Chapter 23
Well, it's been a long journey, but here we are, at the end of Curse of Time.
/::sniffles::/
Ginny? Are you crying?
/Yes, I am. I don't want this story to end now!/
Why? I thought you hated it.
/This is the last story you have to finish for Char! Now I have to go an bother her!/
No it's not I still have to finish Jade and the…I mean, yes, this is the last one! Of course it is!
/It's not?! Yay!/
Great, now I'm stuck with her for even longer! I'd like to thank these people; HPFanFicLuvr, Ryan22, Aurorariel, Chantelle (The Great Muses), HexWa, LoudMouthStar, Marrae, Voltor1, Crimson Storm, Gnatgirl, searching4romeo, zenni, nameless, Stacey and Jemma (who were convinced they should log in to my account to review…damned sisters), aveline, remuslupinlover, Psycho-Violinist, malicorejewel, eViL pHaRiE pRiNcEsS20, LegyLoloo.
"Uncle Lucius!" Lucius smirked at a shocked Aine, hugging Annie gently. "Hello, Annie." He said. "What're you doing here, my dear? This is much too dangerous for you."
"I wanted to warn you that Aine's planning to kill you." Annie replied. Burying her face in Lucius's robes. "And to tell you something." Her small arms encircled Lucius's middled.
"What's that?" Annie mumbled something, and Lucius leant closer. "I didn't hear you, dear." He frowned when he felt a strange numbness spreading through him.
Annie steped away, dropping a blood-covered dagger. "It hurts when people stab you in the back." She sneered. "Don't you agree? Looks like I'm more like my mother than you thought. Say hello to mother when you get to hell."
Annie flounced over to Aine. "I did it." She said, tears running down her cheeks. "He's gone."
Aine hugged her gently. "I'm sorry ye 'ad te do tha', Annie. Ye shouldna 'ave 'ad te take on tha' burden."
"But I was the only one who could get close enough." Anni replied, staring blindly across the makeshift battlegrounds. Her eyes focussed on Draco and the man standing in front of him. "Aine!" She yelped. "Voldemort! Draco!"
Aine followed Annie's gaze and screamed. "Draco!" She shrieked, gathering up the last of her magic, which wasn't much, she was bleeding badly and the iron in her blood stopped her from healing as well as poisoning her, she warped over, shielding Draco with her own body. "Ye won' 'urt 'im." She snarled at Voldemort. "I won' let ye!"
"Sorry, Meryll." Voldemort said. "Perhaps if you'd joined us when you had the chance. Now, well, you can't tell me anything. Cleo poisoned you, Meryll. You're dying. I can see it. The colour's fading form your face and that warp…" he chuckled. "Well, now there's no chance you'll survive unless I perform a healing spell on you. Step aside, Meryll. This scum isn't worth your life. We both know it."
"I'm na gonna let ye 'urt 'im." Aine said stubbornly.
"You're mortal now, Meryll. Your immortality has been leeched from you. I can see it. Step aside, foolish girl."
"No!" Aine snapped. Voldemort wouldn't hurt Draco while she lived.
"Very well. You've made your grave. Now you'll die in it. Avada Kadavra."
Aine stared death straight in the face, refusing to scream or beg for mercy. She felt the curse hit her, felt her body being to shut down and her muscles stop working. Dimly, she heard Draco begging her to open her eyes, before everything went black.
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Should I continue? Or should I give you a cliffhanger? Hmmm…
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"Time te wake up, Aine." A soft voice said.
Aine's eyelashes fluttered, then her eyes opened. She sat up, looking around. Everyone was frozen in time. "Wha'?"
The woman, a Seer by the brand on her forehead, stood up. "She's awake, milady." She announced.
"I can see that. Thank you, Siobhan." Lady Brigid said.
Siobhan curtsied and stepped back.
"Wha' 'appened?" Aine asked. "Why is everyone frozen?"
"I froze them so tha' ye an' the Lady migh' 'ave some time te talk." Siobhan said.
"Wha' do ye want te talk te me abou'?" Aine asked warily.
"You did it, Aine!" Lady Brigid smiled warmly. "You performed a selfless act! You honestly thought that you were dying, and yet you refused to save your own skin. The halfling's life was more important to you. I always knew you could do it. Now, as you know, you have a choice before you. Do you want to die? Do you want to go on to your next life as a Goddess? Or do you want to live?"
"I…" Aine frowned. She'd always been so sure she knew what she was going to do. But did she still want the same things she used to? If she died she'd be with her family again. But if she lived…thoughts of Draco, Annie, and her friends filled Aine's head. She loved Drago with all of her heart, something she'd proved by being willing to die for him. "Why would I na 'ave died?" She asked, stalling.
"Over 2000 years ago a babe was born. She shouldn't have been, her parents were destined to remain childless, it was written in the stars. But for some reason, the mam conceived. Nine months later she gave birth to a baby girl, born at midnight on Imbolc. She was infused with power, for she was a thrice-blessed child, born out of time on Imbolc in the second between night and day. A Chime Child with the power of the Gods. That babe was you, Aine. Buried deep inside you is enough magical power to destroy the world. For your own good we took you away from your family at the peak of your power, knowing you could never be a true part of the Mortal Realm with that magic inside your core. We taught you our craft, and groomed you to become a Goddess. However, you were too kind to mortals, and there was a war brewing amongst the deities, Light and Dark battled for control. I knew you had to be sent away, to keep you from becoming a pawn of evil. Lady Aine and I agreed that you would be sent back to the Mortal Realm, to stay until the battle was over. Your disobedience to Lady Aine's commands and mine made us angry, and we had to punish you. I sealed your magic deep within you, unable to take it away, and sent you to the Mortal Realm. But you were still Immortal and always would be, until you decided that you wished to be mortal, regardless of your power. If you wish, I can take that power now; I can put it where it belongs. Otherwise, you will have to wield it for all eternity. You must choose."
Aine took all of this in. In light of what she'd just discovered, what did she want to do? An image of Draco danced through her mind. "I wan' te live." She decided.
"You realise you will be a mortal witch? You will no longer have the power to warp or anything but what a powerful witch can do. And you will eventually grow old and die."
"Will I keep me memories?"
"Yes." Lady Brigid answered.
"Will everyone else?" Aine continued.
"Yes."
"Will I still be allergic te iron?"
"No."
"Then aye, I wan' te be 'uman."
"Very well." Lady Brigid raised her hands.
Aine screamed as something forced its way out of her chest. A silver ball of light bobbed in front of her for a second, then floated over to Lady Brigid and was absorbed into her staff.
"Time will begin again from just after you fell unconscious." Lady Brigid said. She and the Seer began to fade.
"Wait!" Aine said.
"Yes?"
"Can…can ye do me a favour? Please?"
"I will grant you one favour within reason."
"Can ye get rid o' Voldemort an' the Death Eaters?"
"Kill them, you mean?" Lady Brigid raised one dark eyebrow.
"Nay. Jus'…make 'em disappear fer a time. Let the Wizardin' Wold get itself back tegether. Let them get ready fer the comin' war."
Lady Brigid sighed. "Very well, Aine." She clapped her hands and Voldemort and the Death Eaters vanished. "They are in stasis for six months. Good luck, Aine. We'll be watching."
"Wake up, Aine, please." Draco begged as he stroked Aine's dark hair, not caring that his mask had slipped and he was displaying his true nature to everyone.
"Oh, my 'ead." Aine groaned, opening her eyes. She smiled up at Draco. "Got any painkillers?"
"You're alive!" Draco hugged her, "oh, thank Merlin!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm alive, bu' I feel like I was run o'er by a truck." Aine grumbled.
"How? How are you alive? You weren't breathing!"
"I made a deal with a Goddess." Aine sat up, holding her head in her hands.
"You're joking!" Khalidah said. "You made a deal with a Goddess? You couldn't sell firewood to an Eskimo!"
"No, I'm na jokin'. I made a deal with Lady Brigid. I gave 'er my immortality and Changelin' powers and she let me live an' sent the evil guys on a six month vacation te give us time te get ready fer the upcomin' war." Draco helped Aine stand. "So let's go 'ome an' nurse our wounds."
"Sounds like a great idea." Harry said, he and Ron helping Ginny along. She had a broken leg and there was a cut bisecting her left eyebrow.
Aine took the locket from around her neck. "Everyone gather 'round." She said. Once everyone was touching the locket, or someone who was touching the locket, she said the password. "Abra Cadabra."
On an island not far away a body lay in a dark cave, cooling. Mists which had kept Key Isle from sight slid back, revealing the mystical island which only existed now in legends. The old Seer had passed on, and tomorrow, a girl would wash up onto the shore, to take up the mantle of Seer for the Gods.
THE END
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here,
While these visions did appear;
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long,
Else the Puck a liar call.
So, goodnight unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."
-A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 5, Scene 1, William Shakespeare
Searching4romeo: As usual, thank you so much for your support. It was you who inspired me to finish this story as swiftly as I have. Thank you so much for your support and I hope you like the ending. Well the stories that are posted are the ones I've written so far since my computer went boom! and I lost all my stories except the ones which were on the net. So when I write a new story I'll send it to you. And if you review instalment five of 'Cold' called Cold, Calm, Prim, and Proper, you'll get the final instalment posted ::major hintage::
LegyLoloo: Thank you so much. Here's the end chapter for you.