Chapter 6

Remus lay on the floor of the house curled into a ball. It was still dark out but the moon had gone down. Pinks, yellows, and oranges were starting to sprout in the sky. Every few minutes, blood would drip off his arm and face and onto the floor. A breeze wafted in through the closed shutters. Remus shivered in his naked body. His clothes had been torn in the transformation. He got up slowly and walked up the stairs toward the bedroom. He opened the drawers and found a fresh pair of undergarments, pants, and a shirt that would last him until his trip up to the castle.

On his way back out of the room he caught a glance of himself in the scratched mirror. His hair was messy with specks of blood in it, his face had a couple of scratches on it, and his arm was almost completely torn up. It was amazing he was still alive after the loss of blood he must have lost. He started to swoon at the sight of his arm.

Remus dizzily walked to the bathroom and shed his clothes. He got in the bathtub and ran the water. Steaming water poured out of the facet but he seemed not to notice. In a couple of minutes, the water was red with blood. He let the water drain out and then poured more water in. His arm was bleeding profusely and when he let his arm in the water he felt the pain.

"Ah!" he screamed loud and clear as the water surrounded the bleeding cuts. Remus bit his lip as he slowly dipped his arm in and out of the water. The pain subsided slowly and he got out of the now red water. He found a towel, dried off, and clothed himself once more. Remus took some bandages from the drawer and started the long process of wrapping his arm.

Next Remus washed his face with a washcloth and screwed his face up in pain as the water hit the cuts. His face was not as bad and was not bleeding so he just put some medicine on it and would let Madame Pomfrey deal with it when he got back.

By time Remus was done in the bathroom, it was around noontime. He walked down stairs and into the kitchen to find little food. There was an apple, bread, peanut butter, and then a couple of Honeydukes Chocolate bars. He took the apple and ate it. Repeatedly during the day he had to change his bandage on his arm.

Late afternoon Remus decided it was time to head back. His arm was as good as it was going to get without real medicine and his face was started hurt. Remus climbed into the hole and started on his way back toward Hogwarts.

Sirius leaned against his hand and stared at the black curls that was facing him. He sighed and grinned.

"Mr. Black. Mr. Black. Mr. Black, would you please pay attention!" Professor McGonagall snapped at Sirius as he pulled out of his daze.

"What was the question, professor?" Sirius said as everyone stared at him. The girl in front of him turned around and stared at him with her dazzling gray eyes. A grin played on her lips and he returned it with another smile.

"Mr. Black, if you don't stop staring at Ms. Carson then I'm afraid I'll have to move you," McGonagall threatened.

"Sorry professor, I'll try and pay attention now," Sirius said, still looking at the girl. McGonagall opened her mouth but at that moment the bell rang and people scrambled up to get out of class.

"Two feet of parchment on the dangers of transforming is the result of Mr. Black's failed attention during my class."

People groaned and Sirius banged his head on the desk.

"Were you really staring me?"

Sirius looked up and saw the girl in front of him now standing in front of him looking at him. She was a very petite girl with a thin face, small figure, and she was also short. Sirius stood up and saw how tall she actually was. She only came up to his shoulder.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to," Sirius smiled as they walked out of the classroom together.

"I'm Brooke Carson," she said, smiling.

"I'm Sirius Black," Sirius said, showing her a row of white, straight teeth.

"That was really sweet of you to say," Brooke said.

"Yeah, well, I only speak the truth. You are really beautiful," Sirius said as they walked down the halls. Brooke smiled again.

"Sirius! Remus is back!" James said as he came up toward the two of them.

"He is? Where is he?" Sirius said. "Remus is our friend, he got really sick and we haven't seen him," he explained to Brooke.

"Oh my! I hope he's ok," Brooke said. "I've better go. I'm meeting Lily by the lake."

"Lily Evans?" James asked, getting off the subject.

"I think she's the only Lily," Brooke said, backing up toward the direction of the Gryffindor common room. "Bye James, bye Sirius." Brooke flashed Sirius a smile and then turned around and walked toward the common room.

"Come on Sirius, let's go. He's in the hospital wing," James said, pulling Sirius' gaze away from Brooke.

"I'm coming," Sirius said. "Where's Peter?"

"I don't know, I've been looking all over for him. I've searched the bathroom, the common room, the dorms; he's no where," James shrugged as they walked toward the hospital wing.

"Have you checked the library?" Sirius asked, and then suddenly burst out laughing.

"That was funny Sirius, I mean, Peter, in the library. Maybe in a million year," James said, laughing with Sirius. They reached the hospital wing still laughing. They opened the door to find Remus sitting on a bed with his shirt off. His arm had been rebandaged and he had a bandage on the worst spot on his face. His chest also had a few scratches but not a whole lot.

"Remus, what happened?" Sirius said, walking over to him.

"Oh, I, um, just had a little run-in with the willow tree out on the grounds, no big deal," Remus said, offhandedly.

"That tree on the ground that hits every moving thing? I think we should call it the Whomping Willow or something," James said looking at Remus' arm. He wasn't sure if a tree gave a cut that needed that many bandages around it.

"The Whomping Willow, I like that name," Sirius said, acting like he was in deep thought. Remus laughed.

"Where were you last night though? We didn't see you in the dorms nor in the hospital," James asked, getting to what he really wanted to ask.

"Oh, um," Remus cleared his throat as he thought of an excuse. "I, um, my mum was, um, she was sick, terribly sick and my dad, he needed me," Remus finished lamely. James and Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Your mum was sick?" Sirius said. "Send her our regards," Sirius shrugged, thought still a little uncertain.

"I'll do that," Remus said, biting his tongue from sighing in relief.

"Let's get your shirt and get out of here, you need to get your homework. Sirius got a big essay in Transfiguration," James said, glaring at Sirius. Remus laughed again.

"It wasn't my fault," Sirius said defensively.

"Oh yeah, so you just happened to be staring at Brooke with drool coming out of your mouth," James said, rolling his eyes.

"There was drool?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.

"I'll just have Madame Pomfrey heal these cuts, and I'll catch up with you in the common room. There's no need to wait," Remus said, waving them off.

"Ok, ok, ok, we'll leave you alone, but this time come back to the common room," Sirius said.

James and Sirius finally left and Remus sat back down on the bed.

"Madame Pomfrey! Can you mend me now?" Remus said, calling to the nurse. The nurse came bustling in and started to mend the cuts on his chest and his face and the smaller ones on his arm.

"I'm afraid I can't mend this one right here," she said, pointing toward two punctures in the skin. "They go down too deep and there it's a bite, not a normal cut. You've got some sharp teeth there," Madame Pomfrey laughed. "Now go on, and just keep it bandaged."

"Thanks," Remus said as he walked out. He walked to the common room and saw Sirius, James, and Peter all tackling the Transfiguration. Well, Sirius wasn't exactly working; he was doing more staring than writing.

"Remus, over here!" Sirius said, catching sight of Remus at the door as he looked up at Brooke for the umpteenth time. Remus walked over and sat down on the couch.

"Sirius, you have nothing done," Remus stated as he looked at the piece of parchment where the essay was supposed to be.

"Figures that would the first thing you notice," Sirius, grumbled while he wrote The Dangers of Transforming at the top and then underlining it. Remus smiled and then went up to the dorms and got his books, ink, parchment, and a quill. He went down stairs and saw that Sirius now had on his paper 'The dangers are' and then it stopped. He was staring at Brooke again.

"Sirius, I bet I'll finish my essay before you and I wasn't even in class today," Remus said, sitting down and dipping his quill in the ink. Sirius narrowed his eyes, and then a smirk played on his lips.

"You're on Remus," Sirius said, dipping his quill in the ink and started writing. Well, it was one way to get him to work, Remus thought as he flipped through his Transfiguration book. At every 'Danger: Side affects consist of…' Remus started to write.

In less than twenty minutes, Remus pulled out of his writing daze with a start.

"Ha! I'm done Remus. I finished before you!" Sirius yelled, pushing the parchment away. The people remaining in the common room turned around and stared at Sirius.

"Um, Sirius, I think Remus finished awhile ago," Peter said, looking over at Remus' parchment. He had started on his Charm's essay ten minutes ago.

"Are you serious?" Sirius said, taking Remus' essay.

"Sorry, Sirius. I write fast," Remus said, taking back his essay and started writing again.

"That is not fair," Sirius complained as he leaned back in the chair.

"Sirius, if you're having trouble in any of the subject, you know, I can always tutor you. That way, maybe one day you can beat Remus in an essay," Brooke said, walking up smiling. Sirius immediately grinned and sat up. "I'm Brooke Carson, by the way. You must be Remus, glad to meet you," Brooke said, looking at Remus.

"That would be great Brooke; I've never really been that too great at all this essay stuff. I can do the magic, it's just the writing that gets to me," Sirius said, laughing.

"How could a Mudblood like you tutor Sirius?" Peter said quietly, but his voice was heard loud and clear. The whole common room went quite. Sirius stood up and towered over Peter. Brooke gasped and covered her mouth. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"What did you call her?" Sirius said through clenched teeth. His fists were clenched up tight at his sides. Peter scrunched down in the chair, wondering how he could be so brave. He mumbled something.

"Peter, you are worthless person. Stand up and tell me what you said!" Sirius bellowed. The whole common room had gathered around and they were watching with wide eyes. Remus stood up and stood next to Sirius' side, staring at Peter in disgust. James was on the opposite said doing the same thing. Peter did stand up, but timidly.

"I called her a Mudblood. That's what she is," Peter said boldly, even if he didn't feel it.

"Take that back," Sirius said. Brooke had started to cry. Lily was behind her comforting her.

"No," Peter said quietly. Sirius narrowed his eyes and suddenly punched Peter square in the jaw.

"Get out of my sight," Sirius said, turning around and went over to Brooke to comfort her. James and Remus turned their back on Peter as did everyone else. Whispers erupted over the common room as Brooke cried on Sirius' shoulder and him holding her tight.