The Serpent's Thirst

The Serpent's Thirst.

Chapter 8:

A Christmas Affair At The Black Manor.

After Harry's vision, Christmas approached quickly and soon Hogwarts was bathed in a white sheet of snow, the lake frozen thick and the skies forlorn, coloured in ghostly grey. Harry would sometimes remember about his frightful dream, thinking that he had forgotten some valuable information to tell Sirius, but whatever it was had slipped from his mind long ago, never again to be retrieved.

Harry woke up irritably on Friday morning; the last day of term before the holidays. He was absolutely freezing from head to foot; his fingers and toes numb and slightly blue.

However, his irritation had doubled because Peeves had appeared in their dorm while Harry and his mates were still asleep. The mischievous poltergeist hovered above them, throwing snowballs at their heads, laughing merrily, occasionally spiralling the cold dorm. He span at such great velocity, that it made Neville dizzy.

And in between pelting snowballs at the sleepy Gryffindors, Peeves sang: "Tiss' the season to duck holly, fa, la, la, la, la, laaaaa, la, laaaaaaaaa, laaaaaaaa, laaaaaaaa. 'Cos Peeves will come forth and be naughty--"

The ghost halted in the middle of their dorm, and Harry was unfortunately hit in the head with one of the snowballs just before he could put on his glasses. The force of it had knocked him back into his four-poster, and left him in a shower of ice.

"SHUT UP!" Ron shouted groggily, whipping out his wand and pointing it at the ghost.

"Waddiwazi!" Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ron and Harry yelled at the same time toward the ghost. The curses united and the snowballs in Peeves' arms all lifted and splattered on his face. The ghost rushed out the door in a flurry with the snow falling onto a little heap on the stone floor. Harry put away his wand with a grin plastered on his face. They had learnt the spell from Lupin back in third year.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered shaking his linen to rid of the ice, before it melted and soaked in.

"Exactly! And I was having such a nice dream. I had caught the snitch in all the games and won the league cup," Seamus said loudly as he got out of bed, not feeling sleepy any more.

"Who did you play for?" Harry asked, as he put on his robes.

"For some odd reason, it wasn't my fave team the Ballycastle Bats ... it was the Chudley Cannons," Seamus replied, his forehead wrinkling. "But hell, I made them win good." He grinned.

Harry heard Ron sigh and he gazed out of the window to the snowy Quidditch pitch. "When will they ever win?" He shook his head gloomily. Harry knew he was talking about the Chudley Cannons, his favourite team, who haven't won the league since 1892.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said to get Ron out of his meagre thoughts, stroking Lilac who had snuggled under his arm while he wasn't watching. "Bring your Cleansweep and we'll have a game at my place."

"Oh great idea, Harry. Your property is big enough and there aren't many Muggles around. Oh, and mum says I can come with you tomorrow and stay for the entire holidays."

"That's excellent, Hermione will be staying too. Epona's happy about it. She's already set up the bedrooms. Anyway, where was I about Quidditch -- oh, yeah we could practice some new tactics, " Harry pointed out. He hadn't had a chance to explore his manor when he briefly had the chance to stay in the summer holidays. He was ordered not to get out of bed for the remainder of the holidays, till sixth year began.

Lessons that Friday were only a half day, to give time for students to pack and just have a jolly good time, as Professor Flitwick put it in their last lesson for term. Harry found himself being bustled by Hermione to decorate the Great Hall with the teachers, for the unfortunate students who would be staying at school.

"Hermione, can't we all go outside and skate on the great lake," Ron said, annoyed that he was being forced to help her. Every few metres he looked out of the large frosty windows along the corridors, longing to get out and about. The trees with there little snow collected leaves, and the white mountain in the horizon were so tantalising to him.

"Have you forgotten that we are Prefects and that we must help teachers wherever we can?" Hermione shortly replied, hair flaying back as she increased her speed to the Great Hall.

Ron looked at Harry miserably. "I wish I had forgotten now -- hey Harry, Obliviate me, mate."

Harry smirked as they stopped in front of McGonagall, and realised something, turning away room the strict professor's face. "I'm not a Prefect! So why should I be dragged in all this ... ?"

"Be quiet and I won't be forced to hex you," Hermione said. Ron glared up at the ceiling, pretending that the weather was really interesting, Harry could see he wanted to laugh, his ears going a little crimson.

"Well," McGonagall started, her lips not as thin as they usually were in the spirit of the holidays. "Good to see some extra pair of hands ... I'm always glad to see students wanting to help, especially from my own house."

They nodded, Ron and Harry staring at the floor with glassed eyes, while Hermione beamed, and at the same time, dusted off her Prefect's badge.

Harry sighed and spotted Sirius making a bundle of multi-coloured tinsel float in the air and then untangling it with his wand. He walked over to him, passing Filch who was growling as he cleaned the silver with some grease. "Need any help?" Harry suggested, breaking away from Ron and Hermione.

Sirius grinned. "Nah ... why on earth are you inside the castle, when you should be outside doing whatever antics I used to do as a teenager?"

Harry chuckled, "Hermione! Besides I thought you said to me before school started that you didn't want to corrupt our minds with your idiotic pranks as a student."

"I said that?" he huffed, a tad bit offended at the claim. "How dare I! Out of all the things I had to say. I think Remus was quite right ... my new house has changed me for the worst."

Harry helped Sirius by instructing the fairies on what positions they were to take around the school, and rescuing the lost ones who had ended up being trapped inside a suit of armour or on a cobweb. They strolled around, halting at a softly lit corner of the Great Hall, which on closer viewing happened to also contain the Potions Mistress.

She spoke before Harry and Sirius had a chance to get out. "Greetings ... Professor Black, Potter," she spat. Morganna wanted to be alone; she didn't feel like encountering that Git and that Boy -- not after a disastrous Potions lesson with first year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins.

"Professor Snape," Sirius grunted, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair.

A disturbed silence drifted around them, suffocating them. Harry felt his windpipe tense up, as the two Professor stared, wishing they could tear each other's hearts out. Or was there something else? Harry thought, noticing that Sirius was occasionally twitching nervously.

Professor Snape sighed, closing her eyes, her lashes fluttering slightly as she turned and picked up a silver bauble, which sat in a old tattered and dirty chest. She caressed it in her hands knowing that it was a fragile object that could easily break. Her fingers touched the smooth surface, which reflected her face. Then holding it up from its top, she placed it on the great busy Christmas tree behind her. She did so without bothering to use her wand, which mystified Harry, because most of the teachers were using Magic. Sirius however, seemed entranced by the spectacle, unmoved now, watching like he had been turned into a coloured statue.

Harry inched his way in a separate direction from his godfather. The scene was freaking him out. Ron who stood near Hermione, stared with wide eyes, metres from him. But Hermione was too busy talking to Professor Dumbledore to notice. Harry was wondering if ill words would soon blast from their mouths. He carefully moved slowly away, thinking he was going to make it alive to Ron, when his godfather realised from the corner of his eyes. With a quick snatch, like Sirius had seen the snitch, his hand shot out and gripped the collar of Harry's robes, pulling him back by his side.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Harry said airily, straightening his robes again.

Sirius had been alone with her twice already, but he felt it still wasn't safe to let down his guard, especially when she was in that mood. A mood which told him that if he stepped into her territory, she would attack with fury. Than again a new thought arose in him.

"Could you two adults stop acting like children and go out for a coffee or for a walk?" Harry blurted out, with his eyes squeezed shut. His tongue seemed to have acquired a nervous system of its own. Harry only realised what he said a second too late. Why on earth would he have said that in the first place bewildered him. Sirius really liked Snape? ... absurd!

As even more silence closed on him, Harry gradually opened his eyes, awaiting to see a misery befall. Sure enough, Sirius had narrowed his eyes and to his disbelief, as his vision swivelled to Professor Snape who held green bauble in her hands now. Harry found that she was sneering -- scaring him even more. She stared at them with loathing or was it amusement?

"Well, I wouldn't urge your godfather on, Mr. Potter," she said softly. "If I wanted to take a dog for a stroll, I'd go to the pound and get one."

"Thank you for that kind thought, Potions Mistress," Sirius replied through clenched teeth. Then smiled just to annoy her. "Than again, sometimes you don't have to turn into a dog - magically, to simply act like one, as you so seem to have a knack for."

Morganna batted her eyelashes, smiling; Harry was wondering if she had taken lessons from Umbridge. "Well, it's nice to know your smarts are in your arse. Too bad you don't have enough of it in that head of yours," she chortled placing the bauble into the box again and inching her hand towards her robe pocket to sneak out her wand.

Fine, she liked him, but still, Morganna wanted to tease him a little. She thought balefully, that Sirius was quite an adorable little mut when he clicked into that mean streak.

Harry stood frozen on the spot. He wanted to run for it, before a wizard duel broke out. He pleadingly looked at Ron, mouthing the word, 'help'.

Sirius stepped forward without even a thought to what might occur and approached Morganna. "There is a well known pub in Hogsmeade which would allow people like ourselves, to release their anger toward one another, in a well protected environment for wizard duelling."

Morganna raised her eyebrows, pulling her chin up, as Sirius entered her personal space, for the second time in her life. "Really? Healing potions available? Because you might need some after I'm done with you."

"Of course, and a wide selection of the best Firewhisky and brandy out there," Sirius smiled, nudging just a tad closer to her.

"I think I severely injured someone at that pub once," she thought out loud, pinching her chin.

"-- And some private dining rooms if you're interested," Sirius proclaimed, making Harry a bit ill as he heard the conversation unfold.

"With fully equipped Floo fireplaces ... you may want to cower and escape, Black."

Harry saw Ron hastily pull Hermione out of her conversation to view the situation. She looked on, with her mouth slightly open, speechless. A bunch of holly in her hands dropped to the ground.

"They also have singing flowers," Sirius continued. Then with a furrowed brow, pausing, wanting to know why he even said that.

Morganna silently laughed at the announcement, bowing her head for a moment, realising that she was twirling her wand in her fingers. "Singing flowers? Nasty, nasty touch."

Sirius huffed, "Well I can have them make up a gloomy tune if you like."

"Ahh yes, more to my liking," she replied, tilting her head a little as he neared her more intimately, welcoming him.

"So, care to join me for an injury or two."

"Yes why not, " she said with a sigh. "Some time after Christmas holidays then? Just to give you time to arrange a coffin."

"All right. You're too kind to allow me time," he whispered. He turned around to head off and found that Harry was no longer in the same spot he had seen him last -- he seemed to have completely disappeared.

Behind a Christmas tree outside the Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione were panting out of breath.

"That was ... the most sickening display of courtship I've ever seen, besides my mum and dad giving each other a throat examination when I was a lot younger," Ron spat, gripping his chest after the fast walk.

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes when Ron tapped her shoulder, seeing the two professors so close together. "I didn't know whether to feel frightened or overwhelmed or surprised."

"Yeah, well," Harry shivered slightly. "I agree, Hermione ... I mean, one sec, they're fighting, the next sec - I have no idea! They confuse the hell out of me. Are they enemies or lov - ?" Harry couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"Anyway, Hermione, I'm going outside to have some real fun," Ron said, "I need to forget what I've seen, otherwise I feel I will have bad problems later in life."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, delivering Ron an intolerable glare. Then she gave Harry the same look. "Fine ... both of you can go! But Harry you owe me big time." Harry smiled, of course he'll make it up to her. Somehow.

***

The Black manor was pretty much a hassle free ride to get to, unless you count ash filled clothes as a hazard from Flooing. Harry tagged his trunk long on his living room floor. Another three roars of the towering fire behind him; the green light reflecting off the china and Harry knew that Ron, Ginny and Hermione had finally appeared in the grate.

Ash travelled along with him as he stepped up the staircase to his bedroom. But Epona the house elf didn't mind about the mess. The more the cleaning the merrier, she said before Harry went to Hogwarts. Hermione saw this as an opportunity to tell her otherwise, being adamant about her SPEW campaign to free the elves of slave labour as she saw it.

The house was pretty quiet, until he heard Epona squealing somewhere and a man's voice which Harry recognised as Lupin's. Harry stopped at the foot of the stairs, laying down his trunk.

"Hey, Remus," Harry greeted in ecstasy, letting go of a purring Lilac to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug. "So, looking after the house, are you?"

Remus grinned, as Hermione and Ron took their turn to greet him. "Yep, living here too now. Sirius persuaded me to move in, after he thought my house wouldn't withstand another gale." He heaved his chest and looked at the Grandfather clock which began to chime. "Where is your godfather by the way?"

"Oh, Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak with him," Hermione stated, removing her cloak and brushing off the soot which had accumulated, making Ron cough beside her.

"All right, well, I'll meet you three in the kitchen when you've all finished unpacking. Harry will show you two where to go."

Harry nodded brightly, and noticed that there was some pressure on his leg, he looked down and found Epona hugging him. "Welcome back, Master Potter," she said.

"Happy Christmas, Epona," Harry replied. Epona was so happy she leaked tears. The young house elf let go and greeted Hermione like an old friend after she blew her nose on her floral pillowcase and was so delighted to meet Ron and his sister for the first time.

Remus had come out of the kitchen again because he had forgotten to charm the trunks to hover, in the effort to make it easier for them. When they finally got onto the second floor Harry showed them where they were sleeping. Hermione and Ginny's room was next to Harry's and Ron would be sleeping in his bedroom. Ron was stooped at the brilliance of of the house; so happy for Harry to finally have something that he deserved, but at the same time had a pang of jealousy.

While Ron was out exploring the house, Harry fell lazily on his bed, comfortable as he felt the fluffy blankets snug his tired body. He eyes circled the room seeing the happy smiling and waving faces of his parents in the photographs which lined the walls. He couldn't help, but smile at the fond memories they had. But the memories of those photographs were not having the impact that he wished they had.

There was something missing! And that was the fact that his parents would never reveal those memories to him. Sure he had Remus and Sirius to tell him, but it wasn't the same as hearing it from his mother and father.

Harry's hand slipped to his pocket and he pulled out the little silver pendant which he had been keeping close to him since it was given to him. Propping up on his elbows, Harry placed it on his pillow, silently marvelling at it -- the soft winter light glittering on its surface, highlighting the thin impressions of the Celtic design. He felt the design subconsciously, while his chin rested on his hand. Because touching the pendent, made him feel, eerily more closer to his mother than he had ever been. After all, the pendant would've resided near her heart on a chain. It was the place Harry would've rested his head when he wanted a hug, to feel loved, to feel her soothing motherly heartbeat. She felt more real to him then, as he held the pendant, than all those moving photographs in the room, telling him of a happy past he'll never know from them.

"Harry." Hermione knocked, opening the door a little, snapping him out of his dreary thoughts.

Harry sighed and turned over, the pendant tightly shut in his fist, protected, like a butterfly in its cocoon. "Yep, what's up?"

"Lunch is ready, and I think Ron's lost himself somewhere trying to get to the bathroom." Hermione rolled his eyes.

Ginny sighed. "I'll go look for him again."

Harry snorted getting up from his bed and approached Hermione when Ginny left. "Honestly, I mean, I said to him to go down the corridor and then turn right. Simple isn't it?"

"Well," Harry scratched his head, "I didn't tell you this, but the bathroom can sometimes act really weird," he started. He saw the confused expression on Hermione's face and continued. "It kind of has a magical temperament, caused by Sirius when he had been trying to fix a leak and his wand accidentally backfired."

"What on earth? ... Are you pulling me, Harry?" Hermione said flicking her hair over her shoulder.

Harry chuckled. "No I'm not. The bathroom can get quite upset if you don't pull down the toilet seat - throw laundry around or make it smell- I guess Ron offended it somehow. I forgot to tell you guys," he replied with a tone of apology. Hermione crossed her arms, her mouth wide in exasperation, but a moment later Harry saw she was dying to laugh.

"See the thing is ... when you get the bathroom in one of those moods -- It can kind of react badly."

"What do you mean by- ?"

They both heard a door slam, and heavy footsteps pounding on the stairs. A moment Later Harry and Hermione saw an ashen faced and dazed Ron. He was very angry and annoyed, his face changing from white to a deep shade of red, and he bitterly pointed at the bathroom door.

"That evil ... EVIL bathroom, somehow magically threw me out with a kick on MY ARSE, AND INTO YOUR BACKYARD!" Ron yelled.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, Ron. At least it didn't try to drown you in the bathtub." Harry doubled up laughing. Hermione had to lean against the doorway in a fit of giggles, hiding her face in her arms. Ginny doubled up behind him, unable to breathe in laughter.

Remus stepped haphazardly onto the landing with Sirius, both with a bottle of butterbeer clutched in their hands and stared, wondering what Ron was shouting about.

Sirius smiled as he suddenly realised what it was about. "Oh ... you three ... I suggest you don't tell Fred and George about the bathroom when they're over. I think they deserve a little prank or two following their way," Sirius said joyfully while Remus nearly choked as he gulped down the butterbeer.

"The Old Marauders teaching the new generation some tricks of their own, how nasty, Padfoot. But I'm out of this one," Remus chortled, clinking his bottle with Sirius's, making the bottles splash the frothy, delicious liquid to the ground.

"Here, here. The twins need to know they still have competition," Sirius replied. Harry thought they might have had too many drinks in the festivity of the Christmas season, and the first Christmas that Sirius was celebrating a free man.

Ron seemed to cheer up at this announcement and calmed down, despising bathroom door and he was tempted to kick it.

Harry touched Hermione hand intentionally, drowning out the laughter and song in the background. He lightly interlocked his fingers on hers and she looked at him, glowing at the intimate touch.

***

The house filled up gradually. Not only with the occupants staying for Christmas lunch but also with the Order of the Phoenix members. The reason Dumbledore spoke with Sirius on the first day of holidays was because they needed to move location of the Order, and again Sirius offered up his house gratefully. It was too risky staying at Grimmauld anymore, not since the summer, because even though it had been protected by the Fedilius Charm, the Malfoy's were having suspicions that something was going on there.

On Christmas eve, the Weasleys and Hermione's parents, Jack and Helen, trooped into the house, after they were given a piece of paper that made the property magically appear in front of them. They all arrived in the Granger's car, which Arthur had magically enlarged to fit the entire family. Arthur had begun asking droves of questions about Muggles only to have the effort halted by his wife Molly.

Fred and George made themselves home in Harry's room, where another two beds been fitted.

Mr Granger was about to go into the bathroom when Ron steered him away and told him that Ginny was in there, in the plan that one of the twins would be the first to find out that the bathroom was more than what met the eye.

And to their relief, Fred was the next to want to go in. Having offended the bathroom, just as Sirius thought one of them would, Fred walked into the house quite stunned, but with a manic look of total awe on his face.

"That was bloody brilliant," he said to Harry, while they were all laughing. "Sirius, I want to know your secret."

Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand was deeply irritated at all of them. "He could've been killed," she yelled to Sirius, making the fun die down all of a sudden.

"Hang on Molly ... I've had my arse kicked about so many times and I'm not dead. And as you can see ... I can still sit down properly."

***

Harry woke up roughly on Christmas morning. The weather outside was horrendous because a blizzard had swirled in at about midnight, gathering strength in the early hours of the morning. Harry rubbed his eyes, leaning his back on his bed stand comfortably. He couldn't stand the cold penetrating deep into his woollen pyjamas. Ron woke as well, yawning so loudly that George had to hit him over the head with a pillow to shut him up.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said sleepily, but happily. Ron said the same, slipping on his slippers to go downstairs. Fred and George followed suit, after they asked Harry if they should give the bathroom a bunch of flowers and chocolates to soften it when they went in to wash up.

Harry wrapped a heavy blanket around his cold form and stood at the windowsill looking into a slate of complete white. Occasionally he could make out of streak of snowflakes passing by or getting stuck onto the glass, but there was nothing else. His warm breath fogged up the window and he had to wipe it away several times. With another hot breath, he scribbled on it:

H.P loves H.G.

Then he wiped it off, he should've put a little snitch up as well like his dad did in that OWL exam in Snape's memory.

Hermione walked in without Harry noticing, shivering so violently that her teeth chattered so hard that it hurt. She gently kissed Harry on his cheek, her lips quivering. Harry smiled; the spot where he felt his lips felt blissfully warmer than any other part of his body.

Standing there, he didn't need Christmas presents to make Christmas complete. He had all he wanted and needed. He had a family, a great house to live in, happiness, friendship and ... Hermione's love.

"It's a shame we can't go outside and have some romantic time in the snow," she whispered, pouting slightly as her snuggled against Harry for warmth and affection. Harry played with her hair, softly twirling it like some bad habit.

Harry blinked. "Standing here with you, hugging you while looking at seemingly nothing, is just as wonderful," Harry smiled. Hermione giggled and let go when Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen for breakfast and to open up their presents.

Harry and Hermione dressed and entered the kitchen. Steam rose to the ceiling from several pots as Mrs. Weasley and Helen minding the stove, chattering. Remus was seated with Arthur and Jack; debating whether Muggles should know or not know about the Wizarding world. Ginny, Fred and George and Ron had pulled Sirius away from the others and was opening a gift which Fred and George had given. Epona clasped her hands at their side.

Strands of Sirius' fringe covered his eyes as he ripped away the blue wrapping, making it flutter to the ground to reveal a small purple doll. Confused at the limp soft toy which resembled a little rag doll, complete with purple hair and limbs, he held it in his hands and shot the twins a very perplexed look.

The twins beamed, grinning, looking like a pair of sales men. "You're the very first to own it! We thought we'd give the family a sample of our latest range of Weasley Wheezes."

"And may I ask what this toy is?" Sirius said dangling the purple doll in front of them. The others stopped talking to look at it. Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes. Harry and Ron looked on, wondering what it was, too. Harry always liked Fred and George's pranking items, even helped them out in the early stages of their business, so he was deeply interested. Some of their best stuff had gone off last year to annoy Umbridge, and their shop had instantly become popular. Fred and George felt so indebted to Harry, that they gave him some shares, when they put their shop in the Gringotts Wizarding Exchange.

"It's a Purple Hanging Ruby, my dear friend," Fred said with a wave of his hand.

"It's not a doll, but a talking oddity which hangs on the front door handle. And when a visitor knocks, it should yell to you who it is," George took over.

Fred pulled open the kitchen door open because he heard the living room fire roar, like someone had Flooed in, and to his pleasure, saw that someone was walking up the hallway. He smiled, almost evilly and shut the door softly. "But obviously we've added a little of our Weasley touch ... may we demonstrate?"

Sirius nodded. Arthur couldn't wait to see what his sons had created, but Mrs. Weasley didn't look either pleased, or unhappy.

Fred hung the little doll on the door handle and a moment later, someone knocked on the door in three tiny raps.

"MASTER ... AN OLD BEARDED, FARTHOLE IS AT THE DOOR!" the little purple doll yelled in a deeply hoarse and wheezy female voice, when it seemingly sprang to life.

The household was howling in laughter and Sirius opened the door to see Professor Dumbledore enter. The old Headmaster peered at the door handle, his eyes twinkling and he smiled. "Brilliant!" he chortled to Fred and George, "wonderfully obscene ... I must buy one for my office." He had stopped by to wish them a Merry Christmas before going back to Hogwarts.

Everyone enjoyed themselves at Christmas Lunch. Tonks and Moody stopped by to join the feast. Epona had to be put to bed after drinking too much butterbeer, Fred and George entertained them with some of their pranks. And Hermione's parents were delighted to have spent a full Christmas with their daughter.

Harry was over the moon, he was thrilled, he felt that what he had been missing all his life seemed to have caught up to him.