Chapter One

Marie looked out of the large, ornate, diamond paned window and frowned at the sky. Large, black-grey clouds had formed overhead, reducing the natural light that had flooded into her work area earlier that day. Although the area was brightly lit she always felt that her costumes came together better when she could view them in natural daylight. Sighing heavily she turned her attention back to the torn cloak she had spread out on the large table before her and, not for the first time, thought about what she would do to Daniel Radcliffe if he didn’t stop tearing holes in his costumes. For someone who was the star of the show he was so clumsy. She’d already had to repair most of his costumes and quite a few of Rupert Grint’s as Daniel didn’t seem to stop at ruining just his own clothes.

Lovingly she ran a hand over the sumptuous material as a flash of blond hair caught her eye. Looking up towards the doorway she caught a glimpse of Jason Isaacs stalking past, dressed in Lucius Malfoy’s finest. Marie smiled. She liked Jason and loved Lucius. She always marvelled at how he could be two completely different people just depending on what he wore. When he was himself he was quiet, funny, flirty but reserved and kind. When he wore Lucius’ clothes he became arrogant, sensual, commanding and domineering. Jason had joked once that most women seemed to prefer Lucius to him and privately Marie agreed with him. Lucius was the kind of person who would just flip you over and start again.

Marie shook her head and started to pin the almost ruined cloak together again. She was a seamstress by trade and had managed, through a couple of contacts, to land the position of head seamstress on the Harry Potter films. This would be the fifth film she had worked on and although she spent most of her day working and had done since the very beginning, she still loved her job.

She looked around the room she had been given and smiled. The production company, Warner Bros. had been granted access to and use of a castle, that was similar in size and build to the computer generated Hogwarts after the sets at Leavesden had been burnt to the ground It was situated in the Highlands of Scotland, not far from Loch Ness. As the cost of relocating was infinitely less than the cost of rebuilding, plus it meant that shooting would be on schedule, the whole team had been moved, lock stock and barrel to the wilderness of Scotland. She’ remembered thinking at the time that it was strange that no-one had even heard of the castle before they’d needed it but had reasoned that it wasn’t really her place to ask such questions.

She leant over the sewing machine and switched the little lamp on as the skies seemed to have grown even darker. She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see that it was only 5pm. She shivered as a blast of cool air wafted across her, making her wish she’d put something more substantial on that the thin tank top and jeans she as wearing.

“Hey Marie.”

She looked up to see Jason Isaacs lounging in the doorway sans Lucius’ wig and clothes. He was wearing his own jeans and a short sleeved black teeshirt that showed off his well built physique. He had reminded her that he’d built himself up for a previous role and not to get to excited about the thought of his body in Lucius’ clothing. Marie had laughed whilst inwardly groaning at the mental image he’d given her.

She smiled, pushing her curly white blonde hair out of her face.

“Hi Jason. Filming finished for the day?” she asked, as he walked over to her.

“Yeah, well my part anyway. You know I begged JK to write more about Lucius in the books but you know her, it’s all about Harry bloody Potter.” he joked.

“You’re just jealous cause you’re on the losing side. Though I don’t think Lucius would be half as sexy as he is if he was on the side of good. It’s the darkness in him that makes him so damn sexy.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, a wry smile on his face. Ever since he’d first met Marie and they had clicked as friends he’d known of her penchant for Lucius and found it funny and slightly charming that she constantly referred to him as if he were a real live person and not just a character in a book.

“Honestly Marie, if you ever met Lucius you’d probably shit yourself that he was going to kill you.”

“As long as he did me first, I probably wouldn’t care.” she retorted, pinning the torn sides of the cloak together.

“Marie Morgan! I’m shocked to hear such words come out of that beautiful mouth of yours.” he said, smiling as he’d heard it all before.

“Come off it Jason, if I didn’t say such things about the love of my life Lucius “please shag me” Malfoy, you’d think I was ill or something.”

“Yeah probably…what the hell?” he frowned as he looked out of the large window.

Marie turned to look at what was making Jason frown and gasped. The skies overhead had turned a greenish black and what could only be described as tendrils of green light were snaking out of the clouds and moving along the moors outside of the castle grounds as if searching for something. Marie dropped the cloak back onto the table and stood in front of the window unable to believe what she was seeing. Jason came up and stood by her side, dwarfing the petite woman. Silently they stood watching the bizarre lightshow.

“I have a very bad feeling about this, Obi Wan” Marie whispered to Jason who just smiled wryly, not taking his eyes from the interplay of green lightning outside.

They stood side by side, just touching as the light seemed to stop for a moment then gathered force and rushed towards the room they were in, like snakes slithering over the moors and heather before it hit the stones of the castle.

It happened so fast that neither were fully prepared for the blast of blinding light that penetrated the gloom of the small room as the green light came rolling in with a roar so loud that neither could hear anything else above it. Instinctively Jason grabbed Marie to him and turned his back to the light, shielding her from the penetrating glare.

Marie wrapped her arms around Jason and buried her head against his chest, hearing his heart beating rapidly. All too soon she became aware of an awful burning smell then the pain hit her as she realised that her exposed skin was blistering in the light. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound emerged. Risking a glance at Jason she was horrified to realise that the same was happening to him and she watched, terrified as the blisters on their arms began to weep, their fluids combining. Just as she felt she would pass out from the pain and the horrendous noise, there was silence and total darkness