The Mystery

Chapter Five

An Unexpected Thing

"Oh come on, you know you can't pretend you don't know Harry Potter forever!!" The voice echoed through her head. She couldn't believe that Kali was doing this so early into the year.

"Please just leave me alone this year!" Keira said as low as possible, if people caught her talking to her twin without Kali being there then everyone will think she's crazy. That's what everyone at Salem thought anyway.

"Because, Keira, I am your other half and you cannot survive without my input in your life!" Kali said. "Oh, and just talk to me in your head you don't have to vocalize it!!" Keira rolled her eyes, Kali didn't realize that Keira talked out loud to keep her sanity. If she had to carry on a conversation in her head with her sister every time Kali wanted something then Keira would lose all together which voice was spoke aloud and whose voice wasn't. She'd go crazy for sure.

"Kali, I have Advanced Potions now and I really need to concentrate because Professor Snape is a lot harder than Professor Quick ever was."

"Oh, get off it Keira, you know you don't want me to intrude upon your thoughts because then I'll know exactly what you think of Harry Potter!!! Like he has anything on Draco Malfoy, no there's a kindred spirit and handsome too." Keira clamped her hands over her ears like that would stop her sisters ranting.

"Just shut-up!!" Keira yelled and a few frightened first years actually ran away from her. Finally she reached the Potions classroom and stopped in her tracks, why didn't Kali mention that she had Advanced Potions too? Kali looked up and smiled at Keira and then waved. Keira ignored her and sat down next to the first person that didn't have partner yet. Harry Potter.

"Hi," Harry said and smiled politely. Keira had the impression that Harry had been waiting on someone but before she could move Professor Snape slammed the door and cleared his throat. Harry muttered to himself. "Hermione, where are you?" Keira thought this was a little sad but couldn't pay attention because Kali kept singing in her head:

"Keira and Harry sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, second comes marriage, third comes Harry with a baby carriage, baby falls out, Harry saves it's life, now I pronounce you husband and wife."

Kali kept repeating this to Keira and finally Keira stood up and spun around to face her twin. Keira pulled out her wand and pointed at Kali who looked a little shaken.

"Silencio!" Keira shouted and an orange light zoomed towards Kali whom tried to dodge but got hit anyway. Keira smiled and then realized that Professor Snape was standing behind her. Before she turned around she looked at Harry and got a very handsome smile from him, she then knew that any punishment would be worth it. She finally faced Snape and was prepared for detention or expulsion.

"Miss Matthews," Snape began but was interrupted when Hermione stormed through the door. Snape immediately turned his attention to her. "Miss Granger, why are you late to the most important class in your future?" Hermione stared and then bowed her head.

"I overslept this morning and missed breakfast to get here in time and then..." Snape interrupted her.

"Miss Granger that will be 20 points from Gryffindor and please try and be on time from now on." Hermione winced and headed towards Harry to sit down and then noticed Keira just as Snape noticed her as well. "As I was saying Miss Matthews, thank you for stopping that irritating noise and the other Miss Matthews, 50 points from Slytherin." Kali just popped her mouth open because the spell had stopped her mind voice as well as her normal voice. Keira smiled and sat down by Harry again. Hermione and Harry were glancing at Snape as if he had lost his head and then Hermione noticed again that Keira was in her seat.

"Um..." Hermione cleared her throat and got the attention of everyone in the room. Snape snapped back around and Hermione turned red.

"Miss Granger please, I would like to begin class sometime today! Your partner this year will be Draco, now go sit down!" Snape bellowed. Hermione turned white and then looked around for Draco, who had a rather smug expression on his face. Which, Harry thought didn't fit, Malfoy hated Mudbloods as he had called Hermione every chance he got.

"At least she'll know what she's doing, if it was Potter than I'd get zeros everyday. By the way Potter how did you get in this class anyway?" Hermione sneered at what Draco had said. Then spoke up before Harry could.

"He received an O on the Potions Exam and so Professor Snape had to let him take the class."

"Correction, Miss Granger, I don't have to let anyone in my class." Hermione turned pink again then shut up. Serves her right Keira thought. The rest of the class went pretty smoothly but Keira had to take the silence spell of Kali when they were dismissed. Kali didn't say anything when the spell was taken off just stormed off after Draco Malfoy and the other Slytherins.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked Harry when they left the Potions classroom. Harry just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing, he was actually irritated at Hermione for being late and now she couldn't be his partner.

"Why were you late and don't give me that stupid excuse you gave Snape, I know you. You always get up before anyone else and eat breakfast early so you can read in the library until classes start!" Harry said a little too fast and too loudly. Hermione's eyes got wide and she stopped walking. She knew Harry knew her better than Ron did but she didn't know how well Harry knew her. She always thought that Ron and Harry believed her when she told them that she always got to class before them to study. How did Harry know that she went to the library every morning to read? Besides that if he knew she read in the library does he know what she reads?

"Well than I guess I can't keep secrets from you!" Hermione said and then paused. Harry was a little weary she had only said from you meaning Harry not Ron and Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes and then looked down at her feet denying Harry the right to look her in the eye and in a small voice where Harry had to strain to hear. "I met Ron in the lavatory where Moaning Myrtle is and we uh..." Hermione trailed off.

Realization hit Harry like a ton of bricks. All he could do was stare at her with his mouth hanging wide open. He closed his eyes as he got a very vivid picture of Ron and Hermione making out in the girl's bathroom with Moaning Myrtle watching. Hermione had turned a beet red by the time Harry had opened his eyes. She looked sorry, but not for telling Harry what she did, she looked sorry for actually doing it. Harry was very confused in that moment when their eyes had met, but thankfully he had remembered class and that they should be in one by now.

"Hermione, Transfiguration!" was all Harry could say to her as they ran off to be on time to class. Where they also met up with Ron, whom Harry thought looked a little smug. Which made Harry look a little sick. As soon as Transfiguration was over Harry raced off to eat a quick lunch and if Hermione and Ron noticed at all they didn't mind. When Harry had finished eating he went to the copse if trees by the lake to mull things over while waiting for his next class.

He sat down in front of the tree closest to the water and just stared off into space thinking about Ron and Hermione. Why does their relationship irk him so? One reason is because Hermione's letting her studying and grades slip south and that's not like Hermione at all. Ron isn't paying attention at Quidditch practices and keeps getting knocked off his broom. Altogether they were just acting weird. Is that how someone in love acts? Harry thought he had been in love with Cho Chang, but at the end of last year when Hermione had told them that she had a new boyfriend, he had not reacted at all.

Keira watched as Harry scratched his head for the hundredth time not even aware that the lake's occupant had poked up a tentacle in greeting. She wandered what Harry was wandering about and was it ok to interrupt his wandering. Close to the castle doors Draco Malfoy stepped outside and spotted her. Keira hadn't really met Draco formally but if Kali liked him then there was nothing good about him. Then again she always gave people a chance. Keira figured she wasn't going to get to talk to Harry right now so she just sat down where she was. Draco came up to her and sat down across from her.

"Hello, I'm Keira Kali Matthews," Keira said offering her hand to Draco. He looked surprised at her middle name, which everyone at this school did. He smiled almost nicely and took her hand. Keira took a sharp intake of breath as Draco's icy cold fingers wrapped around the back of her warm hand.

"Draco Keir Malfoy," Draco said relishing the look of shock from his middle name, which like her and her sister's names meant black. " I believe your name is a variation to my middle name." Keira nodded.

"Not to mention Keir is, was my father's name." Draco's eyes widened a little and smiled again but not nicely. "Do you know that when you smile it reminds people of someone who could do things like Lord Voldemort did," Keira stated and almost fell over with laughter when Draco turned whiter than he already was. Apparently here Voldemort wasn't a name you flung around. She had almost put a first year in the hospital wing yesterday by saying his name. Draco recovered and then tried to smile the way he was born to smile. He showed perfect white teeth between not to thin lips and low and behold he had dimples. Keira's heart flapped a warning and then her hand melted his apparently he hadn't let her hand go yet and she just now realized it.

"Keira?" Draco said alarmed which broke his smile and the charm she had been under. She was sure she just glimpsed the good in Draco, but it was buried so deep. "Are you alright?" He said as she released his hand so he would let hers go. Worry lines appeared on his forehead and then a flash of the good Draco came back but left really quick as her eyes left his and found Harry right behind Draco.

"Are you alright Keira? His Malfoy bothering you?" Keira was surprised to find Harry so close and very scared for... Draco. She found her voice fast.

"Oh, Harry I'm fine. We were just talking." Truthfully she thought. But Harry and Draco were glaring at each other, which made both appear very ugly. He has a temper just like Draco and just like Draco's good it's very hard to get it to come out. I wonder what makes Harry so mad at Draco.

"Oh, here comes Potter. Come to save the helpless and fight the evil! Every freaking year, god I can't get a break from this twit!" Draco let fly which made Harry even madder. Keira could tell when an explosive situation was near and she didn't want to hurt anyone but it's better than letting the two of them hurt or even kill each other. She flung out her wand and tried to remember the hand movement that went with the Veritas curse.

"Veritas!" Keira yelled loud enough for the curse to work but not so loud as to attract attention. Harry and Draco at the same time grabbed their stomachs and doubled over. Draco had his evil little smirk on his face and Harry looked broken. Keira held back tears as her first question came to her. She had to start with something she knew was true or else they could be lying. "Draco, what color is my hair?" Draco sputtered and strained against the pain he was feeling. It felt like someone had taken meat hooks and had hooked them into his heart to rip the truth from him.

"M..m..ahogany b..brown," Draco finally stated and felt a little of the pain recede.

"Harry, what shape is your scar?" Harry felt despair, he felt like everyone he had ever loved had died. He was completely alone and had to face his worst nightmare. It didn't take Harry as long to answer.

"A lightning bolt!" He didn't stammer or draw the answer out but it was strained. Keira felt a tear slide down her cheek then asked the most important questions that mattered to all three.

"Draco, why do you hate Harry so much?" Draco screamed and Keira thought for sure they'd be found out but finally Draco answered and the answer it seemed floored Harry.

"B...because good c...comes easy to him and I can't stand it..." Draco tried to close his mouth but the curse wouldn't let him. He had told the truth just not all of it. "...and because Potter has a chance with H...Hermione, and I don't!" Draco finally finished and laid on the ground panting. The pain was still there but a lot of it had lifted because that had been his most guarded secret and now two people knew. Keira unleashed Draco from the curse but made him stay to listen to Harry's explanation.

"Harry, why do you hate Draco so much?" And then it was Harry's turn to scream although he had known where this was going. He felt loathing towards Keira but knew she was just trying to help. Harry tried his hardest to clamp his mouth shut but to no avail.

"Draco has more of a chance with Hermione than he knows and I don't want her hurt. I will do anything in my power to keep you away from her!" Harry rushed out and directed the last bit to Draco. Draco stared and Keira released Harry from the curse. Someone was ringing a very shrill bell and Draco snapped out of his daze. Harry glared at Draco but grabbed Keira and Draco's hand and ran for the forbidden forest.

"Thanks to you now the teachers will be looking for a Death Eater using the Dark Arts!" Draco snapped in Keira's direction and wrenching his hand from Harry's grasp. They all three went into the forbidden forest and ran until they couldn't run anymore.