The day after Harry's rescue, Sirius was woken up in the middle of the night by a terrible screaming. He flung himself out of bed and ran to his godson's room, from which the screaming was coming. Sirius flung the door open and raced to his godson's bed. He sat down on the edge and tried to shake Harry awake. He tried for several more minutes before Harry gave a start and sat up straight in his bed, almost hitting his head with Sirius'.
'Si-Sirius?'
'I'm here kiddo. Shhh, it's alright. Shhh, c'mon now.' Sirius whispered to his godson, rocking him back and forth. Once Harry calmed down, Sirius picked the eight year old up and carried him down the stairs to the kitchen where he poured some Butterbeer for the two of them. The two sat for several minutes, Sirius sipping at his Butterbeer as Harry stared glumly down at his.
'What's wrong Harry?' Harry started and looked at Sirius, his bright green eyes filled with fear.
'The lady in the mask,' he said quietly. Sirius winced and inwardly cursed his cousin.
'What about the lady in the mask?'
'She was going to kill you and Remus,' he said even quieter. Sirius sighed and got up, going to the other side of the table where his godson sat. He wrapped his arms around the boy and lifted him up so they were sitting on the floor together, Harry in Sirius' lap.
'Harry listen to me okay?' Sirius asked gently. The boy nodded.
'The lady in the mask is never going to harm Remus or myself, ever. Nor will she hurt you ever again, because if she even touched a hair on your head, I'd beat her to a bloody pulp.' Harry gave a small laugh and said,
'I know you would.' Sirius chuckled and ruffled Harry's head.
'Can you go back to sleep?' Harry flushed and asked, barely audible,
'Can I sleep in your room?'
'Of course you can. C'mon now.' Sirius picked the boy up and carried him to his room. It was a large room painted red with gold curtains, rug and bed spread. Sirius put his godson in the bed, tucking him in.
'Can you get Prongs, Sirius?' Sirius looked up.
'Prongs, I haven't seen him in ages. I thought you lost him last year.' Harry flushed again and mumbled,
'I never lost him; I was just too old for a stuffed animal. He's under my pillow. Can you get him, please Sirius?' Sirius couldn't say no. Whatever would help his godson over his kidnapping, the better.
'Sure thing mate, I'll be right back.' Sirius jogged to Harry's room, which was, he noted, quite a mess. He reached under the pillow and felt the stuffed stag. Pulling it out, he went back to his room to find Harry under the blankets. At that moment, Sirius felt fury like never before. His cousin had possibly traumatized his godson for life.
'Here kiddo,' he said gently, giving Harry his stag.
'Thank you.'
'No problem,' and Sirius climbed into his bed beside his godson. As soon as the covers were over them both, Harry climbed over to Sirius, burying his head in his shirt. Sirius sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.
'I don't know what to do Remus. He won't stop following me.' Sirius and Remus were sitting at Sirius' kitchen table having a hushed conversation so as to not wake Harry who was sleeping in the next room.
'Well, he just needs to get over this whole Bellatrix thing. He is just a kid Padfoot. He can't just up and forget about it, but I do see why you're worried. Maybe... maybe he should stay at my house for the day, so he can't be around you. That way-' Remus was cut off by a loud scream coming from the sitting room.
'I'll be right back,' Sirius said wearily. For the past week, each night Sirius had been woken by Harry's screaming, and each night Harry had ended up in Sirius' bed.
'Harry, wake up kiddo. C'mon wake up, please.' Harry started and opened his eyes, promptly rolling off the sofa he had been napping on.
'Whoa, you okay.' Harry nodded in response to Remus' question.
'Harry,' Sirius hesitated. 'How would you like to go over to Remus' today?'
'You too?'
'Uh, no, not me. I've some errands to run.'
'I'm not going anywhere without Sirius.' Harry said stubbornly.
'Harry,' Sirius tried desperately. 'I need to run some errands, it'll only be for the afternoon. You know Remus.'
'You're trying to get rid of me?' The child asked. Sirius looked appalled.
'Of course I'm not trying to get rid of you! Why do you think that?'
'You want me to go to Remus' while you go somewhere else.'
'Harry, Im not getting rid of you! You know I would never do that. Now tell me please, whats really bothering you. Harry hesitated, looking down in his lap.
'I don't want that lady in the mask to hurt you.' When he looked up, his eyes were swimming with tears.
Hey, that lady'll never hurt us again. I've told you that already. Shes in Azkaban. She'll never ever come near us again.' Harry wiped his face on his sleeve before looking up at Remus, then Sirius.
Cmon now, why dont you go with Remus back to his place, and Ill come over for dinner in a few hours when Im done my errands. That okay with you?' Harry looked at Remus and then Sirius and nodded.
Yeah, its okay with me.
Okay, come on then mate,' Remus said, leading the way to the fireplace so they could floo over to his cottage.
'I'll be over in a few hours Moony,' Sirius called to Remus' retreating back.
'Okay, see you then.'
Sirius was bored. No, that was an understatement. Sirius was tired of the stillness about his cottage. He was bored beyond belief. He still had another three hours before he went to pick Harry up from Remus'. He didn't actually have any errands to run, it was just an excuse to try and help Harry overcome his... Clinginess.
Sirius got up and went up the stairs to Harry's room. He needed to do something. He opened the door and started at the mess in the room. Clothes, books, toys and every other imaginable thing was on the floor. Sirius sighed and started cleaning the room.
Two hours later Sirius was done cleaning his Godson's room.
'Teenagers are supposed to be messy, but an eight year old?' He thought. He looked at his watch and sighed. One more hour, he sighed.
'Harry, Sirius is here,' Remus called into the sitting room where Harry was sitting playing with some toys Remus had unearthed for him. Harry jumped up when he heard Sirius' voice and raced to the kitchen, throwing himself at his Godfather.
'Hey mate, were you behaved?'
'Of course I was,' Harry scoffed. The two older men chuckled.
'Well, I guess you can have dessert later. Go clean up quickly and we'll go home for some dinner.'
'Okay,' and he ran out of the room.
'Thanks Moony, I think it helped a lot,' Sirius said quietly.
'No problem,' was Remus' reply. 'Just, if he wakes from another nightmare, don't let him sleep in your room. Just stay in his room until he falls back asleep.'
'Since when have you been an expert on kids?'
'I've never been an expert on kids, Padfoot. It's just common sense.'
'Okay then, whatever you say-'
'I'm done,' a voice called. 'And hungry,' Harry added as an afterthought. Sirius smiled as Remus shook his head.
'You've been around Sirius for too long mate.' Sirius glared at him playfully,
'Hey!'
'It's only been two years,' Harry said shrugging, his first real smile in a week. Sirius beamed, glancing at Remus, to see him smiling too.
'Well, let's get going.'
'Bye Remus,' Harry thanked him and gave the man a hug.
'Bye Harry, Sirius. I'll see you two soon.' Sirius led Harry to the fireplace where they flooed home. As Harry fell out of the fireplace, he was caught by his godfather who instantly picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder.
'Sirius let me down!'
'No can do.'
'Why?'
'Because I don't want to?' Harry grunted in response as Sirius carried him into the kitchen, setting him down on a chair.
'So, what do you want for dinner?'
