Chapter Two.
The first thing Miranda became aware of is that she was standing. That was strange, she had thought she was blacking out, and expected to be lying down when she awoke. How could she still be standing up? Afraid to open her eyes yet, she could still see flickering lights through her eyelids. She briefly wondered if the storm had finally knocked out the electricity and Sylvia had been forced to using candles.
She heard some softly speaking voices, and was somewhat embarrassed to think that some other customers had come in to the shop and would see her standing there with her eyes closed. She decided to get brave and open her eyes, after all, the dizziness and other strange feelings seemed to have passed.
Upon opening her eyes, she was met with the most bizarre sight. There were about a dozen people staring at her with a mixture expressions ranging from fear to concern. Most amazing of all was that each one was dressed more strangely than the next. Her first thought was that perhaps Sylvia had found more clothing in the trunk and had forced other customers to don them. But no, there could not have been time for that. She was thoroughly confused now. The people were wearing an assortment of clothing, long gowns on the women, and strange old-fashioned suits on the men. They were all wearing an odd piece of clothing over their other clothes. It resembled a cloak, or some sort of robe? And quite of few of them were wearing weirdly shaped hats.
Then she noticed that she was not even standing in the shop anymore. She was standing in a large room, with a high ceiling and thick stone walls. There was comfortable looking furniture scattered around the room, and old carpets on the floor. There was a rather large fireplace centered in wall to her right. It crackled and gave off a strong aroma of burning wood. The room was lit by candlelight, only candlelight she realized. The candles caused the dimly lit room to flicker and made it, and the people in it, look that much more surreal.
Miranda's first thought was that she must be dreaming. Or perhaps when she had blacked out, she had fallen and hit her head. Yes, that would explain why she was now standing in a room full of strangely dressed people, who looked at her as if she were about to eat them.
Slowly, one of the people began to move towards her. He looked to be the oldest person in the room, sporting a very long white beard and hair. He wore long purple robes, and a matching hat.
"Hello, my dear. Welcome to Hogwarts. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
Miranda was nonplussed. She had no idea what to say to this kindly looking old man. Something strange was going on. She had never felt like this in any of her dreams before. It seemed so real. She could feel the heat of the fireplace, she could smell the wax from the burning candles. By now the old man had reached her side, and stood gazing curiously down at her. She didn't know what she was doing, but without thinking she had reached down and picked up the end of the man's long beard. She guessed she had wanted to feel it, to see if it felt real. It did feel real. She heard more murmers from the people scattered around the room. They were all still staring at her, waiting for her to do something. She just didn't know what. She dropped the man's beard, and looked up at him.
"Are you alright?" Asked the old man. He seemed to be the spokesman for the group.
"I don't know" Miranda sighed. "I think I may have blacked out, and you are all a figment of my imagination."
"And what were you doing before you 'blacked out'? Do you remember?" he asked quietly, as if he was trying not to frighten her.
"I was in my friends antique shop, and I had just tried on this gown. Oh, and then she made me try on this strange looking bracelet, and I felt like I was falling and then I was here." Miranda knew that wouldn't make much sense, but didn't really care at that point. After all, if they were all in her dream, what did it matter.
The old man reached out and gently pulled her wrists to him. He released her left arm after he ascertained there was no bracelet on it. Then he looked more closely at her right wrist. The bracelet shone brightly in the firelight. He turned the bracelet and examined the clasp very closely, a frown beginning to form on his face.
"Severus, you should look at this." The old man was looking past her shoulder and to her right.
Up until that point Miranda was not aware there was anyone behind her. She gasped and turned quickly, right into the solid chest of a tall, dark man. She looked up into the darkest pair of eyes she had ever seen. They were like glittering black jewels, and staring at her intensely. Everything was dark about this man. He had black hair that he wore long and straight, down to his shoulders. He was dressed all in black and Miranda could feel a dark power emanating from him. His face was all angles, no softness there. He frightened her.
He reached out to clasp her by the shoulders, and just the touch of his hands was enough to do what nothing else had so far been able to do. She fainted.
The first thing Miranda became aware of is that she was standing. That was strange, she had thought she was blacking out, and expected to be lying down when she awoke. How could she still be standing up? Afraid to open her eyes yet, she could still see flickering lights through her eyelids. She briefly wondered if the storm had finally knocked out the electricity and Sylvia had been forced to using candles.
She heard some softly speaking voices, and was somewhat embarrassed to think that some other customers had come in to the shop and would see her standing there with her eyes closed. She decided to get brave and open her eyes, after all, the dizziness and other strange feelings seemed to have passed.
Upon opening her eyes, she was met with the most bizarre sight. There were about a dozen people staring at her with a mixture expressions ranging from fear to concern. Most amazing of all was that each one was dressed more strangely than the next. Her first thought was that perhaps Sylvia had found more clothing in the trunk and had forced other customers to don them. But no, there could not have been time for that. She was thoroughly confused now. The people were wearing an assortment of clothing, long gowns on the women, and strange old-fashioned suits on the men. They were all wearing an odd piece of clothing over their other clothes. It resembled a cloak, or some sort of robe? And quite of few of them were wearing weirdly shaped hats.
Then she noticed that she was not even standing in the shop anymore. She was standing in a large room, with a high ceiling and thick stone walls. There was comfortable looking furniture scattered around the room, and old carpets on the floor. There was a rather large fireplace centered in wall to her right. It crackled and gave off a strong aroma of burning wood. The room was lit by candlelight, only candlelight she realized. The candles caused the dimly lit room to flicker and made it, and the people in it, look that much more surreal.
Miranda's first thought was that she must be dreaming. Or perhaps when she had blacked out, she had fallen and hit her head. Yes, that would explain why she was now standing in a room full of strangely dressed people, who looked at her as if she were about to eat them.
Slowly, one of the people began to move towards her. He looked to be the oldest person in the room, sporting a very long white beard and hair. He wore long purple robes, and a matching hat.
"Hello, my dear. Welcome to Hogwarts. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
Miranda was nonplussed. She had no idea what to say to this kindly looking old man. Something strange was going on. She had never felt like this in any of her dreams before. It seemed so real. She could feel the heat of the fireplace, she could smell the wax from the burning candles. By now the old man had reached her side, and stood gazing curiously down at her. She didn't know what she was doing, but without thinking she had reached down and picked up the end of the man's long beard. She guessed she had wanted to feel it, to see if it felt real. It did feel real. She heard more murmers from the people scattered around the room. They were all still staring at her, waiting for her to do something. She just didn't know what. She dropped the man's beard, and looked up at him.
"Are you alright?" Asked the old man. He seemed to be the spokesman for the group.
"I don't know" Miranda sighed. "I think I may have blacked out, and you are all a figment of my imagination."
"And what were you doing before you 'blacked out'? Do you remember?" he asked quietly, as if he was trying not to frighten her.
"I was in my friends antique shop, and I had just tried on this gown. Oh, and then she made me try on this strange looking bracelet, and I felt like I was falling and then I was here." Miranda knew that wouldn't make much sense, but didn't really care at that point. After all, if they were all in her dream, what did it matter.
The old man reached out and gently pulled her wrists to him. He released her left arm after he ascertained there was no bracelet on it. Then he looked more closely at her right wrist. The bracelet shone brightly in the firelight. He turned the bracelet and examined the clasp very closely, a frown beginning to form on his face.
"Severus, you should look at this." The old man was looking past her shoulder and to her right.
Up until that point Miranda was not aware there was anyone behind her. She gasped and turned quickly, right into the solid chest of a tall, dark man. She looked up into the darkest pair of eyes she had ever seen. They were like glittering black jewels, and staring at her intensely. Everything was dark about this man. He had black hair that he wore long and straight, down to his shoulders. He was dressed all in black and Miranda could feel a dark power emanating from him. His face was all angles, no softness there. He frightened her.
He reached out to clasp her by the shoulders, and just the touch of his hands was enough to do what nothing else had so far been able to do. She fainted.
