Chapter 2: The one with the stranger in black

Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 1

"Oh flip", I cursed has my black sneakers hit the ground unsteadily, and I gracefully, like a just-starting-to-walk-baby, hit the floor with my tush as a cushion.

Linus was going to have a coronary; I haven't done this whole inexplicable Copperfield act in years and definitely not in front of his perfect, un-weird fiancé. But just like the last time when I ended up on the set of Barney, (and luckily while they were not filming and successfully blending in with the other kids, so nobody noticed), I had no idea how I had done it.

I dusted my black jeans and pulled my black tee down properly (so shoot me, I like black). I dug into my pocket and pulled out my cell to call Lenzo, who was the less likely of my two brothers to strangle me when he found out about my disappearance, but the battery was dead from playing Angry Birds all morning. With a sigh I finally took in my surroundings, and realised I was in the land of the Brothers Grimm.

It was a village, and no, not a small town, I mean a proper village, with matching thatched roofs for its cobbled streets. I slowly turned around, suddenly on high alert when I realised nobody else was around. I looked behind me at the still empty street but could tell by the dilapidated shack off in the distance that that way seemed to be the entrance to the seedier part of town.

I was surrounded by shops, and I could tell this by the adverts and signage on its front doors. I know the Scottish had, for want of a better word, unique eating habits, cough-haggis-cough, but some of these names on these shop windows seemed out of this world.

Judging by the shops heading toward the shack which were decreasing in lustre, I figured that way was the seedier part of this 'village', so I decided to walk away from that.

Before I took another step, the door to my left flew open and I threw myself into the little alley between the two shops on my right and hid in the shadows. In hindsight, I don't have a clue why I did this but my instincts, which always had the same annoyingly pretentious voice as Linus, was telling me to observe the people and surroundings first before I approached anyone to ask where in Dodge I was so that I can get out of it.

The person who held the door open had his back to me and all I could see was a masculine form with greasy black hair, who like me, also seemed fond of the colour black, but unlike me seemed to have dressed in the dark with his weird choice of Dracula cloak suit combination.

A feminine voice enquired where the ramrod straight, uptight looking man, was going, to which I heard a deep voice answer, "Back to the castle Rosmerta, thanks again."

Funnily though the man didn't seem grateful at all, the way his voice dipped at the end sounded like he didn't find the need to express his gratitude very often.

I heard the lady Rosmerta reply in a tone even my innocent fourteen-year mind could identify as flirty, "Anytime Severus."

This Severus didn't even entertain her with a lie and turned around and shut the door. I let out a giggle when I saw him roll his eyes, but I clamped my hand over my mouth a second too late as his eyes snapped to where I stood, stooped over what appeared to be a garden gnome shaped trash can.

As he approached with a snapped, "Who is there?" the only thought that plagued my head was, why can't the earth just open up and swallow me, as a scary, cold feeling of unease flowed down my back.

He came forward and slate grey met icy black pools for a second, a second that coincided with a skipped heartbeat on my part, and not the good kind, until those black orbs roved to the left and right of me.

Has my luck somehow, and unfortunate on his part and highly insensitive on mine, graced me with a blind man? He didn't particularly look blind, and by that, I mean there was no walking aid, seeing eye dog or cool Stevie Wonder shades, but what other explanation could there be that the man seemed to look straight pass me.

As he seemed to come to the realisation that he was just hearing things, he turned away and started walking up the street; I made the decision to follow him. I felt bad for taking advantage of a blind man, and even a little bad for my previous dressed in the dark statement, but now that I knew he was the owner, or probably butler (still a weird suit) of that castle, I. needed to tail him. He did mention that he was heading, 'back to the castle' and I WAS going to see that castle!

Linus and Lenzo can apologize for my behaviour later, and they were experts at that. Maybe Lenzo can introduce him to shampoo. And maybe I should tell Nessie I want a dress similar to his suit thingy just to see the look on her face!

It seemed like we were walking for an age, until we reached a gate ten (ok five, I'm a teenager, exaggerate is what we do) times the size of me. He muttered something and the gates, flanked by twin winged boar statues, opened up and it was easy to walk in after him as they opened.

Security like this meant this guy, or his boss, had quite a bit of the greenery, and I don't mean the weed kind. I should keep a look out for Lamborghinis. We walked up a path (that seemed to be miles long) which divided a sea of green that looked like each blade of grass was symmetrically arranged to perfection. I tried my hardest not to sprint in excitement to the large front doors that loomed closer.

We reached a few steps, that were a few steps short of being called a staircase, and he pushed the large door open when he reached the top, and I didn't have to worry about breathing too heavy for fear he might hear anymore, because all the breath was knocked out of my body and I stared at the most amazing grand staircase, which was splayed across the largest Entrance Hall I have ever stood in. An Entrance Hall which just gleamed with... awesomeness.

I walked in as I do most situations, like I owned the place, and didn't bother about watching 'Severus' moves like I did on the walk here and just let this moment sink into my very pores.

A burning feeling radiated from my heart and seemed to coalesce throughout my being, it was warm and somewhat protective and the sensitive part of me that was usually under the thumb of my rash, sarcastic part, seemed to win the thumb war this time, and the thought that this was what 'home' felt like resounded in my ears. And that feeling, as an orphan who unconsciously was always searching for this sentiment, left me feeling absolute serenity.

Of course it lasted all but five seconds, because it seemed the blind man turned out, in fact, not to be blind., He had been making his way down a set of steps somewhere in the far right of the hall, paused, turned back around and now stood with his mouth slightly ajar in shock (and from what I could tell from his previous conversation with that Rosmerta lady, this probably was the most amount of expression the reserved man showed), staring straight at me.

I started to run toward the Grand Staircase as he reached into his pocket, and I watched too many action movies to not know what that meant, as I screamed, "I just wanted to check out your Lamborghinis!" and ducked to the floor with my hands raised in the air.

This seemed to confuse him for a second and he faltered with his hands in his pocket, obviously contemplating whether the jail time was worth it. What am I saying, he has his OWN castle, like he's afraid of the cops. I got off the floor and edged toward the door infinitesimally, still with my hands in the air.

"Not to steal it or anything. Just to see it, and to take a picture with it, and maybe if you were feeling generous, drive it. Ok, fine… so I wasn't going to ask you if I could drive it, I was going to hotwire it but just to take it out for a spin. And just because I can hotwire a Lambo does not mean I'm a thief, my brother Lenzo is a sports car enthusiast. And by sports car enthusiast I mean he owns and professionally drives a few."

Unfortunately, my incessant rambling seemed to anger rather than placate him, and as he began to take out his gun, I ran for the doors screaming, "Don't kill me, I'll give you shampoo."

I just about reached the door when I turned and saw that it was too late, the man was standing with his left hand pointing straight at me holding…. a long thin stick of wood.

It must have been the happiness at the realisation that I wasn't going to have my face blown to smithereens by this Dracula clad, castle-owning, Lambo driving Scotsman, paired with the image of him standing there with a stick, that made me burst out into laughter. The tearing kind.

This seemed to only make him angry, and he moved his hand in an upward motion that made me think, is he going to throw a stick at me? I mean, who does that! Who throws sticks at humans! Just in time I saw a red light coming at me, and already expecting the stick I jumped to my left towards the staircase and did quite a magnificent cartwheel landing on the bottom step. All those years of my various and ever-changing interests in different kinds of martial arts paid off. Oh, and that one month in gymnastics.

He seemed shocked by my moves, and I decided to not waste any time and just use IT. I mean he had a fire breathing stick, and I don't even want to start wrapping my head around that, I'm sure this is what Linus meant by emergency.

I concentrated on pushing him away and pushed my hands out and he flew back, a suit of armour cushioning his fall.

Unluckily for him, and hilariously for me, the suit of armour's helmet fell off and fell quite graciously onto his head. Taking advantage of the situation and laughing my head off, I made a dash for the stairs, and I know he was hot on my tail as resounding clatters made me think he blew up the helmet with the sheer force of his anger.

Harry's POV

It was definitely weird seeing an empty Hogwarts. Almost eerily so. More different from the quiet I experienced staying over the Christmas and Easter break, and that also varies depending on whether the Twins chose to stay over as well. My thoughts were interrupted by Ron's loud voice echoing on the 7th floor corridor, "It's so weird being at Hogwarts during the Summer Vacation!"

"Honestly Ronald, the way you speak, you'd think we've come for a holiday, not just for five minutes."

Before Ron replied in what I was sure would somehow start one of those Ron-Hermione arguments, I said, "It's still cool that your dad let us tag along. Wonder why he has to meet with Dumbledore…."

I must have had a frown on my face because Ron shoved my shoulder saying, "Don't do a Hermione and over think this mate, it's probably some group meeting about the World Cup because Percy and his boss are in on the meeting as well. Meetings are always held at the most important person's convenience, and Dumbledore definitely trumps Fudge so that's why it's probably happening here."

I thought that through and it kind of made sense. Anyway, I wasn't going to complain. The Burrow maybe my second home, but Hogwarts was definitely my first. So, when Mr Weasley asked if we wanted to pop by Hogwarts for a bit, we jumped at the chance, and it wasn't just because Mrs Weasley asked us to de-gnome the garden today.

Personally, I thought Mr Weasley was trying to cheer me up a bit because he just witnessed what I had to put up with from the Dursleys. Not that I needed it, I mean I have a whole Dursley free month ahead of me, as well as The Quidditch World Cup in three weeks, so life's pretty much treacle tart.

I must be hungry if I'm making comparisons like that, "Hey, I'm going to have a crack at finding the kitchens, I brought along the Map", I pointed to the Marauders Map lying safely blank in my pocket. "You guys wait out here in case Mr Weasley gets back and see if you can get the Fat Lady to finally open up."

I pointedly stared up at the Fat Lady. I mean honestly, I know she at least knows who I am, yet she still won't budge without the password.

We didn't actually think through our whole, 'We'd be waiting in the Common Room, Mr Weasley' and have been stuck here on the seventh floor ever since.

Hermione blushed, "I cannot believe I forgot that we wouldn't have the password. I feel so silly."

"Yeah, that was very un-Hermione like of you." Ron replied.

And then it started, "What is with, 'don't do a Hermione' and 'Hermione-like', when did I become an adverb!"

I made my exit taking the map out and tapping it with my wand muttering I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.

My nose was deep in the map finally seeing the kitchens somewhere below ground level, must be near the basements, when I fell backwards, or should I say, was thrown backwards.

I looked up to find myself plunged into a storm, a storm grey with specks of violet. It was the violet that was pulling me in, it was arranged so tiny, almost not even there, that I was looking to find each speck. My whole body was tense, and I was very aware of the warmth of another person's body on top of mine. But I didn't dare move. Not because this very feminine body on top of mine was heavy, quite the opposite, but I was trapped in this storm. And it was raining, a single drop running down a lightly tan cheek…I dared not move.

Linus' POV

I sprinted through what felt like the same corridor and threw open what felt like the fifteenth door and barged into a room and kicked the nearby suit of armour. "Fuck!" I hopped on the spot like an idiot, "Fucking hell!"

"Bet you regret that now, but not as much as shagging Sue Lee in senior year. You were hammered!" Lenzo said, leaning against the entryway to the door I just opened with a chuckle.

I have no idea how he is still managing to be his usual carefree self and not having a coronary like I was. Oh wait, I forgot, I'm the only one that seems to give a damn that our little sister just disappeared into thin air leaving a very hysterical Agnes behind.

When I heard Agnes calling (and I mean I heard her as she personalised her ring tone to Wagner's Wedding March), I was ready to placate her with any amount of jewellery she wanted. I knew that sending Ky and her shopping, even just to choose napkins, was going to end badly, but I'd take it, just for two hours of not having to debate over silk napkins or organza, something I'm ashamed to even know the difference between.

What I didn't expect was her screaming her lungs out like a banshee and telling me that Ky had disappeared into thin air. After reversing my Bentley from the tree she smacked into, stopping for a second to reassure me that she was OK, she continued to tell me she'd been driving for hours ( and like all descriptions provided by Agnes, I divided by ten in my head meaning she'd been driving for ten, maybe fifteen minutes) but all she found nearby was a dilapidated house that had a 'danger- beware- keep out' sign which she was so sure Ky ran into because that's just the "fucked up demented shit your evil sister puts me through. I mean what the hell Linus! I had an appointment for three at the wedding planners and the materials were shipped from bleeding Dubai!"

I ignored the last bit and cut the call, I wasn't about to remind her that Ky did not run into a building, but evaporated, but she was too busy fretting about the napkins, and I was too busy concentrating on where Ky is to remind her.

That's how Lenzo and I, who of course was listening on the other side of the phone like some annoying twin attached to my head, ended up in a village that made me think that maybe I used my powers to go back in time and not to where Ky was. But after centering my powers again to locate her, a gust of wind blew down the cobble street as a sign and I pelted after it.

"No, what I regret is not putting that tracking chip in her mouth when I took her for her last dental. I believe that it was you who convinced me that it was too overprotective, and she would flip if she found out."

"Like that would help right now Li, we haven't been getting any cell service since we entered this weird ass castle. They've got some strong reception blockers here, reminds me of the lec rooms back in MIT. That makes me think of Amy, not tits Amy, ass Amy. I may not have got much cell service in a MIT lecture room, but I sure got some good…"

"Lenzo, focus for two damn seconds. Maybe we should go back and turn left instead of right at that grand staircase." I said all this walking backwards, opening the door, getting ready to leave. "I swear, when I find that little demon, I'm going to ground her throughout freshman year. Agnes is right; she just does whatever the hell she wants."

"Woah… Linus, back up. Firstly, you don't honestly think that fiancé of yours is right about anything. You remember when she told us that the Holocaust was a story just created to scare kids. And secondly, you're treating this whole situation like Ky purposely wanted to disappear into thin air! I, for one have been searching for her because I'm scared shitless, she might be hurt or worse, abducted, not to punish her for something she had no…. that we ALL have practically no control over in the first place!"

He finished his little speech, face red and out of his usual lazy stance, and was standing straight, looking like he wanted to punch me.

Fuck him though. I wasn't even going to entertain the accusation that I was searching for her just to punish her with a response.

Damn, I was so worried that she was just lying hurt somewhere, now he's got a fucking abduction on my mind. O hell, if someone so much has fucking touches a hair on her head. But where does Lenzo get off lecturing me?

"No control! Are you even listening to the crap you're spewing? We both know that disappearing act only works if we focus all our energy on wanting to be somewhere so bad that it hurts, that you have to do it deliberately! That's why we've only ever done it a few times. That's why she probably just did it to fuck, and successfully so, with Agnes' brains because she was bored or something. And you know why she does that, because she knows she doesn't have to suffer any consequences because her awesome older brother Lenzo, who has not a damn to give in this world except driving around in fast cars and screwing brainless bimbos, will find it funny and will let her off the hook."

We were staring at each other, two seconds away from throwing a punch, my hand still on the open door.

"Oh, and I wonder why the hell that is, maybe it's because her older brother Linus hasn't had a chance to talk to her in months, considering his tongue is so far up his stupid fiancé's arse!"

He stepped forward as if literally crossing the line that he knows he must have crossed. I shoved him back and he hit the wall.

"I don't spend time with her! Me? Who was the one who bathed and fed her when mum and dad died? Who studied his arse off to graduate early so that I could prevent anybody even trying to take you two away? Huh! Who passed up every date and party and even came home during lunch in college just to make sure she ate and studied hard so nobody can say I was doing a shit job and take her away from us!"

I was going hoarse, my hands in fists around his collar; I don't think I ever screamed so loud. My anger boiled in my veins, and I guess it was because Lenzo hit home with his remark. I was afraid I was spending less time with Ky, and I could tell she was upset and bored this vacation, and I kept telling myself that once this wedding was over, I'll take her to visit a castle. I'll spend a whole weekend just sightseeing and whatever else she wanted, just us three. Because I know she missed that.

But this was Agnes' wedding, and just for now, like Agnes points out every so often, she needs to be my number one priority.

The thing is, no matter how much I love Agnes, the fact remains that I've left her crying hysterically in a car outside while I'm on a wild goose chase running after Ky. And maybe if I paid her just a bit more attention this week, she would not have found the need to pull a stunt like this to get my attention.

And now I don't even know where she is, and my heart is seizing up just thinking of all the possible horrible things that could happen. This must be what it feels like to be a father. I don't think my heart can take this.

I loosened my grip on Lenzo's shirt and tore my gaze from his hazel eyes. He looked too much like me, and right now I hated myself too much to even stand the sight. I could tell he felt guilty about what he said about Agnes, I know he wouldn't have said it if he wasn't just as worried as I am.

That's the problem with our Mediterranean blood; our boiling point was too low. He opened his mouth in what I was sure would be an apology, but it wasn't his cocky drawl that I heard, it was a voice so familiar to me I heard it when it called out for me when she had a nightmare one floor down. So familiar that I could pick it out of an airport full of people has she welcomed me home. So familiar I could hear every whisper has she tried to plan a prank on me with Lenzo. But at the same time, it wasn't familiar at all, it was the same voice minus the melody, the tinkle, the hint of laughter. It was her voice, but it was all broken.

Reviews/feedback, as always, are much appreciated.

Kalina