A/n- Hey. I'm writing and listening to my Ja Rule CD. Life is good. As always please leave a review. Oh and Laurewen, you were right on one count. I had no idea who I was going to pair Ron and Harry up with. But I know whom Harry's going with now, but still not Ron. I was going to put him with Ginny, but then there came that pesky lil' problem of them being siblings. If anyone has any ideas, please leave 'em in the reviews. *Cackles* ha ff.n, that doesn't count as an interactive fic now does it. Mwhahaha! Oh, and if you people want to read an X-men fic of mine or any of my other (quite crappy) HP fanfic, check out the names Amori Kyle and Aphrodite Black. For Big Wolf on Campus (Lord forgive me for ever watching that show. It was a phase, I swear!) Fanfic check out Loonybin. That name also houses on of the best Peter Pettigrew fics I've ever written.
On September first the first term of our sixth year started. It didn't make much sense for us to take the train so I was allowed to sleep in late that morning. I'd been up late the night before so I was tired. When I did awake it was around one in the afternoon. Out in the main part of the house (I call it a house, because, well…I just do. What else can I call it) I heard babies crying, people talking, and some, probably Adrian, playing the guitar. I rubbed my eyes, and flipped over to my stomach at the same time pulling the pillow over my head. But, when I turned I caught a whiff of lavender on the bed next to me. Lazily, I stuck out my hand blindly feeling for the cause of the smell. I grasped a white envelope with written in elaborate cursive on the front. The smell of lavender was wafting off of it. The smell on the inside was even stronger as I soon found out. Along with a letter, there were three sprigs of lavender, and two pressed African Violet petals.
My Dear Piper,
Today is September 1st and as I promised you will now be able to remove your demon from sight. Your magic has been returned in full force. I believe you have accomplished what I wished of you, and I have granted you your souls desire. I decline to tell you what that is, but I know that if you dig deep enough you will recognize it without my help.
I have helped Spike, and you. Now I move on to watch over your brother. He is attempting something admirable, and I will be with him as he sees it through. He will not see me, but I him. I have promised friends that I would look into the situation with your ministry, but rest assured I wouldn't forget any of you.
Love,
Adhara
Goddess of Demons
The first thing I did after reading her letter about a million times over was pick my wand up from my bedside table and say Lumos. In the brightness of the room the light wasn't much, but it was there and that was all that mattered. After saying nox, I concentrated and shifted my face back to normal. My real face! I had blue eyes again, and soft cheeks. I didn't look like some sort of Klingon wannabe. No more blood! I was going to go to breakfast and enjoy pancakes (I didn't care that it was one in the afternoon) again. There was more to the letter, I knew that, and somewhere in my mind it was registering, but it didn't matter 'cause I was happy. And we're talking 'caffeine high' happy.
I grabbed some fresh robes and my boom box and ran into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later I emerged in navy blue robes, doc martens, and a skullcap. I think I almost skipped into the kitchen, and that must've been a weird sight because Dawn and Spike gave me the oddest looks when I came in. I ignored them and pulled down the pancake mix from the cabinet. Dawn started to say something about it being one in the afternoon while I flipped the pancakes on the stove. I held up my hand and shushed her as I poured a liberal amount of syrup onto the plate.
"Don't you have that feast in about three hours pet?" Spike questioned.
I dug into the food. "I'll eat there too. I'm normal again, see? I'm going to eat until I barf. You have bed head by the way."
"It looks cute." Dawn commented, smoothing his hair down a bit.
"I am not cute." Spike said with a half glare. "And you could've eaten regular food for the past four weeks. I do it all the time. Not our fault you decided to go on a bleedin' self torture binge."
"Did not." I doubt they could understand through my chewing. I swallowed then spoke again. "So you start school tomorrow?"
Dawn grimaced and sighed. "Yeah. I get to where a uniform. Plaid skirt an' all. Notice the joy in my voice."
"It looks cute." Spike said with a smirk. "Very preppy."
"There are times I'd like to hurt you." She said dryly.
"So where're the boys?" I asked changing the subject. The sound of guitars was still going but had moved closer. The song was familiar and slightly annoying, but I couldn't place it. "And Buffy and Willow."
Spike recalled first and spoke. "Buffy's helping Red carry some stuff up to the castle, Will and Damon are napping, and the last time I checked Oz and Adrian were playing the same damn song on those soding guitars over and over." He yelled the last in the direction of the parlor. The response was the string being plucked purposely louder. "Cor, it's like some new form of torture. They're playing that stupid pop stuff."
"Adrian's playing pop?" I asked skeptically.
"Yeah, my request." Dawn grinned over a Spike. "I know how much you love the Backstreet Boys so requested it especially for you. They do know stuff by The Ramones and The Sex Pistols if you're so desperate for a change."
"Just make sure he takes that bloody thing with him when he goes tonight."
"He will unless he wants to face Candra's wrath, which is scarily like Anya's." I said.
Just then the steel door leading to the outside world opened and Willow and Buffy came in red cheeked and shivering. Fall had set in early around here and it was already wintry cold. They were each carrying some empty cardboard boxes. Buffy didn't look particularly happy, and her frown was directed at Spike. Willow looked somewhere between amused and angry. They set their boxes on the floor by the door and Buffy looked about ready to say something, but Oz and Adrian chose that time to come in with their guitars in one arm and a baby in the other.
"You want to get the formula luv?" Spike asked, taking the boys. Oz and Spike left without a word. Probably to go play some more.
"Don't you 'luv' me!" Buffy said, reaching for two bottles. "So, you thought I wouldn't find that huge contraption that you seem to have taken such pains to hide?"
"What?"
"Where'd you get it anyway? It's dangerous! You could get hurt. And what if one of the kids found it, and decided 'let's take a nice joy ride around the forest'. They'd get hurt. Then where would that leave us?"
Dawn leaned over to me and whispered, "Seriously confused here." I nodded in response.
"Buffy, calm down a little." Willow urged. "I'm sure Spike has a perfectly good explanation for this, right Spike?"
"Buffy, luv, I don't know what you're talking about." He said. "Really I don't. And think, have I ever kept secrets from you? Well, I have, but, oh never mind. What are you bloody talking about?"
She shoved two bottles of formula into his hands and practically yelled, "The humongous black motorcycle sitting in the bushes about three feet away from the passage to get down here. The one screaming, 'take me, take me' or 'explore around here and see if there's anyone living here, then take me, take me. The one that Willow says is enchanted to fly. She checked! What if Dawn or Piper or Adrian found that and decided to take it for a spin or something equally as stupid. Actually scratch Dawn or Piper just Adrian, because you'd let him! In fact you two…Adrian!"
During this whole tirade Dawn and I just stared. 'It must be pent up stress' I thought, not daring to voice it aloud. Adrian poked his head nervously into the room and was met with Buffy's glare. He looked at Dawn and I and we could only shrug.
Willow laid a hand on Buffy's shoulder and directed her to a chair. "You need to just sit for a second. Calmly. Don't move. Just sit." There was silence for a few seconds while every one let Buffy calm down.
"Hun, that's not my bike." Spike said finally.
Buffy looked up then let her head fall backwards over the chair. "It's… not?"
"No."
"Oh." She nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm going to plead hormonal imbalance, and apologize. Sorry about that."
My brother looked at Buffy and Willow and raised an eyebrow "Is this what happens when you're a female past twenty?"
"Yeah," Spike answered. "And if you aren't pathetically whipped you can get away fast."
"Spike's whipped." Dawn and I said together. "So," Dawn continued. "Whose bike is that?"
Spike shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Sirius'. My dear nephew asked me to get it from Hagrid. He wants it back for travel reasons, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let him have it."
"Dad's back?" Adrian's eyes lit up.
"Maybe." He obviously wasn't supposed to have told us. "You lot get out. Go finish packing or something. The three of us have to talk… in private."
*~*
Three hours later I was sitting In between Candra and Hermione in the Hogwarts Great Hall. Ron and Harry were next to Candra and Adrian was next to Hermione. We'd been there for thirty minutes and they'd spent half of it making gooey eyes at each other. It was gross. Ok, maybe not gross, maybe I was slightly jealous. Over at the Slytherin table Pansy Parkinson was all over Draco. He wasn't exactly acknowledging her but he wasn't knocking her off either and the longer I watched the more jealous I got. His eyes hadn't even sought me out. And to make it worse Ron and Harry had seen and were giving me looks that toed the line at being 'told-you-so' looks.
"…This year we welcome back Professor Lupin for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Thunderous applause broke out from three tables around the room. I was completely oblivious as the thundering sound of clapping hands distracted me from watching Pansy paw at Draco. I looked up to the staff table to see who could've possibly caused so much applause. When I saw Remus I grinned and clapped along with every one else, Draco momentarily banished from my mind.
"Madam Pomfrey sadly will not be able to join us this year as she has accepted a prestigious position at St. Mungos as head of the nursing staff. Replacing her will be Madam Wren Morela." A woman with honey brown hair inclined her head to accept the polite applause. "Madam Morela is also skilled at potion brewing and will be teaching for Snape when he is indisposed this year."
"Snape's gonna be indisposed?" Adrian grinned, and breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief. His next words were muttered. "I hope she didn't say anything."
"What was that?" Asked Hermione, but Adrian just shook his head as Dumbledore went on.
"Hagrid has asked me to inform you that he's taken in a stray dog named Anubis. Many staff members have claimed that he resembles the grim, but I assure you all that he is a harmless and rather friendly dog. Please don't think you're going to die upon seeing him.
"As it is every year The Forbidden Forest is off limits and I urge you to stay away from the Whomping Willow. Schedules will be passed out tomorrow, but for now we eat." With that piles and piles of food appeared in front of us and we began to stuff ourselves silly.
Even knowing that dad was obviously Hagrid's new stray didn't raise my mood much. I was still stewing over the way Draco ignored me. Pansy had her fingers in his hair now. I was only one allowed to do that. Hermione noticed my perpetual frown and followed my gaze to the Slytherin table. After seeing Pansy she put her arm around my shoulder.
"They were seen at the Midsummer Ball. Together." She said softly, and gently. "Their parents seem to think it's the perfect arrangement, or so they told the Daily Prophet, obviously so does Pansy."
I dug into some chocolate ice cream. "Their parents?"
Hermione nodded. "Both families have a history of dark arts and they're both sickeningly rich. Also Mr. Parkinson is Mr. Malfoy's right hand man as you might say. In their view, and the oblivious public eye it really is the perfect match."
"But he's my soul mate. We're supposed to be destined for each other in each life time and all that nonsense." I said, almost sniffling.
"And if all that is true, you won't let that Slytherin hoar get your way." Hermione said in a rare fit of passion. Then she blushed. "She's always been so mean to me, her and Millicent." I agreed, remembering some select times last year when they'd started cracking on me. "I'm not saying that Draco is my most favorite person in the world, but I really don't think he'd leave you for her. The Halloween Dance will be here soon. If he doesn't ask you to that, then you can start to worry. Look, he's not even responding to her constant touching."
Her words and the chocolate made me feel a little bit better, but I still worried. Would Draco and I go back to the way we had been the year before. Then the soul mate principal would go back to being the soul mate curse. We'd have to make contact everyday again. The fighting in class wouldn't be acting, but real.
"Miss. Granger? Miss. Black?" Again voices tore me from thinking about Draco. Hermione and I turned around together. Madam Morela stood behind us. She swept a thick strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "If you're finished I would have you accompany me to the Hospital Wing." She'd said if you're finished, but in adult speak that always means come now. We both knew that so we bade our friend's good-bye and followed Madam Morela. I took one last glance over my shoulder at Draco. His hands were in hers and she was talking a mile a minute about something she was excited about.
"Don't look." Hermione hissed, turning my head to look at the Morela's back as we stepped into the halls. "It'll only make you feel worse. You two always meet for coffee, you can ask him all your questions then."
"But he never mentioned her when he visited. And she wasn't in his letters. None of this was."
"Shh, Piper." She said sympathetically. "Forget it. You're only giving the portraits more gossip." It was true. As we talked the portraits were ignoring Morela and leaning towards us. Moat likely it was like a soap opera to them. They caught the gossip, discussed it with the other pictures, and then followed us around the school to catch the rest of the news.
We walked in silence the rest of the time behind the woman's billowing blue robes. When we reached the hospital wing she unlocked it and ushered us in side. With a wave of her wand the place lit up with a warm glow. It hadn't really changed from Madam Pomfrey's reign but there were more flowers scattered about the room. Otherwise it was the same down to the last perfectly made bed.
We sat in chairs that scooted out to great us, Hermione looking expectantly at the new nurse all along. Morela produced three teacups and a kettle of steaming water out of thin air. She poured tea, and sat sipping luxuriously for a few moments, like a cat lying in the shade.
"Your summers were acceptable I hope." She said in a conversational tone. Her voice was tinted slightly with a Scottish brogue sort of like dads, but I also detected French maybe, and something that sounded like American drawl. It was all coated under a high-class English accent, a direct opposite of Spike's voice.
When Hermione and I answered with only nods and monosyllables she went on. "And you have heard about the new direction the ministry is taking?" When we only nodded again she asked a question. "What are your opinions on their methods of stopping dark creatures from joining Voldemort's service?"
"We…err, we don't agree?" Hermione stuttered, seemingly hoping that this was the answer Morela wanted. "It's not right, what t-they're doing."
"Do you share this opinion Piper?" Morela asked me.
Slowly I nodded wondering where all this was leading. "Yes."
"I believe that these are truthful responses." She concluded. "You needn't worry or be nervous. Finding your stands in current events was just something I felt the need to do before proceeding. Professor Dumbledore assured me it wasn't necessary, but I believe in always hearing things from the source. That, my dears, is a valuable lesson that I suggest you take to heart. Any questions so far?" We just looked at her dumbstruck with no clue what was going on.
Morela muttered a spell and a table with fruits appeared before us. She gestured for us to eat. We were full from the feast so we didn't, but Morela picked up an apple and bit down. "This year select sixth and seventh year students have been chosen to partake in special training that can benefit themselves and the world in whole. They've been chosen pending their skills. The training subjects are Potions, Animagus Transfiguration, Medi-Witch Training, Charm Inventing, and Hand To Hand Combat. Every one of these except for Potions are not usually subjects taught at Hogwarts, and are taught only in times of need. This, with the current state of things, is one of those times. You are the only two selected for the Medi-Witch course. The training is to help you utilize and improve upon skills you already have in this field. If all goes well by the end of the year you'll be ready for the next step. That comes when you graduate. You will be asked to join The League Against Voldemort if he is still causing us problems. If not the training will benefit you in other ways."
"I-Is this mandatory?" Hermione asked, when Morela's speech was finished.
"Every student has the option to back out. But they are not allowed to tell any one about the program. The perks of joining are far greater than the ones of abstaining. Piper your brother has been selected for the training in combat, and your friends Harry and Ron will be attending extra potions classes with Professor Snape, and sometimes myself."
I had to stifle a giggle at that. Harry and Ron would be completely thrilled I was sure. "What does this training include?"
"It's a study of human anatomy, healing charms, spells, and potions, and will include helping me care for patients later in the year when I think you're ready. You would come during your free period in the afternoon everyday for two hours. Not all of the courses are at the same time though, I know that Charms and Combat are being held at night."
"I think I'd like to do it." I told her.
"Me too. It's an honor to be picked for such a program." Hermione said.
Morela smiled, and indicated we could rise. "That's excellent. You won't be sorry, I assure you. Come during your free period tomorrow and we'll have a look at your schedule to set up a regular time slot."
Still a bit overwhelmed, Hermione and I left the Hospital with speculating in whispers over what this could mean for us.
A/n- Happy Labor Day! Hmmm.do we say 'Happy Labor Day'? I really doubt it, but have a happy one anyway. School starts in two days, and I've just realized I don't have seventh period class. Instead I have study and lunch at the same time. How am I supposed to eat Burger King everyday if I'm supposed to be in study? I mean, that's the best thing about starting high school. I can be a junk food queen again, complain about my weight with the rest of my friends, and then have some else say if we were any skinnier we'd be anorexic. Then we beat that person, and start the cycle over again. Oh boy, that sounded like it came from the mouth of someone who's had one to many Arbor Mists. Annnnnyway…I'm thinking that since it's going to be my first day at high school EVER it's gonna take me a few days to settle into the groove, so let's say I'll try to give you and update by Thursday on through Saturday. Check during those days and maybe you'll see something. Lets remember though, I'm on New York City time. When it's five pm here, it's twelve pm there, so if you live out side my time zone just be patient.
Upcoming attractions include… Harry/Dawn, Ron/??? (Don't worry I'll find someone who isn't Parvati or Lavender), Oz/??? (I know who he's gonna go with I just don't wanna say yet. And it isn't Willow!), Draco and Piper have relationship problems, Sirius pops back in, Spike…teaching?????, Angel comes for a visit (I'm thinking Christmas, but I'm not sure yet), Candra hosts Quidditch matches, and lots 'a other stuff, including my really big climax scene that doesn't come till the very end but I've been thinking about a lot.
Well, this is a damn long authors note, so I'm going to say…Peace out my brothers and sisters. I've must go watch Boy Meets World.
-MJ Parker
*~*
