Harry Potter and the Black Secret

Chapter Eight

Lies

"Concentrate Ron," Kristine said a little irritably. They had been in Kristine's room for the last four hours and the confinement was getting to her.

"I am bloody concentrating!" Ron said, not bothering to hide his frustration.

"No your not, your thinking about Hermione and Harry down there in the common room without you. Honestly, you can trust them you know, I mean, after what happened last time, they're never going to do that again!"

The hairbrush that Ron was levitating (albeit wobbly) in the air crashed to the floor.

"What do you mean after last time?!!"

Kristine had a smug look on her face, "See, you're not concentrating."

"You distracted me," Ron mumbled feeling guilty about believing for even a second that Harry and Hermione would fool around behind his back.

"That shouldn't matter," Kristine said, getting up from her cross legged seated position on the corner of her bed, "You should be able to keep that thing levitated without even thinking about it."

"I am trying Kriss, it's just that, I've been a bit out of practice lately, you know?"

Kristine found herself looking at her feet, "I know, I've been busy..." she was cut off by Ron dashing up to put his hand on her shoulders.

"Hey, I didn't mean," he stuttered, "I was wasn't getting at you, its me, I haven't been practicing. Its not like I need your supervision or anything."

"Debateable," she said smiling.

"Right," Ron said sitting down on Kristine's bed staring fixatedly at the brush on the floor, "I will do this even if it kills me."

Kristine sat down next to him and tool his hand, "Don't strain yourself, let me help."

"Help? Help how?" Ron asked.

"Just lift the brush," Kristine commanded.

Ron concentrated on the hairbrush, not blinking, willing the magical energy he felt through his wand to come from within him. As he concentrated he felt a warm surge of power run through his veins, stemming from the hand that Kristine held. The brush lifted gently into the air, and smoothly glided into his free hand.

He relaxed.

"Wow," he said softly, "How did you do that?"

"I didn't, you did. I just nudged you in the right direction. Now," she said, taking the brush and telekinetically putting it back on the floor, "Do it again, just remember how it felt the first time."

Ron concentrated his gaze once more, recalled the power he felt from Kristine, and the brush glided into his hand.

"See," Kristine said, "It's all you."

Ron smiled, "You're a great teacher."

"Prove it," Kristine said.

She did this at the end of every session. Ron had to use his power and do something spontaneous.

Kristine looked at Ron, who appeared to be fascinated by the back of her head. Suddenly she felt the white band holding her hair in a loose ponytail fall away, except, it felt more like it had been pulled away.

The hairbrush floated once more, and proceeded to brush her hair, gently and accurately. She reached out behind her and took the handle.

"That was amazing," she said, genuinely astounded, "I thought you said you hadn't been practicing?"

"I haven't. It's what you did just now; it opened a door in the back of my mind. I can feel the magic inside me, glowing softly, ready for me to access it. Is that how it feels for you?" Ron said.

Kristine thought for a moment.

"It's sort of like, I can feel its there, but I'm not aware of it. I suppose I must have been once, but now, it's more like a natural warmth, but when I access it, fireworks go off inside my head. Little flashes of light. The more powerful the spell, the brighter the flash. That's why I still use a want for the most complicated spells, it would be dangerous for me to expel that much magic in one go without a medium to take off the strain."

"What would happen if you did use a lot of magic in one go, without a want I mean?" Ron asked.

"It'd drain all my strength, leave me weak for a while. I wouldn't be able to do any magic, with or without a want, until I'd fully recharged again. If the spell was really powerful, I might never recharge at all. The same goes for you."

"But I can't do magic without my wand, I can only move things around. Telekinesis and all that."

"You've got the power to do magic without a wand Ron, I'm just not going to teach you how. You've been trained with a wand, and you should stick to that, it would be difficult and dangerous to change now...but not impossible. Besides, a wand only channels the magic, if the spell is more powerful than the wizard, it'll still drain them of their strength."

"How did you get so wise?"

"I read lots of cereal boxes Ron. Lots and lots of cereal boxes," Kristine said.

Ron laughed, "Come on Kriss, lets go and have some fun."

"Are you saying this isn't fun? Am I not good enough for you Ron Weasley?" Kristine teased.

"Be fair Kriss, one man can only take so much," Ron said, heading for the door at rapid speed as he spoke.

Kristine laughed and ran after him.

When they reached the Common room, Ron dived behind Harry for protection. Kristine stood in front of the pair arms folded, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Okay, hide behind your friend, but just remember, you have to sleep sometime. I wonder where I can get two hundred spiders on such short notice," Kristine said as she took a seat next to Hermione on the plush red sofa.

"Hey," Ron said wondrously looking over to the either side of the common room behind Kristine, "Cool puppet Dean,"

"You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that Weasley, I am deeply, deeply offended," Kristine said.

Ron and Harry sat down on the sofa opposite the girls and the friends started chatting animatedly. After a while, Harry brought up the subject of Quidditch.

"It's the first game of the season, and we've been training really hard, but we can't let our guard down, we're still playing Slytherin."

"We'll be fine Harry," Kristine said, "Besides it's a whole month away what with that accident with the Quidditch pitch. There's no way Hagrid will have herded those things back to the forest before the holidays, I say them setting up a little demon shanty town earlier."

They all looked reflectively for a moment. No one fully understood why the part goat, part troll (or was it dwarf?) part wolf creatures had emerged from the Forbidden Forest near the start of the year. They had originally lived in the garden patches outside Hagrid's hut, but after Hagrid had complained about the noise they made, and the fact they were eating is crops, they had moved onto the Quidditch pitch.

For the last couple of weeks, all Quidditch practice had had to take place over the grass land by the lake, magical barriers keeping the students from flying over the water.

"But what with the holiday's coming up most of the team will be going home, so we're only going to have two days of practice together when we get back," Harry said, well, it was more of a moan really.

"Speaking of Christmas hols, I've got something to ask you. Actually, it's Mum who's asking, but anyway," Ron said to Harry, "She was wondering if you'd maybe like to come and have Christmas with us this year. Charlie and Bill are coming home for the hols, and Percy and the twins will be there on the day. You don't have to if you don't want to, it was just an idea..." he finished feeling a little awkward.

"Are you kidding!!" Harry exclaimed, "I'd love to have Christmas with you. I feel so guilty you staying here with me year after year when you should be at home."

"We stay because we want to Harry," Hermione said.

Harry suddenly became very aware of Kristine sitting opposite him. She seemed to have a small smile on her face that she was forcing to be more visible.

"Kriss..." Harry said softly, not knowing quite what he wanted to say to her.

She looked into his eyes and allowed a lopsided smile to sit on her face.

"Hey, don't go worrying about me," she said in as cheery a voice as she could manage, "I actually have plans over the holidays too."

Kristine wasn't sure why she lied. No, that wasn't true, she knew why. She wanted Harry to have the perfect Christmas with the family he adored. He deserved it. A proper, traditional, family Christmas. Kristine knew that if she told Harry she would be fine on her own here he wouldn't believe her and would stay back with her. She also knew that Ron would happily have her come to the Burrow with them, but she didn't want that either.

"You do?" Harry asked.

"I got a letter this morning from an old friend back in Tunisia. She's come over to England for a while and wanted to catch up. Mum knew her family, and they've asked if I want to spend a few days with them over the holidays."

Kristine didn't know where this was coming from, and she scolded herself on getting so good at making up lies on the spot. It must be Draco's influence.

"You know you can come home with us too Kriss, your more than welcome," Ron said.

Kristine couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine, I will. The peace and quiet will do me good," she said, and was surprised that she really did want to be away from the hectic school life for a while. Still, she felt bad about lying to her friends, and another, even more painful thought had crossed her mind. One she would have to wait until later to dwell on, to mourn over.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Yes I'm sure! I think I can cope without you for two weeks Harry, really I do, in fact I'll prove how good I am at being separated from you right now," she said as she stood up, grinning as convincingly as she could, "I have somewhere that is else to be."

"Where?" Harry said disbelievingly.

"Ah, a secret rendezvous with a forbidden love."

Harry's eyes widened partly in confusion and partly in astonishment.

"Detention with Snape," Ron said with even looking up.

"Alas, he is correct," Kristine said dramatically, swooping her arm around her head, "Never will we be able to reveal our passionate affair for fear of discrimination and scandal. We are doomed to walk the night together, keeping to the shadows."

"You've been reading way too much literature, I'm cutting you off," Harry said.

"Don't wait up," Kristine said seductively as she left the common room.

As soon as the portrait swung closed behind her she had to reach out for the wall to support her. She stood there for a couple of minutes, breathing deeply, before walking down to the dungeons where Snape was waiting for her.

At least she had told the truth about that she thought as she walked.

*

It was half an hour before midnight as Draco gently pushed open the door to Kristine's bedroom. He didn't know why but he felt like he had to see her, like she was silently calling to him. It was a similar feeling to that which he had experienced just before finding her in the Astronomy Tower that first time. Similar, but less...intense.

He poked his head around the door and saw her lying curled up in bed, covers held up to her chin by an exposed arm. She was lit up by the moonlight streaming in though her uncovered window.

She was facing the window, her back to him as he entered the room. She didn't seem to hear him, and as he got a little closer he realised why.

She was crying.

Not the silent tears that she had cried before. She was sobbing, letting herself cry into her pillow.

He had seen her like this before, albeit only on a couple of occasions when the grief got too much for her. She tried so hard to be strong, but she was only human. She was still only a sixteen-year-old girl who had lost her Mother.

Draco laid his hand on her arm and she turned over to face him, sobs subsided slightly.

She sat up and he put his arms around her. She hugged him close, her face nuzzled into his neck. After a while they pulled apart and Kristine spoke.

"I've never spent Christmas without my Mum before. I just...it gets to me sometimes, creeps up on me when I least expect it. I just can't help feeling so alone, like I don't have a family, even though that's rubbish, I have so much, but I can't help but..."

Draco silenced her, placing a finger gently to her lips.

"It's okay to miss your Mum you know."

She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips, lingering slightly before pulling back.

"I want to be strong for her," Kristine said.

"You are strong," Draco said, "You're the single most strong person I know. Others would have given in by now, dealing with what you have to, but you haven't. You carry on. Your mother would have been so proud of you Kriss, just like I am."

"I'm only strong because of you," she replied.

"Rubbish. You'd be strong even if I wasn't here, I just help you along the way that's all."

Kristine sighed and fell back on her pillows. Draco lay on his side facing her, his head propped on his hand, just watching her face.

"You always know how to make me feel better. You're always there when I need you most. I must have done something pretty amazing in a previous life to deserve you."

"Ditto," Draco said simply.

They lay there for a while, until Draco spoke again.

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Staying here I guess. Harry's going to Ron's and Hermione is going home as well."

"They're leaving you here by yourself?" Draco said incredulously.

"Technically," Kristine replied, shifting uncomfortably, "I kind of told them that I was staying with a friend over the holidays."

"You lied," Draco accused.

"Yes, alright I lied, and I feel really bad about it okay, so lets not go there."

"Well, I can help you there, the feeling bad part of it anyway."

"How?" Kristine said sceptically.

"By making your fib a little more truthful. I was going to ask you this at the weekend, but now is as good a time as any. How would you like to spend the holidays with me?"

Kristine sat up in astonishment and stared at Draco in the face.

"Are you serious?" she said sounding horrified, "I can't go to Malfoy Manner, it'd be like walking myself right up to Voldemort himself and saying 'Hi, I'm the one your looking for, please kill me now before I regain my sanity'"

She stopped when she saw the amused expression on Draco's face.

"What?" she demanded.

"You seriously think I'd take you to the Manner? How stupid do you think I am?!"

"Well what did you mean then?"

"I meant, do you want to come with me and Mum to the country house for two weeks. Father is still away, and isn't coming back over the holidays at all, so Mum suggested that we spend the time together for a change. I asked if I could bring someone, and she said yes."

"So," Kristine said cautiously, "Your Mother isn't..."

"As evil as my Father? A Death Eater? The bitch from hell? No, she's none of those things. We'll be safe with her. Promise."

"I was actually going to say 'isn't going to mind your girlfriend spending Christmas with you', but all that other stuff's good to know too," Kristine said teasing.

"I'll take that as a yes, you'll be coming home with me then?"

"Yes," Kristine said certainly, "I would love to spend Christmas with you."

Draco kissed her again, a smile on his lips to match hers.

"I Love you," he said.

"Ditto," Kristine replied, before covering his moth in hers.

*

The last week of school seemed to drag along slowly. There was no break in lessons just because the holidays were coming.

"You'll have plenty of time to waste soon enough," Snape drawled at the class of sixth years who were sitting bored stiff in the last potions lesson of term.

"Great bloody way this is to end the year," Ron said, Kristine sitting beside him. She barely heard him though; her brain was too preoccupied with the countdown till the end of term.

One hour. Forty-five minutes. Thirty-five minutes. Thirty minutes. Twenty-nine minutes. Twenty-Eight and a half minutes.

Was it her, or was time moving slower and slower every second?

Harry sitting on the other side of Kristine had actually fallen asleep. It was a good thing they were at the back of the classroom really.

Snape was still lecturing the class of non-interested students on the proper uses of dragon's blood, and didn't look like he was going to ease up anytime soon. There was nothing to do but wait it out.

Draco, on the other hand had other ideas. There was only so much he could take, and Snape had crossed the line of bearable torture a good long while ago.

Draco was sitting at the front of the classroom as usual, doing his best to look attentive, and a no meagre task right now.

He raised his hand in the air, and Snape paused in his speech.

"Yes Malfoy, what is it?"

"I'm sorry Sir, but I don't feel all that good. Could I go down to the infirmary please?"

Snape eyed him suspiciously. Draco got away with far more than the other students, but still, Snape knew that even Draco Malfoy wasn't the perfect student.

"What exactly is the matter?" Snape demanded.

Draco launched into a well-researched list of symptoms, a list that pointed directly to Wizard's flu. Much the same as Muggle flu, but Wizard's flu did not have a magical cure and had to be waited out. Rare as the disease was, it did happen.

"Very well," Snape said begrudgingly, "Make yourself scarce."

Draco gathered up his things quickly and walked towards the door at the back of the class. Usually, he would have shot a triumphant look at Potter n the way out, but that wouldn't work for the next faze of his plan.

Just as he approached the back of the class, he suddenly collapsed on the ground. Everyone stared at the heap that was Draco Malfoy on the floor.

Snape rushed to his side, and Draco did a very good impression of someone waking up from a blackout.

"Whoa, what happened?" he said weakly.

"You fainted Malfoy, you really must be sick," he said, "Miss Hail!" he barked suddenly.

Kristine jumped to her feet and went over to Snape.

"Take Mr Malfoy down to the infirmary, and take your stuff. By the time you get back we will have finished anyway."

"Yes Sir," she replied, trying to sound annoyed with her take, but really very glad to escape the lesson, and of course, she was worried about Draco.

Draco was suppressing a grin. He had hoped this would be the outcome. Snape would not want to set any student free, and so would pick one that would hate the task (or at least he would assumed hated the task) of supporting Draco. His only worry had been that Snape would pick Potter, but thankfully, Draco thought, the dozy Gryffindor was asleep. An added punishment bonus opportunity there, no way Snape would let that one slide.

Kristine and Draco stepped out of the classroom, Kristine had an arm around Draco and he was leaning on her, arm around her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked as soon as they were clear of the vicinity of the classroom.

"I am now," Draco said taking his weight off of Kristine, "Seriously, if he get any more boring, Professor Binns is going to have competition."

"You were faking it?!!" Kristine cried out, "You bastard, I was worried about you!"

"Hey, needs must, and I needed to get out of there. I was hardly going to leave you to suffer was I?"

Kristine leant back against the wall laughing in disbelief.

"You are amazing."

"I know."