Modern No-Magic AU Drarry

Chapter Thirty-six

By the time he jolted awake at the sound of a loud thud outside his room, Harry felt as though he hadn't gotten a single second of sleep. What was the time? And more importantly, what the hell was that noise? His eyes screaming to remain closed, Harry scrambled for his glasses.

His door creaked open and Harry rubbed his face underneath his glasses which he had haphazardly slid onto his face.

A smiley face surrounded by choppy purple hair popped into the room. "Hullo, Harry!"

"Tonks." With a sigh of relief, Harry leant back on his bed, groaning. "What time is it?"

"Time to hide you from a murderer!" She responded cheerfully. She looked around the room. "Where's your suitcase?"

The suitcase he abandoned (along with Ron and Hermione) to meet up with his previous enemy who he then snogged senseless. Eyes widening, Harry remembered: he had kissed Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was his kind-of-boyfriend. He kissed Draco Fucking Malfoy. "Shit." Standing up, Harry realised he was in his boxers and the shirt he wore yesterday. His face burning, he quickly slid on the jeans that were crumpled on his floor. "Uh, I'm- I'll do that now." He was just about to bend down to throw the nearest clothes into the trunk when the door was banged open and a man hobbled in.

"What's taking so long?" He spoke roughly with a thick Irish accent, his lips moving strangely around the scars on his face.

In contrast to the man, Tonks's high voice was soothing. "He was asleep. You know, because it's, like, six."

"Sleeping is pretty normal for teenagers, Mad-eye."

Harry basically jumped up as another figure entered the room. "Sirius!" he sprinted over to the older man and crushed him in a hug.

Sirius' hair was long, falling in loose curls just brushing his shoulders. He looked tired, but a smile was on his face and he squeezed Harry back just as hard.

"How was last night?" he murmured, his stubble prickling against Harry's suddenly burning ear. Pulling away, Sirius winked. "You and I have a lot of talking to do," he said under his breath before clapping Harry's shoulder. "Now go pack, you unorganised piece of shit."

Pulling his drawers out and throwing clothes into the trunk, Harry attempted to figure out what was happening. "Who else is here?"

In the middle of Mad-eye Moody saying that that was on a need to know basis, Sirius said, "Hagrid, some guy called Mundungus, Remus who you know, Kingsley, the twins - though god knows why-"

"Alright," Moody snapped. He crossed his arms, one hand still holding his walking stick. "You done yet?"

"Er," Harry quickly threw in a near-empty deodorant can and a book Hermione had given him on his favourite hockey team. He had read it once but that was years ago. Maybe he'd have a bunch of free time and get so bored that he would open it. Harry had no idea what would be happening at this safe house. "Yes. I'm done." He banged the big lid shut: his belongings hardly filled the trunk up halfway.

"Good," Moody growled, spinning on his one good leg. "Let's go."

Moody moved surprisingly quickly for a man of his age (How old was he? Was he old? Harry had no clue) and a man with one working leg, one working eye and probably fewer appendages than Harry realised.

Sirius was behind Harry as they travelled down the stairs and the hallway, muttering comments about how Harry needed more food or new clothes. By the time they reached the living room he had moved on to profanities about the Dursleys but Harry didn't have time to chuckle.

"I thought me being moved was a secret?" he said, his jaw dropping.

A dozen or so people stared expectantly at Harry as he walked into the room. The small living room's hideous rug was hidden completely out of sight by the unexpected crowd.

Tonks scratched the back of her short hair. "Well, I wouldn't call it a secret. Not if y-"

"Harry!"

In a tangle of dark, voluminous hair, Hermione squeezed Harry in a tight hug. "We wanted to see you before you left. We being me and Ron, that is." She sniffed. Was Hermione crying?

"Hang on," Harry put his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arms-length. "Am I not gonna be able to see you guys while I'm gone?"

The silence around the room made Harry's heart plummet. A few people even looked away.

In the corner of the room, Harry saw Remus for the first time. Drowning within a green knitted sweater and heavy bags under his eyes, he looked like he was in dire need of a nap. He chewed his lip before looking up with his soft green eyes.

"It's the safest way, Harry," he said quietly. His deep voice had always had an element of rasp to it, and he always spoke with his words blending together effortlessly like he knew exactly what he was saying (Harry couldn't relate). Harry had very rarely seen Remus break his calm, gentle exterior.

"For how long?" he asked, regretting how angry he sounded.

Remus opened his mouth to tiredly answer, but Moody cut him off.

"As long as necessary. Hagrid, ready?"

Having to duck his head so that it didn't collide with the ceiling light, Hagrid nodded eagerly. He awkwardly threaded his way through the living room to Harry, flattening a small man against the wall in the process. He hunched over so that he could look Harry in the eyes. "I... well, I brought you 'ere. Thought it'd be, y'know, right if I'm the one who took you elsewhere, then."

Harry wanted to smile. He really did. He wanted to express to Hagrid how much he cared for him and appreciated the sentimentality. But he could only manage to press his lips together and cast his eyes down.

Hagrid squeezed his shoulder and straightened back up, positioned next to the front door.

"Right then," Moody grumbled. "Now are you sorry lot ready?"