Raylynx's POV
The next morning, when my eyes opened, I saw Jasper still asleep beside me. I noticed that Jasper was breathing at a slow, steady rhythm and his heartbeat felt normal now. I sighed quietly in relief. I stayed where I was for a few minutes, trying to take in this strange sensation of waking up beside someone. With Jasper, even now, I could feel that I was the one who warmed him. But maybe that was what we both needed right now.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, a beam of light shone gently on his face. He stirred and then sleepily opened his eyes. He looked down to see me there, gazing up at him.
"Are you well?" I asked him.
He smiled softly. "Yes," he said, though his voice was tired. "Thank you for staying with me."
"I'm going to get us some water, and we should check in with Sehtzer," I said.
He nodded.
We washed up and each had a cup of tea before we walked over to Sehtzer's tent. On our way over, we ran into two young children. The child who seemed slightly older was a boy and the younger child was a girl. The younger child started to race towards other, but the older child pulled her back. The younger child shouted and pushed away and then made straight for Jasper. Before Jasper or I could react, she had wrapped her arms around Jasper's leg.
I looked at him uncertainly. He shrugged and peered down at the little girl. "Hello there," he said. "Are you all right?"
She nodded and said, "You saved my papa."
"Asa, get away from him!" The older child had caught up to us. He yanked back the girl. "He's a visitor and he's a- a wolf man! He's dangerous."
I frowned.
"That's not true!" the little girl shouted back. "Sehtzer said he saved my father! He said it, I heard him!"
"He's a wolf-man, I know it," the older boy said, eyeing Jasper distrustfully.
The little girl, Asa, turned to Jasper and said fearfully, "Is my brother right? Are you… a wolf-man?"
Jasper bent down and spreading his eyes before him said, "Well, yes. I can't deny it. But I'm not going to hurt you."
The older boy snarled and yanked Asa further back.
Jasper held out his hand to her. When neither of them moved, he sighed and gently patted Asa's head. "It's all right if you're afraid of me," he said. "I suppose you should listen to your brother."
He rose to his feet again.
"Come on," he said to me. His voice was as cheerful as he could make it, but his expression was tinged with sadness.
I looked at the children again, but Jasper had already walked away.
I followed Jasper to the tent, where Sehtzer was waiting for us.
When we entered the tent, Sehtzer leapt up to his feet.
"Jasper!" Sehtzer held Jasper's arm gently and looking into his face said, "Are you all right? Iseline said you would be, but I was worried because you had been giving blood to us all this time, and you must have been quite weakened-"
Jasper stopped him by shaking his head and interjecting, "Quite all right. Thank you, Sehtzer, and please, thank Iseline for me, though I hope I get the chance to thank her myself."
"How is the village, Sehtzer?" I asked.
"The darkness has certainly gotten lighter, though it is still quite heavy directly over the vampires' lair," Sehtzer said, and the joyous relief of having stopped the clouds before they ventured onto his people's land shone on his proud face. "But for now, our people are safe- thanks to our attack on the lair yesterday, but also because of Jasper's blood donations."
"And your Runes- have they returned?"
Sehtzer nodded. "For the most part, yes."
"That reminds me," Sehtzer continued, "I imagine that your Rune is weakened yet again but yesterday, Raylynx. We'll have to check it before you leave. But I must ask- What happened to you when you touched the tree?"
I hesitated, trying to recall the mental and emotional chaos that had been sparked within me. I tried to describe it as best as I could. "There was a series of moving images, an object paired with some kind of threatening creature. I saw something like a book, but I think a serpent came out of it."
"A serpent?" Sehtzer said. "I wonder if it was the snake I had to fight yesterday. I have never seen such a python before in our lands. And I believe it was in the tree, waiting to strike any intruders. It was a hard battle. It was so dark, and the snake was incredibly powerful. I'm certain that I would not have survived its bite had it gotten to me."
"I couldn't see it very well," Jasper said.
"Nor I," I admitted.
"Can you recall any of the other images?" Sehtzer asked me.
I paused, because I had my own intuitions about what the images were, and I wasn't sure if I could trust Sehtzer with it. But I realized that not only did Sehtzer need to know to save his people, but that, once again, I refused to act as Dumbledore did- giving information selectively.
So, I said, "There was a crown. A vampire was standing behind it."
"Curious," Jasper said, thinking hard.
"Anything else?" Sehtzer asked me.
There had been, but I honestly couldn't remember what it was. I told him so.
Sehtzer nodded. He sighed and said, "So, it seems that there are more mysteries arising then mysteries solved. But your intuition was correct, Raylynx. Much of the darkness came from, or was enabled by, the tree itself."
"The two of you have done a great service to our people," Sehtzer said. "What may I give to you in return?"
Jasper shook his head. "Thank you, but I will decline. I don't want anything."
I thought hard.
Jasper laughed a little. "Most people decline out of politeness, but I see you are thinking hard about this."
"Sehtzer," I said, "I have a godson. If he's ever in trouble, may I direct him to you?"
Sehtzer nodded, his expression solemn.
"And second," I added, "please educate your people about werewolves."
Sehtzer's eyes softened. "Yes, I can do that," he said.
He bowed slightly as Jasper and I left the tent.
Jasper and I traveled back to London together. As we took a train together to re-enter the country (borders were strictly regulated and we did not have Ministry authorization to set up a Portkey or Apparate), Jasper, who was sitting beside me, said quietly, "I'm afraid I unintentionally took advantage of you. I wasn't thinking straight last evening, but reflecting on it, I realized you may have felt that you had no choice but to comply with my request."
I took one last deep breath and then I took the plunge.
Ignoring the trembling in my hand, I reached out and touched his face, and drawing him towards me and leaning towards him, I kissed him on the lips.
He paused, surprised, but I felt him relax, and kiss me back. It wasn't an overly grand or particularly passionate kiss. We didn't get carried away or anything, but the point was that we were on the same page now.
A week later, I was at my Muggle home and frantically preparing to return to Hogwarts. Jasper had left immediately after our return to report to Alethea Kaius. Although I badly wanted to go with him and see Alethea, I knew I had to pack up my things and draw up lesson plans. Class was starting in only a few days! I had, however, written Alethea a long letter. I had also sent letters saying that I had returned to Jamie, Sola, Remus, and Dumbledore, and then I had sent Harry a birthday present anonymously.
As I finished going over and editing a few of my first week lesson plans, I heard a knock on my door. I got up and opened the door to see Jasper standing there.
I smiled and said, "Welcome back." He entered the house, and I closed the door after him. He took off his cape and we both went into the kitchen.
I started to put together some tea and a sandwich, but Jasper stopped me.
"Thanks, but I can do that myself," he said.
"I don't mind," I said, but he shook his head and gently, but firmly, put his hands on my shoulders and moved me away from the kitchen counter.
"You haven't been sleeping much, have you?" Jasper asked me, noticing the circles under my eyes.
"I want to be ready for the start of term," I replied. "Students don't take Ancient Runes very seriously, so I feel like I should try extra hard to make it exciting."
"That's because they haven't seen the Runic Circles that you create," Jasper said.
"Or the Runes that Sehtzer can draw," I said. "Can you believe he managed to hold and throw fire?"
Jasper replied, "When the tree burst into flames, I thought I'd crashed down into hell. But it turns out that it was just Sehtzer, saving me."
"Well, I don't blame you," I said. "There was a lot of raging fire that day."
Then, I asked, "How is Alethea? I was so upset I couldn't see her."
"She's well," Jasper assured me. "Jared and Alexia were back home, and I think their presence cheered her greatly. She sends her love to you, and she wrote you a letter back. It's in my suitcase. I'll retrieve it right after a spot of lunch."
"Shall I make you some lunch too?" Jasper asked me, turning to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.
"Oh no, I'm fine," I replied, waving it off.
"I think you should," Jasper said seriously. "You forget to eat quite often, Raylynx. That won't do."
For a moment, Jasper reminded me of McGonagall, when she had had to take care of me after my parents' deaths. "I spent all day making this, and if it goes to waste, I should be very cross with you!"
I smiled to myself.
Jasper turned around to wipe his hands off on a towel, and he caught the smile on my face.
"Are you laughing at me?" he asked. He dropped the towel and pulled me closer to him and looked down at my face. "Is it funny to you that I offered you a sandwich?"
I laughed suddenly at the way he phrased his question. "No, it wasn't funny. But now it is," I said.
He put both of his arms around me. I stiffened slightly, but quickly made myself relax. Merlin knows how old I am, I'm not going to let myself be flustered by an embrace. Sirius had always noticed any little movement I made, and he had often called me out on how stiff I was with him. It had, of course, gotten better with time. Jasper didn't seem to notice, however, and in many ways, I was extremely thankful that he didn't.
"I must say, Raylynx, that your sense of humor is rather odd," Jasper said.
"Is it?" I wondered.
"I've noticed that my phrasing often amuses you," he said, half-teasing, half-serious.
"Well, yes," I replied, "Because you're always such a gentleman. You always have been."
"Is that bad?" he asked me, and I could tell that he was now completely serious.
"No," I said softly, reaching out to put my hands on his arms. "No, not at all. I'm laughing because it's charming, that's all."
Jasper smiled a little. Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips gently against mine. I kissed him back and we stayed like that a long moment, kissing each other softly, but with our lips lingering on each other's for a long time.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, the sharp ringing sound breaking through the soft atmosphere that had started to envelope us.
Jasper sighed a little, as he stepped back from me. He waited in the kitchen as I made my way to the front door and opened it.
"Sola! Hello, I didn't know you were coming," I said, as I hugged her.
"I meant to come earlier- the moment I saw your letter, but I was so caught up with work," Sola explained, as she entered the house.
"Sola-" I started to say, to warn her about Jasper, but Sola kept speaking excitedly, "You know, they've just passed the final piece of legislation that Arthur and I put together. I never thought it would go through, but it did! It will be extremely effective at identifying Muggle-baiting traps because-"
She cut off abruptly when she saw Jasper standing in the kitchen. Sola's mind was faster and sharper than anyone I knew, and sure enough, her eyes instantly took in the fact that Jasper was making a sandwich in my kitchen and that his suitcase was up against the wall.
Jasper, however, maintained his usual grace, and offering his hand out, said, "Hello. My name is Jasper Riley. I'm Raylynx's friend, of course. And you must be her sister. I apologize if you were startled at my being here."
"Not… at all," Sola said, taking his hand and shaking it. "Pleasure to meet you, Jasper."
"Would you care for a sandwich?" Jasper asked.
"Sure," Sola replied.
Without the slightest bit of awkwardness, Jasper pulled two more pieces of bread and popped them into the toaster.
"Well, then," Sola quipped and she shot me a hard look, which I deftly ignored by staring at a painting on the wall of the kitchen that I'd never noticed before. I tried to maneuver past Sola and sit at the table without looking at her, and accidentally bumped my hip on the counter edge.
"Merlin-" I cursed softly under my breath. Once I sat down, I gently rubbed my hand against my hip under the table.
"I've been reading about your success in the legislative arena with Muggle Protection," Jasper said, as he brought over three finished sandwiches. "It's quite impressive, though I imagine from your perspective, it's long overdue."
Sola's eyes flashed with excitement, and she replied, "Yes, exactly. I meant to propose something similar- oh, I don't know- ten years ago now, but I was wildly unsuccessful. I got removed from the Wizengamot and everything."
"Well, congratulations," Jasper said sincerely. "I'm sure it will prove to be worth the effort. And Arthur Weasley, he's quite a kind man, isn't he? I've bumped into him a few times in the Ministry."
Sola nodded. "Yes, Arthur is hands-down one of my absolute favorite human beings. But how do you know him? Did you work at the Ministry?'
"For a while, yes," Jasper answered. "I worked for the department of Magical Beasts and Creatures."
Sola and Jasper continued to converse easily with each other. I listened to them both, and I marveled at how they were able to talk about their past so naturally and easily, as though they had not both suffered terrible tragedies. Jasper, I knew, had always been able to talk about his past without any prejudice. It had always amazed me- that he did not express any insecurities for being a werewolf, but did not judge anyone else for stereotyping him, and that he did not disagree with other people's hopes, no matter what his own experiences had been. My sister, too, had acquired that level of grace and maturity after great effort.
Watching them both, I felt my heart strengthen because I knew that, finally, after eleven long years, I was trying to move forward, too.
The evening passed, and I escorted Sola to the door.
She grabbed my arm with a strong hold that had me wincing and she whispered excitedly, "Why didn't you tell me about him?"
"I don't know. It's only been something like a week."
"Oh, Jamie will be so happy," Sola said, smiling brightly.
"You're going to tell him?" I asked.
"Of course," Sola said, suddenly stern. "He'll run me over with that maniac broomstick of his if he finds out that I knew and didn't tell him."
"Okay, well, fair point," I acquiesced.
Sola suddenly looked at me more closely. She hesitated and then she said, "Well, but why aren't you happier about this?"
I looked up at her, surprised by her question. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Isn't he what you what?" she replied back.
Something rose in my throat and I had to swallow.
I shook my head and said, frustrated, "Of course. Of course he's what I want. It's just that I'm not sure if-" I broke off and then I asked her, "Am I doing the right thing, Sola?" I looked at her with pleading eyes.
Sola's face softened and she reached out and touched my face gently. "Oh, sweetheart," she said, "yes, of course you are."
In a quiet voice, she murmured, "We both know he's not coming back. And Jasper seems like a wonderful person."
"I think so, too," I said, equally quiet. For some reason, I could feel my eyes starting to tear up.
"Okay, all right, you've got to get out of here, or I'm going to be ridiculous and cry," I said.
Sola smiled at me. "I'll see you soon, though, all right?"
I nodded. We hugged, and then she left, disappearing into the streetlamp-lit sidewalk.
I took a moment to gather myself and then went back to the kitchen.
Jasper had cleared away the plates and had begun working on formalizing the Camouflage Potion. He had taken it to the Kaiuses, who had not only put the formula through proper testing, but also discovered a more efficient process to maximize the time with a minimum number of ingredients, as the ingredients were not commonplace ones.
"So that's who the newspapers are referring to when they talk about the legislative champion," Jasper said, turning over a page of his notes.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I had no idea she was coming."
"Why are you apologizing?" Jasper asked, looking up from his notes. "Of course your sister can come whenever she feels like. It was lovely to meet her."
"Thank you," I said feelingly, "for making her feel so welcome."
"Of course," Jasper replied easily.
As I sat beside him at the table, Jasper said, "The real question is: What did she think about me?"
"She thought you were wonderful," I told him.
He smiled.
We fell into silence as we each worked on our respective projects. As the evening deepened into the late hours of the night, I found my eyes sliding shut.
"Damn it, I still have to finish packing," I muttered.
"Shall I stay and help?" Jasper asked, as he finished collecting his notes from the table. Jasper had yet to stay over. After all, we had only been together for a very short while.
"No, I just need to make sure I'm not forgetting anything from my bedroom or the hall closet."
"I can look over what's in your-"
"No," I said, cutting him off. I paused. My mind was foggy with the desire to sleep, but I knew that Sirius' box of things was still stashed in the hall closet and my piles of pamphlets asking for Sirius' release were still in my bedroom.
Blushing slightly, I amended, "No, thank you. I'm nearly finished."
Jasper nodded slowly. "All right, then."
"I'm sorry if I was short. I think the tiredness is getting to me," I said.
"Yes, you need sleep," Jasper said. "Oh, and one moment- let me go get that letter from Alethea before I forget."
He went and rummaged in his suitcase for the letter and handed it to me. Then, he took his suitcase and briefcase and left for his own apartment.
When he left, I sighed.
I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it. Ignoring the stacks of paper, I walked over to the window and pushed it open to let in some of the breeze that hopefully, would stir this August air, and wake me up.
As the wind came through the window, the papers rustled behind me and some fluttered to the floor. I still ignored them. I wasn't going to clean them up. Just because I had chosen to move forward with my personal life with Jasper and my family, it didn't mean that I was stopping my campaign.
But as I stared up at the stars and found that all of the streetlamps made it impossible to see the Leo constellation, I wondered if my two split courses of action could ever really be brought together in an honest and justifiable way.
