Hey! I've got a new character to add to my author's notes. I'd like to introduce.... The Plot!
The Plot: *rears its ugly head* Hey! *runs into a mystical corner that has appeared in the white floaty mist that constitutes Taineyah's brain* Wah hah hah hah!
Disclaimer: That wasn't very nice!
Taineyah: It was a figure of speech! The Plot is actually quite cute! She looks like a tiny gold dragon, with a long twisty tail.
The Plot: You don't *sniff* think I'm *sniff* ugly?
Taineyah: No, silly. Come here! *Gives The Plot a big hug* Disclaimer, do your stuff!
Disclaimer: Taineyah owns nothing, except for Madelyn, me, The Plot and her boyfriend, The Pickle Jar.
Taineyah, The Plot, Disclaimer: Enjoy!
**************************************************************************************
It was nearly midnight before she finally finished all of the homework she'd been assigned and read a few spare chapters. She and Hermione packed their things and went to bed. It was a matter of a few moments before Hermione was asleep, leaving Madelyn to lie qietly in the darkness.
Madelyn lay awake for nearly an hour, reflecting on the first day of her life in a school of magic. She remembered the warm tingling that she'd felt when she'd picked up her Tarot cards, the same feeling she'd always felt when she was about to do a reading. Was that magic? Was that what magic felt like?
She thought back to other times that she'd felt that. When she'd been in trouble with teachers, a disturbance in the hall would call them outside and they'd forget what she'd done. When her sister and her had been fighting over who got to wear a shirt from their joint wardrobe. Quite often their parents would walk in, carrying another shirt just like the one they were fighting over.
Why was it that she had magic in her when her twin, her identical twin, clearly had none? Was it something she'd done? Was it something she hadn't done? Madelyn couldn't think of anything. She and Miranda, who she had nicknamed Mindy when they were little, had rarely been apart. Clearly magic wasn't genetic, for identical twins had identical DNA.
A tear trickled down her face. Why had the fates been so cruel as to choose her? To make her live her life alone, with nobody? Why hadn't she been left, without this curse? Madelyn didn't want to be alone.
After awhile, she simply drifted off into sleep, exhaustion taking its toll once again.
****
Madelyn tossed and turned as Hermione watched. A light sleeper by nature, Hermione had been awakened by the rustling of Madelyn's blankets. Unlike last night, Madelyn's first in the dormitory, Madelyn was mumbling something under her breath, which began increasing in volume and clarity, until Hermione could make out what the girl was saying.
"Mindy... Come back... Mummy? Daddy? Where are you? Why'd you leave?"
Hermione wasn't sure whether or not to wake up her new friend. It had become accepted by Ron, Harry and Hermione, over the course of the day, that Madelyn could spend time with them, as she didn't really know anyone else. They hadn't said anything, they'd just all invited her to go wherever they were going.
"Brent? I'm sorry I said you were a brat. I won't do it again." Madelyn's voice was pleading.
Hermione started across the room to wake Madelyn, but just as she got to Madelyn's bed, Madelyn sat bolt upright and started screaming.
"Mum! Dad! Don't leave me here! The magic isn't my fault! I don't want to be alone!"
Hurriedly, Hermione shook her small friend awake. A couple of the other girls stirred.
"What's goin' on?" one of them asked sleepily.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Hermione said, still shaking a struggling Madelyn.
Madelyn opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. A small sob escaped her lips, and she buried her head in her arms. Not knowing what to do, except let Madelyn know that she wasn't alone, Hermione sat on the bed, placing a hand on Madelyn's shoulder.
After a few minutes, the sobs and shaking subsided enough that Hermione thought Madelyn would be able to hear her. "Are you okay?"
Madelyn nodded, still unable to speak.
"Listen, let's go down to the Common Room. I don't think I'm going to get to sleep again, so there's no sense in staying up here. We might wake the others."
"'Kay," Madelyn stuttered out. She stood shakily and started towards the stairs.
After pausing to grab a light jumper, Hermione followed. When they got downstairs, they took seats by the fireplace, where a magical fire that put out hardly any heat (it was still September, after all) was crackling brightly.
Madelyn stared into the fire, holding her knees up against her chest. "I miss them."
"Your family?" Hermione guessed, not wanting to pry.
"Yeah. My Mum and Dad and Brent and Mindy...Miranda. She didn't want me to call her Mindy anymore. I wish I could go home."
"We'll go up to the owlery and send them an owl tomorrow, first thing. I'll bet Harry'll even lend you Hedwig."
"I can't send them an owl. They're gone."
Something in the hollow, empty way that Madelyn said it let Hermione know that her friend wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Hermione sat there, silently waiting to see what else Madelyn was going to say.
"It was horrible. I watched them go this time. I didn't see it in real life, but I watch it when I'm asleep. They leave and they don't come back."
Madelyn and Hermione sat in companionable silence. They didn't have to say anything for Madelyn to understand that Hermione was her friend, for only a friend would sit with you in the middle of the night. After awhile, Madelyn fell asleep again, and Hermione dashed up to their room and brought down a blanket, with which she covered Madelyn.
She shook Madelyn awake, just enough that she'd be able to hear and understand Hermione. "I'm going back up, to sleep. I haven't abandoned you. I'll be just upstairs."
Madelyn nodded her head groggily and curled back up in her chair.
After she got back into her bed, Hermione thought about her friend's words, the ones she'd said while she was still asleep. No matter which way she looked at it, she came to the conclusion that Madelyn's family had abandoned her, just because she was a witch.
****
When Hermione woke up the next morning, Madelyn was back in her bed, looking as though she had never left. Hermione tiptoed across the room, as most of the others were still sleeping. As she approached Madelyn's bed, however, she saw Madelyn's brown eyes looking back at her.
"Do you want to get some breakfast and go for a walk?" Hermione hissed. "It's a beautiful morning."
Madelyn nodded, and the two girls set to work getting dressed. They also packed their schoolbags with the books that they'd need for class, intending to leave them in the Great Hall while they went for their walk. There was no sense in having to come all the way back up to Gryffindor tower, just to get their books.
A few minutes after Hermione had woken up, they headed downstairs. They were surprised to find Harry and Ron, already sitting in the Common Room, chatting quietly.
"The sun was pouring right in the window and it woke me up," Ron said by way of explanation.
"So he felt it necessary to drag me out of bed to keep him company," Harry added.
Madelyn noticed that his hair was even more dishevelled than usual. It was as though he hadn't even bothered to comb his hair.
"We're going to get some breakfast," Hermione told the boys. "If you want to come, we're going for a walk right afterwards. It's a beautiful day and Madelyn hasn't walked the grounds yet."
"Sure," Ron replied. "I'm hungry."
The four of them left by way of the portrait hole and headed down to the great hall.
"Hey!" Madelyn whirled around, eyes wide. "Wasn't this a different staircase yesterday?"
The other three laughed.
"It was," Harry chuckled. "The stairways like to move around. Eventually you'll learn which ones move where and you'll be able to find your way around quite nicely."
"That's just plain weird," Madelyn murmured, setting the others off into peals of laughter again.
They continued, in high spirits and grabbed some toast and some fruit, which they could eat as they walked. They headed outside, and as soon as they got out, Madelyn's raven flew down and perched on her shoulder.
"Ooh!" Hermione reached out a finger to pet the bird's glistening feathers. "Is she yours?"
"Yeah, she is." Madelyn carefully transferred the bird to her hand and held her out.
"She's gorgeous! What's her name?" The bird had now leapt to Hermione's arm, enjoying the affection that was being lavished upon her.
"I haven't found the right one yet, but I'm thinking of Morgana." Madelyn paused. "Do you think it suits her?"
"Morgana... I think it's perfect." Hermione continued stroking the bird for a moment, and then it stole Madelyn's toast and flew off.
"Girls..." Ron snorted, having been disgusted by the entire display.
Harry nodded in agreement. "They can be so...gushy!" He grinned, letting the girls know he was only teasing.
As they walked, Harry pointed out the greenhouses and Hagrid's hut, telling Madelyn about the lessons that they'd have in those classes.
Madelyn pointed to six large hoops standing at either end of a stadium ulike any she'd ever seen. "What lesson do we use those in?" she asked.
"Lesson?" Ron looked absolutely outraged. "That's the Quidditch pitch, not some bloody classroom!"
"What's Quidditch?"
Ron stopped dead in his tracks, shocked into speechlessness.
Harry smiled. "I think Ron's forgotten that you're muggle born." Harry continued talking for a few more minutes, explaining the complicated rules of the game.
"Oh!" Madelyn looked at the hoops brightly. "It sounds like fun."
"It is," Ron said, having found words again.
"When do I take flying lessons? It wasn't on my schedule, and I haven't seen anything about it in any of my books."
"We'll talk to McGonagall. She'll know." Harry smiled, recalling his first flying lesson. "Whenever you do start flying, you'll love it!"
**************************************************************************************
Well, that's chapter 4 of this mess. Yes, The Plot's appearance here was subtle, but she was there. She's sneaking in.
The Plot: Can't wait until I get obvious!! You'll love me!!!
Taineyah: Er... Yes. That's right.
The Plot and Taineyah: Please R&R!
Disclaimer: Could you girls keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep!
