Miss Moony would like to dedicate this chapter to Hana for being the first reviewer.
Miss Moony would also like to thank kayly silverstorm, Sandra Cloudpole, Prongsblacks, Marblez and Firehedgehog for reviewing.
To Hana: NO! Harry/Ron? What gave you that idea? Nonononononononono… that's all wrong.
------- I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good -------
Chapter 9
There were very few people at Discipline cottage that afternoon. According to Glaki, who'd appointed herself as Harry's shadow, Daja had gone to work at the forge, Niko, Tris and Keth had gone to the Wall to examine the approaching storm, and Comas and Evvy had been sent to the Hub to get more supplies from Dedicate Gorse, who in charge of the kitchens. In fact, at present, the only occupants were Briar and Rosethorn, in the garden, Lark, working quietly at her loom, and Harry and Glaki… as well as the dog, Little Bear, who wasn't at all little.
'Can I show you something?'
Harry's attention returned to the eight-year-old who was currently tugging on his sleeve. 'Sure,' he said, with much less hostility than he would have used had it been anyone but her.
Glaki led the way towards the room where she and Tris slept, and Harry blanched slightly. From what he'd heard, the red-head had a temper that could rival the tantrums that Ginny had often thrown in her fifth year, Harry's sixth, which had been, at the least, scary, and at worst, petrifying.
'Come on,' Glaki said, noticing his hesitation and tugging on his sleeve once again. 'She won't bite.'
'Would this "she" be Tris?' he asked. 'Or someone else?'
Glaki let out a tiny bubble of laughter, and replied, 'Oh, this "she" is someone completely different.'
This statement wasn't at all comforting, as there was still the nagging worry about what Tris might say if she discovered that he'd entered her room, but he entered after Glaki anyway. There was a reason that he was placed in Gryffindor; he had more courage than sense.
The room was quite small, as were all the rooms at Discipline. There was a bed near the window with a trunk at its foot and a small side table near its head, and there was another along the wall adjacent to it, near the door. A small desk was placed in one corner, a large, neat pile of books on its surface, as well as a small stack of parchments.
'This is Chime.'
Harry's head snapped around in surprise. He had completely forgotten about the younger girl during his scrutiny of his surroundings, but she was still there.
Glaki didn't notice his surprise. She was crouched on the floor and facing away from him, focusing all her attention on the nest of blankets in front of her.
Harry moved over quickly and silently, and crouched down beside her. There was a delicate-looking glass dragon huddled in the nest, and Harry briefly wondered if she was an ornament, until he saw her move. Of course, toys and ornaments moved in the Wizarding World, but he had seen too much evidence to the contrary to believe that the same was true of this one.
'She's beautiful,' he murmured, gazing at the dragon with no small amount of wonder.
'Keth made her,' Glaki said, and Harry's eyes widened in surprise until she continued. 'It was an accident, really. He didn't even know he was a Mage at the time, and he was convinced that Tris had played some kind of trick on him. Tris' been looking after her ever since. Isn't she amazing, though? Living glass.'
'Yeah,' Harry said quietly. 'Amazing.'
A burst of flame, the flick of a tail, the tearing of skin, stinging pain, blood, so much blood, and then blessed numbness…
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When Briar came in from the garden, his day of weeding complete, he was surprised to see Harry and Glaki conversing quietly in the kitchen, Chime perched on Glaki's shoulder. Actually, surprised would probably be an understatement.
Harry didn't talk much, Briar knew from experience, and it was a rare occurrence that he'd give a straight answer to any question he happened to be asked. Therefore, how Glaki had managed to draw him into a conversation was a complete mystery to Briar.
However, now that Harry was talking, Briar wasn't going to discourage any form of communication he might indulge in. Neither participants seemed to have noticed his presence, though he was sure that Harry usually would have noticed, so he just stood there and listened, and shushed Rosethorn when she came in after him.
'Well, there was Ron,' Harry was saying, 'Ron Weasley. He was my best mate. We met when we were eleven. There was Hermione, too. She was his fiancée, but she was a good friend of mine long before that. She was kind of bookish; a bit like Tris, really. Always wanting to learn. Then there was Neville. He was one of my dorm-mates, and he was going to start training to be a Herbologist when he finished his studies. Ron's little sister, Ginny, was another one, and then there was Luna. Luna Lovegood…' he paused before beginning again, '… and… and…'
He cut off abruptly, raising his head, and Briar knew that he and Rosethorn had been noticed. Harry's eyes gained that glassed-over look that seemed to come whenever he was on his guard… which was most of the time.
Glaki, it seemed, also noticed the change in his demuaner, and she spun around to face them.
Briar smiled, but it was Rosethorn who spoke. 'We're not interrupting anything, are we?'
'Not at all,' Glaki answered cheerily, but they didn't resume their little chat, and for the rest of the evening, Briar could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickling from Harry's stare, and he knew that the younger boy was aware of the fact that Briar had heard every word he'd said.
