Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter books and I am not making any profits from writing this.
A/N: It has been more than a year since I last updated this story, I think. Honestly, I'm not quite sure! I am sorry about the long wait. I thank animesmart, red-rose-priestess and KaKiJo for beta-ing the story, thank you muchlies! I am hoping this story can make sense but my writing has changed... I am unsure about how smooth it will be now. Okay, I am really tired so go on read, read! Have fun!
Makita woke to the next morning, feeling a pain that felt like a finger had shoved into his rib cage several times. "Makita, did you have another dream last night?" Akky asked. Makita turned his head to look at her through sleepy lids.
Why, so concerned for me Akky... and yet your finger's digging into my side... he thought cynically to himself.
Growling at his friend he slapped her hand away and turned over onto his side, facing away from her.
"No, I didn't," He said gruffly, his voice a little hoarse from being tired still.
"Well good morning to you too," Akky grouched back at him, flipping him over onto his back with her strong hands. Makita finally opened his eyes to stare at Akky, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed beside him.
"Morning," Makita replied, his rough tone dissipating as a smile breeched his face.
Akky raised an eyebrow and told him, "Do you know how freakishly weird it is that you're able to go from one emotion to the next in less than a second?" Makita grinned and shoved her off the bed. Akky went head first down onto the floor with a surprised yell, scrambling to get into a position that would allow her to get up again. "That was low!"
"That was for waking me up!" Makita said sweetly, picking the blue, soft covers off of his body. Makita slowly stood up on the cold floor, wiggling his toes around as he felt a chill go through his bones. Akky picked herself up and sent Makita a glare.
"So what did you dream then? About Shiiiiiraz?" Akky teased in a high pitched screech, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Makita picked up his blue pillow and threw it at her face, laughing when it hit dead on. Akky caught the pillow after it fell from her face, his shocked expression turning deadly. Uh-oh, I should head for the hills now. Akky was about to get violent and Makita wanted to avoid that. It was too early in the morning and he still had to get dressed!
"None of your business, you loon! I have one word for you, breakfast," Makita said, shifting away from the bed and towards his suitcase lying on the floor beside his bed. Akky still threw the pillow at Makita with terrible force. The pillow made contact with his head and bounced off, landing on the wood floor. Makita unzipped his suitcase and took out his change of clothes for that day.
"Oh yes, hurry it up! I need to be fed or I'll die," Akky pathetically said. Makita rolled his eyes and stood up with his wardrobe in hand, pulling down his Katna pants down. Akky flopped down on the bed besides his, waiting for him to get moving.
Makita dressed hurriedly so he could get what was left of breakfast, damn my cousins for eating too quickly! "Oh yes, Akky doesn't get food, now there is a tragedy!" Makita started laughing as he placed his Katna pants on his bed. Akky got up and smacked his back playfully, Makita winced slightly though still. Even when Akky was in a good mood she was harsh.
"It is a tragedy you bugger!" Akky snapped and Makita shut his mouth, smiling at her grouchy face. I went too far, hehe. Makita headed down the stairs, following Akky into the kitchen, only to find that Makita's cousins had taken all of the chairs around the table. The table held three plates topped with mouth watering waffles that smelled as good as they looked. Akky eyed all of Makita's cousins as if they were enemies and then picked up another plate from the pile sitting on the counter, placed there for the big group to eat off of individually.
"Hey you little shrimps! Don't eat all the waffles!" Akky snapped. Akky barged through the younger children, causing a bit of a stir among the happily eating kids and using a fork quickly delved into the waffles and took four. Makita picked up a plate as well and followed Akky in a slightly less dramatic way, taking only two waffles for himself. Arelane glared at Akky and used to syrup covered knife to poke Akky on the arse.
"Don't be such a hog!" Arelane ordered. Akky laughed after jumping on the balls of her feet, swerving around to steal a berry off of Aelane's plate. "Get away from my berries Akky! It's not my fault you wee too slow to get any!" Arelane glared at Akky as she munched self-satisfactorily on the berry.
Akky sent Arelane a sickly sweet smiled and teasingly answered, "That was because of the bright ray of sunshine known as Makita held me up. It's only fair you share with me, the guest." Arelane tried to kick Akky away so she couldn't get that sneaking fork any closer to her plate.
"I don't care! You're no guest; you're more like an intruder!" Arelane said, harshly. Makita frowned at his bratty cousin and bonked her on the head with his plate.
Arelane looked up at Makita and Makita said, "Akky's a guest you little imp." Arelane 'hmmphed' and slumped down in her chair, allowing Akky to steal a few berries off her plate. Makita smiled as Akky raced off to eat outside on the porch and he decided to go and eat there too. After smothering his pancakes with syrup he went and sat down with Akky out on the porch steps, trying to ignore the tree with the lightning strike on it. After the dreams he had been having it was hard to feel that something bad would not be impending around the old oak.
"Makita, is there something near the tree?" Akky asked, checking out the tree from every angle in such a ridiculous way that Makita burst out laughing. "What!" Akky snapped, slapping his arm, looking a bit ruffled.
"So-o—rrrrr—ee," Makita said through laughter, stopping suddenly when he saw a shadow pass over the tree. Akky's gaze followed his and she tensed up, just as Makita had. The shadow had not seemed like much until it slowly took form of the cloaked figure again.
"Run?" Akky suggested, hopping up onto her feet.
"Run." Makita agreed and the two of them ran back into the house, stumbling across the hallway as half of Makita's family looked at the pair in wonder. Makita's grandmother got up shakily from her chair and walked over to the stairs Makita and Akky had run up; tripping each other for first place to the top.
Makita stuck his head out behind the railing with Akky balancing herself on his head, as his grandmother dressed in a pale lavender dress looked at them questioningly. She asked, "What on earth happened to you two? You look like the Dementors came back from the underworld." Makita looked up and shared a look with Akky before staring at the front door, thinking over an explanation.
A cold feeling went through the house and many of Makita's cousins stared at their grandmother's usually neat bun, now in disarray because of an unexplained gust of wind. Then, what came through the front door, shocked and scared many of the children so much that instead of listening to their grandmother as she yelled 'Everyone get to the back right now!' they hid under tables, behind chairs, or did not move at all. (Not a wise decision.)
Makita and Akky too, chose to stay put and see how the wizened witch would handle the apparition. We're going to live through this, right? There have been some monsters from the dead that have killed wizards and muggles alike, can grandmother handle this? Makita worriedly thought. It was interesting to see an alarmed elder grab her wand with the energy of a two year old and shout out a spell Akky, nor Makita, had ever heard in their short lives. (Lives that were hopefully not going to stay short.)
Out of the end of her wand came a large shimmering pony, rearing up on its powerful hind legs and charged towards the front door. Makita's eyes widened when he noticed the glowing bows fluttering on the pony's mane and tail but it was Akky's mouth that hung open as the black cloak and white mask disappeared into air. The pony then trotted back to Makita's mother, shook its long mane proudly, and after Makita's Grandmother smiled into its big golden eyes it disappeared.
"I never knew ponies were so fierce, especially those with bows in their manes…" Akky muttered but in light of the situation Makita didn't respond to her wry humour this time.
Makita's grandmother whirled around and fixed a stony glare on Makita. "Makita, what is the meaning of this?" She said her voice commanding and, in all respects, as scary as the demon Harry Potter had fought. How the hell will I get through this mess?
"Well, ummm, you see…" Makita tried; his eyes downcast. How does one explain this?
"Well, it all happened rather quickly," Akky responded, scuffing her foot across the floor.
Makita interjected quickly then, "We didn't do anything, honest."
"No we didn't, that thing came after us…" Akky finished off lamely, the both of them had ran out of excuses and explanations together rather quickly.
Makita's grandmother seemed to ponder for a moment, although it looked more like she was about to fall asleep to Makita. Akky kept on babbling, forgetting that some people would believe her excuses and she didn't have to talk her way out of trouble this time.
"I don't know much about ghosts, not like ancient witches, and neither do you two," This was something neither Makita or Akky could argue because for some reason ghosts had long since stopped appearing among mortals, "But still, since you two have seemed to provokes the apparition, you're dealing with it. Good luck!" The cooty woman said, awfully cheerily for someone who had just acted so seriously a few moments ago.
Makita and Akky shared a look of distinct horror.
Makita's Grandparents took his cousins out to a shrine to celebrate, once again, these Holidays so that Makita and Akky could have some quality, quiet thinking time. While Arelane and the others ate complimentary cakes for the Blood Moon festival (Originating from when the werewolf curse evolved during the Dark Ages) Makita and Akky were to create their own 'celebration'; an exorcism of sorts.
"Makita, this is so unfair, we didn't do anything," Akky complained, lying down on the bed comfortably. Makita didn't look her way as he contemplated how they had become the one's to deal with it now. I've been having these strange dreams and then this… I can't be the cause of it, can I? Yet, as much as Makita told himself he hadn't played a card in all of this, he couldn't help but feel he had. It was a very strange reasoning.
"You didn't Akky… But perhaps I did," Makita said forlornly. Akky's back went rigid as she turned her head towards him, her expression clearly stating how ridiculous she thought that statement was.
"Oh? You idiot, how could you have done anything?" Akky asked, throwing her legs over the edge of her bed.
"Well there are the dreams…" Makita wavered, twiddling his fingers as if he were a three-year-old who was getting scolded.
"Did you ask for them?" Akky said, talking as if she were wasting her time with this conversation.
"Of course not." Makita responded, his voice a little harsh. These dreams are so confusing…
"Well then, case closed! Makita the imbecile has done nothing," Akky finished, grinning at him and then reaching over to pinch his nose affectionately.
Makita batted Akky's hand away and then said, "Be quiet, as if you're smarter than me!"
"I am," Akky stated, smirking for all it was worth. Makita laughed while shaking his head, knowing Akky was smart, she just refused to put the effort into her work or she just refused to do it.
"I happen to remember one fine day when you mocked the Charms teacher," Makita said, bringing up a moment in time the two remembered well.
"Oh do shut up, that Bird deserved it," Akky grumbled, scowling. When she had insulted Professor Peacock for losing her lesson plan for the day (for the hundredth time that term…) the class had seen a side of the Professor that they never knew existed; the strict side that would put one in detention with the crabby Transfiguration Professor Greer for five weeks. Oh, how sorry Akky had been that day.
"Professor Peacock may be a bit absent minded…" Makita said, an image of the tall Professor coming into his mind, looking around her desk and muttering about random subjects like where her quill had apparated too or why the third year text book was sitting on the shelf. Her straight brown hair and regal features made her look more presentable than she actually was; many students speculated if her looks were the only reason the Headmaster had believed she was competent in the first place.
"She falls asleep in her own classes," Akky pointed out. Makita snorted and nodded. Once she starts snoring it's a free for all in that class… Makita thought, smiling at fond memories of whizzing chalk pieces hitting fellow classmates and ink bottles levitating dangerously overhead.
"You're right on that one…" Makita said thoughtfully.
"Of course I am! I'm always right, so how do you propose we 'capture' that thing?" Akky asked, expecting Makita to figure it all out so she could rest and have to do as minimum work as possible. That is so like you Akky.
"Who says I'm doing all the work?" Makita said, adopting a sly smirk. Akky frowned at him but before she could make a retort Makita stood up, grabbed a certain book off of the bookshelf across from his bed, and shoved it into her hands.
"Start looking," He smiled and walked out the door waving. "Happy hunting!" He called from down the stairs.
Akky stuck her head from out of their room and screamed, "You'd better be heading for your Grandfather's library, you prick!"
Makita started to chuckle and snorted. "You know me so well, my love!" He yelled back from the hallway just off of the staircase.
"SHUT UP!"
An hour later Makita was found still in his room flipping through many volumes, all focusing around one subject, exorcisms. Akky still had the book Makita had handed to her ages ago and was slowly turning the pages, as if she was savouring every word.
Makita took in a deep sigh, looked over to where Akky was lounging and said, "We're not getting anywhere."
Akky looked startled as she raised her head to look over at the table Makita was seated at. "You aren't." Akky stated, eyeing the pile of books that crowded the table up and down. Akky! Makita thought, aggravated, if she has found something and didn't bother to inform him he was going to strangle her.
"Pardon?" Makita responded.
"I've already found something," Akky said cheekily.
Makita stared at her for a few seconds. "And you waited to tell me this why?"
"Don't know," Akky said with a shrug. Makita snapped his book shut and stood up, and leaned over Akky's shoulder to stare at the page she was on.
"And?"
"Huh?" Akky said, looking up at him with a confused expression.
"Akky! What did you find?" Makita said. Gah, why am I not surprised? You have got to be the most relaxed and cool person I know Akky.
"Besides religious crackpot ideas? One spell that might work," Akky said, rifling through pages and pointing at one title, Dispelling Spell.
"Care to elaborate there?" Makita asked her, getting exasperated.
"If you insist," Akky lazily replied, Makita was ready to wring her neck. "Don't give me that look." Akky said giving him a condescending stare. She could probably see his agitation in the way he held himself so stiffly, if his closing hands weren't hinting enough.
"What look!" Makita protested but Akky kept taking over him.
"Just read here Makita." Akky traced the sentences with her fingers and Makita's eyes followed until he had taken all of the words in and assembled them in his mind.
"The spell seems to be a herb-pouch with a dispelling potion poured over it. It needs to be placed over something very significant to the ghost," Makita assessed. Wonderful, that dispelling potion is going to be hard enough to concoct?
…Where in the underworld are we supposed to find a Salamander's tongue?
"Like the tree?" Akky said. Makita nodded, it was very probable since the spirit always showed up around that damned old oak.
"Yeah, I think the tree is going to be the subject of our spell. It supposed to repel the ghost by keeping it away from the object or person that it's haunting." Makita reread the paragraphs to make sure he understood.
"It doesn't get rid of the ghost though, technically," Akky said with a frown but Makita saw why it might work.
"But if it can't haunt what it desires to…Then it might lay to rest, right Akky?" Makita asked, staring at her for her opinion, and Akky nodded.
"That's what this book is telling us. Problem," Akky said, raising a finger for emphasis.
"Huh?" Makita stared dumbly at her finger, sitting down beside Akky on the chair she was sprawled on.
"What if it continues to appear after we complete this spell?" Makita stopped for a second and took a breath in. That is a problem… but there's only one solution.
"We'll have to find something else that might work," Makita said, sighing as he gazed down at the book he and Akky held.
"Bloody wonderful," Akky muttered.
Review please!
Thank you to my reviewers and to those who emailed me asking for an update! This would not have been written with out you:)
