Nightmares (MC x everyone friendship)
Summary: MC’s friends all find themselves having the same nightmare about her. And the closer they are to the final Cursed Vault, the worse those nightmares are, causing them to reflect on why she’s had such an impact on their lives.
After so many years of searching, they had finally figured out the location of the last Cursed Vault. “Jacob’s in there,” MC murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She sprang to her feet. “He has to be.” She took a step towards the library entrance, like she was already planning to run straight to the Vault, before pausing. Her eyes skimmed over the group and narrowed slightly.
“No.” It was Ben who spoke up, surprising everyone, including himself. “You don’t get to choose who comes with you this time, MC. We’re all coming with you.”
She shook her head. “I can’t get you all in trouble-”
“That’s not up to you this time,” Penny said firmly. “Ben’s right. We’re all coming with you.”
MC sighed. “Fine. Let’s meet in the Artefact Room after curfew.”
Ten minutes after curfew that night found Charlie pacing around the room, checking his watch impatiently. “She’ll be here, don’t worry,” Tulip snapped at him, her voice sounding tense. She scowled at Barnaby, who was twirling his wand between his fingers and dropping it repeatedly.
“You don’t think she went off without us, do you?” asked Tonks. None of them had wanted to say it out loud, but it was exactly what they were all thinking.
“She wouldn’t do that.” Charlie didn’t sound convincing to anyone, including himself.
“And besides, Rowan’s not here,” Penny added. “Rowan wouldn’t let her go off on her own.”
There was a pause as they all looked at each other, thinking about the likelihood that Rowan could actually stop MC once she made her mind up about something.
“We should go look for her,” Andre said.
The door of the Artefact Room opened and they all whipped around. “Sorry we’re late,” MC said, Rowan close behind her. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “If anyone wants to stay behind, it’s alright.”
MC sighed. “Alright then. Let’s go.”
They split up into smaller groups to avoid being caught. They were highly practiced at slipping through the shadows, silently padding their way down dark corridors, listening for any sound that was a giveaway of Filch or Mrs. Norris or one of the teachers. MC led the pack with Rowan and Charlie by her sides. Rowan could feel her trembling slightly, but didn’t say a word.
They gathered around the entrance of the Cursed Vault. MC raised the wand that she had been gripping almost hard enough to break. “Alohomora.”
Instantly, MC’s body tensed up. Her wand still raised, she gaped at the figure stepping out of the shadows of the Vault, lips quivering as they mouthed a name.
The laugh that echoed from the Vault made Andre’s hair stand on end and he gripped his wand a little tighter. Tonks’ hair appeared to turn a shade paler.
With a strangled cry that might have been a sob, MC lunged forward, but Charlie and Barnaby grabbed her by the arms, holding her back as she struggled against them. “Stop- what are you doing?” she snapped.
“Just wait, MC.” Charlie said firmly.
Ben shivered at the eyes gleaming from the darkness, so similar to MC’s but missing that spark of laughter that always graced hers. When he spoke, his voice was chilling and his smile sent shivers down their spines.
“It’s alright.” Jacob said. He took a step towards them, a step that didn’t seem to echo at all in the silence of the vault. “I just want to talk. I’m glad you found me, MC. Of course, I never doubted you for a moment.”
“Jacob…” She went limp, almost sagging back against her friends moment. Her jaw trembled and Rowan could see her clenching her teeth tightly.
“I’ve missed you, little sister.” Jacob stopped walking towards them and held out his arms. “Aren’t you going to greet me?”
MC gently shook Charlie and Barnaby off her. “It’s alright,” she said quietly. “He’s not going to hurt me. He’s my brother.”
She took a step inside the vault, the others crowding around her. Then she took another step…and whirled around, the tip of her wand pressed firmly against Barnaby’s chest.
“Depulso,” she said firmly and he flew backwards, arms flailing and knocking down the others.
“No!” Rowan screamed, struggling to untangle herself from the pile as she lunged for the doorway as it began to close. The last thing she saw before the door slammed shut in her face was MC’s faint but confident smile.
Rowan sat up in bed with a gasp, pressing a hand against her chest as if that would keep her heart from racing. This was the third night in a row that she’d had such a nightmare. One time, she didn’t wake up until after they’d forced the door open again, only to find MC and Jacob both lying motionless and bleeding on the floor of the vault.
She remembered the first time she saw MC in Diagon Alley, looking lost. The pang in her chest that she’d felt when MC announced that her brother was Jacob, that Jacob, the one rumored to be mad. But every single time, all of her worries and fears were chased away by the smile on MC’s face when she offered to be friends. And even though Rowan worried about MC a lot, all the time, practically every day although she’d never admit it out loud, that smile would remind Rowan of why she chose to keep following MC, no matter how dangerous things got.
Ben’s eyes flew open and he shivered, huddling deeper under his covers, grateful that this time, he didn’t have to see MC’s half-glazed eyes, her mouth frozen in the last spell she’d ever cast. Someone had been screaming in his dream- he wouldn’t have been surprised if that had been him.
He thought about the first time he’d worked up the nerve to speak to her, to thank her for standing up to Merula. He remembered her smile when she offered to help him in any way she could. And he remembered the steely set of her jaw when she stepped between him and Merula. He winced as he thought of the shocked look on her face when she realized he was the one who’d been attacking her- and then how she was the one who aggressively forced the others to welcome him back into their circle. She’d been protecting him ever since they met. And he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do for her.
Penny bolted upright, then carefully lay back down, listening for any signs that her dormmates had heard her. She took a deep shuddery breath, then curled up in a ball, wishing she had some Calming Draught to help her at this moment. She thought about the embarrassed look that crossed MC’s face every time she called her “the hero of Hogwarts.” The glint in her eyes when she faced Fenrir Greyback and told Penny to run for help. The certainty in her voice when she told them that they’d save Beatrice no matter what. And she knew that what frightened her the most about this recurring nightmare was not that it was something MC might do, but something she had done so many times already.
Somewhere in Egypt, Bill woke up with a start. He passed a hand over his face, trying to calm the nerves that had just sprung out of nowhere. No matter how far away he was from Hogwarts, he never stopped worrying about MC and Charlie and all of his friends still at Hogwarts. His work breaking curses now made him realize just how reckless they’d been at school, going after the Cursed Vaults with only plans to find them, not face whatever was inside. That same bull-headed attitude that had MC charging into whatever danger she might be facing to find her brother was exactly the same attitude that caused so many of his fellow Curse-Breakers to get injured or worse in the real world. He sighed and rolled over, resigning himself to another sleepless night.
Tonks tossed and turned, staring up at the curtains of her four-poster. She didn’t even remember how she became friends with MC, but she knew that Hogwarts just wouldn’t have been the same if she hadn’t gotten pulled into MC’s insane circle. Tonks had been prepared to be an outcast- knowing that she would be shunned if anyone found out about her aunt. She’d arrived loaded with pranks and tricks, partly to amuse herself but also because she wanted the attention on her to be for something she did, not something that was defined by her family.
And then she watched another outcast, also initially shunned because of her family, take every nasty comment directed at her without flinching and forge her own path, becoming a brilliant witch whose strength could not be disregarded. She watched MC build a group of friends who she was unquestioningly loyal to, and then she welcomed Tonks into that circle. Tonks knew she would do anything to protect MC. But she also knew MC would never let that happen.
Tulip let out a quiet gasp as she opened her eyes and Dennis blinked at her, letting out a soft, questioning croak. “It’s alright, Dennis,” she mumbled, before rolling over and staring out into nothing.
After her friendship with Merula ended, she never thought she’d have friends again, and she knew it would be her fault. It was her own pride, her own ambition that caused her to stab Merula in the back and she had thought that MC of all people would shun her for it. But instead, MC had trusted her without question. She had made Tulip feel that once again, she was worthy of having friends. All the knowledge in the Cursed Vaults could never compete with that.
But Tulip knew that because MC trusted her so much, she would always stand in front of Tulip when they faced dangers, not beside her.
Barnaby woke up with a half-shout, arms flailing like he was still falling. His chest stung like that spell had really hit him and rubbed at the spot without thinking. It reminded him of the time when they were in the Library, looking for one of the Vaults and Ismelda had cast a spell at MC when her back was turned. Without even thinking, he’d jumped in front of her, even though that spell hurt.
MC was the first person to ever tell him to think for himself, something that was always hard, but that he was starting to like. She listened to his ideas, even when they were bad, and never lost patience with him the way everyone else did. And she had punched him after leaving the Vault of Fear, demanding that he never, ever, ever do something so stupid again. “You shouldn’t get hurt because of me,” she snapped, and Barnaby had noticed tears in her eyes when she said it.
Even though she’d hit him for doing it, Barnaby knew that the next time someone cast a spell at her, he’d still jump in front of her. But he never thought that she might be the one casting a spell on him to prevent him from protecting her like he wanted to.
Andre sighed as he pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. He knew he wasn’t usually involved with MC’s crazy curse-breaking adventures, but that didn’t mean she still wasn’t one of his best friends. He encouraged and supported her in whatever she decided. Every time she was down, he would distract her with stories about Quidditch practice or he’d cheer her up by reminding her about all the students she’d saved during their short time at Hogwarts. He wanted her to know that she was one of the most important people in the school- not just to him, but to everyone. But he knew that part of the reason she was such a good curse-breaker was because she cared so deeply and whole-heartedly about others. He just wished he could get her to realize that she needed to care about herself as well.
Charlie’s eyes flew open, immediately fluttering shut when he realized it was just a dream. He rolled over, folding his pillow over his face like it would block out the image of MC pale and lifeless on the ground. Sure, he didn’t know her as well as Bill or some of her other friends, but his friendship with her was as strong as that with any of the others. He knew she’d always have his back- all he had to do was say, “I have a terrible idea,” and she’d immediately turn to him with eager eyes and a wicked smile.
But he knew that she was always the one protecting them, always the one standing a few steps in front of the others, ready to face whatever danger head on. He also knew she was fiercely loyal to her friends, refusing to give up on Ben even after he’d nearly killed her. And he worried, not for the first time, that that very same loyalty would backfire on her in the end.
“Morning, guys.” MC slipped into her seat at breakfast, getting only a few mumbles in response. Everyone seemed subdued and, now that she thought about it, they’d all been acting oddly lately. She’d noticed them all looking at her frequently, like they expected her to vanish or go mad or something. She studied each of her friends carefully, noting the dark circles and the way they were all picking at their food. Ben glanced up and caught her eye, then just as quickly turned away.
Suddenly, she stood up, slamming her hands on the table. They all turned to her, surprised. “Did I do something?” she snapped. “You’re all looking at me like you’re expecting me to do something horrible. So can you just tell me what I’ve done?”
They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Sure, they’d discussed their nightmares with each other, but sharing them with MC was a different story. She sighed, shoulders slumping as she sat back down in her seat. “Look, guys, whatever I did- I’m sorry. But I hope you all know that I’d do anything to keep you guys safe.”
After a long pause, Rowan spoke up. “We know.”
They all knew. And that was part of the problem.
