Look at the Stars

Harry was looking through a rather boring issue of Magical Weddings Magazine that Ginny had just shoved into his lap. Was confetti that transformed into roses really necessary? Harry glanced at another article, "Killing Two Birds with One Cake: Wedding Cakes that Double as Portkeys." Now that's not a bad idea, he thought.

"Ginny, what do you think of. . ." Harry, along with Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley heard a loud bang as Sirius and Hermione suddenly apparated in the middle of the room.

"What's with all the noise?" Harry asked, amused.

"Oh, you know Sirius," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "He likes to make an entrance. He did an air-exploding charm just before we apparated from Hogsmeade."

"Guilty," Sirius said, trying not to laugh.

Harry didn't seem surprised. "Well, anyway, I'm glad to see you two, but you know. . . the wedding isn't for another month," he said, beaming as he mentioned the wedding.

"Ah, yes, well, can't a godfather and a best friend give congratulations in person?" Sirius asked, pretending to be offended.

"Of course," Harry said, standing up to give Sirius a tight hug.

"Congratulations, my boy," Sirius smirked.

"Who's a boy? Last time I checked, I was 22. . . and taller than you," he remarked, looking down a full four inches at the top of Sirius's head. "Not that you're short, I mean. . . not compared to Hermione. She still buys Muggle clothes at Gap Kids."

"I do not!" Hermione interjected, "It was just that one pair of pants. . ."

"I see engagement has turned you into quite the smart-aleck." Sirius turned to Ginny. "How do you put up with him?"

Ginny giggled. "Oh, I have ways of managing him."

Hermione winked at her as Harry assumed a fake facial expression of utmost confusion.

"Hermione, Sirius, thank you so much for coming," Mrs. Weasley said, still plump and merry, but somewhat more grayed and wrinkled than she had been a few years ago. "We haven't seen you in a while, Hermione, but I read that article you wrote last month about the arithmancy of household pet names. . . brilliant stuff--and so funny!"

Hermione sat on the sofa next to Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley was almost like a second mother to her, her witch-mother. She could have been my mother-in-law, she thought briefly, but then, I can't live in the past.

"We were just about to eat lunch," Mr. Weasley said, "Would you two care to join us?"

Hermione and Sirius readily agreed.

Sitting around the Weasley's big, charmingly battered dining table, the group talked and laughed as they munched through the meal.

"So, I guess you two see a lot of each other now, working at Hogwarts and everything," Harry remarked.

Sirius glanced at Hermione and said, "Oh, yes, every day." He smiled.

"Ah, I envy you that," Harry said, "I miss being together with my friends every day. Of course, now I have Ginny, and that's more than enough," he said, looking proudly at his beaming fiancee.

"I'm very fortunate," said Sirius, after he swallowed a bite of meat.

Just then, a gray owl dashed into the room and dropped a letter in front of Harry, right into his mashed potatoes.

Everyone laughed a little as he wiped off the envelope and began reading the letter, but at the sight of his horrified expression, silence filled the room.

Still in shock, Harry showed them the letter:

"Mr. Potter,

Lord Voldemort may be dead, but I'm not. I am not afraid of a whiny little rookie auror. This is not the last time you'll hear from me.

Sadis Oscuro"