Cored

Chapter 34: Stow Your Pride

"Come on," Katherine said to Lee, standing up and opening the door. Inside, she sat on the couch. Nestor flew into her hands and she held him absentmindedly. Corliss left her cage, picked up a corner of the blanket next to Katherine, and pulled it over her shoulders, stopping to stand on the back of the couch.

"Thanks, girl," Katherine said with a little smile. Corliss lovingly rubbed her head against Katherine's cheek and then flew to perch on top of the mantle.

Lee sat down in disbelief next to her. "So, they just sit outside and talk to you all the time? Even though they can't see you?"

"Pretty much," Katherine said. "Picquery doesn't normally come. Poor Grouse always has to deal with Crawley, he never seems to come during the day when Iz is here."

"And you just listen? While he says horrible things about you?"

"They let all sorts of information out. Since they can't see me, they think they're bargaining or something. But they're wrong, I have the high ground, all they are doing is giving me information. Like, tonight, about Kevin. Or that Crawley is about to get in trouble. Even about you," she said, frowning. "You really should be careful. Maybe I'll send a note with you back to the Ministry."

"Now hold on just a moment. If you don't need a bodyguard, I most certainly don't."

"What does that mean?" Katherine said, eyebrows raising.

"I'm a fully grown wizard who attended one of the best schools of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. I can fend for myself."

"And I'm a fully grown witch who doesn't seem to need any proper education to defy laws of magic. So, let's not pretend you're so high on the Hogwarts hog, there."

Lee looked at her seriously for a moment, but the corners of his mouth started to twitch. "Come again with that last bit?"

"I said you shouldn't pretend to be so high on the Hogwarts hog."

"To use your turn of phrase, 'all of those words make sense individually, but together, I'm lost.'"

Hearing herself say it a second time, she had to admit that it sounded ridiculous. When Lee started to laugh, she couldn't help but join him. It was the first time she had laughed since leaving London, and it made her face sore. Nestor got brighter in her hands, ruffling his feathers contentedly.

When they got quiet again, Lee held out a hand and picked up a loose strand of Katherine's hair. "I like the brown," he said, twisting it in his fingers.

"Grew it myself," Katherine said. "I don't think I'll dye it red again for a long while."

Lee nodded. "Katherine, please come back to London with me. This can't go on."

"I can't be around him," she admitted. "I can't see him. Even when I think about him, I just get so angry. And I can't see any of them without seeing him, too. Without thinking about how he lied to me and everyone else. You're right, I can't do this forever. But I can do it for a long while. Even if it isn't ideal, at least it is giving me a chance to process all of this."

"And what have you processed?"

"I told you, I'm mad. I know I'm mad. That's what I've got so far."

Lee didn't look convinced, but he let go of her hair and put his hand on her cheek. "What will you do?"

"I'll stay here as long as I can, as long as there is still information I can collect. Then, when I have to, I'll disappear. It won't be long until they find out I can change my appearance, if they don't know already. But once I'm in the wind they have no way to track me down. My magic hasn't shown up on their registries, or they wouldn't still be confused if it's me. I could go anywhere. They know that—it's why they're trying so hard to convince me to come out willingly. And because they can't launch a full magical raid while I'm surrounded by Muggles."