James yawned as he went down the stairs. He'd barely got more sleep than Eden than night before - if curling up to a werewolf weren't uncomfortable enough, it was impossible not to think about the horrific pain that he had to listen to her go through twice in one night. If there was one thing he wanted, it was to be with her during those most painful minutes, but he knew the very idea was ridiculous. Teddy'd lock him up.
He saw Eden at the end of the corridor talking to another girl, a Slytherin friend, he assumed. He'd done his best to talk Eden out of going to class today, but as she said, there were only so many classes she could miss before people started noticing the regularity of her absences.
He drew closer, only to recognise Eden's companion with surprise. "Jamie? What are you doing down here?" he asked, in his best Head Boy voice.
James frowned. He was sure Eden had a lot of secrets, but that didn't stop his heart sinking at the thought of what would happen if Jamie knew, well, the secret. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as calmly as he could.
"You know too, don't you!" Jamie said triumphantly. "I bet you're doing it too, aren't you? You wait till I tell my father -"
Eden blinked in surprise, wondering where this was going. James was doing it too? That didn't make sense...
"What are you going on about?" Eden demanded impatiently, pretty sure now that Jamie had added two and two and got five.
"You!" she screeched, "I know why you look so pale, so thin today! I know why you're so tired! Tough weekend was it? Couldn't get what you need?!"
Eden looked at James, a little lost. "I...what?"
"James, you don't need what she's giving you! No wonder you're always following her around! Being violent! Tired! She's done this to you!" Jamie said earnestly, seriously, though Eden was still confused, and so was James she assumed, from the look on his face.
However, as the words began to make more sense in her sleep deprived mind, Eden came upon a horrible, yet ridiculous answer. She glanced at James, staying quiet to see if Jamie would out and out accuse them both of something...
He sat on the bed beside her, observing her pale face worriedly. "Do you need anything?" he asked. "Food, drink... pain potion?" He gently pushed a lock of hair out of her face.
Eden was sure she could almost feel the comfort, the care, seeping through his skin to her, warming her. She wrapped her own arm around his, stroking his skin, playing absently with the dark hairs as she breathed in the silence, the quiet comfort offered to her as she recovered.
It was impossible now, to remember what it was like before this; to remember waking alone and in pain, struggling to protect and hide herself away.
She sighed his name, not even realising she was doing it, her eyes closed tightly. As she slipped into sleep, vulnerable and thankful, she let the words slip, even though she hadn't meant to, her eyes popping open as soon as she realised what she'd done.
"Hey," James said sleepily from the doorway. He tried not to look at his reflection - his clothes were hideously rumpled and his hair was all over the place. "I was s'posed to do that."
She smiled. "No worries, I was up. It's not actually that much effort and I was awake, so..."
She dropped her towels next to the bath and began to unbutton her shirt. "You want in?" she asked, nervous of the stubborn scratches and tears over her skin this soon after the moon. They'd go soon, but for now, she was lined and scarred, her bite livid on her hip and back.
"I'm good with my hands," she said with a laugh, remembering a conversation they'd had before.
She pressed harder, working the muscles, relaxing them, unknotting them. "Bloody hell, James," she said, working her thumbs over the back of his neck, "you're so tense here, it's where you carry all your stress. Of course, Quidditch doesn't help..." she mused, "I'll have to do this more often."
She clutched her knees to his side and used her strength to unlock the muscles around his spine.
"Good," she said, "You're lucky, you only have to meet my uncle and he's...different," she laughed, "and he'd probably just ask you to paint something, he thinks he can tell everything about a person by the colours they choose and what they paint."
Eden laughed again, rubbing his stomach consolingly. "If you just painted stick men, he'd still think he knew everything about you. Besides, he probably wouldn't even blink if you met him, he's pretty blind to, well, everything that isn't his latest flight of fancy."
"I definitely get the raw end of this deal. Although, maybe I should let you meet my parents, they certainly don't like me, but I'm sure they'd approve of you..." she mused
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He saw Eden at the end of the corridor talking to another girl, a Slytherin friend, he assumed. He'd done his best to talk Eden out of going to class today, but as she said, there were only so many classes she could miss before people started noticing the regularity of her absences.
He drew closer, only to recognise Eden's companion with surprise. "Jamie? What are you doing down here?" he asked, in his best Head Boy voice.
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She looked back round as the other girl sauntered over to James, flicking her eyes at Eden every few seconds.
"I was just telling your girlfriend" she sneered, "that I know her little secret."
Eden tried to hear herself speak over the panicked beating of her heart. "And I told her that she doesn't know anything. She's just a nuisance."
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"You know too, don't you!" Jamie said triumphantly. "I bet you're doing it too, aren't you? You wait till I tell my father -"
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"What are you going on about?" Eden demanded impatiently, pretty sure now that Jamie had added two and two and got five.
"You!" she screeched, "I know why you look so pale, so thin today! I know why you're so tired! Tough weekend was it? Couldn't get what you need?!"
Eden looked at James, a little lost. "I...what?"
"James, you don't need what she's giving you! No wonder you're always following her around! Being violent! Tired! She's done this to you!" Jamie said earnestly, seriously, though Eden was still confused, and so was James she assumed, from the look on his face.
However, as the words began to make more sense in her sleep deprived mind, Eden came upon a horrible, yet ridiculous answer. She glanced at James, staying quiet to see if Jamie would out and out accuse them both of something...
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She sighed and closed her eyes, unable to keep them open anymore. "Just...come have a sleep with me," she murmured, "that's all."
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It was impossible now, to remember what it was like before this; to remember waking alone and in pain, struggling to protect and hide herself away.
She sighed his name, not even realising she was doing it, her eyes closed tightly. As she slipped into sleep, vulnerable and thankful, she let the words slip, even though she hadn't meant to, her eyes popping open as soon as she realised what she'd done.
"I love you."
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She dropped her towels next to the bath and began to unbutton her shirt. "You want in?" she asked, nervous of the stubborn scratches and tears over her skin this soon after the moon. They'd go soon, but for now, she was lined and scarred, her bite livid on her hip and back.
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She straightened her back and pushed her skirt off, turning away.
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She pressed harder, working the muscles, relaxing them, unknotting them. "Bloody hell, James," she said, working her thumbs over the back of his neck, "you're so tense here, it's where you carry all your stress. Of course, Quidditch doesn't help..." she mused, "I'll have to do this more often."
She clutched her knees to his side and used her strength to unlock the muscles around his spine.
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His winces made her smile. "You're such a baby!" She laughed and carried on working, knowing it would begin to feel good as it worked.
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"I definitely get the raw end of this deal. Although, maybe I should let you meet my parents, they certainly don't like me, but I'm sure they'd approve of you..." she mused
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