Each of the group of friends were in much higher spirits the next morning. Dumbledore had given his word that he was looking out for all of the students and the hellish past few days had seemed to be behind them.
All apart from Sirius.
Lily, Adiya and Mary met the boys down in the common room brighter and earlier than they had ever seen them. Excuses had been made for the absence of the final member of the Marauders and they'd headed off to the Great Hall, picking up a load of breakfast goodies before they made their way to the hospital wing.
"Do you think she'll appreciate a good joke?"
Remus glanced at James in amusement, the spring back in his step and the grin back on his lips "Don't know Prongs; do you know of any good jokes?"
"I dunno y'know, now you've told us of your monthly transformations all those deer and dog related puns he and Sirius continually came out with were pretty funny," Adiya admitted as James commended her for her memory "Especially when James would act all easily startled toward the end of fifth."
As his cheekbones burned slightly James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "Actually that was an unfortunate side effect to getting used to beginning to become a stag," he admitted "Remember Peter went through that cheese obsession? And Sirius would get all excited when someone mentioned they were going on a walk?"
"Boy do I wish I had all this information back then," Adiya chuckled.
"So you mean to tell me that every time you'd jump at a slight noise in potions that was real?" Lily asked in amusement, James's blush growing as he ran his fingers through his already messy hair.
"Believe me it was the most fun I've had," Remus commented dodging a glaring James by diving into the hospital wing.
Daxia was sitting up in bed, a book lay unnoticed on her lap as her smile lit up her face when she noticed her friends piling into the room "What's the joke?" she asked, seeming to be back to her normal self.
"Aha! If you wanna know funny anecdotes about us learning to become our animal forms Daxia-"
"Whoa whoa whoa James Potter!" Daxia exclaimed cutting through her friend's sentence, her eyes lit up when she noticed the assorted goodies being dumped at the end of her bed "Wow guys," she mumbled looking through the pile "You do know I get breakfast in the hospital wing right?"
"Aaw she thinks all this is for her!" James laughed as he lounged across the very end of her bed; laying on his side with the pile of food in front of him "Should know all I think about is my stomach Lestrange!"
"Untrue but I won't embarrass you in front of all your friends," Daxia retorted sending an over the top wink toward a blushing Lily Evans "Where's Rover?" she questioned, glancing around the faces staring down at her. Ever since she disapproved of Sirius's ridiculous Animagi nickname (Padfoot? Seriously?) she had taken to calling him any popular dog name which sprung to mind instead.
"Slept in."
"Catching up on potions."
"Possibly snogging someone in an empty cupboard."
"Detention."
Arching her eyebrows she looked around the shrugging and glaring people lazing around her hospital bed, James was regarding her with a look of innocence she hadn't seen on his face since their very first September First "So he's avoiding me then," she shrugged (numerous awkward coughs ensued) reaching for one of the chocolate croissants clutched in James's hands "He was never good with emotional situations."
"I think he's worried you're scared of him," Benji spoke up quickly, holding out his hands in a 'what?' movement toward the three Marauders glaring his way.
Daxia frowned as she took the orange juice James was sipping (ignoring his protests) "Scared of him? Me?"
James pursed his lips as he snatched the sausage butty he was holding away from her grabby hands "You looked pretty terrified of us yesterday," he reasoned before taking a bite, dropping tomato sauce down his tie with an exclaim of "Shit!"
"I'd had my memory modified!" she huffed in annoyance folding her arms over her chest "Typical Sirius making my misfortune all about him, to be fair the two of you are pretty scary looking," she added shuffling over so Lily was able to climb into her bed next to her "Gunna skive some lessons for me Evans?" she asked with a wink adding "Just kidding!" when Lily hesitated.
"You know I would-"
"-But it's N.E.W.T. year," Daxia, Adiya, Mary and James all finished off for her.
It was at this moment, as Lily tried to defend her need to learn while they teased her, that Madam Pomfrey turned up. With a potion in hand for Daxia to take and the insistence that her patient needed all the rest she could get she kicked the group out of the Hospital Wing, ignoring all of their pleas to allow them to stay a little longer.
The potion made her sleep more. Almost as soon as she swallowed the cool liquid once her friends had disappeared off to lessons she found herself buried in her quilt, head fuzzy and eyelids heavy. Her slumber was deep and dreamless and she was thankful for it; the thoughts which ran through her head when she was awake were enough for her to deal with. Being unable to remember the reason you were found stunned in the owlery after lying on the floor for almost two hours did things to your mind.
When she re-awoke Mary MacDonald was sitting in the chair beside her bed, a book in her hands and a look of concentration on her face. It took her barely a few moments before she noticed Daxia stirring "Hey!" she chimed scrambling into a more upright position as she slammed her book shut "How are you feeling?"
Daxia yawned as she also shuffled into a better sitting position, leaning against her comfortable pillows "Sleepy," she answered with yet another wide yawn, her hands rubbing at her eyes "Time'sit?"
Mary smiled at the slur in her friend's tone "Just after first lesson; James would have been here but he got held back by McGonagall as she overheard him calling her Minnie again," she rolled her eyes as she paused for a few seconds "You need a drink?"
"I, um, sure?" Daxia answered, though a glass of water was already being thrust into her hands. Mary had always been the motherly one of their dorm; taking care of them when they were sick, ensuring they all woke for lessons on time, even knitting each of them their own personalized Gryffindor scarves when she was bored one evening. Though, as people, her and Daxia were polar opposites and should technically never get along they couldn't help but love one another.
As a disowned child, looked down upon by all of her elders (at least Sirius had Andromeda and used to have his uncle Alphard, the elderly man who'd left him a considerable amount of gold in his will), Daxia appreciated Mary's actions more than the other girl would ever know. She'd never had anyone knit her anything even when she was the golden girl of the family. Instead she'd been tailored into tight dresses and taught how to dance. If it weren't for the bank account paid into by her parents and grandparents before she became the official black sheep she doubted she would've gained anything important from her pureblood heritance.
"…bit of a worrier isn't he?"
"Huh?" Daxia answered, only catching that Mary was actually speaking once she was done admiring her for her motherly ways "Sorry Bug, in my own world there!"
Mary chuckled, a musical laugh able to put a smile on anyone's face, as she let the use of her nickname slide "James Potter. Never knew he was a worrier, thought it was just me!"
"Oh he's a big softie at heart," Daxia waved off "Y'know he was the one who orchestrated us all staying that year you were unable to go home for Christmas right? And that time Adiya received all of those American 'candies' when she was missing home so badly she cried in History of Magic? And when all Benji wanted was someone to talk to him about that muggle sport he found out about James went and researched into it, found it incredibly amusing (for some reason) and that's why their dorm is packed to the rafters with Liverpool Football Club memorabilia."
She knew James would kill her if he knew she was spilling his secret niceness but she just couldn't help herself. She'd always hated having to keep his 'bad' reputation for him when all she wanted to do was tell her girlfriends just how amazing he was at being a person.
"Oh," Mary squeaked, blinking her shining eyes a few times "How come…?"
"He'd never let me tell anyone," she rolled her eyes. "Bloody fool would have had Lily on his side easily if he'd just let her see the real him! Claims he loves a challenge but I punched him and he admitted he'd rather do anonymous good deeds because they told people you 'truly cared and weren't in it for the praise'."
"Wow," Mary breathed.
"But you really can't tell him you know! I'm sure that bloody potion Pomfrey keeps giving me is truth serum to get all the Marauders' secrets out of me!"
Extending her little finger Mary and Daxia shook on her promise "You should get more rest," she said softly as Daxia yawned again "I'm sure one of us will be back in here after next lesson."
"Mmkay," Daxia mumbled slipping back down her bed and burrowing deep in her covers once again "Just not Minnie; she still doesn't know it was me who stole that snitch."
The next time she woke it wasn't peaceful at all. There was no smile of content as she gazed to a worried looking Mary, no time for yawning and stretching as she slowly allowed her eyes to open and adjust to the brightly lit room…
Adiya poked her in the side as hard as she could, leaning down so her nose was inches from Daxia's as the sleepy girl jumped to attention "Hey! You're awake!" she had exclaimed as though she were shocked "Thought you'd be resting!"
"Well you know me, rebel without a cause," Daxia grumbled as, once again, she dragged herself up into a sitting position.
Adiya bounded onto the bed with an impish grin on her pretty face, picking at her nails as she spoke "So it was James who sent me that gift set of my favourite candy," she stated simply, one of her eyebrows arching as she glanced up to Daxia.
She groaned loudly "He's gunna kill me!"
"Naaaah," Adiya waved off "He didn't hear Mar tell me and Lil."
"Lily knows?!"
"All sworn to secrecy no issue Dax!" Her laugh was less musical than Mary's and more fuelled by amusement and mischief "Anyway I think Lil's impressed! Coulda done him a favour there!"
Daxia found herself chuckling at Adiya's words. Whereas Mary made her want to snuggle deep down in her bed cradling homemade soup she had made while letting her fuss around until she was 100% once again Adiya gave her a different feeling. With the blonde sat fidgeting at the end of her bed, full of life and laughter, all Daxia wanted to do was discharge herself so she was able to go back to wreaking havoc in the corridors of the castle.
"So what's been going on then?" she asked secretly hoping for another update on the ever absent Sirius Black.
"Usual," Adiya shrugged, "Peter's walking round with bright pink hair cause Marley's non-verbal colour changing charm went incredibly wrong – she's a bit upset cause Black's ignoring her."
"He's ignoring her?" Daxia asked a little too quickly for her own liking.
"Yup! He's ignoring all of us really so she can't be too offended. Just keeps sitting in the back with his head on the desk and James doing things around him to entice him into retaliating."
The brunette frowned as she messed with the edge of her quilt, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging her arms around her knees "Weird," she mused leaning her chin on her knees "And he isn't retaliating?"
"Nope," Adiya popped the 'p' as she allowed her attention to be caught by the book lying on Daxia's bedside table "Ah so Mary did try to get you to study while you're in here, thought she might!"
"Huh? Oh I hadn't noticed."
"Must be out of it," the blonde rolled her eyes teasingly as she reached over to squeeze Daxia's hand before she stretched her legs out before her "Well I'd best be off! DADA next, I shall give Remy your love!"
"Already?" Daxia pouted, now she was feeling wide awake she couldn't think of anything worse than sitting in the hospital wing alone for the rest of the day.
"Took you ages to wake up! I'll be late if I stay any longer!" Adiya grinned before bending down to hug Daxia tightly "Won't be long before you're out, don't worry sweetie!"
Daxia waved as the short blonde practically skipped from the room, a bright grin on her face.
As Adiya left the room she bumped into another person, with a squeak of surprise she slapped Sirius on his broad shoulder "What are you doing!?" she exclaimed pretending to clutch at her chest "Almost gave me a heart attack!"
"How is she?" he asked tentatively, nodding towards the door Adiya had just emerged out of.
"You'd know if you went in to see her," the blonde tutted as Sirius followed her toward their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson "She'd enjoy seeing you."
He shrugged as he placed his hands in the pockets of his robes "I'll…later."
Adiya rolled her eyes.
James and Peter (hair back to normal much to Daxia's dismay) arrived with more food.
They told her jokes, stories and reminisced funny memories. They bantered with Madam Pomfrey good-heartedly and promised her she'd be fine for Quidditch in a few days' time (James seeming a little less convinced and more worried than Peter).
It was times like these that she was thankful the Marauders were in her life. Even though there were only two of them they seemed to fill the room, lounging around effortlessly as they laughed and joked. She knew they had done similar for Lily when she was stuck in the hospital wing not so long ago but also assumed it hadn't been quite the same.
James had shoved her over almost as soon as he had walked in, shuffling next to her like Lily had that morning and throwing an arm around her shoulders in both a loving and worried manner "Looking peaky Lestrange," he had teased as he'd pinched her cheek and ruffled her hair.
"Pale as a ghost," Peter had agreed in a sombre manner as he'd thrown a few pasties her way.
"A friendly ghost?"
"Caaaaaasper the friendly ghost!"
They had shut up when Madam Pomfrey had emerged, banning made up songs from the wing, hell, the entire castle so she wouldn't have to put up with James's tone deaf singing voice.
"I take great offence at that Poppy!" he had exclaimed, hand over his heart and a pout on his lips. In reply she'd simply shook her head, waved a hand and left them be "Greatly wounded!" he called after her retreating form "Loves me that woman."
She had rolled her eyes at his tone "You think every woman loves you."
"Except the important one Vixer!" he had sighed over dramatically, the back of his hand to his forehead as he glanced up to her with those big puppy dog eyes of his.
So, obviously and as quick as a fox, she had reached down and nabbed his glasses, sliding them up her own nose and over her own hazel orbs before complaining about how bad his eyesight actually was "Jeez Prongs! You can't see a bloody thing can you?!" she was squinting towards a giggling Peter, guessing the wrong amount of fingers he was holding up each time.
"Well if I could see a bloody thing I'd definitely have retrieved my glasses back by now!" he had moped, attempted the retrieval, flailed around for a few seconds and almost fell from the bed.
"And you call yourself a Quidditch player!"
"I don't call myself a Quidditch player. I am a Quidditch player and your captain!"
"And head boy eh Prongs?"
Daxia had roared with laughter at Peter's injection to the conversation "He's using the head boy voice! Quick Peter get the camera!"
James scowled before roughly grabbing hold of the glasses Daxia had moved onto swinging before his eyes "I hate you both."
Lily had arrived with an armful of books.
Daxia had pretended to be fast asleep.
"I know you're awake," Lily stated airily as she flopped down into the chair beside Daxia's bed, the pile of books dropped loudly on top of Mary's previously left Transfiguration textbook.
"And how would you come to such a conclusion?" Daxia asked with her face still buried in her pillow, eyes tightly shut and quilt wrapped tightly around herself.
"Because I know you better than anyone and you're an awful actress."
"Wow, right where it hurts Lilypad."
"You've been spending time with James."
"Funny how you can recognise that Evans," Daxia smirked shuffling, for possibly the millionth time that day, into a sitting position "Notice a lot of James's personality in my own do you? Pay attention to those kinds of things?"
"Hilarious."
"Well I do try," Daxia grinned cheekily as Lily rolled her eyes "How are your head duties anyway? You never talk, or complain, about them."
Lily folded her hands in her lap "They're fine," she insisted simply, the look back with a vengeance as Daxia leant back on her pillows with a chuckle and a smirk.
That was, of course, when the door to the hospital wing slammed open and a figure stumbled through swearing loudly. Daxia was pretty sure Madam Pomfrey had given up attempting to control her many visitors throughout the day as Remus was able to take control of his balance and arrive at her bedside with a grin and without a flea in his ear from the usually impatient matron.
"What an entrance Moony," Daxia approved with a nod of her head, "I give it an eight? Maybe eight point five at a push. Lily whadda ya say?"
Before the redhead could voice her confusion Remus dug into the, clearly magically extended, pockets of his robes announcing that he came bearing gifts "Bloody Filch nearly caught me!" he exclaimed as he dumped a few bottles of butterbeer on Daxia's bed "Forgot the…" he paused eyes shifting over to an expectant looking Lily as her eyes darted from the stolen goods to the Marauder prefect.
Her eyebrows rose, unsure as to why James hadn't told his friends she knew of their nifty map (not realising he was actually referring to the cloak) "Forgot the what?"
"Oh what does it matter Lilypad?!" Daxia grinned excitedly as she reached for a bottle and cracked it open "This kind, caring, strapping young lad has delivered us some butterbeer! We ought to be thanking him not questioning him!"
Lily sighed in defeat, there was really no arguing with any of the Marauders once they were in full, menacing Marauder mode; even Daxia "Thank you Remus," she reeled off in a forced tone, the boy she had always thought of as 'the sensible one' sending her a sheepish grin in reply as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Anyway," Remus began pushing all potential awkwardness to one side as he dove to the bottom of Daxia's bed, stretching out across it and leaning with his elbow propped up and his head resting in the palm of his hand (Lily looked on to the scene quite enviously as she recalled a similar scene that morning; her friend really did have these boys wrapped around her little finger. When Lily herself had been confined to the hospital wing they hadn't nearly felt as at home visiting her) "How are you Dax?"
"All good now I have butterbeer!" she grinned, nudging Remus with her foot in thanks as she ignored the raise of his eyebrows. She knew he knew that she was holding back on them; that she didn't want to talk of how she was feeling because all she was feeling was scared. There were no more health issues, Madam Pomfrey had made sure of that with her many and multiple potions, it was just what happened to be going on inside of her mind that she was dealing with somewhat unsuccessfully.
But how was she supposed to tell the marauders she felt she was becoming scared of Hogwarts?
"I was just about to tell Daxia about Sirius." Lily spoke to Remus almost as though Daxia wasn't there, listening in and awaiting mention of her best friend.
"Ah," Remus replied with a single nod and a chew on his bottom lip.
Daxia rolled her eyes as she glared at Lily and kicked Remus "What about Sirius?"
It took some ignoring of smirking and giggling before they'd tell her how Adiya had been right before; Sirius was moping. Sirius Black had been moping. If there was no possibility he was in the mood because of Daxia herself she would have paid good galleons to witness Sirius in a mope; she'd seen him over dramatic, annoying, angry, upset and mostly mischievous but never truly down about anything.
And she'd seen him at truly low moments.
Each and every summer when he returned home (for lack of a better word) to Grimmauld Place he'd leave Hogwarts cocky; determined to stick it to his parents this time worse than ever. Then two weeks in, three at the latest, when Daxia was making her normal summertime visit to the Potters' to avoid her own family Sirius would also arrive; battered and broken ready to be fixed up again by his mates. He'd be upset and would refuse to tell them exactly what had happened this time, angrily lashing out as they tended to whatever scrapes he had picked up during his time in that awful house.
Then, after a few days in bed, he'd stroll down to breakfast welcoming the greetings of Mr and Mrs Potter (who viewed him as their second son and who'd practically thrown a party at the beginning of the last summer when he had turned up on their doorstep with his bags, asking if he could make the move permanent) with a grin and a joke. He would be back to normal, all healed up (give or take a few reopened scars) and not allowing anything to get him down.
For him to be moping about something it had to be big. Sirius was one of the bravest people she had known but the boy clearly didn't know how to convey essential emotions at the correct times.
"Could you try and get him to come and see me?" she asked quietly. The more she thought about it the more she hated that Sirius could be allowing something she had done to weigh him down when he had never allowed anything to previously; not even his family who felt openly attacking him was actually acceptable.
Remus nodded.
The hospital wing was so boring.
For a place which housed many different magical illnesses, hexes, injuries and curses it could be bloody mind-numbing. Daxia was sure she was losing brain cells with every second she stared at the blank wall ahead of her; she'd even read a few of the textbooks Lily had left in her possession.
All of her fear surrounding her attack had been forgotten about (possibly in those lost brain cells?) as all she wanted to do was explore the castle. She wanted to go outside. She wanted to eat meals in the Great Hall again and sleep in her dormitory. She wanted to laugh with the boys and gossip with the girls. She wanted to do assignments for god sake!
And she'd only been in there for twenty four hours.
By the time the end of the schooling day bell rang throughout the castle she was lying on her back, quilt up over her head as she wondered if pretending to be dead would help her escape. Pomfrey had to dispose of dead bodies somehow right? Why hadn't there been anyone else passing through the hospital wing? Why was everyone out there being so damn boring?! She wanted to see broken bones, extra limbs and never ending nose bleeds!
"What on Earth are you doing?"
Even her breathing froze at the sound of his voice. Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip as she slowly lowered the quilt from over her head, squinting her eyes at the bright lights above her before seeking out the owner to the voice "Sirius? Is that you?" she questioned in a weakened tone, her eyes peeking across the room to where he was stood leant against the door frame. He was wearing his leather jacket over his uniform, arms folded and hair ruffled. A smirk stretched across his face as he pushed himself away from where he'd been lounging.
"You've been in here a day Lestrange and you're already pulling the dead body plan?"
She scowled. He knew her too well.
"Remy, Flitwick and Slughorn send their love," he informed her as he effortlessly collapsed into the comfortable chair at her bedside "I see Moony brought the butterbeer," he mused leaning down to retrieve one of the bottles stashed beneath her bed out of sight.
Huffing she shuffled into a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes as she crossed her legs beneath her "If all you've come for are the refreshments I'm afraid I've eaten most of them."
"I didn't," he shrugged, obviously lying as he took a mouthful from the bottle and reached for one of the chocolate frogs Lily had produced before she'd left earlier on "S'my turn."
"Your…what?!"
"Well we can't all huddle in here at once Lestrange Poppy would pitch a fit," he explained as though it was her being dense "So we organised a rota didn't we. Knew you couldn't hack it alone so we sorted it out so you'd continually have visitors throughout the day. Everyone else has been in therefore; my turn."
She narrowed her eyes as she folded her arms loosely in her lap "I know what it being your turn means Sirius," she grumbled, snatching the chocolate frog from his grasp with a triumphant grin "I just thought you'd be here earlier."
This seemed to hit him where it hurt, his eyebrows arched quickly as he straightened up in his chair. He coughed once before running his hand through his hair and instantly putting on one of his infamous grins "Hey did I ever tell you about the time I turned Regulus purple by accident?"
This lifted the tension hidden between the two as he shifted to the end of his chair; leaning with his elbows on his knees he told the tale of the incredibly purple younger brother. She laughed, he laughed, more stories followed and, though each of her friends had managed to slightly lift her spirits with each of their visits, she hadn't felt more cheered up than she did at that moment.
"You've had a change in mood then eh?" she asked without even knowing the reason she'd allowed the thought to leave her lips.
"Not a clue what you mean love," he replied with a shrug "I'm always in a pleasant mood."
Before she could retort with numerous different situations where his mood was far from pleasant (early mornings, just before dinner when he was too hungry to function and whenever the Gryffindor Quidditch team lost to name just a few) Madam Pomfrey swept into the room. Giving Sirius a suspicious glance (to which he replied with a cheeky grin) she turned to Daxia and quickly examined her as she had been doing for the past few hours continually "Well I think it's time for you to retreat to your own bed Miss Lestrange."
"I…what?" Daxia asked with hope in her tone as she threw an excited glance to Sirius "I can…go?"
"Well of course," Madam Pomfrey mused quietly as she tidied around Daxia's bed, raising an eyebrow when she spotted the final remaining bottle of butterbeer "You look and feel fine, you have some potions to take with you and, frankly, I am sick of your friends crashing my peaceful environment."
"Yay!" Daxia grinned, jumping to her feet, forgetting she was still in her pyjamas, and leaning over to hug Sirius in celebration "I get to get out of hereeee!"
Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat and Daxia let go of a shocked looking Sirius awkwardly "Until tomorrow," she corrected her "When you'll be continually popping in so I can ensure you are on the mend and aren't just saying you are to get back to your mischievous ways," she paused to glare as Sirius let out a snort of laughter "And you, Mr Black, need to leave so Miss Lestrange is able to change."
With a wink and a joke of disappointment (both of which made Daxia's heart pound a lot more than she'd like to admit) Sirius bade her goodbye and informed her he'd wait for her outside. Even Madam Pomfrey's eyebrows rose at the exchange (Daxia hoping to god that this didn't mean she had blushed) so, needing to be around more people, Daxia changed at high speed. Tugging on her uniform (washed and dried efficiently and quickly by the hospital wing house elves) and shoving her pyjamas into her bag she thanked the matron for all her help, gathered up her medicinal potions then practically skipped from the wing.
Sirius greeted her with a wary look as she virtually crashed into him, a smile stretching across his face when she glanced up to him with a grin of her own "Happy to be out then Lestrange?" he observed as he casually threw an arm over her shoulders (once he knew the crash was purely because of her excitement to be out rather than anything else).
"Of course!" her tone was fuelled by giddiness as she leant into his side, him taking her bag and slinging it over his shoulder "It's beyond boring in that godforsaken room!"
"Godforsaken?"
The duo laughed and teased as they made their way back up to Gryffindor tower, The Fat Lady welcoming Daxia back once they'd spoken the password.
"Daaax!"
"Wow," she smiled once Sirius let go of her so James was able to hug her "Twenty four hours I was away! Knew this group couldn't function without me."
"Bloody worriers the lot of them!" Adiya was tutting as she pulled her best friend into a hug "I, on the other hand, knew you would be perfectly fine and back to your regular self in no time!"
Daxia beamed once she was finally able to sit down in her normal chair, all hugged out but thankful for the friends around her "So, what's been going on?" she asked hesitantly, glancing round to each of her friends sitting nearby. During her alone times in the hospital wing she couldn't help but think over and over about what had been happening recently; both in the war on the outside and in the corridors of Hogwarts. Her secret worries of her attack weren't the only thing plaguing her mind.
"Nothing," Peter shrugged "I passed my charms essay."
"I scheduled a Quidditch practise for tomorrow if you're up for it," James injected.
"I have more chocolate frogs?" Lily offered.
"Not what I meant," she huffed in annoyance before anyone else could join in knowing they knew exactly what she had meant by her question "What's been going on?"
Her friends exchanged glances and lip bites while her heart beat uncomfortably in her chest. She wanted to know if there was any news from the outside; what the Daily Prophet was saying, what James's parents (and aurors) were saying. She wanted to know what Dumbledore was doing and if they'd got any more information out of him or if they'd heard anything which explained her laying on the floor in the owlery, stunned, for two hours.
"There's been more attacks," James spoke up slowly "Some Hufflepuff fifth years were pulled out of school by their parents today. Two Ravenclaws – a second and sixth – found out their parents were killed yesterday, dark mark over the house and everything," he explained Daxia's previous sickly pallor becoming even paler with every word her friend spoke "They reckon he – y'know you-know-who – has given more demands to the ministry but the aurors reckon they have it all under control. We're not so sure."
"Maybe Dax should go to bed," Sirius jumped in noticing the ever paling complexion of the girl sat opposite him "Pomfrey said the potion would make her drowsy and that she'd need as much rest as possible." Ignoring their friends all sending him amused looks he got to his feet "C'mon."
Her eyes were almost closed – continually flickering in an attempt to keep herself awake – as she looked up to him "Nah I'm…" yawn "…fine…" yawn "…honest!"
He rolled his eyes impatiently "You are not fine Dax, remember how you fussed over Lily when she came out of the hospital wing? It's your turn," he informed her, giving her absolutely no choice in the matter by curling his right arm around her back, hooking his left between her bent legs and lifting her.
"Sirius," she grumbled her tone breathless due to her last yawn "M'fine…you can't even-" yawn "-get to-" yawn "-girl's dorm."
"Uh-huh," he agreed with her absently as he carried her towards the stairs. Though the Marauders had perfected a way to get into the girls dorms (for important life or death matters of course) he wasn't sure he'd be able to get to her room while holding her in his arms. Instead of turning right to head to the girls' staircase he branched off left toward the boys' dorm "You'll be comfortable in here," he assured her as he gently placed her on his bed, chucking a few spare t-shirts and magazines onto the floor before he tucked the duvet around her.
"Sirius wait," her eyes were shut as he made to pull the curtains around the bed, to head back downstairs where he'd probably fall asleep on the couch. Her hand reached out to him as he paused "Stay?"
He faltered "I..um…what?"
She forced her eyes open, looking up to him with her biggest puppy dog eyes as her hand gripped onto his pillow "Can you stay with me?" she asked quietly hoping this was just the same as the two of them huddling up on the chair in front of the fire all those years previous "I'm scared," she breathed as her eyes closed once more, her words hesitant.
He started down to her for a few seconds almost in disbelief, he had never heard Daxia openly say she was scared of anything before in the entire six and a half years he had known her "Sure," he answered before his brain properly caught up, discarding his tie and shoes he climbed into the bed beside her and pulling the curtains together so they were fully hidden before he settled.
She shuffled up close to him as soon as he lay back properly, his arm curling around her protectively as she snuggled into his side "Thanks Snuffles," she mumbled as he laughed at her choice of dog name "I think that one's my favourite," she added while her fingers slowly gripped onto his shirt.
He felt her begin to breathe deeply as she relaxed against him, finally falling into the deep sleep her medicinal potion was enticing her into. Glancing down to her he reached up with the hand attached to the arm cradling her he ran his fingers gently through her hair, quickly leaning down he placed a single kiss on her forehead before collapsing back into a slumber of his own.
She wasn't in her room.
This room was messy. It smelled. It was covered with Quidditch and muggle football posters. She was pretty sure it was the boys' dorm; well she hoped it was the boys' dorm. If not she'd been kidnapped by male members of a lower year and kept in their dorm overnight.
As she yawned and stretched memories, blurry from whatever was in that bloody medicinal potion, slowly seeped into the forefront of her mind. Sirius carrying her up the stairs, Sirius tucking her in, Sirius pulling the curtains around her, Sirius climbing into bed beside her…
She slowly sat up; clutching the quilt around her as she made sure the dorm was actually empty. The clock on the wall read one pm and the vacant beds and bathroom told her the Marauders had actually attended lessons. Reaching down she grasped onto Sirius's oversized Gryffindor Quidditch jumper still laying on the floor after he'd worn it down to watch their training session before she headed into the bathroom.
Taking a quick shower she threw her hair into a messy ponytail and pulled her tights and school skirt back on before tugging Sirius's jumper back over her head. Slipping her feet into her boots she shuffled towards the door deciding heading to her check up at the hospital wing before Madam Pomfrey sent out a search party for her was a good idea. No matter how much she wanted to disappear beneath Sirius's quilt once again she thought it was probably best to follow orders.
The common room was empty as she crossed through it in a sleepy daze, The Fat Lady actually called after her to see if she was okay once she'd stumbled through the portrait hole. Her daze lasted right up until her shoulder collided with another.
"Oof!" she heard herself exclaim "I, sorry…I," she paused for a second as her heavy-eyes widened "Rabastan?"
"Yes! Dax!" his exclaim was breathless and teamed with a blush "Are you…I mean; how are you?"
She rubbed her hands down her face, her head pounded slightly as she pulled her arm from Rabastan's reach "Please leave me alone," she sighed.
"But, Daxia…I…"
"Lestrange!"
She jumped at the shout; she'd never heard her name be called in Sirius's voice with such anger. Turning on the spot she noticed her best friend jogging down the corridor toward her, a worried look on his face.
"Black," Rabastan replied shortly.
Sirius's jaw was tense as he reached the two Lestranges. His arm slinging into their usual position over Daxia's shoulders "You heard her, leave her alone. She doesn't want to see you and she doesn't want to speak to you okay?" he pulled her away before a rejected looking Rabastan could reply "You alright?"
"I guess," she answered in a whisper allowing him to lead her to the hospital wing. He stayed beside her throughout her check-up, ignoring any protests from the bossy matron (who apparently was, yet again, in a bad mood).
When she was given the all clear and, thankfully, told she no longer needed to take the medicinal potion he grasped her by the hand "Everyone's down by the lake," he informed her "I was sent to get you when I saw you bloody wandering the corridors."
"I wasn't wandering," she defended defiantly "I was heading to my appointed check-up once I woke up!"
He chuckled "You couldn't even walk in a straight line Dax!"
She nudged him with her elbow as she giggled "Anything which has drowsy side-effects works ten times better on me! I was so out of it cause I'd only just woken up!" she glared up to him as he continued to laugh at her "My misfortune is not funny Sirius Black!"
"What misfortune is this?" Remus asked before anyone could greet the two once they joined the group of Gryffindors lazing around by the lake.
"Dax and her incredible drowsy nature," Sirius answered as he teasingly nudged her with his fingertips before the two of them collapsed onto a bit of grass beside Lily and James.
Everyone seemed to be in good spirits as they spoke; the Marauders told tales of their previous pranks (shocking Lily, Adiya and Mary who hadn't known the four boys had been responsible for half of the stories they were telling) while Lily and Mary – with some help from Adiya – attempted to entice their friends into studying (Peter, Remus and Benji all praised the idea where James, Sirius and Daxia, the members of the group gifted with practically photographic memories or plagued with laziness, complained loudly).
It didn't take long before they were onto dares.
"I just don't think you can."
Lily's eyes narrowed as she glared over to a smirking Sirius Black "You don't think I can walk out into the black lake? You don't think I can put one foot in front of the other through some water?"
He shrugged infuriatingly and Daxia had to hold back her smile "Well okay; it's not that I don't think you can rather I don't think you will."
"And how would you happen to know that?"
James reached over to punch his best friend in the shoulder "Quit it Padfoot, you know she never turns down a challenge."
"Ah so you don't think I can do it either Potter!"
James sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Daxia giggled as Lily jumped to her feet "You know this is the black lake right? Giant squid, merpeople and many other creatures?" James asked as Lily made her way to the edge of the water "If you get dragged in I won't come and rescue you."
"He will."
"Hero complex."
"Won't be able to live with himself."
As James glared toward Peter, Remus and Sirius Lily grinned triumphantly as she reached up to her knees in the water "See! All good!" she was calling as she stepped in deeper and deeper.
"You've gotta admit that it's worth it for the wet t-shirt Prongs," Sirius winked, nudging his friend with his knuckles, dodging out of the way as James aimed a punch in his direction "Joke! Joke! Jeez man!"
"If she hurts herself Padfoot I swear to god," James grumbled as Lily reached up to her waist.
"I'm coming back! Black get your money out!"
They were all laughing by the time Lily reached the group once more, Sirius overdramatically trying to get out of paying his side of the bet ("I have a family to feed Evans! Would you rather see them starve?! You are a terrible human being!").
"Do you think we'll survive it?"
Everyone fell silent as Daxia spoke, staring out to the lake as she hugged her knees "Survive what?" Sirius asked with a grin "Evans continually reminding us she actually won a bet? I highly doubt it."
As Lily stuck her tongue out toward him Daxia shook her head "The war," she confirmed unable to keep the thoughts running around her mind "Both me and Lily have been attacked within a matter of weeks inside Hogwarts…are we really expecting to survive this whole thing?"
"Of course we are!" James exclaimed; the only one with a grin stretching across his face.
"I'm a Lestrange and Sirius is a Black James," Daxia replied in a small voice "We're dark purebloods on the wrong side; I think we need to think about things."
"Oh don't give me that shit Dax," James argued with an eye roll "You aren't on the wrong side but the right one! We have Dumbledore and the aurors and…and us! C'mon Dax; all we need to do is stick together and we'll remain as strong as ever."
She glanced up with a small smile "If you're sure?"
"Hey we're Marauders!" James grinned cheekily "And Marauders never lose!"