It was well-known information that the Potters were going to leave the house in the responsible hands of their son, who was going to throw a New Year party. Fleamont Potter could imagine his house burning in flames already but he also believed that the kids would be careful just so that they wouldn't draw the attention of Death Eaters. Ophelia's safety meant a lot to the boys, at least Fleamont Potter could trust that.
"Alright, listen here you three, do not use magic. If you need something, either ask Dylis or do it the muggle way. Ophelia, please do not enter the kitchen. Sirius, do not think for one moment that the neighbors won't notice a flying motorbike, because they will and the whole city will know by the end of the day. And James..." Mr. Potter sopped and sighed as he looked into the puppy eyes of his son. He truly seemed innocent at that moment, but he knew better. "Try to be a normal teenager for once."
Ophelia chuckled as James blinked in confusion. The Potters left and once their car was out of sight and out of hearing distance, James turned to his friends with sparkling eyes.
"Let's get ready for the paartyy~" he sang, jumping around with excitement. "Dylis, are you here?" He asked, opening the door to the kitchen.
"You do realize that Dylis is not a house elf, right? He is busy living his own life." Ophelia interfered, glancing into the kitchen over James' shoulder.
"I know, but that means we have to do everything ourselves. It's not easy moving furniture." James replied, grumpy that his magical source was not there.
"Why would we need to do that anyway?" Ophelia asked.
It was just an hour later when Ophelia found her answer. Apparently, James needed a bit more space in order to make the living room of his house into a dancing ring. Sirius did not let Ophelia move a finger, instead, she was supposed to go buy snacks. It took her a while since she didn't really know her way around and Potter's directions proved unhelpful. But when she entered the house, she was surprised to see how much space they freed, and how they arranged the tables and the couch so that they could sit, if they wanted to.
"Great, you're here! Go and bring some plates and-" James stopped as he saw Ophelia in her own little world, while she was looking around. "...I really miss Dylis," he muttered.
By the time their friends arrived, James and Sirius had everything ready. They were both in the kitchen, placing the snacks in bowls when James turned to his best friend.
"What?" Sirius asked having no idea what was going through his mind.
"Aren't you going to do it?"
"Do what?" Sirius asked not looking up.
"Confess. To Ophelia."
"Why would I do that?" he asked, blushing at the idea.
"Because you like her? Mate, I can see that, everyone can except Ophelia, of course. She is tense when it comes to emotions in general." James commented, thinking of himself to be a connoisseur of his best friends.
"...I never said that,"
"Really, Sirius? Who do you think you're talking to? It's obviously getting out of your control. She may actually reciprocate your feelings seeing how she is wearing your necklace everywhere."
Sirius' cheeks reddened even more at the mention of his Christmas present. He really spent quite a bit on that necklace but he knew she will love it. Besides, he just felt really bad for her every time he looked at her ring, which was clearly Slytherin-ish. She needed something to remind her of who she is not who her father wants her to be.
"Don't think too much, Sirius. Just follow your gut,"
"We'll see what happens..." Sirius mumbled, not wanting to share his plans for the night with his best friend. Not yet.
However, Ophelia had very different conversations in the living room. Weasley arrived with sparkling eyes and a handful of rubber ducks, having just found some in a store.
"What do you think they are used for? Maybe if you push them hard enough, something will come out of their mouth?"
"Like what?" Ophelia asked, staring at the rubber duck with no interest whatsoever.
"Soap? Maybe a song? Maybe that's what muggles use them for! Bathroom music!"
Lily shook her head at the childish idea but Arthur was delighted by it. His eyes were wide and curious and Molly Prewett, Arthur's now girlfriend from what they have found out, loved how happy he was with such a little object.
"What does a rubber duck help with, though? Isn't it just to play with in the water?" Peter asked Frank and Alice who were the closest to him. But both shrugged in reply and decided to turn on the music before Arthur could take out something weirder.
When James and Sirius entered, they met a sight that they will never forget: Alice and Frank were dancing, Arthur was explaining some theory regarding faucets and how he once found a grindylow inside a muggle's water system to a daydreaming Peter, Remus was talking to Lily and Ophelia was just sitting there, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. James nudged Sirius and more or less pushed him towards her.
"What's up, Molley? Not having fun?" He said as soon as he sat next to her.
"It's just- I've always spent New Year with stuck-up, cold-blooded killers so it feels a bit odd," She replied not even looking at him. "I've never felt like it meant something, especially after dad killed a man in front of me."
"Wow, aren't you a party pooper," Sirius mumbled, although he did feel bad that all her experiences have been so traumatizing. "New Year is about having a good time and hoping for a better year to come when all your resolutions will come true."
"Isn't this also your first New Year without your family?" She asked, averting her gaze so she was finally looking at him. "What did you wish for last year?"
"Freedom and mischief," he replied with a boyish grin.
"And what about now? What's your New Year's resolution?" She asked those green eyes of her piercing into his heart.
"What about you? How do you wish next year will be?"
"Like these holidays," she said with a soft and yet bitter smile. What she wanted more than anything was truly to have a real family.
The party continued in the same happy manner. The boys came up with wizard games but without magic and they couldn't help but try some muggle games as well. It was during Monopoly that James and Ophelia almost had a fight because he didn't want to pay her rent. It was funny until it wasn't anymore and Sirius brought the happy liquorice: alcohol.
"Are you sure we are allowed to drink this? It looks expensive," Alice noted, seeing how pretty the bottle was.
"It's fine, it's muggle champagne. We deserve this much after all the work we've done. After all, we are the Order of the Phoenix, aren't we?" James explained, his eyes sparkling with joy.
"Whatever, just pour it," Ophelia mumbled, not wanting to think about the danger looming over their heads.
As if somebody hears them speak, a loud noise came from outside. It was so sudden that nobody said a word and just remained petrified.
"It's not them, right? Death Eaters," Peter whispered, afraid that just mentioning the dark wizards will make them appear.
But they heard the noise again and fear crept into their bodies, especially since most of them were not allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts.
"What the heck is happening outside?" Frank asked glancing at the window.
Then bam! A huge snowball came straight at it, making some screech (Peter and Molly). James walked to the window and laughed to himself at what he saw.
"It's just children playing. They have fireworks, that's what we heard." James explained, still watching the kids.
But when he turned to the others, to laugh at how fearful and anxious they were, there was a sound like a bang and then a rather loud crash in the kitchen. Everyone turned around and waited with bated breath to see who would walk out the door.
“Is something wrong?”
The voice drew everyone’s attention to a tiny figure who seemed to be shaking from the waist down, standing prone in front of the fireplace.
“Hello,” he said in a small voice.
“AAH!”
It was a collective shout that may have been tried to be subdued a few times already, but the tense atmosphere demanded a release. And yet, when the kitchen door opened and an owl advanced on them, there was another release of the fear they felt.
Once the waters calmed down, everyone went about their business. Most of them decided to fill their champagne glasses and return to the subjects that interested them, James had to see exactly what had happened in his parents’ kitchen and internally wept when he saw his mother’s glass collection smashed on the floor and the window half smashed. Luckily Lily decided to partner him in cleaning, which of course delighted him.
“That’s not Dylis, is it? Isn’t it a little suspicious how another house elf ended up in the house?” Lily asked as she picked up the shards.
“I don’t know, but what I do know for sure is that he came here clearly for Ophelia and Sirius seems to know him so I don’t think that’s cause for concern,”
“...have you talked to Sirius about you know what?”
“He’s stubborn and won’t tell me what he’s planning to do. But he’s definitely going to do something.” James replied, hoping that everything would go well for his best friend but also for Ophelia, who needed some normalcy in her life.
"What are you doing here, Dobby? How did you find me?" Ophelia asked, worried that somehow Malfoy has found her.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTWnUOOy7o
"Dobby has always known where Misses is."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CiUk7RW4A
"Does...Lucius know where she is as well?" Sirius asked, sensing the anxiety rising in her.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaakwsO3HFz
"He does, sir. But Young master Malfoy would never give out Misses location. He is too fond of Misses," Dobby said with the ghost of a smile.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFFWHvyXbP
"Did he send you?"264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTb4RDlSSs
"Oh, no, no, Young master is busy with his wife right now, far away from here. Dobby came to check on Miss since Dylis cannot. Mister Knowingall and Dylis had to hide after the cottage was taken from them by...the Lestranges. It was an awful sight, awful indeed when young mister Lestrange insisted on young master Malfoy to take care of the cottage. But-" he stopped and took a fearful look around before he signed for the two teenagers to lean in. "I has heard that the Dark Lord has infiltrated in the Ministry. It is very bad, sirs," Dobby explained, his wide innocent eyes making his words even more alarming.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii6IFX2rvs
"Great..." Ophelia mumbled feeling dejected.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDoo2rotXR
"Ah, I has almost forgot. Dobby brought Miss' owl back. He got lost and was found with Miss' friend."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oUU6ay4xL
"All her friends are here, what do you me-" Sirius stopped and rolled his eyes as he realized what 'friend' Dobby spoke of. "Snape. Of course,"264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUXWk3ddGl
Dobby nodded his head before he jumped off the couch.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn64m0BkCql
"Dobby has to leave now. Misses shouldn't worry about her friends. They are strong and good," He said before he disapparated.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TNqEMB2X3
"Is he still speaking of Snape?" Sirius wondered but Ophelia already got up and went upstairs, into James' room where she sat on the bed and sighed.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavpj0u2fQa
She just didn't know how to handle the news. Malfoy knew where she was, not sure when but it didn't even matter at this point. If, Merlin forbids, something were to anger her father and he would get into Lucius' head, then...she just endangered everyone. It was her fault.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkd5EILFpS
Sirius could understand what she was going through, he could see her guilt all over her face when Dobby mentioned Malfoy and he was aware that it was bad news. When she left, he knew this was his moment. It was time for him to tell her his secret.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH86MdI2FGj
"Molley? Are you so kind as to follow me somewhere?" he asked, opening the door more in order to see her better.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKgcqP11lM
She looked at him and nodded. It was better than overthinking Dobby's every word.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCoyCMvt1a
Black led Ophelia up the stairs and into the attic, a place where the solitude and dim light were going to make his confession more personal.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnxpUDpHFb
"Well? Why did you bring me up here?" she asked nonchalantly.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxEnKVixoI
Sirius opened his mouth several times but it was just so difficult to express his feelings. It was never this hard with other girls but Ophelia was his friend, first and foremost, and he was scared that if his confession goes awful, he won't have his friend anymore.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6MLHhRByy
"Is it about Regulus?" she asked seeing how there have been times when that happened.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2Afcxb0s6
"No. It's about you. I like you."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGiIYctDO1
Ophelia chuckled and patted his shoulder in sympathy.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPlKH7C0ky
"I like you too. Thanks for being there for me,"264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKLOAj37MD
"No, Ophelia. I like you. I like the way you act so strong in front of everyone but when it's just the two of us, you let your guard down. I like how encouraging you are during the training sessions in the Room of Requirement. I like how you let James drag you into the utmost foolish situations and you do it because you care about him. I like how you treat everyone around you, friend, house elf or even Slytherins." He said and took one step closer to her, looking deeply into her eyes. "I like how you can see the goodness even in the darkest people, how you fight for what you believe in, your loyalty to your values and to us. I like looking into your eyes when I'm scared or worried because they give me strength. I like you a lot more than you can imagine. My heart is pounding right now," Sirius explained, mesmerized even now by those serpent green eyes.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7lkiC2t0F
"Is this...is it because we kissed when I was under the love potion?" she asked trying to find reason in his behavior.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFAv1X59jS
"No. It actually started recently. I don't know how or why but one day I looked at you and you grabbed my hand and it just happened. I can't control emotions, Molley," he added, sounding more like himself even if it was still a surreal moment. "I just like you a lot and I'm not trying to force it on you. These are my feelings and I want you to know they exist."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsGJ8kPEcB
"I don't...like you like that, Sirius. I-"264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7KCMgTxSJ
"I know. You're still getting yourself together after Lestrange and you have your father trying to kill everyone. But my New Year resolution is to make some room for me in your heart too. Maybe it will take a while or maybe it will never happen, but I will try and seduce you, Ophelia."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFk4FpnmO4
With his feelings out into the universe, Sirius Black felt lighter. However, he was aware that it will be a lot of hard work to make Ophelia fall for him. Well, he was up for the challenge. at least now she was going to be more aware of his presence.
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