July 31st, 1980

Sirius Black had led a difficult life up to July 31st, 1980. He had been kicked out of his home at a young age and had fled to his best friend's house to be able to look himself in the mirror and not see what his mother had called him all those years, a failure. He had been one of the most popular and smartest students at Hogwarts (humble too), but there had always been a small self doubt and a bit of recklessness within him.

He had made mistakes in the past, mistakes that he could never undo and that had nearly strained his friendship to the brink. Anger from his friends he could take, but disappointment was something that he was terrified of. His mother was already plenty disappointed in him, he didn't need his friends, his true family, to be disappointed in him as well.

However, he must have heard his best friend wrong as he held the new life in his hands for the first time, a tuft of black hair, already messy like James' and the most startling green eyes gazing inquisitively at the world for the first time.

"You can't be serious mate."

His oldest friend grinned at him from near his exhausted wife. Both were wearing dazzling smiles as they looked at Sirius.

"No that's you."

Sirius let a bark of laughter out at the old pun being turned against him. It seemed that his friend really was going to go through with this.

"I don't know what to say, surely Moony or Wormtail would be better candidates than me, they're a helluva a lot more mature."

James shook his head in slight exasperation at Sirius' insistence that he not go through with this.

"I've told you a million times, Padfoot, there's no one else. Both Peter and Remus are happy for you, we ran it by them just to make sure they were okay with it."

Sirius looked up at his best friend and his best friend's wife.

"And this is okay with you as well, Lily?"

Lily just shook her head, most likely in exasperation at how stubborn he was being about this.

"We discussed this a long time ago, Padfoot. You're the best person we could ask for, we know that you'll love this child just as much as if he were your own."

Sirius' response died in his throat at the earnest green eyes that Lily Potter was sending his way. He looked down and saw that the newly born Harry James Potter was looking up at him with an inquisitiveness only a newborn could have.

Sirius swallowed slowly as he took in the small fragile life in his arms, he knew he had lost the moment the two put Harry in his arms.

"Alright, I'll do it."

James and Lily beamed at him. None of them were concerned about the war raging outside the hospital walls at the moment. None of them knew the dark days that were ahead. None of them knew that Sirius Black's life was only get harder from here, or that baby Harry would grow up neglected and forgotten for ten years. That was in the future, and the present was currently in the here and now.

Sirius glanced back down at the tiny life in his arms.

"Hey, Harry. I'm Sirius, and apparently I'm going to be your godfather."