It shouldn't have been a surprise to awaken in an empty bed, but it still hurt. After sharing Draco's bed and falling asleep wrapped in his arms, she had stupidly thought things would be better. There was no note, no small gesture, not even a cup of tea waiting for her in the little kitchen. He was just...gone.

Visiting his parents.

After spending all of Saturday studying the Vadon potion in the library, she decided to use Sunday to just relax.

Luna and Arabelle had gone to Hogsmeade for the day, but Vega chose to stay behind. She wanted to read under the tree by the lake and dissolve away from the world around her. As she expected, the wolf was waiting for her. His ear perked when she crunched over the fallen leaves and his tail wagged. "Waiting for me?" She grinned at the wolf. "I would have come yesterday, but I had to study for my potions project," she sighed. "I can't find a single bit of information that actually gives the full recipe. Just bits and pieces really."

Its tail wagged faster as it stood up to greet her. "I'm going to have to call you something eventually." She sat down, ruffling its ivory fur. "How about Ghost?" The wolf whined. "No? What about...Stark? You're certainly stark white." She laughed when the wolf nipped playfully at her hand. "Okay, okay. Whitey?" The wolf bared its teeth at her and growled.

Vega sighed and pat its head. "Fine. Picky little bugger," she mused. "Noori?" The wolf cocked its head to the side at the word. Vega smiled warmly at the beast. "It means my light. You really are though in this dreadful place." She heard the distinct sound of a tail slapping against the ground. "You like that one?" The tail wagged faster, its tongue flopped out as it panted happily at her. "Noori it is then," she cooed and kissed the wolf's snout.

Noori curled up behind her back and let her rest against his fur as she cracked open a book. He nudged the book with his nose and whimpered softly. "You want me to read it to you?" She laughed but the wolf only stared at her, poking at the book until she cleared her throat.

Pulling the red ribbon that marked her page, she began to read from where she left off. "'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo. 'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.'" She could feel the wolf leaning his head over her shoulder, peering at the pages before blowing out a contented breath that rustled them back to the previous chapter. She laughed and flipped back to find her spot. "You know, I've never read this one before. I fell in love with the prequel, but I gave it to a friend."

She felt the wolf tense up behind her and heard him emit a low growl. "Noori?"

"Vega," called a voice. She sat up to see Blaise walking down to the lake. Noori's hair bristled. His lips pulled back at the intruder.

"Go away," she demanded. Noori snapped his teeth once to emphasize her point.

"You have a dog?" He didn't slow down, coming to a halt a few yards ahead of her. Dog was an understatement. Noori was easily three times as large as any dog she'd ever seen, and twice as soft.

"He's not mine. He found me," she explained with narrowed eyes.

Blaise shrugged indifferently. "I came to apologize for my behavior. It wasn't my intention-"

"For me to hear? I'm sure it wasn't." She turned back to her book and lay her back against the wolf. He seemed to settle down when she opened the novel once more.

The sound of him snorting made her blood boil. "Whatever. I came to say I was sorry." He knelt down in front of her and Noori began to rumble a warning growl again.

Blaise looked down at what she held in her hands and snatched it up. "Muggle books?"

"Give it back!" She jumped up but he held it just out of her reach, holding her back with a long arm. "Blaise give it to me!"

He chuckled darkly. "I was planning on making you say those words to me, but I'd hoped it would have been under different circumstances."

She lunged for the book again and he lifted it higher, amusing himself at her effort. "I know what circumstances you were hoping for," she accused with venom in her words.

Blaise smiled smugly, not bothering to deny it. "I would have made it worth your while. You should be thanking me. A lot of girls would be lining up to be in your shoes," he boasted.

Noori had stalked away from the tree, circling Blaise with bared teeth. "Give me back my book." It amazed her how calm she spoke despite how shakey her hands were.

"I'll give it back," he began, "if you earn it." He grabbed his crotch crudely and laughed as her face twisted in disgust.

"I would never touch you, you egotistical piece of-" she never got the chance to finish. In one swift motion he had swung the back of his hand at her and knocked her down. She grabbed her stinging cheek, landing on Noori.

"Know your place mudblood!" he barked.

Noori was scrambling to get out from under her but she moved faster. She lunged at him with her fist, but Blaise caught it and twisted it behind her back. He pulled out his wand and aimed it at Noori. "Stupefy!" The wolf went flying backwards.

"No!" Vega screamed.

Blaise shoved her against the tree and she felt the bark scraping her cheek as he pressed her into it. He covered her mouth with his other hand and brought his lips close to her ear. "You know, I was going to let you actually enjoy it. I was going to take you out, show you a good time, and we'd both walk away satisfied. I didn't survive a war and live through Goyle's fucking fire curse just to be rejected by some mouthy little mudblood."

She tried to scream for help, but his hand was pressing too hard on her mouth. She felt his hands roaming her body and squirmed. He pressed harder against her and chuckled at her efforts. "What's this? Running around on me are you?" He had pulled back her cloak and was gazing at the love bite Draco had left on her neck. "Good. I took you for a virgin. Now I won't feel so guilty," he seethed at her.

He moved his hand away from her mouth for only a moment, just long enough to spin her around. He was grinning down at her, pleased with her frightened expression. "No one comes down this close to the forest. No one will hear you if you scream." He breathed in her perfume and nibbled her earlobe. "Go ahead though. I want to hear you scream. I want to hear you beg for me to stop."

Vega whimpered and tried to pull away. He pushed her back hard and her head smacked against the trunk. "Please," her voice cracked, "please don't do this. Please," she begged.

Blaise snickered at her weakness. His hand came up to cup one breast, squeezing and kneading it painfully. "Why?" He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, planting a wet kiss on her parted lips. Vega squirmed, kicking her legs to try and hit him somehow, but he didn't let up. He shoved his tongue into her mouth and she bit down hard.

He cried out in pain and threw her down. "Stupid bitch!" He spat out a gob of blood.

Vega raised herself up on her elbows and tried to crawl away. She made it only a few feet before she felt Blaise tangle his hand in her head and wrench her up. She screamed and grabbed at his hand, clawing at him and drawing blood. Blaise flashed her a bloody smile. "I'm really going to enjoy this," he promised wickedly. Tears spilled over her lashes and dripped down her chin. Blaise kissed her one more time before pulling away and taking her appearance in. "Fuck, you look pretty when you're scared."

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "Blaise, stop it!" She yanked at his hand but he twisted tighter. It felt like her scalp was going to tear off and her head ached terribly. "Please! Stop! Blaise!" She was screaming as he laughed in her face.

"Please stop Blaise," he mocked. "Take off your cloak." He tossed her down. "Now!" he shouted.

Vega cried softly as her trembling fingers fought to unclasp her cloak. "Don't do this," she sobbed.

"Why don't you," he knelt down with an amused glint in his eyes, "make me." Her chin quivered and he let his head fall back in a triumphant cackle. When he stood, he began to fumble with his belt and she knew what was coming. "Pathetic, just like your cowardly father." He tossed his belt to the side. "If you even think of biting me again," he warned darkly, "I'll snap your fucking neck." Vega sobbed, not bothering to wipe the tears away. "On your knees." She obeyed, sitting up on her knees with her head hung low. He put his thumb and forefinger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "I like you like this." He kissed her again and she clamped her mouth shut. The metallic taste of his blood lingered on her lips.

She closed her eyes, trying to make the world disappear and imagine herself in one of her stories somewhere else. She heard him unzip his pants and swallowed a cry. "Now let's see what that mouth of yours can-" she heard a grunt and opened her eyes.

Blaise was sprawled across the grass and Noori hovered over him, snapping his jaws close to his face. "Get it off! Get it off of me!" He was crying, thrashing beneath the great dog.

Vega sat up in a panic. "Noori!" The wolf didn't look at her. Blaise turned his head to the side and screamed as the wolf latched onto his wand hand and bit down. Blood sprayed over its white muzzle as Blaise cried out in agony.

The wolf ripped its head left and right, keeping Blaise's hand locked in its teeth. "What's going on here?" The large hairy man from the train was stomping down the forest line.

Noori ceased snarling and let go of Blaise. "Run!" Vega urged him and the wolf bounded into the woods.

The big man stopped beside Vega with worry written over his features. "Are you alright?" He turned her face to the side to inspect the cut on her cheek from Blaise's strike. His hand was twice as big as her head.

"Her!" Blaise shrieked. "Look at my arm you bloody oaf! Look what that mutt did to my hand!"

The man glared at Blaise and picked Vega up in his strong arms. "Both of you are going to see Madam Pomfrey."

"What about the dog!" Blaise screeched behind him.

"What dog?" The man shrugged and kept walking. Vega relaxed against him and let herself breath. He hadn't seen Noori. If he had, she was certain the wolf would have been hunted.