A/N: Here's the next chapter! I don't know when the next chapter will be updated so enjoy this one for the time being! Review please!
~Chapter 3~
Fallen on her knees, Ginny waited as her panic attack slowly lessened. Her eyes still clamped shut she held her wand bravely, but blindly in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat every time she heard the footsteps of the approaching figure. In seconds she could feel the presence of the being bearing down on her, and then quite suddenly something silky and soft touched her lips. Her eyes flew open and she starred at her missing red rose in the hand of a black-cloaked figure.
"OH you found my rose!!" sighed Ginny with relief.
"Yes indeed I did. Although I'm not sure I would have if it wasn't for the fact that it hit me rather harshly upon the head," spoke a young masculine voice.
Ginny looked up at the hooded young man with embarrassment.
"I'm really sorry. I left it up on my windowsill and I guess the wind must have knocked it off."
"No need to apologize. I understand. By the way, might I add that that is a fairly unique flower. I've never seen such a rose before. Is it a spell?"
"Well I would love to answer that for you, however at present I'm not sure where it came from at all. An unknown source I guess you could say."
"Unknown? What do you mean?"
"I just found it sitting beside my bed when I woke up and there was a letter with it, but I don't really understand it," replied Ginny.
"Hmm… perhaps with time you will understand."
Ginny nodded slowly. The two of them grew quiet and sat there awkwardly listening to the sounds of crickets chirping in the blades of grass.
Abruptly, the cloaked young man shook himself and muffled something under his breath.
"I'm so sorry, miss. I have become absent minded. My name is uhh….Damien. I hope you can forgive me for not introducing myself sooner."
Ginny laughed softly.
"It's okay. My name is Virginia, although everyone calls me Ginny."
"Virginia? What a lovely name."
"Uhh… thank you. I don't really think it's that great though. Please call me Ginny. I more comfortable with that."
"No problem," responded Damien.
"So what brings you to Hogwarts, Damien? I don't think I've seen you around here before."
"No I'm new to these parts and I'm not attending this school. I'm actually more of a marauder then anything else. I hope you don't take that the wrong way. I'm not a troublemaker or anything. It's just that I travel a lot and as you can see I don't attend school."
"Well you're right about one thing. I can't see anything, not even your face," said Ginny with a rather suspicious tone.
"Oh yes, I do assume that's a bit of a problem for you. However, I do have my reasons for this cloak. I hope you can understand. If you can be patient with me then you will see that I'm not all smoke and mirrors."
"I'm sorry, I'm just still on edge a little, and I didn't mean to sound so harsh. It's just that you nearly scared me half to death and I'm jumpy."
"Why are you so jumpy?" asked Damien.
"It's just because I'm out of bed after hours and I don't want to get in trouble, because if I do get caught then I will probably make our house lose points."
"I don't quite follow you, but I can see that you're stressed about it. I can help you get back to your room without anyone knowing."
Ginny looked at him somewhat surprised.
"You mean it?" she asked.
Damien nodded, "But only if you promise to come and see me tomorrow night. Its been so long since I've had someone nice to talk to. Maybe you can tell me a little more about this school and everything. So is it a deal?"
"Sure, sounds great to me. But before you help me get back to my room do you…. well do you possibly have any snacks with you? I missed dinner and the kitchens are closed to students."
A small chuckle came from Damien and he pulled out a wand from inside his cloak.
"What would you like to eat?" he asked.
"Anything will do," said Ginny eagerly.
"Your wish is my command, princess," said Damien with a small bit of flattery.
Ginny smiled and watched as he swirled his wand around and mumbled some incoherent words. Then right before her eyes appeared a floating silver tray full of delicious foods and desserts including her favorite chocolate layer cake with cherries.
"Wow!! I'm can't thank you enough. It all looks so tasty. Join me for a midnight snack?"
"Of course. I can't refuse the offer when you ask so politely."
Ginny's cheeks flowered with the color of pink roses as she blushed and then quickly sat down on the cold grass underneath a large droopy tree in front of her. Damien sat down beside her and picked at the food in front of him, leaving Ginny unaware of his facial emotions. A soft wind began to pick up and float through the trees as they ate. Ginny's long red hair drifted in the breeze and she turned to look at Damien, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She sat there for a moment with her sight focused on the figure next to her, trying desperately to penetrate the darkness that covered his face. Sensing her stillness he turned his head towards her.
"Is something the matter?" he asked curiously.
Ginny blinked her eyes nervously and turned away from him.
"It's nothing really. Actually I was just wondering how you stop people from seeing you during the day. At night you have the darkness and this cloak that seems to be wielded to your skin, but in the day everything is bright and these trees would not serve as a hide out for anyone."
Damien laughed.
"You intrigue me Ginny. You seemed so scared at first and now you ask questions without thought. Well, as for your question, I can't exactly answer that for you at the moment. Give me some time to decide whether you are as trustworthy as you look."
Ginny looked at him offended.
"You don't trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I have to be sure. Please don't be mad at me. I wish you could understand," said Damien in a sorrowful voice.
"Make me understand then," pleaded Ginny.
Damien turned away from her and stood up. He brushed leaves off his cloak and walked over to the lake. He stood there and stared out over the crystal water with a clouded mind. Ginny stood up and went to walk over to him but then changed her mind.
"Thank you for the food, but I think it's time for me to go back to my room."
Damien turned around and nodded his cloaked head in agreement. With a few quick steps he approached the table of food near her and waved his wand. Immediately the food disappeared and the area looked bare and untouched.
"A promise is a promise," said Damien quietly as he walked over to a tree and reached up into the branches.
With a tug and a flutter of leaves, a sleek golden broom became visible in his hands. He gestured for Ginny to come over to him and she cautiously stepped closer with uncertainty in her eyes.
"It's perfectly harmless," said Damien encouragingly. "I promise I'll bring you up to your window safe and sound. I've been flying for a long time so you don't have to worry."
'How long can it possibly be,' thought Ginny. 'From his voice he doesn't sound much older then I am.'
Damien sat down on the broom and it began to hover a few feet off the ground. He reached out his hand for Ginny and she grasped it tightly as he pulled her swiftly up behind him. She breathed deeply, inhaling the crisp night air, and looking up at the bright moon overhead. Ginny closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the sounds of the crickets singing their musical melodies. Suddenly her grasp tightened around Damien as she felt the broom beneath her shoot up into the dark sky, and yet just as quickly as it began, the broom came to swift halt, leaving Ginny's feet dangling freely in the air over the grassy ground far below her.
"I believe this is your stop, miss."
Ginny sighed, "Yes, indeed it is. Would you mind flying a little closer to the window sill so I can climb down?"
"Oh I can do better then that." And with these words he flew swiftly into her bedroom and their feet landed lightly on the moonlit floor.
Ginny slid off the broom and starred wordlessly at the cloaked figure hovering in front of her.
"I wish I could say thank you to a face instead of a cloak."
Damien shifted on his broom nervously.
"I'm sorry Ginny, but I…I just can't do that right now."
Ginny could hear the weakness in his voice, and she began to feel guilty.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked you again," said Ginny apologetically.
Damien nodded his head and then unexpectedly got off his broom and walked up to Ginny and took her hand and kissed it. Ginny looked down at the floor avoiding the blackness inside the cloak.
"It's ok. I understand your curiosity, but I'm not sure that I am someone you would want to be very good friends with."
Ginny lifted her sight from the floor when Damien moved away and walked towards the window. She watched him as he stood up onto the window sill and then with a deep breath he jumped out into the endless abyss of sky like a skydiver with both arms outstretched. Ginny let out a small cry and rushed to the window. She searched the ground beneath her frantically but it was empty. Then as she looked out over the lake she saw him gliding on his broom over the reflective waters. Her eyes watched him closely until finally he disappeared into the distant foggy night.
