Her whole body was in pain, a dull ache in every limb, on her skin, down to the tips of her feathers. The sheet covering her and the mattress beneath her was infinitely soft, almost making her feel as if she were lying on a cloud. The air had a strange smell, not unpleasant, but foreign to her. At that moment Myo would have panicked. The feeling of being defenseless, exposed would have been too much for her, and she would have tried to flee by any means. However, one thing kept her calm. A familiar weight on her chest. A familiar scent reminding her of summer nights on the plain, of wild flowers, a slight fruity, sweet touch. Luna was with her, against her. Therefore, if her moon was there, it meant that everything was fine.
She hugged her friend's form, protectively closing her wings around her, hiding her from the world. Luna was hers. She buried her face in Luna's hair, inhaling the soothing scent, letting her flames appear, gently feeling Luna's body and magic, their gentle warmth reassuring her that all was well.
Suddenly Luna let out a small cry of surprise, quickly followed by a sigh of contentment. Myo felt Luna's arms around her, and reciprocated her embrace. Then to her surprise, Luna began to sob softly. Myo didn't understand, they were so comfortable here. They were in an unknown and disturbing place, but they were together, and therefore everything was fine. Finally she opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly to accustom her sensitive pupils to the golden sunlight filtering through the window of this strange room. She didn't take the time to examine her surroundings as it would have been wise to do, her priority was elsewhere, currently sobbing against the skin of her chest.
With her hand she tenderly lifted Luna's face by the chin, plunging the intense green of her eyes into the deep silver-blue ocean of hers. With her other hand she began to stroke Luna's soft hair, hoping it would have the same soothing effect on Luna as stroking her feathers.
"Luna? Why are you crying?" She asked simply, surprised that her voice was so hoarse and her throat so sore. Luna immediately, continuing to cry softly, grabbed a glass of water that was apparently on the bedside table. Myo drank with relish, feeling the cool liquid soothe her sore throat. Once she had finished, she wiped Luna's tears away with the back of her hand carefully, her eyes still riveted on the little blonde with concern and curiosity.
"I felt you leave, your presence flickered, I thought you were going to die," Luna finally replied in a voice so full of pain that it clawed at Myo's heart. Suddenly the memories came back to her. Her flight into the sky, the fangs of the earth, the strange vernons, her transformation, the euphoric feeling of power of being one with her flames. The despair of not being able to burn the chains, the icy mists of terror, the arrival of Mélusine, who had descended from the sky like a goddess to punish the vernons. The dam inside her broke and she snapped, crying too, burying her face in Luna's neck. The little blonde also wept in response, with relief. "Mélusine saved me Luna, I'm here, I'm sorry."
"Not sorry, not your fault, vile vernons fault." whispered Luna in lieu of a response.
They lay there for an indefinite time, feeling each other' s warmth, reassuring them, constantly reminding them that they were there, alive. That Luna was there for her, with her. The feeling of relaxation and security in each other's arms was such that they fell into a semi-sleep, each new attempt by Myo's tired mind to conjure up a nightmare undone by a small sound or movement from Luna, reminding her of her presence, her sweet smell infinitely reassuring.
After she couldn't say how long, Myo heard a knock at the door. A wave of panic seized her. She leapt to her feet without letting go of Luna, holding her to her chest. Closing her wings around the little blonde. Her flames dancing fiercely around her. She stared at the door, ready to pounce or defend herself. Leaping out the window into the distance and flying, taking Luna with her, also seemed like an option, but her wings were too sore to support her and Luna's weight. Surprised by her reaction, Luna buried her face in her neck, whispering words of calm, telling her that they were safe here. But Myo found this hard to believe. This was an unfamiliar place, and she had to protect Luna.
The door opened, and Myo froze in surprise, her flames dancing softly on her skin, as if to tell her that everything would be all right. A young woman had just entered. Tall, taller than Mélusine, dressed in a simple uniform, with big green eyes and a sweet face. But what had immediately caught Myo's eye were the large wings with beautiful red plumage, folded behind the woman's back. She had an aura of calm, soothing, and between surprise, pain and fatigue, Myo had no strength to fight the wave of calm that passed through her.
She remained silent, holding Luna close to her, remaining in her defensive posture, but completely lost, not knowing what to do. In front of her, another bird thing, almost like her, a soft aura making her want to trust this stranger. She would be perfectly similar to her if the bird thing in front of her had talons instead of feet, and a feathery tail.
The other bird thing seemed as surprised as she was to see her standing there defensively, her flames dancing around her, filling the room with a blue hue and glow. She froze, looking at her with powerful feelings that Myo could not define at that moment. Was it surprise? Affection? Sadness? It didn't make sense...
Luna's voice from beneath her feathers drew her out of her thoughts. "Myo? Can you let go of me please?" Myo was anything but willing to obey. Luna belonged against her, under her wings, where she would be protected from the world. However, Myo was weak against Luna, and the idea of denying her a wish was painful. She released her embrace and spread her wings, letting Luna walk away with regret.
"Myo, this is Isabelle. She's the healer who took care of you. Isabelle, this is Myosotis, my friend."
Luna's voice seemed to bring Isabelle back to herself, she cleared her throat. Her eyes watched Myo with such a longing for something mixed with sadness that Myo stood still, dazed by this more than surreal situation. Andy had told her that there were other bird things like her. She had realised this as she observed the architecture of her tower and made assumptions about the nature of its previous occupant. However, suddenly coming face to face with another veela bird thing was something else entirely. Ever since she had realised that she was not the only bird thing in the world, Myo had dreamed of meeting others. To be able to roam the skies with her own kind, to belong to something. The Lovegoods and the Tonks certainly filled a cold chasm in her heart, but it wasn't the same as sharing the high sky with other bird things.
"Hello Myosotis. I'm sorry I scared you like that." Isabelle finally said. Strangely, she blushed slightly. "There's a dress for you in the cupboard to your right if you want to cover up," she added.
Myo realized that now that she was no longer covered by the soft sheets of the bed, she was quite naked. She didn't really mind, if she was cold, her flames were there, but people seemed uncomfortable with nudity for some reason, and being clothed was also part of her habit that had been ingrained during her time in the den of the dursley pack. She nodded and grabbed a very pretty blue dress with a silver flower pattern from the wardrobe and put it on, taking care not to damage the feathers on her wings or tail. Once dressed, she glanced at Luna who smiled and nodded approvingly at her choice.
"How are you feeling Myosotis? Isabelle asked, interrupting her silent exchange with Luna.
She inspected Isabelle more closely, her fingers wanting to rest on a pencil to draw this new person's face. Luna didn't look scared, the person was a bird thing like her, maybe she could trust her, try to trust her, no, in truth, she was dying to trust her to open up to the first other bird thing she met in her life. But her wariness prevented her from doing so. Instead of pouncing on Isabelle to stroke her beautiful red feathers and chew on her earlobe as she so badly wanted to do, she simply spoke. "I... I'm sore all over, but I'm fine. More like after a long flight and a fall than after..." her voice trailed off, she didn't feel like talking about the vernon attack.
"Can I come over and check you out? I need to check that you are recovering and that everything is fine. Isabelle asked in a soft voice. Myo glanced at Luna. She nodded. So Myo gave her consent in the same way. Luna was often right. Not listening to her was foolish at best.
"Sit on the edge of the bed, please. She asked gently.
"Luna can sit next to me?" replied Myo, she needed Luna's support badly, to deal with all her conflicting emotions bubbling up inside her. The urge to throw herself into this woman's arms, to feel her, to touch another bird thing battling with her fears and distrusts.
"Of course, darling." Isabelle said with a smile. Myo shuddered at the use of that term for her. Was it normal for people outside of her family, outside of the Lovegoods and Tonks, to refer to themselves that way? Was it normal between bird things? She sat down on the edge of the bed, Luna joining her immediately, and they slid their hands together instinctively. Feeling more at ease, Myo's flames finally retreated after sensing Isabelle's aura one last time and finding no malice or ill intent in it. Myo rested her head on Luna's shoulder, letting her eyes rest on the beautiful sunny yellow of her friend's dress, calmness slowly returning.
Isabelle approached and began to do a series of strange things, taking care to explain to Myo what she was doing, even though Myo didn't understand half of it. Isabelle spent half the time waving her wand over Myo and chanting incantations. Myo loved the sound of Isabelle's voice and the feel of her magic, sunny and gentle. The other half of the time she was touching her, working her joints, feeling the bones of her wings, inspecting the scales of her talons. Strangely, the contact did not bother Myo, which it should have, given that Isabelle was after all a stranger. But the sound of her voice, the way her hands moved the sensitive joints of those wings without hurting her, the pleasant sensation... the fact that it was another bird thing, someone she had long dreamed of meeting, all together made her let herself be handled with a calmness that surprised her. Luna's stable and secure presence at her side must have helped a lot too.
Finally, Isabelle's hands left the scales of her talons, and it was almost with regret that Myo accepted the end of the contact. With a few wand movements and a few words, a stool materialized behind Isabelle and she sat down facing Myo and Luna. "Well, I want you to know that you are completely healed, the pain should dissipate soon. Myosotis, I'm sure you have lots of questions and I have lots to tell you. I know it's sudden, but are you willing to talk? Before Myo could express her fear, Isabelle continued. "And yes, Luna can stay.
Reassured, Myo asked the obvious, still finding it hard to trust her senses. "Are you really a veela bird thing too?"
At this question, Isabelle's face froze. She took a moment to stare at Myo, before sighing. "Myosotis. We are not 'bird things', just veela. Who calls you that?"
"No one, I've just always thought of myself in those terms. I've been told you can say veela... and I prefer the term, but... it's hard to change the habit." Myo said quickly, a little startled by Isabelle's reaction. Had she just said something wrong already?
Her discomfort must have been obvious and her mistake not too serious because Isabelle quickly relented. "It's not a big deal. Being called a bird is just used as an insult by those who do not appreciate the veela. It lowers us to an animal level. I'm sure that in the long run, thinking of yourself only as a veela, not as a bird thing will do you good. And to answer your question, yes, I am a veela too."
Myo nodded thoughtfully. "Where are we?" she finally asked. She had ignored the problem of being in a completely foreign place long enough.
"In the Flamel Hospital, in the Basse Seine district of Paris, in France," Isabelle answered concisely.
Myo was surprised at this, Isabelle's English was excellent, she hadn't even noticed an accent. But it also brought other questions and concerns, she had never been so far from her tower, with only Luna. "Where are the Lovegoods? They never stay away from Luna, and refuse to let me keep her at my place for more than three days in a row."
"At a hotel nearby, they'll pick you up and take you home when we're done. Do you have any other questions?"
"Yes! Um... are there many bir... veela? Besides us?"
"Yes, there are quite a few of us in France and the Grand Alliance in general as well as the more creature-friendly nations of Europe. We also have a hidden nation with a veelan majority."
Myo was a little overwhelmed by this information. It was a dream come true. Not only was she not alone, but there were many others like her, all over Europe. After a few minutes of silence soaking up this realisation, she asked. "And in Britain?
Isabelle grimaced, "There hasn't been a veela in Britain for decades. The government is hostile to us," she added, seeing the concern on Myo's face. "Being quite famous there, you shouldn't have too many problems.
Myo swallowed, worried, Luna squeezed her hand a little tighter, reminding her of his presence by her side, making her calm enough to continue. "Andy said I would be going to a school this year to learn magic, a school called Hogwart's. Won't they bother me too much about being a veela?"
"I can't really say, but that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. You see, there's a council in France that groups the big clans, the veela families of France, they're called flocks. And when they heard the news of the existence of a young isolated veela, without a flock, the council and the other flocks were devastated. You see, in our culture, an isolated veela... is... something serious that is not supposed to be possible to happen. Even in the worst cases. So the council immediately wanted to take you under their wing and..."
"I'm not leaving Luna!" interrupted Myo, as much as she was dying to find out about this, to not be alone in the vastness of the sky anymore, leaving Luna wasn't an option, leaving the Lovegoods and the Tonks either. Luna pressed herself closer to her, Myo could see in her bright and amused eyes that Luna knew a lot more, hence her silence from the beginning, but that her statement seemed to have pleased her greatly.
Isabelle sighed, "No, we weren't going to take you away from your adoptive families. I promise. The council is aware of that. So we wanted to negotiate your placement at the magical academy in Beaubaton, in France. In a school where there are other veela, where you can learn about your people. Of course allowing you to live with the Lovegoods or Tonks, or whatever the previous arrangement was. But the British government refused, demanding that you spend at least a year in Hogwart's before deciding whether to stay or accept our offer. As part of this, I've been assigned to your case, and I'll be coming in for weekly visits to monitor your health, and teach you everything you need to know about the veela. Okay?"
That sounded good enough for Myo. In case things didn't work out at Hogwart's, the next year she could go to Beaubaton, plus Isabelle would explain a lot about the veela, she couldn't contain her excitement. However, one piece of information was missing. "The offer to go to Beaubaton... does it also apply to Luna? she asked worriedly.
Isabelle smiled at her, "Yes, any friends you make can request a transfer to Beaubaton if they wish." That was it for Myo, this lady, Isabelle, if she kept it up, Myo would love her. Unable to take it anymore, she jumped off the bed, letting go of Luna's hand and climbed into the lap of a very surprised Isabelle. Holding her tightly, she smelled a clean scent, perfectly expected of a healer, but also something more subtle, her aura still calm, soft against her flames. She felt Isabelle hesitate, her arms eventually settling between her back and her wings. "Can I touch your feathers?" Myo finally asked in a small voice, finally giving vent to what she had been dying to do since the beginning of the encounter with, at last, another veela, someone she longed to trust, someone who also belonged to the sky.
"Yes," was the amused and tender reply of the caretaker, who had just received an armful of little veela. When Myo's frenzy of tactile affection finally ended, Isabelle said, "One last thing before I go, would you mind meeting other young veela around your age? We think it would be good for you to familiarize yourself slowly before meeting more of us."
Myo nodded into the crook of Isabelle's neck. Isabelle gave a pleading look to an amused Luna, for without outside intervention, it was clear that Myo had no intention of letting go.
oOOOo
At dawn, while Luna was still dozing peacefully, Myo was crouching in the Tonks' garden, observing a most fascinating find, behind the tall grass, in a small corner not easily visible from the house, an old overgrown vegetable garden of which the brambles, thistles and nettles had made their domain, was a strange creature. Small, humanoid, less than five centimetres tall, dark-skinned and wrinkled, with a mole-like muzzle and hand, small sharp teeth, dressed in rags and wearing the skull of a lucane as a helmet, as well as various pieces of insect carapace. The most curious aspect of the thing, however, was the fact that he was proudly riding a huge slug, and seemed to be leading a cohort of other gastropods. Myo immediately took out her small sketchbook and began to draw the creature in great detail. Luna would be most interested in this discovery.
As her spindle skilfully scratched the smooth surface of the paper, Myo let her mind drift back to the chaos of the past few days. After Isabelle's complicated departure, (Myo couldn't help but blush, she really, really hadn't wanted to let the poor healer go. You had to understand her too, for the first time she was meeting another bir... no, veela, and a nice veela at that. The solution had been to transfer the hug to Luna. Myo had been mortified, she wasn't normally like this with strangers... ) The Tonks and Lovegood had quickly come to get her. Nym, Andy, Ted, Pando and Xeno had been worried sick and had come as quickly as possible to France after receiving Mélusine's message. Luna had categorically refused to leave her side. Proclaiming with conviction that the Ychnilles would not be upright if she did not stay and that she had to be there to ensure that the flickering flame did not go out. Ted had had to leave quickly for London, to deal with: she quoted "the biggest shit-storm in the wizengamot of the decade", whatever that meant. Anyway... all that was what Luna and Nym had told her. She hadn't woken up until several days later.
Since then, she had returned to Britain. At first she had wanted to go back to her tower, but all the parents, Luna, Mélusine and Nym, had fiercely opposed it. Myo had no choice but to give in to Luna's big, pleading, hopeful eyes. How Pando and Xeno managed to say no to their daughter would remain a mystery. Knowing Luna, maybe they just didn't really need to, Luna was after all terribly well-behaved. Myo let out an amused chuckle, the little creature was poking her slugs in the buttocks with its shepherd's crook, admonishing them to go faster in a high-pitched voice and a language Myo didn't recognize.
Almost two weeks had passed since then, the pain had subsided, but she still found it difficult to fly for more than an hour. This was infinitely frustrating for her. After those days, she recognised that the Lovegoods had been right to make her stay with them. Sometimes, inexplicably, Myo had panic attacks that made her dependent on Luna, Nym or one of her adults to bring her back to reality, and sleeping with Luna was a necessity to keep the nightmares at bay.
Isabelle's visit last week had been very pleasant, she had let Myo stroke her feathers, posed for her, Myo offering her the drawing afterwards, she had of course checked Myo again to see how well she was healing and they had talked about everything. Myo had proudly shown her her collection of beetles, and her latest find, a huge stag beetle. Isabelle had apparently enjoyed the collection, everyone except Nym seemed to like her beetles... Nym was really weird sometimes. Myo would have liked to show her other collections, but taking her to the tower just seemed... too much. She didn't know Isabelle well enough for that. She hadn't talked much about the veela, just some custom that Myo seemed to have ignored and did just about anything without realizing it. Like apparently offering her feathers to Luna was the equivalent of either adopting her or proposing marriage, nesting she said... The concept of marriage was quite foreign to her, but she was trying to understand, something about giving yourself to someone and vice versa, it was weird. Isabelle had seen how confused Myo was and had decided to leave things alone for the moment. (After much thought, Myo had offered Luna yet another feather, adopting her into her family in a veela way just seemed really nice, and if Luna could really become her sister... even better! ( and then the contrast between the midnight blue of her feathers and Luna's sunny hair was just too pretty. ), as well as that Myo was developing her aura and that Isabelle would need to teach her how to control it so that she could live at least somewhat normally in society. Myo was quite anxious for Isabelle's next visit, she had said she was bringing another young veela called Fleur with her, to help Myo socialise and form flock bonds or something like that.
Myo was pretty excited about today, Nym had told her the day before that she would have a surprise for her that she would love. She had refused to say what, claiming it was the very principle of surprise... Wait, Myo had just realized something terrible. The little creature that was leading the slugs was slowly but surely making its way towards Andy's vegetable garden. Myosotis had to prevent the massacre of salad, vegetables and magic plants that would undoubtedly happen in a few hours, by the time the horde of gastropods reached their destination. She applied the final touches to her drawing, stood up and headed for the house.
She entered the kitchen, lit by the beautiful morning light, to find Ted, Andy, Nym and Luna sitting at the table having their usual breakfast. Luna was happily eating an assortment of red fruit with yoghurt. The others were having a more traditional English breakfast. After a chorus of greetings, Myo walked over to Luna and handed her her sketchbook on the little creature's page. "Luna, I saw this in the garden, it was heading for the vegetable patch."
Luna inspected the drawing for a moment. Her features revealing her horror. "Myo, we must warn Andy and quickly, her vegetable garden is in danger. A Piot-chan determination can mean the death of a vegetable garden."
Nym leaned towards them, her mouth still full of poridge asked. "What's with the whispering? What's so terrible?"
"A Piot-chan," Luna finally said. "A pixie in command of a slug cohort." Ted and Andy, who were discussing something about marketing one of Andy's new creations, turned to them. "What's going on dear," Andy asked with a frown. "Your garden is in danger," Luna said simply. "I'm afraid if we don't act fast, there will be nothing left soon. There's a Piot-chan."
Andy obviously didn't understand what Luna was referring to, so Myo simply handed her the drawing. Andy looked at it for a moment with a curious look. "I've never seen one before... Are they that bad?"
Luna nodded gravely. "They lead armies of slugs, one time one settled in the garden and momy's vegetable garden was completely ravaged..." she said before continuing a rather precise description of the elf's habits. As the explanation went on, Andy's countenance became more and more serious. Soon she and Luna walked out into the garden, leaving Myo, Nym and Ted in the kitchen. As Myo and Nym discussed the morning's events and theorized about how Luna and Andy would deal with the problem, Ted finally stood up, saying goodbye, before going out into the garden to see Andy before going to work, leaving Myo and Nym alone in the kitchen.
Myo had just finished her last sip of warm milk, when Nym abruptly ended their discussion of magical pests by getting up. "Myo, I promised you a surprise. Are you coming? Better be outside so I can show you this."
Curious, Myo nodded briskly, before following Nym towards the large expanse of grass behind the house, not far from where they could see Luna and Andy bustling about among the plants. Myo turned to Nym, full of excitement. "What's up? What is it?"
Nym looked conspiratorial. "You know, when we first met, and you found out I was a shapeshifter, you were all disappointed that I couldn't morph to have wings and fly with you."
"No... really?" Myo couldn't believe her ears, her wings vibrating with anticipation. Was it really what she thought. Nym had told her how dangerous and difficult it was for a shapeshifter to create such structures.
"I explained what I wanted to Cassiopea, she helped me a lot. And now, watch." Nym removed her top, revealing a tight T-shirt with two large holes in the back at the shoulder blades. She took on a look of intense concentration, and Myo watched in amazement as the flesh on her back distorted, faster and faster, feathers sprouted, and then, moments later, Nym had two large purple wings on her back. Her stature had changed too, smaller and thinner, lighter. Myo squealed with joy, and threw herself on top of Nym, hugging her, wings to wings. "And, well... I couldn't just let it happen, that one day some veela out of nowhere could take my role as big sister by virtue of being able to fly with you."
"You know..." Myo said, his face buried in Nym's chest, "You don't have to worry about that, the feather I gave you, apparently to the veela it's a sign that you're family, or married to a veela, or something, so... big sister."
Nym laughed softly as she stroked her hair. "I've been practicing my flying a bit, but it's not quite there yet. I'm a little out of control." Their moment was interrupted by a strangled scream.
"NYMPHADORA! SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE WINGS! BY MORDRED, COME HERE AT ONCE!" Andy's voice echoed through the garden. Nym turned white as a sheet. "Shit! I forgot to tell Mum! Myo, I'm sorry our first flight is going like this, but I think the sky is the only way out. Both flew away from Andy's anger, Nym flying awkwardly, but managing to get up in the air without too much trouble. Myo gave her advice. But both were too excited to listen to the voice of reason whispering to them that making Andy angry was the worst idea. They would bitterly regret it, but not now.
oOOOo
It was a normal evening at the Lovegoods' house. Pandora and Xeno were reading quietly in a corner of the living room while Myo and Luna were completing a huge puzzle in the centre of the room. A very pretty picture of an alpine landscape. Myo was sceptical about the value of puzzles, but doing them with Luna made them all the more interesting. And then they got bored of their previous activity of drawing exquisite cadavers before asking Pandora to animate them, thus releasing little paper monsters in the house. Later, when Pandora and Xeno were in bed, the plan was to use the big telescope, the night was clear and cloudless. But Pandora could be quite strict about Luna's bedtime. Was Myo a bad influence on Luna ? yes, probably. But according to Nym, Luna was happier when Myo was around... so...
Tomorrow would be Isabelle's second visit, and Myo was anxious. She would bring a young veela with her. Would Myo be too strange? Would she get on well? Would she make another mistake and look like a vile creature? She would see how things went. At worst, Isabelle would be there. And Nym, Ted and Andy would be nearby to defuse anything that might go wrong. With an absent hand, she stroked the huge form of Morgoth huddled beside her. The gigantic kneazle had proven to be a good way to deal with her stress other than by capturing Luna. After tomorrow, Mélusine would be coming to stay for a few days, maybe then she would have the opportunity to fly with Luccy.
Myo was about to clip one of the parts of the cliff from the bottom right when a sudden noise startled her, the piece falling out of her hands and back into the pile, effectively making her lose her placement. Luna too looked up to the window where a tired looking old grey owl was waiting. Immediately feeling concerned and empathizing with the poor bird, Myo got up and trotted to the window. Running was not an option for her with her talons. She opened the window and took the tired old owl in her arms, smoothing its feathers affectionately, letting her flames warm the animal, which showed no sign of panic at the sight of the magical fire. Perhaps owls know the intent of her flames, she thought, smoothing the poor beast's feathers and singing in a low voice to soothe it. "Pando? Where are the treats? I couldn't find them the last time." Myo asked as the bird of prey turned to jelly under the attention of her expert fingers on its feathers.
"Ah, sorry, they're in the third bottom drawer from the right. Sorry, I should have warned you. Leave the letter on the table for us please." Pandora replied absently, used to letting Myo treat passing owls with such affection. Luna rose to her feet to pet the animal, while Myo untied the letter from her claw and placed it on the table before retrieving the dried meat slices.
The intense petting session the owl was receiving from Luna and Myo was interrupted by Pandora's voice. "Myo, this is a letter from Hogwart. List of materials and request for reply. Do you want me to answer it or do you want to handle it?" Myo looked up, and left the owl in Luna's care. "I'll do it, thanks Pandora." She grabbed a quill, some ink and some stationery before sitting down on the floor at the coffee table and retrieving Hogwart's letter to read it herself. Albus Dumbledore... who was he again... too many titles, wait, wasn't he the one who had put her in the dursley lair according to Ted? The nerve of this man to send her a letter... Maybe she could take advantage of being in his school to take revenge... hmm... to ponder. A certain Minerva was also mentioned as the receiver of her would be response.
So, a lot of books... already been read at the Tonks for the most part. A pointy hat? Would she be allowed to decorate it? Dresses... she'd have to find a way to accommodate her wings. And why all black? So austere... having sunny yellow dresses like Luna's pretty summer dress would be better, right? So a wand, the prospect of having a wand really excited Myo. Pandora had taught them a lot of theory, getting down to the practical side of things was making Myo eager.
So now they had to write a letter of reply. Something serious and formal. Myo began to write.
Madam Minerva.
I'll be at your school at the same time as everyone else I suppose.
Are we allowed to decorate our pointy hat?
Myosotis.
Myo took care to draw a pretty forget-me-not flower on the bottom of the letter and to give it the most vibrant colours. She hesitated for a moment to draw the huge mass of sleeping black fur that was Morgoth but changed her mind, it seemed out of place. Instead she drew the owl who brought the letter with its wings spread and a letter between its talons and a speech bubble like in the comics Nym had introduced her to around the very formal content of her letter. She slipped her letter into an envelope before heading towards the owl currently rubbing up against Luna.
Suddenly, a worry crossed her mind. "Pandora, when does Luna get her letter?"
Without looking up from her book Pandora replied. "Next year, she's a year too young to start."
At this Myo remained silent, pretending nothing had happened, but a wave of panic settled in her chest. No, she wouldn't be separated from Luna for one year! It wasn't possible, she needed a solution. Her mind raced. She gently grabbed Luna's wrist and pulled her behind her to the upper floor, saying something about giving the poor tired owl a bath to Pandora. Luna was very smart, she would have no trouble keeping up with the year at Hogwart's if the first year books she had read were any indication of what they were going to do.
Once in Luna's room, Myo looked her friend in the eye. She was perfectly calm, as usual. "Luna I..." Myo began before she was interrupted by Luna's finger landing on her lips. "I want to go to Hogwart's with you this year too, and I know you have a plan. Mum won't be happy, but I want you to know that I'm willing to go along with whatever your plan is."
"Thank you." Said Myo with tears in her eyes. The prospect of being separated from Luna for months had been unbearable.
Late that night, when an old grey owl left the Lovegood house, it was not alone.
oOOOo
Fleur Delacour was anxious, which was highly unusual for her. All her life Fleur had grown up among her flock, in the company of her many grandmothers, great-grandmothers, great-great-grandmothers... aunts, cousins and theire companions. With a loving mother, an adorable little sister, a father as an unwavering support figure enabling her to bear the future expectations of her flock as the daughter of the matriarch who would take over the flock's interests in the council of Vertfeuille. Through self-discipline and determination. She passed her studies at Beaubaton with flying colours, top of her class. Even while enduring the blank stares and obscene remarks of her classmates because of her particularly sensitive and wild aura during that cursed period called puberty. Fortunately, the large Veela community in Beaubaton provided the safe haven she needed to survive. She had always been used to overcoming obstacle after obstacle with brilliance and confidence, in order to see the pride in her father's face, the joy in her mother's eyes, the admiration of Gaby, to prove herself worthy of the role she would later take on.
But today, for the first time in a long time, Fleur was faced with an obstacle that saw her lost, without her usual confidence, where her finely honed tools would do her no good. Today she was going to meet a small, flockless Taïvaalta.
She was familiar with the countless stories about the Taïvaalta and their importance in the few flocks lucky enough to have one among their members. The ones among the veela who are closest to the mother, to the primordial flame. The ones who bless the earth and defend it from birth to ashes. How their aura was distinct from the other veela, often described as intoxicating. Her mother had warned her to be understanding and not to take offence at any potential faux pas, more or less serious, that little Taïvaalta might commit. How could Fleur be anything less than understanding? No veela deserved the pain of growing up without a flock. Let alone a Taïvaalta. Hearing the story from Maman's lips, she couldn't understand how the little one hadn't gone mad under those conditions. Just imagining Gaby in that situation made her want to kill. To burn those responsible in the hell of her flames.
Her flock had been given the chance to bond with Myosotis first, and she should not waste such a chance. She was drawn out of her thoughts by Isabelle's voice calling her. The private portkey would soon be ready. She took a deep breath to drown her fears in a sea of calm, before grabbing the rope, bending her legs slightly, ready to be carried away in the twist of space.
A loud crack later, they appeared in front of a small country house, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green meadows, hedgerows and woods. It was a beautiful day, and she could hear the buzz of insects busy pollinating the flowers on the border in front of the house. It was a place that Fleur found hard to relate to what she imagined England to be like. The sky was not grey and it was not raining...
They went forward, and Isabelle pulled the cord of the small metal doorbell. A few moments later, a medium-sized woman, still in her witchy youth, with a stern look, opened the door. Her long, inky-black hair surrounded her face with aristocratic features that clashed with the place. Her eyes immediately fell on Isabelle, a smile on her lips, before her eyes came to rest on her and stare at her critically. In addition to being anxious, she was uncomfortable. "Hello Isabelle, how are you?" she said. "Very well, and you?" replied Isabelle.
" Very well, I suppose you are the young lady who is supposed to meet Myosotis? " she added, turning to her.
"Yes, nice to meet you, my name is Fleur Delacour." Said Fleur trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Andromeda Tonks, and there's no need to be so terrified, Myosotis isn't going to eat you." Fleur paled, was she that obvious?
"Come in, come in. Myosotis is in the back garden. And a little advice from a lady. Don't look so tense you'll make Myosotis uncomfortable." As they entered the hallway, Fleur did her best to relax her features to appear stoic, touched to the core by Andromeda's remark.
Andromeda sighed and turned to look her straight in the eye. "A little naturalness by Merlin's beard! Don't go from one extreme to the other... seriously... you'll see there's no need to be so tense and worried." She said while Isabelle was watching the exchange from afar with an amused look. Fleur frowned, didn't she realise the nerves it took to come face to face with a Taïvaalta? Surely not... " Yes ma'am." Fleur said politely as she removed her coat.
"Well, we'd like to see Myosotis now, unless there's anything you want to share with us Andy." Andy? Isabelle was closer to this woman than Fleur would have thought.
"No, nothing special. She's on the lawn, a little before the trees." Andromeda put her hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye, before continuing in a low voice. "Be careful, she bites." Before walking away, laughing at the stunned and terrified look Fleur couldn't hide. Would she get out of this house in one piece? Nothing was less certain.
On the other side of the house, in a rather large garden overflowing with trees and plants and with a vegetable garden, part of which strangely reminded her of a battlefield, sitting in the middle of one of the few mown lawns, a small shape characterized by two large wings of a very dark blue, the girl's hair falling in front of her face because of her hunched posture, bent over her book. One of her talons closed and opened mechanically on the strap of a bag.
Fleur swallowed, from here she could feel the aura of the young Taïvaalta, powerful and intoxicating, calm, gentle, like a hidden flame crackling gently. Her allure was one of the most expressive she had encountered so far. Fleur could sense the interest in the book, the calm, but also the subtext of expectation and apprehension. Probably in connection with her coming. All accompanied by a sweet and almost addictive feeling. All the more reason why her heart was torn apart at the thought of this young veela growing up alone. One of the main functions of the allure was after all a means of communication with the other veela, to convey feelings and emotion better than any expression or word could. And the child before her had been deprived of this. A stranger to a form of communication and exchange that held their community together more strongly than any other. A form of language and expression that she should never have been deprived of. Fleur could not imagine what it would be like to suddenly discover the wonderful warmth of never being alone, of understanding and being understood.
What Isabelle had told her about her first interaction with Myosotis, when the young veela who had every right to be wary and frightened had refused to let go of her for more than half an hour, made so much more sense once she realised this.
Myosotis had just looked up from her book at them. Her intense green orbs seemed to search her soul. Her intense allure surrounding her like a warm sheet, curious, intrigued but with a hint of worry. She shivered at the sensation. Myosotis delicately placed a dried flower as a bookmark before closing her book and standing up, giving her a small, shy smile. Fleur froze in place, not knowing what to do. She wanted to approach the young veela and take her with her, to hold her close, this desire fighting against her conscience and her respect, not wanting to impose herself in an unpleasant way on the young Taïvaalta. She could feel Isabelle's mocking amusement at the Delacour heiress's complete loss, unable to cope with a young veela three years her junior.
She was reminded of the present by a sudden sensation of determination and courage in the young Taïvaalta's appearance, which was drowning her senses. The latter had approached, a look of determination etched on her face, her small hand stretched out towards her, her wings partially spread, as if to appear larger than she was. Fleur grasped it gently and squeezed it, trying not to have any visible reaction to the intensity of the allure induced by the physical contact.
Myosotis' face took on a look of concentration that surprised her. "Bonjour, je m'appelle Myosotis. Enchantée." She said with perfect grammar, but a French heavily tinged with a mixed accent of Southern English and Scottish. Her surprise washed over her answer by a few seconds. "Bonjour, enchantée Myosotis. Tu peux m'appeler Fleur." She said in French before continuing in her school English, also heavily accented. "Are you learning French?"
Myosotis' smile widened, her shyness remaining, but no doubt reassured by the calm Fleur was trying to convey through her thrall. "Yes, Isabelle started teaching me last time, and I've continued with Luna, she's interested."
Myosotis motioned for her to sit down on the grass in front of her, and Isabelle headed back towards the house. Probably to let them get to know each other in a more natural way. Surprisingly enough, a rather pleasant discussion ensued. Fleur had not expected to enjoy the company of the young Taïvaalta so much, imagining either to be crushed by her aura, or to meet a young broken soul who would break her heart. But surely not an easy and fluid discussion. Myosotis's infinite curiosity served as a powerful engine for their debate. Fleur found herself saying more than she thought she could. She found herself describing the Beaubaton campus, its buildings of all styles forming a real small university town in the setting of the Massif Central mountains. Her various courses, her friends, her childhood with the flocks and much more. It felt strangely good to talk so openly, perhaps it was the fact that Myosotis seemed terribly interested in everything she had to say, that she listened without judgement, without any of the preconceived notions or expectations that Fleur usually faced as future head of the flock. A few odd or sometimes amusing remarks punctuated the discussion. (No, Fleur had never heard of creatures called dursley roaming around Beaubaton, or in France in general for that matter. Yes, hunting is allowed in certain special cases... No, there are no camels in France... why camels? Myosotis had looked disappointed by the supposed absence of thoses animals... )
Myosotis had also opened up a bit during the discussion. At first she was almost only asking questions and making remarks, but after a while she started to talk a little about herself. About her friendship with a girl called Luna, who for some reason she seemed to want to kidnap, but she didn't because she liked Luna's mother. (Fleur was a bit worried at this revelation. One of the criteria for kidnapping being the cuteness of the individual she was a little anxious about letting Gaby near Myosotis... ) How her other shapeshifting friend had managed to grow wings. (Fleur was eager to see this. She had already met a shifter and this one only transformed very rarely, proclaiming it as very difficult. This Nym must have been talented). How Myosotis felt about going back to her tower, back to her normal life. (Fleur had been shocked to hear that Myosotis seemed to much prefer hunting, fishing and harvesting her own food to accepting the food offered by agriculture. She knew that in ancient times the veela had been used to living like this, but it had been a few centuries since this way of life had declined. Even more so after the arrival of the statute).
The discussion had just moved on from the Kite Lucans that Myosotis had just added to one of what Fleur understood to be countless collections, when Myosotis lowered the sketchbook she had taken out at the beginning of the discussion and in which she had been drawing while talking for about what she thought was two hours and looked her straight in the eye. A shiver ran down the spine of the flower. The ghost of anxiety from the beginning of the discussion that she hadn't even felt evaporate, returned. "Fleur?" Said Myosotis.
"Yes?" replied Fleur, trying to hide her nervousness as best she could. Surprised at this direct change in the discussion.
"Can I stroke your wings?" Myosotis asked without any shame. Just hope and want shining in her eyes. Fleur, caught off guard, nodded mechanically, letting Myosotis approach. The fact that this sort of thing was normally done within the family, that it was highly inappropriate outside of the near flock was on the tip of her tongue. But all protest died in her throat as Myosotis's hands began to roam over her white feathers, tracing her delicate bones, manipulating her joints with the most surprising expertise. Fleur could not help but purr. Lost in the moment, unable to string two thoughts together clearly enough for the realisation that what she was doing was highly inappropriate to sink in. With the direct contact accompanied by the pleasure of having her feathers strocked and her wings manipulated in this way the intoxicating aura of the young Taïvaalta made her head spin. How long she remained in this situation she could not say, but all too soon for her liking the hands withdrew from her feathers, leaving her completely relaxed, her body molten. Myosotis looked particularly pleased, a big smile on her face.
Suddenly, the realisation of what had just happened crashed into her, and she blushed in her best tomato imitation. Fleur was mortified, she, the heiress of the flock, had completely let herself go after only a few hours in the company of a Taïvaalta. Completely open, she who was expected to be restrained and in control. The worst thing was that she couldn't find the strength to regret it, and that she knew deep down that if Myosotis asked again, she would surely accept without hesitation. She buried her head in her hands, crimson with shame. Only her mother, her sister, her closest cousins and aunts or whoever she would decide to nest with was supposed to be able to do that. This little veela would be the death of her.
Meanwhile, Myosotis had gotten up and was stretching without any embarrassment, not realizing the state Fleur was in. Spreading her wings as far as she could before extending her talons. She turned to Fleur with a smile and held out her hand. "Are you coming to fly? The area is beautiful from the air. If we get too far away, we just have to fly high enough that we can't be seen from the ground." She said as if nothing had happened.
Fleur accepted the outstretched hand to get up. Getting to her feet and dusting off her dress, trying to hide her past mortification as best she could. "Ah, um, yes of course. Let's just go tell Isabelle first." She said before being dragged towards the house by a Myosotis overexcited at the idea of stretching her wings. Fleur prepared herself for what she would later know to be one of the best flights of her life.
...
That night, in her bed. Under the warm and comforting weight of Gaby sleeping on top of her, Fleur thought back to that completely surreal day. She let her hand drift into her sister's feathers, her head bent towards the drawing on the wall beside her bed. A grey pencil drawing of her, looking happy, sitting in the grass in the Tonks' garden. Her eyes almost alive. Had she really looked like that to Myosotis? She let her mind wander, replaying the events of the day, a meeting with what could become an excellent friend, once... tamed. Isabelle's particularly smug look when she returned, describing her as a cuddle slut while Fleur's normally white and impassive face had turned a peony hue. She sighed. This situation could only lead to chaos.
oOOOo
Somewhere, in a poor neighbourhood, in a small house in dire need of rehabilitation, an austere man sat at his small kitchen table, coffee far too black and too strong in his hand, a newspaper in front of him. A normal morning for Hogwart's most hated potions teacher. One of his few moments of respite in the endless chain of despair and displeasure that was his life. Except perhaps his few quiet moments in front of a bubbling cauldron. He took a sip of coffee, revelling in its bitterness reminding him of his existence, and turned the page. Suddenly he spat out his coffee and was seized by a violent coughing fit. He reread the title of the article three times. "The girl who lived, or The veela who lived? The lies and failures of Dumbledores." HOW? His forehead slammed against the hard wood of the table. He was shaken with uncontrollable laughter. Potter's daughter, a veela, the man must be turning in his grave right now. The Potter line forever tarnished. Oh Lily, did she know? Was this part of her plan? Or was it fate reshuffling its cards yet again? He began to read the article, cursing Dumbledore's name at every line. This year would be particularly difficult. With any luck the veela would have the wit to leave for Beauxbatons at the end of the school year, to get away from the giant cursed clusterfuck that was Great Britain.
Now he is faced with an unforeseen problem. How to deal with the daughter of his worst enemy and best friend, a veela, who, from what he had deduced, had a very similar, if not worse childhood than his own. It would be a long, long year.
oOOOo
Minerva Mcgonagall was exhausted. She had been answering worried, insulting and supportive letters from the students parents for days. The presence of the first veela in Hogwart's for over two centuries was causing a stir. Some parents were outraged that such a thing was allowed and demanded a guarantee that their child would be protected from the 'creature', others were just shocked and demanded to know what the school would do to accommodate their new resident. A question Minerva found difficult to answer given her complete ignorance of what a young Veela might need more or different than other children. The council of vertfeuille in France with whom she had been in contact had been completely useless in dealing with this problem, probably wanting to ensure that Myosotis Potter left Hogwart's to join Beaubaton after the year of mandatory schooling at Hogwart's imposed by the ministry. Finally, some parents, far too rare for her taste, sent her letters congratulating her on finally opening Hogwart to more diversity.
She spent hours replying to the various parents and associations, reassuring them, thanking them for their trust and doing everything to at least appear honest. And it must also be said that she had no help in the Herculean task of preparing for the new school year. That bastard Dumbledore, whom she had been naive enough to call a friend all this time, had betrayed them all. Abandoning Myosotis for years in a muggle house. A VEELA, in a Muggle household. At the tender care of Lily's 'sister', the woman known to those who had known Lily for her immense jealousy turned hatred for their world. The fact that Myosotis was still alive today was a miracle. And after all that, Dumbledore had deserted Minerva again, too busy getting his fat arse out of the shit he'd got himself into to help with the year's preparations. Worse, he hadn't given up on his idiotic plan to keep a dangerous artefact in a school full of children...
Minerva turned to the window, it was already dark. Her reflection was looking back at her with impressive dark circles under her eyes. She had to keep going for at least an hour to get through it, after that maybe a stupefy would help her sleep easier. She needed a more pleasant task to finish the day, something to relax her. Yes, she still had a few letters in response to the admission letter to read. They were mostly either neutral, hopeful, or sometimes cute. She cleared her desk and called up the small pile of letters left.
The letter from little Susane Bones was well-written, thanking her kindly for the admission letter, though perhaps enough to make Minerva smile a little. She skimmed through the other letters, frowning at the condescending tone of the Malfoys' letter. She giggled at the next letter. Myosotis Potter, what this letter told her about the little veela's personality reassured her greatly. She kept it aside, it would be a shame to lose that adorable owl drawing after all. She would also have to give some thought to the possibility of decorating the pointy hat... maybe it would make the children less reluctant to wear the thing...
The next letter was in a very nice, broad, rounded script, with little Moons instead of dots on the i's. From a certain Luna Lovegood... Minerva knew the Lovegood family by name, it seemed to her that the little one in that family was a year or two younger... well, she must have been mistaken, after all, the Hogwart's owls only bring back approved letters and cannot be mistaken. She took a long piece of paper and wrote down in alphabetical order all the names of the letters received so far. Another dry year, she thought as she looked at the rather short list. Emigration and war deaths had taken a heavy toll on Britain's demographics. She got up from her seat and blew out the candles, tomorrow she would have even more work to do.
Author's note
The veela aura (allure/thrall)
The magic of the veela spreads around them in the form of an aura. This aura takes on different names depending on the form in which it manifests itself.
The allure: In passive form, when the veela is at rest and just lets her aura exist without doing anything with it, it is called an allure and has various effects on those near the veela.
The thrall: The active form of the aura. When the veela infuses an intention into her aura to accomplish something specific, to achieve a particular effect. (Flower that causes its aura to exude calm, by this simple action, the aura is called thrall rather than allure.)
The aura of a veela is a fundamental element of its flock life. It is among many other functions a perfectly honest means of communication to let other veela know her feelings and emotions. It is very rude to withhold, to hide one's aura when a veela is with other veela, it is seen as being dishonest. A veela with a minimum of training can easily discern the thrall of the allure.
The aura results in extremely close-knit veela communities,
The other effects and functions of the aura will be seen later in the story.
Poor Fleur ...