Curiosity killed the cat [Ebony and Jeremy, closed]

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony had been curious for far too long, it was bugging her to no end and she finally decided to put a stop to it. Jeremy was on her mind 98% of the time, the other 2% thinking of ways to stop thinking about him. After the 'Welcome Back to Braedan Ball', Ebony wanted to find out so much more than she had been told. She was now on her way to the library, it was just a short walk luckily on the same floor from her common room. Ebony wanted to find more about him, more about his condition, she had never heard of anything like it, so bad circulation and sensitivity to the sun were hardly common. Hopefully the library would have something on the matter and her mind could rest, it was like an itch. A really bad itch she couldn't scratch.

Ebony turned into the library, surveying the rows upon rows of books, alot of them were on dark arts, to help the students as much as they can. If she wanted to find the answer, it would be somewhere in this room. She took a few steps forward, finding the 'M' section, medical conditions would be around here surely. The library was rarely ever busy, more dovenbells in here than any other house a couple of Bottensteins and Halpsens scattered about the place. Running her finger along the spines of a couple of books, "Medical Maladies Encyclopedia" Ebony frowned, that probably had it.

Pulling the medium sized book out of the shelf, she carried it to a table in the center of the room. Ebony pulled out the chair and flipped open the hardback page to reveal the introduction and the contents, after turning a few more pages she decided that it would be best to start at the back with the index on conditions. It would narrow down her search and not waste as much time as she thought reading it would. Ebony's eyes ran across the page, meeting 'bad circulation' and pale skin briefly. They were both found on the same page. Reading the number, she flipped to the beginning the number thirteen running through her head. It would give her all the answers she needed.

Index-

Bad circulation - Pages 13, 19, 100, 208.
Blue nose - Pages 10, 130, 268 and 317.
Chills - Pages 199, 200 and 278.
Coughing - Pages 1, 105, 157 and 299.
Flaky Skin - Pages 332 and 346.
Hovering - Pages 104, 325 and 349.
Itchiness - Pages 333 and 343.
Large warts - Pages 11, 36, 215, 317 and 332.
Pale skin - Pages 13, 130, 230 and 318.
Rapid hair growth - Pages 111 and 345.


Ebony turned to page 14...

[Jeremy Halpsen]

Jeremy hadn’t been too worried when Ebony had left him at the ball. The minute she’d exited the Main Hall, Jeremy had taken the opportunity of her absence to go hunting. But the next day, Jeremy didn’t hear from Ebony. It didn’t worry him too much. She was a girl, she needed time to do girly things and Jeremy couldn’t expect her to want to spend every waking minute with him. But a week after the ball, Jeremy still hadn’t heard anything. It was starting to worry him now. His dorm mates had all asked their dates about Ebony’s whereabouts, all of whom had said they knew nothing. Jeremy had been frustrated when his dorm mates had come back to him with their reports of “I dunno where she is, mate…”

It was Saturday, a week after the ball. Jeremy was losing it. He’d tried to keep his distance. Maybe Ebony was really just doing girly stuff. Maybe girly stuff took a week, who knew. But today, Jeremy was done. He wanted to know where she was. It was almost killing him having not spoken to her for an entire seven days. It was Saturday morning, not too early, about 10:30am. Jeremy was wandering the corridors, keeping his ears open for Ebony’s voice, or any conversation about Ebony. But he heard nothing. When he hit the fourth floor, however, Jeremy found something. Well, he smelt something. It was Ebony’s scent, leading to the library. Of course. They probably had homework that needed doing.

He entered the library silently, glancing around until he spotted her. Sitting at a table in the center of the room, hunched over a book. Jeremy made his way over to her, making absolutely no noise at all. He stood slightly to the side of her, peering over her shoulder at the book. “Medical Maladies Encyclopedia?” he questioned, his voice low. “Getting curious, were you?”

There was something in his tone that indicated that he thought something was fishy. Ebony was either too curious for her own good, or she knew something serious was up. He knew it wouldn’t be long until she stopped believing his ‘bad circulation, sensitive skin’ story.

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony scanned the page, until she reached the title, she drew an intake of breath and began reading. She swallowed, hearing a voice behind her she jumped. "Sorry! You scared me!" Ebony pulled the book closer to her, "Um, yeah. I wanted to find out more" She shrugged. Why did she feel like something was wrong, like she was going behind Jeremys back, her mother had already told her what he was but, she had to find out the truth. It had meant that she needed to sort her head out a bit, which meant less time around Jeremy.

If Jeremy was around, she couldn't concentrate on what was right, she would only think that being with Jeremy was right no matter what. Ebony needed a clear head. It meant, she hadn't seen him all week, she had been avoiding him and it had worked so far. Her finger dropped down the page as she read each line, drawing herself around it. This was terribly awkward. She didn't know why she had been found now, then again, she hadn't been trying very hard to avoid him today. Ebony froze.

Cold, sensitive skin could be related to vampirism in some cases. If another symptom is drinking blood, then you should consult a healer immediately.

Jeremy would know what she was reading, it wasn't exactly a secret, he was keeping one from her though. She shook her head at the small sentence, Ebony didn't need to ask the most obvious question of them all. She already knew, but just to hear him say it to her. "Why didn't you tell me before?" Ebony turned her head up to face his, hurt filling her expression. "You're not that dangerous" She rolled her eyes, "I can't believe I had to hear it from my mother!" Her voice low as she hissed her words at him. Ebony was just embarrassed more than anything else.

[Jeremy Halpsen]

“Sorry! You scared me!”

Jeremy gave an apologetic shrug as Ebony continued on. “Um, yeah. I wanted to find out more.” Of course she did. She couldn’t believe his ‘bad circulation, sensitive skin’ story forever. Ebony was too curious, Jeremy was starting to realise. However, he had the feeling she hadn’t become curious and/or suspicious on her own. There was only one other person at this school who knew about Jeremy’s… condition. And that was Emilia Braedan, Ebony’s own mother. So Headmistress Braedan had gone back on her word, gone back on the large donation Jeremy’s parents had given her. And for what? In the hopes that Ebony would spend less and less time with Jeremy until she finally stopped seeing him? Was that really what the Headmistresses plan was? A low growl rumbled in Jeremy’s chest. Emilia Braedan was pathetic.

Ebony had started reading the book. Jeremy already knew what it said. He’d read it countless times, thought about ripping that page out countless times. And every time, he’d thought, ‘I’ll do it the next time’. But he never did. Why? Jeremy suspected it was because he’d been waiting for this very day. He brought his gaze down to Ebony. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” Her expression was filled with hurt, and Jeremy instantly felt guilty. “You’re not that dangerous. I can’t believe I had to hear it from my mother!” Jeremy closed his eyes. He didn’t know how truly upset Ebony was, and quite frankly, he didn’t think he wanted to know.

Jeremy’s eyes opened, and he reached out to gently brush his ungloved fingers against Ebony’s skin. “Would you believe me if I told you I had planned to tell you?” Jeremy asked, his voice low. The librarian was stalking the shelves. “I honestly never meant for you to find out this way, or this soon. I was hoping… I was hoping to keep it from you, for just a little bit longer. I always knew you wouldn’t believe my story about having sensitive skin and bad circulation.” He smiled down at her. “I am truly sorry you had to find out from your mother.”

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony shifted uncomfortably under Jeremys eye when he growled, she was upset, but she tried not to show it. Ebony was stronger than that, he was just the same as the others. Not telling her things, how could she trust him?! The answer was, she couldn't. It made her feel worse. She leaned into his hand despite the cold, it woke her up a little, but Ebony shut her eyes and pulled away. "Everyone says that" Ebony whispered. She shrugged at him, "There's nothing you can change about it now" She closed the book with a thump, her face hardened "Just leave me alone Jeremy"

He didn't seem to be getting the message, smiling down at her like that. It didn't matter if he was going to tell her later, he should have told her in the beginning. Then, it wouldn't hurt so much, being lied to, he had set up a whole story. "Sorry doesn't make anything better" She pushed her seat up, standing up in front of Jeremy. "You lied to me" Ebony glared at him. She didn't want to lash out at anyone, least of all him. Jeremy was the closest thing and she was much too upset to actually care about him for now.

When she was up in her dorm room later, then she would feel guilty. For now, he had done everything to hurt her and she still loved hated him. Ebony looked over to the librarian, who turned around and walked round to her desk after finishing replacing books on the shelf. She pushed him firmly on the chest, taking a step to the right, away from him. Her shoulders sank, "I trusted you" Ebony muttered.

[Jeremy Halpsen]

“Everyone says that. There’s nothing you can change about it now.”

Jeremy frowned as he listened to Ebony. She was telling him something that he wasn’t getting. What was she trying to say, honestly? And then, she said it. “Just leave me alone Jeremy.” Jeremy’s frown deepened. Was she serious? She really wanted him to leave her alone? Did she seriously think that would make everything better, that it would make anything different? Did she think it would make his vampirism go away? It wouldn’t change a thing. She wouldn’t forget that she knew. And she certainly wouldn’t forget Jeremy.

As she continued talking, Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “Sorry doesn’t make anything better. You lied to me.” Ugh. Jeremy was sick of hearing that word. And if that’s the game Ebony wanted to play, then fine. She could play whatever games she wanted. Jeremy barely moved when Ebony pushed him firmly against the chest. But her next words were what shattered him completely. “I trusted you.” Damn it.

Jeremy didn’t say a word. He looked at her, his face hard, no emotion displayed. For a moment, he did nothing. Finally, he turned on his heel. Without a word, he exited the library, shoving the door open as he passed it. The door slammed against the wall, creating a loud bang.

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony swallowed, willing herself not to even blink, one blink and that was it. There would be floods. He didn't look as if he cared, he couldn't really be sorry, if he was sorry he wouldn't have done something like that in the first place. Both hands were holding onto the back of the chair, practically clinging onto them behind her, when he walked out without saying a word.

Ebony knew the truth, he hadn't even argued with her. Jeremy had just taken it, not even said any of that mattered. He slammed the door behind him, Ebony wincing at the loud sound the librarian pointed to the door as she glared at her. Ebony rolled her eyes, leaving the book on the table, she walked out shutting the door behind her equally as loud. Ebony saw him going down the corridor, she quickly ran down the opposite direction to Jeremy and into her common room.

Tears starting to drip from her face as soon as she entered her dormitory. Thank goodness it was empty, Ebony locked the door with her wand and walked over to her bed. Collapsing onto it backwards, she stared up to the ceiling. Mulling over what she could have done, apart from that. Could she have handled it better? Ebony didn't know, but Jeremy was giving up just like her. She wasn't worth it and she hated to admit she still really liked him. Alot. Her mother hadn't been able to tell her that though.

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