"Brumous"
"Chapter Ten: The Attack"
The last thing Harry wanted to do was have his mind invaded by Severus Snape, of all people. He had hoped between Sirius and Dumbledore, that Snape's services were no longer needed. Unfortunately, he had been dead wrong. Harry's gaze flickered across the kitchen table to where Sirius and Professor Lupin - no, Remus sat. They had refused to leave the room and wanted to be present for the Occlumency lesson. It had resulted in a battle of wills.
Sirius had only kicked his legs up onto the table, crossing them at the ankles. He made it very clear he would not leave the room. Snape stood, a sneer on his face as he stared down at Sirius, the two not even blinking for the longest time. Harry only shifted uncomfortably in his chair, wondering who would break first.
"Shall you start, Severus?" Remus suggested, a perfunctory smile plastered across his face.
"Not until you and Black leave us," Severus said in a slow drawl, his eyes not leaving Sirius and he had yet to blink. Harry wondered if his eyes were burning.
Remus sucked in a breath. "We've been helping Harry with different techniques, so I think it would be prudent for us to stay and help."
Snape did not say anything, but he did blink. Harry leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands and placing them in front of him on the table. He wanted Sirius and Remus to stay, or at least one of them to stay. He honestly wasn't picky, but he knew he didn't want to be alone with Snape. If Harry was being honest with himself, he preferred Remus to stay since there was likely to be less bloodshed.
"I'm not leaving," Sirius said, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "So we can either get this over with or you can leave. If you leave, then know I will tell Dumbledore you refused to give him a lesson just because his guardian was in the room."
Snape sneered. "You are not his guardian. I was under the impression that Petunia Dursley was."
Sirius stared hard at Snape. Harry held his breath, his eyes flickering between the two. He couldn't explain it, but the tension seemed to rise for reasons Harry didn't completely understand as soon as his aunt's name was uttered. Sirius, of course, knew that Harry didn't get along with his family. He had even admitted to meeting Aunt Petunia a time or two and had nothing nice to say about her. But Snape knew nothing of his life on Privet Drive. It seemed as though Snape was trying to goad Sirius by mentioning her.
"You know very well what Petunia is like, Severus," Remus said in a casual tone.
Harry's head whipped to look at Remus so fast that his neck ached from the sudden movement. Clearly, they all knew something Harry didn't. That only sparked anger deep inside of him. Harry looked back at Snape to see his sneer had only deepened.
"I will not stand here and discuss this," Snape announced. "You can teach this boy yourself. I will not help."
Sirius laughed. "Of course, you won't help him. All you see is James, yet you forget just how much of Lily he has in him."
"You know Lily would be disappointed, Severus," Remus added.
"I have said not to talk to me about her," Snape hissed out, his words drawn out and biting.
Harry could hear the blood rushing in his ears, trying to piece together the conversation to understand it better. Sirius caught Harry's eye.
"Snape and your mother grew up together in Cokeworth. They were once friends," Sirius supplied.
The room stilled as Harry processed the information. It seemed impossible to think that his mother and Snape, of all people, had been childhood friends. Harry glanced over at Snape, confusion settling in his chest.
"You were friends with my mum?" Harry whispered, wondering if he had at one point been friends with his aunt as well.
Snape did not reply. He stormed out of the kitchen, his robes billowing behind him. Harry sat there, too stunned to move at the revelation. Sirius laughed bitterly, causing Harry to turn his attention to his godfather.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Harry asked, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Because Lily had washed her hands of him long before she died," Remus replied before Sirius could say anything. "What happened between them is very complicated. It's not something Severus likes to talk about."
"He was the one who brought up Petty," Sirius grumbled. "I will not apologize."
"You're acting like a child, Sirius," Remus snapped.
Sirius swung his long legs off the table, sitting up straight. "He has been letting the past cloud his judgment with Harry. He hated James. He had a nasty falling out with Lily. He is taking it all out on Harry who is a child and has nothing to do with any of it."
Harry blinked, his eyes snapping between the two men. "Why did they stop being friends?"
Sirius pursed his lips, his elbows propping up on the table as he leaned forward. Remus stayed perfectly still as he looked over at Sirius.
"You know Snape's a Death Eater, or was. Whatever," Sirius started, his head shaking. "He was in with a group of them at school. Nasty wankers. Lily didn't like it, naturally, as she thought they were corrupting him. Then, one day, Snape called Lily a Mudblood and that was the bristle that broke the broom. She had enough."
The incident by the lake. Harry leaned back in his chair, his shoulders sagging.
"It didn't help matters that Marlene was not a fan of Severus either," Remus interjected. "In fact, none of her friends understood her friendship with him and they never wanted anything to do with him."
"And he knew my aunt?" Harry asked.
Sirius pursed his lips. "Yes, he did, though I don't think he ever liked her based off what Lily has mentioned in passing. It wasn't often she talked about Snape to any of us since we weren't really close to Lily until we were in our sixth and seventh years. She also knew there was a lot of bad blood between us all and she wasn't going to add to the cauldron. But I know Snape knew just how nasty Petunia was to Lily, despite Lily's best efforts to keep some semblance of a normal relationship with her. It all boiled down to jealousy on your aunt's part. She wanted to be a witch like Lily and couldn't deal with the fact that she wasn't."
It made sense because his aunt hated anything magical, and that included him. Harry looked down at his hands on the table, his stomach twisting at the very thought that Snape knew his mother and her family better than anyone else did. He would never get the information he craved about her from him, of all people. Sirius and Remus had tried, but they had naturally been closer with his father and the Potters than Lily and the Evans family.
Sirius reached out a hand, closing it around Harry's folded hands. "Marlene knew your mother better than anyone, even Snape. She knew your grandparents as well. Once she has her memories back, she'll be able to answer the questions that Remus and I can't."
Harry nodded, the tension in his stomach easing a bit. While he had known his aunt's maiden name from a young age, he never knew his grandparents' first names or how they had died or what their jobs had been. He didn't even know that his aunt and mum had grown up in Cokeworth before. Glancing up at his godfather, Harry saw nothing but concern shining in his eyes.
Remus cleared his throat, shooting a quick glance at Sirius before turning his attention to Harry. "Marlene recalled a memory of me and the Shrieking Shack."
Sirius turned to look at him, his brows furrowed, but he didn't say anything.
"I think meeting with me and talking with me has helped her form connections," Remus continued, his gaze focused on Harry. "She said she would like to see you, if you are willing. She knows she is your godmother. Despite not remembering you, she would still very much like to get to know you."
Harry swallowed. "What about Sirius?"
"Don't worry about me," Sirius interrupted. "I promise you, I will not be upset with you if you want to meet with her and get to know her. If she can…" Sirius sighed, his jaw tightening. "If she can legally adopt you and ensure you never go back to the Dursleys, then you should let her. Don't wait on me, Harry. I can't offer you that, not when I have an arrest warrant hanging over my head. We'll still be close and talk every day. I'm not going anywhere."
Harry stared hard at Sirius. The thought of leaving Grimmauld Place, of not spending his summer with Sirius caused panic to rise in his throat. Sirius had been so good to him, had been there for him since the moment he broke out of Azkaban. Now, now Sirius was willing to let him go if that meant he could have a proper home. Except, Harry didn't want to go. He wanted to stay with Sirius, to stay with the man who had never let him down before. Harry knew Sirius, knew the kind of person he was. He knew absolutely nothing about Marlene McKinnon.
Harry swallowed. "I don't want to go with her. I want to stay here with you."
Sirius forced a tight smile on his face. "You may want to once you get to know her and once she gets her memories back. She's a fantastic woman. I trust her to keep you safe and to give you a good life, a life that I can't give you no matter how badly I want to."
The corner of Harry's mouth twitched. Sirius licked his bottom lip, his head bowing down and his long hair obscuring his face. His shoulders sagged, his hand giving Harry's a squeeze.
"I want to stay with you," Harry repeated. "Please, Sirius."
Sirius looked up at him, tears brimming his eyes but none falling down his cheeks. Harry's heart twisted.
"I will never turn you away," Sirius said in a fierce tone. "I love you more than anyone else in this entire world. You can stay with me for as long as you like. I will fight anyone who tries to take you. But I want you to know you have options now. You have a godmother who is loving and kind and who isn't wanted for murder. She's way more mentally stable than I am. She's compassionate and doesn't have all the baggage that I have."
"I don't care about any of that," Harry argued. "I know you. I want to stay with you."
Sirius nodded, his hand slipping from Harry's. He rose from his seat and rounded the table. He held his arms open and Harry didn't hesitate to throw himself into his godfather's arms.
"Then you can stay," Sirius whispered, his cheek pressing against Harry's. "I love having you here. But I would understand if you didn't want to be here. That's all I am saying, all right?"
Harry nodded, the lump in his throat causing him to be unable to speak. His fingers desperately grasped at Sirius' t-shirt as his eyes screwed shut. Sirius' hand pressed against his head and tangled in his hair. It was how Ginny had told him that you comfort someone you love, and Harry felt a burst of appreciation and love towards his godfather. There was no doubt in his mind. He would not leave Grimmauld Place. Not now. Not ever. Sirius was his family.
Sirius was his home.
Remus took his normal spot next to Sirius, his gaze focusing on the table as he tried not to look at Nymphadora laughing and chatting with Molly in hushed tones by the stove. Oddly enough, Harry was not seated next to Sirius. Instead, Harry sat smushed between Ron and Ginny, their chairs close together as they leaned forward to all talk to Fred and George. Harry laughed, a wide grin on his face, at something George said. Remus couldn't help but notice Harry looked far more relaxed than normal, more like the kid he had met a few years ago.
Remus leaned into Sirius, his chin gesturing towards Harry. "Did he do it?"
Sirius blinked, his eyes glancing over at Harry. "Do what?"
Remus rolled his eyes, his head shaking. "Oh, I don't know. Be offered a spot on the Magpies," he said in a sarcastic tone but Sirius only chuckled. "Master Occlumency, what do you think?"
"No, he hasn't," Sirius replied. "He's trying and can make his mind go blank when he knows you are there, but… I don't know. He needs a wall. At least, that's what Dumbledore says."
Remus nodded. "How does one build a wall?"
Sirius snorted. "Funnily enough, that's what Dumbledore asked me."
Remus snorted, watching as Molly levitated the food over to the table. Nymphadora skipped over, taking a seat next to Bill who sat by the twins. Molly took a spot between Arthur and Sirius.
"All right, you lot! It's ready! Dig in!" Molly announced.
The platters and bowls passed around the table. Remus snuck a peek at Nymphadora who pushed Bill in his chair, a loud snort escaping her nose. Remus swallowed, his eyes darting over to Ron next to him to grab the platter of jacket potatoes. He caught sight of Harry shifting in his chair as he leaned in close to Ginny as the two whispered about something. She waved him off, saying something that Remus couldn't hear. He took a potato before passing the platter over to Sirius.
Ginny cleared her throat. "Looks like everyone is here tonight," she commented, her gaze catching Harry's for a brief moment.
"Yes, dear, we do live at headquarters so there's always people milling about," Molly replied.
Arthur smiled. "It's wonderful! I feel like I haven't had dinner with you lot since you got back from Hogwarts. I've been too busy to even see straight it seems."
Nymphadora raised a glass. "I hear you there, Arthur! Merlin, I feel like I haven't even stopped to breathe in the past two weeks."
Remus felt a bit of tension ease in his stomach. So Nymphadora hadn't been avoiding him after their little fight. It made sense because Remus realized that he hadn't seen Arthur around Grimmauld much at all, and he was staying there. Remus hadn't heard from Kingsley or Tegan or any of Dumbledore's most trusted members either, now that he thought about it. His primary contact had been Sirius and Harry.
"I mean, I've just been around wizards who smell like meat and sweat so much lately," Nymphadora said in a casual tone, not daring to look at Remus.
He caught the drift, the implication behind the words. He glanced down at his plate, not giving Nymphadora the satisfaction that she wanted.
"Who smells like meat and sweat?" Molly asked.
"Yeah, who you talking about?" George pressed. "That's just bloody weird."
"It's not like I prefer it," argued Nymphadora, and Remus could feel her eyes on him. "Musty old libraries are so much more divine to smell but they're also very inclusive and think they'll break their readers or something absurd."
"Ah, I think I'm following now," Sirius mused thoughtfully, elbowing Remus in the side.
"Can I prefer neither?" Fred interjected. "Both smell disgusting."
"But books can't break people," Nymphadora argued, stabbing her jacket potato. "Books shouldn't assume that a reader could be so easily broken. The fact that they're musty is just even more endearing."
"Wouldn't you want a non-musty book?" Ron asked.
"No!" Molly snapped. "How could you say such a thing?"
Ron blinked, his mouth gaping open.
"I think musty old books should just get their head out of their arse personally," Sirius said, bringing his glass to his lips. "Maybe a book should just realize they're just a book and good people don't judge a book by its cover. They should just act like the contents of said book."
"Maybe a Newfoundland should act like a Newfoundland as well," Remus snapped, glaring at Sirius. "You know, be sociable and lovable for once."
Sirius' jaw clenched. "I see you cannot tell the difference between a grim and a Newfoundland."
Remus scoffed. "Perhaps, it's you who can't."
"Grims are large and menacing and anti-social. That fits!" Sirius argued. "Nobody wants to be a dumb big Newfoundland!"
"Oi, dogs are dogs," George interjected. "Newfoundlands are cute! Lee has a Newfoundland."
Fred pulled a face. "Their slobber is disgusting. I'm more of a small animal lover. Like say a pygmy puff, coming in just one week to Weasley Wizard Wheezes so grab yours before it's too late!"
"What's a pygmy puff?" Nymphadora asked, flicking her bubblegum pink hair behind her shoulder.
"Ah, you'd like them," George said around a mouthful of food. "Peppy little things. Bright colors. Cuddly."
Ginny's brow furrowed. "I want to see them!"
Fred pointed his fork at her. "I'll save you one. They'll be sold out quick."
Ginny beamed. "Brilliant! You're the best!"
Remus tore his gaze away from the children and found himself staring at Nymphadora. She leaned in close to Bill, the two chatting and laughing so easily with one another. Remus gripped his fork, stabbing his chicken. He knew that there was nothing going on between them. Bill had been absolutely enchanted by Fleur during Order meetings, the two pressed close together as he whispered in her ear throughout the meetings to help her understand what was happening. But still, Remus couldn't help the twist in his chest to see Nymphadora pressed so close to Bill.
Sirius leaned in close. "You know, instead of glaring at Bill, you may want to try to, oh I don't know, just tell Dora how you feel and ask her to go out on a proper date."
Remus swallowed. He couldn't even afford to take her on a proper date. He had been out of work for over a year now. After teaching at Hogwarts, he had worked a few different Muggle jobs. But the moment that Sirius showed up on his doorstep to tell him Lord Voldemort was back, he had immediately set off with his best mate to gather the old crowd and explain that Sirius wasn't actually a sociopathic murderer and traitor. That had been fun.
"Think she'd be thrilled to dine and dash, then? She that kind of girl?" Remus asked in a low tone, his lips twisting.
"I doubt she'll care about going to some fancy restaurant," Sirius reasoned. "Go for a walk, window shop, take her flying, I don't know."
Remus snorted. "Take her flying. All right, James."
An odd look crossed Sirius' face. Remus hadn't thought before he spoke. It had been such a James suggestion that he couldn't help himself, forgetting for just a split second that James was gone and those wounds had never fully healed.
Sirius cleared his throat, sitting back in his chair. "It was a James suggestion," he replied in an odd voice. "He always took Lily flying."
Remus stilled, his eyes staring at his plate. "Remember that time he went away for Sleekeazy business and he bought a flying carpet and smuggled it into England?"
Sirius chuckled, a soft smile spreading across his lips. "Fleamont was irate. I don't think I've ever seen him yell at James before."
Remus smiled, remembering how a nineteen-year-old James had just nodded as his father had scolded him for breaking the law in the back garden of Godric's Hollow. James had called them all over to see it when Fleamont had stopped by to see how the business trip had gone.
"You are an adult! You are a husband! You have a child on the way! What were you thinking, James?" Fleamont had said in an exasperated tone.
"Well, I was thinking it was pretty wicked traveling by carpet the past few days and knew I needed one," James had replied with a one-shoulder shrug, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face.
Fleamont had raged about responsibility and breaking the law, saying how he wasn't a child any longer. As far as Remus knew, James had tucked the carpet away in the attic because he couldn't part with it.
"Harry, dear, are you all right?" Molly asked, pulling Remus out of his musing.
Harry twisted in his seat, looking a bit anxious. The content demeanor he had at the beginning of the dinner had waned. Harry chewed the inside of his cheek, a very classic James nervous habit.
Ginny cleared her throat, her gaze catching Harry's. "Let's just tell them."
"Tell us what?" Fred pressed, his brow furrowing.
"Wait… did it happen?" Ron whispered, his eyes wide and a smile spreading across his face. "Finally? I mean, I've known it was coming for like a month now!"
"What?" Harry gasped.
"Mate, I knew before you knew," Ron reasoned, thumping him on the back. "I approve. I more than approve, in case you haven't noticed. I mean, I don't know how I could have been more obvious about it. I was practically pushing your faces together."
"What is going on?" Bill asked, his eyes flickering between the trio.
Ginny sighed, reaching over and grabbing Harry's hand and waving it between them. "Harry and I are dating."
Apparently, Remus was the only one who found the match less than ideal given the current political climate. Sirius beamed, raising his glass and looking like he was staring at James and Lily on their wedding day. Molly and Nymphadora squealed. Arthur grinned. Fred and George laughed, leaning across Ron to thump Harry on the back. Bill chuckled, his head shaking. Remus couldn't help but think they were only putting a bigger target on their backs.
"How? When?" Nymphadora asked.
Ginny shrugged. "Yesterday. He just kissed me in the kitchen."
Ron wrinkled his nose. "Where in the kitchen?"
"It's not like he shagged her, calm down," Fred snapped as Harry's face flushed a very bright pink
"Enough! Do not ruin the moment!" Molly hissed, pointing a finger at the twins.
Sirius sat his glass down before leaning forward. "I, like Ron, knew it was only a matter of time. You have talked about her nonstop for the past month or so."
Molly nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! The night you called on the mirror a while ago when Sirius and I were scheduling, we knew. We both knew!"
Arthur cleared his throat. "I am very happy for the both of you, but I am going to say the same thing to you two that I said to Bill and Fleur. It is imperative, especially given the times that we find ourselves in, that you take care of each other. You look out for each other. Secrets have no place in a relationship, but secrets now are especially dangerous. If you both want to make this relationship survive a war, honesty and taking care of one another is vital."
Molly nodded. "Yes, yes, completely true!" she agreed, her attention turning to Harry. "I am thrilled by this, Harry, truly I am. I just want to express caution to you. To both of you actually, given everything happening. I would say this to anybody, not just because of who you are, Harry, dear. It is best to keep your relationship private, careful on who you talk with about it. You do not want You-Know-Who or any Death Eater to use the other one against you."
Sirius nodded, his eyes darkening. "It was a mistake that James and Lily made. They were not careful with the information they freely gave to people. They were being watched from the moment it was slipped that they were in the Order. We all were. But Voldemort had a particular interest in James, a pureblood who dared date and then marry a Muggleborn. He wanted James, was intrigued by James. James had been very… vocal about his disdain for Voldemort. It was no secret amongst a lot of people that Voldemort extended James an invitation to join the Death Eaters, offering him glory and prestige. James laughed in his face."
Remus remembered the moment very clearly in his mind. The Potters had thrown a party for everyone in their year the summer after their seventh year, one last hurrah of their childhood. Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort had crashed the celebration. James had approached Voldemort, not scared in the slightest as he told him that he was not welcomed and to leave. When James had denied the offer to join the Death Eaters, laughing so humorlessly as everyone stared, Voldemort had slashed his wand and James had nearly bleed out on the floor of his parents' home. He could remember the way that Lily and Euphemia had dragged him into the shadows, blood smearing the tile, as Fleamont stepped up and unleashed a flurry of spells. Chaos had ensued.
"As far as we can figure," Sirius continued. "We think Peter started spying sometime after you were born. But we trusted him implicitly. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought Peter, of all people, could turn to the dark side nor would he so blatantly betray all of our trust in the way he did. It was… a shock to the system when I figured it out. I'm sure you've heard how I laughed after Peter blew up the street, nailing the coffin in my supposed guilt?"
Harry nodded, looking enthralled with the information. Remus settled back in his chair, watching Sirius closely. He knew Sirius had a habit of laughing at inappropriate times, but he had never heard Sirius speak about this moment before.
"I laughed because it was just…" Sirius' jaw tightened, a sigh escaping his lips. "Unbelievable. This person who I thought I knew, this pathetic man who had always been so needy and eager and weak growing up, had become a Death Eater, a murderer, a traitor. I was floored by the sheer brilliance behind his plan of blowing up the street, framing me, disappearing into the sewer. I had a lot of time to think about that day while in Azkaban. I can only assume he had it all planned out, knowing that eventually I would find out that he was the spy and would not hesitate to go after him. He was right. I played right into that."
Remus cleared his throat. "I think what Sirius is trying to say is that trust must not be so easily given. You must be careful of who you tell personal details about your relationship and even yourselves to. Of course, family can be trusted. Hermione can be trusted. But I know you are very popular, Ginny. You have a very large social circle."
Ginny stiffened. "I don't tell anyone anything about the Order. Not even Demelza."
"I wasn't saying you do," Remus corrected hastily. "I just advise you to be careful about how much you tell your friends."
"Demelza… is that Tegan's daughter?" Sirius asked, glancing at Remus.
Remus nodded. "Yes, it is."
"We went to school with Tegan and David," Sirius explained. "David was older and I don't remember much about him." Sirius turned towards Remus. "Did he die? I haven't seen him in meetings."
Remus nodded again, clearing his throat. "You were in Azkaban. It was in the aftermath. He got caught up in a battle trying to bring in…" Remus let out a breath. "Merlin, I don't even remember. Rookwood's arrest, maybe?"
A shadow crossed Sirius' face as he nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a few moments. "They were both Aurors. The Robins. Fine people. I'd believe she would be someone you could talk to, Ginny."
Ginny looked grateful, her stance softening. "She helped me during the… the possessions. It's how I knew how to help Harry. It's what she did for me."
Molly turned white as a fresh bit of parchment, her hand grabbing at Arthur's. Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny's chair, his fingers dancing along her shoulder.
"Just be careful, all of you," Remus added. "Fred, George, that includes you as well. You don't know what it was like the first time. Trust one, maybe two people and that is it. You cannot think that everyone will have your back. Look at what happened to us. Nobody knows the cost of trusting someone you shouldn't as well as Sirius and I do."
Sirius looked down at the table, his jaw setting. Remus dared to catch Harry's gaze, seeing nothing but pain flash behind his emerald eyes. A lump formed in his throat, remembering how trusting and resolute Lily and James were. They wouldn't hear a bad thing about any of their friends, against anyone in the Order of the Phoenix. Remus trusted no one anymore… no one but Sirius. The very thought made him want to scream, as he was the one that Remus should have trusted all those years ago.
Ginny stared at the two pieces of parchment in front of her, her heart hammering in her chest as she read and reread Demelza's letter. A lump formed in her throat, her hands trembling as she soaked in her best friend's words. It was silly, really, to be this worked up.
G,
I WANT TO SCREAM BUT I DO NOT WANT TO STATE WHY IN A LETTER!
Now, I think this warrants all four of us talking at once, together, because we all need the details. My mum says that owls aren't the most reliable thing to be using right now to communicate. They can easily be intercepted and even the most innocent things could be used against people like her or your family.
Aurors use special communication parchment to talk during missions and such. My mum put together something similar for us, so we can talk privately. She warned us not to lose the parchment though, so there's that. She recommended placing a password on the parchment and she, cryptically said, there is someone you know who you are staying with who is well-versed in password protecting parchment. Whatever that means. Is it Fred and George? How would my mum know them?
I know you may be weary of using the parchment after, well, you know. But I swear it's from me and my mum did all the enchantments herself on them. Ask us all a question to ensure it's us or something. I don't know. If you don't want to use it, I'd understand. But I hope you do, because I bloody well miss you and I want to hear all of the details of the you know what. All you have to do is write your name at the top of the parchment once and then you can write whatever you want. The parchment will automatically know your handwriting. If someone else tries to write using the parchment, then the name will pop up as unknown since it doesn't recognize the handwriting. Well, unless, they're really good forgers, I suppose, but my mum said even if they use a copying quill, the parchment will be able to tell it's forged based upon the pressure points and such. Mum made sure they would wipe daily so nothing will be kept on them for long.
I miss you already,
D
Ginny licked her bottom lip, her gaze shifting to look at the parchment that sat in front of her on the bed. There was already a message on the parchment glaring back up at her. She picked up the stiff parchment, and it didn't curl in her hands. It retained its shape which was impressive.
Demelza (20.06.1996 09.35)
Who has the parchment? Anyone yet?
Ginny bit her bottom lip, not knowing what to do. It all seemed innocent enough, but so did the diary. She supposed she could ask a few questions to ensure it was from Demelza. Except Harry's possessions and the fact that she had been called out specifically during the last possession had Ginny more than weary about, well, everything.
Gemma (20.06.1996 12.35)
Your mum is a bloody genius, and I love her. I have my parchment and my dad helped me password protect it already. Said your mum wasn't completely paranoid.
Demelza (20.06.1996 12.35)
No, she is paranoid, but with the state of things recently, I guess it's not all bad.
A knock sounded on Ginny's door. She whipped around, her heart pounding in her chest for reasons she couldn't quite explain. It wasn't like she was doing anything bad, but the parchment made her feel uneasy. Letting out a breath, she called out for the person to enter and masked her emotions.
Harry stood in the doorway, a soft smile on his lips. He snuck inside, closing the door behind him. Staring at the door for a few seconds, he propped it open before making his way over towards Ginny.
"Ron wants to play two against one chess. Said he needed a challenge for once," Harry announced, his eyes rolling. "Want to be my teammate?"
"Uh… yeah, sure," Ginny replied, trying to put the communication parchment out of her mind.
Harry's brow furrowed. "Are you all right?"
Ginny sucked in a breath. Harry had been more than honest with her about a lot of things lately, even before they started dating. Her parents' warning rang clear as day in her mind. Her eyes glanced down at the parchment. Harry would know if it was safe or not, or at the very least if she should have someone check it. She may just show Sirius regardless of what Harry thought. He had been excellent in dismantling some of the dark objects around Grimmauld Place the previous summer with minimal injuries.
"Demelza sent Gemma, Niamh, and I a bit of parchment we can communicate on securely. Her mum enchanted them herself," Ginny explained.
Gemma (20.06.1996 12:36)
I just want to say, I hate that you won the bet, Dem. You are such a little shit. You probably had insider information.
Demelza (20.06.1996 12:36)
Being jealous is very unbecoming, Gem. I'll take payment in the form of a Quidditch Quality Supplies gift voucher.
Ginny looked over at Harry to see him crossing the room and stopping next to her bed. He looked down at the bit of parchment in her hand, his brows furrowed. She watched as his eyes roamed across the words, hoping he wouldn't ask what the bet was about. Her eyes flickered back to the parchment to see more words had started to appear.
Niamh (20.06.1996 12:37)
Oh, this is brilliant! Though, I'm not sure how to password protect it. My mum looked at me like I had two heads. My dad isn't any help, but he was fascinated by the entire idea.
Gemma (20.06.1996 12:37)
Did you legit sign your name with a heart above your I? Niamh, we're not six.
Niamh (20.06.1996 12:37)
Just because you lack an I in your name doesn't mean you have to be rude, Gemma. Where's Ginny? She would understand.
Demelza(20.06.1996 12:37)
I would think she'd get it soon. My mum had me use three different owls that aren't ours to deliver the parchment.
Ginny waited for Harry to speak, valuing his opinion. He had witnessed what the diary could do firsthand. He didn't say anything at first as he sank down on the mattress next to her.
"This is pretty brilliant," Harry mused.
"Demelza said in her letter that the Aurors use them. Her mum thought it would be a good idea considering the state of things," Ginny explained.
Harry nodded. "Demelza's mum is in the Order."
Ginny swallowed. "Demelza said her mum said it would be a good idea to password protect them. She said I was staying with someone who is well-versed in password protecting parchment. I don't even know who she means."
Harry snorted. "It's Sirius. The map I have of Hogwarts was made by Sirius, Remus, and my dad. It's password protected. Hurls insults at anyone who tries to access it without the password. I wonder if Sirius and Demelza's mum knew each other in school and not just the Order. I mean, they must have. Sirius would be more than happy to look at it for you."
Ginny nodded. "I know he would. I just didn't know if I should reply back yet."
Harry shrugged. "Let Sirius look at it tonight. He's having tea with your mum, Bill, and Remus in the kitchen. They're discussing wards around the house. Your mum wants it more secure but Sirius doesn't think there's a ward out there that his dad didn't already put on the place. I have a sneaking suspicion she was talking about wards to keep people inside, but that just might be me being paranoid."
Ginny chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek. "You are definitely paranoid, but also probably right."
Harry gave her a soft smile, his fingers ghosting across the back of her hand for a brief moment before he held her hand in his. "I wish they'd be talking about how to ward my mind instead of how to keep me a prisoner in here."
"Where would you rather be than stuck in a musty old house with all us Weasleys and Sirius?" Ginny asked, bumping her shoulder against his.
"Honestly, nowhere," Harry admitted with a sigh. "I just hate the feeling of being locked up. I mean, the bracelet being activated every night and the house on lockdown. It's giving me…" Harry trailed off, clearing his throat. "Never mind."
Ginny squeezed his hand. "Give you what?"
Harry shrugged one shoulder, his eyes looking back down at the parchment in his lap. "Just bad memories. Nothing to worry about. It's silly. I mean, the two things are completely different."
Ginny wanted to pry, but there was something about Harry's dark tone that suggested he would rather jump off a cliff willingly than to finish his thought. His Adam's apple bobbed before he looked at her over the top of his glasses.
"Want to go beat Ron's arse at chess?" Ginny asked, her lips twitching.
Harry grinned. "I'm not sure that's possible, but let's give it a go."
Ginny laughed, leaning forward for a kiss. Harry obliged, his lips brushing against hers in a quick and soft kiss. They rose from the bed and Harry held out the parchment for her to take. She accepted it and attempted to bend it. She was successful as it wasn't terribly hard with a bit of force. Unfolding it, it went back to its original state with no creases. Smiling, she did a trifold and shoved it into the pocket of her hoodie before she grabbed Harry's hand and headed downstairs. She would have Sirius look at it when they were done talking about the wards on the house.
Fifteen minutes later, Ginny groaned. Harry had been right. They were not beating Ron's arse at chess and Ginny bloody well hated both of them for it.
Ginny's lips pursed to the side as she stared at the chess board on the coffee table in front of her. Harry sat next to her on the ground, his thigh pressed against hers, while Ron lounged across from them with a smug smirk on his face. Ginny tried not to look at him or else she would surely shoot him a two-finger salute… or whip out her wand to send bogeys flying out his bloody nose so that smirk would leave his face.
Harry was little help. He was dreadful at chess or maybe he just didn't care. She understood now why Ron asked the two of them to be a team to give him a bit of a challenge. Chewing her bottom lip, she ordered their rook forward as her eyes flickered up to see Ron's face. He merely shrugged, not even bothering to sit up straight to study the board before he moved his knight forward. Ginny swore. He was in position to take their queen now. Fuck!
Harry leaned back, his hand landing behind her and close to her bum. She stilled, wondering if he knew just how close he was to touching her there. Glancing over at him, she noticed that he was staring intently at the chess board, his glasses sliding down his nose. She reached out and pushed them gently up his nose with her finger, causing him to glance over at her. His lips twitched on his face as Ron cleared his throat.
"Oi, I approve of you dating, but can you not be so touchy in front of me?" Ron asked, his hand waving at the board. "We're playing chess for fuck's sake!"
"I was making sure he could actually see the board," Ginny commented, her lips curving. "Maybe that's why he's such a shit player."
"Ouch!" Harry exclaimed, the grin still playing on his face.
Ginny shoved him playfully away from her before turning back to the board, concentrating on how to get their queen out of danger. Furrowing her brow, she believed she had a solution and almost commanded her queen. But she saw the sparkle in Ron's eye and re-evaluated. That's when she saw it. If she moved her queen there, Ron would have her in check. Bloody fucking wanker!
Before she could even think of another move, a bang sounded, causing Ginny to jump. Harry pulled her close to him with one arm while the other reached for his wand inside his pocket. His eyes snapped behind them, his gaze focusing out the window to see what had caused the bang. Ginny reached for her own wand, her heart hammering in her chest.
It was only silent for a split second before screams erupted. Another explosion. Then even more cries. Ginny's heart leapt to her throat, her fingers tightening around the smooth wood of her wand.
Harry jumped up, dashing towards the window. Ron blew past Ginny, wand in hand, to stand at Harry's right. Ginny rose, not skipping a beat as she joined them. Her body brushed against Harry's side, the air leaving her lungs at the sight before her.
Death Eaters swarmed outside Grimmauld Place, in the streets and on the pavement. Most of them wore masks, all but one woman, whose wild black hair sat untamed on her shoulders. She smiled manically, her yellow teeth shining brightly. Her crazed gray eyes stared directly where they stood on the other side of the glass, her wand trained on them.
Bodies littered the pavement, seemingly tossed aside like scattered playing pieces from a child's board game. A car was flipped on its side, the smoke billowing from it mingling with that of a burning tree in the grassy median, the dead grass going up in a blaze below it when flaming branches fell to the ground. Someone crawled out of another smoking car, crouching low with his head bleeding profusely. One of the Death Eaters caught sight of him, a bright green light stopping him dead in his tracks.
"Sirius!" the wild-haired woman cried. "Oh, my whittle baby cousin! Where are you? Holed up with your slag? Or can't you get her memories back?"
Bellatrix Lestrange.
Ginny sucked in a breath, her eyes widening. Harry stiffened next to her, his eyes staring unblinkingly at Bellatrix.
"Is Baby Potter with you?" Bellatrix screamed. "I'd love to meet him! I hear he's just like James! Pity, he was a filthy blood traitor!"
Bellatrix cackled, her wild hair blowing as a spell from a masked figure hurtled behind her and set fire to another tree. The flames grew rapidly in the dry air. Sirens wailed in the distance and Ginny's breath hitched. Her fingers wrapped around Harry's wrist, attempting to calm him.
Footsteps thundered up the stairs. It wasn't long before the adults burst into the parlor and stood behind the trio. Sirius clapped a hand on the back of Harry's neck while the other wrapped around Ginny.
"Sirius! Come out, come out, come out and play, you filthy fucking blood traitor!" Bellatrix screeched before she started laughing manically. "I need to see you, Sirius! I need to feel you again! I want to make sure you're raising your little brat the right way! The Black way!"
"She's fucking mental," Sirius muttered as he took a step closer to them, keeping his arms securely around the both of them.
Professor Lupin stood next to Ron, pressing a hand to his shoulder. Bill filed in next to Ginny while her mother hovered behind her next to Sirius. A ball of fire hurtled towards them. Ginny winced at the resounding crash and bang that followed, and she craned her neck to see the terrace house next to them that was now ablaze. Ginny gasped, her grip tightening around Harry's wrist.
Bellatrix raised her wand, pointing it directly at the window. She brandished her wand, a bright green light escaping the tip and hitting some invisible barrier in front of them. Bellatrix sneered, a scream escaping her mouth as she continued to stay focused on finding a way to penetrate the protective wards of the house she could not see.
"Fudge won't be able to deny this any longer," Bill mused.
"SIRIUS!" Bellatrix screamed. "BRING ME YOUR LITTLE BRAT!"
"Hmm, he will find a way especially if Bellatrix is going to keep screaming Sirius' name," Remus replied.
A fire engine blew down the street. Bellatrix turned towards it, her wand pointing right at it. With a snap of her wrist and a sneer on her face, the fire engine flew into the air. The side of the engine smashed into the terrace houses across the street. Ginny jumped at the bang, her face burying itself into Harry's arm.
"Bloody hell," Ron breathed.
Ginny screwed her eyes shut, her fingers moving from Harry's wrist down to his palm. He squeezed her fingers tightly, his breathing coming out in harsh huffs.
"We need to help them," Harry whispered.
"No," Sirius replied in a brisk tone, leaving no room for discussion. "The Aurors will be here any moment. There's nothing more we can do."
Ginny dared to look back out the window, but she could make out little in the distance beyond the fire and smoke. It coiled up in the air, staining the bright sky a dark gray. Ginny's eyes snapped back down to the Death Eaters who held their ground. She knew Bellatrix couldn't see her inside the house, but it was unnerving to see her staring right at them. Her grip tightened around Harry's hand, keeping him from doing something stupid and noble like trying to fight off a group of Death Eaters setting fire to the terrace houses around them now that they had murdered all of the people who had not been able to flee the area.
In the din of the sirens and crackling flames, Ginny barely heard the soft crack of Apparition. But she saw it. Saw him. Saw Tom. He stepped up next to Bellatrix, bending down to speak with her. Bellatrix pointed directly at the window where the group stood and a snarl worked its way across his face.
"Sirius," Mum whispered behind her. "Sirius, what do we do?"
Tom stepped forward, tugging his wand from his black robes. He pointed it directly at the window, a glint in his eye, before he snapped his arm. A bright orange spell hurtled towards them, causing Ginny to flinch back, before it hit the invisible force that protected them. He didn't seem discouraged as an array of spells fired from his wand at breakneck speed, each one failing to reach their destination.
"Remus… can he break the Fidelius?" Sirius asked, a slight panic in his tone.
"I wouldn't expect that he could," Remus reasoned, his voice on edge. "Then again, the Fidelius broke when he tried to kill Harry all those years ago."
"That's not comforting in the slightest," Sirius snapped, more sirens growing closer and closer.
"My gut says no, but I don't know if that's just wishful thinking right now," Remus said in a rush.
"Do we leave then?" Mum asked, panic clear as day in her voice.
"How do we leave? We're surrounded," Bill reasoned with a snap to his tone. "The Floo is disconnected. We'd have to tear down the wards around the house to Apparate out."
Two police vehicles weaved around the burning cars in the street. Tom must have sensed them because, while he kept his gaze on the terrace house, his wand raised and pointed in the direction of the cars. Brandishing his wand, the cars flew backwards as though a large gust of wind had swept them away. Without missing a beat, he shot a violet spell towards the front window of Number Twelve.
"We have to do something!" Harry argued. "They're defenseless! They stand no chance!"
"That is exactly what he wants us to do!" Sirius replied, his tone harsh.
Tom stopped hurtling spells. His hands clasped in front of him, his eyes sliding shut as he tucked his chin to his chest. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Could we do Apparate out?" Sirius asked. "Would we have enough time to break the wards and then escape before they were any the wiser?"
"Where would we even go?" Remus pressed. "There's nowhere to go that's as safe as here."
"He's trying to break the bloody Fidelius!" Sirius shouted. "If we stay here, we risk going down with the house!"
Harry's skin grew hot against Ginny's palm. She turned her head slowly to look at him. Harry stood oddly still his eyes unblinking as he stared out the window.
"Harry," Ginny whispered, her thumb brushing against the inside of his knuckles as she felt it growing hotter and hotter by the second.
Then, as if in slow motion, Harry turned his head to look at her. Ginny froze when she saw the blood red eyes, far more solid and unwavering than ever before. There was no hint of green around the edges, no sign of recognition at all. A snarl worked its way on Harry's face and Ginny screamed, her grip dropping from his wrist.
Sirius jumped when Ginny screamed, his attention snapping towards her. She stared at Harry looking back at her, her body trembling. Without wasting any time, Sirius gripped his godson's shoulder and whipped him around to look at him. The air left his lungs when he saw the blood red eyes staring back at him. With a flick of Harry's wrist, Sirius flew across the room. His back collided with an end table, the wood cracking and splintering under his weight.
He grunted in pain as he rolled onto his side, a sharp pain flooding his side as he felt something pierce the skin. Forcing himself up, his eyes snapped towards the window. Bill had rushed to block the doorway, his wand out. Ginny grabbed for Harry's arm, her fingers clawing desperately at his hoodie as she gasped his name. He wrenched his arm away from her, an uncharacteristic look of disdain working its way across Harry's face. Harry took a step away from the group, his wand pointing directly at Ginny's chest.
"Oi!" Ron shouted, leaping on Harry's back and pulling them down to the ground.
They landed with a loud thump, a red spark emitting from Harry's wand and hitting the ceiling. Remus dove to the ground, trying to snatch the wand from Harry's grip. Sirius limped towards the trio that wrestled for control of the wand, the pain in his side growing worse with each step he took. He hissed, his teeth gritting together, as he ambled towards the group.
A burst of an invisible source knocked Remus away, his back colliding with the wall and causing a crack in the plaster. The tip of the wand shoved into Ron's arm and he screamed. Sirius saw the blisters form immediately from the burn as Harry rose to his feet, his chest heaving as he turned towards Sirius.
"Let him go," Sirius growled, his wand trained on Harry's chest.
A smirk crossed Harry's face. "Kill him, Sirius. A painless death from you would serve him better than a very torturous one from me, don't you agree?"
Sirius' heart pounded in his chest, his eyes searching Harry's face. His godson was nearly unrecognizable. In fact, if it wasn't for the messy hair and lightning bolt scar, Sirius wouldn't have recognized him at all. Sirius took a step to the left, positioning himself between Harry and where Bill stood guard of the doorway. They couldn't let Harry leave.
"Kill him, Sirius. Then, you'll be free."
Sirius didn't move a muscle, but he kept the wand trained on his godson. There wasn't a chance in hell Sirius would ever use a wand against Harry, but Voldemort didn't know that. He masked his features, trying to appear as stoic as possible.
"Harry, if you can hear me, you need to fight him!" Sirius shouted. "Put up the wall! Shut off your emotions!"
A twisted laugh escaped Harry's lips, sounding so sinister that it was hard to even see Harry anymore, hair and scar or not. With a flick of Harry's wrist, Sirius felt something push him to the ground and hold him there. He screamed, fighting with all his might to stand up, but he couldn't. Another wave of Harry's wand and Bill went flying into the hall, a loud crack sounding. Ginny rushed towards him, but she too was thrown to the ground in a matter of seconds. Ron darted past Harry into the hallway. Sirius screamed again once Harry left the parlor, his throat feeling as though it would rip in half.
Molly rushed towards Sirius, her wand waving to lift the spell that held him down while Remus ran past them into the hallway.
"Sirius, you're bleeding," Molly gasped.
He didn't care, the pure adrenaline pumping through his veins and allowing him to keep going. He scrambled to his feet, wand in hand, as he dashed into the hallway after everyone else and ignored the sharp pain in his side. Ron stood in front of the door, his body spreading to cover as much of it as humanly possible. Ginny blurred past them all, taking a spot in front of Ron with her hands held out in front of her.
"Harry, please, it's us," Ginny pleaded. "Don't let him do this! Don't let him win!"
"If you want Harry, then you'll have to kill us all!" Ron shouted, his face shining a ghastly white.
Sirius stumbled forward. Ginny had touched Harry's face the past two times he had been possessed and knocked him out of it. If Sirius could just touch him, get him to look at him, he could help Harry. He walked past where Bill and Remus stood guarding the way to the back of the house. It was the only other escape route.
Harry whipped around, his wand training on Sirius' chest. "You cannot help him. He is tucked away in the very back of his mind, blissfully unaware of what is happening."
Sirius swallowed. "You'll have to kill me if you want him," he said, an idea sparking in his mind, his thoughts flickering to Lily. "Kill me instead. I'll gladly give my life for his. Kill me, now. Please, just kill me and spare him."
The red eyes flashed dangerously. "There is no shared blood between you. That will not work."
Sirius forced a smile on his face. "I don't care. Kill me instead. Spare Harry."
Nobody moved, tension hanging thick in the air. Sirius uncurled his fingers from around his wand, his only defense dropping onto the stained hardwood floor with a loud thump. His chest heaved as he welcomed death, hoping that the same thing that happened all those years ago on Halloween would happen once more as he held up his hands in front of him.
"KILL ME!" Sirius shouted. "KILL ME INSTEAD!"
Sirius braced himself, but nothing came. Voldemort would not take the bait. Instead, the unthinkable happened. The tip of the wand pressed against Harry's throat, a manic glint crossing his face. "Let me leave or else I will slit his throat."
Sirius froze, his eyes snapped to the wand that pressed so deep into Harry's skin that it looked to already be starting to bruise.
"A sacrifice won't work if you're not in the way," Harry growled.
Sirius' heart pounded in his ears, his body trembling as he took a step forward, deciding to try his original approach once more. "Harry, listen to me. You need to fight him. You can push him out."
A bitter laugh escaped Harry's lips, so menacing and dark that Sirius feared that Harry had slipped so far from reality that nothing would work.
"Harry," Sirius continued in a thick voice, his tongue peeking out to moisten his lips. "Harry, it's me. It's Sirius. You can do this. You can push him out. Please, Harry, I can't lose you. You're my godson and I love you."
Harry's hand jerked and the pressure of the wand against his skin eased ever so slightly. Sirius swore he saw a very faint flicker in the red eyes, a spark of sorts. There was no green hint, like Ginny had seen, but Sirius knew Harry was fighting. He was there. A small breath escaped Sirius' lips.
"Harry, I love you so much," Sirius continued, the words spilling out of his mouth as tears prickled his eyes. "I remember the day you were born. You were all small and soft and you had this baby smell about you. I was instantly in love. I thought you were the greatest person I had ever laid eyes on. I vowed to myself that I would protect you, that I would always protect you and love you and be there for you. You always lit up whenever I would stop by the Hollow. You had a stuffed black dog I bought you and I bought you your first broom for your birthday. Well, I bought you two brooms, but I reckon you only remember the one. The first one barely lifted off the ground, but you sped across the room with ease on it, knocking over vases and nearly killing Archibald. You had a cat, did you know that? His name was Archibald and I haven't the foggiest idea what happened to him. He was your mum's when she was in school and that fucking cat hated your dad and I. The cat hated Padfoot too, and we all know any animal that dislikes Padfoot isn't anything special. I used to hold you in my arms and shoo old Archie away, telling him to get lost because he'd glare at you. I protected you back then too, even from a fucking cat you annoyed because nobody messes with my godson, the one person I love most in the world."
Sirius took a large, daring step forward. The red seemed to fade as a hint of green began to shine through. Sirius licked his lips, a hand raising to touch his godson. He just needed the connection as the green slowly started to appear the longer Sirius had talked.
"Harry," Sirius whispered. "Please, Harry, I love you."
All the red from his eyes disappeared and a dull green stared back at him.
"Sirius!" Harry gasped, his voice strained and petrified.
As soon as the green came, it left. The red was back, blazing and irate. Sirius' heart dropped to his stomach as a sneer worked its way across Harry's face. Sirius took another step forward as Harry's own wand dug into his throat once more. Except this time, Sirius was a little less scared. Breaking through to Harry's emotions seemed to be what would help penetrate the possession.
"Harry, I love you," Sirius said in a desperate voice. "You're my family. I need you to fight this."
Harry's wand arm trembled, the sneer on Harry's face crumbling bit by bit. Sirius took one more step forward, his hand so close to touching him. If he could just cup Harry's face in his hands and force his godson to really look at him, he knew it'd be all right. He was so damn close.
"Harry," Sirius whispered, taking another slow step.
Harry's face hardened for a split second, a steely look firmly in place. Then, raising his wand, his arm strong and steady, he placed the tip below his ear and sliced it across his neck. Blood blossomed along his neck and down his chest before he crumbled to the ground in a heap. Screams sounded around them as Sirius rushed forward, dropping to his knees. His hands pressed against the wound to try to stop the bleeding, tears clouding his vision so Harry was just a blur of colors.
Molly fell to the ground next to him, her wand out. "Sirius, what do we do?"
"We need to get out of here!" Sirius shouted, unable to control his volume levels.
"Can he travel?" Ron asked in a quivering voice.
Molly sniffed. "Move your hands, Sirius. I'll try to seal it but it might not hold depending on how deep it is."
Molly's wand shook as Sirius let go of Harry's neck. The blood seemed to spurt out as soon as his hands left the skin. A split second later, a pale blue light burst from Molly's wand as she traced the cut.
"How do we get out?" Remus asked in a frantic tone. "We're surrounded! There's not an exit in this place that Voldemort won't know about!"
"We have to Apparate!" Bill shouted in a frantic voice. "It's the only way!"
"We can't go outside! We'll be killed instantly!" Remus protested.
Molly lifted her wand and ran her fingers along the cut. Sirius held his breath. Harry's neck was completely saturated with blood, the carpet beneath him drenched. Harry wasn't moving but Sirius could see the slow rise and fall of his chest.
"We drop the wards!" Bill reasoned. "I can dismantle them!"
Molly bit her lip as she sat back on her heels. "I don't think it'll hold. It seems deeper than a flesh wound. He needs a Healer."
Sirius scooped Harry off the floor and into his lap. His hand cupped Harry's cheek and pressed his face close to his chest.
"Can't they get in if we drop the wards?" Ginny asked in a shaking voice.
"In normal circumstances, yes," Remus replied in a thoughtful voice. "We have the Fidelius on our side though. To be safe, we should Apparate out the moment the wards drop."
"Dumbledore's here!" Ron shouted.
Sirius looked up to see Ron looking out the window next to the door. Ginny was pressed to his side, her entire body shaking.
"Get away from the door!" Remus shouted. "Ron, you'll Apparate with your mother. Ginny, why don't you come with me? Sirius, are you able to take Harry?"
Sirius clenched his jaw, tightening his grip on Harry. "I have him."
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked as she dashed across the room.
Sirius glanced up at Remus, his eyebrows raised. That was really the million Galleon question. Where in the world could they bloody well go? Remus wrapped an arm around Ginny, pulling her into a side hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her body trembling uncontrollably as she stared wide eyed at Harry.
"The Burrow," Molly said in a confident voice as she stood and wrapped her arms around Ron.
"Is it safe enough?" Remus questioned.
"Dumbledore placed some wards on it himself," Molly explained, her hand carding through Ron's hair. "It's not quite as secure as a pureblood manor warded by a mad and paranoid blood supremacist, but it will do for now."
"Everyone get together in case things go wands up!" Remus nodded. "Bill, now!"
Ron reached down to grab Harry's and Sirius' wands off the floor as Bill worked on the wards. Sirius' heart hammered in his chest as the walls shook around them. Sirius tried to control his breathing because the last thing they needed was to deal with two Splinched individuals. Sirius looked down at Harry's pale face. Harry's green eyes opened and his lips parted as though he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Shh, it's all right," Sirius whispered. "We're getting out of here and we'll patch you up. You're safe now."
The seconds ticked by, nobody daring to speak as Bill muttered under his breath with his wand pointed at the exterior wall. Sirius pressed Harry so close to his chest that he was certain the kid couldn't move an inch. Bangs and shouts sounded from outside of the home. Remus craned his neck to look out of the front window as Ginny pressed her face into his chest. All Sirius could see were swirls of colors that passed by the pane of glass. Sirius pressed his lips against Harry's unruly mop.
"On the count of three!" Bill announced, a bright yellow light engulfing the room. "One. Two. Three. NOW!"
Sirius screwed his eyes shut, Apparating on the spot. He landed outside of the Burrow's wards, unable to Apparate directly into the house. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to stand up with Harry cradled in his arms, but he couldn't seem to stand. Bill rushed over, swooping down and alleviating the weight from Sirius.
"Get inside!" Remus shouted. "I'll grab a Healer!"
With a crack, Remus was gone.
"Let me take him, Sirius," Bill murmured as he helped Harry stand, wrapping an arm around him.
Sirius nodded, heaving as he stood up. Little black dots crossed in front of his eyes as he wheezed. "Make sure his neck doesn't move!"
Molly ushered the kids inside before appearing at Sirius' elbow, her arm wrapping around his waist to help him inside the kitchen. Bill helped Harry sit down on the chair. Sirius stumbled towards his godson who shook violently. Sinking down into a chair next to him, he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and tried to calm him.
"You're safe now," Sirius murmured.
Harry didn't say anything, his trembling hand touching the wound on his neck. He turned slowly to look at Sirius, the cut splitting open in one section as fresh blood bubbled. Sirius pressed a hand to Harry's throat, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
"Don't move," Sirius commanded him, his other hand pressing against the back of Harry's head so he could keep the pressure nice and steady. "Remus is grabbing a Healer."
Molly rummaged through a cupboard, flicking her wand so that vials and bandages and a bunch of other first aid items floated across the room and sat down on the table. Ginny and Ron stood huddled together, Ginny pressing tightly against her brother's chest as the two watched the scene unfold in front of them with wide eyes. Bill hovered near, his low drawl comforting the two younger Weasleys.
Sirius concentrated on breathing. In through his nose and out through his mouth. The pain in his side had intensified upon Apparating, and it took everything Sirius had to try to push it to the back of his mind. Harry was more important. The black dots had receded a bit, but he couldn't deny he felt slightly lightheaded. He knew if he tried to stand, he would wind up on the floor.
Molly bent down in front of Harry, her fingers carding through Harry's hair. She smiled warmly at them, though Sirius saw the anxiety shining brightly on her face. He couldn't help but think of their conversation in the kitchen of Grimmauld a while ago.
"But you put a smile on your face when you see your children and you pretend that everything is right as rain so that they don't worry themselves into an oblivion like you are."
Sirius swallowed, the words never ringing truer in his mind. He could feel Harry trembling under his touch, could see his hands shaking in his lap.
A few moments later, the kitchen door opened and all the air left Sirius' lungs. Marlene stepped in behind Remus looking so painstakingly familiar that he felt like he couldn't breathe. Her hair was shorter than ever, cropped at her shoulders. Her hazel eyes no longer held a sparkle like they used to. Her face appeared thinner, gaunter. Sirius swallowed at the lump in his throat but it wouldn't go down. When Marlene looked in his direction, Sirius froze.
Marlene quickly looked away from him, setting her Healer bag down on the chair next to Harry. Molly moved out of the way, oblivious to who the woman actually was. Sirius couldn't speak, and he knew he had to stop staring at her. She thought he was an abusive wanker, a murderer, a… Sirius looked down at his lap.
"Hi, Harry, I'm Marlene," she greeted, a warm smile crossing her lips as she focused on Harry. "What happened?"
When Sirius didn't answer, Molly took it upon herself to explain, "His throat was slit. I tried to heal it as best as I could. But all I did was slow the bleeding a bit. I think it's deeper than my abilities are capable of healing."
Marlene nodded, her gaze focusing on Sirius' hand pressed against Harry's neck. He dropped it without a word, his gaze concentrating on his godson's blood smeared all over his palms and wrists. Marlene peered at the cut, her fingers ghosting along it.
"Do you know what direction he was cut?" Marlene asked. "It'll minimize scarring to heal it in the direction he was cut."
"He's right-handed," Sirius croaked, speaking for the first time.
Her gaze snapped up to meet his, her brows furrowing at the admission.
Sirius cleared his throat. "He was possessed. It was a forced self-inflicted wound."
Marlene nodded, her eyes flickering back to Harry's neck. Sirius glanced over at his godson to see him staring at Marlene, his brows lowering beneath his glasses. Bright pale light escaped Marlene's wand as she dragged the tip across Harry's throat multiple times. She worked methodically, silently. The left side of her bottom lip slid between her teeth, a sign of deep concentration that had always made Sirius smile.
"There. It was deep but the layers are all sealed," Marlene announced as she pulled out a tub from her bag. "This is a balm that will help minimize scarring."
Marlene smeared the sticky yellow balm across his neck, lathering it up liberally. She pulled a stark white bandage from her bag and pressed it to cover everything up.
"Leave that on for a good twelve hours to let it heal," Marlene instructed, her eyes meeting Harry's. "I would put more on in another twelve hours to really coat it. It should help to minimize the scar, but I'm afraid having been done by magic that you'll always see a faint line across your neck."
Harry didn't say anything, nor did he move. His eyes flickered over to look at Sirius and he gave him a warm smile.
"It's all right now, it's all healed," Sirius whispered, his hand ruffling Harry's hair.
Marlene sucked in an audible breath. "You'll need some potions. A Blood Replenishing Potion, perhaps something to calm your nerves and… Merlin, could you just back up?"
Sirius looked up to see Marlene glaring at him. Apparently, she had had enough of his close proximity to her. Giving a glaring Harry a squeeze on the back of the neck, Sirius winced as he stood up and crossed the kitchen to get away from Marlene. Harry muttered something under his breath, no doubt sticking up for Sirius, but he didn't have it in him to say anything himself. Sirius' side burned something awful and he knew he needed it tended to. Before, he had been running on pure adrenaline and barely noticed the pain. Now, he wanted to curl up into a ball and drink whisky until he passed out.
Molly crossed the room. Her hand brushed his arm, concern shining in her eyes as she glanced up at him. Sirius stared down at her, his hair flopping into his face and obscuring his vision.
"Let me see it," Molly urged, her head nodding to his side.
"I'm fine," Sirius replied, knowing he was being stubborn.
"Shirt off. Now," Molly commanded in a tone he had heard her use with Fred and George before.
Sirius sighed, his hand reaching back to grab the scruff of his collar. He hauled the shirt over his head, wincing as the fabric rubbed against the injury. Tossing the garment to the floor, he looked down to see a round puncture wound in his side. Molly pressed her fingers against it and he let out a hiss of pain.
"I think there's wood stuck in here," Molly mused. "Oh, Sirius, I don't know how to do this without hurting you!"
"Just Summon it out," Sirius told her. "I've had it done before."
Molly pursed her lips.
"Just come over here," Marlene commanded, causing Sirius to look up at her. "Lie down on the table. It's easier that way."
Sirius stared at Marlene. She was no longer tending to Harry, who stood with Ginny cuddled against his chest and Ron by his other side. Bill and Remus whispered in the corner, their eyes flickering between Sirius and Marlene.
"I'm sorry," Marlene said, her body stiff. "I just…" she trailed off, swallowing. "I was out of line. Please, let me help you."
Molly patted him on the arm. When he didn't move, she gave him a tiny push in the right direction. He tore his gaze away from her as he hopped up on the table and laid down, mindful of all the healing supplies. His left arm immediately covered his eyes, thinking it might be easier if he didn't look at her.
Her warm fingers pressed along the wound. He held his breath due to the pain and felt a hand grab his. Lifting his arm just slightly, he saw Molly standing beside him, his right hand pressed between both of hers.
Sirius dared to glance over at his godson. He was pale with dark circles stamped under his eyes. The large white bandage around his throat made Sirius want to vomit. He had failed the kid. Again.
Marlene rummaged through her bag, then grabbed a few things that Molly had laid out on the table before turning her attention back to his side. He avoided eye contact again, preferring to press his arm as tightly against his eye sockets as humanly possible.
Something cool splashed against the wound. Sirius gritted his teeth so hard that his temples hurt.
"What does bête noire mean?" Marlene asked, obviously trying to make small talk but it was not a question that Sirius wanted to answer.
Sirius moved his arm so he could see Marlene. She was focused on the wound as she prepped it. His breaths came out in harsh huffs, his gaze snapping down to his chest to see the nasty name written in perfect cursive directly above where his heart was.
Sirius swallowed. "It means black beast in French. It's a term you'd use for someone you despise."
He hated this. Marlene should already know the history behind his very first tattoo. He could remember her tracing her fingers along the letters, the suggestion of getting another tattoo he actually wanted had stemmed the obsession. Within a year, the bête noire tattoo no longer stood out like a sore thumb when he looked at himself. He had far more meaningful words and symbols on his body. But he kept the words etched into him from Bellatrix, to always remember how far he had come and how he had survived the clutches of his family.
Marlene caught his gaze. "Why would you get a tattoo of that?"
"I was held down and forced to get it branded on my body when I was sixteen," Sirius whispered, his gaze snapping down to look at the upside-down words.
Marlene sucked in a breath, the tip of her wand hovering above the wound. "By who?"
"My cousin. Bellatrix," Sirius replied in a soft voice, causing Molly to squeeze his hand. "It's her writing. My father and uncle held me down with the help of some magic. Bellatrix wanted me awake and coherent while she did it."
Sirius cleared his throat, his gaze snapping to the ceiling. Marlene didn't say anything except the mutter of an incantation under her breath. The wood ripped from his body, a scream escaping his lips as he gripped Molly's hand so tightly he had been afraid he'd broken her fingers once he came to his senses. He hit his head against the table a few times as he breathed through his nose.
"Almost done," Marlene assured him as a pale blue light shot from her wand.
The pain started to ease as each layer started to close up. Once done, there was nothing but smeared blood across his side and stomach. A faint circle embossed on his skin.
"I can bandage it with healing balm like I did with Harry to minimize the scarring," Marlene explained.
"Nah, I'm good," Sirius replied as he sat up, more than ready to make the awkwardness between him and Marlene cease.
He turned his attention back to Harry. Scooting off the table, Sirius made his way to his godson. Cupping his cheeks, he stared into Harry's green eyes. Sirius was never so happy to see those eyes as he was in that moment.
"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, wanting to confirm one last time.
"I'm all right," Harry replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
Sirius nodded, his hands dropping from Harry's face. "Cough over all the wands."
Ginny blinked, drawing her wand from her pocket and holding it out to Sirius. He took it before he looked between Harry and Ron. Ron hesitated a moment before he handed over his wand and Sirius'.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius replied. "He used your own wand against you. Until you can master Occlumency-"
"So not only do I get to be unprotected, but everyone else has to be as well?" Harry snapped, his brows furrowing. "We can't go wandless."
"We'll put them somewhere safe and accessible if the worst-case scenario happens," Sirius reasoned.
Harry didn't move.
Sirius sighed. "Harry, I'm not asking."
Harry's jaw clenched as he reached for his wand, drawing it slowly from his pocket. He didn't hand it over, his fingers curling around the wood. Sirius stood with his hand out, refusing to leave until he had it secure. Harry didn't look at him in the face, instead his eyes roamed across the tattoos that marred his body. Sirius pointed to one in particular under the left side of his chest. The initials HJP stood out in black ink with his birthday written underneath it.
"I made a promise to you the day you were born that I would always protect you," Sirius explained, his eyes focusing on Harry's face yet the kid only stared at his own initials. "About a week after you were born, I got a tattoo to remind me of that promise. Because you mean something to me, Harry. All these tattoos, they all represent a piece of my life." Sirius moved his finger to point to the bête noire tattoo. "This represents my shit family and how they treated me like I was dirt beneath their fingertips." He twisted just slightly to show his shoulder blade where four different animal tracks were inked. "That represented my friendships, our bond." He pointed to the prison number on his neck. "I didn't want this one either, but I got it anyway. It represents how I made the wrong fucking choice, how I lost my head." Sirius decided to skip over a few tattoos, not feeling like explaining their meaning, so he went back to the one he had gotten for Harry. "This was for you. This represents my love for you. How I will protect you no matter what. I know you don't want to be defenseless without a wand, but it is necessary right now. My wand will go right next to yours. Right now, you having a wand is dangerous for you. I know that's not want you want to hear, but it's the truth. I am doing what's best for you for now. It's what James would have wanted me to do. He would have wanted me to protect you and take your wand until we can get the possessions under control."
Harry swallowed, his eyes dropping to his wand.
"You know what James asked of me a few weeks before he died?" Sirius continued, his voice cracking just slightly.
Harry looked up, his head shaking.
"He asked me…" Sirius cleared his throat, having difficulty to admit how he had not been able to fulfill James' wish. "He asked me to give you a good life and to keep you safe if he didn't make it. He asked me…" Sirius licked his bottom lip, his heart hammering in his chest. "He asked me to treat you like my own son and to be the dad to you that he couldn't be. I haven't been able to make good on that promise because of, well, my mistakes. But I want to now. I am trying to now. Harry, please, just give me your wand."
Tears burned Harry's eyes, but nothing fell down his cheeks. After a few beats, Harry passed over his wand to Sirius. Nodding, Sirius held all four wands in his hands. Turning around, he made his way towards Molly and handed them over.
"Hide them. All of them," Sirius instructed.
Sucking in a deep breath, Sirius wanted some fresh air. Needed it. His gaze paused on Marlene for a fraction of a second to see she had tears pouring down her face. He couldn't with her… not now, maybe not ever. He turned and made a beeline for the back door. Stepping out onto the deck, letting the door slam behind him, he let out a shaky breath, his back pressing against the side of the house. His eyes slid closed and he allowed himself to truly breath for the first time since the attack had started.
I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! Marlene finally meets Harry and Sirius again! And Voldemort is picking up on the closer he is to Harry, the easier it is to control him. Don't forget to drop a review! They motivate me to keep writing, they inspire ideas, and they just plan make me happy.
Special thanks to Bell for editing like a damn pro. Special thanks to funbunnypotter for being so amazing and helping me with the attack scene.