Tigers Come at Night

A/N: This was written by request from my friend (who never reviews EVER!!), and it’s a little weird.  But the story grew on me as I thought about it more, and as my friend’s requests persisted.  It was a little based on a song from Les Mis, which is why the song lyrics may or may not show up in here.  (Depends on whether I feel like it or not really)  Also please REVIEW!!  It means so much to me, and I’ll love you forever

Then I was young and unafraid

Dreams were made and used and wasted

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

He spent a summer by my side,

He filled my days with endless wonder

He took my childhood in his stride

But he was gone when autumn came

It seems so long ago, that summer.  School had just ended, and I was working my first real job.  It was my first time spending so much time away from everyone, but I didn’t mind.  Working at Flourish and Blotts seemed like the best place for me, and living in London was exciting. 

You started coming in during maybe my second week working.

Everyday, you’d have your drink, sitting at that little table right by where I was. 

Never looking up at me, never acknowledging you even knew me.

That’s how my days went, me slaving away taking book orders and helping people.  You sitting calmly, completely absorbed by whatever book you had picked up.  Never bought anything.  At the time I was so naïve, I couldn’t think of any reason at all why you were always there.  Of course it had nothing to do with me.

Then one day Harry and Ron came to see me.  You were at your table as always, but for once you looked up.  As my friends came and sat with me by the counter, you stopped reading. 

You walked right over to me and asked about whether a new shipment had come in yet. 

I went in the back to check, and when I came back, Harry and Ron were at the table you always sat at.

No where around the store I could find you. 

Still I found nothing strange about this.

At night I would close up the store, and walk alone back to my flat. 

No one else was ever around, just me and the dark night.

Then came you.

That night was surprisingly cold.  July suddenly seemed to have become December.

My flat only a few blocks away, I cut through the alley to get home sooner.

You followed.

As I quickened my steps, so did you.

Panic filled me, I couldn’t understand.

Why wouldn’t you go?  Why me?

There were puddles filling unseen holes.

I fell.

You were there.

No where to run.

You were on top of me.

Pain.  I couldn’t breathe.

But then I stared into your face.

And understood.

About wanting what you think you cannot have.

Doing anything to get it.

Giving in, no longer afraid.

The next day you were not at the bookstore.

Or the next day.

But on the third you came, and actually smiled at me.

As soon as I got off work, you came to me, and we walked.

I learned who you were, came to understand you.

Or so I thought.

We spent almost every day together

It seemed like you and I were the only ones in the world

That every beautiful thing had been made just for us

The days grew long

I thought we’d be forever

Then summer died

School started.

You were there, of course.

And it was as if nothing had ever happened.

During your class you were as nasty as ever, if not more.

When we passed in the halls, you didn’t so much as glance at me.

But you came to me in the night.

Thought no one would ever feel what we did

Reality kicked in

Suddenly you were cold, and so distant.

All my potions were wrong; everything I did was not good enough

To keep you

No matter what I did, how hard I cried, what had been would never be.

And you didn’t even care.

I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I’m living

So different now than what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed