"Brumous"

"Chapter Eight: He Knows"

Remus stood in the entryway of Grimmauld Place, his eyebrows raising at Sirius' foul mood. There was no greeting, no joke on the tip of his tongue. Just the bitter snap that Harry was in the kitchen. Remus could only guess what had set Sirius off that morning. It wasn't lack of sleep, that much Remus knew for sure. Ever since they were eleven, Sirius required little sleep to function. Honestly, Remus couldn't help but wonder if it was due to his sudden alcohol withdrawal. Sirius hadn't drank since Harry arrived nearly a week ago, which Remus didn't think was the smartest idea since it was bound to be such a shock to his system, but he knew better than to say anything.

With a sigh, Remus made his way downstairs. Entering the kitchen, Remus knew immediately who had set Sirius off. Andromeda stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her jaw set. Harry looked uncomfortable sitting at the table, his eyes staring at his nearly untouched food on his plate.

"I see Sirius is rather pleasant this morning," Remus greeted, waiting for Andromeda to explain what exactly had happened.

"How do you get Sirius to talk to you?" Andromeda asked. "To open up."

Remus smiled as he crossed the room to grab himself a cup of tea. "Ah, see I don't."

Andromeda scoffed. "So you two don't talk about anything?"

Remus made his tea with a splash of milk. "We talk about a lot of things."

"Have you talked to him about Marlene?" Andromeda pressed.

Remus winced as he turned around, tea in hand. "I've tried and failed. Sirius has his mind made up and he's quite stubborn about it. I've dropped the topic completely with him."

Andromeda shook her head. "You're his best friend."

Remus crossed the room before taking a seat across from Harry. He offered Harry a reassuring smile before he looked up at Andromeda. The kid couldn't stop squirming, his eyes glancing over at the kitchen door. Remus could only assume Andromeda and Sirius had quarreled in front of him.

"Sirius only ever listened to those with the last name Potter," Remus explained. "Fleamont was especially good at reasoning with him. Meanwhile, Sirius seemed to have unnatural patience with James. James could pry far more from him than the rest of us could."

Andromeda pursed her lips. "Someone needs to get through to Sirius. He's making a mistake. He could have his life back if he would just go see Marlene!"

Remus appraised her for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. "The worst thing you can do is push him to talk. He'll go to someone when he's ready."

Andromeda shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. She gathered up her pocketbook from the table, her lips pursing. Remus leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face, as he brought his tea up to his lips.

"Now is not the time to treat him with kid gloves," Andromeda snapped. "He needs someone to push him in the right direction, because Sirius won't go there himself. He's always been exceedingly stubborn, believing he isn't deserving or convincing himself he's not worthy."

"He needs time to process what has happened with Marlene," Remus reasoned, setting his tea on the table. "Sirius has lost a lot of people in his life. Coincidentally, he lost them all in a span of a year. He buried the Potters, within a week of one another mind you, and they had all but officially adopted him. He believed he lost Marlene. He lost Matthew and Merrick and the rest of the McKinnons, who treated him like he was family. He lost Lily who he regarded as a sister. Most importantly, he lost James who may as well have been his other half as the two were made out of the same cloth. Lastly, he lost Harry when he was sentenced to life in prison without a trial. He has been hyper-focusing on Harry ever since he escaped prison, because Harry is the only person he thought was left alive that he cares deeply for. If I'm being honest with you, Andromeda, I don't know if Sirius has the emotional stability to focus on anyone else besides Harry right now."

"He doesn't have to do that," Harry whispered from across the table, speaking for the first time since Remus arrived. "I don't want to be the reason he's unhappy."

Remus snapped his attention to Harry. "Harry, you are the only reason he's even remotely functional right now. You are the only person who makes him happy."

"Harry, I don't want you to misunderstand me," Andromeda said as she sank down in a seat next to Harry. "You were the most important person in Sirius' life from the moment you were born. Sirius would do anything for you. It's not about you, at all. It's about Sirius allowing himself to be with the woman he loves, for the both of them to be by your side like they were always meant to be. Marlene was your godmother, did Sirius tell you that?"

Harry nodded. "He did, but he also said she doesn't remember me and she thinks he's an awful person. She hates him right now."

"My husband Ted is one of the Healers who is trying to help her regain her memories," Andromeda explained. "He thinks that interacting with people from her past that she was close to would help spark her memories. You and Sirius are the only ones still alive that she was especially close to. Maybe you could try to convince him."

"Don't, Andromeda," Remus interrupted, leaning forward and propping his elbows up on the table. "Sirius will be irate if he finds out that you're trying to manipulate him with Harry."

Andromeda shot him a look. "I'm not trying to manipulate Harry. Marlene is his godmother! Did Sirius even think for a second what this could mean for Harry?"

"It doesn't matter! Sirius will see it that way," Remus warned.

"Sirius said I could see her, I just had to say the word and he would arrange it for me," Harry interrupted loudly, his eyes snapping between Remus and Andromeda. "I'm the one who chose not to see her."

Remus appraised Harry for a few moments, feeling the ferocity of loyalty that James had always possessed practically seeping off of Harry in droves. It caused Remus' heart to ache whenever Harry acted particularly like one of his parents, especially when he was very clearly embodying his father.

"Why wouldn't you want to see her?" Andromeda pushed.

Remus arched an eyebrow at Andromeda, wondering if she had already decided that she was going to insert herself into Harry's life, to claim him as family. It wasn't a secret that Andromeda had a soft spot for Sirius, and would by default have a soft spot for his godson.

"Because, because Sirius is obviously upset about it all," Harry reasoned, a panicked look crossing his face as though he didn't know how to properly express himself. "Sirius has been the only person who has been there for me. I'm not going to see someone who thinks he's abusive and awful, because he's not like that."

"Of course, Sirius isn't like that," Andromeda assured, her hand reaching out to touch Harry's hand. Harry instantly tensed under the contact, his eyes staring at her hand. "But Marlene doesn't think that because she isn't thinking for herself. She's been brainwashed, essentially. Those ideas were planted in her head to hurt her and to hurt Sirius."

"I know that," Harry said in a tone that suggested it was taking everything in him not to sound rude.

Remus shot Harry a tight smile. "I know you feel the need to be loyal to Sirius, but I promise you, he wants you to be able to have a similar relationship with Marlene as you have to him."

"Yeah, well, maybe when she remembers me, I'll feel differently," Harry said as he pulled his hand away from Andromeda.

"Merlin," Andromeda huffed, her head shaking. "He is Sirius, isn't he, Remus?"

Remus appraised Harry for a few moments. "I daresay, they do share some of the same characteristics."

Andromeda rose from the chair and turned her attention to Remus. "I have to go shopping for Harry, but could you try to talk to Sirius for me? I know you seem to think he doesn't care about your opinion because you're not James, but you two are close. The way you two gossip and chitchat during every Order meeting is a clear indicator of that."

Remus glanced up at Andromeda. "We do not gossip during Order meetings."

"Sure, you don't. I'll be back this evening," Andromeda said with a soft smile and turned her attention to Harry. "Just think about what I said, all right? I care very deeply for Sirius. He's been dealt a horrible hand in life. You are his godson, his pride and joy. You are his family. Therefore, you are my family. So, I care for you as much as I care for Sirius. I think having Marlene back would do you both some good."

Harry visibly swallowed, his head nodding.

With that Andromeda's heels clicked on the tile floor as she left. Remus leaned back in his chair, tea in hand, as he watched the brooms flying around Harry's head. Taking a sip of tea, he knew he agreed with Andromeda. Harry and Sirius would both benefit from having Marlene back in their lives. Remus just didn't know how to get the two of them to realize that.

Harry made his way towards the study, happy to have some time alone. Professor Lupin said he'd make them some more tea and asked if Harry would help him look for some books about memory manipulation. Harry agreed, having nothing else to do. Entering the study, Harry browsed some of the titles on the shelves, his pointer finger running along the spines as he read the titles. His nose wrinkled at some of the books, wondering why the Blacks had even bought some of them.

Not knowing exactly what he was looking for, he decided just to wait for Professor Lupin and enjoy his few moments of solitude. Sirius never would have dared to leave him alone for even a minute. In fact, Harry couldn't even remember Sirius leaving to use the loo without someone else in the room with him the past few days. Pursing his lips, Harry brushed his fingers along a large globe situated on a golden stand.

All of the dark artifacts had been removed the previous summer from the study, but the books had remained untouched, except for a couple that Dumbledore had supposedly taken for himself. Sirius commented before that sometimes Order members would browse the books, mostly the Aurors, with great interest since most of the books had been banned decades ago.

Harry paused when he saw a Pensieve sitting on one of the bookshelves. His heart hammered in his chest as he took a step forward. He knew he shouldn't peer inside, knowing that he had caused a huge uproar when he went snooping in Snape's Pensieve. But this was Sirius. Glancing in, Harry saw a youthful looking Sirius landing his motorbike. Glancing back at the door, he didn't hear Professor Lupin coming. He'd be quick… just a small peek. There was no doubt in his mind that it involved his relationship with Marlene, as Sirius had been easily agitated as of late whenever someone tried to push him into seeing her.

Harry felt himself falling and he landed in a garden, his legs tripping over one another. Looking up, Harry's heart stopped when he saw an unfamiliar house in front of him… one with the roof blown off and the front door blasted off its hinges. Harry froze, bile rising in his throat as a young Sirius clad in a leather jacket walked past him. Swallowing, Harry had no choice but to follow.

As soon as Harry stepped into the foyer, he wished he hadn't.

James Potter laid on the floor, his eyes glassy. Sirius fell to his knees, his fingers pressing against James' neck. A strangled sob escaped Sirius' lips as he pressed his trembling fingers deeper into James' neck, as though willing to find some faint pulse.

Sirius grabbed onto the front of James' shirt, shaking him. Tears poured down Sirius' cheeks, his eyes wide with horror at the scene in front of him. When James did not even flinch, Sirius' fingers uncoiled from the fabric. The body collapsed against the floor but Sirius didn't move for a few moments, his fingers absentmindedly scratching at his arm.

Fumbling into his pocket, Sirius produced his wand. He pressed the tip into his right forearm, his chest heaving as fire escaped his wand. Sirius screamed, the fire scorching his arm. Despite the pain, despite the screaming, Sirius did not lift the wand from his arm. Tears poured from his eyes, dripping down onto the floor.

Finally, after what seemed like far too long, Sirius lifted the spell. His arm was beat red and angry looking. His entire body trembled as only his shallow breathing filled the air.

A bang sounded from above, causing Sirius to jerk to the stairs. He stood up and stepped over James' body. Then, a cry sounded. A baby's cry. That was all it took for Sirius to sprint towards the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Harry felt himself following, as though an invisible force was leading him. He focused on Sirius' backside as he dashed up the stairs, no longer able to stare at his father's dead body any longer.

"HARRY!" Sirius screamed at the top of his lungs. "HARRY!"

Sirius rounded the corner just as Hagrid stepped out of a room with a small child wrapped in a blanket in his arms. Tear tracks stained the child's face with messy black hair and striking green eyes. Blood caked his forehead and ran down his cheek. The toddler was staring into the room he had just exited, and a soft and barely audible 'mama' escaped his lips. But when the child saw Sirius, his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Ssss! Ssss!" the child hissed, his body wiggling in Hagrid's arms as he reached out for Sirius.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, closing the space between them with his arms reaching out for him.

Harry felt a lump lodge itself in his throat as Hagrid passed his younger self over to Sirius. He knew that Sirius had been by the house that night, could remember Hagrid retelling the story about how he had run into Sirius, when Harry had spied on Hagrid, McGonagall, Fudge, and Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks in his third year.

Sirius clutched the toddler to his chest. Harry's little fingers curled around the leather of his jacket as he melted against him. Sirius pressed his hand against the back of his head, pressing it close to his chest. Harry seemed more than content in Sirius' arms, his thumb pressing against a silver snap on the collar on his jacket.

"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius gasped out as he pulled Harry away from his chest, his eyes roaming across the child's face.

"Yeh shaking, Sirius," Hagrid commented. "He's all right. Just a scratch on his head."

Sirius wiped his hand across Harry's forehead, blood smearing across his hand. His lips parted as his finger traced the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"Dumbledore was alerted that the wards fell from the house," Hagrid explained. "Nothin' was left. He sent me to get little Harry."

Harry's hands touched either side of Sirius' face. Sirius' lips twitched for a few moments until they settled into a frown.

A hand touched Harry's shoulder. He whipped around to see Professor Lupin standing there, a grave look crossing his face.

"You shouldn't be seeing this, Harry," he said in a soft voice filled with sadness.

"Dumbledore asked me ter take 'im to his aunt an' uncle's," Hagrid continued.

"What?" Sirius asked, disbelief clouding his words. "His aunt and uncle? The Muggles? Is Lily…"

"She… yeah. Best place fer Harry is his aunt an' uncle's."

"I saw it and I didn't know it was this," Harry said in a rush, his heart hammering in his chest. "I thought it was something about Marlene. He's been so upset about everything and all I saw when I looked in was Sirius on his bike."

"I'm his godfather," Sirius protested. "He should be with me."

Remus shook his head. "This was the worst night of Sirius' life."

"I reckon he should, Sirius, but Dumbledore gave me orders," Hagrid replied. "I bet Dumbledore just wants him out of here, somewhere safe. Then he probably'll have yeh take him."

"I know," Harry whispered, his eyes blinking furiously. "I didn't know."

"Did you see…?" Remus trailed off, a long breath escaping his chest.

Harry nodded. "My dad was dead in the entryway. Sirius, he… he burned himself when he couldn't wake him up."

"Lily an' James," Hagrid sniffed. "No two finer people. Damn shame, Sirius. Don't yeh go in that room. Lily… she…"

As the memory had progressed, he had dreaded seeing the body of his mother lying on the floor. He was relieved he wouldn't have to witness it. There was no way Sirius would enter the room with Hagrid's warning ringing between them. It had been hard enough to see his father's lifeless body. He was fairly confident he'd be spared of that scene now.

Remus blinked, his breathing now coming out in harsh huffs. "The Aurors thought he tried to burn the evidence of the Dark Mark off his arm."

"I need ter get him out of here," Hagrid said. "His aunt an' uncle are in Little Whinging. Place on Privet Drive. Dumbledore just wants ter get yeh set up with protection firs' before Harry comes with yeh. Yeh understand, Sirius?"

Harry turned around, seeing his younger self still pressed against Sirius' chest. Tears freely poured down his godfather's face, his face stark white and his entire body trembling. Harry wished he could speak to Sirius in that moment, to beg him not to leave him. But he knew that wasn't possible. It was nothing but a dreadful memory. Harry sucked in a breath and held it.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm… I'm sure."

Hagrid reached out his arms for Harry, but Sirius held the child steady in his arms.

"He needs ter get somewhere safe," Hagrid pressed. "Sirius, are yeh listenin' ter me? Yeh as white as a ghost."

Sirius still didn't move or even acknowledge that he had even heard Hagrid. Sirius looked like he was ready to pass out, his grip slackening just a smidge as Harry slid down his torso.

"Sirius!" Hagrid exclaimed. "Give him ter me before yeh drop him!"

"Let's go, Harry," Professor Lupin murmured.

Harry was ripped from the memory, saved from having to watch Sirius hand him over to Hagrid. Relief flooded him, not knowing if he could have seen that image of Sirius giving him away. It had been hard enough to see his father's lifeless body. But to see his godfather hand him over? Harry screwed his eyes shut, trying to regulate his breathing.

A hand squeezed Harry's shoulder. "It's all right, Harry. I think it's best if we don't tell Sirius what happened, all right? I'm not sure he'll appreciate us seeing that memory."

Harry opened his eyes, glancing at his old professor. He couldn't speak, so he just nodded his head.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, drinking tea and looking at the various tomes that lined the bookshelves from floor to ceiling, all about the Dark Arts. Neither one of them talked about what had happened with the Pensieve. For that, Harry was grateful since it took him a good hour to even remotely think about something other than his father's lifeless body or his sobbing godfather.

Professor Lupin let out a humph noise as he pulled a blood-red book from the shelf. He flipped a few pages and then ran his finger along whatever page he had landed on. Harry craned his neck to see he was on the table of contents. Curiosity got the best of him as he took a few steps closer to his old professor to see what was so interesting. Professor Lupin gave him a quick glance, his lips tugging.

"Ahh, here is one about memory manipulation," Professor Lupin supplied, seemingly finding the chapter he wanted as he flipped through the book some more. "We have assumed that Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, was the one who altered Marlene's memories. She would have had unlimited access to this library."

Harry nodded, leaning against one of the bookcases. "Sirius said as much before."

Professor Lupin sighed, his eyes roaming across the pages. "Yes, when I found her, she was going by the name Bella Riddle. Bellatrix's nickname amongst her family has always been Bella. I daresay I don't need to tell you where the name Riddle comes from."

Harry swallowed, his eyes dropping to the text and attempting to read upside down. He didn't know what to say about the entire situation, or even how to feel about it. A part of him thought he should be happier than he was about finding another piece to his past, someone who had a deep connection to not only him but also to Sirius and his parents. But he wasn't. He felt numb to it all. Maybe he was so disconnected emotionally from it all because he hadn't met her yet. He assumed she was a wonderful person if Sirius had almost married her, but she didn't even remember him. It just felt… wrong to see her without Sirius being able to do the same.

"Bellatrix was always unnaturally cruel," Professor Lupin continued. "She had a very deep obsession with Sirius and making him suffer."

"Why?" Harry asked, his eyes flickering to the door of the study because the last thing he wanted was for Sirius to walk in and be upset they were talking about him behind his back. But Harry couldn't help it. Sometimes, he felt like he knew so little about Sirius' life. The veiled references that Andromeda Tonks had dropped that morning had only sparked a deeper yearning to know all about Sirius' past.

Professor Lupin hesitated, his eyes lifting to catch Harry's gaze. "Pureblood families are often… well, there's not a lot of dating options if you want to remain pure. Sirius' parents were actually second cousins, I believe. Incest was very rampant within most pureblood families, the Blacks especially. It's how they grew such a vast fortune. They often had marriages within the family. There was no splitting up the wealth, so to say. Sirius and Bellatrix were supposed to marry, to continue on the long line of Black supremacy."

"That's sick," Harry whispered, his brows furrowing.

Professor Lupin nodded. "Bellatrix is eight years older than him, already an adult by the time we started Hogwarts. Sirius refused to keep with tradition, absolutely hated the thought of carrying on something so horrid. He told his parents repeatedly that he would refuse to wed her. It wasn't until he ran away from home and he was blasted off the family tree did Bellatrix finally marry into another pureblood family. Then, it became very important to marry off Sirius' little brother so that he could bare heirs. He was only sixteen when he was forced to marry and join the Death Eaters. She was fifteen, and I believe was forced to join as well. Your dad said Sirius had been beyond upset about it all. I think Sirius had always foolishly hoped that Regulus would break from their family as well, but he never did."

"Why wouldn't he? Why would he just allow himself to be married at sixteen?" Harry asked, his arms crossing over his chest. "He saw Sirius get out. Why wouldn't he?"

"It was all he ever knew," Professor Lupin explained, his finger keeping his spot in the book as he closed it. "Regulus was in Slytherin. All of his friends were being married off young, having babies right after Hogwarts. A few even pregnant by the time they were in seventh year. Purebloods care about preserving bloodlines. Sometimes, it can be difficult for them to do so due to all of the inbreeding."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I couldn't imagine being married now or even thinking about having a baby. I mean, I wouldn't even know what to do."

Professor Lupin smiled softly. "I don't think any of them knew what they were doing. They were just doing what they were told, because pureblood tradition preaches that you blindly follow your superiors."

"So, just because Sirius was a Gryffindor, he escaped the fate his family wanted for him?" Harry asked, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"Yes, because Sirius saw a life where blood purity didn't matter, and nor was getting a married so young even a thought in anybody's mind. When I first met Sirius, he had a very warped perception of the world, often using very crass language when describing people of different blood statuses. He was very nonchalant about the word Mudblood, having no idea that there was even an alternative and more suitable word to use. I daresay, we really opened up Sirius' eyes to the world. He had been raised in such a foul bubble, very closed off from the wider world around him. He had only heard the pureblood supremacy rhetoric growing up, admitting that he had doubts and concerns about those ideas but never knew why until he was sorted into Gryffindor. Suddenly, he found other people who believed in the ideas that he had only dared to contemplate. Regulus never had that, never had the opportunity to escape that bubble. Being around likeminded and independent thinkers, Sirius began to defy his parents more and more until it reached a boiling point between them."

Harry had never been gladder to know that Sirius had escaped the awful clutches of the Black family. He couldn't imagine not having Sirius in his corner. Harry had witnessed first-hand how angry and vicious Sirius could be.

"There are pureblood families that don't believe that, though. Like the Weasleys," Harry added.

"Precisely," Professor Lupin confirmed. "More forward thinkers stepped up, some pureblood families ceasing to be pureblood any longer as they began to marry half-bloods or Muggleborns. The Potters were pureblood until your dad married your mum, though your grandfather and great-grandfather married purebloods out of pure coincidence. They married for love and their loves happened to be purebloods as well. I think that applies to Molly and Arthur. Both purebloods but they found each other. The blood purity wasn't a concern of theirs. It just worked out that way."

"What family was my grandmother from?" Harry asked.

Professor Lupin let out a small chuckle. "Rosier, actually. She didn't have much to do with them after her mother died. James barely remembered them, having not seen any of them since he was a small child. They stuck with the Potter side. Much more friendly and aligned with their morals."

Rosier. The name stood out like a sore thumb in his mind. He couldn't place where he had heard it before, but he knew it wasn't in a good context. Harry couldn't help but frown at the information, not liking that his grandmother had come from a darker family. Harry furrowed his brow, trying to remember the name of Henry Potter's wife that he read in the book, but he couldn't recall it.

"What about my dad's grandmother? His grandfather was the Wizengamot member," Harry asked. "Do you know?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, she was a McKinnon."

A light sparked in Harry's mind. He did remember it now. The picture of the woman with brown hair and hazel eyes, his dad's eyes.

"So, Marlene McKinnon is related to me as well?" Harry pressed. "Not just my godmother?"

"I believe James and Marlene shared great-great grandparents," Professor Lupin explained. "Don't quote me on that, though. Sirius would know for certain. I do know that James and Marlene grew up together, often seeing each other at parties or balls that either one of the families would throw throughout the years."

A shadow moved outside the door. Harry turned his attention to the hallway to see Sirius appear. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossing over his chest and his brows furrowing.

"Elizabeth Potter died the year before you were born," Sirius added. "Her little brother Marlo McKinnon was Marlene's grandfather. Marlo was about twenty years younger than Elizabeth. Their parents had trouble conceiving. He died the night we all thought Marlene had died."

Professor Lupin turned around to look at Sirius. Sirius made his way into the study, his hands shoving into his trouser pockets. He stopped to stand next to Professor Lupin, the two of them sharing a look that Harry couldn't comprehend.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I think you should see Marlene. Per my agreement with Dumbledore, it would have to be here because you cannot leave this house. I'll make myself scarce upstairs, because I don't think she wants to see me. That is, if she'd even step foot in this house knowing I'm here."

Professor Lupin stared at Sirius. "I could ask her if she wanted to see you. To try to remember the truth."

"Don't, Remus," Sirius said in a low warning voice.

Harry chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes flickering between Sirius and Professor Lupin. "I'll think about it."

Sirius nodded. "That's all I ask. You'd like her, or I assume you will if she's anything like she was before. She loved you very much and you simply adored her."

Harry's heart expanded oddly in his chest at the words. He thought it'd be an easy decision if she had her memory. In fact, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that if Marlene had all of her memories that she would already be at Grimmauld Place with them. But she hated Sirius, she didn't remember Harry, and who knew if she even cared a speck for him.

Before he could contemplate it anymore, the front door opened. Ron and Ginny's arguing filled the hall. Harry's spirits lifted instantly as he bolted from the study. He caught sight of them instantly, and suddenly his mood shifted considerably. Ginny caught his eye, whatever she had been saying dying on her lips, as she smiled at him. Harry felt his knees wobble.

He had grown so used to Ginny's presence in his life. Ever since Easter, he felt like the two of them had gotten closer. With each passing day, he found himself excited to talk to her. Even having breakfast with her and her friends had become easier. Demelza prattled off Quidditch stats with Ginny and talked about becoming an Auror. Gemma knew all the gossip, glad to give them all the latest tidbits she had heard. She even let Harry know what the latest whisperings about him had been, which he both dreaded yet appreciated. Niamh was just sweet with bright smiles and talking nonstop. He loved the way they all made Ginny laugh, her entire face lighting up. She always wrinkled her nose when she laughed, her freckles squishing together.

The past week had been exhausting and hard. While Sirius was always around, Harry had missed Ginny. He walked towards Ginny and Ron, wanting to feel her in his arms. She flicked her long ponytail behind her shoulder as her smile widened. But before Harry could make it to her, Ron appeared before him and pulled him into an embrace. Harry froze, too stunned to speak. Ron thumped him twice on the back before pulling away. Ron glanced back at Ginny almost expectantly, gesturing between the two.

Ginny shook her head before turning her attention to Harry. She marched towards him, a blazing look in her eye. She rose on her tiptoes, her hands grasping at his shoulders to pull him down to her height. He obliged, his arms wrapping around her waist as her face buried into his shoulder. His heart rate spiked as her flowery scent enveloped him into a warm embrace. All the anxiety and uncertainty he had felt in the past week seemed to drain from him completely.

She pulled back all too soon, her heels lowering to the ground and she shrunk in size. Her fingertips rested on his shoulders and Harry kept his hands on her waist. Harry had the sudden urge to bend down and capture his lips against hers, his mind wandering not for the first time to what her shiny lip gloss tasted like.

A squeak pulled him out of his reverie, his eyes glancing past Ginny's head to see Mrs Weasley wide-eyed with her hand over her mouth. Sirius stood next to her grinning like a fool. Ron's eyebrows were so high on his face that Harry couldn't even see them under his fringe. Mr Weasley smiled knowingly at them. Harry dropped his hands from her waist and took a step back.

"It's, uh, I'm happy that both of you are back," Harry said, his hands shoving into his trouser pockets. "Where's, err, where's Hermione?"

Ron frowned. "At her parents' house. She normally stays two weeks before she heads our way."

Harry nodded. "Excellent. Really, uh, that's great."

Ginny's cheeks were slightly pink as she bent down to grab her trunk. "I'm going to settle in upstairs."

"Harry, be a dear and help her with her trunk," Mrs Weasley said, gesturing towards Ginny's trunk.

Ginny wheeled around, her eyes wide. "Mum, you put a Featherlight Charm on it," she hissed before turning to Harry. "I'm fine."

"Well, you can carry mine if you really want, Harry," Ron joked as he stretched. "Featherlight or not, I'm exhausted. When's lunch?"

"I'll whip something up quick," Mrs Weasley announced, shooting Ginny a glance. "You two unpack for the summer."

The three of them made their way to the stairs, Ginny going up first. It took Harry everything he had in him to look at the stairs and not Ginny's backside. He stared at his socked feet, his eyes not blinking with the effort.

"Why is it freezing in here?" Ginny asked.

Harry cleared his throat. "Uh, Sirius thinks it's his mum's portrait acting up. Dumbledore silenced her somehow. It's been getting progressively colder every day."
"Oh, well, that's just ruddy great," Ron mumbled.

Honestly, Harry hadn't noticed it too much. The cool air helped him stay awake. Sirius didn't seem bothered by it either, stating he grew up in a freezing house. It had only been since Mr and Mrs Weasley moved in that Sirius started messing with the temperature charms. Every time he attempted to warm the house up a bit, it only become colder as a result.

Suddenly, Harry collided with Ginny, not realizing she had stopped on the stairs. His hand shot out on instinct. His palm pressed against her bum, knocking her down onto the stairs. She let out a small squeak as Harry landed on top of her, his feet shuffling on the stair to keep himself from falling down to the landing. Harry's heart thudded in his chest as he laid on top of Ginny.

"Sorry!" Harry said louder than necessary as he scrambled off her, his back slamming into the wall.

"Merlin fuck, Harry, watch where you're going," Ron commented as he hoisted his trunk above his head and sidestepped them to continue up the stairs.

"Are you all right?" Harry pressed as he stood up.

She shifted on the stairs, turning around to look at him. "Yeah, just surprised is all." The corners of her lips twitched. "Ron's right, though. It pains me to say that, but you should watch where you're going."

Harry swallowed, extending his hand to Ginny. "I was distracted."

Ginny wrapped her fingers around his hand and he helped her up. " With what?"

"Err…"

Harry hesitated because he couldn't very well say that he was distracted by trying not to look at her bum. Except his mind was annoyingly blank. What could he even say that made sense? She raised her eyebrows, looking at him expectantly. Harry rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, very acutely aware that he was still holding Ginny's hand. He dropped it immediately.

"The, err, the temperature charms," Harry lied in a lame tone. "I haven't noticed it too much because I'm dressed with, you know, trousers and such. You don't have trousers on and your legs are exposed and… yeah. I was thinking about your exposed legs."

Harry wanted to throw himself off the staircase. He wondered if that was an option as he stared at Ginny's face, waiting for her to whip out her wand and cause bogeys to painfully fly out of his nose. The silence between them stretched before Ginny laughed.

"Merlin, Harry, I'll be all right," Ginny said as she grabbed the handle of her trunk. "Thanks for worrying about my totally appropriate summer attire in this frozen ice house. You should have warned me."

Harry swallowed as he rushed up the couple of stairs to walk side-by-side with her so he didn't have to torture himself with thoughts of her bum any longer. "Sorry, I didn't think about it. It hasn't really bothered me."

Ginny nodded, a smile still dancing on her lips. "Come to my room, yeah? I'll give you the mirror back. Ron has the cloak and the map."

Harry followed her up the second staircase, noting Ron was nowhere in sight. "Yeah, sounds great."

Ginny turned towards him and he caught her gaze. Her bottom lip slid between her teeth and Harry couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight. Merlin, what was wrong with him? He waited for her to say something, but she never did. Instead, she turned back to the stairs and stepped into the hallway. They walked past his and Ron's room to the one next door. Ginny pushed open the door and claimed the closest bed. Hauling her trunk up onto the bed, she undid the latches.

"Thanks for letting us borrow the mirror," Ginny said as she pulled out a folded jumper from her suitcase.

Harry only shrugged. He was happy to leave it with Ginny since he enjoyed talking with her every day while they were apart. She unfolded the jumper and the mirror lay inside.

"I didn't want it to get broken, since it was your dad's and all," Ginny commented as she picked up the mirror and handed it to him. "It was nice of Sirius to give it to you."

Harry nodded, his fingers brushing against the handle. "Yeah, I wonder how he got it."

"He didn't say when he told me about it," Ginny replied as she plopped down on her bed.

Harry glanced up at her as he put the mirror in his back pocket. "I didn't know you and Sirius were that close."

Ginny looked down at the comforter, picking at some imaginary fuzz. Harry wondered if it would be inappropriate to sit down next to her. He had never sat on a girl's bed before. There was more than enough room next to her. Harry stared at the spot, his gaze burning a hole into it.

"After what happened last June," Ginny started and Harry snapped his attention back to her. "Knowing… knowing he was back. I couldn't sleep. I was petrified, which was silly. There was no way he would know who I was. It was a memory in a diary, you know? Except, I was nervous and I couldn't sleep. One night I wandered down to the kitchens to grab some tea and biscuits. Sirius was there. He said he always had trouble sleeping after Azkaban. It sort of become a tradition, I guess. Sirius was always there, every single night I couldn't sleep. I became a bit guilty the nights I did sleep through the night, knowing he was down there by himself. He laughed when I told him that, said he wasn't upset that one of us could find peace every once in a while to have a good night's rest. He's really great."

Harry nodded, thinking about the past week he had spent awake with Sirius more often than not. Sometimes they were in the kitchen, other nights they wound up in the parlor. His worst night, by far, was the night he slept in his own room. He tossed and turned the entire night, hating the fact that he was alone.

"He really is," Harry agreed.

"You look like you haven't been sleeping," Ginny commented.

Harry scratched his neck, debating on what to say. "I get enough."

"Well, maybe I'll see you in the kitchen some nights," Ginny said in a casual voice yet her gaze was anything but casual. There was a slight spark in her brown eyes as the corners of her lips tugged upward.

Harry broke out into a grin, his hand raising to card through his hair in an attempt to get it to lay a bit flatter, when he saw the glint of silver on his wrist. His smile immediately fell.

"Not while I'm on house arrest," Harry mumbled, his arm dropping to his side.

Ginny eyed the bracelet. "It's just until you master Occlumency, right?"

Harry snorted. "Like I'll ever master it," he replied, letting out a long sigh. "I'll let you unpack."

Ginny nodded, her palms rubbing on her thighs as she stood up. "Can you shut the door on your way out? I suppose I dressed as though it was summer and not the middle of winter."

Harry let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, see you at lunch."

Harry turned, exiting the room. Closing the door, he leaned his back against the wood as a frustrated growl sounded in the back of his throat. He looked at the silver bracelet, knowing it was better than the Dursleys but hating the fact that it only made him feel like a prisoner. He was tired of feeling like a prisoner. It seemed like at every turn, his free will was being chipped away at both physically and mentally.

All he wanted was to be normal.

Ginny sighed, a small smile twitching on her lips as she settled down onto the floor of the parlor next to Harry. Ron fiddled with the wireless, muttering under his breath when he couldn't find the Canons versus the Harpies game. She looked over at Harry. An arm propped itself underneath his pillow as he stared up at the ceiling. He looked exhausted, a long yawn escaping his lips. There was no doubt in Ginny's mind that he hadn't had a proper night of rest in days.

"Bloody fucking…" Ron muttered. "Oi, Ginny, what channel is Quidditch Network again?"

Ginny rolled onto her stomach, her body nearly touching Harry's. She reached out for the wireless, slapping Ron's hand away from the knob. She turned it to Quidditch Network and the pre-game commentary filled the room. She lowered it just slightly so that the three of them could talk. Ron tapped his wand onto the top of the wireless and projected the image up onto the ceiling. They both settled into their makeshift bed on either side of Harry.

"You know, Muggles usually sit up and watch the telly," Harry commented.

"Perks of being a wizard. We can watch it however we want," Ginny replied as she laid on her back, scooting herself a tad closer to Harry.

"We used to do this as kids," Ron commented. "Not that we did it a lot, because Mum hogged the wireless to listen to Celestina Warbeck all the bloody time."

Harry chuckled. Ginny couldn't help but glance over at him to see a smile dancing on his face. A shadow caught Ginny's eye as she turned to see her mum entering the room with big woven blankets in her arms.

"Are you lot warm enough?" Mum asked. "It's June but this house is freezing! Sirius has messed with the charms so many times but it doesn't matter. He thinks his mum's portrait is a tad upset ever since Professor Dumbledore permanently shut her up."

"I'd rather be freezing than listen to Sirius' mum rant and rave," Ron admitted. "What did Dumbledore do to it anyway?"

Mum shrugged. "No idea. He's been tweaking charms for months before he finally found one that seems to have done the trick. We'll see if it sticks permanently."

Molly flicked her wand and the blankets floated in the air, spreading out and covering the three of them on the floor. They were so warm that Ginny knew her mum had just freshly cast a warming charm on them. She snuggled underneath the blanket as she cursed Mrs Black's portrait.

"I didn't know a portrait could affect the charms on a house," Ginny grumbled. "I want to be permanently stuck on my worst enemy's house when I die so I can mess with them for all eternity."

Mum sighed. "Ginevra! Honestly!"

Ginny didn't say anything but she caught Harry's eye. Ginny winked at him. He grinned back, causing butterflies to burst in her stomach.

"Revenge even in death is so sweet, Mum," Ginny replied, her lips curving.

Mum just huffed. "Sirius and I will be in the kitchen making schedules for the Order. Your dad will be home around midnight. I'd hope you lot will be in bed by then!"

With that, Mum disappeared from the room, leaving them under their mountain of blankets with the wireless.

"We may be in bed sooner if the Canons can't pull their heads out of their arses for one ruddy game," Ron muttered.

"Ah, so we'll be in bed by nine then?" Ginny teased with a grin, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look over Harry at her brother. "The Harpies are the best in the league. Did you know-"

"Oh! Here we go again!" Ron exclaimed. "Let's hear all the bloody stats that you've told us a million times!" Ron rose the pitch of his voice before continuing, "The Harpies have the most World Cup wins under their belt! The Harpies hold the most Bludger hits in one game! The Harpies this! The Harpies that!"

"What bloody records have the Canons broken besides most years without a single win?" Ginny challenged.

Ron's eyes widened. "A few bad years, Ginny! They've had a few bad years and you make it sound like they are the worst bloody team out there!"

Ginny shot him a sardonic look. "They've been the worst in the league since Mum and Dad were babies!"

"I beg your pardon!" Ron hissed, bolting up into a sitting position.

"It's starting!" Harry commented loudly, pointing up at the ceiling.

Ron flopped back onto his pillow with a huff. Ginny laid down as well, pulling the cover up to her chin. She watched as the Canons lineup flew out onto the pitch. She couldn't help but glance over at Harry. There was nothing she wanted more than to snuggle up close to him to watch the game, wondering what it would feel like to be pressed against his chest for hours. She swallowed, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth. She reached out her bare foot towards Harry, touching him lightly on the calf and causing him to jump.

"Merlin, Ginny, you're freezing!" Harry exclaimed, his face turning towards her.

"Sorry, I was just trying to get comfortable," Ginny lied with ease as she withdrew her foot. "I hope Sirius figures out what his mum's portrait is doing to the house. I'm going to be upset if I'm wearing jumpers and leggings all summer."

"Yeah, me too," Harry replied, visibly swallowing.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, move closer together if you're cold," Ron snapped. "Body heat and all that."

Ginny furrowed her brow. In that moment she equally hated him for embarrassing them and loved him for trying to help push them together.

"Err, do you want to come closer? We can double up on blankets," Harry suggested. "You too, Ron," he added before he grimaced.

Ron laughed. "Nah, I'm good. But can you shut the ruddy hell up? I can't hear the wireless!"

"Sure," Ginny whispered.

Harry lifted his blanket up for her to enter. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scooted closer to him until their sides touched. He draped his blanket over her, taking care to make sure it covered her entire body. She rested her head on his pillow, their faces so close they almost touched. He settled against her, his attention wandering to the ceiling once more. Ginny couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face as she snuggled down next to him, perfectly content with the new arrangement.

It wasn't a half hour into the game before that the Canons were losing spectacularly. Ginny couldn't help but rub it into Ron's face who kept shooting her rude gestures after every comment she made. Harry chuckled quite a few times. At one point, his hand wrapped around hers and he gave her a squeeze underneath the blankets.

"Let him be, Gins," Harry said with a grin on his face. "He's a sore loser."

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed. "Take her bloody side then! You don't even follow professional Quidditch! So, your opinion doesn't count!"

Ginny chuckled, her face pressing into Harry's shoulder, their fingers still intertwined. It was quickly becoming one of her favorite nights in recent years. She turned back to the game, more than elated that Harry did not let go of her hand as they continued to watch.

At some point, Ron had fallen asleep on the floor, his loud snores filling the parlor. It wasn't much later that Harry's breathing evened out and his grip on her hand loosened. Ginny brushed her thumb across his knuckles, keeping close to him as she continued to watch the Quidditch match alone.

The Harpies dominated the pitch and she was fairly certain they were just showing off to drive up the score. She knew that Anwen Morgan was close to breaking a record with goals scored in a single season and it seemed like the perfect game to help her achieve it. A smile spread across Ginny's lips as she pictured herself wearing the green and gold robes.

Ginny watched as the Canons Seeker failed to catch the Snitch, nearly falling off his broom in the process. She snorted, wishing Ron was still up so she could take the mickey out of him. Harry stirred next to her and she winced. She hoped she hadn't woken him up, because he needed all the sleep he could get. She pursed her lips together to keep her noises at bay as she continued to watch the game unfold above her.

A beat later, Harry bolted up into a sitting position. Ginny reached out a hand, touching him on the arm.

"Are you all right, Harry?" she whispered.

He turned towards her and Ginny felt all the air leave her lungs. She blinked, her brown eyes meeting his red ones. A twisted smile crossed his face. All Ginny could do was scramble away from him. A scream died in her throat as she stood up, her eyes frantically looking beyond him to see Ron still fast asleep and oblivious to what was happening around them. Her gaze flickered to the clock above the fireplace to see it was a quarter past eleven in the evening. Her dad wouldn't be home for another forty-five minutes and her mum and Sirius were still down in the kitchens.

She swallowed before crying out, "Ron!"

In a split second, he rushed her. She couldn't think of him as anything but he. It seemed wrong to call him Harry, as that wasn't Harry in the slightest despite being his body. Calling him Tom seemed so wrong as well, not when he wore Harry's face. She stumbled backward until she was flush with the wall. He pressed his hands on either side of her head, leaning down so that their noses were nearly touched.

"Ginny?" Ron mumbled, rustling sounding from the mound of blankets.

A twisted smile appeared across his lips. "You are Ginny Weasley. You were in possession of my diary."

Ginny's breath hitched, her body trembling. Her vision began to blur.

"Harry thinks of you often," he continued. "I've seen you in his thoughts, his dreams. I've been waiting for you to be together again so I could talk to you."

Ginny couldn't say anything, couldn't move. She was paralyzed with fear and hated every single second of it. Suddenly, she was eleven again and crying as she tossed the diary into the girls' toilet. She had never wanted to see it again but then Harry, of all people, had become in possession of it.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked in a sleepy voice.

"The seventh child and the first girl in seven generations," he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. "You intrigue me as much as you intrigue Harry."

"Oi, are either one of you going to answer me?" Ron snapped. "Stop messing around, will ya?"

Ginny's lips parted. "R-Ron."

Ron must have sensed her fear because he bolted towards them. Except he had snapped his head around, drawing his wand from his trouser pockets at lightning speed. With a flick of his wrist, Ron flew across the room. Ginny let out a sob as her body snapped into action. She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her.

"Harry!" she gasped, pulling him down to her height so their foreheads could touch. "Please, Harry, please, snap out of it."

"MUM! SIRIUS!" Ron shouted from across the room.

A low growl emitted from him but Ginny did not let go of his face nor did she stop staring at his red eyes. He shook beneath her touch, as though Tom was holding on for everything he had. She could feel Harry battling him, could see the flicker of green on the outside of his irises.

"Harry," Ginny gasped one last time.

All of a sudden, his legs went out from under him. He crumpled to the ground at her feet, his body convulsing. Footsteps stomped up the stairs as Ginny fell to her knees. She touched his face once more, willing for Harry to come back to her.

"Turn him on his side!" Sirius roared as he fell to the ground on the other side of Harry. "He's seizing!"

Ginny and Sirius rolled Harry onto his side. Sirius placed one hand on the back of Harry's head and the other on his arm. Ginny wiped his sweaty locks off his face as Ron collapsed on the ground next to her. Ron wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, his attention snapping up to Ginny as Harry's body slowly calmed down.

"He was possessed," Ginny whispered, a stray tear falling from her wide eyes. "He knew about the diary."

Sirius blinked at her, his brows furrowing. Ginny screwed her eyes shut, feeling more tears leak from the corner of her eyes.

"Molly, call Dumbledore," Sirius croaked, his hand leaving Harry's arm so he could grip Ginny's shoulder.

"Sirius," her mum gasped.

Sirius craned his neck to look back at her. "Molly, now! I have the kids."

Mum rushed out of the room, and Ginny wondered briefly how they contacted Professor Dumbledore when they needed to. The thought left her mind as soon as Harry moaned, his face turning into the floor. Ginny fumbled for his hand, encasing it with both of hers.

"Come on, Harry, wake up," Sirius said, his hand patting Harry gently on the cheek.

Harry struggled to sit up, his arms shaking underneath his weight. What little color in his face drained as he sat up, his dull green eyes glancing at Ginny through his long dark eyelashes. Ginny forced a smile on her tear-stained face as she squeezed his hand.

"What happened?" he croaked.

"You were possessed, mate," Ron supplied.

Sirius clamped a hand on the back of his neck. "Are you all right?"

Harry didn't reply. He just stared at Ginny, his grip tightening around her palm.

"Gin…" he trailed off, ignoring Sirius' question. "Did… are you all right?"

Ginny sniffed and nodded. "I should be asking you that."

Harry just blinked at her, his brows lowering like he didn't quite believe her. How could she tell Harry what had been said to her while he was possessed? That he knew of the diary… that he was intrigued by her as much as Harry supposedly was? Ginny wiped her free hand under her eye, wiping away the tears so Harry wouldn't have to look at them.

"He knows about the diary," Sirius said.

Harry whipped around to look at him. "What?"

"That's why she's so shaken up," Sirius added. "I'm not here to lie to you, Harry. He knows things. Things that you are thinking about. We need to make a plan."

Harry nodded, his fingers loosening from her hand, but she refused to let go. "I'll go back to the Dursleys."

"What?" Ron gasped. "Are you bloody mental?"

Harry turned to Ron. "I'm putting you all at risk! I can't stay here with all of you!"

"What do you think will happen if you go back to the Dursleys?" Ron snapped. "You'll be dead in a week!"

"I've risked Ginny's life!" Harry cried, his hand wrenching from her grasp with one harsh tug. "I'm putting you and Sirius and your parents and everyone in the bloody Order at risk! I'm not going to be the reason anyone else I care about dies!"

"If you think Voldemort wasn't going to find out about the diary from Malfoy, then you are naïve," Sirius concluded, his voice flat and leaving no room for argument. "In fact, this could all be a fucking mind game he's playing. Malfoy probably already told him all about the diary."

"It doesn't matter!" Harry shouted as he stood up, his body swaying to the right but he kept his balance. "Nobody should even be around me!"

Sirius stood up, grabbing Harry by the arm. "Look at me!" he said in a harsh tone. "We are at war. Nobody is safe. Everyone is at risk. The Weasleys are a bunch of blood traitors in league with Dumbledore. That alone is enough to put them at the top of Voldemort's enemies list. Being friends with you or even being around you doesn't up the risk level. We're all fucking targets."

Ginny rose from the floor, taking a step closer to Harry. "He said I was the seventh child, the first girl in seven generations… he said that intrigued him."

Sirius snapped his attention to Ginny while Harry slowly turned to look at her.

"It was something…" Ginny swallowed. "Something that intrigued Tom in the diary as well. He said seven was special, the most magical of numbers. He said… he said I was chosen to do great things because of it. That greatness was in my blood and, well, and he said I was the perfect choice."

"Gin…" Harry trailed off.

Ginny swallowed down her tears. The memories came back to her in relentless waves, threatening to drown her. She felt so small in that moment, wanting nothing more than someone to tell her everything would be all right. For the past three years, she had crafted the perfect wall around herself to protect her from the memories. Now, it all came crashing down with one powerful Blasting Curse. She hated it.

"Please, don't go," she said in a small voice. "I…"

I feel safe with you, she wanted to say, but she couldn't get the words out. While Harry being possessed scared her, his presence brought her comfort. When his green eyes looked into hers, she felt calm… like everything would be all right in the end.

Harry took a step towards her, his arms wrapping around her like it was second nature. She pressed herself into his chest, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. She held her breath, willing herself not to cry anymore. She hated crying, knowing it was nothing but weakness.

"Don't cry, Ginevra," Tom's voice echoed in her head. "It only shows people you are weak, pathetic, worthless. Are you worthless, Ginevra? Because you're acting like a weak, pathetic little girl right now."

Ginny screwed her eyes shut, her shoulders shaking silently. Harry's hand found its way to her hair, his fingers lacing with her long locks. Her shoulders sagged as she leaned into him completely. She was certain that if he let go, she would crumble to the ground. He was her lifeline, the only person keeping her afloat in that moment.

"What happened?" Dumbledore's voice rang, but Ginny didn't let go of Harry. She only hoped he wouldn't let go of her.

Harry did not. He turned his body, dragging her with him, so that he could see Dumbledore. Ginny looked at her pale mother standing next to the headmaster. She could feel Harry's heart thundering against her ear. Sirius crossed the room, and Ginny was glad that none of them had to speak. At least, not for now.

Ron stepped closer to them, one hand gripping Harry's shoulder while his other pressed between Ginny's shoulder blades. "You're not leaving. End of discussion. Sirius is right. Our entire family is in the Order. Plus, everyone knows we're best mates. It's stupid to leave."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else," Harry whispered.

Ron's brows furrowed. "Are you talking about Cedric? I mean, Harry, that wasn't your fault."

Harry shook his head. "No… not exactly."

"What are you talking about, mate?" Ron pressed.

Harry swallowed, his grip tightening around Ginny. "I… I need to tell you something later. Something that Sirius and Dumbledore told me when I first came here."

"No!" Sirius hissed.

Ginny lifted her head off Harry's chest and craned to look around Ron to see Sirius standing with his hands on his hips facing Dumbledore. They were obviously arguing about something. All three of them quieted down to listen in.

"Sirius-"

"I fucking said no!" Sirius hissed.

"This is not up for discussion, Sirius. It is something that needs to be done," Dumbledore stated, pulling his wand from his robe pocket.

"He is my godson!" Sirius shouted. "If I tell you that you're not fucking touching him, then you're not fucking touching him!"

Ginny tensed at the words, stealing a glance at Harry. He stood completely still, frozen like a statue. Ginny touched his cheek, trying to reassure him that everything would be all right.

"You know that I would not hurt him," Dumbledore reasoned. "But I need to see if Lord Voldemort is still lingering."

Harry let out a visible breath, his shoulders sagging at the words. His cheek leaned into Ginny's palm.

"I'd rather know," Harry spoke up, his eyes shooting an apologetic look at Sirius.

Sirius' jaw clenched, shooting a sneer in Dumbledore's direction. Dumbledore merely turned around, making his way towards the trio. Harry stepped forward, his arms dropping from around her and leaving her cold. Ginny stared at the back of his head, her arms wrapping around her body. Ron slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Dumbledore pressed his wand to Harry's temple. "I'm sorry, Harry," Dumbledore lamented before a spark shot out of the tip of his wand.

The seconds dragged on as a silver light burst from Dumbledore's wand. Ginny shuffled a bit so she could see Harry's face. Her breath hitched in her throat when she noticed Harry's eyes roll to the back of his head and how Dumbledore's eyes shifted to a cloudy silver color.

Suddenly, Harry screamed, his voice echoing off the walls around them. Ginny's eyes grew wide, watching as Harry fell to his knees under Dumbledore's wand. Ginny wanted to look away, didn't want to see Harry in such pain. Except it was like two brooms colliding in the air at breakneck speeds, the scene too horrifying to look away. The seconds dragged on, Harry's screaming becoming hoarse, his voice cracking.

Finally, the spell ceased and Harry fell to the floor on his side. Sirius rushed forward, shooting a glare at Dumbledore as he passed him. Falling to the ground, Sirius gathered Harry up in his arms. Harry was limp in Sirius' arms, his eyes shut.

"Lord Voldemort has left indications that he's been in Harry's mind quite often. I would say he's been watching for months," Dumbledore said as he slid his wand back into his pocket. "I daresay, if I wagered a guess, since Christmas."

"How can you tell?" Mum asked, stepping forward and bending down next to Sirius. She placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

Dumbledore slid his glasses off his face, producing a handkerchief to clean them. "Magic is a very powerful force. Such power leaves signatures. Clever witches and wizards can hide those signatures, muddle them in various ways to make them hard to discern. Except, Lord Voldemort never found that to be beneficial. Why waste time hiding one's brilliance? It's a common downfall for those who are very egotistical. There are many magical signatures within Harry, both old and new. I am not an expert in reading signatures to date them, but there is no doubt in my mind that Lord Voldemort has taken to checking in on Harry from time to time for a while now."

Ginny felt sick to her stomach. Harry would be mortified to learn this, would distance himself from everyone.

"But he's not there all the time? He's not there now?" her mum pressed.

Dumbledore righted his glasses on his face. "That is correct. It's not a constant assault but enough to be rather worrisome. Lord Voldemort is not in his mind currently."

"Harry didn't know," Ron spoke up. "If he knew, he would have told somebody."

Dumbledore glanced over at Ron. "I do not believe Harry was aware, just like Lord Voldemort was not aware of the connection for the longest time. It is something that Harry will become aware of eventually as he learns Occlumency."

"Is Harry all right?" Ginny asked, her gaze focusing on Harry who had not moved since he collapsed.

"He will be fine," Dumbledore assured. "A powerful assault on the mind can render someone exhausted. He should sleep for some time. I daresay he needs it."

Sirius shifted Harry in his arms and rose to his feet. He grunted at Harry's dead weight, Harry's arm and head dangling like a ragdoll. Her mum pointed her wand at Harry, muttering a Featherlight Charm on him before she carefully adjusted Harry's head so it was resting against Sirius' shoulder.

"Severus was supposed to stop by this weekend to resume Occlumency lessons," Dumbledore said, directing his attention to Sirius. "I think instead I will stop by tomorrow night for my first lesson with him."

"I think we can manage just fine without you," Sirius snapped in a cold tone.

"I will be here at seven," Dumbledore ignored him. "You asked me to teach him, Sirius. I think you are right. It is far worse than I imagined."

Sirius let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I'm rethinking that after witnessing what you just did to him."

"I took no pleasure in it, but I needed to prod deep," Dumbledore explained. "Everyone needs to be extremely careful what they say around him in terms of the Order of the Phoenix."

Sirius only shook his head before storming out of the parlor with Harry still in his arms. Ginny rested her head against Ron, her eyes glancing over at her mother.

"Molly, it's imperative that you help Sirius see reason," Dumbledore whispered, a hand touching her shoulder. "I will have Remus speak to him as well."

"You can't do that again to him," her mum said in a stern voice. "He's just a boy. He's been so distraught over everything already. You invading his mind so viciously like that…"

"Molly, it was imperative," Dumbledore insisted. "Lord Voldemort has been waiting for the perfect opportunity, watching and waiting for his best shot to force Harry to go to him. The possessions have not been random. They have been calculated."

"I still don't like it," her mum pressed, her lips pursing.

"I do not like it either, Molly, I can promise you that," Dumbledore added.

Ginny couldn't listen to it any longer. She bolted from the room, making her way upstairs so she could see Harry and Sirius. She noted the door to the bedroom that Harry and Ron shared was wide open. Rounding into the room, she saw that Harry's bed was empty. Her heart sank, knowing that Sirius probably took him up to his own room for the night. If there was anything off-limits at Grimmauld Place, it was Sirius' room.

She sat down on Harry's unmade bed, her fingers running along the blanket her mother had made for him years ago for his birthday. Not wanting to be alone for the night, she laid down in Harry's bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Turning her cheek into the pillow, she let out a soft sigh since it smelled very distinctly like Harry.

Sirius leaned back in the lumpy armchair in his childhood bedroom watching as his godson slept in his bed. The kid was out like a light and he didn't think even the loudest bang would wake him. After a week of not sleeping, and then having his mind brutally broken into by Dumbledore, the kid would be lucky to wake up by dinner. Sirius hadn't moved from his spot in the chair for nearly seven hours. And he was starting to feel it.

Rolling his head against the back of the chair, he winced as he adjusted. His bladder ached painfully, but he refused to leave Harry's side. Harry was in such a deep sleep that Sirius worried he was especially susceptible to possession. Sirius hadn't slept at all, thriving off the adrenaline of what happened earlier in the night… or he supposed last night.

A soft knock sounded on his door and he held his breath. He didn't want to talk to anyone, because he was barely able to hold it together after what had happened. Clenching his jaw, he rolled his head to look at the door and wondered if whoever it was would assume they were sleeping. Unfortunately for Sirius, it was Remus because the door opened without waiting for a reply. Rolling his eyes, Sirius looked back at Harry. The noise had not disturbed him.

Remus shut the door behind him and leaned his back against the wood. "I heard what happened."

Sirius sighed, glancing over at his friend. "I figured since you're here."

Remus crossed his arms over his chest. "You know what Dumbledore did was vital. He gained a lot of information about how long Voldemort's known about their connection."

Sirius nodded. "I know. You didn't hear him scream… you didn't…" Sirius cleared his throat and glanced back at Harry.

His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. A small line of drool escaped his slightly parted lips. He looked younger than he had in a long time. Harry often looked older than fifteen, hardened by his experiences with eyes far older than his age. But now, Harry was relaxed and juvenile-looking.

Remus crossed the room, stopping at the foot of the bed. His eyes roamed across it, an odd expression flitting across his face. His fingers brushed against the wrought-iron.

"It's the same bed," Sirius commented, causing Remus to raise his eyebrows. "It's what you were thinking, was it not?"

"For someone who claims they're not a natural Legilimens, I feel like you're always reading my mind," Remus said in a dry tone.

Sirius shrugged. "I'd say you were like an open book, but I did think you were a spy when we were younger, so obviously you're good at hiding some shit."

Remus cleared his throat, not wanting to dwell on their rocky past any longer. They had put that all behind them and were closer now than they had ever been. "How about I get you an early birthday present? A new bed," Remus suggested. "I think it's long overdue."

Sirius chuckled, his head shaking. "Don't waste your money."

Remus shrugged. "I could get you a nice second-hand wooden bed."

"Make it a nice light wood to brighten up the place, will you?" Sirius asked.

"Now you're just asking for too much," Remus replied, his lips twitching. "Second-hand stores have what they have."

Sirius scratched his bottom lip with his thumbnail. "Light wood or I won't accept your early birthday gift."

Remus laughed, his fingers coiling around the metal of the footboard. "I'll buddy up with Andromeda and have her buy you nice new red and gold sheets."

Sirius huffed. "Speaking of my lovely cousin, just because you're dating her daughter doesn't mean you have to talk about me behind my back to Andy. She's bugging me about seeing Marlene."

Remus pursed his lips. "I'm not dating Dora nor did I tell Andromeda about Marlene. Dumbledore gathered Andromeda, Ted, and Bill together to discuss Marlene's condition."

Huh, that was interesting. Sirius would have bet his left hand that Remus had meddled and told his cousin. Nodding, Sirius rose from his chair. His knees cracked loudly and Sirius winced. He really needed the loo or else he was going to embarrass himself.

"Sirius…" Remus trailed off, his gaze focusing on the bed. "We need to do more for Harry. I don't know what or anything like that, but… we need to. It's not just because he's James' son. I mean, at first, it was. At least for me. I wanted to protect him when I thought you were looking to kill him because James would have done the same for me. But he's, Harry's just, well, he's Harry. James would have been proud of the man he is becoming. I can't stand back and let him slowly be destroyed like this."

Sirius nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, the first thing you need to do is actually talk to him and get to know him. He still calls you Professor Lupin for fuck's sake."

Remus looked up at Sirius with a frown. "I'm nobody to-"

"Cut the self-deprecating bullshit, all right?" Sirius snapped, too tired to deal with Remus' shit. "You're one of his dad's best mates. That makes you somebody to him. In a world where Harry had nobody, where he didn't even fucking know anything about his parents until he was eleven… Merlin, Remus, he would have gobbled up whatever you would have given him. He was desperate for knowledge, for a connection to his past."

Remus swallowed. "I didn't have anything concrete to offer him."

"All he wanted from you was knowledge, stories, a connection. He didn't need anything else," Sirius replied. "You need to stop worrying about you never being enough or giving enough. You deserve that connection with Harry as much he as deserves it. You deserve to call Dora your girlfriend because you bloody well like her. You need to stop trying to protect people from you and open yourself up once in a while."

"The same way you're opening yourself up to Marlene?" Remus challenged in a low blow.

"Dora fucking likes you," Sirius stressed. "Marlene thinks I'm a fucking wanker who hit her and hexed her and whatever else she thinks I did to her. There's a big difference in our situations."

Remus let out a low chuckle. "You're also not a werewolf."

"Then don't fucking see her once a month. Merlin, Remus, it's not that bloody hard," Sirius snapped with a sigh. "It's not just Dora. It was Dorcas. It's Harry. It was James and I for our entire first year at school. You keep people at arms' length, torturing yourself by giving yourself just enough human interaction to satisfy you for a bit before you're unreachable."

Remus shook his head. "I could seriously hurt someone."

"Once a month for one evening," Sirius reasoned. "All other times, you're not dangerous in the slightest. Being a werewolf doesn't have to define you. Most people don't even give a shit as long as you're locked up on a full moon. I mean, Molly said if Arthur wasn't in the picture, she'd chose you out of the two of us. Can you fucking believe that?"

Remus' brows furrowed. "Why the ruddy hell would you and Molly talk about that?"

Sirius waved him off. "I don't remember how it started. We were both drunk. The point is, there are loads of people who don't care. To be completely honest with you, it was probably what drew Dora to you in the first place. You are different, just like she's different."

"Her ability is a gift. Mine is a curse," Remus reasoned.

"She was alienated as a kid as much as you were," Sirius replied. "Ask her about how kids made fun of her for not being able to control her abilities. I remember her bawling her eyes out to me when she was five or something when the other kids in the neighborhood called her a weirdo for not being able to control her hair color. We planted dungbombs at each and every single one of those little brats' houses."

"Our situations are completely different," Remus tried to reason but Sirius just shook his head.

"They're really not. You're both different, both have been alienated. Dora is finally accepted in society because her abilities help her excel at the Auror Department. You are being accepted into the Order because you're clever and you provide valuable information from the werewolf packs," Sirius reasoned, his eyes searching Remus'. "One night a month. Twelve nights a year. That's the only time you need to stay away from her for her own safety."

"I'm poor and jobless and-"

"And nothing," Sirius stressed. "She doesn't care about any of that. She makes more than enough money for the both of you. You would be a glorious house wizard. Merlin knows that girl can't cook to save her life and you're pretty decent at it. If she doesn't care, then you shouldn't care."

Remus sighed. "Sirius…"

"I have to use the loo," Sirius interrupted, holding up a hand to stop him. "Watch Harry for me, all right?"

Remus nodded as Sirius past him to leave the room. Closing the door behind him, Sirius let out a long breath. While he hoped that he had gotten through to Remus, he highly doubted it. All Sirius knew is that Remus and Harry were going to drive him absolutely fucking mental with the way they pushed people away from them for their own supposed protection.

I'm baaaaack and I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Things are now escalating. Can you imagine an evil laugh being inserted right around now? Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing. They inspire storylines. They just make me happy and make all of this worth it.

Oh, sidenote. I tried to respond to your reviews. The site was acting up and kept giving me error messages and such. So I will try to respond later and see if the error works itself out. Hopefully this posts without issue!

Special thanks to Bell for editing so amazingly like always. Special thanks to SeekForTheSnitch for their review where they made a comment about Sirius not retrieving the memory from the Pensieve and how angsty it would be for Harry to stumble across it. Yeah, I totally added that seen. It was not there before, so see! Your reviews really do inspire me!