2. Dog
Summary: Sirius, James, and Remus are all bitten by a Kamora, a dangerous beast that steals the sanity of whoever it bites. They are treated by Mikalan, a psychic witch who can only save them if they never fall in love. So what happens when James begins to break the rules...? AU
I lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. What a day. It's still storming outside, and random lightning flashes illumminate my ceiling, the new ceiling I have to get used to. It's not what I'm used to, but still nice--dark paneled, like my house, but the candle by my bedside gives it some warmth my house never had.
I sigh and roll over to stare at the floor. What a change. I hardly ever sleep in a room alone---when I was at home, I shared with Regulus, at James's house, with James, and when I was at Hogwarts, with Remus, Peter, and James. Peter, lucky idiot, got away faster. It didn't see him, being as small as he was, but it couldn't miss a dog, a wolf, and a stag.
I close my eyes briefly and the image of blood flashes before my eyes, which pop open almost immediatelly. Such a small creature it was, so deceptive, so innocent looking...so bloodthirsty. And now I'm here. Changes. "A Little Change Will Do You Good," but a huge one will rock your foundations.
It still doesn't seem real, not yet. I stare at my new room, the wood-paneled walls, door barely cracked to reveal the blackness of the hall, my odd little window which seems to harbor shadows, shadows that still remind me of that thing. I shiver and close my eyes, then open them and stare at the candle. It's so small in here. I'm not claustrophobic, but I think it's some kind of metaphorical thing--my paradigm can't shift fast enough, but things are shrinking. My room, my life, my opportunities, my possibilities.
I'm going to be crippled for the rest of my life. It's funny, I never thought about being handicapped or even having an 'affliction' like Remus, and now I suddenly find myself sympathasing with him. He could never really be himself, never tell anyone because they would fear him and not accept him. I frown at the ceiling--it's not right, what they do to him, trying to shun him like they do. I never thought about it...but now I have to. Because they'll do the same thing to me.
Never fall in love. Well, that's easy to lay out in rules and regulations, isn't it? I don't know what I'll do. I've never fallen in love, and I don't think I'll ever fall in love...well now I hope I never will fall in love. But what will they do? What will they tell the students up at the school? What about the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak? Will I ever get to play pranks again?
The candle flickers fitfully, and for a moment it burns down to a red spark on the wick. Slowly, I blow on it softly and the flame sparks back up, burning brightly as it did before. The orange wax drips slowly down the side as lightning thunders outside, and I feel a tear trickle down my face.
I watch the candle burn down into a melted pool of wax on the table before sleep finally comes.
Notes: No, Peter is not getting left out of this story. If I ever continue it, which I might (though the prologue is rather corny when I read back through it), Peter will have a very important part in breaking the curse. NOT SLASH, NOT SLASH, NOT SLASH. Do I have to type that out again? Sirius is feeling sorry for his friend, that's all. This is a reflection chapter, sorry so short, mostly to set up the mood and paradigm for later chapters. I love that word. But anyway, next chapter is Wolf, from Remus, and in chapter 5 things start happening. Don't know how many chapters they'll be, though I'm guessing somewhere around the seven mark. Thanks for everyone who read even when I had given up, love ya.
Disclaimer: I don't own James, Lily, Remus, or Sirius. I own Mikalan, the Kamora, and Athena McGonagall.