Dead Ends
Isis sat looking dejectedly at the letter before her. It had been a week since they has first begun having the nightmares, and they had not had
a single nights rest since. Each night they were plagued with more and more horrible images, each night worse than the night before.
She had been sitting in the dining hall since dawn trying to finish a letter to her mother. She looked over the letter for the hundredth time since
she finished it. She was debating if she should write about what had been happening to herself and Darian. She knew that her mother would
want to know, but she also knew that she would react badly and probably want them to come to Willowridge with her. She stared at the parchment
until the words started to blur together. A noise shook her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Darian walking up to her. There wasn't a
bounce in her step, or a mischievous look in her eyes. Darian looked like a former shell of her normal person. "Hey," she said as she sat down.
Isis looked at her, she figured that she looked as tired and worn as Darian did, she just didn't want to think about it. Food appeared before Darian
and she picked up her fork. She didn't inhale her food as usual, instead she just played with her eggs. "What are you doing," she asked without
looking up at Isis. "I'm writing to mom," Isis answered. Without a word Darian picked up the letter and quickly read over it. She placed it back in
front of Darian and continued to pick at her food. "You're not going to mention what has been going on?" Isis looked at the letter and then back to
her sister. "No, I didn't think it was wise, you know what she would do." "Wonder if father has written to her yet?" asked Darian. "I'm not sure,"
answered Isis, "I don't know if he even knows himself."
Darian ate a few bites, set her fork down and pushed her plate away. She placed her head on the table and wrapped her arms around it. Isis half
expected her to fall asleep there. "It's almost time for class. We have potions next. Maybe we can talk to father after class. I really think it is time
to let him know about this. I think that this is more than just normal nightmares." After a few seconds Darian raised her head up and looked at her
sister. "Come on, I'll walk with you to the owlery before class." They both got up and walked out the door and up the stairs. A few minutes later found
them in the owlery and tying the letter to Jareth's leg. He nuzzled Isis' hand as she attached it before hooting in delight at his early morning flight. Isis
lightly touched his chest before walking over to the window and letting him go. Darian and Isis made their way back down the stairwell. As they reached
the landing they ran directly into Professor McGonagall. She looked down at both girls with suspicious eyes. "You are up early today," she said. Isis
met her eyes, "Yes, we were sending a letter to our mother." Professor McGonagall's eyes lit up for a second, "Ah yes, Morigain, I remember her, I keep
forgetting that you are her girls. You have her hair and eyes, at least you Isis. Now run along you two, you don't want to be late for class. I will see you
later Darian." With that she briskly walked up the steps. Darian and Isis watched her walk up the steps and then turned to walk to class.
They were almost to class when Isis heard Mina and Rainar come down the steps behind her. Isis turned to talk while Darian kept walking in her own little world. "You didn't wait for us?" Mina said poutingly. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. We had to send mother a letter as well." Isis replied.
Rainar looked from Isis to Darian, who was already at the door to the class room. "Man, what is wrong with you guys, you look like you haven't slept
in days." Isis stifled a grin. "pretty close," she thought. They continued to walk to class. Both sisters were barely there, in a zombie like daze
they walked down the halls. "Remember," spouted Minya, "we have that big test in class today." Isis and Darian both looked
at each other in shock. "Perfect,"hissed Darian as she entered the class room. Their shoulders slumped a little more at the knowledge of a test
that they were not prepared for. Even Isis would not fare well. The test alone would be a clue to their father that something was going on, if he
didn't know already.
Later on it class, Isis and Darian were having a hard time staying awake. The topic wasn't boring, she rather enjoyed listening to the lecture on mugwort but she couldn't keep her eyes open. She had been dozing in relative peace when she was jolted awake with a loud bang. She jerked up to come face to face with her father. "Miss Greymalkin!" She looked at the angry eyes of her father and tried to say something, but while her mouth moved, no word came out. "I see that you feel that you know so much that you do not need to pay attention, perhaps we are wrong and you should be teaching the class." Some of the students in the class snickered but they were quickly silenced when Snape's eyes fell upon them. "Both of you kindly stay after class so I may decide what punishment best fits this insolence" He quickly turned and walking up to the chalkboard began to lecture again. Isis looked over at Darian and saw shock and sadness in her eyes. After class the two remained where they were. Darian stared at a stain on the floor as Isis looked down at her notes, noth thought it best not to move until their father said something. "Girls," he said. They looked up to meet his face but not his eyes. "I'm sorry," they mumbled. "I believe we need to talk."
Isis sat looking dejectedly at the letter before her. It had been a week since they has first begun having the nightmares, and they had not had
a single nights rest since. Each night they were plagued with more and more horrible images, each night worse than the night before.
She had been sitting in the dining hall since dawn trying to finish a letter to her mother. She looked over the letter for the hundredth time since
she finished it. She was debating if she should write about what had been happening to herself and Darian. She knew that her mother would
want to know, but she also knew that she would react badly and probably want them to come to Willowridge with her. She stared at the parchment
until the words started to blur together. A noise shook her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Darian walking up to her. There wasn't a
bounce in her step, or a mischievous look in her eyes. Darian looked like a former shell of her normal person. "Hey," she said as she sat down.
Isis looked at her, she figured that she looked as tired and worn as Darian did, she just didn't want to think about it. Food appeared before Darian
and she picked up her fork. She didn't inhale her food as usual, instead she just played with her eggs. "What are you doing," she asked without
looking up at Isis. "I'm writing to mom," Isis answered. Without a word Darian picked up the letter and quickly read over it. She placed it back in
front of Darian and continued to pick at her food. "You're not going to mention what has been going on?" Isis looked at the letter and then back to
her sister. "No, I didn't think it was wise, you know what she would do." "Wonder if father has written to her yet?" asked Darian. "I'm not sure,"
answered Isis, "I don't know if he even knows himself."
Darian ate a few bites, set her fork down and pushed her plate away. She placed her head on the table and wrapped her arms around it. Isis half
expected her to fall asleep there. "It's almost time for class. We have potions next. Maybe we can talk to father after class. I really think it is time
to let him know about this. I think that this is more than just normal nightmares." After a few seconds Darian raised her head up and looked at her
sister. "Come on, I'll walk with you to the owlery before class." They both got up and walked out the door and up the stairs. A few minutes later found
them in the owlery and tying the letter to Jareth's leg. He nuzzled Isis' hand as she attached it before hooting in delight at his early morning flight. Isis
lightly touched his chest before walking over to the window and letting him go. Darian and Isis made their way back down the stairwell. As they reached
the landing they ran directly into Professor McGonagall. She looked down at both girls with suspicious eyes. "You are up early today," she said. Isis
met her eyes, "Yes, we were sending a letter to our mother." Professor McGonagall's eyes lit up for a second, "Ah yes, Morigain, I remember her, I keep
forgetting that you are her girls. You have her hair and eyes, at least you Isis. Now run along you two, you don't want to be late for class. I will see you
later Darian." With that she briskly walked up the steps. Darian and Isis watched her walk up the steps and then turned to walk to class.
They were almost to class when Isis heard Mina and Rainar come down the steps behind her. Isis turned to talk while Darian kept walking in her own little world. "You didn't wait for us?" Mina said poutingly. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. We had to send mother a letter as well." Isis replied.
Rainar looked from Isis to Darian, who was already at the door to the class room. "Man, what is wrong with you guys, you look like you haven't slept
in days." Isis stifled a grin. "pretty close," she thought. They continued to walk to class. Both sisters were barely there, in a zombie like daze
they walked down the halls. "Remember," spouted Minya, "we have that big test in class today." Isis and Darian both looked
at each other in shock. "Perfect,"hissed Darian as she entered the class room. Their shoulders slumped a little more at the knowledge of a test
that they were not prepared for. Even Isis would not fare well. The test alone would be a clue to their father that something was going on, if he
didn't know already.
Later on it class, Isis and Darian were having a hard time staying awake. The topic wasn't boring, she rather enjoyed listening to the lecture on mugwort but she couldn't keep her eyes open. She had been dozing in relative peace when she was jolted awake with a loud bang. She jerked up to come face to face with her father. "Miss Greymalkin!" She looked at the angry eyes of her father and tried to say something, but while her mouth moved, no word came out. "I see that you feel that you know so much that you do not need to pay attention, perhaps we are wrong and you should be teaching the class." Some of the students in the class snickered but they were quickly silenced when Snape's eyes fell upon them. "Both of you kindly stay after class so I may decide what punishment best fits this insolence" He quickly turned and walking up to the chalkboard began to lecture again. Isis looked over at Darian and saw shock and sadness in her eyes. After class the two remained where they were. Darian stared at a stain on the floor as Isis looked down at her notes, noth thought it best not to move until their father said something. "Girls," he said. They looked up to meet his face but not his eyes. "I'm sorry," they mumbled. "I believe we need to talk."