Of Wisdom and Cunning

Chapter 24

I laid in my bed, looking over my unfinished homework with a bored stare. It was roughly nine pm, but my dorm mates had yet to return from Hogsmeade. I laid my head down in front of my textbook and groaned loudly. The events of the last month kept playing through my head. "Mother, where things this confusing for you?" I yelled into my bed. I heard a familiar giggle echo through the room. I snapped my head up and looked around the room confused. "Hello? Myrtle? Dominique?" no one responded. "Hey! I know you are there!" I yelled. Suddenly a girl about my age walked out of the dorm's bathroom. She had long dark brown hair like melted chocolate, that fell just past her shoulder blades, she was on the shorter side, she was very slim, her figure barely noticeable. "Oi! You're not supposed to be in the sixth year dorms if you're not one." I said loudly, the girl turned, "Y-you look like…." Her caramel-brown eyes gleamed warmly.

"Hello, my little one, how is your father?" she asked sitting down on my bed, there were shadows under her eyes, her lips blue…like Fred's.

"Why…you're dead…" I stuttered staring at her, my eyes wide, as I sat up. She laughed and sat closer. "How long did you know I wasn't…."

"Since the day you convinced your father that you didn't sneak cookies before dinner with crumbs all over your face. At first I was shocked, you did it so smoothly. But over time it started to make sense, you were just different, not that I expected to you to be normal, I mean look at your father the antisocial genius he is….and well I'm not exactly normal either."

"But you're dead…" I repeated lamely. Mother rolled her eyes.

"Yes and you're alive, and I know these things because I am your mother, I know you were about to ask that because you have the same issue I have, being readable to a well trained eye or in your father's case eye or ear. Because I swear your father can hear everything you are thinking when he's speaking to you over the phone, or not even looking at you."

"Yeah bu-"

"Kyoko, I know, I'm dead. I get it believe me." Mother intoned. There was silence for a while. "Kyoko….Sweety…what did you want to know about boys?"

"Oh….why are they stupid? I mean seriously, I hate them!" I yelled, flopping back down.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Mother said carefully. I took a deep breath and sighed.

"So I-I've got a friend who is dating this really nice, funny boy, her father finds him rather amusing, so he doesn't object at all. But this boy recently confessed to my friend that the only reason he started talking to her is because he pitied her….so now she's second guessing her relationship with this boy." I paused looking up at Mother, she had a knowing smile on her face and nodded for me to continue. "Well this friend was in the library, the boyfriend's older brother…Ken, saw that she was upset and decided to make her day a little better by taking her out flying….and she was having fun, forgetting about the whole mess, when suddenly….Ken kissed her and now she doesn't know where she stands, is it with her boyfriend or Ken….she wants to know what she should do, how do I help her?" I asked biting my lip sheepishly.

"What's this friend's name?" Mother asked.

"Kotoko…." I said carefully. Mother raised her eyebrows but paid it no mind.

"I think Kotoko should tell her boyfriend that Ken kissed her, it might help with her guilty conscience, and Ken's, and then Kotoko and her boyfriend should discuss where they should go from there." Mother said.

"If…Kotoko should do that then why didn't you?" I asked rashly, I covered my mouth in shock, "I'm sorry Mother that was rude and uncalled for-" Mother held up her hand to stop me as she laughed .

"No, no, it was nessicary to ask. No matter how rude. And to answer your question, it didn't occur to me at the time….nor did it occur to Kyoya….I guess we could have solved that better." Mother said sadly. "Will you tell Kotoko to do the thing I didn't?" she asked.

"You knew I was talking about myself didn't you?" I asked pouting.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked. I looked at my bed spread, and fingered a loose thread nervously, "You act so much like him… never asks for help willingly, and is never willing to admit defeat. Hey listen." I looked up and eyed her nervously. "I love you, and miss you dearly, keep an eye, a close, close eye on your father. If anything seems off go home immediately and see to him, do you understand?" I nodded solemnly. "Good. Take care sweet heart." She kissed my forehead, causing me to shiver, I closed my eyes as tears fell down, I leaned into her, wrapping my arms around her tightly, she started to feel less solid after a moment.

"M-mother…don't-" when I opened my eyes she was gone. "Mother!" I yelled, suddenly the room seemed so much larger, more empty, more tears slid my cheeks as I hugged myself, my heart aching and ripping apart. "Mother please…come back!" I cried out.

"Kyo!"Dominique asked running into the dorm, she knelt down beside me and pulled me to her. "Hey, listen it happens, my sister cries for Teddy and he's not even dead. She loves you and that's all you need to know." I leaned on her shoulder.

"She…she was here and-and then she was gone. I saw her and could touch her." She rubbed my shoulder, "She-she told me to watch out for my father. I don't even know why… I mean I'm not even home…." I rubbed my eyes while simultaneously pulling off my glasses.

"Here you go to bed, Alby and I will finish your homework okay?" she offered, I sat upright, my eyes wide.

"Shit, my homework!" I yelled turning around, "Oh Father's going to kill me! I'm so far behind! No I need to get it done, back in Japan I'd be three weeks ahead of the class by now!" I cried, the words flying out of my mouth in a jumbled mess. Dom's hands caught mine as I reached for my notebook.

"Stop, you have all day tomorrow to get caught up, right now you need rest. Here," she cleared off my bed, closing my text books and notebooks and lining them up neatly by subject, alphabetically on my bedside bookshelf, she lined up my pens by color coordinating with my notebooks per subject on the top of the low rise shelf. "Your phone is plugged in and charging, as is your laptop. Water is next your pens and the elves finished with your laundry, Alby's jersey is sitting at the top of your trunk along with leggings. I think that's everything, anything else your highness?" she teased I rolled my eyes and just to screw with her.

"Yes, will you have breakfast for me at ten? Have my clothes set out by nine thirty and my bath drawn at eight, Luke warm if you please, minimal bubbles and a pinch of bath salts, lavender scented…I know that Mr. Potter would like to spend time with me in the afternoon so move all my afternoon appointments to the evening and Monday morning. That will be all Dominique." I said in a very uppity voice that Father would have looked down upon and Mother would have snickered at. Dominique giggled and I giggled as well, "Seriously though, thank you, you didn't have to do that. I could have done it myself."

"You would have done your homework first and never gone to bed, this way I'm insuring you sleep. Now get ready for bed, off you go." She ordered. I snickered and stood up getting my pajamas and got ready for bed.

"I'm going to see Albus really quick, okay?" I said. Dom gave me a sneaky smile and nodded. I rolled my eyes and ran out of the dorm. The common room was empty save for a few stragglers just coming back from Hogsmeade. I didn't see Albus among them. I quickly ran to the boys dorm side and knocked on the door I knew would lead to his dorm. "Albus?" I asked quietly. He didn't respond, but I could feel his presence in there. "Albus…" I mentally reached out to him. Suddenly the door opened. a frumpy version of my boyfriend stood there, he squinted at me, his shaggy black hair rumbled, sticking up around his head, his chest was bare showing off his lightly tanned muscles, he wore black sweat pants that hung low on his waist, emphasizing his hip bones, I blushed not wanting to think about what was below his waistband, his lips pursed as if trying to figure out why I was there and not assume anything. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I whispered, his arm slinked around my waist pulling me flush against him, my hands landing lightly on his chest muscles.

"Not really, I just got really used to the darkness of my dorm. What's up?" he asked. I rest my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Nothing….I just wanted to see you." I said in a hushed voice. "Will you just hold me?" I asked. He nodded slightly, wrapping the other arm around me. His breathing was slow and relaxed, lulling me to sleep. I yawned, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt my eyes start to droop.

"Here," his arm hit the back my knees lightly, I fell into it as he lifted me up bridal style, my head resting on his collar bone. He walked me into his dorm and laid me down gently on his bed before he climbed in beside me, I curled into his chest as he pulled the blanket up around us, his arm resting lightly on my waist, he kissed my forehead lightly. "Just sleep, Love." He whispered as his free hand ran through my hair.