𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚖 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜, 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 <𝟹
Y/N felt herself slam flat into the ground, the sound of cheering and the Hogwarts band was loud against their ears.
She took several breaths, it all felt surreal. She didn't know what to do with herself.
Voldemort was back.
He was back and he was going to be after Harry.
"Y/N-" Harry said, seizing her into a tight hug, he let out a relieved sigh, her arms wrapping around him aswell.
She was okay.
Y/N clung to him, her face buried into his shoulder as he kissed the top of her head.
God, everything could have gone so much differently.
And why did she feel the sudden urge to kiss him.
It was most definitely not the time for that.
She pulled back, her eyes scanning him for wounds.
"Merlin Harry— your arm." She said, taking it into her hand as he winced softly. Then gash was so deep, blood staining his arm and the cloth surrounding it.
"I'm fine, your leg is hurt," he said, brushing off his own pain as his concern grew for her.
"Harry! Harry!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Miss Black?-"
"He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort."
"What's going on? What's happened?" Said Cornelius Fudge, confused by the lack of cheering on Harry's behalf.
The crowd in the background was still cheering loudly.
And then Harry realized.
"There's— there's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here — they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end —"
"—It's Moody!" Y/N said, not remembering why she had waited until now to say it.
It had been stupid of her.
Y/N tried her best to stand, but she nearly collapsed at the sudden pain that shot through her.
"I beg your pardon?" Fudge said, he didn't look the slightest bit impressed.
Harry looked at Y/N like she was crazy.
"Polyjuice potion" she said, "he's Barty crouch— junior! He's the one who took me to the graveyard— Stop looking at me like that!" She said, fighting through the pain in her leg as she forced herself to stand.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes"
Fudge scoffed. "You're going to believe the child of that delinquent? She's lying!"
Dumbledore completely ignored him.
He turned on his heel, he raised his wand to his neck, amplifying his voice. "All students are to return to their common rooms, now!"
Harry looked confused. "I thought crouch's son was dead?"
"Me too," Y/N said.
***
Professor McGonagall had taken Y/N and Harry to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey tended to their wounds. She listed them off as she muttered angrily under her breath.
"Completely outrageous....only children...."
She had run a diagnostic charm on them, Y/N didn't think she could forget the look of horror on her face when Madam Pomfrey had realized that they had both been crucioed.
She did everything that she could.
The amount of dittany on Harry's wound was probably weighing down his arm.
She told him it wouldn't scar.
Madam Pomfrey had casted almost every single healing charm that could come to her mind. She had fixed everything, though the soreness in their bodies lingered.
Pomfrey forced them to eat an entire extra meal. Claiming it would help with the exhaustion.
Harry already felt overly full because of the amount of potions that had been poured down his throat.
It hadn't even been half an hour before Y/N and Harry were called to the defense against the dark arts office.
They did as they were told, walking out and to the room.
The first thing they saw when they entered the room was Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Dumbledore all huddled around a chest.
Moody— well, crouch, was stunned, sitting on the ground with his back flat against the wall.
Dumbledore looked up. "Ah yes, do come in, we have much to discuss."
Snape glanced at them. Their presence seemed to agitate him.
Y/N and Harry stepped further inside.
"It appears you were right Miss Black" he held up Moody's hip flask, unscrewed it, and turned it over.
A thick liquid splattered onto the office floor.
"Polyjuice Potion," said Dumbledore. "You see the simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see.." he motioned them to look inside of the chest, they did.
It was deep, it seemed like an entire other room.
And there he was, in the flesh, the real Alastor Moody.
"his hair . . ." Dumbledore looked down on Moody in the trunk. "The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done . . . on the hour . . . every hour. . . . We shall see."
Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor.
It was right on time, almost immediately, they watched as the face of the man began to change. The scars disappearing, the skin was becoming smooth,The long mane of gray hair was withdrawing into the scalp and turning dark.
"Crouch!" Snape said, "Barty Crouch!"
"Told you" Y/N said, looking bored as Snape glared at her.
"Good heavens," said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor.
"Severus, you have the potion?"
Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid: the Veritaserum, with which he had threatened Harry in class.
Dumbledore got up, forced the man's mouth open and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the man's chest and said, "Rennervate."
Crouch's son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level.
"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly. The man's eyelids flickered.
"Yes," he muttered.
"I would like you to tell us," said Dumbledore softly, "how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"
Crouch took a deep breath, then began to speak in a flat voice.
"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance. The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying per- son leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors."
"My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."
"And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?" said Dumbledore quietly.
"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf, Winky, nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master . . . of returning to his service."
"How did your father subdue you?" said Dumbledore.
"The Imperius Curse," Crouch said. "I was under my father's control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior."
Poor Winky. Y/N thought, she was simply blinded by the love of her masters.
"Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?" said Dumbledore softly. "Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf ?"
"No"
"Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup," said Dumbledore.
"Winky talked my father into it," said Crouch,"She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end."
"It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know.
"But Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father's Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boy's pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn't know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden."
"So you took the wand," said Dumbledore, "and what did you do with it?"
"We went back to the tent," said Crouch. "Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand. I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent; he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky."
"Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned. When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He waited until the other Ministry members had left the forest. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky."
Y/N scoffed. Crouch had accused her for no reason.
"Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then . . . and then . . .My master came for me.
He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door."
The smile spread over Crouch's face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life.
"It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn't been in years.
"And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?" said Dumbledore.
"He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would bring the metamorphmagus to him. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter. Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first —"
"You needed Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm.
"Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody's double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody's clothes and Dark detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boomslang skin from the dungeons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it."
"And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?" said Dumbledore.
"Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father."
"But your father escaped," said Dumbledore.
"Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban."
"My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything."
"Map?" said Dumbledore quickly. "What map is this?"
Harry glanced at Y/N, he was sure she regretted giving it to him.
She did.
"Potter's map of Hogwarts. Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape."
"For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum. I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I Stunned Krum. I killed my father."
"You killed your father," Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. "What did you do with the body?"
"Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come."
"Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a bone . . . I buried it while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."
There was complete silence now. Then Dumbledore said, "And tonight . . ."
"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner," whispered Barty Crouch. "Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards."
The smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder.
Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust.
He raised his wand once more and ropes flew out of it, ropes that twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry and Y/N upstairs?"
"Of course," said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, she drew out her wand and pointed it at Crouch.
"Severus" — Dumbledore turned to Snape — "please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me."
Snape nodded silently and swept out of the room.
Harry didn't know how to feel, everything was different now, Voldemort was back.
Y/N slipped her hand into his comfortingly, he looked at her.
He was just glad she was safe.
He didn't know what he would've done if something had happened to her.
Dumbledore walked them out of the office.
"Sirius is waiting for us."
They nodded.
"Are the other champions okay?" Harry asked, looking at Dumbledore.
He nodded. "They all returned safely, a few scratches here and there, that's all."
Good. Harry thought.
If one of them had gotten hurt— or worse.. he knew it would've been his fault.
They had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and they went up the moving spiral staircase to the door.
Dumbledore pushed it open.
Sirius was standing there. His face was pale and gaunt, he looked like he had just escaped Azkaban again.
He had crossed the room within seconds, pulling Y/N and Harry into a bone crushing hug.
He was clinging onto Y/N the most.
Sirius let out a deep breath. "Merlin." He muttered, pulling away slightly, his eyes roaming them, making sure that they had been properly healed.
"Are you all right? I knew it — I knew something like this — what happened?"
They sat on the chairs across from Dumbledore's desk.
"What happened?" he asked more urgently.
Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything that Barty Crouch had said.
Sirius' hand was balled into a fist. His knuckles white.
Dumbledore looked at Y/N, "let's go in order shall we, before we get into the details of the graveyard, how exactly did you get there?"
Y/N, sighed, leaning back in her chair.
Then she recounted what had happened, she shared her suspicions and how he had previously asked her about her ability, his slight interest that grew into much more.
"I'll kill him." Sirius said, standing up. "I'll fucking kill him"
"Sit down Mr. Black." Dumbledore said rather sternly. Sirius had his jaw clenched.
How dare that death eater scum, kidnap his little girl.
Sirius would kill the bloody bastard.
Dumbledore now looked at Harry, and Y/N. Harry, Y/N noticed; was much more shaken about this than she was. Though she found the entire experience terrifying, simply remembering the amount of torture Harry had to endure made her sick to her stomach.
But for Harry it was different. The man who ruined his life, the man whose single goal was to kill him.. He was back. He was free. And Harry was helpless to do anything about it.
"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry," said Dumbledore.
"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" said Sirius harshly. He put one hand on Harry's shoulder and the other on Y/N's protectively. "Let them have sleep. Let them rest."
Harry felt relieved, he didn't want to relive it all. The torture, the blood—
But seeing Y/N hurt. Merlin that was the worst part.
Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius's words. He leaned forward toward Harry.
"I ask you to tell us what happened."
He took a deep breath.
"We'll go back and forth, okay?" Y/N said, giving his hand a slight squeeze.
Harry nodded and they began to tell him.
Visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to be replaying.
Y/N and Harry did take turns, each describing what had happened in extreme detail.
Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on their shoulders, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him.
When Harry told of Wormtail piercing his arm with the dagger, however, Sirius let out a gasp.
They looked at his arm. Harry raised his bandaged sleeve.
"Madam Pomfrey put loads of Dittany on it, it's still healing," she said as Harry put his arm down.
"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's," Harry told Dumbledore. "He said the protection my — my mother left in me — he'd have it too. He was right — he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."
"Very well," Dumbledore said, sitting down again. "Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier, continue. Please."
They went on; explaining how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron, and told them what they could remember of Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters. Then he told how Voldemort had untied them, torturing and demanding Y/N to join him, then returning Harry's wand to him, and prepared to duel.
He spoke of when the golden beam formed around them, though he neglected the part where he saw his parents.
"Why did the wands connect?" Y/N asked.
Dumbledore looked at her, then to Harry's wand. "Priori Incantatem," he muttered.
His eyes gazed into Harry's.
"The Reverse Spell effect?" said Sirius sharply.
"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact," he added, and at that moment, Fawkes came flying over,landing on Y/N's shoulder.
"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Harry said, amazed.
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."
"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" said Sirius.
"They will not work properly against each other," said Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle . . . a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed — in reverse. The most recent first . . . and then those which preceded it. . . ."
"Which means," said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, "that some forms reappeared"
Harry nodded again.
"They came back to life?" said Sirius sharply. There was no need to clarify who 'they' was, they knew.
"No spell can reawaken the dead," said Dumbledore heavily. "All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living would have emerged from the wand . . . am I correct, Harry?"
"He spoke to me, my dad." Harry said.
Sirius's grip on their shoulders had tightened.
Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had emerged on the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's father had told him what to do.
Though he did leave out one part.
"Don't let go, now!" Lily cried, Harry struggled to keep up his end of the spell, Voldemort seeming far stronger than him. "Don't let him get you, Harry — don't let go!"
She and two other shadowy figures began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web, while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it.
And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort's wand.
"Your father's coming . . ." she said quietly. "Hold on for your father . . . it will be all right . . . hold on. . . ."
And he came, first his head, then his body, black and untidy-haired like Harry, the smoky, shadowy form of James Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand.
He walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and he spoke in the same echoing voice as his mother, but quietly, so that Voldemort could not hear.
"When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments . . . but we will give you time . . . you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts . . . do you understand, Harry?"
"Yes," Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.
And then another figure emerged. It was a woman. Harry stared at her in disbelief. She looked almost exactly like Y/N.
This was Y/N's mother.
It was a striking resemblance.
"Harry.." whispered the figure of Cassiopeia, "Take care of her for me, please"
"I will," said Harry quickly, his fingers feeling like they would slip at any moment.
"Do it now," whispered James' voice, "be ready to run, do it now. . . ."
Catching a final glimpse of his parents, Harry pulled his wand upward and the golden thread broke; And Harry ran faster than he had ever run in his life.
"I will say it again," said Dumbledore as Fawkes rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it — and you have now given us all that we have a right to expect."
"And you, Y/N, though I must ask that in the future, should you have any concerns, you come and tell me. Your intellect and determination is something not found in many, I commend you for it, for you too have been very brave under the circumstances that you and Harry have dealt with. You will come with me back to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitories tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace . . . Sirius, would you like to stay with them?"
Sirius nodded and stood up. He transformed back into the shaggy black dog and walked with Y/N, Harry and Dumbledore out of the office, down the stairs and to the hospital wing.
When Dumbledore pushed open the door, Y/N saw Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Remus, grouped around a harassed looking Madam Pomfrey.
All of them whipped around as they entered.
"Oh!" Molly gasped, as she started to hurry toward them, but Dumbledore moved between them.
"Molly," he said, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. I do not want you questioning them until they've gotten proper rest and they feel comfortable answering, certainly not this evening."
Remus had walked up to them, ignoring Dumbledore as he, just as Sirius had done, pulled Harry and Y/N into a hug.
"You alright?" He asked, looking very concerned. They nodded.
"Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the black dog that was Sirius, "may I ask what — ?"
"This dog will be remaining with Y/N and Harry for a while," said Dumbledore simply. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge," said Dumbledore. "I would like you both to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." Then he left.
Hermione too had pushed her way forwards, seizing Y/N into a hug and then pulling away to do the same with Harry.
Then came Fred and George, who for once seemed to have a serious look on their faces as they nearly suffocated Y/N in such a tight embrace.
Then followed Ron, and finally Molly who had hugged them so tight it almost hurt.
They all refrained from asking any questions, much like Dumbledore had requested, and they were pushed out of the room (everyone except Remus) by Madam Pomfrey, as she claimed that Y/N and Harry needed no disturbances.
Madam Pomfrey led Y/N and Harry to nearby beds.
As Y/N sat down onto hers, she caught sight of the real Moody lying motionless in a bed at the far end of the room. His wooden leg and magical eye were lying on the bedside table.
"Is he okay?" Harry asked, he too looking in the same direction.
"He'll be fine," said Madam Pomfrey, reaching and handing each Y/N and Harry a bar of chocolate.
She turned to Remus. "How have you been?" She asked, a small smile on her face.
"All good" Remus said kindly, Y/N could tell that she cared deeply for him, she assumed that Madam Pomfrey had been the one to care for Remus in his Hogwarts years.
"I'm glad dear," Madam Pomfrey said, patting his shoulder softly as she turned back to Y/N and Harry. She walked over, pulling tall curtains towards them. "Together or separate?" She asked.
Harry and Y/N didn't even have to think before answering.
"Together" they said nearly at the same time. Madam Pomfrey nodded, pulling long tall racks of curtains to shield them from the outside view.
She pulled two vials, each a deep shade of purple. "You'll each need to drink this" she said handing it to each of them, "Remus I'll put you in charge of making sure they take the potions," she said, her eyes shifted to the dog, "—and to make sure that dog stays off the beds" with that, she left.
Sirius transformed back and scoffed. "Honestly, they treat me like I have a disease."
"Oh shut up Pads." Remus said, a look of amusement on his face. "I should be heading back soon" he said, walking over and giving Y/N another hug, he pulled back, looking at her.
"I don't know what's happened, padfoot will tell me. Whatever it was, you were brave and I'm proud of you." He gave her a soft smile. "I'll see you tomorrow yeah?"
Y/N nodded. "Thank you Remus" she said, appreciative of his kindness. He was like a second father— well, a third father.
Remus patted her shoulder softly and then turned to Harry.
Sirius sat down next to Y/N. "Moony's great isn't he?" He asked. Looking as Remus spoke to Harry in the same manner that he had spoken to Y/N.
Y/N glanced at Sirius, there was something indescribable in the way he was looking at Remus.
A sort of admiration, something like that.
Could it..?
Y/N looked away, maybe, maybe not.
Though there was something about the both of them that felt like it connected. So similar yet so different.
"Are you really alright?" Sirius asked, looking at her in concern. A look she'd been seeing almost the entire year.
"I'm okay, nothing really happened with me, it's Harry who—"
He cut her off.
"Y/N, I love Harry, but you're my daughter. There's not a person in this entire world that I love more than you." Sirius said, looking at her almost sternly.
"You dealt with something traumatic, and I'm not saying that Harry didn't, because he did, but I won't have you making it seem like nothing happened with you, it's not always going to be about Harry, you have your own things to worry about." He paused, suddenly looking very worried.
"You're a target Y/N, he knows you now, and not just as a Metamorphmagus, he knows you by name, he knows how you act, and he knows that you care about Harry. I want you to stay safe, and I want you to update me about your own situation, Harry can speak for himself, you worry about your own things, that is your priority"
Y/N stayed silent for a moment, he was right.
Did that mean that she'd actually prioritize herself over Harry?
Hell no.
But he did make a fair point.
"And if you're anything like me, you'll just ignore me—
"Ah shit. You are like me."
Y/N snorted, flopping backwards onto the mattress of her bed.
"Is that a bad thing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sirius sighed. "Yes and no, 'no' because you got my looks, which means that everyone is going to fall in love with you" he rolled his eyes and then grinned as he let out a loud deep sigh, "It's a curse to look this good"
Remus let out a short laugh.
"Shut up!" Sirius said, grinning as he pulled Y/N's chocolate bar and threw it at him.
Remus caught it, a smirk on his face. "Thank you." he broke a piece off, tossing it into his mouth.
Sirius nearly flushed. That was hot.
He kept his composure.
Y/N kept a grin from surfacing at the look on his face.
Sirius cleared his throat.
"As I was saying.. the bad part is that you're stubborn"
"Like you" Y/N said, arching an eyebrow.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yes like me, honestly, everyone is up against me today"
Remus rolled his eyes, "yeah yeah, calm it down 'fleabag'"
"You can't steal the nickname from me uncle Moony" Y/N said.
Harry grinned. "Wasn't it... 'dog with the disease'?"
Sirius stood up. "This is outrageous. I'm being harassed by children"
They all laughed, Sirius rolling his eyes as he pretended to be upset.
After a few moments Remus stood up, bidding them a goodbye as he left.
"Now that you've all stopped bullying me, get up" he said, making Y/N and Harry get up from their beds.
They looked at him in confusion.
Sirius pulled out the rollable table from in between the beds and pushed both of the beds together.
"See? Much better" He turned towards Y/N, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, he turned and patted Harry's shoulder. "Drink your potions and go to sleep, we can speak more tomorrow morning" he shrunk down into his animagus form and hopped onto the bed, curling into a corner at the foot of the bed.
Y/N and Harry too got onto the bed, it was now a large single bed rather than two.
Harry handed Y/N her vial of the sleeping potion, she took it.
They glanced at each other, downing the potion in a single action, the liquid feeling almost warm and soothing.
Then it was almost like a silent agreement.
Why would they sleep on opposite ends of the bed? Neither of them wanted to be alone, especially after what they had dealt with.
So they didn't.
Y/N and Harry had moved closer to each other, it was like hugging, but.. laying down.
Harry had his arm wrapped around beneath Y/N, her head resting on his chest, while also wrapping her arm around him.
Harry could feel each shallow breath that she took, the way his arm slowly rose and fell with the pattern of her breathing, she was so warm against him.
He liked this more than hugging.
But nothing quite surpassed her kissing.
Y/N found this to be indescribable, comfortable, relaxing, we're the closest she was to properly explaining it, and it made her feel that.. the flutters at the pit of her stomach, uneasy in a way.
A good way.
She could faintly hear his heartbeat, his soft quiet breathing, the exact placement of his hand on her back.
If she really wanted to, all she needed to do was tilt her head up and kiss him.
It'd be so easy.
They didn't even notice when they had fallen asleep.
But it was easily the most comfortable and best sleep of their entire lives.
_____________________
𝔈𝔭𝔥𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔩
________
"ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴀꜱᴛ"