GW
Ash shrinks both of our trunks before leaving the room, her footsteps still unsteady as she makes her way down the stairs. Because she was protecting me, she had pushed the limits for me; she was already treating me more as family than the majority of my family already has. We get into the Common Room and Draco and Blaise were already sitting in two of the chairs, waiting on us.
"I was wondering if we were going to have to send a search party for the two of you," Draco smirks.
"No, there was no need. You should know that I'm going to be going a little slower for a while," Ash responds, "I'm assuming that Dumbledore gave you the right of way to go with us?"
Blaise merely nods, rising to his feet gracefully, Draco following his lead. We walk out of the common room and into the Great Hall, walking out of the main doors. There was a single thestral drawn carriage waiting for us.
"We're going to be leaving from Hogsmeade," Ash tells me, "we're not going to be flying."
"Apparate?" I ask her.
"Draco will be taking you, and I shall take Blaise. Out of the four of us, we are the only two as of right now that have access to my property," she says, "tomorrow, you will be as well."
She makes a motion for me to get into the carriage before her, closing the door after herself. She takes off a silver cuff bracelet that I hadn't noticed, and on the inside of her wrist was a crescent moon and star design.
"What's that?" I ask her.
"Family crest, you might have one as well. It depends on what happens," she answers me.
"Why don't the other pureblood families have markings like that?" I ask, knowing that nowhere on my body was a marking declaring me a Weasley.
Ash looks out of the window of the carriage, as if trying to find the right words to describe it, "The Twilight family is not like the rest of the pureblood families. We were shown favor, long ago, by something that created the first wizard. We are the oldest family, even though there are few who know of us. To marry into the Twilight family was once an honor beyond all honors," she says softly, "but somewhere along the line, the code of honor that we lived by became corrupted by others, thinking that they were the ones who knew what it meant to be a Twilight. And then one of the family threw in their support with the Dark Lord, and then it all went downhill from there. The deity that showed so much honor to the Twilight family withdrew their support, and the markings upon the wrists of those who supported him faded. I am the first in the family to wear this marking again. The wings on my back proof of the favor."
"Weren't you going to be forced into that life by your father?" Draco asks, his voice cold.
"Father would not take me before him unless I was willing, and I never gave in. He tried to break me, but he failed," Ash answers, "he couldn't believe that I was the one who was being favored over him. He
thought that he was right beyond everything else and that the Deity should be made to see it as well. And here was proof that could not be corrupted that his way of life is not the right one."
"If he was trying so hard to get you to join the Dark Lord's side, why did he leave you at my house like he did?" Draco asks quietly.
"You know the answer to that question, Ice."
Ash shuts down, and I could tell by the look on Draco's face that he had brought up memories that he had not meant to bring up. Before all of this had happened, I never thought that I would live to see remorse on his face.
Red a voice brushes against my mind.
What? I reply, following the thread back to the mind.
Do you think that I should apologize to her, I didn't mean to bring up the past like this, Draco mutters.
No, you don't need to apologize. The memories are fresh anyway, Ash mutters, Next time you start a conversation like this, make sure it's private. There was laughter in her voice.
"I know that Draco is the Angel of Ice, and Ginny is more than likely the Angel of Fire, but what does that make you Ash?" Blaise asks, breaking the silence.
"The beginning and the end," Ash mutters, "death."
Blaise pales for a second before flushing, "do we know who the last one is?"
"As of right now, no we don't. This person is more than likely at Hogwarts though. All gathered in one spot to realize their full potential."
"What's it like? Death?" I ask, thinking of Sirius.
"It's peaceful. All the burdens that you carry throughout life are finally able to b put aside. Jealousy and hatred don't exist. But that's only if you aren't evil, if you are, then there is a section put aside for you to pay back for all the sins you have committed, where those you have wronged await you," she mutters, her eyes misted.
The carriage comes to a slow halt, and we walk out of the carriage, Ash being the last one to walk out. She just motions with her head for us to follow her to the apparition point in Hogsmeade. A silence settles over us as we make our way through the all but deserted streets.
Ash holds her hands out to us, I take one and Draco takes the other, Blaise a link between us. Ash closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and starts the turn. The tightness of apparition fades quickly, and we're standing before the high gates of a sprawling estate. Ash takes a deep breath and passes her hand over the place where the gates came together. The mark on her wrist flaring as the gates swing open.
"Welcome to my home," she says formally, starting to lead us up the drive.
She pauses before a stand of trees, her head bowed in respect. She motions me forward.
"You two, stay here. This is something that we have to do," she says.
I follow her off of the drive into the trees. Set into the wood of one tree was an altar of sorts. The very place was full of magic. She goes to one knee before the altar, then makes a small motion for me to walk up to the altar. The steps I take feel more like I'm being pulled forward by something rather than walking. Of my own volition my hand reaches out and brushes against the altar.
For a second there was nothing, and I felt disappointed that I wouldn't be able to share this connection with Ash, and then I was driven to my knees by power far more than I thought possible. The seconds lengthened into minutes, I felt like I was being tested, my memories paraded in front of me. And then as soon as it happens, it stops. I felt myself gasping for breath, and a sharp pricking pain on the inside of my wrist.
Welcome home, daughter of my soul, a peaceful voice mutters into my head.
I drop to the ground, feeling boneless. I look at the inside of my wrist, was the same marking as was on the inside of Ash's wrist. I was accepted. I laugh breathlessly and hold my wrist out to Ash, showing her.
She just smiles, her face pale and exhausted. She stands up shakily, and offers her hand down to me. I take it, grateful for the help to get back on my feet.
"Tomorrow, a tour of the house, tonight, let's just try and get to the house in one piece," she says breathlessly.
I just nod at her. Leaning on each other like drunks we stumble out of the stand of trees. The boys rush forward to help us once we pass the last of the trees.
I tumble into pleasant darkness the second they reach us.
AT
I couldn't help but laugh. I knew exactly how she was feeling.
"Is she going to be alright?" Draco asks, and I could hear the faint note of panic in his voice.
"She's exhausted, but she'll be just fine. Being measured by the goddess will do that to anyone," I reply.
"I've always thought that he deity that created us would be a man," Blaise comments dryly.
"You're also a male," I retort.
He puffs himself up in mock indignation, trying to look miffed. Eventually he just starts laughing.
"I can see why you like her," Blaise comments to Draco.
"She's one of a kind alright," he remarks distractedly, watching the red head in his arms.
I close my eyes, focusing on the little magic that I could feel. I lay my hand on their shoulders and pull myself towards the house. The boys cry out in fear as the house comes rapidly closer. I stop us just before we hit the front door.
"I'll show you where to put her down, you can claim any room you want. I'll send someone to find you in the morning. No wandering around until I give you the tour, I don't want to find your bones," I tell them, climbing the staircase.
I point out the door to the right of mine, letting Draco go in and put her down before stumbling into my room, closing and locking the door behind me before collapsing on my bed.
DM
"You don't suppose that she was serious about the bones part?" Blaise asks, fear in his voice.
"Her father was a paranoid dark wizard. I wouldn't put anything past him."
Going to a door on the other side of the one that Ash disappeared into, I knew that Blaise was following me.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that you were one too?" he asks as soon as the door shut.
"Because I didn't know. I thought that I was just imagining things. Hell, I thought that I imagined Ash," I reply coldly.
"I can understand that. I mean, I know that she's in the next room, but this has all felt like a huge dream. Being drawn out into the main hall, seeing that."
"You haven't really seen anything yet. When she is in her full power, your very soul will cringe at the sight of it."
"She's that powerful?"
"She's Death."
A.N. Sorry that it took me so long to get this up. shakes fist at her piles of homework Thank you for your patience, I shall be attempting to update faster. No promises though.