It had been three weeks since Ivy had become Harry's secret keeper. The
process was long and draining and it had taken her a good week to gain all
of her powers back. One of the side effects of the charm was limited use of
magic for a small interval of time. She hadn't told Harry that, but the
lack of her presence at meals and class for two days hadn't gone unnoticed.
It was somewhat comforting to have heard third hand that Harry had inquired
about her health.
Ivy had heard from Sirius a couple more times since the first letter he sent. She had written him back and they were slowly getting to know each other again. Sirius was concerned for her safety what with becoming Harry's secret keeper, but he had faith in her abilities. She found Sirius' reaction endearing and it warmed her heart to know he cared so much for her.
Ivy was sitting at her desk when her students arrived, making notes about the next assignment in her grade book. The class had worked well with the groups they had chosen and she was about to start on a new and tedious topic. She was hoping they were up for it, since in her opinion, muggle history was probably going to be the most boring lesson she would teach them.
After the class was settled, Ivy began speaking with a deep wooden bowl resting in the crook of her arm.
"Since you now have a grasp on the different governments of the world, we are going to put that knowledge into action. In order for me to make this as entertaining and exciting as possible, I have chosen to try something new. In this bowl there are slips of parchment with a war written on them. There is a war from every major country in the muggle world, and you will be choosing one per group. After you have chosen the war, you will delegate research responsibilities to each person in your group. Topics you will want to include in your research are things such as battle tactics, effects on the land, the government's views, topography and society, and the outcome and residual effects of the war. After you have gathered this information, you will be responsible for a presentation. This presentation can be in the form of a reenactment, a talk complete with charts and visual guides, or anything along those lines. It must be visual and most importantly, entertaining! I want you to learn something from this assignment but I also want you to have fun. After you have chosen what you want to do, you need to get approval from me. This can be done through a proposal or a meeting with me to discuss your project. Are there any questions?"
No one raised their hands, but there was a mixture of excitement and trepidation in the faces she looked at.
"Okay, because this assignment is extensive, I have decided to give you a month to complete it. We will attend class at the regularly scheduled times, but instead of lectures twice a week, we will have one day lecture and one day to work on your projects. The lectures however will not be based on your projects, as I will be beginning a new chapter next week on a completely different topic. Today, you will choose your war, and divide responsibility between your group mates. You may get into your groups now."
When everyone was seated according to group, Ivy walked around and let each group choose a war out of the bowl. She smiled as she heard the students reading the wars out loud. She caught snippets of the words written on the parchment.
"Hundred Years' War," she heard come from the group to her left. "The War of the Austrian Succession," came from her right.
Neville picked for his group, and read the parchment out to his friends.
"The Persian Gulf War, 1991, The United Nations vs. Iraq."
Ivy smiled at the group as she walked by. It was fitting that her most talented and intelligent students chose the war she knew the most about, other than the war with Voldemort, of course. This muggle war was the only one she had witnessed and lived through, though it wouldn't take much for them to impress her, as she was never really connected to it on any level other than hearing about it.
By the end of class Ivy had answered a dozen questions on how to reenact a war, "Use your imaginations, and a little bit of magic wouldn't hurt," and a few more about comparisons of muggle wars to the war the wizarding world itself was waging right now, "Finding a way to incorporate our war into how other wars have been fought is an excellent idea!"
Hermione came up to her desk as the rest of the students filed out of the room and waited patiently for Ivy to finish jotting down some of the students' ideas in her grade book.
"Thank you for waiting, Hermione. If I don't write things down right away, I tend to forget them," she smiled. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."
Ivy had never seen Hermione act nervous before and found it odd that any favor Ivy could do for her would cause such a reaction.
"I can try. What do you need?"
"It's about those CDs you let our group borrow."
"Yes?"
"Well, there was a song on one of them that I just can't seem to get out of my head. It reminds me of someone."
Ivy watched Hermione's eyes skitter across the room; never really looking directly at Ivy while her face turned a bright shade of red.
"Which one?" Ivy asked as she unlocked the drawer of the desk and produced the collection of five CDs. Hermione pointed at the Billboard 1985 CD in the middle.
"That's the one. May I borrow it again?"
"Of course, Hermione. I can charm the player for another week if you would like," Ivy's eyes twinkled. She knew what song was on that particular CD. Hermione's eyes lit up at the suggestion and she nodded emphatically.
"Thank you very much. I would really appreciate that. I want to write down the words to the song."
"I love the way a good song can be a great poem even without the beats and melody," Ivy said absentmindedly as she retrieved the CD player and tapped it with her wand, muttering a charm Hermione had never heard before. She handed both items over to Hermione and winked at her.
"If you ever want to chat, Hermione, don't hesitate to find me."
Hermione smiled at her professor, who seemed to be right on target with the way she read people.
"I will, thanks, Professor.I mean, Ivy."
Hermione almost skipped out the door, clutching the CD and player close to her heart. Ivy knew she would most likely have the headphones on her ears as soon as she got to Gryffindor Tower.
Humming the song she knew Hermione had wanted, Ivy gathered her things and locked the desk, shutting the door behind her on her way out.
"I can't fight this feeling anymore, I've forgotten what I started fighting for."
***
Ivy came back to her quarters to a waiting brown barn owl outside her window. She smiled as she took the letter with her into her bedroom and settled onto her bed to read the next installment from Sirius.
Dear Ivy,
I've found a chance to get away for a night, and if I'm not being presumptuous, I would like to spend it with you. I understand that it wouldn't be the best idea for me to come to Hogwarts, so I am making arrangements for something else. Meet me in the forest tomorrow night, in the clearing that we used to go to all the time to talk. I'm sure you remember it. Nine o'clock should give me time to prepare and be ready.
I am so looking forward to seeing you.
Always,
Sirius
Ivy's breath caught in her throat. Her smiled broadened from ear to ear, lighting up her entire face. She suddenly felt like a teenager, squealing with delight and kicking her legs in the air.
"I need to figure out what to wear!" she exclaimed as she rolled off her bed a little faster than she meant to and crashed to the floor. Laughing at herself, she got up and headed to her closet, determined to choose the perfect outfit for meeting Sirius.
***
Harry sat with his friends at dinner the next night, laughing casually and chatting over roast turkey and potatoes. He glanced up at the head table and noticed his aunt staring off into space while Professor Flitwick talked to her.
"Hmm," he muttered.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Ivy, she looks." Harry searched his brain for the right word.
"Preoccupied," came Ginny's response.
"Out of it," was Ron's.
"In love," was Hermione's quiet contribution.
"Ivy's not in love with anyone. I think I would know that," Harry said, spearing a potato with his fork, a slight smile on his face. While he wasn't exactly getting along with Ivy, he had to admit that letting go of some anger had put him in a better mood lately.
Hermione scowled at Harry, glanced at Ron, and gave Ginny a pleading look. Ginny smiled sympathetically at her friend.
"Hermione, would you mind helping me with some of my Ancient Runes homework?" Ginny asked, hoping to change the topic. Hermione sighed.
"Of course, Ginny. Do you want to work on it tonight?" "That would be great."
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, especially on a Friday night, but would you mind helping me with Transfiguration while you help Ginny?" Ron asked hopefully. He was falling behind in Transfiguration and had been meaning to ask Hermione for help for a while now.
"Sure, why don't we make tonight a study night?"
Ron and Harry groaned, but conceded under the conditions that they would have all of Saturday and Sunday free if they got their homework done tonight.
The four rose after finishing their dinner and headed out the doors of the Great Hall. Ginny and Hermione led the group quietly talking about something Harry was sure he shouldn't know about and Ron was searching in his bag for a spare after dinner sugar quill. Harry looked around, to occupy himself while Ron searched, and noticed Ivy slipping out of the Great Hall and heading down the corridor that led to the massive front doors of the castle. His curiosity piqued, Harry tapped Ron's shoulder.
"I'll meet you all in the common room."
"What?" Ron asked, perplexed.
"I'll meet you in the common room," Harry said quickly, not wanting to loose track of Ivy. Ron gave him an incredulous look, but Harry just responded with an impish smile and turned, walking in the direction Ivy had gone.
Ivy had no clue that her nephew was following her, darting behind statues and the such when he felt he might be seen. He slipped after her when she opened the heavy wooden door to the castle and proceeded to follow her all the way out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry ducked behind a tree just in time. He looked on curiously as she looked around her and not seeing anyone, slipped into the darkness of the forest.
Harry was now determined to see what she was up to. It was obvious that she was up to something and knowing what it was would help alleviate the nagging feelings of guilt Harry had surrounding Ivy and how he was treating her.
He stepped a foot gingerly over the invisible line separating the forest and Hogwarts grass. He looked ahead and saw Ivy walking quickly toward a small clearing filled with flowers that seemed to be enchanted, they were glowing so much in the moonlight. Harry had never seen this part of the forest before. It was almost as if someone had created it for the sole purpose of Ivy's arrival. Ivy stopped walking and Harry watched as she brought her hands to her face in surprise and gave a little squeal of delight. He then saw a dark figure in the other side of the clearing. Harry was about to jump out to stop Ivy from going any further because she hadn't seemed to notice the other person and Harry had been in the forest enough to know that a cloaked stranger was probably not the safest thing. But something made him stop. Maybe it was the fact that his scar was not hurting, or that he somewhat recognized the gait of the stranger's walk, or that his intuition, which he had come to rely on for everything, told him Ivy was safe. Maybe it was a combination of all three, but whatever it was, Harry stayed hidden behind the large tree. The stranger approached Ivy's back. Harry was apprehensive, but stayed where he was. The stranger removed the cloak and Harry saw something he would never have thought possible. As it was, Harry had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Right there, in the flesh, was his very own godfather, Sirius Black.
***
Ivy sensed someone was behind her and turned to see Sirius staring at her with his expressive black eyes. Without even thinking, Ivy ran to him and he picked her up, spinning her around as they embraced, seeming lost in each other's arms.
"Merlin's ghost Ivy, are you a sight for sore eyes," Sirius sighed into her ear as he set her on the ground. They still clung to each other, waiting for the dizzy spell of spinning to stop pounding inside their heads.
"I am so happy to see you Sirius! It's been way too long," Ivy said to him as she looked into his eyes. Even though the dizzy spell had passed, they still clung to each other.
"Ivy." Sirius trailed off. He was looking at her and marveled at how beautiful she had become. He wouldn't have thought it possible for her to get more stunning than she had been at fourteen. He had thought wrong.
While Sirius was staring at her, Ivy was lost in her own thoughts. This man has been her sister and brother-in-law's best friend. He had been Ivy's confidant when she was at Hogwarts. He had been one of her own very best friends and all Ivy could do was stare back at him. Sirius finally shook himself back into reality.
"Ivy, thank you. Thank you for never giving up on me. I don't think you know how much that meant to me. How much it still means to me," Sirius was finally able to voice what he had needed to say for the past fourteen years.
"You don't have to thank me, Sirius. I've never doubted the man that you are," she said as she slowly snaked her arms around his neck. She lowered his head with her hands and rested his forehead on hers.
"You were always a gentleman, even when you didn't want to be," Ivy's eye twinkled at Sirius.
As close as they were, both hesitated to take the next step. This was something that had been harboring between then for the last eighteen years, ever since they had been introduced. It seemed to have been destiny and both wanted to savor it.
"Well, isn't this interesting," Harry said, breaking the natural spell between Ivy and Sirius. They backed away from each other quickly, looking like they had been caught doing something wrong. Sirius cleared his throat.
"Harry," he said as he began to walk toward Harry.
"Is this why you wanted me to give her a chance? Because she's your girlfriend?" Harry asked angrily.
"She isn't my girlfriend, Harry," Sirius said, wondering if it showed how much that statement hurt him.
"That was about to be some pretty heavy snogging for people who aren't together," Harry countered. He then turned his anger on Ivy. "Why did you come back? Did you have to take everyone away from me? Ginny, Ron and Hermione. And now, even Sirius? Who's next? Dumbledore? Oh wait, I'm sure you already have him in your little pocket along with everyone else!" he shouted at Ivy.
"Harry!" Sirius' eyes showed that he was angry, but his voice was controlled. "You have no right to speak to Ivy that way."
"Did you put some sort of spell on everyone around here to make them all like you?" Harry practically spat the words out, ignoring Sirius and focusing everything on Ivy.
"Harry, if I was going to put a charm on anyone to like me, I would have stated with you," Ivy said in an even voice.
Harry's face turned red and he stared at Ivy, not knowing what to say. He then turned his stare to Sirius.
"Harry, please." Sirius began, but trailed off when Harry turned and broke off in a run. Sirius started to go after him, but Ivy's hand gently grasped his arm.
"Someone might see you. I'll go," she said, looking into his eyes. She leaned over to his cheek and kissed it. "We'll see each other again," she then moved her lips to his and lightly kissed them. Sirius closed his eyes, shook his head in affirmation, and watched her leave the forest, trailing after Harry.
***
Ivy found Harry sitting down by the lake. She hesitated, but knew this was something she needed to do.
"Want to talk?" she asked quietly. Harry turned his head and glared up at her.
"Can't someone just feel sorry for himself without being bothered?" he snapped. Ivy sat down next to him anyway. He moved his upper torso so that he couldn't see her in his peripheral vision.
"I don't feel that pity is a fruitful emotion," Ivy stated.
Harry turned to stare at her.
"It's not constructive. What does it help to feel sorry for yourself?" she asked the incredulous face that was still staring at her.
"I can't believe you," he muttered just loud enough for Ivy to hear him.
"We all have our own crosses to bare, Harry," Ivy stated, her eyes bright.
"Unfortunately, you got yours almost from the start," Ivy paused, looking thoughtful. "You see, it's not having what you want, Harry, it's wanting what you have. And you have so many people who love you and care about you and want what's best for you. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, the entire Weasley family, Remus, your housemates, professors and teammates, Sirius," Ivy paused for effect, "me."
She looked at Harry to see his reaction. His face had softened considerably as she had made her list. Seeing this, Ivy continued.
"To us, you aren't The Boy Who Lived, you're just Harry. Son of Lily and James, the best damned Quidditch player since your father, just Harry," Ivy shrugged a little as she ran out of things to say that would convince Harry that she was okay to trust. She sighed dejectedly as she rose from her seated position. "Just give it some thought. Good night, Harry." She turned on her heels lightly and began to walk away from him.
Throughout her speech, a warmth that Harry didn't feel often came over him. It was something he felt when he was at the Burrow, or whenever he woke up on Christmas morning and realized he had presents from the Weasley's. He had felt it briefly when Sirius had asked Harry to live with him, and he had felt it when Dumbledore had explained to him that his mother's love was what had saved him. Most recently, he always felt this warmth when he held Ginny close to him. It hit him like a ton of bricks as he finally realized what that warmth was.
Ivy loved him unconditionally. She didn't try to hide anything from him. She had always been upfront with him, answering his questions even when her explanations were less than flattering to herself. She had laid herself on the line to him and exposed her faults. For the first time, Harry began to see that she wasn't trying to ruin his life. On the contrary, she was making it better.
"Ivy?" Harry asked somewhat earnestly into the darkness, coming out of his epiphany. But it was a little too late. He had been lost in his thoughts for too long, and she had retreated back to the castle. A small smile pressed onto Harry's lips. "Thank you," he whispered to her, even though she wasn't there.
Ivy had heard from Sirius a couple more times since the first letter he sent. She had written him back and they were slowly getting to know each other again. Sirius was concerned for her safety what with becoming Harry's secret keeper, but he had faith in her abilities. She found Sirius' reaction endearing and it warmed her heart to know he cared so much for her.
Ivy was sitting at her desk when her students arrived, making notes about the next assignment in her grade book. The class had worked well with the groups they had chosen and she was about to start on a new and tedious topic. She was hoping they were up for it, since in her opinion, muggle history was probably going to be the most boring lesson she would teach them.
After the class was settled, Ivy began speaking with a deep wooden bowl resting in the crook of her arm.
"Since you now have a grasp on the different governments of the world, we are going to put that knowledge into action. In order for me to make this as entertaining and exciting as possible, I have chosen to try something new. In this bowl there are slips of parchment with a war written on them. There is a war from every major country in the muggle world, and you will be choosing one per group. After you have chosen the war, you will delegate research responsibilities to each person in your group. Topics you will want to include in your research are things such as battle tactics, effects on the land, the government's views, topography and society, and the outcome and residual effects of the war. After you have gathered this information, you will be responsible for a presentation. This presentation can be in the form of a reenactment, a talk complete with charts and visual guides, or anything along those lines. It must be visual and most importantly, entertaining! I want you to learn something from this assignment but I also want you to have fun. After you have chosen what you want to do, you need to get approval from me. This can be done through a proposal or a meeting with me to discuss your project. Are there any questions?"
No one raised their hands, but there was a mixture of excitement and trepidation in the faces she looked at.
"Okay, because this assignment is extensive, I have decided to give you a month to complete it. We will attend class at the regularly scheduled times, but instead of lectures twice a week, we will have one day lecture and one day to work on your projects. The lectures however will not be based on your projects, as I will be beginning a new chapter next week on a completely different topic. Today, you will choose your war, and divide responsibility between your group mates. You may get into your groups now."
When everyone was seated according to group, Ivy walked around and let each group choose a war out of the bowl. She smiled as she heard the students reading the wars out loud. She caught snippets of the words written on the parchment.
"Hundred Years' War," she heard come from the group to her left. "The War of the Austrian Succession," came from her right.
Neville picked for his group, and read the parchment out to his friends.
"The Persian Gulf War, 1991, The United Nations vs. Iraq."
Ivy smiled at the group as she walked by. It was fitting that her most talented and intelligent students chose the war she knew the most about, other than the war with Voldemort, of course. This muggle war was the only one she had witnessed and lived through, though it wouldn't take much for them to impress her, as she was never really connected to it on any level other than hearing about it.
By the end of class Ivy had answered a dozen questions on how to reenact a war, "Use your imaginations, and a little bit of magic wouldn't hurt," and a few more about comparisons of muggle wars to the war the wizarding world itself was waging right now, "Finding a way to incorporate our war into how other wars have been fought is an excellent idea!"
Hermione came up to her desk as the rest of the students filed out of the room and waited patiently for Ivy to finish jotting down some of the students' ideas in her grade book.
"Thank you for waiting, Hermione. If I don't write things down right away, I tend to forget them," she smiled. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."
Ivy had never seen Hermione act nervous before and found it odd that any favor Ivy could do for her would cause such a reaction.
"I can try. What do you need?"
"It's about those CDs you let our group borrow."
"Yes?"
"Well, there was a song on one of them that I just can't seem to get out of my head. It reminds me of someone."
Ivy watched Hermione's eyes skitter across the room; never really looking directly at Ivy while her face turned a bright shade of red.
"Which one?" Ivy asked as she unlocked the drawer of the desk and produced the collection of five CDs. Hermione pointed at the Billboard 1985 CD in the middle.
"That's the one. May I borrow it again?"
"Of course, Hermione. I can charm the player for another week if you would like," Ivy's eyes twinkled. She knew what song was on that particular CD. Hermione's eyes lit up at the suggestion and she nodded emphatically.
"Thank you very much. I would really appreciate that. I want to write down the words to the song."
"I love the way a good song can be a great poem even without the beats and melody," Ivy said absentmindedly as she retrieved the CD player and tapped it with her wand, muttering a charm Hermione had never heard before. She handed both items over to Hermione and winked at her.
"If you ever want to chat, Hermione, don't hesitate to find me."
Hermione smiled at her professor, who seemed to be right on target with the way she read people.
"I will, thanks, Professor.I mean, Ivy."
Hermione almost skipped out the door, clutching the CD and player close to her heart. Ivy knew she would most likely have the headphones on her ears as soon as she got to Gryffindor Tower.
Humming the song she knew Hermione had wanted, Ivy gathered her things and locked the desk, shutting the door behind her on her way out.
"I can't fight this feeling anymore, I've forgotten what I started fighting for."
***
Ivy came back to her quarters to a waiting brown barn owl outside her window. She smiled as she took the letter with her into her bedroom and settled onto her bed to read the next installment from Sirius.
Dear Ivy,
I've found a chance to get away for a night, and if I'm not being presumptuous, I would like to spend it with you. I understand that it wouldn't be the best idea for me to come to Hogwarts, so I am making arrangements for something else. Meet me in the forest tomorrow night, in the clearing that we used to go to all the time to talk. I'm sure you remember it. Nine o'clock should give me time to prepare and be ready.
I am so looking forward to seeing you.
Always,
Sirius
Ivy's breath caught in her throat. Her smiled broadened from ear to ear, lighting up her entire face. She suddenly felt like a teenager, squealing with delight and kicking her legs in the air.
"I need to figure out what to wear!" she exclaimed as she rolled off her bed a little faster than she meant to and crashed to the floor. Laughing at herself, she got up and headed to her closet, determined to choose the perfect outfit for meeting Sirius.
***
Harry sat with his friends at dinner the next night, laughing casually and chatting over roast turkey and potatoes. He glanced up at the head table and noticed his aunt staring off into space while Professor Flitwick talked to her.
"Hmm," he muttered.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Ivy, she looks." Harry searched his brain for the right word.
"Preoccupied," came Ginny's response.
"Out of it," was Ron's.
"In love," was Hermione's quiet contribution.
"Ivy's not in love with anyone. I think I would know that," Harry said, spearing a potato with his fork, a slight smile on his face. While he wasn't exactly getting along with Ivy, he had to admit that letting go of some anger had put him in a better mood lately.
Hermione scowled at Harry, glanced at Ron, and gave Ginny a pleading look. Ginny smiled sympathetically at her friend.
"Hermione, would you mind helping me with some of my Ancient Runes homework?" Ginny asked, hoping to change the topic. Hermione sighed.
"Of course, Ginny. Do you want to work on it tonight?" "That would be great."
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, especially on a Friday night, but would you mind helping me with Transfiguration while you help Ginny?" Ron asked hopefully. He was falling behind in Transfiguration and had been meaning to ask Hermione for help for a while now.
"Sure, why don't we make tonight a study night?"
Ron and Harry groaned, but conceded under the conditions that they would have all of Saturday and Sunday free if they got their homework done tonight.
The four rose after finishing their dinner and headed out the doors of the Great Hall. Ginny and Hermione led the group quietly talking about something Harry was sure he shouldn't know about and Ron was searching in his bag for a spare after dinner sugar quill. Harry looked around, to occupy himself while Ron searched, and noticed Ivy slipping out of the Great Hall and heading down the corridor that led to the massive front doors of the castle. His curiosity piqued, Harry tapped Ron's shoulder.
"I'll meet you all in the common room."
"What?" Ron asked, perplexed.
"I'll meet you in the common room," Harry said quickly, not wanting to loose track of Ivy. Ron gave him an incredulous look, but Harry just responded with an impish smile and turned, walking in the direction Ivy had gone.
Ivy had no clue that her nephew was following her, darting behind statues and the such when he felt he might be seen. He slipped after her when she opened the heavy wooden door to the castle and proceeded to follow her all the way out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry ducked behind a tree just in time. He looked on curiously as she looked around her and not seeing anyone, slipped into the darkness of the forest.
Harry was now determined to see what she was up to. It was obvious that she was up to something and knowing what it was would help alleviate the nagging feelings of guilt Harry had surrounding Ivy and how he was treating her.
He stepped a foot gingerly over the invisible line separating the forest and Hogwarts grass. He looked ahead and saw Ivy walking quickly toward a small clearing filled with flowers that seemed to be enchanted, they were glowing so much in the moonlight. Harry had never seen this part of the forest before. It was almost as if someone had created it for the sole purpose of Ivy's arrival. Ivy stopped walking and Harry watched as she brought her hands to her face in surprise and gave a little squeal of delight. He then saw a dark figure in the other side of the clearing. Harry was about to jump out to stop Ivy from going any further because she hadn't seemed to notice the other person and Harry had been in the forest enough to know that a cloaked stranger was probably not the safest thing. But something made him stop. Maybe it was the fact that his scar was not hurting, or that he somewhat recognized the gait of the stranger's walk, or that his intuition, which he had come to rely on for everything, told him Ivy was safe. Maybe it was a combination of all three, but whatever it was, Harry stayed hidden behind the large tree. The stranger approached Ivy's back. Harry was apprehensive, but stayed where he was. The stranger removed the cloak and Harry saw something he would never have thought possible. As it was, Harry had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Right there, in the flesh, was his very own godfather, Sirius Black.
***
Ivy sensed someone was behind her and turned to see Sirius staring at her with his expressive black eyes. Without even thinking, Ivy ran to him and he picked her up, spinning her around as they embraced, seeming lost in each other's arms.
"Merlin's ghost Ivy, are you a sight for sore eyes," Sirius sighed into her ear as he set her on the ground. They still clung to each other, waiting for the dizzy spell of spinning to stop pounding inside their heads.
"I am so happy to see you Sirius! It's been way too long," Ivy said to him as she looked into his eyes. Even though the dizzy spell had passed, they still clung to each other.
"Ivy." Sirius trailed off. He was looking at her and marveled at how beautiful she had become. He wouldn't have thought it possible for her to get more stunning than she had been at fourteen. He had thought wrong.
While Sirius was staring at her, Ivy was lost in her own thoughts. This man has been her sister and brother-in-law's best friend. He had been Ivy's confidant when she was at Hogwarts. He had been one of her own very best friends and all Ivy could do was stare back at him. Sirius finally shook himself back into reality.
"Ivy, thank you. Thank you for never giving up on me. I don't think you know how much that meant to me. How much it still means to me," Sirius was finally able to voice what he had needed to say for the past fourteen years.
"You don't have to thank me, Sirius. I've never doubted the man that you are," she said as she slowly snaked her arms around his neck. She lowered his head with her hands and rested his forehead on hers.
"You were always a gentleman, even when you didn't want to be," Ivy's eye twinkled at Sirius.
As close as they were, both hesitated to take the next step. This was something that had been harboring between then for the last eighteen years, ever since they had been introduced. It seemed to have been destiny and both wanted to savor it.
"Well, isn't this interesting," Harry said, breaking the natural spell between Ivy and Sirius. They backed away from each other quickly, looking like they had been caught doing something wrong. Sirius cleared his throat.
"Harry," he said as he began to walk toward Harry.
"Is this why you wanted me to give her a chance? Because she's your girlfriend?" Harry asked angrily.
"She isn't my girlfriend, Harry," Sirius said, wondering if it showed how much that statement hurt him.
"That was about to be some pretty heavy snogging for people who aren't together," Harry countered. He then turned his anger on Ivy. "Why did you come back? Did you have to take everyone away from me? Ginny, Ron and Hermione. And now, even Sirius? Who's next? Dumbledore? Oh wait, I'm sure you already have him in your little pocket along with everyone else!" he shouted at Ivy.
"Harry!" Sirius' eyes showed that he was angry, but his voice was controlled. "You have no right to speak to Ivy that way."
"Did you put some sort of spell on everyone around here to make them all like you?" Harry practically spat the words out, ignoring Sirius and focusing everything on Ivy.
"Harry, if I was going to put a charm on anyone to like me, I would have stated with you," Ivy said in an even voice.
Harry's face turned red and he stared at Ivy, not knowing what to say. He then turned his stare to Sirius.
"Harry, please." Sirius began, but trailed off when Harry turned and broke off in a run. Sirius started to go after him, but Ivy's hand gently grasped his arm.
"Someone might see you. I'll go," she said, looking into his eyes. She leaned over to his cheek and kissed it. "We'll see each other again," she then moved her lips to his and lightly kissed them. Sirius closed his eyes, shook his head in affirmation, and watched her leave the forest, trailing after Harry.
***
Ivy found Harry sitting down by the lake. She hesitated, but knew this was something she needed to do.
"Want to talk?" she asked quietly. Harry turned his head and glared up at her.
"Can't someone just feel sorry for himself without being bothered?" he snapped. Ivy sat down next to him anyway. He moved his upper torso so that he couldn't see her in his peripheral vision.
"I don't feel that pity is a fruitful emotion," Ivy stated.
Harry turned to stare at her.
"It's not constructive. What does it help to feel sorry for yourself?" she asked the incredulous face that was still staring at her.
"I can't believe you," he muttered just loud enough for Ivy to hear him.
"We all have our own crosses to bare, Harry," Ivy stated, her eyes bright.
"Unfortunately, you got yours almost from the start," Ivy paused, looking thoughtful. "You see, it's not having what you want, Harry, it's wanting what you have. And you have so many people who love you and care about you and want what's best for you. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, the entire Weasley family, Remus, your housemates, professors and teammates, Sirius," Ivy paused for effect, "me."
She looked at Harry to see his reaction. His face had softened considerably as she had made her list. Seeing this, Ivy continued.
"To us, you aren't The Boy Who Lived, you're just Harry. Son of Lily and James, the best damned Quidditch player since your father, just Harry," Ivy shrugged a little as she ran out of things to say that would convince Harry that she was okay to trust. She sighed dejectedly as she rose from her seated position. "Just give it some thought. Good night, Harry." She turned on her heels lightly and began to walk away from him.
Throughout her speech, a warmth that Harry didn't feel often came over him. It was something he felt when he was at the Burrow, or whenever he woke up on Christmas morning and realized he had presents from the Weasley's. He had felt it briefly when Sirius had asked Harry to live with him, and he had felt it when Dumbledore had explained to him that his mother's love was what had saved him. Most recently, he always felt this warmth when he held Ginny close to him. It hit him like a ton of bricks as he finally realized what that warmth was.
Ivy loved him unconditionally. She didn't try to hide anything from him. She had always been upfront with him, answering his questions even when her explanations were less than flattering to herself. She had laid herself on the line to him and exposed her faults. For the first time, Harry began to see that she wasn't trying to ruin his life. On the contrary, she was making it better.
"Ivy?" Harry asked somewhat earnestly into the darkness, coming out of his epiphany. But it was a little too late. He had been lost in his thoughts for too long, and she had retreated back to the castle. A small smile pressed onto Harry's lips. "Thank you," he whispered to her, even though she wasn't there.