Author's Note: This chapter includes more Remus and Jess moments. Or, as I like to call them Jemus or Ressica. Yeah, I'm horrible with ship names. This chapter is also the introduction to one of many sub-plots. I hope you all enjoy. As always, feel free to leave a review commenting on certain events, telling me how much you like it, or leave some constructive criticism. I welcome all of it.

Chapter 10: Mysterious Phonecall

Jessica Merton

It was after three in the morning. Everyone, except Jessica, had gone to bed three or four hours ago. Being unable to sleep, the young witch had walked down towards the beach, and was now sitting on the sand. Because it had grown a little cooler, she had thrown on a robe over her pajamas. Biting down on her bottom lip lightly, she thought about the events that had transpired just a few hours ago. On those steps, Remus had comforted her, when it should have been the other way around. He was always putting others before himself. Why couldn't she do that? Why did she always have to think of her own discomforts? It hadn't hit Jessica that this was much harder and more painful for Remus, until after he had left with his friends. Why did she have to be so selfish? She doubted that Sophia or Lily would be feeling sorry for themselves, if they were in her position. They'd be more concerned for Remus.

Jessica stood up, brushing the sand off of her robe, and walked back to the beach house. There, she went up to the room that she shared with Lily and Sophia, and tried her best to get some sleep. When she opened here eyes the next morning, she discovered that she was alone in the bedroom. Looking at the bedside clock, she saw that it was after one in the afternoon. Jumping up, Jessica rushed to the closet to grab some clothes. The latest she usually slept was until ten. Yet, she remembered not falling asleep until a little after five. Jessica quickly ran a brush through her hair and snapped it back into a hairband before brushing her teeth to rid herself of her morning breath, and because she had forgotten to brush her teeth last night.

After putting on her shoes, she went downstairs, expecting to run into someone, but she didn't. Instead, she found Mrs. Jones in the kitchen wiping down the countertops. The older woman looked up and smiled warmly when she saw her.

"Well, if it isn't Sleeping Beauty," Mrs. Jones teased.

Jessica smiled. "I'm sorry I slept in so late. I don't normally do that."

"Nonsense, dear, nonsense. We're all entitled to sleep in every once in a while?"

"Where is everyone?" Jessica looked around, but didn't see any of her friends. She didn't see Mr. Jones either.

"Sophia and Lily decided to go browse the souvenier shops. James, Sirius, and Peter are on the boardwalk, most likely getting sick off of cotton candy and trying to win some stuffed animals for you girls on those rigged games. Remus, on the other hand, is still upstairs, sleeping. The poor dear must still not feel well. He needs to eat, too. Maybe if he got a little something in his stomach, he'd feel better."

Jessica remembered that Sirius had come outside last night to say that Remus had eaten too much and had gotten rather ill. Jessica, however, knew differently. But she couldn't tell Mrs. Jones that. "I could make him something," she offered as she went to the refrigerator and grabbed a carton of eggs, a package of bacon, and some other breakfast foods. "Where's Mr. Jones?"

"He went to see Mr. Garrison. You know, the man you met last night along with his wife and daughter?"

Jessica remembered. When she had shook hands with him, she couldn't help but notice how he held hers for a few seconds longer. The same thing happened just before they left. Jessica didn't think anything of it. Maybe he was just being friendly. He also asked quite a few questions, but she considered that to be normal. Forgetting about him, she set to work, preparing a very late breakfast for Remus.

"Wouldn't sandwiches be better?" Mrs. Jones asked as she watched.

"Breakfast is good during any time of the day." Jessica couldn't keep count of how many times she'd eaten some scrambled eggs for lunch or dinner, or some pancakes.

Mrs. Jones shrugged. "Well, okay, I think I may head down to the beach. You will be all right, won't you?"

Jessica nodded. A short while later, she had a plate of eggs, bacon, toast with marmalade, and a large glass of orange juice set on one of the silver trays. The eggs, which were scrambled, looked good. But the bacon and toast were a little burnt. Not to mention, the kitchen was now a mess. Jessica rubbed the back of her neck as she surveyed to disaster. She definitely wasn't Betty Crocker, that was for sure. Still, it was the thought that counted. At least she didn't accidentally set the kitchen on fire like she did last time she had attempted to cook.

Picking up the tray, Jessica carried it up to the second floor bedroom. She had to set the tray on a small decorative table near the door before she opened it, so that she wouldn't drop anything. When she walked in, she was surprised to see that Remus wasn't asleep like she thought he would be. Instead, he had the television turned on, and was watching a movie at low volume. He looked up, surprised to see her there.

"I thought you'd be asleep," Jessica said, frowning.

"I woke up about an hour ago," Remus said.

Jessica nodded towards the movie. "Who put the movie on for you? I didn't think James, Sirius, or Peter would know how to work a VCR."

"I did it myself. Despite being pretty weak after a transformation, I am capable of walking three feet to the television." He noticed the tray in Jessica's hands. "Is that for me?"

Jessica looked down at the food. She had almost forgotten about it. "Oh, yes. It's um...eggs, bacon, and toast."

Remus sat up a little more. "Mrs. Jones made it?"

"No, I did." Jessica shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"I didn't know you could cook."

Jessica laughed bitterly. "If you saw the mess I left in the kitchen, you wouldn't be saying that." She approached the bed and set the tray down on his lap.

Remus began to eat heartily. Jessica watched him wolf down every bit of food. "Sorry if it's a little burnt."

"It's not," Remus assured her with his mouth full. "One time, James tried to cook for me. Let's just say that it wasn't pretty."

Jessica couldn't help, but laugh. "James being able to cook is like Snivellus actually washing his hair."

Remus smiled wearily. It was apparent that he was still tired and weak. "Maybe I should let you get some more rest," she said.

Remus reached forward and grabbed her arm, surprising her. "No, please, watch this movie with me. It's a lot more fun to watch with someone else."

Jessica hesitated before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Um...so are you really okay?" It wasn't much, but she could at least start to take those steps towards thinking of others.

"I'm always weak the day after a transformation," Remus said looking at the movie, which Jessica recognized as the 1974 classic, Blazing Saddles.

He seemed uncomfortable talking about it, so Jessica didn't ask anymore questions. Instead, she ate the rest of the food, which Remus had offered to her after he was full and focused her attention on the old Western Comedy that was playing on the television. Halfway through the movie, Jessica looked over and saw that Remus was asleep. Jessica watched him for a few moments. For just a little bit, it felt like old times. They had both been laughing at the movie, and even commenting on different scenes. Remus's bangs fell across his forehead and into his eyes. Jessica reached over to brush the light brown strands aside, but stopped herself and pulled back. She stood up slowly, so as not to wake him up, and took the tray back downstairs.

Three days later, Jessica was finishing lunch with the rest of her friends. Remus seemed much better, as well. Lily was talking about the boy she had met on the beach a few days ago. It turned out that his name was Cody Pantilla. From the way Lily gushed on and on about him, it was clear that she liked him.

"You should totally go out with him!" Sophia exclaimed, excitedly. "He's soooo gorgeous!"

James pouted. "He's not that great."

"You have to face facts, mate," Sirius said with his mouth full of sandwich. "Evans is a free agent. She can go out with whoever she wants." James glared at his best friend.

"That's right, Potter. I'm allowed to go out with whoever I want. Why, if I wanted to date the giant squid, I very well could," Lily retorted, glaring at James.

The phone rang at that moment. Jessica, who was the closest, stood up to get it. "Hello?" she asked after she picked up the receiver.

There were a few seconds of silence, before a rather deep voice spoke. "Such a lovely little kitten." Whoever was on the other end of the line spoke in a very low, husky and almost sensual tone.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"The little blue-eyed kitten should serve her master."

Jessica didn't know how to react. It had to be someone trying to play a sick joke. "Yeah, okay, buddy, very funny." She hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Mr. Jones asked, looking up from his plate.

"Just some crank caller," Jessica said sitting back down. She wasn't about to admit that the caller's words had sent eerie chills down her spine. There had been something in his voice, something that said the call was meant for her.

Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. If anyone guesses that this little sub-plot may get a little disturbing, they're right. I wanted to add some slightly darker elements to this story, even if they might be brief.