Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I'm so super duper excited to finally be writing again! =D (And, yes, I totally just said 'super duper'.) However, I can't promise any kind of regular updates. I've started college (yay!) so I'm usually really busy. =/ It's a miracle that I've found the time to brainstorm and write even just this one chapter. The only reason it exists anywhere other than my mind is because (even though I swore I wouldn't anymore!) I've been writing this in my math class. _ Its not too bad, though. Its a remedial class I was put in because my SAT score sucked. =[[ (I'm not that bad at math, really!) And its mostly online anyway. Lectures just review what we learn from the online assignments.
But ANYWAY, maybe I'll be able to update again during my Christmas break. Don't get your hopes up though. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I know its been a long wait, but I hope everyone will agree it was worth it!
Chapter 2
"My name is Tom Riddle." The handsome, charming young man offered Danika an outstretched hand. The girl shrunk back at this gesture, confused and slightly frightened, but the man merely grinned and cautiously knelt before her. When he spoke again his voice was much gentler. "I have been watching you for some time now, Danika. Tell me, do you strange things sometimes happen around you when you are alone? Things you cannot explain?"
"What do you mean?" Inquired the young girl.
"Well, for example – If you are angry do objects break though you are not near them?" Tom paused, waiting for the little servant girl to respond though he already knew her answer. When she finally nodded he smiled to himself and stood once more, facing the figure of Lucius Malfoy who stood before him. "Just as I suspected. This girl is no ordinary orphan and certainly not a muggle. I did not ever believe that it was by coincidence that this child was left at a wizard's doorstep, Lucius. Pack her things immediately, I should like to leave as soon as possible."
"Yes, of course, my Lord." Mister Malfoy bowed deeply and respectfully to the young man before he quickly left the study to find one of the many house-elves.
"Now, dear Danika," said Tom as he turned back to the girl. "How would you like to come live with me and learn magic?"
"Magic?" asked Danika, her eyes widening with the thought of being allowed such a privilege. She knew, of course – having grown up in the Wizarding World-, that only witches and wizards and magical creatures were allowed to learn and use magic. She knew that the Malfoy family were wizards, that in time Master Draco would leave to attend Hogwarts where he would learn to use his magic and brew potions. But, the elves had always told her she was most likely a muggle – human, non-magical – and would have to live forever as a servant in this house. "Will I get to go to Hogwarts?" She asked hopefully.
"No." replied Riddle, and Danika's heart instantly sank. "You are still too young. For the time being, I will teach you myself. However, once you become admission age, if you still wish to, I will allow you to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
The girl's smile smile quickly returned and she bowed graciously at the man before her. "Thank you!" She exclaimed, resisting the urge to run up and hug him. "But... Mr. Riddle... What about Master Malfoy? He saved me and took me in when no one else would. I owe my life to him. Will I still work for him?"
"You needn't worry about Lucius and his family. They will get along well enough without you, dear. You are no longer their faithful servant. From now on, Danika, you will be treated as my daughter."
Draco
"Dani." I whispered to the girl next to me as she stared off into nothingness in a daze. I glanced briefly up at Professor Carrow to be sure I had not been heard. "Dani..." I watched worriedly as she continued to dig her fingernails deeper into the skin of her wrist. Spots of crimson red were beginning to appear, staining the pristine white fabric of her sleeve. I hurriedly grasped her hand, forcing her to stop by pulling her bleeding arm away and towards me.
"What?" She snapped, having finally come out of her daze.
"Dani, look at your arm! You've made yourself bleed again!" The girl looked down, puzzled, at the red spots staining her shirt sleeve and then, pushing the fabric up her arm, at the curved row of semi-circular marks oozing blood. When she looked back up at me, I could see in her eyes that Danika had not realized what she had been doing to herself, and I wondered what it was that she had been thinking about.
"Miss Riddle! Mr. Malfoy! Is there something you'd like to share? Something more important than the lesson I've been teaching? Perhaps you two would enjoy a detention..." Professor Carrow strode forward to the place where we sat. Dani quickly pulled her sleeve back down to cover the marks.
"No, Professor... But, I don't believe Danika is feeling very well. May I escort her to the hospital wing?I fear she may faint, and distract the other students from your engaging lesson." (AN: Draco is such a suck-up. ;]])
"Very well," Professor Carrow glared, giving me a skeptical look. "But I expect to see you both in detention tomorrow morning. And 100 points from Slytherin!" I simply nodded in response and grasped Dani by the hand, leading her out of the classroom, eager to have a chance to freely speak to her.
Turning a corner into an empty corridor, I stopped, and spun Danika around to face me. "What are you doing?" She demanded as I removed the green and silver tie from around my neck. I ignored the question, and pushed her bloody sleeve away from her wounds.
"Hold still." I commanded, and began wrapping my tie around the cuts on her wrist. She watched, a blank look on her face, as I knotted it tightly, ensuring it would create enough pressure to halt the flow of blood.
"Thanks..." Slowly and silently, the girl began removing her own tie from around her neck. I observed her curiously, not quiet sure what her intentions were until she slipped the silky green cloth over my head, under the collar of my shirt, and started fastening it into place. "It will look strange if you return to class without your tie. Professor Carrow already suspects something is off. I believe it would be best not to give her a cause for another detention." She smiled feebly in an attempt to seem normal, but instead it made her look weaker and I instantly knew that something was very wrong.
"Dani... Is everything alright? This is the second time I've seen you hurt yourself without intending to."
"Everything is fine." She replied, whirling around so as to obscure her face and expression from view, perhaps fearing it would betray her. "It's nothing, really."
"Please, Dani, I'm not an idiot. I can read you like an open book." Irritated, I rolled my eyes at her though I knew she couldn't see it.
"Am I that obvious?" She asked, finally allowing her gaze to meet mine. When I looked into her eyes I saw nothing but pain and sadness.
"Only when you start unconsciously mutilating yourself." My attempt at playful sarcasm must have gone unnoticed for she said nothing about it, but turned away once again.
"You should go back to class. I'll be okay, Draco. I think I'll just go back to the common room and rest for a while."
"Very well." Turning slowly, I hesitated, reluctant to take my eyes away from the fragile girl in front of me, to leave her alone for even a moment. Finally, deciding it was for the best, I began to walk away, but stopped briefly, looking back over my shoulder where Danika was still standing. "You know you can tell me anything, right, Dani? You're my best friend and I only want to be sure you're alright." Leaving it at that, I sighed to myself and continued on my way back down the corridor.
"Draco... wait!" The sound of her calling my name made me halt in my tracks, and I spun quickly back around face her.
Before my mind could register what was happening Dani had thrown her arms around my neck and was hugging me tightly. For a moment I stood frozen for shock and my cheeks began burning red hot. However, I eventually regained my cool composure, relaxed, and returned the embrace.
"Thank you." Dani's voice was muffled when it reached my ears for she had buried her head into my shoulder. I did not reply but instead tightened my grip on her waist, puller her body closer to mine.
Danika
"You are ungrateful, Danika. Have I not given you everything you could have ever wanted?" A tall, and somewhat handsome, yet frightening man paced calmly before me as his unnatural and piercing red eyes watched my every reaction.
I stood as still as I could manage, in the center of a large and empty room. It was completely devoid of light, save for what little bit the open door poured over my figure. The hands I had clasped nervously together behind my back were beginning to sweat. However, I did not dare to move and kept my gaze locked firmly to the ground beneath my feet.
"Of course you have, my Lord."
"Then why do you mock me by refusing to learn this spell?" The man's voice started to rise in anger and I winced ever so slightly at his harsh tone.
"My Lord, I'm trying, but please understand it is a difficult spell..." I begged though I knew my efforts were wasted.
"Then perhaps you simply need more motivation. Greyback!" My eyes widened suddenly in fear as he called for his werewolf henchman and upon seeing the malicious smirk plastered on Fenrir's face as he entered the room my resolve broke.
"Please, no!" I cried, lunging toward the spot where the Dark Lord stood. He ignored my outburst and spoke only to Greyback.
"Danika is to master this spell by midnight. Should she fail, you are to punish her, Fenrir, but...I would prefer if you did not bite her... She would not be of much use to me should you manage to turn her into a beast."
"Yes, my Lord." Voldemort nodded once before turning to leave Greyback and I alone.
"Father, please!" I pleaded knowing it would not be ignored this time for he no longer approved of referring to him by such a name.
"I am trying to teach you magic that will make you a great witch, Danika. These are things ordinary wizards could not imagine in ever their wildest dreams. In time, dear girl, you will thank me." He turned silently without another word on the subject and left, shutting the door behind him.
I woke with a start, heart beating quickly. Lying still for a few minutes, I gave my mind and body a chance to calm itself. When my heart had finally stopped racing and my breathing stabilized I sat up, taking in my surroundings. The girl's dormitory was quiet and I was completely alone. Draco's green and silver striped tie lay on the nightstand where I had left it after cleaning the blood off of it. The memories of earlier events came flooding back to me. Slowly and unconsciously my fingers grazed across the skin of my wrist where the wounds were already beginning to heal, though it had only been just a few hours. I sighed to myself and stood from the bed, retrieving my cloak from the cold stone floor and pulling it on as I did so.
Glancing over at Draco's tie, I debated for a second whether or not to take it with me should I happen to come across him. But upon remembering that I had replaced it with my own, decided against it and left the Slytherin common room to head up to the Great Hall where I knew dinner was currently being served.
As I shuffled lazily up the stairs from the dungeons and down the nearly deserted corridors, my mind began to wonder. My eyes stared forward in a daze as my feet propelled my body towards the Great Hall, so I did not see the misshapen figure as it walked straight at me. It was only when we collided, knocked the both of us to the floor as something clattered loudly around us, that we both seemed to notice the other.
"Oh my!" Cried a dreamy, girlish voice. "Are you alright?"
It took me a moment to gather my thoughts and realized what had happened. I sat up on my elbows and saw that the girl was looming over me. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Grasping the outstretched hand she offered me, I pulled myself up to stand.
"I'm so sorry." She said as she leaned down to pick up a pile of mix matched shoes that was scattered over the ground. Her long blonde hair grazed the stones and she pushed it back behind her ear, revealing on odd looking earring.
"Don't be." I replied, kneeling to help her gather the shoes. "It was probably my fault, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." The girl stopped what she was doing and turned to smile at me. Now, I could tell that she was not much older or younger than myself, and had the feeling that I somehow knew her name, though I could not remember it.
"You're that Riddle girl aren't you?" She inquired. My face dropped, and I turned back to continue picking up her things. She must have taken the hint because the girl did not continue to ask. Instead she stuck a hand politely out for me to shake. "I'm Luna Lovegood."
I took her hand simply to be civil and reluctantly introduced myself. "Danika Riddle." She gave me a friendly grin as she took scooped the random pile of shoes back up into her arms and stood once again. I followed suit. "Uhm, Luna..." I began, and she blinked innocently at me, her head cocking a little to side like a curious puppy. "I hope you don't think me rude for asking, but what are the shoes for?"
"Oh! These?" Luna giggled to herself. "I found them. You see, every once and a while the nargles like to sneak up to the dorms and steal people's shoes. Then they hide them. I followed one to their hiding place and now I intend to return them to their owners."
The look on her face as she spoke told me that this girl was not joking, and though I was skeptical of her explanation, I did not question it and simply nodded in response. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Luna, but I really should be going." Luna agreed and waved, so I was startled when, after I had turned to leave and began to continue down the hall, her soft voice came from behind me.
"I don't believe it, you know..." She announced and I stopped dead in my tracks though I did not look back. "...Those things everyone says about you. I don't think you're a bad person just because You-Know-Who is you're father." As I stood there, I heard Luna's footsteps become lighter as she walked away. I don't think she could have ever known how much those words meant to me, and I could not help by smile to myself as I entered the Great Hall.
AN: So, I'm gonna leave this off here. I could keep going, but then the chapter would just go forever. Hahah. =]] I hope all you Lovegood fans out there (including myself!) enjoyed seeing her! She'll make periodic appearances throughout the story. I think she's a great character to write about. But, anyway, please REVIEW! I read them all and I usually try to reply. Also, if there is anything you want to suggest adding or any other characters you'd like to have drop in just let me know in a review and I'll try to work them in the best I can. Hope you liked this chapter and have a good day! Until next time! =D