Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
.
Cho definitely heard him as she passed him angrily. But when she heard those words, her anger had suddenly vanished.
There was too much pain in his voice for that to be a common wish. When she felt the pain that he generated, Cho suddenly understood his anger, though still did not approve. He had lost someone dear to him that he thought it was his fault.
And he believed it. That was probably why Ian was so worried about her.
Sighing, she told herself that she really needed to control her temper. She had been loosing it after Cedric's death and was affecting her life.
Suddenly, the whole floor shook and the windows suddenly shattered outward. Shielding herself, Cho steadied herself and looked at the damage. Every glass in the hallway was shatter fortunately away from her. It was like the force came from within the school.
Worried that they were being attacked, she immediately rushed back to the infirmary. She would not forgive herself if something happened to Ian.
But before she could reach the infirmary, Ian was calmly walking away.
"Miss Chang," he greeted impersonally as he passed her. That hurt like a knife stabbing her heart. She never saw him like this. He was desolate and cold. And she feared that she had caused his reclusion.
She was about to go to him when she found something disturbing on the floor.
A trail of blood that led from the infirmary to Ian. With a surge of urgency, she ran towards him.
"Ian! Wait!" she called. The man stopped and waited. Cho could see the blood drip from his left hand onto the floor. Stopping beside him, she took out her handkerchief and took his hand. She was thankful that he did not resist.
"You're hurt," she said as she tied his wound with her handkerchief. Ian could feel her gentle hands hold his as she wrapped the cloth on his wound.
"I've been hurt before," he said but with less venom.
"I can't stand to see you hurt," Cho said softly as she tied the cloth.
"I can't stand knowing that my mistake almost sent you to your grave," Ian said sullenly. Cho smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm a tough girl and could take care of myself," she said in pride.
A certain ghost didn't seem to think so," he smirked.
"Cedric talked to you?" Cho asked in surprise. It was unnerving that two of the men in her life knew each other. And one of them is dead.
"Threatened me, actually," Ian's face was passive. He showed no emotions and that was scaring Cho. He took it so casually that it seemed that he HAD no emotions.
"And?" she prodded.
"And probably he was right," Ian said. "If you see him, tell him that I concede." With his unwounded hand, he snapped his fingers and suddenly, the tinkling of glass filled the corridors and Cho turned to see all the glass on the windows return and mend.
"How did you..." she turned and began to ask but Ian was not there. He had somehow slipped quietly like a ghost and vanished without a trace. Not even a trail of blood.
**
"Madam Pomfrey was pretty much miffed by that temper of yours," Albus Dumbledore said as Ian entered his chambers. "Never had anyone desecrated the hospital wing like that before, so she says." There was a twinkle in his eye when he saw the young man sit on one of the chairs.
"She wasn't here when my brother beat the hell out of Salazar Slytherin all those years ago," Ian said as he blankly stared into space.
"Indeed," Dumbledore sighed as he sat behind his desk. "The whole wing of the school was completely destroyed. The strange thing was, with a simple wave of the hand, Lian restore the entire school. The only evidence of it ever happening was Salazar's bloodied face."
"I didn't know that Lian was that old," Harry Potter suddenly said as he entered the old wizard's office.
"Liam lived a long and lonely life," Shiva said as she followed him in.
"But he found happiness at last," Ginny said as she carried Carbuncle with her. Ian waited and suddenly sat up straight.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked. "I did not hear them."
"I have placed a silencing spell that will protect this room from ANY kind of eavesdropping," Dumbledore said with pride. "As you can see..."
"I can't," Ian said gravely. The occupant's of the room suddenly went silent at the coldness of his voice.
"So my spell is working," Dumbledore took it all in stride. Ian lifted a finger to and motioned him to wait.
"Ron and Hermione had just walked into Miss Chang by the changing staircases," Ian said, his brows furrowed in concentration. "Professor McGonagall and Alex are entering right about..."
"Sorry we're late," Alexander said as he opened the door of Dumbledore's office. With him was a beautiful brunette who was smiling after him. Harry and Ginny's jaw dropped as they saw the woman. Even with her flowing hair and reduced wrinkles, they still recognized her.
"Professor?" Harry was dumbfounded.
"Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall glared at him. "It is not nice to STARE at people."
"It's just... you.... look..." he was desperately trying to find the word.
"Different," Ginny supplied.
"Gorgeous!" Carbuncle shouted. Minerva suddenly smiled and scratched behind the green creature's ears.
"Why, thank you," she said.
"Sorry we're late," Ron smiled as he entered the office dragging Hermione who looked at her fiancé with vehemence.
"Sure you are," she smirked. She then noticed Alex standing beside a lovely lady. "Hi Alex. Who's your..." her eyes widened in recognition. "Professor McGonagall?"
"Why does everyone do that?" Minerva asked as she sighed.
"They're just surprised, my sweet," Alex said as he kissed her hand. Now everyone in the room, except Ian, was speechless.
"Can we get on with the meeting?" Ian said impatiently.
"Do you have an engagement you wish to attend rather than this?" Cho's voice filled the room as she closed the door. Ian didn't say anything else but he still had his cold demeanor set upon him.
"Everyone is here then?" Dumbledore said as he smiled. "Then let us begin. I have called you here because the ministry has ordered me..."
"More like begged," Ian said bitterly.
"To apprehend Peter Pettigrew," Dumbledore continued without missing a beat. "We were asked to lead a team of Aurors to finally put an end to the forces of darkness."
There were nods and smiles from all the witches and wizards faces. But not from three individuals. Ian, Shiva and Alex were skeptical.
"About Bloody time," Ron said with a large smile in his face. "I'm in. What about you Harry?"
"I'm game," there was a sad smile on his face. "I'm tired of all these deaths and needless wars."
"If Harry goes, I go," Ginny smiled.
"Excellent," Dumbledore beamed. "What say you, Ian?" Everyone except the guardians looked expectantly awaiting her answer.
Ian calmly stood up and walked calmly towards the door.
Pausing, he turned towards the group of people who were still waiting.
"You are out of your Goddamned minds," Ian said and exited the room, leaving the rest confused and scandalized.
.
end of 20
.
Cho definitely heard him as she passed him angrily. But when she heard those words, her anger had suddenly vanished.
There was too much pain in his voice for that to be a common wish. When she felt the pain that he generated, Cho suddenly understood his anger, though still did not approve. He had lost someone dear to him that he thought it was his fault.
And he believed it. That was probably why Ian was so worried about her.
Sighing, she told herself that she really needed to control her temper. She had been loosing it after Cedric's death and was affecting her life.
Suddenly, the whole floor shook and the windows suddenly shattered outward. Shielding herself, Cho steadied herself and looked at the damage. Every glass in the hallway was shatter fortunately away from her. It was like the force came from within the school.
Worried that they were being attacked, she immediately rushed back to the infirmary. She would not forgive herself if something happened to Ian.
But before she could reach the infirmary, Ian was calmly walking away.
"Miss Chang," he greeted impersonally as he passed her. That hurt like a knife stabbing her heart. She never saw him like this. He was desolate and cold. And she feared that she had caused his reclusion.
She was about to go to him when she found something disturbing on the floor.
A trail of blood that led from the infirmary to Ian. With a surge of urgency, she ran towards him.
"Ian! Wait!" she called. The man stopped and waited. Cho could see the blood drip from his left hand onto the floor. Stopping beside him, she took out her handkerchief and took his hand. She was thankful that he did not resist.
"You're hurt," she said as she tied his wound with her handkerchief. Ian could feel her gentle hands hold his as she wrapped the cloth on his wound.
"I've been hurt before," he said but with less venom.
"I can't stand to see you hurt," Cho said softly as she tied the cloth.
"I can't stand knowing that my mistake almost sent you to your grave," Ian said sullenly. Cho smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm a tough girl and could take care of myself," she said in pride.
A certain ghost didn't seem to think so," he smirked.
"Cedric talked to you?" Cho asked in surprise. It was unnerving that two of the men in her life knew each other. And one of them is dead.
"Threatened me, actually," Ian's face was passive. He showed no emotions and that was scaring Cho. He took it so casually that it seemed that he HAD no emotions.
"And?" she prodded.
"And probably he was right," Ian said. "If you see him, tell him that I concede." With his unwounded hand, he snapped his fingers and suddenly, the tinkling of glass filled the corridors and Cho turned to see all the glass on the windows return and mend.
"How did you..." she turned and began to ask but Ian was not there. He had somehow slipped quietly like a ghost and vanished without a trace. Not even a trail of blood.
**
"Madam Pomfrey was pretty much miffed by that temper of yours," Albus Dumbledore said as Ian entered his chambers. "Never had anyone desecrated the hospital wing like that before, so she says." There was a twinkle in his eye when he saw the young man sit on one of the chairs.
"She wasn't here when my brother beat the hell out of Salazar Slytherin all those years ago," Ian said as he blankly stared into space.
"Indeed," Dumbledore sighed as he sat behind his desk. "The whole wing of the school was completely destroyed. The strange thing was, with a simple wave of the hand, Lian restore the entire school. The only evidence of it ever happening was Salazar's bloodied face."
"I didn't know that Lian was that old," Harry Potter suddenly said as he entered the old wizard's office.
"Liam lived a long and lonely life," Shiva said as she followed him in.
"But he found happiness at last," Ginny said as she carried Carbuncle with her. Ian waited and suddenly sat up straight.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked. "I did not hear them."
"I have placed a silencing spell that will protect this room from ANY kind of eavesdropping," Dumbledore said with pride. "As you can see..."
"I can't," Ian said gravely. The occupant's of the room suddenly went silent at the coldness of his voice.
"So my spell is working," Dumbledore took it all in stride. Ian lifted a finger to and motioned him to wait.
"Ron and Hermione had just walked into Miss Chang by the changing staircases," Ian said, his brows furrowed in concentration. "Professor McGonagall and Alex are entering right about..."
"Sorry we're late," Alexander said as he opened the door of Dumbledore's office. With him was a beautiful brunette who was smiling after him. Harry and Ginny's jaw dropped as they saw the woman. Even with her flowing hair and reduced wrinkles, they still recognized her.
"Professor?" Harry was dumbfounded.
"Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall glared at him. "It is not nice to STARE at people."
"It's just... you.... look..." he was desperately trying to find the word.
"Different," Ginny supplied.
"Gorgeous!" Carbuncle shouted. Minerva suddenly smiled and scratched behind the green creature's ears.
"Why, thank you," she said.
"Sorry we're late," Ron smiled as he entered the office dragging Hermione who looked at her fiancé with vehemence.
"Sure you are," she smirked. She then noticed Alex standing beside a lovely lady. "Hi Alex. Who's your..." her eyes widened in recognition. "Professor McGonagall?"
"Why does everyone do that?" Minerva asked as she sighed.
"They're just surprised, my sweet," Alex said as he kissed her hand. Now everyone in the room, except Ian, was speechless.
"Can we get on with the meeting?" Ian said impatiently.
"Do you have an engagement you wish to attend rather than this?" Cho's voice filled the room as she closed the door. Ian didn't say anything else but he still had his cold demeanor set upon him.
"Everyone is here then?" Dumbledore said as he smiled. "Then let us begin. I have called you here because the ministry has ordered me..."
"More like begged," Ian said bitterly.
"To apprehend Peter Pettigrew," Dumbledore continued without missing a beat. "We were asked to lead a team of Aurors to finally put an end to the forces of darkness."
There were nods and smiles from all the witches and wizards faces. But not from three individuals. Ian, Shiva and Alex were skeptical.
"About Bloody time," Ron said with a large smile in his face. "I'm in. What about you Harry?"
"I'm game," there was a sad smile on his face. "I'm tired of all these deaths and needless wars."
"If Harry goes, I go," Ginny smiled.
"Excellent," Dumbledore beamed. "What say you, Ian?" Everyone except the guardians looked expectantly awaiting her answer.
Ian calmly stood up and walked calmly towards the door.
Pausing, he turned towards the group of people who were still waiting.
"You are out of your Goddamned minds," Ian said and exited the room, leaving the rest confused and scandalized.
.
end of 20