Ethereal {N.B.}

Chapter 1

The young witch's clothes were torn and raggedy, dried blood stains splattered along with fresh ones. Her shoulder-length chestnut brown hair whipped viciously in the wind as she ran. Her bare feet slapped the pavement while her lungs burned for oxygen, but she couldn't stop. Not yet. A large house came into view as she pushed forward, only making her push harder. She couldn't let them get her. Not again. Pain radiated through every fiber of her being. When she finally reached the stone path, she ran faster than she ever had to the front door. Pounding brutally on it, she yelled what she could through her sharp breaths.

"Please," she practically begged. She repeatedly checked over her shoulder, praying each time that there wouldn't be someone behind her waiting to drag her back. When the door finally opened, she was met with the concerned face of a very confused witch. There was a stark contrast between the appearances of the two. The young witch was battered and bruised, while the older was pristine and elegant, ethereal even.

"Can I help you," she asked softly.

"I- please. I just need to hide for a f-few hours. I c-can't let them t-take me again," the girl pleaded. Tears were rolling from her bloodshot eyes and down her flushed cheeks. Her panic was evident, and it yanked at the older woman's heartstrings.

"O-okay," she said as she held the door open a little wider. "Come in, dear." The girl walked in, checking over her shoulder one last time to make sure there truly was no one waiting for her. As soon as the door shut, she slid down it and put her head in her hands. Her body racked with sobs, a mix of dread and relief washing over her. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a gentle hand on her knee. She flinched but relaxed when she realized it was only the woman who had let her in.

"I- I'm sorry. I promise I'll be gone soon," she whimpered. The older woman's heart shattered at her broken tone.

"Oh, dear, there's no need to apologize. Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" she asked with sympathy lining her features. The young witch nodded and took her outstretched hand. She hissed in pain as she stood and clutched her side. This only deepened the woman's concern. "Come. I have first aid supplies in the kitchen." She slowly led the girl to the kitchen, their hands still laced together. She helped the girl into a chair before rushing around the kitchen and grabbing everything she needed to attend to her. The girl watched as the woman glided around, looking graceful even in her rushed nature. When the woman finally returned, she began with the girl's face. She gently took a warm, wet rag and wiped away the dried blood and dirt. The girl seethed and moved away slightly when the cloth connected with an open cut on her eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied softly. After all, the woman was just trying to help. When the woman was done with her face, she sat back on her heels and looked at the girl with a gentle gaze.

"I know this is going to be difficult, but I need you to take off your shirt so I can see how bad any of your other injuries are," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The girl tensed for a moment before nodding. "Do you need help?" The girl nodded again.

"Yes, please." After getting the girl's shirt off, the woman attended to the small cuts and burns that marred the girl's torso and arms. She was horrified at how many there were. She gently rubbed bruisewort balm over the various bruises in hopes that they would heal faster. The woman summoned clothes for the girl to change into, and the girl slipped the shirt over her head before removing her pants for the woman to continue with the wounds there. None of the wounds were major, but they would likely leave nasty scars. When she was finally done treating all of the injuries, the girl slipped on, with assistance, the loose pants she was given and sat back down in the chair, letting out a sigh.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked after a minute of silence and waving away the supplies with a flick of her wand.

"I think so. Thank you," the girl replied.

"Of course." The older woman paused as she watched the girl take a shaky breath. "What's your name, dear?" The girl was slightly taken aback by the woman's curiosity, but she couldn't really blame her. She too would be curious if a stranger showed up on her doorstep the same way she had. She was hesitant to respond, but there was no point in hiding from the woman now. She had practically seen her naked for Merlin's sake, and she was sure that if she were going to harm her, she would have done it by now.

"Nayana. McCallister," she said softly. "You can just call me Naya if you want." She looked down at her hands, shrugging lightly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Naya. I'm Narcissa," she said with a soft smile. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"I'm okay. I don't want to be a bother," Naya responded. Narcissa shook her head.

"I promise it's not a big deal. I'll start some tea, and you can have some of the scones I made yesterday." The girl didn't have time to argue before Narcissa made her way around the kitchen, starting tea and placing the scones on the table in front of Naya with another smile.

"Thank you," Naya whispered as she took one and ate it slowly. She wasn't sure how much she would actually be able to keep down, and she didn't want to push it. After finishing the tea, Narcissa set a cup down in front of her and took the seat across from her at the small table. They sat quietly for a while before Narcissa spoke.

"Naya, dear, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I have to ask." The woman looked up at the girl to see if it was alright to continue. She nodded slightly, so the woman proceeded. "What happened? I haven't seen anyone with that many injuries since the war." Naya had relaxed a little since she first came through the door, but she was far from trusting the woman completely. She didn't trust anyone anymore.

"I- um... I was taken from my house, a few days ago, I think. I figured out how to get away, but t-they almost c-caught me." Panic started to flow through her veins again as memories of the past few days flashed through her mind. Her breath picked up again, and her heart hammered ruthlessly against her chest as her eyes burned with tears that threatened to spill over. Narcissa sensed her change in demeanor and slowly moved her hand towards Naya's trembling ones. She gently wrapped her hands around Naya's, careful not to scare the girl. This snapped her attention back to Narcissa, and her breath gradually began to even out again.

"You don't need to tell me anything else about it now. It seems like you've gone through enough already." When she was sure Naya had calmed down completely, she removed her hands. Naya secretly missed the warmth and comfort her hands had provided, but she wasn't going to tell her that. She looked up at the clock. 8:00 p.m. Roughly two hours had passed since she stumbled through the front door. She stood up abruptly from the table, immediately regretting it when pain shot through her side. She straightened out soon after and looked back at Narcissa. To the elder woman, the girl looked much older than she had when she first saw her. At the time, she thought she couldn't be older than seventeen, but now, standing in front of her in the dull light of her kitchen, she had to be at least twenty, maybe Draco's age.

"I should go. Thank you, for everything, Narcissa," Naya said, shooting a weak smile to the woman sitting before her. Narcissa's face dropped, and she stood slowly. She had noted not to make any sudden movements after seeing the young woman's reaction at the door.

"Please, stay. At least through the night. I would never be able to live with myself if I let you back out onto the streets at night knowing you could be in danger," Narcissa pleaded softly. "My son and his family won't be home for another few days, so you won't have to worry about anyone knowing you were here if you want to leave in the morning." Seeing the worry etched on the woman's face was enough to break down Naya's resolve, and she nodded in agreement.

"Okay," she said softly. She stifled a yawn, and her body ached with fatigue.

"Come with me. I'll show you to your room." Naya followed closely behind Narcissa as she led her up the stairs and down a hallway before stopping in front of a plain black door. "You can sleep in here. It's one of the guest rooms, so it should have everything you need. My room is just across the hall if you need absolutely anything. Get some rest, Naya." She rested her hand on the young woman's shoulder gently for a few moments before pulling away and turning towards her own room.

"Goodnight," Naya called after her softly. Narcissa threw a soft smile over her shoulder before entering her room and closing the door. Naya did the same, making sure all of the windows were shut tight and charmed before climbing into bed and sliding under the covers. She was exhausted. It took only a few moments for her eyes to slide shut, and she drifted to sleep.