Ululatum in temporum Tempus

Chapter Five

Alice couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept very much at all since she had woken up in the hospital wing a week prior. Nevertheless, she had been attending all of her lessons, completing all of her homework and behaving completely normally, despite the fact that she was simultaneously forming a decidedly unhealthy attachment to four oblivious boys that was certainly going to cause her a significant amount of pain at some point in the not-too-distant future. Alice knew this, and it was for precisely this reason that she found herself standing at the edge of the forbidden forest in a ball gown at one o'clock on Sunday morning.

She had fled Slughorn's dinner party, deeming it the most dreadfully boring event she had ever attended. Considering the fame and socio-political prominence of her family, this was quite the title. It had been a highly formal and stiff affair, so naturally, she hated it. The only somewhat redeeming feature was the presence of Lily Evans who, despite having met Alice only a few days before, was thrilled to have a new girlfriend to fuss over. The other girls were simply delighted that they did not have to attend the disastrous dinner, but it had left Lily with no one to giggle over cosmetics and hair potions with. That was, until Alice arrived of course. In a blur of red hair, green eyes and snickering, Alice was dressed to the nines in Lily's second-best gown, and her hair was, possibly for the first time in fifteen years, perfectly tamed and pin straight. Alice was fascinated to discover that when her hair was completely flattened out, it reached her mid-thigh. it looked lovely and shiny though, and took several hours to complete, only to return to its chaotic state in the humid room in the dungeons where the party had been held.

Under the guise of needing fresh air, Alice left the 'Slug-Club' gathering not long before it convened. She fled the dungeons, feeling the air grow cooler and crisper as she rose into the more open corridors of the castle. She knew she would face consequences if she was discovered roaming the halls after curfew, but she simply couldn't bring herself to care. The room had been stuffy and loud and full to the absolute brim with obnoxiously plummy bragging students. Most of them were Pureblood, and thus felt entitled to boast endlessly about their mediocre achievements. The air outside was fresh and delightful on her overheated skin. There was no sound except for chirping crickets and rustling leaves. Alice finally felt calm. Her breaths were deep and even as she wandered aimlessly around the lake, watching the stars in delight. Before long, she reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, toying with the idea of entering, just to prove that she could, when she saw a long, sturdy-looking swing made out of wood and long vines. It appeared to be all one solid piece, grown forth from the tree with magic, and she touched it gently with her fingertips, felling the life flowing through the vines. After a moment of consideration, she tested her weight on the swing before sitting down, and launching herself back and forth, giggling quietly like a giddy child. Her hair whipped around her eyes and hands, tangling in the leaves growing on the vines. her melancholy abated, if only for a moment, and her life gained a semblance of normalcy that can only be acquired through doing something completely normal at a completely inappropriate hour in completely inappropriate clothing.

It didn't take long for Alice to get out of breath, and she soon slowed to a stop, leaning her head against one of the vines holding the swing up and taking several deep breaths of air. She revelled in the tranquillity of her mind, knowing that given just a moment of peace, her thoughts will run wild again, clouding her mind and making her lose her focus entirely once again. With every painfully sleepless night, her control over her emotions and actions was diminishing slightly, and the intrusive, confusing thoughts grew closer to crescendo. She was overwhelmed with guilt and worry, her mind turning to the Marauders, who she loved long before the accident, and their individual fates. Her heart ached for her James, or even just a way to communicate with him. She desperately wanted to reassure him, knowing that he would be worried sick, knowing that he'd be missing her as much as she missed him. She released another melancholy sigh into the wind. The whole ordeal of the last week was so surreal, that Alice still thought that any day now, she'd wake up in the hospital wing with her James by her side, back where she belonged. Back when she belonged.

Alice's eyes glazed and she stared, unfocused, into the distance, her misery overtaking her for a moment, as it had so many times in the past days. The boys had noticed, but Alice's tragic fabricated back story allowed at the very least for her to appear to mourn. So, mourn she did. Her despondent reverie was severed quite suddenly as she heard a twig snap behind her. Her focus returned to her so fast that you might have heard it snap if you were stood close enough. Every muscle in her body tensed as the sound of her beating heart forced any other thought to the side

"It's alright, I won't hurt you." The soothing voice of a young man came from directly behind her. Alice's breath hitched as she whipped her head around so fast that she heard it click. To her utter astonishment, in the shadows, stood a young centaur. Her mouth gaped open in shock before she shut it quickly with a sharp clack.

"Hello." She whispered, still amazed. She was unsure of how to behave, knowing that Centaur-Wizard relations had always been forged on suspicion. Although the herd living in the Forbidden Forest was not predatory towards students, they were not known for their forgiveness if a human were to stumble across their territory. Alice thought hat it was rather unfortunate that Centaurs were considered 'creatures of near human intelligence'. Harry had always said that the mind of a centaur was frighteningly brilliant, though near impossible to understand. Harry had several run-ins with the herd during his time at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore even employed one to teach divination. Much to the Umbitch's chagrin.

"Hello, Alice Longbottom." She didn't bother to ask how he knew her name. She knew that if a centaur ever approached her, she should be either very afraid, or consider herself very lucky, depending on their intent. This one didn't seem like it wanted to hurt her. "Mars is bright tonight." Her eyes swivelled to look up, pinpointing Mars, which was indeed very bright.

"I think it might be like that for a long while." She said solemnly, not looking back to the centaur. Alice wondered if she had perhaps fallen asleep on the swing, or fallen and hit her head, still quite unable to believe her eyes and ears.

"Yes, I think it might, young one."

"I don't feel very young. I feel incredibly old, and none the wiser for it." She said after a moment of deep thought.

"Such is the way of things. My name is Firenze."

"It is a pleasure, Firenze. It is not often that your people approach mine," she said softly, not wishing to offend him, but left the end open, allowing him to explain. She thought that he might be the young centaur who would be employed at Hogwarts in 1996.

"It is not often that a lonely traveller walks in our midst. You must remain hidden Alice. Tell no one except yourself, for only you can know who you are. You are Two, and Two is lonely." He said seriously. Her once said that if you ever want a straight answer, then you should never ask a centaur. Alice was thoroughly baffled. Firenze was not deterred, however, he simply took a leather cuff from his wrist and held it out to her, his hand outstretched, palm up. The leather band had the print of a hoof in it, crude and wrinkled, as though he had simply stomped in it himself. Alice stood tentatively and reached out to take it.

"Thank you." She whispered, thinking it oddly beautiful. The leather was warm and buzzing slightly with magic that she would not identify. It smelled like the trees.

"You will sleep peacefully now. One is free to seek out oneself, and Two is free to seek out Twoself." He said, making to turn and leave. Alice's thoughts whirred so fast that her head seemed to spin. She was desperate to figure out what he meant. She was not Two, she was one, she was Alice, was she not? Perhaps she was not.

"Wait!" Alice cried, a little too loud, desperate to give him something in return. Firenze turned his head minutely to indicate that he was listening. Alice hastily tore the strand of twine from around her neck, the wooden charm hanging from it warm and buzzing with her own magic. Hesitantly, she stepped around Firenze so that he would be facing her and held out the hand-made necklace.

"Please accept this. Should you ever need it, it will guide you to the person you love the most."

"Have you no need of it?" he asked, seemingly reluctant to take the boon.

"Not anymore. Please, Firenze. Take it. It's a gift." She said, somewhat sadly, knowing that the person she loved the most was yet to be born. Besides, she could always make another. Firenze nodded sharply, taking it gently, and hanging it around his neck. It settled there, amongst the other pendants and charms hanging down on his bare chest.

"Thank you, young one." She smiled minutely, slipping the leather band around her wrist and nodding kindly.

"Stay safe, Firenze." She tuned to walk away, turning back, briefly. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Without waiting for his response, she turned again, hastily retreating back out of the tree line and towards the castle. She knew that the creatures of Forest would fall upon hard times along with the rest of the magical world, along with the reast of the non-magical world too, but she hoped that if thy were truly struggling they'd ask. She doubted it, but she had to try.

By the time she reached the fifth-year girls' dorms, she was dead on her feet, her hair wild and her hands cold. She wasted no time in ridding herself of the heavy gown, cleaning the part of the dress that had been on the wooden swing, and hanging it up in Lily's wardrobe. Her head was still buzzing with confused thoughts and images, desperately trying to analyse Firenze's words from every possible angle. She could never ask anyone for help, that's for sure.

"Smith, is that you?" Mary McDonald asked from between her slightly parted curtains. Alice took a moment to remember that the unfamiliar name was hers and she turned, peering over to Mary's bed in the dark dorm room. She could see the light of her wand behind the heavy cloth and assumed that Mary was catching up on her homework.

"Yeah, sorry if I woke you." Alice murmured sheepishly, knowing full well that she had not. Mary was not known for completing her homework on time, but they had the three-foot transfiguration essay due the next morning, and Minnie would take no prisoners. The teachers were taking O.W.L.S very seriously.

"It's okay, I was just doing homework. Lils only fell asleep a few minutes ago, she was worried. Said you vanished from the Slug-Club." Alice grimaced, feeling guilty for abandoning Lily.

"Bugger. It was just so stuffy in there, and everyone except Lily was so obnoxious. I had to get out. I'll apologise to her in the morning." Her heart warmed with the knowledge that someone had worried after her and waited up for her. She moved over to Lily's bed and pulled the blanket up over her and casting a gentle Scourgify on her face so that her makeup wouldn't make her break out. Mary snorted quietly.

"Sounds like you've got that bunch of buffoons figured out." She whispered grinning, her pearly teeth standing out clearly in the dim light.

"Damn right I do." Alice murmured. "Here, take this, and hurry up and get some sleep." She whispered fondly, handing Mary her essay to copy.

"Thanks, Smith, you're an angel."

"I know." Alice said smugly, crawling underneath her quilts and settling down onto her pillow, deciding to leave the mess that was her hair until the morning. A decision she would undoubtedly regret but was unable to change her mind on as her eyes close heavily and the smell of the forest drifted around her head from the cuff. Alice hoped it hadn't all been a dream after all.