"Ha, um, hey Sirius. I didn't...you know...actually mean that," stammered Harry, his green eyes finding his godfather's cold ones.

Sirius had taken him by surprise, and of course, he had to show up when he said something bad about Anna. He just hoped Sirius wasn't going to be too mad at him for saying that. After all, he just wanted to talk to his godfather.

"Mhmm, I would hope not. Speaking of my daughter, where is she?"

Confusion flooded Harry's mind; hadn't Sirius told him to meet in the common room by his lonesome? That it was urgent? "You told me to come alone-"

"Wait...you thought that letter was for you?" Sirius asked, laughing when Harry nodded.

"No, it was meant for her. I'm mad at you right now, why would I want to chat?"

Harry felt really stupid for jumping to conclusions about Sirius wishing to speak to him. His face became tinted red out of embarrassment. Of course, Sirius didn't want to speak to him. He had been an ass to Anna, and her father would hardly be his best friend right now. "I...I don't know...I can call for her if you'd like?"

"Well, since you're here anyway, you could tell me what actually happened? I know you had something to do with the night she and Arthur were almost killed."

The boy tensed, finding it very hard to meet Sirius' gaze.

Harry promised Anna he wouldn't tell anyone the truth...but he already broke it by telling Ron and Hermione. At the same time, she specifically said to not tell Sirius. He knew Sirius would get very angry and upset if he knew, but he also knew that the man would find out anyway, and lying wouldn't help.

He decided to give in, saying, "I attacked Anna. Voldemort made me his pet snake. I don't know how or why, but he did. I was aware of what was happening, but I had such a strong desire to hurt them as if I were really a snake trying to get its next meal. Anna told me not to tell you, so I didn't. But uh...don't tell her I said that."

"Oh, I will. I have a bone to pick with her. She promised me she was telling the truth," muttered Sirius angrily, almost forgetting the boy was there. This slightly unnerved Harry.

"I'm so sorry Sirius, really. And all this year I haven't meant to hurt her, it really was Voldemort. I do love her, honestly and-"

"Harry, I'll tell you this one time and one time only...you need to get your shit together. Otherwise, you can stay away from my daughter," the man said, his voice low with severity.

The teenager gulped and backed up a step as the fire seemed to glow brighter with rage. Harry knew exactly where he was coming from and what Sirius had meant. He had been treating Anna badly and he knew this. From now on, he vowed it would not be the case.

Finally, Sirius settled with giving a mere sigh and the flames died down. "That's my daughter, my...only...daughter. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means disregarding my duties as a godfather."

Harry understood what Sirius had meant. Although Anna was his daughter and she would always come first, it still hurt a bit to know he didn't mean as much. Moderately annoyed, a thought came to mind after hearing this statement.

"Sirius, I have a question."

"What?"

"If she were doing this to me...would you feel the same?"

"Of course. I may be a bit more lenient and able to guide her, but I wouldn't settle for her hurting you. That's not the case right now, though, and I hope it never will be. So, I'm going to give you one last chance... Control yourself or stay away, got it?"

"Yes sir," whispered Harry, hanging his head. "I...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to her. You broke her heart, was mean to her on many occasions, and tried to kill her."

He inwardly screamed when he heard Sirius' response. Yes, he knew he had hurt and treated Anna very badly but when Sirius said it, it made him feel like such an awful person. Granted, Harry thought, he probably was.

"I know."

"Good." And with that, there was silence between the two. Finally, Harry spoke up.

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"Do you hate me?"

"No, I don't, and I don't think I could ever bring myself to. You're too much like James," Sirius said nostalgically, giving a small smile. "You're even awful with girls...too bad it's my daughter you've been involved with."

"Oh shut it," Harry laughed. "Do you think she'll ever give me another chance?"

"We;;...if she's anything like her mother, she'll give you all the chances you need. Merlin, was I a bastard to her at times...she always knew how to forgive though... Anyway, how's the new dream team?"

"Ugh, don't even get me started. Ron is...or was, I'm still not sure...my best friend, but two of them make me want to throw myself off the astronomy tower. They're so dysfunctional and always arguing. They snog a lot too, it's disgusting. And Ron's always trying to make Anna do his homework since Hermione won't anymore. I reckon it's because she's jealous. I always figured she had a thing for Ron; Anna said so on our first train ride when we met them," Harry rambled, happy to have someone to talk to. His godfather merely chuckled.

"I bet ten galleons and a trip to New York City that it'll only last another month."

Harry's face broke into a smile. It felt like old times with Sirius. Just like how things used to be. "You're betting money on your daughter's relationship? And I'm the bad one?"

"Oh hush, at least I didn't maim her. I would say this to her face too. What's your bet?"

"One of every candy off the train trolley, on them lasting until the end of term, that is. What about a trip to New York, though?"

"Anna and I are going. I was going to take you anyway...but I won't until you get your act together and prove it. No more slip ups."

Well, that's fair, Harry thought. He also thought it was very kind of Sirius to think about bringing him in the first place. Harry really respected Sirius; it wasn't easy being locked up in that horrible house all the time, yet able to be selfless and put his daughter's happiness first. Harry was extremely glad to have a godfather like him, and Anna, a father.

"Of course...I'm going to win, you know."

"In your dreams, James," smirked Sirius, but his eyes quickly widened, and he stammered, "I...I mean...Harry."

The awkwardness grew heavy between the pair.

"Do you still want to talk to Anna?" Harry asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Um...no, I think it'll be okay."

"What was so important anyway?"

"It was nothing I should be talking about...just a warning. Harry, can you do something for me?"

A warning about what, Harry wondered. Voldemort? The Death Eaters?

"Of course."

"Make sure Anna only stays with her immediate group of friends: you, Ron, and Hermione. I don't want her with anyone else. Actually, that goes for you too. The both of you...you can't trust anyone else anymore," Sirius said darkly, putting as much emphasis as possible.

Harry raised an eyebrow. Well, this was strange. Why didn't Sirius want them interacting with other people? Was he really being that paranoid about Voldemort and who to trust and who not? "Did something happen? Who do we need to look out for?"

"I...I can't say anything. You'll find out soon enough. Just please, do as I say. Don't tell Anna I warned you, but watch her from afar and guide her, okay?"

Still puzzled about who or what Sirius was warning them about, he went with it for two reasons:
1) He loved Anna
2)Sirius would never bluff about something so important to the extent of not being able to have barely any friends.
Harry was determined to protect Anna at all costs; he gathered there was something missing from this story. Sirius obviously wasn't telling him something and must have been fearing for their safety if he was saying this, and Harry knew that, saying, "I won't let you down."

"Thank you, honestly. Well, it's a school night so...goodnight."

"Night Sirius," Harry said reluctantly, giving a smile before going up to the dorm.

~=~

The next day went extremely slow.

Harry was sure to trail Anna and follow her every move. Since he had nothing else to do, this was easy. In Potions, Ron was late and Malfoy decided to take a seat next to her, causing Harry to freak out internally.

He tried eavesdropping on the conversation, but couldn't quite hear. Maybe it was Malfoy Sirius was worried about, Harry thought. He had said don't talk to anyone outside their friend group at all costs.

So, he decided to do what any irrational human being would to solve this problem.

He interfered. "Hey, Malfoy, quit bothering Anna," growled Harry and the Slytherin turned to face him. His pale face became twisted with irritation.

"Potter, I appreciate how concerned you pretend to be about my cousin after you maimed her, but please, get your stupid scar-face away from me," Draco said monotonously, earning a glare from Anna's own scarred face. He chuckled nervously and gave an apology. 

"I bet you heard that from your Death Eater father. How is he, by the way?"

"You know nothing about my father!" exclaimed Malfoy, rising abruptly.

Unlikely, Harry thought. Harry reckoned he probably knew more about Malfoy's father then he did.

Draco was only a bit taller than Harry but still seemed to tower over him. "Um...actually...we do know he's a Death Eater..." Anna said awkwardly.

The two ignored her and jumped into an argument. Just as they whipped their wands out to fight, a crowd formed and chanted 'fight fight fight.'

She just rolled her eyes, willed her pupils to turn red, and yelled, "SHUT IT!" The enemies shut up instantly, along with the rest of the crowd. "Yeah, move along, get back to your business, as for you two... Harry, sit with me. Draco, I'm so sorry."

"I should be hearing an apology from Potter-"

Anna inwardly groaned at the level of immaturity.

"How about you just shove off, Malfoy?" grumbled Harry.

The platinum-haired boy gave him one last glare before strutting off. This left Harry and Anna alone, her being at a loss for words.

"Harry...what the hell?!"

"I-"

"Why? Why do you always need to pick a fight, especially with him?!"

"Anna, you can't trust him. You know where he comes from-"

"His father being a Death Eater doesn't automatically make him one!"

"And how do you-"

"So you're saying Voldemort's loyalty runs through blood? Fine, according to your logic, Sirius and I must be Death Eaters since we're Blacks. Right?" Anna asked with a smirk, causing Harry to feel stupid and stop talking.

Just as Anna was about to speak again, class began. Today was a lecture, but Ron came in a few minutes late, and he shot the coldest glare he could muster at Harry, who was sat beside his girlfriend. Anna just awkwardly waved and mouthed an apology. To Harry's annoyance, she and Ron discreetly passed notes, her giggling every so often.

I honestly hope Sirius wins the bet, thought the raven-haired boy, glaring at them.

Finally, the bell chimed and everyone was dismissed. Then, Snape's loud drawl rung out, "Potter, I need to see you. And yes, I know you can hear me." Harry groaned and watched Anna as she, to his surprise, kissed Ron on the cheek before staying behind as well.

The number of people in the room dwindled to three: Snape, Harry, and Anna. The professor raised an eyebrow. "Black, I don't recall telling you-"

"I was wondering if this was about the...private lessons?"

"It is. You shouldn't be sticking your nose in other people's business...you're just like your father," Snape muttered, his dark eyes coldly locking onto her fathomless grey ones.

(Authors Note: Sorry for the interruption, but before anyone says "Wait, Anna has brown eyes!", let me explain. When I started this, I forgot Sirius actually had grey eyes. Since I'm currently editing everything I've written, I'm changing her eyes (and Sirius') to the correct grey ones.
Sorry again, let's continue, shall we?)

Severus' demeanour towards the girl had changed this year. Since the Order had been having meetings, he was forced to see Sirius much more than he could tolerate. Being unable to take his frustration out on the escaped convict, he did so on his daughter and godson.

It was as if more and more he could see her father's outgoing, cocky personality in her when in reality, she hadn't changed much at all and contained a good mix of both Leah and Sirius.

"Private lessons?" asked Harry stupidly.

"Yes. Since you're unable to keep control of what enters and leaves your mind, I'll be teaching you Occlumency."

"Why can't Dumbledore-"

"Because, Potter, he's the headmaster and is allowed to assign staff to do unwanted tasks," he said snarkily, causing Harry's jaw to clench.

"Your first lesson will be tonight at 6. If anyone asks, you'll be in Remedial Potions. This shouldn't sound suspicious, as it would sound believable to anyone who's seen your classwork."

"Is this occlu-thing required?"

"Yes, it is, for the both of you. You'll need to control your mind if you ever want to be strong enough to fight. Trust me, I don't want to waste my time on you, but I'm abiding by Dumbledore's orders. Now, get out," ordered Snape.

Harry and Anna left the room, heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

There was an awkward silence as they walked before Anna said, "Harry...it isn't that bad, I promise. I took it last year and it really did help-"

"Yeah, but you're you. Snape doesn't hate you and you're more capable-"

"Quit putting me on a pedestal, Harry, I've had enough. We're the same level of capability, so shut it... By the way, I have an irrelevant question. Well, two actually."

"Yes?" asked Harry, causing Anna to sigh and clutch her books.

"Are you and Ron ever going to be friends again? It's just...I don't know. It's just really annoying. You two are acting like children about this and I hate it. I just wish we could all be a happy group again..."

"I do too...but I can't get through to him. At this point, I think you're the only one who can."

"But...I've tried. He won't listen and he never does about anything. I don't know...I mean, at least you did...sometimes," she muttered awkwardly, daring a glance and smile at him. "Don't tell Ron I said that."

"Oh, is there trouble in paradise?"

"You're no saint, Harry. And there's no paradise. Look, all I was asking is if you're willing to be friends again."

"Of course. What's the other question?"

"Why didn't Dad want to talk to me last night?" Anna asked. When she saw his eyes widen, she quickly added, "I didn't eavesdrop, don't worry."

"I don't know what you're-"

"Stop. I know you talked to him. Harry, you're a god-awful liar, so don't bother doing so."

He sighed, deciding to be vague. "It was just regular talk. He was bored and-"

"You told him, didn't you? About you being the snake?"

"Pshh, no, why would I-"

"Damnit, Harry! I specifically said not to! I...ugh, what did he say?"

"He told me to get my shit together, that's all."

"It was a long talk...you didn't go to bed until late."

"Take Snape's advice and stay out of other people's business," Harry said abruptly, glaring.

"Yeah, okay, fine...whatever, I don't care anyway. I should probably go sit with Ron, he's probably missed me," taunted Anna, flashing a devious smile.

Of course, Harry's blood boiled, but he held back any insults that came to mind as she skipped down the corridor. Before she was out of sight she yelled, "Oh, by the way, stop following me and interfering in everything. I can handle myself!"

If only you could. It'll only be a bit longer until everything comes crashing down, thought Harry, as he watched her disappear around the corner.

~=~

Author's Note
Hello readers! I hope you liked this chapter. I don't have much to say.
Ha, I'm kidding of course. I've always got too much to say! So, instead of boring you, I'll try to make a concise(?) list...please read!
~
1) This chapter is dedicated to the lovely @ReneeRenardRouge ! She's awesome and has been here since the beginning...thank you so much! I really, truly appreciate your kindness, dedication, and support :)

2) I have decided to update this story and my other current one, Hidden In Plain Sight (*cough* so much promo, plez go read it! *cough*) every Friday. I will try to make a good habit of this. And yes, that means there will be a second update this week on Friday...you're welcome.

3) I don't think there will be many more chapters left of this until we move onto Book 6...I'm guessing about three or four more (I know, it's scary!). Yes, I'm planning to make this a seven-part series just like the original, and I have much planned...you will NOT expect it! ;)

4) More promo on my other story, Hidden In Plain Sight...please go check it out! I realized I'm a total dumbo for not even giving a brief description of what it's about. I'm trying to make it unlike other D.M. stories I've read, and I have lots if cool ideas once the ball gets rolling.
In short, it's about this spunky lil Hufflepuff who's got this big, dark secret (along with little ones that manifest within it...which will come out later) and she gets close with Malfoy. It takes place in fifth year with some flashbacks from before and will go until after the war. They're honestly cool asf together, and you'll see later on.
~
Now, for the question of the chapter...
~Are my chapters getting too long?  Or is this a perfect length? I feel like every chapter I write is ridiculously long for a fanfic...let me know!~

As always, I love you all, and remember to vote, comment, and follow. Thanks so much for reading!