Rattling Fear (Ficlet Challenge 06)
Title: Rattling Fear
Summary: An odd rattling noise wakes Daphne from her slumber.
Characters/Pairings: Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis
Genre: Gen
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG, some slight creepiness
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 690
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: No, thanks.
An odd rattling noise woke Daphne from her slumber. Slowly she shifted up in her bed, gazing about blearily as she wondered what could have roused her. The room was half-formed in the darkness, familiar things cast in unfamiliar shadows. There was a chill in the room.
The noise came again, a rattling somewhere close by. Daphne looked to her left and right; the beds beside her were still. It seemed no other Slytherin girl was waking. Daphne cursed her tendency to wake easily; she wished she could snore the night away in peace, as Pansy Parkinson seemed to be doing. But not even her snores could drown out the rattling.
Daphne slid carefully out of bed and stood on the hardwood floor for a moment. She was wearing stockings, but her feet were still struck by the cold, and she shivered, pulling her nightdress tighter around her body. Brushing her hair out of her face, Daphne advanced in the direction of the rattling sound. It seemed to be coming from Tracey's trunk.
The trunk shifted with every sound; Daphne felt a sliver of fear streak through her. This was odd, indeed, and she should just go back to bed and try to ignore it. The night, with its shadows, was not the place for odd investigations. But her curiosity wouldn't allow it. Surely there could be nothing dangerous in Tracey's trunk. Daphne trusted her friend.
On the other hand, perhaps Daphne shouldn't be snooping about in her friend's things. But if she was ever to sleep that night, she had to stop that rattling. It would drive her mad if she didn't. Daphne knelt down on the floor and inspected the trunk; it jumped beneath her fingers, and Daphne stifled a gasp. She hesitated, breathing heavily, uncertain. Then she pried the lid open.
She had expected to find some sort of joke item in there, or some sort of magical creature that ought to be freed. Instead, Daphne leapt back as a whirling cloud of smoke burst in her face, then spun into the center of the room and dissipated, leaving the body of Astoria Greengrass in its wake.
Daphne shrieked, holding her hands to her mouth as she stared at her sister, who lay twisted and lifeless before her. It couldn't be true, Astoria could not be dead, and yet Daphne could not think, the night and her own fear both blinding her beyond logic.
The curtains shifted above her, and a voice came from somewhere behind Daphne's cowering form: "Riddikulus!" Immediately, Astoria rolled off the floor and began to dance, laughing and singing as she went. Daphne felt relief flood her system, and she let out a burst of laughter herself, partially at the sight of Astoria's silliness and partially at her own foolishness.
Astoria vanished in a puff of smoke, and Tracey climbed down to sit beside Daphne on the floor. "How did a boggart get in here?" Tracey asked, slipping her arms around her friend.
Daphne leaned into the hug and sighed, closing her eyes. "It was in your trunk," she said. "Merlin, Tracey, I ought to have known! But seeing my sister like that, in the middle of all this war. It's terrifying."
"Astoria's fine, Daph," said Tracey. "She's always going to be fine. We'll look out for her, you and me. And we'll all get through this."
People didn't understand Slytherin house; there were such nasty stereotypes about the snakes. Daphne was considered as dark as any Death Eater by some. But most of the Slytherins were just children caught in the midst of war, like any other child of Hogwarts. Daphne couldn't bear to think that something might happen to Astoria because of that. "You really ought to keep a closer eye on your things," she said.
"Guess boggarts are smaller than I thought," Tracey replied. "Hopefully there aren't any more lurking about the castle trying to get though keyholes. But even if there are, I'll banish your fears for you."
"Thank you," Daphne said quietly. She prayed that soon this war would end, and then her fear might be banished forever.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/28 Points
Summary: An odd rattling noise wakes Daphne from her slumber.
Characters/Pairings: Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis
Genre: Gen
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG, some slight creepiness
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 690
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: No, thanks.
An odd rattling noise woke Daphne from her slumber. Slowly she shifted up in her bed, gazing about blearily as she wondered what could have roused her. The room was half-formed in the darkness, familiar things cast in unfamiliar shadows. There was a chill in the room.
The noise came again, a rattling somewhere close by. Daphne looked to her left and right; the beds beside her were still. It seemed no other Slytherin girl was waking. Daphne cursed her tendency to wake easily; she wished she could snore the night away in peace, as Pansy Parkinson seemed to be doing. But not even her snores could drown out the rattling.
Daphne slid carefully out of bed and stood on the hardwood floor for a moment. She was wearing stockings, but her feet were still struck by the cold, and she shivered, pulling her nightdress tighter around her body. Brushing her hair out of her face, Daphne advanced in the direction of the rattling sound. It seemed to be coming from Tracey's trunk.
The trunk shifted with every sound; Daphne felt a sliver of fear streak through her. This was odd, indeed, and she should just go back to bed and try to ignore it. The night, with its shadows, was not the place for odd investigations. But her curiosity wouldn't allow it. Surely there could be nothing dangerous in Tracey's trunk. Daphne trusted her friend.
On the other hand, perhaps Daphne shouldn't be snooping about in her friend's things. But if she was ever to sleep that night, she had to stop that rattling. It would drive her mad if she didn't. Daphne knelt down on the floor and inspected the trunk; it jumped beneath her fingers, and Daphne stifled a gasp. She hesitated, breathing heavily, uncertain. Then she pried the lid open.
She had expected to find some sort of joke item in there, or some sort of magical creature that ought to be freed. Instead, Daphne leapt back as a whirling cloud of smoke burst in her face, then spun into the center of the room and dissipated, leaving the body of Astoria Greengrass in its wake.
Daphne shrieked, holding her hands to her mouth as she stared at her sister, who lay twisted and lifeless before her. It couldn't be true, Astoria could not be dead, and yet Daphne could not think, the night and her own fear both blinding her beyond logic.
The curtains shifted above her, and a voice came from somewhere behind Daphne's cowering form: "Riddikulus!" Immediately, Astoria rolled off the floor and began to dance, laughing and singing as she went. Daphne felt relief flood her system, and she let out a burst of laughter herself, partially at the sight of Astoria's silliness and partially at her own foolishness.
Astoria vanished in a puff of smoke, and Tracey climbed down to sit beside Daphne on the floor. "How did a boggart get in here?" Tracey asked, slipping her arms around her friend.
Daphne leaned into the hug and sighed, closing her eyes. "It was in your trunk," she said. "Merlin, Tracey, I ought to have known! But seeing my sister like that, in the middle of all this war. It's terrifying."
"Astoria's fine, Daph," said Tracey. "She's always going to be fine. We'll look out for her, you and me. And we'll all get through this."
People didn't understand Slytherin house; there were such nasty stereotypes about the snakes. Daphne was considered as dark as any Death Eater by some. But most of the Slytherins were just children caught in the midst of war, like any other child of Hogwarts. Daphne couldn't bear to think that something might happen to Astoria because of that. "You really ought to keep a closer eye on your things," she said.
"Guess boggarts are smaller than I thought," Tracey replied. "Hopefully there aren't any more lurking about the castle trying to get though keyholes. But even if there are, I'll banish your fears for you."
"Thank you," Daphne said quietly. She prayed that soon this war would end, and then her fear might be banished forever.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/28 Points