Anything that rings a bell belongs to JK Rowling

Chapter Twenty Four: Silence is Acceptance

"Are you OK?" Mi gave Ky a look usually reserved for psychiatric patients.

"Errr yes." She persisted with her stare, and Ky continued eating her cereal. It had become somewhat of a ritual this past week. She didn't have to tell Mi what had happened between her and Cedric in detail. She just told her that she was right, that he wanted more than a no-labels situation, and it was a true testament of their freindship that the brunette didn't do her usual victory dance.

She of course was supportive, encouraging Ky to talk about her feelings. But that was the last thing she wanted to do. There was nothing to discuss really. She didn't regret her decision; it was one that she had to make. What she would have regretted is losing Harry's friendship because no what Mi said, that would have happened. She didn't see the look on his face as he relayed to her what her support meant to him. Even if their friendship felt more a rollecoaster ride at times, she was confident in it.

They headed up for Ky's morning nap, Mi liked to call it History of Magic. Just as they exited the Great Hall, Cedric walked by. She didn't have to look up to see that it was him; she could smell the unique blend of his cologne and aftershave. As usual they didn't look at each other, she concentrated on the dark haired boy next to him and she had no idea where his eyes went.

It was like that all week. After Ky sat there in their little room for a while, her sadness very quickly turned to anger.

If Cedric did like her so much, wouldn't he have stayed to listen? To understand what she was trying to say. Wouldn't it matter more that she had feelings for him than making it public knowledge?

It really is nobody's business…well nobody's except her friends. If he really liked her, he would have realised how important friendship was to somebody like her, who's never known it before now.

She put her head down on the desk. And picked it up again. Damn him to hell, he managed to fuck up her morning nap without even saying a word to her.

-x-x-x-

It's not enough that he had practically the whole school supporting him; he had to have Cho too?

What were the chances? Why couldn't Lavender have been right, why couldn't he have asked some Gryffindor girl to the Ball. Cho was perfect. She was sweet and pretty, and she had the cutest Scottish accent. And she wasn't Kyrianna Thornton.

She wasn't screwing with Harry's head at night and distracting him with her presence during the day. She didn't say random silly things and laugh like a hyena and chew with her mouth open. She definitely didn't jump onto people's backs screaming giddy up horsey like a five-year-old. And she wasn't snogging his best friend or the Twins in some broom cupboard somewhere. She was nice, and normal. That's all he ever wanted.

But no, Cedric freaking Diggory has to go and spoil that too.

"Are you OK?"

Harry glared at Hermione. She was asking him that all the way from dinner. He didn't even know where Ron and Ky were… well, he had his suspicions. She gave him that look that was usually reserved for people in high security wards and he sighed.

"Yes Hermione, I'm fine." He continued walking down the fourth floor until he heard his name being called. He whipped around, embarrassed to admit that he hoped it might be Cho calling to say she has changed her mind and wants him to take her to the Ball instead of Cedric. His heart slowed down as he registered that the voice belonged to Ginny.

They waited, letting her catch up with them, "Godric, you guys walk fast, been trying to get your attention from the Great Hall. Can I have a word?"

"I'll just go on up to the common room." Hermione said, but Ginny interjected,

"No Hermione, stay. It concerns you too."

Harry was intrigued by that. Ginny never sought him out, and the last time she did so she wanted to confess to opening the Chamber of Secrets. She looked up and down the corridor, confirming they were alone. Most people were already in their common rooms, dinner finished a while ago.

"It's about who put your name in the Goblet of fire."

"You don't think I did?"

She looked up at him, her light brown eyes wide, "Of course not Harry. You said you didn't, and I believe you."

He nodded, "Thanks. So, what do you know?"

"Well, it's not what I know. It's who. I think I know who did it."

Harry looked at Hermione, who had her thinking face on, prepared for the new information.

"Ok Ginny, who?"

"It's Ky." Hermione's face went from serious to slack in a heartbeat; she even rolled her eyes at Ginny.

"I know what you're going to say Hermione, and that's why I told you to wait as well. You're too caught up being best buds with her to actually see the cold hard facts like you usually do. And that is pretty smart on her part. I mean she just meets you and two seconds later you guys are inseparable. In her eyes, you're the only person that could find out the truth, so she's distracted you with friendship."

"Distracted me with friendship?"

"Yes, so you wouldn't see through her act. You wouldn't see that she's behind this whole thing."

"Well maybe I don't see that Ky is behind this whole thing because she isn't behind this whole thing. Harry let's go, I won't stand here and have someone tear my friend's character to pieces on what I am sure is baseless accusations."

Harry looked at Hermione and wanted to go. Ginny was spouting nonsense, Ky wouldn't do something like this, not because she's not smart enough but because she's too lazy….and there's the fact that she's a good person, even if something is going on with her and Ron, that wouldn't change that.

He looked at Ginny's face though and she was urging him to listen with her eyes, she looked like she was seconds away from falling to her knees and begging him to stay. She was his best friend's baby sister…He can't just walk away, right?

He'll just listen to whatever it is she thinks is going on and they can tell her all the ways that she's wrong and they all can put this matter to bed.

"OK Ginny. Why do you think it's Ky?"

Hermione was piercing a hole in his head with the glare she was giving him. Ginny smiled like the cat that caught the canary.

"Well of course I wouldn't waste your time if I didn't have reasons. The first being, who is she really, anyway? I mean somebody that has never practiced magic before covers three years of syllabus in three weeks? It's just not natural, even for brains like Hermione. She suddenly shows up and ta-da, she's Dumbledore's granddaughter. Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world had a child that he didn't know about! And let's say she really is Dumbledore's granddaughter, doesn't make her good. She and her brothers could all be part of some dark scheme. They probably want revenge on Dumbledore for abandoning them, because let's face it, they're all too good with a wand. And then there's the whole fact that she shows up and bam, the dark mark is in the sky weeks later. Which I might add…. where was she when the dark mark went up? And I'm not buying this whole tripped over a stump thing. If she did, who helped her get to camp and why did it take her so long to get back? And everybody could tell she was acting strange that night. And now suddenly you get back to school and somebody enters you into a lethal tournament, somebody that is smart and has access to everything in this castle because everyone who is important in this castle has taken a liking to her. Oh, and Snape! Snape likes her, he doesn't even like himself, yet he lets her say things to him that nobody else can and he favours her, and we all know Snape is an evil git. And what about that whole Malfoy thing at the Quidditch Final, the way she shook his hand and that look in her eye-"

Before Harry could stop her, Hermione beat him to it.

"Back the fuck up Ginny." Wait…. did Hermione just swear?

Hermione took in a deep breath and her nostrils flared. Oh, this was going to be long; Harry had been on the receiving end of that stance many times. "You've obviously put a lot of thought into this, and I hate to waste your time, but then again it seems you don't care much for it, indulging in such fantasies. Firstly, Ky is Dumbledore's granddaughter, as you so kindly stated before, Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world, and I would think he covered the necessary areas to ensure that his grandchildren are really his, even if he didn't run such things by you. And as to him not knowing that he fathered a child, forgive my crassness but he may be the greatest wizard in the world, but I highly doubt he puts radar trackers on his sperm. He is a man after all, and men think with their…. they don't think sometimes! And Ky and her brothers may seem like naturals at magic, but it's only because they've spent years learning to control their powers with no rule book, she didn't wake up with powers at fourteen, she's had them all her life. As to Ky being part of a dark scheme and trying to exact revenge on her grandfather…don't you dare even insinuate such a thing! You're not the one that sees her when she gets back from their hot chocolate sessions and that absolute blissful smile she has on her face and the fierce pride she has at being his grandchild. She loves that man and don't you dare belittle that. Her brothers are good people, honest people. And the reason why Snape likes her is, like everybody else here except you it seems; Ky has opened her heart to us all. She doesn't judge people and not even Snape's cynical constitution is immune to her love. And it's not her fault that you're too dim-witted to catch up that the reason why she shook Malfoy's hand in the box that day was to rile his father up. And as for our friendship," Hermione took a deep breath, "Don't you ever call that into question. I am not an idiot Ginny. Neither am I naïve. The reason why Ky and I get along so well and became 'best buds' so quickly is something not even I can explain. Not because it's part of some elaborate scheme, but because like all magical and pure and great things in life, it cannot be explained."

Hermione stopped, breathing heavily. Her face was red and so was Ginny's and in her tirade she had walked threateningly close to the other girl. Harry had to put a stop to this now, "Well, we've gotten all this out of-"

"What about the forest that night. You're her best bud; tell us where she was, why she took so long, why she was so different."

"You know why Ginny, she hurt her leg on-"

"And she walked on that same leg all the way back on her own?"

Ginny looked at Harry and he didn't know what to say. With everything going on that night they didn't even think about how Ky got to them. Ron had to carry her when he saw her, so who carried her before that? She didn't mention anybody. She was acting strange that night, Ron pointed that out and that's why they snuck into their tent before bedtime. He looked at Hermione, maybe she told her something, best to tell Ginny so they can drop this topic.

"Do you know anything about this Hermione?"

Hermione looked at Harry as if he was crazy. "Harry, how can you even ask that question?"

Ginny had a huge smile on her face, and Harry quickly started to explain but another voice floated across the corridor, it was familiar, but it was so small…it lacked its usual excitement.

"It's because he doesn't trust me."

Harry looked up and saw Ron and Ky standing there. Only thing it didn't look anything like Ky. There was no sparkle in her eye and no smile and no laugh. She stood there with the most blank look on her face, but her eyes…those deep beautiful grey eyes were all broken.

"Come now Ky, you know I trust you-"

"That's why you didn't deny anything Ginny said."

There was that small voice again. What was she going on about, of course he defended her…well Hermione said the actual words, but he supported her statements wholeheartedly.

Ginny stepped forward, "Of course he wouldn't deny it because he can't. Harry isn't blinded by love like Hermione is. Where were you that day in the forest? Who were you with?"

Ron stepped forward, "Ginny, come on, stop this..."

Harry turned to Ginny, "I think you got the answers you wanted Ginny, now just drop it."

"No, I have not! She won't say where she was that day! She was probably out there floating muggles with the other-"

"Don't you dare!" Hermione took a step forward and Harry quickly grabbed her before she did anything she might regret.

The response didn't calm Ginny down though, it did quite the opposite and she stepped forward, and Ron crossed over to his sister, putting distance between her and Hermione.

"Where was she then! Huh? Where was she? Where! With whom? Huh? If you know so much Hermione, why don't you tell me! Where was she?"

Harry turned to Ky in frustration, this already went too far.

"Ky just tell her. Just tell her so she can shut up."

He looked at her and she gave him another dead look. It was as if she was seeing something that he wasn't.

"Tell her or tell you Harry?" His eyes held hers and just like usual he couldn't lie to those stormy greys which became alive again. Something always made him tell her the truth. The truth was that he did want to know what happened that day. He was curious now.

He was always too curious for his own good.

"I think we'd all like to know. Just to put this matter to rest."

Something in Ky's eyes snapped.

Just like that the emotion disappeared.

"Fine. I was off floating muggles with the other death eaters."

She turned to walk away, and Harry let go of Hermione, angry at the fact that she lied to his face, but no feeling pained him like the physical ache that he felt in his chest when he saw Ky's empty eyes.

A/N: Well, that was bound to happen, and I don't blame Ginny - someone did put his name in the Goblet and at this point they don't really have any leads. I mean obviously her motivations aren't purely rational - there's some jealousy in there because Ginny at this point still fancies Harry a bit, and it's so evident to everybody but Harry and Ky that he fancies Ky. Anyway - hope you enjoyed that chapter! Do you think Ginny was being unreasonable ?