Dumbledore looked at me like he wished I was joking but I stared back at him evenly. The professor sighed and got up from his desk, to stand in front of me. "Have you changed on school grounds?" He asked me and I nodded. "A night or so ago." I told him. No one had ever made me feel guilty about what I am. "Did anyone witness your transformation?" He asked me, his eyes were tired and I could tell he wanted to be done with this conversation. "Cedric Diggory. My transformation was triggered by my anger so I ran out into the Forbidden Forest. I didn't realise that he followed me out there." Dumbledore was now pacing in front of his fire place. "The boy has grown an attachment to you." He muttered to himself but it sent butterflies to my stomach although he made it sound far from a good thing.
"Cedric's promised to keep my secret." I argued his unspoken question. "This changes things, Professor your presences is no longer required. You can go tend to your classes." Dumbledore told Mooney, he glanced at me but strode out. "What's going on?" I asked him as he put a cloak over his shoulders. "We need to speak to the Minister." He told me and I looked at him, eyes wide. "What?! No, they'll lock me up!" I argued and stumbled back against a large row of book shelves, on one rested the sorting hat. I squeezed my eyes shut and knew I couldn't stay here. "Apparate!" I yelled after I pulled out my wand.
~Dumbledore~
"Apparate!" Cira yelled and dissapeard somewhere in the castle. I walked behind my desk and got out the scroll of the Prophecy of the Evening Star. It read:
She'll come in chains,
Eyes as wild as a fire,
Hair as untamed as the ocean,
As dangerous as the darkest of magicians,
A will stronger than any spell,
A past that drives her.
I sat back in my chair, my mind was racing with possibilities. Could it be possible that Cira is The Evening Star? I quickly rethought taking her to the Ministry, the would turn her into a weapon and twist her into a dark creature like the dementors. I had to take her to the Order. If Cira is the The Evening Star she will have a big target on her back. I quickly hurried out of my office, I had to find Cira.
~Cira~
I was walking behind Cedric through the halls, he was going to hide me some where from Dumbledore. "Where are we going?" I asked him quietly. "You'll see, were almost there." He told me as he lead me to the far side of the castle. Cedric lead me up a huge flight of stairs and into a room that looked over the entire castle. It was amazing. "What is this place?" I asked him amazed and moved towards the window. The room was lit with sunlight, there was no roof. "The abandoned astronomy tower. A Centaur from the Dark Forest teached it once." He told me. "It's beautiful, did you take this class?" I asked him and he blushed. "Not a very manly elective." He commented and I smiled.
"How do you know Dumbledore wont find us here?" I asked him. "Professor Dumbledore is afraid of heights." He told me, grinning. "What?" I asked him, I couldn't believe it. "I saw him once at a Quidditch World Cup match and he exchanged a seat at the very top with the best view for a seat at the very bottom on the stadium." He told me. "That's brilliant Cedric." I told him, grinning. "So tell me how he found out?" He asked me, he had a dopey smile on his face. "I was talking to Professor Lupin, him and my dad were best friends. I told him to shock him mostly, at the time I thought he was a grudge holding jackass." I said. "What changed your mind?" He asked me. I shrugged and sat down on the floor against the far wall so I still had a view of the window. "He apologised." I told him simply.
"So it's your turn to spill the beans." I told him, knocking my shoulder lightly against his. "What is there to know? My life is bland compared to yours." He commented. "I would trade my life for a bland one any day." I informed him. "I'm a prefect and captain of our house Quidditch team, and I'm a Seeker. I grew up near Ottery St. Catchpole and I live my life to make my dad happy." He told me, I frowned at that last bit. "What do you mean?" I asked him, confused. Cedric sighed slightly before telling me. "My dad has always had a plan for me. He wants me to be everything he was and more, so I have to be intelligent like him but excel in athletics."
"Do you like sports?" I asked him. "No one's ever asked me that before." He stated amazed. "Well do you?'' I asked again. After a bit of thought he shook his head. "No, I love astronomy and painting." He told me and I smiled. "Do you have any recent paintings?" I asked him, hopefully. Cedric smiled for a second but got up to get something from a small broom cupboard and came back with a canvas covered with a white sheet. "It just dried this morning." He told me. Cedric positioned the painting in front of me and pulled of the white sheet. I gasped, amazed at what I saw painted on the canvas, who I saw.
It was me. Not the way other people ever saw me but it was me in my animagus form. I stood up and step forward to get a better look, my fingers barely brushed the beautiful work of art. "Do you like it?" He asked me and for a second my breath was caught in my throat. "It's amazing." I seemed to be using that word a lot when I was around Cedric. "It's my best piece." He told me. "Does your dad know you can paint like this?" I asked him, still entranced by his painting. "No, it's yours." He told me. I turned around to look at him. "Mine?" I asked disbelieving. "You are the inspiration behind it." He told me and I looked away for a second and blushed, then my interest was on something else.
"It's not cold in here." I said and he looked confused. "What?" He asked, stumped by my random comment. "There is no roof or glass on the window to keep in heat." I said. "Well technically they're there, there just invisible." He told me. I suddenly got a brilliant idea. I got a nail from the broom cupboard, and put it in the wall using mental magic, and hung the painting up on the wall. Our place. "Now it's perfect." He told me as he came to stand beside me and we admired his painting. This moment is perfect.
