A/N: here's the rewritten version of the already rewritten first chapter. do you think it's much better? i do. don't forget to review!


Professor Kirke's house was the biggest that the Pevensie children had ever seen. Dark clouds were forming over the surrounding forest to the East, giving the dark house an ominous feeling. Inside was empty of life. The walls were lined with the type of portraits that have eyes that follow you without actually moving. They followed Mrs. Macready in silence through the dimly lit hallways. Mrs. Macready was walking too fast for them to have time to peer into the rooms with open doors, but they caught brief glimpses of suits of armor, tapestries, and shelves upon shelves of books.

Mrs. Macready left them outside the Professor's office and told them to wait. She went inside the room and shut the door sharply.

"Who are you?" They all jumped. A girl was standing down a hallway to their left. Her dark brown hair was in a long braid. A few short stray hairs framed her pale face. Her dark blue eyes were narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her arms were folded across her chest. She was dressed simply but elegantly in a blue button-up blouse and black pleated skirt with blue stockings and no shoes. Susan pulled at her checkered skirt uncomfortably. Lucy stepped shyly behind Peter and Susan.

"I'm Peter," Peter said boldly. "This is Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. And who, may I ask, are you?"

"I'm Jade," she said, scanning each of them up and down.

"Where are you from?" Susan asked kindly.

"I've lived with the Professor for as long as I can remember," she said bluntly.

"Are you related?"

"I--uh--I'm his..." she paused. "Niece. I'm his niece..."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Jade," Peter said politely.

She nodded curtly before spinning on her heel and disappearing around a corner. They stared down the hallway in silence.

"Well she seems..." Susan started.

"Weird," Edmund finished. They laughed nervously.

"She's pretty," Lucy commented.

"And a little bit intimidating," Susan added.

"That's for sure," Lucy agreed.

The door opened and an old man with a shock of white hair smiled down at them with his lined face. The awkward atmosphere vanished instantly. The Pevensies smiled genuinely at him. His aura was calming and his voice suggested plenty of life experience.

"Why hello there! You must be the Pevensies."

"We are," Peter said. "I'm Peter and this is Susan, Lucy, and Edmund."

"How do you do?" he asked, shaking each of their hands.

"Good," they all muttered.

"Now I see Mrs. Macready hasn't shown you to your rooms. She had to go to the stables to put the horse away... perhaps... Jade?!"

A few minutes later the girl appeared behind them.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Would you be a dear and take these fine youth to their rooms?"

She nodded and gestured to them to follow her. They grabbed their luggage and followed her.

"And be sure to show them the way to the dining room for supper!" he called after them.

Her pace was no slower than Mrs. Macready's as she led them through the intertwining hallways, up and down staircases, and through various doors.

"I will be lost for sure," Lucy huffed, struggling with her suitcase. Jade took it from her with a blank expression and they continued on. Lucy mumbled a thanks.

She led them through one final doorway before pointing to two doors.

"That is the girls' room and that is the boys.' I will come to collect you for supper in a half hour."

They nodded.

"And be sure not to wander off. It's easier than you think to get lost in here." She smiled slyly at Lucy, setting the small suitcase in front of the girls' room door and brushing past Peter.

It didn't take long to unpack and get settled. The rooms were heavily furnished in carpets and wall hangings colored in deep reds and golds, giving them a cozy feel. They assembled in the girls' room: Lucy watching the clouds roll in from a chair by the window, Edmund sprawled across Lucy's bed, Susan hugging her knees on a couch, and Peter pacing from one end of the room to the other.

"Cheer up, all. This'll be a great adventure! This place is huge! It'll take a week to thoroughly explore the house and grounds. We'll have loads of fun. I promise. The war will be over before we know it and we'll be on a train home to mum and dad."

Susan smiled a little. Lucy nodded glumly. Edmund remained indifferent.

"We'll have to take Jade everywhere with us so we won't get lost," Susan joked.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find your way by yourself most of the time," Jade said from the doorway.

"I thought you said it's easy to get lost," Lucy said.

"It is."

Nobody knew what to say.

"It's time for dinner. Come on now, wake up that one and follow me." She pointed to Edmund.

Peter tossed a pillow at Edmund, who sat up groggily and followed them out into the hallway.

The professor kept conversation flowing easily throughout the meal. The children found themselves laughing and joking with ease, even though they were talking to a grown-up. Only Jade remained silent. Peter couldn't help but watch her as she played with her food and watched her plate with absent-minded frown. She looked up at him once. Their eyes locked and Peter felt an electric shock rush through him. His eyes went wide, but Jade's face remained in the same bored expression. She looked away fleetingly.

"May I be excused?" she asked politely.

"Of course, my dear."

She stood and left the room.

"So, Professor," Susan said, "tell us about your niece. She seems... distant."

"My niece?" He seemed confused. "Oh! Jade, yes. Did she tell you I was her uncle? I'm her godfather. Her father is in America seeking opportunity."

"And her mother?"

"Er... her parents are separated. Jade has never met her mother."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"It is. She's a very gifted girl. Her parents just aren't exactly the parenting type."

"It's good she has you, then," Lucy said brightly.

"Indeed. She's definitely brightened up my life."

"Brightened?" Susan repeated.

"She's not very comfortable around new people. She is queen of the house and she will no doubt prove it to you."

"Why would she need to prove it?"

"Only Jade knows this house better than me and she's afraid you'll try to pry into her world. She's the jealous type. She won't like sharing my house's secrets with you. But in time, she'll open up. She'll grow on you, even in her present moody state. Just give it time."


The professor showed them the way from the dining room and kitchen to their rooms at a slow pace, making sure that they would be able to find their way in the morning.

"I'll speak to Jade about giving you a tour. Mrs. Macready shows tourists around often but a tour from Jade would be quite the experience. I believe she found a new door that leads to the attic last week..."

He walked away, still talking. Lucy giggled.

"We best be getting ready for bed," Susan said.

They wandered into their rooms.

Peter went into the girls' room to make sure that they were comfortable, Edmund trailing after him. The lamps in the hall had been extinguished when they headed to their own room.

"Do you remember which door it is?" Peter asked.

"How do you forget which room we're in," Edmund snapped.

"So you know which one it is?"

"Of course not." Edmund folded his arms grumpily.

Peter sighed, turning the knob of the nearest door. It was locked. He moved to the next one. It was a closet. He moved to the next door, but it opened just as he reached out to try the knob.

"Jade!" he gasped.

"Yes?" she asked coldly.

"Peter got us lost," Edmund yawned.

"Did not!"

Jade pointed straight across the hall.

"Oh," Peter said stupidly.

She rolled her eyes.

"What're you doing walking around at this hour?" Edmund asked, stifling another yawn.

She stared at him, raising an eyebrow and frowning. Edmund shrugged and went into the room.

"Goodnight," Peter said, following his brother.

She laughed airily, walking off down the hallway.


Peter tossed and turned, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. He gave up after an hour or two and decided to risk trying to find the kitchen for a glass of water. The Professor had shown them and Peter thought that he remembered where it was. But he didn't.

The house was nearly pitch-black. Peter wished he had brought a candle or an electric torch. He felt his way along one wall, trying to make it back to his room. He shuffled around a corner and stubbed his toe, swearing under his breath.

"Who's that?" Jade's voice whispered from somewhere behind him.

"Jade?"

"Peter? What are you doing?"

"I uh, I couldn't sleep. I was going to get a glass of water but I guess I should've brought a candle."

"Indeed."

There was silence. Peter remained motionless, straining his eyes to try and see her.

"Jade?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"Do you er, would you mind helping me find my way back?"

"To the kitchen or to your room. I'm headed to the kitchen."

"The kitchen it is then."

"Can you see me?"

"Nope."

Something warm brushed his hand, shocking him. He pulled back.

"Hey! You shocked me!"

"Probably." She reached for his hand again. "But you'll have to deal with it if you want to find your way around in the dark like this."

She tugged his hand and he followed blindly. Every so often she would whisper, "Watch out for the steps." or "There's a table on your right." It bothered him that he couldn't see his own hand, let alone the person pulling him through the house.

"Is it always so dark here?"

"We just haven't passed any windows. It's a quarter moon tonight. And yes, it's usually this dark at night. Try to find your way when there's no moon. That's a challenge."

"How do you do it?"

"Practice I guess. Here you go, watch your step through this doorway. You should be able to see a little now."

Peter blinked as she led him into a room bathed in moonlight. It was like seeing in black and white. Everything was like a sketch, there were no colors, just shading. Except for Jade's eyes. They were the same dark blue that Peter remembered them being in the light.

He was taken aback when she let go of his hand and rubbed her arms. She tied her robe tighter, shivering a little.

"I'm freezing," she breathed. "Let's hurry. I could do with a cup of tea."

Her pace had quickened considerably as she headed through room after room.

"The hall is much too dark. It starts to bother my eyes," she explained.

They wove through various rooms silently before Jade opened a door and took Peter's hand again, smirking into the darkness as she shut the door and cut off all light. It felt like the darkness stretched on forever, but they took about six steps before making it into the kitchen. Jade lit a candle in the fireplace and set it on the wooden table in the corner of the room.

"Glasses are in there." She pointed to a cupboard behind Peter.

He nodded and opened it, picking up the first cup he saw and heading to the sink. Jade put the kettle in the large stone fireplace and sat at the table.

"I suppose you'll have to wait until I'm done before you go back to bed."

"Unless I want to get lost again, yes."

She chuckled, watching the kettle with a smooth and comfortable expression. It was very different from her scowls and bored expressions that Peter had watched during dinner. She rested her head against the wall behind her and put her feet up on one of the chairs. Peter sat opposite her, sipping his water slowly even though he was really thirsty.

"The Professor tells us that you're queen of the house."

She grinned. "I guess I am."

"Do you think you could try to teach me how to get around without getting lost in the dark?"

"In the dark? You have no chance. In the light? I might be able to help you. There is a small fee..."

"Fee?" he looked up at her, unconvinced. She laughed her feathery laugh.

"Maybe sometime this week. It would be nice if at least one of you knew the general map of the house. I can't come and rescue you all the time."

"You do seem to run into me in times of need, though."

She laughed, getting up to take the kettle off the fire. She bustled around the kitchen before settling down in her same seat, staring across the table at Peter. He could feel the color rising in his cheeks but didn't look away. He knew it was a test. He smiled. She smiled back, stirring her tea.

"What do you do here all day by yourself?" Peter asked finally, getting up to refill his glass.

"Lots of things."

He smiled. "What kind of things?"

She didn't answer but Peter could see her smiling behind the tea-cup.

"Ready to go?" she asked, standing to put her glass in the sink.

He chugged the water and set it in the sink. "Yes."

He reached for her hand. She looked at it a little warily but took it and led him back to his room in silence.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she breathed in his ear, sending a cold shiver down his spine.

He crept across the room and into his bed, trying not to wake Edmund. He stubbed his toe again on one of the bed posts and cried out involuntarily.

"Pete?" Edmund rolled over.

"Sorry, Ed. Go back to sleep."

"Where've you been?"

"I went to get a drink of water. Go back to sleep."

Peter got into bed and busied himself straightening the sheets that he had twisted from rolling over so many times.

"Night," Edmund yawned.

"Night."

Peter fell back into the pillows and sighed.

"Ed?"

There was no answer. Peter smiled. He wished he could fall asleep instantaneously like his brother could. His mind was racing. Jade was mysterious and pretty and smart and Peter knew that he already had a crush on her. She probably thought he was a bit of an air-head for getting so lost so easily. He rolled over, adjusting his pillows. And much to his surprise, he fell right to sleep.