The Emerald Fire*
By: SilverPhoenixWings
A/N: Hello, hello! I've made
another crucial decision. *gasp* Anyhow, I've decided that I am going to
complicate this plot. I've had quite a lot of time to ponder this issue. And
with that deep thought, I have decided to do drastic things. Quite ominous, is
it not?
Dedication: Dedicated to
Miss Mary of Drama Club. Thank you Mary, for your support and open ear through
my whole ordeal. You got me started on writing, and I owe you the world. Plus,
I cannot wait to read more of your stories! Thank you for dealing with my
insane bouts of sarcasm and my silly fetishes(Like knowing the Greek Alphabet
or how to spell 'onomatopoeia' or what your zodiac sign is). And, regardless of
what you may think, you were a wonderful grandmother of a Samurai. LOL. Also
dedicated to my friend, Eccy, who inspired numerous poems of mine. You are the
coolest person to hang out with post-lunch. LOL. And, the school has no choice
but to remember us forever. Make a Note! Thank you, Eccy!
~*~*~
Of Dancing Hufflepuffs, Confrontations, and Blue Fire
Hogwarts was in basic chaos when classes resumed Monday. Somehow (Jen later said that Bertha Jorkins played a major role), the Gryffindor girls spread the word about the prank to the whole of the female students. During Potions, six notes were passed to James asking him out, and one told him to partake in explicit expeditions into the human anatomy that this good little girl does not care to repeat. James crumpled up his seven notes and threw them into his Regretfulness Potion. After Transfiguration, ten Hufflepuffs banded together and did a little dance routine that had a cheerful little verse:
Jamesy!
Jamesy! Don't you know?
We
all adore and love you so!
Wouldn't
you consider taking our arm?
And
if you dump us, we'll cause bodily harm!
Pissed off, dancing Hufflepuffs are not a happy sight. James and Sirius (some first-year Hufflepuffs had heard wrong, and had approached him instead) sought refuge in the second floor toilets. Waiting for them were posters all over the walls asking James out and one went so far as proposing marriage.
By
the time James and Sirius had collapsed in the Gryffindor common room after
dinner, James had been asked out three hundred and sixty-two times, with three
marriage proposal and one death threat. James heard giggles and his eyes fell
onto a couch in the corner. As he had guessed, the girls were sitting there,
laughing quite hard. Liane and Emily were red with giggles and Lily was in
tears. Jen was trying to withhold the fits of laughter, but every time she
looked at the other girls, she started again. Callie was sitting there smirking
and looking very triumphant.
James
nodded to Sirius and they stood up and walked over. Remus came downstairs from
the dormitory with Peter close behind. The two newcomers stopped when they saw
the argument waiting to happen. Jen and Emily stood; Jen stepping forward and
Emily crossing her arms. Callie pushed herself up and walked to stand next to
Jen. Callie put her hands on her hips and stared pointedly at James. Lily and
Liane followed suit.
"Well,
well, well, if it isn't Lover-boy Potter." Jen said.
"What,
James? No girl to snog?" Liane raised an eyebrow.
"We
know it was you." James said.
"And
nicely done, too!" Sirius said. James elbowed him. "I mean that was shameless!"
Sirius added quickly.
"Uh-huh.
It was all us. And your problem?" Emily asked. She avoided Sirius' glance, but
her tone made it quite clear that she was with her friends on this issue.
"Why?"
James asked.
"We
thought that'd be obvious." Lily said.
"Yeah,
Potter, things like this happen when you cross us." Jen said.
"Oh.
I see. Well, do I get a say in this?" James asked.
"Um…Let
me think…Nope." Jen snapped.
"This
isn't your battle." James said.
"Yes
it is." Liane said.
"No,
it isn't. And I noticed Callie hasn't said anything." Sirius said. Callie
frowned and turned her eyes to the floor. She dropped her hands from her hips
and fidgeted with her rings.
"Well,
I want to talk to Callie alone." James said.
"Maybe
she doesn't want to." Liane said.
"Callie?"
James asked. Callie looked up and nodded, her eyes unreadable.
James
led Callie up to the boys' dorm. He shut the door and sat on his bed. When he
motioned her to sit beside him, she made no move.
"I'll
stand, thanks." She said quietly.
"Callie…"
"James?"
"Why
are you doing this to me?" he asked.
"I'm
not."
"You
are."
"James,
you hurt me." She said.
"Callie,
I never told you why I dumped you." James said.
"Nope.
That's where you're wrong. You said, and I quote, 'Callie, you are one of my
best friends, but I don't see this working.' Yep." Callie crossed her arms.
"But
why wouldn't it work?" James asked.
"I
guess my time had lapsed." Callie retorted.
"Come
on, Callie. I'm not like that." James said, standing up.
"You
are, James."
"I'm
not. I had a reason."
"Fine.
Tell me then." Callie challenged.
"I
don't like to cause my friends pain." James said.
"Oh,
aren't you considerate? Hello! I'm your friend, and you hurt me." Callie
snapped.
"Callie,
you just don't get it, do you?" James asked.
"Nope.
You better inform me." She said.
"Callie,
what would you do if, say, Liane liked me a whole lot?" James asked.
"She
doesn't"
"What
if she did?" James asked. "While we were going out?"
"I
would have dumped you. James? Are you saying one of your friends likes me?"
Callie asked. James nodded. "Who?"
"You'll
have to figure that one out on your own. It really isn't hard if you use
process of elimination." James said.
"Remus?
Remus? Why didn't I know about this?" Callie asked.
"Because
you're too busy being sarcastic."
"Okay.
Fine. I'm sorry about the scatters of girls asking you out." Callie said. James
nodded.
"Callie,
if you say anything about this to anyone, I shall personally dungbomb your
dorm." James grinned. Callie nodded, smiling. She hugged him quickly and ran
out the door.
When
Callie returned to her dorm, Liane and Emily were playing Exploding Snap while
Jen read. Lily was writing in her diary. Callie sighed and flopped on her bed.
Jen looked up.
"So?"
"So
what?" Callie asked. Jen rolled her eyes. "I can't tell you." Callie said in
response.
"Okay,
fine."
"Okay."
Callie said. Aisling flew over to the bed. Callie absent-mindedly stroked the
bird while she read her Transfiguration homework. After a few minutes, she
claimed it a lost cause and drifted to sleep.
At first glance, it was an odd sight. At second glance, it defied any sense of logic you allowed yourself. The moon hung low and full over the grounds at Hogwarts. A wolf could be seen running into the forest, pursued closely by a stag and a large, black dog. A small rodent of a sort clung to the dog's back and squeaked loudly.
The
wolf turned his head upward. A howl was lifted into the cold night air, but the
scream was quite human. The other animals approached and sat beside the wolf.
Aside from it being illogical, it was picture perfect.
Callie snapped awake. She grasped onto the fleeting dream. Jen was still reading, but Lily was fast asleep with her red hair wildly flung over her pillow. Liane was tucking her self in and Emily was brushing her teeth. Without words, Callie stepped out of bed and headed downstairs, not knowing what she hoped to find.
Remus was sitting in the armchair by the fire, reading a book. Callie tried to glance at the title, but he quickly tucked it away when he saw her. He stood up.
"Um, Remus? I have a question. It's really bizarre." Callie said, sitting in a chair across from him. He collapsed back into his chair and nodded.
What is it?" he asked.
"Well, I had this dream…It was so weird…I didn't recognize anyone in it, because their were no humans. Just…an insane group of animals." Callie said. Remus looked slightly worried, but nodded for her to continue.
"Well,
I don't know. It was strange. Never mind." Callie said, starting to get up.
Remus motioned her to sit.
"What
were the animals?"
"Well,
there was a grand white stag. He seemed very proud. Um, there was a black dog
that seemed to be quite hyper. And then there was a rat or a mole or something.
And there was a wolf." Callie said. "Remus, I know this sounds weird, but can I
ask you the question?"
"Sure."
Remus said dubiously. Callie bit her lip.
"Are
you-um-a werewolf?" She winced. Remus blanched. He became very fascinated with
the fire.
"Callie,
did you know that fire has many facets?"
"You
mean, like different colors?" Callie asked quietly. Remus nodded.
"Yeah.
Some colors are very common, like reds and oranges. But then it also has hidden
colors, like green. The most magnificent green you've ever seen. Like, polished
emeralds. Some fire even becomes blue. The blue is also very grand. No one
forgets emerald fire. And no one forgets indigo fire either. But the colors are
very hard to control. I mean, you can add stuff to them, but it isn't real that
way. The natural beauty is rare, and concealed. You know?" Remus asked. Callie
nodded. She knew right away what he was saying. 'Indigo' was becoming the story
of her life. She was the blue fire.
"But
fire is fascinating, however it is." Callie said.
"Yeah,
but if you get to see emerald fire, you are very lucky and will remember it
forever." Remus said.
"I'm
sorry, Remus. I shouldn't have asked you if you were a werewolf. It doesn't
matter anyway, you're still you." Callie said. She left him, gazing into the
flames.
~*~*~
A/N: There you go, another
chapter. Quite long by my standards. I hope you liked the whole fire bit. It's
very metaphorical and you can blame Star*dust and Sierra Charm for that. They
might not know it, but it's all their faults. Anyway, thanks for reading, and
it shall continue!
~SilverPhoenixWings