Lupa | Teddy Lupin

Chapter 6- Rumor Has It

"I'm worried..." Victoire began, but Teddy cut her off.
"She'll be fine." He said, confidence shaking his voice uncertainly, like a sturdy branch beginning to break. They stepped together on the way up to the hospital wing, past the Ravenclaw classrooms.
"I just wish the Ministry would permit her wolfsbane."
  "Vic, you know as well as I do that isn't happening any time soon." Teddy lowered his voice, but it was still firm and Victoire fell silent. Teddy didn't admit it, but his palms were sweating profusely and he couldn't even think in the state anxiety. His best friend and father lay only a few minutes away and as usual he had to focus on keeping his head attached to his neck.
Victoire noticed his unease and gently brushed his arm. A wave of heat melted the ice encasing Teddy and he stopped shivering. Victoire didn't even know if he noticed himself shaking. Subconsciously, Teddy picked up the pace, ignorant to his surroundings as he and Victoire turned out of the Ravenclaw Wing.

They didn't see Edith Pognought trailing behind them, her eyes bright and ears open.

Teddy and Victoire quietly crept into the hospital wing, not wanting to alert Madam Pomfrey of their presence; she wasn't kind to unwelcome visitors. Victoire pulled back the curtain that was draped around Maddie's bed with a shaking hand. The white sheet was almost as pale as the young teen's face, and a thin sheet of anxious sweat was laid across her forehead.
Taking a deep, ragged breath, Victoire tore away the curtain.
"C'mon Vic, we've talked about subtleness." Teddy whispered, but his friend didn't even shift from the position of horror as she gazed onto her friend. She blinked and walked in beside her dear friend, Teddy following. Victoire could hardly move and Teddy rubbed her back with an absent mind. A shiver pricked through his spine as saw the state of Maddie.
Her lips were tinged blue, and on her lower lips was a black bruise and a cut deeper than a trench. It was splitting the skin and spilling the blood. Cuts fading to scars and gashes fading to cuts were sliced over her bare arms and across her face, dark brown and red blood dry and cracking across her skin. Her skin was a sickly green colour, whiter than the sanitary hospital sheets beneath her body. One arm was twisted at three or four strange angles and her shoulder was slumped into her collar bone in a peculiar, unnatural way. An oxygen mask was tied around her mouth and her breaths were steady and gentle... almost too gentle.
A bruised eye flicked open and once the haze and fog that clouded Maddie's vision cleared her heart warmed at the sight of her best friends. She wasn't surprised to see Teddy, however Victoire usually wasn't permitted to go and see her in the hospital wing, but she was wasn't objecting.
  Teddy let Victoire sit down in the chair beside Maddie's bed and leaned on one leg.
  "Hey." Maddie breathed gently, her voice almost inaudible through the oxygen mask. Teddy looked at her sadly, a melancholy blue swelling in his heart. He smiled still, hushing her. Victoire thoughtlessly reached for her hand, but the second her fingers brushed her friend's hand Maddie winced as a shard of pain pierced her skin. Maddie let out a small cry and rolled over with a groan, knocking her oxygen mask off. This appeared to be intentional as she quickly retched into a bucket beside her bed. She choked and breathed heavily, fighting for oxygen.
"Merlin's mother Mads, I'm so sor-" Victoire whispered, her voice breaking as tears swam in her eyes.
"Not your fault." Maddie's voice was barely a hoarse whisper and she blinked courteously, her only indication she was able to give of forgiveness. Teddy rubbed Victoire's shoulder as she tried desperately to prevent tears from falling.
"We'll let you rest boo." Teddy held the curtain open for Victoire to leave and she did so quickly and silently. "Love you Mads." Teddy winked and Maddie smiled gently, stretching the scars on her face.
  Victoire quickly bade Teddy goodbye as she scurried off back to the Gryffindor tower.
  Teddy crept, light on his feet through to his father's bed. The father didn't notice his son's presence as he continued to sleep through his discomfort. Teddy gently sat down on the edge of the seat beside his father's bed and took the older man's calloused hand in his long, delicate fingers. He brushed his lips against the rough skin of Remus Lupin and the young boy leant forwards, lacing his father's hand in his.
Teddy gazed in wonder at his father. Remus did not stir from his slumber and Teddy counted the scars on his lined face. He shuddered when he realised that Maddie had almost as many scars as the older man on her face. The younger boy simply sat in silence for a while, keeping his unconscious father company.
He didn't know that only a few feet away Edith Pognought was gagging at the sight of Maddie's mangled body.