Past, Present...Destiny
Snow Falls
The next few months passed, and things were going pretty well, considering. Alana was doing well in her classes, she found her way around alright, and she wasn't exactly a loner or anything. But she couldn't have been if she wanted to, because Lily was her best friend now, supposedly. She didn't really know why Lily felt so attached to her, but she declared to anyone that they were best friends. Lily was a pretty, smart, funny, charismatic girl, so she made friends with everyone, including many of the older students. Ally and Lily didn't really talk much, because Lily had so many friends always coming up to her, chatting, laughing at inside jokes Alana had no part in... She was practically ignored all day, except for when people tried to get her to have her father come, or get autographs for them, which they soon learned they would not get from her. She was always seen as Lily's little silent sidekick. Which she was used to, so she was ok.
About three weeks before Christmas Break, Dumbledore announced that those staying at Hogwarts would have to sign up.
"Are you staying back?" Alana heard Ryan Davies ask Lily as he walked by the table. It was breakfast time, and the weekend. She shook her head.
"Nope. Parents miss me too much." she grinned. Alana smirked as she saw James glare at Ryan's back as he walked away. Ryan had somewhat hinted at hanging out over the break. The owls swarmed in, same time as usual, and to Alana's surprise, a large owl that she recognized to be Sheridon's came and swooped down next to her cereal. She raised her eyebrow. She never got letters, because Lily could just tell her in whatever classes she had or in the dorm, and Alana's other few friends, she had all her classes with as well. Why would Sheridon write her? She took the note from the owl's leg.
Would you like to come along for Christmas? I'm going to be going on my annual trip somewhere. This year we're going to the Swiss Alps for skiing.
We? Who's we? she wondered.
"Who's it from?" asked Lily.
"My dad... We're going to the Swiss Alps...?" Alana said, a little confused. She took a bit of parchment from her bookbag and wrote back, saying she'd love to go.
"Wow, I wanna go." Lily laughed.
"- You guys are going to?" James asked. "My family's going also." Alana nodded. She guessed that's what Sheridon meant by 'we'. "Sirius's family is also." Alana gawked.
"What? Why?" James shrugged.
"I guess all our families know each other. Lots are going."
Great... Just the person I want to fall on my face in front of.
So, three weeks later, Alana went on the train back to Sheridon's estate. She was fitted at Madam Malkin's for warm coats and pants, and was fitted for skiis and equipment at the resort. It was odd- the Black family (Sirius had many cousins...), Potter, Malfoy, Zabini, Rowley, and her family all were staying together. Alana had a feeling that these families were trying to reconcile with each other, in a way, by cramming themselves together and eventually growing friendly. This wasn't very likely to happen.
Alana was stuck in the beginner's hills with all the little children of the family. Lucius, the mean Malfoy boy, smirked, whizzing by, making her feel even more incompetent. His platinum blonde hair flashed in the mountain sun as he whipped past Alana, spraying snow in her face. She stuck her tongue out when his back was turned, and Sirius saw and grinned. He would have joined her in the beginner's area, but he would have been much too bored. Plus, his parents sort of made him stay with 'their' group- his cousins, the Blacks and Malfoys, and the Zabini family.
They all were staying in the same lodge, a sort of cozy cabin, overlooking the wide, snow covered valley. Alana was the only kid who had her own room- all the others shared with their siblings or cousins. If this didn't make her feel lonely enough, she was ignored almost completely by the others, even James. When there weren't group activities, Alana would play with the large stray tabby cat that hung around their lodgings. She truly wished that she could talk to the other girls, but they were all intimidating for some reason, and James was always doing these boyish things like playing war games or Keep Away from the other girls.
It was finally Christmas, and Alana got up early to open presents. No one else had woken up yet, so the lower level was completely empty. She asked the cabin elf to bring her some hot chocolate as she sat down beside the giant pine tree that was about 20 feet tall. It was placed in the middle foyer, and stretched all the way to the second story ceiling. It had been charmed to be covered with real snow and little pixies that glimmered. There were piles of presents underneath, and Alana switched back and forth from searching through the piles for her presents and drinking hot chocolate. Eventually she found one from her father, her grandmother and her aunt and uncle Kimberley and Rylan. Her father had bought her a stuffed polar bear animal with eyes made out of real quartz, onyx and aquamarine crystals. Kimberley and Rylan gave her a diary with a dark red velvet cover, gold and silver stitching all over in a lace pattern, and a golden lock and key, to symbolize Gryffindor. Last was her grandmother's gift- a single fiery red gemstone, about the circumference of a large pearl, but quite flat on one side. There was a note in elegant, looping royal lavender writing-
This is a Mandarin Garnet. It's been passed down from generation to generation, and is just as old as the necklace I gave you for your birthday. If you look at that necklace, you will notice eight slight indentations on each side of the stone in the middle. Place this stone in one of those grooves- it will stay by itself. Perhaps you'll see in time, how this tradition is so important.
Happy Christmas
~Your grandmother
Alana held the gemstone up to the light curiously- it sprayed orangey-red beams of light across the floor. She quickly ran back to her room, brought out the necklace that she had happened to take with her, and slowly pressed the gem into the first groove on the left of the middle stone. It somehow fused in place, and Alana made sure it would be secure by shaking the necklace a bit. It looked pretty, though uneven, so she carefully put it on. She heard footsteps, and turned. It was Sirius, in baggy navy pajamas, slippers and a nightrobe. His hair was slightly mussed up.
"Happy Christmas." he smiled, plopping down beside her, sorting through the present pile. When he looked back up at her again, he paused, a little stunned.
"What?" she asked quizzically. Sirius shook his head.
"Your eyes look different."
After an awkward moment, more people started waking up, and gathering around the presents. When Sheridon came out and spotted Alana, he froze for a second, then slowly kneeled down beside her, eyeing the necklace.
"That's from your grandmother?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. Alana nodded. He looked her in the eye for a moment, somberly. Then he shook his head, and changed the subject.
"So, do you like your presents?"
"Yea," she smiled. "The bear is so cute." she grinned, hugging it tight.
Everyone stayed around for a late Christmas brunch, socialized (though Alana stayed to herself as always), and then went their separate ways. Ally decided to write in the diary Kimberley and Rylan gave her. She dressed, and took a blanket, the diary, a quill and ink outside. Her breath came out in puffs of smoke. She picked a rather large pine tree, spread the blanket on the ground and sat down, leaning against the bumpy trunk. Opening up the book to the first crisp page, and dipping the quill in the ink, Alana didn't notice what was happening above her...
rest in the results. which includes Sirius :P
Dec. 25, 1971
Dear Diary,
We're (me and Sheridon) are spending Christmas vacation at this skiing resort place. It's really nice- there's a view of all the mountains and the valley, and the snow makes everything look so clean and happy. But it's kind of lonely here though. Even though there's about 30 people here, no one really talks to me. I can't really talk to the girls, cuz they're always in their own small groups, and of course I can't talk to the boys. I am sad that even James hasn't talked to me much either... Why doesn't anyone like me?
Alana drifted into thought, quill hovering over the page. She missed her mom... She would never have another Christmas, birthday, Easter... with her. Her mother would miss her graduation, her wedding... Just when she stood up to go back inside, she heard a scream...
"NOW!"
An avalanche of snowballs flew down, hitting Alana hard. She started screaming, running around blindly and wildly- but she couldn't escape the flurry of snow. After what seemed like hours, it all stopped, and Alana dared to look up. All these boys from the Malfoy/Black/etc. side were climbing out of the surrounding trees, laughing and cheering. Many, as they passed, shoved her around, shouting 'No girls allowed!' and she eventually was pushed to the ground. Her eyes grew wide, and her stomach sank as she recognized one of them as Sirius. He was enjoying this torment... Soon the area was empty, and Alana was all alone again. She started crying, as the running ink of the overturned ink bottle seeped through the snow and into her clothes. The ground was stained with black, as Alana sniffled, quietly picking up her diary, which somehow hadn't gotten wet, her quill which was ruined and the now nearly empty ink bottle. She miserably made her way back to the cabin. The boys were nowhere in sight again. She peeled her cold, wet clothes off, put on a cozy terry cloth bathrobe and asked the house elf to wash her garments.
Outside, Sirius was running around with all the other boys, before lunch. They were all wrestling, making forts for a snowball fight, or racing each other on sleds down the hill. Sirius felt bad, when they had bombarded Alana with snowballs, because she had started crying and it looked like her things had been ruined... He decided to make it up to her later. But for the time being... He formed a snowball, and threw it at Lucius's face.
About three weeks before Christmas Break, Dumbledore announced that those staying at Hogwarts would have to sign up.
"Are you staying back?" Alana heard Ryan Davies ask Lily as he walked by the table. It was breakfast time, and the weekend. She shook her head.
"Nope. Parents miss me too much." she grinned. Alana smirked as she saw James glare at Ryan's back as he walked away. Ryan had somewhat hinted at hanging out over the break. The owls swarmed in, same time as usual, and to Alana's surprise, a large owl that she recognized to be Sheridon's came and swooped down next to her cereal. She raised her eyebrow. She never got letters, because Lily could just tell her in whatever classes she had or in the dorm, and Alana's other few friends, she had all her classes with as well. Why would Sheridon write her? She took the note from the owl's leg.
Would you like to come along for Christmas? I'm going to be going on my annual trip somewhere. This year we're going to the Swiss Alps for skiing.
We? Who's we? she wondered.
"Who's it from?" asked Lily.
"My dad... We're going to the Swiss Alps...?" Alana said, a little confused. She took a bit of parchment from her bookbag and wrote back, saying she'd love to go.
"Wow, I wanna go." Lily laughed.
"- You guys are going to?" James asked. "My family's going also." Alana nodded. She guessed that's what Sheridon meant by 'we'. "Sirius's family is also." Alana gawked.
"What? Why?" James shrugged.
"I guess all our families know each other. Lots are going."
Great... Just the person I want to fall on my face in front of.
So, three weeks later, Alana went on the train back to Sheridon's estate. She was fitted at Madam Malkin's for warm coats and pants, and was fitted for skiis and equipment at the resort. It was odd- the Black family (Sirius had many cousins...), Potter, Malfoy, Zabini, Rowley, and her family all were staying together. Alana had a feeling that these families were trying to reconcile with each other, in a way, by cramming themselves together and eventually growing friendly. This wasn't very likely to happen.
Alana was stuck in the beginner's hills with all the little children of the family. Lucius, the mean Malfoy boy, smirked, whizzing by, making her feel even more incompetent. His platinum blonde hair flashed in the mountain sun as he whipped past Alana, spraying snow in her face. She stuck her tongue out when his back was turned, and Sirius saw and grinned. He would have joined her in the beginner's area, but he would have been much too bored. Plus, his parents sort of made him stay with 'their' group- his cousins, the Blacks and Malfoys, and the Zabini family.
They all were staying in the same lodge, a sort of cozy cabin, overlooking the wide, snow covered valley. Alana was the only kid who had her own room- all the others shared with their siblings or cousins. If this didn't make her feel lonely enough, she was ignored almost completely by the others, even James. When there weren't group activities, Alana would play with the large stray tabby cat that hung around their lodgings. She truly wished that she could talk to the other girls, but they were all intimidating for some reason, and James was always doing these boyish things like playing war games or Keep Away from the other girls.
It was finally Christmas, and Alana got up early to open presents. No one else had woken up yet, so the lower level was completely empty. She asked the cabin elf to bring her some hot chocolate as she sat down beside the giant pine tree that was about 20 feet tall. It was placed in the middle foyer, and stretched all the way to the second story ceiling. It had been charmed to be covered with real snow and little pixies that glimmered. There were piles of presents underneath, and Alana switched back and forth from searching through the piles for her presents and drinking hot chocolate. Eventually she found one from her father, her grandmother and her aunt and uncle Kimberley and Rylan. Her father had bought her a stuffed polar bear animal with eyes made out of real quartz, onyx and aquamarine crystals. Kimberley and Rylan gave her a diary with a dark red velvet cover, gold and silver stitching all over in a lace pattern, and a golden lock and key, to symbolize Gryffindor. Last was her grandmother's gift- a single fiery red gemstone, about the circumference of a large pearl, but quite flat on one side. There was a note in elegant, looping royal lavender writing-
This is a Mandarin Garnet. It's been passed down from generation to generation, and is just as old as the necklace I gave you for your birthday. If you look at that necklace, you will notice eight slight indentations on each side of the stone in the middle. Place this stone in one of those grooves- it will stay by itself. Perhaps you'll see in time, how this tradition is so important.
Happy Christmas
~Your grandmother
Alana held the gemstone up to the light curiously- it sprayed orangey-red beams of light across the floor. She quickly ran back to her room, brought out the necklace that she had happened to take with her, and slowly pressed the gem into the first groove on the left of the middle stone. It somehow fused in place, and Alana made sure it would be secure by shaking the necklace a bit. It looked pretty, though uneven, so she carefully put it on. She heard footsteps, and turned. It was Sirius, in baggy navy pajamas, slippers and a nightrobe. His hair was slightly mussed up.
"Happy Christmas." he smiled, plopping down beside her, sorting through the present pile. When he looked back up at her again, he paused, a little stunned.
"What?" she asked quizzically. Sirius shook his head.
"Your eyes look different."
After an awkward moment, more people started waking up, and gathering around the presents. When Sheridon came out and spotted Alana, he froze for a second, then slowly kneeled down beside her, eyeing the necklace.
"That's from your grandmother?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. Alana nodded. He looked her in the eye for a moment, somberly. Then he shook his head, and changed the subject.
"So, do you like your presents?"
"Yea," she smiled. "The bear is so cute." she grinned, hugging it tight.
Everyone stayed around for a late Christmas brunch, socialized (though Alana stayed to herself as always), and then went their separate ways. Ally decided to write in the diary Kimberley and Rylan gave her. She dressed, and took a blanket, the diary, a quill and ink outside. Her breath came out in puffs of smoke. She picked a rather large pine tree, spread the blanket on the ground and sat down, leaning against the bumpy trunk. Opening up the book to the first crisp page, and dipping the quill in the ink, Alana didn't notice what was happening above her...
rest in the results. which includes Sirius :P
Dec. 25, 1971
Dear Diary,
We're (me and Sheridon) are spending Christmas vacation at this skiing resort place. It's really nice- there's a view of all the mountains and the valley, and the snow makes everything look so clean and happy. But it's kind of lonely here though. Even though there's about 30 people here, no one really talks to me. I can't really talk to the girls, cuz they're always in their own small groups, and of course I can't talk to the boys. I am sad that even James hasn't talked to me much either... Why doesn't anyone like me?
Alana drifted into thought, quill hovering over the page. She missed her mom... She would never have another Christmas, birthday, Easter... with her. Her mother would miss her graduation, her wedding... Just when she stood up to go back inside, she heard a scream...
"NOW!"
An avalanche of snowballs flew down, hitting Alana hard. She started screaming, running around blindly and wildly- but she couldn't escape the flurry of snow. After what seemed like hours, it all stopped, and Alana dared to look up. All these boys from the Malfoy/Black/etc. side were climbing out of the surrounding trees, laughing and cheering. Many, as they passed, shoved her around, shouting 'No girls allowed!' and she eventually was pushed to the ground. Her eyes grew wide, and her stomach sank as she recognized one of them as Sirius. He was enjoying this torment... Soon the area was empty, and Alana was all alone again. She started crying, as the running ink of the overturned ink bottle seeped through the snow and into her clothes. The ground was stained with black, as Alana sniffled, quietly picking up her diary, which somehow hadn't gotten wet, her quill which was ruined and the now nearly empty ink bottle. She miserably made her way back to the cabin. The boys were nowhere in sight again. She peeled her cold, wet clothes off, put on a cozy terry cloth bathrobe and asked the house elf to wash her garments.
Outside, Sirius was running around with all the other boys, before lunch. They were all wrestling, making forts for a snowball fight, or racing each other on sleds down the hill. Sirius felt bad, when they had bombarded Alana with snowballs, because she had started crying and it looked like her things had been ruined... He decided to make it up to her later. But for the time being... He formed a snowball, and threw it at Lucius's face.