Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-65-

- pt. 2

"Is she up yet ?"

"No"

"It's been 12 hours"

"Yes"

All of them were already sitting around her when she and Sirius had arrived, and no one had moved a finger since then.

Remus was laying on the bed next to Marlene, his guilt washing him over the whole night each time he stared at her body full of cuts and bruises. His hands were pulling his hair, so much so that his lap was covered in them and his tears were mixed up with the blood on his face which he had refused to let Madam Pomfrey get near of for the first time.

There was an undeniable tension in the air, and everyone seemed to have been washed over with worry and insomnia.

Lily was laying on James's lap, her tears from last night dried up on her cheeks with Peter running up and down with compressions handed by Madam Pomfrey.

Remus turned around to look at her once again, groaning between sobs at her situation, moving on to plucking his eyebrows.

"Rem-"

"She's going to hate me. I ruined her life"

"I'm sure you didn't, besides, she's Marls, she's the epitome of the word chill. I'm telling you, we're going to get made fun of for worrying this much" She let out a nervous laugh, unsure of her own words.

Her eyes focused on who was right next to her, sobbing senselessly all night. Dorcas probably hadn't even blinked in hours since she had sat down on the chair and hadn't moved since. Nor from her seat, or her eyes from the blonde.

Everyone seemed to be seeking support from someone near them in any way that they could, and that was how she had found herself sitting next to Sirius, an empty seat between them, and her nails digging his wrist in hatred with blood surrounding it.

He hadn't flinched at all, his face seemed inexpressive but his fingers were wrapped around her wrist tightly and painfully.

She hadn't flinched either, and the feeling of the flesh of another human, let alone him was weirdly comforting.

Then again, comforting was quite the word for what was happening.

Sirius started tapping his foot on the floor, making her dig her nails deeper indicating for him to stop, leading him to tap harder, and-

"GUYS- SHE WOKE UP- MARLS ! THANK GOD SHE'S UP- MADAM POMFREY" Dorcas started yelling out, mixed with sobs and laughs, shaking her awake.

Everyone breathed happily, a wave of relief washing over all of them as Remus nearly jumped to face her.

"Marls, I'm-"

"Don't you dare get close to me. Ever again" She flinched frightfully at his sight, trying to move backwards in her bed. "And you" Marlene turned around to face her while she let go of Sirius with her bloody hand and blatant heartbeats. "How could you ever call me your best friend while you  knew there was a WEREWOLF running around the castle that could've killed all of us ?"

"I had no idea about Remus's-"

"STOP LYING FOR ONCE" Lily got up, waving the Marauders Map. "I watched you get your name off of it hiding from everyone, so if you're going to be a monster, at least own up to it" 

"So you're saying you had no idea Remus, was a Werewolf ? And you're calling me a liar ?" She laughed snarkily, now shifting her attention fully onto Lily. "Let's be honest with ourselves. Of course, you knew all about it. At least since Snivelly told you that repeatedly if not from your first year, and you also knew that I knew. Pushing Marlene into all this innocently was of course your last move. Wasn't it ?"