A/N: Once again, folks, busy week. Tonight, (Saturday) I have to sing a wedding, which I was asked to sing at some nine months ago. Nine months. You know what scares me about that? A lot can happen in nine months. Especially to you. So for nine months I fretted and worried, mostly because I am prone to sore throats which can destroy my voice for weeks at a time.
Well, for nine months, I could have kicked a horse's butt for health. Good old Dutch-Irish-German stock came through for me with flying colors.
Until three days before the wedding.
Nine months! Nothin'!
Three days before the wedding, I wake up with a sore throat. Which is fighting me as hard as I am fighting it to become a full blown cold. But I did all right at rehearsal last night, so, God willing, the wedding will go well.
Poor PAR.
And folks, in light of Silverfox bringing this up, I'd like to state two things here, because dang it, she's stepped in something and isn't even aware of it and I have to clear it up.
One: Family Relations is already outlined. I have the story laid out, I just have to fill in a few holes at this point. What does that mean? Suggestions, theories, ideas....keep 'em coming, 'cause ya' know I love 'em. But they in no way alter the story. Family Relations is part of a story arc, and I can't change it now even if I wanted to. It's too interlaced with other stories and everything has to fit into the mold I've already formed to make this whole thing work. In other words, some of you, like Silverfox, come very close to what this whole thing is about, but Dears, I'm not stealing story ideas from you even though it may seem like it sometimes when you suggest something and something vaguely related turns up in my stories. You are, like Silverfox, just a really good guesser.
Two: If you're wondering what Silverfox stepped in, she suggested that, in Family Relations, the reason Orion took Harry was to make him the new host or a new channeler for the Power. Nope. Sorry. Not the reason. And if you're still trying to figure out the reason Orion took Harry in the first place, I will say, though a really good guess, it is about as far from being right as you can get. But Harry does figure into that part of the story line later. Watch for Chapter Seven in Family Relations and what goes on there. It's not just random fun.
Well, that's all for now. On with the story.
And as always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: The plot....is mine. The characters who are not Harry Potter related...are mine. The setting, and all things Harry Potter related....are not mine. They are the property of JK 'Oh! Look, I made the Billionaires list. Isn't that cute?' Rowling and her
'You go, girl!' Publishers.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: MEETING AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME
Battles.
That was what his life seemed to boil down to these days.
Orion carefully surveyed the area around him, firing off a spell at a Deatheater as they attempted to run from one tree to the next.
It seemed lately that a whole week couldn't go by without the Deatheaters getting into something.
Usually something the Ministry didn't like.
And it was more than keeping him on his toes.
He watched as Charly pursued a Deatheater across the field. The man fired a spell back at his partner even as he ran. Charly dodged it and returned fire, taking the man down with one hit.
If nothing else good had come out of his separation from Katlin, it had definitely improved Charly's mood, as well as eased the tension between Orion and his long time friend for the time being. For which he was grateful.
Orion headed back to toward the open field where the fighting was still the heaviest. He hadn't seen Katlin at all in this battle, or for the several he had been in before this one. Another thing for which he was grateful. Possibly Voldemort had pulled her back, realizing open battles were not her forte and she was better kept in the background to do what she did best. Interrogate.
But a spell suddenly fired off to his side made him realize he had thought too quickly. The voice behind the spell was one he easily recognized.
Dropping for cover, Orion hurriedly looked for where the voice had come from. If she was trying to attack him, he could likely handle that with little trouble. The plan from before had worked. Stun her and leave her somewhere safe from the battle but where the Deatheaters were sure to find her.
But to his alarm he realized the spell hadn't been fired at him at all as it hit a tree several yards away and exploded in a shower of sparks.
That meant she was locked in a fight with another Auror.
Orion quickly got to his feet and pulled behind a tree himself. Peering about the side of it he swiftly scanned the area to try and locate where she was as well as her target. He found the other Auror first. A seasoned veteran in the Department who wasn't likely to be keen on losing his prey regardless of Bale's orders of several weeks ago that the Deatheater Katlin Griss was no longer to be targeted during battles by any Auror.
After all, accidents happened. The Auror could claim he couldn't see her face, or that she had attacked him and he had simply returned fire on instinct, or it had just been an unfortunate incident.
Orion was sure most of the Aurors in the Department had taken Bale's order with a grain of salt. Or for many of them, with a whole tablespoon full of salt. But he was even more sure there were a few that would out-rightly disregard it, choosing rather to weather their superior's tirade than letting such a prize hit go unclaimed. And so most of his time in battles had been spent attempting to keep his own skin safe while guarding her's as well.
Orion watched as the smaller battle continued. He wouldn't interfere unless it was necessary. And currently Katlin was holding her own. But the Auror was an old, seasoned fighter with senses like a bloodhound. Once he got a taste for a kill, he wouldn't back off.
Katlin couldn't have had a worse opponent.
But in her favor, she had lasted far longer than any other Deatheater would likely have faired against the man. And Orion was starting to feel that she stood a good chance of escape by simple evasion techniques.
But just as she attempted to move her position, the Auror caught sight of her and fired off a spell.
Orion was already moving as soon as he saw the spell fired and realized what it was. If the man had used a standard spell, there would have been no need for him to intervene. Katlin was keenly aware of the spell fired at her and had already brought her wand up to defend herself from it.
But the man had used a fire spell. And the streak of light approaching her was little more than a growing ball of fire.
Orion knew at the sight of fire, Katlin froze. The first time they had sat in front of a fire together she had been noticeably uncomfortable, although she wouldn't tell him why. It wasn't until he learned of her past that he understood her aversion to anything having to do with fire. Candles seemed to be the only thing she could tolerate on a moment's notice. Anything else she had to acclimate herself to slowly. Once she was used to it, she was able to tolerate it. But even then, as with the fire they had once sat before, it was with noticeable discomfort.
But when confronted suddenly with fire, everything she knew deserted her and she simply couldn't move. It was a small wonder, Orion had thought, that she never let anyone know about her past. For her, it was simply a tool they could use against her.
A tool the other Auror had inadvertently stumbled on to.
Knowing no matter how fast he was, he was simply too far away to reach her in time, Orion fired off a spell of his own to deflect the spell before it hit her. But he knew it was going to be close. The spell was traveling like it had a will of its own, eager to reach it's intended victim.
The two spells collided in an explosion of light. One that was just feet in front of Katlin. But even Orion could see he hadn't hit the spell correctly. It had intersected it, cutting it in two. Half of the spell erupted into sparks when his own had hit it. The other half of it continued on with unrelenting speed towards its target.
Orion made one last desperate leap at the body before him. He felt himself connect with it and they both hit the ground as blinding light filled the area.
Holding on tightly to the body under him, Orion spoke a quick spell and they both disapparated.
From the instant she saw the Auror off to her right firing the spell at her, everything happened so fast, Katlin hardly had time to even think. She saw a flash of light, and felt the blast of heat, and in the next instant someone knock her to the ground from behind.
In almost the same instant she hit the ground, she felt the disorienting grip of an apparation spell.
The next thing she knew she was laying on a hard surface. The weight of the body against her back was pulling itself off of her. She opened her eyes to see where she was. She had to get to cover. She had to protect herself until she could sort things out. But all that greeted her was a blurred, grayish world.
Struggling to her feet, Katlin still kept to her plan. She needed to cover as many fronts as possible. But mostly hide her disability from her attacker.
Running head on, Katlin kept one arm out in front of her as the other reached for her wand. As soon as she connected with a solid surface she put her back to it as she turned to face her attacker. A small sound, like a whispered voice, caught her attention. It sounded very much like someone speaking a spell and she quickly turned to where she thought the sound came from. If someone was trying to attack her with another spell, she had to defend herself.
"Stay where you are!" She stated in a firm, well-controlled voice. "If you move I'll kill you!"
"Hardly proper thanks for someone who just saved your life I would think." A soft, gentle voice answered her.
Katlin quickly turned to the direction of the voice. A tall, gray shape came into view. It was about the size of a person, so Katlin fervently hoped she was looking at the right thing.
"Where am I!" She demanded, wrestling all the while to keep her fear under control.
"Safe." Came the same, gentle toned answer.
"Safe where?!" Katlin demand, pointing her wand fiercely at the shape before her.
"Oh, put that thing down, woman." The voice stated with a half-serious harshness. "You're going to hurt yourself with it."
Katlin kept the wand pointed at the shape before her. "I'll put it down when you've answered my questions."
Something just off to the right of where she had her wand pointed moved slightly.
"Then you would do well to point it at your target at least. Or were you planning on getting these answers you seem so interested in by threatening one of my staircase posts?"
Katlin immediately shifted the point of her wand at the shape that had moved. She couldn't think of anything at the moment to say. The person knew of her disability now. And it was one severe enough to put at her a dangerous disadvantage.
"Your eyes were injured from the spell." The voice went on. "My guess would be that you can see very little. If at all."
"I can see enough to defend myself." Katlin stated as firmly as she could, hoping the person before her didn't hear the fear creeping into her voice as clearly as she did.
"You're also burned."
Katlin's self-assured demeanor nearly collapsed at the word.
"Burned!?" All the fear she tried to keep out of her voice suddenly seized hold of it in that one word.
The voice gave a soft laugh. "Perhaps 'singed' is a better word."
An anxious hand was already feeling over her face. "How badly? How badly am I burned?"
"It's hardly noticeable, really. Except for your eyes." The voice promised her.
"My eyes?" For a brief moment Katlin had forgotten her most pressing problem. "What has happened to my sight? Will it stay like this?"
"That depends on how much of the spell you caught. And it's very hard to determine how bad it is standing across the room from you. If you'll let me, I can take a closer look."
Katlin immediately brought her wand back up. "Who are you?!" She demanded. "Are you a doctor?"
Orion had expected to have to lie his way around being an Auror. But much to his surprise, that wasn't the question she asked, so covering it would be that much easier. Especially since she already had an expectation set in her own mind.
"Yes, I am."
But Katlin kept her wand up. "And you just happened to be standing in that field?"
"Actually, I just arrived." Orion told her. "Sometimes the ministry calls medi-wizards in from outside their ranks to help out when needed."
"You knocked me to the ground." Katlin accused him. "You stopped the spell from hitting me. Why?"
Orion gave her a small laugh. "Well, I'd like to be thought of as the knight in shining armor by such a beautiful woman. But the truth of the matter is I apparated in nearly on top of you. I'm afraid what knocked you to the ground was me stumbling into you. Whatever transpired before that I'm unaware of."
"Why did you bring me......," Katlin looked about quickly. "Where are we?"
"You're at my house." Orion explained casually. "The reason you're here is I had no idea how badly you might have been hurt. I needed a safe place to examine you."
"Why not apparate me to a hospital then?" She accused, keeping the wand pointed at him.
"Because that might have proven a bit.........unwise." He offered.
"Unwise."
"You're a Deatheater. At a standard hospital you would have faired no better than in a ministry medical unit."
Katlin considered the information. "Why are you helping me at all? As you said, I'm a Deatheater."
"And I'm no Auror." Orion fired back with as much conviction as he could put into the statement. "I get called in to help. I try to leave politics behind and just help the injured."
"And afterwards?"
"Why don't we worry about 'afterwards' afterwards?" Orion replied. "Right now, I'm more concerned about your eyes. Which, left without treatment too long, could cost you your sight."
Katlin continued to consider what he was telling her as she kept her wand pointed at him.
"Please," He said in a soft, gentle tone, "I would rather not see you permanently blinded. You can keep your wand if you like. But I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help."
Katlin continued to keep her wand pointed at the shape in front of her, trying desperately to decide what action to take.
"Look," Orion tried again, "really, all I want to do is help. But the choice is entirely up to you. If you want instead, I'll drop the wards around the house and you can go anywhere else you want to go. You can go back to your lair if you want. But I doubt they'll be able to help you properly in time to save your sight."
Katlin paused for a few more moments, then slowly lowered her wand.
"You make one wrong move...." She warned him.
"....and I'm spell fodder. I get the drift." Orion replied. He didn't make any sudden move in approaching her, but made sure she was comfortable with every step. Finally he reached up and touched the side of her face, turning her eyes towards him.
"Can you see anything at all?" He asked. "And don't lie about it to protect yourself. It's important I know just how bad this is."
Katlin blinked a few times. "I can see....shapes." She admitted slowly, the grip on her wand never loosening. "Mostly everything is just gray shadows."
"Can you tell me what I look like?"
Katlin studied the figure before her through squinted eyes. "You're tall." She replied coolly, still unsure of how much of her disability she should let the man know about.
"So are the posts at the bottom of the stairs." Came the answer out of the haze of her sight. "Which you'll recall you started this conversation by threatening for information. I need specifics. What can you see of my appearance?"
Katlin squinted harder. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help much.
"You have dark hair." She said finally.
"Long or short?"
Katlin squinted again. She was being backed into a corner on this. But all she could honestly make out was the man's hair, which was black. But as she continued to squint at the form before her, a thought was slowly working its way forward in her mind. One she couldn't quite explain. Unexpectedly, she reached out, her hand closing quickly about the back of the man's neck. But when her senses told her she had come up empty in her quest, she pulled back slightly, a look a slight disappointment on her face.
"It's....short." She stated finally.
"You don't like short hair?"
Katlin looked up at him.
"It's just that you sounded so disappointed that my hair is short."
Katlin shrugged slightly. "I just.....thought it might be long, that was all."
The comment un-nerved him slightly, even as he congratulated himself for having the sense to cast the spell as soon as they got the house that took a good two feet off his hair. Best to leave that line of questioning and distract her onto something else.
"That's very good." He replied in as casual a voice as he could manage. "What else? What about my face?"
Katlin shook her head. She was falling to her old problem. Every man she saw she managed to form into the man in her dreams, and she saw what she wanted to see. For all she knew the fact the man had dark hair was the only trait he shared with her dream. She was letting her imagination run away with her. That man was just a dream. She had to keep her mind focused on the here and now.
"Nothing else." She replied. "I can't see your face clearly at all."
"Do you remember feeling any heat?" He asked her. "Like standing too close to a fire?"
Katlin paused, thinking back to the last thing she remembered. The memory of the feeling just before the man apparated her away from the battle was all to frighteningly clear to her. She remembered feeling a similar pain when she blew open the door to the cellar of her parent's home. Of how the blast from the heat of the fire had come in a wall of white light down the stairs at her, leaving her in more pain than she ever remembered before.
"I remember the heat." Was all she answered in a very hollow sounding voice.
"And how are you feeling?" The man asked, stepping back from her.
"Feeling?"
"You caught a small part of the spell that was fired at you. Even a small amount can take a lot out of you. Had you caught the whole thing, you'd be dead. My guess would be you're feeling less than up to snuff right now."
Until that moment, Katlin hadn't realized that she was relying a great deal on the wall behind her for support.
"I'm fine." She replied. As if to emphasize her point, she pulled away from the wall.
And nearly collapsed.
Two strong arms quickly caught her and helped her back up.
"Yes, I can see that." He stated, backing away from her for her own comfort as well as allowing her to find her balance again as she leaned against the wall. "Perhaps you'd feel better if you sat down?" Orion offered, holding his hand out to her.
Katlin only stared at the blur of the offered hand, pulling back slightly from it.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Orion said softly. "I promise."
Katlin slowly shifted her eyes to him. A look that could always melt his heart no matter the situation. Some things simply never changed.
"Do you believe me?"
Katlin turned again to the offered hand. Deep inside of herself, for some unexplained reason, she did trust the man standing before her. Maybe it was because in her mind, when she looked at the formless shape before her, she allowed her mind to transform it into her dream. Something to make her feel a little less afraid.
And it seemed to work as slowly she reached out and laid her hand in his, nodding slightly.
Orion smiled down at her as he carefully closed his hand over her's. "Good. You need rest. Even catching a small part of that spell likely took a great deal out of you, am I right?"
Katlin slowly tested her feet, moving more cautiously this time to a free standing position as she nodded again.
"My....my people.....will be worried...where I am." Katlin barely managed the whole sentence as the room began wavering slightly.
Orion felt her weight shift as she fought for her balance. "If you want," he offered in a forced voice, "You can return to your lair if you want, or I can send you there." More than anything he wanted to simply keep her there. To keep her with him where he knew she was safe and being taken care of.
"You...would send me back?" The weak voice asked.
"If that is what you want."
Katlin didn't answer right away. Instead she gave herself time to think by trying instead to take a step forward. But as soon as she tried to move her body with the step, she stumbled, nearly collapsing again.
Two strong arms wrapped themselves tighter about her as Orion caught her, supporting her weight as her legs gave out entirely under her.
"But I would seriously rethink that." He offered, allowing her to regain her footing while he held her.
Katlin held onto him for dear life as she tried to get her legs to support her weight. "I....I think I need to sit down." she said.
"Well, the front foyer of my home is hardly where you need to be." Orion stated. "Let's at least get you somewhere comfortable to sit down."
Katlin felt the two arms supporting her suddenly shift as they lifted her from the floor. Sighing to herself, she resigned to allow herself to be carried out of the foyer and down a side hallway, and finally into a small side room.
A small fire in the fireplace illuminated the room in a soft glow. Set before the cheerful fire was a large, comfortable looking plush, red sofa, which Orion directed himself over to.
Katlin had expected him to set her down on her feet, and shifted her weight in anticipation of his movements. But having planned instead to settle her on the sofa, the unexpected shift of the body in his arms threw Orion off balance and the end result was a less than graceful landing.
Katlin found herself all but dropped bodily onto the sofa while the man holding her nearly collapsed on top of her.
When she opened her eyes, Katlin found herself staring up into a blurred face. But that close she could make out more of the features. Ones that were just that much closer to the face in her dream as she concentrated on remembering it. But in an instant it was wiped from her mind, along with any other thought, as a pair of lips brushed her's. A tantalizing invitation to so much more.
Surprisingly she felt her body relax, responding to the tender touch of his hands as they wrapped themselves about her. She could feel the pressure of his lips increasing as they met with no resistance on her part, his tongue eagerly playing over them. Willingly she parted her lips in mute invitation.
Somewhere in the back of her mind a thought fought for recognition. This was insane. She was responding to a dream. He wasn't real. She hardly even knew the man she was kissing.
But he had saved her life. That was one thing she couldn't deny or explain away. She'd be dead right now if he hadn't interceded for her. Laying on a scorched piece of ground in the cold night instead of laying on a soft cushion in his warm embrace. And he hadn't turned her over to the Ministry. So something of his impartiality to the battle between the Deatheaters and the Ministry must be the truth.
And it wasn't gratitude that held her there. It was more.......curiosity. Why did every touch feel so familiar? Why could she practically predict every move? But as she tried to sort things out in her mind, rational thought finally failed her completely as the man slipped his hands under her robes, seeking out more intimate caresses.
His lips brushed against her ear, gently taking the lobe in his teeth as he nipped at it.
"Do you really need to leave?" He whispered in her ear.
Katlin barely even heard the words, her mind by now a foggy haze of contentment as her body relaxed into the cushions beneath her. Even the light burning against her skin that she had taken from the spell fell secondary to the feelings the man was stroking and manipulating from her body. Eager hands and fingers were rapidly finding new, previously undiscovered places under her robe as they worked to open them to equally eager lips. Nearly every touch was as close as she could remember to it being in her dream.
What was the harm in doing something a little selfish? In the morning she would leave and that would be that. Simple. Uncomplicated.
The answer escaped her lips on the breath of a soft, contented sigh as those well-practiced fingers found another place to tease and stoke to arousal. "No."
It had been ages since anyone had ever made her feel anything even remotely close to what sensations the man was pulling from her body. He seemed to know exactly where she was most sensitive, and precisely how to touch her there. Every brush of his fingers and lips send a wonderful flare of excitement through her.
"Do you at least have a name?" Katlin managed to get out as she fought to keep one solid thought going from beginning to end that didn't focus itself totally on the sensations this man was bringing to life under his lips and hands.
Orion pulled back a little with a slight sigh. "I'm not really into names at the moment." He replied as his lips brushed against her's.
That was a subject he definitely needed to distract her from. Anything at all brought into the current circumstances from the past he had no idea how it might affect things. Or what even remote memory it might spark in her. Best to keep things vague, he told himself. If he played it hard enough, she would accept whatever conditions he laid out. And that one didn't seem to be high on her list at the moment either as she willingly allowed his hands to quickly distract the idea from her mind.
All in all the evening was shaping up to be a great deal more enjoyable than he had anticipated.
The next morning Orion woke to the sun in his eyes. Giving a soft curse he rolled over in the bed, nearly rolling over the body next to him.
Stars above! What had he done last night? And who with?
He sat up and quickly ran his hands through his hair. But at the nap of his neck he stopped abruptly.
So did his hair.
Merlin's Beard! How drunk had he been last night?! He let some fool cut off his hair?!
He quickly tried to sort things out. He had cut his hair, then brought home a complete stranger and ended up in bed with them. What other stupid thing had he managed to do last night?
But as the body next to him shifted slightly, the events of the night before slowly began to become clearer, coming back with a small smile.
'Oh, this hadn't been stupid at all.' He happily told himself as he ran his hand gently over the slim, white arm laying on top of a perfectly curved hip.
Pulling up against the woman next to him, Orion wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly against him. Not only because just being that close to her was high on his list of his favorite places to be at 7 in the morning, but it also gave him complete control over any movement she might make. He had to assess the condition of her eyes before she turned over.
"'Morning." He murmured in her ear.
The body stretched out in his hold, then cuddled back up against him.
"Hmmmmmm." Was all he got in reply.
"Time to get up." He whispered over her shoulder.
The body scrunched down under the covers. "Ummmmm...unh huh."
Orion smiled slightly. Well, Katlin never was much of a morning person.
"Come on." He nudged her. "Time for your check up."
The covers pulled back slightly. "What check up?" She mumbled.
"Open your eyes and I'll tell you."
Orion watched from the side of her face the long lashed lids slowly open with a great deal of caution against the assault of the morning sun.
"Now," he asked, lightly kissing her neck, "what do you see? And tell me the truth. It's important."
He watched Katlin's eyes scan about the area immediately around her. But she didn't say anything.
"Well?"
"It's.......still gray." She said in a barely audible voice. "I still can't see."
"That's to be expected." He assured her. "Don't let it worry you. What I want to know is, is it any brighter at all?"
He watched her scan the area within her immediate vision again.
"It's........a little brighter. But not much."
Orion rolled her over on her back. "All right then. What about me?"
Two long, slender arms wrapped themselves about his neck with a smile that nearly caused him to melt in her embrace.
"Ohhhhhh, you're very good." She purred.
Orion lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm thrilled." He replied over a small giggle beneath him. "But what can you see?"
Katlin squinted up at him. "You have short, dark hair." She answered.
"And you're not getting by with that this time."
Katlin frowned at him. "I added that it was dark.' she protested.
"Wonderful. But you told me that yesterday. What else?"
Katlin looked closer. "You're young. About thirty-five. You haven't shaved yet, and you're eyes.....are blue." She said, though she didn't sound entirely sure of the last part.
Orion pulled back slightly. That was more than he expected. Her eyesight was coming back far quicker than he estimated. She was up to seeing colors again. Another few hours and her full sight would likely be back.
"You're doing very well." He stated. "Another half day or so and your sight should be fully recovered."
Katlin pulled up and scooted over to the edge of the bed. "That would be good." she replied, feeling about for her clothes at the foot of the bed. "I have work to get back to."
"Back to the Deatheaters?" He questioned.
Katlin turned back to him briefly, then went back to getting dressed. "If you must know, yes."
"Why are you even with them?" He asked. "What do they give you that you can't find anywhere else in this world?"
Katlin turned back to him, pulling her shirt down over her trim, well-shaped torso. "Security." She replied.
Orion pulled over in the bed and sat down in front of her. "You don't think anyone else can give you that security you crave so much?"
"Like who?" she asked with a small smile. "You, for instance?"
Orion shrugged. "I seem to do very well for myself."
Katlin leaned down and pecked him on the nose. "It was very nice....last night." She told him with a small smile that quickly faded. "But that's all it was. Last night."
Orion looked up at her as an idea that had been playing about in his mind took a firmer hold under that welcoming smile. "But it doesn't have to be." He could think of something. A small disguising spell until he worked out a better solution. This time he would make it work. He wouldn't mess up again. He knew the pitfalls. He could avoid them this time.
Katlin pulled back from him. "Yes it does." She stated a bit firmer. "You fall in love too quickly. I'm grateful for what you did for me. But I'm sorry if you saw last night as anything more than that."
"Gratitude?" Orion asked in disbelief.
Katlin gathered her robes and stood back in front of him. "You said you would allow me to go home." She stated almost formally. "And that is where I want to go."
"You'll need someone to check on you later." He offered hopefully.
"I can see to myself." Came the nearly cold reply.
Orion sighed quietly to himself. 'Get a grip, Black.' He admonished himself. 'It was a stupid idea and you know it.'
"All right." He agreed in a discouraged voice. Pulling out his wand he quickly undid the wards about the house. "You're free to leave whenever you want. Unless you'd like some breakfast first." He added as a last minute attempt.
Katlin gave him a solid stare, then quickly disappeared from the room.
Orion sighed to himself as he sat for a few moments staring at the space she had last stood. But finally, with another disheartened sigh he spoke a few words, putting an end to the spell he had cast the night before, just before Katlin turned to face him for the first time, reacquainting him with his long, black strands, which he quickly gathered in his hands.
"And I missed you too." He stated as he gave them an affectionate peck.
It wasn't gratitude.
It was everything getting caught up in the moment.
It was curiosity.
It was that blasted dream.
It was somewhere to be and something to do.
It was allowing herself a little selfish act just for her.
It was a way to guarantee for herself she would get out of the situation alive. The man's attraction to her had been genuine enough. She could feel it in him. Just like in all the others. And just like in all the others, she saw no point in not using that advantage
And it hadn't been an unpleasant encounter by any means. The man had enjoyed himself, if his reactions had been any gage of things.
And she had gotten to engage in a little self-indulgence herself. From what she had been able to see of him, the man fit the image of her dream almost perfectly, with the exception his hair had been short. Past that, he was about the right age and build. The rest she just filled in in her own mind when she looked at the grayed out blur of a face before her.
And the night had been.........she simply couldn't come up with a word for it that didn't make her sound like a giggling school girl. But the man had done everything to perfection. Every lead he followed as though he could anticipate every one of her needs. As though without a word from her he knew every desire. Her every wish.
Katlin walked about her apartment in a seemingly never ending circle as she came up with a new reason for ever completed round for why she had stayed with the man the night before.
It had been the perfect circumstances. The dream was driving her to distraction. She needed a way to work it out of her system. The man had been as close to her dream as anyone could likely be.
So what was wrong with a little selfish indulgence?
He certainly hadn't complained. Gotten a little clingy, maybe. But most of them did.
With every trip around her small livingroom, her sight was getting clearer. Just as the man had promised it would.
Maybe she should have let him check.
No. She ended it the way she always did. The way it was best. Quick and clean.
So why did this feel so.....wrong?
A sharp knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Who is it?" She snapped at the door.
"Katlin? It's Johnathan. Open the door."
Katlin gritted her teeth in irritation. What was he doing here? He never came to her apartment.
But just the same she dutifully went to the door and opened it to him.
A barely distinguishable worried expression met her still blurred vision.
"Katlin, where have you been?" He asked in what could almost have been mistaken for a concerned tone. "You didn't return to the lair last night."
Katlin turned and walked back into the apartment. Anything to give her a few precious moments to think.
"I was injured." She explained. "I needed to get away from the battle."
"Where did you go?" Came the next question, sounding a great deal more like an accusation and a lot less like concern.
Katlin turned back to the man before her. She sensed the trap so easily Johnathan might as well have spoken it out loud. He had come here once already and checked. Checked every place she might have gone.
The man was getting far too possessive.
"I went to see a friend." Katlin stated with as much truth in the lie as she could manage on short notice.
"A friend?" Came the disbelieving reply.
"A doctor." Katlin added. That was much easier. The man had said he was a doctor, so there was no lie there to cover.
"A friend who's a doctor?"
"I said I was injured, Johnathan." Katlin defend sternly. "My eyes were damaged from a barely missed spell. I still can hardly see."
A rough hand grabbed her under the chin and directed her face towards him.
Katlin slapped the hand away in irritation.
"How dare you!" She stated in indignation. "How dare you question what I say?"
Enough of her sight had returned that she could just make out the forced smile before her.
"It isn't questioning you, Love." Came the soft, silk-smooth voice. "I'm concerned. We all were. You disappeared. No one knew where you were. If you were all right."
"Am I known for not being able to take care of myself?" Katlin snapped back.
"Of course not, Love."
Katlin sharply turned her back on him. "And you've seen that I'm fine." She stated. "So you can now leave."
"Of course." Johnathan answered. "But I would like to thank the man who took such good care of you. What is his name?"
Katlin spun back around to face him. "Get out!" She shouted at him. "Just.....get out!"
Johnathan gave her a stunned look. But before he could ask anything further, found himself shoved out the door and had it slammed in his face.
Inside the small apartment Katlin stood leaning against the door, her back bracing it closed.
Why had she gotten so angry? Why had she let him get to her like that? Why hadn't she just come up with some name? Why had she felt the need so strongly to protect the man from Johnathan? She didn't even know him.
She didn't even know his name.
Last night she hadn't even cared.
Slowly she sank down to the floor, staring blindly ahead of her. Why did this feel so confusing? Why did it feel so right when she knew all too well it was wrong.
'Forget him.' A tiny voice stated. 'That's what's best here. Just forget him. Just like the others.'
Katlin sighed as she laid her head against her arms.
The voice was right. She should just chalk it up to a pleasant experience and get on with things.
After all, she was going to be married in little under a month.
Q&A
ENEMIES
nessie:
Treaks has actually been planning on marrying Katlin for some time, Dear. If you look back in the story, Orion had ask Katlin to marry him, and she refused. Now why do you think that was? Possibly because at the time she was already engaged?
She may be dreaming about Orion, Dear, but she has no idea this man actually exists. It was pure luck Treaks kept her from seeing his face in the restaurant. And when he let her go the first time, helping her to escape, she wasn't having the dreams yet, and she didn't commit the man's face to memory. (No. Don't ask me why. I have no idea.)
Yes, Dear, I still give out gold stars. I just don't give them out as frequently as I use to. Something has to really impress me to give a gold star for it.
skahducky:
Ahhhhh....., no.
No, I won't be mean and just leave it there.
The problem you have with this is you're assuming that Voldemort is using Katlin's secret against her. He's not. It is, in fact, a benefit to her. And Voldemort doesn't keep the secret to hurt her either. This also, is a benefit to her.
You're right in that Katlin doesn't remember telling Orion the story of her childhood or how she came to be with Voldemort. But the fact she doesn't remember has nothing to do with the secret.
By the way, you're also right in that the only two people who know that story, to Katlin's memory, are she and Voldemort, and that does have a lot to do with her secret. But the third person who knows the story, that being Orion, doesn't know the secret because Katlin left that part out of her story.
Katlin isn't worried about Orion because he's an Auror, Dear. Her enemy. She has no idea who the person who saved her the first time was. And if you want to see PAR squirm her way out of that one, go read nessie's answer above. That will answer the first time he saved her. The second time she did indeed never see who was responsible.
True, Auror's do not randomly help Deatheaters escape. Especially the likes of her. Is she looking into it? Not currently. Will she? *Sighs* Well, I hadn't planned it. And I do think some mention of the reason is made latter. But it is brief, so you'd have to look for it. It's not like I built a chapter around the answer.
Silverfox:
First off, in regards to the Author's Notes (*), have a gold star for that bit of theorizing. It was outstanding.
Regarding your timing with reviews, it's just that you were thhhhhhhhhat close. Maybe an hour or less.
Actually, you're early this week....for you. I mean, I don't post till the 18th and you got in on the 15th.
I understand grumbling, Dear. I often promise myself a nice evening with my computer that never comes to pass due to something getting in the way.
I never said Talon had a good idea. But Bo wasn't totally cut off from contact with people. Orion said his father would go down into the cellar from time to time himself.
You're going to call a spirit a person? See you in philosophy class, Dear. Bring something to munch on. We'll be there a while.
True, Bo has a sense of self. And boy, has he got personality! But a person in my book has to have more than a 'sense of self'. He has to 'have self'. Bo doesn't. He's an entity.
If it makes you happy, Dear, and helps you understand him better, feel free to think of Bo as a person. I'm sure you're not the sole member of the club.
Oh, no, Dear! Mum is a live and kicking. And can't wait to meet the special lady who has made her little bundle of joy so happy. Or who made him happy at one time. Right now she's probably ready to kill the................witch.
OK. Host - Channeler. Two totally different people in who they are and how they relate to Bo.
Host (Talon) - The host can actually control the Power. That is how Talon was able to force Bo into the boggart. You'll note I've never (to my knowledge) ever said Bo did that willingly. It was always a forced issue. And that is probably the greatest difference between the two. Orion can not, when it comes down to the wire, force Bo to do anything. Talon says 'leave', Bo leaves. That simple.
Now, before you say anything, yes, Talon did have to force Bo out of his son when Orion first joined with the Power. But that was due to the circumstances. His son just became a Channeler for the Power. It had a link to Orion. Something to 'hold onto', if you like.
Secondly, there can only be one host at a time. And before Orion was even born, Talon became the new host when his father became to demented and disabled to serve in that capacity any longer.
Also, the host joins completely with the Power. The channeler can not. When Bo 'goes' somewhere with Orion, he's just along for the ride. If he were to go somewhere with Talon, the two would be indistinguishable. Talon would not have had to put any effort at all into destroying the Deatheaters lair. Orion had to guide the Power. Make it understand what he wanted it to do and give it a 'purpose'. Which was his anger.
Channeler (Orion) - Perhaps it's better to think of your channeler as simple a 'channel'. An access conduit for the Power into the channeler's world. Orion can't, as mentioned above, make Bo do anything. Bo response to Orion based on a give and take exchange. Orion allowes him to 'live', or to experience things in this realm. But the only way he can do that is if he participates. Otherwise he's just 'looking around'.
Also, Orion is Bo's friend. Likely the first he's ever had. And Bo understands 'friend' very well. How well? Try hurting his friend.
It was absolutely against Talon's will that his son became a channeler for the Power. He never wanted his son's to have anything to do with the Power, or it with them.
Orion was not a born channeler. People aren't born that 'kind' of channeler here. But nor was it an act of will on Bo's part. Talon believes that Bo tricked his son into performing the spell that allowed Orion to join with the power. But he didn't really. Remember, the whole reason that incident came about was because Orion, as an eleven year old child, was afraid of being sent away from home to the big, scary world of boarding school. Bo understood the child was frightened. And probably feeling it even deeper than Orion would ever admit. So, his friend was afraid, and he wanted to help. What was it Bo ask him? Would it be less frightening if someone from home went with him?
And that was all poor Bo was trying to do. To help a small child be less afraid. He had no idea what he was going to do would effect Orion as it did. Bo didn't understand what it meant to make the boy his channeler, or that he was even doing that. He was simply trying to make it possible for him to leave the cellar so that he could go with Orion to school without anyone knowing.
Poor Bo.
Orion definitely had the potential to be a channeler cased on the fact he was the son of the host. And the first born son at that. It would not have been as easy for Sirius.
I assume that question is 'Can Bo use his power on his own, without a channler, since he protects the house'. Absolutely. Bo can yield his own power, host or no. That's a large part of what makes him so dangerous and one of the main reasons he has a host. To help him understand things in the very physical realm he finds himself in.
Bo can protect the house on his own because he knows how to do that. Orion has showed him how. But it's like working on an assembly line to Bo. It's very routine, and somewhat boring to him. Rarely does anything really ever happen. I mean, if Orion felt Bo was one hundred percent capable of safely dealing with whatever came up at the house, why would he bother with all the wards around his house. Bo is more of a 'last line of defense' rather than the main one.
How many people know and understand Bo?
Two totally different questions there, Dear.
How many people know about Bo? Four. No, wait. Five. Six, if you count a hat as a person. And since we're already in philosophy class, feel free to dispute that one.
Who are they?
Well, obviously Talon, his wife, and Orion.
Charly.
Dumbledore.
And the Sorting Hat.
How Orion and his parents know I think is obvious.
Charly knows because Orion told him.
Dumbledore knows because of the incident at Orion's sorting, and hence, such is how the hat knows.
And, of course, Katlin...too some extent.
Oh! And someone you might not expect. Voldemort. However, Voldemort's knowledge is a bit....incomplete. He only knows the 'Power', he doesn't know about Bo or his relation to the Power.
Yes, poor Sirius was kept utterly in the dark about the Power. Oddly enough, though, he does know about Bo. But he views Bo as most people do. The family's pet boggart.
I'd love to hear those crazy theories, Dear. PAR just loves theories.
Actually, two points here. One, no, Orion did not 'just buy himself another wand'. And second, PAR made a little mistake.
Charly does not use Orion's original wand. He is using the second one Orion got. Why is that important? I'll let you think on that one for a while.
Dummmmm dee dee dum dee dum dum dee dee dum........all done?
OK.
Remember, Orion was originally sorted into Slytherin. Before he went to school, he got his wand, as we assume all students do. So his first wand would have been based on his original tendencies, which would have been a little dark. Now, were those tendencies his own, or what they became under Bo's influence? You decide. The point is, when Orion was sorted into Slytherin, Dad had a small....'discussion'...with the sorting hat, who decided he liked being a hat and not refashioned into someone's gym socks, and Orion was resorted into Gryffindor. Dad promptly took son out and got him a new wand. And on a second try, Orion bonded with a different wand. So you were literally dealing with two separate aspects to the boy's personality.
Naturally, Orion would not want to give up his original wand. It was his first. So he gave the second wand to Charly. A wand he had also bonded with and which could allow Charly to draw his magic directly off of the wizard the wand belong to.
Does Orion mean to use Harry as an additional channeler for Bo? No, Dear. Orion's intentions towards his would-be nephew are completely honorable, I swear. Nothing underhanded going on here.
Well, you're riding a very fine line here. True, Harry living with Orion would seemingly tend to make him a member of the family. And true, Talon did not adopt the boggart. But like I said, you're riding a real fine line here. Harry is not a part of the family yet. Nor does he have any direct connection to the family past that he lives with Sirius and he adopted the family name. Past that, believe it or not, he is not family.
The boggart was a part of the family. He lived with them, interacted with them, and they accepted him as family.
(Hand goes up in the back.)
*Sigh*
Yes?
Ms. PAR! Ms PAR! Harry lives with Sirius, interacts with him, and Sirius accepts Harry as part of the family! Isn't that the same thing!?
No. Sit down.
(I said it was a VERY fine line.)
Did I also mention it was a very deep hole I was standing in and I can barely see frinkin' sunlight anymore?
Moving on. The parameters of the original spell were that the Power could only be passed on between father and son, to the first born male. And that each generation only produced one male.
Well, that certainly isn't the way things are. Talon has two sons, and he dang sure didn't pass the Power on to either of them. So yes, the parameters of the spell have been altered.
Theoretically, Dear, if I go out into space and throw a wrench off in any direction, it will eventually come back to me, barring unforeseen circumstances happening to my wrench along the way, based on the idea that the universe is round. But no one has yet to prove that. And so yes, theoretically, Harry could be a potential host based on his family connection to Orion. But let me save you a lot of brain work on that one. It ain't gonna happen. Past that, see the Author's Notes.
So go have a nice sleep and dream that Warner Brothers is just playing with us and they actually picked someone else to play Sirius besides Gary Oldman.
FAMILY LIFE
ParanoiaIn2005:
Interesting name, Dear. But it worries me a bit.
To make someone my beta would truly be cruel, Dear. I don't hate anyone that much.
I'm surprised you missed the soap/soup bit. Most people caught that one.
Of course the story had problems. I wrote it in six months.
Some people liked the sentimentality of Family Life, others blasted me for having too much. Can't please everyone, I guess. So I'll go with the majority. If you did not like the sentimentality in Family Life, Dear, you might not like the sequel.
All in all, glad you enjoyed the story.
I'm glad you are enjoying Family Relations, but I am warning you about the sentimentality level in this one. It's rather high.
If you're looking for Runaway, Dear, you're going to look for about two more months. That's when it comes out.
As for Fever, I suppose if you can handle the sentimentality in this one, you'll be OK for Family Relations.
Sorry, Dear, but I've already been more than adequately chastised for the wand incident. Yes, it was a glaring over-sight by me. But you'll have to get in line to smack me with the wet noodle for that one. Just about everyone caught it.
Thank you for the review, Dear.
FEVER
Kaye:
Yeah, yeah. Get in line, Dear. Just about everybody caught that glaring error. Well, everyone but me.
So you want to meet Orion Black, Dear. Go check out Enemies, the upcoming Runaway (in which he has a cameo appearance), and the Fall 2004 release of Family Relations. Also feel free to check out the previews to that story listed on my Author's Page.
Reviews are as of 04172004.
And remember:
Sarcasm,
Just one more service I offer.