Heart & Soul (The Untold Harry Potter story)

Chapter 17

Her boots made small clicking noises on the hallway floors, though as she reached the end of the stone grounds and spotted Hagrid's hut in the distance, she was disappointed to see that his lights weren't on and there was no smoke coming from his chimney, meaning Hagrid wasn't home. With a disappointed sigh, she turned and looked back into the castle wondering what she was going to do now. She began to make her way slowly through the main hall towards the courtyard, looking out the main doors.

"Hey." Pollux startled his sister, coming up the stairs from the dungeons.

"Hey." She noticed he was wearing his outer wear. "Are you going down to the village?" Pollux nodded, adjusting the collar of his coat.

"Yea, I have some last-minute Christmas shopping to do before we exchange gifts next week." Castor only hummed in response, nudging her boots against the ground as he stared at her feet. "You okay?"

"Not really." She sighed. She glanced at her twin, nodding to herself as she looked out into the courtyard again. "It's just hard today. And I didn't sleep well again." She scoffed. Pollux sighed, pulling his sister into his chest, squeezing her tightly around her shoulders.

"Do you wanna come with me?" He whispered into her hair. Castor shook her head into his coat.

"I don't really have the energy today."

"Okay." Pollux pressed a kiss to her forehead. She stepped back and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I'll see you at dinner, yea?"

"Yea." She nodded slowly. "Don't let Ron harass Madam Rosmerta too much."

"Ha! I'll keep an eye on him." Pollux laughed and turned to leave the courtyard.

Alone again, Castor turned and began walking. She eventually spaced out, rampant thoughts running through her head. Her feet took her all throughout the castle, up to the seventh floor, past a very large empty wall at the end of a wide corridor. She maneuvered the staircases, managed to right herself after tripping on the trick step, past the Fat Lady's portrait, though it was currently occupied by Sir Cadogan, who yelled after her. And all throughout the castle, her mind was elsewhere.

Sirius Black. Elemental magic. Professor Lupin. Professor Lupin who stares at Pollux and I for too long sometimes. Harry. Harry doesn't know. Harry needs to know. Sirius Black. He's been in the castle. He's my father. My mother's lover. My mother, who loved Christmas. My mother who's gone. My mother who hid us from those at MACUSA. My mother who hid the fact that she had children from everyone she worked with. My mother who went into hiding all those years ago. My mother who loved us with everything she had. My mother who loved Sirius Black. Sirius Black is my father...

And over and over and over again she spiraled. Sent herself further into the depths of her mind as she walked throughout the castle, her bad swinging on her hip with each step. Past the fruit portrait that hid the kitchens, past the wall of barrels that led into the Hufflepuff common room. Down into the dungeons, back up the stairs, past the girl's bathroom where she could vaguely hear Moaning Myrtle, up the stairs some more. Past the library, past the prefect's bathroom, past the trophy room and the clock tower entrance, and through the tapestry corridor.

Down the rabbit hole she went...

~

Being the week before Christmas, Hogsmeade seemed to be more crowded than usual. The snow was coming down heavily, and while he normally didn't mind the cold, Pollux could really go for a nice warm butterbeer right about now. Though just as he made his way back up the main road, the few last minute bag filled with his Christmas shopping in hand, he was distracted by the sight of a floating bright red lollipop, and the accompanying thoughts of the 13-year-old boy underneath the invisibility cloak.