Room 420 [Around 5AM Friday]
He hadn't been able to sleep that morning. The sun hadn't even begun to rise, the air was brisk and cool and being awake felt better than being asleep. He knew he should be tired and he should go back to sleep. Still, sleep was elusive and he was growing more awake by the moment.
Barbas appeared next to the bed and looked down at the poor, restless wizard.
Cedric blinked a little, rubbing his eyes and not quite seeing what was near his bed. He was sleepy, after all, and he was used to nightmares. So, he ignored whatever it was, taking it for a remnant of dream.
Waving his hand in front of his face, the creepy grin on Barbas's face got wider. "So your greatest fear is something that will feed on your emotions. I'm not sure how I feel about having the competition."
"Am I dreaming?" Cedric asked, blinking slowly. "Again?"
"It's your worst nightmare," Barbas said, waving his arms, "come to life!"
Immediately the room was filled with large figures cloaked in black robes, all heading for Cedric.
And that was enough to make Cedric scramble up and off his head. He'd been right. It wasn't a spell. Something was coming and they were here and he was caught off guard.
He didn't know where his wand was, couldn't even think.
"No no no no," he chanted, backing himself against the wall.
The figures kept advancing as Barbas stood there, basking in the fear emanating from Cedric.
"That's it," he said. "Give in to your fear!"
There were so many of them, looming above him and advancing without hesitation. He was cornered. Nowhere to go, no place to run, no one to hide behind.
"Not again," he said quietly. "Please, not again."
One of the figures reached Cedric and bent down to press a kiss to his forehead.
Jack had intended to knock, until he'd heard Cedric's voice through the door, the words too quiet to make out but the fear coming through clearly.
Grateful it was unlocked, he shoved it open and ducked through, eyes going wide when he saw Cedric cowering in the corner. "Cedric?"
Barbas groaned. If he could just keep the illusion up for another minute...
"Leave me alone," Cedric said, thinking Jack was just another one of them. He couldn't pick the voice out just yet.
Nightmare, maybe? Or sleepwalking? Either way, Jack wasn't letting it continue. "Cedric, it's okay," he said firmly, slowly approaching him, one hand outstretched. "It's me, it's Jack."
Barbas disappeared, frustrated at once again being interrupted.
Cedric reached out, clung to Jack like a lifeline and calmed himself quickly. The Dementors were gone. They were gone. And Jack was here.
Jack held him tight, looking around the room suspiciously. "It's okay, I've got you," he murmured. Maybe whatever had scared Cedric had been his imagination, but he wasn't prepared to risk it.
Drawing him out of the corner, he added, "And I'm getting you out of here," and led Cedric out the door and down the stairs to his room.
[Preplayed with the awesome untouchableskin and time_agent. No IC interaction, OOC welcome. Thanks!]