Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this universe. It all belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling of course!

Setting/Background: Basically everything is the same as the books but Harry is a female named Alex. Sirius was just cleared over the summer after her fourth year.

Alex pov:

Alex was asleep under the hot July sun on the hard, grey bench she had spent the afternoon repainting and polishing. Aunt Petunia had threatened her with a list of chores or else she would not be getting dinner that night and Alex could feel her body turning back to skin and bones and she didn't want to look completely starved. She was used to being half-starved and skinny, but she had worked hard to finally gain some muscle tone over the past year and she felt strong for once. Now that was all going to waste as she could feel her collar bone and cheek bones protruding and her jeans were getting a bit baggy.

After having weeded the garden, mowed the lawn, and replanted the garden, she fell asleep on top of the bench that she had painted half of. Her body was aching and tired but she woke up suddenly when she felt someone put a hand softly on her arm.

Sirius pov:

Sirius felt slightly nervous but couldn't pinpoint exactly why. He was beyond relieved to be able to walk outside as a free man. Dumbledore had found evidence in the form of a letter that was proven not to be false. He decided to give it directly to Amelia Bones rather than Fudge since at least she had her wits about her and would at least consider the letter. He decided to just take the chance and bring himself into the ministry with veritaserum at hand. They had questioned him under it and found him not to be guilty, although they still refused to ask anything that would prove to them that Voldemort was back.

Anyways, Sirius was sure that Alex would not have heard the news yet, seeing as she was forced to stay with her magic-hating relatives and cut off from the magical world every summer. The last time he had seen her, she had just made it out of the maze. Never had he seen her look so small, broken, and fragile. The look in her eyes was one that only someone completely broken down and defeated would wear. She was way too young and innocent to have to be subjected to these horrors. He had felt so terribly for her and all he wanted to do was take her home and pull her into his arms and comfort her until she felt at least a little bit better. However, he had to leave so quickly in all the chaos that he barely even got to say goodbye.

He supposed that maybe he was nervous now because ever since they had formally met a year ago and honestly since he was sent to Azkaban, he had wished so immensely that he could be free and that they could start to be somewhat like a family, and that maybe he could make up at least a little bit of the lost time and heal a little bit of both of their suffering. He had wanted that for so long and built it up in his head so much that he was now a little scared that it might actually be happening. What if they didn't get along well. What if the pain of their pasts and the complications it brought were just too much for them to get past and love each other like a family would and they were just too broken to mend one another. After all, they were both looking for the same person in each other, James. He lost his best friend and she lost her parents. What if he was just a watered-down version of what she always wanted that she lost so young.

These thoughts were all racing through his head as he walked up the pathway of number 4 Privet Drive. He wanted to go get Alex himself and take her away from those awful relatives. He wouldn't be able to have her all summer as she had to stay there but he could at least save her for a little bit. He rang the doorbell and waited anxiously and about one minute later, a large man opened the door. The man looked him up and down quickly and scowled, taking in his long-hair and messy appearance.

"What do you want?", he said gruffly.

"I'm here to see Alex Potter", Sirius said matter of factly, not at all intimidated by this large, walrus of a man.

"There is no Alex Potter here", he spat out and moved to slam the door, but Sirius stopped him.

"I know for a fact there is."

"Get off my property immediately or I will call the police," he growled.

Sirius made to pull out his wand and he held it up to Uncle Vernon. There was no way he was leaving that doorstep without Alex.

Vernon slowly stepped back, glaring at Sirius with the utmost disgust in his eyes.

"In the backyard", he stuttered.

Sirius quickly paced through the house to the back door, passing Aunt Petunia in the kitchen who heard what had been going on and was staring in fear and hatred at the ex-fugitive. Sirius ignored them, however, and exited through the back door of the house. He spotted his goddaughter asleep on a bench on the side of the yard. He quickly walked over to her and knelt down next to her body on the hard, stone bench with her knees curled up. He knelt down next to her and gingerly placed his hand on her small arm, lightly shaking her awake.

Her big green eyes fluttered open and at first, he could tell that she had not registered the fact that he was in front of her, as she looked dazed and then shocked.

"I'm free", he said softly.

Alex was lost for words as she threw herself into his embrace and he held her small body against his weathered and aching one. He could feel her shoulder bones and small frame as he held her, one hand around her back and the other on her head, stroking her hair. She held onto his shoulders tightly.

When they pulled away, he got up from his kneel and sat down on the bench next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He took in the state of her appearance and was slightly sad and angered, knowing it reflected how her relatives treated her. The knees of her baggy jeans were torn and he could tell that she was skinnier than the last time he saw her by the way her large t-shirt hung on her small body. Her clothes had dirt and paint on them. Her hair was messy and she looked exhausted.

"How…?" Was all she could manage to get out. She was clearly in shock to see her godfather able to just walk into her aunt and uncle's house.

"Dumbledore found a letter that James had begun writing to him about the switch in secret keepers and they were unable to prove that it was false with their security spells, so they agreed to have another trial and here I am", he smiled.

She smiled too and leaned into his embrace.

"Come on, let me take you out of here", he said.

They stood up and walked through the house and out the front door without looking back, ready to make up lost time and maybe, just maybe, be the family they both had always wanted.