31 July 1994
Dobby easily healed the cut on Hermione's lip before they sat down and had pizza. Harry actually had to order Dobby to join them and the house elf still looked hesitant, finishing as quickly as possible. Conversation flowed easily as Hermione rambled on about growing up with magic while Harry found himself staring at his friend, open mouthed. Molly was not pleased when her daughter came home with a swollen lip and a different shirt. The red headed matron sat her only daughter down to have a serious conversation about courting and relations with wizards. Hermione blushed a deep red all the way to her roots as she continuously tried to explain that she spilled something on her own jersey and that she and Harry were only friends. Molly didn't listen, choosing to ignore her daughter, she carried on well into the night. Hermione was not able to visit Harry again before her father went to pick him up only a week later.
Harry stayed with his family exactly 14 days before the Weasleys came to pick him using the the Knight Bus. Arthur came alone, not only because it was cheaper but also because he was looking forward to having a conversation with actual muggles. He refused to believe his wife and children about the Dursleys, there was just no way a family could be so cruel to their own nephew. Arthur became flustered and embarrassed as he quickly learned that he was not, in fact, welcome. Vernon glared menacingly, while petunia walked behind him cleaning anything he touched. Dudley's reaction worried him most, the overweight boy held his buttocks tightly as he shifted his gaze back to the door as if waiting for someone else to come in. Arthur hustled the boy onto the Knight Bus, trying to block him from view. The man was very put out that the muggles were so rude, he hated that he would have to go home and let his wife know she was right.
Molly gathered Harry into a tight hug as soon as Arthur lead him into the burrow. Dobby arrived moments earlier with his school trunk and was busy putting his things away in Ron's room. The Weasley matron hurriedly pushed Harry to the kitchen table, while the boy looked healthy and well fed, Molly still wanted him to get his fill before he disappeared outside with her children. Harry only smiled sheepishly as Molly pushed a plate laden down with more food than he could possible eat in front of him.
With Harry's arrival, Hermione's brothers finally left their rooms. Hermione was slightly disgruntled but happy that they devoted time in the mornings to flying around the pitch. Fred and George finally admitted to their siblings and Harry that they planned to open a joke shop after school. They locked themselves away to experiment on sweets and potions. Ron nervously volunteered to be a test subject, hoping that if he did that Fred and George wouldn't try and slip him something when he didn't expect it. Percy berated Fred and George on frivolous dreams, pointing out that if they just applied themselves in school they could easily get prominent positions in the ministry, like him.
Hermione enjoyed flying with her brothers and Harry. They couldn't play real games of quidditch but they improvised with games of dodge bludger and keep away. She looked down to see Luna dancing as she listened to the Walkman. Turning her broom into a steep dive, she held out a hand for Luna to climb up behind her. The little blonde smiled serenely as Hermione circled the boys while she shot them with stinging hexes. Molly watched from the window anxiously, even though Hermione joined the house team, she didn't believe her petite daughter should be flying around with boys on brooms.
"Harry!" Molly called from the kitchen door with an apprehensive smile on her face. All of the teenagers landed and started to walk towards her. "No, dear...there's someone here to meet you, it might be best to be alone for this."
"You think it's Sirius Black?" George whispered excitedly.
"Meeting THE Padfoot?" Fred smiled maniacally, nearly vibrating with excitement.
"Go on, Harry!" Hermione whispered excitedly as she gave him a shove. Harry looked back nervously and was greeted with her encouraging smile. Squaring his shoulders, he slung his Firebolt over his shoulder and made his way to the house where Molly was wringing her hands in worry.
"Come on, dear." Molly smiled kindly as she took his broom and ushered him into the house. "Now, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. Just a shout away."
"I think I'll be fine, Mrs. Weasley." Harry mumbled anxiously as pushed the door open to see his first glimpse of his godfather.
"Hello, Progslet." Sirius Black stood as soon as he heard the door open. He didn't look like his wanted posters but he also didn't look like the young man he saw in the memories the headmaster provided. He was tall, with wavy black hair down to his shoulders, it was flecked with grays. He looked healthy, just a bit too pale and his grey eyes a little too haunted but the his wide smile seemed genuine. Sirius stood very still, waiting for Harry's reaction.
"Prongslet?" Harry asked nervously as he moved into the room slowly.
"Well, your dad was called Prongs, even your mum said you looked just like him. We all made up nicknames for our future children back in 3rd year...Moony's would be MiniMoon, mine would be Padsicle, and well..Wormy..." Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you how sorry I am. It's all my fault you grew up with Petunia. Your mum cried about her older sister a lot back in school and then the wedding when she refused to come...I should have thought about you and-"
"Sirius." Harry cut him off with a shy smile.
"Sorry, I'm babbling. This is just the first time I've gotten to spend any time with you and I've been in a bloody hospital since I've been cleared...bugger! How has your summer been?" Sirius cracked a smile as he sat down.
"It's been great! I've got Dobby so he kept me sane at the Dursleys. Mrs. Weasley came by and had a talk with my Aunt Petunia...she was a bit off next time I saw her but painless. I've been here for about two weeks, flying mostly since I've done all my summer essays." Harry babbled nervously.
"So, you like the Firebolt?" Sirius smiled happily, his muscles relaxing. The marauder looked much younger with a relaxed smile a twinkle in his grey eyes.
"You bought me the Firebolt?" Harry grimaced, thinking about how he ignored Hermione and Eloise for a month because they thought Sirius sent him a jinxed broom.
"Yeah! I figured I had 12 birthdays and Christmases to make up for. Why?" Sirius deflated a bit when he saw the pained expression on his God sons face.
"It's amazing, really. I just uh- well, got into a fight with Hermione and Eloise over it. Could you not tell her you gave it to me?" Harry asked nervously, staring at his lap with a slight flush to his cheeks.
"Sure, no problem Harry." Sirius smiled brightly, hearing that his gift was appreciated. "Hermione, she's the little redhead who figured out I was innocent?"
"Yeah, her and Eloise figured it out, I think Luna was in on it too. Those three are brilliant. Did the headmaster tell you they tried to convince him Peter framed you a couple days before they found Scabbers?" Harry asked curiously, finally relaxing back into the chair.
"Yeah, Dumbledore has spent quite a bit of time visiting me at St. Mungos. Along with Fudge." Sirius frowned, cracking his knuckles. "I'm sorry Harry, Dumbledore told me a bit about what happened to you at-"
"Sirius, stop. All of your letters have been nothing but apologies. I've already told you that you were forgiven, so I forgive you." Harry said sternly, making the atmosphere slightly uncomfortable.
"So, you're hanging around brilliant girls already?" Sirius chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Your father tried for years to get close to your mother, people said it was her hair but it was actually her brain."
"The headmaster gave me a lot of memories of them. I look at them each night." Harry said sheepishly.
"Ah, that would explain your birthday gift." Sirius chuckled as he pulled a pouch from his pocket. "Dumbledore helped me, said that this would be the best gift. Some of our official strategy meetings." Sirius held the pouch out to Harry, smiling slightly.
"Strategy meetings?" Harry asked curiously as he took the bag from Sirius, putting it onto the table.
"There were two constants of the meetings, The Next Big One and Operation Evans. Your father would come up with new ways to get her attention all the time." Sirius nodded eagerly. "I wasn't much help, I should warn you. I wanted him to play the field a bit, but your father would always come back to your mum."
"Really?" Harry whispered with a small smile on his face.
"Oh yes, he got distracted by a pretty face some times but as soon as Lily walked in the room, it was over." Sirius shrugged sheepishly. "He stopped listening to my advice in 6th year, listened to Mooney."
"What was Remus's advice?" Harry leaned forward eagerly.
"Why? Got your eye on some bird?" Sirius grinned wolfishly.
"Uh, yeah..." Harry blushed furiously, thinking immediately of a certain redhead but tried to pushed it aside, 6 angry brothers replaced her heart shaped face.
"Oh, who is she?" Sirius asked eagerly.
"Err...just a girl." Harry shrugged uncomfortably, avoiding Sirius's penetrating gaze.
"Well, my advice was to have confidence, you know...control the conversation, wink at her, get her all flustered." Sirius said with a wry grin. "Moony on the other hand, was friends with Lily and he said to go the opposite route. Be genuine, be a gentleman, blah blah." He rolled his eyes.
"But...Remus's advice worked?" Harry said slowly, looking up at him cautiously, trying not to seem to eager.
"Sure, but my approach had results. I was never without a date, Moony didn't really date all that much. Had a few girlfriends but they never lasted. So, who is this girl?" Sirius leaned forward again, there was a gleam in his grey eyes that had Harry wanting to tell his Godfatherall about the girl he fancied.
"Well, she-" Harry stumbled for a response but was cut off as Molly screamed in the kitchen. Harry and Sirius jumped up, rushing to the kitchen just in time to see Molly sprinting down to the pond.
"HERMIONE CEDRELLA WEASLEY!" Molly shrieked, her face red as she saw her daughter stepping out of the pond, dripping wet with her broom under her right arm and her left arm round her brothers waist. Ron and Hermione were laughing happily then paled as they spotted their mother.
"Mum!" Hermione whined as she shook her head furiously, smacking her brother in the face with her hair.
"What were you thinking?" Molly raged, her hands on her hips as she looked her youngest children over critically.
"Ron's broom snapped and he fell in the lake, I thought I could catch him before he hit the water." Hermione said patiently as twisted her shirt to wring out the water. Ron stood beside her, a little dazed.
"You could have been seriously hurt! You shouldn't make dives like that! You haven't been flying long enough, Hermione! What would have happened if you and Ron both had been hurt?" Molly asked shrilly as she pulled them both into a hug. Her children squirmed, trying to get away from her but it only made her hold on tighter.
"Mum!" Hermione whined petulantly.
"Mum!" Ron said gruffly as he pulled away from his mother quickly, casting a quick look over at Harry and Sirius. His face turning red from embarrassment.
"Inside! Now, you need to get out of those wet clothes!" Molly released them and started shoving them towards the house.
"Mina, aren't you wearing your swim suite under your clothes?" Luna asked quietly as she finally made it to them.
"Yes, but I wasn't planning on swimming today." Hermione said quickly before rushing into the house ahead of her mother. Molly dragged Ron back to the house and Luna skipped along behind them. Harry stood rooted to the spot, watching Hermione dash away, her clothes clinging to her body. Sirius smiled broadly as he watched the smile on Harry's face, a smile very reminiscent of his father's.