Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter…oh, why do I even bother?
BURN THE RUM: Hmm…can't reveal anything yet about Vanessa (do I even know? You'll just have to wait and see…) :). Oh, I love "Beauty and the Beast"! You had to be the Prince? Sounds funny! I'm sure it was a great play. Ours wasn't exactly Beauty and the Beast (think more "School of Rock"). Well, it would be funny (and great) if Johnny popped out anywhere! Hmm…oops, mind trailed off there for a second… Oh, you saw Moulin Rouge? That's awesome! It makes me cry every…single…time… By the way, I read your Lord of the Rings story…best one I've read so far! Well, I've actually got to write a story (oh, yeah…..)! Enjoy!
Siriusforeva: Oh, thanks! That's one of the nicest comments I've gotten! Can't say anything about the blood, yet. Just keep reading! I'm ecstatic (love that word) to know that you are enjoying it so much!
Writingangel203: Hey! Glad you could review! Yeah, you'll probably know more soon, so keep an eye out, CINDERELLA!!
"Oh, come on, Mel, just go to the Hospital Wing. You look awful."
"Thanks, Remus. I'll call you next time I need to know I'm having a bad hair day."
Remus laughed at Mel's unbreakable sarcasm. "Sorry. But with this dreadful flu going around, you might want to check up with Madame Pomfrey. She's got nearly half the school in the beds."
"No, no, Remus," she said, shaking her head. "I'll be fine. I don't want to be in there and just be another dead weight in Poppy's hands."
Poor Mel. She could never swallow that big old lump of pride she kept tucked nicely in her constitution.
"Well," he said, picking up his things and heading towards the door leading out of his office, "I've got a class to teach. You'd better lay down for a bit and rest up."
"Will do, Rem, will do. It's nice to see you teaching this…again."
Remus smiled as he closed the door and walked briskly towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. No matter how many times he felt the thrill of Adrenaline creeping up his spine and running through his veins after defeating a Death Eater, teaching would always be his passion. Ever since Sirius's death, Dumbledore had convinced Remus to return as the DADA teacher. He said it would be good for Harry, as well as the rest of the students, who had all grown quite fond of him. And seeing as how they were left teacherless again (and not to mention that Fudge was a clueless idiot), Remus seemed to be the perfect man to come back for the job.
Of course, Remus knew all about Mel's, ahem, contact with Sirius. Dumbledore may be able to hold his own at the most critical moments, but he could be terrible at keeping some things secretive. Either way, Remus had felt it was a bad idea. But having the old, funny Melissa back was better than anything, and Dumbledore knew it. But the dream world was beyond their control. It was an open domain to an abyss of the unknown.
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Yuck.
Mel pulled herself away from the toilet seat, rubbing her head. Whatever she'd done to get her this sick, she'd never do it again. Ever. Maybe she had food poisoning. Whatever it was, it was coming back to her. She leaned her head back over the toilet and vomited once again. She then felt the slightest pang in the pit of her stomach.
"Ouch!" she screeched, as she grabbed her stomach. But this wasn't a grab that had her nails digging into her skin. It was soft and protective…almost loving. All of this, and vaguely familiar…
She got up and ran like her feet propelled themselves from wings. Still clutching her stomach, she tore down the halls, and swerved at each sharp turn. She was about to lose breath when she came upon the well-known stature of the stone gargoyle. Just barely getting out the password, she practically threw herself up the stairs and into Dumbledore's office.
"Mel, what's wrong? Is everything ok?" the old man asked hastily, getting up from his chair.
"I think," she said, huffing and puffing, "I think I need the test."
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Adam Galway walked briskly down the hall, his head jumping back and forth between two people. Funny thing was, he didn't know who (or what) the other person was. It was a battle between himself and a faint numbness in his own skull.
He turned towards the hospital wing, searching for only God knew what. But no – wait. He didn't want to go there. He wanted to head towards the library…
Find her…do the bidding.
"No," he said instinctively. He was half conscious, and had never felt like this before. His head was dizzy, but completely controlled. His veins must have been ice cold, but his mind was pulsing and calmly thinking. But what was he thinking of?
Do as I say…"Or what?" he said to himself, unaware of why he was even under any command.
You cannot fight back…This voice – thought – seemed to have the control over his actions, for he found himself walking faster, almost eager to find her…whoever she was. The commands seemed to blind his field of vision, for he bumped into someone, apparently not looking where they were going either.
"Bloody hell! It's going to take weeks to get this ink out!"
Adam shook his head and looked down to find Ginny Weasley sprawled on the floor, ink splattered all over her robes and books. Lying next to them was her shattered inkwell, with a small black puddle beneath the shards. She began to pick up her books when Adam interjected.
"Where is she?" he asked, surprised at the unusual deepness of his voice. It was so…unnatural, that it simply couldn't have been his voice at all. But…whose was it?
"A-adam?" asked Ginny as she looked up. "Er, who? Who are you looking for?" The girl was clearly startled at the difference in his voice.
He stepped closer to her and hissed, "You know whom I'm talking about."
Ginny got up and looked him in the eye. "N-no, I don't know. What's gotten into –"
"Don't you dare keep her from me. He'll find you…he'll..."
"Vanessa…" she whispered." Ginny had become quite close to Vanessa during the year. They were practically inseparable. She straightened up. This was what she had been talking about. Ness had confided in Ginny about the things Adam had done to her, but she'd never really believed them. Adam just wasn't like that. But…what was he like? He was smart and handsome, yes. But this was so different. How could she know? "I don't know where she is. And even if I did, if you think I would tell you, then you've seriously thought wrong."
He grabbed her and pushed her against the stone wall. "DON'T DEFY ME! He will come for you, you'll never be safe…" The threats seemed to roll off his tongue and hit poor Ginny like bullets. But she held her courage in her hands and refused to show her weakness.
Let go of her! What the bloody hell are you doing? Stop it! Adam's thoughts couldn't overrule the actions pouring from his hands. He reached into his pocket, retrieving something that would punish Ginny for her disobedience.
Ginny looked down at his hand and then up into his eyes. Her face twisted into some sort of horror, and she ran. Adam (the real Adam) didn't understand what had frightened her off so. But Ginny knew…it had been something in his eyes. They reminded her of past times. Times that had frightened her. They were not Adam's eyes. But she knew whose they were. She just didn't want to believe it.
Adam, seeming to come out of his half-trance, shook his head, as if trying to throw off the headache that had quickly developed deep in his temple. After the pain went away, he stared down at his hand, which was still in his pocket. He felt his fingers wrap around something, and he pulled it from his pocket. It was a syringe, half full with a deep green substance, the needle slightly dirty.
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"Mel, what are you going to do?" asked Dumbledore, rubbing his seemingly aged eyes.
"What do you mean, 'What am I supposed to do?' What do you expect me to do? Sirius had reasons for no contact, I'm sure, but this is not what he had in mind." Mel stopped pacing around the room, and leaned against the wall of Dumbledore's office. She took a long, but sharp sigh.
"This is bad, Melissa. I think we are going to find ourselves in a bigger mess than any of us could've predicted."
"And what exactly is so wretched about it?" said Mel, her voice rising. "This is not supposed to be something you down upon, you know. I'm rather happy, actually. It'll be…nice." Mel gave a weak, but sweet smile. It broke Dumbledore's heart to turn it.
"But Mel, how many people out there do you think are going to believe you? This is unusual even for us. They are going to stomp all over it, and you'll be trampled by ridicule."
Mel rushed up to the old wizard's desk and looked him right in the eye, her face and voice filled with desperate attempts at restrained passion. "NO, Albus! I know my own sanity better than anyone out there! And I can guarantee that words can and will not penetrate me!" She calmed down a bit, speaking as she turned back to the wall. "I can do this."
Dumbledore sighed and got up from his desk. He walked over to Mel, her back facing him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, as of to soothe her before the final blow. You see, Dumbledore had also seen Vanessa's memories. But he had a more…subtle way of retrieving them. He'd also had more affective ways of reaching them. He'd been able to see what Harry didn't. He knew what happened in that alley. True, Nessa hadn't known he'd done it, but he had to. And now he had to really tell Mel why her situation was so dangerous.
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Vanessa couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it! Her favorite teacher from her school in America was coming here! To Hogwarts! Professor Belfast was originally from Britain, and she was coming to London in about a week. She had sent an owl to Vanessa (since the professor was the only person Vanessa told she was going to Hogwarts), saying that she'd be visiting. She apparently quit her other job and was seeking a teaching job at Hogwarts. She had gone there when she was a young witch, and always dreamed of returning. She told Vanessa in the letter that she would be getting to the school by Floo Powder (once she found a fireplace in a London hotel – if she could get to Scotland by Floo).
Vanessa was on her way to Dumbledore's office, having known her mother had been summoned there. She was so excited, that she needed to tell someone – now. Her mother would probably be the only one who understood, anyhow. She quickly gave the gargoyle the password and ascended up the stone cold steps. She was about to turn the knob when she heard a loud sobbing cry come from the room. Frightened, Nessa jumped back, and then peered through the small crack in the door.
"N-no, that's not it! It-it can't be, Albus! What would he want with…with…" Mel gave out another moan.
"Look, Mel, it's dangerous. There was a reason for Sirius not to make contact with you! This is why!" exclaimed Dumbledore.
"But it can't have to do with what happened to Vanessa," stated Mel, almost whining.
"Yes it does, Melissa." Dumbledore again put a reassuring hand on Mel's shoulder. "It does."
Mel wiped a small tear from her eye and looked up into the old man's half-moon glasses. She then did something peculiar: she smiled a small, triumphant smile. "No, Albus. This is a good thing. A great thing. It's the best thing that's happened to me in a while. And nothing is going to ruin it."
"That still doesn't change the fact that they won't believe you. That doesn't change their morals, their opinions. No matter what you say, you'll never convince them that they're wrong."
Mel smiled again. "I don't care," she said, rubbing her tummy and looking down at it. "The world is simply going to have to believe that I am pregnant by Sirius Black."
A/N: Ooh, cliffy…MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Ok, sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry (etcetera, etcetera). I'm (again) sorry about the late update. It's been crazy lately, 'nuff said.
