Author's Note: Hi, welcome to another chapter. Not as steamy as the last, but it has its moments. Due to some needed changes, I will be posting this story every other week, rather than every eight days or so. That said, you'll get a chapter this week, and next week and then the next chapter won't be for another two weeks. The song is by Florence + the Machine. Enjoy. MNF
Chapter 10:
Hospital Beds
November 1, 1977
James POV:
Sirius and I were in our room in the tower, relaxing on our beds, George here with us. In theory she was helping us with our Potions revisions. An exam was scheduled for Thursday afternoon and neither of us were particularly talented in the class. Lils had already given up on me, and Georgie looked like she was about ready to do the same. Peter was in Care of Magical Creatures, and Remus was in one of our famous "found spaces" with Alicia. First time we'd all had girlfriends at the same time.
"Guys, stop acting like idiots or I'm going to leave and do my Muggle Studies revisions. Their history is presented as so much more interesting than ours, especially the use of sex in the royal court. England has had some seriously horny wankers as king and the court followed suit," Seph proclaimed, and the end of her sentence made Sirius scoot closer and wrap his arms around her waist while she sat on the end of his bed.
"Sex in the royal court? Really? Care to share?" Sirius said in that way which made folks do whatever he asked of them. Seph had been around too long to have it work on her, however.
"No," she firmly stated while gently elbowing him in the gut. She took in a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. "As I asked before, if I have rolled my Hellebore leaves and I'm cutting them into thin strips what potion am I brewing?" She was stern in her tone and reminded me so much of Mum it was scary. In her eyes it was obvious she was ready to give up on us; we wouldn't pass without her help.
"Er, Calming Draught?" Sirius mumbled. It was his answer whenever he didn't know what to say.
"You just going to keep saying Calming Draught until it's correct?" Seph asked and he just shrugged. It was a good thing she had a soft spot for her fiancé, because even his pat answer was getting on my nerves. "No, it's not right again," she said with a resolved tone.
"Draught of Peace," I answered, feeling relatively confident as Lily and I had brewed it last night.
"Yes, thank heavens, Jamie, I was afraid you two hadn't learned a damned thing last year. Just remember you need to cut it into the thin strips, otherwise it won't dissolve correctly and your potion will be worthless," she rambled on. She really was just helping us, Georgie knew this stuff as well as Lily and Severus.
"Slughorn is quite particular about how the ingredients are prepared, but there is one potion which he and the text have incorrectly. Which one is it, and what do you do instead of the book's recipe?"
"The one you saw Snivellus cutting differently and you followed his lead. Seem to remember you pissed him off quite royally by doing it," Sirius triumphantly announced.
His fiancée looked at him, pleading with her eyes. "Do you remember the potion, or maybe even the ingredient?"
Padfoot shook his head. "Hey, I remembered the cutting part," he hopefully replied.
"Only because it bothered Snape." Seph looked and sounded defeated. "The potion is Draught of Living Death and the ingredient we're talking about is the Sopophorous beans. You want to crush the beans with your silver knife rather than slice them." We were quiet for a minute, and George rubbed between her eyes. "Maybe you two should revise a little more before I quiz you?" She slid her potions book and parchment into her sack and stood. I swore she looked a little shorter than when she walked in.
Without a parting glance, or any loving gesture to Sirius, she headed toward the door. I'd seen her like this before, but I didn't enjoy remembering it. Seph only looked like this when she was disappointed in us. It happened our third year, when we'd pulled a prank in Herbology and everyone ended up covered in mud and Primrose dew and dragon dung and then again last summer, when we toyed with some local bullies in the village near my house.
Sirius was a bit shell-shocked, and just sat on his bed, staring at her. I slid off mine and caught her by the sleeve before she was out the door.
"Georgie, come on, we'll pay more attention, I promise," I pleaded.
"Jamie, I just can't…I'm on rounds tonight and there are only so many hours in the day. I'm taking more classes than either of you and there's an expectation that I'll have high marks in all of them. We're not twelve anymore, we're adults, we're supposed to be preparing for careers and such. I can't waste time I don't have if you're not going to put any effort in. I'll see you at supper."
Seph reached for the handle of the door, but before she could grasp it, the door swung into the room, right into her fingers. A startled yelp and her doubling over made Padfoot jump to her side, cradling her body into his. Remus came into the room.
"Why did you open the door like that? You might have broken Gwenny's hand," Sirius yelled at him.
"Sorry, Seph," he said with true regret before turning to me. "I need you, James. Lily and Sibby are in the hospital wing," he quickly told us, his face stern and worried.
My heart leapt from my chest and I was out the door, revisions be dammed. Lily was in the hospital, my Lily was hurt or sick. I took the stairs two or three at a time, wondering if I could somehow fly down.
"What happened?" I yelled back.
"Not sure, but I saw McGonagall while I was coming back from dropping Alicia off, she told me to get you," Remus explained. I looked back at him and saw Sirius cradling George in his arms, racing along with us. My heart pounded in my chest, and not just because I was running. I couldn't let anything happen to Lils, not when I'd just gotten her.
We slowed slightly as we passed through the heart of the castle. Second years were leaving History of Magic, and I had to yell to clear the corridor, lest we mow the smaller ones down. More students in the infirmary would only distract Madame Pomfrey from helping Lily and Sibby. I pulled away from Remus, who had stopped to right some little girls who had tumbled into each other, and Sirius, who was slowed by carrying Seph and not wanting to jostle her too much.
I tried to halt and walk into the hospital ward, but the floor was too well polished, and I just realised I was only wearing my socks. I slid into the infirmary, barely stopping before causing the Matron, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore to go down like pins in tenpin bowling.
Before I could speak, Professor McGonagall was talking to me. "Mr Potter, while I appreciate your concern for Miss Evans, I must remind you that running is not allowed in the corridors. Additionally, it is usually best if students wear shoes."
"Yes, Professor," I quickly responded with a nod, not that should this situation arise again I wouldn't repeat my actions. "How is she, Madame Pomfrey?"
"She'll be fine," the medi-witch stated, "but we were just discussing her wounds. It appears that Miss Evans was struck with some rather nasty curses, as was Miss Cinnéidagh."
"What sort of curses?" Remus asked from behind me. I didn't turn to see him, instead walking past the staff members and pulling a chair to sit between Lily and Sibby. While Lily was on her back, Sibby was lying on her stomach, nothing but a thin sheet covering her. She also had a thick, foamy orange salve spread over her back, seeping through the sheet.
I took Lily's frail hand in mine, careful not to disturb the Murtlap wrap on her forearm. Lily had at least been changed into a drab, sleeveless set of pyjamas. However, the top had been rolled away from her waist and hoisted to just below her breasts, allowing her stomach to be covered in Murtlap as well.
"There appears to be a burning hex and - heavens, what happened to you, Miss MacPhearson?" Madame Pomfrey asked. I gathered Sirius and George had arrived. I couldn't be worried about her hand, not when Lily was so still.
"It's nothing really," Georgie quickly replied. "I think a few of my fingers got broke when Remus and I both attempted to open a door from opposite sides." She was quite matter-of-fact in her explanation.
"Let me get a look at those -" the Matron shifted her attention to her new patient.
"Please, tell us about Lily and Sibby, I can wait."
I looked up and caught George's eye. She was in pain, I could see it plainly on her face; but in her typical fashion, she was more concerned about the welfare of others. I shook my head at her, and she simply shrugged.
The Matron sighed before turning back to the two girls who lay unconscious on identical whitewashed single frames. The white sheets, pillows and blankets did nothing to improve the colour of my friend and the girl who was my reason for breathing. They both looked ghastly and unnaturally pale.
"As I was saying, Miss Evans was hit with a stinging hex as well as a burning one on her arms and across her chest. Miss Cinnéidagh was struck in the back with a boil hex. Somehow she was able to drag her friend here before succumbing to the pain."
"Do we know where the attack took place?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"They were in the Defence classroom," Remus replied. "They were practicing their defensive spells."
"Well, their practice seems to have been well timed," Dumbledore said. "I suspect their wounds could have been much worse. A well placed burning hex can strip a body of its flesh in mere seconds." George gasped and my stomach rolled at the description. We hadn't been taught this spell, although my father had explained to Sirius and me that such a thing existed. He said it was something they'd teach us if we were to attend the Auror academy.
Sirius walked over to the closest bed and sat down, lifted his legs to the mattress and stretched out, George still in his arms. It was only then I noticed he was in his stocking feet as well.
"Who would do such a thing?" Professor McGonagall asked the headmaster, who simply looked at her with knowing in his eyes. "Do you have a suspect in mind, Albus?"
"Who would teach a student such a horrible spell?" the Matron interjected.
"My Dad tried to teach me when I was thirteen. I'm certain my brother knows how. Cousin Bella probably taught him worse," Sirius said angrily. Things had seemed to be better between him and his family lately; maybe it was all a show for Seph and her mum.
"Mr Black, we cannot lay blame if we are without evidence," Dumbledore stated. I could see Sirius getting his hackles up at the calmness of the headmaster. Remus went around to the far side of the bed and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, well I don't think a Hufflepuff would attack the Muggleborn Head Girl," he spat back. I couldn't say I disagreed with him, even if I couldn't say which one of the Slytherins might have done this. I supposed we'd have to wait until Lily or Sibby awoke to tell us who deserved some retribution.
"While I suspect you're correct, Mr Black, punishment shall be doled out by the Head of House and the Headmaster," Professor McGonagall warned and Sirius nodded; although I doubted if he knew who had hurt the girls, her warning would keep him from going after them.
Madame Pomfrey explained a few things to the Professors and then set to fixing George's hand. The matron shooed George and her escorts out, and they promised to bring me some supper and my potions book so I could study while I sat with Lily and Sibby. Thankfully no one suggested I leave, as they would have had an argument.
BTB BTB BTB BTB BTB
A little before midnight I was startled by Padfoot entering the hospital wing under my Invisibility Cloak. He brought some Butterbeers and chocolate cake. Earlier in the evening I'd moved an empty bed between the girls, so I could watch them both. Fergus would certainly have protected Lily too, if our places were reversed. I liked him and had been friends with Sibby since we were small. The matron had told me not to expect either of them to awaken before morning.
"I thought you might need a midnight snack," he joked as he handed me half of his contraband.
"How do you get those elves to give you whatever you want?"
"Years and years of sweet talk, mate." He had the stupid smirky smile that made him look both dashing and dangerous at once. No wonder people did his bidding, he was an imp. "She say anything yet?" he asked, looking over to Lily's bed.
"Nope, but Madame Pomfrey said neither of them would wake up before morning," I explained. "You think your brother did this?"
Sirius shook his head a few times. "Reg, personally? Probably not. Does he know who did? Likely. Reg wouldn't be stupid enough to attack the Head Girl. He's aware of what I'd do to him for attacking my friends. What about Snivellus?"
I thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "Maybe, but only if someone goaded him into it. He's more interested in getting Lily back as his friend or maybe more, not that Lils would EVER be interested."
"Prongs, we've known almost everyone in Slytherin since we were kids. Who would you say was the most dangerous?"
"Shite," I mumbled, pulling on my hair. "That's like asking whether a scorpion sting hurts more than a doxy bite. Neither are pleasant and both make you want to rip the skin off your flesh."
"Okay, okay," he said in a strangely calm tone. "Look, as much as we want to go after them, unless we're prepared to do a months worth of detention, I say we wait. Once the girls are able to tell us who did this, we'll figure out the best way to pay them back."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Padfoot, are you suggesting we don't rush into something?"
"Yeah," he said sheepishly, taking a long pull on his Butterbeer. "Look, you're Head Boy, Remus and Gwenny are prefects and we're all up to our eyeballs in revisions. As Gwenny reminded us earlier, we're not boys, we're men. Our girls are depending on us and acting dumb could cause them to wonder if we're really who they want. I step in shite enough all by myself, I don't need to be doing it with you."
"Huh, that's rather astute, Sirius. Don't tell me, you revised for the exam tomorrow?" I was dumbstruck as I spoke. It was usually only George who could pull this out of him.
"Kind of hard not to when your fiancée is withholding kisses until you do. She and Eliza spent the time after supper in our room. I tagged along when George and Remus did their rounds. When we got back, Eliza was still there, she was still rather shaken up, so Remus suggested the two of them stay the night. I put Eliza in your bed, I hope you don't mind."
"Nah, I just hope you did a cleaning charm on the sheets."
"Remus did." Padfoot took another long swig and I followed suit. I hadn't seen him this intent on anything except for Seph. I wondered what was going through his head, but I'd learned long ago that Sirius kept things to himself until he was ready to let others in. I supposed I would do the same if I'd grown up like he did.
Padfoot scratched along his new beard and then up into his hair. "When your dad said we'd have to take sides, this is what he meant, right? He told us the war was going to come to Hogwarts, probably sooner than later. This is it, right?"
"We don't know Lils was attacked because of that, but if she was, then the answer is yes," I slowly and deliberately replied. I didn't want to be right, but my gut was tangled in knots just considering it.
"If it is, no matter what, I've got your back, James."
"Same goes for me, Sirius."