Breaking Black (A Sirius Black Love Story)

Chapter 77

My heart clawed against my sternum as I arrived at St. Mungo's. The healers, patients, and family members swirled around me, approaching the desks, weaving around chairs, and rushing into rooms. My legs seemed to have minds of their own as they dragged me to the desk.

"McKinnon," I breathed to the witch at the service desk. "I'm looking for Marlene McKinnon. Or Brittany Stryker. Or Felix Stryker. Any of them!"

The woman flipped through pages at a speed I considered to be too slow during an emergency. I wanted to search the papers for her. Every second felt like an eternity.

"Yes, I have a Brittany McKinnon-Stryker admitted yesterday morning-" the witch stated, squinting at the fine print.

"Just give me the room number!" I exasperatedly cut her off. An angry look covered her face at my rudeness.

"782," the witch huffed.

As I ran up the stairs and down the seventh-floor hall, ignoring my gasping breaths, I noticed a girl with long blonde hair talking to a nurse. She glanced up at my thumping footsteps and waved. My burning legs got a sudden rush of energy and I ran towards her and I wrapped my arms around her skinny body.

"Marlene!" I yelped. I crushed her in a hug. My heart was trying to escape my rib cage and my stomach burned from running up all the flights of stairs. "Thank Merlin you're okay!"

"Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" Marlene forced out. My hug was nearly strangling her. "Can't. Breathe. Lexi!"

"I thought you were hurt! McGonagall said you left school yesterday morning! Was it for the you-know-what?"

Marlene looked completely confused.

"No?" Marlene started slowly. Her brown eyes flashed with concern. I pulled her head closer to mine and away from the nurse.

"I meant your Order task. Is that why you're here?"

"No! We're here for my sister!"

"Well is she okay? And my brother?"

"Brittany is doing better, I think she's sleeping right now. Felix was pretty rattled about the whole thing, but what do you expect!" Marlene snorted. I swallowed a lump in my throat. "They're in the room right there, I'll meet you-"

Before Marlene could finish her sentence, I rushed into the room. Felix's hazel eyes met mine as I walked into the room as if I were in a trance. He sat in the chair next to the bed, his hand clasping Brittany's. The world seemed still as I soaked in the scene.

"Felix..." I croaked. He didn't look injured or upset. Brittany was indeed asleep, her short blonde hair standing up in tufts on the pillow. Other than exhaustion, she didn't look injured or on the verge of dying from some sort of dark spell. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Shh, Lexi," Felix hushed. "You'll wake the baby."

In my panic, I hadn't realized the blue blanket in Felix's lap. My brother was slowly rocking the blanket back and forth, and I made out the shape of a miniature hand and head. I realized Brittany wasn't in the hospital because she was attacked and injured, she was in the hospital because she had her baby!

"I thought something horrible happened to you! I thought you were attacked!" I explained. I couldn't look away from the sleeping bundle of blankets in my brother's arms.

"Nothing horrible," Felix said in a soft voice. He kept smiling at the lump in his arms. "In fact, last night was the best day of my life! I became a father! It's a boy."

"What's his name?" I whispered. I peered over Felix's shoulder at the baby with wispy brown hair and delicate features. As I examined the tiny human, I couldn't help but grin. He was adorable.