Ch.2

Crystal

I looked through my closet, wondering exactly what a witch would wear, somehow I doubted they would appreciate the pointy hat and warts and such. But then again, I was still new to all this, so who was I to judge? I grabbed a couple of hangers and threw them into the large suitcase on my bed.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" I muttered to myself.

"Can't believe you're doing what?"

I whirled around to stare at Darren, "How the hell did you get in here?" I gasped out, still clutching my thudding heart. "And for that matter, how the frig did you know where I live?"

"Another reason to come with me to Hogwarts," He told me, walking over to stand before me.

"So I can what? Scare the living daylights out of people?! Jeez, is that what they teach you up there? How to screw with peoples minds? And you still didn't answer my question, how the hell did you find out where I live?!"

Darren shrugged, "I had someone follow you. It was no big deal."

"Who?"

"Face, my familiar." He said with a hint of a smile. Pointing to the window behind me, turning I peered out into the morning sun and came face to face with a bright brown owl.

"O...kay.... Darren, this is getting strange, even for me." I said as I turned

back to him.

"Strange doesn't even begin to cover it," said a silky female voice from the hallway.

I watched as a woman with way too much goth make-up on walk in my bedroom. Her ears were very pointy, and her skin was a combination between black and gray. Her hair was a startling white, and when she grinned, I think I saw fangs.

"What are you?" I asked, walking up closer to the woman, and reaching out to touch her ears from behind.

"Hey, stoppit!" She yelled, swatting my hand away.

"Oh my god, they're real!"

"Well of course they're real! Darren, are you sure she's a witch, and not just a little loose in the head?" The dark woman asked my friend.

Terra

I could tell that my betrothed was having a field day with his old friend's antics at never seeing a real Drow Elf before. Me, personally I could've gone without being a freak show for her benefit.

"Hey, um...are those real too?" She asked me, pointing to my mouth. With a sigh I opened wide to show her my fangs. Allowing her to gawk in all her muggle raised glory.

This is why I should have stayed in the dark forest, no muggles to hide from; just me and the other creatures of the night.

"Okay, are we done playing show - and - tell? Now, Darren, are we all set to leave? The plane leave tonight and we can't miss it." I asked the laughing wizard beside me before eyeing the half-closed suitcase on the large bed.

Finally regaining his wits, Darren turned to Crystal. "Yes, are you ready soon? We need to stop off at your bank and withdraw your money as well. They don't accept muggle money where we're going."

Sitting on the suitcase, Crystal was able to finally catch the clasp shut,

"Yup, almost. But, what about all my furniture, and my cat? I can't leave them here."

Walking over I picked up the suitcase, "Don't worry, we've prepared a vault for you at the Gringotts bank, that you can house all your goods until you can find a summer place."

"Oh, thank you..." I started out, listening to them chatter away in the background, paying little attention to their memory drabble when something the witch asked caught my fancy.

"How did you two meet?"

I could feel Darren's eyes on the back of my head, and I waited for him to answer the question. After all, the witch obviously had feelings for him, so it would be best for him to answer the question.

Darren

I thought for a moment, my eyes just staring at the back of Crystal. This is such a simple question so why am I pausing and hesitant with the answer? Perhaps my mind's suddenly seeping out of my ears... wait, no.. it's not.. I don't feel any slush.. Hmm....

"Well," I began, still trying to piece it together, "I met Terra in the Dark

forest...."

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4 years ago.... (Third Person)

The sounds of feet against soft forest ground was heard as a young Darren Weaver was stomping through the Dark and forbidden forest that was situated along side of Hagrid's little shack. He muttered some words that were incoherent to those mystical creatures of the woods. The canopies of leaves were so thick that even the smallest amount of sunlight could not get through.

He barely heard a yelp as his foot harshly stepped on something and continued onwards... how dare Snape fail him on that test!! He had studied for a week before hand! Great, now that rock he had stepped on was yelling at him...

"Hello? Hello!?! Oy! Wizard with the thick skull! You could have at least said some sort of an apology!!"

He turned around and looked down, expecting to see a rock but was met with the sight of two brown leather boots. His green eyes slowly moved upwards. Knee-high boots...a pair of green tights..an elven shirt...black skin, red eyes, white hair---wait a second....

"Are you just going to stand there all day and stare at me or are you going to apologize for stepping on my foot!?"

"Uh…that is…what I mean is…" He sputtered, trying very hard to keep his mouth closed.

The woman in front of him smirked, "Are all you wizards this articulate?"

Darren mutely shook his head, still gaping at the dark elf in front of him, racking his mind as to the reason of her being here.

"Hey, um…sorry about that, didn't see ya there." He apologized, motioning to her foot with the flick of his index finger.

Nodding, she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well you should be, it's very rude to go stomping about in someone's home and stepping about on their feet."

Darren could feel himself getting defensive. "Now look, I told you I didn't mean to step on your foot! I mean, jeez, what's a drow doing out in the middle of the Forbidden Forest anyway?"

He hoped that the lessening of the red irises was a good sign, he watched as she let her arms drop to their sides.

"I came here hoping to get accepted into Hogwarts…" She revealed sullenly.

"Hogwarts? Why would an elf want to study witchcraft? Isn't you're race all powerful or something?"

She shrugged, " Not particularly, but your headmaster thinks we are. He wouldn't accept me due to my elven magics…said it'd give an advantage over the other students." She finished lamely, hardly believing that she was telling this wizard her story.

"That's ridiculous, Dumbledore would never do that!"

Suddenly, the dark elf's eyes brightened to such a red tint that it seemed as if her red irises were glowing with fury.. which they probably were. Her hands were now clutched into fists on the sides of her body.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!?!? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT GOT ACCEPTED!! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE WITCHES AND WIZARDS THINK YOU'RE AS EVIL AS THE REST OF YOUR RACE!! YOU DON'T HAVE OTHERS THINKING THAT YOU'RE A FOLLOWER OF VOLDEMORT!!!!! YOU ARE CONSIDERED NORMAL HERE AND I AM NOT!!! NOW I WANT TO ENROLL INTO HOGWARTS AND EVEN IF I KEEP ON GETTING REJECTED I'LL STILL BLOODY TRY!! I'LL TRY UNTIL I BLOODY WELL DIE FROM SOMETHING ODD!!!!"

She pointed at the direction of the castle-like school. The entire forest had fallen silent with her rage... and the name of That-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She panted slightly from her sudden burst of anger. With her eyes still bright, she quickly sat down on a nearby rock and folded her arms across her chest, just glaring up at Darren.

"You're normal... and I hate you for it.."

Still cringing from the sudden mood swing he had witnessed, Darren slowly backed away from the overly tempermental elf in front of him.

"You're probably going to hurt me for asking, but why would an elf want to join the Hogwarts school of wizardery and witchcraft in the first place?"

Running a hand through her pure white locks in frustration, the drow tried to quell her anger.

"I've always been curious as to your ways, things are so boring and monotonous where I'm from. You wake up, clean, worship, work, worship some more, and then you sleep. Only to rise and repeat the process. I've never been one to follow the rules, and I wanted...well...I don't know what I wanted..."

Seeing her eyes slowing dim down to their normal brightness, he approached her cautiously, still weary of her. An idea formulating in his mind.

"Maybe on your own, with no one knowing that you're here you wouldn't have been accepted, but if you let me, maybe I could help appeal your case."

Giving the wizard in front of her a once over look, the elf snorted, "Why do I doubt that you would have any impact on the decision of Albus Dumbledore?"

"And just what is that suppose to mean?" He retorted. Here he was trying to help her, and she rejected him?

"Well," she speculated, "You're out here, in the Dark Forest where I know for a fact that you're not suppose to be, and something obviously upset you about school, since my foot is still smarting. And you want me to believe that you would hold sway in what Headmaster Dumbledore would say?" she finished, giving him another look that made Darren feel two inches tall.

"Look, why I'm out here is none of your business, so do you want my help or not? Because the offer isn't a lasting one."He told her, preparing to leave. He had a Quidditch match coming up soon against Slytherin, and he was on the opposing team, Gryffindor.

Watching him walk past her, she felt torn by indecision. When he was almost out of human eye range, she stood with a sigh. Calling after him.

"Wait!!! Fine... I'll...." she paused for a moment, slightly feeling a bit odd about this entire thing. "I'll accept your help... your offer to attempt to get me into that wonderous school of yours...." she muttered just barely out of normal hearing range. Darren could feel a smirk pull at the corners of his mouth but he just folded his arms and watched as the Drow Elf ran up to him.

After much persuading of Terra NOT becoming a part of Darren's shadow, the two were walking along the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. Out of the corner of her eyes, Terra caught glimpses of students of each house staring and pointing at her while whispering to their friends.. Even those who were in the house of Gryffindor couldn't help but stare. Terra, suddenly feeling self concious, somewhat leaned over to Darren.

"You know what..? Perhaps I was a... a bit..HASTY.. yeah, hasty.. to jump at the oppurtunity of coming here..." she whispered worriedly into the human's ear. Darren couldn't help but have a smugish type grin on his face.

"Last time I checked...you needed a bit of PERSUADING to come here..."

"Shut up...but seriously though.. Perhaps this was a bad idea -"

The Drow Elf felt a sudden jolt to her system as she literally bumped into someone and fell over on her rump. She looked up, expecting it to be a wall or some inanimate object. The last thing she ever expected was to see a pair of mean, black beetle eyes glaring down at her with such strength that it could even make a Norweigian Ridgeback fly off in fear..

"Uhm...hi...?" she gulped, wondering if she should quickly scramble to her feet or just sit there like a dork. The meekly spoken greeting gained no warmth from the darkly clad wizard.

Darren quickly stepped inbetween Terra and the wizard. "Oh hello, Professor Snape!! How's you're.....potion's classes going today..?" This only rewarded him with a scowl.

With a harrumph, Professor Snape looked down at the student, "They are going better than your grades are Mr. Weaver..."

Darren gave a false laugh and quickly glanced back at Terra who was starting to slightly piece together why he was the forest a few hours earlier.

"Ah hahahaa.... Good one, Professor!! I...would simply LOVE to chit-chat and have tea, crumpet and the whole shabang.. but I REALLY gotta get going..." As he turned around and yanked Terra up onto her feet, he said through clenched teeth and in a somewhat singy-song voice, "C'mon Terra......let's gooooo!!"

Terra gave the Professor another quick, apologetic glance before she got YANKED into motion down the hall and then nearly falling off her feet when Darren started to run once he got out of Snape's hawk-like sight.

"Where're we going?"

"Not WE..YOU..."

"Huh?"

"The question you should be asking yourself is 'where am I taking you?' And the answer is: The Gryffindor Common Room so that you can wait for ME to get Headmaster Dumbledore. I know where he is since supper just started--"

"No crap-on-a-stick.. my stomach knows that." She retorted back at him.

Glaring at her, he stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked, moving slightly forward in the confinement of her portrait to peer at Terra. Terra back away slightly, never having seen a picture move before.

"Bugglewuff." Darren said, stepping back to allow the portrait to swing open. "Okay Terra, you wait here while I go and get Dumbledore. I promise I won't be long, and soon we'll have this whole thing sorted out."

Nodding, Terra watched nervously as the picture swung closed, revealing that it looked like a door on the side that she was on.

Authors' Notice: Libia, thank you for our FIRST review...and there will be much more Harry, Hermione and Ron goodness in the next chapter, along with your favorite Drow Elf!