MAGICAL WAR
MW1 – Daydreams
Mirage – 1
The small town of Grimly was shrouded in darkness, night had fallen. It was late, only the streetlamps providing any light, the well respecting citizens having already gone to bed.
Suddenly and without a sound, a shadow appeared at the end of the street. A hooded figure stood tall, taking in the surroundings before moving forwards slowly and with purpose. The streetlights barely managed to so much as touch this spectre, which clung to the shadows far more easily then it should have been able.
The figure crept upwards, towards one of the houses, without pause, knocking briskly on the door, a concealed wand in its hand.
Pale blue eyes framed by blond locks and a long, horse like face appeared within a few moments to answer the door. The girl looked immediately terrified upon seeing the hooded figure, opening her mouth to scream when a pale hand deftly covered her mouth. The spectre forced their way inside, pushing Petunia Evans out of their way and closing the door behind them.
Petunia watched in horror as the intruder looked around, a wand held at the ready, "Lily!"
Lily appeared within seconds of the intruder's call, face wild.
"Emma? Emma what's wrong?" She asked, watching as the wandless lowered her hood to reveal amber hair and hazel eyes.
"Nothing's wrong," Emma said easily, already removing her cape. "Sorry for scaring you Petunia, but one shouldn't wait on doorsteps in these times-"
"Freak!" Petunia spat, stomping away furiously.
"Well that went well," Emma muttered sarcastically. "So are you ready?" She asked Lily.
Lily nodded, eyes still clouded with worry, "Why are you here though? I thought James was coming?"
"Change of plan," Emma shrugged. "Prongs is too easy to follow; he's only a wizard after all," she winked.
Lily exhaled slowly, nodding before going upstairs to retrieve her trunk. They'd only been out of school half a week and already she was stressed. And it wasn't work that had her pulling her hair out, no, it was the very person waiting in her doorway.
But they were going on a vacation, Lily reminded herself. They were taking a few days to relax in the wilderness, away from the war before they joined the Order on the 10th and Emma left. It was a camping trip, planned, oddly enough, by Sirius. Lily sighed; a vacation was just what she needed.
Emma was inspecting her nails when Lily reached the bottom of the stairs, trunk in tow. The wandless looked up, a wild grin forming on her features as she caught site of Lily.
Lily rolled her eyes; Emma was way too excited about this. They didn't exit the house through the front door, instead Lily grabbed onto Emma's arm, turning on the spot and letting the wandless guide her through the black world.
They reappeared in a forest clearing where the boys had already set up shop. Lily ran towards James, gripping him in a tight hug. He had not left her thoughts once over their time apart and Lily had spent the nights laying awake and wondering how he was coping in the apartment all alone.
Emma joined the others by the fire, laughing immediately at something one of the boys had said. Lily smiled; this was how it should have been, how it would have been if they were not locked in war.
"Come on you two!" Sirius yelled out, a stick, complete with flaming marshmallow, in hand, "There won't be any left if you don't get a move on!"
Lily laughed, beside her James sighed, "Those are supposed to last us three days Padfoot."
"Oh…" Sirius frowned, "Well we can always multiply them, now get over here!"
Lily led James forward, eager to be with all of them again. Remus handed them each a stick and the open bag of marshmallows. "Hurry up or Padfoot will have eaten them all."
"Shove off Moony," Sirius grumbled, skewering his fifteenth treat before sticking it in the fire enthusiastically. "This is the best ever."
Emma laughed, "We'll have to do it more often; I haven't seen you so excited in a long time."
"Which is saying something," James mumbled, deftly avoiding the empty stick Sirius chucked at him.
"Watch it Prongs."
"I was watching; how do you think I dodged it so fast?"
Sirius grinned, shoving another burnt marshmallow into his mouth and shrugging. "I can't believe it took you eight years to introduce us to marshpillows. I have half a mind to disown you," Sirius said, the comment clearly meant for Emma and Remus.
"Makes you wonder what else they're holding back," James agreed, squishing his marshmallow with concentration.
"There's more…?" Peter whispered, a look of wonder on his face.
"Oh, sure, yeah there's pizza," Remus said, sending Emma a wink.
Emma caught on quickly, "Hamburgers-"
"-Coke floats-"
"-Funnel cakes-"
"-Poutine-"
"I think I'll skip the shit-tine, thanks," James said with a grimace.
Emma blew on her marshmallow, putting out the flames with a self satisfied expression, "You mean you wouldn't want fries with gravy and cheese?"
James, Sirius and Peter froze, all eyes turning to look at Emma as if she had just answered their most fervent prayer.
James turned to Lily, "Why wasn't I informed of this? Do you not love me at all?"
Lily burst into laughter, bending over and holding her sides, "The look on your face!"
"It isn't real then?" Sirius looked like a kicked puppy.
Emma snorted, "Of course it's real, you idiot. If it means that much to you I'll take you for some this week."
It was Christmas all over.
"Anyone up for truth or dare?" Remus asked, rotating his marshmallow so that each side was a perfect golden brown. He was clearly hoping to head off Sirius's demand that they leave immediately.
"Sure," Emma agreed, her own burnt marshmallow making it obvious that she was Sirius's inspiration.
"Well, truth or dare?" Sirius asked her, watching his marshmallow flame greedily.
"Truth."
"Right… err…" Sirius was clearly unsure what to ask her, after eight years, what didn't he know? "Have you ever had a crush on Ricky?"
Emma snorted, "No. Lily, truth or dare?"
"Truth, I'm not stupid enough to have a Marauder dare me."
"Fair enough, is it true you're going to move in with Prongs?"
Lily blushed, "It is." Sirius wolf whistled and James punched him in the shoulder. "Sirius, truth or dare?"
"Dare, I'm not as cowardly as you girls."
"Oh, very well," Lily grinned evilly. "I dare you not to eat anymore marshmallows."
Sirius's jaw dropped, the others bursting into laughter, "That isn't fair!"
Lily simply shrugged and Sirius grumbled audibly, "Moony. Choose."
Remus laughed at Sirius's forlorn expression before saying, "Truth."
"I truth you not to eat anymore marshmallows."
"That isn't the way it works Padfoot."
"Is now."
Remus chuckled, putting his stick down and stretching, "Alright, I'm going to bed, it's late."
"You know we don't have class tomorrow," Sirius told him, swiping the marshmallow off of Emma's stick.
"HEY!"
"Yeah I know, but I want to be up early tomorrow."
Sirius rolled his eyes, but with an unsaid agreement they put out the fire and followed Remus inside the tent.
Lily gasped upon entering; it was huge. The first story had a working bathroom, kitchen (though they wouldn't be using it), and four beds. The second story was only a loft holding two more beds for the girls, but even so, Lily was taken back.
"Prongs found it in his attic," Emma told her, "You didn't think we'd be rooming with those four, did you?"
For two days they simply relaxed, splashing in a nearby lake and laughing; but all good things come to an end and all too soon Lily found that they were packing up.
It was almost midday when Emma dropped what she had been carrying, her head swivelling to look into the forest.
"Y-you alright Swift?" Peter jittered, eyes shooting around the place.
Sirius felt it first, a crawling sensation crossing his skin, like two force fields colliding.
They jumped as Protem rose, cutting them off from Emma, who was crouched down; her hair fanning out dangerously. Suddenly the lower branches on the trees rustled, a young girl coming out of the forest.
She was beautiful, with long hair that was so black it shone blue in the sun. Her eyes were wide and misty, a light blue that gave Sirius the creeps. She wore a simple blue dress, a bow on her back though there were no arrows. She bowed low upon entering the clearing, eyes staying glued to Emma.
"I am Mirage. I rule the Element Air and the Light. My spell allows me to see what has past, what is now and what is to come."
Emma stood straight and gave a single nod, "I am Protem; I shield those around me and rule the Four Elements." Emma was almost surprised at the words she spoke, but there was a part of her, some deep part, that knew this was her proper introduction and that it was the least she could do after Mirage had offered her own information so willingly. "What business do you have here, Mirage?"
Mirage smiled, her eyes staying blank, "Your instincts are not as wholly marred as they could have been. Of course, I knew you would get so far on you own. You have done a great deal to hide who you are Protem, but you are still a wandless."
"Emma," Emma's face was suddenly filled with self disgust. "My name is Emma."
Mirage frowned, though once again her eyes stayed blank, "Is being a wandless so wrong in your eyes?"
Emma's lip curled, "You have something to say to me?"
Mirage nodded, "We have a great deal to discuss Protem. You have a lot to learn."
"And what could you possibly teach me?"
"To stop pretending you're a witch. If you want to win this war you need to stop cowering behind a wall of control. You are going about everything the wrong way," Mirage responded, not an ounce of emotion in her voice. "You're nearing your 19th year. It's time you grew up."
Emma smirked, "I bet I'm in better control then you."
"Of your emotions? Maybe," Mirage allowed. "But can you harness your magic? At this point you are only an over glorified witch, nothing special. You said you ruled the Elements. When was the last time they came when you called?"
Emma opened her mouth and closed it. She had stopped using her feeling magic intentionally a very long time ago, instead relying on more reliable spells.
Mirage smiled serenely, "Are you interested now Protem?"
"Emma, my name is Emma."
"To them maybe," Mirage said nodding to the others. "But not to one of our kind."
"Swift?" Sirius asked from behind her, sounding worried and confused.
Emma turned to him, eyes guarded, "Yes Sirius?"
"What?" His eyes darted from her, to Mirage and back, the question obvious.
Mirage looked unconcerned by the exchange and Emma at a loss for words.
"I am offering Protem lessons, so that one day she might be able to defend herself, Sirius Black," Mirage answered simply.
"Defend myself?" Emma spat, eyes locking on Mirage.
Mirage smiled serenely, "I know what your thinking Protem and you should know you won't win the fight."
"But you're," James fought for words, looking between the tiny frame of Mirage, who was 13 at the oldest and Emma, who was tall and lean. "Young…" he said at last.
Mirage shook her head, looking amused, "Age is not everything. So what will it be Protem? Are you going to fight me or not?"
"You want me to?" Emma asked, seeming sceptical.
"I think you need to see how worthless you are, yes."
Emma's eyes blazed, she threw her hand out, red light spinning from her palm. Peter inhaled as the spell made straight for Mirage, who simply waited calmly. At the last moment the spell bent, being twisted so that it missed her entirely.
"Spell will not work on me," Mirage said easily. "Think of my rulings, Air and Light."
Emma growled, sending another spell that went the same way as the first.
Mirage sighed, took the bow from her back and aimed with it. Sirius watched in confusion, eyes widening as a blue arrow materialized on the string before Mirage let it go.
Emma dodged it and the arrow collided with Protem, stopping it just short of Peter's face. Emma winced, rubbing her midriff as if she had been punched. "You can't aim for them; that's cheating."
"If you are in a real fight, you need to be able to protect those who belong to you," Mirage said calmly, aiming the bow at Emma again, "This one will be faster."
Emma moved at the last moment, dodging the arrow but Mirage appeared behind her in the next second, knocking her knees out.
"Fight me with the Elements Protem."
Emma stood in a flash, using her wandless magic to speed her forwards and punch Mirage, but Mirage was much, much faster.
"Think," Mirage commanded. "I rule Air and Light, what does that mean?"
"How should I know?" Emma vented, the wind knocked out of her in the next second as Mirage elbowed her in the back – hard.
"Well that can be our next lesson," Mirage said stoically. "For now I think you've learned this one, shall we go?"
"You're not coming anywhere near them," Emma hissed, getting to her feet.
Mirage sighed, seeming almost like a mother with an unruly child, "I'm not here for them. Wizards don't concern me."
"You're coming with us?" Sirius yelped.
Mirage scrunched her nose, as if the thought was disgusting to her, "Yes, Sirius Black. I will be staying with you, Remus Lupin and Protem until Protem and myself have completed Headquarters."
Sirius's jaw was in danger of hitting the ground, his eyes bulging. It was Peter who broke Emma and Mirage's stare down. "You're a seer," his voice held a hint of worship and it was clear that he had gathered every once of courage he had to address Mirage, "What do you see?"
Mirage turned to face him, no emotion on her visage, "A great many things. Life, Death, Marriage, Betrayal."
Peter whimpered, but Emma seemed unfazed, "Now?" She asked; her tone biting.
Mirage nodded, "Now."
"Where are we going exactly?" James asked curiously, running a hand through his hair in worry.
"The apartment," Mirage answered. "Where Protem lives," she had barely said the words when she spun on the spot, disappearing without even a sound.
Sirius looked to Emma with wide eyes filled with worry. What did this mean? Why was Emma acting so different? How did she know how to act? Where was Swift?
Emma's eyes locked with his, still guarded and unyielding before she too turned on the spot, vanishing without a sound.
Sirius reappeared a moment later with a loud pop! only to find the two wandless staring at each other across the kitchen table. A few cracks alerted him to the arrival of the other Marauders and Lily.
"Will you join the Order?" Emma's voice broke the long silence and it was only then that Sirius noticed she was holding her left arm which had a scratch.
Did one of those arrows hit her after all?
"No," Mirage answered evenly. "That is not my place. I am here only to give you the information you need."
"I'm listening."
"It is not something you will learn in a day, in an hour. I thought you would have realized that."
Emma contemplated her words, an expression crossing her face that Sirius had never seen before, "This is not the time to start?"
"No." Mirage looked at the others before saying, "Iran ult."
Emma's brow rose, but she nodded once in acknowledgement, "I will show you your room."
Sirius watched the two leave, feeling with each passing second as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. This wasn't his Swift. This was a side, a piece, of Emma that he hadn't even known existed.
Emma re-entered the room a minute later, the others still standing awkwardly, "Sit," she said at last, collapsing into an armchair herself.
"Because we belong to you?"
Sirius wasn't the only one surprised to hear the venom in his voice, his mouth turned down in a sneer. Hadn't that been what Mirage said? That they belonged to Emma?
"It is not that sort of belonging," Emma answered calmly, knowing exactly what he was talking about. The others in the room shifted nervously, exchanging glances; it had been a very long time since Emma and Sirius had been in a real fight.
"Isn't it?" Sirius hissed. "Ear ult?"
"Iran ult," Emma corrected, eyes flashing dangerously, "It is not something to concern yourself with."
Sirius slammed his fist down on the back of the couch, "Not something to concern myself with?" he parroted her words.
"No," Emma said coldly standing, "It isn't."
At this point James steered Lily and Peter out of the room, Remus hot on their heels. Watching Sirius and Emma fight was amusing in most cases, but this wasn't something they wanted to get caught in the middle of. James sat down in the kitchen, wand at the ready in case he or Remus had to intervene.
Sirius growled, looking demented in anger, "WHO ARE YOU?" he bellowed.
Emma took a step back, her eyes widening in shock. A moment passed, then another before at last, "I'm Emma Louise Dill, Protem, Swift, wandless, Marauder," there was a moment where Sirius thought she might cry. "I don't know who I am."
Sirius blinked before reaching out for her but she turned on her heel and disappeared, slipping through his fingers.
Sirius collapsed into a seat at the table, tears leaking down his face, What is going on? What have I done?
Sirius wasn't generally someone who dealt with emotions, but Emma had always been an exception. The Marauders and now Lily, were the only people he'd ever dared to get emotionally close to because, deep down, he was afraid they would leave him. He had been rocky with Emma since she'd decided to leave, now she wouldn't have to, not physically at least; but Mirage had opened up a different sort of leaving. Emma hadn't been his Emma in the clearing, or even two second ago; she had been someone else, someone he didn't know.
Remus came back into the sitting room eventually and it was obvious that the others had gone home. It had started to rain at some point and Sirius was fairly sure he knew who was behind it.
"You'll work through this," Remus said reassuringly. "You and Swift work through everything."
Sirius sighed, looking at the rain washed window pane, "Do you think it's her?"
Remus followed his gaze, staring at the rain, "I have no idea Padfoot."
Sirius nodded, "I need a moment alone Moony, to think."
Remus nodded in understanding, making his way to his room. He was perhaps the only one who wasn't surprised by what had happened in the clearing, well, he was surprised with Mirage, but not in how Emma reacted. It was not so different from what went on between werewolves in a pack. Even he had the instincts of a wolf, if he didn't display them on a daily basis.
The moon had risen long ago, but Sirius didn't move from his position at the table. He was mad. Mad at himself for loosing his temper, mad that he didn't understand what had gone on and terrified that he had lost Emma for good.
"She's on the roof," he looked up blankly to see Mirage, still in the sky blue dress that illuminated her eyes so oddly.
"Beg pardon?" Sirius asked blearily.
"She's sitting on the roof," Mirage repeated, sliding her thin frame into the seat opposing Sirius. "Protem will be back, Sirius Black and she will forgive you; why I won't pretend to understand."
"She's a good person," Sirius said calmly, gazing again out the window. "I only wish I understood – that she would explain-"
"She will later, this is new to her as well," Mirage said calmly, reaching down to stroke Wilberforce who had pawed her knee.
Sirius looked at the crup with an odd smile before turning his attention back to the wandless, "You really see everything?"
"The paths of everything, nothing is set in stone," Mirage explained. They were silent for a time, only the rain making sound when she said, "You really do belong to her."
Sirius frowned, "I am afraid I don't understand the term," he was trying his best not to sound annoyed.
"You belong to her, as Protem belongs to you," Mirage stated.
Sirius's brow furrowed in thought, "Like family?"
Mirage shrugged, "A very human term, but in essence."
"Why do you despise humans?" Sirius asked, "And wouldn't you be a human too?"
Mirage shook her head, "I am no more human then Remus Lupin who is classified a werewolf, not a man, but you knew that, of course. You know a great deal about wandless Sirius Black, more then most wizards bother with."
"I had a reason to care," Sirius answered her, trying to ignore her blank eyes. "But you still haven't explained why you hate wizards so much."
Mirage smiled, "You are very stubborn Sirius Black. Very well, my parents were of magical blood; when they discovered what I was they abandoned me. I was only in my third year. I should have died, but my kind do not fade from the Elements, we were born from them. We are a species apart from mere mortals, waving silly bits of wood. We breathe the essence that your kind try to ensnare. We, alone, know what magic is. We feel it," Mirage said placing her hand over her heart. "It lives within us, speaks if we will only listen. Protem has been… domesticated. She doesn't hear when the magic speaks. She has tried to burry the voice, to destroy that part of her. This can not happen."
Sirius nodded, thinking the story over with a frown, "So you lived alone?"
Mirage shook her head, "I was found by Centaurs; they took me in, raised me and taught me about my kind."
"But centaurs hate wizards?"
"Exactly, wizards, not wandless," Mirage smirked. "And not foals who can see the future."
"I am sorry even so," Sirius said. "It was wrong of your parents."
"They were afraid," Mirage excused easily, with little concern. "What would you do if your children were wandless?"
"They would be my children," Sirius said firmly. "Nothing could ever change that."
Mirage smiled, "I know." She stood and turned to the door, where, Sirius realized with a start, Emma was leaning on the door frame at ease. "Est Sapien wert."
He watched Emma's brow rise, "I know."
Mirage exited then, saying only, "Good Night Sirius Black, Protem."
Emma replaced Mirage's seat, her expression drawn.
They sat in silence for a moment, not even the pitter-patter of rain disrupting them.
"I am sorry," Sirius said seriously. "I shouldn't have yelled."
"You were in your right," Emma allowed. "She said it was for only my ears," Sirius looked confused. "Iran ult – Your ears."
"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed surprised. He wondered if he would be permitted to ask what Mirage had said before leaving, but Emma seemed in a sharing mood.
"Just now she said that you are 'A worthy human'."
Sirius smirked, "Should I be honoured or insulted?"
"Coming from her?" Emma snorted. "Honoured, I doubt she has sung a human's praise before."
Sirius forced a small smile to his lips, "What language is that? How do you know it?"
Emma ran a hand through her hair, seemingly unsure of how to answer. "It is a very… brash… form of speech. I know Mirage explained to you about wandless being able to hear the Elements, about them being able to talk to trees for example. The language she spoke in is like an annunciation of the speech of the Elements; because if she simply sent me a breeze, she knows I'd be lost to the meaning."
"Why can't you understand it? Why is your magic so much…" Sirius trailed off, not wanting to insult Emma, who chuckled.
"Weaker?" She guessed, "I thought you would know."
"Oh?" Sirius's brow furrowed.
"Because I don't want to be a wandless – have never wanted to be a wandless."
"Why though?" Sirius asked, "Why wouldn't you want to be who you are?"
Emma sighed, fiddling with her fingers, "Because it separates me from you."
Sirius blinked in shock, his mind emptying of all coherent thought. Without thinking he gripped her hands from across the table, holding them in his own. "I already told you that I don't care."
"I would never forgive myself Sirius, never."
For the first time Sirius truly understood what that statement meant, how she truly felt. "Your control strengthens each day."
"But it may never be enough," Emma said lowly. "It isn't an Arithmancy equation with an exact numerical answer, more like an Ancient Runes essay."
Sirius grinned, "You were always good at Runes," he joked, trying to pull her upwards. She did chuckle, but it was as empty as Mirage's eyes. "You need rest," he said at last, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Is Mirage in your room?"
Emma nodded, "I conjured a spare bed for her."
"Are you going to be alright, sleeping in the same room?"
Emma nodded, "I think so. I can understand her, if that makes sense… maybe it's a wandless thing."
Sirius nodded, "Perhaps. Come on, I'll walk you to your room."
Emma chuckled, standing, "It would be horrid if I got lost, that hallway is so spooky."
"I knew it freaked you out," Sirius said with a wink. He opened Remus's door on as they passed it, letting Wilberforce into bed. "Good Night," he said, making for his own door.
"Good Night," Emma smiled before opening the door and entering her dark room.
Mirage was already asleep when she entered; an odd breeze blowing the wandless's black hair. Emma frowned in thought before getting into bed; she wondered if that was how she looked when she slept, or if her control was sustained, even in sleep.
Sirius was the first up the next morning. He stared into the fridge for sometime before giving it up as a bad job. He couldn't cook and no one would appreciate him burning the building down. He had just sat down when Mirage entered the room, her eyes still as blank as ever.
"Hello Sirius Black," she greeted cordially, if not warmly. Sirius had a feeling that he should be honoured Mirage had addressed him at all.
"Good Morning Mirage," Sirius responded. "Unfortunately I can't cook, so we'll have to wait for the other to get up."
Mirage's face contorted, the air swirling ominously, "Protem is not your House elf, Sirius Black."
Sirius snorted, "Yeah, don't worry I know. But if I cook something we'll be lucky to escape with our lives."
"Not even toast?" Mirage asked, before shaking her head, clearly having seen the outcome of such a trial. "No, you're right the kitchen doesn't survive and Harold Chames gets quite upset with you for murdering his cat."
Sirius winced, "Yes, well, perhaps Swift or Moony will teach me."
Mirage smirked, clearly knowing something he didn't, "Perhaps."
Mirage continued to stand awkwardly, refusing to sit even when Sirius offered her a chair.
"I will be sitting for most of the day, Sirius Black," she responded. "Protem has to meet with Reginald Wood, as you know and she will not come back in fighting condition. Today is almost entirely a waste of my time," she sighed. "Though, I sense the sausage this morning will be wonderful."
"So is that a wandless thing then, the sausage?" Sirius asked, trying to hide a smirk.
"No," Mirage answered easily. "But it will be my first time having it."
Sirius nodded, remembering the first time he'd had sausage on a bun, "What do you plan on doing today then?"
"Fine tune the lesson for ultimate results. Protem should get her Quidditch things done today, leaving her free for a bit."
"How do you see my morning going?" Sirius asked.
Mirage frowned, "I am not a crystal ball, Sirius Black," she replied.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "I know that, but I figured I'd ask."
Mirage didn't bother responding to this statement, instead turning to look out the window.
Emma walked in a few seconds later, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Good morning," she greeted absentmindedly, setting to cook breakfast without a pause.
"Morning," Sirius greeted with a broad smile. "How was your night?"
Emma shrugged, waving her wand and setting the bacon and sausage to cook; the bread and potatoes to slice themselves and the pancake batter to begin mixing. "Alright, you?"
"Well, thanks for breakfast."
"It's better then letting you anywhere near the stove," Emma took a seat at the table. "Did you sleep well Mirage?"
"Fine Protem."
"Emma," Emma corrected, turning in her chair and flicking her wand, immediately the meat turned over in the pan. "Do you have any plans for today?"
"Only planning," Mirage answered. "Remus Lupin will be joining you at Quidditch while Sirius Black goes to write his tests. Wilberforce will be enough to occupy me."
Emma nodded, "Just don't blow the place up," she requested, causing Mirage to give her a dark look.
"I'm not a child, Protem."
"Emma," Emma said with a sigh.
By the time Remus came into the kitchen the food was done, laying itself out on the table buffet style so that everyone could take what they liked.
"Good morning everyone, food looks excellent Swift."
"How do you know I didn't make it?" Sirius asked.
Remus rolled his eyes, "Don't be ridiculous."
Sirius noted that Emma seemed back to her usual self this morning, not acting as withdrawn as she had the day before. Maybe Mirage was right and it had simply been the shock of not understanding her own reactions that had made Emma shut him out. Either way he was glad she was back to normal, though she had dark bags under her eyes.
Once breakfast was cleared away (He and Remus did the dishes, since Emma had cooked) Sirius Apparated into the Ministry's Atrium, where he was soon met by James.
"How are you?" James asked, eyeing Sirius seriously.
Sirius shrugged, "Fine. Swift is alright too and our… guest… seems settled."
James nodded, "You two had me scared last night," he confided.
Sirius nodded, eyes hard, "Me too."
Without another word they both made their way to the reception desk where a man weighed their wands before directing them to the fourth floor.
The Auror cubicles were nothing to get excited over, being utterly dull to the extreme. They were met at the entrance by two people, the first they recognized as Alastor Moody and the second was Ernie Stein, Head Auror.
"Well," Ernie Stein said, looking them both over coolly. "One of you will have to take a seat while the other is tested; so who's up?"
Sirius and James exchanged a long look, Sirius being the one to step forwards at the end of it. "I am Sir."
"This should prove interesting. Follow me Black."
Moody thumped him on the shoulder as he passed, in what Sirius thought was supposed to be a reassuring manor but really only made things worse. Sirius followed Stein past all the cubicles and into a plain white room; a white room Emma would have recognized immediately.
"You will be tested here, do your best not to get killed; I have enough paperwork as it is."
Sirius opened his mouth, horrified, only to be answered by the door slamming shut.
"Hell bloody bugger…"
.
.
Emma appeared on the Quidditch pitch without a sound; Remus appearing beside her with a crack. The pitch was not empty, what looked like the whole team was assembled along with several Ministry personnel.
"Dill!" Wood called her over, "C'mere."
Emma trotted over to her Captain, Remus following her slowly. "Right, this is Mr. Hanes and Mr. Johnson. Hanes is Head of the Magical Creatures Department and Johnson Heads Sports and Games."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Johnson and to see you again Mr. Hanes," Emma said, shaking both of their hands.
"And you Miss. Dill," Johnson greeted, "We're here to document your magical storage. We'll do an initial testing and then dose you. We expect your levels to be somewhere in the seven to nine hundreds to begin with but we're hoping to bring you down to two or three hundred."
Emma nodded, her jaw clenching in fear. "After that we'll test you on a broom to make sure you're still flying in top form."
"Right," Emma nodded, already feeling overwhelmed.
"I'm here to keep Johnson in check," Hanes threw in. "He is not to exceed ten ounces of Velspar."
Within moments they had Emma seated, the team and Hanes hovering awkwardly while Johnson performed the initial charm.
Emma couldn't see it, but a smoky, silver number appeared over her head. The number began at 0 and flashed upwards. At first the number changed so fast that it was blurred and unreadable. Not until the fourth digit was made present did the numbers slow.
"Dear Merlin," Johnson whispered, looking at the number in mounting horror. "2027?"
Remus whistled, clearly impressed, "How many wandless have you tested?"
"Well none, but I never thought… 2000?"
"How much do you think she'll need?" Wood asked, completely unconcerned with how much magic Emma may or may not have.
"I have no idea… I was estimating… but that number seems almost irrelevant now…"
"We'll start her at an ounce," Hanes cut through Johnson's incoherent blabber. "We can up it as we see fit."
Emma eyed the small vial of purple liquid for a very long time before downing it. The taste was the same, a cottony numbness that she rebelled against immediately. Unlike the last time however, she did not feel much different. She wasn't cold, thirsty or sore. The world did not dim in colour.
Johnson started the numbers up before she'd even fully recovered. His eyes widened when the numbers stopped.
"994 – that's less then half!"
Hanes shrugged, "Velspar is quite a bit more toxic to them than to us." He said easily, already uncorking a smaller vial. "This is a forth of an ounce, try is please."
Emma frowned as her magic slipped further away; the Elements becoming entities of their own…
"500 – this can't be linier," Johnson complained.
Hanes shook his head, "It isn't. I think another forth of an ounce will do it."
Emma shook her head as colours dimmed and things became slightly less focused, "This is going to give me a headache," she muttered darkly.
"250 – Perfect!" Johnson looked like he might do a happy dance. "So one and a half ounces… that isn't very much, not much at all," he frowned suddenly. "Deloris-"
"Was obviously trying to kill her," Hanes cut in, "I know."
Remus frowned on Emma's behalf; she still looked a bit muddled. "How much did Umbridge give her?" He asked, his tone suggesting he required an answer.
"12 ounces," Hanes answered, wincing slightly. "Every two hours."
Remus paled, "Twelve…"
Hanes nodded, "It won't be happening again and Deloris will be spoken with. As it is we need to get Miss. Dill up in the air and timed. I'd wager she's got three hours before she needs another one forth of an ounce."
Emma was edgy of getting on a broom at first, complaining that things were hard to see. She'd taken a few moments to roll around and swoop closer to the ground before going higher and Remus thought that if she was having vision problems now, he'd pay good money to have her regular sight. She certainly had no trouble dodging the bludgers aimed for her and was able to catch the snitch within 40 minutes, a time well within reason on the much bigger professional field.
Hanes was right on the dot with his prediction and Remus and Emma were able to leave after only two three hour waiting periods.
.
.
.
Sirius dodged another volley of spells, cursing loudly as he did so. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the white room; his best guess was a little over an hour.
Suddenly the room went pitch black. Sirius strained to see in the impenetrable darkness, wondering what could possibly be next…
Streetlamps lit one by one, flickering into existence and lighting up a residential lane. What the fuck? Sirius's mind swirled, Aren't I still in the room? In the Ministry?
Suddenly a hooded figure appeared at the end of the well lit street, shifting uneasily, looking around warily. Sirius slinked into a shadow. There were only two reasons why you would look that edgy: either a) this person was in trouble or b) this person was about to cause trouble – Sirius was willing to bet good money that Mr. Dodgy fit into category b.
Sirius followed them down the street, disillusioning himself to stay hidden. He used every trick in the book he had picked up from Remus and Emma, minimizing the sound he made as he went.
The person paused before dodging down an alley, the streetlights revealing their white mask for a split second – a Death Eater.
Sirius felt a chill run up his spine. Think, he told himself, Swift would rip you apart if you just ran down there after him… But at the same time Sirius couldn't let the scum get away. His indecision lasted less then a second, raising his wand to his mouth he whispered, "Death Eater spotted in muggle town, use blood to track." He sliced his hand open with his wand, sending the words and blood with his Patronus. He wiped his hand across a brick as he hurried after the Death Eater, leaving the cut open in case he needed to take another turn.
Bastards at the Ministry had better not tease me about that flipping unicorn. He thought, mentally cringing at what Moody would say about his unorthodox patronus. Why couldn't I have a dragon like Swift?
He ducked, dodging a flash of green light by less then an inch. He sent a silent Jonix in retaliation, smirking in satisfaction as a man screamed out in pain. He closed his eyes, listening carefully to the whispers at the end of the alley. He leaned heavily against the dumpster he was using as a shield. Sirius couldn't make out what they were saying, but he heard ten different voices, at least.
Hell bloody bugger!
Sirius wasn't used to having to do things on his own, usually he had at least one person to back him up (or four…) and that person had a one in two chance of having higher senses, or a handy shield that blocks the killing curse…
He winced as a flash of purple hit the dumpster, which, thank Merlin, he had had the foresight to reinforce.
"Come out Ministry Scum!" One of the ten voices called, "You're almost late for your date with death."
Son of a-
A partonus, in the shape of a rather mangy looking dog, appeared. It spoke in Moody's voice, gravely and rough, "Back up detained. Nice partonus Black."
Sirius's face whitened, not with panic but with anger, "Ass." He snarled, suddenly wishing he could hit something, Stupid unicorn…
Vertena! Sirius thought, drawing a perfect circle with his wand and watching as the purple shield came into existence. Now or never…
Sirius jumped out from behind the dumpster, spells flying from his wand. Nearly every one hit their mark; Vertena protecting him from the worst of the Death Eaters spells.
He had them all on the ground within a few minutes; none of them had been accomplished fighters. Still, that didn't mean there weren't more experienced Death Eaters around.
He bound the unconscious Death Eaters with a flick of his wand, cautiously making his way into the abandoned warehouse they had been gathered outside of. The inside was dark, a foul stench filling the air.
"Uh!" Sirius groaned, pulling his robes over his nose with his free hand. "Smells like giant crap!"
Sirius froze as a low grunt was heard. He turned around slowly, only to be faced with one three foot, yellow-brown eye.
"Oh my Godric…"
A piercing roar hit Sirius full in the face, forcing him to step back from both the force of the wind and the stench. "Son of a bowtruckle, that's a giant."
Sirius backed up against the wall, his mind demanding that he run as fast as his legs could carry him; but Sirius was also calculating the damage. If he ran out of this warehouse, the giant would follow, killing several innocent muggles.
"Son of a spangled hippogriff this is not going to end well. Alright giant, let's see what you've got."
Sirius dodged to the side as the giant slammed his hand into the ground where he had just been standing, concrete buckling and flying upwards on impact. Sirius disillusioned himself once again, making for a ladder that lead to an above loft. The giant roared unhappily when he disappeared, taking to smashing everything in sight. Sirius had just caught hold of a rope on the loft to pull himself up when the giant took out his ladder.
Sirius bit his tongue to keep from screaming, a sound and the giant would find him. He pulled himself up by his arms, not looking down as he did so, though he knew he was suspended at least 40 feet in the air.
He'd just scrambled to his feet when the giant smashed a hole through one of the walls, clearly he was getting impatient.
"HEY! SMELLY! OVER HERE!" Sirius waved the giant over, already knowing exactly what he had to do.
The giant roared, charging towards him in anger, froth dripping from his jaws in a half craze.
"Conjunctivitis!" Sirius bellowed, the red beam of light hitting the giant right in the eye and sending it into immediate agony. "Incarcerous!" Black cords wrapped around the giant, tipping it over and binding it.
Sirius swore as the North side of the warehouse was demolished, "Muffliato! Protego!" He began a series of spells to hide the giant and damage from the muggles.
As soon as he had said the last spell, just as he was beginning to calm slightly, the room went pitch black.
It was only then that Sirius remembered he was still in the Ministry of Magic and that neither the giant, nor the Death Eaters had been real.
Slowly it brightened, revealing the plain white room once again. Moody and Stein entered a moment later, both looking impressed. "You're in Black, that was bloody brilliant," Stein said, eyes wide. "I can only hope Mr. Potter is half as good."
"What time is it?" Sirius asked, feeling drained.
"Nearing noon. You've been in here about three hours, which is normal. If you'll come with me, I'll have you sign some papers and Moody will get Potter settled. Then you're free to go."
Sirius basically spent the next half hour signing his life away to both the Ministry and Alastor Moody, the second of which had him nervous.
He got home before the other two. Mirage was sitting cross legged on the couch when he entered, eyes closed. She didn't bother to acknowledge him and he didn't bother her. A smile did cross his face however when he entered the kitchen and found a covered sandwich on the table with his name on it, Mirage must have known he'd be hungry.
"Thank you," he called out to her. He knew it was Mirage who had made it, because printed in a hand neater then he'd thought possible was Sirius Black, not Pads, Padfoot, Paddy or even simply Sirius.
She didn't respond, but Sirius hadn't expected her to. Instead he launched into the offered food, groaning in delight as he did so. Fifteen minutes later he emerged from the kitchen with a full belly. He took a seat on the couch beside Mirage, lounging easily. Wilberforce jumped up into his lap and Sirius turned on the television, looking forward to a few hours of peace before the others got back.
"Eating that fast will give you indigestion," Mirage said, her voice as emotionless as always.
"Couldn't help it, the sandwich was one of the best I've had," Sirius said with a smirk.
Mirage tilted her head slightly, in what Sirius thought might be acknowledgement, before going back to her meditational pose.
Emma and Remus wondered in about three hours later, the first looking exhausted.
"How'd it go?" Sirius asked, turning the television off and sitting upright.
Emma shrugged, "Six hours of flying combined with three ounces of Velspar will really wipe you out."
Sirius's expression froze, panic setting in. He had his head half turned to Mirage when the young wandless spoke.
"No the Velspar will not have lasting effects on Protem, Sirius Black. She is not taking enough, often enough to be in danger."
Sirius clamped his mouth shut, taking Mirage's word for it.
Emma flopped down into a chair, "Dumbledore is going to have hippogriffs when we tell him about you," she said, rubbing her temples tiredly.
"Albus Dumbledore will either deal with my arrival or welcome the early death of all he has left. The choice is up to him," Mirage didn't look at all interested in the conversation, almost bored in fact. "He is to be the only one who knows of my existence. None of the others are to be informed; else certain doom will forsake knocking."
"What?" Sirius's face was warped with confusion.
"She means we'll all die," Emma said easily. "You realize he'll insist on meeting you, don't you?"
"I would expect nothing less from one of his standing. He is quite brilliant, you know."
The three Marauders exchanged a look, "We know," they said together.
"-That's what has me worried," Emma tacked on.
.
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So, you've all met Mirage, who I will admit is one of my favourite characters. For those of you wondering I never actually planned for Emma to go wandless hunting, she was never supposed to. However when she found out there was another wandless I couldn't see her doing anything but going wandless hunting. Mirage was always supposed to head her off in the forest, or at least since about the time that I started writing ME5. I'm sorry if anyone was excited about her trip.
Mirage writes in Book Antiqua
