Post by KayleeTonksLupin on Feb 1, 2005 0:17:12 GMT -5
Thirty-five year old Selene Sinistra fled through the heather, the purple blossoms which would be a joy to her any day but this. She eventually reached the doors of the great manor house and fell to her knees on the doorstep, soaked to the skin from the icy rain and freezing winds she had endured. She pounded on the door, and the echo resonated throughout the house, bringing her elder sister running. "Lena!"
"Lena, what in the name of Merlin happened to you? Where's Peter?" "Not right now, Minnie, I can't tell you. But...Peter is...well, he is...I mean...he's on the floor of the living room, Stunned."
"What? Why is Peter Stunned, what is he doing there, Lena, tell me!" Selene broke down and sobbed in her sister's arms. "He just...I...I mean, he...I couldn't take it anymore, what he was doing..." She couldn't say any more. She choked back tears. "Canna I stay wi' ye for a few days, Minnie?" "Aye, Lena," Minerva murmured. "Ye can."
When Lena hugged her sister, she noticed that Minerva's abdomen was bulging just the slightest bit. "Minnie, are ye...I mean...you and Albus, ye're goin' to hae another child, aren't ye?" "Aye, Lena," Minerva said, smiling sadly, just as Minerva's firstborn daughter rushed down the stairs. "Auntie Lena!" "Cielita, my darling," Lena whispered, taking the five-year-old in her arms. She had never had children by Peter.
Minerva looked at her sister and daughter. "Lena, noo ye're here, could I ask ye a favor? Not wishin' to presume on ye, Piuthar, but Albus just got a summons to gae to the International Confederation of Wizards' conference, and he's been wishin' me to accompany him. Ye'd be safe from Peter here, Lena." Selene's eyes brightened with relieved tears. "No trouble at all, Minnie. You know I love spending time with Cie."
Minerva nodded gratefully. "I'm to be meetin' him in Edinburgh, Lena. I'd better go." She went upstairs and packed quickly, came back with her bags, and kissed Cie good-bye. "Be good for yer Auntie Lena now, Cielita," she whispered. Cielita nodded solemnly. "I will."
Minerva walked to the fireplace, and in a rush of green flames, she was gone. It was dark, and Cie began yawning. "Come on, then, lass, let's get you ready for bed," Lena said softly. When Cie was bathed and dressed in her pajamas, Lena carried her to bed and tucked her in. She read Cielita her favorite story, "Puss in Boots," and brushed her dark curls back from her forehead before closing Cie's door quietly behind her.
Over the next few days, it became routine for Selene; get up, get ready for the day, start breakfast, wake Cie up, and they'd finish making breakfast and eat together. She'd always think of something fun for them to do inside. The rain continued to fall in torrents outside, and the loch was overflowing its banks. Lena wanted Cie kept as far away from danger as possible. She knew Cie had never been swimming in deep water without help. Nearly a week had passed when the rain finally ceased and the sun began shining. Selene noticed Cielita staring longingly out at the fields of heather as the sun dried the mud and the flowers, and the loch gradually receded over the next week. Nearly two weeks had gone by since Minerva had left, without any word from them.
"Lena, what in the name of Merlin happened to you? Where's Peter?" "Not right now, Minnie, I can't tell you. But...Peter is...well, he is...I mean...he's on the floor of the living room, Stunned."
"What? Why is Peter Stunned, what is he doing there, Lena, tell me!" Selene broke down and sobbed in her sister's arms. "He just...I...I mean, he...I couldn't take it anymore, what he was doing..." She couldn't say any more. She choked back tears. "Canna I stay wi' ye for a few days, Minnie?" "Aye, Lena," Minerva murmured. "Ye can."
When Lena hugged her sister, she noticed that Minerva's abdomen was bulging just the slightest bit. "Minnie, are ye...I mean...you and Albus, ye're goin' to hae another child, aren't ye?" "Aye, Lena," Minerva said, smiling sadly, just as Minerva's firstborn daughter rushed down the stairs. "Auntie Lena!" "Cielita, my darling," Lena whispered, taking the five-year-old in her arms. She had never had children by Peter.
Minerva looked at her sister and daughter. "Lena, noo ye're here, could I ask ye a favor? Not wishin' to presume on ye, Piuthar, but Albus just got a summons to gae to the International Confederation of Wizards' conference, and he's been wishin' me to accompany him. Ye'd be safe from Peter here, Lena." Selene's eyes brightened with relieved tears. "No trouble at all, Minnie. You know I love spending time with Cie."
Minerva nodded gratefully. "I'm to be meetin' him in Edinburgh, Lena. I'd better go." She went upstairs and packed quickly, came back with her bags, and kissed Cie good-bye. "Be good for yer Auntie Lena now, Cielita," she whispered. Cielita nodded solemnly. "I will."
Minerva walked to the fireplace, and in a rush of green flames, she was gone. It was dark, and Cie began yawning. "Come on, then, lass, let's get you ready for bed," Lena said softly. When Cie was bathed and dressed in her pajamas, Lena carried her to bed and tucked her in. She read Cielita her favorite story, "Puss in Boots," and brushed her dark curls back from her forehead before closing Cie's door quietly behind her.
Over the next few days, it became routine for Selene; get up, get ready for the day, start breakfast, wake Cie up, and they'd finish making breakfast and eat together. She'd always think of something fun for them to do inside. The rain continued to fall in torrents outside, and the loch was overflowing its banks. Lena wanted Cie kept as far away from danger as possible. She knew Cie had never been swimming in deep water without help. Nearly a week had passed when the rain finally ceased and the sun began shining. Selene noticed Cielita staring longingly out at the fields of heather as the sun dried the mud and the flowers, and the loch gradually receded over the next week. Nearly two weeks had gone by since Minerva had left, without any word from them.
