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Chapter 13: Giving thanks

After three days in the hospital to get my strength up, I was back in my usual place.

I was welcomed early in the morning by Dumbledore, Professor Slughorn and Madam Pomfrey in the Headmaster's office. The travel by Floo Network was as smoothly as ever, allowing me to be able to greet everyone with a smile. What other perfect way to assure that I was alright to return to my daily life than with a cheeky grin?

Luckily, not much was expected for me to sit through. Instructions I had already heard were refreshed to me, and when all the reassuring was done I was allowed to return to Slytherin House.

But not alone, or at least not just with Slughorn. An important part of the agreement Dumbledore had done with the Head Healer of St. Mungo's and the Minister of Magic was that once I arrived in school I was to fall under the responsible wing of Madam Pomfrey, who would be charged with the task of submitting reports to both non-Hogwarts authorities. That was all fine and dandy. I knew that it entailed daily visits to the Hospital Wing, and Dumbledore was quick to shoot me down when I wanted to protest. I was alright with having to spend the rest of the week going daily to the infirmary for a two hour quota. However I was not happy with the idea of the school Healer following me around between classes.

I was assured she would only accompany me around school for short whiles, and that she would definitely escort me from and to my house. But that wasn't enough for me to like it. Hell no, I didn't like it. It only took five minutes after the Headmaster was absolute with his instructions when I decided I would be ignoring the heck out of Pomfrey. It's what I do best, so the rest of the week wouldn't be that bad.

With my two adult tails, I walked out Dumbledore's griffin door to see no one other than the only person I missed while I was at the Hospital.

Upon seeing me, Lily Evans neared me. Already dressed in school robes, she smiled. In front of me she did as if to hug me, but stopped when she noticed I was not alone. She greeted Slughorn and Pomfrey, and the two adults walked a bit away to give us a minute to talk.

"I was so worried about you!" She breathed.

Needless to say, her concerned warmed my heart and shamed me a bit "Sorry."

"Don't say that like it's your fault." Lily berated, rolling her eyes. "Remus told me what happened in the Library, he knows we're friends. I guessed something must have gone wrong with your blood knowledge. Then I went to McGonagall and she was really surprised I knew about it. She filled me in on the rest. And that you were okay."

"Yeah, I only had a slip up."

She seemed to accept that. "We'll talk about it later in our free period after lunch. I have Transfiguration and Charms notes for you."

I stared at her. "You are going to make me cry, seriously."

"That was the point."

That made me guffaw, and she joined me in laughing. This time she did hug me before leaving for the Great Hall.

When I got to the Slytherin portrait, the man in it gave a sigh. I greeted Merlin with a wave of my hand and with Slughorn's help got the painting to agree to wait until later for an extensive talk. He wasn't happy, but he swung open nonetheless. I imagine he already knew everything there was to be known about what happened to me; only that he wanted me to explain things. I would most probably have to explain myself to Merlin the same way I explained myself to Dumbledore. Just the idea that I could not avoid that encounter left me exhausted.

My dorm mates didn't say much when I returned home. They gave me a chewed welcome back, and resisted the urge to want to ask the juicy details of what happened to me. At least Hestia seemed to be agonizing. But like the others, she knew I wasn't about to tell her anything.

As if nothing had happened, I got ready for class, and left for it. The day's professors were very kind to me, well informed of what happened. I had loads of homework and notes to study, but I was allowed a leisure time to do it for a while. However, as I liked to obsess over every aspect of my school work, I had figured that I would be back on my desolated track by another month. I wouldn't be up to date with the curriculum as a sixth year should, but I wouldn't be a week more behind it.

After lunch I had to get some books from my dorm, and Pomfrey walked me to the Slytherin portrait. Merlin assaulted her with question as she waited outside for me. You can imagine my excitement at that.

For dinner, I was deposited on my table in the Great Hall. The Healer went to join the staff, and I was left to have pleasant conversation with Graham and his first year's colleagues. Word had spread in my house about what happened to me in the Library, and the kids were quick in assaulting me with questions. Even though we weren't technically friends, and our socializing was limited to meal times, and even then most times we ignored each other in a good way, I told them a sugarcoated version of the incident.

I did not reveal that I had learned to be an animagus, not even to Lily when I had met her earlier for a good talk. I felt horrible, in her case, of keeping the truth when we were becoming great friends, but it was necessary. As much as I liked to go against Merlin and Dumbledore, I did understand that I had to protect my secret from everyone. Maybe one day I would get to tell Lily, not any time soon, though.

When I was done with my tale, Graham and the other kids let me alone to simmer over my plate of food. I didn't have anything to read, as I normally did during meals, so I settled for staring blankly down my plate.

"Excuse me, Nolan? Faraday Nolan?"

It took me five seconds to remember my name, but I looked up to see two of the infamous Marauders standing a bit to the side of me. Thankfully, it wasn't the ones Lily liked to vent about. The two stood three steps away from me, on behind the other. The one that spoke looked at me with a sort of tense pleasantry, while the one on his back looked nervous. That one's eyes darted from me to everywhere else. His eyes once scrutinized me for far longer than I would had liked, but with a shake of his head and many blinks, he looked away.

I moved sideways on the bench to see them better. What the hell was going on? "Eh, hi."

"I'm Remus Lupin, and this is Peter Pettigrew." He pointed at himself and them at the boy behind him.

For a moment it was impossible for me not to stare blankly at him. There wasn't much for me to do in that kind of situation. My stare went from one boy to the other, occasionally stopping in the Prefect badge in front of me. I'll admit I did feel a bit cornered, even when I knew they meant me no harm. There were too many people for that. And I was sure that regardless of the animosity between my housemates and me, the Slytherins would step in to fight any Gryffindors. It came to being sorted into the house. "I know."

He spoke after my reply sent us down into an awkward silence. "Well, I came to ask how you were feeling, after what happened in the Library."

Oh right, I remembered. Then again, I never really forgot, it just slipped my mind. "You're the one that carried me to the infirmary, right?"

He nodded.

I had felt tense when he spoke to me, but now I felt slightly delighted. Only a fraction, yet more than I was normally capable of being to strangers. "I wanted to thank you, but I wasn't sure just how welcomed a Slytherin would be near the Gryffindor table." That was true. I didn't want to be rude to a person that had helped me, but I was not brave enough to near his table. When I thought about giving my thanks to the Prefect, I figured I would just wait until we had a class together the next day. That or get Lily to help me make an occasion to talk to him. Either of those scenarios would have been less tiresome for me.

"As welcomed as a Gryffindor near the Slytherin table, I would imagine." There was a glint in his eyes that I didn't really get, but if I were to guess I would say it was playfulness.

I looked around my table, and sure enough all the eyes that were pointed in our direction shined with a glare. I was right; my housemates would fight for me if it meant fighting against their biggest rival. I did not count how many pairs of eyes were on us, nor did I notice if any of the other houses were doing the same. That seemed a bit egocentric for me, so I just ignored everyone, in favor of the two boys in front of me that were being true to their House characteristics. Well Lupin looked like he was braving the snake nest; Pettigrew on the other hand looked like he wanted to be on the other side of the castle.

"Point noted." I smiled at the boys and scrambled to my feet. I felt the need to stand, to be more formal. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you so much for your help. You got me to the infirmary in record time. I don't know if I could have managed another minute in that state."

"No need to thank me. Everything was so sudden and confusing. I'm glad I could help."

We smiled at each other for a second.

"What happened to you, anyway?" The other one, Pettigrew asked before the space became more awkward than it should be. Lupin elbowed him.

I smiled at him not really minding his question, though he had seemed a bit rude with the way he asked.

"I had a mental breakdown." I said to him and he eyed me weirdly. My sappy smile wasn't helping, probably. The mental breakdown thing wasn't necessary wrong, my head did go bonkers with the pain. Dumbledore insisted that should I need to give an explanation to what happened that I should say I had a breakdown from all the studying. So far, with Lupin and Pettigrew included, I've only told three people Dumbledore's excuse. Well, I didn't technically tell Lily, McGonagall did, but the point is that she knew.

He raised an eyebrow, moving a bit so that he wasn't quite hiding behind his friend. "Does that happen a lot?"

I shrugged "It was the first of that magnitude."

"Maybe you should take a break now and then." Lupin offered me. And though I would have like to say that I would try, in favor of the good deed he did for me, it was not possible.

"You take the same classes I do, right?"

At that he chuckled, they both kind of did. I did not know what other classes they took, but we shared three, and they were enough to keep me up awake at night, even in the hospital just stressing about them. I had no clue about their situation in them, but breaks would soon become a luxury, once I jumped fully into my work again.

I was about to say something, when a call broke over the ocean of voices in the Great Hall. Someone called from the door to Lupin and Pettigrew, and it didn't take a glance to know who it was. James Potter passed a hand through his hair, as Sirius Black seemed to be releasing him from a headlock. They were laughing and out of breath as they beckoned their friends to them.

The boys in front of me and by boys I mean only Remus Lupin, said goodbye to me as they went to walk away. I said my own farewell, as I watched them go. I could feel the eyes of all the students in my table, but I didn't let that affect me. I stared away as the Marauders reunited by the door of the Hall. Potter and Black stared back at me. Obviously I could not see their expression well from the distance I was at, however I couldn't evade the feeling of being scrutinize.

Turning away completely from them, I saw Madam Pomfrey heading my way.

I sighed.

AN: Heads up, the next chapter is gonna be extremely short. Also, double time skip coming soon.