.
The Cards laid before him reflected the candlelight dully. They looked innocent enough, but Draco's stomach churned at the sight of them. These cards will effect his future, they could make or break him…and it all depended on which cards he himself has to pick.
What if he picked the wrong ones? What if his fortune turned out horrible because he didn't have faith in his own ability to do this simple task?
Draco took a deep breath and looked up at her. She looked amused, this annoyed him more than he already was. To her this might as well have been a game. Hell, it /was/ a game to her. She was The Lady, the Seer, the One who predicted everything in a mans future…and could change it at will if she wished. He knew she did not really care for his situation let alone others…this was just another way to get money, to do what she was hired to do. And the fact that this little meeting was just another appointment to her but a life-changing event for him out right pissed him off.
At that moment she smirked slightly, almost as if she was listening in on his thoughts. Draco cleared his mind and set up a mental wall. He'll be damned if he let her get to him. His attention went back to the cards though and no more stray thoughts entered his head.
'Which card…which card…' his notions ran in a circle. 'Which card would be best to choose?' After a few more seconds he finally decided on a card that caught his eye. It felt…right that he should pick this one. And so he did. The next one came easily as well. Soon he'd picked out five cards and laid them, face down, in front of him.
"Would you like some tea, young Master Malfoy?" Draco jumped slightly, he'd been thoroughly engrossed in selecting cards. But he answered as if she hadn't started him in the least.
"Yes, thank you."
The woman rose and walked silently to the counter, which was not that far away. It seemed she took her individual clients in the kitchen and in the adjoining living room it looked as if she might have gatherings with a small group of people because there was a larger, oval shaped table set up.
She didn't use her wand to boil water though; in a very 'muggle like fashion' she filled the teakettle with water and set it upon the stove. From a cupboard above she took out a tin and from a drawer below she grabbed a tea strainer. Draco only followed her actions for a moment then went back to picking cards. He'd only pulled out two more when she sat down.
Leaning forward a bit on the table she observed his selections. He reached for his eighth card when she placed her hand on his. Draco stopped his movement, his heart also gave a slightly painful jump, and he looked up at her.
She was gazing at the cards though, not at him, as she said softly, "You won't want that one love." Her hand was soft and gentle but it took every once of willpower he had not to jump back and snatch his hand away. There was something familiar in the way she said love, and just her hand sent something like desire through his body. Was this some sort of glamour, a spell? Witchcraft no doubt. But he ignored it, slowly disentangling his hand from hers he continued on his way to the card she had warned against and slid it to lay next to the others he'd already picked out.
He did not look up again until all ten cards lay before him and by then the kettle was whistling. She got up and retrieved it, pouring the water into two cups and placing the strainer over the top. After she had sat back down and given him his tea Draco waited anxiously for her to make her next move. To do something. But she did not. Sipping her tea bit by bit she did not talk, did not move other than to lift her cup, he might as well not have been there.
Then suddenly she put her tea down, leaned forward clasping her hands on the table, and said, "You must understand that this reading…" her voice was grave and tired, she sighed and looked down at the black table cloth. "This reading for you in ways is important to your future…and in other ways it is not just your future that is at stake. I have seen things while I scry, many things…and I do not like what I see. You are a part of my own future- not just now coming to me but of something else, not even I can decipher what. So choose wisely and think carefully on what I'm about to reveal to you. Everything you'll need to know…it's in the cards."
For a moment he sat stunned…what was she talking about? Clearly there was a little more going on than even he knew.
Determined to figure out what he could possibly have to do with her future- and this tangled web he'd gotten himself into- he watched the Lady's every movement. With one swoop of her hand she'd gathered up her cards and set them to the side in a neat pile. Then taking the ten he had chosen she set to work arranging them around the table.
First she centered one card between them, then a placed another on top of that so they crisscrossed. Starting from above the two previous cards one card was set down around each side, meaning four all together. Then with the last of the cards original ten, starting from the bottom, were lined up horizontally to her right and to the right of the first six cards. It looked like a cross with four cards lining the side.
Then the very first one she laid down was turned over. Draco looked at it curiously, the card faced him up right and the design was of a man in a chariot. This man wore a light blue tunic and held the reigns of two bears, one white, one brown, which were pulling the chariot. In the background was dense forest, beneath them was a paved path of stone and packed dirt. Draco noticed, with out disgust, that to the sides were heads impaled on sticks…obviously this man was not one to mess with. Still though, there was more about this card. Its border around the old picture was bright, vivid, not looking a day older than when it was made. And in the border design there were runes unlike any he'd seen before, though now as he looked closer there were runes through out the entire picture as well. At the top of the card was a small number seven and at the bottom something written in another language.
"Isäntä" she said softly, her voice drifted slightly, like she was recalling a memory from long ago. "Isäntä and Lemminkäinen didn't see eye to eye. Lemminkäinen demanded bread and ale and was given them, however he refused to eat in the doorway of the cottage at Pohjola, he wanted to be invited in. And so he entered their home, sat himself down and demanded better ale than what he was given. But the ale was still fermenting and the mistress of Pohjola and Lemminkäinen quarreled. Isäntä then challenged Lemminkäinen to a duel…and in the end struck off poor Lemminkäinen's head."
This story she told, of Lemminkäinen and Isäntä played before his eyes…he could see the cottage, taste the ale, feel the warmth of the fire. But soon he was drawn back to reality by the Lady's demand.
"Look here, boy." Even though she is probably younger than his own 19 years, when she read from the cards she took on an older appearance, as she did now when pointing down at the table. He obeyed her wishes and looked at where her finger rested.
There was script at the bottom of the card in a language he did not know, he looked up at her for a moment as she spoke.
"It is Finnish, I know you cannot read it." She said matter-of-factly. "This first card I laid down is your Significator Card. It reflects the situation inner or outer in which you find your self." Her nimble fingers moved once again across the script. "It reads, 'The Chariot, Isäntä.' The Chariot represents his achievements, much like a home or dwelling place would any other person. But your card...is reversed."
Her finger moved slowly again to point at the chariot, Draco's eyes followed totally focussed on the card. The picture looked so real…for a moment he tricked him self into thinking the trees swayed in the wind, was it a trick- or another vision? The incense in the room was making him slightly light headed, but he tried to keep in a wakeful state of mind. He noticed then a detail he had missed before on the card, and she pointed this out to him specifically.
"There are seven stars painted on the roof of his Chariot they represent the seven influences on us, on every one; of vital power, sexuality, emotions, love, sight, awareness, and communication." Her voice drifted of again, he knew it was too early to be in another state of conciseness. His aunt had taught him how to read the cards once, but never finished his training. What he did know though was that reading the cards was like reading a story. You start from the beginning, the first card, and work your way up to card ten- by the time you have recognized the meanings you can string them together thus trying to figure out what path is most appropriate to take.
As she leaned back into her chair slightly he looked up again, and a flash of his old school came to mind. 'How odd.' He thought, Hogwarts was something he hadn't thought about since they shut it down in his sixth year.
"I'm sorry…I must be boring you with such details, I will get on with it." Looking him in the eyes now he felt his stomach drop once more, the impulse to move out from under her gaze came and passed. He knew he must sit still and listen now. The oracle was speaking…not the girl…
"You are drained…tired of fighting. What little strength you did have was wretched from you and misused toward pointless, frivolous goals. And no matter how hard you try nothing seems to happen, here you are stuck in the same position as when you started…no where to go even if you could."
Draco had gone very still at the Oracles words…she was more correct than any one could have guessed. But suddenly her eyes were clear, the Lady was back and the Oracle had gone once more, but still with such precision she finished with a question that hit home more than he'd like to think about.
"Are you going to let your own future pass you by because of a ridiculous squabble? Throwing your weight around, brooding and snarling…it will get you know where. Poor Lemminkäinen had learned that lesson the hard way- ungrateful for what he had, abusing small rites automatically given to you. Now boy, how are /you/ going to learn it?"
It was strangely frightening to hear such words of accuracy come out of her mouth, her sharp eyes were narrowed though as to scold a child for pinching their sibling. Such scrutinizing looks gave Draco a feel of unease, but before he could truly even look back into her eyes…she looked away. And the next card was turned…
(A/N): I'm using a different tarot deck now, in the first chapter it says Celtic because I was going to use my Celtic deck, but then I thought it did not fit well with the story and so now I'm using my Finnish deck instead. So there are some changes. Also about chapters…would you like a chapter for every card? Or just how ever much I have time to write up in one day? Oh wonderful...another fic that will be a pain to write ^_^
Do you like the descriptions of the cards? Can you see them in your mind? If not, tell me how I can improve. And remember! I live off of reviews…
Also, I must add, the tarot definitions are not mine. I've rewriten them somewhat, but they are not entirely different.
-Glowing Embers
.
The Cards laid before him reflected the candlelight dully. They looked innocent enough, but Draco's stomach churned at the sight of them. These cards will effect his future, they could make or break him…and it all depended on which cards he himself has to pick.
What if he picked the wrong ones? What if his fortune turned out horrible because he didn't have faith in his own ability to do this simple task?
Draco took a deep breath and looked up at her. She looked amused, this annoyed him more than he already was. To her this might as well have been a game. Hell, it /was/ a game to her. She was The Lady, the Seer, the One who predicted everything in a mans future…and could change it at will if she wished. He knew she did not really care for his situation let alone others…this was just another way to get money, to do what she was hired to do. And the fact that this little meeting was just another appointment to her but a life-changing event for him out right pissed him off.
At that moment she smirked slightly, almost as if she was listening in on his thoughts. Draco cleared his mind and set up a mental wall. He'll be damned if he let her get to him. His attention went back to the cards though and no more stray thoughts entered his head.
'Which card…which card…' his notions ran in a circle. 'Which card would be best to choose?' After a few more seconds he finally decided on a card that caught his eye. It felt…right that he should pick this one. And so he did. The next one came easily as well. Soon he'd picked out five cards and laid them, face down, in front of him.
"Would you like some tea, young Master Malfoy?" Draco jumped slightly, he'd been thoroughly engrossed in selecting cards. But he answered as if she hadn't started him in the least.
"Yes, thank you."
The woman rose and walked silently to the counter, which was not that far away. It seemed she took her individual clients in the kitchen and in the adjoining living room it looked as if she might have gatherings with a small group of people because there was a larger, oval shaped table set up.
She didn't use her wand to boil water though; in a very 'muggle like fashion' she filled the teakettle with water and set it upon the stove. From a cupboard above she took out a tin and from a drawer below she grabbed a tea strainer. Draco only followed her actions for a moment then went back to picking cards. He'd only pulled out two more when she sat down.
Leaning forward a bit on the table she observed his selections. He reached for his eighth card when she placed her hand on his. Draco stopped his movement, his heart also gave a slightly painful jump, and he looked up at her.
She was gazing at the cards though, not at him, as she said softly, "You won't want that one love." Her hand was soft and gentle but it took every once of willpower he had not to jump back and snatch his hand away. There was something familiar in the way she said love, and just her hand sent something like desire through his body. Was this some sort of glamour, a spell? Witchcraft no doubt. But he ignored it, slowly disentangling his hand from hers he continued on his way to the card she had warned against and slid it to lay next to the others he'd already picked out.
He did not look up again until all ten cards lay before him and by then the kettle was whistling. She got up and retrieved it, pouring the water into two cups and placing the strainer over the top. After she had sat back down and given him his tea Draco waited anxiously for her to make her next move. To do something. But she did not. Sipping her tea bit by bit she did not talk, did not move other than to lift her cup, he might as well not have been there.
Then suddenly she put her tea down, leaned forward clasping her hands on the table, and said, "You must understand that this reading…" her voice was grave and tired, she sighed and looked down at the black table cloth. "This reading for you in ways is important to your future…and in other ways it is not just your future that is at stake. I have seen things while I scry, many things…and I do not like what I see. You are a part of my own future- not just now coming to me but of something else, not even I can decipher what. So choose wisely and think carefully on what I'm about to reveal to you. Everything you'll need to know…it's in the cards."
For a moment he sat stunned…what was she talking about? Clearly there was a little more going on than even he knew.
Determined to figure out what he could possibly have to do with her future- and this tangled web he'd gotten himself into- he watched the Lady's every movement. With one swoop of her hand she'd gathered up her cards and set them to the side in a neat pile. Then taking the ten he had chosen she set to work arranging them around the table.
First she centered one card between them, then a placed another on top of that so they crisscrossed. Starting from above the two previous cards one card was set down around each side, meaning four all together. Then with the last of the cards original ten, starting from the bottom, were lined up horizontally to her right and to the right of the first six cards. It looked like a cross with four cards lining the side.
Then the very first one she laid down was turned over. Draco looked at it curiously, the card faced him up right and the design was of a man in a chariot. This man wore a light blue tunic and held the reigns of two bears, one white, one brown, which were pulling the chariot. In the background was dense forest, beneath them was a paved path of stone and packed dirt. Draco noticed, with out disgust, that to the sides were heads impaled on sticks…obviously this man was not one to mess with. Still though, there was more about this card. Its border around the old picture was bright, vivid, not looking a day older than when it was made. And in the border design there were runes unlike any he'd seen before, though now as he looked closer there were runes through out the entire picture as well. At the top of the card was a small number seven and at the bottom something written in another language.
"Isäntä" she said softly, her voice drifted slightly, like she was recalling a memory from long ago. "Isäntä and Lemminkäinen didn't see eye to eye. Lemminkäinen demanded bread and ale and was given them, however he refused to eat in the doorway of the cottage at Pohjola, he wanted to be invited in. And so he entered their home, sat himself down and demanded better ale than what he was given. But the ale was still fermenting and the mistress of Pohjola and Lemminkäinen quarreled. Isäntä then challenged Lemminkäinen to a duel…and in the end struck off poor Lemminkäinen's head."
This story she told, of Lemminkäinen and Isäntä played before his eyes…he could see the cottage, taste the ale, feel the warmth of the fire. But soon he was drawn back to reality by the Lady's demand.
"Look here, boy." Even though she is probably younger than his own 19 years, when she read from the cards she took on an older appearance, as she did now when pointing down at the table. He obeyed her wishes and looked at where her finger rested.
There was script at the bottom of the card in a language he did not know, he looked up at her for a moment as she spoke.
"It is Finnish, I know you cannot read it." She said matter-of-factly. "This first card I laid down is your Significator Card. It reflects the situation inner or outer in which you find your self." Her nimble fingers moved once again across the script. "It reads, 'The Chariot, Isäntä.' The Chariot represents his achievements, much like a home or dwelling place would any other person. But your card...is reversed."
Her finger moved slowly again to point at the chariot, Draco's eyes followed totally focussed on the card. The picture looked so real…for a moment he tricked him self into thinking the trees swayed in the wind, was it a trick- or another vision? The incense in the room was making him slightly light headed, but he tried to keep in a wakeful state of mind. He noticed then a detail he had missed before on the card, and she pointed this out to him specifically.
"There are seven stars painted on the roof of his Chariot they represent the seven influences on us, on every one; of vital power, sexuality, emotions, love, sight, awareness, and communication." Her voice drifted of again, he knew it was too early to be in another state of conciseness. His aunt had taught him how to read the cards once, but never finished his training. What he did know though was that reading the cards was like reading a story. You start from the beginning, the first card, and work your way up to card ten- by the time you have recognized the meanings you can string them together thus trying to figure out what path is most appropriate to take.
As she leaned back into her chair slightly he looked up again, and a flash of his old school came to mind. 'How odd.' He thought, Hogwarts was something he hadn't thought about since they shut it down in his sixth year.
"I'm sorry…I must be boring you with such details, I will get on with it." Looking him in the eyes now he felt his stomach drop once more, the impulse to move out from under her gaze came and passed. He knew he must sit still and listen now. The oracle was speaking…not the girl…
"You are drained…tired of fighting. What little strength you did have was wretched from you and misused toward pointless, frivolous goals. And no matter how hard you try nothing seems to happen, here you are stuck in the same position as when you started…no where to go even if you could."
Draco had gone very still at the Oracles words…she was more correct than any one could have guessed. But suddenly her eyes were clear, the Lady was back and the Oracle had gone once more, but still with such precision she finished with a question that hit home more than he'd like to think about.
"Are you going to let your own future pass you by because of a ridiculous squabble? Throwing your weight around, brooding and snarling…it will get you know where. Poor Lemminkäinen had learned that lesson the hard way- ungrateful for what he had, abusing small rites automatically given to you. Now boy, how are /you/ going to learn it?"
It was strangely frightening to hear such words of accuracy come out of her mouth, her sharp eyes were narrowed though as to scold a child for pinching their sibling. Such scrutinizing looks gave Draco a feel of unease, but before he could truly even look back into her eyes…she looked away. And the next card was turned…
(A/N): I'm using a different tarot deck now, in the first chapter it says Celtic because I was going to use my Celtic deck, but then I thought it did not fit well with the story and so now I'm using my Finnish deck instead. So there are some changes. Also about chapters…would you like a chapter for every card? Or just how ever much I have time to write up in one day? Oh wonderful...another fic that will be a pain to write ^_^
Do you like the descriptions of the cards? Can you see them in your mind? If not, tell me how I can improve. And remember! I live off of reviews…
Also, I must add, the tarot definitions are not mine. I've rewriten them somewhat, but they are not entirely different.
-Glowing Embers
.
