Taras floated through a void, darkness pressing in from all sides. It must be all over…he thought. He didn’t want to die in vain. Minerva…what was happening to her? His heart ached, for betraying her as well as Felton’s last wishes…I’m never going to hear the end of it in the afterlife…
Suddenly, a pleasant smell wafted into his nose, like roses during a dewy spring morning. He opened his eyes, looking to find its source. All he could see was red, the fluffiness of burgundy hair covering his face and eyes.
He was in a tiny room with a single open window to his right, overlooking a pond along with a beautiful garden filled with multicolored wildflowers. The room was wood paneled, with a stone floor worn down by years of use. He lay on a small, but comfy bed, and his arm was wrapped in bandages. He had clean clothes on as well, a very long white shirt…and nothing else under the covers... Someone was going to have to answer for that, he thought, embarrassed.
He then looked down to the left and saw something even stranger. Locks of dark red hair cascaded onto the bed from under an odd-looking hat. It was wide brimmed, pointed at the top, and was a very dark green to the point of looking almost black. The person was hunched over the side, their back rising and falling ever so slightly to the rhythm of soft breathing.
He reached over with his right, carefully peeling up the front of the hat to get a better look at their face. Bright, green eyes slowly opened,
“Huh…Isss not time yet to wake me uuup Mr. Gingerbread man...give me some time…”
Apparently, she wasn’t quite awake yet. Or was she drunk?
“Hehe…you’re so nice Mr. Spirit…” she mumbled as she crawled up into the bed with Taras, and to his horror, started cuddling up against him.
*Flick*
“Ouch! Whaddya do that for?”
“Um…hi…” Taras waved from under her.
The girl looked at him for almost a minute with a puzzled expression on her face. Then it slowly grew bright red as she realized where she was.
“AHHHH!! A MOLESTER!!!” she screamed, falling back down on the floor. He saw she wore a robe that matched with her hat, wrinkled because of her spat in the bed.
“WOAH, wait wait wait! I just woke up! You were the one on top of me!”
“Oh, okay…”
“Wait, you believe me just like that?”
“Well does that mean you actually did something to me?!”
“No, I didn’t! I just think it’s odd for you to believe me out of the blue.”
“Hmmm, you shouldn’t have a reason to lie, you don’t smell like a bad person…”
“Smell…?”
“AH, ah no it’s nothing…a-anyway I have a habit of grabbing on to things when I sleep…ehehe.”
“Uh…okay. Wait, first of all, where am I? and who are you?”
“I should be asking the same question! Granmama found you passed out in the woods; you looked almost dead when you came in! What happened?”
“I’ll tell you later if you just answer one of mine first, was there a girl with me as well?”
“Yes. So now can you answer mine?”
“Take me to her first!” Taras rose up, trying to make it out the door. The girl stood blocking the door. He tried to push past, but the found himself on the ground in pain.
“No can do! You aren’t fully healed yet! You’re lucky you can walk in that state. Added to that, my healing magic doesn’t work on you; You’ll have to heal like a normal person.”
She dragged Taras back to the bed, dropping him onto it unceremoniously. He was slightly amazed that there was another girl with the same caliber of strength as Minerva.
“What’s her condition?”
“She’s fine, she was just passed out, unlike you, who was seriously injured and dehydrated. Worry about yourself more!”
“Sorry…It’s just that she was in pretty bad shape herself before…”
“She was perfectly healthy when she came in, Granmama said so herself, and she’s the better than me at figuring out people’s conditions.”
“Hmm, okay” he still wasn’t convinced. “I’m Taras, and you?” he continued, extending out his hand.
“Sylvia…” the girl took it, smiling down at him, her eyes sparkling like a forest after a rain.
Dazzling…he thought, but quickly shook it out of his head. There were more important things...
“Ah. Also, can you get me some underwear please?”
*SLAP*
******
“Big Brother!” Minerva burst into the room.
It had been three days since Taras had woken up. He was just about to start counting the trees near the pond for the umpteenth time, when Minerva had come full speed through the door, stopping close to his bedside.
“Young lady! He isn’t well enough yet to be having a visitor!”
“What’s the harm you old hag! I’m his sister, so I have familial rights.”
“You sure as hell don’t look like it, and stop with the old hag shit, do I look that old to you!” A woman with curly brown hair that laid down her back strolled into the room.
Taras didn’t think she looked horribly old, maybe late forties, early fifties? But it was rude to guess a woman’s age, so he quickly banished the thought. She wore almost the same outfit as Sylvia, minus the outrageous hat.
“Hey.” He waved back at Minerva.
“We both almost died and haven’t seen each other for days…and all I get is a ‘hey’ and a wave?”
“What do you expect me to say? What happened happened…but well…I am glad to see that you’re okay.” He scratched the back of his head, looking into her crystal blue eyes. They slowly clouded up, until. She kneeled down, burying her face into his shirt, letting out a wail. He put his hand on her head, trying to ease her sobbing.
The woman looked at the scene, slowly inching herself out the door.
Taras looked down, unsure if he was helping, or even able to help in this situation.
“Um, can I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer if it bothers you.” He whispered after she had subsided somewhat.
“W-what?”
“Were you…conscious afterwards? Could you see and feel anything?”
“Yes…I know what you are saying…Yes…I saw him…” She devolved into another fit of sobbing.
******
He was finally allowed to leave the room on the fifth day. Thankfully with pants.1 Shower thought: "Oh, I forgot to clarify he got underwear, the scene would be very weird in ppls heads....better revise it"
“Thank you very much for saving us. We don’t have any money, so I don’t know how we could ever pay you back!” He and Minerva bowed down to the older woman, whose name was Elizabeth, in thanks.
“Don’t mention it lad, a younger man like yourself being respectful like that makes taking care of this other brat worth it.”
“You!” Minerva started up, but was firmly pushed back down into position by Taras.
“Sorry for her behavior. Are you sure you don’t need any compensation?”
“Hmm well I said I wouldn’t ask for money, but there are strings attached. But, focus on getting well first, and we will discuss it later.”
Taras was a little nervous at her words, but didn’t show it as he raised his head.
“Thank you, for everything.”
