Chapter 15

Laughter. That's what he could hear. It was a man's laugh, but it was a kind laugh. It was warm as well and made Jude feel at home. "Can you say 'Daddy', Jude?" The man asked with laughter on the edge of his tone.

"No," An infant's voice replied, giggling.

The man laughed again, "You really like that word, don't you?"

"No," The baby answered again. "No, no, no, no."

"Daddy," The man pleaded amusedly. "Just say 'Daddy', that's all I ask for, Jude."

"Da…" The man waited on pins and needles. "No."

The man's laughter rang out again. "You're a little bugger, aren't you?"

.

Jude opened his heavy eyelids, staring at the almost familiar, blurry ceiling. He huffed out a labored breath, trying to piece everything together in his mind.

Lazarus attacked them. Professor Lamb was dead. James was tortured. There was a fire fight.

He could hear voices all around him. It sounded like they were fighting.

"I don't want him near my son ever again."

"Harry, don't you think you're being unreasonable?"

"Unreasonable? He put my son in danger. He was tortured and saw someone die. He could've been killed as well. I'm being a parent, and a smart one at that."

"Are you saying my mom was stupid, Harry?"

"What are you going on about, Gin?"

"You're saying that this boy put James' life in danger. My mother could've said the same thing with you and Ron. Yet, she let you stay friends and practically let you into the family. This boy is James' friend, so I think we should let him decide if he wants to keep being his friend or not."

Jude groaned, trying to move his heavy head up. It was worse than when he had first gotten into the infirmary. He felt someone grasp his left hand and sigh in relief, "Jude, you're awake."

He moved his sore head to the voice. He tried to put a smile on his heavy lips, "Emma, are you alright?"

Emma's blur nodded, "I'm fine; just a small head injury from the fall we took."

"James," Jude grunted painfully. "Where's James? How is he?"

He could practically feel the intense waves of hatred coming towards him. "You've got a lot of nerve, boy."

"Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey's voice cut through Harry's swiftly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This poor boy has been through enough, and to have you antagonize him while he's just woken up is unacceptable."

"Pomfrey, how dare you," Harry replied, aghast.

"How dare I?" Pomfrey demanded. "You try to scream and wail at this little boy who has seen death and his best friend being tortured. Do you know how many times you were in this same infirmary for worse things? If you won't be civil, you are going to have to leave."

If Jude had his glasses, he could see the horrible expression Harry had on his face. "Okay, Harry." Ginny patted her husband's shoulder, pushing him out the door. "Just go. We'll be back when James wakes up."

Harry grunted distastefully, storming out of the room. Ginny sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes, "I'm sorry about him. He was very outraged when he heard about what happened to James."

Jude whimpered, trying to move his immobile body. "Is James okay? Where is he?"

He felt Madam Pomfrey's cool hands on his forehead, smoothing back his hair. "Shh, sweet boy. It's alright. James will be fine. He just needs to sleep this off. He'll be fine."

"Glasses," Jude murmured helplessly. Emma reached over, putting his glasses on his face. Now being able to see, he saw Madam Pomfrey on his right side, leaning over him while Ginny was at the foot of James' bed and Emma was in between his bed and James' with a bandage wrapped around her head.

He glanced down at his right hand that laid on his chest, noticing it in a sling and bandaged. Madam Pomfrey moved over to James' bed, "Someone used an arrow-shooting spell. It was hard to take out but it should heal in the next few days."

Ginny smiled lightly, "It's good to see you up and about."

"I'm sorry," Jude whispered, feeling warm tears fall down his face. Emma squeezed his hand comfortingly.

Ginny walked up to where Emma was sitting. She put up her hands, trying to soothe the boy, "No, no. It's okay. Everything's alright. What happened to James wasn't your fault."

"S'right mate," A garbled voice from the next bed spoke. Everyone whipped their heads towards the now awake James. The brown eyed boy inhaled sharply, "Y-you said yourself you didn't want us getting hurt, but we chose to stick by you."

Jude sobbed, feeling Emma tighten her grip on his hand and grab James' in her free hand. James chuckled slightly, turning his gaze to his now tearful mother, "Hi, Mum."

Ginny sniffled, wiping the tears that leaked out, "Hi, baby boy." She sat on his bed, taking his other hand in hers.

"I'm sorry I ended being like Dad," James mumbled tiredly.

Ginny laughed, "More like your Uncle Ron. Your friend here is more like your dad."

Jude shook his head minutely, "No. Please don't compare me to him."

James grinned, "Don't compare my best mate to my dad. That's not right, Mum. Everyone knows Jude would beat Dad any day."

Ginny grinned back, kissing his forehead. She stood from his bed, "I'm gonna go call your father. I'll be back."

She walked out with a smile while Madam Pomfrey went to check on James. "Anything hurt, my boy?"

James smiled politely, "Just a bit tired, Madam Pomfrey, but I think I'll be fine."

"You're lucky the curse didn't run much longer," Pomfrey stated a bit worriedly. "More than that and you'd be really feeling it."

"I'm glad it only lasted that long," James muttered, yawning. "I could feel it in my bones once he started it. What made him stop?"

"Fire," Jude replied quietly. "I shot fire at him and he shot it back. It only stopped when Emma put up a shield for us."

"You kids really are something," Pomfrey commented. "Most of those spells that were used; only older kids can do."

James grinned, squeezing Emma's hand, "We're the best, Pomfrey, and don't you forget it." Jude grinned as well while Emma smiled at both of them.