Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But however, I do own Ashley and Nick, who are my characters.
Rating: PG13 for later chapters
A/N: This fic might have a little supernatural in it.I'm not sure where it's gonna come in.but it will be there.and since there are only two genre spaces.I'm putting it here
I woke up, I guess the next morning. Assuming there was still morning and night in this place. Got dressed, as is I'd fallen asleep in the same clothes I'd died in. (That's still creepy to think about)
I looked out my window. No one had quite told me how this would work.with the mirrors it was saying a name. With windows? Who knows? I looked down, and was surprised to see that the lawn had disappeared. Instead it was a loooooooooooooooong way down. I was thoroughly glad by window was closed, otherwise I probably would have fallen out.
I saw his house. I think it was his at least, I'd only ever been near his house, once, in the dead of the night. That's when I scared the life out of him.well.not the life of course.but you get the idea.
It was almost as if someone had wiped the roof away, cause I could suddenly see inside the house. He was sitting, writing a letter. His owl was flying around his room. That annoying aunt and uncle of his didn't seem to be there.
He finished the letter, and tied it to the owl's leg. I wondered if I was ever going to be able to hear him. Maybe this job didn't incorporate voices. I listened, or at least tried to. I couldn't hear very well. I knew I should have asked Fred and George about those Extendable Ears, I thought bitterly. I managed to make out the words "Ron" and "Before Friday".
What was he going to do before Friday?!
Not that I could do much about it. I was up here, and he was down there. Actually, I never asked whether I could go down.as kind of a guardian angel. That might be easier than straining to hear, and attempting not to fall out of windows.
I got up. Enough with the very high window. Now I knew why there were so many telescopes here. At least that was easier than fearing for your.your what? And inner voice taunted me. Your.death? It had a good point. But even so, I was pretty sure that falling out of a window would NOT be my cup of tea.
I walked back to the main area. Another person would step through the arched doorway every once in awhile, to a crowd of people waiting for them. It made me wonder.why was I alone when I got here? Lily and James met me later.but when I first arrived.?
I walked over to an open telescope. And, amazingly, even though I was pointed in the complete opposite direction from where I was in my room, I could see him. He was walking along a road, alone. He'd made it to a park. He was swinging.I could be here for days. Oh, believe me, he's my godson, and I care for him.but do I have to do this 24/7?
Considering I had this and other questions.I figured I should find that Nick guy again. That might help a bit.
I turned away from the telescope. I walked over to what seemed to be a front desk and asked, "Where can I find Nick?". I knew it was hopeless.there had to be a thousand "Nick"s in this room alone. But the woman at the desk seemed to know who I was talking about.
"Go down that hallway-" she pointed behind her, at a hallway that had just appeared-"and it's the second door on the right."
"Thanks," I said, and turned away. I'd once heard somewhere that you knew you were in trouble, when you were told to go down the hall and turn to the right. AS I turned around, I saw a woman with blonde hair, and grey eyes appear through the archway. She was beautiful.and she looked slightly confused.
And, I noticed, she didn't have a big welcoming party.like me.
She looked around. Maybe she didn't know she was dead? It was a possibility. I knew I was dying as it happened.I could feel it. But what if you died instantly.would you feel it?
She walked up to me.
"Hi, I'm Ashley Monroe. Um.not to be rude or anything.but where am I.and what happened?"
"Hi, I'm Sirius Black. You're not being rude.I just got here yesterday. This might come as a shock-it did for me at least-but this is heaven. And I'm not exactly sure how you died."
Her eyes went wide. "Excuse me.?" she said weakly. "I'm DEAD?!"
He voice had become very strong all of a sudden.
"Yeah. All of us are here. That's why this is heaven."
"So.like.I'm not living.?"
"Not down there, you're not." She looked about read to faint.
"Look, I'm going to see my friend-or maybe he's my boss?-Nick. He'll know what's going to happen. As I've said.I've only been here a day."
She nodded. Her eyes were still extremely wide. I led her down the hall to Nick's office. There seemed to be a bell of some sort, so I rang it, and we were admitted.
"Hello Sirius. Hello Ashley. I see you two have met."
"Yeah," I said, "Um.I had a question, and she just got here and is in a state of shock.so we decided to come to you."
It felt weird saying that. It's been awhile since I've had to depend on somebody else.or ask someone for help for that matter. I've always been pretty independent.plus I'd gotten used to Harry always coming to me whenever he needed to ask something
"Well.Ashley, since you look close to a second death, we'll start with you. First, I assume, you want to know how exactly, you died."
She nodded, and looked a little freaked out that Nick knew what she wanted to know. And a phrase he'd spoken in there creeped me out a bit.
"Well, you were flying, and you lost control of the broom and you fell off. You did an impressive dive for about 500ft or so, and then you hit concrete. POW!" this was all included with his hands motioning her falling and then hitting the concrete.
"Must you be so graphic?" she said, gulping.
I was suddenly glad Nick did not have to describe my death. I could almost hear it now.
"You were dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, and then she threw a curse at you, and it hit you WHAMO! right in the chest. You fell and then slid through the curtain."
Nick smiled. "We all have a mission here, though. You can ask Sirius here about those. He's had his for a day now-"
"Actually-" I interrupted. "That's what I have a question about." "Well, fire away, because she might have the same questions."
Was it me, or was Nick in a more cheerful mood today?
"Well.I was wondering. Do I have to watch him every second of the day? And what about listening to him? And um." I broke off for a second.this would be the hardest to ask. "What-could-if-Is there a way that I could watch him from down there?"
"Every second of the day? No. Only when you want to, or if you feel like something is wrong.believe me, when something is you'll KNOW. You can hear him, yes, that just takes practice, and if you mean, could you be like a guardian angel and visit him down there for awhile."
He paused. I waited, nervously, and shook hair out of my eyes.
"Yes.but not for long. You have to come up here again.you are only allowed to be down there for two hours at a time."
I nodded.
Ashley kept looking from me to him like she was watching a Quidditch player fly back and forth across the field.
"What's my mission?" she said.
She was definitely a lot more accepting that I was. I flipped out yesterday, when I found out about the missions. And you'd think she'd be more shaken up, as is she just found out she died, and I knew I had.
"You're mission is the same a Sirius's. That's why I was happy that you two had met. Of course, I knew it was going to happen.but I was still happy. You, Ashley, will have the mission of watching over someone, as he is. Only you will be watching over his best friend, Ronald Weasley."
That was good.I'd be spending a lot of time with Ashley it seemed.
"Sirius?" Nick said.
"Yes?" "Was there anything else?"
This guy was weird.he must have been a seer or something in his past life.
"What did you mean by 'second death'?"
"You know.dying here.again."
"We can die AGAIN?!" my voice had gone strangely high pitched, almost strangled. Could you blame me? Dying was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.why would I want it to happen again? Beside me Ashley had gone even more pale than she had been before, if that was possible. She looked like she was going to faint again.
Nick smiled at our reactions. "Just be careful, and you'll be fine."
Ashley and I looked at each other. Both of us agreed that was somewhat of a dismissal. We turned to go. Nick stopped us.
"Sirius?"
We both turned back.
"Yes?"
He tossed me a key, and I managed to catch it.
"Take her to her room, you should find it quite easily."
I nodded. How the hell was I supposed to find her room.when I wasn't sure I could make it back to mine?
But the door of Nick's office had closed, and we were standing in the main hall again. I walked down the hallway that I'd come out of this morning. I looked at the numbers on the rooms. 1154.1155.1156. I stopped there. I looked at the key in my hand. Engraved in the metal on it was 1157. Struck on an inspiration I stuck my hand in my pocket. Besides the mirror, there was a key in there. How it got there.well.probably Nick only knows. The number on my key was 1156.
We were right next to each other.
I must have stared at the two keys in my hand for awhile, because Ashley tapped me on the shoulder.
"Sirius?"
I jumped, and looked at her, questioning. She gestured to the keys.
"Oh! Right!"
I opened the door to her room. She yawned.
"Tired?"
"A little"
"I was to when I first found out. It takes a lot out of you."
"No.REALLY?!" she said, in mock surprise.
I gave her a look. And she walked in.
"I'm going to sleep.'Night Sirius see ya tomorrow!" she said.trying to sound bright and cheery.
"Night Ash." I answered, and she pulled the door shut.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But however, I do own Ashley and Nick, who are my characters.
Rating: PG13 for later chapters
A/N: This fic might have a little supernatural in it.I'm not sure where it's gonna come in.but it will be there.and since there are only two genre spaces.I'm putting it here
I woke up, I guess the next morning. Assuming there was still morning and night in this place. Got dressed, as is I'd fallen asleep in the same clothes I'd died in. (That's still creepy to think about)
I looked out my window. No one had quite told me how this would work.with the mirrors it was saying a name. With windows? Who knows? I looked down, and was surprised to see that the lawn had disappeared. Instead it was a loooooooooooooooong way down. I was thoroughly glad by window was closed, otherwise I probably would have fallen out.
I saw his house. I think it was his at least, I'd only ever been near his house, once, in the dead of the night. That's when I scared the life out of him.well.not the life of course.but you get the idea.
It was almost as if someone had wiped the roof away, cause I could suddenly see inside the house. He was sitting, writing a letter. His owl was flying around his room. That annoying aunt and uncle of his didn't seem to be there.
He finished the letter, and tied it to the owl's leg. I wondered if I was ever going to be able to hear him. Maybe this job didn't incorporate voices. I listened, or at least tried to. I couldn't hear very well. I knew I should have asked Fred and George about those Extendable Ears, I thought bitterly. I managed to make out the words "Ron" and "Before Friday".
What was he going to do before Friday?!
Not that I could do much about it. I was up here, and he was down there. Actually, I never asked whether I could go down.as kind of a guardian angel. That might be easier than straining to hear, and attempting not to fall out of windows.
I got up. Enough with the very high window. Now I knew why there were so many telescopes here. At least that was easier than fearing for your.your what? And inner voice taunted me. Your.death? It had a good point. But even so, I was pretty sure that falling out of a window would NOT be my cup of tea.
I walked back to the main area. Another person would step through the arched doorway every once in awhile, to a crowd of people waiting for them. It made me wonder.why was I alone when I got here? Lily and James met me later.but when I first arrived.?
I walked over to an open telescope. And, amazingly, even though I was pointed in the complete opposite direction from where I was in my room, I could see him. He was walking along a road, alone. He'd made it to a park. He was swinging.I could be here for days. Oh, believe me, he's my godson, and I care for him.but do I have to do this 24/7?
Considering I had this and other questions.I figured I should find that Nick guy again. That might help a bit.
I turned away from the telescope. I walked over to what seemed to be a front desk and asked, "Where can I find Nick?". I knew it was hopeless.there had to be a thousand "Nick"s in this room alone. But the woman at the desk seemed to know who I was talking about.
"Go down that hallway-" she pointed behind her, at a hallway that had just appeared-"and it's the second door on the right."
"Thanks," I said, and turned away. I'd once heard somewhere that you knew you were in trouble, when you were told to go down the hall and turn to the right. AS I turned around, I saw a woman with blonde hair, and grey eyes appear through the archway. She was beautiful.and she looked slightly confused.
And, I noticed, she didn't have a big welcoming party.like me.
She looked around. Maybe she didn't know she was dead? It was a possibility. I knew I was dying as it happened.I could feel it. But what if you died instantly.would you feel it?
She walked up to me.
"Hi, I'm Ashley Monroe. Um.not to be rude or anything.but where am I.and what happened?"
"Hi, I'm Sirius Black. You're not being rude.I just got here yesterday. This might come as a shock-it did for me at least-but this is heaven. And I'm not exactly sure how you died."
Her eyes went wide. "Excuse me.?" she said weakly. "I'm DEAD?!"
He voice had become very strong all of a sudden.
"Yeah. All of us are here. That's why this is heaven."
"So.like.I'm not living.?"
"Not down there, you're not." She looked about read to faint.
"Look, I'm going to see my friend-or maybe he's my boss?-Nick. He'll know what's going to happen. As I've said.I've only been here a day."
She nodded. Her eyes were still extremely wide. I led her down the hall to Nick's office. There seemed to be a bell of some sort, so I rang it, and we were admitted.
"Hello Sirius. Hello Ashley. I see you two have met."
"Yeah," I said, "Um.I had a question, and she just got here and is in a state of shock.so we decided to come to you."
It felt weird saying that. It's been awhile since I've had to depend on somebody else.or ask someone for help for that matter. I've always been pretty independent.plus I'd gotten used to Harry always coming to me whenever he needed to ask something
"Well.Ashley, since you look close to a second death, we'll start with you. First, I assume, you want to know how exactly, you died."
She nodded, and looked a little freaked out that Nick knew what she wanted to know. And a phrase he'd spoken in there creeped me out a bit.
"Well, you were flying, and you lost control of the broom and you fell off. You did an impressive dive for about 500ft or so, and then you hit concrete. POW!" this was all included with his hands motioning her falling and then hitting the concrete.
"Must you be so graphic?" she said, gulping.
I was suddenly glad Nick did not have to describe my death. I could almost hear it now.
"You were dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, and then she threw a curse at you, and it hit you WHAMO! right in the chest. You fell and then slid through the curtain."
Nick smiled. "We all have a mission here, though. You can ask Sirius here about those. He's had his for a day now-"
"Actually-" I interrupted. "That's what I have a question about." "Well, fire away, because she might have the same questions."
Was it me, or was Nick in a more cheerful mood today?
"Well.I was wondering. Do I have to watch him every second of the day? And what about listening to him? And um." I broke off for a second.this would be the hardest to ask. "What-could-if-Is there a way that I could watch him from down there?"
"Every second of the day? No. Only when you want to, or if you feel like something is wrong.believe me, when something is you'll KNOW. You can hear him, yes, that just takes practice, and if you mean, could you be like a guardian angel and visit him down there for awhile."
He paused. I waited, nervously, and shook hair out of my eyes.
"Yes.but not for long. You have to come up here again.you are only allowed to be down there for two hours at a time."
I nodded.
Ashley kept looking from me to him like she was watching a Quidditch player fly back and forth across the field.
"What's my mission?" she said.
She was definitely a lot more accepting that I was. I flipped out yesterday, when I found out about the missions. And you'd think she'd be more shaken up, as is she just found out she died, and I knew I had.
"You're mission is the same a Sirius's. That's why I was happy that you two had met. Of course, I knew it was going to happen.but I was still happy. You, Ashley, will have the mission of watching over someone, as he is. Only you will be watching over his best friend, Ronald Weasley."
That was good.I'd be spending a lot of time with Ashley it seemed.
"Sirius?" Nick said.
"Yes?" "Was there anything else?"
This guy was weird.he must have been a seer or something in his past life.
"What did you mean by 'second death'?"
"You know.dying here.again."
"We can die AGAIN?!" my voice had gone strangely high pitched, almost strangled. Could you blame me? Dying was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.why would I want it to happen again? Beside me Ashley had gone even more pale than she had been before, if that was possible. She looked like she was going to faint again.
Nick smiled at our reactions. "Just be careful, and you'll be fine."
Ashley and I looked at each other. Both of us agreed that was somewhat of a dismissal. We turned to go. Nick stopped us.
"Sirius?"
We both turned back.
"Yes?"
He tossed me a key, and I managed to catch it.
"Take her to her room, you should find it quite easily."
I nodded. How the hell was I supposed to find her room.when I wasn't sure I could make it back to mine?
But the door of Nick's office had closed, and we were standing in the main hall again. I walked down the hallway that I'd come out of this morning. I looked at the numbers on the rooms. 1154.1155.1156. I stopped there. I looked at the key in my hand. Engraved in the metal on it was 1157. Struck on an inspiration I stuck my hand in my pocket. Besides the mirror, there was a key in there. How it got there.well.probably Nick only knows. The number on my key was 1156.
We were right next to each other.
I must have stared at the two keys in my hand for awhile, because Ashley tapped me on the shoulder.
"Sirius?"
I jumped, and looked at her, questioning. She gestured to the keys.
"Oh! Right!"
I opened the door to her room. She yawned.
"Tired?"
"A little"
"I was to when I first found out. It takes a lot out of you."
"No.REALLY?!" she said, in mock surprise.
I gave her a look. And she walked in.
"I'm going to sleep.'Night Sirius see ya tomorrow!" she said.trying to sound bright and cheery.
"Night Ash." I answered, and she pulled the door shut.