B/A/N- I hope you guys like this chapter…it took me forever to
write. In response to a lot of reviews,
no, this Chappie does not involve Lasombra….my apologies if you were expecting
her. She will most definitely be in the
next chapter, you’ll see why by the end of this chapter. I’m sorry about the wait, and I really hope
you like this chapter.
Chappie 44: Now That You’ve Gone
Lily happily bounced into the Gryffindor dorms with a smile, she and
James had just had a private and belated celebration for their 14th
anniversary in November. However, as the
celebration was belated, it was actually mid-December. December’s rain pounded angrily on the
windowpane as Lily noticed a hoot owl waiting rather impatiently and flitting
between the twins’ beds.
“Here, dear, I’ll take that,” Lily offered to the owl.
The owl didn’t argue, and allowed Lily to untie the letter and fetch it
a bit of water.
With a hoot of thanks, the owl flew quickly out the window into the
torrential waters. It was almost like
the owl didn’t want to be there.
And after skimming the letter, Lily knew why.
Dear Emia and Avia,
Hello
dears. How are you both doing? This is
just a little note from your parents.
After mountain climbing in
With love and kisses-
Mum and Dad
There was a postscript, but Lily wasn’t up to reading that. She had already collapsed on the floor in
sobs.
Take a closer look inside
yourself
You may see the love I left
behind
Days were fast but full of life
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The whole group was rather solemn as they sat down to dinner that
night. It was December 15th
now, they had ten days with the elite circle of friends left, and the rain had
not yet let up.
Each member of the group was rather caught up in their own thoughts
that night.
Remus could be caught staring idly into space a lot of the time. He would miss Avia so…she was the one person
who accepted him and loved him, even with his lycanthropy. Avia would often be extremely affectionate
when she noticed him behaving this way, but she knew how he felt. Avia wished there was something she could
do…but there wasn’t.
James was trying to be as sympathetic and sweet towards Lily as he
could muster, because he knew that in ten days she would be losing the two best
friends she’d had for three years. Lily
was going through obvious pain, but trying to cope with it, and be strong for
Emia and Avia.
Peter was very sympathetic towards Emie and Avie, yet, also secretly
glad that they were leaving. He would
finally get time with Remus and Sirius and maybe James again…they often shunted
him off to hang out with their girlfriends.
Emia was staring sadly at her dinner plate, playing with her food…and
replaying the words of her parents’ letter.
How could their parents have asked the twins to give up their lives in
such a bloody offhand manner? It was
ridiculous. She began to feel someone
staring at her and looked up.
Sirius quickly looked away, gazing at the window which was being
attacked by the downpour.
Sirius was taking this, surprisingly, the worst out of everyone. He couldn’t believe it. He felt more strongly for Emie than Remus did
for Avia, and yet, Remus HAD Avia! Sirius would never get another chance to
hold her…to kiss her. And then he
realized- he was already listing regrets.
If he had this many regrets for Emia right now, how long might that list
be once she was actually gone? He had to do something…to show her how much
he actually cared.
We laughed at everything
Now you’re gone I’m standing
still
I don’t do anything I’m so alone
So lonely
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Emie!” a deep voice called after the blonde as she walked solemnly
down the hallway the next day.
Emia turned to find a very troubled Sirius sprinting after her. “Siri, what are you doing? Your next class is
all the way across the school!”
Sirius looked at her intently as he reached her. “I know…but there’s something I just had to
do. With you.”
Sirius held out his hand to her.
Emia gave him a questioning look, but gave him her hand anyway. Sirius led her somewhere she had been many
times when they thought nobody was looking, behind the statue of a certain
one-eyed witch.
Still I can recall
The happy times
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Anything you want to get, Emie…I’ll buy whatever you want, I’m serious,”
Sirius said to Emie.
“Well, of course you’re Sirius,” she said with a smile. Then realization hit. This might be the last time she could make a
corny serious Sirius joke. Ever.
Emia looked to the ground with sadness apparent in her bright blue
eyes. Couldn’t she just tell him how she
felt? They had been apart for so long
that Emia didn’t really even remember why she was angry in the first place. All she knew was that when they were together
it was like the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together, slowly but surely.
“Emie, are you okay?” Sirius asked with concern.
“Huh? Oh…fine, fine. So…are you going to write me after…I’m gone?” Emia asked, shuddering at the last part of
her sentence. She didn’t want this move
to be real. She wanted to stay here with
Sirius and Lily and the Marauders forever.
“Whatever it takes to hold on to you,” Sirius mumbled nervously. He meant it too, but it felt rather…unmanly,
so to speak, to say.
Emia smiled up at him, she knew what he said was sincere. She took his hand and intertwined their
fingers. After doing so, she asked, “How
about we go get a couple butterbeers and talk?”
Sirius smiled in return, “Sounds great.”
Laughing arm in arm
So alive
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
9 days and counting, Lily
thought sadly to herself while watching the fire crackle in the common
room. Classes were done for the day, and
she was hoping to spend time with the twins, but they were each off with their
respective favorite Marauder. Where HER
Marauder was was rather beyond Lily at the moment, but she was too frustrated
to care. She had so many things swirling
about in her mind…her brain was still trying to comprehend that her best
friends of all time would be leaving in a matter of days, and she might never
see them again. It was so depressing…she
needed someone to help her sort out everything she was feeling.
Lily let out a frustrated sigh.
James came into the common room from the boys’ dorms right then, and
heard Lily’s sigh. “Do you want me to
stay and talk with you…or just stay…or…”
James allowed his thought to trail off, he didn’t want Lily to feel
rushed in her decision, he was trying to take some stress away from her, not
add any.
Lily studied him for a bit thoughtfully and whispered “stay” before
breaking into tears.
James rushed to her side to comfort her, and make “Shhh” sounds,
rubbing her back in comforting circles.
“Lily, you’ll get through this…I’ll make sure of it” he whispered in her
ear.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Emie looked at Sirius with a smile.
“Can you believe that a couple of days ago we would have completely
ignored each other because of a petty argument?”
Sirius chuckled and wrapped his arms around Emia protectively. “Yeah, I know. It’s like now that we know our days are
numbered, facades don’t matter. I can
finally openly tell you that I care.
That I…”
Emia looked up to him with a twinkle in her sapphire eye. “You what?”
Sirius looked down at her nervously.
“I love you.”
Emia felt her eyes glaze over as she gently got up on her tiptoes to lock
her lips with his.
Was it years ago
Or just a day
When you turned to me
Said goodbye
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Avia felt more frightened than she had in years. She nervously looked at the moon, then down
at her watch. She was in the Shrieking Shack.
Remus had come here practically alone tonight, as Padfoot was spending
one last night with Emia, Prongs was off god-knows-where, and Wormtail was only
here to push the knot in the tree, because a mouse was useless against a
fully-grown werewolf. Remus would kill
her (human Remus, mind you) if he knew she was here. Avia couldn’t stand her boyfriend being holed
up in that shack anymore. She knew that
she was facing extreme danger, but she was willing to risk it to make sure he
was okay. She winced as she thought of
the gashes he must be giving himself right now.
“Remus?” she called quietly, hoping to hear a human voice answer. She figured that even if he had transformed,
she could simply run.
A growl pierced the darkness.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“James, we know that Emie and Siri are probably in the Astronomy Tower,
but where are Remus and Avie?” Lily asked into James’ comforting shoulder.
James looked down at her thoughtfully.
“Well, maybe they’re studying in the Library…maybe he snuck her out to
Hogsmeade for a last butterbeer.”
James watched contentedly as the light from the window illuminated the
fireplace. Then something hit him…no
lights were on the common room. That was
moonlight….from a full moon.
“Remus!” he yelled, jumping off the common room couch.
“What is it?” Lily asked frantically.
James pointed to the moon and that was all Lily needed to know.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Mmm…Emie, you always smell so good,” Sirius
said while allowing his head to rest on top of the petite blonde’s.
Emia giggled, “You do too, Siri.”
Sirius smiled. “Aren’t the stars
beautiful tonight, Emie?”
Emia looked out at the many white glimmering boats on the sea of sky,
and said, “Yes, Sirius, it definitely is.
It’s gorgeous…I mean, look at the moon.
It’s perfect.”
Sirius looked at the moon, and instead of smiling, applied a look of
terror. “You’re…you’re sure that Avie’s
with Remus tonight, Em?”
Emia looked at him curiously, “Yes, of course I am, why?”
Sirius’ frantic expression was all she needed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Remus, Remus…oh god…honey, it’s me…” Avia said with an obvious tremor
to her voice.
The shadows parted to allow a frothing, fully-grown beast to step onto
the stage. This beast regarded her with
a curiosity and questioning look. It was
obviously confused, but the creature quickly got over that.
Avia was having trouble believing that this- this monster was what her
boyfriend become once a month.
Worse monthly symptoms than Lily,
Avia mused dryly. Not that now was
the time for humor.
Avia began walking backwards towards the door, very slowly. She knew that Remus…or whatever it was would
pounce if she ran…but it would also pounce if she stood still, or walked
slowly. Between a rock and a hard place, she mused.
Avia turned to run towards the door.
Got to get out, Avie…come on, just
a little farther! Don’t let him bite you! Her mind said frantically.
A step before the doorknob, she tripped on an old floorboard. No!!!!
Get up!!! You can’t stay here!!!
She felt the wolf pounce onto her frail body, gashing it, making it
bleed profusely, as the door on the other side of the shack swung open.
But they were too late.
A bloody bite on her stomach was saturating her robes with blood.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lots of white…dizzy…lots of
white…were Avia’s thoughts eight days later as she woke up in the Hospital
Wing.
“Oh thank god, you’re alright!” Lily’s voice rang eagerly through the
wing.
Avia sat up to give her best friend a hug, and felt pain throb through
her entire body, but especially in her midsection. She lifted her shirt a little to see a huge
bandage.
So it was real, she said
numbly. I’m a werewolf.
Emia was on her other side, holding Avia’s hand. “How do you feel, honey?”
“Alright, just tired,” Avia answered.
“What day is it?”
James smiled at her from across the room. “It’s Christmas Eve, Avie!”
Avia smiled at first, then that smile quickly drooped. “That means we leave tomorrow, Emie…I can’t
take it.”
Emia looked down at her with glazed eyes. “Yeah…about that. Since you’ve been…bitten…you can’t go to
Emia said all of this very quickly before breaking into tears.
Avia looked hopelessly and her sister, still processing the
information. This would be even
worse. She would be shunned her whole
life, and now separated from her twin sister, the extension of herself. She began to cry.
Through her tears, she looked around the ward. Emia was hugging her on her left, Lily
holding her right hand, Sirius and James were standing in the background
solemnly, Peter was sitting on the empty bed next to Avie…where was Remus? Oh, there he was, in the back corner of the
ward. Crying.
Lily noticed Avie’s attention divert somewhere else, and got up to go
comfort Remus.
Lily sat down next to Remus, out of Avie’s earshot.
“Remus, what’s wrong, dear?” she asked while wrapping a comforting arm
around his body.
“It’s my fault. It’s totally my
fault that she’s what she is now. It’s
my fault she and Emia are being separated…Lily, it’s all my
fault!”
Lily looked at him with shock and sadness apparent in her eyes. “Remus, you didn’t tell her to come to the
Shack, did you?”
“No, of course not, why would I do that…I don’t want anything to happen
to her.”
“Well then, it’s not your fault.
We can’t control the actions and emotions of others, as much as we’d
like to, and it’s definitely not your fault that she went.”
“But I bit her!”
“You weren’t yourself! You couldn’t have stopped if you tried!”
“I’m such a monster…I don’t deserve someone great like Avie.”
Lily had had about enough of this.
“Remus, I swear to Merlin, if you don’t get your arse up right now and
go over there and comfort her, I’ll kill you.
She needs you and Emie more right now than anybody else.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A solitary tear rolled down Emia’s cheek as she gave Avie one long last
hug. It was now Christmas, and Emia was
about to get on the train.
Life would be horrible.
Empty. Boring. One droning day followed by another droning
day until she died.
Now it was Emia’s turn to cry, desperately grasping Avia’s throat,
afraid of what might have to happen when she let go. Goodbyes. How they hurt… why were they even called
“good” byes? It was ridiculous term, in
Avia’s opinion, as Avia desperately wrapped her arms around Emia, bawling the
whole while. Remus awkwardly patted her,
rubbing her back in comforting little circles.
Sirius turned to Emia with glazed eyes.
She could tell he had been crying.
“Emie…I’m…I’m going to miss you,” Sirius said in a choked voice,
looking towards the floor.
Emia couldn’t help but smile at how sincere his last statement was.
Emia tilted his chin to face her.
“I’ll miss you too, Siri. I’ll
miss you too.”
Emia gave Sirius one solitary, bittersweet kiss, and whispered “I love
you” one last time before turning toward the train, toward
Now you’ve gone away
I don’t know why
Did you have to lie
Walk away
How can I go on
In emptiness
Feeling so alone
Every day…”
(
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
B/A/N- I sincerely hope you guys liked this one because it took bloody
forever to write. I kept revising, I’m
so sorry about the wait! Review, PLEASEEEEE!