Chapter 33: More Family secrets
When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was light. I blinked, unable to keep my eyes open in the daze of light that attacked me. I lifted my arm, shielding my eyes from what I thought was the light of a thousand suns. After a few moments, my eyes adjusted and I was able to take in my surroundings.
I was surrounded by people. James was sleeping, his head resting in his arms at the end of my bed. Lily had found his shoulders to be a very good pillow. Remus and Addi were curled up in another set of chairs. And Peter was lying on the floor. There were a few more people, Hagrid had tried to fit in one of the chairs and had obviously failed because he was sleeping curled up on the shattered remains.
I lifted my head up and winced. I let out a soft groan and reached up to touch my head. My hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Every part of me ached. Unknown to me my movements had awoken James. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. Then he saw that my eyes were open.
" SIRIUS!" he yelled jumping up. In his excitement, he forgot that Lily was using him for a pillow and she tumbled off him right on to Remus and Addi. They awoke and began yelling at her and she at them. James had also unfortunately stepped on Peter's head when he jumped so now Peter began yelling at him also. We'd always found Peter was the bravest when he had just woke up. Hagrid was awakened by the yelling and began to try to quiet them down. Madam Pomfrey heard the noise and began yelling at Hagrid for letting them all get so noisy. I sat back and watched, a smile on my face.
Soon thing s finally clamed down a bit and everyone realized I was awake. There was some more confusion in which everyone got hugged, and then there was some yelling at James for not telling them I was awake.
After a while Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey left leaving the Marauders to themselves.
" Sirius, god! I can't believe you're awake. I thought you might never wake up." Remus told me.
" How long have I been out?"
" A month. Give or take a few days." Lily said. I let out a low whistle, my eyes widening. A month? I had missed a month of my life? Lost a Month of my life, one full moon?
" Damn, I must have been tired."
"Sirius, don't swear." Remus and Addi scolded at the same time. They glanced at each other and blushed. I shook my head.
Addi hugged me for the tenth time " When they came to get me at school, I thought for sure you were dead. You should have seen it. We were in class and Hagrid squeezed in and asked if a Miss Black was here? I asked Hagrid what he was doing there? And he said there's been an attack and I just burst out crying right there in the middle of class." They all laughed, but it was a nervous sort of laugh. Like none of them really found it funny.
" Any way, I can't believe you survived an attack form Voldemort."
"James found you." Lily said, gently patting James's arm.
" You did, Prongs? How?" I asked.
" Actually Moony helped. It was the full moon that night. We looked all over the forbidden forest. It wasn't that hard. There were no birds, no sounds at all even though Voldemort was gone and we saw you lying there. And Moony " He grinned " You tell him, Moony."
" I didn't even try to bite you. The wolf mind disappeared completely. All the wolf cared about was that Padfoot was okay." Remus was practically bouncing.
" Hey, Moony, that's great." I knew Remus was always worried about the line in his mind where the wolf and the human intersected.
" Snape owes me ten galleons." Peter piped up. We started at him. " He bet me ten gallons that you wouldn't make it. I told him nothing could kill you."
" Wow, you got brave, Peter." He wouldn't meet my eyes, which I thought was strange. But I didn't pay it any mind. Maybe I should have. If I had… Oh well, just add it to the long list of Sirius Black's mistakes that could have saved lives.
We laughed but memories had begun to surface. Things I didn't want to remember. Hearing my mum's death was one of them. But some where deep inside I did want to hear it again. It was the only time I could every remember hearing her voice and I didn't want to forget it. I felt guilty. I remembered Voldemort cursing Remus and Beaker and Erin. Erin. It hit me. She was missing.
" Where's Erin?" They were silent. I saw James and Remus exchange looks. Remus pulled James off to the side and they spoke in hushed tones with an occasional glance in my direction.
" Padfoot, don't you remember?' Remus asked softly
" Remember what?" James looked at Lily for help. She sighed and leaned down to face me.
" Sirius, do you remember what happened when Voldemort sent that curse at you?" I racked my mind and came up with some scattered pictures. Erin shouting, pushing me to the side. The way I had driven him off and lying down with her in my arms. I blinked and realized my face was soaked.
" She pushed me aside. The curse was meant for me, not her." No one said anything. I didn't sob or anything. I just lay there and let the tears stream down my face. I soon realized my friends were crying too. All expect Peter. He looked extremely uncomfortable.
The moment was ruined by Madam Pomfrey bursting in and yelling at them for " upsetting her patients." Dumbledore arrived a moment later, his blue shining. I couldn't look him in the eyes. I felt horribly guilty, this entire thing had been my fault. I felt I had allowed my self to be lured out of the castle and my foolishness had led to Erin's death. He sent the others to bed and told me to get some rest. They had a match in two weeks and if I was up to it, I was welcome to play. Then he left. As much as I had slept before I fell asleep instantly.
Madam Pomfrey forced me to stay in bed for another week and wouldn't let me leave the infirmary for another three days. The only reason she let me leave then was because she said she couldn't stand all my friends hanging out there all the time. By the time I left most of the school had found out the story. But who told, I could hardly guess. I learned they had been told at first that I had had some sort of accident on my broom, and Erin had died in the same accident.
But somehow the story leaked out that I had faced Voldemort. And as I walked down the halls, whispered and stares followed me. The fact that I was surrounded at all times by James; Remus, Peter and the other Gryffindor boys only helped the rumors along. Actually Michael Finnegan had heard the Slytherins planning their strategies for the upcoming game. They planned to go after me as they thought my recovery would make me slower and easier to beat. Therefore James as captain ordered me never to be alone. I gave him a box full of open dungbombs as a thank you.
To most people it looked like there was nothing wrong with me. I resumed my rein of terror and on my first day back got a detection form Filch for setting dungbombs off in the halls. I pulled my grades up with only a little help from my friends. Outwardly I was the perfect teenager. But inside I was dying.
Erin's death had left a hole in my heart. And as much as I loved to see the others happy sometimes it hurt so bad to see James hug Lily or Remus write a love letter to Addi. I hid it well, but not from my friends. They knew of course that I was in pain, they all were. Erin was a Marauder and as far as we were concerned, Marauders never died. She was our friend, but she was more than that to me.
I loved her. I was planning to ask her to marry me once we got out of Hogwarts. To lose her was like losing a part of my soul.
The night before the game was unfortunately a full moon. So, of course, we went out. Remus told us to stay in, get our sleep. But we couldn't sleep anyway and this way at least we would be having fun.
The next morning we came down for breakfast. I couldn't eat. I never could before a match. Remus came in at breakfast, looking extremely pale and tired.
" I thought you were supposed to stay in bed."
" I couldn't miss Sirius's big comeback. It'll be the topic of conversation for the rest of term and I'll be the only one who didn't go. I don't think so. " He gave me a weak smile.
" How'd you get by Madam Pompfrey?" I asked " I must've tried it a thousand times and she caught me every single time."
" You guys left the cloak in the shack last night. I just made use of it." He patted his front, which was rounder than usual. We grinned.
In the changing rooms James gathered us together to give us his routine pep talk " Listen, I know that last game was rough. We were short a player. "He glanced at me " But we still managed to win. Now I think this is the best damn team we've had in a long time. How about you, Padfoot?"
" Definitely." The rest of the team grinned. They knew I was just as good as James and half the plays we came up with were mine. That's what comes form being assistant captain.
" Anyway we have one great keeper." Tom Weasly blushed. His older brother Arthur had come to school almost 10 years before and he was determined to out shine Arthur who had excelled at almost everything except Quidditich. and it was Tom's great wish to be a professional Quidditich player. And he was good. They all were. James only picked the best. I of course, threatened to tell the whole school what James said about Lily in his sleep if he didn't pick me, so the whole team begged me to spare them and grab a bat.
" We have three superb and beautiful chasers. Other than me." Stephanie Moran, and Natalie Mullet all giggled.
"James!" I gasped. " What will Lily say?" The entire team, including the aforementioned Lily, threw towels at me.
" We have two unbeatable beaters." Michael Finnegan and I grinned.
"A keeper who never lets a goal go by him." Max Bale gave him a wink.
" And the best seeker who has never failed to win us a match." James said after I threw the towels back at him. Lily beamed, and that comment earned James a kiss on the cheek.
" I think that's everyone." James counted. The girls laughed
" No we're missing Peter."
"What's he do?" Tom asked. They all knew what was coming. James and I had some sort of strange conversation before every game and it was a tradition the team seemed to look forward to.
" He's the best towel boy I've ever seen. He has a bright future. If only I could be that lucky." I said bursting into fake very unconvincing sobs and throwing my self on James.
" There, there Padfoot." The teamed laughed and we heard the whistle blow.
" You all go. I don't think I could bare to let anyone see me this emotional." The team each seized some part of my robe and dragged me outside. We laughed. This was going to be a great game.
As I stepped on to the pitch I was overcome by a wave of dizziness. I felt shivers run down my spine and a feeling of cold dread rose in my stomach. I must have looked like I felt because James punched me lightly in the shoulder.
" You okay Padfoot?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. Now let's play."
We took off. Almost immediately Natalie had gotten the quaffle and scored. The Slytherins had decided to play a dirty match. They fouled left and right. Snape who was a beater too was pelting the bludgers at every member of the team. Michael and I had a heck of a time getting rid of them all. Of course we won. Lily caught the snitch about an hour later. I was ecstatic. But when he caught it James was on the other end of the pitch. I saw the crowds rush out to meet us. James was still high in the air. He zoomed by me laughing. Just then I saw out of the corner of my eyes Snape hitting something. I saw it was a bludger and it was headed right for James. And he didn't see it. I raced toward him encouraging speed out of my good old Cleansweep. But I just wasn't getting enough speed.
"James!" James turned around just in time for the bludger to duck the attack and stare at the bludger that now raced across the pitch. Madam Hooch was not happy and yanked Snape off the field as we hurried back up to Gryffindor Tower to partake in the celebration feast.