Chapter 48: The one with Yardley the Foul?

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

Chapter 47

I walked out of Charms an hour before the paper could finish. Fil smiled at me, and I winked back. I started up the stairs nearby and stopped as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I didn't scream or faint like the last time. I was always of the opinion that crying was a sign of weakness, and I was still a believer of that. But I must admit that after what felt like an hour of shedding tears onto Sev's shoulder last night, I felt better. Lighter.

I turned around and felt all the stress coming back.

"What do you want?"

I didn't get a response; instead, I was pulled to his chest and held in a rough hug. I tried struggling out of it but then stopped, feeling the calmness from this morning come back. He let go and looked down at me, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"St Mungo's! Six weeks in St Mungo's. You're sick."

I looked up quizzically, "How did you find out?"

"My mum's best friend is a receptionist over there. I tried to find out on my own where you were those three months because I don't believe that story about fiancés and accidents, so I finally worked up the nerve to ask my dad to check around the Ministry. I received his reply this morning at breakfast, said that checking files was not necessary, that mum mentioned that Dumbledore's granddaughter was in St Mungo's, that I shouldn't tell anyone because Dumbledore wanted it kept quiet but why? What happened?"

"Why do you care?"

He ignored me, "Are you OK now. He couldn't find out what you were in for… but six weeks! Where were you for the last seven then. What happened?"

I pushed his hands off me and he looked hurt, "I repeat, why do you care? It's really none of your business and-"

"If it concerns you, it is my business."

I never wanted to slap somebody more in my life. He stood there with such conviction in his words. What the hell?

"Look Diggory I need to-"

I stopped talking as the wind was knocked out of me. He lifted me onto his shoulder caveman style, walked a few steps back and threw the door open and dumped me in a chair. Thankfully the classroom was empty. I opened my mouth to scream at him, but he covered it with his hand. I bit down as hard as I could. He wrenched it away, waving it furiously,

"You bit me."

"I'm a bitch."

He looked at me as if I was mad.

"A dog…dogs bite…female dog…bitch…bite." I explained in logical order. I sighed and I made to stand, and he pushed me back with invasion of space, stepping well pass my comfort zone. He leaned on the arms of the chair and hovered over me.

"Firstly, I rather you call me Apple than Diggory. Secondly, I don't care about your say in the matter but what happens to you is my business. And thirdly…I care because I care. I was the one that bared myself to you; you were the one that walked away like a coward."

I pushed at his chest, but he didn't move. "I'm not the one that wouldn't wait and listen!"

"There was no need to; you had made up your mind. You couldn't defy your friends for me…but for Malfoy."

"I didn't defy my friends for him. It was just a date! Barely even that. There was no holding of hands or dancing. Unlike you! How long after confessing to me did you run off to Chang?"

"A few hours."

I looked stricken at that, I felt like such an idiot. I was still nursing a soft spot for him and yet here he stood confessing that it took a few hours to get over me. I shoved at his shoulders, but it held steady.

"I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to make you feel what I felt. Betrayed and ashamed." He dropped down to his knees and was eye level with me, his grey eyes as clear as diamonds. "I wanted you to get jealous…I was wrong. I never want you to hurt. I never want you to feel pain…I never want to be that reason."

"But-"

"Cho is my girlfriend. I asked her to be the night of the Ball when I saw you come in from the dungeons…. with Malfoy's coat...your hair…I made myself like her which I must admit was not hard. She's sweet and kind and uncomplicated."

I made to stand again, and he pushed me back down, I didn't need to hear what an angel Chang is.

"But I couldn't. I'm living a lie. I kept telling myself that it was the right thing to do; I was crazy to like you. You didn't feel the same, you didn't want me, and you didn't care. She cared. She's loyal and doesn't make me want to rip my hair out of my head. But…every major step I made with her was because I was trying to get your attention. I tried to ignore it, but that's the truth. I couldn't ignore it on the twenty fourth of February. When I dove into that water…it was you I was looking for. When I walk into the Great Hall, it's you I look for. When I walk pass a classroom, it's you I look for."

"Why are you still with her then?" I whispered so softly if he wasn't near, he wouldn't have heard me.

"I'm selfish. I thought with time she could help me get over you. I realise that's impossible now."

I looked at him confused, "This morning when the owl came, when the letter was delivered…my heart stopped. It literally stopped for moments. I can't tell you how long I sat outside that classroom waiting for you, needing to see you. To see that you were OK. Ky…I could date Cho for years…forever… but it would never get me over you. I was an idiot for thinking it would. I'm in too deep. I couldn't get out if a hundred men tried…I fell in the day I met you. I don't want to get out."

I looked into his crystal eyes feeling overwhelmed. I had feelings for him, of course I did but he didn't know what happened to me. I was far from alright, was I ready to have a boyfriend? Was that what he was asking for? Was I ready? He moved his hand up to stroke my cheek and I flinched, my heart stopping at the fast movement.

That was my answer. I wasn't. I jumped up with speed and ran out of the room, not looking back at the damage I had done.

"Which of the following was the infamous goblin slayer, Yardley Platt or Herpo the foul?"

I tossed the ball and bounced it on my head and caught it again. "The first one."

She gave me an exasperated look, "What did Herpo the foul do then."

"Something foul?"

She glared at me, and I laughed, "Or was it something nice. An ironic name, like how you call a big person tiny Tim or something. That's kind of misleading."

"Ky, have you even studied at all!"

"Of course, I did. Well kind of. I know Platt was the goblin slayer because I always imagine going to dinner with him and he'd take off the lid and there would be a platter of goblin heads on it. Cause you know, Platt."

My hair fell forward as the pillow made contact with it. It was one in the morning and Mi insisted on doing revision for HOM.

"Herpo the foul was the first known creator of the basilisk."

"How do we know that for sure? Where's the proof. Show me. I thought as much."

"It's written right over here!" She stabbed her finger to the page.

I grabbed my copy and scribbled into it, "'Ky Thornton is the strongest witch that has ever lived, and she has chocolate for supper every day and doesn't ever get fat and sleeps for twelve hours.' Well since it's on paper it must be true right?"

"You know what I meant. Now are you going to tell me what happened or are you going to kill off more brain cells with that ghastly ball. Where did you get a football from anyway?"

"Dean lent it to me. Fine I found it at the back of the armchair" I pointed to the one in the corner. "Fine, Seamus stole it for me. Fine I took it from their dorm, but Ron knows I have it so it's not stealing."

I stood up and bounced it with my knee; I could only ever do five in a row.

"And?"

"And…I'll give it back to him tomorrow." She continued staring, "With an apology." Stare. "Written?"

"Ky!"

"Mi... Fine, so Cedric visited me this morning and might or might not have confessed his feelings for me and lack of them for a certain Chang."

She closed the book and leaned forward, "He did! Oh, Ky that's amazing. I knew it though, he didn't really like her, he was just trying to make you jealous, and it was so obvious. So, what did you tell him? Is he going to break up with her? Are you two dating right now? Did you kiss? Oh gosh you did, right? Was it good? I know it takes a bit of getting used to but they're quite open to instruction if Cedric is anything like Viktor...

My eyes grew large at her assault of breathless questions as she trailed off mumbling to herself about kissing Viktor, "We're not dating, he's still with Chang and there was no kiss. There was actually running away. Me, not him."

"You what?" The excitement left her chocolate eyes and I sighed.

"What did you expect Mi? I get down on my knees and tell him ditto and then we make out against the very well positioned desk behind him? I can't tell him I like him back because I don't really have anything to offer him."

"What, Ky you're-"

"Not OK. Its time I stopped pretending that I am."

Her expression fell to one of sombre acceptance. "What kind of…girl…person would I be to him in my current state? He doesn't need this drama, not now. I need to sort my shit out."

"You don't have to do it alone." She laid her hand on mine. I smiled up at her, "I know that…it's just that I can't talk to you. I want to but I can't. I try but…it's like stuck."

"I want to help." She looked at me, tears brimming in her big eyes.

"You are helping. You're here."

"Maybe you should talk to Cedric. You went to him the last time."

"He practically forced me to confront things. I don't think that would help this time. I don't want him to know…I don't want him to look at me the way everyone else does. Like I'm broken or something…"

"Is that what you think? Ky, I don't look at you as if you're broken. Every time I look at you, I see you in that hospital bed, pale as death with skin temperature to match and I just thank the Founders that you are OK. That you're safe. That you came back in one piece. That you're whole."

"I don't know Mi…it's complicated."

She laughed a very un-Mi like laugh, "I'll call you a lot of things Ky. Reckless. A danger to society. Immature. I never thought coward would be one of them. He is confronting the unknown tomorrow. I know it's just a tournament and you'll have other times to talk to him but…at least let him walk in there knowing that one person in the stands believes in him wholeheartedly."

"What about Harry?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, and looked like she was picking her words carefully. She was saved from sharing them though when a voice floated from the direction of the portrait hole,

"What about me?"

Harry stood there, frowning, looking between the two of us. Mi sputtered struggling for a lie that I was sure she would execute pathetically. I turned and looked at Harry in those emerald orbs of his,

"What would you think if I dated Cedric?"

"Diggory?" I observed his face carefully, but it betrayed nothing.

"No, the Entertainer. Who else?"

"I would say thanks."

"What?"

"Well, your dating Diggory will free Cho up, wouldn't it?"

I placed a smile on my face, "Well I guess that settles that. What were you doing out so late?"

"Practicing my shield charm…. stupefy".

I erected a shield charm quickly, cocking my eyebrow at his face pulled into concentration.

"See I don't get it. The way you execute it looks completely different from the way the book does."

I nodded, "That's because the shield Charm was invented by Gregory the Grand. Self-titled by the way. Anything invented by old Greg is much more flamboyant than need be, you just need to know which steps to take out. I played around with it and the second diagonal slash and that double flick at the end isn't necessary, try it without that." I turned to Mi, "See I read, it just has to be interesting stuff like that and not droll about Yardley the Foul."

She opened her mouth to correct me as Harry constructed a shield charm, looking more solid than it ever did. I flung a rictusempra at him,

"Ky." Mi looked at me sternly.

I returned her look with one of innocence, "What? I was just checking if it works?"

…he knelt before me, slowly slipping the mask up. He kissed my knee, and then my thigh and I emitted a sigh. He pushed my legs apart and I looked down. I ran my hands through his hair, pulling him towards me. He smirked and pulled off the rest of his mask…

I ran down the passage, for once wishing I owned a watch. I just got out of the HOM exam, and I knew the tournament would start soon. I ran flat out, jumped the last few steps and then saw him. I stopped…

A/N: Sounds like Ky has made her choice! Anyways please review.

Have a great day wherever you are and thanks a lot for sticking with this story.

Kalina