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Madam Pomfrey was always one to be suspicious and wary but around exam season she barely even looked at people who came into the hospital wing before sending them back.
It wasn’t exactly right but to be fair, she did have good reasons to be doing it. Because the majority of the people who came by the hospital wing in those days was, in fact, trying simply to get out of writing exams.
So when Sirius’ head started slightly aching a week before exams, he ignored it. He’d been staying up till really late, studying with his friends, of course, his head would hurt a little.
But then, that headache didn’t go away. Not only that, it became more intense, to the point where it made Sirius nauseous.
It didn’t go away for two days and nothing Sirius could think of was helping. He walked around the Common Room with a cold towel on his forehead, looking like an idiot, he dragged his friends out onto the lawn to study in the fresh air, and he even managed to get some Muggle medicine from Lily. But it didn’t matter. Nothing was working.
Finally, on Wednesday, he excused himself from the study circle and went up to the dormitory. To lay in his bed.
The headache was so bad that he couldn’t even fall asleep. He was exhausted because of the pain but the pain was also too strong to let him drift off. It was a nightmare.
So he just lay there, facing the ceiling, his eyes closed, and his hands resting on his chest. It barely helped. But the pain was less annoying than when he was trying to focus so it was a bit better.
This felt so stupid. He had to study. And even if he ever considered not doing that, he’d think it was because he was going to pull a prank, or go to a party, or do something equally rebellious. He was Sirius Black , for Merlin’s sake.
But no. Instead of studying he was laying in his bed because of a particularly irritating headache. It was almost embarrassing.
After about thirty minutes of just laying, he heard the door creak open. Almost immediately, a spasm of pain erupted in his head. He grimaced but didn’t open his eyes.
“Pads? You awake?” a familiar voice whispered.
Remus.
Sirius shook his head and pushed himself into a sitting position, slowly opening his eyes. The brightness hit him and he grimaced again.
Remus walked over to Sirius’ bed and knelt next to it, looking at Sirius pitifully.
“Is it really bad?” he asked.
This was the type of situation that Sirius would normally lie in. He was strong, he could handle tough things. But this level of pain was beyond even his limit.
“Yeah,” he said, sort of sheepishly. “Yeah, it’s fucking awful, I can’t even sleep. And I feel like I’m gonna puke.”
“Merlin,” Remus sighed, lifting his hand to gently touch Sirius’ cheek. “You should really go to Madam Pomfrey, you know?”
Sirius shook his head. “Nah, she’ll think I’m faking. And it will pass—”
“Merlin, Pads,” Remus cut him off, huffing a gentle laugh. “She’s a professional. And you’re actually in pain. And yeah, you’re right, it will pass. After she helps you.”
Sirius screwed up his face. “I’m not so sure—”
In the end, Remus dragged him to the hospital wing practically by force. And though Madam Pomfrey was indeed hesitant at first, she did begin treating Sirius.
She did kick Remus out though.
“Should’ve come to me the moment it started,” she muttered, handing him two pills. He was sitting on one of the beds. “There aren’t any very strong magical remedies and if it’s so bad you may have to stay here a couple of days.”
Sirius swallowed the pills.
“Sorry— Wait, what?” He blinked up at Madam Pomfrey. “But ma’am I have to study!”
“I’m sure you’ve studied plenty if you got a migraine this bad, Sirius,” she said, looking down at him sternly. “Now lay down, I’ll get you some Sleeping Draught.”
Sirius sighed but did as he’d been told. The idea of Sleeping Draught was really nice. He was very tired.
He awoke the next day, feeling someone’s hand holding his own and drawing circles with their thumb.
The second thing Sirius felt was the throbbing pain in his head again. But, he had to admit, it did seem slightly weaker.
His eyes fluttered open and he grimaced.
There was movement next to him and someone squeezed his hand.
Sirius’ vision focused and he saw Remus, smiling at him softly.
“Pads,” he said quietly.
Sirius returned the smile. “Hi.”
His voice was scratchy so he cleared his throat. Remus let go of his hand to point at the nightstand.
“I brought you some food,” he said.
Sirius nodded. “Thank you, I— What hour is it? Will I make it to class?”
Remus’ soft smile turned into an amused one. “It’s two in the afternoon, love, you’re not going to class today.”
Sirius blinked, feeling anxiety rise in his chest. “Two in the afternoon? Merlin, I have to study—” And with that, he made a move like he wanted to get up.
But Remus’ hand kept him down. “Sirius. You’re sick. Let yourself be sick.”
“But we have exams ,” Sirius groaned.
“And you’re the smartest person I know,” Remus said gently. “There’s no way you won’t pass.”
Sirius arched an eyebrow. “Are you kidding me? ‘The smartest person I know.’ Do you not know yourself?”
Remus let out a small laugh. “You’re amazing, Pads, you know that.”
Sirius looked down, avoiding Remus’ eyes. “Well—”
“You are ,” Remus said sternly. “And anyway, you won’t learn anything if your head hurts this bad. And you probably won’t write the exam that well if your head hurts.”
That made a little bit of sense.
Sirius looked back up at Remus. “Okay. Yeah, fine.”
Remus grinned and leaned forward, pressing a kiss onto Sirius’ forehead. “It’s gonna be alright.”