Chapter 6
Fuck, fuck, FUCK, Severina is losing a lot of blood and James feels like he was not running enough to the infirmary.
Shitty bloody fuck, why did he ever listen to Sirius to see what would happen, why in merlin’s name did the curiosity to know more about Snape’s life got the better of him than protecting her, why didn’t he just listen to Remus instead and tried to help her as soon as possible.
Now he was facing the consequences of his action because of his stupidity of not being able to judge the situation at hand sooner.
“Madam Pomfrey!” Peter shouted
“Will you keep it down! do you want to wake up the whole castl-- oh dear, lie her on the bed in her stomach, quickly now.” She said urgently
“What have you boys done now!? Why can’t you leave the poor girl alone.” She was becoming furious as she helps them lay Severina.
“It wasn’t us! A boggart attacked her.” Sirius said in a bit of panic as he watched the blood spread through Severina’s white shirt.
Madam Pomfrey tears the back of Severina’s shirt and tries to close and quickly heal the wound as fast as she can.
Although the four of them were still concerned about Severina’s wound, they couldn’t help but notice and be alarmed at the scars on her back.
“Call the headmaster and her headhouse.” The mediwitch ordered.
Remus nodded and quickly left the rest of them tried to help the nurse as much as possible while still in distress.
“How is she?” asked the potion’s professor
“Though the bleeding looked bad the wound was not, but she did lose a lot, and to add to that she is anemic so it will take her three or more days before she wakes up.”
“What form did the boggart take?” Ask the hundred-year-old wizard to the marauders as he looks concerned over the sleeping body of Snape
“It took the form of a man who if I am to guess is her father, he had a bottle of alcohol and a belt and he called her and her mother a freak, meaning he was probably a muggle,” Remus recalled, while it put shivers to James's bones. How could a father be like that to their children?
“Hmmm... Poppy?” the headmaster looked over at the mediwitch.
“Child abuse, from analyzing the oldest scar, starting from 5 years old to the recent one which seems like only last year, it most likely stopped when her father died.” Concluded the witch.
"You mentioned a bottle and a belt, was it the cause of her injury?" Professor Slughorn asked.
"Kind of, It was a broken chair's feet that stabbed her when she slipped from the liquor."
“It seems that I have been a neglectful and ignorant headmaster to my students.” Dumbledore sighed in distress.
“While you may have saved miss Snape's life, there are still some faults in your actions, and I shall assign you to some punishment.”
The marauders did not try to resist, as they feel like they tried to kill Snape once again.
“Suspension from quidditch and adding your fifth year’s incident 5 months detention with every professor.”
“Albus, don’t you think that is a little too harsh? They saved miss Snape after all” Horace intervened.
“No, I do not, I had turned a blind eye to your childish actions before and defended you, enough is enough, it is time that you boys act as your age and grow up.
They didn’t say anything because they believe that he was right. Professor Dumbledore faces madam Pomfrey again
“Poppy, please do inform me when Miss Snape wakes up.” He said as he turns to leave with the potions master.
“Oh, and mister Potter.” He swiveled before reaching the door,” deceiving is one of the hindrances of reality, it will be in your best interest, to tell the truth.” Then leaves
Remus and the other looked at him, “explain.” Said the werewolf
James just sighed
“So that’s why you’ve been disappearing a lot lately, I thought you were playing hooky with someone else,” Sirius said
“Aren’t you mad at me?” James questioned
“No, after what I did to her, I can understand your guilt.”
“Are you sure it’s guilt? Because I feel like it’s something else.” Peter chimed
Sirius raised an eyebrow at Peter, “what else would there be?”
“Oh, I don’t know maybe affection?” Remus butted
“You’re kidding, right? James has been in love with Lily for years, He can’t just have his feelings change in just days, I bet it’s the accumulated guilt.” Sirius denies
"You just literally said earlier that you thought he was playing hooky with someone." Peter points out
"Love and lust are different my dear wormtail." Sirius retorted
Remus looked over at James who was quiet, “well? And what does lover boy think?”
James exhales, “I don’t know I haven’t thought about it that much.”
James did not tell them about Severina’s one-sided confession, as it was too personal to tell.
“Well, whatever it is, I suggest you start contemplating before you make it worst,” Peter said with finality as they climb to bed.
He parted the drapes that were giving the sleeping Severina privacy and straightened her covers, It seemed like Severina tried to toss and turn but failed to do much because of her injury.
James checked her injury if it had reopened, but to his relief, it did not and instead seems to be healing fast, he had magic and Madam Pomfrey to thank for.
Her rumpled covers and sweat indicated that she had a nightmare, he should ask Madam Pomfrey for some Dreamless sleep potion.
James got the wet towel from the basin and squeezed it, and proceeded to pat Severina’s forehead, face, and neck with it. He noticed that she is a bit hot and might be having a fever as well.
But the mediwitch was out at the moment and he decided to wait for her instead. James sat down on a chair next to her bed and held her hand.
He was telling the truth when he said that he doesn’t know what feelings he was having for Severina because all he wants right now was for her to wake up and to see her just fine.
“What are you doing here Potter?” James turned to see Lily standing over at the foot of the bed.
“I could ask you the same thing, isn’t your friendship with Severina over?” He said with a bit of irritation which surprised the witch at his attitude toward her
“And whose fault do you think it is?” James became quiet at that, “And since when did you have the right to call Severina by her first name and hold her hand?” James blushed and quickly let go of Severina’s limp hand.
“Well, no offense Lily, but I also think that you don’t get to call her that and as to why I was holding her was none of your business since you’re no longer friends.” James countered
“Finally averting your infatuation with someone else, after getting tired of being rejected by me. And I thought I was your ‘soulmate’” Lily said sarcastically.
Why is almost everyone assuming he like Severina when he hasn't even decided yet what his feeling were? “Anyone would get tired of being said no, and no, I don’t have a crush on Snape, but Lily I didn’t you were narcissistic, because even if I did start liking someone else, you wouldn’t be the reason for it.”
“Me narcissistic, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”
“And you two should be in class and not disrupting my patient.” They both turned to see the mediwitch standing there with a glare
James quickly stood up, “Madam Pomfrey, may I ask for some Dreamless sleep potion for Miss Snape, she seems to be having a nightmare and a fever.”
“I will mister Potter, you two may now leave.” She said in a strict tone.
They both did and while walking in the same direction of the Great Hall, James spoke first,
“Sorry about earlier, I know you genuinely care for Severina, It’s just that… I’m a bit mad that you left her when she was going through a lot of hard time, even if I was the cause of it between you two, you guys were still long time friends and you let it end over one mistake.”
“It’s fine… I did kind of deserve that, I was too prideful to accept her apology over that mistake when I did nothing but be good for her, but after I heard she was in the infirmary I was worried sick for her and realized that I can’t live without my best friend... But I have to ask Potter…” She said while she turned her head to look him in the eyes.
“What happened to you and Severina?” James rubbed the back of his neck
“It’s a bit of a long story, I’ll tell you later.” He said as they reach the Hall.