I noticed something that seems to irritate me when I'm reading, so I have looked back and changed the formatting of the chapters. To anyone who has read this before the end of Chapter 13 is where I had updated to previously. Let me know what you think.
It was the one place I never wanted to see, yet I had nowhere else to go. It was my last resort and with no one else to turn to, I had to visit the last man my father had spoken of before he died. He had been taken from me, stripped of his pride and family before being tortured and poisoned, leaving him to slowly die and burn from the inside out. It was the castle that haunted my nightmares, prevented me from dreaming peacefully even though I had never physically seen it or been close.
"Demi, we have to keep going," my sister breathed to me. She knew my fear, just how much I was afraid of approaching that castle; she'd seen into my mind and seen the images of the school burning and people dying. Something I never wanted to witness again.
Being unaware of where my sister had led me, I was shocked when she suddenly stopped in front of a statue of a gargoyle, something odd about where we were. Hearing her speak the name of a candy, I stared as the statue began to move, completely terrified by what was happening. I knew where we were in the castle; I knew what was going to occur in this room in the years to come. There was devastation surrounding them all.
"He can save you," she thought, ensuring I could hear as a greying man ushered us into an immaculate office that had paintings above the doorway that were all watching us intently.
"Miss Greengrass, to what do I owe this pleasure?" the man asked, as he stepped in front of us again. Swiftly, my sister pointed me from the room, afraid of what would happen if I remained. She was the only one I had left, that would speak to me; my mother disowning me when she found out about my dreams, my father taking me on the run with him only to meet a messy end himself.
Slowly, I turned my back, retreating to the staircase we had just ascended, the door softly closing behind me. Sitting on the top step, I leaned against the wall, letting my eyes close as I tried to block out all thoughts of my nightmares.
Hearing laughter echoing up the stairs, I jumped to my feet as footsteps suddenly thundered up the stairs I was at the top of. Seeing the faces of four joyous men, I froze, scared of what they could possibly do. I was unarmed, alone and in foreign surroundings that I only knew from dreams. I was terrified of what they could do. They immediately stopped as they caught sight of me, their eyes swiftly studying me as one took the last step up the stairs, now being directly in front of me.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned, his voice was charming, as though he knew he would get the answer he desired. Whimpering, I crouched again, waiting for his hand to strike. Hearing him take a shuffled step back and a door fly open, I let of a muffled sob, afraid of what was going to happen.
A hand rested on my shoulder, shaking me out of my fear and causing me to respond, my hand reaching out to hit someone, only to be restrained by my sister's touch.
"Demi, no one will touch you here, please, trust this place," she pleaded, attempting to hold onto me as I began to panic. I was surrounded, there was no way for me to escape, and they weren't going to let me go. My sister's arms had suddenly disappeared and as I backed away, I began to fall, faster than I thought was possible, another body colliding with my own and falling also as my consciousness faded.
I felt numb as I woke, like something had held me under water for far too long. I desired a breath and something to quench my thirst, feeling the thud on my chest, it caused me to breath. Coughing, I was forced to be sat upright, the touch on my back unfamiliar, a distant voice was my sister's. Attempting to even my breaths, I refused to open my eyes, desiring to feel my father's arms around me again but knowing I never could.
"Nastya," I called, hoping she would be the only one touching me when she reached my side. Fortunately, she shooed away whoever was holding me up, her hands touching my shoulders before wrapping around me as I fought the trembles that were wracking my body.
"Demi, it's okay, I won't hurt you," she whispered, holding me close as tears leaked from my eyes, the first time I'd cried since my father's torture and death. Gripping her shirt, I completely broke down, unable to be strong or hold my emotions in. It was the first time she had had to comfort me, the first time she had seen my weakness.
Finally opening my eyes, I looked up into her pale green ones, the concern and pain visible as she watched me cautiously. Having her wipe away my tears, I felt the comfort I desired to gain, but it was not from the correct person. It had the effect it needed to though, my tears had ceased.
Looking over her shoulder, the four men were standing around the bright white room, two of them quite close together. Something was off about the way they were watching me and my sister, as if they knew something about what was going to happen next.
"Why are we still here?" I questioned, as the two closest avoided my gaze.
"I must return to mother, you must remain here, continue where father left off. I cannot protect you from them all," she explained, her words giving rise to my panic.
"No, you promised not to leave me, I have no one else. Nastya, you cannot do this to me, not now...please," I begged as she slowly pulled away from my. Reaching out to her, arms wrapped around me to prevent me from leaving the bed, but I fought. The last of my family, the last person to care about me was leaving me alone in a place I never desired to be.
All I could hear were my sister's last words before she left. They resounded in my head, like a broken record, sending shoots of pain through my every time I thought of how lifeless she sounded when she spoke them. With my knees drawn to my chest, I watched the sun go down; pass from day into night, students of the school passing in and out.
"Are you okay?" a soft feminine voice called to me, scaring me and forcing me to my feet. Seeing a girl my own age staring at me, I froze, unable to find the will to flee. Her bright green eye's clearly revealing her concern as I fought with my natural instincts.
"I do not know you...I do not want to be here...Please do not make me stay here," I pleaded, backing into a wall and sliding to the ground. I raised my knees to my chest again, an attempt to protect myself, a guard that was easily broken through. Hearing footsteps enter the room, I began to tremble, fearing who was going to approach me, whose face I would recognise from all my nightmares.
"Demitria, you do not have to be afraid of Miss Evans, there is nothing to fear in this room child," a familiar voice cooed, attempting to calm me.
"You all will die before this is over," I breathed, recognising the faces from vague memories. The girl who had first approached me was pretty; her long, thick, dark red hair framed her face as she watched me closely, gauging my reaction. She stood a few inches taller than me; a slim, athletic build revealing how petite she really was, a pin on her robes that I could not quite read.
Glancing at one of the men around her side, he was gazing at me just as intently as she was, his honey brown eyes gazing over my body, trying to figure out why I was reacting the way I was. Faintly, there were scars over one cheek, shadows around his eyes as though he barely slept. There was something he was hiding, his light brown hair long enough to cover one eye, masking something in his gaze.
Slowly, the elderly man from the office stepped forward, his sparkling blue eyes seemingly able to see straight into my soul, seeing everything I desired to bury deep inside. His hand carefully reached out as soon as he was at least a meter away, waiting for me to accept his offer to help me to my feet. Cautiously, I rested my hand in his own, his touch soft but firm as he lifted me to my feet, his lined face calculating as he led me back to the bed, sitting me one the edge once more.
"Miss Evans is going to be sharing a room with you, she does not wish to harm you my dear," he said, a hand gently running over my hair in a gesture of comfort. As the girl stepped forward, her black robes billowed out behind her, catching one of the men's attentions, his hazel eyes following her moments as she came to stop in front of me.
"It is dangerous to be here," I stated, purposefully not taking in his words. The castle was part of my nightmares, the tallest towers ablaze with fire and the courtyard outside the front door littered with dead bodies.
"None of the students are allowed to harm you, and for precaution you will take the name Calixtus. Your father's death will not be in vain," the elder man spoke again. Staring at him, his words finally caused me to register the meaning behind my sister fleeing and my father's suffering became clearer. They all desired for me to remain safe.
I was being led up countless staircases; the girl from the infirmary leading me towards what I was told was a common room. She was called Lily, Headgirl in her final year at the school, one of the men from earlier was also a prefect, another Headboy, but I was not told which. She seemed nice, her smile welcoming, as though she was trying to reassure me, so I didn't try to flee again.
Standing in front of a painting of a rather large woman who was talking to another woman within the portrait who had a bottle of wine, Lily spoke a few quick words before it swung open. It had been a few years since I had seen a moving portrait, but seeing it reveal a common room full of students I blanched, afraid they would try and harm me.
Having my hand clasped within hers, I was whisked through the room and up another staircase before she led me down the hall to the last room. It was semicircular, three beds with trunks at the end of two. The empty bed was furthest from the door, closest to the window.
"Yours is the last bed, I don't know what's going to happen about your trunk though. Do you have any other clothes?" she asked cautiously, walking closer to the bed she'd indicated. Reaching into the pocket of my jeans, I fished out the trunk my sister had shrunk for me, unable to return it to its normal size, without scaring off someone who could potentially help me. It was then that I realised I had no wand, I was useless in their eyes without one, although I could do magic without it.
"I do not have a wand," I told her quietly, as she watched me place it on the floor beside the bed. Looking up to her eyes, I recognised the shock held in them, but she swiftly shook it off and returned the trunk to its normal size with a flick of her wand. "It was taken from me and broken, then burned." Those words were my explanation as a sat on the edge of the bed, my back rigidly straight, afraid of what would happen when we had to go to sleep.
"You don't have to explain, we won't push you to explain if you don't want to. It's not our place to pry," she stated, cautiously sitting next to me. Her hand rested on my own, which were folded in my lap; her touch hesitant but reassuring as I fought the need to panic.
Turning a hand over, I grasped hers tightly, not squeezing, just trying not to feel like she would leave. I strained a smile to her, trying to convey my thanks, struggling to be who I used to be.
"Be my friend?" I asked quietly. "I have never had the chance to have one, please." I knew I was pleading, but she was the first person to accept me for who I was without even knowing what had happened to me. Obviously, she saw the tears which were threatening to fall, resulting in her drawing me into a hug, her arms surrounding me as I fought the sudden urge to run.
As she rubbed her hands up and down my back, she quietly murmured "I planned to anyway, you shouldn't be alone." Her words were ones no one had ever spoken to me, my mother had assured me I was a freak, that I would never be accepted because of what I could do.
Slowly, she pulled away from me, her hands grasping my own when she saw my tears. I had never allowed someone to see me cry except for my brother, the only person who had come close enough to me to see the effects my mother had had on me besides our father.
"Lily, it's time for dinner," a voice called from the doorway, causing me to scramble to my feet, the desire to flee raised from its hiding spot.
"No one is going to hurt you, no one here has met you before," Lily spoke as she approached me again, the girl in the doorway wearing an expression of shock. Slowly, I calmed myself, allowing Lily to lead me from the room, the other girl walking with us down the winding staircase to the common room, which had emptied within the ten minutes we had been in the dormitory.
"I'm Alice by the way, you must be Demi. The boys mentioned you earlier, something about you being a transfer," the girl spoke as we started down the halls, Lily's hand holding onto my own as I fought the urges to run. Somehow she knew what I feared and refused to let go of my hand, even as we entered the dining hall.
Heads turned to watch us as they led me to an empty part of the table furthest from the large oak doors. As I gazed around the room, most eyes avoided my own, so I looked upwards to see the sky reflected on the ceiling with floating candles flooding the room in light. I was amazed, as I was pulled down into a seat, the chatter in the room picking up again, as my attention was brought back to the table.
"Hungry?" Alice asked with a sly smile, as I cautiously reached out to collect some of the roasted potatoes on the table. Smiling in return, I only allowed 3 pieces of food on my plate, a look of surprise rising on those around me. Slyly, I raised my hand over the plate, my own way of checking my food was safe; something my father had taught me when he was alive.
Glancing up at the man across the table from me, he looked slightly stunned, his fork halfway to his mouth. It was the same boy from the infirmary, the boy with the honey brown eyes. They remained with a tired aspect to them, but also a burning sort of curiosity, something which happened to amuse me. Slowly, I began to cautiously eat, following the same routine every time I put something new on my plate, cautious to every degree of what was surrounding me.
Having the plates suddenly clear themselves when everyone was finished, I froze, a sense of panic washing over me. Feeling Lily's hand rest on my own, I looked up at her instantly having reassurance rush over me by the calming look in her eyes. Slowly, other students began standing, slowly leaving the hall, the sounds of the conversations echoing around the room in a rush of noise. Thankfully, we waited till last, Alice and the four men remaining also, watching me cautiously as I watched every other student leave. With only a few left in the hall, we slowly clambered to our feet, my movements freezing as I caught sight of someone familiar across the hall. She was younger than me, also shorter, her eyes a stunning green, lighter than Lily's, more towards gray.
"Demi?" Lily questioned, bringing me back to what was going on around me. Smiling, I pulled her along, her hand still grasping my own as we started up the grand staircase, no one else around us except for those who had sat with me.
"I think I am going to be lost very soon," I joked as we rushed up the third staircase. Turning back to those who were following me, they all seemed out of breath, the rush taking the energy from them.
"You are fit to be able to run that with ease," one the men managed to gasp out, hands on his knees as he attempted to regain his normal breathing.
"Pad, you should be able to run this easily, what happened to you?" another spoke, clapping his friend on the back as he stepped closer to me and Lily, his approach having an effect on the girl next to me. A flash of anger crossed his face, the reason unknown but it was an aspect which startled me, causing me to let go of Lily and take a few steps back in reaction.
Swiftly, the one with honey brown eyes was standing in front of me, all of them standing with stunned looks on their faces as he stood between his friend and me. Slowly, I backed away further, the glint that was in those hazel eyes that was incredibly familiar.
"James, what the hell do you think you're doing? Dumbledore said not to intimidate her and you're not helping," the one protecting me spoke, a warning tone in his voice. It was strange to think that someone was protecting me, only two people had ever done such a thing; my father and my sister, and neither could do that now.
Watching them closely, I noticed that they were both standing at their tallest, as though they were going to fight over such a small problem. Finally following my instinct, I fled, running before any of them could stop me, knowing I had no clue of where I was going; I just wanted a way out. Having the light suddenly dim, I stopped, moving to an archway and sliding to the floor, drawing my knees to my chest again. In my own way, it gave me a sense of protection. The wall protected my back, my knees preventing anyone to reach my heart; I was protecting myself even though I was meant to be safe.
"Demi?" Someone was calling to me. Drawing me back to my own mind, away from the burning pain I was feeling through my nightmare.
"Demi?" It called again, the voice familiar, but also haunting. Carefully, I opened my eyes, the dim light allowing me to see one of the men from dinner crouching before me. His honey brown eyes were searching my eyes for something, as though he was hoping to find out what I was thinking. Watching him cautiously, I finally figured out the familiarity I felt about him, the aspect that my youngest brother had with him.
"Werewolf," I muttered, causing panic to cross his face, as though he was terrified of what he truly was. Suddenly, he was on his feet, anger flashing in his eyes, mixed with pain and torment. "Please do not be angry, I will not tell anyone, I swear," I pleaded, finally clambering to my feet. As I stumbled, he took a step forward, catching my forearms in a firm grip to steady me.
"How do you know?" he questioned as he began to lead me down the maze of hallways.
"My brother is one; the look in your eyes is so familiar, like you know that your human but you have another side, the animal side. It is not my secret to tell though, your secret is safe," I explained hesitantly. He was surprised, a look of awe in his eyes, as I tried to remain calm enough to walk with him naturally.
Silently, he led me up a staircase, returning us to the grand staircase that we ascended after dinner, one I didn't remember running back down. He seemed to take calculated steps, as though he was waiting for me to panic again, one of his hands resting gently against the small of my back as he guided me along.
"Demi," Lily called as we entered the common room, immediately rushing to me, collecting me in her arms. For a moment, I stood completely still, unsure of how to react, until it sank in that she really cared about me, I wasn't alone anymore.
"I am sorry," I breathed as I raised my arms to hug her in return. "Thank you," I added to the man who was beside me, as I pulled away from Lily, her hand finding my own again. He strained a smile, a look of distrust crossing his face as he stepped away, towards the staircase to his own dormitory.
Lily instantly hauled me up the stairs, heading straight to our dormitory, where Alice was seated on the bed closest to the door, reading on of the text books. She glanced up, smiling softly before returning her concentration to the words on the page. Slowly, I walked over to the bed that I was told was my own, seating myself on the edge, aware that Lily was watching me closely.
"James is sorry, he didn't know that you would react that way, he does things without thinking sometimes. Please don't take it out on him," she stated, as though there was something more to her words. Watching her closely as she sat herself next to me, her eyes didn't meet my own, her hands folded on her lap and a small smile gracing her face.
"Do you love him?" I asked quietly, to receive the answer of Alice having a coughing fit from the other end of the room.
"No, why would you ask such a thing?" Lily responded far too quickly to be believable. Smirking, she looked at me in disbelief, as though I was asking something absolutely crazy, yet her answer told me something completely different.
"Your reaction say's otherwise," I stated, knowing it would allow her to think of what was happening with her own feelings. Standing again, I stepped through to the bathroom that was connected to our dormitory, the room empty, allowing me to forget the threatening feelings that others seem to inflict on me without knowing.
I was clean as I stepped back into the dormitory, both Lily and Alice already in bed, both reading a book as I moved to my trunk. It had not been opened since my father had died; I only knew that my clothes were inside, nothing that my father or sister had added. Carefully, I inched in open, surprised to find my mother's pearl necklace to be sitting on top of my clothes, the trunk fuller then I thought it was going to be.
Finally being clad in my short pyjama shorts and singlet top, I closed my trunk again, my father's ring clasped in my hand as I sat on the edge of the bed again. Gazing down at the ring, I studied it closely; unsure as to why it was in my possession instead of my older brothers. It was simple, a gold band that had a single sapphire in the centre, initials carved in around. It reminded me of when I was younger, when my younger brother asked him about what it meant. The eldest son of the eldest son always had the same initials and therefore inherited the same ring which had been passed down for generations.
"Are you okay?" Lily questioned as she sat next to me. I hadn't even noticed her leave her own bed, but her concern was evident as she reached out to clasp my hand.
"Just thinking," I breathed in an answer. Glancing up she smiled, her worry clear but I was attempting to hide my pain. "I think sleep is all I need right now though," I continued, moving to place the ring back in the trunk, and lay down on the bed. She remained on the edge for a moment, a cautious smile on her face, her bright green eyes holding a sense of comfort to me although she was worried.
"Goodnight Demi," she replied, before she stood up, and returned to her own bed. Both Alice and Lily placed their books on their bedside tables before wishing each other goodnight and eliminated the light, flooding the room in darkness.
Slowly, I drifted into my dreams, my new home welcoming me with open arms, even though I had seen the future of what would occur to such a beautiful place. I had given the warning and now it was time for me to wait to see when it would happen.