CHAPTER 1:
"SIRIUS BLACK YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A CHILD." Molly Weasley's screams was heard all through Grimmauld place and was at a higher volume than Walburga Black's.
Now this was a normal occurrence, Molly always found a reason to scream at all hours of the day and Arthur was too much of a coward to tell her off. He did not want the anger targeted at him, which is mostly understandable but very annoying. This was what was running through the minds of everyone in that house on that night.
Harry had just come back from his Ministry hearing that morning and the day had been spent relatively peacefully, just some cleaning and playing around. Everything went to hell only after dinner, Sirius had been quietly talking to Harry in the corner of the living room while everyone else had split off into groups and were doing their own thing and winding down.
Molly Weasley, for the past couple of minutes, had been growing steadily angrier the more she watched Harry and Sirius interact. She was not happy about this, she was angry that Harry had been allowed into an order meeting, she had been angry that he had been told things and she was angry that he was going to someone other than her with his problems.
When Sirius pulled Harry into a hug and asked him whether he wanted to hear a few of the pranks his father had played was when she had exploded. And she was still going, twenty minutes now, Harry was counting.
"Harry is just a child, how dare you try to corrupt him, I have heard stories of your days in Hogwarts and some of the things are very dangerous, I will not have you giving him the tools to put himself in danger." Ugh she was still going and she was beginning to irritate Harry.
"Molly, I just wanted to tell him a few good things about his Father" Sirius was doing a terrible job of calming her down. Molly did not back down when she was spoken to softly, she needed to be screamed at as well.
"Sirius Black that is no excuse. You have already told him more than he needs to know about the war and what is going on."
"Molly this again," Sirius sounded exasperated and he had every right to be. "We have been over this, all the kids are fifteen years old, they are not children and nothing is going to happen by giving them a small amount of information." He explained again.
"And how would you know that, what if they decide to act on their own, take things into their own hands and get hurt." Molly it seemed used the same arguments again and again.
Everyone else had given up at this point and had vanished. Mr Weasley was in his room with silencing charms up, Ron had run back to his room and Hermione had camped out in the library. Remus was the only person still there and he was standing beside Sirius. Harry was just outside this kitchen listening to the screaming and hoping that Sirius would actually do something for a change.
"Molly honestly, this is getting ridiculous, you don't want me to talk to him about the war, you don't want me to talk to him about his Father, then what should I talk to him about? Huh? It seems like you don't want me near him at all." And was that not the truth.
"Black, I don't want you talking to him about anything destructive and if I had my way you would not be near any of the CHILDREN until you have seen a mind healer. You have no idea how to take care of a child while I have raised seven children." She was tapping all the wrong buttons and really fighting an unfair fight.
"Molly, I understand all that but what does that have to do with our disagreement?"
"It has everything to do with our argument. You have been in Azkaban I know and that will cause some distance between you and Harry and that is the reason you have not been able to see him. But even after coming back you have not taken responsibility." What was she even talking about, responsibility for what?
"I am a better parent than you will ever be, I see him as my son, you still see him as James don't you."
Okay that was it, if Sirius did not stand up for himself in the next ten seconds then Harry was going to do it for him, disrespect be damned.
"I do not." Sirius' voice was deadly calm, it was one that sent shivers up Harry's spine. "I do not see him as James."
"Oh really, then.." Molly began again, this time her voice was so condescending, Harry had to consciously stop himself from hexing her.
"Molly you have seven children, leave me mine. Let me keep my baby." That was said in the same calm tone but it sent a very different kind of shiver up Harry's spine. That made him feel more loved than anything Mrs Weasley had ever done for him.
"No Sirius, I will not in good conscious leave him in your hands, you have no clue how to look after a child and I..."
"Shut up Molly."
"What was that, how dare.."
"I SAID SHUT UP." Sirius roared, another thing that must be resonating through the house right now, even Walburga was quiet and that was saying something. This however made Harry rush into the kitchen, it was upsetting him.
Just before he jumped Sirius, Remus pulled him back and wrapped him tight in his arms with a shake of his head. Harry fell silent, he turned his attention back to his enraged Godfather and his friend's mother, because that was all she was to him and that was all she would ever be.
"I was the one who held him for the first time when he was born, he saw me before he saw James. It was my little finger that he first wrapped his little chubby hand around. He said Paddy before he said mummy and daddy. HE IS MY BABY." The last part was said with so much emotion Harry was quivering down to his toes. He was sure that if Remus had not been holding him he would have fallen to the floor.
Sirius was not done though, he was on a full rant. "I am his Godfather, a Godfather becomes the Father when the parents are no longer available, he is my baby."
Molly Weasley had fallen into the chair behind her and was just sitting there with a quivering lower lip. She seemed shocked that he had even spoken up.
"I love him so much and you are telling me that he is not my baby. I broke out of Azkaban for him, I lived off rats for him and you are telling me he is not my baby. I am the one he comes to with a nightmare, I am the one who comforts him. I know his favourite food, his favourite colour, I know every small thing there is to know about him. AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO TELL ME HE IS NOT MY BABY, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE." His voice had been growing steadily louder again, he was screaming so loudly and with so much passion in his voice when he reached the end.
Harry did not notice but tears were streaming down his face and he was letting out small whimpers that only Remus was able to hear because of his hearing.
Arthur Weasley had come back at this point and slowly placed himself behind Molly.
"Sirius I think this is enough for tonight. We will talk more tomorrow when we are all rested." He requested and when it seemed that Sirius was no where near done he pleaded.
"Sirius please, everyone is tired including you." He said softly.
Sirius seemed ready to blow again but he heard a small whimper from behind him. He deflated the moment he saw Harry in Remus' arms. The relieved sigh that Arthur let out was visible and painfully so. He helped his shell shocked wife out of the room before Sirius could notice and had her well away from the kitchen in no time at all.
Sirius did not notice all this, he was focused on the teen in his best friend's arms. He slowly walked towards Harry and gently pulled him free. Harry went bonelessly, he was exhausted and he had not even been the person who was screaming. He let himself be pushed into a chair in the kitchen and he did not protest when a soft hand dried his tears.
No one had ever screamed for him like this, no one had ever been possessive of him, no one had ever spoke of him with so much love and care in their voice. To say he was shaken would be an understatement. A gross disgusting understatement.
Without his consent he began crying again, he was clinging to Sirius as fat hot tears rolled down his face. He was sobbing without care and how good it felt. He did not notice that Remus and Sirius were having a conversation above him, he did not notice Remus leaving the kitchen to tell everyone else to buzz off.
All that mattered to him was that someone was holding him tighter than he was holding them. Sirius was whispering sweet nonsense to him and he knew that he was too old for it but damn it he was going to enjoy that moment.
Slowly his sniffles subsided, it slowed down to the occasional sniffle and he calmed down, Sirius did not let go of him though. He held him tight until all his tears were dried up and he was at a point where he could stand up by himself. Only then did he pull away.
"Better Puppy?" Sirius asked softly, he was still holding Harry but not in an anaconda grip.
Harry nodded and gave him a watery smile, "I am sorry."
"It's fine honey, it's completely alright." He was reassured quickly.
Harry nodded and took a step back, he was not sure what to do then. Should he stay with Sirius, go back up to bed? He did not want to though, he did not want to see Ron, he did not want to see the crappy know-it-all. He wanted to stay with his godfather. Just as he was about to bumble through his request Sirius asked him the thing he wanted.
"How about you stay with me today mm? There is an extra bed in my room where Moony usually sleeps. He can stay with me and you can have that one?"
Harry nodded, yes that sounded like a good idea, a very good idea actually. He threw his arms around Sirius and sighed happily as he was picked up and carried up to the bedroom like he was still a child and in a way he was, he would always be Sirius' baby.
That night he slept better than he had in such a long time, maybe forever and he was not confused at all as to why that was so.
LINE BREAK
The next morning was very awkward. No one made eye contact with anyone, luckily Harry did not stick around for very long. He came down early, made breakfast for Sirius, Remus and himself and completely avoided all the others who were present there. Once the three were done each retreated to get on with their own business.
Harry used the Heir Library to get some homework done and the Marauders left to do whatever was on their agenda. The Heir and Lord Library were strictly off limits to visitors and it was one of the only places where Harry got some respite from his ... friends.
He sighed as he set his essay down, what were Hermione and Ron to him anyway? They seemed to care more about what they could get out of him more than they did about Harry as a person. Hermione got all the information she could possibly want and Ron used every possible opportunity to claim to be the best friend of the boy-who-lived.
They were not ideal friends at all, if they even were, but what could he do. He turned down Draco and there was not much of a chance of getting that chance back. He had alienated all the other Gryffindors by not talking to them for the four years he had been there and there was no chance of friendship in any of the other houses. What was a boy to do?
Well, he could not continue the way he was at any rate, he had to do something. He would talk to Sirius though, before he did something serious. He did not want to make a mistake, who knew what the repercussions would be.
"Puppy." Speak of the devil.
He turned in his chair and grinned at his godfather, "Hey Dogfather mine."
Sirius grinned back, "Cheeky monkey, what are you doing?" he asked as he plopped himself down in the couch next to his.
Harry pointed at his homework and groaned causing Sirius to chuckle.
"I know the feeling, seems never ending now doesn't it." He asked poking Harry in his side.
Harry giggled slightly, "Ya it does, but you have come and given me a respite, did you want something?"
"Why can I not just pop by to see you?" at Harry's pointed look Sirius sighed," very well, I needed to talk to you about something and I need you to talk to me truthfully."
Harry sat up straight and nodded. It was not often that Sirius was serious and he had never been this serious before.
"What do you want Harry, from this war I mean." Sirius asked.
Harry licked his lips, how should he answer this question and even if he answered truthfully how would his Godfather take it.
"You promised to answer truthfully." Sirius reminded him. Well it seemed he had no choice. Harry nodded, very well.
"I want nothing to do with it. I want to be neutral." He stated.
Sirius nodded as if he was expecting that answer shocking Harry. Sirius chuckled when he caught the expression on his face.
"I know you Harry, you are my baby after all." He said smiling. This would make the whole thing a lot easier for him. "I recently began writing to a cousin of mine. She and I were very close when we were younger and remained relatively close during our stay at Hogwarts as well. It was only after that we drifted apart for obvious reasons. With the recent developments I thought it best to reconnect in case we wanted a second option."
"Who have you been talking to Siri?" Harry asked, there was usually not so much build up when he wanted to say something.
"I have been speaking to Narcissa and by extension Bellatrix as well." Harry was shocked never in a million years would he have thought his godfather had been close to them. But he would reserve judgement until after he actually met them.
"What have you been talking about?" he asked neutrally.
Sirius took a deep breath, "I told them that we were not happy with the order and Dumbledore I also mentioned that the both of us and Remus by extension had no interest in fighting the war either. In reaction they are both happy and said that they can help us shift sides without having to worry about Dumbledore."
This shocked Harry more, how was he supposed to react to that, he needed more information, "And then?" he prodded.
"Narcissa mentioned that if we swore an oath regarding our neutrality the Dark Lord would leave us alone. Apparently he has regained his sanity after his resurrection." This was good enough for Harry. He wanted freedom from this ridiculous light side.
"Okay so we go over to Malfoy Manor, I am assuming, and we swear neutrality and it is granted. Its that easy?" he asked just to make sure.
Sirius nodded, "Yes it is in fact that easy. Narcissa Bella and I are cousins. Family is very important to the Blacks. Our motto, Toujour Pur, is often mistake for only purity of blood it is actually purity of soul and heart and so family is important." He answered.
Harry nodded, this was very good, he was okay with this. He looked up suddenly, "Does this mean we can finally get a trial for you and declare you free?" he asked excitedly.
Sirius smirked, "Lucius is already on that." Harry gaped, just how much had his Godfather done when he was at school.
"When Cissa heard what happened she was furious. She yelled at Lucius for about an hour straight and made him promise that he would get me a trial. He is almost there just a little more prodding and we should have our way."
"That is amazing Sirius, really. How come you moved things so quickly though. I would not have expected you to do something like this, I don't think anyone would have." Harry exclaimed. He was beyond happy.
"It was for many reasons puppy. I want to marry Remus but I can't give him the kind of wedding he deserves unless I am freed. I want to walk the streets free, I want to see my cousins again and a multitude of other reasons. Most importantly though, I want to finalise your adoption, I want to go from Godfather to Father as soon as possible. I think we have waited for too long as it is." Sirius said moving closer to where Harry was sitting and kneeling in front of him.
"Is that something you want?" he asked his voice soft as he took Harry's hands in his.
Harry could only nod, this had escalated so quickly. He threw his arms around Sirius and hugged him for all he was worth, "I want to call you father as soon as possible as well. I don't want to wait." He said through sniffles.
Sirius rubbed his back and they stayed that way for a while longer. They were both in a place that could only go up and they wanted that more than they had wanted anything before.
Sometime later Remus walked in and joined them, he was the only person aside from Sirius and Harry who had access to every room in Grimmauld Place. He saw the scene and decided to join in, after all wolves were pack animals.
Author's Note:
Sirius Black is one of my favourite characters. This story was originally supposed to be a one shot but who am I to deny my muse?
Thanks and I hope you like it.