Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Hold on Tight	By : cls2256 Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 7315 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. This fic is for entertainment purposes only!

Chapter List
- 1-one
- 2-two
- 3-three
- 4-four
- 5-five
- 6-six
- 7-seven
- 8-eight
- 9-nine
- 10-ten
- 11-eleven
- 12-twelve
- 13-thirteen
- 14-fourteen
- 15-fifteen
- 16-sixteen
- 17-seventeen
- 18-eighteen
- 19-nineteen
- 20-twenty
- 21-twenty one
- 22-twenty two
- 23-twenty three
- 24-twenty four
- 25-twenty five
- 26-twenty six
- 27-twenty seven
- 28-twenty eight
- 29-Twenty nine
- 9
- 10
- 11
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry for the delay on this update! work/life has been crazy these past couple weeks.
At the end of Sirius’s last training shift, Rupert had laughed as he told him and Thorson they were being thrown to the wolves from here on out. Sirius laughed alongside him; how bad could it actually be? The Leaky Cauldron was a small pub, certainly manageable for one sharp mind in the kitchen. He figured he’d be able to move faster throughout the kitchen without Thorson’s bumbling self in his way all the time.
Oh, just how wrong he was.
He burnt every one of his fingers at some point through the hectic lunch shift, dropped an entire tray of chicken breasts on the kitchen floor, and forgot to season the Leaky soup, resulting in multiple plates returned to the kitchen. Alma barked insults and demands at him the entire shift, complaining about his lack of care when plating entrees. If she would’ve quit bitching for him to hurry up with her orders, he’d have laid the sandwiches on the plate a little more careful. Allie had been kind, asking him a few times how much longer individual dishes would be. At one point she’d entered the kitchen and poured her own bowls of Leaky soup, waving off Sirius’s muttered apology as she did so.
Jack appeared to be the only employee positively delighted with Sirius’s performance. He was all smiles as he apologized to patrons, informing them they were ‘testing out’ a new cook, and their feedback to the manager was encouraged. Had Sirius not been so swamped, he would’ve shot a slug vomiting jinx at the smug bloke—he certainly wouldn’t look so damn handsome if he were barfing up mollusks.
Walking home with an oil-stained shirt and grease coated skin, Sirius was exhausted. He walked with his head hung, pride aching. To his surprise, Allie seemed unphased by his flop today. She walked next to him casually, allowing him to set the pace, her fingers loosely intertwined with his.
“How bad did I blow it today?” Sirius asked, “Think I’m fired?”
“No,” Allie said, her tone sounding honest, “It was your first day out of training, and it was hectic. Of course you were going to make a mistake.”
“Or ten,” he grumbled.
“No one is perfect right out of the gate, it’ll take a few shifts for you to get used to the pace. On my first day serving, I dropped an entire tray of draughts all over one of my customers. He was soaked in ale from head to toe— I was sure Mum was going to fire me.” Allie turned her head, smiling at him. “I still work there.”
They walked a few blocks further in silence, Allie admiring the front gardens of the muggle homes along their routes. Upon spotting a frail old woman watering her front lawn, she flashed Sirius a smile and tugged him up the drive.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Tannenbaum,” Allie said,
“Wotcher, Allie,” Mrs. Tannenbaum crooned, “Oh, this must be Sirius— Allie has told me all about you. Please, won’t you two come in for a spot of tea?”
“Oh, thank you, but—” Sirius started.
“We’d love to, Mrs. Tannenbaum,” Allie interrupted, wrapping her arm around his torso and squeezing hard. “Thank you.”
Mrs. Tannenbaum’s house smelled heavily of mature floral perfume. Her furniture was stiff and ornate, reminding Sirius of his grandmother Melania’s home.
“Your eyes are as dark as the night sky,” Mrs. Tannenbaum said, smiling warmly at Sirius, “Reminds me of my Roger—oh, he had the most beautiful brown eyes…”
Allie smiled, taking a delicate sip of her tea, “Mrs. Tannenbaum’s husband served in the Royal Navy during World War 2. He was killed after a harpoon struck his submarine.”
“I see…” Sirius nodded.
He fought hard to remain polite, but the last thing he wanted to do was sit on some old lady’s wooden sofa and talk about how his eyes reminded her of her dead husband. He was tired, greasy, and would kill to replace his earl grey tea with a glass of scotch.
“I’ve started on the baby’s blanket,” Mrs. Tannenbaum continued, “I decided on pastel yellow— since you insist on not knowing the gender…” she added, giving her a small smile.
Allie giggled, her eyes glinting. “We painted the nursery pastel yellow, it’ll match perfectly.”
Mrs. Tannenbaum smiled as she stirred her tea. “I remember my pregnancy. Oh, I was sicker than a dog— Roger used to hold my hair every morning as I got sick…”
Two whole hours had gone by, and Sirius was sure he knew Mrs. Tannenbaum’s husband personally by this point. He’d about fallen asleep a few times, but was woken by Allie’s quick poke to his ribs,
“Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Tannenbaum, but I regret Sirius and I need to be on our way.”
“Oh yes, I’ve kept you far too long,” she said, waving her hands “you two probably want to spend the evening with yourselves—not much longer and it won’t just be the two of you…”
Somehow Mrs. Tannenbaum managed to send them out the door with a few jars of canned peaches, hand-picked and canned from her peach tree. She stood on her front porch, waving and watching them walk down the street before they rounded the street corner. Once out of sight from Mrs. Tannenbaum, Allie hooked her arm in Sirius’s and kissed his shoulder playfully.
“isn’t she delightful?” Allie said “Thank you for having tea with us,”
“Not like I had much choice,” he grumbled.
Allie frowned. “It doesn’t take much energy to visit a sweet old lady. I could tell she was pleased to have met you. I’m almost certain I’m her only regular visitor.”
“She said she’s been pregnant,” he said “where’s her kid? Can’t they come to visit?”
Allie sighed, shaking her head. “Her son lives in Spain, he’s some sort of muggle doctor— surgeon, I think? He only comes ‘round for Christmas.”
Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes. Allie stopped walking, it took Sirius a few steps before she realized she’d stopped. He turned around, looking at her staring at him with disdain, crossing her arms.
“What?” he asked contemptuously.
“I’m sorry you had a rough day, I’m sure you are tired, but I was hoping that a cuppa would take your mind off it.” She shot him a deadly glare, “She’s quite worldly if you would’ve bothered to listen. When you are as old as she is, you will appreciate a younger neighbor stopping by for tea—I thought you, of all people, would understand.”
She brushed past him quickly, walking towards the house and leaving him behind. He scoffed, rolled his eyes, then jogged a few paces to catch up. He walked just a few steps behind her the rest of the way; judging by her silent treatment, he figured she wanted some space.
They walked in the front door, and Allie immediately started up the stairs.
“I need to get my things ready for tomorrow,” she said stiffly,
Sirius watched her march up the stairs and out of sight. He let out a long, defeated sigh, and shook his head. He’d barely said two sentences and had managed to piss off the sweetest woman he knew. He followed her up the stairs, but bypassed the bedroom and headed straight for the shower. He figured she wanted to be alone for a few, anyhow.
As he scrubbed the grease from his pores, his mind wandered back to Allie’s venom-laced words on their walk home.
I thought you, of all people, would understand.
He wondered if, at 85 years old, hunchbacked and grayed with a scotch in his hand, he would appreciate a young whippersnapper stopping by for a drink with him. He felt his guilt in the pit of his stomach—he would welcome a visitor, because this time last year, a visitor was all he wanted.
Memories of many lonely nights spent here in 12 Grimmauld Place invaded his mind. He recalled the intense feelings of boredom and depression as if he were reliving it. During those many months cooped up inside these walls, Sirius lived for the sound of the front door opening—a visitor, whether or not it was just someone stopping by to inform him of something with the Order, or someone there to spend the night. He drank himself to sleep night after night, wondering if breaking out of Azkaban had indeed been worth it in the end.
Sure, Mrs. Tannenbaum wasn’t exactly a prisoner in her own home, but does she feel the same loneliness that Sirius did night after night, crawling into bed to stare longingly at a picture of her beloved Roger? The thought brought a weighted feeling to his chest— that type of loneliness was something he never wished to experience again, and he prayed that sweet old lady didn’t experience it either.
He stepped out of the shower and found himself face to face with his own reflection. The man staring back at him looked different than the one he had pictured in his head; where did these crows feet and forehead lines come from? And is that… gray hair?! He sighed; he wasn’t 20 years old and without a care in the world anymore. He was a grown man now—37, he’d be in November. He wasn’t the bachelor that stayed up with his friends, smoking illicit substances until dawn anymore. He had people to care for— Harry, Allie, and soon, his own son or daughter.
Time was a curious thing, wasn’t it? His mind was overwhelmed by a memory of James, and James’s mother at Kings Cross station. Mrs. Potter had been the one to send him off to school for his 7th year, rather than his parents. He’d run away from home that summer and sought refuge with the Potter’s.
“Oh, I can’t believe you boys are headed off to your last year already,” Mrs. Potter exclaimed, with a tear in her eye, “stand by the train, let me get your picture— James, smooth down the back of your hair for Merlin’s sake!”
“Mum it’s fine, just take the picture!” James groaned.
A quick flash blinded Sirius temporarily. He blinked rapidly until the busy train station platform came back into view.
“Did you double-check that you have everything?” Mrs. Potter asked, forcibly smoothing James’s untidy hair back into place, “Spellbooks, extra robes, toothbrush…”
“Yes, Mum,” James said impatiently, “it’s all there.”
“Sirius, my dear, what about you?” Mrs. Potter continued, “did you—”
“Yes, Mrs. P,” Sirius answered, smirking as he mirrored James’s response, “It’s all there.”
“Oh, alright,” Mrs. Potter smiled at the both of them, “Look at how handsome you both have become. It seems like yesterday you two were just finishing your first year.”
“Seems like it took forever for us,” Sirius mumbled.
Mrs. Potter overheard. “The older you get, Sirius,” she said with a small smile “The faster time flies—you’ll see. You’ll look back on today and wonder where all the time went.”
Sirius tied his towel around his waist and made his way into the bedroom. He walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of trousers, watching Allie out of the corner of his eye. She didn’t look at him. Instead, she focused her attention on the elastic waistband she was sewing onto her Hogwarts uniform skirt. He watched her nimble fingers work deliberately as he dressed, her focus unwavering. The weighted feeling in his chest grew stronger; he wanted to apologize for his behavior earlier but wasn’t sure if he’d be able to say the words out loud.
I’m sorry. I was insensitive. I do, of all people, know what a visitor can do in times of loneliness. I never want anyone to feel what I felt.
He knelt down in front of her, mouth open slightly as he prepared to say these words out loud, but his voice caught in his throat. Allie looked up, eyes softening as she met his gaze. He let out a shaky breath; why couldn’t he say the words he wanted to out loud?
I was so lonely for so long, I can’t imagine how Mrs. Tannenbaum must feel. She was probably thrilled to have us, and I should’ve been more engaging.
She set her sewing aside and cupped his face with her hands, pressing her forehead to his. She didn’t speak, but she didn’t need to. She seemed to understand what Sirius was going to say, despite not being able to. The softness in her eyes and the slight nod she gave him told him all was forgiven. She kissed him softly, so soft that her lips felt like a whisper against his. He leaned his cheek into her palm and closed his eyes; her hand was warm and comforting, like being wrapped up in a thick blanket during a thunderstorm. He nuzzled her palm, then took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. His lips lingered on her skin for a moment before he released her and pointed to her sewing project.
“What are you doing with that?” he asked,
“My skirt didn’t fit anymore,” she said, picking up her sewing and resuming. “I figured a bit of elastic should fix it.”
A few more stitches and she knotted her thread. She held up the skirt and stretched the elastic waistband a few times.
“There, that should do it; hopefully, this will get me through this whole pregnancy.”
The corners of his mouth upturned as she folded the skirt neatly and set it off to the side.
“Can you believe term starts tomorrow?” he said, “How is it nearly September already?”
“I know, where has the year gone?” Allie said, “Time is a curious thing.”
“Yes, it is,” Sirius said softly. He studied her for a moment before clasping his hands together. “I have a gift for you,”
He jumped up and went over to the dresser. He pulled a shabby parcel from the top drawer and shook his head; he was a god awful present wrapper.
“A gift?” she asked, eyeing him curiously.
He smiled broadly, handing her the terribly wrapped parcel. She sat up straighter and gave him a small smile.
“What is it?”
Sirius chuckled. “Just open it.”
She tore the wrappings off, shooting him a curious expression. Her face lit up, and her mouth dropped open. She picked up one of the peacock quills and examined it with hesitant curiosity.
“Sirius, it’s beautiful,” she whispered. She set the quill aside and picked up one of the ink vials. She ran her fingertip over the label, “is this—” she glanced down at the notebook before snapping her eyes upward to him. “This is all by Matilda Macabre…”
“The saleswoman at Amanuensis Quills said the quill set was a one of a kind limited edition,” he said “I know you like color, and I thought you’d love this set. She said the inks were made with crushed diamonds also…”
Allie’s chin began to quiver. She covered her mouth as her eyes welled with tears. Sirius let out a sigh of failure, and his face fell.
“You hate it,”
“No, no— I love it,” she sniffled, “It’s wonderful, I appreciate this so much— I’ve always wanted something from her stationery line.”
Sirius looked at her quizzically. “...then why are you crying?”
“I don’t know!” she wailed.
She set aside the box and threw her face into her hands, sobbing and hiccupping. Sirius couldn’t help but smile as Allie blubbered senselessly, cross-legged on the floor with her face in her hands. He sat down behind her, wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against her back.
“I think it’s *hiccup* the *hiccup* hormones,” she choked “Yesterday I cried *hiccup* because I thought a rose bush *hiccup* was pretty…”
“Those damn rose bushes,” Sirius murmured, chuckling “how dare they be so lovely?”
They fell into hiccupping laughter for a few minutes, until Allie was able to regain her composure. They spent another few minutes in silence, Sirius’s arms wrapped around her and leaning into one another. He was comforted by her presence, so much so he could’ve fallen asleep sitting up and holding her.
“I love you, Sirius,”
She whispered so softly he almost didn’t hear it. He nuzzled his cheek against her back, wrapping his arms around her tighter. He inhaled the comforting scent of her perfume and closed his eyes—If only she understood how much he loved her.

Kings Cross station was bustling. Muggles darted back and forth between platforms as they hustled to their trains, bumping into one another without many apologies. Sirius walked quickly through the crowds, his wand stabbing him in the thigh through his fitted jeans, towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Allie was just a couple steps in front of him, hand resting against her side as she walked. Her wand was concealed here, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. They doubted Voldemort had anything planned to happen at Kings Cross today, but they wanted to be prepared just in case.
They were meeting everyone else here— the Ministry had provided cars and Aurors for the Weasley’s and Harry. Allie said her family would probably beat them here— Colleen always insisted on getting to the platform early.
Allie leaned casually against the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 before disappearing through the wall. Sirius followed suit, looking around to ensure no one was watching them. Muggles. He smirked as he leaned against the barrier. They see nothing.
Stepping through the wall, He found himself on a platform as equally bustling as the one he came from. The sounds of parents hollering at children climbing onto the magnificent scarlet steam engine, and chatter of students seeing their friends for the first time all summer filled the platform. Sirius scanned the crowd for familiar faces; surely, he would’ve thought Harry and the Weasley’s would’ve been here by now.
“There they are!” Allie cried.
Sirius was slightly disappointed when he realized Allie had spotted her own family, and not Harry or the Weasley’s. Allie bustled over to her family, sweeping the twins up in an embrace and kissing the tops of their heads. Sirius rolled his shoulders a few times and followed after her.
“Hiya Sirius!” Shannon cried. “Can you believe it’s September already? Aren’t you excited for Allie to go back to school? I think she’s going to do great, even if her class load is larger than a troll....”
Sirius wondered if he’d had enough coffee this morning— surely if he had, he’d been less irritated by Shannon’s shrill voice and hyper demeanor. He forced a smile and nodded.
“She’s a smart woman, she is going to do well. Can I help with any trunks that need to be loaded?”
“Ours are set,” Colleen said tartly, “Kids, you better get onto the train, it’s almost 11.”
Colleen hugged each one of her kids, shoving them off towards the platform before turning to Sirius.
“I need you to come in an hour early tomorrow,” Colleen said, “I need you to overlap with Rod.”
Sirius fought not to show irritation on his face at the mention of this.
“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded, “I’ll be there.”
Colleen gave him a stiff nod and made her way across the platform, Shannon trotting after her.
“She’s getting better with you,” Allie said, stepping back over.
“Is she?” Sirius laughed.
Allie wrapped her arms around him and kissed the tip of his nose. Sirius smiled and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a swish of a black cloak and blonde hair disappear around a pillar. He looked, narrowing his eyes, scanning the crowd for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
“Sirius, what’s wrong?” Allie asked, furrowing her brow
He took a moment to answer, gaze still remaining on where he saw the black-cloaked person.
“I want you to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary,” he said, lowering his voice “not just on the train, but wherever you are.”
“I sort of always am,” Allie said softly, shifting her weight uncomfortably, “what’s going on?”
“I don’t know…” He scanned the crowd one last time before looking at her, forcing a smile and changing the subject. “Well, it’s almost 11, better get moving, eh?”
Her forehead creased as she frowned. “Sirius…”
“Just stay alert,” he kissed her forehead, “Anything strange, send me a Patronus.”
Allie appeared to be considering saying something else but instead nodded stiffly.
“Alright.”
Sirius smiled, “Alright—see you this evening?”
“Mhmm,” she nodded, “I think I’ll be home late.”
“I’ll wait up,”
“You don’t have to,”
“I want to, he smiled, “I want to hear all about the start of term.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Weasley family, Hermione, Harry, and a team of Aurors entering the platform. Allie recoiled at the sight of an Auror accompanying Harry.
“You alright?” Sirius’s brow furrowed.
“Yeah,” She said weakly, her face turning pale. “I need to go find a seat— say hello to Molly and Arthur for me.”
He watched as Allie hustled to the train, nearly jumping into the car without looking back. As Sirius turned around, he found Molly ordering Ginny, Ron, and Hermione around as Harry and Arthur were off to the side speaking.
“We raided Lucius’s house after he was arrested,” Sirius overheard Arthur telling Harry, “If he had anything suspicious lying about, we would’ve found it.”
“Well, I think you missed something,” Harry said plainly.
“Everything alright?” Sirius asked, stepping into the conversation.
“Turns out Harry, Ron and Hermione have taken it upon themselves to follow Draco Malfoy,” Arthur said.
“Really?” Sirius asked curiously, “why’s that?”
“I just—” Harry let out a frustrated sigh “I have a feeling.”
The train whistle blew. Arthur clapped Harry on the shoulder. “Better get on the train now, Harry,” he said, “don’t want to miss it.”
Arthur walked back over to Molly. Harry looked slightly defeated as he made his way towards the train. Sirius followed him.
“So you have a feeling, eh?” Sirius asked, jogging a few steps to catch up “a feeling about what?”
Harry stopped, looking over his shoulder before speaking. “I think Draco Malfoy is a death eater,” he said, “I think he replaced his father.”
Sirius’s first instinct was to laugh, but he remembered Draco’s erratic behavior last week in Knockturn alley. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the train whistle’s final warning. Sirius clapped Harry on the shoulder, bending down slightly to meet his eye level.
“Be careful,” he warned “Be careful who you say that to,” Sirius glanced at the train, then back to Harry, “Send me an owl once you get settled in— in the meantime, you better get on that train.”
“Alright,” Harry nodded, “am I coming to Grimmauld place for Christmas?”
“You’ll be splitting your time between me and the Weasley’s— Molly insisted.”
Harry nodded, then hugged Sirius tightly. “Talk to you soon.”
Sirius rested his head on top of Harry’s, smiling into his jet black hair. “I’ll be waiting for your owl.”
Harry scurried off at the sound of the steam engine’s brakes releasing and jumped onto the train just moments before it started to move. Sirius waved as the train took off, and watching until it vanished from sight.

The Hogwarts Express was an immensely large train—so why was it so difficult to find a place to sit?
Allie felt extremely out of place as third-year girls shuffled past her, hands linked together and giggling furiously. Everyone on the train had friends to sit with, and most already had staked their claim on their compartments. She contemplated finding at least one of her siblings and sitting with them but decided against it. She would feel just as out of place amongst Bridget, Rory, or Teagen’s friends as she did the gaggle of teenagers around her.
She slipped into the first open booth she could find, and prayed no one would join her. She’d be perfectly content sitting alone for the duration of the train ride, left to her own devices. She pulled out her Herbology textbook and flipped to the first page, but thoughts of doubt clouded her mind.
What the hell was she doing? Was she even smart enough to pull off taking two years worth of classes in one, let alone get excellent marks on her examinations? Sure, lessons with Remus were hard, but she wasn’t getting graded on those. These were real classes and real tests that would go on her permanent record.
A weighted feeling settled in her chest as if everything was hitting her at once. She was going to take a double course load, work enough hours to make her same income she was before, pass the hardest tests she’s ever taken, fight the imminent threat to the Wizarding World, and have a baby, all within the next 10 months of her life. How did she expect to be able to pull all of this off? She would’ve jumped off the moving train and ran back to Kings Cross station had she not been pregnant. She had to be certifiably insane to have chosen to overload herself like this.
She forced herself to shake off her nerves— there was no turning back now. She inhaled deeply, and focused her attention on the textbook in front of her; if she were going to pass her NEWTs, she’d better get started on learning now.
She didn’t get very far into the first chapter on Mimulus Mimbletonia before she was interrupted.
“Oh, my apologies— I didn’t realize this compartment was taken,”
Allie looked up from her book to find a short, round man dressed in luxurious robes standing in the doorway. His large walrus-like mustache appeared to be gelled perfectly into place, matching his shipshape appearance.
“No matter,” Allie said, “you can join me if you like.”
The man didn’t sit down. Instead, he rocked on his heels a few times, observing her curiously.
“What subject do you teach?” the man asked, “you’re too young to have taught at Hogwarts the last time I was here.”
“Oh, no, I’m a student, actually...” Allie turned tomato red from her hairline to her chest, stumbling over her words. “I left– well, um– dropped out, rather, after my 5th year. Dumbledore is allowing me to come back and take my NEWT examinations .”
“Ah, I see— well, it seems like Dumbledore brought all his old friends back this year,” the man’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Horace Slughorn; Master of Potions.”
“Allie Murphy,” she nodded.
“Pleasure,” he said, nodding in return.” well, I hope you don’t mind Miss Murphy, but I was looking for a cab to accommodate a lunch gathering…”
Allie caught on by Slughorn’s body language and facial expression that he was asking her to move compartments. The idea of sticking her ground and not moving (resulting in being a fly on the wall for Slughorn’s lunch gathering) seemed extremely uncomfortable. On the other hand, the idea of having to find her place in another compartment seemed just as distressing. She didn’t want to intrude on her sibling’s; maybe she could discover Hermione, Ron, and Harry… but would they cringe the moment she asked them if she could sit?
Looking back at Slughorn’s hopeful expression that she would move, she decided the latter was the *hopefully* safer option. She tucked her book under her arm and stood.
“The compartment is all yours, Sir,” she said, forcing a small smile, “enjoy your lunch party.”
Her shoulders hunched as she made her way down the train car’s compartments, looking in each at a quick side glance. She fought to control the heat building in her cheeks as many unfamiliar faces stared at her as she went by. She kept moving until she spotted Harry’s jet black hair. She slid open the door.
“Hi, Harry,” she said, feeling the heat returning to her face. “Could I—um— sit here?”
Allie recognized the blonde girl with strange earrings next to Harry as Luna Lovegood, one of the students Harry brought with him to the Ministry last summer. Luna smiled kindly and patted the seat next to her.
“Come on in,” Luna said dreamily “There is plenty of room.”
A wave of relief washed over Allie as she took her seat next to Luna. Harry smiled at her warmly, which only made her flush deeper. She offered the box of macarons to Luna.
“Oh, these look lovely,” she said, “thank you!”
“What are those?” another boy from the Ministry, Neville, asked.
Allie smiled, “try one,—they are my favorite.”
Neville plucked a lemon macaron from the box and scrutinized it. He took a bite, chewed for a moment, then hummed in delight.
“This is amazing!” he said, through a mouthful. “Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never had these before!”
Allie laughed and leaned back in her seat. She pulled her textbook out once more, feeling content with her choice of cabin. Allie half-listened to Harry, Luna and Neville’s idle chit chat as she read her book until Ron and Hermione entered the cabin.
“Hi Harry, Luna, Neville, Allie,” Ron said, nodding to each of them “Guess what, Harry? Malfoy isn't doing his Prefect duties! He’s just sitting with the other Slytherins.”
“That’s odd…” Harry said, trailing off.
Allie didn't chime in but listened intently as Harry, Ron and Hermione went back and forth over this. Malfoy—she recognized that name, as Lucius Malfoy had been one of the Death Eater’s she’d help capture at the Ministry. She made a mental note to keep an ear out for anything relating to Draco Malfoy in the future.
A young, redfaced girl interrupted the conversation, popping into the train car with two scrolls in her hand.
“I’m supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry Pott-t-t-er” she faltered.
Harry and Neville accepted the scrolls with puzzled expressions. They pulled the violet ribbons off the scrolls and unraveled the parchment.
“What are those?” Luna asked.
“An invitation,” Harry said flatly. “Professor Slughorn’s invited Neville and me to have lunch with him in his cabin.”
Allie rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat. She didn't think she was going to like Professor Slughorn very much.
“Come on, Neville,” Harry said, “Let's go under the invisibility cloak— maybe we can get a good look at Malfoy on the way.”
Harry and Neville exited hastily, followed by Ron and Hermione.
“Don’t mean to rush out,” Ron said, poking his head back into the compartment. “but we’re supposed to be helping first years.”
Allie waved goodbye to them before leaning back in her seat, staring at her Herbology textbook dubiously; he wished she’d brought something more entertaining to read with her. She looked up, almost startled to see Luna smiling dreamily at her.
“Well, it looks like it’s just us,”
Luna reached into her bag and pulled out an identical copy of the thin magazine in her lap.
“Would you like a Quibbler?”
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Hold on Tight