Sanity and Insanity
This chapter was written by Xela Lupe and edited by Nestrik and Sihaya
Chapter Four
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
"We'd better land now," Alastor tossed a glance over his shoulder at Alastriana. She was looking rather green. Alastor knew that she couldn't fly. She hadn't learned young enough and by the time she reached America she'd had no intention of ever learning. Later they'd found that she had horrible motion sickness and it was lucky that she'd never learned to begin with. So, she was sitting on the back of Chris's broom and trying desperately not to think about the way her legs were dangling.
"Lass? You're face is starting to match that thing on your head," Ciorstaidh looked concerned as they began their descent. She'd never seen Alastriana look this bad. She wondered for a moment if Alastriana was going to throw up on her brother's boyfriend. As they touched down, Alastriana made a beeline for some curious looking bushes. Chris followed her slowly.
Alastor looked at Casidhe and Ciorstaidh. "They'll be back in a minute."
"I wonder if she had any of that gay pride cereal." Ciorstaidh mused.
"That wasn't cereal. Or at least it hadn't been for a few months. Chris isn't too great at throwing things out."
Chris saw Alastriana straighten and offered her a mint. She cringed and said quietly. "No, I think I'm ready to go. I'm all right."
"Is it always that bad?"
"When I know that I'm going to have to go on a long trip I normally take potions for several weeks beforehand."
"Ah."
"So, Chris, how much do you know about me? I imagine Alastor must talk about me a bit."
"Your full name is Alastriana Niamh Diana Dubhcana. You're actually a little less than seventeen years old. Your birthday is next month. Your favorite colors are brown and green. You like to garden. You love to read-"
"God, does my brother ever talk about anyone else?"
"He loves you very much. I hoped. I hoped we could be friends. Because. I sort of intend to be around for a long time."
"I'd like it too. It's just. I was a little surprised. Very surprised. Put yourself in my shoes."
"I'd rather not. From what Alastor's told me, things have been pretty tough for you."
Alastriana smiled sadly. "We ought to get back over there. Casidhe and Ciorstaidh are going to worry. "
"He also said you had a problem showing your feelings."
"Who, me? I'm open. Way open. I'm as open as a hooker at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!"
"All. right then."
"Hey, Lass- you sure you're not going to puke on the Headmaster?" Ciorstaidh rolled his eyes at her. "One for the melodrama."
Alastriana rolled her eyes and started walking toward the school. Casidhe caught up with her after a minute. "Are you talking to your brother yet?"
"Of course I am. I was talking to him last night. Anyhow, we're probably going to be staying with them for a while. Like. the rest of the summer. God, I should visit the kids. Make sure mum's remembering to feed them."
"Has she.?"
"She's normally good about it. My younger brother, Gavroche, has taken my place, apparently. In his last letter he told me that everyone was OK and I'm inclined to believe him."
"Gavroche? Where the hell does your mom get those names?"
"I named him. Les Miserables. I was about ten at the time. He's seven."
"And he's taking care of everyone?"
"Yeah. Poor kid." There wasn't much pity in Alastriana's voice. Casidhe didn't know how old she was when she was put in charge of the children. but it was likely that she'd been changing diapers since she was in diapers herself.
They entered the Headmaster's office and Ciorstaidh's fingers immediately started twitching. There were so many things and they were all just so shiny.
"If Dumbledore catches you nicking things, I know we won't be invited to stay. And we need this. At least I do."
Alastor had a few quiet words with the old wizard at the desk and then grabbed Alastriana by the arm, figuring that she'd be the best one to show off- unless Professor Dumbledore had a secret fascination with the arts of lock-picking and gum snapping.
"My sister, Alastriana, is a brilliant potions master."
"What's that on her head?"
"A hat," Alastriana hissed, "thank you."
"She's sane. follows rules for the most part and-"
"I'm housebroken," Alastriana added. Then, rolling her eyes she added, "take me! I'm yours!"
The headmaster laughed and shook Alastriana's hand. At the sound of breaking glass he cleared his throat and murmured, "The other two?"
"Theyhearvoicesandsetthingsonfire. but other than that they're great girls," Alastor grimaced. He just knew that he'd be stuck with the girls for ages.
"We go as a set or not at all," Alastriana added loyally, her chin lifted defiantly.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Why are you no longer going to school in America?"
"Because there is no longer a school in America," Casidhe butted in.
"Hey! There's a school. It's just. a bit. dented."
Chris cleared his throat. "Headmaster, these girls have no place to go. For the most part, they're exemplary students. and please don't leave them with us forever. I may die."
"Us?"
"Chris is. my roommate."
"Literally," Ciorstaidh inserted helpfully. "They share rooms. And in every sense of the word."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Is there something I ought to know?"
"No. nothing. They're just splitting the rent," Alastriana said frantically.
Chris smiled at Alastriana.
"I may be old. but I am neither stupid nor blind. Nor am I in any way judging either of you. But do not lie to me. It rarely works."
Alastriana smiled nervously, she was shaking from head to foot. "Are we in?"
"I suppose we have room for three more."
"Thank you so much!" Alastriana practically threw herself at the Headmaster. He patted her on the head and said, "we don't normally take transfers. Our last set In fact was. thirty years ago. They is a reason for that. and I'm sure you'll figure out what it is once you start here. Most of the children have been going to school together for many years."
"I'm not so good with people. I don't see myself being a terrible distraction."
"And the other two?"
"You can't rescind your offer, right?"
"Alas, no."
"Professor Dumbledore, sir, this place is never going to be the same."
With that, Alastriana Dubhcana grabbed her coat and started for the door.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
"We'd better land now," Alastor tossed a glance over his shoulder at Alastriana. She was looking rather green. Alastor knew that she couldn't fly. She hadn't learned young enough and by the time she reached America she'd had no intention of ever learning. Later they'd found that she had horrible motion sickness and it was lucky that she'd never learned to begin with. So, she was sitting on the back of Chris's broom and trying desperately not to think about the way her legs were dangling.
"Lass? You're face is starting to match that thing on your head," Ciorstaidh looked concerned as they began their descent. She'd never seen Alastriana look this bad. She wondered for a moment if Alastriana was going to throw up on her brother's boyfriend. As they touched down, Alastriana made a beeline for some curious looking bushes. Chris followed her slowly.
Alastor looked at Casidhe and Ciorstaidh. "They'll be back in a minute."
"I wonder if she had any of that gay pride cereal." Ciorstaidh mused.
"That wasn't cereal. Or at least it hadn't been for a few months. Chris isn't too great at throwing things out."
Chris saw Alastriana straighten and offered her a mint. She cringed and said quietly. "No, I think I'm ready to go. I'm all right."
"Is it always that bad?"
"When I know that I'm going to have to go on a long trip I normally take potions for several weeks beforehand."
"Ah."
"So, Chris, how much do you know about me? I imagine Alastor must talk about me a bit."
"Your full name is Alastriana Niamh Diana Dubhcana. You're actually a little less than seventeen years old. Your birthday is next month. Your favorite colors are brown and green. You like to garden. You love to read-"
"God, does my brother ever talk about anyone else?"
"He loves you very much. I hoped. I hoped we could be friends. Because. I sort of intend to be around for a long time."
"I'd like it too. It's just. I was a little surprised. Very surprised. Put yourself in my shoes."
"I'd rather not. From what Alastor's told me, things have been pretty tough for you."
Alastriana smiled sadly. "We ought to get back over there. Casidhe and Ciorstaidh are going to worry. "
"He also said you had a problem showing your feelings."
"Who, me? I'm open. Way open. I'm as open as a hooker at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!"
"All. right then."
"Hey, Lass- you sure you're not going to puke on the Headmaster?" Ciorstaidh rolled his eyes at her. "One for the melodrama."
Alastriana rolled her eyes and started walking toward the school. Casidhe caught up with her after a minute. "Are you talking to your brother yet?"
"Of course I am. I was talking to him last night. Anyhow, we're probably going to be staying with them for a while. Like. the rest of the summer. God, I should visit the kids. Make sure mum's remembering to feed them."
"Has she.?"
"She's normally good about it. My younger brother, Gavroche, has taken my place, apparently. In his last letter he told me that everyone was OK and I'm inclined to believe him."
"Gavroche? Where the hell does your mom get those names?"
"I named him. Les Miserables. I was about ten at the time. He's seven."
"And he's taking care of everyone?"
"Yeah. Poor kid." There wasn't much pity in Alastriana's voice. Casidhe didn't know how old she was when she was put in charge of the children. but it was likely that she'd been changing diapers since she was in diapers herself.
They entered the Headmaster's office and Ciorstaidh's fingers immediately started twitching. There were so many things and they were all just so shiny.
"If Dumbledore catches you nicking things, I know we won't be invited to stay. And we need this. At least I do."
Alastor had a few quiet words with the old wizard at the desk and then grabbed Alastriana by the arm, figuring that she'd be the best one to show off- unless Professor Dumbledore had a secret fascination with the arts of lock-picking and gum snapping.
"My sister, Alastriana, is a brilliant potions master."
"What's that on her head?"
"A hat," Alastriana hissed, "thank you."
"She's sane. follows rules for the most part and-"
"I'm housebroken," Alastriana added. Then, rolling her eyes she added, "take me! I'm yours!"
The headmaster laughed and shook Alastriana's hand. At the sound of breaking glass he cleared his throat and murmured, "The other two?"
"Theyhearvoicesandsetthingsonfire. but other than that they're great girls," Alastor grimaced. He just knew that he'd be stuck with the girls for ages.
"We go as a set or not at all," Alastriana added loyally, her chin lifted defiantly.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Why are you no longer going to school in America?"
"Because there is no longer a school in America," Casidhe butted in.
"Hey! There's a school. It's just. a bit. dented."
Chris cleared his throat. "Headmaster, these girls have no place to go. For the most part, they're exemplary students. and please don't leave them with us forever. I may die."
"Us?"
"Chris is. my roommate."
"Literally," Ciorstaidh inserted helpfully. "They share rooms. And in every sense of the word."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Is there something I ought to know?"
"No. nothing. They're just splitting the rent," Alastriana said frantically.
Chris smiled at Alastriana.
"I may be old. but I am neither stupid nor blind. Nor am I in any way judging either of you. But do not lie to me. It rarely works."
Alastriana smiled nervously, she was shaking from head to foot. "Are we in?"
"I suppose we have room for three more."
"Thank you so much!" Alastriana practically threw herself at the Headmaster. He patted her on the head and said, "we don't normally take transfers. Our last set In fact was. thirty years ago. They is a reason for that. and I'm sure you'll figure out what it is once you start here. Most of the children have been going to school together for many years."
"I'm not so good with people. I don't see myself being a terrible distraction."
"And the other two?"
"You can't rescind your offer, right?"
"Alas, no."
"Professor Dumbledore, sir, this place is never going to be the same."
With that, Alastriana Dubhcana grabbed her coat and started for the door.