A Sirius Confrontation.
By Whitelonewolf
Summery: Sequel to Greenhouse. Sirius comes to Hogwarts after learning of Harry's obliviate to yell at Dumbledore for not telling him. He stumbles across Harry before he gets there.
"Come down to the lake with me." Harry demanded, a small smile on his face as he and Draco walked away from 'detention' with Severus.
Draco groaned, "Scar-head, I'm exhausted, do have any idea how much concentration it takes to brew that damnable potion? A lot. More than you could ever give."
Harry knew that Draco was eager to test the potion, eager to be protected from both his father and the 'Dark Lord', and he was quite happy to work on the potion to achieve that goal but that didn't stop him from complaining about it for all he was worth.
"Exactly, the lake is relaxing, come on Draco, it's a nice day, the sun is out, the breeze is cool, let's get some fresh air." Harry knew he could break Draco's resolve today, if only for the fact that the blonde Slytherin was really exhausted.
Draco scowled at him. "Fine." He grumbled.
"Yes!" Harry grinned.
Draco rolled his eyes and snapped, "Don't get all excitable, this is a one time thing."
"Ok." Harry grinned, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye.
Draco's scowl increased. "Don't give me that look, like you think I don't mean it."
Harry laughed and shrugged, "Well I don't."
Draco glared, "I could go back to my common room right now, Merlin knows it'd be easier."
Harry rolled his eyes with a small smile. "But you won't." He said confidently.
Draco's shoulder's sag. "I hate it when you do that."
"Do what?"
"Talk like you know exactly what I'm thinking, or going to do." Draco complained, shifting his bag around.
Harry laughed again, "I don't know what you're thinking."
They reached the Entrance Hall and Harry led them out onto the grounds. He smiled when he saw the familiar bob of blonde hair by the water.
"Luna's there." He said softly, the smile in his voice.
Draco huffed, "Where's Longbottom?"
"In the Greenhouse looking for more of those ingredients you keep demanding." Harry told him.
Draco rolled his eyes. "He get's to escape." He muttered under his breath.
Harry laughed, dropping his own bag by the tree. "Hey Luna!" He called, waving his arm at the Ravenclaw who smiled and gave a little wave in return.
Draco threw his own bag down and fell into the grass, arms spread wide by his head, blue/grey eyes staring up at the sky. Harry leaned over the boy's head and grinned,
"Told you it's nice out here."
"Very good, Scar-head, now kindly remove your ugly head out of my view." Draco retorted dryly.
Harry laughed and lay a meter over.
Luna's humming voice reached them from the lake and Harry smiled.
Draco shifted, "The grass is itchy."
"I like it."
There was silence again but for Luna's voice.
"The sun's bright."
"So close your eyes."
"I have."
Harry chuckled, stretching his arms to rest interlinked behind his head.
"That cloud over there looks like your head."
"That one over there looks like Blaise's pillow."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that."
"And that one there look's like that broken Knight piece you keep on your bedside table."
"Now your getting creepy."
"And that one-"
"Potter, shut up."
"Ok."
Draco sighed. Harry closed his eyes and grinned. Silence returned. Harry frowned, where had Luna gone.
"Hey Potter?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are you going for the summer?"
Harry opened his eyes, bright green eyes staring up at the half-fluffy clouds in the sky overhead. "I don't know." He admitted.
"What about your relatives place?" Draco asked and Harry knew without looking that the other boy was frowning.
Harry shrugged even though he knew Draco wasn't watching. "Dunno. No one's said anything."
Draco scoffed. "Typical."
Harry chuckled and the silence returned.
"Where are you going to stay?" Harry asked curiously, still watching the clouds.
"With Severus." Draco said it as if it should have been obvious which, in hindsight, it probably should have been since Severus was Draco's godfather.
"Blaise and Theo?"
Draco groaned, "Don't remind me, I have to spend and entire summer with Zabini."
Harry sniggered, stretching out his legs and shuffling about in the grass a little.
"Potter, how can anyone relax with you moving about all over the place over there?" Draco grumbled.
"Sorry, I was-" Harry broke off with a yelp as a large dark head blocked his view.
He scrambled up and backwards before realising with a laugh that it was a large black dog. Draco had sat upright, startled, and was now glaring at him.
"Don't do that!" He hissed, "You... Hey, isn't that-?"
Harry glanced back at the dog that Draco was now frowning at. "Isn't it what?" He raised an eyebrow at Draco, "Look's like a Grim don't you think?"
Draco shuddered and shoved Harry, "It is not."
Harry laughed, "Superstiti-Whoa!" Harry jerked back and stared in wide eyed surprise as the dog - Or he thought it was a dog? - glanced about before turning into a man.
"It is him!" Draco exclaimed after overcoming his shock.
"How did you do that?" Harry exclaimed, eyes lit up in curiosity, the way they did whenever he encountered magic that amazed him.
The man chuckled, "I'm an animagus."
"Animagus? What's an Animagus?" He turned to Draco, "Why haven't you told me about Animagus's?"
The man laughed again, sounding quite like a bark, as the questions spilled from Harry's mouth. Draco just scowled.
"An animagus is someone who can turn into an animal. As you saw, my form is a large dog." The man explained.
"So, does that mean you can only transform into one animal?" Harry asked, leaning forward and crossing his legs.
Draco rolled his eyes and laid back down, tucking his arms back under his head.
"Yeah. So... Harry?" The man asked.
Harry tilted his head, nodding, "Yes, just Harry. Who are you... Actually, you look familiar."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco reopen his eyes and look at him curiously. The man himself laughed.
"Do I? Well I suppose that's a good thing-"
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, "I know where I've seen you before, in my photo Album, you're in the pictures... You, you aren't... I mean..." Harry trailed off and blushed, noticing that Draco seemed amused by this.
"I'm not what?" The man asked, clearly amused as well.
Harry blushed again, "Who are you?"
"Sirius Black." The man answered.
Harry blinked, having no idea at all who the man was, "Oh."
Draco sat up, "Who did you think he was, Potter?"
Harry blushed again and shook his head. "No one."
"Oh no you don't, you've been driving me mad with your annoying little habits ever since you decided we needed to be friends." He poked Harry in the chest. "Who did you think Black was?"
Harry felt his face go beat red - I'm going to get laughed at - as he answered, "I thought he might have been my father."
Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "I wish I was Harry, believe me." The man chuckled. "But I am your godfather, if that helps."
Harry perked up at that, shoving a laughing Draco back, "Oh? Cool, no one told me I have a Godfather."
Sirius frowned and Draco stopped laughing.
"Honestly Potter, didn't Dumbledore tell you anything?" Draco demanded.
Harry thought about it, eyes casting up toward the sky - He had the sadness... - as he tried to recall the conversations he'd had with Albus. "Yes, we talked about magic... But not where I'm staying."
Draco's expression became stormy. "He told you- I'll be talking to Severus about this." He mumbled the last bit quietly, anger etched into his features, but Harry heard him all the same.
"Why are you angry?" Harry asked, curiously.
"He should be angry, that old fool hasn't been telling anybody things of importance lately." Sirius growled out. "I only heard about you being obliviated by accident from the Weasley twins, who were buying a shop in Diagon Alley when me and Remus stumbled across them."
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Dumbledore didn't Owl you?"
Sirius shook his head, "No. That's why I'm here, except I spotted that blonde over there, and then saw you two."
Draco huffed. "Typical Dumbledore."
Sirius rolled his eyes in agreement. Harry glanced between the two of them and laughed.
"You two are kind of similar." He said to the inquiring looks.
Sirius and Draco exchanged disbelieving glances. Then Sirius's gaze became thoughtful.
"Well, we are cousins."
Draco looked startled, "What?"
Sirius nodded, a mischievous grin working onto his sallow face. "Yes, your mother was a Black, she's my cousin."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Fantastic. You're just as bad as Potter."
Sirius glanced between them. "Yes. I was wondering about that. I heard the twins say something about you two being friends and at first I didn't believe it. But I see now that it's true."
Harry shrugged. "Draco wasn't sad."
"Wasn't sad?" Sirius questioned.
Harry shrugged, "It doesn't matter anymore, besides, Draco is good company."
Sirius laughed, "That's a far cry from what you used to tell me about him."
"I am sitting right here." Draco grumbled.
Harry glanced at Draco before looking back over at Sirius, his expression unreadable. "Do you mind?"
Sirius looked between them for a moment. "He doesn't seem to be hurting you. And I know well enough that the apple falls further from the tree than most people expect it too."
Draco smirked briefly. "At least it's one less person to complain about it. Weasley still harps on about not trusting me." His smirk had turned into a scowl.
Harry grinned, "Draco likes to complain a lot," That earned him a punch in the shoulder, "So do I live with you then?"
Sirius laughed at Harry's eager tone. "If only. I'm afraid not at the moment. I'm on the run from the ministry."
Harry cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Draco, despite his scowl, explained. "He was set up, and so the ministry believes he was the one responsible for the murder of your parents."
Harry's head snapped back to look at him. "Murder?" He frowned. "Yeah, that's what it said in those books... Voldemort..." Harry sighed. "Well, that's stupid, and why haven't I said that it wasn't you then?"
Sirius laughed, "Because they want evidence, Harry."
Harry frowned. "I read about something called a pensive. Why didn't we use that?"
"Pensives can be tampered with and so are not allowed in a Court as evidence." Draco said immediately his face once again impassive, "Besides, the only other person besides Black whose memories could be used would have been yours... And they're gone."
Sirius nodded in agreement, anger and sorrow flickering across his face briefly. "Oh well. I've survived so far."
Draco snorted, "What? For a year?"
Harry blinked, "A year? Where were you before that?"
Sirius shuddered another emotion flickering across his face that Harry was surprised to realise was fear. "Azkaban. It's a wizard prison."
Draco winced in sympathy. "It's not a pleasant place."
Harry nodded. "Yes, Luna was talking about it. They have Dementors?"
Both Draco and Sirius shuddered.
"Ok, so the ministry - which apparently everyone thinks are idiots - are after you and we can't do anything about it?" Harry asked, "Isn't there something?"
Draco rolled his eyes, "Aside from a retrial with veritism?"
Harry sat up, "That truth serum? That will work!"
Sirius shook his head at Harry's expression and Draco's expression became exasperated, "That was sarcasm, Scar-head."
Harry scowled, flicking at the grass stems near his fingers. "Well there has to be something."
They were silent for a moment and Harry noted Luna trotting over to them from the lake.
"Hullo Mr. Black." She said, startling the man who jumped and looked around worriedly. "You needn't fret about me, I already know of your innocence. I just came to tell Harry that I'm off to visit Neville." She smiled at Harry, who grinned back and nodded.
"Sure, I catch up with you later, yeah?"
Luna returned the nod, as she walked away Draco called,
"Make sure he's not slaking!"
Harry could make out Luna's soft tinkling laugh over his own laughter. Draco smirked at the raven-haired boy knowing that Luna would indeed pass on the message and that Neville would complain when they got back to the potions room the next day for 'detention'.
"There is something we can do." Draco said suddenly, looking uncertain and yet contemplative.
Harry raised his eyebrows, noting that Sirius had looked hopeful for a moment. "What?"
Draco shifted, uncertainty almost taking over. "I've seen Pettigrew alive."
Harry's head tilted to the left of it's own accord, confusion pulling his brows together. Sirius sucked in a sharp angry breath, but Draco just rolled his eyes,
"The man who set Black up, Scar-head." The blonde sneered, uncertainty vanishing under the guise of contempt.
Harry grinned, knowing Draco well enough by know to see past the mask. Sirius just frowned at him, as if he was about to object but uncertain as to why Harry was grinning.
"Oh. So, what does that mean?"
Draco looked at him as if he was an idiot again. "If I went to the Ministry with this information, it would bring new evidence to light and there would have to be a re-investigation of the events, perhaps even a proper trial since he never actually received one."
Harry was thrilled, feeling the smile that spread across his face as he looked at a dumbfounded Sirius excitedly, "That's great!"
"Y-You'd... You'd actually do that?" Sirius sounded shocked and disbelieving, "For me?"
Draco shrugged. "We are cousin's, are we not?"
Sirius blinked, "I have a lot of cousin's - some of which wish me dead."
Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Well then, your Harry's Godfather."
Harry smirked. "Ha, told you you're soft."
Draco scowled and went to punch him, causing the raven-haired boy to laugh and duck away.
Sirius seemed to be incapable of speech.
Draco turned to look at the main with an expectant expression. "Well?"
"I... I don't know what to say." Sirius confessed.
Draco raised his eyebrows in all his pureblood scorn and drawled, "A thank you would be a nice start."
"I- Thank you!" Sirius said fervently before laughing, "Thanks!" The man looked alive, his sky blue eyes lit up in happiness, his voice filled with shock, disbelief and hope.
Draco snorted in derision - he's embarrassed really - and said snidely, "And so you should be, that I'd be willing to do this for you despite the consequences from my father, is a once in a life time offer."
Sirius was overjoyed, and he sprang to his feet, "This calls for something really special... Have either of you seen a flying motorbike?"
Harry sat straight, "Motorbike?"
"Flying motorbike?" Draco asked curiously, incredulously.
Sirius nodded, a wild grin taking over his features, "Come on, Hagrid should still have it."
Harry jumped to his feet, "Tell me how it works?"
Draco shook his head as he stood and followed the two chattering dark-haired men. Harry's face was lit with curiosity, firing off question after question as he sought to learn more about the wonder of magic. Sirius himself was gesturing wildly with his hand. Draco rolled his eyes at the Gryffindorish behaviour.
"I'll teach you both how to ride it! If you want, you can even have it."
"You're going to give Potter your motorbike?" Draco asked incredulously.
"Both of you, yeah."
Draco blinked several times in surprise before he crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow and asked scornfully, "You expect me to share with Scar-head?"
Sirius seemed to consider this, before his face split into a grin. "Well, I suppose it would be considered irresponsible if I gave both of you a flying motorbike."
Harry almost deflated when Sirius said that, before he caught the glint in Sirius's eyes that he had seen in Fred and George's. He grinned, eyes watching the man curiously, wondering what his plan was.
Draco just raised his eyebrows and waited.
"But... If I were to buy both of you normal bikes, that couldn't be as bad could it? Not if I gave you both instruction." Sirius said contemplatively. "I would, of course, have to teach all about bikes and how to fix them magically so you know what to do in case of a breakdown."
Draco began to smirk, "You mean for us to make them fly ourselves?"
Sirius looked affronted, "Who me? I'd never do such a reckless thing."
Harry laughed, "You sound like Fred and George when they're trying to avoid Hermione scolding them."
Sirius grinned and him and ruffled his hair, "Of course, I am a Marauder after all. Fred and George shall be my protégées."
Draco crossed his arms again. "What's that make us?"
"Severus's Protégées." Harry laughed, then laughed even more at the look on Sirius's face.
"Severus?" The man exclaimed, "That old bat?"
Draco scowled, "Hey, watch what you say about my godfather."
Harry grinned, "He's not that bad. He'd probably find you irritating though."
Draco snorted, "That's an understatement." He shoved his hands into his robe pockets. "He can barely tolerate you. Merlin, I can barely tolerate you."
Harry just laughed, leaned over to Sirius and mock-whispered, "Slytherin's just hide their affection under snide insults and scathing reprimands."
Draco punched him again and Sirius chuckled, despite his surprise.
"They really are a bunch of softies, although, I think you'll get along with Blaise."
Draco shuddered, "Ugh, no, the two of you getting along is scary enough, Black is not joining that little circle."
They reached Hagrid's hut, Harry and Draco bickering slightly as Sirius knocked on the door and inquired about his bike. Hagrid was more than happy to return Sirius's bike - "Thanks fer lendin' it ter me Sirius, yer a good lad." - who then pushed it back over toward the lake with the boys, beginning to explain the mechanisms of the bike to both boys.
Sirius never actually got around to telling Albus off, Harry noted later that day as he was thinking about his third hobby - After Quidditch and the Potion of course - to work on in his spare - or sometimes class - time. But then, Sirius had left in a rather cheerful mood, and Harry had gotten the impression that the man oftentimes wasn't all that cheerful.
Neville told him later - after Harry had related the days events - that Harry had that affect on people - "When you're happy, you make people around you happy." - to which Harry had laughed and told him that that was silly, maybe people just liked being happy? Neville just shook his head and went back to his plants. Harry shrugged and went back to reading about Muggle Motorbikes; Draco was investigating flying spells.
A/N Well here it is, the next instalment, hope it met the standards - although I'm not particularly satisfied with it - but I'm tired and wanted to get it posted. Ever present thanks again to Mikee, DeliaDee, Misses Prongs, Darkus, Icylone, Alimento, farwalker, poisinrose, alice22 and MMe. Pince for the wonderful reviews! You guys keep me inspired.
Sorry there was no parseltongue magic in this one - there may be some in the next one. Hopefully none of you will be too disappointed but I won't be writing the re-trail, can't be bothered, but the next instalment is the aftermath... One should really consider the wisdom in naming Sirius a guardian of any child -grins evilly-.
"Tattoo's and Pub Parlours"
