Lectures ensured that the previous day had passed quickly and before Kate blinked Wednesday had come and gone. Now she sat eating breakfast on a small chair in the flat. Her roommate could be heard snoring softly in the other room. Kate took another bite of toast before turning to face the source of the noise. The girl truly was here for the nightlife rather than her studies.
Anger and frustration bubbled up within Kate. The emotions caused the food to grow heavy in her stomach forcing her to drop the few remaining bites back onto her plate. She pushed it away. Couldn't she just have a normal life for once? She knew it was not to be. The room felt cold and empty, just like her life. Outside the clouds hung low and a steady drizzle was falling.
Still exhausted from studying late she trudged towards her room to get her books and notes for the day. Lectures all morning and one this afternoon meant another full day. Days like these were good to some degree. Being busy kept her from thinking too much. A further bonus was the need to go to the library to study after class. The first of the semester's assignments had already been handed out and she wanted to make a good impression, since most of the lecturers would be with her for the next few years. Her drive to succeed formed part of the reason why even before most students were awake she was already seated in her first class.
The first few periods went by normally. The lecturer droned on about work which she dutifully made notes of. Then her mind shifted, a distinct feeling of being tugged at plagued her. The feeling was very disconcerting and she had trouble focusing during her third lecture of the morning. Her growing frustration at not being able to focus made her want to leave the room.
Relief flooded over her when the period finally ended. Perhaps she would be able to focus again. It was not to be. The pulling sensation remained throughout the morning and well into the afternoon. During the first few hours, she barely managed to push the urges aside by concentrating on making notes. As the day progressed the urge became stronger and then at times it grew weaker. Almost like something came closer to her and then moved away again. The variations changed subtly.
After a while she began to realise that whenever she became lost in thought her face would always turn in a different direction. Her gaze would always be following the subtle pull. Snapping back to reality she'd face the lecturer again.
By late afternoon she managed to come to terms with the sensation. Biting hard on the back of her pen she forced herself to stop fantasizing about things. Clearing her mind of all the distractions around her she forgot about the strange desire to run outside. The lecturer's loud voice at the front of the lecture hall dominated her thoughts. The rest of the afternoon continued in this fashion. The constant desire to be somewhere else versus the need to listen and take notes.
By early evening she had begun to feel tired. However, she needed to make inroads on her first assignment. Gritting her teeth she bought herself a steaming cup of coffee and began to walk towards the library. She still had a decent amount of research to do before they closed for the evening.
The coffee was hot, strong and extremely bitter. In other words it was perfect for what she wanted. Within a few minutes she felt her old self returning. With an eagerness she had not felt in a long time she began to drink the last, much cooler, bit of her coffee. Standing by the door Kate stared out over the bustle of people before her. Slowly her face turned from right to left. A man walked in the distance. His head was down and he seemed to be in a hurry. He rounded a corner and began to move away from her. She shook her head and downed the last, most bitter drops of her coffee. With a scowl at the taste, she entered the library.
Lost within her own mind, she began to forget all about the oddities of the day. For brief moments she would remember and feel the vague pull, but she'd managed to subdue it or perhaps it was growing more faint. She should have been finding the whole sensation odd, in fact she did, but there were far too many other problems to consider her growing insanity.
Night came quickly, and caught a studying Kate by surprise. The lack of windows in her section helped. Her revisions were going slowly and she found herself losing focus easily. Sitting alone with her notes made her realise just how unnerving the last few weeks had been. Never before had she felt so exposed and fragile. The last day in London had seen her almost mugged. The incident still left her rattled. She'd never been close to being robbed before. Now she imagined people following her. Not just the black-cloaked men, but students as well. Sounds and people moving about unnerved her.
Still, she needed to work hard, which meant working late. After another hour or so the students around her started to pack their things away. Glancing at her watch she noticed the time and jumped. It really was late and the flat was not close to the library. Grabbing her books and notes, she hastily stuffed them into her bag. Packed and ready to go, she returned the few library books to the shelves where she had found them. Tugging on her jacket, she pulled it tightly around herself. The weather had been so bad the past few days, not to mention the morning's rain, that she wanted to be prepared for the worst. Bracing herself, she opened the outer doors. Her breath caught.
A warm pleasant breeze blew gently through the town and caressed her cheeks. It felt like a friendly embrace. Some of the tension left her body and she let go of the cloak, allowing it to hang freely. With closed eyes she took a deep breath, allowing the warm night air to fill her. Half her mind wondered about where the change had come from, but the other half revelled in its delight.
The journey home, for the first time in weeks, felt safe. Perhaps her old luck had returned, or maybe her guardian angel had found his way back to her again. Whatever, or whoever, she had always been lucky. Now she was feeling euphoric at her regained sense of ease. Even as she walked something pulled at her. Her feet followed the sensation, even though she did not really register what she was doing. Her spirits were high.
The sense of joy lasted only as long as the first dark alley. Halfway down and shrouded in the deepest dark the high walls on either side of her moved seemingly closer. The sound of footsteps echoed off the stones from behind. By the sound, two – perhaps three – people had entered behind her.
"Relax," she whispered softly to herself. "Probably just a group of students on their way home." Saying the words out loud eased her worries fractionally. "Yes, only a group of regular people. The town is full of students. At least some of them walk this alleyway each night."
Despite feeling slightly more relaxed about the group behind her, she still quickened her pace. Her harsh footfalls reverberated up and down the passage, ringing clearly in her ears. The footsteps behind her quickened. Before she really thought about it those feet were running. She turned to see three men dressed in black coming after her. Turning back she ran, but only managed a few strides before tripping over an uneven paving stone. The books she were holding went flying and her hands and face connected with the ground as her bag buried itself into her back. Despite her panic she could feel the cold stone cutting into her cheek. She wanted to scream, but it was caught somewhere in her throat. She prayed.
A dark shadow settled over her as she lay. Biting down on her lip, she pushed away the pain and turned to face the oncoming men. They stood still, unsure. Her breathing sounded loud to her own ears.
The three men, glared at her. No, not at her, behind her. Before she could turn a strong deep voice spoke from behind. "Just step behind me, miss." She should have been afraid, and unwilling to listen to a stranger's command, but she obeyed. The voice sounded unnaturally safe and familiar. Perhaps he was a classmate. Through it being early in the year, and her being younger, she hardly knew anyone. Her feet began to move, allowing her to slip behind him.
Only then did the three men begin to grow in confidence. Apparently one man would not be much of a threat for them. "Be on your way, miss," he spoke again as he took a step forward calmly.
"No," she said. "I'll not run while you…"
"While I do what?" he replied, cutting of her words. An instant later the first man attacked. Her saviour moved quickly and deliberately. The first man crashed against the stone wall and remained still. In the darkness she struggled to see the figures before her. She could see nothing but the inky blackness of night. There were a few sharp cracks, and then silence.
She took a step back fearing the worst. The figure of a lone man came back into view. He moved slowly, wiping his hands on his cloak. Despite everything she held no fear for him. She should have been terrified, in fact her hand did tremble slightly.
"You alright?" he asked.
"Umm… yes," she stuttered, feeling stupid. She was the one who should have asked, seeing as he just saved her from three men. "I fell when I tried to run, but they never touched me."
He laughed softly in what sounded like relief. There was a warmth to it, a sound with no mocking, putting her at complete ease. "I saw the tumble," he replied as he bent down to retrieve her books. In the darkness she fought to make out any details, but the alley was too dark. Pale hands worked to collect the dark spots on the floor. Her books were the only details she could make out apart from his face. Still it was too dark to make out any other details.
"Yes, not my most graceful moment, I'm afraid," she blurted out with a chuckle. Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. She had never been one to say things like that.
"I'd hope not."
She blushed, as he found the last book without her doing anything. She was about to retort, but before she could he motioned for her to keep walking. "Best be getting ourselves out of this place before those three wake." Her books were tucked safely under his arm.
A sudden urge to defend herself crept up on her. "I usually don't travel dark alleys alone," she spoke rapidly.
"Again, I'd hope not. A place like that is not made for people to travel at night."
"I… yes," she found herself agreeing. "It's just... This warm weather made me feel so confident and free." She was not going to mention the tug in her chest. Suprisingly it was absent at the moment. The chase and fall might have knocked some of the insanity out of her.
For the first time the man seemed awkward as he stumbled over what appeared to be nothing. He glanced up at the clear sky when he regained his footing. "It can have that effect," he muttered. Then he brightened up again. "So what are you doing out so late at night?"
"Oh, I was studying and lost track of the time. I have to pay for my own studies so I can't afford to drop any subjects," she fired off quickly. "And I was on my way to my flat. This, you see, is the shortest route." It was a short route, but that was not why she walked down it.
The end of the dark alley finally arrived. The normally dull street lights appeared bright and inviting. He stopped and glanced around. With the aid of the light, she could tell he was still young, though a year or two older than herself. A normal student. He seemed to be deep in thought, as if he were making a difficult decision. With a sigh he spoke again, "I think it best if I escort you home. That is if you do not mind?"
She straightened, surprised by the question, but found herself agreeing almost before the words had left his mouth. He did not turn to face her, so she walked past him. As they strode along, she could not help but be shocked by her sudden agreement. Yet, with all the men she'd been seeing the past few days and the sudden near attack tonight, she needed someone to look over her. Not for protection, but more a friendly presence to help her. This guy definitely seemed nice.
It was only then that she noticed him still carrying her books. "Let me take those," she said making a grab for her books.
"It's alright," he replied, gently pushing her hand away. "You've been through enough for one night."
"But I did nothing. You're the one who saved me from those men."
She looked up at him hoping to find something in his expression. He kept his face forward as they walked.
It took a while before he replied. "That was nothing, a bunch of drunk fools. Probably weren't even after you." There was an element of hesitation in his voice, almost as if her were considering something about their actions.
"Shouldn't we report them or something?" Kate asked suddenly, making to turn around.
The man laughed. "I doubt they'll be troubling anyone soon."
She eyed him curiously, but shrugged nevertheless.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He stared down at her. "I'm just glad no harm came to you."
"Yes," she laughed nervously as she allowed herself to really think about the situation she'd gotten herself into.
They continued to walk in silence after this. The man seemed to be brooding over something. Every now and then he would look at his watch as if were late for an appointment.
"What are doing out so late?" she finally found the nerve to ask, breaking the silence that had been hanging over them for the past few blocks.
"I'm looking for my sister," he answered softly.
She tried to sound humorous, despite the obvious gravity to his words. "She slip out of the house or something?"
"No, nothing like that," he replied with a wave of a hand.
Her curiosity was piqued, and she could not stop herself from prying. "So what's the story?"
He stopped and stared at a tree before them. For a moment he seemed extremely sad. "I found out this afternoon that I have a sister. So I… I travelled here to find her. She doesn't know about me either." There was a hint of anger in his voice.
She was at a loss for words and her heart went out to him. "Perhaps I know her," she shrugged. "I'm new to Oxford, but perhaps you could tell me her name." She desperately wanted to know the girl, if only to be able to repay his kindness.
"Suppose it's worth a shot. I've pretty much covered the whole town today. Her name is Kate Parker, but…" he continued to talk, but his words floated over her head. She was Kate Parker. This had to be some sort of joke, but he looked so sad as he spoke, his eyes never left the spot a meter or two before him. Never once did he look towards Kate as if waiting for her to begin laughing. Could this man really be her brother?
"I'm Kate Parker," she whispered softly, staring up at him.
His rapidly moving lips froze in place. Slowly his head came round and for the first time she stared into his eyes while they were illuminated. It could have been a mirror before her. The bright emerald green identical to hers. Her eyes flicked upwards, his raven hair the same colour as hers.
"You have our mother's eyes," he said even softer than her previous whisper.
"You knew my mother?" she asked knowing the truth. Her mind was screaming at her to run. This man was some kind of sick person out to con her. Her heart, however, knew him to be who he said he was – her brother. Her question made him even sadder.
"No." The shake of his head almost imperceptible. "Do you know what she looked like?" Something bubbled under the surface, a growing anger deep within him.
The same anger rose up in her. "I've never seen a picture of them."
His eyes darkened a fraction and an icy gush of air whipped down the alley. He stared up as if looking at the wind. "Sorry," he whispered. His gaze grew soft again. "I just can't believe Dumbledore never told you." He exhaled loudly with clenched fists. "Actually, I can. He never told me who I was till my eleventh birthday."
"Who are you?" she asked, realising that she still had not heard his name.
The question caught the man, her brother, off guard. "I'm Harry Potter," he smiled. "And I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad tidings, but your last name is Potter not Parker."
"You sure?" she questioned. "Why would you know and not me?"
"Bad luck," he grumbled. The reply was made so bitterly she actually believed it to be the truth.
With nothing to say, she continued to walk. The silence remained. Every few strides he would glance at her, and when she saw him staring he would look away. He looked stunned, almost disbelieving. In fact, she felt the same. A part of her wanted to be happy, another wanted to be angry, and yet another did not believe and was shouting at her to get away. Still, she did trust him. How could she trust such a story so easily? It was surreal and the world remained a blur. She knew the bombshell would drop sooner or later. Yet a small part of her waited for him to burst out laughing.
She finally got a longer look into his eyes when he did not look away. She knew those eyes, every nuance about them. He felt the same; happy, angry, but instead of disbelief she saw shock and concern. Why would he be concerned? They were walking down a busy street full of students. Still his eyes rarely remained on her for long, the rest of the time he studied his surroundings.
"Why so anxious?" she finally asked. "This is a busy street, and well lit."
"Habit?" he shrugged, but neither her question nor the reply lessoned his attentiveness to their surroundings.
"Habit, as in your some kind of bodyguard?"
"I wish," he snorted. "But yeah, something like that, sis."
He froze, and yet she did not walk past him. She stood rooted to the spot as well. He had called her sis. The words felt comforting. How many hours, days and weeks had she lain awake in bed dreaming about having a brother or sister? And now, here she walked with an older brother.
"I'm… sorry, Kate" he managed to say.
"It's ok, Harry," she answered. Her mouth turned up into a wide genuine smile. "I think I like being called 'sis'."
"Ok, sis," he laughed, releasing some of the tension. "So how far is it to this place you call home?"
"Well would you believe me if I were to say that we're there?" she grinned.
He studied her for a moment. "No, I think we have a few more blocks to go."
She frowned at him. "I always thought I'd be able to pull one over my brother."
"You'd have to work hard before you could hide more from me than my wife," he chuckled.
She stopped. "Wait! You're married?"
He gave a loving smile, before lifting his left hand to reveal a wedding band on his finger.
"Been married for five years."
"Five!" she exclaimed. "But you can't be much older than me and I'm only seventeen."
"Twenty-four." He shrugged looking vaguely uncomfortable about his age.
"Seven years older, Wow! But you don't look that old."
He studied her for a second. "I'll take those words as a compliment, Kate."
"Please do, perhaps that means I'll age well too."
"Perhaps," he replied studying her from head to toe. She did a small pirouette. "You'll have to take off the jacket for me to get a better look, but it was a nice spin. Good balance, great chaser… ugmm. Sorry, athlete material."
"You'd better believe it. Star striker for my high school team," she said proudly. Though she did feel a bit shameful of boasting, but she was good, leading scorer all through high school.
"Can you catch or throw a ball?"
"Better than most blokes at school."
He smiled widely. She could have sworn his eyes grew moist, but he looked away before she could tell for sure. "Dad would've been proud of you. He was a great sportsman."
"Really!" she asked, suddenly eager to hear about her parents. Before she could ask more, they arrived at her flat. "We're here."
"Just in time for some tea," Harry said.
She dug into her bag, struggling to find the key and when she found it her hand fumbled about before she managed to open the door. Her flatmate was out, thankfully. It was a cosy flat, two rooms and small living area. The kitchen was part of the main living space, making it slightly crowded, but convenient.
"Please take a seat," she said gesturing to one of the two old couches. She busied herself as Harry slowly entered the room.
"Thanks," he said sitting down while she began to boil the kettle. His posture appeared awkward, as if something was poking him in the back. "Nice place you found," he commented appreciatively. "Must be difficult paying the rent?" There was more to the question than mere curiosity.
She wanted to lie about the rent, but found herself nodding before her mouth formed a reply. "It's tough, but I mean if you want to study as an orphan then you've got to work for it I suppose."
"Weren't you left any money?" he asked in shock. The same dark look crossed his face for a fraction of a second before it was gone again. She really disliked it, but at least he did it only when he knew her to be wronged. "When I get my hands on the man!" he grumbled again. "But never mind, that's another day's worries. I can help you out, no problem."
"Really!" she squeaked. She fell silent and her hand covered her mouth in embarrassment. Working to pay her studies had been a major concern, but it still did not mean she should ask a stranger for support. Even if deep down she knew him to be her brother. Her hand dropped away.
"Sure," he smiled and she laughed. That smile of his brightened the room. "You'd be surprised to learn that we Potters aren't so poor."
It felt like a mountain had fallen off her shoulders. "Are you sure? You've got a wife…"
"No kids," he laughed. "And yes, Ginny and myself would love nothing more than to help you."
"Ginny… your wife?"
"Oh! Yes, she's my wife. I'll bring her round tomorrow."
The kettle boiled and so she quickly made a pot of tea before sitting down on the opposite couch. "So," she began. "Tell me about my… our parents." The words felt awkward in her mouth. Yet, she bubbled with excitement.
He did not reply at first. His green eyes stared out the window. She glimpsed them only briefly. They were hurt-filled eyes, holding nothing except pain and suffering, but there lay a strength in them. Eventually he turned back. "They would have been great parents. Well they were until…" he stopped. "Until they gave their lives to save us."
"They," her mouth quivered and her words came out slowly. "Gave their lives for us?"
"Yes, but perhaps now is not the time for that story. It is much too complicated for tonight, trust me." And she did, those green eyes could make her believe anything. Deep down, she knew there should've been warning bells. This man was a stranger, he could be anyone and after anything. Yet, few men could have acted so well, and she had always been great at reading people. No, he was genuine, or perhaps it was just her desire to have family that made her believe. "So, I heard you finished school early and came to Oxford."
"Yes." She looked at her hands, ashamed. "I really had nothing else to do, apart from studying or playing sports. I've always been a bit of an outsider, different from other people."
"Mum was intelligent. One of the top students at our parents' school. They were Head Boy and Girl you know."
"Really, I'd never be Head Girl, too much weirdness around." She mentally kicked herself for saying that. What was her new found family going to think of her when she started mentioning all the oddities. Appearing on roofs, children falling off swings when she got angry. The list went on and on.
He gave her a strange look, but his eyes gleamed knowingly. "I think all us Potters are a bit barmy to those around these parts."
"I think I'm a bit barmier than you could ever imagine." She retorted with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Oh, you'd be surprised at my imagination." He laughed. The way he said those words made her almost believe he knew about all those oddities. When his laughter died down, she noticed a slight hint of anger, but also understanding in his eyes. Harry had told her enough over the past hour to make her realise there was a lot she did not know.
"Tea?" she asked, leaning forward. He gave a slight nod and she proceeded to pour them each a cup. With tea in hand they sat in silence. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she felt afraid of pushing him or herself.
"Harry," she began. "Where did our parents go to school?"
"They…" A loud crack came from outside. Harry leapt to his feet and stared out the window. "Kate, we've got to go."
"What?"
He looked perplexed, but not surprised. "If you believe I'm your brother. Then you are going to have to trust me now."
"Ok," she nodded. He looked out the window again. He looked slightly more relaxed, but ready.
"It seems you'll be learning more of our past tonight than I had hoped to explain. I need you to pack as much as you can in five minutes. I dare not wait any longer."
She sat still for a few seconds, only when his eyes focused on hers did she realise the urgency in his previous words. "Right," she almost shouted and dashed towards her closet. Her bag came out first and her few belongings next. She had only been staying here for a few days so it took her only moments to have all her worldly belongings in a bag. "Finished."
His mouth moved in a silent curse.
He moved away from the window and wrapped and arm around her. "What the…" he bit off the last part of his sentence. He glanced about the room, his eyes focused on an open space. "Not good," he whispered.
"What's not good?" she asked.
"Nothing, you've got everything… good. Let's get you to safety."
"What!"
HGHGHG
Ginny had been pacing nervously up and down the halls of Hogwarts all day. Anger did not begin to describe what she felt. Harry had a sister and no one had bothered to tell him. Dumbledore was walking on a knife's edge and that with only her emotions taken into account. The anger and frustration she faintly felt coming from Harry made her own seem mild. As the day progressed it grew steadily worse.
That was until an hour ago. Since then everything changed. Firstly he felt indecisive and then a few moments later she felt a tingle of joy mixed with trepidation. "I think he found her," she said to Mark who happened to meet her at an intersection.
"Really?" he asked, though not entirely surprised. "Harry does have a way of getting things done."
She nodded. "I felt his mood lighten, almost joyful, but he is restraining himself."
"No doubt he doesn't want to get too excited. Just in case things turn out badly."
"Or he has found her, but not told her who he is."
"Perhaps, but sit, Ginny. You can't walk around like this all day."
"I suppose," she answered sitting down on a bench opposite the one Mark occupied.
She closed her eyes, allowing her to feel Harry more keenly. His emotions were flaring; happy, sad, nostalgic, eager, nervous and fearful.
The last one was new. She sat upright, eyes open. Fear was not a feeling she felt often from him. The only time she could remember was when she was in danger. "We've got to go!"
"What's wrong?" he asked jumping to his feet.
"Harry fears something."
Mark cursed under his breath. "Lead the way."
A gateway formed and she stepped through. "What the hell!" she cried out. "This is not where I wanted be." Taking a deep calming breath, her serene self came to the fore. "Wait here." She embraced saidar again and Apparated. For the first time since she Apparated it felt as if she had hit something solid. Like a ball bouncing off a wall she landed in the same spot she had stood moments before.
"That's not a good sign," Mark whistled. "I think I see what's behind Harry's concern."
Her eyes widened. "He can't get out."
"Well, we best start running then shouldn't we?" Mark sighed.
HGHGHG
Chaos! That's all Kate could think of the situation. Harry had a sword in his one hand, while his other held her protectively behind him. She was practically frozen in horror and fear. Her present state was what was causing them the most trouble and still she could barely get herself to move.
Thankfully, they were in a lull. Somehow, Harry had gotten them into a dark corner, hidden from view. The men hunting them wore strange cloaks and evil looking masks. "What's happening?" she managed to squeak out softly.
"It's a bit hard to explain at the moment, but suffice to say those people would love dearly to get their hands on me." He glanced at her then out at the people in the street. "And somehow they know about you." His teeth ground against each other. "Pettigrew!" he hissed. "The bastard!"
She decided not to ask any more. All she wanted was to get out of Oxford and find out why on earth her brother was running around with what looked like a samurai sword. She frowned. "Harry, where did you get the sword? You weren't wearing it earlier."
"I was," he answered. "You just never saw it."
"How could I not have seen something that big? Honestly, do you take me for a fool?"
"Of course not. But you still don't know half of what's chasing us or what we're capable of."
His words brought back memories of all her oddities. Could she really have caused all those accidents? No, she shook her head. Admitting they were real would only be giving in to her childhood fantasies of magic and flying brooms. However, she had to ask. "And what are you capable of?" she asked, fearing the answer, but knowing it.
He sighed, "Magic."
More of the strangely cloaked figures were moving into the clearing before them. "Harry."
"Yes?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm scared." She hated to admit it, but she was frightened.
He turned to face her. His eyes filled with compassion and when he spoke his words washed away most of her fear with its calm. "Help is on the way. Give them a few more minutes to get here and then we can make a break for it."
"Okay, Harry." She replied. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Don't worry, sis. I won't let anyone harm you."
"Promise?"
"To the best of my abilities, I promise."
"Thanks."
They stood in silence for a few more minutes. "They're here," he whispered. "Just behind the building over there."
"How do you know?" she questioned.
"Magic." The reply held no joy.
"Great, is that going to be a standard answer from now on? Why does the sun shine? Magic."
"No, but until then Magic will do. But be ready."
He gripped her hand. His eyes were lowered. To her it looked like he was listening or feeling for something. His hand tightened around hers. "Ready?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"Now!" He pulled her free from where they stood. The air around her seemed to explode, bright lights flared and pulsed. To her side flames erupted and warped around them. From behind Harry it looked like there was a wall of air around them. Magic? Despite the barrier, she could still feel the increased heat around. A flash of sickly green light erupted in front of Harry. He veered to the left, ducking behind another stone wall.
This time a distant street light illuminated Harry's face. Small beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. She, in contrast, barely breathed hard. The few runs had not been far or hard and her mind had yet to catch up with half of what was happening around her. Lowering her eyes, she noticed the distant strained look in his eyes. She shivered, he looked oddly cold.
"I'm fine," he spoke as if he saw the doubt she felt. Despite his words, his expression changed little. She could not look away. Deep within the cool green, she could see concern. Something unexpected, something dangerous was around. "There are just too many people crowded into this town for me to be fully effective."
With the calm after the sprint she opened her eyes and senses to their surroundings. Things she never saw before now registered. Dark shadows moved about. Voices spoke harshly in the distance. Then there grew an odd feeling with her. A new sensation. Her eyes drifted in the direction of the feeling. Like a gentle buzz in her ear, she knew where the sense came from.
"Ginny's in that direction," he spoke and Kate felt herself blink. Her head turned round to him. He tried to smile, but it never reached his eyes. "You can sense her using Magic."
"I can?" she blurted out. His only reply came in the form of a nod. She swivelled round to where she now knew Ginny to be. An instant later, things grew complicated. The feeling that was Ginny grew stronger, but at the same time another, similar sensation came from the other direction. "Harry, I feel another Magic." She did not know what to say.
"Where?" he asked calmly, despite the increased worry in his eyes. Kate pointed in the opposite direction of where the original one came from.
Harry muttered something under his breath and then he changed. "I'm afraid that the game has changed a bit." Standing up he told her to sit before he walked into the open. She listened, though she did glance round the wall to watch him walk.
Her mouth hung open fractionally. The world around appeared alive. Light, like fireworks, rammed into invisible barriers sending sparks and fire into the night sky. Moments later brilliant flames burst from his outstretched palms.
Every moving shadow became a target. All expect one. A woman with long flowing red hair, worked her way towards him. Where ever she was, Kate could feel an intense something. Magic? The woman was the source of the first Magic she'd felt. That made her Ginny, Harry's wife. Together they inched closer to one another until they stood backs nearly touching. Thunder echoed loudly and rays of multi coloured light shot in all directions. The Magic she felt earlier increased tenfold at least.
Time continued to move, but she had lost all track of it. Her mind was mesmerised by the sheer display of power before her. Then the world grew dark and silent for a moment. It did not last long. Dogs began to bark and the distance she heard police sirens wailing.
In what could not have been more than a few seconds, both Harry and Ginny were by her side. "We've got to get out of here, Harry," the red haired woman said calmly, though it held a note of urgency. This close, Kate noticed Ginny's smooth young face. Her red hair, she assumed usually long and wavy, hung haphazardly across her face and stuck to her face and neck.
"Quickly, Kate," Harry urged. "We've got to run for it."
She made no reply, instead she allowed him to lift her to her feet. Before she could think any more they were running. Ginny, despite being in a dress ran with surprising ease and grace. Her feet barely made a sound as they hurried along the faintly lit streets to the outskirts of town.
"How far do we have to go?" he asked.
"Not far," Ginny replied. "Mark should be waiting for us nearby."
Something crashed into Harry from the side. Kate, caught by surprise fell over her own feet. With agonising pain she rolled over her shoulder. Coming to a halt she turned to face where Harry should be.
Ginny stood frozen in place. Her gaze locked onto Harry's. Kate turned to him. His green eyes stared down at her. They were filled with fear. Only then did Kate see a dark shadow around his neck.
A/N Sorry for the cliffie (Ok, perhaps not all that sorry… how else am I suppose to get my readers to read the next chapter?)
So Harry and Kate finally meet. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Some more tension to come in the next chapter and some viewings to be fulfilled.