Chris got up from the sofa and stretched. "I've got my Healer workshop now... I think I should go."
Daisy nodded and looked at Rebecca. "Haven't you got work, too?"
"Yeah, I do," replied Rebecca. "Are you and Chris going on a date this evening?"
Daisy felt herself smile as she answered Rebecca. "Yes."
"Oh good!" said Rebecca. "I'm sorta tired of being mistaken for Chris's girlfriend. So... Aren't you working today, then?"
"No," replied the other girl. "I had to sort a few other things at home first, so I took a leave from work."
"Oh well," said Pari, also standing up as she slung her handbag over her shoulder. "I think I'll be going." She kept a hand on Daisy's shoulder. "You're okay, aren't you?"
Daisy nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me... Hyperacidity keeps happening to me from my horrible eating habits. It barely takes me time to recover, these days."
Pari looked as though she wanted to say something else, but she just shook her head. "Okay, then, see you."
"Should I drop you off, Pari?" Chris asked her as she headed to the door.
"Oh Chris Shona... there's absolutely no need for that, I'll be fine." She smiled and left..
Daisy watched Pari walk away until she vanished round the corner. Rebecca followed a minute later, leaving Daisy alone with Chris.
She felt his hand touch her cheek gently. His firm fingers traced her
cheekbone and reached the corner of her lips. She smiled at this and
put her arms around him. "Feeling romantic, are we?
He grinned cheekily. "I wanted to ask you something, actually."
"Erm... What?"
He continued to smile, as he came down on his knees. And it was then
that she realised what was happening. The thought made her
hyperventilate. This couldn't be happening. No. Merlin!
"Chris. Just... No. Please don't do that..."
He looked bewildered. "Why?"
Daisy only shook her head. "We introduced pure disaster into our lives the last time. I'm sorry, Chris, but I don't have the strength to go through anything similar."
"But then..."
Daisy took a deep breath and looked into his hazel eyes. "I don't want to lose you again."
"You won't. Don't you believe me, Flower? I was younger and much less understanding then. It will never happen again. It's my promise to you. I love you."
She continued to look into his eyes, unable to find a way to put him off his track. How could she tell him the real reason for her refusal? How could she take such a huge risk? And he had just said that he loved her.. He was actually and seriously in love with her.
She hesitated.. Was it the right time to tell him the truth? Could she tell him about the game that she was playing? How would he take it?
No... She couldn't tell him now. He wouldn't be able to bear it. The truth was much too bitter. He couldn't know about it yet. The reality would destroy him, and she couldn't be responsible for it. He'd have to find about the truth in some other way... Some other time. She opened her mouth to tell him that she'd need time, when a shrill voice echoed across the room.
"Stevens! Report to the hospital, NOW!"
Chris scrambled to his feet. "Oops! Got to go... I..." he remembered what he had been about to do. "I... Well... I'll talk to you later, okay?" He picked up his bag and rushed out the door, waving at her as he did so.
Daisy waved back at him, her breaths easing out as he vanished from view. Things had just been deterred from going all wrong today. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if he had asked her to marry him. She would have probably persuaded him to think over it again, anyway, but she wouldn't have been able to give him a convincing reason for it. And with everything that was already going on... It was much too tedious to worry about so many things at once. In the end, Daisy couldn't help but mentally thank Healer Tudor for calling Chris to the hospital. She, Daisy, wouldn't have been able to handle his situation at all.
Then Daisy remembered something else that made her feel weak on her knees again.. She sank into the couch, clutching her face in her palms. Why? Why was she stuck like this? Why did trouble want to find her in this way?
The doorbell rang, shaking Daisy out of her silent trauma. She got up with slightly shaky legs and went to get it. As she opened it, she knew that she was done for. It was Harry, Ron and Ginny. They were standing with grim expressions on their faces, and she knew, once again, that this wasn't a friendly visit at all. "Come in," she said, hoping mentally that they wouldn't.
They walked in. Ron had an uncommonly serious expression on his face. Harry looked as though he had been grieving. Ginny looked sad, too, but she gave Daisy a tiny smile. After they had all been seated, Ron looked at Daisy. "Do you know why we are here?"
Daisy shook her head. "Frankly, I have no idea of why you people are suspecting me so much. I'm innocent."
He raised an eyebrow. "I never questioned your innocence. I just asked you if you know why we are here."
"I have no idea."
"Oh, really?" asked Harry, suddenly. Daisy noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. "You really don't know about anything that has happened, today?"
She shook her head. "I swear... I don't know."
Harry seemed to take a deep breath before saying, "We are going to have to search your house."
"Why?"
"Did you meet Parvati this morning?"
"Yes, but... What h-happened?"
"Parvati was..." he shut his eyes and Daisy noticed Ginny's hand fly to his shoulder. He opened his eyes and finally said, "Parvati had been murdered."
There was a stunned silence. Daisy sighed. "Harry… I’m” I’m so sorry…”
“Nothing can be done about Parvati’s murder now, Daisy, we just need your cooperation, at the moment,” replied Ginny.
“D”Do you have a search warrant?"
"Yes," said Ron, producing it. "Have a look."
Daisy took it with shaking hands, but she knew that it was genuine, anyway. "You can't be serious."
The Aurors didn't reply. Ron's expression was stern. Ginny looked concerned and Harry looked desperate. "Please," Daisy said again. "I'm innocent."
“If you’re innocent, you wouldn’t protest at all about us searching your house!” said Harry. “You’d not even ask for a warrant. So how can you just say, standing there and doing all those things, that you don’t have a hand in any of this?”
“Well,” began Daisy. “This isn’t about protesting. This is my private life you’re invading into!”
“We will take care of that,” said Ginny. “I promise we won’t””
“I’m really, really innocent, Ginny…”
"We know that, Daisy," replied Ginny patiently. "We just have to make sure."
Daisy returned the search warrant. “Okay.”
The Aurors left the living room immediately, and headed straight for Daisy’s room as she had already guessed they would. She could feel her legs trembling under her as she heard the Aurors go though her things. It was five whole minutes before she could stop all the trembling. She prayed that the Aurors would find nothing horribly fishy.
She paced around the living room for a while, completely nervous. Then suddenly, she could hear footsteps descend the stairs. It was Ron. He beckoned to her and headed to her room again. She went as slowly as possible, hoping against hope that whatever they had found wasn’t the same thing that she had in mind. She absolutely had no explanation for that very property of hers.
They were crowded around the bedside table when she entered the room. Oh, so it wasn’t what she thought. Thank Merlin.
Just as Daisy entered, Harry turned around. “We need the password to your drawer, Daisy.”
Oh no. Out of the fire and into the frying pan. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this! “I” I can’t give it.”
“If you have nothing to hide, then you should have no problems with us searching it.”
“No. I won’t”” Please, please, please…
“Listen””
“NO!” Daisy found that her voice had been raised. “WHY THE HELL DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? I CAN’T GIVE YOU THE PASSWORD, OKAY?”
Harry raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. Then he removed an arrest warrant from his pocket. “I’m sorry, Daisy, but you’re under arrest for murder.”
What? Hell, no! Where was this heading towards? The whole room was beginning to reel. Harry’s voice reverberated in Daisy’s ears.
I’m sorry, Daisy, but you’re under arrest for murder.
Daisy’s stomach gave an unpleasant plummet. She felt horrible. Why? Why was this happening to her? How would she get out of this? Who would help her?
“May I know who your accomplice is?” asked Harry, as Daisy gained focus again.
She shook her head. “No one.”
“Daisy, there’s no use for lies. It’s best that you tell me the truth. Who else is involved in this?”
Daisy shook her head again. “I have no idea. I just know that I’m innocent.”
“We’ll have to use Veritaserum if you don’t tell us the truth.”
“No.”
“You won’t tell us the truth?!”
“You won’t use the Veritaserum.”
Harry plunged his hand into his robe pocket and drew out a vial of clear liquid. “I will.”
“Try me.”
There was silence. Daisy knew that she had crossed all the limits, now. But she was prepared for whatever would follow. Harry shook his head slowly. “Don’t make us force-feed you, Daisy.”
“You can’t.”
“We very well can.”
“Are you challenging me?”
“You are making us do so.”
“Don’t. You’ll lose.”
“This time, we won’t.” There was a pause, and before she knew it, Daisy was on her knees. Her arms moved back as though locked in a tackle and her mouth opened automatically. Harry stuffed his wand into his robes as he walked to her. Then he opened the bottle of Veritaserum and poured three drops into her mouth.
Anger boiled inside Daisy. How dare he force her to drink the Veritaserum! She glared at Harry and spat the Veritaserum at his face. He recoiled and the spell that he had cast upon Daisy lifted. She took the chance to prop herself to her legs and run.
“Daisy!” She did not care to wait and see Ginny take off after her, as she flew down the staircases and into the guest room. She shut the door and locked it from inside. In a moment, she could hear Ginny banging at it. “Daisy, come out!”
“NO!”
Ginny kept thumping at her door. “Daisy, come out, please!”
Daisy knew that she was in deep trouble, but she couldn’t make out a way to escape the mess. As Ginny banged at her door, Daisy realised that she was really done for. She was really, totally, screwed. The banging continued for a while and stopped, but Daisy could hear voices outside the room. After that, there was complete silence.
She did not dare to get out of the room. Sitting down on the bed, she drew deep breaths. What was to be done, now? Was fleeing an option? What if she went into hiding? Would it help? She mentally counted all the cash that she currently had and wondered what she’d tell her parents and Ryan.
She was just beginning to formulate a plan in her mind, when there was a huge bang. In a moment, there was debris everywhere and she felt ropes fasten themselves around her. She was then dragged by an invisible force and in a moment, she was in front of Harry, Ron and Ginny again.
Harry looked at her and then at Ron. “Call everyone to the headquarters. We have just caught the culprit.
***
I’m afraid that this is one of my last days, Daisy…
Daisy opened her eyes with a start and looked around. She had just heard Andrew’s voice and it had woken her up. The room, however, was freezing cold. She could hear the Dementors gliding outside the door to the tiny office. The horrible, hopeless feeling associated with the Dementors pounded through her chest and she felt sick. Shivering, she covered her face with her hands as two fat tears made their way down her cheek.
The Aurors had brought Daisy to their headquarters at the Ministry. Then she had been locked in an office with Dementors keeping guard outside, while Rebecca, Pari, Chris, Liz, Neil and Mike had been called for questioning.
Daisy sniffled. Her eyes filled up again as she looked down. Just then, she heard the door of the office open. She blinked back her tears and looked around to see Chris walk towards her. He sat down next to her and kissed her cheek. “We’ve been talking to the Aurors… I think there’s a real chance for you to get off.”
Daisy felt more tears escape her eyes as she nodded. She knew that Chris was also keeping the same false hopes as she was. There was no chance that she’d get off. Chris pulled her close and wiped the tears away. “There’s nothing to be scared of, Flower, I’m here with you.”
She sniffled again and buried her face into his neck, shaking with sobs. He ran his hand on her back and then her hair. Finally, his arms closed around her. He rocked her lightly, whispering calming words into her ear.
The door of the office opened again and someone sat on Daisy’s other side. A hand placed itself on her shoulder. “Has she eaten anything?” Pari asked.
“I don’t know,” Chris replied. “I just came here myself.”
“Shona?” Pari whispered into Daisy’s ear. “Have you had anything to eat?”
Daisy didn’t reply immediately. The truth was that she’d never had an appetite that day. The whole day had been so awful that hunger had never taunted her. She wasn’t hungry even now. However, she freed herself from Chris and looked at Pari. “I’m not hungry.”
Pari sighed and pulled Daisy close. “We are with you, okay?”
Daisy hugged her back, unable to say anything. The door opened for a third time and Daisy broke away to see Ginny enter the room. The Auror came right ahead and smacked Daisy’s head lightly. “You silly girl!”
Daisy frowned. “I’m not silly, okay? I never backed out in the last minute after promising to keep someone out of suspicion of their colleagues.”
“Hey,” said Ginny, “I’m sorry. I convinced them that you’re innocent, Daisy, but you were the one who ruined it for yourself.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes,” Ginny persisted. “Who asked you to create that drama at your place?”
“What drama? That drawer was personal.”
“That wasn’t the only thing. You spat at Harry and tried to escape, Daisy. That’s what increased their suspicions.”
“Oh. So now? What do I do?”
Ginny sighed. “There’s nothing you can do at the moment.”
“Then…?”
Ginny looked pained. “I’m afraid Harry has convinced Walanger that you’re guilty. I’m sorry, but you have been sentenced to life imprisonment at Azkaban.”
Killer Instincts by Ginny Weasley Potter
Chapter Notes: Hello, dears!
I know this has been long too, but I'm sure you guys do understand my situation.
Once again, it's Pauie's magic that has worked on this chapter *huggles*.
This chapter is a very boring and important one... I wrote it all in my hostel room, on my iPod. Hehe. Anyway, enjoy it!
This one is for my very own Harry. Love you! :)