Betray

Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past

Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have

Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back

And never moving forward so there'd never be a past

Easier To Run - Linkin Park

Chapter 3

"So Selene," began Parvati Patil. "What was it like growing up in a large mansion in Somerset?"

Selene lay on her four-poster bed, staring up at the top of it. What was life like? Shit, that's what it was like. Selene couldn't have proper friends, or get close to anyone. She was always in constant threat from her father and sister, and her mother acknowledged her as an accident. When she slit herself, wanting away from all the misery and pain, Malificent found out, from finding a strange feeling up her arm.

The torture Selene went through after that was worse than death. She was beaten, sworn at, and publicly humiliated at anytime. So she began her snobbish ways, turning her nose at any common piece of filth that tried to befriend her. Why should she make friends with someone who would probably use her like an unwanted toy, the way her family treated her? Living in the mansion, in constant fear of not doing something right, in fear of pain. Yeah, that was just absolutely fucking marvellous.

"Why do you want to know?" she spat, turning around on her side away from them and pulling the red covers over her.

"God, she was just trying to be helpful!" cried Lavender Brown.

"Leave her alone guys," came Hermione's voice from behind a thick book, Hard Charms Made Easy For Geniuses. "You don't know what she's been through."

"Oh, and I guess you do?" asked Parvati, snidely.

Hermione put her book down and glared at the dark-skinned girl. "Yes, I do. She's my cousin for goodness sake. Now shut up and sleep before I get angry."

***

"What are you talking about?" asked Ayenia. "How can you say that after what you just told me? Why fall in love with someone who's going to die in the next three months? Oh yeah, and why me? What the fuck did I do?"

Ayenia began sobbing, covering her face with her hands. A Malfoy never shows weakness. That's what her father said, anyway.

Michael looked down into her face and put his arms around her. Forgetting all her father taught her, Ayenia flung her arms around his cold, broad shoulders, and cried her heart out, muttering between tears: "Why me? Why me?"

He rocked her slowly, from side to side, shushing her as if she was his little daughter. "I know," he whispered. "I know."

Ayenia pulled back slightly. She looked into those sad eyes of his, so she had to tilt her head up, as Michael was a good 4 inches taller than she was. "How do you know?" she whispered. "How could you possibly know?"

"Well, unless you haven't noticed, I'm kind of dead myself," Michael answered.

Another tear poured out of Ayenia's eye. She smiled slightly. No matter what happened, Michael would always be there for here. He was there when she was first brought into the world, and he'd be there when her last minute on earth ended. This one vampire could make it all better again.

"Now stop crying and kiss me."

***

"I just don't see why you're getting so worked up about her," began Christina, as she and Drusilla caught up with Vanity's fast stride. "She just fainted for fuck's sake!"

"Because I am!" snapped Vanity. "Ayenia's my best friend, and I don't want anything bad happening to her. I foresaw something last night, in a dream. Something bad is going to happen. Something really big. And Ayenia's in trouble, and we need to help her!"

"Yeah, well what can we do? The little rich girl's probably just forgotten her designer fragrance or something and will demand a new bottle straight to her own private little room where she'll fuck most of the Hou..."

But Christina couldn't finish, as Vanity had slapped her across the jaw. "How the fuck can you say that?!" she demanded. "What's going on with you? You as well, Drusilla! What's happened to you? What happened to the rebelling Goth that we all knew and loved? You've all changed!"

"Well if you have the 'Eye' that your mother had then you tell me! If you're so good at foreseeing the past and future, then tell me!"

Vanity's black eyes filled up with tears. What had happened to everyone? She would find out by consulting her never-failing crystal ball. After she had checked up on Ayenia. Had her face always been that pale?

"Yeah, well stuff you both!" she cried, after storming off down the corridor.

***

"There he is!" shouted Seamus Finnigan.

"There's the lucky lover boy!" cried Dean Thomas.

"Hi Harry, Ron," greeted Neville.

"Hi everyone," said Ron, before flopping o his bed and nearly falling asleep.

Harry just smiled his face glowing red. Lover boy, eh? He thought. That doesn't seem too bad.

"What is all this we've been hearing about between you and that new girl, Selene?" asked Seamus.

"Wow, news goes around fast," muttered Ron, yawning.

"It's nothing much, you know. I'm thinking of asking her out, and I really hope she'll say yes," said Harry, getting changed into his pyjamas.

"Well, after what we've heard, you'd think you already were," reported Dean.

"Huh?" said Ron. He sat up. "What have people been saying?"

"Well, you should know, but everyone has been saying about what Selene and Harry here were doing in the train!"

"WHAT?!" shouted Harry.

Seamus and Dean looked very confused.

"Weren't you like, making out like mad and stuff like that?" asked Seamus.

"No!" shouted Harry. "Selene was with Malfoy!"

"Oh."

***

"I don't look gay, do I?" asked Draco Malfoy to Blaise Zabini. Blaise tapped his index finger on his tanned chin, looking Draco up and down.

"Hmm," he murmured.

"Straight hmm or gay hmm?" asked Draco, worriedly.

"Hmm," repeated Blaise. Draco was wearing a black pair of leather pants and a tight black sleeveless top. His hair was free of gel, and if Blaise were a girl, he would have asked him out immediately.

"Nah, I'd say straight!" claimed Blaise, and Draco let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you gonna wear?" asked Draco, realising Blaise that was still in his loose black robes.

Blaise shook his head. "I'm not going this year," he replied. "I really need to catch up on my studies. My father actually owled the school, saying he wanted me to get more homework, claiming that I wasn't paying attention in class. And he said if my grades didn't improve, I'm going to summer school! Summer school! Can you believe it! God, my dad's a right bastard!"

Draco smirked. "Well, if you're the Blaise I know, then you'll act like Granger for like, a week then forget about it and shag as many girls you can find!"

The boys laughed. The entire Slytherin House knew about Blaise Zabini's obsession with sex. He had lost his virginity in 3rd year, and had joined the group that all boys envied. He was also proud of it, and flaunted the fact everywhere, until a teacher heard and informed his father.

"Yeah, probably. I can't promise that I'll try to keep with my studies, but I will try to try."

"Yeah, whatever. See you later, Granger boy!" mocked Draco, and Blaise threw a small tub of hair gel at him.

***

As Ayenia and Michael were in the middle of kissing, Vanity walked in on them.

Ayenia and Michael jumped apart as if they were two magnets. Vanity just stood there, mouth wide open.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed. "How could you?"

"Vanity," gasped Ayenia, her normally pale face flushing. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Not what it looks like?" demanded her curvy friend. Vanity's dark eyes looked into Michael's. "You brought a very hot guy into the House, and you didn't even tell me! Trying to keep him to yourself, are you?" But Ayenia knew that Vanity wasn't angry, but that she was going into a flirting attitude.

She walked up to Michael. "And what's your name, gorgeous?"

Michael quickly got out of his deer-caught-in-headlights expression and straightened his back. "Michael," he said, with a shine in his eye.

Vanity smiled at him. "Take good care of her, Michael. She loves you more than you think." Vanity turned and walked to the door. Before leaving, she looked at Ayenia. "Hope you're coming to the party. Oh, and bring a date!"

And when Vanity closed the door, Ayenia started giggling. Michael came up to her, giving her a strange look.

"What's so funny?"

Ayenia stopped giggling and gazed into Michael's beautiful features. His mouth was large and soft, and she longed for hers to make contact like they had before Vanity walked in. Ayenia stood closer to the vampire, so close that their bodies touched slightly. Michael could feel her heart beating in her large chest. Like her mother, Ayenia had been blessed with a chest that most girls would kill for.

"Will you be my date?" she asked, softly.

Michael smiled, he was sure he could feel his fangs starting to come out. "Of course." And he then bent down and kissed her.

***

"Vanity?" Drusilla called.

Vanity looked to her right to see Drusilla standing there. She had somehow over the few minutes got changed into her party gear. She wore a dark purple velvet corset, a tight black miniskirt, fishnet tights and large gothic boots with lots of buckles and metal on them.

"What is it?" asked Vanity impatiently, inspecting her long talon-like nails.

"It's about before, I..." Drusilla trailed off, and swept a hand through her fine, dyed black hair. "It was Christina, she's gone crazy! She made me say nasty things about you and Ayenia. She manipulative, and ever since Tammy..." Drusilla broke off again, tears welled up in her almond colour eyes.

"Tammy? What about Tamara? Dru, what happened to her?" Vanity grabbed Drusilla's shoulders. The other girl shook her head, eyes closed.

"I can't..."

"Calm down Dru, you're gonna smudge your eyeliner!" Vanity let go of her shoulders, and put her hands lightly on the sides of Drusilla's forehead. Tell me, she willed in her mind.

Vanity closed her eyes, and stopped breathing. Then she saw what happened:

"Tammy, wake up, we're going to Diagon Alley to get your school stuff. Tammy? Tamara, wake up, come on, you've got to get up!" Drusilla said, playfully pushing her sister on Tamara's large double bed. Tamara was to start her 1st year in Hogwarts, and had been very excited about it. Unfortunately, she had been suffering from bad cases of colds and headaches. She was very prone to illness, and spent most of the day in her bed.

"Tamara!" shouted Drusilla, getting annoyed. "Wake up you silly..."

But Drusilla had pushed her sister until she turned her over, and she saw her face.

Drusilla screamed. Tamara's face was chalk white, instead of its usual olive texture. Her once almond eyes were cold, and staring, and pale. They did not blink.

"Maria! Michael! Anyone, please help!" screamed Drusilla, running down the corridor of the second floor of BlackBlood Manor.

"What is it Drusilla?" shouted Michael coming out his room, wearing only a pair of loose black trousers. His wavy hair was messy, and his beautiful eyes were darker than usual, showing he had not fed recently.

He grabbed Drusilla and her waist, and bent down slightly. Drusilla was quite small compared to her friends.

"It's Tamara," gulped Drusilla, her face covered in tears and sweat. "She...she..." Drusilla shook her head and looked down at her feet, tears pouring out her eyes. She's dead, she wanted to say, but she always stuttered slightly when upset. As if reading her mind, Michael took his hands off of Drusilla, and sped to Tamara's bedroom.

Woken up from the noise, Lucrecia and Christoff Nightwood came out of the master bedroom. Lucrecia saw her daughter, and hurried towards her, wearing only her black lingerie. She cuddled her daughter, and wiped her eyes with her long fingers. "What is it, my dear?" she asked, her voice beautiful and soft. Drusilla only cried more.

"What's going on her? Maria!" shouted Christoff, pulling his fingers through his thinning grey hair.

"Mr. Nightwood! It's Tamara! She's dead!" shouted Michael from Tamara's room. Everyone but Lucrecia and her horrified daughter ran to Tamara's bedroom, including Maria, their French servant, who's usually tidy hair was flying away from her bun, her eyes thin from being woken up.

When they had gone, Lucrecia tilted Drusilla's head up to look at her mother's olive face. Lucrecia was from Asia, and had beautiful unblemished coffee-creamed skin. Right now, her usual sharp features were creased with concentration. "Drusilla what did you see? Darling, answer me, you have to tell me what you saw..."

***

But Vanity saw nothing else. She did not wish to see what would happen next. Tamara, she thought. Tammy had always been full of life, despite all the illnesses she had. When Vanity had stayed over at BlackBlood Manor, Drusilla allowed Tamara to join them. She was very funny, not shy at all, and she always spoke her mind. She had looked forward to Hogwarts so much as well.

"When did she die?" asked Vanity.

"A week ago. After she died, I realised something. What will happen to me, when I die? Will I go to heaven or hell, or will I be re-born? Will I never die, and live forever, or will I die and just be no more? You can tell me, can't you Vanity? Didn't you see Tammy die? Didn't you?"

"No, I..."

"But you See everything! I remember 12 years ago you told me that my mother would have another baby. I didn't believe you at the time, but soon after New Year, she was expecting! And remember in 3rd year, I didn't know whether to ask that Ravenclaw guy out or not, and you said yes, and I've probably never been so happy in my entire life as I did when he kissed me. You also warned me that he would dump me two months later as well. And it happened! You know these things, but you don't want to tell people them. Why not? I could have said goodbye to Tammy, but it's too late now."

"No Dru, I didn't see what would happen to Tamara. And I'm sorry. I'm a failure at Seeing. My mother must be ashamed of me!"

"Don't say that Nymphia! You know you're talent, you're brilliant at it! I'm sorry, but I'm still hurt from Tammy's death. I'm weak, I always have been. You were always the strong one, you could See anything you wanted, you Saw a lot of pain. But you're still standing. But right now, let's not think about this. We've got to get you ready for the party!"

"Oh Dru," said Vanity, weakening. She flung her arms around the small Goth and held her in a tight embrace. Drusilla hugged her back, near tears.

"Come on," said Drusilla, grabbing Vanity's arm. "Let's get you into party mode!"

***

"Jeezo, is it just me, or are the girls getting hotter every year?" Draco asked Blaise.

Draco had persuaded Blaise to come to the party, he didn't come last year, and it was weird not getting drunk with him. Blaise wore a black shirt and ripped black jeans. Already most of the female population were giving them looks. Blaise's eyes stayed at Drusilla Nightwood, noticing the cleavage that her corset gave off.

"Probably, but especially your sister's friends. Look at the legs on Nightwood! Wouldn't mind a one-night stand with her!"

Draco playfully punched him on the arm. "God's sake Zabini, ever since your first shag you've been crazy about sex. Girls won't just fuck you if you came up and ask them!"

"They don't?" Blaise gave Draco a confused look. "Always worked for me..."

"Shut up! Anyway, the sixth years are much hotter!"

"The seventh years have the most experience and biggest tits..."

"Whatever!" Draco rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go!"

***

"Ayenia's brother's friend is looking at me again," moaned Drusilla. Vanity giggled. Everyone in Slytherin knew that Blaise Zabini had the hots for Dru.

"It's your fault for not covering up, look at how much cleavage you're showing!" laughed Vanity.

"As if you're any better!"

Vanity was wearing a tight backless red halter-neck top and a black leather mini skirt. On her feet were knee high black 5-inch stiletto heels, laced up at the front.

"Well, yeah! Where's Ayenia?"

"I dunno, I hope she's coming though. I haven't had a chance to talk to her properly. Is she any better than she was on the train?"

Vanity's face went slightly red. "Yeah...she's fine..."

"Good! I hope she sees us before Christina sees her! Where's Christina?"

"I expect she priming herself in the dormitory. Nothing out of the usual."

"Hmm, you're probably right. I hate her, but I don't want on her bad side."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Blaise is still looking at you."

"Oh crud!"

***

"You look very sexy! Does your father let you go out like that?"

"Nope! I got this from my mother's closet."

"Hmm, Lucius is a very lucky man if Narcissa wears that kind of thing!" exclaimed Michael. He wore a pair of dark fading jeans and a black muscle top. His hair was tame with gel, and his eyes gleamed. Unlike Ayenia, he spent five minutes getting ready. Yet he still looked incredibly hot.

"Does this look too tarty?" asked Ayenia, turning away from her mirror to face him.

Michael just stared. Ayenia was wearing a tight, lacy black dress that was see-through. It laced up at the bustline, and she only wore a black g-string under it. She also wore a pair of light pantyhose and black 4-inch pumps.

"No, just very sexy! Your make-up is lovely as well, gives you more of an oomph!"

"I have oomph? Is that good or bad?" Ayenia turned back around. Her eyes were outlined in black kohl and she had applied dark grey eyeshadow to her lids, giving her a smoky look. She also had a nude colour on her lips.

"Very good, can we go now?"

Ayenia went up to him and took his arm. "Yes, we can leave."

Michael bent down and kissed her softly before they left the room. "Yup," he whispered. "You'll do."

Ayenia giggled, and they walked out together, arm in arm.

When they reached the crowded Common Room, everyone stopped to look at them. Ayenia looked like a princess while Michael was here bodyguard. Cute couple though.

"Oh my God," whispered Ayenia to Michael. "I never thought we'd get this much attention!"

Michael was about to say something, but Montague interrupted him.

"There we have it ladies and gents! Slytherin's hottest couple of the year goes to Ayenia Nightwood and..." his voice trailed off. "Her date!"

The room laughed slightly, and everyone began to applaud. Ayenia began to walk down the stairs to them, and they were greeted with smiles and wolf-whistles.

"What's this?" asked Michael, as Ayenia lead him to Drusilla and Vanity.

"Well, every year there's a welcome-back party here in the Common Room. And it's tradition for the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team to announce the hottest couple of the year."

"Oh, right. It's good to know the house has new traditions. Back when I was at Hogwarts, we didn't have anything like this."

"Really? I was told it was centuries old."

"Oh my God, Ayenia. You look fantastic! Where did you get that dress?" demanded Drusilla when Ayenia and Michael reached them. By this time, the music was back on, and people were dancing, while alcoholic beverages floated about on trays. Michael grabbed two glasses for himself and Ayenia, as Drusilla and Vanity already had drinks.

"I got it from my mom's closet," admitted Ayenia.

"Wow, I've got to raid Narcissa's room one day," cried Vanity, already a bit hyper from her drink.

Ayenia laughed. "Would you like to dance?" Michael asked her.

"Of course, so you guys later," she said to her friends.

***

That night Selene tried to sleep. But she couldn't. Parvati and Lavender must have awakened memories from her past. Why me? She thought under her covers. What did I do to deserve this?

She rubbed her aching forehead. What if I just stay here forever? She wondered. And not do anything, so I won't have a past. I could forget everything, and I'll die here, due to starvation.

It was better than what her family and Lord Voldemort had in store for Harry. He seemed so nice, really shy as well. He'd probably be quite clingy as well, but he seemed sweet.

No! She thought. I can't do this! I can't fall for him, or else; we may both die near the end of the year.

Selene felt hot tears pour out her eyes and she turned onto her side, and pulled her thin knees up to her chest, and fell asleep with Why? Going through her head constantly.

Why?