Chapter 2 - Back to reality

The jolt wakes me from my dream. I am drenched in sweat, panting as I try to get in as much air now that my throat has opened again. I look around the room, I'm surrounded by three young girls all staring at me with concerned faces.

"Riley! Are you ok?"

I stare at Imelda Reyes as she looks me up and down.

"Did it happen again?"

I asked in a raspy voice, my throat felt like it had been rubbed down with chalk. Imelda just slowly nods her head, looking down at the broken pieces of my bed. My bed looked like it had been flattened by a troll, with the legs all spewing outward, and I was lying on the floor with my mattress. Once again, I had disturbed the sleep of the girls in my dormitory and broken yet another bed. I can already picture Professor Weasley's face as I try explaining, for the third time this week, how I've managed to destroy more Hogwarts property. Not the way I wanted to start my sixth year.

I raise myself from floor and Imelda reaches out to steady me as I wobble to my feet.

"We need to go to the Hospital Wing, Riley." she said.

"I'm fine." I snap at her.

I can see Grace Pinch-Smedley and Nerida Roberts whispering to each other as I move to the mirror. I roll my eyes at their gossip. How did I end up with the gossip queens of Hogwarts in my dormitory? I knew the hated me. Probably because most of fifth year I kept waking them up in the middle of night sneaking out of the castle. Here we are in sixth year and yet again I am depriving them of their sleep. Ok, maybe they were right to hate me. Even Imelda wasn't warm to me in the beginning when we first met. Only once I proved myself on a broom did she start taking a liking to me. I look at myself in the mirror, my nightgown is drenched in sweat and my blond hair is sticking to my forehead and shoulders. I've always been quite pale, but my face looked ghostly white, and my dark blue eyes looked tired. I sigh at the sight of me. I've never thought of myself as a pretty girl, just average. I was tall compared to the other girls which made me feel a bit clumsy at times. My hair was always pulled back so that it was out of my face. Even though I had exceptionally long hair, I hardly ever wore it down. Staring into the mirror I looked like I had aged overnight with the bags under my eyes. Lack of sleep for the past week from the nightmares would be the cause of those, amongst other things. Things that I had deliberately chosen not to think about this past summer. I shook the thoughts from head.

Imelda stepped up behind me.

"Riley this isn't normal, you need to see someone about this, please?" She begged.

"You're right Imelda. I'm sorry to have woken you all."

I shoot my eyes over the Grace and Nerida who immediately stopped their whispering.

Nerida pipes up "It's no worries at all Riley, we are more concerned for you hun." I hate the little nicknames she gives everyone. "Perhaps it would be best if you try get this resolved sooner rather than later. I know you went through a lot last year, what with Professor Fig dying and all that," she said his name so nonchalantly it made me ball my fists at my sides. "But you need to be considerate of others, and their sleep. I know you're probably upset that you're no longer the talk of the school, but we've barely been at school for a week, and you start, whatever this is. It's an obvious cry for attention." Normally I wouldn't react to Nerida's words, but I glared at her as I started to reach for my wand on my nightstand and move towards her.

"Riley no!" Imelda stands between me and Nerida as she smirks at my reaction.

"You've obviously got problems Riley, everyone can see that." She grinned at Grace who smiled weakly back at her.

"My only problem is that I have to wake up each morning and hear that shrill voice of yours Nerida, it's enough to make me want to rip my ears off." She scoffs at my remark, but I can see I hit a nerve. Everyone knows Nerida has a winey voice and when she laughs it's like chalk to a blackboard.

"Riley please, let's get you to see Nurse Blainey, you are still shaking. I can take you."

I brush past Imelda and grab my nightgown hanging over my chair and swiftly put it on along with some slippers.

"I don't need your help Imelda, I can look after myself."

I turn to leave the dormitory and head down to the common rooms. I just needed to get away from them and clear my head.

I feel instant regret for my harsh words to Imelda, she's the only girl in Slytherin that is kind to me, considering she can be a bitch to everyone else, it really means something. As I make my way down the stairs towards the Slytherin common room, I think about turning around to go and apologise to her. Before I can make up my mind I'm greeted by a hard surface, slamming my face straight into Ominis Gaunt's chest.

"Ominis! I'm so sorry I didn't see you there."

Poor choice of words Riley. I cringe to myself. I swear this boy can read minds, because I can see a smirk forming on his mouth.

"No need to apologise, you'd be surprised at how many times it happens to me."

I smile softly at his joke, it's not often that I get to see this humorous side to Ominis, even if it was at his own expense. I notice now that he was wearing his pyjamas, wrapped in a gown and his wand at his side. His usual grey eyes staring into the distance as I spoke.

"What are doing up so early? It's not even dawn yet."

The Slytherin common rooms were in the dungeons, but I could see the morning sun just barely starting to peek through the waters of the black lake through the windows.

"I could ask you the same thing Riley. I heard a disturbance and wanted to check if everything was ok."

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Riley?" he asked at the sound of my sigh.

"That disturbance was me Ominis. I'm sorry to have woken you too. I hope I haven't woken the entire house. I don't think it will add any favour to my current reputation." I answered feeling sorry for myself. "I couldn't care less for the rest of the Slytherins here, only you Riley. Are you ok?"

I was a little taken aback by his abruptness. Ominis was always so poised and polite. Ever the gentleman. Even though Ominis was blind, it was as if he was looking directly into my eyes I stupidly thought.

"I'm ok Ominis, I had another one of my nightmares."

I had mentioned my nightmares briefly to Ominis earlier in the week, but I didn't share the graphic details with him.

"Another one? Was it the same as before?"

He raised his hand to my shoulder, which felt warm against my coldness. I nodded and looked down.

"Riley, you know I can't see if you nod your head, but feeling your temperature and the fact that your nightgown appears to be drenched in sweat, I will take that as a yes."

I gently shrug off his hand from shoulder and take a few steps back, now conscience of that state that I must look. Not that Ominis can see what I look like, but ever since returning to Hogwarts I have tried to present myself a little better. Some of my fashion choices last year were questionable to say the least. Ominis had grown taller over the summer. We were a similar height during fifth year, but he had changed. His jawline seemed more defined, and his voice was slightly deeper. When I first saw him at Hogsmeade train station, I was taken aback at his new appearance. I never really noticed Ominis and his physical features, but nowadays it was hard not to in all honesty. He seemed slightly hurt at my withdrawal, but he continued,

"Riley, if you ever need to talk to someone, I am here for you, I hope you know that."

I stopped listening to Ominis, as a whispering voice had started echoing in my ears. It sounded sinister and unnatural. I couldn't understand what it was saying, but it was calling to me. It made the hairs on my skin stand on end. I first heard it when I stepped into the castle on our first day back. I kept asking those around what that sound was, but they just looked at me like I was going mad. Evidently it was only I that could hear this mysterious voice.

"Riley?"

I brought my attention back to Ominis, the whispers stopped.

"Uh-thank you Ominis. I appreciate your kind words. I think being back at Hogwarts has just stirred some memories from all that happened last year, that's all." I lied.

Right now, I didn't feel like diving into the gruesome details of my dreams, or the voice I was hearing, and what it could all mean. I just wanted to take a walk and get some fresh air.

"Hmm. Perhaps another time then?"

I started to make my way out of the common room when Ominis uttered softly, "I know it's hard, not having him here with us Riley. I miss Sebastian too. Just know that you're not alone, with whatever it is you're going through."

His words brought tears to my eyes, and I hurried out of the common room before Ominis could hear my sobs.