It's dark, oh Merlin, it's dark! Her mind screamed at her. Make it go away, make the dark go away!

She sobbed, her body jerking on the hard asphalt. Later, when she could determine what was up and what was down, her body would be sore. It didn't matter right then, though, because she didn't know what was happening. She barely even knew who she was, and it was scary. Terrifying.

"Dayne!"

Oh god, who was calling her? Where were they? Were they going to hurt her?

"Dayne, love, come on, snap out of it!"

She screamed, her head feeling like it was being ripped apart. She was being strewn across the world, she just knew it. The pain was too great, and her mind was being shredded.

"Come on, Dayne, you can make it through this. You have to, because I need you here to dye my skin stupid colors and prank me."

Why wouldn't the voices stop? They weren't hers... or were they? Was she finally cracking, her sanity breaking into small, jagged pieces?

"Hulk be angry if you not come back. Bruce be sad. Hulk be angry."

She twitched, her limbs being held down by something, someone. Why are they restraining me!? No, let me go!

"Lady Dayne, do not let this madness take you over. Fight it."

She didn't know how to fight it. She didn't know how to bring the pieces of her mind back together. Was it even possible to bring them back? They were scattered...

"Dayne, I need you to come back. I can't loose my sister."

Sister? What sister did she have? They were just voices in her head. In her fucking head. She wanted them out. She wanted them to go away, like the diamond woman. Away.

"Don't you know of some magical way to help her?"

"I am not a Master of the Mind Arts. Professor Snape was, but he is gone."

"Gone in what way? Can't you just go find him?"

"No. He is dead."

She wanted to be dead. Why couldn't she be dead, too? This pain wasn't worth any life.

"Well can't you do something?!"

"I can put her to sleep. Magical coma."

"No, we can't do that to her."

"Would you rather leave her like this, Captain? She's clearly in pain and I don't have the necessary skills to help her. So let me do the only thing I can to at least keep her out of this pain."

"Let her do it, Steve."

"But Natasha-"

"Just do it, Luna."

The conversation made no sense to her. What were the voices talking about? Before she could attempt to think of what was happening everything was gone.

Steve placed Dayne gently onto his bed, surprised at how light she was in his arms. When she woke up, when they could fix her, he would make her eat more. Gain more weight back, fill out the rest of her sad hollowness. When she was okay again he would tell her that he loved her, he wouldn't be a coward about it. And maybe, if she really loved him back, he would ask her to marry him. It might have been a bit quick, but if they really loved each other...

Who would stop true love?

Steve tugged the blankets up over his sleeping witch and left the room, meeting the others in the living room. They all looked bruised and battered and exhausted. His bruises had already started to fade, thanks to the Serum, but he still felt as tired and wounded as they looked.

"So what is the game plan?" Tony asked, out of his suit and back into some casual clothes.

Luna sighed, her face pale and less dreamy than normal. It bothered Steve to see her look so serious. "I have to contact someone who can help Dayne."

"Why do I get the feeling we aren't going to like that?" joked Clint, perched on the back of the sofa behind Natasha.

"Because you won't," the blonde woman replied bluntly, looking at the archer with her doe eyes.

"Just say it," Natasha ordered, her mouth in a tight line of worry.

"I have to call her aunt, Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black."

Steve frowned deeply, immediately disliking the idea. "No."

Those large, blue eyes were turned towards him with such an intensity that he fought to not shrink back. Luna looked grave and he felt a small amount of shame grow in him and he didn't know why.

"Narcissa Malfoy is nothing like her sister or Rodolphus. She was Dayne's mother figure, even if she was misguided occasionally. She is the only person I know who can help Dayne."

"Why is that?" Thor asked, his voice booming. The Asgardian warrior was slowly twirling his hammer around, looking sad.

"Severus Snape helped Narcissa learn some of the Mind Arts. She then practiced on her own and I believe she is good enough to help my sister find her way back."

Steve believed the woman. She hadn't lied to them before, and he knew she honestly loved and cared for Dayne. He would take her words for truth.

Narcissa Malfoy looked around her with a slight sneer, impressed despite herself. The Muggle home she found herself in was tasteful and very large. And tall. It was taller than the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts, but it lacked the wonderful view that the Forbidden Forest made. All around her was a Muggle city full of very Muggle things. (She would never admit it to anyone, but to see the advancements Muggles had made without magic frightened her.)

She turned icy blue eyes towards the group assembled across from her and drew herself up tall, a larger sneer on her full lips. "Lovegood, why have you brought me to a place full of Muggles?"

She could tell she had insulted the group, except for Lovegood, but it didn't bother her so much. Muggles were below her, no matter how much technology they had.

"I explained that to you in the letter I sent, Mrs. Malfoy," the loony girl told her, walking over to her like she walked on air. "Which I'm sure you did not read through in its entirety."

Narcissa crossed her arms over her chest, still standing tall and regal. "Past hearing my niece was hurt, no I did not."

"Right, lady, here's the deal," an attractive man with dark hair, and a glowing circle showing through his shirt, snapped at her. She narrowed her eyes at his impudence. Didn't these Muggles know she was a very important and powerful Pureblood? "Dayne is hurt and we want you to fix her. She was attacked by who we think is a psychic and we can't pull her back together."

"Ordering me to do something will not go your way," Narcissa said cooly. Who did these Muggles think they were?

"Ma'am," a tall, muscular blonde one said, looking at her politely. Finally, someone who knew their place. "I'm Captain Steven Rogers and your niece is my girlfriend."

Then again, perhaps not. Narcissa raised a brow at the man, letting her arms fall back to her sides. "My niece chose a Muggle as a significant other?"

"Mrs. Malfoy," Lovegood started, "These are not normal Muggles. Please put your prejudices aside for a time and help Dayne."

"Fine," the Pureblood snapped. It really wasn't a difficult decision for her to make, she wanted to help her niece, but the Muggles didn't need to know that. "But I insist on at least some decorum and privacy. Though I suppose the Captain can be in the room with me."

The man in question nodded at her and offered her his arm. She smirked and took it, letting him lead her to the room that held her niece. At least the man was adequately well-mannered.

"Mrs. Malfoy," the Captain said, opening the door for her. "Dayne told me about you. She holds a deep respect for you and she loves you."

"Well I love her too," she murmured, her arrogant attitude fading away as she stepped into the room and took in the sight of her sleeping niece. She made her way over to her sleeping niece and frowned. The young woman was too thin, and almost as pale as the sheets she was laid upon. "My Draco told me some of what happened to her."

"It's harder on her then she lets us see."

"Pretty Day was always like that," Narcissa admitted, sitting lightly on the bed. "She never did want to admit when something was hurting her. When Severus told me she was having problems in school years ago it came as a shock. He was the one she went to if she ever had problems."

"She misses him."

"I know." Narcissa sighed and rested a hand on Dayne's forehead. "No one can come in here but you, and I need silence. I am not a Master like Severus was, but I know I can help." Or I hope I can.

Dayne was floating. She wasn't in pain anymore, but it was still dark. She didn't know what was up, what was down, if something was to her left or right. Was she dead? Was this really the 'afterlife'? If so, she was in for a boring eternity. Unless Rebirth really was more than just a religious fancy.

She always thought death would be something completely different. Seeing her mother again would have been more interesting than this. She may hate the woman with all her heart, but at least she could be a source of entertainment. Horrible, disastrous entertainment.

Suddenly the world was blinding white and she screamed, the pain coming back for a brief moment. She landed onto something hard, her head pounding.

"Oh stop that, child," a familiar voice drawled. She looked up (finally, her directions were back) and looked at the speaker in shock. "You always were a bit too overdramatic. And far too loud."

"Severus?"

Review, review my dear readers! Do you see how CLOSE we are? :D

I'm still very sorry for the slow updates. I'm here and alive! Just not feeling well, and midterms are here. Three history classes that all insist on entirely too-long tests and essays all at the same time. Not even including the essay I had for Anthropology and the speech I have to give for another class... did I ever tell you all that I hate public speaking? I would rather burst into flames.

I'm trying to get a Renaissance Fair picture posted for those interested in seeing your lovely author dressed as a wench, but I'm having issues. I'll see if I can get those resolved soon.