Hearts Do Change

Chapter 6: I Never

"I've never felt so weak,

I've never felt so confused,

I thought I'd finally figured it out,

But everyone's telling me something new.

Who am I to trust?!

Can I even trust myself?!

Where do I belong?!

Why does everything just feel so...wrong?!"

The notebook with the "Labyrinth" emblem snapped shut as soon as the first tear fell. The young woman sniffled and looked out the window of the train, willing herself not to let anymore tears fall. She took a folded piece of parchment out of the pocket of her scarlet robes and read it again, as she had been since she first stepped foot on this train.

"Dear Miss. Lorien,

We are happy to announce that you have been selected for the position of Defense Against the Dark Art's professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do realize that this is awfully short notice, but we have been quite busy here. I'm sure you can easily guess why. In any case, you're experience is exalted and arrangements have been made, you shall stay at the Leaky Cauldron until September First. Then you shall proceed to Platform 9 and ¾ and the Hogwarts Express shall then take you to the school. A ticket for the Hogwarts Express has been enclosed.

We look forward to seeing you, and having such a prestigious and experienced being working at our school.

Many blessings and a safe trip to you.

Headmaster of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Albus Dumbledore"

The young woman read it once more and then put it back into her pocket, sighing deeply. Experience...right. She had experience all right, but none that she'd ever wanted to bring up ever again. Still this teaching gig was right up the girl's alley. The kids needed this knowledge, and they would get it. Besides...she had nothing else to do, nowhere else to really go.

Her raven squawked in his small carrier/cage indignantly. He never liked being cooped up. She stood up and opened the door so he could fly out and he did so, hovering in front of the window before landing on her shoulder gently as she sat back down.

"Well my little friend, what do you think?" She asked him stroking his beak and back lovingly. He gave a few more caws and she nodded. " Yes...I heard Hogwarts was a beautiful place. At least there's a lake, and it's big. And Hogsmede is nearby." She reassured herself as much as the bird on her shoulder. She sniffled again, the poem not quite forgotten. "I still wonder...what might have happened...had I not found you." She blinked back more tears and turned her head away, feeling the weight lift off her shoulders suddenly.

Severus watched in wonderment. This was she, before she'd gotten to the school. The raven...that raven was always near her. On her shoulder, on the back of a chair, on her desk, in the rafters above her. Always....

He watched on

Two strong arms clad in black silk wrapped around her in a comforting hug. Large black and feathered wings wrapped around her and her comforter. A pale chin descended gently on top of her head, pulling out the chopstick and dropping it on the seat. The eyes were dark blue, with an oval pupil, cheekbones high, and very handsome he was. His hair was raven, the light of the compartment making it shine with a dark blue hue and it was in a low ponytail and very long. Anya turned into his chest and they just sat there, in that position, as she cried. "Anya...shhhhhh. Don't dwell on such things. We got out, that is enough." He gently comforted her. And she soon stopped crying. "That's good my little sister." He praised, when the tears had stopped altogether.

Severus looked on in awe. The raven.... the raven wasn't a raven? He.... he was.... what did he call her? Little sister? What??

She smiled at him slightly. "I never stop dwelling, you know that." She wiggled out of his hold and giggled. Then stretched. Phalin looked out the window.

"We're almost there Anya." He said softly, pointing out the window and sighing. "I think I'd best transform again." He said begrudgingly. He never left her side really. Always her protector, always watching over her.

Like a good elder brother should do.

"Ah...but you're right P-Chan, and don't worry, I wont stick you back in that cage, you can stay on my shoulder." She smiled, albeit a tad bit sadly.

"I hate it when you call me that..." he glared as she transformed and landed on her shoulder again.

"Precisely why I do it." She teased the raven. Then put the stoic look back on her face and waited for the train to stop.

And for the time to come when she would see her new home.

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Albus and Poppy rushed into the Infirmary and were relieved to feel that it had begun to warm up a tad bit more. They also rushed in just in time to see the raven she always had near transform in a burst of black light.

"Phalin?" Albus asked softly, not entirely sure what he had just witnessed. Poppy was stunned speechless and sat down on a nearby bed.

The raven haired, black winged young man looked down at Anya, laying on the bed in a state of subconscious unrest and the man sharing it with her who was slumped over in his seat on the bedside, tightly grasping her hand. He looked then up at Albus, with watering eyes and a trembling bottom lip.

"Albus.... I tried to protect her! I tried!" He collapsed to his knees. His black cheongsam making nearly no sound as the silk hit the floor. Poppy did not know what to make of this and opted for checking on her patient and the visitor. Albus knelt by the winged boy in a grandfatherly fashion.

"There was nothing we could do my boy. She must break out of this by herself now." Phalin slowly shifted to a sitting position, and leaned against the wall next to his little sisters bed. He was still holding back tears for her.

"She was in this same state...you know? Unconscious, but unresting as well. Though she was much more bloody than this...when I brought her to out tribe, poor thing." Phalin spoke in nearly a whisper...more to himself than to the two conscious occupants of the hospital wing. "It's almost like....like history is repeating itself."

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And that is all you are getting for now. Reviews please.....and I...I have school and all but I'm trying, and thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I'll get the next one out as soon as possible!

Namarie!