"Wait? What!" Honey shrieked, tears of joy springing to her ears.
"Is everything okay? Is everyone okay? Nobody's dead, right?" James asked, rushing to her side.
"Molly's pregnant!" She cried happily, hugging him tightly, jumping up and down.
"Oh, that's great!" Peter said, joining them.
"Since when?" Lily said eagerly.
"She just sent me the letter, and I'll be seeing her over Christmas break. So, then I'll be knowing. I'm good at this whole... medical thing on women. And sewing wounds, also cleaning them. Remmie knows this, doesn't he?" Honey said, sitting back down.
"Indeed. I have the scars to prove it, too," Remus agreed, pulling up his shirt to show them his stomach scars.
"You're welcome, sweetie. Anyone else?" Honey said, kicking her feet up confidently.
"I have one on my knee," James agreed, showing them his right knee.
"My ankle," Peter displayed.
"My, uh, what do you call this?" Sirius said, pointing at his inner elbow.
"Cubital fossa, chelidon, elbow pit, need I continue?" Honey said, flipping through a muggle psychology textbook with a bored expression.
"Thank you, and I've got one where she said," He agreed.
"Oh! I have one on my hip. But, I'm not showing it..." Lily said, holding her hand over her left hip.
"I also have one, but it's on the back of my neck," Alice said.
"How do you guys get hurt so often?" Lily asked.
"I'm a werewolf," Remus said, excusing himself before looking around in anticipation.
"She pushed me," James defended.
"I fell down the stairs," Peter said.
"I- uh..." Sirius scratched the back of his neck. "I may have fallen off the bed when she kicked me. It wasn't on purpose. Plus, it was mostly my fault."
"No, I kicked you! It's my fault, Star," Honey said, looking up for a moment before turning her attention back to the textbook. "Lily? Care to tell this... entertaining story?"
"Right well, I was taking a shower and slipped. My hip missed the tap, but I hit my hand. So, I got out of the shower and put on my clothing. However, I tripped and fell, hitting my hip on the door's lock," Lily said, her face turning pink.
"Honey, do you ever sew up your cuts?" Peter asked.
"Can't, I'm good with other people's blood, but not my own. Also, I don't like needles, so I just use butterfly bandages," Honey said, already becoming nauseous from the thought.
"Alright," Sirius said, standing from his chair.
"Nope," Honey said dashing up to his washroom.
"Shit," James, Sirius, and Lily said together.
Sirius dashed after her, James trailing right behind him. They found her throwing up in the toilet, her hair starting to fall into her face. Sirius quickly pulled back her hair, kneeling beside her.
"Thanks," She said, taking a sip of water from the cup that James offered her.
"What's up?" James asked.
"I'm just sick," She shrugged.
"Well, we all know that you're not pregnant," James said with a sly smirk.
"James!" Honey shrieked, pushing him away.
But, her push only made him stumble a bit instead of knocking him over. She rolled her eyes as she blushed furiously.
"I'm just feeling awful. My stomach is almost angry, and-" She was cut off by having to cover her mouth with her hand.
"Alright, here," Sirius said, tying her hair back with one of the hair bands on his wrist. "Want us to stay? Need Madam Pomfrey? Should we leave?"
"I need Madam Pomfrey. Now, James!" She snapped.
"I'm going! I'm going!" James called, sprinting down to the hospital wing.
"Are you okay? Tell me the truth," Sirius said, rubbing her back in comforting circles.
"Nope, I haven't been feeling okay for days. I- Star, I'm so anxious that I'm physically sick," She shook her head.
"Why are you so anxious?" He asked.
"Everyone around me dies. They all kinda just... poof. Get lost. Die. Bam, they're gone," Honey said, tears forming in her eyes. "And I can't- I won't- deal with that again. I can't have any more people I love dying on me. Star, I love you and I can't have you dying."
"Aw, I love me too," Sirius said making Honey snort.
"Star! I'm not kidding!" She said.
"I know, baby. I won't die on you. I promise," Sirius said.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," She murmured, a tear tracing her cheek.
"Miss Goldman, are you alright dear?" Professor McGonagall said, being followed by James and Madam Pomfrey.
She promptly threw up, proving her point.
"You just need to lay down. I have a potion here for you, it should calm your stomach a little. Is something else wrong? I know how much you enjoy your time in the hospital wing," Madam Pomfrey joked, handing her a potion.
"Thank you," Honey laughed, taking the small bottle from the nurse's hands.
However, her hands were shaking so violently that she nearly dropped the vial. Sirius shook his head, steadying her hands with his.
"Merlin's beard, Bee! Here, let me," Sirius said, lifting the vial to her lips.
She gulped down the potion with his help but shuddered with disgust. She coughed violently causing Madam Pomfrey to hand her a cup of water.
"Thank you," Honey said, her eyes slipping closed with exhaustion.
"Mr. Potter, can you get Miss Evans or Miss Mckinnon to help Miss Goldman to her bed? She needs lots of rest. Now?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"With all due respect, Professor, she can't go back. She's been sleeping in here for the past week. So, could she stay?" Sirus said, fumbling on his words, avoiding eye contact.
"Well, it is easier. Madam Pomfrey will stay up here to keep watch," McGonagall agreed grudgingly.
"But, Minerva-!" Madam Pomfrey started.
"Poppy, there are no other people in the Hospital Wing, and if by some miraculous feat some students do turn up in the middle of the night, I will send for you," McGonagall said kindly, offering a rare smile.
"Yes, Minerva," Madam Pomfrey sighed.
"I can walk!" Honey protested as James tried to help her up.
She got to her knees, using the sink to pull herself up. Stars danced in front of her eyes as she began to fall.
"I can't walk!" Honey said as James caught her.
"I told you so," James muttered, causing her to elbow him in the ribs gently.
"Miss Goldman and Mr. Potter! Quit with your little family games, and get her to sleep!" Madam Pomfrey cried, putting a bottle of water on the nightstand next to Sirius's bed. "First she needs some pyjamas. Anyone have any for her?"
"I can change myself!" Honey snapped. "Just put me in the bathtub."
"Why the tub?" Sirius asked, obliging.
"In case I throw up or pass out again," She shrugged, pulling off her t-shirt. "Turn around will you?"
Sirius complied, tossing her the over-large shirt that lay on the floor next to his feet.
"Are you feeling any better?" He asked.
"Yeah, I don't feel sick anymore. I'm still really anxious," She said, shaking her hair back. "Toss me the shorts beside your feet?"
He picked up a small pair of black biker shorts, throwing them behind his shoulder.
"Thanks," She said, the smile obvious in her voice.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Sirius asked.
"I- Star, I don't know. I don't think there is. I just can't with life right now," Honey said, her voice fading to a whisper.
"Please, please, please, don't give up. If you gave up, so would I. There are loads of people who need us, okay? If you want I can find you a therapist. Or we could go to Saint Mungos. McGonagall would let us, she has a soft spot for you," Sirius said, rambling a bit.
"Star, it's okay," Honey chuckled. "But, uhm, can you please take me to bed? I'm tired."
Sirius turned around and scooped her out of the tub. She smiled sadly at her best friend and boyfriend, stroking his jaw with one of her hands. He laid her down on his bed, covering her with the sheets before sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Tell me a story," Honey murmured sleepily.
"I don't know any," Sirius confessed.
"Tell me a funny story about your childhood. Something I don't already know." Honey said softly, a smile etching across her face.
"I was, like, five, and I was running around with Reggie. We ran into the kitchen and met some of the house-elves. They gave us one sugar cube each before telling us to run off. So we did," Sirius smirked, braiding Honey's long blonde hair. "But, we went back for more sugar at least twice after that. One time we each stole a powdered doughnut. One of the elves, Edna, found us in the sitting room with powdered sugar and raspberry jam all over our faces."
He stopped talking when he saw that the braid was finished and her breathing had slowed. He tied off the end with one of her hair ties that lie around his wrist. He couldn't help but notice how her face glimmered in the candlelight, and how she wore a slight smile. A storm of butterflies rose in his stomach as he scooted down to lay next to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"G'morning," Sirius murmured to Honey who was already awake.
"Morning, sleepy," She smiled, ruffling his hair playfully.
"You haven't been awake long, I take it?" He said, caressing the pillow creases on her left cheek.
"Only about five minutes," Honey said with a smile.
"That's good," Sirius returned her smile. "What time is it?"
"Noon, and it's about time you woke up," Honey said sarcastically.
"Oh yeah? Is it really?" Sirius said, noticing that Madam Pomfrey was gone.
"It is," She replied matter-of-factly.
He struck out his hand and tickled her. She laughed, leaping over Sirius to the other side of the bed. But he was faster. He caught her in mid-air, trapping her under one arm.
"Alright! You win!" She cried through giggles.
"Fine!" Sirius sighed, letting her up.
"I'm going down to lunch after I get dressed. Are you going down? I mean, you're still in your clothing from yesterday," Honey pointed out, taking some of her clothing out of one of Sirius's drawers.
"I'll just wait for you," He said, sitting up and stretching.
"Okay," Honey said, changing quickly.
"Wait, you didn't even tell me to look away," Sirius frowned.
"Well, you were gonna see my body one day," Honey rolled her eyes as she pulled her plait from the back of her t-shirt. "Also, I'm not even naked. Never was. I'm still wearing my bra, dummy."
"I am aware of that," Sirius returned her eye roll.
"Obviously. Let's go," She said, grabbing her cardigan from the bed.
"I'm hungry," Sirius grumbled.
"Well, no shit! We're going to go eat lunch, I sure as hell hope you are," Honey said, hopping down the stairs in her usual bubbly manner.
"Calm down, crabby," Sirius said, jumping after her.
"Good morning," Lily, Alice, Peter, James and Remus chorused in sing-song voices from the sofas.
"Good morning, creeps," Honey said with a smile.
"Hullo, you lot," Sirius said, blushing.
"Thanks for taking care of my sister. I hope you didn't take care of too much of her," James said with a smirk.
"JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER!" Honey cried, her face going red from her chin to the tips of her ears.
"Prongsie, are you jealous?" Remus said, smirking at the blushing couple.
"Of him potentially-" James began, only to be cut off by Honey.
"James Fleamont Potter, don't you dare complete that sentence," Her voice a sort of deadly, chilling calm.
"Or what?" He shot.
"Or it won't only be that book that was set on fire," She said with a satisfactory smile when he paled. "Anyone else up for lunch?"
"I'm coming," Lily said.
"Me too," Remus agreed.
"I already ate," James shrugged.
"No thank you," Peter said, a dreamy look on his face.
"I've got a date," Alice said, excusing herself to go find Frank.
"See you Prongs, Wormie," Honey said sweetly.
However, as she walked away she lifted up her hand, flipping James off. The entire room gasped and began whispering.
"Damn, that felt good," Honey said, leading the way to the great hall.