Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is JK Rowling's

Chapter 11: Sirius being serious

I walked out but Harry 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 my worries, and completely erased the conversation I just had with Mi. 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 had all week. Who knew Harry's fine motor skills were not just reserved for catching snitches.

I stopped as I caught a glimpse of fire red in my periphery. It was 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, I do what I say would. 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, don't worry Molly's already destroyed it - can't have that lying around. 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 and began unpacking.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"The banner…"

"With bright 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 correct shade. 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 have been 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. And I guess I'm decent at Transfiguration."

She cocked her eyebrow at me and shook her head.

"I won't apologise for being competent."

"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 muggle way. I recalled Dean was a steady hand at art, but he was muggle born. 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. She currently was shading a baby griffon to produce a more 3D effect.

"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 as birthday gifts."

I understood that. I knew the Weasleys were not the wealthiest of families, buying gifts for six brothers must be hard. But they 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 when I was a kid. 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 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.

A few minutes passed with just the sound of her pencil at work.

"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 border.

"Yeah! I was home schooled before Hogwarts and the boys helped a lot - they're really good teachers!"

"Is it true that Linus finished muggle school at fourteen?"

"We all did!" I responded without thinking, Ginny rolled her eyes at the brag, "I mean…I think it's probably the wizard genes right? Applying it to muggle stuff - probably just made us quick studies."

"You're still a quick study." Judging by the tone of voice, it wasn't a compliment.

"I guess so." I sighed. I wasn't going to make myself smaller just to fit into Ginny's idea of a humble person. "I bore easily as a kid, so I would always try to find ways to entertain myself, but whatever subject I picked I would eventually grow tired of it. 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 get bored of that! I'm not brilliant like Nonno, I don't know if I'll ever understand things the way he does, but I'm pretty observant. Linus always told me knowing things is useless; making use of that knowledge is what is important. And I have always wanted…"I stopped as I looked into her brown eyes. I forgot myself for a few moments there, and I suddenly felt more exposed than I had been with Harry a little while ago.

Ginny nodded her head and completed my sentence, "To be useful."

I nodded back.

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, and Charlie was charming and heroic. Percy, even though he was being a prat right now, was intelligent, and the twins didn't need an explanation, whilst 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 of course knew who she was talking about. "I doubt I can."

She snorted and stood 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 get something. I looked up to find Mi hovering in the entrance, uncertain. I quickly stood 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, I couldn't open this box. Not again. There weren't enough distractions yet.

Mi 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.

My face seemed to convey to her what my words could not, and she nodded her head fervently in understanding, and pulled me to her.

I hugged her back, my eyes smothered in bushy brown hair, seeing only neat brown.

-x-x-x-

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 spotted the drinks by the pantry door and made a beeline for it; but stopped as I heard a familiar voice float out of the pantry.

"…. 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, feigning normalcy making them look ten times more suspicious.

"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 but Sirius stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Can I have a moment, Ky?"

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

Remus laughed at Ron's retort, and grabbed the other end and walked out with him. 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 kid. 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 it rushed back every time he smiled. "You sound like a dad." I shrugged, then smiled at him, and he stared back at me, a tad shell shocked, "Harry is lucky to have you. Thank you." And I meant it. I patted his hand back and left him to his thoughts, which were swirling in his dark grey orbs.

I walked back to the party and spotted 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. Harry spun around, 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 Adam's 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.

Harry grabbed my hand and stepped forward, closing the gap between us. His eyes were bright, and he smiled a smile that made 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 very loud. As his eyes dimmed, 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 was on his feet, his neat brown hair, and grey eyes cold, but burning with ire as he glared at me. He lifted his finger up and pointed it straight at me. He 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."

And 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 heavily, "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 Linus' screams.

Two more figures emerged, circling Linus. His face already pallid with pain, and his blue eyes lacking its usual twinkle.

My eyes popped open. Was my skull on fire? I tasted rust on my lips. My thoughts evaporated as I felt familiar hands around me, and I processed the lively midnight blue hue looking down at me, and then nothing.

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

Kalina