Author's Note: Hmm....Wheee....I wish I owned the Marauders...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene/Time change
................................................. = Minutes later
~*~****************************~*~
Sirius' heart fell. Him killing James? What? Where did he come up with that idea? Sirius was forced out of the Hospital Wing when James began to whimper incoherently, Madame Pomfrey really the only one who understood it. Being shuffled off when James needed him the most, he believed, was not something that could have led to any good.
He sat uncomfortably in one of the chairs that was placed inside the Gryffindor Common Room, his heart fluttering. He was so worried...He just kept continuously saying to himself the thing that James told him.
"You're going to kill me..."
Just as Sirius felt that he was going to cry, he heard a voice behind him.
"I am?"
It was Remus. Sirius turned around, his dark eyes even darker now, filled with worry and even what could possibly be described as anger.
"N-no," Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Not you."
"Then who?" Remus asked. He slowly walked toward Sirius, placing himself in the chair that sat across from the dark haired boy.
Sirius tried to speak up, but all that came out was some sort of strained groan. Remus nodded lightly, as if expecting that.
"Really?" Remus chuckled softly, a slender-fingered hand lifting to his chin. "Does it have something to do with-"
Sirius quickly cut him off with a raised hand and a nod.
"It has to do with Snape?"
Sirius blinked. He thought Remus would have known it had something to do with James, but apparently he was wrong.
"No," He sighed, "it has to do with James."
"Oh..." Remus seemed to get it now. He sighed a little and rubbed his forehead. "It isn't too bad, is it?"
"What do you consider to be 'too bad', Remus? When your boyfriend tells you that you're going to end his life in the future?"
Remus' golden eyes widened. "It's that bad?" He asked, looking concerned.
"Oh...Yes, it is..." Sirius sighed heavily. Where to begin...First with James passing out...Then he'd move on to the nightmare he had? Where...
Sirius started from the beginning. He explained how he and James just sat around, young Potter falling asleep, and with that, Sirius traveled to Dumbledore's office, James waiting outside for him, and finally, when they went into the bathroom and continued on with their day. It ended with Sirius almost in tears, having ended with the statement James told him. Remus looked...odd. His eyes were full of pain, but also full of curiosity.
"Oh...my goodness..." Remus muttered, a hand covering his mouth.
Sirius held back a tear or two. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, stuttering as he tried to speak once more. Remus motioned for him to join him, and Sirius didn't hesistate. Soon the darker haired one was curled up in the smaller boy's lap, Remus' hands running through Sirius' hair. With a deep sigh, Sirius looked up into his friend's eyes.
"It'll be alright, Sirius. I'm sure James just had a weird dream and all. Do you...want me to talk with him?"
Sirius nodded.
"Alright then," Remus began, "I'll do that. I was about to go and talk with Professor Avalade, but...He can wait. I'll go speak with James...If he's still in the Infirmary, that is."
"He should be," Sirius sighed.
"Well, that's good...I'll be on my way, then. I'll let you know how everything goes." With that, Remus, though not completely out of bounds, placed a soft kiss atop Sirius' head, slipping out of the common room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Though the return of the Hogwarts students had come back to the school, all full of warmth and happiness, none of them seemed to wanted to go inside. They were all out somewhere on the grounds, even the Slytherins. Remus was right, though. James was still in the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey, on orders from James himself, tried her best to get the wolfish one to leave.
"I'm -sorry-, but Mr. Potter himself said he doesn't want any visitors!"
"But I -need- to speak with him! Please, Madam Pomfrey..."
James could hear the two of them throwing sentences back and forth, his mind racing around. The voices of the three students he heard were still speaking sharply in his head, the whole conversation repeating itself over and over. James threw his head against the pillow, a weak hiss coming from him. He was so confused...so hurt. Sirius was going to kill him?! But, it could've just been a dream...But why did that boy look so much like him? Why...Why indeed...
Remus finally had convinced Madam Pomfrey to let him into the wing, and once she subsided, James heard Remus' step toward his bed.
"What do you want?" He asked rather bluntly, holding the pillow over his head. He didn't want to see anyone.
"I just came to see how you were doing. Sirius told me that you passed out when you were hanging out with him." Remus spoke softly, and pulling up a chair beside the bed, setting himself in it.
"You mean when we were snogging," James muttered.
Remus sighed lightly, shaking his head even though James couldn't see it. "Never mind when it happened. How're you doing?"
"Just fine," James grumbled, "Just bloody fine."
"This isn't you," Remus stated quietly. "You're worried."
James sighed sharply and rolled around, his non-glasses eyed peering directly at Remus. "Thank you Professor Annoying..."
Discarding that, the young werewolf shook his head. "James, what exactly did you see?"
As much as he didn't want to tell Remus, he felt compelled to...His best friend was just worrying about him, and here he was acting like a complete and total jerk. James released his grip on the pillow, the two fluffy ends falling back to a horizontal position.
"Nothing," He lied. He was horrible at lying.
"I'd believe you," Remus began, "but if it were nothing, you'd be out with Sirius right now instead of being here."
James stayed silent.
"So if you just tell me what it is," Remus continued, his hand raising gently toward James' shoulder, "I can help you as best I can."
James took in a deep breath, but he knew Remus wasn't lying. He never did. "Well...I was...Well, right after Sirius and I both...You know, (James' eyebrows raised) I passed out. In my dream, or rather...whatever you want to call it...I saw this boy named Harry, another boy named Ron, and some girl named Hermione. They...Were here, at Hogwarts, I was sure...And they were arguing over this broom of some sort..." James sighed heavily, quite unsure if he wanted to continue or not. "From Sirius. I...They were talking, and...One thing led to another, the conversation kept going...Finally, the girl, Hermione, said this: 'Harry! He KILLED your father, and you don't know what he has in store for you! All it would take would be to give you a hexed broom, and BOOM! It's good-bye Harry Potter!' That...Those words still shout vividly in my mind..." James looked rather disturbed now, his eyes swollen and a couple tears welling up in either eye. "Sirius killed me, and he was going after my...My apparent s-son..."
Remus really didn't know how to respond to that. His golden eyes were wide, and even though he probably wasn't aware of it, his mouth was gaping open. "Really?" he managed to get out, still quite in disbelief. "Your Ison/I? James...you..." Remus couldn't even finish the sentence.
"You what, Remus?" James asked, a hand lifting to his eyes to wipe away the tears. "Frightened pile of bones and flesh? I can't even think of anything else! I can't even...I can't even..." James' words were now drowned by incoherent sobs. "I can't..."
Remus shook his head, still in disbelief. "James...Prongs...It was just a dream! I mean...You couldn't possibly have had a vision...Those are quite difficult for anyone to get! I mean...Think about it! Dumbledore probably doesn't even get them...That's some powerful magic, there..."
Remus was doing his best to comfort his now sobbing friend, and without a thought to it, the young wolf slid into the bed next to James and pulled his friend close. James sobbed into Remus' chest, his hands weakly hitting against the soft fabric. Remus just lied there and held James close to him. Soon enough, after all the hair stroking and pained, frightened sobs, James had fallen asleep. Remus used this time to slide out of the bed, making sure James was tucked in right, and returned to the common room to speak with Sirius.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Remus returned, Sirius was still where he was, but now, the dark haired boy had fallen asleep. There was a couple of first year students huddled over in the opposite corner of the room, some girls, gawking and giggling over Remus' sleeping friend. He shot them a less than friendly look, and they caught the hint, the lot of them scuttling up the stairs. Remus slowly walked over to Sirius' sleeping form, sliding a slender hand toward his resting friend.
"Sirius," he mumbled, shaking the boy gently.
Sirius jumped with a startle, and within seconds he had Remus lying on the ground underneath him. Long strands of black hair falling in his face, Remus sputtered a bit. Surprised, but not angry, Remus' golden eyes gazed up into Sirius' dark black, and as the two of them stared upon one another, Sirius blinked. It only took him but a moment to realize who it was, his panting breath subsiding as he slid off of his friend.
"Sorry," he muttered, brushing the soft hair out of his black eyes.
"Think nothing of it," Remus stated, his face flushed. It was...quite exhilarating.
"So?" Sirius asked eagerly, crawling back into the chair. He was still slightly asleep, but nonetheless wanted to know.
"Well..." Remus began slowly, a thoughtful expression upon his face. "I guess you could say that it was just a misunderstanding." As he sat himself inside the chair across from Sirius, his fingers fidgeted about nervously.
"How so?"
Remus began to chew on his lower lip. "Erm...Well...James had a..." He really didn't know what to say. He honestly did not know if it was a dream, or if it could have been the even rarer possibility of a vision. "Idream/I about these three students. One named Harry, another Ron, and the other Hermione. They...Well..." Remus trailed off in a saddened tone. "I guess you could say...Quoting him, quoting the girl, 'Harry! He KILLED your father, and you don't know what he has in store for you! All it would take would be to give you a hexed broom, and BOOM! It's good-bye Harry Potter!'"
Sirius' eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "What?!"
Remus nodded fervently. "It...It was..."
"He had a SON?! And -I- killed him?! W-what?! I...R-remus, I..!" Sirius had resorted to stutters.
"Shh, I understand Sirius." Remus pulled up one of his legs and crossed it over the other beneath his robes. "It's just...James is shaken, and he needs you now. As much as he is going to try to get you to leave him alone, he needs someone who loves him."
"B-but if I go, won't that anger him further? I mean...I was the one that killed him...A-and...He'd probably just try and hurt me...or even worse, avoid me..." Sirius' eyes filled with a pained expression as he spoke the last words...He didn't want that -- At all.
"Well," Remus sighed, "you'll just have to see. I mean...Who else is there?"
......................................
"Me?" It was the soft voice of a female, belonging to none other than Lily Evans herself. She had a curious expression on her face.
Remus and Sirius both nodded.
"He...He won't talk to me, and he's already spoken with Remus. But...He needs someone he can trust right now. We know that person is you. Can...Can you please do this for me, Lily?" Sirius was almost pleading. "IPlease/I, Lily."
She paused for a moment, but afterward came a nod. "I'll do it."
Sirius lunged forward and hugged the firey haired girl tightly, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks, Lily. I'll never forget you for this."
Once he had let go of her, Lily chuckled softly. "Alright, then..." She said, "I'll see you too in a little bit. I'll go talk with James and then come back." With that, Lily exited the common room, leaving behind a rather hopeful pair of Marauder boys behind.
....................................
Lily had arrived in the Infirmary, but she wasn't exactly getting further than that. Madam Pomfrey was trying to get her to leave, telling her James was asleep. He might have just been saying that so people would leave him along, but she didn't know - she couldn't see. With Madam Pomfrey's hands flailing about frantically, Lily felt a little nervous.
"You sure I can't see him?" she asked timidly, her left hand twirling a piece of hair. Nervous habit.
"No, you can't! He's asleep and doesn't need visitors. Honestly, what is wrong with you kids? Why can't a person just get some sleep? First Black, then Lupin, now you! Leave the boy be!" Pomfrey was genlty and inconspicuously trying to push Lily out, but the red haired girl continued to dodge it by gently stepping aside.
"I just need to speak with him. Please?"
Madam Pomfrey sighed sharply. "Alright, fine. I'll give you a few minutes."
"That's all I need!" Lily said with a smile. "Thanks!"
Moving past Pomfrey in a hasty manner, Lily slid into the Wing and looked around for James, and almost instantly she knew which one it was. She headed over to his bed, but as Pomfrey had said, he was asleep. Nuzzled against the pillow, James seemed much more at peace than he had been earlier. His body was sprawled over the bed, covers strewn and blankets everywhere. She almost didn't want to wake him up, but thinking about it further, she didn't want to face the wrath of a guy in love.
"James?" She asked loudly, sitting herself down in the chair that Remus had left beside the bed. James just rolled over and smacked his lips.
"James!" she shouted now, the boy jumping up and twisting around in the bed. Some of the blankets twirled about, catching James and bringing him down to the bed.
"What...?" He grumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Once he saw who it was, he raised a brow. "What do you want, Lily?" His voice was sort of sharp.
"Umm...Well, I came to ask you something."
"What?" James curled up to the warm bed, wrinkling his nose.
"Umm..." Lily stuttered, her mind blank for a minute. "I'm here because...Sirius wants to come see you. He didn't want to just show up; he thought you would've hurt him or something. He wanted me to see if it was alright."
"I see," James said softly, his eyes looking down. He...As much as he was afraid to, he wanted to see Sirius. He i needed /i to see Sirius. He didn't really have much of a response.
Lily's voice broke James' thoughts. "Uhm...James? You've been quiet for a minute or two. Thinking?"
James shook his head, blinking twice. "Oh? Um...Sorry. Just thinking, yes. But...Tell him...Yes."
Lily smiled softly. "Alright then. I'll let him know." She stood and kneeled over to the bed, hugging her ex-boyfriend lovingly. "Goodbye then, James."
James watched Lily leave, and it seemed that almost as soon as she had left, Sirius was bounding in. There was quite some tension between the two, and as Sirius slowly walked down the aisle toward James, young Potter felt himself grasping the blankets. The closer Sirius got the tighter his grip, until he finally had to let go, his knuckles white and hands hurting. Sirius finally set himself in the chair, nervous as if this were some kind of convinct or something of the sort. James lifted the covers of the blanket up to his nose, hiding most of his face.
"H-hello," Sirius said softly, his eyes shifting around everywhere but James'.
"Hello," James replied, his voice muffled by the covers.
There was an awkward silence that hung between the two of them, almost the same as the one that was there when they had first grown to like each other more. Sirius broke it by clearing his throat.
"Umm...Feeling any better? D'you...d'you think I can touch you?" He was so nervous, he was visibly shaking.
James paused, but he finally nodded. "Y-yes," he stuttered out.
Sirius gently removed his robes, the fabric falling into the chair. Once they were off, he moved over to the bed and sat himself down on it. James stayed put, but as soon as Sirius' arms gently wrapped around him, he melted into the semi-older boy's arms.
"Oh Sirius...!" James whispered, burying his face into his lover's chest. "I...I'm sorry..." His eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
Sirius' heart fell. James was apologizing, but he didn't feel any different...He really didn't want to believe it ever happened. All he knew was right now, the most important thing to him was in his arms, and that was all that mattered. Kissing the top of James' head, Sirius kept him close.
"Shh...James. It's alright..."
James looked up at Sirius, usually beautiful brown orbs stained with tears, but full of happiness. "I'm....So sorry I put you through this..."
"I said it's alright, James," Sirius replied softly, hinting to the other that he could stop apologizing now. James calmed down, just setting his head on Sirius' chest. His hand was placed softly near Sirius' navel, and as he lied there, he circled the covered area with his finger, a soft smile on his face. "...You sure do care about me, huh?"
Sirius peered down at James, an almost awed expression. It could've been described as a 'where-have-you-been' look. James chuckled.
"I mean...You just went through a lot. You sent Remus here...Lily...I don't think anyone would've have done that. It means a lot. And...I'll have to thank little Moony later for convincing me that it was just a dream. I must've just been stressed out and finally happy that you returned."
Sirius simply nodded. "I know. I love the guy...(James shot him a curious look) but not as much as you, you know?" He laughed a bit.
"Well, I should hope so," James huffed cutely, tipping his head up to catch Sirius' lips in a soft meeting. The two kissed oneanother in broken pieces, but were quite surprised when they heard a bedpan drop.
"OH MY!" That shrill voice belonged to no one else but Madam Pomfrey. She was looking at the two as if they had just transformed into Voldemort.
"Come on!" She exclaimed, shuffling over to them and breaking them apart. She grasped Sirius' ear with her Death Grip, pulling the boy from the bed. "Trying to do things to patients?! What's wrong with you!"
"B-but Madam P-pomfrey..." Sirius stuttered out, "H-he...h-he and I-"
"I don't want to hear it! We're going to see the Headmaster! Come on, then!" She tugged on Sirius' ear, a painful growl escaping the boy. "Oooh, you're going to get it!"
Before James could say anything, Madam Pomfrey and Sirius were gone, leaving him alone in the hospital wing. This just sucked...He had ijust/i figured everything out with Sirius and there he was getting dragged off...Damnit all.
James lied there for, at the most, five to ten minutes before Sirius, Pomfrey and Dumbledore walked in. Dumbledore was looking the same as he had earlier that day, the same flowing purple robes designed with little moons and stars. Almost all his robes were like that...No matter. Sirius looked awful red, and Pomfrey stopped in the front office. Both Dumbledore and Sirius both stopped near his bed, the latter sitting down while the older man continued to stand. His softened expression felt upon James, eyes twinkling.
"Hello there, James. I trust you're feeling better?"
James nodded, his cheeks filling with a bright red hue as he looked up. Dumbledore lifted his hand, shaking his head.
"Please, don't be so nervous. I'm just here to see how you were doing. Think you can leave now? Or feeling a bit tired, still?"
James nodded. "Erm...I think I can go, now. It was just a rather torrential dream. I can handle it now." His eyes shot to Sirius who just sort of blushed.
"Ah," Dumbledore said, smiling softly. "So Sirius will be helping you back?"
James nodded once more. "...Yes, he will. Professor, you're not going to say-" He was cut off by Dumbledore lowering his hand.
"I understand, James. I won't say anything. Nobody's business." His eyes glittered mischievously, but one could tell the old wizard was telling the truth. "Well, I guess I shall be going. And as for Pomfrey..." His hand pointed to the woman frantically stumbling about. "I know I shouldn't have, but she doesn't quite remember anything that happened in the past fifteen minutes." Before James could speak up, Dumbledore winked. "You're welcome."
James smiled softly, his eyes peering down toward his feet. "Well...Thank you, Professor. I..."
Professor Dumbledore nodded, the smile he had still lingering faintly on his lips as he turned around, exiting the hospital wing. Both James and Sirius looked at each other. Within a moment, James slid out of the bed, pulling Sirius' robes over him. He shivered a little, but a smile was on his face.
"Come on, let's go to the bathroom now," James joked, his voice a soft whisper.
Sirius blinked once or twice, his eyes showing a hint of uneasiness. "Alright you...That's enough of that." Making sure that he didn't wrap his arm around his love, the two teenage boys left the hospital wing, making their way up to the Gryffindor Common Room.
~*~******************************~*~
Author's Note: Oooh...Why is this the easiest to write? *Sigh*...Don't forget to review ^_^
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene/Time change
................................................. = Minutes later
~*~****************************~*~
Sirius' heart fell. Him killing James? What? Where did he come up with that idea? Sirius was forced out of the Hospital Wing when James began to whimper incoherently, Madame Pomfrey really the only one who understood it. Being shuffled off when James needed him the most, he believed, was not something that could have led to any good.
He sat uncomfortably in one of the chairs that was placed inside the Gryffindor Common Room, his heart fluttering. He was so worried...He just kept continuously saying to himself the thing that James told him.
"You're going to kill me..."
Just as Sirius felt that he was going to cry, he heard a voice behind him.
"I am?"
It was Remus. Sirius turned around, his dark eyes even darker now, filled with worry and even what could possibly be described as anger.
"N-no," Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Not you."
"Then who?" Remus asked. He slowly walked toward Sirius, placing himself in the chair that sat across from the dark haired boy.
Sirius tried to speak up, but all that came out was some sort of strained groan. Remus nodded lightly, as if expecting that.
"Really?" Remus chuckled softly, a slender-fingered hand lifting to his chin. "Does it have something to do with-"
Sirius quickly cut him off with a raised hand and a nod.
"It has to do with Snape?"
Sirius blinked. He thought Remus would have known it had something to do with James, but apparently he was wrong.
"No," He sighed, "it has to do with James."
"Oh..." Remus seemed to get it now. He sighed a little and rubbed his forehead. "It isn't too bad, is it?"
"What do you consider to be 'too bad', Remus? When your boyfriend tells you that you're going to end his life in the future?"
Remus' golden eyes widened. "It's that bad?" He asked, looking concerned.
"Oh...Yes, it is..." Sirius sighed heavily. Where to begin...First with James passing out...Then he'd move on to the nightmare he had? Where...
Sirius started from the beginning. He explained how he and James just sat around, young Potter falling asleep, and with that, Sirius traveled to Dumbledore's office, James waiting outside for him, and finally, when they went into the bathroom and continued on with their day. It ended with Sirius almost in tears, having ended with the statement James told him. Remus looked...odd. His eyes were full of pain, but also full of curiosity.
"Oh...my goodness..." Remus muttered, a hand covering his mouth.
Sirius held back a tear or two. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, stuttering as he tried to speak once more. Remus motioned for him to join him, and Sirius didn't hesistate. Soon the darker haired one was curled up in the smaller boy's lap, Remus' hands running through Sirius' hair. With a deep sigh, Sirius looked up into his friend's eyes.
"It'll be alright, Sirius. I'm sure James just had a weird dream and all. Do you...want me to talk with him?"
Sirius nodded.
"Alright then," Remus began, "I'll do that. I was about to go and talk with Professor Avalade, but...He can wait. I'll go speak with James...If he's still in the Infirmary, that is."
"He should be," Sirius sighed.
"Well, that's good...I'll be on my way, then. I'll let you know how everything goes." With that, Remus, though not completely out of bounds, placed a soft kiss atop Sirius' head, slipping out of the common room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Though the return of the Hogwarts students had come back to the school, all full of warmth and happiness, none of them seemed to wanted to go inside. They were all out somewhere on the grounds, even the Slytherins. Remus was right, though. James was still in the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey, on orders from James himself, tried her best to get the wolfish one to leave.
"I'm -sorry-, but Mr. Potter himself said he doesn't want any visitors!"
"But I -need- to speak with him! Please, Madam Pomfrey..."
James could hear the two of them throwing sentences back and forth, his mind racing around. The voices of the three students he heard were still speaking sharply in his head, the whole conversation repeating itself over and over. James threw his head against the pillow, a weak hiss coming from him. He was so confused...so hurt. Sirius was going to kill him?! But, it could've just been a dream...But why did that boy look so much like him? Why...Why indeed...
Remus finally had convinced Madam Pomfrey to let him into the wing, and once she subsided, James heard Remus' step toward his bed.
"What do you want?" He asked rather bluntly, holding the pillow over his head. He didn't want to see anyone.
"I just came to see how you were doing. Sirius told me that you passed out when you were hanging out with him." Remus spoke softly, and pulling up a chair beside the bed, setting himself in it.
"You mean when we were snogging," James muttered.
Remus sighed lightly, shaking his head even though James couldn't see it. "Never mind when it happened. How're you doing?"
"Just fine," James grumbled, "Just bloody fine."
"This isn't you," Remus stated quietly. "You're worried."
James sighed sharply and rolled around, his non-glasses eyed peering directly at Remus. "Thank you Professor Annoying..."
Discarding that, the young werewolf shook his head. "James, what exactly did you see?"
As much as he didn't want to tell Remus, he felt compelled to...His best friend was just worrying about him, and here he was acting like a complete and total jerk. James released his grip on the pillow, the two fluffy ends falling back to a horizontal position.
"Nothing," He lied. He was horrible at lying.
"I'd believe you," Remus began, "but if it were nothing, you'd be out with Sirius right now instead of being here."
James stayed silent.
"So if you just tell me what it is," Remus continued, his hand raising gently toward James' shoulder, "I can help you as best I can."
James took in a deep breath, but he knew Remus wasn't lying. He never did. "Well...I was...Well, right after Sirius and I both...You know, (James' eyebrows raised) I passed out. In my dream, or rather...whatever you want to call it...I saw this boy named Harry, another boy named Ron, and some girl named Hermione. They...Were here, at Hogwarts, I was sure...And they were arguing over this broom of some sort..." James sighed heavily, quite unsure if he wanted to continue or not. "From Sirius. I...They were talking, and...One thing led to another, the conversation kept going...Finally, the girl, Hermione, said this: 'Harry! He KILLED your father, and you don't know what he has in store for you! All it would take would be to give you a hexed broom, and BOOM! It's good-bye Harry Potter!' That...Those words still shout vividly in my mind..." James looked rather disturbed now, his eyes swollen and a couple tears welling up in either eye. "Sirius killed me, and he was going after my...My apparent s-son..."
Remus really didn't know how to respond to that. His golden eyes were wide, and even though he probably wasn't aware of it, his mouth was gaping open. "Really?" he managed to get out, still quite in disbelief. "Your Ison/I? James...you..." Remus couldn't even finish the sentence.
"You what, Remus?" James asked, a hand lifting to his eyes to wipe away the tears. "Frightened pile of bones and flesh? I can't even think of anything else! I can't even...I can't even..." James' words were now drowned by incoherent sobs. "I can't..."
Remus shook his head, still in disbelief. "James...Prongs...It was just a dream! I mean...You couldn't possibly have had a vision...Those are quite difficult for anyone to get! I mean...Think about it! Dumbledore probably doesn't even get them...That's some powerful magic, there..."
Remus was doing his best to comfort his now sobbing friend, and without a thought to it, the young wolf slid into the bed next to James and pulled his friend close. James sobbed into Remus' chest, his hands weakly hitting against the soft fabric. Remus just lied there and held James close to him. Soon enough, after all the hair stroking and pained, frightened sobs, James had fallen asleep. Remus used this time to slide out of the bed, making sure James was tucked in right, and returned to the common room to speak with Sirius.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Remus returned, Sirius was still where he was, but now, the dark haired boy had fallen asleep. There was a couple of first year students huddled over in the opposite corner of the room, some girls, gawking and giggling over Remus' sleeping friend. He shot them a less than friendly look, and they caught the hint, the lot of them scuttling up the stairs. Remus slowly walked over to Sirius' sleeping form, sliding a slender hand toward his resting friend.
"Sirius," he mumbled, shaking the boy gently.
Sirius jumped with a startle, and within seconds he had Remus lying on the ground underneath him. Long strands of black hair falling in his face, Remus sputtered a bit. Surprised, but not angry, Remus' golden eyes gazed up into Sirius' dark black, and as the two of them stared upon one another, Sirius blinked. It only took him but a moment to realize who it was, his panting breath subsiding as he slid off of his friend.
"Sorry," he muttered, brushing the soft hair out of his black eyes.
"Think nothing of it," Remus stated, his face flushed. It was...quite exhilarating.
"So?" Sirius asked eagerly, crawling back into the chair. He was still slightly asleep, but nonetheless wanted to know.
"Well..." Remus began slowly, a thoughtful expression upon his face. "I guess you could say that it was just a misunderstanding." As he sat himself inside the chair across from Sirius, his fingers fidgeted about nervously.
"How so?"
Remus began to chew on his lower lip. "Erm...Well...James had a..." He really didn't know what to say. He honestly did not know if it was a dream, or if it could have been the even rarer possibility of a vision. "Idream/I about these three students. One named Harry, another Ron, and the other Hermione. They...Well..." Remus trailed off in a saddened tone. "I guess you could say...Quoting him, quoting the girl, 'Harry! He KILLED your father, and you don't know what he has in store for you! All it would take would be to give you a hexed broom, and BOOM! It's good-bye Harry Potter!'"
Sirius' eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "What?!"
Remus nodded fervently. "It...It was..."
"He had a SON?! And -I- killed him?! W-what?! I...R-remus, I..!" Sirius had resorted to stutters.
"Shh, I understand Sirius." Remus pulled up one of his legs and crossed it over the other beneath his robes. "It's just...James is shaken, and he needs you now. As much as he is going to try to get you to leave him alone, he needs someone who loves him."
"B-but if I go, won't that anger him further? I mean...I was the one that killed him...A-and...He'd probably just try and hurt me...or even worse, avoid me..." Sirius' eyes filled with a pained expression as he spoke the last words...He didn't want that -- At all.
"Well," Remus sighed, "you'll just have to see. I mean...Who else is there?"
......................................
"Me?" It was the soft voice of a female, belonging to none other than Lily Evans herself. She had a curious expression on her face.
Remus and Sirius both nodded.
"He...He won't talk to me, and he's already spoken with Remus. But...He needs someone he can trust right now. We know that person is you. Can...Can you please do this for me, Lily?" Sirius was almost pleading. "IPlease/I, Lily."
She paused for a moment, but afterward came a nod. "I'll do it."
Sirius lunged forward and hugged the firey haired girl tightly, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks, Lily. I'll never forget you for this."
Once he had let go of her, Lily chuckled softly. "Alright, then..." She said, "I'll see you too in a little bit. I'll go talk with James and then come back." With that, Lily exited the common room, leaving behind a rather hopeful pair of Marauder boys behind.
....................................
Lily had arrived in the Infirmary, but she wasn't exactly getting further than that. Madam Pomfrey was trying to get her to leave, telling her James was asleep. He might have just been saying that so people would leave him along, but she didn't know - she couldn't see. With Madam Pomfrey's hands flailing about frantically, Lily felt a little nervous.
"You sure I can't see him?" she asked timidly, her left hand twirling a piece of hair. Nervous habit.
"No, you can't! He's asleep and doesn't need visitors. Honestly, what is wrong with you kids? Why can't a person just get some sleep? First Black, then Lupin, now you! Leave the boy be!" Pomfrey was genlty and inconspicuously trying to push Lily out, but the red haired girl continued to dodge it by gently stepping aside.
"I just need to speak with him. Please?"
Madam Pomfrey sighed sharply. "Alright, fine. I'll give you a few minutes."
"That's all I need!" Lily said with a smile. "Thanks!"
Moving past Pomfrey in a hasty manner, Lily slid into the Wing and looked around for James, and almost instantly she knew which one it was. She headed over to his bed, but as Pomfrey had said, he was asleep. Nuzzled against the pillow, James seemed much more at peace than he had been earlier. His body was sprawled over the bed, covers strewn and blankets everywhere. She almost didn't want to wake him up, but thinking about it further, she didn't want to face the wrath of a guy in love.
"James?" She asked loudly, sitting herself down in the chair that Remus had left beside the bed. James just rolled over and smacked his lips.
"James!" she shouted now, the boy jumping up and twisting around in the bed. Some of the blankets twirled about, catching James and bringing him down to the bed.
"What...?" He grumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Once he saw who it was, he raised a brow. "What do you want, Lily?" His voice was sort of sharp.
"Umm...Well, I came to ask you something."
"What?" James curled up to the warm bed, wrinkling his nose.
"Umm..." Lily stuttered, her mind blank for a minute. "I'm here because...Sirius wants to come see you. He didn't want to just show up; he thought you would've hurt him or something. He wanted me to see if it was alright."
"I see," James said softly, his eyes looking down. He...As much as he was afraid to, he wanted to see Sirius. He i needed /i to see Sirius. He didn't really have much of a response.
Lily's voice broke James' thoughts. "Uhm...James? You've been quiet for a minute or two. Thinking?"
James shook his head, blinking twice. "Oh? Um...Sorry. Just thinking, yes. But...Tell him...Yes."
Lily smiled softly. "Alright then. I'll let him know." She stood and kneeled over to the bed, hugging her ex-boyfriend lovingly. "Goodbye then, James."
James watched Lily leave, and it seemed that almost as soon as she had left, Sirius was bounding in. There was quite some tension between the two, and as Sirius slowly walked down the aisle toward James, young Potter felt himself grasping the blankets. The closer Sirius got the tighter his grip, until he finally had to let go, his knuckles white and hands hurting. Sirius finally set himself in the chair, nervous as if this were some kind of convinct or something of the sort. James lifted the covers of the blanket up to his nose, hiding most of his face.
"H-hello," Sirius said softly, his eyes shifting around everywhere but James'.
"Hello," James replied, his voice muffled by the covers.
There was an awkward silence that hung between the two of them, almost the same as the one that was there when they had first grown to like each other more. Sirius broke it by clearing his throat.
"Umm...Feeling any better? D'you...d'you think I can touch you?" He was so nervous, he was visibly shaking.
James paused, but he finally nodded. "Y-yes," he stuttered out.
Sirius gently removed his robes, the fabric falling into the chair. Once they were off, he moved over to the bed and sat himself down on it. James stayed put, but as soon as Sirius' arms gently wrapped around him, he melted into the semi-older boy's arms.
"Oh Sirius...!" James whispered, burying his face into his lover's chest. "I...I'm sorry..." His eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
Sirius' heart fell. James was apologizing, but he didn't feel any different...He really didn't want to believe it ever happened. All he knew was right now, the most important thing to him was in his arms, and that was all that mattered. Kissing the top of James' head, Sirius kept him close.
"Shh...James. It's alright..."
James looked up at Sirius, usually beautiful brown orbs stained with tears, but full of happiness. "I'm....So sorry I put you through this..."
"I said it's alright, James," Sirius replied softly, hinting to the other that he could stop apologizing now. James calmed down, just setting his head on Sirius' chest. His hand was placed softly near Sirius' navel, and as he lied there, he circled the covered area with his finger, a soft smile on his face. "...You sure do care about me, huh?"
Sirius peered down at James, an almost awed expression. It could've been described as a 'where-have-you-been' look. James chuckled.
"I mean...You just went through a lot. You sent Remus here...Lily...I don't think anyone would've have done that. It means a lot. And...I'll have to thank little Moony later for convincing me that it was just a dream. I must've just been stressed out and finally happy that you returned."
Sirius simply nodded. "I know. I love the guy...(James shot him a curious look) but not as much as you, you know?" He laughed a bit.
"Well, I should hope so," James huffed cutely, tipping his head up to catch Sirius' lips in a soft meeting. The two kissed oneanother in broken pieces, but were quite surprised when they heard a bedpan drop.
"OH MY!" That shrill voice belonged to no one else but Madam Pomfrey. She was looking at the two as if they had just transformed into Voldemort.
"Come on!" She exclaimed, shuffling over to them and breaking them apart. She grasped Sirius' ear with her Death Grip, pulling the boy from the bed. "Trying to do things to patients?! What's wrong with you!"
"B-but Madam P-pomfrey..." Sirius stuttered out, "H-he...h-he and I-"
"I don't want to hear it! We're going to see the Headmaster! Come on, then!" She tugged on Sirius' ear, a painful growl escaping the boy. "Oooh, you're going to get it!"
Before James could say anything, Madam Pomfrey and Sirius were gone, leaving him alone in the hospital wing. This just sucked...He had ijust/i figured everything out with Sirius and there he was getting dragged off...Damnit all.
James lied there for, at the most, five to ten minutes before Sirius, Pomfrey and Dumbledore walked in. Dumbledore was looking the same as he had earlier that day, the same flowing purple robes designed with little moons and stars. Almost all his robes were like that...No matter. Sirius looked awful red, and Pomfrey stopped in the front office. Both Dumbledore and Sirius both stopped near his bed, the latter sitting down while the older man continued to stand. His softened expression felt upon James, eyes twinkling.
"Hello there, James. I trust you're feeling better?"
James nodded, his cheeks filling with a bright red hue as he looked up. Dumbledore lifted his hand, shaking his head.
"Please, don't be so nervous. I'm just here to see how you were doing. Think you can leave now? Or feeling a bit tired, still?"
James nodded. "Erm...I think I can go, now. It was just a rather torrential dream. I can handle it now." His eyes shot to Sirius who just sort of blushed.
"Ah," Dumbledore said, smiling softly. "So Sirius will be helping you back?"
James nodded once more. "...Yes, he will. Professor, you're not going to say-" He was cut off by Dumbledore lowering his hand.
"I understand, James. I won't say anything. Nobody's business." His eyes glittered mischievously, but one could tell the old wizard was telling the truth. "Well, I guess I shall be going. And as for Pomfrey..." His hand pointed to the woman frantically stumbling about. "I know I shouldn't have, but she doesn't quite remember anything that happened in the past fifteen minutes." Before James could speak up, Dumbledore winked. "You're welcome."
James smiled softly, his eyes peering down toward his feet. "Well...Thank you, Professor. I..."
Professor Dumbledore nodded, the smile he had still lingering faintly on his lips as he turned around, exiting the hospital wing. Both James and Sirius looked at each other. Within a moment, James slid out of the bed, pulling Sirius' robes over him. He shivered a little, but a smile was on his face.
"Come on, let's go to the bathroom now," James joked, his voice a soft whisper.
Sirius blinked once or twice, his eyes showing a hint of uneasiness. "Alright you...That's enough of that." Making sure that he didn't wrap his arm around his love, the two teenage boys left the hospital wing, making their way up to the Gryffindor Common Room.
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Author's Note: Oooh...Why is this the easiest to write? *Sigh*...Don't forget to review ^_^