Black Stained
Chapter 20: Boys
'Wait. So you just ran errands?'
Charlie asked confused.
'Well, kind of.' Aral thought hard for a second.
'No, it's more like- like-, okay fine; I ran errands.'
Charlie's frown only deepened as he tried to understand her story.
'This was when...?'
She took a large sip of water.
'Almost at the end of august.'
She put her glass down next to her and sighed. She hadn't gotten to the real difficult part yet, which was before that time.
The inevitable question started to thicken the air around them. Charlie eventually dared to speak the words.
'What happened before?'
His eyes were trained on her and she looked back, trying to keep her face in a emotionless mask, but cracks started to appear. She was breaking down a wall she had built for years now and it was so hard for her. So hard. She was scared, though she would never admit it, that he wouldn't have any kindness left when she had exposed herself to him, her true self. But she had to, it was either opening up or... or she would have had to leave and never return, never see her familiy. Untill now she had only been extending a break, but now she had no choice anymore.
She stared back into his eyes and just for a moment they turned silver grey, instead of the deep dark grey they were.
'Everything.'
They didn't move nor talk for several minutes, just waiting.
'Charlie?'
'Yes?'
'Did you... cry?'
He repositioned himself and bended forward.
'When?'
'When you carried me. From the field, I mean.'
Charlie frowned and shook his head.
'No, I didn't. Why?'
'I just...'
She trailed off, her hand reaching up and the tips of her fingers gracing her cheek, where she had felt that one tear.
'I guess it must have been a...'
'Memory?' He guessed.
'Yes.' She put her hand down and started to pull on her blanket, trying to keep in the warmth.
'A promise.' She muttered.
'Might I know what kind of a promise?'
She avoided his stare and concentrated on the mirror instead. Which broad up questions like; was it really a mirror; had she really seen it or had it been in her mind? She turned her head upwards and banned the thoughts from her mind.
Not the right time.
'On the day of Fred's funeral I was...' She closed her eyes while she spoke those words and that name, it was still hard for her.
'I was scared and weak. I lived in a blank appartment, had a simple job, never visited anyone. I was just hollow, there was nothing on the inside of me. And yet I was filled with secrets and lies.'
She took a deep breath.
Just spit it out.
'I promised him to be happy, that I would find happiness again.'
She looked up at Charlie, who resembled Fred more at the moment than she would have ever thought.
'But I screwed up. I messed everything up, again.'
Her expression was blank and her skin pale, her sad eyes locked onto his.
'You found happiness here, didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'You think that this one accident with a dragon screwed it all up? Trust me; these 'accidents' happen quite a lot.'
He argued, he obviously was trying to make her feel better. Though it didn't really help. She snorted at his comment.
'Well, they didn't end up with such destruction did they?'
He stayed quiet.
'Wait, what did I do actually? I mean, what's the damage?'
She dreaded she asked. He sighed. She bended forward and touched his hand, as if forcing him to speak by touch.
'Charlie, what did I do?'
After a moment of contemplating he answered her.
'After your 'battle' with the dragon it flew away. The other dragons from the hills kept their distance, they were pretty shaken last time they were checked. The powers you used seemed to have surged through the earth, no where else to go.'
He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. Her expression was still blank, but he knew that underneath her mask she must have been screaming and grimacing.
'A little earthquake errupted and the entrance and tunnels in the mountains have been destroyed. The fire dragons haven't showed any sign of damage, though they must have felt it. Same goes for the water dragons. The little ones were too far away and probably haven't even felt it, considering their magic is still young and small.'
At the last part about the baby's she let go of a breath she had been holding apparently.
'And the others? The other care takers?'
'No damage at all.'
They have seen what she could do, were probably still talking it through.
'I can't keep this quiet can I? They will talk, stories about me will spread and- and they will find me.'
The idea frightened her and she pulled herself back, leaning against the pillow. It was over. She would be exposed and she would have to face her fears.
'No, I can still fix it. I can make sure they keep it to themselves.'
Charlie took a hold of her hands.
'I can make sure they won't hear anything about you, not untill you are ready.'
Aral looked at him again, she frowned.
'How can you do this? How can you lie to your own family?'
He looked down to the floor and seemed to be trying to form his answer.
'Because I once too wanted to escape my family, I needed to.'
Her curiosity grew, but she didn't have to ask him to tell her more about the matter. He continued.
'I was afraid of all the responsibilities I had as a brother, but I also looked up to Bill. He was smart and succesful, I was the younger little brother. Afraid to fail I did the thing I could do best; rebell and do dangerous things.' He shook his head and she squeezed his hands in encouragement. 'I ran away from them, as much as you are now. Maybe not in the same way, nor for the same reasons, but I'm running too. Nothing can change that fact.'
Him admitting to her that he had been afraid, shocked her. The brave and tough Charlie Weasley had admitted a deep secret.
He had ran away, just like she was now.
And he understood she needed time, to heal and build herself again.
She traced circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.
'Thank you.'
He looked up at her.
'I still don't quite get why you are helping me and why you are this nice to me, but thank you.'
'How could I not be nice to you? You have done nothing wrong to me.'
She looked away again in the mirror. Her pale face reflected by the solid glass. For a moment she imagined it to be melting.
'Let's just say you haven't met all of me.'
With his fingers he turned her hand around, her palm facing the ceilling.
'There are stories... about what you can do.'
He traced the lines with his finger.
'I wonder... Maybe-'
He stopped, deep in thought. Her curiosity couldn't take the silence.
'Maybe what?'
He sighed and turned her hand back around.
'Never mind. It's just that I once read about this spell... It's like a pensieve, it shows someones memories. I thought maybe you could show me some. Memories.'
She pulled her hand back from his. Her head turned away from him. How could he ask this of her? Her most dark and deepest-
'I'm sorry. I just want to understand.' He sounded so sincerely sorry it almost broke her heart.
If you had one.
She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to banish all things that made her want to sink to the ground and cry.
'It's- it's okay.' She managed to get out.
She felt trapped in her bed, under the blanket and between the bars. With a trembling hand she pushed the blanket off of her and swung her legs over the edge, her toes touching the cold stone tiles.
Slowly she walked over to a table on the other side of the room. She was still weak and she wondered what healing spells they had used on her.
On the table there stood a wizard chess game, red and white pieces neatly and presicely placed in their position. Her finger followed the lines on the board and she thought about the memories she could show Charlie, the pure and white ones. And which memories she couldn't, the scarlet red. She had to admit there were more red than white ones to show, but there was a possibility.
Did she dare? To show him?
Make him understand you, let him know you to your core.
Would it help? Would the pain stop and leave her to rest at last?
'How does it work?' She asked.
'Well, it works just like normal chess I guess, but-'
'The spell.'
She interupted his babbling, turning around and still holding two pieces, red and white, in her hand. She placed them back and leaned against the chair next to the table. Seeking comfort and support.
His face was all shock and astonishment.
'Lost your tong?'
She teased. Humor covering her fear, like she was used to.
The baffled expression on his face disappeared and he swallowed.
'You want to do it? Share your memories with me?'
'Asking how something works doesn't mean I will use it.'
They both knew her answer could be translated to a simple 'yes'. But she didn't like to concede that easily. He sighed.
'We'll need water, a rope and paper.'
'What's the chant?'
Instead of giving an answer he pulled out a paper from his jacket and stood up.
'No one really knows.' He gave it to her.
She unfolded it and read it through.
'It says that-' He started.
But she cut him off.
'I can read runes, Charlie.' She added a quick 'Sorry,' for being a bit blunt. He didn't seem to mind.
'We're going to look ridiculous.' She stated with a blank voice.
He laughed softly. 'I guess we have to save the pretty things for later.'
She took a few steps back to her bed, but then halted, pain suddenly overflowing her.
'Seriously, what have they done to me? I still feel pain and it hurts like a bitch.'
She refrainded herself from cursing out loud. He quickly responded and supported her by making her lean on him. He then shuffled to the bed and lifted her up and laid her down on it.
'Well, they actually haven't done anything.'
She frowned.
'When they tried to use spells on you it seemed like your body was rejecting the treatment and it shot through the air. Almost hit a nurse.' He chuckled, but quickly stopped seeing her become paler.
'Who dressed me?' She glanced down at her forearm, looking at the fabric, which was still conceilling the dark mark. He understood why she asked.
'A nurse I trust. She won't say anything.'
'Thank you.'
'Do I need to remind you of your promise?'
For a moment she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but then she remembered the moment that happened under the tree at the Burrow.
'S-' She bit her lip, she was about to say sorry. Why can't she stop it?
He laughed at her grumpy face.
'Do you want me to treat you?'
'Yes. If it will reduce the pain than please.'
He took out his wand and he warned her. 'This might sting.'
She looked up to the mirror, bracing herself. He was about to cast the spell.
'Wait!'
'What?'
'If I want to do that spell and it requires a lot of... power. I will need some practice. I don't want to lose control, again.'
He nodded and pulled his wand back. He leaned over to another chair, where her clothes were laying on, and took her wand out of her jacket.
'Here.' He stretched his arm, her wand in his hand. She didn't touch it however or reached for it.
'What else do those stories tell you about me?'
He waited before answering, confused.
'That you have powers no one else has ever had.'
It sounded like a praise and she didn't like it. She snorted at his answer and pulled a face of disgust.
'The stories make me sound like I'm an amazing witch.' She pulled her sleeves further down, though they were too short to cover all of her arms.
'I know you don't see it that way, but you have to admit you are different than most.'
She didn't say anything and didn't look at him. Realisation dawned on him.
'You don't need a wand.'
She took a deep breath.
'Wands work like radio's, to hear something or get some results you need to use the radio and get the right frequentie. But I don't need one, I can just- ... do things.'
He let her speak and listened intently.
'As a kid it was quite frightening. Harry and I had these accidents, we had no idea what they meant. Sometimes we just ended up on top of a building, while we had no memory of how we got there. But sometimes when I was alone, things happened... even more frightening than the accidents that happened while I was with Harry. I thought I was cursed.'
'You must have felt really relieved when you received the letter from Hogwarts.'
'Yeah.' She remembered Uncle Vernon not being happy at all.
'No post on sunday. Ha!'
Oh. How wrong he had been that day...
'So,' She pulled herself up and leaned against her pillow. 'What's the damage?'
Charlie flicked his wand and a clipboard appeared with a list.
'It says here you had a small concussion and- ooh.'
'What is it?' She bended forward, trying to read what it said.
'How are you not screaming in pain and drooling?'
'I'm different than most you see.' She said cheeky
They laughed for a short moment, their laughter filling the cold room.
'What is it? What injuries do I have?' She asked again.
'Maybe it's better if you asked what you don't have. This list doesn't seem to end...' He kept flipping the pages.
'You've broken more things in one hour than I have in an entire life time!'
'Broken?' She twisted herself in the bed, trying to detect what was broken.
'I don't think anything is broken.'
'Well, it says right here. Shall I go and get my friend, the nurse?'
She thought about it for a moment and nodded in consent. He stood up and left, the heavy doors shutting behind him. Now that she was left alone she could think about the questions that still went unanswered, such as; what exactly is that mirror and what was she going to show Charlie? She already told him more about what happened in that particular summer than she had ever told anyone. Only a few people really knew what had happened, and now she was including Charlie as one of them. Was she being too selfish to tell him all of this and burden him with this knowledge? She had kept up the act that she didn't want to tell him anything, but maybe deep down she was screaming to get it out. She needed someone to confide in and right now that was Charlie. Was it selfish, or was this a right thing to do? She liked having Charlie around, was it because she liked him or his pain reducing talks? Was she using him or was he just helping her... All those thoughts made her crazy and she banished them all from her mind. She managed to concentrate on the mirror and decided to investigate it one more time. Slowly she climbed out of the bed and walked over to the opposite side of the room. With her hands she sought support from the wall and chairs. The mirror was shining in the dim flickering lights of the candles around it. She touched it with her hand and traced lines with her fingers. It was stone cold and fitted right in the cold and basic room. The silver was damaged and hid the beautiful touch it once had on the mirror. It now was an ordinary mirror.
'Just a mirror...' She muttered deep in thought.
She looked down at the chess pieces again and rethought the conversation she had just had with Charlie. Some pleasantries here and there, small talk, and deep subjects. She sighed, as she remembered she told him she would do the spell, would show him her memories. Practice, she still needed to practice before trying to use powerful magic. An idea sprang up and she sat down on the chair next to the table. First she hesitated, but then she lifted her hand. Her eyes were trained on a red knight. She would only bring him to life, only him. She felt the familiar prickle in her finger and it shot through her hand and arm, through the rest of her body. And the knight came to life. She smiled soflty and lowered her hand on the table. This simple achievement made her feel amazing. This simple victory gave her hope.
At that moment the door opened and Charlie came back with a woman. They noticed the empty bed and the nurse immediately noticed her in the chair, stalked over to her and started checking her ears and eyes and muttered chants.
'Why do heavily injured patients always have to get out of bed and wander around the room?' She muttered with a thick romanian accent.
'Heavily injured?' Aral asked in disbelief.
'Yes! Very heavily injured. How did you get out of bed?'
'With my legs.'
'Very funny.' The elderly woman said sarcastically. 'Charlie dear, please help me get her back to the bed.'
'I can walk, ma'am.' Aral assured her.
The woman quirked a brow and looked at Charlie.
'Or someone treated her or she has a very high pain level. Both are very unlikely.'
Charlie picked her up and placed her yet again back on the bed. Their faces were both painted with focsus and confusion. The woman muttered spells and chants and waved her wand, while Charlie just stood there and observed the woman work. Aral could only sigh in frustration, she never liked to be chained up.
'They're gone.' The woman uttered amazed.
'What?' Charlie asked.
'Most of the injuries, the bruises and bleedings... they're gone.'
The woman lowered her wand and looked her in the eye.
'Did anyone else come in here?' She asked Charlie without looking at him, her eyes staring into Aral's as if trying to read her mind. Just to be sure she blocked her mind from legilimency.
'No.'
'Did you heal yourself?' This question was directed towards her.
'No.' She answered. But then she started thinking.
'Or I did it unconsiously.'
'Unconsiously.' The woman repeated her. 'How in merlin's beard could you have healt yourself unconsiously.'
'I can't always control it.' Aral stared right back into her dark brown eyes.
'Ahem.' Charlie interrupted their staring competition.
The woman straightend her back again and lifted her chin.
'My name is Alina.'
'Aral. But you already knew that probably.'
Alina nodded and took a step towards a cupboard, she hadn't noticed yet, and took out some objects.
'I will treat your last injuries as well as I can. You may have healt yourself from most, but there are still a lot left, like those burns spread all over your body.'
Now it was her time to nod at Alina. Alina started to pull on her clothing to get a look at the wounds, exposing some of Aral's tighs and sides.
'I quess I will just uhh-...' Charlie uncomfortably turned around and walked to the door.
But just before he could open it to leave, it got opened from the other side. A blond, black clothed, young man came walking in, with quick steps and their boss following him, trying to stop him.
'Mr. Malfoy, please, I have to-'
'I don't have time for this.' He spit back.
Draco's eyes fell on Aral in her bed and he took determined steps towards her. But halfway through the room Charlie stepped in front of him.
'Malfoy.'
'Weasley.' Draco sneered.
Charlie eyed his boss, soundlessly asking what Draco was doing here. But his boss just looked hopelessly at the situation. Draco attempted to step around him, but he simply stretched out his hand and blocked Draco's path.
'Let me through.'
'Draco?' Aral asked, baffled by his appearance.
Charlie noticed her use of his first name.
'Aral, can you please tell these people' He almost spit the words out. 'to let me through.'
Charlie however only straightened his position and used his height to intimidate Draco, but Draco wasn't this easily intimidated and he too straightened up and stood face to face with the read head.
'What are you doing here?' Charlie asked him with a harsh voice.
Before Draco could answer Aral spoke loud and clear.
'It's okay. Let him through.'
Charlie didn't move a muscle, but didn't stop Draco either when he walked around him towards Aral, with a pleased smirk plastered on his face. But the satisfied smirk turned into concerned eyes and a furrowed brow.
'Aral? Are you alright? What happened?' He knelt down beside her bed.
'Yes, I'm- I'm alright. A few bruises, that's all.'
Alina shook her head, knowing it was more than just a few bruises.
'Excuse me, but I am treating this patient. You can visit her later.'
Draco ignored her however.
'What happened?' He whispered, only she could hear him. 'I received a warning.'
'How?' She whispered back, brows furrowed.
'Through this.' He helt up the necklace. Aral's heartbeat quickened at the sight of it. Her eyes flashed with fear.
'It's okay. Calm down.' Draco grabbed her hand, because he knew she was frightened.
Aral didn't answer his question and stared at the wall.
'Aral, please, look at me.'
'Sir, I have to ask you to leave. Now.'
Alina interrupted and stepped forward, her stern gaze fixed on his face. Slowly he stood up, but didn't leave yet.
'She's been burned.' He noticed her exposed skin, red from the heat.
'Yes and I have to treat those wounds right now, and I can't do it with all these people here. Everyone needs to get out.'
She waved with her hands towards the door, only their boss seemed eager to leave, though he didn't.
'Mr. Malfoy,' he said with the voice of authority, 'you have to come with me now, or I will have to remove you by force for trespassing.'
'Trespassing? I'm visiting!'
'Draco.' Aral warned him, his temper could get him in trouble.
Charlie had his gaze still fixed on Draco and didn't seem pleased at all with him being there. The tension in the room grew.
'Draco, just go.'
'Yes, Malfoy. Leave.' Charlie said with clenched teeth.
Aral closed her eyes knowing that if Charlie hadn't said what he had said, Draco would have listened and would have left, but now his stubborness and pride will induce him to stay exactly where he was.
'Make me.' Draco fired back at him.
'With pleasure.' Charlie took a step forward.
'Guys!' Aral exclaimed. 'You're not four!'
'He is.' Draco pointed at Charlie childishly.
'You're a ferret. Ferret.' Charlie sneered.
They stood nose to nose again, ready to fight. But this time it was Alina who put a stop to it.
'Expelliarmus.' Both of their wands, which they secretly had gotten out of their pockets, flew out of their hands.
'And now. Get. Out!' Her fury could be compared with Mcgonagall's, and frightened each man in the room. Aral crossed her arms, supporting the woman in silence. She locked eyes with Draco and nodded at him, telling him to get out.
'Fine.' Draco finished, holding out his hand to retrieve his wand.
'You both won't get your wands back, not untill I have treated miss Potter here, and you two have calmed down about wathever you are so angry about.'
Both tramped defeated back to the door, while the boss held it open. He had kept his mouth shut the whole time, which made him the wisest person in the room. When they had all left Alina turned around and sighed.
'Boys will be boys.'
