It woke up to life with a sense of wrongness.
Slow.
The world around it seemed too bright. The morning light landing in its eyes. It watched as the gentle flow of the wind moved the grass in soft lullaby. The sight was unnerving.
So slow
There was an urge in its limbs, a want, a need. It lifted experimentally its legs. The motion was slow and hesitating, the limb heavy, as if has never been used. It didn't know what it needed to do but it had to move. All its muscles were alive, buzzing with the need to move and, unable de resist, it stood up; slowly and painfully.
Its vision blurred for an instant as blood rushed to its head, creating a piercing headache. It grew frustrated. It couldn't lie down, and every move was difficult, what was it to do?
"Hey Evans ! what are you doing there?"
There was a human. At the sight of the little boy, the urge calmed in it. It simple stared, as he run toward it. It looked at its environment, the lake in front of it and the beautiful castle behind the boy. It has never been here before, and yet the sight was familiar and comforting.
Are gauged by what you have to do
The sight of the gold and red tie lazily attached around the boy's neck made it pause in its wondering. It concentrated on the boy again.
"When did you came here? It didn't see you arrive." As he came closer, he seemed confused, is brows furrowed. "You're not Evans."
Grey eyes, not stormy anymore but full of childish wonder. Curly black hair, like the rest of his family. It knew this human and yet, it did not. It wanted to say something, but all the knowledge couldn't leave its throat. Its hurt so much. So many words were resting in its stomach (Sirius ! SIRIUS!) but it mouth was dry.
"I- I think I'm lost", was all it could say instead. It was the truth at a level it couldn't yet comprehend, but it felt it at its core. It was lost. I have outrun the Sun. More than Sirius Black could ever imagine.
Its voice was light, strangely melodious, wrong but more importantly young. It didn't remember being younger. The boy frowned in worry.
"Are you okay? Maybe it's better that I bring you to Pomfrey, you don't seem too well. Follow me."
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed its arm and dragged it toward the castle. It frowned, frustrated but didn't resist.
It has to stay with the boy, it was sure of that.
My use and value unto you
"What house are you in ? I don't think I ever saw you, and I know every first year!" he boasted.
"I'm not in first year."
He stopped and looked back at it.
"You're not? But you're so small!"
Young Sirius Black was loud and unapologetic about it, it thought. Yet, it knew no Sirius Black. To be truthful, it knew no one. Hearing no response, the boy resumed its walking. They walked silently 4 min and 23 seconds before the Gryffindor couldn't stand the silence anymore.
I mark the hours
"What's your name ?"
What was its name ? Did it have one ? It felt wrong to have a name. It was not meant to have a name, it was not mean to have a voice, it was not meant to even have a body. The only thing it felt right was running and the sight of Sirius has suppressed this urge. It stared at the ground, the field filled with little red flowers.
A feeling (so wrong) passed through its body. A vision of the flower on clothes, it front of the heart came to mind. Again words came to it, this time its body listened.
I mark the hours, every one
"Poppy", it simply said.
The name was wrong, of course, like the world around it but it fitted right with this veil of reality. Something settled over it, like a contract being signed. Poppy.
Are gauged by what you have to do
And with this name came an identity. She was Poppy. Poppy Evans. She had two sisters and today was an important day (today was important, they needed to hurry, they needed time).
Outrun the sun
It was with this inherent knowledge of who she was that the need to run came back, stronger than before. Her core was buzzing with excitement, her legs trembling. Poppy shook her hand out of Sirius's hold. He stopped immediately, puzzled.
"Sirius, I've got to go." She simply said.
"What are you talking about? The infirmary is around the corner."
His eyes were wide, confused, but her legs were already moving. Everything was too slow.
Faster, faster
"I need to go back, but I see you soon Sirius."
Spin Spin
Sirius could only watch as the girl took a single step back before disappearing. No sound echoed around the empty hallway. He stood there, watching the floor, stunned. Where have stood a little girl, she couldn't have been taller than four feet, remained nothing.
XxX
On June the 18thof 1971, Poppy Evan opened her Hogwarts acceptance letter in the company of her parents and elder sister, Petunia.
They were all silent as Poppy relished in the green ink with her name on it.
Poppy Evans
Bedroom under the stairs,
10thRailview road, Cokeworth,
Midland, England
A smile came to her lips at the reminder. But amusement left her eyes as she tried to understand the humor of it (another boy, a closet, but still stairs). Confusion was buzzing in her mind ever since she woke up (came to life ?) at 7 am this morning.
She knew her name, the face of her mother, the warm feeling on her cheeks as her father ruffled her hair and the disappointment as her sister simply ignored her, a wall of soft blond hair and silence.
And yet, she couldn't remember a single moment passed with any of them before today. Even worse, the knowledge of Petunia lit a fire of anger in her stomach, the touch of her father a sense of wrongness and the idea of Lily brought tears of awe into her eyes.
If those contrary feelings weren't enough to rock her mind her body was pulsating with energy, her magic static in her curls, ready to strike. She had never felt so powerful and yet she felt sick. This energy demanded a release that she couldn't offer. She could feel every second slithering down her skin, every hour was tattooed in her mind and time never felt so slow and oppressing.
Poppy felt as Atlas, holding the universe over her shoulders. If she let go she feared what could open.
"A second witch in the family ! Who would have thought ?" joked her father.
Petunia stood up silently and left the room. Poppy could hear her feet thumping as she walked up the stairs.
"Don't worry, she was like this when Lily also left for Hogwarts. She just miss you" assured her mother but the confused with knew Petunia in a way that wasn't natural. She could see her long neck kissing the cheeks of a fat boy a snarl on her lips. " I got an idea ! We will wait for Lily to come back home before telling her the good news! I'm sure she will be thrilled !"
Poppy only shrugged. A name repeated itself in her mind ("Harry!") and she blanched.
XxX
"Poppy Evans !"
Slowly, her head held high, the red headed witch went to the familiar chair. She did not care for the eyes of the hundred of children following her moves (she had never seen Hogwarts so full). Slowly the Hat was deposited on her mane of curls.
"What do we have here ! A little bit young for a first year aren't you ? Or maybe too old ? You don't really make sense"
The voice resonated in her mind as she remembered. There was metallic tingle to it, leaving the effect as artificial. It wasn't an entity, it wasn't alive , nothing but a simple enchanted hat.
"I will let you know that I have many more option than your enchanted mirror ! Quite attuned to magic are you not ? But that's not really a surprise in your circumstances."
Tapping her heels on the ground, Poppy waited for the hat to finish its monologue, 37 seconds have already passed and she didn't know how much she could spend sitting still.
"Not even a little curious about your predicament ? Meh, not for Ravenclaw that one. Stop fidgeting would you ? Gryffindor could maybe be it ?"
At that she stared at her sister's table. The familiar green stare of the other Evans with found hers and the youngest quickly redirected her gaze. (screams resonated in her mind, Harry !). She met eyes with Sirius this time. There was a glint of recognition in his stare that frightened her.
Months have passed since she woke up. The buzzing was still slitherin under her skin and she feared that it will never go away. She tried to live normally but without any memories there wasn't any guidelines to follow. Nobody seemed to have noticed so she tried to live normally. She refused to confront vision of Lily's cries. The boy was a liability to this peace of mind. Curiosity was boiling in his gaze and she knew he will not let it go. And yet he was also Sirius. Her whole being hummed and since their last meeting she finally felt the pressure of the seconds softening. She was here for him, the knowledge of this fact was burning in her mind as much as she knew the time, her magic, her essence.
It frightened her.
"Not as brave as I would like and yet so loyal. I feel you confusion, your detachment. You need to find anchor in this time or I fear that you will flow away as your nature command."
But Poppy wasn't listening. It has already been so long, her feet needed to move, her hands pressing on her tight to stop them from moving. 1 minute 57 seconds. She jumped out of the seat just as the hat yelled, his voice booming across the hall.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"