When you have it all

Chapter 32...

When Sirius woke up, he was surprised to find himself in the infirmary, Mdm. Pomfrey bustling around him. His mind was hazy, and his vision blurred. It seemed like the world was spinning around him.

"Well as long as you're up already," Mdm Pomfrey said, noticing him trying to adjust to his surroundings. She stuck out her hand, in which was clasped a vial filled with purple liquid "You might as well take some of this."

He tried ignoring the massive head rush and migraine as he tried to sit up, and accepted the small vial, though somewhat hesitantly. Sirius peeked inside the small container, and felt his stomach churn at the foul smell. He looked up, trying to find the matron and protest, but she was no longer there. It was James and Remus in her place.

"You should probably drink it, Sirius," James said, his voice soft.

Remus nodded. "It's been bringing down your fever."

"Fever?"

He was surprised at his own voice. It sounded hoarse, and weak.

His friends nodded at him.

Sirius blinked, unable to remember anything past staring at the setting sun, and the cold darkness enveloping him. He dimly noticed Remus gesture towards the vial, and he closed his eyes and downed it in one gulp. He felt it burn on the way down. And then, everything was suddenly clear; his vision no longer blurred, and the room no longer spinning. His thoughts were sharp, though his body still felt weak.

"Alex?" he asked right away, his eyes searching their faces for any hints.

They just stared back at him, with sad and mournful eyes. Remus sighed, and finally said after a while, "We have no idea what's going on anymore, Padfoot."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…Dumbledore came back three days ago, and said Alex was…well, you know…but then yesterday…" James said, trying somehow to piece together bits of information in a way that would be the least shocking.

"Wait, what? Three days ago? How long have I been here for?!"

"You've been delirious and out for almost a week," Remus answered quietly.

Sirius blinked again. Could he have possibly spent a week in the infirmary and remember nothing of it?

"What has been going on?"

"Dumbledore spent a day or two at Buckingham before he was finally able to get in and see A-Alex…" James started.

Remus picked up, "And then he came back with bad news."

Sirius felt the blood drain from his face. "Where's Dumbledore?"

"Well…ah…he left, again…" James said, scratching the back of his and looking anywhere but at Sirius.

"Remus…" Sirius said, ignoring James, who had always had trouble breaking bad news.

"The funeral is supposed to be tomorrow," Remus said quickly, unable to bear the look of pain and anxiousness on his friend's face any longer. "So he left yesterday to…help out, I guess, and make sure nothing else happens."

"Nothing else…?"

Remus sighed yet again—Sirius was not letting anything slide today. "Alex's body went missing yesterday."

The silence that enveloped the room was indescribable. The three boys didn't even breathe for those few seconds. Remus and James just held their breaths, waiting nervously for Sirius' reaction. Sirius stopped breathing completely subconsciously. It was as if all his bodily processes just stopped, and reconverted all their energy into trying to comprehend that not only was Alex dead, her body was now missing too.