Beat the devil's tattoo

Chapter XIII. "Wonderful Christmas Time"

"Wonderful Christmastime"

When everyone came back from the hospital, Marla just had the time to see Harry climbing the stairs up his room before Sirius was dragging her around to look for Christmas decorations around the house.

She spent the evening with him turning every decorations he could find into a gold and red colour. It felt oddly good, changing the silver and green from Wallburga's decorations into a bright red and she was almost tempted to wake her portrait just to show her. She discarded the thought and focused herself on enjoying the dinner. Harry had not joined them, he was asleep according to Ron but Marla was worried, a glance toward Sirius showed her that she was not the only one. She wanted to curse Mad-Eye, who in their right mind would tell a fifteen year old boy that he was possessed by a dark wizard?

She decided to let Harry some time to think, she would talk to him in the morning.

Charlie had came back, as he had promised and she hoped that his family's happiness to see him would be enough to distract him.

For the first time in months, she slept in her room. Sirius did not agree to her wish to sleep alone but she had not let him the choice claiming that it would be easier to avoid unwanted talks in the morning. Her arguments were weak because they were not entirely true and Sirius was getting tired of having to hide their relationship. She understood why and wanted to want to be with him in front of everyone as much as he did but guilt was still eating her. She was not ready to face Charlie and the Weasley.

When she woke up the next morning, everyone was already putting up Christmas decorations around the house. Sirius was ecstatic, even singing along Christmas songs, giving Marla a bright smile when he saw her, their argument from the previous day seemingly forgotten.

When she did not see Harry and he did not bother to came down for lunch, she grew angry at the Weasley and Sirius who looked like they did not care that he was missing.

She quickly left after lunch, packing some bread and cheese and making her way up the stairs. She did not know Harry well but she knew the best place to hide in the house was the room where Buck was locked.

She knocked on the door, opening it when she wasn't given any answer. Harry was sat in a corner, his back against the wall, watching the hippogriff munching on the dead rats he was feeding him.

Marla sat beside him without a word, giving him the bread and cheese she had packed. He took the food and ate in silence. At some point, Harry seemed too tired to keep his strong facade and threw himself in Marla's arm, hugging her. While surprised she quickly held him against her.

"I'm so tired," he whispered, "there's always something wrong with me, I just wish I could be normal.."

Marla readjusted her hold on the boy who had his head on her shoulder and drew soothing circles on his back.

"There's nothing wrong with you Harry, there's something wrong with the world and you're just unlucky to be on the receiving hand most of the time. Nobody should go through what you're going through and I think you're dealing with everything pretty well. You're not normal but honestly normal is boring. You're extraordinary, in more than one way and you need to realise it."

"How do you do it?" He asked, "How to you manage to be okay after what happened to you?"

"Most of the time I don't," she sighed, "I've been miserable for a long time but I met good people, friends that helped me keep it up. It's because of them that I'm able to get up every morning, because of them I still want to fight. Friends are a great gift Harry, never turn back on them, no matter how difficult it is."