Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:
When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be
(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am. LOL)
A/N: Congrats to goggler!! He/She guessed where I got the idea for the title. For all you readers who haven't read the review section, the title came from a Brady Bunch song. Don't ask me why I chose to name it after that, it's just a little quirk from my oh-so-wonderful brain.
Patience Anon, she will wake up. And I did mention that the house-elves would be back. having this really odd image of Dobby with a crew-cut, wearing sunglasses, and saying "I'll be back" with an Austrian accent *grin* They won't make much of an appearance in this chapter, but the next one should start bringing them back into the story.
To all other reviewers..WOW…just…WOW. You people are incredible!! I can't tell you how much your reviews help keep me going. This chapter wasn't supposed to be finished until this weekend (due to a boring thesis paper that I have to turn in by midnight this Saturday), but the wonderful comments gave me an energy boost!
Waking the Dead
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. Nelson Mandela (1918 - ), 'A Long Walk to Freedom'
The large black dog growled, moving to block the bed with its bulk, and baring its teeth menacingly at the dark figure standing near the door.
"Sirius!" Remus harshly whispered. "Do you want Madam Pomfrey to kick you out of this room? Stop that right now!"
The canine whimpered, but stopped his threatening growls, though he didn't move from his position of guarding the young woman.
"Really, Mr. Black. Do you think, after what I have gone through to help rescue her, that I would now harm her?" Snape arched an eyebrow in derision at the black dog.
The dog bare his teeth once more, either in dislike, or indicating that he believed the potions master would hurt her…or maybe both.
Snape scowled.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I am here to see if there are any trace elements left of the potions given to her on the first day, in order to ensure there will be no adverse side-effects when the spell is performed this evening."
So saying, he stalked around the canine, making his way to the side of the bed. He motioned Remus to shift his chair back, then proceeded to begin his examination of the young woman.
The potions master moved to place a hand on her forehead to check her temperature, gently stroking her hair back. Sirius, still in canine form, shifted to the other side of the bed and gave a small 'wuff' of disapproval.
Snape continued his assessment of the woman's vitals – eyes, ears, pulse, fingernail color – ignoring the sounds of displeasure coming from the annoying canine every time he touched her. But it was when he pulled back the covers and slightly pushed up the woman's top to expose her stomach, that the large black dog gave a low threatening growl.
"Mr. Black, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making any more noise, or I will have Madam Pomfrey remove you." Snape snapped.
Taking a chance that the medi-witch wouldn't enter the room, Sirius transformed back to his human form. Slapping the potions master's hand away from the young woman's exposed flesh, Sirius pulled the covers back over her form.
"Don't touch her, you slimy bastard!" Sirius snarled.
"Of all the…" Snape broke off in angry exasperation. "Really, Black. What do you think I am going to do? Feel her up?"
"I wouldn't put it past you. Greasy git. Being unconscious is probably the only way a girl would allow you to touch them." Sirius sneered.
Snape's face darkened in anger. "Very well, Black. Then perhaps you would like to tell me if her liver and pancreas are still swollen, or if her breathing is still erratic?"
The two men glared at each other over the bed, neither giving ground to the other.
"Sirius, please. Let him finish checking her." Harry said softly, placing a calming hand on his godfather's arm. "He won't hurt her, and it's important to know if there will be anything that will harm her during the spell."
Sirius gave a sharp nod, and reluctantly pulled the covers back. Sitting on the bed, claiming the woman's hand again, he suspiciously watched where the potions master placed his hands.
Sneering at the animagi, Snape continued with his examination. Once finished, he smoothed down the young woman's top, then pulled the bedcovers back up to her neck, covering her entire body, minus the hand that Sirius possessively held. Snape looked thoughtfully at the young woman.
"I-Is she OK?" Harry asked tentatively.
"She's remarkably well-healed, considering the damage Madam Pomfrey observed when she first arrived." Snape responded absently. "And without any healing potions either. Most of the injuries she sustained should have taken several weeks to heal on their own."
Shaking himself out of his revere, Snape arched an eyebrow at the young teen, "That is another question to add to the ever-growing list, Mr. Potter. We can only hope this young woman will be able to answer even half of them."
Snape moved away from the side of the bed, and headed for the door.
"Why wasn't she given any healing potions?" Remus asked quietly.
Pausing in his stride, Snape turned back to the werewolf. "During the time Madam Pomfrey was waiting for the energy boosting and pain reduction potions to work, she noticed that the young woman's injuries began to heal on their own, at an alarming rate. Pomfrey feared that the healing potions might interfere with whatever was causing the rapid healing, so chose to closely monitor the process instead."
"How long did it take?" Harry asked, curious.
"The cuts and bruises took less than 24 hours. The broken ribs, and most of the damage to her internal organs were repaired in 48 hours. The rest had only slight swelling left, which was the reason I came here. After my examination, I can safely say that, physically, she is now completely healed."
Eyes wide, Harry let out a low whistle, "Wow, that's fast! Now I see why you want to add it to the list of unanswered questions."
"Who is she?" Sirius whispered, as he gazed in awe at the young woman, stroking her hand.
"Only she will be able to answer that." Snape said briskly, as he continued his trek to the door. Placing a hand on the doorknob, he took a moment to briefly give the animagi a cold look. "And Black, I would suggest you stop mauling her. She will be confused enough with her surroundings when she wakes up, and does not need an unknown puppy-dog pawing at her appendages."
Not waiting for a reply, Snape opened the door and slipped quickly through it, a smug look on his face as he heard Sirius make a sound of anger.
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Harry almost giggled at the look of righteous anger on his godfather's face, but held it back. Snape did have a point, but he didn't have to put it so…bluntly, Harry mused.
Remus looked amused, but quickly wiped the expression off his face when Sirius turned to him.
"I can't believe that greasy git! I am not pawing her!" Sirius fumed, still clinging to the young woman's hand.
Glancing at the joined hands, Remus looked back up at Sirius. "I hate to say this Sirius, but technically, you are."
"Et tu, Remus?" Sirius gave him a hurt look.
Coughing to cover up his laughter, Harry smiled affectionately at his godfather. "Well…maybe not pawing her, Sirius, but you have to admit, you are being a little over-familiar with her, considering that she doesn't even know you."
Sirius turned his hurt look towards his godson, then…pouted, but still didn't release the young woman's hand.
Harry gave a little shudder at seeing the grown man pout. 'That is just so…so…wrong.'
Changing his expression to one of defiance, Sirius continued to stroke the young woman's hand, daring the other two to just try and stop him.
Shaking his head at his godfather's behavior, Harry made move to leave.
"Well, as much as I would like to stay, dinner will be starting soon, and I still have homework to do. Both of you need to rest up for tonight, anyway."
Temporarily letting the woman's hand go, Sirius stood and embraced his godson.
"Come and see us again tomorrow morning, if Dumbledore lets you. OK?" Sirius ruffled Harry's hair affectionately.
Harry beamed at him before nodding, then moved to give the werewolf a brief hug before leaving the room.
Remus gave a contented smile to his friend. "Thank you for sharing your godson with me, Sirius. He is one special boy."
"He's as much your godson as he is mine, Remus. There is no reason to thank me. Besides, Harry gives his friendship to who he chooses, not who I choose." Sirius smiled back at him, sitting on the bed once more and picking up the young woman's hand.
"So he does, so he does…but I still thank you for letting me share your time with him. I know it's not often that you get to see him." Remus smiled softly at his friend.
"We're best friends, Remus. There's nothing I wouldn't share with you."
"Nothing? Then you wouldn't mind if I…" Eyes twinkling, Remus nodded his head at the woman.
"Don't even think about it." Sirius glared at him.
Remus chuckled.
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Excited chatter, unearthly humming, and big smiles filled the castle kitchens, as a multitude of house-elves scurried energetically around the large room, preparing the evening meal.
It was a special day, very special, and the various courses showed the results of the house-elves' excitement. Not many in the Great Hall would wonder at the lavishness of their evening meal, except to note that the house-elves had outdone themselves again.
But the elves knew. She would be returning to them. Tonight. And then it would be their turn…
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In the late eve, when darkness fell deep, the castle occupants drifted into dreams – at least all those who didn't have an ancient spell to perform.
Eight figures bustled around the otherwise empty infirmary, making preparations for the most difficult spell any of them would perform in their lifetime. Soul Magic. Though oft thought as Dark Magic, and rightly so, the spell they would perform fell into a grey area. The spell would do no harm, thereby keeping it from being Dark Magic. But tampering with a person's soul, even with the best intentions, is not considered White Magic either. Therefore, the spell was 'grey'.
The ancient spell itself was one that drew someone's soul back to their mortal flesh, but only if the body could still sustain itself and if the soul hadn't fully departed to the "other-realm". Neither the Headmaster nor the other wizards and witches would have even considered performing it, if it wasn't for the directions given by the entity that used Harry to 'communicate' with them. Though the entity was unknown, it was undeniably 'good', and that, along with the young woman's condition, was enough for them to override any hesitations.
While the others gathered around Dumbledore, practicing to ensure they were speaking the spell correctly (as it was written in Ancient Latin), Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape continued to prepare the area. The main section of the infirmary was being used, so several of the beds were removed or shrunk to make room for the many occupants.
Spreading out a large length of raw linen on the floor, Madam Pomfrey set four candles in the places specified by the spell, but left them unlit. As she began to sprinkle herbs onto the fabric, Snape left to retrieve the young woman.
Entering the private room, Snape made his way to the bed. Folding back the covers, he looked at the young woman, wondering how someone could be fully grown, yet so tiny. Gently gathering her in his arms, he lifted the woman from the bed, surprised by her light weight.
Holding her close, he gazed impassively down at her face as he quietly spoke, "Time to wake up."
Turning, Snape exited the room, being careful not to bump the young woman into the doorframe or the desk just outside the door, and moved slowly, almost reluctantly, back to the main part of the infirmary.
Upon approaching the area Madam Pomfrey had just finished preparing, Snape noticed Sirius break away from the group gathered around Dumbledore, heading in his direction. Sure that the aggravating man was about to insist on carrying the young woman, even though he was just steps away from the prepared area, Snape tightened his hold on the woman and glared at the approaching man.
Seeing the potential confrontation, Dumbledore called out, "Sirius, could you please come back and practice the last phrase. I don't think you pronounce the word vessel properly."
Giving the potions master a warning glare, Sirius returned to the group.
Snape relaxed his hold, and took the last few steps to the prepared area. Being careful not to knock the candles out of position, he gently placed the young woman on the fabric. Snape took a moment to rearrange her arms and legs to a more comfortable position, brushed back her hair from her face, and smoothed her garments, then stepped back.
Taking one more look around at the prepared area, he nodded to Madam Pomfrey.
"Headmaster, we're ready here." Madam Pomfrey called out softly towards the group.
"Splendid! I believe we are ready also." Dumbledore looked at the group of wizards and witches gathered around him. Upon seeing their nods of confirmation, he motioned them to the prepared area.
Snape moved to stand near one of the window-lined walls, out of the way of the people who would be performing the spell, but still having a clear view of the woman lying in the center of the fabric. Madam Pomfrey watched from the other side of the room.
Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Black each moved to one of the four candles, and stood about 6 feet behind them. Sprout took her place between Dumbledore and Lupin, but stood 2 feet further back, and Flitwick did the same between McGonagall and Black. Though Sprout and Flitwick would not be part of the actual spell, they needed to remain nearby if any of the others needed a magic boost.
Once everyone was in position, Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, who faced him. She nodded. The Headmaster than looked at Lupin on his left, waited for his nod, before turning to Black on his right, who also nodded. Everyone was ready.
Dumbledore spoke a phrase in Latin, then raised his wand, pointing it at the candle before him, and spoke the words to light it. When the candle wick burst into flame, the other three spoke a response, again in Latin. Each candle was lit the same way – the person behind the candle speaking a (different) Latin phrase, lighting the candle, the others speaking the Latin response.
Once each candle was lit, Dumbledore began a chant, the others joining in at their specified turn, all pointing their wands at the young woman lying in repose. As the chanting continued, wisps of reddish light from each wand drifted to hover over the young woman, gathering in a cloud.
After the chant was spoken the requisite number of times, the quartet fell silent, and McGonagall, Lupin and Black dropped their wands to their sides. Dumbledore continued to hold his wand aloft, but now pointing his wand at the red cloud. In a loud voice the Headmaster said:
Release the soul from whence it drifts
Return the soul to its vessel
Restrain the soul to drift no more
This I command
Release, Return, Restrain…I command thee!
The red cloud began to spiral round and round, moving towards the young woman's head. Upon reaching her crown, the spinning intensified, swirling faster and faster. As the group watched, a violet color became visible, stemming from the top of her head, and fading into white further away. They recognized it as the chakra point Harry had described.
At some point, the cloud began to spin so fast, it looked solid. The group was just beginning to wonder what would happen next, when the red cloud fused itself to the chakra point where it connected with the young woman's head. In a burst of light, the cloud shot towards and through the ceiling, stretching itself out and leaving a trail of color in its wake.
Unsure of what was happening, the group looked at each other. Sirius made a motion to move towards the young woman.
"Stop!" Dumbledore said sharply. "It's not over yet. Do not move from where you are, or you may break the spell."
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but shut it quickly when Dumbledore held up a hand. The Headmaster cocked his head as if listening for something.
As the group became more aware of their surroundings, they too began to hear what the Headmaster heard. It was the roll of thunder, moving closer.
Snape was the only one who continued to watch the young woman, and, as a result, was the only one to notice that, as the storm drew closer, the chakra point thickened. Standing near the window, he felt the glass vibrating wildly.
Observing the storm that had quickly moved above the school, the vibrating glass, and the thickening chakra point, Snape made the connection.
Yelling out, "Everyone DOWN! Cover yourself!" Snape dropped to the floor himself and placed his arms over his head.
His warning was just in time. As the others also fell to the floor and covered their heads and faces, a bolt of lightening and thunder crashed directly above them, blowing the windows in.
Once the glass stopped falling, Snape careful peeked out over his arms. Upon seeing there were no windows left, he felt safe enough to gingerly regain his footing. Looking around to see if the others were likewise unharmed, his mouth dropped open on catching sight of what was before him.
The red cloud had returned…dragging a brightly glowing sphere.
The storm was now in a frenzy. And, with the windows no longer in place, the wind buffeted them, but seemingly had no effect on the cloud or the spheres.
Hoping it wouldn't affect the spell already in progress, Snape quickly murmured a charm to dispose of the shattered glass, before it cut them all to ribbons. Seeing that there were no negative ramifications, he returned his attention back to the red cloud and its quarry – the soul of the young woman, he assumed – it looked as if they were…fighting.
The others had regained their feet by this time. Bracing themselves against the battering winds, they watched the light show in awe.
As Snape looked closer, he was shocked to see that there was not just one sphere, as he originally thought, but two. The first was trapped by the red cloud and being dragged back to the young woman's body, which was now trembling, the second sphere was…latched, for lack of a better word, to the first sphere, attempting to pull it away from the red cloud.
The tug-of-war was creating a massive tension in the area surrounded by the candles, building up pressure that felt like it was moments away from exploding.
"Albus, is this supposed to happen?" Minerva yelled out, continuing to stand at her appointed place, though the struggling lights were uncomfortably close to them.
"I don't know." Dumbledore shouted back.
No one knew, but they did understand one thing…the soul didn't want to come back.
The group could only watch as the spell fought to complete itself, the red cloud pulling one of the luminous spheres towards the body trembling on the floor. With one last massive tug, the two glowing orbs were torn apart, and the building pressure exploded, blasting all but Snape and Pomfrey off their feet and throwing them several feet away.
Pomfrey rushed to help the Headmaster sit up, but kept him from attempting to stand. The others felt that they too should remain seated, and continued to observe from their places on the floor.
One of the spheres now hovered above the body, but the red cloud was forcing the other to conform to the shape of the female figure, which was now shuddering intensely as the magic ferociously battled to meld spirit with flesh.
As the power of the spell wove its way around and through it, the body levitated upright, floating several inches above the ground. The light of the orb stretched to flow over the contours of the human shell, giving the skin an incandescent sheen, which grew brighter as the body was quickly engulfed.
The occupants in the room gasped as the female form sprouted faint gossamer wings that spanned outwards with the same glow as the aura now surrounding her.
A deep crack of thunder crashed outside, and the woman stiffed, then screamed in agony as, with a brilliant explosion of light, the glow burst apart in a flurry of twinkling lights, which slowly dissipated. The spell was complete, and the body fell and crumpled to the floor.
In the ensuing silence, faint sobs could be heard. Slowly, the newly restored woman painfully struggled to her hands and knees, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. Looking up at the orb still hovering over her, the young woman stretched out her hand to the soft light. The glowing orb hovered just out of reach, bobbing gently.
Crying tearfully, the young woman whispered in a scratchy voice, "M-Mom?"
For a brief moment, the orb shone brighter. Fading back to its normal soft glow, the orb began to rise higher and drift toward a broken window. A soft glow pulsed from the direction of the orb, which then disappeared through the opening and immediately ascended into the clearing sky.
"Noooooooooo!" the woman cried out, a look of utter devastation on her face, as she collapsed sobbing on the floor.
Having witnessed the spell from beginning to end, and understanding the devastating ramifications of what they saw, the wizards and witches stood stunned, listening to the young woman's grief-stricken crying.
Professor Sprout's face crumpled as she whispered, "Dear God…what have we done?", then, covering her face with her hands, began to silently weep.
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The house-elves were gathered in the kitchen. They had completed their work for the day several hours ago, but had been restless. They had been waiting, but now their wait was over.
She is back.
She has returned to us.
Their excitement was tinged with a little sadness. Yes, she had returned to them, but she hadn't wanted to come back. They knew this, just as they knew that she had to come back…they were told so.
So now She was back, and it was their turn…
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No one moved for several minutes, as the young woman continued to lie crumpled on the floor weeping in misery. Each of their faces reflected varying degrees of shock and horror.
Being used to quickly schooling his features and emotions, Snape was the first to recover. He swiftly moved towards the young woman, whispering a sleeping charm as he approached her. Once the woman fell into a deep sleep, the potions master rolled her onto her back and gently gathered her in his arms again.
Lifting her up, he made a move to return her to the private room, but was stopped by Dumbledore.
"Severus, why don't you put her in the bed closest to Madam Pomfrey's office. The castle has reconfigured itself back, and the private room is no longer available, though I don't know why."
The potions master nodded, and moved towards the suggested bed. Madam Pomfrey rushing ahead of him to pull back the top covers. Laying her down gently, he brushed her hair back from her face, then helped the medi-witch place the covers over the young woman.
Making shooing motions at everyone, Pomfrey drew the curtains around the bed, forcibly pushing an anxious Sirius back.
"Mr. Black, regardless of the Headmaster's assurance that you are innocent of any crimes, it does not make you my medical assistant. Please remove yourself so I can examine my patient." Madam Pomfrey said briskly to the dark-haired man, snapping the curtains fully shut once he stepped back.
Sirius scowled at the curtain before turning back to the others. Snape was smirking at him, and he flushed in anger. As he opened his mouth to make a nasty remark, the Headmaster interrupted him.
"Sirius, could you please assist us in returning the room to order. We should replace the windows before the room becomes too cold."
Delegating the work, Dumbledore quickly had everyone busy.
Snape moved to help replace the windowpanes, but was called to assist the medi-witch in her examination before he could begin. Smirking at a glowering Sirius, he joined Madam Pomfrey on the other side of the curtain, and was quickly embroiled in a discussion of medical potions.
Sirius, working close by, caught a few words from their hushed voices. 'Calming', 'Anti-Depressant', and 'Dreamless Sleep' seemed to be prevalent. It made him worried.
On the other side of the curtain, the discussion was gloomy.
"I don't know what I should do, Severus. You saw what happened. You saw her reactions. She's going to be a mess when she wakes up." Poppy still hadn't fully recovered from her shock, and was a little flustered. "I don't know whether I should ply her with Calming potions, Anti-Depressant charms, Dreamless Sleep potion, or all three!"
"Calming potions and Anti-Depressant charms will only work for so long, Poppy. It won't solve her problems, it will only delay them. As for Dreamless Sleep, I would only recommend it if she is unable to sleep at all. Regular sleep, with dreams, may actually help the young woman to deal with her situation less painfully. If you deny her the ability to deal with the pain subconsciously, she will have to face it all with her conscious mind."
"In other words, let her cry it all out." Poppy sighed heavily, stroking the young woman's hair softly.
"Exactly."
There was a moment of sad silence.
Shaking himself from his morose thoughts, Snape addressed the medi-witch again. "Poppy, I would also suggest you keep the visitors to a minimum. The woman needs to deal with her grief with as few strangers as possible. I would recommend you limit the visitors to the Headmaster, and, as much as I hate to say this, Remus Lupin."
Poppy looked surprised at his choices. "Why those two?"
"There is no denying the Headmaster, as you know." Snape smirked, then continued, "As for Lupin…even if I don't like him personally, I will admit that his presence has a calming effect on most people."
Shaking her head, Poppy gave him a small smile. "And Sirius Black?"
"Don't let him go near her." Snape growled.
"Is that an analysis made from personal dislike or professional opinion?" Madam Pomfrey arched her eyebrows at him.
Snape sneered slightly. "Though I admit to having a considerable dislike of that mangy mutt, I state it as a professional opinion. Sirius Black will do anything to get her to smile, and I can guarantee you that she will not be ready to smile for some time. She will be experiencing enough pain - don't make her suffer more than necessary."
Madam Pomfrey nodded her agreement of his assessment, and quickly changed the subject to a safer one of the young woman's physical condition.
Briefing him on the fact that there was no physical damage to the young woman, she voiced her concerns that the sleeping charm may do more harm than good. After a short debate, the potions master and the medi-witch agreed that administering the Dreamless Sleep potion, for this night only, would allow the woman to wake up more naturally than the sleeping charm would.
Madam Pomfrey quickly obtained the potion from her office, and, with the help of the potions master, administered it to her patient before having the sleeping charm removed.
With nothing else to be done, Madam Pomfrey tucked the covers snugly around the young woman, as Snape spoke a warming charm for the area surround her. The two then exited the curtained area.
Upon seeing their re-emergence, Sirius moved swiftly towards them from his position two beds over, where he had just completed replacing a window.
Before he could even utter a word, Madam Pomfrey pinned him with her gaze. "Don't even think about disturbing my patient, Mr. Black. She's sleeping now."
"Can't I just see her? I promise not to wake her up." Sirius gave her puppy-dog eyes.
Sighing, the medi-witch waived him towards the curtained area. "5 minutes Mr. Black. And no matter how much you want to hold her hand, don't. She's tucked in for the night, and I don't want her exposed to the cold air any more than necessary."
As the dark-haired man literally skipped over to the closed area, Snape arched an eyebrow at the medi-witch. "If you give in that easily, I don't see how my recommendations will do any good."
"Oh pish-posh. I can hold him off with no problems." Pomfrey waived off the potions master's comment.
"Then would you clarify why you let that mongrel near her, even if she happens to be asleep."
"It will give us time to give our suggestions to the Headmaster without Mr. Black talking himself blue in the face, trying to change our minds."
"How positively sneaky of you, Poppy. But you should realize one thing…" Snape looked down his nose at her.
"And what would that be, Severus?"
"Though you told him not to uncover her, just to hold her hand, you didn't say anything about not touching what is already exposed." Snape smirked.
Madam Pomfrey rushed back to the curtained area. After hissing at the dark-haired man not to touch the young woman anywhere, she returned to Snape's side, face flushed.
"Don't even say it, Severus." Madam Pomfrey warned.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Poppy." Snape said, mouth twitching slightly.
After conferring briefly with the Headmaster, who agreed with their recommendations, Snape quickly made his exit, while Madam Pomfrey went to drag a reluctant Sirius from the curtained area.
"Ah, Mr. Black. So good of you to join us again." Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the dark-haired man.
Turning to the remaining wizards and witches, the Headmaster dismissed them to seek their beds for the remainder of the night, requesting that only Lupin and Black remain.
As he turned his attention to the two men, Dumbledore sighed, stroking his beard, knowing his news would not please at least one of them.
"There is nothing more for us to do here, and the young woman should sleep through the night. Sirius, if you will follow me, I will show you to your chamber for this evening."
"I would prefer to stay here, Albus, just in case she wakes up in the middle of the night." Sirius said quickly.
"I'm sorry Sirius, but it has been recommended that the young woman's visitors be limited, at least for now." Seeing the dark-haired man was about to protest, Dumbledore held up a hand. "The young woman will be waking up to unfamiliar surrounding already, and should not be forced to face too many unfamiliar people. I know you wish to stay by her side, Sirius, but I have made my decision. The only people to have access to the young woman will be myself and Remus, in addition to Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey, for obvioius medical reasons."
Flushing in anger, Sirius snapped, "I can guess who made that decision."
"It matters not who made the decision, the reasons were valid. Your actions would be well-meaning, Sirius, but you are too emotional to deal with the young woman. She will need someone who will not pressure her."
"But…"
"No, Sirius. My decision stands." The Headmaster said firmly.
Sirius's face looked as dark as his name, and he stomped out of the infirmary.
Remus quietly spoke, "Why me, Albus?"
Dumbledore gave him a small smile, "It was pointed out that your presence is somewhat…calming. An accurate assessment, if I do say so myself."
The werewolf seemed surprised. "I would have to assume that opinion came from Professor Snape, as I don't know Madam Pomfrey very well."
"Severus is an excellent judge of character, Remus. Whatever his personal dislikes, he would not deny a patient what is necessary for their recovery, and he has judge you as such. Would it be too much of a bother if I ask you to stay nearby? I could have Madam Pomfrey prepare a bed for you."
"Of course, Albus."
"Excellent!" Dumbledore beamed.
After making his request to the medi-witch, the Headmaster left, meeting up with a disgruntled Sirius just outside the infirmary doors.
As Remus chose the bed next to the young woman, he wondered how angry Sirius would be with him for being the one who was given permission to stay. Shaking his head at his friend's touchy temper, he removed his robe and shoes before crawling under the covers.
'I'll probably have to give him an exhaustive accounting of every breath she takes, if I don't want him to stay mad at me.'
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Not two hours later, the infirmary doors silently opened, then closed. A soft padding could be heard by those with sensitive hearing, especially one dozing werewolf.
As the soft footsteps drew closer, Remus Lupin called out softly, "Albus will kill you if he finds you here, Sirius."
A soft whimper came from the man who was now in his animagi form.
Remus sighed. "It's on your own head if anyone finds you here in the morning, just don't make it worse by sleeping on her bed."
Rolling over, the werewolf went back to sleep.
The black dog quietly moved behind the curtained area and curled up on the floor next to the sleeping woman's bed.
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It is well known to those who have spent the night in the infirmary that, at a specific time each day, the rising of the morning sun shines directly in the otherwise semi-dark room. The many windows allow the dawn to awaken the recovering occupants, tucked warmly in their beds, with its fingers of light sliding insistently over the outside of their eyelids – 'Awaken! Awaken! A new day has come!'
Most of the patients choose to ignore the persistent intrusion of the cheerful daylight, and roll over while pulling the covers over their heads. Others are not so skillful at ignoring the break of day.
As this new day came in to being, the light slithered in slowly, encroaching further into the room as the sun rose inch by inch. Situated deep into the room, a small figure lay peacefully, the sunlight just beginning to touch the foot of the bed. The minutes ticked by, and the sun continued to ascend in the sky, until it cast its full light upon the face of a young woman.
Blue-green eyes popped open.
A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! I Told you she would probably awaken in this chapter, but I didn't say she would become active. LOL Don't kill me!! Now that my speech class is almost over, I hope to get chapters out faster. Not really fast, though – I spend a lot of time revising before posting.
I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter. It feels too much like a "filler", though the spell portion had to be done. I wish I could have moved on directly to the "waking up", but I felt this chapter needed to happen before I could get on with it. I hope to get things in motion in the next chapter, but fear that I may disappoint some of you with where I am taking this story. It's not going to be a short story, and definitely not a "they meet, they kiss, they get married, the end" story that happens in less than 30,000 words. So, please be patient. There will be lots of things happening in this story, which is why it will take a lot of chapters to finish it.
And Rob, Grrr…stop getting ahead of my story, or I'll permanently weld a ball and chain to your legs. :) I've already had that one figured out for some time, I just haven't gotten there yet. Sheilynn is chanting "I know something you don't know", while frolicking about, tossing flower petals in the air (Yes, that is a scary image…very scary)