8

KYA jolted out of her memories with a gasp the moment she felt the touch of a hand upon her shoulder that was not Quirinius's.

It took a few moments for the fog of confusion she found herself in to dissipate as both she and Quirinus were pulled from their reminiscent thoughts of the morning they had first met one another.

Kya quickly waved her wand to cause the orb that contained the flower he had given her years ago to vanish. Everything came back suddenly.

There were no holes missing. None that she could remember anyway, and she tried to think about who might be calling upon her or Quirinus and what she might say to them. It occurred to her she was not in the mood for company tonight, save for with the one wizard who was right here now by her side.

Her cheeks flushed at the realization and she heaved a sigh. She had not forgotten Rita Skeeter's unexpected and unwanted appearance the other day to try to intrude upon her friend's private life.

She braced herself to expect to see the tabloid reporter, grinding her teeth in annoyance as she did so. She rose to her feet and found herself staring face-to-face with Auror Jack Brennan, admittedly the last person she expected to see.

She bristled at the interruption but forced herself to maintain a professional demeanor and spoke with an almost cool detachment in her voice.

"Auror Brennan," she spoke, inwardly surprised and a bit worried to find the handsome Auror standing patiently behind the two of them. "What can we do for you?" she questioned, unable to keep the concern from her voice as she felt Quirinus's hand around her arm.

A low chortle arose from Jack Brennan's throat.

"My apologies, Healer Ericksen, for interrupting so…auspicious and lofty an activity. I do not intend to take up too much of your time, but the Headmaster calls for you. He wishes to speak to you in his office. Alone," he barked, narrowing his gaze, sensing the wizard standing alongside the Healer open his mouth to protest.

The Auror turned a curious gaze towards Quirinus, who stiffened and ground his teeth, noticing how the man's eyes raked over his Kya, his friend. Quirinus looked him right in the eye but said absolutely nothing.

He thought he saw a tightening of the handsome man's jaw and something flick within the man's green eyes. Loathing. Anger. Jealousy, perhaps, though that last emotion gave the former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor pause.

He had the sudden overwhelming burning desire to kill this man for the way that he was eying Kya in what he firmly believed was a lustful and predatory stare, but he kept himself in check.

It would not do, no, to draw attention to himself. Not yet.

He looked toward Kya out of the corner of his eye and slowly felt the worst of his annoyance dissipate at the look of concern brimming in her blue eyes. For a moment, Quirinus felt his pride swell to unfathomable levels in his chest.

Despite the months of torture, he had unintentionally put her through and existing at an abominable level of pain and self-abuse that he did not even want to imagine, there was still a prideful fire in Kya's soul.

It was then, that he realized, that Kya would not immediately bring her gaze to him, and he felt his anger return tenfold once more.

Auror Brennan's lips curved upward into a twisted mocking smile as he looked at Quirinus.

He could have killed him then and there for the look. He felt his lips part open to speaking, but before he could, he turned towards Kya, cutting, and cold, and spoke to his friend in a clipped voice.

"He would see you borrowed away from your patient for a moment or two, and he asked that I give you this, intended for your eyes and your eyes only, I'm afraid, mum," he said, holding out a folded piece of parchment addressed to her.

Kya flushed a dark red and dove in front of him and snatched the letter that had been written by the Hogwarts Headmaster intended for her. Her eyes made a quick scan of the letter's contents and suddenly, her heart was in her throat.

"Oh my god," she whispered in a barely audible voice, though as Quirinus was standing right next to her, he heard it. His ears perked up at hearing the warbling note of uncertainty in her voice.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, and it felt as though she were swallowing knives. Her ears were burning, and she saw spots.

She felt rather dizzy, and for a moment, she thought she was actually going to faint, but it was only the strong grip of Quirinus coming to wind his hand around her waist and holding her firmly upright that kept her standing.

She closed her eyes and took a moment to regain her composure before turning to look at Quirinus and shooting the wizard a pained apologetic look.

"I—I'm very sorry, Quirinus, but I will have to leave you. I'm afraid I'll have to see you later? I don't anticipate visiting with your Headmaster will take long, my friend, and then you and I, we can go home," she whispered, biting down on her bottom lip, hard.

She let out a breath she did not even realize she had been holding and watched as a myriad of emotions flitted through her friend's black eyes, ranging from hurt to confusion to unbridled rage.

It took Quirinus a moment to recover his voice again, and when he did, she could tell that he was clearly distressed.

She heard it in his tone and the misery was all over his face.

"A-are you…alright?" Quirinus questioned, distressed.

Kya bravely nodded and quickly looked away, folding the letter, and pocketing it into one of the pockets of her dress.

The tension between them was unbearable. Quirinus grew even more worried.

"A-are you sure he requested to speak with her alone?" he huffed indignantly, his tone sounding spiced and offended.

Kya turned to look at him incredulously and flinched upon seeing the man's eyes flicker red for a moment before his irises reverted to their usual black hue once more.

It was a subtle change and could have been perceived as a trick of a light, though Kya liked to think she knew her friend better than most, and this she feared was no trick of the light.

Now more than ever, she knew it was imperative she speak to Albus.

"H-he did, Quirinus," she murmured shyly. "I won't be long. I'll see what he wants, and then we'll go." She rested her hand softly along his cheek.

She hadn't the faintest idea how she was going to broach the subject of Rita Skeeter now targeting him with him later, or the contents of Dumbledore's message to her just now, though she wondered if she should even tell him.

To learn of such distressing news would likely only trouble him. She knew that he had been a victim of evil cruelty throughout his life just as much as she had, and her heart melted at the look of uncertainty in his eyes. She did love him.

Merlin, but she'd never stopped, which was what made his abandoning her and now Dumbledore's news even more damaging.

She was reunited with the man she had never stopped loving, and though Quirinus was free of the Dark Lord's imprisonment and influence, Kya thought she could begin to hope for a future with him, but she needed to be sure, and for that, she needed Dumbledore. The sooner she spoke to him, the better.

She sensed the agitation within Quirinus at the thought of leaving her alone, and the notion of Auror Brennan escorting her up to the castle, though before she could say something to him in the hopes of supplicating him, the man spoke, and his tone was cold, his stutter completely gone.

It sent a violent chill down her spine to hear her friend speak so angrily to Jack Brennan.

"You will say nothing to her on the way back up," Quirinus barked, his cheeks flushing red in anger. "I've been watching you, snake, you cannot seem to stop looking at Kya as of late, Auror," he spat out, contempt and hatred dripping from his voice. "I suggest you look elsewhere, Mr. Brennan. I see by the ring on your ring finger you are a taken man. Something tells me that your wife would not appreciate learning you eyeing another witch like you are eyeing my Healer. You haven't the slightest chance with her if that's what you're after, not in your wildest dreams, Mr. Brennan. I'd cringe to think what the fallout for you is going to be like if Mrs. Brennan were to receive a Patronus over your abhorrent behavior, Auror Brennan," he growled angrily.

Kya gaped and nearly jumped out of her skin at hearing such hate in her friend's tone, but she knew right then and there that she'd heard more than enough.

Furious, she moved to stand in between the two wizards who looked like they were about to row, incredulous and stunned, but not for the reason either wizard might expect.

A strange look passed between the two wizards. There was apt to be a duel soon if she could not de-escalate the situation, Kya could almost feel it tingling within her bones.

She stepped in front of Quirinus, now shielding him from Jack Brennan, who was standing dangerously close to her friend, his clenched fists at his side now shaking, his facial expression looking as though he would quite like to jinx Jack where he stood.

Though in his currently weakened state, she knew Quirinus was no match for the seasoned Auror, and more to the point, Quirinus had never been much of a dueller.

He would lose, and then he would land himself right back in the Hospital Wing, and that, she knew she couldn't let happen.

"You are awfully quick to judge who is a danger to the witch, without knowing much of who it is you speak of," he spat, causing all the color to drain from Kya's face at the words.

"Stop," she pleaded in a shaking voice. "Both of you, this is enough. Do it for me, gentlemen, if for no other reason."

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence as Kya left her plea hanging in the air between them, but then, Quirinus was the first to assent to her request. She heard him exhale sharply and lower his head, taking a step backward.

Auror Brennan nearly growled in frustration, but he did the same and turned his head away from them both.

"The Headmaster will expect to see you in ten minutes, Miss Ericksen. Please do not be late." Jack paused and turned back to Quirinus, his icy stare returning once more. "And if you should hurt her, you witless worm—" he snarled, though he cut himself off as Quirinus held up his hands in surrender.

"Then kill me slowly in whatever way you think is best, though considering not even the Dark Lord himself could kill me, I doubt you will be able to, Auror Brennan, but you're more than welcome to try," he snapped, an edge to his tone.

Jack Brennan merely smiled at the professor's threat.

"Oh, have no doubt that I will, Quirinus," he retorted. With that one last parting shot, he turned tail and was gone, off to the Great Hall and in the company of another Auror who had been summoned to the castle to escort them home.

Only when Auror Brennan was gone did Kya and Quirinus both exhale in frustration at once. Kya slowly turned back to him with raised eyebrows and an incredulous look.

"That…that could have certainly gone better," she said.

He nodded, pursing his lips into a thin white line. "I-it could have gone far w-worse, Kya," Quirinus growled darkly, seething with jealousy, his nervousness returning once more, still glowering at the spot where the handsome wizard had stood.

He blinked and seemed to shake off the worst of his misgivings and looked back at her with a softened expression and a sweet smile that made her heart flutter.

"Thank you. F-for…defending me, Kya. I am…grateful for it. Y-you should not have had to do that, Kya."

Kya reached up to affectionately caress his cheek, smiling as a light pink blush speckled along his face and a tremor of pleasure went down his back at feeling the sweet sensation of her hand against his searing flesh, but she pretended not to see, though Quirinus knew she had seen it.

"I am here. Always," she whispered. "I'm sorry for the things Auror Brennan said. He—he doesn't know what he's saying," she tried to supplicate him, but he wasn't hearing it.

He frowned and shook his head. "Oh, I-I think he knows very well, Kya, you do not need to defend him, I-I see enough, I'm not an i-invalid," Quirinus barked, bitterness alight and dancing behind his black eyes. "But you have my thanks all the same."

He hesitated and cupped her face in his hands, tenderly tilting her chin to his. He stared intently into her eyes, something hungry waking in his eyes, something Kya had never seen before. Her heart broke for her friend. All his life, the people around him save for perhaps Professor McGonagall, his family, and her, had called him a coward, but by her estimation, it took a great deal of strength to weather the petty insults and constant venomous glowers of dislike as Quirinus did. She wished he could see for himself how she saw him.

She had always been told that she could have any wizard in the world if she so wished, that any man would gladly call her his wife, but she had no interest in a man who was only after her looks. She'd long since understood that she recognized her tastes could be particular, but Quirinus was different.

He'd never once taunted her for her beauty, for her lack of interest in other wizards, said nothing about her hair, which she had neglected to get her regular trims, and was now lanky and unhealthy looking.

She had admittedly fallen into a deep depression when he'd left and had not exactly bothered to keep up and maintain appearances. He did not seem to mind that her mouth tended to get her in trouble.

Such things had only ever made him smile, as long as her life was never in any grave danger.

And sometimes, when she was feeling especially lonely or sad, she'd look up and see his eyes resting on her, and it was within those deep rich black eyes of his that she would see reflected back at her own loneliness, her own sadness, and the suffering he did not know of.

What she saw in his eyes, the way Quirinus spoke to her, in the way that he carried himself, it was the things she recognized in him that reminded her of herself that attracted her to Quirinus the most.

She knew that their relationship if she were to be so bold and to kiss him now like she so desperately wanted to, damn the fact that Auror Brennan was watching, would likely be a rocky one.

Especially with Rita Skeeter now hellbent on making them both her next targets. But she did not care if the wizarding world would go into an uproar if they learned how much she loved him, despite the things he had done.

Kya had always been a stubborn witch, set in her resolve, and once her mind was made up, there was usually no changing it once she had decided upon a particular course of action.

When she understood that she wanted him, her mind was not going to be swayed. Not by anyone.

Someday, she would make her affections known to him, and see where that would take her.

She only hoped Quirinus felt the same. She felt a surge of bold determination course through her veins and before she realized what was happening, she leaned forward.

Quirinus's face and eyes gave away absolutely no sign of what he was thinking, but as she kept his chin firmly cupped in her hand, he tensed underneath the witch's featherlight touch.

She had to lift herself up onto the tips of her toes and pull him down the rest of the way. She placed her lips on his cheek gently in a chaste and gentle kiss.

Her body trembled slightly, but she tried to ignore it instead and tried to focus on how warm his skin felt.

When she took her lips away from his cheek, she stared Quirinus boldly in the eye, his face still hunched towards her.

"You'll be alright on your own for a few minutes while I speak with the Headmaster, Quirinus?" she asked, the worry and concern obvious in her tone. Quirinus gave her a little half smile and shyly nodded, his cheeks flushing bright red from the gentle kiss she'd just given him.

Kya was flushing as well, to have been so bold with her affections, though she was pleased with herself.

Most witches her age would say that a kiss on the cheek didn't count, and it wasn't a proper gesture of affection, but to her, it came from the bottom of her heart, and she meant it.

She itched to press her lips against his in a kiss, to test the waters, to hope and pray that Quirinus felt the same as she did for him, but she refrained. She would not humiliate him in that way, not with Auror Jack Brennan present and scowling at them now.

Quirinus hesitated for a moment but then answered.

"Y-you should go, Kya, A-Albus does not like to be kept waiting, I-I will be just fine o-on my own, I can manage to get back, Kya," he said after a moment of putting enough thought into what he wanted to say.

Her soft laugh warmed his heart and made his blush intensify. A strange knowing look appeared in her eyes.

"I will find you in the Grounds after I'm done speaking with Dumbledore, and then we'll go home. I... I'll see you later?" she questioned hopefully, sighing in frustration, and pursing her lips as she noticed Auror Brennan growing more impatient by the second.

Every fiber of his being wanted to protest and demand that Kya remain by his side, but he could not deny Albus anything.

Quirinus was hit with a powerful wave of fierce protectiveness for his friend and wanted to vehemently protest the fact that Kya goes anywhere alone with this Auror, not trusting the predatory way in which the more handsome wizard was eyeing his best friend.

He reluctantly stepped back and allowed her to leave, though his blood boiled as Auror Brennan, without waiting to be asked, took Kya's arm. The withering look Quirinus shot Auror Brennan in return was perilous.

To Jack, it was a warning that was clear as daylight.

Quirinus remained frozen there long after the two had left his line of sight to head back up to the castle, and the sounds of her footsteps had ceased, the only movement from him being the slight trembling of his hands that he tried desperately to stop the shaking.

She…he…

Oh


AS Kya reluctantly allowed herself to be led towards Dumbledore's office, she was hit with a nagging sensation at the back of her mind that Auror Jack Brennan alongside Rita Skeeter now might very well present a problem for her.

She bit the wall of her cheeks and tried to ignore the man's flirtatious irritating leers burning a hole through her, though she felt as though she had been gut punched by the man.

It was when they passed by the bathrooms on the way to the Headmaster's Tower that Kya spotted an opportunity to get away from Jack for a moment and decided to take it.

She shrugged out of the man's surprisingly strong vice grip and headed towards the bathroom, though before she could, his hand gripped onto her shoulder almost painfully tight to leave a mark.

She nearly cried out in pain but refrained from doing so, not wanting to make a scene or give Quirinus something to fret over later. He had enough to contend with for the moment, the least of which should be worrying about her.

"The Headmaster's Office is this way, Luv, not that way, Miss Ericksen," Auror Brennan commented in a dry sardonic voice.

"I need a moment, Auror Brennan, to-to relieve myself, if you must know, I'd prefer you not follow me in unless you're hellbent on making sure I don't fall in," she barked, her temper getting the best of her, as her stomach tightened into knots.

It felt like she was going to be sick. Her mind was still reeling from the contents of Albus Dumbledore's message, and what this would mean for Quirinus, and by extension, her.

He did not look at all pleased, but he reluctantly relinquished his grip on her hand, though he moved to stand outside the bathroom door.

She offered him a curt nod of thanks, though it was a chore just to force out the words as her breathing was heavy and chest tight.

When she got to the sink, she turned the water on as hot as it could possibly go, squeezing soap onto her hands. She scrubbed her skin raw and washed her face, and only turned the temperature down when the pain from the heat became too much. She splashed some of the warm water onto her face and the relief was nearly unimaginable for a moment. She saw spots in her vision and her body swayed as her head grew light.

She took her hands from the spray of water and held herself up against the edges of the porcelain sink.

When her eyesight returned and the bathroom around her stopped spinning, she put her hands back in the water and tugged at a lock of her hair, frowning.

Kya could feel Jack Brennan's eyes on her burning a hole in the back of her skull. Tears came to her eyes as she ran her fingers through her hair.

She needed to dissuade the man's apparent interest in her.

She tugged on a lock of her hair and frowned, closing her eyes, waving her wand, and changing the color of her long wavy hair to blonde. She ignored the pang in her chest as she felt her magic seeping through the roots of her hair as the dark hue was stripped away and champagne blonde took its place.

She felt like a stranger without her trademark Ericksen dark hair, though if it would dissuade Jack, then it was worth it.

When she opened her eyes, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the color actually suited her, and her first thought was that she hoped the Auror hated the way blonde looked on her, and it took away his interest in her.

She then hoped Quirinus would like it. She ignored the pain in her heart at the thought that he might not like it and when she heard Auror Jack Brennan move away from her, his heavy boots walking down the hall, she let out a little breath.

If she were to diagnose herself, Kya would say she had just suffered a full-blown panic attack. She had no idea how she was going to make it through the next year by Quirinus's side with her sanity intact.

She tried to force a smile but couldn't and looked away and quickened her pace as she stepped outside, grateful to reach the stone gargoyle statue she was told was the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

She had never been more relieved to leave Auror Brennan behind, though she did not miss the rueful look he shot her.

She swallowed hard past a lump in her throat and shook her head to herself to try to shove aside thoughts of the handsome wizard for now and focused instead on the reason for her summons now.

Her eyes widened as she stepped foot into Albus Dumbledore's office and looked around.

The man's office was a large circular room with many windows, the walls of the office space were covered in countless oil portraits of the school's previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, many of which mumbled disinterested hello's to her as she looked around, craning her neck this way and that, trying to take in the splendor of the space all at once.

Albus Dumbledore himself was seated behind a polished oak mahogany claw-footed desk, his lips pursed and the warlock's expression grim as a grave. He motioned for her to occupy the seat opposite him.

Kya could only comply.

It was a moment before he spoke.

"How fares my Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Healer Ericksen?" Dumbledore asked professionally.

It occurred to Kya that she was not in the proper headspace for the man's company this morning, most importantly with the Hogwarts Headmaster himself, despite the seriousness of his message to her, she was eager to see Quirinus back home.

"He's mending. He will get stronger every day, Albus. With time, I hope that he will be as good as new," she encouraged hopefully, but then turned serious. "But your letter, sir, do you truly believe that? That…that some part of Voldemort still is within him, somehow? B-but that would then make him a—a Horcrux," she questioned, whispering the word Horcrux as though it were a dirty secret as she dug into her bag to procure his message and gently laid the piece of parchment paper onto his desk.

Kya searched Albus Dumbledore's tired and weathered face for any sign of explanation as the silence between the two stretched past the point of comfort.

The thoughts that now swirled in Kya's mind made her dizzy. If his suspicion was true, it would certainly explain Quirinus's odd behavior towards her, his more volatile mood swings, and possessiveness.

"He is, isn't he?" she whispered, turning to stare at the Sorting Hat that rested on the shelf behind him.

She did not wish for the Headmaster to see the forlorn look in her eyes, and when she spoke, her voice sounded emotionless.

Albus shook his head sharply, much to her surprise, the corners of his mouth dipping into a frown.

He had not intended for his suspicions towards his staff member to be taken so heavily. He realized that he had presented his case regarding Quirinus completely wrong and tried to rectify his mistake, attempting to diffuse the defeat he sensed within her.

"No, Miss Ericksen. You misunderstand my meaning. Yes, the man's body was turned into a temporary Horcrux when Lord Voldemort assumed control over Quirinus's body, however, the moment the Dark Lord fled, leaving my professor down below in the underground chambers to die, his influence and control fled with him as well. However, Horcruxes are the worst Dark Magic a wizard could bring upon themselves, though neither one of them counted on the powerful but simple magic that love carries with it. It was your love for Quirinus that saved his life, my dear, not to mention the left side of his face and body. I hope that it is your love for him that will continue to pull his goodness to the surface. As I warned you, there are likely to be some side effects. Madame Pomfrey has mentioned to me as has Professor McGonagall a few instances of witnessing his eyes changing shape and color. Have you witnessed this yourself?"

"Yes," she blurted out, recognizing it would not do to lie.

He nodded gravely in understanding.

"I feared as much. This is merely speculation on my part, however, the lingering effects of his body playing host to Lord Voldemort for the duration of the last year are taking their toll on his body, my dear. I fear that if left unchecked, he will be lost to the darkness in his own heart, and I must confess, as much as I hold out hope for my former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor to make a full recovery, it pains me to say that I have my doubts, my dear. Quirinus has been seduced by the Dark Arts. He is a man full of hatred, and greed, and has become blinded by his own ambition and desire to be recognized, weaknesses thaf Voldemort exploited and used. It was agony for Quirinus to touch Harry Potter, the boy who has been marked by so much good. It was my hope that with your returning to his life in his more dire hour of need, the remaining darkness in his heart, Voldemort's influence over him, would vanish, and he would be made whole again. I am more than willing to compensate for the trials and tribulations that he has faced, my dear, to repay Quirinus for all that he has done, and your efforts as well. I have made arrangements with Gringotts to send a monthly allotment to his home throughout the duration of his recovery until he is well enough to return to his previous post the following term as our Muggle Studies Professor."

Kya's eyes widened at the revelation. She was beginning to wonder why on earth Quirinus would want to return here when they had failed him so abysmally, who's to say they'd not do it again?

Suddenly, she wished that the Hogwarts Headmaster would dismiss her from his presence and let her take Quirinus home finally.

This was difficult for her—for him—enough as it was, and now, to hear the Headmaster speak of her dearest friend in what she firmly believed were odious terms, caused a solar flare of her temper to bubble within her chest.

The words were ripped from her lips of their own accord before she could understand what was happening.

"And what of me, Albus, sir? Was my love for him not enough that it should have saved him completely?" she asked coldly. "The left side of his face and body have been spared. I do not know if you recall this, how much of our past friendship he has told you. He always was very private. I kissed him once, on the cheek. You said it yourself, it was my love for him that saved his life. I am the reason that he clung to life, why he did not die in the underground chambers below your school. You do not care for Quirinus, Headmaster," she heard herself answer in a clipped and cold tone. "Not truly. I see that now. You doubt his ability to overcome this. I hear it in your voice, you did even need to bother explaining yourself, Dumbledore. I had hoped you would be different, sir, but you're just like everyone else. You don't believe he is strong enough to overcome this. That he will fail. And that is why you are blind, Albus, if I may speak candidly with you for a moment, sir," Kya retaliated, rising from her chair so fast that she overturned it.

She knew she should have righted the toppled piece of furniture, but instead, she kicked it aside and ran her hand through her hair in anguish. She looked positively livid as she began to pace an agitated line back and forth in front of the man's desk. Dumbledore's expression, meanwhile, stayed placid.

Before Albus could open his mouth to protest, Kya interrupted him and made her final declaration, the disapproval evident in her voice.

"Headmaster," she insisted. "Please. I have no interest in arguing the events of the past when it comes to Quirinus. I have read your letter and I am heeding your words, acknowledging the fact that he is still in danger, but he is in good hands with me. This darkness you say still lingers within him, I will find a way to exorcise it, no matter what I have to do," she stated emphatically in a cool tone. "That is not why I came to your office, why I agreed to see you," she informed the Hogwarts Headmaster. "I had hoped that I would deliver a message of my own, sir, if I may speak freely, sir."

"Anything, Miss Ericksen, of course," Dumbledore acquiesced, hopeful that he might somehow be of help in rebuilding his professor's life in any way he could.

"He understands the difference between kindness and cruelty, he's well aware of what acceptance and hate are. And maybe, if you and everyone else had given it to him from the very beginning, he would know what love feels like. It's my love that saved his life in that chamber, you're telling me, Headmaster, then I have to believe it can save him again a second time going forward. I'm not going to quit him so easily."

She paused to draw in a breath of air, and it was then that she felt the shift within her countenance.

A surge of determination, anger, and confidence flooded through her veins and ignited her insides hotter than Fiendfyre ever could, and suddenly, Kya knew exactly what the Hogwarts Headmaster needed to hear from her.

Her eyes turned steely, narrowing to daggers, desirous of giving the appropriate emphasis to her words.

"I am the one in his life who's shown him true acceptance. I am the one who's offered him my friendship. I've stuck by his side no matter what. I have never and would never abandon him when he's in need of help. I will never look away from him, I've never once laughed at him or his abilities or—or told him that he was a monster, Dumbledore. You and the rest of your staff should have been paying closer attention to him, Albus, this could have been stopped, and you did nothing. You have failed him, Dumbledore. There is nothing more you can do. Just stay away. Thank you, sir, for giving Quirinus a chance, for helping to save his life, truly. He is grateful. But please, do not send either one of us any funds. You and the school owes him nothing."

With every declaration, Kya felt herself grow stronger, angrier. She would abide by no one doubting her friend if she could at all help it, especially not those in Quirinus's social circle, such as his own employer, who knew him perhaps the best.

Kya turned on her heels and stormed out of the man's office, her piece said.

She did not see Albus Dumbledore rise from his desk and open his mouth to protest.

It had taken Albus a good minute or two to realize what the witch had said, for Kya Ericksen had spoken so softly and without feeling.

As he blinked, her words finally registering, he realized Quirinus's best chance for survival was gone as if she had never been there.


QUIRINUS felt his frustration swell within his chest as he waited nervously for Kya to appear. As her familiar silhouette appeared by the front steps, he felt his heart swell with hope.

Though his hopeful little smile faltered, and his heart skipped a beat to see her face scrunched up. Her forehead was wrinkled. That meant she was not happy. His eyes widened slightly as she came closer and her hair was a different color. It was now blonde. He stared at it with a little frown on his face, wondering why Kya had felt the need for such a drastic change. She stiffened as she noticed him looking, her cheeks burning.

Instinctively, she reached up a hand to pat it.

"I-can change it back once we get you back home if that's what you want, Quirinus, I promise," she whispered, casting a skittish glance towards Auror Brennan over her shoulder, who had followed her out.

She frowned and looked back at Quirinus. He still had that same odd little frown on his face.

He was staring at her so intently, that Kya grew worried that perhaps the simple act of changing her hair color to dissuade Auror Brennan's interest in her would have negative consequences on their friendship. She hoped not.

Kya sighed and forced a smile, a tear dripping down her cheek. She reached out and put her hand on his. "Quirinus," she whispered shy as she smiled. "Let's go home."

Quirinus paused and turned his head to look at Kya again. His eyes bored into hers.

Slowly, he opened his mouth, and only spoke one word. "Home."

His voice was a low rumble, a bit hoarse, scratchy, and tinny. A little noise escaped her.

It was as much a sob as it was a laugh.

"Yes, my friend," she told him softly. "Home." She noticed him looking at her new hair still. "Wh-what do you think?" she asked, smiling at Quirinus.

His first instinct was to not like it. To not like it at all. His beloved friend's previously dark hair was blonde now, the color of wheat, and for some reason made him think of the insufferable Malfoy boy in his first-year classes or even his mother. He stared at her, his mouth shifting slightly to the side.

Kya mistook his silence for his disinterest in her new look and sighed.

"I know, but I had to do it, my friend. Once we're alone, my hair will be the same color again, alright?" Here, she leaned in to whisper into the shell of his hair and lowered her voice so that only she could hear. "Auror Brennan, he…was getting a little too close."

She put her hand on his. It was small and cool. He rolled his hand over so Kya could see his palm. She pressed their palms together and threaded her fingers through his. She squeezed and then released Quirinus.

"We should go," she sighed.

He nodded. He looked her over and Kya suddenly became wistful.

"I know, Quirinus, I—I don't know if I like it either. I'm not sure if blonde is my color," she sighed as her hands came up to touch his chest.

He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. Kya was still very pretty, he just preferred her the way she was before. Quirinus wished he knew how to tell Kya that.

He still wanted her by his side. His body still hummed at the presence of the witch, the smell of her.

He was quite happy just to stare at her for a moment longer. Quirinus lifted a hand and pinched a lock of her new hair. He twirled it in his fingers and examined it more closely. She took that as a cue.

"I know, Quirinus," she sighed. "I-I'm sorry. I'm honestly surprised you recognized me a second ago." She tried to offer him a nervous little chuckle, but instead, it came out sounding more like a fitful sigh.

Quirinus frowned at her and shook his head. He did not want his beloved friend to be so sad over this.

"D-Don't be. Of course, I recognized you. I would know you anywhere, Kya," he answered, his tenor-like tone so soft that at first, she barely caught the words. "No matter what you wear or what color your hair is, I will always know who you are, my friend."

He shot a withering look towards the Auror lurking a respectful distance away, but still keeping an eye on the two of them and felt the urge to kill again pump through his veins.

He scowled, recognizing Brennan was the cause of Kya going to such extreme measures to dissuade the man's apparent interest in her by changing the color of her hair, but when he looked back at her, tearing his gaze away from Jack, his expression softened as he studied her.

Her newly-turned blonde hair made her pale skin shine like freshly poured milk.

Her blue eyes met his and Quirinus felt his heart falter another beat or two. She turned to look away shyly, blushing under the intense scrutiny of his gaze and it was at that moment that Quirinus got a look at Kya's elongated neck. Her profile was utterly astounding, the way her earlobes seemed to flow into the angles of her jawline. The new blonde color of her hair made her pale skin and blue eyes look even more delicate than before and gave her an almost ethereal appearance.

He thought she could very well have Veela's blood coursing through her veins with how she was making him feel. He could feel Kya eyeing him curiously.

Embarrassed at having been caught staring at her, he sharply looked away as she quirked a brow at him.

She shrugged her shoulders and brushed her hands on the front skirt of her long dress and sighed.

Quirinus knew better than most, that a woman like Kya, a man would be lucky to find in ten lifetimes.

"Let's go home," she whispered, resting her head against his shoulder.

Tears sprang to his eyes and he was grateful her head was now buried in his robes. He looked at her for what felt like a long time, unable to speak. She had been with him for so long, that he could no longer imagine a life without Kya and did not want to. She was his friend. His first and his only.

She had never left him if she could at all help it. When he needed someone, Kya had always been there. How was it such a beautiful, wonderful witch like her could exist? What had he ever done to deserve such a friend like her?

She was standing there by his side, just as she had always done.

As long as Kya remained, standing here with him and with Toma perched lazily around his shoulders, Quirinus knew that he would never feel the icy cold touch of loneliness again.

He smiled and nodded, winding his arms around her waist, and did not even have to think about the destination in his mind of where he wanted to take her.

He knew where he wanted to go.

Home.