Unraveled
Chapter Seventeen: Falling
Draco had left the private dining room, not knowing why he even cared about Fiona being upset. She was acting like an immature brat. Furthermore, she had ruined dinner for everyone else. He found her standing at the little bridge over the goldfish pond in the outer dining area of the restaurant. She seemed to be looking at the fish.
"I thought you went to go use the restroom," Draco said, surprising her.
"You nearly made me fall in!" Fiona flared at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "You've frightened the fish away. You're really getting started on this whole terrorize others thing. Pretty soon you'll be as good as your grandfather."
"Don't you dare compare me to him! I am nothing like him!" she shouted, ignoring the looks of other diners.
"You said before that we were friends, didn't you?" asked Draco quietly. He hadn't expected her to get so angry at him. He was only joking. She was nothing like Voldemort.
"You said that we weren't," Fiona reminded him stiffly.
"I never said that," corrected Draco. "I wasn't expecting you to ask such a strange question."
"What's so strange about it?" she asked.
"You may find this hard to believe, but I've never had any friends before. No one's ever counted me as one. I don't have friends. I have associates. People to do my bidding," he replied.
"Gee, if this is how you treat people, then it's no big surprise," she said sarcastically.
"Oh? And what about you?"
Fiona bit her lip. She looked at the pond again. She really wasn't looking at the fish earlier, but rather, her reflection. "I don't have any friends. Do you think if I had any friends, I would have to ask if you were my friend?"
Draco mused about it as he gazed at her. He still wouldn't marry her, despite how beautiful she was, but he didn't think it would hurt to have her as a friend. She was the first person who ever offered to be his friend. She didn't care about how much money he had or where he came from. She just wanted to be his friend. He found himself smiling. "As you friend, I'm going to have to tell you things you may not want to hear," he said slowly.
"Like what?" she demanded in a tired voice.
"Like moving to England. It's not so bad. I'm from England," said Draco.
"If that's your only selling point, it's not convincing," Fiona told him. "Going there would be just as good as walking straight into his hands."
"And staying in America didn't do your mother any good," Draco countered her.
"I don't want to lose what I've got left. Is that too much to ask for?" asked Fiona.
"What do you mean?" asked Draco, confused.
"First my life was ripped apart. Then I was moved here. Now, I have to move again. Not just to another place or country, but a whole new world where everyone will care about where I come from. I just want what's left of my life," answered Fiona quietly.
Draco couldn't understand. He would do anything to get away from his old life because there wasn't much for him. "Listen. You have no idea how terrible he is. You haven't seen anything yet. There's nothing here for you," he said.
"That's not true," she said stubbornly.
"My family has more money than sense, except for my mother. My father has no spine. He's already sold me out," said Draco with a bitter laugh. Their voices were lower, so the diners returned to their meals.
"What did he do to you that was so awful?" asked Fiona.
"My father arranged for me to marry someone. I don't want to marry anyone unless I choose to, but there's no way he'd hear me out," replied Draco.
"I thought that went out with the dawn of the last century in England. That's not fair. You should have said something. Have you even met this person?" asked Fiona with concern.
"I couldn't fight it. My father's not a man one would argue with. I've seen what he's done to the people who cross him. Some think he's a harmless fool, like your father, but they're wrong. As for the person I'm supposed to marry, at the time, I was told I hadn't met the person," replied Draco.
"I just don't want to go to that school," said Fiona.
"Hogwarts? It's not that bad. Although, I question Dumbledore most of the time, but it's not that bad. It's safe," said Draco.
"It can't be that good, if it accepted you," she said cheekily.
"Look, I don't want anything to happen to either of us. Just come to England. Besides, it's not like you have a choice. You're a child," he said, ignoring her comment.
"It's only my father's decision, which he didn't bother to ask me about before he made it. There's still my godmother and she gets a say in it," she said.
"Just because she hasn't said anything, doesn't mean she disagrees with your father. I think she agrees with him," he pointed out.
"I can't help it. I'm still mad at him. Whatever he says makes me mad," she confessed.
"It could be worse. A lot worse," said Draco, thinking of his father and Voldemort.
*
"You know, they've been gone for a while now," said Mrs. Lawson worriedly as she glanced at her watch.
Sirius was the quietist of all. He was thinking about what Fiona had said, I may never love you. Out of all the things everyone else had said, it stung the most. He felt it go straight into his heart. She didn't say she hated him, but the thought of her never loving him was torture. How could anyone so small in stature have that much power over him? The way she said was so cold. Thalia would have never said that.
"Children, especially teenagers, say things in the heat of the moment. Things that they will grow out of or into. I once told my grandfather that he was a foolish old man, and if I listened to him, I was insane. Now look at me, hardly a week goes by where I don't contact him for advise in my studies, and now in my teachings," said Ryu.
Sirius' eyes didn't leave the empty chair that was at his side. "Yeah, Sirius. Fiona is just adjusting. She's said some terrible things to Thalia before. And she always apologized for it later. She may mean it now, but later on, she'll be sorry. Just give her some time," assured Nell.
"Thalia once told me that she couldn't believe that anyone could be as stubborn as Fiona. She's one determined girl. She doesn't give up easily and knows how to hold a grudge. However, she'll sense how much it's hurting you, and take it back," intoned Mrs. Lawson.
"Where are those two?" asked Dr. Lawson.
"Daddy, say something," pleaded Nell.
"Oh, yes. I have some experience in these matters. I've raised a stubborn, intelligent daughter of my own. I don't really have much to say. You'll just have to weather this. It will pass," reassured Dr. Lawson.
Sirius heard them, but didn't listen to them. He felt lost. He couldn't talk to her. "Maybe, moving to England so fast isn't a good idea," he said with a sigh.
"No, it's the right idea. You have to be her father, not her friend. I used to get into trouble with Thalia for letting Fiona have her way. She has to understand that there's a lot more unfairness in the world than what she's seen. Besides, I've already put the house up for sale. And there's already a buyer," said Nell.
"You mean someone's already buying the house, Aunt Nell?" asked Fiona with Draco just behind her. "Where are we supposed to stay?"
"At my flat. We discussed it before," answered Ryu.
"Wait a minute. Why is everyone discussing things about me without me there?" asked Fiona.
"Because you won't listen that's why," mumbled Draco under his breath.
"I heard that!" she exclaimed.
"Indoor voice, you brat," he told her. She fumed at him with her hands balled into fists. Sensing trouble, Master Ran stepped in, "Let's finish dinner. Then we can have dessert."
"Yes, that's right, Fiona Fish," agreed Dr. Lawson. Draco snickered, but Fiona turned around and took her seat next to her father and Nell. She didn't even look at him. She avoided his gaze as if she felt guilty. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on Sirius' part.
Nell said, "I never promised you that we weren't going to move again, Fiona. We have to because—"
"—my grandfather is Lord of the Magical Underworld and wants me either for some evil purpose or dead," finished Fiona.
"I don't think you understand how dangerous he really is. Your mother sheltered you from everything. And I think you will have to teach her the history of magic," said Nell as addressed Ryu Ran.
"In time, please let's just enjoy this dinner," said Ryu. Fiona opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. There was no arguing with them. She looked across the table at Draco who looked right back.
*
"Are you're alright, Harry?" asked George Weasley as they suited up for a Quidditch game against the Hufflepuffs.
"Yes, I'm sure," answered Harry as he slipped on his boot.
"You went to bed early," commented Fred.
"So?"
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong? Are you sick?" asked Ron worriedly.
"I am not sick! I feel fine. Why does everyone keep asking me? Let's meet the girls and get ready to play. Don't pay so much attention to me. Pay attention to the game," said Harry hotly as he stalked off.
"I see what you mean, Ron," said Fred quietly. Ron and Hermione were the first to notice how angry Harry got whenever he was questioned. It was like he was hiding a secret. It didn't make much sense. Harry didn't hide secrets from his two closest friends. At least that's what everyone else thought.
Alicia, Angelina, and Katie met Harry with the Weasleys just trailing behind him. He had heard what Fred said and shook it off, telling himself that he wasn't acting strange at all. And it was his business if he wanted to say anything or not.
The game started without anymore questions directed at Harry. He was working himself harder than everyone else, which worried the team a bit. Harry hardly concentrated on Lee Jordan's commentary on the game and focused on looking for the snitch. He wasn't thinking of anything else.
That changed in a moment. He could see the girl of his dreams, still not seeing her face. She was walking outside into the backyard that he had seen more than once wearing just her pajamas. Suddenly, Harry's scar started to blaze.
The girl was standing all alone as a beam of light came towards her. As the beam of light came, Harry started to plummet.
*
Everyone returned to their homes for the night. Fiona didn't say good night to either her father or godmother. She wanted to be left alone for a while. Sirius and Nell talked quietly downstairs.
"We have to move out by the end of the week," said Nell.
"How did you manage to sell this house so quickly?" asked Sirius.
"I told the realtor that we probably wouldn't stay here for long. She said we should have stayed at an apartment, but I didn't want us to. If we lived in an apartment, there would be more people around, caring about our business. I sold the house under market value. In San Francisco, that makes it a bargain," explained Nell.
"There is a house in England. Black Manor is still standing. I believe that Thalia left our house elf in charge of making sure that the house is livable. I grew up there," said Sirius.
"Thalia never mentioned the house. She had a tendency to look forward to the future. She didn't like to wallow in the past. She did talk about you from time to time," said Nell with a sigh.
Sirius gave her a slight smile. "Fiona is very um…well…" he trailed off.
"Stubborn? Uncompromising? Dogmatic? Unreasonable? Which word would you like to describe her?" asked Nell with a rueful smile. "Don't get me wrong, Sirius. She's a good kid, but not everyone is perfect," she added.
"Yes, she is" he agreed with a smile. "I think it's time we go to sleep. There's a lot of arrangements we have to make."
"Good night, Sirius," said Nell as she went off to sleep. He followed behind her, but she went straight to bed. He stopped for a moment just outside Fiona's door, wondering if she was asleep or not. He wanted to open the door to check. Nell purposely gave her a room without a lock on it. He placed his hand on the knob, but reluctantly let it go. She was probably fast asleep anyway, so he sighed and went to the guest room.
Fiona was lying wide away, unable to sleep. She sat up in bed and got out. She didn't bother to get her bathrobe as she slipped on her fuzzy slippers. She decided to see if she could snack on something for a while. From the window, just above the kitchen sink, Fiona could see the clear night sky. She wished that she could get onto the roof to do some star gazing, but the best spot on the roof was over her father's head in the guest room.
Instead, she did the next best thing, she opened the sliding glass door to go out into the backyard. The cool air hit her instantly as she closed the door behind her. Everything was so nice and peaceful. She remembered the fireflies she used to chase, but never caught back in Virginia. She bit her lip wistfully, thinking about how different things had turned out.
She was unaware that there was someone creeping in the shadows. This person knew about her and had waited for the perfect opportunity for her to be alone, which Fiona unwittingly provided the moment she set foot outside the house. The man drew out his wand. It was time to attack.
Fiona sighed as she craned her neck up to look at the sky. She wondered how different things would look in England. Her mother once told her that wherever one went, the stars would be the same. The crystal that hung around Fiona's neck began to glow at the sign of the impending attack.
A beam of white light shot out of the man's wand as he hissed a spell that would render Fiona unconscious. However, the spell hit the ward that was up all over the perimeter of the house. Fiona stumbled back in surprise. "Who's there?" she demanded in a shaky voice.
"My name is not important," hissed a malevolent voice from the shadows. His eyes glimmered in the darkness. Despite, their color being black, they glinted against the lamp post light. Fiona backed towards the glass door, fumbling with the latch on the door.
"There is no where to run, young mistress," he warned her as he hissed another spell. The spell was stronger. It made the shielding spell over the house tremble. Fiona still couldn't get the door open. She didn't have her wand with her. She was paying so much attention to the man that she still hadn't noticed the crystal was glowing.
Meanwhile, Sirius was tossing and turning in bed. A voice cut through his sleep: it was Thalia's. "Sirius! Fiona's outside. She needs you," she told him. Sirius sat up and saw the golden glow of the shielding spell outside of the house. It was shaking and shimmering. His eyes widened as he heard Fiona's voice. "I'm not going anywhere with you! Get the Hell away from me!"
Sirius jolted out of bed and picked up his wand off the nightstand. He didn't waste time to call Nell or go down the stairs. He apparated downstairs right in front of Fiona. The attacker started laughing out loud. "Well, we've got an unexpected visitor. Sirius Black? The dementors are waiting for you. Perhaps, I should bring you to them," he said.
"You're not taking my daughter anywhere," growled Sirius as he raised his wand. He focused on where the voice was coming from. He remembered that Nell had said that the ward allowed for the people inside it to attack, but it prevented attacks from going inside. "Finite Incantatem!," putting a stop the spell that was breaking through the shield.
There was a momentary pause. "Get inside," Sirius ordered.
Fiona didn't need telling twice. She wretched the door open and got into the kitchen. She watched from the glass window as her father said the spell to finish off the man, "Stupefy!" Sirius purposely did the spell in a wide range, so that it would hit him.
Fiona heard a thud and watched as her father walked off to find the man. She called from the kitchen. "Don't go, Dad," she called, but he couldn't hear her. Sirius walked over to where the man lay. He pulled down the left sleeve of his cloak and found the Dark Mark. The man opened his eyes as he regained consciousness. He reached for his wand, but Sirius stepped on his wrist.
"How did you find her?" growled Sirius, trying not to kill him. "Imperio." He wasn't going to waste any time waking up Nell to help him. This was the fastest, most painless way.
"The girl is like a beckon. All I had to do was watch for unusually events in the Muggle world. The snakes in the zoo," confessed the man as he withered in pain. Sirius was twisting his foot on his wrists.
"I'd tell you to tell Voldemort that he's not going to win, but you won't be in a position to do that," said Sirius as gave a cold smile.
His eyes widened with fear as Sirius raised his wand again. "Obliviate." His eyes glazed over because Sirius had used a powerful memory charm on him. Sirius made it so that the man wouldn't even remember his own name. He stunned him again and apparated back to the house.
Fiona was standing at the glass door waiting for him to return. Her heart was going a mile a minute. Nell came back downstairs armed with her wand. "I saw the shielding spell shake. I thought it was a dream, but I heard shouting. Where's your father?" asked Nell.
"He went outside," said Fiona shakily. They both jumped when Sirius apparated back into the house after he questioned the man. "Dad! Are you alright?" asked Fiona as she went up to him. He was only wearing his pajamas.
"I'm fine. We can't stay here. That was one of Voldemort's men. He's got them all over the world. He came here because he was able to trace the incident at the zoo back to here," said Sirius grimly. "We have to pack up now and—"
Fiona and Nell looked at him expectantly. His eyes seemed to glimmer for a moment as a smile broke on his face. "What did you just call me?" he asked Fiona.
She looked back and forth between Nell and her father. She turned up her nose slightly. "You heard me. Please don't make me repeat myself," said Fiona.
"You were saying?" said Nell as she looked at Sirius.
Without taking the smile off his face, he said, "The only place we can go to that's safe is Ryu Ran's. We'll have to get there quickly without the car."
"We'll use Floo Powder. I made sure to have the fireplace hooked up. We can be there quickly," said Nell.
"What's Floo Powder?" asked Fiona.
"We have no choice, but to return to England much sooner than I'd planned. I hope that they're ready for us," said Sirius.
"What's Floo Powder?" asked Fiona again. "Why am I being ignored?"
"You're not being ignored. Get dressed and get packed. Bring as much as you want, but just enough to carry. Don't forget to pack your toothbrush," said Nell.
"Okay, but what's Floo Powder, Dad?" asked Fiona, figuring that as long as she addressed him as such he would answer her.
"It's a way of travel for wizards. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe," assured Sirius.
"Okay," said Fiona as she went upstairs. "I guess I can't fight going to England anymore. I didn't think anyone would try to hurt me," she added quietly.
"I won't let anything happen to you," said Sirius as he looked at her. She turned around at the stairs and gave him a small smile. "What you did back there was pretty cool, Dad."
Sirius was now grinning ear to ear. He had finally managed to impress her. "Don't just stand there grinning like an idiot. Go and get ready yourself," said Nell. He nodded and followed Fiona upstairs, while Nell went to go double check the wards and call her parents to tell them what had to be done next.
*
Ron watched in horror as Harry fell. The Hufflepuffs stopped playing at that moment as well. Everyone who was close enough raced to get to him before he hit the ground. Before Professor Dumbledore, could use his wand, Fred and George caught Harry. They supported him until they touched back down on the ground. Madame Hooch blew her whistle to call a time out.
"It seems there's something wrong with Harry Potter," announced Lee. Professor McGonagall was no long sitting next to him. She, Professors Dumbledore, Lupin, Delacour, and Hagrid left their seats to go and check on Harry. Ron left his post at the goal to speak with Hermione. "I think he's fine, Hermione. Do you want to come down with me?" he asked her. Hermione nodded and Ron let her get on his broomstick. Everyone else was quietly mumbling about what happened, and they recalled what had occured two years ago when the Dementors were at the school.
"Eez 'e all right?" asked Fleur as she followed closely behind Remus.
Madame Pomfrey was summoned from her office. She came to look over Harry who was out cold. The new seeker from Hufflepuff came down. "I caught the snitch," he announced. "But that was just now. There's no point in playing anymore."
"We'll just have a rematch later," said Madame Hooch.
"His skin is cold. Did anyone else see what had happened just before he fell?" asked Madame Pomfrey.
"Well, he was looking for the snitch. And I was watching him and the game. The next thing I know, he was holding his forehead," said the Hufflepuff seeker.
Professor Dumbledore decided it was time to announce something. "Tell Lee to announce that the game won't continue. And that there will be a rematch later on," he said to Fleur, who nodded and left.
"What happened to him?" asked Hermione. She and Ron landed just as the Hufflepuff seeker said he caught the snitch. It hadn't counted because there was already a time out called. Ron and Hermione looked shaken as they looked at Harry.
"No…stay back," muttered Harry. "Leave her alone." He fell silent after that. Remus looked at Professor Dumbledore who was looking rather pensive.
"I have to take him to the infirmary," said Madame Pomfrey. Harry was magicked onto a stretcher and everyone else dispersed back to their houses. Professor Dumbledore was followed by the professors, except for Remus, who left to go and contact Sirius about what had happened.
"What do you think happened?" asked Ron out loud.
"It has something to do with You-Know-Who. His scar was hurting him, but I don't know who he's talking about," answered Hermione worriedly.
*
The high priestess watched what had just happened in both places. First, she had seen Harry Potter's sudden fall on the Quidditch field and the attack on Fiona black. She looked the clear pool of water in front of her. Her expertise was water magic.
Water magic gave her the ability to see into the future and to see events in great distances along with the ability to control water as well. Her order specialized in the four elements: water, air, earth, and fire. They didn't need to bother with wands, potions, and incantations. The only priests of the order that had wands were the scouts of the honor guard, like Ryu Ran. They were the priests sent out into the world to live among the people and to report back to the high priestess what they found. Just because she could see any event she chose, didn't mean that she had the power to see everything. That was impossible.
The events in San Francisco delighted her immensely. The crystal was a surprise indeed. She had suspected that Thalia had not left Fiona totally defenseless, and the crystal confirmed it. The high priestess smiled to herself. She was also happy that Sirius was able to win Fiona over just a little bit.
On a whole, everything was going well. It could have not gone any better had the high priestess done it herself. She was Voldemort's worst and most dangerous enemy. No one else in the world hated him more than she did. She would cause his demise if it was the last thing she ever did.
AN: Okay, I gave Sirius a break. Fiona is now calling him Dad. Good progress here. Harry saw the attack before it even came. We'll be moving towards England in the next chapter. Hey, the story practically writes itself. Who is the high priestess? And what's her connection to others, especially Voldemort?
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! I really don't. I'm a poor. Don't sue me. ^^