Author's note: Okay, I'm sorry I couldn't update earlier, but I've just had a bad case of food poisoning, so apart from feeling weak and sorry for myself, I haven't done much else. So, why am I writing, you ask? Here are the reasons-
jeevesandwooster: Whoa! I don't know how to thank you for those reviews! 8 reviews for 8 chapters in one go? Well, they really made my day! G-R-I-N is what describes my face best at this moment. I'm glad you thought R and H's bantering masterful, I'm glad you liked Morgan as a character and I'm glad you love F and G 'cos I love 'em too! (Isn't that a lot of 'glads'!)
SummerOfFreedom: Thanks for that review! Hey, don't sweat about the confusion-I was a little confused myself when I worked out the plot initially. Just relax and keep reading…
Elphie73: Okay, I think I know who you think it is! Yeah, you're right as usual about the buildup for the fight. If I reason it out now- it's because Sheena and Morgan have never really fought before, so Sheen's never had a chance to vent those negative thoughts, hence the quick break. Anyway, I hope you never get bored-I'll miss your reviews(pout)…
Domcooper: Ahoy there! I'm sorry for the delay but you now know why so I hope you'll forgive me:-)
Chapter 9: Revelation
"What do you think?"
Morgan tilted her head consideringly before cocking her eyebrow at the questioner.
"What do you think?"
Hermione bit her lip in frustration. "I don't know…it doesn't seem me somehow…"
"That's what I thought," said Morgan looking sideways at Hermione.
"Oh, how helpful, Finley," muttered Hermione sardonically.
"Hermione, when you see 'The One', you'll know. Until then, I don't think you should settle for anything less-something you're not even comfortable in, for instance," came the sage reply.
Hermione put back the robes she was holding. She had her traditional wedding robes for the wizarding ceremony, but still needed an outfit for the party afterwards.
She and Morgan had been out shopping the whole morning (Ginny having left the previous night, citing work as the reason for her whirlwind visit), but hadn't made much progress. The reason being-Hermione did not know what she really wanted.
"Why don't you get something made to order?" Morgan had asked earlier.
"I can't imagine what I want, what would be perfect," Hermione had replied and Morgan had nodded understandingly.
"Why don't we give this a break?" asked Morgan, bringing Hermione out of her reverie.
"I think you're right. I'll get back to this later-still have to finalise some invitations and confirm payment with the decorators."
"Who's officiating?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
Morgan blushed slightly recalling an association she'd made between Dumbledore and bridesmaids. "That's wonderful," she replied finally.
Hermione decided to change the subject. "Heard anything from Sheena?"
Morgan's face darkened. "No. Not that I care," she added.
She couldn't have told a bigger untruth. Of course she cared and of course she missed her best friend. Hermione was a great person to be with but no one could replace her best friend. Ex-best friend she thought bitterly.
Hermione watched her companion's face carefully. She didn't know how to begin asking her big question. "Er…Morgan? You really remind me of someone I knew."
Morgan looked warily at Hermione. "Please don't tell me I look like one of the Weird Sisters or anything," was her attempt to lighten the sudden tension that had arisen from Merlin-knew-where.
Hermione shook her head mutely, trying to smile and was about to reply when Ron appeared next to them, grinning hugely.
" Hermy, guess what, Lupin said he could make it to the wedding after all!"
Hermione forced a smile that belied her frustration at being interrupted. "That's great news, Ron. And what are you doing here, by the way? Aren't you supposed to be talking to the caterers?"
"Relax, Hermy. I've done my bit-don't worry. I just thought that the news about Lupin couldn't possibly wait until you got home."
"Well now you're here, perhaps I could get some more shopping done after all, and you can help carry the parcels."
"Now, I don't know about that," began Ron alarmed but stopped at the thunderous look on his fiancée's face. "Uh…sure…sure Hermione-my pleasure," he concluded weakly.
Morgan chuckled to herself at their antics, but couldn't help wondering if what Hermione had been about say was something she didn't need to hear…
………………………….
Monday eveningThere was much laughter at Ron and Harry's flat that evening. Lupin and Morgan were united in the common goal of ribbing Ron, while Harry and Hermione watched Ron's defences amusedly.
There is an old East Indian superstition that if you laugh too much, you will compensate by crying as well.
And none of them had any idea how nightmarish that evening would turn out to be.
…………………..
They were just beginning dinner when the floo-call came for Harry. It was Billy Bates one of the people who worked under Harry in Surveillance.
"Mr. Potter, I have some bad news, sir." Billy was only eighteen, fresh out of school but excellent at his job. He, like most others, was awed by Harry, and no amount of convincing on that individual's part could make Billy call him anything other than 'sir' or 'Mr. Potter'.
"What's up, Billy?" asked Harry, immediately alert, with a quick glance at Lupin. The room had fallen dead silent.
"Sir, there's just been an attack at 13, Elm Street. Four people reported dead. Three muggles and…one witch. No sign of the Dark Mark, sir, but the place reeks of dark magic all right. Ella's out there, now-she's blocked the place to muggles for a couple of hours while we investigate."
"Who's watch was it?" asked Harry with forced calm.
"M-mine, sir."
"All right, Billy. You get on with that report and I'll join Ella. You can explain later as to what went wrong."
Billy gulped audibly and withdrew from the fire with a meek "Yes, sir."
Harry turned around with a worried frown and stopped short when he saw Morgan. She'd gone so white that she could pass for a ghost at that moment.
It hit Harry then. "Morgan, no."
"Sh-sheena's not…" said Morgan shakily.
"What's going on?" whispered Hermione.
"Th-thirteen Elm Street is our apartment," said Morgan in a monotone.
Hermione put her hand over her mouth while Ron looked aghast and Lupin looked wearily grim.
Without another word, Morgan disapparated leaving behind a shocked silence.
"Would you like me to come with you, Harry?" asked Lupin gently.
"I would appreciate that, Remus," replied Harry gratefully and the two disapparated dreading what awaited them at their destination.
………………………………
"It's perplexing. Why is there no Dark Mark when it's perfectly clear that this is the work of someone from the dark side?" asked Ella Green.
Harry shrugged vaguely. This was a nightmare, he thought. The apartment razed to the ground, the three muggles who were in it at that time charred beyond recognition, but Sheena untouched except that she was dead. Obviously, the person who had done this was a sadist. Harry hadn't wanted to identify the witch, but then he was on duty and there was no doubt that the dead witch was Sheena Connelly.
………………………………
"Ma'am, I understand that you are Morgan Finley, room-mate of the deceased."
The deceased thought Morgan bitterly. "Yes," she answered aloud.
"Do you identify this person as Sheena Connelly?"
"Yes. It is her."
"Thank you, ma'am. And I'm very sorry that this has happened. We've already sent someone to inform her family."
Morgan nodded looking at Sheena's cold, still form. She could be asleep she thought.
"Morgan?"
Morgan turned around to face a pair of green eyes. The expression in them was unreadable.
They stood that way for a while, neither wanting to speak. One wanting answers, the other wanting solitude.
Harry broke their eye contact first and looked at Sheena instead. For the first time that night, he was looking very carefully at the body. He suddenly knelt down beside it and lifted the lifeless hand. He stared at it for a while and when he stood again, he looked like he was going to be sick.
"What is it?" whispered Morgan fearfully.
Harry didn't want to tell her, but she would find out anyway and he'd nothing to lose now. "Her hand."
Morgan mirrored Harry's earlier movements mechanically. Inscribed on Sheena's hand were the words-Your fault
……………………………
When she'd finally stopped retching violently, Morgan felt numbed of all feeling. Harry had left her for a while to talk to some aurors who'd arrived at the scene. And now he was returning and she didn't want to face him.
"Mrs. Connelly's here."
Morgan suddenly felt the breath squeezed out of her. "Take me away. Please."
Harry avoided the staring grey eyes. "All right."
…………………………..
It was a very hush-hush affair so as to not create panic in the wizarding world. After all, it was clear that the incident hadn't been a full-blown death eater attack.
Morgan didn't think she could make it to the funeral. For one, it would finalise the fact that Sheena wasn't going to come back and for another, it would mean facing the whole Connelly family.
Coward she told herself after a long inward struggle. I have to go even if they reject me. It's pure selfishness to think about myself alone.
The anger would come later. Now, there was only pain and…guilt.
……………………………….
"Mrs. Connelly, I can't tell you…" began Morgan but couldn't continue, as she felt all choked up.
Maria Connelly whose face was normally so young and full of laughter that people often joked that she and Sheena were sisters, now looked old all of a sudden.
"It's not your fault, dear," she said softly.
Morgan's eyes filled with tears. "No, you don't understand. But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated before turning around and disapparating.
Maria Connelly was left to grieve alone. Sheena's brothers Patrick and Brian were standing a short distance away, each twin giving the other comfort. I've lost one daughter, Morgan thought Mrs. Connelly. I don't want to lose the other as well.
……………………………….
Harry felt depressed. Your fault- the words were seared in his mind and wouldn't stop haunting him. Great. Some personal vendetta against me and they have to punish my girlfriend's best friend for it. If Morgan had been there…Harry didn't want to think about what the case might have been if Morgan had been there.
It was bad enough now, with him trying to avoid what he felt were Morgan's accusing eyes. Some instinct made him turn away from the window but he regretted it because he was now facing the object of his contemplation.
"We need to talk."
Harry fingered his glasses, pushing them more securely up the bridge of his nose. "Morgan, I'm sorry. I know it's my fault, but believe me, I didn't mean it to happen…" he trailed off looking miserable.
Morgan stared at him. "What are you saying?" she whispered incredulously.
Harry sighed. "It's my fault Sheena is…well…you know." Even after seeing death so many times he couldn't bring himself to say the words. "You see, they probably targeted you to get at me but since you weren't around, Sheena became the victim."
Morgan stood very still. Harry thought that this whole mess was his fault? She couldn't let him labour under that misconception even if it meant opening a whole can of flobberworms.
She took a deep breath. "Harry, what you're saying is so far-fetched." She continued when he opened his mouth to reply. "No, I'll tell you why." Her voice had risen a notch higher, "It's because it's my fault. They wanted to punish me."
"How can it be your fault?"
"It's because of who I am, Harry," said Morgan, "And I told Sheena, I never wanted to see her again," she added in a shaky whisper.
Harry had a sudden feeling that things would never be the same after he asked his question, but his mouth opened of its own volition. "Who are you, Morgan Finley?"
Morgan looked sadly at him. "I never thought I'd have to say this. But my real name isn't Morgan Finley at all."
Harry waited. The tension between them was so high he thought he would snap under it.
Morgan had closed her eyes-she knew she couldn't bear to look at Harry as she told him. Mustering up all her remaining courage she said, "I was born Morgan Aurora…" she paused.
Harry could have never dreamed in a million years that she would say what she said next.
"…Lestrange."
…………………………………
"What are you doing?" asked Ron softly as he walked into Hermione's room.
"Just looking at some photos," replied Hermione tiredly. "Any news from Harry?"
"I haven't been to our flat yet. The funeral was this morning."
"I know."
"Poor Morgan."
They sat silently for sometime, feeling removed from another person's grief. "What photos are those?" asked Ron finally.
"Harry's album. I asked if I could borrow it. Ron," she asked suddenly, "Doesn't Morgan remind you of…"
"Bellatrix Lestrange? Yeah, it's not obvious at first, but the other day Neville pointed out the resemblance to me when I showed him that ridiculous photo that the twins had taken when Morgan defeated me at chess. But it doesn't mean anything, of course, as I told Neville, just a coincidence I think…Hermione?"
Hermione was stunned into silence. When she finally spoke it was in an uncharacteristic stutter. "Wh-what? I-I thought she looked like Sirius? I mean, her eyes, her attitude, everything…"
"You think she might be a Lestrange, after all?" asked Ron slowly. "The hair is different, her eyes lack that insane expression and her face is several years younger, but otherwise she does look a lot like Bellatrix. In fact, those eyes might be a Black family heirloom and that's why you thought she might be Sirius' illegitimate daughter or something."
Hermione and Ron stared wonderingly at each other, not liking the ideas that this new revelation brought with it.
"We could be wrong," said Hermione unconvincingly…
……………………………………..
Malfoy smirked at his aunt, pleased at her praise of him.
"It was easy-Miss Connelly didn't know her mistake until it was too late," he chuckled.
Bellatrix Lestrange smiled coldly. "Fool that she was. My daughter must be grief stricken. Poor thing," she mocked. "That will teach her to disobey me."
"I did not leave our mark, aunt."
"It is well. Our Master did not want this but I convinced him that it was something personal and would not interfere with his plans. Come, we have to let your parents know what a fine young man you have turned out to be."
"I take it then, that I have passed your test."
"Indeed, my dear Draco, indeed."
…………………………………
A.N: Rather a dark chapter, eh? It echoes my mood, somehow. Anyway, now you all know who Morgan really is. What could this mean for Harry and Morgan's future if any? Keep reading and keep reviewing. Lotsa things coming up-Morgan's story, the wedding, etcetra, etcetra…
A.N 2: Okay, I'm not great at handling death issues and if this chapter ain't realistic, don't flame me. Also, remember my brain isn't working too well, so if this chapter was disastrous, pleeeeeeaaaaaase forgive my food-poisoned soul…