Wandering the Tower Gardens

Having not been called to the towers yet, Kerry, with Annie in hand, wandered down to the main floor once more, and began his search anew. Kerry was looking for a door, one to the outside. They'd only seen the outside for a matter of minutes before being hustled inside, and all he remembered was the nip in the air and a light rain falling.

He reached the ground floor and after a couple of twists--viola! A door--a very large door. Kerry pulled on the perfectly balanced door and it swung inward, reviling the quiet Maine night beyond.

Outside the door was a stone walkway. On either side was a low stone wall, and set atop the walls was a beamed wooden roof designed to keep the worst of the Maine weather off the Institute's staff and students. Kerry remembered Helena saying that most of the classes at the Institute were held in separate buildings, and one needed to do a lot of walking in the open to get from class to class.

The light rain that had greeted them when they'd arrived was now a drifting mist. It was cool, but Kerry thought of it as refreshing. He stuck his face over the walled and looked up, saw the towers hiding in the hazy, the shrubs and small trees that filled the space between the Great Hall and the Coven Walls--

This is so, so different than what we were in just a few days ago, Kerry thought. The strain of the day was fading, and Kerry felt, rather than tired, exhilarated to be here. It's all new, but I know more . . . oh, man, do I know more . . ..

He spied a bench sitting against the wall a few feet away. He led a smiling Annie to it; they sat and, in an effort to keep her warm--but more because he wanted to do so--Kerry put his right arm around Annie and hugged her tight.

Enfolded within Kerry’s arms, Annie nestled close to him. The slight chill in the air and the misting rain chilled her nose, so she tilted her head up and nuzzled Kerry’s neck, warming herself. She breathed in his scent; sweet, clean…it reminded her of a summer’s day at her home in Pamporovo.

“What a beautiful place,” she whispered into his neck. Her hand travelled up Kerry’s chest and caressed his collarbone. “and a beautiful evening. I wish we could stay here forever…together.”

Her lips grazed over his neck, tenderly brushing the fair skin beneath them.

The second Annie's lips lightly grazed his neck, Kerry felt something jump inside. And it was something he'd never, ever felt before, because up to this moment, he'd never sat in a silent, darkened--dare he say it?--romantic location, with a sweet girl curled up in against him.

Someone he'd asked to go steady . . . who just said--

What did she say? She wanted to stay her forever?

Kerry knew he tended to over-analyze things. He wanted to think about what Annie had said--heck, what she'd been saying since they left the hospital, since they'd gone to the library.

But he didn't want to analyze now. This wasn't about science, or trying to grasp a situation.

This was about being with someone who liked you--a lot.

He closed his eye and breathed in the damp, cool night air and imagined the smell of Annie's hair, something he'd smelled tonight and really noticed. And he really liked it.

He shivered from the brush of her lips again. "We're here now, Annie," he said, keeping his voice soft as he pulled her closer. "You don't ever have to leave."

Annie felt Kerry’s body shiver beneath her and her own trembled in reply. “Kerry,” she began, her breathing quickened and her heart was thrashing in her chest. “I…I’ve never had these feelings before…for anyone. I…” she gazed into his eyes. “I just wanted you to know that.”

She shifted her position on the bench so that she could face him. “Do you feel it too?” She held up his hands so that their palms were touching. It is almost as if he is pulling me into him. The sensation was thrilling and, at the same time, a bit frightening. Can he feel that?

She sat, very still, marveling at the warmth entering her through their shared connection; flooding her entire body.

Kerry was almost lost in the head spin Annie was putting him in. For the first time tonight he heart beat was up, his breath was starting to come in short bursts, and he felt the flush in his cheeks. It was a strange feeling, not quite anxiety, but . . . something very much like it.

Kerry wasn't used to someone touching him. His family wasn't the sort that touched and hugs and the like; it was always very "keeping in your personal space" with them. But here was Annie, touching him, making herself so open to him so he could feel her. Is this really what it's like when you're more than friends with a girl? He'd seen some of his classmates in school last year touching like this--no, not like this. Touching, yeah. But the look in Annie's eyes--he'd never seen that look on the face of a girl before.

His mouth dry, he told her, "I feel it, too, Annie. I've never done this with a girl; I've never asked a girl to go with me; I've . . . I've never felt like this with a girl." He entwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer. "I don't know how I'm suppose to feel, but it's nice." He giggled. "I didn't think in a million years I'd ever sit with someone like you, touching hands. It's like its . . . perfect."

“It is right. That is what makes it perfect.” She smiled, still feeling his soft skin on her lips. She closed her eyes, and there he was…kissing her, his fingers sweeping over her neck, running up through her hair, pressing her closer still. In her vision, the tower gardens were bathed in shades of deep gold and yellow, a beautiful sunlit spring day. Flowers were blooming and the air hung thick with the perfume of honeysuckle and lilac. Kerry’s lips moved frantically against hers, his urgency startling her. He pulled her tighter, taking her breath away...

Annie gasped and opened her eyes. She felt lightheaded and a bit out of breath, but the calming draught quickly helped her regained her sense of control. “Sorry, I…” she said, feeling her cheeks flush scarlet. I, what? How do I explain that? “I suppose my imagination is running wild again.”

She held one of his hands up and opened her fingers once more so they were palm to palm. The curious energy she felt before almost seemed to be pulsating now.

I wonder. Swiftly, Annie yanked her hands away from his. A torturous stinging pain consumed her, causing her to flinch, and then it was gone.

“Ouch!” Annie turned her palm up. Angry red patches covered the surface. She looked up at Kerry, her eyes wide. “What was that?”

Kerry felt it, too, like a sharp bunch of needles in the palms. "Maybe the Phoenix doesn't want you to stop touching me," he said, and though he said it as a bit of a joke he didn't want to push his luck that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't a joke.

He took Annie's hand and gave her red palm a soothing kiss. "I'll try to make it better," he said, then held it between his. "It all seems so strange. This place is having, like . . . I don't know, it's making me feel so much different." Smirking, Kerry said, "You know, I'm probably getting ready to wake up about now." Then a though hit him. "Maybe we're dreaming this is happening," he said, half serious. "You know, this isn't really happening, but we're in our dreams wanting this to happen."

He thought for a moment. "I can't remember what I was dreaming that night. I remember you went off and I fell asleep on the sofa, then I got up and went to eat--" He held Annie's hand tightly. "You know, that time I went to breakfast the night after Sorting, that's about the only time we've been apart since getting on the train to Hogwarts."

Annie giggled. He was right, of course. They had been inseparable since the train ride to Hogwarts. “You’re not dreaming,” she said, orienting herself so that her face was inches away from his. “And neither am I.”

Annie leaned in closer, tangling her fingers through Kerry’s hair. Her heart beat so hard within her chest, its vibration drowned out every other sound of the night pressing in around them. She tilted her head forward and gently pressed her lips against his. Her mind raced, showing her images she couldn’t quite make sense of. Her father…weeping? Her mother…running, and Kerry. Kerry smiling…sleeping…scowling…arguing.

She pulled away slowly, keeping her body very close to his. She felt her body shiver. “See, we’re still here.”

There was a cacophony in Kerry's head, but it wasn't bad, it was just there. It was like having his iPad streaming a hundred Pandora selections at once and cranking the sound to eleven-hundred.

He heard the faint “See, we’re still here," and almost refused to believe it. He was shivering as he slowly closed the distance to Annie and re-touched her lips . . . feeling the soft pillows . . . hearing her sigh . . . Lovers in Japan taking over in his head . . . her heartbeat vibrating along with his--

He pulled back, breaking the kiss with a languid sweetness, still feeling Annie's heartbeat. "Yeah, we're still here," he said, his voice dazed--

He looked down and saw his hand was on Annie's chest, the palm pressed against her heart--

Annie heard him repeat her words after their second kiss, their shared passion creating an undetectable but tangible bond between them. Kerry pressed his hand above her heart.

“Sartseto mi bie za teb,” she said, placing her own hands above his. “My heart…beats for you.”

Kerry had two things running through his mind almost simultaneously: one, he was touching a girl in a bit of an intimate way, and two--she wasn't telling him to stop. When Annie smiled and said her heart beat for him, he smiled back and slowly removed his hand, brushing his fingers against her cheek before checking her hands.

"Do they still hurt?" he asked. Before Annie could answer, Kerry blurted out, "I do really like you, Annie. A lot."

Annie beamed. “Moyata dusha.” She placed her palm over his heart. “Do you remember what it means?” She leaned in close for a third kiss, softly brushing her lips against his.

When she leaned back, she brought up her palms. “See?” Her hands were smooth, the skin flawless. “Something tells me they would not have healed…if our abrupt split had been for other reasons than my foolish curiosity.”

Kerry kissed Annie's palms. "It's your crying soul," he said. "It didn't want you to pull away." He smiled broadly, very happy for no reason other than he was glad to be here.

"Hey, would you like to wander into the garden?" he asked. "The night can't last forever, and it's not going to be long before they put us away for the night." He snuggled into Annie. "And it's a good reason to hold you tight, Pumpkin."

"Sure," she said, happy to be there, all alone, with Kerry. "Lead on. You already know I'd follow you anywhere."

Annie gave him one last kiss and stood on her feet. "Which way?"

Away from the covered walkway the light mist was more evident, and the spray was bringing a light fog around everything giving off a faint light. As with Hogwarts there seemed to be torches here and there offering illumination, but Kerry also noticed something else; a faint, emerald light coming from the walls between the coven towers. Bio-illumination? he thought. Herbology might help with that--might even find ways of combining it with magic to come up with a new form of light.

The garden was mostly small tree, maybe 5 to 10 meters high, and a lot of hedges and shrubs. There were patches of garden that looked bare, and Kerry guessed those had been flower beds, freshly cleared in preparation for the approaching winter. Kerry had never seen a "real" winter, but his only recollection of snow in Maine came from Stephen King stories. I'm guessing Annie's seen much more than me, living in the mountains, he thought. Strangely, he had this vision of her all bundled up with a big hat and gloves, thick snow boots sticking out from under her coat, and he wondered if that's what she really looked like.

He felt a slight shiver flick through Annie and, reactivity, he pulled her close. Thing has happened so quickly, but like Annie had said, it was real, and it felt real--and he wasn't bothered by it. He'd always wondered what being with a girl was like, but he'd never thought it would happened during a rainy night in the middle of Nowhere, Maine, having gone though a special hell for wizards and witches and waiting to see the place where he was going to spend a good part of the next seven years of his life.

And that the girl he was holding was a witch. But then--

And that "then" quickly brought something flashing to the forefront of his mind.

"Annie, I've been wondering about something," he said. "Your mother's vision mentioned 'The Master and the dark witch by his side'. To be honest, that's really making me wonder if it's anything really . . . bad."

Annie stopped and pulled herself away from Kerry’s arms. She wandered a little further into the garden and turned her face up into the misting rain. Her hair was damp and a slight chill ran through her body; if it was from the weather or Kerry’s question, she could not be sure.

She turned to face him, not certain what she should say. She decided it would be best to be honest. “A Dark Wizard, or Dark Witch, is someone who actively studies and practices the Dark Arts.

“Witches and wizards who practice the Dark Arts…do so to cause harm. That part of my mother’s prophecy is what you would describe as…” Annie swallowed hard. “bad.”

She hid her shame, turning away from Kerry once more. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. “It is what I am destined to become, Kerry.”

Kerry nodded; he understood the whole idea of a Dark Witch being uberbad, but somehow . . . somehow that didn't seem Annie. "I can see how that would be one way of looking at it," he said, approaching her. "Maybe there's another way of looking at it--

"Helena is teaching Dark Arts here, because--she told us she's good at it. And in order for her to teach she has to study and practice it. And she's going to teach it to us--but we've gotten to know her from being at Hogwarts.

"Does she seemed like the sort of person who wants to harm us? Does she seem bad?"

Kerry walked up behind Annie and put his arms around her, hugging her. "I want to learn some things very well--really well. And if you noticed, most of the instructors here like to call themselves 'Mistress of Something' or 'Master of This'--and your mother mentioned 'The Master and the Dark Witch'. So maybe . . . maybe that means we're suppose to do something else in our future.

"I mean," he hugged her tighter and kissed her neck, "if you go all evil and Dark Side on me, and I'm still hanging around, keeping you by my side, that wouldn't say a lot about what's going to happen to me, you know?" He whispered in her ear. "I think it means more, Pumpkin. I think it can have a whole different meaning if you look beyond the . . . nasty stuff."

Annie stood still as Kerry spoke of their Dark Arts professor. His argument made sense to her. Helena was a powerful Dark Witch…who was not what Annie would consider—bad.

Before she could comprehend anything else, he appeared behind her…hugging her…kissing her. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Kerry,” she whispered to him. She smiled as they embraced, twirling her fingers through his hair. “You sure know how to make a Dark Witch feel better.”

Rubbing his cheek against Annie's check, Kerry said, "Well, as Dark Witches go, you have the Disney ones all beat to hell." He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. "If you start getting all weirded out by this, you should talk to Helena. She seemed to have a good grip on this stuff, and . . . I don't think she wants to see anything bad happen to you." He kissed her forehead. "She's always been nice to us, so don't be afraid to trust her."

This close to Annie, he couldn't help but feel protective of her. Things had changed so much in the last 2 hours, and Kerry was so interested to know where it was going. I'm betting when we start class we're just going to get knocked down like the kids we are, and things will return to normal, he thought. But right now I feel good . . . Annie makes me feel good.

He kissed her forehead again, and understood it not only was something Annie liked--he was liking it as well. He'd never been this open with anyone, and Annie--she let him be, well . . . he wasn't being "Kerry", that was for sure.

"Maybe we should head back into the Hall," he said. "I'm guessing if they're going to take us to the towers, it's gonna be soon. And I got no idea how many other First Years there are--for sure we're a lot smaller than The Warts was."

Annie closed her eyes and held on tightly to Kerry. Standing there, protected within his arms, she felt complete. She wasn’t ready to leave this place. We probably won’t be able to enjoy such a quiet moment like this for a long time.

“I promise I’ll talk to Helena,” she said. “If you promise…” she leaned in and kissed him gently. “To be around the next time I freak out.” She giggled and placed her hand in his.

“Shall we? I am excited to see where we are going to live. It has to be better than that horrible dungeon they led us down our first night at Hogwarts.” She made a face and pulled him toward the door.

Kerry laughed. "Yeah, I hope for something--"

And that moment, a voice entered his head: [Malibey, Krum; please report to the Atrium. We're going to the Tower.]

He was about to say something, then noticed Annie had heard it, too. Reflexly he replyed, [We're almost there, Professor. On our way.]

He gripped Annie's hand. "Guess this is it. Let's go see home."