The Newest Heir

Author's note: I just want to thank everyone to all the great comments I received, and the more feedback I get the sooner I'll get the next chapter up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and its characters = (... sad, I know

Chapter 2

Lifeline

Death should have no pain. Then why does my foot still hurt? Why can't I breathe? Why am still running?

I opened my eyes, to maybe see my life flash before them as they say. I'm probably already dead because I don't recognize where I am. I front of me is open ground, a beautiful lake to one side with a castle in front. It must be heaven. But it can't be, because I don't feel safe or at peace or see my brother.

Fearing that I'm still alive, I mustarded up all of my remaining strength to seek the sanctuary of the people walking about. I couldn't call out to them. I had to get closer so they could hear my cries that would be only whispers drowned by the wind. I ran to the people closest to me.

I grabbed on to them for support. There was a man with black robes on and had a perplexed look on his face. I clung desperately to both him and the blonde haired teenager. Out of breath I screamed as loud as I could which was only a whisper "Help me"

My grip tightened on the boy's wrist, frantically trying to get my message across. I needed them to help me. They were my last chance for safety. My legs collapse from the strain I had put on them. I felt myself fading. I looked up to him from the ground into his eyes, stormy grey. Just like Ralph's.

Everything then faded to black.

From the darkness I felt a lifeline and held on tight with my right hand. I pulled myself up and away from the dark of this night. Slowly, I started waking up into the dull light of conciseness.

Felling myself being lowered, I feared that I was falling. It felt like one of those dreams where you jump off a cliff and jolt awake. However my landing was soft and warm causing me to remain closed off from the world for a little while longer. With me still holding tight to my lifeline, for the first time in a while I felt safe.

"Stay with her Draco."

"Like I have a choice, my hand is losing circulation and will fall off if she doesn't wake up soon." I don't know if I'm dreaming or if this is real, the voices sound as if they were a distant memory.

Draco, doesn't that mean dragon? Cool name. But what's in a name… wait a sec, why I am I quoting Shakespeare? I must be locked up in my own mind and it's trying to make up for my lack of feeling in the rest of my body. I can't even feel my toes. It's like I'm trapped in a dark world and I'm going crazy because there is no one else to talk to.

Maybe I hit my head. I can't even remember what happened; maybe it's a good thing right now, so I don't have to dwell upon it. I wonder if this Draco is able to hold himself, because it would be nice to have an intelligent conversation with someone. Oh no is he in pain! He said something about his hand falling off. I wonder if he is the grey eyed boy. Ralph…

He's dead… my memories of the recent past all flooded back into my mind, suffocating me with the pain from leaving him there just so I could get away from them. They're after me… "THERE AFTER ME!" I screamed, not even realizing that I was now fully awake and sitting up in bed.

I felt a hand push me forcefully back down on the bed. "You're safe now." A voice reassured from next to me. When my head hit the pillow, I turned it to look at who had said it.

He was a teenager about sixteen. His platinum blond hair fell slightly over his face. He could put the windblown hair look to shame. I felt my face heat up as I thought of how he looked somewhat like a Greek god. He flicked his hair to one side, and I was fixed on his eyes. His stormy grey eyes that the first time mistook to be Ralph's were full of concern. He held my gaze then dropped it, looking down. Following pursuit, I found that my hand was holding onto his wrist. Out of embarrassment I tried to let go but couldn't. I had to use my other hand to break the iron like grip. I stared down at the blankets and quietly whispered "Sorry."

I cast a look behind me out of habit. A solid wall stood sturdily behind me. Safety, at least for now that is.

The boy asked for someone, but I didn't catch the name. A bustling woman strolled out of an adjoining room to him. He showed her his arm which was covered in a black bruise. It matched perfectly to the shape of my hand. Guilt washed over me and I massaged my hand that was still stiff from holding on. It all washed away when the nurse like woman examined his arm, took out what looked to be a stick, and tapped his forearm. The bruise had vanished, like it was sucked up into nothing. I wonder if she had done the same remedy to my foot because it no longer aches to touch or move it.

At that moment the man in black with greasy black hair; that I vaguely remembered from earlier, glided in through the double doors, accompanied by a very old man with long silvery beard and hair. Behind his half-mooned spectacles were two bright glittering blue eyes.

"Good to see you're awake." The old man said cheerfully as he strolled to my bedside. I responded with a nod and a small smile, sitting up against the pillows in order to show some respect to the elder.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is where you are now. May I enquire for your name?"

"I'm Tatiana Nadira… wait you said witchcraft and wizardry. Do you mean magic?" With the subject of magic I couldn't stop myself and my curiosity. "I wonder if it has anything do with what my mom told us a few days before…" The last words of my ramblings faded upon remembering my recent past.

"Nadira… you say" Albus Dumbledore questioned, "I remember that you and your brother were that only ones ever not to respond to your acceptance letters six years ago. Your mother was a very talented witch if I remember." In hearing, news about my mother being a witch shocked me. She had told us about magic and that sometimes it would kick in accidentally unless we learnt to control it, but she never once told us that she was a part of this.

"Miss Nadira, can you tell me what happened? How you ended up here." The old headmaster asked kindly.

"Would you like a short version or the long one?" my old humor appearing for the first time in days.

"Surprise me." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

I took in a deep breath to bottle up the emotions that I knew would start overflowing. I need them to understand what I went through maybe to get them to help me. I will cry later tonight though. I told him a summary of what happened. Starting with the day my mom told us about magic, explaining all the accidents that we couldn't explain. When I told him about the men in the masks with the snake tattoos, he quickly looked to the other man standing in the shadows where I hadn't even realized he was still there. It was as if they had a silent conversation, leaving me and the blond haired boy in the dark. I continued my story, and as I came closer to the part where my brother was killed, my throat became tighter and tighter. The tears swelled up in my eyes threatening to spill.

I looked down at my hands to take a break from storytelling, and to hide the few tears that managed to trickle down my face. A pale hand reached out, not unnoticed by the senior members of the group. He squeezed my left hand for reassurance. I held it tight to tell him never let go.

When I reached the end of my story, the headmaster nodded, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Take some rest, and later we will talk about your stay here."

"I'm staying here?"

"Unless you would like to go back to running in fear everyday, having to look back every few seconds to make sure no one is following you." I shook my head.

"Well I assure you there is no safer place than Hogwarts."

"Thank you."

"Sleep now. Let your dreams set you free." It was an order that I couldn't refuse. Even if I wanted to stay awake and ask more question, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier. I laid back and looked at my rescuers: the old man, the man in black, the blond haired boy (who I still haven't given back his hand and didn't want to). As I looked sleepily at the boy I overheard the two older men talking, "I never saw anyone behind her headmaster."

"That's very interesting…" the hand that I assume belonged to the voice placed it on my forehead muting the rest of those words as I instantly fell with their faces in my dreams.

A/N: now it's your guys' turn to click the button below and review. you can even give me some ideas for future chapters, and positive feedback makes me happy (AKA makes me want to write faster) or even ways to improve. I will try my best to post a new chapter every week. NOW REVIEW... PLEASE!

LOVE, C&M