And you bleed much better than I bleed
And you've shown all that is so good
And your word, much better than my word
And you stand right where a hole should

---- "Deep" Nickelback

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Chapter 2

The warm afterglow of a satisfying bout of lovemaking at faded into a heavy slumber for Talon.

Fiona shifted under the weight of the arm draped casually across her midsection and looked over his features, memorizing each one, knowing that soon she would be alone again. Nothing lasted for her, no matter how wonderful it seemed she knew she had to hold a part of herself back. She must always preserve a part of herself so that she could start over again.

It had only been since the war that she and Talon had been lovers. And, it had been a wondrous time, but part of the gift of sight was more of a curse really. She knew the beginning and the end but only in fragments whirling in a mist. She knew of her and Talons relationship before it had come to pass and she also knew that it would be over in less than a month. The how of it she did not know. Live in the moment but preserve thyself was her mantra.

She felt the light fluttering low in her being and took delight that a new life was forming within her. Placing a hand over her stomach she saw her stomach move and bulge as if her child was reaching out to her to comfort her.

A part of what she shared with Talon would go on, even if they could not. This babe had been an unexpected joy, one she clung to greedily. She had let no one know, nor had she let it show. She was almost to full-term but to the outside world and even to Talon she remained as she always had.

It seemed to her, not for the first time that her life was all a glamour and she had lost herself somewhere along the way, never knowing her true self anymore.

She had horrible nightmares, horrendous dreams, things that she would not let anyone know. And, she often awoke paralyzed or worse yet with markings on her body that had not been there when she slipped into sleep. It was becoming hard to tell the truth and reality from the dreams... But this, this tiny spark within her was surely real.



Her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of green light in the fireplace. Twisting just enough to bring it into view she saw the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore's, face. He nodded curtly, acknowledging her position on the couch under the heavy arm of her lover. Did he focus on her stomach? Did he see? Her glamour slammed back over her.

She sat up quickly pulling her ruined robes about her and dislodging a grumbling Talon.

"Yes, Albus, to what do I owe the, ah... pleasure of your company?" She inquired a bit sarcastically.

Albus smiled warmly at her, "Surely, you heard the chimes of my knocking, did you not? Or perhaps you were lost in thought?" He motioned towards the awakening form behind her.

A slow smile spread over her face, "Well, yes, yes, I suppose I was rather lost for a moment there. What did you need Albus?"

It seemed he smiled sadly, some of his children as he referred those close to him, were more lost than others. "Fiona, could you please come to my office? I believe you may have... found something that needs to be returned. Rather promptly if you don't mind. I seem to have two rather panicked souls in my office."

Fiona had the decency to at least blush. Found? Oh she hadn't found it, and she had a feeling not for the first time that nothing slipped by the Headmaster.

"I'll be there directly, soon as I change into some fresh robes," she arched her brow. She knew Alex was there with him and would see it. Who else was there though?

No matter she would know soon enough and the face in the fireplace smiled and slipped out of sight.

Fiona stood, stretched and stifled a groan. A problem hiding her condition was that while no one would see her state, she most definitely felt it. She bent to kiss her lover on the cheek and pulled the gold and red blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over his sleeping form before continuing on into their bedroom to change.

As she was leaving the room, Talon raised his head and arched an eyebrow. "I thought that you were done with your classes for the day, 'Ona?"

She tipped her head, "Oh I am, I just forgot that I needed to see Albus about something." She smiled and was gone out the door.

He shrugged. He couldn't put his finger on it but something in the back of his brain hadn't failed to see that something was amiss. He threw off the blanket and got dressed to go and tend his creatures, it was where he thought best.

Meanwhile, Fiona was in the hall, making sure her glamour was intact, she hadn't missed the brief look that fluttered over his face. Once she was done, she placed her wand back in her robes and patted the pocket to make sure the book was there. She'd had some difficulty finding it, eventually locating it on the window ledge seeming about to fall out of the window and onto the grounds below. Curious. And, a shame she wouldn't get her chance to study it more.

She frowned as she felt it move in her pocket, matching the movement in her womb.  Suddenly scared she began facing for the Headmaster's office. But, she couldn't seem to outrun the icy hand on fear that had seemed to settle around her heart.

She knew in a flash of sounds and images on the back of mind's eye that this was the beginning of the end.

Caught up in her world of seeing present and future overlap she almost flew past his office. She stopped, caught her breath. And, noticed that once again her glamour had slipped. It was getting harder and harder to maintain, it was as if something was fighting it or her emotions were too strong and conflicting to keep it together. She took out her wand and muttered the quick charm and spoke, "Gumdrops."

No sooner had she stepped into the office than she felt the tension. She looked about her and every face in the myriad of portraits lining Albus' office was staring at her. They seemed to see straight through her. She heard a few gasps, and stun around to look at them all. It was dizzing.

She heard Albus clear his throat and knew that it was time to reveal herself in her true state. And, she hated him and this place for it. She stepped further into the office deeper into the whispering portraits to stop at the edge of the desk. She acknowledged the presence of Alex and Severus. But, she could not look at them as their eyes went wide, shocked. She kept her face steadfast on that of the old man seated at the desk.

"Sir, I believe you were asking for this." She reached into her now bulging robes to pull out the ancient book.

It did not escape the notice of the two men how the book seemed to refuse to leave Fiona's hand. Alex she noted was looking anywhere but at her. For all her hardness she knew she had hurt her old friend but not telling her of her impending motherhood.

Just then a pain raced across her abdomen as her baby kicked and the book dropped to the desk with a resounding thud, a small footprint still recognizable on the cover.