To Love A Marauder

Clipped

Vienna blinked hard, the room slowly coming into focus. There was a group of blurry faces above her. One was holding something silver, something that looked like a knife.

She kicked out, knocking their feet out from under them. They fell heavily to the floor. She moved to elbow the person and retrieve the weapon, but someone grabbed her. She turned quickly and her mouth flew open.

It was Alastor Moody.

“That’s enough. Miss Alden is it?” he said in his gruff voice. The previous events went spinning through her mind. Her argument with Snape, the fight, the blood. She looked down at her side and groaned. Her left arm was covered in deep wounds, a deep gash along one of her ribs. She could feel the stickiness of blood along her face.

She groaned, trying to get up. “Thank Merlin for shock,” she muttered, looking at a deep gash that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. “Urgh! Is that my bone? That’s grodey,” she said in a very disconnected manner.

“Let’s see what we have here,” Moody said kneeling and staring intently at her wounds.

“Sectesempra,” Vienna said softly.

“Excuse me?”
“That’s the curse he used.”

“I’ve never heard of that,” Moody said, his eyebrows knitting together.

“I have,” Vienna said in a matter of fact voice.

“Come on, let’s get you up to the Hospital Wing,” He said, helping her up. She cried out as he lifted her up.

“Sorry,” she said, gritting her teeth.

“Why?” he asked. “At least you were paying attention enough to deflect most of the curse. Constant vigilance! That’s what I’m always telling the new recruits at the Ministry. Got in a good shot too before you went down, very impressive Miss Alden.”

“Wait, where’d that sniveling little- I mean, where’d Snape go?”

Moody pointed to the ground in front of him where Snape was lying unconscious. “That was a good shot- I mean, oh dear, I hope he’ll be ok.”

Moody gave her an appraising look. “I saw what he did. You don’t have to pretend. Hexed you while your back was turned like a scummy coward.”

“Vienna, are you ok?” Sirius asked, appearing at her other side. “Well you’ve got to be ok, you just kicked James. Spilt the rest of our-“ he trailed off, looking at Moody like a mouse caught in the gaze of a grizzled old cat. “-Tea. We keep it in a flask. You never know what someone might slip in it,” he added hopefully.

“Too true boy,” Moody replied.

They made their way to the Hospital Wing, the party breaking up in their wake. Madame Pomfry went off on her usual tirade when she spotted Vienna, shoving potions down her throat and muttering a song-like incantations under her breath.

“Well, Miss Alden, I hope you apply for the Auror program at the Ministry. We need more recruits like you, with spunk!”

“I will definitely be applying,” Vi beamed. He nodded at her and then Sirius before heading for the door.

“And remember, constant vigilance!” he added before departing.

“Shove over,” Sirius said when Madame Pomfry closed her office door. She scooted over and he climbed into the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her hair mindlessly. She leaned into him, tucking her head underneath his chin. Her side was really starting to hurt now.

“What were you and Snivillus fighting about?” Sirius asked into her hair.

“Nothing special, he was just trying to start trouble as usual. He must be getting worse at lying because this one was totally ridiculous.”

“Why, what was it?” Sirius asked.

“Oh he said that the thing I couldn’t remember was you cheating on me,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Which doesn’t even make sense! I mean, you’re one of the most trustworthy people I know. You would never do anything like that!”

Sirius was silent, just stroking her hair. They stayed like that for a while, in silence, Sirius mentally fighting with himself. In the end his conscious won. “Well-“ he said, feeling his stomach drop. “What if I had? What if I’d made a huge mistake? What if-“ he stopped and looked down at her face, waiting for her wrath, but still wanting the hold her for as long as possible before everything ended.

Her face was peaceful, serene even.

She was fast asleep.