When Harry discovers that Sirius gifted him a communication mirror, it sets in motion a series of events that change everything.
"Brumous"
"Chapter One: The Mirror"
Harry Potter felt like he was always two steps behind as everyone around him seemed to know things about his past and his family that he never had the opportunity to know. Clenching his jaw, Harry thought about the photo album stuffed in the bottom of his trunk filled with pictures of his parents and even of him as a baby. Those pictures had helped him fill in the blanks of his mysterious past, of what his parents had been like. His father who looked nearly identical to Harry, his mother with her sparkling green eyes, and himself as a baby who always seemed to be giggling. They were a happy family. Except, twenty minutes had shattered that perfect image in his head.
His Occlumency lessons with Snape had been disastrous to say the least. He couldn't very well learn a skill when he had a professor belittling him constantly. The latest and last lesson where he saw his dad and Sirius in the Pensieve… well, it was just one more thing he could file in the I don't understand category in the very front of his mind. Because what he saw did not line up with what he had perceived from photographs or had even what he had been told. If Harry was being honest with himself, he was having a hard time reconciling how teenage Sirius acted versus how his godfather acted as an adult. They seemed like two different people.
Harry flipped the page of his Potions book, ripping it with the sheer amount of force he used to turn the page. A growl sounded in the back of his throat, ignoring the rip and trying to find the correct chapter. He was tired, exhausted even, that nobody seemed to be very forthcoming with him about, well, anything really. More often than not, Harry found himself floundering in the deep end of a pool, trying to stay afloat but he only just managed not to drown. How pathetic was it that he didn't even know what version of his father he should believe? Was his dad a bully like Dudley or a hero like everyone else hailed him to be?
Sighing, Harry wished he knew more about his family. Because what he had seen in that Pensieve shook him to his very core. He had seen a side to his father that he didn't like. That unnerved him more than he was willing to admit. What Harry didn't know could fill several volumes of books as big as Hogwarts: A History.
Harry tapped his quill on a table in the library, his bottom lip securing between his teeth as he pulled off little pieces of skin. He stared blankly at his Potions book, willing it to do something so he could get his mind off the damn lake memory. He had no motivation to do any actual schoolwork. He couldn't fly to clear his head. Ron was at Quidditch practice. Hermione wouldn't be understanding to his plight, so he wasn't even keen on trying to talk with her. All he wanted to do was talk to his godfather, to have the scene he witnessed explained to him in a way that didn't make him feel sorry for Snape and disgusted by the actions of his father. With a sigh, Harry tossed his quill onto the table and stared off into space.
Maybe he could send a letter late at night when everyone was asleep. He could use the map to see where Umbridge, Filch, and the entire Inquisitive Squad were. He didn't want to risk using a school owl because maybe they were trained to be inspected. He couldn't use Hedwig and risk her being hurt. Pig was a no go. There was no way Harry could trust that owl with even his toothbrush let alone a letter to Sirius. The fireplace was too risky. Perhaps, he could sneak out of the castle and… Harry screwed his eyes shut. Sirius would bloody well kill him if Voldemort didn't. How many times had Sirius told him to keep his head down and nose clean?
A chair scraped against the tile floor beside him causing Harry to jump. Ginny Weasley sat down next to him with a poorly wrapped brown box in her hand. She placed it in front of him with a soft smile gracing her face. Harry's eyes roamed over her windswept hair and red cheeks.
"How was practice?" Harry asked as he pushed down the jealousy that he wasn't at practice because it was nobody's fault except for Umbridge's.
Ginny shrugged, her brows lowering on her forehead. "Ron had to take Sloper to the infirmary."
"Why?"
"Katie and I are fairly certain he hit himself with his own bat," Ginny replied with a sigh, her elbow propping up on the table as she rested her chin on it. "Anyway, a package just arrived for us. Umbridge approved and everything, as you can tell by the lovely way they rewrapped it. They're Easter eggs from Mum. There's one for you."
Ginny gestured towards the box and Harry carefully unwrapped it. As Harry did so, his heart pounded in his chest. When he saw the nicely decorated eggs in the box, knowing one of them was for him, he felt a lump rise in his throat. It was rather silly really that a bit of chocolate made his entire body tingle with something he couldn't quite understand.
Ginny peered into the box. "Merlin, look, Mum did a theme. Snitches for you. Quaffles for me. Goalposts for Ron. Beater bats for the twins."
Harry held the chocolate egg in his hand and stared at it for longer than he probably should have. He cleared his throat and sat the egg down in front of him and dared it to do something other than make him feel misty-eyed.
"Are you all right, Harry?" Ginny asked.
Harry glanced over at her and schooled his features. "Yeah, I'm good."
Ginny nodded though she looked like she didn't quite believe him. She straightened up in her chair just a tad, her hand tossing her damp ponytail behind her shoulder.
"You know, you could… talk to her," Ginny supplied.
Harry furrowed his brows. "What?"
"To- to Cho," Ginny replied, an odd look crossing her features. "I know your date didn't go exactly like you planned, but maybe talking about it may help."
"It's not Cho I want to talk to," Harry replied in a rush, his face pulling because Cho really was the last person he wanted to talk to.
He was over their relationship or whatever it was. He couldn't take the tears or the awkwardness any longer. Relationships were supposed to make someone, well, happy. Cho certainly didn't make him happy. She just gave him anxiety and made him cringe more often than not. There was no need staying in a relationship that didn't make one happy. Harry thought his days were numbered anyway so he may as well not be miserable with a girl just because she was pretty.
Ginny arched an eyebrow. "Oh, who do you want to talk to then?"
Harry glanced around the library to see if anyone was close to them before he spoke. The last thing he needed was Malfoy or some Slytherin to overhear him and go running to Umbridge. Although, that would just be fitting for the year he'd had so far.
"Sirius," he whispered with a sigh. "I know I can't but I just… I wish I could."
Ginny blinked at him, a confused look crossing her features. "Why don't you?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Let me just borrow Ron's broom and fly to London."
"No, you dolt, the bloody mirror," Ginny said in a hushed tone.
Harry's brows furrowed, his head shaking. "What mirror?"
"The mirror…" Ginny repeated and Harry only widened his eyes at her. "That Sirius gave you for Christmas? He said he was going to give you your dad's old mirror. He seemed rather excited about it when he told me."
"My dad's old mirror?" Harry repeated slowly as he thought about the advanced defense books and new Seeker gloves Sirius had given him on Christmas. "I didn't…"
All at once, he remembered the poorly wrapped gift Sirius had given him on the day they left for Hogwarts and the brief side hug. It was the gift he swore he wouldn't open because he didn't want to risk Sirius leaving Grimmauld Place. He had been so stupid… so silly. He could have been talking to Sirius the entire term on a mirror?
"I… I forgot about it," Harry murmured.
"Well, now you have a way to talk to him," Ginny replied with a small smirk. "Problem solved!"
A small smile tugged on Harry's face as he simply stared at Ginny. His chest swelled with… appreciation? He had the sudden urge to hug her and thank her a million times over but he refrained from doing so. He certainly didn't want her to think he was odd.
"I don't know how to thank you," Harry settled on instead. "I've been in here for a good hour just…"
Moping.
He'd been moping and feeling sorry for himself. Ginny swooped in with such an easy solution. He was rather angry with himself in that moment since he had been so stubborn and refused to open the package from Sirius. He couldn't even count the number of times he had written Sirius a letter only to burn it with a flame from the tip of his wand because he didn't want to risk sending it by post.
Ginny touched his wrist and sparks flew up his arm. "I hope he can help you feel better."
"I think he will," Harry concluded, a newfound confidence soaring through him. "I just need a place to talk to him where no one will overhear or see."
Ginny's lips twisted. "Harry, you already know the perfect place."
Harry raised his eyebrows above his glasses as Ginny packed the chocolate eggs into the box. "Oh?"
She looked around them before she leaned in close to him, her breath tickling his cheek as she whispered in his ear, "The Room of Requirement."
A shiver ran down Harry's spine as he pulled back to look at her. "Do you think it's safe after…?"
Ginny blinked at him, her face suddenly very serious. "Uh, I'll keep a lookout for you. I'll start screaming about Wrankspurts or whatever if anyone is suspicious and then earn myself a detention by sending sparks down the corridor to cause a diversion for you."
Harry chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You'd do that for me?"
"You'd do it for me," Ginny replied without hesitation. "We're in this together, aren't we?"
Harry couldn't describe the warmth that spread through his body at her words. He had never pictured Ginny Weasley as his partner in crime before. That role had always been bestowed upon Ron with Hermione making sure they didn't wind up dead. In fact, he didn't know if he had ever trusted anyone except for Ron and Hermione to help him before. There was a sudden and new appreciation for Ginny that he couldn't describe as he felt like he was truly seeing her for the first time.
"Definitely," Harry replied, his mouth dry. "I just need to grab the mirror from my dorm. Want to walk together?"
Ginny grinned and nodded. Harry threw his books and parchment into his satchel in a haphazard manner. He didn't really care if anything got wrinkled or bent. He was far too excited to speak with Sirius to care about his school things. Hauling the strap of his bag onto his shoulder, he grabbed his quill he nearly forgot and shoved that into his front pocket. He turned to see Ginny propping the box underneath her arm so she could grab her broom.
"I'll take the eggs," Harry said as he held out his hands. "I'd grab your broom but Umbridge might ban you from Quidditch too for not supporting my ban one hundred and fifty percent."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she handed over the box. "She's a bloody wanking-"
"Shh," Harry replied, a chuckle on his lips. "She may overhear and ban you from even talking."
"I'd like to see her bloody well try," Ginny challenged as she grabbed her broom with a huff.
"I don't know, Ginny, there are some pretty nasty spells that can sew your lips together," Harry said casually as they made their way towards the front of the library.
"I have a thread cutter in my trunk. I entrust you to cut my lips free," Ginny told him, a grin flittering across her face as Madam Pince shot them an odd look as they passed. "Then you have to help me plot my revenge."
"Sew her lips together perhaps?" Harry suggested as they exited the library.
Just as they were exiting, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were trying to enter. Harry pressed himself close to Ginny, their shoulders touching as the four of them squeezed through the doorframe.
"I think there are some other things I'd like to sew shut more than her mouth," Ginny replied darkly.
"Merlin, Gin!" Harry exclaimed, a grin on his face as he walked closer to Ginny than was probably necessary but he was already so close that he didn't really feel like moving away. It was easier to whisper if they were closer together.
"Like you weren't thinking it," Ginny replied as she glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"I'd rather not think about Umbridge's body in that way," Harry replied, a grimace crossing his features.
"Not even for nefarious revenge plans because she sewed my mouth shut?" Ginny pressed, her eyes sad and a pout working its way on her lips.
"If she sews your mouth shut, I will discuss nefarious revenge plans with you," Harry assured her as he bumped his shoulder against hers.
"You're the best, Harry," Ginny assured him.
Harry felt a strange sensation in his chest again at Ginny's words. He tried to shake it off. Nobody had ever told him he was the best before. He knew Ginny was just playing around and didn't actually think that about him, but he couldn't help the small burst of joy that had settled deep within his chest.
The conversation shifted to Quidditch practice as Ginny explained to him that the team was an absolute mess and she thought Angelina would have a complete meltdown by the end of the season. Nobody seemed to be in sync with each other and morale had dipped to an all-time low.
"I think everyone just misses you, Fred, and George," Ginny explained as they stopped in front of the Fat Lady. She gave the password and they stepped inside. "I mean, Fred and George are really good Beaters. You're a fantastic Seeker."
Harry shrugged. "I'm all right. Oliver was always disappointed that I didn't strive to be better. I took that as I didn't live and breathe Quidditch and study professional Seekers. That just seems to suck the fun out of Quidditch though."
Ginny arched a brow. "That's part of the fun, Harry."
The corner of Harry's mouth twitched as he let out a groan. "Merlin, Ginny, not you too!"
"I take it you don't want to play professionally?" Ginny asked as they stopped right by the staircases leading up to the dormitories.
Harry's face scrunched together. "No, I don't. I want to be an Auror, but I think Umbridge has made it her personal mission in life to make sure I never even step foot in the Ministry so…"
"Well, fuck Umbridge," Ginny responded without hesitation. "You need a lot of O.W.L.s for that, don't you?"
Harry nodded, his mind flickering to the Potions O.W.L. he was bound to fail. "Unfortunately."
A huff sounded from behind him. He turned around slowly to see Hermione claiming a sofa to herself with books and parchment and Muggle binders surrounding her and scattered across the table. Harry tried to keep his face neutral.
"I gave you and Ron homework planners," Hermione explained. "Maybe if the two of you accepted my invitation to study in the library once in a while instead of playing chess, you wouldn't be as nervous."
"I'm not nervous," Harry snapped as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. "It doesn't even matter anyway."
"Umbridge isn't going to be around forever," Hermione pointed out.
"No, but if you think I can get an Outstanding in Potions, then you're mental," Harry concluded. "No amount of studying is going to get me into N.E.W.T. level Potions with Snape."
"Not with that attitude it won't," Hermione replied, her lips pursing.
Harry sighed before he turned back to Ginny. "I'll just be a moment. Wait here?"
Ginny smiled at him. "Yeah, I'll wait for you here."
Harry grinned at her before he rushed up the stairs to his dorm. He went straight to his trunk and rummaged through it looking for the parcel that Sirius had given him at Christmas. It was buried at the bottom of his trunk, his trembling fingers wrapping around it to haul it out. He chewed on his bottom lip as he unwrapped it to see a mirror with a carved ornate handle. He noticed a note with Sirius' handwriting on it, explaining how the mirror had belonged to his dad and how to work it.
His heart hammered in his chest as he sat the mirror down on the ground. He dumped out his satchel to make room for the mirror, his cloak, and the map. He slung the satchel over his shoulder when Ron emerged from the loo with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair dripping wet.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Ron asked.
"Uh, Ginny reminded me of something and was going to help me," Harry replied, standing to his full height.
"Ginny?" Ron asked, his brow furrowed. "My sister Ginny?"
"Well, she's the only Ginny I know so… yeah?"
Ron crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrows disappearing underneath his hair and his head nodding. "What is she, uh, helping you out with?"
Harry blinked. "Uh… I needed to talk to, err, Snuffles, and she reminded me that he gave me this mirror over the holidays to talk to him on."
"You didn't tell me about a mirror," Ron replied, his voice slightly high-pitched which caused Harry to furrow his brow.
"I, uh, honestly, I never opened it," Harry replied with a wince. "Snuffles told me to use it if Snape was giving me a hard time about… you know and I vowed I would never even open it because I didn't want Snuffles to come to Hogwarts and…" Harry shrugged. "I guess Ginny knew what it was and reminded me about it."
Ron nodded. "Her and Siri- Snuffles talked a lot. I know Ginny has a hard time sleeping after, well, everything. I imagine You-Know-Who being back isn't helping any."
Harry shifted, his mind flickering back to over the holiday when Ginny had snapped 'lucky you' at him. Part of him had wanted to melt into the floorboards for being such an idiot and not remembering. Another part of him wanted to sit down and have a long chat with her. She was the only person who could have truly understood his concerns and he hadn't even connected the dots. He had felt awful.
"I felt like a git," Harry admitted. "I mean, I was a git for not remembering."
Ron shrugged as he crossed the room to his trunk and pulled out a change of clothes. "Sometimes it's easy to forget."
"I was with her though," Harry whispered. "I saw her on the floor of the Chamber. I thought she was dead. I…"
I thought I was dying.
Ron straightened up, a lump of clothes in his arms. "You what?"
"Nothing," Harry said in a rush. "Look, cover for me, all right? I'll be in the Room of Requirement."
"Yeah, of course, mate," Ron replied.
Harry gripped the strap to his satchel and dashed out of the dorm room. He took the stairs two at a time, his body feeling lighter and happier than it had since before the D.A. had been shut down. He paused at the bottom of the stairs to see Ginny and Hermione arguing.
"Stay out of it," Ginny hissed. "This is what he wants to do."
Hermione huffed. "It's being reckless at a time when he shouldn't be reckless. To go back to the Room of Requirement is a mistake."
Ginny shook her head. "I'm standing watch."
"I just think we should stop and think about this for a moment and decide what the best option is," Hermione countered, her face red.
Harry stepped forward, standing next to Ginny. "It's fine, Hermione."
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked, her head snapping in his direction. She lowered her voice before continuing, "They have to be watching us, waiting for us to go back to the Room of Requirement."
"I'm not organizing an illegal club or anything of the sort," Harry retorted. "I'm merely going into a room for some privacy. Nothing more, nothing less. All I have on me is a bit of parchment, my mirror, and my cloak."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That doesn't look suspicious at all!"
He really didn't want to admit that Hermione was right. That did look suspicious but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction.
Harry's jaw tightened as he looked over at Ginny. "Go grab your bag, please?"
Ginny nodded before she dashed up the girl's staircase.
"Harry, why don't you just wait until we can find a better and quieter place where you can talk to him?" Hermione whispered.
"Because I like this idea," Harry replied in an even tone, too impatient to think of a better plan. "Besides, I'm not doing anything Umbridge deems illegal. If she wants to kick me out of Hogwarts, then let her. It's miserable here. I can't play Quidditch. The D.A. is disbanded. My favorite class is now my most hated class. Snape is unbearable. Everyone is whispering and talking behind my back."
Hermione huffed. "The whispering and the talking behind your back has gotten a lot better. Not many people do it anymore."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Everyone is always talking about me behind my back. Maybe they're not all calling me a liar anymore but they're still gossiping about me."
"Harry…"
"It's fine," Harry said in a rush as he turned to glance at the girls' dormitory stairs but didn't see Ginny yet. "I'm used to people talking about me. It's nothing new. It doesn't bother me."
"Oh, sure, it doesn't bother you at all," Hermione bit in a sarcastic tone. "That's why you're always so moody and grumpy."
Harry snapped his attention to Hermione. "I don't care what people think about me or say about me. If you think the reason I'm grumpy or whatever is because people like to gossip about me, then you're the one who is mistaken."
"Well, why don't you talk to someone then?" Hermione retorted, tears shining in her eyes and Harry really wished Ginny would hurry up. "You keep everything all bottled up all the time!"
Harry leaned closer to her, his voice dropping. "Look, I have a mad and powerful wizard after me who wants to kill me. That's just a tad bit stressful, yeah?"
Hermione tossed her book onto the cushion next to her and hopped up at lightning speed onto her knees and flung her arms around his neck. Harry stiffened, wishing he hadn't leaned in so close to her. One would think he would have learned his lesson by now that getting too close to Hermione was dangerous. He glanced up to the ceiling, his hand tapping her back awkwardly. He had never wanted Ginny more in his life to save him from Hermione's vice grip.
A flash of orange and red caught the corner of his eye as Ginny stepped up next to him, slightly breathless. "Ready?"
"All right, Hermione, I have to go now," Harry said as he pulled himself away from her and took a step back to get away from her grasp. She opened her mouth to speak but Harry shook his head. "I have heard your concerns and will keep them in mind. We'll be fine."
Hermione frowned at him, her head cocking to the side. Harry wrapped his fingers around Ginny's smooth wrist and walked away from Hermione towards the portrait hole. Once in the corridors, he bent down as he walked to talk to Ginny.
"I don't have anything in my bag that's school related. I hate to admit it, but Hermione's right. I should have something other than the essentials. Can I borrow a book or something?" Harry asked.
"Uh, sure, yeah," Ginny replied. "Can I, err, can I have my hand back?"
Harry flushed when he realized he still had his fingers wrapped around her wrist. Even more embarrassingly, he had just realized his thumb had been caressing her skin. Jerking his hand away, he gave her the most apologetic smile he could muster because he felt like a complete arse.
"Sorry," Harry whispered, taking a step away from her. "I just wanted to get away from Hermione. She's… well, she's…"
"Concerned about you?" Ginny asked, her eyebrow arching as she dug through her satchel before handing over her Defense Against the Dark Arts book.
Harry wrinkled his nose as he placed the book in his own satchel. "I suppose."
"What does Ron say?" Ginny asked as she took a step closer to him, her shoulder bumping against his arm.
"Uh, well…" Harry trailed off, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't really talk about… you know, everything, I suppose. He knows I need my space."
Ginny jutted her chin up, her gaze focusing ahead of them. "You should talk to someone. It doesn't have to be Ron or Hermione, but it helps to talk to someone. Maybe Sirius or, or Professor Lupin or… I mean, I'm willing to listen."
Ginny snapped her attention towards him, an unreadable look crossing her features again that Harry wished he could comprehend. Her eyes blazed as they bore into his. He was mesmerized, unable to look away for even a second.
"I know," Harry whispered. "I'm just not… I don't like to talk about that sort of stuff."
Ginny's bottom lip slid between her teeth. "Me either but after the… the Chamber, well, we went to Egypt to get away. Bill listened. He just sat there until the sun came up and just listened to me. Really listened. He didn't interrupt and he never made me feel bad or, or blamed me for anything. It was really nice, actually. So, I'm just… well, I suppose I'm saying that I'll sit there and just listen if you want to talk or rant or yell or anything really. It helps."
Harry's throat clogged and he stopped in his stride to turn and look at her. Really look at her. "Thanks, Gin."
He really meant it, and he hoped she understood that. It seemed daunting to talk about the mysterious dreams about the blasted corridor or about how he had witnessed murder while he slept. It was more than a little overwhelming to talk about how his scar constantly hurt, how he was so nervous and afraid that he'd become possessed and be forced to hurt someone. His mouth became dry as his stomach rolled at the strange and terrifying connection he held with Lord Voldemort. He wished he understood it better or could master Occlumency to make it stop.
A smile tugged on the corners of Ginny's lips as she reached out a hand and touched his arm. His heart pounded in his chest as a warmth flooded him. His eyes trailed down until they caught her plump lips. He noticed she had a few freckles that shone through her glossy tinted lips. He wondered what her lip gloss tasted like. Cho had worn an odd vanilla flavor on her lips that had tasted rather disgusting when mixed with her salty tears.
"Are you all right?" Ginny's voice broke him out of his reverie about lip gloss.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Harry forced a smile on his face. "Yeah, sorry. I just, uh, what were we talking about?"
Ginny blinked up at him. "You talking to someone."
Harry nodded. "Right. Yes, I will, err, I'll think about it."
"Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" Ginny pressed, her grip loosening on his arm.
"Yes, sorry, I was just thinking about something," Harry admitted although he'd be dead before he told her he was thinking about what flavor lip gloss she wore.
When Ginny's hand dropped completely from his arm, Harry just felt empty and disappointed. He kept those thoughts to himself as his chest twisted painfully. Glancing out of the corner of his eye towards her, he wondered what had gotten into him. Surely, he didn't really care what flavor lip gloss she wore nor should he be disappointed that she wasn't touching him of all things. He hated when people touched him.
Looking straight ahead, Harry tried to think about what he wanted to ask Sirius instead of thinking about Ginny Weasley of all people. Except he couldn't help his eyes from looking at her every few steps, wondering what she was thinking about and hoping that she was thinking about him in the same way he thought about her.
Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, willing his headache to ease. He had conveniently run out of hangover potion and Remus had refused to rush out to grab him some. Dropping his hand away from his face, he looked up at Buckbeak to see him munching on a chicken leg. Rolling his head to the left, his neck cracked and Sirius let out a low groan as it felt good to relieve a bit of tension from his shoulders.
He had been worried more than he was willing to admit about Harry. The kid had seemed so withdrawn and upset over the holiday. The fact that Harry hadn't used the mirror once all term concerned him. It reminded him of James and how towards the end he had become a shell of himself, moody and withdrawn from the world around him. Sirius had watched the nasty claws of depression change his best friend. He didn't know if he could watch his godson go through the same thing.
Sirius froze when he felt the familiar vibration in his pocket, his heart stopping as he remembered being young and carefree while he answered the call. He fumbled for the mirror and saw the face of his godson shining in it. A smile spread across his thin lips at the very sight of the messy black hair and bright green eyes looking unsure and a bit nervous.
"Harry Potter," Sirius said as he leaned up against the wall, the mirror clenched tightly in his hand.
He knew the moment the mirrors connected because Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his mess of hair and a small smile tugged on his lips.
"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed before his face fell. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine," Harry assured, wonderment still clear as day splashed across his face. "I just, I wanted to ask you something."
Sirius let out a sigh as he slid down the wall to sit down. Nothing was wrong, that was good. He tried to push back the thought that Harry hadn't called him prior to this for a chat. None of that really mattered. Harry was on the other end of the mirror now and that was all Sirius needed. He knew Harry had it rough growing up and he had a hard time opening up to people. Merlin, Sirius could remember being the same exact way. It took him an entire year to trust James enough to tell him exactly what his family had been like and to be open with him about, well, anything really.
"Ask away," Sirius replied, adjusting on the hardwood floor into a comfortable position.
What happened next wasn't exactly something Sirius expected. Harry started talking, his words spilling out a mile a minute without so much as taking a breath. Sirius couldn't help but just blink at his godson, trying to absorb the story about Snape and the Pensieve while trying to keep up with the fast-pace that Harry kept throughout.
Harry had been long-winded in letters, especially once he became comfortable enough with Sirius. There had been times during his fourth year that Harry had written Sirius long scrolls of parchment detailing the tasks in the tournament or the awkward disaster that had been the Yule Ball. Except Harry had never been quite so chatty in person before. Not that Sirius had much experience with spending a ton of time in person with his godson over the years. It wasn't that Sirius minded. In fact, he would have been downright delighted, if the topic didn't revolve around James, Snape, and Sirius being young berks.
"She hated him," Harry said in a miserable tone, a sigh on his lips as he finally stopped talking.
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, she didn't."
"I saw it!" Harry protested, his face pinching in the same exact way that Lily used to do when she was insanely annoyed with him. "She called him a bullying toe-rag and-"
"Look, I know what it probably looked like," Sirius interrupted, a frown working onto his face. "I lived through it, all right? The two of them bickered for years. They bickered even when they were married. They loved to challenge each other. I swear to Merlin, Harry, they found something to bicker about all the damn time. It wasn't because they hated each other. It was because they both liked each other. Regardless of what you may have seen, James was a good person. Sometimes his methods to get his point across weren't the best but we were little berks as teenagers."
Harry didn't look satisfied in the slightest. "My dad was bullying Snape."
"I know," Sirius replied, his tone flat.
There was no use denying that tidbit. James bullied Snape just like Sirius had bullied Snape. Except Snape was a little bully right back.
Harry frowned. "It was because you said you were, well, you were bored."
Sirius kept his face as neutral as possible. "Wasn't the first time nor I suppose the last time James picked on Snape because I was bored. We were fifteen, Harry."
"I'm fifteen!" Harry protested.
Sirius tapped his thumb against the handle of the mirror, his head nodding. "I know, but you're far more mature than James and I ever were. I know in that moment you probably felt sorry for Snape. I'm sure if I saw the memory as a much older and slightly more mature adult, I would cringe at our actions as well. But you shouldn't feel sorry for Snape. He was a slimy little git who was up in his eyeballs in the Dark magic. His friends all turned out to be Death Eaters and they were fucking monsters around Hogwarts. They hexed and jinxed anyone who was a Muggleborn or anyone they deemed beneath them. Your dad, despite whatever you may believe based upon one memory, hated Dark magic. James wouldn't hesitate to protect anyone from those little arseholes and it created… well, it just created more tension and animosity."
Harry looked down for a moment, his brows low on his face. "I just… I hate that he bullied anyone. I understand that they all turned out to be Death Eaters. It's just…"
"Harry, listen to me," Sirius interrupted, urging Harry to just look at him so he could try to explain just how dark times were back then. "We were on the brink of war. There was a clear divide at Hogwarts while we were at school. You were either with Voldemort or you were against him. Our methods weren't the best, I admit, but James grew up in a privileged house. He never had gone without a need or even a want going unfulfilled. He was confident and smart and he had no issue fighting against those who were cruel and for what he believed in."
Sirius paused and held his breath. He could see Harry practically leaning into the mirror, eager for more. It had been a look Sirius had seen several times over the past summer at Grimmauld Place whenever Sirius or Remus mentioned James or Lily. Guilt swarmed in Sirius' chest that the kid had grown up without his godfather being able to tell him everything about his amazing parents.
Sirius sucked in a breath, thinking it was now or never to tell Harry a little bit more about his life growing up, to help him understand. Clenching his jaw, Sirius counted to five.
"Despite how absolutely mad my parents were, I too grew up in a privileged home. If I followed the rules and spewed their little hate speeches, I was rewarded handsomely. If I rebelled, well, there were consequences. I spent the first eleven years of my life parroting their hate and being a good little boy because I didn't know any differently. Except I never understood why Muggles or Muggleborns were any different than I was. I had questions and thoughts of my own that I was swiftly punished for if I even uttered a word. It took me meeting James to truly understand that there was no difference and there was great strength in being able to think for myself. I remember being so scared of James finding out about my parents' beliefs because James hated the Dark Arts that much. I thought I'd lose him as a friend, that I'd be shunned from Gryffindor. In hindsight, that was rather stupid of me because James knew all about the Blacks and had picked up on the snide comments from my older cousins and other Slytherins. But James didn't care because he said he knew I wasn't like them and that I was different. I was trying so hard to be different that it was liberating to hear that finally someone saw me the way I wanted to be seen. While you saw a side of James in that memory, an uglier side of James, there were a lot of other and better sides of James that you sadly never had the opportunity to see."
"I wish I had the chance to see those sides," Harry whispered, his eyes shining with tears but none fell.
"I wish you had as well," Sirius replied, an uncomfortable lump settling in his chest. "When you think of James, I want you to think of the man who opened up his home to his confused and abused best mate. I want you to think of the man who didn't care if someone was a werewolf or a vampire or any other creature that was deemed Dark because he saw them as a person first. I want you to think of the man who fought for what was right, who fought Voldemort three times and lived to tell the tale. I want you to think of the man who gave his life to try to save his son and his wife."
Harry squinted at Sirius. "My dad fought Voldemort three times?"
An odd ringing sounded in Sirius' ears. He probably would not have known the exact number of times James and Voldemort met face to face had it not been for the prophecy. He had only been there for two out of the three times. Remembering how the first time James had nearly died but the second time he had held his own after training hard with Fleamont.
Sirius had heard the prophecy years ago. He could remember holding a two-day-old Harry in his arms as James told him everything Dumbledore had said. It seemed surreal at the time, impossible and unbelievable. When Voldemort rose from the dead, Sirius had wanted to tell Harry everything. It seemed essential but Dumbledore had told him the less he knew the better because he did not understand the true extent of Harry and Voldemort's connection. Sirius hated keeping that massive of a secret from Harry but knew that Dumbledore was annoyingly right.
"Yeah," Sirius croaked, his gaze leaving the mirror for the first time to glance over at Buckbeak. "He did."
"So, the night he killed my parents, that was the fourth time my dad faced him?" Harry questioned.
Sirius snapped his gaze back to the mirror. "I suppose, yeah."
"I didn't… I didn't know that," Harry said, his shoulders slumping forward. "Although, I guess I don't know much of anything really so it shouldn't be a surprise."
A knife twisted in Sirius' gut at the admission. Harry sounded so defeated, used to the fact that he honestly didn't know much of anything. Sirius knew that had to change, that he would have to fight back his own demons and be able to talk to Harry openly about his parents. There was no one alive who knew James and Lily better than Sirius. It was his job, his duty as godfather. He had been completely shit at his job for the past fourteen years.
"When we see each other this summer, I'll answer every single question you have about your parents. We can spend days talking if you need. Weeks, even, until you're satisfied," Sirius promised.
A flicker of what appeared to be hope crossed Harry's features but disappeared as quickly as it came. "Not if I have to go to the Dursleys' this summer."
Sirius forgot about the fucking Dursleys. There really wasn't any point of Harry going back to Privet Drive, especially now that Grimmauld Place was secure and under the Fidelius Charm. There was no reason that Harry shouldn't stay the entire summer with him, locked up in the forsaken house. Certainly, no Dementors or anyone else could touch him in the safety of Dumbledore's own wards. Sirius already started crafting his speech to Dumbledore in his head.
Sirius gave him a hard look. "Let me worry about that, all right?"
"I'd rather stay with you at Grimmauld Place," Harry said, the corner of his lip twitching. "I won't leave the house at all. It'd be loads safer than the Dursleys' even with my aunt's blood protection."
"I know," Sirius agreed.
"So… can I?" Harry pressed. "Can I stay at Grimmauld with you this summer?"
Sirius gave him a tight smile. "If it was up to me, I would say yes in a heartbeat."
Harry's face fell. "So, that's a no."
"It's not a no," Sirius insisted. "It's a 'let me worry about it and see if I can make it happen', all right?"
Harry let out a small scoff, his head shaking. "If it's up to Dumbledore then it's a no. He's adamant about the blood protection renewing or whatever."
"I can be annoyingly persistent," Sirius replied, trying to break the tension. "I have a couple of months to wear him down to the point where he'll regret not letting the Dementors suck out my soul."
Harry rolled his eyes, but a small smile crossed his face. "I don't think he'll go as far as to wish that kind of death on you."
"You haven't seen me be exceedingly annoying yet," Sirius challenged. "It's probably why he let me rot in Azkaban in the first place. Couldn't put up with me any longer."
Harry laughed, actually laughed, and Sirius figured he was doing something right. He knew Harry appreciated dry and sarcastic humor, loved poking jabs about his own near-death experiences. Sirius had a lot of trauma he could joke about too.
Sirius pursed his lips to the side. "Want to make this a recurring thing?"
"What? Every day?" Harry asked, his eyes wide and hopeful.
"I have nowhere to go or to be," Sirius replied, a grin flitting across his face. "I'm here whenever you want. Although, I'm going to give you the lead. I don't want my face appearing in your mirror by calling you. You call me always, all right? I'll have it on me at all times."
Harry nodded. "Could I… I mean, you're sure I can call you every day?"
"You could call me every day and twice on Sundays," Sirius confirmed. "Or twice on Saturdays… Mondays work too. On Fridays, I'm available three times actually."
Harry grinned, a type of smile that lit up his entire face. He looked younger in that moment, like he was thirteen again covered in dirt and blood while smiling like a maniac at the very prospect of living with his convicted criminal of a godfather that he had just tried to kill a good hour earlier. Sirius was very acutely aware that it didn't take much on his part to make the kid happy, which was probably a good thing since Sirius didn't have much to offer in terms of stability.
"I'll try to keep it to once a day," Harry settled on, but Sirius wanted to make sure his godson knew that Harry could call him every hour on the hour and he'd be fine with it.
Sirius tried to keep his excitement at bay. "I look forward to it, but, Harry, anytime is fine. However many times you need or however few times you need."
"I know," Harry said in a sure voice. "I should go. Ginny's my lookout."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Ginny?"
Harry shifted, his eyes looking at something beyond the mirror before his gaze fixated back onto Sirius. "Yeah, she was just being nice."
Sirius knew all about little Ginny Weasley's crush on his godson. Fred and George had been very loose-lipped, much to Ginny's chagrin. She swore up and down that she had a boyfriend and was over Harry. Except Sirius noticed the stolen glances in his direction and the longing looks.
Sirius liked her, respected her. She was funny, smart, and a very pretty girl. Sirius approved, not that his approval meant anything really. But he knew Harry needed someone who understood him and would be patient with him. After Remus told him all about the Chamber of Secrets incident, Sirius knew they were meant to be together. He only hoped his godson would see her as more than Ron's little sister sooner rather than later. Harry was as dense as Lily when it came to the soul mate department.
"I like her," Sirius commented, his voice casual.
Harry shrugged. "She's nice."
"She's very nice. Funny too. A funny girl is always a keeper," Sirius added, his eyes watching Harry carefully.
The corners of Harry's lips twitched. "Yeah, she is funny."
"All right, I'll let you go, but I'll expect a call tomorrow. Anytime. Day or night. I'm serious, Harry, don't hesitate."
A soft smile spread across his thin lips. "I won't. How, err, how do I hang up this thing?"
"Just sit it mirror side down. It'll disconnect automatically," Sirius explained.
Sirius waited for Harry to disconnect the mirrors. When it did, Sirius stared back at himself looking rather worn and tired. With a sigh, he stood up with the mirror still clutched in his hand as he made his way down towards the kitchen where he knew Remus was working on a report for his latest tailing session where he followed Lucius Malfoy.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sirius sat his mirror down on the table in front of Remus before he walked over to the stove to pour himself a cup of tea. Remus had the gall to not even greet him as he entered the room.
"You lost the bet," Sirius said in a casual tone as he slid into the chair across from Remus, a smile dancing on his lips.
Remus frowned, finally looking up at him. "What bet?"
"I just got off the mirror with Harry," Sirius supplied, a smug smile crossing his lips.
"Ah, so he finally used it? Is he all right?" Remus asked, sitting down his quill so he could take a long sip of his tea.
Sirius tapped his fingers on the table, his eyebrows raising to his hairline. He'd play Remus' game of avoiding the topic at hand.
"He hasn't been all right all year," Sirius replied in an even tone. "But I'll be having words with fucking Snape the next meeting."
"Sirius, you agreed not to talk to him," Remus said with a sigh.
"That was before he kicked Harry out of his office and refused to give him any more Occlumency lessons."
Remus sucked in a breath, his lips parting, but Sirius waved him off. He barreled into the story that Harry had just told him about the Pensieve. Remus didn't look fazed in the slightest by the tale though there was a hint of disappointment that clouded his eyes. It was a look that was previously reserved for Sirius and James while they were at Hogwarts.
"I'm sure Severus will calm down," Remus assured as he picked back up his quill.
"That annoys me," Sirius commented as he leaned back until the chair balanced on its hind legs so he could kick his feet up on the table.
Remus looked up at him again, his eyebrows raised. "What does?"
"Severus this. Severus that. You know he still calls you Lupin. It's entirely one-sided," Sirius argued. "I understand if you don't want to call him Snivellus any longer since we're not kids, but Snape will do just fine."
A grin spread across Remus' face. "Ah, yes, but he loathes it when I call him Severus so I do it at this point to merely annoy him further."
Sirius threw his head back, a bark-like laugh escaping his lips. "Merlin, Remus, I thought you were being cordial."
"You should try it, Sirius," Remus urged as he scratched his quill across the parchment. "He may just suffer a stroke if you called him Severus. My mother always said it was best to kill someone with kindness."
"If I'm calling him Severus and being kind, then I need a guarantee that he'll collapse within five minutes or else I'll be dead," Sirius pressed. "How fast do you think it'd take for him to drop dead?"
"It will be a battle of wills between the two of you, I suppose," Remus responded.
Sirius nodded. "Anyway, back to my initial statement, you lost the bet."
Remus dared to look confused again. "I'm sorry, what bet are you even talking about?"
"Uh, the bet we made at Christmas where I told you Snape would be a fucking arsehole to Harry," Sirius pointed out. "You told me that Snape would understand how serious the situation was and be able to put aside his feelings. Well, Snape didn't do that. Instead, he told Harry he would no longer give him Occlumency lessons."
Remus frowned. "I'll talk to him."
"The fuck you will. I want to talk to him," Sirius protested as he kicked his feet off the table to sit up straighter. "That slimy git has gone too far this time. Harry needs to learn to block his mind. Merlin only knows what could happen if he doesn't. If Harry gets hurt because Snape can't act like a fucking adult, I'll fucking end him myself."
Remus rolled his eyes, stuffing the parchment and quills to the side. "You will not. Calm down, Sirius. You are the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black, you do realize that, don't you?"
Sirius sneered. "Don't even get me started on you."
Remus chuckled as he rose from his chair, taking his teacup with him. "All right, Sirius, let's hear it. What's on your mind?"
A smug smile crosses Sirius' lips. "All right, how about the fact that you fancy my cousin but refuse to go out on a date with her?"
Remus froze, his knuckles turning white from clutching the teacup's handle. "I don't fancy your cousin."
"You've shagged her," Sirius retorted.
Remus lost what little color he had left on his face. "I have not."
Sirius only let out a small chuckle, happy to have riled Remus up as much as he had. "The walls are thin in this old house if you don't cast the proper privacy charms."
Remus looked like he had swallowed a lemon. "We are friends."
"Friends with benefits?" Sirius supplied, his eyebrows wiggling.
"I'm not having this conversation with you," Remus said in a flat tone. "I'm far too old for her."
"And poor. And inflicted with a dreadful disease. And not funny enough. And not charming enough," Sirius added, his voice in an obvious mocking tone of Remus' own voice. "I've heard you spew these lies about yourself for years. You know, Dorcas never cared about any of that either and you refused to give her the time of day. Even Mary fancied you a bit in sixth year and you turned your nose up at her. It's not a bad thing to have a companion and allow yourself a little happiness."
Remus shook his head, his eyes rolling up to look at the ceiling. "Merlin, Sirius, when you put it like that, it seems so easy. Who cares if I maul someone I love and either kill them or turn them into a vicious monster like myself just so I can have a little bit of happiness? You're amazingly right, per usual."
"I sense a hint of sarcasm in those words that I'm not sure I appreciate," Sirius retorted.
"I don't fancy Dora. We had sex a few times. It was a mistake. It was a no-strings-attached sort of thing. It won't happen again," Remus commented as he walked towards the sink and sat his teacup down inside of it. "I'm needed for stakeout duty at Malfoy Manor."
Sirius watched as Remus stormed out of the kitchen but didn't say anything more. Leaning back in his chair, Sirius sipped his tea and tried not to think about how bloody stubborn Remus was. Instead, he thought about what story he could tell Harry about James in their next mirror call, one that preferably wouldn't put Sirius in a grumpy and broody mood. Although, talking about James always seemed to make him a little moody as his death had left an enormous hole in his heart that never seemed to close all the way. But for Harry… well, all that really mattered was making sure that kid was safe and happy. He needed a different perspective on James than what he had seen in that damn Pensieve.
Ginny leaned against the pillar, her eyes scanning the people who passed by her as they chatted about everything under the sun. Ever since the Room of Requirement D.A. meetings had been exposed to the school at large, students had flooded the corridor in an attempt to figure out how to enter the room.
Her eyes snapped to the wall where she had seen Harry disappear through what seemed like forever ago. Glancing down at her wristwatch, she noted he had been gone for over a half hour. Rolling her neck, she wondered how much longer he would be. It wasn't that she minded standing guard for him. She'd do it for five hours if he needed her to, but she was growing bored and slightly anxious that it was only a matter of time before she would have to answer some questions about what she was doing.
"Gin!"
Ginny cringed at the nickname and looked over to her right to see Michael Corner jogging towards her. He greeted her with a peck on the lips before he leaned against the wall next to her.
"Hey," she greeted with a lot less enthusiasm than he had greeted her with.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "I thought you'd be in the Great Hall after practice."
Ginny jutted her chin up. "Hiding from Angelina and her critiques about practice. She can be vicious."
Michael gave her a perfunctory smile that made Ginny groan inwardly. "Maybe you should listen to them so that Ravenclaw doesn't totally demolish you, Gin."
Ginny sucked in a breath. "It's Ginny. We've been over this before, Michael. I hate being called Gin."
Michael's eyebrows raised just slightly as he gripped the strap to his satchel. "Yeah, unless it's Harry Potter calling you that."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come off it."
"No, you come off it," Michael challenged. "I've heard him call you that during D.A. meetings and you don't even bat an eyelid."
Ginny squared her jaw, not willing to admit that she had felt butterflies flutter in her stomach the few times Harry had called her that nickname. She could remember the first time he had ever called her it, the memory so crystal clear in her mind.
She had been struggling to haul her trunk down the narrow stairs of the Burrow on the first of September. She had been eleven and nervous yet excited to finally be able to attend Hogwarts. Harry had forgotten something in Ron's room but paused when he had seen her.
"Need help, Gin?" he had asked with that adorable lopsided grin of his plastered across his face.
She remembered feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. He had been incredibly hard to talk to that entire summer. She felt like she was always saying something silly but he had laughed quite a few times at her jokes or stories. At the time, she had thought he was just being kind because she was Ron's little sister. Except over the years she learned that Harry didn't laugh at anything he didn't find funny and he had never called anyone by a nickname. Just her. Always her. She didn't know what it meant as Harry was very hard to read, but the nickname had become reserved just for Harry in her mind. She hated when Michael used it.
"I've known him since I was ten, Michael," Ginny replied.
"Well, I'm your boyfriend," Michael argued as he bent in closer to her and his lips brushed her ear. "A boyfriend you won't even fool around with."
Ginny took a step back, her head jerking away from his. "I'm not ready for that. As my boyfriend you should respect that."
"I've been nothing but a gentleman, Ginny," Michael snapped.
"You're not acting like one right now," she bit back.
Before Michael could say anything, a very happy Harry Potter shouted, "Gin!"
Michael's eyebrows raised up as a smug stupid smile crossed his lips. Ginny turned away from him to see Harry rushing towards her with a wide and lopsided grin spread across his thin lips. It was nice to see him smile because it was a rare occurrence lately. He had been so serious and broody that Harry being actually happy was an anomaly. Ginny couldn't help but grin back at him.
He stopped short of her, his gaze turning to rest on Michael and the grin dropped from his face. Awkwardness rose between the three.
"Oh, err, sorry," Harry said as he shifted. "Michael, right?"
Michael let out a small laugh of disbelief. "Yeah, it's Michael. We only have Charms together, but that's all right."
Harry's eyebrows lowered on his face. "And the D.A."
"Yeah, and the D.A.," Michael replied, a coolness that Ginny hated in his voice.
"I, uh, I knew who you are," Harry explained.
"I'm sure you did," Michael replied.
Ginny's fingers twitched for her wand because she thought Michael could do with some bogeys flying out of his nose. They would surely break up if she hexed him, and she found that she oddly didn't care.
"Don't be rude, Michael," Ginny snapped.
Michael's attention snapped towards her, his eyes narrowing at her. "Yeah, I'm the one being rude."
"I'll see you later, Michael," Ginny said in a firm voice, leaving no room for discussion.
Michael let out a bitter laugh before he pushed past them, his shoulder knocking against Harry's, far rougher than was necessary. Ginny narrowed her eyes at the back of Michael's head, her fingers wrapping around the smooth handle of her wand.
"I'm sorry," Harry said.
Ginny snapped her attention to him, her fingers dropping from her wand. "Why are you sorry?"
"I didn't see you talking with him," Harry continued, his fingers tightening around the strap of his satchel. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
Ginny waved him off. "I was keeping watch for you and he was distracting me anyway. I should be the one apologizing."
"He's your boyfriend," Harry said as though that made all the difference in the world.
"Yeah, not for much longer," Ginny said in a dark tone. "He's been slowly annoying me for a while."
Harry shifted, his bottom lip sliding between his teeth. "I knew who he was. I just… said it that way in case on the slim chance I was wrong."
Ginny smiled when Harry cringed. He was so adorably awkward and it was one of the things she loved most about him. Ginny's eyes widened. She couldn't think like that. It was one of the things she liked about him… as a friend. There. That was much better.
"I know, Harry," Ginny replied as she reached out a hand and grabbed his wrist. He didn't pull away which she thought was a victory since she had often seen him practically jump away from Hermione's touch. "You don't have to explain yourself to me."
Harry's eyebrows disappeared beneath his glasses as he stared at her. There was an intensity in his gaze that made her legs wobble. No matter how fast she was melting, she kept hold of his gaze.
Harry bent down towards her. "He always seemed like a…"
"A wanker?" Ginny supplied.
Harry let out a small chuckle, his head shaking. "I didn't… well, yeah, I suppose."
Ginny burst out laughing, bumping her shoulder against his. "He was nice enough at first but… I don't know. He's been making comments and suggestions that I'm not too keen on lately. I don't think someone you're with is supposed to make you feel bad."
Harry blinked at her, his eyebrows knitting down. "No, I suppose they shouldn't. It's how… you know, it was with… with Cho. I felt bad that I wasn't… it was almost like she wanted me to be Cedric but I'm not. I'm not Cedric. I'm just, just Harry."
"Well, I suppose we both dodged a hex then," Ginny commented, her eyes focusing on Harry's thin lips. "Is breaking up with someone hard to do? I've never done it before."
"Uh, well, honestly, Ginny, there's lots of tears," Harry started as he shifted from foot to foot.
"Oh Merlin, I hate crying," Ginny said, her face pulling back in disgust.
Harry looked relieved. "Me too. Honestly, I have no idea what to do."
"You sort of just have to hold them and tell them it'll be all right," Ginny supplied. "If you're really close with them, then you run your fingers through their hair and that just makes them feel safe."
Ginny wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through Harry's hair. It was so thick and unruly. It looked so fluffy and soft.
"I'll try to remember that the next time Ron sees a spider," Harry replied, his classic lopsided smile crossing his features and Ginny felt herself melt a little bit more into the floor.
"Nah, tell him to toughen up," Ginny replied.
Harry let out a bark-like laugh, very reminiscent of Sirius. "I'll keep that in mind depending on how big the spider is."
Ginny smiled up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest. "Fancy some dinner?"
"Yeah, I'm famished," he replied.
The two of them walked towards the Great Hall, a comfortable air floating between them. She noticed how Harry walked close to her, their arms brushing gently against each other's every once in a while.
She knew in that moment that she was doomed. She was not over Harry Potter. She was very, very much still under him. When she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, she was satisfied to see a soft smile spread across his lips and she wanted so badly to believe that she was the reason he was finally smiling again.
My newest story is finally out! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Please, don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing, they inspire new ideas, and they just make all this hard work worth it. I've been so excited to share this story with you guys!
For those of you who don't follow me on tumblr (seriouslysam8), this story is a part of a series. The first story Backstabber is already completed. You do not need to read that story to understand this story as it's a first war story. There is one plot that continues over from Backstabber, but it can be a little mystery side story if you never read the story. Everything gets explained in Brumous but I'd you're impatient you can read Backstabber.
Special thanks to Bell for editing. She's fantastic.