XJ → Harry Hook [1]✔

Sleeping Beauty

Ours? XJ roared furiously, making Harry wince. I had to jump in front of you! Auradon would have been mine by now if you hadn't gotten in the way!

"The plan was your idea, Xiao, and while it is my fault for going along with it, it's as much as your fault for coming up with it as it is mine for getting in the way."

XJ scoffed. So now you grow a moral backbone? Both of us wanted to take over the kingdom, you just chickened out!

"I was trying to keep you from burning up like a piece of paper!"

I was fine! I had magic!

"I didn't know that!" Harry defended. "I thought you didn't notice her!"

She was a big, bulky dragon that was roaring with fury at seeing Ben on the ground! It would be hard not to notice! XJ hissed.

Harry blinked. "I...I didn't think that - "

Evidently you didn't think at all! XJ snarled. Harry heard her sigh. You do know the only reason why I'm talking to you at all, right?

"Yeah," Harry sighed himself. "You'd go insane otherwise. I still don't know if you really are talking to me or if I'm insane myself."

XJ snorted. Of course I'm talking to you. I have magic now Hook. I can do whatever I want.

"You shouldn't be using magic." Harry scowled. "That's how you got like this in the first place. That's probably why you still haven't woken up."

It's not the fact that I'm using magic, Hook. XJ's voice took on a softer turn. It's something else. I only really blacked out for around an hour. All of my magic came back after that. I could feel it. I've been trying to wake up, but I'm not awake. Somebody's trying to keep me like this and I want you to find out who.

"Xiao, are you sure?" Harry frowned. "It seems to me like you're doing this to yourself by using your magic while you're trying to recover."

Hook, I know when I'm right. I haven't been wrong yet. Someone wants to put me under. The more I stay like this, the more I'll burn out.

"Burn out?"

XJ laughed humorlessly. The longer I stay like this, the more my body gets used to staying almost inactive. The more my body gets used to that, the more it decides that it's going to shut down. I have to use my magic to keep everything going, if I don't, I'll die. My magic comes from how active I am and since I'm going to be like this for a while, it's not coming back as quickly as I would like. The more I use my magic, the quicker it'll burn out. When it does, I'll die.

I need to find whoever's doing this to me before that happens. Hook, help me. You owe me this. XJ insisted.

Harry sighed. "You're right. I do owe you this. But I don't even know if you're really talking or if I'm crazy."

Harry, XJ said softly. I'm real. You're not going crazy. I don't have proof, but even if someone is out to get me, which they are, isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

Harry buried his face in his hands. "Fine," He finally replied, looking up, half-expecting XJ to be smirking triumphantly at him. "I'll do it. What am I looking for?"

Someone who's known to have magic and doesn't want me around.

"That doesn't exactly narrow it down, Xiao."

I haven't finished yet, Hook. Harry could almost imagine XJ scowling disapprovingly at him and he forced back a smirk. He didn't really have to. Seeing her lying motionless on the bed was enough.

Someone who fits that category is Mal. However, there could be someone like me. Someone who never knew that they had magic until they really needed it.

"That just makes my job harder. That could be anybody in the school."

That's true, however, I have everyone's records on my laptop. They're copied straight from the website. Go through them.

"All of them?" Harry asked incredulously.

Yes, Hook, all of them. Look carefully. People like me normally have clues strewn about their family's history, like how my father had the ability to communicate with birds.

"Is that why your hawk won't leave me alone? It won't leave the windowsill."

XJ ignored him and continued on. When you find some potential suspects, tell me. I'll tell you what to do next.

Harry sighed as he got up from his chair, "I take it that that's my cue to leave."

Don't take too long, Hook. My time's running out.

Harry bit the inside of his cheek nervously. "I know."

He turned around and walked to the door. As he opened the door, Harry muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry."

So am I.

---

Harry wasn't insane; XJ was really talking to him. The second Harry walked out, XJ wanted him back again.

Sweet Christ, She grumbled to herself in her head, I'm getting weak.

Sometimes, she wished that she had never met Harry. It would have certainly saved her a lot of...pain. XJ refused to call it heartbreak, or admit that she was heartbroken.

XJ could hear, smell and feel. She was alive. But her eyelids refused to open and her limbs refused to move. She hadn't been trying to manipulate Harry into something bigger like one would normally expect. She was telling the truth: she had been trying to wake up, but someone was trying to stop her from doing so. Whether they knew that they were ultimately killing her, she didn't know, but she intended to find whoever it was as soon as possible.

She was counting on Harry, but she would be lying if she said she trusted him. After she had woken up properly, she didn't plan on speaking to him ever again.

By talking to the boy now, she knew that she was getting his subconscious hopes up. It wouldn't be healthy for him, but time heals all wounds. He'd forget and move on to another girl soon. Maybe Uma would be his next choice - she wouldn't be surprised.

She wouldn't forget. She couldn't, but she could distract herself with other things. It was all she could do.

XJ sighed internally. After this, Harry Hook would be nothing more than another nameless face in the crowd of millions of people that XJ had met.