Dancing with a Werewolf
Disclaimer: Look at the other freakin chapters
Chapter Five - Exposed
-Rozlyn P.O.V.-
She was floating. Literally. She was in the middle of flying lessons, but she felt so lightheaded that she was sure she'd be floating even if she was on the ground.
Rozlyn couldn't believe it. She had actually talked with Remus Lupin for a whole hour this morning. And then her headache had miraculously disappeared by the time Lily had come to check on her. So reluctantly she had to leave for the rest of her classes. But he had said goodbye to her, and he looked disappointed that she had to go.
She couldn't keep her happiness a secret from Lily. As soon as they had gotten in the hallway, Lily demanded that she "tell all." So Rozlyn, blushing the entire time, told Lily what had taken place, and as she predicted, Lily freaked out.
"You told him that you think his voice is sexy?" Lily had gasped.
"No!" Rozlyn had exclaimed, mortified. "I said I liked his voice, not that I found it sexy."
"Same difference," Lily said. "Either way . . . you like him, don't you." It hadn't been a question. And Rozlyn hadn't answered her.
(A/N: Do fifth years still take flying lessons? I dunno)
~_~
Flying lessons were the last class of the day, so Gryffindor retired to the tower to wash up for dinner. Rozlyn finished getting ready before Evelyn, Lynda, Sasha, and Lily did, so she flopped on her bed to wait for her roommates to finish. They always walked to the Great Hall together.
She felt like writing, so she pulled out her diary and opened it to a fresh page.
*_*
Jan 26
He talked to me today for an entire hour! I really, really like him, a LOT. His voice makes me swoon. His eyes make me melt. His smile makes me blush. Everything about Remus J. Lupin is perfect. I don't know if I should write this here, but I think I'm falling in love with him.
I just wish I knew how he felt about me.
*_*
Rozlyn signed it on the bottom of the page the same way she sighed all of her entries: Rozlyn Lucida Jenkins. (A/N: hey! She has the same initials as Remus, just in a different order. Go figure. I didn't even notice.)
"Hey, Rozlyn, let's go," Sasha said from the doorway.
Rozlyn jumped up and stuffed the small diary in the back pocket of her jeans. It stuck out a little, but that would have to do. She didn't normally carry her diary around, but if anyone read it now . . .
They entered the Great Hall, and Rozlyn's eyes immediately began scanning for Remus. She didn't see him anywhere. She frowned, and she was still frowning when they sat down near James, Sirius, and Peter.
Lily noticed her frown and nudged her. "What is it?" Lily asked.
Rozlyn shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just not that hungry, I guess. Excuse me." She stood up, and started to leave the Great Hall. 'Remus would be in the Hospital Wing, wouldn't he?' she thought. 'Though, I suppose he could be in his dorm.'
"Watch it!" an unpleasantly familiar voice said.
She stopped right before Snape. She had been about to run into him. He was blocking the exit to the hallway.
"Sorry," she said hastily. She didn't have time for him right now.
He sneered at her, and started to walk around her. Suddenly, she felt something being snatched from her pocket. She spun around and stared in shock. An icy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she said, her voice shaking a little. He had her diary! In his hand. She willed herself to calm down. She couldn't allow him to see how much this affected her, or else he wouldn't give it back.
She took a deep breath and glared at him. "Give it back to me," she said as calmly as she could manage.
Snape smirked at her, and the icy feeling grew stronger. He flipped her diary open to the last page. Rozlyn's eyes widened. "Wh-what are you doing!?" she repeated, on the verge of hysterics.
People suddenly stopped what they were doing, and stared at them. Snape glanced at her mildly, then he started to smile a sinister smile. "Reading," he replied.
"Don't -" she said as her eyes welled up with tears. "Don't -"
"What did you say? Don't read it to myself? What? You want me to read it aloud?" His smile widened. "With pleasure."
"NO!" Rozlyn exclaimed. The tears were flat out falling now. "Give it back!"
The entire Great Hall had gone silent. 'Where are the teachers?' Rozlyn thought, frantically. 'Where's Lily?'
"January twenty-six," Snape read loudly.
Rozlyn looked around in terror. No one was coming to help her! Where was Lily?
"He talked to me today for an entire hour. I really, really like him a lot," Snape turned to find all eyes on him. He was all out grinning now.
Rozlyn would have been amazed that he was even grinning, had she not been so upset about her diary. The tears cascaded down her face. Suddenly, she saw James and Sirius coming over out of the corner of her eyes.
"His voice makes me swoon. His eyes make me melt. His smile makes me blush," Snape continued. He hadn't seen Sirius and James, yet.
Rozlyn stared at him. 'What were they doing?' her mind was screaming. 'Why were they taking so long to rescue her?'
"Everything about Remus J. Lupin is perfect," Snape finished, triumphantly.
James was behind him ready to snatch the diary, but at those words he froze. Everyone froze. Rozlyn froze. She wanted to die. She wanted to slip through the floor and die, but she couldn't. So instead, she ran.
"Rozlyn! Rozlyn!" she heard Lily shout behind her. "Rozlyn, what happened?"
"It doesn't matter!" Rozlyn cried. "EVERYONE KNOWS, NOW! EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING!"
"Rozlyn, I'm sorry - " Lily whispered.
Rozlyn spun around and stared at her. "If you were sorry," she growled, "you would have been there to stop him. I hate you! I hate everyone, and I hate this school! Go away! Just leave me alone!"
She screamed, "Fruits Basket!" at the Fat Lady, and slammed the portrait behind her. She barely heard the Fat Lady shriek obscenities after her as she fled up the spiral stairs to her down.
-Remus P.O.V.-
"What? He read her diary? In front of everyone?" Remus exclaimed.
"Yeah, and then she just ran out," James said. "You wouldn't believe what was in there, though - "
"I don't care what was in there! Why didn't you do something!?" Remus yelled. "Why didn't you stop him!?"
James and Sirius exchanged surprised glances. "We couldn't. We didn't even know what was going on until we heard him start to read it," Sirius explained.
"You idiots! You should have known something was going on!" Remus yelled.
James's eyes flashed. "Listen, we tried, okay? We got there too late," James said in a barely controlled voice. Sirius nodded.
Remus felt his anger boil over. Deep down, he knew it was because of the wolf. The werewolf in him was already starting to take over his personality. And it was only dinnertime. But he couldn't control the anger. That's why they took his wand away from him.
"I bet you would've been there if it was Evans's diary," he growled.
There was absolute silence. "Boys?" The nurse said coming into the room. "It's time for you to go."
They both left without a backward glance, and Remus felt more alone than ever before. He hated being what he was.
"You're lucky to have friends like them, you know that?" the nurse said, softly.
Remus nodded, but the werewolf in him didn't answer.
~_~
The nurse poked the Whomping Willow with a stick, and the branches stopped moving. Remus shuddered. That tree was just plain creepy.
"Alright, hon. Go ahead. You want me to take your robe? I'm sure you don't want it damaged again, like last month's."
Remus reluctantly handed his robe over to her. Last month he had left it on and it had gotten completely shredded when he transformed. His clothes always seemed to be in tatters.
He shivered in the cold night air. After all, it was January. Wintertime.
"Go ahead now," the nurse repeated, glancing nervously up at the sky.
Remus couldn't blame her. He felt sorry for her. Who would want to be out on a cold night like this with a werewolf who had yet to transform? It was crazy.
He disappeared into the hidden door of the tree. (A/N: I always think of Sleepy Hollow when I imagine this tree. Remember that tree in the movie? LOL) He followed the tunnel along until it came to the shrieking shack.
Then, he curled up on the floor, like he did every month. And he started to cry, like he did every full moon.
-Rozlyn P.O.V.-
The tears flowed down her face freely as she moved around the room at top speed. She haphazardly threw her belongings into her trunk. Her roommates would be up from the common room soon to go to bed, and she wanted the room looking as normal as possible. No one was to know what she was planning.
+_+
Everyone was asleep. Rozlyn listened to them breathing evenly. She looked at her magicked watch that glowed with the time whenever she looked at it. It only worked for the wearer. For everyone else, it looked like a bracelet. Now it read 12:02 AM. She climbed out of bed, her heart pounding furiously. This was insane, she knew, but there was no way she could stay in this castle a moment longer. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
'This is for the best,' she told herself. 'Remus probably knows how you feel by now.'
A tear escaped her watery eyes. She smiled despite herself. "Not again," she whispered. She pulled her trunk out of her pocket to make sure it was still there. Earlier, she had magically shrunk it, so that it would be easier to travel. Her wand was in her other pocket.
"Goodbye Lily . . . and everyone," she whispered. Then she crept out of the dorm and out of Gryffindor tower.
~_~
It had been almost twenty minutes since she left Hogwarts grounds, but it felt like much longer. (A/N: how long does it take to get to Hogsmeade on foot? Oops, I just ruined it, didn't I? Bad Ariana!)
Ten more minutes passed and finally Hogsmeade slid into view. She sighed in relief. Now, all she needed to do was get to the abandoned "shrieking" shack. She could stay there for the night, and in the morning, she could figure out what to do.
^_~
I forgot to mention earlier that I don't own "Fruits Basket" either, although I wish I did. It's a fantasic anime!
And why is it that I always seem to write at night? Or rather, early morning. It's 2:30 AM on my watch. Oh, well, I'll suffer for it in the morning when my Mom wakes me up. Night all!
REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
Ariana S.
Disclaimer: Look at the other freakin chapters
Chapter Five - Exposed
-Rozlyn P.O.V.-
She was floating. Literally. She was in the middle of flying lessons, but she felt so lightheaded that she was sure she'd be floating even if she was on the ground.
Rozlyn couldn't believe it. She had actually talked with Remus Lupin for a whole hour this morning. And then her headache had miraculously disappeared by the time Lily had come to check on her. So reluctantly she had to leave for the rest of her classes. But he had said goodbye to her, and he looked disappointed that she had to go.
She couldn't keep her happiness a secret from Lily. As soon as they had gotten in the hallway, Lily demanded that she "tell all." So Rozlyn, blushing the entire time, told Lily what had taken place, and as she predicted, Lily freaked out.
"You told him that you think his voice is sexy?" Lily had gasped.
"No!" Rozlyn had exclaimed, mortified. "I said I liked his voice, not that I found it sexy."
"Same difference," Lily said. "Either way . . . you like him, don't you." It hadn't been a question. And Rozlyn hadn't answered her.
(A/N: Do fifth years still take flying lessons? I dunno)
~_~
Flying lessons were the last class of the day, so Gryffindor retired to the tower to wash up for dinner. Rozlyn finished getting ready before Evelyn, Lynda, Sasha, and Lily did, so she flopped on her bed to wait for her roommates to finish. They always walked to the Great Hall together.
She felt like writing, so she pulled out her diary and opened it to a fresh page.
*_*
Jan 26
He talked to me today for an entire hour! I really, really like him, a LOT. His voice makes me swoon. His eyes make me melt. His smile makes me blush. Everything about Remus J. Lupin is perfect. I don't know if I should write this here, but I think I'm falling in love with him.
I just wish I knew how he felt about me.
*_*
Rozlyn signed it on the bottom of the page the same way she sighed all of her entries: Rozlyn Lucida Jenkins. (A/N: hey! She has the same initials as Remus, just in a different order. Go figure. I didn't even notice.)
"Hey, Rozlyn, let's go," Sasha said from the doorway.
Rozlyn jumped up and stuffed the small diary in the back pocket of her jeans. It stuck out a little, but that would have to do. She didn't normally carry her diary around, but if anyone read it now . . .
They entered the Great Hall, and Rozlyn's eyes immediately began scanning for Remus. She didn't see him anywhere. She frowned, and she was still frowning when they sat down near James, Sirius, and Peter.
Lily noticed her frown and nudged her. "What is it?" Lily asked.
Rozlyn shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just not that hungry, I guess. Excuse me." She stood up, and started to leave the Great Hall. 'Remus would be in the Hospital Wing, wouldn't he?' she thought. 'Though, I suppose he could be in his dorm.'
"Watch it!" an unpleasantly familiar voice said.
She stopped right before Snape. She had been about to run into him. He was blocking the exit to the hallway.
"Sorry," she said hastily. She didn't have time for him right now.
He sneered at her, and started to walk around her. Suddenly, she felt something being snatched from her pocket. She spun around and stared in shock. An icy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she said, her voice shaking a little. He had her diary! In his hand. She willed herself to calm down. She couldn't allow him to see how much this affected her, or else he wouldn't give it back.
She took a deep breath and glared at him. "Give it back to me," she said as calmly as she could manage.
Snape smirked at her, and the icy feeling grew stronger. He flipped her diary open to the last page. Rozlyn's eyes widened. "Wh-what are you doing!?" she repeated, on the verge of hysterics.
People suddenly stopped what they were doing, and stared at them. Snape glanced at her mildly, then he started to smile a sinister smile. "Reading," he replied.
"Don't -" she said as her eyes welled up with tears. "Don't -"
"What did you say? Don't read it to myself? What? You want me to read it aloud?" His smile widened. "With pleasure."
"NO!" Rozlyn exclaimed. The tears were flat out falling now. "Give it back!"
The entire Great Hall had gone silent. 'Where are the teachers?' Rozlyn thought, frantically. 'Where's Lily?'
"January twenty-six," Snape read loudly.
Rozlyn looked around in terror. No one was coming to help her! Where was Lily?
"He talked to me today for an entire hour. I really, really like him a lot," Snape turned to find all eyes on him. He was all out grinning now.
Rozlyn would have been amazed that he was even grinning, had she not been so upset about her diary. The tears cascaded down her face. Suddenly, she saw James and Sirius coming over out of the corner of her eyes.
"His voice makes me swoon. His eyes make me melt. His smile makes me blush," Snape continued. He hadn't seen Sirius and James, yet.
Rozlyn stared at him. 'What were they doing?' her mind was screaming. 'Why were they taking so long to rescue her?'
"Everything about Remus J. Lupin is perfect," Snape finished, triumphantly.
James was behind him ready to snatch the diary, but at those words he froze. Everyone froze. Rozlyn froze. She wanted to die. She wanted to slip through the floor and die, but she couldn't. So instead, she ran.
"Rozlyn! Rozlyn!" she heard Lily shout behind her. "Rozlyn, what happened?"
"It doesn't matter!" Rozlyn cried. "EVERYONE KNOWS, NOW! EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING!"
"Rozlyn, I'm sorry - " Lily whispered.
Rozlyn spun around and stared at her. "If you were sorry," she growled, "you would have been there to stop him. I hate you! I hate everyone, and I hate this school! Go away! Just leave me alone!"
She screamed, "Fruits Basket!" at the Fat Lady, and slammed the portrait behind her. She barely heard the Fat Lady shriek obscenities after her as she fled up the spiral stairs to her down.
-Remus P.O.V.-
"What? He read her diary? In front of everyone?" Remus exclaimed.
"Yeah, and then she just ran out," James said. "You wouldn't believe what was in there, though - "
"I don't care what was in there! Why didn't you do something!?" Remus yelled. "Why didn't you stop him!?"
James and Sirius exchanged surprised glances. "We couldn't. We didn't even know what was going on until we heard him start to read it," Sirius explained.
"You idiots! You should have known something was going on!" Remus yelled.
James's eyes flashed. "Listen, we tried, okay? We got there too late," James said in a barely controlled voice. Sirius nodded.
Remus felt his anger boil over. Deep down, he knew it was because of the wolf. The werewolf in him was already starting to take over his personality. And it was only dinnertime. But he couldn't control the anger. That's why they took his wand away from him.
"I bet you would've been there if it was Evans's diary," he growled.
There was absolute silence. "Boys?" The nurse said coming into the room. "It's time for you to go."
They both left without a backward glance, and Remus felt more alone than ever before. He hated being what he was.
"You're lucky to have friends like them, you know that?" the nurse said, softly.
Remus nodded, but the werewolf in him didn't answer.
~_~
The nurse poked the Whomping Willow with a stick, and the branches stopped moving. Remus shuddered. That tree was just plain creepy.
"Alright, hon. Go ahead. You want me to take your robe? I'm sure you don't want it damaged again, like last month's."
Remus reluctantly handed his robe over to her. Last month he had left it on and it had gotten completely shredded when he transformed. His clothes always seemed to be in tatters.
He shivered in the cold night air. After all, it was January. Wintertime.
"Go ahead now," the nurse repeated, glancing nervously up at the sky.
Remus couldn't blame her. He felt sorry for her. Who would want to be out on a cold night like this with a werewolf who had yet to transform? It was crazy.
He disappeared into the hidden door of the tree. (A/N: I always think of Sleepy Hollow when I imagine this tree. Remember that tree in the movie? LOL) He followed the tunnel along until it came to the shrieking shack.
Then, he curled up on the floor, like he did every month. And he started to cry, like he did every full moon.
-Rozlyn P.O.V.-
The tears flowed down her face freely as she moved around the room at top speed. She haphazardly threw her belongings into her trunk. Her roommates would be up from the common room soon to go to bed, and she wanted the room looking as normal as possible. No one was to know what she was planning.
+_+
Everyone was asleep. Rozlyn listened to them breathing evenly. She looked at her magicked watch that glowed with the time whenever she looked at it. It only worked for the wearer. For everyone else, it looked like a bracelet. Now it read 12:02 AM. She climbed out of bed, her heart pounding furiously. This was insane, she knew, but there was no way she could stay in this castle a moment longer. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
'This is for the best,' she told herself. 'Remus probably knows how you feel by now.'
A tear escaped her watery eyes. She smiled despite herself. "Not again," she whispered. She pulled her trunk out of her pocket to make sure it was still there. Earlier, she had magically shrunk it, so that it would be easier to travel. Her wand was in her other pocket.
"Goodbye Lily . . . and everyone," she whispered. Then she crept out of the dorm and out of Gryffindor tower.
~_~
It had been almost twenty minutes since she left Hogwarts grounds, but it felt like much longer. (A/N: how long does it take to get to Hogsmeade on foot? Oops, I just ruined it, didn't I? Bad Ariana!)
Ten more minutes passed and finally Hogsmeade slid into view. She sighed in relief. Now, all she needed to do was get to the abandoned "shrieking" shack. She could stay there for the night, and in the morning, she could figure out what to do.
^_~
I forgot to mention earlier that I don't own "Fruits Basket" either, although I wish I did. It's a fantasic anime!
And why is it that I always seem to write at night? Or rather, early morning. It's 2:30 AM on my watch. Oh, well, I'll suffer for it in the morning when my Mom wakes me up. Night all!
REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
Ariana S.