Welcome back, folks! So Thea's out cold at the moment. We do have a bit to get through before we get to the fun stuff. However, I've always pictured this as being a long series (think years 1, 3, 5, and 7), so there IS a reason for it. Your input, thoughts, and helpful criticisms are always welcome.
I own absolutely none of JKR's fantastic work. I do, however, claim ownership of my (few) own original creations. I hope you enjoy. Thanks again for stopping by!
Chapter Two: An Active Recovery
When Thea came to, she was staring at the familiar beams of her loft bedroom. The light drove lances through her eyes, and she instantly wished she hadn't opened them. Her head ached something fierce, and the room tilted dangerously when she tried to sit up.
Instantly cool, brisk hands steadied her. A familiar tutting sound came from somewhere far above.
"Lay back down, you silly girl. You're not to sit until you've had a drop of my physic," her aunt's stern voice said, cutting through the throbbing miasma that swirled behind her closed eyes.
Obediently, Thea opened her mouth, knowing full well the physic would taste horrible. It did, some strange concoction tasting of radishes, salt, tomatoes, and rotten peaches. However, as soon as she swallowed the mess, the pain began to recede. Slowly, she sat up, and opened her eyes.
Chloris was leaning over her, her heavy brows drawn in a frown as she inspected her. Black hair slipped into her face, and she impatiently flicked it back.
"What happened," Thea asked blearily, becoming uncomfortably aware of the heavy film that coated her teeth.
Chloris leaned forward, lifting an eyelid and feeling for a pulse. Apparently satisfied, she sat back in a rocking chair by the bed.
"It was quite the affair," she said coolly, waving her wand lazily toward a tea tray on Thea's desk. Gently clinking, the tray hovered to her bedside table, where it began to prepare itself.
"Thaddeus had just gone out after you, and all of a sudden, Hugh came bolting over the hill and created all sorts of a to-do outside my office. Frightened the begonias terribly. Naturally, I hurried to see what the problem was. And there you were, Thaddeus standing guard, the bowtruckles in an uproar, and you with a rather large knot on your head. I conjured a stretcher and brought you back, and that was that."
Thea raised her hand to her head, but Aunt Chloris caught it and forced it down.
"No, dear, leave it be. Anyway, that was yesterday. I set a nice healing charm, and since you were settled, we've just been waiting."
Thea wracked her brain. She had been talking to Hugh right before. Then there had been a rustling above, she remembered that.
"But, what exactly hit me?" she asked, bewildered.
Her aunt flashed a mysterious smile. "Do you mind me asking what topic you chose for discussion that day?"
Thea shrugged. "I was telling Old Man Hugh that I needed to check up on him, and that I wouldn't see him for a while and then, nothing." She gingerly rolled her head, and, suffering no ill affects, began to test out her other limbs.
Chloris' smile broadened. She again waved her wand, and a hefty branch appeared, landing lightly on the bed.
"It seems the tree meant to give you a parting gift. And you, silly clunch, were standing right under it."
Thea began to inspect it curiously. It was yew, the branch nearly as long as her arm. There was a clean cut at one end, as if it had been neatly severed from the tree. There were no errant twigs or leaves, no patches of moss or overgrowth. All in all, it looked like a healthy, if overly pruned, branch. She lifted it, impressed with its weight.
Her aunt continued her rehashing of events. "It's no wonder Hugh came in such a terror. Imagine, a bowtruckle and wand tree giving a gift, and having the gift knock the recipient unconscious! I daresay Ollivander will find your story most amusing when we get your wand made," she chuckled.
"Get my wand… made?" Thea asked, confused. Maybe the branch had done some damage after all…
Briskly, her aunt passed her the finished tea. "Of course. You don't turn your nose up at a gift from a wand tree. We'll take that in, see if it has an affinity with you. If not, I'm sure Ollivander can find some use for it. Dead clever, that man." With a groan, Chloris stood up, hands at the small of her back.
"Now, seeing as you are on the mend, I dare say it's time to get up. Have a wash, I'll conjure up some breakfast, and then we'll get to work on today's chores."
Seeing her niece look aghast, her Aunt's heavy brows rose heavenward. "Yesterday's ruckus caused me to lose half the afternoon. Unless you want us to fall terribly behind schedule, we need to get caught up. I'll see you in the kitchen in…" Chloris consulted her pocket watch, "thirty minutes. Don't dawdle."
Her aunt Vanished the tea tray, and then made for the ladder. Halfway down, she stopped.
"Oh, and see if you can do anything about that Thestral of yours. He's been positively bothersome since the whole affair, I had to spell the shutters shut!"
Thea didn't dawdle. She showered quickly, and then hobbled down the ladder to Thaddeus's stall. The Thestral nearly battered down the door to get at her. She lifted the latch and slipped inside before he could do any serious damage.
"Easy Tad, I'm fine, just a little banged up is all," she said, running her fingers through the fine hairs of his mane. Thaddeus, patently not believing her, wuffled through her hair, lipped at her clothes, and generally gave a thoroughly Thestral-approved going over before calming down. Thea bore it all patiently, wincing only when his carrion-scented breath hit her face. At least he hadn't been off his feed.
"Honestly, Tad, I'm alright," she murmured, putting her forehead on his. The horse quivered, shuffling uneasily, and then settled.
"I have to go help Auntie with the chores," she said quietly, moving toward the door. Thaddeus followed, plainly not planning on letting her out of sight.
Thea rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine, follow me, but this can't go on forever."
If Aunt Chloris found anything amusing about an adolescent thestral trailing after her niece like a nursemaid, she hid it well. For the next few days, Thea felt like she had acquired a rather large, carnivorous shadow. It only seemed to allow her privacy in the loo, and then only begrudgingly. Thea wavered between extremes, finding Tad's actions either extremely annoying or endearing by turns, though mostly she thought they were a mix of the two. The creature hadn't been this clingy since she had first taken him under her wing, a fresh breech birthed foal with a bad leg and mother who died in child birth.
It was not for the first time the Thea severely resented her aunt's attitude regarding the importance of manual labor and a strongly ingrained work ethic. Despite her persistent aches and pains, Thea found herself mucking out stalls, scrubbing stables, weeding the Devil's Snare sprouts, and performing all sorts of menial, mindless chores. Though she had always enjoyed the benefits of living on the farm, she reflected as she once again submitted herself to her aunt's restorative physic, she was getting rather tired of the duties that left her bruised or scarred. It was during these darker moments that she most enjoyed Tad's attentions. Whatever task was handed down from on high, he was always present. He also had proven especially adept at keeping her from being strangled by the Devil's Snare.
It was on the fourth morning of this behavior that Chloris intervened. Instead of receiving her usual rough and tumble, Thaddeus-style alarm, Thea had the slightly less painful (but no less alarming) sensation of being prodded awake by her aunt.
"Mmph, no Tad, m'fine, I swear-" She moaned, trying to burrow deeper into her blankets.
"I do not like being compared to a juvenile, flesh-eating horse, however sweet tempered," Chloris said flatly. Her Aunt's voice had an immediate effect. Thea sat upright, feeling as if she had just undergone Shock Treatment at St. Mungo's.
"Now that you're awake, you ought to get downstairs. You've overslept, and it looks like we can expect Owl Post today," her aunt said testily.
Thea felt as if her brain was still trying to catch up to her body. "Auntie, we a-always get Owl Post," she yawned, stretching.
"I always get Owl Post," Aunt Chloris corrected snappishly. "You, however, may find a letter of special significance. Of course, if it's too much trouble, you could always go back to bed."
Thea leapt out of bed as though stung. Of course, how could she have been so daft; it could be The Letter!
Nodding her approval, Chloris made for the ladder.
"I'd hurry up now, Amalthea. The longer you wait, the longer your chore list will be," she said as she descended, her threat hanging in the air.
By the time Thea had clambered down the steps, her aunt had a steaming mug of tea waiting for her. Eggs and sausage were sizzling merrily in a skillet, which tended itself. Chloris, oddly serene, was finishing off her own letters to be sent out that morning. Thea had the sneaking suspicion that her aunt was just as excited as she was. This was confirmed when, upon concluding her correspondence, her aunt ignored the StenoQuill, and instead began to plate their meal.
They took their breakfast by one of the large windows looking onto north garden, so as to better watch for any approaching post. Thea found herself kicking her heels anxiously against the back of the chair. She was able to stop, only to find herself tearing her napkin into smaller and smaller pieces. Chloris seemed just as distracted, her eyes glazed over as she attempted to again read the same page in 1,000 Magical Herbs and Fungi.
After what seemed like hours, a dark speck appeared over the treetops. Throat dry, Thea watched as it drew closer and closer, unable to look at her aunt. Chloris, however, seemed to settle at last, raising her book to hide her half smile.
At long last, the owl flew in through the open window, and landed on the table. Thea fumbled with the letter, her fingers shaking too much at first to get a proper grip. Finally divested of its packet, the owl ruffled its feathers. Chloris offered it a bit of sausage and a cup of tea. Refreshed, it flew off a few minutes later.
Thea was still staring at the letter in her lap long after the bird had flown off. It had been meticulously addressed, clearly meant for her.
Ms. Amalthea Quinn
Loft above Stable Two
Chloris' Forms
Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire
Chloris patted her on the shoulder, and went over to her office, where she began drawing up lists. Thea carefully opened the letter, breathing deeply.
Dear Miss Quinn,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of all required books and equipment.
Term begins 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom
Deputy Headmaster
Thea read the letter over and over again, her eyes roving greedily, taking in the green ink, the embossed crest. She wanted to cement these things in her mind, to always have this moment as something special.
Chloris had drifted over. Reading over her niece's shoulder, she nodded. "Right then. Best hustle up to the mews, you can send our response with Svanhild. You can post this with the same owl, as they'll both need to get to Professor Longbottom," she said crisply, handing over two letters.
Thea nodded dumbly, sitting mute. Chloris nudged her niece.
"Most witches are excited, you know," she said, trying for a smile. Thea wouldn't meet her eyes. "What is it, girl?" she asked, hunkering down to get on eye level.
Thea took a shaky breath. She was struck but an overwhelming desire to lie, to insist she was fine. But she knew her Aunt would see through it in an instant. She steadied herself, and tried to find the words.
"It's just… it means it's all real now. That I'm really going. That I'll be…leaving." She tried, but she couldn't quite muster up the courage to admit to her practical, no-nonsense aunt how terrifying that idea really was, now that it had materialized into a reality.
Surprisingly, Chloris didn't flinch. Instead, she took both Thea's hands in her own callused, scarred ones. It was a surprisingly gentle gesture from a woman who was not particularly affectionate.
"You know, I remember when your mother and I got our letters," Chloris said softly. Thea felt her eyes widen, but didn't dare to speak. Aunt Chloris very rarely spoke about her older sister. Thea was afraid that if she spoke, if she so much as breathed, this moment would shatter. Chloris continued. "Chloe was ever so excited; she couldn't wait to get out. You know your Gran and Granda. Always had the most interesting of homes, with the most interesting of witches and wizards traipsing about. Your mum, she couldn't wait to be all grown up. Wanted to start charming everything in sight, I expect." Here, she paused, chuckling. "Chloe was excited. I wasn't. I liked home. My garden was there, everything I had worked on and nurtured…" Chloris met her niece's wide silvery eyes steadily. "I'm a fair witch, Amalthea. But I've always believed that real magic is something you can feel with your fingertips. Raising something, helping it to grow, that's magic. No sparks, no bangs or great clouds of smoke. You've grown up around my kind of magic. There's no shame in finding that stability difficult and frightening to leave." Very slowly, she brushed back a lock of Thea's hair. Thea gave her aunt a watery smile. Trust Aunt Chloris to see straight to the heart of the matter.
Patting her knee, Chloris stood up briskly. "Now then, we've loads to do. I reckon we're about as caught up as we can be, but we still need to give everyone a going over before we head down to Diagon Alley. And I suppose we can stop down at Ross-on-Wye afterwards, pick up something special for dinner. Come on, girl. I need you to go take a look in on the Jobberknolls after you post those letters, and then help me pack up a thing or two. I need to send off some of our wares at the Apothecary anyway."