Before I start, let me tell you one thing; stranger things have happened. If you have lived a life like mine, yeah, a lot stranger. Meeting a girl at five in the morning in the Forbidden Forest is quite normal for me. This is how it happened.
It was the second Saturday of my Sixth Year and I was trying a failed attempt at running away. It was right before dawn when the sky is still an indigo and not a single thing moved. My feet treaded the soft grasses in the last shadows before dawn. My mind was full of thoughts of what He would do to Mother, or how Father would get the new that his heir has gone missing.
By the time, the sky was a very dark grey and the first birds started to sing; I reached the far edge of the Black Lake. I tightened the grip on my wand as my shaking legs carried me another step forward. I used my empty hand to wipe the sweat off my pale brow as the other animals started to wake.
A person, light on their feet, was slowing following me. No, I had to get away. My pace quickened. But instead of the other pair quickening, too, they picked up a odd gait. Almost instantly I recognized it. A skip. I turned around to run into a mass of scraggly light brown hair.
She was very odd looking. Her body was clad in a set of shabby robes three sizes too big, black knee socks, and bracelets up to her elbows. In her hand, she had neon blue, Muggle tennis shoes.
"Good morning," her big eyes stared at me, pulling out the pieces of my soul for their taking.
I was inching away from her as she spoke, thinking up a plan. She was mad, walking in the woods when people like me are in them, crazy. She began to peel off her knee high socks, waiting for a greeting.. "Why are you here,?" I spat, making her smile.
"Oh, I always get up early to take a walk-"
The sun was about to rise, I had to end this. Now. "In your socks? Go up and bother Loony or something, I need to do something."
She looked up, all the traces of happiness left her face, "You know that her name is Luna. L-U-N-A. I don't believe in Nargles, but, she is nice. I see her in the Common Room some times, she is quite strange." she rambled. I smirked, she was one to judge.
The clogs started to turn, a poor, helpless girl could easily be putty in the Dark Lord's hands. "Look, I have to do something important, can you help me?" I asked her in a smooth, charismatic tone.
"Sure! But come with me for a second," she said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to the shore of the Black Lake. The sky was a blood red now, streaks of orange and pink came from the sun, still hidden by mountains.
"What are you-?"
"Shush."
The ponderous sun slowly rose, casting more shades then ever around the sky. Fresh birds sang and the still water reflected it all. We were one with nature. All the thoughts of being a Death Eater, pain, and hopelessness left me with the cool breeze coming from over the mountains. I looked at the girl and saw not a misunderstood rebel, but a content young woman. This all happened in around thirty seconds, but it seemed to last forever.
"Wow," I said after the moment ended.
"Yeah," she said after opening her previously shut eyes, "I come out here every morning to see it. That's the things about simple things; they help us all through Dark times. For some it's sunrises, others counting their blessings…maybe just getting up knowing you're still alive, that you survived another day."
Psh, I thought, like I have a lot of blessings. My parents, my life, my brain, Quidditch…oh forget it. "Ready?" I asked, standing up.
"I guess so," she stood and we began walking deep into the forest. The newly risen sun was hidden behind the branches of the trees and no birds sang.
Suddenly, I turned so we about ran into each other. "Listen here," I whispered into her ear, putting my wand against her throat, "you are to do exactly what I say, got it?"
"Draco, let go!" she cried. Her back was locked in to place, followed by her arms and knees. Shallow paints came from her tiny mouth. Fears fell out of her in waves.
"Shut up! I'm going to leave and you are to tell everyone that I dueled unknown wizards and they took me and knocked you out. Repeat what I said."
She looked up at me through sparkling, tear stained eyes, "you are going to leave…duel… leave-Let me go!" at this I slapped her, hard. "Please, God, God, I've done nothing to you! If there is a God, let me go!" she started to bawl and I let her go, making her fall onto the dirt.
"There is no God," I told her before taking off.
Maybe it was just a stupid bird, or maybe the now harsh wind through the trees, but I swear I heard, "Then explain the sunrise," coming from behind me.
I never got to run away. I was one bound from the boundaries when Snape popped out of nowhere and grabbed me by me throat. He dragged me back to Hogwarts and made me continue on my mission. When the Battle of the Astronomy Tower happened, well, I never saw her, so I guess she wasn't there. Maybe she was debating the existence of Nargles or something.
It was a year latter and it was the Battle of Hogwarts. I hadn't seen her since I tried to run away. My leg was throbbing from a curse and I was consumed with fear-for me, for my family, and for the Wizarding World in whole. The battle was on its last chapter-Potter's hour to come to the Dark Lord was only twenty minutes away. I saw a familiar face in the mass of people.
She was dueling a tall Death Eater I never knew the name of. She was good, but looked like she never had any training, Death Eaters had for years. Her spells were weak and the Death Eater was stronger than ever. I could see she knew she was going to die. My heart raced and even though I felt like I could die, something about her told me, "Don't let her die."
They say blessings are lovely and cursed, so was this one. The wall they stood beside exploded, sending them into the air. I heard the crack of the man's skull. She went into the air pretty far, and then fell with a deep, painful scream onto her neck.
The roof of the corridor was cracking and a wall of stone fell between her limp figure and me. I had to run, for a swarm of Killing Cures were coming at me.
Memories of her raced through my mind. Her big, dark brown eyes staring at me, or the sunrise. When I ever see a girl with light brown hair pulled up in a messy way ever comes into my sight, my eyes look over the person. But I would never see a sunrise with her again. To me she was perfect, even if no one else thought so.
The Battle ended at sunrise.