The FORMER Prisoner of Azkaban

We walked down the hallways, goofing off, care-free. Being friends with Harry, care-free moments didn't come to often here at Hogwarts. So we cherished them when we got them. Harry was in a great mood for once this year, finally getting to see his godfather. I was excited to see him, too. We all were. I was just jumping on Harry's back, trying to catch him off guard, when I saw a flash of white-blonde hair down a corridor. Draco. I decided to go talk to him for a second.

"Hey guys, I'll meet you there. I forgot I needed to talk to McGonagall about something." It just so happened that this was the corridor her office was in. Lucky me.

"Do you want us to order you anything when we get there?" Ginny asked.

"Something spiked with alcohol." And I dashed off to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone to so fast? But then, someone grabbed me and pulled me into a broom closet. What was with guys and pulling me into things randomly? It was pitch black in that closet, so when a pair of lips crashed into mine, I just had to assume that it was Draco. No, scratch that. I KNEW it was Draco. I'd know his wonderful lips anywhere.

"This is unexpected." I said to him, smiling.

"How's this for sneaking around?" He said, in a very seductive voice.

"Very nice. You're an expert sneaker." He started kissing me again, and it was very easy to lose myself in it. I almost forgot that I was meeting Sirius in a few minutes.

"Draco, I can't stay long enough for… This." I said suggestively, while he kissed my neck. I moaned, because it felt so good.

"It sure sounds like you can." He said to me. Well, it was more of a growl, really. God, he was so sexy.

"No, seriously. We're meeting Sirius in Hogsmead. I have to go." I said, and pried him off me. Every time I got him off me, he'd come back and start tickling me. It was fun. Finally, I pushed him off, opened the door, and stepped out. He wouldn't dare attack me out here, in the open. Well, that's what I thought, anyway. He waited until I turned around, and then grabbed me from behind and dragged me back in, tickling me the whole way.

"Malfoy, you little shit! Let me go!" I yelled, laughing.

"Shh, you don't want anyone to hear us, do you?" He said, also laughing. I liked his laugh. I kissed him for a little bit more, but then I pulled away again.

"Draco, I really need to go. Please." He looked at me sweetly.

"Well, as long as you said please." And he let me go. I turned, but then I turned back again to kiss him one last time.

"I'll meet you later, okay? I promise." I whispered in his ear.

"I'll hold you to that." He whispered back, and I left him. But it was really hard.

I ran the rest of the way. Well, most of the way. I'm not much of a runner. But as I got closer to Sirius, I got faster. I practically broke down the door to the Three Broomsticks when I got there. I took off my jacket, and ran over to our table.

"SIRIUS!" I yelled, and ran over and hugged him. And in his ear, I whispered, "The guys don't know I've seen you yet, okay? I didn't want them to find out about the date."

"You got it." He said. We returned to the table, and I sipped my drink.

"Hey, what gives? Where's the alcohol I asked for?" I said.

"Sorry, Tal. Not all of us carry it with us at all times." Ron said, but Sirius gave a chuckle.

"I do." And he handed me a flask under the table. "Now, don't go mistaking me for an alcoholic, alright? I keep it on me for spontaneous special occasions, such as this."

"Not a bad idea, Uncle Sirius." I said, and everyone laughed at me.

"You SO would, Tal." Ginny said.

"I know, right?" I said. We talked for a little while, caught up with Sirius and stuff. It was so awesome. I loved hearing him talk about the good old days, when all our parents hung out at Hogwarts. Well, except for Molly and Arthur. They sort of came into the picture after Hogwarts, seeing as how they weren't there at the same time. After about half an hour, Harry and Ron got up to refresh our drinks, and Ginny went to the bathroom. Hermione took her chance.

"FINALLY we've got a minute alone. I've been dying to ask you this whole time. Was Malfoy the reason you were late?" I smiled.

"Yeah. The little shit trapped me in a broom closet."

"Wait, Hermione knows about Malfoy? Does anyone else? Because I've been really careful, not bringing it up."

"No, it's just Hermione. For now. I really don't know how I'm going to tell everyone else." I said, a little apprehensively.

"Come on now. You know you're friends love you, no matter what. How bad could it be?" Sirius said.

"You have no idea. The other night, I had a dream about it. We were at lunch, when all of a sudden Malfoy stood up on the table and declared his love for me."

"Oh, that's romantic." Said Hermione.

"Yeah, it was. But then everyone just sat there, staring at me, and then their eyes started turning red, and they stood up and started yelling at me, and then Ron turned into that thing that Veela turn into when they get angry, and Harry started trying to hit me with his broomstick, and Lavender Brown was an actual plant trying to choke me."

"That's not so romantic." Sirius said, apparently finding this amusing.

"And then they all went silent, still staring at me, and then I looked down and was naked. And McLaggen winked at me." Hermione waited.

"And?" She said.

"And then I woke up."

"Weird!" She said.

"I know!"

"So, a broom closet, huh? Was it as amazing as usual?" She asked.

"Yeah, 'cause broom closets always get me going. There's just something about the brooms and the buckets and the possibility of seeing Filch's face at any moment…" I said, which made Sirius laugh so hard he almost stopped breathing.

"Seriously, Tal, how was it?" She asked again.

"We didn't have sex this time."

"Really?" Said Sirius.

"Really really. I mean, we could have. We were both definitely in the mood, if you know what I mean. But I wanted to be here more. We'll be meeting up later, though. But not for sex, because we're taking things slow. But there will definitely be some snogging involved." Me and Sirius high-fived.

"Alright, Talia! Way to get some!"

"Get some what?" Ron said, as he and Harry had walked up at that moment. Man, Ron wasn't the brightest crayon in the box sometimes.

"Get some good grades, Ron. Good grades."

"Oh. Alright." And they sat down. Harry handed Hermione her new drink.

"There you go Hermione, Butterbeer with a dash of ginger."

"Thank you, Harry." She said, and I leaned over to Harry.

"Yeah, because we all know how much she likes her ginger." And he had to hide his laugh under a cough. Hermione glared at us.

"Well guys, I'm afraid time is up. I really must be going." Sirius said, and we all started complaining, so he held up a hand. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have stuff to do. But it's been really great seeing all you guys. We'll do it again—" And we all crushed him in one big group hug. Harry walked him out, no doubt running one of his many conspiracy theories by him. Wonderful.

"So, I know I haven't been around very much lately, so you'll have to catch me up on a few things. Is Harry still on about Malfoy?" Ron groaned.

"You have no idea. The guy's a bloody lunatic. I mean, we all know how Malfoy is, right? But this whole Death Eater thing is just insane."

"Is he still accusing him of cursing Katie Bell?"

"What do you think?" I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. Harry had just come back, looking upset.

"What's up, Harry?" I said.

"Sirius doesn't believe me about Malfoy, either! I mean, is it so much to ask that my friends have my back once in a while?" Okay, I knew he was upset about this, but that was going a little far.

"Hold on a second, Harry. You know we ALWAYS have your back! Remember in second year, when everyone thought you were the Heir of Slytherin? WE believed you. Or in fourth year, when everyone thought you put your name in the Goblet of Fire? I BELIEVED YOU, HARRY! Even when Ronald didn't! Sorry, Ron. No offense." I said to Ron. He shrugged and waved it off. "And don't even get me started on last year, Harry. Remember how I was sitting right next to you in that awful detention with the fugly pink toad? OH! And how about when Seamus was being an asshole to you! Remember how I punched him and got an extra detention on top of that?"

"Nice punch, by the way." Seamus said, passing by our table.

"Thanks." I said proudly, and then looked back at Harry.

"We are your best friends. We always have your back. No matter what, we love you." I said, and my face was feeling very hot by that point. I watched Harry's face go from angry, to surprised that I yelled at him, to guilty.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I love you too. I'm just getting really stressed with everything, you know? I hate being this 'Chosen One'. I don't even think I can do this. And all these memories Dumbledore has been showing me, are supposed to mean something to me, but they just don't." When he finished, I felt a little bad about yelling at him like that. I grabbed his hand, and Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, and he relaxed a little bit.

"Listen to me, Harry. You CAN do this. Do you realize that you're the ONLY one who doesn't think so? And no matter what, no matter where I am or who I'm with, I will always be on your side. We all will. The entire way, we'll be with you." I glanced at Hermione, and she looked at me like she was very proud at what I had just said. And then I decided to change the subject. "Hey, did I ever tell you guy about how Sirius slept with my mother?"

"What?!" They all yelled at once, in the exact same pitch.

"Totally. After we met him and found out he was innocent, he always talked about my mum in this way that implied they were more than friends, you know? So I asked him one day. I was like, "Sirius, how come you always talk about my mom like she's a goddess?" and he got all awkward and walked away."

"That is so weird! Don't you feel different around him, now?" Ginny asked me. I shrugged.

"Not really. I mean, it was obviously back when they were at school, before her and my dad got together. Plus, come on. Sirius Black is pretty good looking these days. Can you imagine what he was like back then? I almost want to congratulate her." And everyone started laughing. "Also, I think she may have had a thing with Lupin, also."

"Are you kidding me?" Ron said.

"Absolutely not! I would never kid about something as serious as sex." I joked. "Yeah, he talks about my mum the same way Sirius does. She totally rocked their worlds."

"Talia, your mum sounds just like you." Ginny said. I mocked hurt.

"What's that supposed to mean?" They all laughed.

"No, I mean she sounded awesome." I smiled.

"Yeah, she was. Both my parents were." Remembering them made me want to cry. I looked up at Harry, and I knew he understood. But then he said something amazing.

"Talia, do you think your parents are really dead?" My answer was immediate.

"No. The bodies weren't there with my sister's. That means they could still be out there." I expected him to write me off like everyone else.

"I believe you."

"Thank you." I whispered, my voice failing me for a few seconds. I got up quickly.

"Well guys, I'm afraid I have somewhere else to be."

"What, you mean we're not your only friends?" Ron said.

"Ha ha Ronald, very funny. And how do you know I'm meeting a friend?" I left to the sounds of my friends whistling and cat-calling.

….

"I have to say, I think this may be the first time I've stripped down to my underwear and NOT followed it up with sex." I said, in the Room of Requirement later.

"Me too." Draco said back. He was still in his jeans, but his shirt had come off.

"I liked the snogging, though."

"Oh, most definitely." We laid there for a while, just relaxing and enjoying each other's presence.

"So, I was thinking—"

"I thought I smelled something burning…" He laughed.

"There you go with the hilarious joke making again."

"Well, I can't help it. It just comes naturally. Now finish what you were saying, Mr. Thinker."

"I was just thinking about how I don't know that much about you."

"Sure you do!"

"Yeah, I know some stuff. Like what you like, or don't like, I know how you are, your personality and stuff, and I know you don't like to open up to people. I know a little bit about your past, like growing up with the Weasley's, and how close you are with Fred, and about your little sister. But I don't really know any secrets, you know? Something you don't tell most people."

That caught me off guard. I mean, what do I tell him? I didn't know if I was ready to get into the BIG secret with him just yet, and I really didn't want to talk about my parents anymore. What else was there?

"Well, that's a tough one. Ooh! I got it! I'm afraid of werewolves." He stayed quiet, as if waiting for more.

"That's it? Werewolves?"

"Yeah. I had this reoccurring nightmare as a child about werewolves, and the fear just stuck with me all these years." It wasn't a lie. I really was afraid of werewolves because of that nightmare.

"You do realize that Professor Lupin from Third Year was a werewolf, right?"

"Yeah, but he's different. He was friends with my parents, so I grew up hearing about him and stuff."

"Hmm."

"What? My secret wasn't good enough?"

"Oh sure it is! For now." I smiled at him.

"Whatever you say, Malfoy."