A/N: Here is a very long chapter for you. I don't know how I wrote this much, but I am glad I did. I hope you enjoy! As always, if you do, please leave a review.


Chapter Seven: Resurfacing

Haley lifted her head and opened her eyes, yawning sleepily. She stretched and shifted, blinking in confusion when her arm bumped against something solid. Feeling around, she realized she was sitting in a wheelchair. Listening, she heard the sounds of a softly crackling fire off to her left.

That wasn't right. She had been sitting in her room, reading, only moments ago. There had been no fire, and certainly, no wheelchair. What was going on? Had she fallen asleep and was now dreaming?

"Haley."

Haley jumped at the sound of the voice, looking around in surprise.

"Haley, do you recognize my voice?"

Haley blinked, shaking her head in confusion. Yes, she did recognize the voice, but why was he here at her aunt and uncle's house again?

"Professor Snape?" she asked.

"Yes. We met before term. I accompanied you to Diagon Alley to retrieve your school supplies. You are sitting in my office at the moment."

"Why?" Haley asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"Far from it," Severus said.

"Then… why am I here? My memory's not that good, sir."

"No, I imagine not," Severus said. "Haley, there is someone here I would like you to meet."

"Hello, Haley," Anna said, bringing her chair closer to sit beside Severus.

"Hi," Haley said, offering the woman a shy smile.

"My name is Anna. I'm what you would know as a psychologist or a therapist. In the Wizarding world, however, anyone that works in the medical profession, be that physical or mental, is known as a Healer. I am a Healer that specializes in working with children. I want you to know, it is completely normal to have gaps in your memory. Can I ask, what was the last thing you remember?"

"I remember reading," Haley said.

"What were you reading?"

"A book my friend gave me."

"And then what?"

"And then I was here."

"Do you remember what day that was?"

"September first," Haley said. "I was going to Hogwarts that day. We were leaving for the train later."

"Ah," Anna said. "Haley, who is Leo?"

"Leo?" Haley asked, confused. "I don't know a Leo."

"Haley, listen to me. You are safe here. You don't need to hide any more. There's a reason for your memory lapses, and I will help you understand why, but I need you to be honest with me. I'm here to help you. Please, speak plainly with me. No more hiding. What is said between us is strictly confidential. If you would like Professor Snape to leave, he will."

Haley hesitated. "Leo's… Leo's my imaginary friend."

"What's he like?"

"He's British. He's nice. I dunno."

"How is he nice?"

"He'll talk to me sometimes. Sometimes when I'm nervous, I hear him talking to me. Sometimes he'll sing to me if I can't fall asleep."

"He sounds very nice," Anna said.

Haley nodded.

"Can you hear him now?"

Haley was about to say no when she heard a familiar voice inside her head, speaking softly to her.

"Hello Haley, it's Leo. You're doing great."

Haley blinked and nodded slightly.

"What did he say?" Anna asked.

"He, um, he said hi, and that I'm doing great."

Anna smiled. "He really is nice," she said.

Haley nodded.

"So, Haley, why do you think you have gaps in your memory?"

"I don't know. You said you know."

"I do, but I want to know what you think."

"I dunno. I guess I just forget things easily. It's normal. Isn't it?"

Anna didn't answer, choosing to employ the silent tactic.

"I mean, it has to be normal, right?" Haley asked. "Right? I mean, sometimes, sometimes it's like Leo is controlling things for me. I'll do something, and I know it's not me doing it. Sometimes he asks if I want help with something, and then I'm somewhere else, and I don't know what happened. Sometimes, my friends tell me I act differently, or that I'll speak with different accents. One of my friends thought I was mocking her because she was from America, and I don't remember doing that. She wasn't mad. She thought it was funny, but I don't remember doing that. But imaginary friends don't do that. They can't. They're imaginary. Right? Right? Right?"

"Yes," Anna said gently. "Yes, Haley, it is normal. Leo isn't imaginary. He's real. He does control things, and most of the time, you don't know it."

Haley shook her head. "He's not a real person. He's in my head. Like an imaginary friend."

"No, Haley, Leo is just as real as you and I. Just because he is in your head, doesn't make him any less real."

Haley shook her head. "If he's in my head, it means he's imaginary. That's what an imaginary friend is—someone in your head. Imaginary."

"Not quite," Anna said. "There are some really special people in the world who have friends in their head who help them with things in life. The name for this is dissociative identity disorder, or DID for short. You are not the only one who has this, and Leo is a very real person who helps you when you need it."

Haley blinked, shaking her head. "So… Leo's real?"

"Very much so, yes."

"And he's helped me with things?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Anna said with a laugh. "I'm not in your head, but that's why I'm here. I can help you learn to communicate with Leo and the others, which will help with the memory gaps."

"There are others?" Haley asked.

"Yes, and you, or rather, they, have made some lovely friends who have accepted the DID. Professor Snape here has obviously accepted it, otherwise he wouldn't be here. Professor, why don't you fill Haley in on what has happened, and afterwards, if she feels up to it, she can meet her new friends."

Severus nodded. "On September first, I noticed you were not in attendance with the other students at the start-of-term feast. I visited your home to find you injured and brought you to Hogwarts to recover. You remained in the care of the Hogwarts Healer, Madam Pomphrey, until Thursday evening, when you were cleared to start attending your classes the following day. Today is Saturday."

"So, that's why I'm in the wheelchair?"

"Yes. You also have a cast on your leg."

Haley reached down and touched the cast. "Where did this necklace come from?" she asked, pulling the necklace from underneath the scarf Leo had put on the body to hide the rune on their neck.

"That is to aid in your recovery," Severus said. "It must be touching your skin to work, however, so do not remove it."

Haley nodded and put the necklace back.

Leo briefly took control of Haley's arm and hand to readjust the necklace so that it sat over the rune, then fixed the scarf to cover it before stepping back, giving full control of the body to Haley once more.

"Would you like to meet your friends?" Anna asked, observing the precise adjustment of the necklace.

Haley shook her head. "They aren't my friends," Haley said. "They don't know me."

"They are everyone's friends," Leo said. "They accept us as we are. They're excited to meet you."

"Really?" Haley asked out loud.

"What did Leo say?" Anna asked.

"He said they are everyone's friends because they accept… us, and that they're excited to meet me."

Anna nodded. "Indeed, they are," she said. "So, how about it? Would you like to meet them?"

"Okay," Haley said.

Severus rose from his seat and left the room, returning with Ashley, gesturing for her to take his seat.

"Haley, this is Ashley. Ashley, this is Haley," he said.

"Hi, Haley," Ashley said, smiling gently.

"Hi," Haley said.

"How are you?"

"Confused."

Ashley laughed. "Yeah, I bet."

"So, you met Leo?"

"Yeah," Ashley said with a nod. "Did you know he's British?"

Haley nodded, smiling slightly. "Did you know he's real?"

"Yeah. My cousin's got a similar thing you have, but it's a little different. I honestly don't know much about it though, because he's in America and doesn't visit us often."

"So, you know about DID then?"

"Yep."

"It's so weird."

Ashley giggled. "I don't think it's weird at all."

"You don't?"

"No. I think it's super awesome that you have people like Leo who help you."

"Ashley, why don't you tell Haley what you know about Leo and others, if you've met them."

"Okay," Ashley said. "Well, I met Leo yesterday, actually. One of the others was out, and I was walking over to say hi, when I heard them speak. They had an American accent, so I asked about it. I wasn't sure if you were just having fun with accents, or if you had what my cousin has. So, I asked. At first you tried to play it off, but I could tell I was talking to someone else."

"How?" Haley asked.

"My mum's the one you're talking to right now. She teaches me how to read people. Even with that, though, I didn't want to just assume you weren't just playing. I don't like assuming things about people. It's rude. Anyway, after I mentioned my cousin, Leo introduced himself and told me the one I had accidentally overheard was named Jess."

"Then what?"

"Well, Leo stayed out for the rest of the day."

"Stayed… out?" Haley asked.

"It means he was controlling the body, like you are doing now," Anna said. "It's called fronting. When Ashley says Leo stayed out, she means he stayed fronting and in the body."

"Where does he go when he's not fronting?" Haley asked.

"I honestly don't know," Anna said. "Some people with DID have inner worlds, some don't."

"We have one," Leo said. "I'm currently sitting on what we call the Out Rock with you. I can hear everything that's going on."

"Leo says we have one, and that he's sitting next to me on the…"

"Out Rock," Leo said. "It's where we go to front."

"Out Rock," Haley said. "He said it's where we go to front."

"Ah, so he is what we call co-conscious, or co-con for short. That means he can hear and might even be able to see what's going on around you, but he isn't fronting."

"He can see?" Haley asked. "How?"

"I'm not sure," Anna said truthfully, "but yes, he can see."

"How many people know about… us?" Haley asked.

"The staff, because it is a requirement, Ashley, and two cousins, Dudley and Harry," Severus said.

"Want to meet Dudley?" Ashley asked.

Haley nodded.

Ashley rose from her seat and left the room, showing Dudley in before leaving.

"Hi," Dudley said, taking the now empty seat. "I'm Dudley. You're Haley?"

Haley nodded.

"Nice to meet you," Dudley said.

"You too," Haley said. "You know Leo too?"

Dudley nodded.

"How long have you known him?" Haley asked.

"He was the first person I met," Dudley said. "Er… I don't want to repeat stuff if you've already heard it, so can I just tell you something funny that happened recently?"

"Okay."

"Right, so yesterday, you, or Leo, had Potions. It's one of the classes they have here. It's like science, but with magic. It's awesome! Anyway, Potions went okay, but some kids weren't being very nice."

Haley nodded. "Sounds about right," she said.

"Really? They were mean at your last school too?"

Haley nodded.

"How rude!" Dudley said. "Anyway, after Potions, Leo, Harry, and I were sitting down by the lake. We have a lake here. It's really big. And black, which means it's really, really dark. We were sitting, and Leo asked if Jess could come out because she likes water. So, Harry and I said yes, of course. We like meeting new people. So, Jess comes out and Leo had warned us she likes to swear. Harry thought that was brilliant."

Haley smiled.

"So, we're sitting, talking to Jess, and she almost swears. So, I asked her, Are you trying not to swear?"' and she said yes. So, I told her it wasn't working. And then we met Ashley."

Haley nodded.

"You up for one more?" Anna asked. "Dudley's cousin, Harry."

Haley nodded.

"I'll go get him," Dudley said, standing. "Nice to meet you, Haley."

"You too."

"How are you feeling, Haley?" Anna asked. "Are you doing okay?"

Haley nodded.

"Hey, Haley," Harry said, as he entered, grinning broadly. "I'm Harry. Can I sit down?"

Haley nodded.

"So, what have you heard already?"

"Ashley talked about Leo a little, and Dudley told me about how Jess was trying not to swear."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, did he tell you I was all for it?"

Haley nodded, grinning.

"Not that I would have encouraged it," Harry added quickly, eyeing Severus. "I just thought it was funny."

"Mr. Potter, what you find amusing is none of my concern," Severus said.

Harry looked relieved.

Haley smiled. "Tell me about Leo?"

"Sure," Harry said. "Can I tell you how we met?"

Haley nodded.

"Well, we were both in the hospital wing. It was morning, and I came in from showering. I remembered that the Sorting Hat had mentioned something about there being more than one person to Sort."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, right, sorry," Harry said. "I forgot you wouldn't know about that. So, when we come to Hogwarts, there's this large hat that Sorts us into our houses. There's four of them, and you, me, Dudley, and Ashley are all in the same one. It's called Slytherin, and Professor Snape's the Head of Slytherin.

"Anyway, I guess the hat could tell you weren't the only one in your head so was confused. I asked you about it, and Madam Pomphrey, the school's Healer, told me about DID. That was when Leo introduced himself.

"We talked, and then he met with this really awful social worker, who upset a little girl, named Olivia. Poor thing. After she was calmed down, I met James."

Haley nodded. Leo? James? Jess? A little girl? How many people were in her head! How many people did things for her? How many people had memories she didn't?

"Haley, are you doing all right?" Leo asked.

Haley didn't answer.

"Are you okay, Haley?" Anna asked.

"I'm fine," Haley said, harsher than she meant to.

"Are you sure?" Anna asked.

Haley nodded.

Severus raised his eyebrows.

"Would you like Harry to continue?" Anna asked.

Haley nodded.

"Go ahead, Harry."

"Okay, so James is Southern, and he's really funny."

Severus snorted.

"You don't think so?" Harry asked.

"Not particularly," Severus said.

"Oh, well I think he's funny," Harry said with a grin. "He called the other social worker Witless, because…"

"Haley, are you doing all right?" Leo asked.

Haley didn't answer.

"Haley, please," Leo said.

Haley still didn't answer, fidgeting with her hands and clenching her jaw.

Severus leaned forward as if to say something but stopped when Anna shook her head.

"Haley," Anna said. "What's going on?"

Haley shook her head.

"Haley, please," Leo said. "You don't need to answer out loud. Can you move your hand or look to your left? I need you to communicate with me please."

Haley didn't move, her breathing picking up, her eyes beginning to prickle.

Immediately, Leo gently moved Haley to the other side of him and took her spot, keeping an arm around her shoulders.

"Leo," Severus commented.

Leo nodded, relaxing the body's muscles, and taking in a much-needed deep breath. When he was done, he looked up at Anna and shook his head.

"I apologize for the abrupt switch, but Haley is done. I would have switched her out long before now, had it not been for your wish to keep her fronting as long as possible." Leo shook his head, adding firmly, "That will never happen again."

"Is she okay?" Harry asked.

"She's overwhelmed by all of this," Leo said.

"Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked.

Leo shook his head. "You're all right, Harry. I knew this would happen."

Anna nodded. "That's okay," she said. "Are you going to remain out?"

Leo shook his head. "Jess is going to front. I will take Haley around our inner world. She's not doing too well, so a break is in order."

"Dudley, Ashley and I are going down to visit with Hagrid later," Harry said. "Do you think Haley will be out by then?"

"I don't know," Leo said. "I honestly do not know."

"Okay," Harry said. "I'm sorry she's having trouble."

Leo nodded.

"We need to set up a time to meet again," Anna said. "How does Thursday afternoon sound? You can reach me by owl if you need to meet sooner."

Leo nodded.

"Excellent," Anna said. "In the meantime, it might help Haley if whoever is fronting can leave her notes explaining what's happened while they were out. Do you think you can do that?"

Leo nodded. "Jess will front in a moment." He stood up from the rock, bringing Haley with him, calling Jess to front as he did so.

Leo gently ushered Haley through his office and into one of the chairs by his desk, turning off the sounds from the monitors so as not to further overwhelm her.

"You're all right, Haley," he said. "Everything's all right. Look up. You're all right. We're done. You're safe. You're with me in the inner world. You're not out there. Take some deep breaths for me. Slowly. Easy. There you go. James, grab some of the chocolate from the fridge. Keep breathing, Haley. Nice and slow."

James walked over to the fridge in the corner of Leo's office and took out a few different bars of chocolate, setting them on the desk beside Haley along with a bottle of sweet tea.

"Reach to your right," Leo said. "There is a bottle of that tea you like, and a few bars of chocolate."

Haley grabbed the tea, struggling to open the lid as her hands were shaking.

"Need help?" James asked.

Haley nodded and handed over the bottle.

"Here you go," James said, handing the bottle back. "And I know you haven't had much chocolate, but you should try this one." He handed Haley a thin, rectangular bar. "I don't know what this one's called, because we only just found out about it, but it's good."

Haley unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite. "It's good," she said.

"Told you," James said. "I'm James, by the way."

Haley nodded. "How… how many of you are there?"

"There's quite a few of us," Leo said, "but don't worry about that right now. We will introduce you to everyone in time. Right now, I would like to show you around here and teach you how to communicate with me, and subsequently, the others, so you don't need to answer us out loud. How does that sound?"

"I'm still shaky," Haley said.

Leo nodded. "We'll take things slow. I won't have you fronting until you say you're ready, all right?"

Haley nodded.

"I should not have let you stay out as long as I did," Leo muttered. "I knew you needed to hear everything, but I should have pulled you back sooner."

James shook his head. "Don't do this, Leo," he said. "You could have let Haley stay out longer, but you didn't, and that is a good thing."

"I should have pulled her back before she started panicking," Leo said.

James shook his head. "Leo, no. You know she needed to hear everything. You did fine. She's here now. She's safe. She knows about us. You knew somethin' like this would likely happen. Don't go beatin' yourself up for this."

Leo shrugged and sighed. "Regardless, I'm sorry I didn't pull you back sooner, Haley."

Haley nodded. "I probably would have told you not to," she said.

"You would have," Leo said with a slight laugh. "You are quite stubborn."

"I'm Irish," Haley said simply.

"That you are," Leo said. "Stubbornness and all."

"Want to see the house?" James asked. "We have a really large house here."

"Here?" Haley asked.

"In our inner world," Leo said.

Haley nodded.

"We'll take things slow," Leo said. "Any time you would like to stop, let us know."

Haley nodded.

"Come on," James said, clapping his hands together.

"Patience," Leo told him.

Haley smiled a little and stood.

"Would you like an arm?" Leo asked. "Or would you rather a cane?"

"Arm," Haley muttered, reaching out.

Leo moved to Haley's left, placed his elbow into her hand. "Ready?"

She nodded.

"Let's start with a tour of my office," Leo said, leading the way around the room as he spoke. "Over here is the door that leads to the deck where the Out Rock is. Next to that, where you were just sitting, is my desk. I have monitors that show what is going on both in the outside world and in here. To the left of my desk is a door that leads directly out to the beach. We will visit there another time. Next to that is my fridge and cabinets stocked with food and drinks."

"Why?"

"Sometimes people may need something comforting before or after fronting," Leo explained.

"Or we'll come and sit in his office just to steal his snacks," James said.

"It's not stealing if I let you," Leo said.

"Yeah, well, we still take your stuff."

"It's there for the taking."

"And it's good."

Leo rolled his eyes and continued with the tour of his office.

"Here are some chairs and a sofa where you can sit. Over here is the door that leads to the hallway leading to the house. How are you feeling? Do you need a break?"

Haley shook her head.

James opened the door and held it for Leo and Haley.

As soon as Haley stepped through the door and into the hallway, she caught the faint sound of waves and smelled a hint of the ocean.

"Is that water?" she asked.

"Yep," James said, closing the door. "We're on an island. A very large island."

"And this is all in my head?"

"Pretty cool, eh?"

Haley nodded.

"You'll get used to it," Leo assured, lightly placing his hand over the hand on his arm. "Are you still up for the house tour?"

Haley nodded.

Leo led the way down the hallway, which gently sloped down and to the right, until they reached another door. Opening it, he led the two into a very large, open area with doors on either side.

"We are standing near the entrance to our house," Leo said. "To the right, a few feet away, is the front door that leads out to the sandy beach. Directly in front of us is a large playroom for the children. Let's not go in there right now, as I don't know if Cara, the one that looks after them, has them in here or elsewhere, considering I smell food."

"It smells good," Haley said.

"Cara is an amazing cook," James said. "She spoils us with food."

Leo turned left and continued on.

"To our left is my greenhouse," James said.

"Yours?" Haley asked, surprised.

"Mine," James said. "I love plants. I'm a druid. I work with the Earth and all of its creatures."

"That's brilliant!" Haley said.

"Isn't it?" James said. "I'll take you in there some time. Right now, we're just showin' you the layout of the house. Over here, to our right, is the door that leads to the stairs and what we have dubbed the Moving Lift."

"What's that?"

"Remember Willie Wonka's flying elevator?"

Haley nodded.

"Like that, but not as wild. It can go upstairs if needed, which is very useful if you've had a long day and can't muster the energy to climb. It can also go to the ocean, and to the forest that sits behind our house, since the walk there is a bit long."

"That's bloody brilliant!" Haley cried, her tension starting to ease a little. "Can I see it?"

"In a moment," Leo said. "Let's go in here."

They walked a few feet forward then turned right, following the smell of the food.

"This is our dining area," Leo said. "In here, there is a large table with chairs—"

"As if there would be anything else," James interrupted. "Haley, we sit on magical bouncy mushrooms that bounce around the room at will, not chairs."

Haley giggled.

Leo shrugged. "Anyway, apart from the chairs, there is a sofa and a few recliners lining the far wall. Next to that, is a cabinet full of puzzles and games for everyone to play. There is also a shelf that has recipe's Cara's created, in case she isn't available to cook for us, though honestly, most of us are rubbish at cooking. James can get by, though."

James grinned. "Leo, let's go introduce Haley to Cara," he said.

Leo led the way into a room off the dining area, this one clearly the source of the delicious-smelling food. Haley could hear the sound of someone stirring something, which stopped as they walked in.

"Cara, this is Haley," Leo said.

"Hello, Haley," Cara said, setting down her wooden spoon.

"Hi," Haley said shyly.

"I'm Cara," Cara said. "I help tend to the children and spoil these two with food. Would you like some? I knew you would be coming today, so I decided it was high time I made one of my most beloved recipes."

"Banana bread?" James asked hopefully.

"Yes," Cara said. "I've made loaves with chocolate, nuts, and just plain with a hint of cinnamon."

"That sounds good," Haley said.

"It will be ready shortly," Cara said. "Have a seat in the dining area and I will bring you something to snack on."

"You mean the bread isn't just a snack this time?" James asked.

"James, you know full well whenever I make bread it ends up being an entire meal. Don't go making Haley believe I don't feed you in here."

James laughed. "Don't worry, Haley. Cara feeds us well."

Once Haley was situated on the very comfortable sofa, Leo took a seat next to her and touched her hand.

"How are you feeling? Be honest."

Haley blinked.

"I know you," Leo said simply.

Haley sighed. "I'm still confused," she said. "I just… This is all in my head. You all are in my head. And this feels so real. It's like Hogwarts and everything is a dream."

Leo nodded. "While we are in here, the outside world feels like a dream. While we are out there, this feels like a dream. Give it time, mo storín."

"You know Irish?"

"We all know Irish," Leo said. "You learned it and took to it well, so we all have that skill."

"Even James?" Haley asked.

"Aye," James said in a very obviously fake Irish accent. "That I did, mo leanbh."

Haley smiled. "Your Irish accent is dreadful."

"Thanks," James said. "I try."

Haley shook her head.

"How are you doing, Jess?" Leo asked.

"I thought Jess was fronting," Haley said.

"She is," James said, "but Leo isn't in his office to hear and see what's goin' on, so he has to ask her."

"How does he hear what she says?" Haley asked. "I don't hear anything."

"You wouldn't," Leo said. "Because Jess is fronting, she cannot speak with me like you and I are. For her, she responds in her mind, and I can hear it. That is how you would communicate with me. In here, we speak as normal. Out there, think my name if you need to speak with me. If I initiate contact, simply think your response."

"That sounds easy," Haley said.

"It is," James said.

"Children and Leo, the bread is done but needs to cool," Cara said.

"Oy, I'm not a child," James said.

"You are now," Haley said.

Cara chuckled. "I like her."

"Go raibh maith agat," Haley said.

"Tá fáilte romhat," Cara replied, smiling warmly at the girl. "Go on with the rest of the house tour then come back when you have finished. There will be more than just bread to eat when you return."

"Sounds good," James said.

The three exited the dining area and turned right, leaving the smells of the banana bread behind.

"All right," Leo said. "Next to the dining area and kitchen is a large gym with your standard gym equipment, a rock wall, an indoor track, a large, indoor pool, and a hot tub."

"Wow," Haley said.

James laughed.

"Across from that, next to James' greenhouse, is the library," Leo said. "And yes, before you ask, of course, there are braille books in there. Next to the library is where I imagine I will find you if I need you—the music hall. It is vast, holding individual practice rooms as well as a large, open space with a baby grand piano—not unlike the one at your aunt's house.

"If you keep walking forward, you will eventually come to a sliding door that leads to the outdoor recreation area. There is a large playground, bouncy castle, rollercoasters, and if you don't feel like do anything, there are picnic tables and chairs."

"I want to see that!" Haley said.

"I'll take you there after we eat," James said, "but first, we need to show you your room, and I need to help you design it."

Leo led the way back, passing the greenhouse and dining area, stopping at the door that led to the stairs and the Moving Lift.

"The stairs are to our left," Leo said, "but you wanted to see the Moving Lift. Feel to your right. Do you feel that button? Press it."

Haley pressed the circular button and heard a soft ding as doors in front of her slid open. Stepping inside, she realized she was inside a large elevator with…

"You must love sofas," Haley said, sitting on the plush cushions before her.

"They're comfortable," James said, sitting beside her. "Feel the wall."

"What are these buttons for?" Haley asked.

"That one pointing up is for the first floor, where our rooms are, the one shaped like a tree is for the forest, and the one shaped like a fish is to the ocean."

"How does it work?" Haley asked.

"Well," James said. "For the first floor, it functions as a normal lift. For the forest and to the water, it simply appears there. The doors will remain open until you push the button to close them, because normal lifts are annoyin' with that. That button right there. Yes, the one shaped like the door."

Haley pushed the button, the doors slid shut, and the lift began to move.

"Why don't the doors close automatically?" Haley asked.

"Jess tried to get on and she didn't reach the doors in time," Leo said.

"That, and we found it was better to keep the doors open, since the children like to play in here," James said.

"You designed this?" Haley asked.

"James designed most of the more intricate parts of our inner world," Leo said. "He does have magic, after all."

There was a soft ding and the doors slid open. Haley exited the lift and paused outside the door to the stairs and lift.

"Why do you have a lift and stairs?" she asked.

"Sometimes the children will race each other to see who can get here first," James said.

"And if the lift is somewhere else, the stairs are still available to use," Leo said, stepping forward and giving Haley his elbow.

"This way," James called. "Time to design your room!"

Leo laughed slightly. "To the left of the lift is the room Olivia and Sunny, two of the children, share. Across from them is a room that would belong to Jess, but she decided she would rather be near the water. This way. Now, to our right is Chase's room. To the left is James' room. Come forward a little. My room is to your right, and James is currently standing at your door to the left, looking about ready to piss himself with excitement."

"Hey, I love any chance to use my magic," James said.

Leo's lips twitched. "Of course you do. Now, open her door, wizard."

"Druid," James corrected, opening Haley's door.

"Wizard," Leo said.

"Druid."

"Wizard."

"Druid."

Leo smirked.

"Come on in, Haley," James called.

Haley let go of Leo's elbow and stepped into her room, hands outstretched in front of her.

"Okay," James said. "The only thin' you have in here is your bed. Let's fix that. What colors would you like your walls?"

"Uh… Blue?"

"Sure thing," James said. "Now, would you like any pictures in your window?"

"My window?"

"All of our rooms have stained glass windows in them," Leo said. "James put pictures there for us, despite the fact that most of you can't see."

"It's the thought that counts," James said.

"Says the man with a tree as his picture," Leo said.

"It's a rowan tree," James said. "A very sacred tree, thank you very much. Yours is no better."

"Hey, that is a great picture," Leo said.

"Leo, it's a damn picture of an English bulldog standin' beside the Union Jack flag with tea and crumpets at his feet! That is the most stereotypical crap I have ever seen!"

"It looks lovely," Leo said.

"Only because I made it look lovely," James said. "Cuddles is adorable."

Haley giggled. "You named the dog?"

"Yes, yes I did. He's huge too. Big ol' English bulldog."

Haley smiled. "Can I have anything?" she asked.

"Anything your little heart desires," James said.

"Can I have a leprechaun with gold and a shamrock?" Haley asked.

Leo and James burst out laughing.

"So stereotypical," James said between laughs. "I love it. There ya go."

"If Leo is being stereotypical, then so will I," Haley said.

"Fair point there," James said.

"How are you doing that?" Haley asked. "Making everything?"

James touched Haley's hand and handed her what felt like a branch. Running her hand along it, she felt that it was indeed a branch, but the twigs had been removed.

"It's a laurel branch," James said. "I can draw with it. Normally I can wave a hand for my nature spells, but for designin' and creatin' things, I need the branch."

"He is an excellent artist," Leo said.

James shrugged.

"Your room still looks empty," Leo said. "James, how about a lovely wardrobe with plenty of clothes Haley might like. Perhaps a bookshelf. Oh, and a piano, of course."

"Will all that fit in here?" Haley asked.

"Haley, this room is quite large," Leo said. "And if it won't fit right away, magic exists to expand things."

"This is awesome!" Haley said. "Yeah, a large wardrobe. And a bookshelf with loads of books. And a keyboard, so I can play other sounds. Maybe a chair by the window. And a fireplace. Can I have a fireplace?"

"Sure," James said. "Don't worry. There's no chance of it burnin' too high or catchin' anythin' on fire. If you want to light it, snap your fingers."

Haley blinked. "Just… snap?"

"Or clap."

Haley snapped her fingers and a fire roared to life in the hearth.

"Move your hand in a clockwise motion to make the fire warmer. To cool it, move your hand in a counter-clockwise motion. To turn it off, snap your fingers, or clap your hands."

"I love this," Haley said.

"Isn't magic wonderful?"

Haley nodded.

"Don't forget about the balcony," Leo said.

"The balcony?" Haley asked.

"Oh, yeah," James said. "Next to your fireplace is a set of French doors that lead out to a covered balcony with a lounge chair."

"That is amazing," Haley said. "Thank you, James."

"Of course," James said. "Why don't you explore your room. See where I put things. Leo, come with me for a second."

"Is everything okay?" Haley asked.

"Everything's all right," Leo reassured. "We will be back."

Once Leo and James were inside Leo's room, James turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're still beatin' yourself up for not pullin' Haley out sooner," he said.

"Well, can you blame me, James? I let it go too far. I should have pulled her back as soon as I realized she was starting to panic."

"Leo, this isn't like last time with Chase. We're safe now."

"You don't know that for certain."

"You're right. I don't, but do you really think Professor Snape would let anythin' happen to Haley? To us? He is Haley's guardian now."

"Yeah, well, look how our last guardians treated us."

James pulled Leo into a bear hug and patted his back. "Leo, you're doin' the best you can, and, I might add, that best is superb. Haley needed to experience everything she did today. Think about it. You know I'm right."

"I know," Leo said. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Do you think I liked sittin' there and watchin' her panic? No, Leo, I didn't. You do such a great job at keepin' us safe, but you can't keep Haley safe from her own anxiety."

"I can try."

"Leo," James said gently. "Leo, Leo, Leo. You've been with her from the beginnin'. Not only have you seen some horrible shit, but you've experienced it too. You know, better than any of us, how her anxiety works. Do you really think it will just go away if you remove her from the front?"

Leo shook his head.

"Exactly. In order to get stronger, she needs to go through it. We can help her. She knows about us. She knows how to communicate with us. She will be all right. Let others help her on the outside."

Leo sighed.

"Are you goin' to spiral on me?"

Leo shook his head. "I'm all right," he said. "I just hate seeing her struggling."

"I know," James said, pulling Leo into another hug. "I know, Leo. She's strong. We all are. Come on, big guy. Let's go introduce Haley to Cara's cookin'."

Leo nodded, followed James into Haley's room, smiling slightly.

Haley was reclining in her new chair, snapping her fingers as the. fire turned off and on.

"Off. On." she was saying. "Off. On. Off. On. Warmer. Cooler. Off. On."

"Well, I can see you enjoy your fireplace," James said with a laugh.

Haley nodded.

"How about we head down for banana bread and whatever else Cara has made?"

Haley nodded.

"Excellent," Leo said, taking Haley's hand and placing it on his arm. "Time for you to experience cooking by the most incredible selkie ever."