Chapter 7-Unions and Reunions
A month later, Emma woke up to the sound of Sadie's horrified gasp.
"Sadie? What's wrong?" asked Emma sleepily.
Sadie pointed a shaking finger to Rosy's cage. "I just figured out why I got all that free stuff...she's--"
"Sleeping, maybe?" Emma said, rubbing her eyes and hopefully tapping on the glass. But there Rosy was, just lying there. Sadie washed her hands and slowly opened the lid. She reached in, and picked her up. Rosy didn't react. Nothing.
"Oh, Sadie, I'm so sorry."
Sadie looked at her spider for a moment and returned her to the cage. "I--I guess the only thing we can do is have a funeral," she said distantly.
"Yeah."
That evening, with a spoon borrowed from the Great Hall, they buried Rosy.
***
Emma thoughtfully doodled with her finger on the bedspread, watching Sadie finish her homework. It was growing colder, the autumn months slowly drifting into winter. Halloween's delights had passed, Emma and Sadie (mostly Sadie) told Harry, Ron, and Hermione all about Thanksgiving in the U.S.; now it was nearing Christmas, and, Sadie's birthday. Emma had been brainstorming and all she could think of gift-wise was another pet. It was obvious that Sadie missed having one. But how could Emma get her one? That question would have gone unanswered had it not been for Remus.
It was a few weeks before Sadie's birthday when Remus found both she and Emma roaming the halls and asked to speak with them a moment.
"I've talked it over with the Headmaster and he thinks it would be alright, with another adult. I still have to find someone to volunteer...anyway, what would you girls say to spending the day...an entire twenty-four hour period mind you...at Hogsmead?"
"You mean it?" said Emma ecstatically. "That'd be so awesome!!!"
Sadie looked at Remus blankly. "Where?"
Lupin looked at Emma accusingly. "Badly done, Emma! You never told her! Oh well, I guess I will. The older students get to go to this all- wizarding village, Hogsmead, every couple months. There's joke shops, candy shops, an old haunted place...it's really quite a lot of fun."
Sadie thought a moment. "Cool."
Remus beamed and clapped his hands. "Right then. Emma, I need to talk to you about arrangements for your therapy--"
"Oh, I thought you might say that, I have a portable nebulizer, I can get it now--"
"Actually, there's some other things." Remus eyed Sadie.
"Oh, well, um, ok." Emma looked perplexed. "Sadie, would you do me a humongous favor and run up to Madam Pomfrey's and ask her for my portable nebulizer and an extra bottle of enzymes? And anything else I should take?"
"Sure."
"Ok, Professor, what's going on?" asked Emma as soon as Sadie left. "I know you're cooking something up. And it's about Sadie."
Remus glanced down the hall. "Well.I wanted to get her a birthday present, I know her birthday's coming up, but I don't know how I would get it without her suspecting too much, and I want more for her than just a full day at Hogsmead."
"So you want me to distract her while you go shopping," finished Emma.
"Exactly."
"I'd be happy to help." They both beamed.
Everything went according to plan. Sadie thought Hogsmead was heaven on earth, and she never found out about Remus's and Emma's plan. A week after Hogsmead, on her birthday and just before Christmas, Sadie found a holey box on her bed. Inside, she found a blue card, a little blanket, and a tiny orange kitten with white stripes, sleeping soundly. Sadie gasped and the kitten opened its big intelligent eyes, blinking from the change in light.
"Mrow?"
Sadie scooped the kitten into her arms and picked up the card. It read:
To Sadie:
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas from your two favorite people in the world. We know you'll take good care of little Marmalade.
Emma Kathryn Melody Walker
Prof. Remus Lupin
Sadie looked down at her new kitten tenderly. "Marmalade."
Marmalade looked up at her and purred.
***
/Sadie saw a pretty young woman and a young man, holding hands and standing directly in front of her, looking at her and smiling. /
/My parents... thought Sadie. Sadie's mother held out her arms and Sadie ran to her. But there seemed to be an invisible wall between them and Sadie could get no closer than arm's length. /
/Her mother looked sad and bent close to Sadie's ear./ I miss you, /she said./
/Sadie's father was still standing next to her mother. He laid a hand on Sadie's shoulder and furrowed his brow./ Don't trust him, /he advised./
/Don't trust who? Sadie thought, but the words would not come out./
/An inky, black mist crept up from the ground, obscuring Sadie's parents from her view. It enveloped her and Sadie couldn't even see her hand in front of her. She could hear her parents calling her from through the mist; she tried to go toward their voices, but they seemed to get farther away. Sadie gazed around hopelessly. She saw a figure through the mist and ran a few steps toward it. But she saw that it was neither her father nor her mother, but the same hideous black-robed figure she had seen once before./
Where are they? /she cried, but the man did not answer, only walked slowly closer. Sadie tried to back up, but some hidden force rooted her to the spot. The man drew near enough for Sadie to hear him breathing-ragged, inhuman breaths. He reached out and snatched at her, but Sadie recoiled and stepped back. He pulled back his hood and Sadie saw it was not the same face she had seen before, but a grey misshapen face with repugnant skin stretched over empty eye sockets. Then there was the mouth..gaping and appalling, searching for her. Sadie screamed and backpedaled, falling down. /
She hit the ground and her eyes snapped open. The blankets were coiled around her tightly, the sheet around her neck. She tore loose and stood up. It was just after midnight in late February; everyone still slept soundly. Sadie sat on her empty bed and held her head in her hands. She leaned over to the other side of her bed and stroked Marmalade for a moment. Taking a deep breath she quietly reassembled her bedding and lay back down. Sadie lay awake for a while, grateful that no one else was awake and asking questions. She was only partially right. Emma heard her scream and the thump as she hit the floor. She peeked through the curtains and watched a badly shaken Sadie get back into bed. But Emma chose not to investigate, not this time. She had seen Sadie wake up from nightmares from time to time, but none of them had her shaken this badly. Emma decided she would wait until morning and see if there was still something wrong.
The next morning Sadie was actually up before Emma, a bad night's sleep evident in her eyes; she was edgy and quiet.
"Are you ok, Sadie?" Emma asked, linking her arm in hers as they made their way to breakfast.
Sadie sighed. "Yeah, I just didn't sleep well."
"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Emma pressed.
Sadie looked at Emma, studying her. She decided it was just a lucky guess. "Yeah, but I'll be ok."
Emma watched her a moment. She dearly wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to pry. "Alright." But it was only after dinner that Emma thought Sadie seemed like her normal self.
Sadie and Emma frequently saw teachers heading towards their respective offices when they themselves were through with dinner and wending their way towards the Common Room. That night was no different. They saw Professor Winsbree and stopped a moment to talk to her.
"Hi Professor!"
Winsbree looked back. "Oh, hello girls," she responded wearily.
"Is something wrong Professor?" asked Sadie. "No-yes--I don't know, probably. I've just been realizing lately that it's only February, instead of June like it feels like it should be. I'm tired, I guess."
While she was talking, it occurred to Sadie that Winsbree, although for the most part retaining her ageless aspect, was looking a little old. After they departed from her, Sadie mentioned it to Emma. Emma hadn't noticed, but commented on her perpetuality. She had always been fascinated with it.
Professor Winsbree did not /feel/ ageless however. It had been a long time since she had felt young. She needed something she could not have, nor could she name what she needed. She sighed and settled down for a long night of grading papers and not being able to concentrate because she was feeling sorry for herself.
It was nearing two when Sonora glanced up at the creak of the door. She stared in disbelief at the man in the doorway. /Could it be?/
"Sonora, it's me." She gasped and ran into his outstretched arms.
The older man at the door brought her close and whispered in her ear. "Oh, my dear, dear Sonora, how I have missed you." He held her tight and rocked her back and forth as a tear ran down his cheek.
"Tom, Tom, Tom. I can't believe you're back." Sonora smothered her face, streaming with tears, in his chest.
He let go of her and dried her eyes. "I'm going to do now what I should have done so very, very long ago." He bent down on one knee and took her hand with beseeching eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Sonora gasped and cried afresh. "This is what I have always dreamed would happen! Yes!!!"
Tom smiled wistfully as he got up and looked deep into her eyes. "If it was only so simple." He sighed heavily. "But it's not. So many things have changed since we last met. You must help me with something.something very important and likely difficult for you to understand."
"Anything my love," she vowed passionately.
He smiled down at her and stroked her cheek. "I hoped you would say that. You know I have no family, correct?"
Sonora nodded perplexedly.
"That is not necessarily true. My father, the Mudbl--Muggle, left my mother immediately after he found out she was a witch. He remarried and had children. I have a great-half-niece. She too has no family, her parents having died. I am her only living family, but she doesn't know. I want to surprise her and I need your help getting her to a specific location. Do you think you can help?"
"I can try. But how can I help? Who is this child?"
"Of course, I haven't told you. Her name is Sadie Riddle."
Sonora blinked. "Sadie.So it wasn't just a coincidence." she said quietly.
Tom nodded. "Many would have thought so. So can you help me?"
"I'll do anything you want me to."
Tom eyes smiled. "I know." He pulled her close again. "I know."
***
It was a week later that Sonora began carrying out the plan Tom had devised.
Sonora met Sadie on her and Emma's way up to they Ravenclaw dormitory again. "Ms. Riddle?"
Sadie turned from Emma. "Oh, hello Professor."
"Would you please accompany me to my office?"
Sadie looked worried and glanced at Emma.
"Don't worry; I just want to discuss that test we took today." Sonora internally winced. That had sounded too recited.
Emma piped up. "Sadie, I was gonna go to bed anyway, I'll see you in the morning."
Sadie was a little more at ease. "Oh, ok. See ya."
As Sonora escorted Sadie to her office, she reviewed the plan. She could hear Tom saying it in her mind. /Take her to your office.chat with her a little.be sure she doesn't suspect _anything._ Give her this./ Sonora fingered the vial in her pocket. /She'll go to sleep and we'll take her home and tell her./ She heard Tom's chuckle in her memory. /She'll be so surprised./
Sonora shook her head to clear the reverie and unlocked her office door.
"Take a seat," she said cordially as she gestured to a chair.
"Thanks." She was looking around curiously.
Sonora pulled a paper out of the stack on her desk. "This one's yours." It had a 68 written in red near the top.
"Oh my goodness!!!" choked Sadie.
Sonora nodded. "Exactly. Did you take notes during those lectures?"
Sadie reddened. "N--no, actually, I was--" she cleared her throat. "Ill. If you know what I mean."
"I see." Sonora's face softened. "Would you like me to discuss the section with you and retake it?"
"Sure! When?"
"We can do it now if you'd like." In response to Sadie's eager nod, she collected her own notes from around the room, purposely finding most of them next to a pitcher of iced pumpkin juice. She sighed dramatically.
"Kind of warm in here, huh?"
Sadie nodded again indifferently, her attention having returned to the knickknacks on display around the room.
"Would you like some pumpkin juice? Nice and cold."
"Yes, please." Sadie was studying a paperweight on the desk.
Sonora discreetly poured the contents of the little vial from her pocket into Sadie's goblet. "Here you go. Now then, wood fairies."
But Sadie had already taken a sip. She looked at the goblet quizzically for a moment, but then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the goblet fell onto the desk, soaking many papers. Tom stepped out of a darkened corner.
"Well done, my dear."
"But look at all these papers!"
Tom smirked and withdrew his wand, muttering a few unintelligible words under his breath. The spilled juice evaporated in seconds, leaving the papers unharmed.
"Thank you, honey."
He ignored her and turned his wand to Sadie, again mumbling a few words only he could hear. Sadie's body hovered in the air, glowing an eerie green.
"Ok, step two." Tom said looking steadfastly at Sadie's closed eyes.
***
Sadie slept long; it was late into the next evening when she finally woke. Sadie blinked at the bright sunshine coming through the window. Sadie looked quizzically at the curtains. /Green? I thought they were blue.../Sadie's eyes opened wide as she threw off the covers and jumped out of the unfamiliar bed she had slept in. Sadie looked around. The bed was not the only unfamiliar thing. Sadie stood in a large room, adorned with very dark wooden furniture and rich greens. Sadie fingered the nightgown she wore. Of the softest satin and the deepest forest green, it reassured that she was anywhere but where she should be. Sadie sat in a plush wing backed chair next to the fireplace and a little table. If only she could remember...she held her head in her hands. Professor Winsbree...a test...pumpkin juice...none of it made sense to her. Sadie automatically reached for her wand as the door creaked open. But of course, it was not there. Professor Winsbree stood there, holding a tray of food.
"Good morning, dear. How did you sleep?"
Sadie gasped out "Professor?"
Winsbree smiled and set the tray on the table. "Eat up; then we'll talk." She left the room again.
Sadie eyed the tray. She had no appetite; she was too bewildered. Winsbree came back with a chalky-green robe draped over her arm. "Why, you haven't touched it, have you? Come, come, you must eat something."
Sadie sipped her milk and pretended to cut her meat. She changed into the new robe left for her after Winsbree left again. When she returned, she looked quite excited.
"Now, Sadie, I have a surprise for you..."
Sadie interrupted. "Haven't I had surprises enough? Waking up here, seeing you, it's already too much, and then you want to go and add to it?"
Winsbree twisted her hands. "Well...it's a much /better/ surprise..."
Sadie flopped into the chair. "Just tell me where I am and you can surprise me all you want."
Winsbree crouched next to the chair Sadie sat in. "You won't have to be in the custody of the school anymore! You've got a family! Well, a relation in any case. He brought you here! Oh, "here" is a splendid castle a hundred miles north of the school. No one can see it though, not unless they've been inside. I didn't until your uncle took me inside. And you're to live here! Isn't that splendid?"
Sadie stared. Then she snorted. "Oh, yeah, ok, that's just funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed to see if I can wake up from the /weirdest/ dream I have ever had."
Winsbree smiled patiently. "But, sweetie, this isn't a dream." She grabbed Sadie's hand. "Come, he wants to see you right away!" Winsbree drug Sadie into the hall and pranced a few steps down the hall.
"Come on, slow-poke, don't you want to meet him?"
Sadie stepped cautiously behind Winsbree's light hearted dancing. A relation? It was unheard of! And yet, Sadie had learned that in the magical world, anything was possible.
Winsbree led Sadie onward until they reached a heavy pair of oaken doors.
"He's in there, come on!" Winsbree grabbed Sadie's hand once more and led her inside.
A month later, Emma woke up to the sound of Sadie's horrified gasp.
"Sadie? What's wrong?" asked Emma sleepily.
Sadie pointed a shaking finger to Rosy's cage. "I just figured out why I got all that free stuff...she's--"
"Sleeping, maybe?" Emma said, rubbing her eyes and hopefully tapping on the glass. But there Rosy was, just lying there. Sadie washed her hands and slowly opened the lid. She reached in, and picked her up. Rosy didn't react. Nothing.
"Oh, Sadie, I'm so sorry."
Sadie looked at her spider for a moment and returned her to the cage. "I--I guess the only thing we can do is have a funeral," she said distantly.
"Yeah."
That evening, with a spoon borrowed from the Great Hall, they buried Rosy.
***
Emma thoughtfully doodled with her finger on the bedspread, watching Sadie finish her homework. It was growing colder, the autumn months slowly drifting into winter. Halloween's delights had passed, Emma and Sadie (mostly Sadie) told Harry, Ron, and Hermione all about Thanksgiving in the U.S.; now it was nearing Christmas, and, Sadie's birthday. Emma had been brainstorming and all she could think of gift-wise was another pet. It was obvious that Sadie missed having one. But how could Emma get her one? That question would have gone unanswered had it not been for Remus.
It was a few weeks before Sadie's birthday when Remus found both she and Emma roaming the halls and asked to speak with them a moment.
"I've talked it over with the Headmaster and he thinks it would be alright, with another adult. I still have to find someone to volunteer...anyway, what would you girls say to spending the day...an entire twenty-four hour period mind you...at Hogsmead?"
"You mean it?" said Emma ecstatically. "That'd be so awesome!!!"
Sadie looked at Remus blankly. "Where?"
Lupin looked at Emma accusingly. "Badly done, Emma! You never told her! Oh well, I guess I will. The older students get to go to this all- wizarding village, Hogsmead, every couple months. There's joke shops, candy shops, an old haunted place...it's really quite a lot of fun."
Sadie thought a moment. "Cool."
Remus beamed and clapped his hands. "Right then. Emma, I need to talk to you about arrangements for your therapy--"
"Oh, I thought you might say that, I have a portable nebulizer, I can get it now--"
"Actually, there's some other things." Remus eyed Sadie.
"Oh, well, um, ok." Emma looked perplexed. "Sadie, would you do me a humongous favor and run up to Madam Pomfrey's and ask her for my portable nebulizer and an extra bottle of enzymes? And anything else I should take?"
"Sure."
"Ok, Professor, what's going on?" asked Emma as soon as Sadie left. "I know you're cooking something up. And it's about Sadie."
Remus glanced down the hall. "Well.I wanted to get her a birthday present, I know her birthday's coming up, but I don't know how I would get it without her suspecting too much, and I want more for her than just a full day at Hogsmead."
"So you want me to distract her while you go shopping," finished Emma.
"Exactly."
"I'd be happy to help." They both beamed.
Everything went according to plan. Sadie thought Hogsmead was heaven on earth, and she never found out about Remus's and Emma's plan. A week after Hogsmead, on her birthday and just before Christmas, Sadie found a holey box on her bed. Inside, she found a blue card, a little blanket, and a tiny orange kitten with white stripes, sleeping soundly. Sadie gasped and the kitten opened its big intelligent eyes, blinking from the change in light.
"Mrow?"
Sadie scooped the kitten into her arms and picked up the card. It read:
To Sadie:
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas from your two favorite people in the world. We know you'll take good care of little Marmalade.
Emma Kathryn Melody Walker
Prof. Remus Lupin
Sadie looked down at her new kitten tenderly. "Marmalade."
Marmalade looked up at her and purred.
***
/Sadie saw a pretty young woman and a young man, holding hands and standing directly in front of her, looking at her and smiling. /
/My parents... thought Sadie. Sadie's mother held out her arms and Sadie ran to her. But there seemed to be an invisible wall between them and Sadie could get no closer than arm's length. /
/Her mother looked sad and bent close to Sadie's ear./ I miss you, /she said./
/Sadie's father was still standing next to her mother. He laid a hand on Sadie's shoulder and furrowed his brow./ Don't trust him, /he advised./
/Don't trust who? Sadie thought, but the words would not come out./
/An inky, black mist crept up from the ground, obscuring Sadie's parents from her view. It enveloped her and Sadie couldn't even see her hand in front of her. She could hear her parents calling her from through the mist; she tried to go toward their voices, but they seemed to get farther away. Sadie gazed around hopelessly. She saw a figure through the mist and ran a few steps toward it. But she saw that it was neither her father nor her mother, but the same hideous black-robed figure she had seen once before./
Where are they? /she cried, but the man did not answer, only walked slowly closer. Sadie tried to back up, but some hidden force rooted her to the spot. The man drew near enough for Sadie to hear him breathing-ragged, inhuman breaths. He reached out and snatched at her, but Sadie recoiled and stepped back. He pulled back his hood and Sadie saw it was not the same face she had seen before, but a grey misshapen face with repugnant skin stretched over empty eye sockets. Then there was the mouth..gaping and appalling, searching for her. Sadie screamed and backpedaled, falling down. /
She hit the ground and her eyes snapped open. The blankets were coiled around her tightly, the sheet around her neck. She tore loose and stood up. It was just after midnight in late February; everyone still slept soundly. Sadie sat on her empty bed and held her head in her hands. She leaned over to the other side of her bed and stroked Marmalade for a moment. Taking a deep breath she quietly reassembled her bedding and lay back down. Sadie lay awake for a while, grateful that no one else was awake and asking questions. She was only partially right. Emma heard her scream and the thump as she hit the floor. She peeked through the curtains and watched a badly shaken Sadie get back into bed. But Emma chose not to investigate, not this time. She had seen Sadie wake up from nightmares from time to time, but none of them had her shaken this badly. Emma decided she would wait until morning and see if there was still something wrong.
The next morning Sadie was actually up before Emma, a bad night's sleep evident in her eyes; she was edgy and quiet.
"Are you ok, Sadie?" Emma asked, linking her arm in hers as they made their way to breakfast.
Sadie sighed. "Yeah, I just didn't sleep well."
"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Emma pressed.
Sadie looked at Emma, studying her. She decided it was just a lucky guess. "Yeah, but I'll be ok."
Emma watched her a moment. She dearly wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to pry. "Alright." But it was only after dinner that Emma thought Sadie seemed like her normal self.
Sadie and Emma frequently saw teachers heading towards their respective offices when they themselves were through with dinner and wending their way towards the Common Room. That night was no different. They saw Professor Winsbree and stopped a moment to talk to her.
"Hi Professor!"
Winsbree looked back. "Oh, hello girls," she responded wearily.
"Is something wrong Professor?" asked Sadie. "No-yes--I don't know, probably. I've just been realizing lately that it's only February, instead of June like it feels like it should be. I'm tired, I guess."
While she was talking, it occurred to Sadie that Winsbree, although for the most part retaining her ageless aspect, was looking a little old. After they departed from her, Sadie mentioned it to Emma. Emma hadn't noticed, but commented on her perpetuality. She had always been fascinated with it.
Professor Winsbree did not /feel/ ageless however. It had been a long time since she had felt young. She needed something she could not have, nor could she name what she needed. She sighed and settled down for a long night of grading papers and not being able to concentrate because she was feeling sorry for herself.
It was nearing two when Sonora glanced up at the creak of the door. She stared in disbelief at the man in the doorway. /Could it be?/
"Sonora, it's me." She gasped and ran into his outstretched arms.
The older man at the door brought her close and whispered in her ear. "Oh, my dear, dear Sonora, how I have missed you." He held her tight and rocked her back and forth as a tear ran down his cheek.
"Tom, Tom, Tom. I can't believe you're back." Sonora smothered her face, streaming with tears, in his chest.
He let go of her and dried her eyes. "I'm going to do now what I should have done so very, very long ago." He bent down on one knee and took her hand with beseeching eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Sonora gasped and cried afresh. "This is what I have always dreamed would happen! Yes!!!"
Tom smiled wistfully as he got up and looked deep into her eyes. "If it was only so simple." He sighed heavily. "But it's not. So many things have changed since we last met. You must help me with something.something very important and likely difficult for you to understand."
"Anything my love," she vowed passionately.
He smiled down at her and stroked her cheek. "I hoped you would say that. You know I have no family, correct?"
Sonora nodded perplexedly.
"That is not necessarily true. My father, the Mudbl--Muggle, left my mother immediately after he found out she was a witch. He remarried and had children. I have a great-half-niece. She too has no family, her parents having died. I am her only living family, but she doesn't know. I want to surprise her and I need your help getting her to a specific location. Do you think you can help?"
"I can try. But how can I help? Who is this child?"
"Of course, I haven't told you. Her name is Sadie Riddle."
Sonora blinked. "Sadie.So it wasn't just a coincidence." she said quietly.
Tom nodded. "Many would have thought so. So can you help me?"
"I'll do anything you want me to."
Tom eyes smiled. "I know." He pulled her close again. "I know."
***
It was a week later that Sonora began carrying out the plan Tom had devised.
Sonora met Sadie on her and Emma's way up to they Ravenclaw dormitory again. "Ms. Riddle?"
Sadie turned from Emma. "Oh, hello Professor."
"Would you please accompany me to my office?"
Sadie looked worried and glanced at Emma.
"Don't worry; I just want to discuss that test we took today." Sonora internally winced. That had sounded too recited.
Emma piped up. "Sadie, I was gonna go to bed anyway, I'll see you in the morning."
Sadie was a little more at ease. "Oh, ok. See ya."
As Sonora escorted Sadie to her office, she reviewed the plan. She could hear Tom saying it in her mind. /Take her to your office.chat with her a little.be sure she doesn't suspect _anything._ Give her this./ Sonora fingered the vial in her pocket. /She'll go to sleep and we'll take her home and tell her./ She heard Tom's chuckle in her memory. /She'll be so surprised./
Sonora shook her head to clear the reverie and unlocked her office door.
"Take a seat," she said cordially as she gestured to a chair.
"Thanks." She was looking around curiously.
Sonora pulled a paper out of the stack on her desk. "This one's yours." It had a 68 written in red near the top.
"Oh my goodness!!!" choked Sadie.
Sonora nodded. "Exactly. Did you take notes during those lectures?"
Sadie reddened. "N--no, actually, I was--" she cleared her throat. "Ill. If you know what I mean."
"I see." Sonora's face softened. "Would you like me to discuss the section with you and retake it?"
"Sure! When?"
"We can do it now if you'd like." In response to Sadie's eager nod, she collected her own notes from around the room, purposely finding most of them next to a pitcher of iced pumpkin juice. She sighed dramatically.
"Kind of warm in here, huh?"
Sadie nodded again indifferently, her attention having returned to the knickknacks on display around the room.
"Would you like some pumpkin juice? Nice and cold."
"Yes, please." Sadie was studying a paperweight on the desk.
Sonora discreetly poured the contents of the little vial from her pocket into Sadie's goblet. "Here you go. Now then, wood fairies."
But Sadie had already taken a sip. She looked at the goblet quizzically for a moment, but then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the goblet fell onto the desk, soaking many papers. Tom stepped out of a darkened corner.
"Well done, my dear."
"But look at all these papers!"
Tom smirked and withdrew his wand, muttering a few unintelligible words under his breath. The spilled juice evaporated in seconds, leaving the papers unharmed.
"Thank you, honey."
He ignored her and turned his wand to Sadie, again mumbling a few words only he could hear. Sadie's body hovered in the air, glowing an eerie green.
"Ok, step two." Tom said looking steadfastly at Sadie's closed eyes.
***
Sadie slept long; it was late into the next evening when she finally woke. Sadie blinked at the bright sunshine coming through the window. Sadie looked quizzically at the curtains. /Green? I thought they were blue.../Sadie's eyes opened wide as she threw off the covers and jumped out of the unfamiliar bed she had slept in. Sadie looked around. The bed was not the only unfamiliar thing. Sadie stood in a large room, adorned with very dark wooden furniture and rich greens. Sadie fingered the nightgown she wore. Of the softest satin and the deepest forest green, it reassured that she was anywhere but where she should be. Sadie sat in a plush wing backed chair next to the fireplace and a little table. If only she could remember...she held her head in her hands. Professor Winsbree...a test...pumpkin juice...none of it made sense to her. Sadie automatically reached for her wand as the door creaked open. But of course, it was not there. Professor Winsbree stood there, holding a tray of food.
"Good morning, dear. How did you sleep?"
Sadie gasped out "Professor?"
Winsbree smiled and set the tray on the table. "Eat up; then we'll talk." She left the room again.
Sadie eyed the tray. She had no appetite; she was too bewildered. Winsbree came back with a chalky-green robe draped over her arm. "Why, you haven't touched it, have you? Come, come, you must eat something."
Sadie sipped her milk and pretended to cut her meat. She changed into the new robe left for her after Winsbree left again. When she returned, she looked quite excited.
"Now, Sadie, I have a surprise for you..."
Sadie interrupted. "Haven't I had surprises enough? Waking up here, seeing you, it's already too much, and then you want to go and add to it?"
Winsbree twisted her hands. "Well...it's a much /better/ surprise..."
Sadie flopped into the chair. "Just tell me where I am and you can surprise me all you want."
Winsbree crouched next to the chair Sadie sat in. "You won't have to be in the custody of the school anymore! You've got a family! Well, a relation in any case. He brought you here! Oh, "here" is a splendid castle a hundred miles north of the school. No one can see it though, not unless they've been inside. I didn't until your uncle took me inside. And you're to live here! Isn't that splendid?"
Sadie stared. Then she snorted. "Oh, yeah, ok, that's just funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed to see if I can wake up from the /weirdest/ dream I have ever had."
Winsbree smiled patiently. "But, sweetie, this isn't a dream." She grabbed Sadie's hand. "Come, he wants to see you right away!" Winsbree drug Sadie into the hall and pranced a few steps down the hall.
"Come on, slow-poke, don't you want to meet him?"
Sadie stepped cautiously behind Winsbree's light hearted dancing. A relation? It was unheard of! And yet, Sadie had learned that in the magical world, anything was possible.
Winsbree led Sadie onward until they reached a heavy pair of oaken doors.
"He's in there, come on!" Winsbree grabbed Sadie's hand once more and led her inside.