Chapter three: Letters
Ithaca ran downstairs on the morning of July 30th, a month before she turned eleven and Neville's birthday. Her long, black hair stuck up from all sorts of angles in the best display of defying gravity, her face had drool out of the corner of her mouth in a crusty line, and her violet eyes did not appear as those of an awake Ithaca. Powder, who went with her everywhere, yawned from her shoulder. She'd been waiting for her Hogwarts letter all summer. Remus said nothing as she sat across from him at the breakfast table and resisted the urge to bounce in her seat. He glanced up from behind his Daily Prophet and blinked in fake surprise at her, almost laughing at the sight.
"Ithaca, you're up early."
She smiled hopefully. "Is my letter here yet?"
"What letter?" He asked innocently. Powder lept from her shoulder to Remus' and grabbed something he was hiding behind the paper, leaping back to give it to her.
And Ithaca was suddenly wide awake as she beamed and then squealed, jumping out of her seat to dance around the kitchen. She pulled Remus from his chair and he spun her around. She never failed elicit a smile from him. The fireplace roared and flashed green and Neville stepped out- still in his night clothes- with his own grin, waving his envelope around in the air- joining their dance.
"I do believe they received their letters, Minerva," a familiar voice said.
"Aunt Minnie!"
While the children were with McGonagall, Dumbledore pulled Remus aside. "Hagrid will not be able to be with Ithaca tonight." He said seriously.
"Okay, what happened?"
"He has gone to get Harry. We've sent letters upon letters, but we have yet to receive any confirmation he has received them."
Remus frowned. "I doubt they've even told him anything about his parents. Or magic."
"Surely they would not keep such things from him."
"You are a great wizard, and a good man, professor, but you cannot hold everyone to such standards."
Ithaca came over to them. "Moony? Can I go over to Neville's tonight? It's his birthday."
He rolled his eyes playfully at her tactic of adding the last bit in hopes he'd be less likely to say no. "Ask Augusta if it's alright with her."
"You know Gran won't mind."
"If she says yes, then you may go. Don't forget your present for Neville."
"I won't!" She called over her shoulder.
Dumbledore smiled. "I am glad you have not had any issues raising Sirius' daughter."
"He doesn't deserve her as a daughter," Remus growled. "She's mine in every way except blood."
Dumbledore only nodded indulgently.
*
Neville and Ithaca were excited for Diagon Alley the next morning. Ithaca slept in his room and Powder woke them both around dawn. They were up early, dressed and ready at the breakfast table before their Gran had even stirred. When she made her way down a few hours later, she chuckled.
"Frank was just the same," she told them in reference to Neville's father. "Couldn't wait to get ready for Hogwarts. He never slept well the night before."
Diagon Alley was crowded, but Ithaca had come to the theory that Diagon Alley was always crowded. Remus and Augusta trailed behind, but Neville and Ithaca knew better than to run too far ahead.
"What shall we do first?" Ithaca said in a lets-get-down-to-business tone of voice. She couldn't wait to go Hogwarts. Why did it have to be another month out?
Remus eyed her tenderly. "How about wands? I imagine it's the most important. The first thing to know, never lose your wand. Take good care of it."
Ithaca nodded obediently and Neville slumped a little. Augusta had decided he should use his father's wand.
"Remus Lupin," the odd wizard with silver eyes greeted. "Cypress and unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches- pliable." Ithaca tilted her head to the side and studied the man carefully, watching him turn to her Gran. "Augusta Longbottom- cedar, unicorn hair, eleven inches. Quite bendy."
Then he turned his eyes to her and she smiled, deciding she liked him. "Ithaca Black. I have watched you and your friend grow up running past my window. I wondered when I would be seeing the two of you in my shop. Now, which one of you will be going first?"
"Neville will be using his father's wand," Augusta said in her strict way that both children knew better than to argue with. Mr. Ollivander looked as though he wanted to say something, but then thought wiser.
"Now," he said to Ithaca as he measured her left arm, "your father had a wand of aspen and dragon heartstring, eleven and a half- very firm. I will say I was very surprised to find that he had turned to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and I will admit to still having my doubts."
Remus cleared his throat and Mr. Ollivander looked up casually in silent question. "We don't talk about him," Ithaca answered, knowing Moony would be too polite to really say anything. She'd never met anyone who had the thought that her father might not actually be guilty. "But I've never met someone who doubted that he was a Death Eater." She looked at him curiously.
"And I can see why, but wands do not lie, Miss Black. Remember that."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, let's see. Yes, let's try this one." He held out a dark brown wand. "Yes, I shall be very shocked if this isn't the one."
Ithaca reached out and picked it up, feeling this surge through her and a shimmery blue light erupted from the tip and winded around her before fading. She smiled, a smile Remus had never seen on her, and looked up with wide eyes.
"Acacia wood, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches, slightly springy. I think you will be very happy together."
"W-what does the combination mean? Or, is it just all random with no connection?" She asked, gazing at her wand.
"It means, Miss Black, that you are very unique or this wand would not have chosen you. I rarely make wands of this wood because they can be very tricky to place. Very subtle, but for the most gifted."
She grinned at Remus and he realized he had never really thought about wands and what each means. He stepped forward to pay, but she stopped him and turned to Augusta.
"Gran, I know you really want Neville to use his dad's wand. You probably hope that by him using it, his father is still going on. I suppose I understand that, and your son did great things. But how can Neville expect to do great things if he is living in the shadow of someone else's memory?"
Everyone stared at her in wonder, Augusta's mouth opening, and then closing again before she looked to Mr. Ollivander with glistening eyes and a hard voice. "His right is his wand arm."
Ithaca smiled encouragingly to Neville.
"Do you really think I can do great things?" He asked her.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course, I said that, didn't I?"
After he had his wand (thirteen inches, cherry, unicorn hair), they paid and left. Next was books, they each piled up their books and wobbled to the front counter, as well as Remus finding a few things he wanted to read. Ithaca usually would have piled on more books, always hungry for more. She had told Remus once that she wanted to know everything about everything. After Augusta was able to drag the two of them out, Ithaca insisted that she and Neville could go to get fitted for their robes without adult supervision and the adults went to get their potions supplies.
"Hogwarts, dears?" Madame Malkins asked. They both nodded with wild grins at wandering without adults. "Have a seat
, you'll have to wait until our other two are finished."
Ithaca looked up at the two boys, their robes being pinned to the right length.
"Hogwarts?" The first asked, with a bored tone and pinched face. Neville nodded.
"Yes, of course." She answered aloud. She caught the eye of the other boy, only slightly taller than she was with a crop of untamed black hair on his head. Her eyes widened. Harry Potter. She had old pictures of the two of them playing. Of his parents holding her as a baby. She smiled and he hesitantly gave a small smile back. "Hello."
"Hello," he said quietly- nothing like how she thought he would be.
"Do either of you know what House you'll be in?" The first boy asked, and Ithaca got the feeling it was to bring the attention back to himself.
"Probably Hufflepuff," Neville mumbled. He was afraid he wouldn't be in Gryffindor like his father. Alice Longbottom was, of course, in Hufflepuff. Ithaca nudged him and smiled.
"If you're in Hufflepuff then they'll be lucky to have you."
The pinched pale boy snorted. "My father says that Hufflepuff is just the House for people who don't belong anywhere else. The leftovers."
Neville went bright red and Ithaca glared at the stranger. "Who do you think you are?" She demanded.
He looked as though he'd never seen anything like her before. "I beg your pardon?"
"Hufflepuff is the house for loyalty, patience, hard-work, and fairness. Obviously if that's your father's stance on the House he can't be too gifted in any of those attributes. Perhaps you should learn to form your own opinions on things rather than blindly following someone else's."
The boy's face didn't change, but his cheeks turned a slight pink. "Oh? And what House will you be in, if you know so much?"
"Gryffindor, of course," she said proudly.
"The house for those with more courage than common sense?" He commented.
Harry watched the scene between the pale boy and the girl with violet eyes. He kind of liked her. Standing up for her friend. That must be nice.
"You just have someone else's opinion for everything, don't you?"
The woman doing his robes told him he was done, and he stepped down- glancing out the window as Neville went up to the stand next. "I say, look at that man!"
"That's Hagrid," Ithaca and Neville echoed with Harry. He looked at her, happy he knew something the boy didn't. But the girl and her friend did?
"He works at Hogwarts," Harry said.
The boy wrinkled his nose. "Oh. I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant isn't he?"
Ithaca strongly disliked this boy as he continued. He made her think of a conversation she and Moony had a few years ago about those who thought their blood meant that they were better. Everything about him screamed pureblood. She narrowed her eyes at him when he started asking about Harry's parents.
"But they were our kind, weren't they?" Then he glanced at them and Ithaca and Neville both nodded. Then he went off about the 'other sort' and Ithaca reddened. This is the kind of talk that started wars.
"The other sort can be just as good as we can." She insisted passionately. Moony had told her that she would have to hear things like this, but she didn't intend to be silent about it.
"Oh, and what's your surname? I imagine you're half-blood if you don't understand or respect the old ways."
"The old ways are what started the war and racism."
"So I was right? Ha! A half-blood, thinking they know the old ways better- trying to put us purebloods in our place? You should learn yours."
"Oi! She's the heir to both the Black and Selwyn families." Ithaca shot Neville, who'd spoken in a surge of bravery, a look. Though, she did like the way the pale boy's eyes widened, threatening to pop out of his head. Then a bell rang as the door opened and a strangely familiar man walked in. She vaguely remembered Moony calling him Malfoy when he told Gran about it later. He met her eyes and smirked.
"Miss Black, I must have forgotten you'd be attending Hogwarts with my son."
She resisted the urge to shiver. "Clearly your memory isn't as good as your eloquence, Mr. Malfoy."
He almost looked, impressed. He turned to the boy, "Draco, your mother is waiting. Go."
This Draco left without question and his father followed. Harry hopped down and came beside her. "I'm Harry."
"I'm Ithaca."
"Ithaca, you need to get fitted for your robes," Neville reminded her. She looked up to see Madame Malkins ready for her and Harry went out to see Hagrid.
He told the half giant about the pale boy and the girl with strange eyes.
"Sounds like you met Ithaca." Hagrid said. "She and Neville stay with me from time to time. The two of you used to play together as babies. Her guardian was friends with your parents. She's grown up on stories about them."
"Do you think she would tell me some?"
*
Remus insisted she read at least one chapter in each school text to prepare for the school year, not that she complained too much. She was happy to read her books out loud for Neville and Powder. She wasn't sure about Potions, and Moony had told her that he knew the professor would be hard on her because he hated them, but she was very excited about Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration.
One morning, about a week after Diagon Alley, Hagrid sent her a letter in large, crude handwriting asking her to write Harry about his parents. She chewed on the edge of her Muggle pen, wondering what one should write.
Harry
Hagrid told me you would like to know more about your family. First you should know, they were both in Gryffindor with my father. Your father, my biological father, and my guardian (Moony) were best friends. I have pictures that are enclosed of your parents, us as babies, and even one I found of their wedding. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have and if I don't know- Moony most certainly will.
Your friend,
Ithaca Black
P.S. This is our owl, Archimedes, he likes to be scratched under his beak. Don't touch his wings- he hates that.
Harry didn't see the last warning until he held a slightly bleeding finger to his lips. He was distracted by the closing of 'your friend'. He had a friend. Granted, one he didn't know much about, but still a friend. He tore open the envelope with the pictures and Ithaca was hard to miss with her eyes. Plus, they were labelled on the back. He was surprised to find the pictures moving. He watched the loop of them all laughing. He watched his father sneak a kiss as the camera flashed and his mother slap his chest playfully. There was a man labeled as Moony, who Harry had gathered was her guardian, and a man that looked very much like his new friend. He quickly wrote back.
Ithaca,
Thank you so much for the pictures. I've never seen one of my parents. What happened to your parents? I know it's probably rude to ask, so you definitely don't have to answer. I still don't know a lot about the Wizarding world. I only just learned what I was the day before I met you. Could you explain? I feel like I'm just being dropped in blind.
Your friend,
Harry Potter
P.S. Thanks for the warning, but I was a little late reading it.
Ithaca walked over to one of the bookshelves in her room and pulled out a book, 'So You're Magic!: An Introduction to the Secret World Around You, and went downstairs to talk to Moony.
Harry,
My mother died in a raid and my father is currently in Azkaban for being a secret follower of Voldemort. I don't really talk much about them, but you may as well know since everyone else will upon hearing my name. I don't know much about my mom other than she had my eyes. Moony says she was in Ravenclaw and wicked smart. I included a book I have written for Muggleborns to explain a few things they will be experiencing. You are welcome to have it as a late birthday gift. Neville says I have too many books as it is.
I asked Moony if you could come over to my house for my birthday (August 31st). You could spend the night if your relatives don't mind and you can catch the train with Neville and I the next morning. You, of course, are welcome to say no, but think about it? Send me an owl to tell me either way.
Your friend,
Ithaca
Harry almost barreled down the stairs to the sitting room where his Aunt and Uncle were watching the telly, but by some miracle was able to pace himself and walk down with a little dignity.
"Uncle Vernon?" He asked hesitantly. His answer was a grunt. "I-uh, someone I met has offered for me to catch the train with them to my new school. That way I don't inconvenience you."
He praised himself on making his voice less shrill in his excitement. His uncle grunted again. "When is it?"
"August 31st. I would stay the night and they would take us to King's Cross the next day."
Uncle Vernon grunted again and Harry raced to let his new friend know.
*
Aunt Petunia was the one who opened the door the morning he was leaving. Ithaca gave her best smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Dursley. I really cannot tell you how happy I am that you allowed Harry to come over to my home."
Petunia said nothing, only calling for Harry who grinned at Ithaca. He hadn't seen this Moony yet, but he looked like the one from the pictures, just older, more tired, and with more scars. He smiled at him, Remus momentarily seeing James standing there instead of his son.
"Do you need help with your trunk?" He asked Harry. Harry blushed and nodded.
"It's heavy. I mean, I could get it, I just- "
"That's alright. I can get it."
Ithaca and Harry went ahead to the car that Remus had as they lived mostly Muggle. Harry told her how far in the book he was- thankful she sent it as it covered a lot of things he would never think to ask about. Some things he would still have to ask for more clarification about, but he felt much more prepared than before.
"You'll get to meet Albus, of course, and Aunt Minnie. They come every year. Hagrid will be there and Neville."
"Neville was the boy with you that day?"
"Mmhmm, we've been friends almost as long as you and I have. His Gran helped raise me. Aunt Minnie is Gryffindor's Head of House. Albus is the Headmaster. You know Hagrid already."
"Yeah, he was the one who got me Hedwig."
Ithaca leaned over and whispered. "He's been trying to sneak me a hippogriff for years, but Moony won't have it."
"I hope you aren't telling stories," Remus said as he buckled his seat belt.
"Of course not, Moony. Would I do that?"
He just looked at her through the rearview mirror and she smirked. Like always, he quickly looked away. She had Sirius' facial expressions perfectly. Harry couldn't imagine a better feeling. He had a friend. A friend who had knowledge of his parents and his world. A friend who was helping him get away from the Dursley's a day early. They turned onto a long driveway into a patch of woods where a nice cottage was with a tire swing in the front yard and a small pond to the left. It was so different from Privet Drive. Homey.
Ithaca opened her door and charged to the front door, swinging it open and calling for Powder. Moony had insisted Powder stay home when they went to get Harry. She'd never been away from him so long. She met Harry outside and introduced them.
"Will they let you take him with you tomorrow?" He asked. "Monkeys weren't on the list."
She smirked. "Albus said he could make an exception. He secretly likes doing that- making exceptions. He likes having a reason. Plus, he and Powder like to play chess together."
Harry laughed, a monkey that could play chess. The fireplace glowed green and two people stepped out, first Neville and then Gran. Harry had read about the Floo network, but was still surprised. To think- traveling by fireplace. Neville cupped something in his hand and came over to show Ithaca.
"Look! I found a toad in the garden. He's coming to Hogwarts with me, Gran said he could." He looked up and saw Harry. "He-hello, I'm Neville Longbottom."
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter."
"You're the boy from Madame Malkins." He said, making the connection.
Ithaca grinned. "Guess what?" She pulled them close. "Moony said we could camp in the living room and stay up as late as we want tonight. He bought a bunch of Muggle sweets."
Remus came in with Harry's trunk and a handful of bags from the nearest grocery store. He turned to Harry. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier," he said. "I thought you might want to get away from there as soon as possible. Lily said her sister could be a bit difficult to live with."
Harry smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, and she is."
"I'm Remus Lupin."
"Oh. I thought- "
"That my name was Moony?" Harry nodded. Remus laughed lightly. "That's what your father and our friends used to call me. Ithaca has always called me that- like you did as a baby. You're welcome to call me whichever you prefer."
"Thank you, sir."
Ithaca went to show him around and he quickly liked Neville, who had the tendency to go off on a plant he'd never heard of, and Powder, who liked to jump from shoulder to shoulder- but obviously preferred Ithaca's shoulder to either of theirs.
Hagrid arrived next, happy to see Ithaca and Harry friends as they should have been from the beginning. Then came a strange eagle owl with a package in its beak. Remus unwrapped it and furrowed his brow. To Miss Black. From one wand enthusiast to another. Then his eyebrows shot up. Garrick Ollivander had sent Ithaca a book of notes about wand woods and cores and what they meant.
Dumbledore came as Remus wondered about the unexpected gift. He was also very surprised to see this, but insisted there would be no harm in giving it to her. Mr. Ollivander was a neutral party in the war- much reminiscent of the centaurs.
Harry loved the amount of magic he was seeing, whether it was the coming and going through the Floo, or the strange sneakoscope Dumbledore gave Ithaca. She had convinced Moony to demonstrate a variety of small spells for him to see. She raced and beat both he and Neville. She challenged them to stick sword fights. She told ghost stories of real ghosts. Ithaca even beat them to the top of a rather large oak tree in the back yard, coming in second only to Powder who cheated like mad. He had never had so much fun in one day and fell asleep easily to dreams of heroic duels and damsels stuck in trees.
*
Ithaca woke him up by zapping him in the butt with her wand. He jumped up, his glasses askew from having slept in them, and a sore spot. She giggled and Harry smiled at something behind her. She frowned a little and went to turn around, being picked up by Moony over his shoulder and being marched outside with her wriggling and shrieking in laughter.
"Moony," she said- trying to be serious and failing. "Don't you dare!"
Harry watched, dumbstruck as Neville came up beside him with a piece of toast. "W-where is he taking her?"
"It looks like the pond. They like to prank each other. When we were eight, she moved all of his books out of their alphabetic order in his study."
"What did he do?"
Neville shrugged with a mischievous grin. "He dyed her hair purple."
"Then what did she do?"
"Well," he took his last bite and mumbled, "that one kind of backfired as she decided she liked the purple hair. He changed it back and won't let her dye it again."
They heard a splash and a scream cut off by the water. Moony laughed as she surfaced, sputtering and glaring at him before swimming back to the dock and heaving herself up.
*
"No."
"It's true."
"That's ridiculous," Harry said, sure his friend's guardian was just taking the mickey out of him.
Ithaca sighed. "I'll go first." Then she steeled herself, grinning at her two friends, and ran through the wall to disappear.
She was awed at the large train she found, the Hogwarts Express. It looked just like Moony described it. Harry came after her, then Moony, Neville, and Gran. Without Trevor, the toad. Neville immediately began frantically looking for it. They hadn't found it by the time they had to board the train and Ithaca promised he was likely to be on the train waiting and looking around.
Soon they were joined by Ronald Weasley, who said nothing to Ithaca after learning her name, but kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Ithaca decided to go looking for Trevor with Neville and promised to be right back. She opened a compartment door to find a bushy haired girl reading Hogwarts: A History. Moony had tried to recommend it, but she couldn't get past the first chapter or so. She was currently trying to memorize her gift from Mr. Ollivander. It was already very special to her.
"Have you seen a toad?" She asked. "My friend Neville's lost one."
The girl looked up and shook her head. "No, but I'll help you find him."
Ithaca smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Ithaca Black."
"Hermione Granger."
They decided to split up and cover more ground. Ithaca made her way through and opened one compartment with two boys a few years older than her. Both with the same red hair as Ron.
"Have either of you seen a toad?"
One turned to her with a broad smile. "Of course I have, he's sitting across from me."
The other twin, as she noticed they couldn't not be twins, held out a small bag of various colored candies. "Want one?"
She reached for one and stopped. "What do they do?"
The second twin turned to the first. "I don't think she trusts us, Gred."
"Doesn't look like it, Forge."
"They turn your hair the same color as the candy."
Ithaca laughed heartily. "That's excellent! Do you have a purple?"
*
On the search again, this time with brightly colored hair like a plum, she found Hermione in Harry and Ron's compartment. She led her in and sat down.
"Well, I hope Neville's had more luck than we have. Harry, Ron, this is my friend Hermione Granger." Everyone stared at her. "What?"
"Ithaca, your hair."
"Oh, yes, that. I found the Weasley twins who had candies that colored your hair. So I chose a purple one. It was actually quite tasty."
Ron's ears went red. "They're always making stuff like that. It drives Mum barmy."
"It's brilliant," Ithaca said.
Neville opened the door and slumped next to her. "I can't find him."
Again, the door opened and Draco Malfoy stood there with two larger boys on either side of him. "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you is it?"
Ithaca rolled her eyes and looked away, biting her tongue for once. She heard the boy introduce his guard detail, for that's the air they had about them, and smiled when Ron snorted at his name. She couldn't agree more. Even Hermione sort of snickered, but Draco focused on Ron.
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father's told me all the Weasley's have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
"As opposed to more money and control than one deserves for no reason other than having fabulous hair?"
Draco turned to Ithaca, not having noticed her. He ignored her comment with pink cheeks and turned to Harry. "You'll soon find out some Wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held his hand out and Ithaca was pleased to see him ignore it. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he started.
Ithaca interrupted. "Harry just said he didn't need your help. This compartment is full, I suggest trying elsewhere."
Draco sneered, but left.
*
Ithaca's hair had faded back to its natural black by the time she piled in a boat with Neville, Hermione, and a boy who introduced himself as Blaise Zabini. Neville was happily reunited with Trevor and Ithaca was happily chatting with Hermione and Blaise when a quietness fell upon the formation of boats as they rounded a bend to see the castle. It took her breath away and Ithaca woke Powder up, who'd been napping on her shoulder so he could see it as well. She leaned over and skimmed her hand on the lake. Moony's tales didn't do it justice, despite him being a phenomenal story teller.
Minnie winked at Ithaca and Neville discreetly when she opened the doors to receive them. Ithaca didn't know how they were sorted. That was the story Moony wouldn't tell, deciding instead to smile secretively and change the topic. He did, however, tell her not to worry. She wasn't.
The Great Hall was a sight. She'd never imagined something so wonderful. There were thousands upon thousands of candles lighting it and she could see the stars in the ceiling. Hermione explained to her that it was charmed. On the stool ahead was an old, probably smelly, hat- and she could have laughed. The stories the students had been told about trolls and tests, and it was a hat. Ithaca squeezed Neville's hand and smiled at her small group of friends she had found.
"Don't be worried," she told them during the hat's strange song. "I'll still talk to any of you- even if you get sorted to Slytherin."
"Black, Ithaca."
"Well, see you on the other side," she said with a wink and a salute before fearlessly and confidently walking up to the stool.
"Well, well. Miss Black. I have been most anxious to sort you since I heard that Sirius Black had a child- and I must say I'm not disappointed. Yes, let's see. I see loyalty, unwavering loyalty to those you deem worthy of it, a cunningness to rival the best of Slytherin, a hunger for adventure. Do give my regards to Mr. Lupin. I still maintain he would have done well in Ravenclaw. GRYFFINDOR!"
The table of red and gold cheered as she took her seat next to George Weasley and waited for her friends. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that they were all sorted to Gryffindor with her. In every honesty, she had the worry she would be put in Slytherin. Not that she was among those who thought Slytherin automatically meant Death Eater, but she wanted to make Moony proud in his old House- without the prejudice of the House of snakes.
A/N: Hey guys, please tell me what you think of Ithaca, if you have any suggestions for future scenes, etc. Also, if you read any of my other stories- I'm working on them still I promise. Granted, I focus on whichever has the most eager to read and the most inspiration. At the moment that is Colors, Choking on Air, and Learning to Cope. If you want me to update one of the others you kind of have to tell me. Please leave your thoughts in the towel section below. Love always, Skye