Chapter 158: Petals in the Wind (1)

"Need a break?" – James asked, eyeing Catherine as they neared the end of another lap around Black Lake.

"I'm fine." – she huffed, her breath forming ragged clouds in the February chill.

"I'm not saying you're not, but I'd like to still have legs tomorrow." – the boy teased her gently.

The past few weeks had been tough on Catherine, and James knew she needed an outlet. That's why he had willingly joined her for every jogging session, even as they grew more intense, mirroring her worsening mood. The entire school was shocked when Sirius Black and Marianne Trundle were caught making out after curfew, and the pair strolled into breakfast the next morning, hand in hand, grinning like fools. Catherine's face had been as unreadable as stone, but James noticed the subtle tremble in her hands. She acted indifferent toward the new couple, but the boy knew her too well to believe it. Beneath the calm exterior, she was anything but happy.

James wanted to talk to Sirius, however, that was no easy task. He was still not speaking to Remus, and the atmosphere in their dormitory was far from chatty. Furthermore, James was at a loss for what exactly he wanted to say to his friend. It was completely implausible that someone who had made such a fuss about Catherine kissing Remus would suddenly fall for another witch, especially Marianne, considering her behaviour during their last Hogsmeade visit. On the other hand, it was hard to believe he was doing it entirely out of spite, as there was little chance that would have accomplished anything. Catherine was not one to react well to emotional blackmail.

Moony wasn't much help. He was more concerned with Catherine's deteriorating physical condition than getting involved with Sirius' tantrums, as he'd told James with a dark, frustrated look. On top of that, Sirius was hard to pin down—constantly off with his new girlfriend, and between classes, homework, and Quidditch practice, there was little time to talk. What really gnawed at James, though, was Sirius' apparent disinterest in the Animagi Potion. Catherine didn't need much help brewing it anymore, but once the potion was ready, each of them would be on their own when it came to the transformation. If Sirius wasn't willing to see it through, it could jeopardise the entire project. All their work to help Remus could be for nothing.

 "Okay, we can take a short break now." – the young witch's voice broke through James' thoughts. They slowed to a stroll around the castle grounds, both of them breathing heavily.

"I think you're overdoing it with the workouts." - the boy said casually - "Wouldn't it be better to focus more on duelling? I'm still not making any progress with wandless spells."

"That's hardly my fault." - Catherine shrugged, a faint smile appearing as she lifted her face to the rare winter sun. The grounds brimmed with Hogwarts students, their cheerful voices carried on the cool breeze - "Plus, intense magic drains you physically too. There's not much difference." 

"Still, alternating between the two might be a good idea." - James insisted, eyeing her pale face with concern. Dark circles hung beneath her green eyes, and it bothered him - "Are you still having nightmares?"

"I am." - she said shortly - "But that won't change with more exercise, whether physical or magical. Nonetheless, if you want, we can practice spells. It doesn't matter to me."

"I don't want this to feel like a burden for you!" - the wizard blurted defensively - "I only suggested it because I thought it might take your mind off..."

"Off what?" – Catherine asked calmly, though a dangerous edge crept into her voice.

"You know…" – James muttered, suddenly questioning whether this conversation was a good idea.

"I'll say this just once." – the black-haired girl replied, her tone turning icy – "I don't care if Sirius snogged every witch in this school. It's not my problem, and I don't understand why you keep insinuating it has anything to do with me. He's one of my closest friends, but his love life is his own. Maybe it'll even help him relax—I can't stand how snarky he's been these last few weeks."

James stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her back. How could someone as smart and observant as Catherine be so completely blind to her own feelings about Sirius? He couldn't wrap his head around it.

'Perhaps she's just in denial.' – he thought trying to catch up with the girl – 'If she admitted she was hurt by Sirius dating someone else, then the problem would finally become real, and she'd have to deal with all the consequences. What's gotten into him?! Why didn't he talk to her first?! Bloody ridiculous! It's like talking to a brick wall with those two!'

From the tight set of Catherine's lips, James could tell she was done talking. Despite his frustration with both of his friends, he knew better than to push the topic any further.

"You're such a coward! Even the girls managed to do it!" – a loud voice suddenly grabbed their attention.

A group of third-years had gathered around the Whomping Willow, taking turns sneaking close to the tree, trying to touch its trunk without being smashed by its thick, thrashing branches. Dorian MacDougal from Ravenclaw stood next to Scarlett Porter, flushed from her mad dash to the tree and back. He was looking mockingly at Davey Gudgeon, who seemed like he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

Davey, a lanky Gryffindor with brown eyes and chestnut hair, was usually quiet and always tripping over his too-large feet. James could easily see why he didn't want to join the game. Dorian was athletic, and everyone knew Scarlett was incredibly fast and agile—even if her coordination on the ground didn't match her skill in the air. Comparing her to Davey was absurd, especially since it was common knowledge that he fancied Scarlett, though he was far too shy to do anything about it.

Perhaps out of desperation, the third-year gathered all his courage and sprinted toward the Whomping Willow, ignoring the terrified gasps of his classmates. To everyone's shock, he actually made it to the trunk. But when he turned to run back, he lost his balance and fell hard. In an instant, one of the tree's massive branches slammed down on him. He screamed in pain, rolling desperately to escape, but it was no use. Another branch whipped across his face, sending him flying several metres.

The rest of the students stood frozen, wide-eyed, unable to move as the scene unfolded. Scarlett was the only one who snapped into action, turning and sprinting toward the castle to find help.

"We need to get him out of there!" – Catherine shouted, drawing her wand – "By the time a teacher arrives, there won't be anything left of him!"

"Agreed!" – James responded, following her as they approached the ramping tree – "Can you set it on fire?"

"I can, but I don't see the point in burning poor Davey on top of everything else that's happened to him!" – the young witch answered, her mind racing as she took aim at the Whomping Willow – "Maybe this will work better. Immobulus!"

The branches froze mid-swing, and James immediately dashed forward to drag his housemate out of the tree's reach. Davey was bleeding badly and seemed unconscious. 

"I think his nose is broken." – James mumbles as he carefully settled the boy on the cold ground.

"Looks like it." – Catherine agreed, kneeling beside the injured boy – "But I'm more worried about his eye."

"Can you help him?" – James asked, glancing toward the castle.

"I'll try to stop the bleeding." – the girl said, frowning as she spread her hands over Davey's head. A soft blue glow emerged beneath her palms, casting a faint light across his features – "But I won't attempt to mend his nose or eye. I'm not sure how effective this magic is at restoring functions like sight or smell."

James nodded, watching as the blood pouring from the young wizard's face stopped completely and the scratches on his chin and neck faded away. Just then, Scarlett returned, with Professor McGonagall and Professor Thorne in tow.

The Head of Gryffindor was furious about the incident, promising severe punishment for everyone involved. Carter Thorne conjured a stretcher for the injured student, gently levitating him as he headed toward the Hospital Wing. James noticed that before leaving, the professor gave Catherine a long look. She appeared completely exhausted, struggling to stay on her feet. For a moment, the boy thought the DADA teacher seemed genuinely concerned, but he quickly brushed the idea aside and hurried over to support his friend as they also made their way back to the castle.

"Don't worry." – James said, noticing Catherine's anxious face – "Madame Pomfrey will have Davey fixed up in no time. And you really helped him there."

"That's not what I'm worried about." – the young witch replied thoughtfully – "We have to figure out a way to deal with the tree. The passage beneath it is our only way to reach Remus when we become Animagi."

"Ah, right!" – the boy exclaimed – "Can't we just use the same Freezing Charm you did?"

"Not a good idea." - Catherine sighed, the weight of yet another challenge pressing on her – "The Freezing Charm stops the tree, but it won't move again until the counter-spell is cast. We can't do that from the inside, and if we just leave it frozen, someone will definitely notice."

"Damn! I hadn't thought of that." – the wizard muttered, already wracking his brain for solutions – "There's got to be a better way. We'll talk with Moony and figure it out. Don't stress over that too!"

"You're right." – the girl said with a crooked smile – "It's just one more thing to keep me up at night!"