The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

60. Blame

May 1977

Sirius was shaking, his hands still covered in now-dry blood as he buried his head in his hands. They had all been forced out of the Hospital Wing almost the very instant they had brought her to Madam Pomfrey, leaving them now sitting outside the doors. Sirius sat between Eliana and James while Remus sat beside Eliana, leaving Peter by James. Moonlight streamed into the hall, covering them in a ghostly glow. They had been waiting for hours for some sign, some news. Anything.

James looked up in surprise as pounding footsteps reached their ears. Lily was rushing toward them, looking paler than usual.

"Ellie," she said, crouching in front of her. "Alice said- Please tell me it's not true."

Her eyes were shining with tears. Eliana said nothing, but the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks began flowing afresh. With a sympathetic sigh, Lily wrapped her arms around her, fighting back her own tears as she glanced over at the other four present. James had an arm wrapped around Sirius' shoulders, but none of them felt inclined to speak.

Finally, the door to the Hospital Wing opened as Madam Pomfrey glanced out at them, muttering, "I thought as much." Raising her voice, she said, "Since you all refuse to leave, I may as well allow you to see her."

Instantly, Eliana, Lily, and Sirius sprang to their feet, rushing after her into the room. Amara was laying on the furthermost bed, resting peacefully.

"Will she be all right?" James asked softly, watching as Eliana took one of Amara's hands into her own with Lily moving to the other side.

"She'll recover fully in time," Madam Pomfrey said sombrely. "But it won't be an easy recovery. She'll have those scars forever." Approaching Sirius, she said, "You saved her life, Mr Black."

He nodded, swallowing down the painful lump in his throat as he fixed his eyes on Amara's pale face. He wanted nothing more than to move closer to her, but he knew he had no right. Lily and Eliana were her friends. He was just an idiot who thought Amara Snape could ever grow to love him. Even so, he sat down on the bed next to hers. What he was waiting for, what any of them were really waiting for, none of them knew, but one by one, everyone got comfortable.

Eliana and Lily drew up chairs to sit by her bed while James joined Sirius to sit on the bed. Peter and Remus pulled chairs to the end of the bed. None of them spoke. They watched, they waited, until, just as they had settled, they one by one drifted off into sleep.

.

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall entered the Hospital Wing early the next morning, both looking extraordinarily grave, to find Madam Pomfrey waiting for them outside the door.

"How is she?" McGonagall asked worriedly.

"She's resting," Madam Pomfrey said. "I tried to convince her friends to leave her, but none of them agreed. They're all asleep around her bed."

"I believe we may give them a pass, just this once," Dumbledore said graciously. "Shall we see if she has woken?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded, softly opening the door. Stepping inside, Dumbledore couldn't help but smile at the sight. Lily and Eliana had fallen asleep using their arms as pillows on the bed while Peter was leaning back precariously in his chair. Remus had rested his hands against the bedframe rail and was sleeping with his forehead pressed to his hands. James had lain directly back on the bed, his legs still hanging off the side. Sirius was sitting against the wall, his head leaning against it, fast asleep.

Softly, McGonagall remarked, "You said Sirius saved her?"

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey explained. "He was able to partially heal her wounds, making them far less deep than they had been. He wasn't able to completely stop the bleeding, but it was enough to keep her alive until they were able to get her to me."

"Do we know how this happened?" Dumbledore inquired.

"I didn't think to ask," Madam Pomfrey admitted. "I was too focused on trying to save her."

"I understand, Poppy," Dumbledore replied.

He began to ask something, but before he had begun, Sirius stirred, letting out a small groan as he tried to move his neck. Gently stretching it out, he turned his head, catching sight of the three adults. He stared at them a moment before turning back toward Amara. She was still sleeping but looked far less pale and ghostly than she had before.

"Did she ever wake up?" Sirius asked, his voice gruff and lower than usual as he tried to strain a yawn.

"Not yet," Madam Pomfrey replied gently.

As he turned back to Amara, Madam Pomfrey glanced cautiously at the two professors.

McGonagall approached the group carefully, asking in a gentle voice, "Mr Black, I cannot imagine how distressing this entire ordeal has been for you, but we must know...who did this to her?"

"I don't know," Sirius said lowly. "I wish I did."

"How did you find her?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius was quiet a moment before he explained, "We were at the Three Broomsticks, me, James, Peter, and Remus. Amara was there with Ellie. Amara left for something, I'm not sure what, but after she'd left, I asked Ellie where she'd gone because there was...something James and I needed to talk to her about. She told us she was looking for a new quill or something, so we started to go to the shop." Sirius broke off, his voice breaking as he forced himself to resume, "We heard someone disapparate, but we didn't think anything of it until we heard sobbing. She was just laying there with...with blood everywhere. James went for help while I tried to stop the bleeding."

"But you have no idea who it was?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius shook his head.

"I- I think," a new voice said. Looking up, Dumbledore saw that everyone aside from James had woken up. It was Eliana who had spoken. "I think I might know who it was."

"Who?" McGonagall asked urgently.

"Well..." Eliana said helplessly, looking to Lily.

Lily, looking paler than usual, said, "Professor, I think it was Severus."