Chapter 06 – Walking in the dark
…
The Christmas hols had come, and the timing couldn't have been worse. Not since the last time she'd summoned the angels had she been so exhausted by a spell. Not since Cathedral, had she been so uncertain about things. It seemed fitting she should find herself in church.
It wasn't a large church. She'd been going there since she was a child, as far back as she could remember. It hadn't changed much in that time. She liked that. The comfortable familiarity of it all, it helped her think, and she had much on her mind.
It was a miracle, what she'd done for Arthur Weasley, that much she could understand. It was the involvement of Fawkes that left her feeling conflicted. How he had taught her the spell with his song, and the fact he now seemed to be stalking her.
It wasn't that she thought ill of the phoenix or his intent, but why? Why had he been able to teach her the spell? Where had he learned it? What was the connection between the phoenix and her Clerical magic? She had nothing but questions and nowhere to look for answers.
So there she sat, staring up at the face of a man famous for his miracles. A pity he wasn't there in a more corporeal form, she would have loved to pick his brain on a few topics. Perhaps he could have told her what to do, she certainly didn't know.
"Much on your mind miss Granger?"
The young woman gave a startled squeak as she found herself not alone. Apparently, Harry wasn't the only sneaky bastard out there.
"Did I startle you?" the aged priest grinned.
"No, no just, lost in thought" she stammered with false bravado.
The priest nodded indulgently as he approached the alter, "I often find myself in similar straits. But, by the grace of god, I always find my way eventually. What troubles you?"
So many things, "Just a lot of questions, not enough answers."
"That's usually how it is" the old man said, "One will always have more questions than answers."
How annoyingly true, "Father, have you ever, questioned, your faith?"
"All the time."
His answer surprised her, "But, you're a priest."
"Yes" he agreed, "which means I probably question my faith far more than most."
Hermione did not understand. She knew a thing or two about questioning faith, she'd had a mental breakdown the last time she'd done it.
"You look confused?"
Hermione nodded, she was.
The old priest smile, "I've been around a long time miss Granger. I've seen the very best, and the very worst that mankind has to offer. There have been times I wished nothing more than to throw up my hands and scream 'why God, why'. And there have been times I have seen god, with my very own eyes, move the hardest hearts.
"I question my faith every day miss Granger, and I keep coming back to the same answer."
"What's that?"
"That I will wake up tomorrow and begin the process all over again."
His cheeky smile made her laugh, "Oh really."
"Faith is neither an easy or simple thing. Personally, I don't think it should be. We value things more if we have to work for them."
"Now 'that' I understand" did she ever.
"Seek and ye shall find" the priest said, "they may not come quickly, but they won't come at all if you never bother to look."
How true, she thought, "Thank you Father."
"That's what I'm here for."
Hermione left the church in high spirits. She hadn't found her answers, but she had remembered her purpose. She was Hermione Granger dammit. If she didn't have the answers, she'd find them. That is what she did.
A melodic trill drew her attention and she spotted Fawkes sitting atop the cross at the top of the church.
The phoenix trilled his greeting and Hermione smiled.
"We're going to have to talk about this stalking thing when we get back to Hogwarts" she shouted.
The phoenix looked away, guilty, and Hermione laughed. She turned and walked away as the phoenix began to sing.
"I wonder what Harry's doing?" she thought aloud as Joy to the World rang out overhead.
Harry found himself wondering the same thing of her later that day as he and Sirius admired their handiwork. It was a crude sort of box they'd cobbled together out of scraps. Tacking it to the wall had been the real challenge. Hitting it with the silencing charm afterward had been extremely gratifying.
"I can't believe we never thought to do that before" Harry mused.
"I like to think outside the box" quipped Sirius.
Harry gave his godfather a look "Sirius -ly?"
Sirius looked shocked, "My godson!" he declared proudly.
Harry just shook his head, "What am I going to do with you Snuffles."
The 'man' who suddenly became a dog sat up and begged pathetically. Harry laughed, pushing his dogfather over and rubbing his belly.
"Who's a good dogfather? You are. Yes you are."
Sirius groaned under the attention as the belly rub turned his brain to mush.
"Does Snuffles want walkies? Does Snuffles want to go walkies?"
Heck yeah's he did. He jumped to his feet hopping around excitedly. It took much longer than necessary getting the collar on because of this.
Stealthily they snuck their way to the door. They'd almost made it when Ron came walking by with a tray full of treats. Of course, he spotted the two not very sneaky people trying to sneak out.
"Eh Harry" he said nonchalantly munching a gingerbread man.
"Hey Ron."
"You a, goin out?"
"Just, walking the dog."
"Takin im to the park then?"
"Not a bad idea. You wanna come?"
Ron looked conflicted, "I was actually gonna see if dad wanted to play some chess."
Harry nodded, understanding, "That's fine."
"Ya know it's just, I thought I was gonna lose im and… You remember, back then, when I said I didn't care if we came back?"
"Yeah, I remember" said Harry, "I remember most of the stupid things you've said over the years and I don't even hold most of them against you."
Ron chuckled weakly, "Only most?"
"Mmm, I'd be less worried about me, and more worried about Hermione."
"We have been a bad influence on her."
"Yep."
"Ron! Don't you be eating all the cookies."
Ron cringed, "I better go before they come looking for me."
Harry nodded, "I'll see you later."
Harry waited till Ron had scurried up the stairs before turning again to the door, "Well, shall we?"
Snuffles huffed quietly and together they slipped out of Grimauld Place.
It was snowing lightly as they strolled down the street. The old houses, like something out of Charles Dickens, were covered in a fluffy coat of white. It was magical in a way, even to a couple of wizards.
They went unhurriedly down the walk, just a bloke and his dog out for a stroll. Snuffles tried catching snowflakes on his tongue and wound up walking into more than a few walls and fence bars for his trouble.
Harry laughed at his undeterred dogfather as he hopped up on his hind legs to try and catch them that way. It didn't take long for him to slip and flop over into the snow.
"You are such a ham."
"Woof!" and your point is?
Somehow, between catching snowflakes and rolling around in the snow they made it to the park.
It was late afternoon and the park appeared deserted. This proved untrue as they came around the pond and found a group of girls playing on the ice.
The old hound decided he needed a rest and planted his butt so he could watch the girls. Harry chuckled and let the old dog have his fun.
The girls continued sliding around the ice like they weren't being watched. Sirius had his eyes on the tall blondes, twins if he was not mistaken. His attention moved when another came sliding past. My but she was 'well rounded'.
A sprightly blonde with a pixie face approached while Sirius was entranced by more, developed, figures.
"Enjoying his Christmas present?" she observed.
"Yeah, he doesn't get out much" Harry chuckled then cupped her cheek, "So, where's my present?"
Sirius came out of his daydream just in time to see his godson making out with a blonde cutie he hadn't noticed. His heart swelled. His godson made him so proud.
The sound of crunching snow drew his attention to a small dark-haired girl who ran up to Harry and his 'friend'.
"Papa" she squealed and leapt into Harry's waiting arms.
Sirius brain froze.
Harry hardly noticed as he cuddled with his daughter, "Did you have fun on the ice" he asked.
"No" she said, "It is a stupid activity for stupid people."
"Kept falling down, huh?"
"It's not fair. Walking should not be that hard."
Harry laughed until he heard a flop. Sirius had attempted to adjust his perspective, discovered his head didn't turn that far and wound up lying on his back with his legs in the air like a bit of road kill.
"I think we broke him" Harry quipped.
It didn't last and Sirius, now human, leapt to his feet and began shouting questions. His hands at least were shouting, his word processer had yet to come back online so nothing was coming out of his forward noise hole.
"You getting any of this love?"
Luna stared with intense concentration, "Something about, cheese? A goat maybe?"
Sirius sighed in frustration, attempted to collect his thoughts, failed, then gave up.
"Eh?"
"I see you're a little confused" Harry offered.
"Little nothing!" He exclaimed.
Harry chuckled, "Introductions perhaps" at Sirius emphatic nod, "This delectable dish is my girlfriend, Luna Lovegood."
"Lovegood?" he considered the big-eyed blonde, "and does she?"
Harry smirked, "Indeed she does" he assured.
"I does what?" asked Luna, adorably perplexed.
Harry whispered something in her ear which made her pail cheeks pink.
"Oh. Yeah, I does that."
Both men chuckled, "And this is my 'adopted' daughter, Seraphina."
"Adopted?" that made him feel slightly less old.
"I adopted him as my papa" she explained.
Sirius looked at Harry expectantly, "Bit of a story" he admitted.
"Can't wait to hear it."
Harry shook his head, "We'll get to that."
Sirius didn't much care for that answer, but he could wheedle it out of him, "So, found these two at Hogwarts I take it?"
"Just this one" said Harry, indicating Luna, "Not this one, or those three."
Sirius was surprised to discover the girls he'd been ogling had come to join them. Why not.
"The twins are Lucinda and Mooneria" the two blondes blew him a kiss.
"And this one is Ruby" the third declared, invading the poor old dogs personal space, "and you must be Sirius."
His brain went a little fuzzy as the highly attractive female began pawing him. He could feel her warmth and she smelled absolutely divine. He had to fight it. His godson would not distract him with cute girls. Really.
"Careful Ruby, I don't know if his poor 'old' heart can handle you."
"Who you callin old!"
He would have been more mad about the comment but it was really hard. Really hard.
"Alright that's enough, you can play later."
Reluctantly Ruby detached herself from Sirius. The whine that followed would have been sad coming from a dog, but since he was a man, well.
"You can have her back later" Harry promised, "Right now we have work to do."
Producing a rolled-up carpet from nowhere, the twins set it on the ground and rolled it out. Furniture appeared and grew to full size as the carpet opened and in short order they had a cozy sitting room, sans walls or ceiling.
"Sirius, have a seat" said Harry, "Luna, the jar."
Luna pulled a small mason jar from her pocket and handed it to Harry.
"What's in the jar?"
Harry turned to his godfather, "This" he said, "is Rita Skeeter."
"The reporter" said Sirius nervously.
Harry nodded, "She's here for a once in a lifetime interview with the one and only Sirius Black."
Said Sirius Black stared at his godson as he opened the jar and let a tiny bug flying out. Seeing that bug turn into a woman didn't surprise him, he already knew that trick.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"Getting a retrial in the only court you ever had one in. The court of public opinion."
Sirius just looked at him confused.
"The ministry has told everyone their side of the story. Now we're going to tell them yours."
"And you trust 'her' to do that?"
Not an unfair question given her history.
"You have my word Mr. Black. Nothing but the absolute unvarnished truth."
Sirius gave her a skeptical look.
"I don't have a choice" she admitted under his scrutinizing gaze.
"We're holding a sword over her head, so to speak."
Sirius watched the reporter glance nervously at his godson, like a mouse might glance at a hungry cat. Well now he just had more questions.
"You're sure about this?"
Harry nodded, "Trust me."
Not as easy as he made it sound, still, "Alright. But you owe me an explanation."
"Your story first, then mine. Rita isn't here for that."
"I could be" she offered with poorly concealed enthusiasm.
"No Rita" his stony tone sent a chill down her spine, "consider it a favor. You'd never believe it anyway."
Saying no more, Harry led Luna to one of the large padded chairs and curled up with his girlfriend.
Rita knew a lost cause and had no interest in pressing the suddenly dangerous young man. She already had the story of her career right in front of her. Why tickle the sleeping dragon?
