I was very apprehensive about writing this chapter, which is how it took so long and sort of died on me. The problem is, I wrote a short fic on the same topic a while ago, so I don't feel like I can write it again... But well, whatever. It might not be up to snuff, but it has to be in here.
V
"Sirius, can I come in?"
I knock hesitantly on the door. Hopefully I don't wake him, or...
"Moony? Yeah, come in."
I push the door open and peer around it, finding Sirius sitting on the bed, a large swath of bandages holding back his hair and covering his forehead. He's staring at his hands, which means he doesn't want to see my expression when I see him like this. He has a sensitive pride, for someone who hates it in his family.
"Did Mrs. Potter go overboard with the bandages then?" I ask quietly, sitting down on the bed beside him.
"It was bleeding a lot, but it wasn't that deep," he said quietly.
"James flooed me."
It's hard keeping my voice light when he's looking like this. He looks like I do after a moon, and that's not the way Sirius is meant to look. Broken, crushed like this.
I realize with a start that his hair is cut short, or at least, shorter. My fingers move of their own accord to catch the ends of a few strands, brushing his shoulder.
"You cut your hair..." I mumble stupidly, and he smiles a bit.
"Had Mrs. Potter do it. I was tired of dealing with it, and it was a mess..."
He hesitated. It was hard to worm these things out of him, always. Take the straight road and he'd just go around it, no matter how much he actually wanted to tell you.
"Have you had a bath yet?" I ask hesitantly, my hand dropping from his hair awkwardly when I realize it has lingered there too long.
"I washed off some, but I didn't want to in front of her," he says quietly.
"Well, if you want to go down and eat some supper, then maybe James and I could help you get undressed and into the bath?"
"I'm not an invalid," he snapped bitterly, standing and going to the door. "I can take a bath by myself."
I smile a little at his back as he opens the door and leaves the room. I can hear the cries from up here, Mrs. Potter threatening to coo herself to death over his state. Feeling my stomach protest at being left out, I head downstairs to eat.
Yeah, more shortness. I'm apprehensive about this continuing, meaning, it probably won't. Sorry for those of you who liked it, mainly me-loves-Orli, Tanya J. Potter, Audrey G. Black, and LuH. We'll see what happens, but if I don't update within a few weeks you'll know it's dead. On the other hand, you could always go read my other fics... ;