Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Hogwarts UnderExposed - A New Girl in Town
By the time they waited nearly an hour in the queue for Expedition Everest, Caitlin's dress had air-dried. It still accentuated her many fine assets, but no longer actually exposed them to watching eyes.
"Dad, is something the matter?" Caitlin asked. It seemed that the closer they had gotten to the front of the line, the queasier Tom's expression had become. "Don't you like roller coasters?"
"I like them just fine," Tom said.
Despite this assertion, Tom still appeared extremely nervous. As they took their seats near the front of the ride, Caitlin noticed beads of sweat on her Dad's forehead.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" Caitlin again asked concernedly.
"I'm fine," Tom insisted.
The ride workers finished checking the seating harnesses and gave the thumbs up to the control board operator.
"All clear," she shouted to her fellow workers.
"Caitlin, you're a sweet girl," Tom said, a tear in his eye. "I'm sorry."
Chapter Twelve
Nothing Personal
"Have you heard from Caitlin?" Claudia anxiously asked Emily when she saw her best friend's sister heading into The Great Hall for dinner.
"No, but then we didn't really expect to," Emily replied unhappily. "The Magical World might have Muggles outdone for the most part, but their methods for communication are definitely far superior to ours. I'm afraid we will all just have to wait for her return to find out how her vacation went."
"I just hope nothing delays her return," Claudia said, fretfully.
"You're really concerned about her missing the Ball, aren't you?" Emily asked caringly.
Claudia nodded her head glumly. "We've made a lot of plans for that night and I just can't carry them out without her support."
"If you're talking about wearing Caitlin's dress, don't be so concerned," Emily said, encouragingly. "I realize that the way it's designed, you can't possibly wear any underwear with it, but that's really not that big a deal. Hell, I haven't worn knickers since I got out of diapers.
"You just have to be a little more cautious how you sit and bend. Besides, no one will notice your dress when I walk into the Ball totally naked," Emily stated, looking absolutely serious.
Claudia stared at Emily stunned. "You wouldn't dare?" she questioned, skeptically.
"Oh I'd definitely dare," Emily replied. "I've always dreamed of a time when I could attend the Ball unfettered by clothes." Emily chuckled, looking at Claudia's scandalized face. "Don't worry, I promised Mum and Dad that I wouldn't do anything shocking just because it's my last…."
Emily caught herself just in time. She had been about to say her last Ball. Unfortunately, Claudia caught her gaffe.
"Your last what?" Claudia asked, warily.
"My last chance to be starkers in front of the entire school before the start of the New Year," Emily lied. "My parents know how much Caitlin and I detest clothes; they're always cautioning us to toe the line."
"I don't think I'll ever fully understand you and Caitlin," Claudia said, shaking her head.
"That's because you were raised to think that nudity is something dirty and immoral," Emily declared. "I was raised in a naturist environment. My parents and sister were always nude in our home. We went to naturist gatherings twice a week and spent all of our weekends and vacations at nudist resorts. To me, being nude was a normal way of life; having to put on clothes when going out in the general public was peculiar.
"We're all a product of our upbringing. You've been raised to be shy and timid about your body. I've been raised to accept nudity as totally normal. You feel most comfortable with several layers of clothing between you and the outside world. I'm most comfortable without the burden of clothes. Neither belief is necessarily right or wrong; it should be a matter of personal choice. However, textiles rule our world and have declared naturists weird and our beliefs eccentric.
"I would never force you to go nude because I recognize that it would make you feel uncomfortable and unselfconfident. Yet every day I'm forced to wear clothing and feel exactly that way," Emily explained.
"I'm sorry," Claudia said, shamefacedly, as if it was all her fault. "I don't mind you being unclothed."
"I know you don't," Emily said, giving Claudia a hug. "I'm sorry for venting my frustrations on you. Sometimes the unfairness of it all just gets to me. Did you know that I was expelled from my Muggle School because of my naturist beliefs?"
"That doesn't seem fair," Claudia declared. "Why was it any of the school's business what you did in your private life?"
"Well, I guess that was partly my fault," Emily admitted. "I let my private life become public. It never would have happened if Billy McGuire hadn't been such an arse."
"What did he do?" Claudia asked; her interest now peaked.
"It was in the fall, just a few months before the deaths of my real parents." Emily began to explain. "I was ten years old and in the fifth level at school. My best friend, Katy, and I had hung around after school that day, just for something to do. We wandered by the basketball courts where McGuire and a bunch of his cronies were playing a game of skins versus shirts. We watched for a while before Katy asked them if we could play. Katy and I were both always sort of tomboys.
"Billy said that we could play, but that in order to keep the teams even, we would have to split up. Katy and I had no problem with that. I joined the shirts team and Katy went to play with the skins team. When we were in our positions, Billy just waited, holding the ball in his hands.
"What are you waiting for, McGuire?" Katy asked. "Let's play ball."
"I'm waiting for you to take your f---ing shirt off," Billy replied. "Maybe you didn't notice, but this is a skins versus shirts game and you're on the skins team."
"Maybe you didn't notice, but I'm a girl," Katy retorted. "Girls don't take their f---ing shirts off."
"One of you does if you want to play," Billy responded spitefully. "Besides, it doesn't look like you have anything worth hiding. Either take the shirt off or both of you get off the court."
Katy walked over to me. "Let's go," she said meekly. "He's right, I'm as flat as a board, but I'm still not about to take my shirt off in front of them."
"But you wanted to play," I said.
"Not that much," Katy replied.
"Will you two please get off the court so that we can continue our game?" McGuire bellowed.
"Just a minute," I said tartly, "we're switching teams."
"Emily, you can't," Katy protested. "You'll get in so much trouble. Beside, you actually have tits."
"Big deal," I replied. "All girls eventually have boobs; they're just a normal body part."
"If it's okay with you ladies, we'd like to continue the game sometime today," McGuire shouted. "Zacherley if you're playing on the skins team, get your shirt off, otherwise both of you please get the hell off our court."
"You took off your shirt, didn't you?" Claudia asked, quaking at the very notion.
"Of course, I did," Emily acknowledged. "To me it was no big deal. The guys all acted kind of weird though."
"Finally, I said, 'I thought you guys wanted to play basketball. Stop gawking at my chest and let's play ball."
"You actually played topless," Claudia said, aghast. "How long did you play like that?"
Emily shrugged, "Topless, I'd say about fifteen minutes," Emily answered wryly. "The guys played dreadfully, they spent more time watching my boobs than they did watching the ball. Boys can really act weird. Katy and I did most of the scoring. Everything was fine until we started to draw an audience."
"You're actually enjoying this, aren't you Zacherley?" McGuire asked, unpleasantly. "You're a ruddy exhibitionist, aren't you? You like showing off your tits."
"I'm not an exhibitionist," I protested. "I'm a naturist. I'm simply more at ease being nude than wearing clothes."
"You told that jerk that you were a naturist?" Claudia questioned, horror-struck. "How did he react?"
"At first he didn't believe me," Emily answered.
"You're a f---ing liar, Zacherley," McGuire, proclaimed. "No one could be more comfortable naked in front of a group of people than clothed."
"I'm not a liar."
"Then prove it," McGuire taunted. "If you're really a naturist and so damn comfortable with your body, take off your skirt and knickers and play naked."
"You did it, didn't you?" Claudia asked, looking flabbergasted.
"Well, I took off my skirt," Emily confirmed. "I wasn't wearing any knickers to begin with."
"You actually continued to play that way, totally nude?"
"Well, I wasn't really totally nude. I had on my socks and trainers. Katy thought I was crazy, but it felt absolutely great," Emily declared. "It was a beautifully warm fall day with just a slight breeze. Unfortunately by now the crowd around the basketball court had gotten quite large and become fairly boisterous. It caught the interest of a few teachers heading to the parking lot and they came to investigate. They threw a hissy fit and Miss Crabbe grabbed me by the hair and marched me right in to see the Headmistress."
"Without allowing you to get dressed?" Claudia asked.
"Yeah, I guess she wanted the Headmistress to get the full effect. Katy collected my garments for me. I was called a lot of nasty names and my parents were summoned to come and pick me up. Later that week the governors of the school expelled me for lewd and perverted behavior and for corrupting the morals of minors. My Mum home schooled me until she was killed in the car crash. Then I came to live with the Potters.
"To this day, I don't feel that I did anything wrong except break some stupid textile rules. What did it hurt and who was harmed by me being nude?" Emily paused briefly. "Claudia, have you ever swam or played tennis nude?"
"Me?" Claudia asked, appalled. "Certainly not."
"You should try it, especially swimming. You'll never want a bathing costume to touch your skin again."
Claudia nodded timidly, but seriously doubted she would ever swim any place other than in a bathtub nude.
"I have to get going," Emily said. "Tyler is waiting for me. Look, don't worry about Caitlin or the Yule Ball. I'm sure everything will be just fine. Caitlin is your best friend; she'd die before she'd ever let you down."
* * * * * *
Caitlin appreciated all of Walt Disney World, but what she really loved was how the rides were so much more than just
mechanical contraptions. Take Expedition Everest as an example; it wasn't just a steel thrill ride; it was an
adventure story. You didn't just stand in a boring queue you became part of a quest. With Expedition Everest,
guests were transported to a distant world of exploration and the mythical village of Serka Zong. A canopy of prayer
flags, an ornamental monastery, intricately carved totems, and a garden of stone carvings of the yeti clutching the
mountain immersed guests in a far-off realm.
Caitlin pointed out all of these interesting things to her Dad as they wended their way through the line, but he seemed lost in thought. Something seemed to be bothering him. He seemed preoccupied, no longer childlike as he had been up to now. He seemed nervous and concerned. Caitlin tried to worm out what was bothering her Dad, but he insisted that everything was all right. Then as they boarded the ride he said the strangest thing.
"Caitlin, you're a sweet girl," Tom said, a tear in his eye. "I'm sorry."
Sorry? What was he sorry about? Caitlin was about to ask, but the ride was moving. Questions would have to wait.
The train departed the station and rolled through thick bamboo forests and fern groves, and then up the first hill and through a fortress. Ritualized music signaled riders to dangers ahead. En route, a cluster of sacred yeti totems and a massive yeti mural crafted on the rockwork gave further warning to turn back.
The train continued across a teetering bridge and into the mountain; it dove into shimmering glacier valleys and then climbed up through the snow-capped peaks.
Skulking silhouettes and shadows of the lurking yeti, coupled with startling special effects and climate variations, enhanced the attraction as the steam train darted in and out of a picturesque mountain range.
Caitlin glanced over to see if her Dad was enjoying the ride thus far, but his eyes were unfocused and he was gripping the restraint bar unnecessarily tight.
Suddenly the train screeched to a halt near a gnarled mass of twisted metal. It seemed that in a fit of rage, the yeti had torn apart the track. The thrills intensified as the now runaway train moved both forward and backward through darkened mountain caverns and icy canyons and the riders headed for an inevitable face-to-muzzle showdown with the towering yeti -- known to some as the abominable snowman.
The train accelerated into a fog of spiral curves taking the riders down an 80-foot plummet to escape the wrath of the powerful yeti.
"Wow! That was awesome," Caitlin declared as the ride came to a halt. "What did you think of it?"
"Yeah, it was great," Tom answered unconvincingly; his mind seemed elsewhere as if something was bothering him.
"Are you sure nothing is the matter?" Caitlin queried once again.
Tom vehemently insisted that everything was okay, but he still seemed disconcerted. His eyes kept searching the immediate area as if desperately looking for someone.
Finally, after they had walked silently for several minutes, Caitlin inquired, "Where are we off to now? We've done everything here that interested either of us."
Tom forced a congenial smile. "I'll leave that up to you, young lady" he said.
"Why don't we take the bus over to EPCOT Center and catch the attractions we missed yesterday?" Caitlin suggested. "Maybe we can even go on Test Track again."
"We could do that," Tom replied. He still seemed at a loss. "If we finish EPCOT today, that will put us a full day ahead of my original schedule."
"Really," Caitlin replied, beaming.
"Yes! Initially I planned on spending one day in each park," Tom explained. "Today was supposed to be spent at EPCOT and tomorrow here in the Animal Kingdom. I never expected us to accomplish so much last evening."
"That means we sort of have a free day coming up tomorrow," Caitlin said, delighted.
"More or less," Tom agreed inattentively.
"In that case, can we go to Blizzard Beach tomorrow?" Caitlin all but begged.
"Isn't that a water park?" Tom questioned. "Don't you think the water might be rather brisk this time of year?
"All the water in the Disney Park pools is heated," Caitlin answered knowledgeably. "My friend Daniel told me. Anyway, he and his family are going to be there tomorrow. I thought maybe we could sort of join them for the day; they're like me."
"Magical?" Tom questioned, concernedly.
"No! Not magical," Caitlin laughed. "They're naturists. I met them while on vacation."
At first Tom dithered, but ultimately he agreed to the idea. He reasoned that if he played his cards right, these acquaintances of Caitlin might well become valuable future character witnesses.
* * * * * *
Friday, December 28, 2007
Due to Caitlin's persistent prodding and coaxing, she and Tom arrived at the agreed upon meeting point early.
"I told you that we had plenty of time," Tom said glancing at his wristwatch. "The Webers won't be here for another thirty minutes."
"It's always better to be too early rather than late," Caitlin insisted, sounding a great deal like Hermione.
Tom forced a smile. "We may as well be comfortable while we wait," he said, indicating a nearby vacant bench. "We can checkout the scenery."
Caitlin had a feeling that her Dad was referring to the two-legged female scenery and not the landscaping.
Just as Tom was about to be seated, he saw Pansy, a slight distance away, motioning to him. As soon as she was positive that she had gotten his attention, Pansy ducked out of site.
"Wow! It's a small world," Tom said. "I just saw an old school mate. I think I'll run over and say hi."
"I'll go with you," Caitlin said eagerly.
"What about the Webers? We don't want to miss them. You better wait here. I'll make it short."
Caitlin didn't like the idea of waiting by herself, but she didn't want to miss the Webers either; after all, the whole purpose of coming to Blizzard Beach was to see Daniel and his family.
"Okay," she agreed reluctantly, "but please don't be long."
Tom assured her that he wouldn't and then hurried off in the direction in which he had seen Pansy vanish.
He had barely turned a corner and gotten out of Caitlin's view when he spotted his associate waiting impatiently for him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, harshly. "I thought we agreed that it would be better for us not to be seen together."
Before she could respond, he added, "And what the hell happened yesterday?"
"That's why I had to see you," she replied nervously. "Our plan didn't work. The Muggle safety precautions are too high-quality."
He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her out of hearing range of any of the other patrons.
"I thought you were a f---ing witch," he swore. "You're always bragging how superior your kind is."
"We are superior to Muggles in all ways," she argued. "It's the damn computers that monitor the safety of the rides."
"What about the computers?" Tom lashed out.
"The computers won't allow the ride to start if all the safety harnesses aren't secure. They will even stop the ride if something goes out of kilter before the first drop."
"What about after the first drop?"
"Even the best marksman would have a tricky time hitting an object moving that fast. I could easily target the wrong seat," Pansy explained.
"Since when have you worried about killing an innocent bystander," Tom chided. "I don't care how many others you take out as long as you get the girl."
Pansy studied Tom circumspectly. "I thought you might feel differently this time since you're the one sitting in closest proximity to the intended victim."
Tom's face paled. "The coaster at the MGM Studios has the same safety precautions?"
Pansy simply nodded.
"Then I imagine we have to go to plan B," Tom said giving way grudgingly.
"We have a plan B?" Pansy asked, looking at Tom with surprise.
"There's always a plan B, my dear" Tom replied. "The problem is that it doesn't have the added benefit of being able to sue the park over the girl's death." He sighed. "I guess I was being greedy, considering her value to me dead, but one can always use a few extra million."
Tom took a few minutes to explain his contingency plan to Pansy and then hurried back to where Caitlin was waiting. His timing was nearly perfect; he reached the bench just as the Webers arrived.
"You must be the Webers," he said congenially in greeting. He was all smiles and shook hands firmly with Daniel and Mr. Weber. Mr. Weber insisted that Tom call him Henry and then introduced his wife Martha and their thirteen-year-old daughter Lyra.
Caitlin was pleased to see that her Dad had finally gotten over his melancholy state and seemed to be back to normal. It also delighted her that Tom and the Webers appeared to get on so well.
"My wife and I aren't especially fond of water slides," Henry said as they all found lounge chairs together. "We prefer to either lie in the sun or simply float around on one of the large inner tubes, but the kids love the slides."
"That sounds good to me," Tom replied quickly. "Caitlin, you don't mind if I just hang out with Henry and Martha while you guys ride the various slides, do you?"
Truthfully, Caitlin did mind. She wanted to spend every minute of the vacation with her Dad, but after yesterday's off-putting experience on Expedition Everest she didn't want to force her Dad into any activity that he wasn't one hundred present sure of.
"You sure you don't mind, Dad?" Caitlin asked, removing her bathing suit cover-up to reveal a small red bikini.
"Not at all," Tom insisted. "You kids have fun while Mr. And Mrs. Weber and I get acquainted."
"That's a very attractive swim costume," Martha Weber commented. "You look lovely in it, Caitlin; it really accentuates your beautiful body and gorgeous hair. Doesn't she look pretty, Daniel?"
"Very," Daniel replied. Similar to on the bus, Daniel couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Caitlin.
"Thank you," Caitlin said shyly, "but if I had my way, I much rather be nude. I feel so restricted in this costume and I'm sure it will feel even more horrible when it's sodden."
Martha nodded her head in understanding. "We'd all rather be nude, but unfortunately Disney World doesn't provide for naturists."
Tom didn't comment, but he was rather glad that nudity wasn't allowed. He didn't fancy the thought of seeing either Martha or Henry naked.
"The best you can do is purchase a swimsuit like Lyra's." Martha said. "Lyra, honey, show Caitlin your bathing costume."
Lyra eagerly slipped her T-shirt cover-up off over her head to reveal the most minuscule bathing costume Caitlin had ever seen. The young girl slowly turned around so that Caitlin could see her from all angles. It was quite evident that Lyra was extremely proud of her body and not the least bit timid about showing it off.
If the bathing suit had been made of paper, the combined area of the three pieces would not have been enough to print one page of a normal sized paperback book. The two triangles that composed the top could not even begin to cover Lyra's small but perky breasts. The best they could possibly do is cover her nipples and at the moment they were completely failing at that attempt. The bottom triangle was no bigger and just held in place with three thin strings. Caitlin didn't want to stare, but she was sure that Lyra's slit was peeking out of the triangle. She was also sure that if the young girl lay on her stomach she would appear to be completely nude.
"Your headlights are showing," Daniel said, sounding slightly annoyed. "And please adjust your bottom."
Lyra stared crossly at Daniel, but finally fine-tuned the triangles on her chest. She didn't adjust the lower triangle until Daniel cleared his throat loudly and stared at her menacingly.
"My sister has a swim costume similar to yours," Caitlin said, trying to break the evident tension between Daniel and his sister, "but it's not quite as diminutive as yours."
"My mother had to alter mine," Lyra replied, matter-of-factly. "I refused to wear a shroud to go in swimming."
Caitlin simply stared at Lyra. Caitlin prefered to swim nude, but Lyra's swim costume was far from being a shroud. It could be three times larger and it would still be extremely revealing.
"You kids have fun on the slides," Mrs. Weber said dismissively. "If you need us and we're not here sunning, we'll be on the floats."
Caitlin gave her father a questioning look as to ask if he was sure it was okay for her to leave him behind with these people. He just winked and encouraged her to go ahead and have a good time.
Lyra led the way as the three teenagers headed for the first of numerous slides. The young girl attracted quite a lot of attention in her tiny swim costume and she seemed to eat up the interest.
"My sister isn't like you and I," Daniel said, sounding apologetic.
"What do you mean," Caitlin questioned.
Daniel explained. "Although you and I get pleasure from the naturist lifestyle and would rather to be naked under most circumstances, we don't use nudity to seek attention or the spotlight. Lyra is a chronic exhibitionist; she's been one her entire life."
"What exactly do you mean by exhibitionist?" Caitlin asked, somewhat defensively. Frankly, Caitlin thought that Lyra looked quite cute in her tiny swim costume. Caitlin had originally considered borrowing Emily's micro thong for the trip, but decided against it in deference to her father. She now was regretting that decision. "I often wear very short dresses and never with knickers."
"Maybe, but I don't expect that you purposely go about lifting your skirt to show off your plumbing."
"No," Caitlin replied cautiously. "I'm sure I occasionally give a show, although I don't mean to. Does Lyra deliberately lift her skirt in public?"
"She's not quite that blatant," Daniel clarified, "but she has more accidental apparel malfunctions in a day than most people have in a lifetime."
"Well, her bathing costume is quite small," Caitlin said in defense of Lyra. "You almost have to expect an occasional nipple slip when you wear something that tiny; especially on water slides."
Daniel laughed. "Lyra would never be satisfied with a measly nipple slip. You watch her today. There are a lot of people about; I'm sure she'll give one of her Oscar winning performances. Whatever you do, don't even think about coming to her aid? Believe me when I say that she won't appreciate the assistance."
* * * * * *
Caitlin was confident that Daniel was exaggerating about his sister's tendencies, but by the end of the day Lyra had proved Caitlin mistaken not once, but five times. Three times she had completely lost her top and twice her bottom. On one of the occasions that she lost her bottom, it became temporarily trapped on the slide and Lyra cried and shrieked for nearly ten minutes before it was retrieved. This girl was most definitely an accomplished actress. She drew the attention of everyone in the immediate area. Women commented on how embarrassed the poor child must be and some even tried to hurry to her aid with towels to cover up her nakedness. Lyra deftly avoided those would be rescuers.
Although Lyra feigned utter embarrassment, Caitlin observed that she never once tried to cover the exposed areas from view. Instead, she made sure to stay in shallow water and even ran in every direction as if to make sure that all her fans got a first-class view of her nakedness.
"Do your parents know she does this?" Caitlin inquired.
"Know!" Daniel said shaking his head. "They encourage it. Well, not so much Dad, but he doesn't put a stop to it either. He's what they call henpecked; he never goes against my mother's wishes. From what I gather, Mum was a good deal like Lyra in her younger days; now she lives ostensibly through my sister.
"But try not to judge Lyra totally by her eccentricities," Daniel requested. "She's really a nice girl when she's not trying to put herself on display."
Caitlin had found this to be true. Lyra had the type of exuberant fun loving personality that you couldn't help but love. However, watching Lyra parade about flaunting her adorable body made Caitlin wonder what people in fact really thought of her and Emily. Neither Caitlin nor her sister was an exhibitionist; they didn't become excited or get an erotic high out of being nude. They were simply more comfortable without clothes.
However, Caitlin was a very sensitive girl, and now she was bothered that some of her fellow Gryffindors might think of her as an exhibitionist. She knew that she wasn't, but what some of her peers might mistakenly think bothered her. A part of her considered that perhaps she should stop lounging about in the common room completely nude.
When they had their fill of water slides, the trio headed back to the area where their parents were camped out.
"Lyra, will you run ahead and let Mon and Dad know we're ready to go?" Daniel asked, an almost pleading tinge to his voice. "I want to talk to Caitlin a moment."
Lyra gave Daniel a perceptive smile and hurried off.
"I like your sister," Caitlin said, once they were alone. "She might have some kinky quirks, but she's a good person."
"I think she likes you, too," Daniel replied nervously, "but not as much as I do."
Before Caitlin knew what was happening, Daniel was embracing her and then kissing her. Furthermore, she was kissing him back and thoroughly enjoying it.
"That was nice," she said truthfully when their lips finally parted. She shook her head, her eyes watering. "But Daniel, I have a boyfriend back home and besides …"
"I know," Daniel interrupted sorrowfully. "We have no possible future together. We live an ocean apart and we'll likely never see each other again, but I had to know what it felt like to kiss those beautiful soft lips."
"I hope you weren't disappointed?" Caitlin said. Daniel was still holding her close to him and she hadn't made the slightest effort to escape his hold.
"Not the least." he said gazing into her eyes. "Kissing you could easily become extremely addictive."
"We can write; stay in touch," Caitlin suggested meekly. "Always be friends."
"That's like offering a starving man a few crumbs," Daniel replied disconsolately. "But I'd like if we could stay in touch. Maybe by some miracle I'll see you again."
"Maybe," Caitlin replied hopefully. "We're both young. There's no telling what surprises life has in store for us."
Daniel nodded. "Do you think that boyfriend of yours would mind if I kissed you just once more?"
Caitlin smiled. "I'm sure he would, but then what happens in Disney World stays in Disney World." They kissed once more, however this time Caitlin initiated the kiss. When their lips reluctantly parted, they both turned without word and headed in the direction of where Daniel's parents and Tom were waiting. As they walked, Caitlin reached over and grasped Daniel's hand. He smiled.
Tom, Martha, Henry and even Lyra were all taken by surprise when they saw Daniel and Caitlin approaching them hand in hand. None of the adults made any comment, but Lyra squealed happily and ran to hug Caitlin.
"I really like you," Lyra exclaimed. "You and Daniel are perfect for each other."
"It's not how it looks," Caitlin whispered in Lyra's ear. "Daniel and I are just really good friends."
"That's a shame," Lyra said, still hugging Caitlin. "You two would be so good together and I think you and I could become close friends."
"I think we could, too," Caitlin agreed. She then surprised even herself by what she did next. Caitlin slid her fingers along the smooth skin of Lyra's thigh until she reached the slipknot on the side of the young girl's thong; she tugged on it hard and the thong dropped to the ground.
Lyra laughed. "We most definitely could become close friends." She nonchalantly bent over and picked up her bathing costume bottom and handed it demurely to her mother. She then pulled off her top and also gave it to her mother. Lyra then took her good old time combing out her hair before finally slipping on her cover-up.
Tom's eyes had popped out and he was speechless.
"Oh! I wish we had a picture of that," Martha exclaimed breathlessly. "Lyra, you were actually completely nude at Disney World. I can't wait to tell my friends."
Before they all finally parted company, Martha gave Tom a hug. "I hope everything works out for you," she said sincerely.
"What was that all about," Caitlin asked as they boarded a bus for their hotel; the Webers were headed to the Magic Kingdom.
"What was what all about?" Tom asked naively.
"The hug and good wishes from Mrs. Weber," Caitlin replied.
"Oh! That was nothing," Tom lied. "Sitting together for four hours, people end up talking about a lot of different things. She was just offering me luck on a new business venture I have in the planning."
Caitlin nodded, but didn't question her father any further. Business dealings weren't of great interest to her.
That evening and the next two days, as they visited the MGM Studios and the Magic Kingdom, flew by rapidly and before she knew it Caitlin was getting out of bed for the last time at Walt Disney World. She squinted her eyes and looked sleepily at the alarm clock. It was already 9:00 A.M., by far the latest she had slept any day during their vacation.
"Finally awake, Sleepyhead," Tom Pitt said, emerging from the bathroom fully dressed. "I was beginning to think I'd have to checkout with your nude sleeping body slung over my shoulder."
"That would have been a sight," Caitlin said, laughing. "Perhaps you should give Lyra a call on the phone. I'm sure she'd love to streak the Contemporary Lobby. Her mum and dad could take pictures." Caitlin had explained to her Dad about Lyra's parent supporting her penchant for exhibitionism.
Talking about Lyra made Caitlin think of Daniel. They hadn't seen each other since Blizzard Beach. She had been hoping to say a proper farewell, but it didn't seem as if that was going to happen. Fortunately they each had the other's address and could write.
Tom made for the door and then turned back "Be sure to take your Portkey out of the trunk before you close it. Matter-of-fact, wait till I get back before you close it, in case you have any last minute souvenirs to put in it."
Caitlin's face glowed as the door closed behind her father. He was obviously going to stop at the gift shop and buy her another present. He had spoiled her the entire trip, but in particular the last two days. Frankly, his spate of love for her had become slightly embarrassing. He seemed fanatical to tell every stranger they met the sad story of their separation and how happy he was to have his beautiful daughter back.
Although this discomfited Caitlin greatly, it meant a lot to know how much her Dad cared for her. Briefly, she had even considered remaining in the Muggle world with her Dad, but realized it would never work. Firstly, she loved Harry and Hermione too much; secondly, she was a witch. She couldn't imagine leaving the Magical World. She did hope, however, that she would get to see a great deal of her father.
Caitlin had just finished brushing her teeth when there was a knock on the door. She quickly rinsed her mouth and hurried to answer. It was only upon reaching it that she remembered she was unclothed.
"Who is there?" she questioned through the door.
"It's me, Daniel," a tentative voice replied. "I just wanted to say…"
Caitlin didn't allow Daniel to finish the sentence before flinging the door wide open.
"I was hoping I'd get to see you before I left," Caitlin said excitedly.
"I wanted to see you, too," Daniel replied, "but this is more than I could have ever hoped for." His eyes brushed every inch of her body. "You're more gorgeous every time I see you."
Caitlin blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
"Before I forget," Daniel said, trying to regain some veneer of composure, "Lyra said good-bye and she wishes you the best. We both hope you get away from those awful people and are returned to your dad."
"Awful people? What awful people?" Caitlin asked, confounded.
"Those Potters," Daniel elaborated, angrily. "Our parents told us how they abuse you both physically and sexually."
Caitlin was flabbergasted. Momentarily, she just stared open mouthed at Daniel.
"Who the hell told them that?" Caitlin sputtered. "Harry and Hermione love me and I love them. They'd die before hurting me."
"But your dad told my parents that they mistreated you," Daniel replied, thoroughly confused. "Why would he say that if it weren't true?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Caitlin said, shaking her head in frustration.
Daniel looked at Caitlin sheepishly. "I guess I just blew any chance of another good-bye kiss?"
Caitlin stared at Daniel, depression and disappointment etched on every inch of his manly frame.
"No you didn't," she said, trying to temporarily block her feelings of disgust with her Dad. "Daniel, I like you. I like you a lot. If only we had met under different circumstances, maybe things between us could have worked out. I'm sorry, but I'll always remember you and how special you are." She kissed him, but it wasn't a simple good-bye kiss between friends. It was a deep passionate kiss and when Daniel's hand slipped from her waist to her buttocks, she didn't protest; instead she kissed him even more deeply.
It took them a long while to say their good-byes. They both had feelings; feelings they couldn't put into words, but feelings they knew they would most likely never get to act on. Finally, reluctantly, Daniel turned away and Caitlin quietly closed and locked the door.
She had woken so happy and now she was totally confused. First, she'd be going to the Yule Ball tonight with Evan. A part of her still loved the boy, but now she was confused and felt like she had cheated on him, betrayed his unending affection for her. She had planned on suggesting that Evan and her go to the Room of Requirement. She had been prepared to give her virginity to him. Now, although she hadn't had sex with Daniel, she no longer felt like a virgin. After kissing Daniel so passionately this morning, she would feel like a slut if she turned around and had sex with Evan tonight.
She looked in the bathroom mirror and didn't recognize the girl that looked back at her. Caitlin had just referred to the act as having sex. She never wanted to just have sex; she wanted to make love. She had been so certain that Evan was her one and only and now she wasn't so sure anymore.
Her agony was only more aggravated by what Daniel had told her about her father. Why would he say such awful untrue things about Harry and Hermione? She removed her invisible sheath from her thigh and laid it on the vanity; it immediately became visible. She stepped into the shower, ready to drown her sorrows.
"You need not bother taking a shower," a bodiless voice said.
Caitlin jumped out of the shower and reached for her wand. It was gone.
Suddenly in the next room a woman appeared from under an invisibility cloak. "I was concerned that you might be carrying your wand," Pansy Parkinson said. "You made things a lot easier by removing it." She examined Caitlin's sheath and wand. "This invisible sheath is rather nice. I think I'll keep it; sort of as a bonus."
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked, both angry and frightened.
"I'm your father's business associate, Pansy Parkinson" the pug faced, but still attractive woman replied. "My reason for being here is to assist you with your suicide."
"My father wouldn't associate with the likes of you," Caitlin protested. "How the hell did you get in here, anyway? I locked the door."
"Only after that very erotic display with mister tall, dark and delectable," Pansy remarked. "It was quite easy to slip unnoticed by the two of you. By the way, I want to thank you for not making me endured an all out teenage sex session. Once you allowed him to finger your arse, I was sure you would drop to the floor and give him a blowjob."
"You're disgusting," Caitlin protested. "Get out of here before I call hotel security."
"I think you've forgetting who is in charge here," Pansy said flicking her wand nonchalantly. "I give the orders."
"Just what makes you think I will do anything you say?" Caitlin asked.
"Oh, come now," Pansy laughed. "We're both witches and we know magical beings have a way of getting their way."
"But what is the logic of killing me? What will you get out of it?"
"Millions and millions of dollars," Pansy declared. "When you die, Tom will inherit your estate and I'm his partner."
"You're crazy!" Caitlin proclaimed. "My Dad loves me. He'd never be involved in my murder. Besides, even if you were telling the truth, he won't get a red cent. Harry and Hermione magically adopted me ages ago. All the money I inherited from my grandparents will go to them if anything ever happens to me."
Pansy laughed. "You just said the magic word. You were adopted in our world, but there is no record of that adoption in the Muggle world. As far as the Muggle world is concerned your mother died giving birth and your loving father is your only living relative."
"If there is no record of my adoption why would there be a record of my birth or financial value in the Muggle World?" Caitlin asked, sensing a flawed plan.
Pansy looked at her watch. "I have fifteen minutes to fritter away before your suicide takes place, so I'll give you a brief lesson in financial planning." She took a seat on the side of the bed, but kept her wand pointed at Caitlin. "Your grandfather was not only a very rich man, but an extremely intelligent man. He had holdings in both the Magical and the Muggle Word and so he realized the importance of having both a paper and physical history in both worlds.
"He was thought to live a very secluded Muggle life. He was hardly ever seen in public nor were his wife and daughter. The truth is that they spent ninety percent of their time in our Magical World. Your grandfather mistrusted Tom from the moment he meet him and therefore had your father investigated. He found out that Tom was a two-bit con artist and surmised correctly that his only interest in his daughter was financial.
"Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on a person's viewpoint, you were conceived before he received the investigators report. Tom never saw your mother again, but he was aware that she was pregnant.
"Your mother's death and your birth were both made a part of both Muggle and Magical records. Your grandfather was an honest man and had Tom Pitt listed as the father, but everyone assumed that he had simply abandoned your mother. As far as Muggle records are concerned, you disappeared at the same time your grandmother died."
"That's when I was sent to the orphanage," Caitlin added. "I was eight years old."
"But it was a Magical orphanage and from there you went to Hogwarts," Pansy went on. "The magical world can trace your entire life, but as far as the Muggle world is concerned, Caitlin Garrison dropped off the face of the earth at age eight."
"But if you kill me, how can my Dad…" Caitlin suddenly felt as if she were about to wretch. How could she possible refer to a man that had planned her death with a term as endearing as dad?
"How can he prove that I'm really Caitlin Garrison?"
"Well, he can easily prove that he is Tom Pitt and your hospital birth records are a matter of public record," Pansy said smugly. "A combination of those records and a DNA test on your body should satisfy any court."
"But how will he explain my sudden appearance after all these years," Caitlin asked, nervously watching the hands of the clock.
"Tom doesn't have to explain that. He hired a lawyer to find you and he did. The lawyer can clarify how he went about it, if he has the nerve."
"My Mum and Dad, Hermione and Harry are expecting me to be home in a few hours. They won't let you get away with this."
Pansy cackled. "I went to school with chosen four eyes and the great Mudblood. There isn't a damn thing they can do to stop us. By the time they find out what has happened, your corpse will be slowly decomposing in the morgue."
"But they'll go to court; they stop you," Caitlin said, starting now to panic. "I know they won't want the money, but they'll stop him from getting it and sharing it with you."
"You're such a silly little girl," Pansy said smirking. "Your death will take place at Disney World, a Muggle resort. Your body will be incinerated in a Muggle Crematorium and a Muggle court will decide the dispensation of the will.
"Your loving parents are magical. They won't have the nerve to appear in court."
"Yes, they will," Caitlin protested, sounding very much like an arguing small child.
"Well, if they do, I can't wait to hear their explanations of the past few years. According to Muggle records both of them dropped out of school at age eleven. Your mother has never worked a day in her life or paid taxes and your father was a drifter whose occupation was slinging hamburgers. I'm sure the court will readily believe that they adopted and supported you the last few years. Or do you think they'll tell the court about our Magical World?" Pansy broke out in a maniacal laugh.
"Honey, I'm sorry. You seem like a nice kid and it's nothing personal but it's time to die."
"No!" Caitlin shouted in desperation. "You'll be caught, the Muggle police will know someone broke in and murdered me. I have no reason to kill myself."
Pansy shook her head and stared at Caitlin as if she was some poor pathetic dim-witted child. "At this very moment your loving father is boring the checkout clerk with a story about how his lovely daughter is so upset and despondent because she can't stay with him, but instead must return to abusive foster parents.
He has unnecessarily turned both your room cardkeys in to that uninterested clerk making it impossible for anyone other than a hotel employee to open your door. You have been gracious enough to fasten the chain lock proving that no one has left the room.
Once I'm certain that your body has made a permanent impression on the resort's sidewalk, I will depart on my broom under the cover of my invisibility cloak. A Magical inquest might possibly suspect foul play, but I remind you that we are in the Muggle World."
Pansy checked her watch. "Damn it, I'm behind schedule," she cursed.
She raised her wand, pointed it at Caitlin, and said, "Imperio!"
It was the most wonderful feeling. Caitlin felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in her head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. She stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of her surroundings.
And then she heard Parkinson's voice, echoing in some distant part of her empty brain: Open the balcony doors…
open the balcony doors wide…
Caitlin obeyed obediently. It was very warm in the room; she could do with some fresh air.
Again she heard Parkinson's voice echoing in her brain, at first it was praising her and then it said: Jump
over the railing… run and jump over the railing…
Caitlin bent her knees obediently, preparing to spring forward.
Run and jump over the railing…
Why, though? Another voice had awoken in the back of her brain.
That would be a really stupid thing to do, said the voice. This is the ninth floor.
Run and jump over the railing…
No, I don't think I will, thanks, said the other voice. A little more firmly… no, I don't really want to …
Run! Jump! NOW!
The next thing Caitlin felt was excruciating pain. She had run, but somehow prevented herself from jumping --- the result was that she had smashed into the railing with a loud crack and collapsed to the balcony floor in agony. At the very least, one of her legs was broken.
"You stupid little bitch," Parkinson shouted cruelly. "Can't you do anything right?" Pansy would now have to remember to do a cleansing spell before leaving the scene. The fall from the ninth floor would conceal the broken leg, but traces of blood on the balcony could cause unnecessary investigation.
She pointed her wand at Caitlin, gave it an upward flick and said Levicorpus! inside her head.
Caitlin shrieked in agonizing pain. She was dangling upside down in midair as though an invisible hook had hoisted her up by the ankle, the ankle attached to her broken leg.
Parkinson made a gentle swishing motion with her wand and Caitlin began to slowly float toward the railing. The pain was unbearable, but she knew that if she didn't do something quickly, the pain would cease forever; she would cease to live. She stretched her arms, trying desperately to reach out and grab the railing that was approaching just inches away from her fingertips.
"I don't think so," Pansy said snidely. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Caitlin's floating body was instantly paralyzed. Even if her fingertips brushed the railing it would do her no good. At least the paralyzing spell had deadened the excruciating pain, but she was now just seconds away from plummeting to her death.
End of Chapter Twelve
My thanks go out to my betas for this chapter: Woody, Julie, Mae, Yuniez, Raine and WolfieDara. Please be a good reader
and take the time to review.
New chapter are posted first on the group site. If you'd like to be advised of new chapters and get to read them first and in a non-censored way, then Join Hogwarts Exposed.
If Caitlin's reaction to the Imperius curse seems familiar, it ought to. I intentionally wanted it to echo Harry's reaction to the spell when placed on him by the imposter Moody.