Harry and Dora sat at the Tonks' kitchen table. Andromeda had already left for the ministry, Ted was reading The Times in the living room, and Sirius was nursing coffee while leaning against the counter. The two teens were wrapping up breakfast, moving slowly to start the day. Sirius had let them skip the workout for today, and they had leapt at the chance to sleep in. Sirius had a reason, they knew, with how he couldn't keep a smirk off his face, but neither had guessed yet.
The new couple had been slowly exploring their new relationship, their ardour substantially cooled after the interruption by Mrs. Tonks. The pair had certainly snuck a couple kisses, even a snog or two, but they hadn't moved on to any serious level of petting, even over clothes - the furthest had been Dora grabbing Harry's ass after their goodnight kiss the previous evening. The two were still in the awkward stage where they couldn't quite believe the other liked them back, and continued to steal glances at each other like appreciating the other was something taboo, blushing when caught out.
Sirius enjoyed watching the two of them, of course. He loved seeing Harry get to enjoy something in his life - even if they had bought time, that he was training to go to war wasn't lost on any of them. He suppressed a snicker at how the two were playing footsie under the table, when two owls flew in through the open kitchen window, and landed before the two teens.
"Is this our book list?" Harry asked, recognizing the Hogwarts crest. He opened the letter, Dora doing the same beside him with a frown and a crease in her forehead. The letter was thicker than normal, and he found multiple pieces of parchment inside than just the one he was expecting. He unfolded the first one as Sirius called for Ted to come into the kitchen, and realized that these were his OWL results!
Mr. Hadrian James Black -
The following are your certified results pending your most recent attempt at the Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Should any result be suspect, any appeals must be presented to the DME no later than August Twentieth of the given year.
Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations
Charms: Outstanding (with honors)
Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding (with honors)
Herbology: Acceptable
History of Magic: Acceptable
Potions: Outstanding
Transfiguration: Outstanding
Arithmancy: Acceptable
Ancient Runes: Exceeds Expectations
Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations
Divination: Not Taken
Muggle Studies: Not Taken
The British Department of Magical Education congratulates you on achieving 10 OWLs. Please see the required scores for continuation to NEWT level exams (Note: These requirements are separate from those of education institutions for continued enrollment in a subject.)
Harry set down the parchment, reasonably happy with his performance. Sirius, ever impatient, snatched it off the table to scour for himself. Ted was looking over his daughter's shoulder, seemingly happy with how she had done. He picked up some of the other pieces of parchment and leafed through them, finding more detailed notes on his performance from Madam Marchbanks, even including the comment from Amelia Bones about applying to be an auror.
"This is great Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, having finished going through his scores. "I'm pretty impressed, especially in your wanded subjects. And it seems that the tutoring that Andy has been giving you has really helped in Potions." Sirius handed the scores back to the teen.
"It's a lot easier to do well when Snape isn't hovering. How'd you do, Nym?" Harry tried out his new name for Dora, trying to decide how it felt to say - it seemed perfect but he knew she was particularly sensitive about the "nymph" part of her name.
Dora looked at Harry for a second, trying to decide if she was okay with it. Deciding that Harry would be allowed to call her that, she didn't bite his head off.
"Here, trade with me!" She held hers out and snatched his scores from the table where Sirius had left them. As she looked over his, Harry glanced down hers, finding similar scores, the only difference being no honors, an E in arithmancy, and a surprising O in history of magic.
"I didn't know you were that good in history, Nym." Harry looked up from the parchment at his now-blushing girlfriend's face.
"I just really like the subject, I read ahead in the textbooks when in class instead of napping like everyone else. I think I finished the 3rd year book by the end of my 1st year." She looked back to Harry's scores. "These are really good! Did they say how you earned the Honors?" It was Harry's turn to blush.
"Yeah, Madam Marchbanks' notes said that it was for a 'wide breadth of spells not limited to the curriculum and non-verbal casting'." He sat back in his chair and went back to the tea he had abandoned when the owls arrived.
"What she didn't mention - and what Harry here also didn't mention, is that it was a nonverbal patronus." Sirius butted in, and Harry blushed deeper, enjoying the pride on his godfather's face, but not used to the praise.
Dora was slack-jawed. She knew he could cast a patronus, impressive in its own right, but nonverbally? Ted's eyebrows were raised, but he didn't say anything.
"Oh, and let's not forget that your Patronus changed, Harry, it used to be a stag, but what is it now? Maybe you ch-" Sirius couldn't continue before Harry had leapt from his chair and tackled his godfather to the floor, trying to prevent him from finishing that sentence. Harry was already mortified, the gall of the grim animagus to bring that up in front of the subject of his new memory!
Dora giggled as she watched the two roll on the floor of the kitchen, having not quite caught on to what Sirius had been trying to get at. Ted, however, had picked up on it, and was actually much more comfortable with his daughter's new relationship if the boy in question had changed his patronus to a memory of her. That spoke of more than a passing, teenage fling.
Harry pushed the trolley carrying his and Dora's trunks through the wall hiding platform 9 and ¾. It was finally September first, and it was time for them to go back to Hogwarts. Harry was particularly nervous, considering this was the first time he'd be really embracing his fake name and story - and of course, he was wondering about the sorting. He was assuming that he'd be sorted again, but had no idea how that would work.
Dora, of course, was expecting him to do his damndest to convince the hat to put him in Hufflepuff this time. Harry was also hopeful for that, while he enjoyed Gryffindor, he didn't know any of the current students in his old house, and it would certainly be easier to see Nym if they shared a common room.
They pushed through the bustle of the platform with about fifteen minutes to go before the train departed. Andromeda, Ted, and Sirius were behind them, and before they boarded, stopped for a few hugs and goodbyes. Sirius clapped Harry on the shoulder, tears in his eyes, before pulling him into a tight hug.
"I've always wanted to see you off like this." Sirius choked up and had to pause. Harry hugged him back tightly, also struggling to speak. "I missed so much Harry, and I know that this has been hard for you, but frankly, this has been a new lease on life for me. I can't tell you how much I have been both dreading and looking forward to this moment." Sirius pulled back, keeping both hands on Harry's shoulders.
"I expect you to write, and I will show up in person for any reason. I'm only going to be kept so busy working for my Grandfather." He smiled despite the fact it pushed tears from the corners of his eyes out and down his cheeks.
"Of course, I-I'm going to miss you, Sirius." Harry whispered the last so as to not be overheard. Unlike the energetic, bombastic man before him, Harry was much more reserved when it came to expressing emotion.
Sirius pulled him back in for another hug, before letting him go as Andromeda pushed between the two to engulf Harry in another embrace. The normally prim and proper white sheep of the black family pulled away, and looked up at the young man she was coming to cherish.
"You take care of Nymphadora, alright? I know you'll be good for her." Andromeda was nearly tearing up herself, Ted the most staid out of the adults. Harry pulled her back into a tight hug for a moment.
"Of course, Aunt Andy - I'll make sure she's okay." He released her, and she cupped his cheek with a watery smile, before pulling away and walking back over to her daughter. Ted was next, clapping a hand onto his shoulder and leading him a few steps away from the others.
"I like you Harry, and to be honest I trust you. So I won't give you the father's speech, but I'd still like you to be careful. I know my daughter can be… demanding, and to be honest, sometimes I let her get away with a bit too much. I have definitely let Andy be the disciplinarian in the house." He chuckled at that, and Harry relaxed a bit. "But don't let her push you for something that you don't want to give, or know would be a bad idea." Ted stopped and looked away. "I hate to admit it, but she's a young woman now. And so I won't say anything if the two of you decide to go farther - but, and I suppose Andy already mentioned this, though I am trying to be a bit more tactful, don't give us any grandchildren yet."
Harry was blushing again, this was somehow even worse than Dora's mum teasing them. He held his ground and avoided looking away, though.
"Don't worry, Sir. I- I'm enjoying doing this slowly. It'll be a while. It's nice to just be a teenager." Harry added quietly. Ted chuckled.
"If my daughter is anything like her mum - and quite frankly, they are far more similar than either would like you to believe - it won't be you pushing for it. Let me guess, she was the one who asked you out? Expect more of that." Ted walked back to the group, leaving Harry to follow, both slightly anxious and excited at the thought.
The pair had finally settled into a compartment, Harry seated near the window, looking forward along the train with Nym's head in his lap as she sprawled out over the rest of the bench. Harry slowly ran his fingers through her hair, and she hummed in contentment.
"Are we expecting anyone?" Harry asked, not sure just who her friend group was.
"Oh yeah, Charlie is a hoot, he'll probably stop by. Sarah and Claire will join us soon, they're my closest friends." Dora said without opening her eyes. Harry did take note of how she didn't say best friends, and wondered about that - He didn't ask about it, though, figuring that he'd learn sooner or later.
Soon enough, the door opened and a girl their age with straight brown hair stuck her head through. Harry watched her eyes widen as she saw Dora laying in his lap, but she didn't say anything yet and instead made her way into the cabin, a taller, skinnier blonde following - also surprised by Harry's presence and his intimacy with Tonks, as he continued running his hands through her hair. Dora mumbled, nearly asleep. The two put their trucks away, before seating themselves across from them and continued to watch them with unveiled interest. The shorter brunette demanded answers with a dimple bedazzled smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"I think your friends want an explanation." Harry tried to rouse his girlfriend but she burrowed deeper, tucking her face against his stomach. Harry rolled his eyes and gave the two across from him a sheepish grin, even as their looks grew more and more predatory.
"I'm Harry - well, Hadrian but I go by Harry. My dad and I are distantly related to Dora here if you go back to the 1800s. We have been traveling, but we came back so I could sit my OWLs. Dad didn't think he could teach me well enough to take my NEWTs, so I'm coming to Hogwarts now." Harry smiled and went back to running his fingers through Dora's hair, eliciting a small moan from her.
"I'm Claire!" Spoke the shorter brunette, her grin threatening to split her face in two.
"Sarah." She leant back in the seat, evaluating him. "That's clearly not everything, though." She said, gesturing to Harry's current position. He gave another sheepish grin.
"As for why Dora decided to give it a go, she'll need to tell you later, but I fancy her 'cause she's fun, kind, smart, determined, and while she's only unattractive when she wants to be, I find her base form quite cute." He looked down at his girlfriend's head in his lap, seeing her blushing but hiding it in his stomach. There was a moment where the two girls' predatory smiles softened, before it came back in full force.
"Okay, that's enough pretending to be asleep, Tonks." Sarah said, as Claire stood and pulled her off Harry amidst her protestations. Sarah chivvied Harry out of the compartment, telling him to come back in a bit so they can have girltalk. Harry didn't mind, however it was a bit awkward to now be out in the hallway and know nobody.
Tonks finally escaped her friends to go find Harry. She was a bit annoyed at them for pushing him out of the compartment, but had gone along with it for a while before heading out to find him. After heading down a few cars, she looked through a door's window and saw Harry surrounded by a group of first years. She opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind her. Harry had cast his patronus, apparently thinking of his dad this time as it was a stag, but somehow in a miniature form, only about a foot tall, cavorting around on the floor of the compartment, much to the delight of the firsties. She watched as he interacted with the kids, some of whom he must remember from his early years at hogwarts.
Harry looked up at Dora, a soft grin on his face, clearly enjoying entertaining the first years. Her heart ached, seeing him so in his element. Harry wasn't a fighter, not really, he was forced into that role. Harry was a teacher first, and seeing it made her chest constrict.
Harry looked away and dispelled the miniature stag to the complaints of the kids, before casting again but this time summoning the jackrabbit. Dora's smile softened as she saw it, knowing that when he cast that he had been thinking of her. It did funny things to her stomach, causing her core to warm and butterflies in her chest. She was a bit confused, though, by the sound it made on the floor, and even moreso when it hopped up into a girl's lap and cuddled with her.
"She likes you, Alicia! Go on, give it a hug, you can't hurt it, it's not a real animal." The girl's eyes went wide, and glanced up at Harry to be sure, before giving the large rabbit a crushing hug like one would give a stuffed animal. As Harry said, the jackrabbit squirmed a bit, but just so it could reach a lock of Alicia's hair and nibble on it, to the amusement of all the other kids. Dora chuckled and Harry stood to approach her as the kids all crowded around Alicia, petting the rabbit.
"How're your friends?" Harry asked quietly as he watched the first years.
"They're alright. Annoying. I wish I had stopped them from pushing you out." Dora frowned, but Harry shook his head.
"It's alright. You needed a chance to have some girl time, or something." Harry said softly. Dora rolled her eyes.
"Yeah but they could have waited until after we were in the dorm. You'd be busy getting to know the guys anyways. Assuming you convince the hat to put you in hufflepuff." Dora put her hands on her hips, annoyed at her friends.
"Hat?" Spoke up one of the first year boys. Harry's eyes went wide, realizing they almost spilled the secret to the kids.
"Don't you worry about that, okay? You'll find out soon." Dora laughed at the panic in his voice as he tried to stop the curiosity of a gaggle of eleven-year-olds.
~~~
Harry stood with the first years clustered in the entrance hall, Alicia still holding his jackrabbit guardian. It was a small drag on his magic, but the joy she gained from it was worth it. He'd let it dispel when he went to sleep. He had come up in the carriages with Dora and her friends, but stayed in the entrance hall with Professor McGonnagall. She had given him a small smile when she saw how he interacted with the first years as they arrived, especially when she saw the guardian jackrabbit. She had eventually led them into the great hall, and whispers broke out amongst the tables when the other students saw someone clearly not a firstie in the group. McGonnagall called all the first years up in alphabetical order, leaving him for last.
"And finally, Hadrian Black, a transfer student, starting his sixth year." Harry smiled at everyone, and came up to be sorted. It was a bit surreal, doing this again.
"Oh ho! Second time, but also the first time, eh?" The hat said in his head after being placed upon him.
"If you could keep that between us, that would be great. Also if you could keep the timeline intact where possible, that would also be a big help." Harry was hoping that the hat that could see his memories wouldn't screw everything up or announce to the world that he was a time traveller.
"Not to worry, kid, you're not the first time traveler I've sorted. First to come through the veil, though. I'll let you convince me of Gryffindor, next time, but for now, it better be HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat roared to the applause of the yellow and black table, and the clear disappointment of the Gryffindor first years. Harry stood from the stool, handed the sorting hat back to Professor McGonnagall, and made his way over to sit next to Dora, who had saved a spot for him. As the applause died down and Dumbledore stood to open the feast, she leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Good - I would hate to be mad at you for getting sorted elsewhere. That would have made late-night snogs much harder." Harry blushed lightly, but set a hand on her knee as he began to serve himself from the platters that had just appeared.
"I'm looking forward to those. And to your mum no longer barging in." Dora snorted, but nodded as she filled her plate as well.
As the feast was winding down, Professor Sprout made her way to where he was seated at the table.
"Good evening Mr. Black, I hope you're enjoying Hogwarts' hospitality so far? I'm Professor Sprout, the herbology professor and head of Hufflepuff." She introduced herself.
"Yes ma'am, the food was delicious." He nodded and gave her a smile.
"That's great to hear, I'm sure Miss Tonks will inevitably show you the kitchens. Regardless, the Headmaster has asked to speak with you after the feast. Please wait here and I'll escort you up." She gave a nod and a welcoming smile, before making her way back up to the head table. A few whispered speculations broke out among the nearby students, expecting it was mostly just to talk about his past education or something, but Harry figured this would be on a completely different topic. Dora took his hand from where it still remained on his knee and gave it a squeeze in comfort. Harry flashed her a smile, but his mind was now preoccupied.