A/N Sept. 2010: The main character, Ressie, is actually based on my best friend Tressa! She's volunteered to edit every chapter I write to make it sound more like HER instead of me! Sooo I've deleted all the chapters I've posted on here and I am now starting to post RESSIE'S Beta versions! Thanks so much for the reviews and PLEASE tell me what you think of Tressa's writing! :) -Lily

Ch 1 - Of All Things to Dream About

June, 1992

He was there, waiting, on top of the grassy hill. The sun made his ginger hair glitter like a summer bush fire, and the light danced across his face, trailing along the freckles across his nose. His Muggle jeans and button up were faded and worn, but that didn't matter to me. I loved him. He was so amazing and beautiful.

I was grinning as I ran toward him, my peach-colored sundress flowing around my ankles. Instantly, his arms were tight around my thin frame, and I nuzzled my face into his shoulder. Fred made every moment a hundred times better. This moment was absolutely perfect, nothing could ruin it. Fred and I were inseparable, fitting together as if we were made for one another. It was so nice… so safe.

And suddenly it was horridly, awfully wrong.

The hands that had held me close turned thin, spidery and cold. Fred's warm scent of country fields and wild flowers that I'd become so infatuated and intoxicated with disappeared. Instead my nose was attacked with a sharp, pungent odor that made me think of something dead. The soft, blue shirt I'd been snuggling into was replaced with scratchy black robes. When did that happen? Fred never wore black – the harsh color contrasted greatly with his sweet, lighthearted demeanor.

Confused, I looked up. My mouth fell open and my eyes went wide.

Oh. My. God.

Professor Snape, the Hogwarts Potions Master, was leering down at me. His long, black hair was greasy and hung down in his face; we were so close I could count each strand. I felt my abdomen contract with the urge to vomit.

"Snape?" I asked, disgusted and disoriented. Where was Fred? Where did he go, and when did Snape get here? Dammit, what happened to my lovely, romantic moment? I pulled away as much as the git's arms let me and looked around. My surroundings were no longer beautiful and bright, but chilling, dark and depressing. Gross. Snape-weather.

Snape continued smirking and didn't bother answering me. His black eyes never left mine; it reminded me of the staring contest Lee Jordan had challenged me to, which I had dominated. I ripped myself away from the creepy old bat and searched for the one person I'd be happy to see anywhere – even in this now disgusting, musky place… wherever this place was, exactly.

"Fred!" I called. "Where are you?" Frustratingly, I received no answer. Did he leave me on purpose to scare me? Damn cocky comedy. "HEY WEASLEY," I yelled into the roaring wind. "NOT FUNNY." It was stupid to try. Certainly the wind was too loud for my voice to be heard through. Besides, my search proved the place empty but for trees, their branches whipping violently in the howling wind.

Suddenly I heard a voice.

"RESSIE?" It was male and familiar. I was immediately reminded of my childhood. I had no explanation for it, so I tried following where it came from. "Tressa, where are you?" Somehow, the voice was even louder than the wind. I wasn't thinking of anyone but Fred.

"FRED?" I was screaming, and I only hoped he could hear me. "Fred?" I said again. I didn't want to lose contact with the voice; didn't want to be alone.

I didn't hear him again. However, I was greeted with a low, vicious growl. It seemed to be coming from beneath a nearby tree. Fred did not sound like that. Whatever it was, it most definitely was not human. I gulped, and searched my hip pocket for my wand.

My wand… Where the hell was my wand?

Having no choice, I darted away from the unknown evil and delved deeper into the thicket of trees. Damn! There was no way I could find my way back home through this! All I wanted was for Fred to be safe - we could be sitting together in front of a nice, hot fire where nothing would harm us…

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud snarl that sounded way too close. I couldn't even turn around to face my attacker before a crippling pain rippled through my body as claws forced their way into my skin.

"Bloody hell," I gasped as I snapped up from my bed, my breathing fast, heavy and forced. What in the name of Merlin was that? I took a deep breath. A dream, it was all a dream, a nightmare. Damn, I thought I'd gotten over those. It was bad enough this one included Snape of all people, but did I really have to get mauled by some wolf-thing with a billion teeth? I doubted I could look my Potions Master in the eyes again for ages without thinking of this. A shiver went down my spine as I remembered his arms around me, crushing my ribs. Ew, dammit, ew!

For a minute I pounded my fist into my forehead. When I looked up, I noticed that my room was excessively bright; I wondered what time it was, and when the stupid sun would go back down. I turned my stiff neck toward my Muggle alarm clock in the corner.

Mm, the things Muggles came up with…

I exhaled huffily as I read the time. It was only six in the morning. Ugh, I'd only been asleep for three hours. Perfect. Just. Bloody. Perfect.