Hooray! Winter holidays! Ala new chapter!

Thanks to leki the philosophical momad, Aidyl, Emmmmmmmma S., RoMIstIC, Julie, HGDMlova, hpfan142, the7kids2000, Cyn91, and The-Flame-Faerie for reviewing!


Holidays


The last week of school for the term was a busy one.

The teachers, eager to load up the students with holiday homework, increased the workload dramatically.

The extra amount of essays and reports due threw the seventh years into turmoil.

Verity abandoned anything trivial to her life and threw herself into her work. She would rather spend this last week working hard and to enjoy her holidays.

In her rather rare, spare time, she would take the opportunity to sit back and think. Who was the letter from? Most likely a random person playing a joke, Lily had said. But Verity still wondered, and kept the scrap of paper hidden away somewhere safe.

But if the other seventh years had found coping with the work hard, it was nothing to how Lyla Sapientia felt as she finally was discharged from the Hospital Wing.

Verity, Crystal and others had diligently been collecting her work for her on a desk in their dormitory. Three feet high, it swayed formidably whenever people walked past, waiting for someone to finish the many reports stacked in its midst.

"You can't be serious – Professor Humperdinkle wants me to write all this?" Lyla protested one night as she flipped through her Defence Against the Dark Arts work.

Crystal sniggered and Lily glared at her.

"You shan't make fun of Professor Humperdinkle's name." she lectured. "He's new to this school and he's trying his best to teach without people making fun of his unusual name."

This caused Crystal to laugh even harder.

"Well you people can do what you want but I'm going right up to Professor Humperdinkle - don't you dare start laughing, Crystal - and I'm telling him I'm not doing it." With that she marched out of the room.

The others followed reproachfully.

They climbed up the many staircases and reached the second floor before Lyla charged towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts office. But before she quite reached it…

"Oi! You!" a voice slurred from the wall nearby.

Lyla swore. "I forgot about you." She turned to the painting on the wall.

Anjali the drunken Indian girl leered at her from the painting, tottering slightly as she held a beer bottle in her hand. "How could you forget about me?" she hiccupped. "You…. You… pesterous…mungle!"

Emma the Elephant and Hayley and Harriet the Happy Monkeys raised their finely painted eyebrows at her.

"Is she drunker than usual?" Crystal whispered.

"Oh, anybody could forget about you." Lyla snapped. "Why do you always target me?"

"Because you're –hic- … stupid." Anjali giggled and staggered into the elephant.

Lyla's wand whipped out from her robes and she stared to fling it wildly about.

Crystal caught onto her arms and tried to hold her back. "No Lyla! She's just a painting! Don't do it!"

Anjali cackled and wobbled about, tripping clumsily on the numerous beer bottles littering the grass around her feet. "You won't –hic- hurt me because…. –hic- you're stupid."

"I'll show you who's stupid!" Lyla bawled.

"Here's what I… think of you!" Anjali garbled.

She threw her empty beer bottle at Lyla.

Lyla covered her head with her arms as the bottle spiralled towards her… then hit the outer canvas of the picture and bounced back at Anjali.

It hit her head with a sharp thunk and she dropped to the ground, unconscious.

The girls stared at her.

Hayley, one of the Happy Monkeys, laughed and pointed at the girl. "She killed herself."

The other monkey, Harriet, dropped to the ground from a nearby tree and trotted over to the girl. She picked up a stick and prodded her several times. Anjali grunted in her sleep.

"She's not dead you moron." Harriet said.

There was a noise from the down the corridor and Professor Humperdinkle's bald head popped into the corridor.

"What's going on here?" he asked. "I heard shouting."

"Yeah, like half an hour ago." Harriet muttered as she scampered up the tree again. "He's as much a buffoon as the last bloke who tried teaching here."

"You! Humperdinkle!" Lyla charged forwards.

The Professor looked at her, surprised. "I'm glad your stay in the Hospital Wing has improved your manners, Miss Sapientia."

He was an elderly sort of man, with a balding head and small rounded glasses. Verity rather felt sorry for him as Lyla ranted on about her schoolwork.

"Well I'm sorry Miss Sapientia, but all these assignments will be going towards your NEWTs at the end of the year. If you want to, you can speak to your Year Advisor about this, you can but I'm afraid I can't do anything." Professor Humperdinkle wrung his hands anxiously.

He caught sight of Verity standing cautiously to the side of the others.

"Oh! Miss Chambers! I found your essay on the effects of death on potions very interesting. Excellent choice of topic, even if it is rather dark."

Verity blinked. She'd forgotten she'd even handed it in. "Well thankyou sir."

He nodded approvingly. "Keep it up."

Lyla scowled at the Professor as he plodded back to his office.

Lily frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Have a heart Lyla, it isn't his fault." Crystal said.

Lyla simply scowled more and stomped away, knocking Anjali's painting off the wall and upside down onto the floor. Anjali fell on her head and jerked awake blindly. "You godforsaken little witch! Smite her! Smite her!"

After rearranging herself in her new upside-down world, she glared after Lyla. "You pesterous git!" she roared. "You shall be smote! Smote I say!" she cackled wildly.


"Anjali's out to get you." Crystal commented as they left their Defence Against the Dark Arts later that day.

"Psh. What's she going to do? Throw another bottle at me?" Lyla snorted.

Verity shrugged. "Sometimes paintings can do stuff. Sort of rare, but it happens sometimes."

Professor Humperdinkle coughed just as the girls started to leave the room. "Now don't forget your Lethifolds essay! Due end of the week!"

Lyla started to groan but ducked suddenly as a She sharply inhaled and pretended to smile.

"What is it?" Crystal asked.

"Kate's better. The Healers want her to stay in Mungo's longer, but she checked herself out today. And she wants me to stay for the holidays."

"Oh that's great!" Lyla cheered.

Verity was silent. It would mean she would have to probably see her mother. Maybe she was better off staying at Hogwarts after all.

They headed out by the lake and sat down to eat lunch.

Lily and Margaret were chattering on about a potions assignment, and Crystal and Lyla were arguing about how exactly Lethifolds attacked people.

"They smother people at night." Crystal insisted.

"No, they swallow people whole!" Lyla snapped.

"Lethifolds smother people at night, then eat them." Verity droned. "They said that in Chapter five of that textbook Professor handed out today."

Lily looked up worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Verity sighed. "Nothing. I just think I'll stay put for the holidays."

"Oh." Lily looked disappointed. "Well have a think about it. I'm sure Kate would be happy to have you over for the two weeks."

Verity laid her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. The leaves above her head rustled soothingly and she found herself drifting off…

She was standing in a small house.

She was in a kitchen of some sort. Saucepans were neatly hung lining the wall. Muggle photographs (the type that didn't move) were plastered over the fridge, proudly added to by heart magnets and cute phrases.

She focused her attention onto one photograph in the centre of the fridge; a young girl with long brown hair sat smiling, surrounded by two older women. The taller one was smiling too, but had a serious look about her. The other woman was shorter than the other, and plumper too. But the young girl… that was her, Verity realised. She was much younger in this photo.

The taller woman must have been Leanne. Tall, straight, serious. But still happy. And so Kate was the shorter one. Her arm was wrapped around her sister's shoulder as she smiled broadly at the photographer.

Verity looked sharply over her shoulder, her thoughts interrupted as an older Kate trotted into the kitchen, humming happily.

Kate bustled past the fridge, accidentally knocking one of the heart magnets off. The photo flitted to the ground.

Tutting to herself, she bent to pick up the fallen memory.

The window exploded, glass flying across the room. Verity covered her face and shrieked loudly.

A man appeared at the window, his face masked by a dark hood.

"No mistakes!" he howled, pointing his wand at the cowering woman.

There was a flash of light.

She jerked awake.

Her heart was pounding.

"Verity? Oh no you didn't have another – "

Verity leapt up and bolted away from the group.

"Verity! Oh, Verity wait!" Lily stumbled after her.

She ran past the lake, up the winding staircases and into her dormitory. She scrabbled through her trunk and grabbed for a pen and paper.

Lily came breathless behind her. "What's going on?"

"I have to go in the holidays." Verity scribbled on the back of a small piece of parchment.

"What? Why? What did you see?"

"She'll be all alone. The hooded man is coming to get her. I have to protect her."

"What?" Lily leant against the doorframe in confusion.

"I saw him. He got her."

"How you know he's going to get her in the holidays?"

"He won't attack before the holidays. It's too soon. And in the holidays she won't be working. She'll be at home. On her own. I have to go."

"No! You've got to go to someone! Tell someone!"

"They won't help! They never help!" Verity screeched. "It's up to me!"

Lily stared at her. "You're mad! Like a sixteen year old will be able to do anything against a fully grown man!"

"I'm seventeen!" Verity shouted.

"Not until after the holidays you're not!" Lily threw her bag to the ground. "I don't know what is with you! As if you're this poor unfortunate girl who nobody listens to! And the whole fate of the entire world is up to you! Has McGonagall actually ever ignored you? No! Has she dismissed you? No! She always tries to help, she does what she can! You just keep jumping to silly conclusions and you're going to get yourself hurt!"

Verity stared defiantly at Lily. "I'm going." She said evenly. "You can go to Professor McGonagall if you want, but I'm telling you, it's not going to help."

She finished the note, folded up the paper and handed it to May. The owl cocked its head, but took the note, soaring gracefully out into the sky.


The train rocked slightly on a curve and Verity bounced gently in her seat as she stared solemnly out the window.

Lily sat awkwardly opposite her, her hands folded in her lap. She sighed. "Ok, I'm sorry for calling you mad."

Verity glanced at her. "What did McGonagall say?"

"I didn't see her after all." Lily fidgeted. "But, you know, Kate should probably be fine."

Verity rested her head against the vibrating window frame. "She probably will be. I'm just," she hesitated. "I'm really worried. I mean, after Emily's dream came true, I've been scared ever since. What about my mum? I saw her fall down those stairs. I just dismissed that. But now I've had this dream. And I'm…" she broke off.

Lily changed seats and sat next to Verity. "Everyone should be fine. Emily was just… a coincidence. I've read about these things. Sometimes particularly sensitive witches and wizards pick up things. But your dreams about Leanne, about Kate. They're just caused by stress. So much has happened lately." She put her arm around Verity.

Verity rubbed at her eyes. "It's just… staying at Kate's is something I can do. I can't just do nothing. If I go to Kate's, it's something I can do. But I can't do anything for mum. She hates me, she rejects me. But Kate, she's open to me. I can do things for her. To try and help. You know?"

Lily nodded.

There was a knock at the door of the carriage and James poked his head through the door.

"May I have a seat?" he asked courteously.

Lily stared at him. "If you want."

He sat down opposite the two. "Well, I was wondering if we could, set a date for the, the, moovy?"

"The wah?"

"Erm… moovy?"

"Oh!" Lily clasped her hands together. "Right! The movie! Oh, well I don't really mind about when it is. I'm free for most of the holidays."

James nodded eagerly. "Well I'm free this upcoming week. Week after that Sirius and me'll go camping."

"Camping?"

"Oh yes, Muggles do it lots and apparently it's great fun."

"Ah. Well, next week's fine. Actually, how about Thursday?"

James grinned widely. "Thursday's great!"

"I'll owl you the time and stuff ok?" Lily said.

James bounded up from his seat and skipped down the corridor.

Lily looked at Verity. "Will you be going out with Liam these holidays?"

"I don't know. I don't want to leave Kate on her own."

Lily cocked her head and stood up. "Well it's up to you. Anyways we'll be arriving in a few minutes, so we'd better get ready."

The train rocked gently to a stop next to the familiar station. Lugging their trunks behind them, the two pushed their way past eager parents to try and find their own.

Crystal Shore flew into the arms of her mother and father, as Allison Veene trudged through the barrier of Platform 9 ¾, alone.

Lily broke off into the crowd, throwing her arms around her mother and father, her sister standing disapprovingly several feet away.

Verity tripped slightly as Miranda shoved her way past her, throwing her luggage at a small, thin man with a red hat. With a small oof he was knocked backwards into a short couple behind him; Liam's parents, Verity recognised.

"Mummy, that concierge is dreadful, fire him at once!" Miranda whined at her mother.

"Then you'll have to carry your own luggage to the portkey now, won't you?" The woman sniffed. "I certainly won't be dragging those useless trunks home."

Verity moved quickly away as Miranda threw a small tantrum in the middle of the platform.

"Vera! Verity I'm over here!" Verity whipped around and saw Kate waving happily from the other side of the station. She ran to meet her.

"Ooh these holidays will be exciting won't they?" Kate chattered on. "A nice break from school. We'll have such fun!"

Verity ignored the sniggering that came from Miranda, who had promptly recovered from her screaming fit in order to jeer at her.

Her spine tingled as Kate grabbed her bags from her, leading her through the barrier onto King's Cross. There was a flurry of commotion on this side of the station, the muggles were running everywhere, shouting and running for lost trains.

"Dear me, Muggles certainly do have it rough don't they?" Kate commented as she led Verity up and down several flights of stairs and led her to a pale blue car. "Trunks in the boot, you can sit in the front and fiddle with the radio if you want."

Kate heaved the heavy trunks into the boot of the car and the two roared off onto a highway.

"Now, today we'll just stay home and organise your room alright? I bought some paint and we can paint it together." She beamed brightly.

"Paint?"

Kate nodded. "Oh yes, because my house is quite stuffy and your room needs a bit of a touch up." She merged into a side lane away form the highway and small cheery houses started appearing on the sides of the road.

"I thought I was only staying for the holidays?"

"Oh yes. You'll stay around my house for the next three holidays – sorry, there are only two left, my mistake – and then after that you'll stay at my house permanently, considering it would be unwise to trespass on your mother any further at the moment."

Verity flinched. She didn't want to think about the situation with her mother. "Oh but I'll get my own place after I leave school." she protested. "I don't want to trespass on you either."

Kate looked surprised. "But you can't. You haven't any money, have you? Where will you stay?"

"When I turn seventeen I'll get a grant from my grandparent's money, won't I?"

The car steered around a group of boys playing cricket on the road, blatantly ignoring the traffic around them.

Kate sighed and the car slowed to a stop outside her suburban home. She rested her head on the steering wheel. "You don't know?" she groaned.

Verity looked at her blankly. "I don't know what?"

"Your mother cut you from your allowance. You'll be getting no money when you turn seventeen." She put a hand on her shoulder. "But I'll support you and you'll be free to stay here for as long as you need, alright?"

No it wasn't alright.

"She can't do that!" Verity cried. "That's my grandparent's money! It was made to go to me."

Kate shook her head. "Your grandparents died before you were born. That money was allocated to you by Leanne, so she has the right to take it away."

Verity kicked the door of the car open, and stormed away from the car.

"Oh please, Vera don't be like that." Kate begged. "Your mother will probably come around. She's just adjusting at the moment." She took the bags from the boot and started up the path. "Let's just go inside and have a cup of tea."

"Oh don't take all my stuff." Verity said with a twinge of regret. "Let me help you."

Kate stopped suddenly, a puzzled look on her face. "What did you say?"

"…Let me help you?"

Kate shook her head as if to clear it. "Never mind. Let's go in."

Wondering, Verity followed her inside the cosy little house. With a flick of her wand, the bags zoomed up the stairs, out of sight.

"Your room's upstairs." Kate explained. "You'll find my house is very much like your mother's. A lot of houses in this general area were designed similarly."

It was similar. The staircase leading up from the front door. The kitchen and a spare room to the left. Living room to the right. Even the location of the fireplace was the same.

"Anywho, let us go and have that cup of tea, shall we?" Kate hurried into the kitchen.

Verity shuffled into the small kitchen and sat on one of the wooden stools by the bench, looking at her surroundings.

Saucepans were neatly hung lining the wall. Muggle photographs were plastered over the fridge, proudly added to by heart magnets and cute phrases.

She focused her attention onto one photograph in the centre of the fridge; a young girl with long brown hair sat smiling, surrounded by two older women. The taller one was smiling too, but had a serious look about her. The other woman was shorter than the other, and plumper too. But the young girl, that was her, Verity realised. She was much younger in this photo.

There was something very familiar about this scene.

"Now where did I put those sugar cubes?" Kate supposed to herself.

She bustled past the fridge, accidentally knocking one of the heart magnets off. The photo flitted to the ground.

Tutting to herself, she bent to pick up the fallen memory.

The window exploded, glass flying across the room. Verity covered her face and shrieked loudly.

"Get down!" she screamed. She lunged off her stool and tackled her aunt to the floor.

Kate yelled loudly and squirmed on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor. "What do you think you're doing?" she moaned.

"There was… there was…" she looked at the window. A figure stood at the window. But it wasn't any man. A small boy with a cricket bat stood mournfully at the window, his hat in his hands, his cheeks burning red. A large cricket ball lay on the counter.

"I'm sorry!" he babbled. "Jerry threw the ball and I hit it too hard. Please don't tell my mum!"

Kate climbed to her feet and inspected the glass all over the floor. "Well who's going to pay for my window, Tim?" she asked, glaring at him.

Verity's stomach churned and she stumbled out of the kitchen as Kate started to lecture the boy. What had happened?

She sat on the bottom of the stairs, her head in her hands. There was no danger. It was just one of those boys playing cricket that she had seen earlier on the road.

Kate came out of the kitchen, finishing her lecture. "So, why did you fling me to the ground?" she eyed Verity carefully.

Verity's throat closed up. "I, uh, tripped."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You tripped?"

Verity nodded. "The, the window scared me, so I tried to get up off my stool… and tripped. And fell into you. I'm sorry." She apologised.

"Yes, well. You can go and organise your room now. It's in the same place where your old room was in your mother's house."

Verity sprinted up the stairs, eager to get away from the awkward situation.

"Oh but Verity," Kate called. Verity skidded to a stop at the banister. "You know, dreams aren't always true. You don't always need to tackle people when situations in real life are similar to those in your subconscious." With a knowing smile she exited into the kitchen.


Verity was still slightly stunned as she went to dinner that evening. The two sat opposite one another as they silently ate their lamb and vegetable meal.

Verity put down her fork. "How did you know I have dreams?"

"Why, everybody has dreams." Kate delicately sliced through her dinner.

"But how did you know I had that dream?"

Kate poked her lamb around on her plate. "A friend told me."

Verity stared at her.

She sighed. "A friend with red hair and green eyes and who is quite worried about you."

"Lily!" Verity shouted.

"Yes well you didn't want her seeing your teacher… Professor McGonagill or something, so she wrote to me instead."

"McGonagill?"

"Oh, McGonagill, McGonagall. Same difference." Kate shrugged. "She told me that you had a dream involving me getting attacked by a hooded man and that you weren't leaving the house these holidays because you were going to protect me." She poked her lamb a bit more before continuing: "Also that you're missing out on a lovely little date because of it."

"She told you about Liam?" Verity screeched.

"Liam? Is that his name? Quite nice name really. Reminds me of lamb. I like lamb."

Verity gaped at her. Lamb?

"And no she didn't, by the way, she just said you were missing out on a date that you would regret missing. Anyways, I think you should go with your Liam. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

"But – "

"Well how do you think I feel, as a fully grown witch – I even went to America on a scholarship to become a Healer, thankyou very much – having to have a sixteen year old protect me? Hmm?"

Verity now was the one to start poking her meat.

"Now eat your lamb and write an owl to your friend and tell him you'll be going out on Thursday after all."

"Thursday? What's going on Thursday?"


Thursday, as it turned out, was Lily and James's arranged date. The only change to their plans was now that Liam and Verity would be attending as well.

"Lily, you scheming wretch!" Verity stormed towards the girl as she sauntered with James Potter outside the local movie theatre. "You planned the whole thing! You went off and told Liam that I'd changed my mind and I'd be meeting him here with you lot! And you write off to my Aunt and tell her about everything!"

Lily darted behind James. "You can't hurt me!" she wailed mockingly. "You can't hit a guy with glasses!"

"Of course I can't hit a guy with glasses!" Verity cried. "A baseball bat's much more useful."

Lily giggled. "Oh but you'll forgive me won't you my little Vera."

"Shuddup! Just because Kate calls me that sometimes…"

Lily snorted. "Ah well. The point is that you're here and I'm not dead yet. Quite an achievement." She looked at her watch. "Liam's late."

"We're just early." Verity said hastily.

"Ah of course, quick to defend your boyfriend."

Verity opened her mouth for a sharp reply, but quickly closed it when a boy appeared from around the corner, puffing and panting.

"I'm sorry…. I'm late…" he wheezed. "Car… stalled."

James smiled cheerfully. "Everything's fine. Moov…" he glanced at Lily.

"Movie. Not mooovy." She corrected.

"Right! The movie's not starting for another fifteen minutes."

Liam nodded eagerly.

After buying popcorn, chocolate, ice-cream and any other sort of confectionary that caught their eyes, the four settled down in the cinema.

"What are we actually seeing?" Liam whispered as the lights dimmed.

"Some action movie James thought looked good." Verity passed him a box. "Here's your popcorn."

The person in the seat in front of them turned around abruptly. "Excuse me." She snapped rudely. "We're trying to watch the movie!"

"It hasn't started yet." Lily pointed out. "The screen is still black."

"Don't backtalk to me!" The woman barked.

Liam sunk down into his seat. "Thanks for the popcorn." he nodded nervously at Verity.

The film started and bangs and whistles filled the air as the dashing hero charged through several scenes waving a gun around and pressing strange buttons he knew nothing about, causing massive explosions.

"Great movie he picked!" Verity hissed over at Lily in the dark. "I can't even follow the plot!"

"I think it's good!" Lily hissed back.

"Oh, quick to defend the boyfriend!"

Lily narrowed her eyes as Verity grinned innocently.

The hero of the plot was now creeping through a long, dark hallway as thrilling music came strumming through the background.

Liam was eating his popcorn happily. He'd been dying to go on a date with Verity for some time now. He popped the snack into his mouth just as a gigantic monster burst through the wall of the long, dark hallway, knives hurtling towards the hero.

He jumped violently in his seat, inadvertently sucking the popcorn down into his throat.

He choked, coughing hysterically, knocking the popcorn box off his lap and showering the lady in front with salted popcorn, followed by the soft drink he'd also had sitting in his lap.

She leapt out of her seat manically. "Why you insolent brat!"

Liam leapt up too, grabbing at his throat desperately.

Verity realised what was going on. "Omigosh he's choking!" she scrambled up and grabbed him around the waist, trying to imitate those who know how to do the Heimlich manoeuvrer. Unfortunately, she was not one of those.

"You're doing it all wrong!" James bellowed. He charged forwards, knocking Lily's drink astray, splashing it into the face of the already enraged woman.

James grabbed Liam by the waist and proceeded in trying to free the little piece of popcorn by shaking him up and down roughly.

The lady in front was shrieking to the heavens; her friend had started throwing bits of ice-cream at Verity and Lily; and members of the audience were starting to get tired of the growing noise.

Finally James succeeded; Liam could breathe again.

A light shone from the aisle, blinding them. "What's going on here?" a voice bellowed.

Five minutes later, they found themselves outside the movie theatre; thrown out by the disgruntled owner.

"It's not our fault!" Lily protested at the retreating figure.

Liam blushed. "Sorry," he apologised.

"Well you should be!" James wailed. "I wanted to know how the hero was going to get rid of the monster!"

"Well, the movie part of the date's over. Now we split up into twos." Lily shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm doing this."

"Because I'm charming of course." James puffed out his chest.

"Psh."

The two left Verity and Liam alone.

"Well…uhh…. I planned a picnic. If you still want to go out."

Verity nodded. "Of course I still want to go."

He grinned widely. "I rented a boat."

"You rented what?"


It was a rickety little rowboat, out on a lake in some place Verity hadn't even heard of.

A picnic basket lay on the floor of the boat as the two clambered in.

"The boat's fine isn't it? I mean, I tried to get one of the gazebos," he jerked his head in the direction of the nearby park. "But they were all reserved. But if you don't want to sit in the boat, that's fine. We can just sit on the grass and eat instead."

"Boats are fine! I remember when my mum used to take me out in these funny swan boats when I was little." Verity giggled. "One time, my aunt tried to get in with us and went flying overboard."

"Your family sounds great."

"It was."

Liam grabbed the oars and rowed the two out into the middle of the lake. "The water's not that deep." He assured her.

She sat happily as Liam unpacked their lunch. She started to munch on one of the sandwiches as an awkward silence spread.

"Well, this is nice." Verity commented lightly. "You went to a lot of trouble for this."

"Oh, yes, well," he gulped nervously. "I like you a lot." Suddenly he went bright red. He reached around quickly for a water bottle, causing one of the oars to slip into the water.

"Nonono!" he cried. "Get the oar! Get the oar!"

Verity rushed to the side of the rowboat and leant over perilously trying to reach the oar, floating just out of reach. It seemed to be taunting her.

The sudden change of weight in the boat tipped it slightly, letting the other oar fall out of the boat.

Liam gasped and jumped to try and clutch a hold of it, but instead teetered dangerously on the edge of the boat.

"Don't fall in!" Verity shrieked.

Liam went flying comically overboard, splashing into the water. The boat tipped backwards from the fall, and Verity was thrown off her feet, headfirst into the lake.

He was right, the water wasn't that deep – Verity could stand where she was. But that didn't help the situation.

Liam emerged and came to the surface, his hair sleek and plastered against his face.

"Sorry." He apologised. "But at least we got the oars."


Verity arrived dripping wet back at Kate's place later that afternoon to find two suitcases at the bottom of the stairs.

Kate greeted her enthusiastically. "Hello Vera!" she frowned. "Why are you wet?"

"Liam pushed me into a pond."

"Oh. Well that wasn't very nice of him."

"It was an accident."

"Oh. Well that wasn't very smart of him."

"Why have you got suitcases packed?"

Kate clicked her fingers. "Well, Leanne has thought things over." She radiated, bouncing on her toes. Verity wondered if Kate ever showed signs of hyperactivity as a youngster. "She rang me – which is a good sign because you know your mother hates telephones – and said she wanted to have us over tonight and have a good chat."

Her jaw dropped. Maybe her mum was finally gaining her senses. She ran forward and threw her arms around Kate joyfully, soaking her. "When are we leaving?"


Kate knocked on the door of Leanne's house nestled in the midst of London, the evening sky dark above them. A disgruntled Patrick answered the door, a forced smile on his face.

"Lovely to have you here," he muttered.

Kate, oblivious to the fact that it was not lovely to have them there, rushed through the door and hugged her much taller sister.

Verity moved slowly through the doorway, carefully avoiding Patrick. He glared at her, slamming the door nearly on her foot. "You watch yourself." He snarled.

"What's that?" Kate glanced over her shoulder. "I didn't quite catch what you said."

"Oh, just telling young Veronica here – "

" – Verity." Leanne corrected quickly.

"Oh yes, Verity… just telling her to be careful… she, uh, tripped on the front mat." He patted her on the head.

"Oh. Quite good advice." Kate nodded.

Leanne cleared her throat. "Yes well, I've already prepared dinner. Kate, you'll be sleeping upstairs. You – " she pointed at Verity. "Will be sleeping down here tonight. Spare room next to the staircase."

"Why?"

Leanne blinked, clearly not having thought through the reason for this. She looked over at Patrick for help.

"You'll sleep here," He cut in, "Because I'm telling you to."

Kate's suitcase whizzed up the stairs, while Verity's shot for the spare room.

"Mum, can I talk to you for a minute?" Verity grasped her mother's hand.

Patrick studied her carefully, before leading Kate away into the living room.

"Mum, it's just, I'm sorry for everything, for being a brat, for not liking Patrick. But don't please cut me out of your life. I love you." Before Leanne could react, Verity had hugged her. Leanne's eyes widened abruptly. "Well, now its time for dinner." Leanne waved her hand to the right.

Kate emerged from the room and happily tugged Verity along behind her into the room.

"What kind of stupid name is Verity?" Patrick said in a low voice to Leanne.

"Be quiet! It's a nice name!" Leanne shot him a dirty look. Patrick looked startled as Leanne pushed past him into the room.

They sat around the ornate dining table, eating fish. Verity keenly watched her mother wolf down her meal happily.

"I thought you didn't like fish?" Verity asked.

Leanne's eyes widened abruptly. "Uh, yes, well Kate does, doesn't she?"

Kate looked at her, rather surprised. "Well I'm more of a meaty person myself. But, I think your fish is wonderful. It's a nice meal." She added hastily.

Verity turned her attention to Patrick, across from her. He was tapping his knife against his fork, and, Verity noticed, his left eye was twitching considerably.

"What's with you?"

Kate looked shocked. "Vera darling, don't be so rude!"

Verity sighed and continued with her meal. But the more she watched Patrick out of the corner of her eye, the more she was convinced that something was wrong. As they all finished their dinners, smoothly she reached for the salt and pepper, knocking over the candlestick, causing it to fall into Patrick's plate.

He shot out of his chair violently, crashing into the cabinet behind him. His eyes were crazed, and he was breathing heavily. There was definitely something wrong.

"My dear man, are you alright? The candle didn't burn you did it?" Kate stood up and went over to help him.

"No, no he's alright," Leanne glared at the man. "He's just scared of a little candle." she said tartly.

"Oh and there's wine on your lovely tablecloth. Here, Verity will take the plates and I'll gather up your tablecloth."

"Oh no, don't bother yourselves…" But Verity had already put the plates in a pile was taking them into the kitchen, and Kate had started grabbing at the cloth.

Verity quickly dumped all the plates into the sink, and nervously looking around her, she crept into the front hall and made her way up the stairs. Why couldn't she sleep in her old room? There had to be a reason.

She snuck around the corner to her door and tugged on the handle. Damn, it was locked. Putting her ear to the door, she listened hard.

"What do you think you're doing?" Patrick roared from behind her. She leapt high up into the air. "You're not meant to be here!"

She pushed past him and bolted down the stairs, cannoning into her mother.

"What's going on?" she cried.

Patrick came blundering down the stairs after her. "That brat was upstairs!" he shouted.

"And?" Leanne replied coldly.

Kate came out of the kitchen, large rubber gloves on her hands. "I finished the washing." She said airily. "Is everything alright?"

"Perfectly." Leanne narrowed her eyes at Patrick, before ushering Verity into her new room downstairs.

She sat on the bed and beckoned Verity to do the same.

"Now, I'm sorry for that." She said. "Patrick's just been a bit edgy lately." She gave a faltering smile. "But don't – don't go upstairs. He won't like it. There's nothing to see anyway. Just… dust. So stay down here tonight, ok?" She hesitated, before embracing Verity with a hug.

Leaving the room, she slapped Patrick on the back of the head before leading her sister to her bedroom upstairs.

Verity could hear Leanne and Patrick bickering upstairs and she sighed happily to herself. Her mother was becoming herself again. Her thoughts drifted back to her locked bedroom. She bit her lip, before grabbing her wand and sneaking up the staircase again. She tiptoed to the door and pointed her wand at the lock.

"Alohomora!" she whispered. The door unlocked itself. Triumphantly she pushed the door open, slunk inside and closed the door behind her.

Normally inviting and cheery, it seemed unusually dark.

All the posters of her wizarding idols had been ripped down, and she found all her possessions had been taken and stuffed into a trunk lying on the bed.

There was nothing. So her mother was right; there wasn't anything but dust. But then why didn't Patrick want her up here?

She walked over to the bed, shifted the trunk to the floor and sat on it, thinking. The familiar surroundings comforted her and before she knew it, she'd drifted off to sleep. She didn't notice the footsteps beyond her door, the figure standing by the top of the stairs. She didn't notice the other figure, creeping up behind the first, grasping the vase.

There was a crash, followed by several thumps. Then silence.

Verity's eyes flew open. There was a sickening feeling deep within her. It couldn't be.

She dashed to the door, wrenching it open.

A broken vase lay on the floor.

Patrick stood at the top of the stairs. The downstairs light cast an eerie glow on his face, highlighting his cheekbones, hollowing out his face. He turned slowly and faced Verity, his eyes wild.

And at the bottom of the stairs, lay Leanne, sprawled lifelessly on the cold floor below.

It wasn't a dream this time.

Her mother was dead.


Author's Note:

Unfortunately because school is evil, I probably won't be able to post again until next holidays.

Thanks to Anjali, Carmen, Emma, Kendall, Linda and Lydia for reading this over before I posted!

Thanks to Emma for coming up with the… err… unusual name for Professor Humperdinkle.

Also thankyou to Funniest Home Videos which gave me a lovely idea for the boat scene.

Please review!

Little Kity