Somewhere out in France

I woke up slowly. It seemed I had fallen asleep when I put Kaalee on her bed. It didn't surprise me since it had been a few days since I had last slept. Careful not to wake Kaalee up, I got up and went downstairs where Nara was just entering the kitchen.

"morning, Nara," I yawned widely, stretching my hands over my head.

''morning Alec, want some tea'' Nara gave him a mug of tea. ''who was the strange boy who calmed me down yesterday, do you know him and how does he know my name?'' she asked him.

"Thanks," I said as I grabbed the mug and inhaled the scent.
"Well, I might. What did this person look and act like?"

''he had pale blue eyes almost white, and dark hair i didn't know what he was wearing because he was gone very fast but he knew my name. He calmed me down, he said a few little words'' she said blushing a little. ''the tea is hot isn't it?''

I gave a cheeky smile. "Someone has a crushhhh," I teased in a sing-song voice. "Aww, Nara and mystery man sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
I chuckled and danced around Nara after putting my tea down.

"Was he Spanish?" I asked, suddenly serious.

''Stop it Alec, he made me feel good at one point and his eyes were beautiful. he had a spanish accent why?'' i asked

I regarded Nara with sad eyes when she said he had a Spanish accent. "Ohh, I'm so sorry Nara!" I said gently. "That would be...he is my cousin, Felipe. Right strange bloke, he is. But also one of the coolest ones I know. Love, Felipe is...well, Felipe is special. There's something that makes him different than the rest of humanity. He knows things, y'knoe? Things that ordinary people don't. And he can get anywhere he wants to. He can talk to you in your mind. And he can influence emotions and decisions. He's scary in that way. Felipe could make you do anything he wanted..." I shuddered. "But, thankfully, he uses his powers for good. And, Nara, honey, I'm sorry. Felipe doesn't fall in love in the romantic way. It's weird. Something happened to him, we think. He can experience all emotions, but he doesn't fall in love like that."

Nara listened to Alec and it was like her heart broke into little pieces, she found a boy who was actually very kind to her and trying to make her feel good and it worked. Now he is special and weird and he doesn't fall in love in a romantic way. that sucks badly.

She took a deep breath and smiled weakly. ''it's okay, i wasn't actually falling in love with him, just the eyes amazed me a little. i'm fine, i'm fine.'' She walked to the living room and sat down on the couch sipping her tea that was already cold.

I followed Nara and plopped down on the couch next to her, putting my arm around her shoulder. "Hey, I really am sorry. Felipe is caring though, and it's no surprise he wanted to make you feel better. And, honey, his eyes are like that because he's blind. He was born blind. And don't try and pull that 'I'm fine' thing when I know you're not."

Nara sighed and looked at Alec. ''it's okay Alec. I get it. did you sleep well?'' i asked ignoring the things he said about Felipe.

I shrugged. "It was nice, I guess."

We were silent for a few seconds until a mild voice spoke from behind us. "Hola primo, hello Nara."

I jumped to my feet startled, and pointed my wand at the speaker. When I saw who it was then, I relaxed and hurdled to couch to envelope him in a warm hug and kiss each cheek. "Primo!" I exclaimed. Though I was English, my Spanish accent was flawless. "¿Por qué estás aquí? Why are you here?"

Felipe shrugged. "Just visiting. Also, madre, mother, wanted me to drop Sebastián off here so he could help protect this place and train Nara." A younger, more handsome (if that was even possible) version of Felipe with dark brown eyes and tan skin stepped out of the shadows.

"Hola," he said in a smooth voice. I gave him a hug as well and two pecks on each cheek, as per Spanish custom.

"Hola, primo! Te presento mi amiga, Nara. This is my friend, Nara."

''don't do that again you scared me okay'' she said harshly because she was scared and shocked at the same time.

''sorry you just scared me Felipe''

''how does he know how to help me and how do you know that i....never mind. Hi i'm Nara Ri....Malfoy, Malfoy.'' she looked at the handsome boy and smiled weakly. he had something as well i guess, i fall always hard on boys who aren't falling in love with me, okay stay focused Nara. she thought by herself

"I apologize," Felipe said formally. I smiled to myself at the strangeness of my cousin, but couldn't help being very excited that he was here.

"Felipe knows, Nara," I told her. "And in turn, I'm assuming Sebastián does too." I looked at him and he nodded and said "sí. Yes"

Felipe looked over in the direction of Nara, his expression full of knowledge. "I will try to come and help as often as I can, señorita, but things are getting very busy in España, Spain, and I'm afraid I can't leave very often. That is why Sebastian is here to help. He is a very talented wizard, and we have managed to get the trace off him. So you don't need to worry about the ministry showing up."

''Well there goes my secret. it's okay Felipe, i have Kaalee and Alec here to help me too but i'm not entirely sure they can help after the things between them..'' i smirked at Alec. ''but....wait...the Trace...i'm 15 how can i use magic when we are underaged Alec!! Are they going to find us?'' she said shocked they didn't thought about that

I scowled an pushed her shoulder. "Hush. You know we would never skive off our duties to you."
I frowned at Felipe, since he would be the one to know the answer to the question.

He looked thoughtful. "Well, I do have a theory. You all are supposed to be in school, and so the trace is off you. Or it could also be because this has the fidelius charm on it, so you all are tw only ones to know where it is."

Nara sighed in relief. ''thank you'' ''well they say you are a great wizard, i'm not really convinced though maybe you should show what you can and then i'll show you'' i smiled at Sebastián

"I don't like to show off my powers," Sebastián replied in a thick Spanish accent. He didn't speak English very well. "But I will need to see your powers to be able to help you practice them. I have heard what you can do, but I would like to see it." He gave her a small smile in return. He felt bad, but he really didn't like to show off.

Felipe and I left the two younger people conversing in the living room, and went into the kitchen for a cup of tea and a talk. I had no worry about leaving Sebastián alone with Nara, as unstable as her powers were, because he had reflexes like a ninja when it came to dueling and protection.

''umm well okay'' Nara produced her patronus, the seahorse and then she showed the cup who she could circle around in the air. She wanted to show some more, she thought about let something more difficult move to the other side of the room but it went wrong and the window at the front broke into little pieces.

Nara was shocked and stood frozen not able to do anything. Suddenly pieces of glass flew up in the air and came towards her, she dived onto the floor not in time, one piece made a cute in her cheek. When she looked again up the window was still in tact!

''what happened? what did i do?'' she felt with her hand on her cheek and saw that she was bleeding, tears welled up in her eyes.

''i'm so sorry i didn't know what i was doing i...i wanted to move the chair. Sorry Sebatián'' she sobbed

I woke up in my bedroom. I didn’t want too, I was still exhausted but the Dark Lord was calling me. I sighed and flexed my shadows. I could shadow travel without passing out so I did. I was summoned in the drawing room that I was in before.
“My Lord.” I bowed quickly.
“Hello Kaalee, I have decided to put you on a new assignment. In America, I understand that you have always wanted to visit there?” He asked me.
“A...A new assignment my Lord? But what about Nara?” I sputtered. I hadn’t thought about this, being reassigned.
“Nara is fine where she is. She can be taught without you and I’m afraid that, that Weibel boy is too much of a bad influence. I need you in America, this is not a problem?” He asked me and I shook my head. He was testing my loyalty, if I said no he’d kill me. So I meekly shook my head.
“Shall I go home and pack?” I asked him.
“No, that is not needed. Everything you need is already there. I expect you to leave immediately.” He said. I stared at him but mutely nodded and shadow traveled out. I did not go to America instead I went to where I passed out before. I got three pieces of paper and started writing.

Dear Alec,
I am so sorry that I have to write these words instead of saying them. I wish I could say them but there is no time. I’ll bury these where Felipe can find them so that I don’t leave with any words. There will be a ring on the ground, it’s yours. It has my shadows in it so that if you need to travel discreetly or in an emergency you can. They’ll go anywhere you ask, even if it’s sunny out, shadows aren’t that proud. I’m sorry again but this is for the best. I might never see you again, but if it’s not too much too ask of you, please forget about me. Please do, I’m not worth your memory.
I’m sorry,
Kaalee




Dear Nara,
How funny it is to be going to the place I’ve always wanted to go and want to be anywhere else. This will be short and I’m sorry about that. Your father will send someone out to train you soon, it might be Jonnilee, it might be someone else. I don’t know but please don’t fight it yet. Save your power and energy for when it truly matters. And stick close to Alec, you’re going to need him in the days to come. Don’t look for me, you won’t find me.
Sincerely,
Kaalee

Dear Felipe,
You don’t know me. I’ve only seen you twice and both of them weren’t exactly happy things. But please keep them safe, and if you do as I’ve failed then I am forever in your debt. And one day I hope you are able to collect.
Sincerely,
Kaalee Amalia Black

I dug a small hole and put the letters in and then put my ring on top. I had put all my extra powers in there, my shadow traveling, everything. I got up, brushed the dirt off and then apparated to America.

Sebastián nodded in approval when she produced her patronus. It was advanced magic for her age. He frowned, his brows knotted in confusion when the shards flew at her. He was too late to stop them, but he waved his wand at the window, repairing it, before he knelt next to Nara. He put his arm around her shoulders and gently drew the tip of his wand across her cut.
"Your patronus was good. I do not know what happened to make the window break. Were you ah-what's the words-focusing?" he asked.


In the kitchen, Felipe and I were still talking. Suddenly, Felipe felt a stir in the layers around the house, as if some big magic had happened. He felt a pressing to need to go somewhere he didn't know. "I must go, primo," he told me. "You are also needed put in the living room. It seems Nara has lost contol again and Sebastián doesn't know what to do." Felipe closed his senses and emptied his mind, focusing only on the feeling and his strange way of just evaporating and reappearing.

I walked back out into the living room and looked around. Everything seemed to be okay. Well, except the people in the middle of tue room. "What happened? Sebastián told me in quick Spanish. "Oh. Were you feeling anxious or worried Nara? That could cause your magic to go crazy." Quickly I explained mine and Kaalee's theory on how Nara's magic mad controlled by her emotions, and until she got them under control, her powers would not be what they could.

Felipe appeared in a clearing next to a tree. Causally he leaned against the wide, knobbly trunk. Turning his face toward the sound, he asked, "What has Tiger's fur ruffled?"

"I wasn't meant to meet you here. I left you a note." I told him, groping for the shadows that were no longer there. I straightened my back.
"I left you, Alec and Nara a note and my shadows to Alec. Can you give it to him?" I asked him, quickly digging up the notes and handing them to him.
"I've got to go. I'm being reassigned, somewhere were you won't even find me Felipe." I told him quietly.

"So you were just going to duck out were you, and think that a paragraph would suffice?" Felipe's tone was harsh and sharp. He didn't mean for it to be, but he loved his cousin. "Don't you think Alec has gone through enough loss, Kaalee Black? I've seen how he looks at you. You may not see it, but I do."
He took the letters, and tried to resist the urge to clench his fist around them.
"I will do what you ask me, but not for you. For my cousin. And I will teach him, if he want to be taught. But I will not come looking for you until you want ke to. And you know how to do it. Just think of my name along with the strongest memory you have of me. I want you to know though," he added as if he couldn't resist correct g her, "I would be able to find you."

There was a brief silence. "Alec's going to have a breakdown, you know. He's going to flip. Probably going to leave Nara and Sebastián alone. He won't mean to, but he will. The stars have told me."

"You think I wanted to leave? YOu think I wanted to go to this place where I know no one and will be the outsider when I can be with people who love me and the I love them. You think I want to leave Alec? I love Alec, I love Alec with my soul and body. I can't be there for him. I can't even be talking to you. I'm sorry that I'd like to live, so I at least have the chance to see him again. Because the stars don't just talk to you Felipe. I see the stars and I see the shadows. And I know until the Dark Lord is dead being around me will never be safe. I am pure poisen too all those good. I will never be alone." I said, pulling up a sleeve and showing him my arm, even though he couldn't see it. I grabbed his hand and put it there, so he could feel the snake moving
"I am always watched." I told him.
"You can't find me Felipe. Shadows hide more then secrets." I told him, my voice daring him to contridict.

...

"I never said you wanted to, and I never said you didn't love him, Toger," I said holding up my hand to calm her. "I'm just saying that if you would risk leaving him--and Nara and I--a letter, then you could risk going to see him. A piece of paper doesn't feel the same in goodbye as a human body. That is all I am saying.
She put his hand on her arm, and he recoiled as if he was bitten by a brown recluse--the most deadly spider known to man.
"Fool," he hissed. "There is a reason I separate myself from being in contact with Lord Voldemort. That simple move could have cost both of us our lives."
"You're not the only one who is poison, Tiger. Nara is watched all the time. Lord Voldemort doesn't sleep. Why should he? All who are in close contact with her are in close contact with HIM. It is better now that your mother's protection spell has been placed on her. That is probBly why you were sent away, I shan't lie to you. It is a strong spell; one that he cannot break without harming the host, which is Nara."
He gave her a cruel smile. "But you don't have your shadows anymore, do you Kaalee Black?"