Thicker Than Water
By Kyra
"Don't lie to me!" Kalli screamed, slamming her fist into her palm. Before her, Willow Lupin sat, her dark eyes empty of all emotion. "You did, and you know it!" Kalli spun on her heel, tears sparking in her ice blue eyes. "What happened to us, Will?" Kalli whispered to her cousin, her hands shaking violently.
A moment passed before Willow could answer, her own voice unwilling to speak aloud the thoughts rushing through her baffled mind. "Nothing, something happened to you…" she whispered, unable to rise to her feet. For the first time in nineteen years, Willow had been unable to comfort her beloved cousin.
Ice blue eyes rose to the ceiling. All had fallen silent in Remus Lupin's Irish estate, Kalli was unable to comprehend the weight fallen upon her. "You became her," Kalli whispered. "I lost, he won," she finished so softly that Willow could've sworn she'd imagined it.
Kalli's long time friend in the Muggle world, Luna Morgan, had betrayed their friendship for the love of a Muggle, much like Petunia Evans had done to Lily. "I didn't, Kal!" Willow cried, her hands outstretched. Kalli turned around, just as Willow rose to her feet. But Kalli turned away from the embrace that would have engulfed her. "Please, Kalli, you're like a sister to me… Don't do this!"
Saddened eyes bored into Willow's as Kalli brushed raven hair from pale cheeks. "You used and betrayed me, Willow. I can't forgive that," the girl responded. She glanced to the window, where the leaves were beginning to drift to autumn, as she finished, "Don't come tomorrow, I don't want you there."
The room was empty as Willow stood alone. Kalli had left the home they'd shared when Remus was away. Packing a light satchel, she claimed she and Hermione would come back for the trunks the following morning, before the wedding. But Willow knew nothing except that she had just lost someone that meant the most to her.
* * *
When it had started, she thought it was for the best. After all, Draco wasn't everyone's favorite person. Who better to date then Deimos? Deimos Meriwhether was handsome, rich and best of all, everyone adored him. Willow had fallen head over heels for him. But suddenly, things changed with him. He had charisma to burn, and often burned it the wrong way, by making rude comments about her in front of her friends. But worst of all was that she never saw Kalli anymore.
Once, Deimos had made the mistake of insulting her in front of Kalli while the group was at the Leaky Cauldron. Instantly, he was flung backwards and Willow noticed that Kalli's wand was no longer on the table, but gripped in her iron cold hands. He'd been hexed by one of Kalli's most disturbing spells, the Cripple Curse. Fortunately for Deimos, Kalli hadn't used the incantation, so it wore off in hours.
But the day that Kalli referred to when she said that Willow betrayed her stuck out in her mind. It began two weeks before Kalli's marriage to Harry Potter, and Deimos had arrived early at Willow's window on his broomstick. Without a second thought, Willow joined him and he took her over to the Three Broomsticks for breakfast.
It wasn't until two o'clock that she returned to the huge estate, and found Kalli sitting on the sofa, her hands in her lap, head down. Willow had walked in, calm and grinning. But Kalli glanced up, and Willow stopped dead. Tears stained the peaches and cream complexion of her beloved cousin. "What's wrong?" Willow exclaimed, rushing to her side.
But when Kalli spoke the anger in her voice was like nothing Willow had heard come from the sweet lips. "Where were you?" Willow quickly explained, thinking that Kalli had been worried about her welfare. "You missed it for that?" Kalli whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
It hit Willow upside the head like a sledgehammer, and the girl blinked in bizarre confusion. The preparations! As maid of honor, Willow was supposed to be there, and she wasn't. Moving to apologize, Willow leaned forward to embrace her cousin. Kalli stayed rigid in her arms.
That wasn't the end of Willow's folly. Over the next two weeks, Willow seemed to miss almost every date in the wedding party because she was out with Deimos. But the final one took the cake.
That very day, at the rehearsal wedding, Willow showed up. Kalli had been standing at the back talking to Hermione, and Ginny when Willow stumbled in. She hadn't come home the night before, and Kalli hadn't really thought she was coming. But she stumbled in, giggling, "I'm here, I'm here! Wait for me! Maestro!"
Hermione's eyes darted to Harry and Ron, who stood at the altar. But Willow didn't seem to notice the women standing around until she stepped in front of Kalli and announced, in her loudest voice, "Let's get this show on the road!"
With that, she stumbled down the aisle and leaned heavily on Harry. He'd smelled the butterbeer on her breath, permeating from her clothes, and the glazed look in her eyes. Without another word she clamped her hand on the back of his head, and brought his lips to meet hers. Forcibly, Harry yanked her away, shoving her toward Ron, who caught her and held her.
"I just wanted to kiss the groom!" Willow slurred.
"Enervate!" Kalli cried, rushing down the aisle, wand outstretched. Instantly, Willow's eyes became focused and she swayed a moment before she returned to her sober state. "Get out!" Kalli screamed, pointing her wand wildly behind her, causing Hermione, and Ginny to duck in order to avoid the anger. Moving to explain herself, Willow took a step toward Kalli. But Kalli's hand whipped around and the wand came inches from Willow's nose. "Get out before I remove you myself," Kalli said through clenched teeth.
* * *
Deimos had gotten her smashed at the Three Broomsticks, and they'd spent the night going shot for shot. Now, as Willow sat alone in the office of Remus' estate, she doubted her sanity. Throwing away the one friendship that meant anything to her because of a handsome face and tender caress. Nineteen years of love and friendship down the drain because of a guy. Something had gone wrong in her head, and something had to be done.
* * *
Standing in front of the mirror, Kalli admired the long white robe she wore, done with pearls and glimmering fairy lights. Her curly raven hair was pulled up, with tamed fairies holding it up, most holding batches of baby's breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her smile bright, Hermione coaxed each fairy into the right spot with her fingers, whispering sweet words. Something struck Kalli and funny, and she giggled lightly. Her hair was suddenly a light with sprite giggles. That set Hermione off, and the girls were soon in fits of laughter.
A moment after they calmed down, there was a light knock on the door. "Five minutes, Kalli," came Draco's voice from behind the closed door.
"Thank you, Draco!" Hermione called, poking the last of the fairies into place. "Stunning," Hermione whispered to Kalli, as she embraced her warmly.
Kalli's voice came unbidden as she whispered, "I only wish…" but she cut herself off. Ginny and Hermione exchanged glances, but did not speak.
"Ready?" came Draco's voice from outside the door, and Ginny swung it open in answer. Smiling down at her, Draco nodded, and said, "You're beautiful Kalli, more so then usual, if it's possible."
Inclining her head in gratitude, Kalli stepped past him, and whispered, "You don't know how much that means to me, Draco."
* * *
She sat in the back, her pointy hat drawn over her face to conceal her from Kalli, not that she would've noticed. The front steps of Hogwarts were decorated in an unbelievable array of flowers and flickering lights. Remus gave Kalli to Harry, Dumbledore presided over the ceremony, Ron was the best man, and Hermione stood in Willow's place as maid of honor.
Standing in the yard of the school after the ceremony, as Willow watched the happy couple, something in her heart lurched. She'd betrayed her best friend, the one person she would love until the end of time, and she hadn't stopped her from leaving. Silently, Willow wondered how long Kalli had stood outside the door, waiting for Willow to run after her. No matter which way she sliced it, she'd been wrong.
She thought she was safe from prying eyes, until Draco's hand fell on her shoulder. "You came," he whispered, never tearing his eyes from Harry and Kalli on the steps.
"Of course I came," Willow whispered in return, "I love her, I couldn't miss it." Draco's hand tightened on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," Willow confessed.
A brief silence settled over them, and for a second, Willow thought Draco hadn't heard her. Then he responded, "You should be telling her that."
Rubbing her temples, Willow choked back tears as she said, "I meant for what I did to you. Leaving you behind, even when I loved you…"
"Oh," Draco replied, "I knew that!" Willow's head whipped around to find him smiling down at her. "But you really need to talk to your cousin," he finished, motioning to the building that loomed behind the couple.
* * *
Sitting alone in her little room, trying to get ready for the reception, Kalli stared hard into the mirror. Staring back at her was not the shining face of a new bride, but the youthful face of the girl she'd been only a few years back. Suddenly, in a flash of recollection, she saw Willow's young form reflected behind her in the now open door. Blinking, Kalli tried to rid herself of the vision, but Willow simply grew to the nineteen year old she knew now.
"I said good-bye to Deimos," the reflection said softly. Holding her breath, Kalli blinked. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, Kal. I just needed to understand what you felt for Harry. And I thought Deimos would be the one to show me."
Kalli shook her head. "Typical of you, Will," she responded, turning on the vanity bench to gaze evenly at her cousin, "To overlook that which is right in front of you." Instantly, Willow knew who she referred to. "Did you see the ceremony?" Kalli whispered, far to softly for Willow to understand right away. Finally the girl nodded slowly, taking a step toward her cousin. "No one wanted you there more then I, except him…" Again Willow nodded. "I miss you…"
"Can you forgive me?" Willow asked, falling to her knees and holding her cousin's hands within hers.
With a sad shake of her head, Kalli leaned over and kissed Willow's cheek. "I cannot forgive," Kalli whispered, and Willow's eyes fell to the floor, "Yet I can forget…" Willow's face lit up and Kalli pulled her to her feet. "Come on," Kalli giggled, "you need to change into your dress before we go into the reception!"