Chapter Six Story Telling
James lay face down on his bed, clothing flung all about him. He wished Sirius would just leave the house for awhile so as not to face him when he actually left. Sirius had eyes that would bore guilt down into you till the guilt ate you away.
Why did he come here in the first place? What was the reason for it? To get away from Marie? No.
He rose from his bed and grabbed a box that was neatly placed under his mattress. It was a sea-greenish blue color and quite dainty and worn out. He opened the package; it had pictures, warrants, warnings, letters, broken watches and the chain that went to his old time-turner.
"Hand it over, James." Whispered softly Professor Dumbledore, his eyes were twinkle-free and his silver beard was in tact.
James stood there holding the tiny time-turner closely to his stomach, not shifting for a second.
"The consequences could be great James, you could be stripped from your name, give your family a bad reputation... You are still a man with out a name, but a foolish man for losing it for a foolish reason." His words slid through his lips into James ears. "You could lose everything you own, everything you've accomplished. What about your quidditch title? Are you willing you even lose that? What about your mother James? What would she think?"
James winced at the mention of his mother. "I would imagine Holly would be very disappointed to hear that her son was meddling with time."
James swallowed thickly, "I keep missing her Professor, when I go back...I end up somehow not being able to make it to her. I never leave her side, the other me--I mean--I can never get to her because I'll be discovered by the old me if I do...does that make sense?"
Professor Dumbledore stood there, "It does James, but it surprises me that a boy like you James with so much dignity, so much pride, so much to live for, would like to spend his life going through the same scene in his life forever."
"Is that all you came to France for Professor? To try to convince me to see the errors of my ways?" James scoffed. "You once told me that the greatest magic in a wizard was their love and now you're trying to tell me to stop what I'm doing, despite its reason for love?"
"Don't make me take it by force James...just hand it over..." Dumbledore stood there in front of James with his wand at hand.
James eyes darted at the wand, he whispered to him, "Don't do it-"
Accio-"
James angrily threw the time-turner at Dumbledore and ran into his room.
James looked at the chain; the gold was chipping off with age. It had been two years since he had last seen it attached to the time turner and in two months it would be four. Time did fly after school, often too fast for his liking.
He then pulled out a ram shackled photograph of his days back in Hogwarts; he looked at himself in the picture with unruly locks of jet-black hair, creeping over his left eye. He observed how the James in the picture blushed and tried to hide his face behind a book while the Lily in the picture fought to keep the book down. Her red locks going down to her shoulder, while her big green eyes were lit with amusement.
He smiled and closed the box, all he needed was closure. A good riddance from all these memories and the best place to hide them was here, he knew he wouldn't come crawling back to look at them anymore. He thought about the music box, should he have given it to Sirius? He should have burned it.
"What song is it?" Lily asked; her focus was deep in the music box. "It's so...soothing."
James grinned bashfully, "Music of the Night, my mom hums it a lot and I think it's very...hypnotizing, I guess. It says L. E. on the side. By the sapphires."
Lily looked up at James, "This is the best gift ever James, I'll never forget it, really."
James laughed, "Just don't lose it, when you come to France, I want to see you with it."
Lily smiled at him and then accidentally closed it, "It's locked. How do I--"
"I was hoping you'd ask that question Missy Evans." James pulled out one of those nice emerald velvet boxes and handed it to her. "It's a necklace, but if you turn it on here, the music box opens."
James smiled at her as she put the necklace on that read 'Together in Paris.
"I'll definitely remember this." Lily said tucking the necklace in her shirt.
The memories of Lily slipped away, tuckedsafely inside of James brain, in a door where never to be bothered again. He slid the box under the plain bed.
He walked out of the door and left his coetaneous ideas of Lily in there, far from the depths of him.
He passed by his mother's door, guilt pouring into his body leading to guilt chills and goose bumps. He opened the door silently, jumping at the creak sounds caused by the door. The room paint was chipping off the walls, the room smelled like old Chinese take out just left there ignored. It was quiet, a quiet that James didn't feel quite comfortable in.
"Mum...?" James stepped into the room and his voice rattled with nerves.
There was a mild shuffle in the bed, "Ja-James?"
James fixed his glasses that were falling askew; he felt his voice tremble as he started to speak again, "I thought I would stop to say good-bye before I left."
His mothers eyes grew wide, "You're leaving again? You just got here!"
"I'm only going for a little while; don't get excited, you know its bad for you." James said in a very careful tone of voice. "I have to um...finish business."
Her voice was soft and mellow, sweet yet tired out, "You are such a busy boy James. I feel like Sirius is my little boy now. Don't leave me here long, James, come back to me. Promise?"
James choked back and said softly, "Promise."
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James felt his heart stop as he made his way to the hospital, his heart felt heavy and hurt; he didn't enjoy telling people he was leaving again. He was causing more of a deal then it really is.
He entered the quiet hospital and made his way to the room that he had been going for so long.
This meeting had to be accurate and it was inescapable.
He saw the small figure in the bed, brown curls askew. Was she sleeping?
"Annabelle Lee?" he said quietly. "Are you awake?"
He watched a head rise from the bed, her face was pale and stretched across her face, her brown chocolate eyes were dimmed while her eyelids hung over them, her lips were a deep tinge of rosy red, sore and bruised. She looked tired and feeble.
"Jimmy?" Her voice was feeble, he felt like he was with his mother again. "I-I-I have to t-t-tell you..."
Her eyes glossed over and her head hung back, James watched her, petrified with every move she made. "Annabelle, what happened?"
"I-I-I'm getting sicker...I-I-I might not be able to leave." She blinked; her eyes were full of fear and sadness. "My brother came yesterday. He's alright; he's found a better life he says."
James sat next to her and grabbed her hand, "You need sleep, you need rest, I'll come by tomorrow. Go to bed."
"Tell Remus, I miss him." She croaked before she went off to a deep slumber, leaving James feeling suddenly indifferent.
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Flower felt the day drag on, she didn't particularly enjoy working for Sirius especially when he was in a serious mood. She could tell something was bothering him; something was poking him in the back of his mind. She noticed how he wrote, his hand massaging his forehead while putting his head support on his elbow.
"Tired?" Flower asked, trying to bring a conversation at midst.
"A bit." he said, taking his time with his words. He looked up at her and sighed, "Why don't you take five?"
Flower looked at him with a queer expression plastered on her face.
She excused herself and closed the door behind her, they had been working at his house and she had a great dire need to search the place.
She made her way up the stairs and observed each door, she already knew which door belonged to Holly, the lady Sirius took care of but each door had its own hidden meaning behind it. She could feel it.
"Where do you think you're going Miss Potter?" Said a very amused voice.
"Remus!" she hissed at him, punching his arm. "You nearly startled me."
Remus grinned feeling rather accomplished, "Any who, what are you doing up here? Curiosity killed the cat, y'know."
Flower shrugged, "Go away then."
Remus looked around, "Ava might catch you."
"Who's Ava?" She asked looking around, noticing every chip of paint there was.
"One of the other people who live here, her room is down stairs though and I don't think she's been home lately, to tell you the truth." Remus wondered out loud. "I wonder who she's shacking up with now..."
Flower shot him a stare and entered the room at the farthest of the corridor, "Nice view." She said while she looked out the window. "Close the door, will you?"
Remus did so, feeling a lot of school boy hormones come back.
"Whose room is this?" Flower asked with a heart full of curiosity.
"James. He left though." Remus said, he sounded bitter.
"His name is so...pretty." She said crouching by his bed. "Who is he?"
"He's one of my best friends." Remus started telling. "He was here just now, funny how you keep missing him."
Flower nodded, "How long have you known him?" Remus noted how she looked genuinely curious about all this, it made him feel good being next to someone who wants to know so much.
"Well I'd seen him once or twice before because of my mum but I really met him during the first day of Hogwarts."
"Ha-ha, cue the music." Flower said, giving him a small wink. "Now tell me about your first day."
Remus sat quietly on the train, his nerves rattling and awaking at every movement surrounding him. There was no doubt in his mind that this day was not going to go so sweetly for his liking. The day already had started off in a rocky bunch. On his way in the barrier he had knocked down this tall boy who looked as if he was in his second year in Hogwarts. The boy gave him the meanest glare and walked away from him, brushing himself off.
He looked out the window once more, the sun was hiding shyly behind a couple of clouds. This was not a way to start of the day indeed.
He heard a noise at the door and he gulped to himself. He was not a pushover, mind you, he was just not a very confident person.
"Is this seat taken?" Pressed a very obtrusive, brash voice.
"N-No." Remus replied, he observed the boy quickly. He had oily black hair slicked to the side, covering most of his forehead. His eyes were small and narrowed, he could guess that that boy was a very paranoid person. They were the darkest color he had ever seen for eyes, they were too dark to be brown. His face was very porcelain pale, his nose was hooked and he had thin lips that curled up barely when he were to smile. Remus noted all this in mere seconds, he was a very observing person.
"So what's your name?" The boy questioned, arching his eyebrows.
"Remus." He answered boldly. "Yours?"
"Severus," he replied stiffly, "Severus Snape."
Severus Snape? Remus thought to himself. Weren't they the people who had my father evicted from the Groves?
"Are your parents wizards?" He started again, in the same thick voice. "Mine are."
Remus stared at him, he was starting not to like this bloke little by little, "Yes they are, but I don't see why it would make it any different."
Severus shrugged and said in the same rich voice, "It would just be a pity to see so many mud bloods here."
Remus nodded at him. What a wanker.
The door opened once more, a boy stood there with jet-black locks on his head wildly, covering his eye, with dark brimmed glasses, "Hey Remus, can I sit here?"
Remus smiled at the boy, "No problem James."
Severus stared at James with great dislike, he probably recognized him from somewhere since James was going everywhere because of his father these days.
"James Potter." he said to Severus with his hand outstretched.
"I know bloody well who you are." Severus spat. "Your father is the bloke who's helping Albus Dumbledore make peace with all these disgusting things
James frowned, "And the funny thing is, we still haven't gotten to you yet."
Severus stood up enraged, "Your father thinks he's doing well, well we'll see when he's in the front page...dead
James stood up after him, "The only person who's going to die right now is you if you don't get out of my face now. You're talking about bloody disgusting things when you have a face only a mother can love. When was the last time your wanker arse took a bloody shower?"
Remus tried hard not to smirk or snort in Severus' face.
Severus glared at James and left.
"Who did that wanker think he was? The Queen of bloody England?" James snorted opening a box of Bertie Botts, "Hungry?"
"Did he really do that?" Flower asked Remus eagerly, she reminded him of a child willing to accept any piece of knowledge.
"James wasn't the type to just let things drop, he took everything very seriously." Remus thought for a second. "Let me rephrase that, he didn't let things just drop because he had too much pride to let himself just take things like that."
"He sounds like a character, maybe I'll meet him one day." Flower sighed and put her hands on her lap. "Tell me more stories of you and your friends."
Remus thought for a moment, a smile crept on his face, "Okay, here's one. It was Valentines Day, I think either 6th or 7th year...yes 7th; my friend James..."
"Look, there's your chance. She's by herself." Remus told him, elbowing him. "Unless you're too scared..."
Sirius glared him down, "I'm not scared."
"Because if you're scared I'll do it Padfoot..." said James, his lips curling.
"Don't you have some tutoring to attend to?" Spat Sirius, holding his flower in his hand.
"Lily's busy today." James said stiffly. "I think her boyfriend took her out for the day, what was that blokes name again?"
"Amos Diggory." Peter answered automatically. "How many times are you going to pretend like you don't know his name? The act is getting pretty old."
James ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I don't know what you mean Wormtail."
Sirius then made a sudden leap, "There she is!" The watched as a ginger haired girl made her way through the common room, she had a high ponytail with absolutely no bangs on her just a few baby hairs. She looked in a rather touchy mood one might have assumed, but they knew that that was just the way she held herself.
James watched how Sirius got nervous, he had never seen a side of Sirius like that and who was to blame him if he wanted to make a sport out of it, "Sirius will you please get it through your head that I don't want to be your Valentine!"
Sirius looked over at James, his eyes bulged as every one in the common room turned to face them, "What?"
"I am a one woman man, Sirius, I'm sorry that you feel the need to have to beg me to go one just one date with you. I feel that I just have to let you know. The answer is 'no.'" James said dramatically, looking over at the girl who was now smiling over at them.
Sirius must have caught the drift and replied, "That's not what you said the other night James, you said I was the only man for you."
Remus walked over to Sirius, "You bitch, you said you loved me."
By that time everyone in the common room was staring wide-eyed at all of them, amused or annoyed--they were still staring.
James grinned at both of them and made his way to sit down, "Hey Sirius, why don't you go give your Valentine to Miss Harris now? You sure have her attention now."
The ginger haired girl pretended to have not been watching while a pink tinge entered her face.
"That was a fun Valentines..." recalled Remus, he suddenly became quiet and distant. His train of thought was no longer next to Flower, it was now flying elsewhere. Back in time, when everything was simpler.
Flower was still on the edge of her bottom, desperate to listen to Remus tell another story, "So Sirius does have a sensitive side..."
"Heh, I s'pose you can say that." Shrugged Remus, his mind was still elsewhere. "I would say he had a sensitive spot just for her."
"Who was she?" Flower asked, leaning her head back on the wall.
"Her name was Ash Harris, she was one year under us. Sirius and Ash were like the most ridiculous couple while still being super normal...it was weird. They hated each other for most of their Hogwarts life, maybe it was because they were so much a like. Somehow they started dating in seventh year...they tried in October and the broke up in the beginning of November...then they tried again in December and they broke up because of Sirius' jealous issues in January and then he won her back over on Valentines Day and then it was a steady path."
"How do you remember all that?"
"One tends to remember things when their sitting in a train for hours alone." Remus said in a relaxed voice.
"What about you Remus? When was the last time you fell in love?" Flower sat there, her eyes wide.
Remus looked at her, memories came in and out, "That's a story for another time. Why don't you go to back to work. I'm rather busy Flower and I don't have time to just sit here and tell you stories about my days back in Hogwarts."
And with a pop he was gone.
A/N-Sorry if you felt this chapter took too long but I wanted it to be at a certain length, tell me if you liked the length of the chapter. Once more I ask for CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, no flaming. Thank you very much. If you would like me to advertise your story please leave a comment with your stories name. I won't advertise more then five stories a chapter.
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