thank you to ck and miranda and em for betaing!

prompts at the bottom

331 words by google docs

There's flashing lights.

Ariana can't remember if flashing lights are good or bad.

They're good, right? Flashing lights mean her father is here, coming to show her a new trick of some sort with his wand. Flashing lights mean that the Muggles are celebrating their silly little holidays. Flashing lights mean that Albus is casting some sort of spell—he's always liked those. Flashing lights mean that somebody is happy, right?

So why are there so many flashing lights but angry faces?

That Ariana recognizes. There are angry faces in front of her, which don't match with the happy flashing lights.

So maybe the flashing lights are bad?

Then why are they here? Why would there be something that's bad? Bad things aren't happy; they have no place here.

Ariana wants to see more, to see why the flashing lights are happening.

She moves closer and can hear the yelling. Aberforth is yelling something, but it's too fuzzy to hear. She can't tell what he's yelling. It doesn't make sense. Why is everyone so upset?

There's the other one there, too. Gellert. Albus likes Gellert. Aberforth doesn't like Gellert. Ariana doesn't know how to feel about him.

There are so many lights, going back and forth. Ariana can hardly keep track of them. There are ten different colors shooting out of three different wands—from Gellert's, from Aberforth's, and from Albus's. Albus is there too. He looks distraught. That's not good, Ariana doesn't think. Distraught is bad, bad, bad. Not good. Albus is also yelling, Ariana realises.

She wants to help. She wants things to be good. Words try to come out of her mouth, but nothing comes out. It's stuck, lodged in her throat.

Ariana can feel panic. That's another bad feeling. She can see the anger and the pain and the sadness in everyone's faces.

Bad, bad, bad.

She reaches out a hand, but she's not sure to what. What is she trying to reach to? Aberforth?

And then there's nothing.

for:

st paddy's day [slavery - ariana]

assignment 5 [muggle history, task 6 - bloody feud between siblings]

writing club [character appreciation - godric's hollow; disney - part of your world - someone who wants to belong somewhere; showtime - cell block tango - murder; buttons: dying to live by scott stapp; lyric alley - i promise you from up above; liza's loves - lady wifi - write about someone wanting the truth]

caffeine awareness [flat white - someone considered boring]

lent challenge [write a fic only involving characters who are dead]

library lovers [every heart a doorway - trying to go back home, murder, black]