13 – A Christmas Revelation

In the end Haley didn't receive a present from Malfoy after all. She didn't even see him again before the start of the holidays. It wasn't too bad because she hadn't come up with an idea for a present in time. But of course the circumstances surrounding her early return to Grimmauld Place didn't provide much reason for cheerfulness. Mr Weasley had been attacked by a snake and was now resting at St. Mungo's. She had visited him along with the other Weasleys and now it looked as though he was going to be discharged in a few more days.

"Ah! So this is how you make a heel!" Hermione exclaimed, triumphantly. Haley turned her head to see what had caused her friend to say something so strange. The other girl was sitting by the fireplace with Mrs Weasley who was apparently giving her knitting tips.

"It's really not that hard once you know how to do it," Mrs Weasley replied warmly. She looked up from her needles and caught Haley watching them.

"Come sit with us, dear. The knitting is really relaxing," the older witch invited her.

"I don't know," she said slowly, "I've never really done this before."

"You should try it, Haley. It's so much fun!" Hermione agreed. Haley looked at the needles that were soaring in mid-air and slowly creating a hat or a sock or –

"Gloves!" She burst out, suddenly hit with an idea. "Can you teach me how to make gloves?" The raven-haired girl asked excitedly.

Mrs Weasley frowned. "A bit difficult for the beginning..." She tilted her head left and right thoughtfully. "But I guess it could work. Have a seat, dear." A kind smile formed on the woman's face as she patted the seat next to her. At once Haley was handed a pair of needles and a ball of bright red wool.

"I'm afraid you'll have to learn the basics without magic first. But once you've got it I'll show you a helpful spell that will make you work faster."

She started knitting simple rows at first then experimented with different patterns and after a while she found that Hermione was right. Knitting was fun. And oddly relaxing. And now she finally had an idea what she could give Malfoy for Christmas. She grinned to herself, thinking of his pale hands that were always so cold.

Before dinner Haley went up to the room she shared with Ginny and Hermione and jotted down a few lines on a piece of paper. She folded it up, scribbled the name Luna Lovegood across the top and gave the letter to Hedwig. She couldn't wait to find out what Luna thought of her idea.

…

As it turned out Haley didn't have to wait long for an answer. The following day just when she was about to go downstairs for dinner Hedwig soared in through the window with a small package attached to her leg.

"Hedwig!" Haley exclaimed, walking over to her owl and stroking her feathers, before loosening the string that kept the package in place. After filling some more treats into the bowl inside Hedwig's cage, she tore open the package in a swift move. There was a brightly coloured card on top that said Get well soon!. Haley smiled fondly. Then she found a folded up piece of paper that had her own name on top. She opened it and began to read.

Dear Haley,

Thank you for your letter! How is Mr Weasley? Is it true he's been attacked inside the Ministry of Magic?

I think gloves are an excellent idea! I'm sure our friend will like his present! Dad and I went into town today to do some Christmas shopping. We always end up doing that in the last possible second. I found something nice for you, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Hopefully you will like it. And I also went to a wool shop where they had all kinds of wool. I found some really soft wool. From a yeti. It's said to keep the hands extra warm. Maybe you could use it for your present?

I'm already looking forward to seeing all of you again.

Merry Christmas!

Luna

Along with the letter there were a ball of light blue wool and four small boxes inside the package. Haley felt warmth surge up inside her chest. Luna was such a sweet girl. Placing the ball of wool and her letter on top of her bed, she picked up the Get well soon! card and made her way down to the kitchen.

"What took you so long?" Hermione asked, when Haley sat down next to her.

"Hedwig brought a package,"she replied, reaching for a plate with mashed potatoes.

"A package?" She asked. "From whom?"

"Luna," she answered with a shrug. "She also sent this 'Get well soon!' card. Isn't that sweet?"

"Luna did?" Ginny asked, from the seat next to Hermione's. Haley nodded, making to hand over the card to the younger girl. But before she could take it it was intercepted by Ron.

"Hey!" Ginny complained, reaching for the brightly coloured card.

""Dear, Ginny, Ron, George, Fred and everyone else,"" Ron started to read out loud. ""How are you? One of daddy's co-workers saw Mr Weasley at St Mungo's last week. I didn't know he was sick! He told me that one of his arms is injured. I really hope it's not too bad. There is this herb called armwell that I found at Healing Herbs' (That's a lovely little shop near our town!). The shop attendant said if you make tea with it or rub it onto the skin it will heal any injuries located on the arm. It's inside the little pouch attached to the card.""

Ron turned the card over and indeed there was a small violet pouch dangling from the corner of it. "Does she mean this?" He murmured, turning the card around again, before he continued to read. ""Perhaps Mr Weasley could try it? Hopefully he'll get better soon. I'm looking forward to seeing you again after the holidays! Merry Christmas to all of you! Luna."" Ron turned the card over once more and looked at the image. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Did she draw this herself?" He mumbled, still smiling softly.

That's when Ginny reached across the table and finally snatched the card away from him in order to look at the image. It really was a drawing. A drawing of a man with red hair, sitting in a bed with something that looked like a bandage around his arm. Was this supposed to be Mr Weasley? The expression on the man's face seemed rather glum. But there was something in his hand – a mug? – and after he took a sip from it there suddenly appeared a big smile on his face. And the whole card lit up with colours and glitter. Haley snorted. This was a bit much. But also really sweet. Now she felt bad that she hadn't even thought about getting Luna a present for Christmas. Right. Presents!

"Oh, before I forget," she said. "Luna sent presents, too."

"Presents?" Ron perked up. He was always so eager where presents were concerned. Presents and food. It was really easy to make the boy happy.

"Yes. For me, Ginny, Hermione and you. They're upstairs." she confirmed.

"Awesome," Ron beamed, happily scooping up a spoonful of peas. When Haley turned to Hermione she noticed her friend's brows were furrowed like she was deep in thought. Her gaze was fixed on the card, lying next to Ginny's glass. Then she looked up at her, meeting her eyes. Unspoken questions were swirling behind her brown orbs. But with a shock Haley realised that it was almost too easy to guess what made Hermione this suspicious.

'Why does Luna send you a package all of a sudden? Why does she send us presents when she barely even knows us? And why has it been your owl, Hedwig, who brought the package?'

Haley tried to look as clueless as possible. Like she was asking herself the same questions. All the while fearing that her friend looked right through her.

…

Christmas morning was astoundingly similar to the previous Christmases she had experienced at Hogwarts. At some point Ron had burst into the room that Haley shared with Hermione and Ginny without knocking, causing Hermione to throw a pillow at him and hide behind her blankets. Haley carelessly rummaged around her trunk in search for a jumper. After Hermione put on a violet cardigan the boy was allowed back in. Ginny rolled her eyes on her bed in the corner. Usually, they compared their presents in the common room.

"So, what'd you get this year?" Ron asked, plopping down at the end of Haley's bed, barely missing her presents.

"Oh, the usual," Haley answered. "Lots of sweets, books, a brand new Weasley jumper," she laughed, holding up a bottle green jumper with a golden H in the middle. "By the way, thank you for those," she said, pointing at a huge pack of Bertie Bott's Beans.

"No problem," he said, grinning lazily. "Oh, you got one of those, too?" He exclaimed, pointing at the homework planner Hermione had got her. She nodded. "And thanks for that Broom Compass. It's amazing. I can't wait to try it out!" he blabbered on, while he sifted through her mount of presents.

"What's that?" He asked all of a sudden, holding up a tiny doll, made out of clay. It had a blank face and was no bigger than her hand.

"I'm not sure," she replied, thoughtfully, "I go it from Luna. Maybe it's a lucky charm or something? I'll ask her about it once we're back at school."

"Look, there's something written beneath the feet," Ron noticed, turning the doll upside down. And sure enough, in dwarfish letters there were two phrases engraved into each foot.

"The golem carries a valuable charm.
Protects its master from terrible harm."

"How curious. Do you think it's enchanted?" She asked, holding the script close to her eyes.

"Dunno. Never heard of something like this before. Maybe it's just a weird old figure," he replied with a shrug. "You know, I also got something weird from her. Here." He presented something thin and long that reminded her of a fork from the pocket of his pyjama top. "At first I thought it was some kind of fork but… it's got only two prongs. And it doesn't even really look like a fork so…" He shrugged.
Haley took the fork from his fingers and examined it for a moment. It was made from some kind of metal but apart from that she had no idea what it could be.

"It's a tuning fork," Hermione informed them, she had walked over from her bed and sunk to her knees on the carpet in front of Haley's bed. There was an amused grin on her face.

"A tuning fork?" Ron questioned. "What's that?"

"It's used by musicians. To help them with tuning their instruments. I used to play the clarinet when I was younger. I never used one myself but there was a picture of such a fork in one of my theory books."

Ron looked more than a little confused. "But… I'm not a musician? Why would I need a tuning fork?"

"I guess, that's something for you to think about," Hermione advised, raising an eyebrow and sharing a grin with Haley. "Perhaps she thinks you're out of tune with your environment."

The boy looked back and forth between his two friends, frowning. "I don't get it." He mumbled dejectedly, making Hermione burst into uncontrollable giggles. Haley chuckled as well, wondering whether the present was hinting at his lack of tactfulness. The moment was disrupted by two loud cracks coming from the open door.

"How mean of you to have a laugh without us," Fred remarked in mock-offence. George followed him into the room, both of them wearing mischievous grins.

"Yeah, what's so funny that even our Hermione is in stitches?" George wanted to know.

Fred stopped at Ginny's bed, which was opposite Haley's and looked at something in his sister's hands.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing at the small white thing curiously. All eyes turned to the red-haired girl. "Don't know," she replied. "I found it lying on the ground."

"You sure about that?" Fred asked, snatching the thing from her hands in a quick move. "I bet you got it from one of your admirers." He teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"It's not mine," she insisted, crossing her arms in front of her chest defiantly. She was right. In that moment Fred turned around and showed off the white thing that turned out to be a handkerchief. The handkerchief that she had got from Malfoy with treacle tarts wrapped up in it all those weeks ago. She froze. Her heart beating a mile a minute. How had Ginny found it? Why was it here in the first place? Had it been in her trunk? She didn't remember putting it in there. And even so. How had it ended up on the ground? Had it been earlier, when she had blindly rummaged through her trunk while looking for a jumper to throw on?

"I think I've seen that before." Ron said, interrupting her panicked thoughts. "Isn't that yours, Haley?"

"I..." she bit her lips, not knowing what to say.

"Yours?" Fred asked her with a grin. "Then it's you who's got a secret admirer. Who is it? Is it someone we know?"

All heads were turned to her. Haley's ribcage felt like it was going to burst any second now. They all watched her, curiosity clear in their eyes… Except for one. George. The boy's expression seemed thoughtful, pondering even.

"Is this a letter?" Fred wondered, inspecting the handkerchief carefully. "Could be an… I don't know… and M maybe?" Haley's heart stopped. "What do you think George?" He asked, handing the cloth to his twin brother.

"No way," he said after a moment. "It's clearly a B." He guessed. Wait a second. A B? He looked up for the fraction of a second and Haley could swear that he winked at her.

"You weren't holding it right," he scolded his brother, elbowing him lightly. "See?"

Before Fred had a chance to reply, Sirius hopped down the stairs, singing "Oh, Christmas Tree" in a surprisingly festive tone. He sauntered past the open door and stuck his head into the room, wishing, "Merry Christmas!" Nobody returned the greeting. That seemed to make Haley's godfather notice the atmosphere inside the room.

"What's going on here?" He asked, walking a few steps into the room. Nobody seemed to have an answer to that. Sirius walked closer to Haley's bed where all of them were gathered, when George tried to hide the handkerchief behind his back. It was too late, though. He had already spotted it. Everyone looked at Haley, silently asking her how to handle the situation.

How was she supposed to know? She wanted nothing more than to just run away from all of this. Would Sirius recognize the embroidery? Would he know who the handkerchief belonged to? She glanced toward George, for no more than a split second. Which was a mistake. Sirius followed her gaze with a frown.

"Oh, this? We were just wondering what kind of letter this could be. It's obviously a B, isn't it?" George babbled, holding the white cloth in front of him now. Sirius peaked at it over George's shoulder. Damn, Haley panicked. It' s over. It's over. I'm done. I'm –

"Yeah, it's a B," Sirius agreed. The handkerchief was in his hands now.

What? Haley looked up in surprise.

"It stands for Black, doesn't it?" Hermione realised with wide eyes, from her position on the carpet. Sirius nodded slowly. "So, this is where Haley has it from. This house," she concluded, content that she solved the mystery.

Haley nodded quickly. She was saved. She had been so scared that it would all come to light like this. Now she felt as light as a feather. She could float away in the next second.

Then Sirius cleared his throat, still looking at the embroidered letter.

"Um, Haley, would you come with me for a moment. I found something in the drawing room I wanted to show you."

There was something in his voice that sent shivers down the girl's spine. What was it he wanted to show her? Or even worse, was there nothing he wanted to show her at all? Had he just said that because he had recognized the letter? Because he knew it was actually an M that stood for Malfoy?

"Haley, are you coming?" He asked impatiently. He had already crossed the room and was now waiting by the door. Haley got out of her bed and slipped into her shoes. With every step she took toward him, dread sank deeper into her heart. When she reached the door, Sirius descended the stairs toward the drawing room. She followed him silently, feeling her lower lip start to tremble. What was wrong with her? She entered the drawing room behind her godfather, who closed the door behind her. A couple of feet could be heard stomping down the stairs and for a second Haley thought, they would enter the drawing room as well. But all of them continued on downwards. Probably headed toward the kitchen. How Haley wished she could go down and have breakfast with them as well. She took a deep breath and turned around to face her godfather.

"You know when I last saw this?" Sirius asked, a smile lighting up his voice. Wait. A smile? He really was smiling. Maybe he wasn't suspecting her after all.

"I must have been… around ten, I think? It was before I got my Hogwarts letter anyway. One day in summer, my dear cousins came to visit and… well I never really got along with them. The only one I could stand was Andromeda. Tonks' mother." He added with a nod downwards to the kitchens. "We were both not the typical Blacks… so to speak. So, during that visit – it was for Narcissa's birthday, if I remember correctly. And for some reason Bellatrix and her got into a fight, I think it was because Bella wanted to take Narcissa's cat with her to Hogwarts or something…Honestly, from what I remember these two were constantly fighting about one thing or another."

Sirius paused, staring at the ceiling, as if the memories were playing there like a film. "Anyway, Narcissa was showing off her brand new handmade handkerchief – a birthday present with her initials and ornaments and daffodils everywhere… It was exceptionally beautiful, come to think of it. I only found out later that Andy was the one who made it." He tilted his head to the side like the information surprised him still. "In any case, it was apparent that Bella was jealous of her sister's present. Narcissa had always been the most beautiful out of the three and consequently she had always got everything she wanted." Sirius walked toward the opposite wall, where a painting of a snow white cat with big blue eyes was hanging. Haley wasn't sure if she should follow him.

He continued his story in a distant voice. "Narcissa had brought her cat with her. I don't remember seeing her without the cat until this day… I think it's name… was Lady?" He shrugged, taking the painting off the wall. "I don't know what it was that Bellatrix did to Lady but the quiet and peaceful cat suddenly turned into a wild beast, biting and clawing at Narcissa who she had not so much as hissed at before that day. On top of that, the cat also tore apart her handkerchief. And this," he said, turning over the painting and removing the backing paper. There was a beautifully made piece of cloth hiding behind the painting. "This is all that's left of it."

Upon closer inspection Haley saw that the cloth was torn apart beyond recognition and you could only guess what it might have looked like before. Haley didn't know why her godfather was telling her all this. But at least it distracted her from the glum thoughts that had clouded her mind beforehand.

"Tonks' mother made this?" She asked, quietly. The needlework was truly beautiful. From what she could see.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed. "I remember how dejected she was after seeing this. I should have known it then. What a crazy witch Bellatrix was, already as a child. She seemed positively delighted at her sisters' misery. And in the end she even took the cat because Narcissa didn't want it any more. If there is one person who deserves being in Azkaban it's that woman." He concluded, his mind seemingly miles away. Haley took a closer look at the handkerchief with the B. The embroidered letter looked different from the rest of the cloth. And there were also a few flowers that seemed like they were a different kind of fabric.

Sirius seemed to notice. "That's right. Those were the only patches big enough to be rescued. She must have kept them and stitched them onto this handkerchief." Her godfather turned to her at last. "Now that you know my story regarding this… I'm really curious how this handkerchief got into your hands. Because I'm pretty sure my dear cousin didn't leave it here. If saving it was that important to her."

Haley's eyes widened. She had almost forgotten that there was another side to this story. She lowered her eyes to the ground, unable to meet his boring gaze.

"I'm sure it's a much funnier story than mine. Why don't we sit down to hear it?" Sirius suggested, walking over to the old, moth-eaten couch in the middle of the room and gestured for her to join him.

Slowly, the girl walked toward the sitting area, frantically debating what to tell her godfather. She heavily sank down into the old, uncomfortable armchair that had definitely seen better days, so she was seated more next to him than opposite him.

"So? How did you get it? Rather unlikely that you stole it from Narcissa herself… so maybe… her son? Did you steal it from him? Did he cry because he lost it?" Sirius asked in a highly amused tone, chuckling like a boy.

Haley still couldn't meet his eyes. She stiffly sat in her chair, silently wishing she was anywhere but here. An excuse. She needed an excuse. But there was nothing in her mind. It was like someone had taken a big eraser and blotted out any sensible thought from her head.

"Haley?" Sirius asked. "You took it from him, didn't you?"

It was easy really. All she had to do was nod her head in confirmation. Or open her mouth and say yes. And then invent some wild story that involved humiliating the boy no one would ever approve of.

Haley took a deep breath. There really was no other option. Say yes. A voice whispered into her mind. Yes. Just say yes. All right. She could do that. It was the easiest thing in the world.

Yes.

She had done it. Now, she was save. Now everything was good. Now it was all –

"What? Did you say no?" Sirius asked, sounding confused.

What? No! She had said yes, hadn't she? Hadn't she? At least she had wanted to say yes. But she could still get out of it. All she had to do was rectify her answer.

"Yes." Her lips formed the word without her consent. Why did she say that? What was happening? Was she possessed? Her heart was racing, reminding her of a frightened little bird. The rest of her was surprisingly calm, like she was somewhere else and someone else was navigating her body.

"What? So… how'd you get it then?" Sirius asked, not understanding what she was saying.

"He gave it to me," the voice that didn't sound like it was her own, replied quietly.

"So you tricked him or…?"

"No," Haley said, finally looking up. She didn't know where her sudden confidence had come from. And as soon as she looked into her godfather's grey, curious eyes she felt like a scared little girl again. It was a bit unsettling how much the colour reminded her of Malfoy's eyes. She had never really noticed that before. But what was she thinking? He would never understand the truth. If she said one more word, she would lose him. The realisation brought tears to her eyes, her fingers were clasped together tightly in her lap, and her chin began to tremble. She had to stop this. Here and now.

Sirius' eyes filled with worry. He jumped to his feet and knelt down in front of her. "What did that bastard do to you? Did he hurt you? I'm going to kill him," he growled. He seemed ready to jump out the window ad hunt the boy down.

Haley shook her head. "No," she whispered. "He didn't h-hurt me."

Her godfather's brows furrowed. "What is it then? You're scaring me, here," he whispered, reaching out his hand and brushing a lone tear from her cheek.

The girl sobbed, looking into his warm grey eyes. There was no suspicion in them. Just worry.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay," he soothed, rubbing his thumb across her cheek, where more tears had started to fall. She didn't know why she was reacting like this. Was whatever she had with Malfoy that important to her? Or was she simply scared of her godfather's reaction? She just wanted him to understand. She didn't want to keep lying about something that seemed like such a big part of her life. Wasn't she a Gryffindor? Where was that bravery she always prided herself for?

"Sirius," she began in a soft tone, not knowing how to continue. "I… to be honest… M-Malfoy a-and I… we..."

He stared at her, questioningly. Haley wondered if his eyes were going to be filled with hatred and disdain within the next seconds. She placed her hand on top of her godfather's and pulled it down into her lap, where she clutched it between her own two hands. His fingers were calloused and warm. The warmth gave her hope.

"The handkerchief… he gave it to me because…" her lower lip was trembling but she had to continue. "Because we… because we've been… I've been kind of… seeing him." The last two words stole out of her mouth like they were something forbidden and shameful. It didn't feel right. She swallowed, waiting anxiously for Sirius' reaction. He stared right at her, looking like he was faced with an exceptionally difficult riddle. The silence stretched longer and longer until Haley thought she was going to burst with anxiety. Then finally the frown on her godfather's face lifted and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

He got up and ran his hand through Haley's hair playfully. "You almost had me there." He said with a grin. "You seeing a Malfoy. That's the most ridiculous thing I heard in ages." He laughed, pointing his finger at her. "That's a really good one. I almost fell for it."

He didn't believe her. All the worrying and her own godfather thought her biggest secret was no more than a silly joke?

"It's not a joke," she said, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, right. I'm afraid this won't work a second time. Come on, I think what we both need now is a good breakfast." He remarked, walking toward the door.

Haley got up as well, a sudden anger filling her, stirred by the fact that he was treating her like a child. "I said it's not a joke. I'm serious!"

Sirius stopped, turning around to face her. "No, you're not. That's m–"

But she couldn't let him finish the joke. Not this time.

"Sirius, do you honestly believe, I made all of this up? Do you think it was all an act? The tears, the story? And for what? Just so we could have a laugh?"

Doubt appeared on her godfather's face, clearly questioning the whole situation.

"It can't be anything else," he whispered, shaking his head. "It has to be a joke. How could it be true?"

Haley walked over to the man, stopping in front of him with some distance between them.

"Because it is true. Because this is something that I wouldn't joke about," she answered quietly.

"But – how? – No, I don't believe it. You wouldn't be that stupid. You wouldn't..."

Another tear rolled silently down her face. Sirius seemed to follow it with his eyes, until it finally dropped to the carpet, leaving a tiny dark stain. She lifted her hand to touch his arm but he pulled away from her. Was that it? Did he believe it now? She tried to brace herself for the judgement that was bound to come.

"A Malfoy?" He whispered. "Have you gone mad?" He boomed. "Did you completely lose your mind? Did you forget what kind of people the Malfoys are? They're evil, Haley! All they care about is their own personal gain! They're the filthiest, dirtiest bunch of wizards that ever-"

A dull plop from outside the door made Sirius stop his tirade. Alarmed, they both turned toward the door. Sirius opened it but there was nothing to see. Nothing except a flash of pink that looked suspiciously like an extendable ear, which was vanishing beneath the stairs. Haley leaned over the railings and with a sinking feeling she recognized freckled skin, red-hair and a cheeky grin on a boy's face. One of the twins. In the darkness she couldn't make out who of the two it was.

"Guess you caught me," the boy said cheerfully, while he trudged up the stairs toward her and Sirius who snatched the extendable ear right out of his hands. As the red-head walked past them into the drawing room, Haley noticed the little mole next to his left ear. It was George. She didn't know why but for some reason this calmed her somewhat. Which was stupid because even if he tended to be the more sensible of the twins that didn't mean he was going to refrain from telling Ron about her secret. And if Sirius' reaction had been bad she didn't want to imagine what Ron was going to say.

"Oh, did you want to finish your conversation in the hall?" George asked.

Right, they were still standing in the hall. Sirius shot George a calculating look, before re-entering the drawing room. There was nothing for Haley to do but follow. Once the door was closed behind her, Sirius pointed his wand at it and mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't understand.

"Ah, making sure, nobody can overhear this time. That's thoughtful," George commented. Ah. So he had sound-proofed the room.

Sirius crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned to George. "How much did you hear?" He grumbled, his wand still in his hand.

"Oh, not much," the boy answered casually. "Just the bit about… Haley dating a certain Slytherin. So nothing new." He flopped down onto the couch lazily.

"If you tell anyone a word about this-" Sirius growled but Haley interrupted him.

"Nothing new? What do you mean by that? Did you… did you know?" She asked, replaying the events of this morning in her mind. He had been acting so weird with the handkerchief. Like he had been trying to lead his brother onto the wrong track on purpose… But why? It didn't make any sense.

"You knew?" Sirius thundered.

"Well, I only found out recently," George told them, while he looked for something in the pockets of his pyjama bottoms. "Where is it? You know, I saw you with him that night on the Astronomy tower. When was it? Three weeks ago?"

Haley froze. He had seen her? With Malfoy? Next to her, she noticed how Sirius face slowly turned red. That was not a good sign.

"You were on the Astronomy tower? At night? With a boy? With a Malfoy?" Her godfather's voice sounded more dangerous with every question he asked.

"Yep. It was definitely her." George confirmed. Haley closed her eyes. He was making everything that much worse.

"It's not what it sounds like! We weren't – we weren't doing anything!" She tried to reason with the angry man but his accusing eyes were burning with a fury that seemed unquenchable.

"You weren't doing anything?" He asked dangerously. "Well, then enlighten me what it is that you were doing at night up at the Astronomy tower with a boy."

"Well, we – we talked and..." She answered sheepishly.

"And what?" Sirius repeated, in a suspiciously calm tone.

"Oh, it was rather boring," George commented with a wink at Haley. "All they did was talk and talk until I thought I was going to fall asleep. And oh, right stare at each other in this disgustingly lovesick way."

"I did not stare at him like that!" Haley protested. Now, he was lying as well?

"Sorry, my mistake," George apologized. "That's the way he was looking at you," he added nonchalantly, his self-satisfied grin made her think of a striped cat she had once seen in a muggle book. Wait. What had he said just now?

"You should have seen it! That Malfoy may be a slimy brat and all that but man, the emotion in his eyes almost made me cry. He looked at her like she – what do they say? – stole the moon?"

"Hung the moon," Sirius corrected, tonelessly. Haley wasn't sure he was even aware he had said that.

"Right! That's the word I was looking for," the boy agreed with a laugh. "Although I think 'stole the moon' would be a much better expression. It was poetical, really, how he looked at her like he was ready to steal the moon and all the stars for her if she only hinted at it. Didn't think he was such a romantic." George concluded thoughtfully.

Had Malfoy really looked at her like that? Haley knew this wasn't the moment to think about that but the way George described it it sounded like Malfoy was madly in love with her. The thought made a familiar fluttery feeling rise up in her stomach. This is hardly the moment to daydream!, she scolded herself internally. But it was too late to stop the soft smile that had stolen onto her face.

George noticed it first, lifting an amused eyebrow. Sirius, who had been watching George contemplatively, seeming uncertain, turned his doubtful gaze to her and for a split second it looked like he was giving this a chance. But when he noticed the smile and the light flush of her cheeks something in his eyes hardened.

"The Malfoys have always been exceptionally good actors. Actually, this can be said about all the pureblood families. Well, most of them. What I mean to say is… There's a reason why the Malfoys are still walking around unpunished even though Lucius Malfoy has been one of Voldemort's most loyal followers. He knows what to say to make people believe him."

Something softened in her godfather's eyes. He placed his hand on top of her shoulder gently. "I know you're at that age where you think nobody gets you and then there's that one person who seems to understand you and you have all these feelings and you think it's going to last forever." He bit his lip. There was something sad and wistful in his eyes. "But Haley, you have to understand these are dark times. We're on the verge of a war and… as far as we know this could all be a trick. A trick to find out what our side is planning and to-"

Haley shook her head. "No," she interrupted him. "It's not a trick. He never asked for any information-"

"Not yet!" He ran his hand through his long hair in frustration. "That would be much too obvious! Can't you see that he's using you?"

Haley said nothing. Just silently returned his smouldering gaze. She didn't know whether it was stubbornness that made her react like this. But what else could it be? Why did she suddenly feel this protective of Malfoy? Why did she feel the need to defend him? If nothing else, she knew she didn't like her godfather talking about the boy like this.

"Ugh!" Sirius looked to the ground, silently nodding to himself. "I didn't want to go this far but you leave me no choice. Tell that git you won't see him any more. At once."

"Right. Do you want me to send Hedwig? I'm sure no one's going to be suspicious if I send her to-"

"Fine! Do it once you're back at school!"

"What if I refuse?"

"You'll see when it comes to that!"

"Oh, are you going to disown me?"

"Maybe I will!" With that Sirius rushed past her out the door, slamming it behind him.

As soon as the door was shut, Haley sank to the ground, suddenly bereft of all energy.

"I must say, I pictured this confrontation a bit differently," George commented from the couch. Haley had completely forgotten that the boy was still here. What did it matter now? What did anything matter now?

"He hates me," Haley whispered, her voice reflecting how defeated and hopeless she felt.

"No, he doesn't hate you."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Actually, I'm talking from experience. This was nothing compared to mum's fits of anger."

"But the way he looked at me..."

"He's worried about you. Which is kind of understandable. From his point of view. If mum was able to forgive me for that time Fred and me turned all of Percy's clothes permanently see-through, I think you're good."

"What? You turned them permanently see-through?"

"In our second year," he revealed fondly. "And Percy didn't even notice because the spell only works an hour after you put the clothes on."

Haley chuckled, despite herself. "Even so. That's harmless compared to my situation. It's not like you're fraternizing with an evil Slytherin."

"Gotta say, he's not really my type, no. You can keep him."

She snorted. It was sweet how he was trying to cheer her up. But why was he cheering her up in the first place?

"Don't you agree with him?" She asked quietly. "Don't you think it's foolish of me to give Malfoy a chance?"

There was a long pause. Then a heavy body plopped down next to her.

"Toffee?" The boy asked, offering her a toffee, wrapped in shiny golden paper. It looked familiar somehow. Where had she seen it before? Then it dawned on her. It was the same type of candy, she had found on the Astronomy tower after Malfoy and her had heard the suspicious noise. Now it all made sense. He had really been there with them. But he must have hidden somewhere.

"I'll admit, when I first saw the two of you together that night… I thought you'd lost your marbles. But it's like I said. There was something… in the way he looked at you. He seemed so… human. Nothing like the git we all love to hate. It surprised me so much that I knocked down the stupid telescope. You know which telescope I'm talking about, don't you?"

She nodded. She had found one lying beneath a window. And then there had been a cat… Carrying a toffee in its mouth.

"Wait!" She exclaimed. "You're not an animagus, are you?"

George chuckled. "You never tried the toffee, did you? When you don't have an invisibility cloak you need to find other ways to sneak around."

He hadn't answered her question. But it couldn't be, right? He couldn't have been hiding that for all these years.

"It's harmless, right?" She asked, taking the toffee and rolling it between her fingers thoughtfully.

"Completely. The only side effect is throwing up hairballs," he added with a grimace. Haley lifted an eyebrow and slipped the candy into her pocket.

"So, after I saw the two of you… snogging," he continued, wiggling his eyebrows and making her blush. "I decided to do my own research. You know, following the guy around, reading his letters and watching him, whenever he thought no one was looking."

Haley didn't know what to feel. Offended, because he had spied on her… her… well, Malfoy? Or grateful because he had gone through all of this to make sure he wasn't messing with her? Or guilty because she actually wanted to know what he had found out?

"So what's the verdict?" She said almost soundlessly.

George grinned at her in an annoyingly smug way. "That eager to know, are we?"

She elbowed him impatiently.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," he said with a chuckle. "So judging from the way your boy keeps stealing glances at you whenever he thinks no one is looking – meaning whenever he doesn't have to pretend for anyone – I'm honestly surprised he hasn't offered his heart to you on a silver plate."

"What?"

"Or has he? Anyway, I think the only thing you should be afraid of is him jumping you and snogging you to death."

Haley blushed even more than before "You're exaggerating," she breathed with a shy smile.

"No, seriously. I accidentally came into possession of one of his notebooks and there were so many hearts with 'D+ H' in it, I wanted to puke."

Haley bit her lips. "Stop it. I know you're making that up," she scolded but the smile on her lips grew even bigger.

"I'm not! Do you want me to show you?" He offered, making to get up.

"No, stay," she said, taking hold of his arm. Suddenly, she needed to know. "You're… You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"You're hurting my pride," he remarked in mock-offence. "I haven't even told Fred."

This was surprising. "Why not?" She asked, curiously.

"Well," he scratched his neck, somewhat sheepish. "It's not like I think he's going to tattle… It's just… it felt like this wasn't my story to tell."

Haley felt a wave of warmth and gratefulness wash over her.

"That's awfully considerate of you," she remarked. "Do you… do you think I should tell the others?" She asked quietly.

"Is 'the others' code for Ron?"

The girl shrugged, looking at her fingers. "Not necessarily."

"Hm," George pondered, tapping his finger against his chin. "Would it be better if he finds out from you or through someone else? I think you know the answer to that." He replied. "Your real question is… how is he going to take it?"

He was right of course. She wouldn't be able to keep her secret forever. One day, she would have no choice but to tell her friends the truth.

"He's going to kill me," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Not if you turn him into a cute little kitten before he gets the chance," the boy replied with a grin that seemed so mischievous, she was afraid that her clothes were actually see-through and she was the only one who hadn't noticed. She looked down at her pyjama bottoms and jumper combo, which seemed as non-transparent as before.

George followed her eyes with an amused grin. He chuckled. "Come on. We'd never use the spell on a girl, jokester's honour," he assured her.

Haley raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"Well, except for someone like Umbridge, maybe. Now, that's an idea!"

"Merlin, no! I don't want to see that!" She retorted, shuddering at the mental picture.

"Come on. Imagine her face," he said with a carefree laugh that was so infectious that Haley found herself laughing along with him. Even if it was completely absurd.

After a while, they calmed down and Haley realised that she felt a teensy bit better about her current situation. And it was all thanks to George. It was silent for a moment.

"Thank you, George," she said, earnestly, reaching for his arm and giving it a squeeze.

"I didn't do anything," he replied, shrugging her words off.

"But you did. You're an amazing friend." She complimented him.

That made the boy in question pull his hand away and grip at his chest in shock. "What? A friend? And here I thought you were finally returning my feelings," he gasped, wiping non present tears from his eyes.

Haley laughed. "You're such a goof."

"So, they say," he agreed, grinning cheekily. Then something about his expression changed all of a sudden. "So, tell me. How far did you get with Malfoy?"

"I – w-what?" She spluttered, flustered at the sudden change of topic.

"You know," he pressed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Besides snogging…what did you two get up to?"

"I- we didn't- nothing! - I mean-" She stammered, exhaling audibly. "Why do boys always have to be perverts?"

George shrugged, like he wanted to say he didn't know either.

"You're impossible." She grumbled but there was the hint of a smile on her lips. It felt really good to finally be able to talk to someone about her thing with Malfoy. Almost too good to be true if she was honest. But she would take what she got. What other alternative did she have? She didn't want to keep pondering about the way her godfather had reacted. About the way he had looked at her. Eyes filled with disappointment and anger. It would just make her sad.

And so it didn't cross her mind that Sirius had never returned the extendable ears to George. She also didn't wonder whether a room was still sound-proof when the person who had cast the spell was no longer inside the room. It never occurred to her that George might not be the only person listening to her stories.

…

A/N: How cool is it, that I managed to finish this in time for Christmas? I planned this of course... (not). So, now Sirius knows. What do you think is going to happen now? Will he tell anyone? Will he accept it? Will he march to Malfoy Manor and kill Draco? I guess you'll find out in the next chapter xD

Also, now you now what it was about the cat from last chapter. I'm sure you didn't expect this.

I was actually really angry with the English language in this chapter. I had this nice wordplay planned with Ron's tuning fork, which was actually meant to be a baton before but I had to change it. See, in German a baton is called a 'Taktstock' ('beat stick' would be the literal translation). And it works so nicely because beat is actually 'Takt' in German. So the beat stick would have hinted at his tactlessness. I don't know if I explained that well but anyway... it would have been such a great wordplay! Damn!

And George is officially my new favourite character. Hehe.

I need to stop talking now. So, I hope all of you are having happy holidays and are using them well to rest and do fun things. I certainly am :) As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

All the best, Feather :)