Cauthon: Personally, I think this needs a better title. Any suggestions?
The pristine ink of the sky was undisturbed as stars twinkled in the dark. A moon shone, bright and full, a dark shape traveling across it at a high speed. Wind whipped through black hair, making an already disheveled head even more so. Sirius urged his bike to go faster, hoping – praying – he was wrong.
Sitting in the Three Broomsticks, he had come to Hogsmeade take a quick breather from things ever since James and Lily had gone into hiding, the dark haired male was absently drumming his fingers against a bottle of butterbeer. The wizard really would have gone for something much stronger, but he wanted to keep a clear head on his shoulders, in case the Order sent him any messages.
Then, in an instant, a bad feeling hit him, as though stones sat heavily in the bottom of his stomach. Scrambling up from his table, tossing some money onto the table to pay for his drink, he hurried outside, quickly scanning around for anyone suspicious, before hoping onto the machine and taking to the air.
As he flew, the brief thought flashed that he wouldn't know where to look in Godric's Hollow for James and Lily. Pettigrew was their Secret-Keeper, not him. When James had asked him to take on such a duty, Sirius had refused, terrified Voldemort's spies would somehow get the information out of him. Now, he wondered if it had been the wrong choice. Part of him hoped all of this was just unfounded fears. James and Lily were fine, they had to be. The rest of the flight to Godric's Hollow was spent attempting to convince himself this was true.
He knew his fears were far from false the moment Godric's Hollow came into his sights. Dropping lower, Sirius could see a pile of wreckage, landing beside the mess that was once a house. The color drained from his face as he glanced at the surrounding houses, reading their numbers. This was the cottage James and Lily lived in, he was sure of it. But, nothing stirred inside, and all lights had been extinguished. Fear growing, he rushed forwards, his godson's name on his lips.
"Harry!" he cried, running towards the cottage, stopping when he saw movement. Bending through the front doorway was a tall figure, with a hairy face. "Hagrid," Sirius breathed, half-glad to see the gamekeeper. He took a step forward, faltering as his eyes flickered from the half-giant, to the house, and back again.
"James…Lily…"
Hagrid shook his head, a loud sniff sounding as he wiped his eyes with one hand. "Both of 'em gone," he replied, looking down at something he held tight in his arms. "An', lil' Harry all alone…"
At the mention of his godson, Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. James and Lily were dead, then…but, somehow, Harry was still alive. Bittersweet news, but Sirius had grown to learn to accept victory when you could. This was such a time.
Walking over to the pair, Sirius, smiled down at the bundle, the teary-eyed infant staring back up at him. Glancing briefly at the lightning bolt mark on the boy's forehead, Sirius frowned. The frown only lasted a moment, however, as he raised a hand to lightly brush Harry's soft cheek.
"At least you're alright," he said, softly. Harry smiled, laughing, glad to see his godfather. Sirius was a face he had seen a lot of, before Harry's parents went into hiding. Now, Sirius reasoned, his face was all that remained of a familiar and safe world.
"Alright, Harry, let's you and Uncle Sirius go for a ride, eh?" he said to the boy, reaching for him. Hagrid's arms lifted Harry out of Sirius's reach.
"Sorry, Sirius," the giant said. "I got orders from Dumbledore."
The other male's face burst into shock. "What orders?"
"S'posed ter meet him, get Harry to his aunt an' uncle's."
Sirius went silent with shock a moment, staring at Hagrid with a mix of shock and horror. "The Muggles!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "Are you mad, Hagrid?"
Hagrid's face fell as well. "Not my choice, Sirius. Like I said, got orders ter."
"You can't let Harry go live with Muggles!" Sirius protested.
Hagrid gave a chuckle. "Oh, now, I'm sure they can' be so bad." Sirius shook his head.
"Worse than bad, Hagrid. You never heard about them from James and Lily. Her sister hates magic, and everything that goes along with it."
Hagrid was quiet a moment, not saying a word. His head tilted to stare at Harry, who was busy amusing himself with the ends of the giant's beard. "If Dumbledore wants 'im there…" he said, voice losing its surety. "Certainly Dumbledore knows what 'e's doin'."
Sirius shook his head again. "He can't, not if he wants Harry to live with the Dursleys. Come on, Hagrid, hand him over."
Hagrid said nothing, made no motions at all. "I promise you…I promise Dumbledore, I'll keep him safe."
"Dumbledore won' like it…" Hagrid said, frowning. He did see Sirius' point, however. Better someone that cared about the wizarding world than someone who didn't, he supposed.
"I really shouldn'," the giant said, offering the baby over to Sirius. "I really shouldn'…"
Sirius took Harry in his arms, holding the infant close. This was all that remained of his best friend, all that was left. He wouldn't let something as precious as Harry fall in with a bunch of magic-hating Muggles.
"I'll keep him safe, I promise you," he said, grateful Hagrid had given the boy to him. Turning around, Sirius headed back towards his bike, hopping on and revving up the engine. Harry was clasped tightly in one arm and, with a final look back at what had once been the Potter residence, Sirius took off, Hagrid waving at him as he did.
In the air again, Sirius had some thinking to do. He needed a place he could lay low, where no one – not even the Order – would think of looking. If Hagrid truly had orders from Dumbledore, Sirius had just put himself in some hot water with his old headmaster. For Harry, however, Sirius would do anything and everything to keep him safe.
Eventually, Sirius decided on somewhere inconspicuous. Little Whinging, he knew, was where Petunia and her husband – Vernon, if he was remembering right – lived. If those two horrible Muggles lived there, it had to be somewhere safe and unmagical. Parking his motorcycle in an alley, Harry having fallen asleep at some point during their flight, Sirius looked up and down the quiet street, seeing no one.
He had a small bit of Muggle money on him – left over from Order work – and he had seen a little Muggle motel some bit of a way down the street. It would have to do, until he could find a way to exchange some of his gold for more of the paper dollars. After paying for the room and getting his key, Sirius trooped upstairs, breathing a sigh of relief once he and Harry were behind a locked door. Harry was still sleeping, and Sirius smiled down at him.
"Yeah," he said, voice quiet so as not to disturb the child while he slept. "Don't you worry about anything. James and Lily might be gone, but you've still got Uncle Sirius, got it?"
Not expecting a response, Sirius laughed quietly, as he lightly brushed Harry's head. "Uncle Sirius will see you up right and happy. I promise you."