Forever his ~ Harry Potter's daughter

30. Nightcap

"Do they love each other?" Sirius asked.

"Fiercely. If dad had known..." I didn't know how to put what I wanted to say into words. "He belongs with her. They have something special. Something never seen before. They clash pretty badly and the world is always trying to tear them apart. But they always find each other... He wouldn't have married Ginny if he'd known they had a chance. Sure he loved Ginny... But it was nothing against what he feels for my mom. I wouldn't have my siblings without Ginny though... So I'm grateful to her."

"Sounds complicated." Sirius says.

"Our family always is..." I sigh desparingly. "But I wouldn't change them for anything. There was a long time when I just wanted to be with them but couldn't. When I finally could I enjoyed every second of it. Even if I ended up being an annoying little sister always following my older sibling around." I chuckled at that.

"And Harry is happy?"

"Always. Tired and annoyed at times. Always fixing the messes we make, but content either way. He loves us." I smile.

"I'm glad... And what now?" Sirius asked looking from me to Dumbledore.

"You need to tell Lupin. Get him on it. You need to reassure Harry that I'm speaking the truth that you have in fact met my dad at the wedding." I said laying heavyweight to my words.

He nodded: "I will. And you'll take care of Harry won't you?"

"Of course."

"It was you wasn't it?" He asked once he stood up.

"Huh?"

"In the two-way mirror." He said.

"Yeah. In my time dad has the other piece and I sometimes talk to him through it. I was stupid enough to have hope for a moment that I would be able to reach him through it even here." I said and looked ashamed.

"I will look through the libraries at Grimmauld place. See if I can find a way to send you back to your own time." Sirius said. "You can talk to me through the mirror any time. And please remind Harry to use his end of it too."

I nod: "Will do, and thanks. I just want to go back without disturbing the timeline here." I say. I know I have already made small changes with the press and everything, but at least no major moments in the course of the war or in Harry's life has changed... And that's exactly why I can't say anything to Harry about the two-way mirror. He's supposed to find it only after Sirius is dead so he'll go to Umbridge's office to use the floo network to save Sirius.

"Headmaster, will you take me back? We need to talk." I ask as I walk over to him. He was standing by the mouth of the cave.

When I heard a strange sound back at the cave I turned to look, only to see that Sirius had disappeared and there was a mangy looking dog in his place.

"I will apparate us to my office." Dumbledore nodded.

"Yeah just let me say goodbye first." I crouch down, smile and watch the dog happily trotting over to me. "Bye, now Sirius. It was lovely meeting you. Stay safe. May we meet again." I patted his hand and took hold of Dumbledore's hand before feeling the familiar pull on my stomach.

"Why won't you talk to Harry?" I ask as soon as my feet hit the ground in his office.

"I have my reasons." Dumbledore says as he walks over to a cabinet of firewhiskey. "Care for a nightcap?"

"Are you trying to distract me?" I ask and send him a small glare.

"I am simply offering you a drink. Only a small one, you are still a student."

I sigh and accept the cup he offers me, before sitting down on the sofa with him. As I take a sip I cringe at the strong taste. "Harry." I remind him and after a sip of his own, he nods.

"I have a suspicion that Voldemort's bond is much deeper with Harry than we've believed before. Am I right?" Dumbledore asks.

I nod. Dad has told me about it. "They can see through each other. Not yet, but it will start soon."

Dumbledore nods his head: "As I feared. I can not allow him to become a vessel for Voldemort to spy on the order and Voldemort must not know that Harry and I have a bond stronger than student and headmaster."

"You care for my father." I state simply.

Dumbledore once more nods: "You could say he is my protégé. And yes I do care for him. Sometimes I myself feel like his godfather and I feel an immense need to guide him through the difficult path his fate has put him on, as I admit that I have made mistakes... And caused his life to be even harder." He sighs and takes a new gulp from his glass: "Voldemort must not know of this. Otherwise, he might use Harry to get to me. For the time being that must not happen." He says. "Now tell me... Have I made a mistake in staying away?"

"The things I have told Sirius will not affect the future, that I know. He knows he will die but not when nor how and he is ready to accept his fate. In fact, he has accepted it since the second he was put to Azkaban. His life will never be the same because of that ordeal. He will not act out to prevent it." I sigh. "He will be even more at ease with it now that he knows Harry's future, for the time being, is secure. I know you are a smart and powerful wizard. I know your self-control is on another level but can you promise me you won't sway your course even if I tell you this?"

"I understand how things must proceed. Unchanged by the details of the future you reveal to me. I believe I might even understand the consequences of changing my actions even better than you." He states and smiles slightly. "But since this is about Harry, his safety and future... Only reveal main events, not the whole picture. And certainly not details. I must not know."

I nod and whisper: "Your actions of silence towards Harry will claim an innocents life... And Harry will break because of it."