AN: I hope this story will be to your liking. It is like nothing I have ever written before. It will be a tragic story, and just maybe there might be a happy ending. The couple is Draco/Serena, and there is a considerable age difference between the two. The story takes place years after the war with Voldemort, but there is no sailor scouts, the characters may appear, they may not. This story is rated for its vivid content that will appear in later chapters, and I warn you ahead of time. There is Language, Violence, Character OOC. Very little humor.

Also, the chapter titles correspond with lyrics in a song by Avril Lavigne, called Nobody's Home. When I heard this song, it reminded me of this story, and so I inserted the lyrics into it.

Chapter Five
She Can't Find Her Place

Serena sat diligently on a chair in the bathroom. Where the comfy dining chair came from though, she was unsure, since she didn't remember seeing a dinning table when she had gone into his kitchen earlier. She stayed quiet though, keeping her questions to herself, since he didn't ask her any. With her chest pressed into the back of the chair, she used it to keep her upright. Patiently she waited for him to say something.

But her neighbor kept silent, as he continued to gently message the strange liquid into her back. It felt wonderful, his nimble fingers almost making her forget the fact that he'd made her drink another disgusting bottle of liquid from his bathroom cabinet.

The bottles appeared unmarked, all except for a number on each of them. They all had unpleasant tastes, ones she could have gone without. But they worked. Her hand wasn't bleeding anymore and the make-shift bandage she had put on, was still white in color. She just felt numb, the pain was still there, just dulled. It was kind of nice.

But whatever it was that he was putting on her back, she wanted some for herself. His hands massaged the bruises and yet they didn't ache from being touched. They just felt warm.

"What's your name," she finally asked, unable to take the silence any longer. She feared the thoughts that surely raced through his mind. But she was more afraid that he would ask her about the bruises. "Draco Malfoy," he replied quietly, his mind seemingly preoccupied. "Look Mr. Malfoy," she began. "I-I know what you're thinking and-" she was cut off though, when his hands pulled away and she felt a sudden chill crawl up along her spine. She hesitated, wondering if maybe she had made him upset.

"How is your leg?" he inquired. Blinking, she looked back at him from over her shoulder. "My leg?" she asked. "You were favoring your right leg earlier, you can apply this to where it hurts," he said. He'd gotten up from where he was seated on the side of the tub.

He placed the strange bottle in her hand, but she could only stare at him. A part of her wanted to know why he was so willing to help her. And why he wasn't asking her any questions. She was just his neighbor. Was it pity that fueled him to help her? She did not want his pity, her friends gave her enough of that.

Serena was pulled away from her thoughts, when he took the bottle back. "Here," he said, handing her, her sweater back. Serena turned around in her seat, so that she sat facing him, before she pulled the sweater back on.

Draco lifted the leg she had twisted, while trying to avoid one of her mother's many fits. Her mother had been so angry that day, that she had grabbed the nearest object and thrown it. It being her bottle of wine.

Serena remembered she had been so shocked that she had hesitated too long to get out of the way. In the end, she managed to twist her ankle, to avoid being showered with broken glass.

She allowed the man to roll her pant leg up to inspect the leg that twinge with pain. Running earlier had been just horrible.

Feeling his confusion and unease, she spoke up, "I can do this." He looked up at her, but his eyes didn't seem to be really look at her, but actually through her. "It's fine," he replied suddenly, his eyes blinking back into focus. As he directed his attention back to her ankle, she wondered what had caused his face to pale so much for that brief moment, he had been lost in his own thoughts.

With a dab of that weird green liquid, he started massaging her ankle. Serena sighed, her head falling back at the feel of the heat it gave. It warmed her from the inside out. "What is that stuff," she asked. She wanted to know where she could find some. "It's a soothing Po- err, a soothing lotion," he replied, faltering over his words. "I'll let you have the rest of this bottle. It should last you till I am able to make more."

Serena's head snapped to attention. "You made this?" she asked, her interest perked.

At his nod, she asked, "And all that other stuff you gave me? Did you make them as well?"

At first, it appeared he wasn't going to answer, but after a moment, he nodded again. "Wow that is so cool," she replied excited. "Wait, are you sure I can have this?" she asked, holding up the bottle.

Her neighbor shrugged as he gently laid her leg back down. Serena tried moving it and was surprised to feel little pain. "Thank you," she said with a genuine smile.

Draco got to his feet again and rinsed his hands at the sink. "I would advise you to bathe before adding any more on later," he instructed.

He opened his medicine cabinet. "How long have you lived here," she asked. Her eyes took a quick look inside the cabinet and saw all the bottles he kept stocked, all being similar as the one she held. There were all sorts of colors, but the bottles were all the same shape and size though. None of them held labels of any kind, but she was sure they all held a number at the bottom.

She wondered why he didn't want people to know what they were. "Two years," he answered, but looked to the side as if he couldn't believe he'd told her that. "Two years?" she echoed. "But this place looked empty. I- I mean I've lived here my whole life and since the last owners left five years ago, this place always seemed abandoned."

She stood as Draco pulled out another bottle. "This should help you in the future," he told her, ignoring what she had just said. Serena looked uneasily at the bottle holding a strange blue liquid. "If you get hurt again," he added at her look.

Serena nodded in understanding and accepted the bottle. "Thank you Mr. Malfoy," she said, her smile small. He was being so nice and she was being such a bother to him, she was sure.

As they walked through his bedroom, she took in his sparse furniture. "You don't get out much do you," she inquired bluntly and her neighbor shook his head. They'd reached the living room and she saw her bag sitting on the floor in the kitchen. "I should be getting home," she finally added. "Thank you again for everything Mr. Malfoy."

Serena collected her bag and headed for the door. Pulling it open, she looked back at him, her eyes taking in his sad gray eyes and his pale skin. The white blonde hair that was always in place, not one strand hanging loose over his eyes.

"Good-bye," she said softly and shut the door, before she could change her mind. With a sigh, she looked up at the sun that hung high in the sky. She'd only spent a few hours in her neighbor's house.

Serena stepped off the porch and started for the city. With Charlie back, she'd wait till long after nightfall before she went home tonight.

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Serena sat outside on her porch, her feet dangling over the side where the railing had broken off last year. With her sketchpad out, she looked out over the cliff and sighed.

She hadn't gone inside yet, even though it was nearing midnight and the air out here was a bit cold. The pain in her injuries had come back hours ago, but she just couldn't go inside. Not yet.

Because he's still here, she told herself. Charlie's vehicle was still in their driveway and she refused to have a confrontation with him.

The sound of her neighbor's door opening had her head lifting. Leaning back, she watched as her neighbor took a seat in the chair she had seen him sitting in a few nights ago.

Quietly, Serena eased herself up and moved down to the other end of her porch, where she could be closer to him. He didn't notice her, since his eyes were trained on the sky above them. But if he were to look her way, he would easily see her behind the railing. So Serena stayed quiet as she flipped the page of her sketchpad to a clean sheet.

With her pencil in hand, she started sketching. She had no real image in mind, just the sad look on his face as he looked up at the stars, burning into her heart.

She looked up after a while when she heard the distant cry of an owl. Serena watched as the snowy white owl swooped down low, taking rest on the arm he held out. Serena couldn't tear her eyes away, as the owl nudged the man's cheek lovingly.

Not even once, in her whole life had Serena been allowed to have a pet of her own. And she didn't dare try to hide one from her mother. But she had always wondered what it would be like to have one.

Seeing Draco treat the owl to some food and ruffle the feathers on its head, she could only imagine it was exactly like that. She could see the bond between the two, one she envied dearly.

She didn't have that with anyone, not even with her closest friends Molly and Melvin. Serena was startled from her thoughts, when Draco tied a letter to the owl's leg. How peculiar, she thought to herself. "You know where," he said gently and fed her another treat.

The owl hooted, before spreading it's wings and taking flight.

It wasn't long after the owl's departure, did her neighbor go back inside his house. Serena planned to do the same, until she heard a noise from inside her house. Stilling, she waited and was soon greeted with the sounds of footsteps. Either her mother or Charlie was awake now. Serena didn't plan to confront either tonight.

Sitting back down, Serena sighed longingly. It was going to be a long night.

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Sorry about the late update, lots of stuff happening these days and with the new release of Harry Potter I had to read her ending first before continuing. I hope that all of you will still enjoy my rendition of the aftermath of Voldemort's death.

Have a wonderful week, we'll we speak again soon

LP out