Children of Fate

The weeks following Tinkerbell's absence seemed to drag on. Ana, Rey, and Liza rarely talked of the sprite, but they thought about her and her stories constantly. More than once Ana had been punished for slacking off when she should have been watching Mandy. Every opportunity she had Ana sketched--one of her few great talents--pictures of her mother.

Rey was suffering the most of the three, though. Ana could tell that each time he saw a dark witch or wizard (which was often) his face tightened and he got a look in his eyes halfway between hate and despair. Ana wondered often how it must feel to see the people who killed your father each day, and to have to respect them at that. Finally, however, a month and eighteen days after Tinkerbell had left, she returned.

Ana, Liza, and Rey had been walking down the lawn of Davies Manor and towards their shed when they saw that a light was turned on. Fearing that they had finally been moved to one of the smaller and stuffier cabins the three friends had pelted down the lawn and came to a halt on the deck of their cabin. Pushing for the best place, Ana, Liza, and Rey pressed they faces to the window.

To their great surprise, sitting on the table, arms crossed, was Tinkerbell. When she saw their surprised faces she gave a small wave, which they each returned rather robotically. Rey then opened the door and the three of them walked inside.

"I'm back," Tinkerbell said as they all sat around the table, "and this time I'll be staying longer."

This earned a smile from all three of the excited friends. "Where were you, though?" Liza asked after a few pleasantries had been exchanged.

Tinkerbell looked down at her tiny hands and said nonchalantly, "Oh, just catching up on a few things. Being locked in a small box for eleven years causes you to miss much of what's going on. I just met up with a friend or two and discussed the current times." Tinkerbell paused and looked at Liza. "No cause for worry," she said, but everyone present knew that she had politely told them to mind their Ps and Qs.

"Are you up for telling us a bit more of the story?" Rey asked next, a hopeful smile on his face.

"That's what I'm here for, right?" Tinkerbell asked, smiling slightly. "Now let's see...Where did I leave off? Oh yes! Right after Kate had met Ron Weasley, the mysterious man in red. Now, as you might remember, there were two more masquerades to be held over the course of the next two nights. Now, after all that had happened the night before, Kate was generally excited about the ball, hoping that the man would ask her to dance again...

***

Ron wasn't usually so bold with women. In fact he rather feared them. Having had only one girlfriend--Marjory Tolkins, a girl his age who had been in Hufflepuff--that had dumped him straight out of Hogwarts Ron knew not what to do around a pretty young woman. And while Kate wasn't as stunning, gorgeous, or alluring as her sisters were she possessed a bit of inner charm that had attracted him to her within seconds.

And when the chance to kiss her had arisen--when his lips were right next to her ear--he had taken it. The words that flew out of his mouth before and after the kiss had amazed Ron himself. Never had he sounded so smooth and so sure of himself. He had left at the exact right moment, too, when Kate was fully intrigued by him.

No doubt, Ron thought as he scanned the Malfoy's ballroom, she had thought of him quite a bit over the last twenty-four hours. He had certainly thought of her.

"Looking for someone, Ron?"

Ron started slightly as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find Harry Potter, his best friend of seven years, standing behind him. It was thanks to Harry that Ron was at the Malfoy's masquerade in the first place. Harry, who--through his "sources"--had caught wind that the Malfoys were throwing a grand masquerade in honor of their son's French fiancée. Also through his "sources" he had managed to obtain two invitations, one for Ron and another for himself. Their other best friend, Hermione Granger, had declined the offer to accompany them.

"You two are going to Draco Malfoy's masquerade?" she had asked, thoroughly disgusted. "You had better not wreck it! You two could get in a lot of trouble. I mean it! You really shouldn't go, Ron! You neither, Harry!" she had said when she heard of their plans. But that was Hermione for you. Strict, book reading, rule-abiding Hermione Granger--or should one say Hermione Potter?

Ron smiled at the thought. In four months Hermione and Harry would be married in the same place as Harry's parents had been. It was about time, really, he thought. They had been dating since mid-fifth year, when Krum and Hermione had decided to be "just friends".

"Yeah," Ron said after a moment's pause. "Kate Lowell. Have you seen her?"

Harry's green eyes, which were the only part of his face showing from under his red mask, filled with worry. "Kate Lowell? Ron, you aren't going to dance with her, are you? I mean, she's Draco Malfoy's fiancée! Even I wouldn't go messing with the Malfoys like that. It could turn ugly! And what if they find out who we are?"

"I danced with her last night and you didn't have a problem."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, but I didn't know you liked her." He paused and looked at the ground. "Listen, Ron, I just want you to have the best, because you deserve it. If you really like Kate Lowell than go and dance with her." With a tip of his head and a swirl of his green cloak, Harry was gone. Ron resumed his search for Kate. He hadn't been looking very long when-

"You came again?"

Again Ron felt a hand on his shoulder, only this time it was Kate, dressed in a gown of gold that billowed out around her waist. The straps of the dress were made to slide off the woman's shoulders and with a matching mask and her hair done up in small ringlets Ron had to admit that she looked good.

Bloody good.

And her beloved fiancée wasn't around to see it. As if sensing Ron's worry Kate smiled.

"Draco and Pansy went off to the guesthouse half an hour ago. He won't be of any bother," she said, and even the stupidest man couldn't miss the suggestive lilt in her voice.

"Well, then," Ron replied, bowing slightly, "my I have this dance?"

Kate curtsied before replying, "You may." She barely had time to straiten up before Ron had swept her off to the dance floor.

***

Two hours later, after twenty-three dances Ron led a breathless Kate out onto the veranda. "Having fun?" he asked, grinning. Kate nodded. She had never had more fun in her life dancing all those courantes and galliards. Though Ron had been a bit clumsy when the leaps came, he had been the only man in the whole ballroom who had been able to follow the steps correctly. Mr. Malfoy, who had been dancing with Kate's mother, had tripped and falen more than once.

After they had been standing outside for quite some time Ron asked another question. "Do you miss your home?"

Kate shot him a look that told him all. "More than anything. I mean I wasn't born in France. I was born here. But then my mother begged my father to move back to her homeland, when I was three--almost four. That's why I don't have an accent, but I can speak French."

"Really? Say something."

"Enlevez tes masque, Ron Weasley."

"And the means?"

"Remove your mask, Ron Weasley."

Ron chuckled softly. "Do you really want to see me, Kate?"

"Yes," Kate said, and she moved one of her hands to the blue mask covering Ron's face, removing it with one quick whip of her wrist.

Ron's face was not at all unpleasant. While it did not hold the same cold beauty that Draco's did, he seemed to possess a softer sort of handsomeness, one that Kate liked much better. His hair was flaming red and freckles covered the bridge of his long nose. His eyes were a light brown color, almost amber. They shone with mirth in the light coming from the large windows of L'enfer. His lips were twisted into a smirk and he was leaning up against one of the pillars that held up the second floor.

"And what of you, Miss Lowell? Can I gaze upon your face once again?" he asked, removing the silver mask without receiving a reply. Kate blushed and, as his brown eyes traveled over her face, she was reminded of the way Draco had stared at her the first time they met.

As if she was worthless.

As if she didn't matter.

As if she was a disappointment.

Kate knew she wasn't--and never would be--as lovely as her sisters. She didn't need to be reminded. Not like that.

Ron, sensing her shame, moved to wrap his arms around her. The sudden act of intimacy surprised Kate a great deal, but it felt too good to stop him. "He doesn't deserve you, Kate," Ron whispered. "Don't ever make yourself out to be something worse than what you really are because of what Draco Malfoy thinks. I don't know you that well, Kate, but even I can see the way you light up a room when you smile. You're a great girl Kate; don't let Malfoy stomp that out of you." Ron then held Kate back at arm's length. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Kate nodded, still surprised by Ron's small speech. "You promise you'll be here? I hate to think that I'll be stuck with Mr. Malfoy as a dancing partner."

Ron grinned. "I'll be here tomorrow, Kate," Ron said. Kate had nodded and kissed him on the cheek.

"Night, Ron," she whispered before turning to go into L'enfer. Ron watched as she went, and staid where he was even after she had gone inside. Then, with a satisfied sigh, he turned to leave, disappearing into the dark.

***

"What about Draco Malfoy?"

Tinkerbell shot a withering look at Rey, who had interrupted her story with a question. "Excuse me?" she asked in an icy tone, an equally icy look on her face.

"What about Draco Malfoy? Where had he been? I mean, he doesn't seem like the type to sit by and let his fiancée fall in love with someone other than himself," Rey said.

Tinkerbell's icy look disappeared, replaced by a far away look. "Oh, he had been with Pansy, but word got around to him that another man had been moving in on Kate. He was, of course, furious. It had never occurred to him that Kate could like--or even fall in love with--another man. So, the night of the third ball Draco didn't show. Everyone, including Ron and Kate, thought that he had just slipped off to go and shag Pansy Parkinson, but that was where they were mistaken..."

***

Draco lurked in the shadows of the large pillars that had been built on the outside veranda. Thanks to a tip off from his cousin Marques--whom he knew was just kissing up--he now knew what a fool his "blushing bride" was making of him. Every night, when he left with Pansy, Kate got her little revenge by dancing the night away with some mysterious stranger. To make matters worse, she had left the ball last night to go walking with him, out on the very veranda he was on now.

Draco grinned wickedly. After giving Pansy a rather rude brush off he had snuck out here to lay in wait. If his predictions were correct then Kate and her mystery man would soon be coming outside. Then, when they least expected it, he would leap out of the shadows, frightening them both into silence. Then the fool who had dared to go near Kate would be punished, Kate would somehow come to love himself beyond belief, and he would then go off to find Pansy. Draco loved his plans. That was because he was always the one to benefit from them.

However, the young Malfoy heir's thoughts were cut short when he heard a giggle.

Kate's giggle.

And then a laugh.

A man's laugh.

Draco's face flushed red and hi blood began to boil. So he had been right. Kate did have a...friend. He staid quiet, though, even when his fiancée and the mystery man came into view, his arm around her waist, her hand entangled in his hair. They had kissed. Kate's lips were swollen and red, and she looked breathless. The man was laughing quietly, and he bent down to brush a lock of Kate's hair out of her eyes.

"That's what a snog fest is like," he murmured, and Draco sensed that there had been a conversation leading up to the kiss. Kate smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," she said, and the tone in her voice was much different than the one she used when speaking to Draco. It was much more sexy, much more seductive. Then, for a moment, the jealousy in Draco was so great that he would have given anything to be the mystery man and to have Kate looking and speaking to him like that.

But the feeling was only for a moment.

Draco decided to wait and see what happened. He would find who this man was. Where he lived. What he did for work. And then, when the time was right, he would squash the man like a beetle. But before Draco could further plan his strategy, the man leaned down for another kiss.

And Draco did the first thing that came to mind.

***

Kate was in heaven. Whatever bliss was, it was what she was feeling now. When she had asked Ron--only twenty minutes earlier--what exactly a "snog fest" was, he had laughed, bent his head down to her level, shoved her up against a pillar, and kissed her. When they had surfaced for air a few minutes later, Kate, taking some advice from her elder sister Sophia, had run.

"Boys always like it when you run," Sophia always said in her nasally voice. "It gives them something to chase after; it gives them a challenge."

Luckily Sophia had been right. Ron did like chasing Kate down the veranda, through a garden, and onto the veranda again. He had laughed when he caught her.

"That's what a snog fest is like," he had said, mirth gleaming in his brown eyes.

"Thank you," she had replied, grinning shyly. Then Ron had bent down to kiss her. Kate had closed her eyes in anticipation. But the kiss never came. That was because, just seconds before their lips would have met, Draco Malfoy had come hurtling out of the bushes, screaming something awful.

He had knocked not Ron off his feet, as Kate assumed he had intended to, but missed both people and gone crashing into an expensive stone pot that held an expensive plant from China. Then he had laid still for quite some time.

"Merlin's beard," Ron had said in amazement, bending down to examine the unconscious young Malfoy, "is he dead?"

Draco was not dead, much to Ron's bad luck, for the next moment the seemingly lifeless young man had the other in a headlock. A fight ensued, but Kate didn't know what had really happened, for she had begun to scream. By the time Mr. Malfoy and Goyle had pried Draco off Ron, and Ron's friend had pried Ron off Draco, both boys had a black eyes and bloody noses. They both wore looks of extreme hatred on their faces.

"What the bloody hell happened, Draco? My god--Is that Arthur Weasley's son? Will someone tell me who ruined my party?" Mrs. Malfoy screamed, stomping her foot down hard.

"Weasley," Draco began, tugging himself loose from his father and his friend, "was forcing himself upon Kate."

There were surprised murmurings and Mrs. Lowell made a move to further hurt Ron. But luckily, Kate had intervened.

"That's not true! I kissed him back!" she cried, realizing a moment too late that she had probably made everything much worse.

"Malfoy here threw himself at her," Ron hissed, more to his friend than to the watching crowd.

"That isn't true either," Kate said, and both boys turned to stare at her. She decided to take another piece of Sophia's boy advice.

"When in doubt, start crying and run off. That always gets you the sympathy vote and the men feel awful for hurting you!"

And so Kate buried her face in her hands and ran off, smiling to herself when she heard Ron and Draco call out her name.

***

"And then Josie begged mother to let him go, as long as he promised never to come around again. Of course Mr. Malfoy and Draco were fuming, and you'll probably get totally raked over by mum, but at least this Ron fellow got off easy. Tell me, did he really--Kate? Kate, darling, are you listening?" Kate winced as her older sister Peggy smacked her on the head with a brush. Peggy scowled deeply before resuming her task of brushing Kate's long, thick hair. "I swear, Kate! You're acting so weird lately."

"Isn't it obvious?" Miranda asked from across them room where she lay on her stomach on Kate's grand bed. "She's in love with Ron Weasley."

Peggy snorted. "Well, Kate, if that's the case then you had better fall out of love pretty quickly. Mum was furious last night. So furious that she stormed into her apartments and stayed there all night. Everyone expected her to stomp in here and rip your throat out."

Miranda nodded vigorously, sitting up and eyeing her older sister with interest. "I doubt she will, though. You heard what Draco said, Peggy. Out dear Kate isn't to be blamed."

Peggy paused mid-brush and glared at Miranda. "Just because Draco said that Kate wasn't to be blamed doesn't mean that mum won't. You saw how angry she was, how absolutely sure that Kate-"

"Zat Kate 'ad executed 'er plan with absolute perfection and brilliance."

All three heads whipped to the doorway of Kate's bedroom, where Mrs. Lowell stood, grinning like she hadn't in twenty years. Kate was rather surprised. Though she hadn't said much the night before, when Sophia and Amelia had been teasing her about botching everything up, or this morning, when Miranda and Peggy appeared to help Kate prepare for the day, she hadn't needed to. She had just gotten the feeling that she had ruined all her mother's hopes. But then why was her mother smiling? Could it be that the emotional strain caused by her soon-to-be-married daughter had broken her?

"What?" Kate managed to ask after a moment or two of complete silence.

"Oh, Kate," Mrs. Lowell said, stepping into the bedroom, "zere's no need to be modest. I know 'ow you planned to make Draco envious by kissing that Weasley man and make 'im finally give up Pansy Parkinson as a whore-"

"What?" Miranda asked. She looked more astonished than Kate herself. Draco had fired Pansy?

"Oh, don't play dumb Kate. It doesn't become you. Draco told Pansy zat 'e was going to be more faithful to 'is fiancée and zold 'er to please leave zee grounds. You've brought about an alarming change in zis boy, Kate, and it's all zanks to your plan," Mrs. Lowell said happily, hugging Kate.

"You mean Draco loves Kate now?" Peggy asked, crossing her arms.

"No, no, no!" Mrs. Lowell cried, her good mood broken. "'e's just obsessed with getting Kate to love 'im! But you've given me an idea, Peggy." Smiling once again Mrs. Lowell wheeled back around to face Kate. "You, my dear, need to go and find zat young man. You will tell im zat you're fed up with young Draco and continue to see 'im. When the zime is right you will let it slip to someone, who will zell Draco, zat you are seeing zee Weasley boy."

Kate was sure he mother was mad from disappointment. Demanding that she go pursue a fake relationship with Ron? Highly unlikely. But all the same Kate wanted to see the tall, gangly, red head. "Very well, mother. I will continue my plan." She gave Mrs. Lowell a smile, and soon her mother had left the rooms.

"So it was all just a plan?" Miranda asked once Mrs. Lowell was well out of their hair.

"Yes," Kate said quickly. It would just be easier to tell her sisters a lie than to admit that she had a glimmer of feelings for the "Weasley boy".

"When will you go to town?" Peggy asked, an eyebrow raised in interest.

"Later today. I think I'll take you, Miranda, and Josephine. We'll make it seem like I slipped away from you three. The rest I'll think of as it happens," Kate muttered, more to herself than her sisters. Shrugging Peggy motioned for Kate to turn around, so she could lace up Kate's corset. With a wry face, Kate did as she was told. No sooner then Peggy had finished and helped Kate into a lilac robe with laced sleeves then Draco Malfoy himself came bursting in the room.

He had gone through obvious pains to clean himself up for he smelled strongly of aftershave and his blond hair was slicked back. He had donned simple black robes and in his right hand was clutched a bouquet of red and white roses. Miranda, who was dressed only in a corset and a slip, gave a shriek of embarrassment. Peggy, who had a bathrobe on, crossed her arms and glared at Draco.

"Couldn't wait until the wedding?" she asked sourly.

"No, I just couldn't wait to give these to Kate," Draco muttered, his eyes dropping to the ground. He thrust out his hand and Kate took the bouquet, inhaling the scent of roses deeply.

"Nice try, Romeo," Miranda called from her hiding spot behind the bed, "but Kate likes lilies and jasmine the best."

Draco's face tightened. For a moment Kate was sure that Draco was going to yell at Miranda, but instead he took a deep breath and said, "Allow me to go down to the gardens and pick some for you, Kate." After carefully setting the bouquet of roses down on a table Draco turned to the door and strode out, muttering something rude under his breath. The girls didn't speak until they heard the door to Kate's apartments slam shut.

***

It was late at night and everyone but Ana was asleep. After telling the three friends how Draco Malfoy had finally come to pay more attention to Kate, she had said that needed to get up early tomorrow and that they should get a good night's rest. After much protesting and the promise that she would not fly off, Tinkerbell had managed to get all the eleven year olds into bed. When she had finished Ana had watched as she slumped on top of the diary and, almost instantly, fallen asleep.

Tinkerbell didn't strike Ana as the mothering type. She did, however, seem to like Ana, Liza, and Rey. But then again that was probably because of their parents. Ana sighed and rolled out of bed. Sleep was not going to come to her for a while; she might as well take a walk to clear her mind.

After creeping out of her bedroom, which was at the back of the cabin, past the sleeping Rey, and slipping outside undetected, Ana grinned. She often walked through the apple orchards that Mrs. Davies kept to clear her mind. It had always calmed her in a way that nothing else--not even a nice chat with Liza--could. After doing three loops through the numerous trees with barely ripe fruit Ana sat beneath the biggest one.

This tree had always been special to her. For one, it was the only tree in the orchard that didn't produce fruit. Mrs. Davies always said that she would chop the old thing down, but it seemed to Ana that each time she nearly called for a servant to do so something stopped her short. Maybe it was the initials that were carved into the great trunk. On one side of the giant tree there was, carved deeply into the wood, a heart. Inside the heart there were the letters L=A. The letter before the L and A was unreadable.

As Ana sat under the tree, though, she began to grow sleepy, and soon she had fallen prey to a nightmare...

***

It was dark when Ana awoke. It was so dark that for a moment she forgot what light had ever been like and a feeling of great despair rippled through her. But then she heard the crying of a child. It was muffled, quiet, and almost impossible to hear, but Ana knew when a child was crying, after so many years of watching over the young Davies girls.

Slowly Ana made her way through the room which she was in, though it was inside and the last thing Ana remembered was sitting down under her special tree.

'Oh well,' Ana though with a mental shrug, 'this isn't the first strange thing to happen to me today.'

As she continued to make her way through the room Ana realized that, though it couldn't have been much bigger than her own bedroom, the room was packed with beds. Her eyes, which were adjusting to the darkness, began to see the forms of young girls. From what she could see the girls were all asleep. Except one.

Finally Ana reached the bed of the crying girl, which was in the far-left corner. The covers were drawn up around the young girl, to silence her sobs, but the second that Ana sunk down upon the bed, the covers were thrown back and the sobbing stopped.

"Who's there?" the little girl asked in a frightened voice. "Marjorie? Alice? Please, stop scaring me!"

"But can't you see me?" Ana asked. But the girl didn't seem to hear. Instead she went back to clutching a photo and sobbing.

Ana had only a moment to hug the little girl before she woke up screaming louder than she ever had before.