Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Chapter 34 – Mirror, Mirror
The following morning found the occupants of Grimmauld Place gathered – once again – round the large table in the basement kitchen. Harry and his security detail were tucking in to a very large breakfast, cooked by Remus and Sirius, themselves. Molly and her brood were back at the Burrow, pulling themselves together for the return trip. Ron had sent an owl to Harry with a description of plans to meet up with Hermione at the station and settle in for the long trip back to school. Once breakfast had been eaten and the table cleared, Sirius caught Harry's eye and, smiling, gestured to the doorway. When Harry joined him, Sirius said, "I have something for you. Let's slip into the library for a moment, yeah?" At Harry's nod, Godfather and Godson ascended the staircase.
Once in the library, Sirius closed the door and reached into his pocket, withdrawing two velvet pouches. Smiling, he gave one of the pouches to Harry. "Open it," he instructed.
Harry did so, withdrawing a medium-sized, rectangular mirror. He looked up quizzically at Sirius and saw that his Godfather held the mirror's twin in his own hand.
"Your father and I came up with these in our 5th year," Sirius explained. "We charmed them so we could communicate with each other when we were serving separate detentions. You see, it didn't take too long for the professors to figure out that if they really wanted to make detentions mean anything to us, they had to make sure we were separated."
Harry grinned. "Well, obviously, the two of you figured out a way around that arrangement, didn't you?"
Sirius laughed. "Yes, although I don't believe they ever quite figured out how we did it." His face took on a more thoughtful look as he continued. "Harry, until Pettigrew is captured and my name cleared, you know that I'm pretty much stuck in this house. I can't get to you if you need me and communication with me through the Floo network isn't exactly safe. I'm afraid I'm not doing you much good as a guardian at this point in time," Sirius paused and Harry drew a deep breath. Sirius knew he was about to protest, so he put his hand up to stop him. "Harry, I know what you're about to say and, no, I didn't forget everything you said to me last night. I will never forget those words; believe me. But early this morning, I remembered these mirrors and realized that there is a way that you can communicate safely with me. So, I'm giving one to you and keeping one for myself. If you need me for anything, you can always reach me."
Harry's face lit up and he smiled. "Brilliant! How do they work?"
Sirius laughed. "You simply hold the mirror in your hand and say my name. It's charmed to warm when you do. If I'm with other people, I'll feel the temperature change and be able to go somewhere safe to speak with you. All I have to do is remove it from the pouch and hold it in front of my face and repeat my name. We'll then be able to see each other in our respective mirrors. If I need to reach you, we follow the same process, only in reverse. Once we're finished, we simply say, 'Finite' and the connection will be broken."
"Sirius, that's really brilliant! But, wait…," the smile left Harry's face as he put the mirror back into the pouch and secured the drawstring.
Sirius' face fell. "What is it, Harry?"
"If someone gets hold of this, can't they reach you? Isn't this dangerous for you?" Harry started to hand the pouch back to his Godfather.
Sirius put his hand over Harry's and gently pushed the pouch back toward the boy. "Harry, no. This poses no danger to me. Once you use the mirror, it activates the security charm that I've cast; the mirror will not function for anyone but you, Harry."
Harry sighed in relief and withdrew the mirror from the pouch. "Sirius", he said quietly.
The mirror in Sirius' hand warmed and he smiled and nodded at Harry. "Sirius", he repeated. Harry's smile told him that the charm was working perfectly – as did the reflection of the boy's face in the glass.
"Finite," they both said simultaneously and watched as their respective mirrors became blank once again and began to cool.
Harry looked up at his Godfather and Sirius' was touched to see tears in the boy's eyes. "Thank you, Sirius," he said, pocketing the pouch and embracing the older man. Sirius hugged him tightly and whispered, "Believe me, Harry, it's my pleasure. This way, I'm always there for you."
Harry drew back and looked into his Godfather's eyes. "You always have been, Sirius. I knew that before you gave this to me. Remember what you said to me the night you escaped with Buckbeak? 'The ones who love us never really leave us. We can always find them right here'," and Harry rested his hand over Sirius' heart. "That doesn't just mean Mum and Dad, you know – at least not to me. It means you – and Kate, too. It's just that with the mirror, I can actually have a conversation with you." He smiled crookedly and stepped back. Sirius' head was down and Harry wanted to give him a few moments to bring his emotions under control. Soon, Sirius brushed at his face, straightened his shoulders, lifted his head and looked at Harry. "Thank you, Harry," he paused for a moment and then took a deep breath and said, quietly, "I love you."
Harry smiled. "I love you, too, Sirius," he said.
They embraced again then Sirius patted Harry's back and began walking toward the door with him. "It will be time for you to leave soon," Sirius said quietly, then stopped before the closed doors. "Harry, you know that there's no love lost between Sna…between Professor Snape and me. What Dumbledore has him teaching you this term – Occlumency – is critical for you to learn. I can't stress that enough, Harry. If Voldemort actually has the ability to somehow connect with your mind, it is imperative that you learn to block him. Despite everything I might think of him, Snape's a brilliant Occlumens. And don't think that's an easy statement for me to make, either," Sirius smiled at the boy then grew somber again. "Use that mirror whenever you need me, Harry. It might be a useful way to blow off steam from your lessons with Snape; but if you do nothing else, pay attention to him and learn what he's been instructed to teach you, yeah?" Sirius looked Harry squarely in the eye and was rewarded with a nod.
"I promise," the boy said. Sirius squeezed his shoulder once more then reached for the door handle.
"Oh, one more thing," Sirius said before he opened the door. "My mirror is also keyed to recognize Kate, as well. The link is to my name so she can pick up a call from you if I am unavailable for some reason, such as when I'm with Remus during full moon, for example. One inconvenient thing about Padfoot – no hands." Sirius smiled and opened the door, letting Harry pass into the hallway ahead of him.
Harry turned. "Thanks, again, Sirius."
Loud footsteps were heard pounding up from the kitchen and both turned to see Mad Eye, Remus and Tonks – in those damnably heavy boots of hers – come into the hallway.
"Almost ready, Harry?" Remus asked, smiling.
"Yeah, sure. I'll just go and get my trunk," the boy responded, giving Sirius one more smile before heading up the stairs.
"Ok, Padfoot?" Remus asked softly.
Sirius gave his friend a rather sad smile. "Not really, but I will be. Travel safely, Mooney," he said, heading for the stairs to the kitchen – and Kate.
"Not sticking around for the departure, Black?" Moody asked, gruffly.
Sirius paused at the head of the stairs and turned. "Already said my goodbyes to the boy, Mad Eye; I don't need to watch him walk out the door, as well." With another sad smile, Sirius disappeared down the stairs.
XXXXXXXX
Kate was just putting the last of the dishes in the cupboard when Sirius came into the kitchen. She saw that his eyes appeared a bit red and knew that departure must be imminent.
"Everyone gone, then?" she asked, closing the cupboard door.
Sirius cleared his throat. "Just about. Did you say goodbye to Harry?"
Kate conjured two mugs of coffee and sat down next to Sirius. "Yes. While you and Remus were wreaking havoc with the eggs," she responded with a smile. "Are you ok?" she added, placing her hand on his arm gently. They both paused as they heard the front door close above them.
Sirius looked over at her and covered her hand with his. He shook his head, "It's hard to see him go," he said sadly.
"You sent him off with his contraband communication device, right?" Kate smiled, sipping her coffee and trying to distract Sirius' thoughts from the now almost empty house.
Sirius snorted lightly. "Yes, yes. Trained him up and everything." He looked over at her. "Contraband, indeed!"
Kate shrugged. "Well, they are, you know. Not that I wouldn't have done the same thing!"
Sirius smiled at her. "Well, that's a good thing, Madam, because, after all – your name is keyed to mine so you could answer a call from Harry if I wasn't able to do so!"
Kate's eyebrows rose. "Really? That was good thinking. Although I can't imagine a situation when you wouldn't have it with you!"
Sirius chuckled, his mood improving to the point where he almost felt triumphant that he'd out-thought her. "Think 'full moon', Katie-girl. Last time I checked, Padfoot had neither pockets nor hands."
"True. Shows you're slipping a bit, though." Kate chuckled as he snorted indignantly.
"'Slipping'?!" Sirius exclaimed. "Explain yourself!"
"Well, I just thought that a big, powerful wizard such as yourself would have figured out a way to reduce the mirror to a size that could hang off a dog collar." She eyed him over the rim of her mug, eyes twinkling merrily.
Sirius' blue eyes narrowed. "Obviously, Madam, you've not been paying attention. Padfoot does not wear a collar!"
Kate set her mug on the table and rose, swiftly covering the distance between her former seat and the door. With one foot on the bottom stair, she turned back to Sirius. "Yet," she said pointedly and, before he could move, Kate bolted up the stairs at breakneck speed. Checking behind her to see how quickly Sirius might be gaining on her, Kate felt herself run into something very solid at the top of the stairs. Two strong hands caught her by the shoulders, steadying and keeping her upright.
"'Slipping', am I?" Kate whipped her head around to see Sirius standing in front of her, grinning widely. "I'm a bit more concerned about your abilities, Madam. An accomplished, experienced Auror who doesn't stop to think that I might just Apparate to the hallway? As I believe they say in America, 'gotcha'!"
Kate finally caught her breath – more from the scare of finding Sirius waiting for her than the brief run. "Alright, Mr. Black. Now that you've 'got me', what do you plan to do with me?" she asked, smiling.
Sirius waggled his eyebrows up and down, linking his arm through hers and leading her into the library. "Study," he said.
"Sirius, really. What will we study?" Kate asked him.
As he closed the door, Sirius dropped her a wink and said, "Silencing charms!"
XXXXXXXX
When Remus returned to Headquarters later that afternoon, he found Kate and Sirius on "the porch", as Harry had christened it, snuggled on a sofa in front of a roaring fire. Since re-discovering the room with Harry that day, Sirius had found himself returning at times when the house seemed to be closing in on him. Enlisting the help of both Kate and Remus, he had magically cleaned and furnished the room, leaving the vast, newly cleaned expanse of glass uncovered to permit Sirius the sense of "outdoor access" for which he so yearned.
"Mooney!" Sirius greeted the werewolf as Remus sank into one of the deeply cushioned chairs in front of the fire. "Everyone get on board the train in good order?"
Remus smiled at the couple as Kate wriggled her toes impatiently in Sirius' lap to induce him to resume the wonderful massage he had abandoned while greeting his friend. Rolling his eyes, Sirius complied and Kate sighed contentedly and returned Remus' grin.
"There's nothing quite like a well-trained doggy, is there, Remus?" Kate chuckled, then gave a sharp yelp as Sirius tickled one arch in retaliation.
"Careful, Katie-girl," Sirius growled, although the soft smile on his face contrasted with his tone. "The well-trained doggy can get even, you know! Now, Mooney," he looked up at Remus. "We promise that there will be no further interruptions. Please, tell us about the trip."
Remus nodded. "It went just fine, Padfoot. Harry was duly delivered to the station, met up with the Weasley crowd – and Hermione – and is safely aboard the Express, traveling toward Hogsmeade Station as we speak."
Sirius nodded. "I'll bet Ron was happy to see Hermione again," he grinned evilly.
Kate pushed her toes into Sirius thigh, making the wizard yelp in a very undignified manner. "Careful, Padfoot," she said, trying – and failing- to mimic his earlier growl. "Remember that "collar" conversation we had earlier today. You leave that poor boy alone!"
Remus' brow furrowed and he was just turning toward Kate when Sirius said, "Never mind, Mooney, never mind. Doesn't really bear repeating, anyway."
Kate grinned at her friend and mouthed, "Later." Remus dropped her a conspiratorial wink and turned his attention back to Sirius.
"You know, Padfoot, I rather like this room. Doesn't have quite the same degree of peril as the bookcases in the library and with all the work we've done in here, it's right cozy," he said, putting his feet up on the ottoman and settling deeper into the cushion. "Makes a nice place for a nap."
Sirius smiled at his friend. "You go right ahead and snooze, Mooney. You deserve it."
Kate swung her legs to the floor and sat up. Leaning over, she kissed Sirius gently, then went over to Remus and kissed the top of his head, relishing Sirius' chuckle. "Gentlemen, I'm going to go downstairs and pull some lunch together for us. Shall we eat in here or the kitchen?"
Sirius immediately rose. "I'll come with you, love. Remus, you sit here and doze. We'll bring you some nourishment – yeah?"
Remus smiled at his friend. "Sirius, there's no reason I can't come and help out BUT if you insist, I will happily sit here in all my glory and allow you to wait on me."
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Remus," Kate chimed in. "My holiday ends today and I'm due back in my dreary little office tomorrow. You boys are going to be all on your own, I'm afraid."
"Then, I'll just have to take advantage of your generosity today," he responded, stretching his long legs out and closing his eyes.
Kate smiled and turned to find Sirius waiting at the door, a somber look on his face.
Kate laced her fingers with his as they stepped into the hallway and walked down to the kitchen. When they reached the cavernous room, Kate turned to him. "What is it, love?"
Sirius shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't be on holiday forever, but I had totally forgotten that you were going back tomorrow. It seems it's only been a few days since your holiday began."
Kate stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey," she said softly. "I'll still be coming home to you every night. I'll still wake up next to you every morning. You and Remus will stay busy during the day. You'll hardly realize I'm gone."
Sirius leaned down and kissed her deeply. "You're wrong, Katie. I always feel it when you're not here."
"Sirius, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of how you're feeling. You know that my job at the Ministry helps the Order, as well and…"
Sirius leaned forward and placed his fingers over her lips. "Kate, stop. I know that you have to go to work tomorrow. I know that your job helps the Order, which means that you help Harry. I suspect that somewhere in there you were going to also say something about how it might even help clear my name at some point. I also don't think that you've made light of anything. I know that you get it, Kate. Sometimes, I think you're the only one who really does get it." He paused and leaned in to kiss her gently. "No secrets, remember? I just needed to tell you how I felt. And I miss you when you're gone. I will miss you tomorrow when you get up and go to the Ministry, and I will be missing you until you come home to me tomorrow night. It won't kill me. It won't even drive me down the neck of a Firewhiskey bottle – not any more. But it will hurt not to have you right here – where I can reach out and touch you whenever I want to. And I don't want you to think that any amount of busy work or time spent with Remus will make that go away. I love you too much not to miss you when you're gone. Ok?" he smiled.
Kate nodded and returned his smile.
"Good," Sirius said. "It strikes me that for a man who said basically nothing for 12 years, I've certainly made my fair share of speeches lately."
Kate leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. "I love you; I will miss you, too. Terribly."
"Good", Sirius said. "And I love you, too. Now, let's make lunch before Remus comes up here and offers to make lunch for us the way he made breakfast the other morning!"