LIFE CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL MIRAGE. It can be blissful and vigorous, but it's just that. A hallucination. In everything, there is darkness. There is malevolence and it's forlorn. Peril that takes your innocence away, and it brings you endless pain.
Pain.
That was what Ember Weasley and Caspian Malfoy felt when they woke up from their deep sleep.
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THE WEASLEY'S WERE STAYING IN TWELVE GRIMMAULD PLACE. The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Every member of the order were present, even Dumbledore, except for Bill Weasley. The adults were having a meeting in the dining room, while the teenagers were trying to eavesdrop. Unfortunately for the children, Molly Weasley used the impurturbable charm, preventing the kids to listen in to the meeting.
"Why can't they just tell us." complained Ron who was standing beside Hermione, who has a look of exasperation on her face.
The extendable ears, Fred and George made were very nifty, but they could only use it when their mother forgets to cast the charm.
The teenagers concluded that there was no use on eavesdropping now, that they all went to their own business with a bored expression on their faces.
Fred and George went to their shared room plotting their next pranks and conversing to think of new ideas for their shop.
Ron and Hermione stayed at the living room. Talking quietly about Harry and the return of you-know-who. They were worried for their brunette best friend but they couldn't send a letter to him even if they wanted to. Dumbledore told them not to. And that made them fret even more for their friend.
Ginny was in her shared room with Hermione. Plucking out the souvenirs from Egypt that were for her twin sister. She remembered how their itinerary went well, but it feels much better if they were complete. Arthur and Molly Weasley were having second thoughts if they were to go on the excursion, but in the end they did. Their children were excited when they found out and they needed it for a distraction themselves. Ginny was saddened that they were to go without her twin, but she felt better when all of them bought some things that her sister will definitely want, if she were with them.
On the Quidditch World Cup, Ginny wished her sister was watching from the very top beside her. She thought that if she were there, her twin will babble about moves and skills the players can and will do. Ember wasn't a Quidditch player, no. She was a coach. She was their coach. And they miss hearing their sister's voice whenever they play in the backyard. Although the World Cup was fun, the chaos after was dreadful. Ginny was glad her sister didn't get to witness that, but not a day had gone by that she didn't think of her other half.
And when she found Luna Lovegood being bullied by the other Ravenclaws, she stepped up and defended her. She remembered when Ember was always the one to defend her blonde friend. She didn't really get the chance to know the girl better before because of what was happening to her that time. But when her twin got into a deep sleep, it resulted for Luna to be alone. She got to know the girl because her twin's friends are also her friends. And she thought Luna wasn't bad. Even if sometimes the blonde gets stuck in a trance, they found solace in each other. They waited patiently for Ember.
Meanwhile...
In the meeting of the Order, Molly Weasley looked at the Hogwarts Headmaster, aghast by the words that came out of his mouth.
"She's just a child! And she hasn't even-" Molly Weasley couldn't help but burst into tears, leaning on her husband's shoulder. Her baby girl is too young, she hasn't woken up yet. And finding out that Voldemort is after someone like her... It was just too much. The other members looked at the husband and wife sympathetically.
"Molly, I guarantee you that your daughter is protected. And as long as Voldemort doesn't find out about her abilities, she will be safe." Dumbledore said calmly to the sobbing woman. The meeting was finally dismissed after a while.
The plump ginger woman still in tears. The adults that stayed watched as Tonks tried to comfort the sobbing woman. The sound of the Weasley mother's blubbering didn't go unnoticed by her children. They immediately went to their mother's side, also trying their best to confort her. Arthur Weasley comforted his wife, but he was also trying to comfort himself.
The familiar sound of apparition caught their attention. All of them turned to the source of the sound and was met with Bill Weasley with tears falling on his cheeks. But the ginger was smiling, he looked happy and excited.
"Mum, Dad. It's Ember..."
There was a pregnant pause, they waited for the eldest Weasley to continue, "She's awake."
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DRACO MALFOY WAS IN HIS CHAMBER. Mulling about the return of the Dark Lord, what's about to come, and his younger brother, who was still asleep in St. Mungos. He always passes by Caspian's room, hoping that when he opens the door, he will see his younger brother's face. But as always, for the last two years, it was always empty. The room was clean with his brother's belongings, but there was no sign of Caspian.
Draco always thinks of the conversation he'll have when his brother wakes up. He'll be sure to tell him stories he missed. But he was also afraid to upset his little brother.
He blamed himself for what happened to his little brother. If he protected him well enough, then it wouldn't have happened. He wouldn't be in St. Mungos. He would've been with them in the Manor. With him at Hogwarts.
His mother was devastated but she kept a strong facade. His father was still the same, and he continued to do his best to make his father proud. Tormenting famous Harry Potter was also sort of a distraction for him.
Draco sat on the living room, a book in his hand. While, his father was in his office. It was silent in the Malfoy Manor for hours. Until Narcissa Malfoy came out of the fireplace.
"Draco. We have to go."
"Is there something wrong, mother?" asked the platinum blonde haired boy, his voice slightly quivering in nervousness. Closing the book on his hand with a perplexed expression on his face, he noticed the happy expression on his mother's features. Standing up from the cushioned seat, he walked closer to his mother who was crying with happy tears. The words that came out of his mother's lips made the book on his grasp fell down on the tiled ground.
"It's Caspian. He's awake."
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THE WEASLEY'S (EXCEPT PERCY AND CHARLIE) USED APPARITION TO GO TO ST. MUNGOS. Despite the nauseous feeling they felt, all of them were wearing wide smiles on their faces, some of them in tears.
They halted in front of a room. A room that was all too familiar to them when they've been visiting it for the past two years. Molly Weasley opened the door and saw her Ember layed on the clean white bed with her eyes open.
Ember's gaze averted from the ceiling to her mother, when she heard the creak of the door. Beside the plump woman was her father and behind them were a bunch of redheads. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She thought that something was wrong. They seem like her siblings, but they don't look like her siblings.
"Oh, my Ember!" Molly removed her hand from her mouth and let the tears fall down on her face. Walking to her daughter's side in a fast pace and cupping Ember's cheeks. "You're finally awake." said the plump woman, embracing her daughter.
Arthur Weasley went to his wife's side. Bursting in to tears when he took a closer look at his daughter. "We missed you. So. So much."
Ember was puzzled. She wondered what has happened that made his parents cry like this. She pondered in her memories. The last thing she remembers... was that she felt a pain in her chest and everything went black. Then she was in a dream. A very short dream. And then she was awake. She was only asleep for a night. Right?
"What are you lot doing there? Come see your sister!" Her dad's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. The gingers who were frozen right by the door earlier, walked closer to their sister.
Molly released her daughter from the hug and let her sit up. Ember's eyes flickered through the people surrounding her. Her father said she was their sister. Looking at them, confused because they looked different. Taller and older than she remembered her siblings should be.
They all looked at her with wide eyes and the room was silent. Until the teenage girl, that looked to be around fourteen, engulfed her in a hug. And soon enough, the others joined in. Engulfing Ember in a group hug.
Though, Ember felt confused. She also felt at home. But she needed her questions to be answered so she decided to speak out. Gently pulling away from the embrace she finally asked, "What happened? Who are you?" The last question directed to the teenage boy who has the eyes of his youngest older brother and the teenage girl who bursted into tears with the words that left her sister's lips.
"It's me, Em. Ginny."
Ember was in denial, "No, Ginny is eleven years old. Like me." said she with an innocent look in her eyes.
The others looked at each other with tentativeness.
They knew Ember needed to know the truth. Even if it will hurt. They took it slow for the Weasley Ravenclaw. They explicated what had happened. What they only knew that happened. They told her that what happened to her was still unexplained. They didn't want to overwhelm her, but that's exactly what happened. Ember refused to believe what they had told her and she was filled with many emotions that she forgot to keep herself in control. The white clean bed she was sat on began to shake horribly that made her family stumble back in shock. Stopping herself when she realized what she did. It made her hop off the bed and sprint out of the room. Her legs felt weak. Her whole body felt languish. But she wanted to get out of the dream. If it was a dream.
Ginny, Fred and George, and Arthur Weasley immediately went after her. The others were left in the room, comforting their mother who broke down.
They found her in front of a full body mirror. They didn't call her. They stayed silent. They let her be for a while, but never left her side. They watched as the redhead girl studied the girl in the mirror, reaching a hand to her pale face.
Ember was a bright and inquisitive child. She was referred to as a ball of energy from her siblings. And it broke their heart seeing her heartbroken.
Sure, Ember was taught early for her age. But they didn't take her childhood away.
Life did.
Life took it away from her.
In her mind she was still the eleven year old first year at Hogwarts. But in front of her was the harsh truth. She doesn't recognize the person in front of her. The person in front of her was different. The girl in front of her was more mature. But it was really her, and she needed to accept it because she can't go back in time. It was her, in front of her. And she feels like she doesn't know anything anymore.
Ember, as a curious child, always loves to ask some things that will gain her more knowledge. But this is one of the things she wished she never knew. Reality is the very thing she wished she was oblivious of.
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CASPIAN GAPED AT THE TEENAGE BOY in front of him, confused. His mother was sat right by his side while Lucius stood in the far corner.
"Who are you?" He asked the boy, who looked oddly like an older version of his older brother. His hand reached up to his throat. Astonished by his suddenly deep voice.
"It's me, Caspian. Draco."
Caspian stayed still. Frozen. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. He gulped and cleared his dry throat.
"Caspian?-"
"I had a dream." Caspian's heart started to beat faster. "Tell me the truth. Is this another dream? Am I still asleep?"
"No, my son. This is real. This isn't a dream." Narcissa said, her sight was blurred from her tears.
"What's happening? What happened?" Caspian asked, his voice shuddering. The last thing he remembered was fire. The phoenix. And it hit him. And then the dream, and now in front of him was his brother. Older than he remembered.
He suddenly felt his anxiety rise. He widened his eyes in shock. He felt. He reached for the silver necklace on his neck, but it wasn't there.
"Caspian. Calm down." His breaths went erratic. The ground began to shake and it made the others in the building frantic. "Caspian. Listen to my voice." Caspian's head snapped up to look at his mother. The sight of her soft face with her soothing voice fortunately got to calm him down. Draco engulfed his younger brother in a hug, comforting him. While Lucius stood in the back, glaring daggers at him, but Caspian didn't notice him. He only focused on his mother and brother.
"I will tell you everything that's happened. But promise me you tell me what you remember, alright?"
Caspian only managed to nod.
Caspian was overwhelmed. And as a result, his power went a bit destructive. Fortunately, his brother and mother were there to compose him. Lucius left early, leaving the three to talk. And fortunately, none was hurt when he loses control.
Caspian couldn't believe it. He missed two years.
It was like he was just asleep for one night when in reality, two years had gone by.
It was like they were only in a dream for two seconds. And those two seconds were actually two years. And those two years felt forever for both of the families.