Between the lines

Greed

Hua Qiangu watched the little panda-bear kitten sleep lightly next to the fire. He'd missed warmth and affection. She added a few sticks to the fire. She was tired, too. She hadn't slept well for a long time and the experiences of that day had helped her body get rid of some of the tension, but it had left her exhausted. She watched the boys. Tom was given his best not to fall asleep next to the fire while Zhu Ran was pacing around the room in order to keep his body active.

She doubted someone would dare to attack them unless the cottage belonged to some bandits or criminals. And even if they did, none could win a fight against her. The place looked much better than it was at first. It would need a bit of renovation if she would want to have a place to return for the next night. She intended to search the neighboring villages and cities for people how need help, orphans, poor men who wanted to get an education, ill people, hungry people. The place was small for all of them, but they would make do with it. She would also need to find a way to carry the kitten with her. She couldn't let her alone there. It would be too scary for the poor thing. But first, she need to find out who that cottage belonged to.

In fact, the first thing they need to do was to eat and have a good sleep. Tomorrow they would come up with a plan. All of them, together.

As the kitten sensed the smell of food, he lifted his head and watched them. His belly was too heavy to dare to have another bite, but he didn't know when he would have the next chance to eat. And that uncertainty made him greedy and desperate.

"Look at it," Tom exclaimed as he noticed the kitten. "His belly is full and he is still hungry." He laughed.

"Weren't you hungry? At the orphanage?" Hua Qiangu scolded him lightly. She recalled she'd heard him once saying he loved he always had enough food at Hogwarts. It was a quick remark he'd tried to make pass unnoticed. He probably thought they hadn't heard him. And he was happy they hadn't. Yet he was wrong. Hua Qiangu didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable around her and decided to turn a blind eye to it. Now, it was time to remind him. To remind him he wasn't the only one who'd suffered like that. That an ordinary kitten was able to live similar experiences to him. "Do you remember how you felt the first day when you saw so much food?"

He didn't say a thing. Yes, the memories were fresh in his head. He had been happy and greedy. He'd wanted to have as much food as he could. He'd never got any sweets in his life and that table had been full of cakes and pies and fruits. It had been too much, but he hadn't wanted to stop. It'd taken a while until he'd learned to control that greed that dug deep inside his soul. No matter how much he ate he was always hungry. Afraid he would return to the orphanage and he would starve again.

"The kitten is afraid he would never eat again." Hua Qiangu explained. "He doesn't want to eat. He wants a bit of certainty.

"Are we going to take the kitten with us? Back to your palate?" Zhu Ran asked.

"We aren't going to return to the palate yet. We need to find people who need our help."

"Then what?" He continued.

"I don't know. Let's see what we'll find. But I'd rather not go back to the palace. A cottage in the middle of the forest sounds much better and relaxing." Hua Qinagu revealed. She'd never actually loved that place. Not without her Big Sister. "I'll return to visit my Big Sister, but I think this place is much better for a hospital or school.

"What about us?"

"You can return if you want."

"Return to where?" Tom inquired. There was no place for him to go. He had the slightest idea how to return to Hogwarts and least of all to his own time. If he were honest he didn't know if he really wanted to return. Even if he wasn't treated like a lord here, Hua Qiangu respected him and even Zhu Ran seemed to look for his company. Even if he was way weaker than any of them, he'd never felt looked upon. So where was he to return? To a place, he would struggle every day to be powerful so people would fear and respect him? To a place where if he were to fall to the ground, the other would use that opportunity to not allow him to raise up again so they could steal his place?

"To the palace." Hua Quiangu answered simply, unaware of the storm inside his mind. "Don't you want to be a ruler?"

"I'm not strong enough." Yes, of course, he wanted to rule. He wanted to be powerful. The most powerful man... wizard in the entire world. The darkest one. He'd already found a way to immortality. But still, he had a lot of things to learn. "If..." he stopped, aware that he was acting like an idiot, ruining all his chances of ever becoming powerful. Of gaining her trust. If only she were to give him that power, then there would be nothing for him to regret. He would never have to leave her. He would never have to pretend. To flatter a bunch of arrogant pure-blood nobbles in order to be accepted among them. He would take care of Hua Qinagu. Yes, he would. Even if she would be just an ordinary girl who would play with her kitten and waste all her fortune on some unfortunate souls she were to find in her journeys around the country. He would be strong and rich. So strong and rich that he would be able to have anything.

"You still wanted it, don't you?" Hua Qiangu woke him up from his reverie. "What exactly are you going to do with it? Aren't you safe with me? Aren't you accepted? Don't you have enough food? Why do you still want this power?" She was furious. And disappointed.

"Has she really expected I'll give up?" He wondered. "Of course I wanted it. I've always wanted power. I was born to be powerful. I wanted it because..." He couldn't find a strong argument. He had the slightest idea why he wanted it. He only wanted it.

"I am special." He uttered aloud.

"Yes, you are. At least I thought you were, but I guess I was wrong. You are just like anyone else. Too greedy for your own good." She didn't say another word. Tom and Zhu Ran watched her carefully. They knew she was mad. Very mad. Tom had crossed a boundary he shouldn't have. Much she cared for him, she wouldn't be able to ignore his greed. What she would decide was a mystery, but they were sure she would do something. And it might affect everyone.