. My head wanted to rupture from the thumping behind my eyes.

I didn't want to leave my room today. I didn't plan on leaving it, either. I'll sit here all day long if I have to. I refused to face Draco again, especially after how he treated me last night. I sat up completely, cracking a few of my bones in the process.

It didn't take much of an effort to get myself up off of the floor and make my way to my bathroom for a warm shower to alleviate the aching in my body. I looked at my shattered appearance in the mirror and wasn't sure if I should be shocked at the sight or not. If anything, it was enough to make me laugh. This is absolutely pathetic.

My eyes were so swollen and puffy from all of the crying I had done. Not really like that's anything new. My hair was a mess from not being properly brushed out after my shower. I had slight bruising along my jawline. My cheeks looked like they had been-

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE.

I went back to looking at the sides of my face. Marks from where I had been grabbed ran up and down my skin in all sorts of different colors. Draco is going to shit himself when he sees what he did to me.

Or would he even care about me?

Weeks ago, if he had seen such marks over my skin and knew that he was the culprit behind the subtle assault, I think he would've let Zabini beat the ever living piss out of him with no mercy just so the playing field would be even. But nowadays? After the way things went last night? I doubt any remorse would bubble up in his chest. Hell, the prick may even enjoy the sight.

I thought back to the words he had said to me last night, and a cynical laugh huffed out of my mouth as I processed everything. I told that son of a bitch that I thought he was scary now due to his actions and behavior, and he thought that was good.

Is that what he wanted all this time? To be scary so everyone would coward down at his beck and call?

Or was his ultimate goal just for me to be scared of him?

I walked over to the shower and finally turned on the hot water that I so desperately wanted to go ahead and drown in. I slipped my loose clothes off and threw them into the hamper in the center of the room for the elves to wash them. Stepping into the shower, I let myself sit down on the floor to think things over.

I wasn't in the mood for a bath, but I also felt like complete shit and didn't want to stand up. I liked how the hot water felt as it rained down on me and washed away all of my mistakes. Everything felt so clean and pure after the water burned away all of my worries and fears— as well as my haunting memories that left me with horrible anxiety and other issues that didn't need addressing. Taking showers like this one helped me forget about all the shitty things that were going on in my life. They made me feel normal.

The real question was what I was going to do from here. I knew I couldn't leave my room now and let anyone see my face— no matter how badly I may have wanted to. Look everyone. Look what perfect and precious Draco did to me! Someone teach him a lesson.