Sunshine If Eternal; Ana and Lily; Part 9

By Ginny :)

OK, here comes part 9, and Ana is annoyed with the world in general, understandably. Lily as still fed up with James. Basically.

And Perdita is just generally acting like some annoying Mary Sue that I can't shake off because she will become more important. Which I am regretting now. She annoys me. Oh well.

And I don't own the whole poem, because some bits of it are taken from the poem in 'Killing Mr. Gryffin' by Lois Duncan, and I'm getting no money or anything from it, I promise.

Just read and review. :) Me likies reviews!

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Ana's POV

We eventually managed to solve the immediate problem of Perdita, by hiding her in our dormitory. This, in my opinion, was not a good idea... When better for her to attack then when we were sleeping, alone, and unarmed? I pointed this out to Lily and Gem as they escorted me to the hospital wing, to get my injured foot sorted out.

"Don't be silly, Ana," Gem tutted "you're paranoid."

"I'm not! I'm just cautious!"

"Yeah, bollards you are."

"How would you know anything about firewitches?" I challenged then "You lived with Muggles! You wouldn't have known a firewitch if it bashed you on the nose, before today!"

They had to concede that this was, in fact, true. But the fight wasn't won yet;

"You do know what they sometimes do to firewitches?" Gem asked, her eyes unblinking "James told me."

"Oh, James! James told me that the reason Severus Snape never washes his hair is because it's really an animal that he's training to lie very still. I wouldn't listen to James Potter!"

"Oh, be quiet," Lily rolled her eyes. Gem completely ignored me, and continued;

"They burn them alive, you know. Because a firewitch can only be destroyed by fire. Can't you imagine... being burnt alive? Your skin blistering and burning... your hair smouldering... being unable to open your eyes because of the heat ... being unable to breathe because of the fumes...? I can tell you; you don't want to know."

I looked at her. She was biting her lip. Every muscle in her was tense. Her eyes had a haunted look about them. I could see the shiny patches of skin on her face, neck and hands; the twisted skin. Burn marks. Maybe she was reliving something in her head. I never knew how she came by those scars. After all, I knew nothing about her past. I had always assumed that she couldn't remember how she got her scars. It looked like I was wrong.

Both Lily and I stared at Gem. For the first time, I felt scared of her. Or, more accurately, what might be inside her head. Her past.

"Sorry," I frowned, "I'm not saying that that's right, but, but... I just don't trust her."

Gem drew herself up, and gave me a look of intense dislike, that made me feel sick.

"You don't get this, do you?!" She shouted "It's not..." she paused, as if considering changing tactics, and then changing her mind again "it's not about Perdita! Or even firewitches! You wouldn't understand!" She turned and ran then. I knew she was crying.

"Gem!" Lily called after her, but if Gem heard her, she didn't answer.

"Sorry," I muttered again, "I just don't see why she's so het up about it. I mean, so she was burnt when she was little. What's that got to do with anything? I just don't understand, and no one's telling me anything!"

Lily sighed, and looked at me.

"I don't know what you know about Gem's parents," she said at last, "because all I know is that there was a fire, and no one knows if her parents survived or not. Like..." she paused "by helping Perdita, she's helping herself and her mum and dad, inside her mind? You know? Didn't you know about them?"

I shook my head "I'm sorry, I just--"

"Yes, well, tell Gem that, not me." We began to walk again, "Come on, let's get you to the hospital wing."

***

Lily's POV

***

Over the next few days, Gem, Potter and I made it our business to see to Perdita. Gradually, we got the help of two others; Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. We found a disused classroom in which Perdita lived in for a while. We took food from the kitchens-- it seemed that Sirius's sister had told him how to get in. She is obviously about as sensible as he is-- and did our best to help her. I do not know why I was helping her. Maybe Ana was right, and Perdita really had bewitched us into it. Looking back, it's not impossible.

One evening, after dinner, I felt ticked off with watching Gem horsing around with Black and Lupin, and bored with Banbury's complaining about simply everything, from the price of bread to the meaning of life. Ana was still layed up in the hospital wing, and Potter was off somewhere, annoying some other unfortunate victim, I supposed. I pitied whoever it was!

"Gem?" I called over to her, "I'm going, and I'll see you later. You too, Banbury."

"All right!" Gem did not ask where I was going. I don't suppose she cared at that moment. She was too busy hurling cold peas at Snape, who was on the opposite side of the room.

"Bye." I turned away, and considered my options; the dorm. What could I do there? Sleep. Read. Nothing new... The library. Not a chance. I had better things to do then do homework.... The hospital. I wasn't on best terms with Ana. No point. Anyway, hospitals are always full of sick people, and they smell absolutely vile!

I decided to visit Perdita. She irritated me, but it would vary my routine a little. As fate would have it, as I discovered when I entered, so had a certain other person.

"Potter!"

"What?" he looked around quickly as I entered, "Oh, it's just you," he relaxed again-- a little.

"Obviously. Huh, I'm going. I have better things to do then exchange pleasantries with a wet blanket."

"Why," Perdita interrupted, trying as she might to be the voice of reason, "don't you two try and get on?"

"Because he's an idiot!"

"Because she's stuck up!"

"I'm not!"

"Well, nor am I!"

"Be quiet both of you," she interrupted again, the stupid busy-body, "I have to ask you something; when I talked to you before I came up here, I told you that I needed help... I meant with something other then hiding, although this is very kind of you, obviously...Of course, you don't have to help me, in which case I will leave Hogwarts now, and thank you for all your help so far..." her modesty and everything was beginning to annoy me. I accept that she couldn't do anything in case she was discovered, but why did she always act as though she was indebted to us, and then go and ask some other favour?! Little Miss Blinkin' Soul-full.

"No problemo." Potter replied immediately. I scowled at him. I just know he fancied her.

"If you help me, I don't want anyone else in on this, all right? Except maybe your good friends who already know about me, but ideally, only you two. Because if word gets around, I am even more done for then I already am. That is, of course, assuming that you will help me?"

"Well, I, er, suppose we will..." I would have refused if she hadn't been looking at me with her large eye. She could make me feel so guilty, when I hadn't even done anything! "But what-?" I asked.

"While I was on the run," she paused "I lost something. Two things. They are very valuable to me, and if I do not find at least one of them, I might as well kill myself here and now." Go ahead sweetie. I was surprised at myself for thinking that, but I wasn't exactly in a good mood.

"What things?"

Perdita paused again, and seemed to be thinking.

"A ring," she said at last, "and a cloak. I think they're in the forest somewhere. That's why I was here in the first place. Looking for them, aside from being on the run. But now I'm in the school, and I can't get across the grounds without being spotted since Jennifer's potion ran out," I smirked at this bit. He blushed slightly. Potter had never bothered to put his name right with Perdita "I can help you find them in my own way; tell you where I think they are, but... well. I'm basically stuck. Will you help me?"

"I... don't see why not," I answered, feeling a little flummoxed. I could hardly say no, after all.

She gave me one of her misty smiles, "Thankyou. I'm glad."

"No probs." Said Potter. What an idiot.

"But if you get involved with this, please don't try and back out!"

"I'll bear that in mind." I nodded, groaning inwardly.

"Yupsy."

"The cloak and ring belonged to my great great grandmother," she informed us, as if we cared, "and they are valuable in more ways then one. I know that my mother hid them around Hogwarts ages ago... before she was killed, about... 9 years ago now..." Perdita bit her lip, but went on "I have one clue as to where they are, besides a little knowledge of my mother and grandmother. Look," she pulled a scrap of very worn looking parchment out of her pocket. The ink on it was faded, and it was curled at the corners. I stared at it. It seemed to glow in the half light.

"What does it say?" I whispered. I didn't even know why I was whispering. It just seemed the right thing to do, as if I was in a book or a film. You know, narrative convenience and all that.

Perdita handed it over to me "Look, but be careful. I don't want it to be damaged." I nodded mutely.

It sat in my palm, old and dusty, and the letters seemed to be edged with fire. On it, was inscribed several paragraphs. I read them out loud. In true 'mystery story' fashion, they were mostly in verse;

"Where the willow leaves hang low

Where the four winds laugh and blow

It is there that my treasures shall hide,

There, fighting time's unknown tide.

Where the school towers in the night,

Where the stars provide the light,

It is there that She will be;

She, who has uncertain destiny.

Where She seems so far from harm,

Where Her life seems so sweet and calm,

It is there that Her waking dreams will come,

Even in the daylight sun.

Where I hide my secrets true,

Where they lie from ken of you,

It is there you shall find them soon,

Hidden by the light of moon.

Where the water's cold and deep,

Where Her spirit shall lie down to sleep,

Deaths like yours are hardly more

Then the little deaths before."

I stopped reading the poem and looked up. Potter was busy picking flicking paint off the wall. He has the attention span of a gnat!

"Shall I read the rest of it?" I asked Perdita, who nodded.

I traced the letters with my fingertips. "'I write this is poem form'," I read "'So that anyone who does not know of our family at all will be unable to trace us, or my hidden belongings. All I will say is that 'She' of which I speak will be a relative, of whose future I know a little of, but be warned; her life is uncertain, possibly even a forfeit. At all times, remember this; Sunshine if eternal makes the flowers fade.' Well, isn't that nice."

I wondered at this strange letter. Potter had actually begun to pay attention, now that the dull poetry was over.

"Do you think that you're 'Her'?" I asked, watching Perdita's face. It was very still and solemn.

"Yes," she answered simply "As far as I know, I am her only surviving relative. I don't see who else it could be! All the others dead. Basically."

"I had a cousin what I di'n't even know about who lived in America," Potter put in, with the air of one who wants to make a contribution to a conversation, "So you can never be too careful."

I ignored him "doesn't this, er, scare you?"

She laughed, bitterly "all firewitches lives are forfeits, Lily, if that's what you mean. If I die... who would miss me? No one."

I thought about being totally truthful, but decided to take the Nice Young Lady tack, "We would! Wouldn't we, Potter?"

"Mmm... What?" He hadn't been listening-- again! I was beginning to see why so many teachers despaired of him.

At least he wasn't like Lupin. Lupin listened to everything everyone said. It worried teachers, how he listened to them, as if he was trying to catch them out.

"No, you wouldn't," she assured us, with almost perfect truth, "and besides, although I don't understand how the water could kill me, when the only thing I should be destroyed by is fire. Death will make a nice change."

I felt sick to my stomach. Urgh.... Morbid.

I don't think she knew what she wanted. I only half wanted to help. He was being a bit of an irritating leech. Potter probably hadn't even realised what he had got himself into even slightly.

Please read and review?

Ginny :)