1995

Rain pounded against the windows of number 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry watched as the water cascaded down the glass, tracing one of the rain drops as if they were in competition with the others.

It had been a few days since he had arrived at Headquarters. He found solace in one of the empty rooms as he was still a bit miffed about having been ignored all summer. Though Ron and Hermione were under strict instructions from Dumbledore not to contact him, he couldn't help but hold it against them. It wouldn't have been the first time they disobeyed the Headmaster, and it wouldn't be the last. Harry needed his friends more than ever this summer and they disappeared on him.

Harry sighed and laid his head against the cold window. Not a moment later, he lifted it again and peered outside. There was a cloaked figure standing there, staring at the space that otherwise would be occupied by 12 Grimmauld place. But, that's impossible, Harry thought. The house was under the Fidelius charm and therefore invisible to all outsiders.

As if the cloaked figure knew they were being watched, they looked up directly into the window where Harry sat. He quickly ducked out of view, but then laughed at himself. He was being stupid, they couldn't see him. He got back up to see what they were up to but found that they had vanished. An eerie feeling sat on Harry's chest. The logical thing to do would be to tell someone immediately, but no one would believe him. These days, they never did.

Harry eventually made his way back downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was desperately trying to get this place cleaned up and she had all the kids pitching in. It hadn't been inhabited since Sirius' mother had passed away, and Sirius had done nothing to tidy it up in the year he had been here. Only the house-elf, Kreacher, had been present, and he wasn't much help.

On his way down, he happened to step on a particularly loud, creaky stair. Four red heads, and one bushy haired girl snapped their heads back with their fingers to their lips. The Weasley siblings and Hermione Granger turned back to the scene that was transpiring down below between Mrs. Weasley and an unknown woman.

Harry bent down beside Ginny and leaned closer to her, wanting to whisper in her ear. She felt his breath creeping down her back and turned towards him, their faces only millimeters apart. She looked back down at her hands, red creeping onto her face that almost rivaled her hair.

"Who's that your mum's talking to?" Harry finally mustered out.

"Dunno, just got here" Ginny replied, still not looking at him.

"Was she wearing a cloak when she came in?" Harry questioned. Hermione turned back to him giving him a confused look. She chose not to answer, and simply shushed him again. Harry decided to keep the rest of his questions to himself, turning his attention down to the two women.

The strange woman was beautiful, to say the least, though that wasn't evident in the moment. She had short black curly hair that clung to her face due to the rain from outside. Her hazel eyes, that were usually warm and inviting, were clouded with worry partnered with the bags that sat beneath them. The clothes that usually hugged her curvy figure hung on her body that once was. She had barely eaten in weeks.

Molly rushed to get a towel and blanket to drape over the woman that was shaking from head to toe. Her teeth started to chatter as she moved from one foot to the other. She craved nothing more than a long hot shower and some warm clothes. When Molly came back with the supplies, she embraced the woman in one of her infamous hugs.

"It's good to see you again, Gwendolyn" Molly proclaimed, as she pulled away from the hug.

"I almost didn't come. I wasn't sure that he wanted to see me." The woman looked down with a look of embarrassment.

"Which one, dear?"

"Well both, really. I wouldn't blame them."

"Who is she talking about?" Harry asked. Once again, he was shushed.

He was tired of sitting in the shadows waiting for answers. He was going to go down there and get them himself. Harry stood up and made his way down once again, despite everyone's protests. Gwendolyn looked up at the noise, locking eyes with Harry as he stood on the steps in view of the women.

Mrs. Weasley turned around when she realized the woman's attention was no longer on her. "Harry, dear. I was wondering where you were. Why don't you go wait in the kitch –" Mrs. Weasley was cut off as Gwendolyn pushed past her, making her way towards Harry.

She looked him up and down, side to side, taking all of him in. She couldn't believe the sight in front of her. She slowly outstretched her hand towards Harry's left cheek. He was rather tall and the fact that they stood on different steps didn't help. Harry stood there in shock, not sure of what to do. This strange woman was caressing his cheek, staring at him as though he was some sort of artifact. The look he was used to, but definitely not the touching.

As she placed her hand on his cheek, her other hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes were starting to glass over and she struggled to repress her crying. She removed her hand from her mouth to speak, but kept the other on Harry's cheeks. "You look – well you look just like – "

Harry cut her off, knowing what she was going to say. He had heard it a million times. "Like my father but with my mothers eyes, yeah I know. Did you know my parents?" Harry asked abruptly. His patience with the stranger was wearing thin.

"Oh no Harry, not at all. I mean of course you look like your father, the obvious parts at least. But no, you look so much like Lily. Lovely Lily. The creases in your forehead when you get testy with someone, especially." The woman chuckled to herself. Harry was growing wearier of this stranger. She hadn't answered his question so he repeated it. "Well yes, I did. I – well, I – um" Gwendolyn struggled with her words, but luckily she was saved by a new presence in the entrance hall.

Sirius Black stood at the foot of the stairs looking around at Molly with tears in her eyes, and the kids huddled up on the stairs. Everyone's eyes were on Harry, but Sirius was oblivious and paid no mind to the woman with her hands on his Godson's cheek.

"Well, come on now, get to work before Molly beats us all with a broom." Sirius said.

Gwendolyn went stiff at the sound of his voice. She didn't even need to turn around to know who that was. The voice was all too familiar to her. Nonetheless, she lowered her hand from Harry's face and turned to face the man.

Sirius had a smile on his face looking around at the kids. He so appreciated the company. But the second he came face to face with Gwendolyn, he too went stiff. Gwendolyn slowly descended the stairs, step by step. When she came toe to toe with Sirius, she threw her arms around his neck and cried, whispering apologies into his shoulder. Sirius stood stiff for just a moment longer until he finally registered what was happening. He wrapped his arms around the woman and nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing her in. This was the smell that encompassed his teenage years. The smell he thought of in his darkest periods to remind him of his happiest times. The smell he longed to wake up to every morning. The smell that came to him when he stood in front of a batch of amorentia.

Sirius had dreamt of this smell for the past 13 years.