Haha! Your reviews make me laugh. Oh yeah, I've finally made up my mind on Cassiopeia's character. HALEY BENNETT. Yeah, her. She fits perfectly. High voice, blonde hair and everything.
44. NYMPHADORA TONKS
Remus was lying face down on the soft bed. He was inhaling the nature-like scent of the place. And then he felt a hand softly run through his bare back, tracing his spine. He jumped slightly.
Jolie tittered. "Happy eighteenth, love."
"Today was the best," Remus grunted, enjoying the moment. "Mom and Dad's present rocked. It's a good thing Jacob and Uncle Billy's used to owl post."
"Uh-huh," Jolie said, carefully lying down on her front, slightly on top of Remus.
"I've never been happier, Jo."
Jolie felt a slight twinge of guilt. "Oh, Remus... me, too." She was still thinking of what Cassiopeia and James told her. She entwined her fingers in his golden locks and kissed the back of his neck.
"Hmm," Remus closed his eyes. "I love you, Jolie."
"I love you, too," said Jolie, still kissing him. And then unexpectedly, she felt her mind being withdrawn from reality. She had a rather long vision.
There was a beautiful, slender girl with platinum blonde hair, glaring at a plump, middle-aged woman with fiery red hair.
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?! You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?!" The blonde girl asked in a raging voice with her strong French accent.
The middle-aged woman backtracked. "No, that's not what I—"
"Because, 'e will!" the blonde girl insisted. And then the scene fast forwarded a little.
There was Nymphadora, gazing with teary eyes at Remus. They both looked older and distraught. They were in the hospital wing. "You see!" Nymphadora said. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! SHE DOESN'T CARE!"
"It's different," Remus said shyly. "Bill will not be a true werewolf. The cases are completely—"
Nymphadora forced Remus to look at her. "But I don't care either, I don't care! I've told you a million times—"
"And I've told YOU a million times," Remus said, still not looking at her, "that I am too old for you... too poor, too dangerous—"
The plump woman interrupted. "I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus."
"I am not being ridiculous!" Remus insisted. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."
"But she wants you. And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so," the woman said. Remus looked abashed. "This is not the moment to discuss it," he said. "Dumbledore is dead..."
Professor McGonagall was also there, and she suddenly spoke. "Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world."
Jolie snapped back into the real world, out of her mind. She frowned to herself and gasped. She looked at Remus and then quickly sat up, her hand on her forehead. What did that vision mean? Why was Nymphadora there? Did Remus love her as well?
"Jolie? What's the matter?" Remus asked.
"N-nothing," she didn't want to discuss it now. It was his birthday and she didn't want to ruin it. She turned to Remus and faked a smile.
"It's getting late, love. And I'm tired. Let's just... go to sleep already," she said in a soft voice.
Remus sat up and gave her a passionate kiss. "Alright, Jo. Goodnight. I love you." And then he lied back down onto the pillow.
Jolie turned her head away from him so that he didn't see her face, and she shut her eyes, trying to stop her tears from falling. "I love you, too, Remus."
"But why would he do that?" Edward asked Jolie. It was already the next day, and she, Lily and Cassiopeia were in Bella's house. Alice, Carlisle and Dumbledore were also there. They were in a far corner, talking about Carlisle's situation.
"I don't know, Edward. That vision has been bugging me ever since I saw it... I don't know what it means, I don't know what to do..." Jolie said in a strained voice as she buried her face in her hands. She and Edward had become considerably close.
Edward gently patted her back. "It's okay."
"Let's just... talk about something else," Jolie choked out.
"If we must," Edward said. The only reason why Jolie confided in him about this dream (and she had confided in no one else) was because she knew he could read her thoughts. "Thank you again, for the help."
Earlier she and Dumbledore had put up the strongest protective enchantments over the Cullens' house, together with some other Auror witches and wizards whom Dumbledore trusted. They had casted all the spells they knew, it would work against Voldemort and his followers solely, because it would seem awkward if the Cullens suddenly disappeared to everyone else. Dumbledore had become their Secret-Keeper.
"Don't mention it... At least after Justin's death, I'm able to do something good," Jolie chuckled weakly.
"Jolie, you do something good all the time. You're a good person. And that's coming from my heart," Edward said.
"That's not saying much, seeing as your heart doesn't work," Jolie laughed.
Edward shook his head. "You know what I mean."
"Why did you have to put Bella into the situation? You had to do that weird sleep over thing for this?"
"It would've seemed strange if you suddenly left from Jacob's place, you know," Edward explained. "So we made Bella say that she'll be having a sleep over, which is true, because you, Cassiopeia and Lily are going to be sleeping here for the night."
"Cass and Lily know nothing about this, though. They could come down any moment and see Dumbledore here—"
"I doubt it. We've made sure they won't be coming down," Edward smiled his crooked smile. "They're, uhm... playing dress-up by the closets, ala-Alice style."
Jolie laughed and threw her head back. "And Bella can stand that?"
"She'll have to act like she loves it. We had to invite Lily and Cassiopeia because it would seem rude if it was only you... and they're all good friends with Bella anyway."
"Yeah, yeah," Jolie waved an airy hand. "I get it."
Dumbledore stood up and shook hands with Alice and Carlisle in a business-like way. "Thank you so much, Albus," Carlisle said.
"No need to mention it. For old friends' sake, Carlisle," Albus smiled.
"Thank you anyway," Alice said in her bell-like voice.
Dumbledore walked to the doorway. "Thank you for the help, Jolie," and then he turned to Edward and nodded politely, "Edward."
"Albus. Thank you. It means a lot," Edward said.
"Thank you, Professor," Jolie smiled.
Albus smiled back at them, went just outside of the doorway, and then apparated.
Suddenly, Alice hugged Jolie, "Thanks so much, Jo. You've been a great help."
"You're welcome, Alice."
Carlisle smiled at her. "I don't know what we would've done without you."
Jolie chuckled. "Actually, it was Edward here who started it." Edward smiled modestly. "So, uhm," Jolie said, standing up. "I'll just go upstairs. Join the girls."
"Oooh, I'm coming with you!" Alice said. "I've been so tempted to dress Bella up," she said ecstatically, and Edward chuckled.
"Bella's going to love this," Edward sarcastically said.
Alice, Jolie, Cassiopeia and Lily all had fun with the rummaging of clothes (Bella pretended to love it). They did the classic things at sleep overs: pillow fights, movie marathons, lots of food, make overs and boy talk.
While Alice was curling Bella's hair for the fun of it, Bella muttered to her. "I swear, I'm never doing this again... even if it was for Edward."
Alice laughed. "It was for Carlisle, you needed to do this and you know it."
Jolie still did not talk about what she had seen, though it was disturbing her considerably. In fact, she had barely talked to Remus the whole day and because she couldn't stand the pressure back at Jacob's house, she had called up Bella, asking if they could come over two hours early. Alice was ecstatic.
Charlie, of course was spending all the night in front of the flat screen TV, watching the baseball game of the season. "Oh, that was a close one!" The girls could hear him exclaim from their room.
They all had great fun, and the girls were successful enough to distract Jolie and bring Remus and the vision out of her mind.
Soon, the night was quiet, and so were the girls. They slept soundly in their beds, with peaceful faces, without any of their worries or woes creeping through their thoughts.
