Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters created by JK Rowling.
However any original characters you may see belong to me, as does the plot.
Ginny woke up suddenly, sweat pouring down her face and neck, her whole body felt like it was on fire. It was just a nightmare, she told herself firmly, and there was absolutely no reason to get so worked up. Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, when Tom Riddle nearly killed her, Ginny had had horrible nightmares that she could never remember when she woke up. Her family had been concerned at the beginning because she would wake up screaming almost every night. However, to prevent her family from constantly worrying she taught herself to stifle her screams and told them her nightmares had gone away. Tonight had been the first in years, and it had been a bad one. She had thought she had been through with nightly torture, evidently that wasn't to be the case. Knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep, Ginny checked her watch and sighed.
Great! One-o-clock, I have like six hours before anyone else even gets up from bed.
She looked around her small bedroom at the Borough; she had finished all of her schoolwork the first week into the holidays and it was piled all over her desk, along with all of her old books. As her eyes wandered over to her broomstick propped up against the wall a sudden idea struck her. She hadn't done it in years, since her last nightmare to be exact. If any one found out she would be in more trouble than she could possibly imagine.but she also knew it was the only thing to ever calm her after one of these wretched nightmares. With that in mind, Ginny threw on one of her Weasley sweaters, grabbed her wand from her bedside table and took hold of her broom.
Feeling as though the walls were closing in around her, she pried open her window as quickly as possible without it squeaking, desperate to get out and into the cool night air. She then balanced herself on her broom and shot out of her window like a cannon, leaving the Borough well behind her before she slowed down. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, the night air felt wonderful blowing over her burning face, and billowing her hair behind her, glinting like flames in the moonlight. She flew for about twenty minutes before finally reaching her destination. She was the only person in her family who ever came here, it looked like any normal forest, but Ginny had found out differently the summer after her first year when she had gone for an aimless midnight fly after one particularly horrible nightmare. This forest was the home of many magical creatures. Ginny was reminded of the Forbidden forest at school, she would always sneak out in the night to talk to the centaurs, or watch the unicorns. She shared a special bond with magical creatures, and always felt safe and at peace when in a magical forest with them.
Ginny, approaching the forest, leaned down on her broom and came down for a smooth landing on the forest's outskirts. As she entered the forest, the darkness surrounded her so she took out her wand and muttered 'lumos.' Ginny also found out some time before her second year that within the confines of a magical forest, any magic she did would go unnoticed by the ministry. Not wanting to disturb any of the forests inhabitants, she crept silently through a narrow dirt pathway. Through her wands circle of light she could vaguely make out the opening of the trees where her favorite clearing lay ahead. Ginny stopped in the middle of the clearing, put down her broom and lay in the soft grass, looking up into the beautiful clear night sky.
Why in gods name did I stop coming here for so long? Ginny asked herself. This has to be one of the most beautiful places to relax.
Ginny staring at the stars, letting the forests sounds lull her troubled mind until she was on the verge of sleeping. Loud rumbling hoof beats quickly brought her out of her trance and she sprung onto her feet in no time, grabbing her wand out of her pocket. Even though Ginny loved most of the forests creatures, she wasn't stupid and under the impression that nothing would try to harm her. Nothing had ever posed a direct threat to her before, even creatures that were dangerous seemed to leave her alone, but it would be foolish not to be cautious. As the hoof beats grew steadily nearer, Ginny began to relax. It sounded just like a centaur, and she got along well with centaurs. Ginny slipped her wand back into her pocket, so as to not startle him when he arrived. Sure enough within seconds a large horse/man came bounding into the clearing. Ginny smiled at the sight of him, she hadn't seen Cade in ages, he was one of the few centaurs that would actually give you the time of day and have a conversation.
"Cade! It's good to see you again!"
Cade looked down at Ginny and gave her a warm smile; there was just something about this girl that he had always liked. "Ah, young Virginia, I saw your return in the stars and have been expecting you, as have the rest. The forest will give you much tonight, it is good that you have come."
Ginny looked up at Cades handsome blonde head and frowned quizzically at his words. "What do you mean 'the rest', what will the forest give me?" When Cade merely looked at her in the secretive centaurish way, she put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "Come on Cade! Don't you get all secretive on me now! I'm not in any danger am I?"
Cade sighed and shook his head, he would like to tell her what was to happen, but it wasn't his place to do so. Instead he merely told her, "I can only assure you no harm will come to you tonight, please, I would ask that you climb on my back I have somewhere to take you."
Ginny hesitated for a moment, but decided that there was no reason not to trust Cade. She climbed nimbly onto his back and he started galloping through the trees, deeper and deeper into the forest.
Cade had been running at full speed for about fifteen minutes before they came to a stop. For a centaur, this was quite a long distance. Ginny was getting nervous, she had never ventured this deep into the forest, and she could tell something was going on that she didn't know about. The forest was so thick; she could barely see a foot in front of herself. As she reached for her wand, she heard Cade telling her "No, you will not need that tonight, keep it away and wait here with me until they arrive.
Ginny was about to ask who 'they' were when her question was answered for her. A pure white unicorn was making its way towards her, and on it's back was a person.
'That's impossible!' Her mind shouted. 'I'm going crazy, maybe I'm still asleep.every one knows you can't tame a unicorn.'
The person dismounted, and the unicorn stood calmly by as she approached Ginny. Ginny watched silently as the woman approached, the unicorn was giving off a bright light illuminating her features. She looked young, but Ginny had the strangest feeling that she was much older than even Professor Dumbledore. Her eyes were a deep charcoal gray, almost black, and they seemed to hold all the secrets of the world in them. Her black hair was straight, and hung to her waist like a layer of silk. She wore a long deep green cloak that covered her whole body, and Ginny noted that she wasn't wearing any shoes! Putting that absurd thought aside, Ginny brought her attention to the fact that this woman had ridden a unicorn.another disturbing realization hit her as the mystery girl/woman stopped directly in front of her, and seemed to be studying Ginny as intently as Ginny was currently studying her. This person had power radiating off them like crazy. It wasn't visible, more like a sixth sense; the air surrounding her was almost cracking with it. "W-who are you?" Ginny finally managed to stammer.
The woman looked Ginny in the eye, her face splitting into a small smile, "I am Cassia, don't worry child, you need not fear me."
Cassia's words seemed to calm Ginny's nerves, and instinctively, she knew that Cassia was telling the truth. But Ginny was still curious, "How did you.I mean I thought it was impossible to do."
To Ginny's surprise Cassia laughed, "It is not impossible to ride a unicorn. However only my people are able to do it. Didn't that school of yours teach you anything about druids?"
"But all the druids are dead!" Ginny exclaimed.
"So it is believed, I however being one can tell you otherwise. Now, come along, we have much to accomplish and there is little time to waste."
Thank you for reading!! I hope you review this story reviews always motivate me to update quicker. Please tell me what you think
I promise to get to the H/G parts later on; I just have to start out the plot stuff first.
Ginny woke up suddenly, sweat pouring down her face and neck, her whole body felt like it was on fire. It was just a nightmare, she told herself firmly, and there was absolutely no reason to get so worked up. Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, when Tom Riddle nearly killed her, Ginny had had horrible nightmares that she could never remember when she woke up. Her family had been concerned at the beginning because she would wake up screaming almost every night. However, to prevent her family from constantly worrying she taught herself to stifle her screams and told them her nightmares had gone away. Tonight had been the first in years, and it had been a bad one. She had thought she had been through with nightly torture, evidently that wasn't to be the case. Knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep, Ginny checked her watch and sighed.
Great! One-o-clock, I have like six hours before anyone else even gets up from bed.
She looked around her small bedroom at the Borough; she had finished all of her schoolwork the first week into the holidays and it was piled all over her desk, along with all of her old books. As her eyes wandered over to her broomstick propped up against the wall a sudden idea struck her. She hadn't done it in years, since her last nightmare to be exact. If any one found out she would be in more trouble than she could possibly imagine.but she also knew it was the only thing to ever calm her after one of these wretched nightmares. With that in mind, Ginny threw on one of her Weasley sweaters, grabbed her wand from her bedside table and took hold of her broom.
Feeling as though the walls were closing in around her, she pried open her window as quickly as possible without it squeaking, desperate to get out and into the cool night air. She then balanced herself on her broom and shot out of her window like a cannon, leaving the Borough well behind her before she slowed down. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, the night air felt wonderful blowing over her burning face, and billowing her hair behind her, glinting like flames in the moonlight. She flew for about twenty minutes before finally reaching her destination. She was the only person in her family who ever came here, it looked like any normal forest, but Ginny had found out differently the summer after her first year when she had gone for an aimless midnight fly after one particularly horrible nightmare. This forest was the home of many magical creatures. Ginny was reminded of the Forbidden forest at school, she would always sneak out in the night to talk to the centaurs, or watch the unicorns. She shared a special bond with magical creatures, and always felt safe and at peace when in a magical forest with them.
Ginny, approaching the forest, leaned down on her broom and came down for a smooth landing on the forest's outskirts. As she entered the forest, the darkness surrounded her so she took out her wand and muttered 'lumos.' Ginny also found out some time before her second year that within the confines of a magical forest, any magic she did would go unnoticed by the ministry. Not wanting to disturb any of the forests inhabitants, she crept silently through a narrow dirt pathway. Through her wands circle of light she could vaguely make out the opening of the trees where her favorite clearing lay ahead. Ginny stopped in the middle of the clearing, put down her broom and lay in the soft grass, looking up into the beautiful clear night sky.
Why in gods name did I stop coming here for so long? Ginny asked herself. This has to be one of the most beautiful places to relax.
Ginny staring at the stars, letting the forests sounds lull her troubled mind until she was on the verge of sleeping. Loud rumbling hoof beats quickly brought her out of her trance and she sprung onto her feet in no time, grabbing her wand out of her pocket. Even though Ginny loved most of the forests creatures, she wasn't stupid and under the impression that nothing would try to harm her. Nothing had ever posed a direct threat to her before, even creatures that were dangerous seemed to leave her alone, but it would be foolish not to be cautious. As the hoof beats grew steadily nearer, Ginny began to relax. It sounded just like a centaur, and she got along well with centaurs. Ginny slipped her wand back into her pocket, so as to not startle him when he arrived. Sure enough within seconds a large horse/man came bounding into the clearing. Ginny smiled at the sight of him, she hadn't seen Cade in ages, he was one of the few centaurs that would actually give you the time of day and have a conversation.
"Cade! It's good to see you again!"
Cade looked down at Ginny and gave her a warm smile; there was just something about this girl that he had always liked. "Ah, young Virginia, I saw your return in the stars and have been expecting you, as have the rest. The forest will give you much tonight, it is good that you have come."
Ginny looked up at Cades handsome blonde head and frowned quizzically at his words. "What do you mean 'the rest', what will the forest give me?" When Cade merely looked at her in the secretive centaurish way, she put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "Come on Cade! Don't you get all secretive on me now! I'm not in any danger am I?"
Cade sighed and shook his head, he would like to tell her what was to happen, but it wasn't his place to do so. Instead he merely told her, "I can only assure you no harm will come to you tonight, please, I would ask that you climb on my back I have somewhere to take you."
Ginny hesitated for a moment, but decided that there was no reason not to trust Cade. She climbed nimbly onto his back and he started galloping through the trees, deeper and deeper into the forest.
Cade had been running at full speed for about fifteen minutes before they came to a stop. For a centaur, this was quite a long distance. Ginny was getting nervous, she had never ventured this deep into the forest, and she could tell something was going on that she didn't know about. The forest was so thick; she could barely see a foot in front of herself. As she reached for her wand, she heard Cade telling her "No, you will not need that tonight, keep it away and wait here with me until they arrive.
Ginny was about to ask who 'they' were when her question was answered for her. A pure white unicorn was making its way towards her, and on it's back was a person.
'That's impossible!' Her mind shouted. 'I'm going crazy, maybe I'm still asleep.every one knows you can't tame a unicorn.'
The person dismounted, and the unicorn stood calmly by as she approached Ginny. Ginny watched silently as the woman approached, the unicorn was giving off a bright light illuminating her features. She looked young, but Ginny had the strangest feeling that she was much older than even Professor Dumbledore. Her eyes were a deep charcoal gray, almost black, and they seemed to hold all the secrets of the world in them. Her black hair was straight, and hung to her waist like a layer of silk. She wore a long deep green cloak that covered her whole body, and Ginny noted that she wasn't wearing any shoes! Putting that absurd thought aside, Ginny brought her attention to the fact that this woman had ridden a unicorn.another disturbing realization hit her as the mystery girl/woman stopped directly in front of her, and seemed to be studying Ginny as intently as Ginny was currently studying her. This person had power radiating off them like crazy. It wasn't visible, more like a sixth sense; the air surrounding her was almost cracking with it. "W-who are you?" Ginny finally managed to stammer.
The woman looked Ginny in the eye, her face splitting into a small smile, "I am Cassia, don't worry child, you need not fear me."
Cassia's words seemed to calm Ginny's nerves, and instinctively, she knew that Cassia was telling the truth. But Ginny was still curious, "How did you.I mean I thought it was impossible to do."
To Ginny's surprise Cassia laughed, "It is not impossible to ride a unicorn. However only my people are able to do it. Didn't that school of yours teach you anything about druids?"
"But all the druids are dead!" Ginny exclaimed.
"So it is believed, I however being one can tell you otherwise. Now, come along, we have much to accomplish and there is little time to waste."
Thank you for reading!! I hope you review this story reviews always motivate me to update quicker. Please tell me what you think
I promise to get to the H/G parts later on; I just have to start out the plot stuff first.