The Dog and the Swan.

Chapter Seventeen

The kitchen of Grimmauld Place was fit to burst, everyone was back for Christmas and were all enjoying the warmth of the oven and Molly Weasley's delicious food. Laughter ran around the table in a wave of infectious merriment.

"George!" Ginny shrieked dodging a large carrot as it zoomed straight for her nose. Harry covered his mouth, fighting the laughter as she sent one straight back at his head with the aid of her spoon.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley snapped as a third carrot arched high over the table and landed with a splat on Remus' plate. "Oh Remus, I can't apologise enough!"

"Don't worry about it Molly." He laughed, clearing up the splattered gravy with his wand.

A loud bang radiated through the house awakening the portrait by the front door, an audible groan rippled through the occupants of the kitchen. "Who could that be?" Mrs Weasley bustled, standing up and heading towards the door as a voice shouted back at the portrait.

"Shut the hell up you old bat!" A woman shouted and Remus stood, knocking his chair back against the cupboards behind him.

"What?" Tonks asked, looking up at him as he scrambled past people to beat Mrs Weasley to the door. "Who is it?"

The kitchen door creaked open to show a pretty female face, short curled brown hair with bright blue eyes and a smile that widened upon seeing Remus. The woman let out a squeal of joy and threw her arms around his shoulders as they embraced tightly.

"Where on earth have you been?" Remus asked, letting her drop back to her feet. "Oh God, Hazel I've missed you."

"What a sight for sore eyes." She gushed, cupping his cheeks. "How have you truly been Moony, you look tired."

Harry glanced up at the woman at the use of his nickname. She looked about the same age as Remus, maybe she'd been at school with them... no one had mentioned a girl, there wasn't another female in the stories apart from his mum.

"I'm better." He smiled softly, "A lot better than I have been."

"Good." She smiled, hugging him again. "You deserve it all."

"Sorry, Remus, do you mind?" Arthur smiled, nodding at the woman.

"Oh Sorry, Arthur." He said, blushing slightly as he took her hand in his. "This is Hazel Gardiner, my oldest friend... even older than Padfoot."

"Since we were seven." She admitted, stepping forwards and shaking his hand, "It's lovely to meet you Arthur, are they all yours?"

"Only the red heads." He laughed, turning around and naming them all. "Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."

"Oh." She gasped, keeping her eyes on Harry as she shook Remus' arm.

"Yes, that's him." He laughed and instantly Harry felt self-conscious. "Harry, Hazel's not seen you in fourteen years."

"He was this big." She gushed, looking mainly to Mrs Weasley, "I was making him this little pumpkin Halloween costume; Lily was going to be a witch and it was going to be perfect."

"Sounds lovely." She smiled, gripping her elbow. "So, were the two of you..."

"Hazel." A deep voice said, cutting her off.

All eyes turned to the door behind them and saw Sirius, his face a mask of indifference. Remus kissed her hand and nodded. "Go." He urged and she fled the room with Sirius hot on her heels.

"What's that about?" Fred asked laughing.

"Oh those two; you really don't want to know." Remus sighed, walking back to his seat. "Messiest relationship I've ever known."

"Sirius?" Tonks asked, looking back to the door. "And that Woman?"

"They were together for six years before they broke up." He nodded, "They loved to argue constantly, he used to snap at her feathers as she flew off!"

"Feathers?" Harry asked, he saw Remus pause for a second before choosing to ignore it.

"She was fast on a broom though, he could never quite catch her." He smiled, shoving some potato into his mouth. "Give them an hour or two to clear the air and then I bet Hazel wants to meet you again."

"Was she friends with my parents?"

"She kept your mother company in her misery over us." Remus nodded. "And she babysat you all the time."

"She had a nice coat on." Hermione mused, looking back to the door as if it refreshed her memory. "I wonder if she'd take me shopping..."

"You two are very much alike actually." Remus stated with a laugh, "Though I daresay you've less of a temper."

---

Hazel could feel Sirius behind her as she walked up the stairs and through the mad maze of rooms and corridors until they reached his bedroom. She stopped and turned to him, all the hatred and anger having fled as she marched up the stairs. His hair was just as long as it had always been and his eyes the same clear grey but he looked older, tired and lost.

Dropping her bag to the floor, not bothering to step inside the room, she reached up and ran her fingers over his face as tears started to fall. "I can't believe it's you." She whispered. "Sirius."

Where moments before he'd been planning on complaining that it had taken two years for her to turn up, that she'd never once visited him in Azkaban, that she'd let him go. He just kissed her. His arms crushing her against him as he felt the last fourteen years slip into oblivion, like he was still twenty one and they'd never been apart.

Her back made contact with the door as he pushed his way through. "Ignore the hippogriff."

"Some things never change." She laughed, glancing over his shoulder to where the hippogriff had cracked a single eye open to glare at them. "Shouldn't I make friends with him first?

"Yes." He sighed, giving into logic and pulling himself away from her.

Sirius took the chance to look her over again, this time without the anger clouding his mind. She looked just the same if not a little curvier, her bum and chest were fuller if possible and that red dress was doing brilliant things. It hugged her perfectly, she looked every inch what he'd expect Hazel to look like at 35.

Buckbeak bowed his head, allowing Hazel to approach and stroke him before she turned back to him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." He laughed, sweeping her back into his arms and finally onto his bed. "I'm sorry."

"I know." She murmured against his lips. "Me too."

"I hate it when you cry." He whispered, kissing her cheeks free of the small droplets. "Never cry over me."

"Never leave me again." She whispered, as the emotion welled back to the surface. "I can't lose you again, promise me."

"I promise." He said, lowering his lips to her collar bone. "I knew I'd always love you."

"I love you." She nodded, moving her hands to the buttons of his shirt. "If you don't get out of this now then I'll have to rip it off you."

"Well." He laughed, leaning up slightly. "I'd rather enjoy that."

"You git." She grinned, knowing she'd not be strong enough to rip it and quickly undoing the buttons herself before running her fingers over his tattoos. "You know, I kind of like these."

"Thought you would." He smirked, sitting back on his haunches to pull his shirt and waist coat over his shoulders. "Come on Haze, can't leave me like this with no reward."

Biting her lips, she threw her arms around his shoulders pulling him down with her.