Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise, they remain in the hand of J.K Rowling , I do however own the plot and my OCs
The after-effects were instantaneous.
Lyra was noticeably broken into pieces, shards of her former self, as she coped, or rather cried her way through the loss of her best friend and lover.
That day I'd found Natalia had been one of the most horrifying moments of my life. I knew when I knelt in the sticky pool of crimson liquid that there was too much of it for there to much hope of survival for the pale, death encrusted face in front of me. The fact that when I reached for her wrist, there was not a steady or even slow pulse beneath Natalia's skin.
It was now the holidays, or it almost was, the passing countryside was slowing and starting to merge into tall buildings, smokey air and grime coated cobblestone streets. The huff and puff of the steam engine slowing its pace as it entered the platform was enough to ground me to my surroundings. My gut twisted in anticipation, and my head swirled with the thought of confronting my parents about the recent truths which had been revealed to me.
Dom, Rose, Scorpius and Albus all shared the compartment with me and we were all sat contemplating in content silent as the train rolled to a stop. Our usual encounters and conversations had been dulled as the weight of the past events pressed heavily on all of us. Dom tried making idle chatter and made a few gossip comments every now and then, but we were far too solemn for small talk. We had however, during the train ride, reassured each other that we would see each other over Christmas, the promise of gifts and good old eggnog enough to coax a smile out of us all. Even Albus and I had unconsciously called a truce, our own problems and emotional issues put to one side, given that it all seemed so petty compared with the recent events.
As if I were a robot, I automatically picked up my trunk, mindlessly exiting the compartment and stepping off the train, eyes searching for my family, dread settling in my stomach. Dom, Rose and I shared a quick hug and the boys each gave me an acknowledging smile, though Albus' seemed to say more. 'If you need me, you know where I am' was etched in his gaze.
With a sigh I spotted my family, but not before I took the opportunity to embrace Lyra as she got off the train, just so we were out of the line of sight of her parents – more probing personal questions was not what she needed right now. She said nothing as she returned the embrace, and I didn't need her to speak to know what she meant – it was a silent thank you.
I trudged cautiously over to where my Mum and Dad anxiously awaited me, Melody was with them, but she didn't even glance my way, guilt was feathered across her features.
"Melissa, darling." My Mum spoke softly, her arms outstretched. "Come here."
I allowed her to embrace me, but it no longer felt the same. Gone were the feelings of content and happiness over how maternal the action was, they had now been replaced with a weird emptiness, as though it couldn't be maternal any more, considering she wasn't even my biological Mother.
The drive back home was a quiet ride, no one spoke, although Melody kept sneaking glances at me from across the backseat, her eyes were worried and her lips twitched as though she wished to speak, but couldn't find the words. My Father kept looking at me through the rear view mirror and my Mother treated me as though I would shatter at so much as a gentle touch. When the car pulled into the driveway, I didn't know whether to sigh in relief, or cry in desperation, because I knew how this was going to go – very badly.
Upon entering the house, I noticed that it was barren and boring, no Christmas decorations in sight, but the boxes could be seen stacked against each other next to the front door, awaiting us. The fact that Christmas was a matter of days away and my Mum hadn't started decorating made me uneasy.
"We decided to wait until you both came home this year." My Mum answered my unspoken question.
Melody choked out a sob, running up the stairs, my parents watching her go with surprise written all over their faces. I think they expected me to be the one who needed support, but I didn't, I was coping, it was melody who was breaking down.
I ran up the stairs after her, ignoring my Mum's shout.
"Girls! What's going on?!"
I faintly heard my Dad try and soothe her as I reached the doorway to Melody's room. I found her, her head against her knees sobbing as she lent against the side of her bed.
"Hey, hey, Melody? Its alright."
I sat next to her and wrapped my arms around her shaking body, the devastation that she was portraying was enough to make me tear up too.
"I-I'm so s-sorry." She sniffed, her breathing erratic.
"Oh, Melody, what in the name of Merlin do you have to be sorry for?"
"Ruining everything you ever knew, right after you'd come out of a coma." She cried, holding me tight.
I thought for a second, I knew I wasn't mad at her, not any more anyway. She'd told me the truth, sure it hurt to hear it, but if I really think about it, I'm glad she did.
"No, you ruined nothing, All you did was tell me the truth." I reassured her.
"It was selfish for me to do so," Her breathing slowed. "And now everything feels different, like we're never gonna be a family again."
"Oh, I know that we don't get on sometimes, but we never stopped being sisters."
"I suppose." Melody breathed.
"The same goes for Mum and Dad too, we'll talk to them together, and sort this out as a family, it's gonna be difficult at first, and I know I'm going to find it hard, but we'll work it out."
"Girls?"
Our parents were stood in the doorway, confusion and upset on their features.
"Please tell us what's going on?" My Dad pleaded, both of them sitting down in front of us.
"Melissa knows."
They both looked towards Melody, eyes widening in knowing.
"Oh god, Melissa, we can explain-"
"No, Mum," I cut her off. "I don't want you to, I want us to spend Christmas together, as a family."
After that, the day was spent decorating the house and pretending that nothing had changed, but things had changed, so much had. And for three days after that we still pretended, I know that's what I'd asked for, and I know that it was helping Melody to feel better, but I just kept thinking that I no longer belonged with them.
Merlin, I sound ridiculous, don't I?
I don't know what is was, I just felt as though I was someone else, that I came from somewhere else, and I know that I shouldn't feel that way as they are my family, and they raised me. But deep down, I've always had a feeling that I was different than them, in more ways than one.
It's Christmas Eve now, and the whole house is resembling that of what is usually my favourite holiday season, but the sparkly tinsel, twinkling lights, and smell of freshly baked mince pies felt so much like a facade, a front to what was really going on.
Suddenly there was a tapping on my window, and I turned my head from the transfiguration essay I was writing to see a scruffy looking owl on the ledge outside. I opened the window and the bird hopped through, a piece of rolled up parchment tied to its leg. It read:
Hey Lissa,
I know you're probably busy doing family stuff, but I wanted to ask if you'd like to come over to Grandma and Grandpa Weasley's today, we're having a kind of Christmas eve buffet, with games and stuff. I figured you might want to get out of the house for a bit, and we're all here, Scorpius too. Write back if you can't come, but if you can just floo straight to the Burrow.
Hope to see you there!
Love,
Rosie xx
I smiled to myself, and relished in the relief that washed over me at the thought of seeing my friends, and getting out of this house, which seemed to get more cramped by the hour. Making my decision, I grabbed my wand and headed down stairs, Melody and my Mum were in the kitchen, preparing dinner for tomorrow, and my Dad was sat at the table reading the muggle paper, inputting into their conversation every now and then. They looked like the perfect family.
Which was good, because I know it was helping Melody work through the guilt of telling me everything, and for that I was glad but their perfectness always seemed ruined whenever I walked into the room. Melody said I was the favourite child, but that was because they didn't want me to know the truth, and now that I did, having favourites didn't seem so important any more.
"Hey guys, um, would it be alright if I went to the Burrow for the rest of the day?"
They all turned to look at me, an expectant gaze on all of their features.
"I'll be home in time for bed." I attempted again. "And I won't see them again until New Years."
My Mum opened her mouth in what seemed to be a protestation, but my Dad cut her off before she could utter a word.
"Sure Honey, go and have fun with your friends." He smiled.
"Thanks, I'll see you later then."
I headed back up to my room to grab the bag of presents I'd had ready, knowing that today would be a good day to give them out. As I made my way back down the stairs I heard my parents talking in low voices.
"She said she wanted to spend Christmas as a family." My Mum chirped irritably.
"Yes, I know, but considering that she now knows the truth, spending all her time with us is probably driving her mad."
My Dad's reply was so on the nose that I had to think twice about how much he actually paid attention to his kids – he usually seemed so bored, or uninterested.
"But it was her idea!"
"I know that dear, but if you think about how upset Melody was when they came home from school, its not hard to work out that she said that to save her sister's sanity." My Dad explained, frustrated.
Deciding that I'd heard enough of their conversation, I went towards the fireplace in the living room, shouting a quick goodbye as I grabbed a handful of floo powder from the pot. I didn't particularly like travelling through the fireplaces, it got me covered in soot and always ended up with a dizzy spell once you landed.
I took a deep breath in, and spoke clearly, heaven forbid I end up somewhere else other than my destination.
"The Burrow."
The journey was fast, but not without trouble. My body was twisted this way and that way, my hair felt as though it was knotting itself together, and the soot from multiple different fireplaces stung as it flung against my skin.
I landed safely with a thud, which was my feet against the tiled floor of the Burrow's fireplace.
I started brushing myself off, trying to look presentable as possible, when I heard the shuffling of footsteps. I looked up to see Grandma Weasley herself, she looked just as mismatched as her home was, with a hand knitted cardigan over a white blouse, which she'd paired with a floral pink skirt.
"Melissa, Darling!" She exclaimed, rushing towards me, wand in hand as she muttered a cleaning spell.
Immediately after I felt the soot lift from my skin, I was encased in a bone-crushing hug from the tiny lady. I returned the gesture with a smile on my face, she was such a lovely woman.
"Hi Grandma Weasley." I greeted.
When we were all in first year, I came round to the Burrow for the first time, and after calling her Mrs Weasley, she had insisted that I call her Grandma, like the rest of her grandchildren, so I had ever since.
"Oh, you have to stop growing, you're double the size of me now!" She exclaimed, patting my cheeks.
"I'll try."
Due to the weather at this time of the year, everybody was inside, as a flurry of footsteps and laughter radiated from the kitchen and other various part of the wonky house.
The Burrow was by far one of the homeliest houses in Britain, its lopsided structure was a facade for the colourful, yet rugged, interior, which although mismatched was some of the cosiest furnishings and rooms I'd ever seen. The fact that Grandma and Grandpa Weasley had seven children, and a great many more grandchildren, had never fazed them, for when their entire family stayed over Christmas, they merely enlarged the interior of the house, a piece of magic that was so fascinating as the exterior never grew an inch.
"Come, come lovely, Rose is in the kitchen." Grandma Weasley ushered me through the living room.
I guess Rose had informed her family of my potential arrival then.
The kitchen smelled amazing, and atop the table were a great many bowls and plates laden with ingredients ready to be made into a delicious meal. Rose was sat in the middle of it all, arms half covered in flour, and was up to her elbows in some egg and butter mixture.
"Lissa! You came!" She cried, noticing my presence.
"I did."
Rose removed her arms from the peculiar mixture and Grandma Weasley merely flicked her wand, and all the different ingredients dotted across her body disappeared, and Rose was left looking as clean as a whistle.
"Come on, Dom's upstairs." She said as she dragged me by the arm towards the sloping staircase.
I have no idea how many rooms there are in the house, but there was a lot, and as Rose led me to the one she and Dom were sharing I got glimpses of her cousins all in their respective rooms. Their parents never stayed over on Christmas eve, they always came round early on Christmas day, so it was just the grandparents and grandchildren at the minute.
"Lissa!"
I let out a loud 'umph' as Dominique Weasley collided with me and hugged me so tight that my lungs began to feel constricted.
"Hey Dom. Merry Christmas."
She ushered me over to her bed and began to eye my bag of presents with an air of interest, and a look on her features that was not unlike blatant curiosity.
"Ooh, are we exchanging presents?" She cooed.
"Maybe." I hid the bag from view. "But they're not just for you."
"Well, in that case, I'll go and find the boys." Rose announced as she turned from the room.
My stomach flipped in anticipation of seeing Albus. Although we've momentarily forgotten our drunken mishap, I still hadn't quite figured out how I felt about it, and every time I went to sort out my feelings on the matter, the memory of Albus' tongue on mine, his hands roaming my body reappeared and sent my brain into a flurry of chaos – the chance of thinking things through vanishing with it.
I masked my face to look bored and impatient, so as not to arouse suspicion in Dom with a look of nervousness – she's already hyped enough about my 'mysterious lover', and I don't think I could cope with her feelings on the matter of who that lover really was.
Rose returned in a few minutes, Scorpius and Albus in tow, both boys' arms were laden with wrapped parcels.
"Merry Christmas, you horrible lot." Scorpius greeted as he flung himself on Rose's bed.
The exchange of gifts was always fun, you never knew what you were going to get, and it was hilarious to see some of the reactions of the recipients. For example, Dom had shrieked and hugged me when she'd opened the wrappings and found a big bag of the muggle lip-plumping lip-gloss she'd been wanted for ages; Rose beamed when she found the muggle stationary set, equipped with a pack of ballpoint pens, and nice big notebook, (because she was forever scribbling on bits of spare parchment); Scorpius was very happy to see a collection of red items, all of which were merchandise for his favourite muggle football team – Manchester United; and finally, Albus had given me an incredulous look when he'd opened his own present and saw the same cologne that I'd got him last year (because it smelled good, and I liked it, but not that I would admit it) and a detailed drawing I'd done of slender man.
"So this is what you meant?" He spoke. "I look that ridiculous, do I?"
"You do indeed, Potter." And there was no malice in my tone.
But as we looked at each other, that familiar warmth appeared, and it burned so comfortably bright, that if we were stood outside, I don't think I'd feel the winter's air. Something had shifted between us since the night of the party, I don't know what, but I no longer felt the constant need to hit him, although I would very much like to do that most of the time, it wasn't always.
"Right then, its your turn, Lissa!" Dom said, chucking her present at my head.
"Woah, a bit aggressive, don't you think?" I raised my eyebrows, having caught the parcel.
"Nope, go on then, open it!"
So I did. And I laughed when I saw a collection of chocolates, all of which had ben laced with a hint of firewhiskey.
"Oh, come of it Dom, I don't drink that much." I said, feigning offence.
She gave me a look as is to say 'are you sure about that', and I looked to Rose for support and she just shrugged in a 'yeah you kinda do' way.
"And don't fret, they're not actually laced with firewhiskey, they're something that recovering alcoholics use when they crave a drink." And Dom could barely get the words out because she was giggling so much.
In response, I chucked the ball of wrapping paper at her, and gave a sarcastic thanks.
Rose had gotten me a book named ' A guide to potions: How not to explode your solutions ' and I looked at her and found her chuckling into Scorpius' shoulder, Albus sniggered as well.
"Oh, fuck off, Potter." I huffed, chucking the book at him. "I'm not that bad."
"Its only because you fall asleep in most lessons, and the fact that Slughorn doesn't like you."
"Yeah well, we can't all be perfect at potions, Potter."
"Obviously not." He jibed.
Scorpius' present had been unsurprising, a new broomstick servicing kit, because he 'needed his best chaser to perform brilliantly so they could win the Quidditch Cup', and rub it in the Gryffindors' faces.
"Hey! I'm in Gryffindor!" Rose exclaimed indignantly.
"I know, Rosie, but I would really like to shove it in your cousin James' face if we won, he's always trying to say his team are better than us." Scorpius said, the joy at the prospect of winning splaying across his features.
"Well, we're bound to thrash them anyway." I said, backing Scorpius up, because I too, would like to rub it in James' face.
It wouldn't be that long until we found out anyway, the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match was a few weeks after the holidays, so it would be vigorous training the moment we got back to school.
Albus' gift was the only one I hadn't unwrapped yet, and a pool of nervousness had set in my stomach at the speculation of what he'd got me. The box was thin, and Albus shuffled anxiously from were he sat on the floor. I took the lid off, and gasped at what I saw.
It was the 'Weird Sister's Greatest Hits' album.
"You're joking." I breathed.
I loved the band, I had done since I first heard them on the Wizarding radio, but other than the t-shirt that Dom and Rose had got me for my birthday one year, I didn't actually have any of their records because we don't have a gramophone at home, and they only worked by wizard means.
"Its, um, charmed, so it'll work on a record player." Albus spoke up.
And if I was happy before just to own the album, I was absolutely ecstatic that I could listen to it too. I almost hugged him, but stopped myself at the last minute – it would've been awkward.
"Thanks, Albus."
And I hadn't realised I'd said his first name until Dom gave me a pointed look, and I tried to keep the blush from creeping up my neck and onto my cheeks.
"No problem."
The silence felt suffocating as I stared at the record, not quite believing that I owned it, and trying to decipher what hell this meant considering it was Albus who had given it to me.
"Shall we have a snowball fight?" Scorpius asked.
We all perked up a bit at that, and I placed my present back in the box before racing them all down the stairs.
"And where do you think you lot are going?" Mrs Weasley questioned as we thudded into the kitchen.
We'd stopped so suddenly that I collided with Albus' back, which was not a soft landing.
"Sorry." I muttered, avoiding his eyes as he looked at me curiously.
"Outside Grandma." Rose answered on behalf of us.
"Dressed like that," She gestured to our clothes, hand on our hips. "I think not."
That was when it dawned on us that we weren't exactly dressed for the snowy weather, and as Mrs Weasley saw the realisation dawn on our faces, she conjured up a pile of coats, hats, gloves and scarves for us all.
Once we were deemed to be dressed appropriately by Mrs Weasley, we legged it out the door and into the crunch of the white blanket that cover the earth. Not even thirty seconds later, Dom had lobbed snowball that hit me in the side. From there on out it was a full blown war.
Scorpius, being a keeper, managed to dodge most of our attacks, but my aim was better that most so, my targets were always a bullseye. Dom shrieked and then laughed whenever she was attacked, Rose, ever the strategist, found a tree to hide behind and set up base, pelting snowballs from her cover spot, and Albus was on the offensive, sending snowball in every direction, most of them at me.
"Oi!" I shouted, when a snowball smashes into my head. "No headshots, arsehole!"
And as I said that he turned around, the jerk smirk across his lips, and snowball landed right in his face. I was laughing so hard that I had to clutch my sides to stop me getting a stitch. Albus' face was an absolute picture, he was shocked at first, then he wiped the snow from his eyes, and focused on me, like a bull about to charge.
I looked around for help or back up, but it was then that I remembered that Dom had gone to the loo, and Rose had disappeared with Scorpius ten minutes ago, to do Merlin only knows what.
I was helpless.
So I did the only rational thing I could think of, I legged it. And Albus ran after me, gaining speed quickly as his longer legs stretched to catch up with me. It was only when I'd lapped the tree twice that I felt a pair of arms around my waist and was lifted off the ground.
"Potter! Put me down!" I shouted, but I was giggling too.
"Alright." He said with surprising surrender.
But what I hadn't thought of was that he'd dump me straight onto the floor. Which was exactly what he did.
"Ow, your such and arsehole." I said as my butt felt as though it was beginning to bruise
So in retaliation, as he smirked down at me, I kicked my leg out, and it successfully managed to knock him off balance, which meant that he too, toppled over, landing on me.
Another thing I seemed to have not foreseen.
He was heavy, but I couldn't help feeling the warmth of our bodies pressed together, and I relished in the feeling for a second before I came to my senses, the fear of repeating that night clear in my mind.
"Get off me, you big lump." I said shoving him away as he rolled over and sat up.
"Bitch." He muttered in jest.
Merlin's beard, the way we kept changing around each other was both frightening and exhausting. I didn't like the way that a boy I had sworn to hate was starting to make my heart beat faster and make my head swoon, so much as when he simply walked past me. The only way I could think of fixing this impending disaster was by ignoring it until it goes away, but even I couldn't deny that the sexual tension was definitely there.
"Thanks again for the present." I spoke, breaking the silence.
"That's okay, thanks for mine too." He reiterated. "Did you draw it?"
"Yeah, just thought I'd show you what my insult meant, since you were so worked up over it."
"Well, thanks, but I don't think I look anything like it, I'm much better looking than that thing." Albus said, sarcastic arrogance in his voice.
I snorted.
"What I am!" He cried.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Slender man."
"You seemed to think so." He muttered and I turned to give him a dark look.
"I thought we agreed to forget about it." I glared.
"Yeah, but its easier said then done, and technically, you were that one that said it was a mistake."
"Because it was!" I exclaimed, my hands in the air in exasperation.
"Maybe, for you!" He shouted. "But I was completely sober, and knew what I was doing the whole time!"
"Oh really?" I looked at him suspiciously.
"Yes!"
"So, it was your intention to snog me senseless and then abandon me in the corridor?!"
We were both standing up now, eyes boring into one another, that same heat was sliding across my skin and setting it alight, and shivers raked down my spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
He didn't seem to have an answer for that, and I huffed and went to turn away, but I stopped dead when an image had flashed across my mind.
A rope, no, it was a noose, hanging empty from a beam.
I blinked, trying to rid myself of the sickening picture, but another flashed before me.
Legs, climbing onto a chair.
I felt someone grabbed my hands, I assumed it was Albus, but I couldn't see to check.
Pale, thin hands tightening that loop around a neck.
I heard a muffled voice, but I couldn't make out what it was saying, I think was Albus, trying to awaken me from my trance.
Suddenly, the legs kicked out the chair form underneath them, and they went limp after a second.
I gasped and blinked once more, he snowy fields outside the Burrow coming into focus and Albus stood in front of me, his hand squeezing mine with a concerned looked on his face.
"Mel, are you alright? You looked dazed for a second."
"I couldn't see their face." I breathed, the realisation dawning on me.
"Whose face, Mel?" Albus questioned gently.
This was what it was going to be like, isn't it?
I'm going to see things in visions and I'm not going to be able to do anything about them. I've just watched what seems to be a suicide attempt, but I never saw the face of the person who was so depressed that they thought that that was the only way out. If I had, I could've done something about it.
This is what it meant to be a Seer.
I blinked again and shook myself.
"Uh it doesn't matter." I answered, turning back towards the house, cold, tired and hungry.
"But, what just-"
"Drop it, Potter!" I snapped, cutting him off.
Thankfully, he listened and said no more on the subject. But he was inconspicuous in the fact that I caught him giving me funny looks all throughout lunch and the afternoon when we sat down to play bored games. And by the time it came for me to floo home later that evening, his looks had turned concerned.
"Have a Merry Christmas, my dear." Mrs Weasley said, as she gave me a squeeze.
"We'll see each other on New Years Eve, then?" Dom asked.
"Yeah, I write and tell you what time and what theme." I replied.
All four of them were coming to my parents annual fancy dress New Years Eve party, and since my Mum had yet to choose a theme I would have to let them know at a later date.
I turned and stepped into the fireplace, and as I said my address I plastered a smile on my face, just to reassure them all that I'm perfectly fine.
AN:
Hey guys! Woah, it been a minute, but I've finally updated again, and I'm not really sure whether this is as exciting as some of the other chapters but I'm going back to school soon, so I thought I'd get another chapter out, before I get swamped with revision for my final year. In the meantime, stay safe and sane! Remember to R&R!
Until next time, happy reading!
Sincerely,
Purpleslytherin xx