Anything that rings a bell belongs to JK Rowling

Italian to English Translations

Cucciola - puppy

Chapter Fourteen : The Art of Lying

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mrs Weasley's voice echoed through the silence. She ran forward clutching a paper in her hand and flung her arms around Mr Weasley. Ky stopped paying attention though, because two shadows were hot on her heels, and she was soon whipped up into the air.

"Principessa!" She was being pelted with kisses and she was exchanged to the next person like a sack of potatoes.

"The Old Man sent us a letter with Fawkes explaining what had happened." Linus was still petting her hair. His face pale, "We wanted to go straight to the stadium, but this lot stopped us." He cocked his head backwards where a stony faced Sev was standing with a stern-faced Minnie.

"Should have known if there's trouble you'll find it, how did you pick up this souvenir?" Len crouched down, perusing her knee intently.

"I told you she ran into a stump. Thankfully it was a non-displaced fracture, which means no surgery, not that surgery is a thing here…in the 'muggle' world you'd have to rest for weeks but I hear you only need to rest for the day for the potion to take effect." Ky looked at Linus, who sounded a lot like Mi at the moment. "I apparated to Hogwarts once I heard - yeah I've got my license, friends of the Old Man's have been giving us lessons in New York and Paris respectively. I arrived just as he was getting off the floo with your medi-wizard." Linus explained as they all were making their way to the house; Ky walked up to Sev and Minnie.

"Luck is never in my favour it seems; I wondered how much I would have to pay one of those fools to do you in." Ky schooled her features, smirking, trying to ignore the usual playful taunting comment that Sev made, that unusually hit home.

"Oh Sensei, let's not pretend you didn't sprint to Nonno's office to check if I was alive."

"Actually, he sprinted to Hogsmeade, tried to apparate to the-"

"I did no such thing Minerva. I was on my way to Hogsmeade regardless, when Hagrid notified me of the good news." He smirked down at her.

"Early morning shag with old' Rosmerta?" Ky laughed as Minnie and Linus immediately began to admonish her for the joke.

"For the last time she was getting me a type of brandy I needed for a potion that you need a liquor licence to purchase! Well, my job here is done, since your Grandfather had to go to the ministry for damage control, he sent me here to make sure you're all in one piece. Unfortunately, I'll have to report that you are. Here. Once every three hours just for the day, it'll help with the drowsiness and bruising."

And just like that Sev was gone. Somethings never change.

"I best be off too…You are ok Bane?" Minnie still had that stern look on her face, but her eyes were her tell, they were soft and caring. She was staring at Ky intently, trying to judge the truth in her face.

"Right as rain. Speaking of, where on earth did that saying originate from-"

Ky stopped as Minnie hugged her. This was the first time she initiated contact. She let go and cleared her throat, "Well Miss Thornton, I will be seeing you tomorrow. Take your medication on time and here," She pulled out a container and enlarged it, "Mona made them. She and Filius send their well wishes. Stay off that leg. Mr Thornton, Mr Thornton."

And with another strict look she was gone too. Ky looked at her boys. Linus looked like he hadn't slept all night, Len probably didn't either, but he was blessed with genes that prevented bags and shadows on his face.

"Go on…ask what you want to." They continued to stare at her.

Linus tilted her chin up. He stared at her face, "Are you ok?" It was simple and straight forward and it was what she expected. These two knew her too well, right down to her cellular composition. They knew her every tell, something she herself didn't even know. But this was the reason why she didn't tell anybody…the reason that she made him swear not tell anybody.

If her brothers found out what nearly happened in that forest, she could kiss any hope of Hogwarts goodbye.

Linus would probably kidnap her if he had to, he was crazy paranoid. And Lenzo might be the more carefree of the two but when he put his foot down, he soldered it down. They would say that the Wizarding world was dangerous no matter how much she argued that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"No…not really, I didn't get any sleep last night, so I'm exhausted. And this hurts a bit." She looked up at them awkwardly.

Linus petted her hair, "I'm sorry principessa. Why don't we get you to bed? Len and I are hanging around; you couldn't get rid of us."

Len hoisted her up into his arms easily and she smiled up at him, letting out a sigh of relief in her head.

"And when you wake up, you can tell us what's really on your mind." Len said this smiling, but his face was set.

Sneeze bits, it just kept getting better and better.

-x-x-x-

Cold hands, ice cold hands…drift up her stomach…her ribs…ascending. She concentrated on throwing the beast off, but there's no crunch of back hitting the tree trunk…just a ripping of cloth. Further concentration but nothing… just lips that bruised with a stench of firewhiskey. She shut her eyes tight…concentrating…cold floated down her stomach, rested on her hip and descended. She opened her eyes in fright, pleading to be freed, her voice stolen by the beast's invasion and all they saw was blood red…

Ky woke with a start. She jumped off the bed and fell to the floor. Fuck! She managed to put a load of weight on her leg and the pain was back with a vengeance. She felt the writhing in her stomach, and crawled the last few steps to Ginny's ensuite.

Thank heavens the other two were not in the room and she reached the toilet and retched into the bowl. Ky lifted herself to the sink and gurgled, splashing water all down her front at the rate that her hands were shaking. She backed against the wall and slid down.

Fuck she was acting like a damn…weak… Why was she even thinking of that crap… She pushed him off, right? She saved herself. It's not like he even touched her, like barely. Just on the stomach and there's nothing sexual about the place where your food is kept. Not like he touched her breasts or something.

Ky was acting like a drama queen. She was fine. Her ludicrousness was getting worse if she was having dreams about Voldemort assaulting her.

Bile rose in her throat again.

Just then there was a knock on the door, "Ky, everything alright?"

It was Mi.

"Yeah Mi. Nature didn't so much as call but scream at the top of her lungs it seems."

She heard her soft chuckle through the wooden barrier, "Well I'm downstairs."

"Be right there." Ky got herself off the floor and looked in the mirror. She looked like shit. It seems like she managed to bite her lips till it bled in her sleep. She was proud of her subconscious self; she had her priorities straight. Blood and pain were better than the embarrassment if found screaming like a little girl.

Her breathing slowed and she leaned her head against the cold wall. She took out her locket and traced the phoenix wings hypnotically. It seemed Linus and Len had done too good a job of sheltering her, she couldn't even handle a little mishap like this.

That wanker did nothing, means nothing…she smiled to myself…wanker… how British of her.

That made her think of Nonno.

And just like that she heaved herself off the floor, leaned on the sink and washed her face. She wouldn't want him to see her, lying on the floor like some stupid ninny. She was Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter. She kicked the demented fool's ass, he started it, but she finished it.

She was being an idiot.

She was fine, now she just need to convince Linus and Lenzo of it.

Ky limped downstairs to find most of the house empty. Mi was sitting on the sofa with a book in hand, but she dropped it and rushed forward to help her.

"Ky there is a reason you have a crutch!"

"I know, but we don't have a pool table, so I left it upstairs."

Mi helped her onto the sofa and was fussing with the cushions. "Honestly Ky, be serious! And a crutch is too short to use as a pool stick. You were not supposed to put any weight on that leg."

"Calling me fat Mi?"

"What? Of course not!"

"I can see why you would think so, Miss Bumless Where's-my-boobs." Ky laughed at her friend's offended expression, "I'm only joking Mi, you know you have the perfect figure hidden underneath all that plaid. And your boobs will come in by Christmas, I promise!"

"KY….! Why Christmas?" Ky laughed at her flushed face.

"I had a dream, more like a premonition…and in it you had a double D rack with junk in the trunk and you were rapping wearing a pink wig. You were dancing on a bar table bedecked with holly and I was trying to get you down, but you kept saying, 'I have a big butt and I cannot lie, none of these brothers can deny, when I walk in with my itty-bitty waist and my round thing in their –'"

Mi shoved the scatter cushion on her face to cease Ky's performance.

They were speechless for a few seconds, waiting for their laughter to die down. Then Mi stood and started bobbing her head and flashing peace signs,

"You get sprung, Wanna pull up tough, Cuz you notice that butt was stuffed, Deep in the jeans she's wearing, I'm hooked, and I can't stop staring."

Ky stared at Mi dumbstruck for a second, and then she burst out laughing. That must be one of the most outrageously hilarious things she has ever seen, Mi sat down, her eyes still bright from giggling.

"What? I listen to the radio when I'm on vacation. I can't help it if I've got really good recall."

Ky opened her mouth to say something but dissolved into laughter again.

"Where is everyone by the way?"

"Mr Weasley and Percy are at work, Mrs Weasley is napping, and the rest are at the orchard. Your brothers are with them."

"Figured. You didn't have to wait."

She sighed, "I know. I'm not the biggest fan of quidditch and I want to finish this." She gestured at the book. She suddenly looked at Ky in shock, "You must be starving! You haven't eaten today. Let me get you something to-"

"Oooh yeah, look in the kitchen there are chocolate muffins that Minnie brought. Bring a few."

"Chocolate muffins are not food Kyrianna! I'm getting you proper food just wait here."

Jeez she could do a good Minnie.

Ky rested her head back onto the sofa, shutting her eyes, just relaxing.

Suddenly dark warmth covered her eyes and her heart began to race and she was just about to have a panic attack, but Subconscious Ky had the situation under control.

She breathed a few times and quickly slid a smirk on her face as the person behind her made a weird voice,

"Guess who?"

"Robert Downey Jr."

"What? How could it be Robert Downey Jr.? I said guess, not dream. And Robert Downey Jr? Really Ky, I thought you inherited my exquisite taste, that skinny awkward dude isn't going to make it far in life." Len sat down next to her and cradled her leg whilst Linus pushed her forward and squeezed into the space between her and the arm of the sofa.

"Maybe I like skinny awkward dudes that don't go far in life."

"That is precisely what I am afraid of cucciola." Linus said petting her hair. He really did treat her like his puppy. They were quiet for a while, and then Len spoke. They always played good cop bad cop, didn't even try to spice it up, did they?

"So, Ky, are you going to tell us what's really on your mind?" Lenzo was looking at her, reading her expression. It was a display of their trust in one another that Linus chose to sit facing her back, trusting Len enough to gauge her honesty. Ky sighed and leaned back against Linus.

"Guess I just got really worried about Mi yesterday. Nonno probably told you they were attacking muggle-borns, it's a prejudice some dark wizards have. I was just really worried about her especially because we got split up. I was just trying to get to her to make sure she was ok and that's why I didn't see where I was going. And then it dawned on me afterwards that if things don't work out tomorrow, if I'm put in a different house, that's going to be the end-"

"Oh, Ky don't be ridiculous!" Mi was standing in the doorway, a tray of food in her hands. She rushed forward placing the tray on the coffee table and dropping down on her knees to her level, "Look Ky, we'll be friends no matter what house you are placed in. Even Slytherin. I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, it's just…I don't know…I've never had a female friend before that I just clicked with and-"

"You don't have to explain, I feel the same." Ky kind of felt bad about her half-truth. She was worried about Mi of course… she just wasn't worried about their friendship. Nothing as small as being placed in a different Houses would get in the way of that. Her gut told her that Mi and she were meant to be friends, she was her soul sister, and that's why she jumped into this friendship head first right from the start.

It seems this touching scene had an effect on Len; he was smiling at Ky with relief. Maybe they were worried she would not acclimate to the school experience after being on her own for so long. If she was being honest, she was a bit worried too… it's why she was trying so hard to maintain her new friendships.

"That's great Hermione. I needed to hear that. I was afraid Ky would lose the new friends she made-"

"Why would I lose the new friends I made!" Ky snapped around and looked at Linus. Now she realised why he was facing her back… coward.

"Ky, I'm sure you understand why I left you here. I come back and find you hurt and in a very dangerous situation. I did my research, Voldemort's supporters are not fans of the Old Man, and they were out and about last night torturing people. What do you think would happen if they found you…. No don't, this isn't up for debate. Len and I spoke about it and this world of magic is obviously not what you, what we all thought it was. There are people out there that would want to cause you-"

She flew off the sofa, Subconscious Ky doing a good job of ignoring the intense pain, "And the muggle world is safe, there's no murderers and racists and rapists and kidnappers there!" She screamed at Linus, and he didn't even flinch.

"Yes, but they can't kill you with a flash of a wand."

"And a bullet is really slow!"

"A bullet isn't a hundred percent surety of death. I won't have you exposed to a world that-"

"No! Don't you dare make it seem like this world is any the worse than the muggle world, the muggle world is just as ugly but they just apply their make up better!" She was heaving, there were spots in her eyes. Even without the truth they were doing this.

"Ky, we just want what's best for you. To be safe, to be happy." Len was staring at her, sincerity shining in his hazel orbs.

Her lips quivered, "I am happy, and I am safe."

"No, you're not." Linus shot up from the sofa, "I knew something like this would happen… I knew it. And yesterday you could have…you could have…"He couldn't even say the word. "This place isn't coated with candy, it's-"

"You're being paranoid! Nothing would have happened! I just hurt my leg!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, tears brimming out of anger. She won't let them take this from her.

"He isn't Kyrianna, and he is quite right." Ky turned and looked to the door where the calm voice floated from, and her blood turned cold.

A/N: Thank you for reading!