Chapter 4
A/N: Hey. I'm *so* sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy with family, and then ff.net wasn't working, and everything has been crazy. So, I hope this is ok…
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
~Dream Sequence~
"If I kill them, I kill the line. There will be no threat, and I will be able to purge the world of those filthy mudbloods. . ."
He was after her son, and her if she resisted. Of course she would. But she had to get him out. He was her only memory of the happiness she and Jonathon used to have. . . She spared a glance towards the horizon, and saw that she had very little time. The sun was almost set.
She burst through the door, and started yelling up the stairs. "Leon! Get packed and get out, now!!" Her 15 year old son nearly ran his mother over running out of his room. "What is it? What's happening?" he asked frantically. She was never panicked. His normally calm, cool mother was rushing around his bed-room, grabbing clothes and other precious items, throwing them into a small traveling bag. "You have to leave. I don't know where you'll go, but just get out." Facing him, she framed his face with her palms, and he saw tears start to fall from her grey eyes, eyes that mirrored his own. "Mother, what is it?" he asked her. She took a deep breath, and told him, "He's after you. You have to get out. Don't ask questions, just go. I love you, and so did your father. It was why he left. . . The amulet. Keep it, and don't take it off. It's a family heirloom, give it to your firstborn. Promise me, Leon, promise me that you'll go somewhere safe!!"
He looked at her, the only family he had, and saw the urgency in her face. "I promise, but I don't understand. . ." They both jumped at the sound of the door crashing in. "Go!!," she urged him, pushing him towards the back door. Remembering something, she reached in the closet by the door, and pulled out a silvery bundle. Unfolding it, she threw it over Leon. "It was your father's Invisibility Cloak. Use it well," she whispered, and pushed him outside. Shutting the door firmly, still crying, she turned to face the certain death that now awaited her.
~End Dream Sequence~
James woke up when something solid hit him in the stomach. "Holy shit," he muttered, still half asleep. Forcing himself to focus, he saw that it was Lily, thrashing around in her sleep. ~That makes no sense,~ he thought. ~She took a Dreamless Sleep Potion, yet she's dreaming. That's not normal . . .~ It hit him then that she couldn't wake up because the potion was still in her system. Thinking fast, he grabbed his wand. Pointing it at Lily, he whispered, "Ennervate," under his breath.
Lily woke up gasping, like she'd just finished running a long distance. ~This isn't my room, or my bed!~ she thought frantically. Then she saw James leaning over her, with concern etched into every line of his face. "Where am I?" she asked him groggily. "Gryffindor Tower, in my bed," he answered. "Lily, are you okay? What happened?" She sat up straight, and almost screamed, "I'm in *your* bed? What does that mean?"
"It was here or the common room. I figured people would ask to many questions if you had slept downstairs." Tactfully, he avoided mentioning he had slept beside her. ~And a wonderfully peaceful sleep it was, too.~ he thought, but didn't say anything. "Lily, I want you to go see Dumbledore about these dreams. They aren't normal." She lifted her chin in defense, and shook her head.
"Please Lily. Madame Darcy gave you a Dreamless Sleep potion, yet you still dreamed. Do you remember it?" Fear skittered across her face. ~What's happening to me?~ she thought. "Yes, I remember it, but I wont go see Dumbledore." James let out a frustrated breath. "Please Lily? At least for my peace of mind." He was prepared to carry her there, but suppressed that urge. Lily looked at him, and saw that he was serious. "I really don't want to, but . . . I'll go."
James jumped up and grabbed her hand. "Thank you. Come on," he said, and pulled her out of the room. They almost collided with Remus and Sirius, who were looking for James. Sirius saw Lily, and grinned maliciously. James saw the look on his friends face, and stopped him before things got out of hand. "No, Sirius, we didn't do anything you would've done." And pulled Lily down the stairs and out of the common room.
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When they reached the stone gargoyle, James encountered an obstacle in his master- plan. "Lily," he asked, "Do you know the password?" A wave of hope rolled over Lily. If they couldn't get in, she didn't have to tell…
"It's 'coconut rum'," Dumbledore said from behind them. ~Damn it all to hell and back again!!~ Lily thought, barely containing a groan of frustration. James caught the look of despair and grinned at her. Gripping her hand firmly, he told the Headmaster, "Lily needs to tell you something. We didn't know the password. Obviously." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with warm amusement. "Well then, let's go up, unless you prefer to discuss this out here in the corridor."
Lily panicked at the very suggestion. James wisely swallowed a chuckle, and replied, "In your office, Headmaster. I think Lily would prefer it." Lily shot him a glare that would have curdled sour milk. They followed Professor Dumbledore up the stairs to his office- where even James, who had been there countless time before to discuss detention- couldn't help but look around at the odd assortment of gadgets that whirled and whizzed comfortably.
Lily, who had never been to the Headmasters office, being the quiet and withdrawn person she was, blushed when the professor said, "Sit down, Lily, and tell me what's on your mind." She sat, albeit stiffly. Feeling like a cornered rabbit, she stared at her hands, which were twisting nervously in her lap. ~Why am I so nervous? ~ she thought frantically. ~They're just dreams! ~
~That's the point, ~ the little voice in her mind chose to say at that moment.
~But it's *Dumbledore*! He doesn't get annoyed, angry or upset at *anyone*! ~ she argued back.
~Yet you hate being stupid or foolish more than anything, almost. You're afraid you might mess up . . . or that something worse might come of this . . .~
~Mess up in front of *who*, might I ask? And what could come of *dreams*? ~
~You might mess up in front of . . . James? ~ The little voice said tauntingly.
~No! He's the one who dragged me here in the first place! He . . .~ she trailed off.
~Ha! There you go. You're in denial. But they're staring, so shut up and tell them, for Merlin's sake! ~
They were. Dumbledore was looking at her with a quiet patience, and James with concern. ~Why's this so hard for her? ~ he wondered. ~They aren't normal dreams. If they were, then she wouldn't have had that last one. And Dumbledore can help, not to mention he doesn't bite. ~ Despite these reasons, her shoulders were tense, and her face pale. She looked tired and seemed to be having an internal battle.
After a little hesitation, he decided he would risk utmost humiliation. ~For her sake. . . and she looks like she needs it.~ 'It' was a shoulder massage. He stood up and walked behind her. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "Relax. It's only Dumbledore. And you said so yourself that they were only dreams. Tell him." She didn't want to relax, but he was so damn *good* at what he was doing, and it was so soothing . . .
Catching herself before she started to lean against him, Lily took a deep breath, and started to tell her Headmaster about her dreams, the startling clarity of them, and everything besides. The whole time, James stood behind her, a comforting and supportive presence, his hands resting on her shoulders. When she finally finished, the tension in her body released, and she leaned back in her chair, breathing deeply. James knelt beside her, asking, "Are you okay?" She smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine. Just really, really tired. I'm deprived of sleep, remember?" He chuckled, and gently tickled her. She giggled and shoved his hand away. All with her eyes closed. ~I wish she'd open them, ~ he thought. ~I love looking at them. They're such a dark, deep green. ~
Turning to the Professor, he asked, "So . . .?" He didn't like that look. Not *at all*. It was worried, and a little confused. "I think I need to call Professor Kena. She knows more about this than I do." James glanced at Dumbledore, and Lily furrowed her brows, but didn't open her eyes. The Professor stood and walked to the fire. Throwing in a glittery green powder, he stuck his head in, yelling, "Professor Kena!" James almost choked on his laughter. Nudging Lily, he managed to get her to open her eyes, ~Those beautiful emerald eyes, ~ and pointed at the fireplace. Her eyes lit with genuine laughter. Professor Dumbledore, bent over, with his hands on his knees, his head in the fire. *That* was definitely a sight to see. (A/N: Are you picturing this like I am? I find it hilariously funny . . . lol.)
The two students heard a muffled exchange of words, and then Dumbledore pulled his head out. "Give her 15 minutes. Then we'll talk." He was apparently oblivious to the amusement of his students. "In the meantime, let's talk about your duties as Head Boy and Girl. I was going to summon you tomorrow, but now is as good as then, right?" Both James and Lily were under control now, and paid close attention. "You'll be given Hall duties. Patrol the corridors between 10:30 and 11:00. You can get the prefects to help you." Dumbledore paused, and then went on. "I want you two to plan something for Christmas, and Halloween if you like. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, come to me. You'll both be given the password to my office, and will be notified when I change it. Understood?" They nodded, processing and storing the information. "Good. If you want, you can call a meeting with the prefects, but that is your concern."
They lapsed into silence, James and Lily thinking over ideas and stuff. The two teens jumped at the quiet voice of their Ancient Runes teacher. "You wanted to see me, Professor Dumbledore?" He smiled at her, and offered her a seat. "Yes, Evelien You know more about this type of thing than I do. Lily here," Dumbledore said, motioning towards the confused redhead, "Is having strange dreams. James says that a Dreamless Sleep Potion didn't stop Lily from having the dream. I have a theory, but I want your opinion first." The woman nodded, and thought for a minute.
Lily studied her teacher. Professor Kena wasn't your normal witch or wizard. In fact, she couldn't do magic with a wand as the other teachers could. She didn't brew potions the way the students were taught, if she bothered to brew them at all. Evelien Kena was a wood-elf. As Lily looked at her, she saw what she usually did. Clear blue eyes that seemed to suck you into their depths, a straight, small nose, elegant ears tipped with a sharp point, surrounded by long, straight dark brown hair. She was a beautiful creature, tall, graceful, and fair-skinned. She knew much about old languages, for she was immortal, as are all elves. The wisdom, intelligence, and kindness in her eyes always showed, but at the moment they were also thoughtful.
"Lily, could you tell me about your dreams? You don't have to explain the dream itself, but tell me what makes it stand out." Lily understood. "For one, I always remember them with such incredible detail, and the details don't fade. When I wake up, I always feel like my emotions have been intensified, and it takes a while to go away. For a time after I wake up, it's like I'm half in the dream world, and half in reality. And I know things, things I shouldn't know and have never in any way come across before, like the name of a person, or the color of a sleeping person's eyes. And it always keeps me up because I'm afraid to go back to sleep."
It wasn't as hard as it was with Dumbledore, she noted. Almost as if she and the Professor were sharing a well known fact of life. "Interesting . . ." Professor Kena murmured in her soft voice. "Do you ever have strong emotions before a big event, or for no reason at all, and in the end that feeling was, shall we say, right?" Lily thought for a minute, and then said, "No, I don't think so. But I always seem to be having de javu. A lot." ~Where'd that come from? ~ she thought. "Hmmm. . . Very interesting." Kena murmured once again. She had a theory as well, and a way of proving it.
"Lily, I'm going to give you something, for the moment, and I want you to just look at it. Don't think about it, just look at it and study it." Lily looked at her, surprised and confused, when the elf pulled a chain from under her robes. On it dangled a small, beautiful charm. It was a combination of a moon, sun, and a raindrop. A circular disk, the outer edge made of gold inlaid with rubies in the shape of a sun's rays. The other half was a sickle moon, made of opal. In the space between was a sapphire drop shaped like a raindrop, surrounded by gold. It was a beautiful piece. (A/N: I hope you can picture this. I drew it out for me, and I described it as best I could.)
Lily took it, laying it gently on her palm, and studied it intently. So intently she looked almost in a trance. James reached for her, but Professor Kena gave him a sharp glance and he relented. Lily was mesmerized; not thinking of anything, yet noticing the way the opal seemed to blend perfectly with the gold, as did the ruby and sapphire. Like the tides on a beach, things in the room started to fade, then come back again. As she continued to gaze at the pendant, she felt like she was being sucked into someplace new, and far away. Into a completely different time zone. And she saw . . .
~Vision~
A fire crackled merrily in the hearth. A family of three sat at a table eating dinner, when a knock sounded on the door. The man, a handsome elf dressed in darks greens and grays, got up to answer it. The woman continued to eat, but the child look distracted, staring at her plate and not moving. When she snapped out of her trance, she started crying. Getting up, she ran to her father, who was just walking back in, the smile wiped off his face and the laughter gone from his eyes. "Ada, don't go!! Please don't go. Stay here with naneth and me!" she sobbed, clinging to him like a burr. "Selde, I have to. They need my help. How did you know I have to leave, anyway?" he asked, but she didn't answer. Instead, she gripped him tighter, still begging him not to leave.
"Be safe, Lenwea," she murmured to him. Kissing her gently, he told her, "Don't worry, I will be fine, wherever I go. All my love, Enelya." He gently pried his daughter off his leg. "Orelendea, what's gotten into you? You know I must go." She sobbed into his chest. "You won't come back, you won't come back . . ." she muttered. "Of course I will. Here," he said pulling out a necklace from under his tunic. "I was going to give this to you when you were older, but . . ." He would be the last to admit it, but this didn't feel right, going off now. But he had to. Slipping the pendant over her head, he told her, "My mother gave it to me. It's a family heirloom. It's for protection, and most of all love. I love you, my little aara." Hugging her tightly, he slipped out the door. As he looked back, he saw his beloved wife standing in the doorway, watching him, holding his crying daughter to her chest.
Like water still, something pulled Lily out of there, too another scene . . .
They stood there, the little elven child and her elven mother, both wearing long gowns of a deep, deep green with dark cloaks. The expressions they wore were identical: utter grief, as if the sun itself had been snuffed out. They were standing in the river, knee deep in the water. As they stood there, crying silent tears, they watched as the body of the loving husband and father floated downstream. Watching her father slip farther away from her every second, the little girl pulled out the pendant. It was the second to last thing he had given her, almost as precious as his last gift. Almost. His last gift had been unconditional love. Gripping the pendant tightly, as if it might bring him back, she whispered, "It's all my fault . . ." and burst into tears.
She was being tugged away. The last thing clear thing she saw was the elf- child kneeling in the water, her face in her hands as her heart was ripped to pieces.
Then she was back. From where? That was the problem. She had no idea.
The Headmasters office was there, solid and real. She could still hear the sobs, feel the grief, and wasn't sure what the hell was going on. Looking around, she saw Professor Dumbledore gazing at her with worry clear in his eyes, Professor Kena with a sad and understanding look. And holding James back. Before she could ask a single question, James was wrapping her in a hug so tight it would've knocked the breath from her lungs, if she had any left.
"Are you okay? You were in a trace, and went all limp and distant . . . Jesus, Lily!! You scared the life out of me!! What happened?" As she looked at him, it all caught up with her. The intense grief, the confusion, the sympathy for the little elf- child, it all hit her at once, as if it had been a delayed reaction. Lily burst into tears of her own and buried her face in James' chest. ~Whatever it was, it must've been really bad. She's crying harder than she was the night in the Astronomy Tower . . . Which I'll never forget, ~ he thought, holding her close, and murmuring quiet comforts into her ear. Kissing the top of her head, he rocked her as he might have rocked a child, and she wept powerful tears, letting it all go.
Eventually, Lily ran out of tears, and her sobs receded to quiet sniffles. ~God, I'm so tired . . .~ she thought, snuggling closer to James. ~And he's so warm and comfortable, too. ~ That little voice in her head snickered and said, ~Ha ha, told ya so!! He he he! ~ She mentally shoved it aside and thought angrily, ~Just shut up! ~ Sighing, she realized they were still in Dumbledore's office, with two professors. She was too tired and confused to care what she said or did at the moment.
"Okay, what the *hell* just happened?" she asked, handing the pendant back to her Professor. James' arms were now loosely clasped around her waist, and his chin rested on her hair. He too was tired, and didn't notice the intimacy of his and Lily's position. However, the professors did. Kena was quiet and seemed distracted, but then her eyes focused, and she smiled knowingly at the two teenagers, unknowingly wrapped around each other. "Well, Lily, I was hoping you could tell me. Start from the beginning." Lily sighed, and thought, ~I should have seen this coming. ~
She told Kena everything. Cried out, and tired beyond belief, she only shed a few tears as she spilled the story. Leaning against James for support, which he willingly gave, she came within a nanometer (A/N: What the hell is that?) of closing her eyes, when she saw the tears streaming down Professor Kena's pale cheeks. Tensing, she asked, "What's wrong? What did I do?" Inhaling slowly, then letting the breath out, Evelien stemmed the flow of tears, and stood.
"It's has nothing to do with you, Lily." Staring into the fire, she continued. "I know that scene. I know it intimately. Of course I do," she said quietly. "How could I not? After all, I lived it, and it's one of the most prominent memories of my life." Falling into silence, the wise, yet still young elf thought of how things would turn out. It could go so many different ways . . .
It took a few seconds to sink in. But sink in it did. "You *what*"???" James and Lily yelled in unison, and then lapsed into a shocked silence. Turning to face Lily, Evelien said, "I was that little elf-child. It was me, me who clung to my father's leg when I was but a hundred years old, begging him to stay at home where it was safe. Me who was standing in the river, blaming myself for something I thought I could have changed. All me. The woman was my mother, who died five years later from grief." She said it with such fierce emotion, that Lily leaned back. Her tone softening, Evelien said, "That was when I found out what I was, and started learning to control some aspects of it. It's both a burden and a blessing."
Cautiously, Lily asked, "Found out you were a *what*, exactly?" Smiling grimly, Evelien Kena looked Lily in the eye, and told her, "Found out I was a Melwasul. Do you know what that is?" When Lily simply shook her head, she continued. "'Melwasul' is Elvish for 'Seer of the Future'. We are not like your normal Seers. We do not have the 'Inner Sight', as your Divination professor would call it. We have a gift. It's a vision, and you have no control over what you See, how you See it, or when you See it. There's very little you can control. We feel the emotions that are running through the hearts of the people we See. But Melwasul never have their visions through dreams."
"Rare we are, as most Melwasul are elves, and few are born with the gift. But there is another out there, even rarer than my kind."
Lily did *not* like where this was heading.
"What are you saying?" she asked, but Professor Kena wasn't looking at her anymore. "You said you had a theory, Professor Dumbledore. May I ask what it was?" Kena asked the Headmaster, who nodded. "I thought that Miss Evans was a Seer, or a Melwasul." Kena nodded, and asked, "Do you know of what I speak, when I say that there is another out there?" Looking at the Ancient Runes teacher curiously, he answered, "No, I can't say that I do."
"Lily Evans, you haven't had a dream since all this began. Not a real one." Unconsciously, Lily leaned further into James, who unconsciously tightened his grip on her. Evelien continued. "They have all been visions. But, as I said, Melwasul do not have visions in dream-form." She went into another trance, as she saw how the two held each other, and smiled again. "A Melwasul you are not," she started, looking at Lily intently.
"But a Calaelen you are."
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A/N: It's done, it's done, it's done. . . I can't *believe* it took me so long to get this out. But, here it is!! A wonderful thanks to my reviewers, who have all been very encouraging. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Agloechen, who e-mailed me about this chapter, and badgered me until I got my butt into gear. So, everyone who's been waiting for this chapter needs to thank her. I sure do. Oh, and BTW, it's 5:00 am over here. I've been at this chapter for *five freaking hours*!!!!
I'd like to say I've already got half of chapter 5 in my head, so hopefully it will be out soon.
Something else . . . I did a spelling and grammar check, but I'm so freaking tired, and my sister isn't here to edit the chapter for me, so if you see any mistakes, then I'm sincerely sorry for it. I could use a beta reader. Any offers? E-mail me if you don't mind.
Keep reviewing!!!
Andufeniel
A/N: Hey. I'm *so* sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy with family, and then ff.net wasn't working, and everything has been crazy. So, I hope this is ok…
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
~Dream Sequence~
"If I kill them, I kill the line. There will be no threat, and I will be able to purge the world of those filthy mudbloods. . ."
He was after her son, and her if she resisted. Of course she would. But she had to get him out. He was her only memory of the happiness she and Jonathon used to have. . . She spared a glance towards the horizon, and saw that she had very little time. The sun was almost set.
She burst through the door, and started yelling up the stairs. "Leon! Get packed and get out, now!!" Her 15 year old son nearly ran his mother over running out of his room. "What is it? What's happening?" he asked frantically. She was never panicked. His normally calm, cool mother was rushing around his bed-room, grabbing clothes and other precious items, throwing them into a small traveling bag. "You have to leave. I don't know where you'll go, but just get out." Facing him, she framed his face with her palms, and he saw tears start to fall from her grey eyes, eyes that mirrored his own. "Mother, what is it?" he asked her. She took a deep breath, and told him, "He's after you. You have to get out. Don't ask questions, just go. I love you, and so did your father. It was why he left. . . The amulet. Keep it, and don't take it off. It's a family heirloom, give it to your firstborn. Promise me, Leon, promise me that you'll go somewhere safe!!"
He looked at her, the only family he had, and saw the urgency in her face. "I promise, but I don't understand. . ." They both jumped at the sound of the door crashing in. "Go!!," she urged him, pushing him towards the back door. Remembering something, she reached in the closet by the door, and pulled out a silvery bundle. Unfolding it, she threw it over Leon. "It was your father's Invisibility Cloak. Use it well," she whispered, and pushed him outside. Shutting the door firmly, still crying, she turned to face the certain death that now awaited her.
~End Dream Sequence~
James woke up when something solid hit him in the stomach. "Holy shit," he muttered, still half asleep. Forcing himself to focus, he saw that it was Lily, thrashing around in her sleep. ~That makes no sense,~ he thought. ~She took a Dreamless Sleep Potion, yet she's dreaming. That's not normal . . .~ It hit him then that she couldn't wake up because the potion was still in her system. Thinking fast, he grabbed his wand. Pointing it at Lily, he whispered, "Ennervate," under his breath.
Lily woke up gasping, like she'd just finished running a long distance. ~This isn't my room, or my bed!~ she thought frantically. Then she saw James leaning over her, with concern etched into every line of his face. "Where am I?" she asked him groggily. "Gryffindor Tower, in my bed," he answered. "Lily, are you okay? What happened?" She sat up straight, and almost screamed, "I'm in *your* bed? What does that mean?"
"It was here or the common room. I figured people would ask to many questions if you had slept downstairs." Tactfully, he avoided mentioning he had slept beside her. ~And a wonderfully peaceful sleep it was, too.~ he thought, but didn't say anything. "Lily, I want you to go see Dumbledore about these dreams. They aren't normal." She lifted her chin in defense, and shook her head.
"Please Lily. Madame Darcy gave you a Dreamless Sleep potion, yet you still dreamed. Do you remember it?" Fear skittered across her face. ~What's happening to me?~ she thought. "Yes, I remember it, but I wont go see Dumbledore." James let out a frustrated breath. "Please Lily? At least for my peace of mind." He was prepared to carry her there, but suppressed that urge. Lily looked at him, and saw that he was serious. "I really don't want to, but . . . I'll go."
James jumped up and grabbed her hand. "Thank you. Come on," he said, and pulled her out of the room. They almost collided with Remus and Sirius, who were looking for James. Sirius saw Lily, and grinned maliciously. James saw the look on his friends face, and stopped him before things got out of hand. "No, Sirius, we didn't do anything you would've done." And pulled Lily down the stairs and out of the common room.
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When they reached the stone gargoyle, James encountered an obstacle in his master- plan. "Lily," he asked, "Do you know the password?" A wave of hope rolled over Lily. If they couldn't get in, she didn't have to tell…
"It's 'coconut rum'," Dumbledore said from behind them. ~Damn it all to hell and back again!!~ Lily thought, barely containing a groan of frustration. James caught the look of despair and grinned at her. Gripping her hand firmly, he told the Headmaster, "Lily needs to tell you something. We didn't know the password. Obviously." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with warm amusement. "Well then, let's go up, unless you prefer to discuss this out here in the corridor."
Lily panicked at the very suggestion. James wisely swallowed a chuckle, and replied, "In your office, Headmaster. I think Lily would prefer it." Lily shot him a glare that would have curdled sour milk. They followed Professor Dumbledore up the stairs to his office- where even James, who had been there countless time before to discuss detention- couldn't help but look around at the odd assortment of gadgets that whirled and whizzed comfortably.
Lily, who had never been to the Headmasters office, being the quiet and withdrawn person she was, blushed when the professor said, "Sit down, Lily, and tell me what's on your mind." She sat, albeit stiffly. Feeling like a cornered rabbit, she stared at her hands, which were twisting nervously in her lap. ~Why am I so nervous? ~ she thought frantically. ~They're just dreams! ~
~That's the point, ~ the little voice in her mind chose to say at that moment.
~But it's *Dumbledore*! He doesn't get annoyed, angry or upset at *anyone*! ~ she argued back.
~Yet you hate being stupid or foolish more than anything, almost. You're afraid you might mess up . . . or that something worse might come of this . . .~
~Mess up in front of *who*, might I ask? And what could come of *dreams*? ~
~You might mess up in front of . . . James? ~ The little voice said tauntingly.
~No! He's the one who dragged me here in the first place! He . . .~ she trailed off.
~Ha! There you go. You're in denial. But they're staring, so shut up and tell them, for Merlin's sake! ~
They were. Dumbledore was looking at her with a quiet patience, and James with concern. ~Why's this so hard for her? ~ he wondered. ~They aren't normal dreams. If they were, then she wouldn't have had that last one. And Dumbledore can help, not to mention he doesn't bite. ~ Despite these reasons, her shoulders were tense, and her face pale. She looked tired and seemed to be having an internal battle.
After a little hesitation, he decided he would risk utmost humiliation. ~For her sake. . . and she looks like she needs it.~ 'It' was a shoulder massage. He stood up and walked behind her. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "Relax. It's only Dumbledore. And you said so yourself that they were only dreams. Tell him." She didn't want to relax, but he was so damn *good* at what he was doing, and it was so soothing . . .
Catching herself before she started to lean against him, Lily took a deep breath, and started to tell her Headmaster about her dreams, the startling clarity of them, and everything besides. The whole time, James stood behind her, a comforting and supportive presence, his hands resting on her shoulders. When she finally finished, the tension in her body released, and she leaned back in her chair, breathing deeply. James knelt beside her, asking, "Are you okay?" She smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine. Just really, really tired. I'm deprived of sleep, remember?" He chuckled, and gently tickled her. She giggled and shoved his hand away. All with her eyes closed. ~I wish she'd open them, ~ he thought. ~I love looking at them. They're such a dark, deep green. ~
Turning to the Professor, he asked, "So . . .?" He didn't like that look. Not *at all*. It was worried, and a little confused. "I think I need to call Professor Kena. She knows more about this than I do." James glanced at Dumbledore, and Lily furrowed her brows, but didn't open her eyes. The Professor stood and walked to the fire. Throwing in a glittery green powder, he stuck his head in, yelling, "Professor Kena!" James almost choked on his laughter. Nudging Lily, he managed to get her to open her eyes, ~Those beautiful emerald eyes, ~ and pointed at the fireplace. Her eyes lit with genuine laughter. Professor Dumbledore, bent over, with his hands on his knees, his head in the fire. *That* was definitely a sight to see. (A/N: Are you picturing this like I am? I find it hilariously funny . . . lol.)
The two students heard a muffled exchange of words, and then Dumbledore pulled his head out. "Give her 15 minutes. Then we'll talk." He was apparently oblivious to the amusement of his students. "In the meantime, let's talk about your duties as Head Boy and Girl. I was going to summon you tomorrow, but now is as good as then, right?" Both James and Lily were under control now, and paid close attention. "You'll be given Hall duties. Patrol the corridors between 10:30 and 11:00. You can get the prefects to help you." Dumbledore paused, and then went on. "I want you two to plan something for Christmas, and Halloween if you like. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, come to me. You'll both be given the password to my office, and will be notified when I change it. Understood?" They nodded, processing and storing the information. "Good. If you want, you can call a meeting with the prefects, but that is your concern."
They lapsed into silence, James and Lily thinking over ideas and stuff. The two teens jumped at the quiet voice of their Ancient Runes teacher. "You wanted to see me, Professor Dumbledore?" He smiled at her, and offered her a seat. "Yes, Evelien You know more about this type of thing than I do. Lily here," Dumbledore said, motioning towards the confused redhead, "Is having strange dreams. James says that a Dreamless Sleep Potion didn't stop Lily from having the dream. I have a theory, but I want your opinion first." The woman nodded, and thought for a minute.
Lily studied her teacher. Professor Kena wasn't your normal witch or wizard. In fact, she couldn't do magic with a wand as the other teachers could. She didn't brew potions the way the students were taught, if she bothered to brew them at all. Evelien Kena was a wood-elf. As Lily looked at her, she saw what she usually did. Clear blue eyes that seemed to suck you into their depths, a straight, small nose, elegant ears tipped with a sharp point, surrounded by long, straight dark brown hair. She was a beautiful creature, tall, graceful, and fair-skinned. She knew much about old languages, for she was immortal, as are all elves. The wisdom, intelligence, and kindness in her eyes always showed, but at the moment they were also thoughtful.
"Lily, could you tell me about your dreams? You don't have to explain the dream itself, but tell me what makes it stand out." Lily understood. "For one, I always remember them with such incredible detail, and the details don't fade. When I wake up, I always feel like my emotions have been intensified, and it takes a while to go away. For a time after I wake up, it's like I'm half in the dream world, and half in reality. And I know things, things I shouldn't know and have never in any way come across before, like the name of a person, or the color of a sleeping person's eyes. And it always keeps me up because I'm afraid to go back to sleep."
It wasn't as hard as it was with Dumbledore, she noted. Almost as if she and the Professor were sharing a well known fact of life. "Interesting . . ." Professor Kena murmured in her soft voice. "Do you ever have strong emotions before a big event, or for no reason at all, and in the end that feeling was, shall we say, right?" Lily thought for a minute, and then said, "No, I don't think so. But I always seem to be having de javu. A lot." ~Where'd that come from? ~ she thought. "Hmmm. . . Very interesting." Kena murmured once again. She had a theory as well, and a way of proving it.
"Lily, I'm going to give you something, for the moment, and I want you to just look at it. Don't think about it, just look at it and study it." Lily looked at her, surprised and confused, when the elf pulled a chain from under her robes. On it dangled a small, beautiful charm. It was a combination of a moon, sun, and a raindrop. A circular disk, the outer edge made of gold inlaid with rubies in the shape of a sun's rays. The other half was a sickle moon, made of opal. In the space between was a sapphire drop shaped like a raindrop, surrounded by gold. It was a beautiful piece. (A/N: I hope you can picture this. I drew it out for me, and I described it as best I could.)
Lily took it, laying it gently on her palm, and studied it intently. So intently she looked almost in a trance. James reached for her, but Professor Kena gave him a sharp glance and he relented. Lily was mesmerized; not thinking of anything, yet noticing the way the opal seemed to blend perfectly with the gold, as did the ruby and sapphire. Like the tides on a beach, things in the room started to fade, then come back again. As she continued to gaze at the pendant, she felt like she was being sucked into someplace new, and far away. Into a completely different time zone. And she saw . . .
~Vision~
A fire crackled merrily in the hearth. A family of three sat at a table eating dinner, when a knock sounded on the door. The man, a handsome elf dressed in darks greens and grays, got up to answer it. The woman continued to eat, but the child look distracted, staring at her plate and not moving. When she snapped out of her trance, she started crying. Getting up, she ran to her father, who was just walking back in, the smile wiped off his face and the laughter gone from his eyes. "Ada, don't go!! Please don't go. Stay here with naneth and me!" she sobbed, clinging to him like a burr. "Selde, I have to. They need my help. How did you know I have to leave, anyway?" he asked, but she didn't answer. Instead, she gripped him tighter, still begging him not to leave.
"Be safe, Lenwea," she murmured to him. Kissing her gently, he told her, "Don't worry, I will be fine, wherever I go. All my love, Enelya." He gently pried his daughter off his leg. "Orelendea, what's gotten into you? You know I must go." She sobbed into his chest. "You won't come back, you won't come back . . ." she muttered. "Of course I will. Here," he said pulling out a necklace from under his tunic. "I was going to give this to you when you were older, but . . ." He would be the last to admit it, but this didn't feel right, going off now. But he had to. Slipping the pendant over her head, he told her, "My mother gave it to me. It's a family heirloom. It's for protection, and most of all love. I love you, my little aara." Hugging her tightly, he slipped out the door. As he looked back, he saw his beloved wife standing in the doorway, watching him, holding his crying daughter to her chest.
Like water still, something pulled Lily out of there, too another scene . . .
They stood there, the little elven child and her elven mother, both wearing long gowns of a deep, deep green with dark cloaks. The expressions they wore were identical: utter grief, as if the sun itself had been snuffed out. They were standing in the river, knee deep in the water. As they stood there, crying silent tears, they watched as the body of the loving husband and father floated downstream. Watching her father slip farther away from her every second, the little girl pulled out the pendant. It was the second to last thing he had given her, almost as precious as his last gift. Almost. His last gift had been unconditional love. Gripping the pendant tightly, as if it might bring him back, she whispered, "It's all my fault . . ." and burst into tears.
She was being tugged away. The last thing clear thing she saw was the elf- child kneeling in the water, her face in her hands as her heart was ripped to pieces.
Then she was back. From where? That was the problem. She had no idea.
The Headmasters office was there, solid and real. She could still hear the sobs, feel the grief, and wasn't sure what the hell was going on. Looking around, she saw Professor Dumbledore gazing at her with worry clear in his eyes, Professor Kena with a sad and understanding look. And holding James back. Before she could ask a single question, James was wrapping her in a hug so tight it would've knocked the breath from her lungs, if she had any left.
"Are you okay? You were in a trace, and went all limp and distant . . . Jesus, Lily!! You scared the life out of me!! What happened?" As she looked at him, it all caught up with her. The intense grief, the confusion, the sympathy for the little elf- child, it all hit her at once, as if it had been a delayed reaction. Lily burst into tears of her own and buried her face in James' chest. ~Whatever it was, it must've been really bad. She's crying harder than she was the night in the Astronomy Tower . . . Which I'll never forget, ~ he thought, holding her close, and murmuring quiet comforts into her ear. Kissing the top of her head, he rocked her as he might have rocked a child, and she wept powerful tears, letting it all go.
Eventually, Lily ran out of tears, and her sobs receded to quiet sniffles. ~God, I'm so tired . . .~ she thought, snuggling closer to James. ~And he's so warm and comfortable, too. ~ That little voice in her head snickered and said, ~Ha ha, told ya so!! He he he! ~ She mentally shoved it aside and thought angrily, ~Just shut up! ~ Sighing, she realized they were still in Dumbledore's office, with two professors. She was too tired and confused to care what she said or did at the moment.
"Okay, what the *hell* just happened?" she asked, handing the pendant back to her Professor. James' arms were now loosely clasped around her waist, and his chin rested on her hair. He too was tired, and didn't notice the intimacy of his and Lily's position. However, the professors did. Kena was quiet and seemed distracted, but then her eyes focused, and she smiled knowingly at the two teenagers, unknowingly wrapped around each other. "Well, Lily, I was hoping you could tell me. Start from the beginning." Lily sighed, and thought, ~I should have seen this coming. ~
She told Kena everything. Cried out, and tired beyond belief, she only shed a few tears as she spilled the story. Leaning against James for support, which he willingly gave, she came within a nanometer (A/N: What the hell is that?) of closing her eyes, when she saw the tears streaming down Professor Kena's pale cheeks. Tensing, she asked, "What's wrong? What did I do?" Inhaling slowly, then letting the breath out, Evelien stemmed the flow of tears, and stood.
"It's has nothing to do with you, Lily." Staring into the fire, she continued. "I know that scene. I know it intimately. Of course I do," she said quietly. "How could I not? After all, I lived it, and it's one of the most prominent memories of my life." Falling into silence, the wise, yet still young elf thought of how things would turn out. It could go so many different ways . . .
It took a few seconds to sink in. But sink in it did. "You *what*"???" James and Lily yelled in unison, and then lapsed into a shocked silence. Turning to face Lily, Evelien said, "I was that little elf-child. It was me, me who clung to my father's leg when I was but a hundred years old, begging him to stay at home where it was safe. Me who was standing in the river, blaming myself for something I thought I could have changed. All me. The woman was my mother, who died five years later from grief." She said it with such fierce emotion, that Lily leaned back. Her tone softening, Evelien said, "That was when I found out what I was, and started learning to control some aspects of it. It's both a burden and a blessing."
Cautiously, Lily asked, "Found out you were a *what*, exactly?" Smiling grimly, Evelien Kena looked Lily in the eye, and told her, "Found out I was a Melwasul. Do you know what that is?" When Lily simply shook her head, she continued. "'Melwasul' is Elvish for 'Seer of the Future'. We are not like your normal Seers. We do not have the 'Inner Sight', as your Divination professor would call it. We have a gift. It's a vision, and you have no control over what you See, how you See it, or when you See it. There's very little you can control. We feel the emotions that are running through the hearts of the people we See. But Melwasul never have their visions through dreams."
"Rare we are, as most Melwasul are elves, and few are born with the gift. But there is another out there, even rarer than my kind."
Lily did *not* like where this was heading.
"What are you saying?" she asked, but Professor Kena wasn't looking at her anymore. "You said you had a theory, Professor Dumbledore. May I ask what it was?" Kena asked the Headmaster, who nodded. "I thought that Miss Evans was a Seer, or a Melwasul." Kena nodded, and asked, "Do you know of what I speak, when I say that there is another out there?" Looking at the Ancient Runes teacher curiously, he answered, "No, I can't say that I do."
"Lily Evans, you haven't had a dream since all this began. Not a real one." Unconsciously, Lily leaned further into James, who unconsciously tightened his grip on her. Evelien continued. "They have all been visions. But, as I said, Melwasul do not have visions in dream-form." She went into another trance, as she saw how the two held each other, and smiled again. "A Melwasul you are not," she started, looking at Lily intently.
"But a Calaelen you are."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: It's done, it's done, it's done. . . I can't *believe* it took me so long to get this out. But, here it is!! A wonderful thanks to my reviewers, who have all been very encouraging. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Agloechen, who e-mailed me about this chapter, and badgered me until I got my butt into gear. So, everyone who's been waiting for this chapter needs to thank her. I sure do. Oh, and BTW, it's 5:00 am over here. I've been at this chapter for *five freaking hours*!!!!
I'd like to say I've already got half of chapter 5 in my head, so hopefully it will be out soon.
Something else . . . I did a spelling and grammar check, but I'm so freaking tired, and my sister isn't here to edit the chapter for me, so if you see any mistakes, then I'm sincerely sorry for it. I could use a beta reader. Any offers? E-mail me if you don't mind.
Keep reviewing!!!
Andufeniel