Heaven Sent
Little Willow
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Bend, little willow
Wind's gonna blow you
Hard and cold tonight
Life, as it happens
Nobody warns you
Willow, hold on tight.
Nothing's gonna shake your love
Take your love away
No one's out to break your heart
It only seems that way...hey
Sleep little willow
Peace gonna follow
Time's gonna heal your wounds
Grow to the heavens
Now and forever
Always came too soon.
Little willow
Nothing's gonna shake your love
Take your love away
No one's out to break your heart
It only seems that way...hey
Bend, little willow
Wind's gonna blow you
Hard and cold tonight
Life, as it happens
Nobody warns you
Willow, hold on tight.
Ahhh, little willow
Little willow
Little Willow- Paul McCartney
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Sunlight flittered through the shades, cascading a playful stripe along Lydia's sleeping form, one beam hitting right at her eyes. She groaned, trying to open her lids, but finding, much to her displeasure, they were clamped shut, clasped in a sticky amount of sleep. Fiercely, she wiped the sand from her lashes, practically pulling her eyes open. She sat blinking oddly for a moment, waiting to gain her sight again, before looking around the room. The surrounding beds were all folded neatly.
Panicking, Lydia turned to the clock. It was only six o'clock. She sighed, relieved, and stood up, meandering to the bathroom. She was glad to have the dormitory to herself, especially after last night. She guessed, in another attempt to avoid her, the caddy trio had made sure to depart before she awoke.
Shutting the door behind her, she turned to the sink, only to drop her mouth at the sight she saw in the mirror. Huge purple bags sunk beneath her scratchy eyes, red from her crying, and her cheeks were sunken in and pale. She quickly grabbed a tissue after noticing the yellowing crust beneath her nose.
She rubbed her eyes once more, hoping that they would somehow get back to normal, but it didn't work. Instead, she submitted to the idea of taking a long hot shower, making sure to scrub her face well. When she got out, hair soaking and skin moist, she found that the washing a done some good, but only a little. Disappointed, her hair was dried with a simple drying spell, and she put on the first set of robes she could find.
Too modest to try a glamour spell, Lydia started on her way to the Great Hall, hoping her new differences would not be so noticeable. It was a long walk from Ravenclaw Tower to the Great Hall, and she was not surprised to catch a few people on the way. No one talked to her. She didn't really expect them to.
The bottom of the staircase she was on was approaching, causing her to remember the happenings of the night before. It was the same place Severus and she had parted after that extremely embarrassing encounter. She deeply regretted throwing all her whining on him, and he was probably very uncomfortable because of it. She would apologize to him the first chance she got. Having learned a good lesson with Morrie and Elle, sorrys were not to be delayed.
It seemed that first chance was a lot sooner than she thought, as she dropped from the last step, she saw him coming towards her from the direction of the library, a book in his hands. Lydia stopped, and waited for Severus.
"Severus," Lydia greeted him as him came near, "Listen, I'm very sorry about last night. I've just been a bit stressed recently, and it was wrong of me to throw that on you. I must apologize."
He looked at her blankly, "Accepted," he said briskly, like it was nothing, "Now, I was just in the library working on some of the translation. It's going much faster now that I've grown accustomed to the language and word order."
"Oh," said Lydia, surprised he did not have more of a reaction to her apology. Maybe he hadn't minded so much as she believed.
"With my work this morning, we have approximately sixty three pages finished and ready to be deciphered in English. I'm certain if we dedicate the weekend, we can reach one hundred."
"We dedicate every weekend to this, Severus," she pointed out wearily.
"No, we honestly don't. We take far too many breaks and leave our research too early. I'm saying that as soon as classes end on Friday, we are there permanently."
"We leave at eight o'clock every night- when the library closes."
"You still have the set of keys Madam Pince gave you last night, correct?" he asked.
"No," Lydia said firmly, "I'll not keep them. She'll be getting them back like I promised."
"I'm not saying you have to give them back, but you can duplicate them. You're good enough at transfiguration."
Good enough, but not great, "I suppose I could, but she'll have wards up and such too."
"We're not incapable when it comes to charm work. Wards can easily be taken care of."
"You're also forgetting that it's Halloween on Saturday."
"No, I'm not," he said.
"But what about the feast?"
"All the more better for us to get into the library. We would be able to work out the wards with minimal chance of being caught, and Madam Pince would not be there to bother us."
"Surely someone will notice if we are gone," said Lydia. Severus stared at her intently for a moment.
"I would think that after last night, you would realize that no one will notice our absence. No one for the either of us," he said softly.
Lydia's faced dropped, and she grew quiet. He was right, she knew. Nobody would care to even think of her now, much less notice her… but he noticed her- Severus. He had been the only somewhat reliable person of late. Lydia could not blow him off just because she had idealistic views towards her friends.
He made her grasp the truth.
"You're right," she agreed, "I'll start working on the duplicate during my free lunch today.
"Good," he said, "I assume you're heading to breakfast."
"Yes, I am. Will you walk with me?"
"Very well."
The two continued walking, but together now and in silence. He was stepping near to her and every once and a while, their robes would whisper together in a soft symphony.
When they arrived in the Great Hall, it was crowded as Lydia had suspected it would be. Thoughtlessly, she looked over to the Gryffindor table to catch Remus's eyes on her. He immediately turned red and looked down when he noticed her gaze. Severus was frowning.
"I'll see you tonight," he promised dryly. Lydia nodded.
"Good- bye then."
He departed without another word, but Lydia did not watch him go. She scurried over to the Ravenclaw Table, swallowing as she saw Elle sitting next to Emmaline, and Morrie leaning over the table to talk with them. Having no one to sit with, she chose to eat alone, sitting at the very end of the table, the closest people a group of first years.
She could never say it was a pleasant meal. Her eyes kept trailing over to the group of caddy girls just down the table, and when her eyes kept meeting with Remus, the urge to eat left her altogether. So, she sat there, twisting her eggs around on the plate, daring herself to look back up, but she couldn't. She didn't want to, not wanting to be reminded of her own faults.
To interrupt her thoughts, a pack of owls burst into the large hall, dropping packages and letters to various students. She was a bit surprised to see Odin flying (though not very well) towards her. He dropped down on the wood in front of her, a small envelope attached to his knee. Relieved, Odin smacked his head into her glass of pumpkin juice and began taking it down with a desert's thirst. Lydia reached over and took the letter from his leg.
Lydia
I've been in touch with the Headmaster, and he's informed me of your recent status in many of your classes, and I cannot say I am pleased. I was under the impression that we had talked about your crucial need to do better in Defense Against the Dark Arts as well as many of your other classes that were in weak standing. Instead of improvement, I received news only of you doing poorly and grades dropping in not just those few fragile subjects, but also in those of your best.
I am not only disappointed but outraged. For all that I do for you, I ask only in return that you give me a top standing in academics, yet you are prone to throw off your studies for trivialities. If there is no improvement soon, and I mean soon, there will be consequences.
Father
Lydia read the note, growing pale. She knew she had missed a few more homework assignments than before, and that her test scores were no near as high as they used to be. Biting the inside of her cheek, she folded the letter slowly and tucked it into her robes.
He was disappointed, as always. Why couldn't she just be the good daughter he had wished for? She was constantly below his expectations. Why? She shut her eyes tightly, begging herself not to cry, but she knew she would last long. Standing up abruptly, she hurried from the hall, looking down.
As soon as she the door snapped behind her, she was walking as fast as she could to the stairs, but a deep, familiar voice called her name from behind. She whirled around.
"Lydia, are you alright?"
She wanted to yes. She was going to say yes, but something just completely broke in her for one second. She didn't want to cry, she knew she was overreacting. She knew she was being stupid and illogical, but she did it anyway. She hated herself for letting the water stream down her cheeks.
And then his arms were around her, squeezing her tightly, and filling her with warmth. Her head fell to his chest, and her hands gripped the fabric of his robes. His chin rested on the top of her head, and softly he cooed words of soothing to her ears. He ran his hand up and down her back, hoping to stop her shivering. She sobbed, her wailing muffled by the fabric of his shirt as he held her.
Suddenly, she heard the door of the Great Hall creek open, and she could feel his head lift off hers to look up.
"Remus," it was a girl's voice addressing him, "Is she okay?"
(A/N- I bet you thought it was Snape!)
"Yeah, she's fine, she just needs to be left alone," she heard him answer. He pulled back from her a little, "Come on, why don't we get out of here and you can tell me what's up."
Lydia swallowed, looking up into those good natured blue eyes that did not seem so good natured now. He was worried, "Okay," she choked, looking to the side to see a redheaded girl watching them intently. Lydia recognized her as Lily Evans. Remus nodded at Lily, who nodded in return and went back into the Great Hall. Making sure she was gone, he wrapped his arm around Lydia's waste, and began to lead her up the stairs.
"I now somewhere private where we can talk," he said. Then smiling at her, "Don't worry though, it's not the kitchens."
Lydia laughed at this, a bit cheered up by his comment. She began to wipe at her cheeks, embarrassed by her outburst.
"There, that's better!" He said, grinning. She smiled softly at him. It was so odd that he could make her feel so great at times and so angry at others.
Remus brought her to a part of the castle she had never been before, turning into an empty classroom, dusty from disuse. He immediately dragged a chair from the side of the room over for Lydia, when he himself perched on the old teacher's desk.
"So," he said, looking serious, "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"
Lydia looked down, "That time of the month?"
"Oh no, you are not getting out of this one," he laughed, and then sobering, "You're scaring me, Lyds. What's going on?"
She smiled a bit at the nickname, almost like a term of endearment, "It's just… I've been stressed, nothing more. You know, late nights for that DADA test…I completely overreacted back there and I'm sorry."
"That's it? You're just stressed?" He still sounded concerned.
"Yes, that's it," she nodded in finality. She didn't really understand why she didn't tell him, but part of her thought he would not understand and make some joke about the situation. And while that could be great, it wasn't exactly what she wanted. Plus she didn't feel like talking about it in general. She just wanted to forget about it.
Remus sighed in relief, "Thank Merlin! I thought it was something worse, like your cat died or something."
"My cat? I don't even have a cat."
"You don't? Well, that's good to know then…" Lydia laughed, "Hey, you know, I could help you out a bit with DADA if you want?"
Lydia gave a tip lipped smile, "That would be nice."
"How about this weekend? Before the feast maybe? The feast you are going to sit with me at right?"
"I' can't," she answered automatically, "Severus and I are doing research."
"Snape?" Remus frowned, "Yeah, I noticed you guys walk into the Hall together. Did he do something to you to make you so upset?"
"No! Rowena, no, I'm working with him on a project."
"What subject?"
"Um, History of Magic," she lied.
Remus nodded, "Look, Lydia, I know Snape. He's not exactly a nice guy. If he tries something, I mean anything; I want you to come to me, okay?"
"Severus wouldn't do me any harm. We're friends." She was surprised with herself after she said it, but she supposed they were friends, especially after what he did last night.
"I still wouldn't trust him, Lyds. He's got a bad reputation."
"That doesn't mean anything. It's all just rumours."
Remus looked doubtful, "I'm not so sure about that."
"Remus-"
"Just be careful, okay. I worry about you, you know?" He stood up, and walked over to where she was sitting, and knelt down in front of her.
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you," he murmured, bringing her face closer to hers, closing the small distance between them with a kiss. She responded eagerly, ready to take her mind off the recent happenings. Her hands found there way around his neck, tickled by the strands of shaggy hair there, and his arms came around her ways. They stayed together, caught up in there act before he pulled away first, his breathing ragged.
"I'm sorry about last night. I was being a fool." He whispered in a raspy voice.
"It's alright. I overreacted. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Yeah…" he agreed. Lydia picked at her nails, "Hey, why don't I take you to your next class." He stood up, holding his hand out to Lydia.
"Okay," she said, grabbing his hand and standing. Together, the couple walked out the door, heading in the direction of the Arithmancy room.
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A/N- I know I'm horrible… hehe… well, it was a snow day so I got this chapter a littler sooner out than I expected. I hope you enjoy it, though I'm sure a few of you will hate it…
I just wanted to announce that this story just reached over 40,000 words! And that was my original goal for the story. I didn't expect it to even get this long, but I know it is going to be a whole lot longer. I still have to get through sixth year, the summer, seventh year, the war, and then all that good stuff afterwards. It's going to be long, I can tell. I hope you'll stay along for the ride though!
It's awesome that I am starting to get new reviewers each chapter! Thank you for taking a chance on my story! And of course I can't be grateful enough for the support of my loyal reviewers who come back time and time again. Thank you!
Madelynn Rae- Thanks for the review! Yes, math does suck…
ButterflyOfLothlorien- Oh, don't be mad at Remus. He just doesn't know what he's doing. Thanks for reviewing, and I love your username!
skytten334- Man, you really out do yourself! I love your reviews! I read it, and I was like, "Okay, must open MS word and start the new chapter." I hate when guys comment about weight! Urgh! I love Remus, I really do, but you're right about his friends. That was something I wanted to portray. He just let's them get away with too much.
I'm not going to comment on the next bit, because I know I will gove way too much away…
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've seen Phantom of the Opera, I think six times on stage. The first time was with Sarah Brightman! I've been meaning to see the movie, but I was afraid it would ruin the musical. I always wanted her to end up with Eric… I'll think I'll go see it now.
Thanks for the name of the essay. I'm gonna go check that out with my friend aka VilleValoRocksTheBed669…hehe, she's crazy. I'm really interested in reading that.
Oh, man! That cartoon is hilarious! Good God! I loathe Mary Sues!
Why, of course Draco and Ginny! I wasn't a fan at first, but believe me, once you read the Draco Trilogy, you will be.
And good luck with your chemistry grade!
risi- I am not going to say anything, because I know I will give something away… J
Sadistic-Nightmares- Oh, man! I drove you to that sort of emotion? That is so fucking cool! …sorry, I'm a bit weird… Don't worry, I think you'll see where things end up with Lydia and Remus.
Thank you guys for reviewing!
On another note, I would appreciate it if people did advertise there RP websites in my reviews.
I would also like to say, I am looking for a good message board RP, but not one that belongs to a sort of school with strict rules and guidelines. I was sort of just hoping to get a few good writers together and start our own thing on just a random message board. I would make one of my own, but I have no idea how to do that. If you do know of one or would like to start one, contact me through email or post a review. Thanks!
Thanks everybody!
Not reading this huge ass thing over…
And now
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MOTIVATING NICE LONG RAMBLY REVIEWS!