Wake From Daydream

Okay. So adding powdered hen's teeth to boiled snake scales isn't lethal, but when it's powdered rooster's teeth is? Except when the scales have been boiled with hippogiff blood? Fussy, aren't we? Lily Evans wrinkled her brow and bit her lip in frustration.

The miniscule squiggly writing of her potions text swam before her eyes. The August day was stiflingly hot and all she wanted to do was sleep. But, for the second summer in a row, here she was, two weeks until her third year at Hogwarts, and none of her homework was done.

"Gah," she said out loud and dropped the book on the floor, wincing at the crash it made. Too lazy to reach over and pick it up, she flipped onto her back and stared at her ceiling.

The six weeks since she had arrived home from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had passed in a blur. It had been an altogether hot and lazy summer, where one could live in water for days on end. And that was what she had done. Everyday, she, her sister Petunia and her brother Billy had walked across their family's property to the river that ran through a shadowy vale of trees. Somedays they had brought their friends along until the water was teaming with multitudes of children. Water fights had been inescapable.

And now she had only two weeks left at her family's Ireland manor. She sighed. She was torn between the two worlds. Whenever she resided in one she longed for the other.

"Lily!" She jumped, startled by the high pitched voice that had carried up to her from outside her attic balcony. Walking over to it, she flung apart the drapes and walked out, regarding her younger sister Petunia with amusement. "He's here, he's here!" Petunia called, dancing on the front doorstep and pointing at a car that was crawling up the driveway.

A wave of excitement ran through Lily as she ducked her head back through the window and whooped for joy, before speeding down the rickety attic stairs to meet her cousin Julian.

Almost crashing into 15 year old Billy, she stopped to tell him that the Desormeaux's had arrived. His eyes lit up, "Wicked," he breathed, following her "They did bring Alain, didn't they?"

"Of course! How could they ever leave poor Alain behind again after last time," she laughed, thinking of her older, melancholy cousin, perpetually dressed in black, who had been accidentally left at home in the rush of last years surprise visit.

As brother and sister, skidded to a stop outside the front door, Lily saw that Julian had already been claimed by Petunia as she danced around him begging for a piggy back ride.

Her tall, red haired cousin obliged, swinging Petunia's delicate frame onto his own sturdy one. His eyes twinkled as he saw Lily and he walked forward to greet her.

"Hi," he said bending over for her hug, "Ready for another year?"

"Mom said I could come with you to Diagon Alley this year!" Petunia yelled in his ear. "And she said we could buy an owl!"

"Oh really?" Julian smiled, "And what are you going call this owl?'

"Julian Poo Head!" she shrieked, laughing, as he took off, racing around the yard.

Lily's parents, William and Mary Evans, stepped out of their house and into the excitement, faintly surprised expressions on their faces.

"Lucy!" William called, sweeping his tall blond sister into a massive hug as she unloaded luggage from the boot of the car. "We didn't think you'd get here this early."

She laughed. "You know what a speed demon Stephan is, Will. I think we may even have beat last years record time."

"By about an hour," Stephan Desormeaux said in his faint French accent. "They have repaved some roads making it much easier to travel faster."

"Well come on inside. Don't worry about your bags, someone will see to it that they get to your rooms."

With that, the four adults stepped into the shade of the house.

Billy and Alain were already engaged in discussion over a new band that Alain had discovered. The Crash. Or something like that.

'Lily," Alain said, sauntering over. He had taken a package of dye to his once blond hair she realized, and colored his locks an inky black. It matched the rest of his attire. Black T-shirt with 'The Clash' emblazoned on the front, black jeans and black Doc Martens. She wondered how he could stand the heat in all that black.

"Good to see that you're actually here his year," she smiled shaking his proffered hand.

"Yeah, I think it'll be good for me out here. It's peaceful. Good for thinking. I joined a band you know."

"No, I didn't. With who? What do you play?"

"Some guys from school. And I play bass."

"You have to, have to, have to, show me!" she squealed, emphasizing her excitement by jumping up and down.

"Yeah, maybe sometime," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

"Come on Julian! Let's go swimming!" Petunia yelled, as they crash landed on the lawn. He rolled over with a groan and looked at Lily.

"What do you say Lil?"

"Sure. Are you coming Alain? You must be stifling in all that." She gestured towards his outfit.

"Yeah, sounds okay I guess.

"Let's go!" Petunia yelled, running into the house to find her bathing suit, Lily following closely behind.

*-*-*-*-*-*

The next few days passed in much the same manner as before. The five cousins spent all of their time together mostly just lying around during the day. At night though, after Petunia had gone to bed, they split up. Billy and Alain usually took the time for Billy's bass lesson, and Lily and Julian did their homework together.

"I can't believe you put it off this long," Julian grumbled, when they'd first begun. "I started the week I got home."

"That's fabulous Julian," she said rolling her eyes without looking up from a Transfigurations assignment. "Why are you still doing it now?"

"I got bored," he said blushing, "DADA was the only second year homework of Alain's that I could find."

Julian and Alain were the only relatives she had at Hogwarts. It was a faint strain of ancient Celtic blood that ran through their veins, and turned up a lot less than it had in the past. A history assignment that had had them research their families ancestry ten generations back had shown her that several of her ancestors had attended Hogwarts or schools like it. However, the amount with magic blood had become much more infrequent about six generations ago.

She and her cousins had hardly seen each other until the July of the summer that she and Julian had received their Hogwarts owls. Both Alain and Julian had been sworn to secrecy by their parents about Alain's school life for the past three years. She had received her owl after the Desourmoux's had left, making for a huge surprise on the platform of 9 ¾ that September. Ever since then, Lily and Julian had been mostly inseparable, except for the summers when the boys returned to their parent's home in Paris.

"What type of broom would you get if you could have any?" Julian asked suddenly.

"A Shooting Star of course," She said propping herself up on the elbows to look at him. "They're the newest models."

"Yeah, me too. I'm trying out for the Quidditch house team this year. Dad said he'd buy me a broom."

"Really? That's amazing! What position?"

"Keeper. Avery Wilson graduate last year."

"Well good luck with that. I really hope you make it."

"Me too. Hey I brought something for you!" he exclaimed jumping up suddenly, "Be right back." He raced out of the room ad was back in a few minutes, gasping for air.

"Here," he said, throwing something down on her bed, before collapsing, "I took it last year remember? The last day of exams. Tristan owled me some stuff to develop it."

She picked up the one piece of paper and turned it over. On the other side was a picture.

Sirius Black and James Potter were staring devilishly at Peter Pettigrew's back as they snuck up behind him, wand tips sparking. Oblivious to all this, Peter was smiling shyly and waving. Remus Lupin was looking up from a book and grinning, moving to join into the plot. Tiny Leighta Jeiy ran throughout the scene while Celeste Kaledyn was held up easily in the arms of Tristan Litai. Drew Ridley sat calmly under a huge oak tree regarding the scene through half closed eyes with a small smirk. Aerys Vonne sat on one of the lower branches and looked as though she was happily shouting encouragement to Laine Davidge whose wand was swishing down, pointed at James and Sirius.

And there she was. In the center of it all looking directly into the camera with her tongue stuck out, legs dangling from her perch on the shoulders of Julian who had his head tilted up towards her, grinning his permanent boyish smile. The second years at Hogwarts.

"Oh Jules! It's awesome! Thank you so much!" she yelled jumping up to hug him.

"No problem. I knew you didn't have many pictures of anyone else."

"True. I'll bring it back with me and frame it."

"Julian!" his mother called downstairs, "Time for bed!"

"That's right," Julian said, "It's Diagon Alley tomorrow. Goodnight then Lil."

"Night Jules," she murmured as he wandered out of her room, still staring at the picture. The only one missing was Severus Snape, Julian's best friend. Potter and Black had probably scared the poor boy off. It was a family feud of some sort that kept the three of them bickering. Sighing, she sat up and placed the picture on top of her school books. She would never understand those two.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Alain awoke with a start as lightning flashed outside of his window. He rolled over and glanced at his watch and then at Julian in the bed on the other side of his room, wondering how he could sleep through the storm. It was 5:30 in the morning and he knew that he would never fall back asleep.

He crept downstairs and into the kitchen to look for some coffee beans. The roaring of the wind and rain in the darkened morning made the house seem eerie when compared to the warmth and sunshine he had known for the last week. Finally finding what he was looking for, he made a pot of coffee and walked into the library.

It was a large room, and bright, even in the dark of the storm because of its being completely glassed in on three sides. Setting his coffee on a table beside a large puffy chair he wandered aimlessly around, looking for something to read. His hand had settled on the last of the Lord of the Rings trilogy when something near the door caught his eye. He turned towards it and saw Lily's mussed hair and tired eyes looking at him.

"That's a good one. Have you read the first two?"

He nodded. "And the Hobbit. And the Silmarillion."

"What's that? The Sil one."

"It's about middle earth before the third age. It's mostly about the elves. Rather dry though. Not like this." He pulled the book from the shelf and settled into his chair. Lily came to stand beside him.

"Can I have some of that?" she asked, motioning to his coffee. Alain nodded slowly and she took a mouthful.

"Blegh!" she said almost spitting it out. "No sugar?"

"Of course not," he smirked, "Sugar is for the ladies."

She glared at him. "Sugar and caffeine are more potent together."

"Oh, is that something you learned at school?" he laughed.

"Actually yes. It's why people eat chocolate after being around Dementors. With just the caffeine or the sugar they wouldn't heal half as quickly."

"Very true. But still, it seems stronger when it's black."

"Read to me," she said pulling a chair closer.

Alain sighed loudly and flipped to a random page.

The great shadow descended like a falling cloud. And behold! it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and it's vast pinions was as webs of hide between horned finger; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was, whose kind, lingering in forgotten mountains cold beneath the Moon, outstayed their day, and in hideous eyrie bred this last untimely brood apt to evil. And the Dark Lord took it, and nursed it with fell meats, until it grew beyond the measure of all other things that fly; and he gave it to his servant to be his stead. Down, down it came, and then, folding its fingered webs, it gave a croaking cry, and settled upon the body of Snowmane, digging in its claws, stooping its long naked neck.

Upon it sat a shape, black-mantled, huge and threatening. A crown of steal he bore, but between rim and robe naught was there to see, save only a deadly gleam of eyes: the Lord of the Nazgûl. To the air he had returned, summoning his steed ere the darkness failed, and now he was come again, bringing ruin, turning hope to despair, and victory to death. A great black mace he wielded.

But Théoden was not utterly forsaken. The knights of his house lay slain about him, or else mastered by the madness of their steeds were borne far away. Yet one stood there still: Denhelm the young, faithful beyond fear; and he wept for he had loved his lord as a father. Right through the charge Merry had been born unharmed behind him, until the Shadow came; and then Windfola had thrown them in his terror, and now ran wild upon the plain. Merry crawled on all fours like a dazed beast, and such a horror was on him that he was blind and sick.

'King's man! King's man!' his heart cried within him. 'You must stay by him. As a father you shall be to me, you said.' But his will made no answer, and his body shook. He dared not open his eyes or look up.

Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known.

'Begone foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!'

A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nagzûl and his prey! Or he willt slay thee in turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where they flesh shall be devoured, and thy shriveled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.'

A sword rang out as it was drawn. 'Do what you will; but I will hinder it if I may.'

'Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!'

Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. 'But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you do not be deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you if you touch him.'

The winged creature screamed at her, but the Ringwraith made no answer, and was silent, as if in sudden doubt. Very amazement for a moment conquered Merry's fear. He opened his eyes and the blackness was lifted from them. There some paces from him sat the great beast, and all seemed dark about it, and above it loomed the Nazgûl Lord like a shadow of despair. A little to the left facing them stood she whom he had called Dernhelm. But the helm of her secrecy had fallen from her, and her bright hair, released from its bonds, gleamed with pale gold upon her shoulders. Her eyes gray as the sea were hard and fell, and yet tears were on her cheeks. A sword was in her hand, and she raised her shield against the horror of her enemy's eyes.

Alain tore his eyes away, and smiled at Lily who had fallen asleep curled up in her chair. He took a sip of coffee and continued to read to himself.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Wake up!" Petunia's shrill voice in Lily's ear jolted her awake into a world that was still dark and dreary.

She blearily sat up and regarded her sister who was staring at her with mischievous blue eyes. Her messy hair led Lily to believe that she'd woken up only minutes before.

"Come on!" Petunia huffed grabbing her by the hand and dragging her by the hand towards the kitchen. "Eat, and then we can go buy an owl. Come on Alain!"

"In a minute doll," he murmured absently, still lost in his book.

"Now, what do you want for breakfast baby Lily?" Petunia asked sitting her down at the table and assuming the role of mother in a make believe game of house.

"Toast and jam please."

Petunia turned, hands on hips, and glared at her. "You're a baby Lily. You're supposed to sound like one."

Lily groan and put her head down on the table. "Ga ga ga," she mumbled.

Petunia rolled her eyes, before setting to work on burning the toast. "You've got a lot to learn Lily."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*