Disclaimer: Previous still applies.
A/N – This chapter has absolutely no action in it. Isn't that fun?
Wow, thirty whole chapters. Amazing. Gusha is impressed. Funny how fast the number climbs if you post one a day for several days. *Grin*
*****
Harry snapped awake. He sat up with the intense feeling that he was late for something important. A moment of panic was swiftly replaced with the realization that it was Sunday. He hadn't even made plans to go flying with his father.
Harry fumbled for his glasses and peered out of his bed curtains.
He sighed and flopped back onto his pillow. There was no sunlight streaming through the windows. The clock on the wall read 'You should be asleep.'
He could almost make out the lines of his dream catchers. What if he had just missed another important True Dream? Harry reached for his watch, sighing heavily. 3:15 AM.
He shook his head from side to side on his pillow. Why do you sleep so well when you should get up, and wake up early when you should sleep in? It was one of those age old questions with cosmic importance.
Harry closed his eyes, controlled his breathing and tried to go back to sleep.
It didn't work. By 3:17AM he tossed the covers aside. At 3:18 he was mixing himself a calming tea by candlelight. The kettle appeared, steaming hot, when he lit his candle.
Zinnia stuck her head out of the portal he had magicked into her terrarium when he realized that he trusted her not to lose herself.
"Flying?" She asked, and then she answered her own question. "Not."
"No, I'm not going out." Harry agreed.
"Sleep." Zinnia hissed. "Calm. No problems."
"Go back to sleep, dear." He told her. "I don't think I'll be able to."
"Sleep. Bed. Warm." She urged again. When he didn't go, she hissed in annoyance, "Humans" and crawled back into her heated corner.
Harry grinned at her retreating form. What a joy she was.
Harry crushed his herbs and poured hot water over them. Harry shivered while he waited for his tea to steep. He looked around for his jumper it was draped over a chair across the room. He found the slipper he had kicked off with his toes and put his foot back in it.
As he reached for his jumper he noticed that Ron's hangings were wide open. His bed had the sloppy, half made look that meant Ron had slept in it. Despite the fact that their beds were made magically by a house elf each morning, Ron still half heartedly preformed the chore his mother had always insisted on.
Harry stared at the empty bed for a moment, and then remembered. Ginny. Ron must have gone to visit Ginny.
Harry shrugged into his bulky jumper and pulled his hair out of the neckband.
He thought about following. He changed his mind after only a few moments. Madam Pomphrey had enough to worry about without him too. She most likely had several unofficial visitors, in spite of the time of day. Ron was not the only one with a sibling still injured.
Harry sat at his desk again and poured out his tea. He leaned forward to blow the steam away. Something stopped him short. His hair was caught on something.
He traced the braid with his fingers and found that he was sitting on it. Harry lifted the ends of his hair and blinked at it owlishly. His hair was long enough to sit on?
His other hand touched his head. Judging by the loss of tension in his braid, it must have grown another inch in the night. Harry shook his head. Perhaps this was too far. He dropped the braid and turned back to his tea.
He considered all the things that should get done today. The Potions reading that he fell asleep over the day before. Some Charms work that was actually due in a week, but he could only get Hermione to help with if he asked early enough.
Then there was the trunk.
He twisted to look at it, guiltily. He turned back to his cup. He had been putting off going through Della's things. Perhaps that was what he should do today.
He finished his tea and turned the cup.
'Peace in performing unpleasant tasks.'
Harry looked at the trunk again. Definitely. He sighed heavily.
He rose and crossed to the two trunks sitting at the foot of his bed. The bottom one was his school trunk. The top one once belonged to Asphodel Maddis.
Harry moved the lamp stand close to the foot of his bed and lit the lamps.
There was a key spell-o-taped to the arched lid of the trunk. Harry pulled it loose and looked at it. The words 'Once, Twice and Again' were etched into the metal.
Harry put the key in the lock and turned it. The mechanism resisted for a second, but then unlocked. Harry lifted the lid.
He breathed in the smell of old clothes, faded roses and cedar wood. Harry touched the blue cloth that covered the contents. Robes, he realized. Della's clothes.
He lifted out the first garment. He let it unfold and looked at it. It was a simple day robe with a wide trim around the collar. He folded it reverently and placed it on the foot of his bed.
Harry continued to pull out garments until Della Maddis' clothes were all piled precariously on his bed. He stared at the trunk in disbelief. It was empty. At least it looked empty. He examined the inside.
He had almost given up when he noticed the printed words on the inside of the trunk. They were opposite to the hinges, so that most people would overlook them.
"This is compartment one. To reach the other compartments of your Once, Twice and Again trunk, close the lid and turn the key again. To lock your trunk, turn the key in the opposite direction."
Harry grinned. A magic trunk. He placed the piles of clothing back inside and closed the lid. He turned the key and opened the lid again.
He sighed. This was what he was looking for. The top item was a narrow box ten inches long. He opened it: Della's wand. He lifted it and tried a simple spell. Lumos. The wand glowed reassuringly. Nox.
Harry put the wand back into its box and put it on the bed. Next there were several cloth wrapped bundles tied with string. He slowly unveiled a crystal figurine of a majestic looking dragon; an odd little clock that seemed to have stopped; a deck of tarot cards and a serviceable set of writing implements.
Beneath those was a rag doll with several changes of clothes and a toy manticore with a pink bow around it's stinging tail. Harry laughed softly.
The bottom of the trunk was lined with four small wooden boxes. One held a large assortment of jewelry. Harry closed it without trying to detangle the pieces from one another.
The next box appeared to be a sewing kit. It looked like it was usually neat, but several things had been placed inside quickly: the tape measure, a pin cushion, several small buttons and a half sewn baby boot. Harry touched the white material tenderly. There were small rusted spots where the needle and pins had been for fifteen years.
The third wooden box smelled of stale herbs. Harry opened it. It contained about a dozen scented candles. Harry cocked his head. Candles?
The last item in the trunk was the largest of the boxes. In it was a rather wide assortment of things. Ticket stubs and programs of plays, ribbons, mementos from various places, used train tickets. There were a few dried flowers, carefully preserved between sheets of parchment.
A tiny box held Muggle coins from a dozen nations. Della's first Hogwarts letter was there, some sheet music, drawings from when she was a child. At the bottom of the mass of things was a single still photograph. Severus smiled tenderly out of the unmoving picture.
Harry held it up to the light. This young man looked like he was in love. Harry placed the picture back in the box and slowly replaced the rest of the contents on top of it.
He piled most of the things back in and closed the box. He placed the other boxes and the toys back in. He closed the lid of the trunk. Harry carried the other things to his desk and laid them out respectfully.
He turned the key a third time in the hope that the trunk would reveal something else. He had hoped that Della might have left a journal or a packet of letters.
He opened the lid again to reveal books, lots of books.
There was a little lever to one side. A caption read: forward, stop, back. Harry pushed the lever to back and the books zoomed by. Above the first shelf of books was the instruction plaque, like the one he had seen in the first compartment.
"The Once, Twice and Again Limitless Bookshelf.
Your library, all in one convenient space."
Harry stared at the inscription. He shook his head. He scrolled all the way forward. The last shelf had a few inches of space left.
Below that shelf was another inscription.
"Press button for additional shelf." Harry pressed the small black button. An empty shelf appeared. He grinned. It would take ages to go through all of Della's books. He ran a finger over the spines, reading the titles.
Harry picked up a curious volume that had no title. It's pages fanned out oddly. He turned to the front; the first page was blank. The second had an envelope glued to it. Harry drew the sheet of parchment out.
"Dearest Della,
Don't let old Binns get you down. I still don't know why you want to go for a N.E.W.T in History of Magic. Deathly dull.
I'm really starting to understand the properties of the new moth wings we've been importing from New Zealand. The boss even said I was ahead of the game.
That reminds me, I beat Malfoy at chess the other day. He dropped by my flat rather late and bullied me into going to his club with him. Hard to say no when he gets like that.
The weather has been exceptionally good for this time of year.
I love you. I miss you. I feel like a piece of me is missing. My conscious, or my soul, or you…
Don't study too hard.
Love,
The letter was signed with the scribble that Severus meant to be his signature.
Harry folded the letter and placed it back in it's envelope. On the facing page Della had copied out her reply.
Harry read through their correspondence from Della's seventh year. They teased each other, and related the mundane details of life. They both sounded very much in love.
Della had pasted her graduation announcement and their wedding invitation into the book. There were a few letters from after they were married.
Then, a new string of letters from Severus appeared in the book. Letters that begged and cajoled, letters that threatened, letters that told of his missions for Dumbledore, letters where he kept repeating 'I don't know why I'm writing this, I doubt you will read it anyway.'
In between each letter was an answer from Della. At the top of each page she wrote: This is a letter that I did not send.
Harry swallowed hard when he came to the last page. A tear fell, unheeded down his cheek. He closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.
He closed the trunk and turned the key again. He opened it to reveal Della's clothes once again. He locked the trunk
He extinguished the candles and lamps. Then he lay on his bed. The covers were cold, but he pulled them up to his chin anyway.
Light was streaming through the windows now. Harry set his glasses on the bedside table and drew his curtains shut. He closed his eyes and cried for his parents until he fell back to sleep.
*****
A/N – NO, you may not watch Harry sleep either! Bad Gusha.
We found it rather difficult to address the contents of Della's trunk. I finally wandered around the house looking at things and such. I also mentally went through boxes of stuff that I have kept around. I have half a dozen daffodils that dried in their 3-d shape in my hope chest.
What do you think about the Limitless Bookshelf? I love it, lol. I need one (sadilou agrees and wants one of her own.) Della is a Ravenclaw, if you remember. I thought she would have at least as many books as I do…
A/N – This chapter has absolutely no action in it. Isn't that fun?
Wow, thirty whole chapters. Amazing. Gusha is impressed. Funny how fast the number climbs if you post one a day for several days. *Grin*
*****
Harry snapped awake. He sat up with the intense feeling that he was late for something important. A moment of panic was swiftly replaced with the realization that it was Sunday. He hadn't even made plans to go flying with his father.
Harry fumbled for his glasses and peered out of his bed curtains.
He sighed and flopped back onto his pillow. There was no sunlight streaming through the windows. The clock on the wall read 'You should be asleep.'
He could almost make out the lines of his dream catchers. What if he had just missed another important True Dream? Harry reached for his watch, sighing heavily. 3:15 AM.
He shook his head from side to side on his pillow. Why do you sleep so well when you should get up, and wake up early when you should sleep in? It was one of those age old questions with cosmic importance.
Harry closed his eyes, controlled his breathing and tried to go back to sleep.
It didn't work. By 3:17AM he tossed the covers aside. At 3:18 he was mixing himself a calming tea by candlelight. The kettle appeared, steaming hot, when he lit his candle.
Zinnia stuck her head out of the portal he had magicked into her terrarium when he realized that he trusted her not to lose herself.
"Flying?" She asked, and then she answered her own question. "Not."
"No, I'm not going out." Harry agreed.
"Sleep." Zinnia hissed. "Calm. No problems."
"Go back to sleep, dear." He told her. "I don't think I'll be able to."
"Sleep. Bed. Warm." She urged again. When he didn't go, she hissed in annoyance, "Humans" and crawled back into her heated corner.
Harry grinned at her retreating form. What a joy she was.
Harry crushed his herbs and poured hot water over them. Harry shivered while he waited for his tea to steep. He looked around for his jumper it was draped over a chair across the room. He found the slipper he had kicked off with his toes and put his foot back in it.
As he reached for his jumper he noticed that Ron's hangings were wide open. His bed had the sloppy, half made look that meant Ron had slept in it. Despite the fact that their beds were made magically by a house elf each morning, Ron still half heartedly preformed the chore his mother had always insisted on.
Harry stared at the empty bed for a moment, and then remembered. Ginny. Ron must have gone to visit Ginny.
Harry shrugged into his bulky jumper and pulled his hair out of the neckband.
He thought about following. He changed his mind after only a few moments. Madam Pomphrey had enough to worry about without him too. She most likely had several unofficial visitors, in spite of the time of day. Ron was not the only one with a sibling still injured.
Harry sat at his desk again and poured out his tea. He leaned forward to blow the steam away. Something stopped him short. His hair was caught on something.
He traced the braid with his fingers and found that he was sitting on it. Harry lifted the ends of his hair and blinked at it owlishly. His hair was long enough to sit on?
His other hand touched his head. Judging by the loss of tension in his braid, it must have grown another inch in the night. Harry shook his head. Perhaps this was too far. He dropped the braid and turned back to his tea.
He considered all the things that should get done today. The Potions reading that he fell asleep over the day before. Some Charms work that was actually due in a week, but he could only get Hermione to help with if he asked early enough.
Then there was the trunk.
He twisted to look at it, guiltily. He turned back to his cup. He had been putting off going through Della's things. Perhaps that was what he should do today.
He finished his tea and turned the cup.
'Peace in performing unpleasant tasks.'
Harry looked at the trunk again. Definitely. He sighed heavily.
He rose and crossed to the two trunks sitting at the foot of his bed. The bottom one was his school trunk. The top one once belonged to Asphodel Maddis.
Harry moved the lamp stand close to the foot of his bed and lit the lamps.
There was a key spell-o-taped to the arched lid of the trunk. Harry pulled it loose and looked at it. The words 'Once, Twice and Again' were etched into the metal.
Harry put the key in the lock and turned it. The mechanism resisted for a second, but then unlocked. Harry lifted the lid.
He breathed in the smell of old clothes, faded roses and cedar wood. Harry touched the blue cloth that covered the contents. Robes, he realized. Della's clothes.
He lifted out the first garment. He let it unfold and looked at it. It was a simple day robe with a wide trim around the collar. He folded it reverently and placed it on the foot of his bed.
Harry continued to pull out garments until Della Maddis' clothes were all piled precariously on his bed. He stared at the trunk in disbelief. It was empty. At least it looked empty. He examined the inside.
He had almost given up when he noticed the printed words on the inside of the trunk. They were opposite to the hinges, so that most people would overlook them.
"This is compartment one. To reach the other compartments of your Once, Twice and Again trunk, close the lid and turn the key again. To lock your trunk, turn the key in the opposite direction."
Harry grinned. A magic trunk. He placed the piles of clothing back inside and closed the lid. He turned the key and opened the lid again.
He sighed. This was what he was looking for. The top item was a narrow box ten inches long. He opened it: Della's wand. He lifted it and tried a simple spell. Lumos. The wand glowed reassuringly. Nox.
Harry put the wand back into its box and put it on the bed. Next there were several cloth wrapped bundles tied with string. He slowly unveiled a crystal figurine of a majestic looking dragon; an odd little clock that seemed to have stopped; a deck of tarot cards and a serviceable set of writing implements.
Beneath those was a rag doll with several changes of clothes and a toy manticore with a pink bow around it's stinging tail. Harry laughed softly.
The bottom of the trunk was lined with four small wooden boxes. One held a large assortment of jewelry. Harry closed it without trying to detangle the pieces from one another.
The next box appeared to be a sewing kit. It looked like it was usually neat, but several things had been placed inside quickly: the tape measure, a pin cushion, several small buttons and a half sewn baby boot. Harry touched the white material tenderly. There were small rusted spots where the needle and pins had been for fifteen years.
The third wooden box smelled of stale herbs. Harry opened it. It contained about a dozen scented candles. Harry cocked his head. Candles?
The last item in the trunk was the largest of the boxes. In it was a rather wide assortment of things. Ticket stubs and programs of plays, ribbons, mementos from various places, used train tickets. There were a few dried flowers, carefully preserved between sheets of parchment.
A tiny box held Muggle coins from a dozen nations. Della's first Hogwarts letter was there, some sheet music, drawings from when she was a child. At the bottom of the mass of things was a single still photograph. Severus smiled tenderly out of the unmoving picture.
Harry held it up to the light. This young man looked like he was in love. Harry placed the picture back in the box and slowly replaced the rest of the contents on top of it.
He piled most of the things back in and closed the box. He placed the other boxes and the toys back in. He closed the lid of the trunk. Harry carried the other things to his desk and laid them out respectfully.
He turned the key a third time in the hope that the trunk would reveal something else. He had hoped that Della might have left a journal or a packet of letters.
He opened the lid again to reveal books, lots of books.
There was a little lever to one side. A caption read: forward, stop, back. Harry pushed the lever to back and the books zoomed by. Above the first shelf of books was the instruction plaque, like the one he had seen in the first compartment.
"The Once, Twice and Again Limitless Bookshelf.
Your library, all in one convenient space."
Harry stared at the inscription. He shook his head. He scrolled all the way forward. The last shelf had a few inches of space left.
Below that shelf was another inscription.
"Press button for additional shelf." Harry pressed the small black button. An empty shelf appeared. He grinned. It would take ages to go through all of Della's books. He ran a finger over the spines, reading the titles.
Harry picked up a curious volume that had no title. It's pages fanned out oddly. He turned to the front; the first page was blank. The second had an envelope glued to it. Harry drew the sheet of parchment out.
"Dearest Della,
Don't let old Binns get you down. I still don't know why you want to go for a N.E.W.T in History of Magic. Deathly dull.
I'm really starting to understand the properties of the new moth wings we've been importing from New Zealand. The boss even said I was ahead of the game.
That reminds me, I beat Malfoy at chess the other day. He dropped by my flat rather late and bullied me into going to his club with him. Hard to say no when he gets like that.
The weather has been exceptionally good for this time of year.
I love you. I miss you. I feel like a piece of me is missing. My conscious, or my soul, or you…
Don't study too hard.
Love,
The letter was signed with the scribble that Severus meant to be his signature.
Harry folded the letter and placed it back in it's envelope. On the facing page Della had copied out her reply.
Harry read through their correspondence from Della's seventh year. They teased each other, and related the mundane details of life. They both sounded very much in love.
Della had pasted her graduation announcement and their wedding invitation into the book. There were a few letters from after they were married.
Then, a new string of letters from Severus appeared in the book. Letters that begged and cajoled, letters that threatened, letters that told of his missions for Dumbledore, letters where he kept repeating 'I don't know why I'm writing this, I doubt you will read it anyway.'
In between each letter was an answer from Della. At the top of each page she wrote: This is a letter that I did not send.
Harry swallowed hard when he came to the last page. A tear fell, unheeded down his cheek. He closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.
He closed the trunk and turned the key again. He opened it to reveal Della's clothes once again. He locked the trunk
He extinguished the candles and lamps. Then he lay on his bed. The covers were cold, but he pulled them up to his chin anyway.
Light was streaming through the windows now. Harry set his glasses on the bedside table and drew his curtains shut. He closed his eyes and cried for his parents until he fell back to sleep.
*****
A/N – NO, you may not watch Harry sleep either! Bad Gusha.
We found it rather difficult to address the contents of Della's trunk. I finally wandered around the house looking at things and such. I also mentally went through boxes of stuff that I have kept around. I have half a dozen daffodils that dried in their 3-d shape in my hope chest.
What do you think about the Limitless Bookshelf? I love it, lol. I need one (sadilou agrees and wants one of her own.) Della is a Ravenclaw, if you remember. I thought she would have at least as many books as I do…