Chapter 10
‘these are for joint pain, should you need then in the days coming up to the full moon, and these,’ madam pomfrey gestured to a tall cylinder shaped vial containing a deep indigo potion that she thrust into his already full hands ‘are blood replenishment tonics, should you need them for whatever reasons. now, you’ve packed your bandages?’
he fought back a sigh, simply nodding as he shoved the rest of the vials and potions now clasped between both palms into his satchel, the glass bottles tinkering as he dumped them with little grace into the bag before him, hoping briefly none would accidentally crack on his way up to the tower. he knew the kindly nurse meant well, yet he was unable to bite back the tinge of frustration that licked at his blood, exhaustion wearing heavily upon him as he waited for the nurse to finish administrating him with medical supplies and send him on his way. he was hungry, having to miss dinner to make it to pomfrey’s office in order for his regular start of term check up in attempts to have it complete before night fell fully and allow him an hour or two with his friends sprawled in the common room before heading up for the night. that meant sacrificing time he would otherwise by spending right about now eating, and at the thought his stomach growled, protesting its lack of roast meats and undoubtedly delicious pudding he had grown to associate with the first few days back at hogwarts as each term started. he silently promised it some chocolate as soon as he escaped from the nurses clutches in a futile attempt to get it to shut up. it refused.
pomfrey smiled gently at him, clearly noticing his clear hunger pangs and worsening mood, patting his arm softly as she assured him ‘i know dear, im well aware you’d rather be with your friends in the great hall at the moment. this will only take a moment longer and you’ll be fit to go on your way. knowing those three friends of yours, im certain they’ve set aside a plate for you. now, hold still until i finish the last check up and then your all set.’
he obliged, obediently staying still as she brought her hands up to cup both of her cheeks, her warm magic brushing briefly against his skin before sinking in, warming his flesh as it slowly descended the length of him, scanning and probing. he felt another pang of hunger attempt to grumble through his stomach and gritted his teeth, attempting to keep it at bay. his attempts seemed to succeeded and he relaxed, until his stomach (the traitor) let out such an aggressive growl that he almost flinched out of the nurses touch, blushing profusely. she bit back a smile, withdrawing her hands and magic alongside them, its sudden absence leaving him feeling suddenly cold as she stepped back from where she stood before him.
‘all is in order, it seems. ive kept you here long enough, your good to go back now and enjoy your dinner. ill see you two weeks from now.’
‘thanks poppy.’ he murmured, unable to keep a small smile from creeping onto his lips despite his slightly sour mood as he looked at the kindly face before him, going to snatch up the last of his ointments and tossing it into his open bag, moving from where he stood before one of the curtained of the hospital beds towards the end of the sick bay and pushing through them, long strides eating up the distance between himself and the door to the corridor beyond until he had passed through it, turning left and making his way to the gryffindor common room. dinner was to end any moment now, and he knew that the other marauders would bring his plate to the common room where they probably assumed he was already waiting, so he didn’t even bother passing by the great hall, simply turning down an adjacent corridor and quickening his strides. he briefly wondered what pudding they had served tonight and would be eating in a couple of minutes when the rest of his friends made it to the common room he was currently nearing. he hoped it was apple crumble, or something extra sweet like treacle pudding. or something chocolate, he could really go for some chocolate cake right about now.
a shout brought him out of his pudding induced daydreams and he turned, coming face to face with mary as she hurried down the corridor after him, breaths coming fast as she neared him, cheeks slightly flushed with the accelerated pace she had to maintain to catch up to him. ‘how are your legs so bloody long.’ she grumbled as she finally reached him, tilting her head up to glare at him as if he had personally crafted his long legs just in spite of her. ‘you where practically running towards the common room just now, didn’t even hear the first time i shouted out your name.’
‘sorry.’ he retorted, bending down to kiss her cheek as she settled beside him which she accepted with a small smile, looping her arm through his own as they made their joined way to the common room, pace notably slower now that she was walking with him. ‘i missed dinner, so im pretty eager to get back and have some.’ he admitted as they turned the corner, the portrait of the fat lady coming into sight. ‘also, i was kind of in a rush to eat whatever pudding they’ve got leftover. id kill for something sweet right now.’
‘when would you not.’ she laughed, glancing up at him. ‘you come from the sick bay too? i missed dinner as well, was cooped up most the afternoon in one of the beds trying to battle my way through a massive migraine. hurt worse then a witches brew hangover before poppy’s pain potion kicked in.’
he winced sympathetically, all to aware of the feeling of one of those. ‘yeah, it was similar for me too. headache came on from nowhere, but its all but gone now. thank godric for poppy and her magical healing potions.’
she chuckled, agreeing with a ‘you can say that again.’ before pushing her way through the common room door alongside the now stream of other students as they flowed out of the great hall, bellies full and faces merry. they both entered the room, arms still linked and made their way to their couches, flopping onto the nearest one with a content sigh. everyone in the gryffindor knew that these where the marauders (and adjacent’s) couches, and where wise enough to find purchase on the other couches that littered the cozy room, fireplace roaring defiantly in the far corner, filling the red and gold decorated room with its warmth.
he turned to mary. ‘you think they’re serving apple crumble today?’
she grinned slyly in return, shrugging her shoulders and replying nonchalantly ‘i heard from one of the hufflepuffs we passed that its carrot cake on tonight’s menu.’
his expression must have portrayed how appalled he felt as she cackled, delighted with herself as he rolled his eyes, shoving her slightly as he grumbled ‘not funny macdonald.’ honestly, he had no clue what twisted mind had decided to put vegetables into a desert, and what even more twisted mind had decided to serve it here. in his humble (and correct) opinion, it should have long ago been banned from hogwarts. and from the country.
‘sorry, that was mean.’ she amended, not sounding sorry at all as she smiled back at him, very aware of this aversion to anything vegetable related entering a five mile radius of a sweet good. ‘one should never joke about deserts to a hungry remus. plus, its beetroot cake tonight anyways.’
he debated the merits of pushing her off the couch as the common room doors flung open, sirius’s loud voice greeting him before the boy himself did, followed shortly be a cackling james and peter, the girls trailing in after them. james was the first to spot the seated pair and smiling broadly, all but bounding over to them, overflowing plate in hand as he made his way towards remus. his mouth watered at the sight of roast chicken and roast spuds that covered the plate to the point of spilling off, doused in an unholy amount of gravy and topped with far too few vegetables. he sighed. just how he liked it.
‘here you are moony.’ he shoved the plate and accompanying cutlery into remus’s awaiting hands, remus wasting no time in attacking its contents with vigour, hardly taking a breath as he shovelled the food down.
‘honestly,’ mary tutted, watching his demolishment of the food before him ‘you’d swear you hadn’t eaten a thing all week by the rate your going.’
yet she attacked her plate with similar vigour as lily placed one before her, remus only taking long enough to raise a singular brow at her scoffing. she raised one back, daring him to comment. he chuckled, ready to resume his munching as he watched the last of their group enter the room, marlene and hazel barrelling through the open door, laughter spilling from their lips, blouses rumpled and grass stained, faced aglow and eyes bright.
he felt his eyes linger momentarily on the latter girl, on the flush of colour on her cheeks and the way her golden eyes seemed to glow in the firelight of the room, before catching himself and quickly brining his attention back to his dinner. the two girls made their way to the rest of the friends, still giggling slightly as they both plopped down on the couch beside his, squeezing beside lily and a now very red faced peter, the boy shooting glances towards the laughing brown haired girl pressed along side him and back at himself, subtlety attempting to flatten his hair and straighten his uniform. remus refrained from scoffing, instead finishing off his plate and picking up his bowl of pudding (apple crumble!) from where james had left it, digging in eagerly.
‘you mean you’ve never played it before?’ it was sirius, sounding aghast from where him and hazel now sat on the plush red carpet between both sofas, having moved there sometime between his demolishment of his desert, a spread out game of fiddlenocks spread before them. ‘that has to change, immediately. lupin, get over here.’
he made to complain but took one look at hazels glowing golden eyes as she looked hopefully up at him and felt the protests wilting on his tongue, unable to do anything but place his crumble down, taking care as to not spill any of the custard before settling on the floor beside the two kneeling figures, checkered board scattered between them.
‘moony here is a master at it.’ sirius confided conspiratorially, nudging him with a pointy elbow. ‘c’mon moons, show her its played.’
and so, illuminated by the flickering firelight, huddled before a patterned wooden playing board with laughter and chatter ringing around all them he did just that. by the end of the night, he had forgotten about his half eaten crumble entirely.