Fated - Remus Lupin Fanfic

Chapter 1: You Are Sick

Remus limped out of the Shrieking Shack, Sirius and James holding him up while Peter ran for help.

"Pomfrey!" Peter screamed after her, almost tripping as he ran. "Pomfrey it's really bad this time."

"What happened?" She asked, running over to him with a med kit.

"We don't know, but his cuts are really deep and he's barely breathing." James shook his head. "Can you apparate us to the hospital wing? I don't think he'll make the walk."

She pondered his question for a moment, before nodding and holding onto Sirius so she could apparate them. The risk of him dying here and now was higher than him dying of being splinched.

Once in the wing, they carried him to a bed as he winced and groaned, mumbling incessantly.

"Remus? What is it?" Sirius asked.

"Come on, Moony, hold on," James whispered as he held his face. "Come on, mate, I know you can hold on."

A nurse scurried over with ointments and bandages.

"Boys, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Pomfrey said as she tried to usher them away as another nurse began to close the curtain around Remus. "I'll come out and speak to you when he's more stable."

"Poppy, will he be okay?" Peter clutched his stomach. 

She ignored him calling her by her first name. "I believe so, I'm afraid I don't actually know, my loves, but as soon as he's a bit more sorted out I will come right away to tell you more."

The boys trudged outside the wing to sit on the closest bench, unable to relax.

"He's going to be okay," James whispered as he sat in between them. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes. "He's Remus."

Peter shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "I can't unhear his screams."

Sirius sat, sobbing, with his forehead resting on his hand. James grabbed their hands and squeezed them. They both knew that he was just as terrified as they were.

After what felt like hours, Pomfrey finally left the wing. The boys all stood up, awaiting her response.

She looked at the floor for a moment then back at them. "Sepsis."

They all sunk back to their seat, back to their original positions. "How bad is it?" James managed to ask through the crack in his throat.

She very quietly sobbed for a moment, her voice croaking as she held back her emotions. "We suspect he has about 5 months to live."

"No," Peter put his head in his hands and began to rock. "No, no, no, no, no!"

At instinct, Sirius lunged at Pomfrey. "You said he was going to be okay!" He yelled as he landed soft punches at her. She held him up by his forearms as he began to wail.

James sat staring blankly at the floor, as tears streamed from his face.

"... Can we see him?"

"He's very drowsy from his medication, but he's awake... We've told him. He was going to go home but he's decided he wants to spend his last months here, as he said that one of his friends is coming back? I wasn't sure if it was the medication or him talking, but he said he wanted to tell her himself." Pomfrey shrugged.

"Violet," James inhaled. "Fucking hell, this is going to crush her."

"Who?"

"His childhood best friend, they've known each other longer than we've known him. She's been on exchange in Beauxbatons for the past year." Peter spoke numbly.

James got up and dragged Peter up with him. "Brave faces. We can't let him see us like this."

Sirius weakly stumbled away from Pomfrey and wiped his face as they entered the wing.

—

Violet tapped her hands against her knees as the Beauxbatons carriage flew her to Hogwarts. Her escort, Irene, smiled. "You nervous?"

"I'm excited," Violet smiled. "I get to see Remus."

"And who is that?" Irene asked.

"He's my best friend," She grinned, looking at her hands. "He's truly lovely. He's the best man I've ever known."

"You have a crush on him then?"

"What? No! Remus is..." She shook her head and tried to hide her rosy cheeks. "He's just a friend."

"I said that about this boy in my year too when I was your age. You know who he is to me now?"

"Another one of your enemies?"

"My husband," She grinned. "By the sound of it, you're barrelling towards the same ending he and I had." The carriage hit the ground and the door opened. "Looks like we're here."

They both stepped out and the Beauxbatons student that was at Hogwarts stepped into the carriage.

"I'll miss you, Irene," Violet whispered as she gave her a tight hug.

"I'll miss you too, Violet. And remember, as long as I'm here, you'll always have a friend in France." Irene smiled. "Don't forget to write, okay?"

"The second I'm settled again I'll write to you, I promise."

The two young girls shared a smile, before giving each other one last hug goodbye.

"And don't forget to tell me about whatever goes on between you and that Remus boy."

Violet laughed. "There's nothing to tell. But if anything does happen, I will tell you."

—