Telling Daddy -- Spring 1997

I hugged the kids when they came in, " Thank you." I said to them. I looked back to the door and smiled to Sirius who came over and gave me a hug and sat down on the other side of me. Ember grabbed my hand and I squeezed it back. Feeling the tears welling in my eyes. I leaned my head on her shoulder and just started weeping.

I was walking with Will and wondered how exactly to start. "I'm sure I said this before, but thanks for helping... and I'm sorry you got dragged into the mess. I just knew I wouldn't be able to count on anyone else," I told him. "Are you sure everything is okay with you?" I mean, Fenrir was nasty and mean. And it was obvious men in our family liked to hide things that were life threatening. Plus, I was what Daddy always liked to call me: a worry wart. It seemed like I had to worry, though! It was obvious the guys didn't.

I looked over to my sister, " Of course I'm going to do what I can Lucy..." It wasn't something that was of choice. " I'm alright..." I said as my insides felt like they wanted to explode. Greyback got me good a few times. I got bandaged up and am supposed to take it easy. " I'm just told to relax. " I said to her expression. " Really Lucy...i'm good." I said as I tried to hae the biggest convincing smirk I could.

I put my arm around Chloe's shoulder and held her. "You know they'll be updating you as soon as they can about anything... try not to worry." My main thought was why Remus didn't tell anyone... was it because they knew the prognoses wasn't good and he didn't want to worry anyone? Or was it because the prognoses was something fixable and there was no sense in worrying...?

I pursed my lips, not sure if I believed him. But I guess there was nothing I could do. "Well, if you need anything, you better let me know," I informed him. "You better make sure you take it easy... we don't need you to end up in here, too." I wasn't sure if Mum could handle it if both of them were in here. I knew it was hard enough with just Dad.

I nodded into Ember, " I know...I just can't take him being in this much pain.....and Will is hurt, but he isn't saying how hurt he is..." I said to her. " I just want him to pay for what he did to them....He was there Em..and I couldn't do anything...."

"I know... and he will," I told her. I knew none of us would stand for this. Wasn't it enough that Fenrir had bitten Remus? Let alone nearly kill him? It was unbelievable. From what I understood of what happened, Remus had been nearly killed protecting Lucy and her boyfriend -- which happened to be Fenrir Greyback's son. I was gonna have to talk to that girl... I didn't want to be like one of the guys being overly protective, but I had to know what was going through her head.

I rubbed the back of my neck and without having said anything to Mrs. Lupin, I left that part of the hospital. I was going to go find Lucy maybe. Or just leave word with the front desk that I was here. Because clearly coming was a bad idea. They didn't need any more stress with me being there. And, even though I knew what my father was, he was my father. I didn't really enjoy hearing them wanting to plot revenge against him, even though I stabbed him with something that very well could be the end of him.

I nodded to Chloe, " I'll go find out if there is something I can get out of them" I said with a small smile. I left the room to find a nearby healer, I walked up to the desk. " Hi, my name is Sirius Black...I was wondering if there is any news on Remus Lupin?"

The healer looked up and replied, "Give me one moment and I can see what I can find out." She walked away and within five minutes returned. "I technically can't give out this information except to his wife. But since I see her in the other room, I'm guessing you came out here on her behalf." She took Sirius aside and continued on. "Well, they had noticed this problem almost immediately but had wanted to get him stable before doing anything about it. Sometimes these things fix themselves once a patient is stable, also. There is fluid build-up in his thoracic cavity and it is obvious that it's blood due to him coughing it up." She flipped through his chart. "And it also looks like they were wondering if -- er -- the other issue might fix it... but apparently it had gotten to a point where they couldn't wait. He could have, in essence, drowned in his own blood without it ever leaving his body."

She hadn't been sure if he would gather that the other issue was lycanthropy, but she wasn't going to break the news if he didn't know. "They're also still in surgery, so anything beyond what the chart already says, I can't really help you, Mr. Black. Just think for now that no news is good news."

I nodded, " Thank you...I'll let Mrs. Lupin know. " I told her. I walked away slowly from the desk. Mooney could have died. He could have drowned in his blood. I ran a hand through my hair. Not sure of what I should tell Chloe. I mean, she needs to know what happened. I just don't know what Remus told her and what he hasn't told her. She worries and he may have thought it wasn't an issue. Makes sense, but his furry little problem didn't fix it. I found a chair nearby the waiting room and sat down outside. Sighing into my hands. I could have lost my last Marauder...I didn't know how to deal with that. Drowning in his blood, the one time Remus needed Boris to help...he didn't.

I looked up and wiped my eyes off, " Anything?" I asked Sirius as he sat down outside of the waiting room. He looked at me and just said, " No news is good news...but he had to be made stable before he had this done." he said to us quietly. I found myself hard to even sit. I slid off of my chair onto the floor. He would only say that if something was wrong. We know each other to well for me not to know when something is up. From the floor I looked up. He was coughing..." His cough made something happen didn't it?"

Will and I were heading back with waters in our hands. We grabbed a couple extra in case anyone else wanted any. I saw Uncle Sirius sitting outside the waiting room... something wasn't right. Why wasn't he inside? I felt my stomach drop. "Uncle Sirius... what's wrong?" I asked, walking up to him. He had to tell me. I wasn't sure if I could go inside and find out that way. I needed to prepare myself for Mum. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ayden walking up an adjacent hallway -- I was so glad he came! He must have seen my face because his hand was on my back rather quickly.

I saw Lucy and Will come back, I walked outside. I went to give them a hug. I didn't say a word. Sure enough things will be difficult enough. I saw my dad sitting outside. He doesn't do that normally. " Dad.."

I put a hand over my mouth and kept a hand on Chloe's shoulder. I knew the look in Sirius's eyes. Something wasn't right. I didn't know what to say... and to be honest, I didn't think I'd be able to say anything anyways. My son just stared at me, like he was hoping I could make it all better. I reached out to him and took his hand pulling him to sit next to me. He squeezed my hand and dropped his head into his free hand and just stayed like that. I couldn't tell if he had his eyes closed or if he was crying or what.