TDSC II - Tears from the Past

[coldmercurywitch]

I'm not sure if this is going to be a long or short story. I haven't decided yet. It depends on which way i end up feeling like going with it. But I hope you all like it.



Nierme had arrived early, but the Great Hall was already set for the occasion. Each of
the four long tables was decorated with it’s house colours, and house banners hung
high above them. She went over the table decorated in green and silver and sat in that
same spot she had placed herself those years ago after the sorting hat had called out
her house : ”Slytherin!” The cheers that had come from this table that night she could
still hear in the back of her mind.

She just sat there for a while, unmoving, reminising over all the feasts and other
special occasions she had attended in this great hall. All the special moments that she
had locked away in her memory to resurface at a time such as this. The fun, the
laughter, the rejoicing, and the tears. She closed her eyes as one of her own trickled
down her cheek and silently splashed onto the smooth wood of the Slytherin table.
Wiping the moisture it left from her face, she rose and slowly walked out of the hall to
go to some of her other fondly remembered places of the school.

She wandered the vast corridors, talking to the paintings and peering into classrooms.
The accidents and mishaps of each class all came gushing back to her as she looked
over the classrooms she had taken them in, a fond smile spreading across her face.
Had it really been 14 years ago when in potions class her hair had been turned green
for a week? She had been asked to go along with the Slytherin Quidditch team that
week to cheer them on.

Giggling softly to herself as that memory replayed itself, then passed, she made her
way to a balcony, on which she had spent many hours, thinking alone, or spending
time with someone she had held dear. She leaned on the railing and let the breeze
gently blow her hair about while she looked out over the grounds of Hogwarts.

Feeling the time was getting along, and that the reunion feast would soon be starting,
she turned only to be startled by the fact someone had been standing behind her,
watching her. Recognising the the dark curly hair and soft, warm, brown eyes, she
momentarily lost her breath. Her heart jumped with joy, then felt tight with pain and
anguish, before feeling heavy with utter sorrow. She just stood there, staring at him,
feeling another tear well up in her eye.

[coldmercurywitch]

“Hi...” he said with a little uncertainty. The break in the silence gave her a chance to
gather herself back together.

“Hello Andy” she replied. It came out colder than she had intended, but she couldn’t
double back now.

“You look good.”

“So do you.” He did. He looked great. He was obviously doing well, whatever it was
he was doing. She had intended to keep track of him, but found it too painful to do so.
“I...I didn’t expect to see you here. You were never the type for this sort of thing...”
She was trying her best to avoid eye contact with him, but it wasn’t going well.

“I wasn’t going to come, but I figured I should. Besides...” He took a step closer to her
and tilted her chin up so he was looking her in the eye, “...there were some people I
never got to say goodbye to before...that I wanted to see again.”

Nierme was fighting back tears, his touch opening up old wounds she thought had
healed. Looking into his eyes again was tearing her apart, and she had to look away.
He placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Why did you just go like that? You left without a word. You didn’t even leave a
goodbye note.” He was trying his best to get an answer out of her calmly, but she was
refusing to even look at him, which was hurting him more. He didn’t know what was
wrong.

Nierme stayed silent and pulled away from his hold. He looked at her, not knowing
what she was doing or what to think of it. It was all too confusing for him to take in at
once, but he tried. He swallowed hard and went to try again, but she stopped him,
looking at him with her cold green eyes, holding back all the emotion that wanted to
pour out from behind them.

“I’m sorry Andy, but I don’t think this is the time, or the place to discuss this sort of
thing.”

“Well where then? And when?” He wanted to know what had happened, and he
wanted to know now, but she wasn’t going to tell him, and he knew it.

“I believe we have a reunion to attend. I guess I’ll see you in there.” With that, she
walked back inside and down along the corridor, leaving Andy watching her until she
disappeared around a corner. He felt hot tears fall onto his cheeks and he wiped them
away before following her to the great hall.

[coldmercurywitch]

Walking down the hallways at a fast, brisk pace, Nierme blinked back to oncoming
tears. She couldn’t walk into a reunion crying. Stopping for a moment, she
concentrated to get herslf back together, and chilled herself a little more than usual.
Starting to walk again, she tucked her hair back a little, and last of all, painted a smile
on her face.

As she approached the doors of the Great Hall, she could see they were now wide
open and chitter chatter and laughter could be heard from within. She entered and
immediately recognised at least a dozen faces. Everyone looked wonderful, dressed
elegantly in gowns and ties. She herself was rather ravishing in her plain silver
strapless, with her dark hair falling down over her shoulders and past her waist.
Looking around at all the long missed faces put a real smile on her face.

She was standing off to the side for a moment, just watching everyone find old
friends, when she felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning around slowly she saw the all too
familiar glasses, long hair, pointed ears, and flicking twin fox tails. It was Chris. It
was a woinder he hadn’t glomped her as he used to do to people he hadn’t seen for a
while all the time. She embraced him then pulled away to get a better look at him.

“Wow Chris!! I don’t think you’ve changed a bit! Except perhaps that your hair is a
bit longer. How have you been love?”

He grined, and blushed a little. “I’m good. Still in a little bit of trouble and stuff, but
I’m good. How about yourself?”

Nierme could see he had something on his mind, but either didn’t want to discuss it,
or wasn’t at liberty to. So she left it at that. “I’ve been well. Doing lots of stuff.
Travelling alot as well. Been pretty busy.”

Chris could sense the avoidance and ventured to pry a little deeper. “Do you travel
with your job?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“And what is it you do?”

Nierme felt her heart jump into her throat. This was the question she had been
dreading. The one she didn’t want to answer. The one she couldn’t answer! She just
stared at Chris blankly for a moment, not knowing what to say. She fidgeted
nervously.

Suddenly she was nearly knocked over from behind as someone practically lept onto
her back. Before she turned around, Nierme already knew who was it, for she had
heard the all too familiar giggling of the slightly mad Leia Skye. She looked stunning
in her one shouldered violet gown, and seemed even moore energetic than usual.

“Ele!!” she sqealed, “You made it!!! Lots of people thought you wouldn’t turn up. But
you did! YAY!!”

After Leia had settled a little, all three of them sat down near one end of the Slytherin
table and talked of old times, when all of them were first years and first meeting, and
all the mischief they had gotten up to over the years, terrorizing the other houses.
Nierme also teased them both about how they used to chase after Draco.

“I can’t believe you guys chased him for so long!!”

“But he was....was...Draco-pie!!” Leia replied in defence.

“Yeah! Anyway,” Chris said, “you and Andy were worse!!”

Although she did her best to hide it, Nierme’s face dropped slightly, and she fell silent
for a moment. Chris and Leia were also quiet, realising they had said something they
probably shouldn’t have.

“You two still talk, don’t you?” Leia asked, knowing they had not been together at the
end of the year when they graduated.

“Umm...I need to go use the bathroom. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She rose and scurried off to the bathroom, leaving Chris and Leia behind to wonder
what had happened between the cutest couple.

[coldmercurywitch]

Locking herself in one of the toilet cubicals, she sat down adn let silent tears roll down her cheeks and wetten her lap. How could she tell them what she did now? How could she tell Andy?

Letting the tears fall as she tried helplessly to answer these questions herself, she was startled slightly when she heard someone else coming into the bathroom. Hurriedly, she tried to wipe away the tears, and pat dry her lap which was now rather obviously darker than the rest of her dress. Realising it wasn't going to dry, she placed her hand over it and it came out and froze on top of the cloth. She broke the piece of ice offand dropped it into a bin then wiped her face once more before opening the door.

A tall, rather gangly man with croped blonde hair and grey eyes was standing at the entrace door to the bathroom, peering in. He saw her come out and smiled. "Hey. I saw you come in here, and thought I'd wait and say hello when you came out." When he saw the rims of her eyes were slightly red, a look of concern crossed his face. "Are you alright?"

Nierme hadn't seen Nialle since before she had left. He, or she as she had been then, had retreated to deep inside the forbidden forest for a few months, needing some space and time to think to herself. She smiled at the Sylph as best she could, but knew it was useless trying to hide anything for her treelike friend.

"I'm just dealing wit it all. Haven't seen anyone for so long, and I had to leave so suddenly. I kinda left alot of things unfinished, and missed alot of goodbyes." Nierme went over the the sink and washed her face. Patting it dry with a small hand towel, it soon lost all blemish from crying that had just a few moments ago been very noticable against her pale skin.

"Anyway, I'm fine now. How have you been, I haven't seen you for so long." she put her arms around the sylph, embracing him to make up for lost years of conversasion.

"I've been good. I still live in the Forbidden Forest and still study here at Hogwarts, occasionally taking over as a substitute if needed."

"That's great." Nierme was trying to show as much enthusiasim as possible to try throw Nialle off the scent of her worry and sorrow, which she knew all too well he could sense. He had a knack for it. "You always did say you never wanted to leave this place. So it's great you're still here."

"And how have you been? What have you been up to since your sudden disappearance?"

Nierme stopped for a moment, not knowing what to say. She couldn't lie to Nialle, but she didn't want tell him the truth either, so she decided to be as vague as possible.

"I've been around. Travellig alot, meeting lots of people." That last remark was no word of a lie, but it had never been your usual kind of meeting. "I've been busy with work too. Always getting called in and stuff. Was surprised they let me come here." She was fumbling, and knew Nialle knew by the look on his face. But she became worried when his face suddenly turned grave.

"Nierme, I know what you do now. Dumbledore told me a while after you left, because I was asking. I'm sorry."

Her face fell and she slumped heavily into a chair. Nialle took a seat beside her and waited for her to respond. Nierme just sat there, shocked and scared, looking at all the people she once went to school with and felt her heart heave itself into her throat at the thought of them too knowing what she was and what she did. They were both silent for some time.

[superstitious13]

i wish i could write like you...its so moving...i thought i was going to cry. It's so well written....

[coldmercurywitch]

Thanks Jessica. It's taken me a while to get back to it. I had this written up for a while, but I needed to fix it. It didn't flow the way I wanted it to. It's a bit better now.

I'll be writting some more to it and Awakenings soon. I'm also gonna try get back to my first story as well, Elemmiire's Story of Hogwarts. Yes, it's the same character, but her name changes. It'll all be explained when I get round to filling in lots of the gaps in my stories.

But I'm glad ou like it.

[En]

Er. *deliberately sets personal thoughts aside*

Wow, Nierme. I am totally on the edge of my seat, wondering what's going on, what it is your characters aren't telling each other... and I'm completely absorbed in the idea of the story too, because I've been thinking lately about reunions and why they always make me feel like this. Alienated. Sad. A little quick to tears. And darn tired of hearing what people wouldn't say ten or fourteen years ago.

This is seriously good. And... you know I've been working on this little sidebar, right, a sort of essay about Trap Door? Would you mind horribly if I talked about this story in the essay? Would you mind horribly if I asked if you wanted to publish it alongside the essay? I'm that serious, Nierme. It's that good. Tone and detail and characterisation -- it's that good.

[coldmercurywitch]

*blinks* Published?

Umm...I seriously don't know what to say...I've been sitting here for 20 mins now, and I still don't know what to say. Believe me, I never, ever expected anyone to ask me to consider publishing any of my works.

Umm...if you really want it published along side your essay, then I will. But it'll be a while before I finish. This is still kind of a draft, and there are all these extra little things that I wanted to add to it later. I don't know how long that will take cos I can usually only write when the mood hits me.

I can say though, that it's going to be short story, on the long end of the scale, but a short story nonetheless. Umm...OK. Feeling all weird now. I might call you to talk about it better, and ask you a few things about it all. Maybe if I get a rouh date, it'll motivate me a bit more to write some more. Umm....yeah.

[En]

Where are you in writing it? Do you have a game plan or outline, or are you more of a write-as-it-comes writer? How much time do you have to write?

I'm thinking, definitely before "The Two Towers" comes out, I'd like to get everything together. The sooner the better, though, because then we'd have time to polish up and I could work what you're writing more directly into my essay. What do you think?

[coldmercurywitch]

Yeah, I know where I'm going with it. I'm probably colse to half way through it, but I can only write when I'm in the mood, otherwise I can't write it the way I like it and I get pissed off and abandon it.

OK. Before the Two Towers is good. That gives me about a month and a half, cos I'm leaving for NZ on 29th November, but I'll be away before then. I'll just keep working on it when I have the time. Knowing I have a deadline to meet will probably get me working on it more.

[Chris_Valentine]

It's a lovely story Nie! *huggles* Ano... how come everytime my name is mentioned trouble seems to follow? What is your job? What is MY job? What do I have on my mind? Why am I in trouble? but the most important question: Who got Draco? *huggles* write more, cuz these questions need to be answered. *huggles* I still loveit though!

[coldmercurywitch]

Umm....

*is confuzzled by the swarm of questions*

I'm working on it. There is actually a fair bit more to happen in it, and all will be revealed in good time. I just need to get my creative cap on. Writing is a come and go thing with me, so I can't guarentee this will be finished by the time I have to go. I will try though.

[Chris_Valentine]

*giggles and huggles* DOn't worry, I just like confusing people with an onslaught of questions. I don't mind if it takesyou forever. I'm still waiting and patiently hoping that Roo will write more, and hey just look at my stories,. They take me forever to write, so I understand that it takes time.

[coldmercurywitch]

Coolio. I'll prolly work on it later on today. I have some spare time. ;D And I'm getting into a bit of a writing mood now I know there are a few people who like my story.

Hey!! Can you tell me what you think of my other story Chris? The one called Awakenings? I'm curious to know what you think.

[Chris_Valentine]

Can and will, just let me go read it! *bounces off to read the other fic* Lalalalalalalala