White Heather for Protection

Seeking Happiness

~~~

Just before she went to bed, Heather activated the tracker again. She frowned. This was the third consecutive night that Rian was in that particular room after curfew. He had stayed there till morning the past two nights. Even if they were having the Yule holidays, curfew was still in effect. Putting on her robes again, she thought, 'Ha, Fred and George! Who's paranoid and obsessive now?'

She quietly slipped into the room that the tracking spell led her to. The room was sparse, empty but for a large mirror on the far wall. She couldn't see Hadrian, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

"Rian."

A rustle of cloth, then he slipped the invisibility cloak off. He turned reluctantly from the mirror to face her.

"Heather." He didn't seem surprised to see her. "Look at the mirror!" He then eagerly turned back.

Frowning in concern, Heather sent a tendril of magic to the reflective glass. She couldn't find any compulsion spells, so why was Hadrian so entranced? Since it felt pretty benign, she chanced a glance.

Oddly enough, what she saw wasn't her reflection. Instead, she saw a man. When he turned around to face her, she gasped. Then, a woman joined his side, followed by two laughing children. The group walked happily into a beautiful cottage.

Tearing her gaze from the scene with difficulty, her eyes landed on the inscription on the golden frame.

Erised stra ehru oy tube cafru oyt on wohsi

She stared shrewdly at the strange phrase. Her mind cleared and she understood. This mirror, it was tempting. It explained why Rian had come here the past two nights.

"What do you see, Hadrian?"

In a far-away tone, he said, "You, me, Mama, Papa, lots of other relatives. We're laughing and smiling." Heather's eyes misted over. Family. Hadrian saw family when he gazed into the mirror.

She gave him a sharp jerk to pull him out of his daze. Pointing at the inscribed letters, she urged him to read the phrase.

"Do you understand, Hadrian?" she whispered. He stilled, then nodded. "I show not your face but your heart's desire," she read the words from front to back. "This is dangerous. It'll be easy, so easy, for you to be consumed by the images. You know, don't you? You've already spent the past few nights here."

Hadrian turned resolutely from the mirror and took his sister's outstretched hand. He understood now. As he walked out with her, he asked her what she had seen. She gave him a loving smile.

"I saw your future."

~~~

Heather shot up straight, panting loudly. Images of green jets floated across her mind. She could feel the phantom pain of wrecked fingernails and the oppressing smallness of a wardrobe. Suddenly, her room was too dark. Frantically, she threw out bright balls of white light. Yes. White was safe. White repelled the green.

Shaking, she felt for Rian through the amulet. He was fast asleep in the Gryff dorms. She let out a shuddering breath and relaxed against her pillow. It would be another sleepless night then. Her nightmares had started up again after the Quidditch match.

Heather resigned herself to another night of practising that defensive spell that she still couldn't get right. She was in the wrong state of mind for it, but it was advanced enough to take her mind off of other unsavoury things.

She picked her laurel wand up. This spell was much too intricate for her to go without the assistance in guiding her magic. Only when she was proficient would she try it wandless. Collecting her dark thoughts and locking them up, she focussed on that image of her brother she had seen in the Mirror. She cast the spell.

Tiny wisps of white spurted out of her wand. She laughed in amazement. This was the first time she had gotten any results from the spell. She held on to her renewed good mood and practised until dawn broke.

~~~

Heather blew out a frustrated sigh. She hadn't gotten any further progress with the spell. The more annoyed she got with each failed attempt, the weaker the results.

"Alright, what's got you so sour, lil' harpy?" Fred asked after her nth sigh.

"You've just been making little clouds!" George exclaimed, thrown.

She groaned and thumped her forehead on George's shoulder. "I can't get this spell right! I read about it in this book and I really want to learn it!"

"No way-"

"-our Heather is-"

"-stumped by a spell?"

"Must be crazy hard."

Sighing again, she thought about what she was doing wrong. She couldn't concentrate because of all the worry she felt for Hadrian. Every time she tried to cheer herself up with memories of him, she just brooded about the danger he was in. While nothing had happened since the match, she would still lose focus and the spell would slip from her grasp.

"What do you think joy is?" she asked suddenly.

They gave her odd looks. "Jokes, of course!"

At her dubious expression, they explained.

"No, listen."

"That moment when a great prank-"

"-is perfectly executed and-"

"-everyone laughs together!"

"That is what we live for!" they said, eyes shining excitedly.

Blinking thoughtfully, she considered their words. Laughter. The instant when unadulterated happiness bubbled over and vocalised itself. When no shadows or gloom invaded the light. Perfect.

~~~

Easier said than done.

What made her laugh? Heather compiled a list, even. Rian's antics sometimes did, but they mostly gave her a headache. (Because really, a baby dragon?) Fred and George's pranks, occasionally, but it was more of exasperated amusement. Catching the snitch...not since that match.

She looked hopelessly around her room. Was she really so staid that she couldn't find anything that made her laugh? Resignedly, she sat on her bed and grabbed a book. Perhaps she would try again tomorrow before she worked herself into a fever.

This Book is Property of the Half-Blood Prince

Just what she needed after a frustrating day. She had already read this one (in fact, she'd already read all the Prince's books) but it never got boring. Heather ran her fingers over the familiar writing, greeting the book like an old friend. Indeed, it almost was.

She could even recite most of her Prince's comments.

"Oh, marvellous job, Thistledown. Yes, do add the crushed moonstone to the Dreamless Sleep. Insomniacs certainly desire to sleepwalk during the little time they slumber," Heather drawled mockingly. She laughed delightedly at his acerbic comments, wiping stray tears from her eyes.

Heather stilled. She looked at the book in her hands, then at the stack on her desk. She brightened.

Apparently, she had a satirical sense of humour.

~~~

"Fred, George!" Heather crowed as she ran into the Den. "I did it! I did the spell!"

"Brilliant, knew you could do it!" George cheered, ruffling her messy black hair.

"Now you can actually tell us what spell it was," Fred said dryly, "Or better yet, show us."

She smiled widely, flushed in excitement. "It's really great! I took your advice, about the laughter. Wow, the spell was just amazing! It was still really hard at first, but I've been practising and practising. It's much easier now-"

"HEATHER!" they shouted, "Just do the spell!"

At their expectant faces, she blushed deeper, feeling inexplicably shy all of a sudden. Centring her thoughts, she waved her wand.

"Expecto Patronum!"