build me up buttercup [s.black]

[41] Relief

Sirius awoke suddenly and lay in his hospital bed, staring at the white hangings around him. Daylight was creeping in under the thick curtains and as he lay there he cursed himself. How could he have been so careless? How could he have put Aisling in such a dangerous position last night? Especially given the circumstances.

Sirius didn't know what effects an unforgivable curse had on an unborn baby, but he couldn't imagine that they were good. He propped himself up a bit and rested his face in his hands, massaging his temples. When James had told him he might be about to become a father, he hadn't known what to think. He had never imagined that he might have children; truthfully, he didn't think he would be very good at the whole parenting thing. He hardly had the best role models.

But whatever his stance on the situation, he knew that right now it was Aisling who needed looking after. He sighed, all he had been able to hear in the hours since the ambush was her scream when that curse had hit her. All he had been able to see was her body, crumpled up on the ground at the feet of his cousin.

His hangings were suddenly pulled open to reveal Madam Pomfrey.

"Here you go." She said curtly. "More potion for the pain in your arm."

"My arm is fine." He mumbled. "How's Aisling?"

"Miss McCawley is okay." She said, her features softening. "Though she will have some scarring. I don't know what curse it was that cut her so badly, but it was very dark magic. And the Cruciatus curse can cause tremors and involuntary muscle spasming, which could last for a few weeks. How long did you say she was Crucio'd for?"

"About two minutes." Sirius said quietly, feeling suddenly queasy.

"Hmm, yes. The tremors are likely to be quite severe for the first few days then. It's probably best if I keep her in here." The Matron tutted.

"I forgot to mention it to you last night." Sirius lowered his voice slightly. "But be careful what remedies you use on her. She might be pregnant."

Not even a second later, the curtains surrounding the bed opposite Sirius's snapped open. Aisling was leaning against her bed, looking shocked.

"How do you know that?" She asked, her eyes wide. "I told Lily not to tell anyone!"

"I though you were asleep." Sirius replied, not knowing what else to say.

She stood awkwardly for a few seconds, refusing to meet his eye. She was painfully aware of Madam Pomfrey, who was pretending to busy herself with something on Sirius's nightstand.

"Well," she said, still looking at the ground. "What do you think?"

Sirius was silent for a minute, trying to think of how to respond. But Aisling seemed to take his silence as an answer on its own.

"Right." She said, her voice cool. "Got it."

She stormed out of the hospital wing, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's shouts behind her.

She walked through the corridors, trying to ignore the pain which still throbbed in her side. Worse than the pain in her side though, was the heavy feeling in her stomach. She didn't know what she had expected Sirius' reaction to be, but at the very least she had expected him to say something.

She suddenly became very aware that the students passing her were all staring at her. She wasn't surprised, she must have looked insane; she was only wearing pyjamas and socks. She ducked into a bathroom on the fourth floor and leant over a sink. She was starting to feel very dizzy, and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. It was only when she looked up and caught sight of herself in the mirror that she realised why people had been staring. Pyjamas were the least of her worries. Her face and neck were covered in cuts and scratches, they must have been from all the thorns she had run through last night. Her hair was even wilder than usual, with the odd leaf and twig stuck in it.