"Look who it is," Bellatrix sneered. "Not got my cousin to defend you now, do you?"
Romy's head was still spinning that she didn't even have the strength to search through her robes to get her wand. All she could do was pray that someone walked by soon.
"A little helpless Gryffindor," she laughed and looked at her friends. Her younger sister, Narcissa was there along with Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Alecto and Amacus Carrow and Lucius Malfoy. "I think we should have a little fun with this filthy blood traitor - Cruci -"
"ROMY!"
Romy closed her eyes and braced herself, waiting for the pain to wash over her. But it didn't. She looked up to see Lily running over to her with Snape.
"Still hanging with the mudbloods, Snape?" Bellatrix said, her wand now at Snape's throat. "He won't appreciate that."
"Mind your own business, Bella," Snape muttered. "Now go, Evans is a prefect and I'm sure she won't hesitate to tell Professor Dumbledore about what you just attempted to do."
"As if I'm scared of that piece of filth-"
"Bella," Narcissa had took her sisters hand. "Let's just go."
As the Slytherins walked off, Romy noticed Snape had stayed while Lily fussed over her.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"You shouting on me made her lose concentration," Romy said. "I'm fine."
On her attempt to sit up, however, she went dizzy.
"Take her to the Hospital Wing," Snape said. "She might be concussed."
"Shut up, Snape," Romy snapped. His voice was making her sore head worse. "Why are you helping me anyway, am I not a filthy blood traitor?"
He went white at the statement and then Romy realised that Lily didn't know.
"Did you call her that?" Lily said.
"I didn't mean to- it's just- Lily I just got- I was just getting frustrated!"
Lily helped Romy up and looked at Snape coldly.
"I think you owe her an apology," she said.
"I'm sorry, Wallace," Snape said exasperated. "I truly am."
Romy had her hand on Lily's shoulder, trying to keep her balance. All she could do was nod.
"Lily we need to go," Romy said. "My head is spinning."
Madam Pomfrey had given Romy a potion to drink to stop the dizziness but insisted she stayed in the hospital wing for the rest of the day. She had decided to write to her parents, mainly her dad, to let him know about the quidditch match as she had promised. Deciding to leave out the accident today, she simply thought it was better if she left it to writing about quidditch and asking how things at home were. She folded the letter and decided she would make a visit to the Owlery to see if her owl was there. She shared it with her parents so most of the times, it was hardly there but it didn't bother her, she never wrote to anyone.
"I am here to retrieve my friend for dinner!"
Romy looked at the hospital wing doors to see the four Marauders striding in.
"Retrieve?" Romy asked.
"Yes," Sirius said and picked her bag up from the floor. "Now, come on."
"I'm not really hungry to be honest, guys," she said, wincing as she mover. She still had pains in her head.
"You need to eat, Romy," Remus said.
"How did you even know I was here?" she asked.
"Lily," James grinned. "She can't resist hiding things from me."
"I'm sure that's the reason, James."
"Well come on," Sirius said, ushering her to get off the bed. "We don't have all day and you have four very hungry young men standing here."
"I should probably ask Madam Pomfrey if it's okay for me to leave..."
"Well, I seem to have gotten my words mixed up," Sirius said, a grin spreading across his face. "When I said retrieve, I actually meant kidnap."
Romy sat and played with her food. She really wasn't in the mood to eat and after being dragged (literally) from the hospital wing by James and Sirius, all she could do was glare at them.
"What did Dumbledore say to you?" Marlene was questioning Sirius.
Sirius was chewing on his food but still managed to reply. "Not much, don't do it again and all the usual stuff."
"Wait," Lily cut in. "You didn't even get a detention?"
"Nope," he grinned.
Romy turned away from the conversation. If Sirius grinned one more time she wouldn't be able to keep up the facade that she was angry at him.
"I'm going to go to the Owlery," she said, standing up. "I've got a letter to post."
"I'll come too," Lily piped up.
"Lil, I'll be okay," Romy replied. "Finish your dinner, I won't be long I promise."
She walked out of the Great Hall, letter in her hand and wand in the other - just as a precaution.
"Roms, wait!"
She turned around to see Sirius running after her.
"What?" She asked him.
"I just wanted to apologise," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"For kidnapping me?"
"No," he laughed. "For what Bellatrix done to you and what she almost done."
The laugh was now gone from his face and he was now staring down at her with an almost worried look.
"It's okay," she shrugged. "It's not your fault, therefore you shouldn't be apologising."
"But she only did it because she knows you're friends with me," he continued. "So therefore it is."
"Are you trying to insinuate you think us being friends is a bad idea?" Romy asked, her lips curling in to a smile.
"No," he replied. "You're still going to be stuck with me forever."
She groaned. "Fantastic."
She began her walk to the Owlery, Sirius now walking beside her.
"Why did you hex Snape today?" She had almost forgotten about the other event that happened that day.
"He called you a blood traitor," he shrugged. "I didn't like it."
"Yeah but how did you know that's what he said? You were ages away!"
"Romy," he half laughed. "I've had that word said to me for almost 6 years of my life. It's just natural for me to pick up on it now because I think someone is talking to me."
She looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"What are you apologising for?"
"I can't imagine what you've went through," she said.
"It doesn't bother me," he shrugged. "The Potters have been more of a family to me than they ever were."
They walked in silence for a moment. Romy had been vaguely aware that Sirius was living with James but he had never actually said it to her. She had only guessed from the way they talked about what happened during the summer.
"Who's the letter for?" Sirius asked.
"My dad," she replied. "He wanted me to let him know how the quidditch match went."
"That's nice of him," Sirius nodded.
Romy watched him walk beside her. There was nothing connecting him to his family except a name. He was nothing like them at all, she could never imagine an unforgivable curse ever passing his lips. She thought back to that afternoon. She had never been so happy to see not only Lily, but Snape as well. He couldn't believe he had basically helped her after what he said in potions. However, it was evident he was still friends with the Slytherins, basically giving them the chance to run before a teacher saw her.
"I just remembered something," Romy said. "When Snape and Lily showed up, Bellatrix said something to Snape. She said 'he won't appreciate that' about Snape being friends with Lily. Who's 'He'?"
Sirius shook his head, trying to think. Nothing was ever mention in front of him about anyone particularly special. Then it hit him.
"It'll be You-Know-Who," he told her. "Bellatrix is crazy about him, I remember that was all my parents could talk about was how proud they were of her."
"Do you think he's recruiting?" Romy asked.
"He must be if that's what she's saying and Snape must be in on it as well."
Romy chewed on the inside of her lip. "Should I tell my dad?"
"It might be helpful for them to know," he replied.
She nodded and went over to one of the benches sitting in the courtyard. She lay her paper on and got her quill out, scribbling the quick message to her dad. They made their way to the Owlery and Romy tied if to one of the school owls.
"So," Sirius said, watching it fly away. "What are you getting me for my birthday?"
Romy rolled her eyes as he grinned at her.
I've been writing chapters on my phone a lot recently and they end up being some of the longest chapters I've ever written! If you like the long chapters, please let me know! Also, .77 I took your advice and decided to show a more softer side of Snape in this chapter, I must admit I was a little harsh on him in the previous one so thank you for pointing that out!
Careful by Paramore