That was Then, This is Now
Disclaimer: Not mine. Nuff said.
Kristin: This is a pretty weepy chapter. It is also going to be pretty short. It would be longer, but I wanted to get it out before Christmas, and I liked where I ended it. At this time, I am not saying whether I will kill off Chibi Chibi or not. All that I am saying, is that I already know what I am going to do about it, and nothing can change my mind. You may take that however you want to. ***
Chapter Fourteen
Usagi Black was a woman who had always been a pillar of strength. The mere mention of her name alone had made many death eaters tremble in fear. Great multitudes of people had believed her to be invincible, immortal, even without knowing about her past on the moon and her future as queen and Cosmos. She was unstoppable; able to do anything, except save the life of her daughter. Sirius, who had returned to Hogwarts to visit and had ended up agreeing to stay until Christmas, cradled the sobbing woman in his arms. Madam Pomfrey had recently come and gone, telling them the news and that Chibi Chibi already knew. "It's not fair, Sirius. I hate feeling helpless, but this one time when it matters the most, I can't do anything!"
"Why? Why can't you just use the crystal to heal her," he asked pleadingly. Usagi shook her head sadly.
"I can only heal diseases that the mortals have already discovered a cure for. If the cure for the disease isn't working on her, then using the crystal would be helpless." She valiantly tried to stop her tears, still shaking from the suppressed sobs.
"Then, bring her back to life after she dies," he suggested, hope evident in his trembling voice. Again, Usagi shook her head.
"She would still have the cancer when she was reborn. There is nothing that I can do." The two parents clung to each other as they cried; mourning their daughter's impending death.
***
Draco and Chibi Chibi stood in the empty classroom, staring. She stared at the floor, and he stared at her. Her face, neck, and hands, the only parts of her body that were uncovered, were devoid of any type of fat. The skin was pulled tightly over the bones. Her robes hung limply over her shriveled form, barely concealing the skeletal body. A small stream of blood trickled from her neck where she had retched off her necklace, bruises already forming around the wound. Dark bags were under her eyes, giving her a tired look. Her breathing was irregular, as if her confession had drained the last bit of strength from her.
She stared at the floor, afraid of what she would see in Draco's eyes if she were to look up. A gentle hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up into his ice blue eyes. What she saw there surprised her. Pain, sympathy, and something else that she couldn't place her finger on. None were things often seen on the usually closed off boy's face. "I don't know what to say, except that I swear I will be by your side when things get rough."
Chibi Chibi's eyes widened at his heartfelt oath. She pulled away from him, suddenly afraid of the intensity in those fathomless eyes. "Don't promise me that, Malfoy," she said, missing his wince when she reverted to calling him by his surname. "Don't promise me anything. Don't get any closer to me at all. I'm going to die, Malfoy, there seems to be no avoiding it. Why get attached to something when you already know that it is going to leave you. You'll just get hurt, and I care about you too much already to let that happen. Just stay away from me." She turned and began to walk toward the door. Draco reached out and grabbed her arm, taking special care to be gentle, but still firm enough to let her know that he wasn't about to let go.
"Do you think I care about any of that," he whispered, causing Chibi Chibi to turn around in surprise. "Yes, I will lose you, and it will hurt; probably more than anything has ever hurt me before. But, I would rather get to know you now, and get hurt, than spend the rest of my life hating myself for not taking this opportunity while I still have it. I want to know you, truly know you. I want to be able to look at you and be able to tell what you are think, or feeling. I want to know about your childhood, and your dreams for your future if your miracle does happen and you live. That is what I care about right now. Not all of that other stuff, but you. I care about you, and I want to be there for you, if you'll just let me." Chibi Chibi's eyes filled with tears, and she managed a small smile.
"Well then, meet me by the lake in about an hour. It looks like we have a lot to talk about."
"Why an hour?" Chibi Chibi smiled again at Draco, this time a little wider.
"You made me realize something, and I need to take care of something." She turned and walked to the door. When she reached it, she hesitated, and turned again to face Draco. She rushed forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you, Draco," she whispered, and then she disappeared through the door. Draco slowly touched his hand to his cheek for a moment, before walking out of the room, a very uncharacteristic grin on his face.
*
Chibi Chibi murmured the password to her mother's rooms, and silently entered the living room. Her parents were both on the couch, holding each other and crying. Usagi rose when she saw her daughter, and stepped forward to embrace her. Sirius stood as well, but remained where he was, not wanting to interfere, but making no move to hide the tears on his cheeks either. Chibi Chibi clung to her mother for a moment, before pulling away, and walking over to her father, who stared down at her in disbelief. "Daddy?"
Sirius' eyes nearly doubled in size, but he held out his arms to the small teenager, silently asking, hoping for her acceptance of his presence in her life, even though it was nearing its end. Seeing this, the last wall holding back Chibi Chibi's tears crumbled and she threw herself into his open arms. "Daddy, I need you," she whispered as her tears stained the front of his robe.
***
Kristin: Like I said, it wasn't very long, but I liked the ending of the chapter. Everybody wish me good luck. I'm singing a song all by myself tonight for my church's candlelight service.
Special Thanks to:
Solarmistress17
Silver Moon Goddess
Lady Light
Alexz
Tenshi-Chikyuu
Dingzhe no Megami: I'm so sorry about your uncle. There are so many things that I would like to say to you, but none seem appropriate in your time of grief.
Lunarian Amethyst: The first part was supposed to be funny. Glad that you liked it so much.
Emmichan: I am not releasing that information yet. Sorry.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Nuff said.
Kristin: This is a pretty weepy chapter. It is also going to be pretty short. It would be longer, but I wanted to get it out before Christmas, and I liked where I ended it. At this time, I am not saying whether I will kill off Chibi Chibi or not. All that I am saying, is that I already know what I am going to do about it, and nothing can change my mind. You may take that however you want to. ***
Chapter Fourteen
Usagi Black was a woman who had always been a pillar of strength. The mere mention of her name alone had made many death eaters tremble in fear. Great multitudes of people had believed her to be invincible, immortal, even without knowing about her past on the moon and her future as queen and Cosmos. She was unstoppable; able to do anything, except save the life of her daughter. Sirius, who had returned to Hogwarts to visit and had ended up agreeing to stay until Christmas, cradled the sobbing woman in his arms. Madam Pomfrey had recently come and gone, telling them the news and that Chibi Chibi already knew. "It's not fair, Sirius. I hate feeling helpless, but this one time when it matters the most, I can't do anything!"
"Why? Why can't you just use the crystal to heal her," he asked pleadingly. Usagi shook her head sadly.
"I can only heal diseases that the mortals have already discovered a cure for. If the cure for the disease isn't working on her, then using the crystal would be helpless." She valiantly tried to stop her tears, still shaking from the suppressed sobs.
"Then, bring her back to life after she dies," he suggested, hope evident in his trembling voice. Again, Usagi shook her head.
"She would still have the cancer when she was reborn. There is nothing that I can do." The two parents clung to each other as they cried; mourning their daughter's impending death.
***
Draco and Chibi Chibi stood in the empty classroom, staring. She stared at the floor, and he stared at her. Her face, neck, and hands, the only parts of her body that were uncovered, were devoid of any type of fat. The skin was pulled tightly over the bones. Her robes hung limply over her shriveled form, barely concealing the skeletal body. A small stream of blood trickled from her neck where she had retched off her necklace, bruises already forming around the wound. Dark bags were under her eyes, giving her a tired look. Her breathing was irregular, as if her confession had drained the last bit of strength from her.
She stared at the floor, afraid of what she would see in Draco's eyes if she were to look up. A gentle hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up into his ice blue eyes. What she saw there surprised her. Pain, sympathy, and something else that she couldn't place her finger on. None were things often seen on the usually closed off boy's face. "I don't know what to say, except that I swear I will be by your side when things get rough."
Chibi Chibi's eyes widened at his heartfelt oath. She pulled away from him, suddenly afraid of the intensity in those fathomless eyes. "Don't promise me that, Malfoy," she said, missing his wince when she reverted to calling him by his surname. "Don't promise me anything. Don't get any closer to me at all. I'm going to die, Malfoy, there seems to be no avoiding it. Why get attached to something when you already know that it is going to leave you. You'll just get hurt, and I care about you too much already to let that happen. Just stay away from me." She turned and began to walk toward the door. Draco reached out and grabbed her arm, taking special care to be gentle, but still firm enough to let her know that he wasn't about to let go.
"Do you think I care about any of that," he whispered, causing Chibi Chibi to turn around in surprise. "Yes, I will lose you, and it will hurt; probably more than anything has ever hurt me before. But, I would rather get to know you now, and get hurt, than spend the rest of my life hating myself for not taking this opportunity while I still have it. I want to know you, truly know you. I want to be able to look at you and be able to tell what you are think, or feeling. I want to know about your childhood, and your dreams for your future if your miracle does happen and you live. That is what I care about right now. Not all of that other stuff, but you. I care about you, and I want to be there for you, if you'll just let me." Chibi Chibi's eyes filled with tears, and she managed a small smile.
"Well then, meet me by the lake in about an hour. It looks like we have a lot to talk about."
"Why an hour?" Chibi Chibi smiled again at Draco, this time a little wider.
"You made me realize something, and I need to take care of something." She turned and walked to the door. When she reached it, she hesitated, and turned again to face Draco. She rushed forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you, Draco," she whispered, and then she disappeared through the door. Draco slowly touched his hand to his cheek for a moment, before walking out of the room, a very uncharacteristic grin on his face.
*
Chibi Chibi murmured the password to her mother's rooms, and silently entered the living room. Her parents were both on the couch, holding each other and crying. Usagi rose when she saw her daughter, and stepped forward to embrace her. Sirius stood as well, but remained where he was, not wanting to interfere, but making no move to hide the tears on his cheeks either. Chibi Chibi clung to her mother for a moment, before pulling away, and walking over to her father, who stared down at her in disbelief. "Daddy?"
Sirius' eyes nearly doubled in size, but he held out his arms to the small teenager, silently asking, hoping for her acceptance of his presence in her life, even though it was nearing its end. Seeing this, the last wall holding back Chibi Chibi's tears crumbled and she threw herself into his open arms. "Daddy, I need you," she whispered as her tears stained the front of his robe.
***
Kristin: Like I said, it wasn't very long, but I liked the ending of the chapter. Everybody wish me good luck. I'm singing a song all by myself tonight for my church's candlelight service.
Special Thanks to:
Solarmistress17
Silver Moon Goddess
Lady Light
Alexz
Tenshi-Chikyuu
Dingzhe no Megami: I'm so sorry about your uncle. There are so many things that I would like to say to you, but none seem appropriate in your time of grief.
Lunarian Amethyst: The first part was supposed to be funny. Glad that you liked it so much.
Emmichan: I am not releasing that information yet. Sorry.