Chapter 30 – Hurt Feelings
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"Look, he's stirring – oh! Sirius, look, James is awake!"
"Ohhh...where am I?"
"Hey, why isn't Maria awake? Lily, wake her up!"
"Let's shake her!"
"Miss Potter, there will be no shaking!"
"Poke her then, Professor! James, James, can you hear me?"
"Miss Po – Mr. Lupin, don't poke James!"
"James, why isn't my sister awake? Did you save her?"
"Uhhh...?"
"Please, everyone, give Mr. Potter room to – "
"Hey, look, Maria's eyes flickered!"
"Don't be a prat, Sirius, eyes don't flicker!"
"Lil..."
"She speaks!"
"...saved me..."
"I saved you? I thought that was James's job?"
"Oops?"
"What happened?"
- - - - - - - -
In the relative calm that followed, James and Maria got their stories straight. Professor Dumbledore left soon after, mumbling something about seeing the Headmaster. Remus, Noel, Lily, and Sirius stared at their newly- revived friends.
Maria fidgeted, staring back, still remembering the mean tings her friends had said, but it had been a dream, right?
"Maria?" James touched his friend's shoulder, and she shrieked.
"Did you really mean it, James!? Am I really that weak!?" she turned on Noel. "Am I!? Am I, Noel!?"
Noel looked hurt. "Maria, it – "
"But of course! The -perfect- Potters and their -perfect- life, can't associate with anyone -beneath- them!"
James and Noel were taken aback. Maria had skimmed over what happened in her dream, saying only that her friends had appeared. Now, though, they got the feeling they, or Noel and James rather, had said something really nasty.
"Maria, what really happened down there?" Lily asked.
Maria turned to Lily, a smile on her face. She began to relate her story of what each friend had said to her.
Noel flushed. "Maria Rose Ravenwood, you get out here right now! I need to have some words with you!" she reached over and grabbed a handful of Maria's black hair and jerked her out the door of the hospital wing.
"OW! Goddammit, Noel, let go of me!" Maria shrieked.
"Not until you listen to me!" Noel yanked open the door to a broom closet and pulled Maria inside before slamming it shut again.
Maria stood up, glaring. "What's your problem, Potter!?"
"My problem is...is...you, Ravenwood! Your dream me was right – you do always run to Lily and Remus! And, and..."
"What? You pulled me in here to tell me that I'm a baby? I'm sure you can do better than that – what are we, second years?" Maria replied scathingly.
Noel glared at her. "I pulled you in here to tell you that you're a coward. And..."
"And?"
"And...you're really annoying, you know that!?"
"What!? Annoying?! Why the hell do you hang out with me if I'm so annoying!? You don't have room to talk! You...you...egotistical...arrogant – "
"Are you describing me or you?" Noel smirked.
"Potter, you need a major attitude adjustment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get going."
Noel blocked the door. "You aren't going anywhere, Ravenwood."
Maria stared.
Noel swallowed. She wasn't all that mad, but...her dream self was right. Maria did spend so much time with Lily, and she never talked to Noel about anything important anymore. Noel didn't, however, want to admit that she was a bit jealous...not that she really was, she told herself. Just...yeah.
Maria had a hand on her hip. "Well?"
Noel glared. "...whatever. Just get out of my sight, Ravenwood. Go run crying to Lily that I'm a big meanie," she taunted.
Maria started to reply crossly, but then realization dawned. "I get it." Her face softened. "I'm sorry, Noel."
Noel's lip curled. "For what?"
Maria smiled. "You know." She walked to the door, and Noel didn't try to block it. "I'll work on that, okay?" She twisted the doorknob, and was gone.
Noel blinked. "...she understood? What just happened?"
- - - - - - - -
Noel was right, Maria realized. She did spend a lot of time with Lily. But Noel was always with Remus...damn, she shoulda brought that up. Oh, well. Everything was okay now...hopefully.
Upon her reentry to the hospital wing, everyone looked at her curiously.
"Everything's okay," she assured them.
Of course, they still stared curiously. But then, that was the Marauders for you.
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a/n: Thank you for everyone who reviewed! A special thanks to MaryslilLamb for helping me with italics, etc. I'm working on getting 100 on, guys! Almost there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. .
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"Look, he's stirring – oh! Sirius, look, James is awake!"
"Ohhh...where am I?"
"Hey, why isn't Maria awake? Lily, wake her up!"
"Let's shake her!"
"Miss Potter, there will be no shaking!"
"Poke her then, Professor! James, James, can you hear me?"
"Miss Po – Mr. Lupin, don't poke James!"
"James, why isn't my sister awake? Did you save her?"
"Uhhh...?"
"Please, everyone, give Mr. Potter room to – "
"Hey, look, Maria's eyes flickered!"
"Don't be a prat, Sirius, eyes don't flicker!"
"Lil..."
"She speaks!"
"...saved me..."
"I saved you? I thought that was James's job?"
"Oops?"
"What happened?"
- - - - - - - -
In the relative calm that followed, James and Maria got their stories straight. Professor Dumbledore left soon after, mumbling something about seeing the Headmaster. Remus, Noel, Lily, and Sirius stared at their newly- revived friends.
Maria fidgeted, staring back, still remembering the mean tings her friends had said, but it had been a dream, right?
"Maria?" James touched his friend's shoulder, and she shrieked.
"Did you really mean it, James!? Am I really that weak!?" she turned on Noel. "Am I!? Am I, Noel!?"
Noel looked hurt. "Maria, it – "
"But of course! The -perfect- Potters and their -perfect- life, can't associate with anyone -beneath- them!"
James and Noel were taken aback. Maria had skimmed over what happened in her dream, saying only that her friends had appeared. Now, though, they got the feeling they, or Noel and James rather, had said something really nasty.
"Maria, what really happened down there?" Lily asked.
Maria turned to Lily, a smile on her face. She began to relate her story of what each friend had said to her.
Noel flushed. "Maria Rose Ravenwood, you get out here right now! I need to have some words with you!" she reached over and grabbed a handful of Maria's black hair and jerked her out the door of the hospital wing.
"OW! Goddammit, Noel, let go of me!" Maria shrieked.
"Not until you listen to me!" Noel yanked open the door to a broom closet and pulled Maria inside before slamming it shut again.
Maria stood up, glaring. "What's your problem, Potter!?"
"My problem is...is...you, Ravenwood! Your dream me was right – you do always run to Lily and Remus! And, and..."
"What? You pulled me in here to tell me that I'm a baby? I'm sure you can do better than that – what are we, second years?" Maria replied scathingly.
Noel glared at her. "I pulled you in here to tell you that you're a coward. And..."
"And?"
"And...you're really annoying, you know that!?"
"What!? Annoying?! Why the hell do you hang out with me if I'm so annoying!? You don't have room to talk! You...you...egotistical...arrogant – "
"Are you describing me or you?" Noel smirked.
"Potter, you need a major attitude adjustment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get going."
Noel blocked the door. "You aren't going anywhere, Ravenwood."
Maria stared.
Noel swallowed. She wasn't all that mad, but...her dream self was right. Maria did spend so much time with Lily, and she never talked to Noel about anything important anymore. Noel didn't, however, want to admit that she was a bit jealous...not that she really was, she told herself. Just...yeah.
Maria had a hand on her hip. "Well?"
Noel glared. "...whatever. Just get out of my sight, Ravenwood. Go run crying to Lily that I'm a big meanie," she taunted.
Maria started to reply crossly, but then realization dawned. "I get it." Her face softened. "I'm sorry, Noel."
Noel's lip curled. "For what?"
Maria smiled. "You know." She walked to the door, and Noel didn't try to block it. "I'll work on that, okay?" She twisted the doorknob, and was gone.
Noel blinked. "...she understood? What just happened?"
- - - - - - - -
Noel was right, Maria realized. She did spend a lot of time with Lily. But Noel was always with Remus...damn, she shoulda brought that up. Oh, well. Everything was okay now...hopefully.
Upon her reentry to the hospital wing, everyone looked at her curiously.
"Everything's okay," she assured them.
Of course, they still stared curiously. But then, that was the Marauders for you.
- - - - - - - -
a/n: Thank you for everyone who reviewed! A special thanks to MaryslilLamb for helping me with italics, etc. I'm working on getting 100 on, guys! Almost there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. .