Into The Woods, Part 1
Title: Into the Woods
Recipient: Tea_and_Snark, as part of the HP Crossover Challenge
Author: Eustacia Vye
E-Mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: None of the characters in the various universes belong to me. I'm abusing multiple fandoms for the sheer fun of it, and no profit is made. I promise I'll put the toys back in the cupboard where I found them, maybe only a little worse for wear. :)
Crossover: Sandman, Tenth Kingdom, HP
Pairings: Virginia/Wolf, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Ginny, Nuala/Remus, Sirius/Death, Harry/Dream, implied past Remus/Sirius and Remus/Clurachan.
Rating: R for some bad words (I dropped a few F-bombs) and allusions to hijinks.
Summary: Virginia and Wolf honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands on the advice of the Clurachan. Unfortunately, no one thought to tell them that Fae gifts come true, or that they were vacationing in the middle of a war...
Time line Note: The Sandman series ended in 1991, so Nuala has been in New York at least since then, when she left Faerie for good. I'm backtracking the 10th Kingdom to take place in 1998 instead of 2000. Confused yet? Basically, this puts everyone in the same place at the very end of Harry's seventh year. :)
Into the Woods
Part the First
Mysterious Gifts
Nuala had worked in this bar ever since leaving Faerie in 1991. Over the past six years, she had come to love the place, and had leapt at the chance of owning it herself. It was dark and dingy at times, but it was only two blocks from Central Park and a simple bus ride to Greenwich Village, where most of the displaced magic in New York City was centered. There was still a goodly amount of magic in Central Park, and it was just plain pretty besides. Nuala adored it, and knew just about every footpath in the park, real and magical alike. She felt safe there in a way she had really never felt safe in Faerie. Here, if she wanted to have her hair short and brown and spiky, it was perfectly okay. She hid her pointed ears with a touch of glamour, but no longer felt the need to use massive amounts of it to make herself appear to be a tall, lithe blonde with a haughty demeanor. If she wanted to laugh out loud at the butterflies, she could do so and not worry about it getting back to the Court.
Nuala smiled as one of her favorite couples entered the bar. She had first met Virginia three years ago during a rainstorm. She had been walking in the park late at night when it had started to pour. Virginia ran in a random direction and had landed in her bar. Nuala poured the soaking wet girl a hot toddy and struck up conversation since it had been a slow night. Virginia had been a regular ever since, and she was flattered when Virginia had called her a friend. Nuala was one of the first people to meet Wolf two weeks ago. The man had a definite air of magic around him, which didn't surprise Nuala in the least. He was tall, with wavy black hair and dark eyes that sometimes flashed yellow in the light. He was fairly witty and quick on his feet. Nuala could see what Virginia liked in him, and was almost jealous that Wolf didn't have a brother. She knew that for certain; she had asked.
Virginia had cut her hair short a few weeks ago, and it was a cute little bob with curled ends. She was a little on the thin side, the product of working one too many shifts as a waitress in a popular restaurant on the Upper West Side right next to Central Park. She smiled easily and often, and it lit up her blue eyes. Virginia was a charmer herself, and made friends easily. She watched as the couple waved at her, then headed to a quiet booth in the back of the bar.
Nuala flitted about happily behind the bar. She looked up when the door opened, and her jaw dropped open. "Clurachan!"
He had the appearance of a tall blonde Adonis, and he grinned at her cheerful greeting. "Hello, sister mine. I see you still enjoy playing barkeep."
Nuala ran around the bar and hugged her brother tightly. "I own this place now, thank you very much! When did you get in? You didn't tell me you were coming this way!"
Clurachan flashed her a brilliant grin that hid nothing. "Oh, just another trip amongst many for our Fair Queen."
"Oh dear. What did you do now?"
"Not me, really... My Nemesis, however, refuses to believe that we can't just avoid our mutual demise. The Queen caught wind of his existence yesterday. She was furious with me, and I've very politely bowed out of Court for the nonce."
"Oh no... What are you going to do? You live for court!"
"This is where you come in, sister mine. Surely there's something in this city that can amuse me until the Bright Lady gets over this unfortunate turn of events." He sat down at the bar and watched his sister flit about the bar and pour him a beer. "You really do shine here, Nuala. I truly am happy for you."
Her grin was infectious. "It's a wonderful place. There's all sorts of people here, even magic areas. I feel as if I have a little bit of everything. It's almost like being back in the Dreaming." Her grin slipped slightly. "Only, there's no Dream here."
Clurachan covered her hands in his. "Sister mine, you could find yourself a fellow that would make you deliriously happy."
"You could, too. When will you settle down?"
"Oh, I haven't met the right chap that can satisfy me yet," the Clurachan said with a grin.
Brother and sister turned at the excited whoop from the back booth. Nuala's face softened at the sight of them, and the Clurachan looked at her questioningly. "Who are they?"
"Virginia's a dear friend, actually. She visits regularly and we talk a lot. I met Wolf a few weeks ago. Nice guy. They've even invited me over to their apartment for dinner."
"How very mundane."
"It was lovely," Nuala protested, watching the couple walk to the bar. "Virginia, Wolf, what is it?"
Virginia was grinning hugely and held out her left hand. The third finger now sported a diamond solitaire on a platinum band. It smacked of magic, something Nuala couldn't quite place her finger on. "Wolf asked me to marry him! We're engaged!"
"That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Nuala cried, grasping Virginia's hands. The ring definitely held a magic quality about it, but not one she recognized from the Fae realms. It was likely bought in Greenwich Village in one of the mortal magic shops.
"Congratulations," the Clurachan echoed, raising his pint of beer. "May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you."
Nuala's eyes widened slightly, but Virginia and Wolf didn't seem to notice. Other regulars in the bar were congratulating them, and they took it graciously. "But in a bar, man? What the heck is that about?" one man asked. "You should've tried to get into some fancy restaurant and propose over dinner."
"It only seemed fair to do it here, we spend all our time here anyway," Wolf was saying, putting an arm around Virginia's shoulders. She leaned into his embrace and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Plus, it was a complete surprise for Ginny here."
Nuala noticed that Virginia smiled but didn't seem all that surprised at all. Her hand was also resting over her stomach a little too protectively for comfort. Was that why she hadn't had any beer in the past two weeks? Oh dear...
Nuala circled the bar slowly and pulled Virginia slightly away from the congratulatory crowd. "Virginia, are you sure it's okay? It's been two weeks..." Nuala saw Virginia frown at her, and rushed on. "I mean, even with a baby, are you sure?"
Virginia gasped in shock and grabbed Nuala about the shoulders. "How did you know?!"
"You touched your belly... like you knew something we didn't. I'm your friend, Ginny. I just want to be sure you're happy..."
Virginia hugged Nuala desperately. "It happened so fast, with Daddy going missing and then Wolf... but I'm sure. I'm really sure. This is what I want, and he makes me so happy. We're going to make it, I just know it."
Nuala grinned and ruffled the short curls. "All right. I'll be the baby's fairy godmother, all right? You're one of my favorite people in all the world, I just want to see you happy."
Virginia grasped one of Nuala's hands. "Nuala, would you like to be my maid of honor? We've been talking about it for the past two weeks, how to make the announcement, how to do this and everything. And somehow I think you would be the best choice."
Nuala covered her mouth with her other hand as she nodded. "Oh, Ginny, I'd be honored to! Thank you!"
Wolf sauntered over to the two women. "You asked her, Gin?"
"I've said yes," Nuala said. "Oh my, when do you want to do this? As soon as possible?"
Wolf and Virginia exchanged a look. Something in Nuala melted at the sight, that they could communicate with merely a single look. "We've been in contact with Daddy. It's a secret how, but we know a place where we could have the ceremony. There's a spot in the park..."
"Near the Strawberry Fields, right?" Nuala asked gently. "It's always felt like magic."
"Wolf and I definitely want to have the ceremony in the park," Virginia said.
"Oy, plotting now, are we?" the Clurachan said, sauntering over to their corner of the bar. "Sister mine, do make proper introductions."
Nuala rolled her eyes. "Clurachan, I'm busy. Don't be a bother."
"I might be able to help. I've nothing to do at the moment."
Wolf glanced at the man and extended his hand. "Wolf."
"Clurachan."
Virginia sneaked a glance at Nuala's long-suffering face. "Men and their fondness for pissing contests," she whispered.
Nuala grinned. "Get used to it, Gin."
"Where you from?" Wolf was saying. "You sound like you're not from around here."
"Er... Ireland, I suppose you could say. It's a lovely place to visit. Or Scotland. The Highlands of Scotland are a beautiful place. Why not honeymoon there? Lots of romantic castle tours and the like."
Virginia suddenly grinned. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"I know you like castles," Wolf began wearily, "but I thought we were going to the Fourth Kingdom for our honeymoon."
"Yes, but with Dad hanging around, we might have to go somewhere else. And who knows if they still hold grudges against you."
Wolf winced. "Good point. Scotland it is."
The Clurachan grinned openly at Nuala. "And you always thought I was a piece of fluff."
"You are," Nuala said cheekily. "But I love you anyway."
"Good thing, too, since you're stuck with me for a brother. All right then, I'm off to wander about this gracious city. Sister dear, I'll be back when you close up shop."
"No place to stay again?" Nuala asked dryly.
"What? And spoil a visit with my dear sister? Whatever for?"
Virginia and Wolf both laughed at Nuala's expression as the Clurachan sauntered out of the door. "Oh, Nuala, how long is he staying?"
"I don't know, but it's too long already," she said, shooting a dark look at the closed door. "That one brings trouble wherever he goes."
"Oh, I don't know. He seems harmless enough," Wolf said.
"I know. Don't trust a thing he says, though. That's where the trouble is."
They all laughed and sat down to discuss wedding plans. Over the course of the next hour, Nuala got the impression that tonight was all for show, and they had honestly had everything planned out to the last detail. She wasn't sure what this "Fourth Kingdom" nonsense was, but apparently they had friends there that would help with the reception. Maybe it was some ritzy and glitzy restaurant opening up. Nuala certainly didn't head Uptown that much.
"All right. Now we've set everything except the date."
"Next week?" Wolf asked.
Nuala's jaw dropped. "What?"
"We're kinda in a hurry," Wolf hedged.
"I know, but to get a reception together in a week? That's impossible!"
"Oh, we know people with lots of money," Wolf said with a rakish grin. "It's their gift to us. All we have to do is show up looking nice."
"There's a shortcut through the park, where we want the ceremony and pictures," Virginia said. "It really will be beautiful, I promise."
Nuala laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it will be. I'm in. Next week it is."
***
The next week passed by in a blur. It was going to be truly small and intimate in New York, with a justice of the peace officiating in Central Park. Virginia wound up confessing to Nuala the real circumstances of how she met and fell in love with Wolf. Suddenly, it made all kinds of sense. The strange creatures sighted in the news, the bank robbery, the suddenness of her relationship with Wolf and the sudden pregnancy. Virginia was thinking that Nuala was taking it too well, and had said so. Sheepishly, Nuala told Virginia for the first time that she was more or less a runaway fairy.
"So you see, I really will be a fairy godmother. And I promise not to give your kids stupid gifts that will make them prick their fingers on spindles."
Virginia had laughed, relieved that she was able to share her secret with someone and not be thought a raving lunatic. Her coworkers and other friends all thought she was either a hopeless romantic or a slut. Having Nuala believe her story implicitly also validated her sanity. This was a very good thing. Wolf had agreed, and promised that if he ever found a good enough boy fairy for her, he would introduce them right away.
As a result of the mutual confessions, Nuala had gone along with the newly wedded couple to the Fourth Kingdom for the reception. She had been duly impressed by their important connections to King Wendell, and had found Anthony Lewis to still be his usual funny self, if a bit impractical. Nuala left the reception and walked through Central Park back to her apartment in the building above the bar. She knew that Virginia and Wolf would spend the night at their apartment then take a cab to JFK airport. They were off to Scotland on a scenic two week tour of the Highlands. The Clurachan had amazingly enough remained in the Fourth Kingdom as a visitor to King Wendell, and Nuala was glad of the peace and quiet in her apartment. She sat down on her couch, layers of crinoline and satin billowing out around her. She stared at the wall in front of her without really seeing it.
The Clurachan sometimes Spoke Truth. It was rare but devastatingly accurate. Nuala held onto the charm on her necklace, a gift from a dead incarnation, and hoped with all of her being that his Gift to her friends would bring them luck.
She had a dread feeling it wouldn't.
***
It was during the second week of the tour when Virginia spotted the castle's spires out of the corner of her eye. She tried pointing it out to Wolf, but it seemed to shimmer and vanish right in front of her. He had ruffled her hair playfully and nipped at her neck. "Hoping for a palace to call our own? We already live by the woods, remember? We don't need a castle, just a place to live in peace."
"Oh Wolf..." Virginia turned her head and kissed him soundly on the lips. "It looked like a beautiful place, high on a hill, with forest all around it, and a lake too..."
"All this in your peripheral vision? What big eyes you have..."
Virginia laughed. "Well, why don't we try to find it tomorrow during the free time? We can make it into a picnic. Even if it's not a real castle, there's bound to be a perfectly romantic spot for a picnic lunch."
Wolf wiggled his eyes suggestively. "And a blanket to lie on?"
"We didn't need one the first time," Virginia teased, leaning in for a kiss.
There was a vague throat clearing sound behind them, and they parted. It was one of the other couples on the tour. The wife was a mousy little blonde, and looked uncomfortable to be interrupting them. "The guide says we have to get back on the bus now."
"Oh. Okay, thanks," Wolf said, showing a little too much tooth in his smile.
"Be nice," Virginia warned playfully, disentangling herself.
"I am being nice! I'm a good Wolf now." Wolf widened his grin, showing his pointed teeth. It was getting a little too close to the full moon.
Virginia laughed. "Sure you are..." She looked back at the rest of the tour group, obediently boarding the bus. "Look at them. No imagination."
"Like sheep," Wolf whispered into her ear. He nipped the lobe playfully. "Let's go play with the sheep, and tomorrow we'll find your disappearing castle."
"Don't laugh... Our luck, and we'll have found an Eleventh Kingdom."
Wolf groaned, and followed his wife back onto the bus. Wife. It thrilled him even to think the word. He had somehow managed to find himself a creamy, dreamy little girl, and she loved him back. It never ceased to amaze him. It was still so new and frightening, wonderful and terrifying at the same time. He was a husband. He would soon be a father. A father, all the Gods above! How did this happen in such a short time? He still didn't know how it happened, but wasn't about to question it too hard. Someone upstairs thought he had learned his lesson and deserved a second chance. He wasn't about to waste it.
***
Armed with a fully loaded picnic basket and a thick woolen blanket, Virginia and Wolf backtracked to the spot where she had seen the mysterious castle from the corner of her eye. The tour guide had been very helpful about that, and had even managed to find someone local to the area to help make them a traditional Scottish picnic lunch to take with them. The blanket wasn't a tartan, but it would serve its purpose well enough. The guide had thought it was an awfully romantic idea to go picnicking, and willingly dropped them off at the spot they had stopped at the day before. "And if it's a good enough spot, let me know. I'll add it to the tour next year."
Wolf carried the basket and Virginia carried the blanket. They walked around the meadow amiably enough, and talked about all sorts of things people must talk about while dating. Having always been too busy working and helping her father at the old hotel, Virginia had never really had time to date. Her two years at Borough of Manhattan Community College hadn't really widened her horizons in terms of eligible bachelors. She might have been only twenty-one, but she usually felt so much older and wiser for her age. Werewolves generally didn't date, so this was a new experience for Wolf also. He was a little more intense and thoughtful than he usually was, but Virginia chalked it up to the full moon. The cycles here were slightly different than those of the Nine Kingdoms, so having two full moons so close to each other must have been a little unsettling.
"There it is!" Virginia cried, pointing. "Look, isn't it beautiful?"
Wolf followed Virginia's line of vision. She had interrupted his tales of past misdeeds that had landed him in Snow White Memorial Prison, but couldn't even jokingly reproach her. The castle was in front of them, as if rising out of the hilltop. There was a lake and a forest, just as Virginia had mentioned the day before. What truly took his breath away was that it rivaled any castle of the Nine Kingdoms. "I take it back. Your world isn't dingy at all."
Virginia grinned and leaned into Wolf. "Don't judge everything by the City, Wolf. The world is huge, and there's so much of it that's beautiful."
Wolf turned to her, his eyes shining yellow and black. "You're the most beautiful thing in it, Virginia. Castles don't mean anything without you."
Virginia dropped the blanket and wrapped her arms around Wolf as she kissed him. It was long and deep, all dueling tongues and roving hands. When they finally broke apart for air, she grinned at him. "You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that? C'mon, let's go see if it's as beautiful close up as it is far away."
They hiked for another hour, working up a good appetite. There was a small cottage on the castle grounds not that far away from the wood's edge. "Let's not go in there," Wolf said suddenly. "You never know with these strange cottages in the middle of nowhere."
"Oh, I remember," Virginia said with a nod. The last magic cottage she had been locked inside of had involved much too much hair and fighting with the Huntsman. "But look, there's a pumpkin patch over there. Why not put the blanket down and eat over there?"
"Let me scout the woods first," Wolf insisted, putting the basket down. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and this place reeks of magic."
"How can you know that?" Virginia asked, beginning to walk to the pumpkin patch. "It's just a cottage, and those are just woods, and that's another laird's castle like all the others we've seen this week."
Wolf's instincts were starting to riot. "Gin, I don't like the look of those woods. Please, just let me look them over first."
Virginia caught the desperation in his voice and looked up at him as she was unfurling the blanket. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I don't like how they look." Wolf scooped up the heavy basket and strode quickly to her side. "Maybe we should go closer to the castle. It looks creepy in there."
Virginia eyed the edge of the forest, but couldn't see anything different about it. She could definitely feel something strange about the whole area, something that didn't feel the same as the meadow they had walked from, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Are you sure?"
"No, dammit, but I'm not taking any chances with you!"
Virginia touched Wolf's arm gently. "All right, then. You take a look. I'll set everything out for when you get back. Okay?"
"Okay. It's probably just foxes or whatever those chieftains used to hunt." Wolf sniffed the air. "There is something around here that smells like animal."
"Go on, then," Virginia said, giving him a playful shove. "You do what you do best and I'll have everything set up when you get back. Just don't wander too far. I don't see any paths in there, and it's easy to get lost in the woods."
Wolf flashed her a playful grin. "Don't we know it. Don't worry, I won't go too far."
Virginia laughed and began spreading out the edges of the blanket. She was just opening up the basket when she heard Wolf howl. It was loud and angry, a tone she had never heard before. Startled, Virginia looked up. There were six robed and hooded men coming out of the forest, sticks in hand. Two were fighting Wolf, pointing those sticks at him. Four were headed in her direction. She was halfway hidden by the pumpkin patch, so she doubted they were headed for her specifically. Were they trying to head to the castle?
What the hell was going on?
The only thing Virginia had was the basket and a cell phone in the pocket of her jeans. She doubted there would be signal here, and in her panic she couldn't remember if 911 worked in Scotland. "Shit!" she muttered, rooting around in the basket. There had to be something in there she could use...
And there was the steak knife, long and wickedly sharp.
"God bless you, Mrs. McMurdo," Virginia whispered.
"Over there! There's one over there!"
Two of the hooded figures kept moving toward the castle. Two were headed back toward her, sticks in hand. Well, she had a knife now, though her hand was still buried in the basket. One of her required classes at BMCC had been Phys Ed. Now she was grateful for it, since she had taken karate. While she didn't remember the exact forms, they did do two weeks of weapons defense as part of the class.
"What do we have here?" one of the robed figures asked. His voice was silky, and it slithered down her spine. She'd waitressed enough to know that kind of voice when she heard it. The owners were usually rich, spoiled and of the belief that they owned the world.
The other figure laughed. "It looks like a lost seventh year. What? Not out at Hogsmeade with the rest of your friends? Did we interrupt a lover's holiday? How sad for you..." The figure stepped a little closer and raised his right hand, stick in hand. "Ava-"
Virginia ran at him, knife in hand, keeping her torso low and out of range of his stick. She remembered the sticks from karate class being longer, but any stick could hurt when brought down with enough force. She slashed at his arm, forcing him to drop the stick. He shouted in pain and struck her on the side of the head. She lost balance and tried to tilt forward to regain her equilibrium. To her horror, the knife plunged into the man's chest, sinking down to the hilt. She looked up into the hooded face, her eyes wide and her mouth slack with shock.
He was wearing some kind of mask, but the brown eyes were clearly visible. "You bitch," he gurgled, blood beginning to bubble on his lips. "How dare you..."
And then there was the other man, shouting something at them. Pain danced along her spine, and Virginia began to scream. She barely registered falling down on top of the other man, pushing the knife even deeper. Something broke beneath her from the force of the fall. She couldn't feel her hands, could feel nothing but the fire sprinting along every nerve, every piece of exposed skin. It felt as if her throat was shredding from the force of her screams.
And then suddenly it was done. Wolf cradled her in his arms, blood streaked across his face and mouth. "Ginny? Ginny, love, say something..."
"W-Wolf..." Virginia whispered. She tried to reach up to touch his face, but her arm wasn't responding properly. She wanted to tell him not to worry, that she would be fine, but her mouth wasn't working. She watched helplessly as tears formed, making his eyes shimmer.
"I did a bad thing, baby. I couldn't help it. We've got to get out of here before they find us. We've got to get back to the village."
He's killed them, Virginia thought. That explained the blood. But now I've killed too, and it was only in self-defense...
"Two more," she whispered hoarsely. "Castle."
Wolf looked up, eyes narrowing. "Getting more of their friends, huh? Not if I can help it. I won't let them touch you."
He laid her down gently, then sprinted off as fast as he could go. Normally it would take about twenty minutes to reach the castle walls from where they had planned their picnic. In his rage, Wolf crossed it in five, reaching the two men. He wasn't scared of their puny sticks. The others had tried saying strange incantations through them, but he had dodged the sparks easily enough and had started breaking bones. He did it again, fingers sinking into eye sockets, teeth closing on throats. Warm blood spurted against his mouth, and he spit it out as he tossed aside one attacker to get the next. The other hooded man tried to run, but Wolf caught the robe and yanked him back. He could hear the jaws clack together as the head snapped back. His hands circled that fragile mortal neck, squeezing and forcing the figure to his knees. With a vicious twist, he turned the head around hard enough and fast enough to hear the crack of bone. Only then did he drop the body.
There were shouts coming from the castle. "Oh fuck," Wolf muttered.
His adrenaline rush wouldn't last for long, he knew. He had to get Virginia and get out of here as soon as possible. Wolf sprinted back to the pumpkin patch and knelt down next to his wife. "Gin, can you sit up? Can you stand?"
"Hurts," Virginia croaked, trying to push herself upright.
"All right. Gotta carry you, then. God, I hope the baby's not heavy."
Virginia tried to smile and swat him, which was more than he had hoped for. Wolf scooped her up into his arms and looked around.
The figures coming from the castle weren't more hooded figures. One was rather short, as a matter of fact, and wearing lime green robes over a lime green suit. There was an older woman with a purple conical hat on her head, which matched her purple robe. It was buttoned up tight to the neck, and she was waving at them. "Wait!" the woman shouted. Her voice sounded Scottish and authoritarian.
"Gotta run, Gin. Hang on tight," Wolf whispered.
"We can help you!" the woman in purple shouted.
"Wait," Virginia murmured.
"Are you sure?"
"No. But you can't run forever carrying me."
"I can give it a good try."
"Just wait. See what she wants first."
Fighting his instinct to run, Wolf stayed put. The short man and the Scottish woman soon closed the distance. She took in the sight of the hooded bodies, Virginia's limp form, and the blood covering Wolf's clothes and face. "Oh heavens, you were attacked. We'll have to get you to the Infirmary at once!"
Virginia merely smiled, then leaned into Wolf's embrace. She closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her.
When next she woke, she was in a hospital. It looked rather old fashioned, with little metal beds, crisp white sheets and white curtains separating each bed. She remembered how St. Luke's had looked when she had broken her leg at age eleven. It had been so modern, with machines beeping and doctors running around in scrubs and white coats. This must be a European hospital then, Virginia thought.
"You're awake then, are you?" a gentle voice said from off to her right. Virginia turned toward the voice. "Frightful scare that was. Had no idea Death Eaters were in the Forbidden Forest, none at all... Now dear, which House are you in? I'm afraid I don't know you."
Virginia blinked in confusion. "Where's Wolf?"
The plump woman clucked gently. "The Cruciatus must've scrambled your wits, poor thing. I'll have to talk to Albus about this, I simply can't bear it any longer..."
Virginia's hand shot out to grasp the woman's arm. "Where's my husband? Where's Wolf? What's happened here?"
Now the woman seemed to realize that Virginia was a stranger. "Oh dear. That young man that was here? Professor Snape escorted him to the Headmaster's office. I'll have to let them know you're awake. They'll be wanting to talk to you, too."
This was a school? If the schools in the City had been like this, maybe she would have been more interested in staying a student.
"I'd like that," Virginia said, letting go of the woman's arm.
"All right. Wait right here."
Virginia watched as the woman walked to a little office in the rear of the Infirmary. She sat up and looked around. She had been dressed in some sort of white cotton gown, but it wasn't the typical kind of hospital gown that opened in the back. There was a chair and night stand next to her bed. Her clothes were folded neatly on the chair, her shoes and socks tucked beneath it. The belongings from her pockets were piled neatly on the night stand's surface. She smiled a little at the sight of her wallet, phone, change and pack of gum. It looked like everything was there. You never could tell with hospitals sometimes.
Virginia pulled her legs to the side and swung them off the bed. Experimentally, she swung her legs back and forth. They seemed to work all right, so she got to her feet and started to change back into her clothes. She shoved everything back into the pockets of her jeans. The sooner she got out of the hospital and back together with Wolf, the happier she would be. There was something a little odd about this place, something tickling the back of her mind. She would puzzle it out later.
"Hermione," the plump woman's voice called out. "Can you escort our guest to the Headmaster's office. He wishes to speak with her."
There were hushed whispers from somewhere off to Virginia's right. "All right," came a girl's voice. The voice was brisk and no-nonsense.
What kind of school was this?
Virginia pulled the curtain back and saw a teenage girl walk toward her. The girl had brown hair and was almost as tall as she was. The school uniform was apparently gray with red and yellow accents. "Hello," the girl said with a crisp British accent. "My name is Hermione Granger, and I'm Head Girl. I'll take you to Headmaster Dumbledore's office now."
"Uh, hi." Virginia said after a moment. "Er, I'm Virginia Wolf."
Hermione nodded. "If you'll follow me, I'm sure we'll get you sorted out."
Taking that to be Scottish slang, Virginia merely nodded at the girl and followed her out of the infirmary. Virginia goggled at the walls once they left, however. The figures in the portraits were moving, and one of them was waving at her. Dazed, Virginia waved back. "Uh, Hermione? Do they always do that?"
"Not usually. But you're new here, so they're saying hello. They've seen me dozens of times, what with all the scrapes Harry and Ron get into. And this year I've started taking extra Healing classes, so I spend lots of time working with Madam Pomfrey."
"Ah," Virginia said, at a loss for anything to say. "So, what do you do as Head Girl?"
Apparently, this was a favorite topic of Hermione's. She began to talk at length about the duties of Prefects and Head Girls and Boys, and how Head Boy Ron Weasley really wasn't at all serious about the post. Hermione felt she had to make up for it, and often had plenty of color-coordinated charts at Prefect meetings. Most of the other Prefects didn't really pay much attention to her plans, which bothered her. She worked hard on presenting a good example, and felt that Prefects should take their job seriously.
"Oh, and here we are. I'm sure I must have bored you to death," Hermione apologized. "I didn't mean to, but as you can see, it's a sore spot. And we just had a meeting yesterday... But here's the Headmaster's office entrance." Hermione turned toward the gargoyle. "Sugar Quill," she said, enunciating it clearly.
The words were a password of some kind, because the gargoyle began to turn, and a staircase began to form. Hermione stepped onto one of the moving steps, and Virginia followed suit. The staircase continued to turn, bringing them higher in the stairwell. It finally opened up into a brightly lit office overstuffed with books and knickknacks of all kinds. In front of the massive desk were Wolf, a red headed boy, some dour looking man in black robes, the woman in purple and the little man in green. Virginia visibly brightened. "Wolf!" she cried, darting past Hermione to cross the distance to her husband.
Wolf turned, obvious relief on his face. He caught her up in his arms and held her tightly. "Moon and stars and all of the nine kingdoms, I thought I'd lost you."
Virginia returned the squeeze. "What happened?"
"A Death Eater attack," the woman in purple said. Her voice was crisply Scottish, and she sounded an awful lot like Mrs. McMurdo back in the village.
Virginia pulled herself slightly away from Wolf and looked at the woman. "The woman in the hospital said that, too."
"Infirmary," the dour man corrected. "And that would be Madam Pomfrey. That blasted woman talks too much about these things..."
"Please, everyone. Sit down," the bearded man behind the desk said. Suddenly there were more chairs than Virginia remembered, and she sat down next to Wolf. "I am Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Lemon drop?" he asked, indicating a bowl on his desk. Wolf and Virginia obediently reached for one, and noticed that no one else did. "I have a fondness for sweets, I must confess," Dumbledore said, reaching for one himself. Only when he actually ate the sweet did Wolf and Virginia eat theirs. "My staff is used to my eccentricities, but don't often indulge, I'm afraid. But enough of that. Let us introduce ourselves."
The dour looking man turned out to be Professor Severus Snape, the little man in green was Professor Filius Flitwick, the woman in purple was Professor Minerva McGonagall and the teenage boy beside Hermione was Head Boy Ronald Weasley. Virginia and Wolf introduced themselves using their married names of Virginia and John Wolf. Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow at them, as if he knew of the slight lie.
"Well then, now that we are all acquainted, perhaps we may speak of this afternoon's incident. I'm very sorry this has happened to you during your outing."
"What are Death Eaters?" Virginia asked flatly. "What the hell is going on around here?"
Dumbledore paused, and whatever he was about to say was lost. "I'm afraid you've stumbled into a bit of a war."
"A bit of a war? Isn't that like saying you're only a little bit sick?" Wolf snarled. "The tour guide didn't mention anything about this!"
"Oh dear, they're Muggle," Flitwick said, voice hushed. He looked imploringly at Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Oh, but they are more than Muggle. They knew the castle was here, they could see all of our magic for what it was."
Suddenly Virginia remembered the odd statement Nuala's brother Clurachan had made back at the bar in New York. May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you.
She turned to Wolf. "Nuala's brother. Do you remember? Back at the bar?"
Wolf blinked in surprise. "That toast, you mean?"
"May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you. I've never forgotten it. It sounded too strange to be a toast."
Wolf suddenly smacked his forehead. "Dammit, Nuala's a fairy."
"Perhaps we could all explain what we're speaking of?" Dumbledore suggested gently.
Virginia shrugged. "We're from New York. One of my best friends runs a bar, and she's originally from Faerie. Apparently her brother gave us a gift toast."
Dumbledore smiled gently at the couple. "Ah. Gifts from the fae are generous ones, indeed. Well, then. You have accidentally chosen to have your picnic on the grounds of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"That's why no one else knew what we were talking about," Wolf muttered.
"Precisely. This castle is in ruins to most non-magical eyes. Here, the children of the British Isles train in the basic arts of magic. For the most part, the magical and non-magical peoples of the world are separate. Within our Wizarding World, however, there is a war going on. There are those who would cleanse our people of all those originally born to non-magical folk and separate ourselves entirely."
"You called us Muggle," Virginia said, looking at the man in green.
"It's the term we use for non-magical people," Dumbledore said gently. "Muggles don't know of our existence and can't see magic for what it is."
"But we can," Wolf said, sitting up at attention. "So where does that leave us?"
"Squibs, I suppose," McGonagall mused, chiming in to the conversation. "Those are Wizarding folk that are born with little or no magical ability," she explained.
"Oh, what's the use? Just Obliviate them and send them on their way. They don't belong here, Headmaster," Snape said suddenly.
Dumbledore blinked. "On the contrary. I do believe they may be safer here than elsewhere at the moment. And they may be of some great benefit."
Wolf didn't like the sound of that. "How 'bout we do like this guy says? We'll just go, we won't say a thing, we'll finish our tour and go home. We won't tell anyone."
"But your child is magical," Dumbledore said, voice mild and even. Both Virginia and Wolf stilled. "And its signature is quite strong and distinctive. I do believe the Death Eaters would try and track you down. Your child would be Muggle-born, and that is precisely the very thing that they want to destroy."
Virginia turned to Wolf. One hand rested on her belly, the other squeezed Wolf's hand tightly. "What do we have to do?"
"Dumbledore..." Snape began in a warning tone.
"For now," Dumbledore began, overriding Snape. "I think I'll let our Head Boy and Girl escort you around the castle. That will help you get acquainted with everything we have here. I'll see if I can make more permanent arrangements for your safety. It may take some time for me to do so, I'm afraid."
"Nuala," Virginia whispered dully.
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked.
"She's supposed to pick us up at the airport. I'll have to call her."
"Call?"
"My phone..." Virginia pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and started at it numbly. Instead of "Roaming" on its screen, the phone said "Unregistered."
"What the hell?" Wolf cried, seeing the little screen. "What's wrong with this place?"
"I'm afraid gadgets don't work well here. Magic tends to interfere with technology," Flitwick said. He hopped off his chair and approached them. "May I see? I've never seen such a thing before..."
Virginia watched numbly as the little gnomelike man took her cell phone in hand and tried punching in numbers. He twittered happily when it made sounds and handed it back. "I don't think they've ever talked about such a thing in Muggle Studies. I can't wait to tell Marta about it."
"We can try to send your friend an owl," McGonagall suggested. "We can probably get a transatlantic owl from the Ministry. Though they read those messages carefully."
"I'm sure a Muggle would know what to do with Owl Post," Snape said in a condescending tone. "Honestly, the Death Eaters wouldn't go as far as America. If we just send them back, they'll be just fine."
Suddenly the small fire in the office roared to life. A head popped out of the flames and looked around at the assemblage. "Headmaster, did I call at the wrong time?"
Wolf growled at the head in the fireplace and positioned himself so that he was blocking Virginia from view. Startled, the head in the fireplace gazed at Wolf.
"Remus," Dumbledore said in his same mild tone, "we have a situation here at the castle. Would you or other Order members be able to Floo here?"
"I think Tonks and Kingsley could make it over. I'm a little busy with the cleanup at Hogsmeade. But I could probably Floo over a few hours from now. I'll need to get another dose of Wolfsbane anyway."
"Good. Please do so. I'll be expecting them."
The head in the fireplace disappeared, and Wolf relaxed his alert pose. Dumbledore nodded at the two teenagers in the room. "Please escort our guests on a tour. Try to make them comfortable. We have much to discuss here..."
"Anything about us we'll stay for," Wolf hissed. His hand tightened almost painfully around Virginia's, but she understood it. "We want to know what's going on."
"Certainly. But we have other things to discuss besides your unfortunate attack."
"Are we going to be charged with murder?" Virginia blurted. All eyes in the room swivelled toward her. Wolf nearly choked. "What? I had to ask."
Dumbledore smiled and stood up. "Certainly not. I told you both, we're in the middle of a war. They would have killed you both without a thought. It was self defense. I hope you'll allow us to discuss school defense now, and enjoy your tour."
And before they knew it, the couple was on their feet and going down the staircase with the teenagers. "Does he always get like that?" Wolf groused.
Ron smiled. "Yeah, but you get used to it after a while."
Wolf sighed. "All right. Take us on this tour of yours. But it better be good."
Hermione smiled, her eyes actually twinkling. "I've read Hogwarts: A History a dozen times. I think I know more secret corridors than Ron does."
"Do not! Harry and I have used the map dozens of times, we know lots of things."
"A contest then? The winner is whoever shows the more interesting things."
Ron grinned. "You're on."
"What are you betting for?" Virginia asked, curious. When both Ron and Hermione became red in the face, she and Wolf began laughing. She had a feeling she was going to like these two. They almost reminded her of herself and Wolf.
"They have come! The ones to help the Boy Who Lived!"
Virginia and Wolf stopped short. Virginia blinked at the sight of the woman in front of them, the various scarves, dangling jewelry in myriad colors and the thick lenses of her glasses magnifying her eyes. "Who is this nut job?"
"Professor Trelawney," Hermione said, her tone indicating just what she thought of that particular professor. "She teaches Divination."
Trelawney rushed toward the couple and grasped Virginia's hand. "Oh, you're prettier and younger than I'd thought you'd be. But it's you, all right." She dropped Virginia's hand abruptly and took up one of Wolf's. "And you! So strong! You're perfect!"
"As nice as that sounds, who are you? What are you talking about?"
"I am Sybil Trelawney, Divinations instructor," Trelawney said with a grand voice. "I so rarely come out of my tower. But today, I knew it was a good day to venture forth. And I have found you, the secret gift that the Dark Lord knows not, I know it!"
Virginia and Wolf glanced at Ron and Hermione. "What's she talking about?"
"Long story," Ron muttered. "And not really ours to tell. That would be Harry's."
"And who's this Harry you two keep talking about?" Wolf asked.
"Don't you know?" Trelawney asked, voice sharp. "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, will be the one to save us all from the Dark Lord. And it's your destiny to help him!"
***
***
Recipient: Tea_and_Snark, as part of the HP Crossover Challenge
Author: Eustacia Vye
E-Mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: None of the characters in the various universes belong to me. I'm abusing multiple fandoms for the sheer fun of it, and no profit is made. I promise I'll put the toys back in the cupboard where I found them, maybe only a little worse for wear. :)
Crossover: Sandman, Tenth Kingdom, HP
Pairings: Virginia/Wolf, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Ginny, Nuala/Remus, Sirius/Death, Harry/Dream, implied past Remus/Sirius and Remus/Clurachan.
Rating: R for some bad words (I dropped a few F-bombs) and allusions to hijinks.
Summary: Virginia and Wolf honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands on the advice of the Clurachan. Unfortunately, no one thought to tell them that Fae gifts come true, or that they were vacationing in the middle of a war...
Time line Note: The Sandman series ended in 1991, so Nuala has been in New York at least since then, when she left Faerie for good. I'm backtracking the 10th Kingdom to take place in 1998 instead of 2000. Confused yet? Basically, this puts everyone in the same place at the very end of Harry's seventh year. :)
Into the Woods
Part the First
Mysterious Gifts
Nuala had worked in this bar ever since leaving Faerie in 1991. Over the past six years, she had come to love the place, and had leapt at the chance of owning it herself. It was dark and dingy at times, but it was only two blocks from Central Park and a simple bus ride to Greenwich Village, where most of the displaced magic in New York City was centered. There was still a goodly amount of magic in Central Park, and it was just plain pretty besides. Nuala adored it, and knew just about every footpath in the park, real and magical alike. She felt safe there in a way she had really never felt safe in Faerie. Here, if she wanted to have her hair short and brown and spiky, it was perfectly okay. She hid her pointed ears with a touch of glamour, but no longer felt the need to use massive amounts of it to make herself appear to be a tall, lithe blonde with a haughty demeanor. If she wanted to laugh out loud at the butterflies, she could do so and not worry about it getting back to the Court.
Nuala smiled as one of her favorite couples entered the bar. She had first met Virginia three years ago during a rainstorm. She had been walking in the park late at night when it had started to pour. Virginia ran in a random direction and had landed in her bar. Nuala poured the soaking wet girl a hot toddy and struck up conversation since it had been a slow night. Virginia had been a regular ever since, and she was flattered when Virginia had called her a friend. Nuala was one of the first people to meet Wolf two weeks ago. The man had a definite air of magic around him, which didn't surprise Nuala in the least. He was tall, with wavy black hair and dark eyes that sometimes flashed yellow in the light. He was fairly witty and quick on his feet. Nuala could see what Virginia liked in him, and was almost jealous that Wolf didn't have a brother. She knew that for certain; she had asked.
Virginia had cut her hair short a few weeks ago, and it was a cute little bob with curled ends. She was a little on the thin side, the product of working one too many shifts as a waitress in a popular restaurant on the Upper West Side right next to Central Park. She smiled easily and often, and it lit up her blue eyes. Virginia was a charmer herself, and made friends easily. She watched as the couple waved at her, then headed to a quiet booth in the back of the bar.
Nuala flitted about happily behind the bar. She looked up when the door opened, and her jaw dropped open. "Clurachan!"
He had the appearance of a tall blonde Adonis, and he grinned at her cheerful greeting. "Hello, sister mine. I see you still enjoy playing barkeep."
Nuala ran around the bar and hugged her brother tightly. "I own this place now, thank you very much! When did you get in? You didn't tell me you were coming this way!"
Clurachan flashed her a brilliant grin that hid nothing. "Oh, just another trip amongst many for our Fair Queen."
"Oh dear. What did you do now?"
"Not me, really... My Nemesis, however, refuses to believe that we can't just avoid our mutual demise. The Queen caught wind of his existence yesterday. She was furious with me, and I've very politely bowed out of Court for the nonce."
"Oh no... What are you going to do? You live for court!"
"This is where you come in, sister mine. Surely there's something in this city that can amuse me until the Bright Lady gets over this unfortunate turn of events." He sat down at the bar and watched his sister flit about the bar and pour him a beer. "You really do shine here, Nuala. I truly am happy for you."
Her grin was infectious. "It's a wonderful place. There's all sorts of people here, even magic areas. I feel as if I have a little bit of everything. It's almost like being back in the Dreaming." Her grin slipped slightly. "Only, there's no Dream here."
Clurachan covered her hands in his. "Sister mine, you could find yourself a fellow that would make you deliriously happy."
"You could, too. When will you settle down?"
"Oh, I haven't met the right chap that can satisfy me yet," the Clurachan said with a grin.
Brother and sister turned at the excited whoop from the back booth. Nuala's face softened at the sight of them, and the Clurachan looked at her questioningly. "Who are they?"
"Virginia's a dear friend, actually. She visits regularly and we talk a lot. I met Wolf a few weeks ago. Nice guy. They've even invited me over to their apartment for dinner."
"How very mundane."
"It was lovely," Nuala protested, watching the couple walk to the bar. "Virginia, Wolf, what is it?"
Virginia was grinning hugely and held out her left hand. The third finger now sported a diamond solitaire on a platinum band. It smacked of magic, something Nuala couldn't quite place her finger on. "Wolf asked me to marry him! We're engaged!"
"That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Nuala cried, grasping Virginia's hands. The ring definitely held a magic quality about it, but not one she recognized from the Fae realms. It was likely bought in Greenwich Village in one of the mortal magic shops.
"Congratulations," the Clurachan echoed, raising his pint of beer. "May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you."
Nuala's eyes widened slightly, but Virginia and Wolf didn't seem to notice. Other regulars in the bar were congratulating them, and they took it graciously. "But in a bar, man? What the heck is that about?" one man asked. "You should've tried to get into some fancy restaurant and propose over dinner."
"It only seemed fair to do it here, we spend all our time here anyway," Wolf was saying, putting an arm around Virginia's shoulders. She leaned into his embrace and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Plus, it was a complete surprise for Ginny here."
Nuala noticed that Virginia smiled but didn't seem all that surprised at all. Her hand was also resting over her stomach a little too protectively for comfort. Was that why she hadn't had any beer in the past two weeks? Oh dear...
Nuala circled the bar slowly and pulled Virginia slightly away from the congratulatory crowd. "Virginia, are you sure it's okay? It's been two weeks..." Nuala saw Virginia frown at her, and rushed on. "I mean, even with a baby, are you sure?"
Virginia gasped in shock and grabbed Nuala about the shoulders. "How did you know?!"
"You touched your belly... like you knew something we didn't. I'm your friend, Ginny. I just want to be sure you're happy..."
Virginia hugged Nuala desperately. "It happened so fast, with Daddy going missing and then Wolf... but I'm sure. I'm really sure. This is what I want, and he makes me so happy. We're going to make it, I just know it."
Nuala grinned and ruffled the short curls. "All right. I'll be the baby's fairy godmother, all right? You're one of my favorite people in all the world, I just want to see you happy."
Virginia grasped one of Nuala's hands. "Nuala, would you like to be my maid of honor? We've been talking about it for the past two weeks, how to make the announcement, how to do this and everything. And somehow I think you would be the best choice."
Nuala covered her mouth with her other hand as she nodded. "Oh, Ginny, I'd be honored to! Thank you!"
Wolf sauntered over to the two women. "You asked her, Gin?"
"I've said yes," Nuala said. "Oh my, when do you want to do this? As soon as possible?"
Wolf and Virginia exchanged a look. Something in Nuala melted at the sight, that they could communicate with merely a single look. "We've been in contact with Daddy. It's a secret how, but we know a place where we could have the ceremony. There's a spot in the park..."
"Near the Strawberry Fields, right?" Nuala asked gently. "It's always felt like magic."
"Wolf and I definitely want to have the ceremony in the park," Virginia said.
"Oy, plotting now, are we?" the Clurachan said, sauntering over to their corner of the bar. "Sister mine, do make proper introductions."
Nuala rolled her eyes. "Clurachan, I'm busy. Don't be a bother."
"I might be able to help. I've nothing to do at the moment."
Wolf glanced at the man and extended his hand. "Wolf."
"Clurachan."
Virginia sneaked a glance at Nuala's long-suffering face. "Men and their fondness for pissing contests," she whispered.
Nuala grinned. "Get used to it, Gin."
"Where you from?" Wolf was saying. "You sound like you're not from around here."
"Er... Ireland, I suppose you could say. It's a lovely place to visit. Or Scotland. The Highlands of Scotland are a beautiful place. Why not honeymoon there? Lots of romantic castle tours and the like."
Virginia suddenly grinned. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"I know you like castles," Wolf began wearily, "but I thought we were going to the Fourth Kingdom for our honeymoon."
"Yes, but with Dad hanging around, we might have to go somewhere else. And who knows if they still hold grudges against you."
Wolf winced. "Good point. Scotland it is."
The Clurachan grinned openly at Nuala. "And you always thought I was a piece of fluff."
"You are," Nuala said cheekily. "But I love you anyway."
"Good thing, too, since you're stuck with me for a brother. All right then, I'm off to wander about this gracious city. Sister dear, I'll be back when you close up shop."
"No place to stay again?" Nuala asked dryly.
"What? And spoil a visit with my dear sister? Whatever for?"
Virginia and Wolf both laughed at Nuala's expression as the Clurachan sauntered out of the door. "Oh, Nuala, how long is he staying?"
"I don't know, but it's too long already," she said, shooting a dark look at the closed door. "That one brings trouble wherever he goes."
"Oh, I don't know. He seems harmless enough," Wolf said.
"I know. Don't trust a thing he says, though. That's where the trouble is."
They all laughed and sat down to discuss wedding plans. Over the course of the next hour, Nuala got the impression that tonight was all for show, and they had honestly had everything planned out to the last detail. She wasn't sure what this "Fourth Kingdom" nonsense was, but apparently they had friends there that would help with the reception. Maybe it was some ritzy and glitzy restaurant opening up. Nuala certainly didn't head Uptown that much.
"All right. Now we've set everything except the date."
"Next week?" Wolf asked.
Nuala's jaw dropped. "What?"
"We're kinda in a hurry," Wolf hedged.
"I know, but to get a reception together in a week? That's impossible!"
"Oh, we know people with lots of money," Wolf said with a rakish grin. "It's their gift to us. All we have to do is show up looking nice."
"There's a shortcut through the park, where we want the ceremony and pictures," Virginia said. "It really will be beautiful, I promise."
Nuala laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it will be. I'm in. Next week it is."
***
The next week passed by in a blur. It was going to be truly small and intimate in New York, with a justice of the peace officiating in Central Park. Virginia wound up confessing to Nuala the real circumstances of how she met and fell in love with Wolf. Suddenly, it made all kinds of sense. The strange creatures sighted in the news, the bank robbery, the suddenness of her relationship with Wolf and the sudden pregnancy. Virginia was thinking that Nuala was taking it too well, and had said so. Sheepishly, Nuala told Virginia for the first time that she was more or less a runaway fairy.
"So you see, I really will be a fairy godmother. And I promise not to give your kids stupid gifts that will make them prick their fingers on spindles."
Virginia had laughed, relieved that she was able to share her secret with someone and not be thought a raving lunatic. Her coworkers and other friends all thought she was either a hopeless romantic or a slut. Having Nuala believe her story implicitly also validated her sanity. This was a very good thing. Wolf had agreed, and promised that if he ever found a good enough boy fairy for her, he would introduce them right away.
As a result of the mutual confessions, Nuala had gone along with the newly wedded couple to the Fourth Kingdom for the reception. She had been duly impressed by their important connections to King Wendell, and had found Anthony Lewis to still be his usual funny self, if a bit impractical. Nuala left the reception and walked through Central Park back to her apartment in the building above the bar. She knew that Virginia and Wolf would spend the night at their apartment then take a cab to JFK airport. They were off to Scotland on a scenic two week tour of the Highlands. The Clurachan had amazingly enough remained in the Fourth Kingdom as a visitor to King Wendell, and Nuala was glad of the peace and quiet in her apartment. She sat down on her couch, layers of crinoline and satin billowing out around her. She stared at the wall in front of her without really seeing it.
The Clurachan sometimes Spoke Truth. It was rare but devastatingly accurate. Nuala held onto the charm on her necklace, a gift from a dead incarnation, and hoped with all of her being that his Gift to her friends would bring them luck.
She had a dread feeling it wouldn't.
***
It was during the second week of the tour when Virginia spotted the castle's spires out of the corner of her eye. She tried pointing it out to Wolf, but it seemed to shimmer and vanish right in front of her. He had ruffled her hair playfully and nipped at her neck. "Hoping for a palace to call our own? We already live by the woods, remember? We don't need a castle, just a place to live in peace."
"Oh Wolf..." Virginia turned her head and kissed him soundly on the lips. "It looked like a beautiful place, high on a hill, with forest all around it, and a lake too..."
"All this in your peripheral vision? What big eyes you have..."
Virginia laughed. "Well, why don't we try to find it tomorrow during the free time? We can make it into a picnic. Even if it's not a real castle, there's bound to be a perfectly romantic spot for a picnic lunch."
Wolf wiggled his eyes suggestively. "And a blanket to lie on?"
"We didn't need one the first time," Virginia teased, leaning in for a kiss.
There was a vague throat clearing sound behind them, and they parted. It was one of the other couples on the tour. The wife was a mousy little blonde, and looked uncomfortable to be interrupting them. "The guide says we have to get back on the bus now."
"Oh. Okay, thanks," Wolf said, showing a little too much tooth in his smile.
"Be nice," Virginia warned playfully, disentangling herself.
"I am being nice! I'm a good Wolf now." Wolf widened his grin, showing his pointed teeth. It was getting a little too close to the full moon.
Virginia laughed. "Sure you are..." She looked back at the rest of the tour group, obediently boarding the bus. "Look at them. No imagination."
"Like sheep," Wolf whispered into her ear. He nipped the lobe playfully. "Let's go play with the sheep, and tomorrow we'll find your disappearing castle."
"Don't laugh... Our luck, and we'll have found an Eleventh Kingdom."
Wolf groaned, and followed his wife back onto the bus. Wife. It thrilled him even to think the word. He had somehow managed to find himself a creamy, dreamy little girl, and she loved him back. It never ceased to amaze him. It was still so new and frightening, wonderful and terrifying at the same time. He was a husband. He would soon be a father. A father, all the Gods above! How did this happen in such a short time? He still didn't know how it happened, but wasn't about to question it too hard. Someone upstairs thought he had learned his lesson and deserved a second chance. He wasn't about to waste it.
***
Armed with a fully loaded picnic basket and a thick woolen blanket, Virginia and Wolf backtracked to the spot where she had seen the mysterious castle from the corner of her eye. The tour guide had been very helpful about that, and had even managed to find someone local to the area to help make them a traditional Scottish picnic lunch to take with them. The blanket wasn't a tartan, but it would serve its purpose well enough. The guide had thought it was an awfully romantic idea to go picnicking, and willingly dropped them off at the spot they had stopped at the day before. "And if it's a good enough spot, let me know. I'll add it to the tour next year."
Wolf carried the basket and Virginia carried the blanket. They walked around the meadow amiably enough, and talked about all sorts of things people must talk about while dating. Having always been too busy working and helping her father at the old hotel, Virginia had never really had time to date. Her two years at Borough of Manhattan Community College hadn't really widened her horizons in terms of eligible bachelors. She might have been only twenty-one, but she usually felt so much older and wiser for her age. Werewolves generally didn't date, so this was a new experience for Wolf also. He was a little more intense and thoughtful than he usually was, but Virginia chalked it up to the full moon. The cycles here were slightly different than those of the Nine Kingdoms, so having two full moons so close to each other must have been a little unsettling.
"There it is!" Virginia cried, pointing. "Look, isn't it beautiful?"
Wolf followed Virginia's line of vision. She had interrupted his tales of past misdeeds that had landed him in Snow White Memorial Prison, but couldn't even jokingly reproach her. The castle was in front of them, as if rising out of the hilltop. There was a lake and a forest, just as Virginia had mentioned the day before. What truly took his breath away was that it rivaled any castle of the Nine Kingdoms. "I take it back. Your world isn't dingy at all."
Virginia grinned and leaned into Wolf. "Don't judge everything by the City, Wolf. The world is huge, and there's so much of it that's beautiful."
Wolf turned to her, his eyes shining yellow and black. "You're the most beautiful thing in it, Virginia. Castles don't mean anything without you."
Virginia dropped the blanket and wrapped her arms around Wolf as she kissed him. It was long and deep, all dueling tongues and roving hands. When they finally broke apart for air, she grinned at him. "You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that? C'mon, let's go see if it's as beautiful close up as it is far away."
They hiked for another hour, working up a good appetite. There was a small cottage on the castle grounds not that far away from the wood's edge. "Let's not go in there," Wolf said suddenly. "You never know with these strange cottages in the middle of nowhere."
"Oh, I remember," Virginia said with a nod. The last magic cottage she had been locked inside of had involved much too much hair and fighting with the Huntsman. "But look, there's a pumpkin patch over there. Why not put the blanket down and eat over there?"
"Let me scout the woods first," Wolf insisted, putting the basket down. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and this place reeks of magic."
"How can you know that?" Virginia asked, beginning to walk to the pumpkin patch. "It's just a cottage, and those are just woods, and that's another laird's castle like all the others we've seen this week."
Wolf's instincts were starting to riot. "Gin, I don't like the look of those woods. Please, just let me look them over first."
Virginia caught the desperation in his voice and looked up at him as she was unfurling the blanket. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I don't like how they look." Wolf scooped up the heavy basket and strode quickly to her side. "Maybe we should go closer to the castle. It looks creepy in there."
Virginia eyed the edge of the forest, but couldn't see anything different about it. She could definitely feel something strange about the whole area, something that didn't feel the same as the meadow they had walked from, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Are you sure?"
"No, dammit, but I'm not taking any chances with you!"
Virginia touched Wolf's arm gently. "All right, then. You take a look. I'll set everything out for when you get back. Okay?"
"Okay. It's probably just foxes or whatever those chieftains used to hunt." Wolf sniffed the air. "There is something around here that smells like animal."
"Go on, then," Virginia said, giving him a playful shove. "You do what you do best and I'll have everything set up when you get back. Just don't wander too far. I don't see any paths in there, and it's easy to get lost in the woods."
Wolf flashed her a playful grin. "Don't we know it. Don't worry, I won't go too far."
Virginia laughed and began spreading out the edges of the blanket. She was just opening up the basket when she heard Wolf howl. It was loud and angry, a tone she had never heard before. Startled, Virginia looked up. There were six robed and hooded men coming out of the forest, sticks in hand. Two were fighting Wolf, pointing those sticks at him. Four were headed in her direction. She was halfway hidden by the pumpkin patch, so she doubted they were headed for her specifically. Were they trying to head to the castle?
What the hell was going on?
The only thing Virginia had was the basket and a cell phone in the pocket of her jeans. She doubted there would be signal here, and in her panic she couldn't remember if 911 worked in Scotland. "Shit!" she muttered, rooting around in the basket. There had to be something in there she could use...
And there was the steak knife, long and wickedly sharp.
"God bless you, Mrs. McMurdo," Virginia whispered.
"Over there! There's one over there!"
Two of the hooded figures kept moving toward the castle. Two were headed back toward her, sticks in hand. Well, she had a knife now, though her hand was still buried in the basket. One of her required classes at BMCC had been Phys Ed. Now she was grateful for it, since she had taken karate. While she didn't remember the exact forms, they did do two weeks of weapons defense as part of the class.
"What do we have here?" one of the robed figures asked. His voice was silky, and it slithered down her spine. She'd waitressed enough to know that kind of voice when she heard it. The owners were usually rich, spoiled and of the belief that they owned the world.
The other figure laughed. "It looks like a lost seventh year. What? Not out at Hogsmeade with the rest of your friends? Did we interrupt a lover's holiday? How sad for you..." The figure stepped a little closer and raised his right hand, stick in hand. "Ava-"
Virginia ran at him, knife in hand, keeping her torso low and out of range of his stick. She remembered the sticks from karate class being longer, but any stick could hurt when brought down with enough force. She slashed at his arm, forcing him to drop the stick. He shouted in pain and struck her on the side of the head. She lost balance and tried to tilt forward to regain her equilibrium. To her horror, the knife plunged into the man's chest, sinking down to the hilt. She looked up into the hooded face, her eyes wide and her mouth slack with shock.
He was wearing some kind of mask, but the brown eyes were clearly visible. "You bitch," he gurgled, blood beginning to bubble on his lips. "How dare you..."
And then there was the other man, shouting something at them. Pain danced along her spine, and Virginia began to scream. She barely registered falling down on top of the other man, pushing the knife even deeper. Something broke beneath her from the force of the fall. She couldn't feel her hands, could feel nothing but the fire sprinting along every nerve, every piece of exposed skin. It felt as if her throat was shredding from the force of her screams.
And then suddenly it was done. Wolf cradled her in his arms, blood streaked across his face and mouth. "Ginny? Ginny, love, say something..."
"W-Wolf..." Virginia whispered. She tried to reach up to touch his face, but her arm wasn't responding properly. She wanted to tell him not to worry, that she would be fine, but her mouth wasn't working. She watched helplessly as tears formed, making his eyes shimmer.
"I did a bad thing, baby. I couldn't help it. We've got to get out of here before they find us. We've got to get back to the village."
He's killed them, Virginia thought. That explained the blood. But now I've killed too, and it was only in self-defense...
"Two more," she whispered hoarsely. "Castle."
Wolf looked up, eyes narrowing. "Getting more of their friends, huh? Not if I can help it. I won't let them touch you."
He laid her down gently, then sprinted off as fast as he could go. Normally it would take about twenty minutes to reach the castle walls from where they had planned their picnic. In his rage, Wolf crossed it in five, reaching the two men. He wasn't scared of their puny sticks. The others had tried saying strange incantations through them, but he had dodged the sparks easily enough and had started breaking bones. He did it again, fingers sinking into eye sockets, teeth closing on throats. Warm blood spurted against his mouth, and he spit it out as he tossed aside one attacker to get the next. The other hooded man tried to run, but Wolf caught the robe and yanked him back. He could hear the jaws clack together as the head snapped back. His hands circled that fragile mortal neck, squeezing and forcing the figure to his knees. With a vicious twist, he turned the head around hard enough and fast enough to hear the crack of bone. Only then did he drop the body.
There were shouts coming from the castle. "Oh fuck," Wolf muttered.
His adrenaline rush wouldn't last for long, he knew. He had to get Virginia and get out of here as soon as possible. Wolf sprinted back to the pumpkin patch and knelt down next to his wife. "Gin, can you sit up? Can you stand?"
"Hurts," Virginia croaked, trying to push herself upright.
"All right. Gotta carry you, then. God, I hope the baby's not heavy."
Virginia tried to smile and swat him, which was more than he had hoped for. Wolf scooped her up into his arms and looked around.
The figures coming from the castle weren't more hooded figures. One was rather short, as a matter of fact, and wearing lime green robes over a lime green suit. There was an older woman with a purple conical hat on her head, which matched her purple robe. It was buttoned up tight to the neck, and she was waving at them. "Wait!" the woman shouted. Her voice sounded Scottish and authoritarian.
"Gotta run, Gin. Hang on tight," Wolf whispered.
"We can help you!" the woman in purple shouted.
"Wait," Virginia murmured.
"Are you sure?"
"No. But you can't run forever carrying me."
"I can give it a good try."
"Just wait. See what she wants first."
Fighting his instinct to run, Wolf stayed put. The short man and the Scottish woman soon closed the distance. She took in the sight of the hooded bodies, Virginia's limp form, and the blood covering Wolf's clothes and face. "Oh heavens, you were attacked. We'll have to get you to the Infirmary at once!"
Virginia merely smiled, then leaned into Wolf's embrace. She closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her.
When next she woke, she was in a hospital. It looked rather old fashioned, with little metal beds, crisp white sheets and white curtains separating each bed. She remembered how St. Luke's had looked when she had broken her leg at age eleven. It had been so modern, with machines beeping and doctors running around in scrubs and white coats. This must be a European hospital then, Virginia thought.
"You're awake then, are you?" a gentle voice said from off to her right. Virginia turned toward the voice. "Frightful scare that was. Had no idea Death Eaters were in the Forbidden Forest, none at all... Now dear, which House are you in? I'm afraid I don't know you."
Virginia blinked in confusion. "Where's Wolf?"
The plump woman clucked gently. "The Cruciatus must've scrambled your wits, poor thing. I'll have to talk to Albus about this, I simply can't bear it any longer..."
Virginia's hand shot out to grasp the woman's arm. "Where's my husband? Where's Wolf? What's happened here?"
Now the woman seemed to realize that Virginia was a stranger. "Oh dear. That young man that was here? Professor Snape escorted him to the Headmaster's office. I'll have to let them know you're awake. They'll be wanting to talk to you, too."
This was a school? If the schools in the City had been like this, maybe she would have been more interested in staying a student.
"I'd like that," Virginia said, letting go of the woman's arm.
"All right. Wait right here."
Virginia watched as the woman walked to a little office in the rear of the Infirmary. She sat up and looked around. She had been dressed in some sort of white cotton gown, but it wasn't the typical kind of hospital gown that opened in the back. There was a chair and night stand next to her bed. Her clothes were folded neatly on the chair, her shoes and socks tucked beneath it. The belongings from her pockets were piled neatly on the night stand's surface. She smiled a little at the sight of her wallet, phone, change and pack of gum. It looked like everything was there. You never could tell with hospitals sometimes.
Virginia pulled her legs to the side and swung them off the bed. Experimentally, she swung her legs back and forth. They seemed to work all right, so she got to her feet and started to change back into her clothes. She shoved everything back into the pockets of her jeans. The sooner she got out of the hospital and back together with Wolf, the happier she would be. There was something a little odd about this place, something tickling the back of her mind. She would puzzle it out later.
"Hermione," the plump woman's voice called out. "Can you escort our guest to the Headmaster's office. He wishes to speak with her."
There were hushed whispers from somewhere off to Virginia's right. "All right," came a girl's voice. The voice was brisk and no-nonsense.
What kind of school was this?
Virginia pulled the curtain back and saw a teenage girl walk toward her. The girl had brown hair and was almost as tall as she was. The school uniform was apparently gray with red and yellow accents. "Hello," the girl said with a crisp British accent. "My name is Hermione Granger, and I'm Head Girl. I'll take you to Headmaster Dumbledore's office now."
"Uh, hi." Virginia said after a moment. "Er, I'm Virginia Wolf."
Hermione nodded. "If you'll follow me, I'm sure we'll get you sorted out."
Taking that to be Scottish slang, Virginia merely nodded at the girl and followed her out of the infirmary. Virginia goggled at the walls once they left, however. The figures in the portraits were moving, and one of them was waving at her. Dazed, Virginia waved back. "Uh, Hermione? Do they always do that?"
"Not usually. But you're new here, so they're saying hello. They've seen me dozens of times, what with all the scrapes Harry and Ron get into. And this year I've started taking extra Healing classes, so I spend lots of time working with Madam Pomfrey."
"Ah," Virginia said, at a loss for anything to say. "So, what do you do as Head Girl?"
Apparently, this was a favorite topic of Hermione's. She began to talk at length about the duties of Prefects and Head Girls and Boys, and how Head Boy Ron Weasley really wasn't at all serious about the post. Hermione felt she had to make up for it, and often had plenty of color-coordinated charts at Prefect meetings. Most of the other Prefects didn't really pay much attention to her plans, which bothered her. She worked hard on presenting a good example, and felt that Prefects should take their job seriously.
"Oh, and here we are. I'm sure I must have bored you to death," Hermione apologized. "I didn't mean to, but as you can see, it's a sore spot. And we just had a meeting yesterday... But here's the Headmaster's office entrance." Hermione turned toward the gargoyle. "Sugar Quill," she said, enunciating it clearly.
The words were a password of some kind, because the gargoyle began to turn, and a staircase began to form. Hermione stepped onto one of the moving steps, and Virginia followed suit. The staircase continued to turn, bringing them higher in the stairwell. It finally opened up into a brightly lit office overstuffed with books and knickknacks of all kinds. In front of the massive desk were Wolf, a red headed boy, some dour looking man in black robes, the woman in purple and the little man in green. Virginia visibly brightened. "Wolf!" she cried, darting past Hermione to cross the distance to her husband.
Wolf turned, obvious relief on his face. He caught her up in his arms and held her tightly. "Moon and stars and all of the nine kingdoms, I thought I'd lost you."
Virginia returned the squeeze. "What happened?"
"A Death Eater attack," the woman in purple said. Her voice was crisply Scottish, and she sounded an awful lot like Mrs. McMurdo back in the village.
Virginia pulled herself slightly away from Wolf and looked at the woman. "The woman in the hospital said that, too."
"Infirmary," the dour man corrected. "And that would be Madam Pomfrey. That blasted woman talks too much about these things..."
"Please, everyone. Sit down," the bearded man behind the desk said. Suddenly there were more chairs than Virginia remembered, and she sat down next to Wolf. "I am Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Lemon drop?" he asked, indicating a bowl on his desk. Wolf and Virginia obediently reached for one, and noticed that no one else did. "I have a fondness for sweets, I must confess," Dumbledore said, reaching for one himself. Only when he actually ate the sweet did Wolf and Virginia eat theirs. "My staff is used to my eccentricities, but don't often indulge, I'm afraid. But enough of that. Let us introduce ourselves."
The dour looking man turned out to be Professor Severus Snape, the little man in green was Professor Filius Flitwick, the woman in purple was Professor Minerva McGonagall and the teenage boy beside Hermione was Head Boy Ronald Weasley. Virginia and Wolf introduced themselves using their married names of Virginia and John Wolf. Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow at them, as if he knew of the slight lie.
"Well then, now that we are all acquainted, perhaps we may speak of this afternoon's incident. I'm very sorry this has happened to you during your outing."
"What are Death Eaters?" Virginia asked flatly. "What the hell is going on around here?"
Dumbledore paused, and whatever he was about to say was lost. "I'm afraid you've stumbled into a bit of a war."
"A bit of a war? Isn't that like saying you're only a little bit sick?" Wolf snarled. "The tour guide didn't mention anything about this!"
"Oh dear, they're Muggle," Flitwick said, voice hushed. He looked imploringly at Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Oh, but they are more than Muggle. They knew the castle was here, they could see all of our magic for what it was."
Suddenly Virginia remembered the odd statement Nuala's brother Clurachan had made back at the bar in New York. May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you.
She turned to Wolf. "Nuala's brother. Do you remember? Back at the bar?"
Wolf blinked in surprise. "That toast, you mean?"
"May you two have the happiness of the ages and always see the magic around you. I've never forgotten it. It sounded too strange to be a toast."
Wolf suddenly smacked his forehead. "Dammit, Nuala's a fairy."
"Perhaps we could all explain what we're speaking of?" Dumbledore suggested gently.
Virginia shrugged. "We're from New York. One of my best friends runs a bar, and she's originally from Faerie. Apparently her brother gave us a gift toast."
Dumbledore smiled gently at the couple. "Ah. Gifts from the fae are generous ones, indeed. Well, then. You have accidentally chosen to have your picnic on the grounds of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"That's why no one else knew what we were talking about," Wolf muttered.
"Precisely. This castle is in ruins to most non-magical eyes. Here, the children of the British Isles train in the basic arts of magic. For the most part, the magical and non-magical peoples of the world are separate. Within our Wizarding World, however, there is a war going on. There are those who would cleanse our people of all those originally born to non-magical folk and separate ourselves entirely."
"You called us Muggle," Virginia said, looking at the man in green.
"It's the term we use for non-magical people," Dumbledore said gently. "Muggles don't know of our existence and can't see magic for what it is."
"But we can," Wolf said, sitting up at attention. "So where does that leave us?"
"Squibs, I suppose," McGonagall mused, chiming in to the conversation. "Those are Wizarding folk that are born with little or no magical ability," she explained.
"Oh, what's the use? Just Obliviate them and send them on their way. They don't belong here, Headmaster," Snape said suddenly.
Dumbledore blinked. "On the contrary. I do believe they may be safer here than elsewhere at the moment. And they may be of some great benefit."
Wolf didn't like the sound of that. "How 'bout we do like this guy says? We'll just go, we won't say a thing, we'll finish our tour and go home. We won't tell anyone."
"But your child is magical," Dumbledore said, voice mild and even. Both Virginia and Wolf stilled. "And its signature is quite strong and distinctive. I do believe the Death Eaters would try and track you down. Your child would be Muggle-born, and that is precisely the very thing that they want to destroy."
Virginia turned to Wolf. One hand rested on her belly, the other squeezed Wolf's hand tightly. "What do we have to do?"
"Dumbledore..." Snape began in a warning tone.
"For now," Dumbledore began, overriding Snape. "I think I'll let our Head Boy and Girl escort you around the castle. That will help you get acquainted with everything we have here. I'll see if I can make more permanent arrangements for your safety. It may take some time for me to do so, I'm afraid."
"Nuala," Virginia whispered dully.
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked.
"She's supposed to pick us up at the airport. I'll have to call her."
"Call?"
"My phone..." Virginia pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and started at it numbly. Instead of "Roaming" on its screen, the phone said "Unregistered."
"What the hell?" Wolf cried, seeing the little screen. "What's wrong with this place?"
"I'm afraid gadgets don't work well here. Magic tends to interfere with technology," Flitwick said. He hopped off his chair and approached them. "May I see? I've never seen such a thing before..."
Virginia watched numbly as the little gnomelike man took her cell phone in hand and tried punching in numbers. He twittered happily when it made sounds and handed it back. "I don't think they've ever talked about such a thing in Muggle Studies. I can't wait to tell Marta about it."
"We can try to send your friend an owl," McGonagall suggested. "We can probably get a transatlantic owl from the Ministry. Though they read those messages carefully."
"I'm sure a Muggle would know what to do with Owl Post," Snape said in a condescending tone. "Honestly, the Death Eaters wouldn't go as far as America. If we just send them back, they'll be just fine."
Suddenly the small fire in the office roared to life. A head popped out of the flames and looked around at the assemblage. "Headmaster, did I call at the wrong time?"
Wolf growled at the head in the fireplace and positioned himself so that he was blocking Virginia from view. Startled, the head in the fireplace gazed at Wolf.
"Remus," Dumbledore said in his same mild tone, "we have a situation here at the castle. Would you or other Order members be able to Floo here?"
"I think Tonks and Kingsley could make it over. I'm a little busy with the cleanup at Hogsmeade. But I could probably Floo over a few hours from now. I'll need to get another dose of Wolfsbane anyway."
"Good. Please do so. I'll be expecting them."
The head in the fireplace disappeared, and Wolf relaxed his alert pose. Dumbledore nodded at the two teenagers in the room. "Please escort our guests on a tour. Try to make them comfortable. We have much to discuss here..."
"Anything about us we'll stay for," Wolf hissed. His hand tightened almost painfully around Virginia's, but she understood it. "We want to know what's going on."
"Certainly. But we have other things to discuss besides your unfortunate attack."
"Are we going to be charged with murder?" Virginia blurted. All eyes in the room swivelled toward her. Wolf nearly choked. "What? I had to ask."
Dumbledore smiled and stood up. "Certainly not. I told you both, we're in the middle of a war. They would have killed you both without a thought. It was self defense. I hope you'll allow us to discuss school defense now, and enjoy your tour."
And before they knew it, the couple was on their feet and going down the staircase with the teenagers. "Does he always get like that?" Wolf groused.
Ron smiled. "Yeah, but you get used to it after a while."
Wolf sighed. "All right. Take us on this tour of yours. But it better be good."
Hermione smiled, her eyes actually twinkling. "I've read Hogwarts: A History a dozen times. I think I know more secret corridors than Ron does."
"Do not! Harry and I have used the map dozens of times, we know lots of things."
"A contest then? The winner is whoever shows the more interesting things."
Ron grinned. "You're on."
"What are you betting for?" Virginia asked, curious. When both Ron and Hermione became red in the face, she and Wolf began laughing. She had a feeling she was going to like these two. They almost reminded her of herself and Wolf.
"They have come! The ones to help the Boy Who Lived!"
Virginia and Wolf stopped short. Virginia blinked at the sight of the woman in front of them, the various scarves, dangling jewelry in myriad colors and the thick lenses of her glasses magnifying her eyes. "Who is this nut job?"
"Professor Trelawney," Hermione said, her tone indicating just what she thought of that particular professor. "She teaches Divination."
Trelawney rushed toward the couple and grasped Virginia's hand. "Oh, you're prettier and younger than I'd thought you'd be. But it's you, all right." She dropped Virginia's hand abruptly and took up one of Wolf's. "And you! So strong! You're perfect!"
"As nice as that sounds, who are you? What are you talking about?"
"I am Sybil Trelawney, Divinations instructor," Trelawney said with a grand voice. "I so rarely come out of my tower. But today, I knew it was a good day to venture forth. And I have found you, the secret gift that the Dark Lord knows not, I know it!"
Virginia and Wolf glanced at Ron and Hermione. "What's she talking about?"
"Long story," Ron muttered. "And not really ours to tell. That would be Harry's."
"And who's this Harry you two keep talking about?" Wolf asked.
"Don't you know?" Trelawney asked, voice sharp. "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, will be the one to save us all from the Dark Lord. And it's your destiny to help him!"
***
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