Black Aeon

Chapter eleven

You Must Fight To Win Back Your Love Again

The Christmas holidays came much too fast for Harry's liking. The entire autumn term had gone by in a flash, and now the school was emptied of over half of its occupants. And with them, had gone his sister. She had wanted to spend Christmas with her Godfather, just like she used to. He still thought that 'Ganie should have stayed with him for Christmas, but she was defiantly not one to be told what to do. Besides, who was he to deny her the first Christmas with her Godfather that she had had in three years?

He sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, idly rearranging the ornaments on the mantle piece. From the other side of the room. He had become rather good at manipulating the telekinetic power he had discovered. It still hurt to use it though. He looked around, bored and feeling slightly melancholy; he was slightly lonely. Hermione and Ron were lovely, but he really wanted to be sitting with 'Ganie in the kitchens, he drinking cocoa and she something possibly stronger that she had smuggled in. It just wasn't the same without her around for Christmas anymore. And this Christmas Eve was just weird without her evilly grinning face appearing around every door. He contemplated sending a fire message to Dobby, telling him to send him up something to eat, but thought better of it. The walk to the kitchens would do him good, and give him something to do. With a sigh, he rose and strode out of the Common Room, murmuring thanks to the Fat Lady as she swung shut.

The House Elves in the kitchens weren't as busy as usual. Probably because there were a lot less students then there usually were, Harry thought to himself as he entered the room. Immediately, he was swamped with delighted House Elves, all clamouring to get him what ever he wanted. After a moment, he managed to calm them down, and order a Butter beer, some mince pies and Cinnamon Swirls; 'Ganie was always going on about them, so he finally decided to find out what the fuss was about. He sat down, and couldn't help smiling a little as the House Elves swarmed over him happily, squabbling over who was going to serve him. It seemed that this Christmas Eve snack was going to result with him being slightly bruised.

*

In the morning, he was woken up by Neville bouncing onto his bed.

"Harry, wake up! The presents are here!" the once short and chubby, not tall and normal boy fell off of Harry's bed, and scrambled over to his own. Harry sat up with a groan, and rubbed his eyes. Knowing how excitable Neville was, it was probably about six in the morning; way before his usual wake up time. But still; presents. A small, slightly sleepy bubble of excitement rising in his chest, he reached out and grabbed the first parcel. It was from Mrs. Weasley, and consisted of the usual Weasley jumper (this time it was red with a golden snitch on it. Obviously she had been taking tips from the socks that Dobby tended to make) and a box of mince pies. He smiled slightly, warmed by the fact that never had Mrs. Weasley had never once forgotten to make him a jumper at Christmas, even with seven children to make them for. Carefully placing it to one side, he reached for the next. It was from Sirius; a book on how to unravel a spell that some one had sent at you, or something of the like. It was defensive magic at any rate. It was a good present, useful one, but he really wanted to see Sirius, not receive presents from him. A little disheartened, he picked up the next, and read the attached letter that had been spelled to tap his hand until he read it.

"Dearest Jay," it began. The bubble in his chest rose and grew. "I really didn't think that Christmas without you would be like this! It's weird without having you around, but Mussy is so lovely that I only really miss you when I stop moving. Then I miss you loads. I hope you're having fun at Hogwarts, that you've had loads of nice presents and that you're going to continue with our tradition of eating the entire Christmas pudding if you can! Well, eat your half any way. I hope you like the present; it took me forever to find it.

Loads of my love,

Your 'Ganie." He smiled, and refolded the letter carefully before unwrapping the present. When he realized what it was, his eyebrows rose several inches, or so it felt to him. It was a wrist sheath for a wand, but not the ordinary kind. There was a little instruction book with it, which explained that once a wizard or witch had put his/her wand into the sheath, it could never be used by another witch/wizard again until the original owner died. When the wand was initially inserted into the sheath, the first two words that you said while still holding the wand would be the trigger words to release the wand into your hand, tip forward and grip firmly in your palm. And folded into the leather of the sheath that was pressed against your wrist was a blade, that when pushed out, came out over your palm to the length of your index finger. Useful in a fight if you lost your wand.

Harry slowly let a grin pass over his face. This was a perfect present, what with Voldemort constantly rearing his ugly head to annoy the Wizarding world, and Fudge was still insisting that it was just random ex- Death Eater attacks. Stupid man. Harry respectfully strapped the sheath to his arm, and slid his wand into the holster. What could his trigger word be?

"What you got there Harry?" Neville had seen what he was doing.

"Shut up Neville." The sheath momentarily grew warm, and then cooled down again. It was only then that Harry realised that he had spoken. "No! Wait, I didn't mean for that! Oh shit, that nicely fucked that up didn't it?" he glared at the far post of his for poster bed. The trigger words for his wrist sheath were now 'Shut up.' With a sigh, he reached for the next present, feeling a little disconcerted.

*

Ron stared at him as he helped himself to his fourth helping of Christmas pudding.

"Jesus Harry, I know that it tastes nice but... bloody hell!" he couldn't help laughing; the look on his friends face was just too funny.

"I promised Wylow I would eat at least half the Christmas pudding if I could." He poured cream over the bowl of fruity pudding goodness (to quote his sister) and tucked in. He munched happily for a moment, before Ron began talking again.

"So... when is Wylow getting back?" Harry swallowed his mouthful, and cleared his throat.

"Tomorrow. She wanted to come back early to take care of me apparently. Not that I need taking care of... don't pull that face at me; I don't!" Hermione looked at them from across the table.

"Harry, I think it safe to say that you need looking after more then anyone else I have ever met in my life." That wasn't very nice... a little sulkily, Harry shovelled more pudding into his mouth.

*

It was cold. Bloody cold. Stupid Scottish winters, they were s cold as... a bloody cold thing!

Harry blew on his hands, cursing himself for not putting on a pair of gloves before coming out. How was he to know the train would arrive late? He had thought he would only be on the platform for a little while! Potter, are you stupid or something? Asked the back of his mind. Are you a Wizard or not? Use a warming charm! Feeling a little stupid, he fumbled around inside his robes before remembering that his wand was attached to his wrist. He pulled his sleeve up, and muttered "shut up." His wand popped out of the sheath, and dropped lightly into his hand. Feeling strangely pleased with himself, seeing as he had done nothing, he muttered the words of the charm and sighed contentedly as a rush of warm spread over him. It was just then that the train pulled in. he looked around for his sisters' obvious long, plaited hair, and didn't see it in the crowd of people who got off of the train.

"Jay?" he turned around and nearly shouted out loud.

It was 'Ganie alright, but she had had all of her hair cut off. It was now about two inches long. Unlike his though, hers was carefully styled into a mass of spikes. It looked... incredible. She blinked, and smiled a little uncertainly. "Don't you like it?" he couldn't help grinning at her slightly worried face.

"'Ganie, it looks great. Come on; let's get back to the school." She grinned, and hoisted the end of her trunk higher. Seeing that it was obviously heavy, Harry sighed, and took it off of her, dragging it behind him as they headed for one of the Thestral drawn carriages.

~

No matter how much she had loved spending Christmas with her Godfather, it felt wonderful to be back with brother.

Wylow threw herself down on her bed, and sighed contentedly as she sank comfortably into the mattress. Once again, she touched a tentative hand to her new hair style. It had been done in a moment of brilliant realization. Or so she had thought. Having borrowed Remus's wand so that she wouldn't get into trouble with that fucking pompous Ministry of so called Magic, and a few moments later sat with her long hair in clusters around her, she had begun to wander if she was completely insane. But the deed was done, and she wasn't about to turn back from her decision. She had wanted a change, and had got it. The only problem now was that her hair was still three toned, and no matter what she did it remained that way. After the initial shock, Remus had decided that he thought the look suited her; apparently it showed off her high cheek bones, courtesy of her mother, and he had called Falcon Carlisle over to show her how to style it.

Just as she closed her eyes and sighed, missing the warm weight that usually fell over her shoulders, the door burst open, and she felt the mattress sink slightly either side of her head. Gentle lips touched hers once, and a tiny thrill ran through her before she wrapped her arms around Hunters neck and pulled him down onto the mattress with her.

"For fucks sake, can't you two wait five minutes before shagging? It's getting so annoying." Arielle's voice woke Wylow's brain up from its Hunter induced stupor, and she opened her eyes and slowly sat up, pushing him off her in the process.

"Hey Ari'. Oh, hello Jac'!" Neither of them replied, merely stood gapping at her. "...What?"

"Your hair! Oh my god, what have you done?!" Hunter grinned, and ruffled her hair, ruining the spikes, which promptly reformed themselves, thanks to the Styling Spell (waterproof, ruffle proof, owl pellet proof).

"I like it." He planted a kiss on the side of her neck, and she couldn't help laughing.

"Ok, Hunter, calm down love. Still, it's nice to know that my friends rush up to see me the minute I return." The three of them looked guilty.

"Well... that was one of the reasons we came up... of course, Romeo here couldn't wait to see you..."

"Thing is Wyl', Dumbledore wants to see you. Immediately." Every part of her that had before been warmed by her friends' reaction to her return froze, and she rose slowly, regally and angrily.

"Its strange to see how fast you became that old mans faithful pets; fetching and carrying for him." Shaking off Hunters' hand, she stalked past her friends and out of her room, heading for the Headmasters office. The other three didn't follow her.

*

"My Fathers Land, My Mothers Tongue." At the sound of her own private pass word, the gargoyle sprang to life and out of the way. She strode up to the door way, and flung it open, not bothering to knock.

Dumbledore stood inside, stroking his phoenix's neck. He looked up, and smiled as he saw her.

"Ahh, Miss Le Fey- Potter-"

"Let's start this out in a slightly better way; its one or the other, not both. Miss Potter or Miss Le Fey; take your pick."

"Miss Le Fey, it is good to see you again."

"Cant say the feeling's mutual, but please continue." The Headmaster blinked at the 'please', and then continued.

"I was pleased to receive your letter during the holiday. Are you sure that you will reconsider?"

"Yes. I'm not doing this for you; I'm doing it for my brother." Dumbledore nodded his acknowledgment of the fact. He removed something from his pocket, and walked toward her. A smile showing through his white beard, he held out his hand to her. It was a phoenix feather, just a small one, attached to a thin leather band to make a necklace. Wylow nodded, took it, and fastened it around her neck. It lay against her breastbone, a light tickling sensation. Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling annoyingly behind those ridiculous half moon glasses that he insisted on wearing even though he didn't need them. She had found that out after stealing them and trying them on.

"Wylow, I appreciate your decision. Your mother-"

"Would have been proud. I know. Good day Professor." She nodded once, turned on her heel and walked out. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, she heard his voice drift out after her "By the way, I like your hair." She slammed the door behind her without replying.

~

Hunter ran his hand over her back gently, lying beside her on her four poster bed. She kept her face firmly turned away from him, refusing to acknowledge his presence.

"I am sorry you know Wyl'. I did want to see you, I wasn't just following orders." She maintained a dignified silence. "It's not as though I came in and told you then walked out, is it? I forgot about the message the minute I saw you!" No, she wouldn't reply. She pressed her lips firmly together to prevent herself from doing so. She heard him sigh. "Wyl', it would be so much easier for you to be snobby and silent if you were dressed." That broke her. She burst out laughing, rolling over on her back and grinning.

"Damn you Hunter, you ruined my flow there!" He laughed, and hugged her.

"Strange woman! You storm out of Dumbledores' office, grab me and drag me up to your room, and keep me here for an hour with the door locked, and then refuse to speak to me for fifteen minutes!" he leaned his forehead against her neck and sighed, his breath warm on her skin. "I will never understand women. Ever." Wylow smiled, and wrapped a hand around his neck, cradling his head against her shoulder. A glance at the window told her that outside the weather was dark, bitterly cold and snowing. She gently ran her fingers through the long hair at the base of his neck. It has grown quite a lot since they had started being a couple, and now hung below his jaw line. It suited him, though he was constantly flicking his hair out of his eyes. Slowly, his breathing told her that he was asleep, and she quietly slipped out of his embrace, and, pulling on her dressing gown, walked over to the window. She pushed it open, and shivered slightly as a chilled wind swept around her. The feather around her throat bounced up and down, tickling the skin on which it lay. The drop down to the ground was a long way. So far to fall... what would she do, with this power given to her, if she fell? Not knowing she was almost mimicking what her mother had done seventeen years ago, she climbed onto the window sill and crouched there for a moment, staring down at the ground. She let go of the edges of the window and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, letting herself fall. The last thing she remembered before she past out, was that the ground moved upwards really fast...

~

"She did WHAT?!" Harry stared at Carlisle in shock, while the taller, older, panic stricken looking boy stood in front of him.

"She... jumped out of the window..."

"And what were you doing at this time?! Because you were with her if I recall! Were you helping her onto the sill??" His sisters' boyfriend suddenly drew himself up with a snarl, his dark brown eyes flashing angrily.

"I would NEVER hurt Wylow! Never!"

"Then why is it that she 'jumps' out of a window when you're the only one around? Or did she really jump?" He had gone too far. Carlisle grabbed him by the front of his dressing gown and slammed him against the wall.

"Don't you dare accuse me of pushing her! I love her!"

"Look-"

"Go on, say it! You think I pushed her!"

"No-"

"SAY IT!"

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!" In shock, Carlisle let go of Harry, and he slipped to the floor without really caring. 'Ganie stood before them, hands on her hips, glaring furiously. "Hunter, don't beat up my brother. Jay, Hunter didn't push me, I wanted to know what my magic would do if I jumped out of the window. Apparently nothing, but I was intensely lucky to have landed on some Feather bushes so I merely broke my wrist and ankle. Now stop trying to kill each other, all right?" The two boys shuffled with embarrassment, neither wanting to be the first to apologise. I'll show him who's the bigger man, Harry thought, turning to Carlisle just as the Slytherin did the same.

"I'm sorry." They said in unison, then blinked, and glared at one another. For some reason, this Slytherin potions bod made Harry uneasy, and slightly inferior. As though he always had to prove himself.

Just as he was about to say something, though he wasn't sure what, Dumbledore walked into the Hospital Wing waiting room. 'Ganie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hello sir, come to see if your secret weapon managed to not die? Well, I did, lucky for you eh?" It was unbelievable how cheeky she was sometimes. The Headmaster merely chuckled though.

"That was actually what I came to see you about. You, Mr Carlisle, Mr Marlowe and Miss Morlock are needed; there's a raid tonight." What?! 'Ganie was a member of the active part of the Order? And her friends we too? And he, Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding World, wasn't?! 'Ganie sighed, and nodded.

"Very well. Give me a few minutes to go and change and get my equipment and I'll be with you and ready to go. The word you gave me; Cassemedose wasn't it?" The Headmaster nodded, and 'Ganie began to leave, Carlisle following her.

"Wait, what about me?" the words were blurted out before he could help it. 'Ganie stopped, and turned.

"What about you Jay?"

"Don't I get to go?" Damn it, he sounded like a whining kid who wasn't invited to the zoo. His younger twin looked at him sadly, her green eyes lit with... was that longing?

"Jay, this is dangerous. You need to stay here where it's safe."

"But-"

"When it comes down to it Jay, the reason I'm going and you're not is because you're more important then me. You're the one who is destined to stop Voldemort, not me; if I die, it doesn't matter as much as if you do." She hesitated a moment, then flew across the room and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He had grown a little too, and they were once again of the same height. He hugged her back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I love you Jay."

"I love you too 'Ganie. Don't get killed." She pulled away from him, her eyes glittering faintly.

"...I wish I could promise you that." Before he could answer, she ran out of the room, Carlisle following with a backwards glance at him.