Chapter 14
The next few weeks passed uneventful, with Ron and Hermione no longer fighting, and always holding hands, but nothing more as they hadn't actually gone out yet, and each was too chicken to actually engage in anything besides holding the other's hand. Ginny and Harry never mentioned their kiss, and they never made eye contact. Ron and Hermione were too wrapped up in their own romance to notice anything else, for although they hadn't kissed, they were always stealing glances at each other. But, soon, the time for school had returned once again. It was the night before the kids were to board the train to school, and they had a mini party, for the new school year, the end of summer, and for the excellent O.W.L. results Ron, Hermione, and Harry had received. They had an excellent time, chatting and eating, until Mrs. Weasley shouted over the din,
"Come on! The lot of you, we're getting up early tomorrow! Off to bed with all of you!"
The 4 agreed, for, although they were having fun, they were extremely tired and were quite willing to oblige and go to sleep. The four school children went up the stairs, but they heard a whisper as the passed by Sirius' mother's curtains.
"Harry?"
They all stared at each other. The whispering was coming from the curtains. Harry approached the curtains and slowly pulled them apart. He gasped at what he saw.
Although Mrs. Black had never been a beauty, she looked ten times worse now. She was extremely gaunt and pale, and her eyes were extremely red and puffy, as if she had been crying for a long while.
"Yes Mrs. Black?" Harry said, barely above a whisper.
"I don't blame you. For what happened," she stated meekly.
"Well, you should." Harry replied quickly, his eyes drilling holes into the floor.
"No, I shouldn't and neither should you, now go on and leave me be."
Harry closed the curtains and stepped back from them. He looked quickly but they looked away from him. He was grateful, because he didn't feel like talking about what had just happened, or receiving sympathy. He made his way to his room, and he and Ron changed in silence and climbed into their beds. Harry set his glasses on his table, and thought about what Mrs. Black had said. He never would have thought she would be that kind. He felt that if he were her, he would blame him entirely. He closed his eyes and drifted away, with a small warm feeling in his chest, for now that even Mrs. Black didn't blame him, he felt a small ray of hope that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't entirely his fault.