A Fall Through Worlds And Time Apart

Part 36

The kids returned later that day and looked sort of sad. Eventhough Ara had mentioned it, Sirius chose not to intrude his godsons thoughts.

Ara busied herself talking to Kreacher. Harry noticed the elf almost physically clung onto Ara and she was sort of over protective about the elf. Ara absolutely refused Mrs Weasley's order to let Kreacher clean up the burrow on his own and wanted to go with him. Sirius put his feet down to let Ara out of the house. Mrs Weasley looked hurt until Ara pulled her inside and talked for almost an hour. Later that day, Tonks took a very scared Kreacher to burrow and back.

Harry thought it was very unlikely for Kreacher to be actually scared. And Ara was sort of paranoid, jumping at the slightest noise and running to check if Kreacher is alright. Harry did not mention his vague suspicions to Sirius, whose cheerfulness was evaporating fast now that Christmas was over. As the date of their departure back to Hogwarts drew nearer, he became more and more prone to what Mrs. Weasley called “fits of the sullens,” in which he would become taciturn and grumpy, often withdrawing to Buckbeak’s room for hours at a time. His gloom seeped through the house,
oozing under doorways like some noxious gas, so that all of them, especially Harry and Ara, became infected by it. Harry did not want to leave them both all alone again with only Kreacher for company. He was dreading Umbridge and her reign. And there was no Quidditch to take his mind off the negativity. Dumbledore remained as remote as ever; in fact, if it had not been for the D.A., Harry felt he might have gone to Sirius and begged him to let him leave Hogwarts and remain in Grimmauld Place. Then, on the very last day of the holidays, something happened that made Harry positively dread his return to school.

That evening as Harry was playing (losing) yet another game of chess with Ron as Mrs Weasley called him and said Snape wanted to talk to him.

“Snape?” said Harry blankly.
“Professor Snape, dear,” said Mrs. Weasley reprovingly. “Now come
on, quickly, he says he can’t stay long.”

Harry pushed open the kitchen door a minute or two later to find Sirius and Snape both seated at the long kitchen table, glaring in opposite directions. The silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike. A letter lay open on the table in front of Sirius.

Harry entered quietly and stood beside his godfather staring at Snape.

“Sit down, Potter.” “You know,” said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, “I think I’d prefer it if you didn’t give orders here, Snape. It’s my house, you see.”
An ugly flush suffused Snape’s pallid face. Harry sat down in a chair
beside Sirius, facing Snape across the table. “I was supposed to see you alone,Potter,” said Snape, the familiar
sneer curling his mouth, “but Black —” “I’m his godfather,” said Sirius, louder than ever.
“I am here on Dumbledore’s orders,” said Snape, whose voice, by
contrast, was becoming more and more quietly waspish, “but by all
means stay, Black, I know you like to feel . . . involved.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Sirius, letting his chair fall
back onto all four legs with a loud bang. “Merely that I am sure you must feel — ah — frustrated by the fact
that you can do nothing useful,” Snape laid a delicate stress on the
word, “for the Order.”

It was Sirius’s turn to flush. Snape’s lip
curled in triumph as he
turned to Harry. “The headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term.”

"Er... okay. So who will teach me?" Harry asked not meeting anyone's eyes.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I shall. And you are not to tell this to Umbridge. If anyone asks, you are taking extra potions since your performance in my class is pathetic. So .."

As Harry’s head hung in defeat, his godfather asked, “Why can’t Dumbledore teach Harry? Why you?”
“I suppose because it is a headmaster’s privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks,” said Snape silkily. “I assure you I did not beg for the job.” He got to his feet. “I will expect you at six o’clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. Don't let anyone know. "

He turned to leave, his black traveling cloak billowing behind him.
“Wait a moment,” said Sirius, sitting up straighter in his chair.
Snape turned back to face them, sneering. “I am in rather a hurry, Black . . . unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time. . . .”

“I’ll get to the point, then,” said Sirius, standing up. He was rather
taller than Snape who, Harry noticed, had balled his fist in the pocket
of his cloak over what Harry was sure was the handle of his wand. “If
I hear you’re using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard
time, you’ll have me to answer to.”
“How touching,” Snape sneered. “But surely you have noticed that
Potter is very like his father?”
“Yes, I have,” said Sirius proudly.
“Well then, you’ll know he’s so arrogant that criticism simply
bounces off him,” Snape said sleekly.
Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table
toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out
his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid,
Snape calculating, his eyes darting from Sirius’s wand tip to his face.
“Sirius!” said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him.

“I’ve warned you, "Snive-"

"SIRIUS " Ara came panting at the door. She held Harry’s shoulder but was glaring at Sirius with such a power that both wizards lowered their wands. Sirius sighed and opened his mouth bit Ara beat him to it. "I don't want any any  excuses. " He silently turned his gaze to Snape and muttered. "Am sorry Snape." And three mouths opened in surprise. Snape recovered first and Merely nodded. Then he turned to Ara." Am sorry too little one.. but some wounds run deep." Ara's eyes watered as she nodded.

Harry was itching to know more but wisely kept his mouth shut. "Take care you both. Potter, Six o clock. Monday. My office. " With a nod to his godfather Snape went out. Ara quickly hugged Sirius as she cried, "Am so sorry... but please...please...stop this. It affects Harry. I... I understand... that.... him... but you... bully..." Harry stared dumbfounded. Sirius gently stroked her, "Am sorry love. I should have been careful. I... I never thought before insulting him. It's... I just followed Prongs and it sort of happened. But you are right. I shouldn't have done that. But I won't allow him to mistreat Harry. This has to stop. " he concluded as Ara sighed.

"Er... is this the mind block you said, Ara?" Harry asked timidly. Ara turned and nodded as she said, "Promise me you will give your everything to learning this kiddo. Practice fiercely. Promise me?" Harry tilted his head as he nodded, " I promise. "

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