Briar POV
All I see is darkness. All I can feel is ice coursing through my veins. Sometimes I can hear voices around me and I even got to hear Draco's voice a few times, but most of the time there is nothing but quiet. Even with all of the downsides to this limbo I seem to be in, there was one plus. I got to visit Draco and kiss him last night. Or at least, I think it was last night. Time here is a little questionable.
Time goes by and soon, my entire body hurts which is a first. I've gotten use to the numbing iciness that I've felt throughout my entire body for however long I've been stuck here. It starts in my toes and fingertips and I find that, although it's painful, I'm starting to regain feeling in them. I try to test out my fingers and find there is something on them. I use all of my mental strength and curl my fingers around the object and hear a startled gasp next to me.
Am I holding a hand?
I hear footsteps and whoever's hand I was holding is now gone. I can hear voices in the distance, but I'm more focused on the iciness leaving my body. With a groan, I turn my head a little and find it is surprisingly easy to do as the pain in my body is starting to seep out of my bones. Forcing my brain to cooperate, I'm finally able to open my eyes after a few unsuccessful attempts at slowly blinking them open. Gazing at the ceiling, my first question is where the Merlin am I? The ceiling looks old and worn like I'm in an old house. Turning my head slowly to the side, being mindful of the soreness that resonates in my bones; I see a bedroom I've never been in before. Everything is dark and well furnished. I run my fingers along the quilt I'm lying on top of and find it's very soft. Yes, this room is definitely owned by someone very wealthy.
Finding the strength to get my body to cooperate, I sit up as my joints pop after not being used for however long I was stuck in the darkness. Sighing softly in annoyance, I slowly swing my feet to the floor and stand up. Unfortunately, my head has a different idea as I find myself seated on the bed again after a head rush knocks me over. Letting the dizziness pass, I try again and find I'm able to stay standing this time. Taking a step forward, my legs are a little shaky, but I'm able to walk all the way to the window on the side of the room without stumbling which is a good thing. Studying outside, all I see is a dark street illuminated by street lamps letting me know it's very late. With a huff, I press my forehead against the window in frustration and feel the window's coolness seeping into my skin that is finally feeling warm again.
"Welcome back, sweetheart," a male voice says behind me. I spin around quickly and find Sirius leaning against the bedroom's doorway casually with a smile on his face. A smile stretches across my face to mirror him and I sprint across the room to pull him into a hug. His arms wrap around me and I feel a tear of happiness roll down my face at the fact he's not dead as a sigh of relief leaves my aching body.
"Sirius, thank Merlin you're alright," I whisper as I pull back and wipe the tear from my cheek. He lets out a chuckle before leaning against the doorway again.
"Me? Thank Merlin, you're alright. What in the bloody hell were you thinking?! If you were anyone else, you would be dead right now!" He yells in frustration and anger. I flinch slightly at his tone and his eyes soften.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you die. Harry has already lost everyone else in his family and I consider you to be a father figure to me. I already lost my father. I couldn't lose you too," I whisper while looking down to stare at my hands that are tugging at each other anxiously. My eyes stay firmly on my hands, even when I hear his soft tone speaking to me.
"Briar, I will forever be grateful you saved me, but what you did was so reckless. You could have died! Think about how all of us would feel if you were no longer here. Think about Draco," he says quietly. My head snaps up at hearing Draco's name and my eyes widen.
"Draco! Where is he? He is alright?" Sirius gives me a soft nod and smile.
"Yes, sweetheart. He's alright. We all told him he couldn't visit the entire summer because we weren't sure if it was safe, but now that you're awake I'll try to figure something out. Although, it will be harder now that he's a Death Eater," he mumbles irritably.
"WHAT?! How could he become a Death Eater?! I've only been in my coma for a few hours! Wait, how did I not die?" I walk over and take a seat on the bed as everything suddenly becomes overwhelming. Sirius takes a seat next to me and turns his body to face me. From the look of his face, I know I'm not going to like anything that comes out of his mouth next.
"Briar, what was your grandmother's first name?" I stare at him in confusion before trying to remember my Nana. She passed away when I was five.
"Diana…Why?" He nods his head and starts to explain.
"Narcissa's theory was true then. Briar, your family tree is full of powerful witches and wizards. Your grandmother was one of the strongest and we believe it's because of her magic coursing through your veins that you're alive. There's a reason you can heal and harm whenever your emotions either get away from you or are very strong. Now that you confirmed your lineage, I have a lot to fill you in on, but it's because of Draco's necklace that you're alive." I stare at Sirius in shock. He continues to tell me all about my family history and my magic abilities being tied to my emotions. He explains how Draco's love through my necklace, which apparently feeds off of emotions; is the reason I'm still alive. I tell him about my dream and he says Draco told Molly about it so I was actually in Draco's head which further proves just how strong my magic is. It just makes me miss my dragon more.
He continues to explain my magic and how my emotions tie in for a little while longer before he comes to the next question I had. Now that I know I'm not dead and why, I need to know why Draco became a Death Eater.
"Sirius, how could you let Draco become a Death Eater?! I trusted you to look out for him with Severus," I seethe as a sense of betrayal seeps into my tone. He looks at me uneasily.
"Briar, how long do you think you were in your coma again?"
"A few hours…? Maybe a day or two. Why?" He shifts in his seat and stares me straight in my eyes. I see his lips move, but his words don't register for a few minutes. I stand and stumble to the window again and stare outside to see there's a small amount of light starting to creep into the darkness outside. It's becoming morning time and time won't wait for this conversation.
"Did you just…How long have I been in my coma?"
"Two months," he whispers behind me. I turn and stare at him in bewilderment. "Sixth year starts up again in two weeks. You've missed a lot, sweetheart, but we can all catch you up and we will get back on track with the plan when you feel ready." I nod my head and my mind starts to catch up on understanding what exactly he has told me.
"I need to see Draco," I murmur quietly. I see Sirius nod his head and he leaves the room, but leaves the door open. After breathing deeply for a few moments, I find the strength to follow after him. My feet walk me down the familiar steps and I realize I must have been in Sirius' brother's room before. I'm at Headquarters for The Order.
Walking around the corner, I hear voices speaking in the dining hall that I spent Christmas in not too long ago.
Well, I guess it's a lot longer than I thought it was since I was in a coma for two months.
Striding towards the voices more confidentially, I find myself standing in the entranceway staring at Severus, Sirius, and Molly all standing in a small circle discussing something heatedly.
"It is not safe for her to see the boy yet. We don't have all of the answers," Snape says as I stare at his back.
"We have as many answers as we need about why Briar is awake! Besides, Draco has been slowly losing hope these past two months, Severus! My weekly letters just seem to make him sad according to Narcissa since there hasn't been anything to tell him since she said his name a month and a half ago. If you don't tell him she woke up, then I certainly will. I refuse to lie to that poor boy," Molly spits back in anger. I guess Narcissa knows I was in a coma and it warms my heart that Molly's sticking up for telling Draco the truth.
"I'm seeing him whether you like it or not," I butt into their conversation. They all turn and I see the shock on Snape's face and happiness on Molly's. Sirius just smirks at me knowing how stubborn I am. "I just woke up after two months. I'm not going another second without seeing him so either tell him to floo over here or I will go to Malfoy Manor and risk being seen. Good luck with your plan if someone finds out I'm not dead," I say haughtily and cross my arms over my chest.
Molly rushes over to me and pulls me into a motherly embrace. I tightly hug her back without hesitation and find myself smiling warmly. She pulls back and frames my face with her hands as she beams at me.
"I'm so glad you're awake, dear. We've all missed you so much. I will go send a message to Draco now?" I quickly nod my head and thank her before she rushes out of the room. I turn my eyes to Severus and find him scowling at Molly's retreating form. I chuckle causing his gaze to focus on me.
"Oh Severus, that scowl is going to be a permanent facial feature if you don't learn to smile," I tease. One side of his lip upturns slightly for a second before settling back on his infamous scowl. I march over to him and pull him into a hug. He stiffens and pats my back before I continue hugging him to signal I wasn't letting go until I got a proper hug. After what I'm sure was the most dramatic eye roll that I can't see, his arms wrap around me in a hug before releasing me. I step back and smile at him warmly.
"It's great to have you back, Ms. Griffin," he asserts with his hands folded behind his back as he strides out of the room. I turn to Sirius and roll my eyes playfully.
"That man is going to die from lack of emotion one of these days," I state causing Sirius to laugh loudly with his head tilted back. I giggle softly before I hear a gasp behind me. I see Sirius' eyes focus on something behind me and he smiles softly at me. Placing a hand on my shoulder briefly as he walks past me, he leaves the room leaving me to turn and face whoever gasped. After what seems like forever, the moment I've waited two months for finally happens. Facing the person in the doorway, green eyes meet shocked blue eyes and a smile spreads across both of our faces.
Draco.