Chapter 11

Silence stung in the air. Three pairs of eyes were on Sirius whereas his eyes were locked onto mine, before they flicked down to my hand which I was suddenly aware was being held by Rodger's.

"Ahem" Lily cleared her throat. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see her vigorously nodding her head towards the door, signalling to Rodg that they should leave.

Picking up on the hint, he started to rise. I finally broke eye contact with Sirius' intense gaze and looked down at my lap. Smiling weakly at Lily and Rodger, I noticed the latter leaning down towards me.

Oh God just a hug please just a hug I thought desperately. My face was the picture of shock when he pressed a light kiss to my cheek. But my horror was not to end there.

Tripping over the chair leg, Rodger somehow ended sprawled across my torso. Immediately rising clumsily to mutter an apology, he head slammed into mine. The front of his head, into my head. And yes, you guessed it, our lips met.

I pulled my head back and BANG.

Why is there always a wall behind me when someone tries to kiss me.

"Oh GOD Bella, are you alright? I'm SO sorry!-"

"Rodger lets go" I would have internally thanked Lily for dragging him out of the room and calling Madame Pomfrey, but I was still in a daze from the blow.

"Oh heavens above!" Poor Madame Pomfrey cried as she bustled about my head.

My head was down and my eyes were focussed intently on my lap where my folded hands rested. But I registered that Sirius had sat down beside my bed and placed the flowers on the table. I didn't dare glance up at his face. So I sat patiently and quietly as the school healer worked, and surprisingly, so did he.

"...In exactly the same spot too! Here I was thinking this was a simple injury, and you'd be out by the end of the day, but no, you may be in here for the next term!" She complained as she re-applied some sort of foul-smelling salve on the back of my head and re-did my bandages.

Her complaints echoed through the Hospital wing and did not cease until she had fetched me a glass of water and bustled back into her office, shaking her head all the way.

"Make sure you be careful!" She stuck her head through the door for a final warning.

After her door was closed, the stinging silence was back like a thick blanket.

I felt my breathing get faster for no reason. My cheeks were turning rosy I could just feel them. My eyes kept darting from my hands to all around the bed and back.

"Well" I silently thanked the heavens that he had spoken first because Merlin knows I would have kept my mouth shut even if it meant sitting in this awkward silence until tomorrow morning. "That was, ah interesting" he finished lamely. I was surprised at his mild tone. For some reason I was expecting him to be angry.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, I finally looked up to meet his eyes, they were now focussed on the back of my head, which was throbbing heavily.

"No...yes."

I focussed my eyes back to my lap. Through my peripheral vision I saw Sirius bring his hand up to touch my head, and then drop it back to his side, changing his mind.

I gulped and unconvincingly pretended not to notice.

"So.. you and Lee huh?"

"Me and Lee what?"

"You're an item now." He sounded like he was trying too hard to be nonchalant.

I scrunched my face. "I wouldn't say that, I've only just agreed to go on a date with him.

"And do you like him?"

I looked up at the hint of defiance I detected in his voice. "Yes. I'd like to think I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't." I stated bluntly.

Did he roll his eyes?

"So, uh, what did I miss today?" I asked, desperately resorting to the topic of school to distract from this weird awkward tension.

"I wouldn't know. I skipped class."

"What! Why?"

"Well, I heard you were in the hospital wing and I was worried. But I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me or not, given the way you've been treating me these past few days, so I wasted the day away worrying before I thought 'screw it' I'm coming anyway" He said with a sharp edge to his voice. He folded his hands across his chest and looked at me squarely.

I got that sense that he was acting like a child. But his guilt trip was working.

"I know. I'm sorry. I really am. I was just going to come and talk to you after I got out here actually, really I was! I've just been, I don't know-"

"Prancing around with Rodger sodding clumsy Lee?"

Okay so he really was being a child.

I looked away, feeling horrible for a myriad of reasons.

We sat like that for a few moments until he spoke again.

"I'm sorry Bells, I believe you, I've just been missing my friend and I came here to give you these flowers. As a get well soon present I guess." He scratched the back of his head, and I could tell he was kicking himself for his last comment.

I smiled and accepted them as he handed them to me. They were all different shapes and sizes, all different colours, some were a little bit sticky. Their were about 20 flowers all together and they were tied together with a blade of grass, which I suspect has been enhanced with a strengthening charm. I looked at the bottom of the stems and smiled as they were ragged, he had obviously ripped them out of the ground and that explained where some of the sticky sap was coming from.

"They're beautiful." I smiled, "thank you so much Sirius."

He smiled back, "it's alright Bells, I know they look a bit shoddy but I had no idea where to get flowers on such short notice." He said laughing, I joined in.

Suddenly I looked down at the flowers and frowned. "I've never seen these flowers on the grounds before." Sirius twitched uncomfortably in his seat. My eyes widened. "Did you get these from the Forbidden Forest Sirius?"

"Oh come on Bells, it's a great place to think" He grinned.

I opened and closed my mouth several times. The boys had heard the 'it's dangerous' spiel too many times from teachers (and Lily).

"You didn't have to go to the trouble" I finally said.

He grinned once again. "For you, it's no trouble."

Maybe this would work out after all. The only way to not lose Sirius as a friend, was to keep him as a friend. I smiled to myself as I realised I had no reservations about this situation at all and the only thing I felt in this moment, holding flowers that were oozing sap onto my fingers, and strange medicinal herbs stuck to my head giving off a vile scent and all.

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- Sugar