At the flat, everyone was pacing back and forth while they waited for Sirius and Joanna to Floo back safely from Dumbledore's office.
The flames at the fireplaces turned green and Sirius appeared carrying a disheveled Joanna. James let out a long breath as he finally laid eyes on his beloved baby sister.
"Finally! We thought you two had gotten caught somehow," revealed James.
"Nothing of the sort just had a bit of a chat with... Dumbledore" Sirius apprehensively replied.
He gently let Joanna stand on the ground and for the first time, the crew was able to assess her.
She had scratch marks on her neck and chest, the gash on her cheek, her swollen lip, and the slash on her back whilst wearing the ill-fitting black Death Eater uniform. Not to mention the innumerable number of times her body was hit with the Cruciatus Curse.
Kate made her way to Joanna and softly spoke, "Let's run you a bath, darling"
Joanna nodded.
Lily went to the kitchen to prepare supper.
James looked longingly at the bathroom door that had already closed. He hoped Joanna would have wanted to hug him upon meeting again.
"How was she?" muttered Peter, afraid the other party would hear.
Sirius kept a low voice, "I don't know, I barely had a chance to actually look at her. We were just running the whole time and then we're here."
"You think the marks... she could get it transmitted?" Lily asked Remus.
Shaking his head he confirmed, "For her to show any signs of lycanthropy she would have had to be bitten and I don't think she was."
Grateful for the first bit of good news, James declared, "Thank Merlin! Erm, no offense, Moony." He scratched his hair with slight embarrassment at having been so imprudent in front of his dear friend.
"None taken" assured Remus.
After some time, and Peter hurriedly leaving to care for his mother, Kate finally opened the door. Through the small opening they could see Joanna wearing a bathrobe. She was sitting on a chair facing away from the mirror and picking at her fingers - she wanted to be clean everywhere including under her fingernails.
"Remus can you come in, to... um, check?" questioned Kate.
Remus went inside and the door closed once again.
"Oi, it's not fair he gets to go in before the both of us!" whisper-shouted James.
Lily shot him a stare that could kill. James was still not used to receiving those - having been raised in a very loving household.
"Can you be more selfish, James?," Lily's curt reprimand left him speechless.
Nonetheless, the ever-so-kind Lily immediately regretted scolding her fiancé, especially since the matter at hand dealt with his little sister. She took off her apron and went to hug both of the Gryffindor boys.
She tried to lighten the mood, "Hey, we have her here and the worst is over for now. That's the most important."
Kate popped her head out of the door, "Lily did you bring your essence of dittany with you?"
Breaking away from the hug, Lily went to find her bag and handed the vial to Kate, "Hopefully this is enough."
"We'll make it work, I think I actually saw some silver in the medicine cupboard."
James anxiously asked, "You sure you don't need any help?"
Kate's face said it all, "I just don't think it's a good idea to have so many people in here, she may get overwhelmed, you know?"
He half-smiled in response.
Trying to remedy his stress Kate added, "Besides, once we treat her wounds she'll be out of here soon." She patted him on the shoulder and started to turn around.
"Kate?," James decided to ask her one last question.
She faced him, "Hm?"
"Are you actually being nice to me? Because this feels bloody abnormal," James quipped.
Rolling her eyes Kate returned to her 'normal' self, "Don't get used to it, Jamie."
James shuddered at her nickname for him; only his mother called him Jamie.
Remus prepared the mixture of dittany and silver and lightly lathered it onto Joanna's wounds.
He proceeded to place a gauze cloth over most of her back and throat to let the scratches seal properly. 'Hopefully, she'll have minimal scarring.' he thought to himself.
Eventually, Jo spoke up, "Thank you, Rem."
He placed his hand on top of hers, "Anything I can do to help, Jo, I'm always here."
Kate declared, "Alright then, I think you can finally step out!"
Slowly Joanna got up from her chair and hugged her best friend of almost seven years - a verbal thanks wasn't necessary.
Before leaving the washroom, Joanna finally looked at her reflection. On the outside, she was clean and no longer bleeding from her cheek and neck. Her swollen lip was less pronounced and her neck had been bandaged so she did not have to stare at the horrifying marks Greyback left on her. She quietly recited a spell to dry her damp hair. She touched her face to make sure she was real and not just dreaming or rather having a horrible nightmare. Inside, all she saw was a stupid girl who fell for a trap and deserved what she got. She buried those thoughts in her head for later and stepped out.
With seemingly perfect timing, Lily was serving bowls of soup on the dinner table that James helped set up. They both looked up at the sound of the door opening.
With a wide grin, Lily's calming voice broke the clattering of pots and boards cleaning themselves, "I made your favorite!"
Joanna made her way to warmly embrace her brother and soon-to-be-sister.
In typical Prongs fashion, James spoke, "I'm just glad you finally came out. We were all getting kind of hungry."
A/N: Finally a long one, I hope you're liking it so far! Don't be afraid to leave feedback. Xx lovelies
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The Other One | Sirius Black
Fanfiction"I'm sorry, I just... remembered something," she muttered as her fingers traced the scars on her throat. He placed his hands on her shoulders before whispering, "It's just me." "It's just you," she sighed. ...
