Emma Potter; Going to War

13: Overprotective Males [Pt.2]

Over the next few days Harry and I could not help noticing that there wasone person within number twelve, Grimmauld Place, who did notseem wholly overjoyed that we would be returning to Hogwarts. Sirius had put up a very good show of happiness on first hearing thenews, wringing our hands and beaming just like the rest of them;soon, however, he was moodier and surlier than before, talking less toeverybody, even Harry, and spending increasing amounts of time shutup in his mother's room with Buckbeak. 

"Don't you go feeling guilty!" said Hermione sternly, after Harry and I had confided some of these feelings to her and Ron while we scrubbed out a moldy cupboard on the third floor a few days later."You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he'sbeing selfish." 

"That's a bit harsh, Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he attempted to prize off a bit of mold that had attached itself firmly to hisfinger, "you wouldn't want to be stuck inside this house withoutcompany."

 "He'll have company!" said Hermione. "It's headquarters to theOrder of the Phoenix, isn't it? He just got his hopes up that Harry and Emma would be coming to live here with him." 

"I don't think that's true," said Harry, wringing out his cloth. "Hewouldn't give me a straight answer when we asked him if we could."

 "He just didn't want to get his own hopes up even more," saidHermione wisely. "And he probably felt a bit guilty himself, because I think a part of him was really hoping you'd be expelled. Then you'd all be outcasts together."

 "Come off it!" said Harry and Ron together, but Hermione merelyshrugged. I bit my lip.

"Suit yourselves. But I sometimes think Ron's mum's right, and Sirius gets confused about whether you're you or your parents." 

"So you think he's touched in the head?" said Harry heatedly. 

"No, I just think he's been very lonely for a long time," saidHermione simply.

 At this point Mrs. Weasley entered the bedroom behind us."Still not finished?" she said, poking her head into the cupboard.

 "I thought you might be here to tell us to have a break!" said Ronbitterly. "D'you know how much mold we've got rid of since we arrived here?"

 "You were so keen to help the Order," said Mrs. Weasley, "you cando your bit by making headquarters fit to live in."

 "I feel like a house-elf," grumbled Ron. 

"Well, now that you understand what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you'll be a bit more active in S.P.E.W.!" said Hermione hopefully,as Mrs. Weasley left them to it again. "You know, maybe it wouldn'tbe a bad idea to show people exactly how horrible it is to clean all thetime — we could do a sponsored scrub of Gryffindor common room,all proceeds to S.P.E.W., it would raise awareness as well as funds —"

 "I'll sponsor you to shut up about spew," Ron muttered irritably,but only so Harry and I  could hear him. 

Could this be another excuse not to tell them about Draco? Hermione says no, because they would find out eventually, and they'd rather hear it for me then others. 

I found myself daydreaming about Hogwarts more and moreas the end of the holidays approached; I could not wait to see Hagridagain, to visit the library, even to stroll across the vegetable patches tothe Herbology greenhouses. It would be a treat just to leave this dusty,musty house, where half of the cupboards were still bolted shut andKreacher wheezed insults out of the shadows as you passed, though I was careful not to say any of this within earshot of Sirius.