Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! I was so happy when I saw all the reviews. Your input about splitting up the story has been taken into account and I think that I am going to be splitting it up. It's just getting too long for it to remain one story. This story will end right after the end of this school year (which is almost over) and the next story will pick up at the beginning of the next year I think. I haven't planned that far yet.

Just as a reminder, I don't own Harry Potter.

Please enjoy

The first thing that she was able to comprehend was the dull thudding behind her eyes. She knew instantly where she was. The smells of all the healing potions gave it away; she had been in the infirmary quite often to visit Remus after the full moon. The soft sheets were tucked snuggly around her, protecting her from the cold air. She kept her eyes closed as she sighed softly, moaning as she readjusted herself under the blanket. Her movement, however slight, attracted attention.

"Ursula?"

The voice sounded familiar. Groggily (as she was still under the influence of many potions) she tried to mentally wake up. She opened her eyes but found that the infirmary was totally dark.

"Ursula," the familiar voice asked again hopefully, "are you awake?"

It clicked in her brain, "Uncle Alphard?" she mumbled in a barely audible voice

He grasped her hands tightly and muttered a "thank Merlin" before speaking directly to her. "It's me, Ursula. You're going to be fine." He promised her.

"What happened?" She asked as she tried to sit up. A gentle but firm hand held her down.

"Don't over exert yourself. I'm going to get a healer, you stay where you are." His tone left no room for argument. Ursula crossed her arms and waited. Eventually getting tired of waiting, she realized that Elyse had to be there too.

"Elyse?"

There was no response.

"Elyse?" Ursula tried a little bit louder as panic gripped her heart.

Where was her friend?

"ELYSE!" She shouted into the apparently empty infirmary, she could tell from the echo.

There was a mad rush of footsteps that flocked to her bed.

"Miss Black, I need you to calm down."

Even though she couldn't see the unknown woman, Ursula snapped at the general direction, "No, you need to tell me where my bloody friend is!"

"Black, language." A sharp voice ordered. Ursula could identify that voice without even listening; McGonagall.

"Where is Elyse? What happened to me? Why did everyone turn off the lights? Who are you?" She asked in rapid succession, trying to get all her questions answered. The pounding in her head was getting worse and worse by the second. Would someone just tell her what was going on?

The adults were talking softly among themselves for a moment before they spoke to the bedridden girl again. Ursula heard at least one pair of footsteps leaving the room. She waited for the remaining adults to start explaining.

"My name in Perenelle Flammel," the unknown woman introduced herself, "I specialize in the treatment of-"

"Flammel's Disease. So that's what I had?"

"Yes, you had a severe case of Thestral Eyes. Now for your recover-"

"What about Elyse?" Ursula interrupted the healer once again, neither not caring nor noticing she kept on cutting off the healer. She had only one goal in mind and that was to find out what happened to her friend.

There was a moment for silence. Panic settled in Ursula's heart. That feeling multiplied by tenfold when someone sat down on the edge of her bed and placed a cool gently hand on top of her own. It was an unsettling feeling, something Ursula hated, not knowing who was sitting next to you.

"Miss Black, there is no easy way to say this…"

James, Peter, Sirius, Remus, and Ben were all sitting down to lunch three days after Ursula and Elyse had been admitted into the infirmary. They had been unconscious the entire time but that didn't stop the boys from setting up a rotation to make sure that someone was with them at almost all times. They had developed a system that unless they were in a class they needed to go to (Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology) James would pull out his cloak and go visit them. At night, they would take two hours shifts and just sit with the girls. Sometimes after class, they would all go visit and they would tell the prone girl about the goings on of Hogwarts.

"Do you reckon they'll wake up soon?" Remus asked as he buttered a roll.

James nodded, "I think they'll be up by the end of the week in perfect health." He thumped his fist against the table and savagely took a bite out of his chicken leg.

"Here, here!" Sirius cheered before he devoured his sandwich.

Ben rolled his eyes as he filled his plate with food. The rest of the boys started talking strategy about the upcoming Quidditch game between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Both boys were favoring Ravenclaw but they both projected a close call.

But the red headed boy was more interesting in a conversation taking place a few seats down and a table over. A group of third-year Slytherins were loudly talking amongst themselves. Ben's ears perked up when he heard Ursula's and Elyse name brought into the conversation.

"Haven't you heard? Regulus's sister caught Flammel's Disease."

That sent the boys into a group of laughter. Ben's hand moved towards his pocket as he felt for his wand. His friends seemed blissfully unaware of what was happening.

"Didn't someone else get the disease too?"

"Yup, her little red-headed friend."

"I hope the mudblood dies," one of the muttered.

Ben jumped from his seat with a murderous look in his eyes. James and Sirius, not knowing what had just been said, sprang from their seats and restrained their friend.

"What the hell Ben!" Sirius shouted as he struggled to hold onto his arm. Remus joined the effort and wrapped his arms around Ben's waist to hold him back. The Slytherins sitting at the table were laughing at Ben and that just fueled his anger more.

"LET ME GO!" He struggled against his captors.

James looked worriedly at his friend, wondering if the stress from this week had finally made the calm and level headed Ben to snap.

"Not until you calm down mate," James said.

Ben's flashing brown eyes looked straight into James's hazel.

"He called Elyse a you-know-what."

James didn't need to be told twice. He immediately let go of Ben and went after the Slytherins himself. The other boys had heard the comment too and they too furious.

"Oi, Montague!" Ben shouted at the boy who was now trying to escape through the crowd. The kid hesitated just a moment and that was enough time for James to catch him by the back of his robes. He spun the kid around at straight towards Ben. The Slytherin didn't see it coming. When Ben's fist hit Montague in the nose, blood started dripping everywhere.

"MR. WHITE!" McGonagall's sternly said. The boys all froze as they looked at the irate professor.

James instantly jumped to Ben's defense, "But Professor-"

"Here I was," She cut him off, her face furious, "to inform you that Ursula woke up ten minutes ago and is coherent and I walk in on you muggle fighting!"

They all stared at her in shock.

"Ursula's awake?" Remus asked.

The second she nodded, they all started running towards the infirmary out of the Great Hall. They ran into Regulus and Slughorn just outside of the door to the infirmary. Regulus looked happier than Sirius could ever remember him being. They were about to push open the door when Healer Flammel opened the door. She smiled kindly down at them.

"Boys, you can all come see her but you need to keep her calm. If you upset her, I have no qualms kicking you out of here. She might be a little out of it, but she is conscious and there seems to be no brain damage."

Sirius sighed in relief as he walked into the infirmary. He made a beeline straight for Ursula's bed. Her head was still wrapped with thick gauze, keeping the special potions and ointments on her eyes. She looked a little pale and her hands kept on nervously moving around the bed, touching the sheets and then the rail and back to her sheets tapping all the while.

"Ursula! You're alive!" Sirius shouted joyfully.

She smiled shakily but sadness seemed to radiate from her. That sent up warning signals in Ben's and Remus's minds. They shared a concerned look. James on the other hand looked completely relaxed and in his element.

"Oh suck it up Ursula. You just survived Flammel's Disease without any damage. I'd imagine you'd be a little happier."

She laughed humorlessly and her mouth formed into a bitter smile. She shook her head back and forth on the white pillow, her black hair such a stark contrast it was unbelievable. Ursula looked upset so Regulus timidly walked forward and grasped her hand. She just about jumped a foot in the air as she jerked her hand back.

"Who just touched me?" She shrieked.

Regulus backed away with a whimper. Sirius shoved him farther back and he went to sit next to his sister, "Ursula, everyone's here and Regulus. Regulus was the one that touched your hand; he was just being the usual idiot he is."

The younger Black flushed red with embarrassment while Ursula scolded Sirius for insulting their brother. The rest of their time together went quickly, as it was in the middle of the school day and they needed to get back to class. With a final goodbye, they left the room.
Ursula thought they were all gone so she let out a shaky breath from all the withheld tears. Then she heard the shuffled next to her bed.

"Who's there?" She demanded, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice.

"Just me." James's voice hit her ears. She relaxed against the soft bed.

"I've got a question." James stated after a moment of silence.

"What's ever stopped you before?" She asked him exasperated. She heard him chuckle as he sat down on the edge of her bed and jostled it a little bit. He must have out his feet under him or something.

"Nothing really. I was just wondering why you laughed when Sirius said you are undamaged. I mean you are undamaged, right?"

She sighed a tried to think of how to explain what Healer Flammel told her when she woke up.

"I am going to be…fine, to a degree. Elyse and I are going to live."

He sensed the implied word, "but?" he prompted.

"Elyse has completely lost the ability to talk," she finally admitted with a sob. "She can't talk right now and they don't know if she will be able to ever again. There's months of therapy ahead of her but she can't bloody talk right now James!"

For the two years she had known him, she had rendered James Potter speechless. She heard him swallow loudly, "What about you? Are you going to have complications?" he asked softly.

She nodded, tears being absorbed by the bandages around her eyes, "I'm completely blind."

The silence was deafening.

"Is there, um, is there any chance of regaining any sight?" he queried.

She shrugged, "They think I have a shot of getting some of it back. They reckon that I'll never have the perfect vision I had before but they said as long as I get glasses if my eyes heal, I'll be fine."

"That brilliant! Watch you'll get your sight back before you know it and you can join the Quidditch team next year with me."

She shook her head, "James, there's more."

He groaned and she bounced up a little as James fell onto his back dramatically. "What?"

"Even if I get my vision back, there's a fifty-fifty shot of my children getting the disease and being born blind. Then for the fifty percent shot that wouldn't be blind, there's another fifty-fifty shot of my kids being born with absolutely horrible vision. Then there's always the possibility that I might relapse and-"

James cut her off, "Ursula, shut up. I don't think that's going to be a problem for you. I mean if a guy ever made an issue about it, then you can get us to beat him up for you."

She shook her head vehemently, "No you don't get it James! No will want to date me because if I stay blind, no one wants to date a blind girl! If I do get my vision back and I get married, more than likely I'm going to curse some bloke's children with this horrible disease. It just won't work!" She shouted at him.

The infirmary was silent a moment. At some point during her yelling at him, James had sat back up so he was now looking at her with oddly serious eyes.

There was a moment for silence before James spoke up.

"You know, I would marry you."

Ursula started choking on the air. "What?" She gasped out.

James shrugged, even though she couldn't see, "My future kids are already doomed vision-wise. So I've already accepted my kids are going to be half blind by the time they are five. So if some bloke doesn't marry you by the time your…thirty-five, I'll marry you." He said simply.

She couldn't believe the words spewing out of her friend's mouth. "Are you serious?"

James shook his head, "Nah, that's your twin. I hope Sirius has never suggested this before; that takes a new level of wrong for 'keeping the blood line pure' crap. But yes, I am serious. I want some kids one day but there isn't a woman out there that can tame the Oh So Amazing James Harold Potter. My mum always says you're supposed to marry your best friend so it would work between us."

She was silent a moment as she considered his points. But she had to know, "Are you serious about this?"

He sighed annoyed and she felt search his pockets for some parchment and a quill. When he found one, he grabbed her patient chart off the edge of the bed and started softly talking to himself as he wrote out the words,

"I James Harold Potter, solemnly swear that upon my thirty-fifth birthday, if both I and Ursula Walburga Black are unwed, I shall marry her within the year. Signed, James H. Potter."

She could hear the scratching of his quill and he obnoxiously signed his name at the bottom of the paper. She heard him muttered something and then there was the familiar sound of magic affecting something and the rustling of paper.

"What did you do?" She asked him.

"Charmed it."

"Why in Merlin's – never mind."

She tried to act nonchalant, but this gesture was the nicest anyone had ever done for her. Here James was, offering to marry her when he was just twelve, almost thirteen. It was very mature of him, Ursula realized. It was probably the most selfless thing he had ever done for anyone and he didn't even think twice about it. Ursula didn't know that James could be this sweet, sincere, earnest-

"You should feel lucky you know. You'll end up marrying the best looking bloke that ever graced this castle. I'm going to be bloody handsome when I'm older and all the women will be fawning over me. Of course I won't marry them. No one can tie down the awesome James Potter. But don't worry, I'll only have eyes for you once we get married; my mum gave me some morals. I just to warn you about the ladies that will be throwing themselves at me when I'm a famous Quidditch player."

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see them.

"Of course, James, of course they will."

I hoped that this chapter quelled everyone's fears about the girls. They are going to be fine. Don't worry about them. I was going to end the chapter with everyone leaving but then I decided to have a cute James/Ursula moment. Don't worry, this story is going to end up cannon, but I just love James and Ursula as friends. They are kind of like a more affectionate version of Sirius and James in my story. Tell me what you think.

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