"Brumous"
"Chapter Fifty-Four: Basilisk Venom"
Sirius heaved a sigh as he deposited two cups of tea in front of Andromeda and Ted. He eyed the Ominis Gaunt book sitting on the table between them along with a folder with Harry's name on it stacked with parchment. Sirius tore his gaze away from his godson's name to pour himself a cup of tea as well before he joined them at the table.
Ted and Andromeda shared a look as though they were debating who should start talking. Sirius tried to swallow down his annoyance. He just wanted them to spit it out. Did they find a viable solution to rid Harry of the Horcrux or not? He assumed they had since they asked to speak with him, both of them taking the day off from work to meet with him rather urgently. They obviously both thought the conversation couldn't wait.
"I want to start off by saying that this is my personal medical file on Harry," Ted said, pressing his palm onto the folder. "I keep it at the house. I have a… watered down version in the office."
Sirius leaned back in his chair, his fingers tightening around the handle of his mug. While Sirius had never thought about having two separate medical files for Harry, it made sense. Merlin forbid some Death Eater Healer would obtain Harry's file and use that information against him.
"I made a copy of it so you can keep one as well," Ted continued. "Anytime I update it, yours will update as well. I think it's smart if we both have his real medical file safely stowed away given, well, everything."
Ted slid the file across the table. Sirius accepted it. He flipped through it to see the couple of Muggle medical records that Ted was able to obtain, Hogwarts infirmary records, his newest medical records from St. Mungo's, and a bunch of notes in the back about Harry's headaches, visions, and scar.
"Ted and I read this healing book you gave us from front to back," Andromeda said, her face tugging down. "There were a lot of techniques in here that are just… well, they're frowned upon in the Potions and Healing communities. I can only describe it as being akin to blood wards, it's old stuffy pureblood practices that have long gone out of style."
Sirius looked up from Harry's file to glance at his cousin. "Well, he was an old stuffy pureblood. He was a fucking Gaunt after all."
Andromeda sucked in a breath, sharing a look with Ted once more. Sirius had the sudden urge to snap at her to spit it out already, but he had silently made a New Year's resolution that he was going to stop being such a grumpy git. It was only the first week of the year and he was already struggling.
"Can you tell me what you're thinking?" Sirius said instead, his grip tightening around his mug.
"Basilisk venom," Andromeda said in a sure tone.
Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Basilisk venom?"
"It can destroy a Horcrux beyond repair," Andromeda elaborated.
Sirius blinked at his cousin. "Yeah, and basilisk venom almost killed Harry four years ago when he got bit by one."
"That's where I got the idea from," Andromeda admitted. "All of that was in the medical file that Ted put together. It was rather descriptive, which was helpful, so we'll have to thank Madam Pomfrey for that. I spoke with Dumbledore about the venom a week ago."
Sirius frowned. "I don't want to use a poison on my godson."
"It's what you're going to have to do, Sirius!" Andromeda exclaimed. "We need to render the Horcrux utterly useless and beyond repair. I think burning it out with Fiendfyre is a tad riskier."
Sirius' eyebrows shot up "A tad riskier? What the actual fuck, Andy? Now, you want to fucking burn my godson?"
"I don't like it either!" Andromeda exclaimed. "But you asked me to do this! You asked me to look into a way to destroy it! I think basilisk venom is our best bet. We will have phoenix tears nearby and be prepared. We can take all the precautions we can to not to get any on his skin or his insides."
Sirius swallowed. "Insides?"
Ted cleared his throat from the armchair. "I'd cut along his scar layer by layer until we find the Horcrux. Then, we'll drip the venom onto the Horcrux."
Sirius' heart thumped in his chest. "He'll be asleep for this?"
Ted and Andromeda shared a look. Yeah, Sirius was about ready to break his fucking resolution if they kept sharing their damn annoying looks. Sirius' jaw clenched.
"No," Ted replied, sounding grave. "We would need him awake to ensure we weren't… hurting him."
Sirius was going to be sick.
Ted nodded, his hands clasping together in front of him. "We'd have to make sure he's secure as well," he continued, a wince crossing his face. "During procedures where the patient is awake, they normally immobilize them so they can't move."
Sirius screwed his eyes shut, propping both elbows up on the table and running his hands through his hair.
"Harry would hate that," Sirius said in a hoarse voice. "To not be able to move any part of his body."
"We can use Muggle restraints," Ted offered.
All Sirius could think about was being chained to his bed at sixteen. How was he supposed to chain Harry to a bed and then cut him open?
"He'd have a little range of movement with his lower body," Ted explained. "But I'd have to secure his head with magic so he doesn't move."
"Merlin," Sirius breathed.
"It's all to protect him, Sirius," Andromeda insisted. "We don't want Harry to get hurt."
Sirius screwed his eyes shut. "You don't want him to get hurt but you're suggesting this? This is poison. This isn't a potion using a snake's slouched skin or, or their blood. This wasn't what I was expecting!" Sirius exclaimed, opening his eyes to stare at Ted and Andromeda. "What if the poison gets anywhere besides the Horcrux?"
Andromeda frowned. "Well, then we would probably have to abort everything and douse him in phoenix tears. I wouldn't even consider this unless we had them."
"If we used the phoenix tears then the Horcrux would…" Sirius trailed off, not wanting them to say what he was thinking.
"The Horcrux would heal as well," Ted confirmed. "At least, that's my hypothesis. So. we'd be back to square one and nothing would have changed."
Sirius rubbed the back of his neck, his head dropping down. It was so bloody risky. What if the venom seeped into his bloodstream too quickly and no amount of phoenix tears would help him? What if he hurt his godson beyond repair? What if he ended up killing his godson?
Sirius ran his hands down his face, his entire body tense. "This sounds incredibly dangerous."
Ted nodded. "It is," he agreed, his face tugging down. "I'm not going to lie to you, Sirius. This is incredibly risky and there's so many things that could go wrong."
Sirius swallowed. "So, you're telling me not to do it?"
Ted shrugged. "If it was Nymphadora… I think I would try. What's the alternative, Sirius? Wait around until Voldemort successfully kidnaps him or possesses him so he can murder him? Hope that when he does try to murder him that he only destroys the Horcrux but not kill him kill him? I mean, Sirius, none of the options are looking particularly positive."
"If we attempt this, we have some control if things go wrong," Andromeda added. "If we do nothing, then we leave it all up to chance."
Sirius pressed his fingers against his mouth, his head nodding. "I need to discuss this with Marlene."
Andromeda leaned back in her chair. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Sirius," she said. Then, she continued in a hesitant tone, "She's Harry's godmother and deserves to know what is going on. But I want you to remember, this is your decision. You are the one with full custody of Harry."
Sirius tilted his chin up to look at Andromeda. "Why would you say that?"
"Because if you two disagree and it becomes contentious, you need to know that it's ultimately your decision," Andromeda elaborated. "You are legally the one who decides what's best for Harry. Nobody else can."
Sirius sucked in a breath. "Right. No pressure at all then."
Andromeda frowned, her elbows propping up on the table as she leaned in towards Sirius. "Nothing about being a parent is easy. You just have to do what you think is best for your child and hope it's the right decision."
"And you think this is the right decision?" Sirius pressed.
Andromeda placed her hand over his. "I don't know, Sirius. I just don't know."
Long after Andromeda and Ted left, Sirius thought about dripping poison into an open wound on his godson. It seemed ridiculous, preposterous, and just plain insane. But what other options did they have? Ted was right when he mentioned what the other alternatives were. None of them were appealing in the slightest. Andromeda was also right. They would have some control over the situation and could be prepared for what they deemed as the worst-case scenarios.
But if something happened to Harry because of a decision Sirius made, he would never be able to forgive himself. He'd drown himself in so much alcohol that not even ridding the liquid from his stomach would save his life. He'd drink with the ultimate goal of killing himself, there was no doubt about that in his mind.
That evening, after Sirius was sure dinner was over, he made the trek in the snow towards Hogwarts in his leather jacket. The cold licked his skin, causing his limbs to twitch involuntarily. The entire way there, he told himself that he wasn't going to fuck things up with Marlene. He was going to talk to her, not at her. Even though Andromeda made it clear this was solely his decision, Sirius didn't want it to be. James and Lily named a godfather and a godmother. He'd be damned if he made anymore big decisions for the kid without consulting Marlene.
Knocking on the door to her living quarters, Sirius waited impatiently for her to answer. He hoped to Merlin she had turned in for the evening and wasn't off patrolling the castle. Much to his relief, a minute later, the door swung open and Marlene appeared with a giant smile on her face. She froze when she saw him, her smile slowly dropping.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?" Marlene asked.
"We need to talk about Harry," Sirius replied, his eyes searching her face. "I need to know if I'm completely fucking mad for even considering what I'm considering," he continued, pressing his way past her so that nobody overheard them. "I need your–"
Sirius cut himself off when he saw Harry and Ginny sitting together on the sofa. Harry sat rigid, his brows furrowing as he stared wide eyed at Sirius. Aww, fuck. Sirius tried to think of what he could tell the kid but came up completely empty, because he knew he couldn't tell Harry the whole truth.
"What about me?" Harry asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sirius clenched his jaw, his hands shoving into the pockets of his jacket. He wracked his brain for something to say. Anything. Marlene stepped up next to him, her palm pressing onto his back between his shoulder blades. The touch grounded him, clearing the fog in his mind.
"I think I have a way to sever your connection with Voldemort," Sirius settled on saying, because that was the best explanation that he could give the kid. Technically, it wasn't a lie. He just wasn't going to tell his godson the connection was through a bloody Horcrux buried inside of his head.
Harry sat up straight, stiff as a fucking board. "How?"
Sirius frowned. "We would, well, we would have to cut your scar open and douse the inside with a potion," he continued, telling half-truths. "But it's risky. We don't know what will happen or how you'll react, so you'd need to be restrained during it."
Harry's face grew pale as he reached for Ginny's hand. "Who would… do it?"
"Ted," Sirius replied. "We wouldn't do it at a hospital, but somewhere private. Ted, Andy, Marly, and I would be there with you the entire time."
"Sirius, can we discuss this in private first?" Marlene asked, her tone hard.
Sirius turned his head to look at her. Marlene's eyes blazed up at him with an intensity that he hadn't seen in a very long time.
"We can," Sirius assured her, his eyebrows raising to his hairline. "That's why I came, okay? I'm keeping you involved. I didn't know Harry would be here."
"So, what? You were going to make the decision without me?" Harry asked, anger biting his words. "Just tie me down and cut me open without even asking me my opinion?"
Sirius turned to his godson. "No, we are going to discuss it as adults and as your guardians before we talked to you about it. I would never force you to have a risky procedure done if you didn't want to. But, ultimately, if we decide it's too risky, then no, you don't get a say. We need to weigh if this is even an option before we speak to you about it."
The anger receded from his face but it was replaced with annoyance. "Do you think it'll work?" he pressed, his jaw tightening. "You think you can get Voldemort out of my head for good?"
Sirius sucked in a breath. "If this works in the way we think it will, then yes."
"I want to do it," Harry said in a sure tone.
Sirius shot Harry a tight smile. "Let Marly and I discuss first, all right?"
"I want it to stop!" Harry protested. "I hate that he's in my head. I hate not knowing when he's going to crop up in my dreams. I hate everything about it. I want it to end. I'm pants at Occlumency, so I need to try something else!"
"You're not pants at Occlumency," Sirius argued.
"I am!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm on a mind relaxing potion because I can't keep him out at all times!"
"Harry, love, why don't you and Ginny head back to Gryffindor Tower before curfew hits?" Marlene suggested in a kind and calm voice. "It's getting late."
"I want to discuss this with both of you," Harry insisted, not moving from his spot on the sofa.
Sirius crossed the room and took a seat next to his godson. His hands cupped Harry's face and forced the kid to look him square in the eye.
"Listen to me, we will discuss this with you," Sirius promised, his thumbs brushing along Harry's cheek bones. "But right now, it's nearly curfew. Marlene and I need to discuss the pros and cons. Then, we can sit down with you and tell you all the information."
Harry only stared at Sirius.
"I understand that you grew up with people who didn't give a shit about you or your wellbeing," Sirius continued, his eyes searching Harry's. "I know you've taken care of yourself for a very long time. But let Marly and I take care of you from now on. It's what your parents asked of us and it's a job we both take very seriously. It's a responsibility that we accepted long ago because we love you so damn much. We would never do anything to hurt you. We will always do our best to make all the right choices. But I need you to trust us a little. I need you to trust that we love you and we will do right by you. You're not alone anymore. We're a family, a proper family."
Harry swallowed visibly, his hands wringing in his lap. "Okay."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?" he asked surprised, because he had been readying himself for a fight.
Harry let out a low breath. "Yeah, I… I trust you. Both of you. I just, I want to make the decision with you," he stressed.
Sirius' lips curved up. "You will definitely make the decision with us. I promise you. I just want to discuss it with Marly first and then I'll be more than happy to discuss it with you."
Harry didn't look entirely at ease with the plan, but Sirius counted it as a massive victory. It pained Sirius that Harry felt the need to tackle his problems alone. For Harry to trust him enough to figure out a bulk of the issue before discussing it with him was a step in the right direction for both of them. Perhaps, Harry was finally seeing Sirius as an acceptable parental figure.
After Harry and Ginny left, Sirius replayed his conversation with Ted and Andromeda to Marlene. He watched as Marlene's face crumbled, tears welling in her hazel eyes. She listened to him speak himself hoarse, never interrupting him once. Sirius was grateful for that, because it was hard to enough to explain the awful situation to her.
"What do we do?" Sirius asked, his heart hammering in his chest.
Marlene stared at him, her lips parting to let out a shaky breath. "Sirius, basilisk venom could kill him," she said in a strained voice.
Sirius nodded, his throat narrowing painfully. "I'm well aware of that. But what other choice do we have? I don't want to lose him, Marly. I can't lose him. Voldemort will eventually come for him and he'll find him. I'd like for that fucker to be mortal so we can kill him before he can kill our godson."
Marlene's chest heaved. "Isn't there another way? You're a Gaunt, Sirius. You have a connection to Voldemort that no one else has. It's time we start to exploit that!"
Sirius' jaw tightened. "Yeah, I'm very well aware of my parentage, thanks for the reminder, Marlene," he snapped, his head shaking. "Just because I'm that psychopath's biological son doesn't mean I have some unique fucking power in all this."
Marlene's face pulled. "I just meant… I don't know what I meant. I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm so fucking scared. The thought of tying him down to a table and cutting him open so we can pour deadly venom inside of him is just…"
A sob escaped Marlene's lips. Her hands pressed over her mouth, her eyes closing shut. Her entire body shook. Sirius stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. He held her close to his chest, one hand carding his fingers through her hair and holding her head steady against his chest.
"We need to destroy that Horcrux," Sirius whispered. "We can't leave it up to chance."
Marlene wrapped her arms around his waist, her nose pressing into his chest.
"We have to do something," Sirius added, his vision blurring. "I can't sit back and watch him die like James and Lily. I can't sit back while he makes Pensieve memories for loved ones because he expects to die. I can't watch him slip into a deep depression like James did. I can't do any of that again. I have to do something. I have to save him in a way I couldn't save James."
Marlene pulled back just enough that she could rest her chin against his chest and look up at him. Sirius tucked his chin so he could see her face.
"What do we tell him?" Marlene asked. "I think… I think it should be the truth. The whole truth, Sirius."
Sirius shook his head. "We can't do that."
"Sirius, we can't cut him open and lie to him about what we're doing," Marlene argued. "He's sixteen years old. If he finds out the truth, he'll never trust us again. It could ruin our relationship with him."
"I'd rather that than have him wind up dead," Sirius replied. "If this doesn't work, we need to keep our options open with the sacrificial bullshit Dumbledore talked about."
"I can't lie to him," Marlene whispered.
Sirius screwed his eyes shut. He had to tell Marlene about Lily's plea not to tell him about the Horcrux. Either Marlene will think he was completely fucking bonkers (like he definitely felt) or she would make him feel like a moron (for not believing he really had ghost snake seeing abilities).
"Marly… I have to tell you something," Sirius started, his eyes opening slowly. "The Gaunts are descendants of Slytherin. Parseltongue isn't the only gift that's been passed down through the generations."
Marlene's brow furrowed, her body pulling even further away from him. He could see her face clearly now. Her hands left his waist, her palms pressing against his chest.
"Snakes… snakes are said to slip through the cracks," Sirius said in a hoarse voice.
"Slip through what cracks?" Marlene pressed.
"The cracks between the physical living world and, and… the underworld," Sirius finished, his face pulling. "I… when I'm dreaming or, or when I'm highly emotional, I… I see dead people."
Marlene blinked at him. "You see dead people?" she echoed.
Sirius' mouth felt like he had swallowed at least a hundred cotton balls. "For years in Azkaban, I would have these… shouting matches with James. I thought I had gone mad. I thought I had cracked. James would yell at me to get up and fight to get out of there, and I just told him to fuck off because he wasn't real," he explained, his entire body tense and uncertain. "After Azkaban, I'd have these dreams with James in them. And, again, I didn't think anything of it, you know? Then, when I overdosed on alcohol, I remember James was there and telling me to stop drinking. I just drank more and more because I didn't want to fucking see him. Then, I saw Regulus at the Riddle house when we were saving Cepheus. He told me to run. Then, I fucking saw Lily over the Christmas holiday and she told me that love was the only thing that could save Harry and told me not to tell him about the Horcrux inside of him."
Sirius' chest heaved, his breaths coming out in harsh huffs. He needed Marlene to say something, to call him crazy or brilliant. He didn't even care which.
"I see James in mirrors and through windows," Sirius continued. "He's always fucking there. At first, I think it's Harry. But it's not Harry, because when I turn around, nobody is there. It's James. I keep seeing James."
Marlene chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes never leaving his face. Sirius pressed his hands to her upper arms, tightening his fingers around her to try to steady himself.
"Are they here right now?" Marlene asked.
"What?" Sirius asked, his brows tugging down.
"Are…" she trailed off, clearing her throat. "Are Lily and James here with us right now?"
"You believe me?" Sirius breathed, his eyebrows raising.
Marlene shrugged. "Well, I don't think you're lying about it," she insisted, a tear sliding down her cheek. "You may be a moody wanker, but you're not mad."
Sirius felt the muscles in his shoulders release. "Sometimes, I don't know if I'm mad or not. I want to believe they're actually there, but…but it's impossible, isn't it?"
"Anything is possible, Sirius," Marlene replied, her hands gliding from his chest to his neck. "Are they here now?"
Sirius sucked in a breath and looked around the room, feeling like a complete muppet. He saw no one. He even made sure to look specifically at the windows and the mirror above the fireplace.
"I don't see anyone," Sirius concluded. "I don't see them all the time."
"And Lily said love was what would save Harry?" Marlene asked.
Sirius nodded. "I don't know what that means."
Marlene's hands dropped from his skin, leaving a chill behind after her warmth. "Who else knows about this? About you seeing… seeing those who have passed?"
Sirius licked his lip. "Dumbledore mentioned it originally. But I never confirmed nor denied anything with him. You were the first person I told."
"You didn't tell Harry?" Marlene asked. "Why?"
Sirius swallowed. "What am I supposed to say to him? Hey, Harry, I may or may not have been seeing your dead parents? I'm either mad or talking to ghosts."
"You told me," Marlene insisted.
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I told you because I wanted your honest opinion. Harry would believe me if I told him the sky was fucking red. He wouldn't even question if I was mad or not. The kid has way too much faith in me for some bloody reason."
"I think he just loves you," Marlene reasoned. "You have shown him such compassion and you're so soft with him in a way you aren't with other people, it's no wonder he has placed you on a pedestal."
Sirius' felt a warmth flood his body. "I just love him, Marly."
"That's very evident, Sirius," Marlene replied, her head cocking to the side.
"I worry one day he's going to figure out that I'm just a terrible human being and he won't want anything to do with me anymore," Sirius confessed. "He's so kind and he's such a great person. I'm… I'm not that."
"I don't think you give yourself enough credit," Marlene stated with a sad smile. "I don't understand how someone can think so little of themselves but also be extremely confidant at the same time."
Sirius looked up at the ceiling. "Me being confidant in my abilities doesn't make me a good person, Marly."
Marlene sighed. "You're not a bad person, Sirius."
"I'm going to lie to my godson about why we're cutting him open," Sirius reasoned. "Even you thought that was awful."
Marlene searched his face. "I didn't know everything. If you're seeing Lily and she's telling you to lie to him… I mean, we should listen, right?"
Sirius nodded. "The big question is if I am," he whispered before he cleared his throat, not wanting to talk about his bloody ghostly visions any longer. "I should go. We can think separately on the issue and talk about it later. But, Marly, I… I really think we need to keep the Horcrux information between us. I know that kid. He will not cope well with that knowledge."
"I won't say anything," Marlene promised. "At least, until we discuss after thinking on it all."
Sirius held his breath for a few moments. "Goodbye, Marlene."
Sirius took a step away from her. Marlene gave him a small wave. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way towards the door. When he was almost out the door, like a bloody fucking moron, he turned around to look at her.
"I broke it off with Tegan," he told her. "I, uh, I just thought you should know."
Marlene raised her chin, her body growing stiff. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Sirius shook his head. "Don't be," he replied, his fingers wrapping around the door knob. "I… I care about you, Marly. And I know I've been a wanker towards you. I know I haven't dealt with any of this appropriately. But I'm trying now. I'm really trying."
"I care about you too, Sirius," Marlene whispered.
Sirius smiled tightly at her before he turned around. He twisted his wrist and pushed open the door. He walked down the corridor, a long sigh escaping his lips, to begin the long walk home to a quiet house. He had grown used to the boys being home for Christmas, the laughter and the chatting and the wireless on way too loud.
"Sirius!" Marlene's voice shouted.
Sirius turned around to see Marlene walking towards him. She stopped short of him, her hand shooting up to tug him down to her height. Her fingers wrapped around the nape of his neck, pulling him into a fierce hug. Sirius screwed his eyes shut as he held her tightly against his chest.
"Thank you," Marlene whispered, pulling back to look up at him. "I'm glad we're in this together. And I just want you to know… I'm not upset with you about anything. I hope you don't hold anything against me. It's been a really hard last… Merlin," she blew out a puff of air, her thumb brushing under her eye. "It's been a really hard fifteen years."
Sirius swallowed. "It has been," he agreed. "I'm not upset with you about anything either."
Marlene's watery hazel eyes searched his face. "Good night, Sirius."
Sirius shot her a closed-mouth smile. "Night, Marly."
Marlene took a couple of steps back, their eye contact never breaking. Sirius wanted to kiss her. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted so many things that seemed right at the tip of his fingers. But he was also very acutely aware that he could muck it all up just as easily if he tried to rush anything. So, Sirius only watched her turn around and walk away from him. He didn't move from his spot until she disappeared into her living quarters. Heaving a sigh, Sirius stuffed his hands into his pockets and went home as well.
For one reason or another, Harry expected to talk to his godparents the very next evening about the procedure to sever the connection between him and Voldemort. But Sirius didn't mention it when he called him on the mirror and Marlene didn't say anything when they stopped to chat quick in the corridor between classes. While Harry tried to be exceedingly patient and be just a kid like Sirius asked of him, he couldn't help the stab of irritation the longer neither one of them mentioned the giant Hippogriff in the room.
What could they be even discussing? If he wanted to be cut open then shouldn't they just go with it? It was his body. His life. He would gladly try some experimental surgery if that meant he had a chance to live a more normal life. He didn't know how much longer he could take the thought that Voldemort could be lingering in his mind without his knowledge.
"Parents are annoying," Ginny concluded on day three of no further communication about the topic. "You're not a child. You can make your own decision."
"Maybe there's more to it than just…" Ron trailed off, making a clicking noise with his tongue. "You know."
Harry's brow furrowed. "What? You think they're lying to me about it?"
While Sirius had omitted telling Harry things, he couldn't think of a time Sirius had outright lied to him. What could they be hiding from him?
"You think they're going to cut Harry open and not tell him exactly what's going on?" Ginny pressed. "Don't be dense. They've probably already made up their mind and now they're trying to figure out how to get Harry to agree with them to make it seem like he had a say."
Harry looked between his girlfriend and his best mate. He felt like a moron. A giant idiot. Harry found himself struggling ever since Sirius signed the adoption papers on how exactly a proper family functions. He had never been a part of a family before, because the Dursleys sure as hell didn't count. He had never had a father-figure or a mother-figure or anyone who actually cared about him before. For as long as he could remember, he just took care of himself. If he was sick, hurt, or struggling in some way, Harry just dealt with it. There was no adult to turn to before. No adult had ever taken the time to even attempt to solve a problem Harry had until Sirius came stumbling into his life.
Harry liked it. Sure, it was frustrating to be left in the dark and he just wanted Sirius to tell him things, but he liked the thought that someone would be by his side at the drop of a hat if he needed them. He liked that not only Sirius but now also Marlene tried to solve his problems and look out for him. It felt like this wonderful and incredibly normal family – what Harry had always dreamed of.
But he also felt like he didn't know how to play his role in the family. He didn't know how to be a son. For months, Harry kept the peace with Sirius. He never opened his mouth about anything that could potentially rock the broom. He tried so hard to be just a kid like Sirius asked, even though he wasn't exactly sure what that even meant. So, he focused on bringing up his grades and playing Quidditch. But he couldn't help himself following Malfoy and Nott. The tiny spark of adventure tugging at his curious nature. When Sirius found out, exasperated as he was, Harry didn't even get scolded about it. When McGonagall called Sirius in for Harry skiving off Snape's class, Sirius had backed up his false claims of headaches. Harry didn't even receive a lecture.
Harry started voicing his thoughts more and more. His distaste for Sirius' drinking, his confusion on how Sirius approached relationships, and his desire to know what was going on. Sirius never raised his voice at Harry. Not once. Which was surprising because Harry had heard Sirius shouting at quite a few people since he's met him. But not once did Sirius ever holler at him. Harry wasn't dumb. He knew it was only a matter of time before Sirius would lose his temper with Harry as well, especially if he kept pushing the boundaries.
Harry knew he wasn't the easiest person to love, not with his poor social skills and having a murdering psycho after him. Harry did find himself in more trouble than he knew what to do with. He often didn't know what to say or do when people around him were upset besides listen to them and awkwardly pat them on the back. Sometimes, try as he may, he couldn't help his own temper. He had blown up on enough people over the years or gave some snarky remark that he probably should have kept to himself more times than he could count. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Sirius so much or exasperate him enough times that he washed his hands of Harry completely.
Looking up at the ceiling, Harry let out a sigh. "Okay, what do I do?"
Ron blinked at him. "About what?"
Harry held his breath for a few moments. "Do I confront them about it?"
"Sure?" Ron replied with a shrug. "I guess."
Harry clenched his teeth and turned his attention to Ginny. Maybe she'd understand what he was trying to ask. When she didn't say anything, he sighed.
"Look, this is new to me," Harry said in a tense voice. "I'm trying not to muck it all up."
Ginny furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"
Harry really felt like an idiot. "Not to muck up my one chance of having a family?" he replied in an uncertain tone. "Isn't that what this is? Sirius is always saying how he's trying and he wants to shoulder the responsibility and it's not all on me. He's always there and making decisions and just… he seems like he knows how to be a, a, a dad or whatever but I don't know how to be, I don't know how to…" he trailed off, clenching his jaw. "I've tried so hard to keep my head down and nose clean. I told him about Malfoy and Nott. I've tried not to get into too much trouble. I've tried to just focus on school and Quidditch and be normal like he wants. I mean, my grades are up and I haven't even had detentions all year. I know he was called in about me skiving off class, but he wasn't even upset. And, well, I'm trying."
"Harry, I think you're taking him too literally," Ginny said, her eyes searching his face.
Harry's stomach twisted into knots. "He tells me he wants me to just be a kid. Those are his exact words. Be a kid. But how can I be a kid when everyone thinks I'm the Chosen One or whatever tosh they're calling me now? How am I supposed to be just a kid when I'm literally training to fight in a war?"
Ginny glanced at Ron briefly. "Harry, I think he just wants you to enjoy your life and not worry about everything."
"Yeah, mate, Mum tells me all the time to be good and stay out of trouble, but that's just because she doesn't want me to get hurt," Ron reasoned. "She doesn't actually mean it."
"No, Ron, she actually does mean it," Ginny retorted, a look of disgust crossing her face.
Harry's eyes flickered between them. "I just don't want to… ruin things."
Ginny reached out, her palm pressing against his thigh. "You won't ruin anything," she said in a sure voice. "There is nothing you could do that would ruin things."
Harry frowned. "I was sort of short with him over Christmas. And I told him how much I hated the drinking after he wound up in the hospital."
"I quite literally told my Mum she was bonkers and to leave me alone more times than I care to count," Ginny reasoned. "She's still my mum. I'm still her daughter. We still love each other even if we drive each other up the bloody wall sometimes."
"Look at Fred and George!" Ron pointed out. "They've caused Mum and Dad a ton of headaches over the years. I mean, they were grounded the most out of all of us and they dropped out of school to open the joke shop. I overheard Mum and Dad praising them over Christmas, despite being dropouts."
"I think I told you before you could probably murder someone and Sirius would defend you by saying they deserved it," Ginny pointed out.
Harry let out a small chuckle. "I really like having a family."
"I promise you, Harry, Sirius isn't going anywhere," Ginny assured him. "Just ask him to discuss the procedure and see what he says."
Harry nodded, feeling more at ease. "I guess I was just worried because of our disagreement over Christmas, thinking it was too soon to bring something else up."
Ron's brows furrowed. "What'd you two disagree on over Christmas?"
"Sirius was not-dating someone and 'just having a spot of fun' as he called it while also flirting with Marlene," Harry explained. "I hated it."
"Who?" Ginny asked.
"What's a not-dating situation?" Ron asked.
Harry winced. "I guess it was just about sex. And I told Sirius I wouldn't tell anyone."
"It's Mrs Robins, isn't it?" Ginny asked, her mouth dropping open. "They looked way too cozy to not be doing something!"
Harry didn't want to confirm that. The last thing he wanted was for Demelza to find out and have Mrs Robins upset with both him and Sirius.
"It doesn't matter," Harry insisted. "I was worried about bringing up something else I was irritated about so soon after that discussion."
Ginny huffed but didn't press the matter, though she glanced over at Ron for a brief moment as though she were hoping he'd leave and give them privacy. "If the roles were reversed, would you think Sirius was ruining things? Can you even think of one thing he could do that would ruin your relationship with him?"
Harry didn't think Sirius could do anything that would make Harry not want to be a family. Sirius was Lord Voldemort's biological son and Harry didn't even care. Despite the drinking, Sirius' moody personality, the questionable way he approached romantic relationships, and even his nonchalance while talking about murdering Death Eaters, Harry still loved him.
"No," Harry admitted in a sure voice.
"Then why in the ruddy world would you think Sirius would think differently?" Ginny pressed.
Harry felt like an even bigger moron than he had initially. Was he not giving Sirius enough credit? Hadn't Sirius proven time and time again he wasn't going anywhere? The two of them had only been growing closer and closer, especially since the adoption was finalized.
Harry's little snake slithered out of the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. Harry absentmindedly rubbed her head with the back of his knuckle.
"Harry, family isn't meant to judge one another," Ginny continued in a gentle tone. "Family is there for you at your best and at your worst. While I hate to admit it, because Percy's been a complete and utter pillock, he's still my brother. If he would come home and apologize to Dad, I think we'd all take him back. Because family is family. If you can't count on your family, who can you count on?"
Harry stared at Ginny, feeling his chest nearly bursting with emotion.
"Look at Ginny and me," Ron added, his lips twitching. "She drives me completely bonkers but I'd bloody well hex anyone who dared to touch her."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Like I'd need your help."
"That's despite the fact that she's trying to steal my best mate!" Ron added, shooting her a glare.
"Merlin, Ron, you whined enough that Harry allowed you to name is snake," Ginny huffed, her head shaking. "Obviously, Harry still considers you his best mate because your naming skills aren't as grand as mine."
"You name everything!" Ron protested. "Fettuccine is the perfect name for her! She's all red like tomato sauce!"
"See, this is just the perfect example that family can be amazingly annoying yet they're still your family, because I would Bat-Bogey Hex someone who was mean to Ron, despite him being a complete pillock," Ginny added. "If anyone is going to hex him, it's going to be me."
Ron rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Harry. "But the Dursleys don't fucking count," he assured him. "They never considered you family, so you need to stop basing your expectations around how those wankers treated you."
Harry nodded. "I know."
"Talk to Sirius. In person, not on the mirror. Not just about the procedure but about your fears," Ginny suggested. "He ran away from home. He knows what it's like to have a shit biological family."
The rest of the tension eased from Harry's shoulders. Ginny was right. Sirius understood just how important found family was. He was completely silly to worry about upsetting his godfather by pressing on the issue of his scar. He resolved to give his godparents until the weekend. If he hadn't heard anything, he'd ask Sirius after his dueling lesson with the Aurors. An easy smile slid across his face. Sirius wasn't his Uncle Vernon. Marlene wasn't his Aunt Petunia. They were nothing like the Dursleys. It was high time Harry believed it.
The Order of the Phoenix had not met at Grimmauld Place since Voldemort tried to unsuccessfully breach the wards. Remus knew that Sirius would be in a particularly foul mood given the location. Outside of the house, Sirius stood leaning against a knotted tree. He sneered up at the house, not moving a muscle to indicate he was going to enter the house anytime soon. Remus looked both ways before he crossed the street, darting over to where Sirius stood.
"The entire point of secret meetings is to make it not obvious where we are meeting," Remus said in a light tone.
"The entire point of running away from home means I should never have to return to said home," Sirius argued, his jaw tightening. "How does one commit arson without being caught?"
Remus breathed out a chuckle. "Oh, so now we're arson accomplices? Brilliant, Sirius. Do you think they'll let us share a cell in Azkaban?"
"I'd definitely kill myself before I ever went back to that fucking hellhole," Sirius said in a dark tone.
Remus turned and looked up at his friend. "I bet you Harry would ride in on a Hippogriff again if you found the will to tolerate a couple of days."
Sirius ran a hand down his face. "Yeah, like I'd want that kid anywhere near that place."
"He's too much like James," Remus commented. "He'd be there by nightfall."
Sirius only nodded, his attention turning back to the house. They stood by the tree in comfortable silence. Remus was willing to keep Sirius company until just before the meeting began, limiting their time in the forsaken house. They watched as Order members slipped through the front door, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.
Marlene walked beside Minerva, the two women smiling and chatting. Sirius moved from beside Remus and, without a single word, made his way towards them. Remus dashed to catch up with him.
"Professor," Sirius greeted, standing in front of them and walking backwards along the pavement. "Marly. Are you two ready for a meeting inside a good ole haunted house?"
Marlene's lips twitched. "I don't know what you're talking about. I told Albus he should start slicing off house-elf heads and mounting them in the Great Hall."
Sirius laughed as Remus stepped up next to Marlene.
"Honestly!" Minerva huffed.
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. "You taking off points?"
"I am confident in saying that I don't think you nor Mr Potter cared at all about house points," Minerva stated.
"I can guarantee you, they did not," Remus agreed.
Sirius' face pulled before he quickly looked behind him and then turned his attention back to them. "I mean, a bloody house cup? It's not exactly the best reward for good behavior. It's not like I got to take the cup home or anything."
"You didn't even care about getting detention," Marlene pointed out.
Sirius grinned, his attention turning to Minerva. "Did you know that Monty gave James and I communication mirrors and we used them when you started separating us during detentions? I used to make the mirror float around after me as I scrubbed the dungeon floors with a toothbrush."
Minerva's eyebrows raised to her hairline. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Detention was the only time I saw the two of you apart," she said as they stopped in front of Number 12. "I think it would have done you both good to socialize with other students."
"Nah, didn't like any of them," Sirius countered as he turned around to jog up the couple of steps to the front door.
Upon entering the house, Remus noticed the place looked clean and bright. Even Sirius looked bewildered by the house's appearance. They crept along the hall so they wouldn't wake up Walburga's portrait and made their way down to the kitchen. Most of the Order had already arrived. Nymphadora waved in their direction. She had saved two seats for them. Sirius shot Marlene a quick smile before he followed Remus over towards where the Tonkses and Weasleys sat. Remus took his normal spot between his best mate and his girlfriend – no, fiancé.
Nymphadora pecked him on the cheek. "You two are late."
"We were avoiding the house for as long as possible," Remus explained, shrugging off his Macintosh coat and slinging it on the back of his chair. "It looks impossibly clean."
Andromeda leaned forward. "I ordered Kreacher to clean it ahead of the meeting."
"I don't know why you even try with that elf," Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd love to mount his head on a bloody plaque and then throw it in the fireplace."
"Enough, Sirius," Andromeda huffed.
Luckily, before Sirius could reply, Dumbledore called the meeting to order. Remus never spoke at the meetings. There was no need for him to say anything. Most of what he did involved things that the rest of the Order couldn't know about. A lot of the Order was so compartmentalized that Remus was sure there were multiple people who had secret missions that the Order at large didn't know anything about. Sirius certainly never spoke about Harry's training nor was the word Horcrux ever uttered.
"I was alerted that Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott were very interested in a cabinet in the Room of Requirement," Dumbledore explained, his fingers steepling. "They have since moved it out of the Room of Requirement. Severus was able to locate the cabinet in a locked storage cupboard in the Slytherin common room. Severus, if you will explain what the cabinet is."
"It's a broken vanishing cabinet," Severus continued in a dull tone. "There is a sister cabinet in Borgin and Burkes. Mr Malfoy and Mr Nott are trying repair and then connect the cabinets."
"Why?" Gawain asked.
"To infiltrate Hogwarts," Severus replied.
Whispers broke out around the table. Remus could only look to his right to see Sirius sitting stiff next to him.
"It is no secret that Lord Voldemort thinks my demise is the only viable next step," Dumbledore spoke up, his voice booming enough to quiet down the room. "We can thwart their attempts all we want, but Lord Voldemort has made it very clear to his followers that he intends to breach the grounds of Hogwarts by the end of term."
"Does he want to take over the school?" Dedalus Diggle asked.
Dumbledore inclined his head towards Severus.
"The Dark Lord wants precisely two people: Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter," Severus explained in an emotionless tone.
A chair scraped across the tile floor. Remus looked up to see Sirius standing, the tips of his fingers pressing into the wooden table.
"What is his plan?" Sirius asked in a dangerously low tone.
Severus looked up at the ceiling. "If you were listening, you'd already know, Black."
Sirius snarled. "Are they planning on killing or kidnapping?"
"He plans on murdering Albus on the spot," Severus said, his cold eyes staring hard to Sirius. "He plans on taking the boy alive if he can manage it. He's curious about him. But not curious enough that he won't kill him if need be."
"Where is he?" Sirius asked.
Severus sneered. "Would you care to be more specific?"
"Where is Voldemort hiding?" Sirius pressed. "Little Hangleton? Or perhaps Wiltshire? I know you know."
"Sirius," Dumbledore said in a warning tone.
"What do you think you're going to do, Black?" Severus asked, a scoff escaping his lips. "Threaten him to leave your insolent godson alone?"
Sirius pointed a finger at Severus. "Don't you fucking dare talk about Harry like that."
"Sirius," Remus whispered. "Stop."
"I don't know what is worse," Severus said in a mocking tone. "The fact that he's James Potter's son or the fact that he's being raised by the likes of you."
Sirius let out a cruel laugh. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that you willingly took the Dark Mark and licked Voldemort's shoes or the fact that you're a grown arse man who bullies children for entertainment. Oh, wait, maybe it's the fact that you hate a child because he looks like his dead dad he can't remember. Actually, nah, you know what? That's just fucking pathetic."
A chair scraped across the tile floor once more. This time, Severus stood to his full height and glared across the table at Sirius.
"Severus, Sirius, both of you will sit down," Dumbledore commanded.
While Severus slowly lowered back into his chair, Sirius only huffed and stormed out of the kitchen. Remus excused himself, grabbing his jacket before following Sirius. Being left to his own devices while upset was not a good thing for Sirius. He'd most likely do something completely reckless or stupid.
"Sirius!" Remus shouted in the entryway, causing Walburga to shriek.
Sirius stopped in front of the portrait, his eyes blazing. "I didn't think I could possibly hate you any more than I already do, but then I found out you fucking lied about who my father was and I suddenly realize that you can, in fact, out fucking do yourself."
Walburga's yellow teeth bared. "You are not worthy to share his blood."
Sirius took a step forward, his widening eyes wild. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to fucking enjoy doing it."
"You are abhorrent," Walburga hissed. "An abomination. A bête noire. An embarrassment to your forefathers."
Sirius' little snake peeked his out from the collar of his shirt. It hissed at Walburga. Remus winced at the snake.
"Sirius, let it go," Remus urged, taking a step closer to him. "It's not worth it."
Sirius paid no attention to Remus, taking another step closer to the portrait. "Yet, here I am, still standing with all the Black family money while you can only scream in an empty house."
"I hope the Dark Lord tortures you to death over the course of several long agonizing months," Walburga seethed.
The snake's head jutted out, attempting to bite the portrait yet failing to cause any damage.
"I hope I'm able to pull down your fucking portrait and burn it before that happens," Sirius retorted. "I'll laugh as your face melts right the fuck off!"
Walburga screeched out a string of obscenities. Sirius only stomped out of the house. Remus dashed off hot on his heels, cursing the fact that Sirius couldn't just keep his cool. Remus jogged to catch up to Sirius, matching his stride as they walked down the road.
"I'm in half my mind to pull Harry from school," Sirius said in a tight tone. "He's not touching a fucking hair on my kid's head."
"Will you just calm down?" Remus pleaded. "Pulling Harry from school will only upset him."
"Better to upset him than watch him die," Sirius retorted.
Remus grabbed Sirius by the elbow and stopped him from walking. "Would you just stop? Seriously, Sirius, just stop."
Sirius' chest heaved.
"Also, why did you want to know where Voldemort is hiding out?" Remus pressed.
Sirius' jaw tightened. "I know I can't kill him right now, but I could potentially chop off his fucking arms or something."
"Yeah, can we not go up against him right now and risk dying?" Remus asked, his head shaking. "Just stop and think about Harry for two seconds. That kid would be devastated if you died."
Sirius ran a hand down his face. "I hear you."
Remus sighed in relief. "All right, look, let's skip the meeting, all right? Dora will fill us in. Why don't we grab dinner somewhere?"
"I'd rather go have a pint if I'm being completely honest with you," Sirius replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm not encouraging you drinking."
"I haven't had a sip of alcohol since Halloween," Sirius argued. "That's over two bloody months ago."
"Yeah, that's called being sober, Sirius," Remus explained in an exasperated tone. "I'm not going to be the one who tells Harry I helped you break your sobriety."
"I'm in a far better state mentally than I was back then," Sirius argued, his body rigid.
Remus let out an incredulous chuckle. "Oh, yeah, you're seeping mentally stable right now."
Sirius scowled.
"Why don't we grab, I don't know, ice cream or something?" Remus suggested instead.
"Oh, I didn't know we were fucking five," Sirius snapped.
A spark of irritation rose in Remus' chest. "Merlin, Sirius! I'm just trying to help you but you can't do anything except be a complete prat!"
Sirius stilled, his features tugging down. "I'm sorry," he said in a sincere tone. "I appreciate your efforts. Really. I am just under a lot of stress right now. I wonder if my stress over Harry's wellbeing will ever ease or if I'll just be in a constant state of panic with him."
Remus felt his anger recede. There was no one Sirius loved or cared about more than Harry. Rightfully so. The danger surrounding the teenager seemed to only be increasing with every passing day. It all felt so familiar, so unwanted. Remus couldn't help but think about how it had been sixteen years ago with James and Lily in hiding and barely seeing anyone. There was no doubt in Remus' mind that Sirius was considering hiding Harry for the unforeseeable future.
"I'm not a father, but I don't think a parent ever stops worrying about their kid," Remus reasoned.
Sirius nodded. "I don't know what I'm doing. I want to protect him and keep him safe, but it seems impossible, Remus."
Remus' heart twisted in his chest. "We'll do everything we can to make sure he survives the war, all right? I'll help you protect him. We'll do it for James, because James would be damned if he didn't protect one of our kids."
Sirius' eyes slid closed, his jaw feathering. "Let's do it for Harry, yeah?" he said in a low tone, his eyes snapping opening. "Harry deserves it to be about him and not James because he's a good person and a great kid."
Remus nodded. For Harry. They would both be damned if the kid didn't survive the war. Remus knew that both he and Sirius would die before they let anything happen to Harry. The kid deserved so much more than an early death sentence like his parents.
Ginny laid vis-à-vis with Harry in her bed. His glasses were already off, making him look like an entirely different person. Somehow, his bright green eyes seemed to glimmer and shine when not behind his thick black frames. Reaching out a hand, she brushed her fingers through his silky hair. His eyes slid closed and a little moan sounded in the back of his throat.
"You seemed more relaxed the past couple of days," Ginny observed.
Harry snapped his eyes open to look at her. "Yeah, I mean, what you and Ron said the other day made a lot of sense. I guess I just needed to hear it, you know?"
Ginny ran her finger down his nose before booping it. "That goes for Ron and me too. Nothing you do could ever make me stop…"
She swallowed down her words, her heart hammering in her chest. Ginny had almost let that special little four-letter word slip from her lips.
Harry furrowed his boys, squinting at her. "Make you stop what?"
Ginny sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn't want to be the first one to say it and scare Harry off. He didn't like her crush on him in the past and she certainly didn't want to make him uncomfortable after only seven months of dating.
"Make me stop caring about you," Ginny settled on saying.
Harry brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I care a lot about you too, Gin," he whispered, intertwining his fingers with hers and pressing the back of her hand to his lips.
Ginny melted. "I care about you a lot, Harry," she stressed.
Harry visibly swallowed. "Gin… can I tell you something?"
Ginny smiled softly. "Anything."
Harry scooted closer to her, his eyes searching her face. "I think… I think I'm falling for you."
"Falling for me?" Ginny echoed, her heart plowing against her chest.
"Yeah, like, err, like I think I'm falling in love with you," he clarified while looking completely and utterly petrified.
Ginny's heart burst wide open. She cupped his cheek with her hand, resting her forehead against his. "I think I'm falling in love with you too."
Harry visibly relaxed against her. "Yeah?"
"Oh, yeah," Ginny replied, brushing her thumb against his cheekbone. "You make me happy and I feel safe around you. I feel like I can be myself and you won't judge me."
Harry scooted his body impossibly closer, their stomachs pressing tightly together as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You make me happy too. I feel like I can tell you anything, even things I don't feel comfortable talking to anyone else about. Like my silly fears or, or the big stuff happening in my life. You always have such good advice and you make me feel better in a way no one else can. I don't want to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Ginny promised.
"Me either," Harry breathed.
A beat passed.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't think I'm falling for you," she said in barely above a whisper. "I know I have."
"Ginny?"
"Yeah?"
"I know I have as well," he said, a wide grin crossing his face.
Harry kissed Ginny. Her entire body warmed as his soft lips glided against hers. While Harry's kisses always erupted butterflies in her stomach, somehow it was intensified tenfold. It was like a hunger deep within her had finally been satisfied. Harry was the only one she wanted to be with, now and for forever.
Harry pulled back slightly, his hot breath hitting her sensitive lips. "I was so worried to tell you that I loved you," he said in a soft voice. "I thought you'd think it was too soon. But I think I felt it for a while."
Ginny felt like she had won a billion Galleons. "I think I knew it for a while too. I didn't want to scare you off."
Harry laughed, the sound so pleasant and wondrous. "Funny how we were scared of the same thing."
"Well, you do tend to flee at the very mention of emotions," Ginny teased, pecking the corner of his smiling mouth.
"Only with most people," Harry corrected, his palm pressing against the small of her back and pushing her closer to him. "Somehow, it was always easy talking to you. Thinking back on it, I think I was comfortable around you from the moment I met you."
"Really?" Ginny asked, her eyebrow arching.
"This is going to make me sound really pathetic, but I wanted you to like me and feel comfortable around me," Harry admitted. "I hated how you couldn't talk to me that first summer. I wanted to get along with all of your family, you know? I was desperate for everyone to like me so I'd be invited back again and again."
"Well, saving my life from a possessed diary and a massive basilisk certainly broke the ice between us," Ginny reasoned, her nose rubbing against his.
"I'm glad it did," Harry whispered. "I don't know how much longer I could have put up with you getting butter on your elbow and sending me embarrassing Valentines."
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, propping herself up on her elbow. "That Valentine was amazing clever. You just wait. Valentine's Day is coming up!"
Harry grinned up at her. "As long as we don't have to go to Madam Puddifoot's, I'll gladly accept whatever Valentine you send me."
"I promise we will not step foot in that tea shop," Ginny promised.
"Thank Merlin!" Harry exclaimed. "I will do whatever else you want."
Ginny reached out, squishing Harry's face and causing him to look like a fish. "You're adorable."
Harry tried to smile but her fingers restricted him. She released his face, her hand unconsciously running through his amazingly soft black hair once more.
"You look weird without your glasses," Ginny commented.
"I can barely see your face," Harry replied, wrapping his fingers around the nape of her neck and pulling her closer to him. "Come here, get super close so I can see you."
Ginny laughed as their noses pressed together.
"Ah, that's better," Harry sighed.
"You cannot possibly be that blind," Ginny retorted, shifting so that she was on top of him in order to reach his glasses off his bedside table.
She put his glasses on and looked at him, instantly regretting it because Merlin fuck was everything amazingly blurry. Ginny tugged them off her face with a wince as she flipped them around and put them gently on Harry's face.
"I take it back," Ginny stated. "What would you do if you lost your glasses?"
Harry shrugged, adjusting the frames on his face. "Probably die."
Ginny swatted him gently on the chest, a smile dancing on her face. "That's not funny!"
"It's not, but it's the truth," Harry reasoned.
"I'm going to permanently stick your glasses to your face," Ginny promised, her fingers adjusting his glasses on his face. "Then, you'll never die."
"I don't think that's how life works and it sounds a bit bothersome, but sure, let's give it a go," Harry replied. "I don't want to hear you complain once that my glasses are pushing into any part of your body and hurting you though. This was your decision. As the Muggles say, you made your bed and now you have to lie in it."
Ginny laughed, her head shaking. "You're so annoying, you know that?"
"I confess I love you tonight and you call me annoying?" Harry said in a mock hurt tone. "That's a bit rude, Gin."
"Don't be annoying then," Ginny challenged, sticking out her tongue.
"All right, that's it," Harry said, his hands gripping her waist. "You've asked for it."
Harry pushed her back on the bed and was on top of her in a split second. His body pinned her to the bed as he started to relentlessly tickle her. She squealed and attempted to thrash, but she was unfortunately stuck underneath him. He didn't relent until she was wheezing and begged him to stop. As she struggled to catch her breath, Harry kissed her on her forehead.
"I'm going to Bat-Bogey Hex you for that," Ginny wheezed.
Harry chuckled, rolling onto the bed next to her. "Nah, you won't."
"Okay, probably not, but I will get my revenge some way or another," Ginny confessed, rolling onto her side so she could look at him properly.
Harry grinned. "Sure, Gin. I'll look forward to it."
Ginny swallowed, the backs of her fingers brushing against his cheek. "I love you, Harry."
Harry's grin turned into a goofy lopsided smile. "I love you too, Gin."
Harry tugged her body close to his, and she laid her head against his chest. She listened to the thumping of his heart as she pressed her palm against his stomach. With a kiss on the head, he bid her good night. Ginny settled in against him, unable to keep the smile off her lips as she fell fast asleep.
I managed to finish the next chapter in time! But, for real, next week, I am taking a break. I do need to write without pressure. So, see you February 11! Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep going (seriously, you guys got me working my ass off the last two chapters to get them done in time and it was really because of all the wonderful reviews) and inspire new ideas.
Special thanks to prewettpotter for all of her suggestions and general fabulousness. Special thanks to whoever recommended Fettuccine for a snake name. It was in the tumblr poll for Sirius' pet snake and received second place. It was perfect for Harry's snake (especially because Ron would name a pet after food!)