The Marauders: Year One (female)

34. St. Mungo's

When Remus came to, she was aware of a busy, bright, and yet calm environment. The floor was a lot softer than it should be, and her injuries did not hurt so much. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were as if they were made of stone.

She let out a whimper of frustration, and almost immediately, a soft, warm hand took hers.

'Remus? Remus, darling? Remus, are you awake?' Her mother's concerned and loving voice sounded from somewhere beside her, but Remus could not open her eyes to see her.

She tried to lift her head and reply, but all that came out was a rasping croak.

Hope called Remus's father. 'Lyall! Lyall! She's awake! We'll need a Healer in a bit.' Was Remus in some sort of hospital?

Remus heard Lyall's overjoyed cry as he sprinted over, and sat down on the bed, making it sink. His rough hand took her free hand.

'Remus,' he said, his voice filled with relief. 'You're awake.'

Remus grunted, her mind full of questions she could not ask. She was supposed to be dying painfully in the Shrieking Shack, not in a comfy bed, with her parents. Swallowing painfully, she finally managed to rasp out, ' 'Ere am I? How? Why're you here?'

Remus managed to force her eyes open a crack. They watered painfully in the bright light. She saw her mother leaning over her through the tears. Her face was filled with pity.

'Madam Pomfrey found you in the Shrieking Shack, practically dying on the floor, after you'd been missing for a whole day. You've been here for about a week, now, and you might have to stay here even longer. I don't think you'll be able to attend school until next term. I want to keep you at home for a while after they release you. I'm quite disappointed they didn't check on your sooner. You were so badly injured, and your scratches so badly infected, that even Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal you at Hogwarts. You're at St. Mungo's.'

Lyall stepped in. 'We've told them it was an accident with an unknown creature in the Forbidden Forest, on a foolish prank, because the scratches are magical and can't heal as easily as others. How did you end up there, Remus? What happened?'  

Remus felt tears fill her eyes, and spill over her cheeks, as she remembered the events that had taken place. 'Water,' she rasped, as she could not speak.

'Of course,' said her mother hurriedly, handing her a cup on the sterile white bedstand. She was in a ward full of patients.

Remus sipped the water gingerly. 'We -- we were playing a game in the dormitory, and I slipped, and one of my dorm mates fell on me. My bandage split, and my wounds from the full moon opened. I got scared, and ran off to the Shrieking Shack, but I guess I blacked out.'

Lyall swelled angrily. 'Which dorm mate was it? Tell me, Remus!'

Remus stiffened, feeling the first whispers of the storm that was about to break loose. 'It -- it's wasn't her fault. It was an accident.'

Lyall continued to look at her piercingly, and Remus sighed, and gave in, hoping her father would not be too furious. 'It was Sirius Black. It was only a game, though,' she added quickly.

Lyall's face turned a deep shade of fuschia. Hope looked angry as well. 'Black,' muttered Lyall. Of course it was a Black. Disgusting snakes, they can't keep their filthy poison to themselves. Always ruining innocent lives, always destroying. If you ask me, the whole lot of them should be blasted of the face of this Earth. I don't know how one even slithered its way into Gryffindor. I'll be writing to Dumbledore.'

Remus grabbed his hand desperately. 'No! You don't understand! Sirius is my friend. She's good. She's not like them. You don't understand. You haven't met her!'