13. Fanfic The Thirteenth

A weird sensation pulled me out of unconsciousness.
The searing pain in my wrist and ankle and now head and chest flooded back and it took every ounce of restraint I possessed not to swear in front of Madam Pomfrey who was currently tucking her wand into a pocket of her apron.
'Miss Evans. You were found early yesterday morning, unconscious and badly injured in the Forbidden Forest. Do you remember what happened?'
Well now I thought about it, yes, yes I did.
But it hardly seemed sane to tell her that my injuries were caused by Remus Lupin, a deer and a long fall into a disappearing room. Plus I didn't want to snitch on the person I thought I considered my friend.
'Ummm... I remember something but I really don't think it's real. It must have been a really messed up dream or something.'
'Yes?'
I sat up and realised almost too late that I was naked apart from the bed sheet. Oh god.
'Er...' I could say about the animals thing right? 'Loads of, well, not loads of but...' I didn't finish because at that moment I saw Sirius Black across the room give me a very hostile glare, clearly telling me to shut up.
'Wait. No. I can't... Now I'm trying to remember, my mind's gone blank.'
She looked at me sternly, obviously not believing me but not pushing it yet.
'Do you have any idea why you'd be in the Forbidden Forest?'
At this I crinkled my brow, feigning confusion and doubt.
'No. I'd never go in there. Unless someone took me in there... But I can't think why.'
'Well,' she sat down in a chair next to my bed,'your ankle and wrist were twisted. Thankfully they didn't break. You just had a nasty bang to your head but your fine now and it's stopped bleeding. You have some serious bruising on your upper right arm and torso that will fix itself but it looks as though it was made by some sort of hoof,' she looked sternly at me,'but the real problem is the cuts on your chest. They won't heal with potions and from what I can see they'll heal much slower than normal wounds. But all in all, whatever happened last night, you got off lucky young lady.'
'Okay.'
I was already bored of the hospital wing and I was itching to go and talk to Remus. Of course, if what I suspected was true, it was terrible but he knew he could rely on me right?
Then it dawned on me. Sirius had sent Sev off to meet A Werewolf. Yes I know I was supporting them but there's no denying they're dangerous.
'Madam Pomfrey? Can I go now?'
'You really shouldn't...'
'But I have so much homework to do and I'll get really behind...'
She glared at me.
'Okay.'
I was about to get up when I was reminded of the small matter of my, ahem, nudity.
And The Marauders were all here. No way were they going to see me naked.
'Ummm... What about my clothes?'
'Your what? Oh your clothes. Ah, well the clothes you were wearing we're just about ripped to shreds so ah... Oh, those boys are in Gryffindor, are they not? I'm sure they can get you some of your clothes.'
She turned to the four Marauders who were gathered around Remus' bed. He was looking beaten up and traumatised although not as injured as Sirius or Peter.
'Mr Potter. I think you're in best shape. Would you mind fetching Miss Evans some clothes?'
His gaze fell on me and smirked as he no doubt realised I was pretty naked.
I pulled the thin sheet tighter around me and blushed furiously but met his stare all the same.
'Okay then.'
He left the hospital wing and the others turned towards me.
'So. Evans. Pretty beat up, huh? What happened to you?'
Sirius knew. He just didn't know I knew. If that made sense.
Instead of answering Sirius I reached out for Remus' hand.
'I'm sorry Remus. Honestly I only just realised before you, er, turned up. If I'd known I swear I'd never have been near the forest.'
The three boys looked utterly bewildered. How did I find out?
'I, er, heard the howls and it got me thinking about, um, werewolves and I remembered the symptoms.'
'But Lily, why are you apologising? I almost killed you. You should hate me. I'm a- a monster. I-'
'You're not a monster.' I told him firmly and the same time as Sirius.
'I won't tell. Remus after everything you've done for me I couldn't tell if I tried. Not even Melissa.'
'Really?'
'Of course really. And I don't need any death threats.' I said, glaring at Sirius.
'I'd give you a hug but I'm slightly indecent at the moment.' I laughed.
'We don't mind.' said Sirius quickly.
'Of course you don't mind Black. But I do.'
He sighed in mock disappointment.
At that moment James burst in with my clothes.
'Thanks.' I smiled at him as he handed them to me but he ignored me. Well then.
'Right,' I said, looking from my clothes to the boys then back again, 'How am I gonna do this? Okay people, close eyes, turn backs or, better still, shoo.' I waved my hands dismissively at them and they obediently left the room.
A quickly scrambled into the clothes he'd brought me. He must have gotten a girl to get them for him but not Liss, Jody or Trish because they would have come back to see me.
Anyway I doubt that he would have brought back the modest jeans and t-shirt I had if it had been up to him.
I walked carefully out of the hospital wing because my head wasn't feeling quite right yet.
The sight of the four boys outside and my confusion as to why they'd waited for me reminded me... I was supposed to be avoiding them.
I smiled awkwardly at them and started to walk past as if they were random strangers I'd caught staring at me in the train station when Sirius (?) grabbed my arm (??) and linked his own arm through mine (???).
'Soo Lilster, Lilskydoodah, Liltissimo,' (????) he said,'how's life been for you? Haven't seen you in ages. What's new?' (?????)
Peter picked up on my utter confusion and chipped in:
'He heard from Melissa that you were depressed and avoiding people recently.'
'Oh. Right.' Melissa? Sirius? Was there...? I'd have to ask her about it. 'Yeah, well, yes. I might have been.'
I was deliberately avoiding looking at James now.
'Why? We wondered if you needed cheering up? Distracting, as it were.'
We'd reached the portrait of the fat lady by now.
Someone said the password and I climbed through into the common room.
'No... I'm fine... Wait, the tournament, who-?'
'Durmstrang won.' said James belatedly.
'But only because Beauxbatons decided to wildly attack you half way through. You were way ahead at the beginning. And you still came second.' Sirius reassured him.
'Ummm... Yeah, well I better go then...' I said, pointing towards the girls dorms.
Sirius looked like he was about to say something then thought better of it.
'Lissy...' I said gleefully when I got upstairs.
She turned with a worried look on her face.
'Lily, what happened? Are you all right? You're-'
'Fine.' I interrupted her, 'I want to know what's up with you and Black.' I grinned evilly at her.
She turned pink and was about to answer when I said,
'You were with him the other night weren't you?'
But she frowned.
'No. Only the evening. I came back around 7ish. He said he had to be somewhere.'
I sat on the bed next to her and squeezed her shoulders.
'Have you been giving away our secrets to The Marauders?'
'Lily, I was worried about you and it wasn't really a secret was it?'
I realised what she was on about and rushed to clarify myself.
'I was joking Liss. I didn't even think about that.'
She exhaled.
'Oh. Good, yeah.'
'But anyway back to the point-' just at that moment, Trish and Jody walked in.
'What point?' they chorused.
I grinned and Lissa looked exasperated in a way only a pair of friends in this situation could.
'Our Liss is seeing Sirius Black.' I grinned almost like a proud mother.
'No kidding?'
'I knew it.' they said at the sand time.
'I can't wait to see Sylvia's face.' squealed Jody.
We spent the rest of the night laughing and gushing about crushes and relationships and stories about past romantic disasters. It was the first night I'd felt like me since the Sev thing.