"Brumous"
"Chapter Forty-Five: The Sorting"
McGonagall met Sirius in the infirmary with the paperwork to present to the Wizengamot stating that Cepheus had been accepted into Hogwarts. He stuffed the parchment in his inner robe pocket, thanking McGonagall as he did so. Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, not feeling like making small talk while he waited for Cepheus to finish getting ready. But he smiled nonetheless when McGonagall mentioned an article in Transfiguration Weekly about some wizard trying to simplify the Animagus process.
While Sirius appreciated the efforts of his former professor, he didn't feel the effects. He picked a piece of lint off his brand new traditionally black dress robes that Andromeda bought him to look more presentable. Annoyingly enough, she even forced him to get a haircut and his beard trimmed. Sirius did what he was told to avoid argument. It certainly couldn't harm his chances to look like a functional member of social.
The door at the end of the infirmary opened. Sirius expected to see Harry but he froze when his eyes locked on Marlene. His insides squirmed when she smiled in his direction. Sirius tried to smile back but he wasn't quite sure what his face looked like. McGonagall looked between them, her eyebrow arching, before she excused herself. Marlene smiled at McGonagall as they crossed paths. Marlene stopped directly in front of him, her lips pursing to the side as she reached up to straighten his tie.
"Walden Macnair has nothing on you," Marlene said, her fingers smoothing down the collar of his shirt. "Besides, the Wizengamot isn't going to deny you custody of your own nephew when they allowed you to gain custody of the Chosen One. It'd look pretty bad if they entrusted you with their golden boy but not some random kid."
Sirius let a low breath. "They'd look pretty stupid, but I am a single bloke with one kid already."
"A filthy rich single bloke," Marlene pointed out. "I'm assuming you have copies of your statements from the Black accounts?"
The corner of Sirius' lips twitched. "You sound like Andy."
Marlene smiled. "She's a smart lady. I always liked her."
Sirius stuffed his hands into the pockets of his fancy-arse robes, his heart pounding against his rib cage. Marlene had dominated his thoughts over the weekend. Now, here she was, as though he manifested her to appear when he needed her the most. She was the distraction he craved. Maybe Remus hadn't been entirely wrong. He had been running. He was tired of running.
"I, erm, I've been thinking a lot about… us this weekend," Sirius admitted.
Merlin, was that more than true. He had thought a lot about Marlene and how she hadn't changed all that much in the past fifteen years despite everything she had been through. She was still just as passionate and unwilling to let him spiral as she was before. An unwavering force of comfort. He had also thought a lot about him and Marlene. Because, truth be told, he fucking missed her. He missed her laughter, her smile, the feel of her in his arms. He just fucking missed her. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her until she had been screaming in his face. Surely, that was mental. But Sirius was used to feeling mental.
"I don't want to keep our correspondence just about Harry," Sirius continued. "I do miss you, Marly. We were friends for the longest time. I just find it hard to be around you and I, I, I bloody well hate that."
Marlene took a step back, her arms wrapping around her stomach. She gazed up at him, her eyes flickering across his face.
"I find it hard to be around you too," Marlene admitted, her hazel eyes blinking rapidly. "But it's not because I hate you or blame you for anything. It's because I look at you and think about everything that we had and then lost. I think about how if I had only regained my memories a lot sooner, I could have saved you from Azkaban and saved Harry from the Dursleys and we could have…" she trailed off, clearing her throat.
"Marlene," Sirius said in a strained voice, wanting to say so much but having no clue of where to even start.
Marlene looked to the right, tears brimming her eyes. "I miss you, Sirius. I feel like you're right here but you're so far away."
Sirius swallowed. "I'm not the man you knew, Marly. I don't know how to be him again."
Marlene snapped her head back, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Really?" she croaked, her hand reaching up to flick the tear away. "Because I still see the same guilt-ridden, short-tempered, brave man that I knew before. I still see the loving and kind man who would burn down an entire village for the people he loves. I still see you, Sirius. I still see you as you."
Sirius bowed his head, his hair flopping down to obscure his line of sight from Marlene. His heart hammered in his chest, threatening to break free at any moment. Words clogged in his throat. How could he even begin to explain to her that he didn't want to be that man anymore? The man who declined to protect his real family because he was scared the Blacks would manipulate him into willingly telling them the secret. The man who left his godson in the moment he needed him the most. The man who let himself wallow in Azkaban for twelve years instead of breaking free to look after his godson sooner. The man who had been cocky and stumbled his way through life until it all caught up to him in the worst possible ways.
"You have to work through your trauma from your childhood and your time in Azkaban," Marlene added. "I know I have trauma to work through with the memory charms and identity issues. So, if you want to try to be friends again, I'd be happy to. I'm happy you've got Tegan–"
"Can we not talk about that?" Sirius interrupted, tilting his head up and combing his fingers through his hair to fix it.
Marlene blinked at him. "We're friends, remember? I'm not upset or angry with you that you moved on with someone else. I understand it. It's not like I haven't fucked other men over the years."
Sirius winced, not being able to help himself. It wasn't news that surprised him. He knew he had no right to be jealous or even upset. Marlene was right. It wasn't like Sirius hadn't fucked Tegan plenty of times in the past couple of months.
A door across the infirmary opened. Cepheus stepped out of the loo looking eerily like Regulus in his expensive and finely pressed dress robes. The only thing missing was Regulus' curly locks.
Sirius looked down at Marlene. "We need to leave for the Ministry or else we'll be late."
"Don't worry," Marlene assured him, giving his arm a squeeze. "Just turn on that Black charm of yours and you'll have custody in no time."
Sirius smiled tightly at her.
"Uncle Sirius?" Cepheus asked in an uncertain tone.
Sirius tore his eyes away from Marlene to see his nephew approaching them. His hands wrung in front of him.
"Amino," Sirius said the codeword.
Cepheus instantly relaxed as he closed the space between them. Sirius wrapped an arm around his shoulders, tucking him into his side. The kid melted against him.
"Hello, Professor McKinnon," Cepheus greeted.
Marlene smiled. "It'll all be all right, Cepheus. Sirius will get custody, you'll get sorted tonight, and then I'll see you in class sometime this week."
Cepheus only nodded, his body pressing closer to Sirius' side. Sirius rubbed the kid's arm before nodding in Marlene's direction. They made their way towards Dumbledore's office, the silence between them awkward in a way it never had been with Harry. Sirius knew he shouldn't compare Cepheus to Harry, but he couldn't help himself. Sirius didn't know how to parent them, their individual needs and personalities so different from one another.
Gawain had set up a secure Floo connection between the DMLE and Dumbledore's office, allowing Sirius and Cepheus to enter the Ministry of Magic undetected. Sirius kept a firm grip on the kid's shoulder as Gawain signed them in as guests, following the normal protocol. It was then that Sirius realized that Cepheus was wandless. He'd have to take him to get a new one as he had no idea what Malfoy had done with his.
The Auror escort to the courtrooms seemed a little excessive but Sirius appreciated it all the same. Whispers broke out around them, people stopping to stare at them. Amelia Bones stood outside Courtroom Four waiting for them with her arms crossed over her chest. The last thing Sirius wanted to do was to engage with her.
"Mr Black," Bones said, not giving Sirius an out.
Sirius gave the back of Cepheus' neck a squeeze. "Minister."
"It's amazing to me that your nephew, a boy who has never before stepped foot in England, managed to escape a house in which he was being held hostage and made his way to Hogwarts unassisted," Bones said, her eyes peering at Cepheus.
"Accidental magic is truly an amazing thing," Sirius replied, attempting to keep his tone pleasant. "I'd say it saved my life a time or two."
"Mr Black–"
"We'll be late for our hearing," Sirius interrupted. "It was a pleasure, as always, talking with you."
"I would kindly ask that you don't treat me like a fool, Mr Black," Bones snapped. "You and I both know it was Albus Dumbledore's vigilante group that rescued that boy. I know you were there. I also believe that the bodies of five purebloods with the Dark Mark on their arms showing up in a field were no doubt there as well. Their bodies were moved postmortem, but you already knew that, didn't you?"
Sirius smiled tightly. He had seen the papers and read the official story last week. Harry had told him Malfoy's and Nott's boys had been removed from Hogwarts before the bodies had even been found, so Sirius could only assume that Voldemort had them moved out of his house.
"Good day, Minister," Sirius said, gently nudging his nephew forward. "Come on, Cepheus."
They entered the courtroom to see Walden Macnair already seated at a table. His cold eyes locked with them. He sneered at Sirius before his gaze fell onto Cepheus. His expression softened just a tad. Cepheus stared at him with wide eyes as he took a step closer to Sirius.
"Is that him?" Cepheus whispered. "I don't think he was allowed to see me before. I don't remember him at that house."
Sirius nodded curtly. "Yeah, that's him. We're over here," he whispered as he directed Cepheus to a table on the other side of the room from Macnair.
Sirius' lawyer was already seated at the table, shuffling through a bunch of parchment.
"Magnus," Sirius greeted.
Magnus turned, a smile gracing his face as he stood up to shake Sirius' hand.
"Sirius, how are you holding up?" Magnus asked.
Sirius shrugged. "As well as anyone else," he replied before turning to his nephew. "Cepheus, this is my lawyer Magnus Shacklebolt. Magnus, this is my nephew Cepheus Black."
Magnus reached out a hand for Cepheus, who accepted it without hesitation. "I didn't have the pleasure of knowing your father when I was your age, but I did know your uncle. You look remarkably like he did at that age. You should ask him to show you some pictures."
Cepheus smiled politely. "I've seen a few."
"Magnus is an old friend," Sirius explained. "He was a year ahead of me at school, different house but he was prefect and head boy so he saw a lot of me. Your dad didn't cause nearly as much trouble as I did in school, so Magnus never had to give him detention like he had to give me."
Oh, had that been the truth. Regulus had towed the line perfectly. In fact, Sirius had never heard of him even receiving a detention in the seven years he attended Hogwarts. That seemed like an impossible feat.
Magnus chuckled, gesturing for them to take a seat at the table. "Kingsley let me know all of the things I missed, don't worry."
Cepheus took a seat between Magnus and Sirius. His clasped hands rested in his lap, his right knee bouncing as they waited for the Wizengamot to join them.
"Kingsley is Magnus' little brother," Sirius explained, leaning back in his chair and wrapping an arm protectively around the back of Cepheus' chair. He left out the bit about how the Shacklebolt brothers were both in a vigilante group that Sirius himself was a part of. It seemed too soon to let the kid in on everything.
Magnus leaned around Cepheus. "We need to schedule depositions for you and Harry, by the way, for the Umbridge case."
Sirius rolled his neck, knowing Harry would not be pleased. The case against Umbridge abusing her power at Hogwarts had dragged on over the past few of months with Magnus' law firm in the discovery phase of the case. Now, he supposed, they were ready to move on to actually talking to everyone.
"That's fine," Sirius confirmed. "Just let me know when and I'll make it happen."
Magnus seemed to sense Cepheus' nervousness, because he explained how the hearing would go. Sirius barely listened, trusting Magnus to win him custody. He did glance over to the other table, watching as Macnair and his lawyer pressed their heads together to talk.
When the seven member Wizengamot panel entered the room, Sirius sat up a tad straighter. He didn't know anyone on the panel personally. Sirius had never been interested in the Wizengamot growing up, despite Orion's constant attempts to force him to give a shit. The meet and greets had always been boring, the parties so dull that he had blocked them from his mind.
"We are here today to determine the custody of Cepheus Regulus Black, son of Regulus Arcturus Black and Charlotte Nicola Black," the man in the center started the proceeding. Sirius was fairly certain he was a Shafiq. "Both parents are deceased. Here to seek custody, we have Sirius Orion Black, his uncle, as well as Walden Joseph Macnair, his grandfather. Is that correct?"
Magnus rose from his chair. "Yes, that is accurate. I would like to point out that neither party knew about Cepheus for years. When Mr Black found out he had a nephew, he traveled to France straight away to meet him. Since then, the two have been in communication and have gotten to know one another. When young Cepheus turned up at Hogwarts last week, the first person he asked for was his uncle."
Sirius only hoped the half-truths wouldn't bite them in the arse. They couldn't very well tell the entire truth without implicating members of the Order with murder. Nor could they say they had been a part of the rescue mission. Bones' Ministry had made it abundantly clear that there was no room for vigilante groups.
Macnair's lawyer stood up. "While Mr Macnair was unable to know his grandson in the past, we would like to submit to evidence a hospital report from the thirty-first of October this year."
Sirius stiffened, his head snapping to look at Macnair.
"Mr Black was admitted to St. Mungo's due to intoxication at which time they had to magically expel the alcohol from his system," the lawyer continued.
"I must object!" Magnus interrupted. "Hospital records are confidential and Mr Black's were no doubt obtained illegally! They must be inadmissible!"
Sirius didn't really think it mattered if the records were dismissed or not. The information had been presented. It was bound to affect their decision. Sirius ground his molars together, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible.
"Mr Black is a drunk," the lawyer pressed. "His grandfather would be a better influence and caregiver for Cepheus."
"Objection!" Magnus shouted. "Speculation!"
Shafiq turned held up a hand, stopping both lawyers from speaking any more. He turned his attention directly to Sirius.
"Mr Black, your character has been brought into question," Shafiq explained. "Would you care to elaborate on the topic?"
Sirius sucked in a breath. "Halloween is… I hate Halloween. You all know I have custody of Harry Potter, that he's my godson. You also know that his parents were murdered on Halloween. And I made a mistake. I let myself wallow in grief and I drank too much. I haven't had a sip of alcohol since."
"A month sober proves nothing," Macnair's lawyer objected.
"If Mr Black's character is in question, I can personally find at least two dozen people who would be willing to speak on his behalf by this afternoon," Magnus insisted. "One mistake should not reflect poorly on a person. This court thought Mr Black a fit guardian for Harry Potter not six months ago."
"An excellent point! Mr Black already has a teenager in his custody," Macnair's lawyer interjected with a small smirk of victory. "Two orphaned teenage boys in his care is too much for a single parent to handle."
"Yes, a teenager who is thriving under Mr Black's care," Magnus pressed as he grabbed a piece of parchment. "I would like to show the Wizengamot Mr Potter's academic record. His professors have kindly presented his current grades thus far this year and for previous years. Mr Potter's Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms grades are up from last year. He is testing above his year level in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He has been made Quidditch captain as well as a student leader in the Hogwarts dueling clubs. His professors have noted a change in his general demeanor as being more positive and expanding his social circle. In fact, I have a personal statement from Deputy Head Mistress Minerva McGonagall about all the positive changes she has witnessed in Mr Potter since Mr Black gained custody."
"Yes, so let Mr Black continue to provide such a wonderful home for Mr Potter and keep his focus on his godson," Macnair's lawyer insisted. "Why pull his focus away from one child for another? My client does not have a child at home and can provide his undivided attention to his grandson."
Sirius' heart hammered in his chest. His fingers pressed against his lips, his gaze focused straight ahead.
"Young Mr Black is sixteen, am I correct?" Shafiq asked.
Magnus confirmed.
"Mr Black, who would you rather live with?" Shafiq asked, focusing his attention on Cepheus. "Your uncle or your grandfather?"
Cepheus shifted in his chair, sitting stiff as a board. "I never met my grandfather before," he said, his voice wavering. "Uncle Sirius and I have been talking a lot since I met him. I've also been talking a lot to Harry as well. So…" he trailed off, licking his lip as he glanced over at Sirius. "I would rather live with my uncle."
"Mr Black has already enrolled his nephew at Hogwarts," Magnus added quickly. "Mr Black has taken it upon himself to redo the guest bedroom in his home in Hogsmeade into a bedroom fit for a teenager. He's also bought his nephew all his school supplies, new clothes, and whatever else Cepheus has asked for," he continued as he presented pictures that Andromeda had taken of Cepheus' new bedroom across the hall from Harry's. "Mr Black has been in contact with the Beauxbatons headmistress to obtain Cepheus' belongings from his old school as well as with the French Ministry to help him gain access to his home in Pézenas. Mr Black's focus has been on Cepheus and making sure he is well taken care of. What has Mr Macnair done for his grandson?"
"Mr Macnair hasn't had the opportune–"
"So nothing then?" Magnus interrupted. "Mr Black has thought of everything while Mr Macnair has thought of nothing other than to file for custody. Mr Macnair has not provided a room for his grandson, thought about his education, nor gathered together essentials for him like Mr Black has."
Sirius needed to thank Andromeda for her pushing him into getting everything situated before his court date. He looked like uncle of the fucking year. Honestly, he didn't give Andromeda the credit she deserved. He was going to change that.
Shafiq turned his attention to Sirius. "Mr Black, do you think that you can provide a good home to two orphaned boys? Giving them each the attention and love they deserve?"
"Yes, I can," Sirius said in his most sincere voice. "I love them both."
Shafiq nodded. The panel talked amongst themselves for a few moments. Sirius tried to strain his ears to hear what they were saying but he couldn't. As quickly as they started to talk, it ended. Shafiq turned back to them.
"The Ministry of Magic hereby grants custody of Cepheus Black to Sirius Black," Shafiq announced. "We are adjourned."
Sirius let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Cepheus cried openly next to him, his arms folding on the table and his face burying into his elbow. Sirius pressed a hand on the kid's back, rubbing between his shoulder blades. A loud clank sounded. Sirius turned to see Macnair's chair on the floor and the man himself storming out of the courtroom.
Harry leaned against the stone wall outside of Dumbledore's office, his eyes watching for Sirius and Cepheus to appear. He had skived off class, too anxious for Cepheus to even concentrate. The longer it took for his family to appear, the more anxious he became. What would Cepheus do if he was sent to live with the Macnairs? Surely, he would wind up dead before long. There had to be something Sirius could do, because he knew his godfather. He wasn't going to let Cepheus walk to his demise.
Harry's insides squirmed as his head rested against the stone wall. He barely knew Cepheus yet he cared so much. For most of his childhood, he had craved for Dudley to like him. He wanted a friend, a cousin. Yet, all he received was a bully. Harry didn't know exactly when he had given up hope that he and Dudley would be close one day, but he had. Cepheus was so different from Dudley. Cepheus wanted to be his family. Harry had latched onto that without a second thought, all the childish wishes he thought up in his cupboard coming true.
Sometimes, Harry thought it ironic. Everyone surrounding him that he had come to consider family was a member of the Black family. Yet, it was the same family that Sirius had run away from. It was the same family that had disowned Andromeda for falling in love with a Muggleborn. Somehow, Harry felt more connected to the Black family than he did to the Potter family. That was both extremely funny and also completely sad in his mind.
"Harry!"
Turning his head, Harry saw Cepheus break away from Sirius and bolt down the corridor. Harry kicked off the wall, the tension leaving his body. Sirius had won custody. Cepheus threw himself at Harry, and Harry was too relieved to even feel awkward.
"I was so scared I'd go to my mum's family," Cepheus whispered, his voice cracking. "It's been hard enough losing her. I didn't want to go to the Macnairs."
Harry tightened his arms around Cepheus, one hand pressing against the back of Cepheus' head. "I know."
Sirius made his way towards them, his hands shoved into his robe pockets. An odd look crossed Sirius' face, but Harry couldn't read it. Pulling back, Harry turned his attention to Cepheus. Tears poured down Cepheus' face, his face pulling. Sirius wrapped a hand around the back of Cepheus' neck.
"Oi, you all right?" Sirius asked.
Cepheus nodded, rubbing the sleeve of his dress robe underneath his nose. "Yeah, it's just… I wish Mum was here."
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Cepheus turned to look up at Sirius. "What house were my mum and dad in?"
"They were in Slytherin," Sirius replied, shifting his weight. "Look, normally, I would say house doesn't matter. There are good and bad people in every single house. No one house is better than the other. But, given the current climate, I hope you aren't placed in Slytherin. I know for a fact that there are some students in Slytherin right now who have already taken the Mark. It would be dangerous for you to be in that house."
Cepheus turned to Harry. "What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor," Harry replied. "So are Ron and Ginny."
"I want to be in Gryffindor then," Cepheus said in a sure tone. "We should stay together, shouldn't we?"
Sirius sucked in a breath. "Look, as long as you're not in Slytherin, it'll be fine."
Cepheus didn't look convinced, his hands wringing. "Do I really have to be sorted?"
Harry gripped Cepheus' shoulder, a smile crossing his face. "Just ask the hat to put you in Gryffindor and it will."
"Will it?" Cepheus asked in a relieved tone.
Sirius peered at Harry curiously.
Harry nodded. "It wanted to put me in Slytherin. I asked not to be placed there. It listened."
"The hat was going to put you in Slytherin?" Sirius asked in disbelief.
Harry turned to look at Sirius. "Yeah, it said I'd do well there."
Sirius nodded. He didn't say anything, but his jaw clenched.
"I thought you said it didn't matter what house you're in," Harry pressed, feeling uncomfortable.
"It doesn't," Sirius reiterated, his eyebrows raising. "I wouldn't have cared if you were in Slytherin, but I may have had a minor heart attack once Voldemort came back knowing you were in the den of the serpents."
Harry searched Sirius' face.
"Look, I know what it's like to have your family disappointed in you for a decision a hat made," Sirius continued. "I would never do that to you or to Cepheus. You know I love Andy and I loved Uncle Alphard. Both of them were in Slytherin. By comparison, Peter was in Gryffindor, so that just proves that the hat doesn't know shit."
"Who's Peter?" Cepheus asked.
Sirius' face instantly darkened.
Harry swallowed. "Sirius and my dad's friend from school. He betrayed my family to Voldemort and caused my parents' deaths."
Cepheus' eyes widened. "Merlin!"
Sirius cut off the conversation by giving the password to Dumbledore's office. The three of them took the staircase up. The door to the office was wide open and Harry saw the headmaster sitting behind his desk with the Sorting Hat sitting off to his side. Cepheus fidgeted next to Harry.
Pleasantries were exchanged. Harry noted that Sirius was far more friendly towards Dumbledore than he had been in the past, engaging in small talk almost willingly. And Sirius hated small talk. None of that seemed to ease Cepheus' fidgeting, his anxious eyes staring at the hat like it would bite him. When Dumbledore gestured for Cepheus to take a seat, he picked up the hat. Slowly, Dumbledore rested the hat upon Cepheus' head. Cepheus' eyes slid closed, his limbs shaking.
A minute passed.
"Gryffindor!" the hat roared.
Harry grinned. Sirius beamed, his face relaxing.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he plucked the hat from Cepheus' head. "May I inquire if that was the hat's first choice?"
Harry glanced over at Dumbledore. Apparently, the hat definitely had a habit of considering what house a student desired. And it wasn't a big secret.
Cepheus shook his head. "Err, no. It was Hufflepuffle?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "Hufflepuff! A fine house! It shares similar qualities with your old house at Beauxbatons."
At the mention of Beauxbatons, tears immediately welled in Cepheus' eyes. He rubbed his hands on his trousers before he slid off the stool, his eyes flickering between Sirius and Harry. Sirius reached out a hand, resting it on his shoulder.
"Feel better?" Sirius inquired.
Cepheus nodded, sniffing and trying to hold his tears at bay. "Yeah."
"Stick close to Harry," Sirius said in a stern voice. "If Harry trusts someone, you can too. Stay clear of the Slytherins, especially those with the last name Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Rowle, Bulstrode, Rosier, and Parkinson."
"Err, should I be writing this down?" Cepheus asked, shifting his weight.
Sirius nodded his head towards Harry. "Harry will point them out for you, all right? Harry and Ron will have your back. They're good lads."
Harry and Cepheus didn't linger in the headmaster's office. They were dismissed to the common room. Harry noted that Sirius hung back, obviously going to have a meeting alone with Dumbledore. Sirius dismissed his concern with a strained smile and a goodbye.
On the walk towards Gryffindor Tower, Cepheus seemed more relaxed. He mentioned the odd interaction between Sirius and the Minister of Magic as well as asked him about Umbridge. Harry only scowled when he had heard the court case against Umbridge being mentioned. Honestly, he had forgotten all about it, or maybe he had just been hopeful that Sirius' anger over finding out about the blood quill had subsided enough to not press charges.
When they arrived at Gryffindor Tower, Harry explained how the portrait led to their common room and how often the password changed. Entering the common room, the loud chatter slowly began to cease as all eyes turned towards them. Cepheus smiled and waved awkwardly. Harry grabbed his arm and hauled him over towards the fireplace where Ginny, Ron, Niamh, Gemma, and Demelza were sitting. Harry took his normal seat between Ginny and Ron while Cepheus sat next to Gemma and Niamh.
A few curious classmates meandered over towards their group a few times. Ron had no problem telling them to fuck off rather loudly. A few times Ginny pointed her wand to her nose and smirked rather menacingly. In fact, Harry had never been a tad bit scared of Ginny until that moment. But Harry appreciated the Weasleys scaring off everyone to give Cepheus a bit of breathing room.
When Harry announced he was going to bed, along with Ginny, Cepheus jumped up as well and said he'd join. Harry shifted, his eyes glancing over at Ginny. She forced a closed-mouth smile on her lips. Harry wondered if he was the only one who picked up on the subtle wrinkles between her eyebrows to indicate she was frustrated. Demelza looked at the trio and laughed, her head rolling back against the sofa. Ginny kicked her in the shin.
They made their way over to the staircases. Harry bent down to press a kiss on her lips and bid her a goodnight. She huffed when he pulled away, her eyes flickering over to Cepheus.
"Goodnight, Cepheus," Ginny said tightly. "Harry will be right up."
Cepheus looked uncomfortable, his gaze lingering on the stairs for a bit. He didn't seem to know where to go. Harry directed him on where their room was before he turned his attention to Ginny.
"He's making it difficult for me to sneak up with you," Ginny whispered.
Harry shrugged. "Look, Gin, as much as I enjoy sleeping in the same bed as you, I think tonight we maybe we… don't?"
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I could sneak up in a few hours."
"Gin," Harry groaned, because she was making it extremely difficult to say no to her.
"I still have the cloak from the other night," Ginny argued.
Harry searched her eager brown eyes. "Ginny, it's just one night."
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, her chin jutting up. "Fine."
Harry couldn't tell if she was upset or not. He was fairly certain she was. "Are you going to Bat-Bogey Hex me right now?"
Ginny scoffed, her head shaking. "Don't be a prat, Harry."
Harry shrugged. "I can't tell what you're thinking!" he hissed, causing a group of third years to glance over in their direction.
Ginny's face turned stony. "It's nothing."
Harry's eyebrows raised. "I don't know what nothing means, but I have an inkling that it's not actually nothing but rather something."
Ginny tuned her head away from him, refusing to look at him. "I have nightmares. A lot. But when I'm with you, I don't have nightmares."
Harry blinked. He didn't know how to respond to that.
"Anytime you spend the night away from Hogwarts, I have a terrible nightmare," Ginny continued. "I just didn't want to have a nightmare tonight. It's stupid."
Harry felt like a wanker. He pressed his finger against her chin, gently turning her head to look at him. His thumb brushed against her chin as he bent down to her height.
"It's not stupid," Harry told her in a fierce tone, his hand moving to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Ginny's eyes grew watery, but no tears slid down her cheeks. She kept them at bay. His hand left her cheek and snaked around to the back of her neck. He tugged her to his chest, her arms automatically wrapping around his stomach.
"I feel stupid," Ginny admitted with a stubborn huff, pressing her cheek against his chest.
"You're anything but stupid," Harry assured her, his fingers massaging her scalp when an idea popped into his head. He could go to her for once when he knew everyone was asleep. He could fly up the staircase instead of walking up. "I'll come to you tonight."
Ginny pulled back, giving him a dubious look. "Oh really? You going to crawl your way up a slide?"
Harry grinned. "I may have a way. If I'm not there by midnight, meet me in the common room."
Ginny snorted. Before she could ask any questions, Ron appeared next to them and gave them each a long suspicious glance.
Ron clapped Harry on the back. "Ready, mate?"
Harry only stared down at Ginny, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Night."
"Goodnight, Harry."
Harry and Ron parted from Ginny. When they arrived in their dorm, Harry saw Cepheus chatting with Neville about some plant. Harry couldn't tell if Cepheus was genuinely interested or if he was just being nice. Honestly, Harry could see Cepheus feigning interest because he was such a genuinely nice bloke. He seemed way more at ease with small talk than Harry was. But when Cepheus noticed Harry and Ron, he let out a small sigh of relief.
"We should talk," Harry announced, gesturing towards his bed.
It was odd having two boys in his bed. It was a tight fit as Harry closed his curtains and placed privacy charms. Ron sat squished next to Harry, leaning against the headboard, while Cepheus sat across from them at the footboard.
"Look," Harry started. "Neville is nice. Most people in Gryffindor are nice. But that doesn't mean I'd trust them with anything important. I wouldn't tell anyone that your dad was a Death Eater. I wouldn't mention your mum was a Macnair. I definitely wouldn't say you met Voldemort and were tortured by extended family members."
Cepheus blinked. "I hadn't planned on saying any of that."
Harry pushed his glasses up. "Draco Malfoy is a sixth year Slytherin and he's Lucius Malfoy's son – the blonde bloke who kidnapped you and pretended to be Sirius."
Cepheus raised his eyebrows. "That's… lovely."
"You know you're related to the Malfoys, right? Sirius' cousin, Narcissa, married Lucius Malfoy," Harry explained.
Cepheus nodded. "Yeah, it's been mentioned."
"The Black family tree is fucked up, mate," Ron added, looking apologetic. "You should have Sirius take you to Grimmauld and show you the nice little family tree tapestry. Your grandparents were second cousins."
Cepheus stilled, his gaze flickering over to Harry. He knew. Of course, Sirius had to tell him. Or maybe Voldemort told him. Either way, Cepheus couldn't say the words out loud. Harry only shook his head.
"Ah, you could meet Kreacher too!" Ron continued, oblivious to the look between Harry and Cepheus. "Ornery fucker. Downright dreadful, but, Merlin, if some of his insults aren't bloody creative."
Harry froze. Kreacher. He had forgotten about the house-elf. Kreacher was bound to him as much as he was Sirius.
"Who's Kreacher?" Cepheus asked.
Harry could order Kreacher to figure out what Malfoy and Nott were up to. He could order Kreacher to take him to whatever room they were conjuring now in the Room of Requirement.
"The Black family house-elf," Ron supplied. "Suppose he belongs to Sirius now, but Sirius hates him. Doesn't want anything to do with him. I don't blame him. Used to call him a bunch of nasty names until Andromeda forbade it."
"The Blacks have a house-elf?" Cepheus question.
Harry could test out Kreacher's abilities tonight. He'd have Kreacher Apparate him into Ginny's dormitory. Surely, if Kreacher could side-along Apparate him inside of Hogwarts, then he can Apparate him into the Room of Requirement easily enough without having to know what room was conjured. Sirius would be livid if he ever found out Harry had been consorting with Kreacher, but he was useful.
"Well, they had a bunch of them, but I think Kreacher is the only one left," Ron explained. "They used to cut off their heads and put them on plaques on the wall. Ghastly sight."
"You said Uncle Sirius should take me to, to some Grim place?" Cepheus pressed.
"Grimmauld Place, the house your dad and Sirius grew up in," Ron supplied.
"I thought Uncle Sirius lived in the village by the castle?" Cepheus questioned.
Ron nudged Harry in the side. Harry blinked, wiping his hands on his trousers.
"Yeah, he lives in Hogsmeade," Harry explained. "He's searching for a secure house out in the country too, to use as s a safe house. He hates Grimmauld Place."
Cepheus seemed enthralled, asking question after question about the Black family. Harry didn't blame him. If he hadn't been nervous that he'd drive Sirius away with incessant questions, he would have done the same thing at thirteen. But he hadn't. Sirius had been too messed up from Azkaban to talk about the past. Although, Harry had learned a lot during their summer holiday in France and randomly sprinkled throughout the past couple of months. But Harry still felt there were large gaps in his knowledge of the family history, especially since Sirius seemed to only tell stories from after Harry was born. Harry craved stories from when his parents were his age.
It was a quarter to midnight when Cepheus and Ron finally left his bed. They all changed into their pajamas. Harry took his time, wanting to be the last one done so he could sneak out of the dormitory undetected. Once Ron and Cepheus were both in bed, Harry stuck his curtains together and snuck out of the dorm.
Nobody was left in the common room when he arrived, much to Harry's relief.
"Kreacher," Harry whispered.
A soft pop sounded. Kreacher appeared in front of him with a scowl etched across his wrinkly face. Harry crouched down to his level.
"Yes, Master?" Kreacher asked in a disgusted tone.
"Will you please do me a favor?" Harry asked.
Kreacher sneered. "Kreacher does not have a choice but to serve Master Harry as Master S… Si…" the house-elf cleared his throat. "Sirius," he managed to get out in an appalled tone, "ordered Kreacher to."
Harry bit his bottom lip. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."
Kreacher sighed. "What does Master Harry want?"
"I, err, well, first of all, you can't tell Sirius any of this, all right?" Harry pressed. "He can never know I asked this of you because then it would bring about a bunch of uncomfortable questions that I don't want to answer, all right?"
"Kreacher finds that request delightful," Kreacher replied with a nod.
"Can you, err, well, house-elves can Apparate inside Hogwarts while wizards can't," Harry explained. "Can you, well, you know Ginny Weasley?"
Kreacher made a face but didn't say anything. He nodded his head again.
"Can you Apparate me to her dorm?" Harry asked, shifting his weight.
Kreacher muttered under his breath and held out a hand. "Kreacher lives to serve the ancient and most noble house of Black. Although Master Harry said that a blood adoption would take place and make him officially a Black, but Master Harry must not have been truthful."
Harry rolled his eyes as he took Kreacher's hand. "It's complicated. Blood means nothing, anyway. It's our connections that make us family."
Kreacher didn't reply. Instead, he Disapparated. Harry thought Apparating with a house-elf wasn't any better than Apparating with a wizard. In fact, Harry was under the distinct impression that Kreacher made the experience as terrible as he could. Harry's stomach rolled as he appeared in Ginny's dorm, falling to his knees as a wave of dizziness overcame him and someone screamed.
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed.
Harry fell forward, face-planting into the carpet. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat. Next time, he'd have to be more specific with Kreacher. Fingers carded through his hair, helping to ease his discomfort. A crack sounded.
Ginny laughed. "I didn't think you could do it."
Harry quirked an eye open. "We have Ron to thank for the inspiration."
Ginny smirked. "Oh, I can't wait to tell him this one day."
Harry nodded against the carpet, his eyes roaming down her body. She had his hooded sweatshirt on with the sleeves rolled up a ridiculous number of times. It was a Magpie hoodie that Andromeda had bought him. Ginny pulled him out of his thoughts when she grabbed him by the bicep and helped him up off the floor.
"Only Harry Potter could find a way to get in the girls' dorms," Demelza said with clear amusement in her tone.
"We won't tell anyone, Harry!" Niamh promised. "Just, well, can you warn us next time you're stopping in?"
"Yeah, sorry, it was sort of a last-minute idea," Harry admitted, a wince crossing his face. What was he thinking?
Ginny pulled him to her bed, and he couldn't do anything except follow her. He ran his hand along the quilt on top of her sheets, one he knew Mrs Weasley had made. In fact, his senses were assaulted with a familiar floral scent. He lounged in her bed, watching as she sat on her knees to draw the curtains closed and place the charms around them. His hoodie pooled down to her knees and Harry couldn't help but wonder what she was wearing under it. Shaking his head, he looked up at the canopy above to see it was twinkling.
Ginny collapsed down next to him, her hand fumbling for his. "Luna taught me the charm. It's nice for reading in bed."
Harry rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. "It's nice."
Ginny turned onto her side, her hand leaving his so she could prop herself up on her elbow. "I like this change."
Harry's head rolled to look at her. "I just, well, I didn't know when to tell you to come up. I'm glad you didn't. Cepheus and Ron were in my bed for hours."
Ginny wiggled her eyebrows. "Should I be jealous you had someone else in your bed?"
Harry rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips twitching. "I was going to try to fly up the staircase but then Ron mentioned Kreacher to Cepheus and, well, I was inspired."
"I am suddenly sorry for every bad name I ever called Kreacher," Ginny said in a joking tone.
Harry rolled to his side, mimicking her position. "Gin, Kreacher could Apparate me up here."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I saw. Bloody well scared Niamh. Didn't you hear her scream?"
Harry licked his bottom lip. "Gin, he could spy for me. On Malfoy and Nott. He could take me where they are once they arrive back at school."
"Harry, that's brilliant!" Ginny exclaimed. "Glad to know my whininess to sleep together was good for something."
Harry grinned. "You weren't that whiny. I wanted it too."
"Do I drive away your nightmares too?" Ginny asked, her hand reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.
Harry swallowed. "Nah, just possessions and slipping into Voldemort's mind."
Ginny's fingers paused in his hair. "Harry… can I be honest with you?"
Harry furrowed his brow, his chest clinching. "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"I think we are two severely fucked up people," Ginny replied, her face pulling.
Harry chuckled, relief flooding his chest. "Oh, you mean it's not normal for a couple to dream about Voldemort when they're not together at night?"
Ginny leaned forward, her lips pressing against his. "Nope," she muttered against him.
The last thing Harry wanted to do was talk about Voldemort. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him until their chests were touching. Ginny giggled for a split second before her lips crashed against his once more. Harry let all of his worries wash away as he tasted Ginny's strawberry lip gloss on his tongue.
Ginny hadn't expected Neville to hand her a note from Marlene to meet her in her office as soon as possible. Harry and Ron were out showing Cepheus around the castle since their classes varied just slightly. Cepheus enrolled in Arithmancy and had, to Ron's astonishment, wanted to continue in History of Magic. Ginny had hung back in the common room with her friends. She thought it would be a good idea for Harry, Ron, and Cepheus to bond together, alone.
"It's so wrong," Gemma huffed. "I mean, Harry's entire family is good looking. What are the odds?"
Demelza laughed. "They're not really my type, but I understand why you would like the tall, dark, brooding type."
Ginny looked up from the note, her eyes snapping between her friends.
"They're not exactly my type either, but you can't deny they're all good looking," Gemma insisted. "Harry's gorgeous. His godfather is drop dead gorgeous. Now his new adoptive brother is also gorgeous."
Demelza wrinkled her nose. "Drop dead gorgeous? I don't know about that."
"Your mum thinks he's drop dead gorgeous," Gemma replied slyly. "Do you think it's the tattoos that she likes?"
"Fuck off," Demelza snapped.
Niamh chewed on her bottom lip. "Lavender Brown was in the hospital wing with really bad cramps when they came in with Cepheus. She said she saw your mum and Sirius Black hugging."
Demelza ground her teeth. "They're friends."
Ginny sucked in a breath, shoving the parchment into her pocket as she rose from the sofa. Her three friends turned towards her.
"Where are you going?" Demelza bit out. "You're going to leave me with these two?"
"Professor McKinnon asked me to see her," Ginny explained. "I'll be back later."
Demelza arched an eyebrow. "What does she want?"
Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. I'll tell you after."
Gemma grinned. "If lover boy comes back before you, we'll let him know not to worry and to wait for you in your bed."
"Shh!" Ginny hissed. "Merlin, do you want someone overhearing and rat us out to McGonagall?"
"Like anyone would cross you," Demelza said with a chuckle. "Your Bat-Bogey Hex is already a legend. People are afraid of you."
Ginny snorted before she waved at her friends. As she made her way down to the dungeons, she tried to figure out why Marlene wanted to see her alone. She had always gone with Harry in the past. So, to go without him, it seemed odd. And something told her that Marlene didn't want to see her about class.
When she arrived at Marlene's office, she knocked. Immediately, Marlene called for her to enter. She was seated at the little table and there was tea and biscuits waiting for her just like last time she had been visited with Harry. Except, Marlene wasn't smiling like she normally was. Her face was drawn into a thin line, crinkles appearing in her forehead. A sense of foreboding settled around Ginny's midsection.
"Hello, Ginny, thank you for coming," Marlene greeted, gesturing towards the spread on the table. "Help yourself to some tea and biscuits."
Ginny nodded as she took a seat across from her. "Thank you."
Marlene picked up her cup of tea, taking a long and slow sip. Her eyes peered at Ginny over the rim of the cup. Shifting in her chair, Ginny reached out to pour herself a cup of tea with milk. She picked it up, her fingers lacing around the smooth porcelain.
"How are classes?" Marlene asked, setting the cup down on the table.
"Fine," Ginny replied, her thumb brushing alone the paisley blue pattern.
Marlene smiled tightly. "You seem very close with Harry. How long have the two of you been dating again?"
Ginny squirmed in her chair as she took a sip of her tea. "Since June. But I've known him since I was ten."
"It's easier to date someone you've been friends with since forever," Marlene added.
Ginny shrugged. She hadn't exactly been friends with Harry for forever. They had always just been in each other's orbit, slowly learning more and more about each other. They had fleeting moments together in the past, small bouts of stolen glances and fate pushing them together. It really wasn't until the end of her fourth year that she felt like she could categorize their relationship as friends. Luckily, that stage hadn't lasted long.
"It is," Ginny agreed, her fingers tracing the long elegant silver handle of her teacup.
"Sirius and I had been friends for a while before we dated," Marlene continued. "We were friendly for years, but then Harry's parents got together and we found ourselves spending more and more time together. We somehow managed to wind up as lookouts for the two of them. We just talked and laughed for hours. It was so easy, you know? It's always easier when you're friends first. You already know all their quirks and what to expect."
"I suppose, yeah," Ginny agreed, feeling very uncomfortable for the first time ever with Marlene.
"Despite knowing Sirius as well as I did, despite being overjoyed when we finally entered into a relationship, I realized I didn't know everything," Marlene explained. "I knew how vile Sirius' family was. I knew them all to be blood supremacists and Death Eaters and truly awful people. It only took one glance at him after the school holidays to see it in his eyes, in his demeanor."
Ginny shifted in her seat, her gaze flickering up to meet Marlene's intense gaze. "Okay."
"Lord Voldemort and a select group of Death Eaters have always been very interested in Sirius," Marlene continued. "He was targeted for years. He was the heir that got away. There were certain members of his family that wanted to make him suffer. By extension, they wanted his loved ones to suffer as well."
"Professor McKinnon–" Ginny said, attempting to keep the conversation between them less personal.
"Marlene," she interrupted. "I'm not your professor right now. I'm your boyfriend's godmother. What I am telling you is very important. I need you to listen to me Ginny. I'm not telling you this for fun. I'm telling you this because you need to prepare yourself."
Ginny's brows furrowed, her body freezing in her chair. Her heart hammered in her chest as her fingers tightened around the tea cup.
"Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are equally as interested in Harry as they have been with Sirius," Marlene continued, leaning back in her chair. "While those interests are different in nature, they are not above using people close to Harry to gain access to him. People can be easily bent when their heart is in a vice."
Ginny swallowed hard, sitting the cup down on the table harder than she intended to. "I already know the risks and I don't care."
"I don't think you do know the risks," Marlene pressed, leaning forward and propping her elbows up on the table. "I didn't know the risks, Ginny. If I had, I would have prepared myself for the inevitable."
Ginny's limbs twitched. "What? You think they'll manipulate my mind like you?"
Marlene sucked in a breath. "Maybe. More likely, I think they'll pluck every single detail and memory out of your brain until you're not useful anymore and they'll dispose of you."
A shudder ran down Ginny's spine.
"I was supposed to be disposed of," Marlene whispered. "With my entire family. But Bellatrix Lestrange is a special kind of cruel. I have only vague flashes of what she did to me. I remember immense pain, the way she shuffled through my memories and manipulated them, the way she left me to be tortured by others."
"You think that'll happen to me?" Ginny asked, her voice wavering just slightly.
"I think anything is possible, especially if the Ministry falls to Voldemort," Marlene confirmed. "I want to help you, Ginny. I want to prepare you in case the worst scenario happens."
Ginny chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Help me how?"
"I was wondering if you were taking Occlumency lessons or even knew what that is," Marlene said.
Ginny blinked. Occlumency? Was this why Sirius agreed to teach her over the summer? Was this fear why her mother agreed? She had been decent at it, having learned how to shut herself off to the world around her after what had happened with the diary. But the lessons had stopped once they arrived at Hogwarts. She hadn't even thought about asking to continue them.
"I did over the summer," Ginny admitted.
Marlene raised her eyebrows. "And now?"
"Well, Sirius and Remus were teaching me and…" Ginny trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.
Marlene nodded, clearing her throat as her fingers laced around her cup once more. "I think that it's prudent that you pick them back up. I also think you should not just learn how to block your mind but to… manipulate your mind."
Ginny's brows furrowed. "What do you mean manipulate my mind?"
"What I mean is that if Lord Voldemort wants to break into your mind to see what information you have on Harry, it would be better to show him fake memories and manipulate what he sees versus just pushing him out," Marlene explained. "Because you may be able to push him out the first time and the second time and maybe even the third, fourth, and fifth time. But eventually, he'll wear you down through torture and starvation, keeping you awake until you're so delirious that you can't possibly keep him out. But if you gave him fake memories when you're still strong, concealing what you want and planting false information, you come out shining."
Ginny felt her heart race beneath her breast. She hadn't thought of it like that. Hell, she hadn't even known that was a possibility. Sirius and Remus had been all about blocking and pushing them out. They had never even uttered the possibility of manipulating memories.
"The night my mind was manipulated, Bellatrix saw things about Sirius, about me, about James and Lily, about Harry," Marlene said in a strained tone, her knuckles turning white from gripping the tea cup. "I couldn't stop her. I was weak after the attack. She was so strong. I wish I could have pushed fake memories to the forefront of my mind. I remember I had been so petrified for my loved ones and what she could do with the information she saw."
"How do I do that?" Ginny whispered. "How do I plant fake memories in my mind?
"I can teach you," Marlene replied, taking a sip of her tea. "Dumbledore's been helping me fortify my mind in case I'm captured again. He's heard that Voldemort is very interested in me. I'd rather die than betray anyone, so this is my only power play. Give him false information before he murders me."
Ginny swallowed, her chest heaving. "Why teach me? Why not Harry?"
Marlene offered her a strained smile. "Because Harry is being taught how to fight, not how to merely survive. Harry is being trained to take Voldemort down, not withstand torture. Harry won't be tortured. He's marked for death. He's escaped one too many times to have anything other than a swift and quick death," she explained, pursing her lips to the side. "But you're vulnerable, just like I am. You'll be a focus once Voldemort takes an interest, once others learn that you're dating Harry and you're close with his newfound family – mainly Sirius. Bellatrix will be interested in you. Voldemort will be interested in you. It's only a matter of time."
Ginny stared at Marlene. There had been talk of Voldemort being interested in her before. Not only because she was the girlfriend of Harry Potter, but also because her entire family was in the Order of the Phoenix. Not to mention that she was the seventh child and the only girl in seven generations which brought about an entire slew of superstitions with it.
But there was a nagging in the back of Ginny's mind, one that she couldn't quite squash. People had been friendly to her in the past, claiming to be her friend and offering their help. She couldn't help but be suspicious, especially when help was offered but nothing given in return.
"Why are you helping me?" Ginny asked.
"Because you're my godson's girlfriend," Marlene replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I know firsthand what can happen when you're the girlfriend of someone wanted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters."
Ginny felt a spark of anger in the pit of her stomach. "It wasn't Sirius' fault what happened to you."
Marlene let out a low chuckle. "No, it wasn't just because I was Sirius' girlfriend. That's the only reason I'm still alive. I was targeted not just because Bellatrix hated Sirius, but because my father was the Deputy Head of the Auror Department, my entire family was part of the Order of the Phoenix, and I had been close to the Potters since I was born. There was a slew of reasons, Ginny, just like there are a slew of reasons you could be targeted. But because you are Harry's girlfriend, well, unspeakable horrors might await you instead of just death if you're captured."
"You think giving false memories is the way to, what? Stop those unspeakable horrors from happening to me?" Ginny asked, obviously not convinced that would be the case.
Marlene shrugged. "It could buy you time until the Order can save you. Or, if you're kept alive and unlucky like me, the Order just thinks you're dead."
Ginny's heart thumped in her chest. She would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. But they were all scared, weren't they? They were in the midst of war. Anything could happen to any one of them.
"Do you remember how you escaped?" Ginny asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
"From my parents' house?" Marlene asked and Ginny nodded. "I crawled out and I somehow managed to Apparate. I don't know if I Splinched myself or not. I vaguely remember the hospital before I remember Bellatrix above me."
Ginny frowned. She couldn't imagine forgetting her entire life: her family and her friends. She definitely couldn't even comprehend what it would feel like to have her memories of Harry twisted and falsified. The thought absolutely petrified her. Ginny didn't know how Marlene had been able to cope with everything so well. She somehow seemed more confidant since she regained her memories.
"I, I think I'd like you to teach me how to manipulate my thoughts," Ginny whispered, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.
Marlene leaned forward. "I can do that. But I would like it if you kept our little lessons to yourself. We don't want it getting out that you're receiving private lessons. It will only make Voldemort more curious about you and your importance."
"So, what? Just lie to my friends?" Ginny pressed.
"Not lie, Ginny, omit," Marlene corrected. "I think it's best if you don't tell Harry either."
Ginny didn't like the sound of that. "Why? He's getting private lessons himself. Why would me telling him I'm getting private lessons matter?"
Marlene settled back into her chair, appraising Ginny. "Does he tell you about his lessons? He tells you everything? Even what he discusses with Professor Dumbledore?"
Ginny stilled. She knew about the private lessons with Dumbledore that Sirius and Remus also attended with him. But he had never said what was discussed or anything that happened. He had brushed her off when she had asked, an apologetic smile crossing his lips. Although, she didn't push him either. She hadn't even given it a second thought, because she knew it wasn't him keeping things from her because he wanted to. It was vital to the war. Just like Harry had been keeping some secret of Sirius'. He wasn't lying to her. He was just not telling her with the promise of one day he would.
"Say I'm giving you Occlumency lessons," Marlene suggested. "Which isn't technically a lie. It's just a different form of it, really."
"Okay," Ginny agreed, an unease squishing around in the pit of her stomach.
"Professor Dumbledore knows," Marlene added, as though that would make everything better. "This was his suggestion."
Ginny blinked. "It was?"
Marlene only smiled at her. Ginny returned the smile, tight and forced. At least Dumbledore had suggested the lessons, which gave her even more reason to follow through with them.
She knew it was a very real possibility that Voldemort would come for her, especially if he found out about the diary. But hearing someone not in her immediate family or close family friend circle say it, made her insides squirm. Somehow, it made it that much more real.
Ginny wanted to do everything in her power to make sure she didn't betray Harry or her family. She would never be able to live with herself if Voldemort successfully broke her mind and obtained any information. She was willing to try anything to stop that from happening.
Remus waited for Harry in the abandoned classroom they usually occupied for their weekly Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. He sat leaning against the desk, his hands bracing himself on either side of him. Sirius' words echoed in his head from their spat. Whether Remus wanted to admit it or not, Sirius had been right. He had been keeping Harry at arm's length and he truly didn't want their relationship to be that way.
The door opened and Harry sauntered in with his satchel hanging on his shoulder. He looked calmer than he had been in a while, more rested. Sirius had mentioned in passing that Harry had dropped dueling club as well as his leadership role for the younger students.
"Hello, Harry," Remus greeted.
Harry sat his satchel down on the desk, digging through it for a few moments before he pulled out a scroll of parchment. "Hey, Remus," he greeted as he held out the parchment. "Sorry, I wrote more than you asked for. Mrs Robins was telling me about nonverbal spell techniques and it was really fascinating and then I realized I didn't know what to cut and still have it make sense."
Remus accepted the parchment and glanced down at it. "Well, since you're my only student, I think I can manage."
"Mrs Robins was saying that some people shout the spells in their head but some can't hear the words. Some wizards see the spell. Which seems ridiculous. How can you see a spell in your mind?" Harry rambled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I shout it in my head. The louder I shout it, the more likely I am to succeed."
Remus chuckled. "I haven't the foggiest idea. I'm more of a stern nonverbal spell caster."
Harry nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. "Mrs Robins said what works for one person won't work for another."
"Tegan is very knowledgeable," Remus agreed.
Harry leaned against the table, copying Remus' stance. "I like her better than Robards."
"Gawain has been extremely stressed since he took over as Head Auror," Remus explained. "Between you and me, I think he's struggling with not to having Tegan as a partner. They've been partners their entire careers. She's someone he trusts and she's his best friend. Right now, there are many snakes within the Ministry and trust should not be given freely."
"Why did the Ministry break them up?" Harry asked.
Remus shrugged. "Some say it was because they wanted Tegan to run the Violent Crimes division. Others said it was because she is being connected with Sirius since she's the one who said Peter was alive."
Harry rolled his eyes before turning around to dig through his satchel. He pulled out his textbook, parchment, and a quill. He rounded the table and took a seat, flipping through his book lazily.
"That's stupid," Harry announced as he stopped on the lesson they were on.
Remus kicked off the desk and made his way over to Harry. He reached out, closing the book. Harry snapped his attention up, his eyebrows raising over the tops of his glasses.
"Can we talk about something before we begin?" Remus inquired.
Harry went white. "Is everyone all right? Did something happen to Sirius or Andy or, or Ted?"
Remus felt like an arse. "No, no, nothing like that. Everyone is fine. I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Harry's shoulders sagged. "What's wrong then?"
It was now or never. He had rehearsed the speech over and over in his head.
"I wanted to apologize to you," Remus began.
Harry furrowed his brow. "For what?"
Remus shifted his weight. "Not being around."
"It's fine," Harry replied, shrugging his right shoulder and dropping his gaze to his book.
"No, it's not," Remus said in a firm voice. "I have spent a majority of my life distancing myself from people because of what I am. I honestly would not have had any friends in school if it wasn't for James. It was James who pushed to get to know me, James who pushed me to form relationships with Sirius and Peter, and James who decided it would be a good idea to illegally become an Animagus for me. I owe a lot to James. When he died…"
Remus sucked in a breath. Harry looked up at him, keeping his gaze.
"When James died, I was devastated. Sirius was in prison. Peter was supposedly dead," Remus continued. "I shut myself off from the wizarding world. I worked a lot of odd jobs in the Muggle world. I did some freelance work under a pseudonym in the wizarding world. I thought about you often, but I had no right to disrupt your life. I had no idea that your aunt and uncle were as awful as they were. I thought you were being raised in a loving environment with a cousin your own age. I never even thought… I never thought in a million years that you were being abused."
Harry stiffened at the last word. His hands clasped in his lap with his back as straight as a board. Remus shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I started to realize something was terribly amiss when I taught here," Remus said in a soft voice. "I saw the state of your clothes. I witnessed your general standoffish demeanor. I watched as you flinched away from touch. And I felt… guilty. I felt awful that I had never once paid you a visit. I was angry with myself that I hadn't disrupted your life. Although, I don't know what could have really been done. There was no one else you could have gone to."
"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "Nobody wanted me except for Sirius. I already knew that."
Remus leaned forward, pressing his palms against the desk. "It's not that I wouldn't have wanted you. I would have taken you in without a thought. But I am a werewolf. I never would have been granted even visitation rights."
Remus was mucking it all up. His original speech that he worked out in his head had already derailed.
"At the end of your third year, you had Sirius back," Remus barreled on because he couldn't just leave it at that. "Sirius is your godfather. He was the person who James and Lily entrusted to take care of you. Let's face it, you and I both know Sirius is a force. Sirius has loved and adored you from the moment you were born. His place was by your side. He was going to make damn sure of it. Because Sirius is beyond loyal to anyone with the last name Potter. He always had an easy time forging relationships with Potters. He was close to Fleamont and Euphemia, James and Lily, and now you. I didn't think you wanted anything to do with your godfather's old friend who nearly killed you."
Harry frowned. "You were my dad's friend too. And, and the werewolf thing was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes."
"My mistakes could be deadly," Remus pressed. "You could have died. I could have turned you into a werewolf. I never would have forgiven myself. I am beyond relieved that the wolf was kept at bay that night."
Harry pushed up his glasses with two fingers. "I wouldn't have blamed you."
"I'm sorry I never contacted you after that night," Remus said in a low voice. "I asked Sirius about you all the time. I fretted from afar when you were in the Triwizard Tournament and I stood by and watched as you struggled last year. I'm sorry if that made you think I don't care because I wasn't there. I wasn't there for anyone."
Harry worried his bottom lip.
"Just recently, I realized I like having people in my life again," Remus continued. "Sirius and I are closer than we have ever been. Dora and I are dating and practically living together. Marlene and Mary have pushed to have a relationship with me again. There are several others in the Order that I'm close with. I like having those connections, the connections I've denied myself for far too long because of self-doubt and grief. But there's one more connection that I've wanted for a very long time. That's with you, Harry. I'm sorry it took me so long to forge one with you."
"Really?" Harry whispered.
"Really," Remus said in a sure tone. "I don't want you to think I don't care or that I don't want to be a part of your life, because I'm complete shit at being the first to reach out. I do care. I care a lot. That's why I'm going to the Horcrux meetings."
Harry shrugged. "I just thought you were doing it because Sirius asked you to."
"Sirius did ask me," Remus admitted. "But I said yes because I care about you as well. I'm not the best at showing or saying I care. But trust me, I do. I'll try better to call you on the mirror. I'd like you to feel comfortable to call me as well. Sirius isn't the only one who cares about you, Harry. You must believe that."
Harry nodded. "Thanks, Remus."
"Now that you understand I care, do you want to be let in on a small secret before we begin our lesson?" Remus asked, reaching into his pocket and feeling the ring case.
"Yeah, of course," Harry replied in a relaxed tone, leaning forward so that his elbows propped up on the table.
Remus opened the engagement ring box. He had just gotten it back with the two pink diamonds added to it on either side of the main diamond. He sat in down in front of Harry, watching as the kid's lips parted.
"I'm going to propose to Dora," Remus said, as though that wasn't already obvious. "Sirius knows. I asked Andy and Ted for permission. Now you know."
Harry looked up. "When are you doing it?"
Remus licked his lips. "As soon as I figure out how I want to ask her."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'd probably just throw the ring at Ginny and hope for the best."
Remus looked up at the ceiling, a smirk crossing his face. "I don't think that would get you a yes. We'll have to work on that when you're ready," he said, dropping his head back down to look at Harry. "And, uh, well, I asked Sirius to be my best man already. Which seems very presumptuous of me since I don't even know if Dora will say yes. But if she does say yes, I would love it if you were standing up there with me as well."
"Me?" Harry asked.
"I have a lot of respect and admiration for you, Harry," Remus explained. "I do care very deeply for you. I remember meeting you when you were a week old. While I haven't been around as much as Sirius, back then and now, I'm hoping to change that. And I couldn't think of anyone I'd want by my side more than you and Sirius."
Harry grinned, looking young and boyish. "Yeah, yeah, I'd like that."
Remus returned the smile, picking up the ring and putting it back in his pocket. "Brilliant. Now, let's get you performing nonverbal spells easily, yeah?"
Harry laughed, opening his textbook once more to the nonverbal spell chapter. Remus pulled up a chair to sit across from Harry so he could see the textbook as well. For the first time since he taught Harry the Patronus Charm at thirteen, Remus felt like there was an ease between them. Harry was far more relaxed and open, interjecting stories that had nothing to do with Defense. Remus silently thanked Sirius for giving him the kick in the arse he needed.
Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! I posted early because I had someone ask for an early post to celebrate Sirius' birthday today, so I thought why not? So you should celebrate his birthday as well by dropping a review! They motivate me to keep going and just plain make my day!
Special thanks to prewettpotter for all of her help! She's amazing!