¤ I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get up, it got away from me and ended up twice as long as I like my chapters to be. I split it in half at the best place I could, and Chapter Six will be up in a few days, as soon as I convert it to HTML format. Again, sorry! ¤
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. Harry Potter™ is the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
§ ¤ § Chapter Five: What Next? § ¤ §
KayKay was horribly confused. Harry's confessions were very sudden and unexpected—so much so that she felt it wasn't unreasonable to assume that he was just playing around, toying with her thoughts and feelings—it wouldn't be the first time.
But then, as she stared back at him in that pool as tried one more time to explain, his expression spoke in a way she never had expected nor, quite honestly, wanted it to. It was this that frightened her . . . this that made her stop and listen . . .
And this that made her believe that he was being sincere.
And, on reflection, what he'd said was quite reasonable. The only reason that they didn't get along was the fact that they wanted to disagree about everything. Certainly, they'd still argue—there would always be things they wouldn't see eye-to-eye on—but really, everyone argued once in a while, even the closest of friends.
Also, KayKay felt that a great burden, one she'd grown used to carrying and hadn't noticed for the longest time, had been lifted. She didn't feel as if her face was too heavy to smile, or that her heart was too weak to still enjoy a day . . .
It was just as Matt had said. The hurt was getting smaller and smaller . . .
. . . Although, she doubted that this was what he'd exactly meant. But still, facing Remus's death was suddenly not as hard when she had someone who'd been just as close to him that she could talk to.
She snapped back to the present and splashed Harry again. They were standing in chest-deep water, and their battle raged on.
Harry responded by turning on a jeweled tap, getting a handful of pink, rose-scented foam, and blowing at KayKay.
"Ugh!" she dove immediately under the water, trying to wash the scent away before it soaked in. She abhorred flowers.
Actually, that was a lie. Flowers were nice. But she detested smelling like them.
She came back on, turning on the nearest faucet. Imagine her surprise when, instead of some sort of bubbles, foam, or water, out came—
"Chocolate frogs?" Harry said in confusion. He and KayKay looked at each other.
"You mean you've lived here for more than a year and you still haven't tested all of the faucets?" KayKay exclaimed, grabbing one as it went past and taking a bite. "Mmmm."
Harry was looking at her strangely, almost as if he'd noticed her for the first time.
"What?" she asked. He didn't respond, just looked at her that weird way. Curious, she looked down and suddenly remembered that her shirt was both white and soaked.
Dropping the frog immediately she pulled herself out of the pool and rushed out, taking a quick right into the living room and grabbing a blanket, which she proceeded to wrap around herself.
Harry arrived a moment later. Her only words to him were, "Potter, you're absolutely horrible."
"I'm sorry!" he insisted. "And it's not like I was staring."
She snorted, expressing easily just how preposterous this statement was, and turned on the radio before flopping down moodily on the oriental rug.
Harry was still dripping wet, and water was beginning to puddle on the hardwood floor.
"Ummm . . ." He started, and KayKay looked up at him questioningly. "Do you want to play a board game or something?"
She pondered this for a moment, then replied, "Well, I'd be glad to beat you at Clue, if you have it."
Harry nodded, turning to leave the room. KayKay stood and followed.
"You get the game, I'll get the snacks." She said, heading straight into the kitchen.
"Snacks?"
KayKay looked at him strangely. "Of course, snacks! You can't expect to play a game without snacks! Some popcorn, a few cookies, throw in some soda . . ." she stopped, and rolled her eyes. "You're so deprived. Well, if you don't want any, I'll just eat them all myself."
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
"Colonel Mustard in the Lounge with the Rope." KayKay announced. She pulled out the cards from the envelope and looked at them. "Ha!"
She laid them all out triumphantly and Harry scowled.
Since KayKay had won three times in a row now, they gave up the game and simply pushed the board to the side.
"So . . ." she said slowly, unsure of what to say but feeling a need for idle chitchat. "Who do you think will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?"
Harry was silent for a while, and looking over at where he was seated on the floor with his back against the couch, he seemed pensive.
"I really don't know," he said finally. "I guess we'll have to find out when we get there."
KayKay nodded and rolled from her stomach onto her back.
"It'll be so strange . . . and so hard . . . not having him." She said slowly, watching as the ceiling fan spun lazily.
Harry didn't ask for clarification, a sign to KayKay that he felt the same way. She sighed deeply and her eyelids drooped. She was struck by a sudden sleepiness she hadn't expected.
"Did you have any ides on who it might be?" Harry asked. She shook her head, stifling a yawn.
"No. We'll just hope it's somebody competent . . ."
"Yes, unlike Quirrel or Lockhart," Harry replied. His voice seemed to fading in and out like a badly tuned radio, and she tried to stay awake. Then again, she hadn't just had fourteen hours of sleep like Harry had.
He was saying something more, but KayKay didn't hear it. His words drifted farther and farther away as she felt like she was drifting off into what might finally be a restful slumber.
"KayKay?" he was asking. ". . . KayKay?"
But she was already asleep sprawled out on the rug, a blanket wrapped lazily around her from when she'd been concealing her wet shirt and a faint smile on her face.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
Harry felt lighter than air. As a matter of fact, he felt so good that when KayKay beat him (yet again) at Clue, he didn't even mind.
Of course, he insisted to himself that he was just glad to be free of all of the ill tension.
He looked over at KayKay when she didn't reply to his questions, and smiled to himself. She had fallen asleep, just as easy as that. It was understandable, since she'd only been sleeping for a few hours at a time while Harry, on the other hand, had slept for more than half the day.
Still, perhaps she'd sleep better if she was comfortable, in a bed. Harry thought to himself. Sighing, he stood up and then bent over, awkwardly gathering her in his arms.
It didn't quite work the way it did in the movies—then again, had he been expecting it to? Still, he managed without dropping her, surprised at her relatively slight weight.
Shifting her position slightly in his arms and hoping she didn't wake up (which would undoubtedly lead to awkward questions that Harry would prefer not to be faced with), Harry walked out of the living room, turning sideways to get through the doorway.
The climb up the stairs was slightly difficult—however, once reaching the top, Harry had already decided against trying to master the ladder-like staircase leading to KayKay's room.
After a moment's deliberation, (and only a moment's, because KayKay was growing heavy in his arms), he went into his own bedroom and laid her down gently on his bed, making sure she wouldn't fall off.
He covered her with a light blanket, then turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him and making his way back downstairs to watch the sunrise from the front steps.
KayKay's clothing had still been slightly damp, which would've been a problem were it not for the fact that Harry's clothes were still wet from the pool as well. The rising sun warmed his skin and dried his clothing more rapidly as the sky exploded with all of it's fiery glory.
The brightness of it made him squint a bit, but he didn't want to go inside or look away. The sun, a glowing orb of golden power, hovered on the horizon, coming out from hiding slowly. The thin clouds that hovered nearby diffused the light, bathing everything in a warm honey color.
But still, it was changing. The clouds dissipated quickly, no match for the fireball, which made the remaining clouds scattered high in the sky turn a vivid pink, and the sky itself a pale lavender it as it raised itself majestically.
Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd watched the dawn, and as he looked over at Remus's now vacant home, he was struck with an appreciation for it that he'd never before felt.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
When KayKay opened her eyes, she had to blink several times to be certain that she wasn't still asleep. This wasn't her room! This was . . .
She sat up suddenly, looking around. This was Harry's room!
She scrambled out from under the covers and stood, staring at the bed as if it had just tried to trick her, then she looked at the clock, which claimed that it was 2:37.
"Ah, and so she awakens."
KayKay looked to the doorway quickly, where Sirius seemed to have paused on his way by.
"I was wondering how long you'd be sleeping . . . of course, when I first saw you in there Harry had quite a bit of trouble trying to explain himself. But still," he winked, "I told you so."
He disappeared from view, whistling the tune from the Andy Griffith show as he went down the stairs, and KayKay stared after him in confusion. She had a myriad of questions tumbling around in her head.
Why had she been in Harry's bed? What was Sirius so smug about? Who decided a Chihuahua was a dog? (she tucked that one to the back of her mind for later) But most of all . . .
Why did her underwear feel wet?
She walked out of the room, still puzzling, and went downstairs. When she entered the kitchen for something to eat, Harry looked up from reading a handful of papers, smiled at her, then went back to what he was doing.
WHAT is going ON? she wondered, completely baffled by this point. Everyone's acting as if Harry and I—
She froze halfway through opening he refrigerator and let it fall shut again, her head going with it and resting on the cool metal.
Oh. Yeah. I forgot about the pool fiasco and the apology and everything.
Well, at least it answered the disturbing question of why her underwear were wet.
She shook her head, opening the refrigerator again and this time getting out the milk. She grabbed a clean glass from next to the sink and a handful of chocolate chip cookies before taking all three items and hopping up and sitting on the counter with them, her legs dangling and hitting the cabinets below.
"We got our Hogwarts letters." Harry told her, passing over an unopened one. She took it, tearing the seal messily and pulling out the papers.
"Nothing much. Just the usual—Standard Book of Spells Seven, Practical Self Defense . . . that must be the new Dark Arts book . . . a notice about graduation . . ." she stuffed the papers back into the envelope, not pothering to fold them neatly. "We'll have to go to Diagon Alley. How about you?"
"Pretty much the same. Got a letter from Hermione a couple minutes before you came down—she made Head Girl."
"Big surprise." KayKay said, feeling a twinge of amusement. "Did she say who Head Boy is?"
"It says here that they didn't tell her yet," he said, handing KayKay the letter.
"A Ravenclaw, I'm sure." KayKay said, scanning the letter.
"Maybe you should go to Diagon Alley before everyone else crowds in." Sirius said, coming in and opening the cookie jar. "Hey! Who took the rest?"
KayKay cleared her throat and waved the last bite of her cookie in the air before finishing it off. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her.
"Cookies aren't a healthy breakfast, young lady."
"Who said anything about breakfast? That was an afternoon snack." She said, sliding off of the counter. "And besides, what's the rush to get our school things? We're only one week into August."
Sirius shrugged. "Do you have anything better to do?"
"Well . . . no." Harry and KayKay admitted at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise. Harry laughed. KayKay tried to crack a smile.
"Then it's settled. The two of you can go right now."
"Wait, wait . . . the two of us?" KayKay questioned not liking the sound of it. "What are you, nuts? What if we rip each other's heads off?"
"I'm fully convinced that you won't. You seem to be acting quite friendly with each other, if you know what I mean."
KayKay glared at him. She didn't see that beside her, Harry was smiling.
"Besides," he continued, glancing out the kitchen window, "I have matters I have to settle with Dumbledore."
His eyes were getting that haunted look again and, quickly excusing herself, KayKay slipped away to go to her bedroom and make herself presentable. She tried to cast all depressing thoughts out of her mind, even though she knew that she couldn't run from her problems.
Getting dressed and ready took longer than normal, because she was a mess. Her hair was matted and tangled, she hadn't worn a touch of makeup for a week . . .
Still, it wasn't too much later that she was making her way downstairs in her black jeans and tee shirt and checking her pocket once more for her Gringott's key and wand.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
Harry was quite relieved to get out of the house. He doubted he could stand another minute of Sirius's smug "I-told-you-so" attitude.
But then, Harry tried to reason that Sirius didn't tell him so. Sirius had been so assured that one of them still had romantic feelings for the other—but neither of them did . . . did they?
No! Harry thought hastily, we're just starting to act more mature, that's all. Being friends means nothing more than it sounds!
Their first stop was Gringott's. KayKay looked highly uncomfortable at the idea of sitting next to Harry in the lurching cart that careened through the tunnels at breakneck speed, but she didn't protest.
After filling their money bags with coins, they began shopping—books first, of course, then the Apothecary to re-stock for NEWT Potions, then KayKay disappeared into Madam Malkin's saying something about her robes being too short. Harry was left standing on the street in confusion at her abrupt disappearance.
Looking around to see if there was anyone about the he knew, Harry shrugged and walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies. There weren't many people about, especially not students, so he browsed the store in relative silence.
He hadn't been there for what seemed like very long when the bell above the door chimed and a familiar voice met his ears.
"See, I told you he'd be in here! There isn't a wizard alive who can resist gawking at broomsticks."
He turned around quickly to see KayKay headed his way. A familiar girl was beside her—a blue-eyed, blonde-and-brown-haired girl who matched KayKay's height down to the last millimeter.
"Okay, okay, you were right Madison," KayKay rolled her eyes at her cousin. "And all this time I was betting that he'd gone for ice cream. How could I be so naïve?" she said sarcastically.
"Well, not everybody can be as brilliant as me." She said smugly, studying her nails.
"Oh, Harry, look who I bumped into at Madam Malkin's!" KayKay said quite unnecessarily.
"Hey, Potter!" Madison said, ruffling his already messy hair. "How's it hanging?"
" 'Hanging'?" Harry repeated, raising an eyebrow. He was struck once again by how strangely Americans could talk sometimes. Of course, KayKay had been much the same upon their first meeting—and Harry suddenly realized how much of her accent KayKay had lost over the course of two years. There was still obvious influence in her speech from her native country—but she didn't stand out nearly as much as Madison.
"Yes, that is what I said . . ." Madison crossed her arms over her chest and glanced Harry up and down. "Shall I speak in Shakespearean English for you?"
"Don't, he wouldn't understand a word of that either!" KayKay laughed.
"I know what she meant!" Harry said, thoroughly peeved. "I'm just pointing out how you Americans have butchered English."
Both girls glared daggers at him. Madison opened her mouth, undoubtedly to spout out an insult of some sort, when the shopkeeper spoke up, "Can I help you with anything?"
"Oh, no thank you!" KayKay chirped, the very image of an innocent angel.
"Yes," Madison added, looking Harry in the eye as she spoke, "we were just leaving."
She turned, lacing her arm through KayKay's and marching out. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at Harry as the door swung shut, and he sighed, following after.
"I should probably get home, my parents are expecting me before dinner." Madison was saying as he caught up with the pair.
"Wait! I know—why don't you spend the night at our place?" KayKay asked excitedly.
"What?" Harry exclaimed. "No way—"
KayKay clapped a hand over his mouth and stepped on his foot without so much as glancing back at him.
"What do you say?" She asked, looking at her cousin hopefully.
"What I say is; what all this about 'our' place?" she said in amusement, looking between the two. "Are you . . .?"
"No!" KayKay exclaimed, disgust evident in her voice. Lowering the volume a bit, she explained, "It's because of Uncle Remmy . . . you know . . ." Pain was evident in the way she spoke.
"Right! Oh, right . . . I'm sorry, I hadn't thought about where you'd live . . ."
"So can you? Please, the testosterone in the house is positively killing me . . ." KayKay continued, skirting around the subject of their uncle.
"Well, I'm sure it'll be alright. Just let me tell them—hey, why don't you come with?" she suggested, as they started walking again towards the Leaky Cauldron. "It would be cool for you to meet them . . . oh, and I suppose you can bring that kid with the black hair and glasses that you hang out with . . ."
"Gee, where have I heard that one before?" Harry asked loudly, giving KayKay a look. "There must be something about the people in your family . . ."
She shrugged at him as they entered the pub and went over to the fireplace. All three of them pulled pouches from their pockets as they prepared to Floo.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
"The Jacobs Manor!" Madison said clearly, stepping into the green flames. Shrugging, KayKay followed, Harry bringing up the rear.
KayKay stumbled out of the fireplace a few moments later. Trying to fix her mussed hair, she barely had it out of her face when she uttered an appreciative "Whoa."
They must have been in the entryway, because heavy oak doors were to their left and a grand, sweeping staircase was to the right. The floor was highly polished marble, and a warm glow (which he noticed was caused by glowing orbs hovering magically near the high vaulted ceiling) made the whole place seem to shimmer with hospitality.
"Here, this way." Madison said, leading them towards the staircase, "I think I know where I can find my mom."
KayKay followed her up the stairway, knowing Harry was right behind her. As they began their journey up, the red carpet beneath their feet depressed slightly with each step. Near the second level, the stairway split in two and separated, curving outwards majestically.
"Wow, when you said your family was rich, you weren't kidding." KayKay said in awe her voice echoing.
"Yeah . . ." Madison said, sounding a bit bashful. "The funny part is trying to learn my way around at each new house. We've moved quite a few times, but last year was the first time it was continental. It was as much for my dad's business as it was for me. I didn't have the best reputation at Salem Academy . . ."
KayKay snorted. "Really? I can never imagine you being anything short of angelic," she said sarcastically.
"Well, last year really put things into perspective for me. I saw how serious teenagers were getting with the Dark Arts, and how directly they affected others. I even noticed that some kids didn't even care when they lost classmates in Voldemort's name . . . I began to see how stupid and pointless it really was, and then tried to make a change in myself.
"Of course," she continued, reaching the top of the stairs and leading them down a hall, "finding out I had Gryffindor blood made me realize—Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't so different after all, it's just a state of mind. . . . And being placed in Slytherin may not have had anything to do with my destiny or actions, but just my personality."
"Wisely said." KayKay complimented. Behind her, Harry stayed silent, apparently not having anything to contribute to the conversation.
"Here we are!" Madison said, pushing open a set of double doors. "Mom?"
"I'm back in the Genealogy Section" a voice called. The room was a library, housing shelf upon shelf of books that KayKay was certain came in more than one language. She shelves seemed to stretch on for ages. Any further speculation was cut short as Madison hurried forward, grabbing KayKay's hand.
"C'mon, I want you to meet her!" she said, tugging KayKay away from the door. KayKay looked back over her shoulder for the first time since arriving and motioned for Harry to follow.
"Mom, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine . . ." she said, turning down an aisle without even glancing up at the labels on each bookshelf as a guide. "This is KayKay—er, Kayleigh—Determan. You know, my cousin."
A woman looked up from an open book in her hands and shook blonde hair from her eyes. She was wearing a suit, although KayKay failed to see why she dressed so sophisticatedly for simply looking through a library. She decided it was a rich-person thing.
"Hello, Kayleigh." The woman said, extending a manicured hand and shaking KayKay's. "It's nice to meet you. Madison has told us plenty about you, of course . . . I wish our first meeting could have been much sooner. Had we known that Madison had a cousin in need of adoption . . . I'm sure you would both have enjoyed having a friend to grow up with."
"Thank you" was the only thing KayKay could say.
"Ah, and you must be Harry Potter. Yes, I've heard about you, too."
"What was the giveaway, mom? That he was following KayKay like a puppy on a leash?" Madison laughed, but stopped as both KayKay and Harry threw glares at her. Madison cleared her throat.
"Well, mom, the reason they came was because KayKay and I were wondering if I could stay at her house tonight. She's feeling a bit outnumbered."
"Oh, is that all? Certainly." Madison's mom said. "And Kayleigh, you must stay over for a week sometime before the school year begins."
"Oh!" she said in surprise. "Thank you, Mrs. Jacobs!"
The woman waved her hand. "Please, Mrs. Jacobs is for my business colleagues. I'd prefer that you call me Aunt Janine."
Something jumped inside KayKay. Janine . . . almost like Jenna. She thought back to Janine's comment about wishing they'd known that she'd needed adopting and wondered for a moment what life would've been like growing up with Madison. No Megan, Chad, or Matt . . . but that also would've meant Remus would still be around.
And what of friends she'd made at Hogwarts? Ron, Hermione . . . would they still have become friends? And what about Harry? Sure, she could do without having dated him, but what about in their Fifth Year when they discovered their powers and cleared Sirius's name?
Maybe if I'd been adopted by them last summer. Yes, that would've been fine. I don't see how it would've altered much of anything, anyhow.
Then she remembered that it didn't matter and that thinking about it wouldn't change a thing.
"Alright, Mrs.—I mean, Aunt Janine." KayKay smiled at the woman's hospitality. Janine looked behind her at Harry and raised an eyebrow.
"I suppose you may call me Aunt Janine as well, but you may be more comfortable with plain old Janine."
"Er . . . yes." Harry said uncomfortably.
"Thanks, mom!" Madison said, turning and pulling KayKay away.
"Nice to meet you, Aunt Janine!" KayKay called back before Madison practically dragged her around the corner. Once they were out of the library and heading back the way they'd come, KayKay commented, "Your mom is nice."
"I got the impression that she didn't like me very much . . ." Harry said, but his comment was ignored.
"Yes, I suppose she is, isn't she?" Madison said to KayKay with a smile. "Come on, I'll show you my room!"
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Madison's room was indeed grand . . . it held a large bed, a closet as big as the room itself, a master bath, and a beautiful balcony view of sweeping lawns and a garden maze.
"Wow." KayKay breathed, looking out the windows, "It's gorgeous."
Madison smiled and shrugged modestly. "It actually gets to be a bit much sometimes," she admitted, pulling open the double doors to the closet. Magical lights automatically turned on, and KayKay followed her in, awestruck.
"How much stuff do you have?" she asked, looking at the racks of clothing and accessories.
"Mom goes a bit overboard during the school year—she sees something she thinks I'll like, and buys it right away. I haven't even worn half of this stuff, and probably never will."
She looked around, then added, "Seems like an awful waste."
KayKay could do nothing but nod mutely as Madison grabbed a duffel bag from a hook on the wall and threw a few things into it—swimsuit, pajamas, a change of clothes . . .
"Done" she said, zipping it shut. "Well, that was easy. Hey, where'd Potter go?" she asked as they walked back into the bedroom.
KayKay looked around, seeing no sign of Harry anywhere. "I don't know," she said, confused. "Harry?"
"Out here!" a voice called back from the balcony.
"Wow, that's the most he's spoken since we got here," Madison said as they went out to find him. He was looking out at the garden, leaning against the railing with his back to them.
"Hey, Harry, the bus is leaving. Come on, slowpoke!" KayKay said.
"Bus?" He looked over his shoulder.
"It's a figure of speech," KayKay said, rolling her eyes. "Hey, the sooner we get out of here, the sooner you can get away from the two of us."
As he straightened and turned around, KayKay could've sworn she'd heard him say, "Do I want to?" But his expression showed no indication that he'd spoken and Madison appeared to not have heard anything either. KayKay had to assume that she'd just heard him wrong.
Madison hitched her duffel higher on her shoulder and smiled, leading the way out of the bedroom. The trip back to the stairway was quick, but for some reason Madison stopped short of going down the steps.
"What? What is it?" KayKay asked when Madison didn't move. The second girl looked over her shoulder with a fiendish grin before abruptly hopping up so she was sitting on the polished stone banister and sliding out of sight.
"Come on!" she called back as both Harry and KayKay stared after her.
"What—she doesn't really expect us to slide down that thing, does she?" Harry asked, looking incredulously at KayKay, who shrugged and followed Madison's lead.
"You need to let go and live a little, Harry!" she said, laughing inwardly at the look on his face before he disappeared from view around the curve of the stairway.
The ride down was long and fun, the rail curving perfectly for just the right amount of thrill. Stumbling only a bit as she went from sliding to standing at the bottom, KayKay looked back in time to see Harry sliding down with an obvious grin on his face.
However, he didn't seem to be prepared to transition smoothly to walking, and he ended up tripping. KayKay reached out, trying to catch him before he fell, only realizing a moment later her mistake as he barreled into her and caused both of them to hit the floor.
Well, actually, KayKay was the only one who hit the floor. Harry ended up lading on top of her, knocking all of the air out of her lungs.
Madison was laughing. Harry was breathing hard. KayKay was trying to breathe, period.
Harry turned his head so his eyes met KayKay's, and the look he gave her startled her so much that she began hitting him away, in spite of not being able to catch her breath.
"Get off, get off!" she gasped, trying to push him. He nearly jumped as he tried to scramble to his feet.
"Sorry!" he panted. "I—really, I didn't mean—"
"Save it, Potter!" she rolled over to her stomach and struggled to her hands and knees, taking deep gulps of her newly supplied air. "You . . . are an idiot."
She didn't see him flinch, but she did see the hand he extended.
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "And I thought we were going to quit fighting for the sake of fighting."
KayKay wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and allowed Harry to help her up. Madison was looking between them with confusion evident on her face. She said nothing, just threw her Floo Powder into the flames, calling out, "Diagon Alley!"
But when KayKay stepped out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron a few moments later, she was immediately pulled to the side by Madison.
"Something has happened. I can tell. You're going to tell me everything" she said in a low whisper. KayKay nodded as Harry came out behind them.
"So . . ." Harry said, wiping soot and dust off of his clothes, "what next?"
"Why don't we get something to eat? I haven't had a real meal in days." KayKay suggested as they stepped through the magical archway to Diagon Alley and shielded their eyes against the low sun.
"Sounds good to me." Madison said.
"Yeah, me too." Harry said.
They walked down the street and selected a small café at KayKay's urging. Their meal was more like a snack, but it was very satisfying for her, and they talked casually at their small table as they watched the setting sun. When there was a lull in the conversation, Harry checked his watch.
"Oh . . . we'd better get back, Sirius will be wondering where we are." They looked around for a waiter. Since they were the only ones seated outside, there wasn't one to be found.
"One should come out soon," KayKay said, pulling some money out of her pocket and sifted through it as she calculated the bill in her head. "And I'm not as worried about Sirius wondering what's taking us so long as I am about Sirius imagining what's taking us so long . . ."
She stopped as she looked up and saw that Harry wasn't paying attention, but looking at the sky behind herself and Madison. They'd taken the seats facing away from the sunset so they wouldn't have to constantly squint.
She turned and looked over her shoulder. "Honestly Harry, why are you suddenly so mesmerized by the su—"
She froze. The sunset was barely noticeable compared to the other glowing figure that hovered in the sky.
"The Dark Mark." Madison said in a voice that was somewhere between awe and fear.
"Let's get out of here." Harry said hastily. The mark wasn't very close, but anywhere within sight was close enough to be taken seriously.
"Check, please!" Megan called, raising a hand as if to get the attention of a waiter. KayKay grabbed her wrist and yanked her from her chair, tossing a few galleons on the table. Harry, in turn, grabbed KayKay's wrist and the three teenagers began running towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"Wait!" KayKay yelled suddenly, turning around and looking back.
"What?!" Madison and Harry both shouted. KayKay didn't answer. The green skull and snake were hovering over a more separated district of Diagon Alley—from what she could tell, it was the area of small businesses and apartments.
"No . . ." she said softly. "Matt!"
She started to run back, run towards the mark and the screams, but Harry caught her hand before she'd gone more than three steps.
"KayKay, stop!"
"But he lives back there! You don't understand it, he moved to London—he's going to be killed!" she screamed, trying to pull herself loose.
"And so this is how you try to help him? By getting yourself killed, too?" He replied, pulling back harder and putting his free hand on her shoulder to steer her away.
"You don't understand!" she insisted again, trying to wriggle free. Hot tears were starting to sneak out of the corners of her eyes. "We have to help him, we have to try—"
"KayKay, come on!" Madison growled, pushing her towards the Leaky Cauldron with Harry. "You're acting crazy and you're just going to get us killed!"
"But—"
"Do you want me to stupefy you? Because you know I will if that's what it takes!" she said, getting her into the pub with one final shove. There was no one in sight, not even the bartender. Madison left KayKay to Harry and got the fireplace ready.
"You can't—we have to—I lo—"
"KayKay! We know you're worried but he'd be just as well off with us as he will be without." Madison said. "What should I call?"
The second question was obviously directed towards Harry, who answered promptly "Godric's Hollow." As Madison disappeared in the green flames, KayKay tried one more time to get away from Harry. Not succeeding, she let herself go limp in his grasp, hitting his chest weakly.
"I hate you," she said quietly, the tears falling from her eyes and soaking into his shirt.
"I know," he said quietly, hugging her. "He'll be fine. You'll see. He probably hasn't even moved in yet."
His voice sounded odd, but when she looked up he pulled her towards the fire.
"Let's go."
She gulped, nodded, then gave him a rare smile as she stepped into the tickling flames and said "Godric's Hollow!"
A week ago, she would've been furious with him, but now she realized . . .
Harry was a good friend.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
Harry looked nervously over his shoulder one final time before stepping into the fire.
"Godric's Hollow!" he announced as the green flames engulfed him and sent him spinning on his way home.
Both of the girls and Sirius were in the living room when he stumbled out.
"Close it!" he said quickly, stepping clear of the hearth.
Sirius looked at him with confusion that made it apparent that KayKay and Madison hadn't explained the situation at Diagon Alley.
"Sirius, just close it to the Floo Network! Now!" he repeated. Hesitating no more, Sirius pulled out his wand and tapped the four corner bricks of the opening, then drew a large "X" across the fireplace with green light from his wand that crackled like fire. The marks flared for a moment, then slowly faded.
All three teenagers sighed at the same time. KayKay flopped ungracefully onto the couch and covered her face with her hands. Madison sat down slowly in a chair, and Sirius took the other chair, leaving no room for Harry except for next to KayKay.
"So, are you three going to explain to me what's going on?" Sirius asked, looking around at them.
KayKay and Madison didn't offer up and words, so Harry took it upon himself to explain what had happened.
"Voldemort," he said quietly, taking his seat at the couch, "or his Death Eaters. We saw the Dark Mark in Diagon Alley."
Sirius sighed and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up at strange angles. "It's getting worse" he said dismally. "An attack at Diagon Alley . . ."
"Well, it wasn't in Diagon Alley, per se, it was more towards the houses and apartments." Harry said quietly. Beside him, KayKay sniffed, and he put a hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be fine" he reassured her. She snorted, and Harry had to admit the foolishness of his statement. "Well, he probably will be. When did you find out he was moving to London? Yesterday?" (It had seemed like ages earlier.) "He probably hasn't even gotten all of his things from home packed."
"Who?" Sirius asked. "Matt? He's moving to London? Why?"
"School." KayKay answered simply, wiping at her eyes. "He's going to be a lawyer."
"Ah, the worst sort!" Sirius said in an overly dramatic voice.
"Aye, tyranny!" Madison replied in just as serious of a joking manner. "Charades! Secret, evil plots with likes of . . . of . . ."
"Possessed Phantom Chickens!" Sirius exclaimed. "And by the way, who are you?"
She looked surprised. "I'm Madison . . . KayKay's cousin, remember?"
"Ah, that's right. How could I forget such a shady character as yourself?"
"No matter how you managed it, it's done. I have sneaked into your home and I am going to be spending the night." She grinned fiendishly.
"I let you get away with it this time . . ." Sirius said, narrowing his eyes. "Now, where were we?"
"Possessed Phantom Chickens."
KayKay laughed at them and turned her head to look at Harry. Her eyes were slightly red, and her cheeks were wet. He had an arm half-raised to wipe one of the tears from her face when he realized with a start what he was about to do. He mentally shook himself, wondering what had gotten into him.
KayKay was speaking. "Oh, you're probably right, Harry . . . for once. Thank you."
She smiled at him, taking his hand off of her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.
"You're a good friend."
Her words rung in his ears and struck him strangely—and he wasn't quite sure why. He was a god friend—wasn't that what he'd told her he'd wanted? For them to be friendly to each other instead of fighting endlessly?
She was no longer next to him on the couch, but instead with Madison, headed towards the stairway, presumably to go to her room.
He watched the two girls and they giggled to one another and climbed the stairs. Little did he know the way Sirius was watching him and smiling knowingly.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
As if to prove that Harry's words were true, when KayKay and Madison entered her bedroom, her communication journal was glowing faintly, letting her know that someone had written. She nearly dove across the bed in her haste to get it from her nightstand, and she promptly sat down as she rifled through the pages.
She sighed thankfully as she found the new message. The handwriting was obviously Matt's, and she quickly read it.
KayKay, I'm sorry, it seems that I won't be moving to London as soon as I'd planned. Apparently, Voldemort led an attack on Diagon Alley just today. I pray that you're fine and were nowhere near. I'll see you in a few weeks, before you go to Hogwarts. Until then, please be careful. I wouldn't be able to stand seeing your name listed in the newspaper.
So, it sounded like he'd heard of the attack, not experienced it. That was good. And he'd had the sense to let her know right away. That was also good.
"What does it say?" Madison asked, looking over KayKay's shoulder.
"Not much." KayKay replied, closing the book and setting it down. She'd worry about replying later. "He said he'd have to put off the moving date, and that he'd see me before school starts. It doesn't sound like he was around at the time of the attacks."
"Just like Harry said," Madison nodded, then sprawled out across KayKay's bed on her stomach.
KayKay rolled her eyes. "Yes, just like Potter said" she replied, lying on her back with her head hanging upside down off of the bed. Beside her, Madison shifted to mimic KayKay's position, and her face came into view.
She was grinning as if she'd discovered a large secret that she couldn't wait to tease her about, and her eyes glittered. "You're mad at him!" she said gleefully.
"No I'm not." KayKay responded immediately, but Madison only nodded again.
"Yes, you are! You always call him Potter when he's annoying you or when you're joking around with him!"
"What—no I don't!" KayKay exclaimed.
"Yes you do! Back in the living room you called him Harry when you were all worried about Matt and he was being nice about it—but when he knocked you over at my house you called him Potter!"
KayKay sat up with a jerk, reeling slightly as all the blood that had rushed to her head relocated itself. "So? What does it matter?"
"What matters," Madison said, pulling herself upright as well, "is that something has happened. Last time I saw you two, you could barely stand being on the same continent, let alone on the same couch."
KayKay snorted. "You say 'same couch' as if it was a suggestive situation. Honestly! If you hadn't noticed, one of us was crying and the other was telling Sirius about an attack by Voldemort!" she said, thoroughly aggravated.
"Yes, but if you hadn't noticed, 'the other' "—she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers—"just about kissed the 'one'."
"What?!" KayKay said, as if the very idea was ludicrous. This was definitely a surprise to her. "You're insane!"
"Yes, but that's beside the point." She said seriously. "Sane or not, Harry had one of those looks in his eyes when he was comforting you—"
"Yeah, the 'KayKay-don't-be-crazy-your-boyfriend-will-be-fine-now-stop-acting-like-a-baby' look." KayKay said.
"Boyfriend?" Madison questioned. "This is news to me too . . ."
"Well, Matt and I—well, I'm not sure exactly how it happened—but it was the sweetest thing!" She babbled quickly, glad to get Madison away from the subject of Harry and the supposed almost-but-not-quite kiss. "After my party, Matt and I were talking and then we saw a shooting star. So we both made a wish, and I asked him what he'd wished for, and he said, 'Courage', and I asked him what for, then he said, 'For this' and he kissed me—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get the drift." Madison said, rolling her eyes. "Either way, that was not the look Harry had."
"Of course not, that's the look that Matt had." KayKay pointed out.
"Stop trying to change the subject! I mean, Harry wasn't looking at you like you were being crazy or babyish . . ."
Dang. She hadn't been successfully steered away from the topic.
". . . He had a look almost like he was about to try to kiss you, but then caught himself in time. Like he'd surprised himself." Madison was saying.
"You must have been seeing things." KayKay said, shaking her head. "Potter was the one who broke up with me, and now that he has, I'm glad. We both are."
She stopped; there was a look of triumph on Madison's face and she was pointing at KayKay victoriously.
"Yes! You said 'Potter'!" she exclaimed gleefully. "I knew it! You call him by his last name when you're mad!"
"I hate to burst your bubble, Madison, but we've been over this already." KayKay said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And I still fail to see the point."
"The point is that sometimes you call him 'Harry' now, which means he's starting to try to be nice!"
"So?"
"So that means part of him must still care" Madison said smugly.
"No, that just means that part of him is still human." She stood up.
"You can think what you want, but I say that he's starting to regret breaking up with you!"
KayKay moved towards the door. "I'm telling you, I don't like him, and he doesn't like me!" she shouted. She yanked open the door and jumped, as Harry was on the other side with his fist in midair, as if he was about to knock.
"Oh, out of my way, Potter!" she snapped, shoving past him. She stomped down the stairs, fuming, and went straight for the kitchen where she began pulling out bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients. She slammed each item down on the counter as she got them out, even the eggs (which meant she had to wipe up the mess and get more from the refrigerator).
All she needed right now was some time to brood. If anybody in the house knew what was good for them, they'd leave her alone until she was done.
§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §
The earth is cold, the fields are bare,
The branches fold against the wind that's everywhere.
The birds move on so they survive.
When snow's so deep, the bears all sleep to keep themselves alive.
They do what they must for now and trust in their plan.
If I trust in mine, somehow I might find who I am.
But where do I go from here?
So many voices ringing in my ear.
Which is the voice that I was meant to hear?
How will I know? Where do I go from here?
My world has changed and so have I,
I've learned to choose and even learned to say goodbye.
The path ahead is so hard to see:
It winds and bends, but where it ends depends on only me.
In my heart I don't feel part of so much I've known.
Now I think it's time to start a new life of my own.
But where do I go from here?
So many voices ringing in my ear.
Which is the voice that I was meant to hear?
How will I know? Where do I go from here?
But who knows where I go from here?
So many voices, only one thing's clear.
There's nothing to lose—nothing to fear.
The past is gone, I must move on from here.
Well, that's that. This certainly wasn't my favorite chapter, and despite it's sadness, I'd have to say Chapter Four is my favorite so far since it had a much bigger point in the story plot and wasn't simply placing small details out there to move the story along. Well, enough of me complaining about the chapter—there were parts I definitely enjoyed. Anyhow, you waited a month for this update, and the next one won't take NEARLY as long, I promise. So: Thank You's for reviews:
Joeyperson: Thank you for the assessment of it being a dramatic chapter—as I said, it's one of my favorites, and to me there could be nothing worse then it not coming off in writing as it did in my head. Gracias!
Kelli: Heehee, thank you for giving me permission to ramble! And Harry would thank you for commenting on his wisdom: Once and a while I feel like I'm being a bit unfair, not giving him the maturity his character probably would have. (Although, for most humans, it would be insanity . . . how many of us could stand multiple attacks by someone bent on killing us? I dunno, maybe he'd be safer at St. Mungo's . . .) Ack! I'm digressing again! Must—not—ramble! Too—much—to—do! Augh!
Lady Alex: Congratulations. You were the first to bring up Harry and KayKay getting back together—although you seem insanely patient, suggesting a pivotal point in their lives (unlike most Harry/KayKay shippers who say "Right now!!!"). Congratulations also on winning the Olympic Gold—wait, what am I saying?! Sorry, I'm running between the computer and television at the moment . . . and it's 1:45 in the morning, which explains my confusion.
Oh, speaking of Harry Potter and the Olympics, I had a GREAT dream last Thursday—Harry and I were at Hogwarts, and we pulled a prank on a new teacher who was sort of like a cross between Rita Skeeter and Gilderoy Lockhart, she was a real snob . . . it involved super glue and hay, as well as some complicated stringing of a trap. Professor Flitwick—or was it Sprout?—helped us, and our alibi was that we were watching the Olympics . . .
Okay, now I'm REALLY rambling. But either way, it was a fun dream, so huzzah!
Phoenix: Thank you for your urges for me to continue writing, and for letting me know that I can make you think you're in the scene while you're reading it! (My English teacher would be so pleased. If there was one thing she always stressed, it was "Show, don't tell!" . . . but her other fetish was making us keep our writing concise and to the point, so I don't know how those two things reach an equilibrium . . . oh no, I'm rambling again! Ack! No!) But yes, thank you!
LovinLupin: (a.k.a. JT) Thank you for reading the chapter. I know that it was particularly hard for you—you being the Remus-adorer that you are—but think of it this way. Now he no longer has to battle the full moon . . . And on a different note: Uh-oh, now I have another Harry/KayKay supporter to pester me on the message boards . . .
Jenny: Thanks for reviewing! And I will indeed keep it coming! I'd NEVER be able to quit mid-story . . .
ZenamesKat: Bloody Muddy Hell, Kat! You wrote an absolute NOVEL of a review! ¤ eyes bugging out ¤ Sorry, I can't update every day ¤ laughs at the thought ¤ but I try to get chapters out faster than this one. Kudos to you for liking country music: Woo-hah! And between you and me, the gay cowboy part of the first story had me in stitches too (never mind that I wrote it, making me a dork for laughing insanely at something I did). And don't be intimidated by me! Your ficcy is awesome! I mean—have you READ it??? (Okay, rhetorical question) But honestly, don't be intimidated by lil' old me. (Although not so little anymore: I think you've inflated my head so much that it won't fit through the door! Or at least so much that all of my hats will be tight . . . heehee!)
Laura: Yes, the psychic of the message board . . . oy! Everyone! This is an order to go read Laura's fresh ficcy! Her penname is xanonymityx . . . just run a search, it shouldn't be hard to find! Whee!
Icy: Yes!!! Go Lonestar!!!
Kat: Whoa, three readers named Kat . . . oh dear, methinks I'll get confused . . . thanks! So, you're a new reader to ? Beware, it's easy to get wrapped up in 20 stories, heehee! But thank you for reading mine . . . and for staying up all night to do so!
And a thank you to . . . I can't believe this . . . Walt Disney Studios for this song taken from Pocahontas II . . . the only song I could find that fit the chapter even SLIGHTLY.
Wow, after four chapters I already have more reviews than my entire first story: I'm totally wowed! You guys all rock!
Oh, and He who reads—I doubt you're reading this, but if you are, I'm wondering what you mean about there being "various CGI references" in Harry Potter and the Heir of Voldemort . . . especially seeing how the only thing CGI stands for that I'M aware of is "Computer Generated Image". And "quotes used in such a way as to cause you to laugh" . . . er . . . I'm starting to think you were maybe reading a movie parody and accidentally reviewed mine? Well, I'm completely befuddled, so if it's just me that's confused, please let me know . . . curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
I've rambled plenty long enough, pretty soon I'll spend more time on the reviews than the story! Goodnight! Thanks for reading! I luv ya' all!
