Second
The days dragged on wickedly. Ever hour felt like a lifetime. After a few days, there was still no sign of Hedwig and Remus's reply. Harry had passed his Apparation test on his birthday, and had gotten in practice while waiting. He had visited Diagon Alley twice to get all of his supplies.
The 12th was a rainy day, and Harry had resumed his cleaning. He walked into the drawing room, only to remember what he had found in there five days ago. He sat down at the desk, and merely stared at the diaries.
It was horrible. Just sitting there, wanting to know more, but being so unsure about it. A soft hoot in the distance startled him so much that he fell out of the chair. Laughing softly to himself, he watched Hedwig fly in the door and land on the desk. He untied the letter as quick as his hands would allow. He stroked Hedwig a couple of times before she flew off again, and opened the letter.
Harry,
It is good to hear from you. My break has been fair, and I do hope yours has been as well.
To answer your question in short, yes, she is your aunt. If you truly have been reading her diary, then you know of her condition. She has been in hiding since you were born. She knew something bad would happen if she stayed in the open. Voldemort had started to recruit vampires. And she refused. So she was being hunted. From what Sirius told me before his death, she was the only to one write to him during his sentence in Azkaban.
You never knew about her because Dumbledore felt that it would be safer if you didn't. She is, after all, a vampire. A very magical one at that. Should you find the Mirror of Erised again, you would probably see her.
I suggest you read the diaries. Read them day by day, never moving further ahead in one. If, after you finish, you wish to contact her, let me know. For some time, Dumbledore had been in contact with her, wanting to keep at least one vampire on our side. I cannot reveal to you her location in a letter, though she has met others of her kind and convinced them to be our allies.
She was the closest person to Sirius, Harry, and I know that you probably have questions for her.
Until we meet again,
Remus
Harry read the letter through three times in quick succession, the smile on his face growing wider each time.
He put the letter aside, and picked up Jade's diary. "Ladies first," he said softly, smiling widely as he opened her silver diary to the next entry.
July 31st
This day has an odd feeling about it. Like something very, very important will happen in the next few years on this day.
Oh well.
It was as usual a day as ever.
Well, I'd gotten up pretty early. At two in the afternoon, to be exact.
Sirius has been staying over. I finally got him to tell me why earlier today.
Remus had fallen ill. Sirius had felt a little under the weather as well. James volunteered to meet Peter at Remus's house while I stayed here with Sirius.
It was nice and peaceful in the late afternoon. Mum and Dad had been at work, of course. So it was just the two of us.
We were sitting in the room he was sharing with James. I was sitting on Sirius's bed, with him sitting next to me.
I looked to him, smiling weakly. "So Sirius, are you ever going to tell me why you've been here so long?" He shrugged. I put a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius, out of the five of us, I'm closest to you. We keep little or no secrets from each other."
My silver eyes flashed as I said secrets. I couldn't tell him that I liked him. That was the only thing I had ever hid from him.
He put his hand over mine, and pulled it down, holding it gently. "Well…" he started softly. "I ran away. I was tired of my parents and their stupid Pureblood pride." He looked into my eyes, and I saw the deep pain inside. "You're lucky. You're a Pureblood as well, but you're parents don't think that you are all better than everyone who isn't. I came here, because I knew that your parents would understand." He pulled me into a hug gently. "I'm sorry I hadn't told you yet," he whispered into my ear.
I blushed as I felt his breath so close to my ear. As he pulled back, he left one arm around my waist, and I kept blushing. He smiled widely. "Is there anything you're hiding from me, Jade?"
I looked down. I wanted so badly to tell him. To just stay safe, in his arms, forever.
I looked up, and gulped. My voice was weak as I formed words.
"I've had a crush on this guy since the day I met him. But I don't know how to tell him."
He smiled. "I am in the same situation. Well, with a girl," he added, blushing. "I'll make you a deal. If you say his name, I'll say hers. Deal?"
I nodded. Good idea, Sirius. "Deal. We'll say it at the same time."
He nodded as well, smiling. "Deal."
We looked at each other, smiling widely. We both started counting. "On the count of three… One… two… three!"
"Sirius Black!" "Jade Potter!" we blurted at the same time.
Our jaws dropped as we realized what the other had said, and started talking at the same time again. "You have a crush on me? How long? Since first year! That long?"
We both took a deep breath. "Why haven't you told me or asked me out? I was worried that you didn't like me! But I do! And I always have!"
We both stopped and smiled. He reached up, and traced my cheek gently. "I was worried that James would kill me if I told him."
I blushed lightly. "Yeah, he is pretty over-protective." I sighed softly. "I told him ages ago. We have no secrets at all." I sighed softly. "Usually…"
Sirius shook his head. "I asked him not to tell you about my reason for staying here. I wanted to." I smiled again, and he pulled me closer. "Jade, I have a question for you."
"Ask away," I replied, smiling bravely.
"Jade Potter, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked nervously.
"Oh, yes!" I answered. I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling.
He slipped his other arm around my waist, and pulled me closer as gently as he could.
My heart was racing.
And my smile was truly bright and happy.
His eyes locked with mine, and we both grinned widely. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to mine gently.
It was beautiful. My heart beat even faster, and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"You know, we'll have to tell James some time," I whispered gently.
He laughed softly. "I'll talk to him tonight before bed. If he doesn't kill me, I'll see if I can wake you up tomorrow."
I laughed softly. "It's a date, then."
Harry grinned absentmindedly. Had Sirius realized that he had asked out Jade on Harry's birthday? It was… romantic. Kinda. Harry made a mental note to ask out any girl on Sirius's birthday, as soon as he found out when it was.
He placed Jade's diary back on the desk, and picked up Sirius's. He flipped through the pages, found the same date, and started reading.
July 31st
This was a great day.
A truly great day.
Well, aside from the fact that I hadn't been feeling to well.
Neither had Remus. Kinda.
James had volunteered to meet Peter at his house.
And Jade offered to stay here.
With me.
She'd gotten up early. About 4 hours early.
So we had the whole afternoon to ourselves.
We were sitting in the room James and I are sharing.
She looked to me, her smile weak but still so beautiful. "So Sirius, are you ever going to tell me why you've been here so long?" I shrugged. So she put her hand on my shoulder. "Sirius, out of the five of us, I'm closest to you. We keep little or no secrets from each other."
Secrets?
Oi vay.
Man, I really should ask her out sometime soon…
I put my hand over hers. Her hands are so soft. I pulled it off of my shoulder, and held it gently.
"Well…" I started softly, searching for the words I needed. "I ran away. I was tired of my parents and their stupid Pureblood pride." I looked into her understanding eyes, knowing mine were filled with pain. "You're lucky. You're a Pureblood as well, but you're parents don't think that you are all better than everyone who isn't. I came here, because I knew that your parents would understand." I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her gently into a hug. "I'm sorry I hadn't told you yet," I whispered into her ear.
I left one arm around her waist as I pulled back. And I saw her blush. I looked into her eyes again, smiling widely. "Is there anything you're hiding from me, Jade?"
She looked down for a moment.
I knew it.
She's hiding something!
She looked up, and gulped. Her words were soft, a little weak. But I still listened intently. "I've had a crush on this guy since the day I met him. But I don't know how to tell him."
I smiled. "I am in the same situation. Well, with a girl," I added, blushing lightly. But of course she knew that. I hope. "I'll make you a deal. If you say his name, I'll say hers. Deal?"
She nodded. I'm so good at this whole idea thing. "Deal. We'll say it at the same time."
I nodded as well. "Deal."
We looked at each other, smiling widely. We both started counting. "On the count of three… One… two… three!"
"Sirius Black!" "Jade Potter!" we stated unanimously.
As we finally realized what the other had said, our jaws dropped. And we started talking at the same time. "You have a crush on me? How long? Since first year! That long?"
We both took a deep breath, and started again. "Why haven't you told me or asked me out? I was worried that you didn't like me! But I do! And I always have!"
We both stopped and smiled. I reached up, and traced her smooth cheek gently. Holy hell, she is so beautiful. "I was worried that James would kill me if I told him."
She blushed lightly. I love making her blush. And smile. And laugh. "Yeah, he is pretty over-protective." She sighed softly. It was true, though. "I told him ages ago. We have no secrets at all." She sighed again. "Usually…"
I shook my head. "I asked him not to tell you about my reason for staying here. I wanted to." She smiled, and I pulled her even closer. "Jade, I have a question for you."
"Ask away," She replied, a brave smile lighting up her gorgeous face.
I formed words slowly. "Jade Potter, will you be my girlfriend?" I asked nervously.
"Oh, yes!" She answered, and wrapped her arms around my neck with a bright smile. I slipped my other arm around her waist, and pulled her closer as we both smiled.
She is so perfect.
My heart was racing.
Her smile is so beautiful.
We both grinned widely as our eyes locked. I leaned in, and kissed her softly.
Her lips are so soft and sweet, and that first kiss will rest forever in my memory.
"You know, we'll have to tell James some time," she whispered gently.
I laughed softly. "I'll talk to him tonight before bed. If he doesn't kill me, I'll see if I can wake you up tomorrow."
She laughed as well. I love making her laugh. "It's a date, then."
We stayed like that for a while, just chatting about our lives.
I should have asked her out earlier.
But I would have gone through a thousand more girls if it meant that I could stay with her forever afterwards.
So about 7:30, after we'd both eaten dinner, she told me that she needed to go out. She also said that she needed to 'feed' about every three weeks. So with a quick kiss, she had left.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter arrived shortly after she left, and I declared that I still had homework to do. I went back up stairs, and finished some of the homework we had to do over the summer.
After a couple hours, I just couldn't do it anymore. I just couldn't keep my mind off of her. For good reason, of course. I mean, with a girlfriend as perfect as she is, who wouldn't be?
James arrived home at about 10:00. He had trooped up to our room, and sat down on his bed. I smiled. "So how's Remus?"
He shook his head, laughing. "He's perfectly fine. He just wanted a good excuse for us to hurry over."
I laughed loudly, and looked into his eyes. There was something he wasn't telling me.
But there was also something I wasn't telling him.
I spoke up first.
"Hey James, what would you tell a guy if he told you he liked your sister?"
He laughed loudly. "Probably tell him that if he breaks her heart, I'll break his neck." He laughed again. I laughed with him nervously. "Why?"
"Well…" I started slowly, running a hand through my black hair.
James put his hand up to stop me. "I already know that you like her, Sirius. Remus told me. He actually planned this just to get the two of you alone together."
My eyes lit up, and I smiled brightly. "Really?"
"Yeah. He said that you told him ages ago, but were just afraid to admit it to me. And Jade had told him that she liked you ages ago as well. So he played matchmaker."
I laughed softly. "I'm glad he did."
He smiled back. "Well?" he asked.
"I asked her out," I answered.
"And…?"
"She said yes," I replied quietly.
He stood up, came over to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'd always told Remus that I was glad my sister had a crush on my best mate. There's no guy I'd rather see her with."
My smile widened even more. "James, it means a lot, especially coming from you. Thanks."
He nodded, smiling, and walked back to his bed. "You ought to tell our parents in the morning. They'll want to know that their second son is going out with their daughter." He yawned widely as I nodded. "I'm going to sleep, night, Sirius."
"Night," I said softly, smiling widely.
I leaned back into my own pillows, and James turned out the lamp.
What a great day.
Harry smiled widely. He was glad that one of the people he had been closest to had had love. He wondered silently if Jade knew that Sirius was dead…
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. That was truly beautiful.
He smiled, and picked up both diaries. He exited the drawing room, and walked up to his room. He set the diaries down on the desk, and picked up his quill again.
Dear Professor Lupin,
So you were the one who knew that they liked each other? And you feigned illness to get them together?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have questions for her. When can I talk to her? And when can I meet her?
Sorry to be such a bother, but I just want to know more. She is my only living magical relative. And I know only what I have read.
One more question: why did it take so long for your reply last time I wrote?
Thank you for telling me, Professor.
Harry
P.S. Would it be alright if I told Ron and Hermione?
He whistled, and Hedwig flew down from her usual perch. Harry tied the letter onto her leg, smiling. "To Professor Lupin again, Hedwig," he requested as he opened the window. She hooted softly, spread her wings, and flew out the open window.
Harry watched his owl fly until she blended in with the landscape. He smiled as he shut the window. If he had to wait a while this time, at least he would have good reading material to keep him company.