DAY 15

First thing in the morning she wrote down everything from the two days before, going into more detail than usual on both. She hated thinking about the fight but she knew it was important. As a last minute thought she added in a second date under DAY 14; she wasn't sure exactly when she had jumped to the day he saw her at Diagon but thought it needed to be recorded. When she was done she slid the journal into her pocket, a habit she had forced herself into, and she went to the stove to get hot water for her tea. Hurrying the kettle along with her wand she grabbed a mug from the shelf above the sink but the sudden whistling from the kettle startled her and she dropped it. She felt as if it took forever for the mug to fall and she watched helplessly as it smashed against the tiles. Sighing, she leaned forward to grab what she could and the floor shoved up from underneath her…

She landed again on hard wood, her stomach flipping, and she coughed genially to stop from retching. After a few moments she looked around and she realized she was on the bridge in the woods in Wessex. She sat up slowly, half hoping that she would see a young dark haired boy somewhere around when it suddenly became very apparent that someone was standing on the railing across the way from her.

She stood quickly, meaning to approach him, but then she stopped short. 'What are you doing?' she asked, the hairs on her arms standing on end.

Sirius was standing on the railing, facing out toward the water, and in his arms he was cradling a small boulder. He was breathing quickly and crying all at once, his face red and angry.

'Sirius,' she said quietly. 'Talk to me, please.'

'Don't!' he cried as she took a step closer and he edged away, faltering and having to regain his balance once more. Georjaina covered her mouth with her hands as she watched him. 'This is so fucked up, all of this!'

'What is? Please tell me what's going on,' she said, trying to remain calm.

'My parents. They haven't forgiven me for getting into Gryffindor.' His voice was thick with emotion. 'My mother can't even stand the site of me. She's banished me here until September.'

She thought for a moment and then she nodded. 'Okay, I understand. I know you haven't been on good terms with them in a while.'

'Good terms?' he snapped, finally looking over at her. 'They hate me. I am nothing but a disappointment and a disgrace to them. My father hadn't spoken to me in a year!'

She was blinking back tears but she refused to show them as she looked up at him.

'Do you have someone else you can stay with? Some other relative?' she asked after a few moments but he was shaking his head.

'They won't take me. Once you disgrace your parents you're unwanted by the entire family.'

Georjaina bowed her head for a moment, thinking. She couldn't imagine what that felt like and she wasn't sure what to say to comfort him.

'That's horrible and I'm very sorry you're going through that,' she said. 'But Sirius, what are you doing up there?'

He looked away from her again, back out toward the water. 'I almost died that day when I was six. I should have died. It's complete chance that you were here to save me.' He was quiet for a minute and all she could do was watch. And then he shrugged. 'So I figured, why not come back to the place where I should have died and finish it?'

She let out a soft whimper that she stifled with her hands and he almost looked over at her again but he stopped himself.

'If you go in that water I'm coming in after you again,' she said, her voice tight.

'Are you going to pry this rock out of my fingers?' he asked through his teeth.

'Whatever I have to do I will do.'

Sirius shook his head. 'I'll just wait until you're gone. It won't be that long.'

She took a few steps back and then paced across the bridge, crossing her arms and holding herself tightly as she thought. This is what he had meant yesterday. This was the important day; he certainly looked like he had the first time she had jumped into the castle. There were so many obvious things she could tell him but she was terrified what the consequences might be if she said too much.

'You're not going to do this,' she said finally as she paced back toward him. 'I know you don't. I can't tell you how but I just know it.'

He looked over at her again. 'Why, because you've seen me in the future?'

'Yes,' she breathed. 'I know it's horrible now but I promise it's going to get better.'

'How is the fact that my parents do not love me going to get better?' he snapped, his face hard.

She nodded in understanding. 'That won't. But that's not everything. There are other things in your life that make it worth it.'

'Like what? I have three friends and do you think they're a substitute for my family?'

'Yes, they are! You might not feel like it right now but you're going to come to realize that it's more important to surround yourself with the people you choose, not just the family you're born into.'

He was quiet for a moment, looking out at the water but not with the same determination on his face.

'And you have me, Sirius,' she added quietly. 'I love you. I need you in my life as well.'

She could see that he was shaking as he began to cry again and he adjusted his grip on the stone.

'But you're not here all the time.'

'I know. And I'm very, very sorry for that. But it's not always going to be like that,' she said and he looked at her again. It wasn't exactly the truth, but more of a wish that she was making for the both of them. 'Please just come down from there.'

He looked into her face for a long moment and then he let the stone slip from his hands. It crashed into the water, making her flinch, but she didn't take her eyes off him as he bent down on the railing. Her hand suddenly sparked and she hissed in a breath, rushing forward and wrapping her arms around him to pull him down. He cried out in pain as her hand sparked again against his side and then the bridge tilted, and she didn't realize she was still holding onto him until she slammed back into the ground and he rolled off of her. Her head was swimming but she managed to sit up and look around. They had landed in the field outside the woods.

Sirius was on all fours, retching, and then he looked over at her when he heard her gasp in pain. Her hand was sparking again and she had just enough time to look into his face before she tilted back again and she landed on the familiar rug in her living room.

Gasping for breath she managed to sit up and lean her back against the couch. She held her head in her hands as she waited for the nausea to pass, her fingers shaking against her face and hair. She was sure he had jumped along with her but they hadn't gone far. No time must have passed from when they were on the bridge until they landed in the field. And one thing had been made achingly clear; he wasn't allowed to jump to her time.

DAY 16

She slept in again, this time until past noon. The emotional rollercoaster this week had been was finally taking a physical toll and she lay on the couch, even when she wasn't asleep, bundled up beneath a heap of blankets. She knew she looked a mess and would probably regret it if she jumped like this but she couldn't bring herself to care enough to do anything about it.

In the afternoon she got herself up to make a pot of tea and some toast, worried that she would lose strength if she didn't. There was a stack of books on her end table that she had been meaning to go through; they were all from the library at the Ministry and contained recorded information about the various Pure Blood families. She wanted to research Sirius and his closest relatives but was also afraid of what she might find.

She wandered around her house for a while, avoiding the end table and doing a bit of cleaning. She didn't feel the need to copy anything down yet in the journal; yesterday was too much to go through again so soon. Eventually she found herself outside sitting on the steps to her front door and breathing in the fresh air, hoping to clear her head. She almost felt sick and had wrapped a scarf around her neck before she went out, despite the warming weather. She had a mug of tea with her and as she went to set it down she felt her hand itch. It sparked as she brought it up to her face to inspect and she closed her eyes, feeling herself relax.

She landed still seated on a wooden bench. The room around her was unfamiliar; it was dimly lit and almost completely paneled in wood. Behind her the wall was lined with separated, shallow stalls as tall as she was. She could hear the sound of running water somewhere nearby and then, with a squeak, it was gone.

Georjaina thought about standing when she heard footsteps but then stopped herself, attempting to remain relaxed. If that wasn't Sirius approaching her now it didn't really matter if she was sitting down or not. But it was him. His hair was dripping wet and there was a towel wrapped around his middle. He stopped abruptly when he saw her and then a grin blossomed on his face. She stared back at him, unable to smile herself, and slowly his face fell.

'Do you know how many times I've left you not knowing if you would be okay once I was gone?' she asked, her voice quiet and calm.

'You've visited me again when I was fourteen, I take it?' he replied and she nodded minimally. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he paced a few steps. 'Look, I was desperate and so alone and…and terrified that I would feel like that for the rest of my life.'

'You don't have to explain,' she said, shaking her head. 'When I said I understood I meant it.'

He gave her a strange look, one she thought was full of guilt and relief all at once.

'It's just that for a moment there I thought you might chance time,' she continued and he came closer to her. 'And I didn't know what that meant for me. Would I still remember everything, even though you were gone? Or would the memories leave with you?'

Sirius shook his head, unable to answer. He stepped forward until he was standing over her and she looked up at him as he placed his hands on either side of her face. His thumbs rubbed her cheeks softly as she closed her eyes, excepting him to lean down and kiss her.

'Padfoot, have you drowned yourself in the showers or what?' The voice preceded the boy and Georjaina stood up as he came into the room. Sirius had turned his back on her and she wondered if it were for protection or to simply hide her from view. Either way it didn't matter; the boy held a piece of his Quidditch kit in his hands and he was scrubbing it with a rag as he walked. But as soon as he looked up he stopped short, staring at them.

'Who's this then?' he asked, half grinning. He was tall, dark haired, and the eyes behind his rectangular glasses were bright. Sirius was staring at him, looking surprised, but he didn't respond, and the other boy's face changed. 'Hang on…are you the imaginary friend?'

Georjaina was watching him from around Sirius' arm, her own arms folded protectively, and she nodded her head. 'Yes.'

'But you're not imaginary.'

She shrugged. 'Apparently not.'

He smiled again and moved toward them a few steps. 'How did you get in here?'

'No questions,' Sirius suddenly spoke up, his tone hard.

'Right.' He nodded, looking between them again. 'Are you two alright?'

'We're fine, mate,' Sirius replied with a sigh. 'But…do you mind? We were…'

'Right, Gotcha,' the other boy said, grinning and winking at him. Sirius didn't respond to him and he turned back to Georjaina once he was gone.

'Who was that?' she asked hesitantly.

'James,' he replied, running a nervous hand through his hair. 'Potter.'

'Oh.' She smiled a little up at him. 'Are you alright?'

'He could see you.'

Her smiled grew. 'Were you beginning to think I actually was imaginary?'

'Sort of, yeah!' He half laughed. 'I thought my mother and Regulus saw you too but then they just…forgot.'

'There was that other boy, too,' she reminded him. 'When you were fourteen. We ran into him on the way to the kitchen.'

'Oh, yeah. Snape.' He said it as if it were a curse and she frowned a little.

'Well, he definitely saw me. Has he never mentioned it?'

'We don't exactly talk…'

She noticed that he was suddenly avoiding her eyes and she decided it was best to get off the subject. 'How old are you, then? Still seventeen?'

'Eighteen, just.'

'When was your birthday?'

'Two days ago.' He was grinning as if this were an accomplishment and she was smiling back at him in a curios way.

'That means it's my birthday, then. At least here it is,' she said and his face fell.

'What? Your birthday is on November 5th?' he asked and she nodded. 'I'm not sure if that's ominous or not…'

They both chuckled happily. His hands had found their way to her arms and then he reached up to touch her face again. She held his wrists with both her hands as she closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his fingers on her skin.

'Has it been a long time since you saw me?' she asked quietly and when he hesitated she opened her eyes again.

'No,' he replied after a moment and she nodded in understanding. She could see he was guarding something and for once she felt confident that he understood the necessity to hold back from each other at times. With one of her hands she reached down and she slid it around his bare waist, pulling him closer to her. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her gently.

There were sudden, hurried footsteps behind them, and James came back into the room.

'Prongs, really?' Sirius asked, sounding exasperated once he realized it was him.

'Sorry!' James replied, half holding his hand up to shield his eyes. 'Just thought you would want to know that your girlfriend is on her way down here.'

Georjaina looked over at Sirius, her eyebrows raised in surprise, and he wouldn't meet her gaze again. More footsteps sounded and a very pretty girl with long blonde hair came in behind James. She took one look at the obvious situation before her and she scowled.

'I think you mean ex-girlfriend,' she snapped in a high voice.

'Laura…I can explain.' Sirius was struggling over his words but she held up a hand, looking away from him.

'I don't want to hear it,' she replied before turning and leaving again.

Sirius watched after her for a moment before looking down at Georjaina again. 'Jaina, I'm sorry, I know I told you-'

He stopped talking when she put her finger to his lips forcefully.

'I don't know who that is,' she said meaningfully. She saw understanding click in his face and then he nodded quickly.

'Right. Well I…' He looked at the door again, almost longingly.

'Go on. I'll be fine,' she replied, patting his arm.

He gave her one last look and then hurried over to his stall. James rolled his eyes as he turned his back and Sirius quickly pulled clothes on before rushing out the door. Once he was gone Georjaina sat on the bench again and James hesitantly approached her. It wasn't until she smiled up at him that he sat beside her.

'He's told you about me, then?' she asked after a little bit.

'Sort of. The summer before last he went out in the woods behind my house one night,' he started to explain. 'He did that a lot. I think he really liked being in the country. Anyway, when he came back that time he seemed…upset, and he was cranky for several days after but he wouldn't tell me about it. Then he showed up last Christmas Eve at our house, after staying lord-knows-where, all cheery and happy to be there.' He looked over at her for a minute, his eyes studying her face as if he were still trying to convince himself she was actually real. 'I finally got him to talk about it and he said he had had a fight that night in the woods. He said he knew I would think he was crazy but that he had an imaginary friend of sorts that had been popping into his life since he was five.'

Georjaina sighed but there was a small smile on her face. 'I guess that's the best way to explain it. I don't really have a better explanation than that.'

He was still watching her and then the slightest frown creased his brow. 'Are you alive right now?'

'What?' She stared at him openly, her face hard.

'I mean, not here…somewhere else in the world,' he replied. 'He said you travel in time…'

'I can't…' She hesitated, ducking her head as she thought fast.

'He's never asked you that?'

'No,' she replied, her tone absolute. 'Because he knows I can't talk about stuff like that.'

A dark cloud passed over his eyes and he was still frowning. It scared her a little; she had never felt the need to explain herself to anyone else before but he was Sirius' best friend. What if he made Sirius think differently of her and the things she kept secret?

'Listen, James, I know it sounds strange, it is strange, but I promise you I mean him no harm,' she said, choosing her words carefully. 'I care about him very much and I want nothing more than for him to be safe and happy in his life.' She put emphasis on the last two words, hoping that he understood what she meant.

He looked at her for a very long time and the he nodded his head. 'I believe you,' he said finally, firmly.

She sighed and smiled at him, though her stomach twisted a little. She felt her hand spark against the bench and she pulled it back quickly. It was her left hand.

'I'm sorry, I have to go,' she said quickly, looking into his face. 'Please tell him I said goodbye.'

'Wait, what-' James started but then she popped into nothingness before him.

Ten minutes later Sirius was bounding down the lawn back toward the Quidditch pitch but he slowed when he noticed the figure approaching him. James was walking with his hands in his pockets and a strange look on his face. When he saw Sirius he half smiled.

'Tell me I'm not mad,' he said, gesturing back toward the changing rooms with his hand. 'No one can Apparate in or out of the grounds.'

Sirius sighed, looking crestfallen. 'She doesn't Apparate,' he grumbled. He had ducked his head for a moment but when he looked up again he found that James was watching his face. They stared at each other for a minute.

'You are being careful there, aren't you?' James finally asked. Sirius hesitated but then finally nodded. James offered him a small smile as he clapped him on the shoulder. 'You should probably stop referring to her as your imaginary friend. She seemed pretty real to me.'

Sirius nodded again and they started toward the school together, walking slowly across the dark lawn.