fatal love

Chapter 24

That week, Sirius got his first letter of the year from Andromeda.

Dear Sirius,

Another summer completed, well done! Please tell me how it was, what Walburga did, and if there's anything I can do. I've worried about you a lot obviously, but whatever happened, remember that you're back at Hogwarts now, and you don't have to go home for months.

My summer, meanwhile, has been incredibly uncomfortable. I'm coming up to 8 months now, and I swear, it's a struggle to even walk around. Ted has been amazing, bless him, I haven't been easy to deal with. I get the weirdest cravings, and I'm so emotional as well. Yesterday, I started crying when a Harpies Chaser missed a goal at a Quidditch match, I felt so bad for her! The Black in me is horrified that I'd ever let those emotions show, let alone for something so trivial, but alas, that is what pregnancy has done for me.

Anyway, write me back, Ted and I are both so eager to hear from you!

All my love,

Andy

Sirius smiled fondly at the letter. He couldn't imagine Andy that big, or acting so uncouth. She might not be a blood supremacist, but she certainly liked to follow the decorum and properness of the Blacks that he himself had never been bothered with, even before Hogwarts. He wrote back that evening.

Dear Andy,

It sounds like your pregnancy is going well, all things considered. Don't worry about being so emotional, I think it's allowed when you have a human growing inside of you.

Summer was fine. Well, not fine, but nothing I couldn't handle. My mother Imperioed me a few times, but it was never for too long. She did start teaching me and Reg about the Dark Arts though. Did they teach you all that too? I assume so. Anyway, most of my summer was spent learning about that, so it could have been a lot worse.

You'll like this - I'm taking Muggle Studies! The family doesn't know, obviously, and McGonagall said she'd just write Divination on any letters home. Can you ask Ted if he can get me a motorbike, I saw a photo of one in the textbook and they look wicked.

I missed you too, obviously. I'm glad to hear you and Ted are doing well, say hello to him for me.

Love,

Sirius

He didn't mention his struggles sleeping, and brushed over what the Imperios had been like. He didn't want to add to Andromeda's stress - she was already heavily pregnant, and it didn't sound easy. She wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, there was no point in burdening her. Besides, he had a handle on everything.

The next week was the week of the full moon, and Remus left them on Wednesday, once lessons had finished. By then, he was looking very sickly and faint, and Sirius practically pushed him into the Hospital Wing.

With Remus gone, the other three Marauders had a meeting in the dorm, to see if any of them had come up with any ideas on how to help him during a full moon. Sirius had read every book on lycanthropy in Grimmauld Place's library over summer, but none of them had any information on helping or caring for werewolves. He knew now that Remus would have a shorter snout and tufted tail when he was in wolf form, and that a mixture of powdered silver and dittany was what Madam Pomfrey must use to heal his cuts, but no one seemed to have any advice on what to do while a werewolf was transformed, other than run. He was hoping that James or Peter had had more luck.

"Got a plan?" James asked him once they were back in the dormitory, with the door safely shut behind them.

"Nothing," Sirius sighed, "Pete?"