Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 12: St Mungos

Oliver had taken care of everything for her. He'd talked to the headmaster, arranged transportation, contacted St. Mungo's and found out what ward they needed to visit. He and Amelia piled into a carriage that took them down to the train platform where a portkey was waiting for them. It was a small brown bag that looked distinctly greasy. It was mid October and the wind bit their pink faces and whipped their hair around. Amelia tugged at her necklace, the one her brother had given her all those years ago. She twisted it in her fingers and pulled it round and round her neck. Her feet tapped on the floor of the platform and her eyes darted around.

"You alright?" Oliver asked.

She couldn't begin to explain how comforting those blue eyes were right now. "Yeah. I'm alright."

"How do you feel?"

She took a moment before speaking. "Like I'm being pulled so hard in opposite directions that my body is going to be ripped right in half."

"So good?" He smiled and she laughed lightly. It felt good to laugh.

"Yeah. Never better."

"I think it's good to go. Better to go than to not and always wonder if you should've." He nodded his head firmly. The freckles he'd gotten over the summer had almost all completely disappeared. She sort of missed them.

"That's really the only reason I'm going." Amelia admitted. "Because I'm not sure if I love him or hate him. He betrayed me, but he did it to kind of save me. But I suffered so much because of him. I had nightmares for years, Akkedis got into my home and hurt my friends. I was mentally tortured for years because of that!" The words were spewing like lava and there was no containing the eruption. "But he did it because he thought it would save me and how can I be mad at him for loving me? I don't know what to feel. I don't what to do. I blame him, for almost everything, but I don't hate him."

"It's a shit situation." Oliver looked sad, like he was mirroring her emotions. "But I think you need to try to forgive him. Not because he deserves it, I'm not the judge of that, but because it would put your heart at rest. And you deserve some peace, Amy."

The portkey glowed blue and it was time to go. They each put their hands on the bag and started to spin violently.

"We're here to see Jeremy Merlin." Amelia said to the receptionist when they landed. She directed them and they followed the signs until they found his room. Amelia was visibly shaking when they entered.

Jeremy looked awful. His blonde hair had been shaved off and his bald head was covered in scabs. His eyes were yellow with deep circles underneath. There were scabs all over his face too, great lumpy purple and green things. He looked like something out of an old story. Something horrible and evil. He struggled to sit up and his breath rattled in his chest like a Dementor.

"Am-" he started but she cut him off.

"Don't say anything." Her voice was so small and thick with the tears that fell from her eyes. "Please, I'm going to get you better."

"I don't-"

"You don't get to decide. You're going to get better." She cried, in an instant she had forgiven Jeremy. She wouldn't care if he murdered someone at this point, she was his sister and she was going to save him.

She walked carefully over to the white bed and the yellow man sitting in it. Up close she could see how thin he was, his arms were skinnier than hers were and his gaunt face looked like a skull. She put her hands on his heart and felt it struggling to work.

"Aperire-" she began.

"No." Jeremy cried out. "You know that gives Akkedis more entrance into your mind!"

"I don't care." She glared at him fiercely. "Aperire animo." She whispered and pressed on his chest.

A warm silver glow emanated from her palms and spread through his body. She kept chanting the words that had helped her do incredible magic. It didn't matter the consequences. She had to save him. The silver light worked it's way across every inch of the young Merlin man until every scab had disappeared, until every scar healed, until flesh grew on his bones and his face lost that skull like quality.

Within the hour Amelia Merlin had saved her brother. She slept afterwords, exhausted from the efforts. Then doctors woke her up and begged to know how she did it, Amelia herself didn't know so she wasn't much help to them. Then, with pinched eyebrows and much muttering, they left them in peace.

"You shouldn't have done that." Jeremy said. "But I'm grateful you did."

She smiled and took his hand. "It was the easiest choice I ever made."

"Where will you go now?" Oliver asked.

Jeremy shrugged and scratched his still bald head (Amelia had forgiven him yes, but not forgotten.) "dunno. Maybe home for a bit. I haven't talked to mum in ages. Heard she started another charity. Maybe call Al up or something."

Amelia had an idea. "Go back to Kalishterya. Go help Al, go help me. You'd be so useful over there and I know Al misses you."

"You're sure?" He said warily.

She nodded and stood up. "Of course. It makes sense. If you stay here you're not helping anyone. You're just being lazy and useless. And Merlin's aren't lazy and useless."

"Speak for yourself." He said under his breath, Oliver grinned and Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Come on! Why do I have to convince you of this?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Fine! I'll go." He laughed. "Of course I'll go. I'd be mad to not do what you say."

"That's the sanest thing you've ever said." Oliver agreed and Amelia shot them both angry looks.

The nightmares she had that night were awful. They were from the depths of hell and she woke with bloody palms from her fingernails digging in. But the terror wasn't enough to make her regret anything.