The following week passed slowly for Auria. The wound on her back was only
shrinking by an inch a day, and still caused her a great deal of pain.
During the whole ordeal Sirius never left her side, always helping her when
he could. Despite Dumbledore's warning Auria still crept up to Sirius' bed
every night, and the rest of the Marauders, without needing to be asked,
kept it secret. Snape had finally been allowed out of the hospital after
two more days. He didn't dare insult Auria in the halls, or even go near
her, for fear of the Marauders.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
During Auria's Friday lunch visit to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey informed her that she'd have to stay the night.
"For observation" the nurse told a disappointed looking Auria.
That night, at 11 0'clock Sirius and Auria made their way through the empty school.
"Are you two physically attached?" Madame Pomfrey asked, shaking her head when Sirius and Auria arrived at the hospital hand in hand.
"Just about" Auria replied, smiling at Sirius.
Pomfrey led Auria over to a bed and gave her the usual nightly potions to drink.
"Hurry, hurry" she said impatiently.
Auria took one last large gulp of the potion and put the glass down. "Done" Auria said taking a deep breath."
"Good, now get to bed" Pomfrey replied, picking up the glasses and walking away.
"Do you want me to sneak in later?" Sirius asked in a whisper.
"I think I'll be alright" Auria replied, "besides, Snape's not here any more so it's safe."
Sirius looked hurt and disappointed.
"I don't want you to get into trouble, you still have three weeks of detention left" Auria said in an attempt to comfort him.
Sirius' face relaxed a little, but he still looked annoyed. Auria reached out and laid her hand on his arm.
"All the time you spend in detention takes away time when we could be doing something else" she said seductively and then reached up and gave him a kiss on the lips.
Sirius smiled and kissed her back.
"Alright, enough of that" Madame Pomfrey said when she returned.
She began waving her arms wildly as if to swat them apart.
"It's time for you to leave Mr. Black, and don't even think about trying to sneak back in" she said sternly.
"Goodnight then love" Sirius said.
In order to further frustrate Madame Pomfrey Sirius leaned down and gave Auria one last kiss.
"Goodnight" Auria said with a laugh as Pomfrey waved Sirius towards the door, threatening to hit him with her flailing arms if he turned around.
Once he was gone Auria settled down into the bed and tried to fall asleep. She heard Madame Pomfrey head towards her office, which also served as her bedroom, and softly close the door. Although tired Auria could not seem to fall asleep. She was lying on her stomach, but without Sirius next to her the pain in her back was more evident.
Auria watched as the moon rose slowly higher and higher into the sky. She sighed out loud and looked at her watch. It read 1 am. Auria yawned and shifted around on the mattress. Suddenly, from behind her closed eyelids she saw a flash of yellow, orange light. Opening her eyes she found a phoenix standing on the bed next to hers.
"Hello Fawkes" she whispered quietly.
The phoenix clicked its beak and stepped towards the edge of the bed. In an instant it had flown over to Auira and landed lightly on her lower back. Auria could feel its beak begin to pick at the bandages.
"You want to heal me?" she asked.
Fawkes let out a quiet note.
"Thank you" Auira replied gratefully. She pulled her pajama top off, took out her wand, muttered a spell and in an instant the bandages disappeared. Soon she felt Fawkes' tears fall onto her back, cooling the burn and healing it. When he was done Fawkes flew back to the other bed and then, in another burst of flame disappeared.
"Thank you Fawkes" Auria said to the wisps of smoke in the place where the phoenix had been.
Now that she felt no pain Auria quickly fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Look, look at it professor, gone, gone entirely" Madame Pomfrey screeched.
Auria opened her eyes and looked around. The sun was now streaming in through the windows, but was blocked by the people hovering over her. Suddenly feeling rather naked and exposed Auria pulled the blankets up around her.
"Well, did you see" Auria heard Madame Pomfrey ask.
"Yes I saw" Dumbledore replied. "Auria?" he said addressing her.
"Yes" Auria replied pulling on her pajama top and rolling over to face them.
"Do you know how your back was healed?" he asked a curious look in those old blue eyes.
"Yes" she answered casually. "Fawkes came and did it."
"Fawkes?" Dumbledore repeated, "are you SURE it was Fawkes?"
"I think so, I mean it was dark, but he's the only phoenix here so-" she replied, confused by the question.
"What time did he come?" Dumbledore asked sitting down at the foot of her bed.
"One in the morning, I remember because I had just looked at my watch" Auria said, an innocence look on her face.
"One?" Dumbledore asked again.
Auria looked around confused and then nodded.
"I was in my office almost all night last night dealing with the ministry, and Fawkes' never left" he said more to himself then to Auria. "A phoenix only helps those who show great loyalty to their owner."
"Maybe it was a different phoenix" Auria suggested.
"I doubt it" Dumbledore said dreamily. "Wild ones only help their own," he paused, "unless."
He turned and stared straight at Auria with a look of deep concentration on his face.
"No" he whispered, smiling slightly and shaking his head. "It can't be, can it?"
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
During Auria's Friday lunch visit to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey informed her that she'd have to stay the night.
"For observation" the nurse told a disappointed looking Auria.
That night, at 11 0'clock Sirius and Auria made their way through the empty school.
"Are you two physically attached?" Madame Pomfrey asked, shaking her head when Sirius and Auria arrived at the hospital hand in hand.
"Just about" Auria replied, smiling at Sirius.
Pomfrey led Auria over to a bed and gave her the usual nightly potions to drink.
"Hurry, hurry" she said impatiently.
Auria took one last large gulp of the potion and put the glass down. "Done" Auria said taking a deep breath."
"Good, now get to bed" Pomfrey replied, picking up the glasses and walking away.
"Do you want me to sneak in later?" Sirius asked in a whisper.
"I think I'll be alright" Auria replied, "besides, Snape's not here any more so it's safe."
Sirius looked hurt and disappointed.
"I don't want you to get into trouble, you still have three weeks of detention left" Auria said in an attempt to comfort him.
Sirius' face relaxed a little, but he still looked annoyed. Auria reached out and laid her hand on his arm.
"All the time you spend in detention takes away time when we could be doing something else" she said seductively and then reached up and gave him a kiss on the lips.
Sirius smiled and kissed her back.
"Alright, enough of that" Madame Pomfrey said when she returned.
She began waving her arms wildly as if to swat them apart.
"It's time for you to leave Mr. Black, and don't even think about trying to sneak back in" she said sternly.
"Goodnight then love" Sirius said.
In order to further frustrate Madame Pomfrey Sirius leaned down and gave Auria one last kiss.
"Goodnight" Auria said with a laugh as Pomfrey waved Sirius towards the door, threatening to hit him with her flailing arms if he turned around.
Once he was gone Auria settled down into the bed and tried to fall asleep. She heard Madame Pomfrey head towards her office, which also served as her bedroom, and softly close the door. Although tired Auria could not seem to fall asleep. She was lying on her stomach, but without Sirius next to her the pain in her back was more evident.
Auria watched as the moon rose slowly higher and higher into the sky. She sighed out loud and looked at her watch. It read 1 am. Auria yawned and shifted around on the mattress. Suddenly, from behind her closed eyelids she saw a flash of yellow, orange light. Opening her eyes she found a phoenix standing on the bed next to hers.
"Hello Fawkes" she whispered quietly.
The phoenix clicked its beak and stepped towards the edge of the bed. In an instant it had flown over to Auira and landed lightly on her lower back. Auria could feel its beak begin to pick at the bandages.
"You want to heal me?" she asked.
Fawkes let out a quiet note.
"Thank you" Auira replied gratefully. She pulled her pajama top off, took out her wand, muttered a spell and in an instant the bandages disappeared. Soon she felt Fawkes' tears fall onto her back, cooling the burn and healing it. When he was done Fawkes flew back to the other bed and then, in another burst of flame disappeared.
"Thank you Fawkes" Auria said to the wisps of smoke in the place where the phoenix had been.
Now that she felt no pain Auria quickly fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Look, look at it professor, gone, gone entirely" Madame Pomfrey screeched.
Auria opened her eyes and looked around. The sun was now streaming in through the windows, but was blocked by the people hovering over her. Suddenly feeling rather naked and exposed Auria pulled the blankets up around her.
"Well, did you see" Auria heard Madame Pomfrey ask.
"Yes I saw" Dumbledore replied. "Auria?" he said addressing her.
"Yes" Auria replied pulling on her pajama top and rolling over to face them.
"Do you know how your back was healed?" he asked a curious look in those old blue eyes.
"Yes" she answered casually. "Fawkes came and did it."
"Fawkes?" Dumbledore repeated, "are you SURE it was Fawkes?"
"I think so, I mean it was dark, but he's the only phoenix here so-" she replied, confused by the question.
"What time did he come?" Dumbledore asked sitting down at the foot of her bed.
"One in the morning, I remember because I had just looked at my watch" Auria said, an innocence look on her face.
"One?" Dumbledore asked again.
Auria looked around confused and then nodded.
"I was in my office almost all night last night dealing with the ministry, and Fawkes' never left" he said more to himself then to Auria. "A phoenix only helps those who show great loyalty to their owner."
"Maybe it was a different phoenix" Auria suggested.
"I doubt it" Dumbledore said dreamily. "Wild ones only help their own," he paused, "unless."
He turned and stared straight at Auria with a look of deep concentration on his face.
"No" he whispered, smiling slightly and shaking his head. "It can't be, can it?"