Author's Note: Hello, thank you to everyone who is reading. This is a short chapter again this week as I am still struggling with the typing. Everyday it's a bit better, but after typing at work all day, it's hard to come home and work on fiction. I will lengthen the chapters, I promise. MNF

Chapter 14:

Watch Your Words

Four days after the attack, Arthur and Bill were sent home. Bill was making out vague shapes between light and dark, and the healer was happy with his improvement though his daily tasks of living were a challenge. Charlie was glad to help his brother shower, shave and get dressed and Ginny always sat next to Bill at mealtime to feed him food that was too sloppy to eat with his hands. Percy read the paper out loud in the evenings and ensured that Bill's correspondence was kept up with.

Fred and George worked with Ginny on the household chores, outside of cooking, as the twins were dreadful cooks. If Ginny washed the clothes, the boys made sure they went to the rune charmed barn to dry. Before the attack, Bill made sure the old structure was kept at a nice eighty degrees and was as dry as the desert he'd spent so long in. Clothes usually were ready to be folded and put away in a day. Thankfully, Molly could use Arthur's wand to charm undergarments and socks clean, as the air-dried ones tended to be stiff and scratchy.

Everyone acted as legs for Arthur, running to his small office up in the non-ghoul part of the attic, and Percy was taking paperwork back and forth to the Ministry every day, sometimes several times a day. On the afternoon of their homecoming, Kingsley and Augusta came over to speak with him, bringing a 'basket' that contained enough cooked meals to last three or four days and wanted to get his opinion on what to do next. Everyone was worried because Amelia had not awoken, and it had been a week.

"How is Sirius?" Arthur asked, knowing the man's staff had provided their feast.

"About as good as any man would be when the woman he loves is as unresponsive as she," Augusta said. "Harry and Hermione sit with him most of the time. Remus is often with him in the evenings, but he's keeping Sirius's estate and other Lord Black related responsibilities from stagnating. Susan will only go over when Sirius is not there for only an hour or so each morning when he comes home to shower and change. Susan had taken to sleeping at the Abbott's house. She seems to blame Sirius for what's happened, although he had nothing to do with it." Arthur shared a look with Augusta but said nothing more. Raising teens was difficult at the best of times, and your guardian in a coma was far from the best.

"Any more news on our pureblood friends?" Kingsley was asked by the redheaded patriarch.

"Nothing, although since we thwarted their plans, I'm not surprised. Someone miscalculated the size of a blast that would be needed to do structural damage. However, the repairs are nearly finished since it was entirely cosmetic. All that's needed is to repair the floor in the lift and carve the runes into the new frame of the lift you were in."

"That's fast," Molly remarked. She'd come in from the kitchen with a pot of tea and some of the biscuits from the basket.

"Well, we were adamant that the repairs be done quickly, and Harry helped pay for them. We must show the terrorists we won't be deterred from progress."

It was mid-afternoon, and Ron chose that moment to appear in his pants and vest, hair askew and smelling as if he'd rolled in an onion patch. Arthur glared at him, but he missed the look as the young man entered the kitchen.

"Bollocks, there's a lot of food here!" he yelled. Molly immediately stood and went into the kitchen, and the trio of adults heard nothing then, which led them to believe she'd erected a silencing charm with Arthur's wand.

"None of that is for you," Molly said to her son in the kitchen. "You're also not dressed to be seen by the company, especially not Lady Longbottom and the Deputy Minister for Magic Shacklebolt."

"They don't care about me. Why can't I have any of what's here?" Ron looked longingly at the biscuits, scones and bread in the kitchen that those in Sirius's home had created for them. There were fresh fruit tarts and some layered desserts, which looked terrific. Ron peered in the fridge where a whole roast beef and chicken were waiting with roasted potatoes, parsnips and carrots. "Mum, the fridge is loaded!"

"Yes, and we will be eating this for the next few days," she said sharply. "Sirius was kind enough to send it over, even as he and Harry sit in the hospital most days."

"Harry doesn't want to be my friend. He never invited me to study at his house."

"That isn't true, and Ginny has told you that time and again, Ron. You'd be welcome if you promised you were truly going to study and not distract the others. Oh, and you must apologize for being a fair weathered friend."

"I acted as his friend, and come on, life can't be all about studying," Ron said, slumping down in the chair. "I'll go back to school when Hogwarts opens. The twins aren't studying."

"You're wrong," Molly snapped. "They go to Sirius's two days a week to study charms, transfigurations, potions and defence." Ron simply rolled his eyes at her.

"Ronald Billius Weasley, that is it!" she exclaimed, throwing the tea towel slung over her shoulder down onto the table. "You're going to your Great Auntie Muriel's for a month. Go pack, or you will go in what you're wearing, and I will not be sending your robes over to you."

"You can't be serious," he said incredulously.

"I am deadly serious, Ron. You're going to Muriel's, and that's final. You're a drain on this family and do not help out at all. Your brother and father need extra care now, and I cannot deal with your lay-about, whinging attitude."

"Mum, give me another chance!" he pleaded.

"Fine, go clean yourself up, and you will be your father's assistant for the remainder of the day. You will do what he says, accomplish what is needed and not complain once. If I hear you whinge, you are headed through the Floo, and I will seal it so you can't come home. Am I understood, Ronald?"

"Yeah, you're understood," Ron said, a bit frightened and quickly left the kitchen, skirting through the living room for the stairs. He'd never heard his mother that angry before, even at the twins.

ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU

"Siri," a faint voice was heard at eleven-forty-five that night, alerting Remus and Sirius to Amelia's awakening. At seeing her eyelids flutter open, Sirius stood and leaned over her bed so he could see her easily. Remus exited the room to get a medi-witch.

"Hey there, beautiful," Sirius said softly, taking her hand between both of his. "Can I see those lovely eyes of yours?" Amelia opened them halfway and gave him the faintest of smiles.

"Where am I," she exhaled.

"You're in St Mungos, Luv. Do you remember anything?" There was a long pause before Amelia's eyes opened the whole way.

"Arthur? Bill?" she said with a slightly stronger voice.

"They're fine, already home from hospital." He wasn't going to tell her about their injuries. There would be time in the days ahead for that. Amy made a non-committal noise before easing her eyelids down again.

"How long?" she asked breathlessly.

"It's been a week, sweetheart. You've been in a coma, giving your body time to heal."

"The Ministry," she attempted to protest.

"You're not to be worried about that. King and Augusta have been doing wonderfully in your stead, but you are to worry about getting better." To emphasize the point, a medi-witch and healer came in, and Sirius stepped aside so they could do their scans and tests. Then, he went to the doorway to stand next to Remus.

"Thank Merlin, Remus, I thought I would go insane. Twelve years in Azkaban couldn't make me crazy, but a week without Amy and…." Remus pulled his friend into a hug.

"You didn't lose it, though. You also helped Harry handle the crisis, which is an accomplishment in itself. I Floo called the house, and Harry was going to let Susan know then he was on his way over."

"Harry should be in bed," Sirius commented, looking at his watch.

"I think he was up snogging Hermione, but I might be wrong." Remus was confident he wasn't if the slightly inflamed lips, dishevelled hair and clothing a bit askew. The look on Harry's face at being caught so reminded Remus of James that it was uncanny and a bit frightening.

"Good for him," Sirius said. "I like Hermione, and she's always been faithful to him."

"Agreed. They're quite a bit alike," Remus mused. "Straddled the line between the magical and Muggle worlds for years."

The healer came over to Sirius with a happy look and a twinkle in his eyes. "The worst seems to be over. She doesn't remember much of the incident, but that's for the best. However, don't be surprised if it spontaneously comes back to her." Sirius nodded in understanding.

"What can I do to help her?" he anxiously asked.

"Help her rest, and it would be best if you got some sleep as well. You look like you're barely on your feet, Lord Black."

"Sirius, please."

"Very well, but you need to be at your best to help Madame Bones. She's going to be weak from being unconscious for so long." Sirius nodded, and the healer left the two men.

"You're going home to sleep tonight," Remus said. "I'll stay through the night. You take a potion and get some proper rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Thanks, Moony."

"Anytime, Padfoot." Sirius gripped his shoulder before returning to Amy's side and listened to the rules the medi-witch was giving. When the woman was finished, Sirius took his love's hand and kissed her fingers.

"Few more days, and you can come home when I'm going to pamper you until you're well," Sirius promised. Her eyes were more open than they had been, and she took in his face and appearance.

"Sirius, you look awful," she said quietly.

"It's been a rough week," he answered truthfully. He took in her face and how he'd missed looking into her eyes and seeing her gentle smile. The world saw her as formidable, but she was kind-hearted, sweet and feminine to him. Girding himself, he nodded and spoke. "Amy, sweetheart, I know this isn't the place or how we'd have chosen to do this, but I can't wait a bit longer. Seeing you there in that bed, so still and being unsure of whether you'd awaken, made me realize something. I don't want to live without you. I want to know that we will always come home to each other regardless of what happens in the day. I want to build a family with you and wake up every morning with you. Amy, my darling Amy, will you please become my wife?"

Sirius pulled from his pocket a brilliant square-cut yellow diamond set in platinum with rows of tiny diamonds around it. Amy gasped at the sight of it. "Yes," she whispered, tears on her cheeks. Sirius leaned over to kiss her.

"YOU'RE MARRYING HIM?" Susan screeched as she came into the room. "He's the reason you're in this damned place!"

"Susie, sweetheart, that isn't true," Amy said.

"Susan, your aunt, needs to rest," Remus tried to calm her, "perhaps you should go into the hall…."

"Susie, what are you yelling about?" Hannah cut Remus off as she came into the room. Susan just glared at Sirius.

"I want to see my aunt!" she said firmly. "You need to leave."

"Susan, you will not speak with," Amy had to stop and take a deep breath. "You won't speak with Sirius that way." Amy was panting again.

Mrs Abbott finally reached the room, took in Susan's glare, Hannah's confused expression, Amelia's heavy breathing and the ring on her finger and realized what was happening.

"Susan, you and I talked about this," the woman said gently. "Your auntie has spoken about her desire to marry Sirius. She was just waiting for him to ask. Now, sit down and speak with your aunt; Hannah and I will be waiting outside."

"Take him with you," Susan said obstinately.

"No, Susan—" Mrs Abbott began.

"I'll go; I could use a trip to the loo. I'll be right back, Luv." Sirius squeezed Amy's hand before he left the room, looking into Remus's eyes and telling him of his concerns without speaking a word.

"Five minutes, Susan," Remus said before exiting.