Post 65

There was an excited whoop from the students and there was a bustle of movement again. The harpist had gone and a string duet was strumming a lively tune. Couples immediately scooted towards the dance floor.

Sirius and I however headed towards the table where everyone was just hanging out. We headed towards James and Lily who were talking cheerfully to a few other people. We were just chatting and watching others dance (a couple from Gryffindor was dancing really enthusiastically) and Peter was picking a little bit of everything and putting it on a large plate.

And then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whipped around so quickly I cricked my neck. Rubbing my neck I turned to face who it was.

"Harry!" I greeted cheerfully. "Hey, how've you been?"

He looked uneasily at his feet for a second. "Okay," he replied nodding though it didn't look very convincing.

I looked at him. He wasn't dressed in his dress robes. Just normal sweater and dark pants with a robe over. He was in such contrast with the rest of the students and there were fair share of odd looks exchanged between them.

"You look nice by the way..."

I felt my face grow warm when he said that. "Thanks... uh... er, why don't you join us?" I asked finding my voice.

He laughed weakly at that. Then he looked up, smiling. "Y'know... you're a lot nicer than a lot of Slytherins I've met."

I blushed and couldn't help but grin.

"But sorry I can't... that's why I came here actually," he said with a heavy sigh. "I'm leaving."

My grin faded. I needed to hear again what I just heard. Not... now?

"What?"

"I'm... leaving," he repeated, softer and unsure this time.

"Hi Harry!" Called Sirius jovially clapping a hand onto his shoulder.

"Sirius..." was all Harry could say.

"So where's your date?"

"No, I'm not really –"

"Sirius, can I have some time alone with Harry?" I interrupted, feeling a slight urgency.

Sirius fixed me with a weird stare. "Okay," he said slowly letting go of Harry and walking away.

I headed towards a quiet (or less noisy) corner of the hall where Harry and I could talk without being disturbed.

"Why are you leaving now? Tonight?" I asked.

"I have to go as soon as possible..."

"At least after tonight?" I suggested hopelessly.

"Professor Dumbledore says I can't... the less time I spend here the better."

I rolled my eyes to the heavens at his words. "Oh come on, you've been here for weeks, what's another day?!"

"Listen, it's not that I want to go back," snapped Harry suddenly. I flinched and stared at him horrified. His shoulders drooped and he sighed heavily again. "I'm sorry... but you see, the future I'm going back to is not as carefree as this one."

"My present is not carefree beyond the Hogwarts walls," I corrected.

"Oh right. And in my present, Sirius doesn't exist anymore... My parents won't be there waiting for me," he added softly, looking down. "So many people have died. The ones I love. They're always the ones dying for me."

"Oh Harry..." I whispered reaching out to take his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

"But I have to go back to end it. Whether it'll end with Voldemort's demise or mine, I have to do it anyway," he said bitterly but bravely.

"Don't say that," I said consolingly. "You'll win... and you'll bring peace to the whole wizarding world, I know it. And you know what?" I added chirpily, trying to cheer him up desperately.

He raised his brows. "When you do, I will go find you at Hogwarts and... we'll see each other again! Just that I'm like twenty years older than you. I might even have something special too."

He managed the weakest of smiles.

"I just find it hard to fight to live now that almost everyone who means anything to me is gone..." he choked and I realized his emerald greens were sparkling with fresh tears.

"Oh, don't think about that..." I said quickly. "Never think about that. Think about how much you have to live for. Your friends? Er... Ron? And Herminie?"

"Hermione," he corrected.

"Right, Ron and Hermione," I added quickly. "How do you think they'll feel if you're gone?"

To add to the effect, the harpist had come back on stage and was strumming delicately a romantic tune of Romance de Amor.

"Well, I think I should go say goodbye to the rest," he said at last after a long silence.

I nodded and I just stood there as he passed by me. I could feel his robes brush past my arm and I turned to watch as he fought his way through the crowd towards James, Sirius and Lily.

I headed towards them too and Harry was talking in hushed voices to James, who was nodding solemnly.

"Well, goodbye Harry," said Lily with the voice of an angel. "I hope we'll see you again soon."

"We will," Harry replied awkwardly. "Well... bye."

"It's nice to have met you, Harry," I said though I was sad that he had to go. I spread my arms wide and gave him a warm hug and tapped his back. For some reason, I felt just a bit motherly. "Good luck."

We stepped back and he started walking away towards the double doors through the happily dancing couples. It looked horribly as if he were heading towards his own death, shoulders drooped, head held low. I watched him till he slipped silently unnoticed by anyone else out the door.

"It's nice to have met you, Harry," said Sirius in an unnaturally high pitched childish voice as he came strolling.

I put my hands on my hips and looked at him disapprovingly. "What?"

"Come let me hold your hand," he said taking hold of an imaginary hand and stroking it. "Oooh, why don't I give you a hug!"

"Shut up," I told him. "You're jealous."

"No, I'm not!" He snapped.

"Well, you shouldn't be," I replied. "Harry's just a friend."

"You don't hold James' hand or hug Remus, do you?"

"Sirius, he's leaving!" I reasoned.

"So, how would you feel if you saw me with my arms around another girl?"

"I was just trying to- Forget it," I said irritably. Guys, they don't understand.

I walked briskly towards the punch bowl, fuming at how he jumped to such conclusions and poured myself a cup. I took a large gulp out of it and just stared out through one of the windows as high as the ceiling into the midnight blue sky. I could see the lake glistening in the shimmering moonlight from here, so peaceful and calm. It took a while before Sirius came towards me.

"Would you care to explain then?"

"I was just saying goodbye..."

"And..."

"It was a friend hug. If I hug Nikki does that mean I'm in love with her?!" I spat irritably. "Geez..."

"Oh... okay. I guess I should apologise."

He paused.

"I'm waiting."

"Sorry," he said simply. "I'm just being careful you know."

Sirius had always been the one to give in during our fights.

I smiled and stepped closer towards him. I looped my arms around his neck just like he said and said "Apology accepted."

He broke into a grin and he was still grinning by the time my lips touched his.