Love & Scars

18. Massacring a Ukelele

Another week later, and Izzie had been awake for a few minutes in total. Every time she woke up, she asked for Remus. The one time Sirius had witnessed it, she had opened her eyes for a few seconds, seeing his curly black hair; she muttered the name Regulus before her eyes fluttered shut again. Sirius looked at her, shocked for a moment.

"It's because he was there," Remus said quietly from the other side of her bed. "He saved her."

"Yeah, I know." He said, not looking up from the hand he was caressing. "Moony?" He said, looking up to one of his best friends. Remus hummed as he looked up from his book. "I'm sorry."

Remus frowned, closing the book in his lap. "Sorry? For what?"

"My reaction on the train, at the beginning of the school year. I'm so sorry if I've known —"

"But you didn't. You have nothing to apologise for, Pads. Nothing." He looked at his friend with a look that wasn't up for debate, and Sirius nodded slightly. "I'm happy you're here, you know." Sirius' eyes widened a little. "I know I wasn't really excited when I figured out you liked her, and I don't know how she feels about you, but you seem to calm her in a way nobody can bu —"

"But you."

"Well, yeah. But somehow, it's different with you. I saw it a few days ago. She was stirring again, her breathing became rapid, but once you held her hand, it evened out within seconds. I don't know when that happened."

"To be honest... me neither." Sirius's voice was soft.

***

Sirius was grinning triumphantly as the ukulele flew down the girls' staircase. He had forgotten the name and tried to summon it as a tiny guitar, and to his amusement, it worked. He plucked the ukulele out of the air with a grin. Several people looked at him with bemused expressions. But he just darted out of the common room.

"Hi, love." He picked up Izzie's hand and kissed it softly.

She was still asleep, and everyone was growing more nervous that she wouldn't wake. He had heard Pomfrey talk about moving her to St. Mungo's. Dread and fear filled him with the thought of not seeing her every day, the thought that her father might find her there.

"Don't be mad." He said, talking to her, if she were awake. "But I nicked your guitar thingy from your room. I thought you might like the sound of it. I can't promise you I'm any good." He chuckled dryly. "But maybe it will guide you back." To me.

Okay, so it didn't sound good at all. Sirius was a disaster when it came to music, but still, every night he sat in the hospital wing, trying to figure out how to play the blasted thing. He was never one to focus all his attention on his homework, but he was glad the teachers gave him some leniency right now.

On the fourth day, he was massacring the ukulele; Remus found out. He nearly pissed himself laughing. But still, it didn't stop him from 'playing'. It had been almost three weeks, and if she didn't wake before the fourth, they would send her to St. Mungo's. 'Under protection.' The headmaster said. But neither Remus nor Sirius believed in it much. Even McGonagall was sceptical, even though she kept it to herself, but you could see it in her eyes.

"Don't laugh, okay?" He asked the sleeping girl. "I asked Lily for the song you sang to me. And I want to play it for you. Fair warning, I'm not really good." He held the ukulele tight to his chest and focused all his attention on the strings.

***

Izzie woke up at the sound of grumbling and false music notes on what sounded like her ukulele. But she knew in an instant who was grumbling near her. She smiled at the thought, her eyes still closed.