Sirius's POV:
Fuck, fuck, fuck. I couldn't breathe. Why the fuck couldn't I breathe?!
"Can you hear me?" Luna. Good. James would end up freaking out himself if he saw me like this.
"Y-eah."
"That's good. Just take a deep breath."
I was trying but I still couldn't breathe! Fuck.
"You're going to be okay. Focus on breathing. Nice and slow, yeah?"
My lungs were going to explode. I was going to explode. Just as I thought I was surely going to die, I felt a hand on my back.
I let out a shaky exhale.
How the fuck did she manage to do that?!
"Nightmare?"
I didn't say anything. I was not capable of speech just then.
"Just take it easy. It's okay."
It wasn't. This was going to kill me.
"Bad one, huh?"
That about summed it up.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I shrugged.
"That's alright."
I wondered why she was always so reasonable and oh Merlin, the panic was coming again and it was going to take me and maybe I didn't want to go just yet.
Luna sat down next to me and looked me in the eyes.
"Sirius, you need to try and calm down. You're taking in air too fast but you think you're not getting enough so just take deep breaths. Try to match my breathing."
Her hand was on my back again, rubbing circles into it and I leaned into the touch because she was one of the few people who weren't afraid to touch me and I had always been starved for physical contact that didn't hurt.
"Even slower now, okay? Keep going, that's good. Your heart rate is evening out, so just a few more deep breaths."
I was tired, so tired, all the fucking time, now.
"I'm right here, you can rest. And we can tell McGonagall you aren't feeling well so you can take the day off and sleep for once, yeah?"
I nodded.
"Are you and Remus going to be okay?"
I blinked to clear my head and nodded.
"-ell him sorry?"
"I will, I promise. Now go to sleep."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Siri."