(2) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter Six

The kitchen is sort of quiet after Harry and Rhiannon's pinky swear, a few amused looks, more so from Sirius and Lupin, and a few unease glances from the Weasley parents. Rhiannon knows that it's not just going to be a magical fix, that they aren't going to just simply trust her. Despite how much Harry seems to do so. There is too much history with Grindelwald, and it's not fair, it's not, but it is what it is.

"Well, now that is all sorted" Sirius offers, eyes sort of warm on Rhiannon, because Harry wrote about her, a lot last year, Sirius knows just how smart and just how powerful she is, and for her age. And how much Harry seems to trust and like her. They need her. Harry needs her. Sirius motions for the group of teens to sit at the table. Harry sits at the table with Rhiannon, Ron and Hermione. "The ministry is furious with you," Sirius tells Harry who turns and frowns at him.

"Why?"

"You did magic in front of your muggle cousin" Sirius points out. "You'll have to go to a disciplinary meeting tomorrow"

"Okay" Harry whispers, but he's kind of accepting his fate, he knew that something would come of him using magic, it's something that has been drilled into them since year one. He pats the table and then goes to stand again. "I'm not really that hungry, I think I'll just go to bed"

"You surprise me, Harry" Sirius admits. "I figured the first thing you'd do is start asking about Voldemort" Harry pauses, then turns around. The room has gone very still and Molly is glaring at Sirius.

"I wanted to" Harry admits. "But I didn't think you'd tell me anything"

"And that was quite right, Harry" Molly tells him. "You're much too young..."

"He has a right to know, Molly" Sirius argues.

"It's not your decision" Molly counters.

"I know what Dumbledore said" Sirius points out. "But he needs to know something" Harry begins to smile.

"Yeah" He agrees.

"He's not a child, Molly" Sirius offers.

"He's not an adult either" Molly stops him. "He's not James" Sirius sits up, spine stiff now.

"I'm fully aware of who he is, Molly" Sirius offers firmly.

"I only have Harry's best interests at heart" Molly assures him.

"He's not your son" Sirius snaps.

"Who else does he have then?" Molly asks. Sirius stands from his seat.

"He's got me" Sirius reminds her. "He's like a son to me" Harry turns to Sirius, surprised by his admission. Molly turns and storms out of the room. Sirius sits back down as Harry takes his seat again. "What do you want to know, Harry?" Sirius asks him.

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing?"

"He's hiding for the moment" Sirius answers. "Because the Ministry is ignoring his return, he doesn't want that to change" Lupin smiles at Sirius' side.

"You really messed things up for him last year, Harry" He points out.

"How?" Harry asks.

"The last person You-Know-Who wanted to alert was Dumbledore" Sirius offers.

"And what's his plan?" Harry counters.

"He's building up his army again, just like before"

"And you're stopping him from gaining followers?" Harry inquires.

"We're doing our best" Lupin answers. "But it's proving to be....difficult"

"You see" Sirius leans forward slightly. "When the Ministry of magic insists that Voldemort isn't back...."

"But...why?"

"Fudge likes being Minister of Magic. If it turns out that Voldemort came back under his watch, he'll be sacked...." Sirius explains.

"But you're telling people, right?" Harry asks. Sirius laughs a little.

"Well, they think I'm a mass murderer, Lupin is a werewolf, Tonks and Arthur would lose their jobs at the Ministry" Sirius answers.

"But Dumbledore is doing all he can" Lupin offers softer.

"If he keeps it up, he might end up in Azkaban" Arthur adds. "And that would give You-Know-Who a clear field to..." Arthur suddenly stops and looks as if he's nearly given away too much information.

"What?" Harry asks.

"You-Know-Who wants something" Sirius answers. "Something he didn't have last time. A weapon."

"What kind of weapon?" Lupin and Sirius share a look.

"I'm sorry, Harry" Lupin offers. "We can't say anything more" Harry huffs but nods.

........

Rhiannon wakes to her bedroom door opening and footsteps entering, she remains still a moment, her half-asleep brain trying to warn her not to make a sound because she'll be punished, obviously, it hasn't caught up that she is not back in the orphanage and she is still at Grimmauld Place and she is in a nice warm cosy bed, in a real bedroom, that she is safe.

"Rhian" A voice whispers and she shifts slightly, turning to look for the source of the voice. She finds it in Harry lingering in her doorway, she rubs at her eyes, slightly surprised to find him standing there.

"Hey" She greets sleepily as she leans up on her elbows, she yawns and glances at him. "What's wrong?" Harry closes the door behind him and moves closer to her bed.

"I urm..." He starts. "Had a nightmare" He admits as he rubs his head, his scar. It is very clearly bothering him and there is a sliver of fear and pain in his voice. He's really hurting with it. "I don't know why I came in here" He turns to leave again but she stops him.

"Harry" She starts, he glances at her as she shuffles over in her bed and then lifts the covers.

"Rhian...it's okay, I'm just going to go back to my bed" He argues, completely embarrassed that he's turned to her for comfort here. He doesn't even know why, he just woke up from a nightmare and immediately sought her out, not Ron, not Hermione, but Rhiannon.

"Get in here" She stops him. "You look cold" He nods a little and climbs into her bed. "What was it about?" She asks him, he turns on his side to face her. Almost nose to nose with how small her bed is, too small really to hold two of them but neither of them seem to be all that bothered by the distance between them. It does remind them of the way things were progressing last year and the way their relationship was developing. Those emotions and feelings haven't just disappeared in the last few weeks. And it really has only been weeks and yet it feels like it has been longer.

"I don't know" He admits. "It's hard to make sense of..." She hums a little. "And my scar" He adds quietly, her eyes flicker up to his scar. "It hurts...I think...I think that means it's about...." He offers half a shrug. "Voldemort" He voices and then shakes his head. "Can we talk about something else?" He asks of her, and she hums and nods. He plays with her hair a little, taking a moment to clear his mind of his dream, to change the subject in his subconscious. "So...you are going to be at Hogwarts" He points out as he brushes her hair back from her face, fingers grazing over her cheek.

"Ah so I am" She teases, he smirks a little and gives her a look. "I assume you are implying the fact that we....locked lips a few times last year?" He hums and nods. "I know that we kind of...assumed I would be going back to Durmstrang so if...if that's how you want to leave it..." He leans closer and kisses her. She smiles a little against his lips and then she is kissing him back. She'd worried a little about how this would play out. Given what happened between them last year. It could have easily become awkward for them. She actually likes that it hasn't. That things haven't changed between them. She really likes him. He pulls back and sets his forehead against hers.

"Can I stay in here?" He asks already falling asleep again. Rhiannon hums in agreement.