As always, a massive thank you to Ambush99 for her wonderful betaing skills

Chapter 8

"No," Sirius said, jumping back with more energy than his friends thought possible. "No, you can't."

"Padfoot," James said quietly. "Mate, you're hurt. I know you're in pain. Let us take you to the hospital wing, we can figure it out then."

"No, no. No, please, I can't. Please don't make me go there," Sirius said frantically, as he backed up into a corner. He tried to find the exit, but he couldn't find it. He had to escape. He shouldn't have told James and Remus what he had and now… And now because of his weakness they were in danger again. He had to run away. If he wasn't near his friends, then they wouldn't hurt James and Remus.

"Why mate? No one's going to hurt you there," James said, watching his friend carefully. Just what the hell had happened to him? What had caused his best friend to be scared out of his mind and refuse any form of medical attention.

"Please, just please don't take me there. Please don't tell anyone. I shouldn't have told you," Sirius said in a terrified whisper. He blinked tears back from his eyes, and raised a shaking hand. "Please," he begged. "Please just leave me."

A large oak desk at the far end of the room flew up and flipped several times in the air, before crashing down hard, splitting in two. Remus and James jumped back in shock.

James exchanged a look with Remus. What he really wanted to ask was 'why?' but Sirius was beyond that right now, and frankly he was beginning to scare him. "Okay, that's fine. Why don't we figure it out here? Just you, me and Moony."

Sirius sank down to the ground, drawing his knees up to his chest, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have told you," he whispered.

"It's okay, we don't have to talk about that if you don't want. We can talk about, well anything you like mate," Remus said, speaking up for the first time.

"Have you seen the Tornadoes latest result?" James said as he dropped down next to his friend. "Appalling result! What was Johnson thinking, playing Theake as keeper?!" He stopped and looked between his friends. Sirius, silent and tense. Remus, devastated and nervous.

"I thought Rome played keeper for the Tornadoes?" Remus replied, taking a step closer to his friends.

"Usually he does, but Johnson thought it a good idea to 'shake things up'. Bloody lost two games on the trot. What do you think, Sirius?" James asked, as he reached forward and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sirius, it's okay mate. It's just me, James," he said gently, as Sirius violently flinched at the touch. He quickly eyed Remus, as if to say, 'what the hell do we do?' He watched Sirius again, it was as though he was shutting down in front of his eyes. His friend needed serious help, and quickly, but what the hell should he do?

Remus eyed James, as he watched Sirius curl into a tighter ball. "What do you think is next for the Tornadoes?" he asked tensely, not caring about the answer, his eyes not leaving the crumpled, shaking form of his friend.

Remus winced as a chair slid across the floor and repeatedly smashed itself against a wall, until it was nothing but splinters.

'Accidental magic?' Remus mouthed to James, nodding his head towards the destroyed chair.

James shook his head. 'I don't know,' he mouthed back. "The Tornadoes, well they need to fire Johnson as manager. He's as much use as a pile of dragon dung." His attention returned to Sirius; with every passing moment he was fading. He felt so sure Sirius would die if they didn't get him to a teacher or the hospital wing. He briefly considered stunning him and carrying him to the hospital wing, but he somehow knew a large part of his friend's recovery would depend on trust. Something he knew he would have to work hard to win. "Sirius," he called out softly. "Hey, Padfoot."

"Please go away," Sirius mumbled, his head not leaving his knees.

Two large ornate lights ripped themselves from the walls and crashed into each other. Showering the whole room, apart from the area they were standing in, with glass. James and Remus exchanged shaky looks. Whatever was happening to their friend was terrifying.

"No, I'm not leaving this room without you," James said as gently as he could. But he was terrified now.

"I'm not worth it. You cannot be associated with me," Sirius just about managed, as he shivered again, the familiar grip of icy cold returning.

"What?"

Sirius felt his breath catch in his throat. Concern, they were worried about him. If they worried about him, they might stick by him and then all his parents had threatened would come to pass. He could not let that happen. He knew he was close. He could feel his life slipping through his hands. Once he died, Regulus would be the true Black heir and his parents would have no need to harm his friends. He needed to insult them, and then they would leave. He never wanted his last words to be the foul words of his family, but if it saved his friends then it would be for the greater good. "I'm a Black, I'm pure," he said in the strongest voice he could muster. He buried his head further into his knees.

Was that all he could come up with? He should have said it with more conviction. He should have said it whilst standing, proud, not curled in a ball as a snivelling wreck.

"So am I. Moony has a bit of a furry problem, but we're all Marauders," James replied, not knowing what else to say as he struggled to follow and understand his friend's limited responses. Just knowing he had to somehow get his friend help. He had read about adults performing accidental magic, but it was rare. It only happened in extreme cases. Was this what was happening to Sirius?

"I," Sirius started, but couldn't finish as he was overwhelmed by a coughing fit.

All of a sudden, the room, which had been gently vibrating, seemed to start shaking. Glass panes cracked. Lights flickered. Desked smashed into each other.

James shot another meaningful glance at Remus, which clearly said 'get a teacher now'! Whatever was happening to their friend was far beyond their abilities. He knew he would be breaking Sirius' trust, but right now he didn't care. His best friend needed to be alive first and foremost; he would deal with any fallout later. But maybe he could have one more shot before they got teachers involved. He wanted Sirius to be able to agree to getting help, knowing it would be far less frightening for his already terrified friend.

Remus took one final look at his friends, before turning on his heel and bolting out of the room. He looked wildly around. Anytime he was with James and Sirius doing something against the school rules, there were always teachers at every corner. But now, when he really needed a teacher, he couldn't find any. He looked around again, before sprinting off towards the staff room.

"Sirius, look at me mate," James said quietly.

Sirius slowly looked up from his knees. He blinked his eyes a couple of times but they refused to focus. Why were they still here? He had betrayed Remus' secret. He could have got his friend executed, or worse, kissed. Yet, they were still here. At least he thought they were.

James winced as Sirius looked at him. With deathly pale skin, which had a greyish tinge to it, gaunt almost skeletal appearance, with dark circles framing his sunken eyes, he looked as though he could pass as an inferi. "Padfoot," he said, holding his hand out. "How about we go back to the dorm? It's quieter there, and I'm betting your bed is a damn sight more comfortable than this cold floor." He watched as his friend nervously rung his left hand, whilst he hugged his right protectively against his chest. "Come on Sirius, come on mate. Trust me," James thought as he continued to hold his hand towards his friend. He watched, nodding encouragingly, as his friend slowly and hesitantly began to reach out his hand.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, what are you doing?" Professor Flitwick said, as he walked into his classroom. "Shouldn't you-".

But he never got to finish his sentence, as the room around them began to violently shake. Panes of glass shattered above them, and rained down on them.

"What's happening?" Remus yelled, as he ran back into the room. He'd seen the Professor walking towards the room and had called out, but Professor Flitwick had evidently not heard him.

"Sirius?" James called out, as he watched his friend back away from them, something he'd thought impossible a few moments ago.

The large, heavy, oak desks flew up into the air, spinning around, crashing into each other. Large chunks of masonry flew off the walls and smashed into each other, sending ricochets across the room. Large cracks appeared through the room, criss-crossing the giant flagstones.

"Get away from me!" Sirius yelled desperately, as he threw his wand away from him and backed up against the wall. "I'm dangerous. Please stay away from me."

"Sirius," James called out again, trying to get closer to his friend. "Mate, it's okay. It's okay. No one here is going to hurt you."

"Please James," Sirius pleaded desperately. "Go! I don't want you to get hurt."

James looked up. A large, ugly gargoyle started to shake from its foundations directly above Sirius. "Sirius, watch out!" he yelled. He watched, as though in slow motion, as the gargoyle rocked and fell towards his friend. He dived towards his friend, tackling him around the chest as he went. He didn't let go as they rolled out of the way. He lifted an arm to shield their faces as the gargoyle exploded around them. "Sorry mate," James whispered, as he heard Sirius whimper. "I didn't want to hurt you but I didn't want you to be crushed by that bloody gargoyle either."

He closed his eyes and tried to shield them the best he could from the continued falling debris. "Mate, Padfoot, it's okay," he tried to reassure. "It's Flitwick, he's cool. He likes you. He'll listen to us. He would never hurt you. All he'll want to do is help you."

James, still hugging a shaking Sirius tightly against his chest, opened his eyes and slowly looked around. It was dark, pitch dark. They lay in an air pocket of twisted debris; a heavy oak desk, chairs, masonry, smoking remains of candles and old pieces of parchment. It was quiet, save the sound of Sirius' shallow, ragged breathing. They were trapped. Worse, he was trapped with his dying best friend, and he didn't even know if Remus and Professor Flitwick were alive. If - he didn't want to even start thinking about that. A small moan pulled him from his thoughts. "Sirius. Sirius, mate, are you okay?" he said quietly.

"What's happening to me?" Sirius asked in a shaky, childlike voice.

"I," James started, but before he had a chance to respond, he felt Sirius slump against him. "I don't know mate, but we'll figure it out and you're not ever going back to Grimmauld Place. I won't allow your family to lay another finger on you," James finished, as silent tears slipped down his face. He rested his chin on his friend's head and hugged him tighter. "You're going to be safe now, I promise."