Skill and Seclusion [2] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

161. Bones

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Harry Potter ... but I'm a reader now and have spent so much money on books it's alarming

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Thirty minutes later, and dinner finally arrived.

In that time, Harry had received no further answers considering his friends seemingly knew very little about what goes on around here.

There was a clear divide.

The adults and the children.

However, there was one exception to that divide.

Bel had always been the exception. Ever since she first stepped foot in the wizarding world, she had been handed responsibilities fit for adults as a child.

Laws were bent to suit it, commands were given to take advantage of it, training was put in place so she was prepared to handle it.

Despite all the hell it brought her, there had always been a silver lining to it.

Knowledge. Bel always had one foot in the door about things the other children weren't allowed to know about.

Sure, she usually kept all those things to herself either because she was told to or she felt it wasn't safe for them to know or that she had been conditioned to believe she – and she alone – was able to deal with it, but this time should be different.

This was war.

War.

And Harry was more to her than just a friend now.

If he could just talk to her, figure out where they stood, appeal to the bond they had between them, the understanding, the shared desire they had to protect each other ... maybe she would tell him everything.

Every single question he had, she would give him the answers.

But Bel wasn't here, and Harry's patience had run down over the three months of isolation.

He wasn't going to wait to see her to begin seeking out answers of any variety.

So he would start at dinner.

Right before they all sat down to eat, and Harry could begin his interrogation, came a reunion.

Finally, Harry was able to greet his godfather properly.

Sirius seemed to be just as happy to see him as he was to see Sirius.

A content moment between family was shared as they embraced, both relieved to see the other alive and well.

However, it was rather short-lived, as Mrs Weasley quickly told them to sit down at the long table in the kitchen before dinner got cold.

Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all sat around the table and immediately started to dig into the bowls of steaming hot food placed in front of them.

Mr Weasley, Professor Moody, Nymphadora (or 'Tonks' as Harry came to learn she far preferred to be called), Kingsley, and Mrs Weasley were all scattered around the room. Some of them taking up free seats at the table, some of them remaining stood.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape weren't present, having left after the meeting concluded, and Harry couldn't help but notice that Remus Lupin wasn't around, either.

"Where's Remus?" was the first question of his interrogation.

He had every reason to assume Bel's godfather would be here of all places.