A/N: This is the chapter where it all starts coming to play because... well, you'll see! Thank you for all your reviews and enjoy!
LET GO
CHAPTER 5:
INSIGHT REARS ITS UGLY HEAD
September days soon slid into October. The leaves were changing into a brilliant assortment of colors and the occasional flock of birds could be seen flying South. Days were getting shorter and in turn, Astronomy lessons were getting longer, to many students' disappointments.
It was now mid-afternoon, Halloween day, and Sheila could be seen running frantically down the hallway. She was headed towards Dumbledore's office for her weekly meeting with him. She quickly glanced at her watch.
"Shit! I'm already late!"
*'I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.'* She thought. Chuckling to herself, she came to an abrupt halt in front of the gargoyle statue.
"Cockroach Cluster!" The gargoyle sprang to life and without waiting for it to fully open, Sheila squeezed passed it and flew up the stairs, running into someone who was going down.
"Oomph." The person fell back.
"Here let me help you." They took her offered hand and she pulled them up. They dusted off their robes and looked at her. "Oh, sorry Harry..."
He mumbled an 'It's okay' and continued his descent. Sheila watched him go then turned and finished going up the stairs. She burst through the office door, out of breath.
"Professor Dumbledore!" She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to stay behind and help one of my students."
Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes catching the candlelight as he gestured towards a seat. She immediately accepted and plopped down in front of his desk, lazily fanning herself with one hand.
"It's quite alright, Miss Williams. You can always spare a few minutes from our meeting if a student is in need." Sheila smiled. "Now, how are you holding up?"
Usually when asked this question, which was every single week, Sheila would say "I'm great, Professor! Everything is going smoothly.", but this week, this day, was different. Sheila frowned.
"Is something wrong, Miss Williams?"
"No. I'm great, Professor. Everything is going smoothly." She said quietly, looking down at her hands.
He stared at her and she could feel his pale blue eyes burning into the top of her head. "I'm under the impression that you are lying to me, Miss Williams."
Sheila grunted. *'That's because I am...'*
"Professor, do you know what day it is?"
"Of course I do. It's Halloween. Lemon drop?" He presented her with a glass bowl full of yellow candy. She shook her head in frustration and looked at him.
"It's not only Halloween, Professor, but the anniversary of my mother's death."
He set the bowl down. "I see." Steepleling his fingers, he leaned back in his chair. "And how does that make you feel?"
Sheila caught a falling tear on her lip and she quickly licked it away. "How do you think it makes me feel?!"
Dumbledore shrugged. "You tell me."
Sheila gaped at him. "I feel... shitty and... confused and... irritated... and on top of all that, I feel very, very..." She paused and wiped her face. "... alone... I feel alone..."
"Why would you feel alone? You have friends now. Talk to them about it. Maybe they will understand."
"No! See that's the thing. I can't talk to them. About any of it. My mom died when I was only a baby! She didn't ask for it. She didn't know. She left my father and I alone. I had to grow up hiding from the one world that, now, I feel like I truly fit-in in! I couldn't go out. I had no friends. The only person I EVER talked to was my father and he's gone now too! I can't talk to anybody! They just won't understand! NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE YET FEELING COMPLETELY ALONE!"
She fell back in her seat, out of breath, putting her head in her hands, and finally let 16 years worth of sobs take over. Dumbledore got up, a look of complete sympathy on his face, and kneeled down in front of her, placing a comforting hand on her knee.
"I understand where you're coming from. It's never easy losing your family, then being thrown into an environment with strangers surrounding you." Sheila hiccupped. "But you must trust me when I say that everything will be alright. I promise."
Sheila looked up, her face was blotchy and red, and gave him a small smile. "You really promise?"
"I do."
She sighed. "Thank you.... But that still doesn't erase the feeling of loneliness..."
"Miss Williams, I fear that you are so blinded by your own utter despair that you fail to see that there is someone who knows EXACTLY what you're going through."
Sheila cocked her head to one side, confused. "Who?"
"Harry." She snorted. "Just talk to him and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better."
"I wish I could, Professor, but I can't."
Now it was Dumbledore's turn to look confused. "Why not?"
Sheila took a deep breath then proceeded to tell him the incident that happened the first day of lessons. When she finished, she looked anywhere but at Dumbledore, a bit embarrassed.
"Hmmm... well, that sure puts an interesting twist on things."
"Tell me about it. And the worse part about it all is that he barely talks to me anymore, only when it comes to teacher-student business. He acts like I killed his puppy or something. I didn't mean to hurt him, I was just telling him how I felt at the time."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "At the time?"
"Huh?"
"You said 'At the time'. Which means what? You feel differently about him now?"
Sheila didn't dare lie to him again and Dumbledore smiled when he saw her give the faintest hint of a nod.
"And how DO you feel now?"
Sheila hesitated. "S-scared..."
He was a little surprised by her answer. "Really? And why is that, Miss Williams?"
"B- because..." She took a deep breath. "Because I feel the same way he feels about me..."
Dumbledore watched as she fiddled with the clasp on her robe's. *'An interesting twist on things indeed...'*
"So, what do you propose you should do about it?"
"About what? I can't very well tell him now. He probably hates me!"
Dumbledore shook his head as he got up and returned to his seat behind his desk. "No. I know he doesn't hate you."
"I ran into him on my way up your stairs. He would barely look at me. If that's not hate, then I don't know what is."
"Miss Williams, did you know that, like yourself, Harry comes in here once a week for a meeting?" Sheila shook her head. "Well, he does and do you know what he talks about the most?" Again, Sheila shook her head. "You, Miss Williams."
Sheila stared at him in disbelief. "He talks about me? What does he say?"
"Oh, the usual. How you're very pretty. What a great teacher you are. How your jokes always make him laugh." He smiled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was smitten with you."
Sheila laughed. "He really said those things about me?"
"Yes, he did. Trust me. Just talk to him. He'll eventually come around. You two could lean on each other. You have both been through similar things. Don't let one little incident ruin a potentially great friendship."
Sheila nodded. "You're right. I'll talk to him." She sighed, the tears already dry on her face. "I feel so embarrassed..."
"Believe me, I've heard worse problems..." He popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is." She sighed. "Why the Hufflepuffs? Couldn't I attend classes with another House?"
Dumbledore laughed. "I knew this would eventually come up. Miss Williams, you know very well that the Hufflepuffs' 6th year class schedule is the only House schedule that is able to work around your teaching schedule."
Sheila grumbled. "Yes, but the Hufflepuffs? Come on, Professor. You know how they are."
Dumbledore held up a hand. " I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to deal with it. There is no other alternative." He clapped his hands together. "Now, unless there is something else you would like to discuss, I suggest you get going. The Halloween feast will be starting soon."
Sheila nodded, giving him a small 'Thank you' and left, closing the old door behind her.
"That poor girl... She really has no idea..."
Sighing, Dumbledore wiped away the crystal tear that managed to escape his pale blue eye and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.
~*~*~
There was only one word you could truly use to describe the Halloween feast and that was delicious. Sheila and Harry still weren't talking, but every once in a while one of them would glance in the other's direction. Sheila's mind was still reeling with what Dumbledore told her and she knew that she had to talk to him soon, no matter what.
"Ugh, I'm so full." Ron said, holding his bulging stomach. Sheila and the Trio were walking, (well actually wobbling) slowly towards the Gryffindor Tower. They finally reached it and stood outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
Hermione stepped forward. "Treacle Pudding."
"No! No more food!" Ron said. He was leaning against the wall, groaning.
The portrait swung open to reveal the entrance to the common room. Hermione and Ron entered, but before Harry could, Sheila stepped in front of him, shutting the portrait closed.
"Umm, Harry, can I talk to you?" She asked, quietly.
He looked at her. After a minute, he shrugged. "Sure. What about?"
"Well, it's about the classroom incident."
"Which one?"
Sheila sighed. "You know which one..."
Harry looked taken aback. "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do."
"Nothing happened, okay?" He grabbed the edge of the portrait, but Sheila slammed it shut again.
"You can't very well pretend that it didn't happen. It did."
He sighed. "Don't you think I know that? Remember, you're the one that walked away from my proposal! You hurt me!" He was starting to get angry. "I really do like you, Sheila, and I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I'll be damned if I'm going to just stand here and listen to you rub it in some more!" He made a grab for the portrait again, but she slapped his hand away.
"Oh my Merlin! Would you just listen to me?" She took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I hurt you. At the time, yes, I was confused and scared. But after thinking about it, a lot, I realize that now I'm just scared."
"Why would you be scared of me?"
Sheila shook her head. "It's not you, I swear. When you told me how you felt, I was just completely overwhelmed. But I'm not scared of you... I'm afraid because I've never felt this way before..."
Now, Harry was curious. "And how DO you feel?"
*'Oh Merlin, this is it...'* Sheila took a deep breath and looked at him. "I feel-"
Suddenly the portrait swung violently open, hitting Harry in the face. Out stumbled Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, Butter Beer wafting from their robes.
"TRICK OR TREAT?!" They yelled then took off running down the hall.
Sheila monitored their drunken stupor, then turned back to the portrait. It was shut and Harry was nowhere to be seen.
~*~*~
Sheila opened the door to her bedroom and saw Hermione pulling her school bag onto her shoulder.
"Going somewhere?" Sheila asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yup, the library. I have a Potions essay due next week and I need a couple of more inches before it's complete." She picked up a quill and stuffed it into her bag. "Do you wanna come?"
Sheila shrugged. "Sure. I have nothing better to do."
Hermione stopped what she was doing and looked at her. "Why the long face?" Sheila shook her head. "Oh, this is about Harry again, isn't it?" Sheila nodded. "Don't worry about it. He's an outstanding person. He'll eventually come around."
"I hope you're right, Hermione." Quickly grabbing her own school bag and picking up a napping Sebastian from her bed, she followed Hermione down the stairs and into the common room.
She didn't see Harry, but had a feeling he was in here somewhere. She heard someone yell 'Checkmate!' and was completely unaware of the green eyes that followed her as she stepped out the portrait hole.
~*~*~
"Hermione, come on. It's really late."
Sheila was lounging in a huge, over-stuffed armchair in a corner of the library, her brown eyes peering up from the book in her lap, watching the girl pull another book down from a nearby shelf. Sebastian sat on the armrest beside her, his pink tongue sporadically flicking out and licking his tiny, blonde paw.
"It is not." Hermione said, grunting as she finally pulled the book, 'A Seer's Guide to Prophecies', free. "Besides, the sun's still out." She pointed to a window.
"What? No way." Sheila closed the book, setting it on the chair and got up to peer out the tall, Victorian window. She huffed. "Hermione, come here." She said in her sweetest voice.
"What?"
"You see that big circle thing in the sky." Hermione nodded. "Yeah, that's not the sun."
"It's not?"
"No! Hermione, that's the moon!"
Hermione shrugged, still holding the book she acquired in her hands, and sat, cross-legged on the floor. "Same difference. Besides, there's nothing wrong with wanting to learn more about the wizarding world, Sheila."
Sheila turned away from the window, rolling her eyes. "I totally agree, but you finished your essay 2 hours ago and Madam Pince just left. You can expand your mind at school." Hermione looked at her curiously. "You know... That huge building that's attached to this library..." Sheila stealthily grabbed the book from Hermione's hand, causing a noise of protest to escape from her friend's mouth.
"Hey! Give that back!"
"No." Sheila snapped her fingers, the book shrinking in her hand, and stuck it in her pocket.
"Fine! Be that way." Hermione walked over to the chair Sheila was previously sitting on and grabbed the book lying there. "I want to learn and learn is what I shall do!"
"Ugh! Hermione quit being stubborn." Sheila looked at her watch. "It's now 10:35. I think we should get to bed." She saw Hermione shake her head. She walked over to where Hermione was sitting and scratched Sebastian's head. "Look, I know you want to learn, but you can do that all day tomorrow... It's a Saturday. So, come on. A proper night's sleep is what you need." Hermione looked up.
"But I'm not tired..." She whined, making Sheila grin.
"Oh yeah. Then why are you reading the book upside down?"
Hermione looked at the book and started laughing. "Maybe you're right." She closed the book. "Sleep does sound like a good idea."
They picked up their school supplies, along with Sebastian, and left the library.
~*~*~
*(A/N: Everything in caps is the dream because italics don't show up for some reason on my account... everything else is the reality.)*
Sheila slept, occasionally, tossing and turning in her four-poster bed. Her gold and red sheets were snaking around her inert form as if holding her back, or protecting her from something. The heavy, crimson drapes enveloped the bed, stifling the quick, short breaths of its sleeper. Through a crack in the curtains, the moon snuck in, its pale, yellow light glistening on the sweat of her brow.
Sheila turned towards the window, the moonlight now falling directly over her closed eyes, casting the rest of her face into exiled shadows. The only sounds that could be heard in the vast Prefect room were her whimpers and Hermione's soft snoring from across the room.
"YOU HAVE TO LET GO OR ELSE WE BOTH DIE!"
"I CAN'T!"
Sheila's right hand shot up in the air, the other firmly gripping the sheets beneath her. She let out a choked sob.
"YES! YES, YOU CAN!"
"NO! I CAN'T! I WON'T LOSE YOU AT THE HANDS OF THAT BASTARD!"
"BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SOONER OR LATER!" THE BOY WAS CRYING, HIS TEARS FALLING ONTO HER FACE BELOW. HE SHOOK HIS HEAD IN A VIGOROUS MOTION, HIS SILENT ANSWER CAUSING FURY TO BUBBLE INSIDE HER.
"DAMN IT! DO IT NOW!"
Sheila was unconsciously moving her lips, silently saying the words in synchronization to that of the girl in the dream. Her face was twisted in anger, her right hands' fingers moving over something invisible.
A LOW GROWL SIGNALED THE ARRIVAL OF THE THING THEY WERE DREADING.
"HE'S HERE!" PANIC WAS RISING IN HER VOICE. "YOU MUST LET GO! HURRY!"
"NO! IT'S TOO SOON! FUCK! THIS WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN!"
"JUST COMPLY! QUIT BEING STUBBORN AND DO IT! JUST LET GO!"
SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM, TEARS ROLLING DOWN HER FACE. HE NODDED HIS HEAD, EYES CLOSED, BREATHING SHALLOW, AND AFTER ONE MORE BRIEF HESITATION, RELEASED HIS GRIP HE HAD ON HER WRIST.
Sheila's right arm fell back to the bed with a small *Thud*.
THE BOY OPENED HIS EYES, WATCHING HER FALL AWAY FROM HIM.
'50 FEET.' HE THOUGHT.
AWAY FROM HER FRIENDS.
'40 FEET.'
HER HOME.
'30 FEET.'
HER LIFE.
'20 FEET.'
BUT MOST OF ALL, FROM HER LOVE.
'10 FEET.'
"I LOVE YOU..." HE WHISPERED TO HER BELOW.
'0 FEET.' HE CLOSED HIS EYES, THEN ALL WENT TO BLACK.
~*~*~
Sheila woke up screaming. She tried to take a deep breath, but found that she wasn't breathing at all.
*'Oh shit... I'm dead...'*
Her vision was blurred and her eyes were stinging. There was a slight pressure on her head and she couldn't hear anything except her own heartbeat.
*'No, not dead... Underwater...'*
She looked up and could see the pale moonlight streaming through the opaque water. Swiftly, yet cautiously, she swam to the top, her head finally breaking the surface. She took in several deep breaths, then looked around her.
"The lake outside the school." She said, causing some water to enter her mouth. She gagged, spitting out the dirty water.
She groaned, her muscles aching, as she swam to shore. She got out of the water, her night clothes weighing her down a bit. She looked down.
"And of course it has to be cold outside..." Although no one was around to see, she still crossed her arms over her chest.
She stood there for a moment and eventually her mind wandered back to the dream. She remembered it so vividly, like it was taking place right in front of her. The expression on that boy's face when he had to let her go. And then her face... it was heart-wrenching... They looked so much in love and Sheila was subconsciously reminded that she was alone.
"What does it mean?" Sheila let out a small sob. "Why do I keep having this dream?" She gritted her teeth in anger. "WHY DO YOU KEEP HAUNTING ME?!"
Her yells of fury seemed to echo back to her, yet not one of those "voices" replied with an answer. She finally just gave up, the emotional river that pushed against her broke through and she fell to her knees, her body wracking with sobs.
"Sheila?"
She stopped crying suddenly and hastily wiped her face. Looking up at the person, she jumped in surprise.
"Hello..." She said quietly.
A/N: Another cliffhanger! Do you hate me or do you hate me? *grin* The next chapter will correspond with this one. Sheila's had this dream before, huh? What does it mean? And what does Dumbledore know? Hmm, an interesting twist on things indeed... Hope you enjoyed and review please!
LET GO
CHAPTER 5:
INSIGHT REARS ITS UGLY HEAD
September days soon slid into October. The leaves were changing into a brilliant assortment of colors and the occasional flock of birds could be seen flying South. Days were getting shorter and in turn, Astronomy lessons were getting longer, to many students' disappointments.
It was now mid-afternoon, Halloween day, and Sheila could be seen running frantically down the hallway. She was headed towards Dumbledore's office for her weekly meeting with him. She quickly glanced at her watch.
"Shit! I'm already late!"
*'I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.'* She thought. Chuckling to herself, she came to an abrupt halt in front of the gargoyle statue.
"Cockroach Cluster!" The gargoyle sprang to life and without waiting for it to fully open, Sheila squeezed passed it and flew up the stairs, running into someone who was going down.
"Oomph." The person fell back.
"Here let me help you." They took her offered hand and she pulled them up. They dusted off their robes and looked at her. "Oh, sorry Harry..."
He mumbled an 'It's okay' and continued his descent. Sheila watched him go then turned and finished going up the stairs. She burst through the office door, out of breath.
"Professor Dumbledore!" She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to stay behind and help one of my students."
Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes catching the candlelight as he gestured towards a seat. She immediately accepted and plopped down in front of his desk, lazily fanning herself with one hand.
"It's quite alright, Miss Williams. You can always spare a few minutes from our meeting if a student is in need." Sheila smiled. "Now, how are you holding up?"
Usually when asked this question, which was every single week, Sheila would say "I'm great, Professor! Everything is going smoothly.", but this week, this day, was different. Sheila frowned.
"Is something wrong, Miss Williams?"
"No. I'm great, Professor. Everything is going smoothly." She said quietly, looking down at her hands.
He stared at her and she could feel his pale blue eyes burning into the top of her head. "I'm under the impression that you are lying to me, Miss Williams."
Sheila grunted. *'That's because I am...'*
"Professor, do you know what day it is?"
"Of course I do. It's Halloween. Lemon drop?" He presented her with a glass bowl full of yellow candy. She shook her head in frustration and looked at him.
"It's not only Halloween, Professor, but the anniversary of my mother's death."
He set the bowl down. "I see." Steepleling his fingers, he leaned back in his chair. "And how does that make you feel?"
Sheila caught a falling tear on her lip and she quickly licked it away. "How do you think it makes me feel?!"
Dumbledore shrugged. "You tell me."
Sheila gaped at him. "I feel... shitty and... confused and... irritated... and on top of all that, I feel very, very..." She paused and wiped her face. "... alone... I feel alone..."
"Why would you feel alone? You have friends now. Talk to them about it. Maybe they will understand."
"No! See that's the thing. I can't talk to them. About any of it. My mom died when I was only a baby! She didn't ask for it. She didn't know. She left my father and I alone. I had to grow up hiding from the one world that, now, I feel like I truly fit-in in! I couldn't go out. I had no friends. The only person I EVER talked to was my father and he's gone now too! I can't talk to anybody! They just won't understand! NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE YET FEELING COMPLETELY ALONE!"
She fell back in her seat, out of breath, putting her head in her hands, and finally let 16 years worth of sobs take over. Dumbledore got up, a look of complete sympathy on his face, and kneeled down in front of her, placing a comforting hand on her knee.
"I understand where you're coming from. It's never easy losing your family, then being thrown into an environment with strangers surrounding you." Sheila hiccupped. "But you must trust me when I say that everything will be alright. I promise."
Sheila looked up, her face was blotchy and red, and gave him a small smile. "You really promise?"
"I do."
She sighed. "Thank you.... But that still doesn't erase the feeling of loneliness..."
"Miss Williams, I fear that you are so blinded by your own utter despair that you fail to see that there is someone who knows EXACTLY what you're going through."
Sheila cocked her head to one side, confused. "Who?"
"Harry." She snorted. "Just talk to him and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better."
"I wish I could, Professor, but I can't."
Now it was Dumbledore's turn to look confused. "Why not?"
Sheila took a deep breath then proceeded to tell him the incident that happened the first day of lessons. When she finished, she looked anywhere but at Dumbledore, a bit embarrassed.
"Hmmm... well, that sure puts an interesting twist on things."
"Tell me about it. And the worse part about it all is that he barely talks to me anymore, only when it comes to teacher-student business. He acts like I killed his puppy or something. I didn't mean to hurt him, I was just telling him how I felt at the time."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "At the time?"
"Huh?"
"You said 'At the time'. Which means what? You feel differently about him now?"
Sheila didn't dare lie to him again and Dumbledore smiled when he saw her give the faintest hint of a nod.
"And how DO you feel now?"
Sheila hesitated. "S-scared..."
He was a little surprised by her answer. "Really? And why is that, Miss Williams?"
"B- because..." She took a deep breath. "Because I feel the same way he feels about me..."
Dumbledore watched as she fiddled with the clasp on her robe's. *'An interesting twist on things indeed...'*
"So, what do you propose you should do about it?"
"About what? I can't very well tell him now. He probably hates me!"
Dumbledore shook his head as he got up and returned to his seat behind his desk. "No. I know he doesn't hate you."
"I ran into him on my way up your stairs. He would barely look at me. If that's not hate, then I don't know what is."
"Miss Williams, did you know that, like yourself, Harry comes in here once a week for a meeting?" Sheila shook her head. "Well, he does and do you know what he talks about the most?" Again, Sheila shook her head. "You, Miss Williams."
Sheila stared at him in disbelief. "He talks about me? What does he say?"
"Oh, the usual. How you're very pretty. What a great teacher you are. How your jokes always make him laugh." He smiled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was smitten with you."
Sheila laughed. "He really said those things about me?"
"Yes, he did. Trust me. Just talk to him. He'll eventually come around. You two could lean on each other. You have both been through similar things. Don't let one little incident ruin a potentially great friendship."
Sheila nodded. "You're right. I'll talk to him." She sighed, the tears already dry on her face. "I feel so embarrassed..."
"Believe me, I've heard worse problems..." He popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is." She sighed. "Why the Hufflepuffs? Couldn't I attend classes with another House?"
Dumbledore laughed. "I knew this would eventually come up. Miss Williams, you know very well that the Hufflepuffs' 6th year class schedule is the only House schedule that is able to work around your teaching schedule."
Sheila grumbled. "Yes, but the Hufflepuffs? Come on, Professor. You know how they are."
Dumbledore held up a hand. " I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to deal with it. There is no other alternative." He clapped his hands together. "Now, unless there is something else you would like to discuss, I suggest you get going. The Halloween feast will be starting soon."
Sheila nodded, giving him a small 'Thank you' and left, closing the old door behind her.
"That poor girl... She really has no idea..."
Sighing, Dumbledore wiped away the crystal tear that managed to escape his pale blue eye and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.
~*~*~
There was only one word you could truly use to describe the Halloween feast and that was delicious. Sheila and Harry still weren't talking, but every once in a while one of them would glance in the other's direction. Sheila's mind was still reeling with what Dumbledore told her and she knew that she had to talk to him soon, no matter what.
"Ugh, I'm so full." Ron said, holding his bulging stomach. Sheila and the Trio were walking, (well actually wobbling) slowly towards the Gryffindor Tower. They finally reached it and stood outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
Hermione stepped forward. "Treacle Pudding."
"No! No more food!" Ron said. He was leaning against the wall, groaning.
The portrait swung open to reveal the entrance to the common room. Hermione and Ron entered, but before Harry could, Sheila stepped in front of him, shutting the portrait closed.
"Umm, Harry, can I talk to you?" She asked, quietly.
He looked at her. After a minute, he shrugged. "Sure. What about?"
"Well, it's about the classroom incident."
"Which one?"
Sheila sighed. "You know which one..."
Harry looked taken aback. "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do."
"Nothing happened, okay?" He grabbed the edge of the portrait, but Sheila slammed it shut again.
"You can't very well pretend that it didn't happen. It did."
He sighed. "Don't you think I know that? Remember, you're the one that walked away from my proposal! You hurt me!" He was starting to get angry. "I really do like you, Sheila, and I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I'll be damned if I'm going to just stand here and listen to you rub it in some more!" He made a grab for the portrait again, but she slapped his hand away.
"Oh my Merlin! Would you just listen to me?" She took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I hurt you. At the time, yes, I was confused and scared. But after thinking about it, a lot, I realize that now I'm just scared."
"Why would you be scared of me?"
Sheila shook her head. "It's not you, I swear. When you told me how you felt, I was just completely overwhelmed. But I'm not scared of you... I'm afraid because I've never felt this way before..."
Now, Harry was curious. "And how DO you feel?"
*'Oh Merlin, this is it...'* Sheila took a deep breath and looked at him. "I feel-"
Suddenly the portrait swung violently open, hitting Harry in the face. Out stumbled Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, Butter Beer wafting from their robes.
"TRICK OR TREAT?!" They yelled then took off running down the hall.
Sheila monitored their drunken stupor, then turned back to the portrait. It was shut and Harry was nowhere to be seen.
~*~*~
Sheila opened the door to her bedroom and saw Hermione pulling her school bag onto her shoulder.
"Going somewhere?" Sheila asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yup, the library. I have a Potions essay due next week and I need a couple of more inches before it's complete." She picked up a quill and stuffed it into her bag. "Do you wanna come?"
Sheila shrugged. "Sure. I have nothing better to do."
Hermione stopped what she was doing and looked at her. "Why the long face?" Sheila shook her head. "Oh, this is about Harry again, isn't it?" Sheila nodded. "Don't worry about it. He's an outstanding person. He'll eventually come around."
"I hope you're right, Hermione." Quickly grabbing her own school bag and picking up a napping Sebastian from her bed, she followed Hermione down the stairs and into the common room.
She didn't see Harry, but had a feeling he was in here somewhere. She heard someone yell 'Checkmate!' and was completely unaware of the green eyes that followed her as she stepped out the portrait hole.
~*~*~
"Hermione, come on. It's really late."
Sheila was lounging in a huge, over-stuffed armchair in a corner of the library, her brown eyes peering up from the book in her lap, watching the girl pull another book down from a nearby shelf. Sebastian sat on the armrest beside her, his pink tongue sporadically flicking out and licking his tiny, blonde paw.
"It is not." Hermione said, grunting as she finally pulled the book, 'A Seer's Guide to Prophecies', free. "Besides, the sun's still out." She pointed to a window.
"What? No way." Sheila closed the book, setting it on the chair and got up to peer out the tall, Victorian window. She huffed. "Hermione, come here." She said in her sweetest voice.
"What?"
"You see that big circle thing in the sky." Hermione nodded. "Yeah, that's not the sun."
"It's not?"
"No! Hermione, that's the moon!"
Hermione shrugged, still holding the book she acquired in her hands, and sat, cross-legged on the floor. "Same difference. Besides, there's nothing wrong with wanting to learn more about the wizarding world, Sheila."
Sheila turned away from the window, rolling her eyes. "I totally agree, but you finished your essay 2 hours ago and Madam Pince just left. You can expand your mind at school." Hermione looked at her curiously. "You know... That huge building that's attached to this library..." Sheila stealthily grabbed the book from Hermione's hand, causing a noise of protest to escape from her friend's mouth.
"Hey! Give that back!"
"No." Sheila snapped her fingers, the book shrinking in her hand, and stuck it in her pocket.
"Fine! Be that way." Hermione walked over to the chair Sheila was previously sitting on and grabbed the book lying there. "I want to learn and learn is what I shall do!"
"Ugh! Hermione quit being stubborn." Sheila looked at her watch. "It's now 10:35. I think we should get to bed." She saw Hermione shake her head. She walked over to where Hermione was sitting and scratched Sebastian's head. "Look, I know you want to learn, but you can do that all day tomorrow... It's a Saturday. So, come on. A proper night's sleep is what you need." Hermione looked up.
"But I'm not tired..." She whined, making Sheila grin.
"Oh yeah. Then why are you reading the book upside down?"
Hermione looked at the book and started laughing. "Maybe you're right." She closed the book. "Sleep does sound like a good idea."
They picked up their school supplies, along with Sebastian, and left the library.
~*~*~
*(A/N: Everything in caps is the dream because italics don't show up for some reason on my account... everything else is the reality.)*
Sheila slept, occasionally, tossing and turning in her four-poster bed. Her gold and red sheets were snaking around her inert form as if holding her back, or protecting her from something. The heavy, crimson drapes enveloped the bed, stifling the quick, short breaths of its sleeper. Through a crack in the curtains, the moon snuck in, its pale, yellow light glistening on the sweat of her brow.
Sheila turned towards the window, the moonlight now falling directly over her closed eyes, casting the rest of her face into exiled shadows. The only sounds that could be heard in the vast Prefect room were her whimpers and Hermione's soft snoring from across the room.
"YOU HAVE TO LET GO OR ELSE WE BOTH DIE!"
"I CAN'T!"
Sheila's right hand shot up in the air, the other firmly gripping the sheets beneath her. She let out a choked sob.
"YES! YES, YOU CAN!"
"NO! I CAN'T! I WON'T LOSE YOU AT THE HANDS OF THAT BASTARD!"
"BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SOONER OR LATER!" THE BOY WAS CRYING, HIS TEARS FALLING ONTO HER FACE BELOW. HE SHOOK HIS HEAD IN A VIGOROUS MOTION, HIS SILENT ANSWER CAUSING FURY TO BUBBLE INSIDE HER.
"DAMN IT! DO IT NOW!"
Sheila was unconsciously moving her lips, silently saying the words in synchronization to that of the girl in the dream. Her face was twisted in anger, her right hands' fingers moving over something invisible.
A LOW GROWL SIGNALED THE ARRIVAL OF THE THING THEY WERE DREADING.
"HE'S HERE!" PANIC WAS RISING IN HER VOICE. "YOU MUST LET GO! HURRY!"
"NO! IT'S TOO SOON! FUCK! THIS WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN!"
"JUST COMPLY! QUIT BEING STUBBORN AND DO IT! JUST LET GO!"
SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM, TEARS ROLLING DOWN HER FACE. HE NODDED HIS HEAD, EYES CLOSED, BREATHING SHALLOW, AND AFTER ONE MORE BRIEF HESITATION, RELEASED HIS GRIP HE HAD ON HER WRIST.
Sheila's right arm fell back to the bed with a small *Thud*.
THE BOY OPENED HIS EYES, WATCHING HER FALL AWAY FROM HIM.
'50 FEET.' HE THOUGHT.
AWAY FROM HER FRIENDS.
'40 FEET.'
HER HOME.
'30 FEET.'
HER LIFE.
'20 FEET.'
BUT MOST OF ALL, FROM HER LOVE.
'10 FEET.'
"I LOVE YOU..." HE WHISPERED TO HER BELOW.
'0 FEET.' HE CLOSED HIS EYES, THEN ALL WENT TO BLACK.
~*~*~
Sheila woke up screaming. She tried to take a deep breath, but found that she wasn't breathing at all.
*'Oh shit... I'm dead...'*
Her vision was blurred and her eyes were stinging. There was a slight pressure on her head and she couldn't hear anything except her own heartbeat.
*'No, not dead... Underwater...'*
She looked up and could see the pale moonlight streaming through the opaque water. Swiftly, yet cautiously, she swam to the top, her head finally breaking the surface. She took in several deep breaths, then looked around her.
"The lake outside the school." She said, causing some water to enter her mouth. She gagged, spitting out the dirty water.
She groaned, her muscles aching, as she swam to shore. She got out of the water, her night clothes weighing her down a bit. She looked down.
"And of course it has to be cold outside..." Although no one was around to see, she still crossed her arms over her chest.
She stood there for a moment and eventually her mind wandered back to the dream. She remembered it so vividly, like it was taking place right in front of her. The expression on that boy's face when he had to let her go. And then her face... it was heart-wrenching... They looked so much in love and Sheila was subconsciously reminded that she was alone.
"What does it mean?" Sheila let out a small sob. "Why do I keep having this dream?" She gritted her teeth in anger. "WHY DO YOU KEEP HAUNTING ME?!"
Her yells of fury seemed to echo back to her, yet not one of those "voices" replied with an answer. She finally just gave up, the emotional river that pushed against her broke through and she fell to her knees, her body wracking with sobs.
"Sheila?"
She stopped crying suddenly and hastily wiped her face. Looking up at the person, she jumped in surprise.
"Hello..." She said quietly.
A/N: Another cliffhanger! Do you hate me or do you hate me? *grin* The next chapter will correspond with this one. Sheila's had this dream before, huh? What does it mean? And what does Dumbledore know? Hmm, an interesting twist on things indeed... Hope you enjoyed and review please!