Thistle and Stone [Chaennie]

Chapter 4

SLEEP

"Merlin, alright, let me get this straight." Chanyeol shook his head incredulously, ignoring Taehyung's pointed look. "This curse has tied your magical cores somehow, and that's why Park is in the guestroom across the hall?"

"Bond," Jisoo interjected. Jungkook made an uncertain noise beside her.

"Seems nicer to say it like that, don't you think?" She shrugged, and Jennie inhaled deeply to stop herself from correcting her.

"Still, nicer witches out there you could be tied to." Chanyeol glanced at Jisoo, who seemed uninterested in countering his point.

"I don't have to touch her, Chanyeol, it's just a proximity thing." Jennie picked at the edge of her nail, no longer enjoying the questions she had to field from the group (though, mostly, just from Chanyeol).

"Erm," Lisa pulled her lips together, "no one actually said anything about touching, Jen."

Jennie opened her mouth to respond, shutting it a second later. Flecks of red spread across her neck.

"Right, no, I know. Just...wanted to make it clear."

"Of course," Taehyung swooped in, catching the edge of panic in Jennie's voice, "we know this is a strange situation, Jennie, and we'll all be here for you until it's resolved."

Jennie smiled, her throat tightening as she nodded.

"Right then." Taehyung straightened himself up, pointing to Chanyeol and Jungkook. "Out, the both of you. Out, out, out," he waved at Chanyeol, who tried to protest. "Jennie has had a long enough day without all of us gawking at her for another minute."

Jennie mouthed a silent thank you towards Taehyung, who was busy shooing Chanyeol and Jungkook from the room. Taehyung blew her a quick kiss from the doorway before shutting it behind them, leaving Jennie alone with Lisa and Jisoo.

"Will you stay?" Jennie looked between the two of them, her voice quiet.

"For as long as you need," Jisoo confirmed.

"Here, scoot over then." Lisa nudged at Jennie until she made room for Jisoo and Lisa on either side of her.

The light outside of Taehyung and Jungkook's home had already faded to a soft purple, and Jennie could feel the heaviness in her limbs, the fog threatening to descend on her thoughts. The ache thudded along as well, sated but still a constant reminder that she was trapped.

Lisa and Jisoo curled up gently around her and Jennie allowed herself to fade slowly in and out of sleep, lulled by Jisoo's soft breathing against her ear and Lisa's sighs as she shifted in her sleep. Moments later, Jennie was pulled under, drawn into a fitful sleep.

For the first time in months, she dreamt. Instead of her usual dreams, ones where Crookshanks chased shapeless forms through dark Hogwarts' hallways, these were vivid. In one, Roseanne loomed over her, double her size. Her face was twisted with disgust, peering down at Jennie from above. In another, they were back on the street outside of Jennie's home. Roseanne was shouting, wordlessly, but all Jennie could see were tears streaming steadily down her cheeks. Anxiety built in Jennie like a deep well as one after another, Roseanne shifted into innumerable forms. In the next, she stood close in front of Jennie, her breath ghosting Jennie's cheek. Her hands felt like ice as they reached out and grazed Jennie's neck, caressing her, one of Roseanne's thumbs stilling against the pulse just under Jennie's jaw. Then her hands began to squeeze, tightening around Jennie's neck while Jennie stood there, immobilized.

Jennie gasped in her sleep, suddenly blinking up into the darkness of Jungkook and Taehyung's guest room. She waited while her heart stilled to a quieter rhythm, concentrating on the feel of Lisa and Jisoo's warm limbs pressed against her. Adjusting her eyes to the dim light, she tried to check the time on the clock hung against the back wall. Its quiet, steady beats filled the silence of the room. 3:30am. Merlin.