A/N: I don't own anything here. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling.
It was over. For now at least. The Order of the Phoenix had taken down the majority of Voldemort's Death Eaters over the summer of Harry's 6th year. But with something great is not accomplished without something lost. Tonks, Charlie, Mad-Eye Moody, and Sirius were only a few that gave their lives for the Order. There was an attack on Hermione's parents, so they were sent to live at 12 Grimullad Place with the remaining members.
It had been had for everyone, especially the trio. Harry was silent, refusing to talk about anything. He was a shell of his former self. Ron and Hermione were at a loss about what to do for their beloved friend. In time, they to slipped into Harry's state. It seemed that Voldemort had hit the hardest by taking away from the remaining fighters. Everyone was holding onto something that reminded them of the old life, the life before death.
It was this that caused Harry to be searching in old photo albums in the forgotten attic of 12 Grimullad Place. He wanted to remember Sirius like he was before Voldemort, before Peter, and before Askaban. He flipped idly through the pages until one picture caught his hallow emerald eye. Sirius was leaning against a tree on Hogwarts grounds, the giant castle looming in the background. His arms were folded lazily across his chest while a few strands of his raven hair flew into his eyes. He was smirking at the camera, as if telling it 'I know something you don't know…'His dark eyes danced in the noon sun, making him look playful. In one swift motion, his left eye winked at the camera, causing the left side of his face to scrunch up for just a second before falling back into place.
This was what Harry had been looking for. Some proof that the world was once good. He took the picture from it's album and ran his fingers lovingly over it. For the first time in months, Harry smiled. It wasn't much of one mind you, but it was enough to make him remember how it felt to be happy. And that was enough for him.
~*~
Weeks later, three to be exact, the trio was on the Hogwarts express. They were engaging in a conversation about who was most likely to win that years House Cup. After Harry had come down from the attic that day, he was a new person. Not completely happy, but he tried. He would start conversations at dinner instead of avoid them. He would smile instead of frown; he would laugh instead of cry. Seeing their best friend like this pulled Hermione an Ron out of their slump as well. So now they were all on their way to their last year at Hogwarts. Hermione had been made Head Girl (to no one's surprise), but the head Boy was still unknown. Dumbledore had confided in Harry that he didn't want Harry about the castle at night, so he was denied Head Boy. But Harry was determined to be his old self again, and took it in stride.
"You've got to be kidding Hermione! Gryffindor is going to beat Slytherin this year, like we have before!" Ron yelled.
"I'm just saying that since last year, when they got that new chaser, Zabini, they've been good," Hermione persisted.
"They may be good, Mione, but we're better. Ron's gotten loads better, and so has Ginny. And if I can get Dumbledore to overwrite Umbridge's decree saying I can't play, we'll be unstoppable," Harry said in his calm tone.
"Exactly," Ron concluded, folding his arms over his chest as closure.
"I know that Harry. All I was saying… oh nevermind," she sighed, pulling her latest book out of her bag. Crookshanks' tail swished slightly as Hermione stroked his fur, never taking her eyes of her current page.
The compartment lapsed into a comfortable silence. Hermione continued to read while Ron drifted to sleep. Harry pulled his picture of Sirius from his bag and began examining it. A yawn broke the silence, and Harry looked up to see Hermione smiling at him.
"You're going to wear that out, Harry," she said, closing her book.
"It's fine. I put an invincible charm on it," he answered, not moving his eyes.
"What is it of? I've never got a good look at it," she said, moving across the small compartment to sit beside him.
"It's Sirius. I guess he was a 7th year in this, that's Hogwarts in the background."
"Wow. He looks so…young." Hermione breathed, gazing at Sirius who winked at them.
"I know. Do you think…" but Harry never found out what Hermione thought, because at that moment, Draco Malfoy slid the door open. He was no longer the scrawny, pointy faced little boy he was before. He easily made 6 feet, and his platinum blonde hair fell into his cold gray eyes. His Quittich years did his lean body good, giving him muscles the girls drooled over. But despite his outward change, he was still the annoying Slytherin prat he had been since first year.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Potty, Weasel, and Mudblood," his voice dripped like slime. Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, but Hermione's soft hand on his arm helped him keep his temper.
"Where's your gorillas, Ferret? They finally grow a brain and leave your sorry arse behind?" Hermione's calm voice drifted to Harry's ears.
"Actually Granger, I don't need them anymore. I figured by the way you were staring at me you noticed I've grown," his voice continued to sound like nails scratching against a chalkboard, despite how it had changed. Hermione's face began to tinge pink with anger.
"Get out of here, Malfoy, before I make you wish you were in Askaban with your good-for-nothing father," Hermione's tone was biting, and Malfoy took a menacing step forward into the compartment. But before anything could be done, a calm voice snuck into the compartment from behind them.
"Really Granger, that was below the belt," the three turned to see Blasie Zabini leaning lazily against the door frame. He was just as tall as Malfoy, maybe the size of Ron. His black hair flopped gracefully into his face while his ice blue eyes scanned the small room. Malfoy's face formed into a smirk like he had won the verbal battle. Ron, who was still asleep, kicked out a leg and hit Hermione in the knee. But Hermione didn't notice, her eyes were moving between the photo clenched in Harry's hand and the newcomer.
"Get out of here Malfoy, and take your new pet with you," Harry snarled.
"I'll leave, but not because you want me to. I must be getting to the head compartment. I need to see who the lucky lady that will be living with me is," and with a final sneer, he was gone.
"Mione, I'm so sorry. You have to live with Malfoy for a whole year! If you ever need to stay in the common room you know that…"
"Harry, stop. I'll be fine. If I can take on a Death Eater, I can take on a Death Eater's son." Harry smiled warmly at her, and she returned it. A snorting noise shook them out of their peaceful state.
"W-Was that Malfoy? Oy, he's lucky I was asleep. Would have kicked his no-good, ferret faced, arse right here. Why I…"
"We get the point, Ron," Hermione interrupted. Ron rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, seemingly embarrassed. "Harry, can I see your picture for a minute?"
Harry extended his hand and place the photo in her hand ever so carefully. She picked it up with the same grace Harry did, and studied Sirius' face. She bit her bottom lip in concentration, running her fingers lightly over the edges. At last, she let out a sigh and handed the picture back to Harry.
"What were you looking for?" Harry asked once the picture was in his pocket.
"Nothing, I just… saw something… you know…" she was still chewing her bottom lip. It was clear to the other two that she hadn't been able to put her thought into words, so they let it go. "I really must be getting to the Head compartment. Can't leave Malfoy alone with all the Prefects can we?" she shot a final smile at her friends then left.
"Sometimes I just don't get her," Ron mumbled before pulling out a Quidditch magazine. Harry smiled in agreement, but the wheels in his head were turning. What Hermione saw was in the picture of Sirius. He pulled it out and stared at it intently, but nothing changed. A light wind still blew, the sun still shone, and Sirius still winked every now and then. Confused about what crazy thought was bouncing around Hermione's head, Harry stuffed the picture in his pocket and made for the lavatories, grabbing his school robes on the way out.
It was over. For now at least. The Order of the Phoenix had taken down the majority of Voldemort's Death Eaters over the summer of Harry's 6th year. But with something great is not accomplished without something lost. Tonks, Charlie, Mad-Eye Moody, and Sirius were only a few that gave their lives for the Order. There was an attack on Hermione's parents, so they were sent to live at 12 Grimullad Place with the remaining members.
It had been had for everyone, especially the trio. Harry was silent, refusing to talk about anything. He was a shell of his former self. Ron and Hermione were at a loss about what to do for their beloved friend. In time, they to slipped into Harry's state. It seemed that Voldemort had hit the hardest by taking away from the remaining fighters. Everyone was holding onto something that reminded them of the old life, the life before death.
It was this that caused Harry to be searching in old photo albums in the forgotten attic of 12 Grimullad Place. He wanted to remember Sirius like he was before Voldemort, before Peter, and before Askaban. He flipped idly through the pages until one picture caught his hallow emerald eye. Sirius was leaning against a tree on Hogwarts grounds, the giant castle looming in the background. His arms were folded lazily across his chest while a few strands of his raven hair flew into his eyes. He was smirking at the camera, as if telling it 'I know something you don't know…'His dark eyes danced in the noon sun, making him look playful. In one swift motion, his left eye winked at the camera, causing the left side of his face to scrunch up for just a second before falling back into place.
This was what Harry had been looking for. Some proof that the world was once good. He took the picture from it's album and ran his fingers lovingly over it. For the first time in months, Harry smiled. It wasn't much of one mind you, but it was enough to make him remember how it felt to be happy. And that was enough for him.
~*~
Weeks later, three to be exact, the trio was on the Hogwarts express. They were engaging in a conversation about who was most likely to win that years House Cup. After Harry had come down from the attic that day, he was a new person. Not completely happy, but he tried. He would start conversations at dinner instead of avoid them. He would smile instead of frown; he would laugh instead of cry. Seeing their best friend like this pulled Hermione an Ron out of their slump as well. So now they were all on their way to their last year at Hogwarts. Hermione had been made Head Girl (to no one's surprise), but the head Boy was still unknown. Dumbledore had confided in Harry that he didn't want Harry about the castle at night, so he was denied Head Boy. But Harry was determined to be his old self again, and took it in stride.
"You've got to be kidding Hermione! Gryffindor is going to beat Slytherin this year, like we have before!" Ron yelled.
"I'm just saying that since last year, when they got that new chaser, Zabini, they've been good," Hermione persisted.
"They may be good, Mione, but we're better. Ron's gotten loads better, and so has Ginny. And if I can get Dumbledore to overwrite Umbridge's decree saying I can't play, we'll be unstoppable," Harry said in his calm tone.
"Exactly," Ron concluded, folding his arms over his chest as closure.
"I know that Harry. All I was saying… oh nevermind," she sighed, pulling her latest book out of her bag. Crookshanks' tail swished slightly as Hermione stroked his fur, never taking her eyes of her current page.
The compartment lapsed into a comfortable silence. Hermione continued to read while Ron drifted to sleep. Harry pulled his picture of Sirius from his bag and began examining it. A yawn broke the silence, and Harry looked up to see Hermione smiling at him.
"You're going to wear that out, Harry," she said, closing her book.
"It's fine. I put an invincible charm on it," he answered, not moving his eyes.
"What is it of? I've never got a good look at it," she said, moving across the small compartment to sit beside him.
"It's Sirius. I guess he was a 7th year in this, that's Hogwarts in the background."
"Wow. He looks so…young." Hermione breathed, gazing at Sirius who winked at them.
"I know. Do you think…" but Harry never found out what Hermione thought, because at that moment, Draco Malfoy slid the door open. He was no longer the scrawny, pointy faced little boy he was before. He easily made 6 feet, and his platinum blonde hair fell into his cold gray eyes. His Quittich years did his lean body good, giving him muscles the girls drooled over. But despite his outward change, he was still the annoying Slytherin prat he had been since first year.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Potty, Weasel, and Mudblood," his voice dripped like slime. Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, but Hermione's soft hand on his arm helped him keep his temper.
"Where's your gorillas, Ferret? They finally grow a brain and leave your sorry arse behind?" Hermione's calm voice drifted to Harry's ears.
"Actually Granger, I don't need them anymore. I figured by the way you were staring at me you noticed I've grown," his voice continued to sound like nails scratching against a chalkboard, despite how it had changed. Hermione's face began to tinge pink with anger.
"Get out of here, Malfoy, before I make you wish you were in Askaban with your good-for-nothing father," Hermione's tone was biting, and Malfoy took a menacing step forward into the compartment. But before anything could be done, a calm voice snuck into the compartment from behind them.
"Really Granger, that was below the belt," the three turned to see Blasie Zabini leaning lazily against the door frame. He was just as tall as Malfoy, maybe the size of Ron. His black hair flopped gracefully into his face while his ice blue eyes scanned the small room. Malfoy's face formed into a smirk like he had won the verbal battle. Ron, who was still asleep, kicked out a leg and hit Hermione in the knee. But Hermione didn't notice, her eyes were moving between the photo clenched in Harry's hand and the newcomer.
"Get out of here Malfoy, and take your new pet with you," Harry snarled.
"I'll leave, but not because you want me to. I must be getting to the head compartment. I need to see who the lucky lady that will be living with me is," and with a final sneer, he was gone.
"Mione, I'm so sorry. You have to live with Malfoy for a whole year! If you ever need to stay in the common room you know that…"
"Harry, stop. I'll be fine. If I can take on a Death Eater, I can take on a Death Eater's son." Harry smiled warmly at her, and she returned it. A snorting noise shook them out of their peaceful state.
"W-Was that Malfoy? Oy, he's lucky I was asleep. Would have kicked his no-good, ferret faced, arse right here. Why I…"
"We get the point, Ron," Hermione interrupted. Ron rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, seemingly embarrassed. "Harry, can I see your picture for a minute?"
Harry extended his hand and place the photo in her hand ever so carefully. She picked it up with the same grace Harry did, and studied Sirius' face. She bit her bottom lip in concentration, running her fingers lightly over the edges. At last, she let out a sigh and handed the picture back to Harry.
"What were you looking for?" Harry asked once the picture was in his pocket.
"Nothing, I just… saw something… you know…" she was still chewing her bottom lip. It was clear to the other two that she hadn't been able to put her thought into words, so they let it go. "I really must be getting to the Head compartment. Can't leave Malfoy alone with all the Prefects can we?" she shot a final smile at her friends then left.
"Sometimes I just don't get her," Ron mumbled before pulling out a Quidditch magazine. Harry smiled in agreement, but the wheels in his head were turning. What Hermione saw was in the picture of Sirius. He pulled it out and stared at it intently, but nothing changed. A light wind still blew, the sun still shone, and Sirius still winked every now and then. Confused about what crazy thought was bouncing around Hermione's head, Harry stuffed the picture in his pocket and made for the lavatories, grabbing his school robes on the way out.