Chapter 13
Harry smiled a bit. "Now that I'm feeling better, he can come have a go, the coward." He raked a hand through his hair, staring down at her intently. He was waiting for the end of the school year-as he'd promised Mrs. Weasley he would-then he was gone. "Everything will be fine, Kiersten you need to stop worrying so much, you'll wind up like me."
"Where are you going after the school year, Harry?" She finally asked, turning around to face him as if reading his mind. "I know you're planning something and I want to know what it is." This connection between them ever since the bind was scary because she could always feel every emotion he was feeling at the moment along with reading his mind. He wondered if he could read hers.
Harry cocked his other eyebrow, wondering if they were now able to read each other's minds. He slowly grinned, deciding to test this theory out. He focused on an image of them kissing passionately, sending a few thoughts of an inappropriate nature to her.
Kiersten's eyes widened in shock when she seen the images suddenly enter her mind and felt the blood rush to her cheeks, causing them to burn. "Harry!" She exclaimed, covering her cheeks with her hands, and could not believe what he'd just done. So they could read each other's minds, bloody Hell what other surprises were in store for them, Kiersten wondered.
"But I'm finding this a bit more interesting than your question." Harry teased, his green eyes sparkling with impish humor. He loved the blush in her cheeks, thinking that the added color did her some good, she looked wan. "How's this?" He next envisioned his mouth moving down her neck, sucking and nipping, father rather bold.
"Bloody Hell…" She grumbled, trying to push the thought out of her mind, but it wasn't happening. "Harry James Potter, I order you to stop this instant!" She shouted at him, flushed and overheated, opening her window to let some fresh winter air inside. When that didn't work, she stuck her head out the window and closed her eyes, smirking when Harry suddenly groaned. She'd sent him an image of her in a wine colored mid-thigh nightgown that was see-through in the stomach region.
Harry closed his eyes, savoring that vision. He finally moved behind her, bending down so his mouth was right next to her ear. "Let me ask you something," He murmured, pausing briefly. "Do you really own that nightgown and if so, will you wear it for me?"
Kiersten could feel herself growing hotter by the moment and turned around, staring back into his intense green eyes, and smirked. "That, my love, is for ME to know and YOU to find out." She giggled and sent him another image of her bending over in that same nightgown, showing her matching panties, and knew they were treading on dangerous grounds right now. She loved it.
Harry decided to skim her mind for that information, smirking slightly. "How nice…you do, as well as a matching set in black." His smirk broadened at the expression on her face. "What other sexy secrets are you hiding in there, Kiersten?" He stared down at her curiously.
"If you don't stop reading my mind, I won't wear any of them for you." She threatened, half playful, half serious, and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she sent him another image. This one was of her undressing him slowly from the clothes that he was wearing at that very moment, and sat down on the bed with a smirk on her lips. "So, are you going to answer my question or not?"
"No." Harry answered honestly. "I'm too interested in this little exchange we have going now." He sat down on the bed next to her, finally leaning back on his elbows. "Now…are those just random thoughts you're sending my way or things you'd actually like to do to me?"
"I'm not answering you until you answer me." She stated stubbornly, refusing to be pushed aside, and stared back at him with a crude expression on her face. She had to find a way to block him out of her mind and decided to talk to Professor Snape about that later on. If he couldn't help her, she'd go to Dumbledore, who she knew would help her with this.
"I'm going away for awhile after school." Harry answered, staring at her hard, his green eyes narrowing slightly as he began erecting walls in his mind. Who said he didn't ever listen to Snape? "It's nothing to worry about yet, Kiersten. You worry too much."
"You're blocking me out!" She shouted at him suddenly, standing from the bed, and whirled around to face him with tears shining in her eyes. "I thought we were supposed to trust each other, Harry? I thought this bind was going to help US, not just you, against my father!" She was absolutely livid when he put those walls up and felt very violated suddenly. "Don't worry, I'll learn that little bloody trick too, bastard." She hissed angrily.
"Kiersten, you're already going half out of your mind with worry. Deal with it; I'm not letting you in. You'll only worry some more and it's driving you mad." Harry said calmly. "When you've got a better understanding of things, I'll let you in."
"I know what's going to happen, Harry!" She cried out at him, knowing she shouldn't be saying this, but knew she had no choice. "Dumbledore told me everything. He said that I can't interfere, that either Voldemort has to kill you or vise versa. I know what you're planning on doing after school." She turned around to face him, a glare in her watery eyes. "You're going after him." It wasn't a question. "And when you do, I'm going with you, but I will not interfere in the final fight."
"I'm not going after him." Harry said, still in that calm tone of voice. "And bollocks if you will come, you know damn well you'll interfere. I can feel it coming off you. If you think I'm in danger, you'll jump right in." He stared at her piercingly.
"No, I gave my word that I wouldn't, and I won't break it." She stated, glaring back at him. It showed just how much faith he had in her, which was little to none. "I want you out right now, Harry. I don't want to see you again until after I figure out a way to block you out of my mind.' She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared out the window, her back to him, and wiped her tears away. He'd just lied to her face and she knew it because she could feel it rolling off of him in waves.
"You gave your word you wouldn't jump in with me and Voldemort." Harry corrected, knowing she was mistaking his guilt and regret for lies. "You can't honestly tell me you wouldn't try to jump in between me and a Death Eater, a Dementor, whatever the Hell will be coming after me."
"You're bloody right I would!" She shouted, whirling around to face him, her lips pursed tightly together. "I would give my life for you or did you not notice that those few nights ago when my father attacked?" She spat, sounding hurt, and blinked back her tears. "But I won't interfere between you and my father, the others is a completely different story, whether you like it or not. We're in his together until the end, Harry so YOU deal with it!"
Harry shook his head, a haunted look coming in his eye as he stood up. "No. You're not coming with me and that's final, Kiersten. Enough people have died on my account and if you think I'm going to risk losing you, you're out of your mind. I know you'd give your life for me, but don't you see? Enough people have already, it has to end somewhere."
"I'm going with you and that's all there is to it. You can't stop me, Harry!" She cried back at him, angry tears flowing down her cheeks now, not believing what he was saying to her. "You're the one who wanted to do the binding and this is the price you pay! You're stuck with me; do you understand me, Harry? We're in this together until one of both of us is dead!" She then turned back around and stared out the window; her lips pursed tightly together, and didn't even attempt to wipe her tears away.
Harry began putting up the walls immediately, not wanting her to feel the lie he was about to tell her, or feel his heart breaking. He had lost so many loved ones, so many people had died because and for him. He'd be damned if he let her be the next one on that list, he loved her too much. "I pushed it because I wanted you to keep him out of your head, Kiersten, that's it." He said flatly. "We're not in this together; I'm offering you what I can and no more. End of term, I'm gone and you're not going with me."
"Get out. I never want to see you again." She stated heartbrokenly, wiping her tears away. When she felt his hands on her shoulders, she spun around and slapped him as hard as she possibly could across the face, causing him to stumble back as his bum hit the floor. "I SAID GET OUT! GET OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU BLOODY LIAR!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and began throwing things at him, completely losing all sense of rationality as her heart shattered into a million pieces. "GET OUT!"
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked when she seen her friend come down the steps, looking like an Inferi.
"Kiersten and I…I broke up with her, she kicked me out…" He mumbled. "I'm going to go kill myself with the Bludgers."
"You don't think he means it, do you?" Ron asked, watching Harry disappear out the portrait hole, looking worried.
Hermione kneaded her forehead. "I think you'd better follow him, make sure he doesn't fly off anywhere."
Kiersten knew she had to do. If Harry wasn't going to let her go with, then she was leaving by herself to face her father. She began packing things she knew she would need and called for her broom. Hopping on it, Kiersten broke through the protective barriers of Dumbledore and flew off into the sky just as Hermione came bursting through the door. She'd barely caught a glimpse of the flying broom before it disappeared into the heavy white clouds that lingered over Hogwarts.
"Harry! Kiersten's gone!" Hermione shouted several long minutes later, out of breath. She had snagged Ron and ran down to the Black Lake, where they knew Harry liked to brood.
Harry-having not paying attention to anything, but his own angst-instantly sought Kiersten out with this newfound power of his. "BLOODY HELL; IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?"
Kiersten flew well into the night, not stopping as the tears continued flowing down her face. Her heart was shattered, her spirit broken; she had nothing left, but to avenge her mother's death. She finally stooped down into a patch of dark woods and sat her bag down, completely exhausted from the flight. She could feel Harry probing her mind and took her tent out, setting it up within moments, and began putting protective charms around it, including an invisibility one she'd learned recently. After that, she took out a book she'd snagged from Hermione, and began reading on how to block out people from entering her thoughts. She knew it would be difficult, but she didn't want Harry reading her mind anymore.
Back at Hogwarts, the Golden Trio was in Dumbledore's office. After getting Harry's berating out of the way, they settled down to discussing what to do in earnest.
"I hadn't intended on you leaving so soon." Dumbledore said quietly. "I would go with you but sadly, I'm bound to the castle."
"We know sir, Professor McGonagall explained it all." Hermione said quickly.
"So we leave tonight and try to get this done quickly before she ends up getting herself killed."
"What I don't understand is why you didn't want her going with you if you two are bound together by the spell?" Ron stated out of nowhere, raking a hand through his straight red hair, and glared at Harry. "You broke her heart, mate. She's not going to want to have anything to do with you. Why do you insist on pushing your friends and people who love you away when we're only trying to help?" He snapped, causing Hermione to stare at him in shock.
"You and Hermione have been with me from day one and you've had time after time to turn back, you both know what needs to be done." Harry began slowly. "Kiersten is finding all this out minute by minute and it's hitting her heard. She overreacts, she panics and she acts irrationally. She has no clue what's going on and she flew out of here, knowing her life is in danger. Tell me Ron, why bring her along? I love her, but I don't' want her dead!"
"You've never given her enough credit. Her father is the Dark Lord for Merlin's sake, Harry!" Ron shouted, defending Kiersten to the fullest. "She's probably going through things you could only imagine, mate! This man KILLED her mother right after she gave birth to his own daughter! I know your parents were killed as well by him, but she's got it worse, Harry. And you just told her that you didn't love her, that you did that binding spell to help her, when that's all a bunch of rubbish! I don't blame her for leaving, I would've too!"
"She's got it worse, has she?" Harry demanded, getting to his feet. "She has a CHOICE, Ron, a bloody choice! She doesn't have to do anything and instead she tosses herself into danger, without KNOWING ALL THE BLOODY FACTS! Instead of just being patient, she…"
"Stop it!" Hermione cried, getting in-between the two. "We mustn't fight!"
"Because you won't give her the damn facts, Potter! You're constantly leaving her in the dark! He's already invaded her mind probably more than he did to you!" Ron shouted back at his best friend, not believing what an insensitive bastard he was being. "Maybe Kiersten should go this alone since you obviously don't give a damn if she lives or dies!" He finally spat, shoving Hermione away from him, and stalked out of Dumbledore's office angrily.
Harry and Hermione stared at each other. "Well, have anything you'd like to add?" Harry demanded icily.
Hermione stared at him, her eyes hardening. "I don't agree with your methods, but I know why you did what you did, Harry."
"I take part of the blame." Dumbledore sighed. "I should have told her more."
"Well…I guess we'd better get to it then." Harry sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. On top of that, he was worried to death about Kiersten and hoped he got to her in time before her life ended.