Author's Notes:

Hello readers, and welcome to the thirteenth chapter *gasp* of Killer Instincts!

Okay, first things first. I know there are a few of you who have me on your author alerts, and I must be constantly disappointing you by posting a Supernatural fanfic and hell, I'm a Potterhead first, right? Yeah, I am, and I'm so sorry! It's just that I have been having an awful lot of burnouts this year, and I reckon my Potter fanfic writing is one of the things I've overdone. I am, as of now, completely blocked for all my Potter stories and nothing helps and I'm not sure why. I was on a hiatus too - except, I wasn't for SSaB, and then my laptop got all banged up, and really, I don't have anything else to say.

The SPN fanfiction - well, I'm new to it and I like writing it, I won't lie. And I'm sorry for keeping you waiting on this, but trust me, revamping is far more difficult than you think - especially with this chapter, and the amount it made me want to throw something. And when I got back to this, Harry was sounding all American, and like a Winchester, and I had a lot of issues and... yeah. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, guys. So sorry.

But yes, I will be quitting Potter fanfiction once I finish my WIPs. I think I've written enough Potter - I started when I was 14, after all and I'm 22... so yeah. You get it, right? Can't promise anything, though, because the Cotillion comes up on MNFF and I claim some weird pair, and... well.

I would like to thank Pauie for her fabulous work in correcting all my awkward phrasings. *Hugs*

EDIT: And seriously? Just because I forgot to mention it here? Well, here you go: flamers will be salted and burned and I will Molotov you with Holy Fire, okay?

13. Halloween Scare

October arrived and came to an end more uneventfully than ever, and life was still as unusual as it could be with the six Aurors. They got along better now, though, owing to the fact that they'd got to know each other better. Ginny had mentioned Parineeta to her colleagues, and though they all agreed on a close watch on Parineeta too, suspicions upon her were feeble due to the fact that she had alibis.

Harry extended a hand of friendship to Daisy as well, so he could help Ginny along. He reckoned it would be easier if Daisy thought she could talk to the both of them, and then they would be able to dig out anything they had to. Daisy was more on the depressed side, though, and they barely managed to extract anything from her. They did the same with Chris, who turned out to be quite friendly and more open, as he flirted with the Auror women at any opportunity. They didn't get much from him either, but they were hanging on to the fact that they would, perhaps get it some day. It was like going undercover for something, except, here the suspects knew who the plainclothes cops were.

Ginny would never forget Chris's habit of flirting, though, and a particular incident came to her mind every time she thought of it. They'd gone to his place to talk about how he knew Andrew and on that day, Ginny had let her hair down. They hung loose about her shoulders, straight and fiery red. Chris noticed it at once.

"You're very pretty, you know? I'd have dated you if our ages had been closer."

"Oh… shut it, Chris," Ginny replied, looking flustered.

"I'm not flattering you," Chris insisted, winking at her. "If you could only wait until I grow a little older… maybe we can still make it together!"

Ginny chuckled, thinking of an equally witty answer. But then, she decided on something else. "Oh, I wish…" she said, winking at him.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to know that!" Chris replied.

"I think I'll do something and wait—"

"You can't."

Harry had spoken. Ginny and Chris looked at him, still smiling. He raised an eyebrow. "You can't stop time… remember we broke those Time-Turners?"

Ginny chuckled. "Merlin, Harry, we were just kidding! Do you really think that I might be doing any such thing? I don't deny that I could do it for Chris, though…" she winked at Chris again. "True lovers always wait."

Harry looked as though he'd choke. "You have feelings for Chris?"

"Goodness, no! We're just having fun! Do you think there might be something between us?"

"Hey!" Chris pretended to be offended by this.

"No…" Harry replied to Ginny, and he may have as good as let out a dramatic sigh of relief, for the expression on his face was unmistakable. Ginny felt her heart flutter at this, and decided to forget about it. Harry wasn't hers anymore.

Harry picked up his wand from the coffee table and stowed it into his pocket. Parvati gave him his car keys. "Don't forget to inform Ron and Hermione."

"I won't," he promised. The Aurors were going out for a Halloween dinner that night. "Where's Ginny?" he asked his wife.

"She and Hermione are just getting ready… Hermione is working away from home today."

"Who'll take care of the kids, then?"

Parvati smiled. "Actually, you won't believe it."

"Try me."

"Ron insisted that he'd stay until Hermione returned, to look after Rose and Hugo. He's decided that he won't let them enter the crèche again."

Harry chuckled. "Hermione should be glad."

"Yeah, and I hope they make up soon, too."

"That's difficult," Harry replied, frowning. "Both of them are so stubborn."

"In a way, Harry, he is right too."

"But—"

"See," said Parvati, seating herself on a sofa. "Have I ever asked you about what you do during work, or suspected you for anything?"

"No."

"I give you your space, right?"

"Yeah," said Harry, a smile appearing on his face as he absent-mindedly traced a finger through his scar. "Thanks for that."

"So shouldn't Hermione trust Ron a bit, too?"

Harry nodded. "I agree, but that's no reason for Ron to keep meeting that Rebecca. He's just egging Hermione's suspicions on."

"I won't say that Ron is wise in what he's doing, but both we all know him. He does a lot of things before giving them a fair bit of thought. But Hermione — I didn't expect her to be so distrustful after knowing Ron for so long…"

Harry nodded, as Ginny and Hermione entered the room. "Come on, Harry," Ginny said, clasping up her handbag. "Let's go."

"Shall we go by car?" Harry asked, holding up the keys to his now-repaired vehicle. "It's been three months since that accident."

"Okay…" Ginny replied, swallowing.

"Look, it won't crash again," Harry assured her.

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Come on, then."

After work that evening, everyone left together for dinner at a nearby restaurant. They'd reserved a table and after seating themselves they placed their orders, mild chatter issuing amongst the group. For once, no one seemed to be discussing the case and the air all around was relaxed and casual. Harry was sitting between Parvati and Ginny, while the two women spoke. He turned around to Ron and Hermione who were making small talk but mostly, Hermione was just concentrated on her children, who were sitting on high chairs, separating her from Ron.

Harry then fixed his glance on Naina, who was sitting between him and Parvati, and was happily drinking milk from her sippy cup. She blinked at him, wide, green eyes sparkling as he encased her hand in his, helping her hold the sippy cup. From the other side, he could hear Parvati chuckle.

"Harry was telling me about Chris," she was explaining to Ginny.

"Oh, he flirts," Ginny informed her, "with me too. Sometimes I wonder if the way we're mingling with them is the right thing at all."

"As long as you don't get emotionally attached…"

"Well, not yet, but this tactic would be disapproved by the rest of the department, I suppose. Unless we went undercover, that is. Should have done that, I think."

"I suppose so… yeah. But as long as you solve the case, Ginny, there's no harm done, right?"

"Right…" Ginny trailed away, sounding unsure.

"Daddy!" Naina diverted Harry's attention. He turned to her, booping her nose and smiling at her.

"What is it, sweetie?"

She pointed at a spot outside the restaurant. "Caw!"

"The car?" he asked her, and she nodded frantically. "The car's fine, Naina, what happened?"

"I wan' go!"

"No, we're not done eating yet."

"Chee caw!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You want to see the car. Why?"

"Pwease, Daddy?"

It melted his heart. Smiling, he lifted her out of her highchair, put her down and leaned in towards Parvati. "I'll be back in a minute," he muttered in her ear but when he looked back down at the spot where Naina was, a few seconds ago, she wasn't there anymore.

"Pari, is this even necessary?" Daisy sighed as her friend dragged her out of the parking lot, pulling her by the arm to the restaurant. "I'm fine, okay?"

"It's a Wednesday, Daisy," Pari reminded her. "You're never fine on Wednesdays."

"I am too!"

"Says who?"

"Hey! I know me better than you think you do."

"That's rubbish. Come on!"

Daisy sighed, giving in and allowing her friend to drag her into the restaurant and they were just inside, when something collided hard against her legs. She vaguely registered a little girl, before jumping backwards.

"Aww," Pari was saying, as the sound of a small child's crying issued from below, and Daisy looked down to see a toddler on the floor whom Pari was crouched beside. Her friend lifted the child and cupped her neck, rocking her. "We're so sorry, sweetie," she told the bawling girl, "where's your mum?"

She withdrew slightly and Daisy suddenly recognised the child. If this were a wizard restaurant, there would have been a crowd of photographers. "Pari…" she started, but then she spotted Harry Potter walking towards her. She smiled at him and gestured to Pari as he approached.

The other girl turned sound too as Harry held out his hands, a forced smile appearing on his face. "Sorry about that," he said, and Daisy realised that he probably thought his daughter was in the vicinity of a serial killer. Well, so much for pretending to be all friendly and understanding.

"No, no," Pari said, handing the child over. "I didn't realise she was your daughter."

"That's quite all right," he said. He nodded at Daisy. "Have a good time." And then he hurriedly escaped to the parking lot.

Daisy suppressed the urge to laugh as she watched him sprint away, holding his daughter to himself, as though he had just been on the verge of losing her. Such a fool.

"You know, this is always what I wanted my family to look like," said a familiar voice in Daisy's ear, almost making her jump again. She turned around to see Chris standing there at the door behind her, with Rebecca at his side. He gave Pari a lazy smile. "I suppose you and Becks planned this little reunion?"

They looked a little guilty, a little triumphant. Daisy sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I'm leaving."

She made to move from there, when she felt a hand on her wrist and before she knew it, she was facing Chris again. His hazel eyes glowed as he spoke serenely. "I want you to search your heart for an honest answer to one question that I want to ask you. Don't you want this too? And don't lie to me, because I'll know."

She pretended to think. "No, I don't want anything with you."

"You're lying."

"Let's sit down," Pari suggested and Daisy glowered at her, but she also noticed that everybody in the restaurant seemed to be looking at them so grudgingly, she agreed. Together with Chris, Rebecca and Pari, she headed to a table they'd reserved, and they all sat down, Daisy on Chris's opposite side, eyes glaring.

"Just so you know," she hissed, while the waiter filled their glasses with water, "I'm not lying, and I'm not in denial."

Chris licked the border of his lips, sighed, and looked into her eyes. "Babe—"

"Either call me 'Daisy' or just don't try to talk to me at all."

He took a deep breath. "Okay. Daisy, look, I know I messed up, okay? I'm sorry. Give me just one chance. I… I love you. Really." Beside her, Daisy could literally feel Rebecca and Pari melt.

"And how many girls have you said that to, Chris?" Daisy shot back. "Has the count reached a thousand yet?" Pari made to get up, and Daisy shot a venomous glance at her. "Don't you leave me here with him," she snarled. "We're finishing this here and now, and I want you to get the message too — Chris and I are not getting back together."

"Daisy…"

"No," she snapped at her friend. "You'd better stay."

Chris sighed. "I've never told anyone I love them. I've never even loved anyone else. I wanted you to be the first and last person to confess this to."

"Yeah, right," Daisy said sarcastically, "and after we finish talking, you'll go to Ginny and tell her that you love her."

"That's just a joke, Daisy! It's a small joke between Ginny and me!"

"And how do I know you won't try the same joke on me? How am I to know that you won't do what you did the last time? You ruined me, Chris, and I'll never forget that."

Chris looked her guiltily. "I said I'm sorry."

"So?" Daisy asked him, a lump forming in her throat. "So what? Does that change what you did?"

"Daisy…" Pari looked sad. "It's okay, shona, calm down."

Daisy turned to the other girl. "After what he did to you, Pari, you're saying that it's okay? Why were you in India for three months? Why have you just started work when it should have been months ago? Wasn't it all because of him? And you wanted this, didn't you? You wanted me to talk to him. So I'm talking!"

Pari looked down as she took a deep breath. "He didn't mean it. Daisy…"

Chris looked pained. "I swear I never meant to hurt anyone. I wanted to help you!" He licked his lips, his hand going over to Pari's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry a thousand times… I…"

"Yes, Chris, you can apologise a year after it happened," Daisy replied. "This makes up for everything she's suffered."

"One chance… just a chance—"

"You lost it long ago."

"Please…"

Daisy shook her head. "No. And I don't think we need to create a scene here. People are still looking, if you haven't noticed."

That seemed to bring Chris to his senses, too and he scanned the heads turned to their table. The Aurors seemed to be minding their own business, surprisingly enough, but Daisy was pretty sure they were just pretending. She wondered where Ginny was, with her pretentious friendship, dying to get in on the drama.

"Can we talk outside, then?" Chris asked.

"No."

"Well, don't complain that I didn't try to explain, then," he said, flaring up, too. "I think I've gone out of my way to talk to you."

"And you aren't doing me a favour, Chris," Daisy replied. "Don't you realise that you just manage to upset me more, every time that you try to 'explain'? And what is your explanation for hurting two people for a lifetime?"

"Well, you don't seem hurt at all," Chris snapped. "If you were hurt, then you'd come back to me."

"I don't want to be hurt again," said Daisy. "I don't trust you anymore."

Chris didn't seem to have a retort. Instead, he said, "Pari… She's fine, now. You're exaggerating."

"Am I?" Daisy asked. "Were you the one who was next to Pari, consoling and comforting her while she suffered?" She pointed to her friend. "And she's sitting right here, Chris. Why don't you try asking her what it was like?"

Chris looked sick. He looked down, muttering something. Daisy spoke again. "Exactly. So please don't assume that she didn't suffer. I was there all the time. I was there. I know what she went through." Daisy now looked at Pari. "I'm really sorry… I can't stay any longer. I think I'll go home."

Pari nodded understandingly. "I'm coming with you."

Chris took a deep breath. "Wait. I'll— I'll go. It was my fault, anyway…" He looked upset. "Sorry Daisy… Pari…"

Pari smiled and nodded, while Daisy pretended not to hear Chris. Pari looked at Daisy, however, and said, "Forgive him, Daisy, it's almost a year, now."

"I won't," Daisy replied. "You can forgive him if you feel like it."

"Daisy," Pari said, "look at him… he does miss you a lot."

Daisy shut her eyes for a minute and opened it. "Fine, you can side with him too, Pari. Go on. Even when he split up with me, the whole of Hogwarts called me a bitch. I am the bad person in everything, right? So far, I'm responsible for Chris's condition, and I'm also supposed to be a serial killer, according to half of my friends. Thank you, Pari, this was just what I needed." She stood up from her place and walked out promptly.

Pari stared after her for a minute. And as she made her way out of the door without breaking down, Daisy was re-joined by her friend. She stopped, and faced her. "What was that, Pari?"

"I was just trying to—"

"Please don't…" Daisy sighed, and shook her head. "Because I can't. I can't, okay? I'm sorry…"

The other girl looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Daisy."

"You don't have to apologise," Daisy breathed. "But… you know, right?"

"I know," Pari said in a low voice.

Daisy put an arm around her. "Come on, let's catch a movie and spend a girls' night only. How long has it been since we've done that?"

"Charlotte and Liz…" Pari muttered sadly. "I reckon we could have some fun. But my friend will be calling later."

"Who, that childhood best friend of yours from India?"

"Yeah, him. I need to get home for that." She licked her lips, and then giggled. "You know…" she began, but stopped, still giggling. Daisy raised an eyebrow at her as they got into her car.

"What?"

Pari chuckled. "Nothing… it's just…" she sniggered. "I feel, sometimes, that my parents are planning to marry me off to him — once we're older."

The other girl frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Pari giggled again. "But we'll see when that happens."

Daisy grinned at her. "Yeah, we will. Don't worry; I'll help you out with any weird arranged marriage proposals that come your way. That's what friends do, right? We'll get them to let you marry whoever you want, then."

Pari just smiled at her when they pulled out of the parking lot together and as much as Daisy could feel sadness weigh her heart, her friend being her to support her through what was happening felt nothing short of wonderful at that moment.

"You think we should invite them over?" Ginny asked Harry.

He glanced at Rebecca and Chris, alone at a table, and frowned. "No work today, Ginny."

"But what if they have something to say?"

"We'll have them talk about it later on. For now… I'd say, let's just eat." He wanted to explain the terror he'd felt when he'd seen Naina with that Pari — when she, Daisy — anyone could be the killer. He knew he was being paranoid, that no one would dare murder a child in a place full of people, but he reckoned it came with being a parent. Just then, Anthony gestured to him from the other side of the table.

"Call them over?" he asked Harry.

"That's what I suggested," Ginny supplied.

Harry turned to Ron, who shrugged, and he sighed. "Fine, then." He turned to Parvati, who looked a little sad. "Sorry."

She put a hand on his lapel, fingering it fondly. "I thought you weren't going to work right now."

"But these people…" he sighed. He had no excuse. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she replied, smiling.

Anthony got up from his seat then and arrived, a minute later, with Rebecca and Chris at his side. They were awkward and reluctant at first, but then they started to talk to everyone. Harry bit his lip as he dug into his food. This was the strangest case he had ever worked, he decided.

The food was delicious and everyone enjoyed it. Hermione was slightly icy towards Rebecca, but the latter didn't seem to notice as she chatted happily. But it was time for Ron to get jealous when Chris decided to flirt with Hermione. "You know, I like intelligent women with curly hair."

"Oh, do you?" Hermione asked. "Or are you just saying so because my hair is that way?"

"No, I'm telling you the truth," Chris replied. "The girl I love has curly hair, and she is also very intelligent."

"But didn't you just tell Parvati that you like Indian women?"

"Yeah, I like Indian women, but I like curly haired and intelligent girls, too. Really, I see why Ron's crazy about you. If your age were just closer to mine—"

"OI!" said Ron looking offended as he heard Chris say this. "Stay away from my wife!"

Hermione laughed openly for the first time in days. She had finally made Ron jealous.

Chris also discussed names with Parvati and Ginny.

"It's funny how people mix up nicknames and real names," Ginny was telling him. "I mean, few people guess that my name is Ginevra."

"That happens to Chris and Daisy too," Rebecca replied from her place. "A lot of people think that 'Chris' is a short name for 'Christopher'."

"So your name isn't really 'Christopher?'" Parvati asked, as she turned to Chris. Harry grinned to himself. She was making a good show of being interested. Or maybe she really was interested. But it was never wrong to have the teenagers warm up to them.

Chris shook his head. "It's just 'Chris'. And Daisy isn't really 'Daisy' either. It's just a nickname."

"Yeah, I know," Ginny said. "It's 'Margaret', isn't it?"

Chris nodded. "How did you know, though?"

"Her official records," Ginny shrugged. "I also know that Pari has some sort of an unofficial name."

"Gau… Garuri or something," Chris replied, frowning, as though he was trying to remember.

Parvati smiled at this. "Gauri? That's interesting. That's actually a synonym of my name, did you know that?"

"Really?" Ginny turned to her, and Parvati nodded. "Yep, our names are synonymous."

They were getting started on dessert when Harry spotted Daisy and Pari re-enter the restaurant. He wondered what they needed as they looked over at their previous table, and then spotted Rebecca and Chris on the other side. Daisy looked a bit uncomfortable as she made her way towards them, Pari following her. They walked to Rebecca, crossing Parvati, and Pari bent over.

"Oh yeah," Rebecca replied to something the other girl had said and she rummaged in her bag as she produced a little purse. "You left it at the table."

"Thanks," Pari said, and Daisy echoed it sheepishly. The two girls acknowledged the Aurors and everyone else before making a quick exit and Harry stared after them, bewildered at what had just happened.

Dessert finished and Chris and Rebecca left early, leaving the rest of them to their drinks and coffee. Harry wanted to point out to his colleagues that this had been an utter waste of time — and it really had been, for neither had they acquired any useful information the teenagers, they were also stuck with their company on what was supposed to be a fun evening.

He watched as Hermione took an experimental sip of her wine for the first time since they'd ordered it that evening. She made a face. "Why does this taste odd?"

"Does it? I haven't had mine yet," Parvati said, and reached for her glass, only to realise that Hermione had taken her glass by mistake.

"Sorry," the other woman replied, handing her own untouched glass to Harry's wife.

"No problem," Parvati waved at her, as she took a sip. "It's fine."

"It isn't tasting unusually sweet?"

"No, is yours?"

"Yes," Hermione said, taking a few more sips, but setting the glass down. She made another face. "There's a terrible taste in my mouth," she commented, coughing into her napkin. She stood up. "Excuse me."

Harry then got involved in some of the other conversations around him after he watched Hermione leave. Only when he had finished his own drink did he realise that Hermione hadn't come back yet.

Ginny realised something was wrong when Hermione hadn't returned ten minutes after she'd finished her own drink. She frowned, leaning over to Parvati on the other side. "Hey, think we should check on her?"

"She's all right, I suppose," Parvati said uncertainly, "but we should check."

"C'mon." She and Parvati got up from their places simultaneously and made their way to the loos. They realised something was wrong as soon as they entered. Hermione was leaning against the doorframe of one of the loo cubicles. Her eyes were unfocused and she looked pale.

"Hermione!" Ginny rushed to her immediately. "Hermione!" She grabbed the other woman by the shoulders as she sank down to the floor, Ginny sinking to her knees beside her and Parvati came down too, immediately feeling her forehead.

"Hey, tell me," Parvati said frantically, "what's wrong?"

"S-Something…" Hermione slurred, gasping slightly. Tiny beads of sweat were making an appearance on her forehead, now. "Head hurts… I feel dizzy, too… I think I'm coming down with the flu, but that can't be it…"

"Okay, okay," Parvati checked her pulse, before turning to Ginny nervously. "Listen, Ginny, she needs a hospital. She needs it now."

End Notes:

Cliffie! I'm not sorry at all! :D

And Pari's 'Indian friend' is an actual, fully developed OC who is a major character in the sequel, and has three one-shots to himself. He's the OC I'm probably proudest of - unhealthily proud, perhaps, and I hope you guys hang around long enough for the sequel (which I thankfully don't have to revamp).

In the meantime, reviews? ;)

Guest review response:

Reader: I'm definitely the same person. :) Well, unless you count the fact that I've changed over the years lol but this is 200% mine and the previous (terrible) version you read was the same story, yes. Don't worry, I didn't take offence, and since you actually read the sporky version of this, I want to thank you more. :)

Guest flamer: You have been salted and burned for your review. *Throws in Holy Fire as well*. (I'm not even going to attempt to justify myself anymore. You clearly didn't get the memo).