I Need A Hero

Salem shuddered as she tried to halt her tears, but once they had started, it was hard to make them stop pouring down her face. She knew she was supposed to stay strong for her brother, to protect him the way he always managed to protect her. But she was hurting, both physically and emotionally. Her body ached, but something else hurt.

An outsider to Salem's life may say she had little to be proud of or that she was weak, but she knew these were lies. She had her share of accomplishments and she had overcome more adversity than most people would ever face. She had dignity. She may know how to put her head down and walk past trouble, but she still had dignity.

Well, not anymore.

Zara had taken it from her and she was feeling it now. She felt as though she was weak, that she did not have a reason to be proud, that she did not have a sense of dignity. She was useless, worthless, helpless, hopeless. But at least she had her brother right now. She may continue to get hurt inside, but she would not get hurt on the outside. "Th-thank you, Nixen. I know, I'm just stupid. I'm pretty stupid..." She chuckled.

Nixen gently wiped away his sister's tears. "You are not stupid Salem, you are the smartest person I know." He said with a smile. "Never think you are stupid, because you are not." He smiled and gently wiped the tears away, brushing the flecks of makeup that still clung to her face. "You are beautiful Salem, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise okay?" He smiled at her and brushed her hair out of her face. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and touched her on the head lightly, and her hair cleaned out, the blood disappeared, and it straightened and lay in it's normal waves around her face. "There, much better, now you don't look like you were just hurt." He said attempting to smile at her, but looking like he had a bad toothache instead.

"You should sleep Salem... you need to rest, you've been through a lot, don't worry, I'll stay right here beside you." He said softly, and slowly moved away from her, and pulled a chair up beside the bed. Looking down at her for a moment before reaching out and taking her hand. "No one is going to hurt you anymore Salem." He said softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "No one is ever going to hurt you. Let me ask a healer for a dreamless sleep, Merlin knows you'll need it. I'll be right back." He said softly, standing up and leaving the room in search for a healer and a dreamless sleep potion.

Salem offered him a twisted, pained smile and reached up, wiping her eyes with her black-painted fingers, wiping away the tears that had gathered on her face. She looked up at him and sniffed again. "Thank you," she said in a soft voice. "You're pretty great yourself." She giggled softly and then winced, moving to clutch her ribs, where she had been kicked.

She nodded when he suggested she go to sleep, and once he moved, she slowly lowered herself back onto the bed, resting her head against the pillow. Luckily, she did not feel so gross now that he had helped her out with a handy spell. He took her hand and she turned her head over to look at her brother, giving him a small smile.

He said he would get her a potion and she nodded slowly, croaking, "Okay." He left and she shrunk slightly, bringing her hands to her chest and looking up at the ceiling. She hugged her middle and let out a shaky breath, the silence pounding against her ears painfully. She shivered again and sighed, closing her eyes. It was all better. Her big brother was here.

After a few minutes gone, Nixen came back with a potion in a glass bottle. "Here you go Salem.." He said softly, holding out the bottle. "Go to sleep Salem, I'll look into getting you something warmer okay?" He said softly, sitting down beside her. "But you deserve to sleep now okay? You really do." He stroked her hair lightly before sitting back in the chair, watching Salem with sad eyes. This girl had had her life so hard already, she was even getting better. He had seen her growing more and more confident with people, making friends, enjoying Hogwarts.. and now this.. well this set her even farther back then she had been before she had started to get batter.

"Oh Salem.." He whispered and rested his head against the bed, feeling himself finally letting go all of the pain he felt stowed away when he had to keep her happy, to show he was strong. But now that she was asleep, he could feel the anger take over his mind. This person had hurt his sister. She had HURT her, and badly too. He felt himself start to shake and knew that he would get back at her. If it was the last thing he did, he would get back at this.. Zara Death Eater person, and he would make her wish she had never hurt his little sister. NO ONE hurt his little sister, and now that they had... they would pay.

Salem had been watching the door so that she would not be so skittish nor as easily startled as she had been earlier, because she knew it had dismayed her brother to see her so timid looking. He had such high expectations for her and she never wanted to let him down, because he had never let her down. Therefore, she would not let herself be frightened.

She took the potion and she nodded, listening to his words, feeling the strain enter her throat. She was relieved he was going to get her something warm, and she was even more relieved he wanted her to sleep. In a quiet, strained voice, she said, "Thank you." She tasted the potion, and then allowed the potion to cascade down her throat. She immediately felt sleep fall over her..

She began to blink slowly and she felt herself get heavier. She saw the dark shape she knew was Nixen put his head on the bed and heard him say her name in a sad voice from far far way it seemed. Her heard ached at the sadness in her voice and in a fog, she stretched her hand out and lightly placed it on his shoulder, the only comfort she could offer him before she fell asleep.