AN: I have never eaten rutabaga, nor do I want to.
Valarauko: You're back! Yay! Wow, that must have been a LOTTA reading, huh? Thanks for the compliment, though I'm not sure it's true. (haha)
Danae: Yay! Thankees to you! *frowns* Fine then, TAKE HIM!! *sobs uncontrollably*
This Parrot has ceased to be: Awesome name by the way. OMG! Your favorite paragraph was *my* favorite paragraph. That's just creepy. Wow, we've got a deepthinking review here. I just thought a storm would be a nice mood to give the feeling that something's changed and gone dreadfully wrong. Can I borrow your brain for school or something?
Neoma: Thanks! Really good? I sure hope so. . .
Nixiy: Yes, Peter will be ever-so-increasingly evil. And Snape will grow a backbone. Haha.
Nikki: Please note this is 16 years before that. He's on his way, so be patient for the evilness to shine through. (haha) I think this chapter should help. And yes, I have been making Snape a little too corrupt. Thanks for your advice, you have no ideahow much it helps!! Oh, and sorry for killing Dorcas and the Prewetts. It sorta had to happen, but I'm still sorry.
All4DaEstrada: Yay for Emmy! *hugs Emmy* Well, I'm glad you like it, despite the impending tragedy later on. I'm trying to find an optimistic note to leave it on, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for conflict.
~~
Rebecca woke to a tentative knock on her door. Slightly annoyed by the fact that her small chance of sleep had just perished, she slowly got up - a little disoriented by her exhaustion.
She opened the door roughly with an unenthusiastic hello, but her sleepy eyes snapped wide open when she found herself face to face with the person who'd made her night so difficult.
Despite his cold features, a small smile fluttered across Remus's face. "Did I wake you?"
Rebecca shook her head numbly, stepping back to let him inside.
They stood still for a moment, searching each other's faces. Rebecca was confused and a little lost, but then again, perhaps it was because she hadn't eaten in a while. Nevertheless, she had a reason to be confused. After all, she had no clue what Remus wanted.
So why did he look just as lost and confused?
"You okay?" he asked, still not moving to sit down or make himself more comfortable.
"Yeah," came Rebecca's faint reply.
"And Jamie?"
Rebecca glanced behind her. "She's finally asleep," she said, her eyes drooping, and her body threatening to lose consciousness, despite the fact that she was standing.
Remus's face softened as something seemed to dawn on him. "Have you had any sleep?" he asked with quiet concern.
Rebecca let her shoulders drop, ready to confess that she hadn't. But instead, she decided to turn the tables. She'd had enough of talking about herself.
"Have you?" she asked him with just as much concern.
With the faintest trace of a warm smile, Remus shook his head. "I'm fine," he said reassuringly.
"You could have died," she blurted, as if the statement had been pushing its way out until she'd finally opened her mouth to let it. "You're not fine."
Whatever happiness was present in his face seemed to flee at her words, but a certain determined hope remained in his eyes. "Yes," he confessed. "I could have."
Rebecca felt a wave of self-hatred for driving away his only happiness wash over her. She bit her lip.
"I can't tell you nobody tried to kill me," he continued, to Rebecca's surprise. "Still, I managed to dodge the curses and make my way out alive. . . but for what? So I could come over and visit you the next day?" He stopped, gazing at the carpet as if it held the answers for him.
Rebecca merely stood in a speechless stupor, still trying to digest his words.
"One slip and I'd be dead," he said, shaking his head slowly. After a few eternally prolonged moments, he brought his head up to meet Rebecca's intent gaze. The way he was acting was really beginning to scare her, but she said nothing. "And that's why I came."
Rebecca frowned with bewilderment. "You came because you almost died?" What was there to say? He wasn't making any sense.
He shook his head, walking forward to stand in front of her. "I came because I've only just realized I don't have all the time in the world as I used to."
Rebecca felt a surge of different emotions enter her body in a chaotic tidal wave, causing her eyes to sting. It was hard to keep track of everything with all the sympathy, fear, pity, misery, and, of all things, love.
"I can't wait for things to happen themselves when I seem to be losing opportunities left and right. . ." His voice trailed off and Rebecca began to feel the warmth of his body - hearing his heart beating almost as fast as hers. He glanced at her lips quickly before closing the distance between them.
At that sudden blissful instant, a loud wail sounded somewhere behind her, declaring that her daughter was wide awake, for whatever reasons. Closing her eyes in despair, Rebecca stepped back from his embrace.
She turned her back to him reluctantly, but before she could leave to tend to her crying baby, an arm caught hers, turning her around.
"Marry me?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Peter sat silently, intently watching the other members of the Order of the Phoenix, yet feeling worlds away from them.
Tides of guilt had weathered away at his heart for so long, he could feel it numbing. He looked around the room at people he'd known for a little while, and others he'd known most of his life. But now it was different since he'd already crossed the point of no return. He didn't feel the sympathy they felt for the Bones family - after all, it was him who had killed them, in a way.
He couldn't be a friend and an enemy at once, he'd concluded - it was too emotionally overwhelming. Eventually, he would bring everyone in this room to their deaths, and it was better to accept it sooner than later. By now, he'd learned to hate love.
Peter was one of the select few who didn't shed tears that day for the loss of Edgar Bones and his wife. Rather, he smiled inwardly as he noticed how much less crowded the room was compared to a year ago.
The Order was failing, and Peter began to feel pride for being a part of that victory.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Sirius?" Lily called when she heard the familiar crack that indicated Apparation. Her call was answered by the sound of cupboards opening and closing. She entered the kitchen to see it was exactly who she'd thought.
"Why do you insist on eating here everyday?" she asked with obvious frustration and amusement.
"Because I can't cook," he answered as if it should have been obvious. "What's for lunch?"
James walked in with one bottle of baby food in each hand. "Squashed peas, or creamed rutabaga?"
Lily vanquished both bottles with her wand, and began raiding the cupboards muttering, "There's got to be something more appetizing than that."
"Harry's calling you," Sirius said when he heard a baby starting to cry.
"You'd think his Godfather might help out every once in a while," she muttered sarcastically as she left the kitchen. Sirius grinned as he watched her leave.
"Did Remus tell you what he did yesterday?" James asked in a solemn tone, shaking his head.
"What'd he do?" Sirius replied with a drastic change in attitude - cold and seemingly uninterested.
"He proposed to Rebecca," James said with a bitter laugh.
"Oh really?" Sirius replied offhandedly. "And?"
James frowned enormously. "She said no."
Sirius burst out with a sudden barking laugh. "I don't blame the poor girl."
With a shocked raise of his eyebrows, James replied, "Excuse me?"
Sirius waved his hand as if it were of no importance. "He always keeps to himself - kind of hard to trust the guy, isn't it?"
"Blimey," James said, nearly disgusted. "You still on about him?" To this, Sirius nodded his head emphatically. James paused, his mind working furiously to figure out what might have started this in Sirius - someone who he'd come to understand so well.
"Well if you're about to suspect Remus, it's a little hard to overlook Peter," James began. "He's never around, and when he is he's a bit jittery."
Sirius rolled his eyes in frustration. "Have a little faith in the guy. He saved your life, after all, didn't he?"
"And you think Moony wouldn't do the same?" James replied with an inquisitive raise of his eyebrow. He kept his voice calm, since he didn't feel comfortable yelling at Sirius. It was hard to believe they never fought, at least not out loud, but it was true.
Sirius opened his mouth as if to counter this question, but he stopped when waves of daunting memories flooded into his mind. His eyes lost their competitive fire, and an unnaturally haunting darkness crept across his face. "Have you already forgotten the countless times he's tried to kill us?"
James took a horrified step back. "That wasn't him, Sirius. That was. . . he isn't himself when that happens."
Sirius scowled. He couldn't help but feel that maybe James was right, but he wouldn't admit it. The fire inside of him had flared enormously, and by now, it was nearly impossible to put out. Hatred had once again gotten a hold of him.
"How are we supposed to know that?" he answered testily. "Wouldn't that be the perfect excuse if someone had stopped him from murder? Don't you remember how obsessive with perfection he was at school? He's not right in the head, James."
James just shook his head in disbelief. He thought war would bring out the best in people - courage, love, loyalty, and bravery. Why did suspicion and hate have to be put into the equation?
"You always told me you'd die for your friends, mate," James said quietly. "What will you die for now?"
Valarauko: You're back! Yay! Wow, that must have been a LOTTA reading, huh? Thanks for the compliment, though I'm not sure it's true. (haha)
Danae: Yay! Thankees to you! *frowns* Fine then, TAKE HIM!! *sobs uncontrollably*
This Parrot has ceased to be: Awesome name by the way. OMG! Your favorite paragraph was *my* favorite paragraph. That's just creepy. Wow, we've got a deepthinking review here. I just thought a storm would be a nice mood to give the feeling that something's changed and gone dreadfully wrong. Can I borrow your brain for school or something?
Neoma: Thanks! Really good? I sure hope so. . .
Nixiy: Yes, Peter will be ever-so-increasingly evil. And Snape will grow a backbone. Haha.
Nikki: Please note this is 16 years before that. He's on his way, so be patient for the evilness to shine through. (haha) I think this chapter should help. And yes, I have been making Snape a little too corrupt. Thanks for your advice, you have no ideahow much it helps!! Oh, and sorry for killing Dorcas and the Prewetts. It sorta had to happen, but I'm still sorry.
All4DaEstrada: Yay for Emmy! *hugs Emmy* Well, I'm glad you like it, despite the impending tragedy later on. I'm trying to find an optimistic note to leave it on, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for conflict.
~~
Rebecca woke to a tentative knock on her door. Slightly annoyed by the fact that her small chance of sleep had just perished, she slowly got up - a little disoriented by her exhaustion.
She opened the door roughly with an unenthusiastic hello, but her sleepy eyes snapped wide open when she found herself face to face with the person who'd made her night so difficult.
Despite his cold features, a small smile fluttered across Remus's face. "Did I wake you?"
Rebecca shook her head numbly, stepping back to let him inside.
They stood still for a moment, searching each other's faces. Rebecca was confused and a little lost, but then again, perhaps it was because she hadn't eaten in a while. Nevertheless, she had a reason to be confused. After all, she had no clue what Remus wanted.
So why did he look just as lost and confused?
"You okay?" he asked, still not moving to sit down or make himself more comfortable.
"Yeah," came Rebecca's faint reply.
"And Jamie?"
Rebecca glanced behind her. "She's finally asleep," she said, her eyes drooping, and her body threatening to lose consciousness, despite the fact that she was standing.
Remus's face softened as something seemed to dawn on him. "Have you had any sleep?" he asked with quiet concern.
Rebecca let her shoulders drop, ready to confess that she hadn't. But instead, she decided to turn the tables. She'd had enough of talking about herself.
"Have you?" she asked him with just as much concern.
With the faintest trace of a warm smile, Remus shook his head. "I'm fine," he said reassuringly.
"You could have died," she blurted, as if the statement had been pushing its way out until she'd finally opened her mouth to let it. "You're not fine."
Whatever happiness was present in his face seemed to flee at her words, but a certain determined hope remained in his eyes. "Yes," he confessed. "I could have."
Rebecca felt a wave of self-hatred for driving away his only happiness wash over her. She bit her lip.
"I can't tell you nobody tried to kill me," he continued, to Rebecca's surprise. "Still, I managed to dodge the curses and make my way out alive. . . but for what? So I could come over and visit you the next day?" He stopped, gazing at the carpet as if it held the answers for him.
Rebecca merely stood in a speechless stupor, still trying to digest his words.
"One slip and I'd be dead," he said, shaking his head slowly. After a few eternally prolonged moments, he brought his head up to meet Rebecca's intent gaze. The way he was acting was really beginning to scare her, but she said nothing. "And that's why I came."
Rebecca frowned with bewilderment. "You came because you almost died?" What was there to say? He wasn't making any sense.
He shook his head, walking forward to stand in front of her. "I came because I've only just realized I don't have all the time in the world as I used to."
Rebecca felt a surge of different emotions enter her body in a chaotic tidal wave, causing her eyes to sting. It was hard to keep track of everything with all the sympathy, fear, pity, misery, and, of all things, love.
"I can't wait for things to happen themselves when I seem to be losing opportunities left and right. . ." His voice trailed off and Rebecca began to feel the warmth of his body - hearing his heart beating almost as fast as hers. He glanced at her lips quickly before closing the distance between them.
At that sudden blissful instant, a loud wail sounded somewhere behind her, declaring that her daughter was wide awake, for whatever reasons. Closing her eyes in despair, Rebecca stepped back from his embrace.
She turned her back to him reluctantly, but before she could leave to tend to her crying baby, an arm caught hers, turning her around.
"Marry me?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Peter sat silently, intently watching the other members of the Order of the Phoenix, yet feeling worlds away from them.
Tides of guilt had weathered away at his heart for so long, he could feel it numbing. He looked around the room at people he'd known for a little while, and others he'd known most of his life. But now it was different since he'd already crossed the point of no return. He didn't feel the sympathy they felt for the Bones family - after all, it was him who had killed them, in a way.
He couldn't be a friend and an enemy at once, he'd concluded - it was too emotionally overwhelming. Eventually, he would bring everyone in this room to their deaths, and it was better to accept it sooner than later. By now, he'd learned to hate love.
Peter was one of the select few who didn't shed tears that day for the loss of Edgar Bones and his wife. Rather, he smiled inwardly as he noticed how much less crowded the room was compared to a year ago.
The Order was failing, and Peter began to feel pride for being a part of that victory.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Sirius?" Lily called when she heard the familiar crack that indicated Apparation. Her call was answered by the sound of cupboards opening and closing. She entered the kitchen to see it was exactly who she'd thought.
"Why do you insist on eating here everyday?" she asked with obvious frustration and amusement.
"Because I can't cook," he answered as if it should have been obvious. "What's for lunch?"
James walked in with one bottle of baby food in each hand. "Squashed peas, or creamed rutabaga?"
Lily vanquished both bottles with her wand, and began raiding the cupboards muttering, "There's got to be something more appetizing than that."
"Harry's calling you," Sirius said when he heard a baby starting to cry.
"You'd think his Godfather might help out every once in a while," she muttered sarcastically as she left the kitchen. Sirius grinned as he watched her leave.
"Did Remus tell you what he did yesterday?" James asked in a solemn tone, shaking his head.
"What'd he do?" Sirius replied with a drastic change in attitude - cold and seemingly uninterested.
"He proposed to Rebecca," James said with a bitter laugh.
"Oh really?" Sirius replied offhandedly. "And?"
James frowned enormously. "She said no."
Sirius burst out with a sudden barking laugh. "I don't blame the poor girl."
With a shocked raise of his eyebrows, James replied, "Excuse me?"
Sirius waved his hand as if it were of no importance. "He always keeps to himself - kind of hard to trust the guy, isn't it?"
"Blimey," James said, nearly disgusted. "You still on about him?" To this, Sirius nodded his head emphatically. James paused, his mind working furiously to figure out what might have started this in Sirius - someone who he'd come to understand so well.
"Well if you're about to suspect Remus, it's a little hard to overlook Peter," James began. "He's never around, and when he is he's a bit jittery."
Sirius rolled his eyes in frustration. "Have a little faith in the guy. He saved your life, after all, didn't he?"
"And you think Moony wouldn't do the same?" James replied with an inquisitive raise of his eyebrow. He kept his voice calm, since he didn't feel comfortable yelling at Sirius. It was hard to believe they never fought, at least not out loud, but it was true.
Sirius opened his mouth as if to counter this question, but he stopped when waves of daunting memories flooded into his mind. His eyes lost their competitive fire, and an unnaturally haunting darkness crept across his face. "Have you already forgotten the countless times he's tried to kill us?"
James took a horrified step back. "That wasn't him, Sirius. That was. . . he isn't himself when that happens."
Sirius scowled. He couldn't help but feel that maybe James was right, but he wouldn't admit it. The fire inside of him had flared enormously, and by now, it was nearly impossible to put out. Hatred had once again gotten a hold of him.
"How are we supposed to know that?" he answered testily. "Wouldn't that be the perfect excuse if someone had stopped him from murder? Don't you remember how obsessive with perfection he was at school? He's not right in the head, James."
James just shook his head in disbelief. He thought war would bring out the best in people - courage, love, loyalty, and bravery. Why did suspicion and hate have to be put into the equation?
"You always told me you'd die for your friends, mate," James said quietly. "What will you die for now?"
