Wot In The Harri Potter?

27 - The Bracelet

"Harri!"

I run into Sirius' open arms, realising a little too late that I'm interrupting a meeting.

"Yes, great," Molly says, clearly put out by my entrance. "But we were in the middle of an important meeting, Harriet. So if you could leave us-"

"Is it about the Dementor attack?" I ask breathlessly, looking around the table of adults. "Because I had to do something, I had no choice, or else my cousin and I would have no soul right now. And now I've been expelled-"

"This may come as quite a shock to you, Harriet Potter," Snape snarls, making me jump as I hadn't realized he was there too. "But not everything is about you."

"Do not talk to my goddaughter like that, Snivellus!" Sirius roars, banging a fist violently down on the table. "You are in my house, and therefore I demand you to treat my family with respect!"

"You're not exactly in a position to be making demands," Snape drawls lazily. "Last time I checked, you are the one in hiding. One word to the authorities and I can get you thrown back-"

"Alright, enough!" Lupin declares as Sirius jumps to his feet, his wand out. "We are in the middle of a meeting and you are acting like children! Harri, it really is lovely to see you, but please if you don't mind stepping out so we can get on with this, and I promise we won't keep your godfather from you for much longer."

He smiles kindly at me, which I immediately return.

Pulling a face at Snape, I leave.

"They act like I'm a child," I pout when I rejoin the others. "I'm sixteen and have been through more stuff than over half of the people in that meeting have."

"Oh, yeah," Fred says, draping his arm around my shoulders. "I suppose you thought I forgot about your birthday? But I got you a sweet sixteenth present up in my room."

"Okay, guys," George says, raising his eyebrows, "but if it is what I think it is then please kindly remember that I'm in that room too, and I don't want to be walking in on anything x-rated."

I immediately feel my cheeks flame as Hermione gasps and Ron mutters curse words under his breath.

"Relax," Fred chuckles, "it's perfectly innocent."

Well, that's a shame.

Leaving the others in the downstairs hallway, I follow Fred upstairs, my heart racing in anticipation. I wonder if he'll expect us to do it right away now I'm legal? Although something tells me he will leave that entirely up to me. But my god, I want him now, yet I am also terrified now it's a perfect possibilty.

True to his words, however, his present to me is very sweet and not in the least bit provocative.

"I love it," I say genuinely as I take the delicate bracelet out of the box, my heart warming at the tiny little flowers on them. "Thank you "

"They're lilies, of course - well, lily of the valley," Fred says, taking it from me to fasten around my wrist.

We are sat on his bed in the room he is sharing with George. Like every other part of this house, this room is dark and brooding and makes me feel uneasy.

"You shouldn't have, Fred," I say as I lift up my arm to admire the bracelet, "You need to save that money for your business, not spend it on me."

Fred shrugs his shoulders and then takes my hand and kisses the back of it. "Please don't deny me this," he murmurs. "I only wish I could buy you more."

"When your business takes off and you are swimming in riches, then you can do just that."

His eyes light up and crease at the corners. "I'll buy you a beautiful dress, and your very own castle."