Title: The Darkness Within
Author: SelenaK16
Rating: R, for bad words, bloody, graphic fight scenes and some sexuality
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: The Dark Lord is growing ever stronger, and the time has come for a hero. A warrior will arise, one who is the antithesis to that which is evil. But will she be able to fulfill her destiny, or will she let her heart get in the way? (Warning: OC)
Author's notes: This is my very first fan fic! I hope everyone likes it (or at least some of you). I have tried very hard to stay away from Mary Sue elements in my OC. Also, currently I am searching for a Beta reader for this story. If you are interested, please e-mail me. Enjoy!
The Darkness Within
Chapter Seven: Just Like You
Just Like You
I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
I could be fake
I could be stupid
You know I could be just like you
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
I could be cold
I could be ruthless
You know I could be just like you
I could be weak
I could be senseless
You know I could be just like you
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
On my own, cause I can't take liven with you
I'm alone, so I won't turn out like you
Want me to
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
Ava straightened the hood of her cloak as Lucius led her through the forest. They had been walking for nearly a quarter of an hour. 'Wish I could have brought a weapon with me...anything to make this less nerve racking....' The same thought had been going through Ava's head ever since Lucius had told her that they would be walking—not apparating to the meeting point.
"At least the snow stopped..." Ava offered. Lucius had been strangely quiet ever since they had entered the forest.
"Huh? Oh...yes...it has."
'He didn't even look back...he must be really nervous about this...' Ava's nerves only got worse at that thought. 'If Lucius Malfoy, right hand man to the Dark Lord is nervous......then how the hell should I be feeling? Damn...knew I should have brought a gun.'
The forest itself was completely still. Pine trees towered over them on both sides, with only a light dusting of snow on their branches. 'Odd...not a bird in sight...and,' Ava glanced around at the snow, 'not a single animal track.' She frowned; this was very unusual for a forest. 'Too unusual to be just a coincidence...'
Looking ahead, past Lucius' shoulders, she could see the trees beginning to thin. They emerged in a clearing moments later. Ava barely had time to get a look at her surrounding before she heard a voice that seemed to be coming from the very air around them.
"Is this her Lucius?"
"Yes my lord," Lucius said shakily. Ava longed to go to him, to reassure him that it would all be okay.
'Wait...stop that. No you don't want to do that...he's married, and besides, he's a Death Eater.'
'You'll be one too if this works out.'
'So...that doesn't make me one of them...'
Ava shook her head. 'Since when did I start having conversations with myself?'
The voice spoke again, but seemed to be coming from behind her now, "Come to me Ava."
She spun towards the direction of the voice and had her first look at the Dark Lord.
A tall man with ghostly pale skin and midnight black hair, his eyes burned with green fire. He narrowed them at Ava as Lucius sunk into a bow.
"Ms. Servo, I have heard much about you. Lucius tells me you are...interested...in our group."
"Yes, my lord very interested." Ava said, the words turning bitter in her mouth. 'What am I doing here? I'm not...I must be crazy...'
But Voldemort had turned to look her in the eyes, and Ava felt him trying to pry into her mind. She fought to maintain control.
"Tell me Ms. Servo...why do you want to join me?"
Ava paused, attempting to look taken aback. She snuck a quick look at Lucius and then looked back at Voldemort. He raised an eyebrow, "Ah yes...I see...but is that the only reason?"
"I'm dedicated to cleaning up the...scum...of the wizarding community. Lucius tells me that you have the same vision that I do..."
"So you also believe that power is best placed in the hands of Purebloods. Interesting...Servo...I don't recall that being a Pureblood name..."
"My father died 16 years ago, and my mother is also dead. I am the only heir to the Servo estate. Perhaps you knew my father...Sidus Servo?"
"Sidus...ah yes...I remember him. He wasn't a Slytherin was he?"
"No my lord, he was a Ravenclaw. My mother was in Slytherin...Mara Colubra?"
"I remember you mother...but I was unaware that she had married Sidus. Very well, I am satisfied by your parentage."
His high cold voice was oddly disconcerting to Ava, and she suppressed a shiver. She pulled her cloak tighter around her.
The Dark Lord was till studying her, a curious smile on his face. He turned again towards Lucius, "A word Lucius, if you please..."
Lucius glanced at Ava reassuringly and then turned to follow the Dark Lord.
They walked for some time in silence. Lucius wondered what the Lord Voldemort wanted with him. 'This never happened with any of the others. He just gave them his mark...I hope he hasn't sensed anything wrong with Ava...'
"Lucius." The Dark Lord had stopped and was staring at him.
"Yes my Lord?"
"How well do you know that woman?" Lucius had never heard Voldemort sound unsure before, but he seemed to be right now.
"I knew her for 3 years at school...I am aware it doesn't seem much, but I knew her very well..."
"Yes, yes Lucius I am aware of your previous relationship with her. But you have not spoken for 5 years...she may be a changed person."
Lucius balked at this, but struggled to keep his appearance calm. "I believe that she is trustworthy..."
"Do not allow your emotions to become tangled into this. I know you are in love with her."
The Dark Lord's words caused Lucius' anger to rise. 'Emotions? I am perfectly capable of containing myself.'
Voldemort seemed to sense what Lucius was thinking. "Do not forget, we are as of yet unaware of who attacked Pravus at your Manor. I believe caution should be in order...it is too early for our cause to be exposed."
"You...you don't suspect Ava of that do you? It was a man who murdered Pravus, not a woman." The possibility of Ava attacking her own friends...of betraying him...Lucius shook his head.
"My suspicions I keep to myself...but, I will allow her to join."
Lucius felt his mask break and a smile grew on his lips.
"However, I expect you to keep an eye on her. There is something about her...I felt something there when I looked into her eyes..."
But Lucius didn't hear a word that the Dark Lord said. His smile had broken more openly on his face and his heart felt more alive than it had in years. 'Finally......she's finally back with me...'
"Come Lucius. It is time to give her the Mark."
Ava paced nervously. 'Lucius never said anything about them having to leave me here...I hope the Dark Lord doesn't suspect anything...'
She stopped by a tree and placed a hand on the rough bark. 'Please...don't let them know its me...Five years of non stop training, all coming down to this moment...don't make it all for nothing.'
Ava glanced at the night sky. Lucius had wanted to bring her here weeks ago, but she had insisted on waiting. 'Had to wait for the new moon...can't risk growing wings in front of the Dark Lord. But at least I didn't seem too eager to join...hopefully that makes me more believable.'
Lucius...She sighed. 'I have to get him off of my mind...this is business. I can't afford to get emotional over a Death Eater...'
But her heart screamed at her brain telling her what a ridiculous idea that was. 'You love him...and he loves you...'
)THACK( A pain in Ava's hand brought her back to the present. She had punched the tree trunk in her aggravation. Swearing, she shook her hand trying to get the throbbing to stop.
'Bored...Indifferent...Aloof...Ice Queen...' Ava repeated these words over in her head, working hard to get herself under control. 'How can Lucius make this look so easy?' She smiled at the thought and began pacing again. 'To be indifferent...that was a lesson well learned....'
(Flaskback)
Ava leaned against the cool stone wall, trying to blink back tears. 'No,' she thought, 'I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.' Lunch would be starting soon, but Ava no longer had her appetite. With a sigh, she picked her bag up and began to walk in the direction of the library. 'At least no one would bother me there,' she thought. Walking down the halls, she went through what Narcissa had said to her earlier. Pushing open the Library door, Ava automatically went towards the Potions section and pulled out a book. Carrying it with her towards the back of the Library, she found a secluded table and sat down.
"Don't you ever come near my boyfriend again! Do you hear me?" Narcissa snarled. Her arms were crossed and she held her wand at the ready.
"Narcissa, I'm not trying to...." Ava tried to explain. Narcissa gave a short laugh, "Oh, so I suppose he just wanted to give you my seat out of the goodness of his heart? You've got a lot to learn little girl."
Ava was starting to get angry, so she shot back, "Yeah? But did you see me sit there? No! Of course not, I would never...and besides, I'm older than you are! If anyone's little it's..."
But Narcissa was already walking away. As she left, Narcissa turned and said,
"Pureblood or not, you'll never be one of us."
The words in the book began to blur as tears started to fall from her eyes. 'Why did I have to pick Slytherin?' she thought. 'I should never have.....I should never have come. What's the point?' Potions class was still a nightmare, despite the fact that she now had tutoring every night. As her tears gave way to full out sobbing, Ava heard someone clear their throat. With a gasp, Ava looked up, trying to hide her blotchy face.
It was Severus. He gazed down at her indifferently, and after a moments silence, said "Are you quite finished with that book?" A smile came to Ava's face as she tried to wipe away the rest of her tears. "Oh...uh, yeah. Here," she said as she held out the book. Severus glanced down with disgust at the wet pages, but took the book anyways. As he turned to leave, Ava heard him mutter quietly, "Don't mind Narcissa. Just ignore her...she'll come around." And with a swish of his robes, Severus was walking away.
Ava watched him leave, turning his words over in her mind. 'He's right you know. Look at yourself, how could you let someone affect you like this?' Reaching into her pocket, Ava pulled out a handkerchief and began to dry the rest of her face. 'Never again,' she thought, 'never again will I allow myself to be this weak. What did crying ever solve?' Ava stood up, and began to pick up her belongings. She left the library and headed toward the great hall, working her face into a mask of bored indifference. As she reached the entrance, her heart began to pound, but she forced herself to remain cool.
With her head held high, Ava walked calmly towards the Slytherin table.
(End Flashback)
Sounds of approaching people in the underbrush snapped Ava back to the present. Her perfectly schooled face showed no emotion as she waited for the men to join her.
'Lucius looks rather pleased with himself...I haven't seen him smile like that in a long time...'
The Dark Lord paused at the entrance of the clearing. A small smirk played on his lips as he studied Ava. She stared at him, forcing her skin to stop crawling, and tried to look eager at what he had to say.
Finally, with a voice like ice, he spoke.
"I will ask you only once Ms. Servo...are you prepared to join me?"
Ava paused, and looked over at Lucius. He gave her another small smile and nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Ava replied "Yes, my lord. I am ready to join you..."
"Then come and receive my mark."
Ava held out her right arm while holding her breath. Voldemort came towards her and drew his wand. He grasped her wrist and pointed his wand towards her forearm. "Morsmordre Stigma"
Ava gasped in pain as the Dark Mark was branded into her skin. Volemort kept his grip on her wrist, apparently enjoying her pain as she watched the Mark slowly cut into her. Dark red blood began to drip from her wound, slowly pooling on the ground.
The pain was over as suddenly as it had begun. But the Dark Lord still had her wrist grasped. She gazed at him inquiringly as she lifted her arm. With his other hand he pulled back the sleeve of his own robe to reveal his own Mark. Voldemort placed a finger in the blood on her Mark and then touched his own. Ava watched in disgust as her blood was drawn into the Mark on his arm. A vibrant green glow began to grow from the lines of the Mark, and Ava saw her own Mark respond with green light of its own.
The Dark Lord seemed satisfied and released her wrist. "You are to come to me whenever you feel the Mark burn. Do not be late or I shall be most...displeased..."
With a swirl of his robes, Volemort was gone. Ava blinked and peered into the darkness around her. The Dark Lord had seemed to have disappeared without so much as a sound.
Ava shivered, 'Such power...how am I to fight against that?'
An arm came to rest over her shoulders, pulling her tight. Startled, Ava glanced at Lucius who was now smiling even more broadly. "I'm proud of you...not a sound when the Mark was being given. For most, the pain is excruciating..."
Shrugging off his arm, Ava shrugged while pulling her sleeve back down. "Yes, well, I'm not most people am I?"
Softly, almost too softly for Ava to hear, Lucius replied "No...you most definitely are not..."
Ava shrugged again and began to walk out of the clearing, leaving Lucius alone in the middle. He sighed and looked after her.
"You just can't walk away pretending everything is okay...like you don't care about me..."
Voldemort had worked hard for years to overcome death, to overcome fear itself. But now, as he watched Ava leaving the clearing, the Dark Lord felt the unfamiliar sensation.
'Why should one woman raise such feelings in me? There is surely no reason to fear her, is there?'
Voldemort tried to dismiss his thoughts as foolish. But, the look in her eyes was still burned into his memory. 'Well, not the eyes themselves...but what was behind them...a power, a strength...'
He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something inside of him had awakened when he had looked into her eyes. Voldemort closed his eyes and reached for a long ago memory. 'The orphanage...a demonstration on magnets...North and South, opposites, refuse to come together...yes, that's how I felt.'
'My opposite though? Most interesting idea, but what fear does that hold...she is a Death Eater now...'
A smirk came to the Dark Lord's face. 'At least she belongs to me...whatever power she has will be mine...there is no reason to fear a woman'
For all the purists: I do know that I have disregarded the HP timeline for this story, but for my sakes, it makes this alot easier to do when everyone is in the same year (minus Narcissa). I have also elongated the time between graduation from Hogwarts and Harry's run in with Voldemort as a baby. Techinically should be two years, but I like 5 much better...more time to get things done. So yes, please no reviews about how the ages and times are wrong...because I do know!!!
Bit late getting this chapter out, but my ever wonderful computer decided to delete half my files. So, have to now totally rewrite the majority of this story. Will still try to get a chapter out a week though!
Thanks to all my lovely readers! But, would be great to know you're there...there's a little button below this that you can use :)
