A/N: About the ice-skating thing. Shannon was definitely no expert, but looked like it compared to Harry. 'K? That was what I meant for it to be like.
Disclaimer: Don't feel like doing this...whatever...
Dedication: To all my lovely reviewers who have encouraged me. Thank you so much.
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Sleep can be a blessing for the weary, a release for the tortured, an aid for the pained...
Torment for the guilty.
What the hell was she doing here? She had no idea. Where was it? Still no idea. She ordered herself to look around, telling herself it was all alright. Under her feet was a carpet. The wall in front of her was painted white and decorated with many framed certificates that prooved the qualifications of one Dr Janus Ives. Was the name familiar? No. But surely his title of 'Doctor' meant that this was some hospital office? Perhaps.
"Why have we been called here?"
A familiar male voice startled her and she spun around quickly, eyes widening guiltily. From how she now stood, she could see a desk infront of a large window that showed what was unmistakably hospital grounds. That was OK then.
What? A hospital? This made even less sense than her Arithmancy homework.
Sitting on one side of the desk were a man and a woman, hands entwined together for emotional support. Although she could only see the back of them, and even that not all that clearly, she wouldn't put their age past about twenty-two or thereabouts. They watched the older man in a doctor's white coat seating himself on the other side of the desk. The doctor studied them gravely and silently.
The woman spoke next, tone confused. "Is something the matter? The nurse who was taking the scan seemed...I don't know." She shrugged. "Worried."
The doctor sighed, and his grey eyes looked worried behind the round spectacles. Eventually, he replied, "There is, I am afraid, a complication."
The woman grew frantic at once. "Is there something wrong with our baby? Is something the matter?"
Her husband put his arm around her shoulders. "Shush, love, I'm sure it's nothing serious and the baby's fine." He met the doctor's sad gaze. "Right?"
"Your child is perfectly healthy and normal." Dr. Ives told them.
"See?" the man said. But the woman shook her head, her long hair rippling in a dark waterfall down her back.
"What's the matter then?" she asked seriously. "I want to know."
Dr. Ives sighed again, his dilema obvious. His voice was forced past the difficulty to say, "I am afraid that there is a complication with the placenta and the womb, madam."
The man covered his mouth with his hand. The woman began to breath harder as she demanded, "What sort of complication? Tell me truthfully."
"I am so terribly sorry." Dr. Ives said. "But if you have this child, you will die."
The man buried his face in his hands at this news, but the woman didn't even quiver as her hands clasped over her pregnant stomach. Finally, she asked in a small voice, "Why?"
"The placenta carries blood vessels from you and the baby. Some impediment means that once your child is born, you will die shortly afterwards, because your blood vessels will malfunction. I am so terribly sorry." He looked it as well.
She glanced around for a door to leave. There was one, but when she tried to move, she found she couldn't. She was rooted to the spot, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The young couple were quite rightly distraught. The doctor now began to talk of 'options' with them.
"There are advances in magical technology," he was saying. "That can enable us to abort the child in a way that is painless for both mother and child."
"Oh no!" the woman said, tightening her grip on her pregnant stomach. "There is no way that I'm going to let my child die because of me! You can't make me!"
"Leeney," said her husband. "Nobody's going to make you do anything. We have to think about this."
"How can you say that?" she asked. "How can you talk about it like that?"
"Leeney, I don't want to loose either of you." He looked at the doctor. "Surely there's some way they can both live?"
"I am afraid not." The doctor shook his head as he stood. "You need some time alone to think about this. I'll leave you for a moment."
The doctor left as promised. As soon as the door clicked shut, the man broke down into silent tears as he held out his arms for 'Leeney'. She leant against him, screwing her eyes shut as he held her close.
Suddenly, she realised what she had just witnessed and gasped in shock. No, no, there was no way she had ever expected to or wished to see this...
With a distressed yell, she sat bolt upright and awoke.
She was alone, in bed. A dream, just a dream. Nightmare, more like.
Trembling in the darkness, she wrapped the blankets tighter around herself and settled back down, trying to get to sleep. It didn't come. And so it was that she dragged herself from bed as the first light of dawn began to glimmer on the horizon.
*****
Yeah, go me! Another chapter up! Review plz, and I'm gonna re-write the first one. Hope that'll stop my flames. Even got flamed by my mate, would you believe! **Multiple death glares sent Skywalker's way** Plz review!
Disclaimer: Don't feel like doing this...whatever...
Dedication: To all my lovely reviewers who have encouraged me. Thank you so much.
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Sleep can be a blessing for the weary, a release for the tortured, an aid for the pained...
Torment for the guilty.
What the hell was she doing here? She had no idea. Where was it? Still no idea. She ordered herself to look around, telling herself it was all alright. Under her feet was a carpet. The wall in front of her was painted white and decorated with many framed certificates that prooved the qualifications of one Dr Janus Ives. Was the name familiar? No. But surely his title of 'Doctor' meant that this was some hospital office? Perhaps.
"Why have we been called here?"
A familiar male voice startled her and she spun around quickly, eyes widening guiltily. From how she now stood, she could see a desk infront of a large window that showed what was unmistakably hospital grounds. That was OK then.
What? A hospital? This made even less sense than her Arithmancy homework.
Sitting on one side of the desk were a man and a woman, hands entwined together for emotional support. Although she could only see the back of them, and even that not all that clearly, she wouldn't put their age past about twenty-two or thereabouts. They watched the older man in a doctor's white coat seating himself on the other side of the desk. The doctor studied them gravely and silently.
The woman spoke next, tone confused. "Is something the matter? The nurse who was taking the scan seemed...I don't know." She shrugged. "Worried."
The doctor sighed, and his grey eyes looked worried behind the round spectacles. Eventually, he replied, "There is, I am afraid, a complication."
The woman grew frantic at once. "Is there something wrong with our baby? Is something the matter?"
Her husband put his arm around her shoulders. "Shush, love, I'm sure it's nothing serious and the baby's fine." He met the doctor's sad gaze. "Right?"
"Your child is perfectly healthy and normal." Dr. Ives told them.
"See?" the man said. But the woman shook her head, her long hair rippling in a dark waterfall down her back.
"What's the matter then?" she asked seriously. "I want to know."
Dr. Ives sighed again, his dilema obvious. His voice was forced past the difficulty to say, "I am afraid that there is a complication with the placenta and the womb, madam."
The man covered his mouth with his hand. The woman began to breath harder as she demanded, "What sort of complication? Tell me truthfully."
"I am so terribly sorry." Dr. Ives said. "But if you have this child, you will die."
The man buried his face in his hands at this news, but the woman didn't even quiver as her hands clasped over her pregnant stomach. Finally, she asked in a small voice, "Why?"
"The placenta carries blood vessels from you and the baby. Some impediment means that once your child is born, you will die shortly afterwards, because your blood vessels will malfunction. I am so terribly sorry." He looked it as well.
She glanced around for a door to leave. There was one, but when she tried to move, she found she couldn't. She was rooted to the spot, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The young couple were quite rightly distraught. The doctor now began to talk of 'options' with them.
"There are advances in magical technology," he was saying. "That can enable us to abort the child in a way that is painless for both mother and child."
"Oh no!" the woman said, tightening her grip on her pregnant stomach. "There is no way that I'm going to let my child die because of me! You can't make me!"
"Leeney," said her husband. "Nobody's going to make you do anything. We have to think about this."
"How can you say that?" she asked. "How can you talk about it like that?"
"Leeney, I don't want to loose either of you." He looked at the doctor. "Surely there's some way they can both live?"
"I am afraid not." The doctor shook his head as he stood. "You need some time alone to think about this. I'll leave you for a moment."
The doctor left as promised. As soon as the door clicked shut, the man broke down into silent tears as he held out his arms for 'Leeney'. She leant against him, screwing her eyes shut as he held her close.
Suddenly, she realised what she had just witnessed and gasped in shock. No, no, there was no way she had ever expected to or wished to see this...
With a distressed yell, she sat bolt upright and awoke.
She was alone, in bed. A dream, just a dream. Nightmare, more like.
Trembling in the darkness, she wrapped the blankets tighter around herself and settled back down, trying to get to sleep. It didn't come. And so it was that she dragged herself from bed as the first light of dawn began to glimmer on the horizon.
*****
Yeah, go me! Another chapter up! Review plz, and I'm gonna re-write the first one. Hope that'll stop my flames. Even got flamed by my mate, would you believe! **Multiple death glares sent Skywalker's way** Plz review!