Part 32

Kyle told Liz the truth the next day. He approached her in the common room that evening as she was studying for exams. His shoulders slumped as he sat down in the chair across from her and folded his arms in front of him. "I had to tell Hermione," he stated matter-of-factly hoping it wouldn't be the beginning of the end of their friendship.

Liz looked up startled from her Charms textbook and said, "What are you talking about?"

"You know," he said pointing meaningfully towards the ceiling, "'E.T. phone home.' Look, she was doing research on her own and dropped these in front of me." He handed her the Roswell articles.

As she read, she became more and more alarmed. By the time she looked up sheer terror was in her eyes.

"Relax, Liz, they came from some Sci-Fi conspiracy theory paper or magazine that has a little less credibility than the grocery store tabloids," Kyle reassured her.

"But Kyle, it wasn't your secret to tell. You could've explained it away the same way you just did, as impossible nonsense," she blustered in a harsh whisper.

"Hermione knew just how much of the impossible was probable so I needed to explain. She'll keep the secret. Besides, part of it is now mine to tell. Just like part of it, at least, is yours to tell should you ever need or want to share it with a friend on the outside." With that he looked pointedly over towards the twins in the corner and stood to leave.

"Liz, you've spent the last year trying to do this alone. I may not like him, but you are not alone," he stated as he left to do his own studying.

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The next morning Liz received an owl from her mother in an oversized envelope.

Dear Liz,

Oh, how we have missed you this summer and I am glad that it will soon be over. I am including your tickets from London to Miami. Your Aunt Laura is so looking forward to your visit. You know she's a little different but also know how much you love spending time with her when she visits. I love her dearly and am so glad you will have the opportunity to get to visit her at her home. She says she is already cleaning so you won't have to worry about anything for the few days you are together.

Also I am able to say we sent off your packet for Congresswoman Whitaker. Your father and I are so proud of you. I am so amazed at all the special programs available to my special girl. We love you.

Take care and fly safely. See you in about 10 days.

Love,

Mom

Behind the letter were the latest information packet for the internship and the envelope with her tickets. She smiled to herself as she started upstairs after breakfast, nearly giddy with the anticipation of meeting her aunt and the newly presented opportunity of the internship.

The next three days were going to be filled with exams so she returned quickly to her studies.

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Saturday, after the three grueling days of exams, Liz woke late, ate breakfast and began to pack. Tomorrow they would return to the States. As she was packing she ran across the letters from home and remembered George comforting her through that afternoon when she had raced off into the woods and frankly since that first day on the train. And she remembered Kyle's words from a few days before. Perhaps there was some wisdom there. Hadn't the burden seemed lighter when she was able to be honest with Alex? Only now Alex was right there with her trapped in the middle of the Alien Abyss. George wouldn't be. I wanted to tell him that day in the forest but I stopped myself. Now Kyle is telling me I should tell him... It is so tempting.

She paced and debated as she gathered the majority of the rest of her belongings back into her special three-lock trunk. She left out only what she would need for the rest of that day and the next morning. By the time she was done she heard the other two girls headed upstairs to pack and she had decided to find George to talk.

They decided to walk around the lake more for the privacy than for the scenery. After a couple of moments of quiet reflection, Liz sighed heavily and then began.

"George, What I'm about to tell you can't be told to anyone in the muggle or magical communities. I'm only telling you because you've earned the right to know what's been going on with me. You've held my head when I've cried on your shoulder and told me you didn't think less of me for it. I appreciate that," Liz began.

"I would never tell your secrets, Liz. As for the rest, I was where I wanted to be, helping a friend," George admitted sheepishly.

Liz nodded, and then began her tale. "I think I've told you that less than a year ago I didn't really have the ability to do magic, right? What I didn't tell you was that I think I know why I do now? I wouldn't have a couple of months ago, but the same sort of thing happened to Kyle, and then Professor McGonagall showed up and here we are.

"George, we were normal kids, muggles, or maybe a 'squib' in Kyle's case, maybe that is why he manifested so fast. I don't really know for sure," Liz babbled.

"Ok, so what changed that for the two of you?" George asked, trying to guide the conversation.

"Max," Liz answered, softly.

George looked confused as he asked, "Your betrothed deposed royalty ex-boyfriend?"

"You remembered all that?" she asked.

"It's not everyday I get to save a lovely damsel from a forest. It's sort of imprinted there," He admitted a little chagrinned.

"Ok, then. Let's start back at how I got my magical abilities awakened and I'll explain the rest as I go along. It's like this, last September, after school was already in session, and after spending the entire summer as Kyle's girlfriend, I was working one afternoon. There were some locals from town in the restaurant, tourists for the crash festival, and two guys who could have been truckers or lumberjacks or hunters were arguing about money. The argument got violent and a gun appeared and went off. I was shot. I fell to the ground with a stinging bullet in my belly and apparently I was losing blood fast because things were fading around me," Liz paused and watched George for his reactions as she continued.

"I just remember Maria screaming and then there was Max telling me I had to look at him. Then where I was shot felt kind of warm and then all better. I realized my dress was open and his hand was on my belly. He poured ketchup on me and told me to tell people that that was what was on my dress not blood. And then he took off before the police could get there. But he healed me, with his hands, and the best I can tell triggered the genes in me for magical ability."

His eyes had showed fear, wonder and finally joy as she finished. Then he glanced down at his own hands and asked quietly after a moment, "Did you show signs right away?"

"Looking back, yes, but I didn't know what I was happening so I kind of brushed them off. It really wasn't until May when Kyle was healed that I started to admit it to myself, but I never said anything to anyone else. And then the letter from Hogwarts arrived and really came into focus."

"So is Max what happened between you and Kyle?"

"I could say we drifted apart but I'd be lying. I was bored. He is a good friend and had spent the summer being a loyal boyfriend but there was no chemistry. Nothing brought that home like looking deep into the eyes of the guy who had just saved my life. Max, the one who deliberately lived in the background all his life until that day, never doing anything to draw attention to himself, trying to stay hidden, jumped out and saved my life. Maria used to tell me he would watch me all the time before then so it kind of made since later when I asked him why he would basically jump out of the extra terrestrial closet just then in front of all those people and he said simply, 'it was you.' Way to make a girl feel great and give her a guilt trip all at the same time but anyway, I'm babbling.

"Um, did you just say 'extra terrestrial'?" George asked somewhat bug-eyed.

"Yeah, as in 'not of this Earth'," Liz answered with a little lilt.

"So the betrothed deposed royal ex-boyfriend is an alien?" George clarified.

"Yes," Liz nodded and bit back a laugh before she continued.

"Anyway, back to Kyle, after all those weeks of no chemistry. He kind of noticed when things between us got tense and practically, well, glacial. And there were more sparks between Max and me than that pack of fireworks you used at Harry's birthday party. And then my grandmother got sick and Kyle's friends beat up Max to try to keep him away from me so I broke up with him for having friends like that. I'll admit I was looking for an excuse and I didn't care that it was lame; I used it anyway. I think because of all that Kyle still has some pretty harsh feelings towards Max." By then Liz was pacing as she babbled.

"And those 'harsh feelings' couldn't have anything to do with the fact that in spite of all of those sparks you are currently miserable and not with Max?" George questioned.

"Well that is a different issue altogether. You see there were actually 3 aliens in my school for most of my life… recently a fourth showed up. She's been the bane of my existence. She's trying to weasel her way into their spouting diatribes on destiny and trying to force them to see things her way, literally. You see Tess has the ability to make people see what she wants them to see. I don't know if the others know this. But she just feels different. She oozes malice in my opinion but that is definitely biased. You know how you describe most Slytherins, she'd come in and they'd crown her queen. And to make it worse she is the betrothed," Liz spat venomously.

"Anyway, the same day Kyle was healed, they all returned to the place where they 'hatched' and I went with them. That is when they got the message from their mother about being clones of deposed assassinated royalty sent to Earth for their safety and one day triumphant return. They were also supposedly mates, Max and Tess, with Max being the King and she the Queen. She went on to talk about their great destiny," she appeared to deflate as she concluded.

"Afterwards, I just walked away. Max would have left his destiny and his people to the wind if I hadn't. I've been miserable and getting nasty notes from the monster bitch queen ever since. This summer away has been a Godsend."

"You said that this Tess cow was the one going on and on about 'destiny.' And then you all get a rather convenient message confirming what she said when you are alone. And you stated one of her abilities is to make people see and believe what she wants, right? So, how are you so certain that the message was genuine?" George asked bluntly.

Liz sat for a minute, openmouthed and brows furrowed, before quietly stating, "I… don't." Her face became brighter and more animated as the smile started to unfurl. "I don't."

She launched herself at him and hugged him tight, laughing through tears, "Thank you, George."

George buried his feelings once again as he said, "You're welcome, of course. Now what do you say we see if we find a solution to keep her abilities from affecting you again?"

"Until we do I guess I'll still have to be distant to him, won't I?" she asked, smile fading slightly.

"Unfortunately, yeah, probably so. How soon will you be returning here for weekend classes?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. We get our time schedules before we leave tomorrow. Our class schedules will be there the first day. So maybe tomorrow." she answered.

"Well maybe on those weekends we can work on a solution against her 'wiles,'" he winked and her grin returned.

"Sounds like a plan to me," she said as they headed back towards the castle.