Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Thanks to Ginnifir, who has always been there for me and for her mom, who is like a second mother and who even got over her H P weariness to read this story. This one is for you two.
There is some reference to the Christian faith in my story, most especially in this chapter. I just wanted to let everyone know. I'm not trying to convert anyone, nor do I look down upon other religions. Christianity is simply FARREN'S faith. Also, in chapter one I mentioned a Faith Hill CD. However, the CD in question didn't come out until 1993. Please, just pretend it was out earlier, because I can think of no way to rectify my mistake otherwise. One last thing; There is this huge conversation between Remus and Farren that some would call flirting and some would call nonsense. If you don't want to read it, fine, but I (as in me), think it's rather interesting and will make you (as in you) laugh.
Chapter 3
A Surprising Occurrence
When Mrs. Smith got home that evening, Farren was still doing her homework. Though she heard Mrs. Smith arrive, she neither went to greet her nor did she pause in her typing. She knew Spencer was standing just beyond her door to the bathroom that adjoined the two's rooms and she did not want him thinking she was going to listen to his furious tirade against the Marauders. She wanted to know, of course, where the Marauders lived and who had adopted the spirited teenagers, but she could not risk Spencer's wrath, not because she was particularly frightened of him, but more because she was afraid of the monstrous demon that seemed to overcome her when she dealt with people who she found mean and insolent. She rather liked it in Collins, though she could easily assure herself it wasn't because of the Smith family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were nice, yes, but too formal, and Spencer was like a boy who was channeling the spirit of a monster. But in Collins, she had friends, which she found she often lacked, and the older Smiths were trying to make her feel welcome, and the Collins school still held an air of familiarity that was a mystery she was desperate to solve.
She no longer had to worry about how she was going to learn about where the boys lived, however, because Mrs. Smith took care of that herself. She knocked on the door curtly, announcing her presence, and at Farren's approval, came in and sat herself down on the bed.
"Farren, dear, have you finished your homework?" She asked kindly.
"Just did," Farren answered, but in truth, she had been done for quite a while and had instead been typing up the next chapter on her story. Mrs. Smith nodded and looked around the room.
"Farren, would you like me to help you unpack?" She said, looking slightly disappointed at the impersonalized room. Farren nodded and pulled her trunk towards the middle of the room, remembering doing much the same thing with Anya just a little over a week before. She undid the latches, and then the locks, and then pulled open the lid. Mrs. Smith gasped.
Farren looked up, surprised, but Mrs. Smith was not focused on her and was instead looking into the depths of her trunk.
"Farren! Do you know what that is?" She questioned excitably, pointing to her jewelry box.
"A box that holds jewelry," Farren said slowly, not understanding the woman's frightening euphoria.
"Well, yes, of course, but that is a Maolseachlann creation, they haven't been in the making for…oh at least 50 years. It's incredible. Looks like it's in quite good condition, still new looking, and so polished! How long have you had this? What's in it? They were never made anywhere other than Ireland, nor did they ship them out, so how did you get one?" She was so excited her words were barely legible, but Farren did understand that some part of her puzzle was solved. Her grandparents had come from Ireland. At least, one pair did.
"I've always had it…always. My great grandparents were, perhaps…from Ireland?" She hadn't meant to end it as a question, but the yearning she felt for it to be true was so intense that she could actually feel the weight of it, pushing at her mind. Mrs. Smith's excitement seemed to drain out of her at these words, and she was instead filled with undeniable sympathy.
"Oh, you poor dear," she said, pulling Farren close to her in an awkward hug. "Not even knowing where your grandparents are from, at least, not for certain." She looked at her with tears actually prominent in her eyes.
"It's all right, Mrs. Smith. It's all right!" She said louder when Mrs. Smith's tears spilled onto her cheeks. She nodded and wiped her eyes, muttering something about brave souls. Farren ignored that and pulled out the jewelry box, placing it on the end table with the mirror. Then she pulled out her meager supply of clothes and, with Mrs. Smith's help, put them in the closet and dresser. Mrs. Smith nearly collapsed when she saw how little of the closet Farren's clothes took up. Farren laughed.
"We'll have to get you more clothes, what you have just won't do!" She exclaimed, leaving Farren to hope she wasn't serious. "And new shoes!" She added excitably, and Farren knew that she fully intended to take her shopping. She reached into the trunk to pull out the next thing, which just happened to be her mother and father's senior pictures. Her face softened.
"Oh, Farren." She said, looking at the picture gently, her eyes not misting with tears, but leaking with sadness all the same. "You mother was beautiful. And your father! He is very handsome. You know, I think they wanted to keep you. They just knew it wouldn't be best."
"I know. They love me…they wanted what was best for me." Mrs. Smith gathered her in her arms again, but this time, Farren fell into them willingly. It was rough, she thought, to be suffering so young. But, she supposed, it could have been worse. She could have been dying on top of it all.
Mrs. Smith pulled away and wiped her eyes, handing Farren the photograph, which she placed on the desk. She glanced into the trunk, seeing her C.D., the football helmet, and her books. Mrs. Smith was holding the wand box, looking tentative. Farren laughed.
"It's not a real wand. I'm not a witch or something like that. I like fantasy books, and I especially like Harry Potter. I got it from the Internet. Anya and I-" She stopped, the Anya-sickness drowning her in its cold shivery grasp. "Anya and I play Harry Potter a lot. And I read her the books every day, after I read a passage from the bible and before we pray." Mrs. Smith nodded. Then she asked about Anya.
Farren began to tell her all about Anya. First she explained the fire, and then she explained Anya's reaction to it. She traveled on with her story, telling her of how the two had become friends. She told her about their daily activities and how much fun they had together. And when she was done, the trunk was empty and the room held all her belongings.
"So…Farren. Do you like those boys?" Mrs. Smith questioned slyly, sitting down on the bed while Farren gathered up her stuff for school the next day.
"They are very good friends." She said stiffly. First Sirius, now Mrs. Smith!
"I liked that Remus boy, he seemed to be quite the gentleman. Not that they all weren't, of course!" She added hastily. Farren rolled her eyes, but at the same time felt a twinge in her stomach.
"Yes, Remus is very nice. I like him better than the others, I suppose." She said, oblivious to Mrs. Smith's delighted look.
"They were talking about you in the car, Farren dear." Mrs. Smith said as Farren faced her and sat on the edge of the desk.
"Mrs. Smith-" Farren started, but Mrs. Smith interrupted her.
"Call me Martha, dear!"
"Um, well, Mr- Martha, we are just friends. Perhaps they were talking about me because they'd just been with me?" She said, arranging it as a question so as to not to offend MARTHA.
"Possibly, dear. Well, they seemed to be talking about you very pointedly to Remus specifically."
"Really?" Farren asked, before realizing how she sounded and sighing greatly. Let Martha think what she wanted to think.
"The oddest thing happened though. I was driving over to their house, its only five streets over in the mansions by the wood, you know, Woody Hollow? Anyway, just as I was driving down the driveway, the car stopped. They walked the rest of the way their selves, but it made me nervous, because their house was at the end of the road, was set behind a bunch of trees. Car just wouldn't go any further. Odd, huh? Oh well." Martha said happily. Then she said goodnight to Farren, hugging her lightly, and left closing the door and going to Spencer's room. Farren smiled and got ready for bed.
Farren found it weird that the car wouldn't go any further and something told her that she should know the reason, but she couldn't quite clasp the idea. She changed into her pajamas, washed her face and brushed her teeth, and then grabbed her bible. After reading a few passages, she got down on her knees, thinking of Anya, and prayed.
"Dear lord, guide me in this new place. Help Anya back at home, doing whatever she is, and help me to the right thing. Thank you for my new friends, they're what I've always wanted." She paused and remembered how she had wondered if God was testing the strength of her faith before she had come here. "I'm sorry that my faith wavered and that I started to not believe when my world came crashing in. Anya was right. I'm here to do something, perhaps to make friends, and she's there to trust you, even when I'm not around." She paused, wondering what else to say. Unbidden, a picture of Remus's face when she had been quoting the movie came into her mind. She sighed. She could lie to Mrs. Smith, and Sirius, and even herself, but she knew she could not lie to her God. "And if I am falling for Remus, let me go slowly. Let me be sensible, and know the difference between a crush and love. Guide me to help them in their problems, and guide me to love in friendship or not, because you know what is best. Bless them wherever they are. Amen." She then climbed into bed and fell asleep with her mother's CD still playing in the background.
That night, Farren slept hard, but not dreamlessly. Though many of the dreams were harmless and happy, one stuck in her mind particularly the next morning, for she had it many times during the night, each time waking to dwell on the eyes…those eyes.
In the dream, Farren was standing on a large square ledge that attached to nothing and instead simply floated in the air. Slightly below it, she could see another ledge and miles below that was the final ledge that had a pacing animal on it. She would turn from the edge she was surveying and see Spencer, who would advance on her, laughing shrilly, and she would stumble backwards. Each time, she would trip over the edge with a small shriek and fall into Randy L'Keith's waiting arms. But he would stare at her in disgust and ask, "He's your brother? And he still fancies you? Gross!" And she would protest that he was her adopted brother, but Randy wouldn't listen and he would force her from him, tipping her over the side of the ledge. The scream that followed was long and loud because of how far she fell, but she landed with a flump right in the lair of the animal she had seen from above. It was sleeping and she fell so that her head landed on its side and her body stretched out next to it. She would test her limbs, thank God that the animal wasn't eating her and then… the animal would awake.
It would look up but not move. It's head would twist slowly around to see her and she would shout in terror because the wolf she was laying seemed to be no ordinary wolf, though she couldn't have told you why he was different. His snout was shorter than most and snarling, the tongue that rolled from the mouth was off color, his nose twitched, and his feet underneath her moved nastily. But his eyes were the most frightening of all because they looked human, deep blue and familiar, but the also looked like they didn't want to attack her but the wolf was anyway, and she would scream and scream at this thing that seemed to be attacking her unwillingly and she would stare in the eyes and scream louder. They seemed so familiar. And then the wolf would start to change. It would stop struggling and lie still panting, and the fur lessened and the body stretched and then she would turn to look and scream…but wake up before she could register what she was seeing.
Many times this happened through the night and Farren was often sure she saw the eyes floating above her in the darkness. Once when it happened, she was hit with a sudden realization of… something, but it was gone before she could register it. By the time she fell all the way asleep, she slept through the reoccurring dream and didn't wake until morning.
Farren woke up feeling drowsy, and so she didn't move for a while, focusing on the place where she was certain she had seen the eyes above her. The sunlight streamed through the luminescent window and sparkled on the contents of the room, but for the moment at least, the beauty was lost on Farren. She sat up slowly, savoring the quiet and unbroken sounds of morning, favoring the birds that sung in the tree outside her window. That was the thing she had liked the most about this room when she had arrived, because she could open her window and examine the tree that blocked most of her view and the plain that she could hardly see.
She opened it now, looking at the bird nest that was just level with her. It was late November, and so no baby birds squawked, but it was unusually warm and the full sized robins sung their approval. She looked through the thick branches the best she could but couldn't see much, and so she instead surveyed the birds some more, laughing as they chased each other. Feeling much better from the sight, she opened the closet to look at her rather meager clothes supply.
She picked out a pair of jeans and a simple dark blue shirt with snowflakes on it. At least she had something seasonal! Then she put them on, pulled her hair up into a rather messy bun, and, humming, walked downstairs. The Smith's were so formal that, even now in the twenty-first century, they had breakfast together. She sat down and buttered a biscuit, listening to the talk of jobs and homework assignments.
Twenty-minutes later, Farren was sitting on the bus talking animatedly to Randy, trying to ignore the remembrance of the dream. The Marauders were not on, which she found strange if they really only live a few blocks over in 'Woody Hollow'. But they didn't get on and she found herself fully enjoying Randy's company, laughing with him about the teacher of American History. She was one of the older ones that stared at her oddly when she passed. Farren explained this look and Randy fell silent, looking thoughtful. That soon passed, however, as they pulled up to school and bid each other farewell.
Farren glanced around, trying hard to spot her friends, to no avail. Finally, she noticed a messy black head that stuck out particularly and that was talking animatedly to someone. She worked her way over. Standing just behind them and being much shorter, she could listen to their conversation without interfering. Peter turned to her and smiled, and she smiled back feeling that he was sometimes overlooked because of his lesser looks, shorter body, and quieter demeanor. But since she too, was short and at the moment unnoticed, she decided not to feel too sorry for him or herself.
She listened as James told the black-headed cheerleader a story that looked quite interesting, for she was practically drooling at him. (Authors note- I have nothing against cheerleaders, blondes, etc. This is just one of those stereotype cheerleaders.) Farren snorted and turned to Peter, mocking the girl. She tossed her pinned up hair, probably looking ridiculous, but not caring. She then stuck her hands out in front of her, pretending to file them while staring raptly at someone only she could see, adding a head toss and a flirty shift every once in a while. Peter sniggered and Farren had to work hard not to break down and laugh to. The cheerleader's laugh filled the air, high and giggly. Farren mocked her even doing sound effects. Peter's snigger turned into a full-fledged laugh and the other turned around as Farren tried, and failed, to keep a strait face.
"Hey, Farren." Sirius said, smoothing his own hair and rolling his eyes in James's direction. She laughed harder, wondering if he had any idea how appropriate the eye roll had been. He stared at her, laughing at her prolonged giggles. James stared at her too, but he showed no amusement.
"What are you laughing at?" He said sounding exasperated that he hadn't been let in on the joke. This made both her and Peter laugh harder. She fell sideways into Remus, who grabbed her arms to steady her, but didn't let go. Sirius snorted at this. Farren ignored it. The cheerleader got bored and walked away from the sniggering, laughing, giggling, and confused group. James finally started to laugh as well, probably seeing humor in the fact that he had no idea what was going on.
Farren steadied herself, pulling gently from Remus's grasp and looking up at him, still giggling. She stopped with a gasp when she noticed his eyes. They matched the wolf's eyes from her dream. She remembered suddenly the horror she had felt as she fell and the fright that had clutched her when seeing the animal awake. She breathed deeply as the seen passed before her eyes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" She heard Remus's hurt voice asking. She shook her head, sufficiently clearing away the scene and tried to explain.
"Last night, I had this dream. And Spencer was there, and Randy, and this wolf, but it had…it had your eyes, that's all. I'm fine."
"Well," James said quickly, "Remus is about as un-beastly as you can get." Farren nodded and smiled, shaking her head. She felt like she was being very stupid. The boys looked at each other and nodded.
"Would you quit doing that?" Farren said harshly. They jerked to a stop. Sirius patted her on her shoulder.
"Farren. It's all right. You're being irritable because you're nervous about that dream. Calm down!" He said harshly. She nodded, feeling like she'd just been plunged into ice cold water. "You know," Sirius, said slyly, his eyes glittering, "I hear they have name for your condition. Paranoia!" She hit him lightly upside the head and then led them inside avoiding Remus's eyes.
They had a bit of trouble getting to the first class because of Sirius's insistence that it was the wrong one. "Sirius," Farren said slowly, "You have (a) days and you have (b) days, and you have Fridays. Monday and Wednesday you go to the classes we went to yesterday. Tuesdays and Thursdays we go to American history, Literature, Choir, and technology. On Fridays, we have a alternating days. Today is a B day. Just follow me!
They walked to the classes that day, the boys meeting Mrs. Lays, who was the old American history teacher and who, unlike Ogden, seemed to have a special spot for Farren. The boys became popular in that class too, with both the girls and boys, charming them with their varied personalities and smooth styles. Farren had to laugh at Lays' reaction to the boys. Next class was a different story however, as the literature teacher was young, new, and lenient.
Her name was Rebecca Rogers and she looked like a former yearbook, class president, and homecoming queen type person. Her hair was brown and always held up in a peppy ponytail and her eyes were blue-green hazel. She seemed charmed by the boys, laughed at their pranks and jokes, and basically let things get out of hand. Farren thought she might regret it later.
Choir class was always fun, what with an inspired teacher who really wanted them to learn about and be excited by renascence music history and the song in Latin. She was an averaged height woman who had short, messy blonde hair, who was slightly overweight, and though she enjoyed the pranks and jokes, she saw fit to them only to happen when she wasn't teaching them something. James and Sirius were scolded often.
But technology was the worst. The boys couldn't, for one second, even begin fathom how to assemble a wire and light bulb connection and Sirius was left with hair that rivaled James's and a nasty *shock*. The older male teacher gave him a detention while bellowing, "Didn't I tell you NOT to turn on the switch until after it was assembled? DIDN'T I?" Sirius was left to nurse singed hair, wounded pride, and a stinging body.
When they left, Sirius was in a very bad mood. He slammed from the room, the door bolting back to the frame as if struck by lightning, with the technology teacher, Mr. Neik yelling behind him. James sent him a nasty look, and then switched his gaze to Sirius, who calmed down quite quickly (for Sirius, at least).
"Um, Farren, let's go somewhere to talk," Sirius said, looking unusually serious. Farren stared at him, suspicion, confusion, and trust welling up in her so quickly it was almost overwhelming.
He led the group to the neglected part of the building, peering in to vacant classrooms and looking for something, though what, Farren wasn't sure. He finally stopped in an art room covered in dust and led her in. The rest of the group followed.
Sirius became very quiet and brooding, pacing the floor in quiet thoughts. Peter sat in a chair and pulled his knees up to his chest, averting their eyes and whimpering. James was standing in a corner, quiet and pale. Only Remus seemed willing to tell her what was going on. He was sitting forward on the chair next to her, pale and quiet, looking at her scrutinizing.
"Denarro Abstrudo," he said slowly, deliberately, and quietly.
With those two words, Farren's life changed forever. She suddenly realized everything that had happened in the last two days, she understood everything, and she realized, with conviction, that she did have a crush on Remus. But, at the time, it did not seem very important. Here, in front of her, were four books characters, two of which were dead, one that was a traitor, and one that was a werewolf. All four had traveled, not only from Europe to Colorado, but also in time. And she knew this! All of it!
"Why are you here?" She asked in a hushed whisper. The ice broke and everyone started talking at once. She held up a hand to quiet the group.
"One at a time!"
"All right. So we're all sitting in Divination, which is a complete waste of time if you're not a seer. But we have this teacher, who's a great seer, named Cassandra Vablatasky. She even wrote our textbooks! So she's looking at my crystal ball and goes into this weird trance and drops to the floor. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she goes all still, and she looks like she's having a seizure. Luckily for us, we see this all the time and didn't panic." James paused and Sirius started up the story where he'd left off.
"So she starts talking in this really frightening, even voice, like she's been given truth potion-you do know what truth potion is?" He interrupted himself. Farren nodded and he continued. "And so she starts to tell us this prediction, and I even memorized it, which I don't do often, so listen closely!" Farren nodded and he fell to the floor, rolled his eyes back and half closed them, raising his voice a tone or two, and began to speak in a slow, monotonous voice.
"Your future is determined even now. The girl you will marry and the child you will have are subjected to pain. You and the girl shall die at the hands of a traitor. But, three and nine times years future at a rising country of democracy, in a town Collins called in a central snow state, a girl with lion mane red hair and exceptional knowledge can help you. She will help you…" And Sirius got up to enjoy the shocked look on Farren's face.
"Me… I can help you?"
"You," Remus said firmly. "As soon as she had said this she snapped out of her trance and couldn't remember what she'd said, but told us she had a feeling of 'unease' about us and that James should leave to consider her words. We went with him, of course, and wrote down what she'd said and decided to study it for a while. Well, 'three and nine times years future' would be twenty-seven years, and a rising country of democracy would be America. So then we had to find a book about America's states, and we came to know that Colorado was a snow state. Well, she'd told us about Collins, indirectly, and you, kind of. So then we went to muggle studies class, which, for reasons unknown, we decided to take, and when we were there, we convinced Dumbledore and Jenkins, he's the muggle studies professor, to let us go on a trip 'to muggle future'. Of course, Dumbledore was all for it, being Dumbledore, but Jenkins wasn't. Luckily, he couldn't do much."
"So, we came here. We told Dumbledore we'd stay close to Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and such, but I think he knows we're here, taking care of Jamsie's future!" Sirius said joyfully. Farren giggled. "So," Sirius continued, "What do you know?"
"Wait, how do you know I'm the one? Or if I am the one, what if other people know to?" Farren said skeptically, not wanting to tell them that millions of muggles had read the books and knew about the four boys.
"You fit the description. And you've been breaking through the spell all week." Peter piped up.
"Even if other people do know, somehow, you're different. We all can feel it." Remus said. Farren blushed. Sirius, James, and Peter nodded their agreement.
Then Farren's eyes lit on James, dead for so long already, and Sirius, just having died; yet here they stood, in front of her! She turned away so as to not let them see her. Peter scuffled his feet nervously and Farren had the sudden thought that it would be better for everyone if he died then and there. Hate flared in her stomach nastily. Remus put his arm around her shoulder.
"Whatever it is, you can tell us. Tell us what you know. You know something," Remus said gently.
"I c-can't," Farren choked out, but didn't cry. It had been years since she'd cried. "It would change everything! It would kill more people than it would save. Harry, Voldemort, everything!"
Remus tightened his arm around her. "Shhh, Farren, it's all right. Give us something; tell us something-" Farren shook her head drastically.
"I can't. I know only of the future generation. I can't tell you. It might get millions, even trillions of people killed! I couldn't do that!" Remus pushed away from her.
"You mean to say," Sirius said, his British accent brimming with unmistakable anger, "that you know how to stop James's death, and yet you won't? Because of millions of nameless and faceless people that you don't even know? You know James! You can save him! Will you sentence him, a friend, to death, to save people who you don't know, who could be your enemies?" Farren swallowed hard. Sirius was obviously furiously loyal. Even Remus was looking scandalized. Farren felt anger flare up in her immediately.
"Would you kill millions to save one?" She demanded of him, her voice loud and powerful in the small classroom, and even she was frightened by the magnitude of it.
"If it would save my friends, yes I would!"
"And what if you are the traitor in question, Sirius Black? What then?" Sirius stopped dead, staring at her, anger causing him to grind his teeth loudly. In two steps, he was in front of her. Farren didn't even see him raise his hand, nor did she have time to react as the back of his palm swung forward across her face. His knuckles knocked into the bone next to her left eyes, and she reeled back sharply. Surely she would have bruises there later. The bone itself felt as if it were on fire.
"Sirius!" Remus shouted, leaping forward and grabbing the arm he was once again raising. James, shouting illegibly, grabbed the other arm. Together, the two boys pulled him back towards the trembling Peter. Farren turned sharply on her heel, and strode to the doorway, not feeling the pain yet.
Once there, she turned towards them, and spoke words that each would remember until they died.
"It was merely a suggestion, Black. You are not the traitor, for you are too vain and loyal to become one. But when you are wasting away, realizing that you could have saved them, remember that I tried to tell you. Do not trust the rat." And with those words, she turned towards the door and walked out composedly, running only when out of their sights. She grabbed her bags and books in record time, and was down the stairs and to the door before she heard pounding feet behind her.
She rushed past the throngs of kids waiting leave, and sped out the door before the bell had rung. She knew it was very likely that she would get in trouble for this and sure enough, when she passed Mr. Neik waiting for the waves of exiting students, he grabbed her arm growling, "Where do you think you are going?"
"Please," She sobbed, turning her bruised face in his direction, "Please. I must get on the bus before-before…" She trailed off and the teacher, staring at the bruise that was already forming, gently let go and patted her on the back, sending her away. Minutes later, she could hear him shouting at what sounded like a group of very desperate boys. She could not even work up a smile at Sirius's whining.
Tanya once again was sitting at the bus's front and did not fail to notice Farren's early arrival. She stared at her, gapping widely. Leaping up, she grabbed Farren's arm and pulled her down into the seat directly behind her, which was always empty.
"I knew that claustrophobic story was strange. You're having boy troubles! I can tell by those bruises. I myself had an abusive boyfriend for a while. You just tell him off, girl, don't let him get to you! No wonder you moved…" She trailed off, glaring at the rest of the passengers who had just arrived. Remus opened his mouth to say something to Farren, but Tanya, her eyes on the four boys, wouldn't have that.
"You four better just stay far away from her while you're on this bus! You hear me?" She hollered loudly. Remus looked quite shocked, but an odd stubborn expression lit his features and he sat down behind her, next to Peter, while James and Sirius took the seat across from her, Sirius closest. Farren scooted to the window, clenching her jaw stubbornly.
"I told you-" Tanya started, but all of Farren's hopes were smashed as the bus ahead started moving, and Tanya, panicking, sat down quickly and lurched the bus forward. For a few moments she forgot to close the door.
Farren physically shuddered as she gazed out at the gorgeous Friday afternoon. She could feel their presence like a physical force, and at the moment felt only resentment towards them, though later, she probably would miss their friendship, if you could call it that.
"Farren," came Remus's voice in her ear. She scooted up towards the driver seat farther.
"Farren, please, I didn't mean to, I just- Farren…" Sirius tried. Angrily Farren pressed her forehead to the window, at the same time curling her knees up under her.
"Farren," Remus started again, "He said he was sorry…"
"Give it up, Remus!" Farren said angrily. "He did not apologize, nor do I think his pride will ever allow him too!" She turned in her seat harshly to glare into his eyes.
"He apologized more sincerely than he would under normal circumstances. He didn't mean too!"
"Oh yes, it is so easy to slip ones hand across ones face hard enough that it bruises. I'm sure it was pure clumsiness!" She said sarcastically. Remus stared at her, the five silent enough that you could have heard a heart breaking. Farren heard it. She was just in confusion about rather it was her heart or Remus's.
"He's trying to apologize and you won't give him a chance," Remus said finally, his eyes flashing angrily.
"It sounds to me as if he's having you apologize for him!"
"You won't listen to him!"
"And what makes you think I will listen to you?"
"Farren…"
"What?" She snapped.
"You really don't want to do this. You know this is a stupid fight-you know we should still be friends."
"And you only want to be around me so I can tell you your futures! I can find people who really want to be my friends! I can go back to Texas with a simple phone call, you arrogant, conceited, prideful wizard! "
Remus jerked back as if she had hit him. His eyes registered hurt that reflected on all three other pairs of eyes looking at her. She turned back around. Then she took out a book called *Both Sides of Time* and wondered if it was possible for it to be a more appropriate book. The main character, Anna Sophia, had fallen back in time and thinks she is in love, only to return to the present and find that on both sides of time had she disrupted normal activity and caused trouble. Farren sighed loudly and fished in her backpack for a book that didn't hit so close to home. She didn't find one.
"Ugh," She murmured.
"You don't honestly think that's the only reason we're you friends, do you Farren?" James's voice broke through her disgust.
"Abusive ex-friends, and what else should I think?"
"Farren, I'm really, really, really, really, really sorry, and I'll never do anything like that again. I just-didn't think, Farren. I'm stupid, okay? I let my anger get in the way of my common sense. James and Remus aren't even talking to me, so don't be mad at them, please, it was my fault, really." Sirius blurted out. They all stared at them.
"I forgive you," Farren said abruptly.
"Me?" Sirius asked doubtfully.
"No, the ones who didn't do anything," Farren said nastily. Sirius's face fell and Farren suddenly felt like a jerk. She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the seat with her. He didn't look at her, but she gave him a gigantic hug anyway, whispering loudly into his sweatshirt as she did.
"Do anything like that again and I'll send you back to the Stone Age with no way to get back." He laughed and she heard the others chuckle as well.
"Now, get back in you own seat, you great lump!" She said, pushing him back into his seat with James. She heard Remus sigh in relief behind her.
"We're all f-forgiven, right?" Peter stuttered out.
"Yep!" Farren replied. "Besides, you really didn't do much, Peter."
"Hey!" James and Remus chorused together.
"Okay, so James really didn't do much either."
"Hey!"
"You yelled at me!"
"You were being insufferable!"
"You were arguing with me!"
"You weren't giving him a chance!"
"You weren't giving me a chance!"
"You said awful things!"
"Only in response to your terrible logic!"
"You said you could go back!"
"I can, if I desire!"
"You wouldn't give us a chance!"
"He'd hit me!"
"You ignored us and started reading that stupid book!"
"It's not stupid!
"And making little sighing noises!"
"You didn't have to be so obsessed that you listened!"
"I'm not obsessed!"
"I know!"
"Then why did you say-"?
"Because of the look you get on you face when people say things like that!"
"You do know that we're not really fighting?"
"Of course not! We're having a friendly debate!"
"Right! So why do you infuriate me so?"
"Because you love me!"
"I don't!"
"I know, but that expression is sooooooo fun to see-"
"You are so maddening!"
"Well you are too."
"Name one person who finds me maddening!"
"Farren."
"Besides you."
"Wanderer, Brave soul."
"I'm not going to fall for that. I looked up what your name means last night. "
"Obsessed!"
"I am not. I was simply curious."
"It is so much fun to reduce nearly grown boys to three year old arguing status!"
"Properly, that would be considered toddler stage."
"And you know this because you're father to one?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, then how did you know?"
"Common sense!"
"U-huh."
"Oh, I hate you."
"Dislike with a passion would sound more correct."
"I don't hate you, I was just mad."
"Of course you don't! You dislike me with a passion!"
"No, really, I don't!"
"Yep!"
"Because I'm not that mean."
"Sure, and I'm Elizabeth II, bow to my presence!"
"If it proves my niceness, gladly!"
"Kiss my ring then, little servant. And when you are done, read me all the letters from my adoring public, and then get me my husband, so we can discuss this years wedding anniversary. After that, grab all three tons of my clothes, make-up, jewelry, and hair things, and bring them down here."
"Sometimes-"
"Sometimes-"
"You are so-"
"You are so-"
"Quit mocking me!"
"Qui-"
"Stop!"
"He loves you, Farren!" James broke in. Tanya, Sirius, James, Peter, and several homework doers laughed. Remus blushed. Farren hit Sirius, who in turn hit James, who in turn hit Sirius, who in turn lightly hit Farren. She laughed.
"Young love is so fickle at times." Sirius said dreamily.
"Oh, shut-up," Farren said. "Besides," her eyes lit up brightly, "what about James and Lily Evans. They aren't even friends and they fight! And, he's in love with her!"
"How did you know about that? I don't love her!"
"I can see all! And you do so!" Farren replied. "Oh, and James Jr. is a terrible name for a son. Go with something common, yet dignified."
"It is not a terrible name!"
"I'm not going into this with you."
"Of course, you only do that with Remus."
"Of course. His intelligence is the only one equal to the extremely high quality of mine."
"Or, there could be other reasons, of a more personal value…" Sirius put in.
"Of course there could be." Farren answered composedly.
"Ooooo!" James and Sirius chorused.
"Perhaps he's a better friend then you."
"Ouch, Farren. Just…ouch." Sirius said. Farren laughed.
"Um, isn't this your stop?" She asked, as the bus started to pull away.
"Oh!" The boys leapt up shouting, tumbling out the door to stand on the sidewalk and wave at Farren. She waved back, smiling. What would she do without them? The bus pulled off and she sat back in her seat, her lips curling into a large smile that made her eyes light up and her cheeks flush, forgetting about the bruise next to her eye or about her homework, or Spencer, or anything. It was bliss.
When she got off the bus and walked into the house, eagerly anticipating the weekend, she had all but forgotten about the bruise, or their brief fight. However, Martha was sitting as she always was at the desk, turned around to greet the kids and spotted Farren's contusion. Her gasp was enough to remind Farren. She stopped dead and wondered if she could escape. She decided she couldn't.
"Farren- what happened?" She gasped out. Farren wasn't one to lie, but she wasn't sure what to say.
"Well, I was exploring the old part of the school building, and, well, it's not the most safe part of the school and…" she trailed off, hoping Martha would think she had tripped. She did.
"Oh, dear, what are we going to do?" Martha said, looking panicky and uncertain for a few moments. But then, her maternal instincts kicked in.
"Spencer, I want you to go grab the ice pack from the upstairs hallway. Come back down here and fill it with ice and a bit of cold water. Grab a small towel why you're up there!" Then she approached Farren, soothingly pulling her into a chair and touching the bruise. She frowned, a small line appearing in between her two brows, and walked over to the medicine cabinet.
"Tylenol," she murmured, holding the bottle up, "or should I go with Advil?" She selected the Tylenol and opened the cap. After she had pulled the two pills out and closed the lid, she opened the cabinet, all business, and pulled out a glass. She set it under their automatic water dispenser that was in the refrigerator door and when it was full, handed it and the pills to Farren. She swallowed them as Spencer came back with a peach towel and a light blue icepack. He filled it and thrust the two objects at her and left stomping.
Martha gently placed the bag over her eye and sent her off to her room. Farren walked up the stairs slowly, balancing her book bag over her shoulders as she went. When she got to the room, she plugged in her laptop so it could charge and laid down on the bed, icepack over her eye and book in her hand. Twenty minutes later she had finished the book and was quite bored. She slowly closed both her eyes and relaxed into the bed, wondering if Martha had given her P.M. Tylenol.
Two and a half hours later, Farren felt someone begin to shake her shoulders carefully. She opened her drowsy eyes and noticed that the ice pack had long since slid off her face. She peered through her sleepy lids to see who was shaking her and, once her eyes had adjusted to the light, recognized the man as Harold Smith.
"Hello, Mr. Smith," She murmured sleepily.
"Hello, Farren. Nice to see you awake and living!" He answered her happily. "Would you like to come down for dinner, or would you rather go back to sleep?"
"I'll come down. I'm rather hungry, anyhow." He nodded at her and she sat up in the bad, wondering what they were having. She shook her head and stood up. For a few seconds, the room spun around her and she was disoriented, but soon it stopped and she quickly left and went down stairs. The Smith's were waiting for her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said quietly, sitting down and bowing her head as Mr. Smith said the prayer.
Dinner that night was enjoyable. Farren's good mood had carried over after her nap, and she eagerly joined the conversation.
"So, Farren. Tell us more about yourself. What do you like to do?" Mr. Smith asked her pleasantly.
"Well," Farren said slowly, considering, "I like to write stories. And read. And ride horses. And I like to roller blade! And drive. I have my Texas license."
"Really?" Martha asked, looking highly interested. "There's an excellent riding stable we could sign you up at. And a cute little bookstore."
"And there's Spencer's truck if you'd like to drive it some time." Mr. Smith broke in. Farren nodded eagerly.
"That all sounds wonderful!" She said excitedly. "I'd love to take some more riding lessons. I was in a horse show when I was at a home for four months. It was in Kentucky!"
"Really?" Spencer said maliciously. "Why did they decide not to adopt you? Did you kill the horse?"
"Spencer!" Martha said harshly. Farren stared at her plate and tried not to remember that day. Unfortunately, the memory flooded back anyway.
Nearly a year ago, Farren had been sent to a wonderful farm in Kentucky to a couple that couldn't have children. They owned a racetrack and many wonderful horses that she loved to ride. They praised her riding often and even aloud her to go in a show on a horse that Farren had been helping to get back in shape after an accident. She had done wonderful at the show until she had gotten to the twelfth jump. It was a difficult one, three in a row with just enough room for a stride in between each jump. Farren hadn't been worried though, because she was particularly good at such jumps. However, she hadn't been counting on the cameraman.
The huge gray gelding she was riding was named Manchester's Gray Man. Chester was a very famous horse in the hunter jumper world, and his accident had left many people hurting. Even Farren, who rarely managed to pick up a horse magazine with her pocket money, knew of his fame, and was pained by his accident. So, when she was asked to help get him in shape, she had been thrilled. Now, riding him in his first show since, many reporters wanted to catch an interview with the owners, rider, and a picture of the horse.
The flashbulb had gone off just before the second jump. Chester had pulled up harshly; turning the best he could to avoid collision. This had sent him left side first into the jump, knocking him off and Farren had gone flying towards the ground. Chester had landed right on the jump and slid into the third, sufficiently breaking his cannon bone in one of his legs. The damage had been unfixable, and Chester had been put down. Farren could remember standing by his side, talking soothingly and stroking his head as he went. Not a week later, she was back in Texas. She herself had made the phone call. She could not stand staying there.
Pushing her chair back harshly from the table, Farren stood up. The chair toppled behind her onto the immaculate floor, but she didn't stop to push it back up. She walked swiftly from the room, stopping at the door.
"I'd like to take lessons," she said quickly. And then she ran up the stairs, falling into bed to sob into the pillow. She fell asleep quickly with tears stains streaking her cheeks.
There is some reference to the Christian faith in my story, most especially in this chapter. I just wanted to let everyone know. I'm not trying to convert anyone, nor do I look down upon other religions. Christianity is simply FARREN'S faith. Also, in chapter one I mentioned a Faith Hill CD. However, the CD in question didn't come out until 1993. Please, just pretend it was out earlier, because I can think of no way to rectify my mistake otherwise. One last thing; There is this huge conversation between Remus and Farren that some would call flirting and some would call nonsense. If you don't want to read it, fine, but I (as in me), think it's rather interesting and will make you (as in you) laugh.
Chapter 3
A Surprising Occurrence
When Mrs. Smith got home that evening, Farren was still doing her homework. Though she heard Mrs. Smith arrive, she neither went to greet her nor did she pause in her typing. She knew Spencer was standing just beyond her door to the bathroom that adjoined the two's rooms and she did not want him thinking she was going to listen to his furious tirade against the Marauders. She wanted to know, of course, where the Marauders lived and who had adopted the spirited teenagers, but she could not risk Spencer's wrath, not because she was particularly frightened of him, but more because she was afraid of the monstrous demon that seemed to overcome her when she dealt with people who she found mean and insolent. She rather liked it in Collins, though she could easily assure herself it wasn't because of the Smith family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were nice, yes, but too formal, and Spencer was like a boy who was channeling the spirit of a monster. But in Collins, she had friends, which she found she often lacked, and the older Smiths were trying to make her feel welcome, and the Collins school still held an air of familiarity that was a mystery she was desperate to solve.
She no longer had to worry about how she was going to learn about where the boys lived, however, because Mrs. Smith took care of that herself. She knocked on the door curtly, announcing her presence, and at Farren's approval, came in and sat herself down on the bed.
"Farren, dear, have you finished your homework?" She asked kindly.
"Just did," Farren answered, but in truth, she had been done for quite a while and had instead been typing up the next chapter on her story. Mrs. Smith nodded and looked around the room.
"Farren, would you like me to help you unpack?" She said, looking slightly disappointed at the impersonalized room. Farren nodded and pulled her trunk towards the middle of the room, remembering doing much the same thing with Anya just a little over a week before. She undid the latches, and then the locks, and then pulled open the lid. Mrs. Smith gasped.
Farren looked up, surprised, but Mrs. Smith was not focused on her and was instead looking into the depths of her trunk.
"Farren! Do you know what that is?" She questioned excitably, pointing to her jewelry box.
"A box that holds jewelry," Farren said slowly, not understanding the woman's frightening euphoria.
"Well, yes, of course, but that is a Maolseachlann creation, they haven't been in the making for…oh at least 50 years. It's incredible. Looks like it's in quite good condition, still new looking, and so polished! How long have you had this? What's in it? They were never made anywhere other than Ireland, nor did they ship them out, so how did you get one?" She was so excited her words were barely legible, but Farren did understand that some part of her puzzle was solved. Her grandparents had come from Ireland. At least, one pair did.
"I've always had it…always. My great grandparents were, perhaps…from Ireland?" She hadn't meant to end it as a question, but the yearning she felt for it to be true was so intense that she could actually feel the weight of it, pushing at her mind. Mrs. Smith's excitement seemed to drain out of her at these words, and she was instead filled with undeniable sympathy.
"Oh, you poor dear," she said, pulling Farren close to her in an awkward hug. "Not even knowing where your grandparents are from, at least, not for certain." She looked at her with tears actually prominent in her eyes.
"It's all right, Mrs. Smith. It's all right!" She said louder when Mrs. Smith's tears spilled onto her cheeks. She nodded and wiped her eyes, muttering something about brave souls. Farren ignored that and pulled out the jewelry box, placing it on the end table with the mirror. Then she pulled out her meager supply of clothes and, with Mrs. Smith's help, put them in the closet and dresser. Mrs. Smith nearly collapsed when she saw how little of the closet Farren's clothes took up. Farren laughed.
"We'll have to get you more clothes, what you have just won't do!" She exclaimed, leaving Farren to hope she wasn't serious. "And new shoes!" She added excitably, and Farren knew that she fully intended to take her shopping. She reached into the trunk to pull out the next thing, which just happened to be her mother and father's senior pictures. Her face softened.
"Oh, Farren." She said, looking at the picture gently, her eyes not misting with tears, but leaking with sadness all the same. "You mother was beautiful. And your father! He is very handsome. You know, I think they wanted to keep you. They just knew it wouldn't be best."
"I know. They love me…they wanted what was best for me." Mrs. Smith gathered her in her arms again, but this time, Farren fell into them willingly. It was rough, she thought, to be suffering so young. But, she supposed, it could have been worse. She could have been dying on top of it all.
Mrs. Smith pulled away and wiped her eyes, handing Farren the photograph, which she placed on the desk. She glanced into the trunk, seeing her C.D., the football helmet, and her books. Mrs. Smith was holding the wand box, looking tentative. Farren laughed.
"It's not a real wand. I'm not a witch or something like that. I like fantasy books, and I especially like Harry Potter. I got it from the Internet. Anya and I-" She stopped, the Anya-sickness drowning her in its cold shivery grasp. "Anya and I play Harry Potter a lot. And I read her the books every day, after I read a passage from the bible and before we pray." Mrs. Smith nodded. Then she asked about Anya.
Farren began to tell her all about Anya. First she explained the fire, and then she explained Anya's reaction to it. She traveled on with her story, telling her of how the two had become friends. She told her about their daily activities and how much fun they had together. And when she was done, the trunk was empty and the room held all her belongings.
"So…Farren. Do you like those boys?" Mrs. Smith questioned slyly, sitting down on the bed while Farren gathered up her stuff for school the next day.
"They are very good friends." She said stiffly. First Sirius, now Mrs. Smith!
"I liked that Remus boy, he seemed to be quite the gentleman. Not that they all weren't, of course!" She added hastily. Farren rolled her eyes, but at the same time felt a twinge in her stomach.
"Yes, Remus is very nice. I like him better than the others, I suppose." She said, oblivious to Mrs. Smith's delighted look.
"They were talking about you in the car, Farren dear." Mrs. Smith said as Farren faced her and sat on the edge of the desk.
"Mrs. Smith-" Farren started, but Mrs. Smith interrupted her.
"Call me Martha, dear!"
"Um, well, Mr- Martha, we are just friends. Perhaps they were talking about me because they'd just been with me?" She said, arranging it as a question so as to not to offend MARTHA.
"Possibly, dear. Well, they seemed to be talking about you very pointedly to Remus specifically."
"Really?" Farren asked, before realizing how she sounded and sighing greatly. Let Martha think what she wanted to think.
"The oddest thing happened though. I was driving over to their house, its only five streets over in the mansions by the wood, you know, Woody Hollow? Anyway, just as I was driving down the driveway, the car stopped. They walked the rest of the way their selves, but it made me nervous, because their house was at the end of the road, was set behind a bunch of trees. Car just wouldn't go any further. Odd, huh? Oh well." Martha said happily. Then she said goodnight to Farren, hugging her lightly, and left closing the door and going to Spencer's room. Farren smiled and got ready for bed.
Farren found it weird that the car wouldn't go any further and something told her that she should know the reason, but she couldn't quite clasp the idea. She changed into her pajamas, washed her face and brushed her teeth, and then grabbed her bible. After reading a few passages, she got down on her knees, thinking of Anya, and prayed.
"Dear lord, guide me in this new place. Help Anya back at home, doing whatever she is, and help me to the right thing. Thank you for my new friends, they're what I've always wanted." She paused and remembered how she had wondered if God was testing the strength of her faith before she had come here. "I'm sorry that my faith wavered and that I started to not believe when my world came crashing in. Anya was right. I'm here to do something, perhaps to make friends, and she's there to trust you, even when I'm not around." She paused, wondering what else to say. Unbidden, a picture of Remus's face when she had been quoting the movie came into her mind. She sighed. She could lie to Mrs. Smith, and Sirius, and even herself, but she knew she could not lie to her God. "And if I am falling for Remus, let me go slowly. Let me be sensible, and know the difference between a crush and love. Guide me to help them in their problems, and guide me to love in friendship or not, because you know what is best. Bless them wherever they are. Amen." She then climbed into bed and fell asleep with her mother's CD still playing in the background.
That night, Farren slept hard, but not dreamlessly. Though many of the dreams were harmless and happy, one stuck in her mind particularly the next morning, for she had it many times during the night, each time waking to dwell on the eyes…those eyes.
In the dream, Farren was standing on a large square ledge that attached to nothing and instead simply floated in the air. Slightly below it, she could see another ledge and miles below that was the final ledge that had a pacing animal on it. She would turn from the edge she was surveying and see Spencer, who would advance on her, laughing shrilly, and she would stumble backwards. Each time, she would trip over the edge with a small shriek and fall into Randy L'Keith's waiting arms. But he would stare at her in disgust and ask, "He's your brother? And he still fancies you? Gross!" And she would protest that he was her adopted brother, but Randy wouldn't listen and he would force her from him, tipping her over the side of the ledge. The scream that followed was long and loud because of how far she fell, but she landed with a flump right in the lair of the animal she had seen from above. It was sleeping and she fell so that her head landed on its side and her body stretched out next to it. She would test her limbs, thank God that the animal wasn't eating her and then… the animal would awake.
It would look up but not move. It's head would twist slowly around to see her and she would shout in terror because the wolf she was laying seemed to be no ordinary wolf, though she couldn't have told you why he was different. His snout was shorter than most and snarling, the tongue that rolled from the mouth was off color, his nose twitched, and his feet underneath her moved nastily. But his eyes were the most frightening of all because they looked human, deep blue and familiar, but the also looked like they didn't want to attack her but the wolf was anyway, and she would scream and scream at this thing that seemed to be attacking her unwillingly and she would stare in the eyes and scream louder. They seemed so familiar. And then the wolf would start to change. It would stop struggling and lie still panting, and the fur lessened and the body stretched and then she would turn to look and scream…but wake up before she could register what she was seeing.
Many times this happened through the night and Farren was often sure she saw the eyes floating above her in the darkness. Once when it happened, she was hit with a sudden realization of… something, but it was gone before she could register it. By the time she fell all the way asleep, she slept through the reoccurring dream and didn't wake until morning.
Farren woke up feeling drowsy, and so she didn't move for a while, focusing on the place where she was certain she had seen the eyes above her. The sunlight streamed through the luminescent window and sparkled on the contents of the room, but for the moment at least, the beauty was lost on Farren. She sat up slowly, savoring the quiet and unbroken sounds of morning, favoring the birds that sung in the tree outside her window. That was the thing she had liked the most about this room when she had arrived, because she could open her window and examine the tree that blocked most of her view and the plain that she could hardly see.
She opened it now, looking at the bird nest that was just level with her. It was late November, and so no baby birds squawked, but it was unusually warm and the full sized robins sung their approval. She looked through the thick branches the best she could but couldn't see much, and so she instead surveyed the birds some more, laughing as they chased each other. Feeling much better from the sight, she opened the closet to look at her rather meager clothes supply.
She picked out a pair of jeans and a simple dark blue shirt with snowflakes on it. At least she had something seasonal! Then she put them on, pulled her hair up into a rather messy bun, and, humming, walked downstairs. The Smith's were so formal that, even now in the twenty-first century, they had breakfast together. She sat down and buttered a biscuit, listening to the talk of jobs and homework assignments.
Twenty-minutes later, Farren was sitting on the bus talking animatedly to Randy, trying to ignore the remembrance of the dream. The Marauders were not on, which she found strange if they really only live a few blocks over in 'Woody Hollow'. But they didn't get on and she found herself fully enjoying Randy's company, laughing with him about the teacher of American History. She was one of the older ones that stared at her oddly when she passed. Farren explained this look and Randy fell silent, looking thoughtful. That soon passed, however, as they pulled up to school and bid each other farewell.
Farren glanced around, trying hard to spot her friends, to no avail. Finally, she noticed a messy black head that stuck out particularly and that was talking animatedly to someone. She worked her way over. Standing just behind them and being much shorter, she could listen to their conversation without interfering. Peter turned to her and smiled, and she smiled back feeling that he was sometimes overlooked because of his lesser looks, shorter body, and quieter demeanor. But since she too, was short and at the moment unnoticed, she decided not to feel too sorry for him or herself.
She listened as James told the black-headed cheerleader a story that looked quite interesting, for she was practically drooling at him. (Authors note- I have nothing against cheerleaders, blondes, etc. This is just one of those stereotype cheerleaders.) Farren snorted and turned to Peter, mocking the girl. She tossed her pinned up hair, probably looking ridiculous, but not caring. She then stuck her hands out in front of her, pretending to file them while staring raptly at someone only she could see, adding a head toss and a flirty shift every once in a while. Peter sniggered and Farren had to work hard not to break down and laugh to. The cheerleader's laugh filled the air, high and giggly. Farren mocked her even doing sound effects. Peter's snigger turned into a full-fledged laugh and the other turned around as Farren tried, and failed, to keep a strait face.
"Hey, Farren." Sirius said, smoothing his own hair and rolling his eyes in James's direction. She laughed harder, wondering if he had any idea how appropriate the eye roll had been. He stared at her, laughing at her prolonged giggles. James stared at her too, but he showed no amusement.
"What are you laughing at?" He said sounding exasperated that he hadn't been let in on the joke. This made both her and Peter laugh harder. She fell sideways into Remus, who grabbed her arms to steady her, but didn't let go. Sirius snorted at this. Farren ignored it. The cheerleader got bored and walked away from the sniggering, laughing, giggling, and confused group. James finally started to laugh as well, probably seeing humor in the fact that he had no idea what was going on.
Farren steadied herself, pulling gently from Remus's grasp and looking up at him, still giggling. She stopped with a gasp when she noticed his eyes. They matched the wolf's eyes from her dream. She remembered suddenly the horror she had felt as she fell and the fright that had clutched her when seeing the animal awake. She breathed deeply as the seen passed before her eyes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" She heard Remus's hurt voice asking. She shook her head, sufficiently clearing away the scene and tried to explain.
"Last night, I had this dream. And Spencer was there, and Randy, and this wolf, but it had…it had your eyes, that's all. I'm fine."
"Well," James said quickly, "Remus is about as un-beastly as you can get." Farren nodded and smiled, shaking her head. She felt like she was being very stupid. The boys looked at each other and nodded.
"Would you quit doing that?" Farren said harshly. They jerked to a stop. Sirius patted her on her shoulder.
"Farren. It's all right. You're being irritable because you're nervous about that dream. Calm down!" He said harshly. She nodded, feeling like she'd just been plunged into ice cold water. "You know," Sirius, said slyly, his eyes glittering, "I hear they have name for your condition. Paranoia!" She hit him lightly upside the head and then led them inside avoiding Remus's eyes.
They had a bit of trouble getting to the first class because of Sirius's insistence that it was the wrong one. "Sirius," Farren said slowly, "You have (a) days and you have (b) days, and you have Fridays. Monday and Wednesday you go to the classes we went to yesterday. Tuesdays and Thursdays we go to American history, Literature, Choir, and technology. On Fridays, we have a alternating days. Today is a B day. Just follow me!
They walked to the classes that day, the boys meeting Mrs. Lays, who was the old American history teacher and who, unlike Ogden, seemed to have a special spot for Farren. The boys became popular in that class too, with both the girls and boys, charming them with their varied personalities and smooth styles. Farren had to laugh at Lays' reaction to the boys. Next class was a different story however, as the literature teacher was young, new, and lenient.
Her name was Rebecca Rogers and she looked like a former yearbook, class president, and homecoming queen type person. Her hair was brown and always held up in a peppy ponytail and her eyes were blue-green hazel. She seemed charmed by the boys, laughed at their pranks and jokes, and basically let things get out of hand. Farren thought she might regret it later.
Choir class was always fun, what with an inspired teacher who really wanted them to learn about and be excited by renascence music history and the song in Latin. She was an averaged height woman who had short, messy blonde hair, who was slightly overweight, and though she enjoyed the pranks and jokes, she saw fit to them only to happen when she wasn't teaching them something. James and Sirius were scolded often.
But technology was the worst. The boys couldn't, for one second, even begin fathom how to assemble a wire and light bulb connection and Sirius was left with hair that rivaled James's and a nasty *shock*. The older male teacher gave him a detention while bellowing, "Didn't I tell you NOT to turn on the switch until after it was assembled? DIDN'T I?" Sirius was left to nurse singed hair, wounded pride, and a stinging body.
When they left, Sirius was in a very bad mood. He slammed from the room, the door bolting back to the frame as if struck by lightning, with the technology teacher, Mr. Neik yelling behind him. James sent him a nasty look, and then switched his gaze to Sirius, who calmed down quite quickly (for Sirius, at least).
"Um, Farren, let's go somewhere to talk," Sirius said, looking unusually serious. Farren stared at him, suspicion, confusion, and trust welling up in her so quickly it was almost overwhelming.
He led the group to the neglected part of the building, peering in to vacant classrooms and looking for something, though what, Farren wasn't sure. He finally stopped in an art room covered in dust and led her in. The rest of the group followed.
Sirius became very quiet and brooding, pacing the floor in quiet thoughts. Peter sat in a chair and pulled his knees up to his chest, averting their eyes and whimpering. James was standing in a corner, quiet and pale. Only Remus seemed willing to tell her what was going on. He was sitting forward on the chair next to her, pale and quiet, looking at her scrutinizing.
"Denarro Abstrudo," he said slowly, deliberately, and quietly.
With those two words, Farren's life changed forever. She suddenly realized everything that had happened in the last two days, she understood everything, and she realized, with conviction, that she did have a crush on Remus. But, at the time, it did not seem very important. Here, in front of her, were four books characters, two of which were dead, one that was a traitor, and one that was a werewolf. All four had traveled, not only from Europe to Colorado, but also in time. And she knew this! All of it!
"Why are you here?" She asked in a hushed whisper. The ice broke and everyone started talking at once. She held up a hand to quiet the group.
"One at a time!"
"All right. So we're all sitting in Divination, which is a complete waste of time if you're not a seer. But we have this teacher, who's a great seer, named Cassandra Vablatasky. She even wrote our textbooks! So she's looking at my crystal ball and goes into this weird trance and drops to the floor. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she goes all still, and she looks like she's having a seizure. Luckily for us, we see this all the time and didn't panic." James paused and Sirius started up the story where he'd left off.
"So she starts talking in this really frightening, even voice, like she's been given truth potion-you do know what truth potion is?" He interrupted himself. Farren nodded and he continued. "And so she starts to tell us this prediction, and I even memorized it, which I don't do often, so listen closely!" Farren nodded and he fell to the floor, rolled his eyes back and half closed them, raising his voice a tone or two, and began to speak in a slow, monotonous voice.
"Your future is determined even now. The girl you will marry and the child you will have are subjected to pain. You and the girl shall die at the hands of a traitor. But, three and nine times years future at a rising country of democracy, in a town Collins called in a central snow state, a girl with lion mane red hair and exceptional knowledge can help you. She will help you…" And Sirius got up to enjoy the shocked look on Farren's face.
"Me… I can help you?"
"You," Remus said firmly. "As soon as she had said this she snapped out of her trance and couldn't remember what she'd said, but told us she had a feeling of 'unease' about us and that James should leave to consider her words. We went with him, of course, and wrote down what she'd said and decided to study it for a while. Well, 'three and nine times years future' would be twenty-seven years, and a rising country of democracy would be America. So then we had to find a book about America's states, and we came to know that Colorado was a snow state. Well, she'd told us about Collins, indirectly, and you, kind of. So then we went to muggle studies class, which, for reasons unknown, we decided to take, and when we were there, we convinced Dumbledore and Jenkins, he's the muggle studies professor, to let us go on a trip 'to muggle future'. Of course, Dumbledore was all for it, being Dumbledore, but Jenkins wasn't. Luckily, he couldn't do much."
"So, we came here. We told Dumbledore we'd stay close to Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and such, but I think he knows we're here, taking care of Jamsie's future!" Sirius said joyfully. Farren giggled. "So," Sirius continued, "What do you know?"
"Wait, how do you know I'm the one? Or if I am the one, what if other people know to?" Farren said skeptically, not wanting to tell them that millions of muggles had read the books and knew about the four boys.
"You fit the description. And you've been breaking through the spell all week." Peter piped up.
"Even if other people do know, somehow, you're different. We all can feel it." Remus said. Farren blushed. Sirius, James, and Peter nodded their agreement.
Then Farren's eyes lit on James, dead for so long already, and Sirius, just having died; yet here they stood, in front of her! She turned away so as to not let them see her. Peter scuffled his feet nervously and Farren had the sudden thought that it would be better for everyone if he died then and there. Hate flared in her stomach nastily. Remus put his arm around her shoulder.
"Whatever it is, you can tell us. Tell us what you know. You know something," Remus said gently.
"I c-can't," Farren choked out, but didn't cry. It had been years since she'd cried. "It would change everything! It would kill more people than it would save. Harry, Voldemort, everything!"
Remus tightened his arm around her. "Shhh, Farren, it's all right. Give us something; tell us something-" Farren shook her head drastically.
"I can't. I know only of the future generation. I can't tell you. It might get millions, even trillions of people killed! I couldn't do that!" Remus pushed away from her.
"You mean to say," Sirius said, his British accent brimming with unmistakable anger, "that you know how to stop James's death, and yet you won't? Because of millions of nameless and faceless people that you don't even know? You know James! You can save him! Will you sentence him, a friend, to death, to save people who you don't know, who could be your enemies?" Farren swallowed hard. Sirius was obviously furiously loyal. Even Remus was looking scandalized. Farren felt anger flare up in her immediately.
"Would you kill millions to save one?" She demanded of him, her voice loud and powerful in the small classroom, and even she was frightened by the magnitude of it.
"If it would save my friends, yes I would!"
"And what if you are the traitor in question, Sirius Black? What then?" Sirius stopped dead, staring at her, anger causing him to grind his teeth loudly. In two steps, he was in front of her. Farren didn't even see him raise his hand, nor did she have time to react as the back of his palm swung forward across her face. His knuckles knocked into the bone next to her left eyes, and she reeled back sharply. Surely she would have bruises there later. The bone itself felt as if it were on fire.
"Sirius!" Remus shouted, leaping forward and grabbing the arm he was once again raising. James, shouting illegibly, grabbed the other arm. Together, the two boys pulled him back towards the trembling Peter. Farren turned sharply on her heel, and strode to the doorway, not feeling the pain yet.
Once there, she turned towards them, and spoke words that each would remember until they died.
"It was merely a suggestion, Black. You are not the traitor, for you are too vain and loyal to become one. But when you are wasting away, realizing that you could have saved them, remember that I tried to tell you. Do not trust the rat." And with those words, she turned towards the door and walked out composedly, running only when out of their sights. She grabbed her bags and books in record time, and was down the stairs and to the door before she heard pounding feet behind her.
She rushed past the throngs of kids waiting leave, and sped out the door before the bell had rung. She knew it was very likely that she would get in trouble for this and sure enough, when she passed Mr. Neik waiting for the waves of exiting students, he grabbed her arm growling, "Where do you think you are going?"
"Please," She sobbed, turning her bruised face in his direction, "Please. I must get on the bus before-before…" She trailed off and the teacher, staring at the bruise that was already forming, gently let go and patted her on the back, sending her away. Minutes later, she could hear him shouting at what sounded like a group of very desperate boys. She could not even work up a smile at Sirius's whining.
Tanya once again was sitting at the bus's front and did not fail to notice Farren's early arrival. She stared at her, gapping widely. Leaping up, she grabbed Farren's arm and pulled her down into the seat directly behind her, which was always empty.
"I knew that claustrophobic story was strange. You're having boy troubles! I can tell by those bruises. I myself had an abusive boyfriend for a while. You just tell him off, girl, don't let him get to you! No wonder you moved…" She trailed off, glaring at the rest of the passengers who had just arrived. Remus opened his mouth to say something to Farren, but Tanya, her eyes on the four boys, wouldn't have that.
"You four better just stay far away from her while you're on this bus! You hear me?" She hollered loudly. Remus looked quite shocked, but an odd stubborn expression lit his features and he sat down behind her, next to Peter, while James and Sirius took the seat across from her, Sirius closest. Farren scooted to the window, clenching her jaw stubbornly.
"I told you-" Tanya started, but all of Farren's hopes were smashed as the bus ahead started moving, and Tanya, panicking, sat down quickly and lurched the bus forward. For a few moments she forgot to close the door.
Farren physically shuddered as she gazed out at the gorgeous Friday afternoon. She could feel their presence like a physical force, and at the moment felt only resentment towards them, though later, she probably would miss their friendship, if you could call it that.
"Farren," came Remus's voice in her ear. She scooted up towards the driver seat farther.
"Farren, please, I didn't mean to, I just- Farren…" Sirius tried. Angrily Farren pressed her forehead to the window, at the same time curling her knees up under her.
"Farren," Remus started again, "He said he was sorry…"
"Give it up, Remus!" Farren said angrily. "He did not apologize, nor do I think his pride will ever allow him too!" She turned in her seat harshly to glare into his eyes.
"He apologized more sincerely than he would under normal circumstances. He didn't mean too!"
"Oh yes, it is so easy to slip ones hand across ones face hard enough that it bruises. I'm sure it was pure clumsiness!" She said sarcastically. Remus stared at her, the five silent enough that you could have heard a heart breaking. Farren heard it. She was just in confusion about rather it was her heart or Remus's.
"He's trying to apologize and you won't give him a chance," Remus said finally, his eyes flashing angrily.
"It sounds to me as if he's having you apologize for him!"
"You won't listen to him!"
"And what makes you think I will listen to you?"
"Farren…"
"What?" She snapped.
"You really don't want to do this. You know this is a stupid fight-you know we should still be friends."
"And you only want to be around me so I can tell you your futures! I can find people who really want to be my friends! I can go back to Texas with a simple phone call, you arrogant, conceited, prideful wizard! "
Remus jerked back as if she had hit him. His eyes registered hurt that reflected on all three other pairs of eyes looking at her. She turned back around. Then she took out a book called *Both Sides of Time* and wondered if it was possible for it to be a more appropriate book. The main character, Anna Sophia, had fallen back in time and thinks she is in love, only to return to the present and find that on both sides of time had she disrupted normal activity and caused trouble. Farren sighed loudly and fished in her backpack for a book that didn't hit so close to home. She didn't find one.
"Ugh," She murmured.
"You don't honestly think that's the only reason we're you friends, do you Farren?" James's voice broke through her disgust.
"Abusive ex-friends, and what else should I think?"
"Farren, I'm really, really, really, really, really sorry, and I'll never do anything like that again. I just-didn't think, Farren. I'm stupid, okay? I let my anger get in the way of my common sense. James and Remus aren't even talking to me, so don't be mad at them, please, it was my fault, really." Sirius blurted out. They all stared at them.
"I forgive you," Farren said abruptly.
"Me?" Sirius asked doubtfully.
"No, the ones who didn't do anything," Farren said nastily. Sirius's face fell and Farren suddenly felt like a jerk. She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the seat with her. He didn't look at her, but she gave him a gigantic hug anyway, whispering loudly into his sweatshirt as she did.
"Do anything like that again and I'll send you back to the Stone Age with no way to get back." He laughed and she heard the others chuckle as well.
"Now, get back in you own seat, you great lump!" She said, pushing him back into his seat with James. She heard Remus sigh in relief behind her.
"We're all f-forgiven, right?" Peter stuttered out.
"Yep!" Farren replied. "Besides, you really didn't do much, Peter."
"Hey!" James and Remus chorused together.
"Okay, so James really didn't do much either."
"Hey!"
"You yelled at me!"
"You were being insufferable!"
"You were arguing with me!"
"You weren't giving him a chance!"
"You weren't giving me a chance!"
"You said awful things!"
"Only in response to your terrible logic!"
"You said you could go back!"
"I can, if I desire!"
"You wouldn't give us a chance!"
"He'd hit me!"
"You ignored us and started reading that stupid book!"
"It's not stupid!
"And making little sighing noises!"
"You didn't have to be so obsessed that you listened!"
"I'm not obsessed!"
"I know!"
"Then why did you say-"?
"Because of the look you get on you face when people say things like that!"
"You do know that we're not really fighting?"
"Of course not! We're having a friendly debate!"
"Right! So why do you infuriate me so?"
"Because you love me!"
"I don't!"
"I know, but that expression is sooooooo fun to see-"
"You are so maddening!"
"Well you are too."
"Name one person who finds me maddening!"
"Farren."
"Besides you."
"Wanderer, Brave soul."
"I'm not going to fall for that. I looked up what your name means last night. "
"Obsessed!"
"I am not. I was simply curious."
"It is so much fun to reduce nearly grown boys to three year old arguing status!"
"Properly, that would be considered toddler stage."
"And you know this because you're father to one?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, then how did you know?"
"Common sense!"
"U-huh."
"Oh, I hate you."
"Dislike with a passion would sound more correct."
"I don't hate you, I was just mad."
"Of course you don't! You dislike me with a passion!"
"No, really, I don't!"
"Yep!"
"Because I'm not that mean."
"Sure, and I'm Elizabeth II, bow to my presence!"
"If it proves my niceness, gladly!"
"Kiss my ring then, little servant. And when you are done, read me all the letters from my adoring public, and then get me my husband, so we can discuss this years wedding anniversary. After that, grab all three tons of my clothes, make-up, jewelry, and hair things, and bring them down here."
"Sometimes-"
"Sometimes-"
"You are so-"
"You are so-"
"Quit mocking me!"
"Qui-"
"Stop!"
"He loves you, Farren!" James broke in. Tanya, Sirius, James, Peter, and several homework doers laughed. Remus blushed. Farren hit Sirius, who in turn hit James, who in turn hit Sirius, who in turn lightly hit Farren. She laughed.
"Young love is so fickle at times." Sirius said dreamily.
"Oh, shut-up," Farren said. "Besides," her eyes lit up brightly, "what about James and Lily Evans. They aren't even friends and they fight! And, he's in love with her!"
"How did you know about that? I don't love her!"
"I can see all! And you do so!" Farren replied. "Oh, and James Jr. is a terrible name for a son. Go with something common, yet dignified."
"It is not a terrible name!"
"I'm not going into this with you."
"Of course, you only do that with Remus."
"Of course. His intelligence is the only one equal to the extremely high quality of mine."
"Or, there could be other reasons, of a more personal value…" Sirius put in.
"Of course there could be." Farren answered composedly.
"Ooooo!" James and Sirius chorused.
"Perhaps he's a better friend then you."
"Ouch, Farren. Just…ouch." Sirius said. Farren laughed.
"Um, isn't this your stop?" She asked, as the bus started to pull away.
"Oh!" The boys leapt up shouting, tumbling out the door to stand on the sidewalk and wave at Farren. She waved back, smiling. What would she do without them? The bus pulled off and she sat back in her seat, her lips curling into a large smile that made her eyes light up and her cheeks flush, forgetting about the bruise next to her eye or about her homework, or Spencer, or anything. It was bliss.
When she got off the bus and walked into the house, eagerly anticipating the weekend, she had all but forgotten about the bruise, or their brief fight. However, Martha was sitting as she always was at the desk, turned around to greet the kids and spotted Farren's contusion. Her gasp was enough to remind Farren. She stopped dead and wondered if she could escape. She decided she couldn't.
"Farren- what happened?" She gasped out. Farren wasn't one to lie, but she wasn't sure what to say.
"Well, I was exploring the old part of the school building, and, well, it's not the most safe part of the school and…" she trailed off, hoping Martha would think she had tripped. She did.
"Oh, dear, what are we going to do?" Martha said, looking panicky and uncertain for a few moments. But then, her maternal instincts kicked in.
"Spencer, I want you to go grab the ice pack from the upstairs hallway. Come back down here and fill it with ice and a bit of cold water. Grab a small towel why you're up there!" Then she approached Farren, soothingly pulling her into a chair and touching the bruise. She frowned, a small line appearing in between her two brows, and walked over to the medicine cabinet.
"Tylenol," she murmured, holding the bottle up, "or should I go with Advil?" She selected the Tylenol and opened the cap. After she had pulled the two pills out and closed the lid, she opened the cabinet, all business, and pulled out a glass. She set it under their automatic water dispenser that was in the refrigerator door and when it was full, handed it and the pills to Farren. She swallowed them as Spencer came back with a peach towel and a light blue icepack. He filled it and thrust the two objects at her and left stomping.
Martha gently placed the bag over her eye and sent her off to her room. Farren walked up the stairs slowly, balancing her book bag over her shoulders as she went. When she got to the room, she plugged in her laptop so it could charge and laid down on the bed, icepack over her eye and book in her hand. Twenty minutes later she had finished the book and was quite bored. She slowly closed both her eyes and relaxed into the bed, wondering if Martha had given her P.M. Tylenol.
Two and a half hours later, Farren felt someone begin to shake her shoulders carefully. She opened her drowsy eyes and noticed that the ice pack had long since slid off her face. She peered through her sleepy lids to see who was shaking her and, once her eyes had adjusted to the light, recognized the man as Harold Smith.
"Hello, Mr. Smith," She murmured sleepily.
"Hello, Farren. Nice to see you awake and living!" He answered her happily. "Would you like to come down for dinner, or would you rather go back to sleep?"
"I'll come down. I'm rather hungry, anyhow." He nodded at her and she sat up in the bad, wondering what they were having. She shook her head and stood up. For a few seconds, the room spun around her and she was disoriented, but soon it stopped and she quickly left and went down stairs. The Smith's were waiting for her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said quietly, sitting down and bowing her head as Mr. Smith said the prayer.
Dinner that night was enjoyable. Farren's good mood had carried over after her nap, and she eagerly joined the conversation.
"So, Farren. Tell us more about yourself. What do you like to do?" Mr. Smith asked her pleasantly.
"Well," Farren said slowly, considering, "I like to write stories. And read. And ride horses. And I like to roller blade! And drive. I have my Texas license."
"Really?" Martha asked, looking highly interested. "There's an excellent riding stable we could sign you up at. And a cute little bookstore."
"And there's Spencer's truck if you'd like to drive it some time." Mr. Smith broke in. Farren nodded eagerly.
"That all sounds wonderful!" She said excitedly. "I'd love to take some more riding lessons. I was in a horse show when I was at a home for four months. It was in Kentucky!"
"Really?" Spencer said maliciously. "Why did they decide not to adopt you? Did you kill the horse?"
"Spencer!" Martha said harshly. Farren stared at her plate and tried not to remember that day. Unfortunately, the memory flooded back anyway.
Nearly a year ago, Farren had been sent to a wonderful farm in Kentucky to a couple that couldn't have children. They owned a racetrack and many wonderful horses that she loved to ride. They praised her riding often and even aloud her to go in a show on a horse that Farren had been helping to get back in shape after an accident. She had done wonderful at the show until she had gotten to the twelfth jump. It was a difficult one, three in a row with just enough room for a stride in between each jump. Farren hadn't been worried though, because she was particularly good at such jumps. However, she hadn't been counting on the cameraman.
The huge gray gelding she was riding was named Manchester's Gray Man. Chester was a very famous horse in the hunter jumper world, and his accident had left many people hurting. Even Farren, who rarely managed to pick up a horse magazine with her pocket money, knew of his fame, and was pained by his accident. So, when she was asked to help get him in shape, she had been thrilled. Now, riding him in his first show since, many reporters wanted to catch an interview with the owners, rider, and a picture of the horse.
The flashbulb had gone off just before the second jump. Chester had pulled up harshly; turning the best he could to avoid collision. This had sent him left side first into the jump, knocking him off and Farren had gone flying towards the ground. Chester had landed right on the jump and slid into the third, sufficiently breaking his cannon bone in one of his legs. The damage had been unfixable, and Chester had been put down. Farren could remember standing by his side, talking soothingly and stroking his head as he went. Not a week later, she was back in Texas. She herself had made the phone call. She could not stand staying there.
Pushing her chair back harshly from the table, Farren stood up. The chair toppled behind her onto the immaculate floor, but she didn't stop to push it back up. She walked swiftly from the room, stopping at the door.
"I'd like to take lessons," she said quickly. And then she ran up the stairs, falling into bed to sob into the pillow. She fell asleep quickly with tears stains streaking her cheeks.