Chapter Seven -- A Trip to Diagon Alley

The idea of fun immediately vanished when Julianna found out that Sirius will be tagging along - and not a dog this time but a real life size man. If they were on a different situation or if the incident didn't occurred then she would have been happy.

"Is - is this one of Dumbledore's orders?" Julianna mumbled one time.

Sirius looked at her, his eyes were magnificent, "So you knew I've been reading messages from Dumbledore huh?" He was obviously having a good time now that every wizards and witches are looking at them. Moody, just like what Julianna imagined was looking suspiciously at everybody. His magical eye is whirling so fast that it might pop off any minute. It was like any normal day in the Diagon Alley, Julianna saw Neville with his grandmother and another Gryffindor student. The Weasleys were way ahead of them and being with Sirius is not really comforting right now. People greeted them like they were old friends. She felt like a celebrity and she hated it.

Sirius led her to the wardrobe shop and made the witch immediately get Julianna's measurements. The witch obliged and blushed at the sight of Sirius. Julianna understood, Sirius was really looking his best right now. Nobody would know that he is already in his thirties.

The witch fumbled clumsily when she started taking Julianna's measurements aware of Sirius eyes at them. Julianna had a weird feeling inside her as she looked at the witch who was now taking her bust measurement. When she's finished, she immediately went to the counter where Sirius was standing and smiling she told Sirius that he had to return in 30 minutes or less. When they went out Julianna could hear the witch's giggle.

"I wonder what's that all about?" Julianna whispered but Sirius heard her and only smiled.

"Well you've grown, that's for sure." Sirius said as he made a mental note of her height. "When I first saw you at Magnolia Crescent, well, lets just say you're taller now."

Julianna didn't understand what he meant and walked faster wanting to catch up with the Weasleys.

"Let's go over here," Sirius said and pulled her to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, "Don't worry they won't mind, we've got everything, right? Books, robes…"

Sirius ordered 2 ice creams and they waited silently. Julianna was trembling, she knew this would come, she knew eventually that she had to confront him.

"You're quiet." said Sirius.

"Uhh - "

"It's been a long time since I got here, didn't change much though. I remember when I was buying my wand I stumbled and almost broke it if it weren't for James."

Julianna nodded, aware of the people looking at them. For a minute she wondered where the others are, then thought of Hermione and Ron planning to set her up and it's working.

"About time," Sirius said as the wizard handed them ice cream, Julianna's was larger than his. "Well, you better start eating before it melts."

"Yeah," and she did, its better than talking. And while she ate a lot of things came over her, how she first saw Sirius as a dog, in the Shrieking Shack, Flitwick's room, at headquarters and at the Department of Ministry…

"Care to share that?" Sirius said, his ice cream bowl was now empty, hers was still halfway.

"I - I was just thinking of… of my Patronus… you like it don't you?"

Sirius leaned back on his chair with his arms cross, "You're not a good liar, you know."

"I'll be having Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore." she said obviously changing the subject.

"So I've heard, listen Julianna I've been meaning to talk to you since I returned…"

Julianna gulped.

"I reckon you've got loads of questions to ask."

"Not really, most of them where answered now."

"Well, in that case I'll be asking the questions then." He looked at her, "Why are you avoiding me?"

Julianna dropped dead, she can't find any answers for that, "W-what do you mean?"

"Right now, you're not even looking at me."

She looked up at him awkwardly. "I-I'm looking at you."

"Julianna.."

"I'm sorry Sirius," Julianna began in a low voice, "I'm not acting myself lately.. well.. I'm really happy that you didn't die at all, that everything was planned, although I don't know much of the plan. But I… I can't stop myself from thinking that if you died or if somebody died in the Order… that it's all my fault. After all Voldemort wants me dead not you guys and I don't want you guys to get involved.." She was fumbling her fingers and dared not to look at him, "I know that you're disappointed by now, thinking that my father would feel different, that he'll love to go out there and challenge him squarely. Well.. what I want to say is.. I loved to do that too, I guess it runs in my blood to be reckless, but things are different now, I.. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes again. And as you constantly remind me how different I am from my father… well.. I … I'm only Julianna, Sirius, I'm not James. Sometimes I think Mrs. Weasley is right when she told you that you're acting like you've got your best friend back. I can be your best friend Sirius, but I can't be James."

They were silent after that, Julianna's ice cream was completely melted.

"Is that really how you felt?" Sirius said.

Julianna didn't answer.

"Is that all?"

Jullianna nodded.

Sirius stood and said, "We'd better go, it's getting late, they might be looking for us now."

It was a long, silent walk after that. Sirius wasn't looking at her anymore nor speaking to her. When they reached headquarters everybody must have felt the tension between them and dared not asked about it.

"I was expecting a different uhh… result." Ginny whispered to Hermione just before they went to bed.

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"How did it go?" Lupin asked by the fire.

"Not what I expected and I think everybody was aware of that." Sirius sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"She… well… I guess… based from what she had just said earlier… she didn't have a clue why I wanted to talk to her.. alone. In fact I haven't told her yet."

"What? But I thought - "

"Yeah me to."

"What did she say anyway?"

Sirius breathed deeply and began telling Lupin what had happened that day.