A.N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. At first, I was just lazy, but then I had exams, so I had to study and then my brain needed a reprieve from everything. But Here it is, an update, for you, my dear readers. Also, I don't own Harry Potter. I do claim ownership of a dog, but he doesn't own Harry Potter either.
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Harry, personally, felt extremely awkward walking in silence next to his mother. Everything was too quiet; the awkward silence kind of quiet. The only background noise was their footsteps and breathing. It was kind of creepy; especially since recently Lily had been using every spare minute trying to bond with him. Why wouldn't she on the last day before he went to Hogwarts for the first time? Harry narrowed his eyes.
Something was going on – especially since Lily had arrived home in the early hours of the morning with an air of happiness about her. She had ignored all questions relating to her mysterious absence, and Harry had felt suspicious then when he had had no idea that it had something to do with him.
Just as Harry was getting bored and curious enough to retrieve a pen and paper from his pocket, he saw something that made him stop. All of the mother son bonding must have made him delusional, because Harry thought he could see someone who should not be walking the halls of Hogwarts. A person who shouldn't be walking the halls of anywhere, because they should be a portrait. Harry knew it was a mirage, hallucination, some type of delusion or his imagination, but rather liked the way Godrics leg muscles visibly moved in the dark tights he was wearing.
Godric leant against the stone wall and looked at him, a sly smile on his face.
"Why Harry, fancy seeing you here." Harry started forward again, faster than he'd been walking before. That had been there standard greeting for years. It had been funny, since neither of them had anywhere else to go. Harry because he was a prisoner and Godric...Harry actually had no idea why Godric had stuck around for so long. He'd have to ask. Later. That was Godric, his best friend and confidante - even if it was only a hallucination of Godric the Portrait outside of a portrait with a devilish smirk on his handsome face.
Harry reached Godric, stopping a few steps away from him. The two of them looked at each other for a while, and then Harry extended his hand. Just as he was about to touch Godric, or alternatively have his hand slide through and touch depressing stone, Godrics large, calloused hand grabbed his and pulled him in for a hug. Their hands were pressed between them, and one strong arm was wrapped around his waist and holding him tight. Harry hugged back.
Harry realised that Godric was taller than Regulus by a few inches. With Regulus, Harry could comfortably rest his chin on the man's shoulder. Now, however, Harrys face was pressed into the base of Godrics throat. Harry took a deep breath through his nose, and decided that Godric smelt musky and a bit like vanilla. He didn't smell, or feel, like a painting. And he looked much better than he had as a painting. Felt much better as well.
Harry pulled back from the embrace slightly, and Godric reluctantly loosened his hold on Harrys hand. Godric placed his now free hand on Harrys hip, while Harry ran his hands down Godrics arms and poked at his face. Lily, though she didn't like the way that ex-portrait was looking at her baby, turned and walked away. She really did need to speak to Remus urgently and Harry wouldn't speak if she was there.
Her footsteps faded away, and Harry flicked Godric on his forehead. The man flinched at the sharp pain, frowning.
"Thanks for that. Just what I needed." Harry laughed, pulling the taller, definitely older man into another hug. It was a wonderful sensation, to feel completely comfortable with someone after not trusting anyone physically for the previous half decade. Harry had never been a fan of physical contact, even before being kidnapped, and no one had ever been able to make him relax in an embrace. Especially not Regulus.
But this was Godric, who had been there for him and had no ulterior motives. Harry felt instantly relaxed around the man and was grateful for that.
Harry pulled back from the hug once more, and grabbed a handful of Godrics hair. He held it up to the light, and squinted as he looked at it. He smiled, patting the chunk of hair back into place. Godric gave him an odd look, placing a hand on his forehead and leaning in a bit.
"Are you feeling alright – You seem slightly more insane than you were on Tuesday." Harry laughed, raising an eyebrow.
"And you seem slightly less portrait like than you were on Tuesday." Godric smiled, rolling his eyes. Harry grabbed Godrics hand and looked around, before pulling him down the hallway.
"Did you know, Godric, that you have red hair? A very, very, very dark, dark kind of red, but red nonetheless." Godric nodded. Yes, he did know what his hair colour was. What did that have to do with anything? Probably nothing. It was Harry and, when he got like this, he was completely unpredictable. But Godric loved when Harry was like this. Harry himself felt freer, lighter, than he had in a while thanks to Godric. And he wanted to share the feeling.
"Where are you taking me?" Godric asked as Harry continued to pull him through the hallways and down staircases. Harry turned around, but didn't stop his bouncing walk, a huge smile on his face.
"A better question, Godric, is where aren't I taking you." Godric rolled his eyes, but allowed himself to be led. It would be no good arguing against Harry, because the teen would win. As long as no one mocked what he was wearing, everything would be fine. Harry glanced back, eyes darting down to the tights in mention, before turning away with a snigger. Godric gave him a half hearted glare. As long as no one but Harry mocked what he was wearing, everything would be fine.
"And this is an unused classroom..."
"This classroom is normally used, but there's no school right now so it's empty..."
"This is a hallway..."
"...Bathroom..."
"...Library..."
"...Staircase..."
"...Doors..."
"...The grounds..."
"...Great hall..."
"...Kitchens..."
"...Stairwell..."
"...Trick stair..."
"...I'm...not exactly sure what room this is." Harry was standing in front of a large mahogany door, the likes of which he'd never seen before. Of course he didn't have the most comprehensive knowledge of the school, giving Godric a whip around, basic tour which was much less extensive than the one he'd been given, but he'd walked down this hallway before and that door had never once made an appearance.
"I know what this room is." Harry turned to Godric, who was smiling.
"This brings back memories." He muttered, running a hand along the door before grasping the handle and turning it. Inside there was...a kitchen. Harry smiled, jumping into the room.
"This is exactly what I was looking for. I knew the house elves wouldn't let me make something but now – oh, pizza." Godric shook his head, walking in and leaning on the counter. He opened the pizza box and pulled out a slice, taking a bite before talking.
"This room was made by the founders when, upon discovering that they had no where to place their children in the castle, needed a room that would accommodate the needs of the carers taking care of the children. You think of something, and it will appear." Harry thought for a second and, when he looked down at the counter, the pizza box had disappeared and in its stead was some ice cream and slabs of chocolate.
Harry grinned and started to make ice cream sandwiches as Sirius had done for him on his leaving hospital. Godric looked at is suspiciously when Harry placed it in front of him.
"What is this?" He asked poking it with an extended finger, before taking another bite of the pizza.
"It's an ice cream sandwich. Sirius taught me how to make them." Godrics good mood immediately vanished. He knew that he had absolutely no reason to hate Sirius as much as he did. He wasn't his younger brother, and they likely had nothing in common other than their looks, but Godric couldn't quench the hate he felt for everything that carried the name Black.
Regulus had caused so much pain and that had tainted Godrics view on many, many things.
"Try it." Harry insisted, lifting the sandwich to his mouth and taking a large bite. Godric watched him eat for a few seconds, before Harry looked at him and smiled. Godric sighed, picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. It was odd, to say the least. It tasted okay, but he wasn't really a sweets type of person.
He nodded that he liked it, regardless, when Harry asked him.
Godric chewed through the chocolate, shivering as the cold ice cream met with his teeth, and though about Sirius Black. He appeared to be a good man, and Harry praised him a lot. But Harry also thought Regulus Black was a good man. As he ate the sandwich, openly watching Harry happily munching away, he wondered about Harry and Sirius.
There was a small voice inside his head that wondered if there was anything more between the two of them. Harry had said it himself, he felt really comfortable around Sirius, not completely comfortable, but more so than anyone else he knew away from Regulus.
Godric didn't want to ask Harry about it, didn't want to chance a fight when he had to get Harry back to his mother soon. But he knew that he had to ask because what if there was something going on between Sirius and Harry? Godric couldn't let Harry be drawn into a relationship as detrimental as the one he'd been rescued from.
Admittedly, Sirius probably wasn't as fucked up as Regulus, but he was a Black. Godric subtly pushed his sandwich into a convenient bin, and Harry finished his. He stood from the stool, but Godric stayed seated.
"Harry. I need to ask you something." Harry sat down, hearing the seriousness in Godrics voice.
"What is it?" Godric sighed, rubbing his face.
"What is Sirius to you, exactly?" Harry frowned for a second before understanding dawned on his face. Then his expression turned stormy.
"What exactly do you mean by that Godric?" Godric winced at Harrys angry tone, but steeled himself. He needed to know if bones needed breaking or not.
"I mean are you intimate with him like you were with Regulus." Harry scowled, crossing his arms.
"Not that it's any of your business, Godric, but no. Sirius and I are not fucking, nor will we ever be having sex of any kind. For that to happen, I would have to cheat on Regulus. Which I would never do."
"I can't see what you see in him. He's an evil person. The things he did to you..." Godric trailed off in anger, not even able to verbally express what he was feeling.
"Regulus is not evil. He just had a different way of expressing himself." Godric snarled, slamming the kitchen bench.
"A different way? He could have used his words, like a normal person would. He could have written a letter or used sign language or arranged flowers on the ground. Instead, he beat you, tortured you, raped you, Harry. Can't you see that what he did was so wrong?" Harry turned his head away stubbornly.
"What about if I or...or Sirius started to do those things to you. You would not see it as a twisted form of love, you would hate us forever for breaking your trust. Yet your trust for Regulus has been built on those very things." Harry continued to ignore him, and Godric knew the conversation would start going in circles very soon. He didn't want to fight with Harry just before he left, but at least his question was answered.
"Come on Harry, you should be getting back." Harry slid off the stool and walked out of the room quickly, Godric following along slowly. The walk back to the headmasters office was silent and seemed to drag on forever.
Finally they arrived at the stone gargoyle, waiting for someone to come along with the password. Steps were heard faintly on the stone floor, several corridors away, and Godric finally turned to Harry.
"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't want to fight with you. I just wanted to know if-"
"If I was a slut, or some type of whore. I get it Godric, you don't have to explain."
"No, Harry! That was not what I was thinking at all. I just never want to see you hurt, and if Sirius was hurting you then I would have to do something about it. I just couldn't find a way to express myself properly, and we got into a fight because of it." Harry looked at Godric from the corner of his eyes.
"You'd hurt Sirius if he hurt me?" Harry asked. Godric shook his head, smiling.
"I'd kill him." Harry smiled up at Godric, but didn't say anything else as the footsteps drew nearer. Soon enough, Lily rounded the corner with Remus. She had a smile on her face, while Remus looked pensive.
"Hello boys, the password is Bounty." Remus finally said, and the gargoyle jumped aside, allowing the four of them access to the headmasters office. The door was open, and Lily said quick goodbyes, while Harry gave small waves to the three men in the office, before the floo swept the two Potters away.
Coming out of the floo, Harry barely maintained his balance, while his mother sprawled out on the floor. She glared at the edge of the rug, which was now upturned, before smiling at Harry.
"I have a surprise for you Harry. Come with me." She led Harry up to his room and opened the door. This surprise was much less welcome than the surprise of Godric – which he'd forgotten to ask for details about. His room was packed up, completely. He turned to Lily Potter, and Sirius and Marianna appeared in the doorway.
"We have something to tell you Harry. We want to know your opinion before we do anything. But we need to know quickly, because James will be home soon." Harry looked at the three of them warily, completely unsure as to what was about to happen.
"Harry this might be a shock to you but...I'm leaving James for Sirius. I'm taking Marianna with me and want to take you. But before you make up your mind, we need you to know something that could change the decision you make." Harry relaxed a bit. He'd seen the boxes and his first thought had been that they were kicking him out.
Regulus would have been proved right, but Harry had felt his heart freeze at the fact that they didn't want him. Harry pushed that revelation away, determined not to think about it until he was alone. Or never.
Harry cocked his head, inquiring as to what they wanted him to know. Sirius cleared his throat, stepping forward a bit.
"Harry, well. Ah...I have something to tell you. You're not actually James child. I'm your...your ah...biological father." What Sirius had said didn't penetrate Harrys mind for a second, and all he could think about was what that he'd never seen Sirius so nervous before. But then what Sirius had said grabbed hold of his brain.
If Sirius was his father...if Sirius Black was his father, his real, blood father...then that meant that...meant that...
Regulus Black was his uncle.
Fuck.
