Chapter 27
A/N: I do not own anything you see here! The Lion King belongs to Disney and Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling!
Hard to believe I'm on chapter 27 already! I'll tell you, this story has taken on a life of its own, and has veered off drastically to the plans I have sitting around in a notebook. Honestly though, that's okay in my book. It allows me the chance to really take the time and write out the chapter as I see fit. Plus that means that there might be more than the 112 chapters I have planned.
Side note: the song is from the Broadway play. I know it might be a little odd to add in but they sing songs all the time in The Lion King and I thought it would be a good fit here. The song Endless Night was written for the stage play which will celebrate its 20th year next year. I thought with everything Simba's going through in the story, it was a nice touch.
Okay, now I have a question for you the readers. Should I bring in Nala or anyone else from Simba's story (besides Timon and Pumbaa)? I'm on the fence about it so I'd really like to know what you guys think.
Anywho, enjoy the chapter, and please review! Oh, The Lion and I is my second viewed story on Fanfiction dot net, coming in at 92,466 views as I write this. It's also my fourth most reviewed fanfic so thank you so much for your views, your favorites, your alerts and of course your reviews!
Simba ran after Ron, hoping to prevent the brewing disaster before it destroyed a friendship. Ignoring the fact that he still hadn't made up with Hermione, Simba sighed as he ran down the stairs. This year was never ending and it was only January!
Thankfully, he didn't have to go far to find Ron, as both he and Hermione were in the Common Room. Hermione, laden down with books as always, looked very concerned for Ron as he stormed toward her, carrying a bed sheet.
"Ron?" Hermione asked. "What's wrong?"
"Look what I found upstairs in my dorm!" Ron growled, thrusting the bed sheet toward her, causing her to drop several of her books. "Scabbers is gone and do you know what that is?"
"Is…is that blood?" Hermione gasped, looking down at the bed sheet with a look of fear present on her face.
"Yeah, and you want to know what else I found?" Ron asked her, glaring at her all the while. Simba proceeded to walk up to them, hoping this wouldn't be too bad. Then again, it was Ron and Hermione so it would probably take three months for them to talk again. Ron thrusted the pieces of long ginger fur he found on the pillow into Hermione's face, and Hermione's look of shock turned to skepticism.
"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're blaming my cat for your rat's disappearance based on his fur? I brought Crookshanks up there for Christmas, Ronald! It's possible that's where it's from!"
"You just don't want to admit that your cat has had it out for Scabbers since they met!" Ron bellowed.
"Oh please! I remember you used to tell me that Simba would pounce on Scabbers during First Year!" Hermione yelled back. "Why isn't Simba a suspect? You just want to blame my cat!"
"Umm," Simba tried to interject, not liking the fact that his name had come up in this arguement.
"Stay out of this!" Ron and Hermione snapped at him, causing Simba to back up. He didn't leave the room though, in case Ron or Hermione went too far in their attack on the other. Their fight was drawing attention from the other Gryffindors though many just sat back and watched. After seeing Simba drag Oliver Wood through the Common Room by his pants, nothing could really concern them any more.
"If you had just taught Crookshanks to leave Scabbers alone, this wouldn't have happened!" Ron shouted, his ears burning bright red.
"Oh please!" Hermione scoffed. "You should just learn to take better care of your pet Ronald! It's entirely possible that Scabbers scurried off somewhere—like Trevor! You remember how Trevor used to wonder off! Neville never accused someone else's pet of eating the toad! Oh, and what about Hedwig? Owls eat rats too!"
"Hedwig has never attacked Scabbers before!" Ron shot back, "and Trevor was never attacked by another pet! You just don't want to be wrong for once!"
"Ron, maybe we should stop and calm down?" Simba piped up again. This was steering into a dangerous subject—he should know! Hermione still hadn't forgiven him for the time during Christmas when he said the same thing. "I mean, you really don't know that Crookshanks is the one to blame for all of this."
"Oh really?" Ron turned to glare at Simba. "Figures you'd stick up for the cat instead of Scabbers, who you've known longer! Why couldn't you have told Crookshanks that Scabbers was off limits?"
"Oh please, are you really staying that it's Simba's fault now that Scabbers has vanished?" Hermione scoffed but Simba had stopped listening. His fault. Was it his fault that Scabbers was dead? Had something he'd done led to the death of another pride member? Sure Scabbers was useless, slept most of the time and was nothing more than a good target to keep his pouncing skills intact but he was still a member of the pride.
Why couldn't you have told Crookshanks that Scabbers was off limits?
..Simba's fault…
Simba, what have you done?
No one ever means for these things to happen.
If it hadn't been for you, he'd still be alive.
What will your mother think?
Run away Simba! Run away and never return!
"Oh knock it off you two!" Harry shouted at Ron and Hermione, bringing Simba out of his trance. Still, Simba couldn't stay here. Not if it was his fault! Maybe it would be better if he spent sometime outside. Running out of the Common Room, Simba ignored Harry's voice calling him back. He couldn't stay here.
He ran down the stairs, trying desperately to escape the voices. Before he knew it, Simba was outside on the grounds. But he couldn't stay here—it was too open! A student could find him too easily. He would have to go to the Forbidden Forest.
Following the path, Simba gulped as the trees began obscuring the starlit sky—the only comfort to him. Everything was building up; the constant nightmares, his fights with his friends, the threat toward Harry, keeping Sirius a secret from everyone, and now the idea that he was at fault for Scabbers' death and/or disappearance.
Where has the starlight gone?
Dark is the day
How can I find my way home?
Simba didn't realize at first that the singing was coming from him, but when he did, it was like a hose had turned on inside of him. It felt so good to finally say what was bothering him—even if no one else was around to hear it.
Home is an empty dream
Lost to the night
Father, I feel so alone
You promised you'd be there
Whenever I needed you
Whenever I call your name
You're not anywhere
As Simba walked through the Forbidden Forest, he couldn't help feel a bit of guilt for blaming his father. Maybe his father was trying to help him but couldn't because Simba was no longer by the Pride Lands? Because Simba had run away from the Pride Lands. Or maybe his dad didn't want to help Simba because it had been his fault his dad had died!
I certainly wouldn't want to help someone who caused my death, Simba thought bitterly, kicking a pebble out of his path.
I'm trying to hold on
Just waiting to hear your voice
One word, just a word will do
To end this nightmare
Something else would end this nightmare, but I don't think the Ministry of Stupid Decisions would go for it! Simba thought as he walked over a fallen log. Put Dementors by school children! Brilliant!
When will the dawning break
Oh endless night
Sleepless I dream of the day
Sleepless was right. Despite the Dreamless Sleep a few hours ago, Simba was still exhausted. He wondered how long it would take before his sleep schedule was back on track.
When you were by my side
Guiding my path
Father, I can't find the way
He was trying to do what was right but it just seemed that lately, all Simba managed to do was screw things up.
You promised you'd be there
Whenever I needed you
Whenever I call your name
You're not anywhere
I'm trying to hold on
Just waiting to hear your voice
One word, just a word will do
To end this nightmare
Simba knelt down, tears streaming down his face. He just didn't know what to do anymore. How could he be strong for Harry when he couldn't handle his own demons?
He didn't know how long he sat there crying in the clearing. It was the best place for it really—there were no students to bother him, no Hagrid making sure he was okay and no Timon and Pumbaa to lie to.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, causing Simba to stiffen but then slowly relax upon realizing it was Sirius. They stayed like that for a long while—half an hour at most.
"So, want to tell me what that was about?" Sirius asked, breaking off the hug, much to Simba's disappointment. It was strange but Sirius' hug was something he had missed. A pair of arms to make him feel safe—someone else doing the protecting, instead of him.
"What do you mean?" Simba asked.
"Traipsing across the Forest singing," Sirius stated. "I've seen some weird things in my time but a singing lion in the Forbidden Forest is on the top on my list."
Simba looked down at his paws, unsure of where to go from here. Should he tell Sirius, a former enemy turned tentative ally, about his role in his father's death? Would Sirius even want anything to do with him after that?
"Something happened," Simba said, looking back up at Sirius.
"Is Harry okay?" Sirius asked, tensing up, looking ready to turn into his animagus form and run right into Hogwarts to protect Harry. Simba nodded, thereby confusing Sirius.
"So, what's wrong?" Sirius asked, sitting down next to the distraught lion. "Come on lion. I mean, if you can't tell the person you nearly killed on Christmas Day, who can you tell?"
Simba choked out a laugh at that and sighed. Maybe he could tell Sirius what happened, but just not the whole truth of the matter.
"Something happened," Simba repeated, the tears beginning anew, "and…and it's my fault!"