Chapter 4: A New Dream

Anne was unwrapping the last present on the table. "At least this one doesn't look like another toaster, Harold, come in here this is the last one." A twenty-six year old Anne was sitting cross-legged in an enormous armchair. Glasses on the tip of her nose, her wavy brown hair was pulled up into a loose bun that had obviously been slept on. She only had one sock on and her t-shirt was on inside out. As Harold walked into the room he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful woman that he had ever met, and he had been thrilled to death when she accepted his offer of marriage. She looked up at him over the rims of her glasses, her brown eyes were so bright, and she was gorgeous.

"Harold, come here, this one is from my grandmother. I have a feeling that this gift is most certainly not something as dreadfully boring as a toaster."

"Is this the grandmother that makes things fly about the room?"

"Yes. She was a magician's assistant for almost ten years. She is also my most favorite adult in the entire world. She is also a very good storyteller. She would spin these yarns that were miles long, about the simplest thing like going to school."

"Well, let's see what the old bird gave you."

Anne opened the paper on the gift. She was extremely careful with it; it genuinely looked as if it could be made from a thin sheet of pure gold. Instead of finding a gift, as she was somewhat expecting she found two boxes. One of them small and square, the other was long and thinner. Harold was about to open then when Anne found a note.

My darling Anne,

Sorry to say but only one of these gifts is for you. The other belongs to my first-born great-granddaughter. I know her name, but I am sorry that I cannot tell you. To be quite sure, though, she will be so extremely wonderful, and much like her mother. If I am correct in my thinking, this letter should be delivered to Her on September 19th 1991. This will be Her tenth birthday. The smaller square box is for you. I hope that you will remember it from your childhood. I did so love helping you to grow up. You make me so proud.

--Estella--

"Well then, what on earth do you make of that? That woman is now predicting the future."

Anne wasn't listening to what her husband was saying, she had no doubt whatsoever that her great-grandmother was a very special person. If she said that Anne was going to have a baby, Anne believed her. She did some quick math in her head and counted the months on her hand.

"But Harold that would mean that I am pregnant now. If our daughter is to be born," Anne counted on her fingers again, "in September then I must be pregnant now. What are we going to name her? We have to get the nursery painted. This is going to be so much fun. I have to tell my mother."

"Anne, before we start painting and sending out notices, don't you think that we should check and make sure that you are in fact pregnant. I have no doubt whatsoever that your great grand is right, but tomorrow is Christmas and we really need to get all the thank you cards made for the wedding gifts."

Anne knew her husband was right, but she also knew that she was in fact pregnant. She picked up the small square box that had come from her grandmother. When she touched it, the box changed colors. She loved presents from Estella. They had been the only ones that she ever really looked forward to. As she carefully opened the box tiny butterflies flew off in ever direction. She looked around amazed, but then noticed that Harold wasn't even looking at the butterflies.

"What are you waiting for, are you going to open it or just look at the box?"

Anne was amazed her husband not only did not see the butterflies, but he also did not see that the box was changing colors, and he was staring right at it. Baffled Anne opened the box and pulled out a very delicate looking teacup. The teacup started to get hot and Anne couldn't hold on to it anymore. She was about to drop it. But she couldn't it was a wedding gift. She had to hold onto it. But it was just so hot. She was losing her grip she was going to drop it.

CRASH!!

Anne jerked awake. She looked around to see where she was. "That's impossible," she said as she looked at the clock. According to the clock she had only been asleep for twenty minutes. But she had been dreaming, and more importantly, it was not the same dream about Hermione that she had been having. She grabbed her notebook and started scribbling away. Everything about the dream was exactly how it had been when that day had really happened; well all except for her dropping the teacup. She had not done that. That teacup had been used almost every day for the past ten years. But it was odd that she would have that dream after not being able to find it that day.

Anne decided that it would be worth a try to see if she could find it, and since she was now wide awake, after half an hour of detailing everything, she thought, 'why not have a look now?' Anne stood up from her desk and heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. It was almost midnight, who would still be up? She looked at the other side of the bed and sure enough Harold was still asleep. She was almost positive that no one had gotten into the house; there had not been enough noise to suggest that someone had broken in. She decided that it was most likely her imagination, and walked quietly down the hallway towards the kitchen. When she pushed open the swinging door she got the shock of her life.