Chapter 9 - - - Can We Go Yet!?
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"NO!" Madame Pomfrey's eye twitched. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Black. For the last time, I will TELL you when you can go, alright!?"
Still reeling from the shock, the Mauraders had been placed in the Hospital Wing upon the rising of the sun, when a Hufflepuff first year had spotted their gruesome battle. James, Maria, Remus, and Sirius would all have lasting scars. Lily, Jenna, and Troy were sick, soaked to the bone with icy rain. And Noel....
"How's my baby sister?" James called, trying to see down the line of beds to Noel.
"She will survive. She's handling it well." Madame Pomfrey pressed her lips together in a thin line.
"How's Remmie!?" Sirius yelled out.
"Honestly, can't you see him yourself!?"
"No! You put him in a bed waaaaay far from mine!"
The poor nurse rolled her eyes. "He's still asleep, Mr. Black." then she muttered, " I TOLD Dumbledore that hospitalizing all eight Mauraders at the same time was a bad idea!"
Mauraders with issues, at that. It was surprising they hadn't gone off the deep end yet, although there was some talk about Sirius and James....Madame Pomfrey amused herself with a picture of the Mauraders next to a muggle diving board and some very deep water. Going off the deep end, indeed. But they had a firm grasp on whatever sanity they had left. Each one of them was taking the whole affair very well.
"Madame Pomfrey!" Lily called, waving her hand wildly. "May I have some more juice, please!?" As the nurse came to take her cup, she turned to Maria, who was the only other gitl awake. "I can't believe it..all these years, Remus was a werewolf?"
Maria put a finger in her book and closed it. "Yes, amazing, isn't it?" she ran a finger along a shining blue pendant, which Lily looked curiously at, and kept talking. "Like I've said before, Remus and I have been friends since we were very little. Out parents are - were - friends. Remus recieved the bite when he was about six or seven. He blames himself, but...." she sighed.
"But what?" Lily whispered. She was spellbound by her friend's tale.
"But no one knows the real truth of what happened that night. It's my fault Remus J. Lupin is a werewolf. So that means it's my fault Noel Jaden Potter is one, now, too. And finally, it's my fault my mum and dad are dead..." a tear fell from her eye.
"...are you ready to talk about it?" Lily asked quietly. By now, James and Sirius had quieted down and were listening, too. They had gotten out of their own beds and into Lily and Maria's. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully.
Maria nodded. "I can tell you guys. my friends." she looked straight at Sirius when she said this. He smiled brightly at her.
James nudged Lily and winked. "I haven't forgotten that bet! I'm in too!" Lily giggled, and they turned back to Maria.
"The stories are all intertwined." she said, shrugging, "So we'll start with my parents giving me this pendant." she showed them the glowing blue disc. "I didn't know what it was at the time, but I knew it was special. They told me to take good care of it. They were passing it down to me. But after that, I noticed they were more careful with me, and Remus and his brother were more protective of me..."
"Remus has a brother?" Sirius asked, astonished.
"Yes, but he disappeared, when we were six...."
Sirius nodded.
"In a way, that's also part of the story. Remus loved his brother dearly, and was devastated when he left. I offered to help him look. That's why we were out that night - looking for our lost friend."
"But how is it your fault Remus is a werewolf?" James asked softly, stroking Lily's hair.
"I suggested we go look for him. It's my fault." Maria bowed her head.
Sirius shook his head. "But you didn't know you'd be attacked!"
Tears were falling from Maria's closed eyes again, so Sirius pulled her into his lap, and she continued.
"Well, we searched - and got attacked - Remus got bit - you know. Our parents were worried, but furious we were out at night alone. We got grounded." she smiled bitterly, remembering. Then she turned back to James, Lilym and Sirius. "And that's that. My parents were very worried about me - and that idiotic pendant. I assured them we were both safe. They were relieved..."
"Which brings us into the next story, which is also my fault. Their deaths...."
Lily couldn't bear to see so much pain in they eyes so much like her own. She reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," she said gently.
But Maria shook her head. "No, you all deserve to know," she said, looking at James particularly. She seemed to be trying to tell him something. But she went on. "The night Voldemort murdered my parents...it was really me he wanted. Me..and my insufferably annoying pendant!!" she clenched her hands into tight fists and and twisted the blanket around. Sirius noticed this. He gently but firmly removed the blanket and held her hands. "They shouldn't have died; it should've been me!!"
"Don't say that, Maria." James told her quietly.
She scrubbed her cheek with a hand nervously. "Yes, James...of course." then she looked at them. "And that's it. That's my..our...story. I'm really sorry about Noel, James, I really am...."
"It'll be alright, Maria. Noel's a tough lady. She'll be just fine." James answered.
"But Maria," Sirius said, "You never said what was so special about the pendant."
"I didn't? Oh...well...It's the Pendant to the Heir of Ravenclaw..."
"Ravenclaw? But you're a Gryffindor!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yeeeahhh..that Hat...back in first year.."
~*Flashback*~ ( ) = Maria's thoughts * * = Sorting Hat
"Ravenwood, Maria!" McGonagall called.
Maria bit her lip and walked up. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
*Ah....I wondered when I'd see you again, Miss Ravenclaw!*
(It's RavenWOOD, Hat.)
*Such a sharp Slytherin attitude, not at all proper for the Heir of Ravenclaw! So where to put you, Your Highness? *snicker**
(Don't you dare put me in Hufflepuff. Or Slytherin, either!)
*But you'd fit in so well...hahahaha...*
(Don't play, Hat. COme on. Everyone's staring at me. Not that I care, but this stool is hard, too!)
*Ah, I see. Well, I think you'd do good in Gryffindor, too, since you had courage to talk back to the SORTING HAT! Hmph!*
(Well? Where do I go, Mr. I'm-so-great-cause-I'm-the-Sorting-Hat?)
*Well, you have no patience at all, Miss I-have-an-attitude! How about...*"Gryffindor!!"
~*End flashback*~
"You got in Gryffindor for talking back to the Hat!?" Sirius laughed. maria flushed.
At that point, however, Madame Pomfrey walked over. "Go to bed, you four!"
James and Sirius grinned. "So this means we can't go yet?"
"NOOOO! GO TO BED!!!"
a/n: Ty to Clare..my only review so far..*sob* Oh well! It'll be ok! Another thanks still to Sapphire of the Sea, my wonderful beta! Remember to read her story! I still don't know if I'm gonna make this into a series...maybe I will...please tell me if you want me to! I have a niiice idea for the rest of the years...heh heh. But I don't know. lol. Well, stay tuned, loyal readers! And please review!
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"No."
"Can we go yet?"
"NO!" Madame Pomfrey's eye twitched. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Black. For the last time, I will TELL you when you can go, alright!?"
Still reeling from the shock, the Mauraders had been placed in the Hospital Wing upon the rising of the sun, when a Hufflepuff first year had spotted their gruesome battle. James, Maria, Remus, and Sirius would all have lasting scars. Lily, Jenna, and Troy were sick, soaked to the bone with icy rain. And Noel....
"How's my baby sister?" James called, trying to see down the line of beds to Noel.
"She will survive. She's handling it well." Madame Pomfrey pressed her lips together in a thin line.
"How's Remmie!?" Sirius yelled out.
"Honestly, can't you see him yourself!?"
"No! You put him in a bed waaaaay far from mine!"
The poor nurse rolled her eyes. "He's still asleep, Mr. Black." then she muttered, " I TOLD Dumbledore that hospitalizing all eight Mauraders at the same time was a bad idea!"
Mauraders with issues, at that. It was surprising they hadn't gone off the deep end yet, although there was some talk about Sirius and James....Madame Pomfrey amused herself with a picture of the Mauraders next to a muggle diving board and some very deep water. Going off the deep end, indeed. But they had a firm grasp on whatever sanity they had left. Each one of them was taking the whole affair very well.
"Madame Pomfrey!" Lily called, waving her hand wildly. "May I have some more juice, please!?" As the nurse came to take her cup, she turned to Maria, who was the only other gitl awake. "I can't believe it..all these years, Remus was a werewolf?"
Maria put a finger in her book and closed it. "Yes, amazing, isn't it?" she ran a finger along a shining blue pendant, which Lily looked curiously at, and kept talking. "Like I've said before, Remus and I have been friends since we were very little. Out parents are - were - friends. Remus recieved the bite when he was about six or seven. He blames himself, but...." she sighed.
"But what?" Lily whispered. She was spellbound by her friend's tale.
"But no one knows the real truth of what happened that night. It's my fault Remus J. Lupin is a werewolf. So that means it's my fault Noel Jaden Potter is one, now, too. And finally, it's my fault my mum and dad are dead..." a tear fell from her eye.
"...are you ready to talk about it?" Lily asked quietly. By now, James and Sirius had quieted down and were listening, too. They had gotten out of their own beds and into Lily and Maria's. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully.
Maria nodded. "I can tell you guys. my friends." she looked straight at Sirius when she said this. He smiled brightly at her.
James nudged Lily and winked. "I haven't forgotten that bet! I'm in too!" Lily giggled, and they turned back to Maria.
"The stories are all intertwined." she said, shrugging, "So we'll start with my parents giving me this pendant." she showed them the glowing blue disc. "I didn't know what it was at the time, but I knew it was special. They told me to take good care of it. They were passing it down to me. But after that, I noticed they were more careful with me, and Remus and his brother were more protective of me..."
"Remus has a brother?" Sirius asked, astonished.
"Yes, but he disappeared, when we were six...."
Sirius nodded.
"In a way, that's also part of the story. Remus loved his brother dearly, and was devastated when he left. I offered to help him look. That's why we were out that night - looking for our lost friend."
"But how is it your fault Remus is a werewolf?" James asked softly, stroking Lily's hair.
"I suggested we go look for him. It's my fault." Maria bowed her head.
Sirius shook his head. "But you didn't know you'd be attacked!"
Tears were falling from Maria's closed eyes again, so Sirius pulled her into his lap, and she continued.
"Well, we searched - and got attacked - Remus got bit - you know. Our parents were worried, but furious we were out at night alone. We got grounded." she smiled bitterly, remembering. Then she turned back to James, Lilym and Sirius. "And that's that. My parents were very worried about me - and that idiotic pendant. I assured them we were both safe. They were relieved..."
"Which brings us into the next story, which is also my fault. Their deaths...."
Lily couldn't bear to see so much pain in they eyes so much like her own. She reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," she said gently.
But Maria shook her head. "No, you all deserve to know," she said, looking at James particularly. She seemed to be trying to tell him something. But she went on. "The night Voldemort murdered my parents...it was really me he wanted. Me..and my insufferably annoying pendant!!" she clenched her hands into tight fists and and twisted the blanket around. Sirius noticed this. He gently but firmly removed the blanket and held her hands. "They shouldn't have died; it should've been me!!"
"Don't say that, Maria." James told her quietly.
She scrubbed her cheek with a hand nervously. "Yes, James...of course." then she looked at them. "And that's it. That's my..our...story. I'm really sorry about Noel, James, I really am...."
"It'll be alright, Maria. Noel's a tough lady. She'll be just fine." James answered.
"But Maria," Sirius said, "You never said what was so special about the pendant."
"I didn't? Oh...well...It's the Pendant to the Heir of Ravenclaw..."
"Ravenclaw? But you're a Gryffindor!" Lily exclaimed.
"Yeeeahhh..that Hat...back in first year.."
~*Flashback*~ ( ) = Maria's thoughts * * = Sorting Hat
"Ravenwood, Maria!" McGonagall called.
Maria bit her lip and walked up. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
*Ah....I wondered when I'd see you again, Miss Ravenclaw!*
(It's RavenWOOD, Hat.)
*Such a sharp Slytherin attitude, not at all proper for the Heir of Ravenclaw! So where to put you, Your Highness? *snicker**
(Don't you dare put me in Hufflepuff. Or Slytherin, either!)
*But you'd fit in so well...hahahaha...*
(Don't play, Hat. COme on. Everyone's staring at me. Not that I care, but this stool is hard, too!)
*Ah, I see. Well, I think you'd do good in Gryffindor, too, since you had courage to talk back to the SORTING HAT! Hmph!*
(Well? Where do I go, Mr. I'm-so-great-cause-I'm-the-Sorting-Hat?)
*Well, you have no patience at all, Miss I-have-an-attitude! How about...*"Gryffindor!!"
~*End flashback*~
"You got in Gryffindor for talking back to the Hat!?" Sirius laughed. maria flushed.
At that point, however, Madame Pomfrey walked over. "Go to bed, you four!"
James and Sirius grinned. "So this means we can't go yet?"
"NOOOO! GO TO BED!!!"
a/n: Ty to Clare..my only review so far..*sob* Oh well! It'll be ok! Another thanks still to Sapphire of the Sea, my wonderful beta! Remember to read her story! I still don't know if I'm gonna make this into a series...maybe I will...please tell me if you want me to! I have a niiice idea for the rest of the years...heh heh. But I don't know. lol. Well, stay tuned, loyal readers! And please review!