Authors Note: Chapter 4! Huzzah! I never really thought I'd take the story
this far, but there you are, I'm taking my sweet time. I believe this story
won't be going on much longer... at least I hope not –wince- People will
begin to get impatient! Oh, and just thought I'd note, Harry used the spell
"Diffindo" to split open Cedric Diggory's bag in book 4, so I thought the
same spell could be used to split a persons skin. But yay! This is actually
starting to show some plot! Go me!
"Mr. Black will you pay attention?" Professor Podwill, the Astronomy teacher admonished. "One more incident like this, and it's detention for you." Sirius jerked his head off his desk and nodded dumbly. It was the last class of the day, which unfortunately, happened to be Astronomy with the Slytherins. "Now, I'm pairing the Gryffindors and the Slytherins together to make a star chart, you have the rest of the class to complete it..." Podwill began listing off names and Sirius groaned inwardly. "Pettigrew, Crabbe." Peter squeaked and left Sirius's side to sit awkwardly beside a burly dull eyed boy. "Black, Snape." With a little jump Sirius glanced toward the back of the room and saw the greasy haired fifth year slink over. From across the room, Peter gave Sirius a pitying look.
"I heard your two little sidekicks are in the hospital wing Black." Severus breathed as soon as he had sat down, "Serves them right I think."
"Keep your bloody mouth hole shut. Or I'll curse you right here and now." Sirius growled back, Professor Podwill was now passing out sheets of paper. Sirius snatched his and filled out his name.
"You'd put a hex on me right under the teachers nose? I don't believe it Black." Hissed Severus as soon as Podwill was out of earshot.
"Care to try me?" Black snarled. Severus didn't seem to take any notice and kept rambling on, sounding as if he were simply commenting on the weather.
"Well it looks like that Lupin boy wasn't very good at counter jinxes anyway, no matter what his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades are. Whoever cursed him must have known this." Sirus froze.
"Are you suggesting you know who did it?" He turned carefully to stare right into his partners slitted eyes.
"Oh, I know who did it all right." Severus replied in a whisper, "But you'll never tear that name from my lips. I'm glad Lupin's in the hospital wing, if we're lucky, he'll die from a loss of blood."
Sirius didn't even bother with his wand, he was on Severus in a split second, and he was punching every inch of the sniveling little snake he could get to. Severus was screaming loud enough for everyone within five miles to hear. The class stopped what they were doing and cleared off, leaving a ring of clear ground where the two boys fought.
"Now! That's quite enough!" Podwill bellowed. With a flick of his wand the teacher levitated Sirius into the air, "Mr. Black! Fifty points from Gryffindor this is outrageous! I'm also giving you a weeks detention!" Sirius didn't say anything, he gave the cowering Severus a look of pure venom however. "Now I'm going to put you down, and you can march yourself right up to your head of house. Is this clear?" Sirius nodded to show he understood. As soon as his feet touched the floor he stomped from the room without a second look back.
He had no intention of going to his head of house however, instead he took the hall that led to the hospital wing. Finding that James and Remus were quite alone in the room, he slipped in.
"Hey, don't you have class mate?" James asked cheerfully, the boils on his face were now only faint pink protrusions. Sirius shrugged.
"How's Moony?"
"He seems to be doing better, I heard him moaning and stuff in his sleep." James replied, looking solemn, "The nurse says he'll be all right, but he certainly looks like he's about to kick the bucket doesn't he?" James stopped short at the look on Sirius's face. Looking at Remus's pale form, Sirius had to silently agree. The young werewolf was pale as death, James had informed him that Remus was taking blood replenishing potions and it seemed to help, but Remus had always been rather weak and sickly anyway. "Well, the nurse says he's improving, so he must be." James said after a short silence."
"Snivellus knows who did it." Sirius said quietly.
"What?!" James was all ears now.
"Back in Astronomy, before I got kicked out for giving him what he deserves, he told me he knew. He said... he said that he hoped Moony would die from a loss of blood."
"That's impossible Padfoot! No one but us Marauders and the nurse knows why Moony's in here!" James said indignantly.
"There's one other person who knows why." Sirius replied.
"Who?"
"The one who did it to him."
James and Sirius sat there pondering for a moment, "So you think he was in on it?" James asked with a sideward glance.
"If he wasn't, then at least he knows the dirty scum who did it." Sirius agreed. "But how to get it out of him?"
"Torture?" James suggested hopefully.
"I'd agree to that, you know I would." Sirius said with a ghost of a smile, "But I've already got detention, I may even be close to getting kicked out."
"What did you do back there?" James asked amazed. Embellishing a bit, Sirius settled down on a visitors chair and told his old friend the whole story, bit by bit, not even noticing that students were leaving classes for dinner.
It wasn't until he was getting ready for detention that Sirius realized he didn't feel uncomfortable around Severus or Lucius. So he had seen them kissing? So what. He was comfortable with his newfound homosexuality, and he didn't care if others were too, even if he did want to murder one of them.
"You didn't go see your head of house, did you Black?" Professor Podwill said sharply as Sirius entered the classroom.
"Er... No professor." Sirus said uncomfortably, shifting from side to side.
"Another three days suspension then, for failure to follow my instructions."
For the next nine days, Sirius was forced to do a great number of chores, from polishing trophies, to disinfecting cauldrons, and even doing lines if Podwill was in a good mood. During this time, James and Remus were both getting better, it was said that Remus could even talk normally now, although he still slept often. It wasn't until after his final detention however, that Sirius saw James waiting for him.
"Prongs! You're out of the hospital wing." He said enthusiastically.
"And kickin Padfoot." James grinned, "But I think we should talk to Wormtail about the whole situation with Moony, I think he'd want to know don't you?"
"Let's go find him." Sirius said at once.
"What now? But it's bedtime."
"I don't care, it won't be the first time we've missed some sleep." Sirius wouldn't tell James, although he suspected the bespectacled boy had already guessed, but he was very eager to bring Remus's attacker to justice.
"Okay, what's all this about?" Peter asked blearily as soon as the three boys were sitting on Sirius's bed.
"Remus, we have clues as to who might have cursed him." Sirius replied in a hushed voice.
"Who?" Peter asked excitedly, all ears and watery little eyes.
"Snivelly said he knew who it was, so we're thinking we should get it out of him." James snickered.
"Snape? I thought he would have done it himself." Peter said incredulously, "Do you think Moony saw something he shouldn't have? I don't see any other reason why someone would want him in the hospital wing."
"Unless it was just blind hatred." James pointed out.
"No one hates Moony." Sirius said stubbornly.
"Snape." Peter piped up.
"Malfoy." James added.
"But those were our suspects to begin with." In exasperation Sirius buried his face in his hands, "We're getting no where."
"It's too bad it's Moony that was hexed, he was always the one who was good at this stuff." Peter said sadly, "We just aren't clever enough."
"Oy, I take offense to that!" James said indignantly.
"No, he's right, we'll have to ask Moony." Sirius sighed.
"But the nurse said he won't be up to having visitors for another day or so." James interjected.
"We can wait." Sirius replied firmly.
And so it was the next day, that Remus Lupin awakened to find his three friends peering anxiously down at him.
Authors Note: Any guesses as to who cursed Remus now? I ain't taken any suggestions as to who it is, because it's been decided already, but I'm curious as to who might be guessing right. Review please.
"Mr. Black will you pay attention?" Professor Podwill, the Astronomy teacher admonished. "One more incident like this, and it's detention for you." Sirius jerked his head off his desk and nodded dumbly. It was the last class of the day, which unfortunately, happened to be Astronomy with the Slytherins. "Now, I'm pairing the Gryffindors and the Slytherins together to make a star chart, you have the rest of the class to complete it..." Podwill began listing off names and Sirius groaned inwardly. "Pettigrew, Crabbe." Peter squeaked and left Sirius's side to sit awkwardly beside a burly dull eyed boy. "Black, Snape." With a little jump Sirius glanced toward the back of the room and saw the greasy haired fifth year slink over. From across the room, Peter gave Sirius a pitying look.
"I heard your two little sidekicks are in the hospital wing Black." Severus breathed as soon as he had sat down, "Serves them right I think."
"Keep your bloody mouth hole shut. Or I'll curse you right here and now." Sirius growled back, Professor Podwill was now passing out sheets of paper. Sirius snatched his and filled out his name.
"You'd put a hex on me right under the teachers nose? I don't believe it Black." Hissed Severus as soon as Podwill was out of earshot.
"Care to try me?" Black snarled. Severus didn't seem to take any notice and kept rambling on, sounding as if he were simply commenting on the weather.
"Well it looks like that Lupin boy wasn't very good at counter jinxes anyway, no matter what his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades are. Whoever cursed him must have known this." Sirus froze.
"Are you suggesting you know who did it?" He turned carefully to stare right into his partners slitted eyes.
"Oh, I know who did it all right." Severus replied in a whisper, "But you'll never tear that name from my lips. I'm glad Lupin's in the hospital wing, if we're lucky, he'll die from a loss of blood."
Sirius didn't even bother with his wand, he was on Severus in a split second, and he was punching every inch of the sniveling little snake he could get to. Severus was screaming loud enough for everyone within five miles to hear. The class stopped what they were doing and cleared off, leaving a ring of clear ground where the two boys fought.
"Now! That's quite enough!" Podwill bellowed. With a flick of his wand the teacher levitated Sirius into the air, "Mr. Black! Fifty points from Gryffindor this is outrageous! I'm also giving you a weeks detention!" Sirius didn't say anything, he gave the cowering Severus a look of pure venom however. "Now I'm going to put you down, and you can march yourself right up to your head of house. Is this clear?" Sirius nodded to show he understood. As soon as his feet touched the floor he stomped from the room without a second look back.
He had no intention of going to his head of house however, instead he took the hall that led to the hospital wing. Finding that James and Remus were quite alone in the room, he slipped in.
"Hey, don't you have class mate?" James asked cheerfully, the boils on his face were now only faint pink protrusions. Sirius shrugged.
"How's Moony?"
"He seems to be doing better, I heard him moaning and stuff in his sleep." James replied, looking solemn, "The nurse says he'll be all right, but he certainly looks like he's about to kick the bucket doesn't he?" James stopped short at the look on Sirius's face. Looking at Remus's pale form, Sirius had to silently agree. The young werewolf was pale as death, James had informed him that Remus was taking blood replenishing potions and it seemed to help, but Remus had always been rather weak and sickly anyway. "Well, the nurse says he's improving, so he must be." James said after a short silence."
"Snivellus knows who did it." Sirius said quietly.
"What?!" James was all ears now.
"Back in Astronomy, before I got kicked out for giving him what he deserves, he told me he knew. He said... he said that he hoped Moony would die from a loss of blood."
"That's impossible Padfoot! No one but us Marauders and the nurse knows why Moony's in here!" James said indignantly.
"There's one other person who knows why." Sirius replied.
"Who?"
"The one who did it to him."
James and Sirius sat there pondering for a moment, "So you think he was in on it?" James asked with a sideward glance.
"If he wasn't, then at least he knows the dirty scum who did it." Sirius agreed. "But how to get it out of him?"
"Torture?" James suggested hopefully.
"I'd agree to that, you know I would." Sirius said with a ghost of a smile, "But I've already got detention, I may even be close to getting kicked out."
"What did you do back there?" James asked amazed. Embellishing a bit, Sirius settled down on a visitors chair and told his old friend the whole story, bit by bit, not even noticing that students were leaving classes for dinner.
It wasn't until he was getting ready for detention that Sirius realized he didn't feel uncomfortable around Severus or Lucius. So he had seen them kissing? So what. He was comfortable with his newfound homosexuality, and he didn't care if others were too, even if he did want to murder one of them.
"You didn't go see your head of house, did you Black?" Professor Podwill said sharply as Sirius entered the classroom.
"Er... No professor." Sirus said uncomfortably, shifting from side to side.
"Another three days suspension then, for failure to follow my instructions."
For the next nine days, Sirius was forced to do a great number of chores, from polishing trophies, to disinfecting cauldrons, and even doing lines if Podwill was in a good mood. During this time, James and Remus were both getting better, it was said that Remus could even talk normally now, although he still slept often. It wasn't until after his final detention however, that Sirius saw James waiting for him.
"Prongs! You're out of the hospital wing." He said enthusiastically.
"And kickin Padfoot." James grinned, "But I think we should talk to Wormtail about the whole situation with Moony, I think he'd want to know don't you?"
"Let's go find him." Sirius said at once.
"What now? But it's bedtime."
"I don't care, it won't be the first time we've missed some sleep." Sirius wouldn't tell James, although he suspected the bespectacled boy had already guessed, but he was very eager to bring Remus's attacker to justice.
"Okay, what's all this about?" Peter asked blearily as soon as the three boys were sitting on Sirius's bed.
"Remus, we have clues as to who might have cursed him." Sirius replied in a hushed voice.
"Who?" Peter asked excitedly, all ears and watery little eyes.
"Snivelly said he knew who it was, so we're thinking we should get it out of him." James snickered.
"Snape? I thought he would have done it himself." Peter said incredulously, "Do you think Moony saw something he shouldn't have? I don't see any other reason why someone would want him in the hospital wing."
"Unless it was just blind hatred." James pointed out.
"No one hates Moony." Sirius said stubbornly.
"Snape." Peter piped up.
"Malfoy." James added.
"But those were our suspects to begin with." In exasperation Sirius buried his face in his hands, "We're getting no where."
"It's too bad it's Moony that was hexed, he was always the one who was good at this stuff." Peter said sadly, "We just aren't clever enough."
"Oy, I take offense to that!" James said indignantly.
"No, he's right, we'll have to ask Moony." Sirius sighed.
"But the nurse said he won't be up to having visitors for another day or so." James interjected.
"We can wait." Sirius replied firmly.
And so it was the next day, that Remus Lupin awakened to find his three friends peering anxiously down at him.
Authors Note: Any guesses as to who cursed Remus now? I ain't taken any suggestions as to who it is, because it's been decided already, but I'm curious as to who might be guessing right. Review please.