Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 143

"Izzy said it's fine," Peter said as he slipped behind the huge curtains that blocked Remus bed from view in the hospital wing and slumped down on the edge of the bed.

"She said she'd come to visit later in the day," he continued.

"No!" Remus cried. "She shouldn't see me like this,"

James and Peter sighed as Sirius rolled his eyes and launching into an angry rant about how Remus shouldn't be thinking like that.

"Anyway," Peter said loudly, over Sirius indignant yells. "Izzy said there were more attacks yesterday,"

"There were?" James said. Even Sirius stopped mid-way through his speech. 

"I didn't ask much, but she was in the History of Magic section in the library," Peter said. "I thought she must be looking for some book for the monster in the Chamber,"

"Yeah, Hogwarts: a History's in top demand now," James said. 

"Shouldn't we be on the waiting list too, then?" Peter said.

"Nah," Sirius shook his head. "The Room's got a copy of it,"

"I'm going to ask Madam Pomfrey about the attacks," James said getting to his feet and pulling back the curtains to leave. 

James left and didn't return for a good five minutes. 

And when he was back, he looked clearly disturbed.

"What happened?" Sirius asked. 

"Four attacks," James said. "All in one day. They thought it was only two at first, then they found two more. Even the Fat Frair was petrified,"

"Wait," Sirius said, confused. "The Fat Frair? A ghost?"

"Yep," James nodded. "Apparently Regulus and Izzy were the ones who saw them first and brought them here,"

Remus' frown deepened.

"This is all my fault," he muttered, glaring at the ceiling. "Izzy was probably waiting for me. She could have gotten seriously hurt. . .If it weren't for me. . .If I wasn't like this. . ."

"It's not your fault," Sirius said sharply. "Izzy's a prefect. She was probably on patrols,"

Remus didn't say anything, although his mood didn't seem to lighten at all.

". . .I wonder if Lily's fine," James muttered a while later. 

Isabella wanted to tell Tom, but she knew he would get mad so she didn't bother. Maybe sometime later she would just casually slip it in as a part of a random conversation. 

When Isabella entered the Great Hall, she noticed that there was one other person there. 

She ignored Black pointedly and took her usual seat at the Gryffindor table. And all through the agonizing twenty minutes, Isabella could feel Black's gaze on her. 

Well, she supposed it would alarm anyone if a person suddenly started coughing up blood in front of them.

If Isabella thought Black would stop acting weird, then she was so wrong. 

Every time she so much as cleared her throat in Potions, Black would go all stiff and stare at her in concern. 

And he nearly lost it when she coughed. 

"Are you alright?" Black said worriedly. "Just go to Madam Pomfrey, Jefferson. Please,"