Say What? ((Fiona))

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Crashing onto the large cushioned sofa, Kennedy let out a large sigh. He had just got back from the owlery after sending a letter to his mother. Apparently, she owled him, telling him that his sister had been kidnapped or something, yet he wasn't supposed to worry about it? It was all rather confusing and odd to Kennedy, and at the same time, he couldn't even make himself feel upset about it. Sometimes he was glad to be able to get away from his family while at Hogwarts. They were all so... complicated, he thought. Plus, it wasn't like any of them actually seemed to care much for him. Well, maybe his mother, but that was about it. And their relationship wasn't exactly what you would call close either.

Glancing at his watch, Kennedy guessed Fiona would be arriving shortly. He was hoping she would come early so that he could tell her about the random owl from his mother. Plus, he was anxious to see her. They hadn't been able to spend all that much time together over the summer. They did take every opportunity that they could, but the opportunities weren't as frequent as Kennedy would have liked. He loved every moment that they did get to spend together, and the more he was around Fiona, the more addicted to her he became.

As he waited, Kennedy reached his hand into his pocket. He felt a piece of paper, and pulled it out curiously. He didn't remember having anything particular in his pocket. When he looked at it, it was a note written in his own handwriting.

Ball with Cass

It was short, and vague, but it hit Kennedy like a brick in the face. How could he have forgot about the ball that Cass wanted him to go to!? It had slipped his mind completely, and he hadn't even told Fiona about it yet either. This could be bad, he thought to himself. He knew that he could most likely convince Fiona that his going with Cass would be more beneficial than harmful. Not only would he get the chance to meet a lot of higher up wizards and witches, but he knew that he might be able to find something more out about the book and the secret society that Cass mentioned Pyro being a part of. Neither of these issues had he discussed with Fiona yet either. Surely she would be just as interested as Kennedy was, and agree that he could go with Cass- under certain guidelines of course.

A sudden noise startled him, and he quickly crumbled up the small paper and shoved it back into his pocket. Looking up, he saw a familiar face. His eyes lit up, and he flashed a large smile on his face. "Hey beautiful," he said Fiona entered the common room. "It's been too long," he said as he stood up and walked over to her. He gave her a big hug and kissed her on the forehead. "Just where have you been? Causing trouble?" he asked with wink. Seeing Fiona almost made him forget everything he was worried about... almost. His hand ventured down to his pocket, where he felt the paper in his hands. "Let's sit down and talk," he said, motioning to the couch.

((*FINALLY broke the 100 post barrier! Throws confetti and celebrates.*))

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

((congrats my friend on 100 posts! Really you have many more than that especially if you think back to your first charrie all those months ago. Anyway, sorry it took so long to get back to you. I'll try to reply to our outside Hogwarts post as soon as I have inspiration enough to do that.))

Fiona ran a hand through her hair as she walked absentmindedly through the corridors. It was nice to finally have a few moments of peace. After the summer she was surprised that fate would allow her to have such a break, but now that it was here she welcomed it. She didn't have the concentration to head to her room and begin unpacking. It was something that she would wait to do. To know that she only had about 3 years left at Hogwarts was something she couldn't grasp. Things had gone by so fast, yet so slow. It had been a constant battle between people, friends, and her mind. Now she was wondering how long it would be before things turned back to how they used to be. She wasn't sure if she could handle another year of bad luck. It would probably end up driving her insane, far beyond the reaches of even Kennedy.

The thought of Kennedy made Fiona smile broadly. She hadn't seen him in a while. She looked around herself and sighed. How she had managed to get to 6th floor she didn't know, but now she knew she had to head back down the staircase and back to the common room. She had to find Kennedy. Only he could make her happy anymore. Her feet moved down the stairs noiselessly and she turned the corner, only to come face to face with what seemed to be a first year Gryffindor. Fiona's cruel smile played across her face. "Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Fiona asked. The kid took a step back apologizing profusely. He must have knew something about the wraith of a Slytherin. Her smile widened as she took out her wand and pointed it at the kids face.

A noise behind Fiona startled her and glance back quickly. The shadow of a teacher passed by the wall. She pocketed her wand quickly and sneered at the kid who took off running in the opposite direction. The teacher came into view and Fiona quickly started off on her way back downstairs. There was no way she was going to risk getting into trouble this early in the year. The rest of the trip to the common room was rather uneventful. However, it gave her time to think about Kennedy and how much better things were going to be now that they were back at school together instead of in separate countries like they had been over the summer. She said the password and stole into the common room. The minute she entered a familiar voice reached her ears.

Fiona smiled brightly at Kennedy's words. Oh, how she could get used to them as long as they came from him. She returned his hug and felt her cheeks grow red as he kissed her forehead. In Fiona's opinion, a kiss on the forehead was more romantic than anything else in the world and she treasured that experience. "I took a walk around the castle. As for causing trouble, you know me," she smiled playfully. The thought of the first year from earlier crossing her mind. How well Kennedy knew her. Fiona's smile faded slightly at the tone of Kennedy's next sentence. She felt like something was wrong, but she didn't know what. She just nodded and headed toward the couch. Sitting down gracefully she turned and faced Kennedy. She was worried now. Something was bothering him and she hoped that he was about to tell her what it was.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Fiona's words made him laugh, and he joined her on the couch. He knew though that she could sense his sudden mood change when he thought about what they needed to discuss. How he wished he could just forget everything that needed said and just enjoy his time with Fiona. But that wasn't the case. It wasn't fair. It seemed as though the two of them were constantly being bombarded with things from all directions- each taking its own toll on time that they could be using just to spend together. For as long as he knew Fiona, Kennedy knew that there was so much more about her that he desired to know, but there never seemed to be time for that. He sighed. Eventually they would make the time... sooner or later.

"Well," he began shooting a weary look at Fiona, "What I need to say isn't all that bad." He wanted her to at least be reassured that it wasn't too terrible. He hated to worry her. "But you see, Kailyn has been kidnapped. I just got an owl from ma, and it was somewhat confusing. She told me that dad was taking care of it, which makes me wonder if he was involved somehow or if he knew about it. Anyways, to make a long story short, ma is out now looking for her, and to be totally honest, I'm more worried for ma than I am Kailyn." He paused for a breath and looked at Fiona. He was sure that she was probably the least bit concerned about Kailyn. After all, for the brief time that they met, Kailyn was anything but pleasant. He was surprised Fiona didn't curse her on the spot.

"That's the good news," he said with a sigh, knowing that the next part wouldn't be as easy for Fiona to swallow. It was already causing a lump in his own throat. Hopefully she would understand though. "Um, you know the Blakfires?" he asked, hoping she would first associate the name with Pyro. "Well, they are having a ball, and, um, I was kind of invited to attend.... " he stopped, dragging out the time before his next word, "..., with Cass." His insides cringed. He was almost certain Fiona was going to strangle him right there.

"But let me explain!" he began quickly, before letting her get a word in. "I have some reasons for agreeing to it. First, it will obviously be a highly prestigious event, which will look good for my social status. And second," he wanted to stress this point, "she knows something very valuable. You see, Pyro has this very powerful book, and it has some very powerful magic in it according to Cass. By going to the party, I could possibly get my hands on the book, and Cass if even willing to let me use it for any purpose I want. But not only that, you know that secret society that is rumored to exist? Well, Cass might have some leads on it. Knowing about it might help us in ways we couldn't even imagine!" Kennedy finished with that, hoping for the best. He thought he had a pretty good idea of how Fiona handled things by now, and so he expected her to be upset at first. But deep down, he had a feeling she might agree or at least give in for the sole purpose of finding out about the book and the secret society. He was sure that she had to find some interest in that. Wouldn't she?

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

Fiona's eyes narrowed at Kennedy. She loved the boy, but man he needed to spit out whatever he was trying to say. This whole beating around the bush thing was not her style and honestly what could be so important that he just couldn't say it. She hated it when people did that to her. It made her feel like she wasn't 15 years old, but more like 6. Her parents used to do that to her as a kid to keep her from hearing bad things. They would whisper and spell things out instead of just coming out and saying them. She hated it so much as a kid and she definitely didn't like it now. However, she didn't say anything. She kept her mouth closed and her tongue placed between her teeth to keep herself from snapping at Kennedy to get on with it. If he was nervous she would let him be nervous. Besides she knew she owed it to him. He had done so much for her and that meant everything to her. It was just the seriousness of his tone that put her on edge. And when she heard the first problem come out of her mouth she almost laughed.

"You're telling me that snot of a sister of yours got herself kidnapped? And that's your bad news?" Fiona smiled trying hard to not laugh in his face. "If I were you I'd be celebrating. Although I am, myself, concerned for your mother, however, if she's taking the time to look for her I can honestly say the woman needs a break from the little brat so she can reevaluate the situation and come to conclusion the brat isn't worth it." Fiona just smiled at Kennedy. She had no idea where Kennedy got his attitude from, because it sure didn't run in the family, at least it didn't run to his little sister. The girl was a spoiled brat. She practically ran their home. It didn't really surprise Fiona all that much that the girl had got herself kidnapped. She probably snapped off at some waiter and got herself into a bit of a pickle with some sort of older wizard. The image of the little brat turned into a toad ran through her mind and she surpressed a giggle, until she looked up at Kennedy again and saw that he wasn't through. Her smile faded.

"Of course, Pyro," Fiona said out loud. She knew the Blackfires, who didn't. Another one of the oldest and proudest pureblood families, who had only made a few mistakes, one being that Gryffindor Cassandra. At the next sentence out of Kennedy's mouth Fiona almost flew off the handle. She jumped up outraged! "That..." Fiona started to say until Kennedy jumped right in and continued. Fiona just stood staring down at him. She couldn't believe he had accepted the girl's invitation and his first reason wasn't good enough, no where near good enough. However, her blood stopped boiling for a few seconds as he came to mention a book. Fiona tried not to show any emotion at all. She was suddenly aware of what was going on. So, Pyro had been right. The Chosen were going to be having problems.

Fiona glared down at Kennedy, her temperature still hot after the news about Cassandra. "Listen here, sweety," Fiona stressed the word in anger, "I thought you knew how I felt about that witch, but obviously it didn't penetrate that far. She's my enemy. Always has been and always will be. The girl needs a good cruciotus curse to get her into shape. And this whole thing about a secret society and some strange book sounds like it's made up just to get you to go to this ball with her. I think she likes you and is trying to get you to dump me. If that's how you feel, by all means, stop playing with me and just go out with her now. Don't lie to me about secret societies and stupid books. I'm not buying it." Fiona said the words harsh and true. Her mind was racing with what was going on. She would have to find Pyro after this and tell him what had happened. The Chosen had to know that they were being hunted. She felt bad that she couldn't tell Kennedy, but she made an oath a long time ago, before her and Kennedy and she would never break that oath. She loved Kennedy and perhaps that was why she couldn't tell him. The need to protect him and keep him save was so strong. Besides she was loyal to The Chosen and she would never betray them.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

At first, things were okay. Fiona's reply was just as Kennedy had anticipated when he told her about Kailyn. Most of what she said was exactly what he was thinking to himself. He had to laugh at the thought of Kailyn annoying someone enough to kidnap her. So far, so good, Kennedy thought to himself. But it wasn't over yet.

Kennedy had never really seen Fiona mad. So, when she started going off about Cass, he was pretty surprised. He knew that Fiona was capable of becoming this angry, but never toward him. Apparently, he had pushed too far. But didn't she understand? Couldn't she see that he really wasn't interested in Cass, but interested in what they might gain from him going to the ball. She seemed very quick to assume he was lying. Should he try to convince her that he wasn't? After all, what would he want with Cass anyways? He wanted Fiona and Fiona only, so why couldn't she see this. He decided to pry a little more and question why she was so quick to think he was playing her.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked, squinting a little, as it was shocking to think that Fiona thought he would be so shallow. He really did want to play the guilt trip on her, for she really was the only person in the world he would remain one-hundred percent true to. Why couldn't she see that? "Do you really think I would create some bogus story about a book and a secret society just to get a free date with Cass? I mean, seriously, if I were into Cass, I wouldn't be playing with you like this Fiona. Don't you realize that you are the only person I truly care about?" He kept pushing, hoping to get through to her. In actuality, the book and society meant little to him when compared to Fiona's view of himself. Letting her know that she was the only real thing in his life was more important than anything he could gain from going to the ball.

"I really was doing it for us," he went on in a serious voice. "It's kind of a slap in the face to hear that you think I would lie to you like that." Kennedy stood from the couch and walked a few feet away. He looked up toward the ceiling, and then turned back to where Fiona was sitting on the couch. "Would you still be so adamant about me not going, even if you trusted that I was doing this for us?" he asked, kneeling down and grabbing Fiona's hand with his. "It's Cass that I'm using- not you Fiona."

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

Fiona's heart hurt greatly at Kennedy's words. She didn't know what to say. It was all so hard to believe. There was so much going on that she couldn't think about things. She couldn't remember what was going on, where she was. What had Pyro said that summer about Cass? She couldn't remember. All she could do was sit back down on the couch, her head swimming with thoughts and her heart hurting from the verbal attack. She put her head in her hands and forced herself to get rid of the tears that were close to falling. She didn't want to admit it, but Kennedy had struck a nerve. Even if she was acting some of her reaction his words had still hurt her. How could he think she didn't trust him? It wasn't that at all. It was her. She looked back up at Kennedy when he had finished.

"It's not you I don't trust. It's her," she sighed. "Kennedy, you have to understand. I've been left so many times. And there you are telling me some story about some magic book and a secret society, who no less heard from my archenemy and you expect me to believe it? How do I know it's not just a big ploy for her to draw you away from me? She's my enemy Kennedy. She might do anything to make sure she hurts me. Kennedy, I know you care for me that's why it hurt so much that you didn't even ask me about it earlier, before you consented on going with her. Don't you get it? You didn't even ask me about it. And you didn't have the guts to tell me about it earlier, over the summer. You just now told me and expect me to be 'oh yeah honey, go for it.' I'm sorry, but I just can't do that."

"I don't think this whole book thing is real Kennedy! I've never heard about this book or this secret society. How does she even know about it? Did you think about that? And how do you even know she's going to let you have information from it if it is so 'powerful'? And this whole thing about Pyro having it is bull. I know Pyro, we both do. He's our friend and you think he's got some kind of book? What's worse about this whole thing Kennedy is that you are trusting a mudblood loving Gryffindor over me. You claim to be doing this for us, but you haven't seemed to think about the fact that this might not even be real. This book sounds fake to me. And how come I've never heard of this secret society before? I trust you Kennedy, I just don't trust Cass. I don't think her intentions are honorable," Fiona finished as she looked down into Kennedy's eyes. The warmth of his hand on hers had soothed her a little and she was feeling a little better.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Kennedy could sense the disappointment and hurt in Fiona's voice. Maybe he overreacted. If what she said was true about trusting him, and not Cass, then maybe he had been too hard on her. For some reason though, something deep down told him to keep trying. He had an uneasy feeling about Cass's whole story about the book and society that, in a way, pushed him to keep going. It was as if he felt that as long as Fiona trusted him, he had to find some way to make her believe it was for the best for both of them. Whether it was gaining great power from the book, or uncovering something even more powerful that the two of them could become part of together, such as the society.

"I'm sorry that I said that Fiona," he apologized. "I know that you trust me, and I can understand why this isn't the easiest thing to swallow. Plus, I know that my telling you at the last minute didn't help. But honestly, I didn't even think about it until now. It wasn't until I found this in my pocket that I was reminded about telling Cass I would go." He pulled the crumbled slip of paper from his pocket and showed it to Fiona. "I was really hesitant when Cass asked me. I was. I know that Cass wasn't making it up either. I could sense the desperation in her voice when she asked me to help her get the book. So I know that it must be a powerful book." He stopped for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. How could he get Fiona to see that everything would be okay if he went.

"Look, how can I convince you that this is a good idea?" he asked, realizing how stupid it must sound. She would never consider it a good idea, he knew that. "Or, put it this way, how can I make you see that no matter how much the plan sucks, if I could get a hold of this book, we could possibly have some of the most advanced magic at our fingertips. Think of the power Fiona!" Kennedy was desperate at this point. He would be crushed if he knew his going to the ball was completely against her will. Even if she gave him the 'go ahead and go, but I still think it's a bad idea' answer, he would feel better than her totally opposing. If it weren't for that tiny little instinct inside of him, he wouldn't even be forcing the issue. But for some reason, his gut wouldn't let him give up. He didn't know why, but he knew there was something worth pushing that he would find out later.

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

Fiona bit her lip as she looked at Kennedy. She was trying to keep him away from Cass. Away from her intentions on getting to the book. However, she couldn't just tell him to stay away from her. He'd know in an instant that something else was up. She couldn't tell him. She had her loyalties and she knew to whom they lay with. She wasn't about to jeopardize herself or any of the Chosen members. They were few and she trusted them almost more than she trusted Kennedy. THey had never once turned their backs on her and she would not do the same by telling Kennedy about them. She felt bad lying to him, but she had to. It had been made clear at her initiation that betraying the group was like betraying the Dark Lord, himself. It would cost her her life to do such a thing and she wouldn't. She wouldn't betray them.

Fiona finally rolled away from Kennedy and stood up. She was trying to decide the best thing to say. She knew that Kennedy was innocent about the whole thing, but how would she make sure he wasn't hurt over the whole ordeal and how angry would he be if he found out that she was a member of this secret society and that she had seen the book. She had been initiated with the book. She even knew who had it at the moment. What if he did find out? Would he still love her? Would he still be with her? Would he understand why she lied? Fiona stopped pacing and turned to face Kennedy fully. She had to do what she had to do. She didn't want to fight with him, but she couldn't let him put himself at risk like that. She needed to make sure that he was out of the way when the Chosen finally decided to take care of Cass.

"Look Kennedy, I just don't see how this book thing is real. How come I've never heard of it? Like I said before Pyro is our friend and he doesn't seem to be involved in some secret society. I just don't trust her..." Fiona sighed. She knew she was losing this battle. Unless she came right out and told Kennedy everything she was just pushing him farther away. She ran a hand through her hair and then looked back at him. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. I mean if this book thing is real and this society is real, don't you think it could be dangerous to steal this book and stuff. I mean, I don't see Cass asking for the book and this society handing it over to her. You could get caught up in something dangerous and worst of all, you could get hurt, maybe even killed." Fiona played it like a pro. She briefly wondered if maybe she should thing about acting as a career, because she was perfect. There was no way Kennedy would be able to figure out that she knew more than she was telling. She only hoped that sooner or later he would back off the subject and decide that it wasn't worth it.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Fiona didn't budge. But Kennedy found a crack in the situation. He thought of one way he could go to the ball without causing Fiona to be upset. It was dangerous, but necessary he felt. He would agree that she was correct, but end up having to go anyways. That instinct inside of him told him that even when Fiona found out that he went, it would be worth it in the end. Again, he didn't know how, but he had to trust his gut feeling.

"You're right," he finally caved. In a way, he didn't even have to pretend or act. Fiona was right. It was dangerous. He was risking getting caught in the middle of an unknown situation. "I see your point now. But that doesn't mean that I still don't want to go. Something inside me tells me that I should go... but for you," he paused, "I won't go." He was silent. The words were like razor blades as they left his lips. It felt awful, lying to Fiona like that. Deep down, he had every intention of going to the ball, but he couldn't tell Fiona that. Hopefully, Fiona would just interpret his silence as disappointment that he was the one giving in.

Kennedy stood up from his kneeling position and took a seat beside Fiona. His stomach was churning- a mix between guilt from lying to Fiona, and that same instinctive uneasiness that told him he was doing the right thing. The war waged on inside, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Until the matter was truly resolved, he would constantly be wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Forcing a smile on his face, he looked back at Fiona. "Well, now that the issue has been decided, what do you say we just forget about it. You know, on my way back to the common room today, I noticed a pretty deserted area under one of the staircases," he said with a grin and a wink. He took his one hand and put it on Fiona's cheek and then kissed her again- this time on the lips. "What do you say we check it out?" he asked. No matter what the issues were between them, just being with Fiona made it possible for Kennedy to forget it all. As long as he had her, he knew everything would work out fine, even if there were a few rough spots from time to time.

((I think this kind of wraps up this post, unless you have more you think needs covered. You can still post one more reply though if you wish. ;D))