Flora And Fauna (And the Three Little Wizards)
Chapter One: Sleeping and Dreams
Running… I'm running… But why?? Am I running from something? Am I running from someone?? Running…
A voice… Cackling… Green light…PAIN!!! So much PAIN!!… Falling… what does it mean? A lightning bolt… Green eyes… A raven… DEATH… What does it MEAN??? CRACK Swinging on a swing… CRACK A garden… CRACK A red rose, no, not red, it's white, there's blood, TAINTED… CRACK An abandoned house… CRACK Sorrow, So much SORROW… CRACK "This house better be clean when I get back boy, or I'll tan your hide myself!!"… CRACK Falling again, I'm always falling, I don't fall when I'm with…
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?
Fauna Karithisis bolted upright in her bed, names flashing in her head and a strangled scream lodged in her throat. Her tee-shirt was plastered to her sweat-soaked body. Flora Karithisis also bolted upright a moment later, but her scream managed to get partway out as she clutched her chest in fear. Damn!! I need to calm down for Flora, it looks like it affected her more than me. Dammit, why did that wraith have to attack her?? She's so delicate now, and she used to be the strong one…
"Circe!! What a nightmare!!" Fauna was breathless with her eyes racing and her heart pumping. She looked at her sister and saw that she too was frightened out of her wits and looked like she would start running if it wasn't for the fact that she was paralyzed with fear. Flora compulsively swallowed a couple of times before weakly responding.
"I think I need to…" this was all she got out before she turned a sickly shade of green and wobbled to the bathroom, slamming it shut behind her. Fauna looked at the bathroom door sympathetically, her heart feeling like it just ran a marathon race. Fauna heard retching from the bathroom and winced.
She got up and also wobbled to the door. She knocked.
"Flor, honey, you need anything??" The retching seemed to stop for a moment and a trembling voice said,
"Willow…" and the retching started again. Fauna nodded sympathetically to herself and decided to follow her sister's advice and make some Willowbark Tea. Flora stumbled to her bed and pulled off her soaked tee-shirt.
"Damn it, now I'll have to do laundry..." and pulled on her boxers and a camisole. Then she quickly (as quick as you can go on wobbly legs and with a splitting headache) went downstairs and into the kitchen.
She turned on the radio as she walked past and suddenly winced as country blared on full blast into her ears. She quickly changed the station to something… more comforting. Heavy metal now surrounded Fauna like a warm blanket and she sighed. Then she put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.
Loudly she said, "Lookie here Ghostie, Flora and I let you stay because we figured you were here first, but just like you don't like us messing with your bizarre kitchen arrangement, you don't get to mess with Flora's garden, or MY stereo." Fauna glared at the air around her with her arms crossed and nodded when the she felt a breeze blow by her.
"Good. Glad that's settled." And proceeded to putter around the kitchen looking for the willowbark and the teakettle.
"Ghost!! Where did you put the Willowbark??" Fauna waited for a reply and when she didn't get one shouted louder. "GHOST!! WHERE. IS. THE…" Fauna was cut off when the stereo clicked off. She raised an eyebrow and finished her sentence. "…wilowbark?" She raised an eyebrow when the teakettle's lid popped off and fell to the floor.
"Look, I know where I put the willowbark, I need it first though." Flora rolled her eyes. She jumped when the teakettle was knocked off the table and landed with a clang at her feet, the box of willobark skidding out of it. She "harummphed" and with as much dignity as she could muster picked up the lid, kettle, and the box of willowbark.
She set the lid and box on the table and went to start the water boiling. With that done she went to fish three saucers and cups from the cupboards. She put some powdered wilowbark to all three cups and went upstairs to check on her sister.
"Flor? Sweetie? How're you doing?" Fauna knocked on the door again before opening it. "Flor? Flora?" Fauna peeked around the door and saw her sister sitting on the tile floor sobbing. Fauna immediately rushed to her twin sister and embraced her in her arms.
"Hush…It's alright…It's all over…You're okay…It's done…You don't have to be strong anymore…I'm here." Fauna continued to murmur comforting words to her sister as she held Flora in her arms and rocked her gently. She did this until Flora's torrent of emotions subsided and she calmed, then Fauna just held Flora, glad that Flora was finally releasing a month of pent up emotions.
"Hey…Flora?" Fauna looked at Flora and gave a weak smile that Flora gave back. "I'm really glad you finally decided to give in and all, but…" Fauna looked uncomfortable for a moment.
"What?" Flora looked worried. Fauna just looked embarrassed.
"Well… see, the thing is… The thing is, is that I really have to pee." Fauna looked apologetic. When Flora bowed her head and started shaking Fauna got worried. "Oh! Flora I didn't mean to make you cry! I promise that I can wait! I swear!" It was at this point that Flora lifted her head and Fauna could see that Flora was silently laughing. Fauna glared at Flora for a moment before giving a big dramatic sigh and throwing her hands in the air.
"Don't worry Faun, I'll let you pee in peace. Did you make any willowbark tea?" Flora peeled herself from the floor and stood up, wincing slightly.
"I have the water boiling and the willowbark in the cups. It's all pour and mix." Flora snorted and started down the stairs.
Fauna watched Flora leave, relief flowing through her. Finally! I thought she was going to repress it until she had a nervous breakdown… well, I guess she did, but she'll get better now! …Right? Fauna was left by herself to pee and worry.
Dear Phoebus, did I just have a nervous breakdown? Gods, Fauna must think horribly of me now. Gods, WHY did I have to break down NOW?? Fauna just had a horrible experience and all I can do is cry. How can I feel so worthless?? I couldn't even save that man. Does she hate me? Circe, I can't lose her support!! Not now!!
Breathe Flora, breathe, that's right, just keep breathing… Why did a vision have to come so soon? Fauna saw it too I know she did. Does she resent our gift? Does she resent me? Dammit, when did I become so unstable?!? I never used doubt anything, which is how we got into this mess in the FIRST PLACE. I'm the strong one, I can't just become a wallflower… snicker wallflower, flora… that's funny… ha ha, real funny. Geeze, I'm falling apart, even my thoughts are going all over the place.
Flora Karithisis walked down the stairs to the kitchen, automatically flipping the stereo on and automatically turned the radio station to Rock-n-Roll. Ah… Music is the best thing for a plant, and a person. Flora surveyed the kitchen in its usual chaotic arrangement and spotted 3 steaming cups of tea on the table, willowbark and all.
Didn't Fauna say she had just put the water on to boil? Flora then noticed that there were three cups set out, and one was half empty. Ah… thought Flora. Out loud she said,
"Thank-you Pollie! I really needed this." Flora smiled when she felt a cool breeze sweep by, jangling the windchimes set over the sink. Pollie is short for Poltergeist, since Fauna and Flora's permanent houseguest never made an effort to communicate beyond little things, like wind and moving items, and certainly never it's name.
Flora sat sipping her tea while deep in thought. The past is the past, and that's where it needs to stay. There's no reason for it to affect me, like Fauna said, "It's over now." Flora absently drank her tea and didn't notice when it suddenly filled back up. Her thoughts drifted back to what had happened a month ago.
It always starts with a dream, a vision. Me and Fauna always have visions; flashes, sayings, feelings; everything and anything and they're always in the future. We've had them all our life. The dreams are the worst. Fauna shuddered at the remembrance of some of her previous dream visions.
We became Aurors, we fought the bad guys, it was all sooo simple. And then a vision. Gods, what a horrible vision. The blood, the pain, the death. I could smell the decay.
I'm the strong one, I'm always the strong one. Fauna always has the brute of the visions. No matter what we do, the visions come to be, we're always there. We can either let it happen or work to make it not happen. We've always stopped it before. But this one, this one was different. I saw Fauna die, I felt her pain, I saw the betrayal in her eyes. Sometimes a vision isn't really a vision, but a dream, I hoped that's what it was, a dream. And… when the vision started happening, I was so afraid.
And then, when the few seconds before Fauna was supposed to die played out, I froze. All my training, all my skills, all my instincts, GONE. I watched as that wraith attacked her, and started killing her. In all respects, Fauna died. Right in my arms, I felt her spirit leave when the wraith invaded her body and it was like something was ripped from me at the same time. Psychic links are like that I suppose, and with twins- magical twins, well, they naturally have that link even stronger.
The wraith was still there, in her body, and my innate talent kicked in. I don't know where the Socius-excedo plant came from; it's been extinct since before the Dodos. All I know it that it wrapped around my sister's hand and mine and suddenly my sister was alive again with her soul intact and the wraith was in ME. All my fears, doubts, and pains came at me at once.
I felt surrounded, I was suffocating, and then the visions came. Not real visions, fake ones. Of people I care about dying, of me dying, of suffering, horrors upon horrors. I should have died, like my sister, except for the fact that me and my sister were linked, and like I should have done for her, she liked with me and gave me strength. She fought the wraith off with me, and saved me. I suppose that two minds in one body were too much for one wraith. It was expelled and immediately died. My sister and I collapsed, exhausted mentally and physically.
As we lay there, I became aware of the supposedly extinct plant lying next to our bodies. I carefully picked up the vine and dug out the roots, determined to make the roots of the now-dead plant live and grow more of itself. As soon as I got the plant I broke down and cried. I haven't talked since. Fauna got us back to the office, and explained the situation. She then took me home and put me in bed and took care of al the paperwork and clean-up duties, while I acted useless.
And now, on top of all that, I broke down again today. I just couldn't control my reaction to another vision. I've been such a burden to her, she keeps giving and giving and giving, and all I can do is take.
Flora didn't even notice she was crying until a box of tissues slid across the table and landed with a 'tink!' against the now empty teapot.
Fauna heard something as she came down the stairs and saw Flora sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands. Fauna was about to say something when she noticed the far off look in Flora's eyes and the tears streaming down her face. Fauna paused at the bottom step, unsure of what to do. She's thinking about it. I can tell. Dammit, I wish we didn't have these stupid protective charms. Then I could sense what's wrong with her and we could talk mentally… and maybe she wouldn't have to feel like she has to hide something from me.
Flora and Fauna both received a special runic charm from their Divination teacher after their fourth year when the stress of being psychically connected was becoming too much to handle. It was affecting their relationship with each other and their friends and they were constantly fighting. The runic charm was on a leather thong and was made of iron. It was in the shape of some unknown rune and it kept Flora and Fauna mentally separated as long as each of them wore it. They had never taken it off after their Divination teacher told them that there was a possibility that after so much mental separation, to take them off would result in a tidal wave of backed up mental connection and that might be too much for them to handle.
Fauna and Flora agreed to it, even knowing the risks. The charms could not be taken off, except by their own hands. 10 years later, they still hadn't removed them.
Fauna watched her sister and almost jumped when a box of tissues slid across the table to Flora. Fauna thought ruefully, Thanks Ghostie, I owe you one. Fauna finally decided to go into the kitchen after Flora had a moment to wipe away her tears. She plunked into the seat in front of Flora.
"You okay?" the concern in Fauna's voice was evident. "You want to talk about it? I know we can't read each other's minds anymore, but that doesn't mean that we should still keep secrets from each other." Flora gave a little sniff and looked at Fauna.
"I…" she started; she looked apprehensive for a moment. Fauna waited for her to continue. "I… I'm sorry for braking down on you back there." She paused before going on. "It was the dream. It was too much too soon." Flora sighed.
"Oh… Flor… I'm so sorry." It was the wraith, wasn't it. That's what's got you so worked up. Fauna thought, but didn't quite dare voice her thoughts.
"Don't be!" Flora said this a bit too quickly for Fauna's tastes and Flora must have realized it too because she hastily continued. "I mean- it's not your fault that I can't handle a little dream. I should have handled it better and I didn't." Flora ended bitterly and Fauna briefly wondered if Flora was talking about something else.
"You've had to deal with a lot of things these past couple of weeks, no-one blames you." At Flora's look Fauna added. "Including me." Flora just sighed and finished her tea. I wish she would just tell me what's wrong… Fauna gave a strained smile and sat in silence with her sister, both lost in their own thoughts.
Meanwhile… In Hogwarts…
Harry Potter shot up out of his bed and banged heads with his best friend Ron Weasley, who was leaning over him.
"Oi!!" Ron grabbed his forehead in pain as he stumbled backwards.
"What'd you do that for?? I've been calling your name for the past five minutes." Ron looked at Harry resentfully. He didn't like getting up early in the morning either, but that was no reason to injure him before he even had breakfast. When Ron noticed that Harry looked like he was about to throw up, he forgot about breakfast.
"Hey mate, you alright?" Ron looked at Harry in concern, Harry's eyes were wide as saucers and he was as pale as a ghost. Ron's eyes widened.
"It's not Vol-- You-Know-Who is it?? He's not back yet, right? He's not sending you visions or anything? He's not at Hogwarts, is he?? Are we under attack? Is he attacking muggles?" Before Harry could answer Ron's frantic questions Ron was off again pacing back and forth and waving his arms wildly in the air.
"We should tell Hermoine, she's always in those books… no!! We should tell Dumbledore!!" Harry tried to interrupt his friend but couldn't get a word in edgewise. "He's with the Order!! He'll know what to do!! He's all powerful and stuff and he always knows what's going on!!" Ron rushed towards the Boy's dormitory door, intent on speeding off to the headmaster's office.
"Ron…Ron…RON!!!" Harry was sitting up in bed and shouting at the top of his lungs before Ron stopped his mad rush just outside the door. He paused and looked at Harry.
"Yeah mate?" Ron looked at Harry in surprise.
"I'm FINE. It wasn't Voldemort. It was a dream." Ron flinched when Harry said Voldemort.
"A dream? How can you be sure that Vol- You-know-Who didn't send you the dream? He can you know, he's done it before." Ron crossed his arms. Harry sighed and furrowed his eyebrows.
"Look Ron, I can. Alright? This doesn't feel like that. This felt…different. Like a memory, but from someone else…but…some of the memories WERE mine." Ron came and sat across from Harry. Worry was etched on his face, and confustion.
"Harry? You're not making much sense. You said it was a dream at first. Now you're saying it was a memory, but not YOUR memories even though some of them WERE yours?" Ron looked doubtful. "C'mon Harry, you're contradicting yourself."
"RON." Harry groaned. "If it was Voldemort my scar would have hurt and you'll notice I wasn't clutching my scar at all." Ron paused at that.
"Well… I guess…but you looked like you were going to have a seizure or something." There was a moment of silence before he added, "You okay now?" Harry gave a wry grin and felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. No matter what hasty conclusions Ron might jump to, he always was looking out for his best mate's welfare first.
"Yeah Ron, I'm fine. In fact, let's talk about this after breakfast. …You did mention breakfast, didn't you?" Harry tried not to laugh at Ron's enthusiastic response and was practically pulled out of his bed.
"Hey mate, give a bloke a chance to change into some decent clothes, will ya'?" Ron stopped pulling Harry and crossed his arms and frowned deeply in an impression of their Transfigurations Teacher.
"That depends. How long will it take you to change?" Harry laughed and shoved Ron out of the door before hurrying to put on his clothes. He was downstairs in record time.
But it seems he was slow enough to give Ron a chance to tell Hermione what had happened. As soon as he was down the stairs Hermione pounced on him.
"Harry!! What happened? Are you alright? Will you be okay? Do we need to see Dumbledore? What about Si- Snuffles? Are you going to tell him? And when are you going to give us the full story? Ron wasn't exactly helpful." Ron gave an indigent "Hey!" after Hermione's last comment. Harry laughed; he couldn't help it. His two friends could be such worriers sometimes. Hermione gave him a disapproving glare.
"This is no laughing matter Harry! We're in the middle of a war with Voldemort and suddenly you're getting strange dreams and visions, -which may or may not be connected to Voldemort and you just LAUGH? Don't you know that there are people dying out there Harry? Innocent people! Muggles and Half-bloods alike!" Silence filled the room, cold, empty, and vibrating with tension. Ron watched as Harry and Hermione stared at each other for a moment before Harry turned away and went through the portrait without saying a word.
AN:: Oooooo...what's up with Hermione? First Chappie up and there will be a second one up soon, gotta go correct it and spell check it and all that rot. Review and tell me if anything needs fixing!!
Thanks to all the people who reviewed for my first story, I hope this will satisfy you until I get my damned Floppy...mumble grumble...