MAELSTROM

CHAPTER THREE-THE SECOND DREAM

We finished going to all of our classes.

I found myself thinking more of Remus. He really was so sweet, kind, caring, gentle and understanding.

I felt myself smiling.

"Whatcha smiling about?" Lily asked as we headed to back to the common room for the night. Then she poke again in a knowing tone. "Ooh, I know...Remus right?"

"Keep your voice down!" I hissed looking up at Remus, Sirius and James who were walking a head of us. Peter was laughing at something Sirius had said. "And yes."

"I've noticed the way Remus looks at you," Lily said with a sly grin. "I'm not blind."

My heart fluttered at the thought.

"Relax," Lily said wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "He won't be like Luke."

I shivered at the thought.

Luke Warner was my boyfriend in my fourth year. We had been going together for about 6 months. During the 5th month, Luke became sort of aggressive toward me. Luckily, that was around the time I had become good friends with Lily, James, Sirius and Remus.

At first I was afraid to tell them the truth, but one night I had come back to the common room with a black eye and a bruise on my arm. I eventually had to tell them. Sirius had flown into the boys dorm and practically beaten Luke to a pulp.

Luckily, Sirius hadn't been expelled...just punished. Luke was punished also, but then oddly transferred out 2 months later.

I've never been with anyone since then. Mostly, I was terrified.

"I know he isn't," I said softly. "But I'm not sure how he feels about me."

Lily winked. "I'll talk to him later for you okay?"

I grinned and nodded.

She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we both giggled as we continued to walk to the common room.

Remus cast a glance back at me before we entered the common room.

"Ugh," Sirius said yawning and stretching. "I'm so pooped."

"That's probably because you spend more time pooping than studying," I joked.

They all laughed.

"Carrie made a funny," James winked.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"How about I put an Engorgement Charm on that?" Sirius shot back good-naturedly as he pulled out his wand.

"Really?" I purred. "You'll need more than the Engorgement Charm to work for you."

"Aw crap!" Lily cried moaning. "Those images are enough to make someone have nightmares!"

We all laughed hard at that.

Sirius winked at me and was grinning.

"Okay, enough," I said also yawning. "I'm heading off to bed."

"Good night," they chorused.

I waved a good-night to them before entering the girls' dorm.

LILY.

I was watching Remus' expression when Carrie left the common room.

"I'm hitting the sack too," James said as he gave me a wink before disappearing into the boys dorm.

Sirius followed and playfully but lightly punched Remus on the shoulder. It was just Remus and I now.

I went over to him.

"So what's up?" I asked him casually.

Remus shrugged. "Not much,"

I grinned.

"I see the way you look at Carrie, Moony," I said softly.

Remus looked at me.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Oh yes," I laughed.

He looked embarrassed.

"Oh no!" I said as I put a hand on his shoulder. "I think its wonderful! She needs someone like you right now."

"A werewolf?" Remus asked quietly as he sat down on the couch.

I sat down next to him and faced him.

"Listen to me," I said. "She doesn't care that you're a werewolf. She only cares what's in here."

I pointed to his heart. "You're a good person. You're kind, caring, thoughtful, and gentle. After Luke, she needs to see that all guys aren't pigs."

"I still can't believe he did that to her," Remus said in the same quiet tone. "I wanted to go with Sirius and beat the shit out of him."

I put a hand on his. "I know," I said. "We all did. I'm pretty sure Carrie is just scared right now. Give her time okay? She'll come around and see."

Remus gave me a smile.

"Good-night," I said winking at him and then got up, heading into the girls' dorm.

I climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

CARRIE.

Remus, Lily, Sirius, James and I are sitting at the Gryffindor table. We were talking about something. There was a loud 'bang' and everyone screamed and jumped. Then, a large Wixev came trampling through the Great Hall. Students were screaming and frantically running in all direction to avoid being stepped on. James and Sirius grabbed Lily and they leaped out of the way. The Wixev was coming straight for me. Remus grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me out of the way.

The Wixev charged at Remus, knocking him onto his back. It trampled over him. I screamed.

I woke up screaming. Sweat clung to my neck, chest and back making my tank top stick to my skin. I was sitting bolt upright in bed.

"Carrie!" a girls voice cried.

The next thing I knew, the lights were turned on. All the girls were awake, watching me fearfully. Lily rushed over to me and sat down beside me on the bed. She put her hands on my shoulders.

Without a word, I leaned over the side of the bed and vomited.

"Go get Professor McGonagall," I heard Lily instruct.

"She's ill," another girls voice said worriedly.

REMUS.

I woke up around midnight or so. I heard a lot of commotion in the common room. I tossed off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had woken up.

"What on earth is going on?" said James as we headed into the common room. We were followed by Sam Keller and Rick Paterson.

A girl was sitting on the couch leaning over a bucket. She had blond banana curls which were being held back by Lily.

"Carrie?" James asked alarmed.

"Please go back to bed," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

"No," James said firmly. "We want to know what's going on."

Professor McGonagall looked at him for a moment.

I went over and sat on the other side of Carrie.

Professor McGonagall and James got into an argument.

"She had another dream I think," Lily said in a hushed tone. "But what happened in it I don't know."

Carrie was trembling and looked as though she had the flu.

Carrie's stomach heaved and she leaned over the bucket and vomited into it.

Finally, James and Professor McGonagall ended their argument.

"What happened?" Professor McGonagall asked softly as she stood in front of us. Lily was stroking Carrie's hair.

"I-I had a nightmare," Carrie replied hoarsely. "A Wixev entered the common room and trampled on Remus."

Lily and I raised our heads and looked at each other.

"It was just a nightmare dear," Professor McGonagall said soothingly. "Nothing more. Would you like me to get Professor Odgen to give you a Dranel Potion to settle your stomach?"

Carrie didn't respond.

"It might be a good idea," Lily said softly.

Professor McGonagall left the common room. Everyone had gone back to bed once they had made sure that Carrie was okay.

"It was so horrible," Carrie whispered. "It just trampled Remus."

Wixev's were large creatures, a cross between a horse and a bull.

"There's no way for a Wixev to even be on Hogwarts grounds," I said softly and soothingly.

Carrie just slumped against me, her head resting on my shoulder.

Her hair brushed against my cheek.

"Don't worry. This time there's no way anything could happen. Wixev's live in Wales. They aren't anywhere near here," Lily said softly.

Carrie didn't make a sound. Lily just rubbed her back affectionately.

"Is she okay now?" James asked worriedly coming over.

"She'll be okay," Lily said reassuringly.

Professor McGonagall came back with a smoking goblet. Carrie took several sips and after af ew moments, she was feeling better. The color came back into her face and she sat up.

"I'm feeling better now, thanks," she said softly looking from James, to me, to Lily.

We all headed back to bed.

Later that morning, we all met down in the Great Hall. Carrie seemed a bit more cheerful.

We filled Sirius and Peter in on what happened.

"Wow," Sirius said wide-eyed. "Do you think it will happen?"

"No," Carrie said firmly. "Lily and Remus assured me that Wixev's live far away from Hogwarts. There's no way they will be anywhere near here."

Carrie looked so pretty this morning...not that she didn't look that way every day.

Sirius was now joking around with her.

She was laughing.

Sirius made a loud raspberry sounding with his mouth noise that sounded like someone inflating a balloon up then releasing it.

He looked at some first years sitting next to him with a scandalous expression on his face.

"Sirius that's mean!" Lily scolded, although she too, was grinning. "Blaming it on a bunch of first years!"

"He did it with his mouth," Carrie whispered to them, leaning over Sirius.

They smiled at Carrie, but then scowled at Sirius before returning to their breakfast.

"You really do have a sick sense of humor," I said grinning.

Sirius pretended to be mortified.

"I mean really, Moony," Sirius began in a false kings voice. "I am the king of humor."

I shook my head chuckling.

Carrie was now talking with Lily. I felt a sharp poke in the ribs. It was Sirius. He was sitting next to me.

"I know damn well you have feelings toward Carrie," Sirius said. "James, Peter and I all see it.

Peter nodded.

"Keep your voice down," I said imploringly. "I do. But I don't want to rush it. I mean after Luke, I don't want to scare her off."

"We understand," Peter squeaked. "But she's a terrific person. She deserves someone like you."

I looked at Peter.

"We know it bothers you that you're a werewolf," Sirius whispered leaning forward. "But Carrie could care less. She's always been there for you right?"

"And not to mention how upset she was at the thought of that Wixev trampling you in the dream," James added.

"She would've been upset if it had been either of you," I said reasonably. "That just means that she cares about me."

"Duh," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"It might not mean the way we're thinking though," I said.

"What's going on?" Carrie asked grinning as she leaned forward looking from me, to Sirius, to Peter, to James.

"Nothing much," Sirius said. "Just talking about what it would be like to try on Lily's bra."

Carrie snorted.

Lily heard him and leaned forward too.

"You don't need to know that," Lily said. "You already have worn it."

"That was once!" Sirius cried indignantly.

Carrie was looking at him with a look of amusement and revulsion.

"Did you actually..." she began but Sirius cut her off.

"Of course not," Sirius said. "I was only fooling."

Relief spread across Carrie's face.

Suddenly, I heard a 'pop' outside the Great Hall on the grounds. My hearing, sense of smell and vision were sharper because I was a werewolf. I listened intently.

"What is it?" James asked concerned.

"I just heard a 'pop' outside the Great Hall on the grounds," I said slowly listening intently.

Hearing nothing more, I just shrugged and turned my attention back to everyone.

That's when the table started rattling. The water in the goblets had trembled and the silver ware begun rattling.

"What on earth...?" Lily asked looking confused and scared.

We slowly stood up from the table. Everyone in the Hall was silent and they too, had gotten up from their tables looking to see where the noise was coming from.

Even the teachers at the head table were looking concerned.

Then, the front doors to the Great Hall burst open.

"Oh no!" Carrie wailed.

A Wixev had just charged down the doors. They were lying flat on the floor off the hinges.

The Wixev scanned the Hall until its eyes were fixed on Carrie. With one hoof, it pawed the ground before charging.

Everyone flew in all directions to avoid being stepped on as it charged through the Hall, knocking house tables out of the way.

Students were running toward the other end of the Hall. James grabbed Lily and they dove out of the way. Sirius dove also.

"No!" Carrie yelled. "THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!"

Without hesitation, I grabbed Carrie and shoved her out of the way. She landed on top of Sirius.

"REMUS!" Carrie screamed. "NO!"

The Wixev tossed its head so one of its horns connected with my ribs. I was thrown up into the air and then crashed down on the Hufflepuff table. The table broke from the force. Blackness swallowed me up.

CARRIE.

I had landed on top of Sirius. The Wixev turned around and went to charge Sirius and I, but Professor Dumbledore had already raised his wand and shouted, "Avada Kedavra". The Wixev fell to its side dead.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked concerned looking up into my face.

I didn't answer. I got up off of him and rushed to Remus' side.

A large, bleeding wound was on Remus' left side, staining his robes. His eyes were closed.

Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall rushed over to us.

Professor McGonagall crouched down beside me and place two fingers on Remus' neck.

"He's got a pulse," she said softly. "Let's get him up to Madam Elkin."

She majicked Remus onto an invisible stretcher and we all hurried after her up to the hospital wing.

Remus was put on one of the cots. Madam Elkin fussed over him and lifted up the left side of his robes, exposing a small hole, about 1 and a half inches wide. Blood was pooling on the white sheet of the cot at his side.

"I'll be able to mend this," she said cheerfully. "I've seen a lot worse."

She went over to a cabinet and pulled out a large square gauze, applied a pink liquid on it and then placed it over the wound. She used the tip of her wand to fasten it to his skin like a large band-aid.

After a few moments, Remus' eyes opened.

"Hey," Lily said affectionately. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by a tornado," he moaned.

Then, his expression turned serious.

"Is Carrie okay?"

"She's fine," Sirius said warmly.

Not taking it anymore, I turned and fled from the hospital wing.