Peach Flavored Dreams

Chapter V – A Crystal Summer


Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, or the original idea for this story, I'm just adding to it!! I do own any character you don't recognize, like Professor Jessica Williams, Sarah's step-aunt/adoptedsister, and I also own Professor Arianna Sidhe.


Sarah could only stare in wonder out of the Knight Bus' windows into the dark as she approached Hogsmeade. As the older man helped her out of the bus, she stopped behind the screen separating her from the young driver and his shrunken head.

"Where is Hogwarts?" The young driver with insect glasses looked at her with a quizzical look, then shrugged.

"Just walk right through. You'll see what I mean." Sarah smiled and thanked him, inwardly confused. She hopped off the bus with her wheeled suitcase, then closed her eyes before feeling a cool breeze in the warm. She opened her eyes and saw that the bus was gone, no trace left of its visit. Sarah breathed in, then summoned a crystal to her grasp, its light leading her in the night. She followed the cobblestone road until she reached the small town of Hogsmeade. She looked over and saw a mountain beyond the town, not too far. As Sarah reached the pub, a woman came out of the door, completely sober, turning around to lock the door. Sarah accidentally bumped into the woman's back. The woman yelped in shock, hands going to her lower back. She checked to make sure she was okay, then turned to face Sarah, who had wide eyes and was about to apologize. She was interrupted when the woman spoke with a careful eye, reproaching.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, young lady?" Sarah remembered a similar position, and remembered,

"I was." Sarah's eyes were far off, then snapped back when the woman coughed.

"What's your name, dearie?" The woman gave a small smile, to which Sarah returned gratefully.

"Sarah. I'm headed to, Hogwarts? I don't know where that is. Can you help me?" She confessed. The woman chuckled and pointed at the mountain Sarah noticed earlier. Sarah then noticed the turrets and towers and realized she was looking at the school. She looked back at the woman and smiled. The witch smiled back.

"I'm Madame Rosmerta, bar lady here at the Three Broomsticks, the local pub." She motioned to the door she just locked. She walked past Sarah to the house next to the pub and unlocked the door. She called back to Sarah.

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah. Come back to the pub later this summer and I'll git you a butterbeer on the house." Sarah grinned. Karen explained to her about butterbeers and she was anxious to try one.

"Thanks. I'll make good on that offer soon. I've never tried one before." Rosmerta was incredulous at that, and nodded.

"Come by and try, my new friend Sarah." Sarah grinned, waving to Rosmerta as she headed to the castle, resummoning the crystal that fell in the body collision and grabbing up her suitcase. She reached the main gate about an hour later, and pulled the green cloak's hood over her head as she pulled the chain that served as a doorbell. As she waited, she played with the crystal, rolling it over her hands the way she remembered Jareth did. At home, she tried to stop summoning crystals, but she found it was too much a part of her now, so she succumbed and just ignored that she shared this with Jareth. She noticed a light bob in the darkness and banished the crystal and waited until a figure with a lamp came to the gate. Sarah squinted until she saw who came to greet her.

It was a sever young woman with dark black hair pulled into a bun and wore spectacles with a small frown on her lips until she noticed Sarah and her bag. Her eyebrows raised for a moment, then she stayed silent, lamp slightly raised. Sarah noticed this was her queue.

"I'm Sarah Williams. Albus Dumbledore told my stepmother to send me here early this summer?" The woman relaxed slightly, a small smile resting on her stern lips. She started to open the gate.

"I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House, and Transfiguration Mistress. I was told to expect you. I know nothing, but that you are special, the Headmaster said." Sarah relaxed. He hadn't told anyone her situation. That would make coming here easier. Sarah gripped the riding crop in her hand under the cloak as she walked through the gate into the school grounds, following McGonagall through until they reached massive doors to the castle. McGonagall turned back to Sarah.

"The faculty is having dinner presently. Would you like to have dinner now, or settle in your guest room first?" Sarah heard her stomach silently grumble at the mention of food, and her decision was made.

"May I join for dinner? The flight from America before I caught the Knight Bus served bad peanuts." McGonagall smile briefly at her joke, then led her through the big doors and Sarah felt warmth flow through her blood. She pulled the hood off her head, smiled, and breathed deep. She felt raw magic, different than the Labyrinth and not as rare or pungent, but made of the same principle. It was intoxicating to Sarah. She gave a wolfish grin as she looked around the Entrance Hall. She followed McGonagall into what the woman called the Great Hall, where everyone eats or meetings or what not are held. As Sarah stepped in the doors, she felt a sense of déjà-vu as she stared in horror as she overlooked the room from her dream when she was in the Leaky Cauldron. It was exactly the same, except there was only one table in the center of the room full of silent and staring adults, instead of five tables, the other four tables full of students with the same expression. She clutched at her hidden riding crop, grasping for anything to keep her from summoning a crystal to recall the dream. She gulped then followed McGonagall to where she was standing next to the table, next to the Headmaster. Sarah stopped in front of him and bowed. She stood again and said quietly to him,

"Thank you very much for everything, Mr. Dumbledore, I shall remember this always, no matter how my future leads." She missed the quizzical looks the teachers gave each other. Albus smiled sadly and steepled his fingers, putting his chin on his fingers. Then he made up his mind.

"You're welcome." Then on second thought, he added with a wry gin, "Ma Erlkönigin." Sarah stopped walking, and then turned back to him with wide eyes. One of the professors perked up at the words, staring at Sarah in complete shock at the title bestowed upon her.

"What does that mean?" Albus pretended not to know what Sarah was talking about.

"What was the last thing you said? What did that mean?" Albus regretfully pretended not to remember. Sarah sighed and sat in the chair across from him, next to a younger witch with flaming red hair that was tied behind her head. She turned to Sarah with a grin.

"Jessica Williams. Divination Professor here. Are you a new Professor?" The man on Sarah's other side snorted.

"This close to a new school year? What is she going to teach?" McGonagall stood up straight.

"Staff of Hogwarts, this is Sarah Williams. She's our newest student here at Hogwarts. She just discovered her powers, being raised as a muggle. Her magic is a bit different than our average students," Sarah snorted and Albus smiled, neither saying anything,

"And it is unpredictable. Albus asked for her to come this summer so she can learn to control it, so none can be hurt come fall. Professors Flitwick, Slughorn, and Sidhe, I'll need to ask you to help her this summer with me, the basics from years one to five." She turned to a small professor (about three feet tall if lucky) that looked an awful lot like a goblin, the portly older man that sat next to Sarah, and then to a woman who stunned Sarah. When Professor Sidhe turned to greet her, Sarah thought Jareth was infiltrating the school. She had the same hair color as him, but it was waist length tied at the top of her head. She had the same angular face and high cheekbones, and Sarah had a feeling that if the woman took off her smoky sunglasses, she would see mismatched eyes, like Jareth and herself. Sarah gulped, then made sure her own glasses were on with a brief touch. Since the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron mentioned her eyes, Sarah made smoky spectacles to hide her heterochromatic eyes. Her right eye was the same size, shape, and color, emerald green, but her left was the same exact size, shape, and shade of blue that Jareth's left eye was. Whenever Sarah looked into a mirror into her left eye, she could swear Jareth was staring out, or she was just getting paranoid. Sarah was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize the speech was over and everyone was currently eating. Sarah was pushed out of her reverie by a jab to the ribs. She stopped staring at Professor Sidhe openmouthed and looked at Professor Williams. Sarah smiled, ignoring her panic.

"So, Williams? That must mean we're related or something." The Professor said, eating some mashed potatoes. Sarah put some food on her plate and spoke between bites.

"No, maybe not. Williams is a common name. The only family member I have in Britain is Linda Williams, my mother, an actress." The Professor stopped eating immediately and stared at Sarah.

"You're Linda's daughter?" She said loudly, astonished, attracting the other professor's attention. Sarah looked at her quizzically. She put her fork down.

"You know my mother?" Sarah asked, wondering. She was almost burst with happiness. She hadn't heard word of her mother in years.

"Of course I do! She's me mum!" Sarah froze at her words. The woman quickly recovered.

"She adopted me eleven years ago when she married my brother, Jeremy." Sarah understood immediately who this woman was.

"You're Jessica Eden?" Jessica smiled, shaking her head.

"I'm Jessica Eden Williams. My bro can't have kids so they considered me theirs. I was thirteen when our parents died and Jeremy married mum a few months later. I'm twenty four now, and I finally meet my, well step niece and adopted sister!" Sarah connected the dots after a few long, quizzical seconds. Her mom left her and her dad for Jeremy, she remembered, she just never heard about or from her mom in many years. She thought about her all the time though. Sarah smiled half-heartedly at her aunt.

"Guessing the Eden's are wizards?" Sarah picked up her fork again and resumed eating. Jessica nodded. Everyone continued to eat without any more interruptions. Sarah waved to her Aunt Professor (She couldn't see her as her sister, no matter what) as McGonagall led her out of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall led her to the Grand Staircase and Sarah could only stare in wonder for a moment at the changing staircases.

"Just like the Labyrinth." Sarah muttered, delightedly.

"What was that?" The older woman asked.

"Nothing, Professor." The woman stopped, thinking briefly. She smiled briefly and went up the first flight of stairs. Sarah followed her onto the first floor, walking down the hallway for a few minutes before Professor McGonagall stopped before a moving portrait. Sarah looked at the portrait, and realized Professor McGonagall was staring unamusedly at the portrait. Then Professor McGonagall straightened her face and asked in a falsely curious voice,

"Sir Cadogan, did the Headmaster reassign you here?" The shining night straightened his helmet and nodded.

"Yes, milady. The great Lord asked me to protect a beautiful young maiden from a tyrant King. Pshaw! I shan't let him near! Is this thy fair maiden?" He said, noticing the now blushing Sarah, who was nodding and holding her laughter back at his accuracy.

"I'm afraid though, my dear knight, I've already a brave Knight protecting my virtue and dignity," Sarah said, thinking of Sir Didymus, "but I would be most humbled if you lent your shield to my cause also." She added, noticing the disappointment on his face. It was wiped away with a flourish of his mighty sword he could barely hold up. Sarah giggled as he readjusted his helmet again. He nodded happily.

"I shall gladly protect you, fair maiden. On my-" He looked affronted when he was interrupted.

"Very well, Sir Cadogan. Balderdash is the password. She shall change it now, though." Professor McGonagall said quickly. Sarah thought quickly for a password and knew exactly what to use. Something she could never forget and someone couldn't easily guess.

"As the World Falls Down," Sarah sang. The Knight nodded.

"As the World Falls Down, it is then." His portrait swung from the wall like a door, and Professor McGonagall walked into the sitting room. Sarah followed in and looked around in wonder at the room she was to stay in during the summer. The theme was peaches and cream. She made a face before Professor McGonagall saw her displeasure. Professor McGonagall motioned around the room.

"You shall stay here for the duration of the summer, what, three or four weeks? You are on the first floor because I am making it my duty to tutor you on control. This floor has the Transfiguration classroom, my office, and my quarters. I shall show you each tomorrow, so you shall know where to find me in case of emergency." Sarah nodded. Professor McGonagall pulled her wand from the sheath on her belt. Sarah unlaced the cloak from her neck and laid it on the chair nearest to her. She unclasped the riding crop and put it on the table next to the chair and stretched out her arms. She adjusted her gloves, giving her hands more room to move. The gloves weren't uncomfortable, she just wasn't used to the constant wear. Professor McGonagall lit the log in the fireplace and tilted her head to Sarah.

"Have a good night sleep. You'll need it. First Light, Ms. Williams. First Light." The woman walked out of the sitting room and the portrait closed after her retreating back. Sarah sighed as she went up the stairs with her cloak and crop in hand to her bedroom for a night sleep.


"So what is Transfiguration?" Sarah sat in the front desk in the Transfiguration classroom, McGonagall's wand pointing at the board.

Sarah woke at first light and dressed quickly in a tunic and breeches, putting her glasses on, fastening the crop to her waist and stuffing the unexplored bag from Jareth's vault, as well as the money bag, into the trunk at the end of her bed. She brushed her teeth in the little bathroom and ran down the stars and tied the cloak on around her neck and left the room, sitting Indian-style, talking to Sir Cadogan whom seemed to never sleep. McGonagall collected her ten minutes later, and gave her a tour of the floor, ending at the classroom. Now she was to learn the basics.

"Transfiguration is the process of turning one thing into another?" McGonagall rolled her eyes.

"Basically that in a nutshell. Now watch. Vera Verto." She waved her wand at the rat she had for classes, and it turned into a water goblet. She turned to Sarah, expectantly.

"Now, the counter spell is Verto Vera. Take your wand, and do this." McGonagall made the same gesture of pointing 3 times. She waited for Sarah, who scrunched up her face, thinking. She pulled out the piece of stick the Headmaster slipped in her bag during dinner the night before and pretended it was a wand. Sarah reached inside like Olivander said, and focused her magic. She whispered the words so McGonagall couldn't hear her.

"Once a rat and now a cup, return to your normal state or I'll..." Sarah paused, hesitantly, "hit you with a bus?" Sarah fretted until her goblet turned back into a rat, which sniffed the air hesitantly, then scrambled along the desk. McGonagall quickly positioned her wand to catch it.

"Stop the rat! The spell is-"

"You can't wander, you can't roam, go back to your cage, like a good rat should." Sarah flourished the wand, faking. The rat stopped in its tracks, then turned around and ran into its cage. Sarah imagined the cage door shutting and locking, and it happened. McGonagall looked at Sarah in shock.

"I'm guessing when Albus said her were different, he meant literally, didn't he? You're a quick learner! I didn't even teach you the spell and you knew it instinctively." Sarah nodded, playing along, and McGonagall realized she didn't really have anything spell wise to teach her, just the control. She needed the basics, that wasn't easy. McGonagall fixed her glasses and pulled a button out of the box that she used for her transfiguration class and put it on her desk.

"Turn this into a pin." Sarah stared unblinking at the button, thinking a rhyme.

"Once to attach clothes, now to fix them, make them, take them, change now at my will." Sarah flicked the 'wand' and the button melded into a pin. McGonagall took it and stuck it into the pincushion she pulled from the box. She put the pincushion onto the table.

"Porcupine." Sarah bit her lip. This would be harder. She said her words carefully, reaching inside.

"Small and pointy, inanimate object, be live and breathing. Nothing can move or harm you, porcupine you shall be!" Sarah closed her eyes before looking to see a porcupine on the desk, afraid of its new surroundings. Sarah cooed to it, feeling sorry for scaring the poor creature. She caught McGonagall's eye and nodded briefly.

"Originally pins were in you, now they are out. Forever scared of this new world, return to the one you want." Sarah realized she was pretty good at rhymes. The pincushion stared back at her innocently. Sarah and McGonagall sighed. McGonagall knew she didn't need to teach her anything except the book theory. Perhaps it was time for Horace after a few days.


Sarah deemed three weeks and all subjects later that she liked Professor Slughorn. He was a jovial middle-aged man, who was wider than he was tall, with a balding spot in the center of the top of his head. He stood over her cauldron as she stirred the potion inside. He nodded satisfactory.

"That is a perfect potion for your first shot at it." A concerned look passed his face.

"Why don't you take your gloves off, though? Potion making can ruin such fine leather gloves." Sarah barely gave them a glance as she stoppered the potion vial closed with a sample inside. She shrugged, not giving an answer. Slughorn took the vial and looked at her strangely as he went back to his desk.

"Are you going to empty the cauldron? I know McGonagall taught you the spell." He awaited her to draw her wand, and watched her draw it. He turned back to his desk as he set the vial down. Sarah quickly put her hand over the potion as his back was turned, and whispered a spell.

"Full of potion now, store it for later. Put it in a vial, so no one can take it." Slughorn blinked when he looked back at her and her cauldron was empty, a vial appearing in the girl's hand. She handed it to him and smiled.

"There's the whole potion!" He stared at her openmouthed as she got the ingredients to the next potion he assigned, one of his hardest ones to test her, Felix Felicis. Only for 6th years, but he was curious to her skill. If she got this with flying colors like her others, he couldn't teach her anything else. He already taught her the Wiggenweld potion and the other basics. Sarah put the ingredients on the table and stared at them. She whispered under her breath.

"Sitting unneeded for time and again, I need you now, so cut yourself in ten." Sarah imagined the ingredients cut in the way needed, and that happened. Sarah grinned as she looked at the instructions,

"Sitting asunder, here my plea, follow these instructions, please, please, please!" Sarah sat the book before the ingredients, and Professor Slughorn was shocked senseless when the ingredients did her bidding, doing exactly as the instructions said. He just realized when he heard her muttered spell, she didn't use her wand and it wasn't a spell he'd ever heard. She had different magic, that's all he could think. Soon enough, the gold potion was simmering before him. Sarah grinned, and recited her rhyme spell from earlier, not realizing Slughorn was watching her carefully.

"Full of potion now, save it for later. Put it in a vial, so no one can take it." The potion was in a vial in her hand after a moment, but as he looked into the cauldron, he noticed something peculiar.

"Is that, a crystal?" Sarah jerked in shock, snatching it from the bottom and letting it deform into her hand. She avoided his studious gaze and packed her stuff up into her bag that she threw over her shoulder. She had to think. Slughorn got her attention before she left, though.

"You're done with Potions until school starts. You're too good for me." He grinned, joking. She grinned back, and she acknowledged Slughorn before she left. As she walked to the Great Hall, she summoned a crystal, thinking of Toby. She saw him on his bed sleeping, and then she noticed the shadow enveloping him. Sarah clutched the crystal in anger as she saw Jareth hovering, watching her little brother. He turned to Sarah and snarled, acknowledging he knew she was watching.

"What's wrong?" Sarah quickly popped the crystal and then she saw the Headmaster over her shoulder. She grimaced.

"Jareth." Albus closed his eyes and nodded.

"I guess he knows you left, then?" Sarah groaned.

"I never thought of how he would react. I always hoped that he would leave Toby alone but I guess it was in vain." She sighed, resummoning the crystal. She saw Jareth smoothing the hair on Toby's head and she growled. Jareth seemed to hear her, and grinned at her before turning into an owl and flying out of the window of her parent's room. Sarah and Albus watched Toby for a few more minutes before Sarah lowered the crystal, but was still clutching it. She looked up at Albus with tears in her eyes.

"How can I keep him away from Toby? Please, help me." Albus's eyes softened. He nudged her towards the wall, where a full-length mirror stood. He spoke loudly toward all of the peering portraits.

"Privacy, please." They all looked away and Sarah just then remembered portraits and their gossiping. Albus shook his head and chuckled.

"They know when not to gossip. This is one instance." He placed her standing before the mirror and looked over her shoulder into it.

"Crystal magic is rare knowledge, so bear with me." Sarah nodded, and held the crystal tight in her hand. Albus looked at that hand.

"Take the crystal with Toby's image in it, and touch it to the mirror." Sarah's brows tightened, then she shrugged. She raised the crystal to her eyes and saw Toby in it still. She reached out to the mirror and touched the crystal to the mirror. The mirror rippled, then it swallowed the crystal whole. The image flickered, and then Sarah was looking into her parent's bedroom where Toby's crib was. Sarah's mouth was open and when she turned to thank Albus, she realized he was gone. She smiled and looked back at the mirror. She closed her eyes for a moment, then found herself staring through a dresser mirror to herself. It was nighttime where she was, the moon peaking through the window. Sarah turned and realized she was in her parent's room, and crossed the room to Toby's side. The bedroom door banged open with a shout and Sarah found herself blinded by a flashlight and summoned a crystal, throwing it between herself and the intruders onto the floor, forming a magical barrier to protect Toby. There was silence, and as Sarah clutched the riding crop in a defensive stance, unable to see who it was in the darkness, she heard a timid voice.

"Sarah? Is that you?" Sarah breathed out, recognizing Karen's voice. She lowered the magical barrier, and put the riding crop back on her belt. She watched as her father put the shotgun down, turned the flashlight off and turn the bedroom light on as Karen went to pick up the silent but waking Toby. Sarah moaned softly, putting one hand to her temple and another out for something stable to lean against. She'd exhausted herself out with magic, she realized through her sudden nausea. Sarah pushed her way through the room with a hand out for balance, rushing to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She prayed to the porcelain god for a few more minutes, and then she felt Karen's hand on her back, her other pulling Sarah's hair from her face, pulling it into a hair tie. Sarah groaned her thanks and sat against the wall behind her, tipping her head back against the wall, Karen sitting on the edge of the tub next to her.

"Want to talk about why you're here and not Scotland?" Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed shakily.

"Testing crystal magic, mirror transportation," Sarah couldn't speak as she was sick again. She had the worst headache, and a huge pressure was on her mind. Karen nodded, but was still slightly confused.

"Oh. When are you going back?" Sarah looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"Do I LOOK like I can travel?" Karen frowned, looking at her stepdaughter again and nodded, grimly.

"You'll sleep here tonight, leave in the morning. What time is it there, anyway?" Sarah wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, feeling a lot better. She shrugged.

"I don't remember. I was headed for dinner, though. Really late dinner." She added at Karen's raised eyebrow. She still didn't buy it.

"I had a late Potions lessons! I went to Defense Against the Dark Arts last week, hate the bitch teaching," She didn't notice Karen's glare at her language. Professor Sidhe didn't like Sarah naturally, and showed it in the way she would teach her. She was a good teacher regardless. She would've liked the teacher if she didn't emanate so much hate.

"I had Transfiguration the first week, I've learned the basics, same with Defense, which was the second week with Herbology. My Potions professor said I need not come anymore, I'mbetter than most of his best, and I've had Charms at the same time as Potions. My last lesson with Flitwick is tomorrow morning." Karen grinned softly.

"Charms was my favorite subject. I've a book with spells and shortcuts, not that you need it, though." Karen amended, seeing the riding crop at Sarah's side. Sarah grimaced and grabbed the hand towel Karen held out. Sarah wiped her nose and mouth with it and stood. She wobbled, and Karen helped her walk to her bedroom door. Karen turned to Sarah, who was removing her arm from Karen's shoulder.

"Need any more help?" Karen asked, wary. Sarah shook her head and touched the doorknob. Karen grimly smiled and left Sarah at her door, shutting her door behind herself. Sarah breathed through her mough deeply and exhaled. She opened the door, walked in, and closed the door behind her, not even looking anywhere but at the door. She licked her lips nervously, and turned from the door to glance around the dark room to see a glowing light from her dressing, lighting the room. She gulped and walked over to the crystal hovering a few inches above her dresser, directly in front of the mirror, reflecting the eerie blue light. Sarah took her smoky glasses off, putting it on the end of the dresser as she reached the crystal. Sarah appraised the crystal with blue mists swirling inside. Sarah hesitantly touched the crystal, and it rolled up her arm automatically, scaring Sarah enough to squeak indignantly. It spun over her shoulderblades and exploded, glitter going everywhere. Sarah coughed and sneezed the glitter out of her nose and mouth, cursing Jareth from his wild poofy hair to his high heeled boots. After Sarah cleared her breathing passages, she looked down at her neckline and rolled her eyes when she saw what was perched there. It was a beautiful necklace that reminded her of Beauty and the Beast. Sarah first made out the rose inside, and the outside was the most peculiar glass material. She couldn't even describe it, it was so otherworldly. There was also an eerie blue emanating from the center, just enough that she'd see it and no one else would. She tried to take the necklace off, but it would go around her head. After a few minutes of fighting it, she shrugged and went to bed.


Jareth watched her sleep through his crystal, fingering his necklace that was a twin to hers but his was wrapped around his wrist. He leaned back against his throne and laughed throatily, gaining the attention of his goblins, who shrugged and laughed with him. He turned his head slightly to them, frowning slightly.

"Shut up!" The goblins stopped laughing and he returned to watching her sleeping through his crystal with fond exasperation on his face, longing and lovingly.


Minerva McGonagall sat straight in her chair to stare at the Headmaster as he entered the Staff room the next afternoon.

"Albus, where's Ms. Williams? She didn't appear for Charms!" Albus chuckled, then turned to the Charms Professor.

"Filius, my apologies. I let her visit home last night and I forgot to remind her to return soon. She needs time to adjust. She's new to the wizarding world after all." Filius Flitwick shook his head.

"New to the world? Then how does she know so much about goblins? She recognized my faint bloodline almost right when she met me! I've debated with her about their ruler for Oberon's sake! You can't tell me she learned of my King Jareth through a book?" Albus chuckled as he viewed Arianna's reaction to Filius' statement, realizing he was in charge of damage control.

"She did read the Labyrinth, Filius." Albus gauged Arianna, who was smirking at Filius.

"She was talking about Jareth, huh?" Arianna smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "He'll be pleased to know that." Albus pursed his lips for a moment, and with a grim smile, addressed the Fae.

"I'd particularly prefer that you did not pass anything about Sarah on to your son, Arianna de Aisling." Arianna grinned, her pointy teeth glinting in the firelight.

"But why ever not? It'd tease him that I teach one of his possessions." Minerva and the rest of the staff looked at Albus confused and shocked, who slammed his hands onto the table angrily. Albus stared at Arianna coldly.

"She is not a possession. Remember, the only reason I'm letting you take refuge here and teach is because I let her come here. Don't make me call upon Frederick..." Arianna looked afraid, scrambling for words at once.

"And break the treaty? Would you really? You wouldn't call Frederick, I thought Hogwarts was a safe haven.." Albus sat quietly in his chair and smiled inwardly as she scrambled to call his bluff and protect herself.

"Exactly is the case between Ms Williams and your son. Arianna, we will discuss this at a later date and time, I ask that you only be a bit kinder to Sarah. I know how you treat her." Arianna smirked.

"Uh huh. Right. Like that'll happen." Albus pondered the situation for a moment, then came up with a solution. He tapped his finger to his forehead and addressed her.

"You and Ms Williams shall have a wizards duel. This way we'll test her abilities and you can fight it out. If she wins the duel, you be kinder to her. If you win, you can act however you wish to her, and talk to your son about her. If it is a tie, however, you can still sneak your son into the Masked Ball as you've planned, but you have to be kinder to Ms Williams." Arianna wasn't surprised that Albus had heard of her plans with Jareth. She smirked and grasped his outstretched hand.

"Mortal, You have a deal." Magic swirled around their clasped hands for a moment, then it faded.


(R/R Please!!!! I'll send a goblin after you if you just save or alert this without at least leaving a little message behind....)