AN: This is a one-shot. Just something I mentioned in After the War and so decided to make into a one-shot!
Rain was pouring, which in most countries is strange for summer, but for England, it was normal. There was thunder and lightning, illuminating the large white house. James Potter was sitting on the edge of his bed, repolishing his new Quidditch broom, the Nimbus 1200, listening to the latest rock song that was currently blasting out of his wireless. He was beginning to get worried because he hadn't heard from Sirius in a few days. He wasn't expecting to hear from Remus, as it was his time of the month. He had received a few letters from Peter, but he was most excited the Lily had actually responded to some of his owls! He had a feeling that this year, would be the year she finally said yes to him. However, for the first time in six years, he wasn't going to ask her out on the first day of school. No! He was going to wait until the second day, to let her settle into school a bit first. As another clap of thunder lit up the room, one of the family house elves, Star, popped into his room.
"Master James, Master Sirius is here. He has a lot of things with him. He said he requires your help."
"Thanks Star. I'll go down now. Go and collect his things and place them in the room across from here." The small elf bowed low and followed the order, disappearing from the room with a pop.
James had known this day would come eventually but didn't think it would be this soon. The fact that it had happened tonight, was scary. It was scary because it showed that even though the weather was terrible, the Blacks had no issue with sending their sixteen year old son into it, kicking him out of the family home. As James ventured out of his room and down the stairs to the entrance way, he prepared himself for what he was going to see. For as long as James and Sirius had known each other, James had grown accustomed to seeing the bruises and scars that would cover Sirius' body when he returned to school from a break. He would always joke with other students that he was just a really bad flyer, which everyone knew wasn't true, as he was a beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. However, James knew. As did Remus. Peter never really paid attention. Yes, though James and Remus had grown to expect the marks on Sirius, it still disgusted them. James had come from a loving family and had never been beat. Remus, despite his furry problem and lack of money, had come from a loving family, who never laid a hand on him. To see Sirius like this, as a result of his parents, disgusted and confused them.
As much as James had mentally prepared himself for what he was about to see, it was far worse than what he expected. Sirius was stooped over, leaning against a wall, unable to stand on his own. James could see how matted his hair was, not just from the rain but from the glistening red blood smeared on his face. His clothes were ripped and dirty. James rushed to his friend, steadying him and then calling for his mother, who happened to be a Healer.
"Mum! Mum! Come quick! It's Sirius! Please, quick! Bring your kit, I need your help." He lowered his voice and spoke only to his best friend. "Come on, mate. Let's get you in here." James half dragged, half carried Sirius into the lounge, placing him on one of the couches. His mother arrived just a moment after Sirius was laid down.
"Oh my Godric! What happened?"
"I don't know. He just turned up with all of his things. He sent Star to get me and I found him being supported by the wall. I don't know what they've done to him mum, but I swear, I'll kill them. By the sword of Gryffindor, I swear I will!"
"James Henry Potter! You will do nothing of the sort! You will go to your father's study and you will tell him everything. I'll look after Sirius. Go." James wasn't used to his mother being short with him, and definitely wasn't used to her saying his full name, so left after sparing a look at his injured friend.
He ran up the stairs, not wanting to waste any time. Without hesitating to knock, he barged into his father's study.
"James, what's the matter?"
"It's Sirius. He just arrived, but mum is looking after him."
"Giving him a good, hearty meal and hug then?"
"No. Probably applying a lot of Dittany and performing a few healing charms. They hurt him, dad. It was his parents, I just know it. They've done it before but never this bad. Dad, I wanna kill them. They don't deserve to live after doing this!"
"Son, calm down. Explain to me, from the absolute beginning, what has been going on."
"I noticed it in first year, after Christmas break. Sirius came back with a black eye and bruised wrists. Tried saying he had fallen down the stairs. Looked more like he'd been punched in the face and that he had been restrained – either by hands or by shackles. Second year, after summer, he came back with four scratch marks down his face – said it was his cat. Thing is dad, Sirius doesn't own a cat. He admitted to me later it was his mother. She slapped him because he told Regulus to shut up. But earlier when Regulus told Sirius to shut up, nothing was said to him. It got progressively worse. More bruises and cuts. But this, this is the worst it has been. He couldn't walk on his own dad. I don't even know how he got here. I'm worried dad, I don't want him going back there."
Henry Potter looked at his young son, seeing him have the same passion he had about his best friend from his youth, who had once been in the same situation. Unfortunately, Henry hadn't been able to save him as James was trying to save Sirius.
"What do you need, son?"
"I need for you and mum to allow Sirius to move in. I need you to help me keep him safe. I need you to throw his parents in Azkaban and throw the key away. Apply the Kiss if you need!"
"I don't need to speak with your mother to allow Sirius to move in, and I will keep him safe. However, the Blacks are a very influential family in our society. Despite their, opinions, to throw them in Azkaban would be near impossible. They have a tight hold on the ministry, on the Wizengamot and there is also the issue that they haven't actually done anything illegal. Punishing your child by using corporal punishment is not illegal. If they were using, say, the Cruciatus Curse on their son, then yes, we could throw them away. But Orion is not that stupid. He knows that any of the Unforgiveable Curses would land him a one-way ticket to Azkaban, especially used on his own son! I wish I could James, but my hands are tied. I can't put them in Azkaban for striking their child. I wish I could but it just won't happen. I could punch you in the face right now, which you know I never would, but if I did, you couldn't do anything. It isn't illegal son."
"So, there is absolutely nothing we can do to get them in Azkaban?"
"No."
"Well that is just bollocks." The father and son went silent for a moment, a silence that was interrupted by the popping sound of the family's house elf, Star, apparating into the room.
"Master Henry, Master James, Mistress Eleanor wishes to see you both, in the parlour." She popped back into thin air, headed off to do whatever household duty needed attending. Both men rose, with James bolting for the door, having to stop himself from just leaping over the stair railing. They made it to the parlour, where Eleanor Potter was standing over a sleeping Sirius, who James noted, was no longer bleeding.
"I told him I should take him to St Mungo's, but he refused. Said he didn't want his parents knowing where he was. He kept asking for you James, but he needs to rest, so I force fed a sleep potion down his throat. Star is just making the bed up in the spare room and then I'll take him up. I'd have her take him but I'm not sure if Apparition, even this short a distance, is a good idea. So I'll levitate him up. You can see him in the morning James, but it is now two in the morning. Go to bed, he'll be here when you wake up, I promise." Also offering him the mum look, James knew better than to argue with her. He trudged up the stairs, able to hear his parents softly talking, probably discussing what James had told his father, and what Eleanor had learnt from Sirius' injuries.
James awoke about nine the next morning, with the sun shining straight into his face. He felt weird but couldn't remember why. Then it hit him. He stood up and walked into his en suite, stopping for a quick pee, washing his hands and then making his way into the adjoining room. He saw his best friend laying in bed, reading a Muggle motorcycle magazine.
"Just make yourself at home, why don't you mate?"
"Was wondering when you'd turn up! What, no flowers? Get well card? What kind of best mate are you?" James could tell Sirius was trying to avoid the hippogriff in the room, but James wasn't going to let it happened.
"What'd they do to you?" Sirius' mouth clamped shut at this question, not wanting to answer, not wanting to see the looks of sympathy and pity on his face.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Don't tell me not to worry or that nothing that happened. You turned up here in the middle of the night, with all of your shit, bleeding out of everywhere on your body, barely able to hold yourself up. My mum had to work on you for an hour! So don't you dare tell me that those scumbags did nothing to you!"
"What James? Want me to tell you how my mum slapped me because I told her I wasn't hungry? Want me to tell you how my dad put his hand around my throat and threw me up against the wall? How he punched me and kicked me? How he spat in my face and told me I wasn't worthy enough to be his son? Not worthy enough to be a Black! Tell me James, do you really want to know about my fucked up life or are you just feigning interest so you don't look like a bad friend?" By now, Sirius was in tears, not angry at his supposed target but angry at his father, who had done these things to him. He staggered towards James and collapsed into him. James gripped his best friend, and brother, in his arms, neither saying a word.
They stayed like that for a little while, ending when Sirius stopped crying. He silently stepped back and made his way into the little bathroom, closing the door behind him. James heard the shower turn on, and so made his way to his room, calling Star to him, and telling her to make some breakfast for himself and Sirius. As he sat on his bed, an owl arrived, a letter from Lily in its beak. James sat and read the words from his beloved, and then scrawled a letter telling her the events of the night and the morning, asking her for her advice.