Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Twenty-Five- A Black Christmas

"Remus. Open up or I will, kid."

Why, oh why had he gained Patricia's attention? Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

He wanted to tell her to go away. At the same time, he was nervous that if he opened his mouth that he'd throw up again. He tried to get to the door but the room spun and instead. Remus lost his fight with gravity and fell hard to the ground.

"What the hell?" he heard Patricia exclaim as she opened the door. Her irritated tone had turned into one of deep concern. He felt her flip him over but his eyes kept rolling back into his head and he couldn't seem to focus on her face.

"Oh my gosh, Remus! Remus! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Her icy hand found its way to his forehead and she swore in response, though he couldn't understand why. He wanted to assure her this was, more or less, normal and that he found her concern funny. But his mouth felt fuzzy and his tongue too heavy to lift. She scooped him up in her arms and was shouting for a professor or something but she sounded really far away...

"Ms. Rakepike, what is the meaning of all the yelling and running through the halls? OH MY! Albus!" Professor McGonagall had finally realized what Patricia was carrying and stopped, her hand going to her heart in fright. She seemed far away and hazy but there was no mistaking his head of house's familiar posture.

Remus, who was desperately trying to keep his eyes open, saw the headmaster who appeared out of nowhere and the dizzying effects of this made him close his eyes once more. He felt extremely heavy which wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. In the haze of the fever, he switched between paranoia at being in someone's arms and a level of peace feeling he was back with his mother who was soothing him. He struggled to stay conscious to remind himself where he was and what was actually happening but he could feel the familiar haze enclosing around him.

"Minerva, you called? Ah, I see. Ms. Rakepike, I will take him to the hospital ward, thank you. Minerva, if you could go let Poppy know and get her from the Great Hall. Ms. Rakepike, I understand you are worried but the matron will take care of him. Please try to go back to the feast and enjoy yourself, the wizard crackers are especially exquisite this year."

Remus felt he was handed to Dumbledore whose grip was calming and seemed to make him feel marginally better.

"Alright, Headmaster. Let him know I'll be by later to check on him, ok?"

"I will."

Then he felt himself moving, gliding along with the air, floating even. It took him a while to realize he actually wasn't, that Dumbledore was moving and he was in his arms. Then everything got even hazier and he was pulled deep into unconsciousness.

.................................................

Sirius was not enjoying his break!

Oh, he was staying out of his mother's way alright, and he quite enjoyed getting to hang out with Regulus. But overall, the whole thing was dreadfully boring. He had to sit through the wedding on the 24th. Practically as soon as he got home he was stuffed in a suit and off they went. It was a stuffy wedding and boring as the distant relatives getting married.

Yes, both relatives and both getting married to each other. Sirius found it disgusting! After all, he'd rather die than marry any of his cousins, and that included Drommie, though he quite liked her. Christmas, as usual, was spent at his aunt's house. This time, only Drommie spoke to him.

It seemed the Blacks had decided ignoring his presence was the best way to treat a blood-traitor, the word his mother had "kindly" called him upon seeing him.