Wood & Wild

Chapter Ten: Music and a Conversation

The rest of the week was difficult for Fiona. Oliver still managed to avoid her, even during Quidditch practise. Audrey, stubborn girl that she was, continued to ask her questions about her Grandma and the ring, and what it all meant. Joe was the only person who seemed to realise that Fiona wanted to leave the subject alone.

Finally, during Transfiguration, when Professor McGonagall was supervising Sally, Fiona cracked. "Audrey, will you just drop it?" she said fiercely but quietly. Audrey, unused to her friend losing her temper, went quiet and looked nervously at Fiona. "I can't tell you anything, no matter how much you bug me, all right? All that'll happen is that I'll turn you into a newt for a day." She glared at Audrey.

Audrey blanched. She knew that in a fit of anger, Fiona would make good on her threat. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." She held up her hands placatingly. "Although I don't see what the big fuss is about," she added under her breath.

"Exactly," Fiona snapped. "You don't see, and you never will. Not because I can't tell you, but because you don't come from a family like mine."

Audrey's eyes blazed. "I never thought you'd hold me being a Muggle-born against me, Fiona."

Fiona let out a breath of frustration. "I don't. But being a Muggle-born means that you could never fully understand what this," she held up her hand and the ring flashed, "means." She sighed. "And frankly, you should be glad you don't. It makes my life infinitely more complicated than it already is." She put down her wand, abandoning all pretence of working, although she did keep an eye on Professor McGonagall. "Look, Audrey, in the weeks and months to come, you're going to be my safe place, because you're the only person who doesn't understand, and won't go all melodramatic on me."

Audrey shook her head. "I'm flattered, but I don't understand."

"The only thing I can say is that this ring means that I'm now the official heir to the Morgan fortune, which doesn't just mean that I get lots of money. It means that I become the head of the family. Audrey, you know what the Morgans are. Because I'm in Gryffindor, it's a very fine line that I have to walk. There are people that I have to talk to and entertain that I would rather see in an early grave." Fiona shook her head and Audrey suddenly realised how much older Fiona looked, as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "Joe's family had some dubious connections in the past, so he understands totally, and Oliver...well, Oliver knows too, which is why he isn't talking to me."

Audrey looked across the room to where Oliver and Joe were concentrating on their work. She looked back at Fiona, and saw the haunted look in her eyes. "Fiona, you do know...."

"If you're going to tell me that I need to talk to him, I will turn you into a newt," Fiona threatened. "I know I do, but it's not that easy. Oliver can be as stubborn as you sometimes."

Audrey grinned. "Thanks. But that wasn't what I was going to say. You and Oliver will sort things out. I was actually going to say that I'd stand by you, no matter what. I trust you."

Fiona snorted. "You might not be saying that if you knew what I'll be doing this Christmas." Then she shook her head. "Sorry I'm so morbid. Even though I knew this day would come, I've kind of been putting it to the back of my mind. And thanks, I appreciate it." She smiled, and taking a deep breath, turned back to the statue in front of her, which she promptly turned into a newt.

"Okay, okay, I get the hint." Audrey laughed.

"Sorry." Fiona grinned. "I honestly wasn't intending that to happen."

~*~*~*~*~

The four of them left Charms together, Fiona and Oliver on either side of Joe and Audrey. They were planning on chilling out in the Common Room before heading down to dinner. Despite the dire warnings of their teachers about the NEWTs at the end of the year, the four had decided that this weekend was one for relaxing. The arrival of the ring, however, had changed Fiona's plans.

"I've got stuff to do, I'm afraid," she told them as they entered the Common Room. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

Joe and Audrey looked a little puzzled, but nodded their heads. Oliver's jaw clenched, and Fiona could see that he was restraining himself from saying anything. "I'm not going to go practise Dark Arts or go snogging any Slytherins, okay. It's perfectly legitimate," Fiona said to him, reining in her anger that he didn't trust her.

Oliver looked up and his eyes flashed silver, but he said nothing. Joe and Audrey exchanged a look that Fiona saw but ignored. "I'm going to get my stuff," she said, and strode furiously up the girls' staircase.

She grabbed some books from her trunk, and walked out the Common Room, nodding at Joe and Audrey, ignoring Oliver, and then made her way up a quiet corridor. She saw very few people, and those that she did see were mostly Slytherins and one Ravenclaw. Fiona stopped when she reached a tapestry hanging on the left-hand wall, which depicted a battle scene between King Arthur and Mordred. Fiona smiled grimly. She'd always thought that it was ironic that her practise room was behind this tapestry.

She gently pulled the old silk aside and pulled out her wand to tap on the wall behind it, saying, "Aperire." The wall shimmered for a moment, and then a small doorway, which even Fiona had to duck through, appeared. Fiona walked through immediately, and looked round the room that she had been neglecting.

It was a small and had curved walls, due to the fact that it was part of one of the towers. The window needed cleaning, and the dim light that came through showed an old desk with several piles of music books tottering on top of it, a high-backed chair covered in dust that also had music sheets on it, and, in the middle of the room, a baby grand piano. It had originally been brown, but now looked beige from the layers of dust covering it.

Fiona sighed, and moved to dump her books on the desk. A cloud of dust rose as she did so, and she had to stop herself from coughing. "Bloody hell," she said to herself. "It's worse than I thought." She pushed up her sleeves, and pulled out her wand, and prepared to blitz the room.

After half an hour of frantic cleaning spells, one of which had nearly hit Fiona as it rebounded off the window, the room looked completely different. The glass was sparkling, and the piano was glowing a deep brown. The small fountain in the corner, which dispensed drinking water, was no longer clogged with dust and the water ran through crystal clear.

Fiona looked round in satisfaction, and sat down at the piano, gently stroking the keys. "I'm sorry I've neglected you for so long," she said as she quietly ran through some scales. "Still, be thankful for the rest, because you'll be getting a workout from now until Christmas," she added, opening a book and placing it on the music stand. Fiona took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, trying to banish Oliver's angry face from her mind. Finally satisfied, Fiona began her practise, and the small room was filled with the sound of Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt.

After two hours of practising, Fiona noticed that the clock on the wall opposite was nearing 'Time for dinner' and that her hands were aching. She massaged her hands and then added her books to the collection on the desk. She just managed to catch a pile as it swayed, and noticed the book on top was the piece that had taken her all of last year to perfect. It had always been her favourite piece of piano music, and she was torn between sitting down and playing it, and going for dinner. In the end, common sense won out, for Fiona knew that she would need a few practise sessions to get it perfect again, and she was really quite hungry.

She left her music room quietly and walked back to Gryffindor Tower. She met Oliver, Joe, and Audrey just coming out of the Common Room. No one mentioned her outburst earlier, and Oliver still avoided her gaze. Fiona didn't explain where she had been, and conversation was a little stilted as they entered the Great Hall.

Dinner seemed to drag for Fiona, despite how hungry she was. Joe and Audrey did their best to talk to both Fiona and Oliver, but in the end gave up; even Audrey's extraordinary powers of conversation failing.

When they got back to the Common Room, Fiona abandoned all pretence of chilling out, and started on her homework. She couldn't stand any more tension-filled silences, and decided that if she was working, then she didn't have to contribute to the conversation. Her only problem was that one of the homework assignments they'd been given had to be done in pairs, and as luck would have it, her partner was naturally Oliver.

Joe and Audrey decided to go to bed finally, after Joe had beaten Audrey three times in a row at chess. Oliver barely acknowledged them leaving, instead staring at the fire. Fiona finally admitted defeat where her homework was concerned, and looked round the Common Room. She and Oliver were the only ones left.

Biting her lip anxiously, she joined Oliver by the fire. She couldn't but help notice that he tensed up when she sat down. "For Merlin's sake, Oliver, I'm not going to bite!"

Oliver grunted, but didn't move.

Fiona sighed. "I know what your problem is. It's this ring and everything that goes with it. I don't know what you expect me to do. I can't exactly throw it all away."

Oliver turned towards her, his face anguished. "Why not? Why would you involve yourself with that family, especially since one of your best-friends is Muggle-born?"

"They're my family, Oliver, and I can't just turn my back on them. Besides, it's not like the Morgans are like the Malfoys. They've always sat on the fence where Dark Magic is concerned," Fiona explained.

"Sitting on the fence isn't much better than openly practising it, Fiona," Oliver said. "Besides, your grandmother's always entertaining pureblood families at her castle, isn't she?"

Fiona nodded. "Yes, and yes, I'll admit that all of the pureblood families that go are the ones which either align themselves with You-Know-Who openly, and secretly support him. But it's only tradition, and you don't really want to upset that group of people unless you have to. Although," she added more to herself than to Oliver, "the Morgans are powerful enough that it wouldn't make any difference."

"Exactly," Oliver said. "They are very powerful. And if they showed their support for Dumbledore and the fight against Death Eaters, it would go a long way towards winning."

"Oliver, they can't. The Morgans have always been neutral, just like Switzerland," Fiona explained. "The fact that I was the first Morgan to be Sorted into Gryffindor sent ripples through pureblood society, but that didn't stop my Grandma from selecting me to be her successor. Oliver," she reached out a hand and rested it on his arm, "I'm not going to turn evil overnight, or in fact ever. I'm not going to suddenly change my allegiances from Gryffindor to Slytherin, and I'm not going to start throwing Dark Magic spells everywhere. I'm not going to change at all."

Oliver looked at her ruefully. "Except get much more serious. I know what that ring means. You're going to have to consort with all manner of dubious characters, and behave differently. This isn't you, Fiona."

Fiona shook her head. "Yes, it is, Oliver. It always has been, it's just that you don't see that side of me. I spent my first five years with my Grandma; I spent formative years of my life around those dubious characters. And I'm still here, aren't I? I know how to handle myself. But, I don't see how that should make any difference. You've known I've gone to Grandma's house every Christmas for years, why are you worried now?"

"I put up with it before because I always thought you'd get out of it once you'd turn seventeen and could make your own decisions. Now, I just can't believe that you'd turn away from your friends, from me, and take up your Grandma's mantle," Oliver said dejectedly.

"I'm not turning away from anyone," Fiona said angrily. "It's not like I'm going to live there. At least, not straight away. I'll probably move in after Grandma dies, but that'll be a long while off yet. And I'll only become the Head of the Morgan House when she dies. Besides, I actually enjoy those Christmas Balls. There's intrigue and deceit, and since I'm part of the hosting party, I'm above it. It's exhilarating."

"Sounds all very Slytherin to me," Oliver muttered.

"It is. But, Oliver, you've got to remember that I come from a long line of Slytherins. My mother was the first person in the Morgan family not to be Sorted into Slytherin. And as for Morna and I being in Gryffindor, well, when it comes down to it, Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't all that different."

Oliver glared at her.

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands. "I'll admit that there aren't that many slimy gits in Gryffindor, at least no one to compare to the likes of Flint, but there are some nice people in Slytherin too."

"Who?"

Fiona sat silent in thought for a minute or two. "Just because I can't actually think of any doesn't mean there aren't some!"

"Ha!" Oliver said in triumph.

"I can't believe you just said 'Ha!'," Fiona said, laughing.

Oliver pretended to pout, and then his face became serious again. "So, you're going to keep the ring?"

"I have to. For one, Grandma would probably make the rest of my life a living Hell if I didn't, and for another, I want to. I've been brought up for this, and I'm not turning my back on it," Fiona declared.

"All right, all right," Oliver said finally. "But, remember I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"What, just in case my eyes turn black and I start shooting lightning out of my fingers?" Fiona grinned. "Oliver, all I need you to do is trust me. I know what I'm doing, and I can take care of myself. Plus, the name Morgan holds a lot of weight in wizarding circles, even more than Malfoy. I'll be all right. I don't need you to baby-sit me, I just need you to stand by me."

Oliver sighed, and rubbed his eyes. He finally looked up and met her eyes for the first time in a week. "I guess I can do that. Sometimes I forget how powerful you can be."

"That's me, the all-powerful Fiona. Beware my glare, for it can light forest fires," Fiona joked, and then sobered when she saw Oliver's face. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, lighten up, Oliver. For one, I'm not about to start setting fire to forests. I love forests, you know I do. Let's not forget that Morgana was pretty attached to nature herself. Secondly, my glare could never light a fire, it normally freezes stuff, or so I've been told."

Oliver finally grinned. "You're right. I'm sorry, it's just come as a little bit of a shock. I mean, I knew who you were and all that it entailed, but it's suddenly been brought home." He took a deep breath. "So, where were you, then, if you weren't snogging Slytherins or practising Dark Magic?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Fiona coughed, and flushed, embarrassed. "Well, there's one thing you don't know about me. I don't know why I never told you, but, well, I'm a belly-dancer."

Oliver's eyes widened, and he looked her up and down, blushing. Fiona fought to keep down her own blush at the look on his face; a mixture of shock, disbelief, and desire. Finally, she could no longer contain her laughter. When he realised she was joking, Oliver looked at her disapprovingly and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist," Fiona apologised through her laughter. "But you actually believed it for a minute." She had to stop herself from falling to the floor as Oliver looked more and more exasperated. She managed to stop laughing and took a couple of deep breaths. "Okay, actually, I was practising the piano."

Oliver looked astonished. "The piano? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well, it's to do with the whole pureblood family thing. Of course, when I say pureblood, I don't mean like your family, or my father's, but really the purebloods that consider themselves to be better than everyone else. For instance, the Malfoys," Fiona started.

"And the Morgans," Oliver added.

"Yes, and the Morgans. Traditionally, all children of those families learn an instrument, and play it in front of everyone at family gatherings. Morna plays the harpsichord because she wanted to play an unusual instrument. I play the piano and the flute," Fiona continued. "I've started practising early because I know I'll be called upon to play at this year's Christmas Ball, and I can't let my family down in front of everyone else."

"So, that means that you've been doing this every year," Oliver surmised. "How come we haven't noticed you sneaking off before?"

Fiona shrugged. "I used to say I was going to the library or something. Let's just say that embellishing the truth is an art form that I learned early on. You don't have any siblings, so you wouldn't understand about that. I guess I never told you because it was connected to my Grandma and I knew you didn't approve of that whole thing. It was part of my life that you weren't in."

"Okay, there's one thing I don't understand. How did learning an instrument, which will inevitably be a Muggle device, and playing Muggle-written music, become tradition of families like the Malfoys? It doesn't make sense," Oliver said.

Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think that, for instance, Mozart, who was a child genius, writing symphonies and what-not at some ridiculously early age, was a Muggle? And, let's just say that almost all instruments were originally invented by wizards." She smiled ruefully. "There's been a lot of research into it. Purebloods would never let something as obvious as that slip by."

Oliver frowned. "Fiona, if I asked you, would you tell me everything about that half of your life?"

Fiona nodded slowly. "If you asked me to. I probably wouldn't voluntarily, because I like to keep them separate. Plus, I'm not sure whether you'd understand some of it. I mean, you are a Gryffindor through and through, and sometimes tend to see things in black and white, whereas I see things in shades of grey. But, yes, I'd tell you."

"That's all I needed to know. I won't ask you. Do you want to keep your musical ability secret from Joe and Audrey?" Oliver asked.

Fiona stared into the fire, and finally shook her head. "No, I guess not. Audrey's been pestering me all week about this ring and the message from my Grandma, so she'd certainly be pleased that I'm telling her something. I don't think Joe would be bothered either way. He understands what I'm going through a little better than even you."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I guess he would. The O'Keefes were pretty evil back in the day, weren't they?"

Fiona grinned. "They were. You wouldn't think so now, but I know they make sure every family member knows the family history, just so the same mistakes aren't made again."

"I really can't see Joe being all evil, can you?" Oliver asked, grinning.

Fiona laughed. "No, not really. Although he does have the charm for it. But he's just not smarmy enough. And far too genuine. There's not an evil bone in his body."

"Come on." Oliver stood up, and pulled Fiona up with him. "It's really late. Let's stop talking about morbid stuff, and hit the sack. We've got Quidditch to think about."

Fiona grinned. "Wrong, you have Quidditch to think about. My team's just fine, thank you!"

Oliver looked distraught, and then realised that Fiona was pulling his leg. "Fiona, stop it. At least your players all have brooms, Potter's got smashed to pieces by the Whomping Willow."

"Oliver, it'll be fine. There's no way we're going to lose the Cup this year. No way at all," Fiona promised. "If the worst comes to the worst, we'll just have to turn all of the Slytherin team's bones to jelly or something."

Oliver grinned. "Now that I'd love to see."

The two friends, having now made up, parted company at the stairs, and went to their beds, hearts much lighter than they had been earlier that night, and in fact all week.

~*~*~*~*~

That weekend, although the weather was deteriorating, Oliver and Fiona worked their teams hard. When William complained, Fiona turned on him. "Don't think just because we won the last match, we're going to slack off," she said sternly. "We need to practise harder, since the other teams will buck up after having seen us play. We are not going to lose the Cup this year."

Joe muttered to the disgruntled Beater, "Just be thankful that we're not on the First team." The two of them looked towards where Oliver was drilling his team. They were soaking wet, both from sweat and rain, and they looked thoroughly miserable. Oliver, however, was clearly fired up, his face flushed, and his eyes blazing.

Fiona grinned. "Yes, you should be. Now, come on, you lot, hit the showers."

Fiona didn't wait for Oliver and the First team to finish, deciding instead to get a little music practise in before lunch. She made her way down the corridor to her room, and passed Draco Malfoy on the way. He nodded at her, and smirked, and Fiona let a small smile slip out.

Soon, the sounds of her flute were drifting out the window. Once she had exhausted her music on the flute, Fiona sat down at the piano for some therapeutic playing. The emerald ring glittered on her finger, a constant reminder at her new-elevated position in the wizarding world. The smirk on Draco's face came back to her, and she wondered about the Malfoy boy. Perhaps she should have a word with her Grandma about him.

~*~*~*~*~

The next week and a half passed by quickly, and the mood between the four friends was much lighter now that Fiona and Oliver had made up. There were a few instances when Oliver's jaw clenched and his eyes flashed silver, and he went silent, mainly when Slytherins such as Draco Malfoy, Adrian Pucey, and Blaise Zabini nodded to Fiona in corridors, and more noticeably when Snape didn't take points from her for talking in Potions. Other than the added attention she was getting from the Slytherins, and a few Ravenclaws, however, life went on as usual.

Oliver was still a little desolate about the previous Quidditch match, and, although he worked his team hard, Fiona could tell there was something missing. The fact that Potter was currently flying on a school broom didn't help. The Reserve Team was coming together really well, and Fiona was proud of them. Morna was becoming an excellent Seeker, and her Chasing was improving steadily. The only problem with her sister was that she kept shooting her suspicious glances, and Fiona knew she would have to talk to her about Aquila's dramatic arrival soon. Morna was as anti-Slytherin as Oliver, perhaps even more so, and that meant that Fiona was dreading the impending conversation.

The fateful day came on a Wednesday evening. Fiona was coming back from music practise when she heard Morna. "Get away from me, Slytherin."

As she rounded the corner, Fiona saw Morna, wand drawn, facing off with a Slytherin. And not just any Slytherin, but Blaise Zabini, the son of a prominent family, and who's parents were suspected Death Eaters. Fiona also knew that his parents attended her Grandma's Balls.

"If you hex me, Wild, you'll regret it," Blaise growled, his own wand trained at Morna's chest.

"Wrong, buster, you will," Morna replied, her green eyes flashing.

Fiona sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Both of you, stop it." The two students started and turned to her. Morna scowled at her sister, but Zabini's eyes widened.

"Yes, Blaise, I wouldn't recommend hexing my sister. It wouldn't be good for your health," Fiona said conversationally, the threat veiled but obvious.

Zabini swallowed and nodded slowly, lowering his hand and putting his wand away. He looked warily between Fiona and Morna, who still had a furious look on her face.

"Now, Blaise, I suggest you go and get some dinner. I trust you can be discrete about this incident." It wasn't a question, and Zabini knew it. He nodded again, and scampered off, all dignity gone.

Fiona turned to her sister, ignoring the frosty look she was getting. "Come on, Morna, time to get some food too," she said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Morna put her wand away and reluctantly fell into step beside Fiona. There were a few moments of silence whilst Fiona waited for the outburst.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Morna asked furiously, unable to keep silent any longer.

Fiona smiled to herself. Forty seconds, she's getting better. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Squaring up with Zabini in a deserted corridor? Not really the best idea you've had, Morna."

"He said that the only way Gryffindor will win the Cup this year is if the balls have Impedimenta put on them," Morna answered angrily.

Fiona sighed. "Honestly, Morna, you really have to learn to cope with that temper. You're worse that Oliver."

"That's not all he said," Morna muttered under her breath.

Fiona's eyes narrowed and she stopped, turning to Morna. "What else did he say?"

Morna shook her head. "Nothing."

Fiona's eyes flashed. "Morna," she said warningly.

"Okay, okay, he mentioned something happening to our family when our allegiances were announced. He implied that Mum and Dad were going to be tortured because we're Gryffindors," Morna said, her eyes filling up.

Fiona huffed impatiently. "That boy is pathetic. I'll make sure he isn't introduced for years to come," she muttered under her breath. Out-loud, she said, "Don't listen to anything he says. Mum and Dad are definitely not going to be tortured, okay? And, don't worry, Zabini will get what's coming to him."

Morna looked her sister in the eyes - she was nearly as tall as Fiona now - and narrowed her own. "Are you going to tell me what happened back there? Why did he run off like a girl? It's to do with whatever Aquila brought, isn't it?"

Fiona looked straight back at Morna for a moment, and then moved off towards the Great Hall. "In a way, yes, it is. It's the first time that Aquila's been seen in school, and a lot of the Slytherins will know who owns him. It's brought home to them just who exactly I am."

"And who exactly is that?" Morna asked, her voice quiet. Fiona glanced at her, and could see that her face was pale. Sometimes she forgot that Morna was only twelve.

"The heir to the Morgan fortune," Fiona answered shortly.

"And?" Morna sounded puzzled. "I don't understand."

"You know Mum's family is very powerful. Well, they're more respected and feared than people like the Malfoys," Fiona said.

"Are you suggesting that Mum's family are evil? Fiona, you spend every Christmas with them!"

"No, they're not evil, don't be bloody daft. They're just not the nicest people in the world. They're not the Potters, okay. The Morgans aren't all sweetness and light," Fiona explained. "And, before you ask, you don't really know any of this because you've been sheltered from it. You always spend Christmas with Dad's family because Mum didn't want you involved whilst you were still so young."

"So, you're the heir to a family that isn't evil, but is respected by evil people like the Malfoys and Zabinis and that's why Blaise ran away like a girl," Morna surmised.

Fiona grinned. "Pretty much. He knows that I could tell Grandma what he did and that his parents would never let him forget it."

"Are you going to?"

"Absolutely." Fiona looked affronted. "He has to learn that he can't threaten any member of the Morgan family, even if it is you."

"Hey!" Morna objected.

Fiona grinned and stuck her tongue out at her as they entered the Great Hall. "Now, go and sit with Ginny and Sean and have fun. And please don't leap on any more Slytherins, okay?"

"I wasn't going to leap on him, eww! And, did you know that you can be quite scary?" Morna said as she left to join her friends.

"That's my job, wee one," Fiona said under her breath, sitting next to Oliver. She caught Zabini's eye across the Hall, and was pleased to see him blanch under her gaze. Yes, there are some definite advantages to having this power. I can't believe that twat. He's a disgrace to his family. Her gaze skimmed the Slytherin table, and rested upon Malfoy. Now, there's a boy cut from the same cloth as his father. Fiona then remembered the smirk he'd given her the week before in the music room corridor, and the sparkle behind his grey eyes, so untypical of him that she'd noticed it. Or maybe not, she thought. Definitely need to talk to Grandma about him.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Sorry it took so long for this to be finished. I've had about half of it written for ages. And, also, don't worry if some of the stuff that Fiona comes out with doesn't make much sense at the moment, like the "introducing." It'll all become clear in a couple of chapters.

Sorry there wasn't any nearly naked Oliver in this chapter, but you did get a bit of Fiona/Oliver fluff. In the next chapter, look forward to some interesting Quidditch commentary, and perhaps some more pranks. Don't forget about the Yahoo Group for outtakes and photos.