Treacherous | J. POTTER

5 | hospital visits

"If I had known all that had to happen for you to talk to me was a near death experience, I would have arranged for it to happen sooner," Sirius informed his sister and she narrowed her eyes on the boy.

"Don't make me change my mind," Del warned and he rolled his eyes as she swung her legs off the bed.

"You're on bed rest," he reminded her, "As in staying in bed and resting."

"I'm fine," she replied as she moved to stand up but stumbled. Sirius was quick to steady her and help her back onto the bed. He opened his mouth to say something but she glared at him, "Shut up."

He put his hands up in faux surrender as he sat back down in the seat next to her bed, "I didn't say anything."

"But you were going to." She had been stuck in the infirmary for almost three days now. Every moment that he wasn't in school or it wasn't past curfew, Sirius spent with his sister. And with him, came his friends. Except for James, who had been avoiding the infirmary for the past three days. It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"Oh," Sirius said suddenly before reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out a stick that Del soon identified as her wand. She took it in confusion before remembering what had happened. James and Del had swapped wands. "He asked me to give it to you."

"He could have given it back to me himself," she pointed out. Even though she had wanted nothing more than for the boy to leave her alone since the first day back at Hogwarts, she couldn't help but feel slightly offended that the boy hadn't even come to see her. Not that he had a reason too but Remus and Peter had come in with Sirius so one would think he would have tagged along but he hadn't. And she wasn't sure why it bothered her.

"He's been busy," Sirius explained simply. "All of the Head Boys and Girls have been asked to do a lot more and since they're down one, it's even more work."

"Hmm," she replied. She knew it was partially true but at the same time, it wasn't. All the other Head Boys and Girls had come in to see her and ask how she was doing, even if it was a quick in and out. She shook her head, dispelling any more thoughts of James Potter from her mind. "Don't you have a class to get to?"

He grimaced at the reminder, "I was hoping you wouldn't remember."

"I didn't," she countered before pointing at the door where Peter and Remus stood waiting for him. She knew James was there as well but he was hiding. "James's wand is in my bag, if you would pass it to me."

"And now you're suddenly incapable of doing anything," he rolled his eyes as he lugged her bag onto her bed, "What do you keep in here, rocks?"

"Close," she shrugged as she sifted through it. "Explosives." His eyes widened slightly and she grew amused as she handed him his friend's wand, "For legal reasons, that was a joke."

Sirius shook his head before taking the wand, "I'll see you at lunch then."

"Or not!" she shouted at his retreating figure and he shot her a look. As soon as she knew he was gone, she reached under her pillow and grabbed the letter she had been dreading to read.

It had arrived as Sirius arrived. He insisted that she open it but she said it could wait. And it could, technically speaking. It was best that she read it when he wasn't around.

She opened the letter cautiously, lifting the Black family seal up before pulling the letter from the envelope.

Delphinus Walburga Black,

How dare you do such a thing to your cousins? They are family and you are to treat them as such. I thought your father and I were abundantly clear that you should behave yourself but obviously we were not.