Love at First Sight (Harry Potter)

The Dementor's Kiss

|ALEXANDRIA WEASLEY'S P.O.V|

Getting back into the tunnel was rather difficult, for us humans anyway. Crookshanks managed to prance on far ahead, but our entire group was brought to a halt behind him as Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron were forced to turn sideways to edge themselves through slowly.

The unconscious figure of Snape floated on after them, continuously bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling, followed by Black then Harry and finally Hermione and I.

"You know what this means?" said Black abruptly as we made progress through the damp tunnel. His voice echoed through the eery silence. I could just see the profile of his face as he turned to Harry in the dim lighting that emitted from Hermione's wand, which she held closely in front of herself and me. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," came Harry's voice. I could only see the back of his body, but his shoulders were relaxed and his posture less stiff than it had been all evening.

"Yes. . ." said Black carefully, nodding his knotted head of hair. He paused for a moment, hesitating, as he looked ahead again. "But I'm also — I don't know if anyone ever told you — I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry now, and I could practically hear his cheeky smile.

"Well. . . your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. He turned his chin upon approaching the lowest part of the tunnel, as to avoid slamming his temple painfully. "If anything happened to them. . ."

There was a brief, achingly silent pause. I felt myself pressing my lips together as I waited for Black to suggest what I knew was to come – or as I waited for the ignorant Potter to catch a hint for once.

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But . . . well . . . think about it. Once my name's cleared. . . if you wanted a. . . a different home. . ."

Another silence. Then, suddenly, Harry jolted upward so quickly that the top of his head smacked into the ceiling. The crack echoed through the tunnel and I cringed, watching as he gripped at the bump with his fingertips.

"What — live with you?" even now, the only emotion in his voice was surprise. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly, his grey eyes glancing at where Harry's hand cradled his hair. Harry's emerald eyes, however, gleamed in the blue wand light. "I understand, I just thought I'd —"

"Are you insane?" said Harry rhetorically, the words croaky and dull in his throat. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Black fully turned to look at Harry now, paying no mind to how Snape's forehead collided violently with the tunnel wall. I felt my nose scrunch in distaste at the sight. Harry, too, hadn't seemed to notice.

"You want to?" said Black with the innocence of a child meeting a new friend. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry, grinning a beaming grin that stretched across his cheeks and bared his white teeth.

I felt myself begin to smile, as well.

And now, astonishingly, Black smiled. Harry and him grinned at one another as we walked, both at loss for words or perhaps not wanting to ruin a moment so perfect.

That was, however, what Potter was best at — ruining things.

"Ria, did you hear that?" said Harry suddenly. He turned over his shoulder to look at me and, almost immediately, my smile dropped as though it had never been there at all. "I know you must be upset thinking that I won't be around the Burrow this summer, but I'm gonna have you over. I'll get the bed nice and warmed up for you."