"You be safe, Harmony." Harmony Sea's mother said, adjusting, patting and smoothing Harmony's clothing for the millionth time.
"I will, Mum." Harmony replied, catching her mother's hand and squeezing it gently.
Her father stepped forward from behind his wife. "Stay out of trouble, now. We'll miss you."
Harmony stepped forward and gave her dad a hug in the brightly-lit entryway of her house. "I'll be seeing you at Easter. You won't even have time to miss me."
"Harmony!" her six-year-old sister wailed, throwing her little body at Harmony's legs.
"Charlotte, don't cry. I'll be home in a few weeks!" Harmony's voice cracked as she bent down and hugged her one and only little sister around the middle.
"But I want you to stay!" Charlotte looked tearfully up, her big blue eyes bright, ringlets shining gold in the lamp light.
"I have to visit my friends and then go back to school, jellybean." Harmony said, causing her little sister to smile slightly at the use of their old code-names.
"I love you always, cucumber." Charlotte giggled. Harmony stood up, kissed her parents and her little sister goodbye, then picked up her trunk.
It was New Year's Eve and she was leaving to go to James Potter's house for a party and the remainder of the winter break, which was only a couple days.
Her Christmas had been wonderful. It was so nice to be home, sleeping in her own room, rather than a dorm. Harmony didn't realize how much she truly missed her family until they were all crowded around the dinner table, laughing and exchanging stories, just like old times.
Just like there wasn't a war coming on.
Just like Harmony hadn't been attacked by Slytherin Death Eaters just a week before.
Harmony had surprisingly healed up pretty fast from the attack in the empty corridors of Hogwarts. There was still the faint darkness of bruises on her skin, mostly across the ribs she had broken and a couple along her face, legs and collarbones. The emotional part was still healing slowly.
"And I'll see you in a week or so." Harmony turned to her 14 (almost fifteen!) year old brother, Ryan, and tapped him on the nose with her finger.
"Be careful, Harms." he said and rolled his eyes. She hadn't realized it, but his voice had gotten a little deeper. Harmony decided then and there that she was going to make a point to spend more time with her brother at school, so as not to miss any other important parts of his life.
"Bye!" Harmony called, hauling her trunk down the front sidewalk.
Her family called their various good-byes, little Charlotte crying into Harmony's dad's pant leg.
It broke her heart, so Harmony dashed back too quickly to be conscious of the icy ground, and gave her sister a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. "I love you!" Harmony called once again, running down the path again.
Darkness took over Harmony's silhouette as she listened to the faint click if her front door closing. She was headed for her best friend, neighbour, and room mate, Becca Leen's house, just a little ways down the street.
Harmony suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, walking quietly through the complete blackness and coldness of her street. Her footfalls sounded like stomping against the pavement, when in reality they were just quiet taptaptaptap's.
Harmony looked up at the stars. It was a clear, cool night. Her long curly brown hair was lifted by the breeze as she walked past a power line, the steady buzz of electricity from the hydro lines giving her a chill that had nothing to do with the cold.
All of the sudden, a crack was heard from the thick bush that Harmony was walking alongside. She almost had a heart attack as she whipped around, frozen, eyes wide like saucers. Maybe Harmony's hearing was sharper in the cold, still night. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her when she swore she saw a slight movement from behind the branches and leaves.
What the hell? Harmony thought frantically, as she hurried her pace, struggling with the sharp pains in her ribs as she tried to haul her trunk behind her. She had to continuously remind herself that the Ministry of Magic had put a whole shitload of protection over her house just days ago, so her family was safe. She was still terrified.
Harmony finally made it to her friend Becca's house. She banged on the door, heart still beating, and head whipping back and forth, scanning the porch as she waited.
Harmony had to take the quick walk to her best friend's house to Floo to James' because Harmony's fireplace was 'electric'. Honestly. Those muggles actually have fireplaces run by electricity. Harmony shouldn't have been surprised when she got home for Christmas break and discovered a new feature in her home, but spending months straight in Hogwarts will make you look twice at even a toaster.
Becca threw open the door, making Harmony scream loudly from the sudden moment.
"What is wrong with you?" Becca questioned as Harmony stepped inside, grateful for the warmth.
"A lot of things. Want a list or demonstration?" Harmony grunted as she pulled her trunk through the door.
"Don't grunt. It's not ladylike." Becca scolded, wrapping her best friend in a hug. "And hey, Happy New Year's Eve! How are you feeling?" she added in after, pulling out of the embrace.
"I'm swell." Harmony replied.
"Literally? We should call a healer-" Becca started in a concerned voice.
"I didn't mean it literally. You, Sirius and my family are driving me nuts asking me if I'm okay."
"As if you aren't already nuts." Becca grinned, pulling Harmony to her room.
"Yeah yeah." Harmony rolled her eyes.
The pair of girls went up the flight of stairs to Becca's bedroom. Harmony was greeted with the familiar sight of navy blue walls and posters everywhere. "Excited for the party?" Becca smiled widely.
"It'll be a night to remember, that's for sure. A bunch of teenagers given a mansion, reason to party and alcohol? Oh, this will be bloody brilliant." Harmony flopped down on Becca's bed as Becca slipped into her pretty purple skirt.
"That's pretty." Harmony commented, sitting up.
"Oh, thanks. I got it for tonight." Becca blushed a little.
"Yeah? Or did you get it for the matter of someone, not an occasion?" Harmony grinned super wide when Becca turned beet red.
"How do you always find these things out?" Becca cried in exasperation.
"I see things, Becca. So. Remus?"
"Perhaps." Becca muttered, slipping on her leather jacket and grabbing her trunk.
"Oh that's so cute, Becca! He fancies you too, I can see it. He's always giving you those secret little glances." Harmony laughed.
"Like the ones Sirius gives you?" Becca grinned evilly while barreling down the stairs like she always did.
"That's unladylike. Especially in a skirt." Harmony dodged a smack. "Where's your family?"
"Oh, they had a party to go to, so we said our tearful goodbyes earlier." Becca replied.
The girls grabbed their respective belongings, threw the Floo Powder in the fireplace, and yelled out James' address which they had learned by a letter Harmony received in the mail previously from James and Sirius.
They went through the dizzy spinning and twirling of the Floo Network before it stopped and the girls stumbled out into a huge, comfy living room, which four boys, also known as the marauders, resided in.
"I hate Floo. Whoever invented it was full of shit." Harmony muttered, wiping the black soot off her dark denim jeans and peacoat, which was thankfully buttoned up to protect her shirt from the coldness and now, soot.
"Harms!" Sirius squealed from across the room, mouth full of chocolate.
"Charming, Sirius. Don't talk with your mouth full." Harmony scolded but still hugged him tightly back around the neck as he did around her waist. Harmony tried to ignore how bloody hot he looked in his simple jeans and long sleeve shirt. Not to mention he smelled like a pit of heaven.
Sirius was having similar thoughts.
They eventually pulled away from each other. Harmony was already a little warm in the face, despite being at James' for three minutes. Not even.
The girls each made their rounds greeting and hugging each of the marauders. There were a lot of 'Happy New Year Eve!'s and 'how are you doing, Harmony?'s.
Suddenly James' parents entered the living room, beaming. "Harmony, Rebecca! I'm Grace, this is my husband Charles. Oh it's so nice to finally meet you! We've heard so much!" Grace Potter exclaimed, pulling both girls in for a hug. When she pulled back again they got a good look at her. She had long, wavy red-brown hair, a warm smile, and the same shade of hazel eyes that James had clearly inherited. She was beautiful.
"I'm Charles. I trust you ladies are doing well?" Charles Potter asked more to Harmony than to Becca.
Harmony nodded and smiled graciously while she studied Charles. He was a fifty-year-old version of James. Messy, jet black hair now streaked with silver-grey, mischievous, warm blue eyes, and laugh-lines that suggests his nature was a lot like James'.
"Thank you, for inviting us here. Your home is beautiful!" Becca cried and Harmony nodded in agreement, taking in the deep gold walls and the squishy, used couches that made one want to sink in them and sleep forever.
"How about we show these ladies to their rooms?" Sirius interjected before the elder Potters could thank the girls for the compliment.
"Sure! I hope you don't mind sharing a room?" Grace asked worriedly
"Oh no, that'd be wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Potter." Harmony said.
"Please, it's Grace and Charles. Don't worry about all that formal stuff." Grace smiled warmly, her eyes lighting up.
The boys grabbed the girls' trunks and led them to their respectable bedrooms, talking and laughing. "So when are Liven, Lily and Alice coming?" Harmony asked.
"Lily and Liven should be here really soon. Alice couldn't come because she was spending her new year's with her family or something, and then she wanted to visit Frank tomorrow." Remus informed them, Frank being Alice's new boyfriend.
"I guess the Hogsmeade date went well then?" Harmony grinned widely.
"Oh you should have read the letter she sent me about him the other day. It was hysterical." Becca laughed.
"Yes, but she's been in love with him for forever!" Harmony countered, laughing too.
They reached a long, wide hallway with various paintings of landscapes and nature. There were several doors along the walls. They walked by one that said 'James' and another that said 'Sirius', in matching scarlet-painted colours across from each other. They also walked by a bunch without any names at all. About the middle of the corridor, Sirius stopped and opened a door then gestured for Harmony to enter.
Harmony and Becca entered the room and smiled widely. Two double beds were stationed across from each other, both accompanied with a dresser and a nightstand. A door stood ajar across the room, and a large shower was visible beyond it.
Harmony bolted for the bed closest to the window and plopped down on it. "Wholy shit, James. I feel like I'm in an inn." She called excitedly, admiring the view from out the window.
James just laughed. "Thanks, I think!"
Everyone began to listen to a hilarious tale from James about how him and Sirius had been dared by Charles to model outside the front gates in their underwear on Christmas morning, coloured green and red.
Harmony sat up to find that Sirius was watching her, not paying attention to James.
"What?" Harmony asked, laughing softly despite her red cheeks. She got up and walked to Sirius' side.
"I'm just really glad you're better." Sirius mumbled slightly, reaching up to tug on a long ringlet that hung down her arm.
Harmony smiled, revealing her straight teeth. "Yeah, me too."
Sirius slipped a hand down to rest of the small of Harmony's back. She leaned against him and turned to listen to the rest of James' tale. The word friends friends friends friends pulsed through her brain.
Lily came in a little while later, cheeks still red from the cold. "Hi, guys!" James' face lit up.
It had, after all, taken great amounts of convincing and whining to get Lily to come stay at James Potter's house for almost a week. She also broke up with her annoying and protective boyfriend, Korey List, in the process because he almost shit a brick when he found out that Lily was staying with James at his house.
Lily wasn't even sad when she ended it, which surprised most. Harmony knew that Korey was a prick and a know-it-all, but she didn't think Lily realized it. Well, Lily did inform Harmony that she did, in fact realize Korey was a prick and know-it-all, because she quoted those exact names in the letter she sent Harmony on Christmas Eve.
Everyone was pretty happy about that relationship ending. Especially James. Mostly James.
The black-haired boy in question jumped up at Lily's arrival. "Lily! Happy New Year's Eve!"
"Thank you, James." Lily smiled warmly, which almost made Harmony shit a brick herself. Lily smiling warmly at James? It was not heard of until that moment.
James seemed to be taken aback as well, because he started stuttering. "Lily, uh, how about I show you to your room?"
"Sure. One minute."
After the whole greeting with Lily was done, Liven burst through the bedroom door also.
Finally, after everyone was done repeating 'hello!'s, 'I'm good!'s and 'Happy New Year's Eve!'s to each other, the group headed downstairs to James' back porch that was magically enchanted to keep it warm. Before they got out, James' parents stopped them and informed James they were heading out, and that they would be back tomorrow round lunch. James smiled and the group watched as his parents kissed both Sirius and James atop their heads.
Christmas lights and lanterns were hung up around the deck, giving the place a warm, fun glow. A little radio was already set up and playing upbeat music loudly from the corner, and there was an endless supply of alcohol upon the glass patio table. Little tacky hats were stacked neatly, reading 'Happy New Year!' with various moving images dancing, laughing, blowing trumpets and drinking champagne. Harmony's eyes were drawn mostly to the impressive collection of fireworks and sparklers that sat in cardboard boxes bearing the Zonko's Joke Shop logo.
It was already ten at night, so after James' parents left to go to their New Year's party, Liven cried, "Let's make some memories, bitches!" and that was all the cue the group of sixteen-year-olds needed.
"Do-do it, James. I dare you!" Sirius said in between gasps of laughter, clutching onto Harmony for support although she wasn't in a much better state herself.
Peter fell off the deck and into the pond with laughter. This did nothing to improve any of the teenager's states of mind. They just laughed harder and stumbled around the deck even more.
James mounted his broom and grabbed the firework from the glass table now littered with empty bottles and matches. He flew up over the mansion, there was a yell of, "Camels!" and a firework exploded, clearly spelling out the word 'butthole' for everyone within a five mile radius to see.
This isn't really funny. But it was immensely so to the highly intoxicated sixteen-year-olds for obvious reasons. Like the endless supply of alcohol and the loud music filling them with adrenaline, and the fact that they were enjoying the last moments of the year together.
Harmony vaguely wondered whether James' parents were aware about the alcohol intake going on. They wouldn't be back until tomorrow afternoon, she countered. Surely they trusted James a lot.
A couple of James' family friends showed up, home-schooled wizards around their age, so Liven was off snogging some bloke in the corner of the deck. There were also several muggle teens hanging about the deck from the area, and all of them apparently knew about the whole wizarding side of the world because they weren't double-taking the fireworks or floating lanterns. They could have also been so hammered they didn't process much of anything. That was probably it.
The one person who had been with Harmony the whole night was Sirius, and the more time she spent with him the more she just wanted to snog him senseless. He kept a strong hold of her all night, not that she minded, and she caught all the little glances he sent in her direction. He played with her hair when they sat down with their feet in the water, they did a bunch of stupid dares including fire and skipping ropes together, and had shared a couple bottles between them.
Suddenly, it was five minutes until midnight. Harmony reached down her shirt, to which Sirius laughed, and pulled out a little, suspiciously blankly-labeled firework. It was a wizarding firework, and a damn impressive one at that. She had begged and flirted and payed so much for this little deadly thing, so Harmony wasn't letting it go to waste. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to use it.
The count-down began, and Harmony turned to Sirius, grinning widely. "This will blow your mind." Her ears were full of laughter and music and she felt so incredible drunk and happy.
"Literally?" Sirius asked, casually slipping an arm around Harmony, pulling her close so he could hear her better. Well, that's what he told himself.
"Nah." Harmony looked over at her friends, in various positions laying, sitting or standing around the deck, some even in the water, watching the show of fireworks already being set off by James and his friend. "Well, maybe." There were a couple kids, she had long forgotten the names of, bumping and grinding in a little mob near the radio.
"Come'ere." Sirius slurred only slightly. He could hold his alcohol well, Harmony noticed.
The pair stumbled down off the deck, and down to the dark grass. Sirius led her to a little tree just beside the lake, only a hundred feet from the rest of the party. Harmony looked over the rippling water, not paying mind to the coldness because of the alcohol still acting as a heater inside her body.
She heard cries of "Ten, nine, eight-" echoing around the grounds of James' house.
Suddenly, Harmony felt light fingers trailing down her cheek. She looked over to see Sirius, standing much closer then she realized. He was looking right into her eyes. Grey and silver were swirling around in them, making them dark, mysterious yet still full of laughter and mischief. There was something else there too that she couldn't quite place.
His fingers slipped down and lightly traced the line of her collarbone, and the purple bruise on it that seemed somehow darker in the shadows. The moonlight made his jaw and cheekbones stand out, and his lips were parted slightly.
Sirius' eyes dropped from Harmony's sea-green and brown ones to her full lips, also parted, revealing a set of straight, white teeth glowing in the dark.
"I'm going to kiss you now." he whispered, one of his hands resting in the small of Harmony's back and the other one on the back of her neck, tangled in her long hair.
Harmony's heart was beating out of her chest, her hands shaking slightly. She somehow mumbled back, "Happy New Year, Sirius."
No sooner than she said this, his soft lips pressed against hers, and fireworks erupted in her stomach. As their lips moved together, something burst inside her, summoning her Gryffindor courage to pull him down closer to her and curve her body to fit perfectly in his. They were a perfect match, Sirius thought while he felt Harmony's body press into his, and he moved his fingers in small circles on the back of her neck.
Cheers and screams of 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!' were filling the pair's ears from the deck, echoing off the chilly water of the lake. It felt like a million miles away to Harmony and Sirius.
A million thoughts were running through Harmony's brain, saying the same thing but in various phrases.
SHE WAS KISSING SIRIUS!
SIRIUS WAS KISSING HER BACK!
These thoughts only lasted for a few moments, until Harmony's attention was completely focused completely on the body and lips of a certain gorgeous, curly black haired, sixteen-year-old Gryffindor.
Neither pulled away from each other when someone with a deep voice yelled a couple minutes later, "Hey, who's over there? By that tree?"
"That looks like-"
"-Sirius and Harmony?"
"Way to go, Padfoot!" James exclaimed, whooping and hollering drunken phrases about snogging and trees and there was even one about beavers. Harmony could feel the gaping stares and grins of her friends across the pond, accompanied with the whistles and shouts.
Sirius pulled away gently from Harmony, breathing deeply, with both his arms still around her. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.
Harmony reached inside her pocket and gave the little firework to Sirius. "Do the honours?" She muttered, her words slurring a little, still drunk off of the firewhiskey, butterbeer, and most of all, Sirius. She didn't have as much alcohol as she expected she would, probably because she wanted to remember the first moments of the new year before she became too pissed to think straight.
Sirius just grinned, took the firework in his hand and whipped it over to the party on the deck. It landed in a puddle and before anyone could react, it exploded everywhere. It was the most magnificent firework any of them had ever seen. So worth being hit on by that creepy oily guy selling the illegally made fireworks, Harmony thought.
Sirius ripped his eyes away from the endless bursting of colours and lights to a much better sight; Harmony. Her hair was a beautiful curly mess, face warm and glowing, everything about her took Sirius' breath away. She didn't even try. All her beauty was just natural. Sirius could see the bursting colours of the fireworks reflected in Harmony's eyes. He could also see all the happiness, excitement and mischief in them too, accompanied by the wicked grin she had glowing on her face.
Just then Sirius swung Harmony around to the back of the tree to where no one could see them again, ripping her attention back to Sirius. She didn't object whatsoever as he leaned down to kiss her cheek and then jaw. Harmony just pulled him closer to her body, if that was possible. She was pressed against the trunk as Sirius gave her a knee-weakening smile and kissed her again on the lips, the fireworks in her stomach matching the ones in the sky.
"Happy New Year, Harmony." he muttered, heat radiating off him to Harmony.
And between being under the fireworks and stars, the music playing loudly echoing around them, the hope of a new year, new beginnings, and that one perfect boy pressed flush against her, it was a very happy new year indeed.
BANG!
Harmony shot straight up in her warm bed, a dark sky beyond her window. She wasn't concerned about how she got in her bed, as she immediately recognized that she was at James'. One thing she was concerned about was what the bloody hell that noise was. Harmony blinked and scanned the room, her eyes catching sight of her best friend, Becca, across the room, staring wide-eyed at Harmony. "Did you hear-"
"Shhh." Harmony put a finger to her lips, eyes sliding to the clock on the wall that read four am. She'd only been sleeping for about and hour and a half. And Harmony also noticed there was the tangy smell fireworks and booze in the room. That wasn't really a surprise, but it prodded more questions to form in her mind. She remembered kissing Sirius, and for a moment her stomach flipped and her cheeks got red while she remember the feel of him against her, his lips moving on hers…
What had she done last night, though? Or tonight? Or before she went to sleep? Whatever it was. She remembered kissing Sirius under the tree, fireworks, getting dared to do something and everyone chanting something like 'fly, fly!'...she couldn't remember...and...someone threw her in the pond? Awesome. Harmony pulled her hand up to feel her hair, which was still a little damp. Bloody fantastic.
Harmony was ripped out of her confused thoughts by another BANG echoing through the room. Harmony tried getting up out of bed. The alcohol was clearly still raging in her system, resulting in Harmony still being fairly drunk. She watched as Becca fell out of her bed, too. Suddenly, Harmony heard something from the floor below. Her eyes widened and she stared at Becca, terrified. There hushed voices coming from the floor below, and Harmony was sober enough to know that these didn't belong to any of their mates. They were hissing voices. Harsh voices. The worst part - familiar voices, ones she'd heard before. The deepest voice she'd heard in a dark, cold corridor, not very long ago, hovering over her hissing, "Regret pissing us off now, don't you?"
"I'll be right back." And before Becca could protest, Harmony whipped aside her covers and grabbed her wand from under her pillow, where she always slept with it. She crept noiselessly to the door.
After finding that the hallway was empty, she nearly bolted out, heading for her other friends' bedroom to see if they were okay. Someone else had the same idea.
Harmony ran into something tall and solid with a familiar (and very attractive) scent. Just the smell made Harmony's heart beat fast and her cheeks flush.
"Sirius, what's-" Harmony started, ignoring the fact that she was wearing nothing but track pants and a tight tank top that she didn't remember putting on. Harmony quickly shoved the fabric down that was pushed up from sleeping to cover the bare skin of her exposed hip. Now was not the time to make Sirius look at her positively, not that she looked good with more skin showing...she could use hangover potion right now. She needed to fucking focus. Death Eaters were in the bloody house.
Harmony had to suppress the urge of vomiting even more when looked up to see the deadly mixture of terror and fury in Sirius' eyes. "They're here, Harmony. Death Eaters. They got past the enchantments. I saw them from my window. Meet me in your room." he said, voice trembling.
Harmony tried to ignore the pounding in her head as Sirius and her acted upon an untold agreement to rush around and alert the others.
Harmony burst into Lily and Liven's room to find them miraculously still sleeping soundly. "Lily, Liven, get up now." Harmony said in a scary-calm voice, shaking Liven violently.
"Wha-" Liven started, her eyes half-openeing.
"They're here, the Death Eaters. Sirius just saw them and I woke up to them blowing down the front door. Wake Lily now and come over to my room, quickly." Harmony threw a hoodie at Liven and ran out the door again. The harsh whispers were getting louder and closer as they navigated their way through the house. Why were they here?
She ran into her own room to find that all five of the other sleepy teenagers were frozen, wide-eyed with various looks of horror, fear, shock and anger on their faces. Harmony went over to her trunk and pulled out a sweater, because she was freezing. Every movement was causing her pain in her head and stomach and al she really wanted to do was lie down and sleep for days. Maybe drink some coffee in the process. She still couldn't even walk completely straight and that was severely problematic.
Lily and Liven crept in, hissing. "In the next corridor. They're in the next corridor. How did they get in? What do they want?" Lily sounded close to tears. James got up and patted her on the back in a comforting way. She didn't protest.
"Apparate to Hogsmeade. Who knows how to apparate safely? Who think they're sober enough?" Sirius said, a determined look in his face.
Lily, James, Sirius and Remus raised their hands. The voices sounded outside their door. "They've got to be here somewhere! That List kid said she'd be spending New Year's at the Potter's with his little ex-girlfriend, the other mudblood."
Lily gasped. List. Her ex-boyfriend Korey List was now a Death Eater? "No-" she started, horrified, before James cut her off with a shush.
Suddenly, the door was blasted off its hinges, dust flying everywhere from the fractured walls. Lily screamed and frantically grabbed Liven as James groped through the dust for Peter, and Remus grabbed Becca. They all apparated at the same time to the safety of Hogsmeade in an instant and without a word.
"Sirius!" Harmony screamed, launching herself at Sirius.
A spell wizzed by her ear. She shot the nastiest hex she could think of back in that general direction with her wand. It must of hit because she heard a grunt and a thump. Loud, wicked laughter rung out through the dust.
"Going away so quick, are we? Like the little cowards you are." a high, mocking voice screeched.
Sirius stiffened. "Bellatrix." He said the name with such hate, such fury, that it sent chills down Harmony's spine. Sirius pulled out his wand.
"Oh, wittle Sirius! What a treat! Your mother will be happy it was me that got to finish you." Bellatrix emerged, along with Avery and Malfoy, and to to Harmony and Sirius' horror, there was also another seven Death Eaters emerging from the shadows. Why did they send so many? The fuck?
Harmony tried her best to remain calm. She was terrified of things just appearing, emerging from the darkness. Especially if they're Death Eaters who out number you five to one, not counting the man lying unconscious on the ground, victim to Harmony's hex.
"So this is her? This is the girl?" Malfoy said in a bored tone.
"Sure is. She's the little piece of filth that survived our encounter a couple weeks ago. Tell me, how are you healing up?" Avery mocked.
"Just perfect, thank you." Harmony hissed back, her hand tightly clutching Sirius' arm to prevent him from launching at his wicked cousin, Bellatrix.
"Good to know. We're here to speed up the healing process a little. I'm sure death will do it, right?" Avery grinned evilly.
"I don't believe that will be necessary." Harmony spat through her teeth, running her hand down Sirius' bare back, trying to do anything to distract him from his horrid blood-related cousin.
"Oh look at this!" Bellatrix screeched, her eyes upon Harmony's arm that was reaching behind Sirius. "A Black and a mudblood! You are a disgrace, Sirius! You shouldn't even be worthy of life, associating with things as dirty as her! ROT IN HELL, THE BOTH OF YOU!" Flames of fury danced in her eyes.
They were nothing compared to Sirius', though.
"Don't talk about her like that!" Sirius roared, charging forward and knocking Bellatrix right of her feet.
"Sirius!" Harmony screamed, blocking a spell from Malfoy, then another from Avery while they both advanced, the rest of their hooded and cloaked audience roaring with laughter.
Sirius wrestled Bellatrix down to the ground, but before he could use any spell against her, Harmony dodged Avery's curse and launched herself at Sirius, pushing him off. "She's not worth killing! Voldemort will do that and more when he finds out they didn't catch us! That's if they actually don't catch us."
While Harmony's attention was on Sirius, she didn't see the curse shot at her by the curse hit her, Sirius grabbed Harmony's shoulder and apparated them to Hogsmeade.
They landed badly but thankfully no splints. Harmony tumbled over in a bush outside the Three Broomsticks, retching out her entire stomach onto the ground. Blood was pouring out of her side, flowing freely down her ripped clothes from below her ribs, in the curve of her hip. Sirius was panting beside her, shakily getting to his feet.
Someone held her up before she could collapse against the brick wall. "Sirius-"
Suddenly Dumbledore was there in his light blue dressing gown along with a couple Ministry officials.
He took one look at Harmony's deep gash in her side, the claw marks from Bellatrix's nails that ripped his flesh all down Sirius' chest and said, "A healer is in the castle now, along with the Minister."
"Okay I-" Sirius started.
"One thing, before you go. Which one of you were they looking for?" Dumbledore questioned.
Sirius looked baffled, but Harmony said loud and clear, "They were looking for me." And that was when she felt the last of her remaining consciousness bleed from her body with the scarlet blood flowing freely from the wound in her side.
Maybe not such a happy new year after all.