HI! breaking my usual layout to make a quick disclaimer! i've never known how needed these are, it seems pretty obvious I'm NOT J.K.R and no one else on fan fiction is but better safe than sorry and this chapter more than any other needs it. I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, i just love giving the stories JKR a new perspective. this chapter closely follows existing events in the OOTP book, i want to stay as true to the series as possible because that is the world i imagined Drarry good times in, their relationship seemed possible in that world if they could only see the potential the way we all do. Anyway, enjoy, i hope you like these events new twists!


The Easter holidays began to pass swiftly, warmer weather becoming imminent, but not all of Hogwart's students were able to enjoy the budding season on the grounds. Fifth and seventh years were becoming more and more introverted as result of their stress with the oncoming exams. No one seemed to have time to talk; they were all too busy trying to reserve the best study table at the library, concocting potions to cure stress alopecia and attempting new ways to best the anti-cheating quills. Yet this all worked well for Harry; he was worried if given the chance he might spill his secrets like a first year with a sentient-responding diary.

Despite his acceptance in desiring Draco, he was still unsure if the Slytherin was a decent person; he wanted to observe him, interact casually maybe. To his dismay (and strangely, also relief), Colin Creevy relayed that the mysterious blonde had been holing up in the Potions classroom to study; a place Harry dared venture no more. This now left him with too much time to think on the newest subject that was bothering him; how James Potter and Sirius Black were assholes.

Since the day the wizarding world was revealed to him, Harry reveled in being told he was exactly like his father, but now he would prefer if he was told he inherited more than his mother's eyes; she was the only one who stood up for the cowering young Snape. Everyone from Hagrid to Dumbledore to Sirius had told him how amazing his father had been… but now Sirius wasn't a very reliable source being that he had behaved on a whole other level of cruelty to the potions master. Harry's stomach flipped as he remembered the face Snape made when Sirius revealed his true intentions, it was mirrored with the face Draco made when Harry behaved as carelessly as his godfather.

So this is who he was. He was one of them, exactly like them, saying cruel things and making easy targets his scape goat. Harry wanted to know why Snape was their favored victim… what had he done? Was he like Draco, saying things he didn't fully understand about people with non-magical relations? James did say it was simply because he existed… at least Harry hated Draco for being evil to his friends.

Then it dawned on Harry… maybe that was his fault too. Draco asked to be Harry's friend, maybe not in the most eloquent way, but Harry wasn't forgiving of that and insinuated Draco was a bad person compared to Ron and Hermione when he had barely known the boy a day. Draco was never the type to take things lightly, he held a grudge against Hannah Abbott for months when she told the school he tried auditioning for the school choir… and compared his voice to the croaking of Neville's toad, Trevor. Her ponytail was 'accidentally' singed off after a class with the Slytherins, not long after Harry had heard Draco himself brag about mastering a fireball curse that week.

Thinking about Draco's brash reactions was not helping Harry calm down, if things didn't go well with him and… what ever they could be, Harry didn't want to know how much worse life could get at the hands of Draco's wrath. Perhaps Harry really had been too forgiving of Draco, wanting his hands so terribly he allowed them to blind him… or maybe he was wrong about that too and he was as innocent as Snape…

"UGH" Harry groaned, pressing his head against the cold stone of the wall nearest, his mind was realing and he could feel a migraine coming on. He needed to sort this out once and for all, he needed to talk to Sirius.

"Wow, Harry if that's how you really feel about it, i can find someone else to feel my boobs."

"WHAT?" Harry whipped his head around to see Ginny Weasley staring at him disapprovingly, arms crossed in front of the breasts in question. But her stern look didn't last long, frown cracking into a smirk, and she gave in to a laugh.

"Just kidding Harry, i could tell you stopped listening to me a while back, i've just been rambling about nonsense to see when you would come back to earth."

"Oh," he blinked groggily, "I'm sorry, what were we talking about? Besides your…um" he gestured awkwardly at her chest, trying not to look.

"Riiiight, well just about how Quidditch practice is positively dismal," Ginny tucked her long flaming hair behind a freckled ear, rolling her eyes dramatically, "that Jack Sloper is horrid, gave himself a nasty conk in the head today, so we have to postpone until he stops hallucinating about dancing skrewts."

"Sounds like i'm missing so much"

"So much Harry. Anyway, we got a package that passed Umbridge's insane new screening process…"

Ginny pulled up her school bag onto the library table, and revealed a ravaged looking package, clearly not a virgin to curious hands, and marked as inspected in obscene red stampings. Inside were ornate chocolate eggs, each as tempting looking as the last. As he took a sizable bite out of the one etched with snitches, he did not feel the usual happiness spread throughout him. Lupin always swore by the cure-all of chocolate, but it only made him think of the pain Lupin caused Snape as he sat by and let his friends torture him.

"Harry?" Ginny cocked her head like a curious owl, "Are you ok? You seem really sad lately… Is it because of Cho Chang? You really should just try to talk to her I'm sure-"

"It's not Cho i want to talk to." Harry cut her off a little to harshly, he was just so sick of that damned name, not everything was about Cho, was he really that obsessed with her that everyone thought she was his whole life? He was also banned from Quidditch, being targeted by Umbridge, unable to carry on with the D.A. and fucking exams were coming up, there were plenty of other things Harry could be upset about. Why assume his entire happiness was controlled by some boring girl? Yet… then again Harry's every thought had been really about some boy. So maybe he was that shallow. He swallowed his pride and apologized.

"I'm sorry, she's… just not the one i need to talk to."

"Then… who do you want to talk to Harry?"

"I…"

Harry winced as Draco's face resurfaced in his mind; burning red under his tousled blond hair, grey eyes welling up, not understanding why….

"I want to talk to Sirius… but thats impossible with The High on Power bitch of Hogwarts." He prodded the sad package she had wreaked havoc on.

Ginny smiled in a mischievous way that made Harry a little worried. It was a familiar smile, one not unlike her twin brothers when they have just conjured up a devious plan that could get them all killed or at least severely burned.

"Oh, i think we can find a way Harry."


"Hallo Harry" Fred and George smirked as they sat, sandwiching Hermione uncomfortably. They always had perfect timing, and interrupting Hermione during her newest panic attack; the 'Career Advice' leaflets, was just what Harry needed. His mind had been recently mulling over all the times he's ever interacted with Malfoy since the day they met and trying to find something redeemable in them, but the results were coming up depressing. Harry needed a new distraction, and thinking about his future career was not doing it whatsoever.

"Ginny came to us with somethin interesting," George quipped, helping himself to whatever Hermione had been snacking on.

"Says you need a favor, boy wonder," Fred picked up, "says you need a chat with Sirius?"

Hermione, who had been preoccupied shooing away George from picking through her snacks and papers, looked up shocked with what Harry hoped would be a loss for words.

"What? Harry no! Don't be insane, its impossible, what with Umbridge everywhere like some Big Brother!"

"As a big brother i take offense!" Fred jokingly scoffed.

"The other Big Brother, who goes through all your things and watches!"

"What do you mean 'other', we do all that stuff too." Fred smirked, loving the rise he was getting out of the frizzy girl.

"You know, we are successful at that because of a little something called 'diversions', something we've gotten quite skilled at…" George leaned in, and began to eye a first year nearby he deemed suspicious. "Not sure if you noticed but we've been keeping the peace lately…"

"No point in distrubing perfectly good naping hours! What else are holidays for but ZZZ's and schemes?" Fred hugged Hermiones shoulders tightly, something she was not expecting. "But nap time is over, kiddos."

"Too right brother, holidays are done tomorrow, back to business. Why not benefit a friend and let our lovely commotion cover yours?"

Harry grinned from ear to ear, he loved Weasleys, he loved that family so much. He was right in choosing Ron as his friend, by doing so he friended people who were powerful in their own way. He was only sad he would miss the show the mischievous brothers would have planned to cover for him.

"How in the world would you even get a hold of Sirius?" Hermione leaned forward, in attempt to show gravity and escape the twin's proximity.

"i've been thinking… you know how all the fireplaces are being watched?" Harry asked.

"Yesssss, exactly my point Harry, how-"

"Well there's only one that isn't being watched."

"Harry surely you don't mean!"

"But if she's distracted by them-" Harry gestured to the smirking twins, clearly getting off at the scheming of misdoings, "and i use the lock pick Sirius gave me last holidays, that will get me past any spell on her door, i'll have just enough time to…" Harry gulped, the only thing he hadn't planned was how he was going to ask Sirius about why he did what he did.

"Tomorrow then?" Fred asked, "Just after lessons? We're thinking East wing, far from her office."

"Sounds right to me Fred." George high-fived his twin over Hermione's cowering head. "Good luck Harry!"

The two sauntered off, stopping only briefly at Angelina's table to brag about their upcoming 'event'. Harry beamed, pleased he was finally going to get some answers, and the bonus of Hermione not getting a chance to tear down the plan was fantastic.


"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!" Harry was ready for this, and spoke without falter. The day had been long, feeling like it had stretched on forever, but finally he was here, kneeled before Umbridge's fireplace, floo powder dashed across the burning logs. The Twin's distraction seemed to go off without a hitch, successfully pulling the High Bitch far from her haven and leaving it vaunerable to Harry's devious intentions. He had left Hermione back in the halls, still opposed but unable to stop Harry once he was willful enough. Armed with nothing but his magic pocketknife and invisibility cloak, Harry trust his head into the flames and let them swallow him up into a dizzying array of people's fireplaces until it found the desired hearth. He blinked amongst the soot, finding himself looking out at the dismal kitchen of the Blacks, yet the man sitting at the table wasn't their descendent, it was Lupin.

"Harry! Are you alright? Why are you—"

"I'm fine!" Harry reassured, rushing a bit, "I just… wanted to talk to Sirius."

"Oh…" Lupin was surprised, maybe a little dejected, but rose from the table. "One moment."

Harry knelt, in two places at once, as patiently as he could. His knees ached back in Umbridge's office and his neck was sore keeping hovered in Sirius's fireplace, but he kept reminding himself he had maybe twenty minutes to talk and that wasn't long at all. Sirius came rushing into the room, looking as haggard as ever, and threw himself in front of the fireplace. His enigmatic eyes were wide in shock, age carved around them in wrinkles that hadn't been present in Snape's memory.

"Whats wrong, Harry my boy?!" He almost yelled, "Are you in danger?"

"When am i not?" Harry joked, so happy to see his godfather he almost forgot he was sort of mad at him.

"No time for lightness Harry," Lupin scorned, kneeling beside Sirius, "Out with it, whats wrong?"

"Nothings… wrong… per say." He took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk about something i saw about when you guys… and my dad… were in school." Harry told them, in a nutshell, about the first part of the memory where his father was the main tormentor.

Both were silent for a while, brows furrowed with sympathy, but Lupin started slowly;

"Harry, that was just a moment in a sea of moments, your father was young…"

"As am i!"

"Yes, ok, but you see," Sirius explained, "Your father and Snape never got along, not even the moment they met! I can tell you now i hated him the first day!"

Harry's heart fell, thinking of Draco, the situation too similar for hope. "My father said it was because Snape 'existed'…"

"Yes, not well spoken on his part, but there were reasons, Snape was arrogant and spoke pompously like a true pureblood, not to mention a geek for anything Dark Arts…" Sirius drolled on about Snape's misgivings, but it wasnt helping, it was still to reminiscent for Harry's liking. He might be getting answers but they weren't helping like he had hoped.

"Harry," Lupin interjected, "James and Sirius were young and considered 'cool', it got to their heads and sometimes took things a little too far. We were all idiots, honestly."

"Considered?! I was cool Remus." Sirius joked at his friend, shouldering him. "We were all idiots, but not this guy. Kept his head on straight."

Lupin did something Harry had never seen before; he blushed. The ex- dark arts teacher seemed to stiffen up a bit but couldn't help a small smirk. Harry turned his attentions to Sirius, who was watching his peer carefully out of the corner of his eye as he laughed carelessly. Something nagged at Harry, but he had to get answers about not just his father's actions, but Sirius's as well.

"The memory kept going." Harry said slowly, testing waters. "After you left…" he looked into Lupins curious but tired eyes. How had things been outside of Hogwarts, Harry wondered. What exhausting events had they faced?

"Ah, Harry i don't… well…" Sirius stumbled, seeming to know full well where Harry was going.

"What did you do Sirius?" Lupin looked appraisingly at the shabby yet somehow still dashing man beside him.

Sirius ignored him, breaking a sweat. "Harry i don't expect you to think well of me after seeing that but i was a troubled boy, i was very alone and confused and i took it out on someone i shouldn't have. Even if he was an insufferable twat. My…. my feelings…" Sirius was struggling, unable to keep eye contact, but pressed on, "Were complicated and unrequited. I didn't know what to do with them and i had no one to confide in at the time." Lupin looked hurt at this but still seemed baffled about what Sirius was talking about. "I became a very angry person, Harry, all these thoughts and feeling were repressed for so long inside me they sort of… boiled up. Not in a very healthy way either. I did a lot of dumb things but that was the worst Harry i promise, please believe me, i sought help after…that."

Harry could see his godfather was being very raw, and very venerable, and yet could find no words. Sirius pressed on after some silence.

"I think you know how helpful Dumbledore can be, right Harry? Well turns out he has had some experience in what i was feeling and was a great mentor. I learned to control my emotions. I learned to say… what i'm feeling to the people i need to say it to." his eyes flickered towards Lupin, if only for a second. "I wish you could have seen me at a better time Harry. The most difficult thing you can do is forgive a person. Forgive them for hurtful words they've said, ways they've acted, things they might not have thought they've done wrong. Forgive them and know people are not always what they seem on the surface. Because deep down… all they need is someone who cares."

Silence took the room, only the licking of flames against Harry's ears broached the quiet. Just like that, Harry wasn't confused anymore, Harry understood, Harry forgave Sirius and saw the pain in him that he had been feeling himself. Lupin seemed to see it too and had wrapped an arm around Black's hunched frame.

"Padfoot…" Lupin whispered empathetically, "I…."

"No." Sirius straightened up, determination set in his features now, "It's fine, lets not do this now, i said what i needed to say, im ashamed and i know i shouldn't have hurt Snape just because he was an easy target. He doesn't seem like… that bad of a guy." Sirius looked as if those words tasted sour, clearly not used to complimenting the potions master. "I should have tried to see past his surface. Anyway, Harry i hope you can forgive me and my brash actions. Act with your head, feel with your heart i say. Well, Dumbledore said that actually but its a good mantra."

Sirius smiled sheepishly up at Lupin, who hugged him harder. Harry wished he could reach out and do the same. He needed it as much as Sirius seemed to.

"Speaking of Snape," Lupin said, "does he know you witnessed his memory?"

"Ahhhh yea…" Harry flinched, "didn't go over too good, in short i'm not going to see him again for a while, no more Occlumency for me. Not a big deal tho—"

"YES, BIG DEAL" Sirius shouted, lurching forward, "I'm coming there to have a word—!"

Sirius jumped up off the ground, snatching up his coat from one of the kitchen chairs. Lupin snagged one of his arms and forcibly dragged him back down, locking a firm grip on Sirius's neck once near.

"I think not." He said, "I'll go, but Harry you have to go tell him he can't stop teaching you as well! It's very important you learn, your susceptible—-"

"No way!" Harry pictured the horrifying image of Snape barreling down at him, teeth gnashing, "You didn't see him when he caught me, i'll be dead before you get to the school! He'll chop me up and pickle me in one of his creepy jars just like—"

Suddenly the distinct sound of footsteps tromped near, alerting all three. Harry's heart began to pound, the fire around him felt more stifling than ever.

"I think its from your end, Harry." Sirius whispered, "You better run."


High Shipper Mschmnged again! hi so NOW harry has no reasons left not to talk to Draco! no more excuses! he got the answers he needed and he's ready to go ahead full speed! now its up to draco to forgive him! we've heard harry reel about in his own head, but what does draco think? how much thought had draco put into the idea of him and harry? i should hope a lot since he says he's in love, for not having spent a ton of time with harry thats a huge emotion to have!

and i would like to address what I've been insinuating about Sirius and Lupin... its pretty obvious isn't it? obvious Sirius has/had feeling for his long time friend. but Lupin? They've had talks about it, Sirius said it himself he learned to talk to the right people in healthy ways, but makes you wonder how that conversation went!

anyway I've been having fun here guys, and thanks for reading! I'm glad to hear such positive feedback and that you all are having a fun time too, thanks so much i really do appreciate it and as always i would love to hear more!