Chasing Time (sirius black)

I THINK I'M IN LOVE

Branches scratched my cheeks but I barely noticed as I pumped my arms faster. A glance over my shoulder showed a figure still following. Wait, more than one figure. A root caught my foot causing me to stumble but I righted myself and continued to run. The river appeared and without hesitation, I jumped -

Air whooshed out of me as I sat up ramrod straight in bed. Sweat coated my forehead, rolling down my temples as my fuzzy mind tried to orient myself.

The dorm. I was in the dorm. Darkness blanketed the room and I could hear my roommates' rhythmic breathing. I was fine.

Shakily, I fumbled on the nightstand next to me for my glasses and pushed them over my nose. Ali and Mar's sleeping lumps were on my left and Lily's mummy-laid shape on my right. It still sort of freaked me out that she slept like that, body flat with her arms at her sides.

My breathing slowed, leveling out to a normal rhythm. Tux shifted at the end of my bed, blinking knowingly at me. Maybe I should've tried Lily's tea again. It might completely knock me out but it also lulled me into a dreamless sleep.

Flopping back into my pillow, I shoved my fingers in my hair for a moment. Jesus, this was ridiculous. The only good part about my nightmares was that apparently I was silent during them. Not a single one of my roommates, not even Lily, had mentioned it to me. I knew the boys were aware of them since Sirius could feel my reactions and Jamie had woken me up from one but overall, I think I had been doing a pretty good job of keep my issues quiet.

Remus had offhandedly mentioned how the future Mr. and Mrs. Potter thought the tea would help with my nightmares yesterday but I must've misheard him. It seemed out of character for Lily to not to bring it up if I was waking her up with my dreams. Turning my head to the right, I could see the silhouette of my best friend, her chest moving up and down in a smooth motion.

Lily would say something if I was loud. Wouldn't she?

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I rolled back towards the canopy overhead. The past couple of days had been relatively quiet and drama free, a blessing at this point and yet...maybe not. The day to day chaos that seemed to follow me allowed me to keep pushing off the intrusive truth of my situation. It felt as though I was balancing on a string above a pool of alligators. One breeze could knock me off and send me plunging to a horrific death.

Being here, being this Maddie, was the most alive I've ever felt. I'd never realized how boring my old life was, how mundane and normal I was. Here though, here I could do magic. I had a chance to save people. But at the same time, was I really here?

Memories of Aunt Dorothy rose to the surface, ones I did my best to shove away but they liked to poke their heads up when I was most vulnerable. Like after a nightmare.

"I need to go back!" She screamed, orderlies on each arm, straining to control the small dark-haired woman. Aunt Dorothy looked pleadingly at each of us, begging someone to help her. Being only 10 years old at the time, I could do nothing but watch in horror behind my mom. "He won't know! He'll be looking for me! Please! Let me go!"

The white starched orderlies ignored the pleas and began to physically drag my great-aunt from the backyard. The birthday party streamers seemed out of place now, mockingly cheerful in the face of something so heartbreaking.