Death and Consequences (Alastor, Natalie, etc.)

[Wesley St. Clare]

Wesley walked back into the room where Natalie and the others were. He glanced over at Alastor and Athena, who were lying side by side on the little bed. "She's in a lot of pain," he whispered to Voltaire, nodding over at them. Shaking his head, he walked over to Natalie's bed. The girl was still sleeping, her face pressed against her pillow and her hair spilling over, blocking her eyes. He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand, but didn't speak.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire felt his heart break at seeing Natalie. He edged as close as he felt comfortable with and saw her lying still. She didn't look truely asleep, almost like she was trying to convince herself of a dream just being a dream.

[Natalie St. Clare]

Natalie lay still on the bed, lost in a sea of horrible dreams. She felt bogged down in them, like she was trapped in a dreamscape that wouldn't end. They were dreams of deaths, deaths of people she knew, people she didn't know, people who weren't even born yet. She was walking along a path, and as she went, she saw the people dying. Her mother, her sister, several of the students she'd seen but didn't know the names of, even of Albus Dumbledore. What was most frightening was how detached she felt. After passing her mother and her sister, suddenly the rest no longer seemed to matter. She began hardened to it. She stopped caring. And to her, this was the worst part. She didn't want to stop caring. She wanted it to matter when someone died. But she'd seen it so many times in her visions and in her dream... if she kept caring she would never learn to live her own life. Finally, in the dream, she stopped walking and stood in the middle of the path and screamed, "I just want it to stop! Please.... make it stop!"

And then she sat straight up in bed, still screaming it.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire was startled and took a step closer to comfort Natalie, but after that step he didn't take another. It wasn't his place to sing her lullabys or to make sure she slept. Instead he cleared his throat and asked Wesley "Was she given her dreamless sleep potion?"

[Wesley St. Clare]

Wesley quickly moved forward and wrapped his arms around Natalie. "Shhhhh.... I'm here now," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Dreamless sleep potion?" he said, frowning. He hadn't been aware she had been taking such a potion. "There wasn't time. She was asleep almost as soon as she got here."

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire shifted to one foot then the other and said "Yeah, she's been taking one since her friend Snape made a version of it that was non addictive. She had been needing it...to many nights of no sleep, she was isolating herself as well." said Voltaire crossing his arms over his chest.

[Natalie St. Clare]

Natalie rocked back and forth, repeating under her breath, "Make it stop.... please make it stop... I don't want it anymore...."

[Wesley St. Clare]

Wesley blinked back tears as he held his daughter closer. "I should have been here," he whispered. "Oh, Natalie.... I'm sorry I wasn't here... I'll find a way to help you, I swear..." He rubbed her arms up and down, trying to calm her. Looking over at Voltaire, he nodded. "Well, I guess I'll have to let her keep taking it. That way, sleep will be at least one time when she'll be free of the visions."

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire felt his broken heart crumble further. He would have to wait to see her calmed down.

[Natalie St. Clare]

Natalie clung to her father and slowly began to calm down. The dream was over... although it still lingered. And Sabrina was still dead. "Can you make them stop?" she asked softly.

[Wesley St. Clare]

"I don't know," he said quietly. "But I'll try. And if not... I'll help you find a way to deal with them. Just... just relax. I'm here now... and Voltaire is here, too. No one can hurt you right now, OK?"

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire felt his stomach flop as his name was mentioned. "Hi." he said and waved knowing that she probably didn't see him, upset as she was.

[Natalie St. Clare]

Natalie turned to see him, her expression sad. "Hi," she said simply.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

"are you ok now kiddo?" he asked and he took a tentive step forward. "Is there anything you need?" he asked because he wanted to feel useful.

[Natalie St. Clare]

"Can you find my potion for me?" she asked sadly. "I dreamed horrible things while I slept, but I couldn't move. I want them to stop. Please?"

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire nodded "Do you have any in stock in the infirmary? Do I have to find that Severus boy?" he asked uncrossing his arms and straighted up his robes for a quick search and retrieve mission.

[Alastor Domino]

Alastor opened his eyes when he heard Natalie scream. He turned his head a little to look at them. "What's wrong?" He asked very quietly, so not to wake Athena up.

[Wesley St. Clare]

"She had a nightmare," Wesley said quietly. "There now, it's over Natalie. We're here for you, OK?" He stroked her hair, holding her close.

[Natalie St. Clare]

Natalie sniffled. "There's... there's some more potion in my room. Severus made a whole lot of it for me, so I'd have it for the summer." She leaned against her father. "It was a nightmare, but... it was true. All of it. Sabrina is dead, and it's not gonna get better."

[Alastor Domino]

Alastor watched Wesley take care of Natalie for a moment. He knew he would never have been able to replace Wesley as a father to her, no matter how hard he tried. There was just a special bond between them.

He looked down at Athena, she was sound asleep. He stroked her hair and massaged her arm more.