Chapter 7:
"Peter! Peter! Wake up! It's real, Narnia is real!" Peter opened his eyes and sat up groggily, only then realising his little sister was sitting on him. In the other bed he could see William sitting up as well, rubbing his eyes.
"Lucy, what's going on? You'll wake everyone!" Peter asked his little sister who was bouncing on the bed next to him. He noticed Edmund and Robin right behind her and now the others were filing into the room as well.
"Too late for that Peter." Ginny said with a small laugh, Peter couldn't help but to laugh as well. Brigitta crawled on the bed next to Lucy and nestled herself close to Peter.
"Are we having a slumber party?" she asked looking at Peter hopefully.
"Why, yes Peter, that's a lovely idea! Where's the food?" Sean exclaimed, nearly doubled over with laughter. Nearly everyone in the room laughed as well. Suddenly Susan interrupted them.
"What is it Lucy? Why did you wake everyone up?" this brought everyone back to the situation at hand, and they all turned their gazes towards Lucy expectantly.
"I was back in Narnia! I saw Mr Tumnus again!" she nearly shouted in excitement. Everyone groaned at this, they had hoped her silly little game was over, but apparently they were mistaken. Before anyone could say anything Lucy continued talking.
"And this time I wasn't there alone! Edmund and Robin were there as well!" she added happily. Everyone looked at the two boys in question in astonishment.
"You were?" Louisa asked them, doubt clearly colouring her voice.
"You have seen the faun?" Ginny asked, also doubtful about it.
Before either of the boys could answer Lucy cut in again.
"Well, they weren't exactly there." Then she paused, suddenly coming to the realisation that she had no idea as to where her two brothers had been. "Actually, what were you doing?"
The two of them shifted uncomfortably, though not for the same reasons. Edmund didn't want to admit he had been in Narnia and seen the Queen, even though Lucy said she was a witch. Robin on the other hand, didn't want to admit that he had been spying on his brother. Eventually Edmund opened his mouth.
"We were just playing along. I'm sorry Peter, I know we shouldn't have encouraged her, but you know how little children are like these days, they just don't know when to stop pretending." Edmund finished with a little smirk. Robin's mouth fell open, he couldn't believe what Edmund had said! This was just evil! Lucy had tears in her eyes now, and Robin was seriously thinking of opening his mouth and telling everyone the truth when he felt a small jab in his ribs. He looked up, startled, and so William giving him a warning look. Robin didn't understand but he trusted his brother and so he held his mouth.
Lucy ran out of the room crying, and the rest tried to catch up with her, although, not until Ben had shoved Edmund on William's bed in anger. Ben had seen what William had done, and thought that maybe he and Robin weren't telling the entire truth. However, that was no concern right now, they had their baby sister to see to.
Lucy ran out of the room crying. She just couldn't believe it. She knew Edmund had lied, she had seen him there, and neither did she understand why Robin and the twins didn't defend her, they had said they believed her! Suddenly she bumped into someone, and when she looked up she saw a man in front of her. Distantly her mind identified him as being the professor, though she didn't pay attention to that. She was just happy to have someone here who could comfort her. She wrapped her small arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest, well on his tummy was a better way to say as she didn't reach to his chest.
Her siblings ran around the corner and stopped short when they saw the scene in front of them.
"Oh my." Whispered Louisa, she was sure they were going to be in trouble now, they weren't supposed to be out of bed in the first place! And indeed, the trouble announced itself in the form of Mrs Mccreedy, running up the stairs, all the while mumbling that they should be sleeping in the stables.
When she saw who was standing there she continued, although it seemed to be in a softer tone.
"Professor, I am sorry, I told them you were not to be disturbed." The professor only gave a small little laugh.
"That's all right Mrs Mccreedy. I'm sure there is an explanation. But first, I think this one is in need of a little hot chocolate." He finished by pushing Lucy gently in the direction of his housekeeper, who surprised them all by putting a comforting arm around Lucy and leading her towards the kitchen.
"Now all of you back to bed!" The professor began "Except, you two." He finished pointing at Peter and Susan. The two of them turned to follow the professor down the hall, while the others went back to bed.
The professor led them to his study where he took his pipe and stuffed it.
"You seem to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper." The professor began, clearly demanding an answer.
"So sorry sir, it won't happen again." Peter said quickly in a soldier-like voice, then grabbed Susan's hand and pulled her back towards the door, clearly expecting this little chat would be over. However, Susan seemed to have another idea.
"It's our sister, sir, Lucy."
"The weeping girl?" professor Kirke asked, although he already knew the answer. It was a way to prompt them into explaining things further.
"Yes, she's upset." Susan continued. All the while Peter was wondering what got into his sister, it wasn't like her to confide in a stranger. True, the professor took them in, but he was still a stranger.
"Hence, the weeping." The professor said, as if he was explaining to a child that when people were upset, they would weep.
"It's nothing, we can handle it." Peter said, in the hopes to end the discussion.
" Well, I could see that." Professor Kirke said, still stuffing his pipe, never once even looking at them. Susan was looking at Peter strangely, she couldn't understand why he wanted to get away so quickly.
"She says she found a magical land." She continued "in the upstairs wardrobe." This finally got the professor's attention, he looked up at them with a look of surprise in his eyes. He got up from his place behind his desk and advanced towards them.
"What did you say?" he asked, putting a hand on Susan's arm and guiding her towards the couch, motioning for her to sit.
"The wardrobe, upstairs." Peter said, following them, he figured they might as well tell him everything. "Lucy thinks she found a forest inside." He finished while sitting himself next to Susan.
" She won't stop going on about it!" Susan exclaimed. The professor kneeled in front of them with a look of amazement on his face.
"What was it like?" he asked with what sounded like childlike enthusiasm.
"Like talking to a lunatic." Susan said, misunderstanding the professor's question.
"No, no, no, not her, the forest." He corrected. Susan and Peter glanced at each other quickly.
"You're not saying you believe her?" Peter asked in surprise.
" You don't?"
" Well of course not! I mean, logically it's impossible." Susan explained, astonished that a man as serious as the professor would believe something as childish as magical lands.
"What do they teach you at school these days?" the professor wondered, shaking his head.
"That's exactly what I've been wondering about for years." Robin whispered from behind the door, however, he was quickly shushed by Amelia. The twins and he had decided to see what was being said between the professor and their eldest siblings, and so they found themselves hiding behind the door, listening to the conversation going on in the room. The three of them had been surprised by the professor's reaction to everything and they found themselves liking him more by the minute.
"Edmund said they were only pretending." Peter continued, oblivious to the fact that three of his siblings were eavesdropping.
"And usually he's the more truthful one, is he?" the professor asked.
"No," Peter admitted reluctantly, " this would be the first time."
"Well, if she's not mad and she's not lying, then logically you must assume she's telling the truth." The professor finished with a flourish, putting his pipe in his mouth and lighting it.
" So, you're saying, that we should just believe her?" Peter asked making the professor turn his attention back at them.
"She's your sister isn't she? You're her family." Here he paused looking at them for a long time, Peter and Susan looked at each other uncomfortably, " you might just start acting like one!" The professor finished, maybe with a bit more anger in his tone than he actually meant.
"As for those who are hiding behind the door I expect the same from you!" the professor said with a light twinkle in his eyes.
The twins and Robin looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment, all three wondering how the professor had found out. Then William signalled for the other two to follow him, and they crept from their hiding place. As they entered the room Susan and Peter looked up in surprise at their arrival.
"What are you doing here?" Peter asked, they could see Susan was divided in being angry at them or just relieved that she and Peter weren't alone with the professor anymore.
"We were just curious." Amelia said before Robin and William would say anything stupid.
" Yeah, we just wanted to know if we would be getting into trouble." Her twin continued, Robin just nodded his head.
"Well, I think that's quite enough for tonight. Time to go to bed, off you go!" the professor said. The five of them left the study and went up to their rooms in silence.
The next day was quite a beautiful day on the contrary to the day before, and so the children decided to go outside. They settled for a game of baseball, it was easy to do so for them. They divided in two teams and set themselves on the grass field in front of the manor.
Peter had the ball and threw it at Edmund who had to hit it, however, Edmund wasn't paying attention, and the ball hit him on the leg.
"Wake up Ed!" Peter shouted at his brother, while Susan picked up the ball and threw it back at Peter. Edmund was still looking sour, he definitely couldn't laugh with it.
"Why can't we play hide and seek again?" he asked, Will resisted the urge to roll his eyes, he knew exactly what would happen if they did that again.
"I thought you said it was a kid's game." William pointed out, earning himself an annoyed look from Edmund.
"Besides, we could always use the fresh air!" Susan said, trying to lighten the mood. Needless to say it didn't work.
"It's not like there is no air inside." Was Edmund's reply. Peter decided a change of subject was needed and brought them all back to the game.
"Are you ready?" he asked Edmund, with an edge of arrogance in his tone.
"Are you?" taking this as his signal, Peter threw the ball at Edmund who hit it this time and sent it flying. That is, until the ball broke a window and the sound of things crashing to the floor could be heard.
"Oh,oh, that didn't sound well." Sean said, the Pevensies looked at each other before running towards the house and to the room where their ball had landed.
As they gathered in the room, they could see the ball had hit a suit of armour and sent it crashing on the floor.
"Well done Ed." Was Peter's remark
"hey, you threw the ball!" Edmund practically shouted back.
Then came the sound of the housekeeper's voice.
"The Mccreedy!" shouted Ginny, as one the children ran from the room, trying to hide before the housekeeper found them. The ran through the house, in and out of rooms, up and down the stairs. As they heard footsteps approaching they began to search more frantically for a hiding place.
Sean moved towards the nearest door and tried to pull it open, but it was locked. Louisa moved on to the next door but found this one locked as well. Edmund managed to open another door, and they all swarmed inside and locked the door. It was only after doing so that they realised where they were. Sean didn't think and ran towards the wardrobe, quickly followed by Robin, Ben and Brigitta. He opened the door and let the others inside first.
When he saw no one else was following he began to spur them on.
"Come on!" he said, pointing at the open door.
"You've got to be joking." Susan said. The twins ran towards the wardrobe as well, grabbing their younger siblings until the only ones remaining at the door were Susan, Peter and Lucy.
When they heard the footsteps again the three of them spurred into action as well, running towards the wardrobe. They got in and began to push back. Peter closed the door behind him and began making his way to the back. Several shouts were heard as they were all stepping on each other's feet and tripping over each other. Sean was feeling with his hands for the back of the wardrobe, yet he never felt it. Instead, he felt himself tripping and fell down in something cold. He was quickly followed by the rest of his siblings.
There, they are in Narnia! Read and Review please!!!
