A/N: I own absolutely nothing, except for Milah, and the plot... Lawyers
beware...
***One comes near me, and he's zapped instantly, like a moth to flames... *a low rolling laugh is heard*
It's time for me to thank all of my reviews... Thanks again to Kirbee Angel.
And as for Mystique, and Hinote: Welcome to the madness that is me... *bows* May you have as much fun reading as I do creating! I wish you could hear me laugh as I think of new kinks to throw in my own life... I'm having an absolute ball writing this!! *grins*
I'm going to be making some internal changes, due to Mystique's request that I better illustrate flips in time... Know that my postings may be a bit separated, but after next week, all will be back to normal... I'll be through with classes! *skips*
Kind regards,
~Milah Luciana Merverosa
In the present... * ** *
****************************************************************
I could still hear them chanting in the room, and I was vaguely aware of my surroundings. I felt two hands on my body. One, old and frail, was on my forehead. The other, strong-willed and determined, was placed on my stomach. My body was so numb... Had someone plunged a knife into my arm, I may not have felt it. I heard the singing...
(F/B) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(A/N): See the new flashback notation? How's that?
He crossed the bedroom to look at the book that I was reading. "What are you up to, Milah?" Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my arm. I was being summoned...
I tried to control my outburst in front of Remus, he couldn't find out, but it was no use. "Jesus Christ!" I instinctively clutched at my arm.
Remus looked perplexed, "What? What's wrong?" He grabbed my shoulders and looked at me.
"I just remembered that I-" think on your feet, Milah... On your feet... "forgot some very important Ministry forms at the office. I have to fetch them now before Fudge has a stroke." It seemed believable at the time.
"This is your third spell of forgetfulness this week." He eyed me suspiciously. "It all makes sense now..." His eyes bulged. "The nighttime disappearances, the lame excuses, the lies..." He was ticking them off on his fingers. "All of it makes sense! Why didn't I see it before? Dammit Lupin, you're just stupid..." He hit himself in the head.
"What are you talking about?" I was terrified. Had he truly figured me out?
"You're having an affair, aren't you?? You're sleeping with Snape!" His voice penetrated my entire house. He was infuriated, and I don't think that I've ever seen him so upset. "I'm not good enough for you, am I?" He suddenly dropped his voice, and I could tell that he was holding back tears.
"No, I'm not sleeping with Severus..." I assure you, I wasn't. That stopped long ago. I placed a comforting hand on his cheek. I knew that I had to go now, or suffer the dire consequences. "Truth is, Remus... I have been working on a top secret mission. Really, I can't tell you about it, you just have to work with me. I've been on this assignment for a while now, and I don't need you to compromise my safety. I must go." With a pop, I was gone. It seemed to make sense, right?
"You're late, Agent Merverosa. I trust your excuse is good?" His foul breath nearly knocked me off my feet.
"I am sorry, My Lord." I kneeled down on the ground, not realizing that I had apparated into the middle of the Death Eater's circle. This could only mean one thing... I was being singled out, and questioned. My loyalty would again be tested that very night.
I picked up my head to evaluate the situation. My mind was reeling at an incredible pace. The approximate distance of each person, and anticipating their first attack. I was developing a form of triage. The most serious threats would be dealt with first... Malfoy was by far the most dangerous, other than Voldemort himself. Old Voldie never got his hands dirty when others could do it for him, so he was of little concern. All calculations took only seconds to go through my highly trained mind. Suddenly I was shocked out of my thoughts.
"Your excuse, Merverosa. Do not waste my time with insolence." He spat at me.
"I had a bit of trouble with my robes, sir. When I pulled them out of my closet, they became tangled..." Shit. I'm in trouble. My eyes scanned the crowd for Severus. Where was he?
"That's not a good enough excuse, I'm afraid." He gently fingered his long wand with his corpse-like fingers. "You'll have to prove your loyalty, you know this..." A grim smile spread across his face, "and I know just how to do it." He turned to look at two burly men. "Crabbe, Goyle, bring him here."
There was a lump on the ground, just a mass of robes. "Oh my G-d!" I looked at my dear friend lying, soaked in his own blood, on the ground. "Severus..."
"Here's your challenge, should you be willing to accept it. Two nights from now, we are planning a 'raid' of sorts... You will participate... If you don't," His sinister smile appeared again as he kicked my unconscious friend in his head, "Your friend gets it..."
"As you wish, Oh Exalted One." I bowed deeply. He had me cornered, what could I do?
"Oh, and Milah..." He placed his hand on my shoulder. It was like touching death. "I would appreciate if you would stay out of the spotlight. It isn't good for a person of your magnitude to be so-" he paused dramatically "vocal... You will have no more appearances on stage. Is that understood?" He violently grabbed my face with his right hand, and was squeezing me so hard, I thought that my skull would crack at any moment.
"Yes My Lord..." He pushed me away with a terrific force, knocking me in a heap, next to an unconscious Severus.
*********************************************************************
"She's coming to!" Remus cried. "She's waking..." He reached out to touch me when I heard Severus snarl.
"Don't touch her, Lupin." He immediately went back to invoking the Elvish Protection Spell. The room went intensely bright, and I could feel heat emanating from something on my left. Severus stopped chanting, and I could hear him speaking in my language of Sindarin. "Elbereth, your child suffers at the hands of a powerful dark wizard. Please give me direction on how to ease her suffering."
"Never in a thousand years did I expect to see you again, Mr. Snape." The spirit said in her silvery tone. She was obviously amused. "What can I do for you?"
"The last of your bloodline is being slowly destroyed." He gestured towards me. "Please show me how to best protect her from further evil, My Lady."
As bright as she had been at first, she immediately dimmed at the sight of me. "Oh dear, this is dark magic indeed." She passed her slender fingers over my body. I could feel her going through my body and my mind, picking me apart. "Gurth is very difficult to cure, Mr. Snape." She looked grave indeed.
"I'm aware of this. Please help me heal her. We need her here."
She seemed to inwardly begin to glow. "She has a great decision to make." Her hands were still hovering over my body. "Once she makes this internal decision, she will truly be freed. For now, the only help that I can give you is this." She handed Severus a tiny vial filled with an amber liquid. "One drop should do it. Use this sparingly, as it could further damage her." She closed his fingers around the vial and looked into his eyes. "This crisis that she fights is her own. It involves you and another like you, but you can not make her decision. This will permanently change her life. When she stirs, leave her..." Her eyes lifted to the Werewolf in the corner. "You are not elf-kind." It was not a question, but a statement.
"No My Lady, I'm afraid not." He was stunned that she spoke English. She had been speaking to Severus, all this time, in a language that he did not understand.
"You are the other half of her battle." She walked to his corner, and spoke barely a whisper, "She still loves you, but her feelings for Severus are strong. They always have been..." She took his hand, "Not many are willing to let our kind into their hearts. The burden that an Elvish heart carries is very heavy. Love her enough to give her the space that she requires. She will need to separate friend from friend in order to decide the better lover." She looked into his deep yellow eyes, "You are quite a stunning man." She whispered and touched his cheek. "She is very lucky to have a man like you."
She walked to Professor Dumbledore's side. "Well, Albus, how have you been?" She placed her hand on his arm. "It has been a while..."
"Far too long, Elbereth. Can you give me a clear cause on Ms. Merverosa's condition." He looked at me through his half moon spectacles.
"Your Sindarin is impeccable, as always. I wonder how you keep up with it." She smiled broadly. "This is an internal job. Without realizing it, she has cursed herself. Her dwelling on the past is causing her to lose herself. This is not Voldemort's doing, it is her own." She looked at her patient. "I remember her as a child. She was brought to me after her parents were murdered. A sad case. Her mother was one of the most beautiful Elves that was in our province..." Severus brushed a stray hair out of my eyes.
(F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was cold and the roof leaked. I always hated the rain. Coughs echoed throughout the dark room. All who lived in the small orphanage were underfed and sickly.
"Get up!" yelled the terse woman. She was one of the adult supervisors. Her eyes were always watchful for the tiniest infraction. "Get up; all of you!"
I had lived there for many years, six if I remembered correctly. The large woman with curly blonde hair did not worry me any more. The woman was not a native Italian. Her name was Helga, and she spoke with a very thick Dutch accent.
"If the lot of you don't get up, I'll triple your workload, and you'll have no dinner!" Many were too sick and weak with hunger to rise. One girl had died during the night.
"Pneumonia, I guess." I spoke to the small child next to me. "It's sad, really. Maria never stood a chance. She was so small and weak." Helga grabbed the corners of the sheet to make a sort of bag. She dragged the lifeless body out of the room as if it were no more than a sack of potatoes. She shouted, "This is what happens to idle children. Lazy kids are punished. Remember that as you do your chores today!"
I was always in and out of trouble. I made a habit of stealing food for the younger children, and had just turned eleven one week ago. I have long, black hair that fell in ringlets. My eyes, a piercing blue, were bursting with life. I liked to think that my eyes were my distinguishing feature. I was not overly thin, but my body always ached with hunger. I had long, graceful arms, but was of a modest height.
I loved animals, and could often be seen talking to the creatures that happened to pass me by. I had a deep appreciation for nature, and felt at home when I was among trees. I had always felt that I was different.
My parents had died when I was five. They were good people. One memory of them stood out vividly
Her mother had had a beautiful vanity. Milah remembered sitting there, with her mother, who used to stroke her hair. "Cara mia" she would say, "you are my most precious possession."
Many things were on her vanity, but the one object that interested Milah most had been a small vial. It always looked empty to Milah, but her mother had always insisted that it had been full of an important substance. Her mother Never said anything other than that.
I knew that my parents had loved mw. They had also been wealthy. My mother had been finely dressed in a teal robe. I was told that my parents had been brutally murdered, and with no body to care for me, I went to an orphanage. I knew that there was no escape from the orphanage until I turned eighteen.
I had lived in Italy all of my life, and had dreams of traveling the world. But for now, it was time to clean. I had an entire ward to scrub by herself. I considered myself lucky because some children were out in the northern Italian mountain breeze. The road had to be swept daily, so that stale bakery goods could be brought in. The older children would take whatever ingredients were in the truck and bake whatever they could.
Bread was a staple in the orphans' diet. It was never very good because they always received the old and moldy products that were not fit to be sold to people. Occasionally, for holidays, they would get a lump of hard cheese or maybe even some rotten fruit. Life was hard for the young orphans. Sickness and death was a normal occurrence. Milah had been hardened, and took it upon herself to help the other, younger children.
Perhaps a week after the death of their friend Maria two more children died, this time of some kind of sickness. Helga never sent for a doctor, she didn't seem to care. I thought about normal kids a lot. Normal kids would start school in two weeks. Those kids don't have to deal with death.
Within five days the sickness had reached every corner of the orphanage. Helga said that Typhus was the culprit. Healthy children were quarantined in one tiny room. They did not even leave to do chores. No one came to visit them, or even to check to see if anyone had fallen ill. They had lived without food and drink for a week. Many young children had died of starvation. I was very weak, and barely had the strength to speak.
(Scene change, still F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She glided down the street gracefully as her long robes flowed. People stared at her curiously as she walked by at a brisk pace. She was dressed peculiarly.
She started to pass a bakery, but stopped to buy some pasteries. They smelled delicious. She had been given strict orders to collect the girl from the orphanage, before she too, could be consumed by typhus. The young woman had travelled a long way. Ordinarily, she would have just apparated, or simply appearing where one needs to be, but she was so entranced by the countryside that she decided to walk.
The people were very friendly. She asked directions as best she could, and began to become nervous as she walked through the seedier parts of town. There was no more beauty to her surroundings. Fear seemed to consume all. At Last she saw it. La casa de giovene lay directly in front of her. She had but a few more strides to go...
The stench was awful. It burned her nostrils the instant that she drew near the gates. It was a smell unlike any that young Lauralie had ever smelled before. She held a handkerchief to her nose as she opened the gates and stepped in. She was certain that things could not be half as bad as they seemed.
The unoiled black wrought iron gate creaked open. Snowy-slush was piled everywhere, though there had been no snow for one month. The entire orphanage looked as if it could topple over with one good wind.
People actually live here? She thought to herself. She crossed the lawn easy enough, and she lifted the heavy brass knocker on the door.
Only moments later a robust woman with blonde hair opened the door, "Vhat do you vant?" She looked a bit cross to have to actually open the door.
"I have come for a child."
"A live one?"
This seemed like a rather odd question to be asking, but she dismissed it. "Of course I want a live one."
"Well, most of the children here are dead. You have come to the wrong place."
"I have been sent all the way from England for a girl named" she opened up an official looking roll of parchment and handed it to Helga to see "Milah Luciana Merverosa. As of yesterday she was still alive."
"My name is Helga. Step inside if you dare. Zhe children here very sick wis zhe typhus. Milah not have it yet. She with zhe healfy ones."
Lauralie breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into what seemed to be a mausoleum.
Children were lying everywhere. Some were living and some were not. Sickly children were piling the bodies of the dead into wheel barrows to dump outside. They walked down into a dark, cold, and damp basement. "You vant tea?"
"No. I have strict orders from my superiors to collect the child and be off."
"Vhy you vant zis child so bad? Nothing but trouble, zhat one."
"I only follow orders." the young woman said. She looked very stern and care worn. No person should live in these horrid conditions. It simply was not humane.
"I give you zhe child." Helga said looking rather upset. "under one condition. You must promise to say nothing of vhat goes on in zis place. Vhe are simply hitting a rough patch. Do we have a deal?"
Lauralie's mind raced. She was unprepared for this. She wanted the world to know about the conditions that these children were living in. Her only orders, however, had been to collect the child as quickly as possible. "Yes, Signorina Helga, I do believe that we have a deal. Bring the child to me."
Helga left the basement to retrieve Milah from the quarrentine room.
(Scene change still (F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The air was stifling. Death was everywhere. Of the fifty girls that entered the room, only twenty-eight remained alive. Most would die by tomorrow. They had not eaten or drank in three weeks.
I was barely alive, and lay weakly on the floor. I had given up almost all hope that I would survive. I was not afraid to die.
A girl cried in pain. Another died.
There was a creaking noise on the stairs. Someone was coming. All of the girls became suddenly silent. Straining to hear if someone was going to open the door. A key turned in the lock. The knob turned. Oh no, it was Helga. Panic flowed through the room. Would she sentence more to die? Helga opened her mouth to speak...
"Milah Luciana Merverosa. Step forward."
I could hardly more. I did not know what was going on, but mustered every bit of strength I could to move out of my resting place.
"You take zhis long and I just say zhat you died."
Had Helga lost her mind? What was she talking about, I thought. My entire body lurched as I struggled to move forward. I could still walk, but only just barely. "What's going on?"
"You are not my problem anymore. Now go into zhe basement and let yourselves out."
I took one last look at the girls in the room and tottered out of the room.
They had been the first steps I had taken in weeks, but somehow, my strength returned. Sheer curiosity served as a motive for moving. Someone had come for me. Someone knew about me. Someone cared for her enough to take me away from this mess. I proceeded down the stairs, and slipped on the way down. My strength was failing again.
"Dear child!" Lauralie cried. She rushed over to me, "Are you okay?"
"Please, who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I have orders to remove you from here so you can begin your new life. Here now, take this, and we must quickly leave. We must leave soon."
"Where are we going?"
"All of your questions will soon be answered. Can you walk? Good. Let's go."
*******************************************************************
"Lauralie brought her to me, and I knew that something had to be done. I was unaware of the squalid conditions she was living in." She touched my forehead. "I must be going. Remember what I have told each of you... Take my advice to heart, as it is the best you will receive." She touched Severus' shoulder. "I am not my father. I welcome your return whenever you are ready. Milah was happy with us, and she stayed for a long time." She directed her attention to Remus. "You are welcome to live among us as well, werewolf. You would be an interesting addition to our close-knit community..." She smiled at him, making Remus blush. "Only a drop, Severus. Remember that you can make things worse..." The singing began again, and she disappeared.
* ** * A/N: A/N: What do you think? I'll never know if you don't review... Check out a picture of Milah on the link at my author page. If you have any ideas, please let me know... I know where I have set for things to go, but I can incorporate anyone else's ideas (I'll credit you, of course) in too! Later babe!
*Wipes sweat off of brow* I have quite a bit of crediting to do...
I must credit Mr. Tolkien for his brilliant elvish, and all his other accomplishments. Without him, I would truly be lost.
This chapter was very dark, and I apologize. I didn't have a pleasant childhood, and have difficulty writing about one. Things pick up after I wake up, I promise! All kinds of goodies happen soon... *Evil laugh erupts* Yeah, I have some really good plans coming up... Heh heh heh... Will she wake? What will Remus do now that he knows how she feels? What will Severus do, and how much elvish blood is in him? Why is he such an ugly elf? He's ugly to you, maybe, but to me he's a sexpot! It's October, meaning the Halloween Ball is fast approaching...
Well, I just gave you all kinds of goodies to look forward to, and I apologize for my lateness. I've been busy with finals and work... Ah, the life of a Prefect...
Oh, and I can't forget Moon Cusimano. She is a real, Italian girl that I knew from my early childhood. She was very influential to me back in Maiori... Thank you for my life, Moon...
Keep reviewing! I love it when people comment... Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! *winks*
~Milah
***One comes near me, and he's zapped instantly, like a moth to flames... *a low rolling laugh is heard*
It's time for me to thank all of my reviews... Thanks again to Kirbee Angel.
And as for Mystique, and Hinote: Welcome to the madness that is me... *bows* May you have as much fun reading as I do creating! I wish you could hear me laugh as I think of new kinks to throw in my own life... I'm having an absolute ball writing this!! *grins*
I'm going to be making some internal changes, due to Mystique's request that I better illustrate flips in time... Know that my postings may be a bit separated, but after next week, all will be back to normal... I'll be through with classes! *skips*
Kind regards,
~Milah Luciana Merverosa
In the present... * ** *
****************************************************************
I could still hear them chanting in the room, and I was vaguely aware of my surroundings. I felt two hands on my body. One, old and frail, was on my forehead. The other, strong-willed and determined, was placed on my stomach. My body was so numb... Had someone plunged a knife into my arm, I may not have felt it. I heard the singing...
(F/B) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(A/N): See the new flashback notation? How's that?
He crossed the bedroom to look at the book that I was reading. "What are you up to, Milah?" Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my arm. I was being summoned...
I tried to control my outburst in front of Remus, he couldn't find out, but it was no use. "Jesus Christ!" I instinctively clutched at my arm.
Remus looked perplexed, "What? What's wrong?" He grabbed my shoulders and looked at me.
"I just remembered that I-" think on your feet, Milah... On your feet... "forgot some very important Ministry forms at the office. I have to fetch them now before Fudge has a stroke." It seemed believable at the time.
"This is your third spell of forgetfulness this week." He eyed me suspiciously. "It all makes sense now..." His eyes bulged. "The nighttime disappearances, the lame excuses, the lies..." He was ticking them off on his fingers. "All of it makes sense! Why didn't I see it before? Dammit Lupin, you're just stupid..." He hit himself in the head.
"What are you talking about?" I was terrified. Had he truly figured me out?
"You're having an affair, aren't you?? You're sleeping with Snape!" His voice penetrated my entire house. He was infuriated, and I don't think that I've ever seen him so upset. "I'm not good enough for you, am I?" He suddenly dropped his voice, and I could tell that he was holding back tears.
"No, I'm not sleeping with Severus..." I assure you, I wasn't. That stopped long ago. I placed a comforting hand on his cheek. I knew that I had to go now, or suffer the dire consequences. "Truth is, Remus... I have been working on a top secret mission. Really, I can't tell you about it, you just have to work with me. I've been on this assignment for a while now, and I don't need you to compromise my safety. I must go." With a pop, I was gone. It seemed to make sense, right?
"You're late, Agent Merverosa. I trust your excuse is good?" His foul breath nearly knocked me off my feet.
"I am sorry, My Lord." I kneeled down on the ground, not realizing that I had apparated into the middle of the Death Eater's circle. This could only mean one thing... I was being singled out, and questioned. My loyalty would again be tested that very night.
I picked up my head to evaluate the situation. My mind was reeling at an incredible pace. The approximate distance of each person, and anticipating their first attack. I was developing a form of triage. The most serious threats would be dealt with first... Malfoy was by far the most dangerous, other than Voldemort himself. Old Voldie never got his hands dirty when others could do it for him, so he was of little concern. All calculations took only seconds to go through my highly trained mind. Suddenly I was shocked out of my thoughts.
"Your excuse, Merverosa. Do not waste my time with insolence." He spat at me.
"I had a bit of trouble with my robes, sir. When I pulled them out of my closet, they became tangled..." Shit. I'm in trouble. My eyes scanned the crowd for Severus. Where was he?
"That's not a good enough excuse, I'm afraid." He gently fingered his long wand with his corpse-like fingers. "You'll have to prove your loyalty, you know this..." A grim smile spread across his face, "and I know just how to do it." He turned to look at two burly men. "Crabbe, Goyle, bring him here."
There was a lump on the ground, just a mass of robes. "Oh my G-d!" I looked at my dear friend lying, soaked in his own blood, on the ground. "Severus..."
"Here's your challenge, should you be willing to accept it. Two nights from now, we are planning a 'raid' of sorts... You will participate... If you don't," His sinister smile appeared again as he kicked my unconscious friend in his head, "Your friend gets it..."
"As you wish, Oh Exalted One." I bowed deeply. He had me cornered, what could I do?
"Oh, and Milah..." He placed his hand on my shoulder. It was like touching death. "I would appreciate if you would stay out of the spotlight. It isn't good for a person of your magnitude to be so-" he paused dramatically "vocal... You will have no more appearances on stage. Is that understood?" He violently grabbed my face with his right hand, and was squeezing me so hard, I thought that my skull would crack at any moment.
"Yes My Lord..." He pushed me away with a terrific force, knocking me in a heap, next to an unconscious Severus.
*********************************************************************
"She's coming to!" Remus cried. "She's waking..." He reached out to touch me when I heard Severus snarl.
"Don't touch her, Lupin." He immediately went back to invoking the Elvish Protection Spell. The room went intensely bright, and I could feel heat emanating from something on my left. Severus stopped chanting, and I could hear him speaking in my language of Sindarin. "Elbereth, your child suffers at the hands of a powerful dark wizard. Please give me direction on how to ease her suffering."
"Never in a thousand years did I expect to see you again, Mr. Snape." The spirit said in her silvery tone. She was obviously amused. "What can I do for you?"
"The last of your bloodline is being slowly destroyed." He gestured towards me. "Please show me how to best protect her from further evil, My Lady."
As bright as she had been at first, she immediately dimmed at the sight of me. "Oh dear, this is dark magic indeed." She passed her slender fingers over my body. I could feel her going through my body and my mind, picking me apart. "Gurth is very difficult to cure, Mr. Snape." She looked grave indeed.
"I'm aware of this. Please help me heal her. We need her here."
She seemed to inwardly begin to glow. "She has a great decision to make." Her hands were still hovering over my body. "Once she makes this internal decision, she will truly be freed. For now, the only help that I can give you is this." She handed Severus a tiny vial filled with an amber liquid. "One drop should do it. Use this sparingly, as it could further damage her." She closed his fingers around the vial and looked into his eyes. "This crisis that she fights is her own. It involves you and another like you, but you can not make her decision. This will permanently change her life. When she stirs, leave her..." Her eyes lifted to the Werewolf in the corner. "You are not elf-kind." It was not a question, but a statement.
"No My Lady, I'm afraid not." He was stunned that she spoke English. She had been speaking to Severus, all this time, in a language that he did not understand.
"You are the other half of her battle." She walked to his corner, and spoke barely a whisper, "She still loves you, but her feelings for Severus are strong. They always have been..." She took his hand, "Not many are willing to let our kind into their hearts. The burden that an Elvish heart carries is very heavy. Love her enough to give her the space that she requires. She will need to separate friend from friend in order to decide the better lover." She looked into his deep yellow eyes, "You are quite a stunning man." She whispered and touched his cheek. "She is very lucky to have a man like you."
She walked to Professor Dumbledore's side. "Well, Albus, how have you been?" She placed her hand on his arm. "It has been a while..."
"Far too long, Elbereth. Can you give me a clear cause on Ms. Merverosa's condition." He looked at me through his half moon spectacles.
"Your Sindarin is impeccable, as always. I wonder how you keep up with it." She smiled broadly. "This is an internal job. Without realizing it, she has cursed herself. Her dwelling on the past is causing her to lose herself. This is not Voldemort's doing, it is her own." She looked at her patient. "I remember her as a child. She was brought to me after her parents were murdered. A sad case. Her mother was one of the most beautiful Elves that was in our province..." Severus brushed a stray hair out of my eyes.
(F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was cold and the roof leaked. I always hated the rain. Coughs echoed throughout the dark room. All who lived in the small orphanage were underfed and sickly.
"Get up!" yelled the terse woman. She was one of the adult supervisors. Her eyes were always watchful for the tiniest infraction. "Get up; all of you!"
I had lived there for many years, six if I remembered correctly. The large woman with curly blonde hair did not worry me any more. The woman was not a native Italian. Her name was Helga, and she spoke with a very thick Dutch accent.
"If the lot of you don't get up, I'll triple your workload, and you'll have no dinner!" Many were too sick and weak with hunger to rise. One girl had died during the night.
"Pneumonia, I guess." I spoke to the small child next to me. "It's sad, really. Maria never stood a chance. She was so small and weak." Helga grabbed the corners of the sheet to make a sort of bag. She dragged the lifeless body out of the room as if it were no more than a sack of potatoes. She shouted, "This is what happens to idle children. Lazy kids are punished. Remember that as you do your chores today!"
I was always in and out of trouble. I made a habit of stealing food for the younger children, and had just turned eleven one week ago. I have long, black hair that fell in ringlets. My eyes, a piercing blue, were bursting with life. I liked to think that my eyes were my distinguishing feature. I was not overly thin, but my body always ached with hunger. I had long, graceful arms, but was of a modest height.
I loved animals, and could often be seen talking to the creatures that happened to pass me by. I had a deep appreciation for nature, and felt at home when I was among trees. I had always felt that I was different.
My parents had died when I was five. They were good people. One memory of them stood out vividly
Her mother had had a beautiful vanity. Milah remembered sitting there, with her mother, who used to stroke her hair. "Cara mia" she would say, "you are my most precious possession."
Many things were on her vanity, but the one object that interested Milah most had been a small vial. It always looked empty to Milah, but her mother had always insisted that it had been full of an important substance. Her mother Never said anything other than that.
I knew that my parents had loved mw. They had also been wealthy. My mother had been finely dressed in a teal robe. I was told that my parents had been brutally murdered, and with no body to care for me, I went to an orphanage. I knew that there was no escape from the orphanage until I turned eighteen.
I had lived in Italy all of my life, and had dreams of traveling the world. But for now, it was time to clean. I had an entire ward to scrub by herself. I considered myself lucky because some children were out in the northern Italian mountain breeze. The road had to be swept daily, so that stale bakery goods could be brought in. The older children would take whatever ingredients were in the truck and bake whatever they could.
Bread was a staple in the orphans' diet. It was never very good because they always received the old and moldy products that were not fit to be sold to people. Occasionally, for holidays, they would get a lump of hard cheese or maybe even some rotten fruit. Life was hard for the young orphans. Sickness and death was a normal occurrence. Milah had been hardened, and took it upon herself to help the other, younger children.
Perhaps a week after the death of their friend Maria two more children died, this time of some kind of sickness. Helga never sent for a doctor, she didn't seem to care. I thought about normal kids a lot. Normal kids would start school in two weeks. Those kids don't have to deal with death.
Within five days the sickness had reached every corner of the orphanage. Helga said that Typhus was the culprit. Healthy children were quarantined in one tiny room. They did not even leave to do chores. No one came to visit them, or even to check to see if anyone had fallen ill. They had lived without food and drink for a week. Many young children had died of starvation. I was very weak, and barely had the strength to speak.
(Scene change, still F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She glided down the street gracefully as her long robes flowed. People stared at her curiously as she walked by at a brisk pace. She was dressed peculiarly.
She started to pass a bakery, but stopped to buy some pasteries. They smelled delicious. She had been given strict orders to collect the girl from the orphanage, before she too, could be consumed by typhus. The young woman had travelled a long way. Ordinarily, she would have just apparated, or simply appearing where one needs to be, but she was so entranced by the countryside that she decided to walk.
The people were very friendly. She asked directions as best she could, and began to become nervous as she walked through the seedier parts of town. There was no more beauty to her surroundings. Fear seemed to consume all. At Last she saw it. La casa de giovene lay directly in front of her. She had but a few more strides to go...
The stench was awful. It burned her nostrils the instant that she drew near the gates. It was a smell unlike any that young Lauralie had ever smelled before. She held a handkerchief to her nose as she opened the gates and stepped in. She was certain that things could not be half as bad as they seemed.
The unoiled black wrought iron gate creaked open. Snowy-slush was piled everywhere, though there had been no snow for one month. The entire orphanage looked as if it could topple over with one good wind.
People actually live here? She thought to herself. She crossed the lawn easy enough, and she lifted the heavy brass knocker on the door.
Only moments later a robust woman with blonde hair opened the door, "Vhat do you vant?" She looked a bit cross to have to actually open the door.
"I have come for a child."
"A live one?"
This seemed like a rather odd question to be asking, but she dismissed it. "Of course I want a live one."
"Well, most of the children here are dead. You have come to the wrong place."
"I have been sent all the way from England for a girl named" she opened up an official looking roll of parchment and handed it to Helga to see "Milah Luciana Merverosa. As of yesterday she was still alive."
"My name is Helga. Step inside if you dare. Zhe children here very sick wis zhe typhus. Milah not have it yet. She with zhe healfy ones."
Lauralie breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into what seemed to be a mausoleum.
Children were lying everywhere. Some were living and some were not. Sickly children were piling the bodies of the dead into wheel barrows to dump outside. They walked down into a dark, cold, and damp basement. "You vant tea?"
"No. I have strict orders from my superiors to collect the child and be off."
"Vhy you vant zis child so bad? Nothing but trouble, zhat one."
"I only follow orders." the young woman said. She looked very stern and care worn. No person should live in these horrid conditions. It simply was not humane.
"I give you zhe child." Helga said looking rather upset. "under one condition. You must promise to say nothing of vhat goes on in zis place. Vhe are simply hitting a rough patch. Do we have a deal?"
Lauralie's mind raced. She was unprepared for this. She wanted the world to know about the conditions that these children were living in. Her only orders, however, had been to collect the child as quickly as possible. "Yes, Signorina Helga, I do believe that we have a deal. Bring the child to me."
Helga left the basement to retrieve Milah from the quarrentine room.
(Scene change still (F/B)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The air was stifling. Death was everywhere. Of the fifty girls that entered the room, only twenty-eight remained alive. Most would die by tomorrow. They had not eaten or drank in three weeks.
I was barely alive, and lay weakly on the floor. I had given up almost all hope that I would survive. I was not afraid to die.
A girl cried in pain. Another died.
There was a creaking noise on the stairs. Someone was coming. All of the girls became suddenly silent. Straining to hear if someone was going to open the door. A key turned in the lock. The knob turned. Oh no, it was Helga. Panic flowed through the room. Would she sentence more to die? Helga opened her mouth to speak...
"Milah Luciana Merverosa. Step forward."
I could hardly more. I did not know what was going on, but mustered every bit of strength I could to move out of my resting place.
"You take zhis long and I just say zhat you died."
Had Helga lost her mind? What was she talking about, I thought. My entire body lurched as I struggled to move forward. I could still walk, but only just barely. "What's going on?"
"You are not my problem anymore. Now go into zhe basement and let yourselves out."
I took one last look at the girls in the room and tottered out of the room.
They had been the first steps I had taken in weeks, but somehow, my strength returned. Sheer curiosity served as a motive for moving. Someone had come for me. Someone knew about me. Someone cared for her enough to take me away from this mess. I proceeded down the stairs, and slipped on the way down. My strength was failing again.
"Dear child!" Lauralie cried. She rushed over to me, "Are you okay?"
"Please, who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I have orders to remove you from here so you can begin your new life. Here now, take this, and we must quickly leave. We must leave soon."
"Where are we going?"
"All of your questions will soon be answered. Can you walk? Good. Let's go."
*******************************************************************
"Lauralie brought her to me, and I knew that something had to be done. I was unaware of the squalid conditions she was living in." She touched my forehead. "I must be going. Remember what I have told each of you... Take my advice to heart, as it is the best you will receive." She touched Severus' shoulder. "I am not my father. I welcome your return whenever you are ready. Milah was happy with us, and she stayed for a long time." She directed her attention to Remus. "You are welcome to live among us as well, werewolf. You would be an interesting addition to our close-knit community..." She smiled at him, making Remus blush. "Only a drop, Severus. Remember that you can make things worse..." The singing began again, and she disappeared.
* ** * A/N: A/N: What do you think? I'll never know if you don't review... Check out a picture of Milah on the link at my author page. If you have any ideas, please let me know... I know where I have set for things to go, but I can incorporate anyone else's ideas (I'll credit you, of course) in too! Later babe!
*Wipes sweat off of brow* I have quite a bit of crediting to do...
I must credit Mr. Tolkien for his brilliant elvish, and all his other accomplishments. Without him, I would truly be lost.
This chapter was very dark, and I apologize. I didn't have a pleasant childhood, and have difficulty writing about one. Things pick up after I wake up, I promise! All kinds of goodies happen soon... *Evil laugh erupts* Yeah, I have some really good plans coming up... Heh heh heh... Will she wake? What will Remus do now that he knows how she feels? What will Severus do, and how much elvish blood is in him? Why is he such an ugly elf? He's ugly to you, maybe, but to me he's a sexpot! It's October, meaning the Halloween Ball is fast approaching...
Well, I just gave you all kinds of goodies to look forward to, and I apologize for my lateness. I've been busy with finals and work... Ah, the life of a Prefect...
Oh, and I can't forget Moon Cusimano. She is a real, Italian girl that I knew from my early childhood. She was very influential to me back in Maiori... Thank you for my life, Moon...
Keep reviewing! I love it when people comment... Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! *winks*
~Milah