Chapter Four: Siblings and Odd Flashes

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

September 7

It seems that there's a human instinct that something is out of place, but we mortal beings tend to push it aside as nothing. Then in later hours, you realize what mistake you have committed. You vow never to make the same mistake twice. No, you won't. It will be made at least three times in your life before you finally take a hint.

Nevertheless, there are exceptions to this rule. An example: Sirius Black. Potions disaster. Is there anything else needed to be said?

Sandy, Damien, and yours truly are planning to visit the Room of Requirement today just for some chat time. Chatting time outside of classes these days are limited, because of the detentions we receive, the ever-growing stack of work to finish… such and such. Sandy's a Gryffindor and Damien's a Slytherin. Stuffing the fact into Mum's face is very entertaining, considering the reason she disowned her oldest daughter in the first place is that she had been Sorted into a house other than Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. How do I stuff it in her face? All right. Take a seat; this'll take a little while.

So… I think I've mentioned my two youngest sisters, four-year-old Celestina and nine-year-old Kiana. There's also Henry, who's my twin. He's older than I am by seventeen minutes, but everyone considers me the older twin 'cause I'm more mature. William VI is the youngest in the Warbeck family. Yes, William, the Sixth is his name. Father's William V, William the Fifth. As said before, we're a well-known Ravenclaw line. William the First started our line six centuries ago. There is another younger brother, ten-year-old Daniel. Daniel's turning eleven soon, and will undoubtedly get his invitation to Hogwarts after seventh year. There are two more sisters. Delilah's in her fourth year and Trista is a second year. Both are Ravenclaws, of course. Trista and Delilah are entrusted with 'spying' and reporting on anyone that comes near. Gives Mum more reason to hate her oldest daughter.

Trista and Delilah are completely hopeless, since they are eager to agree with anything Mum says. Moreover, they're supposed to be smart. William is still too young to understand what our 'family values' are. Daniel… I might be able to tell him a few words to help him see what I see. Celestina and Kiana are also completely hopeless. They're the two daughters who want to 'please Mum in every way possible'. Please. Henry… he might have been a Ravenclaw, but he was true one. He understood where I was coming from and, though disappointed we weren't in the same house, actually still cared about me. It's nice to have a twin.

Better leave, or else Sandy will abuse the head on these shoulders. Sandy's smart for a Gryffindor, and she's someone who likes to go by the rules. She hates it when anyone's late to a meeting with her. Like Lily. Just like Lily. Damien's a bit more of a 'bad boy'. I'd say they're made for each other, because they've been ogling at each other when they think I'm not looking.

Makes you feel like you need to run to the nearest u-bend and retch.

- Delayna Warbeck

I signed my journal entry with a flourish, wiping the excess ink on the white hair band on my wrist and placed it on the bed. Tying my hair up tightly, I slipped the quill into its usual position.

This quill is very special. It has been used by yours truly, when I first was Sorted into Slytherin. It was very disconcerting to one's self to be disowned by the people you know as family, as you can see. It was on a bedspread when I climbed up the staircases the first time into the Slytherin first year girls' dormitory. The bed was claimed by me, too, since it was farthest away from everybody else. Oddly enough, the plumes of the quill did not become sticky with use and remained smooth throughout the Hogwarts years. Writing with it has always been the way of escaping reality. If it's not in my hand, it's in my hair, or in my secret compartment of my trunk. Like said, it's treasured greatly.

Getting out of bed is hard. The bed is very comfortable, see, but you have to do it anyways, or Sandy will start yelling and screaming 'cause you're late. That girl's moods swing almost as the ones I experience. Almost.

After walking through dozens of crowds ("Teenagers these days are too much in a hurry," said the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick.), the Room of Requirement was finally in sight... or was going to be. Circling around as required, I stopped at the door and pushed it open. The sight that greeted me was most definitely not welcome.

I wasn't surprised Sandy and Damien were there, of course, since it was they who invited me in the first place. However, neither of them told me the Marauders and Lily were going to be here! The Marauders are Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. McGonagall called them by that name once and they found it a good idea at the time and named themselves as such. Seriously speaking though… WHAT IN THE NAME OF HELLS ARE—

"—they doing here!" I yelled at my two best friends. They both flinched. It isn't pretty to see me angry. No, no. Not pretty at all.

"Thanks for the warm reception, Dee," Lily said dryly.

"You're welcome," I retorted. Something that everyone finds annoying is that I always have to have the last word in an argument or any discussion or I wouldn't be part of it at all. It's not my fault… My father was a great debater and taught me his secrets. Until Mum disowned me from the family, of course; even though Dad's a master debater, he cannot withstand the wiles of Lasiandra Warbeck. In addition, I get a lot of practice. I'm bored very easily and I like to pick fights with people. It's fun to rule them up, see what they'll say. That's the evil, Slytherin side of me, if there is such one. Nyik. Oy, that's my new word! I had been talking with Lily the other day and all of a sudden, I squeaked, "Nyik." Weird? Oh, yes, very.

Anyways, back to the subject at hand… "So what are you all doing here?" I continued, glaring at each one of them in turn. It was a mild glare, as I wasn't truly angry. There has only been one time in my life I was truly angry. It wasn't a pretty sight. No, indeed. Damien could very well vouch for that.

"We were invited here, Warbeck," Black replied. My friends find it very irritating when Black and I get involved in a fight. He has a tendency to keep arguing until he gets the last word, which he usually doesn't. I always do. It's a manner of luck, really. When people turn up that can shut the whole in his head he calls a mouth, I win. Otherwise, we could keep arguing forever… and ever… and ever… and ever… and you know what I'm saying.

"I realized that, since Sandy is so quiet," I snapped. I could see Sandy rolling her eyes out of the corner of my own. I rounded on Damien. "What are they doing here?" I asked him in turn.

"Remus and I happen to be Potions partners," he began. "I know that. I sit right behind you," I interrupted. He continued as if I hadn't said a word. "It just so happens that we met in the corridors during one of Potter and Evans's daily arguments, and to shut them, I invited them to come with us." I growled under my breath. Why couldn't they have fought outside the hearing distance of Damien?

"You're late, by the way," Sandy piped up sternly. My shoulders sagged from its tense position. Oops.

"Aren't I always?" I quipped sheepishly. I have a tendency to be 'fashionably late', as I like to call it. Sandy thinks I'm just being late all the time to annoy her. She's half-right… but that doesn't I'm always late just to irritate her! I am sometimes on time! Saving me from the utter humiliation of being yelled at in front of Black and his friends, she 'humph-ed' and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Going to join us, or are you just going to stand there?" Black entered smoothly. I tilted my head towards him, raising my eyebrows in a challenging way.

"I'll join you, but I have no place to sit," I replied. "You didn't give me the liberty of sitting down." Last word-thing.

Black opened his mouth to speak, and his lips moved. I could tell he was saying something… but I could not hear it. His movements seemed to slow, and my vision started to blur. I saw a hand passing through my face, and I moved to snap at whoever it was, but I found I could not.

My vision turned black for a few moments before color started to seep in towards the centric area of my vision. Soon, color filled the entirety of what I could see, though the image that had appeared was blurry.

There was a small woman, cradling a child. As I focused on her face, I recognized her immediately. Andromeda Tonks was her name. The baby must be little Nymphadora, the one she had written to me. A shadow fell upon the two figures, and I realized that Ted had arrived from work. Theodore Tonks was one of the most well known Aurors of his generation, and Andromeda was undoubtedly waiting for her husband to return from his job as a loyal wife. The Tonks are a wonderful family. I was well acquainted with Andromeda, as she had been Sorted into Ravenclaw and invited to the annual Ravenclaw Ball held at the houses (or mansions, estates, palaces, whichever you wish to call them) of richer Ravenclaw families. That included mine, unfortunately.

Nymphadora's face was adorable, and she probably would be a heart breaker when she grew up. However, the little baby's face suddenly squeezed together, and little Nymphadora began to cry uncontrollably. As she did, I watched with confusion as her hair began to change to different colors, and her face features began to elongate, shorten, and such. Realization dawned on me just then. The little Tonks was a Metamorphmagus!

"DAMNIT, DELAYNA! WAKE UP!" Those words floated into my ears and were slow to register in my brain. It was until I felt someone shaking me by the shoulders did I open my eyes.

Lily, Damien, Sandy, and Black were all standing above me, with Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew behind the former four. Each of them had a worried look on their faces. I blinked repeatedly. What was it that had them worrying?

"What are you staring at?" I growled with a loud and strong voice, as it always was. A simultaneous sigh of relief exited from each person's mouth. Had I not been standing earlier? Then why am I lying down in a very comfortable bed…?

"You just blacked out," Sandy explained to my confused look. "Sirius said something, then you opened your mouth to answer. You didn't move again afterwards. Even your heart stopped beating for a few moments. We were so worried you were dead…" A momentary silence ensued.

"I had a vision, though," I began slowly. "I don't exactly remember what it was about, but it definitely wasn't of the past or the future. It seemed like a present event or something." I shrugged. "It can't be that important." I blinked once again and sat up, stretching my stiff joints and muscles. "I thought we were all catching up…." As soon those words left my mouth, the tension evaporated from the room and Lily and Sandy started chattering. I could feel someone's gaze lingering on me, though when I looked up to see whom it was, everyone else was gazing at the two Gryffindor girls to show them attention. Shrugging it off as paranoia, I listened to the chatter as well, occasionally piping up at random moments.

As I left for the Room of Requirement later that day, an image of a small family consisting of a mother, father, and daughter flashed in my head. Recognition failed to register in my brain, but it continued to pop up at odd moments of the day. It left me wondering as to what I had seen earlier…

Author's Notes: I hope Delayna doesn't sound Mary-Sue-ish. She won't be one. At least, I hope so.

Thanks to all reviews. They are very much appreciated.

- Cerulean Asphodel