Melanie stared up at the ceiling from the couch her feet propped up on the
arm. She had been like that since morning. Ginny hadn't been there when she
woke and she was to shy to walk around so she just lay there. The clock
blacked 12:18 in neon green numbers. Interesting how if you jumbled up the
lines there were different numbers.
'Oh Meeeeel. Up late aren't you. Come back to me sweet heart'
She shivered her spin chilling. She had to keep her mind away from him. Something to distract her, a.a song. Her head rang with his laughter.
'A song? Really Mel I thought better.' He burned at the edges of her mind hurting her. 'think to sing me to sleep?' She started to think the words to the first song that popped into her head.
'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands-' HE laughed again.
'Are you going to clap along,' he taunted burning the edges more. She wanted to scream and claw at her head she held still but it hurt. Oh how it hurt, she needed help she sang out loud.
"If your happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if your happy and you know it clap your hands." She heard a clapping from the doorway and turned to see Ginny smiling, her eyes bright. Melanie couldn't smile back because HE snarled then seared her mind. She let out a loud shriek and he ran from her mind.
Her vision watered and she looked up. Somehow she had gotten to the floor and Ginny was beside her. Eye dark and angry.
"Who is he?" Melanie blinked. "Mel tell me! You know what I am. I know what you are. I have been nothing but open to you. You are third of the three. My little sister, I would not harm you for the world. And I'll not let someone harm you either."
Melanie looked down. "His name is Davin Heart. He use to be my employer. I was a secretary in Boston and he was odd, really odd. I thought him mad cause he would ramble and rave sometimes. Then one day he started watching me a lot, just staring at me." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Then I was working late and he came up to me. He just stood there. I asked him what it was and he started making threats. Telling me the he knew. That I had done terrible things. I got scared. I hadn't done anything but people might think it if he told. And he trapped me. He locked me up somewhere. I don't know where it was but he kept me there and hurt me. He wanted me to do things for him. Use my power and I wouldn't so he hurt me." Her eyes turned steely and defiant. "But I got away and I'm not going back. He tries to get me too. I don't know how but he gets into my mind and hurts me and I don't know what to do." Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Ginny hugged her. "It's ok. We're here now. You don't have to run again. I'll teach you to use your power like I can. Teach you to keep him away for good." Ginny frowned. "But there might be something more to this. I don't understand how he can do this anyway. I won't let him get you again, and Hermione won't either. She tries to pretend but I know she feels the bond. I know it."
Melanie smiled. She actually felt hope. "Thank you...big sister."
Ginny smiled back and hugged her. "Now, lets get to it. If I'm gonna teach you to be a village voodoo woman as Herm would put it, we'd better get crackin."
_____________
Melanie emerged in the café around late afternoon. She had learned that Ginny owned the small homely café and lived decidedly only a few blocks away. The first person Melanie noticed when she walked in was the brown haired woman Ginny had called Hermione. Melanie smiled brightly and walked over.
_____________
Hermione took another sip of the drink tapping her pencil on the table counter. She smiled thoughtfully. Always had her pencil nearby, who knew when something might pop up, and it would also be useful if she got assaulted she could always just stick it in his eye.
"Ello!" A bright cheery voice startled Hermione out of her musings and she turned to see a grinning Melanie seated by her. Despite it all, Hermione smiled too.
"Ello yourself. How's your headache."
"Much better now that that hunchback has stopped ringing the bell in it."
"Ah, and how's out no good old Ginny."
"She's fine. Teaching me magic tricks." Hermione through her a look and Melanie turned serious. "Hermione, Ginny's told me all about this and...and I really think it sounds worth something, I mean well...."
"What? So we can just add little flourishes to already being witches? Now we have to have big fancy powers that can go AWAL? Thank you, but no."
"What if sometime that big fancy power is all you've got that you can cling to, that you can say is special about you? I've got no more family, no more home, and then he..."
"I know about HIM, Ginny told me," Hermione's voice was low and gently now. Melanie smiled.
"Yea. And maybe it might not be bad to be...Air. I've got a sister now. Family, and I really want you to be my friend to Hermione. You can ignore your power maybe, but you can't ignore the caring."
Hermione laughed. "Yea I guess. Looks like you've got two big sisters now. And I warn you," Her eyes turned steely and flames roared to life in them. She turned and looked Melanie in the eyes and her gaze went right into her mind when HE was biding his time and under her glare he froze in shock and fear "no one messes with my family. No One." The fire flared then winked out and Hermione stood quickly. "I have to go."
Melanie turned and looked up at Hermione "I wish you'd try your destiny, Ginny misses you, and I know you miss her." Hermione didn't say anything but her gaze had become indifferent and cold. "And don't drive anymore stray witches into concrete." Hermione laughed her eyes warming and she tugged Melanie's hair.
"Sure sis." She walked out a bag slung over her shoulder as she walked down the street.
~~~~~Ginny watched Hermione talk with Melanie then walk out and she felt a kind of loss. The years of friendship had crumbled so easily at that one little crossroad. And now their sister...would Air be the ones to quell her sisters of inferno and froth? To bind them together again and hold them as sisters? Ginny hoped. She dearly missed her good friend.
~~~~~Hermione had chosen to ignore the presence of Ginny. She didn't want to have to make her usually sardonic jokes when she was feeling so confused. It hurt her having to cut Ginny of, but if she didn't Ginny would try to draw her into it again and she couldn't, wouldn't. If it meant alienating Ginny she would do it to keep others from getting hurt like her parents had. She wouldn't slip again. She would burn in her own flames before she let someone else burn in them....again
~~~~~~~Melanie hadn't wanted to question Hermione. She really did care about her. She felt like a sister, as did Ginny. They all belonged together she knew that now. She would fight HIM and reunite her sisters. She loved them both and she knew they loved each other and she would make them face it. They were family. There was nothing more important than family. She would show them. Whatever it cost she would bring them together again.
'Oh Meeeeel. Up late aren't you. Come back to me sweet heart'
She shivered her spin chilling. She had to keep her mind away from him. Something to distract her, a.a song. Her head rang with his laughter.
'A song? Really Mel I thought better.' He burned at the edges of her mind hurting her. 'think to sing me to sleep?' She started to think the words to the first song that popped into her head.
'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands-' HE laughed again.
'Are you going to clap along,' he taunted burning the edges more. She wanted to scream and claw at her head she held still but it hurt. Oh how it hurt, she needed help she sang out loud.
"If your happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if your happy and you know it clap your hands." She heard a clapping from the doorway and turned to see Ginny smiling, her eyes bright. Melanie couldn't smile back because HE snarled then seared her mind. She let out a loud shriek and he ran from her mind.
Her vision watered and she looked up. Somehow she had gotten to the floor and Ginny was beside her. Eye dark and angry.
"Who is he?" Melanie blinked. "Mel tell me! You know what I am. I know what you are. I have been nothing but open to you. You are third of the three. My little sister, I would not harm you for the world. And I'll not let someone harm you either."
Melanie looked down. "His name is Davin Heart. He use to be my employer. I was a secretary in Boston and he was odd, really odd. I thought him mad cause he would ramble and rave sometimes. Then one day he started watching me a lot, just staring at me." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Then I was working late and he came up to me. He just stood there. I asked him what it was and he started making threats. Telling me the he knew. That I had done terrible things. I got scared. I hadn't done anything but people might think it if he told. And he trapped me. He locked me up somewhere. I don't know where it was but he kept me there and hurt me. He wanted me to do things for him. Use my power and I wouldn't so he hurt me." Her eyes turned steely and defiant. "But I got away and I'm not going back. He tries to get me too. I don't know how but he gets into my mind and hurts me and I don't know what to do." Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Ginny hugged her. "It's ok. We're here now. You don't have to run again. I'll teach you to use your power like I can. Teach you to keep him away for good." Ginny frowned. "But there might be something more to this. I don't understand how he can do this anyway. I won't let him get you again, and Hermione won't either. She tries to pretend but I know she feels the bond. I know it."
Melanie smiled. She actually felt hope. "Thank you...big sister."
Ginny smiled back and hugged her. "Now, lets get to it. If I'm gonna teach you to be a village voodoo woman as Herm would put it, we'd better get crackin."
_____________
Melanie emerged in the café around late afternoon. She had learned that Ginny owned the small homely café and lived decidedly only a few blocks away. The first person Melanie noticed when she walked in was the brown haired woman Ginny had called Hermione. Melanie smiled brightly and walked over.
_____________
Hermione took another sip of the drink tapping her pencil on the table counter. She smiled thoughtfully. Always had her pencil nearby, who knew when something might pop up, and it would also be useful if she got assaulted she could always just stick it in his eye.
"Ello!" A bright cheery voice startled Hermione out of her musings and she turned to see a grinning Melanie seated by her. Despite it all, Hermione smiled too.
"Ello yourself. How's your headache."
"Much better now that that hunchback has stopped ringing the bell in it."
"Ah, and how's out no good old Ginny."
"She's fine. Teaching me magic tricks." Hermione through her a look and Melanie turned serious. "Hermione, Ginny's told me all about this and...and I really think it sounds worth something, I mean well...."
"What? So we can just add little flourishes to already being witches? Now we have to have big fancy powers that can go AWAL? Thank you, but no."
"What if sometime that big fancy power is all you've got that you can cling to, that you can say is special about you? I've got no more family, no more home, and then he..."
"I know about HIM, Ginny told me," Hermione's voice was low and gently now. Melanie smiled.
"Yea. And maybe it might not be bad to be...Air. I've got a sister now. Family, and I really want you to be my friend to Hermione. You can ignore your power maybe, but you can't ignore the caring."
Hermione laughed. "Yea I guess. Looks like you've got two big sisters now. And I warn you," Her eyes turned steely and flames roared to life in them. She turned and looked Melanie in the eyes and her gaze went right into her mind when HE was biding his time and under her glare he froze in shock and fear "no one messes with my family. No One." The fire flared then winked out and Hermione stood quickly. "I have to go."
Melanie turned and looked up at Hermione "I wish you'd try your destiny, Ginny misses you, and I know you miss her." Hermione didn't say anything but her gaze had become indifferent and cold. "And don't drive anymore stray witches into concrete." Hermione laughed her eyes warming and she tugged Melanie's hair.
"Sure sis." She walked out a bag slung over her shoulder as she walked down the street.
~~~~~Ginny watched Hermione talk with Melanie then walk out and she felt a kind of loss. The years of friendship had crumbled so easily at that one little crossroad. And now their sister...would Air be the ones to quell her sisters of inferno and froth? To bind them together again and hold them as sisters? Ginny hoped. She dearly missed her good friend.
~~~~~Hermione had chosen to ignore the presence of Ginny. She didn't want to have to make her usually sardonic jokes when she was feeling so confused. It hurt her having to cut Ginny of, but if she didn't Ginny would try to draw her into it again and she couldn't, wouldn't. If it meant alienating Ginny she would do it to keep others from getting hurt like her parents had. She wouldn't slip again. She would burn in her own flames before she let someone else burn in them....again
~~~~~~~Melanie hadn't wanted to question Hermione. She really did care about her. She felt like a sister, as did Ginny. They all belonged together she knew that now. She would fight HIM and reunite her sisters. She loved them both and she knew they loved each other and she would make them face it. They were family. There was nothing more important than family. She would show them. Whatever it cost she would bring them together again.