Dream Come True
for Emi
Prompts will be included at the bottom, so as not to spoil anything :) I hope you enjoy this, Emi!
Remus held his breath as he slipped quietly through the long, winding corridors. Shadows hid him from sight- not that there was anyone walking about the castle at this hour to see him.
He adjusted the hood of his black cloak, making sure it was secured over his sandy hair, and brushed his hand against the hilt of the dagger tucked into his belt.
It was time.
He stepped up silently to the tall oak door at the end of the stone hallway. It was Princess Lily's bedroom- and he knew for a fact, because he had been studying the castle blueprints for weeks now.
Remus inhaled slowly, steeling himself. It'd be quick, he promised himself. Quick and painless, and then he could get his money and never look back.
He put his gloved hand on the wooden door, easing it open, and slipped inside the princess's bedroom.
The inside of the room was lit with threads of silvery moonlight that danced across all the finery, lighting up the intricately carved wardrobe, dresser, and canopy bed.
And there, lying beneath the silken sheets and fluffy pillows, was the form of a sleeping woman.
Remus slid his dagger out of the sheath on his belt and crept forward.
The bed, bathed in white light, made her long, crimson hair stand out starkly against the comforter. Her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheekbones, and her hands were splayed out, as if reaching for something far away. Even her nightgown screamed royalty- it was embroidered with jewels and pearls.
Remus's stomach churned. It all felt so unreal- like he was moving through a dream, stuck between two entirely separate worlds… like he was watching from above as something took control of his body and did the dark deed for him.
He raised the dagger into the air, holding it over the princess's exposed heart.
He was going to be sick.
Because even though he was hired for his stealth, the thought of murdering someone was foreign and appalling. Still, he needed the money.
He began to lower the knife, blade glinting in moonbeams.
And then the princess screamed.
Remus gasped, launching himself away from the princess's bed and throwing his knife violently across the room in the process. It collided with the shiny mirror on Princess Lily's dresser with a loud crash. The mirror shattered, sending splinters of glass flying in all directions. The loud crash was drowned out by her cries.
The princess continued to scream as Remus's heart raced. She thrashed in her sheets, shoulders shaking with sobs. Tears poured down her cheeks and soaked her pillows.
That was when Remus realized- she was having a nightmare.
Her cries became desperate and even more terrified, and Remus leapt to his feet, racing to her bedside.
For a moment, he was frozen in place. He should flee while he had the chance- it was the smart thing to do, anyway. Her shouts were sure to bring guards running. But leaving her like this, so obviously in pain…
He acted before fully thinking it through.
"Wake up," he whispered fiercely. "Wake up, Princess."
It worked.
Her eyes flew open, revealing irises of a shocking green. For a moment, her gaze darted around frantically, liked a trapped animal.
Her relief at being woken was quickly replaced by a hint of fear.
"Who are you?" she demanded, breathing hard.
"I'm Remus," Remus replied automatically, though he knew that his name probably didn't clear up any of her confusion.
He took a step back, giving the princess room to sit up. She did, leaning back on her heels, red hair wild around her pale face.
Her eyes narrowed. "Why… why are you in here?"
Remus swallowed hard, nausea once again crawling up his throat. He was going to kill her. If she hadn't started screaming, he would have… he would have…
He took too long to respond, and the princess connected the dots by herself. "You were going to assassinate me," she whispered slowly, disbelief edging into her voice. Her shoulders started to shake again.
Remus knew what would happen next. She would call her guards, he would be locked in the dungeons, and then he would be executed. And then…
"And then Teddy will be alone," Remus murmured, fear seizing his chest.
"Teddy?" the princess questioned, her tone sharp- as if she knew whom he was talking about, a shared acquaintance. Remus brushed it off, too terrified to think straight. He caught her sizing him up, eyeing the distance between her bed and the knife abandoned on the floor, as if wondering how exactly she could best defend herself from him.
"I'm going to be locked in the dungeons, aren't I?" Remus asked quietly, dreading the answer.
For a moment, Princess Lily was silent.
"Yes," she said finally. "What you tried to do is an act of treason." But the look she was giving him… it was more curiosity than fear. He couldn't decide if she was naive or just extremely brave.
A numb sort of feeling spread through Remus's bones. He failed- not only himself, but his kingdom… and his son.
There was a moment of silence.
"What were you dreaming about?" Remus asked finally, more to make small talk than anything. Why he was making small talk, he had no idea.
Princess Lily's gaze grew hard. "It's none of your business." Then, as if she couldn't control herself, as if just talking about it could help her, she began to speak, words tumbling out of her mouth. "I have these… nightmares. But they don't feel like nightmares, they feel like… they're real. I- I don't know how to explain it, but sometimes…" She shivered. "They get worse every night. My parents have ordered the best doctors to treat me, and nothing works… my sister hates me because of it, you know."
Remus blinked. "What?"
"She thinks I'm a seer of some sort- a freak. Like I can see the future, or something. But I don't think I can, and there hasn't been a seer in over a century, and I can't be a- I just-" Princess Lily broke off. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Remus nodded once, even though he had no idea what the princess was trying to say.
"Is this a dream?" the princess asked. "Am I dreaming? I can't… I can hardly tell what's real anymore."
"It's not a dream," Remus said softly. Then, after a pause, "I'm… I'm sorry. I- Even if you hadn't screamed, I don't think I would have been able to kill you."
"Why?"
"I haven't killed anyone before," Remus whispered, "but I needed the money. King Riddle, from Slytherin kingdom, said he'd pay me if I… you know. My son… well, he's not exactly mine. I… I found him on the street one day, years ago. He was just a baby. I couldn't just leave him there, so I took him in. He's seven now, and he's very sick; but I have nothing, and the treatments are just so expensive, and I…"
"What's his name?" the princess asked quietly.
Remus smiled despite himself. "Teddy. His name is Teddy. That's who I was thinking about before."
There was another long moment of silence.
"You're not a bad person," Princess Lily said finally. "I… I mean, you could be lying about your son-"
"I'm not," Remus swore.
"- but I don't think you're a bad person," she finished, seeming surprised at her assessment. "Am I… am I being a fool to believe that?"
"I hope not," Remus said genuinely. "I… I'm sorry, Princess," he repeated. "I… there aren't even words to say how sorry I am. I just… I don't know what I was…"
Remus trailed off. How did you explain to someone that you wanted to apologize for almost killing them?
"I'm not going to have you executed!" the princess blurted suddenly.
Remus blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Thank you," he murmured. It was all he could say, really.
"Can I meet your son?" she asked shyly.
Remus grinned, even though his mind was still reeling from the quick changes in topic. "Of course." Then the smile slipped off his face. "If he… if he survives this sickness."
Princess Lily gazed at him sadly. "Right." She tilted her head to the side, letting her flaming curls spill over her pale shoulder. "Would you… would you be alright with bringing him here, to the palace?"
Remus glanced at her warily. "Why?"
The princess shrugged. "I'd like to… to pay for his treatment personally."
Remus stared at her. "Are you…?"
"I'm serious," she confirmed with a nod. "If you allow him to be moved here, we would bring the best doctors from all the four kingdoms. You could stay here as well, if you-"
"Thank you," Remus interrupted, his heart swelling with gratitude. His eyes stung. "Thank you, Princess, thank you so, so-"
"It's Lily," the princess said softly. "You can call me Lily."
Remus just nodded and smiled through the happy tears brimming in his amber eyes. "Thank you, Lily. I can't even-"
She let out a small laugh. "Thank you, Remus."
"For what?"
"For making a dream come true."
Remus frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not crazy," Lily said, breaking out into a grin. "All this time, my sister and family- they've been telling me that my nightmares are just that: nightmares. But this is proof, this is great, this is-" She let out a giddy laugh. "I had a dream about a boy named Teddy. Actually, I've been having dreams about him for weeks now. I see him grown, an adult, and he's- he's sitting on my throne. Maybe I am a seer. Maybe I'm not insane. Maybe I'm- Maybe I'm going to be okay."
Remus gaped at her. "What?"
Teddy? Sitting on her throne? Like a... a king?
Lily nodded. "I think… well, I don't know what I think. It's late. It's night. I don't know the difference between real life and a dream anymore. But I do know that I really, really want to meet your son."
"Okay," Remus answered slowly, dazed. "But, if you saw him in a vision… does that mean… he'll survive this? He'll live past his sickness?"
Lily bit her lower lip. "Yes. I think so."
A sense of lightness he hadn't felt in months wrapped around him, like a weight was being pulled off his chest. "Thank you, Lily."
She tilted her head. "What for?"
Remus smiled at her, echoing her words. His son was going to live. "For making a dream come true."
Drabble Game Challenge
For Emi - Pairing: RemusLily - Prompt: assassin!AU
HPFC
Ultimate Writer Challenge - "Write an AU of your choice." - 1/3 complete
Criminal Minds Character Category Competition - Competition: Penelope Garcia - "Write about a character with a big heart."
Ultimate AU Prompathon Challenge - Occupation AU - "assassin!AU."
The Golden Snitch
Centaurus, Aurora - Through the Universe Challenge - "114. Neutron Star - (feeling) stuck in-between."
Lumos!
Ravenclaw House - Once Upon a Time Challenge - "Write about someone having a very vivid dream."