Fred started to moan in his sleep, slowly wanting to wake up. He managed to wrench his eyes open, only to find the bright lights hurt them to do so. In fact, his whole body seemed to feel like one big bruise. His chest ached with each breath. His lungs felt dry, almost like he was inhaling dust. A lot of dust.
"Fred?" He heard a soft voice, soon joined by a cool hand on his forehead. He didn't realize how hot he felt, until the foreign cold skin made his body shiver. "Can you hear me Fred?"
"Whe-" Fred tried to ask where he was, but his voice didn't work. He felt a sharp cut in his throat at the slightest strain of speech.
"It's ok. I don't expect you to be able to speak yet." The hand left him, and soon he could see the lights dim past his eyelids. "You're fever spiked when you regained conciousness."
Fred managed to open his eyes more, ignoring the dry sting from doing so. Even with them open, nothing seemed to come into focus. The blurred surroundings caused his head to throb viciously. Fred moaned, closing his eyes again, and dropped a hand to his head. Just that small movemen felt tiring. What was wrong with him?
A weight settled down on the bed next to him. Her cold skin took his hand, and pulled it off his head. "You're still recovering, Fred. Don't strain yourself." Her voice sounded slightly paniced, though she hid it well.
Fred forced his eyes open to look at her. Unfortunately all he could make out was a dim outline, and that she maybe had dark hair. He took a slow deep breath and whimpered, "Who?"
He could almost hear her smile. "My name's Jurnacia Moon. I'm gonna look after you for a while." Her fingers traced through his hair. "Now, you should really get back to sleep. You have to regain your strength."
"bu-"
She shushed him. "Don't talk. I'll explain everything to you later." The blurr reached for something next to his head. "For now, take this." Fred felt what seemed like a cup pressed against his lips. Without really thinking, he drunk the warm potion inside. "It'll help you not feel so bad when you wake up again."
Almost immediately Fred fell back asleep, still pondering the possibilities of where he could be.
xXx
The next time Fred woke up, he could open his eyes a lot easier. Although his body still held that tired ache. It only took him a moment to focus his vision enough to look around the room. Even in the dark, he could tell the grey walls were supposed to be white. He was laying in a bed in a room that almost looked like a hospital. But why would he be in a hospital?
His head ached sharply, dragging a hand to it. What had happened?
The last thing he remembered was that they were at Hogwarts. A bunch of Death Eaters had invaded the school, and he was fighting them. Had he gotten hurt? He couldn't remember.
The more Fred tried to recall the events, the more his head ached. He curled onto his side, and tried to push himself up. He managed to sit up on the side of the bed, cradlling his head in his hands.
He was with Percy. They ran into Harry, and Hermoine, and Ron. Fred could nearly feel the smile on his face. Almost like he was reliving the event. Why was he smiling though? They were fighting Death Eaters. Did he find this fun?
No he was laughing at someone. He remembered… Percy said something. He must've been delirious for his brother to have made him laugh.
His thoughts were sharply cut off by a loud explosiong… a bright light flooded his eyes.
Then everything went dark.
Fred's breathing harshened, deepening the cut up feeling of his throat. A sweat ran down his brow. Head continued to spin.
What had happened?
His stomach started to churn. Both from nerves, and sheer dizzyness. Until finally, he hurled, collapsing back onto the bed.
"Fred? Fred!" The same voice from before called out to him, trying to coax him awake. "Fred, are you still with me? Answer me."
"Nya." Was all he was able to manage before he woke up again. His eyes focused in on the girl hovering over him. Her green eyes were wide with panic, long raven hair falling over her shoulders. She was pretty… and strangely familiar.
She sighed, when he looked up at her. "Thank God. I was afraid we lost you."
"W-we?" Fred could feel his eyes stinging with tears. He still felt weak, and tired, and was now starting to get scared. "Wh-where am I? What happened to me?"
The girl sat back on the bed, still watching him, looking as if she was saddened by his questions. "It's a bit hard to explain."
Fred could feel the tears free themsleves. He drew in a gasping breath. "Ju-Jurnacia." He sobbed, voice breaking into a quite wisper. "Am I dead?"
Her saddened eyes hinted at a smile. "Not anymore."
Fred's heart stopped at hearing this. Not anymore? "So I did die?"
Jurnacia sighed. "Yes… you did."
Fred felt sick again, the spinning in his head dulling to a throb. "But…. How?"
Jurnacia traced her fingers through his hair. "Maybe you should relax a bit before I explain the details. It's a bit much to take in." She reached for a cup again, and handed it to Fred this time. "Drink this. It'll help."
Fred glanced down at the radish colored liquid. "What is it?"
"It's a tonic. It helps your nerves, and makes the transition easier."
"Transition?"
She put her hand at the bottom of the cup, and tilted it up. "Just drink, and I'll explain."
"Ok,ok." Fred did as he was told, eyeing the girl sitting next to him. He finished it up, feeling slightly dizzy, but the throbbing had at least dulled. To bad the ache in his body wouldn't reside.
Jurnacia took the cup from him and put it back on the table. "I'm part of a small underground society in the wizarding world that helps witches and wizards restore their life."
Fred settled back in the pillow. "But I thought nothing could bring back the dead."
She held up a hand. "This society is not common knowledge. If it was, then there'd be an uproar. The only ones that know of it are those in the society and, of course, those who go through the process, and their families."
Fred's eyes widened. "So my family knows I'm here?"
Jurnacia shook her head. "Not yet."
"Why not?"
She sighed. "Because there's still not a certainty that you'll pull through. We don't want to get the family's hopes up until we're sure."
What little color Fred had drained from his face. "I'm still gonna die?"
"Not necessarily. It's just not certain. There are a lot of factors to consider. Age, the strength of your magic." She smiled at him. "And of course, sheer will-power."
Fred could feel his stomach churn again. "You still haven't explained how all of this works. It's not possible."
Jurnacia sighed, sitting up a bit straighter. "The group here is made up of witches and wizards adept in Divinations, alchemy, and those that have been through the process. Those that wished to stay."
"So, which are you?"
She shook her head. "While the Alchemist make preperations, the Divinators project their souls into the after-life to pick out those willing to come back."
"Willing?"
She nodded. "Yes. Only witches and wizards are able to return to life, because in order to restore ones life, something of equal, if not greater power must be given up."
Fred almost thought he knew the answer, but still had to ask. "What is that?"
"Your magic."
Fred's energy seemed to drain. "Thought so."
"Everything is explained to you, as a spirit. What must be sacrificed. Even the risks of returning. Once you're alive again, it's my job to keep you that way. Also to teach you how to live without magic."
Fred scoffed. "Come now… how hard could that be."
Jurnacia laughed slightly. "You'd be surprised. You feel like crap right now, don't you?"
Fred moaned in response.
"See? You've lived around magic your whole life. You're body's so used to it, that you don't realize how much you use your magic. Even in something as simple as walking. It's as natural as breathing."
"Which I can't do either."
She laughed again. "That's just because you stopped for a while. It'll get easier. Once your body's strong enough to function normally without magic, then you can go home, for your family to ween you back into the wizarding world."
Fred's eyes closed, starting to drift off again. "Sounds like fun. Can't wait."
Fred started to moan in his sleep, slowly wanting to wake up. He managed to wrench his eyes open, only to find the bright lights hurt them to do so. In fact, his whole body seemed to feel like one big bruise. His chest ached with each breath. His lungs felt dry, almost like he was inhaling dust. A lot of dust.
"Fred?" He heard a soft voice, soon joined by a cool hand on his forehead. He didn't realize how hot he felt, until the foreign cold skin made his body shiver. "Can you hear me Fred?"
"Whe-" Fred tried to ask where he was, but his voice didn't work. He felt a sharp cut in his throat at the slightest strain of speech.
"It's ok. I don't expect you to be able to speak yet." The hand left him, and soon he could see the lights dim past his eyelids. "You're fever spiked when you regained conciousness."
Fred managed to open his eyes more, ignoring the dry sting from doing so. Even with them open, nothing seemed to come into focus. The blurred surroundings caused his head to throb viciously. Fred moaned, closing his eyes again, and dropped a hand to his head. Just that small movemen felt tiring. What was wrong with him?
A weight settled down on the bed next to him. Her cold skin took his hand, and pulled it off his head. "You're still recovering, Fred. Don't strain yourself." Her voice sounded slightly paniced, though she hid it well.
Fred forced his eyes open to look at her. Unfortunately all he could make out was a dim outline, and that she maybe had dark hair. He took a slow deep breath and whimpered, "Who?"
He could almost hear her smile. "My name's Jurnacia Moon. I'm gonna look after you for a while." Her fingers traced through his hair. "Now, you should really get back to sleep. You have to regain your strength."
"bu-"
She shushed him. "Don't talk. I'll explain everything to you later." The blurr reached for something next to his head. "For now, take this." Fred felt what seemed like a cup pressed against his lips. Without really thinking, he drunk the warm potion inside. "It'll help you not feel so bad when you wake up again."
Almost immediately Fred fell back asleep, still pondering the possibilities of where he could be.
AN: somehow this idea came to me in a dream. but in the dream i was bailing Lupin out of some airport jail, but Mocha had to come with me because someone had put a curse on me, so i couldn't talk... yea, i dunno. so, yea Jurnacia is kinda the character i'm putting in to be me, i guess, and my Mocha will most likely be in it. i just don't know if it'll actually be her character. not sure if she'd actually fit. course, i also promised her this story would be well rounded, but no... it's mostly gonna be Fred-centric
