maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

22. the hospital wing

"BLOODY HELL," said Sirius Black the moment his brother came bursting into the Hospital Wing with an unconscious Claudia in his arms.

"My goodness," Madam Pomfrey said worriedly as she left Remus' side and hurried over to the girl. "Place her on the bed, my dear."

Regulus did as told, he placed Claudia down on one of the hospital beds across from Remus'. She was completely gone, her legs wobbly, her nose still running and her eyes red and irritated.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked the boy as she started to treat her, despite her unawareness of what exactly had occurred.

"I-I don't know," Regulus said quietly as he played with his fingers nervously. "I found her like this."

"Good job bringing her back, Mr. Black," Pomfrey said with a tight smile as she pulled the curtains around the bed in order to give the girl privacy.

Regulus had failed to notice how four boys sat on the other side of the room with concerned looks on their faces.

It was the day after the full moon, and Remus' friends were visiting him. It had been a very unsuccessful full moon that month, both Sirius and Remus ending up with injuries.

Remus was feeling worse than normally, but he forgot all about that the moment he saw Claudia completely gone in Regulus' arms.

"What the hell happened?!" Sirius asked his brother, speaking to him for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Oh," Regulus breathed as he finally noticed his brother and his friends. "I don't know."

"Did you do this?!" Sirius pressed as he raised an accusing finger at him.

"N-no!" His brother said with a gasp. "I wouldn't hurt her. You know that."

Deep inside, he did.

Because Claudia, Sirius and Regulus had history that wasn't spoken of.

And Sirius knew his brother wasn't all that bad, deep inside.

"And you expect me to believe that?" Sirius said earnestly.

"What?!" Regulus said in an offended tone. "Why would I do something like that to her?!"

"You hang out with those idiots, of course you would," Sirius said without thinking.

"Padfoot," James said warningly.

"No! You come in here with Claudia in your arms, saying you "found" her and you expect us to believe that?!"

"I would never lay a hand on Claudia," Regulus said sternly with a glare as he bursted out of the infirmary.

The three remaining boys were dumbfounded as they looked at their friend, who scoffed and rolled his eyes.