The Marauders: Year Four

A Patch of Buttercup Flowers

A Patch of Buttercup Flowers

"REY!" James's voice was full of relief. "SIRIUS! HE'S ALRIGHT, HE'S HERE! OVER HERE!"

Remus had landed rather violently on the ground, in some sort of water that was cool and shallow, pebbles under his cheek. He had his hand wrapped around Tizzy's tiny hand. His head spun. It was the most turbulent side-along experience he'd ever had, his stomach was still rolling about inside him from the squeeze and the feeling of falling through the air from a somewhat high distance.

There were splashing footsteps, "Remus!" And hands were grabbing onto him, pulling him up and he felt Tizzy's hand slide out of his own and James's excitement engulfed him, "Bloody hell, oh bloody hell, thank Merlin! I can't believe that's just happened!"

"You lot are INCREDIBLE! I can't believe I'm OUT! I was going MAD! I couldn't have taken it much longer! You lot and this bloody BRILLIANT little elf. Tizzy you--" he stopped very suddenly in the middle of his sentence.

Remus pulled away from the bone crushing hug that James was still in the midst of giving him and he saw Sirius, kneeling in the water - a shallow creek. The water ran cold 'round his knees, soaking the jeans and his trainers. But he didn't care. His jaw was slack and his eyes filled with tears as he pulled the little elf up, out of the water, into his arms... her body limp.

Remus's blood turned to ice.

"No." He said and he ran over, splashing through the water. James stared on, too stunned to react or move. Remus grabbed at Tizzy, pulling her out of Remus's arms to his own chest, his hands shaking, "Tizzy? Tizzy, wake up." He looked up at Sirius, "Your father's snapped my wand. Ennervate her, mate."

"Rey, she's --"

"ENNERVATE HER!" Remus shouted.

Sirius licked his lips and reached into his bag, drawing out his wand and gently tapped the elf's chest. "Ennervate," he whispered, but nothing happened.

Remus clutched her to himself, "Again!" he begging, though he knew, his throat closing up, "AGAIN! SIRIUS DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE!"

Sirius had tears in his eyes and he obeyed, "Ennervate," he whispered, his voice cracking on the word, but again nothing happened.

"WAKE HER UP!! WAKE HER UP!"

"Rey, she's gone," Sirius said.

Remus's face folded up, creasing and reddening as he ceased breathing in the waves of emotion that were washing over him. Suddenly Tizzy, as tiny as she was, felt like she weighed a hundred stone. He couldn't hold her up anymore and he tipped forward. Sirius caught them both, the house elf's body landing in his outstretched arms and Remus turned, stumbling away, climbing up out of the small dip that the creek they'd landed in occupied. They were in a wood, somewhere - he had no idea where. He'd told Tizzy to go anywhere in the world, and she'd selected some place that Remus had never seen before. He fell to his knees.

James ran up the hill. "Rey," he said thickly, approaching him, "I'm so sorry, mate."

Remus shook his head, not wanting to hear it.

Below, in the trenches, Sirius hugged the elf to his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry." He felt so guilty. Once again, his friends had been in trouble because of him - his fault - and this time somebody had died.

It would've been better if he'd stayed there in Grimmauld Place all the rest of his life, he thought. He'd have deserved it.

Sirius found a small patch of buttercup flowers by the creek and gently laid the elf there among them for a moment, climbing the hill to check on Remus. Remus was on the ground, crying, and James had his hand on his shoulder.