Unraveled
Chapter Thirty-One: The Mysteries of the Mists
"Welcome to Avalon," said the tall, elegant woman with a serene look on her face. "It is good to see you again, Sir Ran."
Ryu stepped forward and crouched into a low bow. "The Goddess guards all of us, Milady. May I?" he asked. She nodded her beautiful head. She was breathtaking. Fiona couldn't tear her eyes away from her.
"May I present, the High Priestess of Avalon. Lady Desdemona, the Lady of the Lake," said Ryu.
There was a collective gasp around the room, except for Professor Dumbledore. She walked up to the guests. "I know who all of you are already. My water magic tells me so," she said. Her eyes fell once again on Fiona. "You resemble your mother, child," she told her.
Fiona stepped back away from her, bumping into her father. Lady Desdemona gave Sirius a very neutral look, but Fiona could sense a lingering coldness in her gaze. Sirius squared his shoulders. Next, Lady Desdemona turned her attention to Harry. She regarded him carefully. Much less fondly than she had Fiona as if she was deciding something important, "You bear your mother's eyes, child," she concluded.
Next, Draco stood apart from everyone else. "And you must be the student that Sir Ran would like to test," she said.
"There will be attendants who will show you to your rooms. I am sure that the time difference will take effect soon. You all must be very tired. I will converse with you all later. Sir Ran, please come with me," Lady Desdemona said.
A young woman walked up to Fiona. She was only twenty-years-old. "Greetings, Lady Fiona. I am to direct you and Sir Black to your quarters. My name is Gwendolyn," she said as she gave Fiona a curtsey.
Fiona knew why Pansy and the rest of the Slytherin were addressing her as "Lady Fiona," but now she was absolutely bewildered by Gwendolyn's greeting. Fiona looked at her father, who nodded. More attendants showed up.
"This way, Lord Harry," said a male attendant. "My name is Griffin." Harry looked as stunned as Fiona did. "Excuse me? What did you just call me?" he asked.
"It is the proper address, Milord. Unless you would prefer to be called something else?" asked Griffin.
"Yes, I would prefer to be called something else," said Harry slowly.
"As you wish, Lord Potter," said Griffin.
"That's not what I meant," said Harry. Griffin obviously thought that he wanted an even more formal address. "Why are you calling me that?" he demanded, annoyed.
"It is your proper title," insisted Griffin. "Very well, what would you like to be addressed as?"
"Harry."
Griffin looked astonished as he looked at the other attendants. They were instructed on what to call the two children. These children were very important. Harry's family line was even more distinguished than Fiona's. Harry sighed. This was going to be hard for Griffin to do. "Whatever. Just call me whatever you want," he surrendered with a sigh.
Draco smirked at him. He was used to being called by formal addresses and titles. "This way, Sir Draco," said the attendant.
Fiona and Sirius followed Gwendolyn who directed them to a large suite. "If there is anything either of you would like, do not hesitate to summon me. All you have to do is ask for me aloud, and I will come immediately," she said.
They waited for her to leave before speaking again. "Dad, I'm confused," announced Fiona.
"And I'm not? This is Avalon. This is the real thing," said Sirius as he gestured outside. She gasped at the scenery outside.
It was splendid. The trees were lush and green. The water was clear and deep blue. She looked outside and saw the pixies and fairies. She even saw a unicorn. It wasn't anything like the Forbidden Forest. Everything looked so alive. Fiona had an odd feeling of déjà vu. It was like she belonged. Part of her felt completely at home. "It's so beautiful. It's even better than the stuff in the books," she said appreciatively.
Sirius watched her and smiled. She was looking so much like her mother again. She always did, but even more so looking outside the way she was. There wasn't a window in the living room area, but a large balcony. She held out her hand and a little yellow bird flew to her.
"Hello," she cooed.
"Let's unpack," he told her. The bird flew away. "Bye!" she called.
"Okay."
They walked into separate rooms, but both were labeled with their names. Fiona stepped inside and found that her room was even larger than the living room. She looked for her trunk and found that it had been emptied. She decided to change and get some sleep, but she couldn't find her pajamas. "Where did they go?" she wondered out loud.
She opened the wardrobe. A white silk nightgown seemed to present itself to her. It was her size. She shrugged and put it on. It felt wonderful against her skin. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been getting longer and longer. She pulled the clips out from the sides. Her hair was now just past her shoulders. Her lips were rosy. She touched her lips again.
A memory jolted her. Harry had kissed her twice. She suddenly found herself wondering where he was. Why was she so bothered by him? Most people would like to be loved and adored. Now, she knew why he looked at her the way he did. It was for two reasons: he knew her and loved her.
Thalia's diary sat on the nightstand. The page that had been book marked was her entry about how Sirius looked at her. Fiona opened it again. She reread the passage again and the book slipped out of her hands. She sank to her knees. Her chest tightened as she leaned on the bed for support.
She didn't even realize she was crying. Who was he to love her? It made no sense to her. She wasn't ready for any of that. She was just trying to get used to having her father there. She didn't love Harry. Or did she? If she didn't, then it wouldn't bother her so much. She would have been able to tell him that she didn't love him.
Fiona grabbed onto her necklace. Her father had repaired the chain after she broke it. If this was a connection to her mother, then perhaps it could help her. No answers came to her. Her tears were coming from frustration because she was so confused and blind. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't face him again the next day, not in front of that many people. Yet she was afraid of being alone with him because of what he kept doing.
He loves you. He loves you. Just remember that. Be kind. Don't be scared, a voice told her over and over again, but she still couldn't shake her fear. Why was she so afraid? Why?
Because of her grandfather. He had destroyed her life even before she was born. He had killed Harry's parents, and her father had been blamed for it. Her mother had to raise her alone. Voldemort murdered her. He had taken a lot from her. Even now, he held her life in his hands.
Harry's feelings for her, only made him more vulnerable. Fiona had to fight her feelings. She had to fight what seemed very natural. He had held her tightly before when they had danced. He had told her many things about himself. He trusted her. He was the only one in Gryffindor who had openly supported her, despite the fact that he ought to have been the last person in the world to do so.
Fiona didn't feel the same way about Draco. Harry made her feel safe at times, but mostly vulnerable and opened to harm. He knew her better than Draco did. With Draco, she still had to explain a lot of things, but with Harry, he understood her better than anyone else.
I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. That's impossible. I'm too young to feel like this. This is stupid. There's no such thing. He's only going to get hurt. Or worse. I'm not in love, she thought as she shook her head. She let out a strangled sob.
Meanwhile at another part of the castle, Harry had a set of private chambers assigned to him. All by himself, he had four rooms. He had no idea why. There was a study, a sitting room, a living room, and a bedroom. He stood up and went to the balcony in his room. Strangely enough, he couldn't find his pajamas. He found some other ones that were there. In fact, all of his clothes had mysteriously vanished, but there were clothes in the wardrobes and drawers that fitted him perfectly. His chambers were grander than any of the other guests, but he had no idea.
Harry paced around his room, unable to sleep. He had no idea where Fiona was and that bothered him. He felt incomplete without her. He thought of the damage he had caused. Why did he have to be such an immature git? Why didn't he just follow the advice that Sirius had given him? He walked out to the balcony. He could see the bonfires off in the distance. He had been to the isle before, but in his dreams. He knew it the moment he saw the statues that were etched into the cliffs.
There were many things that left him confused other than Fiona. He knew how he felt about her. It was the way the people on the isle were treating him. They were treating him very differently than any of the other wizards he had encountered. He had noticed that they didn't look for his scar, but for something else. Something that Harry wasn't aware of.
He was treated differently from Draco and Fiona. Griffin didn't answer any of his questions. Harry was most perplexed because he was addressed as "Lord." Griffin did mention that it was still incorrect, but Lady Desdemona had instructed that Harry be addressed as that. He was sure that there was more to all this.
He paced even more. Where was Fiona? He knew he had made mistakes, but why did she get so upset at him just for saying he loved her? He couldn't figure it out. She looked so scared of him. He wished he knew what he could do to fix it, but she wasn't letting herself be alone with him. He could control himself for her sake. Maybe kissing her wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he couldn't help himself.
He wondered if she had told anyone else. Maybe she told Draco. Harry shook his head because he wasn't hexed or cursed yet. Then again, Draco had bigger problems to deal with. He wasn't completely fine yet. Harry doubted that Fiona would dump her problems on Draco during a time like this. Maybe she had told her father, but Sirius hadn't mentioned anything.
Harry walked out to the balcony. He could see that the castle made a circle all around and that he was at one of the highest places. He wondered how high up he was. Maybe he could go look for Fiona. Griffin did say that he would do anything that Harry asked. He shook his head. It was probably best to leave Fiona alone for now until she was ready to talk to him. He decided he would have to do something for her. Not anything grand, but something.
But what? What could he do for her without appearing too pushy? He was at a loss. He knew what he felt for Cho before was a just a crush because he hardly acted on it. He remembered that Cedric asked her out because Harry was too shy before. Now, he didn't want to lose his chances with Fiona by taking his time, but he'd already made a big mess of things.
Harry sighed. There was a knock at the door, startling him. He went to go and answer it to find Griffin. "Would you like something to drink to ease your mind, Lord Harry?" he asked. Harry had managed to get him to go back to "Lord Harry."
"What?" he asked.
"You seemed troubled, Milord."
Harry nodded. Griffin gestured him to take a seat on one of the chairs in the living room. He set the tea tray on the table and served him with a bow. He straightened up to leave, but Harry stopped him. "Do you know where Fiona is?" he asked him.
"Yes, Milord," answered Griffin with a nod.
"Where is she?" asked Harry calmly.
"I was told by the high priestess not to say," said Griffin with a shake of his head.
"But, you said that you would do anything I asked you. Tell me where she is," said Harry.
"I cannot."
"Oh, come on. It's not like I'm planning anything."
Griffin sighed and looked extremely torn. He knew who Harry was. He couldn't say no to him. "She's across the way on the other side of the castle on the same floor as us," confessed Griffin.
Harry nodded. "Thanks. That's all I need. I'm going to bed," he said with a smile.
"Really?" asked Griffin, slightly suspicious.
"Really. I'm tired. It looks like the sun went down here already. 'Night," said Harry as he went to his room. Griffin sat there mildly stunned for a moment. He waved his hand and the tea tray was gone. He went to the door, and instead of opening it, he phased through it.
Harry went to sleep without any trouble. However, he had the strangest dream. He dreamt that he was walking around outside. A great willow tree stood in front of him and he heard a voice. A voice that sounded familiar. It was coming from the willow tree. It called him. Harry reached out…
He woke up breathing deeply. He sat up and realized it was still dark. He looked up at the canopy over his head. He had no idea that something on the isle was making him feel this way. He turned over and fell asleep again.
*
Sirius woke up early that morning. He went to go check on Fiona and found that her room was empty. Alarmed, he went to go and look for her. Fiona was sitting on the balcony. He noticed that she looked worn and tired. "Did you sleep last night?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "Daddy, can I ask you something?"
"You just did, but go on."
"When did you know you loved Mom?"
Sirius gave her a soft smile. "The moment I saw her," he replied.
Fiona shook her head. "But that doesn't make any sense. There's no such thing as love at first sight," she said with a frown.
"Fiona, there are many things that exists that we don't believe do. You sound like your mother. I pity the boy that tries to win you over. I know how hard it was. You certainly are a stubborn young woman," he said with a smile. "But that's just even more proof that you're my daughter."
Fiona noticed the way he had said "the boy." She had a feeling that he was referring to Harry Potter. "Um…now that we're having this discussion. I feel I must add something," started Sirius. He looked a little nervous. Something that Fiona had never seen before.
"What?" she asked cautiously.
"Um…where do I start? You see there comes a time in everyone's life where they think of the opposite sex. Or same sex. Damn. This is hard."
"Daddy, you can stop," said Fiona with a laugh. "Mom told me. And my godmother is a doctor. So, I've had this talk twice."
"Oh thank Merlin!" exclaimed Sirius. "Okay, I don't need to go over any of those details. However, I feel I must add something. I will know everything that happens. So, don't do anything that you don't want me to know about until much later, do you understand?"
Fiona got the gist of what he was saying. She nodded. "But, I still don't know why we're here," she said as she gestured to the outside.
"I have no idea either," he told her. He could tell that she was hiding something. He wanted her to tell him what it was, but he couldn't force her. "You know you could tell me anything, Fin," he said gently.
She smiled at him. "I know," she said. She still wasn't sure about how she felt about Harry Potter. She didn't dislike him nor did she hate him. She wasn't sure if she could love him. It was a lot to ask for. She remembered him saying that he wasn't expecting her to love him back, but she thought of all the things he had lost in his life. However, if she chose to pretend she loved him when she wasn't sure, that would be a cruel lie. Sirius watched her. "Is it possible to love someone long before you ever meet them? Like it was meant to be?" she asked with a sigh.
"Are you feeling something like that?" asked Sirius cautiously.
"I'm not sure." She paused for a moment, then corrected herself, "No, I'm not. I'm just confused. She gave him a weak smile.
There came a knock on the door. Sirius helped Fiona to her feet. He was wearing his typical wizarding robes, but noticed that Fiona was wearing something else. He went to go answer the door. "Good morning, Harry," he greeted. Fiona was standing behind him, so he didn't noticed that she seized up a bit.
"Good morning, Sirius. Fiona," he said softly.
"What are you doing here?" asked Sirius.
"We have to go to Lady Desdemona for breakfast. That's what Griffin said."
Fiona decided to speak up, but her voice was so soft. "Where's Gwendolyn?" she asked.
"I have no idea," replied Harry.
"Let's go," said Sirius. They left together, but Sirius found that tensions were running high between Harry and Fiona. He noticed that he was walking in the middle and that Fiona was avoiding eye contact with Harry. Sirius was starting to wonder what had transgressed between them.
"Good morning, Sirius," said Remus as he smiled at the three of them.
They came to see that everyone was waiting for them. Harry slid Fiona's chair out for her. She gave him an odd look, but took a seat. Harry took the chair next to her. Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly at the two of them, knowing immediately what was going on. Harry found himself sitting next to Draco.
"Potter," said Draco shortly.
"Malfoy," said Harry curtly.
"Now that we've all gathered here," interrupted Lady Desdemona. "We have plenty to do today. I will be in a meeting with our adult guests. Sir Malfoy will be with Sir Ran taking a tour of the classes that are here."
Fiona didn't know how to speak up in a situation like this so she sort of raised her hand. "Yes, Fiona?" asked Lady Desdemona.
"Excuse me. What about me, Lady Desdemona?" she asked.
"You are free to do whatever you wish. As are you, Harry." Fiona noticed that Lady Desdemona had dropped the formal titles. She stole a glance at Harry.
"What can we do, Lady Desdemona?" asked Harry.
"Take a look around. There are many things to see, Harry. Things that may interest both of you," said Lady Desdemona with a smile.
Everyone ate breakfast with conversations here and there. Remus seemed to be in excellent health. Perhaps it was the powers of the isle at work. Ryu and Draco were talking about some of the classes they were going to be observing. Professor Dumbledore and the Weasleys were talking with Lady Desdemona. Severus ate his breakfast quietly, but every once in a while contributed into the conversation. Sirius attempted to engage Harry and Fiona in conversation, but was hardly getting anything out of them.
Lady Desdemona observed the pair carefully. She noticed how much Fiona resembled her mother. She had seen it in her looking glass, but seeing her in person made her heart ache even more. She was giving Harry a chance to be with Fiona. Lady Desdemona knew Sirius well enough to predict his behavior. He seemed like a kind man, but she had her doubts about him.
Breakfast broke up and all the dishes were cleared away. "See you later Draco. Tell me how it goes. I might see you," said Fiona.
"Maybe. Try to find something to do," he told her. He lowered his voice. "Watch yourself with Potter," he warned her. She nodded.
"Fiona, I want you and Harry to stick together. I don't want you two wandering around here separately," Sirius told her.
"But—"
"And I don't want to get any reports of you doing anything. You are guests here," said Sirius.
"We won't do anything," Harry assured him.
Everyone went their separate ways, leaving Harry and Fiona standing there. She refused to look at him. "Fiona, let's go outside," he said.
She looked at him. "Did your clothes disappear, too?" she asked him as she studied the fine velvet robes that he wore. He had picked out the plainest robes he could find in the wardrobes. He nodded. "You, too?"
"Yes," she replied. Her hair was down, framing her face. Her lips were moist. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away from him. "Let's go," she said finally.
They looked around. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" she said after a while.
"Yes, it is," he agreed. "Fiona, we really need to talk about what happened. You can't avoid it forever."
"I don't want to talk about me," she said abruptly. She turned away from him. "Fiona, what's really bothering you? I know that you don't really want to be alone. Otherwise, you wouldn't have stayed with me that night we star gazed. I also would have gotten into a lot more trouble by now, if you had said anything. Why? It has to be more than you not wanting me to get into any more trouble because of what Voldemort did."
She whirled around to face. "That's it! Voldemort! Haven't you been hurt enough by him? Just stay away from me!" she cried.
Harry was stunned for a moment. "You sound like you're more scared of Voldemort than I am," he observed.
She wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "I am a part of him, Harry. There's a chance I could hurt a lot of people."
"I don't believe it. Your mother didn't turn out evil. Look at Draco. Okay, bad example. I'm joking. I mean, he's hardly anything like his father. You have to fight it. I don't think you really have to. You're nothing like Voldemort. Not even a little bit."
"You are a fool," she muttered as she walked away from him. "I'm not going to stand here all day talking to a brick wall."
"Hey! You can't just walk off by yourself. Your father said we're not supposed to wander off alone," said Harry.
Fiona stopped in her tracks. She turned around and folded her arms over her chest. Despite the look of anger on her face, she still managed to look adorable. He smiled at her, making her features soften. "Fine," she agreed with a sigh.
"Where do you want to go?" he asked her as he looked around. He noticed that she was wearing shoes that looked strangely like ballet slippers. Too soft for doing a lot of walking. He was wearing sturdy boots.
"Let's just wander around aimlessly until we find ourselves somewhere," he suggested.
Fiona gave him a funny look. "Wonderful logic, Harry," she murmured. He smiled at her again and stared walking off. "Hey! Wait for me!"
He stopped and waited for her to catch up with him. She looked at him and blushed. She quickly averted her gaze from him. He felt a warm bubbly feeling in his chest. He just wanted to bask in her company for the day.
*
Lady Desdemona was a woman who always had a plan or a scheme in mind. She planned for the future and any possible contingencies that might arise. Her tactical mind was trained over time. Perhaps it was because of her past consort. Either way, she was not a woman to be trifled with, even if she wasn't so powerful. Her mind was a trap to any of those who thought they could outsmart her. She was also not easily surprised nor shocked.
She spent her time during the meeting studying Sirius Black. He intrigued her. She was trying to figure out what had possessed Thalia to choose him as her husband. Despite Lady Desdemona's intelligence, she still couldn't understand why.
Lady Desdemona knew a lot about the mind and the soul, but for matters of the heart, her perception was distorted. She couldn't understand how Thalia turned out to be such a loving person. That part of Lady Desdemona was long gone. Her heart was frozen because of her duties to the isle and the Goddess.
"Avalon will allow for some assistance in the fight against Voldemort," she said as calmly as possible.
"What kind of assistance are you planning to allow, Lady Desdemona?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"The best kind. The weapon that is needed is on this isle," she said simply.
"What kind of weapon?" asked Charlie.
"The owner will tell you later," said the Lady of the Lake.
Sirius sighed and said, "Is it normal for the people of Avalon to speak in riddles like a Cheshire Cat?"
"We Avalonians have many secrets that we do not want you Merlinians to know about. You know enough about this isle," said Lady Desdemona with a raised eyebrow as she peered at him. Sirius didn't back down, but somehow felt smaller.
"Why are you calling us that, Milady?" asked Percy.
"That is what you are. Merlinians. Your magic comes from the teachings of Merlin. Using potions, incantations, and whatnot are very primitive by Avalon standards," she said in a superior tone. "You would not require wands if you knew how to focus properly. Your magic is just a bastardized version of Avalon magic. It lacks elegance."
Professor Dumbledore looked rather amused by her words. She seemed to be focusing her attack at Sirius. "You do not even have cures for things as simple as lycanthrope," Lady Desdemona added.
Remus looked up at her because he was looking out the window at the scenery. "What do you mean, Lady Desdemona?" he asked.
"Avalon has the power to heal. You may have noticed that you feel different. Like something has changed. It is not my doing. Or anyone else's doing, but the isle and the Goddess at work," she told him. She even granted a small smile to him. If she had smiled fully, Sirius would have certainly seen Thalia's face.
There was a collective gasp around the room. "You mean that…I'm cured? Just like that?" he asked. She nodded.
"Avalon can cure almost anything. Except the most extreme pains of the heart, soul, and mind. It cannot completely heal those injuries, but the body is easily repaired," she said.
"You talk about the isle like it's alive," murmured Mrs. Weasley.
"Perhaps I should explain some of the magic that takes place here. As long as I do not go into techniques, there should be no problem. Avalon is truly alive, so to speak, Mrs. Weasley. All life energy convergences upon this isle, including magic. The energy is moved around to keep a balance of power throughout the whole world. The work we do is very important. The magic we wield allows us to do so. You have observed the four dots on our foreheads. Each dot represents the four elements of nature," she said.
She pointed to each one as she defined them, "Earth. Air. Fire. Water."
"Each element has something associated with it. Water magic allows you to look into the future with accuracy and to see in far distances. Air allows one to go through most barriers, to teleport, and to fly or float. Fire is strictly defensive, but can be used for more practical things like making a fire. Earth magic is a class in all itself. It is the most powerful of the four elements. It is the ability to create life from nothing," she finished.
"If Avalon is so powerful, then why don't you just go out there and defeat Voldemort. You obviously perceive him as a threat. Otherwise, you wouldn't have this meeting with us at all," said Sirius, dropping her formal title all together. This woman didn't require his respect. He was also sick of her superior attitude.
"I will tell you why," she said to him coolly. It was getting harder and harder to see what Thalia saw in him. "One of our own betrayed our secrets before. It caused the deaths of many and a great war. Remember this, Merlinian, your magic didn't exist before Merlin."
Professor Dumbledore decided to step in. "Why not tell them about Merlin, Desdemona?" he suggested.
"I think your crowd is smart enough to figure it out before I continue further," she said icily as she focused her gaze on Sirius.
"Merlin. You keep calling us Merlinians," ventured Percy slowly. He wasn't Head Boy at Hogwarts for his year for nothing. "It was Merlin who caused the destruction you're talking about, but how?"
Lady Desdemona smiled slightly again. The only times she truly smiled were when she was looking through her glass. "Yes. He did. We gave out the secrets of this isle, but modified it so that people like you could do it. It required a certain set of characteristics and that is the only reason why the magic hasn't been distributed to the non-Magics. These characteristics appear still. More and more people are able to practice Merlin's magic. He had devised it that way," she said.
"What did Avalon do to Merlin?" asked Arthur.
"The Lady of the Lake, at the time, charged him with high treason. She ordered our most powerful scout, Morgaine Le Faye, to hunt him down and drag him back to Avalon. She carried out the orders," she paused.
"No. He wasn't executed, was he?" asked Bill in a horrified tone.
"Nay. Murder is the ultimate offense. The taking of a life is strictly forbidden because of the energy that this isle runs on. His wand was used as a seal. His willow wand bounded him to this isle by growing him into a willow tree."
Sirius paled over he looked over to Professor Dumbledore. Lucius Malfoy. It sounded like what had happened to him. "Earth magic," he whispered as his thoughts fell on Fiona.
Lady Desdemona could see the wheels in his head turning. She knew what he was thinking, even though she could read his thoughts, she could tell from the look on his face.
Severus who had remained silent again thought of Fiona. It didn't take him long to think of Thalia. She always had more power in her than she displayed. It might have explained why Voldemort was so interested in getting her back. He didn't voice what he thought, but he did look over at Lady Desdemona. Then, he saw it.
It was the resemblance Lady Desdemona bore to Thalia. Severus looked around him to see if anyone else had seen what he did. Professor Dumbledore caught his eye. He gave him the briefest of nods.
*
Harry and Fiona walked along the path until they got to a strange glade. Unlike the rest of the isle they had seen, it was wild and unkempt. She was enjoying his company just as long as he didn't keep staring at her. The more time they spent together the more comfortable Harry felt about talking to her. He supposed it was because he had got his declaration of love out of the way.
There was a huge, unkempt tree at the entrance. It was very old and imposing. A voice spoke, "Come and claim what is yours, Milord."
Harry froze because he had heard the voice. He looked around to see Fiona undisturbed. "What?" she asked him.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
"Hear what?"
"I heard a voice saying something."
"I didn't hear anything."
Harry thought about the last time he had heard a voice that was unseen. "Maybe there are snakes around here," he mused.
Fiona had a horrified look on her face. "What? No!" she exclaimed as she looked around fretfully.
"What? Aren't you the heir of Slytherin?" he asked in disbelief and amusement.
"Yes, I am, but that doesn't mean I have to like snakes. I let loose a whole bunch of them at the zoo in San Francisco. That's how Voldemort was able to trace us there because it made the newspapers and television reports," answered Fiona. "I hate snakes. They scare me."
Harry knew he shouldn't laugh, but he did. "Oh, Voldemort isn't going to like that. He's got a huge snake as a pet," he told her.
"All the more reason to avoid him," said Fiona shakily. Another thought occurred to Harry, so he asked, "Aren't you a Parseltongue?"
"I don't know. What's that?"
"It means you can talk to snakes and understand them. I am," he said without bothering to explain how he became one.
"You mean there are people who can talk to snakes like that?"
"It's usually associated with the Dark Arts. Slytherin and his heirs are Parseltongues. Voldemort is."
Fiona thought about it. She remembered being frightened by snakes as a child when she fell into a ditch. The snakes were talking to her. She realized that she was Parseltongue. "I still don't like them," she said. "But what about the voice you heard?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know where it came from. I have no clue," he murmured. Ron said that even in the wizarding world hearing things and not knowing where it came from wasn't good. "It feels strange here," said Fiona.
"It's strange everywhere here," corrected Harry.
"No, I mean it feels weirder here than anywhere else. I feel at home everywhere else," she said.
Harry kissed her cheek, surprising her. "Let's go back," he told her. "I hope the meeting is over. They moved away from the tree. He took her hand as he guided her away. Her cheeks felt warm. Harry looked around. He was beginning to see what Fiona meant about feeling at home.
Fiona watched him for a change of pace. He was handsome. His features bared a balance between grace and strength. His cheeks were a little rosy, but she was sure it wasn't from blushing. His nose was straight and his forehead was covered by his tousled hair. She noticed how he always seemed to do that to hide the scar. It was because of all the attention he got from it. His lips were pink and she knew that they were soft. It was like she was seeing him for the first time.
He did look a little clumsy at times like someone who hadn't full grown into his height yet. She wondered how tall his father was. Was he as tall as hers? He let go of her hand, jolting her out of thoughts.
"What's wrong? What did I do now?" he asked her as she frowned.
She wore a look of disappointment on her face because he'd dropped her hand. His questions reminded her that they weren't supposed to be together. "Nothing. I was just wondering about the meeting. Do you think that Lady Desdemona really wants to help us?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. She's strange. It's like she knows us," he said.
Fiona nodded. They walked back to the castle. Fiona folded her hands in front of her as she walked. Harry let his arms hang lose. They walked closely together.
They found the meeting had concluded. Sirius didn't look very happy; he was annoyed. Seeing Fiona made him smile. "Where did you to go?" he asked them.
"We just wandered around," said Harry.
Lady Desdemona watched them. Fiona was very much like her mother, but she also was like her father. Lady Desdemona couldn't understand why she didn't find Sirius' qualities so annoying in Fiona. She could tell that he was an excellent father.
"Come with me, Fiona," she said.
"What?" asked Fiona as she looked at her father for what to do.
"You may go with her if you want, Fiona," he said.
She looked back and forth and wondered why there was so much tension between them. It looked like they hated each other. "Come," pressed Lady Desdemona. She had longed to spend some time with Fiona.
"Harry, go with Sir Ran. You will have something to do," she added. "The rest of you can observe some of the practices, if you wish. Gwendolyn will guide you."
Fiona walked beside Lady Desdemona. She studied her. She was everything that her mother had been. Elegant and wise, making Fiona's heart ache. She bit her lip. She wondered what she would have been doing if her mother was alive.
"You miss her very much," said Lady Desdemona.
"How do you know?" asked Fiona.
"Because I miss her, too," she whispered.
AN: More weirdness. Damn school getting into my free time. There are a couple of strange things happening here. First of all the titles that Fiona and Harry are being addressed as. Fiona's feelings towards Harry are changing. Perhaps she's starting to feel the same way? Yes, that's the third time Harry's kissed her. He really does love her. It's a slow descent for them. Sorry, Severus hasn't been talking much. He's a casual observer here. Whatever he's paying attention to, you should pay attention to. He'll talk more in the next part. Sirius is also having a hard time with Lady Desdemona. They're clashing, but that's to be expected, considering how they're related to each other.
And for the people who keep asking to bring Thalia Black back, please refer to my journal. http://remyelf.livejournal.com. Hardly anyone goes there I think, but that's fine with me. I'll go on the assumption that everything I do is great. ^^ Yes, I truly am deluded.
By the way, I just happened to realize that the trio, Harry, Fiona, and Draco are a lot like the characters from Kingdom Hearts, Sora, Kairi, and Riku. I just thought I should say that. I'm setting aside one week during winter break to play the game, so I'll take probably take two weeks off during that time for finals and to play the game. But that's not until December.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the characters from the books belongs to JK Rowling along with some other companies that have licensing rights. I make no cash off of this. However, donations to kirikarin's send her overseas fund will be gladly taken. ^^