Returning Home

Exploring With a Friend

Gwyn sat cross-legged on her bed, her back straight with her shoulders back and her wrists resting on her knees. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in a meditative trance. That first glance assumption wouldn't be entirely incorrect, however, if one stopped to look at the book laying open just in front of her they would see she was actually deep within her own mind, exploring and organizing it.

She had been extremely hesitant at first. She had come up with half a dozen excuses for not doing the mental exercises her grandparents had suggested after their talk the other day. She had Death's protection against legilimency, she didn't like leaving herself in an unprotected and vulnerable state, and what would Harry do being all alone for the day? All of her excuses had quickly been shut down once her grandparents had insisted that she bring Harry into the discussion.

Nero and Nagini had been true to their word and were each circling around her at that very moment keeping her safe from the very minuscule threat of someone finding her like that. Harry had quickly told her that spending an entire day entertaining hisself was not impossible and had refused to budge until she had given in and agreed to begin her studies on occlumency. So, right after breakfast on Friday morning found her in her current position of exploring her own mind. The one thing on earth she would forever deny being truly afraid of. Gwyn took another deep breath, and then let herself fall fully into her own mind.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to see that her mindscape looked exactly like her family castle. She was currently standing in the gardens, looking exactly as they did now. Her willow tree was in the distance with an almost exact copy of the bench that Tom had worked on sitting underneath it. This one had their names engraved along the bench. She decided to spend some time exploring the gardens before heading towards the castle, something about it seeming daunting.

As she walked she noticed the center of the garden was different. Instead of a fountain surrounded by poppies she discovered several different ones in their place. Exactly five green roses, each with a white honeysuckle wrapping around the stem. Next to them were 31 white larkspurs with 31 red water lilies floating in the fountain. There were six orange gladiolus flowers each intertwined with a red poppy. Next were two sets of aster and morning glories. The first one had 7 sets with blue and white respectively while the next had 15 of purple and white. . In between those two sets were 20 each of orange and yellow marigolds and cosmos. Growing out of the very top of the fountain were exactly two each of a red carnation and a snow drop.

There was no shift in the air around her this time as Death appeared. Instead, she heard His footsteps. Somehow, without even turning she knew it was Him. She didn't turn her head away from the flowers as she spoke. "I didn't know you could appear in my mind as well." It wasn't a surprise, to be honest she actually liked knowing that she wasn't alone.

"Only if you wish it. This is your mind, I cannot see anything you do not wish me to, nor can I come in when you wish for me not to." She was grateful to Him for answering the unspoken question, she wouldn't mind His presence but would always like to be able to keep her own secrets.

"I had no idea it would look like this." She admitted softly, gently reaching down and stroking one of the roses.

Death hummed in response. "Most often, one's mindscape is a reflection of where they feel most at peace or comfortable. It would appear you've made some changes to the gardens, do you care to tell me about them?"

"They're my friends." She smiled softly as she began circling the fountain, pointing out each one in turn. "The roses and honey suckles are for Draco, born on the sixth of June. The larkspurs and water lilies are for Harry, his birthday is the thirty first of July. Then there's Blaise with the gladiolus and poppy, the sixth of August. Theo, the seventh of September with Daphne on the opposite side born on the fifteenth each have their own set of aster and morning glory. In between them would be Astoria, born on the twentieth of October, with her cosmos and marigolds."