Nyx's Story

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Here's chapter ten! Sorry it has been so long; hopefully this chapter will make up for the long wait. LOL! I do have one last thing to say, though in the chapter certain gods/goddess's are mentioned I'm not 100% sure their real roles are the same as the ones I've given them so just keep that in mind. Thank you!

Selene woke with a start. Her right arm was killing her! "Oh, man."

Hermione stirred from her own bed. "Sel, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Sel felt a stinging sensation go through her palm. Slowly she raised her hand up for inspection. What Selene saw on her palm and wrist made her eyes bug out; smack dab in the middle of her palm was a bluish silver crescent moon. And surrounding the moon was an exotic spiral that reminded her strongly of vines with thorns covering it. But the markings weren't just on her palm; they also traveled up her arm all the way up to her shoulder, "Her-Hermione?"

Hermione turned onto her side, "Yeah Sel?"

"Could, could you look at this please?"

"Look at what?" Hermione stood and approached Selene's bed.

"My arm - it,"

Hermione turned on the light and sat down beside her friend. Her eyes widened at the sight of the tattoo on Sel's arm. "Selene! What happened?"

"I don't know. I just woke up and…" suddenly, like a splash of ice water had just hit her, Selene remembered the strange dream she'd had. Nyx! She was a Nyxling!

"Hermione, last night I had the strangest dream."

Hermione gently fingered the blue markings on Sel's arm. "What was your dream about?"

"A-a woman, she was so…exotic, and beautiful I can't even describe her. She called herself Nyx."

"Nyx," Hermione frowned and went deep into thought. "Nyx, as in the Roman Goddess of Night?"

Sel nodded, "Yeah, her. She said I was a Nyxling or something like that."

Hermione looked deep in thought. "I haven't heard anything about Nyxlings. I could try and find something in the library though."

"Please do. But don't tell the teachers, please." Sel half begged.

"Relax Sel, I won't tell a soul." Hermione frowned. "But maybe we should tell the others."

"Ok, we'll tell the boys. But no one else," Sel debated on whether or not she should tell Severus.

"I'll go down to the library now and start researching." Hermione said excitedly.

"You do that." Sel looked her friend in the eye though and said sincerely. "Thanks Herm."

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "No problem Sel. But maybe you should get some more sleep." Lifting up her back pack Hermione left the tower and headed toward the library.

Sel sighed, only just realizing how tired she was. 'Yes,' Sel thought to herself. 'Sleep.' Before Selene's head even hit the pillow she was fast asleep.

Selene walked through the halls of Hogwarts slowly and silently. She was deep in thought. What was the strange tattoo on her arm for? Did it represent something specific? Hm…

As she continued to walk, her mind considered what Nyx had said about the Darkness….no Ohanzee. Ohanzee wasn't evil he was just dark. Sel shook her head, everything was just too confusing.

Suddenly Sel bumped into someone sending them both crashing to the floor.

"Oomph," A woman said.

Sel looked up and blushed. Sitting before her was a woman with shoulder length red hair and bright blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I-I should have watched were I was going."

The woman laughed and shook her head as she started picking up her fallen boxes and papers. "No, no it was my fault. I should have watched were I was going and not carried so much shit. I mean, I was aware that students may be up and wondering around now. You didn't know I was here." She looked up and at seeing Sel's face she laughed again. "I apologize for swearing, you can blame my personality."

Sel laughed. She liked this woman.

Smiling the woman winked. "I don't suppose I could persuade you to not tell anyone of my slip up?"

"I won't tell."

"Thanks, kido." The woman dusted her hand on her robe and held it out. "I'm Omi."

Sel took the hand. "I'm Sel."

"Selene Potter?"

Sel blushed, "Yeah."

"Pleasure to meet you," Omi stood and sighed looking down at the mess they'd made. "I'm so damn clumsy, I should be declared handicapped."

"I bumped into you." Sel said.

"Maybe, maybe not; who knows?" Omi glanced at her. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me lug this stuff to Madam Pomfrey's?"

Sel smiled. "I'll help."

"Thank you." Omi looked relieved and very appreciative. Together the two started collecting the fallen items and headed toward the infirmary.

As they entered Madam Pomfrey laughed. "Let me guess Miss Potter; my dear friend Omi crashed into you."

Sel raised an eyebrow and laughed while Omi glared at her old friend. "It just so happens she bumped into to me, Poppy." She laughed at the glare Sel gave her. "Ok, ok I bumped in her, happy?"

Poppy shook her head smiling broadly. "Omi, I'll never know what to do with you. You are always causing something."

Omi straitened up and attempted to say seriously. "I do not."

Sel laughed, she couldn't help it.

Omi and Poppy laughed as well. "Well," Poppy said. "I'd best get back to work. But it is wonderful to have you here Omi."

"It's great to be here, Poppy." Omi said smiling warmly at her friend.

Poppy nodded and headed back into her office.

"Excuse me, Omi. But how do you know Madam Pomfrey?"

"Oh she was a friend of my mother's." Omi said as she opened one of her many boxes. "Also when I was studying to become a healer I was her apprentice."

Sel stiffened…healer? "You're a healer?"

Omi looked up and nodded. "Yes, but unfortunately I'm better at healing animals then people. But I can get by when I need to heal a human." Thinking her words over she added. "I guess you could call me a vet. That's what muggles call animal healers, right?"

"Yes." Sel eyed Omi and took in everything she could about the woman. As she had noticed before Omi had bright blue eyes and short red hair. But Omi was also a small petite woman with a certain…weariness about her. Perhaps that was why she had such a sense of humor and personality. To balance off the obvious sadness within her.

"If you have a question you could just ask, I promise I won't bite." Omi looked up from her work and eyed Sel as if she knew what the young girl was thinking.

"What is your full name?" Sel didn't really care she just needed something to say.

"Omi," Omi returned to taking some papers out."

"Omi," Sel was confused.

Omi sighed and stood. "I really can't tell you anything specific Sel. But what I can tell you is that a long time ago I gave up my birth name and took the name Omi. So that is my name."

Suddenly a loud meow was heard, and a large orange cat with dark orange and white stripes ran toward Omi.

"Zorba, I was wondering where you had gotten to." Omi lifted the large cat into her arms and crooned.

"What is that?"

Omi laughed. "That, believe it or not, is a cat. This is my familiar Zorba." She looked down at Zorba and gave him a kiss. "Zorba meet Selene, Selene meet Zorba."

Selene smiled slightly at the large creature. "It's a pleasure." she bowed slightly.

Zorba turned his head slightly and bowed it slowly.

"He's giving you permission to pet him."

Sel smirked and scratched behind his ears. He was so soft.

"Omi, if you don't mind my asking, how come you are at Hogwarts?"

"Hagrid found a heard of unicorns and he'd like me to help take care of them. I guess there's some creature that has been attacking them. So he'd like me to take a look at the ones who were just injured. And Dumbledore seems to think I can maybe find out what is attacking them." Omi looked over at Selene. "I don't think I need to tell you not to go near the forest."

Sel nodded. After the first time Severus had caught her near there she never intended to go near that forest again.

Omi sighed. "I suppose I'd better get started." She held out her hand and shook Sel's. "I was a pleasure to meet you Selene. And thank you for helping me."

"No problem Omi. Or is it Professor Omi?"

Omi laughed, "Me? A Professor; no I think not. See you soon, Selene." Still holding Zorba Omi turned and headed toward Pomfrey's office.

Sel watched and considered everything she had just learned. Had she just found one of Nyx's daughters? And if so which one was she? Shaking her head she left the Hospital Wing to go and search for her friends. It was time to tell them about Nyx.

Selene found her friends in the library talking to Hermione. Apparently she'd told them about her strange tattoo.

"Can I look at it Sel?" Ron asked sitting in front of her at the table.

Blaise and Draco looked pleadingly too. They also wanted to see the tattoo.

Sighing Sel rolled up her sleeve to reveal the exotic blue marks.

"Wow." Blaise whistled.

"Bloody hell," Ron's eyes widened in awe.

"How did you get it?" Draco asked.

"I don't know. Last night I just dreamed about Nyx and then this morning I woke up and had this." She indicated to the tattoo.

Draco narrowed his eyes in thought.

Sel turned to Hermione. "Were you able to find anything?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't find anything." She picked up one of the many books scattered on the table. "Nyx is the goddess of night. And a Nyxling is the Goddess's chosen child etc. And I found absolutely nothing about the tattoo."

Draco's eyes suddenly lit up. "We could ask my mother! She's in Hogsmead today and will be visiting. She knows loads about mythology and what not. Maybe she knows something about Nyx."

Sel shrunk in her seat. "I don't want anyone to know about me being a Nyxling, Draco."

"We won't tell." Draco assured her.

Hermione reached out and squeezed Sel's hand. "We'll tell her I'm doing research on Nyx but I can't find anything."

Sel looked at her friends, all willing to help her.

"Ok. Let's do it."

The group stood waiting in the entrance hall when Narcissa Malfoy nee Black arrived.

"Hello, Mother." Draco said as he hugged her tightly.

"Hello my dragon." Narcissa smiled warmly. "And are these the charming friends you wrote about?"

"Yes, you already know Blaise."

"Hello, Mr. Zabini. How are you?"

"Well, ma'am, thank you." Blaise bowed slightly.

"Mother, this is Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger." Narcissa nodded. "And this is Selene Potter."

Narcissa turned her eyes to Selene. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"You as well ma'am." the children said in unison.

Narcissa looked over to Draco. "So, care to enlighten me as to why you required my presence two hours earlier than planned?"

Draco attempted to look innocent. "Can't a boy wish to see his mother?"

"Draco Michael David Lucius Malfoy, you know perfectly well that innocent face doesn't work on me."

Sel tried hard to stifle her laugh. Michael David Lucius? What a long middle name.

Draco glared at Sel before turning to his mother. "We have a need for your knowledge of mythology. Specifically the Goddess Nyx,"

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "Indeed." Slowly she examined each of the children before her. "And why, may I ask, would you all be interested in the Goddess?"

Hermione blushed. "I was going to research her but I couldn't find anything. I'm rather interested in mythology you see, ma'am."

"Hm," Narcissa continued to watch them, "Very well. Shall we have tea while I inform you about the Goddess?"

"Of course, mother." Draco led Narcissa into the abandoned great hall.

Once all were seated Narcissa asked. "What is it you'd like to know?"

Sel spoke up. "Everything; Hermione mentioned something about Nyxlings, but none of us really know what a Nyxling is."

Narcissa raised one of her elegant brows. "The fact that you know of Nyxlings is something. Very few do." She sipped her tea slowly.

"A Nyxling," she began, "is a person chosen by the goddess as special or as one of her own."

Sel leaned forward praying the woman would continue.

Narcissa remained silent.

Draco sensed Selene's distress and spoke up. "Mother, there must be more than that."

Narcissa looked into her son's eyes. "Do you want the story or facts?"

"Story." Draco said firmly. He knew his mother well enough to know that they'd get more info from a story than facts.

"Well then," Narcissa sipped her tea again. "Nyx was a daughter of Chaos. She was a sister of Gaia and had a brother Erebus. Erebus was the God of Darkness as well as Nyx's husband. Nyx of course bore children; Hemera (Air), Aether (Light), Moros (Destiny), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Morpheus (Dreams), Momus (Ridicule), Oizys (Distress), Apate (Deceit), Oma (Care), and Nemesis.

What is not widely known is that Nyx had a twin sister, Agrona. She was a goddess of strife and war and was known for carnage, slaughter."

Narcissa took another sip. In story telling mode she was very calm and professional. But she couldn't hide the satisfaction of the children starring at her in awe waiting impatiently for more.

"Agrona and Nyx were sworn enemies. Nyx was everything Agrona wasn't. Kind, just, pure, and loving; Nyx was also known for her forgiving and loving nature. Something only one of her children inherited. Her youngest daughter, Oma.

Agrona was fiercely jealous of Nyx. It was this jealousy that caused the War. The War lasted for hundreds of years. Agrona, in her hate for her sister, slaughtered Nyx's mortal children. But that wasn't all Agrona wanted. She wanted Nyx's favorite child dead, Oma. Oma was half mortal, the first Nyxling.

Nyx, fearful of for her daughter's life and the life of her future children. Went into hiding with Oma. During this time Agrona ruled. Years and years passed before Nyx finally returned. But she wasn't alone. She'd created and army. An army of her chosen children. People who willingly served and loved her. These were the Nyxlings. Barring marks of the Goddess's love and power they entered the world and fought against Agrona and her army of Angras. Men who loved hate and pain and relished in everything evil.

As time went on Nyxlings and Angras fought each other in the name of their mother's. While Agrona didn't truly love her followers, Nyx did. And it pained her greatly to watch them suffer and die. Oma, who was a great healer, did everything she could to save her brethren and stop her mother's pain. But nothing she did changed what Fate had decided. Her mother and aunt would never stop, and because of this she left, and wasn't seen again for many years.

It wasn't until Samhain, twenty years later, that Oma reappeared. But it wasn't her mother that she went to, it was Agrona.

Oma made a deal with Agrona. "I'll give you my life if you cease the War. Leave my mother and her children in peace. I know it is in your nature to hate my mother, Nyx. So I offer you this. Cease your slaughter of my brethren, I cannot stop your army, but I can stop you. Stop the War and my life is yours."Agrona knew by the laws of the Gods that she either had to accept the bargain or fight on fair terms with Oma if she wished to see her niece dead. So she accepted the bargain. But not before making a request of her own."

"What was the request, Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

Narcissa sighed. "No one knows, Miss Granger. That is something Historians and Mythologists have long tried to discover. But no one knows for sure."

Sel swallowed. "Please continue Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa nodded.

"With terms agreed upon. Oma allowed her aunt to take her life. Agrona then sent her niece's lifeless body to her sister, Nyx.

When Nyx learned of her daughter's death and the reason behind it Nyx was lost in grief. Her grief was so strong that she had caused night to consume the earth for a whole month.

Nyx then vowed to never have children again. She'd only have her Nyxlings. Children by choice not by soul and blood."Narcissa sighed. "And that is the story. Nyx never bore another child. Any children she has now are those who are Gods and Goddesses or mortals by choice."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "So Oma sacrificed herself."

Narcissa nodded. "So the story goes."

Sel starred at the wall across from her. "That really was sad." She locked eyes with Narcissa. "The marks you mentioned. What were they?"

Narcissa leaned back in her seat. "It is said that Nyx blessed her children or Nyxlings with special tattoo's each unique in their own way. Unique like the individual. None of them are the same."

Sel felt and urge to examine her own mark closely. But she resisted, at least for now.

Narcissa looked at her watch and sighed. "Not that I haven't enjoyed this visit, but I must be off." She stood and indicated that she wanted Draco to follow her. "It was wonderful meeting you all. I hope we will see each other again."

"You too, Mrs. Malfoy."

Draco stood and prepared to follow his mother. "I meet you guys at the library."

"Ok Draco." Ron said.

Sel nodded; though her mind was elsewhere. Once she and her friends were alone she rolled up her sleeve and looked long and hard at her mark. It was then that she wondered when would see Nyx again.

~00000000~

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! And if anyone has any suggestions for the story please feel free to share them, i'm sorry to say i'm suffering from writers block. Blah! :p

Anyway thanks for reading my story,

Selyne :D