Nicky: Thanks, as always!
Velondra, Tanya, Lin-z, Kayla Summers, summersun, Harriet, Japangirlcarley24, Sailor Sol, Hyper Princess, Samantha Potter, Kimmy, Lynx, Kate the Great, Anie, Michelle, venus4280, ratgirl, Someone, and SpiderGirl05: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. I'm really glad you liked the prank. I was a little concerned it wouldn't translate well from how I visualized it in my mind.
Lothey: Hmmm. Hadn't thought about that. I'll see what I can do.
Sou: Ummm. I'm not quite sure how this got into the S/H section. Is it because of the main and secondary character listing? I'm sorry if I misled. I simply thought it was used to specify the primary characters, not pairings. Hope you still keep reading anyway.
To Someone, my 200th review. Thank you very much!
Enjoy!
Chapter 12
Harry sighed, his fork clattering loudly against the plate as he tried to set it down. He could feel all eyes on him, but refused to look up, silently cursing the embarrassed blush that tinted his skin. Talk resumed, and Sirius leaned over to Harry.
"All done?" he asked softly. Harry nodded. He'd actually eaten more today than he had in over a month, he knew. It felt good to eat too much. Sinful, really.
"The meal was excellent, Mrs. Weasley. And the sausage was quite surprising," Harry said. Mrs. Weasley actually giggled. Remus smiled widely at Harry, and Sirius grinned wickedly.
Sirius was good for Remus, Harry realized, on a lot of levels. Remus Lupin had shown more emotion, more animation in the past few days than he had the entire school year he'd taught at Hogwarts. Ooops. Harry felt himself teeter to one side and tried to discretely support himself against the armchair. Sirius noted the small movement and stood up quickly, his hand steadying Harry's shoulder.
"Why don't we get you back on the couch?" Sirius asked, but didn't wait for an answer as he scooped Harry up in his arms. Harry noted the stark concern on Ron and Hermione's faces, and wished he could offer up some reassurance. But he couldn't. He couldn't even tell them that at least he didn't feel any pain. He did. The scar constantly throbbed now, seeming to pulse in time with his heartbeat. He'd adjust to the discomfort, have another dream, and then the pain would escalate… just a little. It frightened Harry in a primal way, but it was nothing he could articulate. It was as if with each dream his bond with Voldemort strengthened. The thought made Harry queasy.
At the beginning of the summer, when the dreams had begun in earnest, Harry had dismissed the increasing headaches. Just a week before Sirius arrived, though, he'd had to accept it. Not only were the dreams more frequent, they were more vivid. Harry had always been told people dream in black and white. He certainly didn't. But as the dreams increased, so did the sensory input. The smell of a place; was it musty, was there incense burning? The feel of carpet against his feet, or the cool smooth tiles. Stone sometimes. Sounds… the quiet desperate panting of someone who knew they had no chance, but who still refused to beg, who desperately tried not to cry out…
"Harry?" Sirius asked, frozen by the look he must have seen on Harry's face.
"Yes?" Harry replied. 'Wow, so much for enjoying your birthday, Potter,' he said firmly to himself with a mental shake. 'Now stop this nonsense,' he admonished and smiled at Sirius.
"Alright?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms tightly around Sirius' neck in a fierce hug as he went to set him on the couch.
"I loved how you got the twins. I've never seen anything like it. I can't wait for them to find out that you and Remus are the Marauders," Harry said. He hated how weak his voice sounded, but he managed to convey his delight nonetheless. Sirius paused in surprise at the hug for just a moment before responding in kind, pulling Harry close and burying Harry's head in his shoulder. Harry nestled further into Sirius' shoulder and relished the feel of his new robes.
Remus had insisted Sirius get them for Harry's birthday. Harry had replied he didn't mind what kind of outfit Sirius wore as long as it wasn't his birthday suit. The thick fabric gently scratched against Harry's cheek, and he could still detect the faint scent of dye. He could also barely smell what must have been Sirius' shampoo or aftershave. It hinted a little of peppermint and rosemary.
Harry took a deep breath in contentment, only distantly annoyed as his senses began to spin. He was falling asleep. Harry struggled to open his eyes for a moment. After all, he'd only just gotten up, but Sirius just continued to hold him close. His grip on Sirius loosened, and he sighed softly as he drifted to sleep, too tired to fight it and too content to care. The last sound he was aware of was a gentle chuckle from Sirius as he placed Harry on the couch, then all was blissfully silent.
******************************************
"Ginny!" Ron said happily as she appeared in front of the fireplace, soot smudged on her face and robe. She smiled warmly at him, then let out a 'woof' of air as Hermione hugged her. The size difference between the two girls was drastic to Ron. Hermione towered over Ginny in much the same way as Ron towered over Hermione. Ron looked at Hermione, surprised by her affection. He hadn't realized they were that close.
"It's good to see you, Ginny," Hermione said, squeezing her tightly. Ginny patted Hermione on the back, obviously pleased but also a bit surprised, then her eyes slid to Harry, asleep on the couch. Ron nodded his head towards the kitchen.
"Hi guys, Professor Lupin," Ginny whispered.
"Ginny, please just call me Remus," Remus said and Hermione smothered a giggle. Ron frowned at her for a moment, but couldn't see what was funny.
"How is he?" she asked softly, her eyes focused on Harry. Ron looked at her intently. They locked eyes for a moment, and Ginny nodded, dropping her own eyes quickly, but not soon enough for Ron to miss the tears that glittered unshed. There were things Ron wasn't ready yet to voice his fears about, but it was evident Harry wasn't getting any better. Ginny understood. Ron nodded towards the kitchen, indicating it would be better to take any further conversation in there. Hermione and Ginny nodded.
Ron knew the real reason why his mum had sent Ginny to stay with Charlie. There were no guarantees anymore with Harry. In the first few days after they'd brought him to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley had decided that Ginny's own reoccurring nightmares would not be helped by Harry's terrified and pain filled shrieks. She'd immediately sent Ginny off, much to Ginny's utter disgust, and she would have kept her there until school started if Charlie had been able to keep her. Unfortunately (for mum, not for Charlie) he'd discovered a dragon's nest in Albany that required a great deal of time and planning to reach, and had been forced to send Ginny home early.
"So did you finish your homework?" Hermione teased as they entered the kitchen, saying what everyone expected her to say, perhaps even to indulge them and to break the lengthening silence. Ron raised his hands to the ceiling dramatically.
"Oi! Why me? Why…. Eeep!" Ron squeaked as he was lifted off the floor by two pairs of hands, his legs kicking at the air in surprise. Ginny looked up, startled, to the ceiling to see Fred and George, crouching down *up* on the ceiling with Ron held firmly between them.
"Hey, little sister. Welcome back! I think we need the recipe for this prank, Fred. There are just too many things we can do here. Imagine… combine this with a floatation spell, and we could walk the halls of Hogwarts practically undetected. No one looks up. It's perfect," George said with a gleam in his eye.
"Put me down," Ron said, not struggling but rather trying to brace himself for what he knew would happen next…
"As you wish," Fred said, and they both immediately let go of Ron, letting him drop to the floor. Everyone in the room froze for a moment as Ron nearly crashed into the trash can, which thankfully leaped out of the way in time. Now completely still, Ron was afraid they'd made too much noise and woken Harry up. Anxiously, Ron peeked in the living room, but Sirius met his eyes and shook his head. Ron sighed, glad Harry was still asleep. Sirius glared at the twins, who looked guilty and shifted self-consciously. Ginny, too, withered under that glare, clearly uncomfortable.
"Sorry," they both mouthed to Sirius sheepishly, and stood. Standing straight up *down*, their heads were just a few meters above Ron, their hair sticking in all directions as evidently only their bodies were effected by Sirius' spell.
"Why don't you go out and play some Quiddich?" Ron suggested with dry menace. They looked seriously at each other for a moment.
"You know… flying upside down could prove intriguing," Fred said and Ron felt his eyes widen. He'd been joking.
"You will do no such thing!" Mrs. Weasley whispered fiercely. Ron was amazed how their mum always seemed to hear the twins when their scheming was just about to get out of hand. He wondered if she had to gauge what she 'heard' and what she didn't. "And why are you all congregated in here? It's the first decent sleep Harry's had in days. If I were you I would not want to be the one who woke him up," she said, then her eyes lit on Ginny. "Ginny, you're home! Come on, I'll help you unpack," she said warmly, and Ron watched Ginny follow her upstairs.
Ginny and Mrs. Weasley dodged Fred and George's legs as they dangled over the stairwell, talking softly. The twins hung on to the railing for a moment, before landing upstairs.
After the twins disappeared upstairs, Ron remained in the kitchen doorway studying Sirius as he watched Harry sleep. He was a gangly looking man, tall, with jerky movements. He did everything fast and abruptly. He walked with long, powerful strides and sat completely boneless, dropping so heavily into chairs that they'd begun to protest loudly, trying to scurry away in fright as Sirius approached them with intent.
Right at the moment, Sirius was perched at Harry's side, seemingly poised to leap to Harry's aid or defend him at a moment's notice. His face was gaunt, shadowed and angular, but his smile, the few times Ron had seen it, made him look like a new man. Ron wasn't sure if the dark circles under Sirius' eyes were from his own nightmares or from staying up to watch over Harry. Sirius had almost unnaturally light blue eyes, and sometimes the look in them made Ron shiver. Twelve years in Azkaban. He couldn't even begin to imagine.
"Does Ginny still have nightmares?" Hermione asked, breaking into his reverie. Ron looked at her in surprise. She shrugged.
"In the girl's dorm, not much passes unnoticed. Do keep that in mind," Hermione said wryly. Ron felt himself blushing without even knowing why. Hermione smirked at him and glanced back at Harry as Ron nodded.
"Dumbledore's coming today," Ron told her. She nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey, too?" she asked. Ron shrugged. "I wonder if they've got Professor Snape working on a new sleeping potion for Harry," she said idly. Ron felt his jaw drop.
"You have got to be joking?" Ron said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron, please, he's a Potions Master. There aren't more than ten in the world as good as him. Harry needs to get some distance between those attacks and his sleep or…" Hermione's voice drifted off. Ron growled.
"We all know what could happen, Hermione..." Ron snapped. Hermione shook her head.
"No, that's not it," she interrupted with a raised hand, staring at Harry intently.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Let me think about it. We've got three days until Harry has to do without the potion, right?" she asked. Ron nodded in irritation.
"I might have an idea. But I need to get more information before…" she said, and now Ron interrupted.
"Before what?" Ron asked.
"I'll tell you when I think it really might be feasible," she said, and Ron glared for a moment.
"I hate when you leave me hanging," Ron growled. Hermione laughed, then turned solemn.
"I'll need to ask your dad some questions I'm not sure he'll want to answer when he gets home tonight," Hermione said. Ron nodded.
"No problem. If you think it'll help Harry, he'll do anything. I've never seen him as shaken up as when he first brought Harry back from the Dursleys…" Ron said, then paused for a moment. "Hermione, did you know about them…?" he asked. He saw the raw look of pain and shame on her face as she shook her head.
"I feel like a twit for not seeing it, Ron. I mean, we all knew it was bad. You've told me what you've heard them say to him. Of course, that wouldn't be the limit," she said in disgust. Surprisingly, Ron felt better. Even Hermione hadn't suspected.
"Well, I can't wait till dad gets home. That's when we'll give Harry his present. I can't wait to see his face," Ron said with a huge smile. He almost felt like jumping up and down in anticipation. Hermione's eyes widened, but Ron shook his head. "Just wait and see," he said, glad to be able to tease her with a mystery of his own. Hermione laughed, and they went to quietly join Sirius in the living room.
Velondra, Tanya, Lin-z, Kayla Summers, summersun, Harriet, Japangirlcarley24, Sailor Sol, Hyper Princess, Samantha Potter, Kimmy, Lynx, Kate the Great, Anie, Michelle, venus4280, ratgirl, Someone, and SpiderGirl05: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. I'm really glad you liked the prank. I was a little concerned it wouldn't translate well from how I visualized it in my mind.
Lothey: Hmmm. Hadn't thought about that. I'll see what I can do.
Sou: Ummm. I'm not quite sure how this got into the S/H section. Is it because of the main and secondary character listing? I'm sorry if I misled. I simply thought it was used to specify the primary characters, not pairings. Hope you still keep reading anyway.
To Someone, my 200th review. Thank you very much!
Enjoy!
Chapter 12
Harry sighed, his fork clattering loudly against the plate as he tried to set it down. He could feel all eyes on him, but refused to look up, silently cursing the embarrassed blush that tinted his skin. Talk resumed, and Sirius leaned over to Harry.
"All done?" he asked softly. Harry nodded. He'd actually eaten more today than he had in over a month, he knew. It felt good to eat too much. Sinful, really.
"The meal was excellent, Mrs. Weasley. And the sausage was quite surprising," Harry said. Mrs. Weasley actually giggled. Remus smiled widely at Harry, and Sirius grinned wickedly.
Sirius was good for Remus, Harry realized, on a lot of levels. Remus Lupin had shown more emotion, more animation in the past few days than he had the entire school year he'd taught at Hogwarts. Ooops. Harry felt himself teeter to one side and tried to discretely support himself against the armchair. Sirius noted the small movement and stood up quickly, his hand steadying Harry's shoulder.
"Why don't we get you back on the couch?" Sirius asked, but didn't wait for an answer as he scooped Harry up in his arms. Harry noted the stark concern on Ron and Hermione's faces, and wished he could offer up some reassurance. But he couldn't. He couldn't even tell them that at least he didn't feel any pain. He did. The scar constantly throbbed now, seeming to pulse in time with his heartbeat. He'd adjust to the discomfort, have another dream, and then the pain would escalate… just a little. It frightened Harry in a primal way, but it was nothing he could articulate. It was as if with each dream his bond with Voldemort strengthened. The thought made Harry queasy.
At the beginning of the summer, when the dreams had begun in earnest, Harry had dismissed the increasing headaches. Just a week before Sirius arrived, though, he'd had to accept it. Not only were the dreams more frequent, they were more vivid. Harry had always been told people dream in black and white. He certainly didn't. But as the dreams increased, so did the sensory input. The smell of a place; was it musty, was there incense burning? The feel of carpet against his feet, or the cool smooth tiles. Stone sometimes. Sounds… the quiet desperate panting of someone who knew they had no chance, but who still refused to beg, who desperately tried not to cry out…
"Harry?" Sirius asked, frozen by the look he must have seen on Harry's face.
"Yes?" Harry replied. 'Wow, so much for enjoying your birthday, Potter,' he said firmly to himself with a mental shake. 'Now stop this nonsense,' he admonished and smiled at Sirius.
"Alright?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms tightly around Sirius' neck in a fierce hug as he went to set him on the couch.
"I loved how you got the twins. I've never seen anything like it. I can't wait for them to find out that you and Remus are the Marauders," Harry said. He hated how weak his voice sounded, but he managed to convey his delight nonetheless. Sirius paused in surprise at the hug for just a moment before responding in kind, pulling Harry close and burying Harry's head in his shoulder. Harry nestled further into Sirius' shoulder and relished the feel of his new robes.
Remus had insisted Sirius get them for Harry's birthday. Harry had replied he didn't mind what kind of outfit Sirius wore as long as it wasn't his birthday suit. The thick fabric gently scratched against Harry's cheek, and he could still detect the faint scent of dye. He could also barely smell what must have been Sirius' shampoo or aftershave. It hinted a little of peppermint and rosemary.
Harry took a deep breath in contentment, only distantly annoyed as his senses began to spin. He was falling asleep. Harry struggled to open his eyes for a moment. After all, he'd only just gotten up, but Sirius just continued to hold him close. His grip on Sirius loosened, and he sighed softly as he drifted to sleep, too tired to fight it and too content to care. The last sound he was aware of was a gentle chuckle from Sirius as he placed Harry on the couch, then all was blissfully silent.
******************************************
"Ginny!" Ron said happily as she appeared in front of the fireplace, soot smudged on her face and robe. She smiled warmly at him, then let out a 'woof' of air as Hermione hugged her. The size difference between the two girls was drastic to Ron. Hermione towered over Ginny in much the same way as Ron towered over Hermione. Ron looked at Hermione, surprised by her affection. He hadn't realized they were that close.
"It's good to see you, Ginny," Hermione said, squeezing her tightly. Ginny patted Hermione on the back, obviously pleased but also a bit surprised, then her eyes slid to Harry, asleep on the couch. Ron nodded his head towards the kitchen.
"Hi guys, Professor Lupin," Ginny whispered.
"Ginny, please just call me Remus," Remus said and Hermione smothered a giggle. Ron frowned at her for a moment, but couldn't see what was funny.
"How is he?" she asked softly, her eyes focused on Harry. Ron looked at her intently. They locked eyes for a moment, and Ginny nodded, dropping her own eyes quickly, but not soon enough for Ron to miss the tears that glittered unshed. There were things Ron wasn't ready yet to voice his fears about, but it was evident Harry wasn't getting any better. Ginny understood. Ron nodded towards the kitchen, indicating it would be better to take any further conversation in there. Hermione and Ginny nodded.
Ron knew the real reason why his mum had sent Ginny to stay with Charlie. There were no guarantees anymore with Harry. In the first few days after they'd brought him to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley had decided that Ginny's own reoccurring nightmares would not be helped by Harry's terrified and pain filled shrieks. She'd immediately sent Ginny off, much to Ginny's utter disgust, and she would have kept her there until school started if Charlie had been able to keep her. Unfortunately (for mum, not for Charlie) he'd discovered a dragon's nest in Albany that required a great deal of time and planning to reach, and had been forced to send Ginny home early.
"So did you finish your homework?" Hermione teased as they entered the kitchen, saying what everyone expected her to say, perhaps even to indulge them and to break the lengthening silence. Ron raised his hands to the ceiling dramatically.
"Oi! Why me? Why…. Eeep!" Ron squeaked as he was lifted off the floor by two pairs of hands, his legs kicking at the air in surprise. Ginny looked up, startled, to the ceiling to see Fred and George, crouching down *up* on the ceiling with Ron held firmly between them.
"Hey, little sister. Welcome back! I think we need the recipe for this prank, Fred. There are just too many things we can do here. Imagine… combine this with a floatation spell, and we could walk the halls of Hogwarts practically undetected. No one looks up. It's perfect," George said with a gleam in his eye.
"Put me down," Ron said, not struggling but rather trying to brace himself for what he knew would happen next…
"As you wish," Fred said, and they both immediately let go of Ron, letting him drop to the floor. Everyone in the room froze for a moment as Ron nearly crashed into the trash can, which thankfully leaped out of the way in time. Now completely still, Ron was afraid they'd made too much noise and woken Harry up. Anxiously, Ron peeked in the living room, but Sirius met his eyes and shook his head. Ron sighed, glad Harry was still asleep. Sirius glared at the twins, who looked guilty and shifted self-consciously. Ginny, too, withered under that glare, clearly uncomfortable.
"Sorry," they both mouthed to Sirius sheepishly, and stood. Standing straight up *down*, their heads were just a few meters above Ron, their hair sticking in all directions as evidently only their bodies were effected by Sirius' spell.
"Why don't you go out and play some Quiddich?" Ron suggested with dry menace. They looked seriously at each other for a moment.
"You know… flying upside down could prove intriguing," Fred said and Ron felt his eyes widen. He'd been joking.
"You will do no such thing!" Mrs. Weasley whispered fiercely. Ron was amazed how their mum always seemed to hear the twins when their scheming was just about to get out of hand. He wondered if she had to gauge what she 'heard' and what she didn't. "And why are you all congregated in here? It's the first decent sleep Harry's had in days. If I were you I would not want to be the one who woke him up," she said, then her eyes lit on Ginny. "Ginny, you're home! Come on, I'll help you unpack," she said warmly, and Ron watched Ginny follow her upstairs.
Ginny and Mrs. Weasley dodged Fred and George's legs as they dangled over the stairwell, talking softly. The twins hung on to the railing for a moment, before landing upstairs.
After the twins disappeared upstairs, Ron remained in the kitchen doorway studying Sirius as he watched Harry sleep. He was a gangly looking man, tall, with jerky movements. He did everything fast and abruptly. He walked with long, powerful strides and sat completely boneless, dropping so heavily into chairs that they'd begun to protest loudly, trying to scurry away in fright as Sirius approached them with intent.
Right at the moment, Sirius was perched at Harry's side, seemingly poised to leap to Harry's aid or defend him at a moment's notice. His face was gaunt, shadowed and angular, but his smile, the few times Ron had seen it, made him look like a new man. Ron wasn't sure if the dark circles under Sirius' eyes were from his own nightmares or from staying up to watch over Harry. Sirius had almost unnaturally light blue eyes, and sometimes the look in them made Ron shiver. Twelve years in Azkaban. He couldn't even begin to imagine.
"Does Ginny still have nightmares?" Hermione asked, breaking into his reverie. Ron looked at her in surprise. She shrugged.
"In the girl's dorm, not much passes unnoticed. Do keep that in mind," Hermione said wryly. Ron felt himself blushing without even knowing why. Hermione smirked at him and glanced back at Harry as Ron nodded.
"Dumbledore's coming today," Ron told her. She nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey, too?" she asked. Ron shrugged. "I wonder if they've got Professor Snape working on a new sleeping potion for Harry," she said idly. Ron felt his jaw drop.
"You have got to be joking?" Ron said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron, please, he's a Potions Master. There aren't more than ten in the world as good as him. Harry needs to get some distance between those attacks and his sleep or…" Hermione's voice drifted off. Ron growled.
"We all know what could happen, Hermione..." Ron snapped. Hermione shook her head.
"No, that's not it," she interrupted with a raised hand, staring at Harry intently.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Let me think about it. We've got three days until Harry has to do without the potion, right?" she asked. Ron nodded in irritation.
"I might have an idea. But I need to get more information before…" she said, and now Ron interrupted.
"Before what?" Ron asked.
"I'll tell you when I think it really might be feasible," she said, and Ron glared for a moment.
"I hate when you leave me hanging," Ron growled. Hermione laughed, then turned solemn.
"I'll need to ask your dad some questions I'm not sure he'll want to answer when he gets home tonight," Hermione said. Ron nodded.
"No problem. If you think it'll help Harry, he'll do anything. I've never seen him as shaken up as when he first brought Harry back from the Dursleys…" Ron said, then paused for a moment. "Hermione, did you know about them…?" he asked. He saw the raw look of pain and shame on her face as she shook her head.
"I feel like a twit for not seeing it, Ron. I mean, we all knew it was bad. You've told me what you've heard them say to him. Of course, that wouldn't be the limit," she said in disgust. Surprisingly, Ron felt better. Even Hermione hadn't suspected.
"Well, I can't wait till dad gets home. That's when we'll give Harry his present. I can't wait to see his face," Ron said with a huge smile. He almost felt like jumping up and down in anticipation. Hermione's eyes widened, but Ron shook his head. "Just wait and see," he said, glad to be able to tease her with a mystery of his own. Hermione laughed, and they went to quietly join Sirius in the living room.