Monday morning brought on a new week and a new day, the air warming up as spring began to show little by little with buds of plants slowly opening and trees regaining their leaves. Adelaide was at the school by the time the sun had fully risen, she felt bad taking back her promise to Sirius but she needed to be here, as much as the job grated on her she still cared for her children and their education. It was the only thing that motivated her to work, knowing they got the education they needed.
It would be a lie to say she didn't feel terrible in herself though, her head had gotten worse, her throat felt like a cheese grater had rubbed against it over night and her nose was red from the sneezing she had done that morning. The illness she had was not getting to her that easily though. The day went fine, classes started and she taught with the same level of enthusiasm she had always brought to her classes but as time rolled by and the hours ticked the witch began to feel worse, her head was spinning, her body had sprung out in a cold sweat and her throat had gotten worse.
Thankfully it was lunchtime by the time she felt the full effects. The children weren't there to notice anything.
Walking quickly down the hallway, the woman ran a clammy hand through her hair and made a bee line for the bathrooms, her face growing paler and paler with every step; her actions were soon halted though as a man stepped before her, concern in his ice blue eyes.
"Miss Pip, is everything alright?"
Adelaide stopped abruptly and squinted to see before her the History teacher a few classes down from hers, he was a tall rather heavy built man with kind eyes and thick black curls of hair, he was the only one of all the teachers who helped her get started in this school all those years ago. Mr Night was his name. Peter Night. The children found his lessons a bore but he was still as loved as anyone else in the school, he had been here for longer than here and was a treasured member of the school.
"Mr Night, I apologise I seem to have come down with a slight cold."
"Are you sure? You look rather pale. it could be something worse."
"Very sure, after a quick splash of water ill be right as rain."
The man smiled. "Good, I just wanted to discuss a few things about this meeting with you but you seem hurried so ill leave you be."
Adelaide shook her head, adding to the spinning that was already taking over. "Please, lets talk. Im fine honestly, we have an hour before lunch is over."
With a slightly concerned look the teacher nodded and ushered her into his room, his classroom was rather vibrant for a history class, maps scattering across the walls along with pictures of various artifacts and scenes from across time. It was a nice room, nicer than Adelaide's boring English classroom, only various posters with alphabets, nouns, verbs etc were plastered on her walls. That and some famous muggle authors she researched before starting at the school.
"Now from what I've heard about the meeting their changing the school around, apparently there letting some teachers go."
Turning her attention to Peter, the witch raised a brow. "Letting go? Why on earth would they do that?"
"There's not enough kids to fund the school, they need teachers who can teach multiple classes. "
"And what about the empty classrooms?"
"They're demolishing them."
"What a joke! They cant do that!"
Mr Night nodded. "Their plan is to downsize the school over the holidays and bring in a new curriculum when the children come back." Her explained. "They want to have at least five classes teaching, that should be enough for all the children."
Leaning against the desk Adelaide felt a sudden wave of nausea pass over her, the spinning in her head moving to her eyes, she blinked heavily and looked back to the man before her to reply.
"Do you know who they plan to let go?"
Peter suddenly looked a little sympathetic, he nodded. "Well...Miss Angersteen from Art, Mr Frans from Geography and...Well...You."
"Me?" Adelaide gaped. "Im an English teacher! surely that's important enough?!"
"Not if its the only class your qualified to teach." The history teacher replied. "They scrutinised the application forms and well, yours wasn't enough to keep on."
Holding her forehead the woman gripped onto the desk, she felt both angry and betrayed by the school but her emotions were buried as her vision grew worse and worse, like a thin sheet of plastic was pulled over her eyes, preventing her from properly addressing the man before her.
"Who will take over my classes?" She asked softly, blinking again.
"Mrs Grey, the math teacher."
Adelaide nodded softly and let out a slow breath.
"Miss Pip are you sure your okay? Should I get the nurse?"
"Im fine, please, tell me who will take over the other classes." The woman smiled looking to him.
Peter stepped forward cautiously, not believing her but continuing anyways. "Well, I'll be doing geography and Science but science is shared with Mrs Grey again." He explained. "Then the sports tutor, Miss Ray will take over art, and..."
The fade in his voice raised alarm bells in Adelaide's brain and, just as suddenly, her legs gave way and her body fell from the support of the desk to the floor, as she hit the ground Mr Night exclaimed and placed a hand on her shoulder, panicked voices faded out and everything went dark.
A loud shrill ring from the living room sprung the once rather silent cottage to life, the two men who were previously relaxing in the silence both jumped at the awful noise, one flinging his book over his head in surprise and the other springing up to take the phone off the hook so its insistent noise would stop.
"Hello?" Remus pressed the telephone to his ear the second he pulled it off the receiver. "Yes this is."
Sirius got up and picked up his book before looking over to the man with a raised brow, curious to find out if Adelaide had called to apologise, she owed him one after sneaking off this morning. It could have been a complete stranger though, he never knew who rung Adelaide's phone.
"She is?! Is she okay?" Panic suddenly filled the other mans voice and his other hand gripped the phone tightly.
The animagus caught his worried gaze and he motioned to the coat rack by the door, quickly and rather confused Sirius rushed over and grabbed his coat.
"Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible to get her." Remus nodded "Thank you." He hung up and turned to his friend. "It's Adelaide, she passed out in school."
Sirius's heart dropped his eyes widened slightly. "Is she okay?!"
The wolf walked over and took his coat. "She's at the clinic in the village, she awake but they need someone to escort her home."
"I told her not to go!" huffed the convict. "She wouldn't bloody listen!"
Remus pulled on his coat and patted the mans shoulder. "Well she will now. Ill go get her, get the kettle boiled and her bed ready.
Sirius nodded and watched as his friend dashed out of the door, once the click of the lock echoed through he sigh and walked down the hall to the woman's bedroom. He had a bad feeling something like this would happen. There was a feeling deep in his gut that told him something was very, very wrong with her but she didn't listen to him. She was as stubborn at ever that woman and sometimes it really would aggravate him. Pushing the door to Adelaide's room open the man stepped in and paused, the scent of mint and lavender filling his nose as his eyes ran over the room.
It was the first time since he'd been here that he had entered her room.
The walls were decorated with plants and hanging vines, her shelves full with various books and records, at the end of the room were her bed, wardrobe and bedside table that had a discarded book lay face down. it was rather cozy, he was surprised she didn't sleep in here all the time, he knew he would.
The man suddenly blushed and cleared his throat.
Walking over to the bed he pulled back her covers and pursed his lips, should he get her pajamas? He didn't know where they were and he certainly wasn't going to suffer the slap that would come from rummaging through her belongings. He shook his head and walked out of the room to fix the kettle. He was sure she was well enough to find them when she got home.
At least Remus was here, he had come back around lunch to drop of a few clothing items for Sirius as well as some essential things to take to Hawaii. Merlin knows what the animagus would do if she had passed out while it was just him here, he wouldn't be able to get her and the thought of her coming home alone after passing out was not a though the wanted in his mind.
"Bloody woman." He muttered with a slight smile as he turned on the kettle.
Of course he was mad, he was worried too but he was glad she was okay. Maybe after this she would heed his advice in the future and take care of herself a little better. He could only hope.
Walking over to the cabinet he rummaged around for a mug and some honey to prepare her a drink, at least he was well enough to look after her when Remus disappeared for the full moon, it was at least a few days away but he doubted she would get better that quickly.
Though he wouldn't be surprised if her stubbornness chased off the sickness.
Chuckling to himself he left the mug on the counter and went to find some spare blankets, knowing she was going to need all the warmth she could get.
Not matter what happens, he was prepared to take care of her, he'd done it before and he could do it again.