Anything that rings a bell belongs to JK Rowling
Chapter Thirty Four: Stubbornly Silent
"I think you're forgetting something."
Ky froze, caught in the act, she passed a quick side long glance…trying to figure out how to talk her way out of this one. She lowered the metal object and smiled nervously, trying to inconspicuously wipe her mouth.
"Chocolate sprinkles."
She watched as the wrinkled hands opened up to reveal a handful of cocoa heaven. She gave Nonno a toothy grin and held out the Sundae for him and he generously sprinkled the top. He conjured up a little toothpick umbrella which made her smile widen.
She quickly duplicated the spoon and handed one to him.
"I shouldn't…oh if you insist."
He plunged it in and put a great big glob of ice-cream into his mouth, perching himself on the side of her bed. She laughed as the long handle of the spoon hung from his mouth as his hands fluttered to the potions next to her bed.
"I see you're almost done with this batch."
She sighed heavily, "Just to expect another batch tomorrow."
That's what the past weeks had been like. Everyday Madam Pomfrey would show up with an assortment of elixirs all of which she had to take with varying frequency.
He poured a bit of the thick orange gooey substance onto a spoon and held it to her. Ky scrunched her face up but leaned forward and sipped it quickly.
"Ugh I swear Sev puts that broccoli extract just to get at me."
"Well, it's your last one so find some bliss in that."
"Last for today."
"No, last last Kyrianna. You're free to go."
Ky looked at him shocked. She was so sure they would make her stay a week or two more at least, because Linus and Len were crazy paranoid. They claimed it was for her health, but she knew the real reason was because they didn't find the bastard who attacked her. She concentrated on Nonno's beard, looking at the strands of silver and grey.
"You're not as happy as I thought you would have been. Or has the diet of vegetable stew grown on you?"
Ky raised her eyebrows at him, "That's impossible. I'm as arid as a desert, there is no way any vegetable will grow on me." She played with the sundae, mixing the chocolate sauce in hypnotising swirls.
"Are you afraid Kyrianna?"
"No!" She snapped her head up and met his bright blue orbs, her chin set in defiance. "Not at all."
"I am." Her face fell slightly, and she continued fidgeting, "Don't you want to know what I am afraid of?"
"That the manufacturers of Sherbet Lemon will go broke leaving this world without its sweet pleasure."
He smiled, "That does scare me. Remind me to speak to your brothers about a tip I have on an investment that they must get their hands on."
She smiled; he was so preciously weird. Her smile fell, sincerity creeping onto her face.
"I'm sorry."
"For what Kyrianna?"
Of course he was not going to make this easy for her. "For breaking school rules and…the law."
In light of everything that happened, the fact that she did break into a shop didn't get the attention it would usually herald.
"It is good that you feel apologetic about that. And don't worry, your guilty conscience will be appeased by detentions and twenty hours of volunteer work at Dogweed and Deathcap. But that is not what I want an apology for. I have been a headmaster for too long to expect things like this not to occur. Kyrianna."
Ky knew that tone. That tone meant stop averting her eyes to his x-ray. She looked at him and she was surprised to find an old man looking back at her. She would describe him as many things - eccentric, charming, talented at making hot chocolate, but even with the grey hair and wrinkles, she'd never describe Nonno as old. Ky must have been frowning because he placed his fingers on her forehead, massaging out the confused crease. And then lifted her chin.
"Never. Never feel like you cannot tell me anything. The problem may be small enough to warrant a detention or great enough to warrant a hearing, but as long as you are involved, it is my business. All the more if you are hurt in anyway…not all wounds herald a speedy recovery, but you will find that when enough attention is paid and bravery mustered to face them, there isn't a scar that cannot be healed."
"Even cursed scars?"
Nonno sighed, "The most cursed of scars are not the ones we wear on our skin, but the ones we hide in our hearts. Remember that, Kyrianna. Skin can be ripped and torn to shreds, burnt, and charred… but we survive. However a single well-placed nick to the heart can have us bowing to death." She took in his words in silence, "Ahh, I do believe my presence is needed at Dinner." He kissed her forehead and tucked her hair behind her left ear, "Anything."
-x-x-x-
Ky handed in her paper and walked out. She wasn't expecting Mi anytime soon, seeing as there was still forty minutes left and she never left exams early. She walked up to the common room. It was a long few days. After she explained to Mi, she broke it to Minnie.
Minnie then relayed this all to Nonno, Sev, Linus and Len. It had to be this way because when Ky tried talking about this to everyone, Linus and Len kept blowing things up. Sev and Nonno kept their cool impressively, but Ky just preferred going into detail with Minnie, it was too weird repeating the stuff that man said to them, and frankly she hoped she'd go all her life never having to say the word 'tits' in front of her grandfather.
Everybody reprimanded her for not confiding in them, but considering she had a head wound, profound bleeding in her abdomen, a slash across her wrist as well as thigh, not to mention other major injuries, relief at her recovery far outweighed chastisement. Apparently that last curse he hit her with was a dark fire curse and caused severe internal damage, if she didn't stop it when she did, she would have died…
And if that man didn't show up when he did…surely that bastard would have killed her.
Ky barely remembered the man. Nonno said he was just someone from the village that heard her screams… he was being weirdly secretive about it, but she couldn't understand why.
Either way, she owed that stranger her life.
And Kinky.
She still can't believe she was that near the end.
Luckily, she gave Madam Pomfrey the Revive Potion when she had ; Mi said that if they hadn't given it to her upon her arrival, she might never have snapped out of it. They had taken her to St Mungo's immediately, and even whilst there Ky had daily visitors. It had been difficult keeping this from Harry and Ron, but it was Nonno's orders. He said it wasn't about trust…he trusted them both, he just felt that this was her story to tell, if Ky chose to, sensing that the full story may involve details that would be at her discretion to disclose.
She was also informed that her brothers had thought about taking her to New York, but they luckily had a change of heart.
Ky couldn't think of a worse decision. She'd have burnt their apartment building down, and she'd struggle to forgive Linus for hurting Nonno in such a way. He already felt bad enough that this happened under his watch, to then not give him a chance to make amends by helping her heal would be cruel.
Mi said that Sev visited daily, trying to disguise this as restocking potions, and everybody let him hide behind the lie. You wouldn't have known now though; she was sure he was now avoiding her.
Ky was well aware that all wasn't safe, they still didn't know who this man was, but she was preoccupied with catching up with the months of work she missed so she could sit the exams. She was also forced to speak to a specialist healer from St Mungo's about the whole thing.
"I am Dr. Grint, Miss Thornton. You may call me Georgina if you like. May I call you Kyrianna?"
"No."
She blinked in a very purposeful way and scribbled something onto her parchment. She looked back up at her, "How's your leg?"
Ky looked at her blankly. Really? That's what she wants to know. Considering she walked in here unaided she questions if her leg is healed?
"What does that look mean, Miss Thornton?"
Ky stared at her, "What look?"
She looked at her, smiling as if she had to deal with this a million times and Ky was not a special case. Well what answer did she expect, it's not like she can see what look she was apparently giving her.
"The look that passed your face when I asked about your leg. You seemed annoyed."
Well of course she was annoyed, She didn't like people asking stupid questions. She blinked purposefully again and scribbled onto the parchment.
"Do you not like people asking about your injuries? Do you not like people asking about your health?"
No, she didn't like people asking fruitless questions. If she had asked her how her head was then she would tell her that she has suffered a few migraines, but why ask about her leg when she walked in just fine. For a healer specialised in psychology she was very unobservant.
She tilted her head to the side, her brown eye's trying to see things in her that it was not equipped to see. Ky felt a slight nudge against her mind. Nobody had tried using what she now knows as legilimency on her for some time. Also, wasn't that a bit unethical coming from a psychologist?
"A fourteen-year-old student should not find it necessary to defend their mind."
"A forty-year-old psychologist should know better than to try and force entry into a patient's mind."
The healer bristled at the mention of her age. Ky knew she was only thirty-three, making the calculations from her Hogwarts Graduation Certificate on the left wall. She scribbled onto her parchment. She looked back up at her after ten minutes.
She sighed, "Would you like some tea?"
"No."
She smiled stiffly; Ky knew she must think she was just trying to be difficult.
"Would you like to tell me what happened the night of February the 23rd?"
"Ok. I made some potions and then went to my dorm."
"Why are you lying Miss Thornton?"
"I'm not." That was what happened in the night. She leaned back but didn't break eye contact.
"What happened after that?"
"I went to the library."
"Why?"
"Why does anyone go to the library?"
She smiled at her stiffly again, "I highly doubt you needed to borrow a book at two o clock in the morning?"
Ky shrugged at her, "You obviously don't know my friend Mi. It's never too late or too early for a good book."
She ignored the comment, "What did you do after you left the library?"
"I walked down a flight of stairs."
She smiled stiffly at her again and then blinked, "Why are you so guarded Miss Thornton? There is no need to be defensive."
"That's cheating."
"Sorry?"
"Asking why I am guarded. Isn't it your job to work it out?"
She sighed, "How can I do my job if you don't speak. I am not a mind reader."
"Evidently." Ky said smarmily, referring to her dismal previous attempt.
She took a deep breath and smiled mechanically at her, "There is no need to protect yourself with sarcasm Miss Thornton. Tell me what happened after you left Dogweed and Deathcap? "
"Have you not read the files Dr Grunt."
"It's Grint and of course I have."
"Oh, is it that you just do not remember the facts?" Ky smiled to herself as the healer gritted her teeth. Guess she called it right, once a Claw always a Claw and there's nothing a Claw hates more than people thinking they're stupid.
"Of course, I remember the facts Miss Thornton, it's just important that I hear your take on it."
"It's OK to forget things."
"I didn't forget anything."
"It's not your fault, it happens with age."
She grabbed the glass next to her and took a large sip of water. She breathed and forced out a smile, "So you have been attacked more than once. It's normal to feel defensive. It's normal to even feel a little guilty."
Ky laughed at that. She raised an eyebrow at her response.
"You don't feel guilty?"
"Not in the slightest."
She scribbled some more.
She looked up and Ky smiled at her, "I do believe they call that projection."
The healer smiled a placating smile, "What am I projecting Miss Thornton?"
"Your own guilt."
"And what do I have to feel guilty for?"
"Oh, you know."
"No, please do fill me in."
"Well of course this is just an insinuation on what normal behaviour would be when one is having an affair with a married man. It's normal to feel guilty Dr Grunt."
She bristled slightly and covered it with a laugh. "I have no idea what-"
"It's normal to feel defensive Dr Grunt."
She stopped laughing and leaned forward seriously, "That is a very serious baseless accusation to make Miss Thornton."
"I agree to its seriousness Dr Grunt but upon it's baselessness I must disagree. Let me save you the categorical list that you're running through now, it's the shirt Dr Grunt."
She looked down at the light blue formal shirt that was tucked in her skirt. She smirked up at her, "I do not like wearing form fitting clothes Miss Thornton. All my shirts are slightly bigger on me."
"Oh, is that why your skirt is so tight it's about to fuse with your arse."
Oooh here she goes crossing the line. Oh well, might has well take it in strides. The woman's face scrunched in anger, but Ky beat her to it,
"While I might agree with the fact that you choose to wear baggy shirts, do you also insist on only wearing Healer Jefferson's shirts?"
She stood quickly; her face red "That is a very-"
"Serious accusation. I know. I know. There's no need to get defensive. It's not illegal to have an affair. Although I must admit I am disappointed. I expected so much more attention to detail from a Ravenclaw. Oh, stop fretting not everyone knows Dr Grunt. Just little old me."
"Were you spying-"
"Listen to how stupid you sound before you speak, please. Why in Helga's Heaving Bosom would I spy on you? You're quite unlucky Dr Grunt. You see Healer Jefferson visited me just yesterday to do some routine check-ups. He happened to be wearing that exact same shirt. And no, it can't be another I'm afraid, you see it's the cufflinks. Yes, those things on the cuffs. Very peculiar since they do not match. The left being a little badger, representing his eleven-year little Puff and the right, being a little eagle for his thirteen-year-old Claw. Both attend Hogwarts. Your unluckiness continues because just a few months ago I procured a similar set of cufflinks for a…'person' of mine and I know the insignia of the designer I ordered it from. And no, it can't be a coincidence Dr Grunt, you see the reason for the exorbitant price is that the House of Xara swears by its exclusivity, they only make one-of-a-kind pieces."
She sat back down heavily, all pretences gone, she was flabbergasted.
"I assume you didn't have much time since my brother arranged this meeting at the last minute in the hopes of catching me by surprise, so I won't be able to wheedle my way out of it. Grabbed your lover's shirt instead of your own as you ran out the door from your morning romp. I don't blame you for thinking it would go unnoticed, the odds do not seem in your favour Dr Grunt."
"What do you want?"
Ky smiled at her, "I knew you didn't get that qualification for nothing, smart cookie like you. You're to say I'm fine when my brothers ask. I find these meetings very cumbersome and quite frankly a waste of my time."
"Are you blackmailing me?"
Ky shook her head at her, "Of course not Dr Grunt. You can tell my brothers that I am not fine, and I still wouldn't tell the public what a whore you are seeing as it's none of my business. But I would like for you tell them that I am fine. I think we both know that it would be easier. Just like you said earlier on, how can you help me if I don't speak? And as you can tell with all your years of knowledge, I won't speak to you if I don't want to. And I don't want to."
She leaned forward her face pale, "You need help Miss Thornton."
"You can't help me." Linus was a fool for forcing her to sit through this.
All she needed was time. To get over it. To forget.
She nodded solemnly; Ky stood and looked down at her. "I apologise for calling you a whore. I don't have any proof on that. But you should stop treating yourself like one."
And with that Ky walked out.
"Ky!"
She snapped to attention at the familiar voice. She was allowed out of her rooms and deemed fit enough to exist independently by Madam Pomfrey three days ago and every day since then that annoying voice would pick at her brains. She ignored it, like she usually did, and ascended the stairs. The footsteps disappeared behind her, and she smirked, maybe the idiot finally got the picture. She turned and walked down the corridor, stopping dead when somebody emerged from the portrait to her left.
A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter! What do you think of Ky? Is she being reasonable ?