Chapter 6
After a few more minutes of Peter's awkward silence and Sybills pointed stares, Matron Pomfrey returned to rescue Remus.
"Thank you for having us Alice I'll see you at dinner. Remus and I are going to finish our tour."
With that, she guided him back out of the greenhouse.
"Come on dear I'll show you the art room and you can wash up for tea."
"Right sounds good," Remus muttered shuffling along awkwardly.
"Are you interested in art at all dear?" The nurse asked kindly.
Remus found he never had much talent for art in school. Sometimes he'd help his younger sister to colour but that was the extent of his abilities.
"Not particularly Mrs" He said staring at the dirt of his boots as they trudged back to the castle.
"Well, you might find you like it here. We do a lot of art in therapies we find it can be quite healing for our patients. " She smiled at Remus indicating that it wasn't optional.
They entered the grand hallway again passing the 4 regal portraits.
They went up the stairs to the wing of the castle that was donated by Helga Hufflepuff.
"Here we are," Madam Pomfrey smiled at Remus. She fumbled with her large ring of keys before opening the door to a bright hallway.
The halls were plastered with a soft mustard wallpaper, that had flowers and birds painted on it.
It was rather comforting Remus had to admit.
The hall was long and stretched out towards a large open room with soft plush couches, chess tables and a huge hearth fireplace that Remus could just about make out from where they were standing.
Promfrey looked at the door to their left and knocked a moment before opening it.
The brass plaque read "Occupational therapy room"
"Like I said dear most patients are outside at the moment enjoying the fresh air."
The room was surprisingly large. It had several foam mats and a fabric swing that was attached to the ceiling. In the corner there was a stack of rubber yoga balls. There were rock climbing stones nailed to the walls and Remus even spotted a small trampoline.
"What is this room?" He asked confused. This equipment looked anything but medica. Nothing like he had expected.
"This is the occupational therapy room , it's quite an advanced form of therapy but research shows that movement can help with many type of physiological conditions."
"This is a therapy room?" He reiterated still not convinced.
Pomfrey nodded and hummed. "Yes dear one type anyways."
She stepped back and opened the door for them to go back into the hall.
"If you like that maybe I can take you up after tea." She smiled, like he was a 6 year old who couldn’t wait to bounce on the trampoline.
"In here is our largest art room ," she gestured to the door on the opposite side of the hall. ",It's where most of our group art therapy sessions take place."
She opened the door without knocking.
She seemed equally as suprised as Remus was to find someone in there.
A small boy sat by the window painting.
He had the same raven hair as the boy they'd met outside only his was cut shorter and far neater.
The boy wasn't as striking handsome as Sirius either, but still had the same regal features. Only the boys were sharper and sunken. He was paler, with hollow cheeks and deep sallow eye bags. His alarmingly thin hand held a paintbrush and he halted his diligent work when they entered.
"Regulus dear you really shouldn't be in here unsupervised." Pomfrey said tightly.
The boy didn't look away from his canvas. He examined his work frowning for a minute before responding.
"Caradoc let me in, he said it was fine he's just down the hall."
Pomfrey nodded seemingly still bothered by the situation.
"Well dear I'm giving a tour to Remus at the moment and I wanted to show him the art room."
Regulus didn't respond still examining his work.
"We'll be out of your hair in just a minute but I'll come back to bring you to tea."
The boy scowled at the mention of supper.
He looked up only then to glare at Remus.
Wordlessly the boy inspected him. His grey eyes moved up Remus's tall body.
"Are you going to watch him eat?" The boy asked Pomfrey pointedly.
The nurse stiffened uncomfortably, and straightened her back.
"No ,Regulus. Remus will be eating at the communal table."
"Hmm." Regulus scoffed resuming his painting.
Remus was suprised by how good it was. The boy had painted what looked to be a veiw of the garden's from his window veiw.
It looked like it had been taken by a camera.
"Come on Remus dear, we won't bother mister Black any more. I don't think we have time to see every room in Helgas wing so I'll just bring you to the common area. " She opened the door back out into the hall and Remus followed. Glad to be escorted out of the room with the cold boy in it.
The common area was large and inviting plush mustard sofa and brown leather couches were scattered around the arge chimney fire.
A girl slight girl with short pink hair sat next to a beautiful girl with mine of brown ringlet curls.
Both were giggling over a shared magazine and looked up when they noticed Remus enter.
"Girls have you seen Caradoc around?"
The girl with brown hair nodded "He's helping Charity, and Benjy clean up in art room B."
"Perfect thank you Mary. Would you two mind if Remus joins you while I find him?"
Mary scooched over and patted the empty spot on the couch.
Remus obliged sitting down and playing with his hands.
"What's your name love?" Mary smiled turning to him. She was abnormally pretty with dark skin and rosy cheeks.
"I-I'm Remus." He stumbled slightly taken a back by her looks.
"Thsts an interesting name, " the girl with short pink hair mused smiling at him.
Remus smiled and nodded nonchalantly he'd heard that alot.
"I get that alot my dad picked."
The two girls nodded as if he'd just said the most interesting thing in the world.
"I'm Amelia by the way." The pink haired girl said introducing herself.
"Are you going to be sitting with us at dinner?" Mary asked giving Remus another smile.
"Look at his build Mary, he's hardly going to be sitting with us."
Remus was very confused by this comment. Were boys and girls separated for meals?
Where the tables arranged by age?
Remus supposed that he did look older than his age. He was way too tall and his shoulders had broadened out quite abit giving a lean muscular appearance.
Mary sighed and squeezed his bicep.
"S'pose your right." Remus scooted away a little uncomfortably.
Mary and Amelia giggled.
"You mustn't mind us we're only teasing you Remus, it can get so boring here." Mary smiled warmly shaking her head.
"Seriously though I hope we haven't scared you." She had quite a comforting presence. Remus found himself smiling back.
"You're alright," He laughed.
The two girls smiled kindly at him before the pink haired one started to speak again
"Have you ever read cosmo Remus?"
Before he could tell them that he'd never so much as glanced at the cover before Matron reentered the room with a tall dark skinned man in a nurses uniform, a small teenage boy with vitiligo and a short girl with a bush of pale blonde hair.
"Charity, Benjy this is Remus." Madam pomfrey introduced the pair to him.
Benjy had painted smeared on his cheek but smiled brightly at Remus.
"Heya Remus." He said openly.
The blonde girl seemed a little more shy.
She was pale but a bright pink blush spread across her cheeks and snub nose.
"Hello." She said quietly.
"I'm Caradoc," the handsome man in the nurses uniform said. Nodding at Remus.
Pomfrey smiled at the room before clearing her throat.
" Amelia, Mary would you please follow Caradoc and the others down to the dining hall." The two reluctantly rose from their couch and followed Benjy, Charity and Caradoc down to a large door that led out of the common room. It was a different door than the one they had entered from.
"Remus, come with me dear, we're going to get Regulus."
Remus grimaced at the thought of making small talk to the surly boy.
They went back to the art room to find the small boy cleaning paint brushes meticulously.
Poppy sighed.
"Regulus they are clean enough now, it's time for tea."
"One more minute." He said bitterly scrubbing the already clean brushes.
"Regulus." The nurse said more sternly.
"Let me wash my hands." He said back sharply not turning away from the sink.
Poppy looked at her watch tiredly. "I'm sorry Regulus but you have a minute to wash your hands then we really have to go."
The boy took a nail brush out of his pocket and started to viciously scrub his nails.
Remus waited awkwardly at the door trying to look away from the scene.
"Times up Regulus let's go." Poppy tried.
Regulus threw the nail brush next to the sink angrily and stormed out the door shoving past Remus.
"Well done dear." Poppy said kindly.
Regulus walked ahead of them down the hall stopping at he locked door to the dining hall.
"Since its you're first day Remus, and you haven't had time to fill out a meal plan your going to get a standard Sunday dinner."
Remus hadn't eaten a Sunday dinner in a while. Not since his father passed. Hope liked to experiment with cooking, so usually they'd end up eating some hippy new age vegetarian food or an exotic dish he couldn't pronounce.
Poppy unlocked the door to the kitchens and Regulus slowed his stride seeming to be in less of a hurry than before .
He trudged along beside them quietly until they reached the canteen.
There were 6 large tables laid out in the dining area and a smaller circular table with a table for 2 next to it.
The canteen was already quite crowded with ques of patients lining up next to a seving station with a window with two lunch staff doling out portions.
"Go on dears grab your tray."
Regulus shuffled over to a stack of trays and grabbed one before joining the que.
Remus followed doing the same.
"How the food here?" He asked in attempt to make conversation with Regulus while they waited.
Regulus didn't respond purposefully ignoring him until he was given his portion of food.
Remus was dished up a plate of sliced beef, veg, yorkshire pudding and roast and mashed potatoes. The sever generously poured a savoury gravy over the lot and handed the plate to Remus with a smile.
"Enjoy." The small man beamed. He was shrivelled looking but not exactly old.
"Thank you." Remus smiled back not neglecting his manners.
He followed Regulus over to where he sat down . Regulus was sitting on the lone table with Poppy and Mary, Benjy, Amelia and Lily sat on the circular one beside it with Caradoc.
They all stared anxiously at their plates. Lily was cutting her food into tiny portions withouttaking a bite . Benjy was seasoning his heavily. Mary and Amelia seemed to be the only two eating their food normally.
Poppy reached for Remus's arm before he made to sit down.
"Remus dear you'll be sitting on the tables over there."
"Oh right" He said embarrassed. Lily looked up from her minced food and offered him a pitiful smile.
Remus went to move towards the larger tables.
James stood up and waved him over.
Remus supposed he hadn't really any other choice.
"Remus." James beamed gesturing to an empty seat on the table where he Marlene, Peter and Sirius sat.
Remus moved over awkwardly and sat down.
Sirius laughed standing up as Remus sat down.
"Nice try going to sit with the rexies but Poppy won't let you Rob their pudding." He said loudly.
Lily looked up and glared daggers at Sirius.
"No offence Evans." He said lightly putting his hands in the air.
James yanked him back down into his seat by the hem of his t shirt.
"Y-your so embarrassing mate." He said covering his face with a hand.
"Give it a rest Prongs it's never going to happen." Sirius said shaking his head still smiling.
He then turned to Remus.
"Brave of you to sit next to wormy." He grinned cheekily gesturing to Peter who was quietly enjoying his own roast dinner.
Remus scoffed at the handsome black haired boy and turned to Peter
"Hey Pete." He smiled kindly before tucking into his food.
Marlene laughed at Sirius expression.
Frank the nurse from the football pitch walked over to the table.
"Sirius what have I told you about signalling put ED patients, you're only a few missed dinners from being put on meal support yourself. "
Sirius whipped his head around to face Frank with a shocked expression.
"Hell no Longbottom you're not sticking me over there with the chew and spitters." He then stabbed a roast potato and stuck it in his mouth still staring at the nurse.
Frank sighed and walked off shaking his head.
James's smiled at Remus sympathetically.
"I swear he's usually b-better behaved."
Marlene scoffed nearly choking on her food.
"Yeah like he's going to believe that James."