With the pale yellow rays of morning shinning through the round window that Thomas next to. He used it to give his figure a look over. He was happy with the over-all look. Hard angle of the chin, with the shoulder-length hair. With a tall, thin figure that seemed to tower over a person. If he had smaller blades her would have the details of his face, the sharp tall nose and deep set dark eyes. Would make an interesting figure.
Stroking his thumb over the rough edges of the figure. Thomas remembered Old Man, no matter how cold he could be; he was always nice to Thomas. He missed him. Shaking of his sadness, Thomas placed his knife, and the 12-inch figure aside — he stood up with a stretch. Noticing the beam moved across the room, hitting the foot of the bed. Thomas hoped that it didn't wake up Lars.
"N mm," Lars moaned in his sleep. Tomas glanced over and saw Lars twisting under the blankets. His face pinched in pain. Thomas hurried over, was he having a nightmare? At Lars's side of the bed, he saw a sweat soaking Lars's face.
"Lars!" Thomas called to him in a shouting whisper. Wanting to stop his nightmare, but not wanting to wake him, if he could shake it off and get more sleep. Lars didn't notice, instead his face paled and his fist twisted in the blankets. "Lars!" Thomas shouted. Getting worried while watching the colour draining further from Lars face, and neck. "Please wake up!" Thomas shook his arm. Lars pulled away.
"No!" He cried his arms flaring out, his arms were a ghost white and soaked with his sweat.
"Lars!" Thomas cried, but his voice was not reaching Lars. Not sure what to do, he ran out of the room. Determined to get Lars's parents. Once in the hall, Thomas remembered that he didn't know which room was theirs.
"Berry!" Thomas cried out hoping the house elf would hear him. Berry appeared in front of him. Having her come from nowhere no longer scared Thomas, since he now knew she could do that. Instead, it made Thomas grateful that she could appear so fast. Yawning and rubbing her large eyes in a blue lace nightgown — Berry blinked at him.
"Mr. Thomas?" Berry looked up at him. "What is wrong?"
"It's Lars! He's pale, and sweaty." Thomas spilled out. "I can't wake him up." Thomas felt his heart running faster than when the boys used to chase him down. There he could run, but he couldn't do anything here.
"He must be having a vision." Berry eyes narrowed. "Go back to his side. I'll get his mother." Berry disappeared with a snap. Thomas didn't have time to question what she meant by vision. Thomas ran back inside the bedroom. He jumped on the bed and crawled to his side. Lars's twisted and failed, against whatever monster he was fighting in his dreams. Had to be bad.
"I'm here." Thomas grabbed one of Lars's hands. Forcing it still in his two hands. It felt cold even though it was damp with sweat. "I'm here." Thomas repeated. Wishing he could dive into his dreams and help fight off whatever made his spine twist. Facing a monster is less scary when you have friend. Not that Thomas had one before, but it felt right to him.
"How long has it been?" Lars's mother came in a blur of blue's and purples. Running around the bed and to Lars's other side.
"A few minutes?" Thomas wasn't sure. "It feels like forever." Thomas whispered. Watching Lars eyes beat back and forth under his eyelids, faster than Thomas could keep track of.
"Berry." Aunt Merry waved her hand out palm up. Berry placed a soft cloth in it. She started to pat Lars's forehead, making no effort to wake him.
"Can't you wake him?" Thomas asked, rubbing Lars's hand in his. Berry cam back to his side, patting his back. Reassuring him, Thomas thought it was a nice jester; that Lars could use more than him.
"He has to finish it." Uncle Liam came into the room. Not that Thomas saw him, his focus was on Lars. "He should come to soon."
"Hew," Lars's eyes popped open, as he took in a gulp of air like he was drowning. His eyes looked like they were growing grey. His hand clamped down on Thomas's. He squeezed until it hurt, but Thomas didn't care.
"What is it?" Uncle Liam asked, Thomas glanced at him. He was standing at the foot of the bed.
"Cards." Lars voice creaked, sounding hard and old. Not like Lars at all. Even his brogue was gone. Berry hands ducked in placing a soft black cards in his hands. Aunt Merry helped him get into a sitting position. Lars's let go of Thomas's hands, taking the cards. They looked like a deck of cards, but Thomas good tell there wasn't enough there to play a game. Lars's eyes still glowing grey shuffled the deck over his lap.
"Fool. New beginnings, the new school year. Upright." Lars's face went dark, his lips curved into a snarl. "I am not a fool." Thomas peered at the cared he faced up. A blond man wearing a black and grey mask split into four squares. Shrugging his shoulder at Lars's words. It looked to Thomas as if he was dismissing Lars's words.
"Emperor. Reversed. Chaos." Lars shook and his hands dropped the card. The blond man smiled, his teeth spark with a white sinister smile. Thomas's shivered, the card looked dangerous. "Death. Anger. Thomas." Thomas reached out to Lars, after he said his name with a quiver. Berry appeared at his side holding him back with a shake of his head.
"Magician. Reversed. Deception." Lars frowned with the turning of the next card. The same blonde man lugged as he hung upside-down, his robe folding over his head. "A chance."
"Dare you take it?" The magician asked. His voice sounded like Lars, but it was older and much darker than any voice he could imagine coming out of him. Lars's eyes closed with a nod from his head. Then he slumped over.
"Lars!" Thomas grabbed Lars. He leaned him upright and leaning him on the headboard. "Wake up!" Thomas's begged. Feeling scared and very worried. The depth of worry shook his heart and broke the calm he usually managed to keep there. He knew Lars for only a few days, but he already was important to him.
"He's fine Thomas." Aunt Merry's voice drifted over in a gentle whisper. "It was just a vision."
"Just — just?" Thomas repeated the word, shaking his head; he confirmed it. It didn't sound right. "I don't know what you mean by vision." Thomas said, he was sure it might more than seeing, but Thomas didn't care. "I don't need to. To know Lars's is not fine!" Thomas said, venting his anger at Aunt Merry. Realizing he sounded bad, yelling at Aunt Merry. "I'm sorry." Thomas's ducked his head.
"It's alright Thomas." Lars's voice weak spoke up. His eyes returned to their every changing shades. Thomas's relaxed seeing a pink flush return to his pale skin.
"You're okay!" Thomas cried, his hand shaking on Lars's shoulder.
"Like Mother said, it was a vision." Lars's shifted sitting up stronger and not relying so much on the headboard.
"I don't think you should have them anymore." Thomas said sitting back with his hands on his chest. His heart was starting to beat at a normal pace again.
"It's a gift from our Goddess." Aunt Merry said, bringing the cloth back to Lars's face, clearing up the last remaining sweat. "It's not something he can stop or cast aside."
"I've tried. It only makes things worse." Lars gave Thomas a smile, using only the one side of his lips. A fake smile if Thomas ever saw one. "Fight it and the pain is unbearable and the vision useless." Lars shrugged, accepting of his fate. "Don't fight, I have a chance to change fate, and the pain passes as fast as it comes. The Goddess works in mysterious ways." Lars sighed, sounding very tired, and much older than Thomas knew he was.
"What are these visions?" Thomas frowned, "Can I help you or can this Goddess help?" Thomas didn't question this goddess of theirs, if magic could exist; why not a goddess too?
"She already helps." Lars said, "And you are too."
"In what way?" Thomas didn't think he had help much. "You being here helps more than you know." Lars reached out and took Thomas's hand.
"What was it Lars?" Uncle Liam came around and stood behind Aunt Merry. His hands resting on her shoulders. "It looked like a heavy one." Aunt Merry helped Lars pick up his card and put them back into a neat pile.
"A choice I must make." Lars looked at Thomas. "There is something I need your help with Thomas." His eyes turning a rusting grey, looking very close to that glow that they had earlier.
"What?" Thomas said bracing himself.
"I need you to go into a different house from me." Lars said. Thomas's wanted to know about this change in heart. They had spoke of houses yesterday and it sounded to Thomas that he wanted them in the same house.
"You don't have any say in that Lars." Uncle Liam frowned at Lars, Lars only shook his head.
"Untrue. The hat will listen. It will listen to me." Lars fist clenched into a painful looking fist.
"Why do I have to go into a different house?" Thomas was looking forward to housing together. Going to the same classes, and enjoying for the first time. A real friendship. In a normal environment. Thomas wasn't stupid enough to believe that what the Rows did was normal.
"What did you see?" Aunt Merry asked, there they went again. Thomas frowned. Visions, seeing, Thomas thought about it, but nothing came to mind for what it would mean.
"I won't speak of it." Lars refused to answer. "I only have to change it."
"Lars." Uncle Liam drawled out Lars's name.
"What are visions?" Thomas said with a whisper. Feeling the tensions raise between the heated gazes of Lars and Uncle Liam.
"I get glimpses of the future. A possible future." Lars said, turning to Thomas and ignoring his fathers narrowed gaze.
"They always make you so..." Thomas waved his hand around looking for the right word.
"Weak?" Lars smiled, and nodded. Like it wasn't a big deal. "To a degree. This is the worse one I've had in a while."
"And it was about?" Uncle Liam asked again. Lars shrugged his shoulders.
"You heard what I saw." Lars said, without telling them anything.
"Something about me?" Thomas said, remembering the chill he got from Lars's calling his name. "And death?" Thomas shook, now that things have calmed down. He knew that didn't sound good.
"That is not happening!" Lars snapped. "We only need to change something. To change the outcome." Lars tossed the blanket off him, covering Thomas's head. Thomas brushed it off, and saw that Berry shrewdly escaped from the blanket and the room. "Which is why we need to be in different houses." Lars said, turning to Thomas. His face pinched into a frown and his eyes open wide but with a firm gaze.
"How?" Thomas didn't want to push Lars. He looked a bit shaking around the edges, and sometimes you need someone to believe in you. Without questioning, you. Lars shoulders relaxed, and he slipped out of bed, stepping around his parents. Whose eyes watched him with an unwavering love and concern.
"I'll talk to the hat. You need to be in Gryffindor." Lars took a deep breath. "You must." Lars voice shook. Thomas nodded.
"Okay." Thomas agreed. Doing what he could for Lars, which was being there and trusting him.
"I know — I know you wanted to be in the same house." Lars stopped and looked at Thomas. "Wait, did you agree?"
"I trust you, if I need to be in a different house. Then I'll be in a different house." All three O'Sullivan's turned and looked at Thomas. With what Thomas could only describe as a mixture of amazement and questions. "I know you're not lying." Thomas touched his chest. Feeling clear as day in both his feeling and his words. "I know you will do this with or without me." Lars was a stubborn guy, you didn't need to know him long to notice.
"I rather you do it with me." Thomas looked down to collect the rest of his thoughts. Looking back up into Lars eyes. Look a man in the eye. Is what Old Man always used to say, and something Thomas tried to lived by.
"It would be nice if you could trust me too." Thomas said. Trust goes both ways, right? Thomas scanned Lars's face. Waiting on his answer.
"Yes Lars. It would be nice." Aunt Merry turned her eyes to Lars. Batting them with a smile fighting a winning battle with the frown that was once on her lips.
"Thomas as some point." Uncle Liam said, a sigh heaving off his chest. "When you get to school. You'll need someone, someone like Thomas." Uncle Liam gave Thomas a smile. "Who you can trust."
"Fine," Lars sighed in a manner so close to his father. Thomas smiled, wondering if the stubbornness ran thick in Uncle Liam too. "Slytherin and Gryffindor share class times. We can still be together, but we can't be in the same house."
"Why wouldn't Thomas be in Slytherin?" Aunt Merry sat on the edge of the bed.
"No!" Lars shouted the whites of his eyes shaking his pupil. "It's okay Aunt Merry." Thomas said, before going back to Lars.
"We'll still have the same classes though, right?" Thomas said confirming Lars's earlier words. Lars nodded. "Okay. Then will do whatever you think is best." Thomas felt Lars might do something crazy, if he didn't reassure Lars he would do his plan.
"Thanks Thomas." Lars smiled, "Now I'm going to shower and get dress." Lars walked around his father and went to the bathroom with impressive speed.
"Watch over that fool for me, will you?" Uncle Liam said, walking out of the room with his hand messing through his hair.
"They're both to stubborn for their own good." Aunt Merry said, turning she leaned over to Thomas. "But that's why they'll need us around." She winked and slid of the bed with an overarm stretched.
"Might as well start our day." She walked around the bed, and headed out the room. Stopping at the door. She turned back, "Wait on him will you?" Thomas agreed with a silent nod. Thomas flopped back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. Noticing for the first time. That the ceiling had a white design engrave in its plaster. Listening to the pounding of the shower from the bathroom. Thomas wondered if he should have fought with Lars more. Demanded more information. Sought the reason behind his fear.
"Next time." Thomas decided. This time, he'll be patient and wait things out. He wasn't sure where he stood. The things with the cards, Lars being so pale that he could have been a ghost. He wasn't sure where Lars stood either. With talks of goddess and visions. Thomas was clueless to it all. Thinking on it made his head hurt.
"Your turn." Lars called out from the bathroom door, Thomas looked at him upside-down from the bed.
"Okay." Thomas rolled off the bed, and met him at the door. Lars looked back to normal, like nothing happen. When he brushed past him, Lars whispered his nodded. Then he turned.
"Lars?" Thomas stopped Lars, who looked at him with a frozen look on his face. "Wait for me?"
"Sure," Lars nodded a real smile drifting on his face. Tired but real. "Thanks." Thomas smiled back and turned into the bathroom. Hoping that Lars would wait for him. Not to leave the bathroom, but to be able to stand by his side. To be a pillar he could relay on. Feeling much better with that straightforward plan in mind. Even though he had no idea how to achieve it...yet.
The rest of the day was less eventful, and the rest of the month as well. Went by with no visions or turmoil, only peaceful bliss. Thomas tried his hand at a few potions, and the simple ones went great. The more complicated ones... left a hole in the floor. It was easy to fix, and a great way to make Lars feel better. He never seen anyone laugh so hard. Before he knew it, it was time to board to go to school.
"This is for you." Uncle Liam gave Thomas a small black ring the morning before they left. "It goes on your pinky."
"What is it?" Tomas asked putting the ring on his pinky finger. It was a perfect fit. Thomas admired the matte black ring on hand.
"It's a storage ring. Like mine. All your school supplies are in there, books." Uncle Liam winked, "Some wood blocks as well." Thomas brighten, he had carved the family out of hunks of branches he had found in the yard. Berry included; handing them out as he finished them. They had all been happy with their gifts. Uncle Liam was now even helping him find some wood to work with.
"Thanks!" Thomas raised the ring in front of his face.
"How do I use it?" Thomas asked wanting to give it a try.
"Take your knife out." Thomas dug out his knife from his jean pocket. They had to travel through muggle London, so no robes today. "Think about storing the knife."
"Store knife." Thomas said, and pictured into disappearing into the ring. Like a putting it into a trunk. Thomas watched the knife disappear into the ring. "How to get it out?" Thomas looked at the ring and back up to Uncle Liam's face.
"Think about looking into the ring." Uncle Liam smiled, "I see that you're a natural at it. This should be easy. " Thomas looked at the ring. Picturing it opening up at his will. He got an awarded of an image appearing in his mind. It was a black space, more like a box; with his school things all stacked up in neat rows. His knife was the last thing in the space. Thomas reached out for you, then a weight filled his hand. Blinking the box was gone and his knife in his hand.
"Amazing." Thomas whispered, placing the knife back in and out a few times. Before he felt it was a natural thing to do, much like breathing.
"I see you have it down." Lars came to his side, pulling on his jeans with his free hand.
"Not comfortable?" Thomas asked, seeing Lars continue to pick at his jeans.
"Not at all." Lars frowned. "Lets hurry to the train. For we can get back in our robes." Lars pulled at the edge of his plain white shirt, looking disgusted.
"Let's go then." Aunt Merry came to the door. Wearing a yellow flora sundress. Looking as chipper as Berry looked sad.
"They'll be back for the holidays." Uncle Liam said pulling the small house elf in to a hug.
"It's all so sad!" Rubbing her tears into Uncle Liam's shoulder.
"I'll write you a letter Berry." Thomas offered trying to bring the cheer back into the usually happy elf. "I can do that right?" Thomas looked to Lars.
"I'll write you one too." Lars nodded. "We'll miss you too Berry." Berry sniffled and nodded, disappearing with a snap.
"Let's go before she gets more upset." Uncle Liam said, Aunt Merry nodded and ushered them out the door. They started at the Leaky Cauldron and walked to the station. It was much to busy for Thomas's liking, Lars brought him to his side. Letting Thomas walk on the inside and taking all the jarring for Thomas.
The big city was much different from the small town he came from. He couldn't image living here. When they got to the station, Thomas looked around. Wandering among the crowds of people pulling though. Who, like him was going to Hogwarts? All he could see was other people dressed like him — like a muggle. Whom were muggles in all likeliness.
"Platform 93/4 this way." Aunt Merry pulled Thomas from his thoughts. Only to see them standing between two brick arches. With Aunt Merry pointed at a wall. Surly she didn't think Thomas could go through it?
"Um," Thomas paused, opening his mouth and looking at Lars, whose face wasn't given away anything. Uncle Liam had a smile on his face, his head shaking at either Aunt Merry or himself. Thomas wasn't sure. "Go through the wall?"
"Funny enough muggles never fall in." Lars tilted his head in thought. Thomas guess it wasn't a big deal, still Thomas eyed the wall. On one hand he knew that could do some damage to a guys face, and Thomas didn't want to go to school with a broken nose. On the other, he knew that Lars's and family wouldn't send him flying into a wall.
"Must I?" Thomas looked over at the smiling trio.
"Come on, I'll go with you." Lars chuckled and took Thomas by the arm. Runny — dragging Thomas into the wall. "You can open your eyes." Thomas heard Lars say, opening his eyes that he hadn't known he's closed.
"Ah," Thomas reached up and touched his nose. "All in one piece." Thomas sighed in relief.
"What did you think was going to happen!" Lars laughed, his parents coming in through the wall behind him.
"Ah! We're running late!" Aunt Merry came over and started pushing them from behind. Thomas looked around and the only people left on the platform was other adults.
"Told you we should have hailed a cab." Uncle Liam muttered running behind them.
"Take care. I love you guys!" She smack them both on the face with two big kisses.
"Write, and take care of each other." Uncle Liam said, looking at Thomas. "Some need more care than they think." His eyes shifted to Lars, who was hugging his mother. Thomas nodded.
"I will." Thomas whispered, his voice cut off by a bellowing of a train. Lars pulled Thomas up the steps, and the door closed. Thomas waved at Lars's parents, his new aunt and uncle until they faded from sight.