There's something to be said about being home. Home isn't necessarily a place where you live, or a place where your family lives. Home; the place where someone feels the most comfortable. They feel that they can relax and settle down without the brooding cloud of stress, anxiety or fear casting shadows around them. They can eat as much as they please, wear what they want, do anything, anywhere, whenever.
And Harmony couldn't express her relief when she dropped her bags in the front hall, breathing in the scent of her mother's favourite candle mixed with the smell of fresh paint, as her family had apparently grown sick of beige everything. She was finally home, and it was great. Of course, Hogwarts was just as equally her home, but it was different from where her family resided. At Hogwarts, there were classes to worry about, other girls sharing a room with her, and one thousand other students in the school under the same roof, eating the same food. It was nice to be alone in her own space, where she could refresh herself.
Now, Harmony was sprawled out in her little backyard porch, Becca by her side. They suntanned and soaked up the feeling of the hot sun beating down on them. It was beautiful, blissful, and Harmony couldn't recall a time where she was so relaxed.
"God, I love you, summer." Becca sighed, and Harmony heard the smile in her voice.
"Same." Harmony replied, shielding her eyes as she turned her head to look at Becca. "It's so weird not worrying about school work."
"I know, I constantly have mini-panic attacks because I feel like I have Transfiguration homework." Becca laughed, and Harmony joined in.
"We've been a week off and already I feel like school was a million years ago."
Becca replied as children's laughter echoed down the street. "It's crazy how fast time flies when you laze around and do nothing with your best friend."
"True!" Harmony threw her head back and barked out a laugh. "Honestly, we should go out or something."
"I would say let's get hammered tonight but I have a family party tomorrow." Becca muttered. "And we both knew how bad that went down last time." she sat up and flipped her dirty blonde, shoulder-length hair off to one side.
"My mum offered for you to come but ever since my cousin tried to make out with you two years ago I know you've been avoiding him like mad so I told her you were working at the grocery store for a part-time job."
"Becca, I'm a fucking witch. I don't even use muggle money." Harmony laughed. "But thanks. Was it really that obvious that I was avoiding him?"
"My mum doesn't think like that - she's also a muggle if you've forgotten! And uh, yeah. It was pretty fucking obvious." Becca replied immediately. "Like, really obvious. Remember that time he came over to my house when you were over?"
"Oh, yeah." Harmony said, letting her hands drop down off the chair and graze the wooden deck. "But it wasn't that bad."
"You hid in my bathtub until he left and I had to tell my mother you went home. And then you jumped out my window to escape." Becca sassed. "That classifies as pretty bad."
"Well, no offence, but he gives me the creeps now. I'll never be able to look at him the same."
"Understandable." Becca slid her sunglasses back on, sighing again.
"We're gonna look like dry bacon if we don't put sunblock on." Harmony commented, her eyes closed.
"Shut the fuck up, Harmony, you don't even burn. I'm the one with Irish blood in me you little shit."
"Believe me, I know. Last summer? Early August? Your mother wouldn't even let you leave the house, that's how bad the burn was." Harmony leaned over and jabbed Becca in the ribs.
"Don't remind me, I can still feel the pain today." Becca groaned.
"Um, wait!" Harmony said, turning to squint at the bathing suit Becca was wearing. "Excuse you. That's mine."
"Well, I'm not going to deny it." Becca confessed, standing up and stretching.
Harmony stood up too, rubbing her stomach. "I'm hungry." she complained. The sound of a muggle lawnmower started up from one of the houses next to Harmony, and not soon after the sweet smell of freshly cut grass filled their nostrils.
"Same." Becca said, tying her hair back in a ponytail. "Let's order a pizza, I want food."
Harmony led the way into the empty house, the darker lighting hurting her eyes as she removed her sunglasses. "Alright. But let's get it sent to the neighbour's house because I don't think muggles can get through the enchantments."
Becca laughed, "Oh the things we do because the darkest wizard of all time wants to kill everyone you know!" she collapsed dramatically on the couch.
"Shut up." Harmony said. "I can barely leave the house. And when I do, I have to tell the aurors where I'm going and usually one of them trails me." Harmony said, slipping on her huge t-shirt. "I mean, I really am incredibly thankful because they're protecting my house twenty-four hours a day, but like, I'm seventeen and sometimes I wanna go but illegal alcohol without a Ministry worker trailing me."
"Technically it's not illegal in the wizarding world, Harms." Becca pointed out wisely, picking up the telephone and dialling the pizza number. "Ten months in Hogwarts has me barely remembering how to work a phone."
Harmony snorted. "I know, my mum had to teach me how to use this microwave thing again. Like, you'd never know I was muggleborn."
"We're in the same boat." Becca said. "Wait, did I tell you about this guy I saw in Witch Weekly? Because wholy fucking shitholes, the things I would—hi! I would like to order a pizza."
Harmony burst out in laughter as Becca placed their order and gave the pizza company the address for the people next door, all the while suppressing a grin. After she hung up, she yelled, "Shut up!" This only made Harmony laugh louder as she idly flipped through some muggle magazine of her mother's.
About a half hour passed, and Harmony started pulling plates out of the cupboard as Becca said, "Okay. So. Who's gonna be the one who awkwardly waits on your neighbour's porch for the pizza?"
Harmony looked at Becca. Becca looked at Harmony. Just as Becca yelled, "I vote you!" Harmony shouted, "Not me!"
Becca laughed, then stopped. "Seriously, I'm not going out there."
"Well, neither am I." Harmony said stubbornly.
"Harmony." Becca whined.
"Nope." she shook her head, pointing to the door. "Bye."
"Fuck you." she groaned, then slipped off the chair she resided on. Harmony heard the door open and close, and as soon as she had laid out the plates, she went over to the living room window to make faces at Becca while she waited.
Harmony watched her best friend cross the lawn, go up the perfectly clean and white stone stairs of her neighbours' porch and glance in the living room window subconsciously. Suddenly, Becca's eyes went really wide and her jaw dropped.
Harmony watched in horror as Becca practically fell off the cement porch and sprinted full out towards Harmony's house again. Her eyes barely registered the way the air shimmered slightly as she passed through the enchantments (of course they were lessened by the guarding auror when Becca came in first).
"What? What?" Harmony yelled, throwing open the door for Becca as she approached.
Becca collapsed on the floor and covered her eyes, making inhumane groaning noises.
"Becca! What the fuck just happened?" Harmony said, her hands in her hair as her heart rate sped up.
"They-oh my god. They were-" Becca rolled on her back and looked at Harmony with wide eyes, but instead of horror on Becca's facial features, there was laughter and disgust, all in one. "Your neighbours were—they were…oh god, Harmony they were fucking-"
Harmony burst out laughing. "WHAT?"
"I was-" Becca was laughing too, trying to get her words out in between breaths. "-walking up the thingy, there, and I looked in the window and dick! Dick everywhere! Fucking oh my god, Harmony I just saw your like fifty-something neighbours having sex on their living room floor - OH MY GOD." Becca couldn't speak anymore, her face was red and she was rolling on the floor laughing.
Harmony fell back and landed on the couch behind her awkwardly, gasping for breath. She knew her face must have been a shade of purple, but she couldn't stop laughing. "NO-" pant, "-FUCKING WAY-"
"RIGHT THERE ON THE FLOOR, HARMONY, I SWEAR ON MY FUCKING LIFE." Becca yelled hysterically.
"Did they see you?" Harmony asked, wiping tears from her cheeks.
"I don't know!" Becca burst, looking horrified but full of humour at the same time.
"Becca! If they saw you…they're my neighbours!" Harmony yelled.
"Well it's not my fucking fault they decided to do the nasty by their front fucking window-" Becca turned sharply and looked out Harmony's front window. "PIZZA!"
She grabbed the money off the floor and took off running over to the house beside Harmony again, before the pizza man could get to the door and either see the preoccupied people or worse, interrupt them. Becca waved her arms wildly at the middle-aged man wearing all red and carrying a white box. He glanced in her direction, looking alarmed that a sixteen-almost-seventeen year old girl with a purple face wearing nothing but a bathing suit was yelling at him.
A couple minutes later, Becca returned to the house, pizza in hand, and said, "Although I no longer have an appetite, I hope this pizza makes up for the fact that I just witnessed two wrinkly fifty-year olds rolling around on the floor of their living room with no clothing on. Actually though Harmony, who does that? That's not cute. That's not hot. Oh god. I'm going to vomit."
Harmony snatched the box away and said, "Suit yourself, I'm starved."
Becca glared at her for a second and said, "Fine. I am, too. Not even that can take away my appetite for pizza."
"Thought so," Harmony laughed, offering her a slice.
"You, there." Harmony's mum yelled as her daughter tried to run up the stairs unnoticed.
It had officially been just over two weeks off school. Harmony occupied her time with Becca, a couple visits from Liven and Lily, food, wandering around at night, playing with Charlotte, shopping, muggle films, board games, family parties, sleeping in until ungodly hours, and writing Sirius. By the sounds of it, he was having an amazing time. He raved about the wizarding hotel they were staying at and the views they had from the rooms, the unbelievably good food, the culture, the sightseeing, and of course, all the hilarious moments provoked by the two daring teenage boys in a foreign in country.
He had been asking her about how she was doing, but her own letters paled in comparison to his exotic tales. She didn't mind, though. He deserved to have an amazing kick off to the summer, and she was absolutely thrilled to see how much fun he was having. Just the sight of her owl flowing in with a fresh letter clasped in its talons was enough to get her excitement buzzing.
Harmony rolled her eyes and backtracked to the kitchen, away from the staircase.
"What were you trying to hide from me?" her mother smirked, brushing her dark hair off her shoulder and regarding Harmony with bright eyes.
"I was trying to hide the fact that I just dropped a lot of pocket money buying books today." Harmony laughed truthfully, holding out the bulging bag she was trying to run up the stairs with. "They were having a sale at Morgan's." she explained. Morgan's was the little bookstore on the corner just a twenty minute walk from Harmony's new house, mainly consisting of used books which were relatively current. It was run by an elderly couple looking for a productive retirement.
"Were you running because it was the money your Dad gave you yesterday to put in your savings jar?" her mother said, raising an eyebrow and leaning against the doorframe.
"Perhaps." Harmony drew out the word, trying not to laugh. "It's not like he gave me a hugely significant amount, anyway. It was twenty pounds."
"What are we going to do with you?" Adrianne laughed. "Spending all your money on books. Just like me."
Harmony laughed. "There's a couple in there for Sirius, too. We have this thing for mystery novels and I had to stock up."
"Mystery novels, huh?" Adrianne asked, retreating back into the kitchen and leaving Harmony no choice but to follow. "I would've thought it'd be romance with the way you two look at each other."
Harmony's face heated up. "Mum. Don't." she groaned, wanting to run away again.
"Sorry! Just saying." her mother smiled, pouring herself another cup of coffee. Between her and her husband, it was no wonder Harmony loved coffee so much - the household had a 24/7 supply waiting to be consumed.
"So, Mum." Harmony guessed it was a good time to bring about the subject of her staying with the Potters' and Sirius staying there for a couple days.
"So, Harmony." her mother countered, sitting at the kitchen table and adjusting her t-shirt a little when she sat down.
Harmony plopped down in the chair across from her, dropping the overflowing bag on the floor. "I was just thinking about the summer and I had a great idea."
"What is it, then?" Mrs Sea drank from the red mug.
"What would you say if I Sirius came to stay with us for a couple days or so and I'd go stay with the Potters' after?" Harmony crossed her fingers under the table painfully.
"I would probably say yes."
"Probably?"
"Well, you also have a father that said you weren't allowed to date until you were forty."
"Right." Harmony said.
"But, I think I'll be able to convince him if I play my cards right." Harmony's mother grinned slyly at Harmony from across the table, looking so much like her daughter.
"You're a good mum." Harmony laughed. "Thank yoooooou!"
"I know I am. It's only because I was the exact same way at your age." Mrs Sea laughed, pulling over the muggle newspaper and opening it up. "I might've been worse."
"You rebel!" Harmony exclaimed dramatically, standing up and grabbing the bursting bag. Her mum's laughter followed her up the stairs and to her room.
Harmony drifted past Charlotte's empty room (she was at their Nonna's for the day while Mrs Sea had her day off work, running errands and relaxing), and entered her own bedroom which was bright from the sunlight streaming in the window. Harmony decided to swap her jeans and t-shirt for her ripped denim shorts and a loose plaid shirt.
A couple minutes later, Harmony came back down the stairs and found her mum in the same position as she was a couple minutes previously. "Mum, I think I'm going to head back in town for a while."
"Okay," her mother replied. "Where are you going?"
"Not sure, probably out for lunch at that little shop on the corner or something. Just going to explore a bit." Harmony answered, slipping on her trainers and tucking some muggle money into her bag. Her wand poked out a little and she shoved it down further - the last thing she needed was for some muggle to ask her why she had a stick in her purse.
"Alright, but be back soon because I need you to help me with dinner. There's this recipe here that I've been dying to try out. Can you pick me up some cranberry sauce from the grocery store?"
"Like the canned stuff or the fresh stuff made in the store?"
"Um." Mrs Sea scanned the article on the page and replied, "The fresh stuff, please."
"Sure thing." Harmony left the house and made her way down the front walk again. "Hey." she called to the auror.
He was scary-looking and looked to be about thirty-something. He had a shoulder width twice the size of Harmony's and hair darker than Sirius'. "You leaving again?"
"Um, yeah. Sorry." Harmony said. At the beginning of the summer, she was scared to leave the house because she felt so bad that the auror had to trail her wherever she went.
"Weren't you just out?" he whined, but smiled. Harmony decided he looked a lot more approachable when he smiled.
"Yeah, but there's not much to do around here." Harmony admitted.
"Well, you go on, then. I'll follow in a moment."
Harmony was off down the street again for the second time that day. She walked past all the houses as the clouds flitted in front of the sun over and over again. The neighbourhood was nice. It really was. Strangely enough, Harmony felt that it was almost exactly like her old neighbourhood. Initially, she had found it odd and a little confusing as to why the Ministry had relocated the family so close to the old house but now Harmony understood that there were so many bloody enchantments around the new place that by the time any Death Eaters had made a significant go at breaking through them, more backup aurors would already be on the scene to save the day.
The houses in the surrounding area looked the same, more or less. They were all within the colour schemes of greys and browns - nothing to out of the ordinary. When Harmony's mother had painted the front door of their own house red, it caught people's eyes immediately - not that anyone would be able to approach the house anyway. Harmony had asked one of the many aurors who had taken a shift guarding the house what they planned to say when people started asking questions about the creepy robed guys standing outside the fence all the time, and the auror had replied that there was this enchantment bubble that when in it, made the occupier invisible to muggles. It was complex and still risky, so the aurors had to be ultra careful when they were stepping in and out of it. Still, it made Harmony's head hurt and she not for the first time wondered how much magic was around the house.
All the lawns on the road were bright green and cut short, the gardens neat and lively. Some people had fences to hold in their wandering children or hyper dogs, while others opted for a line of perfect green shrubs. At first sight, the neighbourhood was beautiful - a perfect place to live if you were married and had kids. But, after living in it for almost three weeks, Harmony was getting sick of the cookie-cutter community. She secretly hoped for someone to burn down a shed or throw a wild party and leave cans of beer and panties all over the lawn. Harmony laughed out loud as she turned the corner, heading closer to the outskirts of the little city.
As soon as the houses turned into little boutiques and coffee shops, Harmony knew she had arrived. The bookstore she had visited that morning stood open and busier, as it was later on in the day. Just past it, there was a large courtyard made out of new-looking cobblestone. People were milling about; a group of young girls laughing and eating ice cream, two mothers pushing strollers back and forth quickly, impatient babies in them, while the women conversed. Harmony gazed around, deciding which place she wanted to eat at. She spied an ice cream stand that had the same label that the girls' cups bore, and decided on the spot that ice cream sounded like a pretty good lunch.
"Er-" she said, leaning over to the side to read the flavours after she approached the stand. She gave up and pointed to some explosive-looking chocolate concoction. "I'll have whatever the hell that is."
The kind-looking man laughed, pushing up his rectangular glasses. "Chocolate Volcano." Ah. Of course.
"Sure." She pointed to the size of cup she wanted, and watched as the man served her. "Thank you." she said, digging around for the change. She placed a pound in the man's hand and walked away, catching his "Thank you for your service." and smiling in return.
Harmony wandered around the edge of the courtyard, eating her ice cream and enjoying the solitude. It was nice not to have people around her all the time, like she usually did. She didn't have to worry about keeping up a conversation or factoring in what the other person wanted when deciding what to do.
She spotted the grocery store and headed towards it. Inside, it took her about five minutes to locate the fresh cranberry sauce, all the while trying not to drop her ice cream as she ate it. She brought the little plastic container full of sauce to the counter.
The cashier glanced at her and stopped. "Harmony Sea?"
"Oliver?" Harmony laughed, soaking in the appearance of the boy in front of her. He, Becca and Harmony spent basically all of grade five together - they were the best of friends until the girls left for Hogwarts. "Oh my gosh, how have you been?"
His blonde hair had gotten longer, he had gotten taller and full in body, yet his baby face remained the same. Becca and Harmony used to tease him all the time for how much he looked like a cute little kid. He had blue eyes, pale skin, round cheeks, and a sunny smile. "I'm great! Wow, I haven't seen you in years."
"I know! Did you move?" Harmony asked, realizing that this was quite a ways away from his old house.
"Yeah, a couple years ago. My parents split up." he replied, but he didn't sound all that torn up about it. Probably because of all the time that's passed. "How's boarding school?"
"It's really good. I love it." she smiled, handing him the sauce. "How's life for you?"
"Life is great. I don't know if you remember her - Mary Parks? - I've been dating her for just over a year and we're both planning on going to the same university after we graduate." he said excitedly, scanning the item.
"Oh my god! Mary Parks - the Mary Parks? The one your were practically in love with?" Harmony laughed, handing him the money to pay.
"The one and only." he grinned, passing her the receipt and bag. No one was behind her in line, so she stuck around to finish the conversation. "How about you? How's your family? Got a boyfriend?"
"The family's good. I have a little sister now, did you know?" Harmony said. "And yes, I have a Sirius."
"Really? Man. It's been so long. And is that so? You have a Sirius? Who's Sirius?" Oliver leaned back on the wall behind him. It was amazing how fast they reverted back to their old banter.
"A boy." she laughed.
"I knew you'd find someone who makes you blush by just mentioning his name. None of those other flings did that for you."
"It was grade school! They're not supposed to make you blush." Harmony snorted.
"True." he agreed. "I'm so glad I saw you. Are you here for the summer?"
"Yeah. Are you?" Harmony asked.
"I'm actually going to my grandma's for the summer, she lives in Dublin. I leave in two days." Oliver replied excitedly.
"Oh my god, that's amazing. You must be so excited." Harmony replied.
"I-" Oliver stopped and peered around Harmony, out the shop window. "Oh my gosh. Would you get a load of that guy? Look at him, Harmony!"
Harmony turned her head to see who Oliver was referring to. She felt her smile fade, all of the blood in her face drain away.
Ryan. Ryan was here. Ryan was here. Ryan was here.
She took in the sight of her very own brother, dressed in black robes and wearing a facial expression alien to the boy Harmony remembered.
"Jesus. He looks like he's going to a superhero convention or something. Wait - he looks kind of familiar." Oliver craned his neck even more, eyes squinting.
Harmony was frozen in place. Her heart was pounding so hard that she wasn't sure if Oliver could hear it or not. Her hands almost dropped the bag as they immediately started to shake. Her only thought was I need to get out of here.
"I-um-" Harmony stuttered. "I really have to go. But it was-it was really good to see you. I hope you have fun in Dublin." Harmony forced a smile on her face, practically pulling a muscle from trying so hard.
"Oh, okay! Hopefully I'll see you soon!" he called as Harmony high-tailed it towards the exit, eyes glued to the robe-clad back of her brother. He was taller and more muscular than she remembered. He looked twenty, not fifteen. Ryan was here.
"Oh my god, oh my god." she muttered over and over again frantically. She was unprepared. She wasn't ready to deal with seeing a Death Eater in this newfound place. She wasn't ready to deal with seeing Ryan so close to home.
Harmony ducked behind a corner, scanning the people in the vast courtyard for the auror who was supposed to be trailing her. After about a minute, Harmony spotted the massive man on a bench reading a newspaper, no longer wearing auror robes. Instead, he had opted for a simple t-shirt and jeans to fit in better.
Ryan had disappeared inside some shop, so Harmony sprinted over the the man on the bench in a complete panic - she wasn't thinking. She wasn't processing anything. He looked up and before he could speak, Harmony burst, "My brother's here. My brother is here and I just saw him walk in that shop-" she pointed towards the place across from them where Ryan was visible through the front window, browsing what looked to be boots.
In an instant, the man had whipped out his wand and pulled Harmony away from the open, crowded area and into an alley. He disapparated, and a second later, Harmony was in front of her house again. The man fumbled to regain his balance, whipping his head from side to side and doing a quick sweep of the house with his eyes.
"Listen to me." the auror looked at her. "Do not leave the house. Understand? Stay inside and ensure that your mum is there, too. I'm going to the Ministry to get backup and your dad and sister will be brought back to the house, too." he waved his wand, and his muggle clothing turned into his protective auror gear.
"Wait!" Harmony yelled, grabbing the auror's huge arm. "What are you going to do to him? You can't arrest him-"
"Leave that to the Ministry, Ms Sea." he tried to pull away.
"No!" Harmony yelled, "Just—just wait a moment-"
"Ms Sea, your brother works for You-Know-Who. I'm sorry, but if he's here, putting you and your family in danger-" He called for his owl that stayed hidden up in the tree in the Seas' front yard. The owl had a single feather clutched in its claws, and the auror yelled to it, "The Ministry!"
"But-but-" Harmony started to hyperventilate. She couldn't get the words out. Everything could fall apart within the next twenty minutes and she had no control over it-
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go inside, now. The longer I stay here, the more time he has to find your dad or sister." the man grabbed Harmony's shoulders and pushed her towards the house.
The owl was already a distant speck in the sky as Harmony was being pushed across the yard. "You can't-" she said, feeling tears leak over her eyes. Of course, she had pictured this before. She had pictured Ryan getting arrested. But she didn't realize how she would actually feel if it happened. She didn't think that she would want him to get away. She didn't think that she would react like this.
He was wearing Death Eater robes, she tried to reason with herself. Why did she go to the auror? Why did she tell him that she saw Ryan?
"Harmony?" Mrs Sea called, stepping out of the house and regarding the scene with shock. "What's going on?"
"Ms Sea!" the auror said urgently to Harmony. "You need to go into the house now!"
"Oh god-" Harmony's mum said, running down the steps and pulling Harmony inside the enchantments. She wrapped both arms's around her daughter's waist as the auror said quickly. "A Death Eater has been spotted, ma'am. I've contacted the Ministry, and your husband and daughter will be brought home immediately."
Harmony tired to escape her mother's arms, but she only held on tighter. "Of-of course. Harmony, come on. We need to get inside now."
As soon as Adrianne had pulled Harmony inside, there was a series of pops as more aurors arrived. "What's going on? Harmony! Why are you crying?"
Harmony ripped herself away from her mother's arms and wiped her eyes frantically, her hands still shaking violently. "Because it was Ryan!" she yelled. "Mum, they're going to arrest Ryan!"
"W-what?" at the mention of her only son's name, Harmony's mum stepped backward like she was hit with something. "What?"
"Oh god." Harmony groaned, sitting herself down on the ground and putting her hands over her face. "Oh god, oh god."
"No!" Adrianne cried out, eyes wide. "They can't—Ryan wouldn't-"
"Yes he would," Harmony said, knowing that it was undoubtedly the truth. Judging by his attire, judging by his facial expression…it was clear where Ryan Sea's loyalty now resided. Harmony choked out a sob. "He will, Mum. He will."
"No, he won't, Harmony!" her mother yelled, trying to get to the door where the aurors were gathered. There looked to be about ten now. "He wouldn't hurt us!"
"No-mum-" Harmony leaped in front of her mother, preventing her from exiting the house again. "I don't want him to get arrested either. I don't, Mum I don't."
Adrianne stepped out of Harmony's arms. "You're lying!"
"No, I'm not!" Harmony said, hands practically ripping her hair out. "That is the last thing that I want, Mum! But you didn't see him! He isn't the Ryan that we know, Mum!"
"How come?" her mother yelled, tears leaving wet trails down her face. "As soon as he sees me, his mother, he'll come back. I know he will." she heaved a sob, leaning against the wall. It shattered Harmony to see her own mother like this, the woman who was had always kept her composure, who had always been the shoulder, not the cryer. It killed Harmony to witness this.
"Mum." Harmony's voice cracked. She could feel how red her face was, tears continuing to fall down her cheeks as she explained to her mother what her son had come to. "He's dressed like them. He walks like them. His facial expression…Mum. He's not Ryan anymore."
"Yes, he is." Harmony had never seen her mother like this. Her clothes were no longer neat on her frame. Her hair was sticking up all over the place from her hands running through it. Her face was blotchy, her eyes red and swollen, tears coming out of them in a steady flow. "Yes, he is."
"Mum!" Harmony yelled, banging her forehead against the wall in frustration. How was she supposed to convince her mum that Ryan was bad? That he wasn't the social butterfly who was always smiling, like Mrs Sea remembered? "You have to trust me. We can't go after him. And I know it's bad for me to say, but I hope they don't catch him."
Her mother looked at Harmony. Her lips wobbled and she sunk to the carpet. "What happened to him, Harmony? Where did I go wrong?"
"You didn't do anything wrong." Harmony said quietly, feeling like she was just impaled. Harmony walked over and sat down in front of her mother. For the first time in her life, Harmony was comforting the woman who had always been that voice of advice and reason to her. It was bizarre. "He…he made his own choices. And we have to stop blaming ourselves."
"I just-" her mum sniffed. "if I had been there more. If I had written that extra letter, gotten him that shirt he begged for in the store, or told him I loved him a couple more times…"
"Mum." Harmony's voice wavered. "I blamed myself for the longest time. And still do, I guess. But I think we have to accept the fact that sometimes the bad outweighs the good."
"But he's always been good." Adrianne countered, trying to calm herself down. With every argument Harmony retreated farther and farther back into herself, preparing to bury these dark feeling deep down.
"He's always appeared to be good." Harmony hated herself. She didn't want to lie. She didn't want to convince her mum that this was all meant to be. She hated herself for trying to change her mum's perspective on things that she didn't even believe herself.
"I don't understand it, Harmony. I don't get it."
"I don't either." tears welled in Harmony's eyes again, and she fought them off. "But we can't change it back."
Mr Sea burst into the house with Charlotte, and both of them regarded the scene with shock for a moment before Harmony and her mum stood up. "I'm okay." Adrianne told her husband.
"I know who was spotted." he admitted, placing Charlotte on the floor and going over to hug his wife.
"Char." Harmony said. "Let's go find you a movie to watch."
"Why are you crying?" Charlotte asked loudly, allowing Harmony to pull her into the other room.
"I'm not." she quickly threw the closest movie into the DVD player, turning on the TV. Harmony said, "Leave Mummy and Daddy alone for a minute. They have to talk about grown up things, okay?"
"Okay." Charlotte said, settling back on the couch as the introduction to the movie started.
Harmony ran up the stairs and didn't bother suppressing her tears. She crashed on her bed and buried her face in her pillow, letting her emotions out. It wasn't often that she let herself sob like this, but Harmony figured it was better to let it out now than hold it in and have it spontaneously erupt in the middle of a conversation or something.
She imagined what the aurors were doing now, where they were. Did they get Ryan? Were they already the the Ministry with him? Did they tell him how he was found out?
She turned over on her back, eyes stinging. Harmony took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She shut her eyes and put her cold hands on her head in an attempt to gain control over herself again.
After a good hour, Harmony broke out of her trance and looked around her small room. Her focus landed on the blank piece of parchment and ink that she had taken out earlier, intending to reply to Sirius' letter.
Sirius. God, she needed him right now. She wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her.
She stood up, not looking out the window as she did so. Harmony sat down at her desk and picked up her quill, just as a knock at the door echoed around the house. Her immediate thought was Ryan. It was Ryan. Then, the logic in her brain reminded her that no one but a selected handful of people could get past the enchantments - and Ryan wasn't on the list.
She flew down the stairs, practically skipping half of them, and arrived at the door as soon as it was flung open by her mother. An auror stood there, looking serious.
They caught him. They caught Ryan. I'm now responsible for that fact that Ryan is going to Askaban, the worst place on earth. They caught him, and now he's gone forever. They caught him.
"We didn't catch him."
"You-you didn't?" Mrs Sea said, struggling to control her facial expression.
"No. We searched the entire area thoroughly with no results. Unfortunately, he had already left." the auror stepped back from the door and said, "We're going to have to up the guarding to two aurors outside the house - one to trail and one stay back and watch your home. I'm sorry about this."
He turned and walked back down the front walk, disapparating away when he was out of the bubble of enchantments. Mr Sea stepped forward and shut the door. "No wandering about anymore, alright? Only leave if we have to."
"This place is going to turn into a prison." Harmony commented, gazing, unfocused, at the closed door.
"Would you rather those people attack us?" Mr Sea snapped.
"Don't take this out on her." Mrs Sea said, uncrossing her arms and glancing at her husband.
"I'm sorry." he said. "But this has to happen."
"Just…" Harmony said, backing away from her parents. "Just leave me alone for a while."
Harmony disappeared back up to her room with a prominent feeling that this summer wasn't going to be what she hoped it would be. At least she had a good two and a half weeks of freedom, right?
A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, all!