A/N: I'm so Sorry!!! I've had such a busy last couple of weeks that I haven't been able to get this chapter up. School has started again, which means, yes, sigh, homework. And to top it all off, I got a little story to tell ya before you get the actual chapter so bear with me here!
I live in a little town about 40 minutes north of San Francisco, CA. It rarely drops to under 40ºF here. The worst weather we get is a once-a-year thunder storm… It doesn't hail here except for once and a while, it rains, no sleet, nothing… We had a snow day today.
Yes, SNOW!!!! Okay, everyone on the east coast or places where you get snow everyday are like, 'ya, sure whatever you say, no big deal person.' Well, for my area it is a big deal. Last year, we had a TINY bit of snow on the mountain tops and the whole town went crazy… It wasn't even a 1/4 of an inch… I'm 14 now, when I was 1 year, 2 weeks old, it snowed. It melted in less than a few hours. Didn't even make it to our valley here. We got 3 inches of snow today. It covered the town, middle and high schools were closed (YEA!!! For me, anyways.). The last time it snowed in the valley here was in the 1970s! So, ya, it's a big deal. And we might get more tomorrow!!!! Okay, you want the real chapter… Oh, fine. Here ya go. Thanks for putting up with me!
She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Crazy 14-year-old who got snow for the first time in 13 years at her front door, Part of the first Snow Day in History for my town (yes, never had one ever before!), ya da ya da ya da.
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Sirius apparated into Lupin's living room in the small, two-story house with Harry laying limply in his arms, head resting against Sirius's chest. He walked up the stairs slowly, careful not to jar his godson's body with each step. Sirius was getting more worried by the second. Harry had made no noise what so ever during the trip up the stairs and hadn't since we was away from the Dursleys.
Sirius gently laid Harry down on now what was Harry's bed, used to be Sirius's, and called out to him softly. "Harry?" He got nothing. He tried again but once again, got nothing. Sighing, Sirius made his way to the bathroom and returned with a bowl of cold water and a rag.
Softly, he ran the rag over Harry's face, getting the dried blood off the best he could without hurting him. Sirius repeated this process with both of Harry's arms, and then unbuttoned his shirt as far as it would go, and repeated it with his chest. When he was done, he was in shock. He didn't want to believe that this was Harry. That someone had done this to his godson.
Across both of Harry's cheeks were big, black and blue bruises and his forehead had a welt about the size of a walnut. His entire face was covered in cuts from the vase that had been smashed on him and his right eye was swollen shut. His arms were scratched and bruised, nothing permanent there. Harry's right wrist was broken, that was obvious and Sirius was sure there were at least a few cracked ribs along with the bruises that were spread across his chest.
The one thing that caught his attention the most was a cut on Harry's face though. It was right near his eye, in fact, it seemed to go right across his eye. It started from the top and went to the bottom. But it didn't cut across his eyelid, which was what was worrying Sirius. Had the glass cut his eye too? Sirius shuddered. He didn't want to think of the possibilities of the outcomes of that.
"Harry?" He tried again, now frantic to have his godson answer him. "Harry?" Sirius gently caressed Harry's cheek while he attempted to wake him. "Harry? Harry please wake up buddy!" Sirius sat down on the bed and carefully picked Harry up and held him in his arms once again. "Harry? Come on buddy, wake up please Harry?" He still got nothing. Sirius was really frantic now. He knew he had to get Harry to wake up.
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Lupin returned home to what seemed like an empty house. "Sirius?" He called.
"Up here Moony!"
As Lupin walked up the stairs he could feel that something was wrong, it was an instinct that werewolves had. He knew he was right when he walked into the room.
"He won't wake up Moony! I can't even get a little response at all! I…"
"Sirius," Lupin interrupted. "Relax for a second. How's he doing other than being unconscious?"
Sirius explained Harry's injuries he had already seen to Lupin, all the while never taking his eyes off of his godson.
"Harry?" Lupin called softly. No answer. "Harry? Remember me? Moony?" Still nothing.
"I told you, Remus I have to get him to wake up! I HAVE to!"
"Sirius, we have to tell Dumbledo…"
"NO! Moony, he'll take him away from me. He will, I know he will. Just like he always has before…" Sirius said the last part in a whisper, but Lupin heard every word of it.
Lupin sighed. Part of what Sirius had said was true, Dumbledore would take Harry away from him, then probably give Sirius something to do instead of letting him stay with Harry 24/7. "Okay, how about I'll go talk to Madame Pomphrey and I'll convince her that one; you are not a mass murderer, and two; to come here and check Harry over without letting Dumbledore know of any of this okay?"
Sirius didn't answer. He didn't like the idea of her coming here at all, but he had to admit that, once again, he could not take care of Harry. It would be the same until he was declared free. Even if he did wish for it every night and every second of the day, he couldn't be there for his godson this time."
"Sirius?"
"Fine," Sirius said softly. "Go now, Harry needs her."
Lupin nodded. He knew what was going through Sirius's head. As he turned to leave the room, he looked Sirius in the eye and said; " Just like he needs you now, Sirius." And with that, he left the room and apparated to Hogwarts, well, outside of Hogwarts.
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Sirius sighed and leaned back against the headboard of the bed and shifted Harry so that he was lying on top of Sirius more than the bed. "Oh Harry," Sirius whispered softly, once again wiping Harry's face with the rag. " I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you Harry. I felt that something was wrong, that you were hurt, weeks before I actually came to get you. I should have came earlier Harry, I should have. I'm so sorry Harry, I'm a horrible godfather and I know it, you deserve better than me, you really do." Sirius didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes.
Harry meant everything to him. Everything. He was the one thing he kept on living for and it hurt him to even think about giving Harry up. But, deep in his heart he knew that he was no good to Harry, he deserved better. Heck, he probably didn't even mean anything to him, just someone who offered him a place to get away from the Dursleys then went and broke that. Sirius shook that thought out of his head. No. He meant something to Harry. Didn't he?
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Harry wondered where he was. All he knew was that he was away from the Dursley's house but other than that, he had no clue. His mind was a blur and his head was really hurting him. His body, he was sure, was on fire. It had to be. Slowly he became aware of someone holding him...
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Harry moaned softly from the pain he was in. It was a real quiet moan, but Sirius still heard it.
"Harry?" He asked, hope filling his voice.
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Harry's mind worked for a split second, letting him recognize whose voice it was. Sirius. It was Sirius who was here with him. Harry whimpered softly to answer Sirius.
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"Harry!" Sirius pulled his godson closer to him. Harry was conscious again. Sirius knew he needed to keep him conscious until Lupin got back.
"Harry, do you know who it is?" He asked. Sirius watched his godson for any sign of an answer, which came in a slightest shake of his head a yes. Sirius grinned. "Who is it?"
Harry tried to say Sirius but found he couldn't. His lips and throat were swollen from not having any water in the last two weeks. Instead, he found Sirius's hand, which had been holding onto his, and, using all his strength, traced a small "S" on Sirius's hand with his finger.
Sirius watched with interest as Harry traced an 'S' in his hand. Then it dawned on him. S for Sirius.
"Sirius?"
Harry once again nodded a very small yes.
"Yes, it's me Harry. Your going to be alright ok? I'm not going anywhere." He added in a rush for once Harry knew it was him for sure he had pushed himself against Sirius even harder, trying to ignore the pain it caused.
Sirius smiled softly as he watched his godson snuggle closer to him.
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Harry could hear Sirius talking to him. He couldn't understand anything anymore, but that didn't seem to matter. All he knew was it was Sirius, his godfather, and that's all he cared about.
He felt something cool on his face and it seemed to make the pain stop for a second. He could hear Sirius's voice still talking to him, and Harry was content to just lay there and listen, just listen.
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A/N: Well it seems that Padfoot the talking dog got tired of being him so he's back to just Sirius now… Even better!
Sirius: Review please! Otherwise I won't get to help my godson anymore! Why? Because this story won't continue without reviews!!!!
She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: I need ideas for the next chapter!!! I stopped here because I ran out of ideas! Please review and give me ideas! And thank-you are in the next chapter!
I live in a little town about 40 minutes north of San Francisco, CA. It rarely drops to under 40ºF here. The worst weather we get is a once-a-year thunder storm… It doesn't hail here except for once and a while, it rains, no sleet, nothing… We had a snow day today.
Yes, SNOW!!!! Okay, everyone on the east coast or places where you get snow everyday are like, 'ya, sure whatever you say, no big deal person.' Well, for my area it is a big deal. Last year, we had a TINY bit of snow on the mountain tops and the whole town went crazy… It wasn't even a 1/4 of an inch… I'm 14 now, when I was 1 year, 2 weeks old, it snowed. It melted in less than a few hours. Didn't even make it to our valley here. We got 3 inches of snow today. It covered the town, middle and high schools were closed (YEA!!! For me, anyways.). The last time it snowed in the valley here was in the 1970s! So, ya, it's a big deal. And we might get more tomorrow!!!! Okay, you want the real chapter… Oh, fine. Here ya go. Thanks for putting up with me!
She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Crazy 14-year-old who got snow for the first time in 13 years at her front door, Part of the first Snow Day in History for my town (yes, never had one ever before!), ya da ya da ya da.
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Sirius apparated into Lupin's living room in the small, two-story house with Harry laying limply in his arms, head resting against Sirius's chest. He walked up the stairs slowly, careful not to jar his godson's body with each step. Sirius was getting more worried by the second. Harry had made no noise what so ever during the trip up the stairs and hadn't since we was away from the Dursleys.
Sirius gently laid Harry down on now what was Harry's bed, used to be Sirius's, and called out to him softly. "Harry?" He got nothing. He tried again but once again, got nothing. Sighing, Sirius made his way to the bathroom and returned with a bowl of cold water and a rag.
Softly, he ran the rag over Harry's face, getting the dried blood off the best he could without hurting him. Sirius repeated this process with both of Harry's arms, and then unbuttoned his shirt as far as it would go, and repeated it with his chest. When he was done, he was in shock. He didn't want to believe that this was Harry. That someone had done this to his godson.
Across both of Harry's cheeks were big, black and blue bruises and his forehead had a welt about the size of a walnut. His entire face was covered in cuts from the vase that had been smashed on him and his right eye was swollen shut. His arms were scratched and bruised, nothing permanent there. Harry's right wrist was broken, that was obvious and Sirius was sure there were at least a few cracked ribs along with the bruises that were spread across his chest.
The one thing that caught his attention the most was a cut on Harry's face though. It was right near his eye, in fact, it seemed to go right across his eye. It started from the top and went to the bottom. But it didn't cut across his eyelid, which was what was worrying Sirius. Had the glass cut his eye too? Sirius shuddered. He didn't want to think of the possibilities of the outcomes of that.
"Harry?" He tried again, now frantic to have his godson answer him. "Harry?" Sirius gently caressed Harry's cheek while he attempted to wake him. "Harry? Harry please wake up buddy!" Sirius sat down on the bed and carefully picked Harry up and held him in his arms once again. "Harry? Come on buddy, wake up please Harry?" He still got nothing. Sirius was really frantic now. He knew he had to get Harry to wake up.
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Lupin returned home to what seemed like an empty house. "Sirius?" He called.
"Up here Moony!"
As Lupin walked up the stairs he could feel that something was wrong, it was an instinct that werewolves had. He knew he was right when he walked into the room.
"He won't wake up Moony! I can't even get a little response at all! I…"
"Sirius," Lupin interrupted. "Relax for a second. How's he doing other than being unconscious?"
Sirius explained Harry's injuries he had already seen to Lupin, all the while never taking his eyes off of his godson.
"Harry?" Lupin called softly. No answer. "Harry? Remember me? Moony?" Still nothing.
"I told you, Remus I have to get him to wake up! I HAVE to!"
"Sirius, we have to tell Dumbledo…"
"NO! Moony, he'll take him away from me. He will, I know he will. Just like he always has before…" Sirius said the last part in a whisper, but Lupin heard every word of it.
Lupin sighed. Part of what Sirius had said was true, Dumbledore would take Harry away from him, then probably give Sirius something to do instead of letting him stay with Harry 24/7. "Okay, how about I'll go talk to Madame Pomphrey and I'll convince her that one; you are not a mass murderer, and two; to come here and check Harry over without letting Dumbledore know of any of this okay?"
Sirius didn't answer. He didn't like the idea of her coming here at all, but he had to admit that, once again, he could not take care of Harry. It would be the same until he was declared free. Even if he did wish for it every night and every second of the day, he couldn't be there for his godson this time."
"Sirius?"
"Fine," Sirius said softly. "Go now, Harry needs her."
Lupin nodded. He knew what was going through Sirius's head. As he turned to leave the room, he looked Sirius in the eye and said; " Just like he needs you now, Sirius." And with that, he left the room and apparated to Hogwarts, well, outside of Hogwarts.
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Sirius sighed and leaned back against the headboard of the bed and shifted Harry so that he was lying on top of Sirius more than the bed. "Oh Harry," Sirius whispered softly, once again wiping Harry's face with the rag. " I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you Harry. I felt that something was wrong, that you were hurt, weeks before I actually came to get you. I should have came earlier Harry, I should have. I'm so sorry Harry, I'm a horrible godfather and I know it, you deserve better than me, you really do." Sirius didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes.
Harry meant everything to him. Everything. He was the one thing he kept on living for and it hurt him to even think about giving Harry up. But, deep in his heart he knew that he was no good to Harry, he deserved better. Heck, he probably didn't even mean anything to him, just someone who offered him a place to get away from the Dursleys then went and broke that. Sirius shook that thought out of his head. No. He meant something to Harry. Didn't he?
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Harry wondered where he was. All he knew was that he was away from the Dursley's house but other than that, he had no clue. His mind was a blur and his head was really hurting him. His body, he was sure, was on fire. It had to be. Slowly he became aware of someone holding him...
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Harry moaned softly from the pain he was in. It was a real quiet moan, but Sirius still heard it.
"Harry?" He asked, hope filling his voice.
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Harry's mind worked for a split second, letting him recognize whose voice it was. Sirius. It was Sirius who was here with him. Harry whimpered softly to answer Sirius.
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"Harry!" Sirius pulled his godson closer to him. Harry was conscious again. Sirius knew he needed to keep him conscious until Lupin got back.
"Harry, do you know who it is?" He asked. Sirius watched his godson for any sign of an answer, which came in a slightest shake of his head a yes. Sirius grinned. "Who is it?"
Harry tried to say Sirius but found he couldn't. His lips and throat were swollen from not having any water in the last two weeks. Instead, he found Sirius's hand, which had been holding onto his, and, using all his strength, traced a small "S" on Sirius's hand with his finger.
Sirius watched with interest as Harry traced an 'S' in his hand. Then it dawned on him. S for Sirius.
"Sirius?"
Harry once again nodded a very small yes.
"Yes, it's me Harry. Your going to be alright ok? I'm not going anywhere." He added in a rush for once Harry knew it was him for sure he had pushed himself against Sirius even harder, trying to ignore the pain it caused.
Sirius smiled softly as he watched his godson snuggle closer to him.
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Harry could hear Sirius talking to him. He couldn't understand anything anymore, but that didn't seem to matter. All he knew was it was Sirius, his godfather, and that's all he cared about.
He felt something cool on his face and it seemed to make the pain stop for a second. He could hear Sirius's voice still talking to him, and Harry was content to just lay there and listen, just listen.
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A/N: Well it seems that Padfoot the talking dog got tired of being him so he's back to just Sirius now… Even better!
Sirius: Review please! Otherwise I won't get to help my godson anymore! Why? Because this story won't continue without reviews!!!!
She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: I need ideas for the next chapter!!! I stopped here because I ran out of ideas! Please review and give me ideas! And thank-you are in the next chapter!