"Brumous"
"Chapter Four: The Best Drinking Buddies"
Sirius leaned back in his chair, laughter bubbling in his chest, as the hind legs started to slide out from under him. He yelped, his body flinging forward to grab the table to stop himself from landing on the hard tiled floor. Molly giggled next to him with her flushed cheeks and glass filled with whisky at her lips. Sirius managed to right the chair before he fell on his arse and shot a look at Molly.
"Are you all right?" Molly managed to gasp out between her giggles.
Sirius raised his eyebrows at her. "Am I all right? I bloody well can't believe you pranked Violetta Crabbe in school! You? A prank?"
Molly fanned her red face, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "She flirted with Arthur! I wasn't about ready to let her of all people try to steal him out from under me!"
Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, his head shaking. "Molly… what's your middle name?"
"Muriel," Molly supplied, her smile so wide that her entire face lit up.
"Molly Muriel Weasley!" Sirius exclaimed, his finger wagging at her. "You have a naughty streak."
Molly sipped on the whisky, her eyes glancing up at the ceiling. "I think she looked rather lovely with purple hair. Certainly matched her name."
"Now, I know where the twins get it," Sirius said, his head shaking.
Molly laughed, her glass slamming down on the table. "I was never as bad as those two! They actively go looking for trouble. They tried to steal a toilet seat one year."
Sirius grinned from ear to ear, his cheeks hurting from laughing so much. If someone had told him fourteen years ago when he first met Molly Weasley at Gideon and Fabian's funeral that he would be good friends with her later in life, he would have laughed in their face. She had instantly disliked him as soon as the word Black had left his lips which had only made Sirius annoyed. They had a rocky start at first, both caring too much for Harry to see how much the other did as well. The more time they spent together, the more Sirius realized how much he enjoyed Molly's company. Molly was a riot.
Molly cleared her throat, her back straightening as she turned back to the schedule in front of her. "We need to finish this. We're only on Tuesday."
"That it?" Sirius questioned. "Fuck, I thought we were almost done."
Molly shook her head as she picked up the quill. "No, we got off topic again. I don't even remember about what."
Sirius' brow furrowed, wondering what they were even talking about. He glanced down at the Tuesday schedule to see Robards was on prophecy duty Tuesday night. Ah, that's right. Sirius had started to tell her how Robards had broken up a party in the Gryffindor common room after they had won the Quidditch Cup in their fifth year. James had charmed his hair red and gold for the occasion and told him to lighten up a bit. Robards had not been pleased.
Sirius was about to remind her when the kitchen door opened. Remus stepped inside, looking far too grave. Sirius stilled, his heart dropping to his stomach as he could only think that Remus looked so upset because something had happened to Harry. Molly's quill dropped to the table as she too turned towards Remus.
"Sirius, we need to talk," Remus started, his hands shoving into his trouser pockets.
"What happened to Harry?" Sirius asked, his body aching as a million thoughts flashed through his mind. "Just tell me now."
Remus blinked. "Harry is fine. This isn't about Harry. Or any of the kids," Remus added as he glanced over at Molly. "They're safe at Hogwarts still."
Sirius' entire body sagged as he collapsed against the back of his chair, his hand carding through his hair. "Merlin fuck, Remus! What is the matter with you? You scared about ten years off my life!"
Remus sighed. "Can we speak in private?"
Sirius blinked, glancing over at Molly for a fraction of a second. "Just tell me, Remus. It's only Molly."
Remus hesitated, his lips pursing to the side. Sirius didn't understand why Remus was making such a big deal over whatever he had to say.
"Marlene McKinnon was found alive," Remus said in a rush, his eyebrows tugging down.
Oh. That certainly wasn't even last on his list of things that Remus could possibly say. In fact, it wasn't even on the bloody list.
Sirius couldn't move, couldn't speak. Marlene was found alive? That didn't make any sense. She had burned in her parents' house, her body never recovered in the ashes. Sirius blinked. Her body had never been found. The thought swirled around in his head, pecking at the very back of his brain. They had only recovered her wand and more than enough blood to suggest she had bled out.
"Who's Marlene McKinnon?" Molly asked, her head snapping to glance at Sirius.
Sirius swallowed and managed to croak out, "Harry's godmother."
Sirius ignored the glance Remus gave him at those words. It was easier to label her as someone connected to Harry rather than himself. His eyes slid closed, Marlene's smiling face floating in front of his eyelids. He could remember how devasted he had been by her death, how he had drunk himself to near death and nearly killed James when he left hiding to find his friend passed out in his old cottage completely destroyed. Sirius didn't think he had ever quite been the same after Marlene. The only thing that kept him from collapsing completely had been the Potters, especially Harry. Sirius lived and breathed for that kid.
"Sirius was going to propose to her," Remus supplied, his voice low and filled with sorrow.
Sirius shot a glare up at Remus. Certainly, Sirius had told nobody except for James and Lily his plans to marry Marlene. He had shown James the ring and spewed his fears that she would say no. At the time, Sirius and Remus weren't on speaking terms. There was no doubt in his mind, that either James or Lily had relayed that tidbit of information to Remus.
Molly's hand pressed between Sirius' shoulder blades, her body scooting closer to him. "Oh, dear."
"Did she leave?" Sirius asked, his entire body expanding and feeling as though it would explode at any moment. "Go into hiding or something?"
It seemed nearly impossible that Marlene would just abandon Lily, James, and Harry. Abandon the Order of the Phoenix. Abandon him. Except it was the only explanation. Sirius couldn't help but feel a stab of hatred towards her. She let Harry suffer at the Dursleys, let him rot in Azkaban, and she still wasn't fucking here after Voldemort's return.
"She has no memories," Remus explained as he crossed the room.
Molly wrapped an arm around Sirius, her cheek pressing against his shoulder. "She has amnesia?"
Sirius looked down at his lap. Amnesia was better than flat-out leaving. It wasn't her choice to abandon them all then. There was still a small piece of him that was bitter towards her. He couldn't help it. How could she not remember Harry? Wouldn't his name and picture splashed across the papers over the past fourteen years be enough to jog something deep within her?
"It's a type of amnesia, yes," Remus confirmed in a weary tone. "We believe she was put in a magical fugue state."
Sirius listened patiently as Remus explained everything, starting from the beginning about how he had seen her in Castle Combe while following Narcissa. The more Sirius listened, the angrier he became. Not at Marlene, but at his bloody family. It only took Remus telling him she thought her name was Bella Riddle and that she believed Sirius to have abused her during their relationship for him to know it had been Bellatrix's doing. She had done it to fuck with Sirius, to make him miserable. Marlene had been fodder, worthless by association. That made Sirius sick to his stomach.
He couldn't spend another second in Grimmauld Place knowing Bellatrix was out there, living and breathing. Sirius wanted to wrap his fingers around her neck and strangle her. He wanted to hurt her, not just kill her. Bellatrix deserved to suffer the worst kind of death imaginable. Sirius hunched over in his chair, his fingers tangling through his too-long hair and gripping the strands as tightly as he could. Screwing his eyes shut, he fought to regulate his breathing and force his tears to remain at bay. He couldn't lose it, not now.
"Dumbledore put her in a safe house," Remus concluded. "He's setting her up with some specialists to help her regain her memories."
Sirius only nodded, because he didn't know how else to respond to the flood of information.
"If she's willing to meet with you, I think that may help her," Remus continued. "A lot of her false memories revolve around you."
"No," Sirius croaked, not bothering to look up.
"What?" Remus questioned.
Sirius eased his grip from his hair and rested his elbows on his knees. He looked across the table at Remus, allowing Molly to pull him closer to her side.
"Harry is the priority right now," Sirius replied, his mouth dry and body feeling as though it were floating. "I can't focus on…" Sirius wired his lips together, unable to even say her bloody name.
Marlene thought the worst of him, thought he had abused her. He couldn't face her and see the fear in her eyes. He was barely holding on by a thread as it was, attempting to maintain whatever sanity he had left for Harry's sake. Seeing Marlene as Bella Riddle would knock him off the tightrope he stood on. He would spiral out of control just like he had all those years ago. Marlene's so-called death had triggered fear and anxiety. It had affected his judgment. He had passed on the Secret Keeper duties because he had been petrified of the Potters dying like Marlene, worrying that his family would know how to break the secret from within him.
Besides… it wasn't like he could leave Grimmauld Place to even see her. Not with him being wanted for mass murder and all. There was no way Marlene in her current state would even step foot in his house.
"Sirius…" Remus trailed off. "She needs you to help her remember."
Sirius shook his head. "No, Harry is the priority. He has always been the priority. Mar…" Sirius jaw clenched, his fingers curling tightly. "Marlene knows that. She's always understood that. We put Harry fucking first. We all did. James and Lily and me and… and her. It was vital."
Remus blinked. "Wait, you mean before Voldemort attacked Godric's Hollow?"
Sirius' breaths came out in harsh huffs, his eyes staring at Remus because he didn't know. Nobody fucking knew. The only people alive who even know the full contents of the prophecy were him and Albus Dumbledore. Sirius looked between Remus and Molly, his entire body shaking, as he pulled out his wand from his pocket.
"What are you doing?" Remus hissed.
"We need privacy," Sirius snapped harsher than he intended to. "Get closer. I don't need my degenerate house-elf eavesdropping."
"He's forbidden from saying anything that is said here," Molly assured him, her hand rubbing his arm.
Sirius' lips twitched. "I don't care. I don't trust it. Not with this."
Remus moved around the table, taking a seat next to Sirius. Their chairs dragged across the floor, forming a tight triangle before Sirius cast a privacy bubble around them. Putting his wand away, Sirius thought about the best way to explain everything to them for a few moments before he spoke.
"You know there's a prophecy at the Department of Mysteries that Voldemort wants," Sirius started. "What you don't know is that the prophecy is about Harry. It's always been about Harry. From the moment he was fucking born, it was about Harry."
Remus opened his mouth, gaping at his friend for a couple of seconds. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not telling you the contents of the prophecy but it has to do with Harry and Voldemort. Nobody but Dumbledore and myself know. It's part of the reason Dumbledore doesn't want me to leave this house. He's worried if I'm captured that the prophecy will be plucked from my head. He's not wrong. If Bellatrix or anyone suspects I know, they will try to force it out of me. I'm not sure I'd be able to stop them for long. Mar…" Sirius sighed. It was only a name. "Even Marlene doesn't know the full contents of the prophecy. She… she didn't want to know. Didn't want to risk knowing, which was smart on her part but I couldn't… I had to know. He's my godson. But Marlene knew as much as you do now, knew it was about Harry. It's why James and Lily went into hiding, to protect Harry."
"I thought they went into hiding because Voldemort wanted James," Remus whispered, his face scrunching up as he processed the information thrown at him.
"That was a lie. A lie only Marlene and I knew. We knew the real reason they went into hiding was to protect Harry," Sirius explained. "That was until they went under the Fidelius. Then James told Peter. At the time, after Halloween happened, I had no idea how much James had told Peter. It's why I went after him, to kill him not for revenge but to stop him from relaying whatever information he knew about Harry to anyone else. During Harry's fourth year, Dumbledore and I had long discussions about what exactly Peter knew. It wasn't until Voldemort started trying to obtain the prophecy that we knew Peter didn't know the full contents of the prophecy."
"You're sure Marlene doesn't know?" Remus questioned. "She's a liability without her memories. If Bellatrix did this to her, she can break it and she can gain that information."
Sirius shook his head. "I'm positive. She left the room, too upset and too scared to know. She said it was for the best, that the less people who knew the better. She only knew it was about Harry." Sirius glanced over at Remus. "I swear no one else knew. It wasn't just you. Dorcas, Mary, Peter… we told no one until the Fidelius was cast and even then, James didn't tell him everything. We were protecting Harry."
"Does Harry know?" Molly squeaked, her face pale.
Sirius shook his head. "I wanted to tell him, but Dumbledore thought he was too young. It's why Dumbledore is adamant Harry learn Occlumency. He worries Voldemort will hoodwink him into obtaining the prophecy for him. I argued that if we tell him, then he's less likely to fall for a trap. I mean, possession is different, but Voldemort might try to draw Harry to the Ministry for other reasons on his own free will. It's why I asked Andromeda and Ted to grab mine and James' old mirrors. I wanted him to hopefully come to me first if something happened."
"Has Voldemort tried anything yet?" Remus asked.
"Luckily, no," Sirius replied, his fingers rubbing his chin. "It's why I can't be near Marlene right now. I can't… I can't give that any energy. I can't get distracted. When she regains her memories, she'll understand why I stayed away. Harry comes first. We've always said it. No matter what."
It pained Sirius not to see Marlene, to hold her in his arms once more. But that wasn't even Marlene. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Sirius couldn't risk any distractions when Harry was in such grave danger. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort made his move. Sirius would make sure he was protecting Harry the entire time.
Even telling Molly and Remus all about the prophecy didn't ease his mind or lift any weight off his shoulders. Sirius only felt oddly heavier. He had spent fifteen plus years of his life fretting about Harry's safety, remembering how he couldn't breathe when James had told him all about it. He spent the first fifteen months of Harry's life denying the impact of the prophecy, telling James that prophecies held no power unless given power. Sirius had tried his damnedest to not believe in prophecies but then James and Lily died. Harry was marked with a lightning bolt scar. Sirius had contemplated the validity of prophesies in a cell for the next twelve years.
Through Harry's scar pain and his odd dreams, Sirius found it harder to deny that perhaps the prophecy was actually real. When Lord Voldemort rose from that cauldron using Harry's blood, Sirius had never been more scared in his entire life. It was paralyzing and Sirius finally understood how James had felt all those years ago when he had fallen victim to depression and anxiety upon hearing the prophecy. Now, Sirius found himself on the same broom, constantly worried for that kid's future and for his life.
Later that night, Sirius sat in the parlor staring at the dying embers in the fireplace. He didn't know what to think or how to feel. Part of him wanted to rush to see Marlene, to explain their entire history to her to jog her memory. Surely, the two of them together could successfully protect Harry. They were a great team once before, an unstoppable force on Order of the Phoenix missions. One glance at the mirror sitting in his lap told him he couldn't do that. He couldn't risk not being there for Harry, not when Harry couldn't block his mind.
When the mirror went off and Harry's face shined up at him, Sirius knew he made the right decision. He had vowed to take care of Harry. He loved the kid more than anything. But Sirius couldn't deny that for the first time ever, Harry didn't lift his sour mood. Clenching his jaw, he picked up the mirror and hoped Harry was too tired to talk for long. He didn't know how long he could carry a conversation with the knowledge of Marlene's survival playing around in his head.
"Harry Potter," Sirius answered.
"Sirius!" Harry greeted, a grin breaking out across his face. "You will not believe what Fred and George did to Umbridge today."
Harry dove into some story about a potion that Fred and George coated Umbridge's entire classroom with. Anything that had even a speck of pressure applied to it crumbled into hundreds of pieces. Lucky for her, Umbridge had sat down in her chair first and fell to the ground, her leg kicking up and hitting her desk to cause that to crumble as well. Sirius forced out a small chuckle because it was rather clever but Sirius couldn't find it within himself to relax after the Marlene information had been thrown at him just hours ago.
Harry frowned. "Are you all right, Sirius?"
"I'm fine," Sirius replied. "Just tired. It was a long day."
"Oh," Harry replied as he looked up from the mirror at something. "I won't call you so late next time."
Sirius shook his head. "It's fine, Harry. Call me whenever."
Harry didn't look convinced. "I'll let you go to bed."
Sirius knew he should tell Harry to keep talking to distract him, because it wasn't like he would actually fall asleep anytime soon and Harry normally had a knack for making him feel better. Except, Sirius couldn't find the words. Part of him wanted to torture himself, because he deserved to be a miserable sod.
"Do you mind?" Sirius asked. "We can talk more tomorrow."
Harry shook his head, his brows low on his face and a frown tugging on his lips. "That's fine. Are you sure everything is all right?"
"Yes, don't worry about me," Sirius insisted. "Goodnight, Harry."
"Night, Sirius."
The mirrors disconnected. Tossing the mirror onto the sofa beside him, Sirius leaned back into the cushions and stared at the yellowing ceiling. A long breath escaped his lips as he tried to think of nothing, to numb himself from everything happening around him.
Remus winced as soon as he stepped into Sirius' old cottage with Nymphadora behind him. The place looked like a disaster zone, no doubt ripped apart by Sirius after Marlene's supposed death. He could remember clearly when James stood up for Sirius on a mirror call not long after Harry's first birthday. Sirius had been a wreck, barely functioning with a lack of sleep and drinking his weight in alcohol. He picked up Order mission after Order mission, keeping himself busy to avoid thinking about what had happened. Remus had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to even think that it was mourning and not shady behavior on Sirius' part.
At some point, the house would need to be cleaned. There were sure to be things that Sirius would want eventually, especially now that Marlene was discovered to be alive. Making his way to the back of the house, Remus pushed open the door to the master bedroom. His eyes scanned the room. It was the only room untouched. The bed unmade, hair pins on the bedside table, an empty glass on the dresser, and a few pieces of clothes strewn on the ground.
Remus' eye caught a picture framed and propped up on Sirius' side of the bed. It was a piece of paper with big scribbles of colors made by coloring pencils. Crossing the room, Remus picked up the frame to see Lily's neat handwriting in the corner that read Harry 5 July 1981. Next to that was another picture, this one of Sirius and Harry sitting together having what looked like a picnic with baby appropriate portions of fruit on a big checkered blanket in the kitchen of the Hollow.
"I think I remember her," Nymphadora said, tearing Remus' attention away from the photos, to see her holding another picture of Marlene and Sirius at James and Lily's wedding, with glasses of liquor in their hands and wide grins on their faces. "Well, I remember Sirius, you know? I remember thinking I couldn't believe he was related to my posh mum with his leather jackets and tattoos. He'd come over with cuts and bruises, dirt under his nails. Mum used to just sigh at him, ask him to stay out of trouble for once. He brought a brunette around a few times. She got along well with Mum. I didn't really get to know her. I was only seven or eight, wanted to play with my amazingly wicked cousin. Sirius was good about that, you know? He always played with me. Whatever I wanted to do. I remember being so jealous anytime I heard him talk about his godson, jealous they got more time together than I got with him. It was rather silly of me, looking back now."
Remus was very acutely aware about the age difference between them in that moment. Merlin, he was joining werewolf packs and fighting Death Eaters while she had been seven years old.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nymphadora asked as she sat the photo back on the dresser next to an empty glass.
"Like what?" Remus asked.
Nymphadora laughed, her nose scrunching up. "Like you've thought of the worst possible thing ever."
"You were seven when I was fighting in a war," Remus voiced his thoughts. "That seems… odd."
"Well, I'm not seven anymore. I'm twenty-two and an Auror who is fighting in a war," Nymphadora corrected.
Remus let out a small chuckle. "Yes, and I'm thirty-six."
Nymphadora smiled coyly at him. "Oh, yes, yes, I know. I celebrated your thirty-sixth birthday with you in my bed with my mouth doing very naughty things to you. Tell me, Remus, my birthday is coming up very, very soon. Less than two weeks soon. Are you going to give me a similar gift?"
Remus sucked in a breath. "We're supposed to be grabbing items to help Marlene remember who she is, not talking about sex, Dora."
"Umm… you like sex," Nymphadora pointed out as she crossed the room towards the wardrobe.
Remus' eyes trailed down her backside. She had grown out her hair a bit longer to just above her shoulders, and Remus thought it looked nice the way her bubblegum pink locks bounced as she walked. It wasn't long until his eyes dropped to the way her bum looked in her tight trousers.
"Later," Remus managed to say in a normal voice. "We have a job now."
Nymphadora turned around with a suitcase in her hand and held it up to him. "Sure, later. Will this work?"
Remus nodded. "Yeah, that'll do." Remus cleared his throat, reaching down to adjust himself quickly and hoping that Nymphadora didn't see. "If you lost your memory, what do you think would help you regain it?"
"Well, I think we should appeal to all of her senses," Nymphadora replied as she picked up a perfume bottle off the bedside table and looked at the label. "Pictures, of course. But you've given her some already." She held the perfume bottle up to him. "Did she wear this often?"
Remus shrugged. "That's a question for Sirius."
Nymphadora arched an eyebrow. "We should give her one of Sirius' shirts. You know, one that he's worn recently and smells like wet dog and whatever that smell is," Nymphadora added, her nose wrinkling. "He has a very distinctive smell."
"Are you saying Sirius smells bad?" Remus asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he grabbed the two photos off Sirius' bedside table.
"Hmm, I'm sure some find it endearing, but I prefer my men to smell like a musty old library," Nymphadora replied with a wink.
"A musty old library?" Remus repeated. "Merlin, you should really work on your flirting skills."
Nymphadora laughed as she tossed the suitcase on the bed and placed the perfume inside. "Who says I'm talking about you?"
Remus grinned as he tossed the photos into the suitcase, his head shaking.
"I could be talking about Axel," Nymphadora added. "We spend a lot of time together being partners and all."
Remus snorted, grabbing a picture of Marlene's family off the wall. "No one named Axel smells like a musty old library. He probably smells like meat and sweat."
"I'm going to tell him you said that," Nymphadora challenged.
Remus only grinned at her before they made their way through the bedroom and the bathroom. They grabbed pictures, soaps, perfume, clothes, and old textbooks with Marlene's writing in the margin. They packed it all away, hoping that something may help Marlene start to remember something real from her life before.
Upon Nymphadora's insistence, they stopped by Grimmauld Place to grab a shirt of Sirius'. They found him in the parlor sitting on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. His mirror sat next to him on the cushion. Remus stepped into the parlor first, his hands shoving into his trouser pockets.
"We need one of your shirts," Nymphadora announced as she brushed past Remus and stood in front of Sirius. "One that hasn't been washed and smells like you. The smellier, the better."
Sirius moved his head off the back of the sofa to look at her. "Why?"
"For Marlene to smell," Nymphadora replied.
Sirius looked over at Remus. "Is she being serious right now?"
Remus nodded. "We're trying to appeal to her senses."
"She obviously loved your musk before," Nymphadora added as she sat down in front of him on the coffee table. "Maybe it will jog her memory."
Sirius looked back at Nymphadora. "Take whatever you want, Dora. You know where my room is."
"It's going to work," Nymphadora insisted, her hand reaching out to squeeze his knee. "Remus and I are going to help her get her memories back. Dumbledore's fairly positive as well. He's brought in a few specialists."
Sirius let out a long breath. "Yeah."
Nymphadora smiled at Sirius and gave his knee one more squeeze before she rose from her spot on the coffee table. She bounced as she walked across the room, her eyes locking with Remus'. She brushed a hand down his arm as she passed.
"I know I always remind you that you have to stay put, but I would be inclined to break a few rules for old times' sake if you wanted to come with us to see Marlene," Remus offered. "We can grab a few other Order members. Kingsley and Alastor could stand watch."
Sirius snorted. "Fuck Alastor."
Remus blinked, unfazed by the outburst, knowing full well just how much Sirius loathed Alastor. "Just Kingsley then?"
"I'm not going to see Marlene," Sirius replied, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "Not now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Maybe not fucking forever."
"Sirius…" Remus sighed.
"If she gets her memories back, then that's a different story," Sirius explained, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes.
A buzzing sounded. Remus glanced over at the mirror next to Sirius and saw Harry's face shining brightly in it. Sirius held the mirror up for Remus to see.
"He's my focus right now," Sirius emphasized. "Remember?"
Remus nodded. "I think you could speak with Marlene and still have Harry as your focus."
Sirius's jaw clenched as he turned the mirror towards him. "Harry Potter."
"Sirius!" Harry's voice called. "Are you all right?"
Sirius smiled. "Just tired. How was your day?"
Remus frowned, wondering if Sirius had even told Harry about his godmother being found alive. He had a very strong suspicion that he hadn't based off nothing but a few words.
"I had Defense today," Harry replied, and Remus could practically hear the wince in his voice. "I did what you asked though and sat in the back and kept my mouth shut."
Sirius nodded. "Last night was Occlumency with Snape, wasn't it?"
Remus let out a small chuckle, knowing full well that Sirius had Harry's schedule memorized down to the minute.
"I can't do it, Sirius," Harry replied in a miserable tone. "He doesn't tell me what to do besides to close my mind. How am I supposed to close my mind when he doesn't tell me how? I feel like he just keeps invading it over and over again. He's seeing things that I don't want him to see, but I can't stop him from seeing it. It only stops when he stops."
Sirius' jaw clenched. "I don't know what to tell you, Harry. I can do it. I can stop people from invading my thoughts, but I don't know how I do it."
"That's not comforting at all, Sirius," Harry replied with a sigh.
"Look, I wasn't trying to discourage you. Some people just have a knack for it. Others have to work for it," Sirius explained, his gaze catching Remus. "Remus can't do it. Can you?"
Remus crossed the room and took a seat next to Sirius on the sofa. "Sirius is right, Harry. It's hard to accomplish if you don't have a knack for it. But you need to close off your mind."
"But how?" Harry pressed.
Remus blinked. "I bought a book."
When Sirius told him at Christmas about the Occlumency lessons, he had bought the book partly for his own curiosity and partly because he knew what kind of teacher Snape was.
Sirius snorted. "Of course, you did."
"Stop it, Sirius," Remus snapped before turning his full attention to Harry. "It talked about visualizing. Have you tried visualizing a door and slamming it shut?"
Sirius glanced at him, his brows furrowed. "That's the stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard."
"Some people obtain it visually," Remus spoke louder, ignoring Sirius. "If you're not a visual person, then perhaps clearing your mind works. Think of nothing so he can see nothing."
Harry frowned, his eyebrows disappearing behind his glasses. "That's what Snape says to do. Clear my mind."
Remus nodded, running through the list of strategies that the book laid out. "So, that doesn't work then. Try the door method. If that doesn't work, try singing a song and focusing on that."
Harry winced. "I don't know any songs."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "You don't have a favorite song you can sing and can concentrate on?"
"I mean, not really," Harry admitted. "It just wasn't… available when I was a kid."
Sirius tensed up next to Remus.
"You have to find what works for you," Remus said in a gentle tone, speaking before Sirius could press on the matter. "Think of what your strengths are and play to your strengths."
Harry squirmed. "I don't know what my strengths are. I mean… I'm a decent flyer but that doesn't really help me in a mental battle."
"Think of it like a spell," Remus suggested, knowing damn well that Harry had a lot of strengths and just needed a little push of confidence. "You excel at Defense Against the Dark Arts. What if the battle wasn't in your mind but right in front of you? What would you do?"
Harry shrugged. "Disarm them?"
"Disarm Snape then," Remus explained. "You have to Disarm him with only your mind."
Pink flashed out of Remus' peripheral vision. He turned to see Nymphadora standing in the doorway of the parlor with a few dirty t-shirts slung over her arm. Remus turned back to the mirror.
"When's your next lesson?" Remus asked, knowing that he needed to interfere to help Harry.
Harry frowned. "Thursday. He says I'm so abysmal that I should attend lessons twice a week."
A growl sounded in the back of Sirius' throat but he kept his mouth shut. Remus shot Harry an encouraging smile.
"I have to go, but tell Sirius the details of the time and when you think you can call him afterward. I'll be here and we can discuss what strategies you used, all right?" Remus assured him.
"Thanks, Professor Lupin."
Remus stilled, feeling Sirius' eyes on him. Wiping his palms on his trousers, Remus decided maybe it was time that Harry stopped calling him Professor Lupin.
"Call me Remus," he said, shooting Harry another smile. "I'm no longer your professor."
"Sorry," Harry said in a sheepish voice. "I'm just used to it."
Remus nodded, waving him off. "No need to apologize. Just give Sirius an estimate of when you'll be able to call and I'll make sure I'm here to offer my probably very useless opinion."
Harry gave a small chuckle as Remus stood up from the sofa. He shot Sirius a look, a silent and final ask for him to come with them. Except, Sirius didn't even look in their direction. Remus sighed before he made his way over towards Nymphadora to see her smiling.
"If you were my professor, I don't think I would have learned anything," Nymphadora whispered. "I'd be too busy looking at your arse in your trousers."
"Hush," Remus whispered as he glanced back at Sirius.
"Are you sure you're all right, Sirius?" Harry asked again, worry clear as day in his tone. "You're quiet."
"I'm fine, Harry," Sirius insisted again. "Tell me about your day."
Nymphadora looped her arm with Remus'. Shaking his head, he tried to put Sirius' glumness out of his mind. But Remus couldn't help but worry for his friend. A spiraling Sirius was not what Harry or anyone else needed at the moment. Remus had seen Sirius spiral many times in the past, and he was displaying all the tell-tale signs of an imminent breakdown.
Silence always came first, a Sirius unwilling to talk as he tried to bury his feelings and thoughts. It wouldn't be long before Sirius started to have outbursts and began to act recklessly. That was the Sirius that Remus feared most of all. Sirius could act downright unhinged, throwing caution and regard for others out of the window. Remus had almost mauled Snape to death because of one of Sirius' spiraling episodes.
Remus' chest twisted. James had always been better at dealing with Sirius when he shut down emotionally. Remus hadn't a clue of where to even start. That thought scared him.
Harry stood by the Black Lake, his gaze focused on Hagrid's empty hut. He knew he should be revising for the rest of his O.W.L.s but it was hard to concentrate when Hagrid was gone and McGonagall was injured. Sirius had assured him on the mirror last night that Hagrid was safe and McGonagall was expected to make a full recovery, but it didn't really help ease his mind.
A flash of red caught his eye as Ginny stepped up next to him. Her wide brown eyes looked up at him. Harry wanted to be close to her, to bask in her comfort. His fingers ghosted across her hand as he made up his mind to claim the comfort he sought. His fingers wrapped around the palm of her hand. Giving her hand a squeeze, his shoulders eased when she returned the motion.
"Are you all right?" she asked, her body leaning into his as she rested her chin against his arm.
"Just thinking about what happened with Hagrid and McGonagall." Harry swallowed. "Sirius said everyone was fine. It's just…" He sighed, his eyes searching hers. "With McGonagall in the hospital wing, the only person left to do anything at Hogwarts who's in the Order is Snape. That's not a comforting thought."
Ginny let out a small chuckle. "No, it's not. I'm not entirely sure I trust him to help if something happens."
Harry didn't say anything, but he agreed with her. While Snape had picked back up their Occlumency lessons, Harry still felt like a fish out of water. He had no idea how he was supposed to block his mind and it only felt like an opportunity for Snape to learn more about Harry than he was comfortable with. Just the previous night, Harry couldn't stop his mind from wandering to when he was eight years old and cowering from his uncle's belt. Snape had stopped the invasion after the first slash and looked at him oddly before ordering him to bed. Harry had trudged back to Gryffindor tower, exhausted and upset with himself that none of the strategies Professor Lupin gave him seemed to be working.
Sirius asked about the lessons after every single one, pressing for information on his progress. Harry didn't have much to tell him besides he was trying. Sirius only looked dismayed, but then again, the past couple of weeks had Sirius looking upset a lot of the time. He didn't talk as much, seemed moodier, and overall just always tired. Harry didn't know what happened to cause the shift. Any time Harry questioned if he was all right, Sirius wouldn't really say anything. He had a list of one or two-word answers for Harry, never telling him what was truly bothering him. It made Harry bitter. They were supposed to be… Harry chewed his bottom lip, his heart sinking.
Harry had grown used to telling Sirius everything over the past two years. He had poured his heart out in their letters during his fourth year, ached to talk to him his entire fifth year, and now Harry was only met with disappointment. Harry told Sirius everything, but Sirius didn't tell Harry anything about himself.
Harry sniffed, the ball of his shoe digging into the ground. There were loads of things that Harry didn't know about Sirius. He had been more than shocked to find out that Sirius' entire family had been filled with Dark wizards and Slytherins. When he found the Black family tapestry, he had felt dizzy to find out Sirius' cousin was Narcissa Malfoy. Sirius rarely talked about his past. When he did, it was always about his dad or his mum with Sirius as a background character. The only real thing Sirius had ever told Harry about his past was how he had run away from home at sixteen and lived with Harry's grandparents.
"Harry, are you sure you're all right?" Ginny pressed, her palm rubbing his arm.
The word 'fine' was on the tip of his tongue, but he certainly didn't feel fine. How could he tell her that he was drowning in the deep sea of the unknown around him? That even his own godfather, the man who was supposed to be the father-figure in his life was keeping secrets from him? Not just Order of the Phoenix secrets but secrets about himself. Harry just wanted for them to feel like a family. They couldn't do that if Sirius never truly talked to him about himself and what was bothering him.
"Yeah," Harry replied, not knowing what to even say.
Except, maybe nothing was bothering Sirius. Maybe Harry had been calling him too much on the mirror. Maybe Sirius was tired of him. The thought threatened to engulf him, chipping away at his already aching heart. Harry tried to push that thought out of his mind, but he just couldn't. No adult had taken such an interest in Harry's life before. Harry didn't want to ruin things with Sirius.
She squeezed his hand. "Hey, look at me."
Snapping his attention to her, he lost himself in her brown eyes. She was beautiful in a way he had never truly appreciated before. She was open and honest, made him feel things he had never felt before.
"I'm listening," Ginny insisted.
Harry swallowed. "Something is going on. Sirius is quiet lately. Our mirror calls are shorter, like he only cares about checking in on me but not talking. I mean, he's more than willing to listen, but he isn't talking lately."
He definitely wasn't going to tell Ginny about all of his fears. They were unfounded and him just reading too much into things. Right?
"Have you asked him about it?" Ginny asked, her voice soft and concerned.
Harry nodded. "Says he's fine or just tired."
"Want to talk to him together?" Ginny offered. "He's always seemed like he wanted to tell you what was going on with the Order but everyone else always stopped him."
"I don't think this has anything to do with the Order," Harry whispered, bending down closer to her so they could talk more privately. "His mood is just… I don't know. He almost seems sad."
"Do you have the mirror? We could slip into Hagrid's hut. Claim we're just feeding Fang if we're caught," Ginny suggested.
Harry glanced up at the roof of Hagrid's hut. It wasn't a bad idea. It was early enough on a Saturday that nobody would probably even see them slip inside. He nodded at her before they walked towards Hagrid's hut, their fingers still intertwined. Harry knew he shouldn't walk hand-in-hand with her, but the feel of her soft skin against his was comforting.
Once inside, Fang bounded over towards Harry, nearly knocking him over. Ginny cast a few privacy charms while Harry checked on Fang's food and water supply. They sat down in a chair together, Fang resting his head on Harry's knee. Pulling out the mirror, Harry extended his arm so that they could both see.
"Sirius Black."
It took a few moments for Sirius to answer the mirror. He looked at them with tired eyes, large bags residing underneath. There was no doubt that he was in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, a crystal glass in his left hand filled with an amber-colored liquid.
"Are you two all right?" Sirius asked, a slight slur to his words.
Harry nodded as Sirius' eyes flickered between Harry and Ginny. "Everything is fine."
"We just talked last night," Sirius said as he sat the glass down on the table. "Not that I mind you calling in the morning, but you normally call at night."
"Harry's worried about you," Ginny interrupted.
Harry shot a glance over at Ginny, irritated that she had just blurted it out.
Sirius sighed and drew Harry's attention back to the mirror. "I'm fine. It's nothing you lot have to worry about."
A rock lodged itself in the pit of Harry's stomach. "Right."
Sirius scratched his lip with his thumb. "Harry…"
"No, it's fine, Sirius. I get it," Harry snapped, disappointment blooming in his chest.
"Get what?" Sirius asked in a gentle tone.
Harry's throat expanded, his insides clenching. He couldn't help the intrusive thoughts from rattling around in his head. He was angry, upset, and downright confused. "Nothing. It's fine."
"Harry?" Sirius pressed, his brows furrowing. "Did something happen?"
Harry's jaw clenched as he settled into defiance. It was an easy position to slide into, one that he had great practice at.
"Everything's fine, Sirius," Harry replied, his head shaking. "I'd tell you if something happened."
The dig was subtle, but Sirius raised his eyebrows as he caught the implication. A sigh escaped his lips.
"Harry-"
"I tell you everything, Sirius," Harry bit out before he could stop himself. "You've been quiet for weeks. You act like you don't even want to talk to me. If I'm calling too much, you should just be honest with me. I'm fifteen. I can handle it."
Harry's chest heaved, tears burning his eyes. He wouldn't let them fall, as he looked across the hut to the sink to regulate his emotions. Chewing on his bottom lip, he waited for a response. He regretted saying anything now. He was too mentally and physically drained to have a conversation with Sirius right now. His filter and his walls were crumbling due to exhaustion from his sleepless nights filled with nightmares, to his stress over the O.W.L. exams and having his dreams of being an Auror crushed when he failed the exams. He wasn't thinking clearly, but he had never cared about a relationship so much before in his life. He couldn't lose Sirius, the only family he had ever had.
"You are not calling too much, Harry," Sirius replied. "You have done nothing wrong. I am not upset with you. My mood has nothing to do with you."
Harry didn't believe the words. He nodded curtly, still not looking at the mirror. Ginny's hand touched his thigh, her touch grounding him.
"Harry, look at me," Sirius added.
It took him a few moments to compose himself before he felt confident enough to look at his godfather again.
"I'm just dealing with something right now, all right?" Sirius assured him. "It has nothing to do with you. I promise. You're the highlight of my day."
Harry blinked, his lips twitching. "Is this Order related?"
Sirius shook his head. "No, not really. Or not directly. For me, at least."
Harry didn't feel that much better. There just seemed to be a gaping hole between him and Sirius that had never been there before. Or maybe it always was, but Harry had never felt it until now.
Sirius cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair. "I suppose I should talk to you about it sooner rather than later. I was waiting for… well, selfish reasons. Because I didn't want to talk about it. Out of sight out of mind, right?"
Ginny's hand moved from his thigh to his shoulder. "I'll wait outside, all right?"
Harry glanced over at her, part of him not wanting her to leave. She gave him a reassuring smile before she rose from the chair and left. Harry felt cold, not realizing just how close she had been pressed against him in the chair. Turning his attention back to Sirius, he waited patiently for his godfather to speak.
Sirius' jaw clenched. "Have you ever wondered about your godmother?"
Harry blinked, not knowing what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't that. "Honestly, no? I didn't know I had one. I thought, well…" Harry didn't know what he thought. He just knew there was Sirius. No witch had ever come to claim him like Sirius had.
"We went to school together," Sirius continued, his voice hoarse and sounding like he had when Harry had first met him. "She was your mum's best friend. Her name was Marlene McKinnon."
Harry's brows furrowed, trying to remember why he knew that name. Then, it hit him. The original Order of the Phoenix picture that Mad Eye Moody had shown him over the summer. He had pointed out Marlene McKinnon specially, explained that her entire family had been murdered not long after the photo had been taken.
"We thought she died," Sirius said, his eyes unfocused. "She was at her dad's house for his birthday. Death Eaters attacked. Her entire family had been members of the Order. Her dad had been the Deputy Head of the Auror Department at the time, her brother an Auror. The Death Eaters ambushed them, burned the house down. Marlene's body was the only one that wasn't recovered, but the Aurors found her wand and enough blood to declare her dead. I suppose I never really thought about the possibility that she had survived. It seemed impossible that she would have escaped that house."
"But she did?" Harry questioned, his heart hammering harshly in his chest.
"She did apparently," Sirius confirmed. "Remus found her. She, uh, she has amnesia. Doesn't remember her life before the attack. Has a new name and everything."
Harry's mood deflated at the bit of information. "Were you two friends?"
Sirius let out a bitter laugh. "I was going to marry her. Now… well, it's an odd sort of amnesia induced by magic. Her memories were manipulated. She remembers me but thinks I was an abusive arse. She's scared of me apparently. I don't know. I haven't seen her. I'm just going by what Remus has said."
The knot in Harry's chest eased, knowing why Sirius had been distant and in a foul mood.
Harry blinked, feeling a sudden rush of protectiveness towards Sirius. "Did Voldemort give her this weird amnesia?"
Sirius shook his head, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't think so. My best guess is that it was my lovely cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. She was always particularly good at manipulating minds. It's just twisted enough as well. I'm sure she took great pleasure in knowing that one day I'd find her under a new name and hating my guts."
"Are you, err, going to go see her?" Harry asked, wondering if he could go with Sirius.
"No, I'm not," Sirius replied with a large sigh.
Harry's brow furrowed. "Why not?"
"Because I have other things to focus on right now. I can't let myself get distracted, not when you're alone at school," Sirius explained.
Harry's insides twisted. "I'm fine. You can go see her."
Sirius carded a hand through his hair. "Nah, she doesn't trust me."
Harry chewed on his bottom lip. "I can go with you."
Sirius offered Harry a soft smile. "I appreciate that. Over the summer, if you want to meet her, I'm sure Remus will take you. Or… I don't know, bring her to Grimmauld Place for a bit."
"Without you?" Harry confirmed.
Sirius nodded. "Without me."
Harry shrugged. "I'm okay. I don't need to meet her. She doesn't remember me anyway. She… I mean, she probably doesn't even care."
Sirius let out a long sigh. "She cared for you very much. She was as invested in your life as I was. We were both listed as your legal guardians if something happened to your parents. If she had regained her memories at any time in the past fourteen years, she would have gone to grab you from the Dursleys first thing. She loved you, Harry. One day, she'll love you again. She just can't remember how much she loves you right now."
Harry nodded. It wasn't the first nor probably the last time that Harry would feel like everyone around him was doomed to suffer, as though merely knowing Harry was the cause for so much misery. Everyone that Harry had been close to seemed to have been hurt one way or another. His parents were dead. Sirius had been carded off to Azkaban without a trial. Marlene had lost her memories. He had been alone for twelve years until Sirius broke out of prison to ensure his safety.
"Did you talk to Dumbledore?" Harry asked, changing the subject. He wanted Sirius to know that no matter what happened with Marlene and her memories, he still wanted to be with Sirius. "About me spending the summer with you?"
Sirius gave him a tight smile. "I will make it happen."
"I know where Grimmauld is now. I can just leave the Dursleys and take a bus," Harry argued.
Sirius chuckled. "If you're going to do that, then you're going to wait for a big black dog to accompany you. You don't go anywhere alone, do you understand me?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "I know. I won't."
"And, hey, I'm sorry," Sirius said, shifting in his chair. "I should have talked to you instead of…" Sirius licked his lips, glancing up at the ceiling. "I don't like to talk. It used to drive your dad mad because he would know something was wrong but I would never talk to him about it. It took weeks for him to even get me to say a sentence about what was bothering me. It's not you, Harry. It's me. I…" Sirius cleared his throat. "I'll try to do better, all right? I don't want you to even think for a second I'm upset with you for anything."
"It's fine," Harry waved him off, feeling uncomfortable. "I should get back to Ginny. We went to Hagrid's hut. I don't want Umbridge to find us here."
Sirius nodded. "I'll talk to you later. If you change your mind about meeting Marlene, just let me know, all right? I'll arrange it for you."
The mirror disconnected. Harry let the mirror fall onto his lap, his body numb. He had a godmother, someone who had known his mum just as well as Sirius had known his dad. Harry wondered how hard it was to gain memories back that had been magically altered. Sirius seemed to think it was only a matter of time, but Harry wasn't so sure. He had seen what Obliviate could do to a person, so why would altering be any different?
Patting Fang on top of his head, Harry decided to put it out of his mind for now. "I'll be back, all right?"
Fang reluctantly moved his head, his big eyes staring up at Harry. He made his way out of the hut and spotted Ginny standing by the pumpkin patch, her red hair glistening in the sun. Just seeing her was enough to brighten his mood.
Ginny sat on a ginormous pumpkin outside of Hagrid's hut with her Transfiguration book open in front of her. She pursed her lips to the side, tugging her wand out from her pocket. She mimicked the motion shown in the books in the photograph, but it didn't look right. Moving her hand up the wand and tucking her thumb, it looked better but certainly didn't feel better. Sirius had said that Transfiguration was tricky because it was all about where you held your wand and how fluidly your wrist moved. It was beyond frustrating because if the motion was too fast or too slow, the spell would be botched. It was so different from Defense and Charms where the snappier the motion, the more powerful the spell.
She practiced transfiguring a small pumpkin for a while, unimpressed by its partial transformation. Shoving her wand behind her ear, she stared down at the picture of the wand in the book and the slow and steady swoop.
"Oi! What are you doing?"
Glancing up, Ginny caught sight of Ron looking like he had just rolled out of bed. He carded a hand through his hair as he closed the space between them.
Ginny nodded towards Hagrid's hut. "Harry's in there."
Ron looked at her oddly. "To feed Fang or… something else?"
Ginny closed her book and shoved it back in her satchel. "The mirror."
Ron nodded, taking a seat on a pumpkin next to her. "You two have been spending a lot of time together."
"What? So Harry's not allowed to have a friend besides you?" Ginny snapped.
Ron held up his hands. "I didn't say that! I fully support Harry socializing a bit more. He obviously seems to like you."
Ginny's bottom lip slid between her teeth. She shrugged as though that last bit of information didn't make her heart flutter. Did he like her like her or did he just like her? That was the million Galleon question.
"Hermione was a bit peeved at first, I think," Ron announced, wincing. "Not that she doesn't approve, but she was just upset he won't talk to her. You know? But she's glad he's showing interest in talking to someone at least."
Ginny huffed, her eyes glancing over to Hagrid's hut. "Well, Hermione treats him like he's an idiot. If she would actually listen to him for a change, maybe he'd open up a bit more."
"She doesn't treat him like an idiot," Ron argued.
Ginny didn't say anything to that. It wasn't worth fighting with Ron over it.
"Just don't… hurt him, all right?" Ron said in a soft voice.
Ginny snapped her attention to Ron. "What?"
"Harry," Ron emphasized. "His family treats him like he's some sort of parasite. He has a hard time opening up to people and making friends. For some barmy reason, not that I'm complaining mind you, he seems to open up to you and talk to you and likes you. If I get Harry to be my official brother out of this arrangement, then I'm bloody well happy. But he's moody and quiet and you have to know that before you even think about starting anything with him."
Ginny blinked at her brother, wondering if Harry had actually said anything to him. She opened her mouth but no words came out, not knowing what question to even ask first. Letting out a breath, her gaze shot back to the hut.
"Did he tell you that he fancies me?" Ginny whispered.
Ron snorted. "Are you bloody mental? Like hell Harry said anything to me! Merlin, you two are made for each other. Completely dense and mental, the both of you."
Ginny shot Ron a glare. "You're such a wanker. You know that, right?"
Ron shrugged. "How long do you reckon he'll be in there? I'm famished."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "He seemed pretty upset so probably awhile. Just go. I'll wait for him. Less suspicious that way."
Ron nodded and stood up, his hands finding their way into his trouser pockets. "Upset about what?"
Ginny debated on whether or not to tell him. Harry had confided in her time and time again within the past couple of months. It seemed like a violation to tell Ron anything, even if they were best mates. Ginny flicked her ponytail behind her shoulder and shrugged.
"Ask him yourself," she replied.
"Oh, yeah, that'll go over well," Ron replied before he shifted his voice in an attempt to mimic Harry. "I'm fine! Merlin, how many times do I have to tell you lot that I'm fine? I'm fine. Fine. Fine. Fine."
"Your impression of him is horrid," Ginny replied, squinting up at him as the sun shined behind him.
"I'm sleep deprived because of him!" Ron protested. "He's been having nightmares practically every night where now he casts privacy charms around his bed so no one can hear him. Some nights he forgets, so I have to cast them for him. Then other nights, I'm just staring at his curtains waiting to see if he's flailing behind them. It's why I'm missing breakfast! I'm stressed."
"Ron, that's really sweet of you," Ginny commented.
"What? That I miss breakfast?" Ron asked, his face scrunching together. "No, because I had to eat breakfast on the go one day or else miss Charms. There was a serious mental debate of skiving off Charms for breakfast."
Ginny exhaled. "No, the fact that you cast privacy charms for him if he forgets. I'm sure it's embarrassing for him."
Ron waved her off. "That's just what best mates do. That's nothing."
"You're a good friend, Ron," Ginny added before a sly smile crossed her face. "You're a decent brother too."
Ron pointed at her. "You're bloody lucky I'm your brother! Best brother there is!"
Ginny grinned. "You are."
"Fuck off, Ginny," Ron snapped as he shot her the two-finger salute. "Tell Harry I'm waiting for him in the Great Hall. I'll have two breakfasts. I don't care."
Ginny snorted. "Of course, you'll have a third with Hermione too, won't you?"
Ron shot her a look, not bothering to even give her a response. He turned and walked away. Ginny swore he sprinted once he thought she couldn't see him anymore. Shaking her head, she turned back to Hagrid's hut but Harry hadn't emerged yet. Leaning back on the pumpkin, Ginny thought she might as well get comfortable while she waited.
It wasn't too much later when Harry walked out of the hut looking more relaxed than he had been. Collapsing down on the pumpkin next to Ginny, he let out a long sigh.
"I have a godmother," he whispered. "Everyone thought she died in the first war but she's alive. She has no memory, though. Sirius has been pretty torn up about it. He was in love with her."
Ginny wrapped an arm around his shoulder, leaning her body against his. The two sat in comfortable silence, the information hanging heavily between them. It wasn't the first nor most likely the last time that Ginny wished they all knew more about the first war and everything going on around them.
Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! I decided to post a day early because you guys have been awesome and generous with your reviews, plus it's a holiday weekend here in the states. Thank you so much for all the support with this little story. Don't forget to drop a review. They have been really motivating and they have inspired new ideas.
Special thanks to Bell for being an awesome editor, like always.