Chapter 35

I kept my eyes closed when I woke up. Something wasn't right. Sure, there was this familiar, comforting scent in the air, but the muted French conversation in the background and the too-soft bed indicated that I wasn't in the Greengrass' house.

Memories began to wash over me as I tried to figure out what had caused me to lose consciousness. I remembered the conversation with Maxime and Apolline, being poisoned, the—I winced.

Those memories of my previous life… I had them, just for a moment. While I couldn't remember the images, the emotions I had felt were still burned into my head. The glimpse had filled me with the feeling of completeness, as if I'd found the key to who I once was.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Why can't I remember!? What is wrong with me!? Is there something that—

No, focus, Ron. Remember your present circumstances. Put those questions away until you are safe.

What happened before I went down? Think.

There was still an enemy. Sabine.

No, not only Sabine. Apolline. The Delacours of this world. They were trying to get me, to use me to hurt their enemies—Mariana's family.

Before the poisoning, I had assumed they were more or less just trying to cheat the tournament. However, what happened indicated that it was far deeper than that. I was most likely right about the blood-feud, but I realized it too late to do anything about it. I just never expected them to move like this, especially in a public spectacle.

Was I getting sloppy? No, don't worry about your mistakes, Ron. Concentrate on your current situation.

The enemy was a powerful figure in France. They had made a bold move in public, which would need rapid and decisive actions to cover it it up.

If it were me, I would get the Greengrasses first. The duelling tournament was a very exposed event, and coordinating a strike team to target specific people in the crowd would be impossible; moreso if they were trying to hide their actions from the public. Thank Merlin that these events had international guests.

Darius… I shouldn't expect help from him. Not yet, at least. He loved his family, and would move to protect them first. If the Delacours went on the offensive, he would immediately get clear. If he did, then good. That meant that their actions wouldn't stay in the dark.

That wasn't going to help me now, though.

Spot check. I tensed some of my muscles, trying to feel my limbs. I hoped that—ah! Only my right arm felt numb. So they stuck with the standard procedure of using the sticking charm only on my wand limb? Good. That meant they didn't perceive me as a high level threat.

Still, I was a prisoner. The question now was what kind of prisoner. If they intended to make me an asset, my prospects were interrogation and emotional manipulation. I needed to get out before I sank deeper into their influence.

How many guards were assigned to me? I needed to watch out for them, to see if I could extrapolate some sort of patrol schedule—

My thoughts derailed when I heard Kowalski say, "Weasley, how long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

I opened my eyes, blinking at the sudden brightness. I shook my head and looked at the direction of his voice. It took me a moment before I saw him clearly, dressed in a casual tee and denim. He was giving me a small smile. Half of me wondered if he really was Kowalski and not someone under an illusion spell or using polyjuice to lower my guard. Paranoid as that sounded, I had just been caught with my trousers down. There wasn't going to be any relaxing until I was sure it was completely safe.

The other half was wondering why he had a camera hanging from his neck.

"How did you know I was pretending?" I asked.

"A conscious mind feels different from an unconscious one," he replied, shrugging.

"Uh-huh," I said, studying him. Well, he did act the part and his speaking pattern was very similar to the real deal. I checked my shields and felt a legilimency probe tapping my mind barriers. Considering he wasn't holding a wand, it meant that it was truly James Kowalski in front of me.

Unless I was facing off against someone powerful, someone who had also perfected wandless legilimency. If that was the case, I was screwed.

I shook my head. Honestly, though, what would be the chances of that? There was paranoia, and there was irrationality. Keep your wits, Ron. Play along until you can confirm his identity.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The Flamel Institution. That's the biggest and best hospital in Magical France. By the way"—he aimed the camera at me "—smile!"

There was a click, but no flash. While I was a bit thankful for that, I still frowned. "What was that for?"

He gave me a funny smile. "Vengeance. I'm surprised you haven't felt her yet, but then again, she's been laying on your arm for hours. It must be numb by now."

"Laying on my—" I looked at my arm and blinked. Daphne. She was sitting close to my left bedside, fast asleep. Her head was on my elbow and her arms were wrapped around my forearm. I paused, looking at her serene sleeping expression. That solved the mystery of the familiar scent.

After a moment, I realized what he meant.

"Kowalski," I warned.

"Payback for that stunt you pulled on me in our duel," he replied with a smirk. "I mean, don't get me wrong, half of me still wants to punch you in the face for using Emily to get to me."

Okay, he was definitely Kowalski. Inwardly sighing with relief, I raised my eyebrow before asking, "And the other?"

"Wants to applaud your ability to play me," he replied with a shrug. "Can't believe I fell for that."

"Oh, good," I said. "Yeah, you got me. I'm not really gifted like you. Of course not. Impossible. Right?"

Kowalski frowned, staring at me for a moment. I tried to keep my face neutral, but my smile began to creep in. He shook his head, chuckling. "You are a tough read."

I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you. Still, a silly picture for revenge? A little weak, Kowalski. I was hoping for something better."

"Well, my first idea was to listen to you while you were sleeping."

"Uh, why?" I asked, confused. "You wouldn't get anything with your gift that way because—"

"I know, I know," he interjected. "The subconscious doesn't hold enough structure for me get anything clearly. However, it does creep out the uneducated. 'You were dreaming about blank and blank, weren't you?'."

"Legilimens and their mind games," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Is that why you went for the picture instead? Because your first idea wasn't going to work on me?"

He frowned. "No, actually. I couldn't use that idea because I couldn't hear anything."

That got me to straighten up. "What? No, that's impossible."

"Not impossible, actually," he replied, shaking his head. "My family is one of the few magical families in America that have extensive studies in regards to mind magics. For obvious reasons. They have seen cases like yours, and it worries me."

"What do you mean?"

"The fact that your subconscious has an active occlumency shield means it's hiding something. It could be that you have a dissociative disorder—multiple personalities," he clarified when he saw my confusion. "Basically, there might be another you inside there, their memories distinct and different from yours."

I frowned, thinking back on the Ron Weasley that Violet and Granger knew. Was I still actually that Ron Weasley, but with another Ron Weasley's memories? That made my head hurt. A Ron inside a Ron. Still, this was bad. Could, in a way, Violet and Granger be right? That I was still the monster that they feared enough to kill?

Yet, I didn't agree. The memory that I couldn't recall anymore felt like it was part of me. Truly me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have reacted to its loss with such strong emotions.

Emotions that were still in the forefront of my mind, directed at a lot of people. I tried to relax again. Hold it in, Ron.

Thankfully, Kowalski didn't seem to notice my mental turmoil as he just kept talking. "There are other possibilities as well," he said.

"Like?" I asked, almost eagerly.

"Well, you could be, how do you English say it? Mad? Mental?"

I frowned. Well, that was a strong possibility.

"Are you, by chance, strangely close to your wand?" he continued. When I gave him a flat stare, he raised his hands in defense. "Don't look at me like that. There was one subject that had a very weird relationship with her wand. Reading through that report was really—"

"Please stop," I said. "Talk about something else."

He chuckled. "Okay. Well, there was another subject, but it was with his broomstick—"

"Something other than that weird subconsciousness thing," I interrupted. "Please?" Before I imagine my best friend licking the broomstick handle of his Firebolt. I didn't need that right now. Or ever, actually.

He frowned before shrugging. "Okay. Like what?"

"What happened to me?" I asked. "After I lost consciousness, I mean."

"Well, uh, you won the tournament."

"Really?" I deadpanned.

"Yup." He smiled. "After you stunned Delacour, you were wobbling around, shaking. When you fell down, there was a bit of commotion and the Healers were called in. You were brought here afterwards." He laughed. "You're famous now, Weasley. Almost everyone was talking about you being the youngest winner in a century. That's quite a notch on your wand sheath."

"Everyone?"

"Yeah. You should have seen today's paper. Youngest English Competitor Wins Junior Leagues! Not exactly front-page material, that was saved for the Professional League. But the sporting section did an extensive cover of your journey. From being an unknown, to the wild card, to the underdog victor. It was all very well done, actually."

"That's… surprising." In a lot of ways. I had been in a vulnerable position when I fell. I was pretty much expecting to be under some sort of lockdown or prison. So why wasn't I? Shaking my head, I added, "I would have thought they would, I don't know, ignore me. I mean, I'm not that French champion they wanted."

"Yes, well, after what happened during your duel with Delacour, some dastardly Yankee raised a stink about how the birds poisoned a fellow competitor."

My eyes widened. Kowalski, you probably just saved my neck. "You knew?"

"Hard not to notice," he replied, grimacing. "Your mind was practically screaming, trying to protect itself."

I sighed in relief. So that was why I wasn't chained up somewhere. "So, everyone knows they cheated."

"Well… yes and no."

I frowned. "What do you mean? You just said—"

He raised his hand. "Weasley, a certain someone did tell the English and American Wireless news that you might have been poisoned. However, the French are really good at publishing believable fiction."

I really wanted to cross my arms, but with Daphne holding on, I just settled with grabbing the blanket with my free hand. "Okay. What's their story?"

"Apparently, you weren't poisoned but tired from all the duels you had that day. Ours pushed you so hard that you needed a dose of Pepperup just to keep you on your feet. When Delacour's Allure hit you, you did everything in your power to keep your wits, even going to one knee before you desperately cast the stunner that won the match. After that, you collapsed due to magical exhaustion."

Bloody hell, that was a good spin. It got every fact on their side tied neatly into one beautiful bow. Except…

"Hold on, I had to be tested when I went to the hospital," I reasoned. "There should be some result about the poison, right?"

"Sure, if the biggest benefactor of this hospital wasn't the Delacours."

I clicked my tongue. Of course they were.

"Besides," he continued, "people like those types of stories more. Overcoming odds, desperate actions, taking chances… far more exciting and believable than a conspiracy theory that one of France's movers and shakers poisoned you. Plus the fact that you have a good collection of veela fans helps discredit my version of the story."

I snorted. "Yeah. No one takes offensive action against people they like." I paused. "Wait, veela fans?"

"Oh yeah," he replied, laughing. "There's a Ronald Weasley fan club now."

Wha—? "How did that happen?"

"Well, a veela by the name of Valerie Dumont has been quite outspoken about how nice you were when she met you before the Finals. She's also the daughter of Louis Dumont, owner of the biggest publishing company in Magical France. They even have your face on the frontpage of their teeny-bop magazines. It was very flattering."

I open my mouth, but closed it after a moment. Unbelievable. "Bloody veela," I growled.

"You're telling me," Kowalski replied. "You're lucky that the French birds are pretty tame."

"Tame?" I asked flatly. "After everything they did, they are the tame ones?"

"Compare them to the other birdy conclaves in Eastern Europe? Most definitely. Met a few of them once when my family visited our normal Polish relatives." He shuddered. "Never again."

I rubbed my forehead with my free hand. It was getting really harder to rein in my emotions. "So, what, they're going to get away with it?"

"Weasley, you won the tournament and you got out of it clean," Kowalski replied. "Now that you're pretty famous, they won't touch you. Count your blessings."

I snorted again. "For now." Especially since I was both the witness and the victim. If I ever spoke out, that would potentially ruin their narrative.

"Yes, well, I'd say avoid France for a while," he said. "Or at least don't go exploring without that scary guardian of yours."

I blinked. "You mean Lord Darius?"

Kowalski grunted. "Darius? That nice man? No. I'm talking about his wife."

"Wait, what? Lady Mariana is one of the nicest people I know!"

"Maybe because she likes you," he countered, shaking his head. "Her occlumency was good, but she was rather emotional when I saw her earlier. It was hard not to hear it. The woman is very territorial. Reminds me a bit of the birds." He looked at me. "If Daphne is anything like her mother…" He whistled.

I winced as I felt the girl shift, my arms feeling like there were hundred ants crawling all over it. Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door. I looked at Kowalski, and he shrugged. "Come in," I called.

The door opened, revealing Valerie. My thoughts focused on her growing femininity as well as that dazzling smile she had when she saw me. I shook my head. Stupid Allure. I noted Kowalski's hand going to his waist, the same place where he drew his wand during our duel. I smiled inwardly. If they were going to try anything now, they would find themselves in for a fight.

However, she didn't seem to react defensively when she saw my guests. Kowalski earned a passing glance, but when her eyes fell on Daphne, I noted a strange expression. It was only present for a second, gone the next, replaced with that smile of hers again.

"Ron!" Valerie exclaimed as she saw me. Then, she paused, looking a little worried. "Oh, excusez-moi. Can I still call you that?"

A civil meeting, then? Well, things like that could still turn ugly. I wished I had my wand. Smiling, I replied, "Of course, Valerie. Nice to see you again."

"Dumont," Kowalski greeted with a nod.

"Kowalski," she returned, though there was a slight hesitation in her voice.

If he noted her discomfort, Kowalski didn't seem to indicate it. Instead, he gave her a neutral nod and relaxed. Did he glean something from her that convinced him she was not here to cause trouble?

"I hope I'm not bothering you," Valerie said, looking at me.

"No, you're no bother at all," I replied. My arm began tingling again. "What brings you here?"

"To congratulate you, silly," she said, eyes crinkling. "I thought it would be my last chance. I heard you might be leaving France once you were cleared by the Healers."

That was news to me.

"Is that—" she motioned towards Daphne.

"This is my good friend, Daphne," I said. I nudged my shoulder as the tingling became really uncomfortable. "She's pretending to be asleep. Daphne, be nice."

Kowalski chuckled while I felt her squeezing me harder. I looked at her, jerking my arm a bit more until I finally got a response. Daphne growled, opening her eyes. She looked towards Valerie with a frown before apparently dismissing her with a sniff. Looking away, she released me before crossing her arms rather protectively around her chest.

"I'm sorry about her," I said to Valerie.

"Non, it's fine," she replied with a sad smile. "It is… understandable."

"So, uh, what can I do for you?" I asked.

"Well, I have a favor to ask—"

"She wants hug you tight and introduce you to her two best friends," Kowalski interjected.

Valerie turned completely red. "Non, non, it wasn't like that!" she declared, glaring at the smirking legilimens.

"Oh, would you look at that," he continued. "Apparently, she's so tired that she now wants to join you in that bed. Can't blame her. It does look comfy."

She looked back at me but couldn't meet my eyes. I glanced at Daphne, noting that she was giving the veela a flat stare.

I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Valerie, but honestly there was something satisfying about this scene. It would have been much better if it was Fleur here being embarrassed, though. Still, this wasn't going anywhere.

Shaking my head, I forced a laugh. "Come Kowalski, stop joking," I said, raising my hand in a friendly gesture towards the veela. "Please, ignore him."

Valerie shifted uncomfortably, stealing one last glance at Daphne. It took a moment for her to gather her wits again. Once she did, she grabbed something flat from under her arm. It looked like some sort of magazine.

As she slowly made her way towards me, I noticed Daphne crossing the end of my bed, staring daggers at Valerie with her arms still crossed. The veela stopped, looking at her warily before glancing back at me. She extended her arm, offering the item she was holding.

I blinked. It was a magazine alright, and on the front page was my picture. It was zoomed in, centering around my face and neck. My image was looking at something to the side with some sort of intensity. Judging by background and the little clothing I could see, it was probably taken during the eliminations, probably while I was studying someone duel.

I had to admit, Kowalski was right. It was very flattering. Taking it, I also smelled subtle hints of lavender. Did she spray some of her perfume in this?

"Let me guess," I said, somewhat amused. "Un autographe?"

She brightened up. "Oui, s'il vous plaît."

Before I could say anything, Daphne declared in a flat tone, "Get out." For some reason, that got Kowalski guffawing.

"Guys," I called, giving both Kowalski and Daphne a glare, though I did soften it up for the latter. Looking back at Valerie, I just gave her a nod. "Sure. Do you…?"

While Valerie's good mood was definitely dashed by the double-teaming of my other guests, my response had her smiling again. She took out the same inkwell and quill she had last time and handed it to me. Thank Merlin Daphne didn't do anything except frown, though I wish Kowalski would stop snickering. Making sure I wasn't dressed in one of those ridiculously revealing muggle hospital clothes, I stood up and went to the nearest table.

I noted Valerie trying to follow, but Daphne blocked her way. This was getting a bit ridiculous. Ignoring them, I dipped the quill into the inkwell and just signed my name. I doubted a dedication would work with such reactive elements in this room. Once that was done, I turned around and handed everything back to the girl.

"Merci," she replied softly, looking at the magazine cover. She gave me one more smile, a sad one this time, before she turned and left.

As the door closed, I sighed, sitting down on the side of the bed. I noticed Daphne facing me, wearing a strange expression. "What?" I asked.

She hesitated for a moment, lowering her hands. "After everything you went through, you're going to treat her nicely?" she asked softly.

"She didn't do anything to me," I replied with a shrug. While I wasn't sure how deep her involvement was, my irritation and anger were aimed at Fleur and Apolline, as well as the other people who got me involved in this mess.

"You love being the peacemaker, don't you?" Kowalski commented. I saw him shaking his head. "Though to be fair, she was one of the nicer birds I've ever met. Makes me a bit guilty for blurting out her thoughts like that."

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"I'm serious," he replied. "She likes you and was feeling really sad that you won't be her new houseguest and, uh, friend."

I frowned. What was that hesitation before friend, Kowalski?

"Houseguest?" Daphne asked, eyes wide. While I was thankful that she missed the last part, it struck me odd that she seemed so troubled.

"Something about an offer made to Weasley," he replied. I scowled at him but he ignored me. "The details are vague, though."

"Ron?" Daphne asked worriedly.

I looked at her for the moment, wondering what I should say. In the end, I didn't see harm in telling the truth. "Lady Delacour and Headmistress Maxime met with me after my duel with Kowalski," I replied. "They offered me a place in Beauxbatons, tuition paid by the Delacours. They also mentioned that they'd provide me a place to stay in France as well."

"You… you refused, right?"

I raised my eyebrow. I definitely didn't imagine the desperation in her tone.

"Of course he did," Kowalski replied soothingly. So he caught that too. "If he didn't, the Finals would have been a different fight altogether." He put his hand over his chin. "So that's how it is. Veela…" He shook his head before looking at me. "Well, if you're curious, you probably would have been staying with the Dumonts if you had accepted. And you would have been treated very nicely."

I snorted, pretty sure that I would be staying at the Dumonts if Fleur succeeded in the duel as well. Bloody hell, Violet was right. I was some sort of prince to be kidnapped and ransomed.

I looked at Daphne, and she seemed to be shutting down on herself. Before I could ask what'd gotten into her, there was another knock on the door.

This time, they didn't wait for a response; Darius, Mariana, and Astoria entered the room, with Daphne's father looking as calm as ever. He did have a hint of smile on his face when he saw me up and about. Mariana and Astoria took a more emotional route, all smiles as the latter ran up to us.

"Ron! You're okay!" the little one said rather excitedly as she approached.

"You gave us quite a fright," Mariana added as she joined her youngest. I noted Darius offering his hand to Kowalski, but before I could greet any of them, I was engulfed in a rather warm, but crushing embrace that introduced me to Mariana's friends.

I did my best to ignore them.

"I'm so sorry," Mariana said as she released me. "We didn't think they'd take it that far, Ron."

Hearing that reminded me of the events that put me in the hospital, as well as bringing forth the emotions I held back. As a Field Agent, there was nothing more dangerous than going into an operation with a clouded mind. Being detached helped in making the best decisions for you and your allies.

However, it was impossible to be completely dispassionate. Even the best occlumency practitioners faltered somewhere along the line; Snape was a good example, especially when it came to Harry. Thankfully, being in the game long enough, I knew that emotions were also useful as a tool.

If circumstances needed it, let them out. Use it to to your advantage. Sometimes, there was nothing more convincing than using true irritation and anger to get answers.

And I had plenty of that aimed at both Darius and Mariana.

"You knew something was going to happen?" I demanded.

"Suspected," Darius replied, shaking his head. "Like my dear wife says, we didn't think they would go this far. Especially in the tournament."

"Well, they did!" I said, trying to keep my tone just below shouting. "I—sir, what is going on? I never felt so confused than during the finals! Delacour made me… she—I—!" I shivered.

Mariana's eyes narrowed. I felt dread creep up my spine as her whole face suddenly became frigid. "I'm going to kill her," she muttered in a low tone.

Whoa, that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for. Tone it down, Ron. You were playing a confused and angry boy, not a traumatized one.

"M'lady," Darius called, quickly placing his hands on her shoulders. Her expression softened as she touched one of his hands. "Don't make a scene, please." He shook his head, looking at me. "Ron, we've talked with the Delacours. It's been settled. It won't happen again."

"What's been settled, sir? And why did it happen in the first place?" I asked, using a heavier tone. "Why… why won't anyone tell me what's going on?" I whispered the last few words.

Darius and Mariana looked at each other, hands still held. Somehow, they were having a silent conversation with just their facial expressions. Meanwhile, Daphne was still looking defeated, while Kowalski tried to make himself inconspicuous. He was definitely listening, though. Astoria seemed to be the only one with a normal reaction. She placed her hand on top of mine, looking at me sympathetically.

"He deserves to know," Darius suddenly said in a soft tone.

Mariana shook her head before looking at me. I gave her my best pleading expression. After a moment, she sighed. "It happened centuries ago. A mistake that has haunted my family ever since."

Kowalski coughed, earning everyone's attention. His face remained placid as he asked, "Should I—?" motioning towards the exit.

Darius gave him a grateful look. "Of course, Kowalski. Thank you."

I stared at the teenager. Kowalski, stay by the door. Listen in if you can.

He blinked, looking at me with a frown before nodding. Everyone watched him exit, and once the door shut, I stood up and paced across the room.

Putting some distance between me and the Greengrasses, I looked at Mariana. "So, what's this mistake?" I asked gently, keeping my face neutral.

"My great-great-grandmother had fallen in love with the wrong person," she replied just as softly. "However, her love was already promised to someone else."

I took a sharp intake of air. "The Delacour heiress?" I guessed.

Mariana winced. "Yes. My great-great-grandmother was… foolish. She didn't want to let him go. So she used her—" she paused before shaking her head. "She did everything she could to steal him away, and eventually succeeded." She gave me a sad smile. "My great-great-grandfather was a good man. When he found out she was pregnant, he readily agreed to marry her. They left France, escaping the Delacours and their influence. Their impudence and disrespect has never been forgiven or forgotten."

I frowned. "Why?" I asked. "It happened so long ago."

"Ron, one day you'll realize that there are people in the world that love fiercely." Mariana glanced at Darius, giving him a smile in which he returned. When she turned back to me, she continued. "Veela may be controlling, ruthless at times, but their passion is what defines them. The Delacour heiress loved my great-great-grandfather. Losing him was something she couldn't let go."

I stared at her. "Then why couldn't you tell me this before? Why did you let this happen to me?"

She flinched. It hurt me a bit to see that, but I felt almost… betrayed. Not only had they underrated the problems they had with the veela, worse yet, they were still hiding things from me. The whole mystery of the Greengrass family was no longer some passing puzzle to solve, especially when it put me in such a perilous position.

I was here in France to relax and participate in a tournament. Not to be in a middle of a Merlin-damned feud! I had enough of that back in Hogwarts, thank you very much!

Growling, I began to pace again, controlling my breathing.

"Ron—"

Mariana stopped when she saw Darius shaking his head. He waited, watching me walk around. I appreciated the gesture. When I finally felt calmer, I took a seat. That was when Darius spoke up.

"Ron, let me explain. My family has a very good business relationship with the French Ministry. Marrying Mariana caused a bit of a problem at first, but they were smart enough to know that losing their biggest potions supplier would be costly in the long-run. So we struck a deal."

"What, some sort of ceasefire?" I asked.

He nodded. "As long as we didn't cause problems for one another, we'd leave each other be. We thought that the agreement was still binding. That's why we didn't say anything."

That explained a few things, like why the Greengrass home in France was away from the magical community.

"You don't have to worry anymore," he continued. "The Delacours and I have renewed the deal. They just want to ensure you won't speak out against them, and they'll leave us be."

I shook my head. "Why would you agree to that? They broke the initial agreement!"

He winced before glancing at his family. "They didn't. It was a misunderstanding, Ron. If you need to blame someone, blame me."

My mind raced as I realized what had happened. It was logical, really. Everything changed due to one event. Even Darius confirmed it when he asked me to blame him and not anyone else.

"Durand," I said. Darius and Mariana's eyes widened while Daphne flinched before looking away, head bowed. "When Daphne hit Durand, it breached the contract."

Darius took one step forward. "Ron, please, we didn't think it would—"

"Get out," I interrupted, shaking my head.

Mariana gave me a very miserable, defeated look. "Ron," she called me again, but I raised my hand to stop her.

"Please," I said. "Just… leave me alone for a moment."

Daphne moved first; she dashed towards the exit, expression hidden by her hair. Mariana's eyes widened as she watched her daughter slam through the door. "Daphne!" she called, following.

Darius' shoulders slumped as he put his right hand over his head. He looked at me, about to speak, but seemed to think better of it. "Astoria," he called softly.

The youngest girl, who had been staring at the exit, looked back at her father with a confused expression. "Yes, Father?" she asked.

"Let's follow your mother and sister," he replied.

"But—" she looked at me worriedly. I gave her a small gentle smile.

"It's okay," I said. "I'll see you all again later, promise."

Darius gave me a relieved look before gently taking her hand. I kept my head bowed, just listening to their footsteps as it slowly faded away. After a moment, I sighed.

Kowalski, if you're still there, come in.

He entered, frowning as he saw me. Before I could say anything, he asked, "You're really not going to blame her for this, are you? Daphne, I mean."

"Of course not." Well, maybe a bit. While I was miffed that everything went downhill because of her, the Delacours' retaliation was completely excessive. "I just wanted them gone for a while."

"Why?" he asked hesitantly.

"Did you hear everything?"

"I got the gist. Weasley, what's going on?"

Standing up, I paced around a moment, wondering if this was a good move. This was not the first time I had gotten caught off-guard, but I was slowly realizing that I was far more unprepared than I thought. While I was aware that this world was different from what I remembered, the similarities were comparable enough that I found myself letting my guard down too easily.

Maybe I was just getting sloppy. Nothing ever really happened to me during my previous summer vacations and with Violet moving on her own volition, I thought that I only had to worry about my relationship with her presently. The upcoming threat of Voldemort's rise was also in the back of my mind, but it was too soon for anything to be done, especially in my situation.

I had no resources nor anyone to entrust with what I had in my head. The only people that I could confide in probably still saw me as an enemy, a monster to kill. The people that I liked had their own problems and didn't trust me yet with their secrets. Telling any of them was currently too great of a risk.

Then there was also the mystery of my missing memories and the fact that my subconscious was probably hiding things from me.

In a way, I was alone in this world.

I had known that since the first assassination attempt. No, since I realized Harry and Hermione didn't return with me. I had done everything I could to find allies, to build trust, and to make myself valuable. I thought I was finally in a place where I could comfortably let things unfold naturally.

However, the world just reminded me how much it hated me and that it wasn't content on resting on its galleons. So, it was time accelerate things. One way to do that was to get a new ally into the mix.

"I need a favor," I finally said.

Kowalski crossed his arms. "What kind?"

"Information," I replied. "I want to make sure that what they told me was true. I'm also pretty sure that wasn't the whole story. They are hiding something from me, and after what happened, I'm not sure I can just leave it at that."

His eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking me?"

"Outsider's perspective," I said. "That, and I'm hoping you have more informative books. A lot of the ones I've read back at home were either too light on details or were outright wrong." I shook my head. "Do you know what I've read about veela? Just that they were considered as dark creatures."

He scoffed. "And water is wet. Are you sure that's the only thing you've read about the birds?"

"Yeah," I replied, shaking my head. While I was pretty sure there was more information about them in the Forbidden Section, I had no way to access that without looking suspicious. Maybe I would butter up that dandy Lockhart for access this year. Probably the only thing he would be useful for.

"Weasley," he said before pausing. After a moment, he sighed. "About the Greengrasses, are you sure you can't just ask them?"

"I tried, lots of times. They apparently don't trust me enough to spill a family secret."

He shook his head. "I don't think it's about trust. You kinda rattled them earlier, made them a bit easier to hear. They like you a lot, Weasley. And they were really hurt when you just… dismissed them."

"It hurt me too, Kowalski," I replied evenly. "It hurt me that they felt hiding their secret was more important than my safety."

"It isn't like that."

"Well, I don't have your gifts to confirm that, now can I?!" I snapped before shaking my head. "Sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just—" I combed my hair up with my hands. "After what happened with the Delacours, I just don't want to get blindsided again, to find out that the Greengrasses were just using me from the start. I want to… I want to believe in them."

I walked to him, offering my hand and meeting his eyes. "Can I trust you on this?"

He stared at my extended arm for a moment, frowning. "You're trying to manipulate me."

"Yes," I replied honestly. "Because I really need your help."

He looked me in the eye and felt something hitting my occlumency. I let him in a bit, to let him feel that the reasons to my inquiry were sincere. He scoffed again, his hand taking mine. "You'll owe me, Weasley."

I grinned. "I'm good for it. And call me Ron."

"James then. Not Jimmy." He smirked. "Nice to meet the strangest kid in the world."