Chapter 20 - Love Like a Hurricane

He is jealous for me;

Loves like a hurricane

I am a tree

Duck, push, push again, growl, dodge, back towards the tree, away from Marlene. His limbs were aching, his wounds were bleeding, but he couldn't stop.

Dive forwards, be knocked back, push on again, whine, they were in the tunnel now but his vision was going hurry and his movements were uncoordinated.

Bat him away, kick the door shut, one last pounce, collapse: they were in, they were safe.

Curled up in the corner, he was already unconscious when Moony clawed at him and fell down next to the big, black dog.

Moony whined as Padfoot bled.

After Mary was sedated, James and Peter escorted Lily and Marlene back to Gryffindor Tower, telling the Fat Lady that under no circumstances was she to let them out again. She agreed and clicked shut firmly, folding her arms, leaving the exhausted girls trapped inside. Not that they cared: they were far too shattered and numb to try to escape.

"Do we go back?" Peter stuttered.

"Yeah, and make Padfoot get back here. He can't carry on," James nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

The shorter boy frowned in concern for his hurt friend. "Will he be okay?"

"Course he will, he just needs to leave as soon as possible."

Lily and Marlene headed straight up to their dorm, Lily's breathing speeding up to a worrying tempo.

"This is all my fault," she said, words tumbling over each other as she sobbed hysterically, "I told you to come with me, I lied about what they were doing to find out something that wasn't even my business, Mary's like that because of me, you're upset because of me!"

"Lily," Marlene sighed, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder, "Try to sleep. It'll seem better in the morning."

"I can't! Not knowing this is my fault!"

"Sleep," Marlene repeated.

Lily was panicking now, pacing the room and she wrung her hands. "I can't, Marlene, honestly. I mean, I've got some Dreamless Sleep Potion but I'm loathed to ta-"

"If you need it, take it," the blonde muttered, rubbing her temples.

"I-Are you sure?" Lily whispered.

Marlene smiled weakly at her. "Sure. Get some rest, Lils, g'night."

Once Lily had downed a vial of the potion and clambered into her bed, Marlene slipped out of the dorm and clambered up the boys stairs, every step a Herculean effort. Reaching the Marauders' dorm eventually, she collapsed onto Sirius' bed by the door.

Her clothes were filthy and dirty, her hair was windswept and knotted and she was shaking involuntarily; there was no way she could sleep not knowing where Sirius and James were and how they were. Instead of trying to close her eyes and drift off, Marlene pulled Sirius' duvet around herself and curled up, breathing in his familiar scent: smoke, Firewhiskey and leather. It wasn't something she had ever thought she would find so comforting, but she did. It smelled so like Sirius Marlene couldn't help but feel calmer and more secure.

Surrounded by his scent and the warmth of his her, Marlene eventually slipped into an uneasy, fitful sleep, eyelids fluttering as she mumbled under her breath.

It wasn't long before Sirius arrived after being forced to leave Moony by James and Peter, and he'd pulled his bloody and torn shirt off before he'd even finished shutting the door. It hit the floor and lay there, crumpled. Sirius mused that if he were to sit down he'd probably end up like the shirt: collapsed. He had yet to notice the sleeping girl in his her as he was far too exhausted, but he couldn't fail to notice her as he approached his bed and saw her long body curled up, protecting herself.

"Marlene?" he breathed, but she was fast asleep.

Sirius gave up and just crawled into the bed beside her, leaving a gap to make sure he didn't cover her with his blood and the dirt on him. The warmth of her body was comforting, so comforting in fact that he decided she could always shower - he needed her close to keep him steady. Hesitantly he shuffled towards her and she stirred in her sleep as he pulled her closer. Her hands rested on his battered chest and she sighed happily as she slept.

After a few minutes, she seemed to realise that someone else was there and she woke, mumbling to herself. "Sirius?"

Only he would be here right now.

"Hey there," he muttered, sighing.

"A-are you okay?" she said quickly, her sleepy gaze flickering down to his shoulders where there was a shallow gash and a messy smear of blood forming. "Merlin, Sirius, how bad is it?"

"I'm fine, Marlene, you should sleep."

"No, no, you should see a nurse, for Merlin's sake, you're still fucking bleeding!" she protested, pushing away from him and sitting up. Marlene hadn't got her wand with her - she hadn't brought it with her when they first left her dorm - but he had his on his bedside table.

Sirius saw where she was looking and shook his head firmly. "No. Leave it. Sleep."

"I am not sleeping while you're hurt - let me help you, please," Marlene insisted.

"Get some sleep."

"Let me heal you!"

"No," he said stubbornly, "I'm fine."

"Well then," she retorted, "So am I."

"For fuck's sake," Sirius sighed, "If I promise to heal myself will you go to bloody sleep?"

She huffed but folded her arms as she lay back down. "Fine - but you'd better, Black."

"I promise, Marauders' honour and all," he said, swinging his legs over the side of his bed to get up.

Marlene settled back down to watch him but almost had to look away when she realised just what had happened: his shirt was already off and there were plenty of bruises and cuts there, but he pulled off his trousers to reveal a gruesome cut down most of his lower leg. Repressing bile and it came up her throat, Marlene gripped onto the bed sheets and kept watching as he crouched down and inspected the wound carefully. Trying to clean it with a gentle spell, he let out a small hiss of pain: it was red raw and still bleeding.

"Damn," he muttered to himself, and transfigured some clean, sterile bandages from an odd sock on the floor, which wrapped themselves tightly around the wound.

Apparently when you did this every month you found good spells for healing: once he returned his attention to the less serious wounds, his bruises seemed to disappear like ink being blotted away, leaving only a few dark patches scattered across his permanently tanned skin; the slashes and cuts dealt by Moony's class closed up, thin red lines left behind where they had been; and the scraped on his elbows and knees healed perfectly, with just the mud remaining. He siphoned most of the blood and muck off too, leaving a healed but fatigued Sirius.

Through almost closed eyes, Marlene watched carefully as he limped over to the bed and slipped in, throwing the covers back over them. Pulling her close against him, Sirius tucked her head under his chin and let out a deep relieved sigh. They were safe. Remus was calming down. Mary would be just fine. Marlene didn't know what he was up to, but she was too shattered to care.

Tipping his head down, he pressed his lips against the top of her head. If she had found the energy to move, she would've queried his motives, but she didn't, instead letting him wrap one arm around her waist, the other cupping her cheek. It was so unlike Sirius, so desperate and relieved, that Marlene was moved into silence. Still holding her close, he brushed his lips against her slightly as if to remind himself that she was there and she had to hold in a shocked gasp - what on earth was he doing?

They weren't affectionate, they were barely what she would call friendly, what was the aim with all of this? Maybe it was only because he thought she was asleep. Even so, Marlene admitted it was definitely comforting. After the dangers of the night, and the difficulties of the last months, being held ensured she finally felt safe while she slept.

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine lovebirds!" James said, fairly cheerfully for the early morning, "We're off to see Remus, Pads. Marlene you can come too if you want, but please stop cuddling. I think I'm about to vomit and I haven't eaten since last night so that really wouldn't be pretty."

Sirius groaned, the sound waking Marlene up from a deep sleep and she stirred slightly.

"Prongs, fuck off," Sirius whined and blinked up blearily at his friend.

"Nope! Get up, come on!" he demanded as Marlene opened her eyes to discover she was curled up against Sirius' bare (and extremely attractive) chest, his arms encircling her.

"No, Marlene's asleep, leave us alone," Sirius insisted.

"What's going on with you two, Pads?" the bespectacled boy asked as he ran his fingers through his already rumpled bed hair.

Sirius glared violently at him. "Nothing. Nothing's going on. We're not together, before you ask, and I have no intentions of asking her out, again before you ask."

James rolled his eyes at Sirius and leaned over him to shake Marlene awake. She faked waking up (a bit unrealistically, but no one noticed) and yawned.

"Morning, Marlene!" James said chirping, although he shot Sirius an irritated look for his harsh comment a few seconds earlier.

"Morning Jamesy," she replied, forcing a smile onto her face as she rubbed her eyes. "How are you? Did you and Peter get back okay?"

"Yes, we did thanks. Nothing a few healing spells can't fix!"

Sirius avoided her gaze.

"Morning Black," she mumbled and looked away pointedly. This was far too awkward for so early in the day.

"Uh," James said, sensing the unease, "I'm off to check on Remus before breakfast. Sirius, get a move on; Marlene, will you join us?"

Marlene shook her head and slipped out of Sirius' bed slowly. "Sorry, I'm still shattered and I could do with a lie in. I'll see him later. Tell him, you know, that I don't... That it doesn't change how I think of him. He's still Remus. Will you?"

She might've been terrified the night before and she understood that Remus wouldn't hurt her now, but it was still frightening to remember how easily he had almost killed Mary.

"Oh, sure," James said, sensing her unease and shooting Sirius a look.

He shrugged in reply and got out of bed stiffly as Marlene left silently to make her way back to her own dorm.

"I never know how you can seem so damn cheerful, Prongs, because I ache all over and you seem perfectly fine every damn moon."

"One: Moony has an obsession with you. Two: he's scared of my antlers. Three: you always insist on doing most of the work when it comes to calming him down. And four: last night was particularly hard on you. Moony was worn off by the time we arrived."

"Still," Sirius groaned, "I ache all over."

"Sure you didn't do something else to make you ache, Padfoot?" James' hazel eyes were twinkling behind his glasses.

Sirius pulled a face as he grabbed his uniform and prepared for a trip to the Hospital Wing before breakfast. "Gross."

Shrugging, James grabbed his cloak and shouldered his jacket. "You and Marlene seem to be-"

"Not dating," Sirius interrupted harshly.

His best friend rolled his eyes, joking over. "I'm just warning you Padfoot, you're drawing dangerously close to hurting her and yourself and woe before you when she does get hurt because Marlene will make you pay."

The taller boy scoffed, but James wasn't joking.

"Sirius - be careful," he said sternly, "I mean it."

"Okay Prongs, I get it. Don't mess her around, don't shag and drop her, don't lead her on. See?" He really didn't want to discuss this now - or ever, really. "Let's just go and see Moony."

The journey to the Hospital Wing passed in silence, with Sirius on the verge of a very bad mood. Remus was fast asleep when they arrived, curtains half drawn around his bed to stop anyone prying. Both boys expected to see Mary somewhere nearby by that wasn't the case.

Madame Pomfrey was expecting the Marauders, as she did every month, and Peter was already sitting by Remus', head lolling as he slept.

"Here again?" she asked with a motherly smile, "I'm beginning to think you enjoy it here!"

James grinned at her. "Ah Poppy, how we missed you so. Can we see Mary and Remus please?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grinned as he waited patiently. Madame Pomfrey looked to Remus to see of he was still asleep.

"Miss MacDonald isn't actually here, Mr. Potter," said Madame Pomfrey in a hushed voice, "She was transferred to St Mungo's last night after you left."

"What do you mean?" Sirius interrupted, face aghast.

"She isn't here," Poppy Pomfrey repeated, "She was transferred. The Headmaster felt St Mungo's would be the safer option."

James looked horrified. "Remus doesn't know, does he?"

"He can't know," the nurse said firmly, "You know him far better than I do and even I know that the knowledge that he was responsible would destroy him."

James agreed but was resigned: "Yeah, but he'll work it out - you know he will!"

She looked at him and the two other boys sadly, then back to Remus. "That's what I fear, James, but what can we do."

Normally she tried to refrain from being overly affectionate with the Marauders - they were pupils and her patients after all - but having seen them look after Remus and sit at his bedside for five years, they had grown on her with their loud laughter and warm encouragements. It was hard not to smile when they joked around; it was hard to remain professional when she saw how much of a difference they made.

As I he knew he was being talked about (which he probably did), Remus began t stir, groaning as the pain set in once again.

Madame Pomfrey hurried over to see him, wiping away a lone tear, and James tapped Peter on the shoulder to wake him up. They hovered nervously behind the already busy nurse who was coaxing another vial of potion down Remus' cracked throat.

"Sirius? Peter? James?" Remus called, seeing the hazy figures behind Madame Pomfrey.

Immediately, they hurried forwards smiling at him, albeit a little grimly. For a moment Remus felt calm, and then his tired eyes noticed their discomfort.

"What? What is it?" he said, voice cracking as he forced his abused vocal chords to work.

Peter looked at James and Sirius for reassurance but they were too busy trying to convince themselves he wouldn't guess to catch his eye.

"James? Sirius? Don't lie to me, please," he begged, "What's happened?"

Madame Pomfrey turned to walk away but Sirius shot her a look of desperation so she sighed and returned to her previous spot.

"Uh, yeah, about that..." James muttered.

"Lying is in your best interests," Sirius continued apologetically.

"This way is much better," Peter chipped in.

Remus widened his amber eyes then narrowed them dangerously. "What. Happened."

Peter squeaked and Remus let out a little growl. "What did I do, Peter?"

"MoonygotoutofcontrolandhurtMary," the mousy boy blurted out, covering his face with his hands.

"WORMTAIL!" snapped the other two simultaneously as Remus' already pale face turned as white as a ghost, making the charcoal have under his eyes and the angry scars on his face stand out in a horrible relief.

"N-no, Peter, I didn't... Did I?" he gasped.

"Course not," Sirius lied with a glare at Peter who cowered.

"I did, I did," Remus whimpered, "I hurt her? How bad is she? Is... Is she - is she dead? Is she... Like me?"

Madame Pomfrey was at a loss seeing the normally composed - or at least in control - Remus in so much distress. "Mr. Lupin, please try to relax!"

"Relax? Relax! I almost killed one of my friends! I almost condemned her to living like me - a monster! Oh, God, I'm a monster, I knew this would happen."

"Remus," she said firmly, pushing him back down, "Stop this. Of course you haven't - she'll be just fine."

"Where is she? Can I see her? Not that she'll want to see me now... Oh God, oh God..." Remus was now steadily becoming more and more panicked and the three boys could do nothing to prevent it.

"She'll hate me - they'll all hate me and then-"

"MOONY!" Sirius shouted, making the sandy haired boy jump. "She's fine! Mary will be just fine and you are not monster. She won't hate you, no one will."

"But why was she out there in the first place?" Remus whispered, eyes welling up, "Why did you stop her?"

"That's what I'd like to know as well," said a stern voice from the doorway of the Hospital Wing.

Everyone turned at once to meet the calmly furious gaze of Minerva McGonagall.

Sirius gulped, James went white, and Peter almost wet himself with fear.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see all of you in his office immediately," she continued, gesturing behind her where two terrified pairs of emerald green and sky blue eyes waited.

"That means now."

The Marauders all shared petrified looks before they slowly followed the Deputy Head out. Marlene looked at the three boys with wide eyes and James tried to send her an encouraging smile - he got the feeling they were going to need all the luck they could get.

Oh my Merin, so I apologise for the shortness and the general suckiness of this chapter. Nothing happens and it's just not worked, sorry about that guys. I mean, it's necessary and stuff, but still not particularly interesting. I am forever sorry. However, looking on the bright side, there's some awesome drama on the way so that'll be cooooool.

A review a day keeps the Death Eaters away nudge nudge ;)