[HP Doujin] take care of you

"You can do whatever you want, Sirius." Remus finally said, looking at the scene in front of him. "But you'll soon have to face reality."

Ginny found Remus's words strange, and she watched Sirius make a decision.Of course she wanted him to play with her, but, to Remus, it seemed like a test.Does Remus know anything Ginny doesn't?

"you can go--"

Sirius shook his head and interrupted Ginny.He smiled charmingly again, but those eyes that Ginny could always read looked at Remus apologetically.

"Before I start these meetings, I'm going to play with this kid one last time." Sirius put his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

His touch gave her goosebumps, a reaction she still had, but she never took her eyes off Remus.She just found out that he was angry.In the light of the lantern, he looked even older and fiercer.Knowing something she didn't, Remus reached out and grabbed his wrist.What does he know?

He looked tenderly at Ginny, smiled at her, and walked away.

"We'll talk later, Ginny," he told her, and then glanced at Sirius.

When Remus was finally out of sight, Ginny turned to look at Sirius.He was looking out the window at the dark sky, and she squinted her eyes.

"What's going on?" Ginny walked towards Sirius.

He immediately looked down at her, and then looked at the ground again, his eyes were incomprehensible.

"I upset Moon-face," he murmured, running his hands through his hair.

Ginny observed Sirius, the corners of his mouth drooped slightly, and his worried expression seemed to make him a lot older.Traces of that time in Azkaban are evident.He seemed suddenly tired and his wrinkles were more prominent.He gripped the window sill tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"I see it," she said softly. "Why?"

But Sirius just shook his head, walked away from the window, and forced a smile.

"Shall we go for a walk and talk? Maybe we can find something exciting to do."

Ginny didn't want to end the subject, but she agreed to walk with him.He chose to hang out with Ginny instead of going to the Order of the Phoenix meeting.Maybe he was afraid of what was going to be said at the meeting, so he chose to stay with her.However, she couldn't help feeling a glimmer of hope that maybe he just wanted to be with her.

They walked side by side in silence for a while.It wasn't embarrassing, but Sirius was preoccupied.Ginny did her best to smile at him as he looked down at her.

"What should we talk about?" she asked.

Sirius groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Are you all right, Sirius?" Ginny asked softly.

She wanted to touch him, to comfort him, but she couldn't.Although Sirius touched her a lot, either grabbing her wrist or putting his hand on her shoulder, she found she couldn't do the same.Ginny didn't know how her body, mind, and heart would react to such a move.

Something must be wrong with Sirius.Ginny bumped into Sirius in 1978 after an argument with his brother.His eyes were dark and angry, a side of Sirius she had never seen before.And this was another side of Sirius she had never seen before.He was sad and seemed to be fighting a losing battle.

"Let's talk about Voldemort."

Ginny was surprised, she wanted to see Sirius' expression, but it was too dark in the corridor.

"Okay?"

It wasn't until they had passed three portraits that Ginny urged Sirius to continue.

"Sirius—"

"I want you to leave while he attacks Hogwarts. Go to the Forbidden Forest and hide."

Ginny's jaw dropped as she couldn't help but grab Sirius' arm and turn him to face her.It was very dark here, and she still couldn't see his face clearly.But the contact between them made her tremble, and she looked up at him, barely able to think.

"what are you saying?"

Sirius looked at her silently, then shook his head.

"He's going to attack soon. That's why the Order has had so many meetings lately. Our spies outside Hogwarts say...it doesn't matter. But you're too young to go to war. It's going to be scary—"

Anger welled up in her heart.

"I've dealt with worse things," she cried, letting go of Sirius.

Of course he didn't remember the Battle of Hogsmeade, she had fought alongside him.He certainly didn't remember the fire at the Ministry ball either.

"Yeah, and you're doing really well," he growled.

Ginny froze.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked in a low voice.

"Harry told me about your intrusion into the Department of Mysteries. When I entered the Veil." His face seemed to sink. "Don't you remember? The Order of the Phoenix had to clean up the mess you kids left behind. Harry told me you broke your ankle and dragged everyone down. He told me about the Chamber of Secrets and he found you lying there dying On the ground. Weak and unable to protect himself at all."

Ginny couldn't help opening her eyes wide, looking at Sirius sadly.

"Harry says that about me?"

But she was getting angrier and angrier.

"Merlin, Sirius, I was only 11 when the Chamber of Secrets happened!"

She shuddered remembering the feeling of being sucked out of her life.Tom Riddle flashed through her mind, and she tried not to think about him, continuing to be angry.

"How do you know?" she cried, pushing Sirius' chest. "You've been fighting for less than 5 minutes and—"

Panting heavily, she stopped.Sirius was waiting for her to continue, but Ginny couldn't.Because she knew Sirius wanted to fight, and she knew he said it because he wanted to fight her.For whatever reason.

"I'm not leaving," Ginny said simply. "I refuse to leave. The Forbidden Forest is as unsafe as the Castle."

Ginny backed away from Sirius.

"I don't like it when you irritate me like you did just now."

But Sirius was still furious.He glared like a dog, then turned his back on her.She stared at his back for a long time, feeling very vulnerable.Ginny walked towards him and put her hand on his back, she could feel his rapid breathing as he fought the demons in his head.

Her touch didn't stop him either.So she walked up to him, hesitated as she always did when touching Sirius, and put her arms around him.To Ginny's surprise, Sirius took a deep breath, but closed her eyes.She didn't want to be rejected and pushed away by him because she needed to comfort him now.Sirius was angry and confused, and she didn't know why.She just hoped Sirius would think they were good enough friends that she could get this far.

Ginny didn't know how long she hugged her, and Sirius finally hugged her too.His arms are not the same as in the past.His arms seemed less muscular, probably because he wasn't playing Quidditch as much as he used to, and his hugs weren't as confident.But this kind of contact still made her couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Ginny didn't know how long it had been before footsteps came from the corridor.They all froze, as if someone was trying to catch them doing something terribly wrong.It was Sirius who let go first, with his head bowed, his black hair blocking his eyes.

"Sirius?" she whispered, biting her lip.

Hugging with him for a long time made her heart beat fast and her head was a little dizzy.She longed for him even more.

"Ginny, I'm going to see you!"

She froze at the sound.Sirius raised his head slightly, his gray eyes searching for the source of the voice.Ginny turned to see Harry walking towards them with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello, Sirius," he greeted, smiling at his godfather.

Sirius raised his head completely, with a bright smile on his face.Sirius looked so different with Ginny just now than he was with Harry now, and Ginny felt out of breath.

"How's the meeting going?" Sirius asked, walking up to Harry and putting his arm around Harry's shoulders.

Harry smiled wearily and shrugged.

"You know," he muttered. "It's still a cliché."

They continued walking down the corridor, getting further and further away from Ginny.She froze in place and did not follow.

"Are you coming too, Ginny?" Sirius called, turning to her.

She couldn't look him in the eyes, fear and excitement and joy boiling inside her.

"Okay." She answered, covering her forehead.

Ginny ran up to them and took Harry's hand.He was quite used to it now, he was too busy chatting with Sirius to just shake her hand.