(no subject)
Title: Angel
Author:
laundrylove
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: 001. Broken
Word Count: 755
Summary: Ariana, before the attack, and after.
Warnings: should there be a warning for angst? :P
“Can I see my angel costume?” asked Ariana once again, her small fingers groping around the counter where her mother was supervising the sticky dough.
“Stop that. You’ll get a biscuit after dinner, when they’re finished,” Kendra sighed, waving her wand distractedly. “And I’ve only just finished your costume. It’s still three whole days until Halloween. You’ll see it in good time.”
“But Mama-”
“Run along and play with your brothers.”
“Yes Mama.”
Withdrawing her hand from its search for bits of dough, Ariana half skipped and half ran into the sitting room, where Albus and Aberforth were in the middle of another chess game.
“Abe,” she said, standing impatiently beside him. “Abe, do you want to play pretend with me?”
“Not right now, Ari,” Aberforth declined, staring at the chessboard with great intensity.
“Al?” she asked, tugging on her elder brother’s cloak sleeve. He brushed away her hand absently.
“Later, Ariana,” Albus said, pushing a rook slowly forward. His sister sighed loudly and flung herself into the chair beside him.
“Get down,” he commanded.
“No,” she pouted, blowing a strand of hair irritably off of her face. “Just one game?”
“Leave us alone, Ari,” Aberforth said, deliberately pushing one of his pieces to the left. “When we’re finished.”
“Please?” Ariana begged, crawling onto Albus’s lap. He frowned down at her.
“Get down, Ari.”
“Please?”
“We said no!”
“Albus! Aberforth! Ariana! What are you doing?” Kendra’s voice sounded from the kitchen sharply. All three children’s heads snapped up.
“Sorry Mama,” Ariana called demurely.
“Behave,” was Kendra’s stern answer.
“See that?” Abeforth said to his sister. “I told you, Albus and I are busy. Go play by yourself.”
“Fine!” Ariana said haughtily. “If you won’t play with me, I’ll play alone.” With that settled, she flounced out of the sitting room and back into the kitchen. Her mother barely looked up from where she was spinning her wand to twirl the dough together as she said, “I’m going into the garden, Mama.”
“Be back by dusk,” Kendra instructed. “And stay inside the garden. Don’t go wandering into the streets.”
“Yes Mama,” Ariana agreed hurriedly, jumping up to try and reach her winter cloak. It rocketed into her hands with a wand’s flick from her mother, and she grinned. “Bye-bye.”
“Goodbye darling.”
--
“Is she okay?” was all Kendra could manage to ask her husband as he came out of their daughter’s bedroom.
To her dismay, Percival shook his head sadly. “I don’t know, my dear. I just don’t know.” She let out a small gasp and leaned into his chest.
“Why don’t you go in and see her?” Percival suggested softly. “Maybe she needs her mother.” Kendra nodded mutely. Trying not to let her mind imagine all sorts of horrific things, she pushed open Ariana’s bedroom door.
“Sweetheart?” she murmured, all but rushing to her bedside. Ariana looked just as she had when Percival had brought her inside from the garden-like nothing. Her wide blue eyes were staring blankly out the open window, which let a warm breeze waft through the small room.
“Darling?” she whispered again, sitting beside her daughter on the bed and running a hand through her tangled hair. Ariana jerked away, blank eyes becoming frightened.
“Dear heart, don’t be afraid,” Kendra soothed, her own heart breaking as she attempted to calm her daughter. Ariana whimpered softly and drew herself into a ball underneath the blankets.
“I know what would make you feel better,” Kendra said suddenly, forcing fake cheer into her voice. “You know, I have your angel costume right here!” With a shaking hand, she drew her wand and summoned the item from her bedroom.
“Angel?” Ariana mumbled, and Kendra felt relief flood through her veins. She could still talk, at the very least.
“Yes. Look here, now.” Delicately, Kendra unfolded the costume she had stitched together during spare moments. The long, silky white fabric tickled her daughter’s hands, and was enchanted to sparkle softly.
“For Halloween,” prompted Kendra, the phony joyfulness back in her voice. “An angel.” Ariana didn’t answer. “An angel, Ari, just like you wanted.” Still, she remained silent.
“Sweetheart?” Kendra prodded. “Darling, did you hear? An angel, for Halloween.”
Helplessly, she watched as Ariana’s face lost the small spark of interest it had gained when she spoke of the costume. Slowly, her lovely face melted back into emptiness, and once again her eyes became glassy.
Three days later, on Halloween, she was still in bed, staring blankly out the window, not noticing her mother’s tears.
Author:
laundrylove
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: 001. Broken
Word Count: 755
Summary: Ariana, before the attack, and after.
Warnings: should there be a warning for angst? :P
“Can I see my angel costume?” asked Ariana once again, her small fingers groping around the counter where her mother was supervising the sticky dough.
“Stop that. You’ll get a biscuit after dinner, when they’re finished,” Kendra sighed, waving her wand distractedly. “And I’ve only just finished your costume. It’s still three whole days until Halloween. You’ll see it in good time.”
“But Mama-”
“Run along and play with your brothers.”
“Yes Mama.”
Withdrawing her hand from its search for bits of dough, Ariana half skipped and half ran into the sitting room, where Albus and Aberforth were in the middle of another chess game.
“Abe,” she said, standing impatiently beside him. “Abe, do you want to play pretend with me?”
“Not right now, Ari,” Aberforth declined, staring at the chessboard with great intensity.
“Al?” she asked, tugging on her elder brother’s cloak sleeve. He brushed away her hand absently.
“Later, Ariana,” Albus said, pushing a rook slowly forward. His sister sighed loudly and flung herself into the chair beside him.
“Get down,” he commanded.
“No,” she pouted, blowing a strand of hair irritably off of her face. “Just one game?”
“Leave us alone, Ari,” Aberforth said, deliberately pushing one of his pieces to the left. “When we’re finished.”
“Please?” Ariana begged, crawling onto Albus’s lap. He frowned down at her.
“Get down, Ari.”
“Please?”
“We said no!”
“Albus! Aberforth! Ariana! What are you doing?” Kendra’s voice sounded from the kitchen sharply. All three children’s heads snapped up.
“Sorry Mama,” Ariana called demurely.
“Behave,” was Kendra’s stern answer.
“See that?” Abeforth said to his sister. “I told you, Albus and I are busy. Go play by yourself.”
“Fine!” Ariana said haughtily. “If you won’t play with me, I’ll play alone.” With that settled, she flounced out of the sitting room and back into the kitchen. Her mother barely looked up from where she was spinning her wand to twirl the dough together as she said, “I’m going into the garden, Mama.”
“Be back by dusk,” Kendra instructed. “And stay inside the garden. Don’t go wandering into the streets.”
“Yes Mama,” Ariana agreed hurriedly, jumping up to try and reach her winter cloak. It rocketed into her hands with a wand’s flick from her mother, and she grinned. “Bye-bye.”
“Goodbye darling.”
--
“Is she okay?” was all Kendra could manage to ask her husband as he came out of their daughter’s bedroom.
To her dismay, Percival shook his head sadly. “I don’t know, my dear. I just don’t know.” She let out a small gasp and leaned into his chest.
“Why don’t you go in and see her?” Percival suggested softly. “Maybe she needs her mother.” Kendra nodded mutely. Trying not to let her mind imagine all sorts of horrific things, she pushed open Ariana’s bedroom door.
“Sweetheart?” she murmured, all but rushing to her bedside. Ariana looked just as she had when Percival had brought her inside from the garden-like nothing. Her wide blue eyes were staring blankly out the open window, which let a warm breeze waft through the small room.
“Darling?” she whispered again, sitting beside her daughter on the bed and running a hand through her tangled hair. Ariana jerked away, blank eyes becoming frightened.
“Dear heart, don’t be afraid,” Kendra soothed, her own heart breaking as she attempted to calm her daughter. Ariana whimpered softly and drew herself into a ball underneath the blankets.
“I know what would make you feel better,” Kendra said suddenly, forcing fake cheer into her voice. “You know, I have your angel costume right here!” With a shaking hand, she drew her wand and summoned the item from her bedroom.
“Angel?” Ariana mumbled, and Kendra felt relief flood through her veins. She could still talk, at the very least.
“Yes. Look here, now.” Delicately, Kendra unfolded the costume she had stitched together during spare moments. The long, silky white fabric tickled her daughter’s hands, and was enchanted to sparkle softly.
“For Halloween,” prompted Kendra, the phony joyfulness back in her voice. “An angel.” Ariana didn’t answer. “An angel, Ari, just like you wanted.” Still, she remained silent.
“Sweetheart?” Kendra prodded. “Darling, did you hear? An angel, for Halloween.”
Helplessly, she watched as Ariana’s face lost the small spark of interest it had gained when she spoke of the costume. Slowly, her lovely face melted back into emptiness, and once again her eyes became glassy.
Three days later, on Halloween, she was still in bed, staring blankly out the window, not noticing her mother’s tears.