Accio Evans

Chapter 34: Outburst

"How is she?!" Jessica shouted pouncing on Sirius the moment he shuffled through the portrait hole. Grabbing hold him by the shoulders, she shook him slightly as if trying to shake the answers from him. Blinking wildly Sirius took a few seconds to realise what was going on, in this time Jessica had given up, thrown her hands wildly in the air and slumped into an unoccupied arm chair and began to sulk.

"She's just worried." Alice explained, although she looked impatiently at Sirius for news.

"She's awake." He put bluntly.

"And?!" Jessica shouted, standing abruptly, rolling her hands, gesturing for more information.

"She's talking... Oh and her and James made up!" Sirius replied with a triumphant smile on his face. Alice hugged Jessica and smiles of relief spread across their faces.

"Told you." Jessica teased, although her voice was soothing as she rubbed Alice's back.

"We thought when we didn't hear anything that it was really bad..." Alice said tearfully, her cheeks reddening. Alice sniffed loudly and wiped her nose on a handkerchief that Jessica handed her, she took it thankfully.

"It was bad..." Sirius trailed off. "She'll be okay though." He finished. "Hestia too." He added with a smile.

"Poor thing..." Alice whispered. "She was in a right state yesterday. I couldn't even understand what she was saying she was crying so much..."

"It was awful..." Jessica agreed, again pulling Alice close and hugging her tightly. Sirius was about to reply, but was interrupted by Peter and Frank who glumly walked down the dormitory stairs and met them by the portrait hole. Sirius smiled somewhat reassuringly. Frank nodded, Peter's watery blue eyes looked like they'd burst into tears at any time... 'Poor Bloke...' Sirius thought, he'd been so upset and shocked last night that Remus had had to give him a sleeping potion, they hadn't dared wake him when they went to go and see the girls in the hospital wing, he'd never have got any sleep if they had; as it came to it the other three hadn't had much sleep as it was. James had spent all night sat in the chair by Lily's bed, waking every 15 minutes or so to check she was okay, Sirius and Remus had been unable to sleep for more than half an hour at a time as Madame Pomfrey kept coming in and they'd have to scramble to get the invisibility cloak over James and themselves before they were thrown from the hospital wing and given a right talking to by the angry matron; luckily they hadn't been caught, although their lack of sleep was clearly affecting them this morning...

James had slumped down to Great hall at 6AM grabbed a few slices of toast that he'd eaten on the way back to the hospital wing, his journey uninterrupted by anyone. Sirius, Frank, Peter and the girls hadn't been so lucky... it seemed last night at the evening meal Professor Dumbledore had mentioned what had happened and everyone was trying to get any other details about the attack from Lily's friends.

"What happened?!"

"Is it true that she fought off ten death eaters without her wand?!"

"Is she going to be alright?!"

Sirius was ready to hex the next person who asked him anything. Jessica rubbed her forehead in exhaustion; Alice and her had ended up sleeping huddled together in her bed and between the tears and snores neither of them had gotten much sleep and now the endless questioning was beginning to grate on Jessica's fragile nerves.

"Is it true she nearly died?!" a third year Hufflepuff boy asked and Jessica snapped.

"WILL YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE! MY FRIEND IS IN THE HOSPITAL WING AFTER BEING TORTURED, I'VE HAD NO SLEEP AND I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SEE HER SO WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" breathing heavily, her hands curled into tight fists. The small boy looked like he was about to burst in to tears, he trembled slightly and scuttled away to avoid the wrath of the seventh year Gryffindor. Jessica knew she'd blown her top, her cheeks coloured slightly, but she stood by what she said, shouted. The whole of the Great hall was silent; everyone was staring at the usually bubbly blonde girl who had just screamed at an innocent bystander, even Sirius and Remus looked taken aback, especially Remus. Realising she was still standing, she slumped into her seat on the bench and held her head in her hands, people began to go back to their breakfast still trying to cast quick glances at Jessica. Alice put her arm around Jessica's shoulders; Sirius rubbed her hand gently from across the table.