Speeding Cars
-A Remus and OC Songfic-
Disclaimer: The lyrics are not by me. They are taken from the song Speeding Cars, sang by Imogen Heap which I first heard on the O.C. Hogwarts, Remus and all things HP related belongs to JK Rowling. I own nothing but my OC's.
Summary: Here's the day you hoped would never come. It was just one of those days…everyone knows what it's like, to have a day so overwhelming that life doesn't feel worth living anymore. But for Arybelle Rinehart, it was more complicated than that. Hidden behind a bright smile, is a tragic past. Perhaps the attention of a certain sandy-haired boy might change circumstances…
X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Here's the day you hoped would never come
Don't
feed me violins
Just run with me through rows of speeding cars.
Arybelle Rinehart plopped down, on a comfy couch by the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room, with an audible sigh. Frustrated by silent problems, she shook her mass of blonde curls impatiently, as if to rid herself of all her worries, but it was no use. One unfortunate circumstance after another crowded her brain, pressing tighter and tighter until she found herself almost gasping for breath.
On the outside, she was the very embodiment of optimism. From her never ending energy to the bright smile fixed on her face, everyone at Hogwarts knew Arybelle as that "girl who's always so darn happy". Arybelle was well aware of the illusion she gave out towards others. Yes, it was an illusion. Who in the name of Merlin could be so bloody cheerful all the time especially some one with her past?
Of course Arybelle had a past. Who didn't? Everyone has some sort of closet filled with a creepy skeleton or two. Arybelle's closet just happened to be more crowded and more horrific than the others.
Oh where, oh where, did her troubled history begin?
Arybelle's tale started out before her birth, actually. Perhaps if her father hadn't died in a tragic but understandable car accident, only days after the discovery of the then unnamed baby, things might have been different. The woes continued on to her childhood, where she witnessed the murder of her own mother, dead at the hands of an abusive husband; a madman who then turned his rage towards the young Arybelle. She was forced to use the darkness as a blanket, which hid her numerous bruises and damaged limbs.
And magic! Oh the wonder she felt when she first received her Hogwarts letter! Arybelle grew up with a love for fairy tales-the only books she was able to hide from her stepfather-and finally, magic was real. Magic could solve everything! Arybelle would have the chance to live again! Arybelle lived in a flurry of excitement, realizing that magic could break her unlucky streak once and for all.
Ah, alas. All good things must come to an end. Poor Arybelle learned this the hard way. One night, overwhelmed with her terrible and great secret, she blurted out the whole truth to her stepfather. Not all muggles were tolerant of witchcraft, especially one as conservative as he. Arybelle ran for it that very night, vowing to never return. The past summers, Arybelle found refuge in a dear old woman's apartment. Ruth was the only source of comfort she had…her home was always a sanctuary.
The past was the past. It was time to let things go, Arybelle thought, as she sat in an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. There was no use dwelling over the events that happened so long ago...She vowed then and there to never let her mind wander to her disruptive childhood ever again. Hogwarts was the perfect place to start over. Arybelle finally had a chance to be someone.The paper cuts
The cheating lovers
The
coffee's never strong enough
I
know you think it's more than just bad luck
With a start, Arybelle snapped out of her reverie and her eyes slid back down to the letter she was holding….the one that changed everything. Just when she thought things were getting better…just when she finally thought her life was perfect…
Ruth was gone. Vanished, the authorities told her, Vanished my arse, Arybelle thought bitterly. Most likely he found out. A feeling of immense panic settled over her. Where could she run to now? Her hope was gone. Arybelle had nowhere to go during break except back home. If you can call that a home…
She sniffled, unable to fake her happiness any longer. Arybelle gave in to all the tears she had been holding in for the past five years. She promised herself she would never think about her past again; never shed a single tear over it but it was no use. Some things were just out of her control. Like her future.
Lucky there was no one in the Common Room to see her weakness. It was almost midnight, Arybelle was sure she was the only one sitting by the fire. If anyone saw her right now…all that she had been holding in would be revealed. One word, one whisper, one glance and the whole student body would know everything.
A small cough scattered her thoughts. Arybelle's eyes narrowed and flickered around for the source of the disturbance. A pit of fear and dread formed inside of her as she took in the familiar figure. Light brown hair…wrinkle-free robes…those tired but piercing green eyes…
Holy Merlin. Someone was here after all. Arybelle wasn't quite sure what to do. Should she hide it and pretend she was fine, even though tears streaked her cheeks? Should she run to the dorms? But then it would be obvious that something was wrong. No, the only thing to do was to act normal.
"Miss Rinehart," his clear voice interrupted her thoughts.
Arybelle gritted her teeth and forced a pleasant smile on her face. She slowly turned to face him. "Hello Mr. Lupin, how are you today? Or should I say tonight?" Her laugh was natural and filled with happiness. It was a laugh that entranced half of the male population at Hogwarts. One could pass away his life listening to the laugh of Arybelle.
"You look troubled," Remus replied lightly, his eyes focusing on her face.
Damn him. Why did he have to be so observant? He was not dumb. Arybelle was sure he would be able to guess in a second what was wrong.
"Really?" Arybelle said, keeping her voice steady, her eyes rapidly blinking away any trace of a tear. "How funny that you should thing that. I am quite fine, thank you."
There
There baby
It's
just text book stuff
It's
in the ABC of growing up
Remus did not look convinced. He quickly rose from his seat and was next to her in seconds. His eyes never left hers. Arybelle held his gaze, determined not to let her true emotions show.
He placed a cool hand on her cheek. "Is that a tear I see?" he asked softly, his fingers brushing lightly over her skin. Arybelle shivered at his touch and her insides felt twisted. What was happening to her? She was still far from happy, but this new feeling was different than the one she felt before.
Arybelle turned her face away, hiding the color that was spreading. "I thought I had something in my eye…" she answered, rather lamely.
His chuckle surprised her. Her eyes moved back to him and found that Remus looked amused.
"Something in your eye?" he repeated the mirth obvious in his gaze. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." Saying this, his laughter filled the room again. Arybelle reluctantly gave him a small smile.
"And I share a dorm with Sirius," Remus added, as if that made a difference. Which it did. You couldn't share a dorm with the Marauders and not hear ridiculous things.
Arybelle said nothing. She hoped her silence would drive him away. As much as she preferred this new emotion to the old, she was uncomfortable with him around. She never noticed him much before, in fact this was the first time they were alone. He had a way of watching her so intently that made her question her every move. Arybelle was not a self-conscious person but somehow, now, she had turned into this flustered idiot.
"What's wrong?" Remus remarked, noting her silence. His eyes were warm and kind. "You can tell me anything…"
Arybelle gave him an appraising look, actually considering telling him her tale. But she quickly shook that thought away; he wouldn't understand…no one would.
"Perhaps you should go back to what you were doing earlier, Mr., Lupin," she knew her words sounded cold. Arybelle was anxious to be alone with her thoughts and no matter how much she enjoyed his company, hiding her secret was her number one priority.
Remus said nothing at first. His light green eyes searched her face, as if her secrets were visible if he looked hard enough. Arybelle fidgeted with the fringe of her woven top. She purposely avoided his gaze and tried to walk away but he suddenly grabbed her arm. Firmly, but Arybelle felt no pain.
Now
Now darling
Oh
don't lose your head
Cause
none of us were angels
And
you know I love you yeah
"Joking aside…" Remus said and then chuckled to himself. "As if there was any humor involved…" the mirth vanished and his eyes turned serious. "Something is wrong with you. I can feel it."
He released his hold on her and began pacing slowly around the room. Arybelle eyed him curiously. This was not like him at all. The tall figure seemed bothered and shot anxious glances towards her, every now and then.
"For as long as I have known you, Miss Arybelle Rinehart, you have always given off the aura of seclusion. Yes, you are the nicest girl to ever grace the earth, and of course no one has ever seen you without a smile, but yet," he paused during his speech and looked deeply into her eyes. Green met blue and Arybelle felt frozen to the ground. "but yet…" he repeated, sounding a bit unsure of himself, "there's something about you… a dark secret perhaps? Or an unwanted past?"
Arybelle still could not say a word. She could barely breath, knowing how close he was to the truth. She wished with all her heart that he would leave her alone, but part of her enjoyed his presence. Caught between the dichotomy of isolation and companionship, she managed a small laugh.
"My dear Mr. Lupin," she replied with an easy smile, able to successfully hide her feelings. "Today has been a rather long day. As much as I enjoyed this enlightening midnight conversation, I would prefer to have some time to rest. I'm sure you know that we have an important Charms exams tomorrow." As if to emphasize her point, Arybelle smothered a yawn with her hand and gave him a tired look.
He simply looked a amused but made no attempt to stop her as she made her way around him, and slowly climbed the winding stairs.
Arybelle paused on the second step from the bottom and looked back at him. She smiled sweetly, "Goodnight Mr. Lupin," she called out, a strange fluttering in her heart.
Remus smiled and replied mildy, "Same, Miss Rinehart." Then still chuckling to himself, he returned to his seat by the fire. Arybelle studied him for awhile, observing the way he carefully opened his battered book and the way he slowly smoothed out the rumpled pages. She smiled wistfully, wanting nothing else than to join him but protecting her past came first. Like it always did.
Arybelle opened the door slowly and heard the gentle breathing of her dormmates. She sighed, envying their peacefulness and serenity. She pulled back the covers and crawled in but found that she was restless. Tossing and turning, Arybelle closed her eyes shut. Instantly, hazy memories floated around in her mind; memories that she wanted nothing more than to forget.
Sleeping pills and sleeping dogs lie never far enough away
Glistening
in the cold sweat of guilt
I've
watched you slowly winding down for years
You
can't keep on like this...
Now's
a bad a time as any
Frustrated, she opened her eyes and her hands searched around in a drawer for the small plastic bottle that she never thought she would need. As her fingers curled around the cylinder, Arybelle took a shuddering breath. She gulped down the contents of the bottle, perhaps consuming more than necessary, and reached for a glass of water. She brought the glass to her lips, her fingers trembling so much that she spilled most of the water down herself. Her eyes fluttered, yearning to close and fall into an eternal sleep but Arybelle despised sleeping in wet clothes.
Slowly, she rose from the bed and took a shaky step forward. Downstairs, she thought. I need to find Remus. It seemed as if the world was spinning and she was just another insignificant object caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She tried to steady herself but Arybelle could only manage to reach the top of the stairs before the spinning got out of control.
Arybelle thought everything was moving in slow motion, the way it did when you lost yourself. She vaguely felt her head hit the ground and the rest of her body tumbling after. As her tired eyes finally closed shut, she thought she heard a strangled, inhuman scream and a familiar touch on her forehead. But all was forgotten as she stumbled into unconsciousness.
There
There baby
It's
just text book stuff
It's
in the ABC of growing up
"Arybelle? Arybelle?"
Arybelle groggily opened her eyes and was immediately pierced by the bright rays of sunshine. As her line of vision focused and narrowed down on the person in front of her, she found herself speaking.
"I need to talk to you." It was stated simply and plainly. To her, she had just laid out her soul on the table. "I need to tell you everything."
"Of course," he replied without surprise, as if he knew it all along. Who knew, perhaps he did. All Arybelle could feel was the light touch of his lips on hers.
Now
Now darling
Oh
don't kill yourself
Cause
none of us were angels
And
you know I love you yeah
It's
ok by me..
It
was a long time ago
Maybe
things were changing for the better.
A/N: I loved writing this story. I am in love with the song and this plot was just perfect for it. I hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it.
Review?
Thanks
-C