Post by Araneae Opiliones Black on Aug 10, 2013 8:47:52 GMT 1
Dawn had just broken the night sky. It was her grandfather Leo that shook her awake. He was always quite rough with her and nearly pushed her off of the wooden bed he'd made her. The runty eight-year-old Alya stretched her arms and legs far and yawned. She beat his continued efforts to wake her away with a slap of her hand. The look he gave her frightened the other children but Alya knew better than to fear retribution from him. Grandmother would not see her harmed without very good reason. So Alya glared back at the aging wizard.
When he gave up his doomed attempt at intimidating the girl, Alya rose from the bed and as he headed toward the door, she reached out and took his wand from the pocket of his robe. She tucked the tool between her bedsheets in case he turned around again but he did not a vanished behind the clang of the door against the wall.
Alya yawned again and let her hand drop into the sheets of her bed. She lifted the wand and held it loosely as her grandmother held hers. Alya gazed at it for a few silent moments. With a gentle call, she summoned the house elf. The young house elf saw the wand in the girl's hand. "Young mistress." It called in surprise. Alya's eyes went from the wand to the elf standing before her. She reached up with her free hand and fixed the fallen sleeve of her loose-fitting nightgown. Her mouth curved into a mischievious grin.
Alya approached the elf with the wand held aloft slowly. She savored the trembling of the creature. She took her eyes off of the lowly elf and began to speak to it in a voice that emulated her grandmother's. "You have neglected to manage the garden box outside my window, Flippa."
The house elf shuddered wildly at the resemblance Alya took to her grandmother. "Y-y-you asked me to stop, Miss."
Alya narrowed her eyes but still did not look at the beast. "You would tell grandmother that it was my fault then?" She took a step towards the small creature that despite its size, was still as tall as Alya's chest.
Flippa backed away from Alya ever so slightly, averting her gaze from the girl. "N-not what I meant, Young Miss. I-I would not do that to you." Alya whispered something as the elf was speaking and suddenly the elf felt a searing pain upon its wrist. Staggering it fell to the ground. Blood stained the ground where it lay.
"Diffindo." Alya said again and cut the elf again, this time higher up on its arm. The sight of the elf's blood made Alya grin delightedly. "Incendio." With the wand aimed for the elf's leg, a bad burn scarred the elf's leg.
"Clean this up. Then you will leave me and never speak of this." By the time Alya had finished torturing the poor elf, the sun had risen higher in the sky and the stench of breakfast could be made out. "And tell grandmother I'll not be down for breakfast again." Alya turned and replaced the wand between her sheets as the house elf disapparated.
Alya's loose nightgown fell to the floor. She opened a wardrobe that dominated the large room and pulled out her favorite dress. She carried the dark green dress to her mirror. Placing it upon a set of drawers, she then pulled those open and rifled through them until she found her underwear and a pair of frilly white socks. She dressed slowly, wanting to make her grandparents wait for her. It was simply a routine, she had developed with her insolent mother.
Alya caught her reflection in a mirror as she attempted fruitlessly to tie the back of her dress. She stared reproachfully at the markings upon the side of the mirror where grandmother had measured her granddaughters last year. Alya, despite being the one of the oldest of the newest generation of Blacks, was by far the shortest among the girls. With a dangerous gleam in her eye, Alya looked through the mirror once more at the lump of the concealed wand behind her. Turning slowly, Alya smiled a sickly sweet smile.
The wooden door fell open again and a house elf popped out of smoke beside Alya at the same time. Alya ignored the elf and smiled up at her grandmother sweetly.
Lyra's wrinkled features swelled with vigor at the sight of the small girl. She exclaimed loudly, "Ah! You are so cute in that gown, Ally." Her voice changed dramatically to a low growl as she stepped forward and prodded the house elf hard on his head with a cane she carried, "Tie her back, you lazy knave. And mind you don't harm her or I'll cook you and feed you to the hounds! They've grown tired of your brother's worthless bones!"
The elf stumbled but caught herself quickly, apparently used to this treatment. With quick graceful hands, the elf finished the work in a quarter of the time it had consumed of Alya's efforts.
"About time! Now back to the kitchen." Lyra motioned for Alya. "Come, sweetie. We are nearly late." Alya rushed under her grandmother's outstretched arm and folded herself within the older ladies' grasp. With her other hand behind her back, Alya grasped around in her bedsheets until her fingers gripped around grandfather's wand. She guided the wand down the back of her dress so that it was securely held out of sight. The familiar pop of the house elf's disapparition was heard then Alya felt as if she was being crushed. She put her hand around her grandmother's waist and doubled her grip on Lyra's arm.
They emerged into air again under a small oak tree. Alya's legs shook violently as she tried to gather her wits. It was only her second time traveling by apparition. She shook her head and the banner held between the oak and a twin the exact size and shape said Happy Birthday. Alya grimaced at it. Though grandmother had undoubtedly bought Alya a gift as well, she was still not pleased with the fact that someone would be getting all the attention.
A loud man suddenly shouted, "Mrs. Black! Still apparating, I see. And where is Leo then?"
Lyra responded with a faint trace of annoyance, "Mr. Crouch. I had no idea you'd been invited. He is ill! As you know very well."
Lyra tugged upon Alya's arm expectantly. Alya responded immediately, bowing. "Good morn, Mister Crouch. How are you today?" With a sweet smile, Alya gazed up at the man.
"How cute!" Mr. Crouch knelt and pat Alya's scalp softly. "Aren't you adorable, dearie!"
Lyra let Alya's arm loose and waved her away. "Look there are your cousins now. Go play, Ally." At the same time she beckoned to Kaliopi Black. "Come here, give grandmother a hug." She demanded of the younger cousin. Alya glared at the other girl with envy and rage.
When he gave up his doomed attempt at intimidating the girl, Alya rose from the bed and as he headed toward the door, she reached out and took his wand from the pocket of his robe. She tucked the tool between her bedsheets in case he turned around again but he did not a vanished behind the clang of the door against the wall.
Alya yawned again and let her hand drop into the sheets of her bed. She lifted the wand and held it loosely as her grandmother held hers. Alya gazed at it for a few silent moments. With a gentle call, she summoned the house elf. The young house elf saw the wand in the girl's hand. "Young mistress." It called in surprise. Alya's eyes went from the wand to the elf standing before her. She reached up with her free hand and fixed the fallen sleeve of her loose-fitting nightgown. Her mouth curved into a mischievious grin.
Alya approached the elf with the wand held aloft slowly. She savored the trembling of the creature. She took her eyes off of the lowly elf and began to speak to it in a voice that emulated her grandmother's. "You have neglected to manage the garden box outside my window, Flippa."
The house elf shuddered wildly at the resemblance Alya took to her grandmother. "Y-y-you asked me to stop, Miss."
Alya narrowed her eyes but still did not look at the beast. "You would tell grandmother that it was my fault then?" She took a step towards the small creature that despite its size, was still as tall as Alya's chest.
Flippa backed away from Alya ever so slightly, averting her gaze from the girl. "N-not what I meant, Young Miss. I-I would not do that to you." Alya whispered something as the elf was speaking and suddenly the elf felt a searing pain upon its wrist. Staggering it fell to the ground. Blood stained the ground where it lay.
"Diffindo." Alya said again and cut the elf again, this time higher up on its arm. The sight of the elf's blood made Alya grin delightedly. "Incendio." With the wand aimed for the elf's leg, a bad burn scarred the elf's leg.
"Clean this up. Then you will leave me and never speak of this." By the time Alya had finished torturing the poor elf, the sun had risen higher in the sky and the stench of breakfast could be made out. "And tell grandmother I'll not be down for breakfast again." Alya turned and replaced the wand between her sheets as the house elf disapparated.
Alya's loose nightgown fell to the floor. She opened a wardrobe that dominated the large room and pulled out her favorite dress. She carried the dark green dress to her mirror. Placing it upon a set of drawers, she then pulled those open and rifled through them until she found her underwear and a pair of frilly white socks. She dressed slowly, wanting to make her grandparents wait for her. It was simply a routine, she had developed with her insolent mother.
Alya caught her reflection in a mirror as she attempted fruitlessly to tie the back of her dress. She stared reproachfully at the markings upon the side of the mirror where grandmother had measured her granddaughters last year. Alya, despite being the one of the oldest of the newest generation of Blacks, was by far the shortest among the girls. With a dangerous gleam in her eye, Alya looked through the mirror once more at the lump of the concealed wand behind her. Turning slowly, Alya smiled a sickly sweet smile.
The wooden door fell open again and a house elf popped out of smoke beside Alya at the same time. Alya ignored the elf and smiled up at her grandmother sweetly.
Lyra's wrinkled features swelled with vigor at the sight of the small girl. She exclaimed loudly, "Ah! You are so cute in that gown, Ally." Her voice changed dramatically to a low growl as she stepped forward and prodded the house elf hard on his head with a cane she carried, "Tie her back, you lazy knave. And mind you don't harm her or I'll cook you and feed you to the hounds! They've grown tired of your brother's worthless bones!"
The elf stumbled but caught herself quickly, apparently used to this treatment. With quick graceful hands, the elf finished the work in a quarter of the time it had consumed of Alya's efforts.
"About time! Now back to the kitchen." Lyra motioned for Alya. "Come, sweetie. We are nearly late." Alya rushed under her grandmother's outstretched arm and folded herself within the older ladies' grasp. With her other hand behind her back, Alya grasped around in her bedsheets until her fingers gripped around grandfather's wand. She guided the wand down the back of her dress so that it was securely held out of sight. The familiar pop of the house elf's disapparition was heard then Alya felt as if she was being crushed. She put her hand around her grandmother's waist and doubled her grip on Lyra's arm.
They emerged into air again under a small oak tree. Alya's legs shook violently as she tried to gather her wits. It was only her second time traveling by apparition. She shook her head and the banner held between the oak and a twin the exact size and shape said Happy Birthday. Alya grimaced at it. Though grandmother had undoubtedly bought Alya a gift as well, she was still not pleased with the fact that someone would be getting all the attention.
A loud man suddenly shouted, "Mrs. Black! Still apparating, I see. And where is Leo then?"
Lyra responded with a faint trace of annoyance, "Mr. Crouch. I had no idea you'd been invited. He is ill! As you know very well."
Lyra tugged upon Alya's arm expectantly. Alya responded immediately, bowing. "Good morn, Mister Crouch. How are you today?" With a sweet smile, Alya gazed up at the man.
"How cute!" Mr. Crouch knelt and pat Alya's scalp softly. "Aren't you adorable, dearie!"
Lyra let Alya's arm loose and waved her away. "Look there are your cousins now. Go play, Ally." At the same time she beckoned to Kaliopi Black. "Come here, give grandmother a hug." She demanded of the younger cousin. Alya glared at the other girl with envy and rage.
