Disclaimer: Neither Harry Potter nor any of its characters belong to me and I am not, in any way, profiting from posting this story up. All rights got to J. who was genius enough to think up this whole thing
Title: Once bitten Twice Shy
Pairing: Sirius B./ Remus L. x Haylie P. (fem Harry P.)
Summary: Haylie Potter manages to defeat Voldemort, but at a high cost. With everyone she knows and loves dead, no future to look forward to and absolutely nothing to lose, she travels back in time in an attempt to nip evil in its demonic bud but miscalculates with her runes and ends up in 1976 instead. In short: The Marauders' and Lily's 7th and final year. As she and renowned ladies' man, Sirius Black, start falling for each other during her short noticed stay while Dumbledore plans a course of action, there's only so much trouble that can crop up, and having a now well and alive Voldemort on her tail again does not help her case any.
Chapter 3 – Admitted the Strangest Way
Even before she opened her eyes, Haylie knew she was in the Hospital Wing.
The familiar smell of antiseptic and the lemony tang of cleaning fluids penetrated her senses, however faint it may have been, but when you spend your whole life somewhere you tend to mark down and remember some stuff.
Like the sheets for example. Crisp, white and fresh.
Haylie welcomed the customary feeling.
For a moment, she felt as though she had never left old Hogwarts and was, once again, in the Hospital Wing for some dangerous situation which she could not control and was being blamed for, being told off by an irate Madam Pomphrey.
She could almost recall her voice.
Strict, business-like, professional.
Wait-
That was Madam Pomphrey's voice.
Haylie was almost tempted to wrench her eyes open right away to check on it herself but good sense caught up with her and her war instincts came into play.
"Check the environment first," a berating voice that sounded suspiciously like Mad-Eye Moody said," It wouldn't hurt and it could mean the difference between life and death."
Haylie forced herself to relax.
She knew she was in the Hospital Wing, she'd been in here enough to know that at once, so she could say that she was at Hogwarts. She knew she was somewhere near a window and that it was still day, if the pure, unadulterated sunlight pounding against her closed eyelids were enough to indicate that at least. A tentative magical scan told her that she had company, about four or five other people.
What had happened to land her here again?
She vaguely remembered saying good-bye to Madam Rosemerta as she left the pub/inn, she could recall checking off two chores off her list of things to do. Then, what had happened?
As she pondered over her situation, a conversation started up beside her, starring voices sounding ridiculously familiar.
"Honestly, Albus," The first voice said. Madam Pomphrey. No doubt about it, all hands down. It was her. Haylie felt her thoughts stutter to a stop and her heart beat increase erratically. Shit! "After what Mr. Black did, one would think you would punish him more severely! He put a child in the Hospital Wing for Merlin's sake!"
A sudden memory pushed itself to the forefront of her mind.
Sirius! She had seen Sirius! Only a glimpse but there was not a doubt that it was her godfather. Whole and in the flesh! If Haylie thought re-meeting Madam Pomphrey was a shock, her heart practically stopped when she heard Sirius' name being uttered.
Sirius had collided into her at Hogsmeade, no doubt due to some antic he and James had been pulling at the time. She broke her arm and they brought her here. Typical. Breaking her arm and being forced to return to Hogwarts sooner than she was ready. She should have never questioned the peace while it lasted.
Oh well, might as well get this over with.
With a fake groan, that was not fully duped for her arm had decided to act up at that exact moment, she allowed her eyes to flicker open but was immediately assaulted by bright sunlight.
"Dammit," she moaned, squeezing them shut instantly in response and turning her head away," I hate the Hospital."
There was a dither of commotion and almost all conversation died down when they heard her groan of protest. A weight that she hadn't noticed before was eased off the end of her cot and there was a feeling of somebody's hand on her back, coaxing her to sit up and a cool object which she guessed was a potion was pressed to her lips. Thankfully, the curtains had already been drawn.
Déjà vu, she thought, remembering waking up like this many times before.
"Come now, child," Madam Pomphrey's voice said cajolingly," you need to drink this to get better."
Haylie sniffed cautiously and almost recoiled at the pungent odor emanating from the lip of the vial. She screwed up her nose.
"I think I'd rather stay like this, thanks."
There was a bark of laughter to her right side but it was almost instantly silenced by a reprimanding slap and a disappointed hiss.
"Don't you think you've done enough damage, Sirius?" a male voice whispered disapprovingly.
Haylie couldn't speak; she had just heard her godfather's laugh. Unfortunately, the nurse took her momentarily shock as an opening and poured the vile tasting potion down her throat.
The taste was enough to snap Haylie out of her stupor and she coughed loudly, eyes watering as it entered her senses. It was ice-cold and tasted off sweaty gym socks and Haylie felt as though she had finally found a contender for Snape's equally vile potions.
Oh god, she thought disgustedly, that was nasty.
Aloud, the only word she could think to express her disgust was, "Eugh."
A wizened hand patted her back sympathetically.
"I myself have never tasted one of Professor Slughorn's potions but I have heard they are quite revolting, or so I am told."
Swallowing the shock of hearing the late Albus Dumbledore speak, she nodded her head, agreeing with her statement wholeheartedly, even as her throat grew tight.
"Words can't describe the disgust I feel, sir." Then, in a more hesitant voice, she added," Where am I?" A beat," And where are my glasses."
Admittedly, she felt naked and blind without said instrument and all she could see of the Hospital Wing was a few black blurs to the side, one, considerably bigger, purple blur behind her and a white blob beside her cot.
She felt the glasses being pushed up her nose bridge and smiled in relief, ceasing in squinting her eyes.
The room sharpened into focus but Haylie almost preferred the room when it was in shapes and colors only. At least she hadn't been able to see any of the details of her company's faces. With a choked throat and none too wet eyes, her gaze shifted from one person to the next before ultimately shifting back for another round. Sirius. Remus. Dumbledore. Madam Pomphrey. James.
They were all here, and they were all alive.
Merlin, even her dad!
She hadn't even known they were born during this time period! And it really spoke a lot when a child didn't even know their parents' were born.
Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat she nodded gratefully to Dumbledore who smiled genially at her.
"I'm sure you must be very well wondering how you ended up here," Dumbledore started, though Haylie noticed the discreet stare he directed to where she could feel the others were staring a whole in her back," But I am terribly sorry to tell you that you have been landed here by one of my student's recklessness."
Even Haylie winced at the tone of his voice. Ouch, that has got to hurt.
Feeling the familiar guilty sensation bubbling in her stomach, she tried to head off Dumbledore's stern chiding.
"Please sir," she blurted out, well aware that she had cut the great Albus Dumbledore off in the midst of a chewing out," It was my fault. I hadn't watched where I was going. It was my own carelessness that has landed me here."
She then proceeded to flinch as Dumbledore leveled his twinkling blue eyes at her, eyebrow raised slightly.
"Indeed, Miss-?"
"Cross. Haylie Cross."
"Hmmm…" Now Dumbledore looked immensely curious, as compared to his mildly curious/amused stare he had been giving seconds ago.
He gained a thoughtful air around him.
"Cross, you say," he murmured," I haven't heard of any young witches by the name Cross. Pray tell, dear, which school are you from? And if you don't mind me asking, are you a muggleborn?"
Haylie suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Homeschooled, actually," she said, lying by the skin of her teeth," And I'm a half-blood."
"Interesting. And are you still being homeschooled?"
"No, sir. My parents died a while ago," There, that wasn't really a lie," And I've no one to continue my education. My father's side has already died off and my mother's is all muggles. 'Fraid I haven't been at a desk awhile."
By the end of her explanation, Dumbledore's eyebrows had reached his hairline and his interest seemed thoroughly peaked. He seemed to ponder something over for a moment.
"If you'd like Ms. Cross," he said," And if you'd be willing to submit your grades for checking over, I'd be willing to admit you into this school."
At first, Dumbledore's words took a while to sink in but when they did, he eyes suddenly widened and her mouth dropped to form a small 'o'.
She blinked once, then again, and suddenly Dumbledore seemed to look more like a senile old man in her eyes. Was he kidding her?
There was a whoop of excitement that caught her attention and suddenly she was tugged backward into a hard, monotholic wall of muscle. She hid a wince as the movement jarred her arm, which she only just noticed was lying limply beside her swathed in a makeshift cast, but she was mostly distracted by the stormy grey eyes that had appeared in front of her own, albeit upside down.
Keeping her breath steady, she blinked once then gave a tentative smile.
"Hi," she said cautiously.
"HEY!"
Haylie winced because
He'd just screamed in her ear
And
He wasn't exactly a mile away from him. He was practically beside her ear.
Thankfully, she was saved the trouble of rebuffing him when someone pulled him away from her and they entered her line of sight.
It was Remus, and he was looking none too little sheepish and exasperated at Sirius's antics.
"I apologize for my friend," he said, blushing red slightly under her stare, "He got dropped as a baby."
Ignoring the indignant cry of 'Hey!' from his friend, he offered Haylie a hand and leaned down to give a quick peck.
"My name is Remus," he said when he straightened, face like a tomato, "And the idiot that screamed in your ear just now is Sirius. Unfortunately, he is also the one who collided into you and landed you here."
Someone cleared his throat and both Remus and Haylie froze as Dumbledore gently cut into the conversation, looking amused.
"I believe I will explain from here on, Mr. Lupin."
Remus stuttered.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
He blushed a final time before shuffling off to the side where Haylie caught a glimpse of James giving his friend an extravagant pat on the back, winking blatantly before leaning in to whisper something into his ear. Haylie wondered what he could have said to make Remus's face so red. And what had happened to make Sirius looked so sullen all of a sudden.
Dubledore waited for the boys to quiet down a moment before clearing his throat once again.
"Ah," he said, a jovial note in his tone that told Haylie he knew more than he was going on about, "It seems that a few people are already eager for you to join us. Hmm, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin?"
The boys in question blushed.
"But I'm afraid we are getting off track. Now, back to the matter at hand, I am afraid to say that earlier today, these three boys were playing around at Hogsmeade and one of them, a certain Mr. Black, happened to collide into you while you were, I have reason to believe, shopping? -" Haylie nodded. "- Unfortunately, the fall was quite nasty and resulted in the fracture of your arm."
Haylie traded glances from her limp arm to Dumbledore's twinkle-less eyes to the suddenly abashed looking boys with dawning realization.
"Oh!" she said," No, no, no. It's really alright. No permanent damage, see? Really, I'm fine."
Dumbledore eyed her curiously as she waved her arm at him as example.
"Hmm… Indeed."
Haylie wondered what could possibly the reason for his thoughtful air but before she could find out, he fixed his stare on the boys beside her and nodded at the spot in front of her, motioning them to come forward.
"It seems Ms. Cross is willing to bury the hatchet, Mssr. Potter, Lupin and Black. Seeing her adamance on the subject, I will be willing to let go of punishment just this once. But please, do exercise caution the next time."
The boys only seemed too willing to forgive-and-forget in her opinion and Haylie stifled the laughter bubbling up within her when she saw the boys were practically jumping on themselves, trying to get to her to apologize first. Not Remus of course. He was leisurely following the wake of destruction the two boys in front of him were leaving.
"Potter! Black!" shrieked a voice and which Haylie recognized as Madam Pomphrey's," No running in the Hospital Wing!"
It seemed as though this was a regular occasion at the Hospital Wing for Remus only picked his way through the bickering crowd before he plopped next to Haylie, watching his friends getting run out by Madam Pomphrey, hissing like a goose.
Dumbledore patted her shoulder, once.
"Should you ever accept my invitation, Ms. Cross, it still stands."
"I'll think about it."
But even as she said that, she knew she was going to. She would never give up a special offer like this.
She inclined her head respectfully to Dumbledore and he returned the action, standing up to leave.
"I will be eagerly waiting your decision. And I do so like Cockroach Clusters."
As he left, Remus cocked an eyebrow at his retreating back.
"Cockroach Clusters?" he wondered aloud.
But Haylie just smiled, Dumbledore had just given her the password for his office.
