"Remember!" Professor McGonagall spoke up as she continued taking the permission slips from a queue of students. "These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school in anyway, that privilege shall not be extended again," she continued as both Harry and Grace walked up to her. Harry had his permission slip in hand, and Grace was there for moral support. She knew McGonagall wouldn't sign hers. "No permission form, no visiting the village. That's the rule, Potter."
"Yes, Professor," Harry started nervously, but Grace gave him a smile of encouragement. "But I thought ifyousaid I could go –"
"But I don't say so," she cut him off, and Harry's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Her eyes turned to Grace and she raised an eyebrow at the girl. "And I suppose you were going to try to ask me to sign yours as well, Miss Black?"
"Oh no," Grace shook her head, stuffing her hands into her jeans pockets. "I've already tried asking one Professor today, I'm not going to try my luck a second time," she answered sardonically. McGonagall regarded her with a raised eyebrow before looking back at Harry.
"A parent or guardian must sign, Potter, and since I am neither – Nor is Professor Lupin – " she said that last part to Grace. "it would be inappropriate."
"Technically, Professor Lupinismy guardian," Grace added sheepishly. "Heislisted on my personal forms as a second guardian and contact-" Grace stopped talking when she saw the look on McGonagall's face.
"I'm sorry, Potter, Black, but that's my final word," She told them gently, and squeezed both of their shoulders before turning and following the other third years. Harry and Grace turned to see Hermione, Ron and Neville lingering in the back of the crowd and when they both shook their head, they raised a hand to give them a wave.
Grace sighed longingly as she watched everyone make their way to Hogsmeade. "Suppose it's just you and me," Harry muttered disappointedly.
"Gee, I didn't realize I wasthatbad of company," she retorted dryly.
"I- what? No! You're not!" Harry shook his head, but Grace smiled at him.
"I waskidding," She laughed as she looped her arm around his.
"Oh," Harry muttered, embarrassed.
"I'm going to be taking a walk with Professor Lupin, do you want to come?" She asked and Harry, who found that there wasn't much else for him to do by himself, nodded. Grace grinned at him and started dragging him around the grounds.
When they found Professor Lupin, walking leisurely on the bridge, Grace was laughing loudly at something Harry had said about Divination homework. Remus smiled, watching them; Grace held tighter onto Harry's arm and nearly tripped over her own feet as she laughed, Harry had caught her in time then also began laughing. He could hear James' voice in his head laughing:"One day, Harry and Grace are going to fall in love and get married, I can see it now!"
"Oi! Don't go marrying off my daughter!"
"Come on, don't deny that you would love it if they did end up together, Padfoot!"
"It's for my little Gracie to decide who she wants to be with,"Remus can remember James' face."But that doesn't mean we can't nudge them in the right direction..."
'You might be onto something, James.' Remus thought as he looked at Grace and Harry. It warmed his heart to know that they were friends, and seeing them interact at school brought back so many fond memories. He was a little sad to know that they weren't as close as he hoped, he knew that Grace was closer to Neville Longbottom since she often would talk about the boy and he would see the two of them huddled together in their free time. However, seeing Grace and Harry now... yes, he agreed with James, he could see it. They were still too young to think about romance, but he knew in just a couple of years he'll probably be hearing Grace talk about the boy.
"Hi Re-Professor Lupin," Grace greeted him with a large smile. "I hope it was okay that I brought Harry."
"Of course," he nodded, smiling at the both of them, and his eyes fell to where Grace had held onto Harry's arm. She was always an affectionate child, constantly touching someone in some way. However, now as a teenager, something twisted in his gut at the sight of it; it almost made him uncomfortable.
"So," Remus started, looking at Harry. "No Hogsmeade, eh?" Harry shook his head as he felt Grace let go of his arm and she skipped a head of them and leaned against the side of the bridge. Harry smiled as he watched her smile, and the wind blow through her hair. "Well, don't feel too bad. I was roundly disappointed the first time I went."
"Really?" Harry asked surprised.
"Don'tlie, Professor!" Grace called out, glaring at Remus playfully.
"No, I was just trying to make you feel better," Remus smiled sheepishly. Grace rolled her eyes playfully and Harry had a small smile. "Honeydukes' sweets are the best in the world. Their Pepper Imps are so strong you smoke at the ears, and Zonko's Joke Shop may be dangerous, but you can't beat their Stink Pellets."
"Stink Pellets?" Grace asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Remus' cheeks flushed a little pink.
"Not to mention the Shrieking Shack, which, according to Hermione, is the most severely haunted building in Britain," Harry added glumly. At the mention of Hermione, Graces face scrunched and she turned away to look back out over the grounds. She did notice the subtle wince on Remus' face at the mention of the Shrieking Shack. She shivered, knowing what Shrieking Shack was to him; it was the only upside of not being able to go to Hogsmeade, she wouldn't have to look at it and imagine the horrors that he had to go through each month.
"Yes... that too," Remus nodded as he stood next to Grace, leaning against the bridge. Grace leaned into him, hoping the small bit of affection helped, seeing as she couldn't openly hug him or grab his hand. Not only because he was a teacher, but because Harry was with them. No one gave Harry enough credit, he was almost as observant as Neville if he wanted to be.
"Professor, can I ask you something?" Harry asked nervously.
"You'd like to know why I stopped you from facing the boggart," Remus said, already knowing where Harry was going. Grace's brows frowned and she also turned to look at him, curious to know why too. Harry nodded as he stood on Remus' other side. "I should think it'd be obvious. I assumed the boggart would take the shape of Lord Voldemort." Grace shivered at the name. Her mother hated the name, but Remus always told her that fearing his name would only give him more power. While she didn't wince, or freak out over the mention of Voldemort like others did, it still always sent a chill down her spine. "But clearly, I was wrong," Remus finished, looking over at Harry curiously.
"I did think of Voldemort first," Harry started, looking down at his hands. "But then, I remembered that night on the train...and the Dementors..." Grace shivered at the mention of the Dementors and leaned closer into Remus.
"Well, well, I'm Impressed," Remus gave Harry a small, impressed smile. "That suggest that what you fear most of all is...fearitself. This is very wise." Wise yes, but Grace also thought it was sort of ironic. If Harry was afraid of fear, then... was she really afraid of her mother? Or was she simply afraid of the truth?
"Before I fainted," Harry started again, and Grace leaned over the edge to look at him. Harry hasn't spoken about the night on the train, and she tried to forget about it all together. Neville was the only person who knew what she experienced. "I heard something. A woman... screaming." Grace felt her heart fall, as she looked at him. She moved from her spot beside Remus to move next to Harry instead. She looped her arm with his, sliding her hand down to take his hand in hers, then rested the side of her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Dementors force us to relive the worst memories of our lives. Our pain becomes their power," Remus told them gently, looking at the two of them sadly. He knew what each of them had experienced.
"I think it was my mother... the night she was murdered," Harry said sadly. Grace squeezed his hand comfortingly, and she felt him squeeze back.
"The first time I saw you, Harry, I recognized you immediately. Not by your scar, but by your eyes. They're your mother Lily's," Remus spoke up softly. Both Harry and Grace looked at him, surprised. Grace had no idea that Remus knew Harry's parents; and if Remus knew his parents, then her mother had to have known them too. "Yes, I knew her," Remus nodded, turning to look out over the Castle and it's grounds. "She and Helena were there for me at a time when no one else was. We used to talk for hours. Lily was not only a singularly gifted witch but an uncommonlykindwoman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in whoever she met, even – and perhaps especially – when that person couldn't see it in themselves..." Remus continued, turning to smile at them, his eyes landing on Grace. "And you, Grace, often remind me of Lily. You're very much a like," he added, and her cheeks turned pink.
"It also, perhaps, explains her affection for your father, James," Remus continued, smiling at Harry. "James, had, shall we say... a certain talent for trouble. A gift, rumor has it, he passed on to you." He smiled. "A gift that both of your fathers seemed have passed on to the both of you," He added, looking at Grace, who, like Harry, smiled vaguely. "I could tell you, both of you, stories – and there are many about your parents Harry – but please know this..." Remus paused, looking at Harry intensely. "Theylived. Every moment of every day. You should know that. That's how they'd want to be remembered."
Grace smiled sadly, looking out at the grounds. Since her detention with Remus a last month, she was getting used to having to share his attention with other students and their Saturday afternoons were helping. But, she realized, she didn't mind sharing Remus with Harry. Harry had no one to talk to him about his parents, whoknewthem, and well... she understood. Remus was only now starting to share little things about her own father, he only ever said something in passing or would let something slip; but she cherished those little tidbits. However, with each one, it was getting harder to believe that her father was a muggle.
Harry and Grace left Remus an hour or so later, as their Professor claimed to be feeling very tired and hasn't been feeling his best as of late. Grace knew why: the full moon. Grace thought they were going to go back to the common room, but instead, Harry took her hand and lead her away from the castle.
"Harry, where are we going?" she asked, even though she had an idea of where he was taking her.
"When was the last time you flew?" he asked her, grinning, and she felt her own grin begin to spread across her face.
"Buckbeak," she answered.
"Well, let's go change that," Harry didn't need to say anymore as Grace sprinted toward the quidditch pitch.
When they reached the storage shed, she bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered on what broom to use. She decided to grab one of the latest Cleansweeps that the school had. She almost asked her Mum for a new broom but she felt like that might be a bit of a stretch, and decided she was going to ask for one next summer.
"I'd say, lets race to the goal posts but well... your Nimbus is tons faster than this," she said, holding up the broom to Harry, who came walking out of the locker room with his Nimbus 2000 and an old, beat up quaffle.
"Here," He said, holding out his broom to her, and she blinked in confusion. "I'll keep, you score."
"But that's your broom," she said dumbly, and he only nodded.
"Yeah, but... you like going fast so... switch," he smiled, and her cheeks flushed. "When it's your turn to keep, we'll switch brooms."
"Alright," she muttered shyly as she took Harry's Nimbus.
"Well...go on, give it a try," he encouraged, and she grinned as she mounted the broom. She barely kicked off before she was zooming high into the air. She flew around the pitch, doing ducks, dips, twists, and turns from all different heights, living off the feel of her stomach rising and falling and the chill wind on her face. When she slowed, she gracefully caught the quaffle Harry tossed her way before flying up to the goalposts.
"Score to ten and then we'll switch?" Harry suggested and Grace nodded. "Alright, go!"
Grace sped around the pitch, zig-zagging in the air and threw the quaffle toward the tallest hoop. Harry was half a second to late, and she zoomed past and caught the quaffle before it hit the ground.
"Are you goingeasyon me Harry?" She teased after scoring for a fourth time. Harry rolled his eyes as he caught the quaffle and tossed it to her, and she caught it. "Your Gryffindor chivalry is showing."
"You wish," Harry scoffed. "You're justthatgood,"
Grace's cheeks burned, and she tried not to smile at the praise as she threw the quaffle hard into the shortest post. Harry almost blocked it, his fingers had only grazed the ball as it flew through the hoop. "Maybe your hand-eye coordination just isn't as good as you think it is," she teased.
"How come you haven't talked to Madam Hooch and Wood about joining the team?" Harry asked, tossing her the quaffle.
"Because Gryffindor already has their team," she answered slowly. "Alicia decided to stay on the team so there's no open spots."
"Yeah but weshouldhave someone on reserve," he pointed out. "What if Wood gets knocked out? Or Angelina, Katie, and Alicia? Or me?" Grace found it funny that he didn't bother suggesting Fred and George, they were the ones that were usually doing the knocking out with the bludgers. "I'd hate for us to lose because we were a player down when wecouldhave a reserve ready."
"Why are you trying so hard to get me on the team?" she asked, throwing the quaffle again, this time Harry caught it.
"Because I know you love flying, you love quidditch," he started, tossing the quaffle back to her. "And you'rereallygood, Grace. Youshouldbe on the team."
Grace's face flushed as she threw the quaffle again, and it went through the hoop. Harry didn't even move. "You let that one in, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he nodded with a smile.
"You don't really care about trying to keep me from scoring, do you?" she asked again, and Harry shook his head. The quaffle made a quietthumpas it hit the ground. "Then why suggest it?"
"I wanted you to have fun," he answered simply with a shrug. Grace's heart skipped and she felt that familiar fluttering feeling in her stomach again. "You've always been on the quiet side but recently..." he paused, trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking, "recently you've been kind of distant?" he finished, not sure if that was the right thing to say. "I just mean... outside of classes and meals, you haven't really been around. You've seemed a little sad and well... since neither of us can go to Hogsmeade, I figured that Hogsmeade weekends could beourweekends," he suggested shyly, with a little shrug of his shoulders and a small smile.
Grace's cheeks burned, and that fluttering feeling intensified. She smiled at him and nodded. "I'd like that."
