Chapter 26 – The Light Won't Wake Tonight
"They fell from so high," Lily whispered, her hand on James' forehead. "I wonder what happened.....James won't let go of Maria.....and where are Sirius and Noel?"
"Professor Dumbledore took them to the Headmaster's office." Remus responded dully. "I think Professor Tristan went, too. And Cheewa."
Lily nodded numbly, still wondering what could have happened. Sirius would never, ever deliberately hurt Maria – and yet, he just had. "Why can't you tell us what happened? She murmured to her seemingly-lifeless friends. "Why won't you wake up?"
"Ah, I knew you'd be here," a soft voice said. Remus and Lily turned; it was Professor Dumbledore.
"Good evening Mr. Lupin, Miss Evans." He took a seat next to Maria and James' bed, too. "How are they?"
Lily shook her head. "Professor, it looks like Maria's not breathing. Why? Will they be alright? Why won't James wake up? What happened?"
Dumbledore looked down his long nose at her, folding his fingers and deciding how to reply. "Professor Tristan told me about the charm."
"Yes, sir. Maria is with James, Noel with Sirius, and I with Remus."
"Yes, I gathered as much. It explains why Mr. Potter is still latched onto Miss Ravenwood."
"Why!?"
Dumbledore paused. "Up in the sky, we believe that something came to – er, possess Mr. Black. We don't know how, but we have an idea of who-"
"Was it You-Know-Who, sir!?"
"Possible.....anyway, as Sirius held onto Maria's wrist, it was draining her life force. James was feeling the effects as he tried to go to her, but it was too much and they both collapsed." He looked at Maria and James.
"When will they wake, sir?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. "We're not sure. Sirius – or whatever was possessing him – hurt Maria pretty bad. She and James are both in perfect health, you see, but Maria's spirit – as I said, her life force – is suffering. By holding her the way he is – you see his hand on her forehead, and the other over her heart? – James' unconscious mind is trying to siphon some of his own aura back into Maria, and he won't wake until she does."
"Because of the charm?"
"Yes, although I think, even if there was no charm, James would probably be trying to do this anyway....."
Lily nodded as Remus finally spoke. "Sir, what will happen to Sirius? He's not in trouble, is he?"
Dumbledore regarded him for a moment. "Well, Professor Cheewa feels that he should be expelled. I however, after hearing Sirius' and Noel's accounts of this morning, and knowing that Sirius would never deliberately hurt Maria, feel that there should be no punishment. Professor O'Leary is in full agreement with me, which I daresay sent Professor Cheewa into transports of fury....."
Lily and Remus managed small smiles.
At that moment, the door burst open and Sirius flew in, Noel dragging behind him.
"Maria, Maria, I'm so sorry – oh.....? She's asleep....." Sirius sobbed. "What's wrong with her?"
Dumbledore repeated what he had told Remus and Lily. Sirius sighed, dragging up a chair.
"How could I? How could I hurt them? My best friends.....Maria, I'm so sorry....."
Everyone was quiet at Sirius' sudden display of emotion.
"I'm sure they'll be awake soon, Siri," Remus told him.
Sirius shook his head. "No, no they won't, Remmie. My light won't wake tonight. I know. I felt it, when he was inside my head. He wanted to hurt her, but I did it for him....."
No one knew quite what to say to that, so they just sat there, even Dumbledore, until the sun finally shone through the windows again.
a/n: Yahoo. Sorry it's so short, but the next chapter should be good. I'm just so tired.....its four am. Teehee.
"They fell from so high," Lily whispered, her hand on James' forehead. "I wonder what happened.....James won't let go of Maria.....and where are Sirius and Noel?"
"Professor Dumbledore took them to the Headmaster's office." Remus responded dully. "I think Professor Tristan went, too. And Cheewa."
Lily nodded numbly, still wondering what could have happened. Sirius would never, ever deliberately hurt Maria – and yet, he just had. "Why can't you tell us what happened? She murmured to her seemingly-lifeless friends. "Why won't you wake up?"
"Ah, I knew you'd be here," a soft voice said. Remus and Lily turned; it was Professor Dumbledore.
"Good evening Mr. Lupin, Miss Evans." He took a seat next to Maria and James' bed, too. "How are they?"
Lily shook her head. "Professor, it looks like Maria's not breathing. Why? Will they be alright? Why won't James wake up? What happened?"
Dumbledore looked down his long nose at her, folding his fingers and deciding how to reply. "Professor Tristan told me about the charm."
"Yes, sir. Maria is with James, Noel with Sirius, and I with Remus."
"Yes, I gathered as much. It explains why Mr. Potter is still latched onto Miss Ravenwood."
"Why!?"
Dumbledore paused. "Up in the sky, we believe that something came to – er, possess Mr. Black. We don't know how, but we have an idea of who-"
"Was it You-Know-Who, sir!?"
"Possible.....anyway, as Sirius held onto Maria's wrist, it was draining her life force. James was feeling the effects as he tried to go to her, but it was too much and they both collapsed." He looked at Maria and James.
"When will they wake, sir?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. "We're not sure. Sirius – or whatever was possessing him – hurt Maria pretty bad. She and James are both in perfect health, you see, but Maria's spirit – as I said, her life force – is suffering. By holding her the way he is – you see his hand on her forehead, and the other over her heart? – James' unconscious mind is trying to siphon some of his own aura back into Maria, and he won't wake until she does."
"Because of the charm?"
"Yes, although I think, even if there was no charm, James would probably be trying to do this anyway....."
Lily nodded as Remus finally spoke. "Sir, what will happen to Sirius? He's not in trouble, is he?"
Dumbledore regarded him for a moment. "Well, Professor Cheewa feels that he should be expelled. I however, after hearing Sirius' and Noel's accounts of this morning, and knowing that Sirius would never deliberately hurt Maria, feel that there should be no punishment. Professor O'Leary is in full agreement with me, which I daresay sent Professor Cheewa into transports of fury....."
Lily and Remus managed small smiles.
At that moment, the door burst open and Sirius flew in, Noel dragging behind him.
"Maria, Maria, I'm so sorry – oh.....? She's asleep....." Sirius sobbed. "What's wrong with her?"
Dumbledore repeated what he had told Remus and Lily. Sirius sighed, dragging up a chair.
"How could I? How could I hurt them? My best friends.....Maria, I'm so sorry....."
Everyone was quiet at Sirius' sudden display of emotion.
"I'm sure they'll be awake soon, Siri," Remus told him.
Sirius shook his head. "No, no they won't, Remmie. My light won't wake tonight. I know. I felt it, when he was inside my head. He wanted to hurt her, but I did it for him....."
No one knew quite what to say to that, so they just sat there, even Dumbledore, until the sun finally shone through the windows again.
a/n: Yahoo. Sorry it's so short, but the next chapter should be good. I'm just so tired.....its four am. Teehee.