8

The Great Pain:

" Alright Piers, Meadowes you're up" Moody said a few days later.

Doe felt something in her stomach drop. For the last two days, Moody had been pairing them up and having them fight each other. Doe watched everyone else do it except for her and she was finally up.

Piers got up to the mat with her and smile slightly. She gave him a weird look. Who smiles at the person they're about to fight with?

Doe took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Piers lunged forward, and Doe took a step back.

" On don't worry Meadowes," Piers said with a smile, " I won't hurt you too bad".

Doe jumped back again but not quickly enough, she felt his fist collide with her side. She instantly felt the pain, like her rib was broken but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

She stood back up and ducked as he swung towards her again. She reached forward and tried to hit him in the chest but he grabbed her arm, blocking her, and swung with his other arm, his hand colliding with her jaw.

She tried to kick upward, and got him him in the leg. He let go of her arm instinctively but swung again and this time hit her in the stomach.

She let out an involuntary noise of pain, and Piers lunged forward again, knocking her to the ground both arms pinned above her head.

He was just stronger than her, there was nothing she could do.

" Alright enough" Moody shouted and he got off of her.

Doe slowly got back to her feet, feeling pain all over her body.

" Longbottom and Bordeaulle your up" Moody said.

Doe walked slowly over to where she had been sitting before and slumped down.

" Are you okay?" Sirius asked her quickly.

She nodded, " I'm fine."

She was only being slightly truthful. It hurt like hell. Piers had wiped the floor with her and she knew it, if she wanted to make it, she was going to have to get better at this.

The rest of Physical training consisted of fighting. So far she had lost to both Piers and a boy from Durmstrang. Moody had never paired her with a girl. So a few days later, Moody watched two of the trainees get of off the mat and finish what had been a very brutal fight and called out the next names,

" Black and Meadowes"

Sirius and Doe both looked at eachother with a look of concern, neither one of them wanted to hurt each other even slightly.

" Get up there" Moody called harshly, seeing their hesitation.

" Moody, couldn't anyone else do it?" Sirius asked bravely.

Moody raised an eyebrow, " I'm sure they could, but if you don't get up here and do it, you'll be cut"

Sirius took a deep breath.

" Come on" she said grabbing his arm, " It'll be fine, let's go".

Sirius looked wistfully at the mat and then followed her, standing on the opposite side of it from her.

They stood there for a minute until Moody said harshly, " Go on now".

Knowing Sirius wouldn't, she walked towards him, they both had their arms up.

Sirius 'swung' towards her and missed, allowing her to duck, an obviously fake punch.

" You'll fight like you would with anyone else, or I'll cut you Black" Moody ordered.

Sirius sighed, looking like he was about to walk off the mat. Doe wasn't going to let him. It wasn't worth it.

She swung and hit him in the shoulder, pleading with her eyes.

He sighed and lunged forward. Doe didn't have enough time to move backward. She felt his fist collide with her hip. It obviously wasn't full force, but he was strong enough that it hurt.

They went back and forth like that for a few minutes, neither one of them wanting to hit the other hard enough to end it.

Doe knew Sirius was strong enough that he could have her pinned down with one good punch, but he didn't.

" Just do it once," Doe whispered, " and then we can just stop".

Sirius shook his head furiously. They went back and forth for a few more minutes, almost dancing around each other.

Doe looked at Sirius. He sighed and lunged forward, knocking her in the stomach and pinning her down. It hurt. She knew that it wasn't full force either. She couldn't imagine how much damage he could really cause to someone he wanted to hurt.

" Okay, thats enough" Moody said impatiently.

Sirius got off of her instantly and helped her to her feet, " Are you okay?"" he asked her quickly.

She nodded, " I'm good,".

Her entire body ached in pain, but Sirius felt bad enough. He didn't need to know that.

" You can all go, that's enough for today" Moody said.

Sirius and Doe got up to leave.

" Black, stay behind a minute" Moody called to him.

Sirius sighed.

Doe left the room and waited for Sirius. He came out a few minutes later, looking slightly calmer than he had before.

" Are you okay?" Doe asked.

He nodded, " Moody just wanted to let me know why he forced me to do it"

" Apparently aurors need to be able to follow directions implicitly" he said with an eye roll.

He sighed, " That was awful, you sure you're okay?"

She nodded quickly, " Siri, I'm fine"

He shook his head, " It felt so wrong, I couldn't analyze the ways to take you down. You're my best friend".

Doe stopped him and pulled him into a hug, " I'm fine. Honestly".

He ruffled her hair quickly, " Alright Meadowes, don't get so sentimental on me"

Doe rolled her eyes at him and quickly said goodbye, disapparating to her apartment, where she could sit in a bathtub full of ice and perform some magical remedy enchantments.

" Ow," Doe said slightly, clutching at her stomach a few days later. She was in Remus' room and she had been sitting on his bed. She had leaned over him and accidently hit her stomach on his elbow, where she was still tender from all of the fights she had lost.

" Are you alright" Remus asked her.

Doe nodded and leaned back over kissing him again.

He held his hand on the back of her neck while she bent her head and kissed up his neck.

His other hand ran up her side, lifting her shirt slightly. He stopped. Pulling away from her instantly and lifted her shirt higher.

" Doe" he said quietly,his voice full of concern.

His fingers traced the collection of black and blue bruises across her stomach and sides, she was covered in them.

" What happened to you?" he asked quietly, his eyes still wide.

" It's nothing, it's just auror training and I bruise easily, you know that" she told him quickly.

" Doe this looks serious," he said looking at a collection of bruises closer.

She pulled his face back " Remus, I promise you I'm fine, now please just keep kissing me"

He rolled his eyes slightly and with a quick smile, she pulled him back towards her, silencing him.