Ever the Same

Chapter Eleven: After All These Years

It was not every day that Kreacher sought out the company of Remus Lupin. It was not any day, in fact, since he had moved into Grimmauld Place. Given that Regulus truly only liked Regulus, Kreacher and Remus had never even looked at one another in several years. He had become somewhat of a silent roommate, given that he was no longer in service to anyone. 

Regulus had insisted they could take care of themselves, one of the only things he and Sirius could wholeheartedly agree upon.

So when the aging house elf popped into existence atop Remus's desk, he startled.

"Mistress Lily is asking for you. Mistress is at Grimmauld."

After calming his racing heart, Remus scoffed. "Tell her just to come to Hogwarts, Kreacher. Everyone else is already here."

"Mistress Lily can't be coming to Hogwarts. She is in the floor of the library."

Remus dropped his quill and sprang from his desk immediately, throwing floo powder into the fireplace and stepping through without another thought. He rushed to the library to see a small heap, recognizing the crumpled form of Lily Evans-Canfield. 

"Lils?" Remus asked as he rolled her over, noticing her hands.

Both hands were still clenched tightly, one holding a fork and the other gripping tightly onto a potion.

"Lily."

But she refused to wake, causing Remus to scoop her up easily and step back through the floo with her, directly into the emergency department of St. Mungo's Hospital. 

"I need help here!"

Mediwitches sprung into action, floating in a stretcher to begin to take her back. "What happened?"

Remus pried her hand open, subtly slipping the potion into his own as he held her hand. "I found her collapsed in my library. Other than that, I'm unsure."

The mediwitches stopped him from following her back any further. "Don't worry, Sir. We'll take care of your wife."

Remus choked on his words, "Not wife...sister. She's my sister."

The mediwitch had the sense to look embarassed. "Yes, sir. We'll be back soon."

Pacing the waiting room, Remus sent out two patronus. The first, to James.

Get to Mungo's, James. It's Lily.

The second was to Padfoot.

Padfoot, get to Mungo's. I've had to bring Lily. And bring Regulus, we need him.

***

Harry ran for the dungeons, ignoring the strange looks and shouts that people began throwing his way. His heart beat away in his chest, feeling as though he could never run fast enough to keep it in his chest. 

Draco hadn't given him the password for the Slytherin common room, so Harry decided he would just bang on the wall where he knew the door to be.

It was the suspicious face of Pansy Parkinson that emerged. 

"What do you want?"

Harry's chest was heaving as he continued to breathe heavily, and he panted out. "Need...to talk to Draco. Please."

With another onceover, Pansy opened the door and allowed the Gryffindor inside.

House prejudice wasn't what it used to be, but seldom did anyone find themselves in the dungeons willingly. Because of this, every set of eyes tracked Harry as he raced in the direction that Pansy pointed him. He entered Draco's room without knocking.