The Other Potter

Rumour Has It

Elijah kept his head down as the week passed, avoiding Lucas and the Great Hall as often as he could, which did mean he was slipping at least one meal a day, not that he had much of an appetite anyway. His dreams had been getting worse too, that was something he still kept from his friends. For now.

Skipping breakfast he headed down to see Poppy in the hospital wing before his detention with McGonagall.

"Elijah." Poppy said with a little concern as she looked the boy over to check for broken bones or obvious cuts from the other side of the hospital wing. "Everything ok?"

The boy nodded, "Morning, Poppy.. Everything's fine. I promise. I was just wondering if I could get some dreamless sleep, Pad- Sirius and Remus said they wrote to you about it." he said softly, moving to lean on one of the hospital cots.

Poppy walked closer, getting a better look at the boy. She noted the dark circles under his eyes, tutting her tongue. "They wrote to me weeks ago about it. Why have you left it this long to come collect it?"

"Honestly... I kinda just kept forgetting to." he admitted, chewing his bottom lip.

"Well, judging by those circles you've not got a decent night sleep in quite a long time. Im going to give you two phials. One of dreamless sleep, and the other is a sleep easy potion, it will have you knocked out for a whole twelve hours. I used to give it to Remus after a full moon when he was younger." She said fondly, she had a soft spot when it came to Remus, and even Sirius. Remembering the nights she'd come to check on Remus the following days after a full moon and finding Sirius either asleep on the chair beside the cot, or curled up with Remus. She now had a soft spot for Elijah, the boy she'd been patching up since his first year. The boy who she'd seen far too many times. And who she saw lay alone whilst his parents both sat either side of his younger brother. She'd been over the moon when she saw that he'd changed his name, having two of her favourite students now taking care of her current favourite student.. Though if anyone asked, she didn't have favourites.

"Thanks, Poppy." he smiled, watching as she went over to her cabinet of the supplies she needed quicker and easier access to when dealing with students.

"I suggest, since it is a Sunday, you go back to your dorms after breakfast and take them. With how tired you look it may knock you out for a little longer than the standard." she suggested.

Elijah gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, I have detention, first.. But after that, I promise I'll do just as the doctor orders."

Poppy gave the boy a look, rolling her eyes dramatically before handing him the two phials. "And why do you have detention?"

"Abusing Prefect privileges would be the easiest way to explain it." He chuckled, taking the phials with care and slipping them into the side pocket of his satchel.

"Then I suggest you run along, get your detention done and go rest." She said firmly.

"Yes, doc." he smiled.

"And Elijah... It's been good to not have you in here every week. Please keep it that way."

"I will try my best, Poppy, but I can't promise a thing." He grinned, pushing himself off the cot and leaving for McGonagall's office.

Poppy shook her head as she watched the boy scurry out of the hospital wing. Lord help her, this was a record for the boy not being admitted to a cot, but with him being a school champion, she had a feeling it wouldn't last much longer.

Elijah knocked on McGonagall's door, waiting for her to call him in before entering.

"Mr Lupin-Black. Just on time, I see." McGonagall said as she laid eyes on the boy. "Come take a seat." She gestured to the chair opposite her own.