Author's Note: Hey Guys! Apologies for this chapter taking so long! I always knew this one was going to be difficult to write lol and it did not disappoint on that front. This is a very drama/arguing chapter, but I did enjoy writing it in the end! As everything in the world seems to be getting pretty bad again, I've also decided to do a sort of giveaway competition to help cheer you all up and say thank you for your support! The winner will receive a Deathly Hallows Necklace, A Hedwig Necklace and ONE spoiler of their choice for this story! To enter, all you have to do is leave me a review telling me who your favourite character is and why in this fic or what your favourite moment so far has been! If you don't have a fanfic account, please leave a random number in your review! The winner will be announced on my next upload. If you don't have a fanfiction account, it is really easy to make one and it's free or you can enter via Tumblr (dogwerewolfme)! I will contact the winner via PM on here to arrange shipping so please keep an eye out! Thank you all again for all the support! I hope you are all doing ok and keeping your chins up! Enjoy!
"I look ridiculous." Harry said, looking at his reflection in the full-length mirror.
His dress robes were a dark green colour, very close to the shade of his eyes, which he knew would have had something to do with Mrs Weasley's choice when she had originally picked them out. He looked himself up and down in the mirror and groaned once more. He had been trying to do his white bow tie up for the best part of half an hour, but to no success.
"You look mighty fine." Sirius said jokingly, entering the room behind him. His own robes were a deep black silk, a grey bow tie tied perfectly around his neck. Sirius had combed his hair back, so it looked almost tidy compared to how it usually sat. Even his facial hair seemed tidy and well-groomed for the occasion. It made him look younger than he actually was, although the dark circles under Sirius's eyes were still prominent. Harry knew he was to blame for the that, but he still couldn't help but notice that Sirius looked nowhere near his age tonight.
"I just can't get it to sit right." Harry said, loosening the badly attempted knot once more and dragging it from his neck. "Why do we have to wear these stupid things anyway."
"Because it's a fancy ball and part of a fancy ball is being as uncomfortable as humanly possible." Sirius said, grabbing Harry's bow tie and levelling it up around his neck.
"Do you think anyone would really notice if I charged in wearing my jeans, did the stupid dance and left again?" Harry said.
"Yes, funny enough. And then McGonagall will have my neck. She's been pestering me all week about making sure you had appropriate attire for tonight." Sirius explained.
Harry threw his head back and groaned. "Jesus Christ."
Sirius couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, come on, it won't be nearly as bad as you think. And you'll get to dance with Cho. Surely that's a good thing."
Harry nodded reluctantly. In truth, he was very much looking forward to dancing with Cho at the ball. It was probably the only part of it he was look forward to. He had spoken with Cho a few times over the past few weeks, and every single time he had found himself tripping over his words, almost as if he had forgotten how to speak altogether. There was just something about her that made Harry so nervous, but in a good way. The way she smiled and laughed, the way she brushed her hair behind her ears and looked shyly at him. There was no denying her beauty, but it was about so much more than that now. She was funny, kind, outgoing… and she shared many interests with Harry that they had discussed briefly during their walks to and from each other's classes.
"It'll be a good thing if I remember how to dance and make sure I don't stomp on her foot." Harry said, but he could already feel his face going red. Sirius laughed lightly.
"First crush, eh? God how did we get here." Sirius said.
Harry avoided his godfather's eyes. He already felt the embarrassment making its way up his stomach and into his chest, and he was determined not to allow Sirius to see just how much he would blush if this conversation continued. He decided to change the subject.
"Did Hogwarts ever have a fancy occasion when you were here?" Harry asked.
Sirius looked unconvinced, clearly knowing Harry's tactic but chose not to pursue him any further. "No. We didn't really get to go to any fancy occasions until we joined the order. Dumbledore had a habit of putting on very extreme parties around Christmas." Sirius said.
"I always thought that was strange. You know, to throw a party while there was a war going on." Harry said, seeing the look of confusion on Sirius's face.
"What can I say, Dumbledore loved a party even back then. And that's exactly why we did have them. When you spent so much of your life fighting like we did, you had to remind yourself what it was you were fighting for sometimes. Things easily become about battles and missions, and sometimes it seemed like we forgot about friends and having a good time." Sirius said, finishing up Harry's bow tie.
"Like you were surviving from one fight to the next?" Harry said.
Sirius looked taken aback. "Exactly. Fighting a war means nothing if you forget what you're fighting for in the first place."
"And what where you fighting for?" Harry asked, not quite knowing why he was choosing now to bring this up. He had always loved hearing about the days of the Order and of Sirius and his parents.
Sirius smiled gently, a look of nostalgia glinting across his face. "Well I guess you could say we were fighting for you, for all of you. For the future generation. And for each other." Sirius sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "You know, when your Mum first found out she was pregnant with you, James wanted her to stop fighting in the battles. He said it was too dangerous for her and you, but your Mum… god she was like wildfire. She kept going, right up until she physically couldn't. Used to drive James nuts. But she knew what she was doing. She knew that if she didn't fight, what world was she bringing you into."
Harry laughed. "Sounds like Dad had his work cut out for him."
"Oh, he did." Sirius smiled.
"And I'm sure that he would have loved to be here tonight to see you in all your finery." Harry joked.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "He just would have been jealous that he couldn't have pulled it off as well as me."
They both laughed, and Harry saw Sirius's gaze drift to the picture of Lily and James Potter that sat on his bedside table. He lingered on it for a moment, before turning and smiling back at Harry. They were both pulled from their thoughts by the bedroom door flying open.
"This can't be what mum picked out for me!" Ron shrieked. "It looks like a dress!"
Ron entered the room wearing the most horrific set of robes Harry had ever seen. They were a bright maroon colour, velvet and covered in frills and lace. The lace colour was the dullest shade of white, with the cuffs being exactly the same. Ron's bow tie was the colour of mould and stood out horrifically against the colour of his robes. Harry's eyes darted quickly to Sirius, who's mouth was hanging open in shock.
"Ron, they aren't that bad- "Harry began, but Ron sent a dirty look his way.
"Don't say it, Harry. We all know they're terrible!" Ron snapped, pulling at pieces of frill and lace.
"If I'm being completely honest, while they are awful, I have actually seen worse." Sirius said, standing up from Harry's bed and circling Ron. "I think I can help."
"I'd rather go starkers than wear this." Ron stated, and Harry had to fight back the urge to laugh for a moment before he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
He realised then that Ron's robes were more than likely second hand and were probably all the Weasley's could afford to get for him. He found himself turning away from Ron then. Harry had always known how lucky he was to come from a fairly well-off background. Sirius, who had inherited the Black Family Fortune after the death of his parents and Regulus, had more money than he knew what to do with. And then there was Harry's fortune that had been left for him by his parents, but Sirius had never taken as much a galleon out of that vault. He always said it was Harry's money for when he came of age, although the only thing Harry knew for certain he wanted to do with his money was to give as much of it as he could to the Weasley's, despite knowing they would never take it.
"I can use a severing charm to sort out the lace." Sirius said, pulling his wand from his robes. It was then that Harry saw a look of guilt on Sirius's face also.
Sirius did a fine job on Ron's robes, removing the lace and frayed edges. Ron seemed a little happier, but there was nothing to be done about the appalling colour and horrific collar.
"I think I have a spare bow tie." Sirius said, standing back and taking a long look at Ron. "I can't promise it will match your robes, but it will be a better colour than the one you have on at least."
Sirius left the room, leaving Harry staring awkwardly at Ron. He quickly looked away when he saw his friend look in his direction, hoping he didn't catch him staring.
"Stop looking!" Ron said bluntly.
"I wasn't looking at the robes!" Harry insisted, although he knew Ron would never believe him. "And they look a lot better now."
"How the hell can I show up wearing these! Parvati will run away in the opposite direction when she sees me rock up in this." Ron groaned, throwing himself down on Harry's bed.
"Ok, now you're just being dramatic." Harry said, leaning against the pillar of his four-poster bed. "Parvati won't care about what you're wearing, she just wants to dance with someone."
This wasn't necessarily true, as Parvati had not been overly eager to go to the Ball with Ron in the first place. A few days after Harry had asked Cho, Ron had found himself still without a date, so Harry had approached Parvati in the library on his behalf. Ron had been watching from a distance, his face red with embarrassment. Parvati's face had beamed when she saw Harry making his way over to her, her eyes shining brightly, and her mouth spread in a warm smile. But it had fallen a little when he mentioned her going with Ron. The disappointment had been obvious in her expression, but she had nevertheless agreed to it. Ron had waved to her from his hiding place before quickly making his way out of the library, Harry hurrying after him to avoid any more awkwardness.
"Oh god. I forgot about the dancing." Ron said, rubbing his eyes harshly.
"It's a ball, you idiot. How did you forget about the dancing?" Harry asked.
Ron shot Harry a dirty look, causing him to bite back his slightly amused giggle. "Well I've been too busy worrying about my robes looking like a bloody dress!"
Thankfully, Sirius re-entered the room before Harry had any time to respond. He was holding a dark maroon coloured bow tie. Ron's eyes lit up immediately.
"This should be ok." Sirius said as Ron stood up from Harry's bed. "Here, I'll tie it for you."
Harry watched as Sirius removed the horrible bow tie from Ron's robes and began tying the new one carefully. The colour worked well with the robes, blending in instead of sticking out like the previous one had. Sirius looked very pleased with himself.
"Much better." He said, stepping back.
Harry had to admit, it looked a lot better than it had originally. Ron took a glimpse into the mirror and seemed to perk up a little.
"Now all you have to worry about is the dancing." Harry said.
"Yeah well, at least I don't have to dance in front of the whole school. And, a world famous Quidditch player." Ron bit back.
"Ouch." Sirius murmured under his breath, but Harry could see the slight smirk that was on his face.
Harry suddenly felt the nerves in his stomach, his insides seeming to squirm around as his heart began to beat faster. He looked down at the floor, trying his best to calm himself down. Sirius must have caught on to Harry sudden wave of anxiety, because he felt a hand firmly on his shoulder. When he looked up, Sirius was standing right there.
"You don't need to worry Harry. I know it's in front of the whole school but ignore all that and it'll be over in a few minutes. Then you can live your life never having to dance again if that's what you want." Sirius said, clearly attempting to make Harry feel better.
"Believe me, I will never dance another step for as long as I live." Harry said. Sirius chuckled fondly.
"Right, we best get a shift on before McGonagall comes looking for you." Sirius said, ruffling Harry's already untidy hair. He had attempted to get it to stay in place and sort of tidy, but it hadn't been long before it had fallen back to how it usually sat.
They followed Sirius out of Harry's bedroom, stopping in the hall just outside of Mara's bedroom. The door was tightly shut, although the low murmurs of voices could be heard from inside. Mara had been getting herself ready with Hermione and Ginny, who was attending the ball with Neville just so she was allowed to go. They still had no idea who Hermione was going with, although Ron was convinced, she was going alone.
"Here Harry, if it makes you feel any better, Mara will be embarrassing herself by dancing Infront of the whole school as well." Ron said in a clear attempt to ease Harry's nerves.
Harry snorted. "I doubt it. Knowing Cedric, he's probably a world class champion at dancing."
"That's true. Stupid pretty boy Diggory." Ron muttered.
Sirius looked back at them and laughed slightly, before knocking gently on Mara's bedroom door. The muffled talking stopped immediately as everything fell silent. Harry saw Sirius frown.
"What the hell is taking them so long?" Ron grumbled, pushing past Harry and slouching up the wall.
"Never ask that question Ron. You'll be hit with a slap as a response." Sirius said, knocking again on the door. "You lot almost ready?" He called.
"Eh… no! Why don't you three go on down and we'll follow in a minute?" Hermione's voice replied.
Sirius frowned once more. "Is everything ok?" Harry could hear the awkwardness in his tone.
"Everything's fine! We just need some more time!" Ginny called out, and Sirius nodded curtly.
"Oh… ok then!" Sirius called through the door. "We'll be off then."
Sirius, Harry and Ron made their way into the living room, the usual open fire roaring in the centre of the room. The heat felt nice against Harry's face, but he knew that nothing would take away the nerves he was feeling in his stomach. Sirius seemed to sense this, for he sent a reassuring smile in Harry's direction. Harry smiled at him weakly in return.
"Right. Let's get this stupid thing over with." Sirius said.
The Great Hall was completely transformed. The usual basic stone walls were draped in the most beautiful white and blue silk, the room illuminating off every fibre. Fairy lights hung from the walls and ceiling; the usual floating candles replaced with what Sirius could only describe as what appeared to be floating lanterns. The four tables had been cleared, and instead there were many circular tables with eight chairs around each. They, too, were draped in the finest of silks, a bouquet of white roses placed in the middle of each one. A Christmas tree stood at the front of the hall like it did most years, except this one appeared to be grander than ever. It stood nearly as tall as the high beams of the ceiling, glistening snowflakes falling down around it before disappearing as they reached the ground. The whole room was quite a sight to behold.
Sirius was standing at the front with the other professors, Moody at his right while McGonagall fussed on his left. She was pestering Dumbledore about making sure the feast was delivered just after the opening dance as planned. Dumbledore, however, was far too busy beaming at the décor of the Great Hall to even pay her much attention, which Sirius knew would infuriate her all the more.
Students had begun to file into the hall, and Sirius had to admit, it was strange seeing them all in anything but the school robes he had grown so accustomed to. He spotted the Weasley twins, who's robes appeared less frilly then that of their younger brother. Draco Malfoy was dressed in the finest of green silks and was looking rather smug with himself upon entering the hall. Most of the Durmstrang boys were wearing cloaks draped with fur, while almost all the Beauxbatons ladies were dressed in light silk.
Sirius waited impatiently for the ball to start. He knew that Harry, wherever he was waiting after being corned by McGonagall, would be swimming in a pool of nerves by now. He willed for the music to just hurry up and start and put the boy out of his misery. He wondered if Mara and the girls had made it down alright, but as Mara was opening the ball with Diggory, he doubted her absence would fare well with the already stressed to the max McGonagall.
It was then that Sirius spotted Ron enter the hall, the Gryffindor girl Parvati by his side. He wasn't guiding her by his arm or even really acknowledging her all that much at all. It almost pained Sirius to look, but he was soon distracted by something else. Karkaroff had taken his place the opposite side of Dumbledore, his usual twisted grin stretched across his face. He was wearing a set of white fur robes, which seemed to make the dark expression of his face stand out more. Such a bright and welcoming colour did not belong on this man.
"I don't trust him either." Moody grunted from beside Sirius.
Sirius turned to look at him. "No. Me neither."
They said nothing more, both of them simply glaring at Karkaroff as if he were a bomb about to explode there and then. The last of the students took their seats, all of them waiting eagerly for the ball to start. Sirius filtered between staring at the chaos of the Great Hall, and Karkaroff, who was now laughing. But it wasn't a normal laugh. Something seemed off about him, something that Sirius could not quite put his finger on, but he was pulled away from his hateful glaring by the sudden sound of loud music.
Everyone diverted their attention to the aisle that had been cleared between the tables. Dumbledore had taken position in the centre of a large empty space (no doubt a dance floor) and was now holding his hands up to silence the excited chatter that was echoing through the hall.
"Welcome," Dumbledore began, shouting over the music, "to the Yule Ball! Perhaps the grandest part of the Triwizard Tournament, and something I'm sure you have all been looking forward to! Without further delay, please join me in applause as we welcome our Triwizard Champions!"
The Great Hall burst into applause as the large oak doors opened fully and the champions appeared, walking down the aisle with their partners. The first was Krum, who was accompanied by a girl dressed in the most beautiful blue gown. Her hair was tied in a top knot at the back of her head, while some curls were left hanging by the side of her face. Sirius studied her closely for a moment, feeling as if he recognised her somehow. And then his eyes widened as he realised who it was. It was Hermione…with Victor Krum.
Her face was beaming as she reached the dancefloor, just as the second couple came down the aisle. It was Fleur Delacour and a sixth-year boy Sirius recognised as Roger Davies. Sirius could see in his face how stunned he was at attending the ball with Fleur, as his eyes barely left her as they walked down towards where Krum and Hermione were waiting.
Sirius looked back at the door, and his heart stopped.
Diggory was there, his usual goofy and cocky smile painted onto his face. But he wasn't looking at the crowd or waving to his group of fanboys, he was staring straight at the girl who was clutching onto his arm so tightly. She was dressed in the most stunning silver-grey dress, the top of it detailed beautifully with stitching and diamonds. The bottom was made of the lightest material that shimmered under the lights and moved along so elegantly with its wearer. Her long dark hair, usually so curly and untameable, was clipped back at the front while the rest fell freely around her. Sirius could see the sparkle of two silver clasps in her hair, as well as some small white roses that had been threaded through her curls.
It was Mara, but it did not look like her. Sirius watched as she clung onto Diggory's arm, eventually taking her place with him on the dancefloor. She didn't look like the girl he'd raised for the last four years… she looked older. There was no denying her obvious beauty as she stood under the glare of the fairy lights, and it was clear most of the students in the hall were thinking the same thing. They were watching Mara as if she were someone they had never seen before. It made Sirius feel uncomfortable for her, as he knew she would be feeling the same anxiety as Harry was right about now.
Harry was the last to enter, his nerves clear from the moment Sirius caught his eye. Cho was on his right arm, and she too, looked beautiful. Her dress was a light green colour, pink flowers embroided into the hem as well as the flared sleeves. Her dark hair was completely tied back, a pink clasp holding it all together. She was looking from Harry to the many people watching her, then back at Harry again. Harry, meanwhile, was looking straight ahead of him and nowhere else.
He joined the rest of the champions on the dancefloor, and Sirius watched as they all got into the starting position. Harry was closer to him than Mara and Diggory, but he could already make out Diggory's lack of nerves. Harry's hand was shaking as he took Cho's waist, but she smiled at him reassuringly. The music suddenly shifted to a slower song, and before Harry had time to prepare himself, they were off.
Krum and Fleur seemed to know exactly what they were doing, as did Hermione who seemed to fall right in with Krum and his dancing. Diggory also seemed to know what he was doing, and he was leading Mara almost completely. He was watching her so intensely that Sirius's stomach was beginning to swirl, so he drifted his gaze back to Harry who was still stumbling slightly but seemed to be finally getting the hang of it. Eventually he seemed to be dancing with what could have almost been considered as elegance, but by then the champions opening was over, and many more students and teachers joined them.
Dumbledore lead Madame Maxime onto the dancefloor, while Karkaroff escorted Professor Trelawney, who looked very unsure as she took his hand. Karkaroff was staring at her like she was a belonging of his, and although Sirius was nowhere near overly fond of the whacky Divination professor, he still felt uneasy. He was pulled from his intense staring by McGonagall, who had tapped him on the shoulder.
"Would you care for a dance, Mr Black?" She asked.
Sirius smiled, taking her hand. "Of course, Minnie."
McGonagall frowned at the old schoolboy nickname Sirius and James had picked out for her long ago, but Sirius could see the brief glint of nostalgia in her eyes and she said nothing about it. They made their way to the dancefloor, taking a place amongst the now vast crowd of dancing students. Sirius's eyes darted all around, searching for any glimpse of Harry or Mara, but he couldn't see anything. McGonagall must have been looking at him, for she began to tut, causing Sirius to jerk his head back at her.
"What?" He asked.
"You need to learn to trust them." McGonagall said.
Sirius smiled gently. "That's a bit rich coming from you. You don't trust any students."
"No, I just didn't trust you." McGonagall snapped. "Perhaps if I hadn't of been putting you in detention most days of the week, I would have had the time to trust you!"
Sirius chuckled. "We kept you young. It's ok to admit it."
"My point is," McGonagall said, ignoring his last comment although Sirius could see it pained her to do so, "trusting them as students is completely different to trusting them as people."
Sirius wasn't entirely sure he understood what she meant, but the music stopped before he could ask her. Everyone returned to their seats for the feast, including the champions who were seated at a large table right at the front. Sirius took his usual place at the teachers table and watched as Harry sat down next to Cho but also beside Mara, who had Diggory on her other side. He saw them whisper to each other before a smile appeared on both their faces.
The feast was nothing short of spectacular, but that was to be expected. The usual Hogwarts Feast menu had been replaced by food much grander and elaborate, causing everyone in the room to fall into a silence when it had first appeared. The food had tasted delicious, but soon the students were back on their feet dancing again. Harry had moved from the champions table and was now sitting with Ron, who was slouched back with his arms crossed. Cho was now sitting with her friends, all of them giggling and looking over at Harry as she obviously filled them in on any gossip. Sirius fought the urge to roll his eyes. Teenage girls would forever remain a mystery.
Mara and Diggory were still sitting at the champions table, both of them appearing to be in a deep conversation. One of them laughed every now and then, and every time Diggory's face spread into that usual cocky grin, Sirius had to resist the temptation of sending a hex across the room in his direction. Hermione and Krum were back on the dancefloor, a group of sixth year girls watching them enviously from the sides.
Sirius sat for a while longer, watching the ball as if it were some sort of hallucination. Eventually, he forced himself to move, setting off across the hall in the direction of Mara and Diggory. He wasn't planning on walking up to her, if anything his plan had been to watch and stalk from afar so she couldn't get mad at him. But there he was, making a bee line for his niece and her annoyingly charming boyfriend. Sirius was merely a few feet from them when they had started to get up, Diggory taking Mara's hand in his. He stopped dead when he saw Sirius approaching.
"Oh! Uh- Professor Black! We- we were just going for another dance." He said quickly.
Sirius narrowed his eyes slightly, but a quick glimpse at Mara told him to keep his calm and composure. He could practically see the desperate look on her face, willing him not to say anything. Sirius wanted to tell him to back away, and that he knew all about their little kissing session on top of the Astronomy Tower. He wanted to remind Mara of the condition she had agreed to. But instead, he swallowed his pride, and smiled at Diggory.
"You will be lucky to get a space on that dancefloor. It's packed." Sirius said.
Diggory laughed nervously, his eyes darting from Sirius back to Mara. "I might go get us some drinks." He said.
"Oh, ok." Mara said, smiling weakly.
"I'll be just a second." And with that, Diggory disappeared through the crowd.
Sirius stared after him for a moment before looking at his niece. She was watching him closely, clearly attempting to decipher what type of mood he was in. Sirius said nothing for a split second, but the silence was already becoming deafening.
"I have to say, I was impressed with your dancing." Sirius said. "You looked wonderful up there with Digg- I mean, Cedric."
Mara scoffed. "No, I didn't. I kept stumbling everywhere. Thankfully this stupid dress covered my feet, so I don't think anyone really noticed. Cedric did most of the dancing."
Sirius laughed. "Well at least we can say Mrs Weasley chose well. With your dress, I mean."
Mara smiled warmly. "Yeah, I guess she did. It's pretty. Hermione said it was way prettier than hers, so I tried to swap with her, but she wouldn't take it. It would have looked a lot better on her."
Sirius could see the lack of confidence she had in herself on her face, and it broke his heart. The girl truly did not value herself in any form, whether that be in her strength and abilities or in how she looked. Sirius rested a hand on her shoulder.
"You look beautiful, Mara." He said gently. "Don't forget that."
Mara sighed. "Katie Bell and that lot keep looking at me. So does Pansy Parkinson."
"Screw them. Jealousy isn't a nice trait to have." Sirius said. Mara laughed.
"I don't think you're meant to say that. You know, as their teacher."
"Yes well… I'm your uncle, which is much more important." Sirius said. He briefly made out the outline of Diggory coming back towards them, carrying two drinks in his hands. "And anyway, Diggory seems to like how you look. So, what's it matter what they think, right?"
"Are you giving me boy advice?" Mara asked, the amusement written all over her face.
"Oh Jesus Christ, I think I am. How am I doing?" Sirius said.
"Not bad. Solid seven out of ten." Mara said.
"I'll take that." Sirius said just as Diggory returned and handed a glass to Mara.
"They only had this weird red drink. I have no idea what it is." Diggory said. That stupid cocky grin was back, and Sirius felt his face frown. He looked back at Mara, who was avoiding both his and Diggory's eyes. Sirius knew it was his time to go, before things got really awkward. But if he excused himself so quickly, did that mean that Diggory had won? That he had made him so uncomfortable he had to walk away? Sirius decided there and then he needed a drink.
"I'm going to go find Harry. I'll see you after the Ball." Sirius said, and he could tell immediately that Mara was relieved.
"No problem. I think he's still with Ron." Mara said.
"I'm sure I'll find him somehow. Don't be late." Sirius said, suddenly finding his tone way sterner than he had originally intended. He could have sworn he saw Diggory flinch a little. He was ashamed to say that made him way happier than it should have.
"I won't." Mara said, and she quickly disappeared into the crowd.
The night was crisp and cold when Harry took himself off outside.
The Ball was still going, the peaceful and elegant music now replaced with the fast and loud music of The Weird Sisters. Harry had spent the majority of the evening split between dancing with Cho and hanging out with Ron, who had refused to get up and dance with Parvati even once. Eventually she had taken herself off, leaving Ron eyeing up the crowd bitterly. Or rather, watching Hermione and Krum.
Harry's jaw had nearly hit the floor when he had realised that the beautiful mystery girl with Krum was actually Hermione. She looked so different, yet so familiar at the same time. Maybe Harry had been ignorant in noticing just how pretty she was before tonight. He had nearly fallen over when he had seen her make her way down the stairs and into the entrance hall earlier that evening, Mara at her side.
Of course, he had been more shocked by Mara's appearance. He was so used to seeing her with wild hair barely brushed and wearing either her school robes or some old t-shirts his mind couldn't accept that this girl before him had been his sister. And similar to Hermione, he wondered if he had just never noticed how pretty she actually was. He had caught glimpses of her while they had been dancing at the beginning, Cho basically guiding him across the room, and Mara had truly looked as if she belonged on that dancefloor with Cedric. It made Harry feel almost uncomfortable to think, but it was nothing to how he knew Sirius would be feeling.
Cho had been a phenomenal dance partner, her whole body and sense of self seeming to have moved with the music as if it had been written just for her. Harry had watched her in a secret awe when he hadn't been busy staring at his stumbling feet. Afterwards at dinner he had spoken with her about everything and anything, her smile sending those horrible butterflies into his stomach. Sirius's words echoed in his head. 'First crush, eh?', and he suddenly felt pathetic.
Not quite as pathetic as Ron had been acting, however. When Harry had first approached him and Parvati (who Ron had barely acknowledged all night), his mood had been foul. He had been sitting with his arms angrily crossed, his eyes narrowed as he followed Hermione's every move that she made with Krum. Harry had hoped that this anger of Ron's would only be portrayed in glares and sarcastic comments, however as soon as he saw Hermione make her way towards them much later in the night, he had known then that an argument was imminent.
"It's really warm in here, isn't it?" Hermione had said, sitting herself down in Parvati's now empty chair.
Harry didn't answer her at first. He was scanning the room for Cho, who had been in a deep discussion with her usual group of girls for the past half hour. His stomach swirled every time he dared to think about what they were saying about him. He had tried to let on he didn't care, but he knew it was no good.
"Viktor just went to get us some drinks. Do you want one?" Hermione said. Harry had just opened his mouth to politely decline, when Ron suddenly sat up a lot straighter than he had been.
"Bloody Viktor?!" He hissed. Hermione looked taken aback. Harry sighed, knowing fine rightly what was coming now.
"What the heck is up with you?" Hermione asked.
"Isn't it obvious?!" Ron said bluntly. Hermione looked confused, staring at Harry briefly. Harry didn't know what else to do, so he shrugged. Hermione looked furious.
"He's a Durmstrang!" Ron spat. "In case you didn't notice, he's competing against your so-called friend in this tournament! You're fraternising with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"
"Ron, honestly, I don't mind- "But Hermione's shrill voice cut Harry off before he could finish.
"The enemy?! Don't be so stupid! You were the one who wanted his autograph!"
Ron ignored this comment. "He's Karkaroff's student. They know who you hang around with! They probably planned all this just to find out information about Harry and the second task!"
Harry saw the hurt flash across Hermione's face. She looked defeated for a split second, but then stood up and turned to face Ron once more.
"Not that it's any of your business," Hermione said spitefully, "but he hasn't asked me one thing about Harry. Not once!"
"Then he's trying to figure out if Harry has cracked the egg yet! Sirius has been saying from the start how dodgy Karkaroff is!" Ron shouted back. Harry was so thankful that the music was so loud that nobody else seemed to be able to hear them.
"Oh, for god's sake! I would never help him with the bloody egg, Harry knows this, don't you Harry? And anyway, this tournament is about mixing with foreign wizards and getting to know them!" Hermione said.
"It's about winning!" Ron shouted, now leaning so far forward in his chair that Harry was expecting him to jump off the chair any second.
"You are a complete ass- "Hermione began, but she was cut off.
"Wow! Right that's enough!"
Harry looked up to see Sirius, who had appeared between Ron and Hermione. He was frowning, looking from one of them to the other.
"What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked.
"Ronald seems to have a problem with my choice of date." Hermione answered, her eyes narrowed at Ron.
"Hermione seems to have forgotten who her real friends are and is making pals with the enemy." Ron bit back.
Harry could tell Sirius was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Instead his godfather continued to stand between them.
"Look, neither of you have to like who the other chose to bring. Hermione, we're meant to be representing our school and shrieking like that will not impress anyone, least of all McGonagall. Ron, Hermione is completely in her right to bring whoever she wants to this stupid Ball. Now, if you both can't agree with that, then agree to disagree and sort this out tomorrow." Sirius said calmly.
"Guess we're agreeing to disagree." Ron said stubbornly.
Hermione looked hurt. "I guess so. Although just so we're clear, you know what the solution to this is don't you?"
"Yeah, what would that be?" Ron said.
"Next time there's a ball, maybe ask me before somebody else does. And not as a tragic last resort." And with that, Hermione disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ron's mouth hanging open. He didn't say anything for a moment, Harry and Sirius watching him closely.
"Well- she obviously completely missed what I was trying to say." Ron spluttered. "I'm going to bed."
Harry stared after Ron as he made his way through the crowd in the complete opposite direction from Hermione.
"What are you thinking?" Sirius asked him.
"I'm thinking that Ron missed the point a lot more than Hermione did." Harry said. "I'm going to go get some air. I'll see you in a minute."
Sirius nodded and Harry had left to go cool down. He had now found a space on the stone wall that surrounded the courtyard to sit. He could hear the splashing of water, which he discovered was coming from a large fountain that he had never seen there before. Many different paths had also appeared, all of them lined with rose bushes and seemingly winding off to nowhere. A few carved wooden benches had also appeared at every edge of the courtyard, with a few people sitting on them and watching the night sky.
"… don't really see what you are panicking about."
Harry was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar voice. He snapped his neck round, and immediately saw the image of Severus Snape approaching him. He didn't know why, he wasn't breaking any rules, but Harry slid off the wall as fast as he could and crouched behind one of the rose bushes. He didn't know if he had been seen or not at first, but then Karkaroff spoke.
"You cannot pretend you haven't felt it too, Severus!" Karkaroff said. There was a certain edge to his voice, one that Harry had never heard before. He seemed like a man who always had it together, but now the tone of his voice was obvious. He was scared.
"I have felt nothing, Igor. It is merely in your mind." Snape said in his usual curt voice.
"You are treating me like a fool! You know as well as I what this feeling means! The small burning sensations- you feel it too! You are lying to yourself, Severus!" Karkaroff snarled.
"Have you ever thought that perhaps, you have more to feel guilty about than I do? For you know, as do we all, that if it were to happen… what would become of you." Snape said. He sounded calm, but there was a menacing side to his words. Harry shivered.
Karkaroff's breathing quickened. "It's been getting darker for months! Every day it becomes clearer and clearer! Not even you can deny it any longer!"
"If you are so certain… then flee." Snape said. "Flee, hide for as long as you can before they track you down."
"You live in a lie, Severus. How much longer are you going to deny what is truly happening? How much longer are you going to pretend you don't see the rat, constantly watching the boy and the lunatic's girl." Karkaroff said.
"I live exactly where I need to in order to protect myself. Do you honestly think Dumbledore is unaware of Pettigrew? He knows." Snape said.
Harry felt every nerve in his body come to life. Pettigrew… he hadn't thought of him in so long, not with everything that had been going on. And Dumbledore somehow knew of this? Did Sirius also know? Harry felt suddenly lightheaded.
"What makes you think that you will be forgiven?" Karkaroff said.
"Nothing. I, however, did not sell out my brothers for the sake of my own freedom. Flee, if you must. I am staying at Hogwarts." Snape said.
"You are a coward! You are hoping that Dumbledore will protect you if you are not forgiven." Karkaroff jeered.
"If I am not forgiven, then we already know what will become of me. And what will most certainly become of you." Snape paused. Harry heard his footsteps move across the courtyard. "Ten points from Ravenclaw, Collins!"
A rose bush rustled as Harry heard more footsteps hurry away from the scene. Neither Karkaroff nor Snape spoke again, but Harry still remained hidden by the bush until he was absolutely certain that they had gone. He eventually peaked out, seeing nobody around apart from the odd Beauxbatons or Durmstrang student heading back to their accommodation. Harry quickly hurried inside, only one thought on his mind.
He had to find Sirius. He had to tell him what he had just heard.
However, when Harry returned to the now much emptier Great Hall, he could see no sign of Sirius anywhere. He scanned the room again, but it soon became clear that Sirius was no there.
"Harry! There you are!"
Cho was approaching Harry, her face smiling warmly at him.
"Where have you been?" She asked. "I was looking for you."
"Oh!" Harry stammered. "I'm sorry, I went to get some air and then I must have lost track of time."
"That's ok. We could have another dance again now, if you like?"
Harry wanted nothing more than to accept this offer, but his mind was racing with the conversation that he had just heard. He needed to find Sirius.
"Sorry, Cho, I actually have to go now." He said, and immediately her face dropped.
"Oh, ok." She said. "I'll see you around then?"
"Yeah, cool." Harry said, and he hurried off before the situation could become any more awkward. He decided to go straight to Sirius's quarters, which seemed like the most obvious place for this godfather to be. He climbed the stairs two at a time while practically running down the corridors.
But when Harry arrived outside Sirius's quarters, he was greeted with a series of muffles shouts and yells coming from behind the main door. He debated listening for a moment, but he found himself out of patience after the amount of arguing he had been forced to put up with lately. So, he pushed the door open, and there stood Sirius and Mara.
"One condition! I gave you one condition to follow! And what did you do, huh?" Sirius shouted. He was standing in the space between the couch and the fireplace, his back to Harry. Mara stood near the hallway that lead to the bedrooms, her face red with anger.
"Are you bloody serious?!" She yelled. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
"No sneaking off! That's what I told you! And what did you and that cocky little shit do? Oh yeah, try and sneak off again!" Sirius screamed.
Harry didn't know if they had noticed he had joined them or if they simply didn't care.
"We weren't sneaking off anywhere! Jesus Christ, Sirius!" Mara yelled.
"Oh, so you two were just halfway up the staircase for fun, right?"
"We were going to the Astronomy Tower! Is that a crime?!" Mara bit back.
"Yes! Yes, it is! I gave you rules, and I gave you a condition when I allowed this crap to carry on. And you ignored all of it, Mara!" Sirius shouted.
"When you allowed it? Sorry since when do you control every damn aspect of my life?"
Harry moved further into the room so he could see Sirius's face. He looked furious.
"I control the aspects of your life that keep you safe! Because whether you want to admit it or not, you don't always know what's best!" Sirius yelled.
"I think I'm more than capable of knowing what is best for me! Stop treating me like a bloody child!" Mara screamed.
"YOU ARE A CHILD!" Sirius bellowed, so loudly that Harry was sure the whole castle had heard.
"BUT I'M NOT YOUR BLOODY CHILD, AM I?!"
The room went silent for a moment, both Sirius and Mara breathing heavily. Harry could see the immediate regret in Mara's eyes- she hadn't truly meant it. But she wouldn't admit it, not at that moment. Sirius looked as if he'd just been slapped, but he quickly put himself together again.
"No. You're not my kid." Sirius half shouted. "And you know what? Right now, I'm glad. Because you, are behaving like a brat right now."
Now it was Mara's turn to look hurt, but she still didn't back down. "I didn't do anything wrong. We always go up to the Astronomy Tower, I didn't think there would be a problem with it."
"How did you think there wouldn't be a problem?!" Sirius said.
"Because you've watched us there. You know we go there, and you've never stopped me before." Mara said. Sirius looked dumbfounded. "What? You seriously didn't think I would notice the massive black dog following me about?"
"I didn't think- "Sirius started but Mara quickly cut him off.
"The same way you didn't think I'd find out about Esme."
Sirius froze.
All of his anger seemed to fade, and now he just looked concerned. "How long have you known?"
"A while. Cedric's been helping me look into it. She's missing- and you didn't think to tell me."
Harry stepped forward. "Esme's missing?"
Mara nodded. "She was last seen in Albania months ago. No one has seen her since. But you know all that don't you, Sirius? So why don't you tell me what else you know."
Sirius sighed angrily. "She wrote to say she was coming to see you in France. She never arrived." He said.
"Why didn't you tell me that. You were going to, right? I remember. There was a night you asked me about Esme and if I'd wrote to her. But you didn't tell me." Mara said.
"I didn't want to upset you, Mara. Everything with the world cup and- "Sirius said firmly.
"You always preach to us about how important it is that we talk, that we tell each other things and work through it together. But that's just bullshit isn't it? We don't work like that. We hide things until we have no choice but to tell the truth, because that's easier right?" Mara said.
Nobody said anything for a long time. Harry stared between Sirius and Mara, while Sirius looked into the flames of the fire, the shadows dancing on his face. Mara looked right at him.
"You want me to be straight with you?" Sirius said, turning back to face Mara. "This thing you have with Diggory- it ends now. No more."
"What?!" Mara screeched.
"I know that you think I'm being unreasonable. And you may not be my kid, but you are my flesh and blood, and are therefore my responsibility. My job is to keep you both safe, and sometimes that involves keeping things from you. And right now, I don't care how much you kick up a fuss. You're right- you aren't my biological child. I'm not either of your fathers, but I am the closest thing to a Dad you're ever likely to get in this bloody life. So, go ahead, shout and scream, I'm doing the right thing as your dad and as your guardian, by putting an end to this bullshit."
Mara, who was still wearing her dress, said nothing more. She stared at Sirius with a new expression, something Harry had never seen on her face before. But before he had time to work it out, she had gone into her bedroom, slamming the door so loudly that the whole of the living room shook. Harry watched as Sirius rubbed his eyes, summoned a bottle of firewhiskey from the shelf, and poured himself a large glass.
"Go to bed, Harry." He murmured. "It's late."
Harry suddenly remembered why he had come, the conversation between Snape and Karkaroff fresh in his mind again.
"No." He said. "I overheard something tonight. It's important."
Sirius looked at him, confusion on his face that was telling Harry to continue. And so he did. He told Sirius everything he had heard, including every little detail that he could remember. Sirius said nothing, letting him get to the end before standing up from the couch where he had taken a seat.
Harry watched as he poured yet another glass of firewhiskey, downing it straight away.
"Just as I thought this shit literally couldn't get any fucking worse." Sirius said, and before Harry could even ask him where he was going, Sirius had disappeared through the main door into the dark corridor.
