Live, Love, Die

Chapter 2

It has been a week since they let me out of the muggle hospital. Davis didn't want to arouse suspicion at Saint Mungo's Care of Magical Injuries and Maladies. The daily prophet would have had a field day if they found out.

Well of course the doctors had no idea what these injuries related to and what caused them. Davis put them under the Imperus Curse and put a memory charm on them frequently as they stitched me up.

How unfortunate that nobody heard about this... Davis could have been in Azkaban before I could plead, "God help me."

I had a short daydream, as I walked up the stairs of Hogwarts with the abuser, about him being dragged in Azkaban by Dementors and everybody knew him for who he really was, past that facade he wore before everybody else.

"What are you smiling about?" Davis spat at me as we got near the Grand Hall.

"Just about my blissful year here," I said comfortably as we got inside and stopped in front of two doors.

"Whatever." He went through the huge double doors. As the door opened and closed I saw hundreds or maybe even a thousand people in there eating their dinner. The Grand Hall.

I read all about Hogwarts when I attended Beauxbaton. I thought I was going to go here after Beaux. but Davis made me go to Durmstrang before Hogwarts.

I looked all around me and waved to some of the paintings and pictures. Then I heard the rush sound full of chattering people and I quickly turned around. The noise closed with the door as the headmaster and Davis stood before me.

I smiled brightly. "Hello Headmaster. I'm Serenity Lee."

-----

"I have heard a lot about you from the other Heads," said Albus Dumbledore. "Please sit down." We all entered his office.

"All good I hope." I took my seat.

"Only the best," he said, sitting down as well. "Well Miss Lee, my only concern is about you being a week late. There would be a lot of make up work you'd have to do."

"Oh I don't mind extra work. I'm quite use to it. With all the moving I've done, catching up on school work has become a skill of mine."

"That leaves me to breathe freely then," Dumbledore said, "and I hope you'll stay for your last year."

I looked at Davis. "I hope so too."

"We'll see. I am a busy man of the ministry. Being a governor has me traveling a lot," Davis said.

"No doubt it does, but a young witch needs to become familiar with a place or she'll become too restless." "Yes, I've seen some restlessness in her lately."

I cleared my throat.

"Well onto more pressing manners... the sorting," Dumbledore said swishing out his wand. "Accio Sorting Hat."

A rather battered old hat came whisking down from the top of a long line of shelves.

"This is the school's sorting hat. It usually sings us a lovely song about the founders of our school, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, and then places each witch or wizard into their appropriate house based on their personalities," Dumbledore explained to me. "But as the sorting has finished and over with, there would be no song I'm afraid."

I nodded in understanding and took the hat.

I placed it in on my head and waited.

"What's this? Very peculiar mind. Well, yes, this is difficult. You have a portion of each houses' personalities but what stands out more? Your mind, bravery, loyalty, or wit? I see greatness in you, such greatness that this house would be able you on your way, but be warned, bravery is nothing without your heart and mind. GRYFFINDOR! It shouted out the last word aloud.

I had a lopsided smile as i gave it back to Dumbledore.

"Well done," Davis said enthusiastically. "I would have liked you to be in my house, Slytherin, but no matter. Well done Serenity!"

"Yes, your father would have been proud," Dumbledore said. "He too was in Gryffindor."

"I... I didn't know that, Sir," I said. I heard he was in the same house as Davis... or was that just a lie? I looked at him and saw he shifted in his chair.

"Outstanding Gryffindor he was, but he hung out with Jonathan and the Slytherins so much some people thought he was one till he went into his own tower," Dumbledore informed me as if he read my mind. "Made much mischief if my memory serves me right."

"I see. Who knew Davis was such a trouble maker," I said somewhat sarcastically.

I saw Davis plaster a smile on his face that couldn't fool me. "Dumbledore, you're making me set a very bad example for Serenity here."

"My apologies Jonathan," Dumbledore said curtly.

"Sir, where do I go now?" I asked.

"I have prepared an escort to take you to Gryffindor Tower, where all your belongings have already been sent up," Dumbledore said and just then a pearly white ghost glided into the room.

"This is Duke Damien, one of the Gryffindor ghost. Damien this is Sandy Lee. Please escort her to the Tower please."

"Yes Sir!" he said with a thick accent. "Follow Duke Damien, my lady."

"Bye Davis, tell mom I'll write her," I said nicely. If Dumbledore wasn't here I wouldn't even bother looking at him.

"See you during the Christmas Holidays," he said.

I followed the ghost out of the office and into the dark corridors, lit only by dim torches. He started explaining the passageway, where each went and shared some secrets about the ancient castle, including the false step on the main staircase.

I started laughing. "Bet this causes traffic."

"Just be careful," he warned and on we went. He showed me more corridors till we finally ended up in front of a large painting of a fat lady.

"This is the Fat Lady, the Gryffindor guard I suppose. You can not enter without the password, Lion's Gate."

Just then the Fat Lady inclined her head and swung her painting open to reveal a large entrance hole.

"This is where I leave you. Girl's dormitories are on the right, boys on the left. You're belongings are on the 6 floor, door number 8," Damien said before he glided off once more.

I went over the portrait hole and walked inside. It was all gold and red with a blazing fire in the fireplace.

I sighed to my new home and went up the stairs. There were 4 girls sleeping in their own four-poster beds and so I quietly made way to the deserted one by the window.

I checked my watch and saw that it was well past midnight. I've never fully went to sleep till 3 o clock but today I seemed to have dozed off like a baby. Probably because I was so glad I'm away from Davis, but then what would happen to Mom?

------

"Wonder who that is?"

"Did you hear her come in?"

"No, I was asleep."

"Well I slept at midnight and she didn't come in then."

I woke up to the sounds of whispers about me; still keeping my eyes closed I replied, "That's because I came in here well past midnight."

I heard gasps.

I chuckled and sat up stretching. "Hi. I'm Serenity Le, I just transferred here. And I hoped to be in better condition for my first impressions," I added gestering my messed up hair and bad breath.

"Oh no it's fine, I mean you look fine," said a girl with dark blond hair girl taken by surprise.

"Yeah, it's only fair we all look disheveled for the first impressions," said a brunette. "I'm Joey Hitch."

"Alice Jacobs," said first girl girl.

"And I'm Valerie Valentine," said another blonde.

"Hi, Lily Evans, nice to meet you," said the red head.

"It's nice to meet you all."

"Well we better wash up for breakfast, I'm starved," said Valerie going for the bathroom.

"That's because you skipped dinner," Joey said going into the bathroom too.

Alice went to her four-poster and started dressing. Everybody went on about their business now that they found out who the mysterious newcomer was.

"How long till breakfast ends?" I asked Lily who was still by my side.

"Not for another hour and a half," she said.

"Oh great, I think I can sneak in another half hour of sleep. I'm not use to waking up at 8 in the morning," I told her. "And the awkward looks I'll get when I go down can wait."

Lily went to her bed which was nearest to mine.

"Seems like you experienced this before." She started smoothing out her bed.

"Experienced is an understatement," I said lying back down.

"Oh?"

"This is the sixth school I've been to."

"SIX?!" said Alice from the other side of the room.

"Yup," I replied. "My stepfather travels a lot and likes to take us with him so I had no choice but to switch out schools year after year."

"That must suck," Lily said.

"Yeah, well I got use to it. But I do hope I'd be able to finish out the remaining two years here."

"Well here's to hoping," they both said before they went about their own business.

Five minutes later, I heard the doors open and close as the four girls went down to breakfast.

"Finally," I said out loud as I got out my painkillers from my bag. The doctors gave them to me to numb my pains. I went into the restroom and gulped down the pills before looking at my reflection.

I practically had to strangle myself to not yell out. The concealment charm started wearing off just as I looked at my reflection and the image was horrid.

Bruises and cuts appeared fully before me and I couldn't believe how bad it looked, so bad that I started to throw up at the sight of it.

Shit...God help me...

I made my way to the Grand Hall, getting lost once, and walked in. It felt a little awkward being the last person to come in for breakfast as there were heads turned around at me. I don't know why I didn't expect this. I stood there for a minute when I heard someone call my name.

"SERENITY! OVER HERE!"

I faced the voice and saw that it was Lily; she was practically standing up on her seat to get my attention.

I waved and made my way to her. As I sat down there was clicking of sounds and Dumbledore stood up.

"Yes, as everybody has witnessed, we have a transfer student. Please welcome her with open arms."

Everybody started talking to me then. Did Dumbledore have to put me on the spot like that?

"Transfer?"

"From where?"

"Everywhere," I replied automatically. It's always the first question directed to her on the first week of school. "Asia's House of Magic (AHM), Salem Witchery, Merlin's Institute, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang."

"Wow!"

"Durmstrang!"

"Six schools all together then!"

"How crazy..."

"DURMSTRANG?"

"AHM?"

I looked at Lily for support as they continued to bombard me with questions.

"You guys! Stop crowding her," Lily said.

"Foreals, step before I make you," Alice said. "She's not a damn animal at a zoo"

"Thank you," I mouthed to them.

"You must be brave to come from Durmstrang and sit with us Gryffindors," said a male voice.

"Well Gryffindors are known for their bravery," I faced a guy with long black hair.

"Durmstrang's are known for their dark arts and pure blood pride," he said. "Those two qualities aren't appreciated here."

"I'm sure. But the sorting hat put me in here; cant exactly change houses once I've been placed in, can I?"

This happened at Durmstrang too, after I transferred there from Beauxbaton. But I had the gift of intimidating people.

"There can be arrangements made," he said with a brow up.

I looked at him like he was the strangest thing I've ever met.

"Get out of her face, Black," Lily said hotly. "Who cares if she went to Durmstrang? She also went to four other schools."

"Yeah, but she might have been corrupted before she came here, Evans," said another boy beside him that looked like they were twins but he had messy black hair. "I'm surprised you of all people would associate with a Durmstrang."

Lily was about to say something but I spoke up.

"One, don't judge people if you don't know them, especially me. Two, for the whole pure blood pride thing," I faced the guy Black, "my mum's a muggle and my dad's a muggleborn."

He blinked back his shock. I was satisfied.

"As for Durmstrang teaching Dark Arts." I shrugged. "I wouldn't know since they wiped my memory before I left. They're very protective of their school."

This was a down right lie but I was forbidden to tell the truth, not that I wanted to.

"Any more questions?" I asked.

"Not really," Black said and went back to his meal.

A blonde guy took up his defense. "I'm sorry about him, he just doesn't like anything to do with the Dark Arts. I'm Remus Lupin by the way."

"Hi, Serenity Lee. And I don't mind about the third degree, I'm used it."

"Well that guy's name is Sirius Black, next to him is James Potter, and this guy here," he said patting a fat bottomed kid on his porky shoulders, "is Peter Pettigrew."

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hello." He wiggled his fingers nervously.

I imagined him at Durmstrang and thought how he would never survive there when Lily called to me.

"Hey Serenity, lets get to class."

"Coming," I said. "Nice to meet you guys." I really just implied Peter and Remus.

Transfiguration was my first class and I sat next to Lily near the front. I always preferred the back seats but new friends meant sacrifice.

"Those guys always get on my god damn nerves," Lily said. "I'd say they're as bad as Slytherins."

"Language, Lily Dear," James Potter said from the back row.

"Go screw yourself, Potter."

I raised an eye to Alice as the other two kept bickering at each other and she chuckled.

"James has been after Lily for years," she informed me. "And Lily can't seem to grasp the fact she likes him too."

"Shut up, Alice, I don't!" She said angrily facing the front. James made a statement at the comment and Lily started on him.

Ignoring her I said, "I can see that; denial. She enjoys yelling at him too much."

"Serenity!"

Alice said instantly, "James won't have a chance until he deflates his head and just kiss the redheaded fool."

"ALICE!"

"I always thought that was the cure for crushes," I said with a wink and a smile.

"WOULD YOU GUYS KNOCK IT OFF?!" Lily yelled and everybody stared at her keeping their laughter in, but Alice and I couldn't help but burst out. It was the first time I actually clicked with people on the first day of school.

I remember distinctly hearing Sirius tell James that it was the best plan he'd ever heard.

That first day of school was the most eventful day I've had in a long time. I found out that Sirius and James were the most popular guys at school. Guys were wishing they could be them, girls wishing they could be with them, and both sex admiring them to the fullest. The four boys were a group the guys wanted to be apart of but Joey told me that they'll never bring in another Marauder. It was nerving to see them commit their petty crimes on younger students; it reminded me too much of what Davis does to me.

In between classes, I would run up to the bathroom to see that my bruises were completely concealed and took my pills. I'd always give the girls a lame excuse saying that it was that time of the month and they bought it. I would occasionally run into some Slytherins who would get smart about me going to Durmstrang.

"Can't believe someone like her survived Durmstrang," Severus Snape said. Lily told me some of their names, but I didn't need her to tell me about Snape and Lucius Malfoy.

"You dolt, if she survived she wouldn't be here," Malfoy said with a twisted smile.

"Hmm... if I didn't survive, wouldn't I be dead?" It was a sarcastic question. I had enough of their smart mouth; they've been insulting me openly all day.

"You probably coward out," Snape said. "Too hardcore for a weak thing like you."

Everybody seemed to be listening in to our conversation out in the grounds, a source of entertainment as they all waited for dinner to begin.

"Snape and Malfoy right?"

"The one and only," Malfoy said.

"I've heard about you two at Durmstrang." I smiled.

This made them grin more.

"Yup, you're pretty much of a joke up there."

That wiped their gins off clean but left the girls sitting beside me snickering.

"Two pathetic Slytherins who wants to bite off more than they can chew," I said with a steely stare from the ground.

"Wrote to us almost every week trying to buy some books on Dark Arts, get us to tell some secrets about the school," I told the girls but made sure everybody heard. "A constant joke we'd say was 'Damn you're desperate, but not as desperate as them Slytherins."

Everybody laughed then till the two brought out their wands. The girls whipped out theirs but I remained wandless.

"I may have gotten my memory modified, but that doesn't mean I don't remember EVERYTHING I learned there." I put on my bored face; it's a little hard to be scared of two boys when I get tortured by a full grown wizard almost every holiday. "So I can give you two choices. One, get out of my face and stop insulting me or two I'll throw a curse at you that you can find on page 86 of one of those books we sent you."

They gave a murderous stare at me which I gave back a cool one. First lesson, don't get intimidated by looks or anything for that matter.

After they left, Joey asked me, "Did you really send them a book?"

"Yeah I did, but we made sure that they couldn't learn any of it."

"What spell was it?" Lily asked.

"Can't really tell you," I said with a look of deep confusion. "I really just made up a page number; I just hope it's something gruesome."

We all laughed at this as we gathered our things to make our way to dinner. On the way I caught sight of the four famous Marauders, as they called themselves, staring at me.

I sent them a small smile but in the back of my mind I was picturing the look of horror at the two boy's faces as they got to the page. There were three books we sent them and the one of curses, page 86, was turning a man inside out, literally. I shook my head; Durmstang does seem to have corrupted me...

----

The first week of school went by and then two. I became great friends with my dorm mates and just started feeling like this was home.

"Hey, Serenity, you got an owl." Lily brought over a handsome black owl who had a letter with my name attached to its leg.

I only know two people that would own an owl with the deepest shade of black, Davis and Donavan Dethar. Taking the owl from Lily, I looked closer at the owl.

Donavan...

"Take it back," I told it. It nipped my finger affectionately.

"Don't do that. Take it back..."

It nipped me harder.

"Keel. If you don't take it back, I'm going to throw it in the fire," I told it firmly.

"Serenity, who's the letter from?" Alice asked.

I looked up at them. I was on the floor while they occupied the sofa and chair.

"Nobody I want a letter from," I told them as well as the owl.

This time he pecked at my hand and took off through the open window, leaving the note on my lap.

"Damn bird..." I tossed the letter into Gryffindor fire.

"Serenity! You're bleeding!" Valerie exclaimed.

"Huh?" I looked at my hand. "Oh." I rotated my thumb.

"Whose owl was that?" Joey asked.

I did a charm to cleanse and mend the wound.

"Yeah, who ever it was from didn't want the owl to leave till you took it." Sirius and his gang came to sit with us.

"Hey Evans," James said joyfully.

"Bugger off," was Lily's usual answer.

"It's nobody," I told them sincerely and they dropped the conversation.

"Where'd you learn to do Medi Spells?" Remus asked after a moment of silence.

"Oh... hmm... during my fourth year in Beauxbaton," I said, "and it's a good thing too cause, let me tell you, it came in real handy when..."

"When what?" Lily asked when I left my sentence hanging.

"When I went into Durmstrang," I said with a shrug.

"Did you have a tough time there?" Joey asked.

"The first couple of months, but things got a little better."

"I see."

"Who sends their half-blooded daughter to Durmstrang anyways?" Sirius said. He's switch sides from commenting me for going to commenting the person for making me go.

"A full-blooded step-father would," I replied.

"Oh divorce?" He asked.

"No. My dad died in what the muggle news called a freak accident. My mother ended marrying his best friend thinking that I needed a father." This was the first time they actually got an insight in my family life.

"Oh I'm sorry," they all said.

"Is your step dad one of those old pure blood families?" James asked.

I nodded.

"Any chance of us knowing him?" he pushed. I didn't want people to know I was the step daughter of the head governor but they were going to find out sooner of later. It usually came out on the Daily Prophet that Davis moved back home with his now four years of marriage wife and step-daughter. I begged him to not let them let my name out to the public; it was the only thing he obliged to.

I bit my lip.

"Oh come on, I bet we wont even know him," Sirius said.

I looked at my friends before I answered.

"Well... if you don't keep up with the Daily Prophet or who governs the Ministry... I suppose you won't." I hope that clue was bold enough for them to understand who it is.

"No way!" Peter exclaimed putting his thoughts into the conversation for the first time. "Your Jonathan Davis's daughter?!"

They all looked at me shocked.

"Royalty man..." Valerie said.

"Oh shush," I said laughing. "And I'm not his daughter Peter, I'm his STEP daughter."

"Daughters a daughter," Sirius said. "Man... I've had him over at our house parties tons of times, how come you never came to the dinners with him?"

I was probably up in my room, recovering from a bloody beating. I smiled none the less.

"I don't like the whole fancy dinners and parties. I clear out of the way whenever he gets an invitation to bring the family."

This is why nobody would have believed me if I actually did something about Davis beating and raping me.

All of a sudden my ribs started hurting, but I grabbed onto my stomach.

"Sorry guys... cramps coming full speed, I'm going to go to bed," I said and I walked really fast upstairs.

In the bathroom I saw the bruises forming on my face. It wasn't as bad looking as before but there were still dark spots everywhere, especially when I lifted up my shirt.

Sighing, I pop the pain killers in my mouth. The reason I didn't react to the birds peck was because the pain killers were still working... I mentally kicked myself for not acting like I felt it.

"Serenity... you okay?" It was Lily.

"Yeah I'll be right out!" I called out. I did the ever familiar concealment charm and went out of the bathroom.

"God, even when I stop my rag I get cramps." I massaged my stomach.

"Being a girl sucks," Lily said sitting on her bed. After a moment of her staring at me she said, "Want to talk?"

"About?" I sat on my bed as I pulled the covers over my legs.

"The owl? Letter? Or Step father?" Lily leaned in. "I may have only known you for a week but that doesn't mean I can't sense it when you're feeling... under the weather."

I smiled at the muggle statement.

Alice came in just then.

"You know you can't have a girl talk without me."

"Never... that would send us straight into Azkaban," Lily said sarcastically.

"Where are the other girls?" I asked.

"Flirting with the so called 'Marauders'," She waved her hand impatiently. "What's up Serenity? Feeling homesick?"

I laughed. "Not at all."

They looked at me with their brows up expecting more.

I gave in... I'd tell them half the truth, that's all that I can afford to share.

"The owl was from this guy. We ended things since I was moving. Long distance isn't my thing."

"So basically you dumped the guy," Alice said.

"He's from Durmstrang?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," answering both their questions, "but he's the type that doesn't like being dumped... he's either threatening me in that letter or trying to get back together and plans on dumping me after a week or two."

They nodded in understanding.

"Man... is Durmstrang really full of gits?" Alice asked not really expecting an answer but I gave her one anyways.

"Most of them... I just happened to go out with one of the biggest git there." I frowned.

"How'd that happen?" Lily said with questioning eyes.

I smirked. "I was out of his league... too intimidating... thought I was a challenge so he tried to win me over."

I smiled at the memories.

"Is she smiling Evans?" Alice said skeptically.

"Yes I think she is. Spill it sister," Lily demanded.

I laughed. "It was just some stuff he did... like punching out anybody that would insult me, teased me but in a sweet way... I have a picture of him. Want to see?"

"Yeah~" They said together.

"Damn! If all the boys at Hogwarts looked like that... woo~ wee!" said Alice fanning herself. "Who cares if he's a bastard, I'd chain myself to him to persuade my parents not to make move."

I gave a small chuckle as she passed it to Lily.

She looked at me repulsively. "And your ignoring him why?!"

"Things wont workout... we're millions of miles apart and I know both of us wont end up being faithful to one another," I explained to them.

"That's why you keep him on the sidelines... search this school out and if no guy pleases you then you can always take this hunk back," Alice said taking back the photo from Lily to see it once more.

"I'm not going to have Donavan as my back up." I laughed pushing away my long black hair from my smoky gray eyes.

"I have to show this to the other girls, especially Valerie!" Alice suddenly got up and practically ran to the door.

"Alice!" I called after her but she swung the door and I heard her steps making its way down the stairs.

Lily and I looked at each other briefly and I flew down after her.

"Alice, you don't need to be parading around with my EX boyfriend's pictures!" I made a grab at it but Alice quickly pulled back out of my reach.

She was still running down and we practically fell out of the girls dormitory doors.

Laughing but still a little serious, I made another grab at the picture.

"Come on Alice!" I yelled.

"You don't need to be embarrassed about it Serenity, he's a total hunk," Alice said pulling it high above her head. I was still tall so I could reach it but something red suddenly zoomed past me, jumped and grabbed the picture before I could.

"LILY!"

"This is for the first day you were here." She laughed sticking out her tongue.

"Who's this total hunk guys?" Valerie said sitting up on her chair.

"Serenity's boyfriend," Alice said as I chased Lily around.

"EX boyfriend, EX," I corrected her.

"OH! Let us see!" Valerie and Joey join the monkey in the middle, me being the monkey.

Lily quickly threw her the picture.

"WOW!" Joey said.

"Baby, baby, baby! Come to mamma!" exclaimed Valerie fanning herself with her hand.

I rolled my eyes, laughing, I took the picture.

They protested.

"Let's keep out of Serenity's personal relationship life for just now, shall we?" I proposed good-naturedly.

"Fine... but damn what a stud!" Valerie said. "Which school?"

"How is he an ex?" Joey asked.

"Some people here haven't seen this hunk yet," James said from across the room by the fire. We were all spread out, standing, by the portrait hole.

"Oh it must be a personal injury to have someone talk about a hunk that's not you, Potter," Lily said.

"I knew you thought I was a hunk," James said with a smirk and sparkle in his eyes.

"Not as much as this guy," said Lily with a mock dreamily expression.

You could tell that put a hole in his ego but then said, "So you do think I'm a hunk?"

"Get over yourself."

"Let's see him then," Sirius said pushing back his hair. I couldn't help thinking how sexy it was when he did that. I shook my head.

"Yeah... I don't think so," I said trying to push through the girls and up to our room.

"Here." Valerie grabbed the picture straight out my hands and ran towards the boys.

"Valerie!" I yelled, but waited for him to criticize Donavan.

There was a momentary pause before Sirius spoke and passed the picture to James, who Remus and Peter crowded.

"Yeah, he is much more of a hunk than James ("HEY")," Sirius said with a grin, "but not more than me."

Everyone laughed but James who took the comment badly.

"Well now we know who's more self centered between you two," I said walking towards them with my arm out to take the picture. "Now can I please have that picture back so I can put it in my box of ex boyfriend crap?"

Peter handed the picture to Sirius who handed it to me.

"Thank you."

"You have an ex-boyfriend box?" one of the girls said and next thing I know all four girls ran towards the girl's dormitories.

"You won't be able to find it!" I yelled after them. "Nosy girls." But I smiled all the same.

"So why'd you guys break up?" asked Sirius, who was right in front of me.

"Lo-" I began but heard Alice's voice, "Found it!"

"How the hell did they find it?" I said bewildered.

The four laughed. "Where'd you hide it?" Remus asked.

There was a shrill of laughter followed by, "OH BABY!" and "LOVE LETTERS!"

"OMG!" I ran up the stairs leaving the boys laughing at my current situation.