A/N: I do not own any characters except Brianna.
"That explains a lot, Harry!" Brianna said, pacing in front of the couch where Harry sat, the shadows of the flames from the fire dancing in his eyes. "Sirius isn't just acting weird, he's being controlled."
"It does explain the strange letter," Harry replied thoughtfully, "but that doesn't help. What can we do to stop it?"
"Oh, no. No way, Harry. You heard Dumbledore. That's Dark Arts stuff. You don't want to get mixed up in that. Again."
Harry rubbed his eyes with his fists. After putting his glasses back on he sighed. "But I can't just let Sirius continue to suffer as someone's puppet. What if Wattler never gets tired? And I want to know why exactly he's controlling my godfather. If he hates him so much, why doesn't he just turn him in to the Azkaban guards? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Harry was beginning to get irate at the thought of sitting by helplessly until Henry Wattler grew tired of controlling Sirius. Brianna's heart ached to help Harry, but she knew no matter what she said, it couldn't relent the pain he was feeling.
Her eyes were beginning to feel heavy so she told Harry she was tired. Looking somewhat disappointed, he bid her a goodnight and she left him sitting in front of the fire, feeling terrible about deserting him when he needed her most. Upstairs in her dorm, she reflected on being the only person in the dorm. She climbed into her pyjamas and into bed, but instead of falling straight to sleep like she had predicted, she tossed and turned. Christmas was a time to spend with your family and friends. It was a time to be with your loved ones. And right now, a loved one of Brianna's was downstairs, alone, and hurting. It was too much. She flicked on a light and hurried down the stairs.
Harry was still sitting in front of the fire, like she had left him moments ago. He hadn't noticed her yet and she took this time to study him carefully. She had seen pictures of his parents in the photo book that Hagrid gave Harry at the end of their first year at Hogwarts. She agreed with the fact that Harry looked like his father, and had his mother's green eyes. Watching him stare into the fire, she felt a deep emotion of longing, like something was missing in her life. True, she was only fifteen and still had her whole life ahead of her. But what did she want to spend it doing? Did she ever want to marry? And most of all, what would happen to her friendship with Harry, Ron and Hermione after school? Would they all go their separate ways? That thought hurt her too much so she stopped thinking about it and went back to concentrating on Harry's face. She truly loved him as a friend; she felt she could turn to no one else when it came to matters of importance. Ron and Hermione were incredible friends, but it's true that you only have one real friend in your life. One person who will share laughter and tears with you. And that person, for Brianna, was Harry. But the question was, did Harry think the same of Brianna?
"What are you doing?"
Harry's voice startled her and she almost fell down the remaining steps. She composed herself and he glared at her strangely. "I thought you were going to bed."
There he stood, in front of her, looking more tired and weary than she had seen him in a long time. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him and held him close. Expecting him to pull away, she anticipated what her explanation would be. But instead, he pulled her tight to him.
"You're my best friend, Bri," he whispered, almost tearfully. "I feel like I can tell you anything. I love the way you act, the way you talk, your looks, the way you can make me laugh when I'm feeling low. When everyone else doubted me about being Slytherin's heir, you were there for me and didn't back down. Thank you so much for being my friend."
Brianna pulled away from him and placed her forehead on his. "I'll always be there for you." She grinned. "Besides, I'm a pureblood so even if you were Slytherin's heir, I wouldn't have to worry."
He laughed and pushed her towards the stairs. "Want to have a sleep- over tonight?" he asked, carefully studying her face and her reaction. She nodded eagerly. It had been a long time since just the two of them got together to read and stay in each other's room for the night. Usually, it was all four of them and they managed to conjure up a television for entertainment. Grabbing his hand, she led him up the stairs into her dorm.
No matter how long she knew him for, or how many times they had these get togethers, she had the feeling that she would always feel weird about Harry being in her room. It didn't bother her as much when Ron was there, but just the two of them felt strange. They often fell asleep on the couch or lounge chair in the Common Room, but that was different. It was mutual territory. This was her room, the Girl's Dormitory. This was private, personal space.
Sitting down on the bed, they managed to call up a television set and took to watching old British shows for the next few hours. Brianna always felt so safe and comfortable with Harry around. They lie together on the bed, his arms wrapped around her waist and it always felt so natural. Like they belonged together.
The world seemed perfect that night. If only they could get the Sirius matter sorted out, life would be great.
It was close to two a.m. when Brianna next opened her eyes. The room was dark and the television set had disappeared. She felt around for Harry's hand, but found nothing. Sitting up, alert, she glanced around the room before coming across Harry, seated by the window, bathed in the thin stream of moonlight that trickled through the curtains.
"Hey, Bri, you gotta come see this!" he whispered urgently. Jumping up quickly, she ran to join him at the window. Looking out on to the grounds, she let her eyes scan.
"I don't see anything, Harry."
"That's because you're looking down. Look up."
Confused, Brianna looked up into the night sky. Above them was a bright moon. It was an awesome sight and Brianna could see why Harry would want to share it with her. Sleepily, she yawned and relaxed against the wall. "You had me worried it was something bad," she grinned and he smiled back.
"Nothing bad. For once. Just something I thought you would like to see." His smile faded. "Are you okay?"
Brianna nodded, yawning again. "Just tired. I got kind of scared when you weren't beside me."
Harry grinned to himself, a warm feeling building up inside of him. Dare he tell her? Dare he say anything and ruin the good thing they had going for him? Should he tell her how he felt for her and had been feeling for the past two years, or should he take Ron's advice and give her time and space?
"Are you the one who's okay now?" Brianna's voice brought him back to earth. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked solemnly at her.
"Yeah. I'm just thinking."
As if she could read his mind, she sat up on her knees and leaned towards him. "What is it?"
"What's what?"
"What is it you're thinking about? You do want to say something, don't you?"
"You scare me, sometimes, Brianna. It's almost as if you can read my mind."
She laughed. "Yeah, so quit thinking such dirty things!"
He punched her playfully and she toppled over, lying flat on her back on the floor. Wiggling around, she arranged herself so that her head was lying on Harry's lap. Looking up at him, she repeated, "So what is it you want to talk about?"
"Nothing I want to start discussing right now."
"All right. But I am here when you want to talk."
Fingering her hair and brushing it out of her eyes lovingly, he replied, "That's what I love about our friendship. If I don't want to talk about something, you don't pressure me."
Brianna yawned again, this time longer. "I'm just too tired right now. Tomorrow, I promise, I'll bug you."
Once again, he pushed her light heartedly and with that, he lay down beside her on the floor in the moonlight and drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.
"That explains a lot, Harry!" Brianna said, pacing in front of the couch where Harry sat, the shadows of the flames from the fire dancing in his eyes. "Sirius isn't just acting weird, he's being controlled."
"It does explain the strange letter," Harry replied thoughtfully, "but that doesn't help. What can we do to stop it?"
"Oh, no. No way, Harry. You heard Dumbledore. That's Dark Arts stuff. You don't want to get mixed up in that. Again."
Harry rubbed his eyes with his fists. After putting his glasses back on he sighed. "But I can't just let Sirius continue to suffer as someone's puppet. What if Wattler never gets tired? And I want to know why exactly he's controlling my godfather. If he hates him so much, why doesn't he just turn him in to the Azkaban guards? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Harry was beginning to get irate at the thought of sitting by helplessly until Henry Wattler grew tired of controlling Sirius. Brianna's heart ached to help Harry, but she knew no matter what she said, it couldn't relent the pain he was feeling.
Her eyes were beginning to feel heavy so she told Harry she was tired. Looking somewhat disappointed, he bid her a goodnight and she left him sitting in front of the fire, feeling terrible about deserting him when he needed her most. Upstairs in her dorm, she reflected on being the only person in the dorm. She climbed into her pyjamas and into bed, but instead of falling straight to sleep like she had predicted, she tossed and turned. Christmas was a time to spend with your family and friends. It was a time to be with your loved ones. And right now, a loved one of Brianna's was downstairs, alone, and hurting. It was too much. She flicked on a light and hurried down the stairs.
Harry was still sitting in front of the fire, like she had left him moments ago. He hadn't noticed her yet and she took this time to study him carefully. She had seen pictures of his parents in the photo book that Hagrid gave Harry at the end of their first year at Hogwarts. She agreed with the fact that Harry looked like his father, and had his mother's green eyes. Watching him stare into the fire, she felt a deep emotion of longing, like something was missing in her life. True, she was only fifteen and still had her whole life ahead of her. But what did she want to spend it doing? Did she ever want to marry? And most of all, what would happen to her friendship with Harry, Ron and Hermione after school? Would they all go their separate ways? That thought hurt her too much so she stopped thinking about it and went back to concentrating on Harry's face. She truly loved him as a friend; she felt she could turn to no one else when it came to matters of importance. Ron and Hermione were incredible friends, but it's true that you only have one real friend in your life. One person who will share laughter and tears with you. And that person, for Brianna, was Harry. But the question was, did Harry think the same of Brianna?
"What are you doing?"
Harry's voice startled her and she almost fell down the remaining steps. She composed herself and he glared at her strangely. "I thought you were going to bed."
There he stood, in front of her, looking more tired and weary than she had seen him in a long time. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him and held him close. Expecting him to pull away, she anticipated what her explanation would be. But instead, he pulled her tight to him.
"You're my best friend, Bri," he whispered, almost tearfully. "I feel like I can tell you anything. I love the way you act, the way you talk, your looks, the way you can make me laugh when I'm feeling low. When everyone else doubted me about being Slytherin's heir, you were there for me and didn't back down. Thank you so much for being my friend."
Brianna pulled away from him and placed her forehead on his. "I'll always be there for you." She grinned. "Besides, I'm a pureblood so even if you were Slytherin's heir, I wouldn't have to worry."
He laughed and pushed her towards the stairs. "Want to have a sleep- over tonight?" he asked, carefully studying her face and her reaction. She nodded eagerly. It had been a long time since just the two of them got together to read and stay in each other's room for the night. Usually, it was all four of them and they managed to conjure up a television for entertainment. Grabbing his hand, she led him up the stairs into her dorm.
No matter how long she knew him for, or how many times they had these get togethers, she had the feeling that she would always feel weird about Harry being in her room. It didn't bother her as much when Ron was there, but just the two of them felt strange. They often fell asleep on the couch or lounge chair in the Common Room, but that was different. It was mutual territory. This was her room, the Girl's Dormitory. This was private, personal space.
Sitting down on the bed, they managed to call up a television set and took to watching old British shows for the next few hours. Brianna always felt so safe and comfortable with Harry around. They lie together on the bed, his arms wrapped around her waist and it always felt so natural. Like they belonged together.
The world seemed perfect that night. If only they could get the Sirius matter sorted out, life would be great.
It was close to two a.m. when Brianna next opened her eyes. The room was dark and the television set had disappeared. She felt around for Harry's hand, but found nothing. Sitting up, alert, she glanced around the room before coming across Harry, seated by the window, bathed in the thin stream of moonlight that trickled through the curtains.
"Hey, Bri, you gotta come see this!" he whispered urgently. Jumping up quickly, she ran to join him at the window. Looking out on to the grounds, she let her eyes scan.
"I don't see anything, Harry."
"That's because you're looking down. Look up."
Confused, Brianna looked up into the night sky. Above them was a bright moon. It was an awesome sight and Brianna could see why Harry would want to share it with her. Sleepily, she yawned and relaxed against the wall. "You had me worried it was something bad," she grinned and he smiled back.
"Nothing bad. For once. Just something I thought you would like to see." His smile faded. "Are you okay?"
Brianna nodded, yawning again. "Just tired. I got kind of scared when you weren't beside me."
Harry grinned to himself, a warm feeling building up inside of him. Dare he tell her? Dare he say anything and ruin the good thing they had going for him? Should he tell her how he felt for her and had been feeling for the past two years, or should he take Ron's advice and give her time and space?
"Are you the one who's okay now?" Brianna's voice brought him back to earth. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked solemnly at her.
"Yeah. I'm just thinking."
As if she could read his mind, she sat up on her knees and leaned towards him. "What is it?"
"What's what?"
"What is it you're thinking about? You do want to say something, don't you?"
"You scare me, sometimes, Brianna. It's almost as if you can read my mind."
She laughed. "Yeah, so quit thinking such dirty things!"
He punched her playfully and she toppled over, lying flat on her back on the floor. Wiggling around, she arranged herself so that her head was lying on Harry's lap. Looking up at him, she repeated, "So what is it you want to talk about?"
"Nothing I want to start discussing right now."
"All right. But I am here when you want to talk."
Fingering her hair and brushing it out of her eyes lovingly, he replied, "That's what I love about our friendship. If I don't want to talk about something, you don't pressure me."
Brianna yawned again, this time longer. "I'm just too tired right now. Tomorrow, I promise, I'll bug you."
Once again, he pushed her light heartedly and with that, he lay down beside her on the floor in the moonlight and drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.