The Forbidden Gift [[Part Sixteen]]

Catie was drifting, falling through the darkness. She felt an occasional twinge that brought her back to the real world: the lifting of her body, pulling at the gash on her head, a warm washcloth pressed against her cheek. But nothing awakened her as suddenly as the shouting of voices and a trembling hand brushing her face, wiping the hair away from her eyelids.
Slowly and tenderly, Catie fluttered her eyelids; a figure came into focus. Catie was lying on her bed, her blanket tucked tight into her body. Someone had changed her into baggy pajamas. The window was graying; dawn was approaching. The figure became clearer as Catie's pupils dilated, adjusting to the dark of the room.
"What are you doing here?" Catie croaked; her voice was dryer than normal.
"I saved your life, remember?" Jay said, laughing. Catie's body bolted upright. She immediately clutched her head, wincing in pain. Jay put one arm around her waist, the other resting behind her head. He gently placed Catie back on her pillow, brushing her hair out of her face once more. "Easy there." Jay smirked. "You still have to be careful."
"I-I don't understand." Catie shook her head gently, letting the pain clear her mind. "How could you have saved my life?"
"I fought off Pettigrew, that's how."
Catie cocked an eyebrow. "Pettigrew? Peter Pettigrew? Harry told me he escaped."
"Well, apparently he came back."
Catie met eyes with Jay's smoldering ones. "You're a wizard."
"You're stating it-"
"Yes."
"-not asking me."
"Nope."
Jay chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. "How can you be so certain?"
"You said you saved me, yes?"
"Correct."
"You cast a spell against Pettigrew."
"Mm-hmm."
"Then you're a wizard!"
"Obviously," Jay quirked, twitching his nose. "Just seeing if your head's all there still after your fall."
Catie smiled, admitting to herself that hating Jay was getting harder. But... It was starting to come back to her: Jay, the coat closet, George. Catie rested her head on one side, facing away from Jay so he wouldn't see her crying. He sat there in the still silence, not moving, not talking. Catie tried to calm herself, concentrating on the voices coming from below; she could only make out her father's booming, angry voice.
"You're wondering whose down there?" Jay questioned; Catie nodded. "As a matter of fact, Dumbledore himself is here. So is... Remus, I think? Among them, the Weasleys are present." He placed a hand under Catie's chin, turning her face to him and wiping her tears. "You have quite a fan club."
Catie pushed him away. "Can you send someone else up here?" It was more of a command than an inquiry.
"I'm afraid not. They all need to have a 'serious' discussion that we children cannot be present for."
Catie let out an exasperated sigh. "If you're a wizard, then why don't you go to school for it?"
"I did. You probably don't remember me, though. I went to Hogwarts. I think I may have been in your year, also. But, with all the mysterious happenings when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, my mum took me away and home schooled me."
"You never came back?"
"No."
Catie looked at Jay once more. He was looking out of her window now, a faraway look on his face. "I'm sorry," she said.
"What for?"
She sat up a bit. At least, as far as she could get without her head throbbing more. "I was just being polite. I mean, you never got to experience anything past your second year. You missed so many things: Quidditch, feasts, games-"
"Exams," Jay threw in.
Catie laughed. "Yes, exams too. But, the point is that you never got to live."
"Who says I don't live?"
"Do you have friends?" Catie asked.
"They're Muggles but-"
"Do you go places or hang out with them?"
"Not really bu-"
"Exactly my point." Catie put her hands on her hips.
Jay stood up, facing the wall. "You win; I don't have a life."
Silence returned to the room. After nearly ten minutes of staring at nothingness, Catie heaved another sigh. "I'm sorry."
Jay continued to face the wall. "What for now?"
"For how I'm acting. I mean, I'm not usually this much of a-"
"Brat? Git?"
Catie chortled. "I was going to say 'bad person' but those work, too."
Jay sat back on the bed. "I guess I can learn to forgive you. So long as you do something for me."
"And what might that be?"
Nervous beads of sweat ran down Catie's neck as Jay leaned in towards her. Catie thought he was going to kiss her once more she prepared her fists but instead he fussed with the wrappings on her head. "Forgive me. I'm sorry I kissed you. I'm sorry I basically tarnished your relationship-"
"I wouldn't say basically. You did tarnish it."
Jay sighed. "Nonetheless, I'm willing to start from scratch." He held out his hand. "Are you?"
Catie pondered this for a moment. There could be no harm in forgiving him, right? He did save her life. Wasn't it the least she could do? Catie took his hand, shaking it. "I guess I am."
They smiled at each other for what seemed like an eternity before their gaze was broken with a rapping on the door. Catie looked up to see Remus standing at the top of the stairs, a grave expression on his face.
"Jay, could you wait downstairs, please?" Remus asked, advancing towards Catie's bed. Jay nodded, leaving Catie alone with Remus, who sat in a chair opposite the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Catie shrugged. "I could certainly be better, that's for sure."
"We all could." Remus looked off in the distance, shoving his hands in his pocket.
"Remus?" Catie questioned nervously. "Are you alright?"
Remus suddenly jerked back to the present, eyeing Catie. "Yes. Yes, quite. I just fear the future."
"What do you mean? Remus, what is happening?"
Remus looked at Catie. He got up, walked to her bed, perching on the edge and placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "I fear for your safety. Now that you have been attacked once, there's no telling what may happen. It's only Peter Pettigrew, but one can only imagine what he is planning. I keep racking my brain, but I cannot find a logical explanation as to why he would attack you out of all the possible candidates he may have... You weren't present the night he escaped, were you?"
Catie shook her head. "But... when I was walking home from the train station this summer... I was by myself, and I could have sworn I heard footsteps behind me, but every time I turned around, no one was there. I made it to my house perfectly fine, and when I faced the street again to see if anyone was there, I saw a pair of eyes looking at me. I couldn't make out the figure, but I would never forget those eyes." She looked at him. "Remus, they were the same eyes of the man that attacked me last night. I'm sure of it. And if in those two instances it was the same man following me, how long do you think he has been doing it for?"
Remus ran his fingers through his hair. "That is one of the many things we are trying to figure out. But for now, for your own safety, you're going to have to leave for now."
Bolting upright, Catie ignored her pain. "Leaving?! To go where?!"
Remus smiled. "Relax, relax. You're just going to the Weasleys' a little sooner than expected."
"Who am I bunking with? And are you sure this is okay? I mean, they barely have enough room as it is and I'll be fine here-"
"Catie! Slow down. Its all been worked out already. The only problem is that their house has a bit of an epidemic going on." Remus laughed at the look on Catie's face. "Don't worry about it. Mr. Weasley and almost all of the kids seemed to have caught a Muggle virus from something Arthur brought home from work. Mrs. Weasley is doing her best to take care of it. She set up a miniature hospital ward in some of the rooms, and there's only one room left over."
"Remus, who am I staying with?" Catie's heart was racing as she prayed she would not here his name.
"George is the only one who hasn't caught it yet, at least. Don't feel too awkward about staying in the same room as him. Mrs. Weasley has already said that she trusts you too completely and-"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Catie held her hand up, stopping Remus in his tracks. "First off, that's gross. Second, no one has to worry about us doing anything because we're not together, so everyone can breathe."
Remus shook his head. "When did that happen?"
Catie looked off to the side. "Last night before I was attacked. That's why I was out there in the first place."
"What happened?" Remus asked. Catie turned towards him; his eyes held a genuine interest in her feelings.
Catie laughed. "You know what's funny?"
"Do tell."
"I think you care about me more than my own father does."
A crimson colored flush ate Remus' cheeks. "Ah, so you meant ironic funny?"
"I guess so. Remus?"
"Yes?"
"Do you care about me? I mean, do you care what happens to me?"
Remus looked down at Catie. She was staring up at him with an intense expression. Her eyes began to fill with tears. He placed a gentle hand on her forehead. "Of course I do." You are like the daughter I have always dreamed of having, Remus wanted to say. But Catie had fallen asleep, smiling into the warm of his palm.

And I held your hand through all of these years.