Chapter 2
Friendship
X
As the days passed by Quinn and Rachel had become sort of friends with each other. Something that Quinn quickly realized was that Rachel was a very talkative person who sometimes didn't seem able to stop and just breathe for a few minutes. It was a bit distracting. Sure, she talked a great deal and never seemed to run out of topics but she seemed to do it a bit less now than she had before when they had first started patrolling together as prefects. Rachel could talk about anything and everything to fill the silent void left by others. She seemed to have this particular reaction to anyone she wasn't as familiar with because Quinn noticed that despite how loquacious Rachel was she was a bit tamer around other people she deemed friends. She did contribute to a lot of conversations she had with various friends but she was definitely not talking their ears off as much as she was Quinn. Quinn hadn't been expecting the Slytherin girl to be so friendly because most of the other people in her house were only friendly with others of their own house and tended to dislike most, if not all, other houses. Quinn actually wondered how Rachel ended up being in Slytherin house because of how kind she was. Ambition didn't necessarily translate into being an awful witch or wizard, certainly not, but they tended to be that way in that house.
Finally unable to handle the girl's incessant words, as much as it had lessened over the past two weeks, it was still quite a bit of talking Quinn wasn't used to dealing with when it came to anyone else she knew and spoke to. "Do you always … talk this much?" Quinn realized that this seemed rather rude and rectified her intent immediately, seeing the way Rachel flinched slightly in response to her tone and words, "I'm sorry … I didn't mean it to come out that way. Rather, I am overwhelmed by how much you can say in so little time."
A small smile tinged with a timid overtone and a shy undertone appeared on Rachel's face as she responded, "well, I actually don't normally talk this much. I talk more when I'm nervous actually. It's somewhat of a defense mechanism of mine. I … I apologize if it is off putting to hear me speak so much. I just … I know we've technically known each other for years but I just wonder how we've never really spoken other than the one time you helped me pick up some books I dropped in the hallway last year. We're in the same year, we share some classes together, and we're even in a few activities together and yet … other than recently being prefects we've never spoken to each other somehow. I want … I want to be friends with you if that's okay with you?" Rachel looked up at Quinn hopefully. It wasn't as if Quinn could say no to that, she was actually quite sure that she was literally incapable of saying no in every sense of the word when it came to the tan brunette. Her Veela would never allow her to deny Rachel anything, she was sure of this.
Quinn nodded her head in acceptance. "I'll warn you that I'm the silent type though, introverted if you will."
This time a bigger smile overtook Rachel's face and this one radiated with warmth and something that made Quinn's heart flutter wildly in her chest. "I'm glad that we'll be friends from now on! And I'm sure you've noticed by now but I don't mind filling in the silence at all!" Quinn looked away and had the perfect excuse when she noticed that there were some rule breakers just in a hidden alcove that was easy to miss. They were the second pair that night.
X
It had been just over a month since school started, just a month and five days since Quinn had discovered who her Veela had chosen for her to love. It had been nearly five weeks since she had agreed with her Veela and said 'yes, I love her,' in response to her Veela's yearning for a certain brunette seeker and singer extraordinaire. Quinn was more than aware of the fact that before it began, before her Veela side had chosen Rachel, things were much better for her. She hadn't hated Finn Hudson with a passion, she hadn't felt the need to stab her own eyeballs out with a quill or, worse, blind herself to their sickening displays of affection to each other wherever she went, but most of all she had been in blissful ignorance of how much it all actually hurt her. Before the new start of term she had been perfectly fine and she didn't care that they were dating in the least. She knew she, herself, would never accept any date requests from other people because of how much she understood of her Veela heritage and how taboo it was. Well, before she found her mate it wasn't taboo but even before she found Rachel she would never have accepted anyways because she never found any interest in other people. She simply didn't see any potential from anyone. It wasn't that people threw themselves at her but she'd had many confessions and she had, as a precaution, learned many defensive spells growing up to defend herself from the inevitability that she would come of age one day and need them. She always checked every piece of mail not addressed to her from her parents for traces of love potions and the like after her few years of freedom were gone.
Quinn was lost in thought as she got ready for school on autopilot when it happened. It was the slightest case of vertigo. She was simply dizzy for a single moment, just a few seconds before it went away and Quinn knew her time of peaceful unrequited love was over. It had begun already. She wrote a quick letter to her parents not long after her unsteadiness subsided and gave Lothaire a warm pat on the head and he nipped her finger affectionately before flying away from the owlery and she had to make a brisk walk back to the school for breakfast. She still had an hour yet before her first class, she was grateful that she had always been an early riser for school. When she was home during the summer she stayed up much later than she should and woke up quite late in the mornings as well. When it was two weeks before school started again Quinn was sure to actually get back to her school sleeping schedule.
Deciding to tell Madam Pomfrey of this recent development later Quinn had a light breakfast consisting of a delicious blueberry muffin and a bacon filled plate. She swallowed the muffin down with some pumpkin juice and nearly spit the juice in question out when she felt a tap on her right shoulder from someone she hadn't been expecting to see. She swallowed her juice slowly before turning around to see Rachel standing behind her with a smile on her face.
"Good morning Quinn! I apologize for startling you a bit there, it wasn't my intention to do so." Rachel looked sincerely contrite, having noticed Quinn's shoulders twitch in a jumpy manner despite her being so silently startled.
Before Quinn could respond a large figure came up behind Rachel and gave her a morning kiss on the lips, "morning babe. What are you doing all the way over here?" Finn Hudson's lumbering large frame was a sight Quinn hated more than anything. Feeling her face contort for a moment before she smoothed her expression over Quinn turned away from the couple. Her face was indifferent but her mind and the voice of the Veela were telling her to force Finn out of Rachel's life because he wasn't worthy of Rachel's love. As much as Quinn was inclined to agree considering she had to watch their interactions during choir practice she knew that this fool really, truly did not deserve Rachel's presence in his life at all, let alone the honor of being her (temporary) boyfriend.
Finn, probably the dullest crayon in the box, didn't notice that Quinn was who Rachel had been talking to but Rachel noticed Quinn no longer looking at her at all almost immediately. "I was just talking to Quinn actually Finn. She was just about to answer my question before you came over."
Despite having heard every word that Rachel said Quinn couldn't bring herself to look over her shoulder again. She was incapable of ignoring Rachel's presence and every word she spoke but that didn't mean Rachel had to know about that little fact.
"Well, since she's not responding why don't you come sit over at my table and eat with me, Rach?" Finn perked up immediately when Rachel's attention was on him again.
Sparing a glance at Quinn, Rachel agreed because Quinn didn't seem to be in a talkative mood and her silence was more oppressive when they patrolled that night. Rachel noticed how stiff Quinn's posture was and how tense the air seemed with Quinn's lack of vocal responses to Rachel's topics of conversation. She wasn't even monosyllabic with Rachel tonight and it made Rachel sad. "Did I … did I do something to upset you Quinn," Rachel asked, unable to bear it any longer now that it had been nearly half an hour into their night patrol without a single word from Quinn other than when she found the occasional rebel student lurking after curfew.
This caused Quinn to stop walking entirely and Rachel nearly kept walking on, and she would have had she not been looking at Quinn so closely after asking her question. A soft sigh could be heard in the muted hallway, "no, you did not upset me." Quinn wondered if she should bring up her real reason for being so silent, more so than usual. In the end she settled for a half truth. "I didn't like how Finn interrupted me this morning despite seeing that we were clearly looking at each other. I … I just didn't want to say anything rude to you because I was upset with him." She didn't include that seeing them kiss that close to her had set her on edge, had set both her human and Veela side on edge. Neither of them liked it and Quinn found through patrolling with Rachel that she found the girl to be so very endearing, sweet, adorable, and just her type of person overall.
X
Having a minor dizzy spell was nothing major and so Quinn ignored it for another few weeks before she realized what a bad idea it was. It was actually quite a terrible idea.
During the first Quidditch match, against Hufflepuff, in the season she had had a dizzy spell while she was flying on the Quidditch pitch and she was smacked right in the face by a bludger and nearly dropped the quaffle she had been throwing to her teammate. By some stroke of luck she managed to pass it to the right person before rapidly descending towards the ground from about 50 feet in the air. She was luckily saved by Headmistress McGonagall casting a spell for her to descend slowly to the ground and she was taken by a stretcher to the hospital wing immediately. She found out later that her team won after their seeker, Marley Rose, caught the snitch on top of the points Quinn had already scored before getting a bludger to the face. When she woke up she was aware of a stinging pain on her face and a voice telling her that she got lucky that her broken nose was easy to heal but her voice might sound a bit deeper than it was before due to the repair affecting her nasal passage a little bit.
Something that baffled Quinn was the fact that Rachel, of all people, had been waiting in the hospital wing for her to wake up so she could wish her well. Mike was there as well, her teammates were still washing off after the game, and he gave her a worried look but Rachel rushed forward with concern before Mike could.
"Will you, will you be okay now, Quinn? It was a gruesome sight to see you getting hit by that bludger and I had to make sure you would be okay after something so terrible happened to you." Rachel was looking at Quinn with such a tender look in her eyes Quinn had to look away, as difficult as that was to do, as much as her Veela protested her doing such a thing.
"Madam Pomfrey said that I'll be okay so … don't worry about me." Quinn hadn't meant for those words to sound the way they did nor for how cold her voice sounded but then again it wasn't exactly something unprecedented in terms of her personality so, naturally, Rachel almost missed the curt way she spoke, almost.
"If you're sure Quinn." Quinn merely nodded in response. "Well, I do hope you recover quickly." And Rachel left after she got a quiet 'thank you' from Quinn.
Mike, though silent, had observed their interaction closely. Being a Ravenclaw he sought knowledge and was knowledgeable as well and this had certainly piqued his interest. He set it aside for the moment seeing as he was more concerned about his friend being in the hospital wing over being curious about the exchange he had just witnessed between the two young women. "Hey, Quinn. I just wanted you to know that your teammates are still washing up right now since the game only ended about five minutes ago. They said that they wanted to visit you as soon as they were done showering so they should be here soon to see you." Mike gave her a warm smile and Quinn returned it with her small but genuine smile.
"Thank you, Mike. I appreciate you visiting me." It was at that moment that Mike noticed that Quinn's voice sounded slightly off.
"Hey, your voice sounds … different … deeper. Just a bit deeper." Mike was puzzled by that fact.
"Madam Pomfrey said that my nose had been broken a certain way that caused it, after she healed it, to change my voice a bit because the bludger broke my nasal passaged apparently. She said it would sound just a bit deeper than it was originally." Quinn paused, thinking for a moment, "is it that noticeable? I don't … I don't have a man voice now, do I?" Quinn was actually worried about this slightly because though she didn't think she sounded like a guy Mike took notice of it rather quickly.
Mike's eyes popped open at the unusual concern. "No! I didn't mean that you sounded like a guy or anything close to that. Your voice just sounds a bit nasally but also slightly deeper. Think … alto versus contralto … well, almost. You're normally an alto while singing but now your voice has deepened slightly but not enough to sing in contralto, at least I don't think so."
His explanation made sense. Quinn nodded her head in acceptance of his answer to her worries. They spent the time before her teammates arrived chatting about their classes and other miscellaneous things.
X
Quinn wasn't sure if the sight of the two lovebirds was something that was supposed to be as revolting as she felt it was but it really was something she felt sick looking at. Not only that, but her Veela was constantly yelling at her, berating her for not attempting to break them up in some way or another. It was trying to get a single message across, I want her. We need her to be complete. Quinn wasn't trying to ignore her need for Rachel. She just really didn't know how to approach the situation because Rachel was already romantically entangled with someone else and had been for more than half a year now. It had already been more than two and a half months now and Quinn could tell she was slowly but steadily becoming weaker, sicker the more she was denied her mate. She was starting to experience more symptoms her parents had spoken about such as difficulty in breathing, the dizzy spells had become more frequent, and she noticed that her heart was starting to beat a bit strangely though it was infrequent for now. It was steadily becoming worse, these symptoms, and it showed.
One day during their evening patrol Rachel noticed Quinn's shortness of breath as they walked and she was concerned. She had come to see Quinn as someone who was her friend, as someone she could confide in about certain things. Sure, Quinn didn't often speak much when it came to sharing but she had spoken up about a few things here and there and she did smile at her in the hallways now and she usually gave Rachel the nod. Quinn was feeling something creeping on the edge of her vision, something dark and despite the fact that Rachel was speaking clearly it was all a jumbled mess to Quinn. She couldn't hear a single word and then there was nothing. It must have only been a few minutes because when she came to Rachel was hovering over her, her expression frantic and desperate.
Rachel was trying to say something but Quinn managed to utter two words, two very important words out. "Hospital wing." Rachel helped Quinn stand up and she only needed the support for a few minutes before she was walking on her own. "I … I'm fine now I just … I need to see Madam Pomfrey for something."
"I need to ensure that you actually make it to her before I leave you to whatever you need. We also need to finish our patrol. I … I'll wait outside of the hospital wing if I need to Quinn." Finally acquiescing to Rachel's request they made it to the hospital wing and Rachel entered with Quinn and waited until Madam Pomfrey came out before walking out as promised for Quinn's privacy. Rachel couldn't help but overhear Madam Pomfrey asking her if she needed a double dose or just a single dose of her potion. Quinn's hushed answer made Rachel worry more. Was … was Quinn sick? Was that why she collapsed earlier. Rachel's curiosity had been piqued but she was also even more concerned now, knowing that Quinn was potentially sick.
Before Rachel could ponder more Quinn was standing before her and beckoning her forth with soft words, "let's go Rachel." And silence, an unusual thing considering Rachel, followed them as they went back to their patrol route before Quinn's momentary collapse interrupted them. The silence was almost deafening, at least to Rachel it was. Quinn, though used to and preferring silence as her companion, knew how bizarre it was for Rachel to remain so silent while in the company of another person. She felt guilty about not telling her why she had collapsed but she didn't want to think that she was so weak as to feel so many symptoms so soon, so easily. When they neared the end of their predetermined patrol Quinn finally broke the silence that had reigned for most of their patrol. "I … I didn't think that I was … weak enough to collapse earlier." Quinn started, unsure of what else to say about this highly sensitive subject matter.
Concerned didn't even cover how Rachel felt by any means. "I … if you don't want to tell me why you collapsed, it is okay Quinn, you don't have to tell me anything at all." Rachel's honest, warm brown eyes were Quinn's undoing. She was meeting her gaze and seemed to traverse through her entire being in her soul searching, piercing stare. It frightened Quinn to see so much in a single look, in a single expressive look. It made Quinn want to reveal everything to Rachel about her Veela heritage, about her Veela love consuming her so much she could faint, quite literally at that. But she could not, would not, because of stupid Finn freaking Hudson.
"What do you know about … Veelas, Rachel?" Quinn asked, deciding to start from there to get an idea of what Rachel did and did not know about Veelas without having to guess anything.
Rachel's eyebrows scrunched up, adorably, as she thought about everything she knew about the mysterious beings known as Veelas. "Well, I know that they have a thrall that affects almost everyone they come into contact to. I am also aware of the fact that Veelas appear avian when they are in their Veela form over human form." Rachel paused to think of more things she knew about Veelas. "I think I've heard that Veelas only usually come out of their human forms when they are extremely emotional or if they have a mate who is in danger and I believe that that is the extent of my knowledge. I, of course, am aware that you are partially Veela yourself Quinn, what with how people fawn over you so relentlessly and almost obsessively at school. Their eyes follow you everywhere you walk, whether in the hallways or while you're dining in the Great Hall, just sitting for a meal."
Not sure of what it meant that Rachel seemed to notice this Quinn continued, "Yes, I am half Veela and so my thrall is actually quite strong despite having only come into my Veela heritage recently." She paused, unsure of what to say from where she stopped. "Because of our friendship … I will tell you something that only my parents and Madam Pomfrey know, something that must stay a secret between us, Rachel." Rachel was touched that she was one of the few people Quinn trusted to tell this secret to, to confide in her. "I … have found my chosen mate, something that happens to Veela when they've matured enough and they find the one person who is immune to their thrall completely and it has to be that way for them, for me. There is only one person who is truly meant for me in my life and the moment our eyes meet I will know and my Veela will feel this completion with me, we feel as if we are one together in that single, crystalizing moment, in the clarity of our feelings for this one person we are destined to love." After rushing that part out Quinn gave momentary pause before she spoke again. "I have found this person and I am partially sealed to them already. As soon as our eyes met I said 'yes, I love you completely and unconditionally,' in agreement with my Veela side and now … I need for them to say those words back to me in order for me to be fully sealed to them. It has been a few months since this happened and so I am growing sick. I am not sick because of this person but rather because I have unrequited love and Veela's need, we absolutely require love in order to survive. This person I need to love me is already in a romantic relationship and so I have become sick from lack of love, so to speak. I am essentially experience malnourishment from not having my feelings returned by the person I love. That is what my illness is."
They were nearing the staircase that marked the end of their patrol route and Rachel, who had been simply soaking the information in, spoke after a long lapse in silence. "So, you can be cured then?" Quinn nodded her head. "But only if your love returns your feelings for them?" Again Quinn nodded in affirmation, hoping Rachel wasn't going to ask who it was. "And you've known for a few months now? School started nearly three months ago. Was it around when this term started you found them?" Rachel asked, her curiosity getting the best of her, questions forming in her mind rapidly. Quinn nodded again, waiting to see if Rachel had any other questions to ask her, dreading one questions she could not yet answer. "So, you said that this person you're in love with … they're in love with someone else, right?" Rachel asked, waiting for Quinn's nod. "So … how are you going to win them over if they're already with someone else?" There was a sigh of relief in the recesses of Quinn's mind, the Veela, knowing that Rachel was aware of the situation, to a certain extent. Quinn herself was just relieved that Rachel hadn't asked her the question she feared having to answer the most out of all.
"I … I'm not sure if I can or will be able to do so because … they're very in love with each other from what I can see and I couldn't get in the way of their happiness … even if I die in the process. That's … that's how much I love … them. I couldn't possibly tear them away from their lover, their significant other, simply because I need them to survive. It … it goes against my Veela love for them and though my Veela would prefer they love me, love us, in the end our love for them wins out even if it costs our life in the end." Quinn looked away from Rachel, seeing the compassionate way she was gazing at her, hurting her in more ways than she cared to admit.
"But, but there has to be something you can do, some way for you to survive!" Rachel looked and sounded distraught at the horrifying words that left Quinn's mouth almost casually. "You can't … you can't just die!" At Quinn's shrug and self-deprecating smile, Rachel's face contorted in a painful, meaningful look. "I can't, I won't let you die like that, Quinn! Who is it, who is the person you love so much you'd die for them?" Rachel demanded passionately. Quinn shook her head, unable to say the words that would ruin Rachel's relationship with her, her friendship with her, their friendship with each other completely. It was a risk Quinn wasn't willing to take because she needed Rachel's friendship, needed her love more.
"I'm sorry but I can't tell you Rachel. It's … it's a private matter. Only my parents know who my destined love is other than me, of course. I can't … I can't tell you any more than I already have and I'm afraid I might have even told you too much because now you're worried about me. I didn't tell you this to worry you. I just … I needed someone to talk to who aren't my parents or Madam Pomfrey. I have to owl my parents so we can talk and Madam Pomfrey is the school healer, not exactly ideal people to talk to for those various reasons." Quinn paused, almost wishing she hadn't confided in Rachel now. "Perhaps I shouldn't have told you this Rachel."
Before Quinn could continue Rachel interrupted her, "don't. Don't finish that sentence, don't say you shouldn't have because you should have sooner. Nearly three months later you tell me? I mean, I understand it's a hard subject to broach. How would you have approached me if you hadn't fainted? 'How are you today Rachel? By the way I'm slowly dying from unrequited love. Oh, tell me all about your essay grade while I tell you all about how I could possibly die in a few months, possibly a year from now. Oh, pass the toast while you're at it please?'" Despite herself and the heavy topic Quinn snorted in an entirely unladylike manner because Rachel was an unintentionally funny person and this was one of those moments that she struck gold unwittingly. Quinn was sure she fell a bit more in love with her at that moment actually. "What? This is how I would imagine you might have attempted to 'casually' bring up this particular topic of conversation."
"You're adorable sometimes, you know that." Quinn's smile was soft and affectionate and it caused Rachel's heart to warm and swell with platonic feelings for her. "We had better go, our patrol time is up now and we don't want to get in trouble. I'll see you in the morning during Care of Magical Creatures. Good night, Rachel." The way Quinn said Rachel's name in that moment caused a shiver to crawl up Rachel's spine for some unexplainable reason.
"Good night, Quinn." And when Rachel said her name in turn it caused her Veela to sing happily in her mind and her heart to pound with the need for love. Love she might never get despite her need for it.
X
The days passed by in a blur and Halloween finally arrived, everyone had been waiting for that day to finally come for sugary treats and missing one lesson for the day. Halloween was a day her Veela was stronger than her and though she had never experienced her Veela fight her for control she felt it today. Quinn had been distracted all day and finally when everyone was excused to go to the Halloween feast she instead visited Madam Pomfrey to tell her about her Veela fighting for control. She had seen her hand shift at one point during History of Magic but it had shifted back just as quickly and the only person to notice was Mike, who had been sitting next to her. He shot her a concerned look and whispered into her ear, asking her if she was okay. What Quinn didn't know was that Rachel, who was seated just a few rows to her left, had also seen the temporary shift from hand to elongated fingers that almost resembled the claws of a bird. Rachel had been concerned to see that minor shift but had been distracted by Professor Binns announcing that class was over. His corporal had expired long before he retired and perhaps he would always be at the employ of Hogwarts, as funny as that was. He vanished through the wall as the class made a hurried exit.
Watching Quinn closely Rachel packed her bag slowly as Quinn hurried to leave the classroom, waving Mike off who had been attempting to ask her if she was okay on her own. "I'm fine Mike, thank you. I'm just going to visit Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing. I think I got hexed by somebody earlier. You know how I check all of the letters and candy that I get as gifts from … erm, admirers and all. I must have just missed this particular spell during my usual check." Mike nodded his head but seemed hesitant to take that as an answer from her.
"As long as you're all right I suppose. You don't want me to walk with you?" Quinn shook her head.
"No, go enjoy the feast. I'll probably be along as soon as I'm done at the hospital wing Mike. Thanks though." With that Quinn shot off at a hurried pace to the hospital wing, she knew that it was inevitable that she lost control and transformed into her Veela form. It was only a matter of time because she had been fighting with her all day and the closer it got to the full moon the stronger she became. A full moon on all hallows eve spelled for a much stronger Veela, stronger than Quinn was at the moment. Normally she got along with her Veela side just fine, other than fighting about whether to give Finn a swift kick to his the gonads or not aside, they got along with each other and more than tolerated each other. Today though … her Veela wanted to meet and claim Rachel as her own and it was throwing a fitful rage in Quinn's mind right now, wreaking havoc. By the time Quinn got to the hospital wing her Veela had managed to transform her fingers and her face was becoming more avian. She managed to drop her books onto a nearby bed when she heard Madam Pomfrey speak.
"Dear, are you all right? Oh my," she finally took notice of Quinn's avian face and hands. "I don't think your parents ever told me what to do about this I'm afraid."
Shaking with the strength and effort it took to keep herself from fully transforming Quinn spoke, "I don't know how much longer … I can control her. She is … so strong, much stronger than usual because of today's circumstances. I … I've been fighting with her all day to try to stay in my human form, Madam Pomfrey. I … I can't hold on for much longer. I'm afraid. I don't know what to do Madam Pomfrey." Seeing the normally stoic student in panic was such a rare sight that the school healer was struck by how young Quinn really was. Despite her maturity and knowledge beyond her years, she was still a young girl, a teenager.
"Calm down Fabray! I know that if you are too emotional you will change, regardless of whether you want to change or not. Calm yourself, Fabray!" Madam Pomfrey attempted to find a calming potion for the young Veela now nearly in full Veela form. Wings had sprout from her back, painful sounds came from her mouth, and a sick cracking noise took place in the short five minutes since Quinn had first arrived at the hospital wing in such a harried state.
Without either of the occupants of the room noticing Rachel had slipped into the hospital wing as well and was watching the change from only a few feet away from where Quinn was struggling with herself. Knowing that this could be a potentially dangerous situation, from having Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, Rachel made her presence known with a gentle touch that caused a nearly completely avian Quinn to turn to her, eyes changing between the hazel eyes she knew so well to an ice blue she was most unfamiliar with. It was a bold move that could have dire consequences but in this instance it paid off for Rachel. Quinn was now standing before Rachel in Veela form with wings, claws, feather plumage showing on her neck and arms, and a different eye color, but her body still retained most of her human shape. It was perhaps because Quinn was only a half Veela that she looked so human still, though at the same time inhuman as well.
"Quinn, are you okay?" Rachel asked softly, her voice showing only worry.
"My name … isn't Quinn, human. I am her Veela form. Though I am her I am also not her." Despite the fact that Rachel was sure Quinn's Veela form wasn't speaking English … she somehow understood. A quick glance in Pomfrey's direction confirmed Rachel's suspicions.
"What … by what name am I to call you then?" Rachel was only slightly hesitant.
"You … may call me … Luciana … perhaps, Lucy might be easier for you to say, human." The Veela's gaze was so piercing. "I just … I wanted to meet you in person as well as Quinn's other friends tonight and she fought me quite bravely. She is much stronger than I thought she was. Today, rather, tonight is a full moon on top of being all hallows eve. It is a time when many creatures are much stronger than they normally are, Veela included. I must warn you. With my appearance it seems I have sapped the last of Quinn's strength for today, I had not meant to do that to her. Please … apologize to her for me when she wakes. She is … she is in a weakened state now. I had not intended for her to fight me to the point of exhaustion like this." The graceful Veela shook its head. "She will not remember what transpired tonight and she will sleep for a long time. Take care of her human."
"Rachel, my name is Rachel, Luciana." Rachel said in response to the magnificent and beautiful creature before her.
"I know your name human. I am present with Quinn when she speaks to you and her other … friends. I just … do not come out to speak with them for they will not understand me as you do. I speak only Veela and Quinn herself speaks it to me when we communicate in her mind. I have overstayed my welcome … Rachel. Remember. Take care of her for she is weak now." And with that the Veela disappeared back under to reveal Quinn collapsing to the floor, crumpling. Rachel instinctively reached out for Quinn before she fell entirely and lurched with Quinn's weight in her arms.
"What … just … happened, Miss Berry?" Madam Pomfrey had an astonished look on her face. "I must owl her parents as soon as I have tended to Miss Fabray I need to inform her parents of the events that have just transpired. I also need to know, how did you understand her? I didn't understand a word that was spoken between the two of you. Her voice, Luciana was it, sounded like a beautiful song to me. It was like … a nightingale singing words."
"Well, she told me that I was the only one among Quinn's friends who would understand her words. I don't quite know why Luciana would know that but that was what she told me. She also told me to take care of Quinn because she drained Quinn of the last of her energy when Quinn had fought her to remain in control. As a result Quinn was weakened and will be asleep for a while now to recuperate. I hope Quinn will be all right after everything that has happened. I also need to tell Quinn that her Veela apologizes for unintentionally hurting her so much." Pomfrey, having listened intently, was almost certain that Rachel Berry was Quinn's destined love and she was aware of her relationship with Finn Hudson. She hoped that Quinn's situation improved because if not … her life was on the line. She remembered a similar case with another young witch and her love from more than a decade before this one. She could only hope for the best.
X
So here's chapter two! Significantly longer than the last chapter!^^
姫宮光る
