Don't You Know Your Pain Is Mine? (Jamie, Will, Ed)

[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

Jamie. Where was Jamie? The last time Max had spoken to her half-sister—her date to the Yule Ball—she had excused herself to go to the punch bowl. She had seen her since, however, dancing with none other than William Windsor. Truthfully, Max had been shocked to see her with a boy—man, really—before remembering that pansexuality didn't exclude them from her potential pool of romantic partners.

Although she didn't know William, he was a member of the Muggle Royal Family, which made him somewhat more trustworthy to Max than the average gentleman. Given that the full moon would be occurring the following night, Jamie had been looking a little wan, though Max trusted that Jamie knew her limits.

Realizing that she had lost track of them, Max scanned the room for Jamie and William. With the Great Hall's expanded interior and the amount of people, it took her a moment to discover that neither Jamie nor William were there. Moving quickly in the direction of where she had last seen them, Max asked around to see if anyone knew. If they had gone off alone, she wasn't going to stop them, but it wasn't like Jamie not to keep her in the know. It wasn't like Jamie to hook up with people, either.

“Didn't you see?” someone told her, as though she should have known already. “She fainted.”

Fainted? Not even taking the time to thank the person who had informed her, Max took off. Dodging her way past people left and right, she ran the rest of the way through the Great Hall and prayed that she wouldn't step on anyone's toes. Pulling her heels off as soon as she was outside the doors, she continued running—barefoot—up to the Hospital Wing on the next floor. She didn't care that the bottom of her gown was trailing on the floor or that the side plait into which she had braided her hair was beginning to come loose.

She came to a halt, stopping short at the doors of the Hospital Wing. “Jamie?”

@william
@edmund
@jamie

[Deleted]

Will had successfully got Jamie to the hospital wing with a nurse in tow, and now was sitting at the edge of her bed. He felt terrible for letting her continue to dance when he knew she wasn't feeling well. He should have known better than that. Still, it was a lovely dance while it lasted. They at least got one full song in. He realized he should have told Edmund where he was headed in case he wanted to talk but... well, he went straight into action mode. He'd find his brother later, let him know why he suddenly vanished. Edmund had walked away first, though.

He perked up when he heard Jamie's name at the doors of the hospital wing. He guessed it was Jamie's date, her sister. The other Greyback girl was probably very confused. Then Will realized as he stood. Greyback girls. Odette Greyback was Jamie's sister. The thought made him chortle a short laugh, and he covered his hand with his mouth so it wouldn't get louder. He shook his head, regaining his composure before opening the door.

"Hey, she's okay. Over there," he said, opening the door and stepping aside.

maxima ruqayyah greyback
@jamie
(@edmund if you want to jump in sometime.
Maybe Max should go before Jamie? Don't care

[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

“Hey.” Max turned her head to see that William was standing at the door and had opened it for her. “She's okay,” he continued, and Maxima felt compelled to believe him. He had gotten Jamie to the Hospital Wing, whereas she hadn't even seen her faint. “Over there.”

“Thanks.” Realizing that she probably needed to put her shoes back on instead of walking through the Hospital Wing in her bare feet, Max dropped her shoes from where she had gathered them up by their backs in one hand and slipped them back on rather awkwardly. William must have thought that she looked ridiculous—like an ungainly flamingo—because she certainly wasn't pulling her shoes back onto her feet with any sort of grace or class.

With as much dress as she had to contend with, it was a miracle that she hadn't tripped on its hem, and—once finished—Max walked in the direction that William had indicated to her. She thought that the nurses would likely want to keep Jamie there through the end of the full moon, if she had been ill enough to have fainted. Trying to keep the sound of her clicking heels from waking everyone in the wing, Max watched her step until she came to Jamie's bed.

@jamie
@william
@edmund

[Deleted]

It was the strangest thing, coming out of unconsciousness, especially since Jamie hadn’t even realized she was unconscious to begin with. But obviously she had been unconscious, because she definitely would have remembered coming to the hospital wing. When she finally got her bearings, she noticed that she was alone. Well, that wouldn’t do. She knew exactly who was responsible for her being there, because there was really only one person she could have fainted on that would have been capable of carrying her to the hospital wing. When the doors swung open, Jamie turned to face them, and saw her sister walking towards her. “Hey, Max.” Jamie greeted as her sister approached her bed. “I gave a new meaning to dance until you drop, huh?” She asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She still didn’t feel the best, but the fact that the hospital wing was cool (and that she was no longer dancing) made her feel a little less faint. On top of that, she didn’t want to worry her sister unnecessarily. “Is Will out there?” She asked. “I should probably thank him for bringing me here.” If her assumption that it had been Will was wrong, then Max could correct her before she embarrassed herself further.

maxima ruqayyah greyback
@william
@edmund

[Deleted]

Will stayed back as the worried girl at the door moved to James side. He watched from the door, hand still on the knob, trying to decide if he should be leaving or not... Jamie woke up to greet the girl Will assumed was her sister and he turned to look out the door right before he heard his name coming from Jamie. He slowly closed the door and turned back toward the beds, raising a hand, "still here," he said, crossing the room to them.

"Hi Max," he greeted, having heard Jamie say her name a moment ago. He gave her a short bow before turning back to Jamie, "glad you're up. Though, sleep would probably be good for you right now," he said a little firmly, classic protective Will coming out.

@jamie
maxima ruqayyah greyback

[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

“Hey, Max.” Jamie was awake, although—not unexpectedly, given their current location—she didn't look too great. She lifted herself so that her elbows were keeping her propped up. “I gave a new meaning to dance until you drop, huh?”

Taking a seat on the end of Jamie's bed, Maxima rolled her eyes. It was a terrible joke, though she gave a snort of laughter at it. She was just glad that Jamie was alright; it wasn't as dire as when she had been in the Hospital Wing, herself, but it was still scary to find out that Jamie had fainted.

Jamie asked if Will was still there. Max gave a slight nod, though he spoke before she could. “Still here.” Without needing to add on anything else, Max watched him as he moved across the wing to Jamie's bed, too.

“Hi, Max.”

There was something about being bowed to by a member of royalty that felt incredibly strange. Max had always been under the impression that she was supposed to bow—or curtsy, rather, since she was a girl—to him. Not really knowing what was expected of her, she nodded her head in acknowledgment of his greeting and lifted her hand a little off of her lap. “Hi.”

“Glad you're up,” said Will to Jamie, though Max wasn't sure by what name or title she was supposed to refer to him in his presence. Jamie had called him “Will”, but that seemed too familiar. “Though,” he continued, still speaking to Jamie, “sleep would probably be good for you right now.”

Unsure of what to make of William—Will—whoever he was, Max tried to make sense of the night before opening her mouth. Love at first sight was something for storybooks and an unrealistic expectation set by hopeless romantics. No one actually fell in love at first sight without a love potion, and Jamie wasn't clawing her way out of the hospital bed to be breathing exactly the same air as Will. They had danced; that was it.

“You can go now,” she told Will in dismissal, not trying to be rude (though her manner wasn't the most polite, either). He had done his part by making sure that Jamie was safe. Max wasn't blaming him for what had happened to her half-sister, for that was the fault of Fenrir Greyback, but he was right; Jamie needed her rest.

Looking back over to Jamie, Max furrowed her brow. “You're okay?” she asked. “Do you want me to stay here?” She cursed under her breath, knowing that the nurses would probably kick her out, and hoped that Will hadn't heard.

@william
@jamie

[Deleted]

“You can also stay, if you want.” Jamie was hasty to add when Max said that he could go. She didn’t want Will to go, and beyond just being a rude dismissal, it was a rude dismissal of royalty. Jamie didn’t want her sister to vanish in the middle of the night because she had offended the wrong person. Then again, if Will was the sort of person who would do that, Jamie didn’t really want him around, either. “The hospital wing doesn’t have much by way of good company, so I figure I should take as much as I can get, right?” Jamie asked, hoping that Max would take the rather heavy hint that she wasn’t interested in chasing Will off anytime soon. “No disrespect to the nurses, of course.” Jamie said when she realized how her previous statement could be construed. When Will suggested that sleep could be good for her, Jamie just rolled her eyes. “Why should I sleep on what might be the best night of the year?” She asked Will with raised eyebrows. “I’ve gone a lot longer without sleep before.” Almost a whole four days, in fact, though the reason why wasn’t nearly as happy. When Max asked if she was okay again, and if the Slytherin ought to stay, Jamie raised one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t want to keep you from the dance. Either of you.” Jamie added, just in case Will wanted to go, too. “Though someone should probably make sure Adrian and Lily weren’t as silly as I was...” Jamie realized just how many mixed messages she was sending: stay because the hospital wing lacked good company, go so you don’t miss the dance, someone should check on Adrian, on and on the list meant. What it all boiled down to, though, was that Jamie wouldn’t mind if Max stayed, but what she really wanted was to steal a few more minutes alone with William Windsor.

maxima ruqayyah greyback
@william

[Deleted]

Jamie's sister, Max, greeted him in return, short and simple. Will appreciated people like that, people who didnt' feel the need to lavish. Not that lavishing was bad, per say, but it was nice to have some variety. Max said that he could go, though, and he raised an eyebrow at her slightly. It didn't sound rude, exactly, but Will wasn't used to people telling him what to do, even if it wasn't really a command. Jamie chimed in, though, saying he could also stay if he wanted and he turned back to her, giving a short nod. She said that she could use as much company as she good get, good company, and he smiled softly. She asked why she would sleep on what might be the best night of the year, and how she'd gone without sleeping before and he chuckled. He let Max chime in with asking if Jamie was okay, first, before saying anything.

"I didn't come for the dance," he reminded Jamie. Then he nodded, "I'm guessing their werewolves too? Hopefully they're taking it easy but... that doesn't sound like Lily," he admitted. He had been in school when those two were just wee little students. They weren't the 'take it easy' type, he knew. Still, he didn't really want to leave Jamie's side, but he was sure her sister didn't either... however, he still waited to see if Max would offer herself first before offering to go check on the others. He would do it if it was what Jamie wanted.

maxima ruqayyah greyback
@jamie

[Deleted]

When Edmund left Will and Jamie to go outside, he didn't realize he was still holding the package in his hands. He was too frustrated with Will. Not that that was a new sensation. In fact, it would have been strange for Ed if he and his brother got together without one of them getting angry for at least a few minutes. He just needed some time to cool off and since it was so cool outside, that was probably the best place to do it. 

A while later, Ed finally realized he was still holding the gift from Will and his mum. He looked down at it carefully, deciding what he wanted to do with it. Looking around and realizing that no one else was around, Ed decided to open it. His mouth fell open at what he saw. It was a gold pocketwatch and Edmund recognized it instantly. It used to belong to his father. They gave it to him? Immediately, his frustration dissipated and Ed stood up, determined to find his older brother. He had to thank him.

He walked back into the Great Hall and started searching. He saw Addi dancing with Grey- good, at least she was still enjoying herself- but there was no sign of Jamie or Will anywhere. After a moment he saw a girl walking by with puffy, red eyes and recognized her from classes. She was in ravenclaw ... what was her name? Elena? He decided to go for it, "Hey Elena, have you seen my brother or Jamie Greyback anywhere?" He asked, smiling when she turned and nodded, pointing toward the hospital wing. Apparently he did get her name right. "Thanks!" Ed added, turning and hurrying in that direction. Why would they be in the hospital wing? Who got hurt?

He opened the door and walked in, surprised when he saw more than just Jamie and Will in there. Apparently Jamie was the one hurt, since she was in the bed. Ed stayed by the door quietly, not wanting to interrupt, but at the same time wanting nothing more than to go up to his older brother and give him a hug, which was a new feeling for him. But he didn't want to be rude and interrupt, so he waited patiently by the door, trying to figure out what was going on.

@jamie
@william
maxima ruqayyah greyback

[Deleted]

Jamie blushed when Will said that he hadn’t come for the dance. She had almost forgotten that part. He had only come so he could deliver his siblings’ Christmas presents, and presumably confirm their plans for being present at the New Year’s Eve ball their family was throwing. She was going to blame her forgetfulness on her light-headedness. But at the same time, she was relieved that Will wasn’t going to be going back and dancing with anyone else. She would also blame that on her light-headedness, but Jamie wasn’t big on lying to herself, and she knew that she definitely wouldn’t have wanted Will dancing with anyone else even if she wasn’t exhausted. “Yes, Lily and Adrian are werewolves. So is Elias, but I don’t think he’d be allowed to duck out early even if he wanted to.” One of the burdens of being Champion, Jamie supposed. She was about to go off on a tangent about Lily and Adrian and how it probably wouldn’t be difficult for someone (Max) to find them because they’d both be together, no doubt, when she noticed someone standing at the door. “Hi, Ed!” Jamie greeted as cheerfully as she could muster. She wondered why he was here, especially considering how angry he had been earlier about Will’s reaction to him taking Addi to the New Year’s Eve Ball, but she wasn’t going to question it. “I was just telling your brother about my crazy siblings.” Jamie said, to give him some context for the conversation he was walking into. “I don’t suppose you could help in wrangling them?” Maybe Edmund would take Max with him.

@edmund
@william

[Deleted]

Will nodded as Jamie explained who was a wolf, and how the champion wouldn't be allowed to duck out. "I'm sure they want him to be well, though," he guessed. Then, Jamie said hello to... Ed? Will turned around, not even having heard his brother come in. "Ed, hi," he said, a little confused. He was glad that he was there, though. Jamie explained that she was talking about her crazy siblings and Will nodded in agreement, his smile growing. She asked Ed to help wrangle them and Will turned back to Jamie. "I'll go with him," he said, even though it pained him to say it. He felt a weird twisting in his stomach. "That is," he turned back to Edmund at the door, "if you don't mind helping me track Adrian and Lily down?"

@edmund (you do this one then I'll do one more and we will ditch the ladies)

[Deleted]

It wasn't long before someone noticed him standing in the doorway- Jamie in fact. "Hey Jamie," Ed answered with a small smile as he nodded at his brother. This was more awkward than he thought. "Are you alright?" He didn't know why she was in the bed but he hoped nothing serious was wrong. Maybe he should have thought about this more before he went off searching for his brother. He just, he wanted to thank Will for the gift, but not really in front of Jamie and Max. He nodded when Jamie asked him to help find her siblings. "Of course," he said, turning toward the door. He'd just have to thank Will later. Then he froze when he heard Will saying that he would go with him. Ed turned back toward his brother. "Not a problem," he said. Finding Lily should be relatively easy, after all. She did like to be the life of the party, from his experiences. He opened the door and held it so that Will could come through. "Hope you feel better Jamie," Edmund told her quickly.

@jamie
@william

[Deleted]

Even the small comment of it not being a problem meant the world to Will coming from Ed. Will nodded, then turned to Max, "glad you're here," he told her. Then he turned back to Jamie and smiled softly, stepping forward to place a hand on her wrist. "Hey. I'll see you around," really, Will? I'll see you around? He mentally face palmed himself before giving her wrist a soft squeeze and stepping away.

He felt this sudden rush of cold, and he knew he was leaving too soon. Sooner than he wanted to... But he was willing to help find Adrian and Lily, for the sake of making sure the were being careful as well as making Jamie Greyback happy. He had a feeling he'd be doing a lot of things for her happiness.

"Come on, Ed," he said softly, turning to leave with his brother.

(Will and Ed out)
@jamie
maxima ruqayyah greyback

[Deleted]

Jamie kept a smile pasted on her face while the Windsor boys were still in the hospital wing, nodding when Ed asked her if she was alright. She really was! Just kind of...tired. But not too tired to smile! At least, she thought she wasn't too tired to smile, or to talk, or to do anything else of the sort, but as soon as Edmund and Will left, it was like someone had flipped a switch, and all of her energy was gone. The smile slid off of Jamie's face. "We can talk about this later." She said, because she was sure that Maxima would want to talk about some part of this whole night. But Jamie didn't know if she had the strength to summon enough words to untangle the knots that were sure to be tied in Max's head, and she'd rather not half-explain things. There would be time later, and now, Jamie was just going to sleep.

maxima ruqayyah greyback
(exit Jamie via sleep)

[maxima ruqayyah greyback]

It was, frankly, incredibly weird for Maxima to be at her half-sister's bedside while listening to two young men who were members of Muggle royalty converse with her and ensure that she was alright. She had never had a problem with the Windsors before, but putting it into perspective as she tried not to interrupt Edmund or William made it different. Jamie had seemed intent on keeping the three of them there with her, so she'd stayed, her attention only ever drawn back to the conversation upon hearing Adrian, Lily, and Elias's names mentioned.

The two young men were going to go look for the other werewolves to make sure that they weren't too ill to continue celebrating, something that Max wished that Jamie had asked her to do first. Will had said that he was glad that she was there, but—the last time she had checked—she was the only other Greyback in the room.

Jamie told her that they would talk about what had happened later. “Sure.” She nodded; it was probably just that Jamie's judgment was a little bit foggy. Until then, though, Max decided that it would be better to let her sleep.

@jamie
(Fin.)