James Potter awoke with a start when he heard a sound from beside his bed. He looked over the edge of his bed at his friend who was sleeping on the floor. Sirius was curled up tightly in a ball with the covers pulled tightly around him. He was whimpering and pleading in his sleep tears falling down his face and suddenly he recoiled as if he had been hurt.
James got off the bed and crouched next to his friend gently placing his had on Sirius' shoulder.
"Sirius?" he said quietly as to not startle the other boy. Sirius flinched and backed away slightly, "Siri," James tried again louder this time, recognizing the need to get his friend out of his dream world.
Sirius opened his eyes but was still not completely awake. The boy, small for his age of sixteen years, pulled back and curled into himself, tears still falling freely. James snapped on the reading lamp beside his bed and kneeled in front of his best friend placing both hands firmly on Sirius'shoulders.
"Sirius!" he said firmly, "it's me, James."
Sirius suddenly woke up realizing where he was.
"J-james?" he said quietly, almost whimpering.
"Yes Siri, it's me. It was just a dream"
Sirius looked at the floor, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"You don't need to apologize Sirius," James said waiting for his friend to look up.
"Sirius, you wanna talk about it?" James asked, really doubting that it would work because Sirius had been raised not to show emotion or weakness.
Sirius shook his head. James moved to sit beside his friend leaning against the bed. He put his arm around the smaller boy's shoulder Sirius stiffened slightly at the touch but James chose to ignore it.
"Siri, you know that you are safe now right?" James asked. Sirius finally looked up looking at James incredously
"You are not a burden, Sirius" correctly guessing his friends thoughts.
"Why do you care James?" Sirius asked quietly
"Because that is what family does," James answered without missing a beat. Sirius looked up at him his eyes wide, "They are not your family anymore Sirius, and you are not going back!" James continued his voice quiet but forceful, pulling Sirius closer to him so that the other boy's head was on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Jay" Sirius said quietly. There was no need to say more, James could easily read the gratitude in Sirius' eyes.
"Anytime Sirius," he said, "You ready to go back to sleep?" James asked.
Sirius nodded slowly and made to move back to the mattress on the floor but James grabbed his arm and gently pushed him onto the bed. Before Sirius could protest James got in beside him and clicked off the reading light. Sirius gave up his struggle and moved closer to James putting his head on James' shoulder and before long he was asleep. Sirius did not have nightmare that night, nor did he ever. He realized that they were not his family, family cared and they didn't.
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