When I Close My Eyes...
Delilah
“So, Halloween is coming up Dee. What should we be?” Mattheo asked me. I don’t think he can sense that I’m cross with him, but then again, he never can tell.
We were sitting in the common room, me curled up in one of the big chairs while Mattheo was laying on the couch, repeatedly throwing a ball above him and catching it.
“Whatever you want, Love.” I said, biting my quill as I read over my Transfiguration essay.
“I chose last year.” He frowned and I huffed, looking at him.
“I don’t know, Mattheo. Honestly, a silly halloween costume is the last thing on my mind.”
“Ok, ok. What’s wrong?” He asked, sitting up and I scoffed. “Delilah, come on, don’t be like that. Is this about the Inquisitorial Squad? I can ask if you can join as well.”
“Do you really think I wanna spend even more time with that toad?”
“Ok, well I don’t understand Delilah.” He said, frustration lacing his tone. He put his ball down and gave me his full attention.
“Do you remember when I had detention with Umbridge and didn’t leave my room for the rest of the night?” I asked him, and he nodded.
“You never told me why, I was so worried about you.”
I disillusioned my hand, and stuck it out towards him. I looked away, not wanting to see the words permanently etched into my flesh.
“Dee.” He whispered, so soft I almost didn’t hear it. He took my hand maneuvering it so he could see the wound better.
“That’s why I’m not fond of Umbridge, so forgive me if I’m not jumping for joy at you and Drake being her spies.”
I knew he was frowning by the tone in his voice, I didn’t have to look at him to see.
“Darling, why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were upset with me, I was upset with you, and I really didn’t want anyone to know.” I explained and Mattheo sighed, bringing my hand to his mouth, pressing ghosts of kisses over it. The wound was still tender, but I let him do it anyway.
“Look at me, Delilah.”
I didn’t, I closed my eyes tightly.
“Delilah.”
“No, Mattheo. I don’t wanna see it.” I said, tears threatening to fall from my eyes.
“I wasn’t gonna make you look at your hand, Love. Look at me.”
I turned, opening my eyes, and looked into his green eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, and I knew it was sincere.
“S’not your fault.” I murmured.
He shook his head.
“I should’ve made myself more approachable. I can quit, and Drake can too.” He suggested and I shook my head.
“No, get on her good side. It’ll be helpful.” I said.
“Ok.”
He hugged me and I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck.
After a few minutes of silence, Mattheo said, “I wanna be Bonnie and Clyde.”
I pulled back, looking at him in confusion.
“Who’s that?”
“A muggle couple, they committed all their crimes together. I think they mostly robbed banks.” He said and I grinned lazily.
“Is this your way of asking me to rob Gringotts with you?” I teased and he chuckled, shaking his head.
“No, baby. It’s my way of telling you what I want to be for Halloween.”
I smiled fondly at him. “Ok, love. We can be your muggle bank robbers.”
“I’m tired, do you want to sleep with me tonight?” He asked.
“Hmmm, I don’t know. You’re a crazy sleeper.” I pretended to contemplate my decision.
“Oh well.” He said, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder. I shrieked, pounding on his back.
“Hey! I didn’t say yes yet!” I cried, laughing as Mattheo began to ascend the stairs.
“Well, you didn’t say no now, did you love?” He said, smirking and I groaned loudly, letting myself flop against his back.
When we reached the boy’s dormitories, everyone else was already asleep. Mattheo placed me gently on his bed, grabbing me one of his shirts to sleep in.
“Shh, my brother will murder you if he finds me in here.” I whisper and he grins at me, tossing a shirt in my direction.
“Go change, Dee.”
I shook my head, getting off the bed and into the bathroom. It was identical to the girls bathroom, but theirs was a bit cleaner and less crowded. I guess getting ready is more simple for the guys.
I undid my tie and tossed it aside, unbuttoning my shirt. I shrug the fabric from my shoulders and stepped out of my skirt. I pulled Mattheo’s T-shirt over my head, and gathered my uniform in my hand, waving my wand to fold them and placed them on the counter for the next morning.
I slipped out of the bathroom, seeing Mattheo already in bed, his shirtless torso leaning against his headboard.
I tiptoed across the room and slid in beside him. He scooted down so I could lay my head on his chest.
“I’m happy you’re here.” He said.
“What do you mean?” I asked, closing my eyes and settling in.
“I hate sleeping without you, I got so used to it over the summer.” He explained as he lazily traced patterns on my hip.
“Mmm, I hate sleeping without you too. Bed’s so cold without you there.” I said.
“Are you worried? About the war?” He asked, and I frowned at the sudden topic change.
“Why do you ask, love?”
“I got a letter from Uncle Lucius, he said the Dark Lord wants to meet with us over the Christmas holidays.”
“Oh.” I said, biting my cheek. “Well to answer your question, yes. I am worried. I’m worried for you, for Theo, for Drake, Enzo, Pansy, Natalia, Daphne, Blaise, everyone. But, I have a feeling it’ll be ok.”
“I hope so.” He said, and I could feel the stress radiating off of him.
“Go to sleep, Love.” I said softly, tucking a chocolate curl behind his ear.
-------
The hallway was dark, save for the torches lining the walls. At the very end, a door. Muffled noises came from it.
“Hello?” Delilah called, walking towards the lone door.
No response.
As she got closer, she could decipher the voice of her brother.
He was talking, but he sounded nervous.
Delilah walked through the door and saw Theodore sat in a single chair in the middle of the room, his wrists and ankles bound.
She ran to him, her hands holding his cheeks.
“Theo? What happened?” She asked frantically.
“I failed him, Delilah. I am being punished.” He said, almost in a daze.
“Who, Theo? Who did you fail?”
“Me.”
Delilah whipped around and was met with a pale figure, black robes covering everything but his face. As he stepped closer, she recognized the stranger. Yellow eyes, holes where a nose should be, a monsterish face.
“Your brother has failed me, Miss Nott. And so have you.”
“Wh-What? No, I don’t understand.”
All at once, her wrists and ankles were too bound, and she was sat next to her brother in an identical chair.
“Please, no. I don’t understand.” She plead, looking over at Theo helplessly.
“Tsk, tsk. Maybe this will teach you a lesson. CRUCIO!”
Theo writhed and cried out in pain.
“Delilah?” A voice, but no owner.
She was screaming, crying, begging for mercy on her brother.
“Delilah! Wake up!”
That voice again.
“DELILAH!”
I was yanked from my nightmare, shooting up in the bed and looking around frantically.
“Theo- Where’s Theo. I need- He was-” I couldn’t breathe.
Mattheo’s face appeared in front of mine.
“Breathe love, just breathe for me. In and out, there you go.”
I tried to match Mattheo’s breathing, and I could feel the air returning to my lungs.
“Theo.” I croaked out. I needed to know
I heard movement in the darkness and Theo replaced Mattheo in front of me.
“Hey, sis. What’s going on, huh?” I could feel him take me into his arms.
I let out a sob, relief flooding me. “You’re ok.” I whispered.
“I’m ok, Lilah. I got you, I have you.” He assured me. I continued to cry, in fear, in relief, in dread.
That dream, it was so, so real.
“What happened?” I heard Blaise ask groggily, but Mattheo quickly hushed him.
“I’m alright now, it was just a silly dream.” I said, wiping my cheeks and pulling away from Theo.
“Delilah, you were screaming, you were terrified.” Mattheo said, standing next to us with his arms crossed.
“I really don’t want to talk about it tonight, M.” I said, noticing him and Theo sharing a glance before they both nodded.
“Ok, you don’t have to.” Theo said.
“I just want to go to sleep, I’m gonna go back to my room.” I said, sliding off the bed.
“Let me walk you there.” Theo said and I shook my head.
“No, go to sleep Theo. It’s late.”
“I’m up already, cmon.” He said, and I sighed, nodding.
Mattheo came over and hugged me tightly, kissing my hair.
“Come get one of us if you need us, yeah?” He asked, and I nodded, kissing his lips quickly before walking towards Theo, who opened the door for me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” He asked as we crossed the common room to the bottom of the girls dormitories stairs.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I said, giving him a smile and walking up the stairs. I opened the door to my room quietly, so as to not wake the other girls. I slid into my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
What did the dream mean? Did it even mean anything?
I never answered my own question because sleep overtook me.