Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Bloody Tears

*

Remus dragged through his morning classes, feeling a little glad he didn't need to go to Defense. It let out before sunset, but only by a little over an hour which was too close for Pomfrey's liking. So after lunch he told his friends he couldn't wait any longer; he was simply too worried about his mother, and he was going to go home for a few days. They all wished his mother a speedy recovery and he thanked them before going up to his dorm, changing into regular clothes as well as making sure his bag was devoid of any school related stuff.

He was in the house a good three hours before the sun set and spent the time reading. When sunset came he put all his things away in the wardrobe upstairs then sat in the living room with a sheet wrapped around his body, waiting. Fearing it would be bad, not knowing just how bad.

In the morning when his body returned to the small human form, he found the sheet ripped into unrecognizable rags, all soaked in blood. He just lay on the floor, staring at the lumpy wet fabric with rather foggy eyesight, trying to get the will to get cleaned up before Pomfrey arrived, trying to figure out why he couldn't see well; it was like he couldn't even see out of his left eye which was sending waves of pain crashing into his head. His entire body hurt but the pain in his face seemed to be the most vibrant.

He went in and out of consciousness as he struggled to pull his body along the floor, leaving streaks of blood behind. He only made it a couple feet--weaker than ever--before Pomfrey came through. Like always, he did his best to hide his nakedness, and as always she ignored his feeble protests as she cleaned him off and put bandages on his extensive wounds. Everything kept going black and sharp whenever she touched him. He wanted to scream. Just endlessly scream until his throat was raw however he mostly remained quiet except for the occasional grunt.

His left ankle had been chewed through so much you could see bone splintering out, making his foot was useless. Pomfrey wrapped multiple bandages around his ankle, being very careful not to jolt him too much. Then she summoned a stretcher, her face like stone.

"N--no, it's t-too obvious," he whimpered as she picked him up and set him on the cool fabric, the whiteness staining immediately.

"You can't put weight on your foot." Her voice was as stony as her face. Remus wondered if he had angered her with all the blood.

"B--but I can--hop on my other..." He couldn't even finish the sentence from how much he hurt. Pomfrey put bandages all over his battered body. He had some on his ribs, one around his right forearm, and several where he had gouged out deep scratches along his face which was possibly the worst wound on him today. It was difficult to say where the deep gouge going from forehead to cheek was worse than his chewed foot or not, as his wolf claws had ripped right into his own eye. Pomfrey had tried not to gasp at the sight of his mangled eye, as he didn't seem aware of how bad it was. She carefully placed an eye patch there, glad he didn't ask why.

Then he faded into black, the pain finally sucking him into oblivion.

*

Remus wasn't very healed up by the time he had to go back to the house. Winter months meant less daylight, less time for healing. His left foot and left eye were still useless as Pomfrey helped him across the grounds to the tunnel. He couldn't walk on his own so she had to take him all the way to the house. She expressed her displeasure at leaving him there alone and he just shrugged his thin shoulders.

"Nothing else th-that you c-can do," he said. "'Cept leave me here during the day."

Pomfrey glowered. "No," she said sharply. She helped him onto the couch and then just stared at this small, hurt boy, feeling tears threatening to trickle out. She was used to seeing injuries and illness, wild magical accidents that could turn even the steeliest of stomachs, but this was on the verge of too much for her. Before she knew what she was doing, she bent down, gently brushing some of Remus's hair back, tucking it behind his ear. His right eye looked up at her in bewilderment, his left one still behind a patch. When Pomfrey had checked it before they left, the sight of his half-formed, still-healing eyeball nearly made her sick, yet he hardly complained, only a few whimpers of pain belaying what was happening under his bandages.