CHAPTER 37: A STINGING BLOW
An uncomfortable feeling clawed at the back of Jimmy O'Bannon's mind.
In truth, the feeling had been with him since he and his parents met Rosa and her parents outside Faneuil Hall before entering Milmothryn Market.
He looked across the table at Mr. and Mrs. Infante, who engaged in small talk with his parents. Both the Secretary of Magic and the Director of the U.S. Aurors Bureau spoke in pleasant tones, but O'Bannon couldn't help clench his teeth when he noticed their smiles, their stiff postures. The Infantes seemed to be putting on a brave front instead of genuinely enjoying this get together. A couple times he caught Mrs. Infante dip her head, her smile subsiding. Then she'd look back up at Mom and Dad, smiling again.
O'Bannon shifted in his chair, looking around the restaurant. Dozens of wizards and witches sat at tables covered with fine white linen, while the red carpet beneath them portrayed images unicorns frolicking in a lush meadow, hence the restaurant's name, The Dancing Unicorn. It was a rather upscale place, one he never expected to see the inside of. But since the Secretary of Magic made a lot more money than the average auror, Mr. Infante decided to splurge and treat them all, especially as Rosa had a rare weekend off from auror training. O'Bannon wondered if the expensive dinner might be a way of mending fences with Rosa.
One glance at his friend proved the mending process had a long way to go.
Rosa sat quietly next to him, staring at her fork.
He sighed. Merlin's beard, at least Rosa's parents made some effort to enjoy themselves.
He nudged her shoulder with the tip of his elbow. She jerked and whipped her head toward him.
"What?"
O'Bannon leaned closer to her, keeping his voice low. "What gives?"
"What'd you mean?"
He tilted his head and furrowed his brow in a knowing look. "Your dad brought us to one of the fanciest restaurants in Wizarding New England. Don't you think you should try to enjoy this a little bit?"
"I guess, but . . ."
"But what?"
Rosa let out a long sigh. "I just wish he was still here."
"Who?"
"Jared," she said quietly yet harshly, as though he ought to have known. Her eyes then darted toward her parents, as if hoping they didn't hear her mention her cousin's name. O'Bannon figured that, for the Infantes, Jared was still, "The-Nephew-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Rosa offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. It's just . . . I'm not used to him not being around. Okay, I know we haven't seen much of one another over the last few months because of auror training, but, I mean, I knew he was around. He wasn't that far away. But now . . . I mean Thailand? He might as well be on the Moon."
She slouched in her seat, her gaze falling to her lap. "We've always been together, for as long as I can remember. We always watched out for one another, depended on one another. I mean, he was just always there. And now, he's not."
The corners of Rosa's mouth crinkled. "I should be mad at him. Uncle Irving is . . . well, you know. And Jared just up and leaves? Runs out on his father when he needs him the most? I should be mad at him, but he's my best friend. More than my best friend."
O'Bannon flexed his jaw, wondering if he should say something or just let Rosa get all this off her chest.
She continued. "You know, it's times like this I wish I was back at Salem."
"As I remember, you couldn't wait to graduate so you could start auror training."
Rosa emitted a soft, sardonic laugh. "Goes to show you what I know. It's just . . . I miss us. You, me, Jared, Artimus. I miss all the good times, I miss knowing that if things got bad, I could always count on you three for support. Merlin's beard, I'd trust any one of you with my life. I just want that back."
"Yeah, I know." O'Bannon nodded. "There are times when I'm in my apartment, or I'm back home with Mom and Dad, and it just feels weird you guys aren't around. We spent seven years attached at the hip at Salem, then all those months in the Appalachians during the war. I guess I'm not used to being alone. To be honest, being alone sucks."
"I'll second that."
"Yeah, but you oughta be in better shape than me. I mean, you're around all those other auror trainees. You must hang out with some of them."
Rosa's lips twisted into a half-frown. "Yeah, right."
"What'd you mean? C'mon, you have to have some friends in your training class."
Rosa pressed her back into her chair. "I don't."
"What?"
A scowl flashed across Rosa's face. "Ever since I roughed up that dumbass trainee, everyone's avoided me like I was cursed."
O'Bannon sighed and closed his eyes halfway. He couldn't believe Rosa's classmates shunned her for that. Everyone at Salem had known she was one tough-ass chick, but she still had plenty of friends outside their little quartet.
"Not only that," she continued. "But, well, let's face it. When your father's Secretary of Magic and you mom runs the Aurors Bureau, people tend to draw their own conclusions on why you're there."
"Bullcrap." Anger flashed through him. "So what if your parents are two of the most powerful people in Wizarding America? You're in the auror program because you're a damn good witch, not because of your last name."
"Heh! Try telling that to the other trainees."
O'Bannon frowned, his eyes fixed on Rosa's sullen features. A harsh ripple went through his stomach. He couldn't believe someone as confident as Rosa could look so morose.
"So, Jimmy." Mrs. Infante's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Your mother tells me you're planning a trip to England this summer."
"Huh? Oh yeah. We're gonna dedicate our old hockey pond to Fred."
"That's wonderful," Rosa's mother said warmly. "So how did that come about?"
"Well, when Harry and the Weasleys were here back in December for the medal ceremony, Ginny told me some of our old Triad teammates mentioned the idea to her. I mean, really, if it weren't for Fred and George wanting me to show them hockey, there never would have been a Triad. And Ginny said looking back on it, the Triad helped set the foundation for the D.A. And considering everything they did during VVoldemort's reign, it seemed only fitting we should dedicate the pond in his memory."
O'Bannon's neck muscles tightened. It didn't seem right to say, "In his memory," when talking about Fred.
Why did you have to die, man? You . . . and Tonks . . . and Rana . . . and Mrs. Diaz . . . and Colin Creevey . . . and Dobby . . . and Mr. Lupin . . . and Cindy Walker . . . and Gregory Lancemore.
"I think that's a really nice gesture." Mr. Infante smiled. "I imagine you're looking forward to seeing all your friends in Britain again."
"Yeah. Yeah, I am." Out the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Rosa, and winced. She clenched her fork tightly in her hand, her eyes narrowed. He had an idea what, or more precisely who, she was thinking about.
George.
O'Bannon bit down on his lower lip. Even months later he couldn't believe what happened between George and Rosa, how he just went off on her when she suggested they go back to her apartment. The outburst had reduced Rosa to tears, and he knew it took a lot just to get her to shed even a single tear.
He should hate George. Hell, he couldn't count how many times he'd wanted to go to England and ram his fist down George's throat. But then he'd think of what his friend must be going through, trying to deal with the loss of his twin brother, and sympathy would flood him.
And what about sympathy for Rosa? I've known her way longer than George.
He shouldn't have to think these thoughts. He shouldn't have to choose between two best friends. If anything, Rosa and George should have had an awesome reunion. They should be exchanging love letters across the Atlantic.
And Fred should still be alive.
And Rosa's and Jared's family should be a close, loving family again.
And he should be with Mireet.
O'Bannon closed his eyes and tried to rid himself of that last thought.
Muffled pops burst across the table. Mom jerked and gasped, then stared back down. A plate containing grilled halibut, corn on the cob and scalloped potatoes sat in front of her.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to food just poofing in front of me." She then looked down at the enchanted carpet. "Or a unicorn running under my feet."
"Oh come on, Ellen," Mrs. Infante said light-heartedly. "The unicorn carpet is reason alone for coming here."
The two women exchanged humorous smiles.
O'Bannon also smiled as he looked at his plate, which had a roast lamb. He closed his eyes and savored the tangy aroma. If this tasted as good as it smelled . . .
Euphoria exploded in his mouth at the first bite. He could see why this restaurant was so expensive. The food was awesome. Even better than, dare he say it, the meals Mrs. Weasley made during the Chupacabra Hunt.
He cut off another slice of lamb, raised it to his mouth . . . and froze.
"Oh my God."
Everyone at the table looked at him.
"What is it?" Dad asked.
O'Bannon nodded to the entrance to the dining area. "Check it out."
Everyone followed his gaze. Mr. Infante drew his head back in surprise. "Well, what do you know."
A round man with stern, angular features and thick white hair wearing fancy red and silver dress robes entered the dining area. On his arm was a slender blond with clear skin and a glowing smile.
O'Bannon's lips tightened as he continued to stare at Ulysses Rand.
"Who's the woman with him?" asked Mom. "That doesn't look like his wife."
"Oh, he divorced her just before the uprising," Mrs. Infante answered. "Looks like he traded up, or down if you're going by age. Merlin's beard, she can't be much older than Rosa."
"Whoa!" Rosa blurted. "I don't believe it. I thought I recognized her."
O'Bannon's turned to her. "You know her?"
"Yeah. That's Marla Karsberg. Remember her?"
He searched his memory. Marla Karsberg. Marla Karsberg . . .
"Wait a minute. Marla Karsberg. Didn't she used to play Chaser for Ardenturo Hall?"
"Yup. She was three years ahead of us. Merlin, she's Mister Rand's new squeeze?"
"It makes me wonder if he's lurking around Salem these days looking for young girls to marry when they become of age." Mrs. Infante scowled and shook her head. "Letch."
O'Bannon watched as Mr. Rand tipped a servant elf, who croaked, "This way, Sir. Madam."
Mr. Rand and Marla followed the little creature across restaurant, the image of a leaping unicorn beneath their feet. The skin around O'Bannon's nose crinkled when he noticed their path would take them right past their table.
Recognition flashed over Ulysses Rand's face as he stopped a few feet them. His look soured as his eyes swept over Mom and Dad, the Infantes, and finally, him and Rosa.
"Cesar . . . er, Mister Secretary." Mr. Rand didn't even try to hide the contempt in his voice. O'Bannon knew it had to grate on him to see Rosa's father as the leader of Wizarding America. Mr. Rand had always looked down his nose at the Infantes. Actually, he looked down his nose at all working-class wizards and witches. And now one of those working-class wizards was Secretary of Magic.
"Ulysses." Mr. Infante said in a flat tone.
The two men stared silently at each other for a couple seconds. Mr. Rand then turned to O'Bannon's parents, glowered at them, then turned that glower to O'Bannon himself. He didn't blink, matching the older wizard's harsh gaze.
"Hey, I know you guys," Marla said in a way-too-bubbly voice. "Jimmy O'Bannon and Rosa Infante, right? I saw some articles about you in The All-Seeing Eye, getting the Haldus Cross and stuff. I was actually at Salem around the same time you two were. You were on Blazerowe's hockey team, right?"
"Uh-huh." O'Bannon nodded. He hadn't known Marla personally at Salem, but after less than a minute in her presence he'd already had her personality nailed down.
Airhead.
Then again, why would any witch with half-a-brain want to be with a jagoff like Ulysses Rand?
Mr. Rand patted Marla's hand, which clutched his elbow, and flashed her a half-grin. "At least you played a real sport at Salem, my dear."
Marla batted her eyes at Mr. Rand.
O'Bannon rolled his eyes. "Hockey is a real sport."
Mr. Rand glowered at him again. He opened his mouth. O'Bannon folded his arms across his chest, wondering what sort of bullcrap would come out of the man's mouth.
But Mr. Rand said nothing. Even the anger lines in his face receded. He just stared quietly at O'Bannon. Then, his mouth closed, his shoulders drooped, and he stared down at the floor.
O'Bannon raised an eyebrow. What the hell could that be about?
He studied the wizard's body language. The sense of superiority that usually surrounded him like an aura faded. Mr. Rand actually appeared vulnerable. Even . . . hurt.
He held his breath. With him, Rosa and her parents here, could Mr. Rand be thinking about Hector?
O'Bannon had been through this plenty of times himself over the past year. He'd see something in The All-Seeing Eye sports page about the Boston Bandits and think of Rana. Or he'd pass a guy with red hair on the street and think of Fred. Hell, any number of things triggered memories of friends he'd lost during the war.
Why should Ulysses Rand be any different? The guy was an asshole, but he still lost a son. Even he had to feel that.
Mr. Rand resumed walking without another word, Marla right by his side, giving everyone a wide, beauty pageant-like smile.
O'Bannon clenched a fist. Should he do it? The man was a total SOB.
But Hector had been a good guy.
Do it for his sake.
"Mister Rand." He stood up.
Mr. Rand stopped and turned to face him, a neutral expression on his face.
"Um . . . I just wanted to say I'm sorry about Hector. He was a good guy and I liked him a lot. We all did."
Silence hung between them for several seconds. The neutral look on Mr. Rand's face changed. His cheeks reddened and his eyes narrowed. He drew a long, slow breath before speaking.
"You're sorry. You're sorry? What right do you have to say that?"
O'Bannon tried to come up with a response, but his mind drew a blank.
Mr. Rand pulled away from Marla's hold and stepped closer to him. "I lost two sons because of you. First you corrupt Artimus with all sorts of garbage from your Muggle World and turn him against me, to the point he actually takes up with a Muggle. Then Hector . . ." His jaw trembled. "He went out to save your worthless hide. Why? Because you're Artimus' friend, and Hector would do anything for Artimus."
Mr. Rand's voice rose, to the point where the other wizards and witches in the restaurant looked their way. "So don't you dare stand here and give me your condolences. My son is dead because of you!"
O'Bannon's chest constricted. He couldn't move. He just stared into Mr. Rand's angry face with unblinking eyes. The man's words echoed in his head. "My son is dead becau-"
Mr. Rand's fist crashed into his face. Pain exploded across O'Bannon's mouth and left cheek. He stumbled back into the table.
Chaos erupted around him. Mom cried out. Dad roared, "Son-of-a-bitch!" and bolted out of his chair. Mr. Rand reached into his robes, probably for his wand. Rosa, however, had her wand pointed right at his face.
"Back off now! Mister O'Bannon, sit! I got this! What the hell is wrong with you, you psycho bastard!"
"Don't you dare speak to me like that! And get that damn wand out of my face!"
"One more word outta you and I'll make you ooze like a slug!"
O'Bannon pressed a hand to his throbbing mouth. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.
Mister Rand hit me. Artimus' dad just hit me. He was still trying to accept that reality when Mrs. Infante stomped around the table and up to Mr. Rand.
"This is beyond the pale even for you, Ulysses. Punching a wizard for no reason!?"
"No reason?" Mr. Rand stabbed a finger toward him. "He's the reason Hector's dead!"
A dark, cold sensation pierced O'Bannon's insides. His eyes locked on Mr. Rand's face, which switched between rage and angst every few seconds.
A feeling flickered through him, one he never in his life expected to have for Ulysses Rand.
Sympathy.
"Hector was killed by Death Eaters, not Jimmy!" Anger blazed across Mrs. Infante's face. "And I don't care how rich you are, you're not going to get away with assaulting a wizard."
A wicked smile crossed Rosa's lips as she continued to cover Mr. Rand with her wand. Marla stood off to the side, mouth agape.
"Ulysses Rand," Mrs. Infante said firmly. "I'm placing you under arrest."
O'Bannon expected Artimus' father to launch into a tirade of righteous indignation. Instead he lowered his head and muttered, "My son."
"Place your hands in front of you."
Several seconds passed before Mr. Rand complied. Mrs. Infante pointed her wand at his wrists.
"Wait."
Both Rosa and her mother whipped their heads toward him, shock plastered on their faces.
"What?" Rosa blurted.
"Just forget about, okay? It's no big."
"Jimmy." Mom's eyes bulged behind her glasses. "That bastard hit you! You can't just -"
"I said forget about it, okay? Just forget about it." He looked to Mrs. Infante, pleading silently with her.
She sighed loudly and looked back at Mr. Rand with a scowl. "Consider yourself very, very lucky tonight, Ulysses. Now take your future ex-wife and get out of my sight."
Marla scrunched her face in displeasure. Mrs. Infante ignored it.
Without a "thank you," or any other word, Mr. Rand took Marla by the hand and stalked out of the restaurant.
"Are you okay, Jimmy?" Mom grabbed his shoulders and carefully studied his face. "I can't believe he did that. Oh my God, you're bleeding." She snatched a cloth napkin off the table, dabbed it in a water goblet, and tried to press it against his mouth.
"Mom, stop." He twisted his head away. I'm fine."
"Jimmy, will you just let me -"
"I said I'm fine, Mom! Leave me alone, all right?"
He spun away from her, stormed away from the table, and stormed outside, nearly bumping into an elderly wizarding couple.
"Watch where you're going, young man," the wizard snapped.
"Bite me!" He didn't even look at the guy, just kept walking into the middle of the dirt street. He pressed his hands against the back of his skull, thinking of Mr. Rand's accusations, thinking of those flickers of sorrow on his face.
"Jimmy!"
He turned and snorted. Rosa strode up to him.
"What the hell was that all about? That son-of-a-bitch hits you and you let him walk?"
"I have my reasons."
"What could they possibly be? Merlin's beard, you had the chance to put Ulysses Rand in his place and you back off?"
"What if he's right?"
Rosa's jaw slowly fell open. "You can't possibly believe that."
"Hector was involved in most of our missions before the uprising. You have to believe a big reason for that was to keep an eye on Artimus. If he hadn't gone with you and Jared and Art when I called for help that day he wouldn't have died."
"Dammit, Jimmy. Hector didn't die because of you. He died because he was fighting a war. He knew the risks. We all did."
"But he went to the YWW-Triple-A because of me, because he knew Artimus would go there, too. And what about Helghorst Island?"
A quizzical look settled over Rosa's face. "What about it?"
"Your father put me in charge of that formation with our old classmates. How many of them died? Gregory, Eli, Beatrice . . ."
"It was a battle, Jimmy. Did you really think we wouldn't lose anyone when we attacked that island?"
"I was their leader!" He poked his chest with a finger. "Leaders are responsible for the people under them. They died under my command. And look at all the stuff that happened to you guys on missions I led."
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Jared and Artimus could have ended up in Azkaban, or been ripped apart by Chupacabra, or killed by Death Eaters. Look at all the danger I put you in after I came back from Hogwarts. I came to you three and asked if you'd join the opposition against Lord VVVoldemort. I didn't have a damn clue back then what we'd be getting and if I did . . ."
He shook his head and turned away. "I dragged you into this. All the crap you went through during the war was my fault. You guys are my best friends in the whole world, and I almost got you all killed. Maybe . . . maybe you and Jared and Artimus would have been better off if you never met me."
A hand clamped around his forearm and spun him around. Had he not known Rosa for so long, he would have been surprised by the girl's strength.
"Don't you dare say that." She shook with anger. "Meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love you like a brother, dammit!"
"But I almost got all of you killed."
"We knew the risks. We could have said no. But we cared about you, and you cared about us, and we were going to stick by you no matter what, because that's what real friends do."
Rosa drew a breath to calm herself. "Now, why don't you stop the pity party, come back inside with me, and let's try to have a nice dinner."
O'Bannon sighed. "To be honest, I'm not really hungry. I think . . . I think I need to take a walk."
He turned away from Rosa and started down the street.
"Jimmy!"
"Tell my parents I'll meet 'em at home later," he called out over his shoulder. He watched Rosa for a few seconds, and, convinced she wasn't going to follow him, faced forward and kept walking.
He wandered Milmothryn Market, the dirt roads and colonial-style storefronts lit up by old-fashioned gas lamps. Even though it was night, several witches and wizards still strolled up and down the brick walkways. O'Bannon caught a couple amazed whispers.
"Merlin's beard, is that Jimmy O'Bannon?"
"A Haldus Cross and an Order of Merlin. Talk about a hero."
One couple in their forties even stopped him and asked for his autograph. He begrudgingly gave it to them.
He had no idea how long he'd been wandering the Market when he came across a storefront with a giant wooden hand clutching a wand sticking out over the doorway. O'Bannon slowed to a halt and gazed at Australius' Wand Shop.
His mind snapped him back ten years ago. My God, has it already been ten years? He remembered how friendly Mr. Australius had been, how scared he'd been when he accidentally set the counter on fire with the first wand he used.
How that shop was where he'd met Rosa for the first time.
A grin flickered across his lips as he plunged into the memories of that day. How new and exciting everything was, from photographs that moved to multiple flavors of ice cream created by the tap of a wand. He'd met really cool people, like Rosa and Jared and their family. And, well, my God he was an actual wizard! At the time, he felt like the luckiest kid in the world.
Nobody told him he would have to fight a war.
Nobody told him he would have to grieve over best friends and women he'd been intimate with.
O'Bannon snorted and stared at his shoes. It was almost a year since the war ended, and things just didn't seem normal, didn't seem right. Shouldn't everything be better with the war over?
More memories popped into his mind, memories from that day at Mount Ida College. He remembered all the Muggle students around him talking about things like parties and homework and plain old idle gossip. He doubted any of them had to deal with nightmares that made them wake up in a cold sweat, or mourn over dead girlfriends, or lead friends into battle and watch them die.
No, everything was fine with them. Life was awesome, with handing in homework and passing tests the biggest concerns.
O'Bannon pictured himself living that sort of life. He also pictured himself playing for the college's hockey team. How could he not? Girlfriend? Maybe he and Yuki Tamazaki would be dating. She did seem pretty cool that one night they spent together.
A nice, normal life, free of war and loss and pain. That's what he would have had if Headmistress Esmeralda had never visited him that day ten years ago.
And you never would have met Jared and Rosa and Artimus and Fred and George and Tonks and everyone else.
Would he pay that price? Would he trade all those close, wonderful friends, some of whom he thought of as brothers or sisters, for a normal Muggle life?
Right now, he couldn't decide one way or the other.
TO BE CONTINUED