Harry Potter and Changing Destinies

Chapter 9

As time went on, about a month or so, Harry and Hermione became very close, began to feel for each other more. It may have been from the loss of a friend, but it also could’ve been true feelings surfacing. Its not to say they didn’t miss Ron, they did deeply but they had a mission, a war to fight and they were finally getting to understand and know each other in a way they never could with Ron around. So, why in bloody hell was Harry “out in the cold walking around sullen and depressed feeling as if the locket he wore around his neck at all times now because he wouldn’t let Hermione carry such a heavy burden on her soul was choking him,” he thought.

They had moved around a lot, Harry had already forgotten the place they were camped now.

“Camp…Hermione…God what am I doing? Being with her will only bring trouble,” he thought to himself, but then he remembered what they’d been through recently and smiled sadly. As he continued his walk he looked back on what had happened to him and Hermione in the months since Ron had left their trio a duo. How for the first few days they were very depressed but then focused on the hunt to get their minds of what had happened between the friends.

Harry thought back on how to bring Hermione out of her funk he began to make dinners that in any other context then what he was going for at the time would have been thought romantic. He just hoped that a friend caring was enough to rid her of thoughts of another leaving. He had even danced with her a few times when she asked, and for a boy who seemed to hate it and only experiences had been the Yule Ball and Bill and Fleur’s wedding where it was expected, he found himself enjoying dancing with Hermione. He enjoyed holding her close to him, feeling her heat against his, seeing the joy that entered her eyes and shone out of her. As he looked down at her one time he thought, “I could kiss her. We’re that close,” and this is when Harry began to think that he may have more feelings for his best friend than just friendship.

Hermione and Harry discussed the facts she was learning about Dumbledore more and more. Such as Dumbledore’s family had lived in Godric’s Hollow just like Harry and his parents had. Dumbledore had a sister who was a squib, Dumbledore was the oldest and heir to the family. When his parents died he got guardianship of his younger brother and sister. He was once good friends with Grindelwald and had pure-blood ideals. All of these new facts shocked Harry, but the one that shocked him most was that Dumbledore’s family had lived in Godric’s Hollow.

This fact and the thoughts it brought with it for Harry led to one of the first few couple-like moments for Harry ever in his life, for Harry and Hermione both really…

“It was Christmas time and there came an evening when Harry resolved to suggest an unexplored avenue to them. Harry thought that Hermione might be more persuadable than usual on a full stomach of her favorite Italian food that Harry had made. He had also had the foresight to suggest that they take a few hours’ break from wearing the Horcrux too.

“Hermione?” he asked seating in a chair near where she sat curled up in a sagging chair with the fairytale book left to her and her ancient runes book.

“Hmmm?”

“Hermione I’ve been thinking and…”

“Harry could you help me with something?”

“Uh, ok?”

“What’s that symbol?”

“Uh, Hermione you do remember I didn’t take Ancient Runes, right?”

“Yeah I know…just look. It looks familiar.”

So, he did and was shocked to see Grindelwald’s mark. He told Hermione what Krum had told him which led to them discussing why a Dark Mark would be in a fairytale book.

She did not speak but continued to pore over the strange mark. Harry tried again to ask his question. This time leaning close to her so she had o choice but to hear him.

“Hermione?”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve been thinking. I – I want to go to Godric’s Hollow.”

This comment led them to discussing how Godric’s Hollow was the birth place of Godric Gryffindor as well as the writer Bathilda Bagshot of Hogwarts: A History whom still lived there. How Dumbledore might have left the sword with her or somewhere in Godric’s Hollow. So, after they made a plan they left for Godric’s Hollow. Harry trying to hold in his fear, anxiety, and excitement of this moment while Hermione tried to hide her grin at Harry’s joy and her anxiety of what they might find…

Harry couldn’t believe it he was here where his parents had lived and died.

“Harry, I think it’s Christmas Eve!” Hermione said surprised she had forgotten as she looked around and saw the decorations.

“Is it?”

“I’m sure it is,” her eyes upon the church she said, “They’ll…they’ll be in there won’t they? Your mum and dad? I can see the graveyard behind it.”

Harry felt a thrill of something that was beyond excitement more like fear. Now that he was so near he wondered whether he wanted to see them after all. Perhaps Hermione knew how he was feeling because she reached for his hand and took the lead for the first time pulling him forward. Halfway across the square however she stopped dead.

“Harry look!” she said excitedly while pointing at a war memorial that as they passed turned to a statue of him and his parents. He finally got to see his parents for once. Once he got his fill they headed to the graveyard. As they walked through they found Dumbledore’s sister’s grave with a quote saying: ‘Where your treasures is, there will your heart be also’. They also found a grave with just they name of Ignotus with the mark they’d found on it.

~ Song: Calling All Angels by Jane Sibbery ~

Then Hermione’s voice came out of the blackness for the third time sharp and clear from a few yards away.

“Harry, they’re here…right here!”

And he knew by her tone that it was his mom and dad she had found this time. He moved toward her feeling as if something heavy were pressing on his chest, the same way right after Dumbledore died, a grief that weighed on his heart and lungs. That made his movements automatic and almost painful. The headstone was white marble and seemed to shine in the dark. Harry didn’t need to kneel or get super close though he wanted to, felt he had but couldn’t, to read the engraved words:

James Potter Lily Potter
Born March 27, 1970 Born January 30, 1970
Died October 31, 1991 Died October 31, 1991
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Harry read these words slowly as thought he would only have one chance to take them in and remember them forever. Once reading these words a horrible thought came to mind, “Isn’t that a Death Eater idea? Why is it here?” he asked to no one in particular.

“It doesn’t mean defeating death in the way the Death Eaters mean it Harry,” said Hermione her voice gentle, “It means…you know…living beyond death. Living after death.”

But they were not living, thought Harry: They were gone. Their remains lay beneath the snow and stone indifferent, unknowing and words couldn’t change that. Tears came before he could stop them, boiling hot then instantly freezing on his face and what was the point in wiping them away or pretending. He let them fall; his lips pressed hard together looking down at the snow hiding his eyes from where his parents’ lay because of their sacrifice so their son could go on. His heart still beating, alive, standing so near them, right now he wished he was sleeping under the snow with them. Hermione had taken his hand again and was gripping it tightly as if to tell Harry she knew what he was thinking and wouldn’t let him go let him give up that easily. He couldn’t look at her it took more movement than he thought he could handle but returned the pressure. He took a deep, sharp gulp of air trying to steady himself. He wished he had brought something and as if Hermione had read his mind she conjured a wreath of Christmas roses before them. He laid it on his parents’ grave and as they stood up he put his arm around Hermione’s shoulders and she put hers around his waist and they turned away in silence walking away through the snowfall that had just begun to gently fall. ~Song ends~.

As they passed a row of houses Hermione pointed out a dark mass and the next thing they knew they were standing in front of what once was Lily and James and his home. He touched the gate and a sign rose out of the ground saying: ‘On this spot, on the night of October 31, 1991 Lily and James Potter lost their lives…as a reminder of the violence that tore a part their family.’

They saw others had written around this and Hermione couldn’t believe the people would do that but Harry beamed. After a few moments they left again and met up with an old woman who ended up being Bathilda or so they thought…

It ended up being Nagini inside Bathilda’s body attacking them. They barely escaped and when they got back to the tent Hermione was crying so hard from her foolishness or what she thought was his anger but handed Harry his ruined wand. He was torn inside; it felt like a part of him was missing now. He was angry at seeing his wand gone but sad for Hermione she was trying so hard to handle all of this he knew it had to be a lot on her. His need and love of her won out. He kissed her, not a friend on the cheek kiss as they had always shared, but a passionate I’m here and not going anywhere kind of kiss that stole both their breaths.

Harry was light headed and hot everywhere, he had kissed girls before, well two but never like this. Not like if this was all they did he’d be fine with that and die happy. He never once felt this hot under his own skin as if he was burning alive just from her touch. Her hands were wrapped in his hair almost ripping it out completely with her desperation to hold on to him. He found himself lifting her off the ground and holding her tightly to him. Trying to keep her as close to him as possible. Once they broke apart Hermione smiled a true smile saying with a light laugh, “See I was right you are a good kisser.”

They had decided after that to give a real relationship a try…

Now Harry was out in the woods because he needed to think things through. They had kissed quite heavily and hands had roamed a few times, but he always pulled back before they went too far. He knew Hermione wasn’t ready for that, even though from how hard it was becoming to pull away from her every time and the late night walks around perimeter to relieve stress he was having to take he thought he might be. Though he would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to, it was becoming harder and harder to pull away.”

He was about to head back when out of the corner of his eye he saw a bright silver light appear moving through the trees. The source stepped out from behind an oak. It was a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground still silent and leaving no hoof prints in the fine powdering of snow. She stepped toward him her beautiful head with its wide, long lashed eyes held high.

Harry stared in wonder. They gazed at each other for long moments and then she turned and walked away.

“No,” he said and his voice was cracked with lack of use, “Come back!”

She continued to step through the trees and soon her brightness was striped by their thick black trunks. For one trembling second he hesitated, murmuring it could be a trick, a trap. But instinct, an overwhelming instinct told him that this was not Dark Magic. He set off in pursuit.

Snow crunched beneath his feet, but the doe made no noise as she passed through the trees for she was nothing but light. Deeper and deeper into the forest she led him at last she came to a halt. She turned her beautiful head toward him once more and he broke into a run, a question burning in him but as he opened his lips to ask it, she vanished.

When darkness had swallowed her whole he held Hermione’s wand up high and whispered, “Lumos.”

In the darkness he saw a gleam in the light of the wand and Harry spun about but all that was there was a small frozen pool its cracked black surface glittering as he raised the wand higher to examine it. He moved forward rather cautiously and looked down. Just as he was about to turn around and look for who conjured the doe the water cracked and he fell. The cold was agony: It attacked him like fire. His brain seemed to freeze. Before he could rise up for breath something closed tight around his neck. He thought it might be water weeds but when he reached up there was nothing. Nothing but the Horcrux chain and it had tightened and was slowly constricting his wind pipe.

Harry kicked out wildly trying to get to the surface. Thrashing, suffocating he fought with the chain but his frozen hands couldn’t get it off. Little lights were popping inside his head and he was going to drowned there was nothing left, nothing he could do and the arms that closed around him were surely Death’s…

Choking and retching soaking and colder than he had ever been in his life he came to face down in snow. Somewhere close by another person was panting and coughing. Hermione had come again as she had when Nagini attacked…Yet it didn’t sound like her not with those deep coughs, not judging by the weight of the footsteps.

~Song: Clear the Area by Imogen Heap ~

Harry had no strength to lift his head, but he did lift his hand to his neck where he felt where the locket had cut tightly into the flesh and found it gone. Someone had cut him free then the voice spoke over him, “Are you mental?”

Nothing but the shock of hearing that voice could have given Harry the strength to get up. Shivering violently he staggered to his feet. There before him stood Ron fully dressed but drenched to the skin his hair plastered to his face, the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and the Horcrux dangling from its broken chain in the other.

“Why the hell,” paused Ron holding up the Horcrux which swung backward and forward on its shortened chain in some parody of hypnosis, “didn’t you take this thing off at all while I was gone.”

Harry couldn’t answer. As he shivered he picked up Hermione’s wand which he had borrowed since his wand was broken. He stared at Ron half expecting him to disappear after he dried them off with a drying spell.

“It was you – you.” Harry said through teeth chattering voice weaker than usual due to his near strangulation.

“Well yeah,” Ron said looking slightly confused.

“How come you’re here?”

Apparently Ron had hoped that this point would come up later, if at all.

“Well I’ve…you know…I’ve come back. If...,” he cleared his throat.

“You know. If you still want me.”

There was a pause in which the subject of Ron’s leaving seemed to rise like a wall between them. Yet here he was, he had returned. Like he always seemed too. He had just saved Harry’s life. Ron looked down at his hands. He seemed surprised to see what he was holding.

“Oh, yeah I got it,” he said holding up the sword, “When I saw you fall in and then heard you struggling to rise it appeared.”

“But I don’t understand? How did you get here? How’d you find us?”

“Long story. I’ve been looking for hours and was about to wait under a tree for the night when I saw you following the doe,” Ron said.

“You didn’t see anyone else?”

“No,” said Ron, “I…,” but he hesitated glancing at two trees growing close together not far away.

“I did think I saw something more over there but I was running to the pool. You’d gone in and weren’t coming up.”

Harry ran to the trees and could not find any signs of footprints. When he got back to Ron they both looked at the ornate silver sword, its rubied hilt glinting a little in the light from Hermione’s wand.

“You reckon this is the real one?” asked Ron.

“One way to find out isn’t there?” Harry replied.

The Horcrux was twitching slightly in Ron’s hand as if it could feel the presence of the sword and it probably could knowing what was within it. Harry looked around finding a flat rock lying in the shadow of a sycamore tree. “Come here,” he said leading the way over brushing the rock clear of snow holding out his hand for the locket. Ron was going to hand him the sword but he said, “No you should do it.”

“Me? Why?” Ron looking shocked.

“Because the sword came to you. I think its supposed to be you.”

He was not being kind or generous. Dumbledore had at least taught Harry something about certain kinds of magic, of the incalculable power of certain acts. Of how Fate worked in its own way and people as human be magical or none have a choice in our destinies, but must play the cards given the best way they can.

“I’m going to open it by Parseltongue and you stab it. Straight away, ok? Because whatever’s in there will put up a fight. The bit of Riddle in the diary tried to kill me.”

“No! No, don’t open it! I’m serious! I can’t Harry. I’m serious…you do it!” Ron said backing away scared of the locket.

“But why?”

“Because that thing’s bad for me! I can’t handle it! I’m not making excuses Harry for what I was like but it affects me worse than it affected you guys, it made me think stuff – stuff I was thinking anyway but it made everything worse, I can’t explain it and then I’d take it off and be fine. I can’t!”

“You can! You’re supposed to the sword came to you. Please just get rid of it, Ron!”

The sound of his name seemed to act like a stimulant. Ron swallowed still breathing hard moved back toward the rock. ~Song ends~.

“Tell me when,” he croaked.

“On three,” said Harry looking down at the locket concentrating on the S, “One…Two…Three…open.”

The last word came as a hiss and snarl and the golden doors of locket swung wide with a click. Behind both of the glass windows within blinked a living eye, dark and handsome as Tom Riddle’s eyes once had been.

“Stab,” Harry yelled holding the locket steady.

Ron raised the sword in shaking hands, then point dangling over frantic eyes and Harry gripped locket tightly. Then a voice hissed from out of the Horcrux, “I have seen your heart and it is mine.”

“Don’t listen! Stab it!” Harry said harshly.

“I have seen your dreams Ronald Weasley and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible but all that you dread is also possible…”

“Stab it!” Harry’s voice echoed as Ron gazed down into Riddle’s eyes.

“Least loved always by the mother who craved a daughter. Least loved now by the girl who prefers your friend. Second best always eternally overshadowed.”

“Ron, stab it!” Harry yelled struggling to hold the now shaking locket.

Ron raised the sword as Riddle’s eyes gleamed scarlet. Out of the locket rose two grotesque bubbles that turned into the distorted head of Harry and Hermione. Ron yelled stepping back as the figures formed fully into full Harry and Hermione. Harry snatched his fingers away from the locket as it burned white hot.

He yelled at Ron just as the Riddle-Harry spoke, “Why return? We were better without you, happier without you, glad of your absence. We laughed at your stupidity, your cowardice, your presumption…”

“He’s lying, Ron! He’s not real! We were broken! Hermione cried like I’ve never seen her…for days Ron! The only way we’ve been able to go on is by concentrating more and more of this mission, this damn war. We worry all the time for you, for everyone. We want you back Ron, always we’re friends!” Harry tried to yell over Riddle-Harry’s speech.

So, now Ron was hearing both Harrys plus the Riddle-Hermione who began where Riddle-Harry left off.

“Presumption!” echoed Riddle-Hermione who was more beautiful yet more terrible than the real. “Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter? What have you ever done compared to the Chosen One? What are you compared with the Boy-Who-Lived? Your nothing! Girls only look or talk to you because your friends with Harry Potter, your nothing without him! You’re a nobody,” she continued.

“They’re lying Ron, damn it! So you’re my friend and yes some girls will only talk to you because of me. That’s their loss! They’re missing out on knowing a great man. For those who know us they know my fame means nothing to me. Those girls who offer themselves to famous people are nothing but cheap imitations of real girls. Hell, I’ve known more girls who came up to me to ask about you. You’re wanted Ron by your family, your friends, people who you’ve never met. Now stop listening to these ghosts and stab the fucking thing!”

Ron didn’t move and the two evil copies kept talking, “Your mother confessed that she would have preferred me as a son, would be glad to exchange...,” started Riddle-Harry.

“Who wouldn’t prefer him, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to him,” crooned Riddle-Hermione as she stretched snake-like and entwined herself around Riddle-Harry wrapping him in a close embrace: Their lips met.

On the ground in front of them, Ron’s face filled with anguish from what he was seeing and hearing on all sides. He raised the sword high, his arms shaking.

“Do it Ron!” Harry yelled.

Ron looked at him and Harry thought he saw a trace of scarlet. The sword flashed and Ron plunged: Harry threw himself out of the way. There was a clang of metal and a long drawn out scream. Harry whirled around slipping in snow wand held high ready to defend but there was nothing. There was only Ron standing there the sword now gone, having disappeared once again. Ron now held in his the shattered remains of the locket.

Harry pretended as if he hadn’t seen Ron’s no longer red but all blue but very wet eyes as he picked up the broken Horcrux. Harry could see the stained silk lining of the locket was smoking. Whatever lived within, gone, torturing Ron being its last act.

~Song: You Should Have Lied by Stephanie McIntosh~

Ron had sunk to his knees his head in his hands. He was shaking but not from cold. Harry crammed the remains into his pocket, knelt down beside Ron, and placed a cautious hand on his shoulder. He took it as a good sign when Ron didn’t throw him off.

“After you left,” Harry said in a low voice, “she cried for a week. Probably longer but she wouldn’t let me see. There were times when we didn’t talk at all, but…Ron…we’re together.”

Ron stiffened Harry could feel it so he stepped away. Ron stood slowly not looking at Harry but Harry watched his friend closely.

Then Ron spoke softly with hurt in his voice, “I hope you’re happy. I really do. I hope we can be friends again though you’re probably super angry at me. I want to be friends with Hermione, too but I think it was a bad idea to come back. At least right now. We have things to work through on our own before we can work on the issues between all of us. I’ll head to Hogwarts be a spy for our side, help out Ginny, Neville, and Loony…Luna with the DA. I’ll keep in touch. See ya’ Harry.”

As Ron walked to the two trees and Disapparated Harry felt miserable but slightly happy too. Though he could never explain the reason for this juxtaposition of feelings at any point in time ever. ~Song ends.~

After a few moments Harry began his long walk back to camp having marked his way before when he was following the doe. When he got back to camp Hermione rushed out of the tent yelling, “Harry! Your mirror is going off! Its Draco!”

Harry who had had a huge smile on his face trying to hide his pain from seeing and losing Ron again but also from thinking Hermione was just happy to see him after being gone so long. Well he thought she might rip into him for worrying her then be happy, but once her words sunk in the smile was gone. Replaced by a grim scowl. As she ran up he could see her face flushed with worry and pulled her close for a moment to reassure her and himself everything whatever it was would be okay and with her held to his side answered the mirror.
“Malfoy? What’s going on?”

Draco’s voice and what got Harry’s attention most freaked out face came into view, “Potter, Ali’s freaking! Her powers are out of control we can’t get her to calm down you need to get here now! Apparate to outside the training room! NOW!”

With this said Draco’s face left the mirror and it shut off. Harry looked at Hermione and said, “Well, I guess I’ll explain things soon enough. We need to go. Let’s pack.”

So they packed in mere moments with as many packing spells they could think of and they were ready to go. When Hermione held to Harry he smiled determinedly and said, “Well, here we go to see sister and the family.”

Hermione gave him a confused look but before she could say anything they had apparated with everything shrunk to fit into their pockets to just outside the training room in Ali’s home…

While Harry was gone, Hermione’s point of view…

“Harry had left an hour or so ago for a walk taking my wand with him. He hadn’t wanted to leave me alone with no wand but I told him I had a spare made just in case earlier on. So he went out. I had seen his mood getting darker, not evil, but sad and I knew being penned up wasn’t helping. Harry liked freedom, fresh air. So I told him he should go and he had. Now if he knew I had lied about the spare wand, that he’d be leaving me defenseless well to magical attacks at least, he wouldn’t have gone at all. And he really needed too for a while. He was becoming like a caged animal roamed the tent and perimeter. Which I glad he wants to protect me but he has known me for seven years now he should know I don’t just need a wand to protect me. That I can do that well enough on my own without him.

We had begun to fight for small things recently. Such as this morning the toast had burnt and he had thrown the toaster to the floor breaking it and I had tried to calm him, but then he had yelled at me and I of course yelled at him. Thankfully, when he saw my face was more scared than angry he had instantly calmed and so had I. After this fight is when I got the idea that maybe we both needed breathers so I came up with the idea to tell Harry to go on a walk.

While he was gone I cleaned as much as you can clean a tent and listened to Crash and Burn by Savage Garden trying to relax. When his hour walk turned into two then three hours I began to worry. I wanted to go out and look for him but before I could his mirror went off.

He hadn’t told me of the thing personally but I had seen him talking with the VanLint girl on it all the time when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. I know he loves me but its still a bit concerning when the man because that’s what he is now well more like since fourth year when Cedric was killed you love is always talking to a rich, beautiful young woman. When you know you’re only a plain Jane. That he could have any one he wanted because of his fame alone. Though I know he just wants to be Harry loved for him not who people believe he is. I trust Harry its just a blow to the self-esteem that’s already very low though I would never admit it to the world or him sometimes.”

This time though it wasn’t Alexis VanLint’s cool voice it was Draco Malfoy’s and he didn’t sound like calm, cool Malfoy he sounded scared. I reached under Harry’s pillow where he always put it and looked in.

Draco’s face came face to face with me and he looked behind him worriedly when a girl’s angry voice yelled out, “Whoa cuz hurry up this girl of yours is tearing the place up!”

He looked back and quickly said, “Granger, is Potter there?”

I gulped and was about to say no until I heard the twinkle of wind chimes which was the sign Harry was back. I had created a spell of my own where anyone who had been within the camp area had a sound tied with them. Harry was wind chimes, Ron was firecrackers, and I was a cat meowing. I looked back to Draco and said, “Just a second.”

Then I ran out of the tent yelling at Harry about his mirror when I really wanted to lay into him about being gone so long. As I handed over the mirror Harry pulled me to him probably seeing and sensing my worry.

Then he spoke to Draco for a moment who told him Ali was freaking out. As they talked I watched Harry he was worried very worried. When Draco’s face left the mirror Harry looked down at me probably seeing my look of confusion he said he’s explain later but we had to go. I didn’t argue from how the background sounded I knew things were bad. “As much as I was jealous of Ali to a point and couldn’t stand Draco for the longest of times I didn’t want people hurt unless it was the last and only choice. That’s why I was fighting this war,” I thought. We quickly packed and were ready to go after a few minutes.

When Harry made a weird comment about seeing a sister and family I looked at him confused but before I could say anything he had apparated us to Alexis’s which I knew was a ploy to delay my questions and our talk but once I saw what was going on really going on within the training room our conversation and my worries took a back seat to be cliché.

Alexis was letting loose with ice cold, high gale force winds tearing up the room. She seemed to not notice but I knew from some of the basics med-witch book I had been reading recently well actually since my first adventure with Harry in first year but more in depth ones recently. I had read that a huge release of power like this could hurt not just others but the person as well. I knew if we didn’t calm her soon someone might be hurt badly and when I turned to tell Draco and the other girl who must have spoken earlier I watched Harry get up and walk straight into the room.

I was going to stop him but the new girl said to let him go that he was the only one that could get to her. As I was about to either ignore or rip into her telling her she didn’t know Harry or the situation at all I hadn’t figured out which yet I saw Harry’s eyes and froze out of surprise. His eyes had gold around the edges.

I could feel hands on my shoulders pulling me back farther and then a voice came to my ears. It was cool but kind saying, “He’ll be fine. They’ll both be fine. I thought Draco would be enough to calm her once we broke her bind by making her angry. I guess they aren’t that close yet, sorry. By the way name’s Abrianna Authine Brigid, everybody calls me Bri. I’m an Order member from America and I’m supposed to be training you guys, plus I’m little dragon boy over there’s cousin.”

As the girl spoke to her she turned to her. The girl was pretty in a tough, can beat the living shit out of you while looking perfect even though I don’t look like it kind of way. The girl looked to be around her own height. She was pale-complexioned which just added more to her dark brown eyes that pierced Hermione to her spot. The girl’s hair was dark chocolate brown and she was dressed in a simple workout outfit.

As Hermione was about to ask something she heard a gasp and saw Draco’s eyes riveted on the training room so she turned to see and gasped herself. Harry had just shot a fireball from his hand and Ali had unconsciously thrown a wall of ice up to protect herself. As the two powers met in the middle of the icy-whirlwind in the room it steamed and suddenly the wind stopped. Everything was dead quiet. After a moment she, Draco, and Bri walked in cautiously to see Ali collapse and hear Harry say, “You’re my damn sister don’t scare me like that Ali! Damn it you scared 10 years off my life!”

As Hermione came farther into the room she stood shocked to her spot by the words and seeing Harry holding Ali tightly to him mostly near tears…

An hour or so ago at Ali’s, Draco’s point of view…

As I took a breather and got a drink of water I watched as Bri finished up on the long board that stood with two legs on either end that she called a balance beam and began fighting with Ali.

“God those two are unbelievably amazing!” I thought as I watched Ali do a flip backwards and landed instantly going for a low leg cut kick which Bri just jumped to avoid and landed aiming a kick to Ali’s face which Ali rolled to avoid.

“I’ve watched them so many times and I wanted to break it up when I thought Ali or hell Bri would get hurt but thinking on the last time I tried and ended on my ass with the two of them yelling at me to not butt in I thought it better I didn’t. And I don’t because I’m truthful with myself I fear them. I fear for them and am unexplainably afraid of them. I know I like Ali, that I want to court her. But I never thought I’d feel this protective, this in love with family that I’d never met. I’ve always been taught to think that part of my family as horrible traitors and cowards for leaving England but I am more than Bri. Bri as an example along with Tonks if I really admit it to myself of true loyalty and bravery from that side of the family. They knew when to back down and retreat. When to give up to survive. Bri amazes me.”

As they separated from a round of close punches and kicks to get breath Bri looks over at me and winks which I know to means she’s laughing at me. Which gets her a rude hand gesture from me making her laugh.

“Yes I know I lost the bet, cuz,” the gesture says.

“One dude, one damn it!” I think, “I was so close but one person made me lose it.”

As I think this I think back to that day…

“I was on the last level. I had been at it for two weeks. I wasn’t going to lose this bet damn it. Not against a cousin I barely knew. Not against a girl and definitely not against someone who thought they knew my feelings before I did. Which my cousin Bri was all three.

I had just beat the last level of the simulation and was celebrating when I heard clapping behind me. When I turned there was my cousin in jeans, boots, and pink and brown striped shirt. She smiled and said, “Nice job dragon boy.”

I beamed and said, “Guess I win,” to which she replied, “Not so fast…” then proceeded to throw a dagger connected to her boot behind me. As I swung around I saw the dagger fly into the chest of a simulation enemy and the simulation died leaving the dagger stuck in the wall and then she continued on as if nothing happened, “You missed one.”

“So I missed one. I still beat all the levels.”

She went to get her dagger, pulled it out of the wall and put it back in the sheath. When she turned to me she said grimly, ‘Never miss one because that one could be the one that ends you, got it? I know its pessimistic but its true. Now with that said…I win, you lose.’”

That had been yesterday I thought to myself as Bri caught my eye and nodded looking at Ali which we had agreed would mean we were going to try to break the bind. With that it began. The plan was Bri would get Ali so focused on her and her angry and while I watched and made sure things didn’t get out of hand. Bri first aimed a kick at her and as Ali caught her leg she kicked with the other and flipped away.

When she landed Bri looked at Ali and said, “Oh come on you gotta be able to do more than just that,” as Ali got up off the mat.

Ali smirked because this banter was normal for them that’s how Bri wanted it to seem that way the anger later on would be more genuine.

Ali replied, “Yeah I can want to see?”

Bri smirked, “Come on rich lady give me all you got. You can probably break an ancient vase, literally an artifact not found anywhere, only one in existence worth a cool million or two and get it replaced by two of the same.”

“What did you say?” Ali sounding confused.

Bri said cuttingly, “I said rich girl, you have more money than you know what to do with and you just buy the newest fashion labels. Do you know a ¼ of your closet could feed a third world country for years. That you could save endangered species and habitats, but your rich you don’t care about others.”

“Yes I do1 How dare you!?!” Ali beginning to get pissed off. I could see a faint ice blue come around her eyes. It was working. I looked to Bri who nodded telling me she had seen it too. Just a bit more and it would break.

“Yeah right, Little Lady of the House. You and Golden Boy are the same. To rich for your own good. May know how to fight, but don’t get out and fight do you? You almost as bad as Hero Boy, I-have-to-save-everyone Mr. Potter.”

“How dare you! Shut up, you bitch!” Ali yelled and with this her bind broke with a burst of icy wind that threw Bri into the wall behind her with such force she fell unconscious to the ground.

Back to normal outsider view…

Draco rushed over fighting the gale force wind to Bri. As he got closer he could see Bri moving around though slowly. She rose holding her head saying, “We did it. Now you stop it!”

Draco yelled over the wind as Bri walked slowly around the room trying to avoid the flying debris while sticking big things down. Draco tried to get Ali calmed down, but all that seemed to happen was the wind got colder and stronger. Draco cast a warming spell on him and Bri then before Bri could grab hold of something a burst of wind hit her and she hit her stomach on the balance beam in the room. Draco yelled he was going to contact Harry and Bri nodded more focused on trying to calm Ali.

Draco rushed to Ali’s room and found the mirror under her pillow. Coming back to the room but waiting outside he called Harry’s name into the mirror. After a moment Granger’s face came into view. He asked for Potter and for a moment when he saw her face he hoped to god Harry was there.

A minute or so passed and he heard Hermione yell at Harry. Then finally there was Potter’s face.

“Malfoy? What’s going on?”

Draco looked back to see Bri yelling at Ali to calm the hell down. Trying to apologize seeing if that would help. When he looked back his voice freaked though he didn’t try to fight it right now, “Potter, Ali’s freaking! Her powers are out of control we can’t get her to calm down. You need to get here now! Apparate to outside the training room! NOW!”

After this was said and done Draco got off the mirror and pulled Bri outside of the room. After another 10 minutes of watching Ali’s rampage Harry and Hermione appeared…