The Chaser's Heart

Year 5: The Fight

I got up early the following morning. Well, I hadn't really slept to begin with. I'd never seen Murphy look so dismayed and upset. I wished I'd never tried to see inside his mind. I never wanted to do it again, to him or anyone. It wasn't fair. I wish Rakepick had never told me I had this power. It made me sick to think that Jacob had it, too. Had he used it for anything beyond getting into the Cursed Vault? I didn't want to think about it.

Murphy finally arrived in the common room, promptly at seven-forty-five like he usual, and looking as perfectly put-together as he always did.

'Murphy!' I stood up to meet him at once.

He turned in my direction and gave me a wide grin.

'Nora, good morning!' He said cheerfully. 'Lovely to see you!'

Odd. Was he just going to pretend like last night had never happened?

He put a finger to his cheek, indicating he wanted a kiss. A bit dumbfounded, I lowered my face to his level to kiss his cheek and her turned at the last moment and I caught his lips instead.

'Sneaky,' I grinned at him.

'Are we getting breakfast together this morning?' He asked, still giving no indication that he wanted to acknowledge what had happened. What we'd both seen from his past.

'Murphy...' I said slowly. 'Are you okay?'

He straight, white smile faltered.

'Nora,' he let out a long sigh. 'Alright, but not here.'

He gripped the wheels of his chair and propelled himself towards the common room door. I followed him out into the corridor where we carried on in silence until we got to the tapestry of Morgan LeFay that concealed an abandoned classroom we'd used a few times to have some time alone. He didn't pulled the tapestry aside now, though. The corridor was deserted anyway. He turned his chair around so he was facing me.

'I told you before that my mother tried everything in her power to mend my legs,' he started, his expression stormy.

I only nodded. I remembered that conversation.

'It's not a time of my life I reflect fondly on,' he grimaced. 'But it happened. That's why I'm perfectly happy not being able to use my legs. Nora, if you knew even a fraction of the pain—'

His voice broke and a piece of my heart with it. He cleared his throat.

'That was my Aunt Agatha, my father's sister,' he explained. 'I felt like I personally offended her simply for existing, because I wasn't perfect. She did everything she could possibly think of to make me perfect.' I bit my lip. He took a deep breath and went on. 'After that night, my mum kicked her out of the house and I never saw her again. That was the last time anyone tried to make me something I'm not.'

'Murphy...' I started slowly. 'Just because you can't use your legs, it doesn't make you a different person.'

'I know,' he shrugged half-heartedly. 'I'm sorry you had to see that.'

'I'm sorry I made you show it to me,' I said quickly.

He scoffed. 'No, I pushed you. I shouldn't have.'

We were both quiet for a minute or two. The only sounds were the distant chatter and laugher of our fellow Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

'I'm never doing that again,' I told him firmly.

'Nora, you might need to to get into the next Vault. To find your brother!' He said, his eyes going a bit wide.