Sleeping Beauty

Delusional
I believe I can cure it all for you, dear
Coax or trick or drive or
drag the demons from you
Make it right for you sleeping beauty
Truly thought
I can magically heal you

You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening
Failing miserably to rescue

Sleeping Beauty




She emerged in the empty living room, Peter sitting down on the den's sofas, but neither the Lupins nor Mimi anywhere in sight.
"Where's everyone?" Jaimie asked him.
"I don't know, I thought that they were all out of the house." Peter said, thoroughly bewildered.
For a fleeting instant, she thought that the Death Eaters had come back for her and the Lupins but then Mimi suddenly came ambling into the den, a precarious perch of folded clothes in her tiny arms. She gave a squeak as Remus suddenly came spinning in after Jaimie and nearlymade the house elf drop the clothes if she hadn't suddenly used her magic to levitate them again.
"Master Remus, Master Remus! What is you doing out this late! You must get down to the basement, Master Remus! Hurry."
Remus nodded and headed out of the den before he turned around and said to Jaimie and Peter, "Tell them I needed to leave. James and Sirius will understand."
Jaimie looked at Mimi, who didn't know that Sirius and the others knew of Remus' lycanthropy. She didn't look as if she suspected that they knew, and if she did, she was hiding it very well.
Remus turned swiftly around again and walked briskly away, disappearing around the staircase.
Jaimie and Peter were left in the room by themselves for a short time as Lily had just come spinning out of the fireplace, and after her James and last of all Sirius.
"Where's Remus?" Lily asked, as she saw only Jaimie and Peter in the room.
"He had to leave. He said it was an emergency." Jaimie explained, not quite meeting their gaze.
Lily looked slightly disappointed, but Sirius and James did not look the slightest bit surprised. They just nodded, and set themselves on the sofa beside Peter.
Lily on the other hand, dug her hands into her pockets and said, "Oh bugger for me. But I better get going anyway, I reckon mum and dad will have a fit if I stayed any longer. When Remus gets back, tell him I said hi and tell him that I hope this emergency goes well."
James frowned at this; he cared about Lily alot and it was a rare thing indeed for Remus to get more attention than himself. Lily, not noticing, went back to the grate and took a pinch of of floo powder and cast it into the flames. She took one last look back before stepping into the fire and disappearing as the flames turned orange. When she was gone James chose this time to begin to talk.
"Does she fancy Remus, do you think?" James asked, sitting casually in his chair, though his tone of voice suggested otherwise.
"Hard to tell, girls are impossible to decipher." Sirius answered, absently toying with the tassel of the throw pillow.
"Hey, watch it," Jaimie said warningly, "There is a girl in here."
"Yes, but you're not like all girls." Sirius said, coming to attention.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Jaimie said, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head in an attempt to look innocently curious.
"That you're more beautiful and smarter and talented than all the other girls." Sirius patronized, pulling her in by her hips and planting her on his lap.
"What about Evans?" James said, sitting up, pretending to be offended
"What about her?" Sirius said, offhandedly.
"Hey!" James said indignantly, playfully punching Sirius' arm.
Peter sniggered as James and Sirius started a pretend fist fight, Jaimie becoming uncomfortable on Sirius' lap and sitting on the sofa beside him instead. She crossed her arms and legs and started jiggling it. The boys stopped and James said, "Hey, Jaimie, you know what they say when a girl does that don't you?" He had a very mischievous look in his eye.
"It means that they're impatient?" Jaimie tried, uncrossing her legs and arms.
"No it means that-"
"Jaimie! Sirius, James, Peter! Where's Remus, has he gone on that emergency then?" Aunt Charlene came bustling into the room, and in Jaimie's opinion, in a slightly too cheerful and very unconvincing disposition.
"Yeah he left a few minutes ago." Jaimie said, quickly glancing at James.
"Oh, where's that darling girl-what's her name-Rose is it?" Aunt Charlene said, snapping her finger.
"No, Auntie, its Lily." Jaimie corrected.
"Yeah, Lily Evans." James said, announcing the name dreamily.
"Right, love." Aunt Charlene said, giving James a confused look.
"Well, I better get going again. Just needed something from the house. Oh Jaimie darling, we might be gone all night, so I want you to lock all the doors and don't answer the fireplace. I think you know the drill in case, something significant happens?" Jaimie nodded her head, "Right, love, well I'll see you all later. Oh and one more thing," She pulled Jaimie away from the three boys who could have cared less, "No boys allowed after hours, dear." She whispered in a chiding tone.
Jaimie nodded her head again, but could not believe what Aunt Charlene was implying. But, unperturbed, she just smiled in that overly cheerful way and tapped Jaimie's nose. She walked into a closed off room and left Jaimie with three suspicious boys, who were all staring at her in confusion. She sat next to Sirius and held his hand, trying to supress a laugh. Sirius was looking at her expectantly, wanting her to speak. But she just shook her head and pointed to the door to indicate that Aunt Charlene was still there. After a few moments, she heard her aunt yell, "Be good you lot," and heard a loud bang that sounded when a person apparated and Jaimie let out her laugh. Sirius turned to her once more and said, "What was that about?"
She was just telling me about the joys of childhood." Jaimie said simply.
"Oh." He said, and then turned to look straight ahead.
"So, what do you lot want to do now?" James said, twiddling his thumbs.
They all shrugged and Sirius said, "We very well can't prank a few people. No one to prank now is there?"
"I don't suppose so." Peter said, slowly.
"So we'll just have to sit on our pretty arses and behave like good little children." Sirius said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, I can't leave Remus all alone. I mean, what if someone comes in and finds out about him and accidentally kills him?" Jaimie replied.
"Jaimie, he's a werewolf, I highly doubt that he'll be unprotected." James said, gazing avidly out the window that faced the woods outside.
The sun, like a large lemon, was sinking beneath the foliage of the trees. They all watched its progress with bated breath until it disappeared completely. Any moment now, Remus would be transforming into his werewolf form. He would be suffering; alone; in that dark, dank basement. Clawing himself until his skin broke, and blood would seep through. Biting himself, his sharp wolf teeth tearing his beautiful sandy gold hair, and tearing all that he could see in front of him. Jaimie shivered. She couldn't think of it. She felt extremely guilty that Remus was down there. Why hadn't it been her? It was her fault that she had been out at night. If only she had stayed inside that night. Why was she so stubborn?
The memory of that one night replayed in bit parts in her head. Her hands were balled into two tight fists. So tight in fact that her knuckles were turning white and her nails were digging into her palms. The image of the dreadful werewolf appeared in flashes in her eyes. She felt so angry with herself and the injustice toward Remus that she wished he would come upstairs and bite her. At least then he could enjoy her company as a werewolf. But then again, deep in her heart,she wouldn't have been able to stand it. She was not strong enough to live through what Remus had to live through; which just made her more angry. She balled her fists even tigher so that Sirius, who was nervously shaking his leg, released her hands from their grip and looked at the engravement of her nails on the meat of her palms.
He was looking at her in confusion, and Jaimie gave him a shrug. Without asking her, he massaged her hands lightly until all that remained were four red nail marks on her palms. Sirius held her hand as if trying to prevent her from doing it again. Although Jaimie thought it unecessary, she found the gesture endearing and didn't think to protest. Suddenly they heard a muffled roar and a loud BANG as if a door was being rammed into. Sirius and James tensed, Jaimie looked in the direction of the basement. It seemed that Remus was flinging his body against the door at a vain attempt to get out. They all took their wands out, except for Jaimie, whose wand lay untouched in her bedside drawer. The room was quickly getting darker, the only light source was the orange flames from the fireplace which were quickly diminishing. James took his wand and muttered, "Incendio!" and he lit two candles and gave one to Peter and Sirius. He muttered, "Lumos!" and the tip of his wand was lighted with a pale glow.
They walked forward into the dark family room and lighted a few of the torch brackets, James lighting the chandelier which hung on the ceiling. With it lit, neither of them needed their candles and extinguished them. They walked to the basement door as they heard a muffled howl, much louder as they were closer, and heard another BANG on the door. It shivered viciously as Remus' wolf-like body made contact with it from the other side. They heard another BANG and guessed that Remus had collapsed on the floor. They all looked at each other in apprehension, James still held his wand as if ready to attack. Jaimie placed a hand on his and lowered his wand, shaking her head as if she knew that he thought about going in there. He looked at the two other boys who all had looks of yearning-but yearning for what? Jaimie did not want to find out, but instead, she took a step forward toward the door, but felt a firm hand on her arm. It was James, and he had a set look in his usually light-hearted face. He shook his head and said, "It would be better if we did this." He motioned to himself, Sirius and Peter, who did not look as if he wanted to be anywhere near the door and was shaking and sweating madly.
Neither James nor Sirius made the slightest inclination that suggested that they saw Peter quailing, and would not do so. Peter was in this for good somehow, Jaimie understood. He was bound to them, and they were bound to Remus. He was their brother, and they would not let him suffer alone, even if he did lose his senses and turned into a six foot hairy beast once a month, who was now trying to break down a door and possibly turn them all into something like himself. Jaimie thought for a fleeting second to protest or even to comment on this hidden camaraderie, but instead chose not to, and stepped out of the way to let them pass. James nodded his head in assurance and walked bravely to the now violently shaking door. It seemed the werewolf Remus had mastered the use of a doorknob and was playing a very nasty game of tug-o-war with it. But by magic, the door was sealed shut; not even a werewolf could open it. James sheathed his wand in his back pocket and said, "Remus? Moony, we know your in there. Make some kind of sign that you can hear us."
Jaimie didn't know why James was talking so calmly to Remus. She didn't think werewolves understood English. Or did they? Whatever the answer, Jaimie watched the scene unfold from her new spot on the white leather sofa, James and Sirius talking to Remus, but for all the good it did, they might as well should have talked to the Whomping Willow. Nevertheless James continued unfazed. Sirius stood behind him, offering him helpful hints, and Peter just stood behind the two, now positively shaking with fear, his knees looking unable to support his weight. But just the fact that he was behind them seemed to satisfy the two other boys.
A half an hour later, James and Sirius were still trying to calm Remus down. And though neither party showed that they were ready to lose, or indeed, were winning, they still didn't quit. She didn't know why they were so fixed on calming him down. Any able bodied human could tell that it was pointless and that Remus would not withdraw from his attempt to bite another living soul or to destroy the door. But they continued. Nevertheless, Jaimie did admired their will; though it was quickly getting old. Hearing James and Sirius repeating "Remus, its us, can you understand?" or something to that effect was really irritating. But finally it stopped. Remus stopped shaking the door madly, in fact, he whimpered like a dog would to his master if he wanted to get out. Sirius and James cheered loudly and slapped each other's hands in triumph. Peter cheered from his spot on the floor. James handled his wand and made to unlock the door, but Sirius stopped him. He gave him a warning look, and James sufficed to saying, "Remus, if you understand us, and I think you do, tap on the door twice."
Promptly, they heard the sound of massive paws on the door banging twice.
Jaimie watched from her seat on the leather couches. She was amazed. How had they done it? How could two sixteen year old boys have gotten to a werewolf? For sixteen years, Jaimie had tried to help Remus, but to no avail. Granted that they had been trying for longer than she had, but still. They weren't even related to him. They were just his friends. They hadn't been there when Remus had his sixth birthday and lost his tooth biting into a piece of candy. They weren't there when Remus rode his first bike. And they certainly weren't there when Remus had saved her from the werewolf. And yet, here they were, talking to a calm, sixteen year old werewolf; having an almost human conversation with him. James was now asking Remus if it was alright to come in.
". . . Tap once for yes, and twice for no." James said, crossing his arms, his tongue between his teeth. Sirius was still smiling, and leaning casually on the door. Peter sat on the floor, looking up at the two boys expectantly.
Predictably, Remus tapped twice and James said, "But haven't you gotten control over that thing?"
Remus rapped three times on the door.
"What is that supposed to mean? You're unsure?"
Remus knocked once.
Jaimie looked away. She couldn't stand that they were the ones who had given Remus control over the werewolf. They were taking away her brother, and making him their own. They were taking away the only family she had now. Sure she still had Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan, but their relationship with her was that-Aunt and Uncle. She looked at Sirius. His beautiful shining face, looking so triumphant in proving to her and everyone in the room that his bond with Remus was much closer than hers. She looked back at the three of them; even Peter was a part of the group, at least he had been forced to accompany them to talk to Remus. She glared at him. She glared at all of them. But she stopped. She knew she couldn't be mad at them. They had been there when she was in a time of need, and they were merely being there for Remus in his time of need. She contented herself with gazing out the window at the dark patch of sky she could see.

Sirius turned his head gracefully in Jaimie's direction. She was looking out the window, though what she saw exactly he was unsure of. The pale light fromt the chandelier played over her figure, and softened her features beautifully. He couldn't look at her. He didn't deserve to. Suddenly, the door gave another wild shiver, and Peter stood up to attention. Sirius tore his head away from Jaimie to the door, James had taken out his wand again and was now saying, "Hey, Remus! What happened? You alright?!"
One knock.
"What happened?"
Of course Remus couldn't answer, it wasn't a yes or no question. Sirius let James handle it on his own and stared back at Jaimie. She was still gazing out the window. It looked as if she hadn't even acknowledged that Remus lost control, or indeed, was even having a close to human conversation. He walked away from the other two and said, "Peter, take my spot for a minute."
Peter whimpered, but obeyed nevertheless.
Sirius walked to Jaimie and sat down on the sofa beside her. She didn't acknowledge him. What was wrong? They had shared their first kiss this afternoon, and now she was acting like she didn't even know him. He nudged her. She turned her head gracefully to him, but then looked down. Sirius took a glance to James and Peter, and then looked down at the clearly troubled girl next to him. She rested her elbows on her upper thighs, and was looking interestedly at her shoes.
He did as she did and knocked into her knees, but she wouldn't look at him. Sirius, who was used to playing this sort of game would not relent and just kneeled in front of the girl and tried to look in her face, though she used her hair to block his face out. Exasperated that he was not winning, he made a divide in her hair as if they were curtains and said, "You seem a little down. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Jaimie mumbled.
Sirius could have sworn that she was slowly inching away from him. What is it something he said? Was it his breath? Was he that bad of a kisser?! He retook his seat next to her and thought about what to say to her. No words came. He was thoroughly baffled. How could a girl be happy one minute, and so sad the next? Girls were so hard to understand. Finally, after thinking about it, he said what he thought was the most obvious and helpful thing to say, which was, "Are you alright?"
This seemed to get her going. "Alright? Alright? Sure I'm alright, but why worry about me, shouldn't you be going to Remus' aid? He's more important after all." She got up and ran up the stairs. James and Peter turned their attention from the door and Remus within and watched her stomp up the stairs.
Sirius stared after her in awe. His mouth was slightly open and he had a blank gaze in his eyes. What was with her? He can never understand girls. James and Peter seemed to give up their conversation with Remus. They walked over to Sirius and sat down on either side of him. James shook his head, a look of annoying smugness on his face.
"Its all right, mate. Can't have the best of everything. Nobody's perfect." James patted his back consolingly.
"Shut it, Prongs." Sirius said moodily.
"Hey, hey, calm down Padfoot, just saying that all girls have wild mood swings, why would Jaimie be different? It might be, you know," He looked around as if he was about to divulge a secret that could get him excommunicated for, "that time of month." He whispered in Sirius' ear, Peter was leaning in dangerously close so that he actually fell off of his seat.
Sirius managed to keep him from falling, as was usually his job. "Whoa, watch it Wormtail! What are you trying to do anyway? Lick my shoes?"
"No." Peter said shortly sitting back next to James.
Sirius made to retort, but James stopped him. Sirius agreed, shrugged his shoulders and lay back on the sofa, his hands behind his head. He looked up at the chandelier and said aloud to no one in particular, "Why do girls have to be so damn incomprehensible. There should be a book about them. Yeah, I think that's what I'll do after Hogwarts, write a book on girls. Anatomy of Girl. 101 Things to Know About Girl. Or Girl: Things You Didn't Know But Would Like to so They Stop Yelling at You ." He smiled contemplatively.
Peter's chin was on his fist and he was nodding his head in agreement.
James smiled and followed Sirius' lead. "Yeah, it'd be the most helpful book out there, I reckon."
"Infortunately for you three, girls aren't easy to understand like books."
Sirius and James sat up.
Aunt Charlene, Mrs. Lupin to them, was standing in the living room, her hands on her hips; Uncle Alan or Mr. Lupin was standing a little ways behind her at the door that concealed Remus and surreptitiously checked to see if it was still locked. He didn't know that everyone in the room knew about Remus' lycanthropy, and was doing a pretty bad job of concealing the fact that they had a secret. But of course it was still locked and at once acknowledged the boys genially, though he did not bother to help them out of the situation they had wrapped themselves in. Peter was looking downcast at the floor looking thorougly ashamed, though James and Sirius looked at Mrs. Lupin's livid face rather bravely. Mr. Lupin left the room without even a backward glance, as though hurriedly trying to get out of the line of fire, he did, however, say, "Good luck, boys."
"Thanks, Mr. Lupin." James replied sarcastically, giving a short wave at the man's back.
Mrs. Lupin's bosom swelled as she gave a huge intake of breath. Thus, she began her tirade on the three boys who had so dileberately stayed longer than they should have. Sirius and James tuned her out, they were far too used to being reprimanded to care. They found that, when roused, all adults and authority figures said the same thing over again. Peter on the other hand, stood attentively on James' other side, the woman's words sinking in deep.
Mrs. Lupin had run out of things to say, and suggested that they just take floo powder and go, her eyes darting nervously to the basement door, before assuming Mr. Lupin's tracks and heading intot the den. Sirius, James and Peter stood a moment longer where they were, not talking. None of them, save Peter, were really affected by what Mrs. Lupin had to say, but out of respect for Remus, stood where they were and let her have a lead before leaving via fireplace. James, though thoroughly unsure as to why they had tarried longer walked to the the den wordless, Peter following James and finally Sirius after them. Mrs. Lupin held the pot of floo powder out to them as Peter and James both grabbed a fistful, said their apologies to Mrs. Lupin and prepared themselves for the trip back to their homes.
James, who had let Peter before him turned around just as he was about to endulge himself in greenish flame and gave Sirius a look which plainly asked, "You coming?"
Sirius held out a finger to him to indicate one moment.
James responded by shrugging and said, "See you at home," and stepped into the grate and spun out of sight.
Mrs. Lupin, who watched the exchange of motion between James and Sirius watched the handsome boy expectantly, holding the pot to him. Sirius ignored it and said, "Can I just say good night to Jaimie? It won't take long I promise."
Mrs. Lupin began to turn him down, but Mr. Lupin said, "Sure, why not Sirius. I'm sure she'd love to see you one last time tonight." His eyes were twinkling knowingly.
"Thanks Mr. Lupin, Mrs. Lupin. I won't take long, I swear."
Sirius bolted up the stairs, not waiting for a reply by the aging couple and stopped in front of Jaimie's door, which was the last one to the left of the hall. He knocked three times, but no answer came. He knocked again, and still she didn't answer. Finally, he decided to chance it, and opened the door a crack.He peered in carefully around the door and saw Jaimie's sleeping form on her bed in the dark room, her silhouette illuminated by the pale moon light.
Sirius walked in, and whispered, "Jaimie?"
She didn't answer. She was obviously asleep. He walked over to her and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, and whispered, "Good night."
He walked backward, back to the door, and was about to take his leave, when he went back to her and said, with a smile, "Thanks for the kiss."
He tip-toed out and closed the door with a snap.

Jaimie's eyes snapped open. She had been pretending to sleep. She did not want Sirius to say good night to her, and to question her about her strange mood swing downstairs, because the truth was she didn't know. It was so sudden. It seemed like the person who had thought those dreadful thoughts downstairs were a different person, that they were just some by products of the stress she had placed on herself. But then, she thought again.were those thoughts really so ludicrous? Maybe they really didn't care much for Jaimie. Maybe Sirius was just taking her for a ride, that he had not meant all the things he had told her earlier in the day, that she was just a childhood fling.
Stop that, She thought forcefully, They wouldn't have stuck with you when your parents died if they weren't your true friends. Especially Remus. He's like a brother to you, he would never do any harm to you.
Jaimie turned over in her bed just as another thought struck her.
Maybe they just felt sorry for you. They saw how desperate and alone you were. Orphaned, abandoned; they just pitied you; felt sorry for you. But they hate you, they really do. You know it Jaimie, its obvious . . .
Jaimie fell into an uneasy sleep, these troubled thoughts circling her mind.



A/N: Ok, much of this chapter was done while I was watching A Walk to Remember for the first time. Now Mandy Moore isn't exactly my most favorite actress in the world, but she did a good job with this movie. School has been hell. I've only been updating to the chapter every other weekend, and even then I didn't update as much. Sorry for the delay. But I was very busy. Please r/r it would really make me feel better.