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

Chapter 17: The black that made me see red

Arresto Momentum

I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. My spell would have slowed it down a fraction, but we were still bound to get hurt, or fracture something.

My face slammed onto something surprisingly soft. I turned over and opened my eyes, the staircases floating above me. I felt the body next to mine stir,

"Ky."

"Nessie are you OK?"

"Yes…"I observed her carefully, her hair was a mass of knots from the wind, but her face didn't convey pain. She looked at me, brows scrunched in confusion, "Why are we on a bed?"

"The question that is needing asking am why miss Ky is wanting to kill Kinky by giving Kinky a heart attack!"

I looked to the little elf that stood to my right, an unusual cross look on her face. Well, that explains the bed. I suddenly realised why we were in this position and turned to Nessie,

"What did the person look like?"

"What?"

"The person that imperiused you. What did they look like?"

"Imperiused? Like the Imperius Curse? That unforgivable used to control people?" Her eyes widened and then went back to its normal size as she shook her head, "I wasn't imperiused Ky."

I cocked an eyebrow at her, "Then what? You decided to just jump off the staircase on your own?"

"Of course not. I fell."

"You fell?" My voice was rising in octaves now. The portrait of the sleeping old warlock muttered an annoyed sound. We had fallen five floors; we were on the first.

"Yes. I must not have timed the step correctly."

She said it with conviction; I got up quickly, looking up at the stairs above but seeing nobody there, dead, or alive.

"You purposely fell Nessie. I saw it happen." I remembered her face; it was so serene and had the glazed look of someone under the imperius curse. And the dark hair of the attacker in the mirror. She was definitely not alone.

"No Ky, you must have seen wrong. Lucky you got there though…"She jumped quickly up, "Lenzo must be looking for me. I didn't mean to venture off so far."

"Venture off?" Nessie was one of those highly respectful of rules, obedient people. She knew better than to run off on her own.

"Yes. I just walked around and got kind of lost. I didn't reach the central staircases for a while…I feel like such a schmuck…I can't believe I lost my footing like that."

"YOU DID NOT LOSE YOUR FOOTING." OK, I needed to calm down.

She looked at me disapprovingly. I took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of my nose, a habit I inherited from Linus. "You had the Imperius curse on you Nessie. Someone purposely put it on you so you can hurt yourself gravely, or worse. Now we have to go to Nonno, he'll ask the right questions with the right spells to back him up.

She pulled her arm out of my grip and jumped off the bed, "We will do no such thing. I am not speaking to the Professor about this! EVER! I just lost my footing-"

"STOP SAYING THAT! YOU WERE-"

"DON'T SAY IT! I WAS NOT!"

"Then how can you fucking explain falling down from the sixth floor! And don't say you lost your footing. You're about the most graceful person I know!"

"I wasn't watching where I was going OK! I was busy thinking about…. and I just…look Ky, it was a mistake. Nobody needs to know!"

"EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW! Somebody tried killing you!"

"WHY would somebody do that? Now really! I am in no way a threat to anyone here! Plus, why are you so sure that I was being controlled!"

"Because I saw it! In my head… That's how I knew to come! Plus, you didn't even respond to my shouts!"

"I told you I was preoccupied. Just let it go!"

"I am sorry Agnes…I can't…I know you don't want to think of yourself as being controlled but that's what happened. And we're wasting time, we need to go look for this mad fu-"

She grabbed my hand and pulled me back, "NO KY PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T! IF YOU TELL, IT WOULD ALL BE FOR NOTHING!"

I turned and looked at her frightened blue eyes. What was she going on about? She looked at me through a layer of liquid sorrow. I halted.

"They'll kick me out. I won't be allowed to be in the Order anymore…I won't be allowed to be with you guys anymore…"

"Agnes my grandfather will not-"

"I know. But he will HAVE to. That's the deal. I'm only allowed to help on a trial basis, if one thing slips up and I am proven to be the weak link that all sane men deem me, your grandfather agreed to let me go."

"I'd rather see you go, than see you dead!"

"I WOULDN'T!" She screamed at me, her bottom lip trembling. "I gave up everything for this. I gave up Linus for this." She finished quietly, tears flowing freely down her face.

I looked at her, still slightly turned away. I adjusted myself to be in front of her.

"You gave him up?"

She bit her bottom lip trying to stop the tears, but held my gaze, "He…said he wanted me back. That there were a lot of things we had to work on and a lot of things he wouldn't be able to forget like me lying to him about being in London and endangering your safety…but he could forgive. Just like he hoped I would do too. I agreed wholeheartedly, I was so close to losing him for good…I'd give him anything…but then…he misunderstood. He thought that everything will go back to normal. That I will go back to being Agnes McQueen, Scottish born New Yorker with a penchant for Prada and parties."

She brushed the tears and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Linus was a fool. Agnes hadn't been that person for ages now. Even before I came around. She steadied her voice, "I couldn't…never again." She mumbled. She met my gaze again, "I…I know this isn't my world Ky. I know I don't belong…I know that."

"Rubbish." She sniffed at me, "Magic is nothing without people. And it's not just witches and wizards that have magic. It's more than spells, and curses and potions…its strength and courage and hope and faith and loyalty and so many inexplicable things. This is your world just as much as it is mine and it has nothing to do with the fact that Linus is your…was your fiancé."

"I am only accepted here because of Linus-"

"No. That isn't true." I walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I see it. I noticed it when you nursed Linus' wounds, and when you welcomed Diggles with a hug. When you were a shoulder for Vance when she found out about her parents. And I see it every single time any Order member gets to quarters and the first person they look for is you. Do you think they do that because you are Linus' fiancé? No. They do that because you are needed. They need you."

She burst out in tears and hugged me, "I need them too. I have never felt like this before Ky. I feel…I feel…"She shook her head, but she didn't have to tell me. I knew what she meant. She felt useful. Not a lot of people find their purpose in life. When you do, you don't walk away. She pulled herself off me,

"That's why you can't. Please. If you bring up that you think someone imperiused me…it will be over. I just lost my footing Ky; I was so distracted. By this place and Linus. Please…I'm begging you…please."

It wasn't her words that sold me, but the look on her face. Pure desperation.

"Fine…but you have to be more careful."

She nodded emphatically and gave me a hug. "Thank you."

I shook my head at her. She didn't have to thank me; it was us who needed to express gratitude. We with our wands and our power, the ability to defend…she had nothing. Yet she wanted to do this. To be here. To help when our 'own' kind won't even lend a hand. I turned to Kinky who was patiently waiting.

"How did you get here so quickly Kinks?"

"Wee hoo sound went off." I looked at her with curiosity, "The wee hoo sound that goes off when a student falls from the staircase. It was my duty today."

I shook my head, so that's why there have never been any injuries from people falling off the central stairs, even with klutz like Bobby around. Trust Nonno to make an alarm for that sort of thing. I nodded at Kinkz,

"Please take Nessie to Lenzo. He's in Nonno's office. I'll go to dinner."

Kinky nodded at me; I didn't have to tell her not to tell. She may not have her allegiance to me anymore but Kinky was my friend. I knew she would only tell if Sirius asked her. I let Nessie hug me again and watched her walk up the stairs. I sighed. I was being insane, wasn't I?

Well, I wouldn't tell any of the Order members…but I know a few non-Order members that I can tell that knew a thing or two about piecing puzzles together. I took a step down and staggered. Pain spiked in my head. I could feel a headache coming on. I held the banister and gritted my teeth. I guess subconscious Ky with the freaky premonition power had been knocked out.

I reached into my pocket; lucky Nessie gave me this tonic. I downed it in one go, and felt it take effect immediately. I took the stairs two at a time and then stopped dead in my tracks. There it was. Black, flowing hair…but this time there was no reflection.

A/N: What would you do in that situation? I know what Hermione would do, definitely tell, but Ky…her moral compass isn't so steadfastly north…what do you think?

Kalina