Jupiter | Harry James Potter

x ; promises, promises

"It's just an expression," said Ron hastily.
Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.

"What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.

"Funny you should ask," Hermione said, with a nasty look at Ron and I. She took off the lid and showed us the contents.

Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.

"'Spew'?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?"

"Not spew," Hermione scoffed impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it," said Ron.

"Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it."

"Merlin, Hermione." I groaned under my breath, leaning back in my chair exhaustedly.

"Yeah?" Ron said in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"

"Well — if you three join — four," Hermione said.

"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" said Ron.

"S-P-E-W!" Hermione argued hotly. "I was going to put 'Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status' but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She brandished the sheaf of parchment at us. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione — open your ears," Ron said loudly as if she had gone deaf, which it seemed she had. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"

"Our short-term aims," Hermione said, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

Hermione's quick-paced words left us all silent, each of us staring at her with our mouths slightly open.

The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft tap, tap on the window. We all looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.

"Hedwig!" Harry shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.

Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions.

"About time!" Harry said, hurrying after her.

"She's got an answer!" Ron said excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg.

Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly. My heart skipped a beat as we all huddled over Harry, who was hastily opening the letter from Sirius. I hadn't realized how much I had missed having a father in my life until I had felt it before.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:

Harry —

I'm heading north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here.

If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore — they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is.

I'll be in touch soon. Send my love to Jupiter, if she isn't reading this already, and my best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.

I felt my eyes get stuck on the words 'my love' for a moment until Harry looked up at Ron, Hermione and I, and we all stared back at him.

"He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming back?

"He can't, it's too dangerous." I said, my fingers gripping the table below me. If Sirius was caught and taken back to Azkaban, that might've just been my breaking point into insanity.

"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" Ron asked, looking perplexed. "Harry — what's up?"

Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.

"I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously.

"What are you on about?" said Ron in surprise.

"It's made him think he's got to come back!" Harry groaned, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."

Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.
"Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.

"I'm going to bed," Harry said shortly. "See you in the morning." He walked up the stairs to his dormitory, and Ron took a step forward. I stopped him, and quickly ran after Harry.

"Harry, stop." I said, grabbing him by the shoulder to make him turn around.

"Just leave me alone, Her-" Harry snapped, whipping around angrily. His eyes softened a bit once he realized it was me. "Oh."

"You absolutely should've told Sirius." I said, and Harry rolled his eyes as he started to walk away. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "I know that Sirius is the closest thing you have to a father right now, and I'm sure he sees you as a son. It would be insane if you didn't tell him what was going on. Sirius has been out for a year now and he hasn't gotten caught. I'm sure he can last a few days in Scotland. It'll be alright."

"You'd be happy if he came up, wouldn't you?" Harry sighed, looking down at me.

"Yeah." I nodded. "It'd be good for us to see him, even if it's quick. If I let go of you, you have to promise not to blame yourself for him coming."

"No, Jupiter-"

"Harry." I pleaded, staring directly into his green eyes. "Promise."

He stayed silent for a moment, his lips pursed as he watched me. "I promise." He said, yet he didn't attempt to pull away from me.

I became suddenly aware of the close distance between us in the small, dark hall. I felt my heart beating in rhythm with his as I the pulse on his wrist sped up. I wondered if the corridor had become very warm, or if it was just me. Throughout the darkness, I could see Harry's eyes leave mine for a moment, drifting down slightly. The only noise in the hall was our heavy breathing from the sudden heat, mixed with the nerves from our close proximity. I felt Harry lean closer to me, slowly but surely. My grip on his wrist tightened as I began to lose myself within the moment.

"We should get some sleep." I muttered as the pressure became too much for me to be able to handle and keep my knees strong at the same time.

"Yeah." Harry breathed, his eyes drifting back to mine. "Goodnight, Jupiter." He said, pulling away from me.

"Goodnight, Harry."

A/N

anyone read ATYD? cause that was kinda giving 'have you ever kissed anyone, remus?' vibes... same staircase too 😥