-*.*.*-
Title: Black Demon
Summary: "Please," he whispered in her ear, mocking her. "Please." And she couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time he's ever said please before, even if he was just making fun of her. Sirius/Ginny
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.
-*.*.*-
He blinked and everything around him changed. Sirius had been dreaming, dreaming of a beautiful woman with hair that shifted between red and orange and gold in the light, a woman with large brown eyes that took absolutely none of his shit, a woman who could make him laugh. She had been laid out before him, smiling, her body bare. There were no defensive walls up between them; they were simply being each other.
Sirius had been relaxed and happy and it had been as he was walking towards her that the room began to darken. And when he closed his eyes for only a second he left one place and entered another. Ginny was no longer before him.
Goosebumps rose as Sirius breathed sharply in surprise. It was dark here but light streamed in from random spots in the ceiling. Looking around, he wasn't sure whether he would have preferred complete darkness or not. There was statues everywhere, statues of snakes, and they seemed to move as though dancing. Sirius stepped towards one of the statues, his hand stretched out. It couldn't be real, it had to be what he believed it was, just stone. But it was hypnotizing staring at it as it danced. He had never liked snakes much but he had never feared them. They existed and he existed. In an odd way they reminded him of Regulus.
Not looking where he was walking he stumbled into a puddle. The water was freezing, sending shocks upward, and Sirius lurched forward, falling into the snake. His palm laid flat against the stone and he felt slight relief when the stone beneath his flesh didn't move. It wasn't real.
"Where the fuck am I?" he muttered, leaning against the wall.
It was a chamber of some type. A chamber filled with snakes and puddles. Sirius' toes curled; he wasn't wearing shoes or socks and the chill of the water seemed to be moving through him like a curse. Rubbing his hands up and down his arms to try to combat the feeling of helplessness that washed over him, Sirius stepped away from the wall.
This was just a dream. A twisted dream, to be sure, that seemed to be bordering on a nightmare but nonetheless this wasn't real. He breathed out as he repeated that thought in his head. There was something about this place that seemed wicked, as if someone were watching him from the shadows. Closing his eyes, Sirius listened.
There was dripping somewhere in the distant that echoed throughout the chamber. But that was all he could hear.
He was missing something. He couldn't make the connection. But he knew there was a connection, he knew if he just thought on it long enough… For whatever season, it seemed vital that Sirius figure out where his dreams had taken him.
A chamber. A chamber with snakes. He was in a chamber.
Harsh breathing suddenly caught his attention and Sirius opened his eyes. In the shadows there was someone else; he had been right. Leaving his safe haven, Sirius began towards the sound. The shadows enveloped him like a cloak and his chest constricted. The feeling of uneasy continued to grow but it didn't stop him from trying to find the source of breathing. It wasn't until he was almost upon the small child did he realize there was even someone there. The child was huddled against the wall as though a part of it. He held back a shout as he fell away, his fingers scratching painfully against the stone as he tried to catch himself.
When he righted himself, Sirius looked down at his hand in surprise. He was bleeding and, fuck, it hurt. Turning his hand, he watched the blood race from his fingertips to the palm of his hand. Glancing up, Sirius eyed the child.
The child didn't seem to notice his noise. Still huddled against the wall, the child remained frozen. Sirius took a long moment to steady his breathing. Memories of Order missions, of running into muggle houses and finding children- alive and scared or dead and mutilated- crowded his mind and he closed his eyes again. When the child whimpered suddenly, the sound loud in his ears, he forced himself to focus. This was only a dream.
Sirius approached cautiously and spoke.
"'Ello there?"
The child's head snapped up. It was a girl. She was in a white nightgown that was soaked at the bottom from a puddle she must have fallen in. And she was shaking violently, her thin shoulders rising and falling at an alarming speed. Her wide eyes took him in then squeezed shut, as if she could block him out that easy. It was her hair, though, that gave her away. Red and curly, a tangled mess that seemed to be the only real color in this chamber.
Ginny.
And it clicked as soon as he saw her. A chamber with snakes.
"You know about the Chamber of Secrets. You know about Tom Riddle."
A chill raced up his back and he took another look around the chamber. So this was the place where it had all happened, this was where Ginny had almost died, where that monster had tried to take her very soul. Sirius' eyes lingered on the shadows across the way. Was Tom Riddle here somewhere, watching, waiting?
Turning back to the young girl, Sirius felt his heart twist.
"Ginny?"
Her eyes snapped open at her name and she looked up at him warily.
Holy shit, he was right. This wasn't a dream of his. It wasn't a memory of his. This was more than that. It wasn't his at all, it was hers. It was Ginny's. Sirius could almost feel the magic, the darkness, of this place as though it were real. And it was real, wasn't it? To Ginny. He was in her dream. He had to be, it wouldn't make sense any other way. He had never seen the Chamber of Secrets, he hadn't even known Ginny when she was this young. And yet here he was and there she was, still staring at him with eyes that didn't seem to truly believe he was there.
The blood bond.
It had to be the blood bond, their connection. It had to be why she wanted to go home tonight. Right? Because here he was. Sirius was in Ginny's dream.
"Fuck," he muttered.
And she was just a scared child, looking more lost than he thought imaginable. Sirius took another step closer to her before squatting so they were eyelevel. Being this close to her, he took in all the details he couldn't make out before. Her tiny fingers were dug into the wall as though she had been clawing at it; her fingertips were red and bleeding just as his were. He could clearly see the pale skin of her feet that were resting in a puddle of water. Her lips were chapped, skin peeled; she must have been chewing on them for ages.
"Ginny, darling," he said softly. "It's me. Sirius."
She sucked in a deep breath and it sounded painful, as though it was her last breath before death.
"Sirius. Sirius."
Ginny shook her head.
"You're here."
Sirius smiled encouragingly but didn't move closer to her. She looked like a feral animal caught in a trap. And he had a good feeling that if he didn't approach this situation with caution she would bolt from him and into danger.
"Hey there," he said when she didn't speak again.
Brown eyes darted away from him and looked behind him, searching the shadows just as he had moments before. She sucked in another breath.
"Why are you here? You shouldn't be here. Sirius, he'll find you."
Sirius frowned and glanced behind him but saw nothing. There was nothing there that could account for the fear in young Ginny's eyes.
"Please leave. I don't want you to get hurt. This is all my fault, I did this, I brought him back. And he'll never leave me, he won't, and I can't-"
She began to sob but was rushing to stand. He stood with her, fighting the temptation to help her stand when it was clear she was unsteady on her feet. Sirius had never seen Ginny this little before; she had always been smaller than him but now she stood less than halfway up his chest. How old had she been when this had all happened? Young, Sirius remembered Harry telling him. Very young.
Ginny pushed his shoulders hard and he jolted back to attention.
"Leave. Leave. Sirius, leave."
"Ginny, this is a nightmare. You're going to wake up from this. There's no need to be afraid."
But she was shaking her head.
"Sirius, Tom is here-"
It was as though she announced him. A low chuckle echoed throughout the chamber and Ginny tensed, her hands dropping. She stepped back against the wall, her breath caught, her skin losing any color it had momentarily gained.
Another shiver raced through Sirius as the sound of something large and heavy, gliding over stone, filled his ears. There was a soft hissing and he had to close his eyes, to take a moment to remember this wasn't real. It was just a nightmare. This was some twisted memory of Ginny's that Sirius was somehow a part of. But this was not real.
Breathing out, Sirius opened his eyes and reached for Ginny. She was cold to the touch but Sirius gently gripped her small arm. Ginny didn't struggle against his touch. If anything her eyes seemed to grow brighter. Staring at him, she seemed to realize herself.
"What are you doing here?" she breathed out, her eyebrows furrowed.
"This isn't real," he responded with a careless shrug.
Or it would have been careless if there wasn't a sudden tugging from somewhere within. He glanced down at himself, confused, before the tugging became more insistent. And then his body was lifted and tossed aside thoughtlessly, as though he were a child's doll. Sirius shouted as he flew from Ginny and slammed into the ground far away from her. His head hit the stone hard and his vision grew blurry.
Lifting himself up on an elbow, with a hand to his head, Sirius saw Ginny across the chamber. She was running to him, tiny in the darkness, and he could hear her yelling his name.
"Sirius! Sirius! Sirius, I'm coming!"
But then she stopped calling to him. Sirius struggled to his feet and his vision swam before him. Squeezing his eyes shut, this isn't real, he fought to gain control of his body. When he opened his eyes, he saw a tall figure step out of the shadows. Ginny was no longer running to him. Instead she had fallen to the ground, her attention on the boy walking towards her.
He was just a boy, just some snot nose kid, but it didn't stop Ginny from crying as he approached her. Anger flooded his body and a protectiveness Sirius hadn't felt in ages filled him.
"Ginny, it's okay!" Sirius tried to yell but his tongue was thick and heavy.
Everything in front of him was beginning to spin and he couldn't walk anymore. He was about to faint.
"Oh, do leave us be, will you?"
Sirius growled at the suave voice of Tom Riddle but everything went black before he could do anything else.
-*.*.*-
Clink, clink, clink.
She couldn't stop.
Ron let out an exaggerated sigh as he sat across from her at the table. It caught her attention and she concentrated on her brother. Blue met brown and she could see the concern brewing in them. She ignored it and continued tapping her fork against the empty plate before her.
Clink, clink, clink.
Harry glanced over his shoulder at her and she could feel the weight of his gaze. He had told her once that he wished he could read her mind. It would be fascinating, he had said, to know every little thought that went through that head of hers. Ginny knew he was wishing he had that power now. She was sure that Ron, Hermione, and Harry were all wishing for that power.
And who could blame them? Ginny had barely glanced at herself when she had fled the Burrow, a whirlwind of parchment and cursing. Her hair was barely contained in the braid she had slept in. She could feel the sagging skin underneath her eyes, dark from nightmares. And her eyes, bloodshot and dry, remained unfocused.
She waited.
Clink, clink, clink.
"Bloody hell, Ginny!" Ron exploded.
He reached across the table and snatched the fork out of her hand.
"Trying to drive us all insane, are you?" he snapped, putting her fork down on his side of the table. "What's going on with you?"
Ginny took a deep breath. She hadn't discussed much with Ron or Harry on her theory about blood bonds. Perhaps Hermione had filled them in. Glancing over at the older witch, she saw Hermione hastily putting toast on a plate. Perhaps she hadn't filled them in at all. Harry was still so sensitive to Sirius' return that Hermione, who was always so cautious with Harry's feelings, likely hadn't wanted to upset him anymore than necessary. Or maybe she had told them.
She shook her head. Her brain was muddled. Last night had changed everything. Her nightmare about the chamber, it had happened again. But this time had been different. She had been right, her theory had been right, everything that Hermione and Ginny had hypnotized was right. The blood bond was there.
"Sorry," she responded.
Ron's eyebrows lifted, alarm growing. He was always loud and rough when he worried over Ginny. It was simply his nature as her older, awkward brother.
"Toast!" Hermione declared, dropping the plate full of bread in front of Ron.
He took a piece, grabbing the jam on the table, but it didn't distract him enough for him to look away from Ginny.
Reaching into her pocket, Ginny pulled out the piece of parchment that had been delivered to her before she fell asleep. It was good seeing you today. Sirius had written that in his sloppy handwriting, his way of saying goodnight, of showing his appreciation that they were no longer fighting. She hadn't heard from him yet today and he was late to the breakfast date they had planned with Ron, Hermione, and Harry.
That wasn't helping her thought process either. Every time she rejoiced over the fact that she was right she felt doubt creep in. Where was Sirius? Didn't he want to see her as badly as she wanted to see him? There was so much to discuss. She shouldn't have even come to breakfast. She should've gone straight to Andromeda's house and met up with him in the privacy of his own room. But the only clear thought she had had when she woke up today was she didn't want to scare Teddy, sweet Teddy, like how she was now scaring the trio in front of her.
Clenching the small note in her hand, stealing comfort from in, Ginny sighed. Where was Sirius?
"Here."
Two pieces of toast, already coated with butter and jam, were put on a plate in front of her. Harry stared at her, uncertain. At some point he had taken the seat beside her.
"He'll be here soon," Harry said and took her hand, still holding the parchment, in his.
"Harry," she whispered, his name falling strangled from her lips.
His bright eyes stared at her, warm and friendly in a way that made her miss him, and she wondered how he could still be so good after everything that had happened to him and to her and to them together. An owl tapped at the kitchen window and Hermione rushed to let it in. Feathers flew everywhere as the owl landed roughly next to Ron and he cursed.
"Bloody hell!"
Ginny leaned close to Harry. There had always been something about the man in front of her that she couldn't explain that drew them together. It hadn't worked out, not in the way she had wanted, but there were still memories there that would never disappear. A friendship.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Ginny asked softly.
Harry tilted his head. Ron was attempting to get the letter off the-bloody-owl's leg. Someone was calling for Hermione from the living room fireplace; Ginny saw a head in the flames but it wasn't Sirius so it didn't hold her attention for long.
"Ginny, I just want you both to be happy," Harry responded. "Together or separate. And… I know there's more going on than just some relationship. But it's okay. It really is-"
"Oh, hell!"
Ginny and Harry both looked up in surprise. Because it hadn't been Ron who cursed but Hermione. The woman darted into the kitchen, frantic, just as Ron stood up from his seat in surprise.
"What-"
Harry released Ginny's hand and snatched the letter out of Ron's hands.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked.
"They just can't leave something be, can they?" Hermione snapped, hands on her hips. "Have to stick their noses in everything!"
"Well," Ron began, falling into Harry's seat beside her. "Looks like the gig is up."
He took a bite of her toast, scrunched his nose when he tasted the butter, and took another bite.
"-knew I should've kept getting the Prophet. I knew I'd want to see what they were scheming at some point-"
"We knew something like this would happen," Harry reasoned to Hermione.
Ginny watched Ron finish her toast in one more bite, feeling dazed. What was going on?
"Mum wrote me," Ron told her. "Said to make sure you were okay."
Ron stared at her a long moment before shrugging.
"Shouldn't have brought him to the Ministry," Hermione said with a huff. "Too many people were there. Kingsley said someone leaked something to the Prophet."
"You asked me to bring him there!" Harry said helplessly. "And Sirius was acting so weird around me-"
"What are you talking about?"
Harry and Hermione turned to look at her. Hermione flushed high in her cheeks and Harry groaned, his head falling into his hands. Eyebrows furrowing, Ginny looked between the two. Ron finished her other piece of toast.
"The Prophet got a hold of your whirlwind romance with Sirius," Ron finally explained.
He snatched the letter back from Harry and put it in front of Ginny. It was from her mum, short and sweet for once. Keep an eye on Ginny, the Prophet's front page story is about Sirius and Ginny, they weren't kind. Were they ever kind?
"You brought him to the Ministry," Ginny slowly said. "Sirius. Let's start there."
Harry cleared his throat.
"Hermione asked me to."
Ginny looked to Hermione. Hermione threw her hands in the air.
"You both were miserable. We," Here Hermione pointed to Harry and Ron. "Had decided we want you two to be happy, separate or together, and you weren't. So I asked Harry to bring Sirius to the Ministry while you were researching in my office. You're both so stubborn-"
"Ha!" Ron snorted.
"Ron, really."
"So," Harry picked up. "I brought Sirius to the Ministry. And the Prophet snatched up the story. Sirius, brought back from the dead. You…"
"Harry's ex," Hermione finished when Harry began to stutter. "You're a war hero in your own right but you are Harry's ex."
Putting a hand to her forehead, Ginny stared at her friends. The Prophet had picked up Sirius and Ginny's romance? Sirius and Ginny who had been fooling around in Hermione's office before she returned. Had anyone heard them? Did that matter? The more important part, Ginny supposed, was that if anyone dug into the reason she was using Hermione's office in the Ministry they'd find out more information than Ginny would want them to.
She had always hated the idea of people peering into her life. As the youngest child of seven, and the only girl, Ginny felt like she was constantly questioned on who she was and what she wanted to be. Though she never shied away from the attention of outsiders, especially when it came to Quidditch or her personal opinion, she had never appreciated the nosiness. During her time with Harry she had experienced even more pressure from the outside world to let them in.
And now, with Sirius, it seemed to be happening again.
"Who were you talking to in the other room, Hermione?" Ginny asked warily.
"Kingsley. He was quite angry when he saw the Prophet this morning, wanted to make sure you were okay. Said he can't stop the publication of the paper, for obvious reasons, but that he'd try to find the leak."
"Do they know about the blood bonds?" Ginny groaned.
"They're making plenty of wild theories, I'm sure. None will hold though."
Hermione twisted her hands in front of her.
"Are you okay?" Hermione said, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder as she stared at Ginny.
Ginny sighed before scrubbing at her face with her hands. Ron looked on, bemused, before Ginny stood abruptly from her seat.
"Haven't read the article yet, have I? But it won't affect anything, not really. I need to talk to Sirius. And I need to read the paper."
-*.*.*-
The Burrow was her only safe haven. After the war, and after the swarm of annoying reporters looking for a special interview with the heroes, more than enough protective charms had been placed around her childhood home to make sure no one could get in who wasn't wanted. Though the charms hadn't been used in full force in many months by the time Ginny got back to the Burrow they were activated. With Ron and Hermione at her side, Ginny sat on the couch and read the Prophet.
Her mum had been quick to make tea and begin making some breakfast since it had gone south at Ron's flat. Harry had gone off to Andromeda's instead of heading to the Burrow, apparently Sirius was still there hiding from the reporters, so Ginny didn't feel too bad screaming in frustration when she read the article. Someone had sold them out. There was a picture of them at the café where they had had dinner the night before. There were quotes from unknown sources about her extensive research at the Ministry and did it have anything to do with the sudden reappearance of Sirius Black, wrongfully accused convict and godfather of Harry Potter, who looked twenty years younger than before his "death" in the Department of Mysteries?
Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder once he finished the article, always a slower reader than Hermione or Ginny, and hugged her close.
"It's not too bad," he reasoned.
She didn't have enough energy to glare.
"Sirius deserves better than this," Ginny muttered. "He has so much on his plate already."
She wished he had never gone to the Ministry. Even as her heart twisted at the thought, because yesterday had been so great, she knew it was true. It was better for them to keep fighting than to deal with the gossip and curious gazes of all the witches and wizards dense enough to read the Prophet. And it was a sensitive topic that Ginny was still trying to figure out- was she the cause of Sirius returning?
"You deserve better than this too, dear."
Her mum placed a plate of food in Ginny's hands, giving her a stern look.
"He's not the only injured party," her mum continued.
"Mum," Ginny groaned.
She wanted to say more but the smell of the food, eggs and toast and ham and sausage, stopped her. Grabbing the fork, Ginny shoveled food into her mouth at a speed that would rival Ron.
"Where's my plate?" Ron asked, getting up from the couch and following his mum into the kitchen.
Hermione pursed her lips from her seat in the armchair.
"Another nightmare last night?"
Ginny slowed her eating before nodding.
"It was different this time."
Leaning forward, elbows on her knees, Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"Sirius… he was there. He was in my dream. It was him. And Sirius had never been there before. No one was in the chamber except me and…" Ginny trailed off, her voice scratchy.
Her mind whirled at the implications and she could see Hermione thinking hard on it too.
"Are you sure?" Hermione seemed to regret asking the question, not wanting to doubt Ginny when she was clearly in a fragile state, but Ginny didn't mind. "You could have just been thinking of him, he could have just manifested because you had just seen him."
It was true. It could have been her own imagination that put Sirius there. But she was so sure- almost completely positive- that it was really Sirius. She could still remember the confusion and caution on his face when she had looked up and truly seen him. She had begun to awake from the nightmare. Sirius had been a wrench thrown into Tom's scheme. So Tom had attacked him.
She shivered before concentrating on her food. Hermione sat in silence, her eyes glazed as she worked out something in that brainy head of hers. The sound of her mum and Ron chatting in the kitchen became distant as Ginny's eyes unfocused.
She needed a good night of rest. She needed to talk to Kingsley. She needed to see Sirius.
-*.*.*-
Her dreams were a rush of colors and sounds. Ginny felt hardly rested when her eyes opened but, not realizing she had even fallen asleep on the couch, she supposed it was better than nothing. The empty plate of food had been taken from her hands at some point and Hermione was no longer perched in the seat across from her. Sitting up slowly, feeling a rush of blood to her head, Ginny took a second before glancing around.
The Burrow was quiet.
She knew her mum was here somewhere. But it was possible that Ron and Hermione had left. Perhaps they had gone to Andromeda's without her. Worry began to nip her at the thought that she was being left out because they thought she was in too weak a state when she smelt it.
Cigarette smoke.
Curious, Ginny headed through the kitchen and pushed open the back door.
And there he was.
Sirius turned at the sound, his eyes shadowed, cigarette hanging from his lips.
He looked troubled but she supposed she looked the same. Taking the cigarette from his mouth, Sirius opened his arms wide for her, needing to say nothing. Ginny's frown fought to become a smile and she stumbled to him. Her body sagged against his and she breathed in deep. Sirius was real and here.
"Morning," he grumbled.
Ginny looked up at him.
"Morning," she repeated.
She stepped away and he flicked his cigarette into the yard. Her mum would kill him if she had seen that. Rubbing his hands together, Sirius took a quick step to her and swooped down. His lips dusted against hers, warm and familiar and seeking comfort, and Ginny sighed against them. When he pulled back she went in for more but he stopped her.
"Your mum won't like that," Sirius warned, only slightly joking.
Ginny almost pouted but instead leaned into him, her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beat, steady and reliable.
"Sirius? Last night, did you-"
"Yes." A pause. "I was there. I saw everything."
A weight lifted and Ginny closed her eyes.
"I didn't know it had been like that for you," he continued softly. "I want to fix it."
It was his way of apology for what had happened to her. What was still happening to her every night.
"There's a reason I was in your dream last night. And you know it, don't you? You thought that would happen, didn't you? Ginny?"
He pulled away from her, keeping a grip on her arms, and she jolted when she realized she had almost fallen asleep against him. Sirius lowered his head to get a good look at her.
"Are you okay?"
The concern in his voice was sharp.
"Ginny?"
She shook her head to try to clear it.
"I'm exhausted," she admitted. "I haven't slept in a week. I just want everything to be okay. Were there reporters at Andromeda's?"
Sirius frowned at her change of subject but nodded nonetheless.
"Swarms of them."
His fingers ghosted across her face and she glanced up at him.
"We're fixing this tonight. We're going to figure it out tonight, okay?"
-*.*.*-
The reporters didn't leave Andromeda's house so Harry brought her and Teddy to the Burrow for dinner. Ginny's mum was more than pleased for the company; she especially loved little Teddy and his rambunctious nature. Molly Weasley would always be a mother hen, whether to a child of her own blood or a child of another's. Ron and Hermione, who hadn't left the Burrow but rather up in Ron's childhood room, joined the group as soon as they heard the noise downstairs. Arthur Weasley arrived before dinner was being cooked, his expression kind as he eyed his daughter.
The Burrow was full with life and it seemed so right.
Ginny watched from her post at the entrance of the kitchen as Molly and Andromeda cooked. The older women chatted happily together, any bother about the reporters gone now that they were safe in their own cocoon. At the kitchen table Sirius and Hermione sat. Hermione cupped a mug of tea in her hands, sipping from it every once in a while as she giggled at stories Sirius told her. Sirius seemed to burst with energy, his hands flailing as he reenacted a conversation that took place between the Marauders over twenty years ago- but to him, it likely seemed only yesterday.
Twisting in her spot, Ginny glanced over the main room. Ron had Teddy in his lap on the floor, a board set out for Wizards' Chess. The pieces were thrown about the carpet, yelling in anger at their state, but Ron ignored them. Instead he was taking the time to pick the mess up piece by piece, showing Teddy who each character was and telling him what they meant to the game. Some pieces were being kinder to the little boy than others, though Teddy's bright eyes never wavered. Harry was lounging on the one side of the couch talking to Arthur. Ginny could only see the back of his head but she could see her father's face. She watched as he patted Harry's hand after Harry said something, laughter bubbling in his throat.
When dinner began Ginny sat beside Sirius. The table was filled the brim; Teddy sat on Harry's lap, Ron had barely any room on the table to keep his plate, and Ginny's leg was almost on top of Sirius'. No one seemed to mind. Everyone laughed and chatted and Ginny hadn't felt this awake in a long time.
Every time her arm brushed Sirius' she felt sparks.
And when dinner was done the younger adults shooed the older adults away and Teddy out of the kitchen. It was a beautiful summer night if you had a sweater on and so the older group went outside as the other group got to cleaning. Hermione and Harry seemed content to wash the dishes by hand so the rest of the group fell into the rhythm of discarding any scraps in the trash before piling the dishes beside the sink. Harry and Hermione would clean and rinse them then Ron, with the easiest job of all, would dry them and put them away.
It was when Ginny yawned, quite loudly, that Hermione turned curious eyes to her.
"Do you believe tonight will be like last night?"
Ginny stilled, several dirty goblets in her grip. Sirius, who had been piling up some dishes by Hermione, turned to face her.
He tilted his head, allowing her to answer. She had never given him the response he craved earlier in the backyard, whether she knew that was going to happen the night before or not. After all everything had only been a guess, though she had been so sure. But had Ginny guessed that Sirius would somehow end up in her dream?
"Yes," she responded.
"So he was in your dream?" Ron asked, incredulous. "Sirius was really there?"
Ginny nodded, only slightly surprised that Ron knew about what happened, as Sirius responded, "Indeed."
"Wicked," Ron muttered.
Then his face began to burn.
"Actually that sounds a bit horrifying. Sorry, Gin."
Ron's eyes darted to Hermione, imagining if his girlfriend were to really be in one of his dreams, then back to Ginny. His cheeks went from pink to a dark red.
Hermione cleared her throat as Harry smirked.
"I've caught everyone up on everything," Hermione told Ginny uneasily. "I thought the more opinions to get on this the better. There aren't really experts out there on blood bonds, not anymore."
"I'm really sorry, Ginny," Harry said.
Ron nodded in agreement.
Sirius remained silent, watching her. She had only felt uncomfortable under Sirius' gaze a few times before. Now it seemed more a source of comfort. If anything his silence gave her power. He knew she was strong enough and he was letting her show it.
"No one is really sure how to help you though," Hermione said. "It just doesn't make sense. Why would Sirius suddenly appear in your nightmare?"
"A reoccurring nightmare," Ginny added.
"You were both together for months and nothing like this had happened," Harry said, though it sounded more like a question.
When Sirius agreed with him, Harry continued.
"So why start now?"
"They're living separate. They were fighting. And now they're not. So being on good terms with each other is obviously beneficial." Hermione pulled at the ends of her hair as she thought. "When you both lived together Sirius was the one experiencing the trauma. Once he was okay… Now that he's okay… It's your turn."
Ginny set her jaw and crossed her arms. As horrid as that sounded it was also the most accurate statement yet. Hermione and Ginny had discussed the many possibilities that came with sharing a blood bond. They had assumed something odd would occur. And Ginny had had a feeling that it would center around her nightmares, just as Sirius would often see her in his memories when they were living at that house together.
Ron tapped his fingers on the counter of the kitchen. Harry pushed up his glasses as he stared blankly at the kitchen wall. Hermione continued pulling her hair. And Sirius kept his eyes on her. Quiet muttering could be heard from outside; the only thing that could disrupt this group from their thought process.
"You're there to help her." Ron's words were barely heard but everyone perked up.
"Well, yes, Ron," Hermione said impatiently.
He jumped up, his face lighting with realization.
"Sirius is in her dream to help her. To help her with the nightmare. He's there to make sure you're okay."
"That I'm okay?"
"He's there to help you end it," Hermione agreed slowly. "The blood bond. The blood bond is why this is all happening after all. It brought Sirius back and when you weren't on good terms started plaguing you with the nightmares that formed the bond."
The group gradually moved closer to each other.
"We're back on good terms," Ginny said. "Why won't the nightmares stop?"
"Because we need to fight them."
Sirius moved closest to her, filling her vision. His fingers brushed hers.
"We need to fight Tom Riddle. I'm there to help you. But we need to fight him, destroy him, once and for all… together."