Chapter 22: The one where Mi likes big butts.

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

A/N: cucciolo is puppy in Italian.

Trigger warnings: Mention of Sexual Assault

Chapter 21

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mrs Weasley's voice echoed through the silence. She ran forward clutching a paper in her hand and flung her arms around Mr Weasley. I stopped paying attention though, because two shadows were hot on her heels, and I was soon whipped up into the air.

"Gosh Ky!" I was being loaded with kisses and I was exchanged to the next person like a sack of potatoes.

"The Old Man sent us a letter explaining what had happened." Linus was still petting my hair. His face pale, "We wanted to go straight to the stadium, but this lot stopped us." He cocked his head backwards where a stony faced Sev was standing with a stern-faced Minnie.

"Should have known if there's trouble you'll find it, how did you pick up this souvenir?" Len crouched down, perusing my knee intently.

"I told you she ran into a stump. Thankfully it was a non-displaced fracture, which means no surgery, not that surgery is a thing here…in the 'muggle' world you'd have to rest for weeks but I hear you only need to rest for the day for the potion to take effect." I looked at Linus, who sounded a lot like Mi at the moment. "I apparated to Hogwarts once I heard, the Old Man just got off the floo with your medi-wizard." Li explained as we all were making our way to the house; I walked up to Sev and Minnie.

"Luck is never in my favour it seems; I wondered how much I would have to pay one of those fools to do you in." I schooled my features, smirking, trying to ignore the usual playfully taunting comment that Sev made, that unusually hit home.

"Oh Sev, let's not pretend you didn't sprint to Nonno's office to check if I was alive."

"Actually, he sprinted to Hogsmeade, tried to apparate to the-"

"I did no such thing Minerva. I was on my way to Hogsmeade regardless, when Hagrid notified me of the good news." He smirked down at me.

"Early morning shag with old' Rosie?" I laughed as Minnie and Linus immediately began to admonish me.

"Well, my job here is done, since your Grandfather had to go to the ministry for damage control, he sent me here to make sure you're all in one piece. Unfortunately, I'll have to report that you are. Here. Once every three hours just for the day, it'll help with the drowsiness and bruising." And just like that he was gone. Something's never change.

"I best be off too…You are ok Bane?" Minnie still had that stern look on her face, but her eyes were her tell, they were soft and caring. She was staring at me intently, trying to judge the truth in my face.

"Right as rain. Speaking of, where on earth did that saying originate from-"

I stopped as Minnie hugged me. This was the first time she initiated contact. She let go and cleared her throat, "Well Miss Thornton, I will be seeing you tomorrow. Take your medication on time and here," She pulled out a container and enlarged it, "Mona made them. She and Filius send their well wishes. Stay off that leg. Mr Thornton, Mr Thornton."

And with another strict look she was gone too. I looked at the boys who were observing me. Linus looked like he hadn't slept all night, Len probably didn't either, but he was blessed with genes that prevented bags and shadows on his face.

"Go on…ask what you want to." They continued to stare at me.

Linus tilted my chin up. He stared at my face, "Are you ok?" It was simple and straight forward and it was what I expected. These two knew me too well, right down to my cellular composition. They knew my every tell, something I myself didn't even know. But this was the reason why I didn't tell anybody…the reason that I made him swear not tell anybody.

If my brothers found out what nearly happened in that forest, I could kiss any hope for Hogwarts goodbye. Linus would probably kidnap me if he had to, he was crazy paranoid. And Lenzo might be the more carefree of the two but when he put his foot down, he soldered it down. They would say that the Wizarding world was dangerous no matter how much I argued that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"No…not really, I didn't get any sleep last night, so I'm exhausted. And this hurts a bit." I looked up at them awkwardly.

Linus petted my hair, "I'm sorry Ky. Why don't we get you to bed? Len and I are staying; you couldn't get rid of us." Len hoisted me up into his arms and I smiled up at him, letting out a sigh of relief in my head.

"And when you wake up, you can tell us what's really on your mind." Len said this smiling, but his face was set. Sneeze bits, it just keeps getting better and better.

Cold hands, ice cold hands…drift up my stomach…my ribs…ascending. I concentrate on throwing the beast off, but there's no crunch of back hitting the tree trunk…just a ripping of cloth. Further concentration but nothing… just lips that bruised with a stench of fire whisky. I shut my eyes tight…concentrating…cold floated down my stomach, rested on my hip and descended. I opened my eyes in fright, pleading to let go, my voice stolen by the beast's invasion and all they saw was blood red…

I woke up. I jumped off the bed and fell to the floor. Fuck! I managed to put a load of weight on my leg and the pain was back with a vengeance. I felt the writhing in my stomach, and I crawled the last few steps to Ginny's ensuite.

Thank heavens the other two were not in the room and I reached the toilet and retched into the bowl. I lifted myself to the sink and gurgled, splashing water all down my front at the rate that my hands were shaking. I backed against the wall and slid down.

Fuck I was acting like a damn…weak. Why was I even thinking of that crap, I mean… fuck… I pushed him off, right? I saved myself. It's not like he even touched me, like barely. Just on the stomach and there's nothing sexual about the place where your food is kept. Not like he touched my breasts or something. I was acting like a drama queen. I was fine. My fucked-upness was getting worse if I was having dreams about Voldemort. Bile rose in my throat again. There was a knock on the door,

"Ky, everything alright?" It was Mi.

"Yeah Mi. Nature didn't so much as call but scream at the top of her lungs it seems."

I heard her soft chuckle through the wooden barrier, "Well I'm downstairs."

"Be right there." I got myself off the floor and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like shit. It seems like I managed to bite my lips till they bled in my sleep. I was proud of my subconscious self; she had her priorities straight. Blood and pain was better than shouting like a little girl and embarrassment.

My breathing slowed and I leaned my head against the cold wall. I took out my locket and traced the phoenix wings hypnotically. It seemed Li and Len had done too good of a job sheltering me, I couldn't even handle a little mishap like this. That wanker did nothing, means nothing…I smiled to myself, how British of me. That made me think of Nonno. And just like that I heaved myself off the floor, leaned on the sink and washed my face. I wouldn't want him to see me, lying on the floor like some stupid ninny. I was Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter. I kicked the fucker's ass, he started it, but I finished it. I was being an idiot. I was fine, now I just need to convince Li and Len of it.

I limped downstairs to find most of the house empty. Mi was sitting on the sofa with a book in hand, but she dropped it and rushed forward to help me.

"Ky there is a reason you have a crutch!"

"I know, but we don't have a pool table, so I left it upstairs."

Mi helped me onto the sofa and was fussing with the cushions. "Honestly Ky, be serious! And a crutch is too short to use as a pool stick. You were not supposed to put any weight on that leg."

"Calling me fat Mi?"

"What? Of course not!"

"I can see why you would think so, Miss Bumless Where's-my-boobs." I laughed at her expression, "I'm only joking Mi, you know you have the perfect figure hidden underneath all that plaid. And your boobs will come in by Christmas, I promise!"

"KY….! Why Christmas?" I laughed at her flushed face.

"I had a dream, more like a premonition…and in it you had a DD rack with junk in the trunk and you were rapping wearing a pink wig. You were dancing on a bar table bedecked with holly and I was trying to get you down, but you kept saying, 'I have a big butt and I cannot lie, none of these brothers can deny, when I walk in with my itty-bitty waist and my round thing in their –'"

Mi shoved the scatter cushion on my face to cease my performance.

We were speechless for a few seconds, waiting for our laughter to die down. Then Mi stood and started bobbing her head and flashing peace signs,

"You get sprung, Wanna pull up tough, Cuz you notice that butt was stuffed, Deep in the jeans she's wearing, I'm hooked, and I can't stop staring."

I stared at Mi for a second, shocked. I burst out laughing. That must be one of the most outrageously hilarious thing I have ever seen, she sat down, her eyes still laughing,

"What? I listen to the radio when I'm on vacation. I can't help it if I've got really good recall."

I opened my mouth to say something but dissolved into laughter again.

"Where is everyone by the way?"

"Mr Weasley and Percy are at work, Mrs Weasley is napping, and the rest are at the orchard. Your brothers are with them."

"Figured. You didn't have to wait."

She sighed, "I know. I'm not the biggest fan of quidditch and I want to finish this." She gestured at the book. She suddenly looked at me in shock, "Ky you must be starving! You haven't eaten today. Let me get you something to-"

"Oooh yeah, look in the kitchen there's chocolate muffins in there that Minnie brought. Bring a few."

"Chocolate muffins are not food Kyrianna! I'm getting you proper food just wait here." Godric she could do a good Minnie. I rested my head back onto the sofa, shutting my eyes, just relaxing.

Suddenly dark warmth was on my eyes and my heart began to race and I was just about to have a panic attack, but Subconscious Ky had the situation under control. She breathed a few times and quickly slid a smirk on my face as the person behind me made a weird voice,

"Guess who?"

"Robert Downey Jr."

"What? How could it be Robert Downey Jr.? I said guess, not dream. And Robert Downey Jr? Really Ky, I thought you inherited my exquisite taste, that skinny awkward dude isn't going to make it far." Len sat down next to me and cradled my leg whilst Li pushed me forward and squeezed into the space between me and the sofa arm.

"Maybe I like skinny awkward dudes that don't go far in life."

"That is precisely what I am afraid of cucciolo." Linus said petting my hair. He really did treat me like his puppy. We were quiet for a while, and then Len spoke. They always played good cop bad cop, didn't even try to spice it up, did they?

"So, Ky, are you going to tell us what's really on your mind?" He was looking at me, reading my expression. It was a display of their trust in one another that Linus chose to sit facing my back, trusting Len enough to gauge my honesty. I sighed and leaned back against Linus,

"Guess I just got really worried about Mi yesterday. Nonno probably told you they were attacking muggle-borns, it's a prejudice some dark wizards have. I was just really worried about her especially because we got split up, I was just trying to get to her to make sure she was ok and that's why I didn't see where I was going. And then it dawned on me afterwards that if things don't work out tomorrow, if I'm put in a different house tomorrow, that's going to be the end-"

"Oh, Ky don't be ridiculous!" Mi was standing at the doorway, a tray of food in her hand. She rushed forward placing the tray on the coffee table and dropping down on her knees to my level, "Look Ky, we'll be friends no matter what house you are placed in. Even Slytherin. I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, it's just…I don't know…I've never had a female friend before that I just clicked with and-"

"You don't have to explain Mi, I feel the same." I kind of felt bad about my half truth, I was worried about Mi of course… I just wasn't worried about our friendship. My gut told me that Mi and were meant to be friends, she was my soul sister, and that's why I jumped into it right from the start.

It seems this touching scene had an effect on Len; he was smiling at me with relief. Maybe they were worried I would not acclimate to the high-school experience after being on my own for so long.

"That's great Hermione. I needed to hear that. I was afraid Ky would lose the new friends she made-"

"Why would I lose the new friends I made." I snapped around and looked at Linus, now I realised why he was facing my back… coward.

"Ky, I'm sure you understand why I left you here. I come back and find you hurt and in a very dangerous situation. I did my research, Voldemort's supporters are not fans of the Old Man, and they were out and about last night torturing people. What do you think would happen if they found you…. No don't, this isn't up for debate. Len and I spoke about it and this world of magic is obviously not what you, what we all thought it was. There are people out there that would want to cause you-"

I flew of the sofa, subconscious Ky doing a good job of ignoring the intense pain, "And the muggle world is safe, there's no murderers and racists and rapists and kidnappers there!" I screamed at Li, and he didn't even flinch.

"Yes, but they can't kill you with a flash of a wand."

"And a bullet is really slow."

"A bullet isn't a hundred percent surety of death. I won't have you exposed to a world that-"

"No! Don't you dare make it seem like this world is any the worse than the muggle world, the muggle world is just as ugly they just apply their make up better!" I was heaving, there were spots in my eyes. Even without the truth they were doing this.

"Ky we just want what's best for you. To be safe, to be happy." Len was staring at me, sincerity shining in his hazel orbs.

My lips quivered, "I am happy, and I am safe."

"No, you're not." Linus stood up from the sofa abruptly, "I knew something like this would happen… I knew it. And yesterday you could have…you could have…"He couldn't even say the word. "This place isn't coated with candy, it's-"

"You're being paranoid! Nothing would have happened! I just hurt my leg!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs, tears brimming out of anger. I won't let them take this from me.

"He isn't Kyrianna, and he is quite right." I turned and looked to door where the calm voice floated from, and my blood turned cold.

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this. Please drop a review,

Kalina