Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. does…
A/N: ACK! Plot bunnies!
Unexpected Comfort
The flames flickered in the hearth, licking the dark logs jumbled together. The cold bite of winter filled the air, struggling against the fire's warmth. A comfort to some and none to others… Harry Potter was among the others.
He was curled up in his favorite squishy armchair, unaware of the empty common room surrounding him. A photo album lay open, resting on the chair's arm. His green eyes reflected the fire, crackling merrily. But he did not see the red flames. He saw long dark matted hair, surrounding a grinning face. It was sunken but its twinkling dark eyes and its large smile brightened it. The face belonged to Sirius Black.
Harry thought of Sirius every day, reliving the memories and pondering. Pondering what would happen if he hadn't gone to the Department of Mysteries…if he had gone to Snape first…if he had used the mirror…
His heart slowly became heavier as every painful memory flashed through his head. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared down at the album. Sirius smiled at him, waving wildly. Harry touched his godfather but felt the glossy paper. He picked it up and clutched it in his hand.
Harry rested his head on the chair, tears dropping from his eyes. Crying himself to sleep…with no comfort like every other night.
The stars twinkled brightly this night, illuminating the dark skies. The lake reflected the moon, shimmering. Shooting stars flew by, grazing the heavens. Beautiful to everyone, peaceful to some. Hermione Granger watched.
She was sitting by the window, listening carefully to the soft snores around her. A piece of parchment rested in her lap and a quill in her hand. She scratched her Astronomy essay onto the parchment, glancing at the heavens. The stars reflected in her hazel eyes, glittering brilliantly.
Hermione opened her Astronomy book, allowing the pages to fall at random. She looked at the book, her eyes skimming through the words. Sirius. Her eyes stopped, distracted at the word. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky--she looked up.
Sirius Black. He was a friend, rash and wise. His dark matted hair and his sunken face reflected the many years he spent in Azkaban. But when a smile crossed his face, he shone brightly like the star. Like the star, Sirius…
Hermione peered around, searching…until she saw Sirius. The brightest star in the sky… She waved at it, half expecting to see a shadow of a dog to wave back. A shooting star shot across the sky.
She sighed and closed her Astronomy book. Her heart heavy, she slipped out of the dormitory, clutching a blanket close to her. The cold winter air gnawed at her skin as she emerged from the staircase. The fire crackled in the hearth, illuminating the common room. Empty… Hermione walked to the armchairs and stopped suddenly.
Harry slept on his favorite chair, his photo album on his lap. She smiled sadly at him and looked down at the floor where a picture lay, face down. She leaned down and picked it up, flipping it over. A young Sirius smiled at her merrily, waving.
He saw her waving and he was waving back… Waving back with a large smile on his face… She looked at Harry and sighed. Gently, she unfolded her blanket and laid it on him. Carefully, she sat near his feet, watching the flames.
The water pitcher glimmered near the window, the shadows of trees cast on the grounds. A cold winter wind howled through the open crack, blowing gently at the heavy velvet curtains of a four poster bed. Ron Weasley ambled for the water pitcher.
He wore his pajamas, a size too small. The pants hung above his ankles. His fiery red hair was tousled, illuminated by the moon. He leaned over to pour the sparkling water into a glass. Gulping down the water, he stared absentmindedly through the window.
The Whomping Willow's gnarled branches caught his eye. A fleeting shadow crossed its roots. He leaned closer, watching the shadow that disappeared as quickly as it came. It was a strangely familiar shape of a dog… It suddenly reminded him of a dog named Padfoot. A human named Sirius Black…
Ron saw the bear-like dog, climbing eagerly up the mountain near Hogsmeade. The dog sniffing Harry's bag eagerly, smelling food… The dog lengthening into a tall man with dark matted hair and a sunken, unshaven face…
He set down his glass and looked around. Uncomfortable, he crept past the beds and slipped out of the dormitory. He walked down the staircase, spotting the fire illuminating the empty common room. He made way for the armchairs when he saw Harry curled up on his favorite chair. A photo album was in his lap, and a blanket covered his shoulders.
Ron then looked down on the floor, below Harry's feet. Hermione lay there, her hand on a picture. He squinted at the picture and made out Sirius, waving and smiling. He sighed and pulled up a chair beside Harry. He carefully took off his glasses and laid them on the pages of the album. Ron sighed and leaned on the unoccupied part of the chair's arm, staring at the picture underneath Hermione's hand.
Darkness lifted from him. He felt strangely revived and opened his eyes. Everything was blurry and Harry realized someone took off his glasses. Groping around, he found them resting on the album. He slipped them on and sat up. A blanket slipped off his shoulder. How did it get there? He looked down and saw Hermione, sleeping on the floor. Her hand lay on Sirius's picture. He then looked beside him and saw Ron laying on the chair's arm, sitting in a wooden chair.
The remaining embers of the fire glowed in the hearth and no warmth filled the room. But strangely enough, Harry felt warmth spread through him. A different emotion filled him. He was…happy.
Ron stirred next to him and looked sleepily at him. "Hey, mate," he yawned.
Hermione sat up, looking dazed. "Hi, Harry," she said.
Harry gave a genuine smile and suddenly hugged the two. "Thanks," he said gratefully.
Hermione and Ron looked at each other and then at Harry. "What are best friends for?" they said together.
A/N: Please review!