The blackness ended and light flooded around. Lily looked up at the form of Ddraig and watched as he moved closer to her wiping off black soot from her shoulders. She was shocked to find herself not in Hogwarts; she hadn't really expected that to work.
Lily looked slowly around the room she was now in, it was very different to the office. The walls were covered in wooden strips giving a logged cabin feeling. On the right wall was a large portrait of a woman with long flowing blonde hair to her hips, she was smiling sweetly back out. Lily almost thought her beautiful until she noted the lips widen. The woman had no teeth and there was a large black mole on the left side of her nose.
Lily closed her eyes turning slightly away not wanting to see that at all, when she heard a little girlish voice talking in one of those highly sweet voices. Lily could feel the words digging into her brain
"Taliesin you're here already I wasn't expecting you until ten, if I had known you'd be here earlier I would have gotten all dressed up."
"Dame Martina why would you need to change when you are fantastic the way you are"
Lily looked between the woman who must have been Dame Martina and Taliesin, she couldn't have agreed with Taliesin even if her life had depended on it. The woman in front of her looked very much like the woman in the portrait.
Dame Martina had very funny looking hair. It was neither blonde nor white but something sort of in between like a funny cream colour. It was tied up in a ponytail on top of her head so that some fell to either side.
Lily coughed trying not to laugh as she looked the lady in the eyes, like Lily this woman had emerald colour in them but they were interrupted by the dullest shade of grey, her eyes however were shaped like a hawk as she stared down her long pointy nose at Lily.
"Taliesin you are too kind to me, and this little girl must be Lila, she is pretty isn't she."
Lily shivered as the most hatred smile crept at her small lips, the ruby red of the lipstick making them more sinister. Lily tried to smile but couldn't as she found herself clutching onto her mentors hand.
"Lily, yes this is her,"
"That's nice, will you stay for a cuppa?"
"Oh Dame Martina I don't think that we will be able to, we have to be somewhere."
"Oh please, the little girl can join us I have some nice squash she can have and ginger newt biscuits."
Lily held tighter to Taliesin something told her not to let go and she didn't know why until she felt something against her leg. She looked down and took an intake of breath as she saw a small animal that looked like a mix between a cat; dog and bird stare at her.
Taliesin must have sensed the fear as he looked back at the thing, he muttered something in welsh that Lily didn't catch and the woman too said something. She looked hard at Lily as if thinking of a way to get rid of her, but before she could react Taliesin had spoken.
"I'm sorry Dame Martina but we must be off goodbye."
Lily felt her hand squeezed as she was dragged to the door and the pair stepped onto the busy street. Taliesin dragged Lily three streets away before stopping and looking at her.
She knew that her eyes were wide and that her mouth was hung slightly open, she had not expected him to talk like that, he had always been gentle and sweet towards everyone.
"Lily listen to me very carefully. That woman isn't to be trusted, be careful if ever you see her."
"What was that thing it looked like a cats head on a dogs body except for the feathery wings?"
"It's one of her creations, you'll now if you ever see it that she is near."
"Why did we leave so soon, not that I'm complaining?"
"Lily you will learn in time that there are many different types of magic in the world. There's our type which is wand waving. There is the type that a parent has, be they muggle or wizard that allows them to know when their children are in trouble. Then there is the ancient magics not many know of these anymore."
"What do you mean by ancient magics, I though all magic was ancient?"
"Oes Caried (A/N yes child) all magics are ancient in many ways, but there is a magic older than yours. It is the Celtic magic Lily. Not many now know this fine art, it has been lost to all but a few families."
"And Dame Martina knows it?"
"Oes, but do not worry I am learnt in the ways of the old ones, Tad himself is a descendent of the old ones as am I."
"The old ones?"
"Druids. Dame Martina is also a descendent but there are differences, her magic is darker than ours but not as strong."
"So was Branwen's mother also a descendent?"
"Nag Oes Caried (A/N No child) she was from a stronger Welsh heritage than even Tad and myself, I cannot explain it is up to Branwen, so we will leave it there. Now where is the bus stop?"
Lily smiled as she pointed to a shelter standing only two meters away, they went and stood next to it, both lost in their own thoughts.
Lily couldn't help but sniff as she thought of the reason she was here, it hadn't really hit her yet the reasoning but she knew the moment she got home it would become real.
A double decker green bus pulled to a stop in front of them and Taliesin pushed Lily on first before paying the bus driver. The pair sat on the lower level and Lily looked out the window. She knew this was the number 32 bus, she couldn't figure out why they hadn't just gotten on the number 66 from that stop it would take them straight to her house.
A little rain began to tickle the window as Lily looked outside, they passed the street she would usually turn up and saw police tape everywhere, a red car was smashed against a wall. The scene was filled with people in white overalls and Lily pitied the person who had been in that car.
As the bus pulled into the station Lily stood up wondering what her father would say when they arrived at the house.