G:H, R:Hr & new characters.// This tale springs forward in the Harry Potter
series to when 18 year old Ginny places herself in a situation that must
save her career, life and love; with help from friends, family and
unexpected alliances.
~ Comical, romantic, different than you would expect! ~
Challenging the trust
Brandi and Tessa lounged on Tessa's bed, towels in their hair and wearing old, comfortable robes so they could sprawl as they please. Today was the tribute to the Head Girl and Head Boy, a fabulous feast with close friends and family. She had to make a speech, which was usually no problem for her, but it was dedicated to her parents, who Dissel ensured wouldn't be attending.
Hugging her knees, she sat staring into space, unaware that Brandi was looking at her in concern. She tapped Tessa's foot with her own, trying to gain attention from her close friend. Tessa focused back on her roommate, thinking of how jealous she used to be of Brandi's beauty.
The Australian girl had olive skin that was smooth and flawless; she never had to worry about sunburns or pimples, just how much blush she needed. Her hair was a shade of brown that highlighted her face perfectly, though she thought her natural bouncy curls were evil and straightened them everyday with her wand. Brandi's eyes revealed all her emotions if you knew her well enough. She had no constant color, only green when she's happy, blue when she's sad and purple when she's angry.
Right now, she was looking into a deep indigo. "What's wrong?" Tessa asked.
"Nothings wrong, its just you've been so depressed lately. I want to know what's wrong with you."
"I'm just nervous."
"I'm not talking about only today, Tessa. You've been acting this way sense we've come back from the break, about 18 days ago. Haylie and Lisa have been noticing it too, but I'm the only one brave enough to ask. You haven't been getting mail from your parents or Ginny. What's happened?"
Tessa bowed her head. So many times over the years she found herself on her bed with her roommates, ready to cry, kill or smile. She knew she would miss that horribly, being able to share all secrets, dramas and stories with her friends. This was different, though. Never before could she share something and have everyone become in danger. This was too risky.
"I can't say."
Brandi's eyes went from blue to black.hurt. "No one is telling me anything anymore. I miss knowing what's going on in everyone's lives!"
"Brandi, I.." Tessa tried to interrupt, but she was stalled when tears began to run done her friends' cheeks.
"This is all happening so fast. We come back from Christmas and everything is blocked off from me! You just being unhappy and scared and every time you get mail from your uncle you look like you're about to go on a rampage." At the mention of Dissel, her "uncle", Tessa flinched but Brandi kept going, "Head Girl seems to beat on you and it tells me that Ginny is no longer there for you to lean on. Oh, but it's not only you. Lisa is quiet and squirmish, spending all her time on the Quittitch field and ignoring food, sleep and studies. She has a problem I can't knock out of her, also, and it's ripping her insides apart. Then there's Haylie, who ran after a grim three days ago, scaring us all to death, and comes back looking like she ran into the Devil. Sense her moods have been either mad or sad.Why are you all so unhappy? I want to help!"
Tessa put a hand on Brandi's shaking shoulder, but it was shrugged off. She sighed and told her friend, "You are helping. Being here, letting me know you want to comfort and protect me. You are a true friend by being happy while the rest of us are depressed, unwilling to release the storms that are battling within our minds. Brandi, I need you just to be happy and yourself, that's how you can help."
Brandi smiled through her tears at this, a speech that only a person who cares enough can say. She wiped the wetness off on the back of her hand and took her hair down from her towel before saying, "I remember when we first met, all of us. On the train to Hogwarts; I was standing in the hall looking for a room. I had no friends, no luggage, only a wedding gown, the letter and wand. It was my wedding day, but none of my family or friends cared that I was accepted to the best magic school the wizarding world held, they only cared about traditions. I was eleven, yet promised to be wed before I left my mother womb to another family's son."
Tessa leaded back against her pillows, never hearing much about Brandi's almost marriage and eager to remember as well. Brandi continued.
"He was older than me in fact. Never attended Hogwarts, he was sent to Qynt School of Wizardy down home. Very nice but not ready to be married, though. With all the evil spreading through the world, our parents found it best for us to marry and make proper heirs, like in the olden days. He didn't believe in that, he wanted love," she sighed and continued, "He is the kinda guy I would chase now. At the wedding, he was waiting for me to come down the isle, but knowing there was another plan in mind. We had discussed it; it was his idea for me to run. I had my wand hidden in my bouquet and was smart enough to know about the Knight Bus, which I flagged down and boarded while the flower girl was throwing her petals. Somehow, I managed to get on the Hogwarts Express on time, and that's when Lisa came along."
Tessa beamed at Brandi, proud that she, at such a young age, fled her home, disgraced her family all the in sake of Hogwarts. Brandi smiled back at the mention of Lisa, and slowly continued telling Tessa the story while she remembered.
((memory: The first thing Brandi noticed about the other girl was that she was already wearing her school robes, which Brandi reminded herself she didn't have. Looking down, she tried to pass the girl and find a vacant compartment where she could write to the school about that problem. The girl wouldn't let her pass, though, and instead offered her hand.
"Hi, I'm Lisa Rockwall." Lisa introduced herself when Brandi placed her white gloved hand into hers.
"Um, I'm Brandi Shami," she answered.
"There are no more open rooms down that way, so you can come sit with me." Lisa offered. Brandi nodded and was lead into a compartment, where there were already three guys sitting.
"This is Bobby Taffy, Justin Tipe and Chile Searish. They're all first years, including me. What year are you in?"
"First." Brandi said, smiling at the guys.
"What's with the dress?" Justin asked, looking at it up and down.
"Um, a muggle wedding dress."
"Are you Muggle-born?!" Lisa asked in awe, sitting down.
"Nah, it's just my family tradition to have Muggle-like weddings."
"Why are you getting married? You're eleven!" Chile exclaimed.
"Here, you can put on one of my robes," Lisa offered, noticing that her new friend seemed a bit uncomfortable with the conversation. "All of you, out for a minute!"
After the boys were shooed away, Brandi took off the lavish dress and Lisa fingered with it while the other girl pulled on the robe.
"I've never seen a Muggle wedding dress," she announced quietly, having her hand drift over the beads before saying, "It's beautiful."
The rest of the trip past and when Brandi got off the train, she had made many new friends and was happier than she had ever been in her life. They followed a giant onto boats and glided over the surface of the lake like fish. Seated in the boat with them was another girl, who shyly looked at the new friends with hope.
"Hi, I'm Brandi and this is Lisa. What's your name?"
"Haylie. Are you from Australia?" she asked timidly.
"Yes I am. What house do you want to be in?"
"House?" The girl had an accent, but it was so vague Brandi couldn't place it.
Lisa looked at Haylie wide-eyed before saying, "Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! Don't you know about them?"
Haylie tilted her head and opened her month to say something when the boat bumped against the shore. The first years were scooted into the large castle and told to wait to be sorted. Everyone was nervously flinching and straightening their clothes when a muffled shriek was heard. Brandi, who was standing between Lisa and Bobby, turned to see a small girl getting pushed by another girl, who happened to be huge.
"Someone help her!" she whispered to her friends, pitying the victim.
Haylie seemed to get the message, because she walked up and tapped the big girls arm.
"Excuse me, but would you do as the teacher said? You'll make all of us look bad."
"What do 'ya mean?"
Brandi stood up next to her new friend, who she prayed would be in the same house as her. "She means that if this sorting is a beauty contest, you better brush your hair, straighten your robe, get the gunk out of you eyes and blow your nose."
Stifled laughs and "oohs" were distributed around the crowd and the girl looked ready to kill. Before any blood could be spilled, the professor returned and they were lead into a big room the size of.well..a big room.
They passed the older students silently; aware of all the stares and whispers they gave on and other, and stopped in front of a platform holding a big table with all the professors at it.
A hat was placed in front of them and the top opened to sing a poem to them, explaining each of the houses in turn. When it was finished, the professor started calling students to sit on the stool and have the hat placed on their heads.
"Black, Haylie." There were many gasps throughout the older students. Even Lisa inhaled deeply at the sound of it.
"What?" Brandi whispered to her friend as Haylie passed them and made her way up to the hat.
"That's the name of the escaped murdered. Black. I wonder if she's related."
Then they were quiet again as the hat was dropped. Many seconds slowly went by, all eyes were on Haylie. Pressure seemed to swirl, the room was dead silent. It was broken then by a giggle, sweet and cheerful, that came from Haylie. Everyone then laughed and talked quietly among themselves till the hat announced, "Ravenclaw!"
An applause broke lose, mostly from the Ravenclaw table, and Haylie hurried to sit with her new house. More students went, all of them place in their proper houses and Brandi began to feel nervous that she and Lisa may not be together.
"Mourning, Tessa." The girl that was being pushed in the hallway hopped onto the stool and merely seconds later she was announced a Ravenclaw. She sat next to Haylie and they started conversation, which Brandi wanted very badly to be apart of. Lisa was called next.
"Good luck," she whispered to Brandi, and then sat down. "
Ravenclaw!" it told the room and she was then sitting with Haylie and Tessa. She crossed her fingers, praying she would be put in the Ravenclaw house.
"Shami, Brandi."
She took the proper seat and felt the hat drop over her head. "Whoa, you've a lot of bravery, young Brandi. Running away from home to come here, leaving your family and friends. I'd think you'd be well in Gryffindor. But wait. You've got more wit then bravery, and your loyal, too. Hm.where to put you? In any house you'll do well, make friends and work hard, but let's see. What do you want?"
"RAVENCLAW!" she screamed into her head.
"Well then, you've got it! Ravenclaw!" its last words echoed in the hall.
Brandi collapsed next to Lisa and told them what the hat had said.
"Strange, it knew where I was to go right away. By the way, I'm Tessa. I've already thanked Haylie for helping me, and I just wanna say thanks to you, too."
"Brandi. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, you're from Australia! Wow, I'm gonna have a fabulous time here, such a variety of cultures to live with!" Tessa was so excited.
"Variety of other cultures?"
"I'm from the US," Haylie said, then looked at Lisa, "and no, I'm not related to any mass murderers that I know of, sorry."
Lisa's face went white and she asked, "That you know of?"
Before Haylie could answer, the Headmaster stood to make his speech.))
Tessa smiled at the memory, especially from Brandi's point of view. They had remained friends through all these years, fitting together so perfectly she had no doubt they were made to be buddies for the rest of their lives. Brandi smiled back, tears filling her eyes.
"I think I may know what's wrong with Lisa, now." She said, wiping her eyes.
"What?"
"Well, we've all known she's had a crush on Justin for years, right?"
Tessa rolled her eyes gladly, welcoming the fact that Brandi can't keep a secret if her life depended on it. "No, I didn't." she answered, laughing at Brandi's guilty expression
*******.
Lisa sat on the cold floor, holding the note in one limp hand and covering her eyes with the other. She didn't usually go through other people's mail, but when your friend looked like the walking dead, she was going to do her best to find what's wrong.
It never occurred to her that Dissel could be the problem.
Lisa stared at the note again, reading it in her mind for the 37th time:
Ms. Mourning,
I need your progress on the man I told you to scout, only then will your parents be safe.
Yours, Dissel
The note was so blunt, so much to the point with no details or offering of what the situation truly was. But Lisa knew; she knew very much this man. He had chased her once, too.
******
Sirus put his paws in front of him, stretching lazily and wondering about where he was going to get his next meal. He longed to be able to go to the castle again; Haylie always found a way to smuggle meals from the kitchen, but she was furious at him for all the commotion he caused at the Quidditch game. Not to mention that he had to stay in Hogsmade to see Harry that afternoon.
Sirus thought about his godson with a big doggy grin. He was so proud about how well him and his friends had done with their lives, it was wonderful to see them all grown up and using their talents and skills to help the world. He also knew very well how proud they all were of him.
Then there was Haylie. He had known about her for only about seven years, when he escaped and wrote to her mother. She was never his daughter, his baby girl or, by far, the apple in his eye. She was Haylie, the Ravenclaw Keeper who brought him food. He didn't know what she thought of him, though. She didn't adore him, like Harry did, or show respect to him because they were related. She rarely would be happy when he was around, or glad to see him. He knew the problem, though. Their DNA matched.
Shaking his head, Sirus stood and walked out into the street, going back to the internal battle of where to get food.
~Meanwhile, down the street.. ~
Harry appeared in front of the Hogwarts gates, which were open as usual, and surveyed the area. Sirus wasn't expecting him so early, but he needed to get out from the base before he killed anybody. Making his way down the sidewalk, he began to relax. He had been visiting this little town sense he was a 3rd year still attending school. Here, no one jumped on him or asked for his autograph or wanted to pose in a picture with him. They all kept their distance, knowing the boy who lived was camera shy and usually was in no mood to sign anything.
He passed his old flat, which the press had deserted, and remembered meeting the younger students there last year when they left the castle. Most often, Ginny and a friend would come play some prank on him and beg for free food, which he gave generously. Usually the friend was Tessa, some Ravenclaw that had become Ginny's closes companion, and she would go on about her singing or Ginny working for the Weekly Prophet.
He remembered a conversation he had with the youngest Weasley about her new job. She had asked him why he never told her anything anymore and he just shrugged.
"Let me see, is it because I'm writing columns in the newspaper?" she guessed.
"Of course not.."
"Don't you trust me?" she challenged, folding her arms over her chest and staring at him furiously.
"I do!"
"Well, for your information, everything about you is off the record, ok? I'm your friend!"
She didn't forgive me for 3 months, he thought, smiling. From then on he trusted her and she didn't say anything, but that didn't mean the rest of the media would stop.
He continued to walk, looking down alleyways and in dumpsters along the way for his godfather. He spot the big, black dog jogging toward the shrieking shack with a steak in it mouth and started jogging after him.
"Sirus!" he whispered.
When the dog didn't hear him, he tried again more loudly, "Sirus!"
He turned around with a big doggy grin, then looked to make sure he was out of view of other bystanders and transformed. Spitting the raw meat out of his mouth, he opened his arms for a hug and exclaimed, "Harry!"
Hugging tightly, the men pulled apart and studied each other. Harry had grown little taller than Sirus, making him just shy of six foot and his build was incredible from Auror training His hair, ever messy, was still black but lighting near the ends to seem like there was more then there really was. His mothers deep green eyes looked tried, but glowed with temporary happiness, no longer hidden behind his not-so-famous round glasses. Ginny had convinced him to get contacts, pronouncing he looked like Hermione with her reading glasses. The scar was there, right in the middle of his forehead where his bangs normally parted so everyone could see it.
Sirus was never as sickly thin and pale as he was when they had first met. He ate regularly, filling him out to be lean and somewhat muscular, but he never made it to a gym (he's a murderer, duh). His skin was white because it was constantly being covered by fur and his eyes were a happy, sparkling black. His hair was also black, but shoulder length on account that there was usually no one there to cut it, but the look fitted him well.
"You're going to eat raw meat?" the younger man asked, looking at the steak between them.
Laughing, Sirus offered a piece of it to Harry saying, "I've got to stay alive and watch out for you, my boy."
Looking disgusted, Harry jerked the steak out of his grip and threw it. "Great, now I bring you lunch."
With a flick of the wand, a superior meal appeared on the Shrieking Shacks front porch. Practically drooling, Sirus dug right in and Harry watched with amusement. "I can't believe you sink as low as un-cooked steaks."
"Usually Haylie brings me regular food, but.." Sirus stopped abruptly, cursing himself. He had meant to tell Harry about Haylie during this visit, but he hoped to approach the subject slower, with more caution.
"There's that name again. You mention her all the time yet avoid telling me who she is. Are you two sleeping together or something?"
"Harry!" he almost gagged.
"Sorry, but for a while now her name has been slipping out."
Huffing, Sirus took a bite of chicken and then turned to face his godson. "I was planning on telling you later today, but I guess I'll break the news now."
The men looked at each other for a beat before he continued. "The year I escaped and found you, I wrote to the woman I've loved sense my school years, Ciara. We did marry, but when I was executed to Azkaban for life, she was chased out of England. She came back two years later and entered my cell with divorce papers and tears. It was my idea, I had told her years before to forget about me and move on. Before I signed the papers, she told me she would always love me," he smiled, "and she proved it."
Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Spare me the details of what you did. What I'm wondering is how you didn't get caught."
"That's one of my Ciara's talents; she can do anything and get away with it."
"This is not explaining who Haylie is."
"I'm getting there. Well, some years later, I convinced a guard to give me a newspaper and saw Ron and Peter on the front page and escaped. You know that story. I wrote to her, as I said before, and she wrote back telling me she was in America, living as a Muggle and raising her child. I was stunned. I wanted her to be happy, but I could never think of her with another man. When I asked who her husband was, she said she hadn't remarried. Shocked, I asked who the father was, and she said it was me"
Harry's eyes opened to the size of lemons and his jaw dropped. Not looking at his godson, Sirus continued.
"Ciara told me she had kept my last name and given it to our child, who was a girl she named Haylie. She didn't have the heart to tell Haylie she would never meet her father, so my daughter didn't have a clue who I was. The ministry did, though, and if you thought you were under watch for me being out, she was under school arrest and had no idea why. When her mother wrote to her, explaining the whole situation, Haylie was furious and exclaimed she'd never go home again, and instead has been working right here in Hogmade during holidays sense she was twelve."
The shock was wearing off and Harry began to look sympathetic. Hoping that was a good sign, Sirus ended the tale.
"The night before Peter got away and I met you, Haylie snuck out and told me because I was her father, she was going to take care of me. Over the years, I've been writing to both you and her, wondering when to tell you about each other. She guessed about you about five years ago, but you never even imagined me having a child, so I didn't know how to break the ice. Three days ago I snuck up to watch her play Quidditch, she's the Ravenclaw Keeper and captain."
"You daughter is Haylie Black?! The Haylie Black? She's more famous than me!" Harry just now seemed to bounce back to reality, making the connection.
"Not quite, but she is talented. I think she gets it from me. Didn't you realize the last name before?"
"Its kind of common, plus she doesn't look a thing like you."
"She has my eyes, and my personality. In fact, I concluded before you arrived that our DNA matches."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you decide to tell me today?"
"I had no idea when and how to tell you. I decided on today because I went up to the school three days ago and interrupted her victory over beating Gryffindor for the first time in a decade. I didn't mean to, but some student screamed and everyone thought I was a grim. I ran into the forest, and of course she ran after me. When I finally talked to her, she was furious about something and yelled about all sorts of things, one of them being you."
"Me?"
"She wanted you to know."
"Better yet, she wanted you to stop lying to me," Harry began, feeling anger bubble in his gut. "She was told for eleven years something else about her father. I know what it feels like to be lied to for that long; the Dursleys did it to me about my parents, history and me being a wizard."
"I cant image with she will do when Ciara tells her she's a witch, not Muggle." Sirus offhandedly said. Shaking his head, he told Harry, "I never lied to you, Harry. I would never do that. I just simply didn't tell."
Harry nodded, feeling the anger leave him. "Do you love her?"
"I've always loved Ciara."
"I mean Haylie."
Sirus's face paled and he seem to think about it. "I thought about you for the thirteen years I was in that horrible prison. I didn't thing about her, I didn't feel anything for her, and I even didn't know about her! It was always you and Ciara."
"But do you love her?"
Sirus took a bit of mashed potatoes before he said, "Its not like I love her less, its just I love you more, and I think she knows that."
In the building, someone huddled close to the door, listening to every word.
******
Ginny rushed back to her dorm, feeling her hair begin to change back to red and the mole begin to shrink down to nothing. When she made it to her hallway, she sprinted till she was in the privacy of her room, locking the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. Stress had over taken her; she needed to find some other way to change her appearance other than poly juice.
She walked to her mirror, looking into the reflection and finding her old self back, looking frustrated and tried. Sighing again, she closed her eyes and pondered on what excuse using to explain why she had run out of a board meeting. Leaning against the sink, she realized that she was worrying more over that then her story, the real reason why she was here.
"Ginny, your not a Auror," she told herself firmly, and turned to face her bed, finding an unmistaken able red envelope and a regular one waiting for her. The howler was begging to sizzle, smoke coming out of the cracks.
"Oh, no he didn't," she whispered to herself, eyes wide and backing into the sink, failing to put more room between her and it. Deciding it was the best idea to open it before it set the room up in flames, she ran over, grabbed a pillow, and tore it open, pressing the pillow over it to muffle. The screams could be heard easily through the feathers.
"WEASLEY! YOU TOLD ME YOU'D STAY IN TOUCH AND ON TOP OF THIS AND SO FAR I HAVENT GOTTEN ANY NOTES FOR YOUR STORY! I'M GOING OUT ON A LIMB FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR PROTECTION, BUT FOR YOUR CAREER! I EXPECT MORE UPDATES AND RESEARCH FROM MY REPORTERS! MAYBE YOU WERE JUST A BIG MISTAKE!! WHEN YOU GET BACK, I'M GOING TO STICK YOU BEHIND A DESK FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS! I EXPECT TO SEE YOU IN ONE HOUR!"
She felt the howler burst into flames beneath the pillows and she sank to her knees, shaking. She needed out, and she needed it right now. Glancing at the other letter, she murmured something unprofessional and tore it open to find a dozen more hairs to put in her poly juice. At least he's still sending me her fur, she thought, placing Mrs. Tajue's spare hair aside and packing a bag for the weekend. Remembering the last time she left her bag full size and went through the passage into the base, she cleverly shrunk it and pushed it deep in her pocket. Placing the hairs into the envelope, she hid them from view, grabbed her notebook, and tapped the doorknob with her wand to make sure it was locked.
Striding down the hallway, she stuck her head around the corner to make sure no one was coming, and then discretely walked toward the exit. She didn't feel like explaining to anybody about her appearance; she was lucky enough not to have to worry about Harry seeing her, because he had told everyone about his leaving the day before. Reaching the metal door that lead to the tunnel, she let out a sigh of relief. She missed her family and friends and daylight.she was glad she was going away for a while.
"Chess?" someone said in awe behind her, and Ginny hid a groan before turning around to find Schell there, looking bewildered.
"Come, lets go into the cave?" she offered, guiding the door open and letting the stale, dirt smell enter the base. He shuffled in hurriedly behind her, letting the door slam.
"I'm going out for a couple of days," she told her, crossing her arms.
"You use poly juice again?" he said, clearly noticing her curves this time.
"Yeah."
"I wanna meet the person who gives u these hairs," he muttered before realizing it, and, blushing a bit, asked, "We've got a raid in three days, though. We need you."
She was flattered by his comment, still remembering the first time she met him on the street in that sleeping drinking town. "We're more than prepared and I need a break. Working non-stop for almost two weeks makes you lose sleep, but I'll be back for the raid."
Nodding, he let her pass, then watched her look for a way out. She didn't see any other gum wrappers or Apparating ground and, feeling quite stupid, looked to the ceiling for a way out. She stood right under the hole she fell out of last time, then turned to Schell and said, "A little h.". Before she could finish her sentence, she was being dragged upward, twisting through the same worm-hole she adventured in before. Grasping her wand, she shut her eyes and waited almost patiently to feel solid ground again.
With a not so graceful plop, she landed right next to Totell, the guard. He smiled and helped her up saying, "Ms. Furnet, good to see you again."
She blushed, recalling when she gave a true name when you only were suppost to give a call, but snapped back to him, "It's Chess, Totell, and you could have at least given me some idea that around here you don't give a real name."
His grin began to stretch even bigger when he told her, "I wanted to hear what the people down under would say about that. Pity the first person you saw was Schell; he never plays along with my jokes."
"Some joke."
"It would have been."
Ginny couldn't help but smile back at him when he handed her her dropped wand and bowed to her as she walked away. She knew Mr. Tajue would be expecting her as soon as possible, so once she was out of sight from the comical guard, she Apparated to her bosses house.
A tiny Muggle home, no bigger than two bedrooms, the house was very warm and cozy. She never noticed the details before when she was so nervous about a Death Eater popping out of a tree and killing her with an Unforgivable Curse. Thinking of that, she looked around behind her and searched for one, just in case.
After confirming the absence of any evil doer, she rang the bell and waited to get the tantrum of her life. Instead an older woman opened the door, the exact picture of what Ginny looked like when she was Chess, considering she was using this woman's hairs.
"My I help you?" Mrs. Tajue asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
What a beast, Ginny thought to herself before she said, "I'm Ginny Weasley; I work for your husband. Is he home?"
"He's at the office, and if your planning to go there, tell him he better pick up some flowers, I'm pissed."
Stopping the grin that was about to form on her face, Ginny responded with a polite, "Yes, ma'am," and walked away, Apparating to her office.
She stood in the middle of the room, thinking about all the long hours she worked there; overtime, weekends and late nights, sometimes even spending the night. Sighing, she left her work place and began to stroll down the hall, stalling time.
"Gin! Hey, Ginny!" someone called behind her and she froze, recognizing that voice.
What's Harry doing here? she though frantically, looking down at herself to make sure everything was in order.
"Whoa, were you about to leave?" Harry panted, catching up to her and noticing her bewild look.
"No, just.um.here, working. What are you doing here?" sweat began to form at her brow, and she wiped it away quickly.
"Just got news and I was hoping you'll be here so I could use your desk and owl, but if your leaving," he trailed off, questioning himself. He hadn't seen her in a long time, yet it felt like they had visited yesterday. No, he thought, I was working. "You're looking great," he added.
She breathed a sigh of relief and walked back to her office, happy to realize that, of course, he didn't know. How could he? "What's the news? You're looking wonderful, too."
"Thanks. I'll tell you later, ok? I really need to write your brother and Herm. Do you mind?"
"'Course not, I need to be somewhere anyway. Hey, wait for me, ok? Maybe we can go eat dinner or something."
"I will. Thanks for letting me use this."
"No problem," Ginny assured, and then left him to his business. When she finally made it to Mr. Tajues office, she took a deep breath and knocked.
"Doors open."
She entered and closed the door swiftly behind her, not a moment too soon. When he saw her he exploded, telling her off for not bringing him reports, staying in touch, never the less staying on track.
Ginny almost laughed out loud when she realized all she heard was "blah, blah, blah". Pelican was a brat, throwing fits whenever something went wrong or changed. In the short time living in that base, she had gotten used to pretending to listen to his lectures, meanwhile letting her mind wander. She figured that, sense this was her real job, she better tune back in.
"You have been irresponsible, not keeping up with your reports, not breaking ever so often so come to the office; you said you'd be on top of this, and so far..."
Screw it, she thought to herself decided to interrupt his speech before she started to yell back. "Sir?"
"I'M NOT DONE, WEASLEY!"
"I understand, but sir, I've been working, the thing is people love your wife so much."
"What?!"
"Well, I am posing as her. I've adopted her features and manner, and everyone won't leave me alone now. Always coming by, 'Chess, you want more coffee?' or 'Chess, your reports are so awesome!'."
"Who's Chess?"
Sighing, Ginny took a seat, figuring she'd have to explain about call names all the way to the raids.
~Meanwhile, in Ginny's office.~
Harry just finished his letter to Hermione, discussing about the conversation with his godfather about his teenage daughter. Harry was still shocked, but he knew Sirus meant good so he wasn't angry, just shocked. Almost the whole time he was at Hogwarts he was sitting 3 times a day in the same room as her, beating her in Quidditch, dueling with her in the dueling club, and spending Christmas holidays with her.
Shaking it off, he thoughts changed back to Ginny. She looked good, must have been working out because she looked fit, more than the last time he saw her. She also had more confidence in her eyes; he figured her job must have been going well. He also sensed a bit of urgency, though, when he called her name. He never really noticed it before, but he missed her terribly. The funny thing was, it felt like he had been seeing her enough not to miss her. He did anyway.
He tilted forward in the seat and leaned his head on his hands, massaging its temples. Reaching for his wand, he muttered a spell to make his almost headache disappear, then started writing a letter to Ron.
Harry was signing his name right when Ginny stepped into the office, rubbing the back of her neck and yawning with her eyes closed. Not noticing him at her desk, she twirled away from the door, shutting with her left foot and then fell into her chair, right onto Harry's lap. The moment she landed on his legs, he felt her tense, then a sharp pain when her elbow collided with his stomach.
"Mmph!" was the only sound Ginny heard when she suddenly remembered that she had invited Harry to her office.
"Oh, Harry! I'm sorry, I was thinking about other things. Forgot you were here," she squeaked, spinning, still on his lap, to face him.
He smiled weakly, hands on his middle and panted out, "I noticed by that very graceful turn into here." He then sat up straighter, as if to challenge her playfully.
"Well, that's how I always bet you in Quidditch. Luckily we were on the same house team, I always had to cover for your clumsy ass."
He through back his head and laughed good naturally, giving her a hug.
"I always trusted you to save me, love."
She looked at his big, green eyes close and remembered that she was a grown woman now, over the stupid school-girl crush. Still, Harry Potter held a tiny piece of her still innocent heart, and she began to feel the guilt of deceiving him. She was leading him and all the other Aurors on by pretending to be Chess. Sighing, she asked seriously, "Do you really trust me?"
Stuck of her sudden soberness, she responded with, "As much as I trust Ron."
"Would you trust me if I was forced to do something and didn't tell you?"
"What is it?"
Suddenly aware that she was still seated on his legs, she pushed herself off of him and played idly with the sleeve of her robe. She turned over in her mind about telling him her secret, then scolded herself for even pondering that kind of disaster. "Nothing, its just that the time may come up when we may have to challenge our trust."
"Then I say that trust builds over time. C'mon, Ginny, I need to owl post these letters to Herm and Ron, then let's go eat."
She nodded, yet not any more relieved.
******
Haylie knew she was due in Hogwarts' parlor any minute for the feast, but instead of offering Tessa kind words of congratulations or talking with the other guest before the tribute began, she found herself down in the dungeons, pacing for no good reason. Letting her white dress robes drag in the dust behind her, Haylie turned to look at herself in a very out of place, full-length mirror. Brandi had begged her to leave her hair down, so there was a sea of golden that ran just past her shoulders, curling at the ends to make it seem more exotic. Her black eyes were decorated with white and glitter and her lips, which were usually in a smirk, looked soft under the gloss. The freckle under the lips made her look more sexy, and Brandi, who had pushed her into a chair to do her make up, told her that it shouldn't be covered up.
"I look like my mother," she thought, her eyes filling up with tears. Sniffling loudly, she turned away, not ready to let her heart receive another blow. She missed her mother terribly, and she didn't want to admit it. "The woman lied to you," she told herself, staring at her refection again. Her eyes in the mirror locked with her own, and she said out loud, "That's the only difference. I have my fathers eye's."
Sirus' eyes were the first thing she noticed when she met her father, six years before. Black as night, just like hers and full of the same thing she felt. Shock, anger, and above all, fear. Yet there was one thing missing at the time that she had searched his eyes for everyday sense.love. She was his daughter, but he didn't seem to care. She didn't blame him at first, but then she did, because he loved Harry Potter more than his own flesh and blood.
Haylie doubled over in emotional pain when once again the hurt stabbed her heart. Not caring about how she was dressed, she sank to her knees and let the blow she had blocked before beat her insides raw, yet never letting a tear fall.
"Keep faith," she reminded herself, clutching her middle and surrendered to the pain, something she hadn't done in a long time.
******
Draco stood staring at the door of the Headmasters' office. He didn't know why he was summoned, but he didn't really mind leaving Malfoy Manor. His childhood home, which was never filled with any warmth in the first place, seemed like a torture chamber. Screams carried up from the dungeons, echoing through every empty hallway. The Dark Lords people were always hurling themselves at his feet and it seemed that everyday there was a new death to morn for. Draco hated it all, but he hated more that once upon a time he wanted it.
He shook off his thoughts when Dumbledore opened the door, looking prepared to leave. Caught off guard by the site of Draco, the young man was looking crossed-eyed at the wand pointed directly at his nose. Taking a moment to recognize his companion, the Headmaster smiled and pocketed his wand.
"Hello Mr. Malfoy, I was expecting you much earlier."
"Sorry, sir, but I was in the middle of something," Draco responded.
"Well, this will have to wait till tomorrow. I have to be at the tribute to the Head Boy and Girl now," Dumbledore said, gliding Draco over to the steps down, "but you can stay over night."
"You are very kind. Where will I sleep?"
While standing on the moving stairs, Dumbledore rubbed his beard before answering, "There are many open rooms; this is such a large castle. I remember you are quite fond on the dungeons, though, so you may find a bad down there."
Draco nodded, stepping off at the end of the steps, and bid goodnight to the Headmaster before turning in the other direction and leaving. He knew this castle well from his school years, and soon he slipped into a secret passage leading down to the cool, moist dungeons.
When the he came to the end of the passage, he pressed his body against the cold dirt door and let it swing open, only to step out and trip over a warm body.
******
Haylie gasped when the mirror she was watching herself in earlier crashed against the other wall and a man, shadowed by the darkness around, stepped and fell over her, knocking over the candle stick that gave the room its only light. It became as dark as midnight. She didn't move, just sat listen as the man grunted and, by the sound of it, began looking for something. She screamed when his hand clasped over her ankle, and before she knew it, she was underneath him, his hand over her mouth and back pressing against the ground.
"Shhh," the voice came into her ear, "I'm here for the Headmaster, and now I'm going to find my wand and get some light. No more screaming, understand?"
She nodded, and shivered when the warm body lifted itself off of her. She stood too, pulling her wand out of her pocket.
"Let me help, I have mine," she told the stranger, and whispered "Lumos."
Draco's breath hitched at the site of the Ravenclaw Keeper without sweat and Quittitch robes. He didn't expect to see her, of all people, and to cover her mouth with his hand when she screamed. She seemed a lot braver in the forest the first time they had met.and also seemed a lot less beautiful.
Haylie didn't notice the man was Draco, instead searching for his missing wand. Her dress robes were wrinkled and dirty, and her hair was tangled, but the tom-boy in her didn't pay attention to such things. Her almost- emotional breakdown was interrupted and she was fine with it, not ready to let her heart face such hurtful facts.
She then spotted his wand, and bending over to scoop it up, she said to him, "Sorry about the scream. I'm afraid of the dark and having strange hands grabbing me didn't help." She turned toward Draco with his wand and smiled until she recognized him.
His silver, blond hair was messed up from the fall, having a lock escape onto his forehead and his black robe had torn at its sleeve and his arm, which bleed from a gash. She locked eyes with his for a second, revealing to her that he was just as much surprised to find her down there. Stiffly, she handed him the wand and began to straighten her dress robes and hair, wanting not to look into those gray eyes again.
"Ms. Black, I recall?" Draco began, still looking at the top of her head.
"Yeah, I am." Silence before she said, "Let me help you with your arm."
"What?"
"You're bleeding."
He looked at the angry gash, and before he could protest, she roughly grabbed his arm and inspected it.
"You said you were here for the Headmaster. Is it true, or were you just trying to shut me up?" she asked, letting a little grin lift the corners of her mouth.
"Well, you were screaming in my ear, but I forgive you now, considering you said you were afraid of the dark."
She finished inspecting in and looked up at him to say, "You need to go to the Hospital Wing, I don't know what to do with this."
He nodded, feeling light-headed at the sight gash. He swayed a little bit and then felt his body being pulled down to the ground.
"Lie down. What's wrong?" she impatiently asked.
"Nothing, just a little dizzy," he answered, paling when he look at the cut again, blood slowly flow out of it.
Haylie threw her bead back and laughed loudly. "The sight of blood makes you queasy, huh?"
"Shut up." He glared at her before drawling, "At least I don't need to sleep with a light on."
She winked good-naturally, forgetting temporarily who she was talking to. "It just makes the sex better."
Draco relaxed and his handsome face broke out into a grin. "Glad to see we're on the same page." He then sat up, holding his arm without looking at it, and pushed the mirror door closed with his foot. When he turned back his head to face her, she turned her head away, blushing. 'Aw, I'm not irresistible to her after all.' He thought.
Haylie stood up quickly, horribly angry with herself for the long look at him. She stood the candle up again and lit it before saying, "I'm needed somewhere, so I'll send someone down to you."
"No, don't, I'll take care of it." He knew that the headmaster hadn't told anyone else about him. All the students, teachers and staff thought he was a Death Eater. He then realized that Haylie knew that he was a double-agent also. 'Oh bugger. Now I need to say something about it.' Unwilling to talk about it yet, he stalled by asking, "What are you doing down here?"
"Um...just thinking. I can't leave you here without medical attention, and I know you can't take care of it. Come, I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing."
"I said it was fine. What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Why don't with want to go up?"
"No reason. So if you weren't thinking, why are you down here?"
They glared at each other, both wanting their questions answered and demands met. Gray against black, both flashing, battled. The jokes and teasing had ended.
"I was thinking about my family."
Caught off guard, Draco just blinked at her. 'Sirus? Is he really her father?' he asked himself again, still debating. The evidence was clear, though. Her black eyes gave it all away.
"Well, do you want to go to the Hospital Wing or not? I'm sure the Headmaster wants all his double-agents in working order." She said, clearly annoyed at his blank expression.
"Who said I'm a double agent?" he responded, not likely her bluntness.
"Oh please. You told me that you were here for Dumbledore. Plus, you came through a secret entrance into the dungeons; obviously not want to be seen. I'm guessing no one knows you're here. We all believe you're a Death Eater any way, so you want it to stay that way, and..." she trailed off, thinking back at her last comment. 'He wants everyone to think he's a bad guy so his cover isn't blown,' she thought, before asking herself, 'What does he do to people that do know that shouldn't?' Her hand tighten around her still lit wand.
"I think you answered your own question," he smirked at her where her bluntness had gotten her.
"Yes."
"Are you gonna tell anyone?"
"Maybe."
"I don't think you should."
Her pride was still there, and even though she was scared, she answered, "What would you do to stop me?"
"Tell everyone who your father is."
At the mention of her father, Haylie flushed with fury. Not even bothering to ask how he knew, she denied it. "No one can prove he's my father."
"Your eyes are proof enough, not to mention you act just like him. Keep it quiet who I am, and I'll do the same for you."
"Like I would really trust you. You would still work for the other side if I don't tell, and I'm putting my friends in danger if I let you go."
Draco was beginning to get worried. Haylie Black wasn't cooperating, and he knew that if she didn't, he wouldn't get very much farther than the 19 years of his life. 'Why wont she bend for me?' he wondered.
He couldn't believe it when she smiled and held up her hands, as if they were to be chained up. "Take me away and kill me now, Malfoy. We both want it to happen."
"No, I don't. Why would you?"
The thoughts she felt earlier drifted back to her, and she felt the same pain attack her body. She kneeled, her hands still ready to be chained, and letting her head drop, to hide the tears that filled her eyes. She didn't want to have that emotional breakdown in front of him, so she mumbled quietly, "How long would you live if I told anyone about you?"
"Not long."
"Fine, just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"We don't know each other, we haven't ever met. I don't want my friends and family endangered."
Draco nodded, offering his palm. She took it while still kneeled, and shook. Letting go, she stood, walked right up to his chest, and tore his robe into a piece. She began to wrap the fabric around his arm, and said, "You know, according to all the stories I heard about you, your not all that bad, Mr. Malfoy. You don't kill Muggle-born children when they beg on their knees, you don't rape unaided women in the school hallways, and you don't carry a cruel heart behind your handsome face, though you can be as cocky as hell."
"You don't know all that much about me. This IS only the second time we met."
"Yeah, and the first time I judged you, screamed at you, and lied to your face."
He laughed while she stepped away from him. "I can't blame you. Your dad had just ruined your victory. I was quite please, though, to see Gryffindor lose. You are a pretty good Keeper."
"You were there when he scared the crowd away? I swear, I worked my ass off to beat that team, and when I did it, he had to come begging for food." She began walking away till she stopped and turned to look at his face again.
"I trust you, Malfoy. I don't know why, but if you break it, I swear by Quittitch that I will make you watch yourself die."
"There's the Ravenclaw Keeper I remember."
"Don't remember me."
"Yeah, I know, we don't know each other. Till we meet again, Haylie." He bowed to her.
'Damn, that man does have class,' she thought, trying to leave the memory of him behind.
******
Lisa sat, straight as a board, in the parlor. The conversation she heard while reading Tessa's letter in the Shrieking Shack had shaken her to the bone. Brandi came to sit next to her.
"Whats wrong?" Brandi asked.
"I know something about Tessa and Haylie."
"What?!"
"We'll all talk later." Lisa looked at her friend and said sternly, "Don't tell them we know anything."
Brandi nodded as Haylie walked in, her robes dirty, wrinkled and bloodstain, and her hair was tangled and frizzy. She searched the room, found Brandi, and began to walked over to her.
"Can you fix me, Brandi?"
"What happened?"
"We'll talk later, I have something to tell you all." Haylie responded, her hair and robes back to normal, and she turned to find Tessa.
Lisa tilted her head, watching her friend leave. "She's in trouble," was the only comment she made to the baffled Brandi.
**Yikes, 29 pages. Well, sorry it took so long; I'm having trouble using that FictionPress thing. Well, in the next chapter, Tessa and her friends have an overdo chat, Ron and Hermione finally come in, Harry and Ginny fight along side of each other, Dissel becomes frantic, Draco gets his new mission and starts his deal with Haylie, and Schell spills about his connection to the past.**
Brandi and Tessa lounged on Tessa's bed, towels in their hair and wearing old, comfortable robes so they could sprawl as they please. Today was the tribute to the Head Girl and Head Boy, a fabulous feast with close friends and family. She had to make a speech, which was usually no problem for her, but it was dedicated to her parents, who Dissel ensured wouldn't be attending.
Hugging her knees, she sat staring into space, unaware that Brandi was looking at her in concern. She tapped Tessa's foot with her own, trying to gain attention from her close friend. Tessa focused back on her roommate, thinking of how jealous she used to be of Brandi's beauty.
The Australian girl had olive skin that was smooth and flawless; she never had to worry about sunburns or pimples, just how much blush she needed. Her hair was a shade of brown that highlighted her face perfectly, though she thought her natural bouncy curls were evil and straightened them everyday with her wand. Brandi's eyes revealed all her emotions if you knew her well enough. She had no constant color, only green when she's happy, blue when she's sad and purple when she's angry.
Right now, she was looking into a deep indigo. "What's wrong?" Tessa asked.
"Nothings wrong, its just you've been so depressed lately. I want to know what's wrong with you."
"I'm just nervous."
"I'm not talking about only today, Tessa. You've been acting this way sense we've come back from the break, about 18 days ago. Haylie and Lisa have been noticing it too, but I'm the only one brave enough to ask. You haven't been getting mail from your parents or Ginny. What's happened?"
Tessa bowed her head. So many times over the years she found herself on her bed with her roommates, ready to cry, kill or smile. She knew she would miss that horribly, being able to share all secrets, dramas and stories with her friends. This was different, though. Never before could she share something and have everyone become in danger. This was too risky.
"I can't say."
Brandi's eyes went from blue to black.hurt. "No one is telling me anything anymore. I miss knowing what's going on in everyone's lives!"
"Brandi, I.." Tessa tried to interrupt, but she was stalled when tears began to run done her friends' cheeks.
"This is all happening so fast. We come back from Christmas and everything is blocked off from me! You just being unhappy and scared and every time you get mail from your uncle you look like you're about to go on a rampage." At the mention of Dissel, her "uncle", Tessa flinched but Brandi kept going, "Head Girl seems to beat on you and it tells me that Ginny is no longer there for you to lean on. Oh, but it's not only you. Lisa is quiet and squirmish, spending all her time on the Quittitch field and ignoring food, sleep and studies. She has a problem I can't knock out of her, also, and it's ripping her insides apart. Then there's Haylie, who ran after a grim three days ago, scaring us all to death, and comes back looking like she ran into the Devil. Sense her moods have been either mad or sad.Why are you all so unhappy? I want to help!"
Tessa put a hand on Brandi's shaking shoulder, but it was shrugged off. She sighed and told her friend, "You are helping. Being here, letting me know you want to comfort and protect me. You are a true friend by being happy while the rest of us are depressed, unwilling to release the storms that are battling within our minds. Brandi, I need you just to be happy and yourself, that's how you can help."
Brandi smiled through her tears at this, a speech that only a person who cares enough can say. She wiped the wetness off on the back of her hand and took her hair down from her towel before saying, "I remember when we first met, all of us. On the train to Hogwarts; I was standing in the hall looking for a room. I had no friends, no luggage, only a wedding gown, the letter and wand. It was my wedding day, but none of my family or friends cared that I was accepted to the best magic school the wizarding world held, they only cared about traditions. I was eleven, yet promised to be wed before I left my mother womb to another family's son."
Tessa leaded back against her pillows, never hearing much about Brandi's almost marriage and eager to remember as well. Brandi continued.
"He was older than me in fact. Never attended Hogwarts, he was sent to Qynt School of Wizardy down home. Very nice but not ready to be married, though. With all the evil spreading through the world, our parents found it best for us to marry and make proper heirs, like in the olden days. He didn't believe in that, he wanted love," she sighed and continued, "He is the kinda guy I would chase now. At the wedding, he was waiting for me to come down the isle, but knowing there was another plan in mind. We had discussed it; it was his idea for me to run. I had my wand hidden in my bouquet and was smart enough to know about the Knight Bus, which I flagged down and boarded while the flower girl was throwing her petals. Somehow, I managed to get on the Hogwarts Express on time, and that's when Lisa came along."
Tessa beamed at Brandi, proud that she, at such a young age, fled her home, disgraced her family all the in sake of Hogwarts. Brandi smiled back at the mention of Lisa, and slowly continued telling Tessa the story while she remembered.
((memory: The first thing Brandi noticed about the other girl was that she was already wearing her school robes, which Brandi reminded herself she didn't have. Looking down, she tried to pass the girl and find a vacant compartment where she could write to the school about that problem. The girl wouldn't let her pass, though, and instead offered her hand.
"Hi, I'm Lisa Rockwall." Lisa introduced herself when Brandi placed her white gloved hand into hers.
"Um, I'm Brandi Shami," she answered.
"There are no more open rooms down that way, so you can come sit with me." Lisa offered. Brandi nodded and was lead into a compartment, where there were already three guys sitting.
"This is Bobby Taffy, Justin Tipe and Chile Searish. They're all first years, including me. What year are you in?"
"First." Brandi said, smiling at the guys.
"What's with the dress?" Justin asked, looking at it up and down.
"Um, a muggle wedding dress."
"Are you Muggle-born?!" Lisa asked in awe, sitting down.
"Nah, it's just my family tradition to have Muggle-like weddings."
"Why are you getting married? You're eleven!" Chile exclaimed.
"Here, you can put on one of my robes," Lisa offered, noticing that her new friend seemed a bit uncomfortable with the conversation. "All of you, out for a minute!"
After the boys were shooed away, Brandi took off the lavish dress and Lisa fingered with it while the other girl pulled on the robe.
"I've never seen a Muggle wedding dress," she announced quietly, having her hand drift over the beads before saying, "It's beautiful."
The rest of the trip past and when Brandi got off the train, she had made many new friends and was happier than she had ever been in her life. They followed a giant onto boats and glided over the surface of the lake like fish. Seated in the boat with them was another girl, who shyly looked at the new friends with hope.
"Hi, I'm Brandi and this is Lisa. What's your name?"
"Haylie. Are you from Australia?" she asked timidly.
"Yes I am. What house do you want to be in?"
"House?" The girl had an accent, but it was so vague Brandi couldn't place it.
Lisa looked at Haylie wide-eyed before saying, "Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! Don't you know about them?"
Haylie tilted her head and opened her month to say something when the boat bumped against the shore. The first years were scooted into the large castle and told to wait to be sorted. Everyone was nervously flinching and straightening their clothes when a muffled shriek was heard. Brandi, who was standing between Lisa and Bobby, turned to see a small girl getting pushed by another girl, who happened to be huge.
"Someone help her!" she whispered to her friends, pitying the victim.
Haylie seemed to get the message, because she walked up and tapped the big girls arm.
"Excuse me, but would you do as the teacher said? You'll make all of us look bad."
"What do 'ya mean?"
Brandi stood up next to her new friend, who she prayed would be in the same house as her. "She means that if this sorting is a beauty contest, you better brush your hair, straighten your robe, get the gunk out of you eyes and blow your nose."
Stifled laughs and "oohs" were distributed around the crowd and the girl looked ready to kill. Before any blood could be spilled, the professor returned and they were lead into a big room the size of.well..a big room.
They passed the older students silently; aware of all the stares and whispers they gave on and other, and stopped in front of a platform holding a big table with all the professors at it.
A hat was placed in front of them and the top opened to sing a poem to them, explaining each of the houses in turn. When it was finished, the professor started calling students to sit on the stool and have the hat placed on their heads.
"Black, Haylie." There were many gasps throughout the older students. Even Lisa inhaled deeply at the sound of it.
"What?" Brandi whispered to her friend as Haylie passed them and made her way up to the hat.
"That's the name of the escaped murdered. Black. I wonder if she's related."
Then they were quiet again as the hat was dropped. Many seconds slowly went by, all eyes were on Haylie. Pressure seemed to swirl, the room was dead silent. It was broken then by a giggle, sweet and cheerful, that came from Haylie. Everyone then laughed and talked quietly among themselves till the hat announced, "Ravenclaw!"
An applause broke lose, mostly from the Ravenclaw table, and Haylie hurried to sit with her new house. More students went, all of them place in their proper houses and Brandi began to feel nervous that she and Lisa may not be together.
"Mourning, Tessa." The girl that was being pushed in the hallway hopped onto the stool and merely seconds later she was announced a Ravenclaw. She sat next to Haylie and they started conversation, which Brandi wanted very badly to be apart of. Lisa was called next.
"Good luck," she whispered to Brandi, and then sat down. "
Ravenclaw!" it told the room and she was then sitting with Haylie and Tessa. She crossed her fingers, praying she would be put in the Ravenclaw house.
"Shami, Brandi."
She took the proper seat and felt the hat drop over her head. "Whoa, you've a lot of bravery, young Brandi. Running away from home to come here, leaving your family and friends. I'd think you'd be well in Gryffindor. But wait. You've got more wit then bravery, and your loyal, too. Hm.where to put you? In any house you'll do well, make friends and work hard, but let's see. What do you want?"
"RAVENCLAW!" she screamed into her head.
"Well then, you've got it! Ravenclaw!" its last words echoed in the hall.
Brandi collapsed next to Lisa and told them what the hat had said.
"Strange, it knew where I was to go right away. By the way, I'm Tessa. I've already thanked Haylie for helping me, and I just wanna say thanks to you, too."
"Brandi. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, you're from Australia! Wow, I'm gonna have a fabulous time here, such a variety of cultures to live with!" Tessa was so excited.
"Variety of other cultures?"
"I'm from the US," Haylie said, then looked at Lisa, "and no, I'm not related to any mass murderers that I know of, sorry."
Lisa's face went white and she asked, "That you know of?"
Before Haylie could answer, the Headmaster stood to make his speech.))
Tessa smiled at the memory, especially from Brandi's point of view. They had remained friends through all these years, fitting together so perfectly she had no doubt they were made to be buddies for the rest of their lives. Brandi smiled back, tears filling her eyes.
"I think I may know what's wrong with Lisa, now." She said, wiping her eyes.
"What?"
"Well, we've all known she's had a crush on Justin for years, right?"
Tessa rolled her eyes gladly, welcoming the fact that Brandi can't keep a secret if her life depended on it. "No, I didn't." she answered, laughing at Brandi's guilty expression
*******.
Lisa sat on the cold floor, holding the note in one limp hand and covering her eyes with the other. She didn't usually go through other people's mail, but when your friend looked like the walking dead, she was going to do her best to find what's wrong.
It never occurred to her that Dissel could be the problem.
Lisa stared at the note again, reading it in her mind for the 37th time:
Ms. Mourning,
I need your progress on the man I told you to scout, only then will your parents be safe.
Yours, Dissel
The note was so blunt, so much to the point with no details or offering of what the situation truly was. But Lisa knew; she knew very much this man. He had chased her once, too.
******
Sirus put his paws in front of him, stretching lazily and wondering about where he was going to get his next meal. He longed to be able to go to the castle again; Haylie always found a way to smuggle meals from the kitchen, but she was furious at him for all the commotion he caused at the Quidditch game. Not to mention that he had to stay in Hogsmade to see Harry that afternoon.
Sirus thought about his godson with a big doggy grin. He was so proud about how well him and his friends had done with their lives, it was wonderful to see them all grown up and using their talents and skills to help the world. He also knew very well how proud they all were of him.
Then there was Haylie. He had known about her for only about seven years, when he escaped and wrote to her mother. She was never his daughter, his baby girl or, by far, the apple in his eye. She was Haylie, the Ravenclaw Keeper who brought him food. He didn't know what she thought of him, though. She didn't adore him, like Harry did, or show respect to him because they were related. She rarely would be happy when he was around, or glad to see him. He knew the problem, though. Their DNA matched.
Shaking his head, Sirus stood and walked out into the street, going back to the internal battle of where to get food.
~Meanwhile, down the street.. ~
Harry appeared in front of the Hogwarts gates, which were open as usual, and surveyed the area. Sirus wasn't expecting him so early, but he needed to get out from the base before he killed anybody. Making his way down the sidewalk, he began to relax. He had been visiting this little town sense he was a 3rd year still attending school. Here, no one jumped on him or asked for his autograph or wanted to pose in a picture with him. They all kept their distance, knowing the boy who lived was camera shy and usually was in no mood to sign anything.
He passed his old flat, which the press had deserted, and remembered meeting the younger students there last year when they left the castle. Most often, Ginny and a friend would come play some prank on him and beg for free food, which he gave generously. Usually the friend was Tessa, some Ravenclaw that had become Ginny's closes companion, and she would go on about her singing or Ginny working for the Weekly Prophet.
He remembered a conversation he had with the youngest Weasley about her new job. She had asked him why he never told her anything anymore and he just shrugged.
"Let me see, is it because I'm writing columns in the newspaper?" she guessed.
"Of course not.."
"Don't you trust me?" she challenged, folding her arms over her chest and staring at him furiously.
"I do!"
"Well, for your information, everything about you is off the record, ok? I'm your friend!"
She didn't forgive me for 3 months, he thought, smiling. From then on he trusted her and she didn't say anything, but that didn't mean the rest of the media would stop.
He continued to walk, looking down alleyways and in dumpsters along the way for his godfather. He spot the big, black dog jogging toward the shrieking shack with a steak in it mouth and started jogging after him.
"Sirus!" he whispered.
When the dog didn't hear him, he tried again more loudly, "Sirus!"
He turned around with a big doggy grin, then looked to make sure he was out of view of other bystanders and transformed. Spitting the raw meat out of his mouth, he opened his arms for a hug and exclaimed, "Harry!"
Hugging tightly, the men pulled apart and studied each other. Harry had grown little taller than Sirus, making him just shy of six foot and his build was incredible from Auror training His hair, ever messy, was still black but lighting near the ends to seem like there was more then there really was. His mothers deep green eyes looked tried, but glowed with temporary happiness, no longer hidden behind his not-so-famous round glasses. Ginny had convinced him to get contacts, pronouncing he looked like Hermione with her reading glasses. The scar was there, right in the middle of his forehead where his bangs normally parted so everyone could see it.
Sirus was never as sickly thin and pale as he was when they had first met. He ate regularly, filling him out to be lean and somewhat muscular, but he never made it to a gym (he's a murderer, duh). His skin was white because it was constantly being covered by fur and his eyes were a happy, sparkling black. His hair was also black, but shoulder length on account that there was usually no one there to cut it, but the look fitted him well.
"You're going to eat raw meat?" the younger man asked, looking at the steak between them.
Laughing, Sirus offered a piece of it to Harry saying, "I've got to stay alive and watch out for you, my boy."
Looking disgusted, Harry jerked the steak out of his grip and threw it. "Great, now I bring you lunch."
With a flick of the wand, a superior meal appeared on the Shrieking Shacks front porch. Practically drooling, Sirus dug right in and Harry watched with amusement. "I can't believe you sink as low as un-cooked steaks."
"Usually Haylie brings me regular food, but.." Sirus stopped abruptly, cursing himself. He had meant to tell Harry about Haylie during this visit, but he hoped to approach the subject slower, with more caution.
"There's that name again. You mention her all the time yet avoid telling me who she is. Are you two sleeping together or something?"
"Harry!" he almost gagged.
"Sorry, but for a while now her name has been slipping out."
Huffing, Sirus took a bite of chicken and then turned to face his godson. "I was planning on telling you later today, but I guess I'll break the news now."
The men looked at each other for a beat before he continued. "The year I escaped and found you, I wrote to the woman I've loved sense my school years, Ciara. We did marry, but when I was executed to Azkaban for life, she was chased out of England. She came back two years later and entered my cell with divorce papers and tears. It was my idea, I had told her years before to forget about me and move on. Before I signed the papers, she told me she would always love me," he smiled, "and she proved it."
Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Spare me the details of what you did. What I'm wondering is how you didn't get caught."
"That's one of my Ciara's talents; she can do anything and get away with it."
"This is not explaining who Haylie is."
"I'm getting there. Well, some years later, I convinced a guard to give me a newspaper and saw Ron and Peter on the front page and escaped. You know that story. I wrote to her, as I said before, and she wrote back telling me she was in America, living as a Muggle and raising her child. I was stunned. I wanted her to be happy, but I could never think of her with another man. When I asked who her husband was, she said she hadn't remarried. Shocked, I asked who the father was, and she said it was me"
Harry's eyes opened to the size of lemons and his jaw dropped. Not looking at his godson, Sirus continued.
"Ciara told me she had kept my last name and given it to our child, who was a girl she named Haylie. She didn't have the heart to tell Haylie she would never meet her father, so my daughter didn't have a clue who I was. The ministry did, though, and if you thought you were under watch for me being out, she was under school arrest and had no idea why. When her mother wrote to her, explaining the whole situation, Haylie was furious and exclaimed she'd never go home again, and instead has been working right here in Hogmade during holidays sense she was twelve."
The shock was wearing off and Harry began to look sympathetic. Hoping that was a good sign, Sirus ended the tale.
"The night before Peter got away and I met you, Haylie snuck out and told me because I was her father, she was going to take care of me. Over the years, I've been writing to both you and her, wondering when to tell you about each other. She guessed about you about five years ago, but you never even imagined me having a child, so I didn't know how to break the ice. Three days ago I snuck up to watch her play Quidditch, she's the Ravenclaw Keeper and captain."
"You daughter is Haylie Black?! The Haylie Black? She's more famous than me!" Harry just now seemed to bounce back to reality, making the connection.
"Not quite, but she is talented. I think she gets it from me. Didn't you realize the last name before?"
"Its kind of common, plus she doesn't look a thing like you."
"She has my eyes, and my personality. In fact, I concluded before you arrived that our DNA matches."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you decide to tell me today?"
"I had no idea when and how to tell you. I decided on today because I went up to the school three days ago and interrupted her victory over beating Gryffindor for the first time in a decade. I didn't mean to, but some student screamed and everyone thought I was a grim. I ran into the forest, and of course she ran after me. When I finally talked to her, she was furious about something and yelled about all sorts of things, one of them being you."
"Me?"
"She wanted you to know."
"Better yet, she wanted you to stop lying to me," Harry began, feeling anger bubble in his gut. "She was told for eleven years something else about her father. I know what it feels like to be lied to for that long; the Dursleys did it to me about my parents, history and me being a wizard."
"I cant image with she will do when Ciara tells her she's a witch, not Muggle." Sirus offhandedly said. Shaking his head, he told Harry, "I never lied to you, Harry. I would never do that. I just simply didn't tell."
Harry nodded, feeling the anger leave him. "Do you love her?"
"I've always loved Ciara."
"I mean Haylie."
Sirus's face paled and he seem to think about it. "I thought about you for the thirteen years I was in that horrible prison. I didn't thing about her, I didn't feel anything for her, and I even didn't know about her! It was always you and Ciara."
"But do you love her?"
Sirus took a bit of mashed potatoes before he said, "Its not like I love her less, its just I love you more, and I think she knows that."
In the building, someone huddled close to the door, listening to every word.
******
Ginny rushed back to her dorm, feeling her hair begin to change back to red and the mole begin to shrink down to nothing. When she made it to her hallway, she sprinted till she was in the privacy of her room, locking the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. Stress had over taken her; she needed to find some other way to change her appearance other than poly juice.
She walked to her mirror, looking into the reflection and finding her old self back, looking frustrated and tried. Sighing again, she closed her eyes and pondered on what excuse using to explain why she had run out of a board meeting. Leaning against the sink, she realized that she was worrying more over that then her story, the real reason why she was here.
"Ginny, your not a Auror," she told herself firmly, and turned to face her bed, finding an unmistaken able red envelope and a regular one waiting for her. The howler was begging to sizzle, smoke coming out of the cracks.
"Oh, no he didn't," she whispered to herself, eyes wide and backing into the sink, failing to put more room between her and it. Deciding it was the best idea to open it before it set the room up in flames, she ran over, grabbed a pillow, and tore it open, pressing the pillow over it to muffle. The screams could be heard easily through the feathers.
"WEASLEY! YOU TOLD ME YOU'D STAY IN TOUCH AND ON TOP OF THIS AND SO FAR I HAVENT GOTTEN ANY NOTES FOR YOUR STORY! I'M GOING OUT ON A LIMB FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR PROTECTION, BUT FOR YOUR CAREER! I EXPECT MORE UPDATES AND RESEARCH FROM MY REPORTERS! MAYBE YOU WERE JUST A BIG MISTAKE!! WHEN YOU GET BACK, I'M GOING TO STICK YOU BEHIND A DESK FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS! I EXPECT TO SEE YOU IN ONE HOUR!"
She felt the howler burst into flames beneath the pillows and she sank to her knees, shaking. She needed out, and she needed it right now. Glancing at the other letter, she murmured something unprofessional and tore it open to find a dozen more hairs to put in her poly juice. At least he's still sending me her fur, she thought, placing Mrs. Tajue's spare hair aside and packing a bag for the weekend. Remembering the last time she left her bag full size and went through the passage into the base, she cleverly shrunk it and pushed it deep in her pocket. Placing the hairs into the envelope, she hid them from view, grabbed her notebook, and tapped the doorknob with her wand to make sure it was locked.
Striding down the hallway, she stuck her head around the corner to make sure no one was coming, and then discretely walked toward the exit. She didn't feel like explaining to anybody about her appearance; she was lucky enough not to have to worry about Harry seeing her, because he had told everyone about his leaving the day before. Reaching the metal door that lead to the tunnel, she let out a sigh of relief. She missed her family and friends and daylight.she was glad she was going away for a while.
"Chess?" someone said in awe behind her, and Ginny hid a groan before turning around to find Schell there, looking bewildered.
"Come, lets go into the cave?" she offered, guiding the door open and letting the stale, dirt smell enter the base. He shuffled in hurriedly behind her, letting the door slam.
"I'm going out for a couple of days," she told her, crossing her arms.
"You use poly juice again?" he said, clearly noticing her curves this time.
"Yeah."
"I wanna meet the person who gives u these hairs," he muttered before realizing it, and, blushing a bit, asked, "We've got a raid in three days, though. We need you."
She was flattered by his comment, still remembering the first time she met him on the street in that sleeping drinking town. "We're more than prepared and I need a break. Working non-stop for almost two weeks makes you lose sleep, but I'll be back for the raid."
Nodding, he let her pass, then watched her look for a way out. She didn't see any other gum wrappers or Apparating ground and, feeling quite stupid, looked to the ceiling for a way out. She stood right under the hole she fell out of last time, then turned to Schell and said, "A little h.". Before she could finish her sentence, she was being dragged upward, twisting through the same worm-hole she adventured in before. Grasping her wand, she shut her eyes and waited almost patiently to feel solid ground again.
With a not so graceful plop, she landed right next to Totell, the guard. He smiled and helped her up saying, "Ms. Furnet, good to see you again."
She blushed, recalling when she gave a true name when you only were suppost to give a call, but snapped back to him, "It's Chess, Totell, and you could have at least given me some idea that around here you don't give a real name."
His grin began to stretch even bigger when he told her, "I wanted to hear what the people down under would say about that. Pity the first person you saw was Schell; he never plays along with my jokes."
"Some joke."
"It would have been."
Ginny couldn't help but smile back at him when he handed her her dropped wand and bowed to her as she walked away. She knew Mr. Tajue would be expecting her as soon as possible, so once she was out of sight from the comical guard, she Apparated to her bosses house.
A tiny Muggle home, no bigger than two bedrooms, the house was very warm and cozy. She never noticed the details before when she was so nervous about a Death Eater popping out of a tree and killing her with an Unforgivable Curse. Thinking of that, she looked around behind her and searched for one, just in case.
After confirming the absence of any evil doer, she rang the bell and waited to get the tantrum of her life. Instead an older woman opened the door, the exact picture of what Ginny looked like when she was Chess, considering she was using this woman's hairs.
"My I help you?" Mrs. Tajue asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
What a beast, Ginny thought to herself before she said, "I'm Ginny Weasley; I work for your husband. Is he home?"
"He's at the office, and if your planning to go there, tell him he better pick up some flowers, I'm pissed."
Stopping the grin that was about to form on her face, Ginny responded with a polite, "Yes, ma'am," and walked away, Apparating to her office.
She stood in the middle of the room, thinking about all the long hours she worked there; overtime, weekends and late nights, sometimes even spending the night. Sighing, she left her work place and began to stroll down the hall, stalling time.
"Gin! Hey, Ginny!" someone called behind her and she froze, recognizing that voice.
What's Harry doing here? she though frantically, looking down at herself to make sure everything was in order.
"Whoa, were you about to leave?" Harry panted, catching up to her and noticing her bewild look.
"No, just.um.here, working. What are you doing here?" sweat began to form at her brow, and she wiped it away quickly.
"Just got news and I was hoping you'll be here so I could use your desk and owl, but if your leaving," he trailed off, questioning himself. He hadn't seen her in a long time, yet it felt like they had visited yesterday. No, he thought, I was working. "You're looking great," he added.
She breathed a sigh of relief and walked back to her office, happy to realize that, of course, he didn't know. How could he? "What's the news? You're looking wonderful, too."
"Thanks. I'll tell you later, ok? I really need to write your brother and Herm. Do you mind?"
"'Course not, I need to be somewhere anyway. Hey, wait for me, ok? Maybe we can go eat dinner or something."
"I will. Thanks for letting me use this."
"No problem," Ginny assured, and then left him to his business. When she finally made it to Mr. Tajues office, she took a deep breath and knocked.
"Doors open."
She entered and closed the door swiftly behind her, not a moment too soon. When he saw her he exploded, telling her off for not bringing him reports, staying in touch, never the less staying on track.
Ginny almost laughed out loud when she realized all she heard was "blah, blah, blah". Pelican was a brat, throwing fits whenever something went wrong or changed. In the short time living in that base, she had gotten used to pretending to listen to his lectures, meanwhile letting her mind wander. She figured that, sense this was her real job, she better tune back in.
"You have been irresponsible, not keeping up with your reports, not breaking ever so often so come to the office; you said you'd be on top of this, and so far..."
Screw it, she thought to herself decided to interrupt his speech before she started to yell back. "Sir?"
"I'M NOT DONE, WEASLEY!"
"I understand, but sir, I've been working, the thing is people love your wife so much."
"What?!"
"Well, I am posing as her. I've adopted her features and manner, and everyone won't leave me alone now. Always coming by, 'Chess, you want more coffee?' or 'Chess, your reports are so awesome!'."
"Who's Chess?"
Sighing, Ginny took a seat, figuring she'd have to explain about call names all the way to the raids.
~Meanwhile, in Ginny's office.~
Harry just finished his letter to Hermione, discussing about the conversation with his godfather about his teenage daughter. Harry was still shocked, but he knew Sirus meant good so he wasn't angry, just shocked. Almost the whole time he was at Hogwarts he was sitting 3 times a day in the same room as her, beating her in Quidditch, dueling with her in the dueling club, and spending Christmas holidays with her.
Shaking it off, he thoughts changed back to Ginny. She looked good, must have been working out because she looked fit, more than the last time he saw her. She also had more confidence in her eyes; he figured her job must have been going well. He also sensed a bit of urgency, though, when he called her name. He never really noticed it before, but he missed her terribly. The funny thing was, it felt like he had been seeing her enough not to miss her. He did anyway.
He tilted forward in the seat and leaned his head on his hands, massaging its temples. Reaching for his wand, he muttered a spell to make his almost headache disappear, then started writing a letter to Ron.
Harry was signing his name right when Ginny stepped into the office, rubbing the back of her neck and yawning with her eyes closed. Not noticing him at her desk, she twirled away from the door, shutting with her left foot and then fell into her chair, right onto Harry's lap. The moment she landed on his legs, he felt her tense, then a sharp pain when her elbow collided with his stomach.
"Mmph!" was the only sound Ginny heard when she suddenly remembered that she had invited Harry to her office.
"Oh, Harry! I'm sorry, I was thinking about other things. Forgot you were here," she squeaked, spinning, still on his lap, to face him.
He smiled weakly, hands on his middle and panted out, "I noticed by that very graceful turn into here." He then sat up straighter, as if to challenge her playfully.
"Well, that's how I always bet you in Quidditch. Luckily we were on the same house team, I always had to cover for your clumsy ass."
He through back his head and laughed good naturally, giving her a hug.
"I always trusted you to save me, love."
She looked at his big, green eyes close and remembered that she was a grown woman now, over the stupid school-girl crush. Still, Harry Potter held a tiny piece of her still innocent heart, and she began to feel the guilt of deceiving him. She was leading him and all the other Aurors on by pretending to be Chess. Sighing, she asked seriously, "Do you really trust me?"
Stuck of her sudden soberness, she responded with, "As much as I trust Ron."
"Would you trust me if I was forced to do something and didn't tell you?"
"What is it?"
Suddenly aware that she was still seated on his legs, she pushed herself off of him and played idly with the sleeve of her robe. She turned over in her mind about telling him her secret, then scolded herself for even pondering that kind of disaster. "Nothing, its just that the time may come up when we may have to challenge our trust."
"Then I say that trust builds over time. C'mon, Ginny, I need to owl post these letters to Herm and Ron, then let's go eat."
She nodded, yet not any more relieved.
******
Haylie knew she was due in Hogwarts' parlor any minute for the feast, but instead of offering Tessa kind words of congratulations or talking with the other guest before the tribute began, she found herself down in the dungeons, pacing for no good reason. Letting her white dress robes drag in the dust behind her, Haylie turned to look at herself in a very out of place, full-length mirror. Brandi had begged her to leave her hair down, so there was a sea of golden that ran just past her shoulders, curling at the ends to make it seem more exotic. Her black eyes were decorated with white and glitter and her lips, which were usually in a smirk, looked soft under the gloss. The freckle under the lips made her look more sexy, and Brandi, who had pushed her into a chair to do her make up, told her that it shouldn't be covered up.
"I look like my mother," she thought, her eyes filling up with tears. Sniffling loudly, she turned away, not ready to let her heart receive another blow. She missed her mother terribly, and she didn't want to admit it. "The woman lied to you," she told herself, staring at her refection again. Her eyes in the mirror locked with her own, and she said out loud, "That's the only difference. I have my fathers eye's."
Sirus' eyes were the first thing she noticed when she met her father, six years before. Black as night, just like hers and full of the same thing she felt. Shock, anger, and above all, fear. Yet there was one thing missing at the time that she had searched his eyes for everyday sense.love. She was his daughter, but he didn't seem to care. She didn't blame him at first, but then she did, because he loved Harry Potter more than his own flesh and blood.
Haylie doubled over in emotional pain when once again the hurt stabbed her heart. Not caring about how she was dressed, she sank to her knees and let the blow she had blocked before beat her insides raw, yet never letting a tear fall.
"Keep faith," she reminded herself, clutching her middle and surrendered to the pain, something she hadn't done in a long time.
******
Draco stood staring at the door of the Headmasters' office. He didn't know why he was summoned, but he didn't really mind leaving Malfoy Manor. His childhood home, which was never filled with any warmth in the first place, seemed like a torture chamber. Screams carried up from the dungeons, echoing through every empty hallway. The Dark Lords people were always hurling themselves at his feet and it seemed that everyday there was a new death to morn for. Draco hated it all, but he hated more that once upon a time he wanted it.
He shook off his thoughts when Dumbledore opened the door, looking prepared to leave. Caught off guard by the site of Draco, the young man was looking crossed-eyed at the wand pointed directly at his nose. Taking a moment to recognize his companion, the Headmaster smiled and pocketed his wand.
"Hello Mr. Malfoy, I was expecting you much earlier."
"Sorry, sir, but I was in the middle of something," Draco responded.
"Well, this will have to wait till tomorrow. I have to be at the tribute to the Head Boy and Girl now," Dumbledore said, gliding Draco over to the steps down, "but you can stay over night."
"You are very kind. Where will I sleep?"
While standing on the moving stairs, Dumbledore rubbed his beard before answering, "There are many open rooms; this is such a large castle. I remember you are quite fond on the dungeons, though, so you may find a bad down there."
Draco nodded, stepping off at the end of the steps, and bid goodnight to the Headmaster before turning in the other direction and leaving. He knew this castle well from his school years, and soon he slipped into a secret passage leading down to the cool, moist dungeons.
When the he came to the end of the passage, he pressed his body against the cold dirt door and let it swing open, only to step out and trip over a warm body.
******
Haylie gasped when the mirror she was watching herself in earlier crashed against the other wall and a man, shadowed by the darkness around, stepped and fell over her, knocking over the candle stick that gave the room its only light. It became as dark as midnight. She didn't move, just sat listen as the man grunted and, by the sound of it, began looking for something. She screamed when his hand clasped over her ankle, and before she knew it, she was underneath him, his hand over her mouth and back pressing against the ground.
"Shhh," the voice came into her ear, "I'm here for the Headmaster, and now I'm going to find my wand and get some light. No more screaming, understand?"
She nodded, and shivered when the warm body lifted itself off of her. She stood too, pulling her wand out of her pocket.
"Let me help, I have mine," she told the stranger, and whispered "Lumos."
Draco's breath hitched at the site of the Ravenclaw Keeper without sweat and Quittitch robes. He didn't expect to see her, of all people, and to cover her mouth with his hand when she screamed. She seemed a lot braver in the forest the first time they had met.and also seemed a lot less beautiful.
Haylie didn't notice the man was Draco, instead searching for his missing wand. Her dress robes were wrinkled and dirty, and her hair was tangled, but the tom-boy in her didn't pay attention to such things. Her almost- emotional breakdown was interrupted and she was fine with it, not ready to let her heart face such hurtful facts.
She then spotted his wand, and bending over to scoop it up, she said to him, "Sorry about the scream. I'm afraid of the dark and having strange hands grabbing me didn't help." She turned toward Draco with his wand and smiled until she recognized him.
His silver, blond hair was messed up from the fall, having a lock escape onto his forehead and his black robe had torn at its sleeve and his arm, which bleed from a gash. She locked eyes with his for a second, revealing to her that he was just as much surprised to find her down there. Stiffly, she handed him the wand and began to straighten her dress robes and hair, wanting not to look into those gray eyes again.
"Ms. Black, I recall?" Draco began, still looking at the top of her head.
"Yeah, I am." Silence before she said, "Let me help you with your arm."
"What?"
"You're bleeding."
He looked at the angry gash, and before he could protest, she roughly grabbed his arm and inspected it.
"You said you were here for the Headmaster. Is it true, or were you just trying to shut me up?" she asked, letting a little grin lift the corners of her mouth.
"Well, you were screaming in my ear, but I forgive you now, considering you said you were afraid of the dark."
She finished inspecting in and looked up at him to say, "You need to go to the Hospital Wing, I don't know what to do with this."
He nodded, feeling light-headed at the sight gash. He swayed a little bit and then felt his body being pulled down to the ground.
"Lie down. What's wrong?" she impatiently asked.
"Nothing, just a little dizzy," he answered, paling when he look at the cut again, blood slowly flow out of it.
Haylie threw her bead back and laughed loudly. "The sight of blood makes you queasy, huh?"
"Shut up." He glared at her before drawling, "At least I don't need to sleep with a light on."
She winked good-naturally, forgetting temporarily who she was talking to. "It just makes the sex better."
Draco relaxed and his handsome face broke out into a grin. "Glad to see we're on the same page." He then sat up, holding his arm without looking at it, and pushed the mirror door closed with his foot. When he turned back his head to face her, she turned her head away, blushing. 'Aw, I'm not irresistible to her after all.' He thought.
Haylie stood up quickly, horribly angry with herself for the long look at him. She stood the candle up again and lit it before saying, "I'm needed somewhere, so I'll send someone down to you."
"No, don't, I'll take care of it." He knew that the headmaster hadn't told anyone else about him. All the students, teachers and staff thought he was a Death Eater. He then realized that Haylie knew that he was a double-agent also. 'Oh bugger. Now I need to say something about it.' Unwilling to talk about it yet, he stalled by asking, "What are you doing down here?"
"Um...just thinking. I can't leave you here without medical attention, and I know you can't take care of it. Come, I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing."
"I said it was fine. What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Why don't with want to go up?"
"No reason. So if you weren't thinking, why are you down here?"
They glared at each other, both wanting their questions answered and demands met. Gray against black, both flashing, battled. The jokes and teasing had ended.
"I was thinking about my family."
Caught off guard, Draco just blinked at her. 'Sirus? Is he really her father?' he asked himself again, still debating. The evidence was clear, though. Her black eyes gave it all away.
"Well, do you want to go to the Hospital Wing or not? I'm sure the Headmaster wants all his double-agents in working order." She said, clearly annoyed at his blank expression.
"Who said I'm a double agent?" he responded, not likely her bluntness.
"Oh please. You told me that you were here for Dumbledore. Plus, you came through a secret entrance into the dungeons; obviously not want to be seen. I'm guessing no one knows you're here. We all believe you're a Death Eater any way, so you want it to stay that way, and..." she trailed off, thinking back at her last comment. 'He wants everyone to think he's a bad guy so his cover isn't blown,' she thought, before asking herself, 'What does he do to people that do know that shouldn't?' Her hand tighten around her still lit wand.
"I think you answered your own question," he smirked at her where her bluntness had gotten her.
"Yes."
"Are you gonna tell anyone?"
"Maybe."
"I don't think you should."
Her pride was still there, and even though she was scared, she answered, "What would you do to stop me?"
"Tell everyone who your father is."
At the mention of her father, Haylie flushed with fury. Not even bothering to ask how he knew, she denied it. "No one can prove he's my father."
"Your eyes are proof enough, not to mention you act just like him. Keep it quiet who I am, and I'll do the same for you."
"Like I would really trust you. You would still work for the other side if I don't tell, and I'm putting my friends in danger if I let you go."
Draco was beginning to get worried. Haylie Black wasn't cooperating, and he knew that if she didn't, he wouldn't get very much farther than the 19 years of his life. 'Why wont she bend for me?' he wondered.
He couldn't believe it when she smiled and held up her hands, as if they were to be chained up. "Take me away and kill me now, Malfoy. We both want it to happen."
"No, I don't. Why would you?"
The thoughts she felt earlier drifted back to her, and she felt the same pain attack her body. She kneeled, her hands still ready to be chained, and letting her head drop, to hide the tears that filled her eyes. She didn't want to have that emotional breakdown in front of him, so she mumbled quietly, "How long would you live if I told anyone about you?"
"Not long."
"Fine, just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"We don't know each other, we haven't ever met. I don't want my friends and family endangered."
Draco nodded, offering his palm. She took it while still kneeled, and shook. Letting go, she stood, walked right up to his chest, and tore his robe into a piece. She began to wrap the fabric around his arm, and said, "You know, according to all the stories I heard about you, your not all that bad, Mr. Malfoy. You don't kill Muggle-born children when they beg on their knees, you don't rape unaided women in the school hallways, and you don't carry a cruel heart behind your handsome face, though you can be as cocky as hell."
"You don't know all that much about me. This IS only the second time we met."
"Yeah, and the first time I judged you, screamed at you, and lied to your face."
He laughed while she stepped away from him. "I can't blame you. Your dad had just ruined your victory. I was quite please, though, to see Gryffindor lose. You are a pretty good Keeper."
"You were there when he scared the crowd away? I swear, I worked my ass off to beat that team, and when I did it, he had to come begging for food." She began walking away till she stopped and turned to look at his face again.
"I trust you, Malfoy. I don't know why, but if you break it, I swear by Quittitch that I will make you watch yourself die."
"There's the Ravenclaw Keeper I remember."
"Don't remember me."
"Yeah, I know, we don't know each other. Till we meet again, Haylie." He bowed to her.
'Damn, that man does have class,' she thought, trying to leave the memory of him behind.
******
Lisa sat, straight as a board, in the parlor. The conversation she heard while reading Tessa's letter in the Shrieking Shack had shaken her to the bone. Brandi came to sit next to her.
"Whats wrong?" Brandi asked.
"I know something about Tessa and Haylie."
"What?!"
"We'll all talk later." Lisa looked at her friend and said sternly, "Don't tell them we know anything."
Brandi nodded as Haylie walked in, her robes dirty, wrinkled and bloodstain, and her hair was tangled and frizzy. She searched the room, found Brandi, and began to walked over to her.
"Can you fix me, Brandi?"
"What happened?"
"We'll talk later, I have something to tell you all." Haylie responded, her hair and robes back to normal, and she turned to find Tessa.
Lisa tilted her head, watching her friend leave. "She's in trouble," was the only comment she made to the baffled Brandi.
**Yikes, 29 pages. Well, sorry it took so long; I'm having trouble using that FictionPress thing. Well, in the next chapter, Tessa and her friends have an overdo chat, Ron and Hermione finally come in, Harry and Ginny fight along side of each other, Dissel becomes frantic, Draco gets his new mission and starts his deal with Haylie, and Schell spills about his connection to the past.**
