𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 126

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND TWENTY SIX
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY SAY 
THEIR GOODBYES

. . .

The next morning and Aviana was awake bright and early, before anyone else, and stood at the bottom of the stairs already dressed, with her trunk packed, locked with a nametag attached by the time any of the rest of them trudged downstairs for breakfast.

She was already in school uniform, grey polyester jumper replaced by an emerald green cardigan with a gold crest embroidered on the chest, blue buttons and white edging, a matching ribbon tying back straight hair. A little more eyeliner than usual and an high amount of pearl jewellery later, pink blush and pink lips and Harry couldn't quite stop himself from glancing over every now and again at breakfast.

They didn't need to leave until later in the morning, the train setting of at eleven as it did on the very first day of the year, and as the rest of those returning back to Hogwarts - of course, excluding Aviana - made their way back upstairs to reluctantly and poorly pack their own trunks, Harry saw Sirius following Aviana into the drawing room, Lupin following behind them. 

Harry left his trunk by the door of his room, ready for them to be magicked downstairs by Mrs Weasley when they left and made his way back downstairs. He didn't want to say goodbye to Sirius, an unpleasant constricted sensation rising in his chest, upon realising that he truly didn't want to depart from Grimmauld Place this time. He didn't know when neither he nor Aviana would see Aviana again, and despite the guilt to be seen on his girlfriend's face that evening, she was admittedly too prideful to say anything, and it fell to him to talk to Sirius and somehow convince him to not do anything stupid. 

Aviana had gotten her pride from somewhere, and it wasn't just from being Sorted into Slytherin. Harry worried that Snape's accusation of cowardice had stung Sirius so badly that at any chance Sirius got of leaving he would take it, some kind of fool-hardy trip outside to do... to do anything at all, really. 

The door into the drawing room was still closed. He could hear the low mumbling of conversation from within and when he knocked on the door, the talking stopped. 

Remus opened the door. Aviana and Sirius sat behind him, both simultaneously looking more serious than they had in months and as though they were being told off. "Harry, come in. Your bags are all packed?" Remus asked, and he nodded. "Good, good... I'll go rouse the others. Tonks is with Mrs Weasley in the kitchen, we'll be escorting you up."

Harry nodded, again, blindly, as Remus shuffled passed him and Harry closed the door as he entered the room. "Hi." He said, quite stupidly, as the sound of shutting doors and clattering footsteps echoed through the house around him. 

"You're all ready to go?" Sirius asked, standing up. Aviana had her bag on her lap and didn't look up. It seemed as though she was quite hastily shoving something into it and shifting contents around on top of it. "Good... good. I want you to take this." He said, reaching for a badly wrapped package from the desk beside him and shoved it into Harry's hands.

"What is it?" Harry dragged his eyes away from Aviana and to Sirius, down to the package about the size of a paperback book in his hands. 

"A way of letting me know if Snape's giving you a hard time." Sirius replied.

"So you're just gonna dance around it?" Aviana asked, getting to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder. 

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Don't open it yet." He said, attention back on Harry. "In your coat pocket. Molly wouldn't approve if she saw it - but I want you to use it if you need me, alright?" Sirius asked. "That goes for you too, Aviana. Listen to what Remus was saying." 

"Okay." Harry said, and tucked the package away. He most likely would never use it at all - if he was ever in a situation which needed Sirius's attention, then he could quite easily come to the conclusion that it would not be he that lured Sirius out of his home. 

"And you, Aviana?" Sirius asked, letting go of Harry's shoulder and turning around, expectantly, to his daughter. "You'll listen to what Remus said and... if you need to, let Harry know and-"

"I'll tell Harry I'll need the thing and bypass the middle man all together." Aviana said, and met Harry's eyes, albeit briefly. A former promise to herself flashed through her mind and she swallowed. "If it warrants me telling Harry, then I will." 

"Good, and-"

"And you really didn't your boyfriend to sit me down and tell me not to ridicule Snape at every chance I got. I was taking liberties at my guaranteed safety in a, well, safe house." Aviana said. Sirius turned slightly pink.

"Noted." He nodded. There was a ruckus slowly rising outside, and Sirius pulled himself together. "I suppose you two should be off then, it's been left quite late this morning and I'm guessing Remus and Tonks aren't particularly looking forward to herding you all to the train." He clapped Harry on the shoulder, smiling grimly. Turning to Aviana, there was a moment of hesitation shared, before she quite reluctantly hugged him. 

Sirius looked shocked as she pulled away, and Aviana brushed past Harry and filed out into the corridor without another word. "Don't let her get in too much trouble, will you?" Sirius asked weakly, as though he knew already there was little to no point at all in asking.

Harry shrugged. "I'll do what I can." He said.

"Come on." Sirius ushered him forwards, out into the Entrance Hall, and they joined the crowd of Weasleys there, stopping before the heavily chained and bolted front door. 

After a brief moment of hugs and goodbyes, they were urged out of the front door, down the steps, and as they reached the pavement the door slammed shut behind them. Looking back, and Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was gone. 

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