Lullaby and a letter from Durmstrang - closed

[Thuomas Abercrombie]

Even on a sunny day it was hard to see the sun on the swamp that lead to the Abercrombie Castle. It was twelve o clock and in the small village the yellow shine had already been baking the streets, but now the moist, the mist and the dark rotten trees hid everything light and good. The long haired man was walking slowly on each small grass hill to make sure not to let his feet touch the water. A young boy was sitting on his shoulders with his small hands buried in Thuomas' raven black hair. His blue eyes were staring forwards while his father was walking and it was as if the little boy knew what was going to happen. It was something the Abercrombie kids should learn not to be scared of from a very early age because that is the only way to enter the castle, and if they froze or got scared of what happened around them before they said the password, they might end with getting pulled into the swamp and drown. When Thuomas finally reached the birch on a small island in the middle of the swamp he stopped and took his little boy down. He placed him on his hip while he wrapped a strong and slender arm underneath him for support.

The little boy wrapped his small arms around his father's neck as the water started to move and rings appeared. Thuomas did not even look at the faces that stared up at him with dead maggot filled eyes and the heads that were coming up from the dark depths for the lake. He kept calm and had nothing to be afraid of. He remembered how scared he had been when he had to enter the castle all alone after his first year at Durmstrang. The inferi had been so close that they started to grab out after his ankles and he had even started fighting them without thinking about the password. He panicked so much that he even kicked one of the living dead's in the head before finally saying the password. The inferi now started to step out from the swamp and surround the man and his child who was still standing on the island. Somewhere from the dark a deep voice sounded as if it got carried by the wind from the trees sound him, ”WHO ENTERS THIS DOMAIN?” The rotten smell from the inferi reached his ears right as the voice sounded and he could see how they all reached out for him. ”Relax Jasper!” Thuomas' mumbled calmly as the little boy let out a little voice like a small scared puppy that is taken away from the warmth of its mother and buried his face into his neck. The little boy sobbed a little as his father's calm deep breaths started to calm him down a little bit, but it was not enough, he still did not dare to look.

”A member of the scorpion legion!” Thuomas said loud and clear right before the nearest inferi touched his legs. Small hills appeared all of sudden while lanterns of light were flying above them and show them the passageway through the mist and the swamp. Thuomas walked quickly away from the now retreating inferi and now stood at the entrance of the small way between the trees that led to his castle. The tall trees that now surrounded them as they walked on the small path was nothing compared to what there was in the swamp and they seemed friendly and familiar despite their dark appearance. Even Jasper now dared to peek out from his father's neck. When the passageway finally ended, the forest suddenly turned into a huge garden and a very big main road which had five armours on each side. Every single one of them had a shield with the scorpion seal on them and they ranked their backs as Thuomas passed them by and continued his walk to the majestic castle that had been hidden from his sight right until now. One of the huge doors opened and a blond haired small shape ran down the stairs to meet his big brother.

It was Simon Abercrombie, the youngest of the three brothers – they called him the ”good” one. Despite his family name Simon was warm and nice. He was in an age where everything was fun and interesting. Even his magical powers had started to show. They were nothing compared to what his older brothers had experienced. Thuomas had been able to burn things by touching them, James could give people light scars as if they had been cut by a small knife, but Simon... Well he was just able to fly a little. You could even see it how he ran. Now and then his feet lifted him from the ground and made him trip a little every time he landed again and one could see how surprised he got every time that happened, ”Thuomas!” he yelled and stopped right in front of his 11 years older brother. ”Hey Japper.” Simon said happily to the young boy in the long haired man's arms. ”Si-si!” The boy said and extended his hands so Simon would take him up. Jasper loved Simon, but it was mostly because he liked to play with him. But James was the one who fascinated the little boy the most. His room was the most interesting one and the little boy loved to go on adventure in James' room when he could get away with it. There was something about James that always drew Jasper to him.

”Why are you so happy?” Thuomas asked his younger brother as he gave Jasper to him. Simon's blue eyes shined with happiness and excitement and once could see that he had just been waiting for that question to be asked. ”Angelica told me that she got her letter today! I will probably get it too.” He beamed and placed Jasper on the ground since he was not strong enough to carry around with a child yet. The young blond haired boy was after all only 11 years old. ”What is there to be happy about? You would have gotten the letter no matter what, and all it says is just that you have been accepted to the school and then it will give you a list with what you need to buy.” The long haired man snapped back as he slowly started walking towards the castle leaning a little bit forward since Jasper was holding his index finger and walked with very small and careful steps next to his father. Simon's smile did not fade despite his brother's comment. ”Well, James says that it is a big honour...” Thuomas rolled his eyes as he glanced up at the western tower where his other brother had his room. ”He only says that because he thought that you would not get in and be forced to attend Hogwarts instead.” From the corner of his eyes the man could see that Simon opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again – wisely done.

The main door opened right as Thuomas picked up Jasper again as they reached the stairs. A woman – only 21 years old looked out with dark brown eyes. Her hair was long, blond with a red shine and it curled lightly down over her shoulders. She had high cheek bones, long nose but her face had really beautiful features. She was wearing a long green dress that reached the floor and formed on her round chest and her curvy hips. But it also shaped her rather slender waist and showed how well she had healed after the birth. Irina's eyes fell on her husband and her son and she extended her arms to take the little boy. ”Nap time Jasper.” She said warmly and placed a light kiss on his cheek. Simon quickly ran inside and left husband and wife alone. Thuomas did not look at her and was playing with the scorpion ring that was on his right index finger. They did not speak much – they barely knew each other. Two years ago their families had arranged their marriage and forced Irina to move from Finland to England so she could come and live at the Abercrombie castle. She was from a powerful pureblooded family in the north and she had been the perfect wife for Thuomas – even he had to agree on that. But he had been rather cruel to her the past couple of years and without even knowing why. She too was a death eater and she had even given him a son like he had always wanted.

Irina could see from the corner of her eyes that Thuomas opened and closed his mouth a several times as if he was trying to find something to say to her, but she just let out a deep sigh and turned around with Jasper in her arms who was now leaning his tired head against her shoulder and sucking on his thumb. The woman walked slowly up the stairs to the southern tower where their son's room was. Usually a family like the Abercrombies would have hired a babysitter to take care of their kid, but since this was their firstborn and the heir of the castle, they did not want anyone else but themselves to influence the boy. It took a while for to walk all the way up to the tower and she entered the red coloured room with silver decorations and a big scorpion seal on the ceiling with Bordeaux red eyes that looked down at the little baby boy as she placed him in his little bed. Irina took gracefully a seat next to the bed and watched how her son's eyes started to close even though he desperately tried to keep them open. A warm smile formed on her face while letting the little bed move a little bit as a quiet melody started to play from it. It was a song that usually made her son fall asleep very quickly and Irina pulled a lock of her hair behind her ear which revealed a silver earring with a scorpion hanging down from the green stone in the ear and she started to sing with a calm and light voice.

6:30 winter morn
Snow keeps falling, silent dawn
A rose by any other name
Eva leaves her Swanbrook home
A kindest heart which always made
Me ashamed of my own
She walks alone but not without her name

Eva flies away
Dreams the world far away
In this cruel children's game
There's no friend to call her name
Eva sails away
Dreams the world far away
The Good in her will be my sunflower field

Mocked by man to depths of shame
Little girl with life ahead
For a memory of one kind word
She would stay among the beasts
Time for one more daring dream
Before her escape, edenbeam
We kill with her own loving heart

Eva flies away
Dreams the world far away
In this cruel children's game
There's no friend to call her name
Eva sails away
Dreams the world far away
The Good in her will be my sunflower field
~ Eva by Nightwish

While singing she did not hear him coming – she did not even hear the door opening slowly. She kept on letting her voice flow and let it just be absorbed by the room. Even though she sang quietly he could still hear her and he leaned his shoulder against the door frame. The sun that shined through the window reached his dark hair and made it sparkle. His cold blue eyes became mild as he watched her back. Her slender shape, her beautiful hair and her revealing neck as the long hair was pulled down to one side. His heart skipped just a couple of beats as he watched her sitting in front of their sleeping son – singing beautifully. The young woman did not turn around as he let out a deep sigh – perhaps she did not hear him. He lightly opened his mouth as he kept on watching her and listening to the song. Has the song always been so beautiful? Has her voice always sounded intoxicating – just like a breeze a cold spring evening; reminding you that there was some warmth left in the world. The sun played on her pale skin as it did with his – it made him want to extend his hand and touch it carefully. Just lightly strike it like a feather. But suddenly the song ended and the woman turned around. Her brown eyes caught his cold blue ones and once again the silence got build up between them. He wanted to say something to her, but Thuomas could for once not find the right words and before he could think of some, his wife had left the room.

[Thuomas Abercrombie]

Thuomas walked slowly over to the bed in which Jasper was lying and sleeping. He placed his hands on the railing and looked down at his one year old son. His hair was raven black like his father's – even his facial structure and his eyes were all Thuomas. There was nothing of Irina in him and it sadened the young man a little bit. He would like if his son would at least have a little bit of his mother in him. Something appeared behind him with a small popping sound, but the tall long haired man did not turn around. He kept on staring at the baby until a voice reached his ears. It was hoarse, evil but also very polite. ”Sir... The lunch is ready.” It said and Thuomas turned around to look at their old house elf Lucifer. He was a creature that was different from the other elves in the kitchen. He was not only bigger than most of them, but he looked more like an imp than an elf. His eyes were red and evil. His skin was greyish instead of the normal green. And his eyebrows did not make his expression look innocent and gentle. They were very hairy and turned downwards into a frown. The elf's ears were long and hang down to his pointy skinny shoulders. His hands were skeleton-like and had long black nails. But despite his rather repellent look Thuomas smiled at the servant and nodded, ”Thank you Lucifer.” He said and walked out of the room with his usual long steps. - yes, the house elf of the Abercrombie family definitely lived up to his name.

Walking down the many stairs to the first floor of the castle Thuomas did not meet anyone else by the empty corridors and the cold dark rooms that were open. Not even the ghost Samara who usually shows up everywhere – or the playful but still rather annoying and quite scary poltergeist Samuel. The man finally entered the dining hall as one of the last ones. The family members were already sitting by the table. He was placed at the end of it as the owner of the castle. To his left was James; with a rank back, beautiful thick brown hair and steady hazel eyes. He was 13 years old, but acted older than he was. He did not look up when Thuomas took a seat. Not like his younger brother Simon who was sitting to his right. The blond haired boy kept on tabbing his finger against the table and his right leg was shaking. ”Stop that!” Thuomas hissed at him as he placed a napkin in his lap. Next to Simon a woman with long grey hair was sitting. Her blue eyes were staring emptily on the silver plates which were empty. She was Gabrielle Abercrombie – old, retired, but still very talented. The old man who was sitting next to James looked up at Thuomas and greeted him. Salvador was their father. His age had made him give his position as the owner and leader of the castle to his oldest son. His hair was just as long as Thuomas' and it was hanging loosely down to his chest. He had a heavy necklace of the scorpion seal around his neck and his long nailed fingers were wrapped around a glass of wine. His wife who was sitting in front of him – Gabrielle – let out a deep sigh and it felt like the atmosphere grew even thicker. Just like the silence before the storm. You could feel the electricity – the power of the room, but no one of them cared to open their mouth to say something.

The table they were sitting by was long. It was way too big for so few people, but they were still sitting with a lot of space away from each other and waiting for the meal to be served. The big door opened in front of Thuomas, and he looked up – already knowing who was entering. There had after all been an empty place at the other end of the table – in front of the young man, but still very far away from him. Irina entered slowly and walked over to her chair. She had changed before lunch and was now wearing a long silken black dress which cut showed her lovely pale shoulders. The necklace that was smaller than the one Salvador was wearing and was reaching her chest shined in the light that came from the big windows around them. Thuomas' blue eyes reached her shape and lifted his head from the trance he was about to get in before she entered. The woman with the long blond hair gacefully took a seat and right that second the spell was lifted from the family. The food appeared on the plates and they all started eating. In silence. Now and then Thuomas' eyes went up to look at his wife. Most of the time she was not looking at him, but one of the few times that happened – when her dark eyes reached his, his heart skipped a few beats and made him quickly look away again.

The minutes passed by slowly and they were all finished and sitting sipping to their wine when a huge black bird suddenly flew in. But despite its huge wings, it flew carefully towards the young blond haired boy and landed gracefully right in front of him. The whole family looked up – except for James who just placed an elbow on the table and let his head rest against his hand – clearly seeming disappointed. But besides of James everyone's eyes lit up as Simon took the letter that was addressed to him and broke the familiar seal. ”Dear Mr. Abercrombie. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning.” The blond haired boy read. ”Congratulations son.” The hoarse voice from Salvador sounded as the old man looked up from his seat and gave him a small smirk. It was the warmest smile you could expect from him and Simon knew that because he bowed his head respectfully. Thuomas quickly took the last parchment that was in the envelope and read through it. ”Knockturn Alley for your books and potions ingredients because they do not sell stuff like that to younger students in Diagon Alley. But you still need to swing by the Ollivanders for your wand.” He mumbled as he read what his brother needed to buy for the school. ”CLAUDE!” Thuomas called and a tall long nosed butler appeared next to him. ”Yes sir?” the butler said and opened his eyes a little bit to look down at the long haired man. ”Take Simon to London to buy his school equipment!” He ordered and the butler nodded. Simon jumped up from his seat and ran out of the door the same second the big bird flew away. ”Well, I guess this lunch is over!” James hissed from his seat and stood up. ”I guess it is.” Thuomas replied and gave his brother a quick glare. He knew that James had hoped for Simon to get a letter from Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang, but of course that would never have happened. No Abercrombie has ever gone to Hogwarts.