Harry couldn't sleep.
He didn't know if it was because of the fight he had with Hermione and Ron or the nightmares that he kept on having but what he was sure of is that it had all snowballed into a really strong bout of insommia. He lay on his bed, in the room he shared with Ron, and the loudest thing in the world was Ron's thunderous snores that seemed to rattle his bed. A soft pop rang and Harry was bolt upright, wand in hand and tip illuminated a pair of faces, which weren't the twins. One was beautiful and blond, her smile mischevious and charismatic which made her the most alluringof the pair and Harry couldn't help but feel slightly hot under the collar when she leaned into him. Harry could see the shadowed outline of her bust under her black plain singlet she wore.
"Hey." The blond girl of the pair said. "Can you tell me if this is 12 Grimmwald Place?"
Harry nodded.
"I told you I could get us here." The blond hissed at her companion, a brunette who didn't remove her sunglasses in the pitch darkness and in the shadows he saw that she had such a beautiful body but wasn't any comparison to the blonde . When the blond didn't get a reply, her attention returned to Harry. Just as she was about to speak again the door flew open and Sirius stood in the light.
"Well, who do we have here." Sirius grinned and the blond perked up a bit, an impish smirk played the woman's lips. "Manaia! It's been such a long time!"
"It has!" Manaia said, hugging Sirius tightly and for a little longer than what it ought to have been. For a moment or so she had forgotten about her companion. "Sirius-this is my granddaughter Kitara. She'll be helping me on this assignment."
"Hello Kitara." Sirius said, holding is hand out and Kitara accepted.
Assignment? What was happening Harry thought inwardly. Ron woke.
"That is happening?" Ron said blearly, barely awake. "Why're people in here? Did you 'ave a party without me?"
"What are you on about Ron?" Harry asked. Ron snorted before rolling back over to sleep. Harry got up and followed two new women and Sirius. Sirius and Manaia chattered with themselves as Kitara-Manaia's granddaughter fell back, not wanting to break the conversation between seemingly two close friends. Harry doubted that Kitara was Manaia's neice because they looked like they were the same age but he didn't say that out loud. Kitara glanced in Harry's general direction and smiled.
"You must be Harry Potter." Kitara said, her voice sounding like it was covering another accent.
"Yes."
Manaia laughed loudly, waking some of the portriats who had scowered until they saw the beauty who had woken them, and they seemed to forget to reprimand her.
"It seems that even the portriats are dazzled by Manaia." Harry spotted. Kitara chuckled.
"Don't be fooled, she maybe blond and beautiful, but Manaia can be intelligent." Kitara said with a sardonic smile. "When she wants too."
Manaia looked back and poked her tongue out at her.
By this time most of the house was awake, well, most of the adult population was anyway. Harry spied the oily black hair and pronouced nose of the potions master Severus Snape. Sirius and Manaia descended into the kitchen, and Harry saw that Snape eyed Manaia coldly, a small flush creeping into his sallow skin. Harry meet this Godfather on the top step as they observed the group below.
"Manaia used to go out with Snape." Sirius whispered into Harry's ear. "They used to get hot and heavy too, like out in the open with everyone to see."
"I thought he liked mum." Harry frowned for a moment.
"Manaia was Lily's best friend." Sirius explained to his godson. "When Lily chose your father instead of Snape Manaia had started the relationship to spite her, but in the end she began to truly love him."
As they entered the kitchen, all four of them, the atmosphere seemed to brighten slightly. Manaia held Lupin at arms length and stared at him.
"Grizzly! Remus you rock the grey." Manaia hooted.
"Not all of us can inherit your spectacular set of genes?" Lupin piped. "I am surprised that you came, especially after what happened before." Manaia brushed his compliment to the side.
"Nothing happened before, you know that". Manaia said, avoiding Snape's jet gaze as she greeted the others in the Order of the Phoenix. Harry spotted the distinct black tattoo on her upper left arm.
"So what happened before?"
"Manaia was recruited by Voldermort." Sirius glanced at Harry. "On Dumbledore's orders."
"On Dumbledore's orders?" Harry spluttered. "Dumbledore would never ask someone to do that, would he?"
"It was desperate times then Harry, and both Snape and Manaia agreed to it." Sirius turned to Harry and placed both hands on his Godson's shoulders. "We have to de-brief our two newest members, you go back to your room and go for a lie down. We're going to Diagon Alley tommorow."
"But I want in Sirius!" Harry protested. "I want to do it with you!"
"I know, I would let you in if it was my choice-but it's not." Sirius assured his godson. "It's Dumbledore's. He wants you alive and out of harms way."
"I'm getting the impression that he wants me as far away from the action as possible." Harry muttered darkly as he departed from Sirius's presense.
When he made it up to the room he shared with Ron, he found that not only was Ron up, but also all of the Weasley's and Hermione perching themselves on anything they could find in the room.
"Harry is the blond as hot as Ron describes?" Fred asked as Ron seemed to flush.
Harry closed the door and shared the information that his godfather had shared with him.
"The blond is Manaia, and she went to Hogwarts with Sirius." This made not only Ron's jaw drop, but also the twins and Ginny's as well. That meant that she was old-when her appearance offered otherwise. Hermione seemed to not pay attention to the conversation, instead reading a dog-eared Hogwarts: A history. "AND Sirius said she used to go out with Snape!"
"Someone touched that slimy git?" Ron blurted. "She's way out of his league, I can't believe it."
"Sirius said it got hot and heavy." Harry shared and the twins pulled a face of utter disgust while Ron slapped his forehead, trying to get the image of Snape having sex out of his head, but it was already traumatising him.
"So Snape's had a girlfriend." Hermione said as she turned the page. "How is that so bad?"
"Hermione, he was hatched not born." Ron said incredilously. "If what Sirius says is true, that means that he's human."
"I don't get it." Hermione glared at Ron.
"It's because your good at Potions." Ron dissmissed. Hermione huffed.
"Did Sirius say anything else about Manaia?" Fred asked, bypassing his brother's argument with Hermione. "Like she's single."
"I don't think she's going to do cradle snatching Fred." Ron scoffed.
"At least I'm legal little brother." Fred said to Ron with a grin. "And anyway, its worth a try, I like the older women."
"Wrong." Ginny spat. "Absolutely wrong."
"Anyway, sun's nearly up and we need to get ready for Diagon Alley." George said as he pulled his brother away from traumatising his younger siblings and apparated away.
"He likes cougers. Oh my gosh." Ginny said. When she departed Harry shared the more important information he got from Sirius.
"Manaia was recruited by Voldermort." Harry whispered, wary of Fred and George's ability to seek out information. "Sirius said Dumbledore said that she should."
"Thats interesting, why then does he want her back?" Ron said.
"Two operatives are better than one." The voice of the brunette, Kitara said. Ron jumped and even Hermione looked up. "Pairs make it easy to collect information. Anyway, Mrs Weasley asked me to get you for breakfast."
"Who are you?" Ron questioned.
"My name is Kitara." Kitara replied solidly. "Now breakfast. Your mother was very strict on that."
-
Authors Note:
All Harry Potter specific disclaimers are placed on this fanfic.
And I wonder what wizards really have for breakfast. Hm.
