The Marauders: Year One (female)

48. Yellow Submarine

Sirius kicked the Hospital Wing doors open sullenly. Three heads looked up at her.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out from behind a curtain. 'You'd best watch it, Black,' she said, shaking a finger warningly at Sirius. 'I won't be having any of that sort of attitude in my Hospital, thank you very much. This is a place of healing and serenity.'

She poured out a small dose of blue liquid into a metal cup, and tipped it into Jamie's open mouth before she could say anything. 'That's the Respirare Potion. It should help clear out your airways, and stop some of the coughing.'

Jamie, who had been sputtering indignantly at this undignified invasion of medicine, coughed loudly just to make a point. Sirius and Madam Pomfrey both rolled their eyes.

Madam Pomfrey noticed this. 'Are you sure you don't want some too?' she asked Sirius dangerously. 'I've been hearing some very interesting stories about what went on in that hazardous pit of a dorm room you live in, and most of them centre around you!'

'That's right. Put the blame on an innocent woman who isn't there to defend herself,' Sirius grumbled. 'Right bunch of courageous Gryffindors you are!'

'To be fair,' Petra said timidly, 'It did start when you freaked out because an owl pooed on your bed.'

Sirius pulled Petra's chair out from under her, and took the seat by Jamie's bed.

'A simple cleaning charm. That's all it would have taken, mate,' Jamie said.

'Oh, shut up,' Sirius snapped. 'I've been locked up with McGonagall for the better part of the last century, listening to her natter on about 'growing up' and 'responsibility' and biscuits, taking the bloody blame for you, you bunch of stewed newts.'

Jamie put her hands above her head in a show of surrender. 'Hey, hey, hey! I'm an invalid. Be nice. Isn't that right, Madam Pomfrey?'

She stuck her head out of her office and nodded dutifully, keeping a watchful eye on the disaster prone girls.

'Frankie's an invalid, too,' pointed out Sirius, 'but notice how I'm not being rude to her.'

'You haven't even said hello to me!' Frankie complained from the neighbouring bed, running her fingers over her newly healed palms.

Sirius ignored her. 'Where's the letter?' Sirius needed that letter so much. She needed to know what Remus had been up to, how she was, and where she was. And above all, she needed to know if Remus forgave her.

Jamie pointed to the pile of burnt clothes sitting on the railing at the foot of her bed. 'It might be somewhere in there.'

'Jamie!' Sirius rushed over frantically, and started to rummage about in Jamie's pockets.

'Oi, mate. Be careful,' Jamie ordered, as Sirius searched the clothes mercilessly. 'I liked those trousers.'

'Trust me, darling, I have no desire whatsoever to be exploring your trousers,' Sirius retorted sharply. 'Where is it, where is it, where is it?'

Petra sniggered. She still hadn't got up off the floor yet.

'Aha! Got it!' Sirius returned, carrying an envelope that was relatively undamaged apart from the singed edges. She ran her fingers over it, trying to find a place she could rip it open quickly without damaging the already burnt letter.

'You can pick up my clothes before you even think about opening that, Black,' Jamie said, as Sirius left the burnt outfit lying on the floor.

Sirius rolled her eyes and huffed, but she picked them up and deposited them carefully at the end of the bed.