Destiny

Promise Me

Chapter 17

'That's a vampire,' Harry thought, shocked.

Horrified, Harry saw the vampire leaning forward towards Destiny's neck. Without thinking, Harry jumped from where he was perched on the branch and barreled into the vampire, effectively knocking it off its feet.

Growling angrily, it jumped up and lifted Harry off of the ground by the collar of his shirt.

"What the hell is your problem?" As the vampire shook him, Harry felt his head snapping back and forth violently. "Do you just randomly attack people?"

"Stanton, STOP!" Leaping forward, Destiny grabbed a hold of them and started prying them apart. "You're going to hurt him!"

"So?"

"This is my boyfriend, Harry Potter! LET GO!"

As Stanton dropped him to the ground, Harry felt the air that had been squeezed out of him, rush back into his lungs. Touching his neck, he grimaced. 'That's going to leave a bruise.' Feeling a presence next to him that he could not ignore, he looked up to see Destiny towering over him. 'How does she always manage to look so scary and still be so small?'

Clearing his throat self-consciously, Harry took a good look around. From inside the circle, none of the creatures were very scary or even particularly threatening. In fact, most looked like normal people you'd see on the street everyday.

"Um... Hi?" he said guiltily.

Giving him an unsympathetic glare, Destiny asked sternly, "What are you doing here?"

"Following you?"

"Why?"

"Why? Because you won't ever tell me anything! I have to spy on you just to find out who you really are! I don't even know you anymore! What happened to that open, friendly girl I met in September?"

"She doesn't exist; she never did."

Scuffing his toe in the dirt, he decided to change tracks.

"Don't you trust me anymore?"

Rolling her eyes, she snapped viciously, "Something's aren't about you. THIS isn't about you."

"Well, now it is." Pausing to look around the clearing again, he said as calmly as possible, "Care to explain what's going on... anyone?"

Obviously seeing that Destiny wasn't going to speak anytime soon, a tall, lanky girl stepped forward. She didn't look to be any older than twenty, but already she had a worn, wise look about her. It was almost as if she were an old lady trapped in a teenager's body. Most of the people in the clearing had that look.

"Harry Potter, my name is Dakota and I'm a shapeshifter- a Dark Creature. Everyone here has been branded with that title. We- the ones before you- are envoys for each of the different races. We've gathered here to receive our new instructions from our Queen-"

"Queen?" Harry asked, confused. "You have a Queen?"

"Of course we do," Stanton snapped.

Stepping away from the angry vampire, Harry furrowed his brow. "How do you decide who's to be your Queen?"

"It's very simple really. The creature with the most power, leads. Unfortunately, most of the time, nobody is strong enough to take charge. So we wait."

"For what?"

Smiling evilly, Stanton was the one to reply. "For a Necromancer to reincarnate."

"A Necrom..." Stunned, Harry turned to his girlfriend. "YOU?"

"Yes," Destiny replied coolly. "Me."

"You're a QUEEN?" Harry asked, still unable to grasp the concept.

"While I live, yes. When I die, the people will wait for me to rise again." Pausing, Destiny cocked her head to the side. "I told you I was gathering an army, that I had that kind of power in my grasp. Did you think I was joking?"

"Well, no... I don't know."

"It's not a joke. We have gathered here to discuss ways to set our people free from YOUR people, without going to an all out war."

"The question now," Stanton added, "is whether or not you are willing to help- or at least keep these meetings a secret."

"I think we should wipe his memory," an older man said from behind Dakota.

"Shut-up Dad!" Dakota snapped. "Well?"

"Of course I won't tell, but I'll only help if Destiny wants me to... Des?"

Throwing her hands into the air, she exclaimed, "Fine, whatever! Just sit down." Spinning around, she stomped over to a fallen log and flopped down gracelessly.

Moving cautiously over to her, Harry sat down, leaving as much room as possible between them.

For the next few hours, Harry sat and listened to various ideas being thrown around the circle. By the time the meeting came to a close, everyone was frustrated and annoyed.

"This is ridiculous!" an elf, by the name of Mia, exclaimed. "We've just wasted so much time; too MUCH time!"

"Hey! At least you've got some ideas. Just work on it next meeting. It's no big deal."

Snorting, Stanton sneered. "You humans are all the same. Do you honestly believe we have the time or energy to waste on frivolous meetings? Most of us have to return to our families or clans. We'll have to make another trip all the way up here just to figure this out... Maybe you should take a look at your misguided optimism. You have NO idea what reality is."

"That's not true!" Harry replied forcefully.

Looking around for some support, he finally turned to where Destiny was now standing with an impassive expression. Pursing her lips, she replied with, "I think we should be heading back."

*****

Walking back to the school, Destiny couldn't help but remember the hurt look on Harry's face.

"It wouldn't have killed you to stand up for me, you know," Harry spoke up suddenly.

After a few minutes of silence, she finally answered. "I couldn't, in good conscious, defend you. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us."

Looking confused, Harry said, "I don't understand."

"My defending you would have been a lie and... I couldn't lie to them." Pausing to gather her jumbled thoughts together, she continued, giving him a sad look. "... I agreed with them too. You don't live in reality, Harry. You live in a world where no matter how bad the night is, there's always the promise of dawn. Well, welcome to my world! In my world, there's no guarantee that the sun will rise again because, truthfully... there's no tomorrow. Not for them and never for me. There's only today and even that's not always true..."

Silence descended on them until it was almost unbearable.

'I shouldn't have been so hard on him. It's not his fault that I am what I am. He doesn't need to live in the darkness; it would destroy him.' With a deep breath, she quickly blurted, "I'm sorry," at the same time that Harry said, "I should have trusted you."

Laughing softly, they stopped walking. Looking at each other, they shifted nervously and waited for the other to say something. Finally, Destiny managed to gather the courage to start again.

"I'm sorry I got angry. Still working on the trust thing, I guess..."

"Me too. I just wanted to know why you felt you couldn't just tell me. Forgive me?"

Seeing him standing there with his arms held open to hug her, she couldn't help but smile. Shyly, Destiny stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Always," she murmured, closing her eyes and laying her head against his chest, hugging him closer to drown out the pain of knowing that forgiveness would never fix their problems.

*****

February fourteenth dawned cold and clear, with frost covering the windows. Fires were lit in the grates but still the chill did not pass. In the boys' dormitory, the seventh years were pulling on gloves and jackets in preparation of the snowball war against the other houses.

"Hey Ron, what did you get Hermione?" Seamus asked curiously as he pulled on his socks.

"Why would I get her something?"

"Um... Ron?" Harry asked, looking worried. "You do know that today is Valentines Day, don't you?"

"Why would I get Hermione something for Valentines day?" Ron asked turning bright red. "We're not dating!" Seeing everyone's incredulous looks, he exclaimed, "We're not!"

Rolling his eyes, Dean turned to Harry. "What did you get Destiny?"

"Something I'm hoping she won't laugh at me for," he muttered. Confused, Neville asked why she would laugh at him because of a present. Shifting uncomfortably under the other boys' stares, he finally said, "I'll tell you tonight, okay?"

"Sure," Ron agreed.

"So," Seamus grinned insanely, while rubbing his hands together. "Are we ready to beat Slytherin to a bloody pulp?"

*****

Outside, students had gathered, ready for the fight to begin.

"Hagrid!" Harry shouted. Waving the gamekeeper over, he turned to his friends. "Maybe Hagrid will help Gryffindor!"

"'Ello there 'arry!"

"Hi Hagrid! Will you help us?"

Looking regretful, he said, "Can't. 'Ave to make sure it don't get to violent."

Destiny, who had been silent all morning, finally spoke. "Hagrid, there's going be two students that'll get to close to the Whomping Willow."

Startled, the half-giant asked anxiously, "Do you know which ones?"

Looking regretful, Destiny smiled sadly. "Just watch the tree. I can't tell you anymore than that." To her friends, she tried to smile cheerfully. "Come on. Let's pelt someone with fluff."

Waving their goodbyes, they headed to where the others from their house had gathered.

"Will they be okay?" Hermione asked quietly.

Shrugging, Destiny bent down to gather up some snow. "I know not the destination, only the journey. Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. Humans aren't built to be able to handle the knowledge of the future. Lot's of human Seers go insane." Tossing her snowball in the air, she threw it in Harry's face. Smirking, Destiny turned and ran in the other direction.

Brushing the coldness off his face, Harry took off after her. Spying her running behind a tree, he followed closely- and was promptly hit by another ball of snow. Shaking the fluffy water out of his eyes, Harry lunged at her, picked her up, and flung her over his shoulder. Carrying her a short distance- with Destiny squirming the whole way- Harry finally dumped her into a bush.

"Hey!" she shrieked indignantly, jumping up and tackling him.

Forcing Destiny onto her stomach, Harry shoved a handful of snow down the back of her sweater, causing her to scream and struggle to get the cold water out of her clothing.

After an hour of chasing each other mercilessly through the snow, Harry collapsed onto the front steps of the school. Flopping down on her back beside him, Destiny smiled up at him.

"I guess the house wars are over. I wonder who won..."

Wrapping his arm around her, Harry pulled her into his lap. "You're soaked!"

"From being dropped in a bush!"

"That was forever ago!"

"So?" Leaning his forehead against hers, he kissed her softly. "What were we talking about?" Destiny whispered.

"How you're going to sneak off to Hogsmeade with me tonight for dinner." Seeing her hesitant look, he gave her the cutest face he could manage. "Please!"

"Okay." Hopping to her feet, she smiled angelically. "I would have anyways. I just wanted to see the face!"

As she disappeared, Harry couldn't help but gaze after her.

*****

Holding her stomach, Destiny couldn't help but giggle helplessly.

"Sh!" Harry hissed from beside her.

"I can't help it! It's funny!"

"It's not funny; it's stupid! You're going to get us in trouble if you don't cut it out!"

Pausing and letting the invisibility cloak fall off her head, Destiny grinned at him mischievously. "Don't tell me you've never fantasized about it."

"Yeah," Harry admitted, before continuing in exasperation. "That doesn't mean I'd ever do it!"

"Mrs. Norris needed a good kick!"

Giving up his stern façade, Harry laughed. "Come on; we're here."

Helping Destiny into the hump of the stone witch, Harry quickly climbed in after her. Walking along in the darkness, he reached out and held her hand tightly. 'It's okay. Everything's going to be okay.'

"Harry?"

"Huh?"

"You're hurting my hand."

"Oh." He quickly loosened his grip. "Sorry."

After making their way through Honeydukes, they walked into the cold February night.

"It's so pretty here," Destiny murmured in awe.

"Um, Des? Let's go over there," he said nervously, pointing to a bench that would allow them to have some privacy. After sitting, Harry took a deep breath. "Destiny, I love you."

Giving him a puzzled smile, she replied sincerely, "I love you too."

"What I mean is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you-"

"Whoa! Harry, I'm-"

"I know you're only fifteen, and I'm not asking you to marry me. Not yet at least. What I am asking is that when you ARE ready to marry, you promise it will be me who will be waiting for you at the alter." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small, delicate ring. "Will you promise yourself to me Destiny Black?"