Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 35

If it was one thing that they all knew, they'd always be friends. They'd have fights, they'd ignore each other, and they'd make stupid mistakes, but they would always come back to each other. When you live with someone for so long, it's hard not to. Belle would never be as close to anyone as she was to these people and she would be forever grateful for it.

"You know, I'll never understand girls," Sirius commented as Belle and Eileen broke their hug with giggles. "One second Eileen is absolutely mad, sobbin' my ear off about how you two fought and that was the last thing she'd said to you before you died! The next you two are laughing and hugging like nothing happened! I can't keep up!"

"Neither can I," Belle grinned. "Now, why did I pass out?"

"Not sure. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't tell us anything."

"Hopefully it's not terrible news..." She sighed.

Belle got nervous when she got sick now, mostly because she didn't know if whatever condition her mother had contracted was genetic or not. Then she passes out? That's one of the first signs her mother had. Belle could only hope that it was something else.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Lily spoke softly, "You don't have it, Belle. I can see it in your face... your scared."

"But what if's genetic, Lily? The first sign was passing out."

"Sorry to interrupt- but what exactly are you two talking about?" James raised an eyebrow, asking the question everyone was thinking.

"My mother's sickness." Belle spoke shortly, forcing the words out of her mouth, "She started passing out a few months before she died."

It was clear on their faces that they now shared the same worried mood as Belle did, especially Remus who was having a mental breakdown in his head. He couldn't lose Belle—none of them could lose Belle.

"You don't have it..." He spoke quickly, looking Belle directly in the eyes, "You don't."

"She doesn't have what?"

Belle's eyes peered past Sirius to see the person behind the question. He looked different now than he did when she saw him in the Great Hall. His face was darker and he had red rims around his eyes.

"Aiden..." She whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see if you're okay...though, I probably should've come at a later time—you seem to have enough visitors right now. I'll come back later—"

"No- stay, please?"

"I think he should go." Sirius blurted, turning to face the blond. Aiden raised his brows at the long-haired boy, tilting his head the slightest bit, before nodding and backing away.

"I'll come back later, Belle."

She watched the boy leave with slumped shoulders and a quick step. Sirius also watched him go, his playful demeanor returning almost as quickly as it left.

"What was that?" She asked, causing the boy to flinch.

"What was what?"

"Why'd you tell him to leave?"

"Dunno, I've just never liked him. James hasn't either if you remember. His brother—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Belle stiffened her jaw, glaring at Sirius. 

He opened his mouth to retort, but a confused look crossed his face and he slowly put his hands up, surrendering. Lily let her mouth drop open the tiniest bit. It wasn't every day that Sirius Black willingly lost at a battle, especially not to one of his friends. He's retaliated every word that any of them had said for the past four years and now, suddenly, he's speechless? The red-head knew it was likely from the fact that Sirius was now dating Belle and didn't know how to react around her, but the sight was still shocking.

The group fell into an awkward silence before the sound of Madam Pomfrey's door opened and her infuriated gasp filled the silence.

"What did I tell you about only three people at a time? By heavens, do you children ever listen? If I have to tell you again, you're all going straight to the Headmaster! I'm sick of this mistreatment and rebellion! Oh—Ms. Roux, glad to see you're awake, give me one moment—out!"

Belle watched in amusement as the woman shooed the group of kids a few steps before Lily begun to negotiate.

"Please, Madam— we only want to hear what happened to Belle and why, and then all but three of us will leave, I promise."

The woman seemed to consider it for a second, glancing back and forth between Belle and the group before sighing, shaking her head.

"Ms. Roux is absolutely fine, in fact, she's quite healthy. She has, however, been diagnosed with a Defectus Sanguinis—more commonly known in the muggle world as Anemia."

"Excuse me professor, but what is Anemia?"

"Anemia is a weakness of the blood, a lack of iron in the bloodstream. It means some patients could pass out if not regulated." The woman spoke slowly, careful to word everything in a way they could understand it. "Thankfully, all Ms. Roux will have to do to control it is eat three good meals a day—no skipping them."

"That's it?" Belle breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's all. You are 'borderline', meaning you aren't critical yet. Tell me, Ms. Roux, did you eat anything last night or this morning?"

Belle scrunched her eyebrows. She didn't technically eat her egg this morning and she had skipped dinner last night to finish a paper she procrastinated on. She slowly shook her head as she came to a conclusion. "That's why I fainted? Because I didn't eat?"

"Precisely. Now, all but three out like I asked."

"I'm staying," Lily confirmed, taking her previous seat next to Belle's left.

"So am I," Eileen smiled, taking a seat next to Lily on Belle's bed. "I'm still quite shaken from earlier."

They watched the group with curious eyes as the last seat became available. At the same time, Remus and Sirius both moved towards Belle's right but stopped once they realized they weren't the only one. For many seconds the two stared at each other, almost challenging one another before Remus bowed his head and cast Belle a shy smile.

"Feel better, Belle." Was all he said before leaving, James, Peter, and Rose following him with confused but apologetic gazes. As Sirius took the seat to her right, Belle began to feel something in the pit of her stomach. A churning, nauseated feeling.

She didn't want Remus to leave.