Chapter 45: The one with my best friend's tears.

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

Previously on Phoenix Accession:

But it was just a rasp. I couldn't scream. If only there was a way of calling someone. Nonno. Sev. Nonno.

And then it hit me.

There was someone who always came when I called.

Chapter 44

"Kinky." I concentrated on breathing, willing my eyes to stay open, and then I heard it like the sound of angels. The sound of saviour. A crack.

"Miss Ky Dumbledore's granddaughter Ky miss! MISS KY."

I felt a hand, a warm hand on me. I looked into her wide orbs of blue, " Nonno."

And everything went black, blank, and blissful.

Pain raced through my body like fire to a tree, it raged and was unforgiving and was only trumped by the screech that resounded in my head. The screaming that would not stop. I opened my eyes, and everything stopped. There was no sound…there was no pain. Nothing. Except the bright blue sky above. I watched as an owl flapped its way across the sky and then disappeared.

The realisation that I had involuntarily been trying to sit up from the moment I opened my eyes dawned on me, the fact that I couldn't… scared me. I concentrated and managed to flex my fingers, the knuckles cracking like fireworks in the silence. I slowly pumped the blood through my body, flexing my toes and fingers. I looked around, basking in the familiarity. It was my room. I thought I wasn't allowed here during term.

"Such a shame, he may have been bit of a stick in the mud, but old Barty was a good wizard."

"I never knew him personally…but a disappearance on school grounds amidst everything else that is going on…something is not right Pomona."

"Indeed, it isn't Poppy."

I tried to speak but no words came out, my mouth felt like sandpaper. I did manage to make a gurgling growling sound that I thought I should commit to memory for the twin's amusement. I blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden shadows above. I blinked more, the shadows forming more defined shapes.

"Ky?"

"Miss Thornton?"

Gurgle growl. The sandpaper lost its edge, and I was finally able to mutter a, "Mona Zia?" in a voice many octaves softer than my usual tone.

I didn't get another word in though because I was enveloped in comforting warmth, wetness dripping into my hair. I tried lifting my hands, but it still didn't comply, Mona let go and wiped at her eyes, heaving. I looked at her in confusion, but I didn't get a chance to ask a question because she turned and ran out of the room. I looked for Madam Pomfrey who was bustling about at my side, waving her wand around me in a frenzy.

"Madam Pomfrey-"

For the second time that day I was stopped mid question, this time by a loud gasp. I moved my hand, and it finally relented, I pushed myself into a sitting position. I barely said a word as my vision was blurred by a mass of brown hair. I blinked through the bushy strands, patting at her heaving back. Mi was in a right state when she finally let go of me. Her face was red and her nose leaking, cheeks tear stained with tired lines. I smiled, and my face cracked at the action. I flexed my jaw.

I watched as Minnie walked in, face pale and eyes watery, followed closely by Sev. He looked at me and quickly looked away, finding something very interesting about the fifth tile on my floor. I had the air knocked out of me as two blurs descended on me; the chocking feeling broke the dam of memories like a hammer to a wall. My head throbbed with pain and I fell back to the bed, coughing. Linus and Lenzo's worried face hovered above me, but twinkling blue eyes was what I saw last before darkness.

"Miss Granger, don't you have exams to be studying for."

"Professor Snape…I didn't know you were in here. Sorry. I'll just be going."

"That isn't necessary; I was just restocking some Vitamix potion."

"I hope its raspberry flavoured."

I muttered in that annoying quieter voice of mine, thankfully it didn't hurt as much as before. I tried to sit up, but stopped as a firm hand was placed on my shoulder.

"Don't exert yourself. Your meddlesome moving around is what caused your extra seven days of unconsciousness. Just stay put Bane, and quiet."

"You can get one or the oth-"

I continued talking, but no words came out. I glared at Sev knowing he silencioed me, unfortunately with less venom than I usually mustered. He smirked and left the room, Mi loomed down at me, a frown planted on her face.

"Ky…"

Her lips quivered but she breathed in deeply and out as if on instruction. This time I held no confusion as to why, I would be the same if the roles were reversed.

I looked up at the sky, it was already dark. I hated making her feel that way. Sev soon returned with Madam Pomfrey who flittered around again, shoving potion upon potion down my throat. The last feeling I had was pleasant raspberry taste, until sleep claimed me again.

I opened my eyes to darkness. I sat up and my body complied with more ease than usual. I listened to the slow breathing of the person who occupied the seat at my bedside. I leaned over to get a glass of water from my bedside table and as if the sudden movement was an alarm the figure awoke abruptly.

Light doused the room as I watched Mi jump and get the glass for me; she was always a quick riser. She tried pouring the water down my throat, but I shoved her hand away, I wasn't an invalid. Well not anymore at least. She scribbled something onto a familiar looking parchment; her chocolate orbs met my curious ones,

"It's your Parch, your brothers wanted word once you woke again. They were here, but had to leave because of a business emergency, I said I'll write once you woke up again." Another quiver and I looked away again. I hated that she was going through this because of me. "Would you like more water? I just need to call Madam Pomfrey-"

"Don't Mi. Just sit. Please."

This conversation was too many months overdue as is. She swallowed whatever argument that was on her tongue and sat back down. "So, I guess you found out about my house elf."

She made a choking noise, between a cry and a laugh, "Kinky isn't your house elf. Just another unfortunate Hogwarts house elf. But don't try telling her that. She's been here every day, dusting things that don't need dusting. Making you soup…that you couldn't...that couldn't be-"

I stared up into the ceiling waiting for her to calm down.

"How long?"

She sniffed but her answer was clear, "Just over three months. Then you woke up, but you didn't hold consciousness for long, then another week. You awoke three days ago, but you sunk into unconsciousness again. Madam Pomfrey said it was to be expected seeing as the amount of potions you were on."

"I spent almost 13 weeks in this room?! Wow, and Li said I couldn't stay still for a second."

"Well not exactly. You were at St. Mungo's for the first month and a half…then you were brought here."

"That makes sense." I stared at a lone star, "Kind of disappointing, I always wanted to visit Mungo's. I can't even recall what it looks like now."

I heard more sniffling and then tickling strands touched my hand. I looked down at Mi's hair, her face down on the bedsheet. I placed my hand on her head, and then tugged at her hair until she looked up, eyes red.

"You're getting snot on my sheets. I much prefer it on my shirt if you don't mind." She didn't need telling twice as she jumped onto the bed and grabbed me, her tears falling fast onto my neck as she sniffled into my hair. I hugged her back.

"I'm OK Mi. No need to frown, you don't need the wrinkles."

She moved back and her face came into view, her cocoa orbs dark and intense with a fire that burned in its depth. Mi didn't look sad. She looked like anger epitomised.

"Give me a name and I'll kill him."

I looked at her determined eyes and pride flared inside me. Pride at our friendship. "I know you would Mi. Tell me what you know first, and I'll fill in the gaps."

I leaned back down, and she followed suit. I stared at the star in the dark sky again,

"It was just after the second task. I just got out of the water and was drying up and felt slightly hurt that you were not faffing around me. I realised I couldn't spot you in the stands and I knew you weren't allowed to miss official occasions because McGonagall would have your head. Then I noticed that Dumbledore was different, so were the other staff, they seemed off. Snape wasn't even there. I was about to ask McGonagall if she knew where you were when she came up to me and asked me to follow her to her office. She sat me down and explained what had happened. She said…she said that…" I waited for her to breathe, "That you had showed up a few hours ago, in the hands of a school house elf outside Dumbledore's office. She said that you were in bad shape, and I could tell she wasn't being completely honest. She wanted to know if I knew anything about you meeting anyone in Hogsmeade. A boy. I told her no, that the only boys you knew other than your brothers were all at Hogwarts. She didn't want to tell me much that day and she didn't want to take me to see you either. She asked me to not tell anyone, not even Harry and Ron."

"They don't know?"

"Nobody does except me. Me and Theodore Nott."

"Why does he know?"

"Well, he doesn't exactly know. He came up to me soon after McGonagall sent me away. He told me that Snape had asked him a few questions about you, but he didn't know anything about you being in hospital, so I didn't tell him. Apparently one of the portraits down in the dungeons had spotted you chatting to him earlier that evening."

"I was. What does everyone else think?"

"You're with your brothers. That your brother's fiancé was in a bad car accident, and you went back to help with that."

"And people believe that?"

She didn't find the humour in it though, "I don't think Dumbledore wanted whoever attacked you, to know that you were still around and breathing. They didn't manage to find who it was, so they thought it safer to keep this quiet. Snape searched the Shrieking Shack once he found out that's where Kinky had found you, with Linus and Lenzo. They found your wand. As well as scraps of food and traces of magic. They couldn't trace it back to the source though. That didn't stop the search. But they got nothing."

I let that sink in, Sev, Len and Li's relentless searching weighing heavy on me. I heard her sniffle and then outright bawl. She gasped and rubbed at her eyes,

"It's all my fault! They asked the school ghosts and Nearly Headless Nick said that you ran off once you found out I was taken! And they found Gillyweed in your pocket! You thought you were trying to help Harry save me! That's why you were at Hogsmeade at that time of the night and that's why you were…you were…you were-"

"I wasn't -"

"I'm not stupid Ky! You didn't have your hoodie and you never leave the dorm with just that vest on! And it was torn!" I hadn't even registered that, 'And the wounds on your neck…on your wrists…St Mungo's said that –"

"Nothing happened! He…he was not successful. And it wasn't your fault. The only person's fault this is, is the sick twisted sack of shit that TRIED and FAILED to…to do it."

This didn't help, she just cried harder. "I chose to sneak out that day…not you. I chose to take that risk, not you. I chose to not say anything about the first time…not you."

She stopped crying and looked at me, her eyes wide. Best get this through quickly before I change my mind, "It happened on the day the Dark Mark appeared at the World Cup. That's where I was. Someone attacked me…tried taking advantage of me. But I threw him off, and he ran away when he saw the Dark Mark. Cedric found me and helped me out. I didn't tell anybody because I didn't want my brothers to change their mind about sending me to Hogwarts…and because I was embarrassed. I didn't want to face what had happened…. the more people who knew, the more real it seemed. I was going to tell you…but I kept putting it off. It was the same person. He was wearing a mask again. A Death Eater's mask."

She was quiet. "Did you manage to see his face at all?"

"No…."

I couldn't speak anymore, I felt arms wrap around me and I turned away from her. Settling deeper into the pillow, closing my eyes from the look on her face.

A/N: Any guesses as to who the perp is? Love to know your thoughts!

Kalina