Digging Deep
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This is my first really angsty story. I hope it comes out ok.
Oh yeah. I don't own Gilderory Lockheart. Just Serena.
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Pale tendrils of dawn wove their fingers through the sky to give a rosy tinge to the young sleeper. He's not sleeping easily, his limbs and eyelids twitch, though he does not wake up. Over in a corner of the room stands a mirror, next to it a suitcase stuffed to capacity with books topped precariously on top. A young woman sits, sleeping more easily then her companion, in an overstuffed chair next to the bed. When the dawn's light gently illuminates her face, she stirs and awakens. Her gray eyes take in her surroundings, unsure at first of where she is and what she's doing there. The answers quickly come to her when her searching eyes settle on her sleeping friend. He'd twitched himself into a curled up position, reminding her of a small child. She smiled slightly, it was a sad smile all the same though. For, her sleeping companion was in for a rough journey when he woke up.
She had explained to him that the Memory Charm that he had accidentally placed on himself was so good, that normal magic couldn't penetrate it. Not that Madame Pomfrey hadn't tried. She poured at least twelve different potions down the young man's throat, though to no avail. No, this Memory Charm had to be removed by the half-siren's magic. But, she had warned him, it wasn't going to be easy for either of them. She was going to take him through some horrible memories. She knew that when she probed him with her magic to find out how deep she'd need to go. He was frightened of what he would find, she was frightened that she wouldn't be able to help. To calm each other's fears they had stayed in the same room that night. The half-breed stretches her arms up towards the ceiling, giving her platinum gray hair a shake, then stands up.
"Gilderory…Professor Lockheart…we need to begin. Please wake up," her new friend mumbles something unintelligible, probably something to the effect of "Just five more minutes mum…" She shakes him gently; finally, he opens a sky blue eye.
"Good-morning," he's trying to be cheerful but she detects the underlining sense of fear, "Is it time?" she nods and he attempts a grin. It's just bravado and they both know it, but if it makes him feel better than what the heck.
"Professor…" she gives a small shake of her head, "Forget it," she takes his hands in her own, closes her eyes and begins to whistle. Amazingly, the sound is that of a flute, her siren magic as its cause. Lockheart closes his eyes as well, and as the siren's song surrounds them they are thrown into everlasting darkness.
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Mother? Mother? Are you there? Mother!
Shhh…quiet sweetling. I'm here for you. I'll always be here.
Except that she wasn't always there was she Gilderory?
No…no she wasn't. My…my father he…did horrible things to her. Please, can't we just go home? I…I don't want…
It hurts, I know, but we have to go through it. Just remember, I am always here for you.
Thank-you.
Laughter. A woman singing. Children playing.
Rory! Rory it's time to come in now! Come on Rory!
Do I have to?
Soft laughter.
It's almost time for supper sweetling.
Food!!
The clink of dishes. A door slams open.
Please Serena I can't…
You have to.
What the hell is this?! Haven't I told you never to start eating without me?
But…but you got home so late and-
Slap.
Don't talk back to me bitch! And you. What the fuck are you looking at?!
N-n-nothing.
No? No?!
Slap. Crash.
Leave him alone!
Shut-up bitch!
Leave him alone, he's just a little boy!
What did I just say?!
The click of a pocket knife.
Serena I can't. I can't! Don't you see?
You have to! Unlocking this memory will bring the rest don't you see?
Serena…
I know.
I'll teach you to talk back to me.
Slash. A scream. Hysterical sobbing. A child wailing.
Shut up you little fuck!
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Serena was blasted out of her magic by Gilderory's screaming. She couldn't continue. Not with his sobbing. It was all she could do to sink down to the floor with him and hold him closely, all the while trying to not bust into tears herself.
"I'm sorry," she kept saying, "I'm sorry."
END
Clear Shadow: Sad ne? I gave Lockheart some real problems in this one.
Lockheart: Yeah thanks a heap Shadow.
Clear Shadow: Awwwww…you know I love you.
Lockheart: You've certainly got a funny way of showing it.