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Turn Left Turn Right.
Chapter 8: A Hospital Mishap.
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Disclaimer: Am not J.K. Rowling. Don't sue.
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Summary: Two people who are destined to be together, (Lily and James) never meet but are always only a few feet away from each other. They live in bliss, ignorant of others, until one day they chance upon an encounter with each other and realise that their lives have missing pieces in it. They part, but then, are unable to contact each other again, leaving two love- torn teenagers desperately trying to find their other half.
7 December 2003
***
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Squiggles1: You have no idea how much I want the other seasons. Well, it's now the hot and wet season. !@#$%^&* You live in Montreal? I love that place!!! Ok, well, maybe what I saw was only a teeny part of it, but I loved it all the same. It was supposedly summer then, but the temperatures were about 19oC. Anyway, thanks for your vote of confidence. Hmm, do you know what a Beta is by the way? Oh, and there will be more than one evil character! Read on! And, I'm sure you'll be a great writer, since you seem committed to it. I mean, getting books on writing? –WOW- I must be a lazy bum.
Darksarchangel: Everyone told me it was kind of confusing!!! AAHHH!! Ok, I'm weird, don't mind me!
ShorTi: Thank you! I may try posting it again sometime. Well, in that story Lily is a transfer student who shakes James out of his misery. It is kind of love-hate, cos James hated Lily the first time he met her, as she reminded him of his old girlfriend.
Indiangurl: Thanks lots!
LJstagflower4e: Thanks a lot!
Livewithit: Whoo! Thank you! Well, hopefully you read this.
Fulldark: Yep! I realized that mistake too!
Lily1234: Hmm, there will be no chapter with only Sirius and Bella. I think you misunderstood. Oh well.
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The next two days gone and the James yet remained locked up in his retreat into the Head Rooms.
Sirius slammed the table in anger. His two friends looked at him, faces drawn, for it wasn't usual that this Marauder would throw away his easy-going, crazy exterior in exchange for one so... errmm, well, serious.
Remus surveyed his friend. "Breakfast's not yet over. There is still time for him to join, you know?"
Peter nodded slightly in agreement, but his eyebrows had sunk in a deep frown.
Sirius looked at Remus, and raised a dark eyebrow by a fraction. Anyone who didn't know him would think him calm, and well, his usual self. But, for the two present, the stormy dark blue eyes, and white clenched fists spoke volumes for themselves. "Will he?" He asked in a tight voice not characteristic to himself.
Remus shrugged, knowing that his friend was right. "I suppose not." And as he saw his friends' eyes darken until a midnight blue, he hurried to change the topic. "So, where's Bella huh?"
"Yea, where's Bella?" Peter echoed Remus' words quickly, so as to appease his friend further.
Sirius bad mood lightened as his eyes drifted over to the Ravenclaw table, and looked back, with a faint smile on his face, softening the intimidating aura he had sent out a few moments ago. "Oh, she decided to be a Ravenclaw today. Sad huh..."
Peter laughed. "And I would have thought that Sirius would have had her transferred over to Gryffindor by now... Well, it's almost time for Transfiguration. We better hurry along. Wouldn't want to imagine McGonagall." He grimaced and stood up, stretching slightly, his 6"1 frame towering over the other two who were still seated.
Remus let a smile lift the corner of his lips. "Do you even care about being late?"
Peter grinned. "Nope, you got me there. But, if I have to listen to her 'bloody marauders' holler one more time, I swear..." he trailed off, but everyone got the idea all the same.
"Okay, one Sirius, coming up. I wouldn't want to be the one who tells McGonagall James isn't coming again," he muttered, a shadow passing his face. "All the same, let's just look for him after lessons." And he brightened.
The two stood up, and together, the trio sauntered over to the entrance, attracting smiles from all around. As they crossed the Great Hall, their numbers swelled as people started joining them, all looking up to the three in blatant adoration.
Remus quirked a slight smile onto his face for a brief moment, the only sign of him acknowledging his throngs of fans. But his brows were slightly furrowed, as he tuned himself to block out the incessant chatter of the girls. His bored indifference was apparent on his face, and try as they might, neither of the girls could get him to open up.
Sirius and Peter, on the other hand, were basking in the glory. But, it was of two different kinds. Sirius smiled apologetically as he weaved his way as best as possible over to the Ravenclaw table where he offered a hand to Bella, and the girls slowly flitted away, throwing looks of utmost enviousness at her. Peter grinned and walked slowly with his friends, as the only 'available' member of the group, but he shrugged them off at the door, and, together, the five made their way to the Transfiguration classroom.
"Ladies first," Sirius said smoothly as they reached the polished oak door, and he held the door open for them.
But, McGonagall, her ability to tolerate lateness extended to only the two Ravenclaw girls, and as the three stepped through the doors, a blast, and halfway down the corridor, it could be heard... "YOU BLOODY MARAUDERS! THIS ISN'T THE FIRST, AND I DOUBT, WILL BE THE LAST TIME I'VE CAUGHT YOU LATE... LATE IN THIS CLASS, YOU HEAR ME?"
And back in the classroom, where everyone was shrinking as far as possible into their seats, Sirius, Remus and Peter were mouthing along with her for they had the whole speech memorized by heart. McGonagall saw this and her eyes darkened even further. And, unfortunately, this was when that Sirius decided to open his mouth. Sirius straightened up and replied, rather brightly, "of course we've heard you Professor, who wouldn't?"
McGonagall swelled like a balloon. "Detention Black, she replied in clipped tones. " And her eyes passed over them. "And where, pray tell, is Potter?"
All eyes turned to Remus, who groaned. "Do I have to?" He hissed under his breath.
"Yea," Peter replied in equally soft tones. "You drew the shortest straw."
McGonagall was now positively fuming. "IS THERE ANYTHING TO SAY? DETENTION, LUPIN, PETTIGREW, AND TELL POTTER THAT WHEN HE COMES BACK, HE'LL HAVE HIS HIDE SKINNED AND HUNG UP ON MY DOOR!" She roared. "Get to your seats, and one more disturbance from you three and I will be forced to take drastic action."
"Well, that saves the trouble of explaining," Remus breathed as he walked to his desk.
"LUPIN! WHAT DID I SAY?" McGonagall yelled from behind.
"Yes Professor," came a bored voice.
*
Lily sat in a chair, her eyes glazed over as she stared at an unseen spot on her wall. She sniffled again, and automatically pulled a tissue and blew her nose. She hadn't left her room in about a week, and the House Elves were staying away too, as they did not enter while anyone was around. The place looked a mess, and she looked worst for the wear sitting in the middle of what one could call a miniature garbage dump.
*
James sat, slumped at the table, holding the C-globe in front of him, but not doing anything. A throbbing headache was making a nice pounding within his skull. With reluctance, he pulled himself out of the chair.
"Hospital Wing please," he said, amidst cough and sniffles.
The black cleared to show the white polished tiles of the Hospital Wing.
"Hogwarts Hospital Wing, state your purpose," a brisk no-nonsense voice asked.
"Uhh... Really sick idiot at Head Boys Room, help," he replied feebly and the ball returned back to its former murky black.
And he slumped back onto the table.
*
Lily was startled out of her reverie when a note suddenly popped into existence beside her hand.
To whoever it may concern:
Call for assistance answered at 1407 hours, please take hold of specified object to be transported over to said destination.
No: 745H
Destination: 555I Hogwarts, Hospital Wing.
'That's odd... I didn't ask for assistance whatsoever. Could be Dumbledore,' she thought with a shrug and took hold of the note.
In an instant, Lily was not to be found at her room.
*
'What is taking them such a long time to arrive?' James wondered as he awoke from his short slumber to read the clock. 'I called 10 minutes ago.'
*
Joy hummed merrily as she stepped through the fireplace to a room that she had come to know rather well these past few days.
And she saw slumped on the table, one very disoriented looking boy.
"That's it!" She snarled. "You're going to the Hospital Wing now! Whether you like it or not!"
'He must be really sick. He isn't even kicking up a protest,' she thought worriedly to herself.
"Wait."
She looked questioningly at him.
He turned to the C-Globe. "Activate voice box storage."
She made a sound of frustration in the back of her throat. "Still looking for her? Give it up already."
*
Lily arrived in the entrance of the Hospital Wing, looking none too frazzled beside her sick self. The portkeys used in the school were of the best quality and transporting around was usually without the whirling feeling that so characterized the other portkeys. She leaned against the wall as a sudden bout of nausea caused the room to swim in and out of focus.
"Ah, you're here," Madam Pomfrey said as she bustled into the entrance room. "It's you?" She asked, disbelief showing on her face. "Oh well, come along in then."
She took Lily's arm to stable her before leading her into the interior of the Wing and onto one of the beds.
"Ok, you just lie there for a while, I have business to see to outside the school, but don't worry, my assistant will be dropping by shortly," Pomfrey told her and walked away.
Lily sighed and leant back onto the fluffy pillows, and before long, sleep claimed the petite red-head and she drifted off into a fitful mirage of dreams.
*** Dream ***
She was running through that same open field, and the stag came running through her sight of vision. She started following it, but every time she reached the boundary of the trees, she would just come back to where she had started at. (its like a loop)
Then, it faded to black. And when the scene changed, she found herself face to face with the stag. Except that it didn't seem to be a stag anymore. It's face was grossly mutilated, and an evil sneer graced its features. It started to charge at her, lowering its antlers as if wanting to strike her. Lily curled up into a ball, and a small shriek escaped her lips.
When she looked up, it was black again, and the scene changed.
She was back at Hogsmeade, waiting for the boy, as she knew he would come. It was the same fountain where they met that fateful day, but as she waited, nothing appeared. One last time, she turned around and she came face to face with one Lucius Malfoy. He sneered at her. "Well hello, Mudblood." And then, he eased his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at her.
Mudblood... Mudblood... The word echoed hollowly in her mind and again, everything faded to a dull black.
She turned around and found herself face to face with Bella and Jill. They smirked at her. "Honestly, do you thing we would even like you?" Then, they became the boy she met in Hogsmeade. "I don't even want to know you... Did you think I would actually like someone like you? You've got to wake up..."
Wake up...
*** End ***
And she awoke.
"Wake u-" a voice above her called. "Oh, good, you're awake."
She shot up so suddenly that her head collided with something rather solid, and sent an excruciating wave of pain through her head.
"Ouch!" Two voices said simultaneously.
"Now... Do I know you?" The person asked.
Lily looked up at the person standing over her.
His eyes widened. "LILY? What are you doing here?"
"I go to school here, obviously. Who are you anyway?" He looked... oddly familiar, and a disconcerting feeling settled in Lily's stomach. If she wasn't wrong... This could be bad.
"Remember me, I'm Alex!" He said loudly and extremely enthusiastically and stared at her.
Lily groaned, and placed her head into her hands. Alex the idiot... Alex the sickening guy... Alex, the one she knew from her Muggle school... Alex the irritating one that always followed her around... Alex who beat up any guy she talked to... The same Alex who had an immensely huge crush on her...
It was definitely bad.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Lily mumbled to herself.
Unfortunately, the idiot took her groan as one of sickness, and not one of frustration. "Of course you're sick, look at you. Nevermind, I'll take extremely good care of you."
"I didn't know you were a wizard," Lily offered feebly.
He nodded self-importantly. "I was just as surprised when I found out! Well, I went to Salem. You know Salem's schooling takes a faster time to complete, so now I'm working as a Healer. Wow! It's such a wonderful surprise to see you here Lily," he said, eyes sparkling brightly.
'Not wonderful for me though,' Lily thought to herself, then out loud she said, "can you fix me up in a jiffy? I'm sure that's what Madam Pomfrey would do. I don't think I can stand to stay here any longer."
"Nonsense!" He replied airily. "You're gonna have to stay here until I'm absolutely certain that you're fine. Under my tender, loving care, you'll surely get well soon. Then you will see me as your savior and then..." he trailed off, day-dreaming.
'Oh no!'
"Now, you just be a good girl and get back to sleep." He patted her on the head.
"Wait!" Lily exclaimed as he turned to leave.
He turned back, a smile gracing his features.
"Yes, Lily dearest?" He asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
She grimaced painfully, but decided to ignore the certain feeling of hexing him to the end of the universe.
"Could you bring me my C-Globe, it's in my dorm. Just keep turning right at every corridor you reach and you'll get there eventually. The password's twinkle toes. And you better don't do anything funny while you're there," she threatened.
He waved her threat away lightly. "Ok, anything for you my sweet."
Lily blanched, as she recognised the same phrase to be used by that dratted caretaker, Filch, whenever he called for his even more dratted scrawny pet cat, the ever hateful, Mrs Norris.
He exited the Wing, and Lily slumped back onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
And there came a loud yell.
*
Joy helped James to the Hospital Wing, his arm slung over her shoulder and, by some luck, managed to avoid any teachers or students.
She raced into the Wing, and collided head on with someone coming out of it.
"Watch where you're going," she snapped impatiently.
"Who're you?" A rude male voice asked.
"Get lost, I'm trying to save someone here," Joy yelled.
"Well, you can't go in there until I give you permission, I'm the Healer in charge here temporarily."
Joy looked at his name tag. "Well, Mister ahh, Alex Whipple, you better shove your bloody fat arse aside and let me in this moment or I'll make you regret it!"
Alex narrowed his eyes at her. "What makes you think you can just push me around!"
Joy shoved James in front of her. "He's sick damn you! Aren't you supposed to help sick people?" She peeked around him at the Wing. "And, why is it that the girl there is able to get in? This is a scandal I tell you! Wait till I get hold of the Headmaster here, and you'll be sorry you ever crossed paths with Joy Redknapp!" She half-yelled.
Alex pulled himself out self-importantly. "That's different. She's on the brink of death and she needs my tender care!" He retorted with a sickly sweet smile on his face.
Joy shoved James against the wall, and strode into the Wing to check on the girl. "On the brink of death my arse! She's just having a flu! The same as this boy here, and it is important that you treat him NOW! He's much more important than that girl over there! See! He's even more sick than her!"
"THAT IS ENTIRELY UNTRUE!" Alex bellowed.
"Fine! Where is the Headmaster's office?" Joy yelled at James.
Alex visibly whitened. "Oh, fine! But it's only because it's my duty to help those in need. He can come in, but he'll be gone in a jiffy! I tell you! This is plain unfairness! Is this not the free world anymore? Alex ranted. "Why is it that in this age I am still forced to do things?"
But Joy and her 'patient' had gone, and he found himself talking into air. She tossed a sentence over her shoulder. "Shove it up your arse buster, there's no time for this!"
She led him past the girls' bed, and noted with some jealousy that the girl was miles prettier than her, even with her looking sickly. And, what she didn't know, was that if James was half as sick as he was at that moment, he would have jumped out of her grip and to the side of that girl. But as it was, he was too sick to even keep his eyes open, and was walking in staggering steps to wherever Joy was leading him to.
Alex strode out of the Wing once he saw to it that the boy was on the bed.
"WAIT!" A voice screeched from behind him, and he turned around only to find that Joy was barreling towards him.
He flashed an annoyed expression at her. "Stop shrieking like a freaking banshee! There are people trying to rest here! And what the hell do you want now?"
Joy gestured rapidly to the boy. "You have got to do something about him now, you pompous nitwit!"
"No!"
"WHY NOT?"
"I'm on an errand now, now let go of my hand and let me do this. The faster I'm done means the faster your boyfriend leaves..." He looked expectantly at her hand. "For the good of everyone," he muttered under his breath as he left the Wing.
*
And as he was gone, Joy walked around the ward. Apart from the girl she had seen just now, there was no one else in the Wing. And, she saw, something that she had missed on her first inspection, was that it was the girl she had delivered the food to on the same day she met with James.
And, even thought she did not go to school, Joy was no half-wit. Both with flu at the same time?... Both ordering the same kind of food?… The possibilities were endless. What if...
And she was interrupted from her thoughts as Alex came running into the Wing. She hurriedly stepped out of the way, and he came towards the girls' bed, and shook the girl half-awake.
"My dear, I'm extremely sorry. I couldn't get your C-globe off the table. The magic wards that you placed around it prevented me from removing it."
The girl groaned. "Then break the wards!" She exclaimed feebly.
"Well," he said pompously. "I did install an answering machine, so that it could tape all the messages that you missed. Am I good or am I good?"
The girl shrugged. "I suppose it's good enough."
"Now..." the guy suddenly got a maniacal gleam in his eyes. "How about my reward? A kiss or two? Maybe a date? Hmm...?"
He leant in towards her.
"Aack! Noo!! MOVE AWAY!!" The girl protested weakly.
Joy coughed. "What do you think you're doing huh? Can you come and tend to James now?" She glowered at him, and gestured towards the occupied bed.
*
Lily lifted her head off the bed, and caught a peek of messy hair behind the half-closed curtains, and a certain nagging feeling gnawed at the back of her brain.
'The hair does look familiar... Hmmm...'
But, she was utterly exhausted as she leant back into the soft pillows, to just watch the Wing. The other girl turned towards her, and Lily mouthed a small 'Thanks' to her.
She nodded in acknowledgement. Anytime... And she disappeared around the curtain, closing it behind her, and obstructing Lily's view of the boy.
*
Mmmm... Lily made a sound of happiness as she stepped through the portrait hole and into her Head Room. 'It's so good to be home. Thank my lucky stars that Madam Pomfrey came back,' she thought to herself.
The past two days in the Hospital Wing hadn't exactly been enjoyable. Alex had insisted on giving her some traditional Chinese herbs and things that tasted so vile that she had thrown up a more than a few times during her stay.
'Honestly! Bear's Bile as a medicine? Even Potions are not as bad! Thank goodness I'm not Asian!" (Its true! My grandmother bought that! She claims it clears out toxins in the body o_O) But, fortunately, Pomfrey had returned just yesterday, and Alex had left. After some of Madam Pomfrey's lengthy check-ups and some Potions, she was free to go.
'Hopefully that will be the last time I see Alex ever!' She thought absently to herself. Then, another thought edged cross her mind, it was one of annoyance. 'Hey! How come the guy that came in after me could go home after the first day?!'
But as she stepped through the entrance hall to the first floor of her rooms, she froze. Something was not quite right here...
(Well, you might want to read it, it doesn't have anything mighty important, but it does show a peek – a very small peek – at the plots of the subsequent chapters.)
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Well, Chapter 8 is up! Finally! Whoo! I thought I would have it up later than this, but well, I got a spark, and well, this is it. I hope it's fine. I LIKED THIS CHAPTER.
It shows the introduction of another one of the somewhat main character: Alex Whipple. Seriously, I think this guy has big problems, but that was the way I wanted to portray him. Him and Joy have a quite major part in this story.
Well, the promised Sirius-Bella action didn't appear in this chapter as I said, but the first scenario is kind of a Marauder and the two girls scene. Anyway, I found a suitable place for the final Sirius-Bella scene, which I promise, will be the sweetest thing. Well, there will also be another dance coming up, and there will be another part where Bella and Jill meet Lily again. Also, I have sort of written out their graduation. I can't wait until I post it. I think you'll love it as much as I did.
And, I'm fairly certain that the story will be wrapped up in probably a few chapters. Though I have no idea how many chapters, but I have planned out the plots of the other chapters, so I'll just go along as I write.
And, yes, thank you for some of the rather encouraging reviews. Hmm, you didn't think it was bad? Thanks a lot. Maybe I'll try to post it onto the net again. When I do, could anyone please drop by and well, give me a few comments on how it is...
~cube