Harry-Dementor

16- Interrogation

"Hermione…focus," Harry physically turned her around to face him and away from the ward. "I need to tell you both something."

"Do NOT tell me what happened that night," Ron said quickly with a scared look in his eyes. "You know I'm terrible at keeping secrets, and I'm already keeping you being a dementor a secret. I don't think I can handle another."

"Oh please, you already know what happened," Harry rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Knowing and knowing are two completely different things," the redhead protested with a glare.

"Well, you're going to have to deal with one more secret because Padfoot has decided to drop by tonight and has every intention of staying," Harry told them both with a worried look in his eyes.

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's idiotic and dangerous! What in Merlin's name is he thinking?!"

"Blame Neville not me," Harry pouted at her. "He was the one that told Sirius I'd been crucio'd."

"What?!" Both exclaimed.

"That's what happened?!" Hermione gasped in horror. "That…illegal…"

"She was torturing him with a blood quill, Hermione," Ron glared at her. "Of course whatever she did was illegal."

"Yeah, that amongst other things…anyway, Neville crashed my call with Sirius and got him all worried," Harry sighed. "By the way, Neville knows about Sirius/Padfoot now too."

"You should have remembered to put up a ward like this around your bed," Hermione reprimanded him as she motioned to the ward.

Harry closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, reminding himself not to lash out at his friends and reign in his temper. He pulled out a lip balm and applied it as that always calmed him down some. "Hey, can I borrow?" Hermione asked as she reached out a hand.

Harry looked at her questioningly for a bit. "Isn't that a little weird? I just put this on my lips…"

"It's not like dementors catch germs," she reminded him.

"Jamie might," he protested right back.

"Fine, be stingy with your lip balm then," she huffed.

"The dementors keep stealing them, and Ginny only gave me so much," Harry glared.

"Children!" Ron called out in frustration. "The world must be ending when I'm the reasonable one in a conversation! Hermione, that actually is a bit gross. And Harry, stop being weird."

"Fine, what time does Sirius get in and where is he going to stay? You know dogs aren't technically allowed," Hermione sighed, seeming to agree that if Ron was the reasonable one, something was very wrong.

"He gets in at 8pm, but I think Neville and I have worked out how to sneak him in and where to keep him," Harry explained with a smirk. "Snape already has a houseguest, we figured he wouldn't mind another."

Both of his friends stared at him in disbelief. "He's going to kill Sirius…" Ron remarked.

"Yeah, that's not going to work…Snape definitely didn't want the first houseguest," Hermione added on slowly.

Harry shrugged. "Well, we discussed that, and we think we may have found a way to make him at least listen. Especially if the request doesn't come from me or Sirius."

"He doesn't like Neville any better, mate," Ron reminded him.

Harry knew that wasn't exactly true. They definitely weren't friends, but Harry thought Neville might be one or two steps up in Snape's opinion than he was. "Nah, we have a plan. Don't worry guys. Besides, Dumbledore will make him see reason if we can't. We just have to get Sirius through the door, and you know Dumbledore, he'll handle it from there."