Chapter 18

Draco opened his eyes to find Pansy kneeling over him, worry covering her face. Sitting up slowly and rubbing the back of his head, he tried to recall exactly what he had been doing before he went flying around the room.

Oh yeah, now I remember, thought Draco as he reached up to rub his pounding temples. I was moving some mats aside and was thrown backwards because of one of Harmony's damn spells. And people say I'M paranoid!

Blinking several times in hopes he could get the room to stop spinning, Draco found that all he had succeeded in doing was make the stars come out sooner.

So now I can't get a sense of direction AND I'm being blinded by flashing lights. Fun.

Staggering the few feet back to the window seat, being careful to avoid the booby-trapped mats, Draco finally managed to stop feeling as if he was in a washing machine and began to consider what could be done about this little trap.

Ok, so it's not exactly little. If I hadn't brought a band of energy up just before I hit the wall my brains would have been splattered all around the room. But why did Harmony use such a strong spell to protect whatever is beneath these mats? She always told me she didn't have anything that she couldn't live without.

While Draco was lost in his thoughts, Pansy had been trying to remember what Hermione said the spell to disable this spell was.

It's one of her spells, I know that much, Pansy silently told herself, keeping her mind well guarded. And she told me once at Hogwarts how to disable it in case something happened while we were here because she wanted to try to help Draco remember. But how did she say you reverse the spell? What was it...wait, that's it! Now I remember!

Jumping to her feet, Pansy pulled out her wand and muttered a few words of the ancient Japanese senscar.

Draco heard Pansy's chanting and lifted his head to see what she was doing just as the barrier which had been placed on the mats went down. Pushing away from the wall, Draco raised an eyebrow at Pansy who simply shrugged, before both knelt besides the now unguarded opening.

They approached cautiously, unsure if any more traps guarded this seemingly sacred treasure. Reaching inside the opening, Draco closed his eyes and prepared to be thrown backwards again. Nothing happened.

Opening his eyes, he felt around inside the small but dark compartment and pulled out a thick, leather-bound book. It seemed really old.

Handing it to Pansy to examine, he reached back into the box, only to come in contact with a smooth surface. At first, he believed it was the lining of the space in which the book was hidden, but the sides of the "bottom" of the opening gave way to the sides of a box.

Pulling the black lacquer box from its place of hiding, Draco discovered it wasn't as new as he thought it might be. The box was clearly Japanese but was covered in kanji and Egyptian hieroglyphs, the meanings of which he didn't know. He was actually surprised it was in as good of condition as it was.

Setting the box on the floor, Draco carefully lifted the lid. He was surprised by what he saw. It was full of small leather-bound books like the one he recalled stealing from her that one time. He set the lid aside and removed the first of the small books. The date 1987 was printed on the cover.

"What is it?" asked Pansy with curiosity as she glanced over Draco's shoulder.

"A journal," he explained. "Harmony's journal."

"What does it say?" asked Pansy.

Draco, though nervous about reading his best friend's journal, knew that they could well contain valuable clues as to where she had vanished, or who had kidnapped her. Clearing his throat, Draco began to read the first entry:

"December 21: I'm in the shrine again. I'm not sure why, but I'm drawn to this place by a force I can't even begin to understand. My parents think I'm spending all this time praying. I wish I knew why I was drawn here so soundly. Even as I sit now, before the tribute to Inu-Kitsune, I feel somehow different, as if there is something within me calling to something here in the shrine. I know it sounds crazy and I'm beginning to wonder if it has anything to do with the ankh on my chest. I haven't told anyone yet; I want to talk with Draco before I say anything to anyone else.

"I know that must sound strange, telling my best friend before my twin, but I can't tell Melody yet. She'll just start on her theory that I'm the reincarnation of Inu-Kitsune again and I really don't want to add any fuel to that fire. I think that might be the only thing we actually disagree on...anyway; I intend to tell Draco tomorrow when he comes to visit. I'll take him into the heart of the shrine and speak to him beneath the torii gates. They can protect us as we talk. I only hope he can advise me on the action I should take."

Draco's brows furrowed. I never had a conversation about anything like that with Harmony. At least I don't think I did...no, I know I didn't. But she said she was going to talk to me, and it seemed she didn't want to tell anyone else but needed advice. So why didn't she ever talk to me?

Turning the page, he began to read the next entry hoping to find out why she hadn't spoken to him.

"December 22: Shit, I can't believe how careless I was! Melody walked in while I was changing my shirt this morning and saw the mark! She went screaming to mother and father like I predicted she would too. I'm not sure what happened afterwards with them, because I ran before they could get there. So now, I'm hiding at the heart of the shrine in one of the highest branches of the Darjin tree from my own family until I can figure out what to do. Damn, I wish Draco was here, he would know what to do..."

The ink had run at this point making it impossible to make out what she had written. Spots dotted the page in various other places as well.

Draco didn't think he could be any more confused. She was crying, because of me? Why? What was she to me? What was I to her?

The truth of what had happened that day struck Draco hard. He remembered that day clearly suddenly. He had gone to visit Hermione, but her family had said she wasn't feeling well, sending him away. He had been suspicious but pushed his suspicions to the back of his mind. This had been her family, why would they lie to him? Now he wished he'd paid more attention to his instincts and asked more questions. He had let her down before; he wasn't going to let her down again. Determination renewed, Draco continued to read Hermione's journal aloud.

"December 23: I've decided to hide for a week and hope they forget this ever happened. There is no way I can explain to my family why I kept this a secret. Don't they realize I'm not Inu-Kitsune's reincarnation?

"How can I prove that to them? They won't listen to me. They think they know what is best for me without even asking me what is going on! How can I explain to them that I don't want to be trained as a priestess? I know that they will try to train me too, probably insist upon it.

"I know that sounds selfish, but I don't want to have the responsibilities of a priestess because I'm not cut out to be one. I know I can't take the responsibility or pressure of a priestess. It's beyond me. I haven't even learned to control the few powers I have, how do they expect me to learn to control a whole new set of energies on top of that which I'm still learning to control?

"My visions already place much stress on my mind which is only lessened when I write within my own shadow book. I can not become a priestess on top of these visions. I will resist as long as I can. My only hope at this time is that the torii gates shale protect me from my own."

Behind him, he heard Pansy gasp. Glancing at her, he noted she seemed shocked.

"She was a priestess?" asked Pansy.

"Not that I know of," responded Draco as he flipped through several more pages, "though she could have been I suppose. Here, this entry is a few weeks after they found out about the mark, lets see if she says anything more.

"January 12: They're trying to force me to train again. I knew they wouldn't understand. That's why I'm here again, in the Sensaii, hoping they don't find me. I've been spending much time here in the Sensaii in the branches of the Darjin tree and in the cavern beyond the torii gates as of recent. It is as if this place calls to me. I can't explain it. When I sit within the cavern, I feel strong and when I sit within the Sensaii I feel calm, as if every ounce of stress has fled my body. It is something that I still do not understand, but which I hope will soon become clear to me."

"She seems so confused," whispered Pansy "I wish now I had been around to offer support more. I only came on occasion to see her."

"Well, at least you could easily speak with her," commented Draco. "I was almost completely banned from seeing her. The only times I could were when I met her here."

"So you remember meeting her here?" asked Pansy hopefully.

"No, it says so in the next passage," explained Draco.

"Oh."

Draco flipped through several more pages, until he found a long entry. It was dated March 29th.

That was the day I was released from the hospital, recalled Draco as he began to read.

"March 29: It's over; every thing has come crashing down around me, as I feared it would. I've considered taking my life as well; it's not as if I will be missed. Everyone now hates me beyond a doubt.

"Sami, Mother, Father, all of them except Tami blame me for Melody's death. Though only Sami has vocalized this, I see it in my parent's eyes every time I speak with them. Their eyes reflect sadness and wishful support, but distrust is there also and they can rarely look me in the eye, if they can even look at me. They have been avoiding me since the fire. They wouldn't even visit me in the hospital.

"And I've nearly gotten Draco killed too. I still don't know what he was doing there in the fire. I told him at the first sign of trouble to go to the police, so why was he in the building? Did the person who sent it up in flames throw him in there as well in hopes of killing him along with me?

"I would have asked him but his memory has been wiped clear of everything involving the fire and before that. I've been banned from seeing him by my parents, so I suppose it wouldn't do me much good anyway. Narcissa and Lucius are very nice though. Even though their son has been hospitalized and can't remember anything, they still came to see me. I was amazed when they showed up about two days after I woke up. Narcissa smiled and asked how I was feeling and Lucius even gave me a small smile. I was amazed. I even asked if they were angry at me for what had happened to Draco. Narcissa and Lucius had both stared at me as if I was mad.

""Angry at you, dear? Why would we be?" she asked. "You weren't the one to set fire to the building, correct?" I had nodded here and she had simply smiled at me. "Then you aren't at fault. Besides, you were injured far worse then Draco. His memories might be gone, but he will survive with no major scaring or damage aside some to his lung tissue." Lucius placed his hand on her shoulder and turned to speak to me. "The medical teams told us what happened," he explained. "You saved Draco's life you know. If you hadn't helped him out of the fire, then he would have died of smoke inhalation, and no one could have reached you two in time to save him. You are one of Draco's closest friends and as far as Narcissa and I are concerned, you are part of our family and have been for years. We couldn't be angry with you, you did all you could."

"I am very grateful for the Malfoy's kindness; it helped make the one visit I got from my parents bearable.

"They came in with Tami and Sami, who was glaring at me so harshly I felt like crying. The looks on my parents faces, too, made me want to burst into tears. The next hour was probably the worst time of my life. All my parents did was express their disappointment at my actions. They act as if I set fire to the building! "We are very disappointed in you Harmony. How could you have let this happen?" said father with anger in his eyes. "How could you have left Melody in that fire to save that...wizard! Melody was your sister, and a sorcerer's life is worth more then a wizards! Everyone knows that unless their some kind of idiot!" screamed Sami. "You made a grave mistake, and now because of you Melody is dead," Mother scolded. I didn't even have a chance to speak and if I could have thrown them from the room or run I would have. I wanted to scream at them in turn. 'Melody was already dead when I got Draco out! I didn't abandon her! I wasn't the one who started the fire!' Then the blow had come. "Harmony, you have shown that you do not have your priorities in order and that your mind has become muddled. You no longer understand your culture nor do you remember to who your loyalties lay. From now on, you are forbidden from seeing Draco Malfoy, is that understood? He has become a bad influence on you, and I won't have you being corrupted by a wizard, though I always thought you incorruptible." At this point I snapped. "No! You can't do this! I won't let you! YOU PEOPLE ARE THE ONLY CORRUPT ONES HERE! YOU DON'T EVEN LISTEN TO YOUR OWN DAUGHTER BEFORE PASSING JUDGMENT ON A SITUATION! NONE OF YOU WERE IN THAT FIRE, AND NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT TRULY HAPPENED BECAUSE ONLY ME, DRACO AND MELODY WERE IN THE FIRE, AND ONE HAS AMNEISA WHILE THE OTHER IS NOTHING MORE THEN A PILE OF ASHES-" Father slapped me here. "Never raise your voice to us again, and never speak so lowly of your sister again. She was twice the sorcerer that you are. I can not even believe you are my daughter." They left after that, and I began to cry. But no one was there to dry my tears, and I realized that I was truly alone.

"My parents have also begun planning Melody's funeral. I'm most curious on what day she will be buried. Normally the body is preserved and the dead person is buried on the day of their birth, though with twins usually the first one to parish is buried six months from the day of their birthday. However, I fear my parents will have her buried on my birthday. Chances are they have forgotten we were born on separate days even though we always celebrated our birthdays on December 21, my actual birthday. Melody was born on December 22 at 1:30 in the morning. I sincerely hope they bury her on the 22. If she is buried on the 21, though I already know that my birthday will never again be a happy one, I doubt I will even be able to celebrate it.

"Oh, what am I thinking? I'm so selfish! My twin is dead and instead of morning I'm fretting over whither she will be buried on my birthday or not! Anubis, what is wrong with me?"

At this point the words had vanished, for the rest of the page was dotted with tears.