A Shimmer in the Moonlight by Angela_Prongs
Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. It all belongs to JKR, and I just happen to like to fool around with her characters and such.
Now, a little thing I have to put in quickly. This takes place when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are staying at Grimmauld Place after they run from the wedding. I changed the scene a bit. It’s on Halloween and they all done up the house nice ‘n’ purdy. This is how I want it, and this is how it is. ‘Tis my story, after all. “smiles- And thank you SO INCREDIBLY MUCH to the awesome Tash/Pondering, who beta-ed this for me. I couldn't have gotten it through without her! *loves*
A Shimmer in the Moonlight
The only sound on the long, empty street was the breathing. But the breathing didn’t matter to Sirius Black. He was willing to bet that if he held this phantom “breath” it would make no difference at all. These days, breathing was only another thing to ponder. And he was never one to ponder for long.
Especially tonight. On this night, Sirius had a mission. As he stealthily soared down the long-since abandoned street, his mind was on only his mission, his goal. The eerie glow on each doorstep, illuminating the menacing faces of pumpkins, did not frighten him. They were no danger or threat to him on this night, or any other, for that matter. Nothing would ever be a threat to him again. There were no trick-or-treaters on this street. Sirius remembered how his family had scared them all away once upon a time.
A neighborhood cat turned to him with its hair on end, but it soon relaxed. The shimmery apparition was no threat. After tonight, it never would be.
Sirius Black had a duty, and after his job was complete, perhaps then he could rest. But not now. Now it was time to finish the job that had been left to him.
A pearly scowl changed the shape of the still-handsome face. Why had he been left to do this? Dumbledore knew he was awful at this sort of thing. All the same, he knew why. A small, truthful voice inside his transparent head reminded him, You are the only one. Ever since that night years ago, you were only ever the only one.
A small shimmer in the moonlight was the only indication that Sirius had nodded. In recent weeks, he had discovered that it wasn’t such a bad idea to listen to those small, innocent voices in your head. Looking back on his life, he could see that they were usually right.
“If only I’d known that a long, long time ago.” It was far too late to mourn and to think of what could have been. After death, you began to accept that what was done is done. There was no going back.
And so, Sirius Black stared at the door of number twelve Grimmauld Place with a feeling of redemption. While he accepted that what was done was, indeed, done, that did not mean he had forgotten. It was time to help out a little, make up for lost causes, lost lives. It was time to do this.
He glided easily through the door. He looked at the new furnishings with an impressed air. “Very nicely done. Couldn’t have done this place up any better myself.” He was about to continue up the stairs when he caught sight of the curtains. “Ugh! Oh, what grotesque looking things! In my house, I think not!” Sirius set toward the stairs with an additional goal in mind.
While there was no need to use the stairs, he “climbed” them anyway, for old times’ sake. He marvelled at the new pictures on the wall and stopped in front of a particularly recent-looking one of his godson. Harry was growing to be quite a handsome young man. “He looks just like his father,” Sirius thought fondly. At the thought of James, Sirius remembered his mission and ceased his longing remembrance. He would see James soon enough.
Sirius continued his was to the landing. Harry would be in bed. Sirius counted on this. It was the only way to do this without it being too hard on the boy.
“Man though, now, isn’t he?” Sirius thought.
There was a creak on the stairs. “Oh no,” thought Sirius. He could easily disappear, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
There was a croak of surprise. Sirius started, creating a shimmery disturbance in the stillness of the stairway. Comprehension showed in Sirius’ eyes, immediately followed by guilt and nervousness.
“Um, hello, Kreacher.”
The elf nodded. “Yes, Mr. Black sir? What is the young Mr. Black doing back in the house of Mr. Potter, sir?” The elf did not seem surprised by the ghostly appearance of the master whom he once loathed.
“Well, Kreacher, I guess I’m here to patch a few things up. Finish some things, you know?”
“Yes, sir. Kreacher knows, sir.” The elf nodded respectfully, waiting for Sirius to continue.
“Um, Kreacher? Yeah, um…I’m, you know, sorry. I should have treated you better. I’m sorry, Kreacher. Really, I am.”
“Apology accepted, Mr. Black sir! Think nothing of it!” Kreacher beamed.
Sirius was extremely confused. Why was Kreacher suddenly looking at him this way? It was a bit unnerving. Ghost or not, this was creepy. Kreacher was quick to explain. “Harry Potter is such a gallant young man. So noble, so just, so innocent. How kind he is to Kreacher…after all Kreacher did…Kreacher is forever grateful. They are all so kind to poor, poor Kreacher. When Kreacher thinks of how awful he was to them…” the elf broke off, a pained look on his face. “But Kreacher is forgiven. He is never punished, sir, only forgiven.” A smile that Sirius could never have imagined on the face of Kreacher broke loose on just that very face.
“Things certainly have changed since my death,” he said to the elf with a smile. Kreacher nodded. They sure had.
“Well, Mr. Black sir, Kreacher knows you have business. He is in your room.” The elf smiled happily and continued his late-night cleaning down the stairs, humming all the way. Sirius looked after him, bemused, before he remembered his mission.
Sirius reached the top landing and looked around. The place seemed much less dreary. Scratch that”the place was less dreary. He looked around at the red and gold paint on the walls. There were cushiony red chairs in the long, wide hallway near each window. There were small tables consisting of the odd book, teacup, or plate. There was a chandelier in the center of the long hall. It was different. It was homey.
His eyes trailed over each doorway he floated along, finally coming to the fourth door on the left. His own room. Holding his ghostly breath, he glided through…
There he was. God, he looked so much older. His face was peaceful, quiet. Not so troubled as it was during the day. Sirius could look into the face of his godson all night. How he looked like James… but he had business to attend to; very important business.
Sirius closed his eyes, and waited for the dream to come to him. He remembered Dumbledore’s words: All dreams are attracted to ghosts. Just let it come. Right. Let it come….He had to do this without Harry waking up. Slowly, ever so slowly, he let his very soul glide graciously into the cloudy depths of the dream…
He felt as light as he ever had as a ghost, but even more real. This world was closer to him, and he was more distinct. He forgot all about the silvery form left suspended by the bed. He focused on the job ahead.
There was Hogwarts. Harry was dreaming of a peaceful day at Hogwarts. And there was the tree by the lake…so many memories. And there was”the Marauders. He was one of the Marauders, and he was sitting with his friends. Wormtail was conveniently absent.
The shade of the tree provided extra comfort on this perfect summer’s day. He turned, and there was James, smiling the same way he always had. That same mischievous smile that had accompanied those warm, hazel eyes for all his life.
He turned again and Remus was giving him that same, quirky grin. The full moon must be far away for he looked as happy and healthy as ever. His blue eyes had the same mischievous glint that James’ had. But they also the same encouraging glint. Neither friend said a word, sitting in silence.
Soon Harry joined the circle under the tree and Sirius remembered his mission. Somehow, his friends gave him courage to do this.
“Harry,” he said warmly. The young man looked at him attentively. Harry also seemed to take strength from the men surrounding him. Sirius began. “Harry, you know every Horcrux, and you know where all of them are, except for one. I know this one, and I know where it’s hidden.”
Harry looked on eagerly, and still no one else said a word.
“I can’t tell you exactly.What would you learn? This is your adventure and your own job. But time is running out and you need help.”
Harry nodded, fully understanding every word.
“All right, then. I don’t have much time and soon you’ll wake up. So listen carefully. You are going to go to the Lovegoods’, are you not?” Harry nodded. “Good. There, Xeno will have a sort of…project…that he’s working on. He will show you this project. Do not forget it. Understand?”
Harry nodded and raised a curious eyebrow. It was expected that he wouldn’t understand this for a while.
“Voldemort values cleverness; wit. You know already about his quest to find something belonging to another Hogwarts founder…” Sirius was being patient. How could he expect Harry to know anything about the future? What he did know, however, was that his godson had everything planned out. Everything. Some things wouldn’t go according to plan, but most things would. And this is what Sirius was counting on. Harry had to go to the Lovegoods’.
Sirius was finished. His job was done. It was quick and easy. It was too simple. As he looked into Harry’s face, the forms of James and Remus disappeared. Their presence, however, did not leave the circle. It was time to leave. But before he did…
“Oh! And Harry, one more thing.”
Harry raised an eyebrow.
“The drapes are atrocious.”
Harry grinned and nodded. They would be changed, of course.
Being a dream, there was no real good-bye, but the look Sirius gave Harry was enough. It was time to go for real this time.
The shimmery form at the first floor of number twelve Grimmauld Place, the fourth room on the left, was gone. Harry awoke and suddenly felt quite alone. This was strange, as he was no more alone than he had been when he went to sleep.
He smiled. What a pleasant dream… The close details of the dream would not appear until later, but that was okay, just as long as they did. Harry closed his eyes….
Somewhere else, in another place, the Marauders were together. At last.
A/N: Now, what did you think? Please tell me in a review, dearies!