Chapter 33: Awkward Situations.
"I love it when Full Moon's coincide with weekends, means we can spend all day sleeping and doing absolutely nothing." Sirius said as he stretched and stifled a yawn.
Peter grinned in agreement and rushed over to sit on the sofa by the fire, instead of sitting down like he usually did, he stared at it.
"Peter mate, it's a sofa, stop contemplating whether or not it's going to bite you, I know that story that Edgeworth told us about the biting sofa had scared you, but you've been sitting on that sofa for six and a half years." Sirius said as he watched Peter stare at the seat, looking scared.
"Somebodies sitting in my chair and they're still in it!" He squeaked, sounding like a small child.
James frowned, "Isn't that from Witchylocks and the three Hippogriffs?"
"Has some first year fallen asleep again?" Sirius asked walking round to look at the sleeping figure on Peter's sofa. "Marlene?"
James stopped mentally reciting his favourite childhood book and looked over the back of the sofa. Marlene was huddled in a tight ball shivering from the cold blast that was blowing down from the chimney.
"Marl, babes? It's time to get up."
Marlene – who was normally a very light sleeper, only groaned and turned over, struggling to get warm.
James handed Sirius a blanket he had conjured and Sirius tucked her in. "You guys get to bed, I'll wait here with her in case she wakes up."
James and Peter nodded, and instead of talking till daybreak like they usually did, they headed off to bed.
Marlene was stirring but instead of seeing Sirius' smiling face or Lily's passive face, she saw the stern face of the Madam Pomfrey.
Confused Marlene rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and pushed her self up. "Whattimeit?" She asked groggily.
"It's just after midday, now drink this up, I have to inform Professor McGonagall that you are awake." Madam Pomfrey handed her a steaming goblet and Marlene tentatively sniffed at it before drinking it down. Waking up a bit more she looked around the hospital wing and saw that only her and another student were residents. The other student was a couple of beds along from Marlene's and had their curtains closed.
Finishing her goblet and placing it on the bedside table. Marlene started to get up first by pushing the covers of her bed down and then by swinging her legs round. Just as her feet had touched the ground Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey came over to her bed, closed the curtains around her and glared at her.
"Am I free to go Professor?" Marlene asked and smiling sweetly, she looked from the stern faced Transfiguration Professor to the stern faced Hogwarts Matron.
"When were you planning on telling us?" McGonagall asked sitting down on the edge of the bed and looking at Marlene with a mixture of concern and outrage.
Marlene knew right away what they were on about and didn't think 'playing dumb' would help her in this awkward situation. "To be honest, I've only found out myself, I haven't even told Sirius yet. That's why I was sleeping on the sofa, I was waiting for him to..." Marlene stopped herself just in time, she knew for a fact non of the teachers knew about James, Sirius and Peter's monthly outings with the resident werewolf. "- to erm come down to breakfast, thought it'd be rude of me, to barge into his room."
"When?" This question came from Madam Pomfrey. She wasn't one to ask questions but Marlene figured she'd have to know for check-ups.
"A month, it happened on Christmas Day, it was really stupid, but I was really upset and just needed someone to comfort me, only it went a bit far."
McGonagall smiled sadly, "I understand, everyone copes in different ways, you have coped marvellously Marlene, and we couldn't be any prouder, however this small problem isn't one to be overlooked."
Marlene panicked, "You're not going to expel me are you? I mean I've worked out I'm not due till the end of September and I can still do my NEWTs..." She trailed off looking at McGonagall with worry in her eyes.
"We're not going to expel you, we will however have to let all your professors know, the father of course has to be told, and I expect the Headmaster would like to talk you, the ministry will of course have to be informed no matter what your decision is, you will also have to think of the future. At this current time it would be impossible for you to become an Auror, and may I also remind you, we are in the middle of a war."
Marlene nodded silently, "Can we hold off on telling the Ministry for a while, I'm only a month in, according to the books, it's too early to do anything, as they say, don't count your salamanders before they hatch."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "I am sure that will be fine, I will head down to the staff room and inform the Professors of your condition. No-one else will be told, you can tell people as you see fit. Who may I ask knows?"
"Lily and Regulus."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "the Uncle knows before the Father?"
Marlene smirked, "Yeah, the other Uncle doesn't know though and Regulus has been sworn to secrecy."
McGonagall smiled warmly and stood up. "Marlene, my door is always open, if you ever need someone to listen or just a place to hide, then I am here."
Marlene smiled, "Thank you, Professor."
McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey opened the curtains and turned to leave. "Congratulations." She said before walking in the direction of the door. Madam Pomfrey returned to her office.
Frowning, Marlene realised she didn't get an answer to her previous question and was about to go and investigate when Madam Pomfrey came back with another goblet.
"I want to keep you in for a bit longer, you'll be discharged before dinner. Drink this, its red raspberry leaf."
Marlene nodded and allowed herself to be pushed back into bed. Madam Pomfrey handed her the goblet and bustled away again, she stopped at the other students bed and peered round the curtains. "Mr Lupin, you are supposed to be resting that's twice this month."
Marlene nearly chocked on her potion and turned to look at Remus. He was staring at her, grim faced and pale. He had heard everything.
"So, you can't tell Sirius, I've waited long enough and I plan to tell him tonight."
Remus shook his head, Madam Pomfrey had relented and as long as the two of them were resting they could talk. "I still can't believe it."
"Neither can I, I mean it's all happened so fast, I feel as if the past four weeks have been a blur. Now I'm really dreading my exams." Marlene stopped and looked at Remus, "You're Sirius' friend, how do you think he'll react?"
Remus shrugged, "Your best bet is to ask James that. He is very unpredictable and it doesn't take a Seer to know that he is madly in love with you, he's just a bit over-protective."
"A bit?" Marlene raised and eyebrow and Remus laughed.
"I hear laughing! That is not resting!" Came Madam Pomfrey's voice from her office. Remus rolled his eyes.
"I get a kick out of this once a month, It's so much better when someone visits."
Marlene smiled, "I'll make sure I get hospitalized around the same time you are then, apparently it's really easy all I have to do is fall asleep on a sofa in a draughty common room, good job I wasn't in Slytherin, I could have Hyperthermia by now."
"Or Hypothermia." Remus corrected with a smile.
"Who found me anyway?"
"Sirius, James and Peter, apparently Peter is really upset because you were in his sofa, anyway they bundled you up nice and warm and Sirius stayed with you, as for a light sleeper they couldn't wake you. Then, when you threw up over Peter's favourite teddy bear, they called Lily, who got McGonagall, who levitated you here."
"Was it the rat bear?" Marlene asked, inwardly grinning and when Remus nodded, she let out a peel of laughter.
Madam Pomfrey coughed loudly from her office and Marlene, childishly, stuck her tongue out.
Remus laughed and they heard the office door open. "You may both go." She said exasperated, "Mr Lupin I'll see you in a month, Miss McKinnon next Sunday."
Both seventh years nodded and grinned at each other. Lupin went back to his bed to collected his belongings, whilst Marlene changed into some clothes Lily had brought for her.
"So how come nobody else visited?" Marlene asked as they walked down to dinner together.
"Lily did before you woke up, but McGonagall decided that no-one should visit in case it got awkward."
Marlene shrugged, she had enjoyed the peace and hadn't slept that well in weeks. She was now starving.
They arrived to find dinner well under way. Everyone else was sitting at the top of the table, in the seats they seemed to have claimed as their own. Sirius greeted Remus with a slap on the back and a kiss for Marlene. Everyone else just nodded politely not wanting to bring attention to the fact they were both in the hospital wing.
"Can we go somewhere after this?" Marlene asked Sirius before she could back out. James, Lily and Remus all looked up interested.
Lily stared questioningly at Remus who nodded and shrugged.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Sure."
Marlene smiled, "Great, now don't let me forget, if I try and make up some stupid excuse to why I have to postpone then er... tap me lightly on the back of my hand."
Still confused Sirius nodded, before giving her a smile and returning to his dinner.
"Marlene?" twisting round in her seat, Marlene saw Regulus looking uncomfortable and out with his usual protection zone of two tables.
"Oh hey, Black, look I gotta take a rain check on tonight remedial Charms lesson, if you just study the theory and practise a couple of wand movements you'll be fine for your test tomorrow." Marlene's lie was so flawless even she nearly believed it.
Regulus looked slightly taken aback but nodded all the same, a brief smile to his brother and a frown to the rest of the Gryffindors was his only response before he left the Gryffindor table and the awkward situation that might arise from a Slytherin and Death Eater being too close to six Order members
"So what this about?" Sirius asked once they were settled in a disused classroom and had set up privacy charms.
"I've waited long enough so I'm just going to come out and say it. I'm Pregnant,"
The silence was devastating, Sirius just stared at her, she didn't know what he was thinking only that it looked like he was holding his breath. Instead of breathing however he laughed.
"You had me there, Marl. That's a good one, you've become as good as us." He grinned widely at her but she just stared unblinkingly at him. "You're not joking are you?" Marlene shook her head and looked down at her feet. "Shit... er... who's the father?" Sirius asked weakly before sitting on a table opposite Marlene.
"Who's the..." Marlene felt a stab of anger, she knew he didn't always trust her, but hearing it first hand... Pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "You are the father, remember on Christmas Day when I needed comfort and we got a bit carried away?" He nodded, "Well with all the potions Lily gave me to calm me down, my normal potion that prevents this..." She indicated to her stomach. " - failed, I would very much like you to trust me."
Sirius stared at a piece of dampness on the wall. "I do trust you." He whispered, not meeting her eye.
Marlene sighed. "Sirius, we're in a middle of a war, times are hard as it is without awkward situations ruining our will to live."
"I'm just not sure, I'm ready for this sort of commitment." He looked up at Marlene with a sort of sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I understand completely what you said, however I need time to think, I'm eighteen Marl, I've got my NEWTs and I don't even have a job, I just..." He trailed off and forced himself not to look at Marlene's horror-struck face. "I just need time to think." He stood up slowly and without even a glance at Marlene left the classroom and bolted.
Marlene stared at the empty space that had once been occupied by Sirius. Struggling not to cry she stood up and made her way back to the common room. Sirius had reacted exactly as she thought he would, completely distrusting her. For once in her life she had hoped he would of proved her wrong.
AN: *Birds Tweet, Crickets Chirp, Awkward Silence* Sirius has always struck me as a man that can't be tied down, which the next chapter will delve into a bit more. There is still a long way to go yet, however I am leaving on a jet plane (lol) on the 15th April whoot, I am going to try and post out as many chapter as I can between now and then, and then when I get settled and find out what kind of internet access the south of Portugal has then I can post more up, expect them to become irregular though, working 13 hour shifts doesn't leave you much time to write lol. Please review tell me what you think, and please don't kill me for being evil to Sirius this is how I have interpreted him :D