Disclaimer: Usually I write out a very specific disclaimer explaining exactly what it is I don't own but I find myself not really interested in doing so this time as it is very tedious. Suffice it to say I own nothing that was created by anyone else and I am not making any money off of this story or any of the other stories I have written.
Warning: This chapter contains references to adult situations near the end of the chapter, though no actual descriptions were provided.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter 46: Spiraling out of Control
Furrowing his brow, Harry slowly started for the edge of the crater and pulled up short when he heard Wolfstar let out a whine earning a frown from Harry as he finally recalled that the sentient suit had not been that vocal before their most recent stint in space. His frown deepened when the suit slunk off with his tale between his legs and disappeared back in the direction they'd come from. He stared off in the direction that Wolfstar had disappeared in for a few minutes before he turned back to face the crater as a hard knot of uncertainty settled in his stomach.
After another minute, Harry huffed over his hesitation (he was at Hogwarts after all and he was safe here – right?) and strode forward with a confidence that he wasn't really feeling. He froze in shock the moment he reached the edge of the crater and saw exactly what was curled up in the very bottom. The hard knot in his stomach tripled in size and his legs began to tremble as he slowly began shaking his head in denial. Twin squawks of indignation rang out from Spero and Spera as Harry dropped heavily down onto his knees and clutched at his head as close to forty hours of unwanted memories boiled up out of the depths of his mind.
He remembered it all; Treize carrying him around like a sack of potatoes, Treize spanking him at one point, the mad dash though the entire spaceship, their recapture, the sadistic nurse, and the sheer agony as he felt his body dying around him while the drugs he'd been given had kept him conscious. Those memories were bad enough but the ones that came after them were worse; waking up inside of the Epyon, the stabbing pain of the nodes being inserted, the burning acid of the mind altering drug flooding his system, the jolts of electricity, the endless blackness, and the feeling of being hunted inside of his own mind.
Movement out of the corner of Harry's eye had him scrambling backwards as three hound heads, all of them the color of dried blood, rose up out of the depths of the crater and pressed right up close to Harry causing both phoenixes to cry shrilly in agitation before they fluttered down off Harry's shoulder and dashed off towards the castle. That's when he was hit with the worst of the memories; finding out how close he'd come to losing before the fight even began, Quinze turning up inside of his mind, the huge fight against both Quinze and Epyon, and the knowledge that he'd been winning the fight.
Then there was Quinze's declaration that he'd wiped the Winner Estate off the face of the Earth, Harry completely giving into the rage thinking all five of his brothers had died in one fell swoop (his last contact with them at Quatre's home), completely taking over Epyon in a maelstrom of rage and grief, tossing Quinze out of his mind, and the rampage he'd gone on before tumbling back to earth. He'd barely registered the memories when he felt the alien presence of Epyon brushing against his mind as the middle hound head, the feminine looking one, pushed right up against him and whined.
No, no, no, no, no… Harry screamed inside of his mind, taking care to shield his thoughts from the three headed beast least it strike out at him in an attempt to take control, not quite realizing that the social hierarchy of the dog-like hellhound was nothing like that of wolves and that the hound would always be content to follow where he leads (mostly because of just how much of his magic had been poured into the suit and how much that magic had changed the suit). This can't be happening! This wasn't supposed to happen! The wards… oh Merlin! There were no wards! It was just blood… my blood… what the hell have I done!?
When the two outer heads dropped down so that they bracketed Harry and the center head, Harry gave a slight whimper and pulled his wings in tight. The middle head nudged him again and Harry automatically put one hand out to stop it from shoving him backwards while bracing his other hand against the ground. To his surprise, the instant his hand touched the hound's muzzle it gave off another soft rumbling whine. He frowned as he ran his fingers over the muzzle again; noting that the former Epyon felt nothing like a Gundam.
In fact, if he had to describe the feel of the hound's skin he'd say it felt like coarse, wiry fur. A glance up at the eyes revealed that the eyes didn't really look like the optic sensors that Wolfstar still had but actual canine eyes only with shimmering metallic green and blue irises (mismatched much like Harry's eyes). A glance at the eyes of the outer two heads revealed that while they didn't quite look like optic sensors they didn't really look quite as realistic as the ones on the center head; the head on the left sporting blue eyes and the one on the right sporting green.
"Why me…?" Harry nearly whimpered as all three hound heads slowly withdrew below the rim of the crater, the beast content with the brief contact and satisfied that it was not needed.
The hound below didn't answer as it simply curled up and appeared to go back to 'sleep'. Duo found him kneeling there still staring down at the former Epyon some five hours later. Harry didn't even notice when his normally rambunctious brother stepped up beside; his mind far too wrapped up in his returned memories and the slumbering hound. Harry probably would have stayed there for the rest of the day and all night if not for Duo dropping a hand down on Harry's shoulder which earned Duo an elbow to the kneecap before he was sent flying over Harry's head as the wizard reacted instinctively to protect himself due to being so wrapped up in his inner turmoil.
"Damn it, Taliesin! Stop! It's only me!"
"Merlin's boil covered scrotum, Duo!" Harry barked back angrily as he scrambled up onto his feet and pulled his brother back up before the long haired pilot tumbled down into the crater alongside the Epyon. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!?"
"Didn't think ya were in that kinda mood," Duo wheezed out as he wrapped an arm around his bruised ribs from where he'd landed half on the lip of the crater when Harry had tossed him.
"Duo… I've barely been awake for more than a few hours here and there over the past twenty-four hours after spending several days unconscious and I spent who knows how many hours in the oh-so-pleasant custody of White Fang. What the hell kind of mood did you think I'd be in?"
"Ah… yeah… kinda forgot about all that."
"Wish I could," Harry muttered as he threw one last troubled glance at the beast sleeping at the bottom of the crater before he turned and made his way slowly towards the clinic.
"Taliesin…?"
Harry hunched his shoulders and shook his head in response to the concern he heard in his brother's voice. He had no intention of telling any of them he'd regained his memories of what had happened; at least not until he had time to accept them himself. It didn't take him very long to reach the clinic and he slipped inside without looking back to see if Duo had followed him. He didn't hesitate in letting his feet take him to the lab where the children (he'd stopped thinking of them as clones or fetuses at some point after the first time he held Ebert) were being held while they were still in gestation. He was relieved when he noted that all five centaurs, all eight children, and the two elf babes were doing just fine according to the monitors and just stood there watching their little bodies twitch and shift every now and then.
"Only about six weeks left."
"Beg your pardon?" Harry asked as he whipped around at the sudden intrusion to find Dr. Watanabe standing just a few feet to his left with his eyes still locked on the growing children.
"The first child is due to be born in approximately six weeks; your son, specifically. I suspect the young elf twins will mature first though given how quickly they have been growing."
"There were… there were no problems that arose due to my absence?"
"None."
"Thank Merlin," Harry breathed as he leaned against the glass that separated him from the artificial wombs that held the magical children and other magical beings. "Please keep me posted on their progress between my weekly visits, Dr. Watanabe."
"I can do that," Dr. Watanabe replied with a nod as he finally glanced in Harry's direction. "I'd also like to gather new D.N.A. samples from you sometime this week; in order to test for aberrations since it appears that you've undergone a few changes if your new height is any indication."
Harry absently nodded to show his willingness to cooperate while his eyes lingered for a moment on the child labeled as Bard Jr. as he felt stirrings of hope and fear before he smiled and made his way out of the clinic. He was a little surprised to find that the sun was setting when he stepped back outside as he hadn't realized that he'd been inside of the clinic quite so long. Harry didn't get far before Heero and Duo fell into step beside him and he sighed since he knew that meant that Duo had told Heero about what happened earlier. Knowing they'd want to talk, Harry slowed to a stop as his eyes darted towards the Forbidden Forest in contemplation and it really wasn't a surprise when both of his brothers stopped at the same time.
"Don't even think about it, Taliesin," Heero warned as he stepped back and grabbed hold of Harry's elbow.
For a brief moment Harry considered trying to make a run for it anyway before he sighed as he realized just how childish he was behaving; he blamed it on the return of his memories. Resigned to the inevitable, Harry gently removed his arm from Heero's grasp and continued on his way back to the castle. He wasn't surprised when Duo draped an arm over his shoulder a heartbeat later (the two of them now closer to being the same height though Harry was actually a couple of centimeters taller) and he rolled his eyes at his brother's not so subtle attempt to keep him from running off. He didn't bother shrugging off the contact though and allowed Duo to gently steer him in the direction the long haired teen wished to go.
He was led, not to his rooms or the Great Hall as expected, but to the kitchen where Heero made them a light supper seeing as how Harry hadn't really eaten much of anything all day. The meal actually passed in relative silence, the three of them only speaking up to ask for one of the others to pass them the salt and pepper or the pitcher of butterbeer. Harry spent most of that time lost in his thoughts as he had been much of the day, though he often sensed both of his brothers watching him intently.
Once all three of them finished eating, Harry collected their dishes and washed them the old fashioned way (by hand instead of by spell) using the time to try and collect himself. He was only a little surprised when Duo began rinsing the dishes while Heero dried them and put them away as he knew they wouldn't just walk away without talking to him but he had thought they'd let him do the mundane chore alone. Then again, the longer it took to get the chore done the longer it would be until they could drag him off for the upcoming discussion. Sighing, Harry finished the final dish, rinsed off his hands, and used his wand to clean the counters of the kitchen and the table as his brothers finished rinsing and drying.
"Did you wish to discuss what happened now or would you rather head up to your tower where we can have a little more privacy?" Heero asked as he tossed the towel he'd been using into the magical hamper Harry had created for the kitchen laundry.
"The tower… but I have to track down Spero and Spera first; they took fright earlier and I don't know if they ended up in the castle or if they are still hiding outside."
"Wolfstar carried them up ta da tower now that he's back down ta a more manageable size. That's how I knew I could find ya outside earlier; since da overgrown wolf hadn't been able ta fit through da front doors until this morning'," Duo explained with an absent wave of his hand. "Although, now that I think about it; Wolfstar seemed a might smaller than he usually does when he's wanderin' around in wolf form. Why is that?"
"I did it to remind him that he is beta to my alpha," Harry answered as he headed for the door. "I really didn't feel up to having another battle for dominance any time soon. Two in one month or rather two in a thirty… or was it forty...? hour period took a heavy toll on my magic and my soul."
"You are referring to Epyon," Heero quickly deduced as Harry led them down further into the dungeons. "And why are you heading into the dungeons when the way to the tower is up the main staircase?"
"There's a secret passage way that leads directly from the dungeons up to the seventh floor."
"So… who are ya tryin' ta avoid?"
"Who said I was trying to avoid anyone just because I wish to take a shortcut?"
"What other reason is there to take a secret passage that goes from the dungeons to the seventh floor?" Heero countered dryly. "I also noticed that you didn't remark on my comment regarding the Epyon."
"Maybe I just wished to avoid walking up an endless number of staircases because I'm tired," Harry tossed over his shoulder as he again ignored the remark about the Epyon.
"Even if it is a shortcut, you're still gonna have ta climb at least seven floors worth of stairs," Duo pointed out.
"Says who? This is a magic castle even if more than half of the enchantments are still inactive because of the long years of decline," Harry reminded them as he stepped into an alcove and unlocked the hidden door by twisting the empty torch bracket a quarter turn to the left. "After you gentlemen."
"Cheeky brat."
Harry just laughed as he stepped into the passage behind his brothers. The doorway closed behind them and Harry lit the tip of his wand so his brothers could see as he slipped passed them so he could lead the way. To the surprise of the two pilots, after climbing up a couple of ramps and taking no more than a dozen twisting turns, Harry pushed on a black stone set in the center of the wall and the wall swung outwards. Dousing his wand, Harry stepped out into a small alcove and held the door open for his brothers before he allowed it to close. The alcove, which had once been covered by a tapestry, opened directly onto the seventh floor just ten feet away from the entrance to the former Gryffindor Tower.
"How is it possible ta move up over seven floors without climbin' a single set of stairs?"
"Magic, Duo, magic," Harry quipped with another laugh.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again; he's a cheeky little brat."
"Hah, I'm taller than you are now; so watch who you're calling little," Harry shot back with a mock growl as he stepped into his tower and nearly tripped over Wolfstar. "Whoa, sorry boy; didn't know you'd be lying across the door."
"Why don't you tell us what's been bothering you now," Heero ordered as he dropped down onto one of the armchairs near the fireplace.
"There really isn't anything bothering me; I was just lost in thought."
"Bullshit," Duo shot back from where he was now sprawled over one of the couches. "If ya'd just been lost in thought ya never would have attacked me just 'cause I startled ya earlier this afternoon. Ya also forget that Heero and I know ya well enough ta know that there is something botherin' ya."
Huffing, Harry perched on the arm of the couch Duo was laying on, pulled one foot up onto the couch arm, and left his other leg swinging free as he propped his chin on his knee and stared at the floor. He really didn't want to discuss the Epyon just yet and somehow he knew that was exactly what his brothers wanted to talk about. He silently thanked the stars that they didn't know he'd regained his missing memories.
"And when were you planning on telling us that you regained those memories you said were lost when you woke up yesterday?"
That question caught Harry completely off guard and he fell off the couch with a loud squawk when he twisted around to face Heero. He then scrambled up onto his feet as he glared at both brothers as he demanded, "How the hell did you know that!? I hadn't told anyone about that yet!"
"Uh… let's see… earlier this afternoon, after ya got done tossin' me about, when I admitted that I'd forgotten what ya'd just been through ya said that ya wished ya could forget and then ya made illusion ta da Epyon less than a half an hour ago when ya didn't even remember da suit yesterday."
"Until you confirmed it right now it was just speculation anyway," Heero added with a brief smirk before he became serious again. "Knowing that, I take it that it was your memories that rattled you this afternoon and the reason why you reacted the way you did when Duo startled you?"
"It's really annoying when you do that, Heero," Harry huffed as he reclaimed his perch. "And I was rattled long before I stumbled across the Epyon and all of the memories I'd been missing slammed back into my mind. I was trying to come to terms with those memories when Duo snuck up on me."
"Do you know what it was that triggered your memories?"
"Yeah, I saw the Epyon. I didn't even know it was here at Hogwarts or that it was… that I…"
"That you what?" Heero asked softly when Harry didn't finish his sentence.
"That my magic brought it to life… it shouldn't have been possible. The whole damn suit should have been blown sky high with me inside of it. That's the way incomplete wards are supposed to work… only the wards weren't incomplete because there were no wards at all; it was just my blood. My magic should have just shorted out the suit not brought it to life. I never wanted to create a monster."
"It bothers you that your magic gave the suit life."
"Yes. I can't just keep going around bringing machines to life; what happens if I can't control one of them? If I were to lose control of the Epyon, then it could destroy the entire world. That's why Quinze wanted me; did you know that? He planned to control me through the Epyon interface and use me to destroy Earth. He turned my own fucking mind against me using a combination of drugs and shock therapy and I was so caught up in trying to fight blind that I damn near led Epyon straight to my soul. Do you have any fucking clue how close I came to losing the battle without putting up a fight because of what he did!?"
"Yet, somehow you managed to not only break free of the trap but you turned it around on him and eliminated the threat White Fang posed to Earth."
"I murdered thousands of people up there while I was lost in a complete rage," Harry whispered tightly. "Those weren't just empty shells I tore through and I knew it but didn't care because I thought I'd lost the five of you."
"And did you kill those that fled from the battle? Did you chase down those who wanted nothing to do with Quinze's final orders to destroy the Epyon?"
"No…"
"Then you did not murder anyone. You protected the earth from those who wished to destroy the world out of some misguided sense of revenge; just like every other time you've taken another's life. Protecting yourself or a bunch of innocents is not a crime."
"I know ya don't like killin' but ya only did what had ta be done and we'd have done da same thing if we'd been in your place."
"I know; it's just… I guess the things Quinze said and did affected me more than I thought they would. I really don't like people messing with my mind and my memories and that is exactly what he tried to do. That and I hate the fact that I was forced to kill again; even if there really hadn't been another way."
"It's over now and while there may be pockets of trouble here and there until the new world council is up and running; I think it is safe to say that we won't be required to face such overwhelming odds at any time in the near future. Which means you will be free to focus on rebuilding and repopulating the magical world."
Harry nodded after a moment and the three of them fell into a comfortable contemplative silence that lasted for about ten minutes before Duo asked, "So, what was it that had ya so rattled before ya stumbled across da Epyon?"
"…"
"What was that? We didn't quite hear you," Heero prompted when Harry mumbled something under his breath.
"I said; I found Dorothy Catalonia in my room after my shower this morning," Harry clarified with a blush as he averted his face.
"Oh? Do tell," Duo urged gleefully as he sat up grinning.
"He was just being his usual self-depreciating, stubborn, and overdramatic self," Dorothy announced from where she'd been leaning against the doorway leading into Harry's bedroom listening to their conversation for the past twenty or so minutes. "Not really much else to tell since he bolted not long after."
Harry ended up sprawled on the floor a second time as he fell off the couch again when he jerked around to glance in her direction. His face turned a deeper scarlet as Duo began laughing, both at Harry dumping himself off the couch a second time and at Dorothy's statement. Heero on the other hand, was studying Harry intently as the wizard remained on the floor with his shoulders hunched and a scowl on his red face.
"Any particular reason why you were in Taliesin's bedroom?" Heero asked once he pulled his gaze away from Harry and glanced at Dorothy.
"Right now or this morning?"
"Both."
"This morning I had brought up a breakfast tray for Taliesin and the phoenixes," Dorothy replied as calmly as she could even as her cheeks turned pink with obvious embarrassment. "I hadn't known he was already awake at the time. I came back when it was apparent Taliesin wasn't in the castle around lunch time to feed the phoenixes and again an hour earlier to feed them their supper."
"Ya know… I'm curious," Duo drawled as he glanced between the two blushing individuals. "What exactly is goin' on between da two of ya?"
"Nothing," Harry and Dorothy exclaimed at the same time; Harry with strained exasperation and near panic and Dorothy with suppressed irritation and no small amount of frustration.
"Interestin' answer, eh Heero?"
"Maybe we should leave and give them some privacy to discuss the unresolved issues they obviously have with one another," Heero suggested thoughtfully.
"Please don't bother, you'd have to lock him in the room in order to get him to stick around long enough to start a conversation and even then he'd probably stubbornly refuse to say a single word," Dorothy bitterly grumbled as she crossed her arms and glared at Harry's back.
"That could be arranged," Duo quipped with a mischievous grin.
"Don't even think about," Harry hissed as he scrambled up onto his feet and scowled at Duo.
"Does that mean you won't object to sitting down and holding a conversation with Dorothy like the mature adult you are?" Heero interjected before Duo could say anything to get himself hexed.
"There is nothing we need to discuss," Harry insisted.
"Which means that there is much the two of you actually need to discuss. Maybe locking you in a room together would be the fastest way to resolve whatever issues the two of you have so that whatever the problem is, it won't interfere with your other responsibilities. Think you can switch the handle around Harry's bedroom door so it locks from the outside, Duo?"
"Heero… don't make me hex you both."
"Sure I can, Hee-man; won't take me but two shakes of a dog's tail."
Harry growled in irritation and narrowed his eyes as he watched Duo jump up from the couch and make his way towards his bedroom door. Duo had barely made it halfway across the room to where Dorothy was gaping at all three young men when Harry whipped his wand out of his hidden holster. He prepared to fire a jinx at Duo in order to stop his brother only for Heero to pluck the wand from his hand before he could finish the incantation. Harry yelped and turned around to face Heero who smirked at him as he tucked Harry's wand away in his back pocket.
"You won't need that for the time being," Heero stated as he grabbed Harry's wrist to prevent the wizard from snatching his wand back.
"Heero…"
"You almost done, Duo?"
"Just about, Heero."
"You two are not seriously thinking of locking us in Taliesin's bedroom are you?" Dorothy asked nervously as she glanced between Duo switching the handles on the door and Heero who was now herding Harry towards the bedroom door. "You do realize that I was only making an observation on how stubborn Taliesin is sometimes; not actually asking to be locked in a room with him, right?"
"It was a very accurate observation and da ideal solution ta his tendency ta avoid da issues that bother him da most," Duo stated as he gently grabbed hold of Dorothy's arm and guided her back into Harry's room. "Don't worry; we'll bring da two of ya enough food ta hold ya over for a day or two while ya work out whatever issues da two of ya have with each other."
"Guys, this isn't funny," Harry rasped as he tried to break Heero's hold on his wrist and prevent his stronger and slightly taller brother from pushing him into the room as he used his feet to anchor himself against the doorjamb.
"You're right, it's not," Heero agreed as he swept Harry's feet out from under him and used the momentum of the fall to shove him through the door. "We've talked about this before and it's patently clear that you will only continue to avoid the issue if left to your own devices."
Harry stumbled backwards while wind milling his arms in order to keep from hitting the floor. The moment he regained his balance, he flung himself at the door just as Heero snapped it closed. Reaching for the handle he tried to turn it only to blanch when he found it locked and he immediately began pounding on the door as he yelled, "Damn it you two! Let me out of here right now! This isn't funny!"
"We'll let ya out when da two of ya have worked out your differences," Duo called back through the door.
"I'm going to turn you both into newts and keep you in a fish tank for the next two years the moment I get my hands on my wand if you don't let me out right now!"
"I doubt they are going to unlock the door just because you threaten them."
"No one asked for your opinion… it's your fault that we've just been locked in here."
"My fault?"
"Yes! Your fault; you just had to go and make a smart mouthed remark about locked doors."
"Yeah, well I didn't think they'd take me serious nor did I think they'd actually go through with it," Dorothy retorted irritably. "And if anything it's your fault for giving them a reason to lock us in here in the first place."
"I gave them a reason? I'm not the one who butted into a private conversation."
"No, you're the one who runs from any conversation that makes you feel uncomfortable."
"Not true… I just refuse to answer personal questions whose answers will only end up making everyone miserable in the long run. Now if you don't mind… maybe you can help me find a way out of here instead of just standing there."
"Why don't you just magic the door open?"
"Because that would require a wand and in case you weren't paying attention; my brother just so happened to take my wand earlier. I have other wands but unfortunately in order to get to them I would actually need my wand because they are currently in storage. I'd open a window and fly around to another window but regrettably all of the windows in this tower require a wand to open them because I charmed them that way in order to childproof the entire tower."
"Why didn't you just put the locks on the windows higher?"
"That would only be a temporary solution because a future burst of accidental magic from one of the children could theoretically open the windows and the last thing I'd want is for one of them to climb out of the window and fall to their death. Not even magic could save them if that should happen, so why take the chance?"
"So exactly how do you expect me to help you find a way out if you can't find a way out? It's not like I know how to pick a lock. Can't you use any of that accidental magic you were just talking about to open the door?"
"Wouldn't matter if you did know how to pick a lock… the lock on my door was warded against it because I didn't trust Duo not to sneak in and prank me when the mood struck him. Otherwise, I would have done that the moment I knew the door was locked because I do know how to pick locks and carry lock picks on me at all times. And no… any accidental magic I did could potentially harm you or just make a mess of the room. You can't use accidental magic on demand nor can you control it when it happens; that's why it's called accidental magic and not wandless magic."
"So, basically you're saying we're stuck until they decide to let us out?"
Harry kicked the door once in frustration before pressing his forehead to the door as he sighed, "Yeah, that pretty much sums up our situation."
"I guess that only leaves us two choices."
"And what would those two choices be, Miss Catalonia?" Harry asked suspiciously as he pushed away from the door and warily studied the blonde.
"We could either prepare to spend the next few days locked in here or we could actually sit down and talk things out so they'll let us out by morning."
Harry snorted and shook his head, he had no interest in sitting down and discussing his insecurities; which is what she'd basically been prying into earlier that morning. Heading over to his wardrobe, Harry dug out a clean change of clothes before stepping into the bathroom to take a shower in order to give his temper time to calm down. He was still having trouble believing that Heero and Duo had actually locked him in his bedroom with Dorothy when they knew how he felt; both about being locked in his room and about the girl. Letting out a soft sigh of frustration, Harry turned on the water and stripped as he contemplated the chances of the two younger teens letting them out before the night was over.
An hour later, dressed in clean clothes, Harry stepped back out into his bedroom just in time to see Dorothy blocking Duo from closing the door. Not wasting any time, Harry darted forward in the hopes that he could wrest control of the door from Duo. Before he was even halfway across the room, Duo looked up and squeaked as he caught sight of Harry bearing down on them. Duo then reached into the room and gave Dorothy a gentle push backwards just as Harry came up behind her and the only thing that saved Dorothy from ending up on the floor was Harry catching hold of her as the door slammed shut once more.
"Damn it," Harry growled as he set Dorothy back up on her feet before he stepped around her to glare at the door.
"If you hadn't come storming across the room the way you did, then I probably could have talked him into letting us out just now," Dorothy huffed as she spun around and glared at Harry's back.
"I seriously doubt you'd have succeeded," Harry snorted as he kicked the door again. "He probably thought it a good prank to let you think that you could talk him into letting us out and then he just waited for me to make an appearance before moving you out of the way and shutting the door like he did. The two of them are probably sitting out there right now laughing their asses off."
"They aren't really going to keep us in here all night, are they?"
"They'd keep us in here all month if the mood struck them," Harry muttered as he glanced sideways and took note of the large box of food sitting beside the door that he assumed had been delivered while he was in the shower. "Given the amount of food they delivered, I would assume that they seriously intend to at least keep us in here for at least a couple of days. Regardless of how long they draw this rather tasteless stunt out for I'm going to make them regret it."
"Is my company that much of a burden?"
"Don't start the mind games and guilt trips; I'm not in the mood. I've spent far too much time behind locked doors over the past two years to be happy over the fact that my brothers locked me in my own room."
"And yet, if you had just agreed to sit down and talk we wouldn't be here right now, would we?"
"And you are still the one who gave them the idea in the first place."
"Would it really kill you to sit down and talk to me?"
"If you just wanted to sit down and talk that would be just fine but you don't just want to talk, you want to pry into things that I have no intention of discussing with you now or ever really," Harry stated as he lifted the box of food from the floor and carried it over to the table. "I don't like being backed into a corner."
"You think I'm prying? All I want is to know is why you seem to have a problem with me," Dorothy retorted as she followed Harry across the room. "I want to know why you seem to think my feelings and desires have no bearing on whether or not we have a relationship. I don't know why I'm attracted to you, all I know is that I am and there is no way you can tell me that you don't feel the same way because I haven't forgotten what happened the last time we kissed."
"A relationship can't be built on lust alone."
"I never said it could be but you aren't even giving us a chance to get to know one another! You have shut me out completely without even considering how I feel! How the hell is that fair?"
"I told you; I can't give you what you want!" Harry yelled as he spun around to face her.
"How the hell would you know? You don't even know what it is I want!" Dorothy yelled back as she crossed her arms and glared at him.
"It doesn't matter," Harry replied as he turned away from her. "This conversation is over."
Dorothy gave a small choked cry that was part growl and part sob as she reached out and grabbed Harry's arm to spin him back around as her other hand snaked out to slap him. He probably should have expected it but he was frustrated with the current situation and he hadn't been thinking clearly. When she made to slap him a second time, he grabbed hold of her wrist and scowled at her.
"You have no right to tell me that I don't matter," Dorothy hissed angrily as she stepped back and tried to pull her arm free from Harry's hand.
"I never said you didn't matter; I said it didn't matter if I knew what you wanted or not because knowing would not change the fact that I have nothing to give you."
"You're scared," Dorothy declared suddenly as she stopped struggling in surprise.
"No… I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You're afraid… of what I don't know but there is no other explanation for the way you behave whenever I try to talk to you about what has happened between us and why you are so angry about being locked in here with me."
"Just because I have no desire to see you hurt does not mean that I am afraid."
"How could simply talking lead to me being hurt? Did it ever occur to you that refusing to speak about what it is that is happening between us is hurting me?"
Harry dropped her wrist and walked away from her, his emotions spiraling out of his control. He stopped in front of the window and crossed his arms as he stared out at the moon reflecting on the surface of the Black Lake. After a few minutes, he simply pressed his forehead to the cool glass and closed his eyes in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, this was nothing more than a bad dream and he'd wake up and find that today had never happened. The light sound of shoes tapping across stone had Harry tensing as he opened his eyes and focused on the reflection of the room inside of the window to find Dorothy heading in his direction. When she was less than three feet away, he turned around to face her; catching her off guard.
"And once again you refuse to answer," Dorothy bitterly stated after taking a moment to center herself. "Why won't you even give us a chance? I know you feel something…"
"Don't."
"Don't what? Don't think? Don't feel? Don't remind you of what we both felt that day?"
"Why do you have to constantly keep pushing? Why can't you just let sleeping wolves lie? Are you looking to get bit? Do you have any idea of how quickly things could get ugly should I lose control?" Harry ranted as he took a step forward, his mismatched eyes boring into Dorothy's violet eyes.
"I wouldn't have to push if you'd just talk to me," Dorothy countered as she stubbornly held her ground. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? What if there's a chance that we could have something special? Are you willing to throw it all away just because you're afraid of allowing yourself to open up and refuse to admit that you feel something for me? How do you know that things will get ugly if you let go for once?"
"Why can't you just leave well enough alone?"
"My uncle once told me that if I ever found a man who could appreciate my mind as much as he appreciated my beauty or my money, then I should hold onto him for all I was worth because there wouldn't be many men out there that would dare to look beneath the surface to see the real me. You never once saw me as an object to possess, you have not cared about how much money I am worth, you've not once considered the political influence you could have just by dating me, and you treat me with respect most of the time. The only time you act like a complete jerk is when there is intimacy involved whether it is emotional or physical in nature."
"I keep telling you that I can't give you what you want," Harry stated wearily as his anger deflated and he turned away from her once more.
"All I want is a chance," Dorothy insisted as she closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to the back of Harry's neck. "A chance to get to know you and a chance to show you that you don't have to be afraid of what we feel for each other."
Harry tensed the moment her arms wrapped around him and he barely registered her words as the warmth radiating from her lips against the back of his neck radiated outwards, sending the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy. His eyes fell closed of their own accord and he gave a soft moan when she kissed her way to his ear and nuzzled the sensitive flesh just behind and below the ear. The memory of the fevered kisses they had shared the last time rushed through Harry and ignited the desire he'd been trying to deny existed and with a growl of frustration he spun out of her arms and retreated to the bathroom; locking the door behind him.
Dropping down onto the edge of the tub, Harry buried his face in his hands and tried to collect himself. He disliked the fact that his body seemed to take on a mind of its own whenever he was around Dorothy and the lack of control bothered him. He'd never felt quite so… confused and frustrated in turns. He knew he found Dorothy attractive (something that had developed over the time since she'd arrived at Hogwarts) and he felt himself drawn to her much as he'd once found himself drawn to Cho Chang. Only, the crush he'd felt for Cho was nothing compared to what he felt when near Dorothy; not that he really understood what he was feeing.
Some two hours later, Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by someone knocking on the door. It took him a moment to recall why he was hiding in the bathroom and once he did, he groaned and loudly called out, "Not interested!"
"I have to use the bathroom!"
"Damn it," Harry cursed under his breath as he climbed to his feet, his legs and back protesting due to the awkward position he'd been sitting in for the last two hours. "Just a minute!"
Once he was feeling steady on his feet, Harry opened the door and stepped out so that Dorothy could use the bathroom. He was a bit startled when he caught sight of her tear stained face as she slipped by him and he froze for a moment before he shook his head and told himself she'd eventually learn that he wasn't worth her time or tears. Grabbing a couple of oranges from the box of food that had been delivered earlier, Harry perched himself on the edge of his bed and peeled the fruit as Spero and Spera dropped down from the headboard where they'd been perched to climb up onto his lap. He allowed himself to forget all about being locked in his room with Dorothy as he shared the oranges with the pair.
Not long after they finished their snack, Harry's wings began itching fiercely and he sighed because he knew it meant they were shedding finally. Removing his outer shirt, Harry freed his wings and shook them out to help loosen the casings before he methodically began to strip them from his scales with his fingers. It was a tedious task because each scale needed to be freed from the old skin individually in the instances where they had not fallen off on their own. The fact that he couldn't reach more than half of them due to the shape and position of his wings was just annoying since his wings would continue to itch until the last of the dead casings were removed.
Usually, one of his brothers would help him when his wings shed but he doubted they would believe him if he told them he needed help right now since they knew he wanted them to let him out.
Harry was standing up just a few feet away from the bed, still pulling dead casings from his wings, when Dorothy exited the bathroom. He heard the door open and glanced at her briefly, noting she'd changed into an emerald green silk pants and shirt pajama set (some small part of him wondering where she'd gotten them from), before he returned his attention to his wings as the itching was starting to drive him crazy. After a few minutes, he began growling and cursing under his breath as he kept twisting and contorting in his efforts to free his scales from the dead skin. By that time he'd all but forgotten Dorothy was even in the room with him right up until she addressed him.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to remove the dead skin from the scales on my wings," Harry stated as he pulled his wing forward far enough to reach some of the harder to reach scales and causing himself no small amount of pain as it pulled on both his muscles and scales while he stripped off another couple of dead casings. "And I'm contemplating castrating my brothers for locking me in here because I have no one to help me get them off and the itching is going to drive me up the wall."
"If you think you can stomach my touch; I could help you," Dorothy offered in a tight voice that spoke of emotions barely held in check.
Harry froze and slowly released his wing as he glanced over his shoulder when he registered both her words and her tone. His wings shifted irritably (due to the itchiness) as he contemplated her offer before he realized that it was either accept her help or suffer for who knew how long.
Letting his shoulders slump, Harry swallowed his pride and replied, "I never said your touch disgusted me and I'm sorry if I implied it. The only reason I didn't think of you when I mentioned not having anyone to help is because I didn't think you'd be willing to help since I know you're not overly fond of the various creatures around the reserve. If you're certain you don't mind I could use the help; otherwise I'm liable to be more irritable than usual."
"I wouldn't have offered to help if I didn't wish to help and it's not that I don't like the creatures that live here it's just that I don't know the first thing about the ones that aren't equine in nature," Dorothy insisted as she walked up behind Harry. "Is there anything in particular I should know before I start?"
"Don't pull on the ones that are bright and shiny, those ones have already had the casings removed. It doesn't really take much to remove the dead casings since they are loose; they just are not quite loose enough for me to shake them off."
Harry tensed as he felt her fingers brush against his wings and closed his eyes as he felt the gentle tugging of the dead skin being removed. After a dozen or so scales had been freed of their casings he sighed and relaxed a bit as the irritating itchiness slowly began to fade. He did his best to ignore the intimacy the process invoked even as he felt the warmth coiling in his belly with each gentle brush of her fingers. By the time she pulled free the last dead casing from his left wing, Harry's heart was pounding like mad, his breathing was erratic, and he was flushed with desire. The only thing keeping him from turning around and pouncing on Dorothy was the thin thread of control he was exerting on himself.
"I think that's the last of them," Dorothy announced as she ran her fingers over his wings one last time.
"Thank you," Harry replied in a strangled voice that squeaked slightly.
"Is there something wrong? I didn't hurt you did I?"
"I'm fine… just fine."
"Are you sure? You're awful tense again."
"Positive," Harry rasped as he took a shaky step forward to move out of range of her hands.
"You're face is all flushed; you're not coming down with something are you?" Dorothy asked in concern as she walked around him.
Harry flinched back as he felt her cool hand press against his forehead and he opened his eyes to find Dorothy watching him intently and he felt slightly disconcerted as he noted that he no longer had to look up at her since they were practically the same height now. She was also close enough that he could smell the scent of chocolate and peppermint that clung to her and unconsciously leaned closer as memories of their kisses assaulted his senses once more. The feel of her fingers trailing down his cheek and neck to rest on his shoulder as she stepped close enough that he could feel the gentle warmth radiating from her body snapped the tenuous control he'd had over his desire. His wings shivered in anticipation as he placed his hands on Dorothy's hips and pulled her even closer as he leaned forward to capture her mouth with his.
The moment his lips touched hers, Harry was lost. All his worries and insecurities vanished like smoke as he simply drank in the sweet nectar of peppermint and chocolate that clung to Dorothy's mouth. He felt her fingers thread themselves into his hair as his hands slipped beneath the silk shirt she was wearing and ran his palms over the smooth skin of her back. When she moaned softly, Harry deepened their kiss as his tongue slipped forwards to twine around hers. His wings reached forward to wrap around the both of them as his hands dropped lower to knead her bum as he pulled her flush against him. Breaking their kiss, he rained a trail of fiery kisses down her jaw until he reached her earlobe which he promptly captured with his teeth as she arched her back and moaned again.
One thing soon led to another and their clothes were discarded as they ended up on Harry's bed. Magic swirled around them as Harry completely gave into the desire that Dorothy invoked in him. There was a brief moment when reality nearly ended their mutual passion the moment Harry inexpertly took Dorothy's virginity and she cried out in pain but she refused to allow him to retreat or close himself off again. After a few minutes spent reassuring the wizard that some pain was natural and even expected, the two of them soon were swept back along the tides of passion and Harry's magic swept around them once more.
The rest of the night was spent tentatively experimenting as the two teens let their hormones rule their thoughts between brief periods of rest until they finally fell asleep just a few hours before dawn.
AN: Gah… I'm sorry for not getting this out last week as promised but our internet service had been interrupted on Tuesday of last week and the issue wasn't fixed until sometime over the weekend. I then had to catch up on a bunch of things that I couldn't keep up with when we didn't have service. Anyway, things are back on track now and here's the next chapter.
Just two points to make…
First: Heero and Duo locking Harry and Dorothy in Harry's room. Heero and Duo are both still teens and therefore just as prone to making mistakes or acting on the harebrained ideas that they come up with without actually thinking about the consequences. Duo is also very much a prankster… So, the two of them locking the pair in a room isn't really outside the realm of possibility. The only other pilot that might have gone along with the plan, in my opinion, would have been Trowa – simply because I personally just can't see Wufei pranking anyone and Quatre would have known exactly how uncomfortable Harry was at the time.
Last: Harry and Dorothy 'doing the deed'. At this point, the mutual attraction has already been acknowledged (for the most part) by both teens; even if Harry was still trying to pretend otherwise. Both teens were also overly emotional at the time and that did affect their judgment to a point. Physical pleasure could also be seen as an escape in an effort to avoid both their emotions, their frustration over being locked in a room together, and to forget everything that had just happened with White Fang. And no, just because they've been intimate, it doesn't mean their relationship is suddenly going to be all roses and rainbows - though we won't actually see much of their relationship unfolding since it is not (and never was) the main plot of this story...
Chapter two of WWYR2 is also nearly complete and I hope to have that up by this time next week. Readers of my Discovering Series can expect the first chapter of the final story in the trilogy to be posted around the same time as well (as promised now that Haunted is complete). I'll also be putting up a poll soon to solicit reader opinion on which story they'd like to see me start posting next (since there are only 17-23 chapters left of Banished left to post – final number is still up for debate since I'm trying to clean up all of my loose ends and plot holes now); more info on that will be posted later.
Anyway, I hope most everyone enjoyed the chapter and I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed; I appreciate your thoughts and comments even if I haven't yet all of read them yet because of the whole five or six days without internet (and boy did that ever suck). I'll hope to have the next chapter up sometime before the end of the weekend (most likely sooner rather than later) in order to make up for not having this chapter up sooner. ~ Jenn