Disclaimer- I think I've only done like, one of these so I think I'll do
another one. Everything is mine except a few HP characters and references.
There are also a few little things that could be viewed as parts of the
Music Man.
Nearly Headless Nick's Story
Chapter 8
Leila awoke in bed some hours later, in the early evening, in a state of severe shock. She lay there shaking for a good five minutes before she realized she was not alone in the room. She sat up with a start to see Mafilda and Nick sitting in chairs by her bed.
"What are YOU doing here?" Leila snapped tartly at Nick.
"Perhaps you don't remember dear," Mafilda said with a hint of a smile toying with her lips, "But this fine man here near saved your life this morning."
Nick smiled sheepishly.
"Right." said Leila faintly, falling back into her pillow.
Mafilda looked at the two of them as Nick stared at Leila and Leila looked everywhere but at Nick himself.
"Well' Mafilda said as she determined that these two could use a little push in the right direction, "I better go, I've got dinner on the stove.
Leila sniffed for the telltale smell of burning, but.
"Mafilda," said Leila sniffing once again, "There's nothing on the stove."
"Then I better get started," said Mafilda, rising to go.
"Let me help you," said Leila, starting to rise herself.
"No!" Mafilda commanded.
Leila fell back on the bed in surprise.
"Then let me be of assistance Madam!" declared Nick, sweeping into a graceful bow.
"No," snapped Mafilda once more, "You!" she said pointing at Leila, "Stay in bed, and you!" she said pointing at Nick, "Stay with her."
With that she stormed out of the room, and bustled down the stairs, smiling to herself.
Leila and Nick looked at the door and then at each other.
Leila fidgeted uncomfortably and cleared her throat.
"Thank you for saving my life Sir Nico- I mean, Nick."
Nick grinned broadly. "Now that you seem to know my name, it's about time I knew yours miss," Nick said, inclining his head in a sort of half bow.
Leila looked at him for a moment and then managed a weak smile.
"Leila," she said slowly, "My name is Leila."
"Leila," Nick murmured softly, "It suits you."
"No!" Leila's eyes filled with tears, "My mother hoped it would suit me!"
She turned from him as though hurt.
Nick was greatly puzzled by this, but since it was obvious that this particular subject caused her a great deal of pain, he thought it better to just leave it.
"Leila," Nick said kindly, not corny, not fake, but with genuine affection, as he took her hands in his, "Everything I've ever said to you, it's all been true dear."
Leila gave him a swift piercing look.
"You don't even know me," she muttered looking out of the window.
"I know my dear," Nick looked her straight in the eyes, her beautiful piercing blue eyes, "But more than anything I would like to."
He gave her hand a little squeeze.
She looked at him for a long while then finally-
"Are you sure?"
Nick gave her a glowing look.
"Yes, I've never been more sure."
"You are ready to listen, and understand?"
"Always," he said with another look into her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
"Alright, it all starts when I left home to get away from my family," she looked at him as though daring him to say anything, "I know that doesn't seem all that shocking, I'm sure everyone wants to get away. But in my family there were only two things that were important, the traditional family names, and the "family business."
She paused.
"You may or may not know it, but the name Leila means darkness, my mother's name was Ciearra which means black, and my grandmother's name was Ebony, which means "darkest wood" and so on and so forth. I know for a fact that none of the men in my family have similar names, at least I doubt it, for none of them ever met."
She drew a deep breath, and continued.
"Ever since my great-great grandmother Fabia," she smiled slightly, "Which means bean grower, had an affair with a very wealthy man, she realized that she could take the easy road through life. She later changed her name to Nerissa, which means dark hair, and began her life of philandering. I know this all because it's been told to me like a bedtime story all my life."
She gave him another piercing look.
"I come from a long line of those who walked the streets. It was tradition on my 15th birthday that I would be, um, introduced and then I would start my job. I wanted nothing to do with my family, my mother, my aunts, my grandmother, who I believe is still walking out there, and will continue to do so until the day she is unable to get out of bed."
All sorts of graphic images filled Nick's mind, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"So I ran away, and Mafilda took me on. I've worked here for six years now."
She looked at him.
"That's me, my whole history at your disposal."
He gave her hand another squeeze.
"I see nothing wrong dear, you are not who you were born, but who you live to be," he said softly, kissing her hand.
She smiled and looked out of the window, night had fallen and she was exhausted.
"If you please Nick, I could use some rest."
"Of course dear," he gave her hand a final kiss as he rose, "Good night," he said as he turned to go, but when he turned to give her one last look, he found her fast asleep.
Nearly Headless Nick's Story
Chapter 8
Leila awoke in bed some hours later, in the early evening, in a state of severe shock. She lay there shaking for a good five minutes before she realized she was not alone in the room. She sat up with a start to see Mafilda and Nick sitting in chairs by her bed.
"What are YOU doing here?" Leila snapped tartly at Nick.
"Perhaps you don't remember dear," Mafilda said with a hint of a smile toying with her lips, "But this fine man here near saved your life this morning."
Nick smiled sheepishly.
"Right." said Leila faintly, falling back into her pillow.
Mafilda looked at the two of them as Nick stared at Leila and Leila looked everywhere but at Nick himself.
"Well' Mafilda said as she determined that these two could use a little push in the right direction, "I better go, I've got dinner on the stove.
Leila sniffed for the telltale smell of burning, but.
"Mafilda," said Leila sniffing once again, "There's nothing on the stove."
"Then I better get started," said Mafilda, rising to go.
"Let me help you," said Leila, starting to rise herself.
"No!" Mafilda commanded.
Leila fell back on the bed in surprise.
"Then let me be of assistance Madam!" declared Nick, sweeping into a graceful bow.
"No," snapped Mafilda once more, "You!" she said pointing at Leila, "Stay in bed, and you!" she said pointing at Nick, "Stay with her."
With that she stormed out of the room, and bustled down the stairs, smiling to herself.
Leila and Nick looked at the door and then at each other.
Leila fidgeted uncomfortably and cleared her throat.
"Thank you for saving my life Sir Nico- I mean, Nick."
Nick grinned broadly. "Now that you seem to know my name, it's about time I knew yours miss," Nick said, inclining his head in a sort of half bow.
Leila looked at him for a moment and then managed a weak smile.
"Leila," she said slowly, "My name is Leila."
"Leila," Nick murmured softly, "It suits you."
"No!" Leila's eyes filled with tears, "My mother hoped it would suit me!"
She turned from him as though hurt.
Nick was greatly puzzled by this, but since it was obvious that this particular subject caused her a great deal of pain, he thought it better to just leave it.
"Leila," Nick said kindly, not corny, not fake, but with genuine affection, as he took her hands in his, "Everything I've ever said to you, it's all been true dear."
Leila gave him a swift piercing look.
"You don't even know me," she muttered looking out of the window.
"I know my dear," Nick looked her straight in the eyes, her beautiful piercing blue eyes, "But more than anything I would like to."
He gave her hand a little squeeze.
She looked at him for a long while then finally-
"Are you sure?"
Nick gave her a glowing look.
"Yes, I've never been more sure."
"You are ready to listen, and understand?"
"Always," he said with another look into her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
"Alright, it all starts when I left home to get away from my family," she looked at him as though daring him to say anything, "I know that doesn't seem all that shocking, I'm sure everyone wants to get away. But in my family there were only two things that were important, the traditional family names, and the "family business."
She paused.
"You may or may not know it, but the name Leila means darkness, my mother's name was Ciearra which means black, and my grandmother's name was Ebony, which means "darkest wood" and so on and so forth. I know for a fact that none of the men in my family have similar names, at least I doubt it, for none of them ever met."
She drew a deep breath, and continued.
"Ever since my great-great grandmother Fabia," she smiled slightly, "Which means bean grower, had an affair with a very wealthy man, she realized that she could take the easy road through life. She later changed her name to Nerissa, which means dark hair, and began her life of philandering. I know this all because it's been told to me like a bedtime story all my life."
She gave him another piercing look.
"I come from a long line of those who walked the streets. It was tradition on my 15th birthday that I would be, um, introduced and then I would start my job. I wanted nothing to do with my family, my mother, my aunts, my grandmother, who I believe is still walking out there, and will continue to do so until the day she is unable to get out of bed."
All sorts of graphic images filled Nick's mind, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"So I ran away, and Mafilda took me on. I've worked here for six years now."
She looked at him.
"That's me, my whole history at your disposal."
He gave her hand another squeeze.
"I see nothing wrong dear, you are not who you were born, but who you live to be," he said softly, kissing her hand.
She smiled and looked out of the window, night had fallen and she was exhausted.
"If you please Nick, I could use some rest."
"Of course dear," he gave her hand a final kiss as he rose, "Good night," he said as he turned to go, but when he turned to give her one last look, he found her fast asleep.
