Harry groaned as he opened his eyes. He looked around. He was still outside, in the snow. Harry's head was really sore, from where he had hit the ground and his throat was all bruised from where Voldemort's hands had been. It was morning now...early morning. Harry heard voices and looked around. There were some Professors scowering the grounds. Harry let his head fell back into the snow and closed his eyes. After about ten minutes, he heard Lupin's voice.
"I FOUND THEM!" He yelled. Harry heard his mutters.
"Oh Jesus Abby...oh god! Harry!" Lupin gasped. he hurried over to where Harry lay, half covered in snow. Harry opened his eyes. Lupin was staring at him. Harry heard crunches in the snow, which indicated people running. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall appeared. Professor McGonagall was tending to Abby while Dumbledore hurried to Harry. He crouched down in the snow. Lupin was dusting the snow off of Harry.
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked as they helped Harry sit up.
"Voldemort came. He tried to kill me and Abby. Hagrid showed up...he hit Voldemort in the head with his shovel. Voldemort went into the forest." Harry explained hoarsely. He shivered and his teeth were chattering. Dumbledore got up and ran towards Hagrid's cabin. Harry glanced over at Professor McGonagall, who was bent over Abby.
"Is Abby okay?" Harry asked quietly, trying to mask his near hysterics tone of voice. Lupin glanced over and saw that Abby was now sitting up. She grabbed her head and was looking around.
"I think she's fine." He said seriously. Harry nodded and allowed Lupin to help him up. Harry was shaking horribly from the cold. He was just wearing his quidditch robes. Lupin grabbed Harry under the arm, but Harry pulled from his grip and hurried over to Abby. Professor McGonagall and Lupin were talking now.
"I'm so sorry babe..." Harry whispered as he rested a hand on her cheek. Abby forced a smile and shook her head.
"Don't be...are you okay?" She asked. Harry nodded. The back of his head really hurt. Almost knowing, Abby rested a hand on Harry's head but quickly drew her hand away. There was blood on her fingers.
"Probably nothing." Harry said as he saw the horrified look on Abby's face. He helped her up and they began the walk back to the castle, as if nothing had happened. Each were clutching a broomstick they had recovered from the snow. Lupin watched, amazed. Harry had nearly died and he acted as if nothing happened!
Harry and Abby were climbing the steps to the castle, when someone grabbed his arm. Harry spun around. Sirius was standing there, pale and a worried expression in his eyes.
"Harry!" Sirius sighed, relieved. Harry stared at him.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered. Sirius was still gripping his arm.
"I got an owl from Dumbledore that you didn't return to your dorm..." Sirius said quietly. His eyes wandered to Abby. She and Harry were still in their quidditch robes.
"Sirius it's a long story and I just wanna go to bed." Harry sighed, exasperated. Abby shook her head.
"No...you should go to the hospital wing." She said quietly. Sirius looked at her, then at Harry.
"Why? Are you hurt?" He asked, looking Harry over.
"No, I just have a cut on my head." Harry sat, placing a hand on the back of his head. He was a little relieved to see Dumbledore hurrying over.
"Harry, Ms Keaton, I'd like you to go up to the hospital wing. Being out in the snow overnight may have brought about some illness." Dumbledore said quietly. Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but Dumbledore dragged him away. Harry and Abby headed up to the hospital wing.
"You should've gone last night, you should've left." Harry said quietly as they rounded a corner. Abby sighed.
"I wasn't going to leave you and let him kill you Harry!" She said, her voice shaking.
"Yeah, but he could've killed you." Harry said...a lump developed in his throat. Neither said anything after that. They went into the hospital wing and called Madame Pomfrey. The matron gave Abby a potion, as well as Harry, and started tending to Harry's injuries. His banged up head and bruised throat. After Harry's head was repaired and the bruises from his throat disappeared, he and Abby headed back to Gryffindor tower. They were both really tired. Harry climbed the stairs to his dorm, Abby to hers. Harry stripped down to his boxers and climbed underneath his covers, refusing to answer and of the questions his friends were asking him. Harry went to sleep with this eyes burned into his memory...
Harry woke the next morning, dressed and headed down to breakfast. He was stopped however.
"Harry!"
Harry spun around. Dumbledore was walking towards him. He gripped Harry's arm and steered him towards his office. Harry was extremely confused as he was shoved onto the moving staircase. He entered Dumbledore's office and saw Sirius waiting. Sirius was watching Harry with concern. Harry sat down in one of the chairs. Dumbledore was staring at him.
"Er...yes Professor?" Harry asked, trying not to sound rude. Dumbledore smiled.
"Harry, you said Hagrid hit Voldemort with the shovel?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded.
"Do you know where Hagrid went after that?" Dumbledore continued. Harry shook his head.
"I passed out." He said quietly. Dumbledore nodded.
"We cannot find Hagrid anywhere. All that was in his cabin, was this note. It is addressed to you." He said, handing Harry the note. Harry extended a shaky hand and took the envelope. He opened it and pulled out a slip of parchment. He read it.
"Hagrid has gone to stay with some friends outside Britain. He wants to lay low after the incident with Voldemort. He left right away..." Harry explained, reading the note over. Dumbledore sighed.
"He is a brave man..." He said quietly. Harry bowed his head and nodded.
END OF JUNE
Harry sighed as he packed up the last of his things. He threw a bundle of letters into his trunk. The mass of letters were all from Hagrid. Harry had been keeping in very good touch with him. Hagrid was staying somewhere around Beaubaxtons, but did not say exactly where, in case the letters were intercepted. As Harry threw the last of his robes into the trunk, he did up the lock. Harry sighed as he looked around the room. He wasn't so unhappy about leaving this year...he was living with Sirius after all. Harry smiled half heartedly. His heart wasn't in it today. Harry's thoughts were on a letter that was buried at the bottom of his trunk. An un-opened letter that could change his life. Harry sighed and lifted his trunk. He carried it out of the dormitory and left it in the common room. That's where all the trunks were collected from. Harry plopped down into one of the cushy armchairs, just as Abby was coming down the stairs. Harry smiled to himself. He wished he could just run up and kiss her, but he knew he couldn't. They had succeeded so far in keeping their relationship a secret. They had been together for eight and a half months, and no one knew. Not a single person. Harry smiled as Abby cross the room.
"Hey sweetie..." She whispered, so only Harry could hear.
"Hey babe." Harry said softly. They were about to kiss, when Ron came bounding down the stairs. Abby quickly plopped down on the couch and stared into the fire.
"Harry, Abby, come on. The carriages are here." Ron said. Harry nodded and stood up, as did Abby. They followed Ron out of the portrait hole, preparing to leave Hogwarts for the second to last time.
ON THE TRAIN
Harry and Abby were hidden away in one of the back compartments on the train. Harry was pressed up against the door so no one could come in. Abby was running her hands through his hair, her lips never leaving his. Harry was holding her close to him, enjoying all those kisses he wouldn't receive for two months. They had been in there for nearly half an hour and they were both breathing heavily.
"Why don't we just tell anyone?" Harry asked, his forehead pressed to hers.
"Because then Sirius would kill you!" Abby laughed. She kissed Harry's bottom lip. Harry groaned angrily.
"I don't want to be apart from you...from these lips, for two months!" He whined. Abby smiled. She kissed him passionately one last time.
"We better get back. They'll be wondering where we are." She whispered. Abby tucked her shirt back in and straightened her hair. She left the compartment and went to go look for Ron and Hermione. Harry waited a couple more minutes, straightening her clothes and wiping the lipstick from his face. Then he too left to find Ron and Hermione.
Harry shuffled onto the platform at Kings Cross. He immediately spotted Sirius. Harry said goodbye to all of his friends, grabbed his trunk and Hedwig and went to meet Sirius.
"Hey kiddo..." Sirius laughed. He took the trolley Harry had been pushing.
"Hey Sirius." Harry replied quietly. Sirius glanced at him.
"Everything okay?" He asked as they headed to the barrier. Harry nodded weakly. They ran through the barrier and appeared in the muggle train station. Slowly, they made their way outside. There was a taxi waiting for them. Sirius flashed Harry a smile and loaded his trunk and Hedwig into the trunk. Hedwig was not very pleased as the trunk was closed. Harry and Sirius climbed into the backseat and gave the driver directions...
SECOND WEEK OF JULY
Harry sighed as he sat down on his bed. He was staring at the un-opened envelope that was in his hands. He re-read the address for the hundredth time.
Mr. H Potter
Seeker
Gryffindor House
Hogwarts
In any other occasion, this would have been a weird address, but Harry knew what the letter was about. He knew what the contents were. He couldn't open it though...not yet. It was too soon. Harry sighed and tucked the envelope back under his mattress. He gathered himself and stood up. He shuffled out of the room and headed downstairs. Sirius was in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. Or, at least it looked like he was reading it. He was actually staring at it.
"Something wrong?" Harry asked as he opened the fridge. Sirius said nothing. He just continued to stare at the paper.
"Sirius? Hello?" Harry called, now waving a hand in front of Sirius's eyes. Sirius flashed back to reality and quickly folded up the paper.
"Hey kiddo..." He said absent mindedly, flipping through the mail. He stopped flipping and was staring at a letter. Harry saw the address and quickly grabbed the envelope. Sirius looked at him.
"Who's that from?" He asked suspiciously. Harry shrugged and glanced at the address one more time before stuffing the letter into his pocket.
Mr. H Potter
Seeker
764 Jaunty Ave.
Britain
Harry knew he had to open these letters. Otherwise, the opportunity would vanish and he would spend his whole life regretting it. Harry sighed and climbed the stairs to hide this letter with the other.
LATER THAT WEEK
Harry shuffled down the stairs, yawning slightly. He entered the kitchen in his usual attire, his boxers. Sirius smiled and shook his head as Harry stretched his arms.
"What?" He asked. Sirius shook his head.
"No, what?" Harry pressed. Sirius shrugged.
"You're just like your Dad!" He laughed. Harry stared at him quizzically.
"When I spent the night at your Dad's house when we were kids, bout your age, he'd come downstairs in his boxers or what have you to show off all the muscle he had!" Sirius laughed. Harry rolled his eyes.
"I am not showing off! I'm too lazy to put pajamas on!" He laughed. Sirius eyed him for a minute.
"Sure..." He said in a sarcastic way.
"Oh bugger off!" Harry laughed. Sirius stood up.
"Watch your mouth you little prat!" He grinned and tackled Harry. They both landed on the floor with a thud. Harry was laughing hysterically as he tried to get Sirius off of him. Sirius ducked his head as Harry brought his fist round. They rolled down the hall and into the living room. Harry was red in the face from laughing. Sirius waved his wand and placed a tickling charm on Harry. Harry began to squirm, laughing even harder. Sirius couldn't help but laugh as Harry laughed. Sirius pinned Harry's arms to the floor, without much difficulty.
"Say Uncle!" Sirius laughed. Harry continued to roar with laughter.
"Nev-er!" He gasped. Sirius shook his head and released Harry's arms. He removed the tickling charm and they continued to wrestle. The rolled into the middle of the living room and were trying to pin each other when...
"Eh hem."
Sirius stopped and caught a 'thwack' in the side of the head. Harry then stopped as well. They sat up, gasping for breath. Lupin was standing behind the couch, smiling.
"What?" Harry panted, staring at Lupin's watery eyes. The man shook his head.
"You two look so happy..." He said quietly. Harry smiled and stood, as did Sirius. Sirius wasn't smiling though. He was wearing a very serious look.
"Harry, go get dressed okay son?" He asked quietly. Harry glanced at him, then nodded.
"Y-yeah, sure." Harry backed out of the room and climbed the stairs.
While Harry was upstairs getting dressed, he heard yelling. He disregarded it and ran a brush through his hair. Harry hesitated, then went downstairs. He nervously poked his head into the kitchen. Sirius looked at him.
"Do you want me to go away?" Harry asked. Sirius sighed. He looked very tired.
"No...why don't you come sit down kiddo." He said in a tired voice. Harry furrowed his brow, but went and sat down next to Sirius at the table.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, noticing how worried Lupin looked. Sirius sighed and draped and arm over Harry's shoulder.
"I have to go away for a while." He said quietly. It took a minute for Harry to figure out what the words meant.
"What? Why?" He asked. He didn't want Sirius to go, he was just getting settled again. Lupin looked away from Harry.
"Son, there's a group of people that work against Voldemort. They do everything they can to try and bring him down..." Sirius began. Harry felt his stomach shake.
"Now, before you were born, your parents and I were part of that group. When I was sent to Azkaban, we lost touch. Now, they Phoenix needs me. They need my help...they need me to fight." Sirius explained in a soft tone. Harry felt the bottom of his stomach disappear.
"Y-you can't!" Harry protested. Sirius sighed.
"I promise I won't be gone long." He said quietly. Harry opened his mouth, but no words came out. Sirius saw how pale Harry had gone and the worry in his eyes. He pulled Harry into him and hugged him tightly. Harry still said nothing. When they separated, Sirius rested a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"I don't want you to get moved around, so while I'm gone Remus is gonna stay here. Then, when his transformation comes about, someone else will come. Are you going to be okay?" Sirius asked. To Harry, his words seemed far off and distant. They were echoing in Harry's head. Yet, he nodded weakly. Sirius smiled wearily.
"That's my boy." He said quietly. Harry felt a pang in his heart. Sirius was like a father to Harry. A thought washed over Harry. A horrible thought.
"You'll come back, right?" He asked in a shaky voice. Sirius stared at him and Lupin glanced at him nervously.
"Of course I'm coming back!" He said forcefully. A lump developed in Harry's throat. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He quickly nodded and then hurried from the kitchen and up to his room. He was almost seventeen, he wasn't going to let people see him cry. Even if he had reason to. What if Sirius died?
Harry was laying on his bed, his back to the door. He tried not to think about what could happen to Sirius. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. Harry didn't answer, but the door opened anyways.
"Harry?" Sirius asked quietly. He saw Harry laying on the bed.
"Aw, kiddo..." He said sadly. Sirius crossed the room and sat next to Harry on the bed. He rested a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Come on son, I won't be gone for long." Sirius said softly. Harry closed his eyes as a single tear rolled down his face. He said nothing to Sirius. Eventually, Sirius gave up and left the room, leaving Harry to ponder the inevitable. After about ten minutes, Harry stood up. He took a deep quivering breath and left the bedroom. Harry stood, frozen, in the hall for a minute, then collected himself. He staggered around a curved hallway and stepped into a bedroom. Sirius's back was to him as he packed up his things. Harry silently made his way into the room. He stopped a few feet from Sirius and reached a hand out. Harry tapped Sirius on the shoulder. Sirius turned around. He smiled sadly when he saw Harry. He put down the robes he was folding and turned to face Harry. Harry felt a lump develop in his throat.
"You better come back..." He choked. Sirius sighed. He reached a hand out and rested it on Harry's shoulder.
"I promised you, I'll be back." He said quietly. Harry nodded. His bottom lip trembled. Sirius sighed and pulled Harry into a tight hug.
"It'll be okay kiddo..." Sirius said quietly. Harry nodded and wiped the tears away, before separating from Sirius.
"You um...be...be careful." Harry said shakily. Sirius nodded. Harry turned and began to leave. He had his hand on the doorknob, when Sirius stopped him.
"You know I love you, right?" He asked, his voice quivering. Harry turned around. He bit his lip and nodded. Sirius knew Harry felt the same way. The exact same way. He left the room all misty eyed. Harry was sitting in the living room when Sirius came down the stairs with his two suitcases. Lupin was leaning on a wine cupboard, swirling a drink in his hand. He watched sadly as Sirius and Harry said their goodbyes. Harry got up and went over to Sirius. He wasn't going to cry. Sirius furrowed his brow. It was obvious he was having a hard time.
"You be good and...try and get your homework done." He choked. Harry took a quivering breath and nodded.
"Please be careful..." Harry begged in barely more than a whisper. Sirius couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. Sirius closed his eyes as he pressed his cheek against the side of Harry's head.
"I will...I promise I'll be back." He croaked. When they separated, Harry's eyes were brimming with tears.
Sirius sighed. Lupin had crossed the room. He gave Sirius a quick hug. Sirius gave him a pointed stare.
"You take care of him." He said shakily. Lupin nodded. He rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. A lump developed in Sirius's throat. He grabbed his bags.
"Bye..." He choked. And with that, he disapparated. Harry stood there for a moment, numb.
"I'll be in my room." He choked. Lupin watched as Harry hurried up the stairs. He heard a door slam.
"Those two..." Lupin said quietly. He turned and went into the kitchen.