Warnings: Detailed and lengthy torture, sadistic Bellatrix (nothing new there), though nothing sexual. Character deaths though no main characters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.
Special thanks to Kitty for beta-ing this story, you're the best!
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The quiet of early morning was broken when loud giggling boomed up as Sirius walked into the living room to almost be run over by a knitted animal.
"Whoa, are they racing again, pup?" Quickly stepping to the side as two more knitted animals ran after the first one, he smiled.
"Siri, up!" The pyjama clad toddler giggled up to him from the floor, stretching his little arms out.
"Up? Up where?" Looking up, Sirius tried to keep a straight face as he pretended to scan the ceiling.
"Silly Siri, Harry up!" The child giggled, rising to his feet and wobbling over to him.
"You want to go up? Why would I do that when I can get down, too?" Laughing, he sat down on the ground beside Harry, letting the toddler grab onto his shirt as his small legs gave out from under him.
Giggling, Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck and placed a sloppy kiss there.
"Oh, so you want a kiss? I can give you one of those," teasing, Sirius lifted the toddler into his arms; turning him upside down to blowing on his belly button.
Harry cheered loudly, wiggling in Sirius' arms to try and get away from his tickling breath so he turned him upright again after another moment.
"Hug!" Harry demanded.
"Rather demanding, aren't you?" Laughing, Sirius pulled his godson close; hugging him tightly before settling him in his arms and letting the child play with his tag.
"What are they racing for?" He asked when the three knitted animals passed them by moments later.
"This," Harry pointed to a half eaten carrot lying on the ground.
"That," correcting him, Sirius smiled as Harry nuzzled his nose into his neck.
"That," the child readily accepted.
"Weren't you supposed to eat that?" Shifting into a more comfortable position he picked up the carrot and deposited it on the table while letting Harry lean against his side as the child tugged on his sleeve.
"See Paddy?"
Dropping a kiss into the toddler's hair, Sirius shifted into his Animagus form, letting the cheering child pet him for various moments before little arms wrapped around his neck.
"Paddy walk?" Pressing himself to the floor at Harry's question, he let the toddler climb onto his back; ensuring he was kept in place with magic before rising to his feet again to carefully walking around to the toddler's delight.
But through the child's giggles, Padfoot suddenly smelled magic not his own in the air and felt a change in the wards. In a fluid movement, he transformed back; twisting mid-change to catch harry before the toddler could even begin to fall.
"Shhh, Fiddlydill," he whispered as Harry made to protect; instantly silencing the boy as he remembered his lessons and recognised the command word to be quiet and obey.
Grabbing his wand from the floor, a quick sweep of it stilled the knitted animals and he swooped them up as he took several steps backwards.
Summoning Harry's beloved stuffed animal from where it laid abandoned on the couch, he shrank them all and put them into his pocket for safekeeping in case they needed to run.
Harry looked up to him questionably but kept silent as his godfather hadn't given the safe word yet; their lessons drilled into him well. He only watched as he tried to summon a Patronus, but nothing but some silver mist appeared and he silently cursed.
"Looks like we're on our own, pup," shifting into action as the wards gave a sharp tug, he pulled Harry tighter against himself; shooting off a spell at the same time the window shattered.
Harry shrieked in fear as a masked form jumped through the window; only to be slammed backwards by the spell Sirius had cast and he shifted his godson's face into his chest both to keep him from seeing what was going on and to keep him safe.
Tiny nails racked his skin painfully but Sirius ignored the discomfort as chaos erupted around them and various masked Death Eaters entered the house. Spells were shot off rapidly and most of Sirius' attention was pulled into holding a protective shield over Harry while also defending himself; waiting for the wards to be fully broken so he could Apparate without them following him.
Moments later the wait was over and he Apparated away, appearing in an alleyway several blocks away for a moment before immediately travelling further to several random locations before ending up in a small room and placing Harry onto the ground.
"You'll be safe here," pulling the four stuffed animals out of his pocket, he unshrank them again. "I've got to go see Granny and Grandpa and then I'll pick you up, all right?"
"Siri stay?" Harry clutched Sirius' sleeve and he took a moment to pull him into a hug.
"I can't, honey. I wasn't able to warn anyone that we're in trouble so I have to warn Granny and grandpa so they can tell Mummy and Daddy you are safe and keep Remy safe. We wouldn't want them worried, would we?"
"No," pouting, Harry reached for the stuffed dog Sirius pressed into his hands and hugged it close.
"Lumos," casting a warm light so the toddler could feel his magical signature around him, Sirius placed a kiss into his hair and rose to his feet. "You just play, I'll be back before you know it."
"Fiddlydill?"
"Bibbidi bobbidi," he returned, casting a few protective charms over the boy just to be safe while the child blinked up to him.
"Boo?"
"No boo just yet," smiling proudly as the toddler clearly remembered the two stages of their safe word he ruffled his hair. "They can't hear you so you can play as much as you want, but no leaving this room, promise?"
"Bibbidi bobbidi," the child told him solemnly, clutching his stuffed animal close so Sirius tapped the three knitted animals to reanimate them and distract the child.
"I'll be back soon, stay here," he repeated as he walked to the wall and pressed his hand against it before disappearing through with his wand raised.
Glancing around he carefully sensed around to notice nothing amiss but his instincts still made him turn to cast additional protective spells to the hidden door to ensure the child's safety and keep him from leaving.
Satisfied with the child's safety, he walked through the hallways and into the living room; all the while checking the wards as he did while trying to locate his parents.
But the moment he stepped foot into the living room, pain slammed into him and he hit the wall behind him hard as a familiar voice screamed the torture curse.
Even as the pain shot through him, Sirius felt his heart clench to know his instincts hadn't been wrong and he fought through the spell; only to be slammed back into the ground as various other spells joined the first.
"What's the matter, cousin? Hadn't expected us to be here?" The same voice taunted him as the multiple Cruciatus Curses were lifted and he choked on a cough.
Fighting to raise his hand, he managed to shoot off two spells before he was knocked into the wall once more; various red beams hitting him and he fought not to scream as pain consumed his thoughts.
It was so intense and all-consuming that it was hard to focus on anything else as every inch of his skin was on fire; but managed to shoot off several other spells through the pain before his wand was slammed out of his hand.
"Homenum Revelio," Bellatrix frowned. "There's no one here besides us. Where's the brat?"
"Go to hell," using their distraction to take two more of them out with wandless magic, he couldn't keep in a scream this time as she recast the curse once more.
At least a dozen Death Eaters still surrounded him and he knew he wouldn't be able to fight them off with this disadvantage but pulled strength out of the knowledge that even if they tore the house apart, they would never find Harry.
"Where is the child?" Imperio!" A brief dulling sensation rolled over him, but he threw it off with barely a thought and choked out a taunting laugh.
"Pathetic," immediately he paid for his taunt as pain took over once more but he took satisfaction out of Bellatrix's anger.
"Why don't we use Legilimency on him?" Someone spoke up from the back.
"We can't. No matter how much of a worthless traitor he is, he is still a Black by blood. His Occlumency shields are too powerful to break through even if we'd torture him for days," Bellatrix snapped as she knelt beside him. "Poor little cousin...we can have some fun, though."
Placing her wand on Sirius' arm, she slowly pulled it upward, breaking the skin as she did and he couldn't help but scream as she deliberately tore the muscles and tendons in his arm apart before she repeated the trick with his other arm.
"That should stop you from using wandless magic, shall we continue to your legs or are you going to tell us where the little brat is?" Her dark eyes glittered in joy at what she was doing.
"I think you're deaf," he breathed out, clenching his teeth at the pain as another Cruciatus was cast at him and she laughed before pointing her wand at his eye lids.
New pain shot through him as she cut the blood vessels in his eyelids and blood trickled into them, burning them before he could blink the blood away.
"So rude...should I cut you up nice and slowly? Or are you going to tell me what I want to know?" she laughed hysterically. "I have to admit I hope you won't, I could have so much fun with you. The Dark Lord taught me all sorts of manners in which to keep someone alive during torture for a long time."
She moved her wand over his left leg, shattering the bone before rising her wand to his chest and burning a path up his torso while two others held him down.
Every touch of her wand brought on fresh pain and soon Sirius lost track of what was hurting the most as she continued without pause.
"You'll never find him," he managed to gasp out as she took a moment to simply shatter a rib; the pain barely registering amidst the other excruciating pains of the other's performing the Cruciatus at him at random intervals.
"We will and I will personally make you watch as we rip his disgusting little body apart before your eyes. No one defies the Dark Lord," she grabbed his torn and bloody jaw tightly to make him look at her, but he could barely focus on her as black spots darkened his vision.
"Over my dead body," refusing to give her the satisfaction of panic, he tried to ignore how his body was rapidly bringing him closer to it the more blood she spilled.
"In due time," she smiled cruelly. "I must admit I am pleased you're holding out so long. Those old fools barely gave me any joy with how soon their hearts gave out."
She turned his face to the left and he became aware of bodies laying mere meters away from him as sightless glassy grey eyes stared out to him from a familiar and loved face; making Sirius' heart stop.
The older woman's arms were bended slightly and blood had pooled under her mouth, but he could see no obvious wounds on her body that indicated torture.
"Yes, she died rather quickly. Only two Crucio's and she was gone, hardly any fun at all. The man wasn't any better, worthless bastards. Nothing at all like you," Bellatrix laughed manically as she taunted him.
He bit back tears as his burning eyes managed to locate the body of his father, not laying far from his wife. His brown eyes were closed and for that Sirius was grateful as he never wanted to see those warm eyes stare at him sightlessly as his Mum's were doing right now.
A quick glance over the man's body confirmed he, too, had no visible wounds on him, mercifully not having lived long enough to endure more intense torture and his heart bled in agony at knowing they were gone.
Knowing he would never see them smile again or be able to give him a warm hug; knowing she, the caring mother he had always dreamed off would never tease him again or affectionately kiss his nose whenever she felt like it. He would never see that wonderful smile again that she'd given him when he had first shyly begun calling her Mum and she had never stopped giving him.
That the father he had always wished for, the best father he could have ever dreamed off, would never laugh at him with those warm twinkling eyes so much like his son's. To know he would never be able to hear his laughter at their antics or feel those strong arms around him again was more painful than anything Bellatrix could ever do to him.
But even though he wanted to scream and it felt like he was dying inside, he took comfort in the knowledge they hadn't suffered. Bellatrix might believe she was tormenting him with telling him how fast they had died, it told him they hadn't suffered for long.
He didn't bother trying to stop the tears from falling as he stared at the parents he loved so much; feeling his magic build up instinctively at his despair.
But before he could gather enough power, his focus was broken as Bellatrix stabbed him in the side with her knife and he choked.
"Don't want you to do that," she ran a hand over his cheek as she forced his gaze back to her, raising her blood soaked hand to her mouth and licking some of it off. "In due time you'll be able to join your precious Mudblood lovers. This could all be over as soon as you tell me where you hid the brat."
"Then you'll just have to keep torturing me, because I'll never tell," he wished he sounded brave and defiant instead of simply exhausted and hoarse.
His body was shaking in exhaustion and constant pain as beside the Cruciatus, the other Death Eaters kept on a constant stream of other curses as well, while Bellatrix took the more personal approach of cutting him up slowly.
"I wonder how the Mudblood loving son will react when she finds you all here, do you think he will enjoy your blood splattered around? Such a lovely sigh," she purred as she cut a hole into his shoulder, being careful to avoid any major artery or blood vessel but causing as much pain as she could.
Whimpering, Sirius choked out a mouth full of blood as she tore a hole into his abdomen with her knife.
"Maybe I will let you live long enough for him to see you die. But first I need you to tell me where the little brat is," her voice darkened out for several moments before the mind shattering pain lessened slightly and he could breathe a little easier.
"Don't fall asleep on me now," she let her knife slide over his shattered and broken ribs, cutting lightly into his chest before tracing the word carved over his heart. "I so love Auntie Walburga's work."
"A bit unimaginative but still lovely. That woman should join the Dark Lord, he could teach her how to properly torture someone so they won't fight back any more. That was her one mistake with you, you know?" She said conversationally as if she wasn't currently soaked in his blood.
"She's been working on you your whole life; from the moment you first showed signs of becoming a traitor by daring to smile at that Mudblood lover, despite being told not to, she's been trying to turn you into a proper Black for years."
He tried to glare at her but Bellatrix only laughed as she slid her hands underneath his back. "Weak, you have always been weak. She should have just killed you as the worthless toddler you were back then and not bother trying to raise you the right way. Maybe Regulus would have had a spine then," she dug her hand into his back, making him cry out sharply as she snapped the already weakened and mutilated spine.
His eyes widened before his vision darkened again and he went limp in her grasp.
"So weak," Bellatrix's grumbling was the first thing he became aware off again and he was vaguely aware of her hurriedly healing some of his wounds before he gasped as he was fully forced into consciousness again.
He coughed up blood and tried, but failed to turn onto his side; giving a small whimper when she forcefully turned him so he wouldn't choke on his blood.
"As much as I enjoy watching you tear him apart, it's been hours. People will have gone home by now and found the Dark Mark above his house. It is only a matter of time before that blasted Order will be alerted and they'll come here. He's not going to tell us where the child is so stop reviving him," one of the masked Death Eaters interrupted her as she bent over his shivering form again.
"You are spoiling my fun," she growled as she turned to the speaker with her wand raised.
"I-I wouldn't dare, but the Dark Lord's orders were to kill him if he did not give up the boy," the Death Eater spluttered as he stepped back in fear at her murderous expression.
"You are even more spineless than he is, Lucius. But I suppose I've had enough fun," rising to her feet, she swirled her wand in her hand before pointing it at Sirius.
Sirius' shallow breathing was the only sound for a long moment as she grinned madly, but he was too tired for a retort as his eyes slipped shut again.
"Looks like our playtime is over, cousin. Ava..."
"Protego!"
Bellatrix was slammed backwards as a shield formed around Sirius' body and several Order members appeared on the scene; James having been the one to cast the Protego as his wand rapidly fired off more spells.
Immediately a fight broke out between the two groups, but the Death Eaters were outnumbered; several of their comrades already sporting injuries and they quickly either fell or retreated.
Growling, Bellatrix bared her teeth at James as he pushed forward; constantly keeping his protective charm around his brother's motionless form even as he fought so no one could hurt him further.
"I'll get him Potter, you won't be able to protect him forever," she snarled before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke and the Order members did a quick sweep of the house while James hurried to Sirius' side and knelt beside him.
"Siri...Siri, can you hear me?" Hesitating as he caught the extent of the damage and injuries his brother was covered in, he took a deep breath before beginning to heal as much of the damage as he could and trying to ignore the bodies mere meters away.
"He needs to be brought to St Mungo's," he unnecessary stated as Remus and Lily knelt down beside him to help him where they could while several others busied themselves with either standing guard of checking the bodied.
"His spine is broken," Remus carefully slipped his hand underneath Sirius' back to stabilise the pieces so James could heal them.
"What isn't?" James bit out as he reattached them as well as he could and Sirius' eyes flew open in a silent scream; choking on a breath as the new pain registered and they all immediately leaned over him.
"Siri...hey, can you hear me?" Carefully caressing his bloody cheek, James smiled down relieved to see him still alive despite everything.
"Jam..." new blood trickled down the corner of his mouth as Sirius gasped and he brushed it away as good as he could.
"Shhh, you're safe now."
"Where is Harry, Siri?" Lily tried to get his attention without touching him so she wouldn't hurt him more.
"G...go to hell," he choked out a bitter laugh, wincing as the action hurt him more and James realised he wasn't able to recognise Lily.
"It's us, Siri; me, Remus and Lily. They're gone and you're safe," he tried to reassure him as his brother took several clearly painful gasps of breath; his eyes trying to focus on James but failing miserably as blood kept dripping into them.
"James...M-Mum...D-Dad...I..." he choked up blood so James abandoned reassuring him in favour of trying to heal more of the damage; cursing himself for not having the same talent for healing magic that his brother did.
"James..." Remus' voice stocked as he had clearly caught sight of his parents; but James couldn't focus on them right then. He couldn't focus on anything but saving his brother so he wouldn't lose him, too.
"Not now," he snapped, using the soft fabric of his shirt to wipe away the blood from Sirius' eyelids as good as he could while healing as much of the damage done as he could; but it was in vain as they immediately filled up again the moment Sirius blinked.
He knew his brother needed urgent medical help he wasn't able to provide properly with this extensive damage. But as terrified as he was for Sirius, he was also deadly worried over his son's whereabouts even if he knew the child was safe or they'd not have kept torturing him.
"Where's Harry, Siri? He was with you when you were attacked, can you remember?"
"Safe location," Sirius whispered between two raspy breaths; exhaustion and pain beginning to overwhelm him.
"I know he is safe, love. You'd never let anything happen to him, but I need to know where you hid him," he forced a small reassuring smile onto his lips as grey eyes tiredly shifted back into his directly despite clearly not being able to see him.
"James...your parents," Remus tried to catch his attention again.
"I can't do anything for them any more," James choked out; forcing back the tears threatening to overwhelm him. "Sirius and Harry need me right now."
He briefly wondered if they had suffered and if Sirius had been present when it had happened before he shoved those thoughts away and focused on his brother.
Lily choked out a strangled sob as she found the two elderly Potters; but James paid her no mind as he softly stroked away the tear and blood tracks from his brother's cheek. "I need to know where Harry is, Siri."
"S- safe location."
He had to reel in his frustration and helplessness at the situation; worry for his son waging war with his worry for his brother as he knew Sirius was truly trying to help but was hardly coherent enough to be specific or even fully aware of what he was being asked.
"We know he's in a safe location, but we need to know where," Lily tried, but Sirius only mumbled something incoherent as he lost consciousness again.
"He needs medical help right away," James decided, knowing they couldn't wait any longer and shifted before a hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Gideon and I will take him," Fabian squeezed his shoulder as he knelt down onto one knee beside Sirius' unconscious form; eyes filled with worry. "I won't leave his side, not even for a moment."
"You swear?" It went against all of his instincts to let his brother leave his sight but he trusted Fabian as he knew the other cared for Sirius a lot.
"On my life, I swear he will not leave my sight. Should there be a reason to evacuate, I will not leave without him. I swear that I will stay glued to his side until you personally have arrived and given me the agreed upon password. No one is coming near him but Healers until you are there."
Slipping out of his jacket, James shifted so that he could pull Sirius up; trying not to wince as limbs moved into positions they shouldn't be able to move as tendons and muscles are torn. Wrapping his jacket around his brother's icy and shattered shoulders to cover up as much of his mutilated torso as he could, he hoped his scent would give him comfort as he pressed a kiss into the bloodied hair.
"I am entrusting you with him," he choked out, carefully handing Sirius over into Fabian's waiting arms he waited for him to cradle the unconscious body close before shifting the motionless limbs onto his stomach so they looked more natural.
Remus and Gideon stripped off their jackets as well to carefully fold Sirius up in them to try and keep him a little warm before Fabian rose to his feet with Sirius cradled closely to him.
It was unnerving how small his brother looked in the red-head's arms and he swallowed thickly.
"Find your son and then come to St Mungo," Gideon ordered, moving with Fabian to provide extra protection as they left to get him the help he so desperately needed.
With Sirius in safe hands, James took a moment to take several deep breaths; determinedly avoiding the covered up bodies nearby before turning, intent to make his way upstairs so he could begin combing the house in search for his son.
"I don't understand how this could have happened. Potter Manor is supposed to be a safe location," Lily choked out as they made their way to James' old room.
"The wards are intact; Sirius wouldn't have been able to tell anything was amiss when he arrived. I don't know how they got in, Potter Manor is the safest loca..." eyes widening as he realised the significance of Sirius' words, he took off at a run; the other two following suit immediately.
"What's wrong?" Lily sounded close to hysterics but James didn't want to waste time so he tried to explain as they ran.
"What were his exact words?"
"That Harry was in a safe location," she immediately answered.
"No...not a safe location," Remus' eyes widened as he realised the same thing James had. "He just said save location. Of course!"
"What?"
"When the Blacks discovered Arcturus Black hadn't disinherited Sirius after he ran away, they managed to break into Potter Manor through their House-elf to try and regain control of him. Despite being able to force them out, Sirius was still afraid so Uncle Charlus build a room hidden from view; a place Sirius could go to if he was frightened and where no one but a Potter by birth could enter without permission."
"A safe location," Lily breathed out.
James came to a stop before the hidden room; already able to feel the unique sense of Sirius' magic, fresh and very much present. "He's added another layer of protection."
"How are we going to get in then?" Remus asked breathlessly.
"I'm a Potter," leaning both hands against the wall, James let Sirius' magic wash over him to identify him and disappeared through the wall.
Lily and Remus both gasped; moving forward as one but no door revealed itself for them and Lily's heart hammered in her throat as several long moments passed before James reappeared with a hysterical Harry in his arms.
"He's fine; soiled, but fine."
Whimpering, Lily pulled her son into her arms, uncaring of the soiled material underneath her arms as she held him close and kissed every inch of skin she could reach but the toddler wanted nothing of it.
"Siri! Want Siri!" He cried, curling his fingers into her neck as he tried to locate his beloved godfather; unable to understand why there was no response.
From the scratchy hiccups and red face, it was clear the toddler had been crying for his godfather for quite some time already.
"Siri got hurt, love. He's getting help," James softly told his son. "Now that we've got you, we'll go to him."
"Go to Siri?" The toddler's cried subdued almost immediately.
"As soon as we've cleared you up," Lily promised him, quickly carrying him to the bathroom to do just that as James' mother kept supplies in every bathroom just in case.
As she changed Harry's diaper and cleaned him up, Remus turned to James. "So Sirius hid him there before he went in search of your parents?"
"It seems so. Harry, did you see Granny and Grandpa when you came here with Siri?"
"No, Bibbidi Bobbidi," the child told him.
"You did a really good job staying," James reassured his son. "Did Siri take you through the house?"
"No."
"So he Apparated into the safe room and left Harry there. Did Siri say Boo?"
"Bibbidi Bobbidi," the child corrected him. "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo?"
"Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo," James confirmed the full safe words to let his son know he didn't have to obey every order any more.
Lily frowned. "Why would he give the Bibbidi signal if he wasn't sure it was safe?"
"Because he thought it was safe but wouldn't want to take any chances until he found Mum and Dad. He'd tell Harry the immediate danger was over, but that he still had to listen without argument until the second stage was given," James decided. "It's what the two stages were invented for."
"It's a miracle Harry listens to the safe words so well," Remus mused.
"Not really, we've been drilling them into him since he was old enough to understand words," Lily holstered her son up in her arms again as they returned to the living room.
"You found him," Moody grumbled relieved. "Fabian send word, they arrived safely at St Mungo and Sirius is being treated."
All three of them nodded; sharing a relieved embrace before James dropped a kiss into his son's hair. "Hear that, sweetheart? We'll be going to Siri now."
"Siri here?" Hopeful green eyes looked up to him and James couldn't help but smile.
"No, but we're going to him," he promised easily, finally allowing himself to find the two sheet covered forms now that his son was safe and he swallowed thickly.
"They didn't suffer for long," Moody placed a hand on James' arm. "Initial scans showed only two or three Cruciatus charms were cast before they died and there are no other wounds on them. I will make sure they are treated properly and that you can both say your goodbyes as soon as Sirius has healed."
"Thanks," grateful for the man's understanding, James simply nodded.
"You will have to Apparate, though. The Floo is breached and we received word that the Longbottoms were attacked during the night. They got away safely but it's likely they used their Floo to travel here undetected as the Wards are untouched," Moody angrily shook his head; reminding James that the man had been fairly close to his parents as well.
"So they never saw them coming?"
"Neither your parents or Sirius would have noticed the danger in time and it's a miracle he took the precaution to hide Harry like he did," Moody confirmed.
"Someone told the Death Eaters where Sirius would go," James swallowed. "Only Order members know where Sirius would go in a case of emergency."
"The traitor is someone much closer to us than we could've ever imagined, he knows what we'll do and because of that, so do the Death eaters," Moody agreed. "I will alert Dumbledore of what happened, go to your brother."
Nodding in agreement, the three of them made their way outside to Apparate to St Mungo; Lily carrying Harry.
"You found him!" Gideon was waiting at the entrance, looking utterly relieved when they entered, clearly having been waiting for their arrival.
"Right where Siri said he would be. Where is he?"
"Follow me," Gideon passed the Admission Department without giving the Welcome Witch behind the desk a second glance; the woman in turn ignoring them as well as they made their way to the elevators.
"He's on the fourth floor," he said unnecessarily.
"Do you know the extent of his injuries?" Lily asked as they followed him down the hallway.
"Fabian stayed while they worked on him while I had to move outside. It's easier if he tells you, in here," gesturing to the room at the far end, they moved past him to enter but Fabian suddenly appeared in the doorway with a raised wand.
"Password."
"Honestly, Fab it's them," Gideon complained but his brother didn't move a muscle and James gratefully leaned in to whisper the password in his ear.
Nodding, the redhead lowered his hand and stepped aside; not offering any apologies James wouldn't have wanted to hear anyway.
"How is he?" James' eyes immediately found Sirius' pale sleeping form in the bed.
"He has seen better days but miraculously the Healers think he will make a full recovery."
"Siri!" Harry reached for his godfather when he spotted him, but Lily kept him back as she took a seat on the chair next to the bed as Remus took the other while James took a place on the bed itself, taking his brother's hand in his own.
"Let Siri sleep, honey, he's not feeling so well."
"What's the extent of his injuries?" Remus eyed Harry as Lily let him down so he could move to his father.
"Most of his muscles and tendons are still healing as we speak and I'm still not sure why they didn't just use Skele-Gro rather than try and heal his shattered bones. I hope he'll sleep through the night because that was one hell of a progress," Fabian shivered before he could compose himself.
"They've easily healed most of the burns, cuts and other injuries you hadn't healed yet. His appendix was beyond saving, which truthfully, considering the extent of his injuries is remarkable to be the only thing he's lost."
James swallowed thickly, automatically picking Harry up as the boy tried to climb into his lap.
"His spine is reattached properly and healed, it was shattered and by all means should have left him paralysed. He's also been put under a lot of curses, though mainly the Cruciatus Curse and they're treating the after effects of that, too."
"Merlin," Remus breathed out horrified while James caressed the hair out of Sirius' cleaned face; uncaring that it was damp under his fingers. "But he will be all right?"
"They found evidence that his torturers healed part of his injuries to prevent him from bleeding out or going into full blown shock. So psychically he will be fine, but I don't know about his mental state," Fabian rubbed a hand over his face. "I have no idea how long they tortured him, but judging from the extent of his injuries and the knowledge they went through the effort of trying to partly heal him, I'd say it's been hours."
"I didn't come home until late in the afternoon. The moment I saw the Dark Mark hanging above our building I alerted James," Remus admitted softly. "But I..."
"Daddy, hungry," Harry interrupted as he pulled on his father's shirt.
"Here, I figured you would be," Gideon had apparently left the room without anyone noticing, placing a bowl of chopped fruit into James' hand so he could feed the toddler.
"What did you eat last?" James shot Gideon a thankful smile.
"Carrot," the child replied as he struggled with the fork so James took it from him and stabbed a piece of apple onto it so he could bite into it.
"That's..."
"So they were attacked between seven and nine in the morning," James interrupted Gideon.
"How do you know that?" Bewildered, Fabian looked at him.
"Because Sirius always gives Harry a carrot around seven in the morning, an hour after breakfast and half an apple at nine for them to share. The last thing he ate was a carrot, meaning he never got his apple," Lily answered.
"Why does he give him a carrot that early in the morning?" Gideon pulled a face.
"Habit," James smiled faintly. "Sirius always eats a carrot around that time and Harry likes to copy him so he asks for whatever Sirius is eating."
"Good thing he's a healthy eater then," Fabian choked on a laugh.
"James..." they all looked down at Sirius' whisper and James immediately leaned over his brother.
"Hey there," he smiled.
"The Healers said he wouldn't wake up until at least tomorrow morning," Fabian said incredulous but James couldn't help but smile.
"The Healers have no idea how stubborn he is," he squeezed Sirius' hand. "Can you open your eyes for me?"
"Hey," Sirius' faint smile turned into a grimace as he blinked and James winced as he realised the movement would probably hurt him.
"Siri!" Harry happily exclaimed as he leaned forward, almost upsetting his bowl and Gideon quickly removed it before it could fall. He and Fabian quietly left the room to give them some privacy; standing guard outside.
Sirius shifted his head a little so he could look into the direction of the small voice. "Hey pup."
He gasped as Harry dropped from James' lap before he could stop him, landing directly on his torso.
"Harry don't," Lily berated him, only to have Sirius interrupt her with a pained cough.
"It's okay," he rasped. "Mind coming down, buddy?"
Without argument, Harry shifted to his side and curled up against him, promptly falling asleep as Sirius painstakingly slow lifted his arm to rest it around the little frame; never letting go of James' hand as he did.
"He's all right?"
"Perfectly fine, a lot better than you are."
"Better me than him," he winced as he moved and his eyes grew heavy so James caressed the back of his brother's hand with his thumb.
"You should get some more sleep while you can. I'm not going anywhere," he reassured him.
"You should go home," Sirius mumbled as his eyes closed.
"Not happening. And once you are healed enough to be discharged, you are coming home with us," Lily spoke up as she took his free hand. "No offence Remus."
"None taken. It would be wise to move from the apartment so if you guys take Sirius then I'll simply crash at my Dad's place between missions until he's fully healed and we've found a new place," Remus agreed.
"You're not leaving my sight any time soon," James added firmly.
"I don't want to be a bother," the words were barely coherent as sleep was quickly pulling him under, but James still leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead.
"You should know by now that you never are. If anything, you are making it easier for me. I will feel a whole lot better if you are somewhere where I can see you at all times. At least for the time being."
Reddened grey eyes opened partly to look at him, fighting sleep for a moment before James softly reached out to caress his cheek again and he lost the battle.
"Sleep, I'll be right here," he promised his sleeping brother softly.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Remus asked Lily softly after several minutes had passed in silence and they were sure Sirius had fallen asleep again.
"Not just yet. Do you might staying a little while longer?"
"Not at all," relief was clear to hear in Remus' voice as he took Sirius' hand when Lily withdrew hers with a smile and they fell into a comfortable silence; watching their brother sleep and heal.
James glanced at the door, knowing the twins were standing guard outside. He knew Fabian's promise would not have only lasted until he had arrived, but for as long as they'd need it too.
And he was grateful for the level of safety Sirius was provided with so that he could sleep and heal without worrying.
For the time being, with the twins guarding the hallway and Remus and Lily at his brother's side, he knew Sirius would be safe, and that was all that James could ask for now.