Life or Death

Chapter 21

"Sev…..erus…Se….verus.",she whispered in a croaked voice.

Sirius looked up to Remus and said, "She wants Severus." Remus nodded to him and replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe, Severus can save her and get her out of this. I floo to Hogwarts right away and get him and Poppy."

"Be Quick, Moony.", said Sirius and Remus rushed down to the floo. Blaze's eyes were closing, it was evident that she wouldn't be able to bear this much longer. Sirius noticed this quite quickly and started talking to her in order to keep her eyes open.

"Where were you all this time? How did this happen? Come on say something. Tell me how all this happened.", he asked cradling her head.

Blaze wasn't able to understand what was he trying to say. Even if she tried very hard to do so. All she could feel was pain, unbearable, never-ending pain. She tried to say that to him, but all she could manage was, "P…p..pa…pai.. ….pain."

"I know, that you are in pain, but be strong. Remus has gone to get Severus and Poppy. You'll be alright once they attend to you. But, you have to be strong, for me, for Harry, for Remus. For all of us. Just try and don't shut your eyes, please.", he said.

2 mins later, Albus, Severus, Minerva and Poppy bursted in to the room.

"Oh dear Merlin, What happened Sirius?", said Minerva walking towards her.

"I don't know. Remus got her here, she was like this when they got here.", replied Sirius.

"I think all of you should wait downstairs. Sirius, leave her we'll take it from here.", said Poppy.

"She's right, Black leave her. Lupin, take your friend downstairs. He'll do nothing more than disturbing us here.", continued Severus. Albus and Miverva walked downstairs to that kitchen. But, Sirius won't budge so Remus had to pull him downstairs.

Minerv, Albus and Remus were occupying the chairs, whereas Sirius was pacing the length of the kitchen.

"Sit down, Sirius. Pacing around will do no good, other than polishing you floorboards.", said Minerva pulling him to a chair nearby.

"Sitting will neither, Minerva. By the way, Remus where did you find her?", asked Sirius.

"An hour ago, her house elf came to me and asked me to come along and that his Mistress is in pain and was calling me. I asked him who, his Mistress was and he told me it was her. So, I went with him and found her lying near the barrier to the Fire Manor. She was like this when I found her.", replied Remus shoving is head in his hands.

Several minutes passed by and no one came out of the room. Then, almost two hours later, a piercing, loud scream escaped the room.

Sirius and Remus broke into a run and were now banging the locked door. Minerva was standing behind them and so was Albus. After a lot of banging the door opened and a tear-stained Poppy ran downstairs to the floo network. Then came Severus looking grim with a wooden box in his hand, which he pushed into Albus's hand and said, "Here, your property, Albus. Apparently, she was more worried about handing this to you, than saving her own life."

Now Albus was getting angry glares from everyone. The Minerva spoke, "Does that mean…."

"No, she's alive. But, not for long. She has lost a lot of blood and half her body is covered in burns and cuts. Poppy has gone to get muggle equipments and some more pain-reducing potion but, we need blood and a lot of it because, her body is very different from ours and the Blood-replenishing potions don't work the same for her. However, If some of you could give some of your blood then maybe, she has a chance.", said Severus addressing the group of people.

Sirius quickly spoke, "You can take some of mine." , and Remus followed without a second thought, "Mine too."

"Good, but this will include needles. Poppy will be using injections and needles to get the blood out of you."

"Doesn't matter. Just do what you can.", said Remus. Severus nodded and asked them to come in, and take a seat. Poppy was back by then. It took her 30 mins to take some of Sirius's, Remus's, Severus's and Minerva's blood. She than hung those bottles to a stand, then connected some pipes to it and inserted the needle attached to the other end of the pipe in her veins. She said it was a 'muggle' process called blood transfusion.

After waiting some more time Albus, Minerva, Severus and Poppy left back to Hogwarts. They said they will be visiting later and that they should rest.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sun was shining through the windows, when Blaze opened her eyes. The messy blur was settling into a more focused view. No doubt, she was still in pain but, it wasn't as much as it was some hours ago. She tried sitting up but, the pain in her ribs wouldn't let her. She looked around her and found Remus sleeping on a chair next to her and Sirius on the floor with his head on the mattress. She tried getting a glass of water from the side table but, before she could get to her it slipped and crashed on the floor.

Remus's eyes flew open with the sound and so did Sirius's. They looked at her with red, puffy eyes.

"Do you want some water?", asked Remus and received a nod for an answer. He filled-up another glass and got it up to her mouth so that she could drink it. Then he vanished the pieces of broken glass.

"Go, have your breakfast. Both of you look terrible.", she croaked trying to sit up. Sirius, helped her sit-up and then said, "No one's going anywhere. We'll have Kreacher get our breakfast up here."

"He's right. We can't leave you on your own accord anymore, after what we've gone through these two and half months." Said Remus smiling.

"I'll be alright. Don't worry."

"Talk for yourself. You have no idea what we have gone through all this while. Thinking if you're alive or dead, that will you return or you won't. You have no more authority to use words such as 'don't worry', 'I'll be alright' or any other that sort of nonsense. We are here with you and you have to be here with us no matter what.", said Sirius getting up.

Kreacher brought them their breakfast in the room. Remus tried to feed Blaze, but she wouldn't let him.

"I can eat myself, Moony. I'm not a baby. Have your food and let me have mine."

"Stop being stubborn, Zee. Look at all those needles in your hand. You can't even pick a glass of water on your own."

"It slipped from my hand. Now let me eat."

"Fine. But, ask me if you need any help."

"Leave it, Moony. It's a lost cause. The girl is mad.", said Sirius keeping his tray on the bed and sitting beside her, "Look Zee. You have to stop disappearing like this and leaving a letter behind saying you'll be alright and you can take care of yourself. And there is no point ignoring me, because you cannot deny the fact that I was a part of your life and I still."

"He's right, Zee. You don't know what he was like, when you were missing. Threatened Albus to reveal your location and searching every single possible place you could be.", said Remus.

"But, Albus didn't know my location. Nobody did.", she replied.

"That's what he said, that he didn't know where you were."

"By the way, thank you,….for….for the blood and for saving me.", she said.

"You were right, Padfoot. The girl is mad. She doesn't know that we saved our lives more than hers.", said Remus smiling at Sirius, he smiled back and winked at him.

"Now go, get some sleep. You'll soon start looking like Moaning Myrtle.", said Blaze. Both men laughed and then said, "You look no better." Then Remus lowered her back, resting her head on the pillow and left to the room heading to his own. Whereas, Sirius lied down beside her. She turned back to him and said, "And why are you here? I asked both of you to go, rest."

"Where else do you want me to go? This is my room and this is my bed. It's the only place I can rest, knowing that you won't disappear when I wake up.", said Sirius, "Plus, you should be happy. You'll be waking up to see a handsome face next to you when you wake up. Not everyone gets to sleep beside Sirius Black."

"Wait, what about Harry? Did you inform him, he must've been worried."