The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Padfoot Down!

Padfoot Down!

James had been biting his tongue, carrying the quaffle, imagining himself in the midst of a terribly important quidditch game, and there in the stands was McKenna, watching him as he swept across the pitch, determined and ready to score what, in his mind at least, was the winning goal needed to take home the House Cup. Of course, it was really only morning practice before a regular game against Ravenclaw - but still, he could feel McKenna's eyes following him as he swooped and dipped and clutched that bloody red leather ball... and then he'd heard Remus's voice echo from the stands.

"SIRIUS!"

James had looked down to see the bludger slam into the point of Sirius's elbow, heard the crack even from the distance away he was, and when Sirius flipped off his broom as he grabbed onto his arm, James shot down to his rescue, diving forward and wrapping his arms beneath his mate only just before Sirius hit the ground.

Sirius fwomped into James's arms and looked up at him weakly, "Good catch, darling."

"It's what I do," James replied, grinning.

In the stands, McKenna, Lily, Peter, and Remus were all running down the steps toward the pitch - though none as fast as Lily Evans, who jumped down the last three steps onto the snowy ground and raced through across to where James was just emerging onto the path to the castle, carrying Sirius across his arms.

"Is he alright?!" Lily asked shrilly as she arrived at James's side.

She followed closely by Remus who, despite the sore knees he suffered, had moved quite a lot faster than Peter or Mckenna and grabbed onto the trailing cape from Sirius's quidditch robes, his eyes wide. "Sirius! Sirius, bloody hell, what are you -- why -- you -- are you -- bloody hell!"

"He's alright," James said.

Sirius's teeth were grit tight and his face contorted up in pain. But it was not lost on him that Lily Evans was in stride beside James, her hand on Sirius's leg, her eyes watery with worry. He rolled his head back to look at Remus, "Don't leave me, my love," he whined.

"I'm not, I'm right here," Remus said.

"You were so brave catching him like that, James!" McKenna had caught up to them and she pressed her way between Lily and James, grabbing onto James's arm as they went up the path toward the castle.

Siris looked up. "Lilith! Where's Lilith?!" he called.

"I'm here," Lily said and she pushed her way between McKenna and James to get to Sirius, to put her palm on Sirius's knee comfortingly.

"Oh good, darling-deer Lilith, don't be leaving me now! I need... all of my friends..."

"I'm here, too!" Peter said, scrambling about behind the crowd of people now gathering to follow James and Sirius.

Frank jogged up, "Sirius, blimey mate, I'm sorry, I never would've hit that bludger so hard if I'd had any clue you were in the way like that!"

"It isn't your fault, Frank," Sirius said truthfully.

The entire team, plus the spectators followed along - all of Gryffindor house, practically, for Sirius Black was a treasure not just of the sixth year dorm but to the entirety of the house -followed as James carried Sirius through the door of the castle and up the stairs to Madam Pomfrey's ward. Pomfrey immediately shooshed most everyone out, but Sirius insisted on James, Remus, and Lily accompanying him into the room, and Pomfrey shooed everyone else into the corridor, including Peter, who stared in through the crack as the door shut with wide, worried eyes, pleading, "Be okay Sirius! Please be okay!" as he was left outside.