Moonlight shown through the dingy silk curtains of a run down apartment
somewhere in a city in America. A small teenage girl slept fitfully, but
slept all the same. However, she was unaware of the darkness creeping up on her
from all sides. Slowly closing in...ever so softly, as not to wake the slumbering blonde.
Without hesitation a force was upon her, waking her suddenly. No scream came from her mouth,
this darkness was not new in her life. But the strangle hold would not give way, and the
darkness had form. The form of men in hooded black robes that concealed their faces. Men
whose ruthlessness knew no bounds. She couldn't fight back, she seemed frozen in time.
She felt the pain only slightly and knew they were trying to weaken her so she couldn't escape
one more time. She tasted blood in her mouth. Would she die this time? There was no way to
tell. She didn't know who or what this darkness was, she only knew it was a constant in her
nightmare she called life. This darkness had taken her family and friends in a blink of an eye.
Buy why? Why was she having these thoughts while she was on the brink of death in the hands
of a darkness that had no face? She had no idea. She just wanted all this pain...sadness.
loneliness...to go away. "I wish I could find somewhere safe...safe...safe...safe..." And in
a bright flash of light she was gone. The darkness looked around bewildered. The master would
not be happy about this. And in a pop the darkness left the small grungy apartment as if no
one was ever there.
She felt that the darkness was gone. Slowly she opened her blue eyes to find herself in the middle of a forest. A dark, creepy forest. She stood slowly, wary of her various seen and unseen injuries. She looked around for her caped capturers, but there was only the wind rustling through the large trees. She breathed a sigh of relief, but soon sucked it back in with the sound of twigs breaking in a steady rhythm. But as she circled she saw nothing, and yet the wind had picked up considerably. 'Just the wind.' She began chanting in her head. 'Which way to go?' Yet as soon as the thought had entered her head, the answer was given to her in the form of a faceless evil flapping in the wind. 'Where did they learn to fly?' She thought frantically as she took off in a run.
Her breathing was ragged and it had started to rain some time ago. The lightning flared and
allowed for a moments sight. She didn't know where she was headed, but she hoped this forest
ended sometime soon. And soon enough it did, to a breath-taking castle. She looked over her
shoulder to see the curtain of darkness closing in. Without hesitation she bolted for the castle,
long blonde locks cascading behind. In the night she couldn't exactly see where she was headed
and if there would even be a route in the massive castle, but she had to try. As she ran into
a smooth stone surface and slide down to the soggy ground, she wondered if this was all a trap.
Were they leading her to this castle, castle of doom? The lightning stuck and it took biting her lip
to keep from calling out, as she was startled from her thoughts. But the ligntning succeeded in
calling attention to a small window at the base of the building where she now crouched. The window
seemed to go to a lower level of the castle, with the window being at the top near the ceiling if she were
inside. She wondered how high the ceiling could be and if she'd survive the fall. 'Ok, face
creepy band of flying evil or jump through a window of a creey castle? I guess I'll have to go with
door number two.' She unsuccessfully joked with herself. She quickly wrapped her hand in the bottom of
her already torn and bloody cami that she loved to sleep in, and as lightning struck and
thunder resounded she shattered the glass. Thrusting her hand inside she felt for the latch
and successfully opened the window. "Here goes nothing." She muttered to herself as she crawled through
the small space and fell through the air. With a sickening thud she hit the cold cobblestone floor
and the shards of glass that ripped through her skin. She laid there for a minute in a daze. She
actually did it and was alive, well for the most part.
She didn't know how long she laid there. Perhaps is was only a few minutes but it felt like several hours. If she moved that meant she would make sounds, and if she made sounds she might be found. But the question that lingered in her mind was by who? The evil that's been chasing her for the better part of her life, or whatever lays ahead in this uber creepy castle. But before she had made up her mind to move, she heard the faint pitter patter of feet. 'Please just be the rain...' She wished, but some wishes don't come true and a faint "Lumos" was heard. As the word whispered a speck of light appeared very close to her head. She jumped up not heeding any injuries as the adrenaline pumped in her veins, hiding the pain. She couldn't see, the light had blinded her. Bright specks greeted her with every blink. She smashed into a wall and slid to meet the floor again. Crawling through broken glass as fast as she could, she found an opening in the wall and scuried in. She kept crawling until she hit another wall and then another. She was trapped in a corner. The light came closer as she cowered. 'Please don't find me...' She prayed. But as she waited for the darkness to encase her heart, something amazing happened...
"Hey there...are you alright?" Came the soft voice of a man.
She looked up in shock. "You're not going to kill me?" She stuttered out slightly.
"Why would I want to kill a defenseless girl? Although you did just break into my room." He pondered, an evil smirk on his face.
At this the small blonde recoiled and whimpered. "Please..." She whispered.
The man just turned and muttered something under his breath and as he did the room was illuminated with light. He turned back to look at the person who had invaded his sleep. Never in his life had he the reason to gasp or feel sorry for anyone, but at this moment that's exactly what he did and exactly what he felt.
"What happened to you? Who did this?" He demanded only making her cover her face and curl into the fetal position. The look in his eyes scaring her.
"Don't be scared I won't hurt you." He got down on her level and slowly pried her hands from her tear streaked face. She looked badly beaten with bruises already forming around the multitude of cuts that adorned her petite frame.
"My name is Draco. What is your name?" He said softly trying to get her to open up and tell him what had happened.
She looked into his silver eyes and saw kindness..."Serenity, my name is Serenity." She whispered.
"Do you know who did this to you?" He asked gently.
Her eyes wavered and closed as she thought of the inkiness that always washed over her when they were near. "I don't know who or what they are. All I've ever seen is black, all I've ever felt is empty. When they come for me, I can feel darkness spilling over me. I can't escape. They keep finding me. They've killed everyone I know or who has known me, I'm all alone. Why? Why are they after me?" She trailed off sobbing and fell easily into his arms. Feeling safe for just one moment.
Draco knew who was after her, but he didn't know why. She seemed to be a muggle, why would the Dark Lord want with a muggle?
"Serenity...How did you get here?" He needed to know.
She hiccuped before answering. "I...I was asleep in America somewhere, I can't remember what city, just some run down apartment. They were upon me before I awoke, but I fought with all my might. I'm not sure how many there were, but I know it hurt. And as I layed there thinking I was going to die this time, I wished I was somewhere safe. I found myself in a forest being persued with even more vigor. They can fly...They can fly." After a bout of silence she asked, "Do you think they know I'm here?"
"I don't know, but I plan on keeping you hidden until I find out what's going on. They can't enter this castle it's protected." He declared like a true night in shining armor.
"Why are you helping me?" She asked curiosity lacing her voice.
"I don't know? It just feels right, and for the first time in my life I plan on doing the right thing." He stated seriously. She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity.
"Thank you." She said as she gave him a hug, his first hug to be exact. And in that moment Draco Malfoy knew he could never let anything happen to this woman, he would protect her until the day he died. Because there was something special about this girl, and it touched his once cold heart.
"Let's tend to your wounds." He said as he patted her head lightly. She looked up terrified, but released the tension. This man was her saving grace and she would have to trust him completely if she were to survive. She could see it in his eyes, the need to help her.
"I...I can heal myself." She stuttered.
His eyes widened only slightly. Perhaps she was a witch? "Show me." He simply stated.
She made only the slightest nod of her head to show that she understood. He watched as she closed her eyes and concentrated. She began to glow, and a calming aura surrounded them both. He watched as he wounds closed and did not even leave a scar. A pulsing light centered at her chest caught his attention. It looked to be some sort of jewel. And as the light faded and her wounds were healed, her bright blue else held his sharp silver ones. "It takes a lot out of me." She said before collapsing into his lap. He picked up the mysterious goddess and placed her on his unmade bed. He pulled his desk chair up to watch over the woman who had invaded his life on a stormy night. Little did he know that she was to be his salvation from the black hole eating his heart and he was to be her protector and her light in the dim world she could never escape...until now.