Mortem . Sirius Black

chapter forty-one

April 14th - Marauders' dorm 

None of the marauders had really slept that night. Their worry about Ellie, coupled with their worry about Nephera hadn't let them relax enough to do so. So, when the first beams of sunlight entered the room, James, Sirius, and Peter jumped out of bed, getting ready as fast as possible to rush down to the hospital wing to meet up with Remus and Tony, who had stayed there overnight, and hopefully an awake Ellie. 

They had spent the entire night watching the map, waiting for Nephera to leave Dumbledores' office, except she never did. Her name had disappeared off the map entirely, with no explanation whatsoever. 

"Where the hell could she have gone?" asked Sirius as they were running down to the hospital wing 

"I have no idea," replied Peter "It probably has something to do with her business with Dumbledore," 

"Mom didn't like the fact that he included her in whatever that is," added the curly-haired boy "Don't you remember how she tried to stop him?" 

They all exchanged glances, worried, confused, and tired, not knowing where to focus first. On one hand, there was Ellie, who had gotten a slur carved into her arm last night. Then, there was Tony, who had completely lost it, and finally, there was Nephera, who had dissapeared off the face of the earth. 

Opening the doors of the hospital wing, they found Ellie, crying into Tonys' chest on the hospital bed, and Remus coming towards them. 

"Let's go, they need some privacy," sighed the werewolf 

"Is she okay?" asked Peter, but then quickly corrected him "I mean, all things considered," 

"No, not in the slightest," Remus leaned against a wall "How did it go with Nephera last night?" 

Sirius ran a hand through his hair "It didn't." he deadpanned "She was talking with Dumbeledore in his office and then left the castle completely. We're going to talk to him now," 

The werewolf groaned loudly "This keeps getting better and better," 

They walked for a few more minutes in silence, trying to digest everything, "How's Tony?" asked James 

"I have no idea, he fell asleep about five seconds after you lot left. Let's just go find Dumbledore." 

They walked into the Great Hall, only to find Dumbledore sitting in the middle of the teachers' table. Approaching him with fast strides, they all stood in front of him. 

"Proffesor, may we speak to you?" asked Peter, folding his hands over his chest 

"I'm afraid, Mr. Pettigrew, that this is not the best moment," replied he old wizard, his eyes glinting over the four teenagers in front of him 

"Oh bullshit!" excalimed Sirius, tired by the too many unanswered questions and drama "What have you got her into," he demanded, and then added as an afterthought "respectfully, headmaster," 

"Very respectfully," added James 

Remus, at that point, was resisting the urge to ram his head into a wall, the full moon being a week away didn't help either. 

"I understand your concernes," stated the Headmaster "But it would be best if you keep your voices down and we do not alert anyone that Mrs. Winchester is out of the castles' bounds," he concluded, his eyes flickering towards the Slytherin table 

"Can you at least tell us where she is?" asked the werewolf

"I'm afraid I cannot." 

"If she's safe?" snapped Sirius