𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.

thirty four.

   "What did I do?!"

   Jovie let out a gut wrenching sob as the man pinned her to the floor. She couldn't help but let her mind flash back to Remus' full moon.

   However there was one major difference.

   Remus was her friend.

   This man was no friend.

   He was a monster.

   She could see it in his eyes, the amount of people he'd killed, the violent ways he'd taken their lives, and the grin on his face while he did it.

   He wouldn't show her mercy.

   And no one was here to save her.

   Feeling claws sink into her old wounds Jovie let out a scream, tears pooling in her eyes like oceans. "Get off!!" she screamed like her life depended on it, using all her strength to pull her knee up and kick the man away.

   She successfully got him off of her, throwing him into the furnace she was previously tied to. Taking her chance, she sprinted towards the door and down the hall only stopping briefly at her appearance in a mirror.

   Old scars tethered her face and new blood soaked her pale skin. Her curls had frizzed and fallen out of their braids in places and her clothes were ripped.

   She could hardly recognize herself.

   Hearing a creak in the floorboard she took off down the stairs again, the footsteps behind her getting louder and faster. The blonde couldn't breathe as she raced towards the kitchen, spotting her wand on the counter.

   She grabbed her wand just as the man pounced on her, throwing her back into the ground. He flipped her over, slamming her hard into the ground.

   "Who do you think you are?" he snarled, slamming her into the ground once more.

   Jovie released her wand at the impact, the object rolling a foot away as she was lifted to be slammed down again.

   The girl let out another cry of pain and the sick crack her skull made hitting the ground. She could feel the concussion creeping up on her and felt thick liquid soak her hair. "Stop!"

   Fenrir just grinned, "don't you know? Fighting is my favorite part."

   And it was at this moment Jovie realized that he was more than a murderer.

   He was going to take his time with her and make her feel every bit of pain before the final blow. There was only one way to beat him.

   She had to be as ruthless as he was.

   She turned her head towards her wand, sucking in a breath as she felt her ribs crack, the man letting off blows in her stomach.

   Fenrir was grinning from ear to ear, seemingly having the time of his life watching her struggle, "what do we say next? The cruciatus curse?"

   Jovie felt herself choke as she stared at her wand longingly, tears blurring her vision. "No," the fear was choking her, "no, no, no!"

   She strained her arm, reaching it out towards her wand, "please!" she cried, feeling the wood at the edge of her finger tips.

   Then she got it.

   The blonde grasped her wand tightly, jamming it into the man's side and praying it would make him move. Luckily he rolled over, holding his bruised hip as Jovie quickly pulled herself to her feet.

   She pushed herself back on her behind until her back hit the wall, another wave of pain rippling through her.

   Fenrir began to stand again, the girl watching him with eyes wide with fear.

   Without another thought she sucked in a breath, "avada kedavra!"

   The man's eyes widened before he died.

   She had done it, she had just killed someone.

   Jovie dropped the wand, the murder weapon, and stood, pressing her hand into her reopened stitches. She stumbled down the hallway, bumping the wall a few times before making it to the door.

   The cool night air pierced her lungs as she sucked it in, stumbling to the ground at the force at which she fell through the door.

   She stayed there for a moment, breathing in slow breaths to try and steady her heart rate before feeling hands wrap around her arms.

   "Leave me alone! No!" She tried to push herself further away, stopping as a familiar voice reached her ears.

   "It's me, it's me. You're okay now."

   She turned, James standing there, bundled in a coat, worry glazing over his eyes.

   James cupped the girl's face, his eyes scanning her blood coated skin. Her big toothy smile was gone and replaced with drawn lips that were parted in fear. Her eyes that were once full of eagerness were empty and dead.

   She just looked tired of the world.

   Still, she smiled.

   "James," she breathed, falling forward into him.

   James wrapped his arms around the girl, murmuring things in her ear as they sat in the cold, taking comfort in each other.