{33} You bring out my rare smile : A Marauder Story

Sirius lay on the Hospital bed next to Harley's. Looking at her, his heart soared. The feeling amazing about himself would come later, though, because he became distracted by a knock on the door.

He quickly stood in front of Harley's bed, gripping his wand. He heard Harley sit up. The Hospital Wing door opened. He relaxed immediately at the sight of a wrinkled old hand. Dumbledore.

The ancient man smiled at Sirius, seeing his stance and positioning. "I think now would be the best time to talk," Dumbledore said. His long cloak gave him the illusion of floating over to the bed.

Sirius sat on the edge of Harley's bed, Harley gracefully scooting to the edge beside him. Sirius had a very strong urge to kiss her, seeing her bright green eyes and tousled black hair. He held back, not wanting to display his affection in front of his headmaster.

Dumbledore sat on the bed across from them, his light blue eyes glinting behind his half moon glasses. "Now that Miss Reid has finished her little contract with Lord Voldemort we have free rein to start a contract of our own." He paused. "I have already started a resistance group that is ready to battle against Voldemort's plans." Sirius sat up immediately.

"Well can I join?" He asked excitedly.

"No!" Harley's voice snapped through him. He looked at her to see her pursing her lips and staring at the sheets, looking frustrated with herself.

Dumbledore spoke. "Miss Reid, Sirius is a prime candidate to join-"

Her gaze snapped up to the old man, glaring at him. "I just left a great chance to keep my best friends and you-" she looked at Sirius "safe. You can't go joining a group that will put that in jeopardy."

Sirius gave her a glare. "You're joining, are you not?"

"Of course-"

"And do you think I like the fact of you joining the group anymore than you like me joining?" She paused, her jaw still clenched but her stubborn glare lessened. "No, if you're joining so am I."

---

Harley looked back to Dumbledore, her face blank.

"Well, what's happening then?" She asked.

Dumbledore's blue eyes looked at both Sirius, then Harley for a few seconds each before continuing. "There is only two weeks until Christmas holiday. I will be summoning you sometime during that holiday for a meeting."

Sirius interrupted Dumbledore, turning to Harley. "You're not going home, are you?" His voice was accusatory, as if it were a crime.

"No, it would be extremely stupid of me to do so," Harley answered. Sirius nodded in approval and turned his head back to Dumbledore. "And you're not going home," she stated. Sirius switched his gaze back to Harley.

"Why do you say that?" He asked as if he were offended.

"Because everyone knows you stay at the Potters, so they might come for you," Harley said offhandedly, as if they weren't talking about people hunting him down. "If I'm staying so are you."

Sirius stared at her and Harley stared back. There was no way she was letting him out of her sight now. She had just risked everything to be with him. She would not have him running off to stay at his friends' house only to be killed. No, Sirius dead wouldn't do.

---

Harley woke up swiftly, very aware of a presence beside her bed and a hand on her arm.

It was Payton. She was standing beside Harley's bed; a big smile on her face. Harley let out a small breath and sat up. She could see the orange sky bright from the sunrise through the slim window. It couldn't have been earlier than seven in the morning.

Valarie, Riley and Sirius were all still asleep in beds around her. Another small sigh of relief left her lips. She had been worried that one of the Death Eaters in the castle might have gotten the news and come up to kill them.

Payton tugged on Harley's arm. "Harley," she whispered through her excited giggles.

"Yes Payton?" Through studying her for a moment, Harley realized she had a fading bruise on her cheek but the cut on her forehead had healed.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she said quietly. The big smile on her face made her glow. Her dark blue eyes shone with tears. Payton pulled herself up on the bed. Harley crossed her legs under the sheets to make more room for the little girl. "You know, at first I didn't like you, cause you were really scary," Payton confessed. "But then you beat up that mean boy who was picking on me, so I decided that I would like you."

Harley tried her best to give the little girl a soft look. She hadn't tried to give anyone a nice stare ever since she was Payton's age, so it was a little bit difficult.

Payton looked down at the sheets and curled her fingers in the white cloth. "I didn't actually think you'd rescue me," she whispered.

Harley straightened up. "Well I did rescue you didn't I?" Payton nodded, her amazing smile coming back. Harley took the sheet off her legs and slid off the bed. Madam Pomfery rushed out of her office.

"Harley!" She whispered briskly. "Oh, I'm glad you're up. We have to talk about Payton."

A frown creased Harley's brow, making Madam Pomfery stop a few feet away then she planned. "Payton is coming with me."

Madam Pomfery shook her head, her hands clasped in front of her. The young girl in front of her was surprisingly intimidating and she didn't want to do anything to offend her. "Miss Reid, you've got to realize that if you go hauling a five year old girl around the school that people will want to know where she came from."

Harley looked at the nurse. Crossing her arms, a snappish air came to her voice as Payton grabbed hold of her shirt. "Well then what do you suppose we do?"

The young nurse straightened. "I will watch her for today, and then we can find some where for her to stay."

Harley didn't trust the nurse, but that didn't surprise her. She trusted no one. But the nurse hadn't killed them in their sleep, and she had helped heal Payton. But she could be waiting for when I leave to off them... Harley dismissed the thought. Madam Pomfery couldn't kill someone. She looked way too...timid to do something like that. Harley knew what it took to kill someone, and Madam Pomfery just didn't have it.

"Fine, Payton can stay here for today," Harley allowed. "I will be back at lunch and supper to check on her. She better be in an even better shape than she is now."

Madam Pomfery reached out her hand towards Payton, but the child didn't move. "How exactly am I supposed to make her better?"

Harley gave her a cruel glance. "You're a Healer, are you not?" Madam Pomfery nodded swiftly. "Well then heal her!"

Harley turned to Payton. "You are going to stay here today. I will be back soon. If anyone tries to hurt you, run down stairs, okay?" Payton nodded, her eyes seeming hopelessly sad.

"But I don't want you to leave," Payton whined.

Harley kneeled down. "Payton, I just went through all the trouble to rescue you. Do you think I'm going to abandon you now?" Slowly, Payton shook her head, her black ringlets shining in the dim light of the sun.

"I still don't want you to go," Payton said quietly.

Harley nodded. "That's completely understandable, but don't always get what we want. Payton, I promise you I will be back very soon, okay?"

The tears that were gathering in her eyes were heart breaking, and if Harley hadn't had a stone heart she would have grabbed the girls hand and brought her with her. "Payton, be good. And remember, if anyone creepy comes up to the room, hide or run down stairs."

With one last look at the three young adults in the beds, Harley swept out of the room.

The shower was a delight to have. Though it didn't wash away her troubles, it made her feel lighter.

Once she was out, she quickly dried off, dressed in a clean uniform and hurried off to her potions class. She was late, she knew that, but if Slughorn asked why she was, she was going to tell him to shove a broomstick up his bottom and ride it up all the way to Dumbledore's office. There was no reason for her hostility towards Professor Slughorn, just that Sirius didn't like him, so Harley knew he would be hard to deal with now.

Potions class passed faster than Harley thought it would. Maybe it was because she went to class half way through the period. Maybe it was because she was thinking about Sirius the whole class. Either way, it flew by, and next thing she knew she was walking to her next class, Transfiguration.

The halls were crowded, but as usual no one bumped into Harley. Everyone steered clear of her in the halls – they had since fourth year. As she walked down a first floor hallway to get to the staircases, a hand reached out and pulled her into a classroom.

Before she could comprehend the tinkles that shot their way through her arm, she had her wand at the mans throat.

"Harley, put the wand down," Sirius said. He sounded annoyed and frustrated as he reached behind her and shut the door.

Harley scowled at him and put her wand back into her pocket. "What's with you and stealing me into spare classrooms?" She asked, meaning to be snappy, but it came out curious.

Sirius stepped back, put his hands behind his head and started to pace in a small space between two desks. Harley grudgingly noticed how even through his uniform (which was still the one he had been wearing the night before) she could see his muscles moving. She wondered how far he could throw her.

Suddenly he stopped and looked at her, his hand still behind his head. "We've got to talk about some things," he said, his tone still shaky. Harley leaned up against the desk behind her, wondering what could have gotten him so shaken up.

Sirius stared at her, his brown eyes dark. "You can't just...leave – it's just not right – you..."

His stuttering made Harley even more confused.

"You can't just disappear like that!" He suddenly snapped. "I woke up and you were gone. I asked Madam Pomfery where you were, but she said she didn't know. That you 'left without telling her anything'."

Harley, thinking she was in trouble, got defensive. "Well she's the nurse," Harley said, as if it excused her leaving without notice. "It's not like I have to tell the nurse where I'm going."

Sirius glared at her and started to pace again. "I don't care about the nurse, Harley," he growled. "You can't disappear like that without telling me, especially after what happened last night, and expect me not to worry!"

Harley stared at him, a little stunned.

"You were worried?" She asked.

Sirius stopped his pacing and took a step closer to her. She tried to press herself up against the desk to get as far away from him as possible. When he was close to her, her thoughts jumbled up and she couldn't think straight.

He looked down at her and she glared up at him. "Harley. I will worry about you whether you are across the world or right beside me. Get used to it. Do you hear me?"

Harley nodded slowly, willing to accept his care, though it was foreign to her. Her glare did not loosen.

Her glare obviously intrigued him, because his intense expression loosened a bit and curiosity over took his face. "Why are you glaring at me?"