"She's awake." She heard some girl whisper. She squinted her eyes as candle light entered behind a newly drawn curtain. She stared into the eyes of a very worried Professor McGonagall.
"I'm so relieved." Sylvia just continued to stare instead of answer. Professor McGonagall sat beside her and stroked her cheek. "We thought you wouldn't ever wake up. You've been sleeping for two days straight." Sylvia bit her lip and tried to hold back her tears as she recalled the night of the Yule Ball. "I'm so sorry my dear, I know how hard it is. I watched my sister-in-law you know." Sylvia realized that McGonagall was speaking about the curse of the siren. She wiped away her tears.
"I think I'm better now." Sylvia's voice sounded so hoarse that she didn't even recognize it.
"You take all the time you need." McGonagall stood back up. She handed Sylvia some chocolate. "Madam Pomfrey said this will help you regain some strength, although it's not a cure doesn't mean we're not looking for one." Sylvia nodded and ate it. She waited until Professor McGonagall left before she sat up in her bed and looked around. She sighed as she noticed that all the other girls were gone, their beds too. They must have moved them to give her room so she could die alone. Sylvia felt tears rise in her eyes again but she angrily wiped them away as she threw her trunk on her bed. She began filling her trunk with all her things. She slammed her trunk on the ground and wondered how she would ever get out of Hogwarts unnoticed. She sighed and sought out Cho Chang.
"Cho?" She asked.
"Sylvia?!" Cho immediately sprung up and hugged her. "It's great to see you about. We were really worried"
"Yes, I need to borrow your broom." Cho suspiciously looked at her.
"What? Why do you need it?" She asked.
"I, you see, I need to visit my Aunt, just a quick visit to get some medicine."
"But Madam Pompfrey-"
"She ran out and it's just a quick visit. You're broom will be back soon. It's not that far."
"Why doesn't she come here?"
"Cho, please." Cho bit her lip and gave in.
"Fine. It's no problem, there's no Quidditch, remember?" Cho handed her broom to Sylvia. Sylvia smiled and sighed.
"Thank you so much"
"I've got to give something to Cedric. I'll see you later." Cho left and Sylvia ran into her dormitory. She tied her trunk on Cho's broom. She opened the window and stood on the sill and stared at the night sky. She had no idea where she was going to go but anywhere besides Hogwarts seemed the best option. She couldn't go home to Andromeda and Ted, they would force her to go back. Maeve would question too much and she couldn't handle the answers. Aunt Athena would contact Professor McGonagall and she would be forced to return. She wanted her father but she had no idea where he was. She decided to go avoid London and Daigon Alley where she would be easily spotted. She found a rundown hotel on the outskirts of London that an old couple kept running for poor slobs like herself. She checked in easily enough with muggle money she received long ago from Uncle Ted but they hassled her about her age she told them her home life was a wreck and needed some time to sort out her issues. They accepted the reason enough and gave her a small meal. She went to her room and sat on her bed and began to weep into the musty smelling pillow, feeling like the most lonely person on the planet.
Remus Lupin received an owl about Sylvia's disappearance. Professor McGonagall knew of the special relationship between them but did not know the extent of the relationship. Once Remus read the letter, he began writing one to Sirius. He regretted how he handled the situation that happened at the end of last year's term. He knew he should have talked to her and somehow explained his lack of feelings for her. Or lie about the lack of feelings he had for her, he longed to see her face and hear her voice that it nearly ate him up inside. He knew that he must maintain his stance but his reasoning for keeping her away faltered and he questioned why he wasn't with her now. He pulled on an old, shaggy coat and headed for the door as he decided to go for a walk. Maybe he would find her on his walk and he could make everything ok again. He could end her pain and he could be relieved of his own pain. Once he opened the door, an old face greeted him sadly.
"I already received a letter from McGonagall." Remus nodded and moved aside to allow his visitor in.
"I just owled you." Remus told him while following him into the kitchen.
"I shouldn't be here. I should be out there, searching for her-"
"No, you'll get caught! I'm surprised you didn't get caught coming here." Remus closed the blinds and curtains in the kitchen.
"She needs me! Don't you see it! The more I think about it, the more worried I am! I can't take this Moony!" Remus sighed and filled up a kettle.
"I know, we all worry about her." Remus placed the kettle on the stove and sat at the table. "Sirius, you can't do anything yet. Not until your name is cleared. How do you think she'll feel if you were back in Azkaban. She would be devastated"
"Really?" Sirius perked up at the idea. "Does she think of me?"
I never knew Sirius but I hate him. Can you hate someone you don't know?
"Of course"
"Does she hate me?" Remus shot him a careful look like Sirius just read his mind.
"No, she could never hate you. You're her family. That's an unbreakable bond." Remus checked the water to see if it started to bubble.
"Yes, I am her family, just like my brother and my parents, right"
"That's different, you know it"
"I guess I worry so much that I think I'm going to go crazy." Sirius paced around his kitchen.
"It's called being a parent." Remus checked the water again.
"I didn't know it would bring so much responsibility. I care about her so much. If anything happened, I think I'd die Remus." Sirius sighed and sat at the table. "I just know I'd die. I've never felt this way about someone before but when I held her," He opened his arms and held the air like he held her for the first time. "I fell in love. She's the best thing that came out of my life and she's missing." Sirius covered his eyes with both of his hands. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and heard Sirius sniffle softly. "I can't take losing her." Remus removed his hand and the reason he couldn't be with Sylvia was instantly reaffirmed.
"Yes, we can't lose her." Another owl flew into his window and Remus took the letter and read it slowly.
"What is it, old friend?" Sirius asked. Remus sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"She...we must find her soon."
"Yes, we already covered that."
"No, it's worse." Remus stood up and poured some water in a tea cup. He placed a tea bag in it and handed the cup to Sirius. "Her sister is dying."
"Sister?" Remus placed the letter on the table.
"I must find her. You must go, the last thing she needs is to see her father again." Remus put on his coat.
"You will find her and take care of her, right?" Sirius asked with a full face of concern for his daughter.
"Yes, I will. I promise."
Sylvia had been walking for an hour at a very slow pace. She found a bench and took a seat while lazily sucking on a crumpled cigarette. She was slowly running out of muggle money and knew that the minute she stepped onto Gringotts she would be sent back to Hogwarts. She could only afford one more night and then she would have to leave the crummy hotel and the couple that operated it. She knew if she asked for a few more nights, they would gladly let her but their financial state was apparently in trouble so she decided not to burden them further. She stretched out her arms and inhaled her cigarette deeply and held it in for a few longer seconds.
"You really should quit." A familiar voice said near her. She exhaled the smoke at once.
"I see that you found me. Come to take me back?" She asked, her eyes watched him like a hawk as he sat next to her.
"Not to Hogwarts, not yet. We must return to your hotel and collect your things."
"Then where am I going?"
"You'll see."
"And I suppose you think you can come here and take me away!" She jumped up from her seat.
"Sylvia, you have to trust me."
"I do trust you." Remus stared at her and knew she meant something deeper than that.
"Right, right. It's getting late, shall we go." Sylvia nodded and lead him back to the hotel. She did not speak again until she finished packing and followed Remus to his house.
"What is this place?" She asked.
"My house. I'll make you a cup of tea, then I'll send an owl to McGonagall." He held the door for her. Remus did exactly what he told her while she walked around and looked at his house. She studied the pictures on the walls and on stands. He had few pictures of his childhood and fewer of his days at Hogwarts. She stopped and stared at the photo of four men, a much younger Remus, a man bearing likeness to Harry Potter, a man she did not recognize, and a man bearing a strong resemblance of her. She picked up the photo and stared at the man. She did not see any photos of him, she caught glimpses of the ones in the Daily Prophet. But those weren't real photos of him, just a photo of an old, filthy man that hardly looked related. Nothing like this picture she held of him. She dropped the photo when Remus entered the room.
"I just sent the owl. I'll bring out the tea."
"No, I'll go in there." She followed him to the kitchen and took a seat in the same chair Sirius sat in hours ago.
"Listen, I know I haven't been there much for you. I'm sorry but I'm here for you now." Remus sat on another chair. "I do care for you."
"Right." Sylvia took a sip from her cup and nearly threw it on Remus when Professor McGonagall apparated in the kitchen.
"Oh thank heavens!" She exclaimed taking Sylvia into a full embrace. "You ought to-" She started to scold Sylvia but a wave of guilt took over her body and she nearly began crying. "-come with me now."
"Ok." Sylvia nodded, very confused.
"I'd like to come, too." Remus stood up and McGonagall nodded.
"Yes, yes, this way." McGonagall lead them to a muggle car which Sylvia knew immediately was enchanted. They arrived at Athena's house within seconds. McGonagall opened the door and locked it behind them. Sylvia took off her coat and hung it in the closet.
"So what is it? Why am I here?" She asked noticing McGonagall could not even look her in the eyes, she had tears falling from them.
"I am so sorry." Her face contorted in pain.
"I don't understand, someone please tell me. What is going?" Sylvia looked between McGonagall and Remus, Remus looked away.
"Sylvia, I thought I heard your voice." Athena appeared at the top of the stairs. Sylvia turned around and looked at the old woman.
"Aunt Athena." She sounded relieved to see her. Athena smiled at the young girl.
"Come, someone needs to see you now." Athena looked beyond and gave both Remus and McGonagall a nod as Sylvia climbed the stairs. She led the girl down the hallway into the bedroom she had shared with Maeve over the summer. Athena opened the door slowly and Sylvia noticed that the bedroom was unusually dark, the curtains were not drawn and no candle lit the once bright room. She breathed in and the familiar scent of the room was replaced by the musty smell you find in basements or attics. She looked in the bed and did not immediately recognize the girl. The girl feebly smiled at Sylvia.
"Hello Sylvia." She smiled. Sylvia stared at her.
"Hello Maeve." She did not smile, just stared at her for a few seconds. She jumped slightly when she head the door click shut. She spun around and saw that Athena had left. "I don't understand what's going on, no one will tell me what's going on." Sylvia dropped beside the bed and clutched the hand that lay beside Maeve's body. She took her hand and rubbed it against her cheek with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Oh Maeve, you won't believe how disastrous my life has become. I'm so glad to see you now." Maeve withdrew her hand from Sylvia's reach.
"Sylvia, I'm dying." Maeve said bluntly and Sylvia's eyes flew open.
"What?" Sylvia fell back from her bed and stared up at Maeve from the floor.
"You heard me." Maeve stared at the footboard of her bed.
"You can't be dying, we've only found each other. You can't leave me." Sylvia's voice shook in terror. "No, we can go to St. Mungo's, the mediwitches can help." Sylvia stood up.
"No, it's nothing they can fix."
"We can do something." Sylvia sat beside her.
"NO!" Maeve turned her head away. "I did this to myself."
"What?!"
"While you were at Hogwarts, I took your curse."
"You can't take a curse, it's-"
"Yes you can. I read it in a book, the curse of the siren does pass on to one daughter and if she succeeds in wedding him once she meets him, she will live as long as he does."
"We'll get Oliver, I know he loves you-"
"You're not listening to me." Sylvia's open mouth shut and she bit her lip. "You were the daughter that it passed on to, but since you are all my blood and I am all your blood, I took the curse from you but with a penalty." She choked on her last word and exhaled deeply to regain her composure. "I am sure to die."
"Why would you do this? My life is not worth it. I am a broken person and you shouldn't have done this!" Sylvia yelled.
"I did it because you have so much more to your life than what you think. I've lived a wonderful life, surrounded by love and friends and beautiful memories. I've been the selfish twin and now it's time for you to really live."
"I can't live without you!"
"Yes you can. You've lived without me before!"
"I'm not really living." Sylvia turned around. "I don't know why anyone would do this."
"I did this because I love you. You're my sister. You must go now. I'm very tired and I need to sleep."
"I love you too, Maeve." Sylvia held back tears and walked over to kiss the brow of her sister. She quickly left the room and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the door and felt a familiar pang in her heart. She sat on the top of the stairs and thought for a moment. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her shirt sleeve. Remus left the kitchen and his eyes locked on to hers. She looked down and listened to his footsteps up the stairs. He took a seat next to her and sighed.
"You knew all along?" She asked. He nodded and rubbed his eyes.
"I wanted to tell you right away but in my letter were specific instructions."
"And those were?"
"To find you and stay with you." Sylvia nodded and ran a quick hand through her hair to straighten it out. "I'm terribly sorry."
"I know. She thinks she can do this and everything in my life will turn out fine because I have more time but it won't."
"Why not?" He asked and she faced him.
"I don't have you." He looked away.
"I told you before-"
"I don't care. My heart doesn't lie." He looked deep in her eyes and nodded.
"Your heart may not lie but what about mine?"
"What about yours?" Remus stood up and walked down the stairs.
"We mustn't talk about these things."
"Why not?" He turned around.
"Don't you realize how wrong this is? I cou-"
"I don't care. You can tell me a million times how wrong it is, but it will always feel right to me." She jumped up and kissed him firmly on the lips. She closed her eyes and let her lips linger a few seconds before she moved her head back. "This feels right." She whispered and this time she felt Remus lean in and kiss her. Remus took hold of the base of her head and rubbed his thumbs along the sides of her cheeks and just by kissing her, he felt the burning passion for her ignite inside. His heart felt lighter and his whole body yearned for her more than ever. He felt her hands travel along his sides and he trembled with the strongest emotions he held inside. He ended the kiss and took a few deep breaths.
"Sylvia, I hope you don't mind sleeping in the downstairs guest room." Aunt Athena said from the doorway. "We left your things in there."
"I don't mind at all." Sylvia headed down the stairs.
"Yes, Remus, will you also be staying the night?" Sylvia turned around to see his answer from the bottom of the stairs.
"I made a promise I would." He replied staring right in Sylvia's eyes as he descended the stairs. Aunt Athena nodded.
"The other guest room is down the hall, Sylvia will show you to it." Athena turned back to Sylvia. "Your Aunt Minerva left already, dear."
"Right, should I stay by her."
"Don't worry dear, I'm sleeping in your old bed. You should try and rest." Athena stroked her cheek. "It's all you can do." Athena climbed the stairs.
"Well, your room is here." Sylvia walked down a barely lit hallway. She opened the door and allowed Remus to enter.
"Thank yo-" She cut him off with a very hungry kiss. Remus moved his head away and felt her kisses move to his neck. He breathed in the scent of her hair and wrapped his arms around her, taking her into a tight embrace. He exhaled deeply as he heard her whimper.
"Why me?" Remus loosened her grip on her and lay her on his bed. Her hair matted against her wet cheeks. "Why, why does this stuff happen to me? What did I ever do"
"I know, I know." He pulled her hair behind her ears.
"No, you don't even know the half of it. I just want to forget it all." She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands. "All I want to know now, is you." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward her.
She sat on the window sill and sighed loudly.
"Mind if I smoke?" She turned her head to the girl lying in the bed.
"If you want to." She opened the door and shivered.
"It's cold outside."
"What are you going to do when I die?"
"I dunno." She took a deep inhale of her cigarette. "Quit smoking, see my father."
"And then?"
"Marry, children, not much to it."
"Right."
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"I told you before."
"It's not good enough, I'm not good enough."
"You've always been good."
"I wish I could believe it. This is all a bad dream and I'll wake up soon. I'll be back at Hogwarts, you'll still be working at the Ministry. We won't have to deal with this." She lit another cigarette.
"You really should quit."
"I told you, this is all a dream, a horrible nightmare." The hand that held the cigarette shook violently. She stood up and smashed the rest of the cigarette in the ash tray.
"Stay with me tonight, please." She nodded and closed the window and curtain. She climbed in bed and held the girl close, hoping that if she never let go, she would stay with her forever.
Sylvia woke up in the morning and yawned loudly. She rolled over and rested her hand on the mass of curly hair, playing with a tendril. She released the tendril and jumped into a sitting position, using the headboard as support. She covered her mouth with one hand as she used the other hand to pull the facedown girl toward her. She gasped at how limp and cold the girl was. She moved to her knees and pulled the girl on her back. Her face contorted with pain as hot tears fell down her cheeks. She clutched the girls shoulder and began to shake the girl as hard as she could. Loud wails filled the room and echoed in her mind but she did not stop. She kept shaking the girl as hard as she could, her own tears wetting the girl's face. She didn't stop when the door nearly flew off it's hinges, she didn't stop when a pair of strong arms pulled her away from the cold body. Her wails turned into loud, angry screams, she tried to pry the arms from her waist. She clawed at the floor to return to the girl but the arms were strong.
"Sylvia, let her go." The voice of Remusreverberated in her ear. Sylvia stopped her screams and her bodywent limpin his arms. She sobbed desperately in his chest as he picked her up in a fireman's carry. He carried her out of the room into his vacant bed and lay her down. Sylvia sobbed loudly in his pillow until she fell asleep.
Sylvia awoke to the muffled voice of an angry voice of Remus.
"How could you let her stay in her bed last night?!" He yelled. "Do you know what damage you caused her?! Do you know what kind of pain you caused her?!"
"We didn't know she was there Remus, please, stop yelling." McGonagall was weeping through her words. Sylvia opened the window and climbed out of it. She began to ran to an old, playground that no one ever visited. She sat on a swing and leaned on it's rusted chains. She couldn't help but cry some more. She watched her tears fall to the ground.
"They'll be worried." She looked up and a man sat on the swing at the other end of the set.
"I don't care." She replied looking away.
"I care." She turned back at the swing but the man had vanished. She stood up and looked around. She sighed and walked slowly back to the house but could not bring herself to enter it. Athena came out from the front door and shut it, she walked up to Sylvia.
"I couldn't bring myself to go back into your mother's house after she died." Athena sighed. "Loss is a hard thing to deal with. I've lost so much but I'm never prepared for it. You can't prepare for it."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You've got your father still, Minerva and myself, and you'll always have Remus. We love you, she loves you, and-"
"I can't stay here."
"I know, Remus insisted to take you. You'll be at the funeral?"
"I'll try." Sylvia watched Athena return inside the house, Remus walked out of the door after a few seconds. He watched her closely as he walked up to her. He stopped a foot away from her.
"Ready?" He asked and she nodded.
She tugged at her black dress and smoothed it out. She hated the weather but could do nothing about it. She stared at her reflection and suddenly decided she couldn't go through with it. She hurried to the bathroom and locked herself in. She sat on the toilet and cried in her hands "Sylvia?" Remus called. "Sylvia are you ready?"
"I'm not going!" Sylvia yelled back.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Ok, I'll see you later. Please eat some food." She sighed and wiped her tears. She stared in the bathroom mirror at herself. She rinsed her face with water and dried it with a towel. She sighed again once she heard the door close and she knew Remus left. He had been kind and supportive, she knew he wouldn't force her to do anything, except eat. He had been hard on her about eating, she hadn't stopped smoking but she gave up drinking. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly. She walked to the window and stared at the sky. The clouds were dark and angry. She rubbed her eyes and cursed under her breath. She walked downstairs and stared out of the backdoor. She bit her lip and her eyes brimmed with fresh tears. She wiped them away before they could fall and removed her fancy black shoes. She opened the door and the sky began to fall down on her as she ran through the streets.
She hadn't been thinking straight, she still could have called a cab or used Cho's broom but she thought it was best to run there. Perhaps she would miss most of the service, that was the only part about today she couldn't bear. She couldn't bear the idea of people talking about how wonderful Maeve was, after all, it was her fault that she's dead. She sorted through her thoughts as she ran to the graveyard. She stopped to catch her breath at the gate. She briskly walked up a hill and spotted a group of people in black cloaks holding umbrellas and gathered around a large hole in the ground where a few men were lowering a beautiful coffin in it. Sylvia walked up to a tree and threw her back on it. She felt the bark scratch at her back as she lowered her body to sit on the wet grass. She rested her head on her knees as she watched from far away. She watched as one boy in a suit moved from the protection of the umbrella, he picked up some wet dirt and threw it on the coffin. He turned around and headed to a black car waiting patiently on the curb. Sylvia recognized him immediately.
"Wood." She whispered. She watched as all the people in cloaks dropped a flower on the coffin. Athena was the last person standing, she did not move until Dumbledore came back, he set a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Athena turned around and walked away. Sylvia then stood up and waited until the last black car disappeared beyond her sight. She walked to the edge of the grave of her sister. She stared at the coffin for a minute. She didn't know if she should talk to it, maybe Maeve would be listening inside and the coffin would open. Maeve would grin at her and explain that it was all one big prank and she would wake up from this nightmare.
Sylvia thought it was best not to. Instead, she pulled off the delicate chain around her neck and held it above the coffin. She breathed in deeply and as she exhaled, she released the necklace. Her arm lowered back to her side and she closed her eyes. It would be so easy, she thought, she could just fall in and it would be over, her pain, her loss. She opened her eyes and frowned.
Can't the world go away
Lock the door
Come back another day
I don't know what to do
So I'm holding on to you
I can live without most everything
Can't the world go away
Lock the door
Come back another day
So many wasted years
Too many lonely tears
I can live without most everything
But I can't live without you
A/N: This takes us up to the end of Harry's 4th year (GOF). Next up,a crazy summer with the Order of the Phoenix and another revealed family secret concerning James Potter! Yes, this is more of a soap opera than I intended but I do hope you all are enjoying it!