"Sirius? Sirius, are you all right?" Hermione leaned over the sunken figure of Sirius Black.

"Yeah, I'm all right. That Polyjuice Potion has a kick, doesn't it?" he said, struggling to get to his feet.

"Sorry I should have warned you about that." Hermione looked at the man in front of her. Although he looked and talked like Peter Pettigrew, she knew it was Sirius. "Are you okay to walk?" She grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet.

"Yes, I’m fine." Finally stable, with both feet firmly on the floor, he had time to take in his surroundings. The room was dark; the only light was coming in from a small window in the ceiling. He could see the chains that, until a few minutes ago, bound him to the floor. There were different wizarding and, to his surprise, Muggle devises for torture. The door was made of heavy wood; there was a small opening at the top of the door through which Sirius could see two dementors. He looked to the corner where the unconscious form of Peter lay.

"We need to get out of here. I don't want to look at that for any longer then I have to." He stared at Peter.

"All we have to do now is get past the dementors and you'll be safe to go back to Grimmauld Place," Hermione explained, checking to see if the dementors had noticed anything.

"Wait--you’re not coming with me?" Sirius asked, looking away from Peter.

"I can't, if I disappear the same time you do, Voldemort would know it was me that helped you escape." She turned around, went to the corner, gathered the torturing devices up, and put them in her bag.

"And what if he tells Voldemort?" Sirius pointed to the unconscious body of Peter.

"I've performed a Memory Charm on him. He won't remember a thing." She was searching through her bag for something.

"Memory Charms can be broken," Sirius warned her. He was starting to get nervous; he began to pace back and forth in the small room.

Hermione pulled a vial from her bag and went to Peter. "I know that, but I have to stay to protect Harry." Sirius stopped to look at her. "That's why I'm here in the first place." She looked up at him. "Besides, Voldemort already trusts me more than Peter."

"Then why has he sent Peter with you?" Sirius pointed out.

"Peter captured an enemy of Voldemort. This was his reward," Hermione clarified.

"His reward was to see me tortured?"

"Well he does hate you and you did try to kill him" Hermione said, annoyed. "Look Sirius, we don't have time for you to interrogate me. The potion only lasts for an hour." It had already been twenty minutes since he had taken the potion.

"I'll go, but if I don't hear from you in two hours, I'm coming to get you," Sirius told her.

"Fine!" Hermione opened Peter’s mouth and poured the liquid down his throat. "Lets get out of here." She stood and put the vial back in her bag.

"What was that?"

"A Muggle anesthetic. My parents are dentists; they use it to numb their patients’ mouths. That way even if they break the memory charm they won't be able to understand him," she said proudly, about to open the door.

"Wait one more question..." Sirius saw her roll her eyes as she turned around. "The dementors are going to sense that a healthy man is in the room."

"And…" Hermione looked at him.

"Well, how do you plan on tricking their senses?"

"Peter's not as healthy as you think. When he screws up, Voldemort punishes him more then the others. Actually you’re better off then he is."

"Ok, lets go."

When Sirius left Hermione, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn't want to leave her alone with Voldemort. He didn't even want to leave her alone with Peter, but he knew she has been there for two weeks and she wasn't hurt... yet. 'She knows what she's doing. She's a smart girl, she'll be all right,' Sirius tried to convince himself, but the feeling in his stomach just grew.

Grimmauld Place remained the destination for the Order meeting and tonight it was no different. Dumbledore had called a meeting to discus Harry’s living arrangements. It had already been two weeks into the summer and Dumbledore promised Harry that he wouldn’t be with the Dursley’s for very long.

Just as he was about to begin, Dumbledore was interrupted by the screams of Mrs. Black. "YOU FILTHY LITTLE TRAITOR, YOU DIED! YOU CAN'T BE HERE!!!"

"SHUT UP YOU OLD BAT!" A familiar voice rang through the house. Sirius made his way into the kitchen where the Order was having its meeting.

"So what did I miss?" he asked, taking a seat next to Mrs. Weasley. He noticed that everyone was looking at him like he was a ghost. "Why are you giving me that look?"

Nobody spoke. An eerie silence washed over the room. Even Dumbledore, who never seemed to be taken by surprise, was silently staring at Sirius.

Lupin finally found his voice, "We thought you were dead." He spoke softly yet with determination. He didn't want to become excited, in case it wasn't true.

"I thought..." He looked around at the confused faces. "Didn't you send Hermione to help me escape?"

"Hermione? We wouldn't send a young girl to do Order work," Dedalus Diddle exclaimed.

"But... she...she's been helping me for the past two weeks. She's with Voldemort right now," he said, panicking.

"What!? We have to go get her!" Mrs. Weasley jumped up, ready to leave.

"No need; I'm here." Hermione walked into the kitchen. She had a gash on her head and she was bleeding from her arm and neck.

"Oh Hermione, are you okay?" Tonks asked, as she and Sirius helped her to a chair.

"I'm fine Tonks." Her voice was just above a whisper.

"What happened to you Hermione? When I left, you were fine." Sirius looked concerned.

"Well you should have never left her alone. She only fifteen, Sirius—what were you thinking?" Mrs. Weasley said angrily, her maternal instincts taking over. She was retrieved ice for Hermione’s head.

"Mrs. Weasley, I asked him to." Hermione looked at her feet, feeling as if she’d had done something wrong. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley."

"It's not your fault, sweetie. Sirius didn't have to listen." She shot him an angry look.

"Mrs. Weasley, if he didn't leave, he would have blown everything I've been working at." Once Hermione had said this she immediately regretted it.

Mrs. Weasley's expression changed, the sweet smile was replaced with a slight frown. "And what exactly have you been 'working at'?" She looked to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore took a deep breath before he answered her. "Hermione has been spying on Voldemort."

It was like seeing the two faces of Eve. Mrs. Weasley’s kind face contorted into an angry old witch. "HOW COULD YOU PUT HER IN DANGER LIKE THAT?! SHE'S JUST A CHILD! SHE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, PROFESSOR?!" Everyone was looking at Mrs. Weasley; they had never heard her yell at Dumbledore.

"Molly, I'm well aware of her age and the danger that she faced, but I assure you that she was well prepared," Dumbledore stated calmly.

"How could she have been prepared?!"

"I trained her in Occlumency. By the end of the school year, she was quite advanced." He smiled at Hermione.

"Thank you Professor," said Hermione, blushing.

"Why were you teaching her Occlumency?" Lupin asked, as he bent to clean Hermione's cuts. "I thought Harry was the only one who needed it."

"I knew once Voldemort was exposed, he would go after some one close to Harry. Which meant either Ron or Hermione, and since Ron is constantly surround by wizards, Hermione was the obvious choice," Dumbledore clarified.

"But why couldn't you bring her here?" Mrs. Weasley was calming down. "Or we could have taken her. She didn't have to be put in danger. You poor dear what you must have went through." She took Hermione's head into her hands and kissed her forehead.

"Mrs. Weasley, it's okay; I was never in any danger…until today." Lupin attempted to treat the swelling with his wand but instead it sent a sharp pain up her arm. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, just checking for any infections," he lied.

"I'm confused, how did Hermione end up at the Riddle house?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.

"I think only Hermione can explain that," Dumbledore said.

Everyone's attention turned to Hermione as she explained. "Two weeks ago, Voldemort tried to put the Imperius Curse on me and thanks to Professor Moody..." she paused, noticing a growl coming from Moody, "I mean, Professor Crouch, that was the easy part. The hard part was convincing him I was under the spell."

"How did you do that?" Tonks asked, fascinated.

"He asked me to give up the location of Headquarters. So I told him Dumbledore secured a place in the Forbidden Forest where members could Apparate, then they would meet at a designated place in the forest and that it was always changing in case the location was leaked."

"Brilliant Hermione, and he believed you," Charlie Weasley said.

"He had to—he thought I was under the Imperius Curse."

"But why hasn't he killed you?" Bill Weasley asked, with a warning look from his mother.

"After giving him all the false information on the Order and Harry I could think of, I told him that because I was close to Harry, Dumbledore kept me informed on all Order business, in case one of his letters to Harry was intercepted and he couldn't send Harry another letter. Then I could send it for him. And I've been giving him false information on the Order for the past two weeks."

"So how does Sirius fit into this?" Lupin asked. He was still trying to close her cuts, but every time he did, they only became deeper.

"Voldemort wanted to make sure that I was completely under his curse. He showed me Sirius; he was being tortured daily and he wanted me to take over." Hermione pointed to a burn in Sirius’s arm shaped like a snake.

"Sirius, are you okay? Do you need anything?" Mrs. Weasley asked, rushing to get ice for his arm. "Does it hurt? Are there any other burns, cuts, anything?" She put ice to his burn, causing him to jump up. "Sit down! Somebody in your condition doesn't need to be on his feet." She pushed him down into a chair somewhat forcefully.

He tried to push her away but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't give in. She felt guilty about yelling at him earlier.

"I'm fine Molly, stop with the ice. Hermione has been taking care of me."

"How? I mean if You-Know-Who wanted you to torture Sirius, you had to," said Kingsley.

"I remembered an old spell from the Middle Ages, I read about it in History of Magic. It was a false skin spell. Wizards used it to cover ugly moles or fungus growing on them. I figured if I could perform the spell, Sirius would be able to regain his strength so that he could escape. The only problem was he was being guarded by dementors."

"How did you get past the dementors?" Lupin asked. He gave up on trying to heal her arm. He put Muggle medicine on them and then bandaged them.

"Polyjuice Potion. When Sirius regained his strength I knocked Peter out and performed a Memory Charm on him. Then I took his hair for the potion."

"And it worked?" Tonks asked.

"Sirius is here, isn't he?" Hermione said proudly.

"Then how did you get these cuts?" Lupin asked.

"When I got back to the Riddle House, Peter was awake and Lucius Malfoy had broken my charm. I poured Muggle anesthetic down his throat, but as soon as I arrived, Malfoy knew it was me. I tried to run, but he stunned my leg, and when I fell I hit my head on a rock. Then he pulled out a weird knife and he cut my throat and my arm."

A sharp pain shot up her arm. She looked down and saw the new bandage was soaked with blood. "Professor, is my arm supposed to be bleeding this much?"

"It's a new cut, it'll stop bleeding in a hour or so." Lupin tightened her bandage. "There you go, good as new."

"How did you get away?" Sirius asked Hermione.

"Peter was still confused, so when he saw Malfoy choking me, he stunned him from behind." She was holding her bandaged arm. Blood was coming from between her fingers.

"So he was actually good for something," Sirius said. "Who knew?

Lupin performed a freezing charm on her gash to stop the blood from coming out so fast.

"That should hold out for the night." He changed the bandage on her arm. "But that doesn't explain how we saw you fall through the veil," Lupin said.

"What veil?" Sirius asked, confused.

"The veil of no return in the Department of Mysteries," Lupin explained. "Who did we see fall?"

"Narcissa Malfoy, under Polyjuice Potion," Hermione stated calmly. Everybody in the room looked at Hermione as if she was crazy. She noticed everyone staring at her.

"What? It's true. That's another reason Lucius was so mad when I helped Sirius escape."

"But.... How?" Mrs. Weasley didn't know what else to say.

"I think I can explain," Dumbledore said. Everyone’s attention turned to him.

"After I finished speaking with Harry, I went to the Malfoys’ Manor. I wanted Narcissa to know her husband had been caught fraternizing with Death Eaters. But when I arrived the house was empty, except for Dobby the House Elf."

"But Dobby was freed. Why was he there?" Dedalus Diggle asked.

"He wanted to help. He knew that Mr. Malfoy had been caught, but he also knew Mr. Malfoy was a powerful man. He went to the house to show me the dark artefacts the Malfoys had hidden. He took me to a room hidden behind the Malfoys’ library, where Sirius was unconscious and chained to the wall. I was in the process of releasing him when I was stunned from behind."

"Then why were you so surprised when Sirius arrived?" Lupin asked.

"I thought Voldemort would have already had him killed," Dumbledore said.

"But why did Narcissa fight against her husband? And how did she get to Sirius?" Tonks asked, finding her voice.

"Narcissa was planning on posing as Sirius to get information on the Order," Hermione explained. "Lucius didn’t know about it until he found Sirius. She was the only one who knew where Headquarters was."

"How did she know where Headquarters was?" Tonks asked

"With a little help from Kreacher." Dumbledore looked toward the corner in which Kreacher was lurking. "Kreacher would you care to explain?

"Mrs. Narcissa told me she would be coming here through Floo Powder. She asked me to make sure she could get to him." Kreacher threw a dirty look toward Sirius. "So I did what she said."

"Why you little…" Sirius pointed a wand at Kreacher.

"Sirius, no." Hermione stood in front of the wand. "You can't hurt him."

"And why not?" Sirius said, angry that Hermione was still defending him.

"Because, Sirius, Kreacher can be of some use." Mad-Eye Moody stood. His magic eye lay upon Sirius.

"How can that useless animal be of some use?" Sirius asked, mocking him.

"If Kreacher can gain access to Death Eaters, we can use him as a spy, since Hermione was caught," Mad-Eye said, his eye turning to Hermione.

"He's more use to me dead. At least this way we can know that we're not being spied on."

"Sirius, this House Elf is more useful alive." Mad-Eye stood in front of Hermione.

"Sirius, think of Harry. If there is any way we can use Kreacher, Harry could be safe. At least until he has to face him." Hermione spoke softly, peeking from behind Mad-Eye.

Sirius looked into Hermione's eyes. He knew that she wasn't trying to save Kreacher. She was trying to help Harry. "Fine, I'll let him live. But if he puts a toe out of line then he's joining his relatives on the wall." He lowered his wand.

"I think we should leave it at that." Dumbledore spoke in a misty voice. "Hermione, you should get to bed. I want you to go with Remus and Sirius tomorrow to pick up Harry."

"Okay." She stood up and thanked Lupin for cleaning her cuts.

"I'm sorry I couldn't heal them fully." Lupin had a slight hint of worry in his voice. He was good at magical first aid, but somehow Hermione's cuts wouldn't let him heal them.

"Goodnight Professor. Goodnight everyone." Hermione yawned and went up stairs.

"Goodnight Miss Granger."

Once Lupin heard the door to her room shut, he voiced his concern. "Professor I think there's something wrong with Hermione."

Before Dumbledore had a chance to speak, Mrs. Weasley cut him off. "Of course there's something wrong with her. The poor dear has been subjected to working with You-Know-Who for the past two weeks." She shot a nasty look at Dumbledore.

"It's not that, Molly," Lupin spoke up. "I think that Hermione may have poison in her wounds."

"Why do you say that?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"When I tried to close her wounds they wouldn't heal," Lupin explained. "I think Lucius may have used a Kadiva Plaid."

"Even more reason that she shouldn't have been anywhere near You-Know-Who," Mrs. Weasley said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Is there anything we can do for her?"

"We should keep a close eye on her. The poison from a Kadiva Plaid is slow. It may take a week before it takes effect."

Dumbledore wasn't entirely convinced at this. He feared that Voldemort might have done something to her, but he didn't know what. Until he did, he wasn't going to worry anybody.

"I think this night has gone on long enough. I will contact you all for the next meeting. Goodnight everyone.�

They arrived at number four Privet Drive at seven o'clock the next morning. It was a dark gloomy morning in Little Whining. The rain just started to pour down as Hermione knocked on the door. In the little time it took for Vernon Dursley to answer the door they were soaked, and the cloaks they wore weren’t helping.

"Whatever you’re selling we're not buying."

Hermione put out her hand to keep him from slamming the door. "Excuse me Mr. Dursley, but we're not selling anything. We're here to see Harry Potter." She was shivering and her hand on the door was going numb. "It's awfully cold out here; may we come in?"

"No," Mr. Dursley looked shocked by the suggestion. "What makes you think I would let a bunch of weirdoes into my house?" He tried to shut the door again but Lupin and Sirius forced their way in.

Hermione followed their example. "Please sir, we're only here for a short while--just long enough to pick up Harry," Hermione said, pulling off the hood of her cloak.

"There is no Harry Potter here. Just me, my wife, and son, you must have the wrong house." Mr. Dursley started to panic. He knew that Harry was in danger, and was still afraid of the threat he received from Moody a few weeks ago, to not let him fall in harms way.

"Please sir, my name's Hermione Granger. I'm a friend of Harry's from school." She stuck her hand out to shake his, but he just looked at it. Slightly offended, she continued, "And this is Remus Lupin, an old professor of Harry's..."

"You were one of the blokes that threatened me a few weeks ago," Mr. Dursley interrupted

"Yes, and I'm more than willing to up hold my end of the threat." Lupin began to advance toward Mr. Dursley.

Hermione stepped between Lupin and Mr. Dursley. "And this is Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather," Hermione said quickly.

"S-S-Sirius Black, but Harry said you were dead." Mr. Dursley started to back away out of fear.

Sirius lowered his hood. "It's complicated, Mr. Dursley," He said, clenching his jaw. “We can explain it all if you would just get Harry for us.� His voice was calm and polite, as he didn’t want to antagonize Mr. Dursley. Trouble was something he didn’t need right now.

"I see what you’re doing;� Mr. Dursley stroked his chin. “You're using magic to fool me; you're here to hurt the boy." He paused for a moment to think. "You know what; I'll give you the boy if you leave my family alone and make sure the rest of your kind doesn’t blame me for his death."

At that, Sirius decided to throw politeness out of the window. He reached into his robes and pointed his wand at Mr. Dursley's throat. "You are a pathetic excuse for a human being."

"Sirius no! You can't use magic here. The Ministry will find you."

"I don't care, Hermione!"

"You should Sirius, think of Harry." Hermione knew Harry was his weak spot.

"Call Harry, Dursley, and maybe I won't turn you into the filthy disgusting beast that you are."

"POTTER, LIVINGROOM NOW!"

Sirius moved his wand closer to Mr. Dursley's throat. "Say please," he said through his teeth.

"PLEASE," said Mr. Dursley, immediately.

A few minutes later they heard Harry’s voice at the top of the stairs. "Please? Since when do you say please? If I didn't know better I'd think someone was holding a gum to your..." He stopped a few steps from the bottom. He saw Sirius holding a wand to his uncle's throat. Without thinking, he jumped the rest of the way down and drew his wand, pointing it at his godfather.

�Who are you?" he asked, not seeing Hermione and Lupin.

"Harry, it's Sirius." Hermione stepped into Harry’s view.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" He looked at her, but his wand never left Sirius.

"We're here to get you for the summer."

"Who's that?" Harry motioned toward Sirius.

"Who does it look like?" Hermione said, sarcastically.

"It looks like Sirius," Harry’s looked into Sirius’s eyes. "But I know that's impossible. He's dead." He looked away from Sirius, his voice full of bitterness.

Sirius lowered his wand. "Harry, I know what you saw at the Ministry and we'll explain it all later, but right now we need to get going." He started to walk toward him, but Harry kept his wand up and wouldn't let him come close.

Harry wanted to believe it was Sirius, but he had been tricked in the past and he wasn’t going to let his guard down. "You look like him, you talk like him, but I can’t be sure you are him.�

"Harry, it is him. If you can’t trust that, then ask him something only Sirius would know,� she suggested.

"Okay," he didn't lower his wand. "What did you give me for if I ever needed to talk to you?"

Sirius took a deep breath before answering, "A mirror your father and I used to talk to each other while in separate detentions."

"You still have those?" Lupin broke his silence.

Sirius turned to face Lupin "Yeah, I wouldn't let my mother destroy them." He turned back to Harry. "Your father gave me those mirrors as a Christmas present in our third year. I gave him the other one when we left school. The night he died I was able to get it from the house before it fell. I figured they’d come in handy one day." He gave Harry a crooked grin.

When Sirius grinned at him, Harry’s stomach gave a jolt. ‘It’s him; he’s alive, but how? I saw him fall. But how could someone under Polyjuice know his grin?’

“I’m still not sure. One more question.� He paused to think, and after a few minutes it came to him. “The night my father died, Hagrid came to get me. What did you give to him?�

A wide smile crossed his face. “I never told anyone about that, but I guess Hagrid has told people when I escaped. I gave him my flying motorcycle.�

“Wait, you gave Hagrid your bike? You wouldn’t even let me drive it.� Lupin said, with bitterness.

Harry finally lowered his wand. Sirius didn’t move toward him; he stayed where he was and they stared at each other in an awkward silence. Harry felt as if he had just gotten his father back. His insides were turning in a good way.

Sirius moved forward toward Harry. He hesitated before he hugged him.

“How touching.� Their reunion was interrupted by Mr. Dursley. “Now that you all know one another, would you please GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!?�

“Gladly,� Harry made his way toward the stairs. “After I pack.�

“I’ll help.� Hermione followed Harry as he claimed the stairs and made his way to his small room. "So how has your summer been?� Hermione shut the door behind her.

“How do you think it’s been going?� Harry snapped.

“Sorry, I imagine you’ve been having a hard time. I mean thinking, Sirius is dead.�

“How long have you known that Sirius is alive?� Harry asked, calmly.

“Almost two weeks,� Hermione stated slowly.

“And you didn’t think to write me or even call?�

“I wanted to, but I wasn't in a situation where I could.�

“And what situation was that?� Harry raised his voice a little. “Wait, let me guess, you wanted to get your homework done. No, wait, you wanted to finish memorizing our new textbooks or - -“

"That's not true Harry," she interrupted him. "And I resent that you'd think that about me. You're more important to me than homework." Her voice began to crack.

“I resent the fact that one of my best friends lying to me,� he said coldly.

“I didn’t lie to you Harry; I couldn’t even talk to you…�

“And why not?� he cut in.

“We’ll explain everything later. We need to go; the train leaves in thirty minutes.�

“Fine, but I don't want to hear anything you have to say." He slammed his trunk shut and carried it down the stairs.

"Ready, Harry?" Lupin asked.

“Yes.� His uncle was scowling in the corner. "Er, I guess I’ll see you next summer.� Harry said to him

“Wait; where's Hermione?"

“I’m right here Professor.� She had stayed upstairs to compose herself; she didn’t want to appear upset.

They called for a cab and were on the train back to London in thirty minutes. Most of the ride was in silence. Hermione kept her focus on her shoes. She looked up a few times but Harry met her gaze with angry stares, so she kept her head down for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived in London they were met by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and a Ministry car.

"Oh Harry! So good to see you." Mrs. Weasley swept him into her arms and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello Harry! Good to see you,� Mr. Weasley said, extending his hand to shake Harry’s.

“It’s good to see both of you too.� Harry felt so happy that he temporarily forgot his anger from the spat with Hermione.

They loaded his things into the car and were soon on their way to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. I seemed to Harry that the car ride took forever, but when he saw the old grey building he realized that it only took twenty minutes to get there.

Before they entered Number Twelve they checked to see if the coast was clear. When they stepped inside it took awhile for Harry’s eyes to adjust to the light. He noticed that the portrait of Mrs. Black was gone. “What happened to the painting?�

"Dumbledore was able to reverse the spell that kept it up there,� Mrs. Weasley clarified.

“I imagine that Kreacher probably has it downstairs in his cubby,� Mr. Weasley gave a chuckle.

“Harry dear, take your things upstairs, and then come to the kitchen.� Mrs. Weasley hurried into the kitchen, followed by Hermione and Lupin.

Sirius helped Harry take his things upstairs to his room. “Are you alright Harry?" Sirius asked, panting from heaving the trunk up the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little confused."

"Well, let's go down to the kitchen and we'll clear everything up." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and led him into the kitchen.

When they got to the kitchen Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks and Lupin were all sitting around the table talking in excited voices.

"Hi Harry, how's it going?" Fred asked.

�Not so bad and you?"

"Oh, we're better then ‘not bad’. Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes is doing brilliant.� George leaned closer to him and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Thanks to your backing."

"Well that's good. I'm glad that everything is good with you."

"Harry, come sit down. I imagine that you're confused about a few things," Lupin said.

"Yeah, like how you are still alive?" Harry asked, looking at Sirius. "Not that I'm not glad or anything, it's just that I saw you fall."

"It was me you saw fall but it wasn't me," Sirius explained.

"Then who was it?" Harry asked.

"My cousin Narcissa," Sirius explained everything that happened to him earlier in the summer as best he could.

�Wait, I'm a little confused. If you were being tortured and guarded by dementors, how did you escape? I mean, you must have been weak, and how could you get passed the dementors without receiving the kiss?"

"Hermione helped me."

Hermione, who had been staring at the floor the whole time, looked up when she heard her name. She figured it was her turn to explain her role in this summer's events.

"Hermione? How?" Harry asked, even more confused.

"I think I could explain that." Professor Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. "If you don't mind, Miss Granger."

"Of course not Professor," Hermione said, feeling relieved. She didn't want to make Harry more upset with her then he already was.

Dumbledore explained everything to Harry that he explained the previous night to the Order, including how Hermione had helped Sirius escape.

Harry looked at Hermione and saw the bandage on her arm and the cut on her head. He had been too angry with her to notice before. "So you've been spying on Voldemort all summer?"

"Yes," she said, never looking up.

Dumbledore stood, preparing to leave. "I think Molly, Arthur, and Remus can fill you in on Order business. I have to go meet your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.�

"You were able to find one already?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well, she has been available for years, but I have had her doing Order business for me for the past fifteen years."

"What could you have needed done for fifteen years?" Sirius asked, bewilderedly.

"You'll find out soon. I'll be back tonight to explain further. Goodbye everyone."

"Goodbye Professor," Harry said as Dumbledore Apparated.

After Dumbledore had left, Hermione retreated to her room. The look in Harry’s eyes, when he realized just what kind of “situation� she was in, told her that he was sorry for getting angry with her, but she knew he was going to apologize anyway and she didn’t want him to have to do it with everyone around.

Just as she suspected, a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. “Come in!�

Harry came into the room and closed the door. “Hi.�

“Hi.� They stared at each other for a while, and an awkward silence ensued before she spoke again. “Look, Harry, I’m really sorry for not telling you what Dumbledore had planned for me. It’s just that…�

Harry interrupted her. “If anyone should be apologizing, it's me.�

“But you didn’t do anything wrong,� she said somewhat taken aback.

“I yelled at you for keeping secrets when I’ve been keeping a few myself.�

“But it’s different when you keep secrets from me or Ron…�

“How?� He asked, puzzled.

Hermione moved so that they were only a foot away from each other and when she spoke she looked directly into his eyes. Her voice was soft and full of compassion. “You have things in your past and in your present that Ron and I couldn’t even pretend to understand.�

“You’ve spent the past two weeks with Voldemort never knowing if he’s going to kill you, to protect me.�

She took a step to him. “You’ve faced the greatest evil of our time, Harry, and you came out alive. And I know your battle isn’t over, but you are the strongest wizard I have ever met and I know you are going to have to deal with a lot more in your life that you might not want to share with me I’m okay with that. But I want you to know that, no matter what you say or do, I’ll always be there right by your side.� Hermione had moved so close to him that their noses were almost touching. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a close hug. She turned her head to whisper into his ear. “Harry, you’re my best friend and I love you.�

She pulled away to look into his eyes again. “I hope you already knew that.� She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, but as she pulled back, the warmth of his body had an effect on her that she had only felt once before, and without thinking she leaned in again, this time capturing his lips in a brief kiss. A chill was sent up her spine when their lips met, Hermione never wanted to stop kissing him.

Hermione pulled back and looked at the shocked expression on Harry’s face; immediately she regretted kissing him. “I’m sorry--I don’t know what came over me. I guess I just…�

Harry headed for the door, “I have to go.�

“Harry, wait!,� she called after him. “I’m sorry.�

Hermione fell face down on her bed and screamed into her pillow. ‘Why did I kiss him? Damn it, how could I have been so stupid? It was just a feeling Hermione, that doesn’t mean that it’s the same as the last time you felt it. But I’ve only felt it with Hayden, and I loved him more than a friend. Could I be falling for Harry?’

Meanwhile on the floor below her, Harry was pacing his room. ‘She kissed me, one of my best friends kissed me-- and I liked it. I wanted it to last longer; I wanted to kiss her again. But it’s Hermione I’m talking about. The same Hermione, who has helped me with my homework, who has been there for me when nobody else was - could I actually be falling for my best friend?’

Harry was in way over his head, he needed to talk to someone. He knew that Ron would make it all into a joke, so he decided Sirius was the person to go to. He made his way to the kitchen, but Sirius wasn’t there.

�Where’s Sirius?� he said.

“I think he’s in the study, dear,� Mrs. Weasley replied.

He found Sirius in the study just as Mrs. Weasley had said. “Hi, Harry, did you want to talk?� Sirius examined Harry’s troubled face.

“Yes.�

“Okay.� They sat down in the chairs in front of the fire. “I have to tell you that I’m not up to date on what’s going on with the Order but I’ll try to answer any questions you have as best I can.�

“Actually I didn’t want to talk about Order business.�

“Oh. Then what do you want to talk about?�

Harry hesitated before blurting out. “Hermione.�

“What about Hermione?� Sirius asked.

“She kissed me, and well,� he wavered for a minute before he spoke. “I liked it.�

Sirius gave Harry one of his grins. “So what’s the problem?�

“She’s one of my best friends. If we start dating and it doesn’t work out, it’ll ruin our friendship. Not to mention that she’s already in enough danger just being my friend. She’s already risked her life this summer for me. If Voldemort were to find out that I have feelings for her beyond friendship, she’d be the first one he killed.�

“So you want to be more than just friends, but you don’t want to put her in even more danger then she already is?� Sirius looked at him, his grin growing wider until he burst out laughing.

“Well, I’m glad you think this is so funny.� Harry crossed his arms and fell back into the comfortable chair.

“I’m sorry, but it’s about damn time.�

Harry’s eye’s widened in shock; he couldn’t believe Sirius said that. “What do you mean ‘it’s about time’?�

Sirius calmed himself down and explained: “When Hermione was taking care of me she was determined to keep me alive so that you’d have someone. She didn’t care if it cost her life.�
“She told you that?�

“Not exactly, but she did take an awful lot of risks to keep me healthy.� Sirius noted the worried expression that crossed Harry’s features. “I think this has been developing for a long time. I mean when things didn’t work out between Ron and her last summer, I knew…�

“Hermione and Ron… dated?�

“Sort of, they occasionally shared a quick kiss and held hands once in a while, but nothing serious.�

Harry knew that Ron and Hermione had fancied each other in fourth year but he never thought they had acted on it. “So what do I do?�

“You have to decide then, if you want Hermione as more than just a friend or if you want to remain friends."

“We can’t be both, can we?� Harry asked hopefully. They were too deep in their conversation to notice someone enter the room.

“You can't be more than friends and still be friends. Trust me, I tried with a girl in school and nearly lost her to someone else.�

“He’s lying, Harry,� a woman emerged from the shadows. “He never nearly lost her; she was simply stringing him along, enjoying the show.� She looked from Harry to Sirius. “It’s been a long time, Sirius.�

Harry saw she was beautiful, even more beautiful then the Veelas from the Quidditch World Cup. She had long, wavy, raven hair that framed her face, and she wore a red, Muggle spaghetti-strap sundress that fit her like a glove, outlining her frame perfectly.

Harry looked toward Sirius who had been motionless since the woman first spoke. “Err, I‘m sorry to break this awkward stare you two have going, but I think I should go talk to Hermione.�

He was almost out the door when the woman called out, "Hey, Harry." He turned to face her. "When you decide what to do with your friend, listen to your heart, not your head.� She nodded toward Sirius and said, “that was his biggest mistake.�

Harry left the room, bewildered, leaving Sirius alone with the woman.

Harry made his way upstairs, not sure what he was going to do. ‘She’s my friend, but I have feelings for her. If I don’t act on them, how will I ever know what would have been?’ He had made up his mind when he reached the door and opened it. She was sitting on her bed writing in her diary. A few strands of her hair had fallen from her loose bun. He looked at her and for the first time he realized that she wasn’t the bushy-haired, bossy girl he met on the train his first year. She had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. Just as he stepped in and prepared to call attention to himself a horrible image popped into his head, Voldemort using the Avada Kedavra Curse on her. ‘I can’t tell her how I feel. He’ll go after her. I can’t risk her life for my own selfish feelings.’

The scratch of Hermione’s quill drowned out the sound of Harry opening and closing the door. She was deep into writing her thoughts about the day’s events.

’I kissed Harry. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve always wanted to protect Harry, to help him, but I’ve never had romantic feelings for him until now. And I think he might feel the same way.’ She pushed a strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear when she noticed Harry standing there, staring at her.

“Harry, I was just going to find you.� She got up from her bed and darted behind him to close the door. “Look, Harry, about earlier --I’m sorry that I kissed you like that, but I want you to know that I’m not sorry I kissed you. In fact I’m glad I did because it made me realize that…�

“Hermione, before you say anymore, I just wanted you to know that I don’t think of you in that way. And when you kissed me it was like kissing my sister, if I had one.�

Hermione looked at him, hurt filling her eyes. “Oh, I see.� She turned away.

“Look Hermione, it’s just that we’ve been friends for five years and I don’t want things to change.�

Hermione turned back around, this time spitefully laughing. “You think I have feelings for you?�

“Well, yeah, I mean - I thought that you weren’t sorry for kissing me.�

“I’m not. Because you made me realize that I have unresolved feelings for someone else.�

“Krum?�

“No, not Viktor. He’s a just a guy I met at Hogwarts before we left. Actually, he wrote to ask if I’d like to meet up with him when we go to Diagon Alley.�

“What did you tell him?� Harry asked, knowing the answer.

“I was just writing him to say yes.�

“Oh. Well, good.� They stood there in silence for a while before Harry spoke again. “Do you want to go downstairs to meet the mystery woman that just arrived?�

“Ooooh, a mystery woman sounds intriguing.� She looked back at her bed and saw her diary lying open. “Erm, I’ll be right there. I have to take care of something first.�

“Okay.� With that he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Hermione went over to her bed and grabbed her diary opening it to the passage she had just written and crossed out the last line ‘And I think he might feel the same way’ replacing it with ‘he’s my friend and couldn’t possibly feel the same way about me.’ She closed her diary and made her way downstairs to the kitchen, feeling like someone had just stomped on her heart.

~*~*~*~*~

He made his way down to the kitchen, feeling horrible. He sat down at the table, next to Ron, and joined the others for dinner. Hermione came down a few minutes later and sat down on the other side of Ron.

The table remained quiet until Ginny asked, “Mum, where’s dad?�

“Your father left for the office, I think he got tired of me badgering him about Diagon Alley.�

“Why would you be badgering dad about Diagon Alley?� Ron asked confused.

“Well, Dumbledore told me your O.W.L.’s would be here tomorrow, along with your supply lists, and I want to go to Diagon Alley as soon as possible.�

“Why?� Hermione asked.

“Haven’t you been reading the Daily Prophet, dear?�

“No, I couldn’t.� She looked grimly at her stew.

Mrs. Weasley realized what she had said. “Ooh, dear, I’m sorry! How daft of me. I mean, how could you, with where you were and with whom you were with…�

“Mrs. Weasley, its okay, I know you didn’t mean any harm.� Hermione smiled at her to show she was okay.

“Well, as long as you’re fine with it, dear. Anyway, why I want to get to Diagon Alley quickly is because there have been so many disappearances of shop owners. Just yesterday Ollivander was taken from his store in broad daylight. I want to get there before there are no more shops to get your schoolbooks. Plus with the added danger...�

“What added danger?,� Harry inquired.

“Well, since Hermione helped Sirius escape, Lucius Malfoy is going to want revenge on her,� Lupin explained.

“What rubbish, it’s his wife’s own fault that she’s dead. If she hadn’t tried to impersonate Sirius, she would have never been at the Ministry that night. I don’t see why he blames Sirius for her death.� Hermione said logically.

“When a person is grief-stricken they can do just about anything,� Mrs. Weasley commented.

“He wasn’t grief-stricken, he was glad she died.� Everyone focused their attention on Hermione.

“Why would you say that?� Lupin asked.

�Because Voldemort had other plans for her, he was going to use her as a sacrifice; the only reason he didn’t use me was because I fed him all the information about Harry and the Order.� They continued to stare at her in shock. “I’m not sure who he used but I heard the screaming all the way from Sirius’s cell. That’s when I performed the false skin spell on Sirius and it’s a good thing Voldemort because when it failed, Lucius had a field-day with curses and jinxes on Sirius,� she looked around at the bewildered expressions on every one’s face. “I’ve said too much, sorry.�

“No… no it’s quite all right. You’ve been through a lot already this summer. It’s okay when you talk about it,� Mrs. Weasley sympathized.

The room grew silent until Mr. Weasley came in.

“Hello everyone,� he said happily.

“Arthur, did you talk to your supervisor about taking tomorrow off?� Mrs. Weasley questioned.

“No, but I think I’ve come up with a better idea…�

Mr. Weasley was interrupted by the arrival of Sirius and Viera, the mysterious woman Harry had seen earlier.

“Viera! Honey, it’s so good to see you!� Mrs. Weasley crossed the room and pulled her into a rib-crushing hug. “Oh dear, you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. I must say age agrees with you.�

“Thanks, Aunt Molly, I could say the say the same to you--you look wonderful.� Viera smiled brightly.

“Well, now that you two had your hellos, it’s my turn.� Lupin stood from the table and faced Viera.

“Remus.� Viera flew into his arms; he picked her up and spun her around. “It’s been so long since I last saw you.�

He put her down and pulled away. “Viera, you look amazing; how have you been?�

“I’ve been good, how have you been?�

“I’ve been doing fine. Not as good as I was when you were working for the Magical Law Enforcement Department, but pretty good.�

“Well, I still work for the Department but in a different way. I’m glad you’re doing fine; you look great,� She smiled up at him. She looked around the room, noticing all eyes were on her. “Hello, everyone.�

“Oh yeah. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, this is Viera Heath, an old friend from Hogwarts,� Lupin introduced her to them.

“It’s good to see you all again…�

“When exactly did you see me?� Ron interrupted her. “I think I’d remember you.� He eyed her suggestively.

Viera appreciatively smiled at him. “You were a little over a year old the last time I saw you, Ronald. At Ginny’s birth.�

“Oh, good to see you again too,� he responded a bit embarrassed.

“Thank you,� she turned to Hermione with worried eyes. “How are you doing? The last time I saw you, Lucius had the Kadiva blade awfully close to your neck.�

Hermione looked at her with the same worry. “My neck's fine, it’s my arm he cut. Other than that, I’m good; glad to see you got out okay.�

�Got out of where?� Sirius asked, breaking his silence.

“The Riddle House. Viera was the distraction the night we escaped,� Hermione explained.

“Why?� Harry inquired curiously.

“Voldemort wants me dead as much as he wants Dumbledore dead.�

“Why?� Harry asked again.

“That’s a story far too long to explain.�

Nobody spoke; everyone remained baffled as to why Voldemort would want such a tiny woman dead.

Viera was the one who decided to break the silence. “Anyway, I’m here to speak to you all about Sirius’s trial tomorrow…�

“Sirius is going to trial?� Harry asked fearfully.

“You mean to tell me that Uncle Arthur hasn’t told you yet?� She looked at him disapprovingly.

“Well, that was the suggestion l was going to make. If Viera can clear Sirius’s name, he can go to Diagon Alley instead of me.�

“And if she doesn’t?� Mrs. Weasley inquired reproachfully.

“She will,� Sirius spoke up. “Viera can get even the guiltiest of people off crimes. She has this way about her.� His eyes hadn’t left hers since he had entered the room.

“We all know how persuasive Viera can be,� Lupin said. “Hopefully she hasn’t lost her charm.�

“Viera will never lose her charm.�

She finally broke eye contact with him and looked away blushing. “Obviously neither have you, Sirius.�

“I try.� He grinned at her and she smiled back.

“Well, I better go. I have to look over a few more files before court tomorrow. I’ll see you all after the trial.� She made her way to the door but stopped and turned around, as if forgetting something. “Did I forget to mention that I’m the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts this year?�

“Viera, that’s great! But why would you work at Hogwarts now?� Lupin asked.

“Well, Dumbledore doesn’t want a repeat of last year’s events and since nobody was lining up for the job, I volunteered.�

“At least Dumbledore got it right this time,� Ron blurted out.

“Thank you, Ron.� She gave him a big smile that made him blush. “And with everything that’s going on in England, Defence Against the Dark Arts has become mandatory at least twice a week for fourth years and younger, and three times a week for fifth years and up.�

“Sounds like you have a lot on your plate,� Lupin commented.

“Actually not that much, because I’m not the only one that’s going to be teaching defence this year,� Viera explained.

“So Dumbledore is hiring two new Professors?,� Ginny asked.

“Well, Dumbledore was hoping that Remus would come back and teach first through fourth years.�

“But what about what happened last time I taught? If the students' parents find out what is teaching their children…�

“Who is teaching their children. Remus, just because you get a little cranky once a month doesn’t classify you as a ‘what.’ Besides, the Ministry doesn’t seem to have a problem with you teaching and I’ve heard that you were the students’ favourite teacher.� She looked to Harry and Ron for some help.

“Dean and Seamus are always saying that you were the best teacher we ever had,� Harry said, picking up the hint.

“See? Now you have to take the job,� Viera encouraged him.

“It seems like I’m out numbered,� Lupin agreed.

“Oh good, then I can bring Dumbledore some good news. Well, it was good seeing you all again, Hermione, take care of your arm, and Harry it was good to see you after all these years.� Viera turned and left through the door with all male eyes on her.

“She’s something, isn’t she?� Mrs. Weasley asked noticing the dazed look on the men’s faces.

“Wait, when have I ever seen her?,� Harry said, just realizing her last sentence.

“She was with Lily when you were born. Viera is your godmother.�

Sirius’s words struck Harry. When he had found his godfather, it never occurred to him that he also had a godmother.

Bright and early the next morning, Mrs. Weasley woke Harry, Ron, and Hermione up with the arrival of their school lists and O.W.L. results. They stayed in Ron and Harry’s room to open their letters before heading down to breakfast.

“Ok.� Ron sat down on his bed and took his O.W.L. results out. “Ready?�

“Yup,� Hermione said before ripping the letter open.

They each took in their own results then passed them to the other.

“Just as I suspected: eleven Outstandings for Hermione; just once I want to see you get a bad mark,� Ron exclaimed as he past her results to Harry.

“Thank you, Ronald, for that heart felt congratulations,� Hermione replied sarcastically. Looking over Harry’s results she was surprised to see that he had received three Outstandings in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts (though, no surprise there). Actually the only subjects he did horrible in were History of Magic and Divination (as expected). “Harry, you did brilliant, you even managed an E in Potions.� She handed his results back and hugged him.

He pulled away and nervously looked at Ron’s results. He did quite well himself, though he only had one Outstanding in Defence Against the Dark Arts and, just like Harry, the only two subjects he had failed were History of Magic and Divination. “Well, needless to say your mum’s going to be thrilled. You did better than Fred and George put together.�

Ron looked rather glum though, “Yeah, but they weren’t really trying now, were they? I mean if they could come up with the stuff they put in their shop, they have to be good at this sort of stuff.�

“Ron, don’t put yourself down like that. You did brilliant and should be happy,� Hermione encouraged him and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks Hermione.� He stood up and left the room.

Harry slumped down on his bed and sighed. “Well, I can kiss being an Auror goodbye.�

Hermione knew what he was talking about. “You never know, Snape might make an exception.�

“Not for me,� he assumed glumly.

“Don’t presume anything, Harry.�

He looked at her, glad she was his friend, “thanks Mione.� He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

As Harry moved away from her he caught the look in her eyes but before he could make anything of it Mrs. Weasley called them down to breakfast.

“Harry wait we need to talk…�

“We have to go, Hermione,� he interrupted her, stood and left.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was preparing breakfast when Mr. Weasley slowly came through the door followed by Viera. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her glum visage. Immediately everybody knew that the court hearing hadn’t gone well.

Harry couldn’t take the deafening silence any longer. “So how’d court go?� he asked hopefully.

Viera cleared her throat before speaking. “Got you,� the look of confusion on everyone’s face was enough to make anyone snicker a bit. “Well, it was a little shaky in the beginning, but eventually I had won every vote I could in favour of Sirius’s innocence.� Everyone stared at her in anticipation. “In the end the council asked me to pass Sirius the message that the charges against him have been dropped and he’s free to any job he’ll like within the ministry,� she finished gleefully.

Cheering ensued the announcement of Sirius’s innocence.

“Ooh Sirius, I’m so glad for you,� Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

“Thanks Molly, but I think Viera’s the one who deserves this hug,� Sirius said, panting.

“That’s right; after all she is the one who got you acquitted.� Just as she did the night before, Mrs. Weasley crushed Viera in her embrace.

“Molly I kind of need oxygen now, I’m getting a little faint.�

“Sorry dear, I’m just so happy.� Mrs. Weasley released her hold on Viera. “Well, this calls for a celebration. I think we should have a little get-together tonight…�

“Hear, hear,� Ron cut in.

“So, who will be invited to this get-together?� Mrs. Weasley asked.

“Well, all members of the Order, of course,� Mrs. Weasley answered. “And Viera, I hope you can make it.�

“Actually, I don’t think I can. I have a few loose ends to tie up for the Order before I start planning for Hogwarts.�

“Now Viera, I’m sure whatever you have to do can wait for one night,� Lupin commented.

“Actually, I can only get to where I’m going tonight so I really can’t.� She saw the disappointed looks on Mrs. Weasley’s and Remus’s faces. “You know what? It shouldn’t take me all that long; I’ll try to come if I can.�

“Good, now I won’t take no for an answer: this time you are staying for breakfast you’re far too thin.�

“Well, I don’t plan on going anywhere until we’ve taken Harry and Hermione to Diagon Alley,� she said taking a seat next too Sirius.

“You’re going?� Hermione asked.

“I’ve been asked by Dumbledore and Alaster to accompany you,� Viera explained.

“Why?� Hermione asked.

“Well, last night Lucius Malfoy decided to pay me a visit…�

“Are you okay dear?� Mrs. Weasley interrupted.

“I’m fine; I could take on Malfoy any day, with or without a wand…�

“Does he do this often? Just pop in on you?� Remus cut in.

“Only when he could find me. Death Eaters have been aware of my duties for Dumbledore for years know. It’s not uncommon I run into a few every now and then.�

“And that doesn’t scare you?� Harry asked.

“I’ve only ever been scared a few times in my life and they were when I knew I was going to loose someone I loved,� her eyes rested on Sirius for a few moments before looking back to Harry with a smile.

“Anyway, back to Malfoy. He made it perfectly clear that he wants both Hermione and Sirius dead.�

“But why? He didn’t even care about his wife,� Hermione inquired curiously.

“Apparently Sirius was going to be the next one Voldemort would have sacrificed. Then if he didn’t work, you’d be…�

“But…�

“I know Hermione, but Voldemort doesn’t care about that…�

“About what?� Harry asked.

Viera and Hermione looked at each other as if they were trying to agree on something. Finally, when Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes Viera started to explain: “We’re not exactly clear as to why Voldemort wants to sacrifice someone. All we know is that the people he has tried to sacrifice have been pure bloods. And the night I saw him last he took blood from both Hermione and me. The only explanation he gave was ‘for when I need a mudblood.’ It was strange because in all of the years I’ve known Voldemort he never admitted he needed a muggle born before.�

She looked at Hermione who began explaining her side: “You see Voldemort had taken blood from me before he used it in a potion but somehow it backfired and he punished me. That’s why I don’t understand why he would use me as a sacrifice.�

“But you said last night he wasn’t using you because you were providing him valuable information on Harry and the Order,� Ron commented.

“I didn’t want anybody to know that he punished me.� She looked down at the plate of food Mrs. Weasley had just set down in front of her. “Everybody was already worried enough about me I didn’t want anymore attention.�

“We only worry because we care. Why didn’t you just explain how you felt?� Mrs. Weasley asked sympathetically.

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.�

“Next time just tell us.� Mrs. Weasley said in a soothing voice. “Well that’s enough of this dark talk. We’re in a kitchen for a reason so everyone eat. There’s plenty.�

They all began to eat and picked up a light conversation about Quidditch.

“Harry? Hermione? May I speak to you both in the hall?� Viera asked when everybody was preoccupied with the arrival of Mad-Eye Moody.

When they reached the hall, Viera turned to them with a happy expression. “Harry, Dumbledore wanted me to give you this.� She handed him an envelope and a badge.

“But Ron and Hermione are the Prefects,� Harry said confused.

“Yes I’m aware of that. I think you need to take a closer look at that badge.�

Harry looked at the badge closely and his face lit up. “Quidditch Captain!�

“Yes, in that envelope are all the duties you have and the privileges including access to the prefects’ bathroom.� She simply beamed when she saw how happy he was. “Your father looked the same way when he was made captain. You know that same year was when Lily started to pay closer attention to him. You better look out girls will be lining up for you.�

“Thanks!� Harry said turning a bright shade of red.

“You can go back into the kitchen now I need to speak to Hermione in private.�

Once Harry had disappeared through the door, Viera’s expression became more serious. “Hermione, I need too see the arm where Malfoy cut you.�

Hermione looked at her confused but obliged and rolled up the sleeve of her jumper. Viera took off the bandage and … the wound had vanished. Hermione examined every inch of her arm and couldn’t understand what had happened to it. She looked up at Viera to see concern in her eyes.

“Where did it go?� Hermione asked feeling stupid.

“I mentioned yesterday that the knife Malfoy used close to your neck appeared to be a Kadiva blade, didn’t I?�

Hermione nodded in agreement. “Well this proves it.�

“So a cut by a Kadiva blade only lasts for a day?�

“A Kadiva blades cut lasts until the person who gave it to you is dead…�

“But…� Hermione pointed to her arm bewildered.

“The cut is internal now. It won’t appear until Malfoy is close to you and the closer he is the more apparent it becomes. Which can be a good thing as well as a bad,� she looked to Hermione who was starring at her like she was crazy. “If Malfoy tries anything at least you’d be prepared but I have to warn you if he gets close enough the wound will reopen and blood will pore freely and there is no medical way too stop the bleeding.�

“But what about a magical way?� Hermione inquired, now very concerned.

“I have developed a spell that will stop the bleeding for a few minutes, but only long enough for you to get away from your attacker.�

Hermione shook her head in understanding, “But what happens if I’m not able to get away?�

“The blood will come again. So it’s extremely important that you tell someone when you feel the wound reappear.�

“Okay,� Hermione agreed and they both rejoined the table.

“So Hermione, Ron tells us that you received perfect O.W.L. results!� Bill Weasley said, sounding very pleased, just arriving with their money from Gringgots, when they entered the kitchen.

“Yes, I’m sure my parents will be happy,� Hermione answered modestly.

“And I thought Viera here would be the only person I’d know to do that.� Sirius put his arm around her.

“Now I wasn’t the only one. Lily received perfect O.W.L.’s as well,� she said humbly.

“That’s true but you were taking more classes than her,� Sirius responded.

“Why does more classes matter? We both did perfectly and that’s all we cared about.� She looked at all of the eyes that were on her, when she landed on Bill’s she noticed how many different colours they’re were. “I have always been told I have the most unusual eyes, but you have both your mother’s and your father’s eyes in both of them, they’re amazing.

“Why thank you,� he said appreciatively. “I don’t believe we’ve met.� He stood up to shake her hand.

“We’ve met. Grated you were only an hour old and I was twelve at the time but it is good to see you again, Bill.� She smiled at him and shook his hand. “I’m Viera Heath.�

“You’re the one my dad said I’d should marry one day.�

“I don’t believe that.�

“But it’s true. I always thought you two were perfect for each other,� Mr. Weasley agreed.

“Even though she’s twelve years older than him?� Sirius asked snidely.

“Well love doesn’t recognize age, Sirius.� Viera looked at him knowingly.

“Wait, you’re only thirty-one?� Harry asked curiously.

“Yes, why?�

“But how did you graduate with my parents if you’re two years younger than Sirius and Remus?� It was the first time Harry had ever used Lupin’s first name and it felt weird.

“When I began second year I had already mastered many spells and potions, so when I surpassed what the professors were teaching me Dumbledore thought it best to promote me a year. And when he discovered that I had exceeded magic beyond a third year, he advanced me to fourth year. He thought I belonged there with my best friend…�

“My mom,� Harry interrupted.

She smiled at him brilliantly. “My dad always told me I was very mature for my age so when I met Lily in first year she assumed that I was older and befriended me. I will always be thankful for her, she was my only friend before I started to date Remus…�

“You two dated?� Tonks asked shocked, she had arrived a short time before.

“Yes, Viera was the first girl I ever told I was a werewolf and accepted me the way I am.� The smiled he gave her conveyed all of the feelings of friendship and understanding he had for her.

“Why didn’t things work out for you two?� Harry asked, becoming more interested than he might have thought.

“I think Sirius should explain that, don’t you Viera?� Remus suggested.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea Remus.� They both turned to look at Sirius who had been sinking in his seat.

“Fine, I’ll explain exactly what happened.�


*Flashback*


“Well, you’re going to have to put up with her, Sirius, because she’s my girlfriend and she accepts me,� Remus shouted at one of his best friends in the middle of the hall.

“But Remus, she’s so annoying, she’d a know-it-all and she’s not even supposed to be in fifth year. She’s only thirteen. It’s like you’re robbing the cradle.

“Look Sirius, I know she can be a bit of a…�

“Know-it-all,� Sirius interrupted.

“Yes, but Sirius I’m not like you. I can’t just walk into a room and have girls all over me. Plus with the fact that I’m a werewolf and act strange because of it, girls don’t even bother to acknowledge me. But Viera did. And I happen to think she’s great.�

Sirius became annoyed by this. “It will take some getting use to having her around but I think that you two will be really good friends.�

“I don’t think so,� Sirius replied dully.

“Well, why not?� Remus asked raising his voice.

“Because … Remus, I can’t stand to see you two together all lovey dovey…�

“Well, get use to it because I really like her and…�

“I know you really like her but Remus think about it she’s so young and bossy just think about how she’ll be when you two really get to know each other. If you know what I mean,� Sirius said nudging him with his elbow.

“Please Sirius we only started to date I’m not even thinking about that, plus she’s thirteen I doubt she even expects that.�

“She’s awfully mature for thirteen already and she’s in fifth year fitting in quite well if you ask me.�

“But I didn’t and I don’t want to talk about this anymore you don’t act this way with James and Lily.�

“Yes, but James isn’t dating Lily.�

“Still James is infatuated with Lily always talking about her and how he’s going to get her to date him. It positively annoying.�

“The difference is that I don’t feel for Lily the way I feel for Viera.� He looked at the carpet in shame. “The only reason I’m so annoyed by you two is because I know I can’t have her the way you do.� He looked up and saw the anger in his friend’s face. “Remus, I’m sor…�

Remus couldn’t withstand the anger; he had to let it out so he did the only thing he could think of: he hit him. Sirius was sent to the floor by the blow to his jaw, blood started to pour from is mouth when he saw her running towards him.

“Sirius, are you alright?� Viera knelt beside him, examining his face. “Remus, how could you hit him?�

“Of all the girls … why her? Why Viera?� Remus looked at his chum with distain and stalked off.

Viera turned back to Sirius, confused. “What did he mean by that?�

Sirius stumbled to get up and eventually succeeded with help from Viera. “Nothing he didn’t mean anything. He was just ranting. I think I’ll go to the Hospital Wing and pay Madam Pomfrey a visit.�

He turned away from her but she quickly blocked his path. “You’re not going anywhere until you explain to me why Remus hit you and why he’s so upset.�

“Why don’t you ask him?� Sirius pointed in behind her towards Remus.

She turned around and her heart broke, he was kissing another girl and not just any girl but her best friend. Tears formed in her eyes and when she turned back to Sirius she was crying freely. “Why would he do this to me?�

“Because men don’t really realize what they want until a friend has it.�

She stared up at him with confused eyes until he moved his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. “And because we’d do anything for a friend.� He captured her lips in what would become one of the most memorable kisses either had ever had.

*End Flashback*


“So you stole Viera from Remus?� Harry asked surprised.

“No, not really. If Remus hadn’t kissed your mother in front of her than I never would have had a chance with her.� Sirius finished explaining.

“But you socked him. Why did you go and screw things up with her?� Ron questioned.

“I saw Viera coming when I punched Sirius. I knew what kind of person she was and that she’d come running when she saw someone hurt. Further, I knew Sirius wouldn’t want to explain what I meant and he’d try to use the Hospital as an excuse to avoid her and I also knew Viera was too stubborn to let it go…� Viera sent him a death glare.

“Come on Viera, you know you’re stubborn. So I grabbed the closest girl and kissed her hoping that she wouldn’t knee me. It turned out to be Lily and then I had to worry about what James was going to do to me. It turned out James was fine after we explained everything. The rest is history.�

By that time they all had been sitting at the table for nearly two hours and Mr. Weasley had to get back to work and the rest of them to Diagon Alley.

As they were preparing to leave Hermione asked Viera: “So, how long did you two last?�

“We had some rough fights in school but other than that we stayed together until he was sent to Azkaban.�

“You’re the girl he was taking about yesterday, the one that almost got away?� Harry inquired.

“That would be her,� Sirius jumped into the conversation as they walked down the streets of Muggle London.

“So are you two still in love?� Ginny broke into the discussion.

They looked at each other embarrassed and smiled. “We haven’t figured that out yet,� Sirius said looking into her eyes.

For the rest of the journey to the Leaky Cauldron, Viera and Sirius stayed behind everyone talking close to one another. Harry looked back and saw a certain bounce in Sirius step that hadn’t never there before.

“He used to walk like that in school when he was trying to get a girl’s attention,� Remus explained when he noticed where Harry was staring.

“I think it’s romantic, Sirius is obviously still in love with her. Look at how he’s staring at her,� Hermione said walking along side them.

“Will you all keep a look out?� Moody shouted from the front.

They arrived at the deserted Leaky Cauldron a few minutes later.

“Viera, Tonks, I want you two to check the ladies loo and I’ll check the men’s.� Moody thought it best to check for any surprise visitors.

“All clear. Nobody’s in the lady’s room,� Tonks reported back to Moody as they all finished inspecting the restrooms.

“Where’s Viera?� Sirius asked noticing she hadn’t come out of the bathroom.

“She received a letter from Dumbledore and had to leave but she’ll be back in thirty minutes. She said to get as much shopping done as we can.�

Once the were all inside of Diagon Alley they decided it best to split up, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley and Bill took Hermione and Ginny to the Apothecary store and to get the school books, while Mad-Eye, Remus and Sirius took Harry and Ron to Eyelops and to get new school robes as they had both grown out of theirs. They decided to visit Fred and George in an hour, then they would head back to Muggle London to shop for new clothes.

Viera had met up with the girls at Flourish and Blotts more than forty-five minutes later and together they headed to Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

As soon as they arrived at the shop they saw the boys trying out all of the products. Viera had left the girls to find Moody as she needed to fill him in on what Dumbledore had told her. Just as she made her way through the crowd to the corner that Moody stood in observing everything, the lights went out and they heard a piercing scream.

In the few moments that passed before the light came on both Viera and Moody were able too round everyone up and usher them all outside.

“What happened? Who screamed?� Viera asked, concerned.

“It was me,� Mrs. Weasley said breathlessly. “Sirius grabbed my arm from behind and startled me.�

Just then a loud crash was heard in a nearby alley and the sky was lit green. Chaos spread quickly and the streets cleared even faster.

“Who could it have been?� Ginny questioned, scared.

“Malfoy,� Hermione said in a hushed voice.

Viera turned too where Hermione was standing and noticed a few drops of blood running down her arm. “When did this start?� she grabbed her arm and examined the gash.

“Just now,� Hermione answered warily.

“Malfoy’s in Diagon Alley and to close for comfort. We need to get out of here before she really starts to bleed.�

Mad-Eye nodded in agreement and started to bark out orders: “We have to stay together I want the kids in the middle and wands out everyone, underage or not.�

The older wizards formed a circle around Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny as they moved slowly down the street. Nobody spoke a word; the only sounds were their foot steps on the stone ground. Eyes were darting in every direction, at the slightest noise their reflexes shot spells that way; most of the time it turned out too be a stray cat or mouse.

“STOP!� Hermione shouted when the pain in her arm became unbearable. “We’re getting closer to Malfoy. It hurts!� She grabbed the cut which was bleeding freely now.

Viera rushed to her and mumbled a few words that stopped the flow of blood. They heard a scramble in the alley next to them; Viera illuminated the path to find Lucius Malfoy staring at her maliciously

“Ahh, Viera. How fortunate that we meet again.� He began moving closer. “I quite enjoyed hearing your screams the last time we duelled. I can only hope this meeting will be just as enjoyable.� A cold sneer crossed his lips before he sent a spell her way.

Viera put her hand up and sent the spell hurdling back toward him. Malfoy blocked it and retaliated with a more powerful spell. Viera blocked it again with out so much as a hair out of place.

“You need to get Hermione away from him in the next three minutes or her wound will reopen and begin to flow more rapidly.� She said as she turned to Moody. “I can handle him, get them out of here.�

Moody nodded, “Lets get moving now,� he growled.

“You’re just going to leave her?� Sirius asked, upset.

“She’ll be fine,� Remus responded.

“But…�

“Sirius, I’ll be fine I’ll see you all tonight I promise.� Viera smiled at him as she headed toward the alley and vanished.

They made it out and into the bright streets of Muggle London. Hermione sat down on the curb clutching her arm. “Do you think she’ll be okay?� Hermione asked Harry who took a seat next too her.

“I think so…are you okay?� Harry asked in concern.

“It still hurts a little bit, but yeah I’ll be fine.� She smiled at him appreciative for his concern. “But I don’t think Sirius feels the same way.�

Sirius was arguing with Moody for leaving Viera alone with that lunatic. “You heard what he said! The last time they faced he made her scream!�

“She’s a big girl Sirius. She doesn’t need you to protect her anymore.� Remus interrupted their argument. “Viera blocked those two spells without even moving a muscle.�

“Fine but if she doesn’t come tonight then it’s on your heads.� Sirius concluded angrily.

“Well I think we should head back to the house.� Mrs. Weasley said exhausted.

“No, Molly we came to shop for clothes and that what we’re going to do.� Moody insisted.

“Hermione, you think you’re up for it?� Tonks looked at her pale form.

“I’ll be fine. I want to get some new clothes anyway.�

Two hours later they arrived back at Grimmauld Place weighted down with bags. Although Hermione and Ginny didn’t need any clothing they carried the most bags. Mrs. Weasley ordered them upstairs to pack their new school things and to wash up for lunch. They were going to have lunch at a muggle diner but some guys started to flirt with Ginny and Hermione so Moody put a stop to it by pulling them all out.

Once they had their things packed and the girls had changed into some of their new summer clothes, they made their way down to the kitchen for lunch. Mrs. Weasley prepared a mountain of sandwiches and stared to make dinner for the party they were having later that evening. Tonks and Moody left after lunch with the promise that they’d be back for the party. Bill stayed to help the teens clean the lounge where they would be throwing the party.

Sirius disappeared to his room before lunch was ready so Harry decided to bring him a few sandwiches and to check on him.

When he opened the door to Sirius’s room he was met with a surprise. “No wonder you disappeared so quickly.� Harry grinned at his now clean shaven Godfather. “Nice hair.�

Sirius rolled his eyes at him in annoyance, “I thought it was time for a cut.�

“And a brush,� Harry commented in amusement.

“I know what you’re thinking,� Sirius pulled on a new shirt he got earlier.

“You do?� Harry smirked a Sirius’s nervous state.

“Yes, you think I did all of this for her.�

“For who exactly?�

“For who? For Viera who else?�

“Well I think she likes you…Don’t worry about it. Just calm down and eat something.� He slid the plate of sandwiches toward him.

“Not hungry. How did it go with Hermione?� Sirius asked changing the subject.

“It went fine.� Harry lied.

Sirius saw right through him. “You didn’t tell her.�

Harry sighed and fell in the closest chair. “I was all set to confess everything…�

“Then why didn’t you?� Sirius interrupted.

“I can’t do this with her. I don’t want to hurt her or be the reason she aches.�

“Or maybe you still think Voldemort will go after her.� Sirius knew Harry better than he thought.

“Well he will…�

“He’d probably go after her anyway.� Sirius caught Harry’s annoyed sigh. “Look Harry, Hermione is already very close to you and he knows that. It’s not going to make a difference to him what she is to you as long as he can hurt you with her.�

Harry knew he was right and it irritated him because he had already botched things with Hermione and he didn’t think he could fix them. “So what do I do now? I already told her she’s like a sister to me.�

A smug grin spread across Sirius face, “Then show her she’s not.�

~*~*~*~*~

The guests started to arrive at eight and the party was off to a great start. Many of the Order members that Harry had yet to meet were there. Even Dumbledore joined in the festivities. Mrs. Weasley had out did herself with dinner. Four tables were filled with all kinds of food including all of Sirius’s favourites.

Everyone was surprised by Sirius’s clean appearance and he was teased by Remus, Charlie and Bill for doing it for Viera, even though he’d never admit to doing it for her. Harry was glad to see his Godfather having a good time. He felt like Sirius was finally going back to being the person he once had been.

The only guests that were missing were Viera and Hermione. Harry could tell Sirius was getting worried by this. “She’ll be here.� Remus kept telling him, but Sirius was still concerned.

Harry had joined Fred, George, and Ron in the hall to discus various Quidditch plays he should try in the next year. They were just talking about a play the Irish made against the British that won them there game when Hermione came down the stairs in a beautiful spaghetti-strapped turquoise dress that flowed freely and came three-quarters for the way down her thigh.

Fred and George went to the stairs and offered her their hands. “May we help you,� they said in unison.

Hermione blushed and looked between the two boys for a second before deciding to offer both one of her hands. “Thank you.�

“Why don’t I go get you a drink,� George offered.

“Thank you.�

On his way past Harry he stopped and whispered in his ear. “Close your mouth you’re starting to drool.�

Harry’s mouth snapped shut; try as he might, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her since he spotted her at the top of the stairs. He felt a pang of jealousy when Fred and George started to flirt with her. When her eyes finally met his they were the only ones left in the hall.

“I never thought I would get so much attention wearing this…� Hermione said shyly, gesturing hesitantly towards her dress, “So…what do you think?�

“You look amazing.� Harry said, a shy smile playing on his lips.

“Thank you. Actually, Ginny talked me into buying it. I personally thought the colour was a bit out there.� Hermione said, having trouble keeping eye contact with Harry.

“Well, I’m glad Ginny did…the dress suits your body perfectly.� Harry replied blushing when he realized what slipped out.

“I didn’t know you paid such close attention to my body.� she said blushing.

“Well how could he not? You’ve grown up so much since he first met you.� George remerged with drinks in his hands. He handed one to her and offered her his arm. “Shall we?�

She gave Harry a small smile and accepted George’s arm, letting him escort her into the lounge leaving Harry alone to answer the knock on the door. He opened it and Viera stood there in a sleeveless black dress that came down just past her knee.

“Hi Harry, I hope I’m not late.� She said kindly to him.

“You’re fine; people have been popping in anytime they want.� Harry said in a friendly tone.

He paused for a moment and then asked seriously, “How did it go with Malfoy?�

She seemed a little put off by the question but recovered quickly. “Well I followed him as far as I could before loosing track of him just outside of Wails. Did Sirius worry much?�

“Almost went through the roof.� Harry replied with an amused little smirk.

They went into the lounge and much to Harry’s dismay George was speak softly into Hermione’s ear causing her to laugh loudly. He left Viera and made his way toward them.

“What’s so funny guys?� He asked, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

“Oh nothing George was just telling me the funniest joke,� she answered between laughs. “I’ll be right back, I need another drink.�

“I’ll get it for you,� George took her cup and headed too the tables.

“So are you having a good time?� Harry asked her.

“Yes, George is being awfully nice to me; I guess I never realized how funny he is.�

“Yeah well he’s only being nice to you because your dress is so short.� He said jealously.

He instantly regretted saying that.

She looked at him with hurt in her eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.�

“Mione, I didn’t mean…�

“Don’t ‘Mione’ me Harry Potter. You said you liked this dress…�

“I do…�

“Then why would you say such a horrible thing?� She questioned him upset.

“Come on, has George ever paid attention to you before this?�

“As a matter of fact, yes…�

“What? When?� Harry inquired both shocked and surprised.

“Well if you must know both of them asked me out on more then one occasion last year…�

“Really?� Harry asked with more surprise than he intended.

This question struck a chord in her.

“Why do you sound so surprised?� She asked, hurt and insulted, “Whether you personally think so or not, boys actually do notice much more in me than you and Ron seem to.�

George picked this moment to slide over with three glasses filled with pumpkin juice. “Did you guys miss me?� George asked playfully. When neither answered him, he realized both of them were looking at him with a disgruntled look. “Uhh…Obviously I have interrupted something. I’ll just be off.� He turned to leave, but stopped when Hermione grabbed his arm.

“George wait. You should stay.� She turned her focus toward Harry and spitefully said, “Harry should be the one to leave. After all, he’s the one who interrupted us.�

His mouth dropped at her callousness, “But, Hermione…�

“No Harry, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. If we do I fear I might say something we’ll both regret.�

He opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it. He looked at George who seemed to be just as stunned as he was. “I’m sorry for what I said, I hope I didn’t ruin your evening.� With that he shuffled away from them with his head down.

Hermione felt ghastly for the way she treated him, but he had been so horrid that she couldn’t stand to be around him. The rest of the party was ruined for her. Even George, who was telling as many jokes as he could, couldn’t change her mood. She simply couldn’t have any fun for the rest of the night if she didn’t find Harry and set things right. She excused herself from George’s company and began to scan the room for Harry. When she didn’t find him she figured he might have gone too his room.

Just as she suspected there he was lying on his bed gazing at the night sky through is window. “Is there room for one more star gazer?�

He sat up and turned to her. “Always.�

She smiled and took a seat beside him, “Look Harry I’m really sorry for being so rude to you. It’s just when you suggested that George was only paying attention to me because of my dress it really hurt, because it made me think that you thought that the only reason anyone would ever notice me would be for what I was wearing and not for who I am…�

“‘Mione that’s so far from what I think that…� He looked into her eyes with all of the feelings he had developed for her and melted.

“That what?� She asked him in a hushed voice.

“That…that…� Harry struggled to finish the sentence as Hermione intoxicated his senses.

They brought their faces closer together until their lips were almost touching. Suddenly they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

“Sorry guys. Didn’t mean to interrupt but I need to speak with you both.� Viera said as she came into the room.

“What is it?� Hermione inquired, concerned.

“Well I reported what happened this morning in Diagon Alley to Dumbledore and he doesn’t want something like that to happen again…�

“We don’t have to go there anymore…if we need something we can shop in Muggle London.� Harry concluded.

“It’s not that simple Harry. If Malfoy can get to Hermione in a village full of wizards imagine what he can do surrounded by muggles. We can’t risk exposing Hermione to him again or you for that matter…�

“What do I have to do with it?� Harry cut in.

“Even though Malfoy has been instructed not to kill you he still wants revenge…�

“Revenge for what?�

“For exposing him as a Death Eater and ruining his name in wizarding society. Lucius has always prided himself on his reputation now that it’s shattered he has nothing to loose.� She explained.

“What about Draco?� Hermione asked.

“Draco has moved in with grandfather Abraxas and will continue to attend Hogwarts. But that doesn’t concern you right now. Dumbledore wants to relocate you two and Ron for the remainder of the summer…�

“But where?� Hermione broken in.

“That we’re not going to tell you, all I will tell you is that it’s far enough away from here that Lucius won’t find you.�

“When are we leaving?� Harry asked.

“As soon at the guests leave. We have a portkey ready for the three of you, and Ginny if she wants, set to leave at eleven so I suggest you get packing.� She turned too leave put Harry stopped her.

“But what about Ron?�

“His mother is speaking to both him and Ginny now I’m sure he’ll be up in a few minutes.�

“Where do you suppose we’re going?� he asked Hermione once she left.

“I don’t know but if we’re to leave at eleven I should go pack.� With that she left him with his thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~

At eleven o’clock sharp the four for them stood around a brightly coloured umbrella with their trunks ready to go.

“So remember when you get there don’t go out until Dumbledore contacts you and says it’s safe. After that you may only go within the town itself. Dumbledore has informed me he left a map of the village in the kitchen so that you know your boundaries. After that one of us will be coming to stay with you every weekend.� Viera explained. “Okay get ready to grab the umbrella. On the count of three...One…two…three.�

They all grabbed the umbrella at the same time. Harry felt the familiar put on his body and shut his eyes. When he opened them again the sight he saw left him breathless and excited.