Disclaimer: See the first 4 chapters.
Thank you for your reviews! And thank you, Isis Malfoy, for the Beta- Reading!
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Note: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER
Chapter 15: Still A Slight Chance To Live
When Remus's tears dropped onto Alexandra's lips, he bent down to kiss them away.
That's when he felt weak breathing from Alexandra's lips.
Still holding Alexandra, Remus backed away as quick as lightning as if Alexandra's lips had burnt his. After he had recovered from his shock, Remus realized that his fiancée was still but not stiff. He lowered himself to her chest and listened hopefully for any signs of life in her.
And he heard it, there was a heartbeat but it was very feeble.
"Oh Merlin." Remus muttered. He thought deeply for a while and made up his mind.
Quickly but gently, Remus lifted Alexandra up with his arms. "Hang in there, Darling, I am going to bring you to St Mungo's, and I promise you that your memory will not be modified."
****
"I am sorry, Mr. Lupin, but Miss Skipper is a Muggle and is not married to the wizarding world yet. I have to modify her memory." A Healer, Apollo, said to Remus firmly in the third floor Potion and Plants Poisoning Department, St Mungo's Hospital.
"You mean you will heal Alex only after I married her?!" Remus asked with a mixture of horror and anger. He shifted Alexandra (he refused to put her down) a little in his arms. "She will be dead by then!"
"Are you sure that she will not break up with you before your wedding? What if the both of you spilt and she goes on babbling to her muggle friends about our world's secrets to her world?"
Before Remus could reply, someone wearing dark blue robes rushed past him and pushed Apollo to the wall, saying in disgust: "Some Healer you are!"
"Sirius, don't!" Another voice called and Remus turned around to see Dumbledore standing behind him.
"Be gentle, Sirius." Dumbledore said gently.
"What? With this idiot?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "No way."
"Please." Dumbledore said.
Sirius glared at Apollo and let him go.
Dumbledore walked to Apollo and said: "Sir, I assumed that you know who I am?"
"Of course, everyone knows you. You are Albus Dumbledore." Apollo said in a respectful way.
Remus swallowed nervously. "Come on, hurry up, Alex is dying here...." He thought frantically.
"Good and may I have a bet with you?"
"Huh?" Apollo asked confusedly while Sirius raised his eyebrows.
"What kind of bet?" Apollo asked.
"Let's bet on my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Lupin and his fiancée. You will heal Miss Skipper but do not modify her memory. If the both of them can't maintain their relationship until their wedding day, I can give my deepest secrets, which can do serious damage to my reputation."
"You staked your reputation on your employee's love life?" Apollo asked.
Dumbledore just smiled. "But if I win, you will do everything Lupin and his fiancée say on their wedding day."
"What?! No way, I am not going to be order around like a dog....." Apollo said and Sirius glared at him dangerously. He gulped and said tiredly: "Okay, okay, forget about the bet! I will heal Miss Skipper and not modify her memory! Satisfied?" He turned and yelled to the other Healers: "Get a gurney, quick!"
A second later, the Healers came running with a gurney and Remus placed Alexandra tenderly on it.
"Get her to the emergency room, now!" Apollo ordered and Alexandra was wheeled off. Remus started to follow when he stopped him and said: "Oh no, Mr. Lupin, I can't let you into the emergency room."
"Why you..." Sirius began furiously when Apollo said: "That's a rule that I definitely can't break. Mr. Lupin, I afraid you have to go home and wait for further news."
Without another word, Apollo turned around and rushed to the direction where Alexandra was being taken to.
Sirius put his hand on Remus's shoulder. "Don't worry mate, she will pull through, I am sure."
Remus reached up and patted his hand.
"You want to go home?"
Remus shook his head. "I want to wait here."
"But it will probably take hours!" Sirius protested.
"I don't care." Remus said stubbornly.
"Remus, go home with Sirius. I, Minerva, Mandy, Severus, Hagrid, Poppy and Georgia will take turns to stay here. We will inform you when there is news." Dumbledore said.
Remus turned to Dumbledore. "Professor, how could you stake your reputation? What if that Healer agreed to take the bet?"
"I know I will win the bet anyway. I trust you and Miss Skipper. Nothing on Earth could come between the both of you."
"Oh."
"So are you going home?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus shook his head again.
***
30 minutes later, Sirius gave up pressing Remus to go home and sat down with him on a bench. Dumbledore had gone to send an owl to Professor McGonagall.
"How did you know that I was here, anyway?" Remus asked.
"Dumbledore guessed it. He sent an owl to me around dawn, told me everything and wanted me to comfort you. But when I got to the beach, you were not there. So I asked Dumbledore and....you know the rest." Sirius said and yawned a little.
That was when Apollo came to them.
Remus jumped up from his seat. "How is she? Is Alex going to be alright?"
Apollo sighed a little.
Remus stared at the Healer. "What does that sigh mean?"
Apollo took a deep breath. "We managed to get most of the poison out." He said.
"And?" Sirius asked slowly.
"Some of it had broken down into her bloodstream so deeply that we can't get it out." Apollo said.
"That means she is still going to die!" Remus said hysterically.
"But there is still a slight chance for her to live!" Apollo added quickly.
"Like what?" Sirius asked.
"It is all up to her. She is in a coma now. If she has a strong will to live, she will wake up and live on with the poison. But if her body is too weak to resist the poison, I afraid that she won't last until next week."
Remus sat down heavily on his seat while Sirius said: "I am sure that she has a strong will to live! She loves Remus and I bet that she will live for him!"
"It is all up to her." Apollo repeated. "In the mean time, I suggest that both of you to go home and take a rest."
Remus stood up again. "I want to see Alexandra."
"I am sorry, Mr. Lupin, you can't see her." Apollo said when Dumbledore came back.
"Please."
"No."
"Remus, listen to the Healer." Dumbledore said quietly.
Remus shook his head for the third time of the day. "No." He said again. "I will not go back until Alexandra wakes up."
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Sirius yelled at Apollo. "First you wouldn't heal Alexandra unless you got your way, then you won't let Remus to see her! What is this place that you won't let us see the people we love?"
Apollo didn't respond.
"Look, Sir, just let Lupin to see his fiancée; I promise you that he will go home after that." Dumbledore said.
"Really?" Apollo asked uncertainly.
Dumbledore and Sirius nodded. Apollo looked at Remus and he nodded unwillingly.
"Okay, follow me."
***
"Alex, please, you must pull through this. You can't leave me alone like this. Please wake up soon and let me see your smile again." Remus whispered beside Alexandra's bed as he held her hand.
"Hurry up, you have been in here for ten minutes." Apollo said under his breath and Sirius gave him a deadly stare.
Remus kissed Alexandra's engagement ring, and whispered again: "I will be here once you wake up."
"Mr. Lupin, I afraid I have to ask you to leave. You have been in here for too long." Apollo ordered.
Remus was still for a while, and then he removed his hand from Alexandra's reluctantly. Dumbledore stepped forward and put his hand on Remus's shoulder. Remus turned around and Sirius nearly gasped at his eyes, which were red and filled with tears. He stood (Remus had been kneeling down beside Alexandra's bed all this time) up and Dumbledore removed his hand. He gave a small sniff and marched straight out of the ward.
Sirius turned to Apollo. "How old are you?"
"30."
"Are you married, Sir?"
"No."
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"Oh well, who would love a git like you?" Sirius asked coldly and ran out of the door after his pal.
***
The first thing Remus did when he and Sirius got home was to go to his room and lock himself in.
"Moony, Moony hey! What the hell are you doing in there?!" Sirius yelled from outside Remus's room.
"Just leave me alone!" Remus bellowed.
"Okay.....but don't kill yourself!" Sirius called.
Remus lay down on his bed without even changing his clothes.
***
For the next few days, Remus refused to come out of his room. Sirius, who still couldn't enter his room no matter what method he used, tried to talk, cajole, plead, and threaten him to come out, but none of them worked. He didn't eat for days either, saying from his room to Sirius that he was "too worried to eat anything".
Finally, one day, Sirius said: "Look, Moony, I am worried about Alexandra too! But listen pal, your fiancée will be upset if she sees you like this. You refuse to eat, drink and I am sure that you don't sleep either....."
Sirius stopped when Remus opened the door. "Ah! Good, you......." He paused to look at who he supposed to be his best friend.
Remus looked as pale as chalk; his clothes were as same as the ones he wore at St Mungo's. His hair was as messy as Harry's and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Remus, you really, really have to change your clothes." Sirius managed to say at last.
Remus closed his door on Sirius's face but Padfoot didn't hear any click that indicated the locking of the door.
A few minutes later, Remus opened his door again, wearing a different attire.
"Good, now let's go to the kitchen and get something to eat." Sirius said gently, as if he was talking to a baby.
Remus nodded slowly. "I don't want Alex to be upset." He said in a flat tone that scared Sirius.
"Then come on." Sirius said and turned to walk towards the staircase. He heard Remus walking behind him for a few steps and then a loud THUD.
Sirius looked back and his mouth dropped open at the sight of Remus on the floor, unconscious. "OH MERLIN, REMUS!"
He rushed to Remus and lifted him to a sitting position. "Remus? Remus Lupin! Wake up!"
But Remus didn't wake up.
Thank you for your reviews! And thank you, Isis Malfoy, for the Beta- Reading!
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Note: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER
Chapter 15: Still A Slight Chance To Live
When Remus's tears dropped onto Alexandra's lips, he bent down to kiss them away.
That's when he felt weak breathing from Alexandra's lips.
Still holding Alexandra, Remus backed away as quick as lightning as if Alexandra's lips had burnt his. After he had recovered from his shock, Remus realized that his fiancée was still but not stiff. He lowered himself to her chest and listened hopefully for any signs of life in her.
And he heard it, there was a heartbeat but it was very feeble.
"Oh Merlin." Remus muttered. He thought deeply for a while and made up his mind.
Quickly but gently, Remus lifted Alexandra up with his arms. "Hang in there, Darling, I am going to bring you to St Mungo's, and I promise you that your memory will not be modified."
****
"I am sorry, Mr. Lupin, but Miss Skipper is a Muggle and is not married to the wizarding world yet. I have to modify her memory." A Healer, Apollo, said to Remus firmly in the third floor Potion and Plants Poisoning Department, St Mungo's Hospital.
"You mean you will heal Alex only after I married her?!" Remus asked with a mixture of horror and anger. He shifted Alexandra (he refused to put her down) a little in his arms. "She will be dead by then!"
"Are you sure that she will not break up with you before your wedding? What if the both of you spilt and she goes on babbling to her muggle friends about our world's secrets to her world?"
Before Remus could reply, someone wearing dark blue robes rushed past him and pushed Apollo to the wall, saying in disgust: "Some Healer you are!"
"Sirius, don't!" Another voice called and Remus turned around to see Dumbledore standing behind him.
"Be gentle, Sirius." Dumbledore said gently.
"What? With this idiot?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "No way."
"Please." Dumbledore said.
Sirius glared at Apollo and let him go.
Dumbledore walked to Apollo and said: "Sir, I assumed that you know who I am?"
"Of course, everyone knows you. You are Albus Dumbledore." Apollo said in a respectful way.
Remus swallowed nervously. "Come on, hurry up, Alex is dying here...." He thought frantically.
"Good and may I have a bet with you?"
"Huh?" Apollo asked confusedly while Sirius raised his eyebrows.
"What kind of bet?" Apollo asked.
"Let's bet on my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Lupin and his fiancée. You will heal Miss Skipper but do not modify her memory. If the both of them can't maintain their relationship until their wedding day, I can give my deepest secrets, which can do serious damage to my reputation."
"You staked your reputation on your employee's love life?" Apollo asked.
Dumbledore just smiled. "But if I win, you will do everything Lupin and his fiancée say on their wedding day."
"What?! No way, I am not going to be order around like a dog....." Apollo said and Sirius glared at him dangerously. He gulped and said tiredly: "Okay, okay, forget about the bet! I will heal Miss Skipper and not modify her memory! Satisfied?" He turned and yelled to the other Healers: "Get a gurney, quick!"
A second later, the Healers came running with a gurney and Remus placed Alexandra tenderly on it.
"Get her to the emergency room, now!" Apollo ordered and Alexandra was wheeled off. Remus started to follow when he stopped him and said: "Oh no, Mr. Lupin, I can't let you into the emergency room."
"Why you..." Sirius began furiously when Apollo said: "That's a rule that I definitely can't break. Mr. Lupin, I afraid you have to go home and wait for further news."
Without another word, Apollo turned around and rushed to the direction where Alexandra was being taken to.
Sirius put his hand on Remus's shoulder. "Don't worry mate, she will pull through, I am sure."
Remus reached up and patted his hand.
"You want to go home?"
Remus shook his head. "I want to wait here."
"But it will probably take hours!" Sirius protested.
"I don't care." Remus said stubbornly.
"Remus, go home with Sirius. I, Minerva, Mandy, Severus, Hagrid, Poppy and Georgia will take turns to stay here. We will inform you when there is news." Dumbledore said.
Remus turned to Dumbledore. "Professor, how could you stake your reputation? What if that Healer agreed to take the bet?"
"I know I will win the bet anyway. I trust you and Miss Skipper. Nothing on Earth could come between the both of you."
"Oh."
"So are you going home?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus shook his head again.
***
30 minutes later, Sirius gave up pressing Remus to go home and sat down with him on a bench. Dumbledore had gone to send an owl to Professor McGonagall.
"How did you know that I was here, anyway?" Remus asked.
"Dumbledore guessed it. He sent an owl to me around dawn, told me everything and wanted me to comfort you. But when I got to the beach, you were not there. So I asked Dumbledore and....you know the rest." Sirius said and yawned a little.
That was when Apollo came to them.
Remus jumped up from his seat. "How is she? Is Alex going to be alright?"
Apollo sighed a little.
Remus stared at the Healer. "What does that sigh mean?"
Apollo took a deep breath. "We managed to get most of the poison out." He said.
"And?" Sirius asked slowly.
"Some of it had broken down into her bloodstream so deeply that we can't get it out." Apollo said.
"That means she is still going to die!" Remus said hysterically.
"But there is still a slight chance for her to live!" Apollo added quickly.
"Like what?" Sirius asked.
"It is all up to her. She is in a coma now. If she has a strong will to live, she will wake up and live on with the poison. But if her body is too weak to resist the poison, I afraid that she won't last until next week."
Remus sat down heavily on his seat while Sirius said: "I am sure that she has a strong will to live! She loves Remus and I bet that she will live for him!"
"It is all up to her." Apollo repeated. "In the mean time, I suggest that both of you to go home and take a rest."
Remus stood up again. "I want to see Alexandra."
"I am sorry, Mr. Lupin, you can't see her." Apollo said when Dumbledore came back.
"Please."
"No."
"Remus, listen to the Healer." Dumbledore said quietly.
Remus shook his head for the third time of the day. "No." He said again. "I will not go back until Alexandra wakes up."
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Sirius yelled at Apollo. "First you wouldn't heal Alexandra unless you got your way, then you won't let Remus to see her! What is this place that you won't let us see the people we love?"
Apollo didn't respond.
"Look, Sir, just let Lupin to see his fiancée; I promise you that he will go home after that." Dumbledore said.
"Really?" Apollo asked uncertainly.
Dumbledore and Sirius nodded. Apollo looked at Remus and he nodded unwillingly.
"Okay, follow me."
***
"Alex, please, you must pull through this. You can't leave me alone like this. Please wake up soon and let me see your smile again." Remus whispered beside Alexandra's bed as he held her hand.
"Hurry up, you have been in here for ten minutes." Apollo said under his breath and Sirius gave him a deadly stare.
Remus kissed Alexandra's engagement ring, and whispered again: "I will be here once you wake up."
"Mr. Lupin, I afraid I have to ask you to leave. You have been in here for too long." Apollo ordered.
Remus was still for a while, and then he removed his hand from Alexandra's reluctantly. Dumbledore stepped forward and put his hand on Remus's shoulder. Remus turned around and Sirius nearly gasped at his eyes, which were red and filled with tears. He stood (Remus had been kneeling down beside Alexandra's bed all this time) up and Dumbledore removed his hand. He gave a small sniff and marched straight out of the ward.
Sirius turned to Apollo. "How old are you?"
"30."
"Are you married, Sir?"
"No."
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"Oh well, who would love a git like you?" Sirius asked coldly and ran out of the door after his pal.
***
The first thing Remus did when he and Sirius got home was to go to his room and lock himself in.
"Moony, Moony hey! What the hell are you doing in there?!" Sirius yelled from outside Remus's room.
"Just leave me alone!" Remus bellowed.
"Okay.....but don't kill yourself!" Sirius called.
Remus lay down on his bed without even changing his clothes.
***
For the next few days, Remus refused to come out of his room. Sirius, who still couldn't enter his room no matter what method he used, tried to talk, cajole, plead, and threaten him to come out, but none of them worked. He didn't eat for days either, saying from his room to Sirius that he was "too worried to eat anything".
Finally, one day, Sirius said: "Look, Moony, I am worried about Alexandra too! But listen pal, your fiancée will be upset if she sees you like this. You refuse to eat, drink and I am sure that you don't sleep either....."
Sirius stopped when Remus opened the door. "Ah! Good, you......." He paused to look at who he supposed to be his best friend.
Remus looked as pale as chalk; his clothes were as same as the ones he wore at St Mungo's. His hair was as messy as Harry's and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Remus, you really, really have to change your clothes." Sirius managed to say at last.
Remus closed his door on Sirius's face but Padfoot didn't hear any click that indicated the locking of the door.
A few minutes later, Remus opened his door again, wearing a different attire.
"Good, now let's go to the kitchen and get something to eat." Sirius said gently, as if he was talking to a baby.
Remus nodded slowly. "I don't want Alex to be upset." He said in a flat tone that scared Sirius.
"Then come on." Sirius said and turned to walk towards the staircase. He heard Remus walking behind him for a few steps and then a loud THUD.
Sirius looked back and his mouth dropped open at the sight of Remus on the floor, unconscious. "OH MERLIN, REMUS!"
He rushed to Remus and lifted him to a sitting position. "Remus? Remus Lupin! Wake up!"
But Remus didn't wake up.