HEATHENS - Harry Potter ✔

CHAPTER EIGHT

About an hour later, Kiera returned to the kitchen, craving a cup a coffee. She had continued reading Alice Through the Looking Glass again (the amount of times she had that was by now completely lost on her) and taken it down with her to read as she took sips of the hot beverage. Sirius had entered the kitchen at some point and started hustling around behind her, but Kiera was too drawn into her book to properly notice anything – somehow, she felt like Carroll should have a reason to explain why she kept seeing Harry Potter's dreams, and if he didn't, at least it helped her feel like the fact wasn't that far-fetched.

"Hey," said Sirius behind her, dragging her attention from the all too familiar pages, "would you mind finding Harry and try to get him to eat at least one of these?" he asked, gesturing to a plate of sandwiches. "I'm getting a bit worried; he's been in withdrawn ever since their visit to see Arthur and he hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. And Ron's tried and I've tried but I'm thinking he might feel too awkward to be rude with you so maybe you'll manage."

She wasn't sure why he thought that and really she would rather have avoided Harry at all costs because she felt too awkward, but she didn't want to be rude after Sirius had been so helpful. "Yeah, of course," she said with a nod, stood up from the seat, closed her book, and picked up the plate.

"Thanks," he said with a breath of relief.

"It's the least I can do."

Kiera held the plate with both hands, book tucked under her left arm, as she climbed up the stairs, careful to be as quiet as possible as she passed Mrs Black's portrait but luckily, Kiera had had plenty of training in being quiet. On the second floor, she paused; she didn't know where Harry was. With a shrug, she knocked on the door of Harry and Ron's bedroom.

Hermione's voice called "come in" and she carefully opened the door. Four people were inside: Hermione and Ginny sitting on one bed, Ron and Harry on another. Kiera shuffled on her feet.

"Uh, sorry, I don't want to disturb," she said, still standing on the landing. "Sirius asked me to make sure you eat some of these, Potter." The four stared at her. Quickly, she walked into the room, held out the plate of sandwiches until Harry took it, and turned around again.

"You can join us," said Hermione before she managed to walk away.

Keira turned her head to look at her over her shoulder. Hermione smiled. "Um ... I don't want to intrude," she said. "But thanks, though, Granger."

"You can just call me Hermione."

It was weird. They barely knew each other – certainly not well enough to be on a first name basis. But she didn't want to be offensive by continuing to call her Granger. "Okay. Well – um – thanks, Hermione, but like I said, I really don't want to intrude on ..." she looked around at the four of them, trying to figure out what exactly they were doing, "anything. I just came to bring the sandwiches."

Kiera nodded at the plate on Harry's lap.

"No really," said Hermione patiently, "it's fine. I insist."

She patted the empty space next to her, directly opposite from the Boy Who Lived. Kiera's eyes darted from Hermione's smiling face, to Ginny's indifferent one, to Ron's frown. After another minute of this, she walked toward them with unsteady knees, and sat down on the very edge of the bed, placing Alice next to her.

"I came on the Knight Bus," said Hermione, as if they were all old friends just catching up. "Dumbledore told me what had happened yesterday morning –"

"You talked to Dumbledore?" Harry interrupted. "He spoke to you?" He almost sounded offended,

Kiera wasn't sure if Hermione didn't notice his tone or if she just chose to ignore, but she just gave an energetic nod. "Yep, he told me why you had all just disappeared over night," she said, "but I had to wait for term to end officially before setting off because Umbridge is already livid that you lot disappeared right under her nose and I didn't have a real reason to leave. Of course, Dumbledore told her Mr Weasley was in St Mungo's and he'd given you all permission to visit, but you know what the Ministry's like these days." She then turned to Kiera. "I don't know what he told her about you leaving, though."