Chapter Text
“Hey, Professor, I'm heading out.” Sirius said as he slung his bag over his shoulder, moving toward the door of the classroom.
Sirius, along with four other first year Microbiology students, had been chosen to work on a side project with Professor Slughorn. The professor called them his Slug Club. They spent extra hours in the lab analyzing samples and doing scientific tests on the bacteria Slughorn had chosen for the project.
“Baseball practice today?” Slughorn asked, staring down a microscope at something he'd been working on himself, completely separate from the Slug Club project.
“Yeah, in about twenty minutes.” Sirius replied.
“Alright, did you finish everything I asked you to complete on that sample you were using?”
“Almost, I just have to confirm the pathogen and I think I might need a new culture sample.” Sirius explained. “But I can do all that after practice, I'll come back.”
“Well, I'll still be here and I'll get that new sample ready for you.” Slughorn said without looking up, just adjusting his microscope and checking his sample once again.
“Great, thanks! See you later!” Sirius called as he exited the microbiology lab.
Sirius met up with his best friend James and James’ girlfriend Lily, who had been walking with James down one of the university corridors towards the indoor sports change-rooms.
“And then Professor McGonagall said that ‘ Criminal Minds is not a valid source of criminal justice education ’.” Lily mocked. “I mean really! People are basically just enrolling themselves in Criminology because they watch shows like Criminal Minds and Law and Order. Both good shows, don't get me wrong, but I have much more realistic reasons for wanting to take Criminology.”
“Sure you do, Evans.” Sirius quipped, joining them.
“Oh, hiya, Sirius!” Lily said cheerfully.
“What's up, mate.” James added.
“Nothing much.” Sirius replied. “I'm up to my ears in bacteria samples.”
“Uck!” James grimaced.
“The Slug Club is challenging my knowledge!” Sirius insisted.
“I'm sure it's very enlightening, Sirius.” Lily affirmed.
James shook his head. “I still don't understand why you want to spend all your time around bodily fluids.”
“It's not all humane bacteria, James, sometimes it's fungus and fungus is a natural organism.”
“Ugh!” James interrupted.
“And anyway at least I'm not just a dumb jock, like someone I know . Really? Sports Media and playing baseball, not to mention running for team captain--”
“Oh, have you heard back about team captain yet, James?” Lily interjected, just as they reached the doors to the sports change-rooms.
“Nah, Coach said he'd tell us today.” James replied.
“Aw, well, good luck.”
“Thanks, Lils.” James gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Have fun, both of you!” Lily said.
James and Sirius turned to head into the boys change-room, James nodding to someone off to the side and when Sirius looked he saw that it was Marlene, the team's best batter, with her friends. Sirius gave her nod in greeting as well before he and James entered the change-room.
“I heard scouts are coming to the next game.” Sirius said as he and James found their lockers.
“I thought you wanted to be a scientist.” James smirked.
“A Microbiologist .” Sirius corrected. “And I do, but I also like baseball and wouldn't mind playing in the big leagues for a season or two.”
“Yeah, that'd be the dream.” James said wistfully, getting his baseball uniform out of his bag. “Play the game till you can't anymore, then become a sports broadcaster that specifies in baseball.”
Sirius chuckled. “Dumb jock.”
“Science Squirrel.” James retorted.
“What does that even mean?”
“I thought we established I was dumb!”
--
After baseball practice, both James and Sirius were showered and ready to leave the university. The sun was setting outside as James and Sirius exited the change-room.
“I gotta head back to the lab.” Sirius said, gesturing to the opposite direction James was about to turn.
“You nut, it's like eight-thirty, nobody’s here.” James replied.
“Professor Slughorn said he would be and I have to run another test on my sample for the Slug Club.”
“You work too hard. That club is gonna be the death of you.”
Sirius shrugged. “It'll look good on my resume.”
“Alright. You coming to mine and Lily’s after?” James asked.
“Uh, I might, I'll let you know.”
“Text me.” James said as he started to walk away.
“Will do!” Sirius called after him, turning to walk the other way.
Sirius walked back across the school to the science department and into his usual classroom, the Microbiology lab.
It was late, so no one else aside from the professor and Sirius were there. Sirius returned to his work station, placing his bag down beside his chair. He went to check his sample, only to see that there was only the old sample he had been using in the containment unit. Professor Slughorn had said he would prepare a new sample for him
Sirius walked across the lab to Slughorn’s workstation, where he was still at his microscope, analyzing his personal project sample.
“Uh, sorry to bother you, Professor, but you said you'd get me a new sample to test when I got back from practice…?” Sirius trailed off questioningly.
Slughorn gave a little jolt, likely from being shocked that Sirius was there. “Mr. Black! Come look at this!” He beckoned Sirius over.
Sirius approached his professor and Slughorn moved out of the way to allow Sirius access to the microscope he was looking through for the past few hours.
Sirius bent forward and looked through the eyepiece. Though, Sirius couldn't recognize anything remarkable about the sample that Slughorn was so enthusiastic about.
“What is it?” Sirius asked.
“It's a viral sample collected from a patient in a hospital in France.”
“What do they have?”
“ Had . They died.” Slughorn said, unconcerned. “Then the most incredible thing happened. Do you know what happened, Mr. Black?”
Sirius shook his head.
“They got up and started walking again.”
“I thought they were dead.” Sirius said, confused.
“They were, but then they came back to consciousness.” Slughorn explained. “And the most curious thing happened. They suddenly had a craving for human flesh.”
“That's odd.” Sirius remarked thoughtfully.
“Indeed it is, Mr. Black, which is why a friend of mine from the hospital in France sent me this sample to analyze. See if I could figure out what the virus was.”
“Was? They've been cured then? No more flesh-eating tendencies?” Sirius questioned.
“Oh, no, the patient became hostile. He had to be put down, it took a bullet through the brain to do it. Managed to bite a few chunks out of some nurses too. Nasty things.”
“So, the virus.” Sirius nodded toward the sample. “Is it something to worry about?”
“I don't think so.” Slughorn said dismissively. “The patient’s dead now, took the virus with him.”
“But where did he get it?” Sirius pointed out.
“Who knows. Probably snooping around somewhere he shouldn't.”
“Right…” Sirius said uncertainly. “So, my sample? For the Slug Club.”
“Hmm? Oh, yes!” Slughorn stood up. “Sorry, fascinating stuff that virus is. I'll get your sample ready right now.”
After Sirius had completed the final pathogen test on the sample for the Slug Club and determined that it was a basic strain of Salmonella, Sirius walked to James and Lily’s flat that was near campus. His own flat was nearby as well, but if he went to James’ then he didn't have to cook himself dinner. As he walked, he sent a quick text to James, telling him that he was done at the lab and was coming over. And that he expected food. James responded almost instantly, promising leftover pizza.
James was watching a football game on the TV when Sirius arrived, though Sirius wasn't sure which one, he didn't keep up with football.
“Pizza’s in the kitchen.” James said after Sirius put down his bag.
“Hey, craziest thing at the lab tonight!” Sirius called from the kitchen as he retrieved a slice of pizza.
“I don't want to hear about the bodily fluids!” James yelled, eyes on the TV.
“What about bodily fluids?” Lily asked as she walked in the living room. “Oh, is Sirius here? Are you making fun of his science things again?” She scolded her boyfriend.
“Maybe.” James said as he reached for the remote, muting the TV. “Alright, tell us about your crazy bodily fluids!” He called to Sirius.
“While, yes, technically it was a sample of some kind of bodily fluids, it's more about the viral effects the patient it was--” Sirius froze mid-sentence, eyes on the muted TV.
“What?” James asked.
“Sirius, are you alright?” Lily added.
On the left half of the TV screen was an up close picture of the exact viral bacteria sample that Slughorn had showed Sirius, the right half of the screen was the usual news broadcaster speaking silently, as the sound was muted, with the title at the bottom of the screen STRANGE VIRUS OCCURRING IN U.K…
“Unmute it.” Sirius said.
“What?” James said.
“Unmute the--” Sirius snatched the remote out James’ hand and hit the volume button, turning it up all the way.
“ --original reports of this unknown virus came from France last week, when one patient was put down after the symptoms caused them to attack the nurses and doctors, attempting to bite them and eat pieces of their flesh. There were several more infected in France as the week went on and United Kingdom officials received notice that one infected patient was discovered at a hospital in London today. The patient's status is unknown at this time. The public is being asked to remain calm as the authorities deal with the issue, emphasizing that there is nothing to worry about-- ”
“Oh god…” Lily gasped as the news reporter prattled on a bit more about the virus, before it returned to the usual football program and James muted it again.
“That was… disturbing…” James muttered.
“It's an epidemic…” Sirius mumbled.
“What was that?” Lily asked him.
“This was just what I was about to tell you about.” Sirius said gravely. “The viral sample at the lab tonight, Slughorn had been analyzing it all day for a doctor friend of his in France, who treated the first infected person. The patient died and then came back to life, except now he was aggressive and was trying to eat people. That's why he was ‘put down’. Slughorn said he bit some nurses, I'm betting those were the others infected in France.” He paused. “Slughorn said it was nothing to worry… he thought the virus died with the first patient. But now it's in London…”
“Well, you're the scientist.” James pointed out. “What does it mean?”
Sirius shrugged. “I have no idea. I mean, typical virus form-- it spreads until we find a cure. A vaccine or something. But this isn't the goddamn flu! This virus is turning people into flesh-eating monsters! If it spreads too quickly, then… there may be no stopping it. The NHS is going to have a hell of a time getting ahead of this.”
“Well… that's my night ruined.” Lily murmured.
“Yeah, I'm gonna have nightmares about that for weeks.” James agreed. “So, this gonna be some kind of lockdown? If so, I think you should stay here until it blows over, Sirius.”
Sirius stayed quiet, almost in shock.
“Sirius?” James repeated.
Sirius began nodding. “Yeah, yeah, I'll stay here…”