Life Of The Maurauders: 1

Remus, Are You Okay?

"Bloody hell."

James looked up from his breakfast to see Sirius, who had just arrived in the Great Hall, staring at the breakfast trays.

"Thif if sho guh!" Peter groaned, stuffing more food into his mouth. "Sirius, we hafed you a plah."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You guys what me a what?" 

"Saved you a plate," Peter repeated as he gulped down his food.

"Gee thanks." Sirius said morosely, and plonked himself onto the bench, wincing as the bench hit between his legs.

"What's wrong?" James whispered to Sirius.

Sirius gave him a pained expression and shoved a letter into James' hand.

"Gotta use the toilet." James announced, and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Me too." Sirius blurted, and rushed off behind James.

"D'you think there's something they aren't telling us?" Peter asked Remus.

Remus was rubbing his temples, and he looked pale.

"Remus?" Peter said tentatively. "Remus, are you okay? Remus?" He gently shook Remus' arm.

This last action snapped Remus out of it.

"Huh? Oh. Well, I'm sure Sirius and James will open up to us when they want to." Remus replied wearily.

"Remus, are you okay?" a voice asked. Bilius and Arthur Weasley had plunked themselves in front of the two boys.

"Yeah, fine, why? What have you heard?" Remus flew into a sudden panic.

"Shush, Remus! We haven't heard anything - you just look sick, is all." Bilius chuckled, though he sounded very tired himself.

"What's up with you?" Peter quickly snuck into the conversation, wanting to be included.

Bilius looked over. "Just been helping Arthur through a rough spot."

"You okay, Arthur?" Remus asked.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine. It's - it's Molly." His voice cracked slightly. "Stupid Slytherins - they charmed her Potions book to grow fangs and bite her, and it gave her a nasty bite when she picked it up to pack for classes this morning, I heard. Her friend told me. I rushed to Pomfrey, and she said Molly's been taken to St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's? The bite's that serious then?" Remus asked.

"It depends which ward, I guess. No one's gotten back to me. Her friends all seem to know something but they won't tell me." Arthur replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Why don't you write to her?" Peter said. "Then she'll know you miss her and maybe she'll write back and tell you how she is."

"Good idea, Pete." Arthur said, suddenly sounding a lot brighter at Peter's suggestion.

Peter glowed with pride.

***

Sirius,

Don't come home for the summer.

-Walburga Black
The Noble House of Black

James crumpled up the parchment in his hands. "Incendio!" he said fiercely, using a spell his father had taught him once, and gotten scolded by Dora Potter for. The parchment was instantly thrown into flames. "Aquamenti." he muttered, putting out the fire. He threw the ashes into a bin nearby.