Ghosts from the past...

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet had, that morning, recieved a letter from home. There was nothing odd about this, but the letter, to Violet, appeared to give off bad vibes. There was something almost...sinister...contained within the letter, she knew it.
A little worred, Violet wandered down to the lakefront, where she had fresh air and space to breathe. She sat on the ground with her legs crossed, and read the letter:

My dearest Violet,
Let me start this letter by saying I am so, so sorry. Writing this letter is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The only things that have been worse are contained in the contents of the letter. Violet, my beautiful girl, I hope you can forgive me for this.
I have recently spoken to your aunt Pearl, and she has informed me that Angus wrote to you, expressing his wishes to attend Hogwarts in New Zealand with you, rather than go to Hogwarts with Antoinette. This I can understand, I know of the animosity between Angus and Antoinette and I know it would be dangerous to put the two together with magic.
But, for reasons which I will shortly explain, this has caused much anguish for me and Aunt Pearl.
Violet, it's time you know the truth. Angus Greenwood isn't your cousin. Angus is your brother.
My darling girl, I hope you can forgive me for this. I know you'll be very angry. I would be too, if I was in your position. Please allow me to explain.
When you were born, it was just about the happiest thing in the world for your father and me. Then Antoinette was born a couple of weeks later, and your Aunt Pearl and I were the happiest sisters in the world. We both had beautiful baby girls to look after, we both were completely joyful.
Then, Pearl found out that something had gone wrong, and she wouldn't be able to have any more children. She was absolutely devestated. She'd always wanted two or three children - at least a girl and a boy. And then I found out I was pregnant again...naturally, she was jealous. And I don't blame her. First I was a witch, and she wasn't, and then I was having the second child that she was never going to have.
Then things only got worse. A couple of months after I found out I was pregnant, you became very ill. Heart problems. We never really knew what it was. One day, you woke up and had trouble breathing, and your heart wasn't beating normally. It was one of the worst moments of my life. We took you to hospital, and they told us that they could help you, though you weren't going to get better any time soon and you were going to need lots of care. It was heartbreaking. Not only was my only daughter very ill, but I didn't know if I'd be able to look after my next child.
It was then that we decided that Pearl would take care of the baby. She desperately wanted another child, and we wouldn't be able to look after ours because you needed so much care.
So, my baby boy was taken away to England, and my baby girl was still very sick. Your father and I thought we were going to lose you, so many times. It was the worst time of our lives.
Somehow, you managed to pull through. They had to operate on you - that's why you have the scar on your chest. I lied to you, Violet. It wasn't an awful playground accident, it was an operation.
This whole time, I was blocking everything out. I was so numb with grief. I nearly lost two children. I was so glad that you pulled through.
We agreed that Angus should stay with Pearl and Patrick, though, because they were as good as his parents now. But now, Angus is going to be told the truth, too. He's only young, but he needs to know.
Now you know why I worry about you so much, baby. I was worried when I had Rose, but she's the toughest little thing I know. She turned out perfectly well, and I felt bad that you had to go through all that, and she was fine, but I was glad of it, too.
Oh, God, Violet, I feel like the worst mother in the world. First I didn't tell you about the wizarding world, and now this. I hope you can forgive me, baby girl.
Please write back. I need to hear from you.
Love, Mum.

Violet's eyes stung with tears. "Don't cry. Don't cry," she said to herself. "It's worse for Mum, and Aunt Pearl, and even worse for Angus than it is for me...". But her reasoning didn't help. She simply lay back on the ground and felt the tears flow from her eyes, uncontrollably. And all she could think was how inviting the cold lake was right about now. She wanted to submerge herself and never come up again. Her mother had kept the two biggest secrets from her life hidden away for 12 years. "It's not fair. It's not right," she whimpered, her voice shaking with the force of her tears.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel had been sitting on his own at the lakefront for awhile, watching the water and thinking about his mother. His neck had been aching from no movement for too long, as he stretched his neck from side to side. He noticed violet on her own and as he focused on her, he noticed that she was juttering slightly.

Vydráel slowly got up off the ground and lumbered over to Violet. When he reached her he crouched down. "Violet, What's wrong?" he whispered.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet opened her eyes when she heard a familiar voice whisper her name and ask her what was wrong. She looked and saw Vydráel crouching over her. She tried to calm her breathing and her voice before speaking. "Hey," she said, weakly. "Well, it's just, um, well...skeletons in my family's closet. Skeletons that have me in their clutches," she said, her voice thin and weak with the effort of crying.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel pulled her closer for a hug while nodding his head. He knew all about skeletons.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet returned the hug gratefully. She hadn't been at Hogwarts for very long, but already she felt like she had all the friends in the world.
"You can have a look at the letter, if you want," she said, shyly. After all, she thought. A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

"If it'll help me understand, sure." he replied. He was feeling more concerned as it seemed to not be growing up stress but something else. He settled himself down, holding her body to him with his right hand and holding his left out for the letter.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet silently passed the letter to Vydráel, as she wiped the tears away from her eyes with her free hand. She knew she shouldn't be crying. It wasn't that bad. She knew it would be a hundred times worse for Angus, finding out he'd been brought up by his aunt and uncle, not his mother and father. But she couldn't help herself. At least had somebody to understand and calm her down, she thought grimly, looking at Vydráel.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel took the letter with his dominant hand. Reading it slowly while still holding Violet with his right. He read it more then once before returning to her and sighing. "Looks like this Angus is in for a shock." He told her. He didn't know what else to say. She now knew of a brother she wasn't aware of to begin with. He didn't know of the relationship she had with him to begin with besides the obvious. He felt useless but at the same time he knew that he had to give her some form of a reassurance.

"If you ever need someone.." he began before pausing. What would he say to make her feel better? He had NEVER had to help someone before, not himself nor anyone he cared for. The letter reminded him of how his mother had never told him about her past that she just had to realise would also react with him eventually. He felt betrayed by her and now he was reliving the death of anyone who had died in the area he stayed in for too long, which he knew wasn't just 'coincidence'. Now his friend whom he had barely spent time with during his life was in pain and he didn't know what to say or how to help. He looked at her and felt something that he couldn't place. He was almost empty but for this feeling. "I'm here if you ever need me." He ended, not knowing what else to say. He cursed himself inside.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet smiled, in spite of herself. "Poor thing. He'll be in for a nasty shock. I don't know what he'll do, where he's going to go. He's a good kid, though. He's always said he'd rather me for a sister than his actual sister." She sighed. She turned to face Vydráel, looking at him through slightly teary eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm glad I have someone to talk to." She gave him a weak smile.

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy had had a lot on her mind recently and was finding the castle even more confined than normal. With this in mind she toko herself out, hardly noticing where she was going. Deciding to go down to the lake front she wandered down there and noticed two people already there. Looking a little more closely she saw that it was in fact Violet and Vydráel. "Hi guys" Amy said chucking a smile on her face as she done so. It wasn't until she had sat down next to Violet that she saw that she looked like she had been crying. "Violet, are you okay?" Amy asked tentativley, not sure whether this was a good question to ask given Violet's facial expressions.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

"Hey, Amy," she said. "I'm okay. I think. Just, uh, well...I wish my mum wouldn't keep such massive secrets from me, that's all." She wiped her eyes again, and looked at Vydráel. "Sorry to throw my problems on to you," she said, sheepishly. "Um, how's your wrist?" she asked, feeling a little guilty. Despite what he said, she still felt guilty for him breaking his wrist. It was her stunning spell, after all.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel was surprised to see Amy, he nodded his head toward her rather then saying anything. He heard Violet's question and merely shrugged, sometimes people used other circumstances as an excuse to forget their own. It was human nature. "Oh it's all healed now." he replied. "Bit stiff but that's normal. Not my first broken anything by a long degree."

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet gave a serene half-smile, then drew her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. She sighed. "I can't believe all this has happened," she muttered, more to herself than anybody. "Everything was so normal. Then I found out I was a witch, and that mum was a witch, and then we're moving home again, and now I have a brother, who all this time I believed I was my cousin, and I have a dodgy heart..." she stopped, her eyes watering again. She looked at Amy and Vydráel, and gave a half-hearted laugh. "Sorry. I'm just rambling. It's nothing that bad, really. It could be much, much, worse. I'm complaining about nothing."

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel gave her another squeeze. "No you're not, it's fine to have this kind of feeling when something you thought was true turns out to be false." He tried to give her one of his more realistic smiles and just stayed there hugging her.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

"I just wish I'd never been born," Violet said quietly, her voice cold. "I mean, this is bad enough, but then there's the fact that I just don't feel that I fit in here. I should never have come here. I'd have been better off being a normal, muggle teenager. Or nothing at all. Would've saved money on hospital costs. And mum would never have had to give away her son." Violet laughed bitterly. "Mum and dad always wanted a son." She stared at the lake, wanting to jump in and sink beneath the icy surface. All she felt she was was a waste of time, money, and space.

((lol, dramatic much? feeling so depressed right now, just channelling it through Violet. where'd Amy go?))

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel felt a little useless not knowing what to say and followed her gaze out to the lake. "You are more then you think. You had no control over your past and thinking that you are the cause of other's problems is wrong, you caused nothing. Things happened as they should and now you know you have a brother. More then anything, you should be happy that now you know."

 

[Violet Bellamy]

God, thought Violet. What the hell is wrong with me? Even Vydráel's problems are worse than mine. I don't have problems.
"Sorry," she whispered. "Mood swings." She gave a small smile. "I'm such a horrible person."

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel shook his head as he heard her. "You aren't a horrible person Violet, if you were a horrible person then do you think you would have such a nice personality?" The question was rhetorical but he asked anyway, looking back at her. Why can't i help her?

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet laughed softly. "A nice personality? Well, thanks." She sighed. "I really should shut up about myself. I feel so selfish. I mean," she took a deep breath, and continued quietly, "what you said to the nurse. You seem to have had infinately more troubles in the past than I have." She looked away, hoping she hadn't said anything offensive. She hoped he wouldn't get mad at her for bringing it up.

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel sighed at the statement. "It is my past, not my future or my present. I'm over it all." He leant over and pulled most of his robe and shirt off, revealing the scarring on the back. "I don't feel any of this and it doesn't hurt any more. Stop worrying about me and let me help you with your stuff."

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God..." she breathed. "I'm so sorry!" she whispered, shocked. How can anybody have done this to him! she thought to herself, outraged. Maybe he's put it behind him, but I'm certainly enraged by it. Controlling her voice, she said simply, "you don't need to help me. Really."

 

[Amy Stone]

Amy listened as Violet spoke about her homelife and at once lapsed into silence, her mind casting back to her dad at home, whom she hadnt heard from in weeks. She heard, but didn't take in what either Violet or Vydráel were saying but was brought back to earth when she heard a gasp from Violet. Shaking her head and looking round she saw tha scars line Vydráels back. Amy was in complete shock, not quite knowing what to say.

((Sorry guys have been out a lot lately, am sorry if I've been holding you up))

 

[Grause Hitchins]

Vydráel shook his head in disbelief. "Stop pretending there is nothing wrong Violet. Please, just let someone in." He told her, his shirt and robes sliding back.

 

[Violet Bellamy]

Violet stared sadly out at the lake, trying to put her thoughts in order. She felt confused, angry and depressed. She paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"Why do you want to help me? I'm nothing more than a useless burden."

 

[Grause Hitchins]

"If you were a useless burden, then i gladly bear you." Vydráel whispered.