/Lioness\ Sirius Black

[four]

• present •

Harry sat in Herbology class with Hermione across from him and Ron on the other side of him. They were working sketches of different plants around the room, having to include three different facts or details about it. As they continued working, there was a knock on the glass door of the greenhouse, making all the students look up. Professor McGonagall stood at the doorway and looked at the teacher, Professor Sprout.

May I borrow Mr. Potter? She's here." The older woman asked, making the Herbology teacher look excited and chuckled as she nodded to her. Confused at who 'she' was, he stood up. Some of the students 'ohhh'ed like he was in trouble. Even Ron did teasingly, making Hermione swat at him over the table.

Harry walked out and followed Professor McGonagall back into the castle. They walked in silence until they were in one of the many hallways of the large school before Harry spoke up. "Excuse me Professor? Why does Dumbledore need me?"

"There is someone in his office that he wants you to meet." The old woman answered simply as she faced forward.

"Who?" He asked, looking at her with a confused expression.

"Your aunt."

He turned his whole body toward her in disbelief that his horrible aunt was here. "Petunia is here?! Why, she's a muggle!" McGonagall stopped and looked at him and a small smile on her face.

"You're other aunt. She was a friend of your mother and father. She wasn't allowed to take custody of you, even though she's your godmother, because the ministry considered her 'emotional unstable' and she wasn't a blood relative." She said like it was no big deal before turning back and continued walking towards Dumbledores office.

Harry stared at her back in shock as he processed this, before jogged to catch up with his teacher. "Wait, so...I have a...witch aunt?" He asked, still a little bit confusion that nobody had told him about this sooner. He had a relative that wasn't a muggle. A witch.

"Yes you do, and she has been dying to see you again." They got there just in time. Professor McGonagall told the statue the password, which was 'Cauldron cakes' today. The statue moved and they walked up the stairs, the older woman in front. She knocked one the large wooden door. They waited until they heard Dumbledore on the other side, "Ah, yes Harry come in." Before opening the door.

Harry looked around the familiar office before his eyes landed on the person in the corner, who was stroking Fawkes under the beak. Hearing his name, she turned around. It was a woman. She couldn't have been more then 25, 30 at most, her skin dark and creamy brown, her eyes matching. Her hair was what was most intriguing. It was yellow. Not obnoxiously yellow like a traffic cone, but not subtle either.

The woman was wearing a simple black turtle neck sweater, jeans, and a tan overcoat on, as it was already quite cold outside. She looked nervous almost. She smiled kindly at him and looked at him, studying how much he had grown since she had last seen him.

"This is Astara White, your aunt and godmother." Dumbledore said from behind his desk.

She forward with a small smile and held out her hand to him, "It's nice to see you again, Harry."

He furrowed her brows and looked at her confused, "Again?" He questioned.

"Well I was there when you were born so we have met, not that you would remember. You were so small." She said with a slightly chuckle at the end which made him do the same.

"You two may walk around the castle, catch up, talk. You could even go down to Hogsmead and learn about each other." Dumbledore cut in as he continued writing with his quill, only looking up with kind eyes at the last sentence.

"Um...would you like to go to Hogsmead. I'm sure it's been a bit since you've been there. I'm not saying that your old! It's just-" Harry said as he started to fumble with his words before being cut off by Astaras' laughter.

"It's fine. Sure, let's out to Hogsmead! It has been some time."

***

The two of them go to Hogsmead and have a great time. They first went to some of the smaller shops that had different little trinkets, which they didn't really buy anything at before going to Honeydukes where Astara buys some candies for both of them, despite Harry saying he didn't want her spending her money on him but she insisted. Harry and her talked throughout talking about anything and everything. School, life, Harry's friends, and some of his favorite classes.

At the end they decided to go to the Three Broom Sticks for a butter beer before she had to take him back to the school. When Harry asked about her hair, as it had turned from happy yellow to rose gold for family love, she told him that she was a level four Metamorphmagus, which meant she could change her hair color with her emotions or at she command. Which he was very impressed by.

"Do you want to come home with me over Christmas break?" Astara asked they walked to the door of the pub. He looked at her in surprise as she continued, "You know so that you won't have to go back to that wretched house again."

Harry was so excited that he pulled her into a tight hug, which she took as a yes. He went to pull away, thinking it was too soon for physical contact but she hugged him closer. "Thank you, Harry."

"No, thank you...Aunt Tara."