Chapter 4
Remus left the room feeling ashamed. He'd barely been here a day and he'd already managed to fuck things up.
Even if Lily was a little too chatty for his taste, she was still nice.
She was just excited to have someone to talk to.
"Well, Remus I see you've found common room A." The kind nurse said as the door closed behind them. "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation dear, but it's custom for you to get a tour of the hospital on your first day."
"Don't worry about it," Remus said. Knowing the conversation had become uncomfortable anyway.
"This will only take a few minutes anyway." She smiled.
She walked him further down the corridor stopping at the end. "I was thinking we could start with the gardens, everyone is out there at the moment it'll give you a nice feel of what life's like here. I know it's scary but we do have fun here. We try to provide as many activities as possible so that you can still experience life while you're recovering. "
She pulled a key from her belt and opened the large door leading him onto a grand staircase balcony. The railings were marble and intricately carved. Stone pillars held up the archways of the high ceiling and a brown carpet lined the floor.
Remus walked out with Matron Pomfrey and peered down the steps seeing the deep spiral that cascaded down to the ground floor.
Remus took a deep breath in realising how grand the hospital truly was and
how this vastness made it feel empty.
They walked down the stairs with Matron Pomfrey pointing at the doors on each level.
"This floor is where the canteen is and where the group therapies and private sessions are held"
They walked down the stairs to the next floor with Remus nodding and humming in response to make it seem like he was listening to the information she was telling him.
"This here is the medical floor, it's like our own hospital ward. It's only used when necessary but we have a doctor on call 24/7 for those emergencies. Detox treatments also take place here.
She continued walking down towards the ground level. Remus looked at the door to the medical ward frowning and thinking of the hospital where he woke up only this morning.
"Come along dear," She called up to him.
Remus shook his head trying to clear it and continued down the stairs after the nurse. As she told him that the hospital's school was located on the ground floor.
The ground floor was more decorated than any of the others. Old paintings in rusted gold frames hung on the walls along with 4 large portraits.
The first painting depicted a beautiful woman. Her features were angular with high cheekbones and a straight nose. Raven curls cascaded around her shoulder neatly and a small ornate silver hair piece was pinned on her head. She wore a blue gown in a 19th-century style though it was not overly decadent. It was off the shoulder and had short sleeves. Her hands rested gracefully on her lap holding a book and covered by long white gloves.
Beneath her was Plaque.
"Lady Rowena Ravenclaw"
The next picture was of a slightly older man. His beard was grey and pointed. His cold green eyes stared directly out at Remus. He wore a dark olive overcoat, a black shirt, and a stern withering expression. His plaque read " Dr. Salazar Slytherin."
The third painting was of a plump woman. She had soft features and a pleasant expression. Two loose braids draped her shoulders and she wore a frilly yellow Victorian-style gown with puffed sleeves.
Underneath her portrait, a plaque was engraved " Lady Helga Hufflepuff. "
The last painting was of a large hearty-looking man. His eyes were bright and lively. His red curls of hair were longer than what was fashionable at the time. His beard was curly and rounded. His broad frame was covered by a crimson jacket embellished with gold embroidery. His shirt was puffed and exaggerated his size.
His plaque read "Duke Godric Gryffindor."
Remus studied the portion as Matron Pomfrey stood quietly beside him allowing him to do so.
Eventually, Remus turned to her.
"Matron, who are these people."
"These are the founders of the Hospital dear, the very first hospital of its kind. These portraits." She gestured at the paintings. "Are placed in order of each founder's contribution. Lady Ravenclaw donated funds for the school here, she also donated the library and sourced many of the original teachers. Dr Slytherin donated to the hospital Ward and conducted much of his own research here. Lady Hufflepuff donated treatment rooms and the canteen she was also said to have hosted annual feasts at the hospital. And finally, there is Duke Gryffindor. Not only did he organize the accommodation rooms and recreational areas, but he donated his own family castle as the grounds for this institute in 1817" She said confidently as if she'd had it rehearsed.
Remus nodded. "So by of its kind you mean the first insane asylum right."
He said a little more sharply than he'd intended.
Pomfrey frowned slightly. The expression didn't come naturally to her.
She shook her head. "No, actually the first Asylum was set up in 1247 in England. But this hospital was the first asylum dedicated to the recovery of patients."
"Oh, right." Remus nodded awkwardly,
Wasn't that technically what every asylum did?
Matron Pomfrey nodded satisfied and turned to unlock the large door that led outside.
Remus silently followed her onto the cobblestone path lined with flowery shrubs on either side.
The garden was beautifully landscaped and far prettier than Remus had expected.
They walked towards the fountain where a blonde couple sat talking.
The boy was tall nearly as tall as Remus and had whitish hair that was down to his chin.
He was wearing a flowy blouse that was laced with brown string at the collar. He was admittedly quite handsome.
The blonde girl who was lying on his lap sat up. Her hair fell to the ledge they were sitting on.
She had flowers braided into her pale golden locks. The colors of the flowers matched her flowing hippy dress.
The pair looked like they had come straight from a nomad commune.
The girl's large blue eyes lit up as she saw the pair approach.
"Hello, Poppy." She chirped smiling at the nurse next to Remus.
The Matron nodded back smiling.
"Hello Pandora, Xenophelious. I expect you two are minding ward rules." She said pointedly stifling her smile.
"Yes of course sorry matron." The boy said quickly. "Panda-Pandora just-" He started nervously.
"I just hadn't any sunglasses on so I was lying on Xeno's lap and using his head for shade!" The girl finished confidently as if this was a completely reasonable explanation.
The nurse smiled at the girl as though she was used to such behavior.
"Very well Pandora. Just remember to bring shades next time."
"Follow me, Remus." Pmomfrey turned past the fountain. " I'll show you the rest of the grounds."
The pair waved at him friendly as he turned to follow his guide.
He strode to match the matron's pace.
"Do you like sports,Remus?"
Remus hated sports he was always last picked for anything at school. People assumed he'd be fast in football because of his long legs, but what he had in size he lacked in coordination.
"Not really." He shrugged
"Well that's a pity, we have a lovely sports court here," She clicked her tongue slightly disappointed.
"Would you like to see it anyway, "
He didn't care one way or an other but the Matron was nice and he didn't want to be rude.
"Um, sure." She said unphased.
" Wonderful." She said continuing to walk through the grounds of the garden. They approached a large wooded area and he followed on.
"Lovely isn't it." Pomfrey sighed wistfully.
Remus took a breath in staring at the high Oak trees that surrounded them in a seemingly endless path.
"Do you like school Remus?" She asked making conversation as they went along.
"Yeah, I suppose so. " He said dryly.
"That's wonderful, we've a great school here. What's your favorite subject Dear?"
"English I mean I kinda like writing and stuff though I'm not really great at it."
"Nonsense I'm sure you write beautifully." She said kindly.
"Do you have many friends at school?"
"Not really," that just sounded sad he thought. "I mean I've one mate."
You would if you hadn't fucked that up too.
The mean voice in his head taunted.
"Oh that's nice, one good friend is all you really need." She said "I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends here regardless. "
They were nearing the clearing of the small forest now.
"Nearly here now," Pomfrey said happily.
Remus didn't respond and let silence fall over them as they left the trees.
He could see the rest of the gardens now.
Just as well kept as the grounds by the fountain.
There was a bug glass greenhouse in the furthest corner and several benches and flower patches scattered around the vast garden.
Pomfrey was right about the pitch, at the center of the end was a large football pitch. They seemed to be interrupting a rather tense match.
"Start running faster Black or I'll kick your skinny arse into the net instead of the ball you're too slow to catch."
A small blonde girl hollered from one of the nets. She looked a bit like the punks Remus had seen around London with her ear piercings and short shaggy hair.
"It's not my fault Potter's a bloody maniac. No need to be mean to me about it."
The boy yelled back short of breath as he ran after a dark-skinned boy in glasses who was kicking the ball toward the blonde's net.
The boy with glasses kicked the ball at the punk girl's net and she just missed the shot by a millisecond as she leaped for the ball and it slid under her grasp into the next.
Remus watched bemused.
"God fucking dammit Black." The girl cried as the boy with glasses pumped his fist in the air triumphantly.
"Language Ms Mckinnon." Pomfrey chided the girl when she and Remus stepped onto the pitch.
"Sorry Matron." The girl said not realizing till now that they were being watched.
All three teenagers turned promptly towards Matron Pomfrey and looked at Remus.
He felt uncomfortable immediately and shuffled looking down at his feet.
He mustered a weak "Heya." Not meeting any of their eyes.
Matron Pomfrey quickly jumped in to introduce him.
"Everyone this is Remus, he's just arrived here today."
They all looked at him inspectingly.
The first to speak was the messy-haired boy with glasses.
His dark curls stuck to the sweat on his forehead, glasses unevenly tilted on his nose.
He stuck out a clammy hand beaming.
"H-H-Hell-lo I'm Ja-Mes." He stuttered smiling. He didn't seem nervous at all yet he still tripped over his words.
Remus took his sweaty hand and shook it offering him a mild smile.
"Hey." He nodded, shaking his hand.
"I'm Marlene." The girl with shaggy hair smiled genuinely. She was far less tough than she had originally seemed and she was almost a little shy with her introduction.
The last boy looked at him suspiciously through his gray eyes, acting like he was trying to sus him out.
The boy was startlingly handsome or rather pretty? He had sculpted aristocratic features and a sharp square jaw with dives for cheek bones. He was slender but not scrawny remus could see the toned muscles in his arm as he offered it for a handshake.
It wasn't clammy like the other boy's had been and he held his hand in a confident cool manner.
"Sirius." He said his expression relaxed and nonchalant like he didn't care about the interaction at all.
Remus felt hot suddenly as if he could feel the judgment in the boy's cool stare.
Sirius lifted his head and gestured to the other net across the pitch. Shaking his long dark raven curls as he did so.
"That's Frank." He nodded at a man in the net.
Remus struggled for something to say.
"Cool shirt." He said in a desperate attempt to not look like an idiot.
Sirius was wearing a black band shirt with the sleeves torn off and a picture of Thin Lizzy on it.
He looked up at Remus and cocked an eyebrow smirking ever so slightly.
"Thanks." He nodded.
He let go of Remus's hand after what felt like an eternity but was realistically about 6 seconds.