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CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT - 🍂 ୧ the diadem . . .
nightmares are endless ও🦌

AUTUMN TOSSED AND TURNED on her bed, her sleep fitful and restless. Each time she closed her eyes, horrifying images of the unknown diadem would flash across her mind, accompanied by the faint whispers of curses.

The visions of darkness and despair were so vivid, they seemed to linger in the air long after she opened her eyes. With each passing night, the nightmares only grew more intense and relentless, haunting her with their elusive mysteries.

Autumn's nightmares continued to plague her sleep, keeping her restless each night. She was haunted by blurry visions and the sounds of screams—turning into seeing a shadowy figure in a dark cave.

But it changed drastically when every time she closed her eyes for too long, the nightmares would start. The shadows in her room seemed to dance and flicker, casting unsettling shapes that made her blood run cold. She tried everything to calm her nerves - reading, writing, even counting sheep - but nothing seemed to work.

The following week proved to be a difficult and tiring experience for Autumn. The absence of sleep was evident in the dark circles under her eyes, which seemed permanently etched into her face.

Her friends couldn't help but notice her fatigue, and they frequently expressed their concern over her pale complexion, sunken eyes, and persistent exhaustion. However, despite their worry, Autumn brushed off their concern, insisting she was fine.

"I'm just having a few sleepless nights, that's all," she would say when asked, though the weariness in her voice betrayed her. She tried to cover up her growing fatigue with excuses like stress and preoccupation.

Classes became a struggle, as her mind felt clouded and unfocused. She found it hard to concentrate on her studies or even simply stay awake during lectures. Her grades began to slip as a result.

James observed her silently, concern growing with each passing day. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't want to force her to talk when she didn't want to. But as the days went by, her exhaustion became more noticeable, and her behaviour more distracted.

One morning, as they sat together in the Great Hall during breakfast, James couldn't help but voice his worry. He leaned in and spoke quietly.

"Hey," he said softly, placing a hand on her arm. "You haven't been sleeping well, have you?"

Autumn looked up, startled by her thoughts. She tried to brush it off with a tired smile. "I'm fine, just a bit stressed about classes and all," she lied.

James saw through her attempt to dismiss his concern. He knew her too well, and he could see the tired look in her eyes. "Don't give me that," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "I know you better than that."

He paused for a moment, his gaze locked on hers. "What's really going on, Autumn? Something's bothering you, and I can tell it's been keeping you up at night."

Autumn sighed and looked away, unable to meet his penetrating gaze. "It's nothing," she mumbled, staring down at her breakfast plate. "I just... haven't been able to sleep well, that's all. Just a few nightmares."

James reached out and gently turned her chin, making her look at him again. "Just a few nightmares? You look like you haven't slept in weeks," he said, his voice filled with concern.

Autumn couldn't deny the truth in his words. She knew she looked tired and haggard. "I... I guess it's been a bit more than just a few nightmares," she admitted reluctantly, avoiding his gaze.

James leaned in closer, his expression soft but worried. "For how long? How long have you been having these nightmares?" he asked gently.

Autumn hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to tell him the truth. But she knew she couldn't keep it to herself anymore. "A couple of weeks," she confessed quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

James's brow furrowed with worry. "A couple of weeks?" he repeated. "And you didn't tell me? Why?"

Autumn shrugged, staring down at her hands on the table. "I... I didn't want you to worry," she mumbled. "I thought I could handle it on my own."

James let out a soft sigh. "But you can't handle it on your own," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "You look like you're about to collapse from exhaustion. You need to talk to me, Autumn."

Autumn fidgeted with the sleeve of her robe, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't want to worry you. I thought it would pass, but... it hasn't."

James reached out and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his touch gentle but firm. "Autumn, you know you can tell me anything," he said, his voice filled with concern. "You shouldn't have kept this from me."

Autumn looked up at him, her eyes filled with guilt and regret. "I know," she admitted softly. "I should've told you, but I didn't want to burden you with it. It's just... the nightmares are bad, James. Really bad."

James's expression softened even more as he heard the fear in her voice. "Bad how?" he asked gently. "What exactly do you see in these nightmares?"

Autumn shuddered at the memory of the vivid nightmares she'd been having. "It's... it's hard to describe," she said, her voice trembling a bit. "But there's always this... this scream that echoes in my head. It's shrill and agonizing like someone's being tortured or hurt."

James's eyes widened with concern, his heart clenching. "And then what?" he prompted quietly.

Autumn squeezed her eyes shut as if trying to block out the memories. "Then there's this blur of images," she said, her voice growing quieter. "It's like I'm seeing through some kind of distorted lens. I can make out a dark cave and... and this shadowy figure. It's always there, lurking in the background."

James reached out and took her hands in his, his grip firm but comforting. "And what does this figure do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It... it just stands there, watching," Autumn replied, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and frustration. "But it's not just watching me. It feels sinister like it's waiting for something to happen."

James could see the fear in her eyes, and it pained him. "Have you told anyone else about this?" he asked, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand.

Autumn shook her head, looking down at their hands intertwined together. "No," she said softly. "I didn't know who to tell. I thought... I thought you'd think it was foolish."

James lifted her chin with his other hand, his gaze locking onto hers. "Hey, look at me," he said gently. "Nothing you tell me will ever be foolish, okay? Especially not when it's causing you this much distress."

Autumn looked into his eyes, and she saw the sincerity and concern in them. "I just... I don't know what to do, James," she confessed, her voice cracking a bit. "The nightmares are getting worse, and I feel so tired all the time. I can't focus on anything, and I feel like I'm losing my mind."

James pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered, his voice soothing. "We'll figure it out, I promise. But you have to promise me something in return."

Autumn looked up at him, her eyes searching his. "What is it?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

James pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. "Promise me you'll talk to me," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "Don't hide things from me, no matter how small or insignificant you think they are. You're not alone in this, Autumn. We're in it together."

Autumn nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "I promise," she said, her voice shaky but sincere. "I won't keep things from you. I... I should've talked to you sooner. I'm sorry."

James smiled gently and stroked her hair. "It's okay," he said, his voice filled with understanding. "But no more apologies, alright? Just focus on getting better. We'll figure this out, together."

Autumn sighed as she felt his soothing touch on her hair. James paused before leaning closer to her, his voice soft as he inquired, "It was a drawing, wasn't it? What did you end up sketching?"

Autumn's breath hitched slightly at his question. She knew he would eventually notice her preoccupation, but she wasn't expecting him would ask her so directly. She looked up at him, her expression a mix of hesitation and worry.

Autumn winced, suddenly feeling guilty. She swallowed nervously, avoiding his gaze. "How'd you know?" she muttered, feeling caught off guard by his question.

James chuckled lightly and lifted her chin gently, making her meet his gaze. "I know you, remember? You're not as sneaky as you think."

He watched her, his expression curious and searching. "So, what did you draw?" he repeated, his tone gentle but persistent.

"It was a diadem," Autumn explained quietly, her voice filled with worry, "but it wasn't just any ordinary one. Raven noticed that something seemed dreadfully off about it."

James's eyebrows furrowed slightly at her description. "Something wrong with it? What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely curious.

He studied her face as she spoke, watching the worry and concern etched into her features.

"I don't know how to explain it," Autumn admitted, frustration seeping into her voice. "It was like there was something dark and evil radiating from it. It gave me chills just looking at it." 

She paused, her eyes going distant as the memory of the drawing came back to her. "And... and there was this whisper I kept hearing while I was drawing it..."

James pressed his lips together and nodded, his expression serious, "Can you show me the drawing?"

Autumn nodded and reached into her bag. She dug around for a moment before pulling out a sketchbook and flipping through the pages until she found the drawing. Her hand trembled slightly as she handed the sketchbook to James.

Inside was a disturbingly accurate sketch of a dark, twisted diadem. It looked almost malevolent in the way it was rendered on the page.

James's eyes widened as he took in the sketch. The diadem was indeed dark and twisted, its jewels giving it an evil aura. He could understand why Autumn had been so disturbed by it.

He turned his gaze back to her, concern etched into his features. "This... this is what's been giving you nightmares?" he asked softly.

Autumn nodded, her eyes flickering with remembered fear. "It sounds crazy, I know," she said, her voice trembling. "But ever since I drew it, I can't get it out of my mind, and the nightmares... they're getting worse every night."

James clenched his jaws, his grip on the paper firm as he extracted it from the sketchbook with a swift motion.

Autumn's eyes widened as she saw him crumple the drawing in his hand. "What are you doing?" she gasped, a pang of panic in her voice.

James's expression was stern, his eyes fixed on the crumbled paper. "Getting rid of this," he said firmly. "It's causing you distress, and I won't let it keep haunting you like this."

Autumn felt a pang of loss as she watched the drawing being destroyed, but she couldn't deny the relief that washed over her. "You're right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to be rid of it too. Maybe without the drawing, the nightmares will stop."

James pocketed the crumpled paper, silently vowing to dispose of it later. He then reached over and took her hands in his, gently rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. "We'll make sure of it," he promised her, his expression gentle but firm. "We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Autumn nodded, trying to find some comfort in his words. But the fear still lingered in her eyes. "What if it doesn't work?" she whispered, the terror of the unknown gnawing at her. "What if the nightmares continue even without the drawing?"

"If scouring the entire school is what it takes to uncover the truth about that diadem, I won't hesitate." James declared, his voice tight with determination. "It's a magical artefact. Someone – or some text in the library – might just hold the answers we seek."

Autumn felt a flicker of hope at his determination. She knew that when James set his mind to something, he wouldn't stop until he got answers.

She gave a shaky nod, her fingers tightening around his. "You're right," she admitted. "We need to find out more about it. The library might have something. But..." she trailed off, a note of fear in her voice. "What if finding out more makes things worse?"

James squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It won't," he said firmly, his voice steady and certain. "Ignorance isn't going to make these nightmares go away. We have to understand what we're dealing with if we're going to solve this."

He paused for a moment, his expression becoming thoughtful. "How about this, then? Instead of focusing on how it could go wrong, think about how much better it could get. We might find out exactly why you're having nightmares, and we can finally put your mind at ease."

Autumn bit her lower lip, considering his words. She desperately wanted to believe him, to find comfort in his confidence. But the fear the nightmares had instilled in her stubbornly remained.

"I... I want to believe you," she said quietly. "I really do. But I keep hearing that whisper and seeing that blurry figure... It feels like a foreboding of something sinister."

James's eyes darkened and his grip on her hand tightened slightly. The thought of her being tormented by such a nightmare was almost more than he could bear.

He ran his thumb over her knuckles, his touch soothing. "I know it's terrifying, love," he murmured, his voice soft but firm. "But let me handle this. Let me try to figure this out. I won't rest until you're free of those nightmares, I promise you that."

Autumn looked into his eyes, seeing the determination and the love that burned in them. She knew he meant every word, and the depth of his commitment almost brought tears to her eyes.

But despite his reassurances, fear continued to cling to her like a stubborn shadow. "What if you can't?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if this is something that can't be solved, and I'm just doomed to these nightmares forever?"

James's expression softened even further, his grip on her hands becoming almost protective. He pulled her closer, so her head rested against his chest.

"You're not doomed, love," he whispered, his breath warm against her hair. "I won't let that happen. We'll get to the bottom of this, and we'll make sure those nightmares never darken your sleep again."

Autumn let herself lean into his embrace, comforted by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She felt safe in his arms like nothing could harm her as long as he was there.

But the fear was still present, a constant nagging at the edge of her mind. "I just... I'm tired, James," she confessed, her voice muffled against his chest. "I'm so tired of being afraid and exhausted from these nightmares."

James ran his fingers gently through her hair, soothingly stroking the silky strands. "I know, love," he said, his voice tinged with sympathy. "You've been through hell, and you're allowed to feel tired and scared. But you're not alone in this, okay? I'm here for you, every step of the way."

Autumn clung to his words, using them like a lifeline in the midst of her fear. She took a deep, shaky breath, letting the sound of his steady heartbeat keep her grounded.

"I don't deserve you," she mumbled against his chest, her voice almost inaudible.

James tightened his arms around her, his embrace becoming almost protective. "Nonsense," he said firmly, his voice a gentle rebuke. "You deserve so much more than you think. Trust me when I say, you deserve someone who will go to hell and back for you."

A small, strained chuckle escaped Autumn's lips, the sound slightly muffled against his chest. "You've always been willing to go that far, haven't you?" she whispered, a thread of affection weaving through her words.

James chuckled softly, the sound low and warm in his chest. "Of course I have," he murmured, a hint of a smile in his voice. "I'd walk through fire for you, love. And that's a promise."

A guttural sound of disgust filled the air behind James, which caused both of them to flinch. Autumn glanced over James' shoulder and saw that it was Sirius who had made the offending noise.

"I just arrived, and you two are already all up in each other's business," Sirius stated his expression one of playful irritation.

James turned his head to glare at Sirius, his arms still wrapped protectively around Autumn. "And we were having a private moment if you don't mind," he retorted, his tone a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Sirius snickered, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, believe me, I can tell. The doe-eyed looks, the cutesy whispering, the clinging. You two are nauseatingly sweet, you know that?"

"And you're a pest," James shot back, but there was no real irritation in his tone. He returned his attention to Autumn, his expression still protective. "Ignore him. He's just jealous because he can't find a girl who can stand him for more than five minutes."

Sirius clutched a hand to his chest in mock offence. "You wound me, Prongs," he said dramatically. "I have had girlfriends, you know. Girls who found me irresistibly charming."

"Oh, yes, how could we forget," James replied dryly, his lips curling into a smirk. "Those three whole hours with that Ravenclaw girl, and that Hufflepuff fifth year who lasted a full week."

Sirius feigned hurt. "I'll have you know, those relationships ended not because of me, but because those girls couldn't handle all this..." He gestured shamelessly at himself.

Remus, Lily, and Raven, who had just arrived at the table, all made a similar expression upon hearing Sirius' remark, amusement and feigned disgust etched on their faces.

Remus rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That inflated ego of yours will be the death of us one day, Padfoot."

Lily snorted amusement, shaking her head. "Or it'll burst from excess hot air."

"Hey, be respectful," Sirius retorted, his tone mock-serious. "I need that ego to maintain my aura of irresistible charm."

Raven stifled a laugh, her dark eyes glittering with humour. "If by 'irresistible charm' you mean 'insufferable arrogance', then sure."

Sirius feigned shock, dramatically clutching a hand to his chest again. "You all are supposed to be my friends!" he exclaimed. "Where's the loyalty, the support for my charisma?"

Remus chuckled, his eyes filled with mirth. "We support your charisma only when you're not being ridiculously obnoxious."

Raven smirked, tilting her head slightly. "So, pretty much never."

Sirius cast a pointed glare at Remus and Raven, his expression one of mock irritation, "At least the two of you don't feel the need to flaunt your lovey-dovey behaviour for all to see."

Remus shrugged, a smug smile playing on his lips. "That's because we're not nauseatingly sweet," he quipped.

James rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Like you two are any less sickeningly in love when you're together."

Sirius looked at James pointedly. "They at least don't act like they're glued to each other's side all the time."

Remus shrugged, wrapping an arm around Raven's shoulders. "We know how to balance our affection, unlike you and Autumn."

James chuckled at the banter, his arms still wrapped protectively around Autumn. "We manage to balance our affection just fine," he retorted, his voice laced with playful determination. "And if we want to be 'glued to each other's side', that's our business, isn't it?"

Sirius sighed, feigning resignation. "Fine, fine. You win this round, Prongs. I'll continue to suffer the agony of single life while you two revel in your nauseatingly cute couple antics."

Lily snorted," You know, it's not so hard to ignore it, Sirius."

Sirius shot Lily a look of mock offence. "Easy for you to say, Evans. You have no one to be nauseating with."

Lily rolled her eyes, her expression both amused and exasperated. "I'm perfectly alright being single, thanks. I don't need a constant companion to validate my existence."

"Ah, that's just what someone who's hopelessly single would say," Sirius retorted, a cheeky grin on his face.

Lily shot him a glare, her green eyes sparkling with mild irritation. "I'm not hopelessly single, I'm purposefully single. There's a difference."

Sirius shrugged, still wearing his usual cheeky grin. "If that's what helps you sleep at night, Evans."

Lily rolled her eyes again, shaking her head with mock frustration. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"Insufferably charming, you mean," Sirius corrected, giving her a charming wink.

Lily couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking her head slightly. "One of these days, Sirius, someone's going to slap that charming grin right off your face. And I can't wait to see it."

Sirius feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Evans. You really do. I thought you had a special place in your icy heart reserved for me."

"My heart is reserved for people who aren't egotistical idiots, I'm afraid," Lily shot back, her voice laced with playful snark.

Sirius clutched a hand to his heart again, his expression dramatically tragic. "And here I thought I was special to you. My heart is shattered."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Lily retorted, her smile betraying her amusement. "I'd say your ego is plenty inflated enough to recover from a mere bruised heart."

Sirius gasped, pretending to be deeply offended. "You severely underestimate the resilience of my heart! It's a well-known fact that the hearts of egotistical idiots are among the most sturdy and unbreakable."

"Oh, my apologies. How could I forget the invincible heart of the charmingly cocky Sirius Black?" Lily replied dryly, her smirk growing wider.

Sirius struck a mock-heroic pose. "Apology accepted. And yes, my heart is indeed invincible. Indestructible, even. It's one of the many, many benefits of being as charming and captivating as I am."

Remus intervened to prevent the two from engaging in a physical altercation, sensing that something was bothering Sirius for quite a while now. He noticed that Sirius's tendency to provoke and challenge others had become more frequent, a tactic to divert attention from whatever it was that he was trying to escape.

Remus laid a cautionary hand on Sirius's shoulder, his eyes holding a knowing glint. "Alright, Padfoot. That's enough. We can banter without you trying to pick a fight with Lily."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, a flash of irritation crossing his face, before he relented, sighing deeply. The facade of bravado faded as he leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming a little more subdued.