"Have you finished your Divination homework?" Ron plopped down beside a somber Harry. 

Harry kept his eyes locked on the common room fire, watching the flames dancing, immersed in his own torrid thoughts. "No." He answered mindlessly.

"Want to make predictions with me?" Ron attempted to lighten the mood. The bloke needed to relax a bit, after all. They hadn't seen much of each other lately. There just wasn't time. Between the impending O.W.L's and his new-found relationship with Hermione, there was little time left for his best friend. And he felt guilty about it. It seemed that Harry was always like this lately, retreating further and further within himself and it wasn't good. They needed this time together.  And if he had to make up a flimsy excuse, so be it.

Harry sighed. He couldn't ignore him forever. He needed to return to the real world sometime, he thought resignedly. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be considering your homework. I mean, we have a long weekend up ahead." Ron shot a very well staged meaningful glance back at Hermione and Harry fell for it. Pride. "Sure. Why not." He suppressed another sigh and fumbled to retrieve his parchment and quills as Ron reached for his own, overly boisterous in his animation. God, he could be so annoying sometimes. But, he needed to spend some time with him, he reasoned with himself. They were drifting apart lately, after all the events and Hermione and Ron finally having realized their affections. There just hadn't been much time. And Ron was only trying to help, after all.

"I'll go first." Ron stated pompously, flourishing his quill over enthusiastically, "I predict….um….early this month I will be crushed by an extremely perturbed female." He waggled his eyebrows at Harry and continued in a lower tone, "She's been awfully moody lately. Unpredictable, that one is." Harry continued to stare into the fire blankly. Ron moved on quickly. "So…your turn, mate."

"Right. Ah…um…" he stalled, searching for an easy answer. He didn't want to think. Didn't really want to do this. Couldn't Ron just go away?!! "Late next month, I'll be run over by a rampaging hippogriff." He said with detachment.

"Oh, come on Harry! That's awful cheap! We've used that one a thousand times! You've got to be able to come up with something a bit more original than that!"

Irritation overwhelmed him. He didn't want to have to deal with this right now. "Fine." He said, crankily carrying on with something more "original",  "I predict that, by the end of the year, Voldemort will have finished me off and won't have to worry anymore about that pesky 'Boy-Who-Lived'" He shot Ron an icy glare, watching as his face contorted in shock.

"HARRY! That's bloody MORBID! What the hell do you think you're playing at, spouting out stuff like that?!!!"

"I'm not much fit for company at the moment." He said heavily, staring at the fire still, trying desperately to keep from elaborating, in his mind, the way that the orange flames reminded him of Ginny's fiery hair.

"You want to talk about it?" Ron attempted to offer a helping hand.

"No. I just want to be alone."

Ron huffed and continued in Weasley Rage "Well, isn't that always the way it is, lately?! Don't have time for your friends now do you!! Just going to shut us out now, eh!! Well…I won't stand for it. You don't want me around?! I WON'T BE AROUND! I'll just leave the Great Harry Potter to his oh-so-special-thoughts." Harry just sighed, sending barely a glance in Ron's direction. He didn't have the energy for this right now. "Fine then! I'm going to bed!" And Ron stormed off to the dormitories, leaving Harry alone in the fast emptying common room.

….

"Harry?" Ginny stood alone in the dormitory doorway, cautious and quiet in the late night silence, "Sorry to bother you. Forgot my quill. I'll go now." Ginny turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"No. Don't go, Gin. It's okay." She went and stood in front of him, willing him to elaborate. He gave a wry half grin. "I've a feeling that you didn't really forget a quill, did you?"

"Am I that transparent?" she flashed a winning smile. God, she was just what he needed. Her hair shone in the gentle light of the fire, burning iridescent shades of auburn and orange. It was truly, a "fiery red," he reflected as he marveled at the way she made everything seem a bit better. Everything was always better when she was around. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shrugged. "Not really." He pulled her onto his lap, a small, reluctant grin beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth. It was easier to forget, when she was around. He didn't want to dwell on things that hurt any more. He wanted to be with her.

"Are you sure?…" She twisted around in order to look him directly in the eye, "Has anything happened? Since we last spoke, I mean" She bore into his green eyes, willing him to speak. The stubborn git had to give it up.

"No, Gin. Nothing new. I've just been thinking…" 

She wrapped her arms around his neck, at this, pulling him close to her—her face mere inches from his, her brown eyes overflowing with unspoken questions.

He brushed his lips against her cheek, "And I just want to stop thinking, you know?" She looked as if about to say something, but Harry caught her instead with a deep kiss.

She murmured a sound of contentment as he pinned her down on the couch as the kisses quickly escalated to a state neither had yet experienced. He hadn't seen her for days. Hadn't had the chance to talk to her, touch her or kiss her since the night that they admitted their love for each other.  And he wanted this, wanted to be with her and forget all his worries. He could feel her curves pressing against his body, the solidity of her waist beneath his hands, the soft touch of her hair brushing against his cheek, he could taste the sweetness of her tongue dancing with his. It was all a blur as his heart beat ever faster, driving him to a point of unconscious ecstasy that was quickly ruined.

Somewhere in his peripheral senses, he heard the creak of the dormitory door and saw the bleary image of a tall red headed bloke standing in the stairwell, killing the romance instantly. Harry rolled over quickly, trying to make the scene look innocent, but only succeeded in falling off the slim sofa with a large "thud" and receiving nasty whack against the coffee table with his head.

"Sorry, just came down here looking for…" a groggy Ron mumbled before fully realizing occupants of the common room, "HARRY!!"

"Damn you Ron, as if my head didn't hurt enough!" Harry swore, fingering a large bulge on his forehead and climbing to his feet with the aid of Ginny's hand.

Ron ignored him. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!"

"Wait. You don't understand, Ron. Let me explain first." Harry pleaded, still massaging his twice throbbing forehead.

"What's there to explain? Seems to me that I've seen enough." Ron crossed his arms across his chest and blundered on, "You're shagging my LITTLE SISTER! Tell me Harry, do you like using her? I mean, it's quite easy isn't it? All that adoration all complete and everything…don't have to play around with doubts…"

He kept going, but Ginny's voice cut through like a razor blade. "RON. You don't know what you're talking about. Don't go jumping to conclusions!!"

 Harry swelled with pride, even as he felt hot anger sizzle up within him. Ron had no right to go on like this. He didn't know what the hell he was doing and all it did was hurt needless innocents.

Ron stopped short. "Really? Would you mind telling me what is going on then?"

"Harry and I love each other." She started.

Ron gave a rude snort "Is that what he tells you then?" Harry clenched his fists and bit back a string of choice words, suppressing the shock of the sentence Ginny had just uttered. He supposed it was true, but he hadn't time to dwell on it now. 

She continued, "We've been going out for the past 6 months secretly. And nothing has happened, thank you very much. I don't need my great moron of a brother taking care of me." Ginny finished with an authoritative flourish.

"Why the hell all the secrecy?!! Why haven't you told me and Hermione, eh?" Harry opened his mouth, preparing for a measured reply, but Ron kept on, "But I suppose we aren't important enough to know what goes on in the Great Harry Potter's wonderful life, eh?! No, we just don't deserve that kind of attention. You'd rather SNOG MY SISTER in secrecy, wouldn't you?!!!!" Ron was wagging an accusatory finger at Harry now, his face matching his hair in rage.

That was it. That was enough. Not only had he implied that his intentions toward Ginny were false, but he had also questioned his integrity as a friend and person.

"STOP. IT." He worked his jaw and clenched his fists, in vain effort to stop the anger.

"Why? The Great Hero doesn't like to HEAR THE TRUTH?!" And Harry couldn't hold back anymore. He crossed the common room in two great strides and punched him. Right across the face, hard.

Ron threw a quite painful response, catching him sorely on the jaw. He winded up for retaliation, giving Ron the split second window needed to tackle him to the ground.

It was during this interval when the dormitory doors flew open and an a trio of confused first years accompanied by a frantic Dennis Creevey rampaged in, flailing their arms about, crying questions. Harry and Ron were a bit too involved to act on the intrusion, but Ginny rushed over and ushered them back up the stairs; assuring them that everything was all right, even as her own heart pounded with angst. Obediently, they returned to their confines, whimpering only a little.  It took longer to persuade though, he wanted to stay and gawk. Behind her, she heard the bone-crushing slam of what must have been another punch. She winced at the noise. 

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!" Hermione's voice stopped the racket immediately. Both Ron and Harry looked up from their tangled mess on the floor to the doorway of the girl's dormitories. An enraged Hermione stood there, hands on hips, her night dress rumpled, her hair knottier than usual, Prefect badge gleaming in the firelight.  "RON! HARRY!" Hermione stated in disbelieving shock as she soaked in the scene, but immediately returned to duty "Just what was so urgent that you had to go into it in the middle of the night?!" Both Harry's and Ron's mouths gaped as they struggled for an explanation. Thankfully, Ginny came to their rescue.

"Hermione, umm….Ron caught me and Harry in a…ahem…rather compromising position." Her eyes were large and face pale.

"They were SNOGGING!" Ron seemed to have found his voice. Harry turned a burning shade of scarlet.

            Ginny continued as if there were no interruption, "And Ron made some rather scathing accusations. Harry was just defending himself. That's all." Ginny looked up at Hermione, pure innocence written all over her worried face. She was a damn good actress.

            "They've been going out for SIX MONTHS, Hermione! SIX. MONTHS. And we never heard a word about it!!" Hermione melted noticeably at this.

            "Awww, Gin!" she bustled across the room, immediately enveloping Ginny in a tight embrace. "Why didn't you tell me!"

            "I would have. But it was never the right moment, you know? And Harry and I thought it better to not have this be public. You know, with everything." Hermione nodded, looking at Ginny through bleary eyes.

            "You've wanted this for so long and…finally…" Hermione stole a glance at Ron and Harry, who had now disentangled themselves and were standing awkwardly in separate corners nursing their individual wounds. "We'll have to talk more later." She whispered. "You two better go down to the hospital wing." She addressed the two gits.

            "Not the hospital wing!!" Ron bellowed his disapproval, "Really, I'm fine!"

            "Yeah. Me too." Harry piped up for the first time in a long while.

            "Reeeally? If you're so fine Mr. Weasley, why is that spot on your cheek turning such a nice shade of purple? And you, Harry, you're lip is bleeding, for heaven's sake!" And with that Hermione dragged the two off to the hospital wing.

*

Harry woke up to sanitary white and excruciating pain the next morning. To the dismay of both boys, Madame Pomfrey had insisted that both Ron and Harry stay the night, despite the fact that the injuries were only minor and there was little she could do. There would be endless teasing over this. He sighed. He hated the hospital wing.  What a wonderful way to begin Easter Break, he thought sarcastically.

Harry moaned and rolled over in his bed, away from Ron. His head still throbbed, though now it wasn't only due to his scar. He felt the large bump that had formed there, and the fat lip and sore jaw he possessed now also. His whole body ached. Scrawny Ron had quite a bit more fight in him than he let on, he thought as he remembered last night's events.

He had been afraid of this.  God, how would he ever explain all this to Ron. He knew that Ron would be protective of his sister, would be afraid for his sister. And he had every right to be, he thought with a shudder. If Voldemort ever found out….he didn't care to think about it.

"You awake, mate?" Ron was up. Damn. "Hey, I'm sorry 'bout last night, Harry. It was just a bit of a shock, you know?" Harry remained silent, not for anger, but for lack of words.  "Harry, are you awake?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Listen, about last night…"

"Did Hermione talk to you or something?" Harry rolled over and looked incredulously at Ron. It wasn't like him address affairs of this magnitude so readily. Hermione had to be threatening him. Ron nodded.

"Yeah. I got quite a bit of a lecture…But I still don't approve."

"Then why apologize?" Harry's voice bit the air.

"Well. I shouldn't have hit you." Ron's eyes were ice.

"Yeah, well. Wasn't that really my fault anyway? I threw the first punch." His sarcastic words stung. He wished it weren't this way. He didn't want to remain on these terms with Ron, but it seemed there was no choice but to return the anger that was being sent his way. It wasn't his fault if Ron couldn't accept.
            "It was. I just didn't think it was polite to throw blame." A heavy silence hung for a few moments as each raged in their individual corners. "But don't worry about it. I'll cope. I mean, there's nothing I can do. Your being the Great-Harry-Potter and all" Ron spat.

Harry was about to strike back, but was interrupted by the sound of approaching foot steps. It was McGonagall.

"I've heard that there was a bit of a tizzy last night in the dormitories." She stood poker straight and imposing above their beds. .

"Damn First years" Harry thought he heard Ron curse and braced himself for a lecture, but McGonagall ignored the exclamation, if she heard it, and continued.

 "Much to my disappointment, I am forced retract 125 points from Gryffindor. Each. And detentions." Both boys let out cries of dismay, which McGonagall pointedly ignored. "Brawling is no light matter and it will not be handled as such. I trust nothing like this will ever happen again." She peered at them over her spectacles. "All the issues have been resolved, then?"

"Yes, ma'am" they answered in unison.

"Good. Harry, I'll need to you to come with me."

Harry was only barely surprised. What, exactly, she wanted him for, he had no idea, yet he pulled himself out of the bed dutifully, quickly changed behind the screen, and followed his Professor out into the hall. These sort of occurrences happened quite regularly now. Normally it was just Dumbledore checking up on him, but there was always that chance that something had happened. Sirius was off battling Voldemort, along with Lupin, Moody, and Hagrid and his heart lurched at the idea of anything happening to them. He followed McGonagall up through the corridors to the familiar stone gargoyle with a mind whirling with all too terrible thoughts. She said the password, and he climbed the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's chambers alone.

            Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. His face slack, his eyes filled with that far away, worried expression that he wore so often now.

            "Ah, Harry. Good to see you." He smiled warmly, the life seeming to come back to his twinkling eyes. "Snuffles, you can come out now. He's here." Dumbledore beckoned under his desk and a large, shaggy black dog emerged a moment later, bounding toward Harry in great leaps.  

            Harry couldn't stop the grin. Sirius was here. A large sigh of relief escaped his lips before he could stop it as he watched the dog transform into the familiar form of his godfather.

            "Harry!" Sirius clapped him round the shoulders, drawing him into tight, fatherly hug.

            Harry was overflowing with happiness at the unexpected visit, but his excitement was quickly distinguished as logic returned to him. "Nothing's happened has it?" he asked frantically, pulling away from Sirius "Did something happen?"

            Sirius shook his head solemnly. "No, Harry. Nothing." His eyes narrowed in on Harry's cuts and bruises. "But it seems that I should be the one asking you that. What happened here?" He gestured loosely at his godson's black and blue condition.

Harry felt himself turn pink. "No. Nothing like that."

"Good." Sirius paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You didn't get into a scrap over a girl, did you?" He was now smiling slyly and snickering.

Harry felt his blush deepen. Sirius was gaping at him. "Oh my God. You did."

            "I remember those spirited days of youth. Chasing girls." Dumbledore's dreamy voice cut into the exchange. Harry had been just about ready to go hide under a rock somewhere and never emerge, and was extremely thankful for Dumbledore's distraction. "Got into quite a few brawls myself." The blue eyes behind the spectacles assumed a rather glazed quality. Now, Harry found himself and Sirius gaping at the Headmaster, open mouthed and all. It was Dumbledore after all, talking about girls, and he was ancient.   "That Minerva was quite something." At this point, Harry let out a squeak of shocked horror. Ew. His Transfiguration professor and his headmaster. Nightmarish images passed across his mind's eye before he could stop them. Ewwww.

            At this point, Dumbledore seemed to be pulled out of his reverie. He looked at Sirius and Harry as if seeing them there for the first time. "Sorry. I'll leave you two alone." Harry thought he saw him flush, but wasn't sure, he strode past them so quickly.

            "I'll just go down to the teacher's lounge." He reached awkwardly for the door, "See if I can find Minerva." Harry thought he heard him mumble, but he wasn't sure. He didn't want to speculate much, either.

            And Harry and his godfather were left alone, both gaping at the empty doorway, pale faced, jaws hanging.

            Sirius blinked several times, gulped and tried to recover. "Sooo….ahem…." he cast about for words, until suddenly remembering Harry's prediction and gaining again that mischievous Marauder glint in his eye. "Who knocked you 'round, then?"

            His eyes were gleaming a bit too much for Harry's liking and he wilted under Sirius' teasing grin. "Ron." Sirius' smile faded quickly.

            "My God….who?…it wasn't over Hermione, was it?!"

            "WHAT?! ewwww…Hermione?!  God, no. NOO." Harry wore a kind of scandalized, disgusted look on his face that explained more than words could ever say.

            "Good." Sirius let out a sigh of relief. "Who was it then?"

            "Ginny." Why did his face have to burn so terribly much?!

            "Well, that explains the bruises, then."  There was a contemplative pause. "How're you and Ron?"

Harry's heart plummeted. How were he and Ron? He had no idea. He hated to think about it. Ron was likely to never forgive him. What a mess this was. "I don't know." Harry tried to keep his face straight, but the strain showed. A pang of guilt hit him hard. He had been neglecting Ron and Hermione lately. They were his best friends and he had barely spent any time with them, lately. Sirius just looked at him, now. And that didn't help matters. He cast about for a subject change. Any subject change.

"So…Why are you here?" He saw his godfather immediately stiffen and kicked himself. Idiot. Bad choice. Very bad choice.

Sirius just laughed it off, though, letting it roll off his back with a good dose of sarcasm. "What? I can't come to see my godson over Easter Break? What's the world come to?!"

"Oh. Yeah." Harry tried to fake a laugh. It didn't work. He was never any good at acting. There was something else. He knew it. There had to be something else. His godfather was a wanted man, involved in an incredibly dangerous war. One didn't just "drop in" when in a condition like that.

"Why don't you, Ron, Hermione and Ginny come eat supper with me tonight?"

This was rather sudden. "Uh. Sure." Harry smiled feebly. Sirius led him to the door.

"Third classroom on the left, fourth floor." Sirius whispered as he reached for the handle. "I'll talk to you there." Harry looked at him blankly, then moved to leave. As he ventured down the stairs, Sirius called after him in his normal, teasing tone "Have to meet this girlfriend of yours, you know!" Harry laughed despite himself. Ginny would love Sirius.

*

"Where's Ginny?" Harry came bounding into the common room, glancing frantically at his watch. The rain pounded at the windows, clouding a mind that was already murky with a thousand thoughts. Sirius was here. Ron was still angry. Ginny was beautiful.

            "Why?" Ron was still a bit peevish. He sat on a sofa now, glaring at Harry maliciously. Hermione was giving Ron, in turn, an equally scathing glare.

            "We're all eating with Sirius tonight, if you must know." Harry said in a low tone, standing above Ron and Hermione now.

            "And she has to come with?"

            "Yes."  Their looks spoke murder.

            "I think she's retrieving something for Herbology. She should be back any minute now." Hermione, thankfully, interrupted the exchange.

            "Well, she better come back quick. We're going to be late." Harry plunked himself down, listening distractedly to the steady beat of the rainfall, glancing at his watch repeatedly.

            "She's always late, you know. You'd think you'd know that though, being her boyfriend."   Ron shot venomously.

            "I do know that, thank you very much. But, I still reserve the right to complain."

            "HARRY! What happened?!" Harry jumped. Colin Creevey, sure enough, had snuck up behind him and was now staring incredulously at his purpled appearance. His jaw dropped. What would he tell him? What to say that would be benign enough to quell any dangerous rumors? Had those rumors already been started by the younger Creevey? How much did he know? He stuttered, searching for an answer. Hermione, again, saved the day.

            "Ron and Harry had a rift. They're quite fine now, though." Her glower should have been enough to quiet any other student, but Colin pressed on.

            "What about?"

            "Oh, um…Hedwig was just picking at Pig and they got overly defensive, that's all….now, if you'll excuse us…" and she literally pulled both boys out the portrait hole.

            "Thanks" Harry mumbled awkwardly, glancing at his watch again, in effort to avoid Ron's eye. Thankfully, the sound of footsteps soon resonated up the stairwell and Ginny appeared. Sopping wet and muddy. Her hair hung in dregs, her face was smeared with mud, her robes were dripping. Harry didn't notice. "Good. Ginny, you're here." He grabbed her wrist and started dragging her along, darting up the corridors at a fast pace, leading Ron and Hermione to the designated meeting place. Ignoring her cries of protest.

            "HARRY!" Ginny plowed to a stop, her eyes burning with rage. "Just where are  you taking me! And why in the hell couldn't I have at least washed up before going?!"

            "I'll tell you later" Harry pleaded, tugging her toward the destination that was now mere feet away.

            "No. You'll tell me now." Her stance left no room for challenge. "You can't do this, you know. Just grab me out of nowhere and drag me along. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TAKING ME?!"  As her voice grew steadily louder, Harry grew more nervous. Filch, Mrs. Norris or Peeves could be lurking anywhere. She ranted on and he became more concerned.

He literally pulled her into the room, now. He set her in a corner of the abandoned classroom, casting a silencing charm as quickly as he could manage, guarding her from view. This was embarrassing. Ron, Hermione and Sirius were already there. He knew they were watching.

Ginny continued in her rage. "I'M WET, I'M COLD, I'M MUDDY AND I'M TIRED! And by Merlin, Harry James Potter, you had better tell me what we're doing here or I won't be responsible for what happens next!"

"Sirius is here. He wanted to meet you." Harry felt sheepish and juvenile in the wake of Ginny's unique terror. It was like being young and innocent in the face of one of Vernon's lashings yet again.

"WHAT?!" Ginny looked like she could kill. Her cheeks flushed, her hair burned, and her eyes blazed. "The first time I meet your GOD FATHER and he sees me like THIS!! I can't believe you, Harry, I really can't. How could you possibly be so thick?!"

"You look fine." Harry reached over and tenderly removed a fleck of dirt from her cheek.

Ginny snorted. "Don't even go there."  He pulled his hand away as if he had been burnt. Ginny cast a drying charm on her self, patted down her hair and smoothed her robes. "Well. If it must be done, let's get it over with." She stated with a kind of tired resignation. "But, bear in mind, I'll hold this against you for the rest of your life."

Harry just sighed, raked his hand through his hair and retracted the silencing charm. He turned around to see Sirius, Ron and Hermione staring at them, sure enough, with rapt attention. Ron was looking a bit too pleased. Hermione was wearing a look of genuine concern and Sirius was grinning that grin that only meant trouble.

"Sirius, this is Ginny." Harry gestured toward the wild young woman who held his heart. "And Ginny, this is Sirius. My God father." 

Sirius offered his hand to Ginny, peals of ringing laughter already breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Glad to meet you Ginny. I've heard so much about you." His voice was positively dripping with honey.

"And I, you." Ginny cast a glare at Harry. "Though you'll have to forgive my appearance. Someone didn't inform me that we'd be coming here tonight."

"You look beautiful." He winked and nodded toward Harry. "Sorry 'bout him. Haven't had much time to train him yet. But, don't worry. I will."

"Might be a bit of a challenge. He's pretty slow."

Sirius just laughed as he took a seat at the old teacher's desk/dining table. "I like this one, Harry. She's got spirit." The others followed suit.

"Yeah. The git doesn't know half the spirit she's got, either. Doesn't know what he's getting into, this one." Ron gestured across the table at Harry as he invaded the House-Elf prepared basket of food.

"Ginny's your little sister, right?" Sirius' eyes twinkled dangerously.

"Yup. Raiding the cradle, he is." Ron bit maliciously into a drumstick. Harry resisted the urge to dive under the table and hide. Hermione and Ginny both glared.

"Actually, Ginny is closer in age to Harry than all of us." Hermione's airy, educated voice stopped Ron's destruction of the drumstick immediately. He looked at her now, dumbfounded, along with the rest of the occupants, waiting for elaboration. "Well, it's simple arithmetic, isn't it?" She looked at them all in turn, awed that they hadn't figured it out. "Harry was born 31 July, 1981. Ginny was born 10 November that same year, three months too late to catch our class. They're exactly…" She screwed up her eyes as she worked out the simple mathematics, "three months, ten days apart. Whereas Ron was born 25 January 1980 and is…five months, twenty five days older than Harry. And I'm six months, five days older than him, born 5 February 1980." Hermione now straightened her back and grinned triumphantly, "So, you see Ron, he's not raiding the cradle."

Sirius was amused. "And as long as we're spouting off dates…Harry's conception was 31 October 1980." He waggled his eyebrows mischievously as all the blood rushed to Harry's face.
                        "Please, Sirius. I don't want to hear this."

            "Aww. Poot 'ickle Harry is embaaaraassed." But Sirius dropped the subject. He seemed to have a shred of decency.

Harry just started to pick at his food. His jaw hurt. He couldn't chew. And Sirius was a mad man. He made a mental note never to let his God father get a hold of any information that could be potentially embarrassing. This was hell.

            "Harry, why aren't you eating?" Hermione's  kind inquiry came.

            "It's nothing. My jaw is just a bit sore, having some trouble chewing." Harry glanced up. Hermione was studying him worriedly. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

            "Aww. Here Harry. Let me help you." Ginny reached over and mashed all the food on his plate into a nice, even soupy texture. "There. Just like baby food. You should have no trouble chewing now." She grinned serenely and returned her attention to her own plate.

"Thanks."

Sirius, who had been studying the couple intently, suddenly burst out in guffaws.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Like father, like son." Sirius managed between peals of laughter.

Harry stared at him intently, jaw slack, waiting for elaboration. Anything to do with his parent sparked immediate attention. The information was just too sparse to be ignored. "It's just…watching you two….don't tell me you haven't noticed?!"

"Noticed what?" Harry was genuinely wary.

"The hair. Honestly." Sirius rolled his eyes exasperatingly, suppressing a smirk.

"Oh! But…I mean…" Harry cast about for an explanation, "Mum's hair was a much darker red than Ginny's. Ginny's hair is a much more fiery red…" he fell silent, suddenly aware of the eyes staring at him. He blushed.

Sirius was watching him amusedly. "What is it with the Potters and red hair?"

Harry gave it up. There was no dignity left to spare. All the blushing in the world would do nothing but encourage Sirius and he knew it. The only way to halt the infinite teasing was to shock him. He leaned back in his chair, peered over the rim of his glasses and said it. "Well, it's dead sexy isn't it?"

Ginny suppressed a giggle, Hermione attempted to look reproving, but unsuccessfully hid the beginnings of a smirk, Ron let out a strangled cry of indignation. Sirius was ghostly pale.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, earnestly concerned. This Sirius was way too close to the Sirius he had met fresh out of Azkaban.

"It's spooky sometimes…" His godfather visibly shook. "You're so like your father, Harry. And you don't even know it. I mean, it's not just the features, it's a look you both share and the humor..." he trailed off. "You must get tired of hearing about it. I'm not sure how you feel about the subject…"

"No. It's fine. I like hearing about them….I just…wish I knew them." The rest of the room seemed to fall away. It was just him and his godfather and memories of people who were incredibly significant to them both.

"It's odd. The more time I spend with you, Harry, the more I see them. It's like…I'm looking at both of them a the same time…" he paused, his eyes swimming with unseen images of times past. "Not that you don't have your own personality, of course." He seemed to want to redeem himself for some transgression. He didn't know how to approach subjects like these. He wasn't good at this sort of thing.

"No. It's fine. I didn't take it that way." The bind between them was broken and  Harry came suddenly out of his reverie, noticing everyone about him. Ron was watching him intently, an unreadable expression upon his face. Hermione looked upon him curiously. Ginny's hand rested lightly on his knee, he realized with a start. As soon as he noticed this, however, she retracted it.  There was a stretch of stillness.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny," Sirius nodded to them all in turn, "There's a reason I came here, as I'm sure you've figured." All waited with bated breath. Harry glanced at the door nervously. "Don't worry. This room has been protected. No one can hear us." Sirius read his mind and continued. "The things I have to tell you are very grave in matter." He paused, summing up strength, "As you have probably deduced, I've been out hunting Wormtail." he spat the word with evident disgust. "And I've come to warn you, Harry, that I believe he's out again. I don't know where, I don't know who or what he's looking for, but I have substantial reason to believe that he's following me or hunting you....he may have very well followed me here, to Hogwarts...which is why I must leave tonight, as soon as possible." Harry suppressed a groan. It was for the best, he knew, and he was stupid to be thinking these selfish thoughts, but he didn't want his godfather to leave. "It was naive of me to come here, I know. And I hope that I haven't lured Wormtail in this direction, but Harry, I had to warn you in person." he managed a weak smile. "Had to check up on you, you know. Meet the girlfriend....Dumbledore can't have all the fun of torturing  you." He winked playfully and Harry laughed weakly. His godfather clapped him on the shoulder, "Seriously, Harry. Be careful....And don't let this rift between you," He gestured loosely toward Ron and Hermione, "go too deep. Nothing is worth destroying a friendship like  you have here."

He turned to shake everyone's hand good-bye. "Ginny, it was really good to see you. Keep this one in line for me, now won't you?" He threw his head toward Harry. Ginny smiled politely. "Ron, you're a good bloke, you really are. Just..." He trailed off and Ron quickly nodded his understanding. The moment was awkward. "And Hermione. Keep an eye on these guys, eh?" Hermione nodded too, bleary eyed. At last, he turned toward Harry and enveloped him in a powerful bear hug. "I'll be back you know, as soon as I can."

Harry managed to laugh non-chalantly and push away. He didn't want to get all mushy. He wasn't a baby. This was embarrassing.  "Get out of here now, you git. You've embarrassed me enough."

Sirius just laughed and transformed, running out the door and down the corridors, away from Harry. For a moment, he watched, transfixed until a hand on his shoulder pulled him back to earth.

"He will come back, you know. It'll be fine." Hermione stood at his side, eyes fixed in the same direction.

"Yeah. I know."

The walk back to the dormitories was largely silent, Ginny pacing quietly at his side, Hermione holding Ron's hand up ahead.  The journey passed all too quickly.

**

Her hair caught the light, the fiery iridescence of it entrancing him. He sat, spell bound, in the common room, homework forgotten, mouth gaping, staring at Lily across the room. She was gorgeous.

            "There, Potter?" Sirius waved a hand in front of his face, rudely interrupting his reverie.  James glanced up ruefully. Sirius was mocking him now, barely suppressing that infectious grin of his. "Like redheads, now do you?" Sirius stuck a thumb in Lily's direction and winked.

            James hefted his feet upon the coffee table, loosening up now that all hope of privacy was gone, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, you've got to admit." He peered over the rim of his glasses. "It's dead sexy."

            Sirius' lip curled upward in sly amusement. "Is it now?" He cocked his head in Lily's direction, evaluating her in a pompous and completely absurd manner. "I'm not so sure….I'd say there're might be prettier ones 'round here…"

            James interrupted him immediately, "No. Not at all. She's definetly the most beautiful. There is no contest." The context was that of playful teasing, but the earnestness in James' voice was obvious.

            Sirius shook his head and laughed. "Only you, James. Only you." His best friend sent him a rather sarcastic glare, which he pointedly ignored. He leaned forward on the sofa, glanced over at Lily and addressed James, "So, you really like this one, eh?"

            James looked at him and there was nothing sarcastic, playful or teasing in his tone when he answered. "Really."