sweet up & down
december 2002
rated: PG-13 - R, 'cause that's how I write
author's notes: Further notes, as always, are at the bottom. Any and all feedback would be appreciated.
disclaimer: characters are, still, the property of JK Rowling. I only own the idea, don't sue.
summary: no one ever wonders about The Order of the Phoenix or how it came about - they only assume that it has been forever there but that is certainly not true. This is the story of Arabella Figg; one laced with secrets, unrequited love, and power. Prolouge - Sweet Up & Down
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.
Out, out brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow.
A poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And is heard no more.
It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
-Shakespeare
When she has time to think about it, Arabella Figg often cries. She is an old woman and she is very aware of the fact; anyone, even the stupidest of Muggles, could see this for it was in the very way she carries herself. Long past are the days when she was needed for anything but to watch The Boy Who Lived.
Of course, she has no problem watching him - Harry Potter is a nice kind boy and it is obvious to her who his parents had been, even without the scar. No, it wasn't that she didn't like watching him - it was simply that, well, sometimes she got so bored.
But it is her duty, it is what Albus wants her to do and she can never deny Albus of anything. And so she watches the boy - from his tiniest days on Privet Drive. She had even been relocated to a new house on Privet, secretly, and from there she'd scouted him. He was always a good boy, a little beat up now and then - but he never started a fight. It was always that horrid cousin of his, Dudley, that did the fighting - mostly the boy tried to keep to himself and she didn't see much of him playing on the street.
He visited she and her many cats, Arabella had 18, often - he wasn't allowed to go to the Zoo or into London to shop, so the Dursleys left him with her. She was always glad to see him and she would give him a piece of chocolate cake, she knew it wasn't very good - she was delighted by Muggle cooking though and tried it often - always failing, and a large glass of milk. He'd pet the cats and help her set out cream for them and she'd ask him questions about Kindergarten and his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. Mostly it was easy to keep watch on him and she was, usually, pleased with him.
She was so pleased with him that she was sad to see him get his letter to Hogwarts. But she knew it would happen someday - she just never thought she'd see Vernon Dursley driving his family away from Privet at top-speed just to avoid a few letters.
For the last four years, she has been bored. She has too much time to think about things long past, now that she had no boy to watch. She spends most of her time musing about Hogwarts and her days there. She has far too much time to think.
Lately, she cries more often then she should - she is an adult and there is no need to worry about the things that she promised her boys in childhood. That had been far too many years ago to worry over now, children didn't make serious problems. But, lately, she wished she'd never known her boys (that was a Bad Thing, a very Bad Thing when they were always so good to her). Lately, she wished she'd never heard of the Order of the Phoenix...
To Be Continued
Continued Author's Note: Yes, 'tis slightly based on books like 'IT' but only very slightly. It'll be novel-sized and I'll continue it very, very soon. Feedback always appreciated.
Hermione
http://www.naberrie.dot.nu
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/naberrie/sweetworld/index.html
december 2002
rated: PG-13 - R, 'cause that's how I write
author's notes: Further notes, as always, are at the bottom. Any and all feedback would be appreciated.
disclaimer: characters are, still, the property of JK Rowling. I only own the idea, don't sue.
summary: no one ever wonders about The Order of the Phoenix or how it came about - they only assume that it has been forever there but that is certainly not true. This is the story of Arabella Figg; one laced with secrets, unrequited love, and power. Prolouge - Sweet Up & Down
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.
Out, out brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow.
A poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And is heard no more.
It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
-Shakespeare
When she has time to think about it, Arabella Figg often cries. She is an old woman and she is very aware of the fact; anyone, even the stupidest of Muggles, could see this for it was in the very way she carries herself. Long past are the days when she was needed for anything but to watch The Boy Who Lived.
Of course, she has no problem watching him - Harry Potter is a nice kind boy and it is obvious to her who his parents had been, even without the scar. No, it wasn't that she didn't like watching him - it was simply that, well, sometimes she got so bored.
But it is her duty, it is what Albus wants her to do and she can never deny Albus of anything. And so she watches the boy - from his tiniest days on Privet Drive. She had even been relocated to a new house on Privet, secretly, and from there she'd scouted him. He was always a good boy, a little beat up now and then - but he never started a fight. It was always that horrid cousin of his, Dudley, that did the fighting - mostly the boy tried to keep to himself and she didn't see much of him playing on the street.
He visited she and her many cats, Arabella had 18, often - he wasn't allowed to go to the Zoo or into London to shop, so the Dursleys left him with her. She was always glad to see him and she would give him a piece of chocolate cake, she knew it wasn't very good - she was delighted by Muggle cooking though and tried it often - always failing, and a large glass of milk. He'd pet the cats and help her set out cream for them and she'd ask him questions about Kindergarten and his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. Mostly it was easy to keep watch on him and she was, usually, pleased with him.
She was so pleased with him that she was sad to see him get his letter to Hogwarts. But she knew it would happen someday - she just never thought she'd see Vernon Dursley driving his family away from Privet at top-speed just to avoid a few letters.
For the last four years, she has been bored. She has too much time to think about things long past, now that she had no boy to watch. She spends most of her time musing about Hogwarts and her days there. She has far too much time to think.
Lately, she cries more often then she should - she is an adult and there is no need to worry about the things that she promised her boys in childhood. That had been far too many years ago to worry over now, children didn't make serious problems. But, lately, she wished she'd never known her boys (that was a Bad Thing, a very Bad Thing when they were always so good to her). Lately, she wished she'd never heard of the Order of the Phoenix...
To Be Continued
Continued Author's Note: Yes, 'tis slightly based on books like 'IT' but only very slightly. It'll be novel-sized and I'll continue it very, very soon. Feedback always appreciated.
Hermione
http://www.naberrie.dot.nu
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/naberrie/sweetworld/index.html