Goodness! I meant to update long ago. Oh well, better late than never =D


Time and Teddys

Cissy

Time seemed to whizz by after Spain. Before I knew it Bella was back at Hogwarts. Letters arrived almost daily, her second year was that exciting. She even charmed one to dance around the dining room squealing in a high pitched voice "Introducing the newest Slytherin Star Chaser Bellatrix Black." It took Mummy four hours to catch it. Dromeda and I laughed ourselves silly at her chasing the screaming parchment.

A few days later Uncle Orion remarked "I heard Bellatrix made the Quidditch team." Dromeda snorted so loudly she had to be taken out of the room.

But the best came in February a few days after my ninth birthday. Daddy took me to Diagon Alley all by myself and got me my wand. Finally I was a proper witch! All day long I whirled round the house making pretty sparkles and puffs of smoke. I vaguely remembered Dromeda doing something similar two years ago, but with a lot more fire.

Unfortunately I was so absorbed in the best I didn't notice exactly how fast time was whizzing by. Before I knew it there were new Black robes in Dromeda's wardrobe. A shiny new trunk at the end of her bed. A new cauldron. New books. A new lump of lead in my stomach. With every new piece of school equipment, the lead got heavier and heavier until I felt physically sick. The night before she left Mummy actually made me take a potion to calm my stomach.

But I couldn't let anyone know. Because while the thought of the 1st of September made me want to vomit, it made Dromeda want to scream with delight. She never shut up about Hogwarts. And Bella was just as bad, telling her stories about what she got up to at school. I just sat there. Smiling and laughing like a good sister. Ignoring the hysterical screaming in my head.

It was bad when Bella was gone. How was I going to cope without Dromeda as well?

I wasn't meant to be an only child. I had always had my big sisters with me. All those times I'd wished they'd go away and leave me alone. Well I was eating my words now!

My nightmares started again. But this time I wasn't just screaming for Bella. I was screaming for Dromeda too.

They were always there when I woke up. Both of them. Bella looked a bit shell shocked at first. She'd never had to deal with my nightmares before. But Dromeda had. Dromeda knew what to do. Dromeda knew how to hug me and soothe me and make the monsters go away. Oh Merlin! How was I supposed make the monsters go away on my own!

"Don't leave me!" I'd sob, clinging to her. "Please don't leave me!"

"I won't Cissy," she'd reply. "I never will."

Liar.

It wasn't until the night before she left I dared call her that. But I did. I did! I screamed it at the top of my voice.

"LIAR!"

"Cissy!" She was shocked.

"LIAR LIAR LIAR! YOU ARE LEAVING! Tomorrow! You're leaving me! You're-"

I broke off crying.

This time it was Bella who knew what to say.

"We're not leaving Cissy. Not really"

I glared at her with red rimmed eyes. Did she think I was a stupid little baby who knew nothing? They were leaving. They were!

She saw me preparing to scream again and interrupted quickly " We're just going on a site inspection."

Dromeda looked as puzzled as me.

"Yup," continued Bella. "A site inspection. We have to make sure this 'Hogwarts place' is fit for our best baby sister."

"Not a baby," I mumbled half-heartedly.

"Nope," said Bella grinning. "But you're our baby sister, and we can't have you going to a second rate school now can we?"

"Hell no!" cried Dromeda, giving me a squeeze.

"So what we'll do is," Bella continued "go to this 'Hogwarts' and inspect every inch of it. I'd say it'll take us about two years to do the job satisfactorily."

"And we'll do it in blocks of three months or so," Dromeda added.

"Yup." Bella was warming to the theme. "And we'll send you daily reports. But Cissy, you have a job too."

"I do?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes." Bella nodded imperiously. " You have to read all our lett- I mean reports, and tell us anything you think we might have missed out. Anything we need to investigate further."

I gave her a weak smile.

"You'll also have to be our main supplier. We need you to send us various bits of 'equipment' without, and this is very important Cissy, without Mummy seeing you."

I managed a soft giggle.

"And finally," Bella was on her knees at this point, towering over the huddled figures of me and Dromeda, making the matress sag. "And most importantly, you have to stay here and make the parents..."

She leaned closer, whispering now

"...make the parents SPOIL YOU!"

With a shriek she grabbed one of my pillows and started pummelling us with it.

With identical shrieks Dromeda and I grabbed the remaining pillows and tried to fight back. Not that there was really much point in fighting Bella. But credit where credit is due Dromeda sure did try. She was very good. She was almost as good as Bella. Maybe in a few years she'd be the strongest. But as I balanced on the headboard out of the way, Bella smooshed her face into the mattress and declared herself the winner.

Dromeda came up laughing and gasping for air. I wasn't sure how she managed to do both at the same time, but then again, Dromeda can do almost anything.

I don't know what I'd do without her.

All at once the tears threatened again.

But Bella was determined I was not going to cry again.

"Anyway Cissy," she said calmly, as if we hadn't just had a massive pillow fight since her last sentence. "You yourself will need the proper equipment to carry out your job so-"

She darted across the room and grabbed the pinkest, fluffiest teddy bear she could find on my shelves.

"This will be your personal guardian."

Triumphantly she shoved it into my arms.

"He's your body guard. It's his job to keep the monsters away. And just to make sure he does..."

She smacked him on the head with her wand.

"There. Anti-Nightmare charm. No more monsters for you Cissy."

And she grinned at me. A big goofy grin that made me grin right back at her.

It worked. My nightmares disappeared. Except for when Pink-Ted had the occasional off night.

It wasn't 'til years later I admitted to Bella I knew there wasn't such a thing as an Anti-Nightmare charm.

She denied the fact vehemently.


Hmmm, still a distinct lack of Xerxes. I know! I'll use him to threaten you!

*Holds up Xerxes*

"Miaow!

*Points at review button.

"You know what to do."