A/N: Yeah, yeah, I'm late. Tell me about it.
The fact of the matter is, folks, I've been busy. I've had family in, work is a bear currently, and I have very little time in between for me. Top that off with not getting nearly enough sleep over the past two weeks and you have the makings for a late posting.
Also, I would like to tout to you guys the evils of sleep deprivation. One word of advice, Don't.
When your mother tells you it is a bad thing not to get a good nights sleep, listen to her. She ain't lying.
As a current subject of the aforementioned, I can tell you no drug developed by man can screw with you quiet like a few nights of poor sleep. It will disrupt your life physically, mentally, and every other way you can think of. And surely don't do it if you're already sick. Talk about stressing your body out.
However, if you're just looking for a cheap thrill, go right ahead. Stay up for a few days. Then try counting to ten.
Also, yes, we are getting close to the end. The next story up I hope you will all give a try. It is a cute little, low stress jaunt called Runaway, featuring Harry and Katlin. The story is for those of you who might wonder how a fifteen year old teenage boy might react to a strikingly beautiful woman, despite the fact she is a Deatheater.
Then again, looking at how a twenty-six year man responded to her. Duh!
Anyway, as always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: What!? Still!? Really people! With the sole exception no one recognizes 98% of the characters, no one believes this is mine.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: THE TOUCH OF YOUR LOVE - PART TWO
Katlin went on for some time, turning down one unfamiliar path after another, hoping to find something that would tell her where she was. She had heard Orion tell the creature to guard the front doors, and to keep a watch on the other entrances as well. How was she suppose to be able to get out with that creature keeping watch?
Eventually Katlin found another small alcove and collapsed to the floor in the shadows, her knees drawn up tightly in front of her.
How could she possibly get out? And what was she going to do when she did? Should she go to Voldemort as she told Orion she would, and confront him with what the Auror had told her?
But it couldn't be the truth. She would know such a thing. She knew Voldemort better than anyone. He simply would not have done such a thing.
But she had believed Orion's story before. Why? What was different then? What part of it wasn't there now?
Katlin felt a tear roll down her cheek and she angrily wiped away the betrayal of her feelings. But another just as quickly replaced it. And when she wiped that one away, still another. Soon she didn't even try to stop them anymore as she sat on the floor in the dark little alcove, trying her best to sort out what she should do.
"Hello?"
Katlin nearly jumped out of her skin as she gasp in surprise at the greeting. She looked up to see a shadow of blue robes standing in the opening to the alcove, accenting the long white beard that fell in front of them.
The old wizard.
"Well, now," he stated, peering in the alcove, "what are you doing here, child? I thought you would be with Mr. Black."
Katlin quickly silenced her sobs and turned to the floor as she discreetly tried to wipe a hand over one tear stained cheek.
"I was." was the only thing she could think to say. And she certainly didn't feel any the better for having said it. If anything, she felt stupid for trying to say anything at all.
Slowly the old wizard maneuvered himself into the alcove. "Do you mind?" he ask, indicating the space next to her on the floor. "My poor feet feel like I have walked over every inch of this castle."
Katlin continued to stare at the wall opposite her, saying nothing.
"I'll leave if you would rather."
Katlin slowly turned to him, then turned back to the wall. She slowly shook her head.
The truth was, she liked the old wizard. He was quirky, to be sure. But he made sense most of the time. And she could use a little of that right now.
"I am most grateful." Dumbledore replied as he eased himself down to the floor next to her. "I believe the next available space is some ways down the corridor yet."
Katlin said nothing as she continued to stare at the wall, discreetly wiping the other track of tears off her cheek.
"Well, it is a small alcove, but I do believe I am correct in saying I do not see Mr. Black here."
Katlin shook her head, which seemed to serve to allow new track of tears to find their way down her cheek. She quickly wiped them away as well.
"Katlin?"
Katlin turned to the old wizard.
"What happened?"
Katlin stared at the old man for a very long time. But he never pressed for a answer. She supposed that was in part what she liked about him. She believed he would have sat there all night waiting for her to answer, and never once asking that question again.
Finally she turned back to the wall. "He told me." she said in a soft whisper of a voice that sounded very much unlike her own. Instead it sounded very frightened and unsure of itself.
"I see." was all the old wizard said. And again he fell into silence next to her.
"Is it true?" she ask in the same soft voice, now staring at her hands as she pulled tentatively at them, then rested them back over her knees. She wasn't even sure she wanted an answer.
The old wizard gave a small laugh. "How very strange." he answered her puzzled look. "That is much the same question you asked me when you first came to see me."
"You told me that before." Katlin replied. "You said that I came to you before for help."
"Yes."
"And this is what I came to ask your help with? To know if Black's story was true or not?"
"Well, that was how it started." Dumbledore told her. "But by the time you came to me, I think you had already convinced yourself it was."
"How do you know that?"
"Because almost as soon as you told me your story, you told me what you wanted was simply to forget everything Mr. Black had told you. In short, you ask me to perform a Memory Charm on you."
Katlin's tear-filled eyes widened in surprise. "I asked for that!?" she questioned.
Dumbledore gave her a quizzical look. "I thought you and Mr. Black had discussed all this."
"He didn't tell me I was the one who ask for the Memory Charm." Katlin settled back down and hugged her knees again. After a few moments she turned back to the old wizard. "Did you ever answer my question.....back when I first came to you? Was the story true?"
"I told you what I knew, Katlin, and I told you truthfully, I simply didn't know. I doubt that anyone does really."
"Voldemort would know." she replied.
"Then perhaps you should ask him."
Katlin sat for a few minutes, saying nothing. "That's where I was headed." she whispered finally.
The old man gave a small laugh. "Well, I doubt that you will find him in this alcove."
Katlin echoed his laugh briefly. "Orion sent his pet after me, to stop me from leaving the castle." she replied, trying to hide a slight sniff from her tears.
"Bo?" Dumbledore asked.
Katlin nodded.
"Oh, you needn't be afraid of Bo." Dumbledore told her. "He is mostly harmless."
"It's the 'mostly' part I find you have to worry about with things like that."
The old wizard sat in thought for a few moments. "Why did Orion send Bo to stop you? Didn't he want you to leave?"
Katlin paused for a moment. Now there was a good question. Why had Orion tried to stop her?
"I don't know why." she answered truthfully.
"Well, he must have had a reason."
"I suppose he wasn't done talking." Katlin speculated.
"But one assumes you were done listening?"
Katlin nodded before she thought. "I just..................," she tried to correct the mistake, but simply couldn't think of anything to say.
"I suppose it was an awful lot to take in." Dumbledore offered. "But surely Mr. Black explained things to you this time?"
"He tried."
"Well," Dumbledore suggested with a smile, "perhaps that was it then."
Katlin turned to him.
"Perhaps he wasn't done trying."
"I had heard all of his explanations I cared to."
"To the point it has left you sitting in an alcove of the castle all alone?" Dumbledore ask. "I can't say I would be very satisfied with that explanation."
Katlin said nothing. Sometimes the old wizard made too much sense.
"Katlin," he added gently, "Orion only wants to talk to you. And I think it would do you well to hear him out. Get your answers while you can. You may not have a second chance. You almost didn't have one this time."
Katlin turned back to him.
"What if Orion had been killed by the wards? No one could answer your questions then. You would never know why he did the things he did, for he is the only person who can tell you that part at least. And I think you should listen to him. At least get the answers to that part of this. Find out why he did what he did."
Katlin studied the old man for a moment. "Do you know?" she ask finally.
Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Oh child, I may be an old man, but I am afraid that the reasons love does what it does elude me to this day."
"Love?"
Dumbledore frowned slightly at her. "Yes, child. Love. Make no mistake about that part of all this. Orion loves you very much. He has offered everything he has to see that you were happy. And now he stands willingly offering it all up again for the very same reason."
Katlin turned back to the darkness. "I know what he is willing to offer." she stated quietly. "He's already proven that. And I'm not angry with him. Not really. It's just........it's simply all so confusing."
"Then give him a chance to explain it all to you, Katlin." the old man suggested. "That is all he is asking for. He only wants for you to understand. And after that, he has given his word you can do what you please. Hasn't he told you that?"
Katlin paused, then nodded slowly.
"Then is what he is asking for really so much? Just to try and help you understand."
Katlin sat in silence for a few moments, then slowly pulled herself to her feet. "All right." she replied. "I will hear him out. You are right. He deserves that much after all he has done for me. But I won't promise anything once I have heard his reason."
"No one is asking you to, child." Dumbledore answered, struggling with the wall as he tried to get up again, but finally gave up. "It is very difficult for an old man, you understand." he stated.
Katlin sighed quietly, then offered him her hand. "And I do not believe you are nearly as helpless as you pretend to be, old wizard." she replied, helping him up.
(Scene change.)
As Katlin approached the infirmary with the old wizard, the first thing that greeted her was Orion's voice.
"What do you mean you couldn't find her?! I'm not asking you to hunt up my whole graduating class. This is just one person we're talking about here, Bo. One, single person. Who is likely as lost as you seem to be."
"Miss Griss isn't nearly as lost as you think, Mr. Black." Dumbledore informed the man in the bed as he stepped back into the infirmary with Katlin following slowly behind him.
Katlin surprised herself with the small smile that came to her lips at the sight of the look on Orion's face when he caught sight of her. It was as though nothing in the world could have delighted him more than seeing her again.
"Now there! You see!" Orion informed the tower of dark robes standing next to his bed. "An old man could find her when you couldn't. Some great, omniscient power you are. An old man out did you."
Bo paused, then slowly glided over to where Dumbledore stood with Katlin. He seemed to study the old wizard for a moment, then, holding up his cloth covered hand, produced a small pillar of fire in the palm of his hand.
Dumbledore studied the fire with some interest. "Very interesting." he commented with a genuine sounding enthusiasm. "May I?" he asked, then lifted the small fire into his own hand. Instantly it shot up, reaching nearly to the ceiling, struck the roof in a burst of light and showered small lights down about the room.
The cloth in front of the boggart's face rustled slightly as the boggart huffed at the display.
"Just a small variation on a theme." Dumbledore informed the boggart with a slight smile.
For his part, Orion's gaze had never left the figure standing slightly behind Dumbledore, who surveyed him with a cautious stare.
"I'm very glad you came back." he said finally with a genuinely pleased smile.
"The old wizard thought I should." she replied quietly.
"Ah." Dumbledore spoke up suddenly. "And I believe it is long past the old wizard's bedtime. If you children will excuse me."
Only the boggart watched the old man leave. Katlin had slowly worked her way back over to the chair she had occupied earlier and seated herself back in it.
"The old man said I should listen to all you had to say before I made any decisions." Katlin stated in an almost formal manner.
"Katlin, I am truly sorry what I said upset you." Orion began. "But you have to listen to me and understand that I have no more of an idea than you do if it is true or not. This man would not be the first informant who lied to me. He won't be the last."
"You said you never even tried to verify what he told you though. And you said it was because......you didn't want to."
Orion paused, then nodded.
"You wanted Voldemort to be that man. The one who killed my parents. Who destroyed my life."
Orion paused for a moment again, then nodded once more.
"Why?" Katlin ask in a nearly broken-hearted tone. "Why attack someone I loved? Why try to hurt him?"
Orion didn't move. Instead he simply stared at the covers before him.
"You said you would answer my questions." Katlin reminded him.
"I never imagined you'd ask such hard ones."
"But you did promise to answer them. And that is one I want answered. Why did you want that man to be Voldemort so badly?"
Orion sat in silence for a very long time. Katlin was about to ask him again when he suddenly started to speak. And each word was one he clearly was struggling to get out.
"Because I was trying to get you to see......." Orion paused as he breathed a quiet sigh. "You gave him blind devotion, Katlin. You never questioned anything. He asked it, you did it. Plain and simple. I wanted.......I wanted to stop that."
Katlin's voice softened slightly. "It wasn't blind devotion, Orion. I loved him. He was like a father to me."
Orion didn't answer her. He only sat with his gaze once again fixed on the sheets before him.
Katlin sat studying him for a moment when a sudden thought coming to her.
"You were jealous!" She stated in a soft whisper. "You were jealous of him!"
Orion didn't answer her.
"You promised to answer my questions." She reminded him.
"You said you only had one."
Katlin stared back at him, a silent anger starting to grow. "I won't take semantics from you, Orion."
Orion sat for a few more seconds, feeling her anger growing with each passing second.
"Yes." He said finally. "I was jealous of him."
"Because I loved him?"
"Because you loved him that much. And he didn't deserve that from you."
"Why?"
"Because he didn't. He doesn't deserve that much love from anyone."
"Because you say so? A fine judge and jury you make for him. You don't even know the man."
"I know him well enough. I know what he is. I know what he has the potential to become."
"He is a fine man." Katlin countered. "A good man. One who has loved and trusted and sheltered me for years."
"And maybe he has sheltered you too much." Orion replied. But he slowly turned to her. "Or maybe that was what I believed, and maybe that was what I was trying to show you. That he wasn't all you believed him to be."
"And what is he that I don't see? You wanted to show me that. Here is your chance. Tell me what he is that I don't see so clearly as you."
Orion sighed as he stared back at the ceiling. "I don't know anymore Katlin. Don't you see? That was my mistake. I tell you I know the man. Maybe I don't. Maybe I don't know that man at all that could inspire such devotion in you."
"I told you I wanted the old wizard to remove the Memory Charms. And I still do. But before he does, I want you to tell me is there is anything else I should know before he does. Any other little 'surprises' I should be aware of?"
Orion's expression abruptly took on a very worried look, then switched just as quickly to a very sheepish one. "Well, there is one other thing. But it's not going to help my hole get any less deep."
Katlin frowned. "Meaning?"
"Well, before Dumbledore removes the first Memory Charm, we probably have to..............sort of remove the second one first."
Katlin's frown deepened considerably. "Second?" she ask slowly. "Why a second one? What in Magic's name...........what was this, Orion? Memory Charms were just your panacea for everything that happened between us that one of us didn't like!? How many more are there?"
"Just two." Orion answered quickly.
"And the second one? What was it's purpose?"
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to accept that it was just for the best?" he asked sheepishly.
Katlin's frown darkened.
Orion took a deep breath. "Well, after the first Memory Charm, we just seemed to keep running into each other. And one of those times was in a battle. You were practically hit by a spell that would have singed you right down to your toes. And you.......from where I was, you just seemed....to freeze. I've never known you to do that in a fight before."
"Fire and I are not old friends." she replied dryly.
"Well, whatever the reason, I wasn't about to just leave you to it. I grabbed you and pulled you out of the way just as the spell came at you. You still caught a small part of it."
"But I survived."
"Obviously. But...........you couldn't see. At least not for a few hours."
"And?"
"Well, understandably, you were a bit....on edge."
"On edge?"
"You threatened to kill my stair case post if it didn't answer your questions."
"What?"
"Well apparently you were just looking for a target, and not being able to see very well, you mistook the post for me."
"Orion, you stopped making sense three questions ago. What does any of this have to do with this second Memory Charm?"
"It's all sort of the reason for it, Love."
"Sort of?"
"Yes. You see, you were hurt, you could just barely make out shapes, I couldn't very well leave you in the middle of a battle, now could I?"
"And so you............?"
".......Sort of brought you.....home."
"Home?"
"Well, to my house, at least. It was the safest place while I tried to find out just how injured you were."
"Uh-huh."
"And......well, once you settled down....a good bit, mind you.......we sort of....got along...better. A lot better."
The dark look never left her face. "I shagged an Auror?"
"Ummm....., keeping in mind you've done that several times, Love, it's not that far out of the realm of possibilities. However, this time......no."
"No?"
"No. You see, that time, you believed you were with a........well, a thirty-five year old medi-wizard named Sier."
Katlin sat for a very long time just staring at the man before her. "You lied to me to get me to sleep with you!?"
"Now you see, when you say it that way, you make it sound like a bad thing."
"Orion! How could you?"
"Pretty easily actually. You were supplying all the answers."
"Meaning?"
"Well, you were the one who decided I was a medi-wizard. And you didn't seem to care much that I worked for the Ministry."
"As a medi-wizard! Not a bloody Auror!"
"Well, you didn't seem to mind when you suggested we get married after knowing me less time than most couples have between the first date and the second."
"Marry?"
"We were getting married. Remember? Five days ago."
"I suggested that?"
"Well, you sort of beat around the bush on it. But there was very little mistaking what you were getting at."
Katlin's expression took on a searching look as she stared back at him. "Why would I have done that?"
"Wild guess?" Orion offered. "You were in love?"
Katlin shook her head. "I don't want to get married, Orion. To anyone. Great Magic! I'm doing all I can to keep Johnathan at bay as it is."
"Johnathan? Treaks?"
Katlin sighed quietly. "Johnathan has been pushing for our marriage for the past three weeks." She turned back to face the man before her. "We're suppose to be married at the end of the month."
"Well, you hardly need to worry about that anymore."
"Really?"
"Treaks isn't going to live to the end of the month."
"You stay away from Johnathan, Orion."
"Why?"
"Because he is my problem. And I handle my own affairs."
"Katlin, that man has blatantly tried to kill you three times that I can prove. Five if you give me a little leeway."
"And I will deal with him, Orion. Now, Johnathan Treaks is not going to be a problem any more once I am done with him."
"Don't face him empty handed, Katlin."
"I'm not."
"What are you planning to do?"
"Take care of my problem."
"Tell me what you plan to do."
Katlin gave him a hard stare, but said nothing.
Even under a Memory Charm, habits remained. And this one Orion knew too well to argue with. He wouldn't get anything more out of her than she was willing to give.
"I just want to know you are safe." he told her.
"I will be. Johnathan would never try anything in the lair. Not in front of others."
"Well, you'll have to allow me my measure of comfort then." he replied. "Bo."
Almost instantly the boggart appeared beside his bed.
"Bo, I want you to take Katlin to the Deatheaters lair. All right?"
The hooded head nodded.
"And I want you to wait there for her. If she calls you, you bring her straight back here. You understand?"
The hooded head stared at the man on the bed, then slowly turned to the woman standing on the other side. Without looking back at Orion, Bo made a series of gestures in the air, to which Orion frowned.
"She's not afraid of you." he stated.
Bo made several more gestures.
"Oh! Wrong way round. I See." Orion sighed and turned back to Katlin. "Promise him you won't slap him any more."
"What?" Katlin asked in mild surprise.
"He says he's afraid you'll slap him again. And apparently he didn't much care for it. So he says he's not going anywhere with you until you promise not to slap him anymore."
Katlin thought for a moment as she studied the creature in front of her, then turn back to Orion.
"Sounds reasonable to me, love." he answered her questioning look.
"Well," Katlin started slowly, "all right. Tell him I won't slap him anymore.....if he doesn't give me cause."
"I'm not getting involved." Orion stated, pointing to the tower of dark robes. "And I only translate for him."
Katlin sighed, then turned to the boggart. "If you don't give me cause," she stated, trying to sound authoritative, "I won't slap you."
The mass of black robes stood silently for a few moments.
Katlin turned back to Orion. "Does he understand me?" she asked.
Orion waved her off as he watched Bo. "He's thinking it over." he explained. "We should have a decision in a moment."
The boggart stood for a moment more, then finally drew himself up and made a series of gestures in the air before him.
"Oh, well, I think that's fair." Orion answered.
"What's fair?" Katlin asked.
Orion turned back to her. "Bo agrees, but he says if you slap him, he can slap you back."
Katlin gritted her teeth. "He is most welcome to try."
(SCENE CHANGE)
Johnathan made his way down the corridor of the lair with determined strides. Several unfortunate Deatheaters crossed his path on his way to Katlin's quarters, and just as quickly got out of his way.
How had the woman made it back into the lair!? He had set up numerous alarms and wards, every trap he could think of to stop her. And yet she was back. And summoning him to her chambers no less, in a manner that offered no room for his refusal.
When he arrived he didn't even bother knocking but barged straight in.
"I was told you demanded to see me?" he stated in as irritated a voice as he could manage.
Katlin sat at her desk going over a pile of papers, not even bother to look up at his entrance. "Very good of you to come, Johnathan." she stated in a disinterested tone. "Do have a seat."
Johnathan paused before her desk. The fact that he hadn't even managed to raise her head at his entry left him more than a little nervous. The woman was up to something. Now he had to find out what it was. "I'll stand if you don't mind." he replied.
"As you please." And for the first time Katlin looked up at him. She lifted her head slowly, her cold stare settling on him like a wave of ice. "Because that is the last thing you will ever do in these rooms 'as you please'."
It was all Johnathan could do not to pull back slightly under that stare. But he somehow managed to hold his ground. "What are you talking about?" he ask in a tone that sounded a good deal less demanding than he wanted it to.
"I'm talking about the great favor I've done for you , Johnathan." Katlin answered him. "And how you will repay me."
"Favor?"
"I'm talking about my last mission, Johnathan. The one you brought me word of yourself."
Treaks studied the woman before him for a moment. The subject wasn't totally unexpected. That would work for him. But just how much she did know was what he needed to learn.
"Orion Black is still alive, Johnathan." Katlin went on simply.
"You didn't kill him?"
"No. And as a favor to you I will simply tell Lord Voldemort that you were mistaken in your information. That the Auror and the traitor were not at the castle."
"That is a lie." Johnathan burst out. "My source was irrefutable. They were both at the castle."
"Yes, they were." Katlin responded calmly.
Johnathan paused, giving her a confused stare. What was the woman up to? "I don't understand. If they were at the castle, why didn't you kill them? Were you discovered?"
"No." Katlin answered in an almost conversational tone.
"Then why did you fail to complete the mission? Why is the Auror still alive?"
"Because Orion and I thought things worked more to our advantage if he stayed that way."
Johnathan felt his blood go cold. "You and 'Orion'?"
"Yes. Orion."
Johnathan wisely kept silent. He had to formulate a new plan, and he still held cards she knew nothing about. But he couldn't do anything until he knew just how much she was aware of.
"Oh yes, my love, I know of your plan. Demented as it was, it will serve me well."
"Serve you?"
"There will be no wedding, Johnathan. I will tell Voldemort that we have postponed it due to some issue and it will never be mentioned again." Katlin all but spat at him.
"You are insane." Johnathan countered. "Our wedding will take place at the end of the week!"
"It will never take place. And if you press this issue with me, Johnathan, I will go to Voldemort and I will tell him what instructions you brought to me about my mission."
Johnathan stared back at her. "What instructions? I only relayed the dark lord's wishes to you."
"To kill the traitor?"
"Those were his orders."
"And the Auror?"
Johnathan hesitated slightly in his answer this time. "Those were his orders, Katlin."
Katlin studied him for a moment past a hard stare. But she abruptly dropped it and simply shrugged slightly. "Fine." she stated, coming around the desk between them and walking past him. "Then you will not mind that I go and speak to him now."
"Be my guest.......if you can find him."
Katlin abruptly turned back to him. "What do you mean?"
"Voldemort isn't at the lair right now." Johnathan informed her with a pleased smile.
"You're lying. Voldemort hardly ever leaves the lair."
"He stated he had 'business' to attend to in London."
"What business?"
Treaks sighed in an overly exacerbated manner. "Unlike you, Katlin, I do not question Voldemort about his business."
"And you won't mind if I check his quarters just the same."
Katlin pulled the door open, but Treaks slammed it back shut again in front of her. "You are making a mistake, Katlin." he state in a low tone.
Katlin met his stare without so much as flinching. "I don't think so."
"Voldemort will never believe you. He thinks you're unhinged. It will be your word against mine."
"Then by all means, Johnathan, come along. Let's find out which of us he'll believe, shall we?"
Johnathan reached into his robes. "You think for one moment I will stand here and let you jeopardize all I have worked...................?"
But as he turned back to her, his hand already wrapped about his wand, he found himself staring down the business end of her's.
"And you think I wasn't ready for any stupid act you might try? You'll be dead before you speak, Mr. Treaks." she informed him in a cold, sober voice.
Johnathan slowly let go of his wand, but a small smile crept onto his lips. "Voldemort still will not believe you."
"Possibly." That smile still left her with a very uneasy feeling. But she managed to answer it with one of her own. "But I think he will believe a Ministry Unspeakable standing beside me, validating everything I tell him, don't you, Johnathan?"
For the first time since entering the room, Johnathan found himself unable to control his shock. "You're bluffing!" he stated. "Black would never do such a thing! It would destroy his career!"
Katlin crossed her arms in front of her "I assure you, he will." she replied. "He has already given me his word. He told me that was his love for me, Johnathan. Do you really want to test it?"
Johnathan paused as he studied the woman next to him. "You're lying. You would never tell Voldemort the whole truth. You have as much to lose then as I do."
Katlin pointed her wand tip right into his face. "All of it, Johnathan." she promised. "All." Katlin paused with a sneer. "Maybe I'll do you one last favor and just kill you now. It will be far easier than what Lord Voldemort will do to you when he hears what I have to tell him."
Johnathan held himself in check. "What is it you want?" he ask, sounding as casual about the matter as he could manage.
"My freedom from you. And that is exactly what this will give me. There will be no wedding. You will never mention such a thing again to anyone. If I hear one breath of your idiot plan again, I will go straight to Voldemort and tell him every thing. Do I make myself very clear, Mr. Treaks?"
Johnathan's eyes focused briefly on the wand tip pointed in his face. "Crystal."
"And don't think getting rid of me will do you any good, Johnathan." Katlin warned him. "Should anything happen to me, Orion is holding a letter from me that is charmed so Voldemort will have not doubt it is from me, written of my own free will, detailing everything that has happened these last few months. And he will hand deliver that letter to the dark lord on learning of my death."
Johnathan narrowed his eyes at her as she drew her wand back. The woman had dealt him a serious blow. But she hadn't won yet. Her absence from the lair had given him the time to instigate a few well laid plans of his own. Ones she knew nothing about...yet.
"Accept it, Johnathan." Katlin sneered at him. "You have lost. Your worthless ambition has brought you down finally."
Johnathan met her stare for a few more seconds, but then quickly grabbed the door handle and yanked it open. He was never so grateful to be out of her presence as he was at that moment. Slamming the door behind him he set off back down the corridor. This battle was lost, perhaps.
But the war was just beginning.
(POV change.)
Katlin all but collapsed back into her chair after Johnathan left. She hadn't been entirely sure she could pull the whole thing off. But she had managed it. Half-valid memory and all. She had put a lot of guess work into her challenges based on what Orion had told her. And in the end they had paid off for her. She was now free of the man.
That left her with just one man in her life to deal with now.
Orion.
Katlin laid her head back. Images flashed in front of her closed eyes. Whatever was happening to her, it was coming on more and more quickly. At first the strange thoughts and images came only when she slept. Now they seemed to be there every time she closed her eyes. But in the end, the message she got from them was always the same. Whenever she looked at the Auror, whenever he came into her mind or her thoughts unbidden, it was always the same feeling that came with him. One that, even though she couldn't place it, always got the same response from her. That she simply couldn't wait to get back to it. To him.
But what if that was just all some part of an elaborate trick by the man?
But he had risk his life for her. Nearly died. And he ask nothing from her in return.
How could all of that be some planned illusion?
Katlin shook her head. She needed to be sure she could trust him. Prove it to herself by way of something he wasn't prepared for. Something she ultimately had control over.
Well, that was what she had laid out with Johnathan, and it had worked to perfection.
Now it was time to turn it on Orion.
Deep inside, she prayed he would respond exactly as she hoped he would.
Getting to her feet, Katlin walked to the center of the room. "Bo." she called.
(SCENE CHANGE-sort of)
"So, how did he take it?" Were the next words she heard.
Opening her eyes, Katlin found herself standing back in the infirmary almost next to Orion's bed.
Katlin paused, giving herself a moment to reorient herself as she turned a cress-fallen look to the floor.
"Katlin?" Orion ask again when she didn't answer.
"He didn't believe me." Katlin answered in barely a whisper of a voice. "He said.......it didn't matter what I told Voldemort. He would just say I was lying to save my own skin. And I would have no proof against him. And so.........I told him you were going to back up my story. That you would tell Voldemort the truth yourself." Katlin paused as she continued to stare at the floor. "I was so sure he would back down then, Orion. I was so very sure of it."
"And what did he say to that?"
Katlin gave a small nervous laugh. "He said.......I was a fool to think he would believe such a lie. That no Auror would risk that much.....for a Deatheater."
Katlin didn't see the small smile that came to Orion's lips. "Poor Johnathan." he state without hesitation. "He is in for such an unpleasant surprise."
Katlin's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"
Orion was already slowly pulling himself up in his bed. "I mean I'm going to prove you right."
Katlin rusted over to the bed in alarm as Orion struggled his way up to a sitting position and worked to get his legs over the edge of the bed. "Orion! What are you doing?!"
Orion grimaced slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Working my way up to one really good telling off Madam Pomfrey." he answered, biting his teeth together as he pushed himself off the bed. It was all he could do not to collapse all the way to the floor, and likely only managed it by Katlin's quickly grabbing his arm. He managed to give her a reassuring smile as he straightened back up. "So," he asked her, "are you ready?"
Katlin stared back at him with a puzzled, concerned look. "For what?"
"To go back."
"To the lair?"
"That's where you were, Love." he answered with a teasing smile. "Remember?"
Katlin's mouth hung open for a moment, but no words came out. "But............Orion," she stated finally, "it will end your career. Johnathan will tell the Ministry himself. He'll destroy you for this."
Orion held his hand out to her "Bugger him." he stated softly.
Katlin stared up at him in disbelief. "You would still do this? For me?"
His answer was a small smile. "Come on." he coaxed, still holding his hand out to her. "No putting it off."
Katlin simply stared at the offered hand, but not taking it. "But your too sick. You have no idea how Voldemort will react. If he'll believe you."
"Katlin," Orion reassured her, "I made it to my feet."
"You nearly collapsed."
"I'm still standing. Now come on. Time to go."
But Katlin physically pulled back from the offered hand, shaking her head with tears in her eyes as she continued to stare at it.
Leaning against the bed for support, Orion slowly walked back over to her and cupped his hand gently under her chin, turning her tear stained face to him. "Katlin, look at me."
Katlin slowly opened her eyes.
"It'll be all right, Love." he promised her. "You'll see."
Katlin paused for a moment, but the broke into tears as she shook her head again. "I'm sorry." she cried softly. "I am so sorry."
"Love," Orion promised her, "it'll be all right. You don't know Bale. He'll be upset for a few days. Won't speak to me. But we'll make up. You'll see."
But Katlin covered her face as she fought back her tears. "No. I didn't trust you."
"Trust me?"
Katlin stared up at him past her tears. "I'm sorry. Orion. But I just had to know. Everything.......everything up to now......it could all have been some ruse."
"Ruse? I ran into a security ward as a ruse?"
"Don't you see? I didn't know. And....and I didn't trust you. But.......how could I, Orion? I don't really even know you. And what I do know is trapped inside of a memory I don't even know if I can believe. All I get are bits and pieces at best. Half complete memories. I just......I just don't know."
Orion took her gently by the arms and turned her to him. "Love, starting very slowly, explain to me what you did."
Katlin took a deep breath, sniffing over her tears. "I....I had told Johnathan I knew about his plans.....about the ones you suspected. I just....made them real and threatened Johnathan with them."
"Threatened him?"
"I told him I would go to Voldemort with them. I would tell him all of them."
Orion gave her a very interested look. "And how did he react?"
"Just like I said. He didn't believe me. And so I told him that you were willing to back me up. And he believed that.
"But I thought about what he said. That no Auror would do such a thing for a Deatheater. He said it would be the end of your career, and you would never do it. And I thought........I would test you. You said you loved me. But I needed to know for myself. I needed to prove it to myself. By some way you couldn't have planned." Tears filled her eyes again. "I didn't think you would do it."
Orion gently brushed her tears back with his fingers. "Katlin, I understand how frightened you are. How unsure of everything." he told her. "But please believe this one thing. I will never lie to you. Never. Trust in me, and we will get through this."
Katlin slowly folded herself into his arms. "You said you never took any of the chances I gave you to trust me."
Orion nodded slightly. Moving still hurt a great deal.
"I don't need your trust, Orion." She said in the same quiet tone. "I only need your love. And I can't remember a man in my life who has proved he loved me more than you have."
Orion slowly pulled her back, and reaching into the neckline of her shirt, found the small silver chain around her neck. Pulling against it, he free the small pendent from under the neckline of her shirt. He carefully drew her back and gently placed a loving kiss on the pendent, then gently caressed it between his fingers.
"I will always love you." He whispered to her. "Like this diamond, it will never fade, or be destroyed, and you will always have it with you."
"I look forward to remembering our love." She replied. "And as for your trust, I'll earn that with time."
"You have nothing to earn from me." He told her with a touch of sternness in his voice. But it softened again just as quickly. "But I have a lifetime of forgiveness to earn from you. And if you will allow it, I will spend the rest of mine trying to do so. Anything....just for the touch of your love."
Katlin gave him a small smile, then slowly leaned into his kiss, returning it with her own.
Q&A
Silverfox:
Bo is actually very good at catch. Especially after scaring someone. I mean, nothin' like a movin' target, right?
If Bo perceives that you are directly trying to harm someone he is charged with protecting, indeed, you do not have much of a life to worry about anymore. Again, consider how careful Orion is (most of the time) in making sure that Bo understands who is a friend and who isn't.
But then, accidents happen, as poor Harry will find out in Family Relations.
Actually, Talon blamed the majority of that incident in the cellar on the boggart, not his son. All in all, Talon feels that Bo manipulated Orion. (And who says he didn't? I never have. All I have ever said of the matter is what Orion's opinion of it was, as well as Talon's.)
I agree, characters that function too much in blackand white are boring. But i am the last one to say that Talon is anywhere nearly as animated as his son's. But he is a very stoic sort of person. He doesn't have a great deal to say. But when he talks, you'd do well to listen.
Well, Orion and Katlin are technically the main characters. But they do have the danger from time to time of being overshadowed in this story by Orion's enigmatic boggart. And actually, Bo has become such a story favorite, I have begun work on a story that does indeed feature him as the main character. But that is a long way from its posting day.
Hershal is, as I said, an interesting character. For one, he is the one person I can think of off hand who Bo out-rightly doesn't like and who he views as a direct threat to Orion. However, he is also irrevocably tied to the man.
It is very unlikely, as far into the future as I can see, that Orion and his father would ever place Bo in the situation where the boggart would have to choose between his host and his friend.
Ok, ok. Lets hold on a minute! Orion never thinks that far ahead? Well, maybe. But he didn't get where he is by being dense as a brick either.
Katlin currently isn't getting the picture at all? She has a good excuse.
Bo doesn't have enough of an understanding of the world around him? I warned you once already not to under-estimate the boggart.
Talon hasn't even shown up? True.
Charly is spending most of his time being played by others? Don't you believe it. The little muggle is more on the ball than people think.
Treaks? Now there's a good suspicion. The man is indeed manipulating things with such skill you wouldn't believe it. But all of his plans are starting to come to light.
Blackberries? Not my favorite. I'm a raspberry person myself.
skahducky:
Good point. But I defend my character against the word 'rude'. I will settle for 'defensive'.
Ummmm....., you're about half-way there, Dear. Let me help you out a little. Dumbledore's Memory Charm didn't fail on its own. It failed because it was 'attacked' by Bo's spell. The second Memory charm failed because Orion wasn't paying attention and told Bo to make the second Memory Charm just like the first. So he did.
And yes, Bo's spell specifically was that the Memory Charms would fail over a certain time period.
Answering this as though you had not read this chapter, yes, Katlin would have to tell Voldemort she failed her mission. And if she started asking questions about her parents deaths that would raise some suspicions seeing as she hasn't bothered in the past fifteen some-odd years.
Yes, if she were to return to the lair alive, Treaks was well prepared to kill her. And had things not gone as they did, he would likely have succeeded.
Keeping in mind Bo isn't a person or a thing really, but simply an essence of magical energy with something that one could called a personality, he can indeed watch every entrance into the castle at once. Or exit, however you wish to see them.
If there's air blowing through a passageway or open ground underneath, Bo knew about it. Actually, come to think of it, Bo would likely have been loved by the Marauders.
If Katlin found one such passageway, she could indeed use it to get out. But lets face it, currently she can't even find the front doors. How likely is it she's going to stumble across a secret passage?
Uprising? I don't know that I like that word especially. I mean, everybody assumes Voldemort 'rose up'. Who's to say that's how it happened? What if one day he just sort of........went over the edge, so to speak? Suppose (just suppose), that up until now Voldemort has been a nasty thorn in every one's side, but not really a dominating, threatening, evil power. Just sort of someone who's 'there'. Until one day something happens that just pushes all the right buttons for him and he just really lets go? Now that would get people's attention.
Now suppose that Voldemort wasn't the one doing it all.
Think about it.
Is Treaks in over his head? As of right now, definitely not. And the ball is in his court. In fact, he hasn't even served it yet. He's just sort of bouncing it on the clay.
The validity of Orion's story is still up for grabs, though I think enough has been said for people to make a fairly accurate educated guess.
What do you mean, 'what if....then?' I think Treaks is already wrecking havoc.
And if Katlin were to leave the Deatheaters, what makes you think Treaks would just walk into her position? You think no one else would want it?
sweets:
Is Poppy taking everything out on Katlin right now? I don't know about everything, Sweets. I mean, the woman probably has issues somewhere, though I don't know if she blames Katlin for those. But the woman knows a Deatheater when she sees one, and she's none to happy its sitting in her hospital ward right now.
Is the boggart going to make an appearance in later stories? Well, one thing you can almost count on is that if Orion is in the story, Bo isn't far behind. Hence, Bo is in Family Relations. Is he in other stories? Well, as I stated in my answer to Silverfox, I have a story in the works where Bo is, in fact, the main character. Just a short little one shot I'll post up one day.
As I have said before, there is a great deal more to Bo than meets the eye. And it is a foolish person who underestimates him. He may technically, intellectually, be a three year old, folks, but like any good three year old, he's learning.
And yes, Dear, you made it. I was the one who was slow this time round.
nessie:
Heeheehee. I love that question. 'Is one of the reasons Sirius and Orion don't get along because he's dating a Deatheater?'
Uuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm..........., sort of. (Who's to say when Sirius learns about Katlin, Orion is 'dating' her. hmmmm?) (Ain't sayin' nothin' more.)
But still 'what', Dear? Of course she's going to get angry about it. And even more so now. She was told that story, Memory Charmed into forgetting it, and now she's being told the same story over again.
Well, in his defense, Bo is a bit gullible. Most three year olds are.
Katlin's heading in the opposite direction doesn't necessarily mean danger. Sometimes it's just opportunity in disguise.
FAMILY RELATIONS
Becky:
Wild guess, Dear.
What Arabella does isn't mental telepathy, if that's what you were referring to there. It's more hypnotism coupled with magic.
Arabella, like Orion, has good reason for doing what she's doing. But as to date, no one has hit on it. I should run a contest on that or so. Name the reason....win a prize.
Well, technically, that's exactly what she was doing. She needed Harry to sign the court papers, but she didn't want him to get to interested in them and start asking a bunch of questions.
Arabella wanting to keep Harry and Sirius separated but with her as much as possible smells fishy? Again, Dear, Arabella is doing what she's doing with good reason.
Why did Harry go so placidly? Pure shock. I mean, he was expecting to leave with his 'parents', not a stranger. And in addition to that, Sirius and Arabella did nothing to stop Orion from taking him. The poor kid was utterly confused.
I would love to have a secretary, Dear. But all of my friends say no one would work for me for more than a few days before quitting. Hardly worth moving to Florida for.
Yes indeed, Family Relations will be longer than Family Life. But that's sort of a good news/bad news thing. The good news is, yes, it's longer. The bad news is, that's sort of to counteract that Family Ties is shorter.
Oh! Already moving to Florida. Have to reconsider the secretary thing maybe.
Never get tired of hearing it, Dear. Trust me.
I have seen PoA-The Movie. I enjoyed it immensely, however, I was disappointed it was shorter than the others when they could have made it the same length by adding in a great many of the critical points they left out.
I had issues with the Shrieking Shack scene as well. But more to the point they shortened it so badly. And so much information was left out you could barely follow everything that was going on. And I have very big issues with their making Peter 'look' evil. Movie people seem to feel that in order to get their point across 'Here is an evil person', it's far easier to make the character look evil than show it by their actions. Nothing in the books ever indicated that Peter looked evil or ugly. And I am always opposed to anything that spoon feeds to children that you can always recognize an evil person or someone who means to harm you because they 'look evil'. That is not always the case.
(Par jumps off her soap box and puts it away.) OK. I'm done now.
Ha! You're darn right, kiddo! You never know what form help will take. And Orion (man, am I getting tired of saying this) is doing he's doing for a good reason.
Sirius' leg remains in its current state for the time being. Whether or not it is fixed remains to be seen.
All reviews are as of 07252004.
And remember,
Sleep deprivation is a bad thing!
Go to bed.