I awoke the next morning to the sound of Harry packing. Rubbing the
sleep from my eyes, I sat up lazily.
"Wha' time's it?" I asked groggily.
"9:30," Harry replied, sweeping some spare quills into his trunk.
"9-9:30?" I exclaimed, jumping up. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You looked like such a little angel," Harry joked.
"Shut it, Potter," I laughed, flinging my pillow at him.
After shooing Harry out of the door, I got dressed in a pair of caprice and a tank-top. I didn't put on any make-up, though.
"'K, Harry, I'm done!" I shouted, pulling my hair back with a handkerchief.
Harry walked in and was about to say something when a car honked from down below. I looked out Harry's window and saw a black mustang with flags fluttering in the breeze parked in the driveway.
"They're here already?" I asked in surprise.
"It is 11:00, Emerald," Harry shrugged, starting to tug his trunk downstairs.
"I'll get Hedwig for you, Harry," I said, scooping up her cage.
"Thanks," said Harry, now easing his trunk down the stairs.
I carried Hedwig downstairs after Harry , wondering which Ministry member would have time to pick up two 15-year-olds. My question was answered a few minutes later as a tall, balding, red-headed man stepped into number four.
"Ready, Harry, Emerald?" he asked, smiling at us.
"Yeah," Harry panted, setting his trunk down. I set Hedwig's cage silently on top of it, and dashed upstairs after Harry to get my trunk. "Is that who I think he is, Harry?" I asked, picking up one end of my trunk.
"That depends. Who do you think it is, Emerald?" asked Harry, lifting the other end.
"Mr. Weasley," I replied as we slowly walked down the staircase.
"Yeah," said Harry as we reached the bottom. "He's who you think he is."
Mr. Weasley was waiting by the door and smiled again when he saw us.
"I put you're trunk in the car, Harry," he said. "Would you like me to help you with your trunk, Emerald?"
"Yes, thank you," I said politely. Mr. Weasley pulled out his wand and magicked my trunk into the air. Then he motioned for us to follow him out the car. The Dursleys called a hurried good-bye from the kitchen as we closed the door.
Harry and I got into the backseat while Mr. Weasley put my trunk in the back of the car. I noticed it was more spacious than it looked from the outside.
Mr. Weasley got into the driver's seat and started the car with a tap of his wand. It purred to life, and Mr. Weasley backed it out of the driveway. To a Muggle, it would look like a regular car drive. And it was... until we reached the highway.
There was construction ahead in the road and a traffic jam that reached from there to who knows where. I thought I would sit back and enjoy the scenery for a couple minutes... or an hour... or two, when the car made what felt like a tremendous jump, and we were past the construction site. I turned around in my seat to get a glimpse of it, but it was gone. We were now driving alongside a thick forest.
The car gave another tremendous jolt, and we pulled into the gravel driveway of a huge cottage. I had the feeling that it was in the heart of the forest. Harry and I climbed out of the car, shielding our eyes from the bright sunlight pouring down on us. After our eyes adjusted to the brightness, Mr. Weasley led us (not to mention our trunks and Hedwig, which were floating behind him) into the cottage.
When we entered through the wooden door, several people jumped up from the armchairs he or she had been sitting in and crowded around us.
Most of them were red heads, but one girl had bushy brown hair. She had to be Hermione Granger. I looked around at all the other faces. Two red- heads were identical, right down to the very last freckle; Fred and George. Another red-head was chatting with Harry. He looked quite a bit taller than Harry. That's Ron, I thought. The only other girl, besides Hermione, was smiling brightly at me. She had shoulder-length red hair, a fair complexion, and as many freckles as Fred and George. I smiled back at her.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi, I'm Ginny," she said, holding out her hand.
"Emerald," I said, shaking it. Ginny "introduced" me to Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione (I didn't tell them about the books). We talked as we made our way towards the couches and armchairs, which were place in a half- circle around a stone fire place. As I sat down on a couch with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, I caught sight of a large, shaggy-furred black dog sitting off in a corner, wagging his tail. When he saw me looking at him, he trotted over to the couch where we were sitting and layed his head on Harry's lap. Harry absentmindedly stroked him on the head, too caught up in talking about Quidditch with Ron to really notice him. The dog moved one to Hermione, who stroked his back, and then he moved on to me. I scratched him behind the ears, bent over to give him a hug, and whispered into his ear, "Hello, Sirius." The dog started. He looked at me with a cocked head and a quizzical expression. I winked at him, and his tail started to wag at, at least, 50 mph. Hermione looked at me, stunned.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Nothing, it's," she began, "it's just I've never seen Snuffles take to a stranger so fast."
"I guess I just have a way with dogs," I shrugged. "And Snuffles, is it? We'll have to come up with a better name." At this, the dog wagged his tail even harder. Everyone laughed.
We spent a happy afternoon coming up with different names for Snuffles, snacking on Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and all sorts of pastry treats. The most ludicrous name of all was "The Grim Reeker," a name Fred and George (who else?) came up with. When Snuffles heard this, he growled at them and gave them a look that planely said, "If you call me that even once..."
When we had all recovered from our fits of laughter, Ginny suggested the best name of them all.
"What about Midnight?" she asked.
"That's a good name," said Hermione.
"It's better than most of them," said Harry.
"Well, unless anyone had a better name," I said, looking at Fred and George, "I vote to re-name Snuffles Midnight."
"Me, too," said Ron.
"I'm for it," said Harry.
"So am I," said Hermione. We looked at Fred and George.
"It is a good name," said Fred thoughtfully.
"I still think that the Grim Reeker is better," said George. Snuffles growled deeply, and George immediately said, "All right, all right! I vote to re-name Snuffles Midnight, too." Snuffles- I mean, Midnight- started to bark loudly, running around and wagging his tail. We were all doubled up in laughter when a voice chuckled, "What is that dog so happy about?" It was Mr. Weasley.
"We re-named him," I explained, forcing down giggles. "He's not Snuffles anymore. He's Midnight."
"So that explains it," said Mr. Weasley. "Well, come on, now. Molly's got supper ready. Better hurry before the tables collapse."
Everyone scrambled up (including Midnight) and stampeded towards Mr. Weasley, who hurried back into the dinning room. Snacking on pastries all afternoon hadn't really filled us up, and we were starving.
When we entered the dinning room, a wonderful aroma met our noses. Two tables, layed end to end, were loaded with dozens of homemade foods and soups. Around the table were 9 chairs. I sat down in one of them, and Harry sat down next to me. Gradually, everyone filtered into their seats and started to fill their plates with food, chatting with their neighbor.
Harry and Ron were once again chatting non-stop about Quidditch ("Figures," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.), about who was the most likely to make the World Cup, and about who the new Quidditch captain might be. I listened in for a while, but it got boring listening to them talk about the same things over and over again.
All through dinner, I picked at my food. I didn't know why, but I felt out of place. No, I do know why, I thought, watching Ron's soup explod after Fred planted a Filibuster's Wet-start firecracker in it. I feel out of place because I don't belong here.
"You're wrong, Emerald," said a voice in the back of my mind. "You do belong here. It's your destiny to be here. You were born here, Emerald. You do belong."
I smiled inwardly. Thanks, D.C. I ended up sneaking scraps under the table to Midnight, who was stationed by my side all through dinner. However, I did manage to eat a couple spoonfuls of soup, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll, though the majority of food on my plate went to Midnight.
By the time dinner had ended, everyone was tired. Mr. Weasley gave Harry and me directions to our rooms, but we could hardly understand him because he was yawning every ten seconds. We trudged up the stairs, turned left, and found our rooms at the end of the hallway. They were right across from one another.
"Well, night, Harry," I said sleepily.
"Night, Emerald," he replied, and before I could react, Harry leaned over and quickly kissed me on my cheek. I opened my mouth to say something, but Harry had already disappeared into his room. My cheeks started to colour, and I stood there for a while, touching my cheek in the place Harry had kissed me.
"Wow," I whispered, staring at Harry's closed door. After a moment, I shook myself out of it and slipped inside of my own room. When I had closed the door and turned around, what I saw literally left me speechless.
The room I was going to be sleeping in for the next month was at least twice the size of my old bedroom, which was pretty large to begin with. My trunk was at the foot of a queen-sized, four-poster bed with a white canopy and hangings. The sheet's were a pale sky-blue, made of a soft, light material. The room was mostly the colors of the bed; white furniture, white carpeting, white walls, and sky-blue drapes (which were closed at the moment) hanging at the window. They touched the carpet.
I unlatched my trunk and pulled on my favorite nightgown. IT was a very pale lilac, made of silk, and it looked more like a dress than a nightgown. I took the handkerchief out and let my hair tumble over my shoulders. My mother had always said I looked like a dignified queen whenever I did this. A wave of homesickness washed over me, and I felt tears well up in my eyes.
"All I need is some fresh air," I told myself, wiping the tears away. "It's all the dust in here, that's all."
I walked over to the curtain and yanked them open. What I saw made me temporarily forget my homesickness.
It wasn't a window that the curtains were hiding; it was a balcony. Not those itsy-bitsy balconies that come with apartments. This one was as big as Jasmine's on the Disney movie, Aladdin.
The railing was made of polished white marble that shone slightly, even though it was dark out. There were stone dragons on the railing four feet away from the next one.
I peered over the railing and saw an absolutely magnificent backyard. There was a swimming pool off to my right. Its waters were calm, shimmering in the moonlight. Even from my balcony on the 3rd floor, it looked huge. Lawn chairs, tables, and closed umbrellas were scattered all around it.
To my left was a field with three poles with hoops on the top at each end. They looked about fifty feet high each. I smiled. Harry and Ron were going to go psycho on us when the found out that this cottage had its own personal Quidditch field.
Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. I whipped around, causing my nightgown and hair to twirl around me. All I saw was a black dog sitting patiently on its haunches. My grip on the railing relaxed and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You startled me, Sirius," I said, grinning. I turned back around and gazed into space. "Harry did the same thing. I can see where he gets it from." I heard a faint sort of pop, and then a man walked over to me and leaned agains the railing beside me, studying my face. He had dark, deep eyes, warm, and, at the moment, searching. His hair was the same colour. Of course, it wasn't as messy as it must've been before. In fact, it was neatly parted in the middle, and it had been combed.
Sirius searched my face for a moment more, and then spoke.
"I want to know," he said slowly, " who you are, why you're here, and how you know who I am."
"My name is Emerald Chalcedona Darling," I said calmly, still staring into space. "I am here because Lord Voldemort abducted me, with the help of his two daughters, Victoria and Pristina. Those are short stories. How I know who you are, on the other hand, is a longer one. Whether or not I explain it in detail doesn't matter. It's still a long story."
"Go right ahead, Emerald," Sirius said placidly. "We have all night."
"Well, if you insist," I sighed. Then, I explained about the Harry Potter books and how everyone who's read them in my dimension knew Sirius was, as he said, innocent. His reaction was quite the opposite of Harry's.
"That explains why Voldemort kidnapped you," said Sirius quietly.
"Oh, no, not at all," I said. "For a totally different reason. You see, not too long ago, I'd say about 3 weeks, I found the Dream Crystal. Voldemort knew I had it, and he tried to torture me into giving it to him."
"Tell me you didn't give in," groaned Sirius,
"Didn't you hear me? I said 'tried.' He didn't get it from me, Sirius," I reassured him. "Do you want proof? Here." I pulled the Dream Crystal out and showed it to Sirius. Sirius's expression changed from worried to relieved to bemused faster than I could change gears on my bike.
"That's the Dream Crystal?" he faultered.
"Yeah," I said slowly, fingering it. "What'd you think it was? A hunk of stone?"
"Actually, yes," Sirius replied. "I had no clue it was that necklace Lily always wore."
"SIRIUS!" came a sharp voice from behind us. Whipping around, we saw Hermione standing in the archway, looking shocked. "What on EARTH do you think you're doing?" she half-yelled.
"Talking to Emerald," said Sirius. "And, I might ask you the same question. What are you doing out here in Emerald's balcony?"
"I heard voices from in here," she replied, still looking a little shocked, "so I came to investigate. Sirius, you know you aren't supposed to let anyone here know who you are."
Sirius opened his mouth to explain when we heard another voice, no, two voices, coming from my doorway.
"Are you alright?"
"We thought we heard yelling."
"Everything's fine, Harry," I sighed back. "And yes, Ron, you did hear yelling, though it wasn't me."
Harry and Ron joined us on the balcony. They both looked extremely tired, but as soon as Ron saw Sirius in his human form, his eyes snapped wide open.
"Sirius, what do you think you're doing?"
"You know, you and Hermione should get together," I said thoughtfully. "That perfectly matches Hermione's reaction."
Ron just gaped at me until Harry snapped him out of it by trodding on his foot. He turned as red as his hair, and then asked, "Sirius, how do you know you can trust her? Er, no offense, Emerald." "None taken," I grinned. Then I sighed. "Shall I explain it all to them, Sirius?"
He shook his head. "I will."
Harry leaned against the railing, yawning. "You go right ahead," he mumbled sleepily. "I've already heard it all."
So, Sirius explained everything to Ron and Hermione, with help from me.
"I never knew You-Know-Who had daughters," Ron said mindlessly.
"Nobody did," Hermione replied. "He just seems too-too-"
"Heartless?" Harry and I finished for her.
"Wha' time's it?" I asked groggily.
"9:30," Harry replied, sweeping some spare quills into his trunk.
"9-9:30?" I exclaimed, jumping up. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You looked like such a little angel," Harry joked.
"Shut it, Potter," I laughed, flinging my pillow at him.
After shooing Harry out of the door, I got dressed in a pair of caprice and a tank-top. I didn't put on any make-up, though.
"'K, Harry, I'm done!" I shouted, pulling my hair back with a handkerchief.
Harry walked in and was about to say something when a car honked from down below. I looked out Harry's window and saw a black mustang with flags fluttering in the breeze parked in the driveway.
"They're here already?" I asked in surprise.
"It is 11:00, Emerald," Harry shrugged, starting to tug his trunk downstairs.
"I'll get Hedwig for you, Harry," I said, scooping up her cage.
"Thanks," said Harry, now easing his trunk down the stairs.
I carried Hedwig downstairs after Harry , wondering which Ministry member would have time to pick up two 15-year-olds. My question was answered a few minutes later as a tall, balding, red-headed man stepped into number four.
"Ready, Harry, Emerald?" he asked, smiling at us.
"Yeah," Harry panted, setting his trunk down. I set Hedwig's cage silently on top of it, and dashed upstairs after Harry to get my trunk. "Is that who I think he is, Harry?" I asked, picking up one end of my trunk.
"That depends. Who do you think it is, Emerald?" asked Harry, lifting the other end.
"Mr. Weasley," I replied as we slowly walked down the staircase.
"Yeah," said Harry as we reached the bottom. "He's who you think he is."
Mr. Weasley was waiting by the door and smiled again when he saw us.
"I put you're trunk in the car, Harry," he said. "Would you like me to help you with your trunk, Emerald?"
"Yes, thank you," I said politely. Mr. Weasley pulled out his wand and magicked my trunk into the air. Then he motioned for us to follow him out the car. The Dursleys called a hurried good-bye from the kitchen as we closed the door.
Harry and I got into the backseat while Mr. Weasley put my trunk in the back of the car. I noticed it was more spacious than it looked from the outside.
Mr. Weasley got into the driver's seat and started the car with a tap of his wand. It purred to life, and Mr. Weasley backed it out of the driveway. To a Muggle, it would look like a regular car drive. And it was... until we reached the highway.
There was construction ahead in the road and a traffic jam that reached from there to who knows where. I thought I would sit back and enjoy the scenery for a couple minutes... or an hour... or two, when the car made what felt like a tremendous jump, and we were past the construction site. I turned around in my seat to get a glimpse of it, but it was gone. We were now driving alongside a thick forest.
The car gave another tremendous jolt, and we pulled into the gravel driveway of a huge cottage. I had the feeling that it was in the heart of the forest. Harry and I climbed out of the car, shielding our eyes from the bright sunlight pouring down on us. After our eyes adjusted to the brightness, Mr. Weasley led us (not to mention our trunks and Hedwig, which were floating behind him) into the cottage.
When we entered through the wooden door, several people jumped up from the armchairs he or she had been sitting in and crowded around us.
Most of them were red heads, but one girl had bushy brown hair. She had to be Hermione Granger. I looked around at all the other faces. Two red- heads were identical, right down to the very last freckle; Fred and George. Another red-head was chatting with Harry. He looked quite a bit taller than Harry. That's Ron, I thought. The only other girl, besides Hermione, was smiling brightly at me. She had shoulder-length red hair, a fair complexion, and as many freckles as Fred and George. I smiled back at her.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi, I'm Ginny," she said, holding out her hand.
"Emerald," I said, shaking it. Ginny "introduced" me to Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione (I didn't tell them about the books). We talked as we made our way towards the couches and armchairs, which were place in a half- circle around a stone fire place. As I sat down on a couch with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, I caught sight of a large, shaggy-furred black dog sitting off in a corner, wagging his tail. When he saw me looking at him, he trotted over to the couch where we were sitting and layed his head on Harry's lap. Harry absentmindedly stroked him on the head, too caught up in talking about Quidditch with Ron to really notice him. The dog moved one to Hermione, who stroked his back, and then he moved on to me. I scratched him behind the ears, bent over to give him a hug, and whispered into his ear, "Hello, Sirius." The dog started. He looked at me with a cocked head and a quizzical expression. I winked at him, and his tail started to wag at, at least, 50 mph. Hermione looked at me, stunned.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Nothing, it's," she began, "it's just I've never seen Snuffles take to a stranger so fast."
"I guess I just have a way with dogs," I shrugged. "And Snuffles, is it? We'll have to come up with a better name." At this, the dog wagged his tail even harder. Everyone laughed.
We spent a happy afternoon coming up with different names for Snuffles, snacking on Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and all sorts of pastry treats. The most ludicrous name of all was "The Grim Reeker," a name Fred and George (who else?) came up with. When Snuffles heard this, he growled at them and gave them a look that planely said, "If you call me that even once..."
When we had all recovered from our fits of laughter, Ginny suggested the best name of them all.
"What about Midnight?" she asked.
"That's a good name," said Hermione.
"It's better than most of them," said Harry.
"Well, unless anyone had a better name," I said, looking at Fred and George, "I vote to re-name Snuffles Midnight."
"Me, too," said Ron.
"I'm for it," said Harry.
"So am I," said Hermione. We looked at Fred and George.
"It is a good name," said Fred thoughtfully.
"I still think that the Grim Reeker is better," said George. Snuffles growled deeply, and George immediately said, "All right, all right! I vote to re-name Snuffles Midnight, too." Snuffles- I mean, Midnight- started to bark loudly, running around and wagging his tail. We were all doubled up in laughter when a voice chuckled, "What is that dog so happy about?" It was Mr. Weasley.
"We re-named him," I explained, forcing down giggles. "He's not Snuffles anymore. He's Midnight."
"So that explains it," said Mr. Weasley. "Well, come on, now. Molly's got supper ready. Better hurry before the tables collapse."
Everyone scrambled up (including Midnight) and stampeded towards Mr. Weasley, who hurried back into the dinning room. Snacking on pastries all afternoon hadn't really filled us up, and we were starving.
When we entered the dinning room, a wonderful aroma met our noses. Two tables, layed end to end, were loaded with dozens of homemade foods and soups. Around the table were 9 chairs. I sat down in one of them, and Harry sat down next to me. Gradually, everyone filtered into their seats and started to fill their plates with food, chatting with their neighbor.
Harry and Ron were once again chatting non-stop about Quidditch ("Figures," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.), about who was the most likely to make the World Cup, and about who the new Quidditch captain might be. I listened in for a while, but it got boring listening to them talk about the same things over and over again.
All through dinner, I picked at my food. I didn't know why, but I felt out of place. No, I do know why, I thought, watching Ron's soup explod after Fred planted a Filibuster's Wet-start firecracker in it. I feel out of place because I don't belong here.
"You're wrong, Emerald," said a voice in the back of my mind. "You do belong here. It's your destiny to be here. You were born here, Emerald. You do belong."
I smiled inwardly. Thanks, D.C. I ended up sneaking scraps under the table to Midnight, who was stationed by my side all through dinner. However, I did manage to eat a couple spoonfuls of soup, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll, though the majority of food on my plate went to Midnight.
By the time dinner had ended, everyone was tired. Mr. Weasley gave Harry and me directions to our rooms, but we could hardly understand him because he was yawning every ten seconds. We trudged up the stairs, turned left, and found our rooms at the end of the hallway. They were right across from one another.
"Well, night, Harry," I said sleepily.
"Night, Emerald," he replied, and before I could react, Harry leaned over and quickly kissed me on my cheek. I opened my mouth to say something, but Harry had already disappeared into his room. My cheeks started to colour, and I stood there for a while, touching my cheek in the place Harry had kissed me.
"Wow," I whispered, staring at Harry's closed door. After a moment, I shook myself out of it and slipped inside of my own room. When I had closed the door and turned around, what I saw literally left me speechless.
The room I was going to be sleeping in for the next month was at least twice the size of my old bedroom, which was pretty large to begin with. My trunk was at the foot of a queen-sized, four-poster bed with a white canopy and hangings. The sheet's were a pale sky-blue, made of a soft, light material. The room was mostly the colors of the bed; white furniture, white carpeting, white walls, and sky-blue drapes (which were closed at the moment) hanging at the window. They touched the carpet.
I unlatched my trunk and pulled on my favorite nightgown. IT was a very pale lilac, made of silk, and it looked more like a dress than a nightgown. I took the handkerchief out and let my hair tumble over my shoulders. My mother had always said I looked like a dignified queen whenever I did this. A wave of homesickness washed over me, and I felt tears well up in my eyes.
"All I need is some fresh air," I told myself, wiping the tears away. "It's all the dust in here, that's all."
I walked over to the curtain and yanked them open. What I saw made me temporarily forget my homesickness.
It wasn't a window that the curtains were hiding; it was a balcony. Not those itsy-bitsy balconies that come with apartments. This one was as big as Jasmine's on the Disney movie, Aladdin.
The railing was made of polished white marble that shone slightly, even though it was dark out. There were stone dragons on the railing four feet away from the next one.
I peered over the railing and saw an absolutely magnificent backyard. There was a swimming pool off to my right. Its waters were calm, shimmering in the moonlight. Even from my balcony on the 3rd floor, it looked huge. Lawn chairs, tables, and closed umbrellas were scattered all around it.
To my left was a field with three poles with hoops on the top at each end. They looked about fifty feet high each. I smiled. Harry and Ron were going to go psycho on us when the found out that this cottage had its own personal Quidditch field.
Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. I whipped around, causing my nightgown and hair to twirl around me. All I saw was a black dog sitting patiently on its haunches. My grip on the railing relaxed and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You startled me, Sirius," I said, grinning. I turned back around and gazed into space. "Harry did the same thing. I can see where he gets it from." I heard a faint sort of pop, and then a man walked over to me and leaned agains the railing beside me, studying my face. He had dark, deep eyes, warm, and, at the moment, searching. His hair was the same colour. Of course, it wasn't as messy as it must've been before. In fact, it was neatly parted in the middle, and it had been combed.
Sirius searched my face for a moment more, and then spoke.
"I want to know," he said slowly, " who you are, why you're here, and how you know who I am."
"My name is Emerald Chalcedona Darling," I said calmly, still staring into space. "I am here because Lord Voldemort abducted me, with the help of his two daughters, Victoria and Pristina. Those are short stories. How I know who you are, on the other hand, is a longer one. Whether or not I explain it in detail doesn't matter. It's still a long story."
"Go right ahead, Emerald," Sirius said placidly. "We have all night."
"Well, if you insist," I sighed. Then, I explained about the Harry Potter books and how everyone who's read them in my dimension knew Sirius was, as he said, innocent. His reaction was quite the opposite of Harry's.
"That explains why Voldemort kidnapped you," said Sirius quietly.
"Oh, no, not at all," I said. "For a totally different reason. You see, not too long ago, I'd say about 3 weeks, I found the Dream Crystal. Voldemort knew I had it, and he tried to torture me into giving it to him."
"Tell me you didn't give in," groaned Sirius,
"Didn't you hear me? I said 'tried.' He didn't get it from me, Sirius," I reassured him. "Do you want proof? Here." I pulled the Dream Crystal out and showed it to Sirius. Sirius's expression changed from worried to relieved to bemused faster than I could change gears on my bike.
"That's the Dream Crystal?" he faultered.
"Yeah," I said slowly, fingering it. "What'd you think it was? A hunk of stone?"
"Actually, yes," Sirius replied. "I had no clue it was that necklace Lily always wore."
"SIRIUS!" came a sharp voice from behind us. Whipping around, we saw Hermione standing in the archway, looking shocked. "What on EARTH do you think you're doing?" she half-yelled.
"Talking to Emerald," said Sirius. "And, I might ask you the same question. What are you doing out here in Emerald's balcony?"
"I heard voices from in here," she replied, still looking a little shocked, "so I came to investigate. Sirius, you know you aren't supposed to let anyone here know who you are."
Sirius opened his mouth to explain when we heard another voice, no, two voices, coming from my doorway.
"Are you alright?"
"We thought we heard yelling."
"Everything's fine, Harry," I sighed back. "And yes, Ron, you did hear yelling, though it wasn't me."
Harry and Ron joined us on the balcony. They both looked extremely tired, but as soon as Ron saw Sirius in his human form, his eyes snapped wide open.
"Sirius, what do you think you're doing?"
"You know, you and Hermione should get together," I said thoughtfully. "That perfectly matches Hermione's reaction."
Ron just gaped at me until Harry snapped him out of it by trodding on his foot. He turned as red as his hair, and then asked, "Sirius, how do you know you can trust her? Er, no offense, Emerald." "None taken," I grinned. Then I sighed. "Shall I explain it all to them, Sirius?"
He shook his head. "I will."
Harry leaned against the railing, yawning. "You go right ahead," he mumbled sleepily. "I've already heard it all."
So, Sirius explained everything to Ron and Hermione, with help from me.
"I never knew You-Know-Who had daughters," Ron said mindlessly.
"Nobody did," Hermione replied. "He just seems too-too-"
"Heartless?" Harry and I finished for her.
