Crossroads | Harry J. Potter

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 - Broomsticks and Bows

Early the next morning, Harry woke with a plan fully formed in his mind, as though his sleeping brain had been working on it all night. He blinked against the pale dawn light filtering through the common room windows and stretched, the warmth of the blanket still wrapped around him.

As he sat up, he noticed Yvonne sleeping soundly beside him, her hair fanned out like a halo against the couch cushions. He smiled at the memory of their cozy night together, feeling grateful for the unexpected comfort they had shared.

Deciding he didn't want to leave her behind, Harry gently nudged Yvonne's shoulder. "Hey, Yvonne, wake up," he said softly, hoping to rouse her from her dreams.

She stirred, mumbling something incoherent before rolling over and snuggling deeper into the blanket. Harry chuckled, a lighthearted warmth spreading through him. "Come on, it's time to get up. We've got a busy day ahead."

After a moment of hesitation, Yvonne opened her eyes, squinting at the morning light. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily, stretching and yawning.

"Early," Harry replied, standing up and shaking off the last remnants of sleep. "I have something I need to do first, but I didn't want to leave without saying good morning."

Yvonne rubbed her eyes and smiled, the lingering sleep fading from her face. "Good morning, Harry. What's the plan?"

Harry glanced around the common room, feeling the weight of his thoughts. "I need to write to Sirius. He deserves to know everything's okay, even if I'm not entirely sure myself."

With Yvonne now fully awake, they shared a quiet moment before Harry moved to grab a piece of parchment from the table where his Divination homework still lay.

He took a deep breath and began to write:

Dear Sirius, 

I reckon I just imagined my scar hurting, I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time. There's no point coming back, everything's fine here. Don't worry about me, my head feels completely normal.

-Harry

As they ascended the spiral staircase toward the Owlery, the air around them felt crisp and refreshing. Harry glanced at Yvonne, his thoughts still lingering on the delightful snack she had sent him. "You know, I still can't get over those Saladas you shared with me," he said, a grin breaking across his face. "I never knew something so simple could taste so good. I might have to convince you to send me more."

Harry moved to a nearby window, but Yvonne lingered for a moment, leaning against the wall with a thoughtful smile. "I told my mum to send us more of them next time. She loves spoiling me, especially when it comes to snacks. I think she secretly enjoys hearing about how much you love them."

*******

"That was a lie, Harry," Hermione said sharply over breakfast, glancing at Yvonne and Ron as he recounted what he had done. "You didn't just imagine your scar hurting, and you know that."

"So what?" Harry replied, catching Yvonne's eye as she absentmindedly pushed her toast around her plate. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."

"Just drop it," Ron interjected, looking pointedly at Hermione as she prepared to argue. To his surprise, she fell silent this time.

Yvonne exchanged worried glances with Harry. "Honestly, Harry, maybe you should just be upfront with him," she suggested softly. "He might actually appreciate your honesty."

Harry let out a heavy sigh, grateful for her concern but still hesitant to add to Sirius's worries. 

In the following weeks, Harry tried to push aside worries about Sirius, though he couldn't help scanning the skies for post owls each morning or imagining dark visions at night. During the day, he focused on other things, missing Quidditch's relief—it was the best distraction from his troubled thoughts. Without it, their harder lessons, especially Moody's demanding Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, felt even more overwhelming. The only thing that kept Harry going was Yvonne's comfort and care