Title: Blast to the Past II
Chapter Six: Bad News Author: Kitty Malfoy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything HP related, though I wish I did. I do own Serenity (though her name and description belong to SM) and all other non- HP related characters/ideas, unless otherwise stated. Now that the formalities are over with, enjoy Chapter Six!
~*^~*^~*^~
Riley stared straight up at the ceiling. The patterns in the white plaster were barely visible to her and when she tried to study them closer, her head reeled, and she was forced to close her eyes. The steady, monotone noise of her heart-monitor echoed through her head. Other sounds filled her head as well; the tedious dripping of the liquid in her IV; the distant sounds of a television in a room down the corridor.
She opened her eyes again. She could feel his presence with her in the room, but her heart wouldn't let her look at him immediately. Instead, her eyes shifted from the ceiling to the opposite wall; white as well. Her eyes jumped over the open doorway, and landed on the small table beside her hospital bed. They lingered there for a moment; taking in the large bouquets of flowers and gifts from her friends and co-workers.
Her eyes welled with tears, and once again she was forced to look towards the ceiling. Her bottom lip quivered, and her eyes closed slowly shut and she struggled to get control of her emotions. Only after making sure she wasn't going to burst into tears, her eyes lowered and she turned to him.
Sirius was taken aback as her eyes bore into his own. Her deep soulful eyes were heavy with sadness and much pain. Looking deeper he saw that her eyes mirrored the shadow that covered her very essence. Realizing how far he had probed with his haunting gaze, she yanked her eyes away from his, and settled her blue orbs on the foot of her bed.
Sirius leaned forward, and rested his hand on the edge of her bed, and Riley slid away from him. He removed his hand. "Serenity?" he ventured.
Her head snapped around and her eyes focused on his in a hawk-like glare. Her gaze was so sudden and intense, that Sirius jerked backwards. "I am not your dead wife." Riley said in a low, even tone; her eyes flashing with anger, and a bit of hurt.
In a lighter tone she said, "Besides, I don't even look like her." She turned back to gazing at the opposite wall. It was true. Now that the spell to enchant her hair back to it's original blonde had worn off; it was back to its auburn color. Her eyes, though close to Serenity's enchanting blue, were tad darker; closer to black.
Sirius was quiet, contemplating her point in his head. She turned back to him, scrutinizing his features-deep in thought. "I'm right aren't I?" she asked him quietly. He looked up at her from beneath his fringe of hair, as if just aware of her eyes upon him, though Riley knew that wasn't the case.
His chocolate eyes drifted over her features, as if searching for something. They moved upwards, and lingered for a moment on her hair. His eyes widened suddenly, and he pointed suddenly to her hair.
Reflexively, she raised a hand to her head. "What is it?" she asked in suspicion.
"You're hair!" he exclaimed in a victorious tone. "The roots are blonde! Your hair is dyed!"
Riley's hand went automatically to the top of her head. Apparently, she hadn't done a very good job when she'd dyed it last. "And what if they are?" She snapped. "That's not me anymore!"
"How can you deny the truth!?" he exclaimed in an exasperated tone.
"How can I deny that which I do not know?!" she screamed at him. He stared at her in shock. "I have no memory of my life before two months ago! How can I be your wife?!" Tears streamed down her pale face, and dripped down off her chin; leaving wet splotches on her crisp, hospital sheets.
A warm hand reached out and cupped her cheek. His fingers brushed away the salty tears and their trails along her face. Riley turned her face into the caress, allowing herself a moment of longing and weakness, then she turned away from his touch and buried her face in her pillow.
Both of them were saved from breaking the silence, when the door opened and Mark burst in the door, followed closely by a woman. Riley raised her head slightly, at the loud entrance, and smiled shyly. Sirius stood up, and offered the older man his chair, and went to stand next to the woman.
Mark grabbed her hand, and gave it a little squeeze. "How do you feel?" he asked in a fatherly tone.
"Like I was just hit by a cart." She chuckled, but winced suddenly in pain and clutched her side. She turned her wide eyes on Mark, and he felt as if he had been stabbed by a knife by the pain he saw there, pain that went deeper than her current condition. He wondered how he'd missed it before. "How bad is it?" she asked quietly. Her eyes bored into his own, and he was forced to look away.
Turning his head slightly his eyes searched for Sirius' as if asking a silent question. Sirius closed his eyes, and Mark turned slowly back to her but wouldn't meet her gaze. She looked between the to men, and was about to ask again, when Mark spoke again.
"You're lucky you're not dead you know." He said, in an admonishing tone. "I told you not to go after those vampires."
Riley snorted in contempt. "It wasn't the vampire who did this to me." She gestured weakly to her immobile body. "It was one of your own." Mark closed his eyes again, and hung his head slightly.
"You're right...and for that I am truly sorry, Ri. Lucius..."
Sudden fear shot through her, and her body turned to ice. "Lucius!" she breathed. "Where is he?" she asked, her hand reaching out to clutch Mark's robe.
It was Sirius who spoke. "We haven't captured him yet..." he confessed quietly. Riley's eyes automatically shot to the doorway, searching out into the hallway. "Why did he try to kill you, Sere-, er, Riley?" Sirius continued.
"I was trailing O'Kelley in the graveyard. I fell onto a gravestone, and O'Kelley found me. He was about to bite me, when Malfoy came, and staked him. I was about to leave, when Pendleton came into the graveyard looking for O'Kelley. Malfoy acted immediately and stake him." She paused for a moment, as a shuddered rippled through her body. "He was human. And Malfoy killed him. He killed an innocent man." She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, as if trying to block the terrible image from her mind. "Of course he came after me then. Didn't want anyone to know that perfect Malfoy made a mistake that resulted in murder."
The entire room was silent, and then Mark stood up abruptly. "You're like a daughter to me, Ri. He won't get away with this, I promise you. I'll get everyone at the office working on it." And then he was gone.
The woman moved and took Mark's vacated seat and cleared her throat. Riley's eyes swiveled around and locked on the woman. Her hair fell around her shoulders in twisting, dark brown, curls, and her skin was light cream color. Her icy, light blue eyes locked with Riley's and Riley was sure she had met this woman before. Regardless she took everything she saw about the woman and committed it to memory.
"Hello." She said, with a small chuckle. "You're probably wondering who I am. I know I'm not around much, but I'm you're roommate Sharlee Black."
So that's who her mystery roommate was. "Wait did you say Black?!"
"Yes, Sirius here is my older brother." Riley's eyes passed back and forth between the siblings, studying both of them. Then she turned to Sharlee. "Well, it doesn't matter. At any rate I don't know you that well..."
Oh, but you do Serenity. Sharlee though to herself, for she too had seen the resemblance. That was why she had been so eager to share her apartment with a total stranger. She had reminded her so much of her friend.
"So I believe you can give me an honest answer." Riley continued. "How bad is it?"
Whatever Sharlee had been expecting, that was it, and she was shocked into silence. Once again, Riley's eyes bore into her own, and Sharlee felt her resistance slip away. "Why can't I feel my legs?" Riley whispered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, but she would not let them fall.
Sharlee wanted to take the girl into her arms and hold her until she got better, but she gripped the arms of the chair and stayed seated.
"The medi-wizards did there best to reset the broken and cracked bones, but..."
"But what?" Riley probed, steeling herself for the worst.
Sharlee looked pleadingly at her brother, but he closed his eyes and turned away from both of them. With tears in her own eyes she turned back to Riley, and when she spoke, her words were filled with sympathy and sadness. "Your legs were badly broken, and you'll have to be in a wheel-chair until they're healed..."
Riley turned her face towards the ceiling and closed her eyes.
"There's more," Sharlee continued quietly. Riley's eyes opened but she did not turn to look at her. "When the vending cart fell on to you, it fell on to you from so high up and with such weight that it...it crushed your womb...you're unable to have children..."
*~****~****~****~****~****~****~*
Ooh! Cliffy! R & R please! Love all of you who've stuck with me from the beginning!
Kitty Malfoy (^.^)
Flames will be used to sterilize my tattooing needle.
Chapter Six: Bad News Author: Kitty Malfoy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything HP related, though I wish I did. I do own Serenity (though her name and description belong to SM) and all other non- HP related characters/ideas, unless otherwise stated. Now that the formalities are over with, enjoy Chapter Six!
~*^~*^~*^~
Riley stared straight up at the ceiling. The patterns in the white plaster were barely visible to her and when she tried to study them closer, her head reeled, and she was forced to close her eyes. The steady, monotone noise of her heart-monitor echoed through her head. Other sounds filled her head as well; the tedious dripping of the liquid in her IV; the distant sounds of a television in a room down the corridor.
She opened her eyes again. She could feel his presence with her in the room, but her heart wouldn't let her look at him immediately. Instead, her eyes shifted from the ceiling to the opposite wall; white as well. Her eyes jumped over the open doorway, and landed on the small table beside her hospital bed. They lingered there for a moment; taking in the large bouquets of flowers and gifts from her friends and co-workers.
Her eyes welled with tears, and once again she was forced to look towards the ceiling. Her bottom lip quivered, and her eyes closed slowly shut and she struggled to get control of her emotions. Only after making sure she wasn't going to burst into tears, her eyes lowered and she turned to him.
Sirius was taken aback as her eyes bore into his own. Her deep soulful eyes were heavy with sadness and much pain. Looking deeper he saw that her eyes mirrored the shadow that covered her very essence. Realizing how far he had probed with his haunting gaze, she yanked her eyes away from his, and settled her blue orbs on the foot of her bed.
Sirius leaned forward, and rested his hand on the edge of her bed, and Riley slid away from him. He removed his hand. "Serenity?" he ventured.
Her head snapped around and her eyes focused on his in a hawk-like glare. Her gaze was so sudden and intense, that Sirius jerked backwards. "I am not your dead wife." Riley said in a low, even tone; her eyes flashing with anger, and a bit of hurt.
In a lighter tone she said, "Besides, I don't even look like her." She turned back to gazing at the opposite wall. It was true. Now that the spell to enchant her hair back to it's original blonde had worn off; it was back to its auburn color. Her eyes, though close to Serenity's enchanting blue, were tad darker; closer to black.
Sirius was quiet, contemplating her point in his head. She turned back to him, scrutinizing his features-deep in thought. "I'm right aren't I?" she asked him quietly. He looked up at her from beneath his fringe of hair, as if just aware of her eyes upon him, though Riley knew that wasn't the case.
His chocolate eyes drifted over her features, as if searching for something. They moved upwards, and lingered for a moment on her hair. His eyes widened suddenly, and he pointed suddenly to her hair.
Reflexively, she raised a hand to her head. "What is it?" she asked in suspicion.
"You're hair!" he exclaimed in a victorious tone. "The roots are blonde! Your hair is dyed!"
Riley's hand went automatically to the top of her head. Apparently, she hadn't done a very good job when she'd dyed it last. "And what if they are?" She snapped. "That's not me anymore!"
"How can you deny the truth!?" he exclaimed in an exasperated tone.
"How can I deny that which I do not know?!" she screamed at him. He stared at her in shock. "I have no memory of my life before two months ago! How can I be your wife?!" Tears streamed down her pale face, and dripped down off her chin; leaving wet splotches on her crisp, hospital sheets.
A warm hand reached out and cupped her cheek. His fingers brushed away the salty tears and their trails along her face. Riley turned her face into the caress, allowing herself a moment of longing and weakness, then she turned away from his touch and buried her face in her pillow.
Both of them were saved from breaking the silence, when the door opened and Mark burst in the door, followed closely by a woman. Riley raised her head slightly, at the loud entrance, and smiled shyly. Sirius stood up, and offered the older man his chair, and went to stand next to the woman.
Mark grabbed her hand, and gave it a little squeeze. "How do you feel?" he asked in a fatherly tone.
"Like I was just hit by a cart." She chuckled, but winced suddenly in pain and clutched her side. She turned her wide eyes on Mark, and he felt as if he had been stabbed by a knife by the pain he saw there, pain that went deeper than her current condition. He wondered how he'd missed it before. "How bad is it?" she asked quietly. Her eyes bored into his own, and he was forced to look away.
Turning his head slightly his eyes searched for Sirius' as if asking a silent question. Sirius closed his eyes, and Mark turned slowly back to her but wouldn't meet her gaze. She looked between the to men, and was about to ask again, when Mark spoke again.
"You're lucky you're not dead you know." He said, in an admonishing tone. "I told you not to go after those vampires."
Riley snorted in contempt. "It wasn't the vampire who did this to me." She gestured weakly to her immobile body. "It was one of your own." Mark closed his eyes again, and hung his head slightly.
"You're right...and for that I am truly sorry, Ri. Lucius..."
Sudden fear shot through her, and her body turned to ice. "Lucius!" she breathed. "Where is he?" she asked, her hand reaching out to clutch Mark's robe.
It was Sirius who spoke. "We haven't captured him yet..." he confessed quietly. Riley's eyes automatically shot to the doorway, searching out into the hallway. "Why did he try to kill you, Sere-, er, Riley?" Sirius continued.
"I was trailing O'Kelley in the graveyard. I fell onto a gravestone, and O'Kelley found me. He was about to bite me, when Malfoy came, and staked him. I was about to leave, when Pendleton came into the graveyard looking for O'Kelley. Malfoy acted immediately and stake him." She paused for a moment, as a shuddered rippled through her body. "He was human. And Malfoy killed him. He killed an innocent man." She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, as if trying to block the terrible image from her mind. "Of course he came after me then. Didn't want anyone to know that perfect Malfoy made a mistake that resulted in murder."
The entire room was silent, and then Mark stood up abruptly. "You're like a daughter to me, Ri. He won't get away with this, I promise you. I'll get everyone at the office working on it." And then he was gone.
The woman moved and took Mark's vacated seat and cleared her throat. Riley's eyes swiveled around and locked on the woman. Her hair fell around her shoulders in twisting, dark brown, curls, and her skin was light cream color. Her icy, light blue eyes locked with Riley's and Riley was sure she had met this woman before. Regardless she took everything she saw about the woman and committed it to memory.
"Hello." She said, with a small chuckle. "You're probably wondering who I am. I know I'm not around much, but I'm you're roommate Sharlee Black."
So that's who her mystery roommate was. "Wait did you say Black?!"
"Yes, Sirius here is my older brother." Riley's eyes passed back and forth between the siblings, studying both of them. Then she turned to Sharlee. "Well, it doesn't matter. At any rate I don't know you that well..."
Oh, but you do Serenity. Sharlee though to herself, for she too had seen the resemblance. That was why she had been so eager to share her apartment with a total stranger. She had reminded her so much of her friend.
"So I believe you can give me an honest answer." Riley continued. "How bad is it?"
Whatever Sharlee had been expecting, that was it, and she was shocked into silence. Once again, Riley's eyes bore into her own, and Sharlee felt her resistance slip away. "Why can't I feel my legs?" Riley whispered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, but she would not let them fall.
Sharlee wanted to take the girl into her arms and hold her until she got better, but she gripped the arms of the chair and stayed seated.
"The medi-wizards did there best to reset the broken and cracked bones, but..."
"But what?" Riley probed, steeling herself for the worst.
Sharlee looked pleadingly at her brother, but he closed his eyes and turned away from both of them. With tears in her own eyes she turned back to Riley, and when she spoke, her words were filled with sympathy and sadness. "Your legs were badly broken, and you'll have to be in a wheel-chair until they're healed..."
Riley turned her face towards the ceiling and closed her eyes.
"There's more," Sharlee continued quietly. Riley's eyes opened but she did not turn to look at her. "When the vending cart fell on to you, it fell on to you from so high up and with such weight that it...it crushed your womb...you're unable to have children..."
*~****~****~****~****~****~****~*
Ooh! Cliffy! R & R please! Love all of you who've stuck with me from the beginning!
Kitty Malfoy (^.^)
Flames will be used to sterilize my tattooing needle.