Chapter 16 – Don't Speak
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Another long silence descended. Harry hesitated asking more. He was curious, but also didn't want to hurt his godfather and Sirius' past and, apparently present, beloved was a painful subject. He chose what he hoped would be a more neutral topic.
"Is Morgaine really a Seer?" Harry asked. "She doesn't act like Professor Trelawney at all and I thought . . ."
"No, she most definitely doesn't," Sirius chuckled slightly. "But I'm sure you've noticed that most 'Divinators' are frauds. I've only known one person that could consistently make accurate predictions with detail."
"Morgaine Myfanwy?" Harry asked.
"Morgaine is very detailed and never wrong," Sirius confirmed with a nod. "But it's in her blood; just like Rowan's powers are."
"Is her Grandfather a Seer too?" Harry queried, remembering the oddly powerful presence of the dark-haired old man.
"Grandfather?" Sirius frowned. "You mean the elderly chap with Morgaine? That couldn't be their grandfather. Rowan's the oldest surviving member of the Clan."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked. Then he noticed the word 'surviving' and a cold chill ran down his back. "Surviving?"
"Yes, Harry," Sirius nodded. "There were only three Myfanwys left after Voldemort and his Death Eaters massacred the rest of the clan in my seventh year. I remember it very well because," Sirius swallowed heavily before continuing grimly. "Because it's one of the experiences I relive every time a dementor comes too close."
Harry shuddered - he'd found few things as terrifying as the dementor guards of Azkaban. He also felt a lurch of sympathy for the Myfanwys as he realized that he probably couldn't only begin to fathom what that would be like. He had lost his parents before he even knew them. Professor Myfanwy had lost everyone she had loved and grown up with. He wasn't sure which was worse.
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt and a very tense silence descended as Rowan Myfanwy herself emerged from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. She started slightly, clearly not expecting to find them there, before nodding slightly in greeting to Harry and pointedly ignored Sirius.
"Your final detention is with me tonight, Mr. Potter. I don't know if Professor McGonagall has had time to tell you," she said, pulling her heavy cloak closer about her shoulders to ward off the light autumn wind. "You're to meet me in my office just before moonrise. You'd better wear your cloak, and bring your Herbology things, please; we'll be outside for most of it."
"Outside?" Harry asked fully conscious of the full moon that night and wondering what they would be doing.
"Several potion ingredients I use have to be gathered on the nights of the full moon," she explained, a small wry smile touching her lips. "It's dull, tedious work. Rather perfect for a detention."
"Is everything all right now back there?" Sirius asked, carefully keeping his voice under control.
Harry glanced between the adults and very carefully backed away.
"Just a small disagreement between one of the Welsh and a Hebridean," she shrugged, studying a mossy branch with her eyes. "It's under control now."
Sirius clenched his teeth and bit back a frustrated growl. He forcibly resisted the impulse to yell at her, shake her, or possibly kiss her senseless – anything to break that near flawless mask of indifference. She wouldn't even bloody look at him!
Sirius felt ready to tear his hair out. He hated feeling helpless and rage built up inside of him. The bitter truth of the matter was that he had no relationship with Rowan anymore. This girl had invaded his soul at sixteen but she still wasn't truly his and she couldn't be his because that bloody, spineless Rat haunted their lives!
Wormtail had destroyed everything: murdering the Potters, orphaning Harry, sending Sirius to Azkaban five days before his wedding. And Sirius would be damned before he'd allow Wormtail to dictate any more of his life! He took a deep, steadying breath then reached out and grabbed Rowan's arm. She didn't speak, but trembled slightly under his hand, pale blue eyes tightly closed.
"You can't pretend I'm not here forever," Sirius pointed out, his voice coming out harsher than he'd intended.
"I think I've done a pretty good job so far," she muttered under her breath, almost to low for him to hear and still refused to meet his eyes.
"We do need to talk, Rowan."
"Later, Sirius," she hedged, finally breaking free. "I really don't have time at the moment. Moony," She swallowed. "Moony needs his potion soon."
Sirius felt an irrational surge of jealous fury toward his friend. It felt completely unfair that Remus be allowed spend time with Rowan when he, Sirius, could not! Or had she simply moved on, fooling Remus and Morgaine who both insisted she still loved him?
"Rowan . . ." he began, subconsciously moving forward. Rowan shied away, the tense, proud line of her shoulders crumbling slightly. She began seriously doubting her continued composure.
"Please, don't push this right now," she begged.
Sirius stepped back, firmly keeping his hands at his side and nodded. "As you wish." The ghost of a smile flitted across Rowan's lips. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Later then?"
Rowan sighed in resignation and nodded, both dreading and anticipating the real confrontation that was yet to come.
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"So does Professor Myfanwy still love Snuffles?" Hermione asked curiously, remembering to use their code name for Sirius. She kept her voice low, and the three of them huddled close together to avoid any accidental eavesdropping. There were very few Gryffindors in the common room that evening, but they knew to be careful. Only Ginny was really close enough to hear them and she was curled up nearby with a book.
"Yes, she does," Ginny stated quietly from her place on the outskirts of the small group.
"How would you know that, Ginny?" Ron demanded. "You've never even had a boyfriend. Unless you count going to the Yule Ball with Neville."
Ginny closed her book with a snap and glared menacingly at her brother. "No, Ron, I haven't, but a girl doesn't wait fourteen years for a boy because of a simple crush!" Ginny stowed her book in her bag, swearing softly as she heard pages rip. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Good luck with your detention, Harry. See you in the morning, Hermione."
Harry glanced at the clock and followed Ginny toward the dormitory stairs. His detention with Professor Myfanwy started in less than an hour.
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