Author's Note:
I have 90% of this story complete and I am happy to say it will end at 41 chapters which (unplanned) puts the entire Kismet Trilogy at 470 chapters in total. So we're almost halfway there! The story will end at chapter 30 and then chapters 31-41 will be an assortment of epilogues for those who survive and their HEA. The plan is to give closure to all characters' stories, but still leave the possibility open in case I ever decide to come back and dive back into this world. Hope you like it. Thank you for all of the support you've given me and I really hope you enjoy what's to come in the last twenty-five chapters. Thank you!
Reviews and Comments: To Lana: Thank you! I love knowing people are excited! I love writing the Harry/Ron bromance almost as much as Hinny, so thank you! To AQuickRead91: Harry's plan is definitely crazy and what if Voldemort is there? Interesting thought. Thank you! To briana_t: Thank you! I love knowing you're both excited and nervous to see what's next. Thank you! To corneliastreet_28: Thank you! I certainly hope the next bit is exciting, I don't know about mind blowing, but I am excited to share it. Thank you! To GABRIELAGPGP1988: Thank you! Yes, it is all coming together and you will have to see what happens with Sirius! Thank you! To BigMackie: Yes, shit is about to go down lol. Harry and Ron will be lucky if Ginny and Hermione don't kill them lol. Thank you very much! To Mrs_Norway: Yes, they do have a plan! We will find out about what the plan is for Sirius very soon. Thank you! To Marigold177: Thank you! I'm so happy you loved the chapter so much! Harry and Ron definitely have great friendship goals. Thank you for saying I have "excellent character building that allowed this chapter to feel so satisfying." Thank you very much! To marauders_mowopapr: Yes, a cliffhanger! LOL, "Harry can't actually die forever now can he, but boy this kid is going to be the boy who x + 1 times now after this." Ha, you're not wrong. Thank you! To MABK_Potter_Fan: I'm glad it was an unexpected turn of events, it's nice to know I can keep you guessing. Yes, Harry is willing to do whatever's necessary (including sacrificing himself) for his parents. Ron is like, hell no, I'm making sure you're coming back from this. Thank you so much for loving my world. Thank you!
To ira: Your English was no problem to understand. Thanks for following me on tumblr and for loving A Second Chance. As to Harry's big power, it's shown in little things, but he hasn't had a reason to be all big and powerful like he did for the duel with Voldemort. He has unique unmatched abilities for sure, but he's not all powerful. We will see him use some of that power again, but he's not in a fight like with Voldemort so it won't be quite the same. Thank you very much! To katelyn453: Thank you! To Guitarcin: YAY! I have no idea why May is not being invited to Ao3, it doesn't make any sense to me, but thank you so much for leaving me a review! The cat names are adorable, I agree. I felt it was time to show Harry and Ron's moment of the freckle counting and the discussion of size. I love the idea of Harry turning to his best mate when he's inebriated and finally admitting his concerns about hurting Ginny and Ron being supportive, but also being a typical best mate and jerk lol. I do love Harry and Ron a lot, you're right. As to the soul bit, well, Harry has a plan and those always totally work out with zero complications, right? 😉 Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you! I'm glad you loved the names of the kittens and love that you're waiting eagerly in anticipation for what's next. Thank you! To Tmrpotterhead250: Thank you! I do feel the intensity is rising. As to Bella, Donna, and Crouch striking when the boys are in the realm of the dead and going after the twins or Teddy, no promises. I'm glad you enjoyed the lightheartedness of the pub night and Theo and Bas adopting kittens. Thank you very much!
To Zarathos Morgenstern: Ha, shit is starting to go to hell already, is it? It might be lol. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Ron is right about Ginny lol. Thank you! To MrsHJSnape: Sorry, you will have to wait a week for the next chapter. Thanks for loving the lads night and I'm glad I made you laugh so hard with the counting of freckles. Wow, thank you for reading ASC a second time! Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! The boys hang out is always fun. I do love Harry and Ron drunk sharing and chatting and thank you for loving the Romione moment as well. Yes, this chapter causes them to return to the Department of Mysteries. Thank you very much! To darkhk: I'm glad you love Bas so much. Ha, you'll get over me killing Finn at some point and prepare for more cliffhangers. Thank you! To Sets: Yes, cute kittens. When Harry is drunk he does overshare a bit, but no one is as bad as Theo lol. Yes, they are preparing for a potentially disastrous trip into death, but they got this. As to what will happen with Sirius' soul, we will have to see. Will Zee communicate with them on the other side? Interesting. I can't say. Thank you! To akshutalankar: Ha, no Harry will not get Bat Bogey's to his face. Shagged with an inch of his life… well… So many Harry adventures to come, this is true. Thank you! To Nightwing2013: Ha, no, not naming the cats after the Phelps twins though that would have been a fun Easter egg, that's true. As to how the remaining chapters will line up, we will see. Thank you!
To alix33: Yes, Harry and Ron definitely thought the Knight Bus was the safer route. Don't drink and Apparate or Floo for sure. Thank you! To xoxo-anushree: Wow! Thank you so much for saying that you think I'm "the best writer on here" and that "this trilogy is on another level." Being scared for Harry and Ron is fair and yes, Ginny can be scary. Thanks for loving Theo and Bas so much. Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you like what's to come! Thank you! To Read and Fly: Ha, yes, shit just got real. Are they jumping into this really quick? Absolutely. Tonks is going to tell Remus as you will see in this chapter. Sirius definitely doesn't deserve to die again without his soul. As to letting Sirius and Zee both live, well, we will see. We do have some more Remus coming, I promise. Thanks for loving drunk Harry. Thank you! To MissKaylee: We will see a bit of some of the next generation characters, but I don't plan on writing a next generation story anytime soon. I'll never say never, but right now it's not in my plans. Thank you very much! To MarinePotterfan: What ring? The Resurrection ring? They destroyed that when they destroyed the Horcrux inside of it. Thank you. To Herne-of-the-lantern: I don't believe the soul is the entire person. The soul is what makes you human in my mind, makes you the person you are, but a person without a soul is walking around with like an imprint of who they were on their body, but there's no real living person inside of them, it's more like an empty shell. At least that's how I've always interpreted the soul from various forms of fiction and media and it's how I'm using it here. As to the Dementor bit, if you go back and read Harry's conversation with Rolf in chapter 11, I explained how I interpret the difference between what a Dementor does in comparison. Thank you!
To Charlotte: I am a fan of Supernatural/Buffy/Angel/Dark Hunters/Black Wings/Wings in the Night and a few more of that type of genre so I can say that I have been influenced to some degree. Thanks for loving Harry and Ron's reveal of getting sloshed the treehouse and counting freckles lol. Thank you very much! To EnigmaticEmperor: Rossi has left the MIA, yes. Yes, Bas might have wanted a kitten more than he let on lol. Ron and Hermione are getting back on track. Harry left out a few details, but technically he did get bit by a dog lol. Harry and Sebastian definitely do get along well. Yes, I think Harry and Ron are just friends haha. It's definitely beginning this chapter. Thank you very much! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To Chelsea Greenwell: Thank you! I am a fan of Supernatural so that doesn't surprise me lol. Thank you! To Nan001: Thank you for saying this progression is incredible! This chapter was definitely fun to write and seventeen even more so. Thank you very much! To EllyAnn13: I do think Joe and Bellarosa deserve their own HEA. Ha, Theo loves to tease Bas for being a softie, but nah, his nickname is definitely Auror Arsehole. Neville has an inkling, but Harry and Ron can only share so much even with their closest friends. The pub is magical, owned by a Goblin named Zeus if you remember, and each table/booth has it's own privacy charm weaved around it. Thank you very much! To Sloopyqueen4: Thank you! Sorry for hurting your feelings with my plot though. Thank you!
To George Raison: Yes, communication is vital in any relationship and I think people coming to realize that and that it's something they need to work on will make them stronger in the long run. Thank you! To charmshield7: We will see how Ginny reacts below. Thank you! To Vampyrella: Thank you very much! To Gigi87: Thank you and the same to you! I do think Rossi and Blaise will eventually get along a bit, but he is excited to start this new phase of his life as sad as he is to leave the MIA. Bas totally got two kittens lol. He is definitely a softie! Yes, Hermione was the one who did the seducing haha. I think Neville was a bit suspicious as well, but now that Harry's an Auror, he can't go about blabbing his business lol. Theo has totally been adopted into their little Gryffindor group and he loves it. Thank you! I had so much fun finally sitting down and writing the freckle-counting story. Harry should definitely add freckle-counting pro to his portfolio haha. Omg, if Remus or Tonks had walked in on Harry counting Ron's freckles, it definitely would have been hilarious. I like Harry being kind of closed off and easily embarrassed, but then his filter kind of vanishing when he's drunk. It's adorable lol. Yes, Sirius could have killed Harry but he didn't. Gold was definitely interested in Ron's scars, but Ron isn't about to let him get at him anytime soon (if ever). Supernatural did give me some inspiration for it so that's fair. The Arcanums are 100% just as excited to witness it as they are warning them about the risks. As to how people react, we will see that soon. I love you complete conviction that Sirius and Zee will both survive. Your positivity is inspiring. We'll have to see if you're right or wrong. Thank you very much!
To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! Yes, just a little insight into the ICW Auror stuff at the MIA. I'm glad everyone is loving seeing Rossi truly falling for Bellarosa despite originally being a spy. Clark is most definitely massive douche. Some people just don't learn from their mistakes. Sebastian definitely wanted another cat, he just didn't want to admit it, ergo, two lol. Ron and Hermione are definitely getting back on track and back together. Thanks for loving the insights into Neville and Hannah's life along with Goyle helping them. Seamus and Dean are doing well. Yes, Neville is planning a proposal soon(ish). Thanks for loving the Harry and Ron wand length story lol. Ron will always be there for Harry and vice versa. It's the best part of their friendship and ha, of course Theo wanted to know if they shagged. It's Theo lol. Thanks for loving my insight into the Department of Mysteries and the new lore I am introducing into the world. As to Sirius' soul, we will have to see how it all works out. Thank you very much! To Arabella_SG: Thanks for saying that my Harry/Ron friendship is one of the best parts of this story, I do agree (but I'm biased). Yes, Harry choosing to do what's necessary, even risking his own life in an attempt to not let Sirius die without his soul, is so Harry. As to where Sirius is, Tonks has a plan as we will see below. Ginny and Hermione will not be happy, but they know Harry too well. Thanks for loving Sebastian and Theo and their new kitties! Thank you very much!
To Bellmel: Aww, thank you! I'm happy so many people are going to miss Rossi. He is cool and yes, his new life in Italy sounds pretty great. Clark is definitely a dickwad. LOL, that man and yes, he is such a sweetie in denial. Theo is a very lucky man. I also want a man to bring me home gelato from Italy. Bas is definitely a keeper. Ha, Theo definitely vetoed Tiger lol. Drunk Ron and Harry are definitely gold. I knew you would love my 'I don't sport talk well' sentence lol. Ron is optimistic about Harry not considering it lol. Things are getting intense now. Thank you very much! Get extra popcorn, Bell. Things are heating up! Thank you!
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Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
The One Where They Return to the
Department of Mysteries
Tonks stared at Higgins and Baxter when they finished explaining what Harry and Ron were planning to do this evening with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out so she tried again, clearing her throat loudly.
"Are you fucking joking?"
Higgins winced. "Wish we were, Lupin. But this is definitely happening. Tonight."
Tonks turned to look at Natalie Atwell, who had a flummoxed look on her face. "What do you think about this, Nat?"
"I think it's bloody stupid," Atwell said, putting her hands on her hips. "Incredibly stupid and dangerous, but it's also one hell of a mission that could seriously help this case."
"Help?" Tonks exclaimed. "Help! How is this helping?"
"Well, if I understand these two correctly, Potter and Weasley will be returning Sirius Black's soul to his body which has a more than ninety percent success rate of killing him — Black, that is. And if Black is killed, it will more or less veto the dark magic that was brought forth to end the life of Zacarias, ergo bringing her out of her coma and back into the land of the living. With Black dead, it destroys the plans of Brambilla, Lestrange, and Crouch to end Potter and with them floundering, we will hopefully hunt them down and close the doors of the crypt on them forever. Case closed," Atwell said. "Is that correct?"
"More or less," Higgins said.
Tonks shook her head, closing her eyes. "It's lunacy!"
"Dora," Higgins said, touching her arm. "If this was anyone other than Harry undertaking this, would you be reacting the same?"
She wanted to shout yes, but she knew that it wasn't true. It was dangerous and suicidal and definitely more than a little mad, but if it was any other Auror, Higgins was right — she would approve it.
But this was Harry. Not just Harry, but Harry and Ron going after Sirius' soul. It was personal and she knew it.
"Who's going to be present?" she demanded.
"The four of us," Baxter said. "Rex and I aren't letting our partners go into this alone and we figured you and Atwell would want to be supervising."
"Yes," Tonks insisted. "Absolutely."
"Then we have three Arcanums from the Department of Mysteries working with us from three different departments. Sylvester Silver from the Love Chamber because of his knowledge of soulmates, soul magic, and love magic. Catherine Paddington from the Death Chamber because of her knowledge of death, the afterlife, and soul magic. Leslie Gold from the Brain Chamber because of his knowledge of the human brain and how it works in life and death. Then we have one of their departmental healers, someone named Galibrath whom I've never met," Higgins said.
"Galibrath's old as dirt but he's a genius," Atwell said. "I've worked with him before. Where is this taking place?"
"In the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries," Baxter said. "By the way, does anyone else think the names of these departments are wicked creepy? Who the fuck wants to work in a place called the Death Chamber? It sounds like people go there to be bloody murdered."
He shuddered and Higgins snorted. "There's an altar in the chamber near the Veil of Death and apparently it's the perfect place to cross over. Potter and Weasley will be meeting a Reaper once they reach the other side."
"A Reaper?" Tonks repeated.
Higgins nodded. "Yeah, another surprise on our end. Actually, Potter and I spoke to Dumbledore's portrait and it was he who mentioned that there are rumours of Reapers working for the Department of Mysteries. Anyway, I guess they're going to summon one to come help guide them so that they can find the right soul."
"Bloody hell," Tonks muttered. "How long will this take?"
"Not long," Baxter said. "They have a time limit of under ten minutes or they won't be able to return to life."
"Not without serious brain damage anyway," Higgins said. "Galibrath will have it under control."
Tonks pressed her fingers to her eyes. "All right. What time do you need us there?"
"We're meeting at half past eleven as twilight is apparently the best time to cross over," Higgins said. "We sent Potter and Weasley home to get some rest and prepare themselves."
"By get rest, Rex means have a good shag with their witches," Baxter said. "After all, if things go tits up on this, this could be their last night on earth."
"Please tell me you didn't tell them to use that line on their witches?" Atwell asked, rolling her eyes.
Tonks chuckled. "I'd bet money he did."
"What?" Baxter exclaimed. "It's a classic for a reason!"
"Oh, Eric. This is why you're single."
"Ouch," Baxter said. "Uncalled for, Atwell. Uncalled for."
Tonks shook her head. "All right, well, I'll go talk to Robards about extending overtime tonight and fill him in on the plan. Rex, can you check in with with K in the MIA and see if there's been any word from the Italian Ministry on sightings in Italy? I'm pretty sure we can agree that they're still in England, but I'd like to be sure. Eric, you and Nat go over the houses we received from the MIA. Increase patrols in the area. If we're doing this then Harry will have less than twenty-four hours to find Sirius Black and we need to make sure he finds him."
The four of them all headed off to take care of their tasks and after filling in Robards, who was impressed and worried about the undertaking, she finally headed home to grab some dinner and get some rest before she returned to the Ministry. She found her husband cooking in the kitchen, the smell of tomato sauce and garlic filled the house and she inhaled it with a smile.
"That smells amazing."
Remus glanced over his shoulder at her, a soft smile on his face. "I'm glad. I was craving spaghetti and meatballs."
Tonks scooped a crawling Teddy up off of the floor. He'd been moving around for almost two months now and it still amazed her at how fast he could go.
"Hi, my baby," she said, covering his face in kisses and making him laugh. She settled him on her hip before she moved to kiss Remus. "Hi, Remus."
"Hi," he said, pulling her back for another kiss. "Dinner will be ready in five if you want to go change."
Tonks nodded and changed into tights, thick socks, and one of Remus' jumpers. She put Teddy in his high chair when she came back into the kitchen and Remus frowned at her.
"What's wrong?"
Tonks shook her head. "I'll tell you over dinner. We might have made a huge break in the case."
Tonks gave Teddy the mix of pureed fruit and vegetables, letting him make a mess on his own while she ate her own spaghetti and filled Remus in on the general plan of getting Sirius' soul.
"Bloody hell, Nymphadora! Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Wish I was," she said. "It's not without risk."
"No, it's not!" Remus exclaimed. "I want to be there."
"Remus."
"I want to be there," Remus demanded. "If my son's doing something this idiotic than I should —"
"—Let him do his bloody job," Tonks interrupted. "You already got in between him and Sirius, Rem. How did that go?"
Remus scowled. "Fuck."
Teddy made a sound that very much sounded like 'fuck' and Remus flushed.
"Dadadadadada!" Teddy exclaimed.
Remus leaned over to press a kiss to the top of Teddy's head. "I hate his bloody job."
Tonks gave him a sympathetic smile. "If it makes you feel better I had a similar reaction and Higgins reminded me that if it wasn't Harry, I might be responding a bit differently to the mission."
"I know he's not a child," Remus began. "He hasn't been a child in a very long time, but the thought of him willingly putting himself in danger to retrieve Sirius' soul…"
"I know," Tonks said. "But he's the best person for the job."
"Ron's going with him?"
Tonks nodded. "From what Higgins said, he all but demanded it."
"Good," Remus said, letting out a slow breath. "Those two make a good team."
"They do," she agreed. "They'll come back, Remus. He's going to give Sirius back his soul."
"If he finds him in time," Remus said, meeting her gaze. "How are you going to find him when the four of them have been hiding from you for months?"
Tonks closed her eyes. "It worried me at first too, but after talking to Bas and the patrols on the lack of movement among any of the homes we know about, I thought of something else. What's the one thing that Sirius has in abundance?"
"Erm… charm?"
"Well, yes," Tonks agreed.
"How does that help?"
"I wasn't thinking of charm," she said. "I was thinking that the one thing Sirius Black has never shied away from is his ego. He has his pride."
"That he does," Remus replied. "He was always cocky and sure of himself in a way that I admired."
"Agreed," Tonks said. "So, I think if Harry were to send a Patronus out to him, taunting him into coming out to meet him…"
Remus' whisky eyes widened. "There's no way he wouldn't agree to come."
"Exactly," Tonks said. "And he won't be alone. I'll have my team surrounding the area in case Sirius shows up with the Death Eaters in tow."
"Do you think he will?" Remus asked.
Tonks reached for her glass of water and took a long sip, wishing it was the wine she wanted instead. "I think that there's a good chance that Brambilla, Lestrange, and Crouch might be getting frustrated with Sirius' lack of success. When we call him out, he'll come, and if we're lucky, at least one of them will come with him."
"Where are you going to have him meet?"
"An old farmhouse out in Lincolnshire," Tonks said. "We need Sirius to be in the open because when the soul touches him, he's well… he's going to die, Remus, and it's going to be messy."
"How exactly do you return a soul?" Remus asked.
"That's going to be the tricky part," Tonks admitted. "Harry will have to draw blood and touch him. It's going to be one hell of an endeavour."
"And if he can't return the soul to Sirius?"
"Then we have to figure out a way to get it out of Harry before it explodes," Tonks said.
Remus swore under his breath and downed his wine in one gulp. "He couldn't have wanted to be a librarian. Oh no, he chooses Auror."
Tonks smiled and reached across the table to grip her husband's hand in hers. "He can do this, Remus. I know he can. I'm going to be right there to back him up."
Remus squeezed her hand in his and nodded. "I know you will be."
Remus cleaned up the kitchen while Tonks bathed Teddy and then they read him a story, gave him a bottle, and put him to bed. Remus pulled his wife into the bedroom after and pinned her against the wall to kiss her deeply.
"Mmm," Tonks said, standing on her toes to meet him. "Did you have something in mind to pass the next few hours?"
"I did," he said, nibbling on her ear. "If you're going to be working overtime on this, you need to be relaxed and well rested."
"Mmm, yes, I should be," she agreed.
Remus picked her up and carried her to their bed, spreading her down on top of it. "So, I've fed and watered my lovely wife and now I'm going to feast on her until she comes. Twice."
Tonks blinked in surprise before he undressed her, leaving her naked on the bed and buried his face between her thighs. He did exactly that, using his tongue and fingers the way he knew she liked and after she'd come twice, he pulled his trousers down and slid into her.
Tonks gripped his arse in her hands as he made slow love to her and when they both finished, he cuddled her close, kissing her forehead and urged her to sleep. She drifted off, snuggled in the warmth of her post orgasmic bliss in her husband's arms, feeling perfectly limber.
When Remus kissed her awake a few hours later, she reluctantly climbed into the shower and dressed for work. Then she kissed a sleeping Teddy and whispered she loved him, finding Remus by the front door.
"You know I'm going to be worried," he whispered, pulling her into his arms.
Tonks stood on her toes and pecked his cheek. "He can do this, Rem."
"Keep me updated?"
"As much as I'm able, I promise."
Remus kissed her softly and patted her bum. "Keep my Aurors safe."
"Always," she said.
Then she grabbed her wand and hurried out of the cottage to meet her team. They had a lot of work to do.
~ TTTC ~
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat in the living room of Clevedon Court with takeaway cartons from a Vietnamese restaurant scattered around them. After leaving the Ministry, Ron had gone to get Hermione and Harry had sent word to Ginny, insisting that they needed to come back to the house so that they could talk. They did and now that the two of them had finished explaining the plan, Ginny and Hermione were staring at Harry and Ron like they had two heads. It was finally Hermione that spoke.
"Let me get this straight. The two of you are going to allow a healer to stop your hearts so that you can meet up with a Reaper in the underworld to carry a soul across the river Styx?"
Harry shrugged. "Er, more or less. I don't think that there's an actual river. That part's unclear."
Ginny smacked his shoulder.
"Ow!
"It's still the bloody underworld, Harry Potter! The land of the souls, the afterlife, whatever the fuck you want to bloody call it!"
"More or less," Harry said.
"You two are complete tossers," Hermione exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
Ron reached for her hand. "Why do you think I'm going with him? Someone has to make sure he stays on track and comes back alive."
Harry gave Ron a grateful look before he turned back to Ginny and Hermione. "Look, I know it's stupid. I know it's dangerous and reckless and… I have no choice. It's Uncle Sirius' soul and if I have even the slightest chance at bringing it back and restoring it… I have to take it."
Ginny blinked back tears as she nodded, moving into his arms to hug him tightly. "I know you do. It doesn't mean that I have to like it."
Harry wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I can't let him continue on without his soul, Gin. When he dies… he won't ever be at peace. He'll be lost… forever!"
"But he's going to die when you give him back his soul, isn't he?" Hermione asked.
Ron nodded. "Seems pretty likely. And we'll only have twenty-four hours to find him after Harry brings it back."
"Or what?" Ginny asked.
Harry bit his lip, pulling back a bit and tilting Ginny's chin up to meet his gaze. "If I don't find Sirius in time, his soul will kill me."
Ginny's eyes widened before she threw herself back into his arms. "Fuck, Harry!"
Hermione grabbed Ron's hand. "Come on, Ron. Let's give them some time alone."
Ron started to protest, but Hermione tugged and he followed her out of the living room and up the stairs. When she closed the door behind them in the bedroom suite that Harry had given them, he sighed.
"I know it's completely mental."
"Yes, it is."
"But I can't let him go off and do this alone. You know what Harry's like!"
"Brave to the point of reckless and stupid?"
"Exactly!"
"Funny. It sounds a lot like you, too."
Ron snorted and leaned back against the bedroom door. "Only when I'm trying to keep him in line."
Hermione moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. "One of my favourite things about you, Ron, is how incredibly brave and stupid you are."
"Oi!"
She smiled. "No, really. Harry's very brave and after everything he's done, of course he's doing this, but you… from the moment you stood by his side to face off Draco Malfoy in a midnight duel to sacrificing yourself on a giant chess board… you've never let him down."
"He's my best mate," Ron whispered. "He needs me to guard his left."
"Is that a chess thing?"
Ron shook his head. "No, it's an old warrior thing I learned from Mick."
Hermione slid her hands up his arms, tracing the scar pattern by memory through the sleeves of his jumper. "I love you."
"I love you."
Then their lips met for a soft kiss.
Ron rested his forehead against hers. "I know it's a cliché, but if we fail at this, it really could be my last night on my earth."
Her lips curved. "Trying to charm me back into your bed?"
His hands slid down to grip her firm, round arse. "Depends. Is it working?"
"We haven't in a long while."
"So long, " he whispered. "My hand hasn't seen this much action since I was fifteen and imagining you naked with a bow and arrow."
Hermione's mouth opened in surprise. "What?"
"Nothing," Ron squeaked, his cheeks heating. "Kiss me."
"Fine, but we're coming back to that."
He chuckled against her mouth, before he kissed his way down her throat. "Let me love you, Hermione. Please."
She moved out of his arms and slowly pulled her jumper over her head. Ron stayed back against the door of the bedroom, his mouth slightly agape as he watched her undress. When she stood completely naked before him, he leapt forward to kiss her, his hands moving down to clutch her round, pale perfectly firm plump arse in his hands and she moaned.
"Take off your clothes, Ron."
He did. Then he walked her backwards to the bed and gently pushed her down on top of the duvet.
"I kind of feel like this is our first time all over again."
"It's not," she told him. "We've done this at least a hundred times."
"Has to be more than a hundred," he said, frowning.
Hermione leaned back on her elbows and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Do you really want to count how many times we've had sex right now?"
"I'm just saying that we've definitely done it way more than a hundred times," Ron said. "I mean, in Australia alone we must have done it a dozen times."
"Ron, shut up and kiss me."
"And remember that time in our dorm when you made me watch while you pleasured yourself with your wand? We did it twice after that."
Hermione reached up and wrapped her hand around him, giving him a hard tug that made him groan. "Shut up, Ron."
He straddled her on the bed, his big hands coming up to cup her breasts. "Definitely more than a hundred times. Admit it."
Her brown eyes twinkled. "Okay, but only less than a hundred were memorable."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "Take that back, you minx!"
She laughed and shoved him so that she was straddling him on the bed. She took one of his hands off of her breast and slid it down between her thighs to feel how slick she was.
"How about you stop talking and make this night memorable?"
Ron's tongue touched his top lip. "If you want me so badly, do something about it."
Hermione stared at him in surprise and then she took him in her hand and guided him into her. They both groaned at the contact and Ron rose up on his elbows to press his forehead to hers.
"Bloody hell, woman!"
"You told me to take what I wanted."
Ron thrusted up into her and she moaned. "You and me, Mione, we're back. No more of this tip-toeing around each other. We're bloody back, you hear me?"
She nodded, moaning as she bounced herself up and down on his cock. "Absolutely."
They both came in a frenzy of groans and Hermione collapsed on top of him, sighing in contentment as Ron's hand slid down her damp back. Her curls tumbling loose from their messy bun as she swatted them out of her eyes.
"You'll come back, right?" she whispered.
Ron cupped her cheek in his large hand. "I promise to do my bloody best to do so. It's dangerous, I know it, but in all honesty, I think Harry and I will come back unscathed."
"Really?"
Ron nodded. "We're going to have a healer on standby and they'll be able to give us a potion to bring us back after an appropriate amount of time. Besides, it's not returning safely that worries me. What worries me is that we won't find Sirius' soul and that Harry will finally crack."
Hermione tightened her arms around him. "He said that he likes talking to McCraight. He said that he's really been helping him a lot."
"He has," Ron said, still stroking her back as he spoke. "He's great and I think he's really helped Harry through a lot of shit, but this… even if we succeed, Hermione, and we bring Sirius' soul back… putting it back into him is going to kill him. There's over a ninety percent chance of that. If it doesn't and he somehow survives… he's going to go mad or something. Like having your soul shoved back inside of you can hardly be pleasant. And then there's Zee… if Sirius dies, she lives. Watching Sirius die again and it most likely having to happen at his own hands… fuck, Hermione, that's enough to need mind healing for life and you know he bloody blames himself for all of it."
"Stop swearing."
"I'll swear if I want to, woman," he said, pinching her arse.
Her lips twitched in amusement. "Harry has us and people who love him and he has Ginny. He's strong and even if he does crack, he'll come back from it."
"Oh, yes!" a loud groan erupted from above and Ron flinched.
"What… please tell me that's not…?" He closed his eyes as if in pain before a loud moan echoed from somewhere above.
"Yes! Harry! More, Harry!"
Ron's face turned beet red. "Bloody buggering hell! Where the fuck are they? I'm going to kill both of them!"
Hermione laughed. "It seems like they've also claimed the last night on earth cliché."
She reached for her wand and placed silencing shield around them to block out the sounds as Ron frowned.
"They aren't in their bedroom because that room doesn't echo. It's like warded or something. What the fuck's above us?" Ron demanded, moving off of the bed as if he was going to go investigate.
"I don't know, another room," Hermione said, grabbing his hand and tugging back to the bed. "Ginny did mention her and Harry have been working on christening the house properly."
Ron looked horrified, freezing half on the bed and half off. "Christening the house? You mean… bloody hell! They better not have gone at it anywhere I've sat!"
Hermione chuckled. "It might be better if you don't know."
Ron grimaced and rubbed his hands over his face. "I need to burn my ears off now."
"Aww, poor baby," she teased, leaning in to kiss his ears. "I'm sure we can do something to take your mind off that."
Ron looked at her between his fingers. "I might have an idea or two."
She laughed when she was suddenly flung back on the bed, her legs over his shoulders, and then his mouth pressed a gentle kiss between her legs and a small moan escaped her.
"Let me show you how much I've missed you, Hermione Granger."
Then he used his mouth and Hermione knew that no matter what happened the two of them were going to be all right. They were back together in every sense of the word and for the first time since she'd panicked over a late period, she felt at peace.
Then his tongue drove all other thoughts from her brain and all she could do was clutch the flaming red hair between her legs and cry out in ecstasy.
~ TTTC ~
When Ron and Hermione left them alone in the living room, Ginny clung to Harry. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and basking in the feel of her sheer warmth in his grasp. He knew that she was worried about this, about him. He knew that she would be, but he had to tell her what he was doing. Not only because if he didn't tell her and she found out after the fact, she would murder him, but also because the idea of having any kind of secret from her didn't sit well with him.
"Gin, I can do this," he insisted.
"You better," she whispered. "I can't lose you, Harry, not after everything that's happened."
Harry gripped her hips and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist to hold her in place. "I can do this," he repeated. "I'm going to come back and I'm going to put Sirius' soul back in his body."
"And when he dies from it?"
"When he dies… Zee will live."
Ginny bit her bottom lip. "Merlin… everything about this screams disaster."
"It has to be one or the other," he whispered.
She nodded and cupped his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his forehead. "I know. I have faith in you."
He let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yeah?"
"Always," she promised. "Now, let's go find a new room."
"A new room?"
Her smile was full of mischief and her eyes danced at him. "If I'm going to shag you into promising to come back, we might as well christen a new room of the house while we're at it."
He blushed. "Ron and Hermione are upstairs."
She grinned. "That's what closed doors are for."
Harry chuckled as she jumped down from his arms and grabbed his hand. Then she was leading him through the living room to the small library off the side and up the stairs to the tower office that used to be his grandfather's potions lab. Now it merely contained shelves full of books, a small love seat under one of the tower windows, and a huge desk. Despite the room being unused, it was clean and well taken care of. The wooden floor creaked under their weight as Harry contemplated whether he should bend her over the desk or move to the sofa.
If they were going to christen the room like she said then Harry thought they might have to do it in a few different places for a proper christening. Ginny closed the door behind them and then pulled her jumper over her head, distracting him from his thoughts.
"This room works," she said.
Harry licked his lips, pulling his own jumper off. Then they met in the middle of the room and their mouths crashed together. Harry's hands found her hair as they kissed, hard at first, but the kiss softened. Their hands moved between them, undressing each other slowly until they fell back on the love seat under the window. Harry pinned her down to the soft cushions and covered her body with his.
"Touch me," she whispered.
Harry didn't need to be told twice. His lips moved down her throat as his hands began to roam over her naked body, basking in the feel of every muscle, of every curve. He kissed his way over her collarbone, down her sternum and between her breasts. He curved his mouth up around her breast to kiss a nipple, sucking it between his lips before he kissed down her stomach, her abs, and eventually settled between her thighs.
Ginny reached down to take his glasses off and he licked his lips before he ducked his head and used his tongue. The first swipe of his tongue made butterflies flutter through his system. The second turned the butterflies into something bigger, something more powerful. By the third taste of her, his cock was dripping and he was dizzy from it. He cupped her arse in both hands and moved in deeper, eliciting a low groan from her as he licked and twirled and savoured her like she was an ice cream cone he was trying to stop from melting.
When he finally teased her enough for both of them, he dragged his tongue up to her clit, sucking it between his lips with a soft moan. Ginny's fingers tangled in his hair, clutching it tightly and he slid one hand out from under her bottom to finger her. Her hips rose up off of the sofa and he suckled her harder. When she came, she screamed his name, the sound echoing in the old tower room.
"Mmm," she moaned when she finished. "You're so good at that. Like really, so bloody good at that, it's almost sinful."
Harry's green eyes were bright in delight as he grinned widely. "They always say that practice makes perfect."
Then his mouth got back to work before she could stop him (not that she would). She came a second time, shouting his name like a mantra in half syllables that only he understood to be his name. Then he kissed her quivering abdominal muscles and crawled on top of her. Her legs opened automatically for him as he slid into her in one motion. They both groaned, neither of them moving for a full minute as they stared deep into each other's eyes. When Harry finally began to move, Ginny reached up to cup his cheek, her eyes never leaving his.
It was slow. Aching slow thrusts and strokes that neither of them seemed to be in a rush for. She was so wet and warm, her inner muscles trembling around him, building up again. He desperately wanted her to come again. She took every inch of him, the feel of her covering every ridge, every groove, every vein was absolute harmony and heaven and he never wanted it to end.
"Ever," he moaned.
"What's ever?" she whispered.
"Forever," he said, rolling his hips. "Fuck, Gin… this, right here. I want to stay like this forever, buried so deep inside of you. You feel so amazing."
"You feel amazing buried so deep inside of me," she told him, her fingertips brushing his lips. "I can feel all of you. Every part filling me and pleasing me."
His eyes darkened. "I always want to please you."
She brushed her thumb over his bottom lip. "Harder."
Harry shook his head, rolling his hips in a slow motion designed to drive them both mad before he pulled out and slid back in again and again. "No… if I go harder, I'm going to come. I don't want to finish yet."
He pulled out completely and she gasped at the lack of contact before he leaned back on the sofa on his knees, fisting himself in his hand.
Ginny's mouth watered and she sat up, leaning forward to lick him and he groaned.
"Fuck!"
She looked up at him, a mischievous smile in her eyes as she sucked the tip of him into her mouth. Harry made a desperate sound before he pushed her off.
"Nrgh! No, I want to be inside of you."
Ginny lay back down on the sofa and put her arms behind her head. "Well, get on with it already then."
Harry practically growled before he grabbed both of her legs and pushed them up to her chest. She straightened them automatically as he pushed them higher until her ankles were touching her shoulders and exposing her completely before him.
"Hold these," he ordered.
She did and he took a second to just admire how gorgeous she looked; her sex and arse exposed, wet and wanting. He licked his lips before he reached a finger out to stroke through her folds, bringing it to his lips to taste. He fisted his cock again, squeezing tightly to try to delay his release and then he moved forward, resting his chest against her legs and slipped back inside of her.
"Yes!" Ginny shouted. "Oh, Merlin, yes!"
He grunted, picking up his pace with his thrusts as he tried to keep up a steady rhythm, to keep it constant and to make it last, but this new position was clearly doing it for Ginny. She was moaning wantonly and when he felt her clench around him, losing herself in another orgasm, he lost control. He gripped the tops of her legs tightly and pounded himself into her, deeper and harder with every stroke as Ginny let her legs drop, resting them against his shoulders as her toes curled. He kept going over and over until every last bit of his release emptied and he collapsed against her.
He caught his breath and managed to move just enough for her to put her legs back down, then he snuggled her on the small sofa, their tangled limbs hanging over the arm of the chesterfield. Ginny kissed his cheek.
"I think my legs are numb."
Harry chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "After all that yoga you do? Nah, you're great at that."
"Just because I do hot yoga as a Harpy and have increased my flexibility doesn't mean I want to be turned into a pretzel while you shag me."
"Really? Because I think you came so hard you saw stars."
She grinned. "Supernovas actually and possibly meteors."
He pinched her nipple between his fingers and she yelped. "Give me a minute or two and we're doing that again."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you, Auror Potter?" she teased.
He brushed his lips over hers. "In three hours I'm going to try to rescue Sirius' soul from the other side, Gin. I need to be inside of you for as much of those three hours as I can be. Please."
Ginny didn't say anything, instead she shifted and nestled his half-hard cock between her legs. "I'm yours. Completely."
Their lips met for a long kiss that soon turned to more and when he slid into her, neither of them broke their kiss. They clung to each other, moving slowly against each other in no hurry for more. When they slid off the sofa to the hardwood below, Harry conjured a soft blanket, rolling them onto it while he stayed buried deep inside of her.
Ginny gasped and locked a leg around his hip as he drove into her. "I love it when you're inside of me, Harry."
"I used to be so worried," he admitted, leaning closer to brush his lips over hers. "I was so worried you'd never want to take this step with me because I was too big. I was so worried I'd hurt you and that it would bring back memories."
Ginny shook her head, her fingers threading through his messy black hair, stroking his ears. "Never. I love you more than everything, Harry. I love how sexy you are and how sweet. I love how clueless you can be about some things and nrgh!" she groaned as he hit her sweet spot. "Fuck, I love how bloody good your huge cock feels inside of me. I'm so full and you stroke every inch of me without fail. You've always been nothing but gentle and perfect when I needed it."
"Not always gentle," he whispered.
"Mmm, yeah you are, Harry," she said, bringing his mouth to hers. "Even when you take me on the staircase like some wild animal in heat, I know you'll never hurt me. Not really."
He reached between them to flick her clit. "I left bruises on you."
"I left some on you," she shot back. "Oooh, fuck, rub it, Harry. Rub it!"
He did and watched her eyes cross. "I was thinking about it the other day at the pub, remembering about how I was worried I'd always be a virgin because I was too big for you to want to shag."
She laughed and then moaned when his thumb began to circle her. "No… there was no way you would have stayed a virgin, Harry."
"What?" he asked, picking up speed now.
The sound of his balls slapping against her made her bit her bottom lip. "Mmm… right there! Don't stop! Don't stop!"
He wanted to ask her why on earth she was always worried he would stop. Nothing on earth could stop him when he was balls deep inside of her. But he couldn't get the words out because she was tightening around him, gasping his name as she came and all he could do was hold on tightly to her as he followed her over the edge with a loud grunt.
He stayed inside of her as he cradled her close, their ragged breath the only sound in the room. She ran her hands up and down his back in a soothing motion as he stayed nestled inside of her, feeling her trembling as she came down from her high. When she finally shifted, he reluctantly slid out and she let out a soft gasp.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers.
Ginny smiled. "Only in a good way. I promise."
He nodded and bent to kiss her. "Gin… what did you mean earlier about there being no way I would have stayed a virgin?"
She rolled on top of him, resting her chin on her arms on his chest. "I trust you with everything I am. I always have. There was something that drew you to me from the moment I laid eyes on you when I was four. I might have been afraid of taking that step with you and yes, part of it was because I looked at your gorgeous body and saw this very well endowed thing and thought, there's no way that will fit inside of me and not hurt. But I wanted it, Harry."
"You did?"
"You know I did," she whispered. "From the first moment I touched it, I knew it was going to be mine. It might have taken us a while to get there, but there was no way I was going to let our first time be with anyone other than each other. If you could stay buried inside of me forever, I'd keep you there. I love you, Harry, and it might make me sound wanton or a bit like a tart, but I love your cock. I love the feel of it in my hands, against my skin, on my lips, in my mouth, and yes, I bloody love it when it's inside of me. You might be big, but as someone who hasn't really seen other cocks, I'll just have to take your word on it."
He smirked. "Trust me, I'm… well above average."
She smiled. "Well that fits you perfectly then because you, Harry James Potter, are not exactly an average wizard." She brushed her lips over his before she reached down to wrap her hand around him. "Now, let's see if we can bring you to life once more before you go."
Then she shimmied down his body and used her mouth and Harry felt like a king being worshipped by his queen. When he said as much amidst his grunts, she chuckled, slipping him out of her mouth with a pop.
"Mmm, Queen Ginny… I rather love the sound of that."
Harry brushed her hair behind her ear. "Good. Now suck me off, Your Majesty."
She grinned and dragged her tongue around the tip of him, teasing the skin, dipping in and out. "Well, my king, that I can do."
And she did.
Very, very well.
~ TTTC ~
Tonks, Higgins, Baxter, and Atwell were all planning to meet Harry and Ron in the Department of Mysteries that evening. Harry did feel a bit more relaxed in the way that really incredible sex with the woman he loved could make him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't also slightly terrified and nervous about what they were going to do.
When they'd left Clevedon Court, Harry had a snuck look over at Ron.
"Hey, are you and Hermione good now?"
Ron looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, mate. We are. I think tonight kind of sealed the deal, you know? I love her."
"I'm glad," Harry said. "You two are good together."
Ron clasped his shoulder. "Yeah, we are. Er, where exactly did you and Ginny disappear too?"
"Oh, um, we were up in the tower of my grandfather's old potions lab, off of the library. Why?"
Ron's ears burned. "It was a bit… it echoed down below."
Harry's face heated. "Oh."
Ron smirked. "Guess you don't have to worry about being a virgin for this task."
"I haven't been a virgin for quite some time, Ron."
"Speaking of the act, how many times do you reckon you two have… you know? Because I'm pretty sure Hermione and I are into the high hundreds."
Harry looked bewildered by the change in conversation. "Why?"
"No reason," Ron said. "Just an argument we were having."
Harry lifted an eyebrow as they arrived at the Ministry of Magic and headed down to the lift. "I thought you two were shagging?"
"We were, but sometimes we argue too."
Harry shook his head. "You two are so weird, mate. Who argues while having sex?"
"Who's arguing while having sex?" Baxter asked as he stepped into the lift with them.
Harry pointed to Ron.
"Mate, I think you're doing it wrong," Baxter said.
Ron made a rude hand gesture at his partner. "Trust me, I'm not doing it wrong. Never mind."
Baxter and Harry exchanged smirks as the lift doors opened at level nine and the cool voice told them they'd arrived at the Department of Mysteries. They found Higgins, Tonks, and Atwell outside of the lift waiting for them. Tonks gave Harry a small smile.
"You ready for this?"
"As ready as I can be," he replied.
Higgins was clucking his tongue as he walked next to Harry and shaking his head.
"I still don't know about this, Harry."
"Silver, Gold, and Paddington are good people," Atwell said. "We can trust them, Rex."
"It's not that I don't trust them, Natalie. It's that Harry and Ron are going to willingly die to retrieve a human soul in another dimension that makes me nervous," Higgins insisted.
Tonks slipped her arm around Harry's waist and rested her head against his shoulder. "One of us can do this instead. It doesn't have to be you, Harry."
"Yes it does and you know it."
Tonks sighed and kissed his cheek. "You better come back. Both of you."
"We will," Ron said. "I'll make sure of it."
Baxter shook his head. "I can't decide if you're both the bravest men I've ever worked with or the stupidest."
"It's a tossup," Atwell assured him. "One of the many reasons why I'm glad I'm engaged to a Muggle."
"Yeah, when's that wedding, Atwell? I can't wait for him to find out you're a witch," Baxter said. "Should be a nasty shock to the system."
"Piss off, Eric."
He grinned and clasped Ron's shoulder. "She loves me, you know."
Tonks squeezed Harry's arm. "When it's done, you're going to send a Patronus to Sirius asking him to meet you at a location we've secured in Lincolnshire."
Harry frowned. "What?"
"You're going to taunt him into meeting you there," Tonks continued. "Atwell and I already have it organized. There will be a team in the area, hidden and waiting incase you need backup. Sirius will meet you there and you'll be able to give him back his soul."
"What if he doesn't come?"
Tonks' grey eyes stared into his. "He'll come, Harry. The way he keeps finding you… there's no way he won't respond to a taunt to meet."
He nodded, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. The six of them headed through the doors of the Death Chamber and Tonks let out a slow breath, clasping her fingers through Harry's.
"Being here gives me the willies," she admitted.
"Me too," Harry said. "All I can see is him falling right there. The way he collapsed and how he…" He shook his head. "It doesn't exactly fill me with happy memories either."
They made their way down the steps to the middle of the Death Chamber. The Veil of Death looked haunting, a soft breeze making the curtain seem to shimmer. Arcanums Silver, Paddington, and Gold were waiting near a large stone altar. When the six of them made their way down, Silver looked up with a smile.
"Welcome. We just about have everything set up."
Paddington nodded. "Sly and Gold are sure that they can keep everything going and we have a healer coming any minute."
"Right here," a voice called from above.
Harry looked up in time to see a tiny man, shorter than Professor Flitwick, with a huge nose hurrying down the large steps to the centre of the pit. He had tiny white hairs sprouting up over a rather round egg-shaped head. His big ears stood out straight on either side of his head giving him a rather comical appearance as he hurried down the steps to greet them, his legs struggling on the steps.
"Good evening!" he exclaimed with a wide grin. "This is rather exciting business, isn't it?"
Paddington smiled. "Definitely not the average day, that's for sure. Healer Orrell Galibrath, this is Aurors Potter, Weasley, Lupin, Baxter, and Higgins. It will be Potter and Weasley who will be travelling."
"At your service, Auror Potter," Healer Galibrath declared, bowing. "I'm honoured to be given the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for saving our world."
"Er, you're welcome," Harry said.
"Galibrath has been working as a healer for fifty-seven years," Silver said. "He's spent the last decade working specifically with this department. He's the best at what he does."
"As long as he can bring these two tossers back in time, I don't care what he's done," Tonks said, eyeing the healer. "Can you do that?"
Galibrath's smile grew. "That I can do."
Harry ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Er, all right then. How exactly do we go about this?"
Paddington pointed to the altar. "Up you go. Both of you."
Harry exchanged a look with Ron before Tonks grabbed his arm.
"Come back, Harry."
Harry stared into her grey eyes before he nodded. "I will, but if something happens, tell Ginny I —"
Tonks shook her head. "No. Come back, you tosser."
He pecked her cheek and then hopped up onto the stone altar as Ron moved up next to him. The two of them stretched out side by side and Ron turned to look at him.
"You know, it occurs to me that most of the trouble I find myself in is because of you."
Harry snorted. "What does it say about you that you keep following me into it then?"
"Hell if I know," Ron said with a grin. "Might be the definition of insanity." He held up his hand and Harry grasped it tightly. "Let's do this, mate."
Silver cleared his throat. "Gold will be monitoring your brain activity while Galibrath focuses on the rest. Paddington and I will handle everything else, including summoning the Reaper to guide you."
Paddington wrapped a braided silver and gold rope around their joined hands three times before she nodded. "Do you have the dagger, Potter?"
Harry used his free hand to pat over where the blade was tucked in his belt. "Right here."
"Good. If you have it on your person, you can will it into existence once you've crossed over," she exclaimed. "Remember, you cut vertically down the centre of your forearm and say the words."
"Got it," Harry assured her.
Paddington nodded. "All right, close your eyes. Both of you."
Harry closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of Ron's hand in his and he let out a slow breath.
Something cold touched his forehead as Paddington spoke.
"The Reaper waits on the other side. Good luck."
Healer Galibrath moved over to them, standing on a stool by their heads as he carefully ordered them to drink the potion he passed them.
"It will be quick."
Harry drank the black liquid with a grimace.
"Ugh!" Ron bellowed. "This tastes like black liquorice and feet!"
"Eaten a lot of feet, Weasley?" Baxter teased.
Harry felt the cold of it as it passed through his stomach and then suddenly his heart raced and clenched and everything went black.
Healer Galibrath nodded, flicking his wand at the clock. "And now we wait."
Tonks reached for Higgins' hand and closed her eyes. "And now we wait."
While the others were waiting, Harry and Ron landed in what looked like the garden of Clevedon Court. Ron wrinkled his nose as he looked around.
"Did it work?"
Harry shrugged, looking around at the familiar place. "I don't know."
"It worked," a cool voice said from behind them.
Harry and Ron spun around to see a beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark eyes. She was dressed in a black suit with a black tie and her lips were painted a deep ruby red.
"Are you the Reaper?" Ron asked. "I admit, I expected someone a lot uglier and more, you know, spooky?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "And I expected better of you two. Crossing over into this world and risking your lives? For what purpose?"
"We need to find the soul of someone important," Harry said.
The Reaper's eyes met his before she nodded. "You can call me Raven. Follow me."
Harry and Ron exchanged a look before they hurried after Raven and through the garden of Clevedon Court.
"What are we doing here? I mean, this is my home."
"It's a variation of your home on a different plain," Raven corrected. "If you want to find the soul of Sirius Black then you have to go to the place where he lost it."
Harry figured that made sense. He wondered what it meant that Sirius had been at Clevedon Court on this other plain or different universe. He knew that he wasn't meant to understand. No matter how much people studied it, no one truly understood the afterlife in any capacity.
They'd only taken a few steps through the garden before a familiar deep voice stopped Harry in his tracks.
"Harry?"
He turned, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of the young man before him. He was holding a broom over his shoulder, his black hair so like Harry's in that it was a complete mess on the top of his head. His glasses were slightly crooked and he was staring at Harry with wide eyes.
"Dad?" he whispered.
James grinned. "Well, you sure grew up good, kid. I always knew that you'd be a handsome devil just like me. Wait, why are you here?"
"We're trying to find Sirius' soul," Harry said. "Do you know where it is?"
James frowned. "Sirius' soul… bloody hell! What is happening down there? Padfoot was here, with your mum and I. We were happy and then he just… vanished."
"He was here?" Harry asked.
"Of course he was," James assured him. "We made sure that he was with us after he passed and we've been happy. We've been catching up and keeping on eye on you, Mina, and Leo. Sirius is so bloody proud of you, son, and Lily and I…" He shook his head. "That's not important. As to Sirius, he vanished a while ago and none of us have been able to find him."
"His soul is still here," Raven said, pulling Harry out of the daze of talking to his father. "Come with me."
"I'm coming with you," James insisted, dropping his broom. "I want to help."
Ron grinned. "I think at this point, we'll take all the help we can get. Ron Weasley, Mr Potter."
James grinned. "We're basically the same age, mate. Call me James."
They followed Raven around the back of the house to where the stables were, but here instead of a huge stable, it was an old work shed. When they went inside, it was full of motorbikes and motorbike parts and it smelt like engine grease, forest, and leather and Harry was instantly homesick for Black Cottage and Sirius.
"This is Sirius' favourite place," James said. "In fact, I left him here to grab lunch with my wife and he vanished."
"He did not vanish," Raven said. "He was taken."
Harry frowned as Raven pointed to the black scorch marks in the centre of the floor. "How was he taken from this place?"
"He was pulled through a portal and dragged through the earth," Raven said. "But not all of him made the journey which is why you're here."
"Harry?"
Harry turned in time for a redhead to throw herself into his arms. He caught her with an 'oof' and stumbled back a step before his face was being covered in kisses.
"Harry! My baby, what are you doing here? You're not dead, right? Because that's unacceptable! You're supposed to have a long and happy life! I'm going to kill you if you died!"
"Hi, Mum," he said with a soft smile as she kissed his cheek again.
"Lily, don't worry, these two aren't dead. Well, not permanently dead. It's kind of unclear," James explained with a frown.
"We're trying to find Sirius' soul," Harry said.
Lily's green eyes, the same colour and shape as her son's nodded. "He disappeared in here."
"That's what we're establishing," Ron said. "Does that mean that he lost his soul in this area?"
"Precisely," a thick Russian accent said from the doorway.
Harry looked up in surprise before he let go of his mother and ran into the arms of the the man standing there. "Papa!"
Mikhail "Misha" Zacarias held Harry tightly in a bear hug. "My boy. I knew you vould defeat him. I'm so proud of you."
"Grandmama misses you so much. We all do."
Misha nodded. "I miss her as vell. You vill tell her I love her and that I am vell, da?"
"Da," Harry promised.
Misha clasped Harry's shoulders tightly. "Da. Now as to the missing soul, vhen he vas pulled into the earth, the soul broke free, but did not go far."
Raven pointed to the scorch marks. "No, not far at all."
"It's time to come back now, Harry," a voice called from a distance.
Ron frowned and grabbed Harry's hand. "We're running out of time, Harry. They're trying to bring us back."
Raven pointed to the scorch marks again. "The soul is stuck and needs to be pulled free."
Ron fell to his knees and began to dig through the dirt with his bare hands as Harry fell beside him to do the same. James pushed up his sleeves and knelt down to help along with Lily and Misha.
"It's time to come back now," the voice called again.
"Hurry!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm not leaving without his soul!"
"Get ready, Harry," Ron said. "We'll dig it out."
Harry pulled the knife from his pocket. It appeared when he called for it, just like Paddington told him it would. He carefully sliced open his arm, a vertical cut down his forearm. He didn't even feel it. Half a second later, James cheered.
"I see it! I see it!"
Ron moved to help James and a moment later a shining blue-white ball of light appeared in the earth. Raven put her hand out and it flew up to float above her hand.
"Are you ready, Harry?" she asked.
He held his arm out and said the words that Arcanum Silver had instructed him. "Ego te in domum suam."
James reached out to touch Harry's hand as the white light flew into the cut on his arm. "We love you, son."
Harry's arm glowed silver under his skin as Misha grabbed his arm, wrapping a handkerchief around it tightly to keep it sealed.
"Good luck, Harry," Misha said.
Ron grabbed his hand.
"Don't look back," Raven said. "Come towards me and no matter what, do not turn around."
Harry clutched Ron's hand tighter, keeping his eyes on Raven as he walked towards her. Every part of him wanted to turn and give his parents and grandfather one more last look. He wanted to see if Euphemia and Fleamont were there as well. He wanted to say goodbye, but he knew the lore. If you turned around, you couldn't escape, and all you'd sought would be lost forever. Harry wasn't going to risk losing Sirius' soul, not when he'd finally found it.
Not even if he desperately wanted one last look at the family he'd lost.
Ron clutched his hand tighter as they walked through a rainbow portal and the next thing he knew he was staring at the ugly bald-headed face of Healer Galibrath.
"Phew! Thought we lost you there for a second," he exclaimed with a wide grin. "You boys were stubborn!"
"Did it work?" Ron asked, sitting up.
Paddington unbound their hands as Harry looked down at his right arm where a moving silver light danced under his skin. It burned like fire and blood trickled through the handkerchief tied to his arm, the cut suddenly hurting like a bitch.
"It worked."
Silver eyed his arm in interest before he nodded. "You know what you have to do. You have twenty-four hours to find the host and return the soul to his body."
Harry hopped off of the altar and rolled down his sleeve with a grimace as the soul bubbled under his skin.
"There's no time to waste then. Come on, we need to find Sirius and give him back his soul."
End Author's Notes:
(Latin) Ego te in domum suam = I will take you home
A lot of this is from my imagination and a lot of it is mixed in from the world of Dark Hunters, Supernatural, and the Black Wings series. Sometimes you have to play around with the impossible.
Thanks for reading and please review.
