Another week, another chapter ready for you. With a brand new flashback! Enjoy!
"Well, Miranda, I've really muffed it up this time." Brennan told his young friend, leaning over Olivander's counter with his head in his hand.
Miranda desperately did not want to talk to him, but somewhere along the way he'd become her friend just as much as Walburga and she was helpless to deny those green eyes he was fixing her with in a piteous attempt for advice. "I told you that you should have told Burga when you first made your decision."
He thumped his forehead down on the counter top for a beat, "Damn it, and I told you then that it's not a massive issue. I can do some good for my people, and I'm a wizard, muggle weapons aren't going to hurt me."
Miranda bit her lip, "She loves you, Brennan."
He nodded, "I know that, but she doesn't need to protect me."
Miranda snatched a wand from a young boy who'd grabbed it from behind Olivander's back, "Oh, no, that's not the one for you little sir."
Olivander looked over his shoulder and chuckled, "My dear Mr. Moody, you would have blown half my shop away. My dear Miss Miranda would have quite the fit cleaning that up. She's about to make a mess of her own." He guided the child away, "Let us leave these two to talk."
Brennan scowled at Olivander's retreating form. "Why is it that that old man always seems to know everything about everyone?"
Miranda watched Olivander walk as well, wishing he wasn't always right, "I think he does. How else can you explain him just knowing which wand belongs to which person?"
He turned his scowl to her, "You're trying to avoid the issue." She stared back at him, and he growled, "Damnit, Miranda. I can see on your face that you know what's really wrong with her."
"She doesn't want to be alone." Miranda blurted because she was the worst secret keeper ever, which was probably why her Papa never told her anything.
"Alone?" Brennan asked, arching an eyebrow at her, "Blimey, she's never alone! Half our relationship has been sneaking away from her constant companions just to snog in a closet!"
"More than that." Miranda whispered, dipping down below the cabinet to grab the polish for the counter top Brennan had smudged up.
Brennan leaned even further over, his long legs fully stretched out for the first time since he'd slunked into Olivander's to whine about Walburga's anger. "You know more than you're telling me, Miranda. And how do you know… Don't move." Brennan said sharply, cutting himself off.
Miranda stilled, her hands up beside her head with her hair halfway in to a knot at the base of her skill where she'd been pulling it to keep it out of her face, "What's the matter?" She asked, hearing him vault over the counter and land beside her.
His cool fingers touched the skin of the back of her neck, brushing her hair to the side and then pressing on her skin, "Can you feel that?"
"Yes." Miranda hissed, wondering what in the world the wizard was up to. Olivander would be cross to see him behind the counter. "I can feel you poking me, and I don't like it. Can I get up now please?"
"No, and I'm sorry, but this is probably going to hurt." He whispered into her ear before pain exploded in her upper back.
Gripping the counter in front of her Miranda bit back a scream, and she nearly fainted when Brennan hissed, "Vulnera Sanentur."
Agony seared across her skin for a few more seconds before vanishing entirely, leaving her feeling much the same as she had before he'd lost his mind. She spun around to see him holding a piece of wood that most definitely was not a wand, the stake shaped thing was covered in blood and bits of flesh. Her flesh. "What?"
"I'll ask you the same thing! How did you not notice you've half a bloody tree sticking out of your back?" He cried, voice loud in the short distance between them.
"I have no idea." Miranda whispered. "I got up this morning and came straight to the shop." She shrunk down closer to the floor, looking smaller than before, her blue eyes mournful, "I lost time again."
He stared at the girl in front of him, "This has happened before?"
Miranda shook her head. "I've never been hurt before."
Brennan put a hand on the top of her head and ruffled her hair comfortingly, "Little Duck, someone has been hurting you if you're losing chunks of time."
"Stop, Brennan. I'm forgetful. No one is hurting me now." She insisted, "I've been hurt before, Brennan, I would know if someone was hurting me."
He didn't listen. "Someone could be obliviating you and you would never…"
"Brennan, please stop." Miranda begged, her heart hammering in her chest. Her mouth felt dry, and her teeth chattered.
He was just so stubborn. "Miranda, I've kept my tongue these last couple of years, but you have curse marks every other week…"
"Papa and I duel. He never means to hurt me. I should be better at my spells." She whispered, pinching her eyes closed.
He stood up, "Christ, Miranda! You had half a bloody tree sticking out of your back."
"He wouldn't have hurt me!" Miranda cried, putting her hands over her ears.
"Why else would Walburga forbid me from meeting him?" Brennan asked, "She'd rather take me to meet her bloody bigoted parents than even tell me your father's name. She protects you and me from everything, but she's so bloody stubborn. Too stubborn to let me help you."
"I don't need help, Brennan." She told him softly.
"He is hurting you, Miranda. It has to be him." He insisted.
Tears filled her eyes, "Please stop."
"You're so damned naive!" Brennan yelled at her, "You're content just to live in this damn little cage he has you in and remain ignorant of everything!"
"I Said STOP!" Miranda screamed, and suddenly Brennan was next to the door on the floor, black smoke sweeping away from him as he rolled onto his side.
Miranda stood up and ran around the counter, "Brennan! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I just…please don't say those things about my Papa."
He blinked at her a few times, and sighed heavily, "Bollucks, Miranda. Walburga will never leave her ancestral family home, but I need to get both of you away, don't I?"
"She'll leave." Miranda whispered, helping him up. "She'll leave with you. All you have to do at this point is ask."
He frowned at her, his green eyes confused, "Leave the 'Most Ancient House of Black'? I think she'd rather die."
Somehow they'd found their way back to the original issue. And Miranda was too tired to play games anymore. It wasn't like it was a secret that could be kept forever, "She'd leave it all for you, for the baby."
For the second time in ten minutes Brennan Evans hit the floor of Olivander's wand shop.
Miranda looked around at the windblown shop, "Oh, what have I done?" She had the shop mostly straightened up when Brennan stirred. "Are you alright?" She asked softly.
Brennan stared at her, "The baby?"
Miranda nodded, "I caught her vomiting three mornings in the same week, and I've never seen her vomit before."
"When?" He asked, all thoughts of Miranda's injury gone from his head.
"Yesterday afternoon. I confronted her and she blabbed. She missed her monthly last month, and she's been horribly sick since then. Between you heading off to war and being pregnant… Walburga is hysterical. I may have my issues, but you've got your share as well." Miranda told him honestly.
Brennan stared at the girl, "Well, Miranda, I've really muffed it up this time."
The smile fell from Miranda's face, and her hands flew to her neck. The snake necklace Harry had noticed earlier perched on her collarbone was gone, in it's place was raw skin. Miranda's hands trembled over the skin, and her face went pale, "No, it's gone."
"Your necklace." Hermione inferred, "Yaxley must have grabbed it mid-apparation and yanked it from your neck as he had fell into the subway!" Miranda didn't respond, "Miranda what's going on?" Hermione asked, reaching to pull the other girl's hands from her neck.
She jerked back, "No! Don't touch me!"
"Hermione, what's wrong with her?" Harry asked, his voice tighter than he wanted it to be.
Miranda shot to her feet and instantly became unsteady, her hands shooting out to the sides, one smashing into a tree harder than looked comfortable. She was practically panting, muttering to herself under her breath, and stumbled into a tree.
"Harry, I think she's blind." Hermione said softly.
"Hermione, that's nutters. She was perfectly fine before now." He rebuffed, following Miranda and putting his hand on her back.
The wild terror that had been building in her body stilled and seemed to dissipate as soon as he touched her. She took a deep breath and leaned ever so slightly back into him, "She's right, Harry." Miranda said softly once she had regained control of herself. "I am blind. I had a bracelet that allowed me to see. It's gone now though."
"Can't you just make another?" Ron said, his humor seemingly recovering nicely from his splinching.
"Ron, magical items of that nature are nearly impossible to create if you have all of the appropriate materials, not to mention immensely expensive to purchase. We're in the middle of a forest, without any materials, and one of us would have to be an immensely powerful and focused. It's just impossible." Hermione was obviously stressing out, and had returned to regurgitating the things she'd read in books and bashing Ron.
"My Papa made it." Miranda said, letting Harry help her back to the others, his hand on her arm firm and steadying. "I'll be okay." She said forlornly, "I've been blind since the day I was born. I just need to get used to it again and then I promise I won't slow you down."
"What is there to get used to?" Harry asked.
She took the locket from around her neck, holding it out in Hermione's direction, "Take this. I don't want to lose it."
"Okay." The other girl said, "How do you get used to being blind though?"
"Well, when you're blind, your other senses compensate for it. Or rather it's easier to focus them." Miranda took a deep breath and leaned in to Harry's side, "I've gotten out of practice, but, in a few days, my balance should return and my senses readjust." The sudden fear of them leaving her caused her next words to come out in a rush, "I can keep up after then, and I can still do magic."
"How can you aim?" Ron asked her.
Miranda grimaced, "That'll take a bit longer for me to learn. I hadn't learned any offensive magic before I got my sight, I will need to learn. I did learn to apperate blind though, so I'll be pretty good at getting out of the way."
"Blind apperation? That should be impossible." Hermione said.
"Not impossible, Hermione, just really difficult. I can sort of see magic, I can feel what a room looks like, and then it's easy to move around in. I learned when I was thirteen to apperate without my sight."
"Your 'Papa' must have been barmy, teachin' all that stuff to a little girl." Ron said, and Miranda could tell that Hermione was helping him to sit up.
"He did it for my protection. I guess it's a good thing he did too. Otherwise I'd be a liability now. We should find some shelter, it's going to rain soon." Miranda chirped, standing up, only wobbling slightly.
"How do you know?" Harry asked, standing quickly to steady the re-blinded girl.
She touched her nose with a finger, "I can smell it."
"Can you tell how far?" Ron asked.
"Fifteen minutes." Miranda replied swiftly.
"Really? And you keep hold of this." Hermione asked, handing the locket back to her.
Miranda chortled, putting the locket back over her head, "No, I can't tell how far off or how much, only that it will. The air smells like lightening. It's very distinct. Like a person. Did you know that every person smells differently. I can tell you three apart..."
She continued to ramble on, and Harry looked worriedly at Hermione. "Think she's okay?"
"Probably just a bit in shock. We should get out of plain sight though. Harry, why don't you set up the tent. It's in my bag." Hermione said, setting herself to putting up the wards she had researched for this purpose.
"What about me?" Ron asked from the ground petulantly.
Miranda was quiet now, but not really there with them yet. Harry led her to Ron and pushed her down next to him, "Watch her, won't you."
Ron looked at the girl with disdain, "Do I have to?"
Harry just glared at him in response and began sifting in Hermione's bag for the tent, setting it up just a few feet from Ron and Miranda. He helped the newly disabled pair into the tent and Hermione entered soon after, lighting the area with little blue lights before tucking Ron into bed tutting like Molly would have.
"I'll take first watch." Harry said, exiting the tent once the rain had stopped.
He sat alone for nearly an hour, replaying the events of the day over and over again. It had been so good to see Ron's father that closely again, even if he had looked half afraid as he had spoken to who he had thought was Runcorn. And Miranda, she was so stubborn. She hadn't listened to him, but it had been okay. She had fit her plan more broadly to the inner workings of the Ministry than they had. And now she was blind for it.
"Is there room out here for two?" Said her soft voice from the opening of the tent. "I can't sleep."
He looked up at her and smiled, but his face fell when he realized that she couldn't see his smile, "Yeah, come sit."
She held out a hand as she walked closer and he took it gently when she got close enough, leading her to sit next to him. "Thanks." She whispered.
"Not a problem." Harry said, transfiguring the quilt in his lap to be large enough to cover her too. "Why couldn't you sleep?" He asked, noticing as she got closer that her eyes were no longer blue, but the firelight wasn't strong enough to let him tell what color they were now.
MIranda leaned her head against his shoulder, "Just thinking." She laughed softly, "I do that when I can't see. My brother used to say I thought too much. Used to drive him nutters when I went off chattering in the middle of the night. I'm going to just apologize now if I talk your ear off."
Harry laughed, "I think I'll be okay." He put his head on top of hers, unknowing that his closeness made her heart skip a beat, "How about you. Are you okay?"
She nodded as best as she could, "Yeah, it's just a shock. I've become so dependent on my sight that learning how to manage without it again is hard." Truthfully, the darkness terrified her, it reminded her of how helpless she'd been as a child, and how the panic had overtaken her when Walburga had locked her in that damned room.
"You're strong." He said, his voice assuring her, "You'll be fine." They sat in silence for a few minutes before his curiosity got the best of him, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you become blind?"
"If you'd asked when I was younger, I wouldn't have known. I did some research when I woke up, though. Leber's congenital amaurosis, it's a genetic defect, it results in almost complete blindness. My parents were both carriers. I'm just thankful that it doesn't cause any sort of retardation. I really would have been slaughtered in the orphanage worse than I already was." Her words skirted dangerously close to parts of her past she just couldn't share, and she struggled to distract him, "Speaking of the orphanage, tell me about the people who raised you." Miranda nestled closer to Harry, closing her eyes.
Harry sighed, and instinctively put an arm around her shoulders, "They weren't nice people. My aunt resented my mother for being a witch, so to some degree they tried to beat the magic out of me when they weren't using me like a house elf."
"That's terrible." Miranda said.
Harry just laughed, "I didn't even know about magic until my friend Hagrid came to take me to Hogwarts. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but it got me away from the Dursley's, so I didn't care too much."
"Tell me about your friends. You know so much about me, and I know so little about you. I want to know who you're fighting for."
"Why?" Harry asked, confused.
Sitting up a little bit, Miranda kissed his cheek, "Because, Harry, everyone I loved is dead." She meant it, after the vision of her brother callously murdering that woman and her family, Miranda was done holding out hope that she could save him. It was one thing to hear about such terrible things, and another to actually see it. "I'm fighting for you now. I think it's only fair I know who I'm fighting for."
Harry was happy that the blind girl couldn't see the blush that was spreading across his face. "Uh...okay. Well, there's Hagrid to start with, he's the one that brought me into the Wizarding world..." He talked for hours, telling her about his friends, Ron's family, Remus, Tonks, Oliver Wood, he told her what Ron and Hermione were like when they weren't on the run, he even told her about Sirius, and how badly losing him had hurt.
When he was done, the moon disappearing behind the trees, he realized how easy it was to tell all of this to Miranda, how easy it was to speak and not feel like he was being judged. To her, he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived, he was just Harry. Not even Ginny had made him feel this way. Miranda had a smile on her face, regardless of his longwinded stories and the uncomfortable ground they were sitting on, "I think I'm ready to fight then. We've got a lot to lose."
"You've already lost." Harry muttered.
Miranda nodded sadly, "I have. Walburga is gone, Brennan is gone, my brother is gone, my Papa is gone, but…Olivander is out there somewhere and I have the three of you now."
"How did you end up being the apprentice for Olivander in the first place?" He asked, muttering a spell to keep the fire going.
Miranda had to laugh softly, "Curiosity. I talked too much and he thought it was endearing. He also probably thought I could use some sun. Before his shop I stayed in my Papa's house or Grimmauld Place at all times. Olivander always insisted we spend time outside drinking tea every day."
"I can't imagine him focusing long enough to drink tea." Harry commented, stretching his legs out beside hers.
"His late wife, Isla, was definitely a balancing force. He always stayed on topic better when he was talking about her." Miranda told him. "In some ways theirs was the only truly functional relationship I was ever privy to, and I came along long after she passed."
Harry let his leg rest against hers, and let himself focus on the texture of a curl that brushed against the palm of his hand, "Ron's parents are pretty perfect."
Miranda laughed softly, "I suppose lacking a proper model makes it easy to notice when people get it right. Easy to envy too." She took the Horcrux locket back off from around her neck, which was still red from the charm being ripped off, and pressed it into Harry's hand. "Hermione gave it back earlier, but I think you or one of the others should keep hold of it. Seeing as I can't see it anymore, I think we'd be in a right spot if I were to drop it. We can't destroy it if we don't have it. Right?"
Harry took it from her, and put it around his own neck, regretting that she'd pulled away. His side felt cold without her pressed against him, "That's…uh…probably a fair statement. You should go inside, get some rest before the sun comes up."
"What about you? You've been up all night." She asked.
He shrugged, "It's all the adrenaline. I couldn't sleep right now if I wanted to."
Miranda stood with his help, but found her own way to the tent door. She hesitated there, and turned back towards him with a shy smile on her face, "Oh, Harry. I might not not be able to see now, but I'm glad I was able to see your face before my world went dark again." She left him stunned, outside on his own, to process what had just happened before the others got up.
There it is, Chapter 10! Let me know what you think with a review! ;P
If you read the original version, there are going to be more and more plot changes as we go along, and I hope you like them!
-Jenn