Chapter 11 ~ Checking Up
Sirius was still very angry. Madam Pomfrey had given him something to settle his stomach, but wouldn't let him go down to the feast. James, Remus and Peter had been up before dinner to check on him, and he'd heard them chatting and laughing as they left to go down to the Great Hall.
Sirius was not used to losing, especially to a GIRL who used a bunch of harmless curses and made him look like an idiot. 'She might as well have dueled a first year!' he thought furiously to himself. He hadn't hit her with a single curse. He hung his head, ignoring the plate of food that Madam Pomfrey had placed on his table.
"You should eat something. If your stomach has stopped spinning, that is." He looked up quickly to see Muriel standing at the foot of his bed. He reached toward the bedside table, his eyes still on her. "I've already taken the liberty of picking that up for you." She pulled his wand out of the pocket of her robes and handed it to him. She was smiling, now, but he narrowed his eyes.
"Get lost, or I'll call Madam Pomfrey!" he snapped.
"She won't hear. I've put a silencing charm around us both." She paused, then walked around to the side of his bed and put her hand gently on his stomach. He sat up a little straighter, his eyes widening. What was she going to do to him now? "Feels like your stomach's calmed down a bit. You should be able to eat now." She pulled the table over and poured him some pumpkin juice from the flask Madam Pomfrey had left. He took the glass, staring at her. She could feel his confusion. His very thoughts seemed to be stuttering and tumbling over each other, so she smiled at him again, and sat down to explain.
"Couldn't you tell by my choice of hexes that I had no intention of hurting you?" she asked gently. "I just needed the duel to be over quickly, so I could go make sure Severus was alright. Not that I found him," she added sullenly. "He disappeared so well that I doubt I'll see him again until we get home." She looked at her hands, and for a moment Sirius felt something like shame, but he shook it off.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he said, his voice still harsh.
"Just checking to see that I didn't do any permanent damage, Black," she replied mildly, her gentle demeanor disappearing. She wished he'd straighten out his thoughts, they were shooting out of his head like poorly aimed arrows, and she couldn't make any sense of them. "I heard that you did the same for me during the holiday and -" She cut off abruptly, as running footsteps approached from the hallway.
Muriel smiled again. "That will be the marauders, I suppose. I'll be going now. This would be a bad time, I think, to see James." She took out her own wand, winked at Sirius and whispered something softly so he couldn't hear. He let out a gasp as she disappeared, and about jumped out of his skin a moment later when she whispered in his ear. "Glad you're alright. See you next year."
"WAIT!" he said, but she didn't appear or speak again. The door to the hospital ward burst open and James and Remus appeared, followed by Peter. Sirius noticed the door didn't shut quite as quickly as usual.
"Wormtail!" Sirius barked, "Run back out into the hallway and read this out loud." He was scribbling furiously on a scrap of napkin. Peter squeaked as Sirius thrust the napkin at him, and did as he was told. James and Remus exchanged a confused glance.
Muriel was surprised when Peter came stumbling into the hallway. She had been hurrying as fast as she could. Holding the invisibility spell was difficult and she didn't turn around when she heard him stuttering. "C-can Sirius come and v-visit you this summer?" She ran around the corner and dropped the spell, breathing heavily.
She didn't answer at first. Peter looked around warily, wondering if they would all be laughing at him when he went back in. Finally he turned around and opened the door, just as Muriel stuck her head around the corner. "I don't know, can he?" she asked sarcastically. Peter jumped, and turned around. Not seeing anyone, he went to join his friends, and Muriel headed back to the Ravenclaw common room by way of the kitchens. She was starving!
Sirius was still very angry. Madam Pomfrey had given him something to settle his stomach, but wouldn't let him go down to the feast. James, Remus and Peter had been up before dinner to check on him, and he'd heard them chatting and laughing as they left to go down to the Great Hall.
Sirius was not used to losing, especially to a GIRL who used a bunch of harmless curses and made him look like an idiot. 'She might as well have dueled a first year!' he thought furiously to himself. He hadn't hit her with a single curse. He hung his head, ignoring the plate of food that Madam Pomfrey had placed on his table.
"You should eat something. If your stomach has stopped spinning, that is." He looked up quickly to see Muriel standing at the foot of his bed. He reached toward the bedside table, his eyes still on her. "I've already taken the liberty of picking that up for you." She pulled his wand out of the pocket of her robes and handed it to him. She was smiling, now, but he narrowed his eyes.
"Get lost, or I'll call Madam Pomfrey!" he snapped.
"She won't hear. I've put a silencing charm around us both." She paused, then walked around to the side of his bed and put her hand gently on his stomach. He sat up a little straighter, his eyes widening. What was she going to do to him now? "Feels like your stomach's calmed down a bit. You should be able to eat now." She pulled the table over and poured him some pumpkin juice from the flask Madam Pomfrey had left. He took the glass, staring at her. She could feel his confusion. His very thoughts seemed to be stuttering and tumbling over each other, so she smiled at him again, and sat down to explain.
"Couldn't you tell by my choice of hexes that I had no intention of hurting you?" she asked gently. "I just needed the duel to be over quickly, so I could go make sure Severus was alright. Not that I found him," she added sullenly. "He disappeared so well that I doubt I'll see him again until we get home." She looked at her hands, and for a moment Sirius felt something like shame, but he shook it off.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he said, his voice still harsh.
"Just checking to see that I didn't do any permanent damage, Black," she replied mildly, her gentle demeanor disappearing. She wished he'd straighten out his thoughts, they were shooting out of his head like poorly aimed arrows, and she couldn't make any sense of them. "I heard that you did the same for me during the holiday and -" She cut off abruptly, as running footsteps approached from the hallway.
Muriel smiled again. "That will be the marauders, I suppose. I'll be going now. This would be a bad time, I think, to see James." She took out her own wand, winked at Sirius and whispered something softly so he couldn't hear. He let out a gasp as she disappeared, and about jumped out of his skin a moment later when she whispered in his ear. "Glad you're alright. See you next year."
"WAIT!" he said, but she didn't appear or speak again. The door to the hospital ward burst open and James and Remus appeared, followed by Peter. Sirius noticed the door didn't shut quite as quickly as usual.
"Wormtail!" Sirius barked, "Run back out into the hallway and read this out loud." He was scribbling furiously on a scrap of napkin. Peter squeaked as Sirius thrust the napkin at him, and did as he was told. James and Remus exchanged a confused glance.
Muriel was surprised when Peter came stumbling into the hallway. She had been hurrying as fast as she could. Holding the invisibility spell was difficult and she didn't turn around when she heard him stuttering. "C-can Sirius come and v-visit you this summer?" She ran around the corner and dropped the spell, breathing heavily.
She didn't answer at first. Peter looked around warily, wondering if they would all be laughing at him when he went back in. Finally he turned around and opened the door, just as Muriel stuck her head around the corner. "I don't know, can he?" she asked sarcastically. Peter jumped, and turned around. Not seeing anyone, he went to join his friends, and Muriel headed back to the Ravenclaw common room by way of the kitchens. She was starving!
