Status: Incredibly slow updates; please bear with me.
The Black Rose
Intermission
Mornings were never particularly pleasant to me. This one was no exception. So when my alarm rang, I simply groped for my wand, grabbed onto the smooth wood, and sent a well-practiced silencing spell its way. Then I rolled over.
Moving the infernal device had been a wasted hope as was the idea catching an hour more of sleep apparently. My bedroom door flew open and slammed onto the spring, sending it flying closed again. There was a thud and a muffled "OW!" A string of curses followed as the door was opened again much more carefully.
I sighed. "Just five more minutes," I mumbled.
The intruder snorted. "What are you, five?" The voice moved closer and then passed the bed. I closed my eyes tighter, remembering the routine. "Rise and shine, Ama!" The curtain was pulled apart and bright sunlight filtered into the room. "Today's your first day, isn't it? You'll be late if you don't hurry."
I opened my eyes and stared out the window. It was my first day. The last time I was told that was when I began working in Grund's Peak nearly four years before. My blood had quickened with excitement and my hands had shaken with nerves. This time I felt nothing. There was only the slightest sensation building up in my stomach of cold dread.
"Why did they have to transfer me there?" I finally asked, pushing myself from the warmth and comfort of my bed.
My friend, my confidante, my lover, my everything simply shrugged and turned to look at me. His warm brown eyes watched me fumble with buttons of a clean shirt I'd found lying around. "It's strange that now you ask that when I've been asking that for the past three months. And what is it that you always say?" He smirked as he walked over to me and buttoned the top four with quick, sure movements. "Oh, yeah. 'What are you complaining for? It's more money for us!'"
"That was before I saw the place," I said frowning and scanning the room for a pair of jeans. I found them lying on the back of a chair, quickly went to it, and ripped them off the seat. "It's god-awful. Cold, wet," I babbled as I stepped into my jeans and wiggled into them, "and just plain depressing."
He shook his head and sighed before sitting on the edge of the bureau. "Just keep your spirits up and never let your Patronus fade."
"Really? Who would've thought?" I snapped leaving the room and going to the bathroom. He followed me and stood by the door.
"Don't get all snappy on me," he said. "I just don't want my girl to come back home an inferus every bloody day."
I sighed and began brushing my teeth. He was right, of course. He was always right. About everything. I shouldn't have taken this job no matter how many galleons I would be bringing home. I glanced at him and wondered what he would think of my charges. Or rather the one charge that had kept me up last night. Fill a cup with water, drink, rinse, spit, repeat. Should I have even mentioned it?
"I met Bellatrix Lestrange yesterday," I said as I finished, straightened up, and shut off the tap. His face blanched and he looked over my shoulder. Perhaps not. "She's the only one not losing her mind there. At least it seems that way."
"She's already lost it. A long, long time ago," he responded distantly.
I shouldn't have mentioned it. She'd killed one of his friends in the Battle of Hogwarts. No, she killed many of his friends. She'd killed his friend's families; she'd tortured many others. He'd been there for all of it. He'd watched as she destroyed his second home, tore it apart from the inside out. And where was I for all this? Over 3,000 miles away, whisked away from the war by my parents. I wasn't there for any of it. No, I shouldn't have mentioned it at all.
"Well, that's true." I walked out the bathroom and back into the bedroom, sat on the bed and slipped my feet into my boots. Then I grabbed my wand, my cloak, and began walking to the front door.
He still hadn't moved. Sighing, I walked over to him and kissed his cheek. He snapped out of whatever thoughts had stilled him and glanced down at me before bringing me up for a kiss followed by another kiss on the top of my head. "Be careful," he whispered as he let me go.
"I will," I said. "See you tonight." He nodded and I walked out the door before Apparating on the spot.
Moving the infernal device had been a wasted hope as was the idea catching an hour more of sleep apparently. My bedroom door flew open and slammed onto the spring, sending it flying closed again. There was a thud and a muffled "OW!" A string of curses followed as the door was opened again much more carefully.
I sighed. "Just five more minutes," I mumbled.
The intruder snorted. "What are you, five?" The voice moved closer and then passed the bed. I closed my eyes tighter, remembering the routine. "Rise and shine, Ama!" The curtain was pulled apart and bright sunlight filtered into the room. "Today's your first day, isn't it? You'll be late if you don't hurry."
I opened my eyes and stared out the window. It was my first day. The last time I was told that was when I began working in Grund's Peak nearly four years before. My blood had quickened with excitement and my hands had shaken with nerves. This time I felt nothing. There was only the slightest sensation building up in my stomach of cold dread.
"Why did they have to transfer me there?" I finally asked, pushing myself from the warmth and comfort of my bed.
My friend, my confidante, my lover, my everything simply shrugged and turned to look at me. His warm brown eyes watched me fumble with buttons of a clean shirt I'd found lying around. "It's strange that now you ask that when I've been asking that for the past three months. And what is it that you always say?" He smirked as he walked over to me and buttoned the top four with quick, sure movements. "Oh, yeah. 'What are you complaining for? It's more money for us!'"
"That was before I saw the place," I said frowning and scanning the room for a pair of jeans. I found them lying on the back of a chair, quickly went to it, and ripped them off the seat. "It's god-awful. Cold, wet," I babbled as I stepped into my jeans and wiggled into them, "and just plain depressing."
He shook his head and sighed before sitting on the edge of the bureau. "Just keep your spirits up and never let your Patronus fade."
"Really? Who would've thought?" I snapped leaving the room and going to the bathroom. He followed me and stood by the door.
"Don't get all snappy on me," he said. "I just don't want my girl to come back home an inferus every bloody day."
I sighed and began brushing my teeth. He was right, of course. He was always right. About everything. I shouldn't have taken this job no matter how many galleons I would be bringing home. I glanced at him and wondered what he would think of my charges. Or rather the one charge that had kept me up last night. Fill a cup with water, drink, rinse, spit, repeat. Should I have even mentioned it?
"I met Bellatrix Lestrange yesterday," I said as I finished, straightened up, and shut off the tap. His face blanched and he looked over my shoulder. Perhaps not. "She's the only one not losing her mind there. At least it seems that way."
"She's already lost it. A long, long time ago," he responded distantly.
I shouldn't have mentioned it. She'd killed one of his friends in the Battle of Hogwarts. No, she killed many of his friends. She'd killed his friend's families; she'd tortured many others. He'd been there for all of it. He'd watched as she destroyed his second home, tore it apart from the inside out. And where was I for all this? Over 3,000 miles away, whisked away from the war by my parents. I wasn't there for any of it. No, I shouldn't have mentioned it at all.
"Well, that's true." I walked out the bathroom and back into the bedroom, sat on the bed and slipped my feet into my boots. Then I grabbed my wand, my cloak, and began walking to the front door.
He still hadn't moved. Sighing, I walked over to him and kissed his cheek. He snapped out of whatever thoughts had stilled him and glanced down at me before bringing me up for a kiss followed by another kiss on the top of my head. "Be careful," he whispered as he let me go.
"I will," I said. "See you tonight." He nodded and I walked out the door before Apparating on the spot.