Chapter 6, Jan 1997 through Jun 1997
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Jan 2nd 1997, Waivunu Fiji...
I know it's unusual for me to write in this when I'm with Harry, but I've gotten into the habit of writing about things to better order my thoughts and feelings. Writing in this book has been a great help in my search to understand what I'm feeling and going through.
The past holiday has been wonderful, despite Harry studying so hard. I'm very proud of what he's doing and what he's managed to accomplish. I shouldn't gloat, but I was right. Back in our first year I knew he was going to be a great wizard and I can see that now.
Something changed before we came to Fiji, something deep inside me, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. I clearly remember when it happened; it was at the Christmas party. I looked at Harry and, for a brief moment, thought I saw two of him. One appeared as the world will come to see him; a powerful and great wizard who believes in doing what's right. The other was the Harry I know; confused, some times scared, and looking at the world with a wonder he should have grown out of years ago. There is a wonder about him and an infinite capacity to love. I know that now.
That's the real Harry Potter and he loves me. ME! I can't believe it and I still have trouble believing it. Three days ago he finally said my Occlumency exercises had brought me to the level of practitioner and that I'd be able to keep out most intrusions. So he taught me the wanded Legilimency spell and gave me permission to try it on him.
I saw me. Or rather, I saw me as Harry sees me. I didn't see myself as I do, with small breasts and a fat bum. I didn't see the wild, out of control hair or the ugly birthmark on my shoulder. No, what I saw was how Harry perceives me and there wasn't a single imperfection in that image.
I dropped my wand and burst into tears. A second later he held me in his strong arms and he tried to calm me. He didn't understand what I saw and I couldn't explain it. His feelings for me occupy a central point in his life. I saw what he gets from me and what he wants to give me. It was dizzying and electric, as I never expected what I saw. It was like he showed me pure love and it touched me. Am I really the Hermione that he sees? I want to be. That Hermione is strong and smart and so sure of herself.
After I calmed, I needed to get away and think, so Mum and I went for a walk on the beach. Little did I know Mum had decided it was time for another one of those excruciating mother/daughter conversations that she loves so much.
"So, how are you getting on with Harry?" she asked.
"We're doing good, Mum," I replied, hoping she would drop it.
We walked for a bit, moving past the village. The beach around us was deserted. She motioned to a large piece of driftwood and sat on it. I joined her a moment later.
"Have you been intimate yet?"
I remember feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment as I looked at her, aghast. When she smiled, I looked at my feet, wishing I could just ignore the question. "No."
"I'm not trying to pry or rush you, dear. I'm just trying to understand," she said softly.
I nodded, but didn't look at her. Squirming uncomfortably, I finally blurted, "He wants to wait and he loves me."
"Of course he does. I was sure of that after our first summer with him."
My blush only deepened.
I could feel her staring at me, enjoying my discomfort as she interrogated me.
"Well? Will you wait?"
"I don't know."
Hearing her sigh, I looked at her. She was staring out at the water, a slight frown crinkling her brow.
"I've watched you two grow up. You spent a summer holding hands and sharing brief kisses where other teens would have been sneaking away to get into trouble. At first I thought it was because of the Wizarding world. I mean, it seems pretty backwards compared to ours. But neither of you were raised in that world.
"We're lucky women, Hermione. The men who love us are our best friends and they put that in front of everything. Not everyone can say that."
"What do you think I should do, Mum?"
She'd moved closer and placed an arm around me. "You'll do what your heart tells you to do. Harry wants to wait for now. But keep in mind, that's that's how he feels today. Tomorrow he may change his mind. What matters is that you're both happy with your decisions. I'm not trying to push you into something, dear. Your father and I had a wonderful courtship and romance. We still do. Nothing would make me happier than to know you had something similar."
That's when I broke down and explained what I had seen in Harry's mind. Then, to make matters worse, I explained the journals and about bookspace and what the limits were. Strangely, she had seemed rather impressed and pleased by the books. She'd known about our being able to write back and forth, but she'd been worried by the long times between visits.
It wasn't until we got back to the beach house and I was alone in my room that I realized that, by explaining the limits of bookspace in such clinical detail, I had managed to give my mother a very accurate picture of my love life, or lack of, for most of the year.
I was mortified! I was beyond mortified! And what's worse, she knew exactly what I was saying and didn't comment one way or the other. It's nice to be trusted by my parents like this, but I still feel like she tricked me into telling her about it.
Mums are sneaky. I only hope I can be half as good as my mum is when it's my turn.
Waivunu Fiji, Jan 2nd 1997...
Hermione stuck her head out of her door to what would have been an unusual sight, if it had been someone else's house. However, with Sirius, Remus and Harry living there, and Cindy living there part time, the sight was quite common.
Harry was in his pajamas at one end of the corridor, hurling spells towards the far end of the corridor where Sirius was busy dodging and trying to deal with a wand that had been expanded until it was nearly six feet long.
Harry had bunny ears, and whiskers, and Sirius was being attacked by a flock of ducks biting at his bare feet. Remus was laughing in hysterics and stuck to the ceiling; Cindy sat on the floor laughing and watching Sirius; obviously the result of a tickling charm.
Dan and Emma took one look at the prank battle underway and dashed back into their room. This time they were prepared. Dan leapt into the corridor holding a metal trash can cover as a shield in one hand, and a can of Silly String in the other. He immediately assaulted Sirius.
Emma had a water pistol and her own trash can cover.
Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped over to Harry's side. She tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned to look at her, she reached up and kissed him. While she was kissing him, she put him in a full body bind, then she pivoted and sent a spell hurtling down the corridor at Sirius.
"Wait, wait, wait!" he shouted. "I surrender! And call off the ducks!"
"Yes!" Dan exclaimed. "The Grangers win the day!"
Harry looked at Hermione and his whiskers twitched. "That was cheating," he murmured.
"All is fair in love and war," she replied primly.
He leaned closer to her and she had to grab him to keep him from falling. He was tightly bound and his head rested on her shoulder.
Emma turned in time to see Harry whisper something to Hermione that caused her to blush deeply. "I don't think the war's entirely over with those two," she told the others
Hermione clutched Harry for a moment longer before releasing him from the binding. He turned and banished the ducks and the tickling charm on Cindy. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he then slowly vanished the ears and whiskers.
"Aw, I liked them," Hermione teased.
"Does someone want to free Remus from the ceiling?" asked Dan.
Hermione waited until Remus was safely on the floor before she asked, "Who started it this time and why?"
"It's Harry's fault!" proclaimed Sirius. "He was studying again and being too serious!"
"I can't be serious, you're Sirius!" Harry shot back.
Remus groaned and ducked as Sirius grinned and shot a paint hex down the corridor. The hex missed Harry entirely and hit Hermione square in the chest.
Dan examined his daughter carefully. She'd turned orange with blue polka dots and green mushrooms. "She looks like some sort of demented kids cereal," he announced with a grin.
"Uh oh," Harry said warily as he backed away. It was true that he had a lot more power than she did, but when mad, Hermione could scare any sane person.
"Oops! Sorry Hermione," Sirius called sheepishly.
Dan began to laugh, but was silenced by Emma's glare.
Hermione smirked and her fingers twitched slightly. Harry had been working extensively with her about getting over her need to move her fingers when casting with her ring. Like Remus and Sirius, she was intimately tied to her wand. He despaired of ever breaking her of the habit. She had mastered the idea of casting without an incantation, but she still needed to gesture, even if it was something minimal.
Unlike Sirius and Remus, she had mastered the idea of commanding magic directly, so she was capable of casting without using a known spell.
He winced, watching her hand twitch, then glanced up the corridor at Sirius. His head flattened and his ears grew to enormous proportions, then they started flapping vigorously. He made a squawking sound and grabbed onto Cindy. Then his head lifted the rest of his body off the ground, his grip pulling Cindy up into the air with him.
"Hermione!" Emma exclaimed.
"Not until he changes me back! I am not going to stand around looking like an advertisement for Ronald Weasley's favorite Quidditch team!" she shot back.
Remus stopped laughing at Sirius' predicament. He turned to look at Hermione and, with a negligent wave of his wand, she returned to normal color.
Checking herself thoroughly, she nodded to Remus, then looked at Sirius. He was still squawking indignantly as his head bounced gently against the ceiling. He still held Cindy, who was laughing so hard, she hung limply in his arms.
Hermione's hand twitched again and Sirius' ears returned to normal. Harry caught Cindy with a cushioning charm, while Sirius bounced, hard, on the polished wood floor.
"Hey!" he whined. "Why didn't anyone catch me?"
"We wanted to know if you'd bounce," replied Emma with a straight face.
That was the last straw. As everyone else began to laugh, Sirius glared at them all, hoping they'd burst into flames... or at least shut up!
The same night, several hours later...
The house had slipped into silence, the prank war forgotten when everyone finally retired for the night. Dan and Emma in their room, Sirius and Cindy in theirs. Only Remus, Harry and Hermione were alone in their rooms and Harry wasn't sleeping, he was immersed in Transfiguration books again.
He was jolted from his study when someone cried out Sirius' name. Drawing his wand, he bolted toward the bedroom door. Professor Murphy had started him on a technique that involved using both his wand and ring to cast. It was difficult, as he was using his wand in his left hand, but it was a useful skill to learn.
He careened into the corridor and skidded to a halt. Tonks stood in the hall, her Auror's uniform disheveled and scorched looking. She was standing in front of Sirius' door, shouting his name.
Seeing her condition, Harry dropped the silencing charms on Sirius' room, then banged loudly on the door.
A moment later Sirius opened the door wearing only his boxers. Behind him, Cindy was putting on her dressing gown.
Tonks pushed past Harry. "Thank Merlin!"
"Tonks?" Sirius asked, confused.
"There's been another attack by the Cult of Voldemort, a bad one."
Sirius scowled. "All right. Give me five minutes and I'll meet you in the kitchen. Harry, put something strong on to drink, please, and make sure Remus is getting up."
"I'm up," Remus said from his doorway. Like Sirius, he was dressed only in his boxers.
Tonks blushed, seeing his muscular chest. She dropped her eyes for a moment and her blush deepened as she quickly looked back up and into his eyes.
Harry looked away from the pair, embarrassed for them. Remus and Tonks had been taking their growing relationship slowly, just as he and Hermione had. Seeing the Grangers awake and concerned, he walked toward the kitchen, Hermione hot on his heels.
"How come you're still dressed, Harry?" she asked
He sighed, knowing he was about to get into trouble. "I was up late, studying. There's an alternative Transfiguration for inanimate to animate that I wanted to master."
He turned and filled a pot with water and heated it with a quick charm, then he pulled out the tea they normally drank and a number of mugs.
"Harry," Hermione chided.
His shoulders slumped and he nodded. "Yeah, I know I'm over doing it, but the first exam is less than a month away."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Promise me you'll try to take it easier? You don't want to work yourself into an illness like last year."
He nodded and guided her to the table as the others filed in. Remus kept trying to make sure Tonks was all right and she kept trying to smack him away.
"Honestly, Remus, I'm fine. I'm just a little singed," she protested. His obvious concern was enough to cause her hair color to cycle wildly. The pair had been skirting the edges of forming a relationship for a while now and still hadn't made up their minds about what they were doing.
Once everyone was seated, Tonks took a deep breath and began.
"Earlier today I was in the DMLE headquarters when someone floo'd the office with an announcement that the Mark of Voldemort was spotted in two locations."
"They're casting the Dark Mark again?" gasped Sirius.
Tonks shook her head. "No, not the Dark Mark. This is different. We now believe that the Cult of Voldemort doesn't have any of the original Death Eaters as members. If there are, they're keeping that information to themselves. The Mark of Voldemort is a V shaped snake made from smoke. It doesn't have nearly the lifespan of the old Dark Mark, which lasted for hours."
"So where were these marks?" asked Hermione.
"The first was in the Soho section of London," Tonks said, then turned to Sirius. "I knew your home was there, so I went to check on it immediately. I'm sorry, Sirius, but they torched the entire block of homes at Grimmauld Place, hoping to burn yours in the process. And when I heard about the other mark, I knew it was an attack on you."
"And the other mark?" pressed Sirius in a strangled tone. The destruction of his home didn't bother him much, but he owned the surrounding homes and there were people, whole families, living in them.
Tonks looked at the table refusing to meet anyone's eye. "The second mark was in Oxford, over Paradise Square."
Cindy gasped and clutched at Sirius. "No. Oh, no," she murmured. She lived in an apartment building at Paradise Square in Oxford!
"Was anyone hurt?" asked Hermione quietly. She had been to Cindy's place many times, even sleeping over there. It was a home away from home.
Harry stood and walked over to the potions cabinet. He pulled out a small pink bottle and walked back to the table. He poured a drink into a shot glass and slid it over to Cindy. She stared at the drink for a long moment.
"Most of the people got out of their homes at Grimmauld. I wasn't sure if Cindy was home, or exactly where her apartment was, so I ending up blowing down doors to about twenty apartments in the building before the fire got too intense. There were a great many killed or injured in the fire," Tonks said softly.
Cindy grabbed the glass and slammed the potion down. Then she turned into Sirius' chest and began to weep as his arms wrapped around her tightly.
"This is a calming potion. Does anyone else need?" Harry asked softly as he held up the bottle.
He looked at Dan, who glanced at Emma and Hermione, then nodded. Harry conjured two more glasses and poured, then passed one to Dan. He took the other glass and handed it to Hermione. Her eyes met his and he could see the grief in them. At his urging, she drank the potion, then he slid his chair close to hers and wrapped his arms around her, holding her like Sirius was holding Cindy.
The Grangers knew a number of families in the apartment complex and the odds were some of them were now dead.
"Are we safe here, Sirius? We could return to Britain and hole up at Potter Manor. It's unplottable," Harry offered.
Sirius shook his head. "No, we're secure here and you need to finish your schooling here. My mother's home is probably untouched by the fire. The house had anti-fire charms all over it, plus Dobby was there. Tomorrow, however, Cindy and I will go home. I'll help her salvage anything she can, then move her into Grimmauld. I'm also going to contract a goblin warding team to go over the Granger's house."
"How about a Fidelius on the beach house?" asked Harry.
"It's not needed, Harry," replied Remus. "We have a ward up that's rather unique. It's a repelling charm that convinces people that the one they seek doesn't live here. Doesn't matter who they're looking for, all they know is that the person they seek isn't in this house. And there are additional, more active defensive wards if they get closer."
Sirius turned slightly, pulling Cindy deeper into his embrace. She had stopped crying and was huddled against him, as if seeking his protection.
"Dobby," Remus called.
"He can't hear you, mate. It's too far away," Sirius said. "Besides, he's not bound to you. Harry might be able to call him, though. The little blighter is bound to him, after all."
Harry winced as he felt Hermione's eyes boring into his shoulder. "It's not what you think," he whispered. "I'll explain later, just trust me."
She nodded and relaxed in his embrace again.
Remus stood. "Sitting around here will accomplish nothing. Sirius, you should put Cindy to bed and stay with her. I'll go with Tonks back through the portal and we'll check on the properties."
Tonks nodded and stood to join Remus. Sirius looked grateful as he helped Cindy stand. He led her from the room, followed a moment later by Dan and Emma.
Remus looked at Harry and Hermione with an arched eyebrow. Harry got the implied message and he stood, pulling Hermione to her feet.
Satisfied that everyone was going to bed again, Remus and Tonks passed through the portal back to Britain.
The corridor was empty by the time Harry and Hermione got to their rooms. Hermione paused and placed a hand on her door, looking undecided.
Harry turned, sure that she would go into her room. He opened the door to his room and stared at the desk with his lamp still on and the pile of books laying about.
"Harry?"
He turned to see Hermione standing in the doorway. She was fingering the belt on her robe nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"Can... Can I say with you tonight? Just to sleep?"
He glanced at the pile of books then turned back to her. "I think I'd like that," he replied softly. "I'd like that very much."
She nodded and entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She cast several spells on the door to warn them if someone tried to enter. When she was finished, she walked over to the bed and quickly shed her robe, revealing a pair of boxers and a long t-shirt, then she slid under the covers of his bed.
Harry stood for a long moment, feeling as if his feet were glued to the floor. With a shake of his head, he walked to the bed and pulled off his shirt. Sitting down, he kicked off his slippers and was about to lay down next to her when her voice stopped him.
"Harry, I know you don't sleep in your jeans," she said softly.
"I was just..."
"I know what you were trying to do, but I want you to be comfortable enough to sleep."
He nodded and pushed his jeans off, leaving only his boxers, then he slid under the blankets. With a wave of a his hand, he extinguished the lights. When Hermione rolled so that she was spooning up behind him, he froze for a moment, then relaxed again.
He was acutely aware of her soft warm body pressing against his back. How am I going to be able to sleep with her doing this? he thought.
It was the last conscious thought he had before falling asleep.
Waivunu Fiji, Jan 3rd 1997...
The soft pinging noise didn't wake Harry. Neither did the vibration of the bed. He was just too comfortable. What woke him was the sound of someone coughing gently in his room. He opened one eye slightly, unsure what to expect.
There was a bushy haired brown mass sleeping on his shoulder, with her arm thrown across his stomach. His arm was wrapped around her with his hand lightly touched her bum.
The person coughed again.
"Yes, Mum, I hear you," Hermione answered sleepily.
"Dear, due to the problems back home, we're going to leave early. I had thought to let you stay two more days, but now I'm not so sure I should."
When Harry flinched, Hermione sighed and lifted her head to peer at her mother. "Honestly, Mum, nothing happened. I didn't want to be alone last night. All we did is sleep. As it was, I had to convince Harry not to sleep in his jeans."
He winced again and wondered if he should say something.
Hermione knew he was awake. She had tightened her grip on him and one hand was caressing his stomach lightly under the blankets.
Emma sighed. She really couldn't blame her daughter; she had needed Dan desperately last night, too. "What do you think I should do, Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head, causing her hair to brush against Harry's chest, tracing an erotic trail that both tickled and started his blood boiling, despite her mother being in the room.
"I think you should trust us, Mum. We've talked about this and you yourself pointed out that I'm of age, as far as British law is concerned, and we're both of age as far as the Pacific Rim Ministry is concerned. Besides, I told you, we're not doing that yet. It was just sleeping and if I decide to share his bed, that's probably all it will be for now."
Emma stared at her daughter, undecided. She had been waiting for months for Hermione to tell her she and Harry had been intimate. But now, being confronted with the possible reality of it, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
Harry had kept his eyes closed through the exchange, but now he opened them. "We didn't do anything wrong, Mrs. Granger," he told her softly. "But if you must be angry, be angry at me. Hermione isn't at fault in this."
Harry's words were enough to push Emma into her decision. She had been vacillating until he spoke. It was so like Harry to try to divert her anger away from Hermione. "Very well. I'll explain it to your father. But for both your sakes, I hope you two act responsibly. I'm not ready to be a grandmother."
With those final words, Emma turned and walked from the room, leaving Harry and Hermione blushing heavily.
Harry closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Are you angry?" Hermione asked. She was leaning against his chest with her chin resting on him, watching him closely.
He smiled at her without opening his eyes and touched her hair. "Angry? How can I be angry? All my life I've wanted to have someone to hold me through the night. After we became good friends, you became the person I wanted to hold me. I'm sorry that your Mum is upset, but I'm not angry, nor do I regret sleeping with you last night. It was brilliant. The best nights sleep I've ever had."
His arm tightened around her for a moment and she laid her head back down on his chest. He chuckled and squirmed under her. She lifted her head and looked at him curiously.
"Your hair," he explained. "It tickles."
She grinned at him and turned her head, dragging massive amounts of hair across his skin and he writhed under her for a moment before pulling her up and kissing her. She gasped around his lips, then opened her mouth, entangling her tongue with his.
They kissed for several minutes before the need for oxygen became critical. They broke apart, panting, and stared at each other. She could feel his arousal brushing her thigh through his boxers. A part of her yearned to reach for it and fulfill the need that seemed to pulse between them.
Harry calmed and looked at her, his eyes turning almost black. "We should get up if everyone is returning to Britain today."
Except you, he thought, trying desperately to fight the urge to drag her down and kiss her senseless.
"You're probably right. Besides, Mum will talk to Dad, but I don't need to drive him insane today," she admitted with a slight grin.
"You are going to stay with me?" he asked in a whisper.
She blinked and smiled at him. "What exactly are you asking, Mr. Potter?"
"Will you sleep with me?"
She grinned. Yes! she shouted to herself. And perhaps I can help move you off that fence a little. She dropped her gaze. "If you want," she replied shyly.
The Granger Residence, Oxford England, Jan 4th 1997...
They arrived in England and settled into the Granger's guest bedroom with a dose of sleeping potion. When they awoke the next morning, Dan and Emma accompanied Sirius and Cindy to her apartment on Paradise Square in the hopes that they would be able to find something salvageable. Tonks' description implied the building was still standing, but it was only after they arrived that they came to understand that Tonks had not stayed around to witness the fire in it's entirety.
The building was a charred ruin; a collapsed shell with only pieces of walls still standing. Yellow police tape cordoned off the area and several constables sat in a police car staying warm in the frigid temperatures.
Sirius and Cindy got out of the car to stare at the rubble. Dan and Emma remained in the car to allow the other couple their privacy.
"Sirius, it's all gone." Cindy said. "There's nothing here to save."
He placed his arm around her shoulders. "I see it, love," he replied tightly. He had checked in with Dobby and discovered that 12 Grimmauld Place had been untouched by the fire, but the other fourteen homes on the block were a total loss. Had Grimmauld Place burned down, he wouldn't have cared. He could go to Black Manor in Kent, or even use Potter Manor up in Wales, but that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was the fact that Cindy and so many others had had their lives thrown into turmoil, all because of some outdated bigotry.
She turned to him and her lower lip trembled. "What will I do?" she whispered. All of her important documents, her clothes, her books, the last ten years of accumulated life were part of the rubble behind her.
He cupped her face in his hands. "We rebuild, my sweet. That's what we're going to do. We were planning on getting married in a few months and building a life together. So we just started earlier than we thought. Your important papers we'll replace, like your diploma and medical license. Your books and clothing are just things. We can get more of the same, starting today."
He turned her and led her back to the car. There was nothing they could do or salvage from the ashes.
Dan pulled the car into the road and headed east towards the A40 and London. "So, what now?" he asked carefully.
Cindy wiped the tears from her eyes and straightened in the seat. "Sirius is right. It's time to start over."
"You're welcome to stay with us, Cindy," Emma offered.
Cindy shook her head. "Thanks, Em, but Sirius has asked me to move into his London home. I'm going to give my notice at the clinic and pass off my patients to Dr. Schultz. I'm not sure if I'll look for something in London or if I'll open up something on Fiji. We haven't decided exactly what will happen, but with Sirius having his Wizengamot duties, I expect we'll be spending more time back in London than Fiji."
"That's right. Besides, I need to spend more time at home, now. The block of buildings surrounding my London home is owned by myself and James Potter. I suppose that goes to Harry now. We never got around to dealing that particular aspect.
"When my family kicked me out, Charles bought the surrounding land and gave half to me and half to James. He wanted us to use it to make our fortunes and he thought it would be amusing to own all the buildings and land around my family's property."
"Yes, erm... About Harry..."
"Dan! You promised!" snapped Emma.
Dan scowled and glared at the road in front of him.
Sirius glanced at Cindy, who shrugged. She didn't know what was going on either.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked carefully.
Dan looked over at Emma, who ignored him. She turned in her seat so she could see the rear easier. "I caught Hermione and Harry in bed together. They were just sleeping, or so they claim. Dan is rather upset about it. Hermione, however, clearly reminded me that they are both of age according to the Pacific Rim Ministry and she's of age according to British law, Muggle and magical. I think it was her polite way of telling me to butt out."
Sirius nodded and looked to Dan. "And your opinion, Dan?"
Dan sighed and he gripped the wheel tightly. "I have been told in no uncertain terms that I need to recognize that my little girl has grown up and made her choice known. I've also been reminded that I was two years younger than they are now when I was first intimate. I've also had it explained to me until I was sick of hearing it, that they only slept, nothing more. It doesn't help that the boy that spent the night with my daughter is capable of vaporizing me if I so much as yell at my daughter. So I can't exactly scare him off."
He relaxed a little and his voice dropped. "What my mind knows and what my heart says are two very different things. Logically, I know I can't stop her and I know she's too smart to get herself mixed up with anyone who would hurt her. But my heart says she's my little girl and she's too young. And Harry's too young, plus he doesn't have a job, so how can he support her when his trust runs out?"
Emma reached out and placed her hand on Dan's shoulder comfortingly.
"Reasonable concerns, I'll agree. Now would you like to know a few things that will help relieve your fears?" Sirius asked.
Dan nodded, tight lipped.
"First off, I'm not worried. Both of them are very responsible. Perhaps too responsible. Harry's been so focused on his studies because they mean his freedom from Voldemort and his life beyond. And Hermione's always been a serious girl. Right now, I don't think they'll do anything to make you ashamed of them.
"And as for his trust, it won't run out, ever. The trust is only a small vault of fifty thousand galleons, but it's refilled on the first of January every year from the main family vaults. I don't know the full amount off the top of my head, but there is close to fifteen million galleons in Harry's family vaults and another four million in properties, stocks and securities. How much is in that vault in terms of antiques and rarities is unknown, but I'd guess another couple million. Harry could spend his entire trust in a year and come January, it would refill without digging into the principal in the family vaults.
"We've hinted to Harry that he has a lot more coming to him when he turns seventeen, but we haven't sat him down and gone over it to the last knut. He's been working on the assumption that his trust is what he has to work with, plus a bit more once he's of age. He could spend his entire life doing nothing and never run out of money, Dan. He'll be able to take care of himself and Hermione, and any children they have."
Dan winced and scowled at that last part.
"Look, forget his wealth, forget his fame and all that for a moment. He loves her, and from what I can see, she feels the same way about him. If you try to break them up, you'll fail and she'll hate you for it. Do you really want to do that to her and yourself?" Sirius asked bluntly.
"Sirius is right, Dan," Cindy added. "She is your daughter, through and through. She can be as stubborn as you and you know how unhappy you'd make her if you didn't approve of their relationship."
He nodded slowly and his shoulders slumped in acceptance.
Emma smiled softly at him. "I think someone didn't want to let their baby grow up."
"And you did?" he countered.
"No, I suppose I didn't. But I knew it was inevitable," she replied. "It happens to every parent and, honestly, Harry really cares for her. It could have been so much worse."
"Yeah, I know..."
"It's not the end of the world," Emma added.
"Look at it this way. In a few years time, you'll have some green eyed bushy haired grandchildren to play with," Sirius offered.
The silence that followed his statement was broken by Cindy's sudden laughter.
"What's so funny?" Sirius asked.
"Imagining Harry and Hermione's children. I can just see it. Those poor kids will never have a decent head of hair."
The car filled with laughter as they drove towards London, the somber mood replaced by a much lighter one.
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Jan 5th 1997, Oxford, England...
As I write this I'm back in my room in England. It's late, nearly eleven and I should be in bed. The problem is I don't want to sleep alone. For the last three nights, Harry and I shared a bed and while for the most part, we slept, it was an experience that was both romantic and spiritually uplifting.
The second night I woke up in the middle of the night to feel Harry trembling next to me. He may have been having a nightmare, I'm not sure, but I reached out and touched him and the tremors ceased. In his sleep he rolled and embraced me in a way that would have embarrassed him had he been awake. And despite that, I felt safe and at peace in his arms.
I learned a lot about Harry and myself during the last three days and I think that the one thing I learn that meant the most to me was the realization that I belonged in his arms. It's where I want to be, now, and when we make love, it's where I want to be when I take my last breath. It's where I belong.
This morning I woke around three in the morning. Harry was holding me and stroking my hair. He was awake and had been for hours, laying next to me and just holding me while I slept. We talked for a bit about nothing important and his stroking put me back to sleep. How can I get that at Hogwarts? Or here?
I can't.
On the plus side, my Dad came into my room tonight and spoke to me about my sleeping with Harry. It seems my Mum, and others, spoke to him about it. He wasn't happy about it at all. He came into the room and said he wanted to ask me a question.
"Go ahead," I told him.
"If I tried to stop you from seeing Harry, you'd refuse and see him anyway, wouldn't you? And hate me for it?" he asked.
I stared at him for a moment in shock, then I nodded. I felt an irrational surge of anger and a distinct urge to remind my father that I was the one with lethal capabilities, while he was just a Muggle. Fortunately, I held my tongue and my anger.
Daddy looked at me for a moment, then he nodded. "Come this summer when Harry is here, I'll not say anything, but I expect you both to be responsible for your actions. And I will appreciate if you don't rub my face in your nocturnal activities. Let me at least pretend my daughter hasn't grown up already."
I stood and walked over to him and hugged him. It's been a long time since I really hugged my Daddy, and I knew I was half a minute from a good cry. It was a major concession on his behalf. He wrapped his arms around me and I was stuck by how alike and unlike it was from Harry's hugs. Dad is strong like Harry and you can feel the love in his hugs, but there was something missing from Daddy's hug. Something only Harry can provide. I feel safe in my Dad's arms, and loved, but it's a different kind of love.
On the other hand, sitting here now, several hours later and my face hurts from the size of my grin. My father has given me permission to sleep with my boyfriend. I am a most dutiful daughter and will try very hard to obey him.
So tonight, and for the next six months, I have to sleep alone and I don't like it. But there is nothing I can do about it. I will admit that, before I left Fiji, I briefly considered staying with Harry and basically dropping out of Hogwarts. I could have taken my NEWTS in the Pac Rim, but I couldn't do that. Not to my parents or to myself.
It's not forever. Harry told me when we talked in bed that, next year, after I returned to Hogwarts, he'd ask for permission from my parents to marry me. That plan hasn't changed in the least. So, someday soon he and I will be together forever. I can wait for that, especially since we'll have the summer to look forward to.
Mrs. Hermione Potter. It has a nice, sweet ring to it, I think.
Daily Prophet Headline Article Jan 6th 1997...
Wizengamot Member Targeted in Attack.
Ministry admits to existence of extremist cult!
Sirius Orion Black, Wizengamot member and leading advocate for non-human species rights, was the victim of a vicious attack by the Cult of Voldemort, a new extremist group which the Ministry has acknowledged as now operating in the U.K.
Mr. Black is known for being the Godfather of the Boy Who Lived, as well as being the only person to escape from the island of Azkaban. Black, age 38, is one of the leaders of the moderates in the Wizengamot and a big supporter of the current Minister. He also recently announced his betrothal to a Muggle woman last month.
One Ministry employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that he believes Mr. Black's decision to marry a Muggle and his political activism has made him a target for these attacks.
Black denied the possibility, when asked. "I fail to see how my decision to marry the woman I love has any affect on anyone. It is the business of my family, myself and Ms. Adams. The cowards who tried to hurt me missed their target entirely and instead burned out more than forty Muggle families, whose lives have been totally disrupted."
The Ministry acknowledged that the attacks were carried out by an extremist group that calls themselves the Cult of Voldemort. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Auror and lead investigator into this mysterious group, called them a bizarre anomaly. "The Cult clearly claims to adhere to the philosophies espoused by Voldemort. The problem is that Voldemort, were he alive today, would be a powerless Muggle.
"Additionally, we've found that his parentage was not that of a pureblood, like so many believed. Voldemort himself was a half blood, the product of a witch raping a Muggle man through the use of love potions. Why the Cult would exist at all is a mystery to us. Wizards, worshiping a powerless half blood? It doesn't make any sense, but we'll track them down and bring them to justice."
Ministry spokesman Perky Weatherbee said "We are endeavoring to locate and Obliviate all the involved Muggles so that our world remains secure. In the meantime, there is no cause for alarm or panic. The DMLE is hunting these criminals down even now, and their ultimate goal of bringing back Voldemort will fail, thanks to the noble sacrifice of the great Harry Potter."
From the Journal of Harry Potter (Private Entry), Jan 6th 1997, Waivunu Fiji...
She slept in my bed!
In my bed!
I wanted to sit down and write this. I wanted to put into words what I felt, but I can't. Words fail me. I was never very good with words in the first place, not like Hermione. But I can't even begin to describe what it felt like to wake with her head laying on my chest. Even the small bit of drool didn't bother me!
For the first time in my life I felt... wanted? Needed? Special? Important? Damn, I don't know. I felt great. I wanted to shout how I felt from the roof. I wanted to jump on the bed and whoop like a kid.
This is so much more than just sex. Sure, it felt fantastic to feel her breasts pressed against me, and it took all of my willpower to keep my hands to myself. But this was more, much more.
And then she told me not to be embarrassed by my erection. Really! How could I not be embarrassed by it? The bloody thing had a mind of its own these past few days. I swear, if it could have, it would have tried whistling for her attention.
Hey! Maybe I can come up with a spell to do that and try it on Sirius? I bet it would freak Cindy out. Maybe something for their honeymoon? I'll think about it.
I spent a lot of time in the shower, taking care of business. Not that it helped. And it didn't help that she knew why I was spending so much time in the shower. She walked around for those last two days with a mysterious smile on her face that she wouldn't explain.
Our last night together she whispered a secret to me when we spoke in the middle of the night. She said, "My arousal might not be as visible as yours, but it's there, just the same."
Here I was sure I was coming off as some kind of constantly horny pervert and then she admitted she felt the same way.
I really hope we can do this again this summer and maybe more. I know what we agreed, but I'm beginning to wonder if that was a good idea. When I'm holding her in the middle of the night with nothing more than a t-shirt and boxers between me and heaven, it's hard to say that waiting is a good idea.
Sirius popped over for a short time today to talk about the damage around Grimmauld Place. I didn't know it, but apparently he and I are co-owners of the block! He said he was going to hire an architect to design a modern Muggle building for the block and he'd show me the design when it was ready. I agreed and told him to go ahead with the project.
I know I'm going to have to start managing my finances soon. The problem is, no one has really explained what I have. I had thought my Estate Management class would be a perfect place for that, but they didn't. We worked off a phony set of accounts. The week I paid for the Grangers to visit was the one time I did any of that sort of thing, and it all came from my trust fund. I need to speak with Sirius or Remus about it. I can't ignore it just because I have to deal with Voldemort. My dad didn't ignore it and I won't either. I'm going to need to know what I have, so Hermione and I can make our plans.
I'm basically alone here for the next week. Hermione is going back to Hogwarts tomorrow and my tutors start arriving again the day after, but no one will be here when they're gone. I have the whole house to myself. I guess it's a good thing my NEWTS are coming. Studying will keep me out of trouble.
Remus is supposed to be back here by the middle of the month.
I know I can't spend all day thinking of Hermione. If I did, she'd be happy right up until I got my grades.
If all goes well, I'll be done with school at least up to NEWT level soon. And then I can go about reclaiming my life.
Quibbler Headline Article Jan 25th 1997...
Harry Potter Wins Tour De France!
Capitalizing on his being a well toned and extremely athletic wizard posing as a Muggle, Harry Potter led his team to victory in the famed Muggle race, the Tour De France, and in doing so created an upset of unprecedented proportions. Potter, age 16, led the powerhouse team from Botswana to an upset victory yesterday and while doing so, distributed leaflets proclaiming the plight of the stunted spotted Yetis of Pango Pango.
Outraged by the incident, Frenchmen in the French province of Quebec rioted for thirty minutes before they were calmed by an offer of wine and cheese by the government. Local sources admitted that the wine came from California and the cheese was from Wisconsin, but that didn't stop the agonized locals from consuming huge quantities of the stuff.
Bookmakers across the continent were in turmoil over the upset victory, especially since only one person bet on him. Harry Potter bet on himself at 25,000 to 1 odds. He then turned around and donated his winnings to a home for Unwed Mothers whose name started with the letter "8".
Botswana declared a holiday and as soon as they can find their national airplane, which is a Muggle device for moving people, much like a catapult, they will bring home their winning team and they will hold a parade throughout the country. Several have suggested the hugely popular pop single "Muggle Me Mama!", sung by Harry Potter, to be the new Botswana national anthem.
Potter refused comment, except to issue a warning to Monaco to release the Fried Fritz Bellies they hold in captivity, then he donned his patented bat suit and swooped away. We were unable to confirm the rumor that he had managed to impregnate a colony of French Veelas while competing in the race. But one Veela did come forward to say "He iz a God!"
Meanwhile, Botswana, bolstered by this win, announced plans to either start their own space program or an attempt to circumnavigate the world, thus proving the world is not flat. We promise to watch this carefully.
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Transmitted Entry), Jan 27th 1997, Hogwarts...
Dear Harry,
Well it's official. I have been declared crazy in Gryffindor house since I've started revising for my NEWTS already. Some, like Neville and Ron, have joined in half-heartedly. No, I can't believe it, either. Ron is studying, but he's still doing what he can to impress Hannah. Ginny studies with us also, but she's not working on her NEWTS, she's studying for her OWLS, which are this year for her.
Lavender and I have had some heated words. I can't believe how angry and vicious she's become! She is so mad about Evan. For some strange reason, she seems to think that my dating Evan is an affront to her ability with men. Parvati explained that I was competing with her, until I pointed out that Evan doesn't attend Hogwarts, therefore I am not touching the pool of available boys in the school in any way. That shut Parvati up, but it hasn't stopped Lavender. Honestly, I think she sees it as some great cosmic insult to her womanhood that I am able to have a boyfriend that she can't wrap around her finger.
Ginny's basically explained that Evan wasn't interested in her in any way, and that he was extremely attentive to me. That's better than most of the boys here at school, who have to think about it before choosing between their girlfriends and Quidditch. I won't go into how many times Hannah's smacked Ron because he's ignored her in favor of food.
I think Lavender is behind the attempts to get into my trunk. I actually pity her if she succeeds. The wards I've learned will ruin the looks she's worked so hard to obtain. And even if she did get in, your photo and the book are protected by so many spells, she'd end up spending a month in the hospital wing reversing the damage.
Do you remember that crystal? The one you created from the napkin on the night of the Christmas party? I showed it to Professor Flitwick and he ran a bunch of tests on it. He's not entirely sure about it because I can't really tell him how I came about to have it, but he can't identify the material. It's some kind of crystal and he believes it would act as a focus. Now, here's the really strange thing. I've been able to use it a little as a focus, but I think it's a blood focus, Harry, like our rings. It is very sharp and it was mixed with your blood.
I don't know what good it can do, really. It's a strange oddity, but I'll hang onto it. Perhaps over the summer we'll think of a use for it. I just find it fascinating that you created it from a napkin.
I really miss you, Harry. If I stop and think about you, which I do many times every day, it feels like a piece of me is missing. I miss being able to cuddle up with you in the bed and I miss the feel of your hands on me. I miss being able to rest my head on your chest, lulled to sleep listening to your heart beat. I can't wait until the summer, but it seems so far away now. Bookspace is nice, but it's not the same. I want to relax with you in the bed next to me. I want to hold you and be held and we cant do that in the hour we have in bookspace.
When I returned to Britain this last time, I left behind the one real thing I had to give you. I left you my heart. I'm yours. I hope you know that by now.
Love,
Hermione.
From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Jan 28th 1997, Waivunu Fiji...
Sweetheart,
You left your heart here, and took mine with you. Without you I am lost and without any direction or purpose.
I agree that bookspace is nice, but it's lacking in substance. There is a certain undefinable quality to having you in my arms and feel you softly breathing while you sleep. You gave me a wonderful gift and then circumstances took it away. Like you, I miss it terribly.
The only consolation I have is that this summer we will have time for each other and I will help you as best as I can with your NEWT studying. After the summer, unless I really mess up in my NEWTS, I will be at every Hogsmeade weekend you get. I will be there for you as much as I can.
Hopefully this will all be done by your graduation. I'd like to think that particular milestone would be the point where I can finally start to live my life the way I want to, and with the people I want by my side.
I received my portkey to the testing center in Wellington, New Zealand. That's trip of more than 1,500 miles, via portkey, so I've been told to expect to arrive a day early so that I can recover from the trip. If it's anything like that first portkey I took from Fiji to Oxford, I'll need the time to stop my stomach from threatening. I think I may be developing a resistance to the potion they use for the really long distance portkeys. They don't seem to do me any good at all.
Merlin, I am coming to hate portkeys!
Remus has been by a few times but he hasn't stayed around for long. Neither has Sirius. He's been involved in helping Cindy replace most of what she lost in the fire. It's not too bad, but the nights get a little lonely.
Remus thinks he has a lead on the missing brooch. A consignment of Scottish Medieval Jewelry was sent to a museum in Calgary, Canada. According to Remus, there is a photograph of what looks like the brooch in the catalog. The problem is, the item appears to have been altered somewhat, so he won't know until he can get close enough to cast a detection spell.
The last I saw him, he was packing his bags and getting ready to head to Canada. That was four days ago.
Sirius dropped by last night to talk to me. Did I tell you that he and I both own the block of homes on Grimmauld Place? According to Sirius, my Granddad bought the land and homes from the Blacks, using the goblins as intermediaries. So the Blacks never knew who was buying the block. Anyway, Granddad did this after Sirius came to live with them.
It was thought that Sirius would be denied any of the Black money, so Granddad thought it would be interesting if my father and Sirius owned all the land around the London home of the Blacks. They were equal partners. My Granddad did it to help Sirius, plus he thought it would be amusing for the Blacks to discover the disowned son owned the block.
Well, you know what happened. Their plans never came to fruition and Voldemort sidetracked everything. Now, nearly seventeen years later, Sirius is looking to build a Muggle apartment building on the block. Only thing is, the top floor will be split into two penthouse apartments, one for Sirius and one for me.
Sirius also told me about my family fortune. I knew the Potters were well off, but I never knew how well off. Let's just say that if you want to spend your life going to University, you could. Once we're married, you'll never have to pick a career based on what it pays. You'll be able to do whatever you want and I'll be there supporting your decision every step of the way.
I still think it would be fun for us to do something where we could work together if we wanted to.
It's getting late here and I need to get to sleep. Classes start early these days.
Love,
Harry.
P.S. Sorry this isn't a more romantic letter. I've tried writing them but they keep coming out sounding lame and dumb.
Calgary, Canada, Feb 1st 1997...
Remus collapsed back on the bed. He was mentally exhausted, yet strangely exhilarated.
Sometime during the last century, a jeweler had taken considerable energy to convert the brooch he was looking for into a pendant. That was why he'd had so much trouble locating it. It was classified as both a medieval object of Scottish origin, and as a work of art designed by a prominent turn of the century jeweler/artist.
It was a clever piece of work, really. The artist had carefully crafted it so that the brooch slipped into place and unless you knew it was a separate piece, it looked like one item.
Tonight had been harrowing. He had slipped past the Muggle security cameras and guards, making his way to the guest exhibition area of the Glenbow Museum. Once there, he had to duplicate the pendant using some gold and gems Sirius had supplied for the project. He was unable to conjure noble metals, like gold and gems; few wizards were. Instead, he'd had to transfigure existing gold and gems to achieve a believable replacement.
After he made the duplicate, he carefully switched it with the original, avoiding the pressure sensitive alarm. Then, despite his invisibility cloak, he had to slowly backtrack, re-enabling the cameras and other alarms that he had disabled. All in all, it took him nearly three intense hours to get into the museum and get out again with his mission accomplished.
"So, that's it, eh?"
Remus sprang from his bed, and promptly tripped over the shoes he had kicked off his feet only a few minutes before. Flailing wildly, he pulled the small lamp from the bedside table and it smashed into the floor next to him, breaking into hundreds of pieces.
"You do that almost as well as I do," Tonks said with a smirk.
He peered up at her from the floor. "Tonks? What are you doing here?"
"I had to come over to this side of the pond for a prisoner transfer. It went sour - some sort of paperwork foul up - and I hopped over here from Quebec," she said with a satisfied grin.
He climbed to his feet and stared at her. No one used a portkey for nearly four thousand kilometers and walked away without hours of vertigo! "You did not just portkey here. How long have you been here?" he asked, looking around for an invisibility cloak.
"Remus, Remus," she said shaking her head and grinning. "I'm immune to portkey vertigo. When I take a long distance portkey, I change my ears to remove the inner ear canal. Presto, chango! No vertigo."
"Doesn't that mean you arrive to your location deaf?" he asked incredulously.
"What did you say?" she asked, straight faced. Seeing his expression, she began to laugh.
He tried to glare at her, but felt his lips twitch into a grin and knew he couldn't hold it. She walked over and poked him in the shoulder, which started him laughing.
Chuckling to herself, she turned to sit in a chair and promptly tripped over the same shoe he had tripped over.
He darted forward and caught her inches from the floor. She was cradled in his arms, looking up at him in surprise.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" she asked softly.
Remus blushed heavily. She had been actively pursuing him for months now and he had managed to fend her off, despite the fact that he clearly liked her. Her eyes seemed to glow in the low light of the room and his heart began to race.
She reached up and slid her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. Remus seemed stunned, like a rabbit staring down a snake. His hands were frozen in place and if he removed them, she would fall to the floor. Pulling her upright only had the effect of pulling her closer.
She kissed him and in doing so, sealed his fate forever. Instinctively, he pulled her deeper into his embrace and responded to her kiss. He gasped and pulled back slightly when she grasped his butt with both hands and squeezed. She grinned sheepishly at him and he smiled back, then let her go.
"I think we need to talk," he said softly.
She looked at him warily for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
He motioned for her to sit at the table and moved to sit across from her. Between them lay Ravenclaw's brooch, a valuable artifact of the founders and a Horcrux of one of the worst Dark Lords in history.
He sat for a moment and tiredly rubbed his temples with his fingers. The moon was less than a week away and he was starting to feel the affects of his curse.
He sighed and grinned ruefully at her. "I'm not sure where to begin."
"Why don't you tell me what you're feeling, then?"
He nodded and looked down for a moment. "All right. I'm confused. Why me, Tonks? You've been chasing me for a while now and I don't understand it. I'm a lethal monster every month. According to our government, I'm not allowed to hold any job, except for the most degrading of positions. If it weren't for Sirius and Harry, I'd be destitute and living in a hovel. Why would a woman as beautiful as you want me? What can I possibly offer you?"
She reached across the table and took his hand in her own. "An honest heart, Remus. That's what you can offer. I've watched you at work and at play. I've seen how you care and I've seen you sneaking looks at me. I know you care about me."
"I do, but..."
"But?"
"I'm afraid," he replied in a whisper.
"Of me?" she asked incredulously.
He shook his head. "Not exactly, but what we could have and lose. Despite the strides made by the government, there still is a large anti-werewolf sentiment in the Ministry and in our society. If you marry me outside of Britain, you could lose your job. If we have a relationship and a family, the Ministry could take away our children. All I can offer you is misery."
"So, you're afraid of what can happen if we were together?"
"Aren't you worried about it?"
She shrugged. "No, not really. Look, I like you a lot. I think it would be very easy to fall in love with you, if I haven't already. So what happens if we do fall in love? First, we could leave England. I'm an Auror and I could find work in my field almost anywhere. I also hold a Mastery in Transfiguration thanks to the Auror academy and for other obvious reasons. Second, we could stay and tough it out, trying to hide what we have from the Ministry, but sooner or later they will catch onto it."
As she spoke, she ticked off points on her fingers.
"Third, you're an expert in Magical Creatures and you have a qualified teacher's certificate from the Pacific Rim Ministry. What you're doing for Harry now, you could do for others. Wasn't it you telling me about that school they plan on building on Fiji?"
He nodded uncertainly. "Doesn't it bother you that you want to be with a monster?"
She scowled at him fiercely. "Do you want to go out and infect other people?"
"Merlin, no! Why do you think I lock myself up in a concrete bunker every full moon?" he retorted.
"Then stop calling yourself a monster! You aren't!" she snapped. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and her pink hair faded to a soft buttery blond and shortened into a pageboy cut.
"Look, Remus, tell me you're not interested in me and I'll back off. Tell me that you don't care and I'll leave you alone. But don't use your curse as an excuse. You walk around suffering nobly and denying yourself any sort of happiness when your curse isn't causing that. Your curse isn't an obstacle, it's a challenge. We don't control who we fall in love with, and I can't help that I find you highly attractive, despite your curse. So, tell me to back off and I will. Otherwise, drop the excuses."
He looked down at the table for a moment then looked her in the eye. "I may be cursed, but I'm not stupid. I can't tell you to back off, as much as I think I'm unsafe. I don't want to be alone anymore," he replied in a whisper.
Tonk nodded to herself and stood. She walked around the table and gently sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him. "So you won't be alone," she answered huskily, then she kissed him.
The kiss seared through Remus and his inner wolf howled in approval. Without a thought, he easily lifted her in his arms and took her over to the bed, where he laid her. She lifted up her arms to him and he fell into her embrace.
Two hours later, a much happier Tonks and Remus sat around the little table drinking coffee that room service had sent up.
She poked at the brooch with a finger. "Doesn't look like much," she commented.
He reached out and gently pulled her hand away from it. "Don't touch it unless you absolutely have to. The diary possessed Ginny Weasley in her first year and every one of these things we've found has had influences on people."
"Influences?"
He nodded unhappily. "I hate touching them. When I do, I can feel the wolf screaming in anger. It's very unsettling. Sirius said it was like holding pure hatred. Harry knew instinctively not to handle it and wouldn't let Hermione touch it."
Tonks nodded slowly, then she reached for her wand and cast a standard detection spell on the brooch. For a moment nothing happened, then it started to glow a deep red-black and it buzzed angrily. Tonks' expression changed and she shifted back in her chair, away from the Horcrux.
"Frightening, isn't it?"
She nodded and tore her eyes away from the dark object. "What will you do with it?"
"Tomorrow I'll contact Sirius' American friend, Samantha. Then I'll hop on a Muggle plane to Pittsburgh, where I'll meet up with her. From there, we'll go to an industrial blast furnace to melt the Horcrux down."
"Would you like some company?"
He blinked and slowly smiled. "I think I would like that very much."
She glanced at the clock next to the bed. "I guess we should get some sleep then."
He grinned and stood, then he walked around the table and took her by the hand. "Or we could just wait a day since we probably need to use the bed again to err... sleep."
She stood and let the bathrobe she was wearing slip to the floor. "That's an even better idea," she murmured, reaching for him.
12 Grimmauld Place, Feb 3rd 1997...
Cindy walked into the foyer of the old home and entered the spacious sitting room. She sat tiredly in one of the chairs and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rough day?"
She smiled and opened her eyes. "You wouldn't believe the hoops you have to jump through to get copies of your licenses and diplomas. And if you think that stuff is hard, try getting copies of more basic stuff. My birth certificate for example. You have to provide at least two valid photo ID's to get your birth certificate, and then they won't give you a new master unless you can bring in the ruined old one, but that's ash in Oxford, so all I can get is a copy. I learned that after standing in line for two hours and arguing with a bureaucrat for another hour."
Sirius walked over and sat down on a small footstool. He picked up her feet and peeled her shoes and socks off, then he started to massage her feet.
Cindy's eyes fluttered closed and her head dropped back against the chair. "Ohhhh."
Dobby popped in with a tray. He placed a small glass of wine by her chair and then popped away again. A moment later he reappeared, removing Cindy's shoes and socks and leaving her favorite slippers behind.
"You know, you have to marry me now, Sirius Black. You've been spoiling me something awful since we came back from Fiji. And your foot rubs are something to die for. I could make a fortune renting you out."
Sirius smirked at her. "Sorry, love, but I only give foot rubs to you."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Pity, that. But that just means more for me, I guess. Honestly though, you have magic in your hands. Is this something all wizards do or did I just get lucky?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "You got lucky. Master Kwang taught Harry, Remus and myself how to give massages. Harry needed them when he first started out training and he wanted to learn because it helped Remus after his transformations," he paused and his expression grew sly. "I wonder if he's demonstrated his ability to Hermione yet? Remus swears he's much better at it than I am."
She looked at him sternly. "Siri, let Harry and Hermione find their own way. The last thing we need to do is push them along. As it stands, Dan is barely accepting the changes. Let them grow in their own way."
Sirius shook his head. "It's a shame he's having problems with it. I warned them both over two years ago that this was going to happen."
"Let's see how you react when your daughter is with a boy," she teased.
He stopped rubbing her feet and looked at her in astonishment.
"What?" she asked.
"You know," he said in a wondering tone. "it just occurred to me that having a daughter, or a son of my own, is a real possibility now. I never believed it would happen."
He looked away from her, suddenly emotionally choked up.
She sat forward and reach out to touch him. "Siri, don't look away."
He turned back and she smiled gently, seeing his eyes moist with unshed tears. She reached up to cup his cheek. "You might have lost some of your life in prison, but you got out in time. It's still possible to have what you thought you missed out on."
"A family of our own?"
She nodded. She had come to realize that Sirius was an incredibly complex person with many facets to his personality and she loved them all. "I'd like that very much," she whispered.
Smiling, he stood up and offered her his hand. When she looked at him suspiciously, he sighed. "Come on. I have something I want to show you. You've had a rough day, but I've finally finished one of my projects."
"Oh?"
He nodded and looked like a ten year old wanting to show off his new puppy. With a laugh, she stuck her feet into her slippers and let him pull her to her feet and out of the sitting room, towards the back of the house.
He stopped at a curtain and turned to her. "My cousin knows an Unspeakable. He helped me track down some obscure spells."
"And?"
He pulled back the curtain revealing a bronze plaque next to a door. The plaque read "Doctor Cindy Black".
She turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?"
"Well, maybe a little," he admitted sheepishly, then to her surprise he handed her his wand. "Hold that."
He pushed the door open and motioned for her to enter the darkened room
She stepped into a room that was nearly pitch black. "Lights!" she called.
Nothing happened.
The sound of the light switch clicking was quite loud and the overhead electric lights flooded the room with a cool blue-white fluorescence.
She turned back to Sirius, who was standing with his hand still on the switch. He was looking inordinately smug about having figured out how to make the lights work.
She looked around. The room seemed normal, until she realized that she was staring at a projection screen television and a state of the art stereo with multidisc CD changer. There was even a cordless phone!
"Siri?" she said softly.
"This isn't just one room, either. There are five of them; a bath, a kitchen, a sitting room, a study and a library, although you need to buy the books for it. The rooms contain all the usual Muggle stuff. The sitting room has a telly and a wireless, the study has a computer, the kitchen has all the usual appliances."
He paused and grinned at her. "The bath has something called a hot tub in it that sounds like a lot of fun."
She nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Why did you give me your wand?"
"So I couldn't ruin anything in here. The room is warded to prevent magic from outside coming in here. Even Dobby can't come in to this suite. He's been given specific instructions not to enter these rooms.
"My friend helped me figure out how to power everything and protect it from outside magic. At first I thought I'd do one room for you and it sort of grew from there. I almost put in a bedroom, but I didn't want you sleeping in here without me. Besides, it's only for a year or two. Once Grimmauld Apartments are constructed, we'll move into the penthouse and I'll redo the setup in the penthouse with your help."
She turned to him, her eyes glistening. "Why? Why go through all the effort?"
He walked over to her and touched her cheek gently. "Because I asked you to share my world, not to give up your own," he replied softly.
She choked back a sob and flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He smiled and rested his head against hers. Her lousy day was forgotten in the wonder of her feelings for the wizard who had changed her world view so radically.