* A few changes have been made to Chapter 4. So, read it before starting on this one. Anyway, enjoy guys.
Sirius Black was right in the middle of a fantastic dream, involving a pair of attractive Veela twins pleasuring him with their mouths when someone rudely woke him up by chucking a pillow at his face. Startled, the Black heir sat up in the small bed, looking around all confused. It took Sirius a moment to figure out what had just happened, and then he scowled as he realized it was Remus, being his usual annoying self, standing at the foot of his bed.
Fuming at being woken up like that, Sirius flipped his friend the bird and lay back down on the bed, ignoring Remus' calls for him to wake up. Instead, he covered his ears with an extra pillow and closed his eyes, hoping to go back to sleep as soon as possible.
Remus couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend's antics. Even though he was well into his thirties, Sirius still acted like a teenager most of the time. "Sirius, wake up, you lazy sod. There's a letter for you from Harry."
All of a sudden, all traces of sleep vanished from Sirius at Remus' announcement, and he sat up straight in bed. "What?! Prongslet has sent me a letter? Where is it?" he asked the werewolf, excitement clear in his voice.
Remus' lips twitched in amusement as Sirius gestured for him to hurry and hand it over. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope with Harry's unmistakable handwriting scrawled across it. He tossed it over to Sirius, who caught it mid-air with a grin that could only be described as eager.
Tearing open the envelope, Sirius quickly scanned the letter, his eyes dancing across the words. "Way to go, Pup!" Sirius exclaimed happily as he finished reading the letter, a feeling of pride coursing through him. "James would be so proud right now," he murmured, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.
Remus arched an eyebrow upon hearing Sirius' words, his curiosity piqued. "What is it, Padfoot? What did Harry do?"
Instead of answering Moony's question, Sirius simply passed the letter to his furry friend. He ignored Remus' suspicious look and gestured for him to read it, smiling innocently.
Finally, Remus couldn't handle the suspense anymore. He snatched the letter from Sirius' hand and started to read it, his brows climbing higher and higher as he went through its contents. By the time he finished, Remus' eyebrows had almost disappeared into his hairline.
"Harry and Hermione! Wow! I didn't see that coming." Remus shook his head in amazement and sat down on the edge of the bed. Sirus, meanwhile, was grinning like an idiot as he bounced on the mattress.
After a few moments, when Remus finally recovered from the surprise, he glanced back at Sirius. "So, what do you think you're going to write to Harry in your letter, Padfoot?" he asked his friend curiously.
In response, Sirius calmed down and simply shook his head in reply. "Nothing," he answered shiftily.
For a moment, Remus couldn't believe what he had just heard. However, something in the way Sirius had answered his question, caused him to narrow his eyes in suspicion. "Padfoot! What the hell are you planning to do now?" he asked his friend in a worried voice.
Sirius winced as he realized he had failed to fool Remus with his poor acting. However, soon, he set his jaw in firm expression as he answered the werewolf, " I'm going to Hogwarts."
All colour drained from Remus' face at Sirius' answer. "Are you mad, Padfoot? You know you can't go near the school right now."
Sirius, however, wasn't going to be deterred so easily. "This is a matter of the heart, Moony. I can't let my godson down like that when he had asked for my help."
"Harry has asked you to offer home advice through a letter, Sirius, not to come marching up to the castle," argued Remus furiously. Unfortunately, his words had zero effect on Sirius, as the other man wasn't listening to him anymore.
In the end, Remus could only sigh in defeat. He knew there was no point arguing with Sirius now since he had made up his mind. The only thing he could do now was help his crazy friend so he wouldn't end up locked behind bars in Azkaban.
"So, how are we doing this? Do you have a plan?" he asked Sirius in annoyance.
Sirius flashed Remus a playful grin. "Don't you know who you're talking to, Moony, old pal?" he said. "I always have a plan."
In reply, Remus looked up to the heavens and prayed to God for their safety.
The following day, Remus found himself walking up the path from Hogsmeade village to Hogwarts, accompanied by a large black dog. This dog was none other than Sirius in disguise, jumping around joyfully, chasing after birds along the way.
Before long, the two friends reached the wrought iron Entrance Gates, where they spotted Professor Flitwick waiting for them with a big smile.
"Remus, it's good to see you, dear boy! And who's this handsome fella?" the tiny professor asked the werewolf, eyeing the large dog beside his former student carefully.
"This is Snuffles, Professor," Remus answered, scratching Sirius behind the ear. The animagus in disguise let out a happy bark and offered the Charms Professor a doggy grin, wagging his tail around playfully. His actions had the desired effect, and Professor Flitwick relaxed a bit, even giving the canine a small smile in return.
Once he realized the large black dog was harmless, Professor Flitwick unlocked the Entrance Gates with a tap of his wand and gestured for Remus and Snuffles to come in. The two former colleagues chatted as they slowly made their way across the school grounds up to the castle. During the short walk, Remus informed Professor Flitwick about the reason behind his impromptu visit and received a sympathetic smile in return.
Meanwhile, Sirius couldn't help but feel a little smug as he trailed behind the two men, venturing deeper into the castle. As he had promised Remus the previous night, his plan had worked wonderfully. Apart from Dumbledore, no one at Hogwarts had any clue about his animagus form, which meant he could stroll into the school without any fear of being caught. Finally, it looked like they had reached their destination as Professor Flitwick stopped before a large oak door guarded by two stone gargoyles.
"Password?" the gargoyle on the left asked in a deep voice as he noticed their presence.
In response, Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and squeaked, "Gurdyoots."
The two gargoyles nodded in satisfaction at the answer and stepped aside, the door behind them swinging open with a click. Professor Flitwick led the way into the room, with Remus following closely behind him. As he brought up the rear, Sirius finally recognized their location. The Hogwarts staffroom was a long, panelled room with mismatched dark wooden chairs arranged around a lengthy wooden table.
"Why don't you wait here for a few minutes, Remus? I'll be back in a short while," Professor Flitwick said as he gestured for the younger man to take a seat. In reply, Remus offered the Professor a small nod and sat down in one of the chairs nearest to the fireplace. Sirius followed his friend's lead and settled down by the werewolf's feet.
Fortunately, the two friends didn't have to wait long. Professor Flitwick returned a few minutes later, accompanied by a tall, dark-haired teenager. Sirius could feel his mouth hanging open in shock as he realized that the young man in front of him was, in fact, his godson, Harry. Despite his astonishment, the animagus quickly composed himself before Professor Flitwick could detect the human-like expression on his doggy face. Nevertheless, Sirius glanced at Remus from the corner of his eye and felt a sense of satisfaction when he noticed the same stunned expression on his friend's face.
Similar to Sirius, Remus was also finding it difficult to believe that the boy in front of him was Harry Potter. Unlike the short, skinny kid he remembered from last year, the boy standing before him was tall and surprisingly well-built, with some serious muscle definition. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only change in Harry. Remus could feel his jaw almost drop to the floor as he focused on Harry's face for the first time. Sharp, angular cheekbones and a chiselled jawline greeted the werewolf's eyes as he gazed at his former student. Finally, Remus broke his gaze away from Harry and instead looked down at Padfoot; the two friends exchanged a mutual, shocked look before quickly looking away from each other.
As he entered the staffroom, Harry started when he noticed none other than Remus Lupin sitting in one of the staff chairs. However, that surprise paled in comparison to his reaction when his gaze fell upon the large black Grim lying at his old Professor's feet.
Professor Flitwick gave Harry a curious look when he heard the boy let out a sudden yelp at the sight of the dog. "Are you alright, Mr. Potter?" he asked the boy softly.
In reply, Harry gave the Professor a jerky nod as he quickly smoothed his expression. "Y-yes, I'm alright, Professor," he answered swiftly.
Professor Flitwick seemed like he didn't believe him. He gave him another searching look before deciding to let it slide. "Alright then. I'll leave you two to have a private chat," he told Remus and Harry with a nod before exiting the staffroom.
As soon as the doors closed behind the diminutive Professor, Remus sprang into action. With a quick flick of his wand, he cast nearly half a dozen wards on the room to ensure there would be no eavesdropping. Once he had finished, the werewolf nodded his head at Sirius, and the animagus swiftly returned to his normal self.
Sirius grunted in surprise as Harry suddenly crashed into his arms, holding onto him desperately. He allowed the young man to cling to him for a few seconds, smiling happily as he realized his godson had also missed him. Finally, Sirius clapped Harry on the back and chuckled, "Missed you too, kid," he said, his voice gruff and filled with genuine affection.
Harry stepped back, a sheepish grin on his face. "It's been a crazy week," he admitted. "You wouldn't believe all the things that have happened." However, his mood quickly shifted as a worried frown appeared on his face. "Sirius, why did you come here? What if someone caught you?" he asked anxiously.
Sirius brushed off Harry's concerns with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about me, Prongslet. Old Padfoot still has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Despite Sirius's reassuring words, Harry seemed ready to argue, but a firm look from his godfather changed his mind. As he scrutinized his godson carefully, Sirius received another shock when he realized he had to look up at Harry to meet his eyes. For a moment, he couldn't believe the kid had already grown taller than him. Sirius couldn't help but feel a little wistful as he remembered the happy toddler who used to chase after him yelling, "Pa'foo, Pa'foo," before that fateful Halloween. Now, Harry easily towered over both him and Remus.
Remus, who had been quietly observing the reunion thus far, spoke up, "You've changed a lot, Harry," he said, gazing at the boy with wide, disbelieving eyes. Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's words. "That's the understatement of the century, Moony," he said, wrapping his arms around Harry's shoulders. "The kid looks like one of those models from my old Muggle magazines. No wonder poor Hermione couldn't keep her hands to herself. I bet half the witches in this place want to jump this guy's bones."
Harry's cheeks flushed red at Sirius' good-natured ribbing. He quickly ducked his head to avoid meeting his godfather's mirthful eyes. Noticing Harry's reaction, Sirius barked out a laugh and clapped him on the back once more.
Remus decided they had teased the boy enough. He motioned for all of them to sit down, and the three of them gathered around the staff table, taking seats beside each other, with Harry positioned in the middle between the two adults.
"So, what's going on, pup?" Sirius began as they all settled down. "Have you and Hermione made up yet?"
In reply, Harry sadly shook his head. "No, she's still avoiding me, Sirius. I just don't understand why she's acting like this."
Remus patted Harry's thigh. "Don't be upset, Harry. I'm sure Hermione will come around sooner or later," he reassured the boy with a small smile. "In the meantime, why don't you tell us exactly what happened between you two? And also everything that has happened after that? Maybe then we can get an idea about her current mood."
Harry nodded in response to Remus' suggestion. He then blushed and stuttered his way through the entire story as he recounted everything that had happened between him and Hermione. Luckily, neither of the two men interrupted him while he was talking, and Harry quickly finished his story. When he was finally done, Harry lifted his head slowly and found his godfather gazing at him with an amused look on his face.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked Sirius in an irritated voice.
Harry's tone caused Sirius to break into giggles. The older man's shoulders were shaking with mirth, and he had to wipe tears from his eyes. Remus flashed his best friend a glare before turning to focus on Harry.
"Ignore Sirius, Harry. He's an idiot," Remus began, capturing the boy's attention. "As for Hermione, I don't think you need to worry too much about her. I'm sure she won't be cross with you for much longer."
Harry could only look at the scarred man with a disbelieving expression on his face.
Remus chuckled upon realizing that Harry didn't believe him. "You don't believe me," he said to the boy, shaking his head."Alright, then, just think about what Hermione's been up to, Harry. She broke up with her boyfriend after what went down between you two. Since then, she has also avoided talking to you. But, as you mentioned, she hasn't been angry with you. Instead, she had been flustered in your presence. I reckon she's just a bit confused about what she wants. So, the best thing you can do now is to give her some space to figure things out."
Harry was hanging onto Remus' every word as the older man spoke. By the time he was finished, a tiny smile appeared on the young man's face.
"Do you think Remus is right, Sirius?" Harry asked his godfather for his opinion.
Sirius nodded in response. "You'd do well to listen to Remus, Prongslet. Moony here was always good at giving relationship advice. I remember he used to give James the best ideas on how to court Lily. Unfortunately, your father could never quite follow the plan." Sirius then suddenly grinned mischievously. "But just in case Moony's advice doesn't pan out, I have another plan for you."
Harry gave his godfather a curious look. "What is it?" he asked eagerly.
Remus shot Sirius another warning look, but Sirius, used to them for several years, paid no mind. Instead, he leaned in closer to Harry and whispered, "If Hermione doesn't make up her mind soon, you might have to give her a little nudge." He paused, checking if Harry was fully tuned in, and nodded when he saw the boy hanging on his every word. "You should try making her a bit jealous. Go out with another cute girl to show her you've got options. I bet she'll come running back to you in no time then."
Harry couldn't help but feel intrigued by his godfather's idea. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind," he told Sirius, grinning.
Sirius clapped Harry on the back again, ignoring the way Remus was shaking his head at him in disappointment. The three of them chatted for another half-hour until it was time for lunch. Sirius and Remus both hugged Harry goodbye and asked him to inform them of any new developments. Finally, Sirius transformed into Padfoot, his grey eyes shining mischievously, and launched himself at Harry, licking his face furiously. He gave Harry a smug doggy grin, his tongue hanging out of his mouth before hightailing it out of the staffroom. Remus shook his head at his friend's antics, giving Harry a final smile before quickly hurrying after Sirius to ensure he didn't get into any trouble.
Harry watched the two men leave with a happy smile on his face. He couldn't believe how good it felt to talk to Sirius and Remus about the tournament and everything else including Hermione. Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest, Harry eagerly began to make his way to the Great Hall for lunch.
Later that evening, Harry found himself strolling around the castle grounds after visiting Hagrid for a cup of tea. With the sun beginning to set on the horizon, casting a warm glow across the Hogwarts grounds, and a gentle breeze dancing through the air, it seemed like a wonderful idea to settle down on the soft grass near the tranquil lake and enjoy the lovely atmosphere. The cool grass beneath him and the calming ripples of the lake combined to offer Harry a moment of quiet reflection, allowing him to think deeply about his earlier conversation with his godfather.
Ever since his chat with Remus and Sirius, Harry couldn't help but keep thinking about the latter's suggestion regarding the situation with Hermione. After her behaviour in the last few days, Sirius' idea of making Hermione jealous by going out with another girl felt like a more attractive option to Harry rather than waiting for her to come back to him on her own.
Suddenly, Harry was snapped out of his thoughts as someone sat down on the grass beside him.
"Hello, Harry," Cho Chang greeted him, giving him a lovely smile.
Harry blinked, surprised by her sudden appearance. "Hi, Cho! What are you doing here?" he asked her curiously.
Cho giggled lightly in response. "Well, I saw you sitting here as I was coming back from the Quidditch pitch. Mind if I join you?" she asked him, her tone friendly.
Harry's surprise turned into a warm smile. "Not at all. I'd love the company," he replied, gesturing for her to sit more comfortably.
Flashing him another beautiful smile, Cho settled in comfortably beside him. "So, what's going on, Harry? You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something."
Harry chuckled. "Nah, nothing like that. I was just just soaking in the view."
Cho nodded in agreement, taking in the beautiful view around them. As the sun dipped low on the horizon, it cast a warm, golden glow across the Hogwarts grounds. The surface of the lake mirrored the hues of the sky, shimmering with a tranquil blend of oranges and pinks. A gentle breeze ruffled the edges of the water, creating mesmerizing ripples that danced in the fading light.
"Yeah. Hogwarts looks amazing during sunset," she whispered after a few moments.
The two of them sat together by the lake, enjoying the natural beauty around them. Finally, after a few minutes of sitting together in companionable silence, Harry suddenly had a wonderful idea. Turning his head to the side, he looked down at Cho and saw her smiling as she watched the giant squid wave its tentacles above the surface of the water. Looking at her right now, Harry had to admit she was one of the most beautiful girls at Hogwarts. Exactly, the kind of girl that could make Hermione feel jealous. In the end, this finally made the decision for him.
"Hey, Cho!" Harry began in a soft voice, capturing her attention, "I was wondering since you're not going out with Cedric anymore, would you like to go to Hogsmeade next weekend with me?"
Cho's eyes widened in surprise at Harry's proposition. A part of her looked like she immediately wanted to scream 'YES!' in answer, but she composed herself.
The corner of Harry's mouth curled upwards in satisfaction as Cho's face turned a little pink and she gave him a small nod. "Y-yeah, I'd like that, Harry," she answered him in a small voice.
Harry couldn't help it. His face split into a large grin at Cho's answer and he ran a hand through his jet-black hair, making it even more windswept and handsome-looking. "Alright, then. I guess I'll meet you outside the Ravenclaw common room on Saturday morning?" he asked her politely.
Cho quickly nodded in reply, looking deliriously happy. "Yeah. That'll be great," she told him, almost vibrating in excitement.
The two of them shared a grin before turning their attention to the beautiful view in front of them.
A.N.
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