Geminus

Both Kara and Jenna were up early Saturday morning - they had been finding it hard to sleep since the meeting with Dumbledore. Kara glanced across at her sister from her bed.

"Shall we go downstairs? I guess we need to start remembering."

Jenna nodded and they both quietly got dressed and headed to the common room. Jenna lit the fire and they settled around it with quill and parchment. Eventually the rest of the Gryffindors awoke but wisely stayed away from the twins after receiving warning looks from Jenna. Ron, however, was not so wise and bounded over to the twins when he awoke.

"Hey girls, what you up to?"

Kara looked up at Ron, the frustration clear on her face.

"Trying to remember the pesky spell that everyone is so keen on us performing - but we won't if we keep getting interrupted."

Ron raised his eyebrows and walked off muttering.

"And I thought she was supposed to be the nice twin!"

Both Jenna and Kara chuckled before returning to their work.

Lunch came and went with both the twins still working hard. Kara sighed and got up to stretch her legs, ignoring the curious looks from Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"So what you got?"

Jenna frowned at the balls of parchment surrounding her before reading the one in front of her.

"I can remember that one of us to walk clockwise around the veil and the other anticlockwise and we both have incense burning - I can't remember what ones though...."

Jenna yawned and stretched briefly before carrying on reading.

"... I know part of the chant - 'Hear now the words of the witches, the secrets we hid in the night.' Apart from that I have nothing. You?"

Kara sat back down and picked up her notes.

"Not much - it's bloody harder then I thought ... Perlabor pallium, obviously from Dumbledore's little speech, sui effero oriundus ... then I'm stuck on the next word. It's susro, sisurra, something like that."

The twins both frowned deeply then tried to return to work but the noise from the other Gryffindors kept distracting them.

"ARGH!"

Everyone looked at Jenna who had just yelled loudly in annoyance.

"God, you lot are so loud...."

She glanced down at Kara who had a half smile on her face.

"... I'm off to see Oliver. Probably see you tomorrow."

With that she stuffed her quill and parchment in her bag and headed out of the portrait hole.

Oliver was currently trying to mark some first year homework when he heard a knock on his door. Grateful for the distraction, he went to answer - smiling when he saw Jenna in front of him.

"Hey hun, what's up?"

"Just wanted to see you...."

Jenna smiled as she dumped her bag on his living room floor and sat in her favourite chair.

"... Well actually Kara and I have been trying to remember the spell all day and haven't got very far so I needed a distraction."

Oliver grinned cheekily and sat on the nearby sofa.

"So I'm your distraction?"

Jenna jumped off the chair and curled up next to Oliver, burying her head in his chest.

"Yeah that and I'm really worried about this."

"You haven't changed your mind again?"

"No, no I still want to do it. It's just I can't help worry - there is so much at stake. If anything goes wrong then it is on mine and Kara's head."

Oliver frowned worriedly but when Jenna lifted her head to look at him, he smiled reassuringly .

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong - you and Kara are fantastic witches. Besides no-one will blame you, they all know the risks".

"Yeah but Harry and Lupin have got their hopes up so much - I just don't want to disappoint them. I mean I'm struggling to remember the ritual as it is."

"It will come back to you and besides its ages away until you have to perform it. Now are you going to let me distract you or not?"

Jenna smiled as Oliver leant to kiss her. As they lay down on the sofa kissing all worries fled out of Jenna's mind. 'This is was definitely the best distraction ever,' she thought. Oliver and Jenna had been kissing for a while when suddenly Jenna pulled away and squirmed out from under Oliver.

"Hey, what gives?"

Jenna ignored Oliver and slapped her forehead.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, how could I not remember that? We need one of Sirius's possessions...."

Jenna trailed off as she rummaged through her bag for her quill and parchment. Oliver sat up, growling in annoyance as Jenna sat down and began scribbling away.

"Argh damn it and I thought I was getting somewhere then."

Jenna threw down her quill and parchment and sat back on the couch.

"Am I allowed to kiss you again now?"

Oliver asked with a slightly sulkily tone as if he needed permission.

"Yeah, I might get another idea."

Jenna replied offhandedly, not really taking in Oliver's tone.

"Jenna!" Oliver protested.

"Oh sorry that's not what I meant, well I did its just ... I'm sorry, start over?"

"Can I kiss you again now?"

"I don't know, can you?"

Oliver leaned over and kissed Jenna in reply and all thoughts about the ritual gone from Jenna's head, well almost. They had been kissing for a few minutes when another idea struck Jenna. She hastily pulled out of their kiss again and rose from the couch then paced in front of the fire ignoring Oliver's grumbles of protest.

"Jasmine ... no, that's not it."

"Jenna?"

"Oliver, I'm trying to think ... sage ... no that's not it either ... oh how stupid can I get? Its sandalwood, one of the incense is sandalwood."

Jenna grabbed the parchment and quill she had thrown on the floor and scrawled a quick note of the incense.

"Okay I'm done."

"Are you sure, coz I can go if you're trying to think?"

Oliver said, sounding hurt after being pushed away for a second time. He knew remembering the ritual and its components was important, but she had pushed him away twice - twice in a matter of minutes.

"Oliver, I'm sorry. I promise I'm done now besides my brain hurts. Can we start over, again?"

"I don't know, can we?"

Oliver mimicked Jenna's earlier response to him but gave up trying to be annoyed with her as she smiled at him sweetly and he pulled her into another kiss, this time with no other distractions.

After Jenna had left the Gryffindor common room, Kara attempted to continue working but she soon was distracted by the noise. After dumping her stuff back in the dorm she attempted to sit with Harry and the others but the hopeful looks he kept giving her soon put her on edge.

"Harry, hun, will you stop it please?"

Harry grinned.

"What?"

"The stupid looks. I don't want you getting your hopes up - this is exactly why Jenna didn't want to do the spell. You can't forget that it is more likely to go wrong then to actually work."

Harry just grinned at her again causing Kara to groan.

"Oh, just leave me alone."

Ignoring the puzzled looks from Ron, Harry and Hermione she stalked up to her dorm. Kara paced the room for a while before collapsing on her bed, tears of frustration in her eyes. The one time she wanted to talk with her sister and she was off with her boyfriend - normally it was the other way round. Her eyes were drawn to her barn owl, Tamos.

"I could ask ... no that's just asking for trouble ... but he did say...."

Kara muttered to herself for a while until she heard Hermione call her from downstairs. Ignoring the guilty feeling in her stomach, she scribbled a note to Draco asking him to meet her again and went downstairs. She walked past the trio and would have walked straight out the common room but Hermione stopped her.

"Kara, come on. Harry was only joking."

Kara turned and faced the trio.

"I know, I'm sorry Harry. Look, I just need to be alone for now to clear my head - I'll need that to remember the rest of the spell."

With a faint smile at them she slipped out of the common room and headed down to the library. .

Kara sat in the library for a while but there was no sign of Draco. She frowned, 'I guess he was more upset about the other day then I thought.' She got up and opened the library doors to leave but a large eagle owl swooped through and landed on her shoulder. Madam Pince frowned at her so Kara hurriedly removed the note and let the owl fly out of the library again. She opened the note, a smile developing on her face: 'Come to the Room of Requirement love Draco.' She hurried out of the library and through the castle. When she reached the Barnabas the Barmy's tapestry on the seventh floor she paused and hesitantly called out Draco's name. A door appeared and a blond head stuck out of it.

"Hey gorgeous, come in."

Kara followed Draco through the door and smiled when she saw what was inside. There was a roaring fire with a rug and cushions in front of it and the entire room was lit only by candles. Kara raised her eyebrow at Draco who smirked.

"Yes?"

Shaking her head, she sat down on the rug with Draco doing the same. With a heavy sigh Kara lay down and stared at the ceiling struggling to find any words. Draco joined her, his head on his hand.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah I know - now I don't know what to say."

Kara rolled on her side and faced Draco.

"Jenna agreed to do the spell...."

"What?"

"...Yeah I was shocked too but she did. Now we have to remember the spell and ritual but I'm finding it so hard. What if what I remember is wrong?"

A panicked look flittered across Draco's face as Kara was talking but he hid it quickly as he met her gaze. He was shocked to see real fear in her eyes.

"Don't be stupid. You'll remember it fine and perform it fine - trust me."

Kara bit her bottom lip worriedly.

"It's just everyone is expecting so much, Dumbledore, Lupin, Harry...."

Kara trailed off as she felt Draco stiffen beside when she mentioned Harry's name. She scrambled quickly to her feet.

"God I'm so sorry, I don't even know what I'm doing here ... I'm such a bitch to you and Harry, it's just...."

Kara realised she didn't have a reason for how she felt and shut up, a tear silently falling down her cheek as she went to leave. Draco shot to his feet and pulled her back down in front of the fireplace.

"Just leave it for now. I'm okay just being here with you. It means a lot that you asked to see me."

Kara raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Honestly Kay, I swear I'm alright with it for now."

"Draco ... I ... god help me but think I...."

Draco kissed her briefly forcing Kara into silence.

"Don't say it for the sake of it."

Draco kissed Kara again who kissed him back fully, slipping her arms around his neck as he lowered her down on to the rug.

Draco awoke in the middle of the night and looked at Kara with a smile. He frowned as he noticed her pendant which had slipped out of her top. 'You know you're supposed to take that,' a voice in his head muttered. Draco reached out and fingered the pendant briefly before shaking his head and placing a kiss on Kara's forehead - he just couldn't do it no matter what the consequences were. He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Kara awoke in the morning with Draco's arms around her. She snuggled closer in to his chest not wanting to ruin the moment. She lay there for a few minutes until she felt Draco stir.

"Morning."

Draco smiled at her.

"At least you haven't run off this time!"

Kara grinned as she threw a cushion at him. Draco laughed and pinned her down before tickling her. Kara squealed with laughter then grabbed Draco and kissed him. They both broke apart breathless. Kara looked at her watch and groaned before attempting to get up.

"I guess I should head back."

Draco pinned Kara back down, shaking his head.

"Nah ah - I'm not letting you."

Kara struggled half-heartedly before sighing, a grin on her face.

"Oh ok I guess you persuaded me."

It wasn't until early Sunday evening that Kara headed back to the Gryffindor tower - by sheer chance she met her sister on the way.

"Did you have fun at Oliver's?"

"Yeah, I ended up remembering some more of the ritual as well. So where have you been?"

Jenna was smirking as she questioned her sister. Kara seemed very distracted and couldn't stop smiling.

"The Room of Requirement."

"Well you obviously had fun so I take it you weren't alone?"

"No, I met up with Draco last night and we have been there all day."

Jenna's smirk fell and was replaced with a scowl.

"Do you enjoy messing that boy about?"

Kara stopped on the landing of the floor of their common room, her eyebrows raised at the anger in Jenna's voice especially as she was actually defending Draco.

"No I don't and we spoke about it last night. He said he was okay...."

Kara fell quiet as she realised that Draco had probably just said that she so wouldn't leave. Jenna snorted.

"And you're supposed to be the more experienced one? You really need to decide who you want Kay and fast."

"I know, I think I have made up my mind then it changes again, god I'm awful. I promise I will once we get this spell out of the way."

Jenna shook her head once at her sister then they both headed in to the common room. They both waved at the trio.

"Hey guys - must shower!"

As they headed up to the bathroom, Hermione called after them.

"So where have you two been all this time?"

Jenna grinned over her shoulder.

"I was having a break with my boyfriend. Kay?"

Shooting a ungrateful look at her sister, Kara turned and smiled.

"I went to the Room of Requirement; I needed some time to think so I ended staying there all last night and today...."

As they headed up the stairs, Jenna heard Kara mutter "with Draco" under her breath.

"What'd you say that for?"

Kara shrugged at her sister.

"That way I didn't lie, I just spoke some parts louder then others - a little trick I remember you teaching me actually."

Laughing Jenna followed her sister upstairs.