Truth or Dare ✔️

AE - 11

Sirius sat alone at the head of the table, with Remus and Harry only a chair away; Harry was seated to the right of Hermione's seat and Remus was to be seated at Ally's left. Harry drummed his fingers lightly on the table, waiting for the women to enter the large dining room as the extended family partook of their appetizers; Sirius merely stared at the sterling saltcellar situated between Hermione and Harry's place settings, occasionally sipping on his glass of wine.

Harry tried not to stare at Draco Malfoy as he chatted happily with another cousin. If he were grieving for the loss of his aunt, he didn't show it. His mother Narsissa however, wore black along with a veiled hat, which she removed for the dinner. Harry tried to study the woman's face without seeming too obvious about it, but if he were to have been asked to describe the woman's demeanor, he would have said that she looked somewhat relieved and was just going through the motions.

The three women walked quietly through the corridor and Connie saw something small duck behind a large Ming Vase situated near the entrance to the dining room; her wand slid effortlessly from her sleeve into her hand. "Ladies, your wands please?"

"Why," Hermione whispered.

"We've an intruder," Connie replied. She crept stealthily toward the huge vase that stood well over five feet and cornered the intruder. "En dehors," she said in her native tongue.

Hermione moved quickly and aimed her wand toward the direction of Connie's wand to find Crookshanks crouched low to the floor, his ears were flattened and his whiskers flared. She handed her wand to Connie then bent down to pick the cat up and held him close to her breast. "I swear!"

And Ally gasped quietly and then smiled.

"You know this animal 'Mione?"

She nodded as she rubbed on the cat's fur. "My cat," she replied.

Connie nodded with a sigh and put her wand away. "I wonder how he got in the castle?"

"Well, he is part of the family," Ally said chuckling as she reached out to scratch Crookshanks chin gently and the cat meowed at her.

Connie tilted her head as she nodded. "I suppose so?"

The women walked into the expansive dining room laughing quietly among themselves and Sirius rose to greet them. Remus and Harry stood when they saw Sirius stand and Remus turned around and smiled as he pulled Ally's chair out for her and directed her to sit; he motioned with his eyes that Harry should do the same for Hermione. Harry quickly complied with a start, causing Sirius to chuckle to himself as he shook his head.

Then, Sirius saw the familiar ginger cat nestled in the arms of his wife. "Ah yes, my wife's son, everyone..."

Hermione blushed profusely as she heard the quiet laughter and leaned in for a kiss on her cheek. "I need to show you something after dinner," she whispered and he nodded his head, still smiling as his eyes scanned his extended family. Her eyes moved toward the elf staff and they materialized their appetizers of prawns and escargot. Harry eyed his small plate; he recognized the shrimp as he quite enjoyed them, but the escargot, he'd never had before and while he didn't mind trying them, he looked toward his fellow Gryffindors for guidance. He felt Remus tap his foot beneath the table and he watched his former Professor on the sly as Ally attempted to talk about Gryffindor's Quidditch team with him. Harry picked up the tiny fork and pulled the muscle from the ornate shell and dipped into the seasoned butter that had accompanied it. He chewed on it thoughtfully.

Alexander leaned in and whispered, "So Harry, what do you think?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't taste like chicken," Harry said as he swallowed causing Alexander to laugh. Harry looked toward his Godfather with help me! in his eyes. Sirius' broad smile graced his handsome face and he winked at the boy as he nodded.

"You're actually doing well," Hermione whispered.

"Actually, I think I do rather like them. It's almost like a baked oyster with the garlic butter, isn't it," Harry said finally. "Only with more...oomph!"

"Sorry to spring it on you lad," Alexander said. "But it's a family favorite."

"Don't worry Potter," Lucius said in his stuffy nasally tone. "No one will think any less of you."

Sirius craned his brow as he stared at his cousin's husband, knowing that he was still stewing over the loss of the Prophesy.

Not missing a beat, Harry looked toward the Lieutenant of his greatest rival and smiled as he nodded. "Well, that's good to know, Lucy, thank you!"

Sirius spit his wine back into his glass and coughed; Hermione reached toward him and held out his napkin before him, as it was about to fall on the floor. He looked into her eyes as he fought the grin. Then he made the mistake of glancing toward Remus as he attempted to hide his huge grin, pretending to stare at his plate. Most of the family was aware that Sirius' nickname for Lucius was Lucy and that they were none too fond of each other.

"Madam," Narsissa blurted out and Hermione's eyes glanced in her direction.

"Yes?"

"Will you and Sirius be trying for a baby right away?"

Hermione took her glass in her hand and gulped at its contents then set the glass on the table. "No, I don't believe so. I wish to continue with school."

Lucius nodded as he set his wine glass down. "Oh yes...an education is so important!"

"That it is, Lucy...that it is," she replied.

Sirius leaned toward her and she leaned toward him, ever so slightly. "I love you," he whispered through his grin.

She sat upright. "I knooooow...." She winked her eye.

Crookshanks hopped up in Sirius' lap and he returned him to the floor. "Not now," he said. He could have sworn the cat was grinning at him, and then he jumped up on the table. Hermione sighed and took him in her arms.

"Sorry everyone," she said crossly. She stood with him in her arms and Sirius and Harry stood as she moved around the table to head for the door. She set him down and shooed him out the large doors, but he continued to return. Three times. Ally even stared at him crossly.

"Behave," she said quietly through gritted teeth.

Finally, Hermione took him into her arms again and entered the corridor with him and put him in the tapestry room and closed the door behind her. She entered the dining room again, apologizing to everyone at the table. She mentioned that she hoped that she wouldn't return to the room to find him clinging to the tapestry.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Alexander said half-laughing, "that a cat took to climbing it."

After dinner, Hermione and Sirius took their drinks with them to the Tapestry room, followed by Remus, Harry and Ally while Suzy was making a fuss over Penelope. Sirius opened the large double doors and entered the room to find Crookshanks seated facing the tapestry where Hermione had left him. She picked him up but he struggled and she released him.

"What did you want to show me, Sunshine?"

Hermione pointed upward toward the ancient fabric. "Look," she said.

Sirius scratched behind his ear and looked up toward it as he moved closer. Hermione looked over toward Ally, who was watching the cat as he walked next to Sirius and stopped when he did; she was chewing on her nails nervously.

"Are you alright," she asked and Ally nodded her head and looked away. Remus was looking up at the Potters with Harry.

Sirius found the anomaly quickly. "What the hell is this," he whispered to himself as Crookshanks wound around his legs, almost tripping him. He moved his foot a little too quickly and sent Crookshanks flying about six feet or so and continued on. He levitated himself to touch the fabric to see if it had been bewitched and he heard Ally gasp as well as Hermione. Sirius turned his head to see the women staring and pointing at something and Remus and Harry running the length of the room, with their wands extended.