Tiny Dancer- Chapter 1
The window's light shone dimly in the large dance hall. Echoes sounded off the walls as tiny footsteps padded the waxen floor. Music played softly and rhythmically, allowing the shadows to engulf themselves in beat.
Sweat shone clearly on her face, glinting faintly in the light. Her feet pranced to the music and her spirit felt lifted. Soaring high above reality, her soul carried her through clouds of glistening limelight.
Fear lifted off her chest and anger melted into rhythm. She lifted her small arms to the never-ending ceiling and twirled, her short black dress trailing after her small body.
She stopped. The music stopped. Gazing up at the ceiling she felt her heart return to her body, a heavy lump in her chest. The dance was done.
She closed her eyes and held her arms high above her head, holding them there, letting her problems evaporate out of her fingertips. Her breath was ragged and her heart was beating heavily, but she felt free.
She opened her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the last moments of freedom she would have. Her arms lowered and covered her head. She felt her knees begin to slip as she crumbled slowly to the ground.
Holding her head in her arms, she became grateful that she was too exhausted to cry.
She looked up towards the ceilings once more, staring helplessly at the wooden pillars that stretched themselves endlessly over granite and marble stone.
The light from the windows began to fade, and the only sound in the great music hall was the steady beating of her heart.
She pulled herself to her feet slowly, her head light and her muscles sore. She walked out of the room, returning, in her mind, to the life she didn't have the courage to live.
~*~
Years later:
Dumbledore sat in his office, busily strumming his fingers together and thinking. His eyes were shut tight in concentration, and his face looked ragged and worn.
Remus Lupin sat in a large armchair across from the older wizard, his thoughts resting elsewhere.
"Remus, I need your help," Dumbledore said finally, without looking up at the other wizard. Remus lifted his brow skeptically. Albus never looked this worried. Never.
"With what, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore stopped strumming his fingers and drew in a deep and ragged breath. He placed his hands down gingerly on the table, fidgeting a bit and then folding them neatly. He glanced up at Remus, who looked worn out himself.
"Lonna Lindall, Remus, do you remember her?"
"Unfortunately, yes. She still resides in my memories," Remus replied glumly.
"When she...died...the Ministry of Magic said that if there were ever an heir to Lonna Lindall that the heir must be killed immediately because he/she could be potentially a threat." Dumbledore took a deep breath and his eyes glossed over a bit.
"Okay...?" Remus said, waking the older wizard from his deep thoughts.
"Lonna Lindall's only daughter was killed, and that daughter had a baby girl right before she died, but there was never any evidence that the baby was alive, and so the Ministry rested on the statement that if the little girl was ever recovered, she would have to be killed because she carried the blood of Lindall."
Dumbledore paused again, clearing his throat softly and looked unwillingly down at a small piece of parchment in front of him. He looked up again just as Remus had begun to open his mouth to speak. The older wizard raised a hand to silence Remus, and went on talking.
"I have just been informed that the Ministry has become aware that the daughter is still alive."
Remus looked at the Headmaster, his head swaying.
"So...they're going to find her and kill her?"
"Not unless we get to her first, Remus."
"Get to...get to her first? But Albus...that's..."
"Dangerous I know...but I need to save her, this woman is brilliant, but she doesn't even know she is a witch. It would be unfair for the Ministry to kill her if she doesn't even know what she is or who her parents were."
Dumbledore looked pleadingly at the younger wizard, his face rundown with stress and fatigue. Remus remembered back to when the Headmaster had accepted him at Hogwarts, had given him a way out. Had given him a meaningful life.
"What is her name?"
"Farrah Devlin."
"What do you want me to do?"
The headmaster cleared his throat again.
"I want you to go and meet her, get to know her, and bring her here. Keep her away from the Aurors and the Deatheaters. They both know she's alive and will both be after her. You must not tell her anything about the wizarding world, not yet anyways. She needs to come into this gradually..."
Remus breathed out softly and looked the headmaster in the eyes.
"Alright, I'll go. Where does she live?"
~*~