Tenebrous ❆ Sirius Black [2]

Chapter Twenty Two

Sirius stared at the white wall in front of him with a blank expression on his face. He was sitting on the floor of a hall at St. Mungo's. Many of them had needed medical attention after the fight they had. Fabian and Gideon had both been quite beaten up. Moody had even lost his leg. Sirius himself was instructed to get checked by a healer. But he cared about none of that.

They got separated. He got so focused on the fight he lost her. He moved away from her. And he distracted her. It was his fault.

"Padfoot? Everyone's been wondering where you are." The sound of James' voice made Sirius jump out of his skin. He didn't even notice the arrival of his best friend.

As soon as Sirius had been cleared by one of the St. Mungo's healers, he went off on his own. He couldn't stay among the others, all worried and waiting for any news on the members who had been taken away so they could be tended to. He couldn't listen to them at that time.

"I just... I needed to be alone." Sirius stood to his feet before James could sit down next to him. He started pacing the length of the hallway, scared to ask James the question on his mind.

"Sirius." James called his name, trying to make the Black stop pacing and twisting his hands through his hair. All of their nerves were sky high after what happened. The Order had been badly beaten, and that along with the wait for news on the wounded and hurt was unnerving everyone.

"I was supposed to protect her. I always say I will. I promised her I would." Sirius mumbled to himself, pulling at his dark hair in despair. He broke his promise... They got separated...

"Sirius. I came to find you because Eloise came to talk to us." James finally got through to him, his words forcing Sirius to stop his movements as his eyes jumped to James. As soon as Eloise had seen Nadia being carried into the hospital, unresponsive to her surroundings and her eyes firmly shut, the Head Mediwitch had seen to it that she be the one to see to her trainee.

"Nadia's going to be okay."

The words made Sirius give out a breath, relief flooding through him. He hadn't kept his promise, but James kept it for him. Before the fight broke out Moody had a last second chance to send a Patronus asking for help. And that help came in the nick of time. James came in the nick of time. Only seconds later and Nadia would have been dead. She was alive and she was going to be okay because of James. He saved her.

Those thoughts along with the information she'll be alright made Sirius move with the speed of light as he pulled James into a bone crushing hug wanting to show just how grateful he was.

"Thank you Prongs, I can't say it enough. Thank you!" Sirius repeated those words over and over as James returned his hug. James could understand what Sirius might feel in that moment. He could understand what he had been feeling all this time too. If something ever happened to Lily, James didn't know how he would be able to go on. And Sirius was the same when it came to Nadia.