I just figured this would be a unique idea.
I looked down over the ledge, almost stepping off of it. I quickly backed away from it. Why did it look so tempting before?! Why am I suddenly so terrified?! Was I going to do it? Was I really going to do it? What am I thinking? What is this place, anyway? I look around. It's the Astronomy tower, one of the tallest towers in Hogwarts. How can I forget? Who am I again? Wait, I'm Lib- no! I'm Rose Weasley! No! I'm Li-!... Wait... who? I look down at my hands. I'm a fifteen year old girl, this I know but why is some part of me horribly alarmed about that?
"Because I'm in my twenties!" A voice said.
I jolted after I heard that voice. Who was that?!
"I'm... Libra." The voice said.
I got up. Maybe I should go to bed. Yeah, bed sounds good. Maybe I'll wake up and everything will be back to normal. I can wake up and go to my classes, get a bottle of kombucha on the way from the sto-... what? That's not my routine. I wake up in the morning, grab some toast and jam to eat while drinking pumpkin juice in the great hall. What even is kombucha anyway?
"It's a fermented tea... why am I here?" The voice asked.
"I don't know." I said, rather too loud.
"Rose?" Albus asked, coming out of the door and seeing me backing away from the ledge.
He worriedly walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. Who...? Wait, this is my cousin. Why does he look so familiar and yet, so new to me at the same time?
"I... I think... I- I've..." I began, the anxiety welling up inside of me.
I saw his posture change. I think he caught on to what I was about to do. I couldn't help but feel ashamed... but there was this looming sense of anxiety coming over me. It was getting worse by the second.
"Come on, let's get you back to your dorm." He said, putting an arm around me.
Albus... I hadn't talked to him in awhile. I've been horrible to him lately and Scorpius. I was up here because I... realized that I've been so horrible to him and others. I broke down crying. I've been so stupid! At this rate, I'll lose the people I care about just like that one time I-... what did I do? Did I do that? No... I didn't. I haven't lost people I've cared about. Not yet. So why do I feel like I've done that before?
"Either way, maybe you should apologize to him. While you still have someone to apologize to... believe me, it pays off in the end." The voice said.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on with me, Albus. I've been so horrible. I've become the very thing I hate!" I cried.
"It's okay, Rose. It's okay. Let's just get you to bed." He soothed.
I was breathing heavily and shaking so badly that even Albus was shaking a little from me. I couldn't help but cry as we walked down. I nearly... I was going to kill myself. I was going to do it, too. I had the full resolve, even had a foot over the edge and everything. If I had just put my weight into it, it would have been all over. So... what suddenly gotten into me? Was it... was it Libra? What is Libra? Why am I suddenly able to recall things that I know I've never done but yet, in a way, I somehow did? Have I just gotten so mad to the point that something in me split?! Then I had a flashback... Someone holding me down, a knife at my neck... I felt my arms shake. Was I killed?! Wait, no, I'm here... I'm alive... I'm here... was it... her?
"Oh god... I'm dead." She said.
I felt my whole body go numb. I felt so much anxiety consume me and... not all of it was my own. Whatever happened, I can feel it. I nearly died and Libra... she just died. I can fell the knife in my flesh... the blood leaving me, my body actually going numb... and seeing a body that I used to be in. No, it was her... naked, her neck slit, her body covered in bruises and a nude man between her legs with a wicked grin. I didn't realized that I had collapsed on one of the landings. I was breathing heavily, gasping like I couldn't get enough air. Albus called for help. Another familiar voice rushed up the stairs.
"Rose?!" Came Scorpius' voice.
Shame gripped me as I felt a familiar set of arms pick me up... arms that I'm used to pushing away. Yet, I wanted them to stay around me... because, right now, it felt like they were the only thing keeping me grounded. Suddenly, I felt them tense around me as another presence came.
"Peeves! Now is not the time for any of your pranks!" Albus snarled.
"Relax, Potty. This is not the time for jokes." He said.
"Did you see what happened?" Albus asked.
"She was going to do it. She had her foot over the edge. But then she shot backwards." Peeves said.
"Do what?" Scorpius asked, his voice filled with dread.
"Why else would someone be up past curfew in the astronomy tower about to put their foot over the edge? Are you that dumb, Mouthboy?" Peeves asked.
I felt Scorpius go rigid. I remember he hated that nickname, one of the many that Peeves has had him inherit from his father... I guess Scorpius also knows what I nearly did, too.
"Make yourself useful for once and get help." Albus barked.
I don't remember entirely what they said after that. I felt like I wasn't in my own body, like someone else had taken over. I need to calm down or else this girl is going to die of a heart attack. Wait, who? Thoughts like that aren't doing me any better. Focus on the arms around me... Scorpius... Oh merlin! I was so mean to him, too! I don't know which part of me was saying sorry over and over again out loud... Libra or Rose? How am I suddenly identifying as two people? Am I out of my mind? How am I able to say something and yet be so lost in my thoughts at the same time? I think Pomfrey must have arrived and knocked me out or I passed out... either way, I don't remember anything after that.
I think I'm dreaming... or have I died for real this time? No... what is this room? I look around to see walls made of a dark warm colored wood with a red tint to it. I was sitting on a red chair. A table matching the dark wood walls around me was in front of me and the windows around us were open, letting cool night air inside... I could have sworn I preferred daylight although I'm not against night time, either. It smelled of lavender, my favorite smell... but it also smelled of lemon... not an unpleasant smell but I don't remember particularly favoring it. Then I caught sight of a woman with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes in front of me. She was beautiful... Surprisingly beautiful. She gave me a friendly smile although she looked a bit nervous. She sat in a blue chair.
"Hello, Rose." She greeted.
"Hello? Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Libra." she said.
"You're the one who... is in my head. Where are we?" Rose asked.
"We're inside a part of your mind, I believe. For the moment, you're asleep from the looks of it." She said.
"How do you know?" Rose asked.
"Plug your nose and breathe through it." Libra said.
I did so and surprisingly, I could still breathe. Okay, so I am dreaming.
"Is this real or in my head?" I asked.
"Well, we're in your head, yes. That doesn't mean it's not real though." Libra said with a shrug.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"I don't... I don't really know, kid. But... I'm kind of glad I came." Libra said.
"Why?" I asked.
"You were going to jump... weren't you?" Libra asked with a knowing look.
I looked down shamefully. Yes, I was... I had the resolve to do it and everything. I wasn't even hesitating until...
"You stopped me, didn't you?" Rose asked.
"Yes. I did. How are your feeling?" Libra asked.
I took some time to think. I shook. Honestly, I didn't feel any better. I felt... horrible. I still feel like I would have been better off if I went through with it. Libra got up and put her hand on my shoulder. She was worried... I can actually sense what she feels a little bit. I could feel her heart breaking for me. But, if I can feel what she feels, does that mean she can feel what I feel?
"Rose, why do you feel like this?" Libra asked.
"I don't... I don't know." I said.
"I think you do. Don't be afraid. I'm not going anywhere. It's not like I could give anything away. Just don't be afraid to face the truth yourself." Libra told me.
So... I let myself think. Before long, everything just came out.
"I... I said that I hated my cousin... and that all Slytherins are scum." I said.
"That's quite the stereotype. Well, is Albus scum? What has he done to you?" Libra asked.
"He's in Slytherin. I wanted him to be in Gryffindor with me but... he went to Slytherin. And he became friends with Malfoy... that son of a death eater." I said, bitterly.
"Well, what you said doesn't sound like a decent enough excuse to hate either of them. Do you know anything about them?" Libra asked.
"Well, Albus is my cousin." I said.
"Okay, so he's family, but what do you know of his friendship with Scorpius? What do you know of Scorpius?" Libra asked.
"That... he's the son of Draco Malfoy, a death eater. That Draco used to bully my parents so bad. That he's a pureblood and that the Malfoy family thinks all who are not pureblood are scum." I said.
"Okay... so essentially, all you know about Scorpius is his lineage, what his family thought awhile ago, and the house he's in." Libra said, giving me a weird look.
She... thinks I'm being childish. The worst part is, I know I am. Nevertheless, she was also patient and understanding despite being a little annoyed at how childish I was being.
"He's also had a crush on me for the longest time." I admitted.
"And aren't you a half blood? And if I remember from the remnants of your memory I have seen, Albus isn't exactly pureblood, either. Wouldn't it be safe to assume that he doesn't think about anyone's lineage at all?" Libra asked.
I nodded.
"I guess... I've gotten like this because I was so hurt that Albus had been put in Slytherin. For awhile, I blamed Scorpius because they became friends so quickly but... Scorpius was sorted right after Albus. Scorpius could have been sorted into Hufflepuff for all we know. It's just that Albus and I were best friends before all this. I loved him like he was my own brother... and I haven't had a decent conversation with him in a long time all because he's Slytherin... He's friends with a Malfoy. I was afraid that maybe he was put in Slytherin because maybe he's evil or something. And for awhile, I believed that... all because of the house he was put in. And now... I realized that I've been no worse than any bully that my dad has told me about. It my fault I'm not friends with Albus anymore. It's my fault he hates me... because I became the very thing I've always hated most; a bully. And I've been so nasty to him ever since my first year. I pushed my own family away... my best friend. I hate myself for doing all this. And they aren't the only ones I've been mean to. How can I forgive myself for this? How could I have been so stupid this whole time?" I asked before crying.
Libra put a comforting arm around me.
"Rose, everyone has done things they regret. I know I have. I used to second guess my friends all the time. It took me a long time to even realize that feeling affection for your friends is completely normal. I'd see friends hug each other all the time but I never understood it as something I could do. I just thought they were being weird until I actually made real friends that I had been happy with. But I lost a lot of friends in the process of learning this. Believe me, I have things I regret, too." She said.
"What? You? But you seem so calm and-and-" I began.
"Let me show you. If I may?" She asked.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"I'm not sure but I think I might be able to let you experience what I have." Libra said.
"...Okay." I said.
She suddenly put her forehead against mine and suddenly, I was pulled into another body and I got to see what Libra had experienced... She was... just as awful as I was at one point... and she regretted it just as much, too. But it wasn't just friends, it was also with someone she loved deeply. She then separated from me.
"Everyone goes through this. What makes you better for it is that you understand you were horrible to these people. You're not going to do any of that again, are you?" Libra asked.
"No. Never." I said.
"Then it can only get better for you from here. It did for me." Libra said, putting her forehead back against mine.
She made some good friends... wonderful friends. Despite being a muggle, she lived a pretty happy life. She pulled away from me again.
"I rather you not see what comes after that. You already saw it anyway." Libra said with a sad smile.
"So you were murdered?" I asked.
"Yes... and violated. But you've already seen that, haven't you?" She asked.
I nodded.
"I'm sorry for letting you see that." Libra said.
"It's fine... but... is it all going to be like that again when we wake?" I asked.
"I don't know. It's so much easier talking to you while we're asleep." Libra said.
"Is... this even possible? To have someone's soul share bodies with someone else?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe we should research it." Libra said.
"What if it's in the restricted section?" I asked.
"You're a Gryffindor. You've got nerve, don't you? Besides, aren't fifth years able to have some access?" Libra asked.
"I guess. I'm still going to try and ask permission." I said.
"Alright. From the looks of it, we'll be waking up soon. Just relax for the time being." Libra said.
I awoke in the hospital wing and rubbed my eyes. I felt horrible. Like my energy got completely drained. But then... this isn't the first time I've woken up after a panic attack... wait, yes it is. Libra... this isn't a first for her. This is so weird. I sat up and the moment I did, Madam Pomfrey came over.
"Are you alright, dear?" She asked.
"I'm fine. Just a bit drained." I said.
"I'm here, kid, don't worry. It seems that our minds tend to fuse. It's not easy being two souls sharing one body." Libra said.
"You gave everyone quite the fright last night. I had to force Scorpius and Albus to leave with Slughorn to go back to their dormitories." She said.
"Did they say anything?" I asked.
"Not really. They just followed you to the tower and found you collapsed and having a panic attack. Are you alright, my dear? That panic attack wasn't caused by a charm." She said.
"I'm just... going through some things. I'll be alright." I said.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I'll be fine. I promise." I said to her reassuringly.
She frowned, unsure if she should believe me or not. But she nodded and left to go check me out of the hospital wing. I went back to my dormitory to quickly get ready for the day before leaving to join everyone for breakfast. I felt nervous on the way to the great hall and I stood outside of the door before going in. Oh merlin! What is everyone going to think of me? What if they heard about it?!
'Calm down, Rose. It only matters what the important people in your life think. No one else matters.' Libra said.
I still hesitated. Libra continued.
'I know teenagers are the most nasty things in the world but it's alright. I promise. Only Albus and Scorpius know. If they didn't tell Madam Pomfrey, I doubt they told anyone else. Peeves is also not one to joke about something like that, I don't think. I doubt anyone knows.' Libra said.
I took a deep breath and walked into the great hall. Lily, James, and Hugo were sitting together. I sat next to them and quietly grabbed some food. They all looked at me with weird looks. Do they know? Oh Merlin! What am I going to tell them?
'Calm down and don't second guess anything. You're just acting unusual which is alright. Something scary happened to you. You have every right to be troubled.' Libra said.
I remained quiet and focused on taking some food. James gave me a questioning look.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine. I've just been... troubled lately. That's all." She said.
"With what?" Lily asked.
"I... I rather not talk about it." I said.
"Not talk about it? But don't you usually come to us when something is bothering you?" James asked.
He's trying to guilt me into saying it. It's not going to work. I don't have to tell him what's wrong if I'm not ready to, family or not... Since when did I have that mindset? James usually always knows how to get me to talk. I shook my head and his eyebrows raised. I'm surprised, too, James. That would have worked normally. But, then again, if I was normal, I'd be dead right now. I shivered at the last thought.
"I'll tell you eventually. Just not right now. Please don't ask me further." I said.
"Since when do you hide things, Rosie?" James asked.
"You're not going to guilt me into saying anything this time." I said, eating my eggs.
"But it's always worked." Lily said.
"Not this time." I said, getting annoyed.
They're being pushy. If this keeps up, I'm better off sitting somewhere else. I decided to eat a little faster.
"Did something happen? Did one of the Slytherins get back at you for saying something? I'll admit you had it coming but if it was horrible enough to scare you this badly, I'd like to know what happened." James said.
I cringed and felt a tear fall from my eye in spite of myself. He's bringing up what I experienced last night and I'm not in any mood to talk about it. I quickly wiped the tear away.
"Who did it?" James asked, his eyes going dark with anger.
"No one... I just feel guilty is all." I said.
"This isn't the way you normally act when you feel guilty, Rose. Now tell me what happened." James said, raising his voice.
"I already said I don't want to talk about it! Mind your own bloody business!" I snapped.
Everyone in the great hall turned their attention to us. Lily, Hugo, and James all looked at me in shock. I never get angry at them like this. Well there went my appetite. I chugged my pumpkin juice before I got up.
"I'm not hungry anymore." I said before walking away quickly.
"Hey, get back here." James said.
Albus grabbed James quickly as he tried running past him. James looked back at him and Albus shook his head.
"Let her go." he said before I walked out of ear shot.
'Calm down, kid. It'll be alright. Take your time.' Libra soothed.
"Was that outburst... you?" Rose asked.
'No. That was on you this time.' Libra said.
I'm going to see if this idea takes first. I'm not sure if I'll finish this but, I do love this idea for the moment. And I already have plans for an end which is uncommon for most of what I write. Now lets see if I can finish this.