I Drift Towards The Ground.

[Lia Allman]

Another long day at the ministry.

Lia was getting used to her routine. It had been a little over a month of it at this point. She would wake up...shower...toss on clothing that Saffron and Wyatt had somehow talked someone into donating to her...she'd wait for whoever was collecting her...they'd apparate to the Ministry...and then Lia would be a walking, talking, guinea pig for hours until they decided they were all ready to go home. Then she would come back to Saffron's...clean up...change...and waste the rest of the day out in the greenhouses. Occasionally Abe would come by and they would sit and talk for a few minutes...only for that few minutes to wind up being hours.

It was a strange existence. Lia had turned herself over under the expectation of dying. And she hadn't wanted this reformation program. But now? Now it was growing on her. Lia had grown close with Saffron and her family. They were all so kind and welcoming. She was reconnecting with Abe. She was rediscovering her passions...how much she loved working in the greenhouses.

But tonight was different. Sitting cross legged on the floor and helping Sherry read through a book about animals, Lia heard the knock on the door and watched as Saff answered it.

Iola.

Lia knew the witch well...she hadn't been kind to her ever. And a little more than a year ago, she had almost added her to her body count of murders. She watched the family greet her and for a moment, she sat there...unsure of what to do. But after a moment, she stood and moved toward the back door...slipping out and settling down on a bench.

She felt the cool evening wind nip at her nose and she sighed.

How things had changed. Now...Lia had no wand...her hands were bound in a magical fabric that restricted her elemental talents. She was powerless. And she was sure that Iola had come for her revenge. And...Lia would let her have it without a fight. She wondered how far it would go. How far would Iola push it? Surely, she wouldn't have come here to her sister's home to kill her. But there was always the chance. Lia would live the rest of her days wondering who would kill her and when.

Gazing at the stars, she tried to relax a bit. There was no guarantee that Iola would even follow her out here. There was always the chance that she was just here to visit her family.

[Iola Walker]

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Lia Allman

the storm is coming but i don't mind

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When Iola had read that Vader had been captured, she felt relieved. For months after their duel, she worried that the witch would track her down and hurt her family. The last thing the Walkers needed was for another Death Eater to tear it apart. Now, she was locked up in Azkaban where she couldn’t hurt another soul again. Iola could finally breathe again. Her family was safe and so were her students. The aurors that had been stationed at Hogwarts left to go back to the Ministry. There was peace again. That is, until an owl dropped off the Prophet days after the initial sentencing. Vadellia Allman was resentenced… to a rehabilitation program. Iola wasn’t aware of such a thing existing and when she read that Saffron and her family were involved panic started to set in again. After a quick meeting with the Headmistress, a substitute professor was called in and Iola went on leave. [break][break]

She visited Annie first. Everyone was safe and sound at the Walker residence, Annie still managed the charms that protected the grand estate. Iola spent many days with them, spending late nights discussing this turn of events with Annie over tea. He was always able to give her perspective. Vader had been a menace to society, a gleeful murderer, but if she had the capacity to be redeemed, shouldn’t she be offered the chance? Iola mulled it over for weeks. She herself had been forgiven for her past crimes, but were their situations so similar? She decided she needed to find out for herself.[break][break]

Iola landed with a CRACK outside the Macready’s. The brunette smoothed her robes before stepping forward, making her way to the front door. Iola stood, her hand raised to knock, but hesitated. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, her stomach twisting with uneasiness. The last time she’d seen Vadellia it had almost been the end of her. Iola had just barely escaped, losing her wand in the process. She chewed on her bottom lip, debating on just turning around and leaving, but she steeled her nerves and knocked on the door. It opened to Saffron with little Ben in her arms, Sherry standing behind her. A warm smile spread across her lips as she was invited inside. Her eyes scanned the room for a brief moment, noticing Vader. She looked… different. There was no wickedness in her features, but a bit of sadness. Vadellia met her eyes before turning and walking toward the back of the house. This puzzled Iola, but she didn’t have long to ponder on it as Sherry was coming up to her. She put on a smile and gave the girl a hug.[break][break]

After Iola had greeted the Macready’s, she looked to Saffron. Her sister seemed to understand what she wanted without her even asking. Iola thanked her and made her way outside. She stepped out, glancing around and finding the witch sitting on a bench. This was it, she thought. Iola walked over to her, settling down on the bench beside her. Her gaze fixed up at the stars for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh. “It’s a beautiful night,” she mused.

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[Lia Allman]

Lia truthfully wasn't much up for company. But she really wasn't in a position to make requests. So as she heard the door open and then close...she knew it was Iola. Internally, she hoped it was Abe...she always hoped it was Abe. But she knew it wasn't. Not this time.

Iola made her way over and sat next to her.

Lia continued to gaze over the horizon as the witch sat next to her. She had never been a huge fan of confrontation. Before, she could just bully her way through it. But now? She'd have to use her words.

She wasn't looking forward to it in the slightest.

It’s a beautiful night.

Lia flicked her eyes up to the starry sky and nodded. It really was.

"It is," she said simply. Her fingers twitched nervously in her lap...nothing nefarious...just anxiety. She wouldn't be able to harm Iola even if she wanted to at this point. So she wasn't one hundred percent sure what this meeting would entail. But she knew she had to remain calm and poised. Sherry had a habit of peaking out windows to watch her and the last thing she wanted was for the child to see her melt down.

Lia didn't say anything further. She didn't know what to say. So she just waited for Iola to take the lead. She'd either say what she needed, ask what she wanted, or leave.

[Iola Walker]

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“It is.”[break][break]

Iola hummed softly in response. She continued to stare up at the night sky for several moments longer, letting the silence fill the air. There was something different about the witch beside her. Her appearance was different, of course, but this was more than that. Her very presence had changed. For the first time, Iola felt sympathetic toward her. While she didn’t know what Vadellia was going through, she understood the desire for redemption. If she was able to obtain it, why couldn’t she? Still not looking at the witch beside her, she spoke again. “Is it difficult?” Iola chose now to fix her gaze on Vadellia. “The reformation?” She had had testimonies of her changed behavior to support her when she was before the Wizengamot, Vadellia did not. Her crimes were worse than Iola’s. Her gaze flicked down to the witch’s hands, noticing the fabric used to conceal them. She wondered if this was part of her terms, gloves to repress her natural abilities. Iola tried to not think about the way the gusts of wind had ripped trees from the ground. Her side was still scared from that battle. [break][break]

She gazed back to the sky. The constellations twinkled in the dark of the night. “I won’t pretend I didn’t struggle with this,” she said at last. “The last time I saw you things did not turn out well for me.” Subconsciously, her hand pressed against her side. “But if it’s possible that you can change, then you should have a chance.”

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[Lia Allman]

The silence was nice…but Lia could feel the desire to talk. The desire to ask her questions. She wasn’t sure why Iola hesitated. But eventually, she heard the voice next to her again and at the question, she paused.

”The dementor’s kiss would have been easier,” she offered honestly. Death…as opposed to living the next hundred years knowing what she had done and having a newly installed moral compass to remind her how terrible it all was.

”I’ve become a lab rat…most days they put me in a glass box and watch me garden…but other days…”

She trailed off. Other days they would toy with the charm on her dark mark…letting it torture her physically. Other days they would sit her in a room and display her memories for all to see and for her to relive. Other days they would interrogate her about things that, often, she had actually had no involvement in. She would never be given her wand back. Likely her hands would never be unbound.

She had gone from the generation’s most powerful war machine…to a harmless kitten.

Iola spoke again and this time, Lia turned her head to meet the woman’s gaze. No, last time they met it had gone very poorly for the Walker.

”The entire world should struggle with this,” she said plainly. As the shackles on her brain were unlocked and cast aside, it was clearer and clearer to Lia just what she had done. And yes, the world had every right to hate her.

But Abe didn’t hate her. Saffron didn’t hate her. Sweet, innocent little Sherry didn’t hate her.

But if it’s possible that you can change, then you should have a chance.

Lia looked away, shaking her head.

”Can people truly change?” she muttered softly, staring down at her hands. ”The people I killed are never coming back. I can’t fix that. I can’t change that. My entire situation feels so unfair. I slaughtered countless people who will never get another chance and yet…I do?”

It was bizarre to Lia. She wasn’t sure how Abe and Wyatt had managed to get it going for her anyway.

But through her disbelief, she heard Abe’s voice.

The fact that you feel this way just shows that you are changing, Lia.

She sighed softly. These people had a faith in her she wasn’t sure she would ever find in herself.

[Iola Walker]

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Lia Allman

the storm is coming but i don't mind

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“The dementor’s kiss would have been easier.”[break][break]

Yes, she imagined it would have been. Death would end the suffering, the guilt of knowing people had died by your hands. There were times when Iola had wished for it as well, tired of running from her past, always keeping her head on a swivel lest they catch up to her. Some days, she had wished they would. At least then, she wouldn’t have had to deal with the knowledge she’d willingly been a part of a group that destroyed her family. But death… was too easy. Iola could imagine the Wizengamot’s thoughts about accepting her into this program. Instead of killing her off, she’d be forced to live with the consequences of her actions. That was much harder.[break][break]

But other days… Vadellia didn’t need to elaborate. Iola felt a pang of sympathy for the witch beside her, though she has done little to deserve it. Or perhaps she had. The string of emotions that were flowing through her were enough to make her head spin. What did Vadellia Allman deserve? Did she really deserve to be locked away in Azkaban where the dementors would wreak havoc on her mind before they eventually killed her? Iola didn’t think so.[break][break]

“The entire world should struggle with this.”[break][break]

Iola wondered if, perhaps, the one who struggled the most with it was the one going through it. She looked away from the stars to gaze at Vadellia. She wasn’t Vader anymore. Keelin had told her she went by a different name these days. Lia. Was that who was beneath the monstrosity she had become? It was hard to imagine the witch she dueled two years ago had been anyone else. But she must have. Before the Malfoy’s, before Voldemort, she was just a student. If Iola had looked up to her elder brother enough to follow his path, couldn’t the same be true for her?[break][break]

The brunette hummed softly in response to the witch’s next words. The doubt that had been clouding her mind suddenly lifted. “Yes. They can,” she said softly, her lips curling in the most diminutive of smiles. A sigh escaped her. “When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to follow my brother’s steps and become a Death Eater. It was my favorite wish.” Her gaze focused back on the night sky to take pressure off of her. “He even showed me his mark, to dissuade me from joining.” Iola rolled up her sleeve, exposing her faded dark mark. “It didn’t do him any good. I was determined.” Her fingers grazed along the exposed flesh, a strange, faraway look in her eyes. “I wish now that I had listened to him. A lot of people would still be alive today if I had.” She looked back at Lia. “We can’t change the past. But we can decide our futures. What will you decide… Lia?”

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[Lia Allman]

Lia wasn't entirely sure what meant what in the world anymore. She knew she didn't want to live the life she had been living. She didn't want to kill and hurt and ruin...she just...

She wanted to play with her plants...

And spend the occasional evening chatting with Abe until the sun set in the sky and they needed to say goodbye to each other for the evening. Perhaps if she had been sentenced to death...she could have just lived in a dream. A dream where she didn't become a ruthless killing machine. A dream where she just lived a normal and happy life.

So as Iola began speaking again, Lia just kept her eyes trained on the northern star way up above them. Until Iola began talking about her time with the death eaters. Lia tensed slightly, half expecting her mark to begin it's ritualistic torture. But it didn't come. She relaxed slightly and realized that it would only light her up if she spoke on her own time. Iola was welcome to discuss her own.

We can't change the past.

No, they most certainly could not. It was a realization and a fact that kept the former murderess awake at night...often lurching up from vivid and gory nightmares and memories.

But we can decide our futures. What will you decide… Lia?

Eyes catching Iola's, the pair just sat there a moment before Lia finally looked away with a sigh.

"I remember when I was younger...I...I just wanted to play in a greenhouse for the rest of my days," she offered. "It seems like such a distant memory now. But...it's where I seem to find the majority of myself. They ministry puts me in this box...and they let me build it. So I got planters and seeds and...I just...tend and pull weeds."

She raised her eyes back to the sky.

This felt...silly. But also cathartic. Iola, to an extent, understood. They had both been children. And their futures were drastically altered. But here they were.

Trying...

[Iola Walker]

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Lia Allman

the storm is coming but i don't mind

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How does one define redemption? There was the literal definition; the act of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. But what did it mean to Lia? To Iola? To all those who had done some kind of wrong in this world? To them it meant something much harder. It meant living with knowledge you’ve caused pain to others. It meant changing for the better, which was easier said than done. It meant apologizing to those you’ve hurt and doing whatever you could to make amends. And what if you couldn’t do that? If those people wouldn’t hear it or they were no longer around to hear it? Well, in these cases there wasn’t much you could do besides make a better future. That’s what Iola saw Vadellia doing. She may see her situation as unfair, and perhaps it was, but there was healing happening. That was worth something in her eyes.[break][break]

Iola hummed softly in response, thinking on what to say next. Herbology wasn’t her favorite subject in school, but she had Potions. Brewing was freeing for her while she was hiding. It brought her back to a simpler time before everything had gotten so messed up. “It’s painful now, and perhaps it will always be so, but one day things will get better. It’ll take time and effort, but I think you have a good support system to help you.” Nyle and Annie had been crucial to her recovery. She couldn’t even imagine where she’d be now without them. “Don’t let the Ministry have the satisfaction of seeing you damaged.” Iola could only imagine how cruel they could be.

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[Lia Allman]

Lia listened as Iola hummed in thought. The two had only been a couple of years apart in school. And then they had both gone to work for the wrong side. Now here they were...

Lia had never been the best with spells or wand work. But herbology...potions...those were two subjects she excelled in. She had never had to perfect use of her wand...there were few in the world who had ever been able to stand up to the sheer power and untamed brutality of the gale force winds she could create using her hands. And when she met someone who could stand up to them...she had only needed two words from her wand.

Avada Kedavra.

Words she would never mutter again. It had always been her crutch. Her coward's way out.

It's painful now...

Iola went on a bit and Lia nodded. Saffron and her husband were a god send. Lia knew that Sharrod wasn't as keen on her as his wife but he was kind to her none the less. And Sherry? Sherry was the angel that Lia had never known she needed in her life. There was nothing more pure than the love of a child...and Sherry's adoration and love was healing parts of Lia that she hadn't even known were still there to be fixed.

Then there was Abe...there weren't enough moments in the day for Lia to go on about what the auror meant to her.

Don't let the Ministry have the satisfaction of seeing you damaged.

Oh, but they already had. They had extracted memory after memory from her head. At this point, Lia was convinced it wasn't even for the sake of her treatment...but just for their own sick fun. It was all proof that Lia wasn't the only monster walking the halls. Every human had the potential. And now that they had a viable excuse and could hide their depravity behind the guise of punishing the world's most famed killer...they were letting it all out and indulging.

"Thank you."

The words were simple and her voice was soft...but truly it was all that Lia knew to say.