Geminus

The students and professors reached the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office and waited a few moments to be joined by Hermione and Ron. They then all headed up to his office where eight chairs were placed in front of Dumbledore's desk. 'He probably expected this,' Kara thought to herself.

"Please be seated."

All eight took a seat as Dumbledore took up his place behind his desk. Fawkes flew over to sit on Harry's knee.

"Hello Fawkes."

"Now that everyone is seated I feel some explanation is in order. I'm afraid it can no longer be avoided."

Dumbledore looked sadly at Kara and Jenna. This is not how he would have planned it but now there was no other choice - if he had, they wouldn't have to carry this burden.

"Kara would you like to explain or would you rather I did?"

"No, I'll do it."

Dumbledore nodded at Kara. Jenna was about to protest when Dumbledore sent her a look that said she really didn't want to interrupt.

"Our great-great-great Grandmother designed the doorway in the death chamber in the Department of Mysteries."

Everybody but Dumbledore, Jenna and Harry either gasped or took a sharp intake of breath. Jenna just rolled her eyes earning another look from Dumbledore.

"She was interested in what happened when you die so she developed the veil as a doorway to the 'other side' and hid it in the depths of the Ministry. But some how she screwed up and the doorway just succeeded in trapping souls in limbo. I'm not sure how but she eventually managed to find a way to bring back the trapped wizards that had either accidentally fallen through the veil or had followed the voices of the dead. To ensure that this was not used irresponsibly our grandmother put a spell on the veil ensuring that only one prophesised person can be bought back each generation. "

Kara paused in her explanation to chance a glance at her sister who seemed very interested in her nails and looked totally bored by the explanation.

"There's a very complex incantation and ritual that has to be performed - this is where me and Jenna come in. A spell was cast over the Geminus Family...."

Jenna interrupted in a bored tone.

"In every generation a set of twins is born - they alone would be taught the incantation and ritual to retrieve the one prophesied to be brought back from limbo ... or words to that effect."

"Thank you, may I continue now?"

Jenna rolled her eyes at her sister and gestured for her to continue.

"One twin is told the ritual and the other the incantation so that we cannot be forced to perform or reveal the ritual and incantation to another - although both twins have to be willing whole heartedly to bring the prophesied person back otherwise ... well trust me you don't want to know."

"And I don't want any part of it."

Jenna said, directing her gaze from her fingers to Dumbledore and then to Kara. Kara ignored her sister's comment and continued with her explanation.

"There is also another catch, apart from if Jenna does not agree - well two actually."

"What?" Lupin finally spoke but Kara remained silent for a moment.

"Kara?" prompted Dumbledore.

"If we are certain that Sirius is the one we are supposed to bring back then he has to have been alive when he went through the veil ... otherwise all that will be brought back would be a dead body. Also it has to be performed on the anniversary of the person passing through the doorway when the magic is the strongest - however that's still no guarantee that it will work. We only know of a few times that it has been successful," Kara concluded.

"Thank you, Kara."

"There you go. Now everybody knows...."

Jenna said rising from her seat.

"... Good for you, I want no part in this. I'm leaving now."

Jenna headed towards the door but was stopped by Harry's voice.

"Why won't you bring him back, Jenna?"

Jenna paused with her hand on the door handle.

"You have no idea what you're asking me to do. I'm sure Kara will fill you in; she's done a fantastic job so far. I can't help you and I want no part in this."

With that Jenna made her leave of Dumbledore's office and headed straight for the Quidditch pitch to clear her head leaving the others behind to continue to talk. Oliver fidgeted in his seat not knowing whether to go after her or not.

"Excuse me Headmaster I should...."

"Of course Oliver, go ahead."

Oliver left Dumbledore's office quickly to try and catch up with Jenna.

Back in the office, Kara had rose from her seat.

"I need to ... just be not here"

Kara then left just as quickly as her sister had.

"Well it has been a lot to take in for one day. Let us give Jenna time to calm down and we will all meet again in one week - someone needs to inform Kara and Jenna."

"I can do that Professor."

"Thank you Hermione. Remus, could you inform Oliver?"

Lupin only nodded in response.

"Well I think that you three should return to your common room. I'm sure you would like to discuss this amongst yourselves."

The trio nodded and rose as one and left, leaving Snape and Lupin with Dumbledore.

Oliver found Jenna sitting in the Quidditch stands just staring into space.

"Jenna, you want to talk?"

Jenna shook her head in a 'no' response.

"Its not exactly warm out here, lets go back to my quarters. We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Jenna sighed audibly before deciding that Oliver's quarters sounded more appealing than freezing her arse off.

"Okay."

Jenna rose and took the hand that Oliver offered her and they descended the stands and went to Oliver's quarters. Once there Oliver immediately put the kettle on leaving Jenna to make herself comfortable on the couch in the living room. Returning from the kitchen Oliver handed Jenna a mug of tea.

"Thanks."

Jenna set the mug down on the coffee table in front of them before turning to Oliver abruptly.

"Why does it all have to be down to me? Why can't they just get over it already? They have no idea what they are asking me to do - they don't even have a clue what could go wrong."

Jenna let out an argh of frustration. Oliver remained silent - he could tell she hadn't finished yet and he had no clue how to even begin to answer her.

"What if the spell goes wrong? What if I can't remember what to do - it's been so long since I last thought about it. What if we do it and he comes back wrong? He could come back worse than dead. What if he's not the person that's prophesied for us to bring back? If he's not then it could have terrible consequences...."

Jenna took a breath, giving Oliver time to interrupt.

"Jenna first of all breathe, then try and calm down."

Oliver put his hands reassuringly on Jenna's and she seemed to calm a little from her rant and her voice was quieter when she spoke again.

"The magic we have to use is so powerful; it's not worth the risk - why can't they see that? Why can't they understand that the risks are too high? If something goes wrong we will get blamed for it - I don't like that thought. Anything can go wrong Oliver, why don't they get that?"

Oliver pulled Jenna into a hug, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Try not to think about it like that, that's a lot of 'what ifs'. Nobody can force you to do something you don't agree with. Try not to think anymore of it today, everything will be alright in the end - okay?"

Oliver said in what he hoped was a comforting voice. Jenna nodded into his chest and remained in his embrace for sometime. Oliver remained in silence, thinking over Jenna's worries about what she might have to do. He'd have to remember to ask Dumbledore if there was any other way, there was a lot at stake for Jenna and Kara. Maybe Jenna was right - maybe it was wrong to mess with such powerful magic. He knew he couldn't make the choice for her and he wouldn't want to.

Meanwhile Kara was wandering the castle. She couldn't face going back to the common room as she knew Ron and Hermione would bombard her with questions and besides she was still furious with Harry for forcing her to tell everyone. She eventually found herself at the Owlery. Kara sighed, she needed to talk to someone but there was only one person left to turn to. Using a discarded piece of parchment and her wand she scribbled a note to Draco asking him to meet her and sent it with one of the school owls before heading out to the Great Lake. After nearly an hour she was just about to give up on Draco when he appeared beside her. He sat down and took her hand.

"What's wrong? ...God you're freezing."

Draco took off his robes and slung them around Kara who let out a slight laugh.

"What?"

"Oh if my friends could see me now - arranging secret meetings with a Malfoy and then wearing Slytherin robes."

Draco chucked before pulling Kara towards him.

"Well what's wrong? It must be bad if you actually ask to meet me."

"I just ... it's ... oh god."

Kara turned away from Draco's gaze and looked out to the lake. Draco remained quiet, his face full of worry.

"Draco, can I trust you?"

Kara turned back at Draco with a look of confusion. He cupped her chin and stared in to her eyes.

"Yes I swear."

Kara sighed before deciding to believe him.

"You know you asked me a while ago about my necklace and I said it was just a family heirloom - well I left out the most important part...."

Whether she should have done or not Kara told Draco everything that she had just told the others - thankful to talk to someone who didn't have a personal involvement. When Kara finished, the look of intense relief was obvious on her face. Draco shook his head slowly.

"I don't believe it, that's one hell of a burden! So Jenna doesn't want to get involved, do you think she will change her mind?"

"Not likely."

Draco was silently grateful - it might get him off the hook with Voldemort if Jenna was refusing to do the spell.

"Thank you for coming hun."

"Don't be stupid Kay, I care about you and you know it. If you ever need me just ask."

Kara smiled and laid her head on Draco's shoulder. They sat there in silence for a while before Kara sat up silently shaking her head.

"What?"

Kara struggled to meet Draco's curious gaze.

"This shouldn't feel so right but it does."

"I know."

Draco leaned over and kissed her. After a while they reluctantly broke away, each with a wistful smile. They got up in silence and walked back to the castle, Draco's arm slung around Kara's waist. When they reached the inside of castle Draco dropped his arm and turned to Kara.

"Kay?"

"Hmmm?"

"I lo...."

Kara put her fingers on Draco's lips silencing him.

"Don't please, I can't - not yet anyway."

Draco took her hand away and slowly let it go.

"Can you ever?"

Kara shrugged regretfully but she kissed him briefly on the lips, not caring if anyone saw. She left Draco and headed back to the Gryffindor tower. She had just reached the portrait hole when she realised she still had Draco's robes on her. She quickly flung them off and wrapped them in to a ball, hiding the Slytherin crest. She climbed through the portrait hole and, as she suspected, was bombarded by Ron and Hermione.

"Kara, where have you been?"

"Can you...."

"Hang on, just give me a minute."

She bolted upstairs and carefully hid Draco's robes in her trunk before reluctantly heading back downstairs. She sat on the couch next to Harry who turned to her.

"I'm so...."

"I know."

Kara smiled at him before turning to face Ron and Hermione's questions.