As Celestia and Harry stepped out of the library, the air felt thick with tension, both of them acutely aware of the clandestine encounter they had just shared amidst the shelves of books. Celestia's cheeks burned with embarrassment, her eyes trained on the floor, unwilling to meet Harry's gaze. Sensing her discomfort, Harry, too, felt a flush creep up his neck, his mind racing with a flurry of thoughts.
Offering to walk Celestia back to the Slytherin common room, Harry's heart thudded in his chest as they walked side by side, the silence between them palpable.
As they walked through the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts, the tension between them began to dissipate, replaced by a newfound sense of camaraderie born from their shared secret. Celestia couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment from their intimate encounter in the library.
"Well, that was close," Harry remarked with a grin, breaking the silence between them as they made their way towards the Slytherin common room.
"Too close for comfort," Celestia replied, her voice tinged with amusement. "I don't think Madam Pince would have appreciated finding us in such a compromising position."
Harry chuckled, the weight of the situation lifting slightly as they exchanged playful banter. "Imagine the scandal," he joked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Harry Potter caught in a steamy rendezvous in the Hogwarts library."
Celestia rolled her eyes, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day," she quipped, her tone lightening as they shared a moment of levity amidst the chaos of their clandestine encounter.
As they continued their journey back to the Slytherin common room, their laughter echoed through the empty corridors, a testament to the unexpected bond they had forged in the most unlikely of places.
Celestia's request caught Harry off guard as they reached near the dungeons. She asked him to arrange for a potion for birth control discreetly, not wanting to order one herself using her name, her words laden with a mixture of urgency and vulnerability.
"Why do you need that?" Harry inquired, his curiosity piqued by her unexpected plea.
"It's your seed, Potter," Celestia retorted, her tone tinged with sarcasm. "You should take responsibility."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle at her blunt response, a blush creeping up his neck. "Fair point," he admitted sheepishly, realizing the gravity of the situation. "I'll take care of it."
For a moment, they lingered in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air between them. Then, with a resigned sigh, Harry reached out to gently grasp Celestia's hand, his touch sending a jolt of electricity coursing through her veins.
"Take care of yourself, Celestia," he said earnestly, his eyes searching hers for reassurance.
"I will," she promised, her voice barely above a whisper as she returned his gaze, her heart swelling with a mixture of affection and longing.
With one final glance, Harry reluctantly released her hand and turned to leave, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.
Harry spent the whole of Sunday in the Gryffindor common room, along with Ron Weasley buried in their books while the room around them filled up, then emptied.
It was another clear, fine day and most students spent the day out in the grounds, enjoying what might well be some of the last sunshine that year. By the afternoon, Harry was told by Angelina that The Slytherin team had their quidditch practice and Harry remembered Celestia happens to be the Chaser for the slytherin team since their third year.
He hadn't seen her since Saturday evening, and his mind raced with the possibilities of what she might be thinking. Did she miss him? Harry pondered the curious nature of their relationship – how they could argue like mad banshees one moment, only to find themselves drawn back to each other in the next.
The enigma of their connection both intrigued and bewildered him, leaving him grappling with a myriad of emotions as he longed for their next encounter.
Harry's mind churned with uncertainty as he pondered the logistics of acquiring the potion for birth control. Where on earth would he find it? The thought of approaching someone for such a delicate matter made him squirm uncomfortably.
Sirius was out of the question, trapped in his family's house under strict surveillance. Lupin? Harry hesitated; he couldn't bring himself to confide in his former professor about such personal matters. Mr. Weasley was ruled out as well; the last thing Harry wanted was to involve Ron's father in his private affairs. As he mulled over his options, a sense of frustration gnawed at him. How could something so simple feel so impossibly complicated?
Feeling the weight of the dilemma pressing down on him, Harry sighed heavily. He couldn't shake the nagging worry about how to fulfill Celestia's request discreetly. Perhaps there was someone else he could turn to, someone he trusted implicitly. Hermione? No, she'd probably launch into a lecture about the importance of responsible behavior. Ron? He seemed trustworthy enough, but would he understand the urgency of Harry's predicament? The more Harry considered his options, the more overwhelmed he felt. It was like navigating a labyrinth of uncertainty with no clear path forward. Eventually, he resolved Sirius will be his better option.
Harry started doing his assignment, as He, Ron, and Hermione are diligently working on their homework late into the night.
Despite their efforts, Ron grows increasingly frustrated with Hermione's corrections in his essay about Jupiter's moons. Hermione, trying to be helpful, points out an error, which further annoys Ron. However, their focus is interrupted when Percy's owl, Hermes, unexpectedly appears at the window.
Ron is surprised to receive a letter from Percy and eagerly reads its contents. As he reads further, Ron's expression darkens, and he becomes visibly upset. He shares the contents of the letter with Harry and Hermione, who lean in together to read it.
Harry reads the letter then he looks up at Ron. "Well," he said, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, "if you want to - er - what is it?" - he checked Percy's letter - "Oh yeah - “sever ties” with me, I swear I won't get violent."
"Give it back," said Ron, holding out his hand. "He is -" Ron said jerkily, tearing Percy's letter in half "the world's -" he tore it into quarters "biggest -" he tore it into eighths "git.' He threw the pieces into the fire. "Come on, we've got to get this finished sometime before dawn," he said briskly to Harry, pulling Professor Sinistra's essay back towards him.
Hermione was looking at Ron with an odd expression on her face.
"Oh, give them here," she said abruptly.
'What?' said Ron.
"Give them to me, I'll look through them and correct them,' she said.
"Are you serious? Ah, Hermione, you're a life-saver," said Ron, "what can I -?"
"What you can say is, “We promise we'll never leave our homework this late again,”" she said, holding out both hands for their essays, but she looked slightly amused all the same.
"Thanks a million, Hermione," said Harry weakly, passing over his essay and sinking back into his armchair, rubbing his eyes.
It was now past midnight and the common room was deserted but for the three of them and Crookshanks. The only sound was that of Hermione's quill scratching out sentences here and there on their essays and the ruffle of pages as she checked various facts in the reference books strewn across the table. Harry was exhausted. He also felt an odd, sick, empty feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with tiredness and everything to do with the letter now curling blackly in the heart of the fire.
"Harry, yours is OK except for this bit at the end, I think you must have misheard Professor Sinistra, Europa's covered in ice, not mice -Harry?" He heard Hermione mentioning him but ignored her.
Harry had slid off his chair on to his knees and was now crouching on the singed and threadbare hearthrug, gazing into the flames.
"Er - Harry?" said Ron uncertain. "Why are you down there?'
"Because I've just seen Sirius's head in the fire," said Harry, calmly.
"Sirius's head?" Hermione repeated. "You mean like when he wanted to talk to you during the Triwizard Tournament? But he wouldn't do that now, it would be too - Sirius!"
She gasped, gazing at the fire; Ron dropped his quill. There in the middle of the dancing flames sat Sirius's head, long dark hair falling around his grinning face.
"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared," he said. "I've been checking every hour."
Hermione expressed concern over the risk, to which Sirius assured her that any sightings had been fleeting and inconsequential.
Harry recalled his correspondence with Sirius, prompted by Hermione's surprise, and admitted that he had forgotten to mention it due to a distraction involving Celestia. Hermione and Ron, curious about Harry's letter, turned to Sirius for confirmation of its quality.
Sirius commended Harry's efforts and quickly shifted the conversation to the topic of Harry's scar, assuring him that occasional discomfort was to be expected with Voldemort's return.
Harry speculated on the cause of his scar's pain, questioning whether Umbridge's physical contact during detention could be responsible.
Sirius dismissed this possibility, attributing the pain to Voldemort's heightened emotions. Harry explained that Celestia had told him in the library that Umbridge may kill him to help Fudge maintain is position as Minister of Magic, if necessary.
Hermione voiced her disdain for Umbridge, prompting Sirius to recount her discriminatory actions against werewolves and other magical beings.
Ron interjected with skepticism about Umbridge's motives, while Sirius shared insider information suggesting Fudge's fear of Dumbledore's influence and a potential clash between them. Harry confirmed that Celestia had told him the same thing.
Harry further inquired about any forthcoming articles in the Daily Prophet regarding Dumbledore, referencing Percy's letter, and Sirius admitted to being out of the loop due to a lack of contact with the Order.
Concerns about Hagrid's delayed return surfaced, but Sirius urged caution in seeking answers to avoid drawing attention to Hagrid's absence. Assuring them of Hagrid's resilience, Sirius advised against unnecessary inquiries to prevent unnecessary scrutiny. Sirius confirmed the fact that Celestia had told Harry about Hagrid visiting the giant colony to make them side with Dumbledore.
Harry decided, this is the best chance he has, hesitated for a moment, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, before finally mustering the courage to broach the delicate topic. "Sirius, do you know where I can get a potion for... um, birth control?" he asked, avoiding the gaze of Ron and Hermione, who looked utterly bewildered by the sudden turn in conversation.
Sirius's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he couldn't suppress a smirk. "Well, looks like my godson is growing up," he teased, "I'll get you one, will send it to you by post, Harry, no worries. But first, spill the beans—who's the lucky lady?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably, feeling his face grow even warmer. "It's, uh, it's nobody, really," he mumbled, avoiding Sirius's knowing gaze.
"Nobody, huh? Celestia Malfoy, isn't she?" Sirius chuckled. Harry started at him, shocked, "your visit to Slytherin girls dormitory didn't go unnoticed by Dumbledore, Well, just remember, mate, not to have too much fun. We don't need any unexpected additions to the family tree."
Harry managed a weak laugh, grateful for Sirius's lighthearted approach to the conversation. "Got it, Sirius," he said, relieved to have his godfather's support.
Sirius's expression softened as he looked at Harry. "Hey, speaking of family, why don't you invite Celestia over for Christmas?" he suggested. "I'd love to meet her."
A flicker of surprise crossed Harry's face, but he quickly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll ask her," he replied, feeling a sense of warmth at the thought of spending the holidays with Celestia.
"But —" Hermione began but Sirius interrupted her.
"And while we're on the subject of responsibility," Sirius added, his tone turning more serious, "With your father gone, it falls to me as your godfather to look out for you. I think it's time we talked about getting you and Celestia a place of your own."
Harry's eyes widened in astonishment at the unexpected offer, and he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. "What? No! We're just dating, we're not getting married or anything," he protested, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck.
Sirius smirked, clearly amused by Harry's reaction. "Yeah, like she's going to leave you now. Malfoy is a pure-blooded witch; she'd sooner see you hexed into oblivion than let you go, mate. She's serious about you, that's why she agreed to be... erm... physical?" he teased.
Harry's flush deepened at the blunt mention of their intimate moments.
"But given the current circumstances, it won't be long before she'll have to leave her family's house," Sirius continued, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "You can't exactly take her to the Weasleys'—no offense, but this Grimmauld Place isn't exactly charming, is it? You'll need to provide her with a nice place to stay and some gold."
Harry couldn't help but think Sirius was getting ahead of himself. "Sirius, you're jumping way ahead into the future. Celestia isn't leaving her house anytime soon," he reasoned.
"Oh, you'll be surprised, Harry," Sirius said with a wink. "You've got the gold covered, so that's not a concern. As for a house, leave it to me; I'll look into it for you. You can thank me later. When's your next Hogsmeade weekend, anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could —"
"NO!" said Harry and Hermione together, very loudly.
"Sirius, didn't you see the Daily Prophet?" said Hermione anxiously.
"Oh, that," said Sirius, grinning, "they're always guessing where I am,
they haven't really got a clue -"
"Yeah, but we think this time they have," said Harry. "Something Draco said on the train made us think he knew it was you, and his father was on the platform, Sirius - you know, Lucius Malfoy - so don't come up here, whatever you do. If Malfoy recognises you again -"
"All right, all right, I've got the point," said Sirius. He looked most displeased. "Just an idea, I thought you might like to get together."
"I would, I just don't want you chucked back in Azkaban!" said Harry.
There was a pause in which Sirius looked out of the fire at Harry, a
crease between his sunken eyes. "You're less like your father than I thought," he said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. "The risk would've been what made it fun for James."
"Look -"
"Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs,"
said Sirius, but Harry was sure he was lying. "I'll send you the potion via owl along with it I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?' There was a tiny pop, and the place where sirius's head had been was flickering flame once more.