Platinum blond hair? Check. Pale, ghostly skin? Check. Grey eyes? Check. Supercilious sneer? Chec- wait. Well, actually no. Draco Malfoy was not wearing his trademark sneer at the moment. In fact, he looked actually worried.

Well, you may ask? Why is Draco I'll-Call-My-Father Malfoy worried? Well, for that we need to understand that this is just after the memorable Battle of Hogwarts. Except that it wasn't so memorable for him. After all, Master Draco had done nothing except be saved from rather unpleasant situations by a certain green-eyed boy- and of course his two friends. And he had just lost Vincent Crabbe. That does tend to take the edge off your smugness.

He was also alone, which, again was unusual. He had done this because... Well, let's just leave it for now, shall we?

He was slowly walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, looking lost and not looking where was going. So it was hardly surprising that he walked straight into a tree. And its bark was very rough.

"Ow!" cried Malfoy as he stumbled and nearly fell straight down. A pleasing scratch now ran down his left cheek, giving him an unexpectedly roguish look. Did it suit him? You can decide that for yourself, dear reader.

However, Draco had enough.

"Please, why is this happening to me? It was not my fault! He forced me! He would have killed my whole family! I had no choice!" he screamed at the sky, which did not deign to reply.

He stared sullenly up. "I hate this. Why is the world so unfair? None of this was my fault, I tell you!"

No response again. Draco's sullen look intensified.

"Bah! Everyone is stupid. I wish I was anywhere else, just to get away from all this unfairness and stupidity!" he glared at the sky.

A wise man once said: Be careful what you wish for. Poor Draco didn't know what he was getting into.

Draco felt a familiar feeling. A hook on the back of his neck. Except that there was no Portkey in sight. But he was helpless; he had barely realized the fact before he was sucked into a swirling vortex. Bones popped, muscles stretched and his lungs constricted. He opened his mouth, but the scream was soundless.

A lifetime (though of course it was only about a couple seconds) later, our 'protagonist' finally stopped going through the aforementioned vortex. But where was he? That was indeed, waht he was trying to figure out.

Let's start at the bottom. What he had landed on was a mass of leaves, twigs and other stuff. Moving up, a bunch of trees, spread in a circle.

So, had he accidentally managed to Apparate into the Forbidden Forest? Not so fast!

For one, the trees were noticeably smaller, less intimidating and altogether did not give off that dangerous vibe.

Second, it was currently evening (judging by the sky), and it was only one when he had- ah, 'Disapparated' from the Hogwarts grounds.

"Where the hell am I?" Malfoy grunted as he got up, brushing off leaves and twigs from his immaculate robe.

He moved forward, not bothering to stay quiet. But then, Draco Malfoy was not known as an expert forest ranger. Twigs crunched under his feet as walked towards something that looked like a path.

An unwary insect chose this moment to fly into Draco's path and perch on his right sleeve.

Draco, being Draco, did not like that. "Ew! Get away!" giving a high pitched-yell and batting frantically at it, who fortunately for both of them, chose to fly away.

Draco watched it go with a scowl. "What's wrong with the world? Such a bad day, and now I'm getting attacked by bloody insects. And I don't know where the hell I even am!" he glared at a tree, as if daring it to explain. The poor tree, having no knowledge of what Draco was referring to, could not.

What's it that people say? It's never so bad that it can't get worse. Well, something of that sort, anyway.

Twang.

One sound, quiet. No fanfare, no drama. Yet, to this day, it had been singularly effective. And that's certainly something when the time period we are talking about is one of millennia. Yes, you've read that right. Millennia.

Draco jumped in shock.

A slight whistling through the air followed, and something flashed less than a foot from his right side. It was too close for him to make out what it was, but it had a silverish tinge.

Another twang, and another whistling through the air.

This time, it was his left side.

Thunk.

Draco whipped around. Embedded in a trunk ten feet behind him was a silver shaft. It looked simple, but there was a quality about it that screamed 'Danger!'. It also seemed to emit a slight glow, though that may just have been a trick of the light.

"Arrow. It's an arrow... Who has been shooting at ME!" he shouted, turning back to where the arrows had come from.

"Me." Again, no unnecessary drama. Just a simple statement, yet laden with authority. No one could have doubted the power within that voice.

A golden bow. An impassive expression. Silver eyes brighter than the moon, yet calculating.

Artemis, in none other than her usual twelve-year-old form.

Draco Malfoy, of course, knew none of this. If he had, he wouldn't have said what he said next.

"What do you mean, you? Why the hell is a twelve year old girl shooting at me?" he demanded, looking furious.

Her eyes narrowed. Slowly, she stepped forward. You got the feeling that she weighed every step before taking it. Literally.

She looked into his eyes, her gaze becoming more intense.

Draco was slightly unnerved that the girl had not even deigned to reply. He opened his mouth again, but could not even begin.

Pain. Lots of pain. His worst memories, brought to the fore...

An alien presence entered his mind, and began to sift through everything. Everything. Childhood memories, dreams, even his fantasies. They were all examined at length by the presence. He tried to rebel, to break free, but it was impossible. They-whoever they were- were unrelenting- and powerful. None of his Occlumency lessons could have prepared him for this-

It ended, as suddenly as it began.

"Get up," said a voice. Draco realized that he was lying on the ground. An ever bigger shock: there were tear stains running down his face.

"Get up. I don't like to repeat myself," said the voice, but there was now a definite edge to it.

Draco gulped and slowly got up. This time, he didn't dare to make an unnecessary sound.

"Draco Malfoy."

"H-how do you know my name?" he stuttered. He was feeling shellshocked. Who IS this girl?!

"I just went through all your memories, you stupid boy. Of course I know your name," she said coldly.

She did that!?

"Well, what is to be done with you?" glaring at him like it was all his fault.

"Hey, I haven't done anything-" that was as far as he got before she cut him off.

"You, Draco Malfoy, are the epitome of what I despise about males. You are a cheating, cowardly, unfaithful, sycophantic, bully who literally has zero brain cells."

She stepped up and glared with such intensity Draco felt that his face was being pierced through.

"Hey-" but he could not go much farther, owing to the fact that the whatever-she-was in front of him had just jabbed a finger at him, robbing him of breath.

She glared up, the intensity not one whit down.

It occurred to Draco that she was almost a foot shorter than him, so it was kind of... weird.

It seemingly occurred to her as well, as she frowned and took a step back.

Then, she shot up. Well, not really, it was more like an upgraded version of her was now standing before him. She now appeared in her late teens and almost the same height as Draco.

Draco stared. And it was not entirely innocent, either. It was not everyday that he had beautiful teenage girls right in front of him.

Of course, she noticed. And she did not like it.

A flash, and Draco stepped back in fright. And it was not unwarranted. A two foot long hunting knife, shaped like a curved fang, had just appeared in her left hand.

"What the hell?" he screamed, scrambling back from the gleaming silver weapon.

Her eyes gleamed, apparently satisfied at his reaction. But it appeared that she had more up her sleeve. Almost literally.

Another identical hunting knife appeared this time on her right.

Draco was frightened out of his wits. "What-how-who are you?" he screamed, wide eyed with terror.

She gave a feral smile. It was wild, yet had a certain unearthly beauty to it. "I am the Huntress."

Then she leaped forward.

Draco gave a high-pitched squeal, a bit like a pig.

She was in the air for less than a second; then she abruptly changed course and landed, instead of right on top of him, on his right.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you," she said, then advanced like a predator.

Draco yelled and tried to run away, only to be stopped by a searing pain in his left.

No, he hadn't been stabbed. It's only that when a knife handle made of some unknown metal hits, it does that very hard.

Artemis gave a predator's laugh and pursued him.

Over the next five minutes, Draco Malfoy was chased around the clearing by a teenage girl-or that's what it would look like to anyone who chanced to wander into the scene.

In the end, he was driven against the trunk of a tree, while Artemis bore down on him, grinning, her usual reservation vanished in the thrill of the moment.

"Please don't kill me," he pleaded. A clump of dirt rolled down his face.

Artemis laughed sardonically. "Oh, no, I won't. Lucius and Narcissa would miss their only son if I did."

"So what will you do?!" he yelled, as slick blood trickled down into his mouth.

She said nothing. Instead, the two knives vanished as quickly as they had come. What replaced them, however, was far more intimidating than the two of them combined.

A golden bow, giving off a bright glow.

Draco yelped, now sure his death was in front of him.

"Fare thee well, Draco Lucius Malfoy."

And then she shot at him.

Draco yelled in pure terror, then it hit.

He saw stars for a second, then he ceased to feel.

Artemis shook her head as the boy vanished.

Seriously, these boys are utterly stupid. Voldemort was a jerk, but at least he had some brains. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the idiot who was in front of me just a few moments ago.

She rolled her eyes over the males' idiocy, then starter on the journey back to the camp. Today had been enlivened slightly by the incident.

Save me! Save me! She's killing me!

Draco awoke with a jerk. He was lying in a-a bed in the hospital wing. I-I'm not dead?

A cluster of voices broke out.

"Draco, my boy-" said Lucius.

"We've been so worried-" said Narcissa.

He held up a hand. Immediately everyone stopped talking.

"Wait, what happened?" asked Draco slowly.

"Father was worried, he went to check on you in the Forbidden Forest. He found you under a tree, out cold with so many injuries, it's a wonder you weren't... you know," she trailed off. Close to, he noticed that her face was drawn and haggard.

"It's all right Mother, I'm fine," he gave a weak smile.

Narcissa sniffled then launched herself at him in a hug. Draco returned it awkwardly.

He was never, ever going to tell anyone what had happened to him in the forest.

So that was that. I hope you enjoyed it, if you didn't, let me tell you that I don't have anything against Tom Felton, just everything against Draco Noob Malfoy.

He is just a complete and utter ass, period.

Thanks for reading

N.O.Y.E.S