A/N: Just re-editing the chapters cause the inconsistency was pissing me off and I'm sure it was annoying you too.
A small red ladybird crawled over the rough bark on the branch. The red and black covering its neat back was almost unnoticeable in the dark. Coral watched it from her bedroom window through binoculars. She had gotten them that morning, it was her seventeenth birthday. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a loose bun on top of her head; soft tendrils escaped and tickled her shoulder every time she moved her head.
Coral had always loved nature, especially at dusk. It was when the sun set; red and purple streaks across the sky. It was dusk now and she felt particularly comfortable. Coral suddenly put the binoculars down at the sound of a car door slamming. Coral's stomach dropped.
It was her father.
Or rather, her step-father. Joanne, her mother, had always been the loving wife and wonderful mother to Coral and her two older brothers. She had been forgiving, understanding, loving and compassionate. That was when her father was still around. But all that had changed when her father died seven years ago. He was found at the bottom of a staircase in a hotel on a business trip. Apparently, according to forensics (which she had found out through ear-wigging and a lot of sneaking around), he had died before falling three flights of marble stairs. A fatal blow to the head, causing a cerebral haemorrhage. Coral had been furious when she found out they hadn't investigated further. Obviously someone had paid the police off.
Coral had always known her father didn't die of 'an unfortunate accident'. She tried to tell her mother but she wasn't ready to believe her. Coral's family had been dysfunctional ever since. Joanne married a new guy, Murray, purely because she needed the money to support her children. A few months after the wedding they all began to see him as the evil psychotic bastard he really was.
Coral turned round to hear a faint knocking on her door. She stood up and made her way over.
"Who is it?" Coral asked quietly.
"It's me, open up." Her gruff older brother's voice calmed her nerves.
Coral eased the creaking door open, "What is it?"
John made his way inside, "They're fighting again. It's getting fucking ridiculous."
"I know." Coral sighed and sat down on the edge of her mattress. She patted the space beside her and John joined her.
The sound of glass smashing followed by a shriek echoed through the house.
"Aah, fuck it." Coral stormed over to her windowsill and climbed up upon it, sliding the window further up.
"What are you doing?" John said.
"I'm gonna take a walk and think some things over."
"Okay," John said after a pause, "Just don't talk to any strangers and stay away from that dark part of the woods, you know the place?"
"Yeah, yeah..." Coral brushed off his warnings and slid down the roof as quietly as she could manage.
I don't know why I'm bothering sneaking around it's not like they'd hear me over their own voices.
Coral felt almost giddy with freedom as she stared up into the dark beauty of the night. Thick black clouds rolled over the dark blue of the sky as a soft breeze blew around her face. To avoid them seeing her, she clambered onto on overhanging tree branch just in case and climbed slowly from tree to tree
Coral stopped. She turned her head left, and right.
Where the hell am I?
Thick tall pines surrounded her, cutting out the little light available from the moon. The branch Coral was currently perched on gave a sudden crack, and then snapped. Coral tumbled to the ground, which unfortunately was four metres below her. Wood and leaves buried her as she hit the ground. Pain flooded her left side which had taken all the impact of her fall. Coral screamed.
OUCH! Christ, I swear I'm not that heavy.
A few minutes passed before Coral built up the strength to reach out with her right hand and brush off the remaining foliage that lay on top of her. The branch which had supported her just a few minutes ago was lying across her leg. Coral couldn't move it so she lay there, bruised and cold from the ever dropping temperature.
A tear slipped from her eye as she realised that she might never be able to get up again, and would probably die there. Coral wiped the tear away from her cheek furiously.
Jesus, stop being so melodramatic! You'll get up; someone just needs to find you first...
I'm in the middle of a fucking forest; the only people who would ever come out here would be the weirdos you cross the street to avoid.
Oh, shit.
Coral opened her eyes once more to find a hand in front of her face. It was tanned and slightly grubby. Not to mention huge.
"Well are ya gonna take it or sit out 'ere all night?" A deep voice resounded from above her head. Coral swallowed and looked up. She hadn't heard him approach. Through the darkness she couldn't see anything past his elbow so she took the hand.
Probably shouldn't really be doing this...
Coral was yanked up by the stranger, the branch coming free from her leg. The relief from the weight of the branch being lifted was suddenly countered by the pain of her side. The man supported her as he led her over to a tree. Coral was about to lean on it to catch her breath but he pushed her up against the wide trunk and shone a light in her face.
Coral could now see him. She cowered back into the tree as he loomed over her. A handsome face with rugged features was framed with wild, tangled hair, pulled back into a loose ribbon. His kohl rimmed icy blue eyes pierced her own deep chocolate ones. His eyes searched her face as his mouth pulled up into a malicious grin.
Coral was beginning to regret taking his hand more and more as each second passed.
"Well, what do we 'ave 'ere?" The stranger grinned down at her, a hungry grin which travelled up and down her body. Coral had never been so self-conscious in her entire life.
"W-what do you want?" Coral asked, trying to stop her knees from shaking.
"I found ya in distress an' I came to save ya." He lowered the light to just below her jaw line. "Don't I get a reward?" He began to trail the light along her neck. Coral shivered.
"Just leave me alone." Coral looked down, unable to stare into his fierce gaze anymore.
"That's not the answer I was lookin' for, gorgeous." The man brought one hand down to her bruised hip where he gave it a sharp squeeze.
"Get off me!" She squealed, pushing him away. He didn't move an inch. Coral didn't doubt that that would be purple in the morning.
"Ah, ah, aah." The man tutted to himself, "I wouldn't be doing that if I were you." He brought his wand up and waved it in front of her face.
"Oh, wow," Coral replied with sarcasm, "You have a stick which glows in the dark. I'm really scared now."
Coral began to question that sanity of the man.
"Of course you know what this is, you 'ave one yourself." The man said, annoyed.
"What the fuck are you on about?" Coral gave him a puzzled frown.
I need to get away from him, and fast.
The man stepped backwards and brought his hand to his temple.
Coral seized the golden opportunity and brought her right knee up to his privates. The man, usually alert and aware of his surroundings, didn't see this coming and bent over and groaned.
Coral pushed herself away from the tree and found her left leg didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.
Probably adrenalin.
She bolted past the man and ran straight into another one.
Fucking hell...
This man was even taller than the other and was built like a tank. He had grey hair and what seemed to be slight whiskers. His orangey yellow eyes shone through the darkness as two arms came out to catch Coral. He twisted her around, one arm around her neck and one resting on her hip.
Coral didn't try to move now.
She heard sniggers and jeers from more men who came out of the shadows and circled them. Coral noted their dirty faces and worn clothes.
The man from before straightened up and stalked over to her, murder in his eyes.
Coral shrank back into the man behind her, earning a low purring noise.
What the fuck is it standing behind me?
He chuckled darkly before raising a hand, "You didn't think I'd approach a wounded girl without my men, did you?" He asked with sarcasm, gesturing to the men standing around her.
"Coward." Coral mumbled.
"I'm sorry," The man moved even closer, a pen-knife swinging in his grasp, "What was that?" He glared and held it at her neck.
"Nothing." She looked up at him through wet eyes.
"Good," He brushed the knife along her neck, "Now you're sayin' that you're a muggle. Am I correct?"
"What's a muggle?" Coral said, "Jesus, I'm completely lost..." She muttered the last part.
"I could always check what kind of blood she's got, Scabior." The man behind her raised a hand and grasped her hair, tilting her head back and exposing the creamy expanse of her neck.
"Nah, Greyback. Not yet." Scabior replied with a smirk.
Coral was confused to say the least, not to mention slightly wary of Greyback.
What the hell are they going on about?
"Look, love," The man called Scabior tangled a gloved hand in her hair, "If you're not willin' to tell me, then I guess I'll just have to take you back to camp." He brought the hand slowly down her face.
"What?" Coral said loudly, "You can't kidnap me, it's illegal! I'll report you to the authority-"
"Love, we are the authorities, "He grinned maliciously, "So good luck with that."
Coral stared up at the man as if he had three eyes.
"Come on then," He yelled, "Back to camp."
Several men disappeared with loud cracks, including the one holding her.
Coral stared around in astonishment.
"Stop with the act, love." Scabior moved forward and grasped both of her arms, waved a stick, and they were both gone.
A/N: What d'ya think, eh? I would seriously like to know. Please review ;)