Confused Memories

Chapter 16

For the second night in a row, he couldn't sleep. His bed was comfortable, his blankets warm, his room dark--yet he still could not sleep.

AJ stood. Throwing on the robes that he had Transfigured from an old curtain, and slipping on his shoes, he crept out of his room.

He wandered down the hallways, stopping occasionally to look at the sleeping portraits or to inspect the creaky coats of armor. They reminded him of the prophecy that Sarah had told them about earlier in the day.

They had spent the entire afternoon in the library, researching, but had still not come up with a firm place or time the prophecy would be fulfilled. Theresa Vector, the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts, was working on a chart to see if she could pin it down. It would take a few days, though, before they got any results.

Sarah didn't remember him. At all. She seemed more deferential to him than to Clay, though. Perhaps, subconsciously, she did remember who he was. But did she remember who she was?

AJ sighed. What had happened to her? How had she gotten here? Oh, they said that she had Apparated--but why? When, exactly, had she gotten her memories switched? So many questions.

And, trite as it sounded, so little time. They had until "summer's end" to decipher the prophecy. Summer's end. That could mean the autumn equinox--nine days away, at his count--or Samhain. Was it the adopted Muggle term, or the ancient magical term, that was meant? And it said "by summer's end." So, either way, they had to be ready as soon as possible. By summer's end meant it could occur at any time--whatever it was. Webb, the paranoid one, had made that point. It was a valid one.

Where was Webb, anyway? He was probably with Sarah, discussing old times. Or maybe more than discussing...

AJ started pacing the hallway. He was acting like a jealous fool. He had no right to feel so damn... possessive. But he did, and it made him angry. He really needed somewhere to work this anger off.

He stopped in his tracks. Slowly turning around, he saw a door that hadn't been there before. Hearing footsteps echoing down the corridor, he opened the door and stepped inside before his conscience could stop him.

He closed the door. In front of him was a full weight machine. Off to the side, there was a punching bag with a pair of gloves. He pulled his robe off, leaving him in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He began working off his anger, his nervousness, his jealousy.

"I see you have found the Room of Requirement," AJ heard a voice say. He spun around, fists up. He relaxed.

"Headmaster. I'm sorry; I couldn't sleep..."

"And decided to go exploring. I did the same many a time when I first began teaching at Hogwarts. It is an amazing place, is it not?" Albus began searching through his robes as he spoke. "Especially this room. It will give the finder whatever he needs most at that moment." He stopped and pulled out a small bag. "Ah. Here we are. Lemon drop?"

"No, thanks," AJ declined.

"You know, Albert, there are very few things in life that last. Once you leave this room, it will go back to what it was before, awaiting the next person to require its abilities."

"And what does it look like when nobody's using it?" AJ asked.

"No one knows," Albus smiled. "It only appears when it is in use." He wandered over to a bookshelf that had suddenly appeared. Pulling a large book down, he began to flip through it.

"One of my favorite pastimes--etymology. Of course, a man as old as I am has many pastimes to enjoy. But etymology is particularly fascinating. The words we use today are all derived from the ancient languages--Greek, Latin, Germanic tongues. Have you ever wondered where your name comes from?" AJ just watched the old wizard in interest. He smiled in disbelief. The old man was completely batty.

"'Sarah--means "lady" or "princess" in Hebrew. This was the name of the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament. She became the mother of Isaac at the age of 90.' Your Sarah is certainly a princess, is she not?" Albus asked, smiling. AJ just raised an eyebrow.

Albus continued blithely. "'Jethro--From the Hebrew name Yithro, which was derived from the Hebrew word yether, meaning "abundance". Jethro was the father of Moses's wife Zipporah in the Old Testament. A famous bearer of the name was Jethro Tull, an inventor and agriculturist from England.'

"Did you know that our first names share the same root? It is quite interesting." He turned the pages of the book, then set it on a nearby table. "Well, it is getting late; or should I say early? It's time for this old man to be getting to bed. Good night, Albert Jethro." He smiled, eyes twinkling, and left the room.

AJ watched as the peculiar wizard left. Pulling his gloves off, he casually walked over to the open book on the stand. His eyes widened as he read the entry.

"ALBERT m English, French

Pronounced: AL-burt (English), al-BER (French)

From the Germanic name Adalbrecht, which meant "bright nobility". Composed of the elements adal--"noble", and beraht--"bright". It was introduced to England by the Normans. This name, in its various forms, has belonged to kings of Belgium and Germany, as well as others among European royalty. Other famous bearers include the physicist Albert Einstein, creator of the theory of relativity, and Albert Camus, a French-Algerian writer and philosopher."

'Bright nobility... The noble one will rescue the princess from the tower...'

Dear God.

His head snapped up as the door opened again.

"AJ? I saw the light and wondered who was in here," Sarah said softly.

---

Chapter 17

"Sarah? Aren't you a bit far from the Divination tower?" AJ asked.

She smiled. "Yeah. I couldn't sleep," she said. She looked at him closely. "Actually... there's something I've been meaning to ask you," she admitted.

AJ sat on a bench and watched her intently. "What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "You know I don't remember anything before... well, before," she began.

"Yes, I know."

"Well... I was wondering..."

"What? You can ask me, Sarah," AJ pressed when she hesitated.

"Were we lovers?" she blurted.

AJ's eyebrows shot up. "What?" he asked in shock.

"Lovers. I was wondering if we were lovers," Sarah replied quietly.

"Why would you think that?" AJ spluttered.

"I just keep getting this feeling... that I know you better than I should. That we were really close. And... and..." she paused. "Well, I'm attracted to you." She didn't meet his eyes. "Extremely attracted. And I think that you feel the same." She turned away and trailed her fingers along the smooth wood of the bookshelf.

AJ was silent. His head was spinning. What was he supposed to say to that? "Uh... Sarah, I..."

"I'm guessing that the answer is no," she said, attempting to smile.

"Not for lack of feeling," AJ said hoarsely.

"Then why? It feels so... right," Sarah whispered.

AJ looked at her in surprise. Were these feelings new... or did she actually feel that way about him?

"Mac... I..."

"Mac? Did Clay tell you what he always called me?"

"No," AJ shook his head. "That's what you've always been called--well, for as long as I've known you."

"You mean I actually like that name?" she wrinkled her nose.

AJ laughed. "Well, let's put it this way... you work in a very... male-dominated field."

"Ah," Sarah nodded. "AJ?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"This is going to seem very... impertinent... of me, but..."

"What?" AJ asked.

She bit her lip. Nodding like she had made a decision, she walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Nothing could have prepared AJ for the shock of what happened next. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his.

Startled, AJ lifted his hands to her hips to keep himself from falling over. Instinct kicked in before his conscience could. Wrapping his arms around her waist, AJ kissed Sarah passionately. He swept his tongue along his lower lip. When her lips parted in response, AJ dipped his tongue inside her mouth, tasting of her sweetness. Sarah moaned, her knees weakening. AJ pulled her into his lap, still kissing her. Sarah ran her hands down his chest, playing with his nipples through the damp t-shirt. AJ groaned and shifted impatiently. Sarah whimpered as she felt his groin press against her soft center.

They broke apart, gasping for breath. "Wow," Sarah whispered.

AJ chuckled. "Wow, indeed." He admired her for a moment. Her eyes were bright, her hair mussed, her lips swollen--and she had never looked more beautiful to him. He frowned.

Sarah narrowed her eyes at the pained look on AJ's face. She took his face in her hands. Looking directly into his burning brown eyes, she said, "This is not a mistake, AJ Chegwidden."

AJ blinked. A sense of déjà vu overcame him.

'This is a mistake.'
'Yes, sir.'

"Sarah, we--"

"No. You listen to me. We are both consenting adults. There is no reason we should regret this."

"You don't understand, Mac. There are rules--"

"Right now, there are no rules. There is just you and me. A man and a woman who desire each other."

AJ was confused. His body was warring with his mind. His body said, 'Screw the rules. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.' His mind took a safer route. 'You're the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy. If you don't follow regs, who will?'

"Sarah, I don't want to take advantage of you. If you knew exactly what you were saying--"

She interrupted him again. "I know exactly what I'm saying, AJ. I want you to make love to me."

AJ opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't make a sound. He simply sat, dumbfounded.

Sarah giggled. "I didn't think that would come as such a shock to you, AJ." She sobered. "You're not taking advantage of me. I know what I'm doing. I'm a big girl, AJ. I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can, but that has nothing to do with this."

"Explain it to me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

AJ huffed, frustrated. He moved to stand, but Mac was still straddling his thighs. "We want your memories to come back of their own volition. How can they do that if they've been muddied by inserted memories?"

Mac shook her head. "I don't see why we can't do this."

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse," AJ said.

"It's a law that two people who care for each other can't express that feeling?" Mac asked incredulously.

"Yes, it is."

"That's ridiculous."

"Those are the rules, Mac. I don't make them; I just enforce them. Would you have a sexual relationship with one of your students?"

"Of course not! That would be completely unethical, not to mention illegal. The majority of my students are underage! I would never take advantage of their trust like that."

"You see?"

"What? Am I your student?"

"No, but--"

"But nothing." Mac's voice softened. "AJ, please. I never beg, but... please. Why can't we be together? Just this once?"

"Mac..." AJ said.

Mac twined her fingers through AJ's and stood, pulling him up with her. "AJ..." She stepped close to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

AJ could feel his resolve crumbling. "Sarah, I..."

"Yes?" Mac murmured, sucking and nibbling her way up his neck. She pulled back to look at him.

AJ sighed. "Oh, to hell with it," he growled, bending his head to kiss her.