Chapter 16: Revelations
"Harry?" Janieve croaked. Harry lifted his head and looked at her with sleep-filled eyes. Two dark circles were visible under them.
"Janny!" Harry's face broke into a relieved grin.
Janieve smiled back but before the smile could settle on her face, she bolted upright on the hospital bed.
"The Tornado!" she cried. She attempted to get out of bed but Harry held her back. He was surprisingly stronger than she thought he was.
"It's over, Jan," he said. Then, seeing the horror on Janieve's face, he added quickly, "I mean the Tornado is over. You succeeded."
"Really?" Janieve asked.
"Really," Harry confirmed. Janieve slumped back against the head of the bed.
"How long have I been out?" she asked.
"Two days."
"What?" Janieve spluttered and sat upright again.
"Ssshhh! You're going to wake Madam Pomfrey up!" he hissed.
"Sorry. What time is it now?" she asked.
"One thirty-five in the morning," he answered, "I wanted to be here when you wake up."
Janieve looked at Harry and felt a new surge of affection for him.
"You've been staying by me for the past three nights?" she asked.
Harry nodded and Janieve felt the affection intensified.
"I think we'd better go somewhere else. No one except Hermione and Ron knows I've been sneaking out to visit you," Harry said, "How about the room of requirement?"
"Okay." Together, under Harry's Invisibility Cloak, the pair crept out of the Hospital Wing.
Harry slung his right arm across Janieve's small waist from behind and laced his fingers with hers, as they lied on their side on the bed in the room of requirement. Harry inhaled the sweetness of her hair.
"Do you know how worried I was when you wouldn't wake up?" Harry murmured into her neck and he tightened his hug on her. Janieve squeezed his hand in response. "Promise me you won't ever do that again," he whispered.
"I can't promise you that," Janieve said.
"Please?" Harry begged.
"Sorry Harry, I really cannot promise you something that is not within my control. I can only promise you that I'll try my best not to let that happen again," she replied.
"Fair enough," Harry said.
They were silent for a long moment before Harry spoke again. "What you did was amazing. But why didn't you tell me earlier you had such a power?" he asked.
"Well, I wasn't sure how you'd react if you knew about this. Besides, when I found out about this, I couldn't quite believe it too so it kind of slipped my mind to tell anyone," she answered.
Harry turned Janieve around so that she was facing him.
"What do you mean you weren't sure how I would react? How do you think I would actually react?" he asked seriously.
"I mean, I thought I was freaking out when I saw Melody. I didn't want you to think I was going crazy too," she said meekly.
Harry tilted up her chin with one thumb and gazed into the depth of her eyes.
"If there's one of us who's crazy, that would be me. Sharing the same thoughts and feelings as Voldermort, seeing things that he sees… I don't think I would ever find anyone more insane than me. Why would I judge you when the whole Wizarding world is judging me?" he said, his green eyes swimming with un-fallen tears.
"I…" Janieve began but Harry's lips met her slightly parted ones and drowned out her words. She closed her black almond-shaped eyes and returned the kiss.
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It was Sunday morning and Harry made use of his free time to do something he had wanted to do days ago. Janieve and Hermione were studying in the library while Ron had gone to practise Quidditch with Dean and Seamus. Harry said he would join them later.
Harry knocked on the door which had a sign on it that read "Florence Elizabeth Winter, Potions Master".
"Come in, Harry."
Harry turned the knob and pushed the door open, but remained rooted in the doorway.
"How did you know it was me?" Harry asked.
"I knew you would come and ask me about Sirius. I'm just surprised it took you so long," Professor Winter replied.
"So you really know Sirius?" Harry asked as he took a few more tentative steps towards his Professor.
"Yes I do. In fact, we were pretty close once," she said.
"And I supposed you know my parents too?" Harry asked.
"Yes. But we weren't really friends. I was from Slytherin, you see," Professor Winter answered.
"Then how come you are friends with Sirius? He was from Gryffindor," said Harry.
"Even though Sirius was in Gryffindor, he had half his foot in Slytherin. He came from a pureblood family don't you remember?" Professor Winter said, "Besides, Sirius never minded which house I came from."
"How so?" Harry asked. Professor Winter shrugged.
"What happened between you, Sirius and Professor Snape?" Harry asked.
"A little misunderstanding, Harry," she replied and took out a basin from her cabinet which Harry knew was the Pensieve. Professor Winter pointed the wand to her head and pull out a strand of silvery substance and dropped it into the Pensieve.
"Go on, have a look," she encouraged.
Harry leaned over the basin and immediately saw a sixteen-year-old Florence Winter and Sirius Black. Florence looked really gorgeous with her brown tendrils falling nicely on her shoulders. She had lesser wrinkles and her eyes were brighter. The two of them were walking side by side towards the Great Hall. Bertha Jorkins suddenly stepped in their way.
"Oh Siri Siri, what were you doing last Thursday?" Bertha said.
"Get lost Bertha," said Sirius.
"Do you need me to refresh your memory?" Bertha went on.
Sirius grabbed Florence's arm and sidestepped Bertha. However, Bertha continued to follow them.
"What were you doing with Florence behind the greenhouses last Thursday?" Bertha teased.
Sirius whirled around on Bertha and Bertha smiled triumphantly. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Sirius snarled.
"About you and Florence kissing behind the greenhouses of course," she said knowingly.
"Shut up Bertha!" Sirius gritted his teeth in irritancy.
"Siri oh Siri, kissing Florence but lack the guts to own up," Bertha teased relentlessly. Florence blushed deeply.
Sirius whipped out his wand and shouted a hex. A jet of red light shot out from his wand and hit Bertha on her forehead. She turned into a frog in an instant.
The place fogged over and another scene took place in the pensieve.
This time, Florence was sitting on a couch in front of a fireplace when Snape stormed up to her.
"I heard you were kissing Sirius behind the greenhouses last Thursday," said Snape angrily.
"What's the matter Severus?" said Florence.
"What's the matter Florence?" Snape mocked. "You're allying yourself with the enemy! Sirius Black is from Gryffindor!"
"Don't you think you're exaggerating this a little bit?" Florence shot back. "We're all in Hogwarts!"
"What's he got?" Snape asked, beet face.
"What?"
"What's he got?" Snape repeated. "What's he got better than me?"
"Severus…"
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Harry found Janieve in the library that night poring over the Transfiguration textbook. The whole library was deserted except for her. Even Hermione was gone.
Harry came up behind her and began massaging her shoulders. Janieve dropped her quill and immersed herself in the comfort of his touch.
"Harry…" she murmured.
Harry leaned into her ear and whispered, "come on, I'll take you somewhere."
They ran as quietly as possible out of the library and down the moonlit corridor. Weird moving shadows were playing across the walls. Harry stopped when they reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered. He located the right door, leaned close to it, and whispered, "Morning dew".
The door creaked open and Harry let Janieve in first before shutting the door silently behind him. He took out his wand, pointed it at the door and muttered "Colloportus". The door sealed itself with an odd squelching noise.
"Merlin's!"
The bathroom looked the same as Harry had remembered in fourth grade. It was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier and everything was made of white marble. There was a bathtub the size of a rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor. All around the edges were a hundred golden taps with jewels pierced into its handle. The white linen curtains covered the windows completely and a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner. The blonde mermaid in the golden framed painting was sleeping soundly.
"What is this?" Janieve cried, her dazzling eyes surveying the grandness of the place.
"This is the Prefect's bathroom. Ron gave me the password," said Harry, smiling slightly at Janieve's reaction.
"How unjust! This is so beautiful! How come the Prefects get such privilege?" she moaned.
"Well," Harry replied, "now Prefect's friends get the privilege too."
Janieve laughed. "That's true."
Janieve went around turning on all the taps, and a hundred different types and colours of bubble bath began filling up the pool.
"Turn around. I'm going in. And don't look," she said when all the taps had been switched on. Harry turned around and Janieve immediately slipped out of her robe and stepped into the water. Harry followed after her when she turned her back on him. However, he decided to keep his boxers on just in case.
Janieve leaned back her head against the edge of the pool and closed her eyes. Harry did the same on the nearer end to her.
"Thanks Harry. This is exactly what I needed," Janieve said earnestly.
"My pleasure," Harry replied. Janieve turned to look at him and Harry felt a sensation he had never quite felt before.
"Harry…" Janieve said softly. She reached for his arms, and when she found them, she pulled herself closer against him. Harry stiffened in anticipation. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her left cheek against his chest.
Janieve tilted her head towards Harry and their lips met. It was gentle at first but it slowly escalated into hungry kisses. Janieve pushed her tongue into Harry's mouth and she began massaging his with hers. She ran her hand lightly up and down Harry's back, sending tingles down his spine. Harry rubbed her arms in return.
Tonight, Harry was seeing Janieve in a new light. He felt a little more than the usual concern and liking for this girl. He felt lust.
His hand wandered to the small of her back and felt the bra strap on her otherwise bare skin. Harry smirked against her lips.
They started rubbing each other more intensively, their mouth never apart. Random memories started flitting in and out of Harry's mind. He recalled the first time he met Janieve on Magnolia Road as his lips travelled down her neck. A soft whimper escaped her throat. He saw himself on the broom with the snitch in his hand and witnessing Janieve's fifty feet plunge. Next, Florence Winter's image entered his brain and left.
Harry began planting small kisses along her collarbone. He saw the Centaurs chasing after him and Hermione. Then, Janieve was standing in front of the mirror of Erised. The couple in her reflection caused Harry to recoil back in disgust.
"Who was that?" Harry demanded. Janieve's dark eyes flashed with fear.
"Who was that!" Harry asked more loudly now and Janieve flinched at his tone.
"My- my parents," Janieve stammered. Harry stumbled a few steps back from her.
"Your parents?" he repeated dazedly. "The Lestranges are your parents!" Harry yelled.
Janieve nodded meekly, tears trickling down her otherwise flawless face. Harry felt his knees buckled and he supported himself against the edge of the pool.
"Do you know they tortured Neville's parents into insanity?" he asked fiercely.
A torrent of sobs escaped her throat and she nodded again. "Dumbledore told me," she said quietly.
"And Bellatrix killed Sirius," Harry stated. "How long have you known this?" he questioned.
"The night you were attacked by the Centaurs," she answered, her voice cracking slightly.
"And you've no intention of telling me? Ever?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I tried to!" she explained. "But so many things happened after that. I couldn't find the chance!"
Harry nodded his head dumbly then he shook it. He hoisted himself out of the bubble bath, dried himself with one of the fluffy towels and slipped on his robe.
"Harry, where are you going?" Janieve asked. Her tears were practically pouring out of her eyes now.
"I'm sorry," he said coldly, "but I can't be with the child of cold-blooded murderers."
With that, he exited the bathroom, leaving the wretched girl sobbing uncontrollably, her fallen tears indistinguishable from the water in the pool.
