Lydia's Story

Draco had a lot on his mind as he made his way back up to the castle with Lydia. Mainly, he wondered what the Dark Lord was saying right now. He had felt his Dark Mark burn, and knew that all able Death Eaters were gathering. The Dark Lord knew he wouldn't be able to come, of course, but Draco wondered what new plans were forming.

Ever since he had met Lydia, he had been wondering if she was at Hogwarts under the Dark Lord's orders. He was on his best behaviour, trying to win her favour. He knew many Death Eaters from the Meliflua family, and knew that other members of the family supported the Dark Lord outside of the Death Eaters. But she had yet to make any reference to the Dark Lord or Death Eaters, and Draco wasn't sure what to think.

Maybe she just doesn't know I'm one of them, he thought to himself, his eyes on Lydia. She's not saying anything because she doesn't know if she can trust me.

Draco had used this thought to excuse Lydia's apparent ignorance, but now he saw that he couldn't continue telling himself this. She didn't feel the Dark Mark burn, and Draco was running out of excuses for her.

Oh well. Either way, befriending a Meliflua is still impressive, he told himself. Mother will be proud.

*~*~*~*~*

Lydia was indeed quite oblivious to Draco's Dark Mark. They parted ways in the Entrance Hall, after making plans to meet after supper. Lydia hurried to the dormitories to get her supplies; she had Divination next, followed by a free period. Laden with her supplies, she made her way to the class, following the directions Draco had given her.

She reached a tiny landing, and spotted a trapdoor above her. A brass plaque on the door told her she was in the right place, but no one else was around. Checking her watch, she realized that she was quite early.

She was about to sit on the floor when the trapdoor suddenly opened, a silver ladder descending to the floor. After a brief hesitation, Lydia made her way up to the classroom above. As her head poked into the room, she was hit with a blanket of hot, strongly scented air. She looked around, she saw that the class was very dim, and littered with circular tables surrounded by pouffes and armchairs.

She moved to a pouffe at the front of the class, opposite from the trapdoor. Only when she crossed the room did she see the witch standing in the shadows. She was very thin, and draped with numerous shawls. Her back was turned to Lydia as she worked at the back of the class, rearranging some candles and playing cards that were sitting on the shelves.

One by one, students slowly made their way into the room. There were students from all four houses, but even still the class was small. Lydia counted a total of seven students: three Gryffindors, one Hufflepuff, two Ravenclaws, and one Slytherin.

When the students had all taken a seat, the teacher turned away from the shelf, pulling her shawls tighter around herself as she drifted towards the front of the room. As she passed, Lydia saw her thick glasses glint in the light of the fire, greatly magnifying her eyes.

"Welcome," she said in a misty voice, standing before them. "How good to see you here. My name is Professor Trelawney, for those of you who have not met me," Her eyes drifted to Lydia. The few students who hadn't noticed Lydia sitting in the shadows gave a start, one boy sliding off his pouffe. Professor Trelawney continued without noticing. "Our numbers are small as, of course, I had predicted, but I am always glad to help those who wish to See, even if they are few. For today, we will be reviewing Orb-gazing. This will give you all a chance to refresh your Inner Eye, as I know none of you have practised during the summer. Divide into pairs and take a crystal ball from the shelf, one for each pair."

The students began shuffling around, and once again Lydia was left alone. Professor Trelawney took the seat across from her as Lydia went to get a crystal ball, the perfumed air starting to make her nauseous. Sitting back down, she placed the Orb between them and pulled out her books.

Divination had always been her favourite subject, but being asked to See for the teacher on her first day was not what she had expected. Lydia felt her hand shake slightly as she opened Seeing Beyond to the chapter on crystal-gazing.

Taking a deep breath, Lydia gazed down at the ball, her eyes roving its surface. After a few minutes of nothing, images began to appear from the mist, foggy at first before becoming clearer.

"A candelabra," she said at last, consulting Seeing Beyond. "Illumination: you'll be found out. The three candle mean three days. So in three days you'll be...found out." Lydia's voice trailed off awkwardly. Feeling foolish, she didn't notice Professor Trelawney shifting in her seat. Returning to the Orb, Lydia once again began to scan it's surface. Another few minutes passed before the next image appeared clearly.

"A bottle of some kind," she said, her voice feeling hoarse from the sickly air. "Let's see, it seems to have a cork in it, so it can mean a couple of things. Drink: drunkenness, misunderstanding, or Sealed: secretive, withdrawn."

"Enough!" Professor Trelawney yelped suddenly, causing several students to jump. She quickly regained her composure, continuing with the same misty voice she had used earlier. "I must watch the other students now, to see how they're progressing." She looked at Lydia with a strange light in her eyes before moving to where Parvati and Lavender sat.

Lydia, having no one to work with, began to focus on other people she knew. She had learned at Durmstrang how to See for people, even if they weren't present. She never knew if her predictions were right, but she enjoyed it anyway. Now she focussed her mind on her family, starting with her mother.

A pinecone, she thought at last, as the mist began to take shape. Rough: worries, troubles. Oh well, I'm probably wrong anyway.

Focussing on Delsky, the mist began to take on a new shape.

It looks like a glass of water. Container: held, enclosed...could've guessed that much. Water: tears, a change in flow.

Lydia moved her thoughts to her father, and the fog once again changed its shape.

A flying raven, I think. Raven: dark, sinister. Flight: danger, escape. Probably wrong again.

Lydia stopped, trying to think of who else. With a start, she realized that she had forgotten Draco.

An octopus, she decided, as the swirling fog reformed before her eyes. Binding: bondage, confusion. Multiple Limbs: multitasking, busy.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the bell rang, signalling the end of class. Lydia had gathered her books, ready to leave, when she heard Professor Trelawney's misty voice.

"Miss Meliflua? Could you stay for a moment? I would like to have a word with you."

Lydia put her books back down on the table, not sure of what to think. Would she be told off for her predictions? Would Professor Trelawney take away points for cheek?

Lydia turned to face her teacher, bracing herself for the worst. Professor Trelawney, however, was looking at her with interest.

"My dear, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you known that you possess the Gift?" Professor Trelawney spoke quietly, her eager voice barely above a whisper. "Of course, it would only be expected in a family such as yours...But still, you must understand my excitement at having a fellow Seer at last!"

Lydia stared at her mutely, wondering if she had heard right.

"Gift...m-my family...Seer?" she stuttered at last, her confused eyes searching Trelawney's face for some sign of a joke. "I'm afraid I don't understand..."

"My dear, surely you must!" the professor said incredulously, her eyes growing wider. "You are the first student I have ever taught who could See so quickly from the Orb!"

"You think my predictions were accurate?" Lydia asked, her mind shifting uneasily to her family.

"Only time can tell, of course, but your predictions seemed genuine, unless I'm very much mistaken?"

"Of course, Professor," Lydia said quickly. "I just never thought of myself as a...well, Seer. I've always seen things in Divination class, but I was just doing what the teacher told me to. Doesn't everyone see things, at least sometimes?"

"No my dear, it is a gift few have. Many students can sit through years of classes and never See. Others may See some of the time, enough to know it's real, but no more than that. Most of this class is made up of such students."

Lydia stood quietly, thinking about what she had just heard. Her visions in Divination class were so natural to her that she had never thought to ask before. Now she realized, for the first time in her life, that her experiences weren't shared by many.

"What were you saying about my family?" she finally asked, her tone slightly defensive.

Now it was Trelawney's turn to stare. "Surely you must know! Why, you descend from a long line of Seers! Many wizarding families may not know it, but the Meliflua family has fathered Seers for many generations!"

Once again, Lydia was speechless. How much more would she learn about her family before leaving Hogwarts?

*~*~*~*~*

Lydia spent her free period up in Professor Trelawney's class, listening attentively as Trelawney spoke about many of the famous Seers throughout history. The professor seemed very knowledgeable about Lydia's family, something Lydia envied.

"I don't know anything about my family," Lydia confided at last, sipping tea from a chipped pink teacup. "Everyone else seems to know more than me. It's not fair."

"What I know, I learned from years of reading and the Inner Eye," Professor Trelawney said softly, swirling the dregs in her cup. "I have always taken a great interest in the ancient Seers. I will gladly share what I know, but if you want to know more, you'll have to search as I did."

Lydia watched quietly as Professor Trelawney drained her cup over a saucer. "When can you teach me?" she said at last.

"You can come to me whenever you're free, my dear," her teacher replied mistily. "I am almost always here. Moving amongst the mundane clouds my Inner Eye."

Lydia smiled appreciatively, swirling her own dregs with her left hand. "Thank you, Professor! You don't know how much this means to me."

"It's no problem, dear," Trelawney said, picking up her own teacup again. "As I said before; I am happy to have a fellow Seer here with me. Here, tell me what you see." She added, holding out her cup to Lydia.

Taking the cup carefully, Lydia looked closely at the soggy dregs resting in the bottom.

"From here, I see a pitchfork. Er - What does that mean, anyway?" she asked awkwardly, looking up at Trelawney. She had put her books away long ago.

"The pitchfork: persecution, offence," Trelawney recited softly, her eyes wider than usual.

"Oh...Sorry about that. Well, if I turn it this way, I think I see a pair of scales."

"The scales: judgement, evaluation," Trelawney said in the same soft voice.

Lydia paused, not sure if she wanted to continue. There was only so much she wanted to know about her teacher's future.

A ringing bell pierced her thoughts, signalling the end of class. She hastily put down the teacup, grabbing her book bag instead.

"Sorry, Professor, I guess I'll have to go," Lydia said, standing to her feet.

"Yes, yes, I guess you must," Trelawney answered quietly, her expression more distant and distracted than before. "I will be seeing you later."

Lydia moved towards the trapdoor. She stopped halfway through it at the sound of Professor Trelawney's voice.

"Miss Meliflua?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"If you don't mind," Trelawney said, her voice shaking slightly, "I would appreciate it very much if we kept these predictions to ourselves."

*~*~*~*~*

Back in the dormitory, Lydia's lungs were grateful to be out of the perfumed air of Professor Trelawney's class. She hastily dropped off her books and hurried down to the Great Hall for supper. Her lunch with Draco had long since worn off, and her stomach was growling.

Supper was once again a very quiet occasion. Lydia sat by herself, thinking about everything that had happened in the course of the day. She had grown immune to the few faces that still turned to stare at her. Her thoughts travelled to Professor Trelawney, wondering what she knew.

Supper turned to dessert, which soon faded from their plates. Lydia had barely noticed until Draco appeared at her shoulder, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Still up for our walk?" he asked her, his usual charming smile in place. "I was thinking we could catch the sunset before curfew."

Lydia smiled up at him. For a guy who couldn't seem to see beauty or happiness in anything that morning, this was quite the accomplishment!

"Sure! That sounds great!" she answered enthusiastically. "How's your arm feeling?" she added, rising to her feet.

"Better. Don't worry, like I said: it's nothing serious," he smiled again, and Lydia felt her insides squirm. Standing, he was still taller than her, but only by half a foot. His white-blond had been brushed again since lunch, and gleamed in the candlelight. His silvery eyes, so unlike any she had ever seen before, seemed to be watching her closely.

"So...I guess we'll be going, then?" she said, desperate to break the silence that had fallen. She didn't trust herself with her own thoughts for much longer. It had been years since she last felt this way, and she wasn't sure of what to think. Draco had grown on her, and she wasn't entirely sure of how to feel about that.

Leaving Crabbe and Goyle to fend for themselves, Draco led the way out of the castle and down to the grounds below. They went back to their place at the edge of the lake, lounging on the grass as they watched the sun make its slow descent. The sky was a blaze of colour, each more beautiful than the last. The smooth surface of the water reflected it perfectly, and Lydia felt that she was sitting at the edge of the sunset itself.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she sighed wistfully.

"Yeah, it is," Draco replied softly. Turning, Lydia realized that he wasn't watching the sky at all. He was looking at her.

"Draco, you're going to miss it if you don't pay attention!" she said reprovingly, hoping the glow of the sunset would hide the colour in her cheeks.

"So? What if this is the view that makes me happy? It's my choice, isn't it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "I let you enjoy your scenery, now you let me enjoy mine!"

Lydia sat in silence, her eyes still on Draco. She could see the colours of the sunset reflected in his eyes, but she had lost interest in the sky. Her stomach squirmed worse than ever, but she couldn't turn her eyes away.

What's wrong with me? She thought, feeling frustrated. Why can't I act normally?

Lost in her thoughts, Lydia barely noticed Draco moving closer. He was sitting on her left, so close that they were almost touching. A strand of white-blond hair had fallen across his eyes, which seemed to shine with a roguish light.

And in the last dying embers of the sunset, he kissed her.