Author's Note:
I will not have time to post this weekend so you get an early one! Enjoy!
Reviews and Comments: To notthatchhavi: You think Something bad will happen to Zee? We shall see. Thanks for loving my tumblr account! As to Peter telling Snape that Sirius and Zee aren't safe, do we think Peter is nice enough to do this? Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Guest: Tonks will get pregnant eventually and Hinny will get together. Trust me, I have plans. To alix33: I thought PLANTS was like the mastery program for Herbologists, I have another one mentioned in this chapter for Care of Magical Creatures as you will read below. Thank you! To Steelcode: Things are moving along, not quickly, but the Ministry is doing what it can. You think if Lucius was back with his family, it might be better for Theo and Draco? Interesting. Thank you! To geekymom: Thank you! To coloredwords: I'm sad to see Will go too, but it's such a great opportunity for him! Yes, it is soon lol, but you're right, that's still a few weeks at least. Yes, Augusta is a fierce woman! Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! It was fun to name! To BioHazard82: Thank you! To Guest: I'm glad you're excited for Hinny, but sorry to hear you think Dean doesn't deserve to be with anyone. Thank you! To Wodril: You think Zee's trip is going to end badly? We will see. Thank you!
To Wolf's scream: No Lady Godiva does not eat kibble. Zee just feeds her when she doesn't have time to let her hunt; usually raw steak or chicken. Peter is Peter and we'll have to wait and see what happens there. Thank you! To TooManyFandom12: You think Zee is going to die? We'll see. To speedsONEandONLY: I agree, it does need to be their choice and I don't think their friends are forcing it. They just want them to both acknowledge it, what they do after that is up to them. Theo does need an adult he can trust and Smith is a good start towards that. Thank you! To Moony The Sheep: Thank you! You're worried about Zee and that I might kill her, fair. Yaxley is Zee's boss and you're worried he's a traitor? We will see. Thanks! To Leaf Ranger: If I let the Death Eaters touch Zee in France there will be hell to pay? Good to know lol. Thank you! To Blue Luver5000: Thank you! To supersandman86: Voldemort doesn't think about that, he just thinks about what he wants. He's like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Yes, Binns was essentially thrown from his own class lol. Thank you! To Saz J: I know, poor Seamus, but it is a good opportunity for Will. Theo does have a lawyer to meet. Yes, Hinny is a slow burn and yes, I don't want Ginny to think she's a rebound for Harry. Aww, you're worried about Zee? We'll see. Thank you!
To Guest: I update twice a week. To CF: It was nice to see some Remus and Tonks, thanks for missing them! Seamus and Dean are best friends and Seamus is comforted by Dean, but right now, he's too hung-up on Will to think of a relationship with his best mate. What am I planning for Zee? Everyone is so suspicious lol. Thank you! To x-shadow-x-kisses-x: LOL, it's a small slow burn lol. Thank you! To Kmi: Another review? You're spoiling me! Don't kill Zee, noted lol. And yes, it is Hinny noticing time. Thank you! To lovelyellie: Thank you so much for loving Zee so much! To Bosma18: Don't kill Zee or Sirius. No promises. Thank you. To Soveliss: Thanks for loving my PLANTS. Yes, some teenage Hinny angst. Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: I don't know who Bob is but for the love of him don't kill Zee… noted. Thank you! To Pavk9918: Thank you! I have never seen Avatar and have no desire to ever watch Avatar, but I will take your word on it. All I know is that they are blue, it was supposed to be amazingly visually pleasing, and my brother told me it's Pocahontas in space. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, though I did alter it slightly.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIVE:
The One Where Zee's in France
Lucius let himself back into Selwyn Manor after Apparating onto the grounds. The sight of his father sitting with Bellatrix and his mother made him stop in his tracks.
"How's Narcissa, Lucius?" Isla asked him.
"She's good, Mother. She's worried about me."
"Woman worries too bloody much, Lucius," Abraxas said coldly. "You need to reign her in and bring her over to our side on this. We can't afford any loose ends and you need to stop sneaking around to see her."
Lucius' eyes darkened. "She's not a loose end, Father. Narcissa is my wife. We agreed to keep her out of things for the time being as it looks less suspicious on her. As for not seeing her, she's my wife, and I will do as I please."
Isla nodded. "It does, Brax, Lucius is right. Narcissa needs to look innocent here. It means a safe place for Draco to come home to for Christmas as well. With the Ministry of Magic hunting both you and Lucius, we can't have our whole family showing support for the Dark Lord, not yet."
Abraxas only nodded his agreement.
Lucius poured himself a glass of brandy from the decanter on the table before he took his seat next to his mother. "Has there been any news?"
Bellatrix only stared at him. "We've received a few more loyal followers if that's what you're asking."
Lucius didn't need more clarification than that. Selywn Manor held a large dungeon where they had shoved most of the escaped prisoners from Azkaban. They had been taking it in turn to pull them out individually and question their loyalty. He had done so himself only that morning. He preferred talking to them and seeing what their beliefs were before he took to using more painful methods to get them to come to his side, but he knew that his father and Bellatrix both preferred to use more brute force than was necessary.
Bellatrix particularly as of late seemed to be feeling extra violent. Now that her husband had returned to her from Azkaban, the two of them had been fucking like rabbits against and on every possible surface; sometimes even in front of the prisoners or other Death Eaters. Bellatrix was determined to get herself pregnant this time around, to give her husband the heir he needed and deserved. Considering she was the reason why he and Narcissa had struggled with Draco's birth and the cause of Narcissa's miscarriages before Draco, he personally wished that she never conceived.
The lack of her success was partly to blame for her anger. Lucius knew that she had been using more than just her husband in her attempt as well, but if Rodolphus knew, he wasn't aware of it. That morning he had watched her beat one of the prisoners almost to death before allowing Isla to heal him and to let him rest before they questioned him again. Her sanity was pushing her over the edge and he could see the Black Madness dancing in her eyes.
He looked up at the sound of the movement by the doorway. The sight of the Dark Lord standing there, startled him, and he jumped to his feet.
"My Lord," he said, bowing his head in reverence as Abraxas, Isla, and Bellatrix all did the same.
Voldemort waved them off. "Stand up. Has anyone seen Corban arrive?"
Bellatrix shook her head. "Not yet, my Lord."
"I need to know the moment he does. I've learned of a new Seer and it seems that one of his agents may know of their location."
Abraxas raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Voldemort smiled, the expression on his thin lips looking cruel. "I know that Nott will want in on this. Bella, hand-pick two more Death Eaters to go with him. I have a task for them."
Bellatrix fell to her knees before him. "I'd be honoured, my Lord."
Voldemort patted her gently on the head before he slid his hands around to her throat, squeezing lightly. "Rabastan is waiting for you upstairs. I'll send for you when Corban arrives."
Bellatrix nodded and jumped up to go.
Lucius tried not to grimace. Now she was even doing her brother-in-law. The desperation that reeked from her made him grimace. He had told Narcissa about her pregnancy attempts and his wife's eyes had darkened.
"I hope to Merlin that she never gets pregnant," Narcissa had said viciously. "After the babies she made me lose and after I almost lost Draco! She doesn't deserve to be a mother!"
He had held her close and kissed her tenderly as he tried to reassure her. He hardly thought that it was going to happen if he was honest. She'd had multiple miscarriages before going to prison so he couldn't imagine that she would have more luck now. He watched her scurry out of the room to presumably attempt to reproduce and Voldemort followed her.
The sick fuck took his pleasure in watching her screw everything that moved. But it wasn't his business, he thought, sipping his brandy. He had snuck off to see his wife as much for himself as to pass on some information. They'd made love twice and he'd held her close as he told her that they were recruiting more Death Eaters. She'd told him that she'd been communicating with Andy and he'd kissed her lips, urging her to be safe.
"I don't know how much longer you'll be safe here. Once the Dark Lord decides to make his move, our home will be open to him, Cissa."
She nodded and snuggled into his arms. "Be safe."
He wished the same for her, but in all honesty, he wasn't sure he knew what that word meant any more. The only person he knew was truly safe at the moment was Draco since he was safely protected at Hogwarts, and he was thankful for that. He sipped his brandy again, looking over at his parents.
"Do you think that this Seer might actually know something?" Lucius asked.
Abraxas sipped his own brandy carefully. "We shall see. We need to find out the details of this prophecy as soon as we can. Potter obviously has some form of hidden powers that we're not aware of. Lucius, do you think that you can see what Draco knows?"
"I've asked him," Lucius said dryly. "He tells me that Potter is powerful, but he's not standing out more than anyone else. He claims that the Mudblood Granger is still top of the class."
Abraxas frowned. "How he can let that dirty little bitch do better than him is disgusting! He better study harder if he knows what's good for him!"
Lucius only nodded in agreement. His son was very intelligent and he had Os across the board and he knew that he was in the top three percent of his class. But for Abraxas that wasn't enough, not when a Mudblood shared that percentile.
"We'll see how he does on his OWLs," Lucius told him.
"When the Dark Lord takes over, that filthy Mudblood will be his to torture. I'll make sure of it personally. We will rid the school of the filth that doesn't belong."
"And after the school, the country," Isla said, smiling when her husband squeezed her hand.
Lucius only nodded, his eyes on his parents. He didn't particularly care if Mudbloods lived in his world, he just didn't want to have to associate with them. He knew his father in particular wanted to torture and maim them; to destroy them in every way. But in all honestly, he wasn't sure what the Dark Lord wanted.
Voldemort talked a lot about taking over the Ministry of Magic, about making the world a better place for purebloods to flourish, about changing society for the better… but in all honesty, Lucius wasn't sure what the Dark Lord truly wanted. He enjoyed pain and destruction. He enjoyed being above others, showing his superiority in both magical skill and intelligent thought. He didn't like to be questioned. He didn't like to be forced to say more than he wanted.
Last night someone had questioned him.
It was a Death Eater that Lucius had never seen before. The man had a heavy Croatian accent so he had guessed that he was a newer recruit. It didn't matter now, as Nagini had eaten him whole. The sound of the man's screams, of his nails raking across the floor as she started at his feet had been horrifying. He would much rather not think about it.
He finished his brandy and stood up. "I'm going to get some rest until I'm needed."
Abraxas only nodded, his eyes on his son. "Get some rest. In the morning, I have a new task for you."
Lucius swallowed, his eyes not leaving his father as he left the room. As of late he felt that turning his back on the man was becoming more and more dangerous by the minute. He wasn't sure what he had done to displease him, but he knew that pissing off Abraxas Malfoy was a very dangerous thing to do and he needed to do whatever it took to get back into his father's good graces.
As this was the last place that he wanted his own son to end up and if he didn't do something to get in Abraxas' good graces and ultimately the Dark Lord's, they would turn to Draco to do what he couldn't.
And that's what he was afraid of happening most.
~ ASC ~
Ron stood next to Hermione behind Hagrid's hut as they waited for their professor to get the class ready. He cast a sideways look at her, unsure what he was looking for. He wasn't sure when he had consciously realized that his feelings for her were more than just a friend, but he knew that they were. But Hermione Granger was way out of his league, everyone knew that. He knew that. They were better off as friends.
He reached out to touch her arm and she smiled at him before her eyes narrowed, slightly.
"Umbridge is coming."
Ron turned around to look where her eyes were and he let out a slow sigh. So far, the Ministry woman hadn't caused as much mischief as they had all expected. The biggest news was still Raffigan essentially taking over History of Magic, which she had. Binns had officially left the school, moving on to be a ghost somewhere else or moving into the afterlife, Ron wasn't sure which, but he was gone and hadn't been seen anywhere in Hogwarts since the day after Raffigan had taken over his class of fifth years. Raffigan had taken over for presumably the rest of the school year. Dumbledore hadn't said anything more on the subject of it and she had been leading every class since then for the last week and a half. But neither Ron, Harry, Hermione, or Neville had been there during an inspection with Umbridge. They had only learned of her inspection on Frog Choir through Ginny byway of Colin, and her not so polite measuring of Flitwick during the said inspection.
"I feel like this isn't going to be good," Ron mumbled, his eyes on Hagrid.
Hagrid's creatures had improved somewhat this year, but considering that they knew Umbridge to be a bigoted toad, the fact that Hagrid was a half-giant was bound to come up. Today they were supposed to be taking care of Diricrawls, which Ron had to admit, he was looking forward to. They were interesting creatures and Hagrid had two of them sitting up ahead on a tree branch, waiting for the class to gather around.
"Gather roun', gather roun'," Hagrid instructed as everyone moved closer.
"These two up 'ere 're what we call Diricrawls! Now these 're real special birds. If yeh look closer, yeh can see 'em all plump an' feathery! Muggles actually call 'em Dodos! They 're rare 'ere in Scotland an' I have one o' only pair in th' country! These creatures ar' somethin' special! They can appear an' disappear anywhere they like teh escape danger, like we can. It's like Apparatin'. If yeh hold one, they'll take yeh wit' 'em, but yeh don't know where yeh goin'," he said with a grin. "An' they can drop yeh wherever they like along th' way."
"Hem, hem," a sickly girlish voice said from next to Hagrid.
Hagrid looked around in confusion before he raised one bushy eyebrow. "ey there, Madam Umbridge, welcome ter Care o' Magical Creatures. As yeh can see today we're learnin' 'bout Diricrawls."
"I see," she said slowly. "Did you know that Diricrawls are only allowed to be studied by magizoologists directly within the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures? You don't have the authority to keep them at the school."
Hagrid frowned. "I foun' 'em an' I raised 'em. Th' DRCMC knows as I had a magizoologist come out ter look at 'em."
Umbridge merely stared up at him. "I'm sorry, what?"
"The DRCMC knows 'bout 'em."
"Your speech leaves something to be desired, perhaps you could speak more clearly so that I can attempt to understand that excuse for the English language?"
Hagrid frowned. "Th' Department knows 'bout these creatures. A Magizoologist came out ter look at 'em already."
Umbridge only gave him a look of intense annoyance and scribbled onto her clipboard furiously.
Hagrid glanced over at where Ron, Hermione, and Neville were standing nearby, obviously eavesdropping, and shrugged.
Ron shook his head. He wanted to tell Hagrid something to help, but he didn't know what. He was going to ask Hermione what she thought when Umbridge asked the question that he had dreaded her bringing up. The woman was so foul, he thought angrily.
"Your mother was the giantess, Fridwulfa, was she not?"
Hagrid stared at Umbridge. His large hand moved to scratch beneath his beard as he spoke. "That's wha' my dad said, but I nev'r met 'er. Giants aren' exactly maternal types."
"How exactly did your father even copulate with a giant? The logistics of Fridwulfa, who stands at almost six metres tall being with your father who from all accounts barely reached one hundred and eighty centimetres are just baffling... how did he manage to impregnant her?"
"Are yeh askin' me how ter explain how my parents had sex before I was alive 'cause even if I knew that, why would I want to talk 'bout it an' wit' yeh o' all people?"
Ron chuckled and Hermione stifled her own laugh. He leaned in to whisper to her. "It's a fair question though, I mean she had to be huge and even if he had a massive cock..."
Hermione blushed, but she laughed. "Shush, Ron!"
Umbridge gave Hagrid a dirty look before she scribbled on her clipboard furiously.
"As I was sayin'," Hagrid continued to the rest of the class. "Diricrawls are called Dodos by Muggles an' they believe 'em ter be extinct."
"What creatures have you studied from the curriculum?" Umbridge rudely interrupted him.
Hagrid stared at her. "I sent yeh that. I'd like ter teach my class now if yeh don't mind."
Ron smirked, leaning down to whisper to Hermione. "Isn't she supposed to have viewed all of this before she comes to the class?"
Hermione shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "She's doing it on purpose. She's trying to fluster him and to make him look bad." She took Ron's arm and they carefully shuffled closer so that they could hear the full conversation between Hagrid and Umbridge
"You were expelled from Hogwarts in 1943 and yet here you are working as a professor?"
"'arry Potter an' Dumbledor' cleared my name fo' that. It was You Know Who tha' was th' culprit."
Umbridge only scribbled furiously again.
"How are you a qualified professor if you have never even finished your education? You aren't a qualified magizoologist, which as I understand is the requirement for being the Care of Magical Creatures professor? One must obtain at least a NEWT in the subject to teach."
"I've work'd wit' animals my whole life. Dumbledor' figur'd I was qualified."
She pursed her lips and scribbled again. "You were taken to Azkaban in May of 1993?"
"False accusations."
Umbridge only nodded before she began to move around talking to the students. Ron grabbed Hermione's arm to prevent her from stomping over there when he heard Umbridge ask Malfoy if Hagrid's rough and dangerous appearance made students afraid of him, if his heavy and hard to understand accent made it difficult for them to learn, and if it was true that students were regularly injured in his class.
"She's grasping," Ron said, tugging her back. "You know she is."
"She's looking to get him sacked just because his mother — who he never even met — was a giantess!"
Neville moved over to them, nodding. "She's reaching and she knows it. Dumbledore won't let her sack him."
Ron frowned. "Do you think that she's right though, about Hagrid supposedly having to be a qualified magizoologist?"
Hermione shook her head. "He has more experience with animals and magical creatures than anyone! I bet if there was a test they made him take, he would pass it just fine!"
Neville grinned. "So, let's get him to write the Creature Research and Welfare License Standards, you know the CRAWLS?"
"Is that possible without his NEWTS?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening.
Neville shrugged. "I can't imagine why not. Not everyone writes their NEWTS, I mean it's not required as the students pass all of their required exams. NEWTS are only required if they want to work in a Ministry enforced field. I'll probably only write my PLANTS myself."
Hermione stared at him. "I didn't realize that."
Neville nodded. "So, we just have to get someone from the DRCMC, like maybe Zee or someone that she can recommend, to come out and test him and he will be a formal professor even without his NEWT on the subject. If he has his CRAWLS qualification, Umbridge won't be able to do anything to him."
Hagrid interrupted them by asking them to sketch the Diricrawl and to see if they had any distinguishing features that could be watched out for.
"How long have you had this teaching job, Professor Hagrid?"
"This is th' start of my thir' year," he told her.
She made a face of surprise before she began to scribble furiously again.
"And how many Ministry approved curriculum-based creatures have you covered?"
Hagrid made a face. "I speak ter Dumbledor' 'bout tha'. He knows wha' creatures I cover in my classes."
Umbridge only raised a brow and proceeded to scribble on her clipboard.
Ron shook his head at Neville. The three of them knew that wasn't a good sign.
Hagrid started to explain about the different colour feathers of the Diricrawl and how to distinguish them from other large birds when Umbridge interrupted him again to say that his results would be known by the end of next week.
Ron, Hermione, and Neville all agreed that he didn't look impressed.
By the time that the three of them finished telling Harry what happened with Hagrid, he was furious.
"That foul toad! She can't just go around asking people's parentage like that!"
Neville nodded, frowning slightly. "We know, Harry. Do you think that the Education Department knows what she's getting up to up here?"
Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Measuring Flitwick's height is completely irrational, not to mention rude, insulting, and completely inappropriate! His height does not reflect at all on his teaching abilities! He's one of the best professors at this school and one of the most intelligent! He was a champion duellist once upon a time!"
Harry nodded, his eyes darkening. "And asking Hagrid all of those personal questions! She has no right to do so!"
"We all know that, Harry," Ron said in annoyance. "She definitely needs to be taken down a peg or two."
Harry agreed. He didn't understand how what she was doing that was being accepted. "Does anyone know if she made it to McGonagall yet? I know Raffigan didn't have time."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so, no."
Harry grinned. "I hope it's our class she chooses. Can you just imagine if she tries to ask McGonagall any of those kinds of questions?"
Neville smirked. "She'll eat her alive."
"It'll be worth it," Harry said with a grin.
~ ASC ~
It turned out that they didn't have to wait that long. The next day, Umbridge and her clipboard were sitting in a corner and Ron clapped his hands together gleefully.
"Excellent! Let's see Umbitch get what she deserves."
Hermione only snuck a look over at Ron. "You seem pretty certain."
Ron grinned at her. "Mione, McGonagall doesn't take shit from anybody."
Harry could only agree with that statement. It was one of the reasons why he respected her so much. He opened his textbook and grabbed his quill, ready to see what would happen in excitement.
McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Madam Umbridge was there.
"That will do," she said, and the silence fell immediately. "Mr Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework. Miss Brown, please take this box of mice — don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you — and hand one to each student."
"Hem hem," Umbridge said, employing the same silly little cough that she seemed to use as her interrupter marker.
McGonagall completely ignored her, making Harry smirk to himself.
Seamus handed back Harry's essay. Harry took it without looking at him and saw, to his relief, that he had managed an O and McGonagall had even written a little note at the top claiming that he had done excellent work.
"Right then, everyone, listen closely — Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention! Now, most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be —"
"— Hem hem," Umbridge said again.
"Yes?" McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.
"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you had received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec —"
"— Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," McGonagall said, turning her back on Umbridge. Many of the students exchanged looks of glee and Harry and Ron smirked at each other. "As I was saying, today we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell —"
"— Hem hem."
"I wonder," McGonagall said in cold fury, turning on Madam Umbridge. "How you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."
Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously. Looking supremely unconcerned, McGonagall addressed the class once more.
"As I was saying, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic that you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So, you know the incantation, let me see what you can do."
Harry grinned widely, pulling out his wand to work on vanishing his mouse. Unlike with Hagrid, Umbridge did not attempt to follow McGonagall around and Harry figured that was a wise choice. He could imagine how McGonagall would react to that. She did, however, take many more notes while she sat in her corner, and when McGonagall told them all to pack up, rose with a grim expression on her face.
"Well, it's a start," Ron said, holding up a long, wriggling mouse tail and dropping it back into the box that Lavender was passing around.
As they filed out of the classroom, Harry saw Umbridge approach the teacher's desk; he nudged Ron, who nudged Hermione, who nudged Neville in turn, and the four of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.
"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked.
"Thirty-nine years this December," McGonagall said brusquely, snapping her bag shut.
Umbridge made a note. "You used to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"
"Yes."
"But you left to teach?"
"Obviously," McGonagall said in annoyance.
"Then you married your boss, am I correct?"
McGonagall's nostrils flared. "That is none of your business and has nothing to do with what and how I teach Transfiguration."
Umbridge pursed her lips. "I am looking to get a full character assessment of the staff as well their educational expertise."
"My character is that I am teacher who gets all of my students through their tests and exams to the best of their abilities. Don't ever ask me about my personal life again."
Umbridge scribbled furiously before she looked up. "And your alluded sexual relationship with Lord Black?"
McGonagall's face flushed. "How dare you insinuate such a thing! My personal life is none of your business and you have no right to question me on any of it! Get out of my classroom before I set my cat on you."
Nyx raised her head from behind McGonagall's desk, growling and Umbridge blanched.
"Very well," she said. "You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."
"I can hardly wait," McGonagall said in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off toward the door. "Hurry up, you four," she added, her eyes on the four of them and she winked at Harry as she brushed past him.
Harry had thought that she had been brilliant.
He said as much in his letter home, telling Sirius every detail about the inspection of Hagrid as his friends had informed him before telling him about McGonagall. He repeated the story in his letter to Colt and Flo and to Sorcha and Misha. He made his way to the Owlery later that night to see if Hedwig was up for some deliveries.
She hooted happily when she saw him and he stroked her wing softly, giving her some treats from his pocket.
"Are you up to a long journey, girl?"
She nipped at his fingers affectionately and he smiled. He was always sending her off to Georgia and to Russia to deliver letters and he felt like she was never around anymore. After losing Marauder, the lack of Hedwig's company seemed even more depressing.
"There's three letters there, girl. Bring all three of them home first and Uncle Siri will send Persephone with one of the others."
Hedwig hooted as he tied the letters to her leg and took off out the window.
Harry watched her until she was nothing more than a fleck in the darkness before he made his way back down to Gryffindor Tower. He recognized Theo up ahead and was about to call his name when he saw a shadow of a figure hurry away from him. He frowned and as he got closer, saw the blood dripping from Theo's lip.
"Theo?"
Theo turned, wiping the blood off his lip with the back of his hand. "Potter."
"You okay?" Harry asked him, his eyes on the blood.
Theo nodded. "Fine. Just bit my lip."
Harry stared at him. He wasn't sure why he didn't believe him, but he knew for a fact that he was lying. The left side of his face was a little red and he had a small cut above his eye.
"Who was that leaving?"
"Potter, appreciate the concern, but who's cock I was just sucking is not your business unless you want me to suck yours."
Harry flushed as Theo turned on his heel and stormed off.
He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he thought that maybe Theo was hiding something. He had hardly looked fine and Harry wondered how he had cut his face and his lip. It wasn't his business, he thought. He kept moving down the stairs and tried not to roll his eyes at the sight of Umbridge walking towards him. He had so far managed to avoid talking to her as much as possible.
"Mr Potter," she said curtly. "Curfew is in one minute and yet you are quite far from Gryffindor Tower."
Harry nodded. "Yes, Madam Umbridge. I wanted to send a letter home."
She pursed her lips. "Next time wait until the morning. Thirty points from Gryffindor."
"Thirty?" he asked incredulously.
Her eyebrow lifted and her eyes gleamed. "Question my authority again and I'll make it fifty. Do I have to give you detention as well?"
"No, Madam Umbridge," he said quietly.
"Good. Scurry off."
He did just that, annoyed, but rather grateful to have avoided detention. Apparently she was taking her authority seriously enough to not only take away house points, but to give out detentions as well.
He sighed as he snuck back to Gryffindor Tower and saw Ginny sitting by the fire. She was writing in her diary, he noticed. He made his way over to her, his eyes on the way the light of the fire reflected in her hair.
"Hey, Gin."
She smiled brightly as she looked up at him. "Hi, Harry. Did you get your letters off? Ron said that you were attempting to make it to the Owlery before curfew."
"Caught by Umbitch on my way back."
Ginny smirked. "Umbitch?"
"Uncle Siri's name for her."
"I approve," she said with a grin. Colin called her name and she waved at him. "See you at practice tomorrow."
He watched her hurry off to the other side of the common room and he sighed as a dawning realization seemed to come over him.
Ginny was worth the risk.
He'd talk to her after practice tomorrow about going to Hogsmeade next weekend with him. Feeling lighter and excited at the thought of asking Ginny out, he made his way upstairs to his dorm, a grin on his face.
~ ASC ~
Seamus' eyes met Will's as he sat down across from him in the library that evening.
"You are a surprisingly difficult person to find as of late," Will told him, sliding his chair around and closer to him.
Seamus half-smiled. "Yet you still found me."
Will nodded. "I hate this not talking thing. I miss you."
Seamus snuck a look up at him. "I'm not angry at you, Will. This is a great opportunity for you and one that I want you to have more than anything. But the more I think about it, the more I don't think that I can do the long distance thing. The idea of not seeing you or touching you... it's too much and it would be years."
Will nodded. "I know." He was quiet for a moment. "But you will write, as a friend?"
Seamus wrapped his arms around Will. "Yes! Of course I will."
Will sighed into him. "I don't want to leave you, but please, Seam, don't shut me out. It's been over a week since you've even spoken to me and I just… can we just still be friends, please?"
Seamus kissed his cheek tenderly. "I'm sorry. I never meant to shut you out. We are friends and I will always be your friend, but…"
Will nodded in understanding. "But you and me, we're done."
Seamus' eyes were sad as he bit his bottom lip nervously. "Yeah, I think that we are. I think that it's for the best."
Will stared at him for a long moment before he nodded. "I think so, too."
Seamus tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes on his now ex-boyfriend, feeling sad at that sudden realization.
"Study with me?" Will asked him, a soft smile on his lips.
Seamus smiled back at him. "After. First, tell me about the Congo."
Will's smile was catching as it crossed his face and Seamus knew that as sad as he was that no matter what, everything would be okay.
~ ASC ~
Sirius greeted Hedwig with a smile when she flew in through the kitchen window that night with the thick envelope tied to her leg. He put out her food and water dish before he opened the envelope and sure enough, three more envelopes fell out. He smiled at the thickness of the two letters that would be going out to his grandparents. He kind of loved that Harry felt that he could write to them as often as he did. He opened the letter addressed to him curiously. Harry very rarely wrote to him anymore since they usually just used the mirrors.
Uncle Sirius,
Umbitch inspected Hagrid's class and according to Ron, Hermione, and Neville, it was awful! She mocked him for how he speaks, for how he looks, and gave a general impression that he was stupid. Ron said that she even asked him how it was possible for his father to have impregnated his mother if she was a giant. Hagrid apparently had a witty comeback on that one. Ginny told us that Colin's brother, Dennis, said that when she inspected Flitwick during Frog Choir, she measured his height! I'm not sure what she thinks any of this has to do with education, but it's completely unacceptable!
However, today she inspected Auntie Minnie's class and it was brilliant!
First, she tried to interrupt her with that stupid little cough she does (hem, hem) and she was ignored. Then she tried a second time and when Auntie Minnie asked her what she wanted, she was all: Did you get my letter? Auntie Minnie stared at her and said: Obviously I received it or I would ask you why you are in my classroom. Umbitch didn't like that! Then she interrupted her again and Auntie Minnie told her that she didn't permit interruptions in her classroom and she wasn't sure how she expected to get a thorough understanding of how she taught if she didn't in fact let her teach. Uncle Sirius, if you could have seen her face, Umbitch was so pissed!
She asked all sorts of personal questions to Auntie Minnie, too, inappropriate ones, and she made all sorts of notes whenever Auntie Minnie refused to answer them. She even questioned her about her late husband and the fact that he had once been her boss and said that she was having a sexual relationship with you! Auntie Minnie was furious and told her to leave before she set Nyx on her. I wish that she just would have. Umbitch is a foul toad and she deserves to be fired.
So, how do we get rid of her?
Also, do you know what's happening with Madam Raffigan? She's teaching all of the History of Magic classes now and she's way better than Binns ever was so I kind of hope that she sticks around.
But Umbitch has seriously got to go.
Also, everyone loves that nickname for her.
Love,
Harry
PS — Dobby says that he's filling the ice box for you so that you don't have to cook for yourself while Zee's in France. Don't argue with him, he seemed really excited to do it, and I hate to disappoint him.
PPS — I've decided to ask Ginny out on a date. She's worth the risk, Uncle Padfoot. She's so important to me and I want the chance for her to be more. I'm going to do it after Quidditch practice tomorrow. The Hogsmeade trip is next Saturday. Wish me luck.
Sirius chuckled as he folded up the letter in amusement. He knew how nervous his son was about asking her out, but in all honesty, unless Harry mucked it up the way James did, he couldn't not imagine her saying yes. He saw the way that she looked at him when he was asleep last June. The turmoil in her eyes at the thought of leaving him and the relief when he clung to her hand like it gave her a legitimate reason to stay. She might possibly be just as smitten as Harry was, he thought with a grin.
As to Umbridge, she most definitely needed to be dealt with. He knew Bones had more or less shuffled her to the Department of Education just to get her out of her hair more than anything and from what Augusta had told him, Richardson wasn't any happier having her underfoot which was part of the reason why they allowed her to go to Hogwarts in the first place.
The Board of Governors didn't seem to care much either. Sirius agreed that the Department of Education needed to take a firmer stand on curriculum guidelines and a closer inspection on how and what was being taught with all of the new changes that were taking place as of late, but Umbridge clearly had other ideas. He was intrigued at the idea of Raffigan taking over History of Magic though.
He grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and began his letter to Richardson.
Dear Mr H Richardson,
It has come to my attention that the two representatives who you have sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy have rather lost their way. One of them has taken over teaching a class from another professor and for all intents and purposes, is doing a wonderful job, while the other's brash, rude, and insensitive nature has done nothing but offend teachers and students alike.
I would like to propose a meeting with you and the Board to discuss this. It would also be beneficial to have a sit down with both Madam Raffigan and Madam Umbridge to discuss their findings so far and how we can proceed with this Ministry sanctioned inspection.
Sincerely,
Lord Sirius Black
Hogwarts Board of Governors
He sealed the letter in an envelope and whistled for Hedwig. She flew over and extended her leg.
"Good girl. Take this to the Ministry for me. When you get back you can rest a night and then we'll send you off to Colt and Flo with Harry's letter, okay?"
Hedwig hooted and when he finished tying the letter into place she took off, soaring through the open window.
Sirius wrote a quick note for Harry, securing it to Persephone's leg, stroking her wing lightly. "Bring that to Harry, then I have a long journey for you, girl."
She nipped at him affectionately before she took off towards Hogwarts. He sighed as he watched her fly away, the house quiet once more. He missed Marauder quite a lot in times like these, he thought.
He glanced up at the clock and figured that he could spend a few hours in the workshop to clear his head. He wondered how Zee was faring in France
~ ASC ~
Zee parked her motorbike by the entrance to the cave that she had been heading towards, turning her gaze to look for Lady Godiva. The panther was staring at her, her yellow eyes seeming to tell her to move forward so she lit her wand and headed into the darkness.
She had been heading to the magical Melusines village, Marseille Fond de L'Océan, when she had stopped at the pub to ask for directions. The underwater village often moved around and the last she had heard, it was located by Vieux-Port, but in her first circle around she had spotted nothing to indicate the village was still there. She soon learned from a wizard that the Melusines were often seen near Chateau d'If. When the wizard had asked her why she was looking for Marseille Fond de L'Océan, Zee told him that she was a magizoologist from England who needed to speak with the Merchieftan and the wizard had immediately told her about the cave.
Someone somewhere had smuggled in a griffin and not just one, but two, who had bred. The creatures were causing a ruckus in nearby Muggle towns who were attributing it to eagle attacks as many small dogs and household pets had been carried off. The Magizoologists of the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France had managed to get a hold of the two griffins. They had captured the two of them and taken them away to be put somewhere that they couldn't harm the Muggles, but the wizard had explained that in the two weeks since that had happened, they were starting to think that the creatures had left a nest.
Zee had immediately whistled for Lady Godiva and headed towards the direction of the caves. Her panther kept easy pace with her on her 1937 BSA M20 and she knew that Lady Godiva loved it. Whenever Zee was able to take the bike with her on a job, Lady Godiva revelled in the chance to run by her witch's side. She stroked her panther behind the ears as she headed towards the cave, her wand lit.
"Stay, Lady G, I don't want you to scare them if there is a nest in here. It may be occupied."
Lady Godiva prowled the ground, but stayed where she was told.
Zee raised her wand higher moving further into the cave. She could hear the rustling and was thankful not to see bats anywhere as she moved further into the darkness. She climbed over a large boulder and her eyes widened at the sight of them.
She had been a magizoologist for almost twelve years now and she had never in her life seen anything like the sight before her. Three small baby griffins were stretched out in a large nest in the middle of the cave. Their tiny wings not big enough to allow them flight and their large lion like paws too big for them. The weight of their wings and their long, heavy tail made it hard for them to stand upright, tripping over themselves and all over the uneven ground of the cave, squawking at the sight of her.
Zee urged Lady Godiva to stay where she was, moving down into the cavern. She opened her bag to pull out the food that she had gathered; six large raw steaks that she had gotten from the butcher before heading towards the caves. They immediately spotted her, sniffing the air and yipping in excitement.
"Shh," she said soothingly, moving in close. "It's okay now. I won't let anyone hurt you."
She reached out a tentative hand, her wand still in the other and let out a breath of relief when the first cub merely rubbed its feathered head against her offered hand. She put her wand down to scratch them behind the ears and soon found herself wrestling with three baby griffin cubs vying for her attention, their tiny wings fluttering in excitement while their long lion-like tail whirred wildly. She played for a few minutes, laughing and cuddling with them before she carefully spread out the steaks from her bag. They immediately tore into the meat in happiness, each fighting the other to try to grab more of the juicy meat.
Zee used her wand to give them water, making sure that they were hydrated. They couldn't be more than a few weeks old and at the moment were completely harmless fledglings looking for love. But she knew how dangerous they could become once they were able to grow up. They finished eating and immediately made a beeline for her again and she snuggled them close, the sound of her laughter echoing off the walls of the cave.
She had to find somewhere safe to bring them.
There was a magical creature reserve near Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. She knew a few magizoologists who worked there and took care of not only a few fully grown griffins, but unicorns, Occamys, Thunderbirds, and even a Cerberus. She would send word there, immediately, about getting the cubs transferred over before they got too big. She laughed when one of them pecked lightly at her hand and she held onto them happily.
Zee tugged out her camera, snapping photos of the happy little cubs rolling and playing and wrestling with each other, nipping at the other as their tiny wings fluttered, lifting them no more than half an inch off the ground before they would crash down, tripping over their large paws in defeat. She recorded the nest that their parents had made in the cave for them and worked out how they would have food in the meantime. She needed to speak with the Département de Créature Magique and see what the French DCM agents had done with the parents of the cubs.
She sent word to Forrester about the delay in getting to the Merpeople village and ordered Lady Godiva to guard the cave before she hopped back onto her bike and took off towards the village. She found the owl post quickly and sent word to the reserve in New Zealand about her find before she headed back and settled herself in the cave to camp there. She had no plans of leaving these three innocent baby griffins alone.
By the morning, she had already heard back and was pleased to see that her friend, Bura Visnjic, was sending magizoololgists immediately to France to collect the cubs and promised that they would be there by noon. She procured more fresh steak for the cubs and gave them water, urging them to play and roll over as Lady Godiva only stared at her.
"Oh, Lady G, don't be jealous, they won't be here much longer."
Lady Godiva only gave her a look as if saying, whatever, and lied down in front of the entrance of the cave to wash herself.
Two men arrived just before noon with large crates ready to transport the babies. The cubs whined at the thought of being separated from Zee and she found tears in her eyes as she hugged and kissed them goodbye, helping the tamers carefully move them into the cages and secure them.
"Bura has a place for them?"
The tall dark man covered in tattoos smiled at her. "She does. We have a family actually and I think that they will be quite at home there. She told me to tell you that she will send you photos and news of them once they are settled. It's a good thing that you found them when you did, another four or five weeks and their wings will have extended enough for them to figure out how to fly. It would have been a bitch to try to bring them in safely once they were air born."
"Thanks, Abioye," Zee said with a smile, saying goodbye the baby griffins as they were carefully loaded into the crates and then she grinned as she watched Abioye and his partner, Zhang, place them in the enchanted trunk that they had carried with them.
Zee knew that it was enchanted inside to be a safe place for the babies to hide out in while they flew to New Zealand.
"We have a portkey ready to take us right to the reserve for two. Thanks again for letting us know about the cubs. Merlin knows how big they would have managed to get before something terrible happened."
Zee frowned. "I doubt that they would have survived that long without help. I'm just glad that I found them when I did. Thank Bura for me again."
Zhang nodded in salute as he and Abioye rose up on their broomsticks and headed away from the cave to their portkey destination.
Zee sighed, gathering up her things and using a quick packing charm to get everything into her knapsack. She adjusted it on her shoulder and bent to kiss the panther on the top of her head.
"Well, Lady G, it's just you and me again. We need to speak to the Merpeople and I need to get a hold of Tripp."
She had barely sent word to him when he arrived at the entrance to the cave.
"Merlin, Tripp! You scared me!"
He grinned at her, his cocky innocence making her sigh in relief. "Sorry. I saw the tamers leave and I figured you were ready to head out. Do you know where the village is located?"
Zee nodded, hopping onto her bike. "The folk around here last heard it was by Chateau d'If so we're going to head out that way. The only way to the old prison is by boat."
Forrester raised an eyebrow. "Apparate?"
Zee shook her head. "Not that close to a Melusine village. They'll sense the magic and either attack or move on and we'll never find them again. We have to approach carefully and show them that we come in peace and with respect."
Forrester nodded and scratched his head. "There's a boat yard just up the road. We can rent one from a Muggle and head out there right away. Are you hoping to recruit some of them for the Aqua Protectors Force?"
"That would definitely be a bonus," Zee told him. "But for the most part, I want to see if they are willing to listen to Princess Sapphira about at least proclaiming neutrality."
"And the Seer?"
Zee turned to stare at him. "What Seer?"
Forrester seemed to catch himself. "Oh, sorry, I must be thinking of a different mission. You know how I mix things up sometimes."
Zee stared at him. He didn't mix things up, not usually. In fact, despite her complaints, he was a good partner and she had always trusted him. His floppy blond hair was wildly blowing in the wind, but his eyes looked off, dangerous even.
"Tripp, are you feeling all right?"
"No, I —" he grabbed his stomach as his wand fell from his fingertips and Zee raised her wand in alarm as three men in dark cloaks and masks came out from around the cave.
"The coward's not feeling well," the shortest of the three men said, pointing his wand at Forrester. "It's been hard to keep this one under control. He fights back on the Imperius, you know. Been trouble from the start."
"If we didn't keep erasing his memory maybe we'd have a better chance at controlling him," the taller one said in annoyance.
Zee held her wand tightly. "Who are you?"
The short man snickered and tossed his hood back. She met the dark eyes of the somewhat stooped man and she recognized him immediately.
"Nott."
He licked his teeth as he grinned. "Good memory. When we heard you were nearby caring for griffin cubs we couldn't pass up the opportunity to say hello. Marcus has been waiting to talk to you."
"Marcus?"
The biggest of the three pulled his mask off, grinning widely. "Crucio!"
Zee screamed as her body shook in unimaginable pain. She collapsed to her knees, tears in her eyes as he lifted his wand. Her own wand was still in her shaking hand, but she was unable to hold it steady as her body reacted to the curse.
"Chateau d'If is the place to find the Seer so, thanks for that information. As to the other, well, you fucking Black makes you exactly who I want my hands on at the moment. That bastard sent me to Azkaban so, I'll punish his cunt. Crucio."
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood to try stop herself from screaming, but she couldn't contain it. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. As if she was being stabbed everywhere from the inside out. Lady Godiva was growling from behind her and she heard Nott say something about killing the cat.
The curse lifted and her hands shook as she sent a stunning charm at Nott taking him out before she incapacitated the taller unknown man. She made to disarm Bulstrode next, but he was already moving towards her.
Lady Godiva intervened.
She heard him scream as her panther's teeth ripped into his side and she jumped on the motorbike, kicking it into gear as the engine roared to life. She shot another hex out at them and whistled. Lady Godiva tore into Bulstrode's side again before running after her, keeping up with her bike. Her whole body was vibrating in pain as she tried to will herself to drive straight, to keep up, but as her body shook, so did the bike and she felt the curse hit a second before she could react.
The bike flipped beneath her and she screamed, cradling her head to try to protect herself as she flew over the handles, crashing to the ground below and scraping the entire right side of her body. She choked on her own bile as she attempted to crawl to her feet, her arms around Lady Godiva who nudged her, licking the blood from the side of her face.
"I'm fine, Lady, I'm fine," she whispered, holding tightly to her wand.
She struggled to climb to her feet, her body shaking and she screamed as the torture curse hit her again. She choked on her own blood as the pain twisted itself through her already injured side, seemingly to magnify the agony of it. She felt like she was being boiled alive while simultaneously being ripped apart from the inside.
She heard her panther growl and then a painful yell as teeth tore into flesh. She made it to her knees as the curse lifted, her eyes on the tall man who was currently having his neck torn into by her panther and she didn't even care. She could see Nott and Bulstrode moving slowly and she knew that Lady G had made a dent in Bulstrode large enough to slow him down. She looked back at her bike, the wheels turning wildly, the mirror and light smashed, and her body shook violently both in pain and in rage.
She heard Nott yell something as she fumbled into her knapsack, tugging it off her back as she tried to find the emergency portkey. She gripped it tightly from the front pocket of her bag and whistled for Lady G. The panther moved to her instantly and she wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"You did so good, Lady G, so good. I'm so proud," she whispered.
She felt a curse hit her leg hard enough that she blacked out just as the portkey took off and then she felt nothing at all.
~ ASC ~
When Harry woke up the next morning, the sight of Persephone flying towards him made him smile. He took the letter from her as Neville raised an eyebrow.
"Sirius never writes, what's up?"
Harry shook his head he opened the letter grinning. It was short and sweet.
Don't back down. Don't get scared. Go for it. And remember, you can never mess up as bad as your dad did, you have too much of me in you for that. Good luck today. Get that girl!
Love Always,
Uncle Sirius
He grinned as he folded the letter back up. "Nothing, just an inside joke."
Neville nodded as he helped himself to the plate of scrambled eggs.
Harry was nervous, he knew that, but it was just Ginny he told himself. He just had to figure out what he was going to say.
As the day went on, more news reached his ears about Professor Binns. After he had refused to show up to his next class following his walk out on the fifth years, Raffigan had taken it upon herself to teach the seventh years. When he didn't show up the next day, or the day after that, the rumours took off. Rumours were flying that Binns had left the castle entirely, but Harry really wasn't sure what was going on. But by the end of the week, it was clear that Raffigan had temporarily taken over History of Magic like Harry had told Sirius.
That Sunday afternoon, he found himself watching Ginny during Quidditch practice yet again.
Her flying really was incredible and he had to give her credit for her talent. She was a natural. She played well and she seemed to understand Angelina and Katie as if she had been playing with them for years. Her long ponytail blew behind her in the wind and he grinned.
Harry had been thinking a lot about her lately. About their friendship, about his feelings, and about what everyone else had been telling him. He knew that his family was right, that Mandy was right… he wanted more with her, from her. Ginny was pure sunlight. She was the one person he trusted most in the world; the one person who calmed him, who kept him sane.
It had always been her.
She was the girl who hugged him out of the blue in a jungle gym at a park, kissing him on the mouth, and who had become his very first friend. She was the girl who stopped him from panicking the first time that he'd had a panic attack at the Burrow. She was the girl who always made him laugh, never failed to make him smile, and who always had a quick word to share. She was the girl who listened to his nightmares and understood his bad dreams. She was the girl who understood his horrors upon learning of the Horcruxes, who understood his fears better than he did because she had lived through it herself. She was the girl who had held his hand all night after Voldemort had returned.
And she was the girl who he was most afraid to lose.
A world without Ginny was a world without sunlight, without magic, and it was a world that he couldn't imagine living in. He needed her. He needed her warm hugs, her wit, and her sass. He needed her smile and her bright disposition. He needed her to put him in his place, to keep him calm and to be there for him. But most of all, he needed her to need him. He wanted to be the same rock for her that she was to him and that's what worried him the most; that if he told her, it would all change.
But Sirius was right, he could do this if it was what he wanted and he knew that she was exactly what he wanted. This was it, he thought. He was going to tell her how he felt.
He watched as she landed her broom and moved to get some water from the water container and he flew down towards her, watching the sunlight reflect off of her hair.
"Gin?"
Ginny turned to smile at him, her cheeks flushed from the air. "Harry, great practice! I think that I'm working well with Angelina and Katie and that we're going to be really ready for the first match in two weeks."
"You're brilliant," he said with a grin. "Better than Angelina and Katie even."
She grinned. "Flatterer."
He dragged his fingers through his hair as it stood up even more and smiled at her. "Listen, there's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
He nodded, swallowing slowly. With the setting sun shining on her hair and her cheeks flushed from the air, the thin sheet of perspiration on her neck, he thought that she was the most beautiful goddess that he had ever laid his eyes on.
"Yeah, there's… erm… Ginny, I was actually wondering if —"
"— Harry! Mate, that practice was epic!" Ron said, moving up to stand next to him and helping himself to some water. "I think that I'm really getting the feeling of being Keeper. I hope I can keep it up during our first game."
"You will," Ginny told him. "You just have to be confident."
"And not let the other team taunt you," Fred said, reaching for some water himself.
Harry let out a slow breath, his eyes on Ginny. "Ginny, can I have a moment?"
Ginny glanced at him curiously, but nodded. She followed him away from her brothers who were now bickering about the upcoming match and whether or not Ron had the skill to keep up with the game, and she smiled at him.
"Everything okay, Harry?"
He nodded, biting his bottom lip. "Yeah, yeah, it's great. I just… I wanted to talk to you."
"So you said," she told him, a small smile on her lips.
"Um, so… Mandy broke up with me a few weeks ago."
Ginny nodded, her chocolate brown eyes on his. "I know. I heard. I'm so sorry, Harry, I know that you really liked her."
He shrugged in response. "I did, but it just wasn't… I didn't know how to make her understand about Voldemort and about… me… it wouldn't have worked out between us."
"Well, communication is important and if you had just talked to her, she might have understood."
"I didn't want to talk to her," Harry said. "I didn't want to talk about it again."
"I get that, but —"
"— She's not you," he blurted, interrupting her. "I mean, she doesn't get me, not like you do. You get me, Ginny. You just… you get me and… fuck, I'm buggering this all up!"
Ginny merely raised an eyebrow at him. "Buggering what up?" She reached out to touch his arm. "Harry, you know that you can tell me anything, right?"
"I know and that means the world to me, Ginny. You are so important to me. I don't want to lose that."
She smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."
He grinned sheepishly, his eyes on her soft lips as she spoke. He had a sudden urge to dip his head, to kiss those lips. "Ginny, I —"
"— Harry!" Hermione called out, running towards them.
Harry and Ginny both turned as Hermione ran down from the stands, waving at them. Harry let out a frustrated sigh. How was he supposed to ask Ginny to Hogsmeade if he never got a second to get the words out?
"What is it, Hermione?"
Hermione was pale as she thrusted the communication mirror at him. "It's Sirius. Zee's been hurt."
End Author's Notes:
(French) Marseille Fond de L'Océan = Marseille Ocean Floor
Thanks to Clupeidae and rachel | malenkayacherepakha for helping me word this one: CRAWLS = Creature Research And Welfare Licence Standards.
Thanks for reading and please review!