What Does This Feeling Mean

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Two - A Vision

I awoke from an uneventful night finding myself with a slight headache. I looked at the clock to see I had three hours until I had to be on the train to Hogwarts. Rubbing my head, I walked in my bathroom and turned on the shower. I stepped inside, washed my hair, and took some time to relax, letting the hot water run on the back of my neck. I felt so stiff, so confined. My body was incredibly tense, and my stomach was in knots.

I must be more nervous than I thought.

The water slowly began to help, and I let my mind wander, which I don't do very often. I started seeing pictures of my past. My mom making cookies, my dad chasing me where I laughed so hard, I wet myself. My great grandma showing me telepathy tricks, and how to look past an individuals thoughts to find what's really there. Granny Cassie I used to call her. I smiled at my young revelations, and remembered the picture my mom had shown me the other day. I imagined myself in the photograph, twirling around in a lilac summer dress, and my hair flying all around me. I saw the trees in our backyard, and the smell of our garden. I closed my eyes and took in the sun, feeling the light breeze on my skin, and basked in the immense joy and freedom of the moment. I opened my eyes and saw a young girl approach and join me with nothing but laughter. A voice echoed from inside my head, Sister.

The water had become cold as I blinked back to reality. I turned off the water and finished getting ready in my usual fashion. Butterfly bun, and a comfortable sweatshirt and pants for the train ride. I walked into my room to see my owl and trunk had already been taken downstairs. I took a last look in a mirror by my bedroom door and thought about the young girl I saw in my vision. She reminded me of my dad for some reason, but I knew granny Cassie didn't have a sister. Right?

I walked downstairs to a mini buffet my mom had made. I joined my dad at the table and we watched in unison at a woman on overdrive. My mom never stopped to say anything. She went to the stove and started to clean, then straightened the containers of spices on the counter. The next second she started to sweep, and stopped that to wash some dishes in the sink. By the time she started sweeping for the third time, I had realized that my mouth had been open, and I had yet to take a bite from the bacon I was holding. I looked over at my dad who was also watching her over the The Daily Prophet he had been reading at one time.

"What's wrong with mom?" I asked a bewildered man who lightly shook his head to answer me.

"She's just a little nervous about you going to Hogwarts, that's all. You've never been away from home as long as you will be, and your mother..." he paused watching his wife argue with the wooden spoons for not staying in line. "She's just trying to adjust." He took a sip of coffee, and went back to his paper.

I had to smile. My mom was going to drive my father crazy when I leave. She knows she could send me a letter with my fathers owl to see how I am if she wanted. Actually I should probably expect one daily, at least. I went back to breakfast, and that girl came into my mind again.

"Dad? Did great grandma Cassie have a sister?"

Crash!

I jumped back in my chair and gasped at my mom, who had just dropped a plate on the floor. She glanced at us both, and started to sweep the mess, glaring at my dad.

My father cleared his throat and put his paper down. "What makes you ask that sweety?" His demeanor had now changed, and I felt worry in his voice.

"I..." I wondered if I should continue. "I just had a daydream and..." I explained my vision of the girl the best I could from what I saw. My mom had stopped what she was doing and roughly ran her fingers through her hair when I finished. She took a deep breath.

"Yes, she did," my mother exhaled. "Cassie had a younger sister named Nichole," she paused in what looked like a search for words. "She was killed by a death eater dear, when she was fifteen years old."

I thought of her again. The girl I saw looked about that age. Such a smile, no wonder I didn't know about her. My parents started to look slightly pale.

I stammered trying not to upset them. "I'm sorry if I brought up a painful memory. I didn't know it would effect you guys so much." It must have been hard on Cassie, losing a sister like that. She had never once mentioned Nichole, even in my practice readings with her, I never sensed a loss like that. I still didn't understand. My parents were born years after that had happened, but they are so despondent and sorrow filled in this conversation. I looked at my parents again. They looked as though they were waiting for another question, but I didn't speak.

"It's okay Jewel. We just know how much it had hurt the family, and Cassie never let us forget who she was. It hurts because no one should die like that."

My dad looked down after that last word. I still had questions, but damned if I was going to bring the mood down any further. I glanced at the clock and jumped up. I had to be at the station in forty-five minutes!

We all rushed to pack everything in the car, and sped off to King's Cross station. I was silent along with my parents the entire way there. I decided to put the whole event behind me. If they ever want to talk about it, they will. Though I knew it had to have some meaning with me because it was a vision after all, I accepted that it would reveal itself when it needed to.

Soon we pulled up to the train station, and unloaded the car. We walked side by side to the wall in between platforms nine and ten. We watched as a few wizards ran through the wall and disappear. My grandfather had told me about how to get to platform nine and three quarters when he gave me my ticket, but this was too cool!

We all followed another wizard family going straight at the wall and before we knew it, we were face to face with the biggest, most beautiful train I had ever seen. A long, bright red train with the words Hogwarts Express in gold on the front. A man came up to me, asked for my ticket, and proceeded to take my luggage to the train.

"I guess that's my cue," I said smiling particularly to my mom who was holding back tears.

"We love you sweety. Have fun, and let us know if you need anything," my dad softly said, squeezing his arms around me.

My mom envelopes me with a hug of her own. "You just be careful Jewel."

"I will mom, and I'll write every chance I get," I waved smiling as I departed for the train. I took a deep breath, concentrating on each of the cars filled with such excited faces. I stopped my search on one near the back and smiled. Those three are in there.


TBC...