No Sleep for Dents

Khaat had felt like she had been infected with spring fever. She had been on leave, sure. But she had not been idle. She had been spending the day spring cleaning. The house almost sparkled and smelled clean and fresh, like spring itself. She had left no corner untouched. But now she was tired.

She had kept working until Rob came home from Sparks that night, and then she had decided to unwind with him a bit, just sitting with him and talking before going to bed. It had been a good day. Tomorrow she planned on getting the flowerbeds ready to plant spring flowers.

She went to bed when he did, feeling pleased with herself, and she curled up against him, always liking to sleep close to him. Liking the feel of his skin against hers, the sound and the feel of his even breathing. Laying her head on his chest, she fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.

Somewhere in the night, she began to hear screaming. Screams of pain. She tried, but she could not wake. She began to see blood, and dirty brunette hair. Long hair. A woman. In great fear and distress. And pain. A lot of physical pain. She saw the woman being hit with a cruciatus, and it woke Khaat immediately. She sat bolt upright, breathless, her heart feeling like it was beating out of her chest. This did not feel like any ordinary dream. Someone, someplace, was in trouble. But she didn't know who or where. She hadn't seen her face. But she had felt her suffering--clearly. Maybe a little too clearly.

Rob had, had a fairly long day at Sparks. He was desperate for some adventure again. His more adventurous side was acting up and even the Animagus was getting restless. He had to take Robdog out
for a run at some point and hopefully sometime soon. But he was happier lying in bed at that moment in time. He was itching to get up and do something interesting but the pull wasn’t that strong. Khaat’s warmth kept him there and that was fine as far as he was concerned.

He’d felt the sudden movement that Khaat had made but he was far too deep in sleep to really register it. Rob rolled over onto his front, muttering something about strip poker and continued to sleep on as if nothing was going on. The ottoman was sat at the end of the bed and it bounced over to Khaat, yipping in excitement.

Khaat was relieved she had not disturbed Rob. She looked at the ottoman. "Seems like you're the only one awake besides me, aren't you?" she asked quietly. She slipped away from Rob as smootly as silk sliding softly off his chest. She covered him so he wouldn't notice the heat difference from her. "Come on," she told the ottoman. "Let's go for a run." She transfigured her night bown into running clothes, changed her slippers to sneakers and tucked Remus's wand the pocket in her jacket.

She went outside, taking the ottoman with her, and went for a run. The ottoman seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her. She really was suprised. She ran down the dark Hogsmeade streets, feeling strangely unafraid. She kept seeing the woman in her mind. She didn't know why. She couldn't clear it out of her head. "Are you a male? or a female?" she asked the ottoman. "You need a name." The ottoman barked once. "Hm. Male, then?" It barked again, seemingly happy that she wasn't stupid. "Um. Well, how about I just call you Otto for short?" He barked several times running in circles. She took it that it was the name he might have been hoping for. "I have just named my ottoman, and I'm outside at 3 in the morning taking a run down the block with it. I"m wondering if even Daddy would believe this." Otto snuggled her leg in loving affection.

"Oh, come on, then. Let's get on with it because if Rob finds we're gone, he'll be quite put out, I'm afraid," she told Otto.

When she finished her run, she returned to the house and refreshed herself. The run had cleared her head. She changed into a clean gown and rejoined Rob in the bed, curling back in her place, and laid awake, wondering who the woman was who was in such pain and distress, wondering how in the devil could she get to her to help her. Well, or rather who she could get to go get her. She wasn't in the mood to go questing at the moment. She had plans to put in her flowers after all. She wanted a beautiful garden this year. And, right at this exact moment, nothing was more soothing for her than being skin to skin with Rob.

She worried about him too. She had felt his restlessness growing for a long time. And it was getting stronger. She felt like she was partly to blame. The job at Sparks had given him something to do, but it made precious little use of his magic--of his wonderfully strong magic, And that was part of him that she loved. She knew he was like her enough that just being a truly wonderful gourmet chef would never be enough. He needed adventure. He needed fun. He still needed every so often to go to the put with his guy friends--even though she didn't really understand that. Getting drunk never had appealed to her. But, it was his thing, so she accepted it as just a way he used to unwind every so often. Privately, she wished he would take some job at the ministry, something where he could use his magic and regain his sense of purpose and value. He was unhappy. And she blamed herself for that, for a thousand unspoken reasons.

She knew what time he had to be up for work. So she rose earlier. She went to the kitchen and, for a change, fixed him breakfast. A very elegant breakfast. Eggs Benedict--with the best hollandaise sauce she had ever turned out. And a fruit salad with a sweet champagne dressing. She added a couple of bite sized chocolate muffins, orange juice, and Rob's very favorite tea done up as he liked it. She added one final touch--a beautiful coral colored rose, and put it on the tray and brought it upstairs, with her own larger fruit salad and coffee following obediently behind. She waved her breakfast to her night stand and put Rob's tray on his night stand. She joined him back in bed and woke him softly with feathery kisses, thinking he might appreciate a gentler wake up than the harsh alarm. She called to him very lovingly and gently.