Secrets

She was getting better. Aberforth kept telling her that she was, and he never lied to her.

He'd tell her how few bouts of accidental magic she had caused that week, hugging her and telling her that she'd soon be back to her old self. How proud he was of her learning to control it. "Slowly," he always told her. "Slowly but surely you'll do this."

Then she could go outside again, he promised.

Adriana didn't want to go outside. She didn't want to see those boys again - the ones that had hurt her. She wanted to stay inside where it was safe.

But she did miss being out in the sun. Her brothers told her she was like a ray of sunshine and it made her think about the heat of the sun on her skin.

But she prefered the thought of staying inside with Aberforth and Albus. Listening to Aberforth as he read her stories and talked to her about Hogwarts and tried to teach her how to stay calm and not panic and not let that dangerous magic hurt anyone. Magic she wished would just leave her body. She liked when Albus' friend came because her brother would smile wider than he ever did and they would whisper.

Ariana liked whispering. Whispering meant secrets and she was good at keeping them. They told her their secrets, allowing her to sit quietly in the room, curled up against her brother's arm as they talked about there being no more secrets. About being free. Not hiding.

Ariana didn't understand a lot of what was going on, only that they were going on a trip. The three of them. She couldn't help but worry about Aberforth.

So she invited him on the trip with them. It was only fair. He wouldn't have to look after her any more, she was almost better after all. It would be like a holiday. But her brother was upset. She wasn't sure what upset Aberforth.

The last thing she remembered was two wands raised. She clung to Albus, the only one without a wand out. She was safe here, away from the fighting.

Until Albus drew his wand too, unsure where to point it.

She watched in panic at the lights shooting from three wands. The panic at the magic in the room caused her own accidental magic to kick in. She should never have told Aberforth about the secret trip.

No-one could see anything that happened next. They didn't see the girl rush to stop her brothers, rushing to Aberforth. They didn't see the green light hit her instead of him.

All that was left was a young girl lifeless on the floor, a man running out of the door and two devastated brothers.

Review please :)

461 words

Written for the Game of Life Challenge. Prompts used: Ariana Dumbledore, secret, and "Echo and Fade" by Alert the Medic (song)

English Idioms Challenge - "Ray of Sunshine."