Love and Other Spells (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 22

The second that the big, black dog's tail exited the room, Jessaqua jumped up and ran after Harry and his puppy. She figured there was something fishy about his dog, and her her usual curious, if not a little nosey, self, she needed to know what was up.

"Harry! Harry, wait up!" She yelled after him, as he scurried down the halls. The dog bit into the back of Harry's shirt, pulling him to a stop, looking around at Jess with life-filled eyes.

"Sirius--I mean, Snuffles, stop, you know I hate it when people see me teary!"

"Everyone knows you're a cry baby, Harry." Jess said. "Gosh, get over yourself, you're such a wimp." She huffed and bent over, trying to catch her breath. She wasn't used to all this exercise.

"What a thing to say to a person in need of some love and comfort!" Harry sniffled. "It's a good thing I have my doggy, at least he's sympathetic."

"Yeah what the elf is up with your dog anyways? He seems more emotionally complex than I am."

"You're not lying." He nodded, looking at the dog, who seemed to be laughing at her. "He's... well... a friend of my family..."

"Dude, you know all of your freaking family is dead, right." Jess said bluntly.

Harry's piercing eyes began to water again. "I'm not crying." He sputtered. "I just poked myself in the eye just now."

Jess figured it wouldn't be good to mention the fact that Harry hadn't moved for the last 5 minutes, apart from them talking.

The dog stood on its back legs and put a giant paw on Harry's shoulder. It seemed liked the dog whispered something in his ear.

"Fine, I'll tell her what I told you, but that doesn't mean I'll be happy about it." Harry whispered at the dog. "Stop it--shhhh! Fine!" Harry continued to have a very one-sided conversation with the dog until he finally looked at Jess and said. "I... I feel like I can be myself around you. I don't know why... it's just ever since you lost your fingers, I can talk to you."

Jess's face formed into a slightly angry, confused, but mostly miffed configuration.

"I think the knowledge of your inability to flip me off comforts me." Harry finished, smiling as though that statement wasn't supposed to anger her.

"Well thanks a lot," Jess said sarcastically.

"No problem. And oh, by the way, since we're like friends now, you can be in on the secret too."

"What secret?" Jess said, suddenly enthused. She loved secrets.

"This dog is not a real dog."

Jess looked down at the dog, and squinted. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, Sirius! How did you know?!" Harry asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Go ahead, Sirius! Do the magic!"

He looked like a kid in a candy store, but Jess was still confused. Her eyes grew wider as the dog grew and morphed into a full grown man, his bones cracking a bit as he shook out his shoulder-length, flowing hair, running his fingers through it.

Jess recognized Sirius Black, he had been in the paper. She had poured over them after thinking that he had killed her parents. Let's just say that there had been a fully planned murder, involving a marshmallow gun hatched in her head.

He looked different now, happier, less grey (he had gotten his hair dyed at the wigardry the day before and he was now a ravishing brunette) and had eaten a few square meals. Jess couldn't hide the shock on her face. A couple of weeks ago, she would've tried to jinx him on the spot, now she was almost glad to see him. Oh, what a few weeks and some time-travel could do to a person.

"Good to meet you!" Sirius said in his gravely, attractive voice, reaching out to shake Jess' hand. "I've heard waayyy too much about you." He chuckled lightly, rolling his eyes in Harry's direction.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

The conversation died out as they heard footsteps coming from around the corner. Sirius winked at her, and then turned back into the chocolatey brown dog. Harry obviously wasn't used to this, all he could do was panic and scream a little, running in a full circle before Hermione rounded the corner. Harry took a deep breath, relaxing into his usual stance of coolness. "Sup Hermione?"

"Oh, you know, studying. How are you Sirius?" The dog's tongue lolled out, him panting with happiness up at her.

"Oh, you're here too are you? What's new, bubble-face?" Hermione tried to sound cool and mean, but her voice just squeaked at the name.

"Not too bad, just was meeting Harry's "Dog"." She lifted her fingers into an air quote.

Hermione turned on Harry. "You told her?! She can't be trusted, she goes around willy nilly with that Randle guy."

Harry blew her off. "Hermione, chillax, we're all friends here in Hogwarts. I killed Voldemort two years ago."

"Harry, you're so dense sometimes." Hermione whined. "Voldemort isn't dead, he's coming back next year."

"How do you know that?"

Hermione's hand wavered over her necklace tentatively as she looked away in embarrassment. "Shit is going to go down, Harry."  

A/N

Omg! What do you guys think is going on with Hermione??! And Sirius! Dudes, that weird, right??!

Let us know what you think!!! We love feedback!!!