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

Chapter 60

Harry's POV

"Still doesn't explain how it's possible?"

Ron's voice was processed vaguely in the back of my mind as I leaned against the wall opposite the large doors. Two minutes, it took us two minutes to get to the first floor corridor all the way from the common room, that's how well we knew the route here…I suddenly had a newfound dislike for the hospital wing.

"How what is possible? Ronald, I cannot believe you, really. Firstly, Neville is our friend! And you just suggesting that he isn't worthy-"

"I'm not saying he isn't 'worthy' of Alya Bellamy. I'm just saying…making out in broom cupboards every other night? With a ten? Not many men are worthy of that?"

"A ten? A ten of what?"

I cut across their conversation, knowing that any explanation of how Ron rates girls was going to result in a very long argument, "He did say twelve, right?"

I watched as Ron walked away, off to quidditch practice which means it was already six. It was Wednesday, Ky was supposed to be out of the Hospital Wing by Monday evening. I ran a finger across her opened palm, her fingers unusually cold. Maybe we should ask for a bed closer to the fire.

The Hospital Wing was empty save for the three of us, Ky was asleep and I was just as silent, staring at her. Hermione made the only noise, the soft scratching of her quill against parchment a pleasant background sound.

"Maybe they should bring in a specialist?" I voiced the thought for the tenth time today.

"A specialist for what Potter? To monitor her sleeping?" I glowered at him, his back to me as he arranged the potions at her bedside. Maybe they had to undergo stealth training in Death Eater camp…I hated being surprised like that. I schooled my features, the shock on my face at his voice dissipating, Hermione was having a harder time, she had knocked a whole bottle of ink down.

I watched as he tinkered away, he was quite a creature of habit. Come in at six, pretend to be looking at her stock of potions, watch her continuously out of the corner of his eye, leave. Guess they didn't teach him about being inconspicuous in Death Eater camp.

"She has been asleep for quite some time, Professor Snape."

Hermione spoke with a politeness only she managed to muster when talking to this…man. He didn't turn away from his fake tinkering, I watched as the red plagued Hermione's cheeks, embarrassed at being ignored. Well serves her right for trying to converse with him in the first place.

"Considering the external damage inflicted in the cave-in, coupled with the internal damage inflicted by the Vikadel, four days of solid sleep is no cause for concern. If anything, it's a good sign."

"Internal damage? Good sign?"

I heard him sigh at my question, "Why am I not surprised that you are so blissfully ignorant Potter. Vikadel is an extremely rare root, only found in the islands east of Asia. Furthermore its potency is such that I used one strand in her potion. One strand, that enables the potion to be viable and biologically active in her body for more than three months. The intention of the potion is to internally damage her clairvoyant ability, so not only is she recovering from the cave-in injuries but the injury to her inner psyche. Four days of uninterrupted sleep is an excellent sign, it means she hasn't rejected the potion and that it is in effect. Her sleep is testament to her recovery. Now I will leave it to Miss Granger to explain what all those big confusing words mean."

I almost let out a snarl at the last part. Arse. He turned and walked to the door,

"She should be up at twelve tomorrow."

He was almost out the door as Hermione shouted her thanks.

My head snapped up as the door open and I straightened up. There was a niggling at the pit of my stomach as if someone was tugging at my intestines, snap out of it! You shouldn't feel nervous of your own girlfriend. I caught the expression on Hermione's face, looks like she was feeling the exact same way. Ron was as carefree as usual and a pang of jealousy ran through me, he wasn't there. He didn't have to make the incredibly hard decision of going against her will.

I turned my attention back to the door, my mind in a stagnant hover. Ky nodded her head at whatever Madam Pomfrey said and walked towards us, she was in her school uniform, her eyes downcast, obscured by the dark waves that flowed across her face. Do I go forward? Hug her? Or stand here…was she even talking to me?

"Your hair looks like crap."

Her head snapped up at Ron's voice and my urge to slap him on the head disappeared at the smile on her face, "I can brush my hair, but whatever could you do with your face?"

Made brave by her playful words, I walked forward quickly, pulling her bag off her shoulder for me to carry, "I can manage." In a blink, the light from her laughter dulled and her eyes looked at me darkly. Well that answered my question on whether she was talking to me. I just shouldn't expect kind words any time soon.

"I see Kinky managed to bring your stuff up to you. I wasn't sure if you were feeling cold but I packed a jumper just in case."

"Thanks."

Hermione's face fell at the cool voice that held no gratitude. We had discussed this though, and expected this. It didn't make it hurt any less.

"Where are you going?" She stopped walking down the stairs and turned to look up at me, I could almost imagine her raising an eyebrow at me…but her face remained stoic,

"Potions."

"You don't have to come to potions. You have the rest…" She continued walking down the stairs and Hermione practically ran after her, "rest of the day off. You should rest."

She didn't respond, Hermione glanced at me, practically on the verge of tears.

"Ky, why don't we go up to the common room? What's one skipped potions class."

"I'd rather go for the potion class if that's my options."

I stopped. So did Ron and Hermione, but Ky kept on walking.

"Harry…"

"It's OK Hermione." I schooled my features to hide the pain at the lightning bolt she just plunged into my chest and continued down the stairs. Not only was I unsure of what move to make next…I was unsure about her feelings for me entirely…

I waited impatiently, drumming my fingers on the armchair. I could hear the twins laughing nearby; the common room was busy as always. I looked down at my watch, it was already nine.

"Sorry I'm late. These two first years tried sneaking into the forbidden forest. Well actually they didn't even get past the front door."

"It's OK. Can you go and…" I had just come from occlumency, Ron was at quiditch practice and Hermione had just come from prefect duty. Ky was alone for the past few hours and I was eager to try and resolve the situation. I didn't know if she would come down if I asked her too…she didn't speak a word to me in potions class. But then again she never spoke to anyone else either.

"I'll go up and tell her you're waiting for her."

"Thanks Hermione." She wiggled her way through the packed room and I pulled out the map. I think it's best we have this conversation as private as possible, either the Room of Requirement or the Revolving Tower. I'll ask her which she preferred…if she even decides to come down.

"She's not in the dorm." I tried not to panic unnecessarily…this was different from Saturday. She never told me she would be up in the dorm; I just assumed that she would be. She might be in her lab. She probably was there. I looked towards the dungeons on the map, not seeing her anywhere there.

"There." Hermione pointed to her name, she was on the third floor, standing halfway down the corridor outside Charms, the passageway near the shortcut to the library. She probably was on her way back from the library…she went to the library? She rather visit the library than spend time with me? This was worse than I thought.

"Thanks Hermione."I pocketed the map and manoeuvred my way out of the room, I was on the third floor in moments. We were a few minutes from end of curfew so I carried the cloak just in case. I walked past the Charms classroom and turned left, it was strange…I should have bumped into her by now, but then again I was running more than walking. Plus, I noticed she was walking much slower earlier on, her leg wasn't completely OK. I reached the passage I spotted her on and stopped…

I could see all the way down, the passage was straight which ended in the portrait which guarded the library entrance, but she wasn't in sight. There was a cold wind that caused the candles to sputter but not go out, Hogwarts candles were immune to the wind, I walked closer to the candle, pulling out the map...growing more confused by the second.

There was my name shining up at me, and not two feet ahead was Ky's. I tore my eyes away from the map and looked up again. Nothing. I walked forward quickly,

"Fuck."

The swear flew out of my mouth before my lip hit the floor in a painful thud. The space between the two brackets was thrown into darkness and my foot must have caught on something, I sat up, wiping the trickle of blood from my cut lip and readjusting my glasses.

I looked down at what I had tripped on, squinting in the dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly due to the familiarity. How many times did I run my fingers over that soft calf, how many times did my eyes roam over those tan legs?

The floor was to my knees in a heartbeat as I kneeled over grabbing her shoulders and pulling her up, I had carried her in my arms countless of times but there was a heaviness to her body that chilled me to the bone, my voice was a rasp whisper as I called for her, urging her to open her eyes, I touched her face, her smooth cold cheek…the blood on my finger mixing with the one that stained her face.

"- stay a day longer but she insisted she's OK. Spends more time in this wing than out of it, can you lot take that kafuffle outside and let me work in peace! Headmaster-"

"I know Poppy." Dumbledore ushered us out the door and I leaned against the wall, much like I did earlier on. I'm beginning to hate this wall.

"Are you sure you didn't see anyone?" Linus' face was pale; he had just got back on some Order business when he got the message and flooed right over. Len wasn't back from his mission so there was nobody around to placate him.

"Yes." I told him for the fifth time, "The portrait of Wizard Buraffio guarding the library wasn't even there."

"Well he usually faces the inside of the library now doesn't he? It's not a very popular passageway." Hermione muttered next to me, Linus was already talking out another scenario.

Dumbledore and Snape were whispering near the door, we had encountered each other countless times in the past few weeks and not once did he look me in the eye. I shook my head, I had no time to think about that. Ky was lying through that door, unconscious. She wasn't stunned like before, and she was injured. Injured in a way she wasn't supposed to have been. The blood on her face had come from her nose.

"Maybe she had a vision. I thought that potion was supposed to stop that." Linus had come to the same conclusion that I had. Those excessive nosebleeds only come with visions.

"Who's that?" I turned to where Hermione was looking, down the corridor, McGonagall and Sprout were walking with three girls that I hadn't seen before. As they came closer I realised that they were around Ginny's age, one having hair colour quite close to hers, she stared stubbornly at the floor, the sandy haired one next to her had a level of innocence displayed on her face so strong, it must have been fake. The third and the tallest girl with the black hair was chewing half her hand off.

"These are the three girls that Wizard Burrafio saw go through his portrait after Ky. Miss Smetfield, I do believe you have something to say to the headmaster."

The sandy haired girl looked wide eyed at Professor Sprout who returned her feigned innocence with a steady stare. She turned to Dumbledore, her eyes focused on his beard. She opened her mouth and then closed it. She took a deep breath, "I don't think I understand-"

"It was us!" The black haired girl burst out, her face crumpled red, doused with tears, her friends turned to her in shock as she stumbled forward, "I'm so sorry headmaster! It was only supposed to make her hair fall off! We didn't expect it to make her nose bleed and send her into delirium! We would never have run away if we knew that she passed out."

"I have no idea what Anna is-"

"Miss Smetfield, I would choose your words very wisely." McGonagall glared down at the girl,

"Oh! I do not believe for a second that this triforce of imbeciles could possibly have pulled one on Ky!" Hermione stared the sandy haired girl down, "You used Zonko's Hairgo dust didn't you? I doubt you brainless bints could make up stock of your own? What did you mix with it? Tell us exactly what you put in it!"

"We only used the dust, nothing else!" Squealed the black haired girl, tears welled in her eyes.

Hermione turned on her, "Don't lie to me!"

"Miss Granger!" Hermione quickly lowered the wand that she just whipped out, as shocked at her own actions as McGonagall was.

The attention however was stolen by a shriek from the hospital wing, I knocked past the girls and darted through.

"Miss Thornton! Stop! Get back into your bed."

Ky was on her feet, her eyes wild and her cheeks red. She whipped around as I entered, her hair so feral as it whipped at her face it looked as if it had a mind of its own. Her greys eyes locked into my own and a shock of electricity shot through my spine at the unfamiliar glint.

"Stupefy."

I couldn't dodge her spell even if I wanted to, I was rooted to the spot by her fanatical eyes and her extreme wand waving,

"Expelliarmus! Depulso! Confundo! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"

"Ky! Stop that! Expelliarmus!" The wand flew out of her hand and she snapped her head towards Linus! She let out an ear splitting scream which pulled me out of my trance, I rushed towards her but she backed away.

"YOU'VE TAKEN IT AWAY!"

"Ky! Calm down! Calm down or I'll-"

"You'll what! YOU'LL what! What can YOU do that hasn't already been done LINUS! You've taken it away!"

I grabbed her hand but she pulled it out of my grip with such force I felt my nails grate against her soft skin and it pained me, she turned away from Linus, her face soaked and eyes red, glowing with anger burning into me,

"GET AWAY! You let them! YOU LET THEM!"

"I'm so sorry. Ky, I'm so sorry!" I had no idea what I was apologising for but she terrified me to the extent that I would tell her anything just to calm her down. I grabbed her elbows but this time she didn't fight back, a painful rasp shot out of her, the tears spilling everywhere as she shook her head from side to side. What was going on? Even though she wasn't fighting my grip her head was still shaking left to right, the rasps slowly defining into words as I pulled her into my arms.

"No…can't…no…my…no-"

Once her head hit my chest, the thrashing began and she pushed me away,

"No! No! Don't touch me!"

"Get away from her Potter!"

"You don't get to say that!" She turned to Snape, pointing a trembling finger at the black eyed man, "YOU! NONE OF YOU!" Her whole body was trembling, "YOU TOOK IT AWAY!" She wagged her head, left and right, "YOU LET THEM TAKE IT AWAY!"

"KYRIANNA!"

Her head stopped wagging and her trembling stopped, her hair a mass of knots that obscured her eyes. She was still for moments; the whole room paused, waiting and praying for the calm after the storm. She slowly raised her head, the eyes of the storm…pointed straight at her grandfather.

"It's gone." She whispered, the room was so silent though it must have carried right out the door,

"What is Kyrianna?"

"MY MAGIC!" She snapped, her face crumbling and she covered it in her hands as the sobs wracked at her chest and my heart.

"You must be mistaken Ky…Ky." Hermione walked forward slowly,

"I am not mistaken. I can feel it because it's not there. It's not there! It's always been there but it's not there. It's gone. It's gone because you made me take that potion! It's gone because…"

"We don't know for sure Ky."

She glared up at her brother, pointing the trembling finger into her own chest for emphasis, "I know."

Linus took a step forward and she backed away from him, "Stay away from me."

"Ky, you're just stressed. Once you calm down, everything will be OK."

"No it won't…it's gone." She looked down at the floor, completely still. The next moment she pushed past Hermione and was out the door.

Linus and I both ran for the doors but it snapped in our faces. I grabbed at the knob, pulling as hard as I can,

"Open this door! Open it right now!" Linus screamed at Dumbledore,

"Leave her be."

"Leave her be? Did you not just hear her? She's hysterical. She's delusional. She'll hurt herself!"

Dumbledore shook his head slowly, "No. She isn't."

"You think she's talking sense?" Linus looked as if he liked nothing more than to strike his grandfather.

"The fact that Mr Potter is not stunned, disarmed, banished nor confounded is testament to that."

I stopped turning the doorknob, her hand as she thrashed the wand through the air playing repetitively in my head.

"Could…did the potion do that?" Linus' voice was small with guilt.

"We can't be sure…the properties of Vikadel have not be fully expunged."

He turned to Snape, "You knew that yet you-"

"Do not Linus. You were privy to all the information concerning the root prior to her ingestion of it. You were the one that gave the instruction."

Linus' breathing was uncontrolled, I tried to open the door again and it pushed open and I fell through with my force.

"I ask that you give Kyrianna her time. She is very angry and I think following her will burn more bridges than build them. Let her calm down, then we shall try and fix this."

"What if she hurts herself?"

"I will not let that happen, Linus. The castle will look after her; I trust both it and Kyrianna in doing so. Mr Potter?"

I turned, Dumbledore was looking down at me, "The map."

"I don't have it-"

"The map, Mr Potter."

I really needed to learn occlumency, I took the map from my pocket and handed it to him, "Kyrianna's temper doesn't warrant company, she will destroy and leave both of you regretting words and actions. Believe me, it's best to give her space…the most terrifying thing that could have happened to her has, we have to trust that she will come to us when the storm is over. For now let her rage. Let it leave her system and not enter into yours. The map will be back in your possession in the right time."

I turned and walked out, what was that? Was he afraid if I found her that the negative energy might make me more vulnerable to Voldemort? Make it harder for me to close my mind off to him?

No… He didn't want her to be alone, he wanted her to be away from me, he thought I was dangerous. Just like Mad Eye and the rest of the Order. I would never hurt her.

"I can't believe this has happened."

I didn't say anything to Hermione, taking the steps two at a time.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to find Ky. Map or no map, even if I have to search this whole castle, I'll find her."

I sprung up; the ghost feeling that was my father's cloak sliding down to the floor. I bent and picked it up, the weak rays of morning hitting my face at the bare common room window. I stretched in the armchair, the search for Ky was futile. I had searched everywhere possible, but nothing. She probably was up in the dorm by now, my intention was to wait here in the common room for her, but I must have fallen asleep. She probably saw me lying here and just walked straight passed. I checked my watch…seven. I could hear movement on the stairs, people would be coming down soon.

I stood and something floated off me, I grabbed it before it reached the floor. It was the map…Dumbledore gave it back?

Probably sent it with Dobby, I opened it and searched for her name. My heart didn't stop beating because I barely felt it start beating, remembering what happened last night.

The beating came back with the vengeance when I found her, and thankfully it did too as it fuelled my flight out the portrait and down the stairs. The map was broken, it had to be broken. That was the only conclusion, because if this map was not broken, something much more important to me was about to be broken.

I stopped running but couldn't turn away, my eyes on the dark waves,

"Thanks for last night, Draco."

She walked out of the portrait and turned, her grey eyes wide when they fell on my face,

"Harry?"

It wasn't broken. Kyrianna Ariana Kendra Thornton had been in the Slytherin fifth year boys dorms. It wasn't broken…but I was.

A/N: Please review

Kalina