The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Henry the Eighth

Henry the Eighth

Bilius had another whole butterbeer and rum before Rosmerta cut him off. When he stood up and nearly toppled over, Sirius and James jumped up and offered to take him back to his room at the inn. "We'll catch you up," Sirius told Peter and Remus.

Remus nodded, knowing his wheelchair and Peter's Peter-ness would only be in the way in depositing Bilius off at his room. "We'll go to Honeydukes," Remus said. "C'mon Peter." They took off, Peter waving to Bilius before going on and on telling Remus about the chocolate frogs and snacks he'd decided to buy when he was making his list the night before.

James and Sirius each took an arm and James dumped enough galleons on the table to cover the whole meal and then some as a tip for Rosmerta, and they headed out into the street with Bilius, who was laughing boisterously. "You lot have gotten so tall," he was saying, "There was a time you couldn't have done this and it seems like only yesterday! Only yesterday we were all sitting about in the common room and mucking around - you lot and me and Alex and Derek." The name broke in Bilius's mouth as he said it and he hastily went on, "You were ickle little things then! Just ickle little things!"

Sirius tugged Bilius's arm to steady him more on his shoulder and he glanced 'round his chest to look at James with knowing eyes. James looked downright miserable about the whole thing. Sirius sighed as Bilius started singing loudly, attempting to dance and nearly knocking the two of them over. "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am, Henry the eighth, I am, I am... I got married to the widow next door, she's been married seven times before and every one of them was an Henry! She wouldn't have a willy or a Sam - NO SAM! - I'm her eighth old man, I am, I'm HENERY! HENERY THE EIGHTH I AM!" Bilius was shouting the lyrics before they'd reached the inn, and they were pitching about trying to keep him upright. "Second verse -- same as the first!" he laughed.

"No more verses mate," said Sirius, nodding to the bewildered looking witch at the desk as they stepped into the inn. "Do you have your room key, Bil?"

"I'm 'ENERY! 'ENERY THE EIGHTH I AM I AM!" Bilius had already started in.

James quickly fished about Bilius's pockets and found the key folded up in one of them. Sirius shook it for the witch and they started up the stairs to Bilius's room. The room was pretty boring, very sparsely furnished, and sort of grey with nondescript bedding. A bag lay open on the floor, clothes and things spilling out of it. The bed was made and a miniature sugar quill lay on the pillow. "They leave one every bloody day," Bilius said. He waved at a small stack of them on a little table, "Take the lot of them if you want, I won't eat them."

James and Sirius pushed him down on the bed.

"You alright, Bil?" James asked.

"Just knockers," Bilius answered. He was staring out the window and James followed his gaze and he could see the castle looming over the trees in the distance - the Bell Towers standing strong against the horizon. James thought that it was possibly the worst room in the entire inn they possibly could've given him, with a view like that.

Sirius had gotten a cup of water and held it out for Bilius to drink and James worked on untying Bilius's boots and tossed them down on the floor. They pulled a blanket over the top of him.

"Thanks, mates," Bilius said once he'd settled in. He closed his eyes a moment and sighed, a heavy sort of sound that seemed to be emptying him. He opened them again and looked at both of them, and the laughter that had been on his face before had died away and all that was left was the sadness in his eyes. "Let me tell you lot something," he said, "And you listen to me. It's very important."