Chapter 11: Sirius sounding serious

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

Chapter 11

I walked out but Potter didn't follow me. Yikes, Sirius must be drilling him. Well, it's his fault for not locking the door though. Fine, it's my fault for not locking the door. Well, I was a bit distracted…distracted…wow…what on earth was that. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Harry worked wonders with that mouth of his; he managed to wipe away all the worries. There was no stress about Linus or constant worry about Sev and kissing him actually brought Lenzo back home. Well, that's the way I'd like to look at it. And most importantly it took away the guilt. My shoulders felt lighter than they did this whole week. Who knew Potter's fine motor skills were not just reserved for catching snitches.

I stopped as I caught a glimpse of fire red in my periphery. I looked to the side and saw my favourite Weasley leaning against the doorway to the boys' room. She looked pointedly at the bathroom door and then back at me, judgment etched onto her face.

"Have you done the banner?"

"Have you sent the invitations?"

"Yes. I unlike you, do what I say would do. I don't spend my time with my tongue down boys' throats."

"Boy. Singular." I smiled back at her, not even Ginny could dampen the mood I was in. She glared at me and kicked off the wall, heading for the stairs. She was stopped by Nessie.

"Oh. Hi. Just the girls I was looking for. I see most of everyone has agreed to come, I saw the list on the counter. Good job girls. Here." She handed us a bag, "I realised you had no way of making a banner, silly me, so I bought some stuff. You guys can use the desk in my room. It's getting quite busy downstairs. Good luck." She turned and bounced away from us. I cocked my eyebrow at Ginny,

"See. That's why I didn't start the banner. I didn't have the proper equipment." She rolled her eyes at me.

We walked into the small room that Nessie shared with Tonks when the lively auror had to stay over. I unwrapped the large blank poster.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"The banner…"

"With yellow and blood red?"

"Well, that's Gryffindor colours, aren't they?"

"No. Our colours are scarlet and gold. Here."

She dug in the bag and pulled out a few bottles. She poured a little bit of this and that and mixed them together to get the right colour. I tried not to look too put out. I wasn't the most artistic of people. Red was red was red to me. Ginny started writing out Mi's name in a fancy print that I would never be capable of. I frowned at her,

"Why did you want me to do the banner if you're so artistic?"

"Well considering you are just brilliant at everything, I figured you must be good at this too. Guess I was wrong."

"I'm not brilliant at everything. I'm brilliant at potions. And I am a fair hand at defence. And charms."

She cocked her eyebrow at me and shook her head.

"I won't apologise for being smart."

"I never asked you to."

I sat down and watched her work; she was extremely talented. I was surprised since she was a pureblood witch. I figured she wouldn't be that into art the old school way. I remember Dean was a steady hand as well, but he was muggleborn. He told me he wanted to be a comic book artist when he was a kid. He could enchant and animate anything. Ginny wasn't far off. Her hand was moving like lightning, she was shading the baby griffon she drew to produce a more 3D affect.

"That's bloody brilliant." She stopped and cocked an eyebrow at me. She continued without saying anything, obviously trying to find the insult in there somewhere.

"Thanks. It's a bit crooked."

"What? No, it must be your eyesight, it looks fine to me. Who taught you to draw?" She looked at me through her mane of red; I guess I was getting chatty with my kissing high.

"Nobody taught me. I just learned." She looked down, fidgeting with the border, "I guess it came with practice. I would draw things for the boys for birthdays."

I understood that. I knew the Weasleys were not the wealthiest of families, buying gifts for six brothers must be hard. But there were the richest family that I knew; it's just that their stock wasn't measured in galleons. Their stock was worth much more than that.

"I used to draw things for Li and Len. It was the ugliest things I have ever seen. I couldn't even colour properly…still made it on the fridge."

"What?"

"Oh…muggle tradition. A fridge keeps food cold and fresh, and any achievements made by a family member gets stuck up there using magnets. Magnets are these things-"

"I know what a fridge and magnets are, I do Muggle Studies, OK?" She said defensively. I raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.

"Did Linus and Lenzo teach you how to read and stuff?" She didn't look up as she asked the question, busy with making final adjustments to the names.

"Yes. Well, I was a quick learner. I think it has something to do with the fact that I was applying myself to muggle stuff with a wizard's brain. I just…understood things quickly."

"You still understand things quickly." Judging by the tone of voice, it wasn't a compliment.

"I guess so. I don't know. I was always looking for something to entertain me as a child, I'd bore easily. I was also…always alone. Now I finally have all these things to fiddle with. Potions and spells and jinxes…magic is like science and music and art and history, all balled up into one. I could never be bored with that. I'm not brilliant like Nonno, I'm just extremely observant. Linus always told me knowing things is useless; making use of that knowledge is what is important. I always wanted…"I stopped as I looked into her brown eyes. I forgot myself for a few moments there, opening up way too much. She nodded her head and completed my sentence,

"To be useful."

I nodded and sighed. I guess Ginny would understand, wouldn't she. She was the only girl amongst all these boys. And not just any boys. Bill was brilliantly smart, Charlie was charming and heroic, Percy, even though he was being a prat right now, was intelligent, the twins didn't need an explanation and Ron was one of the most loyal and funny boys I have ever met. I knew what it was to live in the shadow of boys like that. My mind went back to Linus downstairs.

"Don't hurt him."

I plunged back out of my thoughts. I knew who she was talking about. "I doubt I can."

She snorted and stood up with the poster in her hands, it was beautiful. "For someone so observant, you're highly unobservant." She turned and walked out the door, leaving me sitting on Nessie's bed trying not to understand what she meant by that.

I heard the door creak open and figured it was just Ginny back to fetch something. I looked up to find Mi hovering at the door, uncertainly. I quickly stood up and met her in the middle.

"Ky I'm…"

"Please don't." I could feel the cold grey descend on me again. I couldn't do it. Not again. There weren't enough distractions yet. She looked at me, biting her bottom lip. I knew she wanted me to talk. I couldn't. I just couldn't. I could barely manage to think of him. I looked back at her, and she must have seen what I was trying to say with my eyes. She nodded her head fervently and pulled me to her, I hugged her back, my eyes smothered in bushy brown hair, seeing only neat brown.

I backed into the kitchen, still laughing at what the Twins had said. Damn Nessie and her obsessive planning. I looked for the crate of butterbeers that Ron was supposed to help me carry back into the party. You couldn't leave that boy for a second without him wandering off to examine that new broom of his. I saw it by the pantry door and went to get it; I heard a familiar voice float out of the little room,

"…. can't tell them that. Are you insane? Are you listening to yourself?"

"You don't get it. They were together today. What if something happened?"

"Look I know how you feel."

There was silence for a few seconds. Then the voice continued, "But it is impossible. Don't be selfish."

The kitchen door banged open, and Ron came in. Remus and Sirius quickly emerged from the pantry.

"I came to help with the butterbeer."

"How are you going to do that with that broom in your hand?" I asked.

"I can carry one side and you can carry the other." I shook my head and made to walk out. Sirius stopped me,

"Can I have a moment, Ky?"

"I can't carry this with one hand."

Remus laughed and grabbed the other end and walked out with Ron. I turned back and looked at Sirius. He sat down at the table, and I joined him.

"If this is about today. You can save it. Linus already gave me 'the Talk'. I know about the birds and the bees."

His face crinkled into a smile, and he shook his head.

"Thanks again. For not telling Len. Or Nonno. Or Sev. Or Minnie. Or Ness-"

He patted my hand, and I stopped talking. "I didn't tell them because…I trust you Ky. Because Harry trusts you. And I trust Harry. I just want you to know…I may not understand completely how you both are feeling right now, but I was once a fifteen-year-old boy. Harry said you weren't dating but I just want you…I think it's important to remember that the difference between a no strings attached relationship and exclusively dating, isn't the label. It's the feelings attached to it. You can call it one thing, but when it feels like something else, then it's something else even if you call it another thing. Just…don't rush anything, OK? Just take things slow." He smiled and sighed. "Who would have known I would start living up to my name eventually. I sound like a total…prat."

"No, you don't." I looked at him, he had all his youth stolen but at the same time it rushed back every time he smiled. "You sound like a father." I smiled at him, and he stared back at me, "Harry is lucky to have you." And I meant it. I patted his hand back and stood up. Leaving him to his thoughts that he easily lost himself in. I walked out to the party and saw the familiar head of black. It's amazing how quickly my eyes found him. He was making his way upstairs and I followed him.

I was a step behind him, and I pinched his bum playfully. He turned around quickly, his frown turning quickly into a crooked smile.

"You look surprised. Who did you think it was?"

I hopped up onto the step and leaned against the wall. He smirked down at me,

"Kreature."

"Ohhh, I do see how you could think that. I see the way he looks at you." I ran a finger across his collar bone and watched his Adams apple bob as he gulped. All that freedom was slowly leaving my body as I engaged in one intense conversation after another today. I needed another dose. He grabbed my hand and stepped forward, closing the gap between us. His eyes were dark, and he smiled a smile that held no promise of sweet innocent things. He lifted my finger to his mouth and kissed it lightly, dragging his lips to the back of my hand. I felt the blood rush to my face as his lips caressed my skin. He put his hand on my waist and pulled me to him.

His breathing was heavy and loud. So loud. As his eyes lost the darkness, my own mind started processing that the breathing wasn't coming from him. He pulled my hand away from his mouth but didn't let it go.

"Hello?"

I could hear it more clearly now, the whimpering. He hesitantly pushed the nearest door open. I peeked through behind him and saw a devastating scene.

Mrs Weasley was backed up against the wall as Ron lay pale and cold at her feet. That wasn't possible though, was it? Ron was downstairs. I could feel Harry thinking the same thing as he lurched forward and stopped.

"Mrs Weasley?"

Pop. Ron turned to Bill. Pop. Mr Weasley. Pop. Twins. Every time she muttered a feeble counter curse to what I now thought to be a boggart. Mrs Weasley could barely rasp out the spell, Harry tried going towards her. Pop. Harry lay there. His emerald orbs empty…. empty like cold grey ones. No. Not now. I can't think about that now. I can't. No. No. I didn't realise that I had moved further into the room. Harry ran forward to calm Mrs Weasley down.

Pop. There was Linus. The scariest thing was that he looked exactly like he did in his present state. No. Pop. Lenzo, his beautiful hazel eyes turned dark brown as it was robbed of life and light. Pop. There was nobody on the floor this time. This time the tall boy stood on his feet, his neat brown hair, and grey eyes cold, but not devoid of life as he glared at me. He lifted his finger straight up and pointed it at me. He pointed it straight at me and started muttering but no sound came out. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the face filled with accusation. Pop. There was a silver moon.

"Ridikulus."

Then there was just smoke.

I didn't realise I was on my knees. My head felt heavy, and my breathing was coming out in gasps. My hands were fisted in my hair. But all I saw was Linus. Linus looking exactly as he did. And him. And those haunting grey eyes. Someone tried pulling my hands out of my hair, but I didn't relent.

"Shut up!" I flinched at the thunder in his voice. "You obviously made your mind up before you even got here today and I'm a fucking idiot for even telling you half the things I did. I thought you were different…I guess you are…just in the wrong ways." He walked away and stopped in the doorway, breathing heavy, "You know most of the school is out there with their support Cedric Diggory badge…yet the only person…the one person that I want…that I need to have one…"

"Cedric-"

But he left. He was gone just like that.

No. No. No. I can't think of this. Not now. No! Everything was fading…

Linus' twinkling blue eyes danced loudly in the dimly lit corridor, his clean-shaven pale face luminescent in the darkness. "A bit eager, aren't we?" Linus chuckled into the void.

A man with straw coloured hair emerged. He had a smile that made his square jaw more pronounced. "Wouldn't think you would complain. Especially with that pretty blonde number that you have to get home to."

The chuckle died off Linus' lips; he stared at the man cautiously, his eyes narrowing, sensing something was afoot. A jet of red came out of nowhere and Linus fell to the floor screaming in agony.

A masked figure, wand withdrawn, cloaked in black emerged. He nodded to the straw haired man, who walked forward, not even batting an eyelash to the Linus' screams.

Two more figures emerged, circling Linus. He opened his eyes to the pain, his blue eyes lacking its usual twinkle.

I opened my eyes as well. Was my skull on fire? I tasted rust on my lips. But it all stopped. All sensations, when I felt warm hands around me, looking up to see familiar blue eyes that quickly faded to black.

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Please review, I'd love to know what you think,

Kalina