Chapter 138: New Brooms Sweep Clean (3)

On Thursday evening, Catherine sat on the floor of the Gryffindor Common Room, struggling to finish her Defence Against the Dark Arts homework while battling the urge to throw up for the fourth time that day. James and Sirius were at their last Quidditch practice before the match against Ravenclaw. The young witch felt so sick that her friends had strictly forbidden her from getting near a broom.

"We need you rested for Saturday" – Sirius had insisted before leaving – "Be a good girl and go to bed!"

Catherine hadn't told him that sleeping was impossible for her and that she was saving her weekly dose of Dreamless Sleep Potion, provided by Madame Pomfrey, for the night before the game. Determined, she forced herself to concentrate on her assignment on the Reductor Curse, knowing it was far from her best work but hoping it wouldn't be bad enough to earn her detention. The last thing she wanted was to spend time alone with Professor Thorne. It was bad enough that she could hardly look at him without recalling how he had kissed her Transfiguration teacher. The most disturbing part was that she didn't feel disgusted or outraged.

'The fuck is wrong with me?' – Catherine thought, her face flushing with embarrassment – 'He's the same mean, arrogant bastard. Why do I feel like this? Maybe because he seems different when he's with McGonagall. I just can't understand this man at all!'

"Are you alright, Flame?" – Peter's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" – she asked a bit defensively.

 "Remus asked me to come and check on you. Your face is all red. Do you have fever?" – the boy asked with concern.

"I don't!" – Catherine snapped angrily – "Go tell Remus I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and if he's that interested, he could come and ask me himself!"

"Don't be so harsh on him. I'd have come by myself if I knew you were sick. He's just way more observant than I am. You know how I don't notice stuff." – Peter said with an awkward smile – "I don't know why you two fought, but it really makes me sad."

The young witch stared at Peter, uncertain how to react. He was a constant presence in her life, but she couldn't say they had the deep bond she shared with Sirius, James, and Remus. Often, his clumsiness and inability to remember even the simplest information or his complete lack of reasoning had pissed her off. Yet, he had defended her in front of Slytherins and had always been there, to the best of his modest abilities. Peter Pettigrew was part of their group, even though they all needed to protect and guide him, and he did deserve the recognition of a friend. Catherine took a deep breath and forced herself to speak calmly.

"It's nothing serious, Peter. Don't worry too much about it. Thanks for checking on me."

"You know I've always admired how much you and Moony care about each other." – the boy remarked sincerely – "Just let me know if I can help in any way. Also, if you need any help at all! I mean, we all count on you for the match on Saturday and, I, personally, for the Potions assignment next week."

"You don't say!" – Catherine chuckled – "Don't worry. I'll rather die on my broomstick before I let us lose, regardless of how sick I feel."

"Ah, yes!" – Peter exclaimed suddenly, pulling out a vial filled with a dark liquid – "This is my mom's special homemade Tonus Elixir. It's a family recipe, but it helps remarkably well against nausea. I'll ask her to send more if you need it."

"Thank you!" – the girl replied gratefully, taking the potion and immediately sipping it. To her surprise, it tasted sour but not unpleasant. The effect was immediate.

"See? Mom knows what she's doing!" – the wizard laughed, seeing the astonished expression on his friend's face – "You should be fine for at least three to four hours."

"It's a miracle!" – Catherine cried out happily – "I really owe you! Today's been especially bad, and this is an incredible relief!"

"How long will this continue? – Peter inquired – "The symptoms seem very strong after each lesson."

"It differs from person to person." – the young witch replied – "Worst case scenario, it's going to take a year."

"Really?!" – the boy's round blue eyes widened with worry – "And I thought I had a problem with these pimples I can't get rid of…"

"Do you want some of the Pimple Solution I made for James?" – Catherine offered.

"James has pimples!" – Peter almost yelled in disbelief.

"Yup!" – the black-haired girl smiled wickedly – "He talks a big game, but if it weren't for me, his face would look like a wheel of Swiss cheese."

"Then, I'd like to try this Pimple Solution! After all, I want to look good for Nora!" – the fourth-year blushed.

"You and her make a cute couple." – Catherine complemented her friend, noticing how pleased he appeared.

"Thanks! I'll go help Nora with her Transfiguration homework now. Thanks to your explanations from last year, I can look quite smart in front of her!" – Peter grinned and quickly headed toward the other side of the room, where a merry group of third-years were chatting and allegedly doing homework.

Catherine's gaze fell on the tall, lonely boy reading a book while sitting in an old chair near the fireplace. Remus lifted his amber eyes but quickly cast them down when he met Catherine's look. The young witch felt a pang of guilt. She missed Moony, but she couldn't forget how she felt in his arms while they were kissing and how much it hurt when he rejected her for some made-up reasons. The wound was too fresh, and she feared she would never be able to forgive him or have their friendship be the same as it used to be. A dark, cold laughter echoed through her mind.