Hi! Here's chapter two. :)
Reviewer Replies:
charn14: Yes, poor guy… lol :P
Thalia Marie Grace: Actually I think charn14 might've been the first one, but good try. :) And thank you!
rducky: lol It's okay! I'm glad you found this one in that case. :D Thank God for Tumblr.
LOLLIPOP: THANK YOU!
DISCLAIMER!
Er, I think Imma do it myself today. ;) I own nothing except my OCs and this plot line. DEAL WITH IT, PEOPLE!
Chapter Two: House of Lockets
Fabian's POV:
After initiating Albus into Sibuna, I'd realized I'd completely neglected to ask Nina if she'd seen the photo in her locket. Pulling her aside, I found a nice empty corner of the common room where we could talk.
"Nina," I started off, "have you seen your locket recently?"
"Yeah," she answered. "It's on the chain around my neck."
Obviously, I thought. "No, I mean… Have you seen the photo inside it?"
"No, I haven't bothered to look. Why?"
"I suggest you do."
Hesitantly, she yanked the locket out from under her shirt, and opened the gleaming Eye of Horus, staring at it intently.
"What…" she trailed off, her mouth agape. Peering over, I noticed that the photo of her parents was now moving, just like all other photos in the Wizarding World. "Who did this?"
"No one," I answered. "It was like that when I saw it glowing. I'd picked it up off the bedside cabinet when you were in the hospital wing from the Dementor attack."
"But why-" she'd begun to question why it was there, then her face became a mask of horror. Her eyes glazed over, and I waved my hand in front of them to try and get her attention.
"Nina?" I called her name, worried. "Nina…"
I'd resorted to snapping my fingers by her ear. After a few minutes of that and shaking her shoulder, she shook her head and became more alert.
"Are you okay?" I asked, gripping her hands. "What was that all about?"
"Before I passed out," she started off, taking a shaky breath, "I saw someone - there were three of them, actually. They were standing by the staircase in here," she gestured around the common room. "They were glowing… glowing white and pearly grey."
"Who were they?" I asked gently, lowering my voice.
She took a deep breath and said her response in a rush. "It was my parents and Sarah."
"Sarah Frobisher-Smythe?" I asked incredulously. She nodded. "Well… Wait, what?"
"I saw them," she said, acting more calmly now. "They didn't say anything, but I know they were there. You have to believe me!"
"Nina, calm down! Of course I believe you. Why wouldn't I? I'm just a little concerned about your seeing ghosts that aren't the resident ones," I told her. She relaxed a bit. "Did you tell anyone else other than me?"
"Of course not," she answered. "I've been with you ever since that whole incident."
"Fair enough."
"I think I should go tell McGonagall though."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
She looked up at me, eyes shining. "Would you?" she asked.
"Of course. Come on," I took her hand, helping her up. We grabbed our wands and bags, making a hasty retreat out of Gryffindor Tower and to McGonagall's office.
Nina had told McGonagall about the whole locket situation, and she'd asked kindly to take a look at it.
"Very peculiar," she commented, staring at the moving photo. "And you're sure no one changed the picture?"
"Positive," we answered in unison.
"Hmm." She mulled over what we'd told her, then turned to look at Nina. "You saw your parents and Miss Frobisher-Smythe, didn't you?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," Nina said, stuttering.
"They didn't say anything to you?"
"No… Why?"
"If they are ghosts, as Mr. Rutter had assumed, then he, Miss Weasley, and Mr. Potter should have been able to see them as well. I'm wondering…"
We stared at the Headmistress as she started pacing her office. Finally, she spoke up.
"You may leave, now," she told us. "I have to contact a few people."
"But-" Nina started protesting. She stopped as soon as McGonagall looked at her crossly.
"Now, please."
"Yes ma'am."
Reluctantly, we left McGonagall's office and started the long walk back to Gryffindor Tower. It was silent for most of it, until I spotted something moving in the shadows.
"Homenum Revelio," I whispered, taking out my wand and pointing to where I saw the movement. I put my arm out in front of Nina to prevent her from moving forward.
"Oh, er, hi." It was Scorpius Malfoy, quietly and quickly retreating from the shadows, clearly not of his own free will. "What's up?"
"Scorpius?" I asked in surprise, staring at him blankly. "Why are you wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in the Slytherin common room or something?"
"Uh, well…" he hesitated, averting his gaze to the floor. "Rose and I had plans to meet in the Room of Requirement." He blushed.
Nina and I exchanged glances.
"Fair enough," she told him. "We'll walk with you."
"Wh-what?" he asked, taken aback.
"I said, we'll walk with you. There's something I need to ask Rose."
"Oh. Fine."
We continued the walk in a more awkward silence, exchanging glances every so often. Once we'd reached the seventh floor where the tapestry was, Rose sure did look surprised to see Nina and I.
"What are you-" she started off, then changed her mind. "I mean, hi."
"Nina has something to ask you," Scorpius told her, going over to kiss her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"Okay," she said. "What's up? Something wrong?"
"Actually, there is." Nina took out her locket again, opening it up and turning the inside to face Rose. "Look."
"Oh…" Rose gaped, staring at the photo. "How did this-"
"That's what we're trying to figure out," I interrupted. "No one changed it. But, there is something else."
"Oh?"
"Well," Nina started off, taking the locket back from Rose, "I saw my parents and Sarah in the common room when the Dementor was there. They were standing over by the staircase, shimmering like ghosts. You didn't see them, did you?"
Rose hesitated before answering. "No," she said. "Sorry. I didn't see anything other than the Dementor and Albus' Patronus."
"Al said the same thing."
There was a silence before I spoke up.
"Well, we should probably let you two, er… be alone. Come along, Nina, let's get back to the common room. Bye guys."
"Bye," Rose and Scorpius said in unison, heading into the Room of Requirement.
"Fabian?" Nina asked once we were out of earshot.
"Yes, Nina?" I answered, squeezing her hand.
"You… You don't think I'm going insane, do you?"
"Of course I don't. Your seeing them is probably just one of your other Chosen One intuition things. Everything's going to be fine."
"If you say so…"
"Trust me." I kissed her cheek.
"I do trust you." She smiled. "I trust you with my life."
