Chapter 15

And in the end when she almost give up the blasted diadem showed up sitting innocently in a open drawer. Her shield were immediately in place not letting a single emotion, though or memory distract her. With her wand ready she enveloped the diadem in a bubble not risking touching it and when it looked like she was closer to the door, a burst of black fumes surrounded the diadem still in the bubble.

She wasn't risking destroying the Room of Hidden Things, so she would request a room that will let her use Fiendfyre safely. She has time, not like Harry did.

Out of the room, the sun was shining brightly outside and after a quick Tempus Athena found out she just spend something like 12-15 hours searching the Horcrux.

'' Do I have the luck of Rita saying I'm sick?'' she says to herself still in the empty hall, walking back and forth after the door disappeared. When the new door appears she snorts to herself and says '' Yeah, no.'' still with the Horcrux in the bubble, fuming madly she walks forward ready to unleash Fiendfyre on the dame thing.

;-;

The process of casting Fiendfyre was actually simple, even a desperate idiot could do it. The trick about this spell is what emotion you use when casting it. For example is you are scared or desperate the flames will shallows everything it finds but if you are controlled and with just the right amount of rage the flames will follow a slow flow like a constant river.

And so when Athena casted the spell with maybe just a little bit too much of rage or was it sadness? the fire got... a little crazy.

'' Fuck.''

There was a single time in her life when she feel embarrassed walking the halls of Hogwarts. And that was in her second year and cupid where following her around singing poetry about her eyes just to be blasted into a wall by her Da. And maybe when she made her Da wear pink hair for an entire month, but we are not talking about this.

The second time would be now, walking the halls without eyebrows, slightly burned hair and covered in a old robe. The fire burned thoroughly and the diadem was no more...like her clothes and shoes for that matter. On the bright side, it was past curfew but despite there not being any eyes on her she still feels watched, she really hoped it was paranoia and not Potter under his cloak.

Or the...oh wait.

Naked with just a cloak covering her body, Athena stopped in the hall staring speechless ahead.

Oh fuck, wait no...it...actually could be useful.

Resuming her steps again, she walked faster towards the dungeons.

'' ... you want me to do what?'' pale blue eyes stared at royal purple ones. Xeno couldn't believe what his friend, where they friends? implied and wanted to do. Or more like where did he fit in with that

After that day when he read her hand for the first time, the two of them usually meet in the library in the same dusted corner. That little, almost crampet place become the closest thing to a safe heaven Athena had in this Timeline. And for Xeno, become the only place and time when he wasn't giving mocking laughter, incredulous looks or just plain mocking. For Athena though become a place where there were no expectation from her and annoying fools bothering her. Apparently they were banned from the library since forth year, they can enter just by being supervised by Pince.

No one wanted to be supervised by Pince.

'' I want you to sneak into the Gryffindor Tower and bring me a blank piece of parchment. It should be protected by traps or curses or charm or just be let carelessly on the floor.'' Athena says smiling amused at him

'' Are you joking now? How could I even...?''

'' You can see things that others can't. '' Athena says hardening her eyes '' Can't you?''

''That's-''

It was true.

What Athena discovered about Xeno was that he was if possible even weirder than his future daughter was. He could see therstrals despite the fact he never saw death. He could find who person has bad intentions (Nargles are dancing around them), who killed before ( Dumbledore back is full with silent Nargles), who was jealous or sad, who was angry or agitated.

He can also, after a walk in the Restricted section, see what objects has traps, charms or protective spells of them. In a room where the blasted Map looks like a blank piece of paper, he was the one that could find it the fastest.

''- beside the point. Couldn't you ask...I don't know Little Black? Or Rosier? He is know of always knowing the password. Or or -'' Xeno said fretting his hands, messing with Gryffindor's, especially now with how unstable those four were wouldn't doo him any good

'' No one said anything about you getting caught.'' Athena said reassuring him '' I say 'you' because you are the only one that can find it immediately, not active any possible alarms and you are fast enough to get out without problems.''

'' I'm.. flattered but I still don't think it's a good idea.'' Xeno suddenly took her hand and begin to trace the lines that he read so many times now '' I'm really not subtle and I panic easily and ... why do you even want a piece of blank, blank! paper?'' he looked through his bag in hurry and gets out a piece of parchment ''Here. Blank parchment.''

'' Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. Have a Map of Hogwarts that shows everyone, at all times inside the castle. I don't particularly need the Map for-''

Xeno interrupts '' You want to stalk someone?''

'' -stalking.'' she continues unbothered '' I just need to modify it and maybe take it apart and put it back.''

For some time Xeno was silent trying to wrap his head around it all. Athena, thinking he was hesitant says

'' Did I ever had a Nargle on me since we meet?'' she ask making pale blue eyes snap at her

'' You didn't. I..why do we need to steal though? Couldn't we just make a new one?''

Athena smiles at his words, 'we', and says '' Too long. I need to finish my business in two years so I can live.'' Severus too, for Draco and his love of long dresses, for Harry and his endless curiosity hidden behind a mask of heroism, for FredandGeorge to remain FredandGeorge, for Hogwarts to remain strong and tall and undefeated, for all those little body's that shouldn't be there and for all those child soldiers that flighted with full grown wizards and win

Athena sighed and let her head fall back, exposing her entire neck and implicitly her choker, her blasted leash. Maybe she should talk with Evan to take the Map after all? She liked Xeno and if he says he doesn't want to then he doesn't then-

'' So how do I do it?'' he ask still tracing the lines of her palm

'' Huh?'' she says surprised

'' How do I sneak in? I told you I'm not subtle, I trip over everything.'' he continues smiling

'' Huh?''

'' Mhm. I'm very clumsy.'' he says amused

'' Did you just..? Wait no. It's great really! '' she says taking the forgotten paper on the table and begin to write '' We are gonna need an enchanted wine glass, dog fur, honey and something I'm great at.''

At Xeno confused face she says smirking, purple eyes sparkling '' A good fight.''