Chapter XXIX: After the Storm
(Harry P.O.V)
Harry leaned against a large stone pillar as he watched Michael pace back and forth in a feverish motion while Hermione continued trying to read, only to swat at Harry's fingers as he tapped against the stone wall. Hermione had left in a tizzy to go and retrieve some new reading material, and Harry and Michael had found themselves once more in awkward silence. The day had finally come for Neville to be released from the hospital wing, and though this was supposed to be merry news, the glint of sadness in his best friend's eyes hadn't changed since the day he left for the Ministry.
Harry had tried to understand what was wrong with his friend, but Michael in his annoying propensity for not trying to burden anyone else with his problems but always being the first to get involved with others had simply given Harry a pitifully weak smile as he spoke, "Nothing's wrong, okay, I'm just thinking."
Harry knew it was a lie, anyone that knew Michael could have known that. Michael was incredibly bright, but outside of playing chess, he didn't necessarily fester on things the way he currently was. Harry had turned to look out the window as with a sigh he spoke, "Corner, something's bothering you, and I think it would help if you talked to me about it."
"Mate," Michael said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "It's fine, you're worrying over nothing."
"I'm worrying over you," Harry corrected, "Look, I know I had a lot of secrets, and it wasn't right for me to keep them from you, but I couldn't do anything else. You're serving this super long detention and I don't even know what you did to get it. I mean, I kinda assumed you're the one who kicked the shit out of Boot, but you haven't spoken about it at all. If this is some way of getting back at me for not telling you-"
"I'm telling you I'm fine, okay!" Michael snapped before bringing himself back to his passive trouble making look, "It's nothing serious, and I'm not trying to get revenge or something, I get why you did what you did, it's just, it's not your problem so just drop it, please."
"You're hurting," Harry said, "Even if it's not serious, which I doubt, whatever it is, it's hurting you, and I can't just sit there and do nothing."
"And why is that?" Michael spoke his eyes looking down at the ground not wanting to face him.
"Because you're my friend, and when you hurt, I hurt," Harry said his eyes staying locked on the view of the horizon, "I know that's some sappy crap, but I can't just keep watching you sulk about. Just tell me what happened, please."
"Susan," Michael spoke, "It was just a stupid crush, it didn't really mean much of anything, but she was the first friend I made at Hogwarts, or at least she was the first person who didn't see me as a free pass in class or a no-good trouble maker." Harry turned to face his friend as he took a deep breath and continued, "I saw him, Boot, he was with Megan Jones, and they were doing broom closet stuff."
"He was cheating on Bones with Jones," Harry said showing his understanding of the story.
"I don't know why, maybe it was just a fit of anger, or a desire to defend my friend, but I lost it and really, well as you put it, kicked the shit out of him," Michael sighed, "Flitwick caught me and I was assigned a pretty sizable detention though I suppose it could have been worse. Still, Boot had said so many awful things about Susan, but when he woke up, he acted like an innocent wounded puppy. I tried to explain myself to Susan, but she wouldn't even hear me out."
Michael's fist was clenched into a tight fist as he spoke, "She said she wanted nothing more to do with me, and that we couldn't be friends anymore because I had let my jealousy get the best of me. I tried to do a good thing, and the universe really kicked me in the balls."
Harry sat there watching the sadness in his friend's eyes. Outside of his family, the first friend that he had ever made was Michael, and just trying to understand what it would feel like if he had gone out of his way to protect his friend only to be dropped like he was nothing, sure maybe it wasn't like watching someone die, but it was painful, and Harry felt like there was nothing he could do to help his friend. Instead, all Harry could do was give a slight smile as he reached out for Michael's shoulder, "Sorry dude, that's… tough, to say the least. But you've still got me and Nev, and we'd never abandon you like that. Maybe Susan wasn't the one, but I mean, whoever she is will come around, I just know it."
Michael chuckled, "That's easy for you to say, you already got your bird."
"What do you mean?" Harry said in confusion, technically, he and Daphne weren't dating yet, and even so, Harry didn't quite feel like much had really changed.
"You and the Princess," Michael said with a shrug, "You have a little thing going. I know it's not official or anything because if it was you'd be soaring around on your broom announcing it to the world, but something's changed. She leans into you whenever you're around, I've seen her staring at you, she lingers now instead of just heading off like she used to. She actually laughs at your jokes now which is pretty terrifying as I didn't think the Ice Queen was capable of a genuine laugh. I'm not saying I'm in a rush to find the one, but it doesn't sound as sincere coming from someone who was lucky enough to have found his person at the age of thirteen."
"You are… scarily perceptive, you know that?" Harry said with a grin, "Look, maybe Daphne's the one, maybe she isn't, and god do I hope she is, but right now I'm not too concerned with the future seeing as there's so much time between now and when I turn seventeen let alone normal marrying age. The point is, you've just got to give it some time, you know?"
"Yeah," Michael said with a shrug, "Like I said, I know it was just a crush, and thirteen is a bit young to find your soul-mate and all that, but I think it just hurt so much because I had to see another person walk away from me. I mean, my dad hardly seems to acknowledge anything but my failures, and my mom, she loves me and all, but she doesn't really seem to understand what it feels like to have one of your own parents act like they don't want you around. I didn't really have anyone to lean on besides Susan until you and Nev, and watching her walk away from me, it hurt, it hurt really bad."
Harry stared down at his friends with sunken eyes, "You've never told me about your life at home. I assumed it wasn't pleasant but this is the first time you've ever said anything about your folks that wasn't related to your grades."
"Guess I did?" Michael said with a sad smile, "Whoops. There goes my last secret, don't go letting everyone know though, I don't really want the broken home pity, I'm fine, really, it's just-"
"I could say some sappy shit and we could keep talking about our feelings, but do you want to hug and call it a day?" Harry said with a weak grin understanding his friend's desire to not want to talk any longer.
"Yeah," Michael said, "That sounds good."
As the two broke apart from their hug, Harry lifted his fist and pointed it towards his friend, "Hey Corner, remember what you told me the day the dementors attacked Hogsmeade," Corner looked at him in slight confusion as he spoke, "Not a chance, you said, we stay together. You're my best friend Corner, I won't walk away from you."
"Right," Michael said bumping their knuckles, "Now can we stop with all this heartfelt junk, I might actually cry if we keep it up."
"That sounds like a challenge to me," Harry said with a chuckle, "Look, I don't know if I'm moving now that Sirius is free, but wherever I go, you'll have a bed there waiting for you. You don't have to get by on your own."
Harry grinned as he saw his friend turn away swiftly wiping his eyes as he nodded. Harry had been planning on making a joke to lighten the mood, but before he had gotten a chance, the door to the infirmary flung open, and out walked two people, both Neville, and Ron. As Harry watched Ron, he couldn't help but feel as if a weight had just been placed on his heart, the boy seemed healthy enough, but his eyes were forever changed from being subjected to so much pain.
Swallowing hard, Harry walked towards Ron, "Hey, Ron, are you-"
"Please don't ask if I'm okay," Ron said with a weak grin, "It's the only question I've been asked for days, and honestly I'm kind of over it." His smile grew slightly as he spoke, "Though it doesn't look like I'll be getting my rat back, will I?"
Harry shook his head slightly and Ron shrugged, "Oh well, guess I'll have to find a way to live without a pet Dark-Wizard. I don't suppose you could do the same spell to my owl, it would be a shame if I got beat up by both my pets."
Harry smirked slightly as he shook his head, "Sure, though I'm pretty sure you're in the clear," his face then grew more solemn, "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me, I was reckless and you were a victim of my lack of thinking."
"It's fine, I get," Ron said with an easy look that had deeply shocked Harry.
"You- you get it?" Harry said with a stutter, Ron had always seemed very immature and part of Harry had expected for Ron to throw him through the wringer for his actions, but the fact Ron stood there calmly and claimed to have understood Harry's action was more than a bit surprising.
"Yeah, I mean, Scabbers- er, Pettigrew, he was kinda responsible for your parents' murders right?" Ron spoke softly to which Harry nodded in confirmation, "If I had the same chance, if I had the opportunity to kill the Heir of Slytherin, the person that took Ginny, I don't think I would have stopped myself either, even if you or anyone else is around."
Harry couldn't help but allow a completely flummoxed expression come over his face as Ron nodded, "That being said, next time I'm in the crossfire like that, at least give me a warning to get out of the way. I'm not looking forward to feeling that curse again, alright?"
"So, um, we're good?" Harry asked cautiously.
"Look," Ron said with a sigh, "I really wanted to hate you, part of me still can't get over it. When we were really young, Ginny, she used to read every single one of those stupid books about you. Stories of you battling dragons, hunting down Dark Wizards, solving mysteries, I think every book ever written about you is in my house somewhere."
Harry listened to the red-head continued, "When Ginny- when she died, Dumbledore didn't really tell us much about what had happened, only that she had been writing into a cursed Diary that possessed her. When we had seen the diary, my whole family just watched in pain, but as he opened it, I managed to glimpse one page, and I saw that of all people, she wrote about you. You didn't even exist as far as I knew, you dropped off the face of the earth and yet your name was written in the diary that got her killed."
"When I saw you come to Hogwarts, and defend the snakes," Ron said tiredly, "I just got angry, and then you beat me in quidditch, and I just wanted to scream about how unfair the world was, and how it was all your fault. But I met someone, a real friend, and I've just been talking about my anger and pain, and she's been helping me accept something I've known all along but didn't want to accept, none of what happened to me is your fault." Ron gave one more tired look, "So yeah, we're good, and sorry about being a dick, you really didn't deserve it."
Harry watched in amazement as Ron simply walked away without another word as Corner and the newly released Neville stood beside him looking equally surprised, "Do you think that maybe he hit his head really hard when he fell?" Corner asked completely confused as to what he had just witnessed.
"No," Harry said shaking his head, "I think he meant everything he said."
(Daphne P.O.V)
Daphne yawned loudly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, since the moment she had discovered that there was a real chance at saving Blaise, she had thrown herself into her work relentlessly. Every theory on the application of the soul was at war with Daphne as she tried to commit each and every aspect to memory in case she needed to know it.
She doubted that she would have ever taken a break had it not been for Harry coming in to, "Annoy" her as he teasingly put it. However, it was probably thanks to Harry that she hadn't run herself completely into the ground. Still, the challenge before her had seemed so monumental, and with the end of the year exams inching ever closer, the work pile only seemed to grow. She was far too proud to allow herself to achieve anything below an E, and so Daphne's neutral state became one of exhaustion.
However, unlike before, today she had a rather pesky visitor in the library with her today as she tried to work only to be interrupted by a low groan, "This is impossible," Astoria had said tiredly, "How am I supposed to remember all of these constellations? Who even cares if I can see Orion's belt or not, I mean honestly, how does this help me become a better witch."
"More studying, less complaining," Daphne said simply as she tried to continue to read only to be interrupted once more.
"Harry is much more fun to study with," Astoria said with her cheeks puffed out, "You're so serious."
"You can always go study with him," Daphne said tiredly.
"He doesn't really know much about Astronomy though," Astoria said, "Can you help me please?"
"Fine," Daphne said with a sigh as she approached her sister's side of the table looking at the star graphs, "Alright, the trick to memorizing the star graphs isn't necessarily to memorize every shape on the graph but instead their placement towards a reference point. Personally, I like to choose Orion's Belt as it's an easy constellation to identify. Then I start to create notes like how on this star graph, I see that Cassiopia is just right of the Belt, while Ursa Major is to the left. Then you can create some word associations and eventually you'll memorize it. You can't just stare at something and hope to remember it, you have to think things through."
"Thanks Daph," Astoria said with a smile, "That really helped. But I have one more question that's maybe a bit more important."
"Astoria," Daphne said with a scowl, "I swear to god if you ask-"
"So are you and Harry and thing now, because if you are, first, congrats, and second, you suck for not telling me." Daphne sent her sister a passive glance as she turned back to her book causing her to moan, "Aw come on, why are you two being so cagey about it. From you, I'd expect it, but Harry hasn't said anything about it and it's driving me crazy. Please tell me, please."
Daphne looked into the kaleidoscopic puppy dog eyes of Astoria and cursed silently at how good that stare was at ripping through her icy persona as she sighed, "We're not a couple yet, but-"
"But?" Astoria asked with eager excitement.
"But we've already kissed, twice, and once I find a way to help Blaise I'm willing to try going out with Harry," Daphne looked up at her sister who was nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement as she sighed, "There, happy now? I honestly can't believe Harry didn't tell you anything."
"He said it was up to you to decide when you were ready," Astoria said with a smile, "That's why I came to bug you instead, you know I hate not knowing things."
"You're impossible," Daphne said shaking her head a slight smile on her face.
"But you love me," Astoria said with a grin, "Come on, admit it, you love me."
"Yes Astoria, I do love you," Daphne said with the roll of her eyes, "You have been spending way too much time around Harry. You even have his troublemaker grin now." The door to the library cracked open and as Daphne viewed the entering figure she couldn't help but smile slightly as her heart pumped a bit faster. Pretending not to care, she turned her attention back towards her book and with a whisper she spoke, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."
It hadn't taken long until Daphne felt the warm arms of Harry wrap gently around her neck as he stood protectively behind her with a smile on his face. Daphne felt his chin lower to the top of her head before she looked up catching his emerald green eyes in her icy blues. The smirk on Harry's face simply grew as Daphne spoke, "You know this is the library right, Flyboy? The quidditch pitch is outside."
"Didn't think I'd find you on the quidditch pitch though Princess," Harry said with a smile as he conjured a bookmark, placing it between her open pages and closing it shut, "Break time, come on, let's go get some dinner."
"How's Neville doing?" Daphne asked trying to break the flow of the conversation.
"He's doing good," Harry said, "And I'll tell you all about my day after we get out of this awful place and go to where the delicious food is."
"I just need to finish this last chap-,"
"Nope," Harry said now taking the book and placing it behind his back leaving only one arm around her, "It's dinner time, you can read later. Right now, you need a break."
"I hate you," Daphne said with a soft grin.
"Yeah, yeah, Princess, I hate you too," Harry said before Daphne looked to see her sister who was simply beaming with excitement. Harry then caught her little sister's eyes as he smiled, "You came here to bother her into telling, didn't you?"
Astoria grinned, "Guilty as charged."
Harry smiled as he shook his head, "Alright Short-Stack, lead the way, I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Daphne said with a chuckle.
"Whatever Princess," Harry said with a grin, "As long as I still look as delectable as I do now, what's the problem?" Daphne simply shook her head, and together, the three of them left for the great hall, and as Daphne felt her stomach growl, she had turned to Harry and decided that maybe a break wasn't such a bad idea.
(Sirius P.O.V)
Sirius stood solemnly as the rain poured heavily from the clouds above, his eyes locked on the large, looming place that was at one point his home and at a later part his prison. He had spent so many unhappy years in this place, desperate to leave, and now that he had returned, the darkness that crept from the building was palpable. "We don't have to move back here you know? We can stay in America," Remus had spoken softly.
"This is an ancient and noble house, it's designed with wards and fail-safes I can't even fathom," Sirius had said, "With Voldemort's return on the horizon, the Order of the Phoenix is going to need a new base, a large one that is well protected and central to the action. Even with the Floo Network, and Kreacher moving people, the response rate would be slower than simply apparating. Plus, we'll be closer to Harry this way and in the long run, I feel this place would be a better base of operations."
"Alright," Remus said with a sigh, "What's the plan?"
"Well," Sirius said, "I suppose the first thing I need to do is clear out all the shit my ancestors left in here, too many dark objects for any household good or bad. Then, we'll need to furnish the place and change the ghastly wallpaper, I was thinking something neutral and united, and then, well I suppose I need to decide on a secret keeper."
"Any thoughts on who?" Remus spoke.
"I don't know yet," Sirius spoke, "In theory, Albus is the strongest of us and least likely to have this place exposed if he's killed, but I still don't trust him completely."
"What about Harry?" Remus spoke with a shrug causing Sirius to look at his friend in confusion, "Think about it, if the danger of the Fidelius Charm is that if the original secret keeper dies then everyone who knew the secret become a secret keeper, then making Harry the secret keeper makes perfect sense because if Harry falls, then the fight is kind of well, pointless."
"It's a dark way of seeing things," Sirius said grimly, "But while the fidileus charm can't be broken through normal legilimency, Harry's connection to Voldemort isn't normal, I don't think it's worth the risk?"
"Then who?" Remus spoke tiredly.
"How about you, Moony," Sirius turned to face his friend, "You've been by my side since we were kids, and I know that both Harry and I trust you with our lives."
"Are you certain Sirius," Remus asked in shock, "I mean, I-," But Sirius silenced his friend's worries as he nodded before the silence was broken by the beeping of a charm he had set on his watch which forced Remus to grin, "Don't let me hold you up, don't want you being late for your date with Vance."
"It's not a date Remus," Sirius said, "She's an old comrade, that's all."
"Yes, and she's the only woman outside of Lily whose fate deeply pained you," Remus spoke gently, "It's alright to be honest with yourself, you've done a great job raising Harry, but you should take care of yourself too. You deserve to be happy Sirius."
Sirius turned his head away from his friend, "Don't get all mushy on me Moony, I'll um, see you later." Remus nodded, and with a pop, Sirius apparated.
(Sirius P.O.V)
A muggle coffee shop, really Vance, was all Sirius could think to himself as he straightened out his white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. He had been thankful for living in America, at the very least it had made him much more familiar with the muggle environment, still Sirius would have much rather preferred a trip to the three broomsticks over O'Hare's coffee, a small little coffee shop in London.
Sirius had begun looking around, the feeling of being so far out of his element beginning to creep under his skin, until a rush of pounding blood raced to his head as he was a man in a tailored three-piece suit leaning over the table at Vance, "Come on love," The man said shadily, "It'll be fun, my buddy owns a club just down the road, I can get you in V.I.P."
"Sorry," Vance had spoken calmly, "I've already told you once that I'm waiting for someone and I'm not all that interested in going to your friend's club. Now if you'll excu-"
"Now wait a minute doll-" The man said reaching for Vance's arm, but Emmeline didn't give him much mind as with her magic, she shot a quiet volt of electricity through the man's hand, enough to have clearly shocked the man's arm out of functioning but not enough to paralyze it permanently as it fell loosely by his side.
"Well," Emmeline spoke with mock patience, "I'm waiting."
"My arm," The man spoke in a quiet panic, "What did you do to my arm?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Vance said with a rather practiced look of ignorance, "Are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
"I know it was you," The man said angrily, "It felt like lightning running through my body."
"Oh dear, that sounds horrible," Vance then waved down the waiter, "I'm sorry to be a bother, but I think you need to call for an ambulance, this man's arm seems to have stopped working and we don't really know why. He claims I did something to him so I think he might also be becoming delusional. Please call the paramedics, and remove him from the premises, he's frightening me."
Sirius watched the way Vance played with her hair and swayed the teenaged young man into doing exactly what she said as he shook his head and walked towards the table, taking a seat across from her as he smirked, "You've gotten very good at your defenseless young woman routine, have you been practicing?"
"I have no idea what you mean," Emmeline said with a playful smirk, "In the muggle-world, I'm just a delicate flower."
"An in our world you're an ex-Auror who put away her fair share of dark wizards," Sirius said with a playful grin of his own.
"Not as much as I would have liked before the ministry went and made a muck of things," Emmeline said with a sigh, "But that isn't what this day is supposed to be about, it's supposed to be about you and I falling deeply in love."
"I don't think that's what I agreed to," Sirius said with a chuckle to which Emmeline laughed as well.
"Pity," Vance said with a shrug and mischievous grin, "But I suppose you're right once again, so straight to business then, what have you been up to for the last Thirteen Years, Mr. Black?"
"Vance-," Sirius started but Emmeline stopped him.
"Can you not call me by my last name," She said with a sigh, "It reminds me of when we were on missions, I don't want this to feel like work. Call my Emmy, or Em, of really anything but Vance, okay?"
"Alright, Em," Sirius started, "I guess it'll just be easier to start from the beginning, but before we start, perhaps we can get some coffee first." Emmeline nodded and Sirius watched as the silver-haired beauty left the table towards the register, paying for the drinks and returning with two cups in her hand and a smile beautiful enough to make Sirius' heart skip a beat.
He had never really focused on Emmeline's beauty before, no, that was a major lie, he had recognized it many times, but always fought against it. It was dark times, people were dying every day and Sirius had wanted to remove all chances of attachment to his new partner in case the worst had happened. However, that had clearly failed as Sirius had nearly felt the need to vomit in panic after receiving the news that the Medi-Wizards were unsure if they could save her when he had brought her to St. Mungos that fateful night.
The words of Remus were still ringing in his head as he watched Emmeline wave her hair behind her shoulder elegantly, but knowing that war was coming, part of Sirius worried what getting attached once more could cause, he didn't think he could go through the grief all over again, he didn't want to. Still, Emmeline's smile had brought a certain calm to his heart and stillness to his mind as he accepted his coffee, his hand gently brushing against her soft skin as they touched, and with a patient tone of her normally cautious demeanor she spoke, "Well, whenever you're ready."
"Right," Sirius spoke with a nod taking a sip of his coffee, "Well, I guess it all started when Voldemort attacked the Potter's cottage…"