Author's note: Hola, everyone! I'm sooooo happy, I got all inspired recently and it was so nice for FF.net to actually POST one of my stories for once! (Now, if only it would do the same for my 4 Escaflowne fics, my last FY one, Anime Arts Camp, and The Jellybean Awards...) so, here goes!

"We are such stuff as dreams are made of and our lives rounded by little sleep."
-William Shakespeare, "The Tempest"

"Rei? Rei-Rei? Rei-Rei! Earth to Rei-Rei!"

Wings...those wings...so comforting...but they hurt so...

"Hey! Aureilia! Hello?"

Where'd the red come from? She wasn't bleeding...just screaming. How'd that blood get on those white wings?

"A-ray-lee-a Rose! Wake up, we're almost there. Helloooooo?"

No, don't fly away! You can't take her yet! Bring her back! Don't, please! PLEASE!

"AUREILIA ROSE, WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!"

Aureilia started awake, and hit her head on the door. "Ow!"

Her cousin Lilith frowned. "About time. We're at the station. Help me unload your stuff."

Aureilia sullenly got out of the car, pulled her coat around her more tightly, and silently began pulling her trunk out of the car. Lilith watched her in between pulling things out of the trunk and sighed. "Are you going to start talking again soon?"

Aureilia continued loading her things onto the trolley to wheel them across King's Cross. Lilith sighed. "It's going to make things hard at school, you know."

Aureilia gave her a look, shook her head, tapped her shoulders, and pulled out the last of her things-a small pet carrier bungee-corded to a covered birdcage. There was scrabbling and wing flapping, but no other noise as she settled them atop her trunks. Lilith frowned, and began pushing the trolley. "All right. Come on. We'll miss your train."

Aureilia and her cousin wheeled through King's Cross Station, silent. Aureilia kept her eyes on the ground, knowing Lilith would save he the trouble of searching for the platform. After a bit, her cousin put a hand on her shoulder and they stopped, Aureilia's long black braids swinging in time with he fringe on the bird cage cover. "We're here. You have to look up now, so you'll know when no one's looking."

She looked up, glanced around briefly, then sighed inaudibly and slowly walked through the barrier between the two platforms. Aureilia didn't even know what platforms they were. She really didn't care. London was already a thousand and some miles from home-what remained of it, anyway-and she still had to travel to school. What difference did it make where the train was? Nothing meant anything to her, not anymore.

A moment later, Lilith shook her arm again. "Come on, Aureilia! We have to meet with that gameskeeper guy or whoever to fill him in on what to do with you."

Aureilia looked up, and pointed briefly before looking back at her feet. Lilith blinked, and stared at the huge grizzly of a man waving students onto the train. "Oh. Right. He's supposed to be huge. Right then. Come on, kid."

They approached the large man in the voluminous coat carefully, trying to avoid the crowd as much as possible. Lilith waited until there was a lull in the stream of students walking onto the train. "Are you Mr. Rubeus Hagrid?"

The man looked at her curiously. "That'd be me. Who're you?"

"Lilith Milne." Lilith held out her hand. "I'm here with my cousin, Aureilia Rose, Mr. Hagrid."

"'Ey, no reason ter call me that." The man smiled. "Jus' Hagrid."

Lilith smiled as if she were unused to it. It occurred to Aureilia that she hadn't seen her cousin smile since about a month after she stopped talking. "Hagrid, then. I was told to meet you about Aureilia?" She turned, and gestured. "Rei-Rei, come closer, all right?"

Aureilia didn't move. Lilith frowned. "Rei-Rei, come on!" She gestured helplessly at Hagrid. "I'm sorry, she's usually more polite than this...Rei, come on!"

Aureilia looked at her now, and shook her head so hard that the ends of her braids licked against her face like a whip. Lilith looked confused. "Why not?"

Aureilia stamped her foot, and glared at her cousin accusingly.

"Rei-Rei, I don't understand."

Her thoughts flared angrily, tinged with overwhelming pain. How dare you call me that name? That's Kari's name! Not yours! How dare you!

As the last thought passed her mind, Lilith winced back, and a look of understanding passed across her face. "Oh...Hagrid, I apologize. I'd forgotten. Aureilia won't respond to that name. It upsets her. Bad memories, I suppose."

Hagrid stepped closer to the girls. "Nothin' ter be ashamed about. Sometimes you ferget things." He held out a huge hand towards Aureilia. "Rei, then?"

Aureilia looked at him carefully, then stepped forward and shook his hand flatly. He nodded at Lilith. "There. No 'arm done, then. Used t' it m'self."

Lilith smiled again with relief. "You're very kind. Now then-you may have noticed that Aureilia won't talk. I don't mean she's quiet, she simply won't talk. She hasn't for almost a year now. You see why I had to talk to someone before leaving her."

Hagrid nodded, and Lilith continued. "My cousin's quite intelligent and normally very social, but after the events of last year-I assume Professor Dumbledor has filled you in about those? He has? Good-after last year, she's become very withdrawn. It doesn't take a lot to set her off, but she also doesn't respond much to anything. And with everything else going on...well, sending her to Hogwarts was the safest thing, don't you agree?"

Hagrid nodded absently, but was staring at the carrier and cage with avid curiosity. "What type o' critters ye got there, Rei?"

Silently, Aureilia uncovered the cage, revealing a beautiful red and gold bird with large, almost human blue eyes. "A firebird," Lilith explain as Aureilia nodded. "Cousin to the phoenix. And in here..."

Before Lilith could finish, Aureilia opened the door and a red blur streaked out into her arms. Aureilia held the creature close, cooing wordlessly into it's fur. Lilith sighed. "That's Eveline. Rei's pet fox. We got permission to bring both the fox and the bird."

The train whistle blew, and Lilith jumped. "Oh, dear!" She turned to Hagrid, a strained and apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry. I'll make this short. Aureilia also...well, she sometimes won't respond to things at all, and then there will be other times when we aren't sure quite what sets her off. And because she simply stopped caring in school, her control of magic has gotten a bit, well, erratic. So, you might want to have someone close by to keep anyone from upsetting her and resulting in the train's explosions."

Hagrid nodded. "O'course, Miss Milne."

The whistle blew again, and Lilith winced. "I suppose I should be going..." She bent over, and gave Aureilia a quick squeeze. "Now don't make things to hard on everyone, all right, Rei? Jared and I will miss you. Take care, and be careful."

Aureilia felt her eyes smart, and tears trickled down her cheeks. It wasn't because she would miss Lilith-she'd only been in her and Jared's custody for about a year, and most of that time had been spent in so many various stages of hurting that they were almost strangers to her. No, it was the fact that once Lilith left, it would be official. Everything would be different. There would be no turning back. No more waking up and thinking Kari would be calling her on the phone. No more New York nights strolling with friends, laughing and talking about things like clothes, movies, and music. No more waking from dreams thinking she was back at her grandparent's house, or only visiting Lilith and Jared. The reality was finally setting in, and after a year of denial, it hurt Aureilia more than she would have ever thought possible.

Aureilia pressed her face into Lilith's shirt and hugged her tight, hoping she'd never let go. The moment, however, had to fade. Lilith pushed her away. "I'll write to you, Rei. Have fun, all right?"

She turned and walked away. Aureilia wiped her eyes, and gritted her teeth, furious at herself for crying like anything mattered to her any more. A large hand rested on her shoulder, and Hagrid spoke. "Rei? Ye'll be fine, Now le's get on th' train."

He led her to a car near the back. "Fifth years're here. Ye gets a car all ter yerself, bein' new an' all. 'S not usual fer a student t' transfer. Th' other students might not all be nice ter ye." He helped her up the steps as she stumbled-her short stature made it hard for her to get up the first step. "Oh, Dumbledor-yer new headmaster, Rei-said t' tell you when ye gets to th' school, there's a teacher who kin give ye a hand wi' things, 'specially if ye needs t' talk. She'll find you after class, I guess."

Aureilia nodded absently, still holding Eveline close to her. She reached down for the carrier and the bird cage, Hagrid handed them to her, and waved as he headed off to help other students. "Good luck, Rei!"

She didn't wave back, and headed to her seat.

*

Kari held out a hand and helped her up. "Rei-Rei, you're so funny sometimes. You shouldn't act so dramatic, we were worried."

"Worried? About what?"

"Wow, you must've really conked yourself when you hit your head. You hit your head on the ground, and passed out for a minute. Are you all right?"

She looked at Kari in wonder-the greenish eyes, light brown hair, the relieved smile-and wiped her eyes. "I had a terrible dream."

She reached out, brushing her hands against Kari's cheek. "You're real. You're still here. I'm so glad."

Kari smiled kindly. "Of course I'm here. I'll always be here, you goof. Come on, let's go find Iris and Glory. We're going to see that movie, remember?"

She stood, and started to reply, when fire trucks began racing past, sirens wailing. She called out to Kari, but the sirens drowned out her voice-why didn't Kari hear the trucks as she stepped out into the street? She should've heard it before it hit her with sickening force, the sound of Kari's body colliding with the truck and flying onto the sidewalk making her scream and scream, yet still unable to be heard over the sirens...

It was a bell. Aureilia opened her eyes, wiped the tears from them, and waited until the bells of the snack cart were out of hearing distance. They were loud, and high-pitched, just like the trucks in her dream. She could easily assure herself it was a dream. Kari wasn't dead from an accident...at least not one like that.

A moment later, a blonde head peeked into her compartment. The pale, colorless boy looked at her with a strange, possessive smile. "Well, hello. I've never seen you at Hogwarts before, and I surely would've remembered such an attractive face."

Aureilia didn't answer. The boy slipped into her cabin, followed by two hulking brutes of teenaged boys who sat next to him. She shrank back slightly. The boy held out a hand, still smiling that lecherous grin. "Draco Malfoy. You may have heard of me or my family. And you are?"

Aureilia didn't answer. She stared, trying not to show her nerves. Draco frowned, and covered by gesturing at the two others. "This is Crabbe, and he's Goyle. Friends of mine. And yours, now." He flashed another winning smile, and reached out to touch her braids.

Aureilia didn't notice at first. She was too busy thinking that Crabbe and Goyle looked more like bodyguards than friends. Then suddenly she felt a slight tug on her head, and pulled back violently, her braid flying out of Draco's hand. She tensed, eyes wide, hands tingling with warmth, and pulled herself into her first layer of cloak. Draco frowned at her. "Hey, what gives? I've been nothing but polite to you, haven't I? I at least deserve to know your name!"

Aureilia shook her head, and the heat in her hands grew stronger. She didn't do a thing to dissuade it, but merely hoped he'd leave before the spell that she was unconsciously reciting was finished.

Draco made a face, and stood to leave. "You must be retarded or something. Not at all my style. Come on," he said, waving at Crabbe and Goyle. "We're going to find something to eat."

The two giants left, and Draco shot one last look at Aureilia. "You missed your chance, you know. You're quite an attractive girl. Being associated with me could've been a great thing for you-"

"Only if she wanted to end up in the obituaries for suicide." A girl with frizzy brown hair and a serious expression pushed Draco out of the way. "Who are you bothering now, Malfoy? Shouldn't you go join your cronies?"

Draco sniffed. "Why, Miss Granger. That summer in Bulgaria certainly made you more presumptuous, if that is possible."

The girl ignored him, slipped into the carriage, and closed the door on him. She smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. He's been tormenting everyone today. He wasn't being too much of an idiot to you, was he?"

Aureilia blinked, and slowly shook her head. The girl smiled wider. "Good! Well, he should be gone by now. I'd better go back to helping Neville. His toad's escaped again."

She stood, left, and waved. "Have a nice rest of the trip!"

Aureilia waited until she was gone from the doorway and sank into her seat, eyes tearing up.

Why should she care? No one should care about me. I kill everything I care for...no one should risk wanting to be nice to me. And she was so very nice. I suppose she'll end up dead now. Better avoid her. I'm not starting off this year like that. I don't think I could take it.

*

Aureilia got her own private boat to the school. She rowed steadily, carefully, and as silently as possible. She wasn't sure what was going to happen when she arrived. Hogwarts was bound to be different from Littlevane. Especially in the types of students admitted. She hadn't seen one other person of mixed origin-there were probably lots of Muggle-born or half-bloods, but none with any other blood except possibly Hagrid.

And with the way he'd talked to her about that teacher he'd told her about, she gathered he knew what she was, and that she was highly unusual at Hogwarts.

When she rowed ashore, she spotted Hagrid with a large group of tiny students-first years. It seemed so long ago to her now, her first year at school. It had only been four years ago, but Aureilia felt she'd experienced more in that time than anyone her age should have. She waved tentatively at Hagrid, who spotted her and gestured for her to follow him in. She tagged on to the end of the group of first years, and silently followed them into the castle.

Aureilia didn't really care to look at a truly old wizarding school. Littlevane was no more than 200 years old, and had none of the charm or mystery of Hogwarts, but she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm. It was the same feeling she'd had for a year now-simple, leaden emptiness, and a complete lack of interest or care about anything anymore, even herself. As such, she paid so little attention to where she was going that she was utterly surprised when they reached the great hall.

All the older students were already seated at four long tables. The first years headed up towards the front of the hall, and Aureilia trailed listlessly behind. She felt eyes on her, curious eyes, but couldn't bring herself to mind or care.

From what she gathered through her careless observation, Aureilia realized that somehow all the students were being sorted into houses. It wasn't a bit like Littlevane, where the students were tested for strengths and weaknesses to determine their houses. This seemed to be far more magical in nature. Aureilia heard her name called, and almost cried at something that happened.

For the first time in over a year, she really felt something. She was terrified of what was going to happen when she went up there in front of everyone and did whatever was needed to determine what her house was. The exhilaration of feeling an emotion again was enough to nearly bring her to tears.

The female professor looked testy. "I repeat-Aureilia Rose!"

Aureilia shook off her emotions and stepped forward. There were murmurs all through the hall. Transfers students must not be at all common in European wizard schools, she thought as she stood before the woman.

The professor pursed her lips, but whether it was from concern or annoyance, Aureilia couldn't tell. The woman gestured to the chair. "Sit."

Aureilia did so. There was a pause, and the professor coughed. "Put on the hat, Miss Rose."

Aureilia noticed the worn old hat sitting on the stool beside her. Belatedly, she picked it up and placed it on her head. It slid down over her bangs, but not all the way over her eyes. She guessed it probably obscured the vision of all the first years.

After a moment, a tiny voice whispered in her ear. "Oh dear. You poor, poor girl. Will you be all right?"

Aureilia blinked, and the voice cut back in. "Oh, I see. You don't speak. Well, you can just think whatever you want at me. You'll be all right now that you're here, won't you?"

She frowned, then nodded. The voice sounded considerably relieved. "Good. Very good. Some people suffer such when they don't deserve to. And because of that, it makes this choice much harder. Such a mind, and such talent...my first instinct is Ravenclaw, but what with all you've been through, your background, your family, and your little vow of silence...you could use good friends, and that's either Hufflepuff of Gryffindor. And seeing as you've got that wonderful mind..."

The voice didn't seem to grow louder to her, but it rang through the Great Hall. "Gryffindor!"

There was a smattering of confused applause, and Aureilia took off the hat. She set it back down, and looked at it, wondering if it could still hear her. She hoped it could.

I did deserve it. You were wrong.

Next Chapter: http://www.oocities.org/empressstarsearcher/romance/woh2.html