Reborn - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

i.xv chapter fifteen

Winter, 1991; The Mirror of Erised

When Ember awoke, she was alone. Panting, she clutched her chest, running her hands over her head. She was alive. She was awake. A small sob, erupted from her chest and Ember tried to choke it down, but found she couldn't. Her breaths came in gulps and desperately she pinched her eyes shut, desperate not to cry. She hadn't cried since leaving the Hammonds. But the swelling feeling in her chest was so overwhelming it was no wander that the tears started falling despite her protests.

What the hell just happened?!

Ember was lying cold in the snow, right where the phoenix had flung her back. She was uninjured, just frightened. She couldn't stop and found she no longer had control over her breathing as she inhaled over and over. Her hands trembled and in hysterics, she tried to push herself up but couldn't.

What the perfect way to end Christmas!

Ember's legs were numb, probably from the cold and in that moment she knew she had to get a hold of herself. Taking several breaths she tried to steady her breathing and desperately she closed her eyes.

It had called her nameless again. She didn't know what that meant or what any of it did. She knew things would be different in the wizarding world, but surely not this...strange. Ember knew one thing though and that was that she couldn't let this fear control her. Steadily, she managed to get to her feet, hiccuping as she wiped away her frozen tears.

One...two...three.

The air seemed colder than before and hasher. The wind howled as if in warning to go inside and get warm. Ember wasn't one to argue. Looking around, she searched the night sky for the golden bird, but nothing. She knew it was there though, she could feel it, just like she'd felt a desire earlier to go outside. If only she'd kept to her book.

Terrified, Ember turned and ran. Ran all the way back to the common room and didn't stop. A million thoughts were going through her head. She couldn't keep ignoring the presence of this phoenix; before she thought it might just be bad dreams, she certainly wasn't a stranger to them, but this was getting out of hand. Guess she had another thing to put on her mental list to research in the library.

Secrets seemed to control Ember's life. The Hammond's; her nightmares and now this. Part of her felt guilty for hiding these things from Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Ember knew she also couldn't risk loosing them as friends...couldn't risk finding out who she really was. They were the only good parts of her life. Freya wasn't replying to her letters, she'd be alone without them. No, she'd just have to keep the secrets a little longer, just until she could figure out a way to...control everything.

Bursting through the doors of the common room, Harry and Ron were still there now enjoying mugs of hot chocolate. Ember stopped to catch her breath, looking slightly shaken and out of sorts.

"Hello Em, have a nice walk? You were out for a while" Ron smiled, but quickly frowned, as did Harry when they noticed her distressed state.

"You okay?" Harry asked, concerned. Ember nodded, her lips trembling slightly, but she quickly got a hold of herself.

"Yes" she mumbled, smiling as she walked further into the room. The boys watched her nervously, obviously not convinced.

"You sure, you seem..." Ron trailed off, sitting on the edge of the sofa. Ember took a breath in, putting her hands on her hips.

"I am fine, just tired. That walk really took it out of me." She wasn't lying there.

Both of the boys had raised eyebrows and looked between each other to see if they were thinking the same thing. Ember didn't wait to hear what they said next.