A/N: I'm sorry about the time change, give it time and things will explain themselves. I just need time to get everything sorted out, I'm not even 100 sure about what's gonna happen for the next few chapters, so just give me lee-way!

Last night it came as a picture
With a good reason, a warning sign
This place is void of all passion
If you can imagine it's easy if you try
Believe me I failed this effort
I wrote a reminder this wasn't a vision
This time where are you Houston
Is somebody out there will somebody listen?

My head is made up of memories
Most of them useless delusions
This room is bored of rehearsal
And sick of the boundaries
I miss you so much.

-blink-182. Song: Asthenia.

Blue Roses.

Chapter thirteen: The Boundaries.

Skye only ran for a short period of time before stopping, sitting on a nearby log and taking out Brayden's letter. She read it over again, crying. She had never told Cedric about how she felt about Brayden; she never had the heart to. Cedric had been far too good to her, she could never tell him she cared about his own brother. She began softly singing the song as she stood up and walked towards the house. She knew, at this point, she would have to talk to Cedric, but not now; she's too emotional now, she might do something rash.

She stared at her feet as they carried her towards her home, her home that she felt as if she was destroying. Not only did she feel that she had partaken in the death of their eldest son, but she also felt that the reason Kami didn't visit as often was because she missed her childhood best friend, Brayden, and Skye felt as if she was taking away their last son by spending all the time with him. She hadn't, of course, told Maya and Amos that they were dating; they were afraid that Cedric's parents wouldn't let them spend as much time together as they did. The two of them were getting older, and had been officially dating for 1 ½ years, now, and Skye knew that sex was looming upon her like a cloud. She still had not told Cedric why she had avoided his advances upon her, even now. Not only had she thought that they were far too young still, but she knew it meant telling him her fear of it...

She shivered slightly at the thought. She hadn't told that to anyone. Not any of the many other friends she had made in the past few years, nor Cedric, nor Brayden, no one. It was her secret.

For now.

Skye began walking faster, until she saw the barn that meant she was in Cedric's backyard. She walked past it, straight through the back door, and upstairs into her room. She closed the door behind her, reached under her bed, and pulled out a photo album that was covered in grease and fingerprints from constant use. Skye smiled slightly when she saw the two pictures spellotaped to the front cover; one, of her and Cedric kissing, and the other of her between Brayden and Cedric at Christmas. She opened the album, the album that always made her feel good, and inspired her, encouraged her to do what she needed to do.

First picture was the picture of Cedric she took at Christmas in first year, with a goofy look on his face. Then there was one of Brayden, smiling at her as he made Christmas pudding. She flipped past a few pictures of her and Cedric throughout the years, until she found the back page, where her favorite picture was stored. It was a picture of her, laughing, her mouth open to reveal a row of white teeth. She was wearing dangling silver earrings that glinted lightly in the camera's flash. Brayden and her were dancing at the moment, so he was standing behind her, looking down at her, a smile on his face. They, at that moment, looked perfect together. She smiled and ran her finger along Brayden's face in the picture with fondness. She placed the letter gently in the slot beside the picture, not daring the put a wrinkle in it. She jumped when there was a knock at the door.

"Skye?" It was Cedric. "Can we talk?"

Skye sighed. "Yeah, come on in."

Cedric walked in and sat beside Skye, sliding his fingers through hers and looking down at the picture of her and Brayden. "When was this taken?"

"New Years."

Cedric nodded. "It's nice."

There was a pause as the two of them looked down at the picture.

"I've got to show you something," Skye said. "Please don't be mad."

Skye pulled Brayden's letter out of the slot and placed it in Cedric's hand.

"I found it after...after it happened. I liked him since September and..."

Skye sighed, looking down at the ground as Cedric opened the letter, his eyes scanning it quickly, an unreadable look on his face. Once he had finished, he put the letter down.

"Listen," he said. "I understand that you liked him, and I understand everything. That was then. Though I cared for you then, I knew you didn't feel the same for me. I could see your attraction to him. I just...there was this one time that I told him that I liked you, and then it turns out that he deceived me, almost using my secret against me. But, I can't go back and change that. That was then, this is now. We're together now. I wish that I had known about the song earlier, so I wouldn't have hurt you. But it's passed. I know now, and we don't have to worry about it. Remember, Skye, everything happens for a reason, and we're together for a reason, and we weren't together then for a reason, too. I love you, and don't forget that."

Skye rested her head on Cedric's shoulder. "I love you too."

- - -

"Up, Skye, get up!"

Skye rolled over and opened her eyes wearily, giving Cedric a dirty look.

"What."

"Remember, it's take your kids to work day at the Ministry, and we're leaving in 10 minutes! Did you set your alarm?"

"No. I forgot."

"Stop being miserable!" Cedric grabbed Skye's wrists and lifted her out of the bed. "You've never been to the Ministry before, it's so cool! You'll love it!"

"I'm sure. Now leave me to get changed."

"You sure you don't want help with that?" Cedric raised one eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around Skye's waist. Skye pushed him off.

"No, I think I can do it myself," Skye said, taking Cedric aback. "Oh, come on Cedric, you know how I feel about this."

"Yeah...I know. I'm sorry. Be quick."

Cedric walked out of the room abruptly, his head hanging low in rejection.

"Stop looking like a scorned puppy!" Skye called to him as he closed her bedroom door.

Skye quickly changed into a pair of striped short pants and a button-up shirt. She quickly brushed her teeth and threw on some mascara in the bathroom before heading out the door with a granola bar in her hand.

Amos, Cedric and Skye took a Ministry car to the guest's entrance of the Ministry, where Amos ushered Cedric and Skye into a phone booth. Skye gave Cedric a funny look as he quickly walked into the booth, and walked in behind him. It was crammed and slightly hot in the booth as Amos dialed numbers on the phone. Skye jumped as a cool female voice spoke that seemed to ring through the booth.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Amos Diggory, Cedric Diggory and Skye Cunningham. I work here, and Cedric and Skye are my guests."

"Thank you," the voice said. "Will the visitors please attach the badges to the front of their robes."

Without warning, two badges slipped out of the phone and both Skye and Cedric picked one up. Both read 'Visitor' in bold scarlet letters.

"Visitor to the..."

"Yes, yes, we know. Let's get on with it," Amos said.

The phone booth began to rattle before descending into the ground, putting them in total darkness. Skye grabbed Cedric's hand quickly before they saw light rising from the ground as the booth came to a stop.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," the voice said, as the door sprang open.

The three stepped into a large hallway lined on either side with fireplaces, which had witches and wizards spilling out of them. The roof was blue with golden lettering that would move quickly and efficiently, apparently telling different messages. Skye jumped back as a wizard Apparated in front of her ("whoops! Sorry! Didn't see you there!" he had said) as they began to walk down the long hallway. Amos shoved Cedric and Skye in front of him as they walked closer to a lazy-looking guard.

"Wands," he said, holding out his hand.

Cedric quickly gave his wand to the man, and excited look on his face. Skye pulled her wand out of her pocket and hesitated before the man gave her an incoherent look and she handed hers to him. He took it and looked it over, before flicking it, sending sparks flying out of the end, and gave it back to Skye. He did the same with Cedric's wand.

"Alright, go on."

Skye was required to jog behind Amos's large stride as they headed towards a lift. They entered the crammed lift, being surrounded by men carrying boxes that were making noises and a few flying pieces of paper, that would often ram into Skye's head as the lift ascended after the grates closed.

"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch league Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club and Ludicrous Patents Office."

They passed by a few other levels, until they reached Level Four, the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Amos ushered them out of the lift, and turned onto the first hallway on the right, where his office was the first on the left. There was a plaque at the door, which read 'Department Head'. Amos walked in, and sat at the desk; Cedric and Skye sat down on adjacent chairs.

"Well," he began. "Today I'm doing a bit on dragons. There's been a man drifting around the Hog's Head selling dragon eggs...I need you two to head downstairs..."

"...to the record room, to look up previous incidents?"

"Of course!" Amos said, ruffling Cedric's hair. "That's my boy, you know the way, get going!"

Cedric stood, and Skye followed suit. They walked out of the room, down the hallway, and to the lift. Thy entered and, to their surprise, the lift was empty.

"Work hours just started, that's why it was so busy," Cedric explained. "I'm glad he's sent us out so early...I have a surprise for you."

Cedric dug into his pockets and pulled out a small green bottle, containing a clear liquid.

"It's called Endiedic Laide; it's a potion meant to put you in a state of complete euphoria. Just take a swig; what's the worst it can do?"

Skye grabbed the bottle from Cedric with greed and took a quick swallow of the potion. It tasted a bit like raspberries as it went down sweetly. Cedric finished off the bottle. Suddenly, Skye began laughing.

"What?" Cedric said.

"I don't know!" Skye said, causing Cedric to laugh with her. Skye felt as if nothing could go wrong anymore, like everything was right. Everything was funny; from the way Cedric moved to her hair.

"Look!" she said, changing her hair from dull brown to bright purple, causing Cedric to laugh.

"Ooh, here it goes again!" her hair changed from purple to blue, then blue to pink, then pink to golden. Skye then began changing the shape of her nose. At this point, Cedric was on the ground clutching his sides as he rolled, laughing hysterically.

"Level One, Department of Mysteries."

"Oh, mysteries! C'mon, Ced, let's go here!"

Skye grabbed Cedric by the arm and they ran together down the hallway, past lit torches and a few doors. They reached a door at the end of the hallway, which Skye opened, and they were brought into a circular room.

"I like this place!" Cedric said, smiling.

"It's so cool!" Skye walked forward, and touched one of the doors. Immediately, there was a soft 'click' as the walls began to spin around them, changing the doors constantly.

"Look at them go! Woo!"

Cedric suddenly grabbed Skye and kissed her, causing her to giggle in his mouth a little. Her giggle vibrated in his mouth, which seemed to turn Cedric on even more as he kissed her deeply. He pushed Skye into a nearby door, which opened when she leaned on it, causing them to fall into the doorway, Cedric lying on top of Skye. Skye looked up into his face, smiling brightly before laughing hopelessly. Cedric began laughing too, and he stood up, grabbing Skye by the arm and lifting her up.

They were in a strange hallway that had walls that were lined with separate corridors and shelves that contained glass balls. Skye walked up to a glass ball, and breathed on the face of it, causing it to fog up. Written below the ball were the words 'Micheal Burns'.

"Hey, look, some guy named Micheal Burns has a glass ball dedicated to him!"

Skye placed her hand on the glass ball and tried to pick it up, but it wouldn't budge. Skye gave the ball and odd look before continuing down the hallway, skipping jovially the way.

Cedric's eyes were scanning the glass balls (A/N: tee-hee!) as he slowly scanned the rows, looking down the corridors, knowing it was hopeless to try and read every name there was. He had seen a few of the glass balls with familiar names; Darwin James, a co-worker of his father, Mora Picket, a sixth year Hufflepuff and Issay Carter, one of the Slytherins who had pushed Skye off of her boat on the first day of school.

Then Cedric saw it.

On the fifth corridor to the left.

Skye's name, below a glass ball that seemed to be glowing.

Cedric quickly walked down the corridor, stopping at the ball and placing his hands on it.

"Skye!" he called, hearing giggles become louder as she approached him.

"What's up?" she asked, laughing at herself.

"Come here."

Skye gave Cedric a funny look as he stared at her, a cold hard look on his face.

"Does the potion wear off that fast?" she whined.

"No," he said. "Come here."

Skye remained at the door. "Tell me what it is first."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then come here."

Skye gave him a sly smile, thinking she knew what he wanted. She strutted over to him, swaying her hips as she walked. She stood in front of him, a broad smile on her face. "What can I do for you?"

"Sit."

Skye bent down, making sure to stick out her butt, and putting her face right in Cedric's.

"What?"

Cedric pointed to the glass ball.

"That's what."

Skye reached out to touch it, a confused look on her face. Unlike the last ball, this time she picked it up with ease, examining it and rolling it from hand to hand.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know."

She put her nose right up to it, her breath fogging it up. There seemed to be white clouds forming within it.

"It's so cool."

Cedric stood up.

"Come on, we should show my dad. You never know what it is."

Skye stood up quickly, the euphoric drink kicking in again.

"I have a glass ball named after me..." she chimed, skipping down the corridor.

"Easy Skye, don't..."

Cedric sentence was cut off by the sound of a smash as the glass ball hit the ground, shattering into pieces. Skye took a step back in horror as a white figure emitted from the broken glass.

'This is her fate; she whom is the lone daughter of Severus Snape, born in the waning of Summer during times of great peril, will be the one who changes the fate of our kind. It shall be she who chooses whether the ones to prevail will be light or darkness; this is her fate.'

Skye turned to look at Cedric, his mouth moving but no words emitting from his lips. Skye's eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed onto the ground, seeing blackness.

A/N: I'm sorry about lack of updates, but this is a really long chapter, and hopefully it's good. Another twist, another turn...what happens next? Tune in next time!