Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 19: The Past Returns
Author: Fae Princess
E-Mail: Fae_Child@hotmail.com
Summary: Harry returns for his final year at Hogwarts and his love for Hermione is deeper than ever. Which is good; because dark clouds are hovering once again. H/Hr, D/G and others. This is a sequel to my first ever Harry Potter fanfic, "Snow".
Chapter Summary: Claire White has returned to the wizarding world. Or has she? Discover what happens when she comes face-to-face with those she left all those years ago. And what it might mean if she leaves them again.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, and all related names and phrases are either copyright and/or registered trademarks of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and/or their respective owners. This is a fanfiction, no copyright infringement is intended. Anything else you see that you don't recognize (i.e Claire White) belongs to me.

Special Thanks: I would love to thank my beta, Gary Skinner, for all our wonderful HP chats, from crazy theories to things of lesser importance. (i.e when I tell him my life story). And I want to thank him for the amazing things he's done for this story--a story which wouldn't be the same without him. Also, I want to thank him for bringing me up when I'm down. (Which happens more than I care to admit at the moment).

Finally, I would like to thank the readers and reviewers who have expressed their interest in this story with extremely kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy the story as I continue to post. Thanks again, everyone. Read on! (And enjoy!)

"Claire!" Harry gasped. His hand automatically gripped the door handle, his knuckles turning white with the effort. He stared at the woman before him in silent disbelief, his knees shaking violently as he strove not to collapse onto his godmother's sandal-clad feet.

Claire White tilted her head to the side, grinning at him. "You weren't expecting the Easter bunny, were you?" She giggled softly at her attempted joke as she anxiously tucked a long lock of black hair behind her ear, her other hand casually holding the strap to her purse, which was slung over her shoulder.

Harry stared at Claire, knowing that the word 'confused' was an understatement as to how he felt at the moment. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Could his godmother really be standing there in front of him? Or had he simply imagined her, wanting to meet her so badly that his mind had simply conjured an image for him? His rational mind told him that even that was a far stretch. But again, the thought of her being here, at his house, didn't make much sense, either.

When Harry's voice continued to fail him, Claire's smiling face slowly faded into an expression of worry. "Harry?"

The floor creaked softly behind him before he could gather the presence of mind to finally speak, and he watched Claire's dark eyes move past his face to the one responsible for making the sound. "Harry -- who's at...the..." Remus's footsteps fell silent along with his voice. Harry didn't bother to turn around. He could only continue gawking at Claire, too stunned to blink.

"Oh...my..." Remus whispered behind him.

Claire's eyes suddenly welled up with tears as she stared past Harry and into Remus's young face. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she spoke. "Hey, R.J," she greeted softly, her voice deep with affection.

Remus didn't say anything at first. And when he finally did speak, his voice was filled with disbelief and wariness. "This isn't real." His doubt-filled voice came out no louder than a whisper.

Claire placed her hand over her heart as a tear fell. "I...I think I'm real," she said, daring to attempt more humor. "I...feel real." The smile had returned to her face, her eyes shining. Harry had the distinct impression that her smile had lit up plenty of rooms on many occasions before now.

He felt Remus brush past him as he approached Claire, who still stood outside in the pouring rain, looking more wary than ever. The older man searched her face, his disbelieving eyes scrutinizing every detail. Without another word, he gently pulled her inside by tugging on the sleeve of her black trench coat. Claire hesitated, clearly surprised by Remus's actions.

But she quickly grew out of her anxiety as Remus threw himself onto her, squeezing her tightly in a bone-crushing embrace. But that didn't seem to matter to her, because she was hugging him back with equal fervor, tears freely streaming down her pretty face.

It was a while before they pulled back slightly as Claire wiped her tears away with her fingers. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry," she said brokenly, looking up into Remus's face as he looked down at her fondly.

"I can't believe it's you!" Remus gasped in response, wrapping his arms around her again. Claire's relieved laugh was deep and rich as she continued to cling to him. Remus pulled back again. "It is you, right? I'm not...imagining things?"

"Now when did the logical, sensible R.J Lupin I knew ever seek entertainment by deluding himself?" Claire teased with her hands on her slender hips, her eyebrows quirked as a knowing smile lit up her face. "I'm as real as you are."

Remus smiled at her, his hazel eyes glowing with repressed tears. "You haven't aged at all!"

"Thank God," Claire replied, rolling her eyes Heaven-ward. "It's bad enough I'm approaching 40 years old. The last thing I need is to look it."

"Thanks," Remus said with a sarcastic smile, glancing upwards.

Without the hesitancy she had adopted when she had first arrived, Claire ran her long, slender fingers across Remus's hair. "What...this?" she said, referring to the few grey hairs on his head. "R.J, you don't look a day over 20. I swear it."

"You haven't changed a bit," Remus replied with a chuckle. "Still sweeter than honey."

Claire gave a modest laugh and glanced at Harry, who had finally removed himself from his stunned stupor. He closed the door gently, shutting out the rain, and turned to find Remus regarding him with a suspicious look in his eye.

"It wasn't me this time!" Harry exclaimed, understanding the look and feeling slightly annoyed by it. "I swear!"

Remus took a deep breath and sighed as Claire looked from one face to the other.

"Don't mind him, Claire," Remus finally explained with a wry smile. "Harry has a habit of keeping secrets and then springing them on us at the last possible moment."

"Ah," said Claire as she nodded understandingly. "Just like his mother. And he didn't have anything to do with this, R.J. I came on my own. Sirius doesn't even know I'm here."

"He's not here right now," Remus told her. "He went into town to buy some food."

Claire nodded, lowering her face. "It's probably better this way. I can't imagine how he'll react when he finds me here." She paused as she seemed to be considering something, and then she added with a nervous laugh: "I don't really know what I'm doing here. I should leave."

"No!" Harry and Remus both exclaimed. And Claire, startled by the volume and the vehemence in their voices, gave a small jump backwards.

Harry looked at his godmother apologetically, which soon transformed into a warm smile. "I'm a little in shock. I think," he added as an afterthought.

Tears welled up in Claire's eyes once more as she looked up at Harry, slowly approaching him, her hand slowly reaching out, yet not touching him. "You look just like him," she whispered. "Sirius always told me -- in his letters - but I never dreamed the resemblance was this strong. Except for your -- "

"Eyes. I know," Harry interrupted her with another smile. "I have my mother's eyes."

A quiet sob escaped Claire. "Yes, but that's not what I was going to say," she said softly, her onyx eyes searching his green ones. "You have her smile." Tears fell down her cheeks once again, yet she didn't bother to wipe them away this time. "You are so handsome!" she suddenly exclaimed, laughing at her own enthusiasm.

Harry laughed with her, feeling himself going red. Claire turned back to Remus. "Can I hug him?"

Remus shrugged his shoulders. "He's your godson," he reminded her.

Harry felt tears burning his eyes and was thankful they didn't fall as Claire wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him with all the strength her slender body possessed. As they pulled apart, Harry realized, upon closer inspection, that Remus had been right. There were no lines of age on Claire's face, nor any grey hairs in her black mane to betray her true age. She looked as young and vibrant as the girl in the photograph on the fireplace mantle.

"Why don't we all go back into the kitchen," Remus suddenly suggested. "You look like you could use some coffee, Claire. And a nice Drying Charm, as well."

The older wizard helped Claire out of her coat and he hung it up in the closet as Claire slid out of her shoes. They migrated into the kitchen, where Draco had been waiting patiently. His eyes landed on Claire and he slowly stood up, his eyes shadowed with curiosity.

Claire stopped short. And she stared at Draco for a moment, her eyes slowly registering to the sight in front of her.

"Harry," she said slowly, not taking her eyes off of Draco. "You do realize that there is a Malfoy sitting in your kitchen, right?"

"Er - " Harry replied, acutely aware that nothing good was going to come out of this situation. He had never explained to Claire about Draco while they had owled each other over the past few months. He only just realized that he probably should have. A realization that came far too late.

"In which case you must know what the Malfoys did to help destroy your parents. Right?"

"Yes, but -- Draco didn't have anything to do with that," Harry interjected quickly. "He was only a baby, remember?"

"Yes..." said Claire, very slowly and carefully. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Harry?"

"Claire--" Remus began pleadingly, but Draco's voice interrupted him.

"I know who my father is," he said with quiet control. "And in spite of the animosity you feel towards him, I am Harry's friend."

Claire rolled her eyes, her tone as sharp as the edge of a kitchen knife. "Oh, and you know the saying, I believe? Keep your friends close...keep your enemies closer?"

Remus, who now stood between Claire and Draco, closed his eyes with a soft groan. Harry had the distinct impression that his former professor was very familiar with this side of his godmother.

"You are entitled to believe whatever you want," Draco said calmly and coolly, a smirk on his lips suggesting he didn't feel the least bit intimidated by Claire's sudden attack. "I can't exactly blame you. Furthermore, you aren't the only one in this house who despises my father. My suggestion would be for you to step in line. Take a number, if you will."

"Draco!" Harry said, a warning edge to his voice. He had stepped between Draco and Remus to build a stronger barrier in case things got out of control.

Claire had changed her tone though, one much more condescending than before. "You can't fool your way into Harry's life. And once a Malfoy...always a Malfoy."

"Claire - that's enough," Remus interrupted her. "You don't know the whole story."

"Claire," Harry cut in, desperate for her to understand. "The name 'Malfoy' is just a name! It's not who he is!"

"You of all people should know that, Claire," said a new voice. All four people in the kitchen turned towards the doorway. Sirius, Hermione and Ginny had returned, their arms full of groceries.

The girls entered the kitchen, carefully dropping the groceries onto the counter. Sirius did the same without another glance at the four grouped together, looking as though they were all ready to duel each other - and not necessarily with wands.

"Ginny," said Sirius in a light tone, turning to the red-head. "Would you take Draco upstairs, please?"

Ginny glanced at Claire, curiosity filling her brown orbs. She reluctantly agreed and led Draco upstairs to the spare bedroom without another word.

Hermione walked over to Harry's side.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, tactfully avoiding the urge to stare at the pretty stranger. Harry could tell, though, that she had already deciphered who she was. "Is that--?"

"Yeah," Harry replied shortly as Hermione fell into an amazed silence next to him.

And now Harry couldn't tell who the real Claire was. Was she the friendly, giggling woman he had met at the door? Or was she the quick-tempered, vociferous woman who had just verbally attacked Draco?

Harry watched as Sirius grabbed a mug from the cupboard, filled it halfway with coffee and placed it on the table, where he promptly filled the rest of the cup with cream and countless scoops of sugar. He then crossed the room, gently took Claire by the elbow and sat her down in front of the coffee mug.

"You still take it the same? Good. Drink," he commanded gently.

Claire narrowed her eyes up at him in a threatening manner. "Stop treating me like a child, Sirius."

"I will when you stop acting like one," Sirius quipped in a low voice, his eyes meeting hers briefly and warningly.

He stood up to his full height and made his way back to the counter. And when he turned back to Claire, he noticed she still hadn't touched her coffee.

"That coffee isn't going to drink itself," he told her in a calm voice. Claire glared at him through her wet hair.

"Oh, right," Sirius suddenly realized. He withdrew his wand and made his way over to her again, where he swiftly touched his wand to her head and whispered a word or two. Claire jerked her head slightly as though she had just been electrocuted. Her wet hair instantly dried, her clothes no longer clung to her skin. Even her tear-streaked face became clear and dry. "Better?"

Harry realized there was the merest trace of a smile on his godfather's face. He seemed to be enjoying himself. And it appeared to Harry that Claire knew this as well, and was greatly annoyed by it. He found it strange to be watching them interact together. After nearly 17 years, he thought they'd each be on opposite ends of the house, desperate to avoid each other.

But here they were, acting as though this was nothing more than a simple disagreement of sorts, as though they hadn't been on separate ends of the world for nearly two decades. Neither of them seemed to be truly angry with each other, and even the bitterness which Draco had inspired in Claire seemed to have completely evaporated with Sirius's arrival.

But the thing that Harry found most bewildering was the fact that no one - not Remus, not Sirius, not even Harry himself - had bothered to ask Claire why she had shown up at the house. If no one had been expecting her arrival (as it appeared to be), then what had made her decide to come back?

But then another thought occurred to Harry - a fairly reasonable explanation for that one prodding question. The 'why' didn't matter to anyone. The 'why' was as unimportant to them as Draco being a Malfoy was. The fact remained that Claire was here. And the truth was she simply belonged here with them. Could Claire really be that missing piece of the puzzle that figuratively (and literally) completed the picture?

Right now, though, Claire appeared to be fighting the urge to look grateful for Sirius's help. Against her will, her face softened and she whispered, "Thank you," before taking a small sip of her coffee.

"Now that that's settled," Sirius said more loudly, turning back to everyone in the kitchen. "Now for the introductions. Hermione -- this is Claire White. Claire, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger. Harry's girlfriend," he added unnecessarily.

Claire looked up at Hermione, who slowly approached her. Rain still dripped from her hair and onto the floor.

"It's really nice to meet you," Hermione said.

Claire flashed Hermione a warm smile, extending her hand and shaking Hermione's.

"I have heard so much about you," said Claire. "Please, sit down with me."

While Hermione obliged, Harry looked around to find that Sirius had vanished from the room. He looked at Remus, who rolled his eyes in exasperation. Claire cast her eyes around the room and caught the looks Remus and Harry were exchanging. She heaved a great sigh.

"He hasn't changed a bit."

"He's in shock," said Remus. "You can't blame him, C.J."

"You're right. I can't. And I don't," Claire added softly, looking down into her mug.

Harry shot Remus and Claire a very dumbfounded look, at which point Remus shrugged his shoulders. "Sirius has this fixation about not fighting with Claire."

"Really?" said Harry, surprised.

"Yes..." Claire agreed. "It's really enough to drive me crazy. Instead of fighting with me, he'll leave the room -- hide out until he's cooled down."

"That was Sirius being angry?" said Harry, puzzled. He had seen Sirius angry before. But the Sirius who had entered the kitchen to find his ex-fiancée there seemed very cool and calm.

"That was him being angry with me," said Claire, chagrined.

"What did you do wrong?" Harry asked. "It's perfectly understandable that you'd jump down Draco's throat!"

"There's more to it than that..." Claire said, twirling a piece of dark hair around her finger absent-mindedly. "I was in the wrong." She gave a bitter laugh. "Do you see what I mean? Sirius doesn't need to shout or yell at me. He can make me see what I've done wrong without even sparing me another glance."

"Claire has a habit of jumping to conclusions. It's rare," Remus added as he sat down at the table, diagonal from Hermione, "And when it happens, you do not want to be in the line of fire."

"Bite me, Remus," Claire muttered without preamble.

"Don't tempt me, Claire," Remus replied without looking at her, earning soft laughs from Hermione and Claire in response.

"I'll go talk to Sirius," Harry suggested. "Talk some sense into him."

"There's no point," Claire said with another sigh, all traces of humor fading from her face. "He'll come down when he's ready." And it shocked Harry to hear her say that with such confidence.

Claire's eyes landed on Hermione's right hand, third finger. All thoughts of Sirius seemed to vanish from her mind. The silver and gold ring shimmered under the light of the kitchen chandelier. "Is that what I think it is? Is that -- the Friendship Ring?"

Hermione glanced down at her ring fondly. "It is," Hermione said, looking back at Claire. "Do you know anything about this ring?"

The sad expression on Claire's face suddenly vanished, to be replaced by a soft glow, her smile widening. "Know about it? I wrote a paper on it in my last year at Hogwarts. Do you remember the assignment, R.J? History of Magic. We did a unit on myths and legends and I chose to write about the Friendship Ring. How did you get your hands on it?" Her voice was not condescending at all, but filled with wonder and awe.

"Harry gave it to me two Christmas's ago," Hermione said, glancing at Harry as she spoke.

"And -- is the myth true?" Claire asked eagerly.

"Yes," said Harry. "We met the Ring-Spirit last Spring. Sirius and Remus were there as well."

"My...God..." Claire whispered slowly. "May I?" Hermione removed the ring and carefully dropped it into Claire's hand. "It's more beautiful than I ever imagined," she sighed, running her finger across the ancient symbols of truth, loyalty and love.

"What did you learn about the ring when you did that assignment?" Hermione asked, as eager to hear all she knew about the ring as Claire was to hear Hermione's version.

Harry took this opportunity to go find Sirius, believing Hermione to be in good hands. He left the room without another word and made his way upstairs, feeling that Sirius would be probably be in the attic. He then pulled open the ceiling door and climbed the attic stairs that had promptly slid out.

Two lamps were lit at the far end, where he discovered Sirius sitting at the piano, leaning over the keys, his index finger hitting the same key over and over again.

"What are you doing, Sirius?" Harry said, sitting next to his godfather on the bench as the one note droned on and on.

"Playing the piano," Sirius said quietly, without looking up.

"You can play?" Harry asked skeptically.

Sirius brought both hands to the black and white keys and pressed down. A series of horrible notes blasted irritatingly throughout the attic. Sirius lifted his shoulders and then dropped them.

"Nope."

"You need to go back downstairs," Harry said to Sirius without warning. "You're not exactly being...courteous...to Claire by hiding."

"Who said I'm hiding?" Sirius muttered, not looking at Harry. A moment of silence stretched between them. Harry didn't want to pressure his godfather. Yet at the very same time, he felt very frustrated and couldn't exactly explain why.

"So you met the wonderful, multiple-personality Claire White, huh?" Sirius eventually said, finally looking side-long at Harry.

"Honey one second, fire the next?" Harry clarified with a smirk.

Sirius chuckled. "That's her. Like a volcano. You never could tell when she'd erupt. She has the power to make you feel like you're the only person in the room -- like you're on top of the world. And she has the power to strip that feeling away. Merlin," he sighed reminiscently. "I missed that about her."

"Then why aren't you down there?" Harry prodded. "She came to see you."

"She came to see you," Sirius corrected him calmly. "Claire and I are a thing of the past. We tried and we failed. It's a fact of life we both have spent many years getting used to."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Harry said, feeling angry now. "You 'tried' and 'failed.' You didn't fail. You were pulled apart by circumstances way beyond your control!"

"Clearly someone didn't want us together," Sirius said with a patience that was beginning to annoy Harry. "At one point, I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly live without her. She was it for me -- my reason for being alive. When I met her for the first time, I simply knew. I knew we belonged together."

Harry didn't know what to say. He personally knew what it felt like to have that one person in his life he couldn't live without. Therefore a part of him understood just how Sirius had once felt. But Harry sensed another, deeper reason for his godfather's desire to remain hidden and invisible in the attic. But it was difficult to be sure.

"Listen, Sirius," Harry began, trying to appeal to the older wizard in a logical way. "No one expects you to marry her. You're allowed to be her friend, right?"

Sirius didn't say anything to this.

"She doesn't hate Draco," Sirius explained, changing the subject abruptly as Harry tried to ignore the sudden sharp pang of irritation which stabbed him in that instant. "She really despises his parents. Lucius and Narcissa were two years ahead of us when we all attended Hogwarts. They tormented Claire because she was Muggle-born. And Narcissa loathed the very ground she walked on. Both Claire and Lily. The two of them together -- " Sirius paused in remembrance. "They made the darkest and coldest dungeons in Hogwarts glow with warmth."

"Did my mum hate them just as much?" Harry asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"She hated them," Sirius answered matter-of-factly. "But for different reasons. You see - Lily was a very strong individual. And when Narcissa tried to make life difficult for her...well...it never worked out as planned. Narcissa would then make Claire her target. And Claire was the shy type, who typically spent most of her time trying to stay and remain invisible to others around her. She was timid and naturally had no idea how to defend herself when it came to Narcissa.

"Lily's vendetta against them stemmed from the fact that they made Claire's life miserable," Sirius continued. "It wasn't until Narcissa and Lucius finally graduated that Claire finally came out of her shell."

"Do you think she'll get over the fact that Draco is a Malfoy?" Harry wondered, after a thoughtful pause.

"Yes," Sirius said. "She has this very strong theory that blood holds no importance whatsoever when it comes to family. Take a look at me and my family. She never would have been with me if she didn't believe that there was something good in me worth caring about. And even she comes from a very hard background. Her mother and father were as strict and unfeeling as your Aunt and Uncle. She swore she would never be like them.

"But luckily for you, that's a whole other story," Sirius added to Harry with a small smile. "And maybe someday Claire will tell you all about it."

When Harry returned to the kitchen, he found that Ginny and Draco were sitting at the kitchen table with Hermione and Remus. Harry might have been surprised to see Claire working in such evident harmony with Draco had it not been for his piano bench chat with Sirius. As Sirius had predicted, Claire had obviously made a peace overture of sorts to Draco by including him in what was by all appearances a "family" project of some sort. And though Draco appeared to be in something less than a state of ease (accepting, perhaps, more to please Ginny than for any other reason), Harry could sense that he was pleased nonetheless to have been asked.

Claire stood at the counter mixing something that resembled dough in a large plastic bowl. Hermione, Remus and Draco were buried in their task of peeling potatoes as Ginny sat next to Draco, her brows furrowed as she concentrated on the large block of cheddar cheese she was grating.

Claire looked over her shoulder at Harry as he entered, and she grinned knowingly. "Thanks for the effort, Harry. But eventually Sirius will come down. Whether he wants to or not."

"How do you know that?" Draco and Harry asked together.

"The man has to eat sometime, right?" Claire replied, turning back to her plastic bowl.

"What are you making?" asked Harry curiously, as he sat across from Hermione. She promptly handed him a potato and knife, silently instructing him to help them peel the potatoes. He grinned at her and obliged.

"Pirogies," Claire replied brightly. "It's a non-meat recipe for a non-meat holiday, and this has always been a tradition for me. Don't worry," she added, confusing Harry's curious look for wariness. "You'll love them."

"And if Sirius ever had a weakness," said Remus, running his knife across a potato mindlessly, "it was Claire's irresistible cooking."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Harry jokingly.

Claire laughed. "There were times when I wondered if my cooking was the only reason he stayed with me."

"It wasn't."

The voice came from the kitchen doorway, where Sirius leaned casually against the frame, his light eyes solely on Claire. She turned to look at him and their eyes met briefly. A very pregnant pause followed as they stared at each other, broken only by Claire's voice as she turned to Harry and said in a very Hermione-like voice, "I told you so."

Sirius glanced around the kitchen, his eyes widening as realization dawned on him.

"You're not!"

"I am," Claire responded with a grin.

"You're really making pirogies?!"

Claire laughed softly at Sirius's enthusiasm as she added water to her mixture. "Harry's never had them before, according to Hermione. So I'm teaching her the ways."

"Teaching her your ways," Sirius corrected her, smirking knowingly. "You know...I could have all of this done within two minutes. Potatoes, cheese and the dough," Sirius offered. "Just a little flick of my wand..."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Remus said under his breath as he continued to run his knife across the potato he was working on.

"Hermione, dear?" Claire said sweetly, turning to the brunette. "Would you be kind enough to hand Sirius a knife?"

"Grab a chair, Sirius," Hermione suggested, fishing for a knife on the table. Sirius did as told and took the knife from her.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked Claire as Remus laughed through his nose.

"Hermione?" Claire barely turned her head, her tone suggesting the merest trace of an order.

Hermione swiftly pulled out a small bag from beneath her chair and pushed it across the table to Sirius. Three large onions fell out.

Sirius's face fell. "Oh."

"That's for getting cute with me," Claire said, flashing him one of her sweet smiles.

"Onions," Sirius whispered bitterly. "I hate onions." He grinned, though, as he began to peel away the outer layers of the onions.

"You'd think you'd know better..." Remus said quietly to Sirius as he continued to peel his potatoes.

"I've got it covered, old friend," Sirius mumbled, fishing for his wand. He withdrew it, a proud smile on his face as he aimed it at one of the onions.

"Ahem!"

Sirius looked up to find Claire smirking self-righteously at him, a wand pointed straight at his chest.

His face fell again, before realization dawned on him. "Hey - you're not supposed to have a wand!"

"She doesn't," Remus replied. "She's confiscated mine. Apparently the woman has trust issues."

"Honestly...boys..." Claire reprimanded gently as Sirius reluctantly handed over his wand. Harry was surprised to find him so accommodating. "You make it sound like being a Muggle is the worst possible thing in the world - the way you two act."

"She's got a nice point, though," Hermione added thoughtfully as Claire placed both wands onto the counter next to the bag of flour. "If Muggle-Borns can learn magic, then I'm sure pure-bloods can learn the Muggle ways. Am I right, Draco?"

Everyone laughed as they watched the blond wizard struggling with his potato and knife. He looked up, slightly red in the face from embarrassment.

"I'll have to disagree with you on that one, Hermione," he replied shortly before returning to his potato.

"Well, at least he's trying," Ginny said in her boyfriend's defense. Laughter rang around the kitchen table and Claire was mildly surprised to see Draco laughing as hard as anyone.

"Do you know," Claire said, her eyes not leaving her pirogie mixture, "in all my years at Hogwarts, I don't think I ever heard Lucius Malfoy laugh. I mean real, honest laughter. Maybe the apple does fall far from the tree." Claire's eyes flickered in Sirius's direction as she added with a smirk: "Every now and then."

Another chorus of laughter followed as everyone - Draco included - renewed their culinary efforts. Claire looked over her shoulder and caught Sirius's eye again. They smiled at each other over their respective tasks, as if this very scenario had triggered many happy memories between the two.

And Harry couldn't help but feel that, in spite of the impending darkness which still loomed ominously over their heads, this weekend would provide them all with enough happy memories to last them a lifetime.

The rain that had drenched the small town of Ottery St. Catchpole continued well into the night. Harry was finding it difficult to sleep with everything that had happened that day: Claire White being the very unexpected surprise of the century. And because of this, his mind was too full to sleep.

Ginny and Hermione were sharing Harry's room, while Claire took the spare bedroom. Harry remembered the shocked look on her face when Sirius had promptly put his foot down and insisted that she stay. Harry assumed that that was Sirius's way of showing her that he wanted her there. And the rest of the evening was filled with plenty of laughter as Sirius, Remus and Claire reminisced about old times by telling the younger witches and wizards stories of their past.

Remus was sleeping on Harry's one side while Draco slept peacefully on his other side. Was he, Harry, the only one who couldn't sleep? He lifted himself from his mattress and fumbled for his glasses. Once he had them on, he made his way to the kitchen in the dark, carefully trying not bump into anything so as not to wake up Draco or Remus.

"Sleeping draught...I know we have it here somewhere," Harry murmured. He opened the kitchen pantry and turned the knob on the overhead lamp, blinding himself for a moment or two. Boxes and containers of food came into view. The pantry was very deep, and could easily fit two people. "Where is that sleeping draught? I know I saw it here," he whispered, stepping into the pantry and pulling the door closed behind him.

He continued searching until he realized he was no longer the only one in the kitchen. He had kept the pantry door open just a crack, fearing he would lock himself in if he closed it all the way, and now he could see Sirius as he stood with his hands behind his back, staring out the kitchen window. The older wizard seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his godson was in the pantry. Harry was about to announce his presence when another figure appeared within his view. Claire had tied her long, dark hair into a low braid and wore a pair of pink, flannel pajamas.

Suddenly realizing that he might be a witness to something he didn't want to see, Harry wished he had stayed in bed.

Sirius turned to face Claire, and it was difficult for Harry to decipher the expression on his godfather's face from his viewpoint. Sirius and Claire were no more than a foot a part as they continued to stare at each other.

Do something, Harry mentally urged. He wanted to get out of the pantry, with or without his sleeping draught.

Without saying a word -- as though words were not necessary -- Claire went into Sirius's outstretched arms and they clung to each other.

"I missed you so much," Sirius whispered into her hair as they continued to hold onto each other.

Claire pulled back slightly, and Harry could see tears streaming down her face. "It's so difficult...There's so much I want to say," she said softly.

"We have all the time in the world," he told her, his thumb wiping away the tears which coursed down her cheeks.

"I shouldn't even be here!" Claire whispered desperately. "I don't know what possessed me...but it's not fair to you -- to any of you."

"It's OK!" Sirius insisted, smiling warmly at her.

But Claire didn't seem to want to hear it. She kept shaking her head, trying to convince herself of something. "My mind...is having trouble accepting the fact that you're here," she confessed. "That I'm here. That I can..." To convey her thought, she raised her hand to touch the side of his face and she automatically pulled back, fear lighting up her sapphire eyes.

"Don't be afraid to touch me," Sirius said, staring into her eyes intently, his hands now gripping her upper-arms. "Not now...after so long."

"I saw you today..." she said. "I saw that look in your eye you successfully managed to hide from everyone else. You can't hide it from me, Sirius."

"Claire -- don't -- "

"You need to talk to me," she persisted. "You need to. Because I need to know where I stand."

"I already told you -- I'm glad you're here. I want you here."

"Yes...But you're holding back," she told him. "You're holding back because you're afraid." She paused as Sirius lowered his face, as though ashamed. "I told you that you can't hide from me, Sirius."

Sirius raised his head so his eyes were looking straight into hers. "How?" he asked weakly.

Claire smiled serenely at him, her eyes shining. "Do you really believe 17 years of being apart from each other has changed the fact that I know your heart?" she asked rhetorically. "Have you forgotten that you can read mine just as easily?"

Sirius gave a dry laugh. "What do you want me to say? Having you here has only made me realize that I have everything I could ever possibly want under this roof. And I can't stand the idea of losing it -- even though I know I'm not entitled to it."

Claire looked up into his face with sympathy in her eyes. But she didn't interrupt him.

"I don't deserve all this happiness, Claire. Because if I start thinking for one second that I'm happy -- then that indicates I'm glad I'm in James and Lily's place. Which implies that I'm glad they're dead."

Harry's mouth fell open in shock. Was this how Sirius really felt? Had he felt this way all along?

"Sirius, has anyone ever told you that you think too much?" Claire asked him gently. "If you're not allowed to be happy, then you've taken away Harry's right to be. And when I saw Harry today, he looked genuinely happy. I know I haven't been a part of his life. I have myself to blame for that -- and no one else. But I know this much: He has you to thank. You've given him more than I think he even realizes."

"Claire --"

"If it was left up to me to choose one man who deserved all the happiness and goodness this world has to offer, I would pick you, Sirius," Claire told him. Her hand caressed the side of his face without hesitation this time as she continued to look at him lovingly. "You're the best man I've ever known."

Sirius brought her into his arms again, and this time Harry could see silent tears traveling down his face. They held onto each other as though fearing if one let go, the other would disappear. Harry felt a sudden pang in his chest...one of pity. He couldn't bear it if he and Hermione were separated for nearly two decades. He suddenly decided how relieved he was that Claire had returned. Not for himself. For Sirius.

Things had to be different now. Things would be different.

"Not to ruin a picture-perfect moment, and not to sound ungrateful - " Claire said, breaking the comfortable silence. "But why have you allowed me to stay?"

When Sirius didn't say anything, Claire continued speaking in an increasingly heated way.

"Why don't you hate me for what I've done?" she whispered as Sirius took her hand in his, lightly brushing his lips across her knuckles.

"You haven't done anything, Claire," Sirius told her in bewilderment.

"I left!" Claire reminded him in a hiss. "I left you, Harry, R.J --"

"Trust me, I have my share of guilt in what happened all those years ago," Sirius said to her. He gave a slow swallow, his eyes shadowing with memories of the past. "The last person in the world I would ever blame is you. Because if it were me in your shoes, I would have done the same. Knowing that you were powerless to stop Dumbledore from giving Harry to his miserable relatives. Unable to do anything but watch me rot in prison --"

"You don't blame yourself!" Claire gasped in realization.

"Of course I do. Who else is there to blame?"

"How about those responsible? That rat you called a friend -- and Voldemort!" Claire reminded him.

"I was nothing more than a fool, honey," Sirius replied quietly. "My place was not chasing after Pettigrew. It was with you. I should have listened to you. You told me it was pointless --"

"I admit, you were foolish by not thinking with your head," said Claire, her eyes shimmering with tears. "But you were thinking with your heart. You loved James, Lily and Harry. And when you went after -- him -- I knew I had never been so proud of you. I knew...as upset as I was...that I couldn't possibly love you more than I did at that moment."

His hand touched the side of her face, curiously, tentatively. "I guess we'll always have our share of the guilt. Mine comes from my recklessness - "

"And mine comes from my cowardice," Claire finished, pushing down the lump in her throat as she swallowed.

"I've never blamed you, Claire," Sirius insisted, the intensity of his gaze leaving Claire breathless and dazed.

"And I never blamed you," Claire whispered as Sirius's fingers continued to slowly graze her jaw line.

He let his fingers fall to her throat, where he then pulled out a fine gold chain that hung around her neck. A small, gold heart-shaped pendant dangled from the chain, alongside a small gold band with a tiny pink jewel perched on top of it.

"You still--"

"I never took it off," Claire said immediately, as though she needed him to know this fact. "Do you remember what you said when you gave this to me?" She fingered the heart-shaped pendant.

Sirius smiled reminiscently, his fingers gently touching the gold heart. "I said...that it was my heart... filled with my love for you."

"And whenever you couldn't be with me...or whenever I felt alone," she continued, another tear coursing down her cheek, "All I had to do was wrap my fist around it and squeeze tightly. And your love would do the rest." She looked into his eyes, smiling through her tears. "There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I've never held your heart in my hand, love. Never."

Their gazes locked, Sirius slowly lowered his face to hers. "I want to kiss you so much," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Claire raised her face to his, their eyes clashing with a burning desire. "I'm not stopping you."

Sirius didn't hesitate as he lowered his lips to hers softly and timidly. She opened her mouth beneath his lips and Sirius deepened the kiss, his hands on the swell of her hips as he pulled her quivering form closer to his body. The very air around them crackled with passion, need and urgency.

They pulled apart from each other only when their breath finally ran out. Claire rested her forehead on Sirius's chest, her eyes closed as she fought for air. Sirius's arms encircled her as he rested his chin on her head, his eyes closed as well.

"I need you, Claire," he whispered a moment later, no longer interested in keeping his longing for her a secret.

Claire didn't say anything at first. She allowed a few moments for the meaning of his words to sink in before she lifted her forehead from his chest and looked into his eyes. To Harry's bewilderment, she turned away from him, her eyes falling to the floor.

"I can't," she whispered back.

Sirius stepped behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "You can't? Or you won't?" His lips brushed the back of her neck as he spoke and she shivered beneath his touch.

"Is there a difference?" she wondered.

"If you won't, that implies that you need and want me just as much, but you won't allow yourself. If you can't...then there may be something you're not telling me," Sirius explained, his hands now resting on her hips.

Claire closed her eyes again as Sirius placed gentle kisses down the back of her neck. Her eyes snapped open suddenly.

"Stop doing that!" She spun around to face him. "You're doing that on purpose, Black."

"I'm not doing anything," Sirius retorted, an innocent grin lighting up his face.

Claire glared at him suspiciously. "I told you I can't," she continued. "Because there's no point."

"No point?" Sirius echoed incredulously. "Dammit, Claire -- you really haven't changed, have you?"

"And listen to you!" Claire shot back. "I've been here for no longer than 12 hours and you're already trying to get me into bed?"

Sirius flinched as though Claire had just slapped him. "You know that's not it, Claire," he said quietly.

They didn't say anything for a moment. Claire chewed on her bottom lip, looking guilty and apologetic while Sirius turned back to the window, effectively turning his back on her.

"I know...Sirius," Claire finally said. "I didn't mean what I said."

"I know," Sirius said, his hands folded across his chest. He didn't bother to look at her as Claire continued to speak.

"I'm...scared," she confessed.

This got Sirius's attention. He turned around to face her, confusion, pain and frustration shining through the icy blue of his eyes.

"Scared of me?" he shot at her.

Claire looked appalled at the idea. "Of course not!" she insisted.

"Then what?" he demanded heatedly. "What are you so scared of?"

Claire fumbled with the ring and heart-shaped pendant looped around her chain as she thought carefully about her answer.

"It's been so long, Sirius," she whispered. "It terrifies me to think...you could still..."

"Want you?" he supplied.

Claire didn't say anything. She nodded without meeting his eyes.

They didn't say anything for a while. They simply stood there, both consumed by thoughts and words they wanted to say to each other. Both too hesitant and shy to voice them.

"I don't want to mislead you, Sirius," Claire finally said, still not looking at him. "I have plans to return back to Canada." When Sirius didn't say anything, she added, "I'm not staying...Sirius."

"What?" Sirius said, his voice quiet and full of pain.

Claire didn't repeat herself. She stared down at the floor.

"You came all this way for one weekend to see Harry, is that it? And then you plan to leave? Just like that? Walk in, walk out?" Sirius wondered disbelievingly.

"How could you expect me to stay?" Claire asked as she finally looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand. "My home is in Canada...I have a job there..."

"A husband?" Sirius wondered, his eyes flashing with cruelty.

Claire looked at him sharply, her eyes filled with fire. She looked like she was ready to commit murder as she thrust her left hand up to his face. "Does it look like I'm wearing a ring, you fool?"

Sirius had the decency to look ashamed.

"Then why can't you stay?" he pleaded with her. "You have nothing tying you to Canada -- the Muggle life -- which, by the way, you always claimed you hated."

"It was my punishment to myself," Claire said, her voice suddenly quiet and sad, without the anger that had once shown clear in her words.

"It's time to let go of that guilt, Claire," Sirius begged as he took her hand in his. "Let it go...and stay here. With me."

Claire was clearly struggling with the desire to do exactly as Sirius wanted. Harry could see it in her face.

"I can't," she finally said, though there was less conviction in her voice now. Sirius seemed to sense that her strength was wavering.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

The question seemed to confuse Claire. "I'm here to see Harry...and R.J -- and you, of course."

"No, Claire," Sirius said, his voice strong and clear. "Why are you here? With me. Right now?"

The clarification of the question definitely had the effect Sirius wanted. Claire gawked at him, at a loss for words.

"You don't want to leave," Sirius told her. "It's just like you said: I know your heart. You can't hide from me."

Claire looked furious with herself. She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed at the floor. She clearly hadn't expected Sirius to use her words against her.

"Look at me, Claire," Sirius instructed, lifting her chin upwards so she was left with no choice but to oblige. "Don't leave," he insisted. "Stay here. Stay for me -- for us. I know it's complicated for you. It's been too long, and I don't expect anything from you. We can be friends. That's how we started out, right?"

He smiled at her reassuringly.

"Sirius --"

"I just don't want you to leave," Sirius added desperately. "I'll do anything."

Claire giggled in a way that suggested he had already won her over. "Anything, eh? Would you name a star after me?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Would you climb the highest mountain for me?"

"You know I would," Sirius told her as she allowed him to pull her closer to him.

Harry had the unmistakable impression that this was a private game between them, one they had played many, many times.

"And would you father my children?" Claire asked him coyly, peering up at him with a teasing smile on her face.

"With pleasure," Sirius growled into her ear.

"And would you become Severus Snape's best friend for me?" she asked.

Sirius pulled back, his face screwed up in disgust as Claire burst into laughter, hugging him close.

"You don't have to answer that," she said, her laughter dissolving into quiet giggles.

Sirius laughed. "So...is that a yes?" he asked her.

She looked up at him with a frown on her pretty face. "Is what a yes?"

"Will you stay?"

Claire didn't answer at first. She looked down at their interlocked fingers, her eyes shining, her creamy skin flushed with happiness.

"Take me upstairs, Sirius," she whispered just as he said, "You don't have to give me an answer straight away."

They both looked at each other, Sirius frowning in confusion, Claire giggling more than ever.

"What?" Sirius asked her in disbelief.

Claire squeezed his hand and without letting go, she took a few steps toward the kitchen doorway, which would lead them to the stairs. Sirius remained planted firmly where he was standing as he gawked at Claire. She turned back to him.

"I said...take me upstairs, Sirius," she repeated, grinning.

Without another word, they left the kitchen together. Harry waited until he was sure they were upstairs before leaving the pantry. He made his way back to the living room, his mind reeling from everything he had heard and seen. A part of him knew he had just violated his godparents' privacy. He knew that had been wrong. But another, quieter part of him was glad that he had witnessed the exchange between Claire and Sirius.

Claire was staying. Harry suddenly felt lighter than air. As he lay down back in his make-shift bed, he realized just how content he really felt. He also realized he didn't need his sleeping draught anymore. He felt exhausted.

But just before he fell asleep, one thought permeated his brain: He sincerely hoped Sirius had placed a Soundproofing Charm around his room. For Hermione's and Ginny's sake, at least.

To Be Continued...