"Kiara Malfoy."
Chapter 26: Never Were & Never Will Be
Kiara didn't say a word on the train ride back to Grimmauld Place. She could feel the concerned looks from everyone who overheard the conversation as she stood by the door, staring at the walls of the Underground. Why were they concerned? She doubted it was for her. It was for their own safety. They wanted to protect themselves.
It wasn't the snake who attacked Mr Weasley. It was Kiara all along. She was Voldemort's snake. Voldemort was using her to attack people. She had elemental powers after all, There was a reason why he placed that ancient spell on her, so that he could use her to destroy the people who threaten him.
Harry mirrored her expression, his face void of any emotion. Fortunately for him, Mrs Weasley noticed his sickened expression and asked him to sleep some more before dinner. But, Kiara knew that he wouldn't dare sleep. She wouldn't either. When Harry hurried straight to the bedroom he shared with Ron, Kiara slipped away from everyone else and followed him.
The only person who seemed to notice her absence, was Fred, who wanted to desperately speak with her. But, George grabbed the back of his shirt and shook his head, suggesting to leave Kiara and Harry to speak privately.
Kiara opened the door slightly. Harry stopped pacing up and down and looked at her. He didn't seem surprised to see her, it looked like he was expecting her. She knew how he was feeling. They were both focussed on dreadful thoughts and ideas. She approached him and hugged him, feeling comforted by the thought that Harry understood exactly what she was going through. Everyone believed they were the ones who caused this. Even Moody suggested that they were possessed by Voldemort.
They held each other there for a moment, scared of the reality they would need to face when they broke apart. "I'm scared Harry," Kiara whispered. "What's wrong with me, wrong with us?"
Harry sighed and sat on his bed, putting his head in his hands. "Could we be Animagi?"
Kiara shook her head. She had already considered the possibility on the train. But, there was no possible way. It was a lengthy process to become an Animagus. For example, she knew that Harry nor herself had managed to begin the process by carrying a single Mandrake leaf in their mouths for an entire month.
"Maybe, it's Voldemort then. If he's possessing us and he transforms, then we would transform too?" Harry suggested, his tone sounding panicked. "What if it happens again? We're not at Hogwarts now. We're at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. He could be seeing everything through us right now. The members of the Order, where Sirius Black is. Kiara, we need to go somewhere where we can't maim and injure anyone."
Kiara opened her mouth to dismiss his panicked suggestions but she stopped herself. The thought of Fred appeared in her mind. She thought of the possibility of attacking him one night while he was sleeping. What happened if Fred wasn't as lucky as Mr Weasley? What happened if he didn't survive. Kiara's eyes turned white with fear.
Harry took this as agreement. He pulled out his trunk from under his bed, slamming the lid shut. He seized one end and began dragging it out of the room when a snide voice stopped him. "Running away, are we?"
The empty portrait between the two beds now held a man. It was a Headmaster in Dumbledore's Office, Phineas Nigellus. He leant against the frame, looking between Kiara and Harry with a look of amusement on his face.
"Not running away, no," Harry said, continuing to pull his trunk a few feet across the room.
"I thought," Phineas began, stroking his pointed beard. "That to belong to Gryffindor House you were supposed to be brave? It looks to me as though you both would've been better off in my own house. We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, given the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks."
Kiara glowered at the portrait. Phineas was merely twisting their selfishness to sound like bravery. "Slytherins care more about themselves than others. That sounds selfish to me."
"It's not our own neck that we're saving," Harry added, tugging his trunk over the carpet in front of the door. Kiara went to follow him, not wanting to stay anymore.
"Oh, I see. This is no cowardly flight – you are being noble." Harry and Kiara ignored him. They knew that what he was saying was true, so there was no need to waste more time. Harry's hand was resting on the doorknob when he spoke once more. "I have a message for you both from Albus Dumbledore."
They spun around "What is it?"
"'Stay where you are.'"
"I haven't moved. So, what's the message?" Harry said firmly. But, Kiara already knew. That was the message. She felt used, as if Dumbledore was waiting to see if they would hurt someone else to determine what was happening. He was using them as test subjects.
"I have just given it to you, dolt. Dumbledore says, 'Stay where you are.'"
"Why?" Harry said eagerly, hoping that Phineas would provide him with more insight. "Why does he want me to stay? What else did he say?"
"Nothing whatsoever."
"Harry, I'm sure that it'll be-," Kiara attempted to reassure him, noticing the fury appear on his face.
"So, that's it, is it?" Harry bellowed. Kiara jumped backwards at the sudden loudness of his voice. "Stay there? That's all anyone could tell me after I got attacked by those dementors too! Just stay put while the grown-ups sort it out, Harry! We won't bother telling you anything though, because your tiny little brain might not be able to cope with it!"
"You know, this is precisely why I loathed being a teacher. Young people are so infernally convinced that they are absolutely right about everything. Has it not occurred to you, my poor puffed-up popinjay, that there might be an excellent reason why the headmaster of Hogwarts is not confiding every tiny detail of his plans to you? Have you never paused, while feeling hard-done-by, to note that following Dumbledore's orders has never yet led you into harm? No. No, like all young people, you are quite sure that you alone feel and think, you alone recognise danger, you alone are the only one clever enough to realize what the Dark Lord may be planning..."
"He is planning something to do with me, then?" Harry pressed, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Did I say that?" Phineas said snidely. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have better things to do than listen to adolescent agonizing... Good day to you..." And without another word, he strolled into his frame and out of sight.
"Fine, go then!" Harry shouted. "And tell Dumbledore, thanks for nothing!"
Harry dragged his trunk back to his bed gruffly. He lay down and closed his eyes, signalling to Kiara that he wanted to be alone or momentarily forgot that she was still in the room. She sighed and left the room, climbing the staircase. She felt uneasy about everything but if Dumbledore wanted them to stay, maybe he wasn't planning to see what would happen. Maybe, he believed that they were safe now. A pair of feet appeared on the landing above her. Kiara knew who it was before she looked up.
Fred was staring down at her, concern and relief in his eyes. The thought of turning into the snake and attacking him crossed her mind. She dropped her gaze and acted as if he was allowing her to pass, even though she knew he wanted to speak to her. She muttered a thank you but Fred grabbed her hand, preventing her from climbing the stairs.
"Kiara, wait," Fred said earnestly. "We need to talk."
She knew that she didn't have a choice. It was a conversation that was clearly inevitable. She nodded and followed him to the room that they shared with George. He opened the door and allowed her to walk inside before him. She sat on the bed, cross-legged and stared at him. Fred sat across from her.
"Let me go first," Fred began and Kiara nodded once more, nervous to hear what would come out of his lips. She wondered if he would break up with her. Anyone in his position wouldn't want to be with her anymore and Kiara understood why. According to what they heard earlier, she was the reason why Mr Weasley was injured. "I know that after hearing what Moody said at St Mungo's that you're thinking I see you differently. You haven't spoken to me since we got back and I can tell that you think I don't want anything to do with you. That's why you've been staying away from me."
"I understand if you do, Fred," Kiara murmured, looking at him with grey eyes. "You don't need to say it. We can break up if you want-,"
I was silent, knowing that what he said was true. But really, were my thoughts true?
"Don't finish that sentence," Fred said flatly. "For possibly one of the first times ever, you are wrong, Kiara. You're not dangerous. Not to anyone, and especially not to me. It wasn't you that hurt my dad. It was Voldemort. You and Harry were just the unlucky ones who had to see it but if you didn't, my dad wouldn't be alive."
"But, Fred, what if I was?" Kiara said quietly.
"Even if you were, nothing would ever stop me from wanting you in my life, as my girlfriend and my best friend. But, that doesn't matter because Mad-Eye is wrong. You're not being possessed and you weren't the reason my dad was attacked. I definitely don't want to break up with you."
At this point, Kiara's eyes were watering with happiness. She was relieved that he wasn't leaving her. She was so lucky to have Fred as her boyfriend.
"I'm so sorry Fred," Kiara said softly. "I feel guilty for thinking like that but I was the snake and I couldn't shake those feelings away. I don't want to hurt anyone else, especially you."
Fred lifted her head and looked into her eyes, cradling her face with his hands. "You won't ever hurt anyone because you never hurt anyone in the first place. You wouldn't ever let yourself hurt anyone, including me. You never were the snake Kiara and never will be."
"Fred..." Kiara began, smiling at him. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to say something, but she feared that it might be too soon for her to say. She wanted to express her feelings and emotions for him and she did so in the only way she knew how, by kissing him. She pulled away, breathing deeply and rested her forehead against his. "Thank you."
Fred grinned happily. "I definitely deserved a good kiss after that one."
"I love you, Fred." The words escaped Kiara's lips without her thinking twice about it. It felt so natural for her to say, possibly because it wasn't their first time saying that they loved each other. Indeed, they shared the same words when they were friends but now, it felt stronger. She loved him harder and deeper than before. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest and she realised she was waiting for Fred's response.
He was grinning, yet he was silent. He was caught off-guard, clearly not expecting her to say those three words tonight. Kiara began to doubt herself, wondering if she said it too early. They only started dating a few months earlier.
"I love you too, Kiara," Fred said, kissing her forehead. Kiara's pink eyes widened, her doubts completely disappearing.
"You do?" Kiara asked before mentally cursing herself. She was making it sound like she doubted him.
Fred laughed though. "I've always loved you, Kiara. But, since the Yule Ball, I've been in love with you. It's different."
"Well, I'm in love with you too, Fred," Kiara murmured, kissing him once more.
*****
I know this chapter is short but I felt as if it was cute and needed to be uploaded. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Thank you all for supporting me for so long.
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~FredWeasleyIsMyKing