Chapter fourteen
The door flew open and Snape hurried in carrying a bottle of red liquid. "Dumbledore."
"Ah, Severus, good." Dumbledore summoned Draco over to him. "Support her head and neck." Draco did as told, tilting Hermione's head gently to the side and up. Snape placed one hand on her cheek and whispered, "You have to drink this, Hermione..." She closed her eyes and Snape poured the drink into her mouth. She sputtered but swallowed all of it and slowly her back healed. Draco stroked her hair, and she clung to him.
"Serenity is on the way, ok?"
"She knows why this happened, doesn't she." Hermione stated, tears heard in her voice. Draco looked to Dumbledore, who nodded.
"Yeah, she does."
"Why didn't she tell me..."
Dumbledore placed a hand on Hermione's newly healed back. "She didn't think it would happen so soon, and with out ceremony. She will tell you tonight, or I will tell you myself. I don't want a repeat of all this."
Snape and Madame Pomfrey sat on the edge of the bed too. They watched as Draco caressed her hair, and were lost to words. A Malfoy was showing caring and love to another human being. Dumbledore saw them staring. "Madame Pomfrey, please go get the Weasleys and Harry. Severus, start another dose for her." Both nodded, and as they left, Serenity walked through with a young male.
"Why the other three? They have no need to know about this, Albus."
"She'll need their support, Sere, you know that."
"I don't want them hear. I don't want to tell her tonight, not with all that has happened, and I don't want them to know. She's not ready."
"Sere, this is not negotiable. She is going to ask questions. Hell, She almost came to full blood tonight, and without ceremony. This is stronger than you or I planned. And she maybe your sister, but she is my charge as Wizard Guardian and Headmaster until she has been given a Companion. I am the deciding fact on this. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco will be here for this, and if you have a problem with it, then keep your mouth shut. I will tell her tonight, with or without you."
She turned to her Companion, "Sit by the window. Once the others have arrived, ward this room shut. I do not want any wandering eyes peeking in on us. Martin, no one is to see, not even the Cri."
"What??? She'll be very angry."
"She's always angry. This is the way the Guardian wants it, and this is the way it will be."
"As you wish, Aleva-Reia."
A few minutes later, Hermione sat up and leaned against Draco. She saw Dumbledore, who smiled, and Serenity, who frowned and turned away. "What have I done wrong?"
Dumbledore scolded toward Serenity. "Nothing, Hermione. Don't mind her."
Harry, Ron and Ginny walked into the room, smiling meekly at Hermione. They then realized she was leaned against Draco. Ron's face turned red, but when Hermione patted her bed, Ginny ran over and plopped down beside Hermione, hugging her tightly. Harry grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him over.
"Thanks Malfoy, for helping Hermione." Harry said, and extended his hand to Draco, who shook it lightly.
"I wish there is more for you or me to do, but I think that now it is time for a story about why this happened." Harry nodded, and climbed into the bed, pulling Ron behind him. Harry sat next to Hermione, pulling Ginny Onto his lap, and Ron sat on the other side of Harry, not quite ready to see Hermione so close to Draco.
Dumbledore turned to Serenity. "Well?"
"Mi, we aren't mudbloods, or muggle born. We were both adopted, me at 13, and you at one. The woman you call mother tried to make me be a perfect angel, make me into a banker's bride. I was so sick of it, having not been with out our real parents for three months before they snatched us up."
"Father, for I do call him that, knew what she did was wrong... and when I told him I wanted to leave, he made arrangements under your mother's nose. I went to Ireland for a while, and then to the states."
"I was privately tutored by a woman named Galerdeon Cri, or The Cri. She was the Aleva-Cri, leader of the circle. She was also Ezil Wis. So am I, we. Our mother, our real mother, was a very powerful, full-blooded Ezil Wis. But I am also witch, for our father was a very powerful Wizard, of whom I will not name, because it doesn't matter. He thought us to be unfit because we were Ezil Wis, which some wizards think more as animals than as people."
"I knew there was a chance you wouldn't be Ezil Wis, and even if you were, it normally has to be brought into play through a ceremony. But yours doesn't. That means you are very powerful, sister. Too powerful to be under the control of the Aleva. I won't allow them to get you into their web, because it traps you. The Cri wants you as my successor, and I don't want that for you. You should not have to live with what I do."
"Hermione, the potion you took reverses age, it made you about a week younger. This will happen next week, and you can do one of two things... you can let it happen, or take the potion Snape is brewing. If you accept your wings before Halloween, then the Cri has no power over you."
"You lied to me." Hermione whispered.
"No."
"YES! You told me you would always tell me everything, that you would never hide anything from me!!!! DAMN YOU, RINI. YOU FUCKING PROMISED!!!" she shook from anger.
Dumbledore spoke softly. "Would you like to see, Hermione, what your wings would look like?" Hermione nodded and suddenly a small fireball appeared before her. "Only you can see what they look like, Hermione."
Inside the ball, stood Hermione in the Halloween outfit Dumbledore had gotten her. Except, instead of white wings, Gold wings rose behind her, covered in feathers. She smiled slightly to herself. And looked at Dumbledore. "Is there a Reversal for the potion Snape gave me?"
Dumbledore smiled, but Serenity glared, and then snapped. "The ceremony makes it not painful... you will feel twice the pain you had this night if you do this."
Hermione Glared back, but her voice was sweet and calm. "Like you said, I am too powerful to be Aleva. And like what you implied, I am too powerful to be your sister."
"I didn't..."
"You're scared that I will replace you. I can see it in you. Everything this Cri taught you, she really wanted me. And you can't stand it." Hermione turned to Dumbledore. "The antidote, please."
"Give me an hour."
"ALBUS!" Serenity snarled. "SHE CAN'T DO THIS! LISTEN TO REASON, SHE'S NOT READY."
"Serenity, she already has. In one hour, she will have the potion, and fifteen minutes after that, she will be Ezil Wis."
"When the Cri hears of the deception you have caused... who will teach her? No one will come without the Cri's order."
"When push comes to shove, Serenity, Hermione will already be changed before you and the Cri can get here. In addition, she is a quick study, she can learn from books. Besides, I know a few Ezil Jast who would be willing to teach just to spit in Galerdeon's face. Her decision is made, and I back it completely."
"WHEN DID YOU LOSE YOUR SENSE AND START LETTING CHILDREN MAKE LIFE CHANGING DECISIONS?"
Dumbledore stayed calm, and the students in the room were proud at their Headmaster's control. "Since a young girl named Sere told me that she could take care of her self, and that life wasn't worth living if she couldn't make her own choices. You chose your bed, Aleva-Reia. And now Hermione chooses hers." It was spoken like a spell, almost.
"Go away, Aleva-Reia." Hermione spoke proudly, seemingly finding her own voice through all of this. "Send my Rini to me when you find out were she went." Taking off the charm, and then Draco's, she tossed them to Serenity. "Thanks for showing me to love those I don't understand."
The door flew open and Snape hurried in carrying a bottle of red liquid. "Dumbledore."
"Ah, Severus, good." Dumbledore summoned Draco over to him. "Support her head and neck." Draco did as told, tilting Hermione's head gently to the side and up. Snape placed one hand on her cheek and whispered, "You have to drink this, Hermione..." She closed her eyes and Snape poured the drink into her mouth. She sputtered but swallowed all of it and slowly her back healed. Draco stroked her hair, and she clung to him.
"Serenity is on the way, ok?"
"She knows why this happened, doesn't she." Hermione stated, tears heard in her voice. Draco looked to Dumbledore, who nodded.
"Yeah, she does."
"Why didn't she tell me..."
Dumbledore placed a hand on Hermione's newly healed back. "She didn't think it would happen so soon, and with out ceremony. She will tell you tonight, or I will tell you myself. I don't want a repeat of all this."
Snape and Madame Pomfrey sat on the edge of the bed too. They watched as Draco caressed her hair, and were lost to words. A Malfoy was showing caring and love to another human being. Dumbledore saw them staring. "Madame Pomfrey, please go get the Weasleys and Harry. Severus, start another dose for her." Both nodded, and as they left, Serenity walked through with a young male.
"Why the other three? They have no need to know about this, Albus."
"She'll need their support, Sere, you know that."
"I don't want them hear. I don't want to tell her tonight, not with all that has happened, and I don't want them to know. She's not ready."
"Sere, this is not negotiable. She is going to ask questions. Hell, She almost came to full blood tonight, and without ceremony. This is stronger than you or I planned. And she maybe your sister, but she is my charge as Wizard Guardian and Headmaster until she has been given a Companion. I am the deciding fact on this. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco will be here for this, and if you have a problem with it, then keep your mouth shut. I will tell her tonight, with or without you."
She turned to her Companion, "Sit by the window. Once the others have arrived, ward this room shut. I do not want any wandering eyes peeking in on us. Martin, no one is to see, not even the Cri."
"What??? She'll be very angry."
"She's always angry. This is the way the Guardian wants it, and this is the way it will be."
"As you wish, Aleva-Reia."
A few minutes later, Hermione sat up and leaned against Draco. She saw Dumbledore, who smiled, and Serenity, who frowned and turned away. "What have I done wrong?"
Dumbledore scolded toward Serenity. "Nothing, Hermione. Don't mind her."
Harry, Ron and Ginny walked into the room, smiling meekly at Hermione. They then realized she was leaned against Draco. Ron's face turned red, but when Hermione patted her bed, Ginny ran over and plopped down beside Hermione, hugging her tightly. Harry grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him over.
"Thanks Malfoy, for helping Hermione." Harry said, and extended his hand to Draco, who shook it lightly.
"I wish there is more for you or me to do, but I think that now it is time for a story about why this happened." Harry nodded, and climbed into the bed, pulling Ron behind him. Harry sat next to Hermione, pulling Ginny Onto his lap, and Ron sat on the other side of Harry, not quite ready to see Hermione so close to Draco.
Dumbledore turned to Serenity. "Well?"
"Mi, we aren't mudbloods, or muggle born. We were both adopted, me at 13, and you at one. The woman you call mother tried to make me be a perfect angel, make me into a banker's bride. I was so sick of it, having not been with out our real parents for three months before they snatched us up."
"Father, for I do call him that, knew what she did was wrong... and when I told him I wanted to leave, he made arrangements under your mother's nose. I went to Ireland for a while, and then to the states."
"I was privately tutored by a woman named Galerdeon Cri, or The Cri. She was the Aleva-Cri, leader of the circle. She was also Ezil Wis. So am I, we. Our mother, our real mother, was a very powerful, full-blooded Ezil Wis. But I am also witch, for our father was a very powerful Wizard, of whom I will not name, because it doesn't matter. He thought us to be unfit because we were Ezil Wis, which some wizards think more as animals than as people."
"I knew there was a chance you wouldn't be Ezil Wis, and even if you were, it normally has to be brought into play through a ceremony. But yours doesn't. That means you are very powerful, sister. Too powerful to be under the control of the Aleva. I won't allow them to get you into their web, because it traps you. The Cri wants you as my successor, and I don't want that for you. You should not have to live with what I do."
"Hermione, the potion you took reverses age, it made you about a week younger. This will happen next week, and you can do one of two things... you can let it happen, or take the potion Snape is brewing. If you accept your wings before Halloween, then the Cri has no power over you."
"You lied to me." Hermione whispered.
"No."
"YES! You told me you would always tell me everything, that you would never hide anything from me!!!! DAMN YOU, RINI. YOU FUCKING PROMISED!!!" she shook from anger.
Dumbledore spoke softly. "Would you like to see, Hermione, what your wings would look like?" Hermione nodded and suddenly a small fireball appeared before her. "Only you can see what they look like, Hermione."
Inside the ball, stood Hermione in the Halloween outfit Dumbledore had gotten her. Except, instead of white wings, Gold wings rose behind her, covered in feathers. She smiled slightly to herself. And looked at Dumbledore. "Is there a Reversal for the potion Snape gave me?"
Dumbledore smiled, but Serenity glared, and then snapped. "The ceremony makes it not painful... you will feel twice the pain you had this night if you do this."
Hermione Glared back, but her voice was sweet and calm. "Like you said, I am too powerful to be Aleva. And like what you implied, I am too powerful to be your sister."
"I didn't..."
"You're scared that I will replace you. I can see it in you. Everything this Cri taught you, she really wanted me. And you can't stand it." Hermione turned to Dumbledore. "The antidote, please."
"Give me an hour."
"ALBUS!" Serenity snarled. "SHE CAN'T DO THIS! LISTEN TO REASON, SHE'S NOT READY."
"Serenity, she already has. In one hour, she will have the potion, and fifteen minutes after that, she will be Ezil Wis."
"When the Cri hears of the deception you have caused... who will teach her? No one will come without the Cri's order."
"When push comes to shove, Serenity, Hermione will already be changed before you and the Cri can get here. In addition, she is a quick study, she can learn from books. Besides, I know a few Ezil Jast who would be willing to teach just to spit in Galerdeon's face. Her decision is made, and I back it completely."
"WHEN DID YOU LOSE YOUR SENSE AND START LETTING CHILDREN MAKE LIFE CHANGING DECISIONS?"
Dumbledore stayed calm, and the students in the room were proud at their Headmaster's control. "Since a young girl named Sere told me that she could take care of her self, and that life wasn't worth living if she couldn't make her own choices. You chose your bed, Aleva-Reia. And now Hermione chooses hers." It was spoken like a spell, almost.
"Go away, Aleva-Reia." Hermione spoke proudly, seemingly finding her own voice through all of this. "Send my Rini to me when you find out were she went." Taking off the charm, and then Draco's, she tossed them to Serenity. "Thanks for showing me to love those I don't understand."