Chapter 5

Ariana was so child like, more so than other fourteen year olds.

Subconsciously, both brothers had thought that she might have grown up since they had last been together, in the time that had passed for them but of course it hadn't for her. She was still the same girl she had been one hundred and fifty years ago.

They had forgotten how much hard work she could be though.

On the third day of there reunion she got rather upset over there fathers absents and she accidentally made one of the windows blow up in her brothers office.

After that though the silence came. After she had seen what she had done she always went deadly quite, Albus remembered. After she had accidentally caused there mother's death she had sat on her bed for hours rocking herself back and forth. He should have been there for her and comforted her himself looking back, but he had been so wrapped up in his own grief to notice her. If he had held her at that moment... How different things could have been for their relationship…

This display of her magic made her brothers surer of what they had decided though. She had to learn self control.

"I'm sorry Albus." she said to him.

"Ari its ok." He said to her gently wrapping an arm round herm which she obviously found very unfamiliar. "We all get a little bit angry some times."

"But – the mess. Mama didn't like mess."

"No, she didn't, did she?" he asked. "Shall we clear it up?"

"Yes." She nodded.

And then Albus took a risk. He drew his wand and fixed it magically. He saw her tense instantly. He should have wanted for Aberforth. Albus was no better at reassuring her yet than the seventeen year old version of himself had been. But he was so eager for her to start her journey back to her right mind…

"See Ari, what I just did?" he asked and she nodded.

"M-m-mag-i-c." she stuttered.

"Yes. And it fixed the window. Its good thing, don't you think?" he asked but she shook her head, clearly too panicked to think straight. She turned and made for the door, but before she got there it was opened any way, and Aberforth walked through, his smile vanishing as he saw her upset.

Ariana run in to his arms, shaking. He picked her up and settled her in to his arms, her tiny body clinging to his, shaking.

"What's wrong sweet?" he asked in to her ear, trying to figure out what had got her so uptight when she had been relaxed when he had left her last, but she shook her head, so he sat down ion one of the comfortably chairs in his brothers great office and cuddled her. In time she had fallen so quiet, almost to sleep, so their brother could explain to Aberforth what had happened.

Aberforth sighed. Well, Albus had tried. He had made the first step, and though she had been panicked, she seemed to calm rather quickly, which if she had been in one of her real states she wouldn't have. There was no going back though. She had to realise…magic was a good thing and part of who she was.

"Ari?" he said to her quietly, almost in a whisper. His voice was laced with love for her, as ever and she responded by looking up at him, even offering a small smiling to show she was ok.

"What's your favourite animal?" he asked her.

Instinctively she held out her cuddly toy to him, answering the question silently.

"A goat isn't it?" he said to her, keeping his eye contact with her.

She nodded happily.

"Well watch this." He drew his wand and she tensed, but with his arm wrapped round her, he did some thing no matter how hard Albus tried right then he would never be able to do. Make sure she knew it was ok and safe with out saying a word.

Kissing her check, he formed his Patronus. A white, silvery goat sprung confidently from his wand, and she did some thing neither brother could predict. She giggled.

Looking to him for more reassurance, he nodded and she moved towards the goat slowly, and touched it with the gentle caress she used for almost every thing she felt when she was not upset. Her eyes were alight with amusement, and even though she was biting her lip gentle with nerves, she seemed happy enough with the magic her brother had performed. She seemed to be almost enjoying it.

Soon, she made her way back to his side and he wrapped an arm round her again. The Patronus soon disappeared and he was thinking of other ways to reintroduce magic in to her life which were not going to make her uneasy.

"What about your favourite colour?" he asked.

"Lilac, like mamas skirt the day we went for the picnic with her and papa." She recalled to Aberforth, and he and Albus made eye contact.

Neither had thought of that day for years… it had been a few months before she had been attacked when the Dumbledore's had truly been a happy family. Looking back, silently the two privately thought how special it had been and now it was re-called and they remembered it, it had to be one of their best memories.

"Right, watch this!" he said and aiming at a free clear patch on the wall, he shoot lilac paint over it making her laugh and a few of the portraits of the old head master grumble.

"It'd never happen in my day!" said one of the eldest ones.

Ari continued to laugh.

"What colour now?"

"Green!" she squealed in delight, and again the same thing happened.

Albus watched with a mixed of amusement and jealousy. He wished he knew how to connect with her so easily. And there was nothing he could study and leearn about how to bond with his half crazed sister. No way he could learn the skill Aberforth had so naturally.

"What now?" he whispered more quietly.

"Blue!" she giggled, bringing the tone of her voice down to match his.

It was not the wall that was hit though. It was Albus, who immediately begun laughing with both his siblings.

"And now Ari?" Aberforth asked.

"Orange!"

He could have predicted what would happen next. He turned Orange. Ariana laughed hysterically.

He looked up at Albus, it was as if the once good brotherly bond that had been between them once, so strong, had been renewed.

The two were so happy to be on speaking terms again and happily, that they got in to a play fight. No longer waiting for there sisters wishes of what colour she would like to see appear next. They shoot at each other, until they realised there sisters laughter had turned to tears.

It reminded her furiously of the night when she had been sent in to the future and had the brothers not been so happy to be acting like real brothers again, they would have thought of that.

-

"All that and it came to nothing."

"I don't know…it showed you weren't afraid of magic, and she'd follow you any where. Your magic will give her confidence with her own." Said Albus.

"Maybe…I wish we had more solid answers. Just to know…" he said shaking his head. "What would mother says if she could see us now?"

"'Just to do your best boys, that's all me and papa want of you.'"

"Yeah…that's exactly what she'd say." He nodded. "You sounded just like her."

Albus nodded. It was mad, he was over one hundred and fifty years old, but he wanted his mother back. And his father…he missed them.

He was viewed by the world as the immensely clever, self assured Head master of Hogwarts. And he was usually. He could deal with almost every thing, almost any situation. But when it came to his own family, his confidence came crumbling down about him. When he needed to be strongest, he felt nothing but weakness. When he needed knowledge, he felt stupid.

Looking over at Aberforth he wished he had been more like him when they had been young. To enjoy his child hood. He wished he had ignored the text books, and concentrated on the important things.

But it was too late now…and nothing could change the past.

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