Home is where the heart is

Sirius opened the front gate, and ushered Harry through. However, before he opened the door, he turned to Harry, looking a bit awkward.

"Er, Harry...I didn't tell Moony that I was bringing you here so, er, he might be a little shocked to see you. Don't panic though-" Sirius added quickly, seeing the apprehensive expression on Harry's face. "-he won't kick you out or anything......he's put up with me for two whole weeks, after all....."

And with that, Sirius pushed open the front door and yelled impishly, "Honey! I'm home!"

There was a shuffling sound, and Remus appeared from the kitchen. Since Harry had last seen him, he looked a lot healthier, and there wasn't so many lines creasing his kind face. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that it was partly Sirius' doing.

"Oh, you're back....Harry?!" said Remus, in shock.

Harry stood there, feeling quite stupid, as Remus gaped at him. He somehow knew that Sirius was going to get a lecture any moment now. Sure enough, Remus turned to Sirius in exasperation. "You said you were going to visit Harry, not kidnap him!" he accused.

Sirius shrugged in a non-committal fashion. "Yeah, well, er, I though he might like to stay here instead of with the Dursleys...." Harry was amused to see that Sirius looked rather sheepish. Obviously, he was quite used to being told off by Remus.

Remus shook his head despairingly. "I can't let you out of my sight for a few hours, can I?" he scolded. Sirius just grinned and pretended to act completely innocent, staring up at the ceiling. Harry was surprised to see that his godfather could act so.....so........

Young?

Hang on a minute, Harry said to himself. They aren't even old, really. They've just seen their share of bad things. I doubt they're even 38!

Sighing, Remus switched his attention to Harry, and smiled warmly.

"Harry, it's wonderful to see you again........I'm sorry about my, er, abrupt greeting, but seeing you after such a long time gave me quite a shock." Remus offered his hand to Harry. Harry ignored the hand, and instead hugged Remus, startling him. 'Professor Lupin' had been almost like an uncle to Harry, when he had been teaching at Hogwarts. Remus relaxed and hugged Harry back, silently marvelling over the fact that the boy looked so much like James. Sirius was watching all this with a smug expression.

After Harry and Remus broke apart, Harry was the first to speak. "I don't want to be a nuisance..."

"Nonsense, Harry. You are certainly welcome to stay here....but I believe it would be a good idea to send Professor Dumbledore an explanation - no doubt he is probably concerned for you." Remus said, his hazel eyes twinkling. "Didn't you bring your trunk?" At this, Sirius pulled out Harry's tiny trunk from his pocket. "Got it right here, Moony."

Remus chuckled. "You went the whole way, didn't you? Now, all we need to do is find a place for you to sleep....." Sirius snorted. "Well, that's obvious. He can stay in my room - it's big enough for both of us. That is, if Harry doesn't object to sleeping near his old, snoring godfather?" he added, teasingly. Harry shook his head quickly.

"Well then, since that's settled, let's get your trunk unpacked, and you can explore a bit, if you like." said Remus briskly.

It was then that Harry began to take in his surroundings. Inside the cottage was quite cozy, with a small fireplace, and a few un-matching armchairs scattered through the living room. There was a little bookcase in the corner, and a well-used chess set on the coffee table - this room felt homey and comfortable. Harry liked it at once.

Sirius nudged Remus. "Moony, hurry up and give him the grand tour!" Remus coughed in embarrassment at Sirius' impatience and led Harry into the kitchen. It was small, airy, with a faint smell of herbs. Sirius looked around appreciatively. "Aah...my favourite room!" he announced jovially. This caused both Remus and Harry to roll their eyes. Sirius stopped grinning, and stared at them both in astonishment.

"What?" asked Harry.

"You just looked exactly like Remus....." blinked the man known as Padfoot, goggling at Harry. Then, he grinned again. "Moony, I think you seriously affected this boy when you were teaching him.......he's beginning to act like you!"

Remus looked quite flattered.

Walking out of the kitchen, Remus pointed to a half-open door. "That's my room. And-" They came to another door. "-this is the room you'll be sharing with Sirius." He opened the door, and it took all of Harry's strength not to burst out laughing.

It was a decorator's nightmare and a teenager's dream. Firstly, each wall had been charmed a different colour - royal blue, bottle green, gold, and a deep red. Next, there was a double bed completely piled up with pillows. Big pillows, bouncy pillows, pillows so small that could sit in your hand comfortably. It seemed that Sirius had a fetish for......pillows?

Sirius looked at his bed fondly. "You might take pillows for granted, Harry, but after spending twelve years sleeping on a rock, you learn to appreciate the finer things in life," he said, bending down and picking up some of the pillows that had fallen off the crowded bed. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Remus attempting not to laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably. Feeling that Sirius would be rather offended if they both started laughing, Harry turned back to his inspection of the room.

Lining a single shelf was a collection of sneak-o-scopes, lunar charts, dark detectors, and a few things Harry didn't recognise. Someone had enchanted random creatures to crawl across the walls, and at that moment, there seemed to be a crow flying around the ceiling madly, and several spiders and toads were making their way across the walls. They were always moving, so if you were ever lying in bed and had nothing to do, you'd never get bored.

The thing that struck Harry amusing about this room was that it was as messy, if not messier, than Dudley's bedroom. Robes, socks, and even dirty underwear were littered all over the place. Harry would have guessed that this was Sirius' room, even if no one had told him. The room practically screamed Sirius' personality - namely, bachelor!

Along the wall that faced to the west, there was a large window, looking out onto the pretty landscape of rural Ireland. The scent of wildflowers drifted in from the garden, outside. Harry turned to Sirius, smiling. "This is awesome!"

Sirius looked pleased with himself. "Well, I always did have a talent for interior decorating..."

Remus turned a snigger into a hacking cough. Looking around, Harry wondered where-abouts he was going to sleep. Sirius solved that problem. With a flick of his wand, he transfigured a sock into a single bed - already with sheets, a doona, and (Harry had to grin) quite a number of pillows. With another flick, he moved it against the wall opposite his own rather messy bed.

"There. Done. Now, what do you want to do?" asked Sirius. Harry thought for a moment, before brightening. "Well........I really want to practice Quidditch......." he said wistfully.

Remus smiled. Just like James - Harry was a Quidditch fanatic. Sirius was delighted. "Excellent! I haven't seen you play in a long time..........though I've heard some rumours that you're a flying expert." he said, looking at him proudly. Harry went red at the compliment.

"Okay...but I need my firebolt, which is in my trunk, which you're holding in your hand...."

"Oh, right," said Sirius. "I forgot." He placed the trunk on the ground, stood back, and muttered a spell. Instantly, the trunk returned to its normal size. "Show-off," said Remus. Sirius shrugged and pocketed his wand again.

Harry opened his trunk and pulled out the firebolt, mentally going over it to check for any faults or snapped twigs. There weren't any. Harry was happy just to hold it again.

Sirius eyed the firebolt warily. "Before you get any ideas Harry, don't expect a present like that every Christmas," he said jokingly. Harry looked shyly at Sirius. "I'd never expect you to," he said honestly. "It must have cost you heaps."

"Well, I tried to make up for thirteen years of missed birthdays. Nothing is too expensive for my favourite godson, eh?" Sirius winked at him. Carefully, Harry closed his trunk, and turned to look at both men.

"Do you want a go?" he offered. Remus shook his head rather quickly. "Er....I don't think it would be a good idea in my case.....I've never been too good at flying...."

Sirius, however, looked eager. "Count me in, Harry. It's been a long time since I was on a broomstick - I need to brush up my skills," he added cheerfully.

They left Sirius' bedroom and walked towards the front door. "I'll still come along," said Remus, pausing to grab his wand off the table in the kitchen. "Watching you fly is like seeing your father again."

And with that, Moony, Padfoot, and the Boy who Lived exited the cottage, looking forward to some quality Quidditch - and some time together.

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"Oy! Harry! Look out for those trees!" hollered Sirius, watching Harry as he dived and swooped, fifty feet in the air. Sirius and Remus were sitting under a tree in a large field, hidden from the local village so that no one would be able to spot a flying broomstick.

So far, Sirius had nothing but admiration for the skill and talent that Harry displayed when flying. He was truly a natural, like James had been. Harry himself had been thrilled to mount his firebolt again....he hadn't played proper Quidditch since the end of his third year, thanks to the Triwizard Tournament. It felt like he'd found an old friend.

Harry looked down and grinned - Sirius and Remus were waving madly. He decided it was time to let Sirius have a go. Landing, Harry got off the firebolt and walked over to where the two men were sitting. "Your turn." he said, gesturing for Sirius to take the broom. Sirius stood up, and mounted the firebolt. Kicking off, he soared into the air and zoomed around the field.

"This is brilliant!" he yelled, and then did a loop. Harry was surprised - Sirius was quite good at flying. Remus smiled at the surprised look on Harry's face. "Your father and Sirius were both on the Quidditch team at school," he said, plucking a blade of grass and twirling it idly between his fingers. Harry was amazed. "Really? What positions did they play?" he asked eagerly.

Remus grinned widely. "Sirius was a beater........fitting, isn't it? And James was chaser."

Harry was quiet for a moment, as he took in this startling new information.

Remus was watching Sirius whoop and yell happily, as he performed some rather dangerous stunts in midair. "Sirius always used to rally the crowd at our Quidditch matches," he continued on. "Professor McGonagall must have gained several grey hairs, thanks to him. Of course, your father didn't really help - more like encouraged Sirius to clown around and pull stunts. Those two were the highlight of any Quidditch match.....the whole school adored them - especially the girls, who tended to try and mob them after games, just to get a bit of their clothing......."

Harry couldn't help but chortle at the mental image.

"I wasn't very good on a broomstick as I preferred to keep my two feet on the ground," Remus admitted, wrinkling his nose. "I've never been too fond of heights. Sirius and James attempted to pull me onto the back of one of those infernal things at least twice a week, and it drove me insane. They couldn't understand that I liked going to the library."

Harry just laughed. "That sounds like Hermione. You have to forcibly pry her away from the bookshelves. Ron thought she was mentally ill in third year, or something like that."

Sirius was still swooping around on the firebolt, scaring a flock of birds out of the nearby trees. Grinning, Sirius tried to do a Wronski Feint but instead nearly plowed headfirst into the ground, only just managing to pull out of the steep dive. Sighing, Harry turned his full attention to Sirius. "Careful!" he called. "The firebolt has a big acceleration in a short time - you have to get used to it!"

"Now you tell me," Sirius muttered.

They stayed outside until it was twilight - Sirius and Harry managed to bully Remus into having a go on the firebolt. Remus was telling the truth - he wasn't very good at flying at all. He point blank refused to go any higher than 20 feet, and moved along at a very slow pace, wobbling along. Sirius enjoyed laughing at him heartily, after he got back onto the ground.

"Moony, I guess you should keep both feet on the ground - its safer for you and us...."

"Oh, shut up." said Remus tolerantly.

In high spirits, the trio made their way back to the cottage, looking forward to dinner.

(A/N : Mwhahahahaha............Poor Remus. I like picking on him sometimes ^_^)

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The witch shivered in the wind, as she exited the muggle London airport. It's so damn cold in this country! she thought grumpily, wrapping her coat tighter around her small frame. How could I have forgotten?

Coming from the much warmer climate of Japan, it was hard to believe that she'd ever lived in Britain. Lugging the heavy suitcase along, the witch accidentally bumped into a man on her right who had attempted to push past her.

"Sumimasen," she said automatically, without thinking.

The man stared at her. "What?"

"Sumi- oh! Sorry. Sorry for bumping into you," she stammered, trying to get her tongue around the english words. The man snorted and walked on, muttering under his breath about 'those bloody foreigners'. Sighing, the woman scanned the crowded area until she saw the small park she was looking for, not too far away, with some benches. Quickly, she stepped onto the footpath and made her way over to the small green area, through the bustling crowds, and heaved the suitcase onto a bench. Sitting down, she took her time in observing the hurrying muggles.

She was dressed in some comfortable muggle clothes, jeans and a jumper with a coat over the top, as she didn't like to wear robes normally (not that she could at a muggle airport, anyway) and she just wanted to blend in. It was hard to adjust to the somewhat rude and indifferent ways of the english-speaking world, compared to the utter politeness of the Japanese. After all, she had rarely ever spoken english in Japan, not needing to. She would have to get back into the habit.

It might have been summer in England, but it was extremely hard to tell. The wind was cold, and the clouds on the horizon promised a thunderstorm, later in the night. Perhaps it's an omen?

Frowning slightly, the woman checked her watch before silently cursing. She'd have to adjust it to the right time. Turning in her seat, she looked around for an indication of the time. Hmm.....6pm, according to that large clock above the nearby post office. She was right on time.......but where was the Ministry representative? She was supposed to meet the person at 6pm, in the park near the airport.

How long do I have to stay here and freeze my butt off? she wondered gloomily.

However, she didn't have long to wait. As the sky began to fade into an evening purply-blue, there was a distinct pop behind her, and the woman turned around and promptly came face-to-face with Severus Snape, who was gazing down on her with an oddly closed expression.

They stared at each other for at least a minute, each taking in the other's appearance. My God, she thought in shock. He's exactly as I remember him! Tall, dark and brooding, with that trademark smirk. What the hell is he doing here?

Much different thoughts were going through Severus' mind. She actually came. She looks so different. Older, perhaps. And wiser. But even in the fading light, he could still see the twinkle in her eyes that had been there at Hogwarts. Before.

"S-Severus?" she finally asked, standing to face him. "Are - are you the Ministry reprehensive, that's taking me to Hogwarts?"

The much taller man just looked at her, before answering. "Yes, I am." He paused.

"It's been a long time, Danielle."

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On the Hogwarts Express, Danielle gazed out the window and watched the scenery fly past. Opposite her, Severus was doing the same thing. It was roughly about midnight, and Danielle fervently hoped that they would arrive soon, so that she could get some real sleep, and also so that the awkward silence in the compartment would end.

After a bit of meaningless talk, the two had left the park, Severus discreetly shrinking the suitcase into a tiny box that could sit in her palm. He was dressed in muggle clothing, dark pants and a shirt, which secretly amused her greatly. She remembered how much he had hated muggles at school. They had gotten onto the platform and the timeless, scarlet train was waiting for them. A special trip, just to take them back to Hogwarts. How nice.

There hadn't been much to say, really. Mostly, he led and she followed. But the whole uncomfortable silence was starting to irritate Danielle. Not only hadn't she slept for over twenty-four hours, she also was suffering from jet lag. Plus she hadn't eaten a proper meal in what seemed to be ages.

Shifting, Danielle glanced over at Severus and was surprised to see him staring at her intently.

"We should be arriving soon," he finally said, breaking the silence. "Albus should be up and ready to greet you when we enter Hogwarts."

"Oh, good," Danielle had to stifle a yawn behind a hand. "Sorry," she apologised to Severus. "I'm fairly whacked. Travelling to the other side of the world on muggle transport is bound to wear you out." Danielle grinned slightly.

Severus just raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just take a portkey?"

She winced. "As much as I don't enjoy being on aeroplanes, I find it even worse when I have to use one of those things - especially for long distances. Better to take the long way and keep my dignity, thanks." Danielle said cheerfully, turning back to the window. Severus kept on staring at her, making her feel like a flea under a microscope. Why is he still looking at me?

"It was.......surprising, in the least, when Dumbledore told me he was hiring you," Severus said, watching her even more carefully. "Considering the - the circumstances, it was quite shocking."

Oh no. I should have known that he'd bring it up....

"Well, uh, it was surprising for me, too," she said lamely, looking awkward. She didn't meet his eyes. "I never would have expected Albus to send for me from the other side of the globe for a job......but hey, here I am. Ready to start this teaching thing." She prayed he wouldn't ask any more questions.

However, Severus looked like he was about to say something else, when suddenly the train driver's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Professors, we arrive in two minutes."

"Oh, I guess we'd better get ready then," Danielle said brightly, standing up. Severus hesitated, before rising. Every time she stood next to him, Danielle was strongly reminded of how damn short she was. It was not only annoying, but it also gave everyone else the advantage. Urgh.

The train slowed and then stopped completely. Danielle hopped off the train, her tiny-sized suitcase sitting in her pocket, and let herself take in the sight of Hogsmeade. She hadn't been here in so many years.......the memories threatened to spill over. Hurriedly, she tore her eyes away and saw Severus, standing next to a horseless carriage. "After you," Severus said stiffly, gesturing for her to get in first. She climbed up and he followed.

The ride was uneventful, and Danielle leaned back against the comfortable cushions on the seats, silently marvelling over the fact that nothing seemed to have changed from her own school days. It was very dark, being the middle of the night, and even more so, as the huge clouds overhead began to let down a slight drizzle.

When the carriage stopped, she and Severus got out and had to make a mad dash for the shelter of the castle. Just as they wrenched open the entrance doors and stepped onto the threshold, the heavens opened and rain poured down, just missing them. Relieved, Danielle straightened up and looked around the entrance hall. Once again, she felt a painful tug at her heart. It was going to be like hell this year, if she couldn't put it all behind her and concentrate on teaching.

But it was like being trapped inside a time warp.

Severus shut the impressive front doors and headed towards the staircase. "Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you in his office." he said over his shoulder. Danielle quickly followed him as they climbed the staircase and turned right, weaving through the countless passageways. They arrived at the stone gargoyle, the entrance to Dumbledore's little sanctuary.

"Ice mice," Severus growled.

The gargoyle sprang to life and shook itself, before leaping aside to let them. They stepped onto the moving staircase and Danielle fidgeted slightly. To be honest, the last thing she felt like doing was having an interview with her new 'employer'. She felt strained - mentally and physically. Reaching the top, they stepped off and Severus rapped on the door. "Enter," Dumbledore called.

Danielle and Severus came in. Dumbledore rose from his chair and smiled at her warmly. "Danielle. It's wonderful to see you again........you look rather exhausted."

"It's good to see you too, Headmaster," she said wryly. The man doesn't miss a trick. "Yes, I am a bit tired. Travelling isn't quite my favourite activity."

"Indeed. Well, sit down, sit down. I won't be too long." Dumbledore indicated that she sit opposite him.

Severus cleared his throat. "Headmaster, if my presence is no longer required....?"

"Oh, yes. You may go, Severus, if you must. There are some things which I must discuss in private with Danielle." The wise old man said, fixing her under his gaze. Mentally, she groaned. Great. I'm going to be interrogated. Will this day ever end?

Nodding curtly, Severus left. Danielle sat in the chair and waited for Ablus to make the first move. However, he patiently observed her, saying nothing. She had changed greatly, from the lively and youthful young girl that had graduated from Hogwarts. She had remained quite attractive, in an honest way, and looked to be a confident, capable adult. But there was something about her, which said that she had seen many things in her life. Not all good.

Danielle practically squirmed under Dumbledore's gaze. I hate it when he does this, she thought unhappily. Is it just me, or is he sizing me up?

"So, Danielle. I trust you had a good journey?" Dumbledore finally spoke, smiling at her.

"Yes." There was a pause, before Dumbledore became more grave.

"There is much we have to discuss. You must understand that I have to ask you some personal questions.....I'm afraid it is standard procedure."

"Oh." Danielle's mouth became dry. He's going to ask me.....he's going to ask me about why I left. My past. I knew it would come to this. Outwardly, she tried to smile but instead only succeeded in a half-grimace. "Well, I guess you'd better ask away, then."

Dumbledore smiled gently at her, in reassurance. "Very well. I must firstly ask you to kindly set you memory back to the year of 1981......."

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Dum Dum Dee Dum.............hehe, stay tuned, folks!