𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐶𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙮-𝙤𝙣𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

THEY ENTERED THE house, bittersweet memories filling Caroline's mind. Here, in that house, was where Harry asked her to be his girlfriend. It felt like a lifetime ago. But in that house, Caroline discovered her father had been found, tortured, her mother trying to kill herself. Here, in that house, she finally began to heal. But in that house, Sirius had lived, just before he died. There were memories, good and bad, coursing through Caroline as Harry stood protectively in front of her.

        The lights flickered on, a gathering of dust rising and creating a figure in the air. Dumbledore's face zoomed towards them, and the girls both screamed, the four huddling together in fear. "What was that all about?" Ron whimpered.

        Hermione sighed, collecting herself. "Probably Mad-Eye's idea, in case Snape decided to come snooping," she said, raising her wand. "Homenum Revelio," she said the spell, nothing happening. "We're alone."

        None of them wanted to be apart, so they slept in the living room. Ron laid on the floor, asleep, beside the couch Hermione slept on. Their hands were almost touching. Harry wouldn't let Caroline convince him that she could sleep on the floor, and Caroline wouldn't let Harry convince her that he could sleep on the floor, so they shared one of the larger couches, Caroline taking up the inside of the couch, her head on Harry's chest comfortably. That was how it worked.

        When he had a nightmare a few early mornings later, Caroline didn't stir, used to it by now. What she did notice when she moved her head was that a pillow was in her arms instead of her boyfriend. He always did that when he left and she was still sleeping, but it never kept her content for long. Caroline, her satin bonnet still on her head, stepped over Ron's body and walked through the cold house, trying to find Harry.

        Caroline found him in Sirius's room, and her heart broke at the sight. Before she could speak, Ron started shouting through the house. "Harry? Carol? Hermione, where are you? I think I've found something." the redhead yelled, Harry turning to see Caroline watching him.

        She offered him her hand and he took it, pressing a kiss into her bonnet, straightening it, before they found Ron and Hermione walking into a dishevelled and messy bedroom. "Lovely." Hermione said.

        Ron moved the door so the girls could read the words on it better. "'Regulus Arcturus Black.'" Caroline read, not understanding the significance of Sirius's younger brother.

        "R.A.B." Ron said. Eyes wide, the four located to the kitchen.

        "'I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it.'" Harry read from the note Regulus had stuffed inside of the fake locket.

        "R.A.B. is Sirius's brother?" Ron asked in disbelief.

        Caroline nodded. "Younger brother. The Death Eater who turned on Voldemort at the end." she explained briefly, taking her satin cap off and stuffing it into the pocket of her jumper, forgetting she was still wearing it. Her braids were knotted in a low bun.

        "Question is, did he actually destroy the real Horcrux?" Hermione voiced, as something fell and clattered in the cupboard. It had been happening a lot since they arrived at Grimmauld Place, but they didn't know what it was.

        Harry stood up first, moving towards the cabinet with the others following him. Harry opened the cabinet, revealing Kreacher the house-elf inside. Harry grabbed a yelling Kreacher by the neck with both hands, tossing him away from the other three. "You've been spying on us, have you?" Harry said harshly, Caroline gravitating towards his side.