Eye of the Beholder
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
40
Views:
3,968
Reviews:
23
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
40
Views:
3,968
Reviews:
23
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Walking Wounded
Chapter 7
Chapter 7. Walking Wounded
Saturday afternoon Sasha joined her housemates to cheer on the Ravenclaw team in their Quidditch match against Gryffindor. Her team was doing exceptionally well, and they were up 80 to 20, when Harry and Cho suddenly spotted the golden snitch. They both burst from the upper field and flew straight towards the Gryffindor goals, following the snitch. Cho and Harry each had their hands stretched out, and appeared to be reaching for the snitch when it was too late for either of them to turn aside before hitting the goal hoop. They were forced to lean in towards each other as they flew right through the hoop. Cho was not so lucky exiting it, as the tail of her SureSweep caught the edge of the goal, sending her spinning wildly away. Harry realized his advantage and zoomed in, easily catching the snitch in a triumphant wave. The game was over, and the Gryffindors had won. The spectators in the Gryffindor side of the stands stood and cheered, while a collective groan was heard from the Ravenclaw side.
Sasha stood up and tucked her blue and white scarf higher around her neck. For once she was not using it just to hide her scar, but welcomed the extra warmth. She and the other Ravenclaws headed back to the common room to await the defeated team with consolatory butterbeers.
It felt good to be included in somethings, she thought as she climbed the stairs along with the others. A group that she could quietly be a part of without being too caught up in the herd mentality. She listened to the conversations floating around the common room, and when the tired Quidditch team finally arrived she did not even mind Cho’s rehashing of the recent events. It was well past midnight when Sasha finally turned in for the night. She brushed her teeth, took a very quick, hot shower to warm up, then slid under the cool, clean sheets. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
She awoke to realize she was no longer in her bed at Hogwarts. She was back in The Closet. The smell of fear, urine and blood assaulted her, almost making her gag. Please no, please no, please no, she thought, this can’t be happening again. She was on her hands and knees, and could feel the cold earthen floor beneath her. There was blood covering her face, and she could feel it dripping down her neck. There an an intense throbbing along her cheek and jaw that was excruciaty pay painful. She reached her hand up to touch it. The wound felt hot, sticky and infected. It was pitch black in the closet, but a sliver of light dimly shone through a space beneath the door. She hurriedly reached up and tried to find the doorknob, but she knew it was useless. The inside knob was removed long ago, and it was always padlocked on the outside when she was shut in there. Panicking, she raised up on her knees and banged on the door with the palms of her hands.
"Help! Please! Let me out! I’m hurt! Please!" She kept up the pounding for as long as she could before it became too painful. At the lack of a rnse nse to her pleading, she slid down the door, and started to cry. She could hear footsteps walking slowly towards her closet.
"Please! Let me out! Mother, PLEASE!" she begged until her voice was raw.
"Shut up! You just shut up, you dirty little girl! You deserve everything you got, you dirty, DIRTY girl!!" her mother spat out. "You brought this on yourself, do you hear. It is your own fault! All your fault! You are the work of the Devil, and he sent those men to mark you as one of their own! You should have stayed there and died! You should have never come back home do you hear me? They should have taken you away with them, but you were too DIRTY for even them! I should have never brought you into my home! You are the Devil’s child!" she screamed at the little girl on the other side of the door.
"Its not my fault! I didn’t do anything! Really! I don’t know why these things happen to me!! Mother, please let me out! It hurts so much! LET ME OUT!"
Sasha suddenly felt strong arms grip her by the shoulders and shake her. She was terrified. There was only room for one person in the closet, and she took up most of it. In her panic she scooted backward on her heels to keep the corner of the closet wall to her back. She could still feel tandsands shaking her more violently now, insistent. She went beyond terror, and started to scream.
"Sasha, wake up!" she heard Cho’s voice say, and through the veil of the fading dream she realized she was lying on the stone floor of her room. Cho had her by the arms, trying to get her attention.
Sasha was panting and sweat covered her body, causing her nightgown to stick to her chest. Unconsciously, she reached up and fingered her scar. Sasha looked up as the last of the nightmare faded. "Cho?" she asked. She relaxed, and Cho let go of her arms.
"It’s OK. I heard you yelling in your sleep, but when you fell out of bed, I wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself." This last comment was said with almost concern in her voice, Sasha thought.
"I’m OK. It was just a bad dream. I am really sorry to have awoken you." Sasha looked up to see the heads of the other Ravenclaw girls peeking out from behind their drapes.
"All right," Cho said uncertainly. She stood up and went back to her own bed, pausing once more to look back at Sasha before she disappeared behind the drapes.
Sasha closed her eyes. She had been dreaming about being locked in the closet again. This time it was the night after she was wounded. It was years since she had that particular dream. As her heart rate slowed, and her body cooled down, she started to shiver. Sasha stood up, put on her warmest robe and slippers, and walked down to the common room. She paused for a moment, then continued out the door to the main hallway, and climbed the stairs to the alcoves. There, she sat down on her favorite bench, crossed her arms over the windowsill and rested her chin on her arms. She knew from experience that she would not get back to sleep. She never did after the nightmares. She looked out the window towards the east and waited patiently for the sun to rise.
Chapter 7. Walking Wounded
Saturday afternoon Sasha joined her housemates to cheer on the Ravenclaw team in their Quidditch match against Gryffindor. Her team was doing exceptionally well, and they were up 80 to 20, when Harry and Cho suddenly spotted the golden snitch. They both burst from the upper field and flew straight towards the Gryffindor goals, following the snitch. Cho and Harry each had their hands stretched out, and appeared to be reaching for the snitch when it was too late for either of them to turn aside before hitting the goal hoop. They were forced to lean in towards each other as they flew right through the hoop. Cho was not so lucky exiting it, as the tail of her SureSweep caught the edge of the goal, sending her spinning wildly away. Harry realized his advantage and zoomed in, easily catching the snitch in a triumphant wave. The game was over, and the Gryffindors had won. The spectators in the Gryffindor side of the stands stood and cheered, while a collective groan was heard from the Ravenclaw side.
Sasha stood up and tucked her blue and white scarf higher around her neck. For once she was not using it just to hide her scar, but welcomed the extra warmth. She and the other Ravenclaws headed back to the common room to await the defeated team with consolatory butterbeers.
It felt good to be included in somethings, she thought as she climbed the stairs along with the others. A group that she could quietly be a part of without being too caught up in the herd mentality. She listened to the conversations floating around the common room, and when the tired Quidditch team finally arrived she did not even mind Cho’s rehashing of the recent events. It was well past midnight when Sasha finally turned in for the night. She brushed her teeth, took a very quick, hot shower to warm up, then slid under the cool, clean sheets. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
She awoke to realize she was no longer in her bed at Hogwarts. She was back in The Closet. The smell of fear, urine and blood assaulted her, almost making her gag. Please no, please no, please no, she thought, this can’t be happening again. She was on her hands and knees, and could feel the cold earthen floor beneath her. There was blood covering her face, and she could feel it dripping down her neck. There an an intense throbbing along her cheek and jaw that was excruciaty pay painful. She reached her hand up to touch it. The wound felt hot, sticky and infected. It was pitch black in the closet, but a sliver of light dimly shone through a space beneath the door. She hurriedly reached up and tried to find the doorknob, but she knew it was useless. The inside knob was removed long ago, and it was always padlocked on the outside when she was shut in there. Panicking, she raised up on her knees and banged on the door with the palms of her hands.
"Help! Please! Let me out! I’m hurt! Please!" She kept up the pounding for as long as she could before it became too painful. At the lack of a rnse nse to her pleading, she slid down the door, and started to cry. She could hear footsteps walking slowly towards her closet.
"Please! Let me out! Mother, PLEASE!" she begged until her voice was raw.
"Shut up! You just shut up, you dirty little girl! You deserve everything you got, you dirty, DIRTY girl!!" her mother spat out. "You brought this on yourself, do you hear. It is your own fault! All your fault! You are the work of the Devil, and he sent those men to mark you as one of their own! You should have stayed there and died! You should have never come back home do you hear me? They should have taken you away with them, but you were too DIRTY for even them! I should have never brought you into my home! You are the Devil’s child!" she screamed at the little girl on the other side of the door.
"Its not my fault! I didn’t do anything! Really! I don’t know why these things happen to me!! Mother, please let me out! It hurts so much! LET ME OUT!"
Sasha suddenly felt strong arms grip her by the shoulders and shake her. She was terrified. There was only room for one person in the closet, and she took up most of it. In her panic she scooted backward on her heels to keep the corner of the closet wall to her back. She could still feel tandsands shaking her more violently now, insistent. She went beyond terror, and started to scream.
"Sasha, wake up!" she heard Cho’s voice say, and through the veil of the fading dream she realized she was lying on the stone floor of her room. Cho had her by the arms, trying to get her attention.
Sasha was panting and sweat covered her body, causing her nightgown to stick to her chest. Unconsciously, she reached up and fingered her scar. Sasha looked up as the last of the nightmare faded. "Cho?" she asked. She relaxed, and Cho let go of her arms.
"It’s OK. I heard you yelling in your sleep, but when you fell out of bed, I wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself." This last comment was said with almost concern in her voice, Sasha thought.
"I’m OK. It was just a bad dream. I am really sorry to have awoken you." Sasha looked up to see the heads of the other Ravenclaw girls peeking out from behind their drapes.
"All right," Cho said uncertainly. She stood up and went back to her own bed, pausing once more to look back at Sasha before she disappeared behind the drapes.
Sasha closed her eyes. She had been dreaming about being locked in the closet again. This time it was the night after she was wounded. It was years since she had that particular dream. As her heart rate slowed, and her body cooled down, she started to shiver. Sasha stood up, put on her warmest robe and slippers, and walked down to the common room. She paused for a moment, then continued out the door to the main hallway, and climbed the stairs to the alcoves. There, she sat down on her favorite bench, crossed her arms over the windowsill and rested her chin on her arms. She knew from experience that she would not get back to sleep. She never did after the nightmares. She looked out the window towards the east and waited patiently for the sun to rise.