Circle's Close

Chapter Fourteen: Friendly Advice, All Around

***

Harry looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet as Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Ginny sat to Harry's right side, oblivious to everyone in the hall (besides a certain blond Slytherin who was now sitting at his own table) and Ron sat across from Harry, grinning stupidly from ear to ear to himself. It was this Hermione noticed as she took her seat next to Ron.

"Don't we look cheerful this morning," Hermione observed to the youngest male Weasley.

"And why shouldn't I be?" Ron countered as he nibbled on a piece of toast, unable to contain the wide smile.

Harry smirked at Hermione as she helped herself to scrambled eggs and toast. She gave a shrug. "No reason," she replied just as quickly. She halted, then looked at Ron curiously again. "So...is there a specific reason for your obvious ... light-hearted mood?"

Ron merely grinned again, lowering his toast and finally turning to her. "We did win that match on Saturday," he reminded her, raising his voice an octave in hopes that the Slytherins would overhear him.

"Ron, that was two days ago!" Hermione hissed, rolling her eyes. "You can't seriously still be on a high."

"Oh... that's where you're wrong, my friend," Ron replied coolly. "I still haven't had a chance to rub it in Malfoy's stinking face that we won."

Ginny's fork slipped from her hand to the floor, the loud clanging sound mixing with the chatter and noises resounding in the Great Hall. Harry shot the youngest Weasley a short look, and bent down to retrieve the fork, handing it back to her. Ginny, grinning sheepishly, tapped her wand to the fork and muttered a simple cleaning Charm and then she continued eating her breakfast.

"And you really think he's going to care about anything you have to say?" Hermione pointed out to Ron.

"Maybe not..." Ron admitted. "But revenge is sweet! What comes around goes around! You know all the regular cliches. They all apply, Hermione dear."

"You could try being the bigger person, Ron. You know Malfoy...he's not going to care that he lost to you," Hermione said kindly, trying a new angle.

"I don't think he really got a good look at my Nimbus 3000," Ron continued while ignoring Hermione.

"Oh, I noticed it," said a cold voice. Draco Malfoy stood directly behind Ron, sharing a venemous glare with Harry. Harry observed a shiny glint coming from his left earlobe. Ginny's Christmas present to him, the diamond stud, and Draco wore it proudly. It was simply another small detail to add to the list of things which had once shocked Harry about the Slytherin boy.

"Did you, now?" Ron replied, just as coldly. "I believe it's ranked higher than the Nimbus 2001, am I correct?"

"What difference does it make if you can't even fly it?" Draco responded, his cold grey eyes glancing between Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"I wouldn't talk, Malfoy," Harry said softly. "You seem to have forgotten who lost the last game."

Draco's top lip curled and his eyes narrowed maliciously. "Well, I'm sure I'd be shown favoritism as well, if I had an ugly scar on my forehead. But as it is--"

"I wouldn't finish that thought if I were you, Malfoy," Ron interrupted, a threatening tone in his voice.

At this point they had gathered quite a bit of attention from the Gryffindor table. Anyone within earshot had stopped eating and talking, and watched keenly to see if anything interesting would transpire between Malfoy and his regular foes.

"What are you going to do about it?" Draco wondered, his eyes shooting from Harry to the red-head.

"Not him. Me," said a new voice. Sirius Black stood behind Draco, a stern look distorting his usually handsome and friendly face. Suddenly everyone at the table didn't seem to be interested in watching anymore. They knew now that nothing was going to happen.

"Hello, Professor Black," Draco greeted mockingly. "We were just discussing Saturday's game."

"Well, it's certainly good to see you all getting along," Sirius replied, shooting a glance at Harry and then returning his eyes to Draco. "Don't you have a class to attend, Mr Malfoy?"

Draco tossed Harry another dark look before sweeping out of the Great Hall. Sirius then turned to Ron.

"And as for you, Mr Weasley... "

"I know, I know. I started it," Ron muttered.

"Alright. But don't forget all those times Draco made you feel small to make himself look and feel better. It doesn't give you the right to do the same to him," Sirius said calmly, before leaving the Great Hall as well.

"Oh, that's swell," Ron muttered, spearing a sausage onto his fork. "I sure showed Malfoy. Well, at least things seem to be back to normal," he added thoughtfully.

"Normal?" Harry asked curiously.

"You know...You remember how odd Malfoy was acting before the holidays. He barely said two words to you, other than that one time in Trelawney's class. Heck, he barely said anything to me! I'm just saying... He's acting like the Malfoy we're used to," Ron explained.

"Oh...well...Maybe his father whipped him into shape over the holidays," Harry suggested, and felt Ginny's arm twitch next to him.

Ron shook his head and swallowed down his food. "He didn't go home, remember? We didn't even see him on the train."

"Well, that's odd," said Seamus Finnigan, who sat two seats from Harry, and had evidently been listening in on their conversation.

"What's odd?" asked Ron, and Harry felt that he knew what Seamus was going to say next.

"Malfoy wasn't here either, was he, Dean?" Seamus said, nodding to the darker skinned Gryffindor. "We both stayed behind this year. Mum and Dad went on their second honeymoon, and Dean stayed to keep me company. Anyway, we would have seen Malfoy if he had stayed behind."

"He's right," Dean added for emphasis. "We never saw him."

Ron frowned. "Well, he could have stayed locked up in his room," he offered.

Seamus and Dean both shook their heads. "Not a possibility," said Seamus. "Two weeks of staying locked up in his room? No...Malfoy's not that weird. He had to eat sometime, right?"

Ron sighed in annoyance. "Well, what do I care where he spent the holidays? It has nothing to do with me! Anyway, Harry," Ron said, changing the subject. "When's the next Quidditch practice?"

*

Later that night Harry and Hermione sat together in the semi-occupied common room, enjoying the freedom of not having to do Head Boy and Girl duties while the moment lingered. Since their return to Hogwarts three weeks ago, school had become painfully exhausting. Everything from classes, to Quidditch, to duties were enough to push Harry down into the ground. And now he not only had to keep Ginny's relationship with Draco a secret, but he had to put on the act of despising the Slytherin boy, when in fact, he could now call Draco a friend. He was no longer an enemy, no longer just a mere acquaintance. The holidays had drawn them both closer than either of them had anticipated.

It had been Sirius' and Remus' suggestion for Harry and Draco to go back to their original antics. The two adults seemed to realise that if they continued on in the direction they were heading, then Ron would most definitely get suspicious. And that was something Harry wanted to avoid at all costs, so he and Draco had both agreed to it. And Harry had to admit (now that he was just pretending to hate Draco), it was slightly amusing.

And now that the holidays were over, there were new things to seriously worry about. Harry and the rest of his fellow 7th years were now steadily preparing for their N.E.W.T.'s, which were to be taken at the end of the year. He knew that at least Ron hadn't started studying. And Hermione was the only one he knew for sure who had.

Presently, Hermione leaned into Harry's strong and comforting body, her head resting on his chest as he rested his chin on the top of her head. His hand was draped over her right one, his thumb lightly tracing the ring she wore on the finger next to her pinky. He felt the smooth, intricate design of the silver and gold band, and the three symbols of Trust, Loyalty and Love, which bonded their symbol of eternal love. Harry remembered the story of how Hermione had nearly lost the ring, and his heart leapt with anxiousness.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione wondered, feeling his body stiffen beneath her. His thumb rested protectively on her ring.

"I was just thinking about what you told me...about your ring...and how you couldn't find it..."

"And you were wondering how I could be so careless?" Hermione finished.

Harry kissed the top of her head as she craned her neck to look up at him. "I wouldn't put it that way, Hermione."

She laughed softly. "Well, it's how I put it. And you don't have to worry about it anymore. After I found my ring, I charmed it with the Impervius Charm, so now I don't have to take it off for any reason at all. I no longer have to worry about getting disgusting frog guts all over it, since all such things will forever be repelled!"

Harry stared into her eyes, amazed that she could surprise him at every turn. That was one of the things he loved so much about her.

"Clever little witch, aren't you?" Harry asked rhetorically.

Hermione grinned. "I feel so awful that I was so carefree with this ring, when it means the world to me. But I've taken the proper steps to ensure that I'll never lose it. So you have nothing to worry about."

Harry sighed with relief, running his hand through her thick, brown hair. "I love you so much," he told her. He kissed her softly on the mouth, concluding his thoughts on the matter.

Just then Ron came crawling through the portrait hole, looking haggard and flustered.

"Stupid library. Stupid Madam Pince," he grumbled. He eyed Harry and Hermione sitting on the sofa as they looked up towards the entrance, and he approached them.

"Having fun studying?" Harry asked delicately.

Ron's face suddenly flushed a deep crimson, and it took only a moment for Harry to figure out why, as Leah York came in a few seconds later, her face blotched, her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. She spotted Ron and amazingly enough, their faces turned an even deeper shade of red. There was definitely an air of awkwardness about them, and Harry instantly knew why.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he cried out in amusement.

Hermione's mouth dropped in realisation, as she sat up from Harry's arms instantly. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked.

"That depends on what you think it is," Leah said quietly; her blue eyes, normally a deep shade, were alarmingly bright and alert.

"Don't bother," Ron told the dark haired 5th year. "They can read me like a book."

"You and Leah..." Harry said in awe, staring from one embarrassed face to the other.

"Were in the library..." Hermione continued, as she perched herself on her knees.

"Doing a little quiet study time..." Harry added slyly as he mimicked Hermione behind her, wrapping his arms around her entire frame. She placed her two hands on his arms, still grinning from ear-to-ear at the horrified expression on Leah's face, and the knowing one on Ron's.

"And you both decided to take a stroll down one of the aisles, supposedly looking for a book..." she continued.

"But we all know that you would never deliberately go looking for a book," Harry pointed out logically, and Hermione nodded knowingly in agreement.

"So instead you pulled Leah to the back of the library..."

"And we got caught by Madam Pince for snogging our brains out, ALRIGHT?!" Ron exclaimed.

The light buzz floating around the common room died down instantly, as each curious head turned towards Ron.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," Ron snapped irritably, and everyone, no longer interested, returned to their conversations.

Harry and Hermione burst into laughter, amused by the expression of embarrassment crossing Ron's and Leah's faces.

"Oh, come on!" Leah exclaimed, quickly getting over the awkward moment. "I suppose you two are going to say you've never been caught doing anything you weren't supposed to be doing?"

Harry and Hermione paused their laughter, considering the question. They exchanged a thoughtful look, sharing a secret smile.

"That's for us to know," Hermione answered, turning back to Leah. Then she winked at the younger girl and whispered, "I'll tell you about it later."

"You will not!" Harry replied hotly, staring at the back of Hermione's head. He could preactically feel Hermione's mischievous grin.

"Of course not, sweety," she cooed, patting his leg gently. Leah grinned and smiled at Ron before leaving for her dorm.

Ron flopped down in the empty armchair, sighing. "You both are complete prats, you know that? By the way, McGonagall wants to see you."

Harry sighed deeply. "I suppose she didn't tell you why?"

Ron shook his head. "Not that she would need to. She probably needs you to sort out some detention. You know how it is."

"Well, looks like quiet time is over," Hermione said sadly, as she stood up, dragging Harry up with her.

"See you later!" Ron called after them.

*

"You wanted to see us, Professor?"

Harry and Hermione stood in the doorway of McGonagall's office.

"I was looking for you, but it's Professor Dumbledore who wants to have a word with you both. You know the way?"

"Of course, Professor. Thank you," Harry said, and they both left, hand-in-hand.

"What do you think Dumbledore wants with us that McGonagall can't tell us to do? Do you think we did something wrong?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"No, I don't think so. McGonagall would have dealt with us if that were the case. And more importantly, we didn't do anything wrong," Harry assured her.

They found the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office, gave the password, (Butter Tart), and found themselves on the circulating staircase that would take them straight to Dumbledore.

Harry knocked on the door in front of them, and heard Dumbledore's voice calling for them to come in.

"Hello, Headmaster. You wanted to see us?" Harry said.

Dumbledore smiled at them both, making them feel entirely welcome and at ease.

"To put your minds at rest, I can assure you that you are not in trouble," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling with warmth and caring.

"Is it about a student?" Harry asked curiously.

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed it is. It concerns the both of you. Please, have a seat." Harry and Hermione both sat down in the cushy chairs Dumbledore motioned to which sat in front of the older wizard's desk. "Can I offer you a drink? Butter tarts? I fear I have grown quite fond of them."

Harry smiled. "We're fine, Professor."

"Suit yourselves," Dumbledore replied cheerfully, and he conjured a butter tart with a wave of his wand. He nibbled on it, while Harry and Hermione waited patiently.

"Oh, of course," Dumbledore said suddenly. "I suppose I should get to the point. I've taken the liberty to update myself on your current situation."

"Situation?" Hermione wondered, exchanging a baffled expression with Harry.

"Your class marks," Dumbledore emphasized with a smile. "But I was only concerned with your grades from your Defense Against the Dark Arts class," he said, clasping his hands together and peering at them with a long, penetrating look.

Harry suddenly felt very anxious. If Dumbledore was thinking of getting rid of Sirius because of their relationship, he wouldn't allow it. Sirius wasn't a distraction! If anything, Harry was doing well in that class. He had to be. Unless...maybe Dumbledore believed that Sirius was playing favorites? But that couldn't be right...

Dumbledore was looking very closely at Harry, watching him as his thoughts rambled on incoherently.

"Relax, Harry," he finally said. "It isn't what you think."

"May I ask what this is about?" Hermione wondered earnestly. Harry guessed the same thoughts were circling through her mind, too.

"You may," Dumbledore said, smiling. "You both are doing exceptionally well in that class. I know that Sirius isn't showing favoritism, Harry. You've always had top marks in the Defense class, higher than anyone else, in fact, over the past six and some years."

"I don't understand," Harry said quietly.

"Maybe I can clarify a few things," said Sirius Black. He stepped into the room from another entrance that Harry had never noticed before.

"Hullo, Sirius," Harry greeted, his confusion increasing.

"We've been thinking it over," Sirius said, standing next to Dumbledore. "And it's taken us a while to finally come to a decision, but in the end there's no other way. How would you two like to take on some extra-credit?"

Harry's head swam. "Extra-credit? What does it involve?" he wondered. He noticed a strange look in his godfather's eyes. It matched Dumbledore's expression, and this only fueled Harry's messed up, incoherent thoughts and questions.

"It involves a lot of hard work, and very little free time to yourselves, should you take this on," Sirius explained.

Harry stared hard at the dark-haired man, trying to see if he could read his mind. But nothing came.

"I would very much like to emphasize that we do not want you to feel obligated. If you choose not to go through with this, we will support you, one way or the other," Dumbledore added as an after-thought.

"What is it?" asked Harry calmly, not sure if he could handle taking on something extra, with everything else on his plate.

"We want to give you Auror Training," Sirius said.

Hermione's eyes widened, and Harry felt both a burst of excitement and a feeling of impending doom settling in his stomach. To be trained as an Auror! He hadn't seen that one coming, and there were many who believed he was cut out for it. But he knew what kind of training they went through. It wasn't exactly a picnic at the beach.

"Auror Training?" Harry repeated in amazement. "Isn't that a little...rash?"

"Maybe you could explain to us why we would need to be given Auror Training," Hermione suggested calmly. Her eyes met with Harry's and he instinctively reached for her hand, linking his fingers through hers.

Sirius smiled. "For one, you both have the highest marks in the Defense class, and you both show more potential to be trained than any other student in this school."

"But we're still students," Hermione pointed out. "Surely the Ministry wouldn't agree with it?"

"They have. Which is why it's taken us so long to bring it up to you. We wanted to make sure you'd be allowed before approaching you with the idea," Sirius told them.

"So that's the only reason for the training?" Harry wondered. "Because we have top marks?"

Dumbledore sighed, drawing the attention of the small company to himself. "In spite of all our efforts to protect this school, Harry...to protect you...we know our limits. There are some things we are powerless to prevent, as I'm sure you've realised. Even though Voldemort was defeated last year, there are Death Eaters who still remain very alive, and continue to blame you for their master's death."

Harry looked at Hermione, his mind drifting to the predictions, and how they seemed to be leading up to something. He and Hermione had spent many nights talking over Harry's visions, and they had both decided to keep them quiet for the time-being. And even so, Harry and Hermione had expressed their concern that the visions (and their clues), could mean the return of Voldemort. And now it seemed to Harry that Dumbledore and Sirius were fearing that exact possibility.

"The point of the Auror Training," Dumbledore continued, "is to prepare you for what might come. Anything can happen."

"Remember the Triwizard Tournament, Harry. Voldemort was working right under our noses, and no one caught onto anything," Sirius reminded them. "That should give you some insight to how he works. As his prime target, Harry, you need to be prepared. And you, Hermione, need to be just as equally prepared. When you consider that Harry is Voldemort's sworn enemy, and that you've associated yourself with him--"

"I understand," Hermione said, squeezing Harry's fingers gently.

"A part of the Auror training will include Apparation," Sirius added as he watched his godson closely, waiting for some sort of sign, whether it be positive or negative.

Hermione looked up at this statement. "The Ministry--"

"--Has agreed," Sirius cut in quickly. "They have agreed to all the terms, Hermione."

"But we're underage! I thought all students have to wait until after graduation to receive an Apparation license," Hermione pointed out.

"And that hasn't stopped them from allowing you to train to become Aurors," Sirius responded. "Just consider it to be a part of the whole package."

Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what to think or what to feel, beyond confusion. Deep down he knew this was something he wanted to do, something he could do--if it helped to protect those around him.

"It would put my mind at ease to know that you both will be able to protect yourselves," Sirius added, dropping the professor act, and looking at them with fatherly kindness.

Harry exchanged a single look with Hermione in order to decipher how she felt about the situation, without verbally asking her. After a moment he nodded shortly and turned back to Dumbledore and Sirius.

"When do we start?"

*

"You--you're kidding me, right?"

After the meeting with Dumbledore and Sirius, Harry and Hermione had dragged Ron off to Hermione's private bedroom to tell him the news. And as always, there was a very dumbfounded look on his face. Harry and Hermione knew that the Auror Training would have to be kept a secret from the rest of the students. But they had requested one small exception, and that was to tell Ron. It was bad enough they had to keep Draco and Ginny a secret from him, they didn't want to have to make up more lies to tell their best friend. Dumbledore (thankfully) had agreed to it.

"It was Sirius' idea. You must have confirmed it for him when you told him that Mad-Eye (and here Harry did an air-quotation mark movement with his fingers) thought we'd make good Aurors," Harry said.

If at all possible, Ron's mouth dropped even further. "I--I--"

"You're the only person who can know, Ron," Hermione said, almost pleadingly. "That means you can't tell Ginny, or the rest of your family, or Leah. No one can know."

Ron's mouth snapped shut and he looked at them with the utmost sincerity. "I can't believe this...you guys...Aurors..."

"We can hardly believe it either, and I'm not too sure it's anything to brag about," said Harry. "Sirius and Dumbledore were sure to remind us how difficult the training is going to be."

Ron nodded slowly. "OK...You guys know you can trust me...but I still can't believe this. Will this take time out of your classes?"

Hermione sighed. "Sometimes. But apparently all the professors are aware, so they won't ask any questions."

"What makes you think the other kids won't notice their Head Boy and Girl missing from lessons, and both at the same time?" Ron asked them.

"Chances are they won't care that we're missing. And we can just use our N.E.W.T.'s as an excuse, right? We'll just say we're off studying," Harry said calmly.

"Any excuse will fly, really," Hermione pointed out.

"But there is an even more important reason why we wanted to tell you, Ron," Harry said, drawing a deep breath.

Ron stared at them expectantly.

"As for Quidditch--" Harry began.

"You're not leaving the team!" Ron exclaimed, jumping off Hermione's bed where he had been sitting.

Harry smiled warmly. "No...I'm not leaving the team. Sit down, Ron," he urged softly.

Ron did as he was told, looking at Harry curiously. "What is it?"

"I have a lot on my plate, with school, N.E.W.T.'s, Auror Training and Quidditch. I just don't have enough time for everything anymore. There's no way I can juggle all these things without at least one thing suffering. And as much as I love Quidditch, and our team, I feel that you guys deserve a Captain who can be there for the team, whenever they need him. Someone who can make the best possible decisions for the team... We need a true leader."

"But you are all those things!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry's face softened and he shook his head slowly. "No I'm not, Ron. Maybe I was at some point... Don't get me wrong. I love the team, and I love being Captain, but we need someone who can give everything the team needs. So... what do you say, Ron?"

Ron stared at Harry as though he had just suggested they should swap girl friends. He shook his head slowly, looking at Hermione for confirmation. But this was a decision that she had nothing to do with. As much as she didn't want Harry giving up his role on the team, a part of her knew that Harry truly had no choice.

"Why would you want me to take over? I'm just a Keeper... I --"

"You're the best person for the job. Of course, I alone can't make this decision. The whole team has to agree. I just wanted to toss the idea in the air. But I know for a fact that once I step down, everyone will turn to you," Harry insisted.

Ron shook his head again, this time with a little bit more urgency. "No... I--I thank you Harry, but you're wrong. There's only one person on the team fit to take over as Captain. The mother of our team."

Harry's eyes widened as realisation dawned on him. "The glue that holds us together," he said.

"Do you think Ginny would want to?" Ron asked.

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but just as instantly a new thought came into his mind. Ginny was the mother of the team. She was the person whom everyone relied on to keep things cooled down. And she knew everyone on the team on a very personal level, and always knew how to make anyone new feel welcome on the team.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, Harry," Ron continued, "the Quidditch season is over in a few months, and graduation will be another month after that. What's the point in sticking me in the spot? Ginny, at least, will be here for another year. That gives her enough time to get used to it this term."

Harry found himself looking at Ron with renewed respect. "Are you sure about this, Ron?"

Ron smiled reassuringly. "'Course I'm sure. Besides, I have N.E.W.T.'s coming up, too. I'm gonna need all the time I can get if I'm going to scrape up some good marks."

Harry sighed with finality. "Alright. We'll hold a team meeting tomorrow, and...tell the team about the small change."

"It'll be OK, Harry," Hermione said sweetly. "Once they realise Ginny will be taking over, they'll find that change isn't so bad after all."

Harry grinned at her. "I'm not sure if that's supposed to make me feel better or not," he replied, feeling miserable on the inside.

*

Harry couldn't sleep. The end of the week was drawing to a close, and this weekend would be the last free weekend he'd have for a while. His and Hermione's Auror Training would begin on Monday. And though he was excited, he couldn't help but be a little bit nervous, anxious, even. He still had no idea who would be in charge of training them. And he had no idea where they would be trained. He had a thought that it would have to be outside of the school grounds, so they could keep the training hushed up from students in the school. It would also help for when they began their Apparation training, since it was impossible to Apparate inside the school grounds.

Harry found himself wandering the school halls late on a Friday night. The whole school was so silent and serene, Harry was tempted to curl up on a set of stairs and pass out then and there. But he'd never dare. Not when the staircases moved, and ghosts roamed the halls (luckily, Peeves the Poltergeist was nowhere to be seen). And Harry gave a start of surprise when his godfather turned a corner into the very corridor he was walking.

"Sirius?"

The dark-haired man stopped in his tracks and did a double take. "Harry? What are you doing up?"

Harry shrugged, making his way to the older wizard. "Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

They met and continued down a different corridor, walking side-by-side. "That's not important," Sirius answered, looking sidelong at his godson. "Are you nervous about Monday?"

Harry gave a short laugh. "I'm trying not to be...but I guess it's easy to get nervous over the unknown. Are you sure we're going to do OK?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise, would I?" said Sirius, grinning slightly.

"Yeah, you'd think so. But are you sure your faith in me isn't a little on the unrealistic side?" Harry wondered.

Sirius gave Harry a pointed look, his eyes narrowed with mild impatience. "You know, I placed my faith in Hermione, too. And have you ever known me to make a decision without a damn good reason?"

"I don't know," Harry mumbled, shrugging helplessly. "I know that you want to protect Hermione and me, but how can we protect ourselves from an invisible enemy?"

Sirius sighed. "For one, if I'm going to place my faith in you, you have to do the same for me and trust that I know what I'm doing. And for two, you need to stop worrying.”

“That’s not a good answer,” Harry pointed out.

“It’s an answer,” Sirius replied with a smile.

As they walked along, a silence fell, neither of them truly wanting to continue the conversation regarding Auror training or the enemy. Though Harry’s mind was alert with anxiousness over what was to come, he suddenly realised that he hadn’t truly thought of Sirius and his plight over the Claire White situation in quite some time. Taking Remus’ advice to heart, Harry had deliberately not asked his godfather about the letter, and he silently prayed that Sirius would come to him when he was ready. In the weeks that had proceeded since Christmas, neither the letter nor Claire had been brought up, and Harry was suddenly wrought with desperation to hear what Sirius thought of it all.

“I know it’s been a while since we talked..." Sirius began. "About Claire, I mean," he added, bringing up the topic as though by some sheer will of thought.

Harry looked sideways to the older man, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and expectancy. Now that Sirius had brought up the topic, did he truly want to hear what he had to say?

Harry mentally shook his head, reminding himself that Sirius’ thoughts and feelings were what mattered. Whether Harry liked what he had to say or not was irrelevant.

“Did you read the letter?” Harry asked, prompting Sirius to continue on with what he wanted to say.

Sirius nodded slowly, tilting his head as though trying to block Harry from seeing the expression on his face.

“What did she say?” Harry then asked, hoping against all hope that what Claire had to say would have a positive impact on Sirius’ decision.

“Well,” sighed Sirius, “she mainly talked about her life since--well since...she moved. And she mainly brought up small topics -- asking how everyone at Hogwarts was doing...She asked me questions about you--“

“Me? What could she possibly have asked about me that I haven’t already told her?”

Sirius shrugged. “She’s never met you, Harry. In all honesty, if you care to know, she’s just as curious about you as you are about her.”

Harry felt his face melt into an expression of awe. He was amazed that this woman actually wanted to get to know him. Sure, for months they had exchanged letters, but they were few and far between, the distance of their homes hindering the swift exchange of each letter by owl.

But Harry could think about that later. He was happy to hear that Claire, his own godmother, truly did care enough to ask about him. But right now he wanted to hear Sirius’ opinion on the matter.

“Is that all she said?” Harry asked, trying to sound casual.

Sirius turned his head slowly as he shrugged his shoulders again. “She might have said more,” he said quietly, so quietly that Harry had to strain his ears just to hear correctly.

“What did she say?” Harry wondered, feeling a warmth spreading through his chest. The way Sirius was acting... it was almost as though he was filled with sudden shyness. As though he’d rather keep the words Claire had written to him a deep secret, locked away in his heart forever. Well, whatever Claire had said, it had done the trick. But Harry was desperate to know what she had managed to tell Sirius. Privacy be damned.

“It’s not important what she said...” Sirius said calmly, though there was a small hint of a grin on his face that suggested otherwise.

Harry shook his head. "So -- what are you going to do about all of this?”

“I’m going to do nothing, Harry,” Sirius said casually. But Harry could see the light twinkle in his eye, and Harry knew that what Sirius really wanted to do was something.

“Nothing? Have you written back?” the young wizard asked.

Sirius smiled. “Yes, I’ve written back. But I want you to know, Harry... I don’t intend for anything to happen. I’m not looking for romance, or old friends. I’m happy with my work, and with you. Those are the two most important things to me, and I’m not going to sabotage the comfort I’ve found in my life just to patch things up with an old flame--“

“She was your fiancée!” Harry exclaimed in puzzlement. “That’s an entirely different situation--“

“You’re right,” Sirius agreed. “A situation which requires a fair amount of delicacy. Even if I wanted it, Harry...things will never be the same between us ever again.”

Harry stopped walking, prompting Sirius to stop as well. Something like anger rose slowly and heatedly through Harry's body.

“I guess that’s what makes us different,” he murmured, looking at Sirius.

“What do you mean?” asked his godfather, looking at him quizzically.

“If it were me, I’d never--“ Harry took a deep breath, trying to take control of his frustration, and also trying to piece together what he wanted to say. “If there ever came a day when Hermione was stripped from my life by circumstances beyond our control, I’d never give up on her -- on us.”

“But that is different. Don’t you see?” Sirius insisted, though he sounded quite unsure of himself.

“No, it’s not. Don’t you see? Hermione and I are as in love with each other as you and Claire once were. I’m going to marry her someday, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so certain of anything in my entire life. If something tore us apart and then one day I was given a chance to be with her again--I would take it in half a heartbeat, no questions asked. Our love will never die, and it’s the same with you and Claire.”

Sirius studied Harry for a moment, looking at him in a new light.

“And what makes you think that Claire and I are ‘meant to be,’ Harry? Things aren’t always the way they seem,” Sirius said.

“You wrote to her, didn’t you?” Harry pointed out, fighting off a knowing smile. “And she wrote to you. Sometimes, Sirius, you can’t fight fate. What is meant to be, will be. You can try to deny it all you want...but in the end... Destiny wins.“

After a moment of staring defiantly at each other, Sirius was the first to break down his defenses as he cracked a smile, his eyes lighting up.

“When did you get to be so wise in the affairs of fate and destiny?”

Harry found himself chuckling lightly, in spite of the very serious conversation they were having. “I suppose it helps being in love. Life is much more different when you have the love of your life by your side."

"You're telling me," Sirius said quietly. And then Harry didn't know what to say.

They started walking again.

"So..." Sirius said, heaving his shoulders and sighing. "Did...Claire ever mention me in her letters? Or talk about me at all?"

"Isn't there a godmother/godson confidentiality thing involved in my relationship with her?" Harry replied, grinning. "You wouldn't want to make me responsible for spilling all our private conversations to you, would you? Thanks for the chat, Sirius. I'll see you tomorrow." And he left before Sirius could open his mouth to reply.

Once Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, he discovered Ron was still wide awake, sitting by himself in the corner of the room in a chair.

"Hey, mate," Ron greeted, seeing Harry enter through the portrait hole.

"What are you doing awake? I thought I was the only one with the insane insomnia problem," Harry said, making his way to Ron.

"Nah," Ron replied. "You're not the only one with things on your mind."

Harry sat down across from the red-head, folding his arms on the table. He was starting to feel tired. The talk with Sirius had calmed and relaxed him, which was exactly what he needed. Sleep wouldn't come to him now though, until he learned what was bothering Ron.

"Is this about Leah?" Harry ventured a guess.

Ron grinned. "I'm so wide awake and excited ... I can't even explain it. Is it supposed to be like this?"

Harry returned the grin. "It's a great feeling, isn't it? So, is it official? Are you two together?"

Ron raised his eyebrows, though his eyes never left the table as he contemplated. "I don't know... We both know how we feel about each other, we just haven't really talked about it seriously, I guess."

Harry's eyes widened. "Exactly what are you waiting for, Ron?"

Ron stared at Harry a moment, his brows furrowed in utter confusion. "You think we should?"

Harry gave Ron an exaggerated pointed look. "You think she'll hang around forever, waiting for you to say something? You have to take action, Ron. You could end up regretting not approaching her sooner than later."

Ron said nothing for a moment, thinking about what Harry was talking about. "You're right," he finally said, nodding thoughtfully. "I should know by now that the only way to live is in the here and now... Who knows what could happen tomorrow?"

"Now you're just getting morbid," Harry said with a grin. "But it's good to see that you're getting the point. So what are you going to do first thing tomorrow?"

"I'm going to have a nice chat with Leah. Harry, I really, really care about her. I mean, it's not just a physical attraction...I really care about her. I worry when she's upset, and I'm happy when she's happy. It's such a different feeling from what I'm used to...compared to the other girls that I've been with. On top of that...I can't stop thinking about her. It's like... when I'm not with her, I want to be with her so bad."

"The hard part is pulling yourself away," Harry agreed. "But it gets easier with time. It's important, actually, to have time apart."

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," Ron sighed wistfully, in a mocking tone.

"You have no idea. Just you wait, when you're separated from her this summer. Or next year even, when she's still in school and you're not. It's going to kill you."

Ron's earnest and shiny expression suddenly evaporated. "You're right...She's still going to be in school for the next two and a half years... Why would she want to be with me? She's still young... I mean, she'll still be surrounded by tons of guys she could be with..."

"She's surrounded by tons of guys she could be with now, isn't she? And she's with you. She knows what she wants. You have nothing to worry about," Harry assured his freckled friend.

"Maybe..." Ron said slowly, sounding as though he wanted to believe what Harry said, but actually too afraid to.

"Listen to me, mate," said Harry. "I know what I'm talking about. If you don't go for it tomorrow, I'll sic one of Hagrid's ugly--deadly-- creatures on you."

Ron shuddered, standing up. "Alright, you made your point. I'll see you tomorrow."

"That's right," Harry agreed. "Ginny's first Quidditch meeting as Captain!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me. She's been rambling on about it for days now," he said as Harry stood up as well. Both of them made their way to the staircase.

"She's just nervous," Harry said. "Are you sure you're OK with her being Captain? I mean, I know you suggested it...but..."

"'Course I'm alright with it. My sister's happiness is all that matters to me," Ron replied.

Later as he lay in bed, Harry reflected on his conversation with Ron, and he silently prayed that Ron meant what he said. For Ginny's and Draco's sake.

To Be Continued...

***