Disenchanted

[BeautifullyxMad]

Lacey looked to Alex and nodded. "I promise I won't say anything. I'll head over to the nurse with you. Maybe she'll habe some calming draught so I'm not on edge all day." She said to her, and closed her eyes. She grabbed up her school bag, and looked to Alex. "Better head down there."

She offered her hand to her friend with a smile. "Before they come trying to break down the door." She headed down with Alex and Sirius walked over to her.

"Hey, you want me to head to the nurse with you?" He asked Alex, and Lacey gave a slight smile, but it pained her. The people they wanted to protect couldn't know their worst secrets. Lacey walked over to Remus and ruffled his hair a bit before fixing his robes a bit. "There. That's better. You feeling alright?" She asked him.

[Ravenwoodwitch]

Alex followed her down, head down, and trying to look the exact opposite as she felt. She was tired, very tired, but very glad that she had told someone about her not so little problem. She'd have to get things under control, if they were going to solve this, but she was keen just to get some regular sleep for now. She let her wonder off to check on Remus, smiling at the affectionate smile that crossed her lips. She was so obviously attached to the boy it was cute. How long would it take for the two of them to finally take the plunge?

About as long as it took for her and Sirus, she figured. She turned to the boy that had immediately drifted in her direction. His concern was more than touching to her, and practically made her heart melt. But she couldn't let him get mixed up in this; she'd die if he worried that much over her. So she only smiled at him.

"You don't have to, I'll be fine..." she told him. "I just don't feel all so well, and need a longer nap.."

Remus smirked, fixing his hair back the way he liked it. "Sure, thanks."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just a bit disoriented, but I've got my bearings again. I just need to get focused again. How are you doing?"

[BeautifullyxMad]

Lacey looked at Remus, giving a smile that betrayed her own fear swelling inside of her. "Getting over worry sickness amd in need of a good session of Remus and Lacey time. Has to wait until after classes though. I'm going to head to the nurse with Alex. Talk to jer about teaching me some healing charms. I would ask about potions, but I think we both know how that would go."she answered. "So I'll see you in Charms class, save me a seat will you."

With that she turnes and saw Sirius giving Alex a stern look. "Are you sure? I don't want you heading up alone."He told her and Lacey swooped in a threw an arm around Alex. "Let me guess, you're her escort?"

"Got that right. You guys need to head to breakfast. You were out all night."she reminded them, and she looked to Alex before she looked up and shot Remus a look, and smiled. "Let's go, missy."

Sirius watched as they headed out and looked to Remus. "Our girls are weird, but they take care of us. I just wonder what's up. Alex never seems so... out of it."

[Ravenwoodwitch]

(Gonna skip ahead a bit)

The trip to the nurse was uneventful, but Alex was grateful all the same. The lady in charge of the hospital wing must have taken some form of pity on the red-head's sagging bags, enough to give her a drought. She warned that the drink would be dreamless, as it wasn't natural sleep, but Alex took it gratefully. The idea of a sleep uninterupted with snakes, ghosts and ghastly images of her friends was going to keep her up now, and she would be able to think and act like a sensible person again. So, with great delight, she took the potion and was allowed to pick a bed in the hospital wing (though she was told that she was minimum priority, and would be moved if needed). Snuggled in it's over-soft sheets, the redhead was blissfully asleep, a smile on her face as she got the rest she needed.

But she wasn't as alone as she would have liked to be. Someone claimed to be visiting her, ariving with a gift. The lady warned that Alexandra would not rouse until hr body gained adequate rest, but Tom Riddle moved in all the same. While she blissfully rested, he moved to the glass of water near her bed. He slipped in a powder agent, when no one was looking, and swiftly moved away.

~~~~~~

Meanwhile, charms class was beginning to fill up. The classroom was never that big, but they were determined to cram as many students into the desks as they could. Remus, still sitting by James and gang, was keeping to himself, listening to them make mess of themselves again. He was keeping an eye out for his lady friend, eagerly hopping she'd so up.

What he did notice, however, was Tom Riddle slipping in late. He was never late to a class, as his record seemed important to him, and yet he slipped into the classroom quite a few minutes after all the others. Remus made a mental note of it for later, and turned back to the others.

"So Peter, you said you saw something strange?" Remus repeated.

[BeautifullyxMad]

[Thats fine.]

Lacey headed up to the nurse with Alex, and left the red-head after taking the calming draught the nurse gave her and after getting a note for her tardiness, she headed down the hall. Tom Riddle, however, stuck out to her in a passing crowd and a shudder ran down her spine as she moves in the opposite direction. The hall emptied quickly and as she walked down the hall... the form appeared again.

"He cannot know. Please help. He cannot know."the figure said and though it soon disappeared, and she stood there, staring at the place it omce was she heard a smooth, creepy voice.

"You should hurry, Lacey. You'll be late for class."Tom warned her as he slipped into the classroom. She ahook her head, but the moment ahe placed her hand on the door handle, she fwlt a could hand on her shoulder and turned. It was a tall, pale man with dead eyes and a dark demeanor. He was different than the man before, but when he spoke it shook her.

"He knows." and with that it disappeared. She didn't know what the messages meant, but she entered the class.and handedher note to the teacher and took her seat beside Remus.

"Thanks."She whispered, though she quickly buried her nose in her book. The nurse had told her that the deaught would only keep her nerves calm. It wouldn't stop her from deeling disturbed.

-

Sirius turnes to Remus, having sat in front of him with James and an empty seat for Alex to his other side. Still, he listemed to Peter who spoke up. "Tom was heading over to the hoapital wing earlier." He whispered and Sirius felt suspicious. When Lacey joined them, he didn't feel any better. She wasn't acting right, and her head was in her book.

"How's Alex?"He asked and Lacey looked.over, slightly.

"Asleep."she answered. "Head up after class if you want to see her."

Sirius nodded and looked back at the front where Tom was looking their direction before looking away.

"Alright class, today we will be covering memory charms. Open your books to page..." the teacher began speaking.

[Ravenwoodwitch]

It wasn't gonna last, Remus could tell. Sirus had been twitchy over his missing friend the entire class period, watching the door with big blue eyes. While there was the usual methods of trying to act cool, and it usually succeed with Mr.Black, there was a hidden panic just under the visor. There was no way that he was going to last the whole classroom without doing some stupid, or reckless. They had to get him to her before he damaged some part of the classroom just to leave it.

Remus had an idea, one he'd feel guilty over for some time, but Sirus would probably be thankful for later. If they could just get the boy to the hospital wing, he'd be fine. But the only person good at charms was Lacey, and she was still cowering under her book. He had no idea what had made her so terrified, but he was starting to get restless over it. What in the world was causing his two friends to utterly shake just by walking down the halls? He felt instantly protective over seeing both of his friends so out of it, and reached out a hand to her, grasping the one over her book over as firmly as he possible could.

The professor looked away to address the other half of the class, and he leaned over, whispering the plan faintly into her ear.

"You know he's not going to make it," he said softly. "But if he got suddenly..sick, we could send him off right now."

He drew back, determined look in his eyes. Sirus would thank them later, he knew he would...it wasn't going to be pretty in the meantime.

(how am I doing btw? I like to do little checks every once in awhile.)

[BeautifullyxMad]

[You’re doing wonderfully. And if I start getting too out of it, smack me. I’ll change what needs to be. =)]

Lacey felt Remus grab her hand and she looked over to him when he spoke. The moment his hand touched hers though, she felt a little at ease and looked up to Sirius. She could see the worry flowing over him, despite his best efforts to hide it. “I’m on it.” She assured Remus before she took her wand up under the table. “Sorry, Sirius.” She mumbled and with a wordless spell she watched as Sirius rubbed his back before turning to her.

She quickly returned to her previous state, and Sirius raised an inquisitive brow before the insatiable urge to throw up came, and he was suddenly feeling itchy all over. He soon threw up and the teacher heard the commotion and walked over to Sirius, looking him over. “My dear, lad, why are you in class. Go to the hospital wing before you get someone else sick.” The teacher said, and Sirius nodded, getting up, covering his mouth before he got to the door and threw up again.

He had been feeling just fine just a few moments earlier aside from some worry. Then it hit him. Lacey did something, and when he got to the hospital wing, he saw Alex resting peacefully before he threw up again. She was safe, she was okay, and he was glad, but he didn’t stop throwing up until the nurse gave him something to calm his stomach and told him to rest on the bed beside Alex’s so the potion could settle properly.

-

Lacey looked to Remus when Sirius was dismissed, and gave a look. “I just hope he doesn’t get too mad, it was the first thing that came to mind.” She mumbled before she flipped the page in her book and opened her notebook, doodling a little in the margin.

“Miss Tearstone!” The teacher exclaimed, and Lacey looked up. “Explain why memory charms are so useful, since you have been so avidly listening.”

Lacey nodded. “Memory charms are useful in instances when a witch or wizard has done something that someone needs to forget, i.e., the Ministry uses them on muggles who have seen magic that they shouldn’t have seen. It is also used in certain types of magical psychotherapy where the memories are too vivid and harmful to the patients. Like being tortured or seeing someone close to you die. Though, memory charms aren’t always useful combatants against that because after a certain level of stress the person is just… gone.” She answered and the Professor fixated her with a look before turning his head back.

When Lacey looked back down at her page it read two things she hadn’t written there. He knows. She quickly flipped her page over, trying to remove it from her sight.

[Ravenwoodwitch]

While she had wanted to keep asleep, even Alex couldn't remain in the blissful dark forever. She slowly felt herself wake up to the sound of someone getting ill, a very familiar someone tossing what might have been his breakfast. She moaned slightly, groggily opening her eyes in the still pastoral colored Hospital wing. despite not being a morning person,s he felt much more rested than she did before, her body fully restored to a working order. She stretched happily, a smile stretching over her face before she turned to her left. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull on contact.

"Sirus?" she said, slowly sitting herself up. He looked back, if a little itchy. By the slow spots and the green look to his cheeks, she immedietly recognized her friend's best work. She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Why did she Jinx you?" she asked, once the nurse was out of the room. "You look like you swallowed a bad fruit."

~~~~~~~~~~

He chuckled when she was done with her answer. You could never say that the girl was a failure, that was for sure. The teacher seemed to shuffle away from their side of the classroom now, blissfully unaware of the giggles coming from the clasmates around them. It was fun when you got to show up the professors.

But he had a small reputation to live up to. So, trying not to notice, he carefully scribbled down on a small piece of parchment and slid it over to Lacey.

Come clean, I beg of you. Something's wrong, I can see it

It was the second time she had dived down for cover, as if someone had just shot a killing curse at her. It was starting to make him panic, and panic bad.

[BeautifullyxMad]

Lacey looked to Remus' note when the classmates began giggling amd the teacher turned away. She gave him a look, and she took the parchment before she neatly wrote her own message back. When she finished she flipped a page in her book, when everyone else did, and she slid it over to him. She couldn't tell him. Not hear not now.

We'll talk later, okay? Just focus on class before we get detention. she wrote and she brought her hand under the desk and gave Remus' hand a gentle squeeze and a smile. She was just trying to reassure him, and being around him calmed her down too. She smiled when James got up to demonstrate a memory charm, and when the teacher's face reddened she knew it had been unsuccessful.

"Professor,"A smooth, creepy voice came. "Why not let us partner off and practice that way?"

It was Tom, and Lacey looked over to the Professor who nodded. "Splendid idea, Mr. Riddle. Why don't you pair off with Mr. Potter up here?"

Lacey felt a little relieved, and she whispered to Remus, "Poor James."

"But Professor, I don't feel I fully grasp the idea of a memory charm. Couldn't I get partnered with someone who does?"He asked and the Professor nodded.

"Miss Tearstone, why don't you and Mr.Riddle pair off? You can be the initial demonstration and then you can help him where he needs help."He told her and she quickly scribbled something in her notebook and nodded.

"Of course, Professor."She said uneasily.

Help me.

-

Sirius looked over to Alex who was waking up. He had been scratching at the rashes and he sighed. "I have no clue. I think it had something to do with the fact I got a bit worries when you weren't in class."He sighed. He wouldn't trouble her with Peter's findings. "Missing a good lesson. We're covering memory charms. Bet you Gryffindor is earning loads of points."

He rolled his eyes and finally stopped scratching at his rashes. "Are you feeling better?"he asked her, "The table felt empty without you."

He could feel his stomach finally settled completely and the rashes were gradually going away. "Remind me that I owe Lace one. I am tasting rotten pumpkin juice."He admitted, trying his hardest to get the taste out of his mouth.

[Ravenwoodwitch]

"Well of course they are, if Lacey's involved." Alex chuckled , laying back on the bed. "But serious, you were that worried about me?....I'm flattered."

She was, in more ways than she could say. Her best friend was worried about her, worried enough that his friends were willing to jinx him into the hospital wing. he didn't seem all that upset by it, and in fact rather chill. The fact that he had been that concerned was enough to make various butterflies fly up in her stomach. If it was hard to ignore them now, now it was impossible. What was actually stopping her and the boy across from her from trying out a new relationship, other than a few misguided school rules?

Well, neither of them were going to get anywhere if no one took the plunge. Deciding once and for all to bite the bullet, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I've just been having some bad nightmares that keep me from sleeping," she told him. "But I'm fine now...may I ask you something?"

She took another breath, sat up, opened her eyes, and turned to look at her friend. "Did you want to...I mean, it's fine if you don't, later today...go...somewhere...just the...two of us?"

~~~~~~~

It wasn't the answer he wanted, but he would take it anyway. He lacked the pushy edge that James and Sirus had, which explained why he and Lacey were still on a just friends basis. For now, he would just wait for her to come to him, and be ready when she needed him.

Thus he let the lesson continue, up until Tom Riddle spoke up. Something about his very presence, lately, unsettled the werewolf boy. He slinked around too much, acted too much like he had a giant secret piled on his widespread shoulders. Not to mention the many times he caught her giving Lacey a look that would make any other girl faint in fright. Now he was not only demanding partners, he was demanding she be his partner.

He felt his hand grab hers under the table, a wave of protectiveness flying up.

"Professor, there's an odd number of students in the class.." Lupin said, thinking quickly. "Why don't I join Mister Riddle and Miss Tearstone in a group of three That way everyone else can pair with two."

The professor blinked, surprised to see Lupin speak up at all, but nodded. "Well, I...if you wish."