UnExpected

Chapter 69

Molly came to Grimmauld Place on Friday afternoon and found Joyce sleeping in a cot by Buffy and Sirius's beds in the first bedroom on the first floor. She set up her things in a room of her own, went down to the kitchen to put some stew on, and when she went to check on Joyce again, she yelped in surprise when she found Kreacher sitting against the wall by Buffy's bed.

And the yelp woke Joyce right up.

"So sorry, Joyce," Molly apologized, hand over her still rapidly beating heart. "Kreacher caught me by surprise is all."

"It's all right, Molly. It really wasn't much of a sleep anyway," Joyce said, who rose from her cot and went to stand beside her. "He's been sitting there since Remus left, just quietly keeping an eye on Buffy."

"Quietly?"

"Hasn't muttered a single word. I'm not used to it yet; it's quite unnerving."

Molly curiously looked at Kreacher as he looked at Buffy.

"He just sits there and watches her?"

Joyce walked over to Buffy and pulled back the covers.

"After he changed her clothes, he has," she said, and Molly saw that Buffy was currently wearing her pajamas.

"What about Sirius?"

Joyce moved over and pulled back the covers from Sirius as well to reveal he too was in his pajamas.

"It was only after I told him that Buffy would be very grateful if he made Sirius as comfortable as possible, and right now Kreacher would do anything to get on Buffy's good side."

"On her good side?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Joyce sighed and sat on the corner of Buffy's bed.

"Yes, well, you might want to sit down for this," she advised, and Molly did just that and heard the twisting tale of Kreacher's betrayal while Kreacher silently ignored them, and the stew in the kitchen slowly simmered.

*****

"Harry, we all saw them with our own eyes. We were the ones who pulled them out. Sirius is alive, and he and Buffy are fine," Hermione told him – again. "There's no need to send an owl."

"'sides, Dumbledore said you'd be able to see him once school's out," Ron reminded him.

"That's a week away," Harry pointed out. "I don't think I can wait that long."

They didn't really expect him to, but Harry didn't have to be in such rush. Sirius was alive, that's what mattered.

"At least wait a few days. Let him rest. It couldn't have been easy coming back the way they did," Ginny advised.

"Yeah, they passed out once they were brought back. I'm sure it must've taken a lot out of 'em," said Neville.

Again, it was wait, wait, wait, but it was easier to tolerate it from his friends than it had been from Remus and Dumbledore, and he heeded their advice for Sirius's sake...then he would send the letter he had already written, which was sealed and waiting underneath his pillow.

After having a long, good sleep, Harry wandered back to the Hospital Wing in the late afternoon. He was immensely glad when he found his friends awake and chatting away in good spirits. He took a chair and sat between Ron and Hermione's beds, while Luna and Ginny settled themselves on Neville's bed, alternating head to foot and tossing, or trying to, bits of candy into each other's mouths.

"What is that?" Ron asked, eyeing the small orange colored box in Ginny's hands.

"Reese's Pieces," she said, hitting a bull's eye into Neville's awaiting mouth. "Susie brought 'em when she came by earlier."