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The Veil | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Holidays Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Drama Warnings: Death Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 113 Summary: In the fall of 1996 Harry finds a book about the ancient holidays just before Samhain, or what has become Hallowe'en. Tradition says communication with the dead is possible. Harry enlists Ginny to help him find out if its true. Hitcount: Story Total: 59192; Chapter Total: 1899 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I am so sorry I've been away for so long, I have a good excuse. My computer ate my writing. There was a hardware update I didn't want and it screwed up some software and I back up well, but it took a few weeks to get everything back in working order. Oh, and I moved with my family in there. We are in a handicapped accessible place now, but we lost about 1000 sq. ft. in the process. Happy fun times. Hope you're all still hanging in there. I promise I will get to writing review responses this week. MNF |
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Chapter 11: Friends and Lovers Sirius and Ginny came in through the back door to find no one in the kitchen. They discovered Julia and James setting the table in the dining room and Lily and Eva across the marble hallway in the sitting room. The women with their heads pressed together before the fireplace. Although Eva was now thirty-five, her siren genes helped keep her looking young; she appeared perhaps five years older than her friend. Sirius was jealous, knowing he looked more than the sixteen years older than James and Lily he was. Would Anwen even want him looking as decrepit as he did? He couldn’t bear the thoughts of her out there somewhere, alone and unloved. A dire thought passed through his mind–what if she wasn’t alone. What if she had found someone else to love, and that’s why James, Mum and Dad had never found her; she’d chosen to flee and be happy? The mere idea gripped at his heart and made him stumble from the pain. Remus came down the stairs to find Sirius alone in the hallway, as Ginny had gone and joined the two other ladies by the fire. The look on Sirius’ face made his friend’s heart hurt. He shoved the small box he’d been rooting through his old chest for deeper into his pocket. Perhaps to day wasn’t the day to present Eva with the ring he’d selected from the Potter vault all those years ago. He was planning on asking her to marry him the day her father was murdered. He’d not been given a chance after that, as she and her mother had fled to South America. He could wait until a time when he and Eva were alone to make his intentions known. “Why are you standing here, contemplating the pattern in the floor, Padfoot?” “Just lost in my head,” he answered. Wondering if he should ruin his friend’s happy reunion with his fears? Sirius chose to keep his thoughts private. The torture of being with all the happy couples would soon drive him to madness. Even Harry and Ginny appeared to be pairing off; and it was bloody well time. There were darker thoughts Sirius wouldn’t yet acknowledge; but they were there regardless; like a monster clawing at his brain, his mind, his heart. “You’re still there, Padfoot. Come on, we’ve been roommates on and off since we were eleven. You can confide in me.” “No, not today. Today is for celebrating and love. We’ve all been reunited, and you’ve gotten Eva back. Today is for parties, my friend.” Remus looked into the eyes of one of his best friend and knew what the problem was. Sirius was attempting to be strong, but he felt very weak. Remus knew that feeling. Every time James or Sirius paid for something of his, he felt this way. When one of them just happened to have extra supplies, or shoes, or chocolate growing up, Remus felt somewhat less than they were. Age provided him with an understanding of what his friends were doing and why, but it didn’t change the sting. Remus also knew a creature lived inside his friend; and it was as deadly as the one who overtook his body every month. Remus had never explained to Eva the horrific details of Sirius’ childhood, he didn’t feel he could as it wasn’t his story. Lily knew some, as Sirius had confided in her while he was weak with worry over Anwen. His father had beaten, cursed and hexed Sirius to near death on several occasions. While Orion Black was a horrible animal, he had created a beast within his son which fed on sadness, regret and anger. When it was sufficiently fed, the creature burst out of him with veracity. Remus had met the animal when they lived on the run, after Sirius broke out of Azkaban, and again when the man was cooped up in his childhood house in London. It might have appeared to be a stalwart need for justice, Remus knew it was the darkness in him thirsting for other’s pain and blood. The werewolf put his arm around his friend, gave it a squeeze and turned him toward the sitting room. Someone was bound to be in there to joke and laugh with. “Where have you been hiding?” Eva asked as stood to greet her one true love. “Upstairs,” he answered. “I wanted to check through some things in my old room.” Eva stood on her toes and kissed him hello. He looked for Sirius, hoping he wasn’t rubbing salt into his friend’s already open wound, but the man in question had dropped onto the couch next to Lily. “So, Petal, what do you know?” Sirius asked. “A bit more than you do; but less than Mum.” “Right-oh,” he agreed with her. “Mum always is more aware than any of us.” “Mum was always more aware,” Lily said with a grin. “I think she bugged the house, that is the only way she would have known about Anwen and me slipping out of our rooms to come visit you boys the first time she and I came to visit.” “There were no bugs involved, Petal, she charmed the doorframes. James finally figured it out after your third visit. Hence, my Apparating into your room to be with Winnie and my sending you to James the same way.” Hearing the pain in his voice, Lily threaded her fingers through his and laid her head on his shoulder. “We’ll find her, I swear to you, Padfoot. We all need her back.” Sirius nodded but chose not to say more. He was saved from the conversation going on by the arrival of Harry, Ginny, James and Mr Potter. “This house is huge! I can’t believe there’s a Quidditch pitch out back. You had the life growing up!” Harry enthused. “What I wouldn’t do to live here.” “Harry, son, this is your house too,” James reminded him, which caused everyone to laugh. “Does Mum need help with dinner?” Lily asked. “No,” Ginny said, emphasizing the word, making it sound longer. “I offered, but she very politely shooed me from the kitchen. She’s only letting the house elves do the clean-up. She said, ‘this meal is going to be made by my own hands’,” Ginny said in a perfect impersonation of Mrs. Potter. Everyone laughed, except Andrew Potter. “Be careful there, Ginny, I love my wife dearly and I do not appreciate twitting about my girl,” he said with a stern face. Ginny’s eyes became wide and her cheeks brightened to a shade which clashed horribly with her hair. “I am so sorry, Mr Potter. I didn’t mean to —” she was cut-off by James, Remus and Sirius all laughing heartily. The girls were smiling in a wide, knowing way and even Andrew’s face was no longer stern. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I was, what is it you kids say, ‘taking the micky out of you’? Please make sure you do that impression for Julia later, she will enjoy it heartily.” “I, er, what just happened?” Ginny muttered. “My father got you good, Ginny,” James explained. “You don’t think I became a prankster when I arrived at Hogwarts, do you?” “Oh, I never really thought about it, sir.” “Hold it right there, missy, there will be no sir-ing for me. I’m what, five years older than you?” James said, alarmed. Ginny rubbed her hands on her trousers, hoping the moisture would go away. She was used to dealing with the after-effects of her brothers’ pranking experiments, this felt different though. She suddenly felt very small and uncomfortable. “Oh, Ginny, I didn’t mean to make you upset?” James quickly said, earning him a nudge from his wife. “I just, I’m too young to be a sir, even if my kid is nearly as old as I am.” “It’s not that, I just…” she said softly. This was so unlike her. Normally Ginny just went with it, had a laugh with everyone and plotted her revenge. This felt different though. She suddenly felt like she didn’t belong with these people. This was Harry’s family; she had her own. If any friends of Harry’s should be meeting his family it should be Hermione or Ron or even Neville. She probably shouldn’t have been first. “I don’t know what’s rumbling in your brain right now,” a soft voice said to her, “but I want you here and my family is just joshing about to let you know you’re one of us.” Harry then took her hand and in his and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, dear girl,” Andrew said. “I have been making mischief with these boys for so long I forgot everyone does not understand our impetuousness. Forgive me?” “There’s nothing to forgive,” Ginny said. “In my family a joke is likely to end with something slimy or a body part in pain or misshapen. We don’t do much verbal interplay. Most of my brothers aren’t quite sophisticated enough to pull it off.” “You’re calling us sophisticated?” Sirius asked with his eyebrow deftly arched over his left eye. “Mr Black,” she said in an imitation of his crisp, London accent, “any man who can wear velvet robes about during the day, has a well-honed collection of cufflinks, and spends more time grooming himself than me, is sophisticated. And face it, you’re rich and you’re old.” “Old, huh? Be careful what you say Red. I know where the rest of the supplies your brothers left in Grimauld are.” Sirius had the same glint in his eye that she remembered from plotting with him last summer. He made living in the dreary house somewhat bearable. “We are so going there after dinner,” James uttered, and Lily gave him a glaring side-eye look. “No, you’re not.” There was uproarious laughter ringing through the room when Julia entered. “Well, it sounds like family already. Glad we can pick up where we left off. Dinner is ready. James, will you show your son and his friends where they should sit, please?” “Yes, mother.” TV TV TV TV TV The figure sat at the window, watching out into the mist where they knew the road should be. This was taking far longer than anticipated and while everything the pair needed was in the cottage, they worried. Never did they think they’d need this safe house when it was set up — who in their right mind would be able to find the others. They were safe as houses with all the spells set on their place. Someone said something they shouldn’t have. This revelation worried the party looking out the window. Patronuses were sent, as were charmed notes, but even the owls had not come to where they were hiding. This was something else which was troubling. Over two weeks had passed and there was still no word. Although, the plan had been set. Even if no one ever arrived, there was a job to do. A cry which quickly turned into a howl stopped the reverie and the figure stood and went to attend to the other’s needs. |
| Reviews 113 |
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