Title: Darkest Hour
Author: ReapersSyn22
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me, ReapersSyn22, except for Sav's child, any other characters you do not recognize. Harry Potter belongs to that literary goddesses, J.K. Rowling and Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I'm sure she'd have a stroke if she saw what fan fiction writers did to her characters.
Warnings: Spoilers for OoTP, Slash
Genre: Drama/Romance
Summary: : Not much is known about Petunia Dursley, and although many don't like her, it isn't always to say she was the person she is today, she was once carefree.
Author's Notes:
Alright readers, I thought it would be polite to warn you that I'm new at this posting stories on the net also some of my characters may appear mary-sueish as I've been told and for that I apologize it isn't my intention, im merely working on a whim and hope that you'll all like the story, also I MUST inform you that my grammar isn't great and that I need some one to be a beta for me
Thank you for taking the time to read this little warning
Right on with the story-oh and it's a AU story like with little twists and turns hopefully, now enjoy, oh and Harry does exist he's just not the Potters son, but someone else's
Prologue
Mumbling softly, Sibyll Trelawny studied the crystal orb in front of her. "Yes I see darkness…oooh darkness, maybe I should use blue curtains tonight, that will protect me…" Her musings were cut off when she suddenly sat up rigidly in her chair. The crystal fell from her lifeless hands and shattered on the floor unnoticed. Eyes staring blankly at the wall, she ground out words that described the great changes destined to occur to the magical world.
"Lightning in the night….. At the tenth stroke She shall triumph over the Darkness….And the shadows shall cherish her.…..Do not turn her away, the child of magic, for She is the key…Destruction or Peace she shall bring….named for Salvation"
Blinking owlishly the seer looked at the broken artifact on the floor. She let out a shriek of dismay. "Seven years of bad luck! I knew I should have used the blue curtains." Wailing at her bad fortune the woman turned to check her teacups for signs how to avoid bad luck, her prophetic words easily forgotten. Although the wheels of Destiny were already whirling as prophecy began.
Chapter one
Instantlyhis eyesfound her, taking a deep breath he walked towards the clear bassinet, his biker boots making a squeaking sound as he walked across the shiny vinyl flooring.
Looking down he saw the small child, barely 2 hours old, lying in the cold, sterile hospital bassinet, her mother no where to be found, but Ash had a feeling that she would turn up any minute now, as it was this gave him a chance to meet the wondrous marvel before him.
Gently brushing his black hair back he scooped her up into his large hands. Watching the child sleep the Dark-Hunter leader peacefully brushed the soft blonde curls that lay on top of her head and gently placed a soft kiss onto her forehead.
It was then that a nurse came into the hospital room, a red haired woman following her; Ash smiled pleasantly down at the baby, cooing softly. The nurse gasped in shock when she saw all 6 foot 7 beach attire-clad inches of him.
"Who are you?" She snapped as she took a quick glance at the child to make sure she was alright.
"Her Godfather." Ash simply answered whilst keeping his eyes on the baby girl sleeping in his arms, smiling gently as the baby opened her gorgeous unique purple eyes and yawned sleepily.
"It's okay Claire, Lily" A soft almost musical voice said softly as Petunia Annie Evans appeared at the woman's side "Thank you for your concern though"
The nurse frowned slightly but seemed to accept the younger woman's explanation as she threw one last heated glare at Ash whom merely smirked at her, before moving away to see to other patients.
Petunia sighed softly before she took a few steps inside the room and gently closing the heavy wooden door behind her, making sure not to wake the sleeping child in his arms, the babe keeping still so her mother remained unaware of the fact the child was already awake, peering at the strange man whom held her so carefully with knowledgeable eyes.
"I'm not sure we've meet" Lily questioned curiously, her green eyes glancing once at the slender wand that lay innocently upon the bedside table.
Petunia shook her head "Its alright Lils, He's Rose's Godfather, Ash this is my sister Lily"
"So you decide to call her Rose then?" Ash questioned lifting a hand to lightly brush the baby's cheek. The violet eyed babe giggled and curled on dainty hand about one of Ash's fingers, her other hand lifted as though to bat at his glasses.
The pale haired woman smiled sadly as she looked at the child in his arms before determination shone in her own eyes mixing with worry for her child, not that he'd lay a harmful hand to this Babe "Yes, she's named after my Mother, I'm sorry Ash"
The Dark-Hunter smiled tightly, his glasses sliding down slightly so the baby could see his swirling glaze, this earned him a marvelous smile and beautiful giggle,
"Rose"
A look of pure untainted love shone on the tall mans face as he looked down upon his goddaughter "Hello little Rosie, humm don't worry your father loves you unconditionally already." Ash whispered softly, "But he couldn't come, something he wishes dearly he could do"
Tears glistened in Lily's eyes as she inched forward, if she lived for an eternity, she would never forget the desperate, aching look on this stranger's face as he held Maya to his chest. It was one of such longing. Of pain. The look of a man who knew he held something precious in his arms the he never wanted to let go of.
Finally Acheron seemed to compose himself as he gently lay another kiss to the child's forehead before laying her back down in the bassinet.
"Take care of her Pet, Lily for this is the only chance you will get, oh and be careful of the whispers from so called friends"
This uttered the currently purple haired man vanished in a flare of light as Petunia crumpled to the floor, tears flowing down her face, her older sister gathering her in a comforting hug. Both unaware of the Puppet master and the wheels of fate spinning.
~*~
Artemis watched him, her arms crossed and her eyebrows rose haughtily "So you're telling me no?" Her voice was a warm, husky drawl that she knew could bring any normal man to his knees with lust but Acheron had never been normal an the days of his lust directed at her where long past, still a girl could hope and when it all came down to it, no matter how much he claimed otherwise, she held his lease.
He was angry, livid actually, but he held it well, his silver eyes flashing, swirling in the remarkable pattern she found so fascinating "You swore you wouldn't make another one in this decade."
Artemis flashed him a coy grin "I lied, you have a job to do, remember that when you come crawling back to me for your precious soldiers souls." She swept past him feeling the heat of his anger brush over her skin but she kept walking, gods knew more than most about temptation and he was hers.
Ash gritted his teeth and he felt Simi stir on his skin ready to roast the bitch goddess. He took a deep breath even though he didn't need it and approached the solitary figure that stood in the middle of Artemis's courtyard in Olympus looking lost.
As he drew closer he saw the scars and bruises that marred her caramel skin, her head was held low, her greasy hair hung in thick dirty blonde clumps about her face, hiding her eyes from his sight.
Her body was so painfully thin, he reminded the ancient being of his days as a whore, Ash forced the memories back, until he came to stand before the child.
Artie had stolen the soul of a fuckin child,
He noticed how she cringed away from him, tense as though awaiting a blow, for some form of punishment.
Ash's eyes flickered down to her stomach where the word 'FREAK' was carved permanently into her flesh, other scars littered her body.
Behind him he could hear Artie approach.
"You turned a child?" He made it a question, there was something about the said child, it was like they'd met before, yet he didn't know how or when.
Artemis shrugged "Her scream and pain called to me, she agreed and came of her own free will. She now bares my mark Acheron, besides she's thirteen"
Acheron feeling the weight of his responsibilities bearing down weighing on the soul he wasn't sure he had "I won't train her Artie"
The goddess smiled as she cuddled up against his back, her breath curling over his neck "Then she will become a shade, she has no soul now Acheron and I will not part with hers"
Ash gritted his teeth and shoved himself away from the infuriating red head who clung to him like a leach.
"It's okay" A small voice said suddenly "She offered me a new chance at life, and I would do anything to get away from .."
Ash frowned as turned toward the child "Do you understand what's happening?, you gave her your soul"
A soft laugh bubbled free from the seven year old as she suddenly looked up giving them a glance of haunted pale violet eyes before she spun away from them, laughing, the pure white dress she was clad in swirling about her, her voice holding amusement as she spoke "I'm surprised I had a soul left to give. They always said I was a soulless creature, a freak left to burden them, I ruin all I touch"
Ash stared at the semi sane looking child whom dance lightly across the marble floor, not knowing what to do.
"Child" Artermis called, turning Ash's attention back to her, she seemed rather pleased about something " come here"
The small girl silently followed the order, gliding over to the goddess and settling herself on the ground at the red haired woman's feet, flinching as the goddess lightly stroked a hand through the girls hair, much like one would stroke a pet, although as he watched Ash could see that the girl still shook although he was sure it was not from awe at being in the presence of a Goddess.
As Artemis's hand passed through the greasy locks they became clean, revealing the soft glow of the natural golden colour.
"Now child show him you back"
The child nodded, her head once more bowed low, hiding behind her veil of hair, her whole body language screaming 'submissive', she almost seemed broken.
Rising to her feet she precented her back to him, drawing the curtain of hair aside to reveal her bare back, and what was etched upon it.
His breath hitched when he saw the names down the centre of her back. They looked like tattoos but he knew that these names would mar her delicate caramel coloured flesh forever.
Ash strolled forward to get a closer look at the names; he had to do a double take when he saw the first name what was imprinted on the skin just below the neck,
Zarek
"Shit!" Ash swore, not believing that one of the most dangerous Dark- Hunters out there was meant to protect this little girl. Taking a deep breath he looked at the other names that were beautifully inscribed on the centre of her back in a list.
Devereaux
Nickolas
Fury
Savitar
Acheron
"I will protect you with my life." Acheron whispered softly, as he sighed and folded his arms over his chest as he turned his glaze from the figure that was dwarfed by her surroundings as she once more returned to settle at Artemis's feet, the Goddesses hand clenching in her hair.
"She won't be one of your Dark Hunters Artie I won't allow it." Ash growled as he realized that the child before him was his edera, his precious baby girl. Sav's daughter.
The goddess smiled, her green eyes gleaming as a slow smile tugged at her lips, "You know the only way to break by bound over her Acheron, I'm not handing over her soul"
Ash sighed again and turned to look at the child whom he's last seen as a baby, her face still hidden, body tense. His anger swirled, demanding he found whom had done this to her and make them pay.
"I'm sorry little one"
His goddaughter gave no indication that she'd heard him
"What are you going to do Acheron?"
A flare of light halted the currently blonde haired Atlantean's answer, instead a velvet baritone, drawled an answer, drawing all eyes to the new comer.
"Oh, you don't have to do anything little brother, I think our edera could do with a better life then living of fear of the red haired bitch"
With wavy shoulder-length dark chocolate brown hair, the man had a gait that was just plain sexy, yet also held an air of danger. It was one of raw determination and extreme confidence. He was all male and all deadly. Even as he stood there leaning against the doorframe.
Physically appearing around the age of thirty, Savitar watched them all with a wry grin and his arms crossed over his chest. Dressed in a pair of white beach pants and a short-sleeved blue shirt that was worn over a white T-shirt, he looked nothing like what he really was. Nothing like a being who held the wisdom of the ages and enough power to give her dad, a good run for his money. Then again, Savitar might actually be even more powerful.
There was only one way to know for sure, but Ash respected him too much to find out. Lean and muscular, Savitar hadn't changed much since the day they'd first crossed paths—except for his wardrobe, but his had changed a lot more.
Colourful tattoos covered Savitar's forearms. His eyes were a vibrant shade of lavender. Those eyes were timeless, powerful, and even a little corrupt.
No, they were a lot corrupt.
Savitar strolled casually over to where she sat, uncaring of the others, walking with an arrogant swagger—as if the world were his stage and he was the only actor in town capable of playing on it. He crouched down to the slender child's level "Hello there little Rosie, you might not remember me- "
"I remember you" the child cut in, violet eyes clashing in a battle of wills, ignoring the fact the goddess clutching her, the tremble in the beautiful woman's grasp, did she fear this man?
Those unique lavender eyes blinked slowly as the man smiled "Do you now, you were only a babe when I saw you"
Rose frowned hissing as the red haired woman pulled her back, dragging her harshly away from the tattooed man.
The said male instantly rose, fury boiling over his face a moment before Rose found herself out of the goddesses clutches and in the blonde mans gentle and comforting grasp, no not the man, her godfather, Acheron, Ash. The man with the wondrous eyes.
"Get lost Artemis, I'm not someone you want to screw with remember, and you won't be using my daughter as leverage over Ash. You don't want to part with her soul fine, but don't think I'm going to let you use her"
The spoiled bitch of a goddess pouted, trying to ignore her fear of the Chthonian, annoyed that she wouldn't be able to add another bind to Acheron using his child she tossed a dismissive gesture toward the door "Fine, have her now get out of my chambers if you going to ruin my fun"
Savitar gathered the small form of his daughter into his arms, fledging ignorance at her tenseness at his touch or the shivers that raked her small frame as he flashed them from Olympus to his Island.
The God of Fate couldn't help but wonder that perhaps Artemis was right about how bad her past had been.