Secret Keepers

"I trust Sirius with my life."

"And you will not reconsider?"

The dark head shook. "He's more than my best friend, Albus, he's like a brother."

The old wizard sank into his chair and gazed across at the youth opposite him a quiet despair in his eyes. James Potter was no longer a child. He was no longer the arrogant boy sent to his office by Professor McGonagall after causing havoc in her class, transfiguring a room of tables into mice; leaving the tea cups they were supposed to be changing, untouched.

"You can't dictate how I choose to live my life any more, I'm not your student now."

Dumbledore's mouth twitched into a smile. "If I recall correctly you listened to me even less when you were a student."

James had the decency to blush. "I'm sorry, that was out of order."

The headmaster sighed. "No, it was the truth. I cannot make your decisions for you, and if I could I would not."

Relieved Potter flopped into the chair opposite him, and pushed his hair back from his face. Dumbledore grinned, as the man became the boy once more. James stuck his tongue out and smoothed his hair back down, as if reading the other's thoughts. "I would've been honoured to have you as my secret keeper…" Dumbledore waved it aside.

"If we start suspecting our friends then Lord Voldemort has already won. Sirius has your trust; therefore he has mine." He smiled again. "I suppose I have never totally forgiven him for bewitching all my socks pink in his second year."

James stopped laughing. "Thank you for understanding," he added quietly.

"It's not about understanding. Voldemort is out looking for you James."

"I know."

"I have already warned Frank and Alice, they've gone into hiding. Is it too much to ask that you and Sirius lie low for a while?"

James smiled widely and waved his hand flippantly. "Of cour…"

"Don't just agree!" Dumbledore yelled and James' hazel eyes widened in shock. "You have to mean it this time. This is no longer a game that we can win. I don't want either of you playing the hero again. The Order cannot afford to lose you!" The anger subsided from his face and he suddenly looked very old and very tired. "I cannot afford to lose you, any of you.

"I promise." He rose and moved to the door. "Don't worry Albus, we'll stay hidden."

"Just stay alive."

*

Sirius Black stared moodily at the ceiling of his muggle hotel room. It had been two weeks now since he had become the Potters secret keeper and to be quite frank he was bored rigid. Idly he picked up the thing Lily had assured him was called a remod control and pointed it dubiously at the fellyvision. Nothing happened. He tried pressing some of the grey blastick buttons but the screen remained blank. Irritated he fumbled for his wand and prodded the machine with it until a fuzzy black and white picture appeared on it: two muggles were having an argument. He tapped it again and they disappeared to be replaced with a large black dog. He was momentarily comforted until the dog started prancing around and balancing on top of a ball. Was there nothing worth watching on this stupid thing? He flicked the wand again, different pictures flashed before his eyes, momentary seconds of dialogue formed discordant sentences. Frustrated he turned it back off and flung himself back on the bed, face down into the cheep smelling sheets, hands dangling limply off the sides. Inside he knew he was perhaps the only thing standing between Voldemort and his best friends but it was much easier to believe he was sitting here, being useless while others were out fighting the dark lord. Remus had visited earlier that week but it was full moon tonight and Sirius' hopes were not high for another visit, his friend was probably locked up even now under the Shrieking Shack. He suppressed a wave of guilt; at least he still had his mind. It wasn't as if Peter couldn't have visited though.

He felt like screaming with frustration. Shut off from the wizarding world during its biggest crisis… it was almost unbearable. He rolled over and missed the end of the narrow bed, falling unceremoniously onto the floor. Loud cursing filled the air until he realised he couldn't be bothered to swear any more and just lay, staring morosely under his bed.

He had forgotten how long he had been lying there when he spotted the mirror lying under a pile of screwed up shirts near one of the legs. He gripped it eagerly and looked into it. "James Potter." His handsome face stared back at him for a moment and then materialised into the beaming image of his best friend. "Padfoot!"

Sirius grinned back and picked himself off the floor and sat back on the bed. "How are you?"

"Great. I was wondering how long it'd take you to get so bored you remembered the mirrors. I've been trying to contact you for ages but the underside of your bed wasn't very interesting so I stopped after a while."

Sirius grimaced slightly. "To be honest I didn't so much remember the mirror."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I fell off the bed and there it was."

James' laugh filled the small room "you fool" and Sirius heart rose as he joined in.

Eventually they stopped long enough for James to ask curiously "Is this your room?"

"Yer…" Sirius waved the mirror round it briefly. "Like a fricking palace isn't it?"

Prongs looked faintly uneasy. "It's very nice."

"It's a sty."

"Feels almost like home then, huh?"

"You were the messy one in our relationship."

"I was?" James' adopted a look of mock injury and a high pitched voice. "You… mean… it's… over?"

"'Fraid so," Sirius replied straight-faced. "We're just not right for each other."

"But… Siry-poo… I thought you… you said you'd… love me for…"

"James?"

"Lily… I," he coughed and his voice resumed its normal pitch. "Lily…I was er… just talking to-"

"Siry-poo wasn't it?" She had obviously seized the mirror because soon he was staring at the amused face of a beautiful woman rather than his friend's bad impression of one. She raised a delicate eyebrow. "I didn't realise you were so close."

He rearranged his features into what he hoped was a pacifying and innocent expression. "Hiya Lils."

Her lips flickered. "Sirius please stop attempting to seduce my husband, he's bad enough as it is."

He grinned as James' protestations filled the background. "If it makes you feel better Lily, I was in the process of dumping him. You can have the arrogant buffoon right back."

"I'm a buffoon?" James yelled out of sight. "Who just fell off their own bed?"

"I notice you didn't object to arrogant." Lily sighed. "Honestly it's like the two of you never left school."

"I know, great isn't it?"

A baby screamed in the background and Lily turned to James, "go get Harry will you?"

The shrieking stopped as James carried his son back into the room and positioned him in front of the mirror. "Say hello to your godfather, Harry."

"Hello Uncle Sirius," came James' voice from behind the child and one podgy hand waved at him, enclosed in James' larger fingers.

"Heya Harry," Sirius smiled. "Did you know you sound exactly like your father?"

"I do? That's wonderful; handsome devil, fiercesomely intelligent…"

"Child protégée huh?"

"Takes after his old man."

"…brave…"

"James," Lily's reproving voice broke into "Harry's" description of his father's virtues.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to bring light to Black's isolation."

"By talking about how wonderful you are?"

"Well it cheers me up."

"You shouldn't even be talking in the first place, don't you remember what Dumbledore said? Sirius has to stay in isolation so Voldemort can't track him"

Prongs turned a faint shade of green and tried to smile reassuringly "…Well I'm sure he was just exaggerating…"

Her voice started rising. "I cannot believe you forgot!"

"I didn't forget Lily…"

"So what you're saying is you want the Death Eaters to swoop down on us?" she screamed.

There was a loud crack out in the hallway and Sirius' head swung quickly towards the door. "Or on me…"

Harry started crying once more.

"What?" James voice was anxious and hard; it contained no hint of the laughter of before.

"They know I'm here. Prongs I'll meet you at Clouds in two cycles. Do you understand?"

James nodded once and disappeared from the mirror.

Authors Note: Inspired by Order of the Phoenix although all the events described are based on Prisoner… confusing huh? Here's where I previously said "there's only going to be one more chapter" but this turned out to be a lie so I deleted it. Have just edited it for the second time I think I hate it less now which is good. If you like it review… and make it a long review. If you hate it… well I'll be crushed but tell me anyway.

Now would be a nice moment to mention my beta-reader Faeirex who didn't do a lot in this but has saved you from "Unky Siry" so I think she deserves some recognition at last ;-) Hope you enjoyed it.