Later that night, Amera and Tashia ran up the girls' dorm stairs, trying to get away from the crowd. Someone threw Amera a party, and it wasn't Hermione. The whole Gryffindor house was cramped into the common room, and soon the crowd had to move into the rooms. Amera and Tashia scrambled up the stairs, reaching their room before the crowd knew Amera was gone. She closed the door behind her and locked it. Tashia flopped down onto her bed and Amera went over to the full length mirror.
"I still look kinda washed out."
"Uh next week it'll be gone!" Tashia laughed.
Amera looked back at Tashia; she had apparently found some Firewhiskey. She went over to her trunk and found the letter that Aurora had sent her, along with the sealed envelope and the box.
"Hey, snap out of it. We still gotta read this letter…"
Tashia laughed and rolled off of her bed and onto the floor. She crawled over to Amera's bed and pulled herself up onto it.
"Read it to me, the letters are moving!" Tashia laughed, lying on her back.
"Tashia…I haven't even opened it yet…"
Tashia stifled a laugh and then sat up. Amera whipped out her wand and tapped her on the head.
"I was having fun!" Tashia said, frowning.
"Yeah and tomorrow you'll have a hangover, and I don't now the charm to fix that…" Amera lied.
"Spoil sport." Tashia pouted, moving closer to read the letter.
"Here hold the box." Amera said, handing Tashia the box. Amera ripped open the new envelope, and read the new letter. She recognised her mother's handwriting.
Dearest Amera and Tashia.
This is a letter I hoped I would never have to write, but given the circumstances, I feel I have no choice. Almost fifteen years ago; your dad, Amera; and both your parents, Tashia; gave their lives for something that they had no control over. After the fall of Voldemort, his Deatheaters went on a rampage and found them, making you both lead a life you weren't meant to. Those marks on your backs were a terrible curse, and I think you have the right to know who was behind them, and after all these years, that is the only reason I had remained supposed friends with the Malfoy family…
Amera and Tashia looked at one another. Was this going to change their entire lives?
…It was Lucius Malfoy, the famed Deatheater that gave you those marks. I have only found this out recently, and am truly shocked. Narcissa has been a long time friend of mine, since before she married Lucius, and I am horrified that she had known this for so long. I am grateful that she told me, but I will no longer associate with her until she gives up her Deatheater ways. On a better note, I have luckily found a potion to cure those marks, and the curse that came with it. The curse was meant to suppress a wonderful gift that each of you were supposed to be born with. I thought that I would not present itself ever, until I found out it was the curse that suppressed it. In the box should be two potions, a green and orange one. The green is for you Amera, and the orange one is for Tashia. They will probably taste vile, but it will only last a minute. After about two weeks or so the marks will disappear totally, but your powers should become apparent within a day.
I may not tell you what your powers will be, but when you figure them out, please let me know.
All my love
Aurora
Tashia and Amera looked at each other again, their mouths open. Lucius, Draco's dad, had done this to them willingly, to stop them from developing a special power. All the years that they were friends with the Malfoy family, was for the wrong reasons. They felt betrayed, they knew that Aurora had known Narcissa long before she had got married to Lucius, and felt horrible that Aurora had now lost a close friend because of Lucius.
"I'm so sorry Amera!" Tashia said immediately, looking at the shock an Amera's face.
"For?" Amera asked, still looking at the parchment.
"About Draco, I never thought that…"
"No matter, I broke it off this morning."
"Is that what happened?"
Amera nodded and grabbed the box from Tashia. She pulled the ribbon off and opened the box. Two triangular bottles fit side by side in the box, very dark in colour. She pulled out a bottle and held it against the light of chandelier.
"This is yours Tash."
Amera gave Tashia her bottle and took the other out of the box. The handle of their room door started moving, Hermione's voice spoke loudly from the other side.
"Amera? Tash? You guys in there? Open up!"
"Just a minute Hermione." Tashia shouted.
"You sure about this?" Tashia asked Amera softly, but Amera's cork was already out.
"Here's to whatever special gift we get." Amera whispered toasting Tashia with her potion bottle. Tashia popped her cork and they both downed the potion. They looked at each other for a second, there was no vile taste. Then it hit them in the back of their throats, and they started gagging.
"Amera! Tashia! Are you guys alright?" Hermione half shouted from the other side of the door. They could barely answer then the taste was gone as quickly as it hit them.
"Merlin! That was horrible!" Tashia choked one last time, Amera nodded and coughed at the same time. Tashia went to open the door, Hermione was staring at them sternly, but her eyes were red.
"What were you two doing?"
Amera looked closely at Hermione, she had been crying. Amera walked over to Hermione and looked at her.
"We just had a really strong shot of Firewhiskey, but what's wrong Hermione?"
Hermione looked Amera in the eye, her lips started trembling and she started crying again. Amera put her arms around Hermione's shoulder and led her to her bed.
