A/n: Sorry it took so long, it's been a busy week! Please review and check out my other stories - "You Raise Me Up" was just updated. Thanks!

When Sirius heard the whimper at first, he assumed he was still dreaming, and rolled over on his other side. When the whimpering persisted, he realized that it was happening in reality, and the sound was coming from the corner of his bedroom by the door. He opened his eyes and whispered "lumos" to try and see what had woken him up. As he expected, his godson was in the corner, curled up into himself and crying.

Sirius felt his heartbreak for the boy and slowly sat up - he didn't want to move too quickly and startle him. Harry had improved a lot in the months since he had left the Dursley's, but Sirius knew all too well that the damage wasn't entirely healed and could come back full force with a wrong move on his part.

Harry was worried - he had woken up from a nightmare that he had often while at the Dursley's, involving an evil man, a magic wand, and a green light. Since living with Sirius, Harry had discovered that magic did exist and that his godfather wouldn't hurt him, but that still didn't stop Harry from feeling guilty for waking the man up. He wouldn't have done so, but he really loved it when his godfather comforted him, and the dream had him shaken.

"Harry?" Sirius whispered, his voice husky with sleep. "It's okay, puppy. You can come here, I'm not mad at you."

That was all the reassurance the boy needed - he practically ran to his godfather's bed and climbed on top of it.

Sirius wrapped his arms around the child's middle, pulling him close to his chest and kissing the top of his head. "You're safe now, puppy. What happened? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nightmare," Harry mumbled, hiding his face into the crook of Sirius's neck. He felt Sirius kiss the top of his head again, and he smiled to himself. Sirius always made him feel loved, which was very different from anything than the Dursley's had ever done.

"It's okay, the nightmare's can't get you in here." Sirius said sleepily, snuggling Harry closer and urging him to fall back asleep. He was glad to comfort Harry, but it was very late and Sirius was exhausted - no one mentioned how tiring raising a seven year old would be.

"How do you know?" Harry questioned, his voice small, unsure.

"Because Paddy knows everything, remember?" Sirius said, gently poking the child in the ribcage.

Harry giggled and nodded. He did feel a lot better after talking to his godfather, but he wasn't sure what to do now. The Dursley's never let Harry into their room, much less let him sleep with them after a nightmare; he didn't want to burden his godfather, but Sirius wasn't letting him go.

"Paddy?" Harry questioned quietly, preparing to jump away if Sirius lashed out.

"Mm?" Sirius grunted, not opening his eyes.

"Why aren't you letting me go?"

"You don't want to stay with me?" Sirius asked gently, waking himself up enough to open his eyes and meet the nervous green one's in front of him. "I thought you'd be frightened to go back to sleep in your room and I want to help you."

Harry gave his godfather a relieved smile. "Yes please," he whispered, allowing Sirius to pull him close again. Sirius rubbed his back for a few minutes and before Harry knew it, he was sleeping soundly again.

Sirius woke up far too early the next morning to a chill that he had not expected. He opened his eyes to see that it was still dark outside; Shivering, he looked down to see the four blankets he had been sleeping with had been removed from his person.

He rolled over to see where they had gone, when he was faced with his godson, wrapped up in all of them. Sirius smiled to himself - it really was a cute picture, but he was freezing and wanted at least one blanket back.

"Harry, baby?" Sirius said gently, not wanting to startle the boy.

Green eyes slowly opened and met Sirius's blue ones. "Yes sir?" He mumbled groggily.

Sirius smirked at his godson. "Not sir, Paddy, remember? And can I have some of the blankets? It's really cold."

Harry nodded sleepily and untangled himself from the blankets, allowing Sirius to slip under them.

"Thanks pup - can I have a hug too?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded again and moved closer to his godfather so he could be wrapped up in the embrace. "What time is it?" Harry asked quietly.

"It's about five in the morning. Not nearly time to wake up yet." Sirius said, nuzzling his face into the dark tuft of hair on his godson's head. Harry nodded against the man's chest and fell back into a peaceful slumber. Despite Sirius's exhaustion, he couldn't fall back to sleep. Since leaving Azkaban, he had been at his happiest since Hogwarts; however, this didn't stop the nightmares from coming.

Sirius allowed his mind to wander away from the depressing thoughts to his little godson. He was so happy to finally have Harry living with him, and he was astounded at how the scared, timid child he picked up months ago was now so bright, energetic, and trusting. Sirius was never much of an affectionate man due to his own upbringing with his psychotic parents, but lately he had been having crazy urges to hold Harry in his arms for hours at a time - currently, it was taking every bit of his willpower to keep from repeatedly kissing the boy's forehead and waking him up.

He thought with a smile of what Lily would think if she saw him now - he almost could hear her voice in his head: "I told you that you would come around, Padfoot! Kids aren't so bad, and after all, Harry adores you."

He wrapped his arms tighter around the small boy - the truth of the matter was, Sirius was enamored with the little boy, and he was absolutely terrified he would mess this parenting thing up. He needed a companion, someone to stop by once a week and check in on Harry, someone with a different perspective.

Then it hit Sirius - literally. An owl flew in the open window and dropped a parcel of cookies on top of the animagus's face. A letter was taped on top of the box and it read:

Padfoot,

I baked Harry some cookies. I gathered from your last letter that he didn't get many sweets with his relatives, though I'm sure you're spoiling him rotten now.

Tell me when a good time to meet is, we haven't had much of a chance to catch up since you were released. I know you're busy being a dad now, but if you have some free time, send me a response.

Again, I'm so sorry for believing you had betrayed us six years ago. I miss you terribly.

Moony

"Remmy, of course!" Sirius said excitedly, rereading the letter. The two friends had spent a few nights together since Sirius had been released, but raising Harry had taken priority. Sirius would love to spend more time with his old school friend, and he knew Remus would love to get to know Harry better. The only reason Sirius hadn't introduced Harry to him immediately was because of Harry's trust issues due to his abuse. Now Harry was better, and he deserved to know the great man that is his Uncle Moony.

Sirius's shout about Remus caused Harry to stir. "Daddy?" Harry questioned quietly, nuzzling himself closer to his godfather.

Sirius froze, thoughts of Remus forgotten momentarily - a myriad of emotions ran through his mind, but the main one was guilt. Harry shouldn't be calling him that, it should be used for James… but at the same time, he felt overjoyed at the display of trust from the boy he cared so much about.

Harry realized what he said and was now fully awake, looking at his godfather with fear. "I-I'm sorry Sirius, I didn't-"

Sirius shushed him with a kiss on the forehead. "Kiddo, I don't care what you call me, as long as you remember that your real dad loved you and died for you. Never forget him, okay?"

Harry beamed up at his godfather, but then confusion broke out over his small features. "W-what do you mean, died for me? Aunt Petunia said they were drunk and died in a car crash…"

Sirius felt anger course through him - what kind of low life person makes James and Lily's heroic deaths look like an accident?

"She lied… they were killed by a man because he wanted you. I… I'm not sure why, but he did and they died to protect you." Sirius explained quietly. He didn't want to reveal too much to Harry, especially at seven years old, but he deserved the truth. "They loved you so much, puppy."

Harry's bottom lip quivered and silent tears fell down his cheeks. Sirius wiped the first few away with the pad of his thumb before cuddling the child closer to him. Harry cried for what seemed like an eternity, and Sirius simply held on, trying to convey in his physical actions what he couldn't put into words. What happened to James and Lily that night was not okay, nor would it ever be, but Sirius would devote his life to do what is best for their wonderful, little son.

"Don't you want to meet Remus, kiddo?" Sirius asked, kneeling down in front of the small boy a couple of hours later. He had invited his old school friend over for lunch after he managed to console Harry, intending for him to have another adult-figure to confide in and trust; however, after explaining the story of Harry's parents death to him, he had become timid and sad. One thing that was becoming peculiar to Sirius was Harry's newfound attachment to him; since that morning, he had been following his godfather around like a lost puppy, only letting him out of his sight for things like the loo.

"I wanna stay with you," Harry mumbled quietly, his eyes looking down.

"I won't leave, kiddo, but Remus is my friend and he was a friend of your mummy and daddy. He really wants to meet you." Sirius said in a gentle manner.

This made Harry's pout become more defined. "I'll be good, I don't want you to leave me…"

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked suddenly, surprised at Harry's words. Where had the boy gotten the idea that he was going to leave him?

"Why do I need to meet him? All I need is you, Paddy." Harry said, looking as if he really wanted a hug but was scared to reach out to his godfather.

Sirius, recognizing Harry's gesture, scooped the child up into his arms. They were in the living room, situated by the floo and waiting for Remus's arrival. "You don't need to meet him, but I want you to - you'll like him a lot, and he really likes you already. He baked you those cookies I gave you this morning, remember?"

Harry nodded and pressed his head against his godfather's chest. "So you aren't going to leave with him today?"

Sirius furrowed his brow. "No, pup, I'm not. He's coming here for one purpose and one purpose only, and that's to meet you. Why do you think I'm going to leave?"

"I was bad this morning. I woke you up and I called you the wrong name and I got your robes all wet…" Harry was working himself into a state all over again, and Sirius hugged him tighter in a desperate attempt to soothe him.

"Baby, I told you, I want you to come for me if you have a bad dream. I don't care how late it is, it makes me sad when you're sad. And you didn't call me the wrong name - if you want me to be "daddy" instead of "Paddy," it doesn't matter to me. All I ask is that you don't forget James because he loved you so much. Just like I do." Sirius said placatingly.

Harry nodded and wiped at his eyes with his shirt sleeve, drying the unshed tears that resided there. "O-okay daddy."

Sirius smiled, but before he could respond, the floo chimed and Remus Lupin stepped into the cottage.

"Moony," Sirius greeted warmly, grabbing Harry's small hand gently and leading him over to where the man was standing.

"Hello, Padfoot," Remus said, giving the man a hug before turning to the small boy that was now hiding behind his godfather's leg. Remus kneeled down to be level with the child. "And you must be Harry. I knew you when you were a baby, but you probably don't remember me."

Harry looked up at the man with wide eyes and shook his head. "N-no, sorry." Harry braced himself for yelling, but the man simply smiled at the boy.

"That's okay. Sirius and I were good friends with your daddy." Remus explained gently.

Harry nodded and gave the man a small smile in return. Sirius was right, this man was nice.

"Shall we get lunch then?" Sirius asked, lifting Harry up in his arms and walking towards the kitchen. "What do you want to eat, puppy?"

"Uh, I don't know." Harry said quietly, tucking his face into the crook of his godfather's neck.

Remus looked at Sirius concerned, and Sirius sent him a look that said we'll talk later.

"Hm, well I'll make you a ham sandwich then, I know you like those." Sirius said, plopping the small boy into a chair by the table and getting started on the food.

Lunch was a small affair, with Sirius and Remus mostly attempting to engage with Harry. The boy was persistent and only responded out of politeness and not interest in the conversation. Sirius was at a loss - Harry had really seemed to be growing and losing the mannerisms the years of abuse forced him into, but now it was as if he was back where he started.

"Here puppy, why don't you go upstairs and play with some toys okay? I'll be down here with Moony for a few minutes." Sirius suggested, wiping mustard from the sandwiches off the boy's cheeks.

Harry gave him a really sad look and nodded. Sirius caught on immediately and asked, "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"I want to stay with you, daddy." Harry said quietly, moving back beside Sirius.

"Well then, of course you can. Come on, Moony, let's go to the living room, we can watch the telly I bought." Sirius said, picking Harry up again and walking into the next room.

"I always knew you liked muggle things, Padfoot, but what made you buy a telly?" Remus asked curiously, following behind his friend.

"Harry told me he was never allowed to watch it growing up," Sirius said simply. Remus caught on to the meaning and didn't ask any more questions, inwardly seething about how terrible Harry's relatives were to him.

Sirius set Harry on his lap and turned on the telly, letting the little boy curl up against him and, after a few minutes, fall asleep.

Sirius was looking down at him fondly. "Poor thing had a rough night. He had a nightmare about Voldemort's attack. He came to my room and got a few more hours of sleep, but then we woke up at five a.m. and he told me that his aunt and uncle lied to him about James and Lily's death."

Remus looked angry. "How did he figure out the truth?"

"Oh, he didn't know it. I told him parts of it this morning, like how much his mummy and daddy loved him and that they died so he would live. He was rightfully distressed after that, so we didn't go back to sleep." Sirius said sadly, still looking at the child.

"I… I thought you said he was doing better? He still seems shy and afraid… well, I take that back, he clearly trusts you," Remus amended at seeing the way Harry was nuzzled against his godfather, his small hand gripping the front of Sirius's shirt. "But I thought you said he was better about talking and asking for things?"

"He was, he asked me to buy him every butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks just last week! I don't know what happened…" Sirius said honestly. "He's been afraid to leave me all morning, which is odd, normally he's fairly independent. I grounded him not too long ago for flying away from the cottage, and he was so annoyed when I had to fly with him for two weeks... but now he only leaves me to use the loo."

"Well, you said that you told him about how his parents died this morning… maybe he's worried you might die and leave him behind too? I know it seems a bit irrational to us, but he is only seven, it probably makes sense. It's separation anxiety, I think it happens to a lot of children when they're young." Remus suggested.

Sirius nodded. "That sounds about right, but how can I help him? How can he go to Hogwarts if he won't leave me?"

"He'll probably grow out of it, but maybe sign him back up for school next September? I know you said he had a hard time at his old school, but having some time away from you and with kids his own age will help him. Really, Padfoot, you're doing a great job, don't worry too much." Remus encouraged, smiling at the look of adoration that still masked Sirius's face as he stared at the small boy.

The two companions continued to chat for the rest of the evening, and Sirius insisted that Remus come over for lunch at least once a week, if not more. He wanted Harry to have two adults he could learn to love and trust, and knew that Lily and James would have also wanted Harry to grow up knowing their other good friend. He also planned to go out to the local primary school next week and talk about Harry attending the next term. He would do all he could for his godson, even if it meant he would have to force Harry to try new things, like school and making friends his own age.

Sirius also entertained the idea of getting in contact with a few old Hogwarts acquaintances to allow Harry to make wizard friends - if his godson truly was suffering from separation anxiety, it couldn't hurt to give him a few familiar faces for when the time to go Hogwarts came around.

Despite its necessity, Sirius shook the idea of Hogwarts from his mind. As he tucked Harry in that night, all he wanted to think about was the present, and how happy he was to have this little boy with him now.