Author's Notes: A little holiday angst, with foreboding of things to come.
Christmas at the Weasley house, and Harry shares a flashback of the
wizarding war with Ron.
Disclaimer: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me
Chapter 48: A Bittersweet Holiday
Mira woke to the gray light of a cloudy winter morning overhead. She found herself alone in the large bed with the blankets tucked up around her shoulders. Tying to get her bearings, she sat up and looked around the chamber. The fire had burned down to embers, and her clothes were gone off of the floor. The pitcher and goblets were gone from the bedside table; and in their place was her wand, the brooch that the professor had given her, and a slip of parchment.
The parchment was a note from the professor. He wanted to let her know that he had risen early and was going to check on his two students and decide on a suitable punishment for their sneaking the wine from the school kitchens. When he returned from the dormitory, he would be in his office; taking stock of his supply cabinets, and working on his spring term lesson plan. He would leave the doors of the magical short-cut open for her to join him at her leisure.
Mira noticed the door to the passageway was wide open, and she could see torchlight flickering on the other side. She got up and found her day-robe and the appropriate undergarments laid out on the bench in front of the bed. The items on her dressing table were neatly organized as well. It took her a moment to realize that the house-elves had been in to straighten up.
She felt a little odd, and a slight bit embarrassed. Had the house elves been in while the professor was still there? Had they noticed that she wasn't alone in her bed? Did they even care? She picked up her wand from bedside table, gathered her clothes from the bench, and carried them into the bathroom. She set the clothes on the chair, and used her wand to start a fire in the fireplace. She grabbed a washcloth and bar of soap from the cabinet, and drew her bath. Soon the room was filled with thickly fragranced steam. After her bath, she dressed in her brown day-robe and sat down at the dressing table to brush and pin up her hair. She fetched the brooch from the bedside table, to put it away in her handbag. But on second thought, she tied the ribbon loosely around her neck and tucked the jewel under the front of her robe.
Mira walked through the little passageway, into Professor Snape's private chambers. She had caught a glimpse of his bedchamber the previous evening; but just then realized how cold, damp, and dark the dungeons really were. His personal space was as austere as his personality. Dark heavy wood furnishings, precisely and elaborately carved, with not so much as a pillow out of place. No photographs, no personal effects on the bedside table. She wondered if these were even his things or were they simply provided to him by Dumbledore. She moved into his sitting room, and it was more of the same, except for a little cabinet of books and magical objects. Other than that one cabinet and family crest, it could have been a staged room or a display of sorts. A small archway in the stone wall led to his office and the smaller lab which he used for his personal work, as well as for working with his advanced potions students.
Mira stood in the doorway, taking in the sight. It was a low, dark room with stone floors, wall, and ceiling. Black iron torches lined the walls, and illuminated the cabinets that contained all manner of casks, jars, and bottles of exotic and bizarre ingredients and even more bizarre laboratory equipment. In the back of the room, to the side of the archway, sat a desk. To the other side of the archway sat a large, high workbench. A pair of long shorter workbenches faced the larger one. She shuddered to herself, unsure of whether from the cold dampness of the dungeon chambers, or the creepy atmosphere that looked everything like something out of an old muggle horror movie.
Across from the archway, was another door, a heavy wooden door with iron straps and hinges, which stood halfway open. Mira heard the sounds of activity coming from the other side of the door. What sounded like glass bottles clinking gently against each other. She walked past the professor's desk and workbench to the other door. She peeked through the opening, and watched him for a moment. He had his back to her, and was standing in front of a very large shelving unit, counting empty glass lab vessels, and making notes on a large scroll of parchment.
He moved with a deliberate efficiency, quickly counting the rows of different pieces of equipment, occasionally pulling something off a shelf to take a closer look. Mira thought of how rarely he opened up and came out of his shell. Virtually all people who had ever come to know him knew only the man standing in front of the shelf of lab equipment, efficiently taking inventory with a furrowed brow and slight scowl on his face. Like Susan and Lucy; all they knew of him was his surly demeanor, his unkempt hair, his unadorned manner of dress, and his history of questionable dealings with You-Know-Who. Would they even care to know that there was so much more to this man? Obviously Susan couldn't care less how valiantly he had fought in the battles, how much of himself he had sacrificed in loyalty to Dumbledore, and how he possessed a fine intelligent mind and an exquisite talent for potions that elevated the science to an art. She felt very sad that only a handful of people ever bothered to look past the surface.
Her grandmother had seen beneath the surface. She had pulled Mira aside when she was packing her things, after having had her memories restored. Eloise sat her granddaughter down and told her that she had given the professor her blessings and was very pleased with their match.
"Mirabelle, my child. This is a man who would leap headlong into the abyss for you, and not for a second look back with questioning or regrets. He has his flaws, he has his problems, there is no questioning that. But, he is ultimately a man of intense loyalty and burning passions. I am very much sorry that I cannot say the same of your cousin's Albert. Don't misunderstand my meaning though. Albert loves Susan, of that I am most sure. And all things being considered, they will have a comfortable life. But, they can never have what you and this professor have. This love which you have, comes along no more than once in a lifetime. Some never find it, others let it slip through their hands. Do not take it for granted, cherie, or you will regret it the rest of your life."
Mira reached up and felt the brooch under her robe. She thought of what a very wise woman Eloise was and how true her words were. Mira knocked softly on the door, so as not to startle the professor. He quickly turned, and realizing who was at the door, softened his expression.
"I was about to come wake you. You missed breakfast. I made your excuses to Dumbledore, I told him that you had been overwhelmed by the evening's activities and were sleeping in."
Mira crossed the classroom to where the professor was standing, and gave him a kiss. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and smirked at her.
"Of course, I didn't tell him that it was the after-hours activities that left you so, shall I say.. spent?"
She gave him a playful shove, and he pulled her back against his chest. He looked down and saw the edge of the green ribbon the brooch was pinned to peeking out under the neckline of her robe, and smiled.
"Are you still sad that you missed Christmas Eve with Eloise in Calais?"
"No. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else today."
"I'm afraid that I don't have anything planned. I need to get the classroom inventory taken, but it can wait another day. We can go into Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley if you wish. Or, I can give you a tour of the school, if you're really interested."
"I'm okay with staying right here. I can help you with your inventory."
"It's a holiday, you shouldn't have to spend it helping me with my work."
"Honestly, I don't mind. I've always been curious about what you teach, and I'm really just enjoying the change of pace this weekend."
"Very well then. Here's the inventory list, here's a quill. You will call out the next item on the list, and I shall give you a count or quantity, and you will write it down."
"Okay, ready when you are."
Mira sat on top of one of the student tables in the back of the classroom, and took notes as the professor counted the supplies and pieces of equipment in the large student supply cabinet. Some of the items were recognizable. Cauldrons, stirring paddles, vials, and casks were all fairly common in every wizarding household. Many of the ingredients sounded positively vile though, and Mira wrinkled up her nose at the thought of a jar containing twelve ounces of pulverized garden slugs. As they neared the end of the inventory list, she was very grateful that she had not gone to wizarding school and been made to study potions.
Whereas Christmas morning got off to a lazy and mundane start in the Potions wing of the Hogwarts dungeons, Christmas morning at the Millwright's Cabin was a time of excitement and activity.
Harry woke to find the little Christmas tree enchanted with dozens of twinkling points of light. The Wizarding Wireless was on, and playing carols and the music of the enchanted bell choir. Sirius was already awake, and getting ready for their trip to the Burrow. They had plans to spend Christmas with the Weasleys. Harry saw Hedwig perched on the water wheel, and opened his bedroom window for her. The snowy owl flew soundlessly into the boy's room and landed on his bedpost, flapping her wings. Harry closed the window, and opened Hedwig's cage, so that she could climb onto her perch, and get a good day's sleep.
Sirius finished up in the bathroom and poked his head into the open door of Harry's bedroom.
"Harry, you better hurry up and get ready, Molly told me to have us there no later than eleven."
Harry readied himself and gathered up the presents he had bought for Hermione, Ron, and the other Weasleys. He had exchanged gifts with Sirius on Christmas Eve. He had given Sirius some assorted candy from Honeyduke's. Never having exchanged gifts with a grown-up before, he really wasn't sure what to get. But, Sirius was very pleased with his treats. Harry's gift was a complete quidditch practice set, so that he and Ron could practice together during the holidays. At the appointed hour, Sirius and Harry took the floo network to the Weasley home, where Molly was bustling around in the kitchen, trying to maintain control over several enchanted self-heating cooking pots at once. Clever items for the lady of a large family, the self-heating cook pots heated only from the inside and could cook literally on the dining table without scorching the wood underneath.
Ron and his twin brothers were outside having a snowball war. The elder Weasley brothers were inside the house, having a heated discussion on Ministry politics with their father. Ginny and Hermione were up in Ginny's room. Ginny had received a portable wizarding wireless and they were listening to music and gossiping about how clueless boys were. Hermione was miffed over Ron's indifferent reaction to her gift to him. He had thanked her for the books and grabbed the candy sticks and ran back outside with his brothers. When Harry and Sirius arrived, the boys came in from outside and the girls came downstairs to wish them a Happy Christmas. Gifts were exchanged all around. Harry received an entire bag of joke items from the Weasley twins, some wizarding comic books from Ron, and a new knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley. Hermione had brought him a portable wizard chess set with a smart leather case.
Molly called Ginny to come help her in the kitchen, and the three friends went up to Ron's room to catch up with each other. They talked about going to Diagon Alley together the following week, but Hermione mentioned she would not be free on Mondays and Wednesdays. Realizing that she had said more than she intended, she had to explain to them about her tutoring assignment. Harry was proud of her for being chosen over any of the seventh year students, but Ron did not share Harry's enthusiasm.
"What? I don't believe this Hermione! I mean, Snape couldn't be any more of a bastard to us if he tried, and you're doing a favor for him? Hermione, you're clever enough that you don't have to kiss the greasy prick's ass to make good marks in Potions. And I don't like the idea of you spending time with that woman of his. She's not a good influence on you. She dresses like a tart, she flirts with men, and she and Snape are doing you know what, and they're not even engaged to each other! I'm telling you, she's a scarlet woman and I don't think you should have any part of this."
"Ron! Listen to yourself! You're being as stuck-up and prejudiced as Malfoy now. I've met her more than once, and she's a nice lady. She even invited me to come along when she takes Tricia shopping in muggle London next week. And, I'm not doing this for Professor Snape, I'm doing this because tutoring would look very good on my school transcript when it comes time to apply to university."
"Fine, it's your reputation at stake from hanging around with scarlet women who consort with former Death Eaters. Just don't come crying to me when she accidentally hexes you during one of your tutoring sessions."
"Ron, sometimes you can be so thick! I've had enough of this conversation, I'm going to go see how I can help your mother and Ginny get the meal on the table."
Hermione got up and flounced out the door. Ron shrugged his shoulders and turned to Harry.
"Bloody women! They're all mental!"
"Ron, actually I think it's a great idea for Hermione to tutor Professor Snape's girlfriend. I mean, she is right about it looking good on her transcript and university applications. And she really does mean well. You should lay off of her, she doesn't exactly have it easy, trying to fit in and all."
"Yeah, well, honestly I wonder sometimes just how well she really wants to fit in. I mean, she could be really popular if she'd just lay off the clever girl bit a little."
"What's up with you and Hermione anyway? You've not been exactly a happy couple recently."
"It's just that I gave her those hair combs and she won't wear them. Says they're too fancy and people looking at them makes her self-conscious. Bloody Hell Harry, I didn't blow that kind of money for them to just sit in her jewel case. And she gave me a stack of books. A stack of books Harry!"
"You need to take it easy on her Ron. She hasn't had an easy time the past year. She had to leave the wizarding world when the death threats went out against muggle borns. Imagine how she feels. Knowing that there were people who wanted her dead, simply because her parents are muggles."
"Yeah, well that's all water under the bridge Harry. You-Know-Who is gone, and she has nothing to worry about."
Harry bit his lip and looked down at his lap, picking at a stray thread on his trousers, shaking his head.
"Harry? You know it's all over, right? The battle at Hogwarts was the end of it, you were there, you saw it all."
"I know Ron. It's just that I remember the battle like I was watching it from another place. I know that the professors had us all go down into the dungeons and wait it out. But at the very end, people started swarming out of the castle and into the mayhem. I got caught up in it, and I knew I should have just stayed in the dungeons, but I had to go. Something was telling me to go, to face him on the battlefield. Not a voice in my head, but I felt that I had to be there no matter what. I didn't know where I was going, I remember pushing past the crowds, even stepping over bodies and injured people. Something was drawing me to it, and I think it was You- Know-Who wanting to have some kind of final confrontation with me. It wasn't supposed to be that way Ron. I was supposed to grow up, become a full-fledged wizard, and meet Voldemort head to head. I don't know how I knew that, but I just did. And I saw you fall, and I thought you were dead. I honestly didn't know you had just been stunned. I wanted to stop and help you, but something just pulled me on to the center of the battle. McGonagall tried to push me away, back from the front line, but Dumbledore told her no, that I had the right to be there. She said that I did not, I was not of age yet and I didn't belong there. He gave her a stern look and told her that I was already there and by then it was time for the final blast of spells that took Voldemort and the last two Death Eaters down. It was like somebody was moving for me, like I was under the Imperius curse, but not. Ron, what if he's not really gone for good? What if he's out there, waiting for another chance?"
"No, you heard Dumbledore, there was nothing left of him, just scorched Earth where he stood. He's gone Harry."
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his feet.
"Ron, I'm not sure if this means anything, but I had a really bad dream the other night, and my scar started to hurt. I didn't want to talk to you with Hermione in the room, she always makes such a big deal out of these things."
"What kind of dream Harry?"
"About You-Know-Who."
Harry leaned in closer to Ron and described the dream to him. Ron's eyes got large and his face a little pale.
"Harry, maybe you should tell somebody else about this, like Sirius or Dumbledore. That sounds like the kinds of dreams you had back when You- Know-Who was alive. You may be ill or something."
"I'll talk to Sirius tomorrow, I didn't want to ruin Christmas and get him all worked up. I just know he's going to drag me to the school and make me tell Dumbledore, and everybody will think I've gone mad or something."
"I dunno Harry. I'd tell Sirius if I were you."
"Yeah, sure. I'll tell him after Christmas is over."
There was a knock on Ron's bedroom door. Ginny had come to let them know that Christmas luncheon was served. The boys bounded right past her, down the stairs to the table. With the entire Weasley family plus three guests, the table was filled to capacity. After the meal, the family and guests drifted back off into small groups to chat and play various games. When the day was drawing to a close, the three friends made plans to meet back at the Burrow on New Year's Day, and to take a trip together into Diagon Alley the week before the spring term started.
After saying their goodbyes, Harry and Sirius took the floo back to their cabin. Loaded with packages of leftover food and various gifts, they wearily stumbled out of the fireplace and spent the rest of Christmas talking about New Year's Eve plans and the various gifts they had received. When he was getting ready for bed, Harry decided that things were going so well for he and Sirius, that there was no need to alarm him and get him upset over the dream. If he had another one, he'd talk to somebody about it. But for now, it was probably just a random memory working its way through Harry's subconscious.
Disclaimer: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me
Chapter 48: A Bittersweet Holiday
Mira woke to the gray light of a cloudy winter morning overhead. She found herself alone in the large bed with the blankets tucked up around her shoulders. Tying to get her bearings, she sat up and looked around the chamber. The fire had burned down to embers, and her clothes were gone off of the floor. The pitcher and goblets were gone from the bedside table; and in their place was her wand, the brooch that the professor had given her, and a slip of parchment.
The parchment was a note from the professor. He wanted to let her know that he had risen early and was going to check on his two students and decide on a suitable punishment for their sneaking the wine from the school kitchens. When he returned from the dormitory, he would be in his office; taking stock of his supply cabinets, and working on his spring term lesson plan. He would leave the doors of the magical short-cut open for her to join him at her leisure.
Mira noticed the door to the passageway was wide open, and she could see torchlight flickering on the other side. She got up and found her day-robe and the appropriate undergarments laid out on the bench in front of the bed. The items on her dressing table were neatly organized as well. It took her a moment to realize that the house-elves had been in to straighten up.
She felt a little odd, and a slight bit embarrassed. Had the house elves been in while the professor was still there? Had they noticed that she wasn't alone in her bed? Did they even care? She picked up her wand from bedside table, gathered her clothes from the bench, and carried them into the bathroom. She set the clothes on the chair, and used her wand to start a fire in the fireplace. She grabbed a washcloth and bar of soap from the cabinet, and drew her bath. Soon the room was filled with thickly fragranced steam. After her bath, she dressed in her brown day-robe and sat down at the dressing table to brush and pin up her hair. She fetched the brooch from the bedside table, to put it away in her handbag. But on second thought, she tied the ribbon loosely around her neck and tucked the jewel under the front of her robe.
Mira walked through the little passageway, into Professor Snape's private chambers. She had caught a glimpse of his bedchamber the previous evening; but just then realized how cold, damp, and dark the dungeons really were. His personal space was as austere as his personality. Dark heavy wood furnishings, precisely and elaborately carved, with not so much as a pillow out of place. No photographs, no personal effects on the bedside table. She wondered if these were even his things or were they simply provided to him by Dumbledore. She moved into his sitting room, and it was more of the same, except for a little cabinet of books and magical objects. Other than that one cabinet and family crest, it could have been a staged room or a display of sorts. A small archway in the stone wall led to his office and the smaller lab which he used for his personal work, as well as for working with his advanced potions students.
Mira stood in the doorway, taking in the sight. It was a low, dark room with stone floors, wall, and ceiling. Black iron torches lined the walls, and illuminated the cabinets that contained all manner of casks, jars, and bottles of exotic and bizarre ingredients and even more bizarre laboratory equipment. In the back of the room, to the side of the archway, sat a desk. To the other side of the archway sat a large, high workbench. A pair of long shorter workbenches faced the larger one. She shuddered to herself, unsure of whether from the cold dampness of the dungeon chambers, or the creepy atmosphere that looked everything like something out of an old muggle horror movie.
Across from the archway, was another door, a heavy wooden door with iron straps and hinges, which stood halfway open. Mira heard the sounds of activity coming from the other side of the door. What sounded like glass bottles clinking gently against each other. She walked past the professor's desk and workbench to the other door. She peeked through the opening, and watched him for a moment. He had his back to her, and was standing in front of a very large shelving unit, counting empty glass lab vessels, and making notes on a large scroll of parchment.
He moved with a deliberate efficiency, quickly counting the rows of different pieces of equipment, occasionally pulling something off a shelf to take a closer look. Mira thought of how rarely he opened up and came out of his shell. Virtually all people who had ever come to know him knew only the man standing in front of the shelf of lab equipment, efficiently taking inventory with a furrowed brow and slight scowl on his face. Like Susan and Lucy; all they knew of him was his surly demeanor, his unkempt hair, his unadorned manner of dress, and his history of questionable dealings with You-Know-Who. Would they even care to know that there was so much more to this man? Obviously Susan couldn't care less how valiantly he had fought in the battles, how much of himself he had sacrificed in loyalty to Dumbledore, and how he possessed a fine intelligent mind and an exquisite talent for potions that elevated the science to an art. She felt very sad that only a handful of people ever bothered to look past the surface.
Her grandmother had seen beneath the surface. She had pulled Mira aside when she was packing her things, after having had her memories restored. Eloise sat her granddaughter down and told her that she had given the professor her blessings and was very pleased with their match.
"Mirabelle, my child. This is a man who would leap headlong into the abyss for you, and not for a second look back with questioning or regrets. He has his flaws, he has his problems, there is no questioning that. But, he is ultimately a man of intense loyalty and burning passions. I am very much sorry that I cannot say the same of your cousin's Albert. Don't misunderstand my meaning though. Albert loves Susan, of that I am most sure. And all things being considered, they will have a comfortable life. But, they can never have what you and this professor have. This love which you have, comes along no more than once in a lifetime. Some never find it, others let it slip through their hands. Do not take it for granted, cherie, or you will regret it the rest of your life."
Mira reached up and felt the brooch under her robe. She thought of what a very wise woman Eloise was and how true her words were. Mira knocked softly on the door, so as not to startle the professor. He quickly turned, and realizing who was at the door, softened his expression.
"I was about to come wake you. You missed breakfast. I made your excuses to Dumbledore, I told him that you had been overwhelmed by the evening's activities and were sleeping in."
Mira crossed the classroom to where the professor was standing, and gave him a kiss. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and smirked at her.
"Of course, I didn't tell him that it was the after-hours activities that left you so, shall I say.. spent?"
She gave him a playful shove, and he pulled her back against his chest. He looked down and saw the edge of the green ribbon the brooch was pinned to peeking out under the neckline of her robe, and smiled.
"Are you still sad that you missed Christmas Eve with Eloise in Calais?"
"No. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else today."
"I'm afraid that I don't have anything planned. I need to get the classroom inventory taken, but it can wait another day. We can go into Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley if you wish. Or, I can give you a tour of the school, if you're really interested."
"I'm okay with staying right here. I can help you with your inventory."
"It's a holiday, you shouldn't have to spend it helping me with my work."
"Honestly, I don't mind. I've always been curious about what you teach, and I'm really just enjoying the change of pace this weekend."
"Very well then. Here's the inventory list, here's a quill. You will call out the next item on the list, and I shall give you a count or quantity, and you will write it down."
"Okay, ready when you are."
Mira sat on top of one of the student tables in the back of the classroom, and took notes as the professor counted the supplies and pieces of equipment in the large student supply cabinet. Some of the items were recognizable. Cauldrons, stirring paddles, vials, and casks were all fairly common in every wizarding household. Many of the ingredients sounded positively vile though, and Mira wrinkled up her nose at the thought of a jar containing twelve ounces of pulverized garden slugs. As they neared the end of the inventory list, she was very grateful that she had not gone to wizarding school and been made to study potions.
Whereas Christmas morning got off to a lazy and mundane start in the Potions wing of the Hogwarts dungeons, Christmas morning at the Millwright's Cabin was a time of excitement and activity.
Harry woke to find the little Christmas tree enchanted with dozens of twinkling points of light. The Wizarding Wireless was on, and playing carols and the music of the enchanted bell choir. Sirius was already awake, and getting ready for their trip to the Burrow. They had plans to spend Christmas with the Weasleys. Harry saw Hedwig perched on the water wheel, and opened his bedroom window for her. The snowy owl flew soundlessly into the boy's room and landed on his bedpost, flapping her wings. Harry closed the window, and opened Hedwig's cage, so that she could climb onto her perch, and get a good day's sleep.
Sirius finished up in the bathroom and poked his head into the open door of Harry's bedroom.
"Harry, you better hurry up and get ready, Molly told me to have us there no later than eleven."
Harry readied himself and gathered up the presents he had bought for Hermione, Ron, and the other Weasleys. He had exchanged gifts with Sirius on Christmas Eve. He had given Sirius some assorted candy from Honeyduke's. Never having exchanged gifts with a grown-up before, he really wasn't sure what to get. But, Sirius was very pleased with his treats. Harry's gift was a complete quidditch practice set, so that he and Ron could practice together during the holidays. At the appointed hour, Sirius and Harry took the floo network to the Weasley home, where Molly was bustling around in the kitchen, trying to maintain control over several enchanted self-heating cooking pots at once. Clever items for the lady of a large family, the self-heating cook pots heated only from the inside and could cook literally on the dining table without scorching the wood underneath.
Ron and his twin brothers were outside having a snowball war. The elder Weasley brothers were inside the house, having a heated discussion on Ministry politics with their father. Ginny and Hermione were up in Ginny's room. Ginny had received a portable wizarding wireless and they were listening to music and gossiping about how clueless boys were. Hermione was miffed over Ron's indifferent reaction to her gift to him. He had thanked her for the books and grabbed the candy sticks and ran back outside with his brothers. When Harry and Sirius arrived, the boys came in from outside and the girls came downstairs to wish them a Happy Christmas. Gifts were exchanged all around. Harry received an entire bag of joke items from the Weasley twins, some wizarding comic books from Ron, and a new knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley. Hermione had brought him a portable wizard chess set with a smart leather case.
Molly called Ginny to come help her in the kitchen, and the three friends went up to Ron's room to catch up with each other. They talked about going to Diagon Alley together the following week, but Hermione mentioned she would not be free on Mondays and Wednesdays. Realizing that she had said more than she intended, she had to explain to them about her tutoring assignment. Harry was proud of her for being chosen over any of the seventh year students, but Ron did not share Harry's enthusiasm.
"What? I don't believe this Hermione! I mean, Snape couldn't be any more of a bastard to us if he tried, and you're doing a favor for him? Hermione, you're clever enough that you don't have to kiss the greasy prick's ass to make good marks in Potions. And I don't like the idea of you spending time with that woman of his. She's not a good influence on you. She dresses like a tart, she flirts with men, and she and Snape are doing you know what, and they're not even engaged to each other! I'm telling you, she's a scarlet woman and I don't think you should have any part of this."
"Ron! Listen to yourself! You're being as stuck-up and prejudiced as Malfoy now. I've met her more than once, and she's a nice lady. She even invited me to come along when she takes Tricia shopping in muggle London next week. And, I'm not doing this for Professor Snape, I'm doing this because tutoring would look very good on my school transcript when it comes time to apply to university."
"Fine, it's your reputation at stake from hanging around with scarlet women who consort with former Death Eaters. Just don't come crying to me when she accidentally hexes you during one of your tutoring sessions."
"Ron, sometimes you can be so thick! I've had enough of this conversation, I'm going to go see how I can help your mother and Ginny get the meal on the table."
Hermione got up and flounced out the door. Ron shrugged his shoulders and turned to Harry.
"Bloody women! They're all mental!"
"Ron, actually I think it's a great idea for Hermione to tutor Professor Snape's girlfriend. I mean, she is right about it looking good on her transcript and university applications. And she really does mean well. You should lay off of her, she doesn't exactly have it easy, trying to fit in and all."
"Yeah, well, honestly I wonder sometimes just how well she really wants to fit in. I mean, she could be really popular if she'd just lay off the clever girl bit a little."
"What's up with you and Hermione anyway? You've not been exactly a happy couple recently."
"It's just that I gave her those hair combs and she won't wear them. Says they're too fancy and people looking at them makes her self-conscious. Bloody Hell Harry, I didn't blow that kind of money for them to just sit in her jewel case. And she gave me a stack of books. A stack of books Harry!"
"You need to take it easy on her Ron. She hasn't had an easy time the past year. She had to leave the wizarding world when the death threats went out against muggle borns. Imagine how she feels. Knowing that there were people who wanted her dead, simply because her parents are muggles."
"Yeah, well that's all water under the bridge Harry. You-Know-Who is gone, and she has nothing to worry about."
Harry bit his lip and looked down at his lap, picking at a stray thread on his trousers, shaking his head.
"Harry? You know it's all over, right? The battle at Hogwarts was the end of it, you were there, you saw it all."
"I know Ron. It's just that I remember the battle like I was watching it from another place. I know that the professors had us all go down into the dungeons and wait it out. But at the very end, people started swarming out of the castle and into the mayhem. I got caught up in it, and I knew I should have just stayed in the dungeons, but I had to go. Something was telling me to go, to face him on the battlefield. Not a voice in my head, but I felt that I had to be there no matter what. I didn't know where I was going, I remember pushing past the crowds, even stepping over bodies and injured people. Something was drawing me to it, and I think it was You- Know-Who wanting to have some kind of final confrontation with me. It wasn't supposed to be that way Ron. I was supposed to grow up, become a full-fledged wizard, and meet Voldemort head to head. I don't know how I knew that, but I just did. And I saw you fall, and I thought you were dead. I honestly didn't know you had just been stunned. I wanted to stop and help you, but something just pulled me on to the center of the battle. McGonagall tried to push me away, back from the front line, but Dumbledore told her no, that I had the right to be there. She said that I did not, I was not of age yet and I didn't belong there. He gave her a stern look and told her that I was already there and by then it was time for the final blast of spells that took Voldemort and the last two Death Eaters down. It was like somebody was moving for me, like I was under the Imperius curse, but not. Ron, what if he's not really gone for good? What if he's out there, waiting for another chance?"
"No, you heard Dumbledore, there was nothing left of him, just scorched Earth where he stood. He's gone Harry."
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his feet.
"Ron, I'm not sure if this means anything, but I had a really bad dream the other night, and my scar started to hurt. I didn't want to talk to you with Hermione in the room, she always makes such a big deal out of these things."
"What kind of dream Harry?"
"About You-Know-Who."
Harry leaned in closer to Ron and described the dream to him. Ron's eyes got large and his face a little pale.
"Harry, maybe you should tell somebody else about this, like Sirius or Dumbledore. That sounds like the kinds of dreams you had back when You- Know-Who was alive. You may be ill or something."
"I'll talk to Sirius tomorrow, I didn't want to ruin Christmas and get him all worked up. I just know he's going to drag me to the school and make me tell Dumbledore, and everybody will think I've gone mad or something."
"I dunno Harry. I'd tell Sirius if I were you."
"Yeah, sure. I'll tell him after Christmas is over."
There was a knock on Ron's bedroom door. Ginny had come to let them know that Christmas luncheon was served. The boys bounded right past her, down the stairs to the table. With the entire Weasley family plus three guests, the table was filled to capacity. After the meal, the family and guests drifted back off into small groups to chat and play various games. When the day was drawing to a close, the three friends made plans to meet back at the Burrow on New Year's Day, and to take a trip together into Diagon Alley the week before the spring term started.
After saying their goodbyes, Harry and Sirius took the floo back to their cabin. Loaded with packages of leftover food and various gifts, they wearily stumbled out of the fireplace and spent the rest of Christmas talking about New Year's Eve plans and the various gifts they had received. When he was getting ready for bed, Harry decided that things were going so well for he and Sirius, that there was no need to alarm him and get him upset over the dream. If he had another one, he'd talk to somebody about it. But for now, it was probably just a random memory working its way through Harry's subconscious.