Forgotten Yesterday

Chapter 26: This is the Day That Never Ends

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters borrowed for use in this story.

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Hermione had left Draco to his drunken wallowing and resumed her wanderings. The singing suits of armor and cheerful decorations did little to improve her spirits. Her mind swirled with a thousand random thoughts and soon she found herself standing outside Harry's door. She knocked lightly. After a moment the door opened. He looked at her before extending his hand to her and pulling her in.

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Sirius leaned back into the shadows. He had been sitting outside Harry's door since he had spoken to him. He wanted to be sure no one disturbed his godson. When Hermione approached he had almost stopped her. He watched when Harry answered the door and took her hand. There was something in his eyes, something he had only ever seen in a few unguarded moments between James and Lilly.

"Sirius."

He snapped out of his reverie and looked at the man standing before him. "Hello Remus."

"You need to rest, Padfoot."

"I was just…"

"Watching out for Harry. I know. Hermione can do that right now."

"You know who they remind me of, Moony?"

He leaned against the wall beside him. "Yeah, I see it too."

"He never looked at Cho like that."

"You know how I feel about that relationship, Sirius."

He laughed and stood up to stretch. "Did Snape put us in the dungeon?"

"No, Gryffindor tower actually." Remus stood beside him and they began walking. "He said he knew we'd be more comfortable there."

"Snape seems almost bearable now."

"I think the years have mellowed him."

They walked in silence admiring the Christmas greenery until they stopped outside a door.

Sirius entered first and stopped suddenly.

Remus peaked around him and was at the same moment shocked and amused by the room's décor. "Well, at least it's not in the dungeons." he entered and walked around the room.

It was furnished very nicely. The only problem to the two men that were to occupy it was that the room was done in Slytherin green and black.

Sirius picked up a small note that was on the table and read it aloud. "Welcome to MY Hogwarts, Gentlemen. S.S." Their eyes met a moment before they broke out in peels of laughter.

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Harry had led her up to his bedroom and curled up beside her before finally falling asleep. She too drifted in and out of sleep. When her eyes finally rested on the clock and she saw that it was only early afternoon she sighed and cuddled closer to Harry's body.

"It's still Christmas isn't it?" he asked quietly, his voice still slightly slurred from sleep.

"Yeah, do you want to go down to dinner?"

"We should." Harry sat up and ran his hands through his unruly hair. "I never thought I would wish for Christmas to end."

"Me either. Did Sirius tell you…"

"About the Dursley's? Yeah." He thought a moment. "You know, I never had much love for them. And God know they didn't like me. But… I think toward the end it was like a truce of sorts. We agreed to leave each other alone. They even sent a card when Kaity was born. Not overly nice, but polite. I think I'm going to go to the funeral."

"I'll watch Kaity for you." Hermione slid her hand over his.

"No. I want you to come with me. If you don't mind."

She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. "Anything you need."

He nodded and rose from the bed extending a hand down to her. "I wonder where Kaity is?"

"Last I saw her she was on her way to the kitchen with a little blonde."

They went down stairs and out of his rooms.

"That didn't take long."

They walked down toward the great hall, holding hands enjoying the silence.

"The students don't know yet, do they?" she asked and the approached the foyer.

"No. Snape thought it best not to alarm them till he was positive. So many of these children were damaged by the last war…"

"Let them be ignorant while we can."

He nodded and plastered a cheerful smile on his face as the entered the room. It was full of chatter and the clanging of plates. There were too many students remaining for the break to have the one round table Hermione remembered from her student days. There were small round tables scattered around the room. She saw Kaity sitting at a table near the fire with Draco and his daughter. She jumped up and ran to Harry as he approached.

"Hi Daddy." she giggled.

"Hey babe." He lifted her in the air and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Is it ok it is stay the night with Claudia?"

Harry cast Draco a look Hermione couldn't read and looked back to his daughter. "Yeah, I suppose. Just promise me you won't go outside."
"Of course Daddy." She hopped down and went back to the table.

Harry and Hermione took the two seats Sirius and Remus had saved for them.

The hall hushed and all eye turned to the front when Snape rose and clanged lightly on his goblet.

"While I am certain each of you would adore a long and eloquent speech sermonizing the virtues of kindness and tolerance you know I am not that type of headmaster. I am not one to encourage goodwill towards all. As always I only ask that everyone stays alive and the school intact. And if anyone so much as imagines approaching me with one of those damnable crackers, their house will negative points well into the next century." he paused for the small ripple of nervous laughter. "For another year Happy Christmas to you all and may cooler heads prevail in the new year." He raised his glass and the plates on the tables began to fill.

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