Chapter 20: The one with Peter File

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

Chapter 19

"Sorry about the detention Princess." I smiled at George.

"What? Why? I'm pretty sure this is a record. I mean who else can say they got a detention before their very first day of school! I'm going to go down in the history books."

"Oh George, our little girl is all grown up. Her first detention!" Fred mocked wiping a tear from his eye.

We were walking to the hill that would portkey us to the Final. Mi and Ginny were in the back with Mr Weasley, with Harry and Ron just in front of them. The Twins and I lead the pack, which was ironic considering I had no idea where we were going.

The sun was making good progress as well, I was just enjoying the passing shade of a tree when something very heavy hit me and for the second time this morning my bum hit the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" The weight abated and I looked up, rubbing my head that had hit the floor. It suddenly got really dark; many shadows hovered above me.

"Ky, are you ok? Give her some space boys."

"I am so so sorry." The voice was unfamiliar. "I heard a voice, and I thought my dad was back and then I jumped down and I didn't see you…"

"Who does that? Who sits in trees waiting to jump on people?" I shouted at the brown-haired stranger that was holding out his hand for me. I was in quite a bit of pain; I think I hit my head really hard. It wasn't bleeding though.

The next second I was hoisted up quite quickly and set on my feet. It was Ron. Mi started dusting the dirt that got on my clothes. The boy was still muttering, apologising profusely.

"Ced? Arthur?" A Mr-Weasley-aged man just apparated a few steps away. He walked towards us, "Is everything alright?"

"Amos! Yes, it's fine, just a little mishap. Nothing to worry about too much. Ky, let me have a look at your head."

"It's fine Mr Weasley, it's not bleeding. I think my butts broken though."

"I'm so sorry. My dad forgot the tickets and I was waiting for him to get back, so I decided to relax in the shade but then I saw the tree and I climbed up to sit on that branch…I thought it was him when I heard a voice, and I didn't expect anyone to be down, so I jumped down without looking…"

"I'm sorry, how strange of me to walk under a tree. Or maybe I should have announced myself." He reeled a bit at the sarcasm; I guess I was layering it on too thick. A combination of my temper and head pain seemed to take control of my mouth. "It's ok." I nodded at him and forced a smile. "I'm fine."

He still didn't look convinced. Mr Weasley was introducing us to what must be his dad. He was talking animatedly to Harry, Fred and George, neither of whom seemed to be getting the joke. "- you beat Harry Potter."

"Harry fell off his broom Dad, I told you…it was an accident." His dad wasn't taking it though and he just went on and on. Harry and I made eye contact for a second, and I laughed at the look on his face.

"Must be nearly time." Mr Weasley said. "Best get up this hill." I turned and started walking up the hill with Mi, who kept looking at the brown-haired guy in a way that I suspected she thought was discreet but was quite the opposite. I smirked at her.

"Can she do it, she's nearing the end. She's at the edge. She's about to cross over…but no she's leaning over and clutching her side, seems like Granger the Danger has run her last lap-"

"Ky-when-I –catch-breath-kill" I laughed and pulled her up. She was breathing heavily but her eyes said it all. She was going to kill me once her respiratory system will allow it. Mr Weasley got our attention, calling us to a mangy old boot.

"You just have to touch the portkey…no not now Ky…. when I say it's time to touch it you touch it, Ok?"

"Ok! Is it time now?"

"No Ky I'll say 'it's time' when it's time. It's not time…wait no it is. Get ready everybody...-"

"I don't get it, do I touch it when you say 'touch it' or do I wait for you to say it's-"I didn't get to finish my sentence. It seems I was pondering the statement over Mr Weasley telling me to touch it at the same time I was supposed to have touched it, so the new boy grabbed my hand and placed it on the boot and a nanosecond later my stomach lurched, and we were gone.

A few moments later my butt slammed onto…. something solid… but not painfully so. My hand was considerably warmer than usual. I looked up and Mi and Ginny where staring at me wide eyed. When my something solid began to move I jumped up, realising the solid something was someone's chest and the warm something someone's hand.

"Now can we call it even?" Brown Hair's grey eyes where twinkling up at me.

I held out my hand to help him up and he didn't hesitate. "Guess if I hit your head on a rock then it'll be even Apple." I told him as we walked and joined the others.

"Apple?"

"What else do you call something that falls from an apple tree?"

He was just about to argue, when Mr Weasley ushered us to follow, bidding farewell to the poncho man that greeted us at the entrance.

Apple and his dad were in the second field, and we were in the first. We waved goodbye and I looped my hand into Mi's arm, and she gave me a calculating side long glance.

"What?"

"You know what." I had absolutely no idea what 'what' was. She laughed at my confused expression, "You don't know what?"

"Yup, not a clue. Be a Hermione and fill me in."

"Later."

"No. Now." I said adamantly.

"Believe me you don't want me to fill you in now." I shook my head at her,

"I don't like this change of dynamic in our friendship; I'm supposed to be the one that boggles the mind."

"And me?" She inquired amused.

"You're the face of our operation. What with all your delicate features and rosy cheeks, very English rose. You know what, that's what we are, Thorn and Rose. Or Rose and Thorn. Or rose bush?"

"Definitely not rose bush and I am not the face of this 'operation'. If anything, I am the brains."

"Keep telling yourself that." I patted her shoulder sympathetically, "but you see, this operation has no brains. We run on spirit."

"Spirit? Ky you're talking as if you're high."

"When is she not talking like she's high." I looked at Harry, who didn't even bother to turn around and pay the compliment to my face. Actually, he didn't look at me at all whilst we walked to the tent.

"What's 'high'?" I looked at Ron, I left Mi's arm and put one arm around his shoulder and gestured into the distance with the other.

"High is what we'll be one day Ronald. We'll leave these two 'sticks in the mud' and join the adventure with the Bob Marley's of the world. And don't worry who he is, you'll find him. You'll find your inner Marley…"

"I think you hit your head too hard on that rock."

"Better to have hit one's head and gain epiphany than not hit head and live in ignorance."

Mi started fidgeting with my hair and checking for bumps and lumps. "Are you feeling dizzy? Are you feeling nauseas? Is your headache very bad?"

"Had any good headaches lately Mi?" I extricated her hands from my head, "And I don't have a concussion, I just get more prophetic when I'm sleepy."

"More prophetic? You mean you sprout more nonsense….and why would you be sleepy, we had a full eight hours of-"

"Hermione, some help?" It was Harry. Mi and I were mindlessly following and hadn't realised we'd stopped walking for a while. I told her we're spirits. Harry was holding a peg and a mallet in his hand, which Mr Weasley was eyeing manically.

After the tents were erected, Mr Weasley assigned us the exciting job of collecting water. Fun. We all were walking through the sea of tents, letting the atmosphere seep in, in silence. We reached the tap and filled our pots and pans, and Mi dragged me away from a lovely friend I made, Archie, who was selling me on nightgowns, something Minnie failed to do.

On our way back Harry, Ron and Mi were greeted by lots of people. But I noticed the only one that caused Harry to slop water onto his pants was an east Asian girl with long shiny hair that waved at him in an overly friendly way. I looked at Harry who was trying to fight a blush.

Slut.

What? I said I won't like him to protect the friendship and what not but doesn't mean I can't call slut when I see slut.

Fine she probably wasn't a slut. She probably was a nice girl who had even nicer shampoo.

Or she gave free BJ's in deserted classrooms. Just saying.

HARRY's POV

I was being completely ridiculous. I don't know why this was so hard. I can't believe my reaction when Diggory had fallen on her. It took my all not to punch him for being an idiot. This shocked me more because I didn't have a tendency for violence. So, I stood there, breathing in and out, trying to calm down. But that was normal. We were friends right, especially after last night.

I never spoke so freely with anybody else except Ron and Hermione. Well actually no, I tell all my secrets to Ron and Hermione, but not all my feelings… I needed to stop acting like a total arse. I needed to stop mistaking her friendly banter for anything more. I definitely needed to stop staring at her. I was staring at her so hard earlier on that when Cho called out to say hi, I splashed water all down my front from whipping my head around to make sure Ky didn't catch me staring.

We went to the next salesman. Ky was buying everything in sight, claiming she had to get this for this person and that for that person. She was hustling a man for some Monrose Magpie figurine, the omnioculars I got her around her neck. Well, I had gotten one for Ron and Hermione as well so that can't be misconstrued for anything.

"All I'm saying is, do they wear underwear? I'm sure she won't mind if we ask her. Is it really that personal of a question?" Ky was seated in between Hermione and me. "I mean if they're not allowed clothes does that mean they're going commando under their…"

"Ky that's just about the most personal AND rude question you could ask anybody. It's horrible enough the poor thing isn't allowed clothes!"

"Oh Mi, sweet innocent Mi…if you think that's the most personal question anybody has ever asked, these next few years are going to be a multitude of surprises for you now aren't they." She turned to me, "Now you seem to have an in with her, you should-"

"I am not asking a house elf we just met if she wears underwear." I looked at her. For once she looked the crazy that she was. She had on a huge green Dancing Shamrock hat and a Bulgarian scarf and a flag that looked like it had three legs trying to kick each other painted on her cheek.

"You're right." I looked at her amazed, I must have heard wrong. "You just met her. You should go make friends and then ask her. Can we get closer maybe-"

"We are not accosting that house elf, and you look ridiculous by the way. Can't you just pick a team, what on earth is on your face? Everybody was staring at you on our way up here."

"Of course, they were Mr Potter. In jealousy. I mean this hat has shamrocks that dance, this scarf, yes, this scarf has a lion…. a lion that roars. Roars. And this happens to be the flag of Isle of Mann. And that's in the middle of the Irish Sea. So technically it's relevant. Now who looks ridiculous?"

"You, it's still-" I heard my name and turned around and was face to face with Cornelius Fudge. He shook my hand and patted my back, and I greeted him, he was trying to explain to the man next to him who I was, with great difficulty. "– need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah I see his house elf is saving him a seat…good j-"

I zoned out, observing Ky who also turned and looked at the house elf, making sure she doesn't ask the house elf anything inappropriate.

"- here's Lucius" That got my attention. And Ron and Hermione's. Ky was still staring at the elf. I stared at her whilst the minister and Lucius Malfoy spoke. I kept telling myself that it was just to make sure she didn't say anything weird to the elf.

"Good lord Arthur. What did you have to sell to get seats in the top box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much."

He said it softly so that Fudge didn't hear but it seems Ky did, she snapped around quickly staring at Lucius Malfoy in a way I hadn't seen her do so before. Her 'care-free' nature seemed to disappear at that statement and her hackles seemed to be raised. I touched her hand when she opened her mouth, and slightly shook my head. I may be just as angry, but this wasn't the place nor the time. It seemed she couldn't help herself though when he looked directly at Hermione, curling his lip at her.

"Paedophile!" There goes Ky, screaming out random insults. Lucius Malfoy's head snapped to her, and he took in her face, his brows furrowed slightly.

"I'm sorry? I must have heard wrong, it sounded like you said-"

"Peter File. She said Peter File. She was talking about a-"Hermione was muttering, trying to cover up the situation. Lucius Malfoy didn't even bother to look in her direction. Most of the box was now staring at Ky. Fudge was giving her a confused expression.

"And who might this little spitfire be?" It was Fudge. Ky stood, with surprising air and grace, her back straight.

"Ky Thornton." She held her hand out to the minister and he shook it in turn, his face still creased in confusion.

"Now where have I heard that name-"

"Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter." Lucius Malfoy said, not being able to even mask the venom in his voice.

"Oh, my my! Well, hello! Pleasure! I am the minister for magic, Cornelius Fudge. Albus has been doing a good job of hiding you away hasn't he? Don't blame him. What with all the press. This is the Malfoys, Ky. They're very-"

"It's fine Mr Fudge, I know what they are." She smiled sweetly up at Lucius Malfoy who was smiling down at her. I was confused, I was sure we never spoke about the Malfoys to her. Maybe Hermione did.

Then she did the strangest thing, she turned and looked straight at Draco Malfoy with the most beatific smile I have ever seen grace her face. She stuck out her hand, with a coy blush, "Ky Thornton."

Malfoy looked just as startled as we did but his inbred etiquette caught up with him and he shook her hand, "Draco Malfoy. Pleasure."

She then turned around and walked back to us. As she crossed over me, her head bent down, I saw an uncharacteristic look across her face. It was pure anger, and I noticed her hands shaking. I put my hand on hers briefly when she sat down, and her head snapped up. The look disappeared, and she gave me a shaky smile.

Hermione then spoke, "Ky, what was that about. And you don't know them Ky. He's not the type of person that you just go and-"

"The only thing Mi… is that I do know them." She stated cryptically, "The important question we should be asking is, which one of us is going to go and ask that elf-"

"Godric not this again." We all turned away from her. Well, the others did, I turned away, but I just didn't stop staring. A stare so inflexible that I did not notice that my eyes were not the only pair in the box that was observing the marvel that was Ky Thornton.

A/N: Please let me know what you think. Always appreciate hearing what you think of this!

Kalina