A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! Here is another chapter for you. Read, enjoy, review :)
Ch. 10
"The Locket"
August 2, 1977
Robins chirped in the tree that stood near a wrought-iron gate. As the mother flew towards the nest with food in her mouth, the little birds chirped even louder, showing their hunger and excitement. Below the nest of robins in the tree, standing near the iron gate with Potter spelled out above, were four individuals dressed in their very finest. The eldest of the four wore black dress robes that matched his burly, raven-haired beard. Glasses were perched upon his nose, and an unkempt head of hair stood up all around. In front of the man, with a brush in hand to his untidy black hair, stood a woman whose very features were that of an angel. Normally, the smile that she gave off to everyone would light up a room with cheer and happiness. Instead, her countenance was one of frustration, as she could not, for the life of her, make her husband's hair stay down.
"Honestly, Andrew, this hair! I swear, between you and James, I don't know whose is the worst!" exclaimed the woman.
"Anne, enough!" remarked Andrew.
With a final shoo of his hand, Anne pulled away from her husband's hair. Feeling dejected, she shook her head as if she knew all along that it was no use. She stashed away the brush inside her pocket and turned to the front, facing a camera and the top of another head of hair.
Seeing the untidy mop, she wetted her index and third finger of her right arm and tried to push the hair in front of her down. When it would not yield to her command, she became frustrated and said to the owner of the hair, quite desperately, "Did you at least try to comb your hair, James?"
The head in front of her turned around. For a minute, if you didn't notice the subtle differences, you would have sworn that James was a miniature version of his father. He had the same untidy black hair and glasses resting upon his nose. His features upon his face were exactly as they were upon his father. The only thing that was different that anyone would have to double look on was his eyes. While Andrew's eyes were blue, James' eyes were hazel.
"Mum, I tried everything. Even Sirius tried!" exclaimed James.
James turned his head back around and faced in the direction of the photographer. Or at least, to the right of where he was standing. For beside the camera stood a young Sirius, snickering and fit to burst with laughter at his best friend. Unlike the other three, Sirius was not dressed up in his finest. On the contrary, he was wearing clothes that were rather ragged and looked as if they hadn't been washed for awhile. The only thing upon his person that did not look as if it were worn was a gold locket that hung around his neck, upon the shirt that he was wearing.
James gave Sirius a deadly look, which only made Sirius snicker all the more. As James continued to look at his best friend, a tap on his shoulder startled him. He turned his head in the direction of the tap, only to find his father, with a stern look upon his face and a finger pointing ahead towards the camera. The smile faded as he turned around and stood up straight, looking at the camera. His father placed a hand on his shoulder, as the cameraman shouted, "Smile!"
All three Potters, Andrew and Anne in the back, James in front and in between them, grinned widely. A click sounded and a bright light filled James' eye. He relaxed his shoulders and felt his father's hand leave. The smile that had been upon his face a moment before was now replaced by a frown conveying sadness. He stared at the ground, hands now in his pocket, thinking of him and his father. Will they ever get past this? Will his dad ever look at him without disappointment? All of these questions floated around in James' mind until a hand placed itself upon his shoulder again. Startled, he looked up and saw Sirius standing beside him with a concerned look on his face.
"You okay?" asked Sirius.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." replied James.
As James and Sirius talked, Andrew and Anne were over talking with the photographer. Turning her head to look around, Anne laid eyes upon her son and his best friend. She smiled, remembering the days with her best friend, and then realization suddenly hit her. Her eyes grew wide and so did a smile. She turned back to her husband and the photographer.
"I have an idea. Let's take another one, but this time, let's include all of us." said Anne.
Andrew gazed upon his wife, taking in what she was suggesting. He then looked over to the two boys talking. Realizing what Anne meant by "all of us", his face began to scowl. Looking over at Sirius, he had nothing but contempt for his son's best friend. Without knowing it, he growled, which led Anne to then grab him by the arm and lead him back over to where James and Sirius were standing.
Watching them come back over, a puzzled look came upon James' face. "Mum? What are we doing?"
"We're going to take another picture. One with all of us in it," she said, placing emphasis on all and looking at her husband. As they all began to get into position, James turned around to look at his father. He noticed that he wasn't looking ahead but instead at Sirius with a scowl and look of murder upon his face. He turned back to the front with a frown but soon turned it into a smile, or at least, a fake one.
All four now stood in front of the gates of Potter Manor, with the sun shining down upon the beautiful estate. Andrew and Anne were once again in back, arm around the back of each other. James was standing in front of his father, slightly facing Sirius, while Sirius stood in front of James' mother, with the locket out on his chest, shining in the sunlight. The photographer yelled "Smile!" a CLICK! sounded, and a white light filled all of their eyes.
Staring at the floor, sitting on the edge of his bed, Harry tied his shoes, ready for the day ahead. With the last knot tied, he sat upright and looked upon the picture that was right in front of him on the wall. His grandparents were standing in the back, in front of what must have been Potter Manor, while his dad and Sirius stood in front, the locket around Sirius' neck. Staring right at it and then to his grandfather, Harry mulled over the words that Sirius had spoken to him two days ago: "…he wasn't exactly a good man… when it came to his family, in truth, there were times where James wanted to leave".
What did Sirius mean by his grandfather not being a good man? Why did his dad want to leave home? What was it about Sirius wearing the locket that gave his grandfather the death look? And what was that locket anyway? Harry sat there on his bed, pondering what could be the answers to these many questions. Ever since he first saw the photo, he wanted to know more about his family. He wanted to know what that locket was.
Somewhere in the distance a voice sounded. To Harry, though, the voice was muffled, as he focused on these questions and continued to stare at the photograph. Muffled footsteps were heard on the stairs, yet Harry did not move. He couldn't quite figure out the connection the locket had between Sirius and his grandfather. He knew it was something dark obviously. But what would make his father want to escape?
Footsteps grew closer. A hand waved wildly in front of him, while someone called, "Harry? Harry?!" He came to, taking his eyes off of the picture. He searched for where the hand came from and soon found Sirius standing by his bed, looking concerned.
"What's wrong, Prongslet? I've been calling you from downstairs. What are you looking at?" asked Sirius.
Sirius looked in the direction that Harry had been staring at. When his eyes came upon the picture of his grandparents, him, and James, Sirius let out a great sigh and sat beside Harry on the bed.
"Harry," said Sirius exasperatedly, bowing his head and pinching the area between his eyes with his thumb and middle finger. He shook his head, remaining in this position.
Harry shifted his body towards Sirius. He knew Sirius knew what had happened. He wanted answers. And he wasn't giving up that easily.
"Sirius, what happened? Why did Dad want to leave? Why was my grandfather so angry with you in the picture?" asked Harry imploringly.
Sirius lifted his head, gazing into Harry's eyes, letting his hands flop into his lap. He knew that he had to tell him, but it just wasn't the right time. Sirius stood up and walked over to the picture. He stared at the locket as if it was something valuable. He then stared at James but couldn't look for long. He missed his best friend. Before tears could roll out of his eyes, he turned back around to Harry and said, "Harry, I want to tell you what happened, but it just isn't time yet for you to know. Now, come on, let's get going."
A disappointed look appeared on Harry's face. Why wasn't it time? What did Sirius not want Harry to know? As he stood up from the bed, he made sure that Sirius saw the disappointed look. He walked to the door and was about to walk out when he turned around in the doorway. With his hand on the doorpost, he said, "Sirius, whatever it is that you think I can't handle, I've been through worse. I can take whatever it is that happened. I mean, it's not like Dad was beaten or anything, right?"
Harry turned around and walked out of his room. His footsteps were heard on the stairs going down until Sirius couldn't hear them. Silence reigned in the room. Sirius stared at the empty doorway where Harry stood with a pained look upon his face. He then turned back to the photograph and stared at the locket around his neck. He sighed heavily, touched the photo, and walked out of the room.
July 28, 1977-
Wind whisked through James' black hair, making it more untidy than it already was. Leaning forward on his broomstick, he sped up to the hoops at the end of the field. With the Quaffle neatly tucked into his arm, he focused his eyes on the ring to the right of Sirius. Sirius, meanwhile, readied himself to defend the goalpost. He swayed slightly back and forth on his broomstick, examining James and where he might try to throw the big, red ball. His tongue stuck out of his mouth, his eyes concentrating on James' movements.
The summer sun beat down on both boys. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, creating a ring around the collars of their necks. James sped up more and closed in on Sirius and the rings. When he was close enough, he brought the Quaffle to the tips of his fingers, held it out at arms' length, and threw it to the ring to the right. Sirius dived for it, stretching out his arm to catch it, but it was in vain. The Quaffle went through the hoop!
"Ten points for Potter!" exclaimed James, doing a loop de loop on his broom and laughing wildly.
With a sadden look on his face, Sirius dove to the ground, catching the Quaffle in his arm. He zoomed back to the goalpost and threw the ball to his best friend.
"You won't get it past me this time!" yelled Sirius, positioning himself in front of the center ring, with a look of determination and serious thinking on his face.
Catching the ball with his fingertips, James laughed and yelled in reply, "You wanna bet?!"
He tucked the Quaffle once more into his arm and zoomed off to the empty goalposts at the other end. James came to a stop at the center ring and could see Sirius at the other end swaying slightly sideways, ready for him. He smiled and shook his head. Leaning down close to his broomstick, he sped off from the goalpost. Zigzagging down the pitch, James tried to find an open spot to throw the Quaffle. When he closed in and drew back the ball, however, Sirius jumped from his broom and began to attack James. The two boys began to fall, laughing and wrestling at the same time.
Once on the ground, James was able to get the high ground and pinned Sirius to the grass. With his hands clasped on Sirius's wrists and his nose inches from his, James then said, with confidence and finality, "Potter, 70! Black, 20!"
James then proceeded to laugh while Sirius pushed him off of him and onto the grass. Panting heavily, the two 17 year olds laid sprawled out upon the grass and gazed up at the clear blue sky. They remained like this for several minutes. Both had their eyes closed, allowing the breeze to run past them. James then opened his eyes, gazing still at the sky, and finally uttered, "Best. Day. Ever."
"Yeah, speak for yourself there. You're not the one who got his ass handed to him by his best friend at the one job you have on the Quidditch team." said Sirius, opening his eyes as well and turning his head to look at James.
James chuckled. He turned on his side and propped himself up on his arm. He stared at his best friend and simply smiled. At this, Sirius squinted his eyes and formed a puzzled look on his face.
"What?" asked Sirius.
James shrugged his shoulders and said, nonchalantly, "Nothing. Just that I'm glad that you're my best friend. And…" said James.
Before James could continue, a woman yelled in the distance. James and Sirius turned their heads to see Anne walking towards them. With black hair and blue eyes, she walked over briskly in a flowery apron with her hair blowing every which way.
"James, your father wants to see you in his study. Sirius, Dumbledore is here and would like to speak to you. Oh, and sweetheart, shower first." explained Anne.
Both boys turned to look at each other with confusing stares. Why was Dumbledore here? What did he want with Sirius? Getting up from the ground, James smacked the dirt off of his front and helped Sirius up. He adjusted his glasses and began walking back toward the house.
Portraits of his ancestors stared at James as he walked down the hallway to the double doors at the end. His hair was still wet from the shower, but he felt immensely better after having one. Having been down this corridor his whole life, he barely turned his head to look at the portraits. He remembered that when he was younger, the portraits always intimidated him and scared him. Now, they just hung on the walls, collecting dust. He reached the end of the hallway and stood in front of his father's study. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the mahogany door, hearing the loud echo reverberate through the hall.
From within, he heard a "Come in!" and turned the knob. As soon as he walked in to the study, pipe smoke filled his nostrils. His father was always smoking through his pipe. He told him that it calmed him, helped him unwind from his day. James shut the door behind him and walked a few feet away from it. No matter how many times he's been in this study, its size and length always amazed. Directly in front of him was a small, round table a couple feet away that held bottles of liquor upon its top. As the light shined through the glass containers, James couldn't help but stare at the beautiful colors it created. Behind this there were two couches with a coffee table in the middle. Upon the table stood an ornate flower arrangement. And all around the walls of the study were shelves and shelves of books, no doubt all on some sort of magical topic James had never heard of. The one wall that didn't have a shelf of books was in the very back, where a window that reached from ceiling to floor surveyed the entire Potter landscape. In front of it was a chair and a desk, which was littered with papers and books. Smoke was rising from the chair, and a clearing of a throat sounded from the seat.
James continued to stand near the table with the drinks on it. He always admired his father for wanting the best, the most elegant of things. He liked that his father had a certain taste of things and would not accept anything less than that. He placed his hands into his pockets and slowly walked past the table and to the two couches. He stopped at the edge and said, loudly so he could hear in this big room, "Dad? Mum said you wanted to talk to me?"
The chair swiveled around, revealing Andrew Potter with a pipe sticking out of the edge of his mouth. He took the pipe out and laid it upon his desk. He then waved for James and said, "Come here, son."
James walked to the desk and behind it to his father. Andrew stood up from his chair and held his arms out wide with a smile. James returned the grin and walked into his father's arms. Andrew closed his arms around his son, resting his head upon James's. After a few seconds, both men pulled away, but Andrew kept his hands on his son's face.
"You remind me of me when I was your age. I looked just like you did at 17." said Andrew.
"Daaaad!" exclaimed James, in a somewhat sing-songy way, with a smile on his face.
"What? I can't look at my little boy and see how much he's grown?" asked Andrew.
James chuckled. Andrew smiled at the grin on his son's face. It always brought joy to him to see his son happy. Standing there a minute longer, Andrew finally let go of James's face and turned around, pushing the swivel chair into his desk. He walked over to what was a break in the shelves of books to a portrait of himself, his wife, and his son. He grabbed the edge of the picture and pulled on it, revealing a magically locked safe. James gasped at this since he never knew that that had been there all these years. He watched his father pull out his wand, tap the safe gently, and see the door open just a little bit.
Andrew stashed his wand and pulled the door open further. There wasn't really much of anything inside the safe except for a rectangular, black, velvet jewelry case. Andrew grabbed it from the inside, shut the door, and turned back around to face his son. With both hands on the sides of the case, he began walking back to James slowly, talking.
"This, James, is the pride and mystery of the Potter family," he said, indicating the black case in his hands, "I remember when I was a kid how I would always go into your grandfather's study and look at what is inside this box."
By now, Andrew had stopped walking, standing near James back at his desk. James was confused at what his father was talking. What was in the box? What is the pride of our family, he thought. Seeing the look on his son's face, Andrew simply smiled and lifted the lid of the case, revealing to James a small, intricate, gold locket sitting on the velvet in the center. James' eyes grew wide in amazement. He had never seen anything so intricate and beautiful. He brought his hand up to the case, gently reaching in to touch the piece of jewelry, and then quickly pulling his hand away, afraid that he might break it.
"Wow!" whispered James.
"This locket, my precious boy, has been handed down to each successive generation in our family. Your grandfather gave this to me when I was 16, his father giving it to him when he was 15. According to every one of them, this locket belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself. None of us know how he acquired it, but this is the best-kept secret in the entire Wizarding world. No one else knows about this locket but our family." explained Andrew.
James stared at his father a moment longer and then turned his gaze upon the locket. It was mesmerizing to just look at it was so beautiful. Then again, he thought, it did belong to Gryffindor. And his father would never give anything away that was highly valued and of great elegance. Andrew grabbed the chain that the locket was attached to and pulled it out of its case. James almost protested not to hold up, fearing that it would break at the slightest touch. Putting the case down on his desk, Andrew then put his free hand underneath the locket itself and held it so James could see it more clearly.
Andrew continued, "This locket, my son, has never failed to bring true love. When I met your mother, the locket glowed. When your grandfather met your grandmother, it did the same for him. Every man in our family has found true love with the help of this locket. And what's more is that whenever anyone of us, me, your grandfather, your great-grandfather, your ancestors, were in danger, the locket somehow protected them. Not one of them could explain it, but they certainly kept it around their neck. So, my beautiful boy, I am giving this locket to you, just as my father gave it to me."
James' eyes were bulging out at this point. The locket for him? He couldn't believe it, but when his father handed him the jewelry, he readily took it from his hand. Gazing upon it in his palm, it looked even more beautiful and magnificent than it was in the case. He touched the front of it with his free hand, feeling the smooth surface of the gold. James then unfastened the chain and brought it up to his neck. When he was finished fastening it back, he could feel the cold metal against his skin. He tucked it into the inside of his shirt and could feel it against his chest.
Andrew smiled at his son once more, opened his arms, and James walked in. He kissed the top of James' head and pushed him back a little so he could see his face. Placing his hands on his son's face once more, he said, "I love you, son. You and your mother are my pride and joy."
"I love you too, Dad." replied James, leaning back in towards Andrew and wrapping his arms around him once more for another hug.
Cars roared past as Harry walked down the street. People passed by him, either on a cellular phone or looking down at papers. Being careful not to bump into anyone, he dodged everyone that was not looking at where they were going. Ahead of him, he noticed the square. All around the edges were varied shops and businesses. Some were clothing stores, others furniture stores, and then the miscellaneous. In the center of it all, traffic flowed. Exhaust fumes filled the air, and horns sounded.
Not knowing where they were going, Harry simply followed behind Sirius. Because of the crowd of people on the street, however, Harry had to follow close behind. Into the square they went, crossing streets and dodging people on the sidewalk. At last, they reached the clothing store for men. Before Harry and Sirius walked in, though, Sirius stopped at the entrance and turned around to face Harry.
"Now, Prongslet, this isn't just to get new clothes for next week's adoption. I've seen the hand-me-downs in your closet. This is a trip to buy you new clothes, clothes that aren't hand-me-downs from people who could care less about you. This is all on me, so pick out anything that you fancy. All right?" explained Sirius, giving Harry a smile.
Harry grinned and said, "All right."
Sirius tousled the top of Harry's hair and opened the door to the shop. Harry followed and was soon greeted by the cool air in the store. Harry took a moment and simply let the coolness of the room hit him. It was a rather hot day outside, not humid but unbearable. They searched for the young men's section. When Sirius pointed to a sign hanging above a corner area in the store, he began walking towards, Harry in tow. Soon, they were both searching for shirts and jeans that Harry liked. Anything that Harry saw that was of interest to him, Sirius made him try it on in a dressing room. Before they knew it, they had shirts upon shirts draped over their arm, with more being added.
While Sirius was looking at a rack of colored t-shirts, he soon noticed a father and son nearby. The father was going on about how a certain shirt wasn't a guy's shirt and that his son had no business wearing shirts for faggots. As the father's voice grew louder, more attention was attracted to them. Sirius looked at the kid standing in front of his father, head bowed, shoulders drooping. The father carried on, while the son simply looked around with an apologetic look on his face. Then, all of a sudden, the father brought his hand up over his head, acting like he was about to hit his son. Sirius quickly turned to Harry.
"Harry, I'll be right back. Take these for me, okay?" said Sirius.
Harry took the clothes and continued searching at the current rack he was at. Turning back around to the father and son, Sirius hastened over to where they standing. The closer he got to the pair, the better he could make out that the son was probably 14 or 15. He reached the father and son and quickly stepped in the middle before the man's hand came down.
"Sir, calm down. What's the problem?" asked Sirius.
"What's it to you?!" yelled the father.
"Well, you're making a scene, sir, and you're embarrassing your son here." he explained.
"Yeah well, he deserves to be embarrassed. Wearing that crap around people. No son of mine is going to look girly or frilly." said the man.
Sirius looked at the man with a puzzled look. What was he talking about? He then turned around to the son and looked at what he had in his hand. It was a pink polo that by all accounts was tasteful and was not in the slightest suggestive. He then looked up and gazed into the son's face. The son gave him a sad smile, and Sirius reciprocated. He turned back to the father and said, "Sir, I don't see anything wrong with the shirt your son picked out. As a matter of fact, my godson's about the same age, and he has a few shirts like that. It's just a new style that's going around."
"Well, my son's too manly to be wearing stuff like that. Besides, guys who wear pink are usually faggots." said the father.
The son lifted his face and a tear about escaped from his eye. Sirius looked at the son again with a sympathetic look and then turned back to the father and said, "Sir, your son is standing right here. And besides, not all guys who wear pink are faggots. So, I suggest sir, that you lower your voice and be understanding of what your son picks out for himself. Okay?"
The man simply stared at Sirius with angry eyes. He then let down his arm and calmed down. His demeanor softened, and he went back to looking at the rack he was at. The son smiled at Sirius and mouthed "Thank you". Sirius nodded with a smile and left the father and son. Immediately, the smile faded into a sad one as he began to remember another incident of a father who lacked understanding.
July 30, 1977
Hues of orange, red, and pink streaked across the sky. The shadows that were cast upon everything were growing much larger and fainter. The warm air soon turned to cool air, and the first star could be seen shining up in the heavens. Jogging along a narrow, dirt path, James and Sirius panted heavily, beads of sweat falling from their foreheads. A ring of sweat appeared on both their shirts. They continued to jog until they reached the iron gate that led back to their home. Upon arriving, they both stopped and put their heads between their knees, desperately catching their breath.
James was the first to stand upright again. Rising back up again, he felt something hit his chest. Grabbing it with his hand, feeling its shape underneath his t-shirt, James felt the tiny locket that his father had given him. Ever since he gave it to him, he started wearing it everywhere, underneath his clothing. He moved it through his fingers for a few more seconds and then dropped it to walk to the gate and open it.
"C'mon Sirius! My mum's probably got dinner ready." exclaimed James.
Staring at the ground, Sirius took another deep breath and then jogged the rest of the way to inside the gate. He stopped beside James while his best friend shut the door. They then journeyed up the path, surveying the land that belonged to James' family. The hues of orange, red, and pink had now faded into that soft lavender color that appears when twilight occurs. As they approached the house, lights immediately went on inside. They approached the front door and James opened it, stepping into the warm confines of his home. When Sirius walked in, he shut the door, which prompted the contents of the picture to their left to walk out. A few minutes later, Anne walked into the front hallway towards the boys.
"Dinner's almost ready, you two. Go shower and put something clean on." she said.
"Okay, Mum. Sure thing." replied James.
Anne gave her son a smile and placed her hand on his cheek. She appreciated the fact every day that she had a son who was courtesy and filled with manners. Of course, what James did at school with Sirius was a whole other story. She left and made her way back to the kitchen, while James and Sirius made their way on up to their rooms. Reaching the top floor, James turned right to his room and Sirius to the left.
Upon entering his room, James shut the door and took off the locket. He laid it on his desk and proceeded to get ready for a shower. He walked into his bathroom and turned on the hot water. Taking off his clothes and his glasses, he then jumped in and simply allowed the hot water to overtake him. So refreshing! he thought. Spending a few minutes allowing the water to relax his muscles, he then got out, dried himself off, and wrapped his towel around his waist. He grabbed his glasses from his bathroom countertop and proceeded to put them on.
Walking into his room, he was startled to see Sirius sitting on his bed, ready for dinner. "That was quick."
"Yeah, well, I don't take long in my showers," said Sirius, smirking at his best friend, making James go red, "I just wash the important stuff, let the hot water hit, and then I'm done."
"Oh, yeah right, Sirius," retorted James, knowing full well that was crap. He walked over to his chest of drawers and pulled open his underwear drawer. Grabbing a pair, he then took off his towel and put them on. He then searched the floor for his shorts that he was wearing before they ran. While he did, Sirius noticed the locket on the desk.
"Hey, Prongs, what's with the locket? You've been wearing it for two days now." said Sirius, filled with curiosity.
Finding his shorts and the shirt he was wearing, James put them on and then looked from Sirius, to the locket, and then back. He saw in his eye that he wanted to know. Besides, there were hardly any secrets between the two of them. James walked back to his desk, grabbed the locket, and proceeded to sit down on his bed beside Sirius. He turned to the locket in his fingers, thinking of what to say.
Finally, he looked up at Sirius and said, "My dad gave me this. He said it's been in our family for generations and that it belonged to Gryffindor. He said that this locket has helped the men in my family to find true love, and that whenever anyone of them wore it, the locket somehow protected them from danger."
He looked at Sirius after he said this, whose eyes were big and simply staring. James stared at the locket for the longest time, allowing silence to fill the room. James then took his gaze off the locket and to the floor, unsure of what to say next. He placed his hand with the locket on his bedspread between him and Sirius. Immediately, a glow began to emanate from James's hand.
"Prongs, what's going on? Why's the locket glowing now?" asked Sirius.
James quickly turned his head to the bedspread. Sure enough, in his palm, the locket began glowing very brightly. The glow reflected off of James' glasses, and in that moment, he remembered what his father had said: "When I met your mother, the locket glowed. When your grandfather met your grandmother, it did the same for man in our family has found true love with the help of this locket."
No, he thought. It couldn't be. The locket has it wrong. Sirius wasn't his true love. Sirius was his best friend. But as James stared at the locket, he brought it up by the chain to hang in between both boys. Despite doing this, the locket continued to glow as brightly as it had in James' hand. James then began to wonder. The locket has been around for many years. It was once owned by Gryffindor himself. It would not falter now. He then looked away from Sirius, from the locket, to the floor. Maybe Sirius was his true love. They knew practically everything about each other. They did everything together. Hell, James just let Sirius see all of him, albeit it was a little awkward. But still, this thought ran rampant in James' mind.
While James was thinking, Sirius watched his best friend and the locket. He knew something was up. But he had the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't bad. In fact, he had the feeling that it was very good. The locket glowed evermore, and James still had his face hidden.
"Prongs? What's up?" asked Sirius.
James smiled at the way Sirius had said Prongs. He stared at the floor a moment longer and then realized that there was only one way to make sure the locket was right. He turned around, facing Sirius, and said, "Sirius, when the locket glows, my dad said that it means that the owner of it has found their true love."
Shock ran through Sirius's body. His mouth opened, his eyes widened, and his heart began to race rapidly. James was his best friend, his very best friend. He knew him better than anyone. But that was just it. He stared at his best friend, his best friend returning the stare, with the locket in the middle. They both smiled and began to lean in, James dropping the locket slowly out of their way. When their lips brushed up against the others, however, someone came in unexpectedly.
"James, dinner's read…" Andrew began, opening the door and walking in.
James and Sirius pulled away immediately, while Andrew had a look of shock etched onto his face. He stared at James and Sirius, feeling like he had been frozen in time. And then, he saw it. The locket dangling in James' hand, still glowing. This sent Andrew over the edge, off the cliff. Shock exited his body and anger flooded in. He stomped over to the bed where they were and simply stared at his son. Andrew had on a frightening and menacing look on his face that James was somewhat whimpering. Then, out of nowhere, hand and face met each other briefly.
As Andrew's hand came up again, James' face was now to the side, looking at his nightstand. James brought his hand up to his cheek, touching it gently for it was red and raw. He slowly looked up at his father, who had steam coming out of his ears and, if it was possible, his nostrils. His chest heaved heavily, and he shook his hand that he slapped James with vigorously.
Andrew now turned his gaze from his son over to Sirius. Sirius looked up at the man whom he always respected, always considered a father to him. But now, looking up at him, all Sirius felt was rage and hate. He wanted to lunge at him, kill him. He wanted to make him pay for what he did to his best friend. But Sirius was not the only one filled with rage. Andrew's chest heaved ever higher, his hands now forming into fists. He stood there, looking down at Sirius with contempt. Trying to contain his rage, he then said, in a cold and menacing tone, "Get out of my house. Now."
Sirius simply sat there on the bed, looking up at the man. Disgust riddled Sirius's face. His hands now were somewhat hidden from view, so he formed them into fists, ready to strike. Andrew huffed and puffed, waiting for the boy to leave. But they simply stared at each, waiting to see who would make the first move.
"No." said Sirius, in a deep tone. He then brought his fist out and swung it towards the man. However, Andrew was ready and stopped Sirius from punching him. He grabbed him by the wrist of the arm he swung out and simply squeezed. Sirius's face showed pain and agony as Andrew continued to squeeze. It was not until Anne came into the room that Andrew let go of Sirius.
"Dinner's ready everyone. Why is everyone so quiet?" she asked.
She then looked at the three men. She first turned her eye to her son, who was now holding his cheek gently and fighting back tears. Her eye then turned to Sirius and Andrew, who still were staring at each other intently, ready to kill. Anne's face soon turned to that of confusion, not sure of what had transpired.
"Andrew, will you please tell me why you are looking at Sirius like that?" she implored him.
He finally took a step back and pointed at Sirius. Turning his gaze to his wife, he then said, "I want this boy out of my house. NOW!"
Anne jumped a little. She was now frightened of what her husband could do. She stared into his eyes and then to the boys sitting on the bed. She finally noticed the locket sitting in James' hand, still glowing. She returned her gaze to her husband, now not so afraid but firm.
"Andrew Potter, tell me what happened! And need I remind you, we are in this marriage together. And if I say Sirius stays, he stays!" said Anne.
Andrew dropped his hand pointing at Sirius and turned to his wife. His face, riddled with anger, was red and boiling. His chest heaved, and he took a few deep breaths to calm down somewhat. "I came up to call our son and his friend to dinner. When I walked in, however, I found him kissing Sirius, with that his hand, glowing."
He pointed to the locket in James' hand. Anne's mouth opened slightly and then she looked upon James and Sirius and the locket. She was not mad but a little surprised. Suddenly, the locket came back to her memory and what it all could do. She then smiled, chuckling even, while her husband simply stared at her in bewilderment.
"Why are you smiling? I just said that our son kissed his best friend, who is a boy! That would tarnish the Potter name, dear! Sirius has got to go!" he exclaimed.
She stared at the boys a little longer and then turned back to Andrew. "He is staying, Andrew, and that's that. Sirius has no other place to go. And as far as the locket is concerned, you once told me that it does not lie. If that is case, and they want to be together, so be it. Stop worrying about the Potter name for once, and start worrying about your son's happiness."
Andrew couldn't believe this kind of defiance. He looked from his wife to his son. Anger still seeped within him. He finally let out a "BAH!" threw his hands in the air, and left the room.
The air was growing cold. Night was upon them. Harry and Sirius walked up the stairs to Grimmauld Place. Giving Harry some bags, Sirius unlocked the front door and opened the way in to his and Harry's home. Once in, he looked out to check that no one had followed them, closed the door, and cast the protective charms upon the house. Harry, meanwhile, walked to the foot of the stairs and set down the bags. When Sirius finished, he joined Harry at the stairs.
"Thanks, Sirius. For all of this. I had a great day." said Harry, grinning from ear to ear. He indeed had a great day. A day without the Dursleys and with his godfather, his family.
"You're welcome, Prongslet. I enjoyed every minute of it. Now, I don't want to see all this on the floor. When you get upstairs, put it all in your drawers. Okay?" said Sirius.
Harry smiled even more. Sirius sounded just like a dad. Hearing his own words, Sirius couldn't help but smile too. He brought his hand up to his face and shook his head. "Ughh, I'm turning into my mother."
Harry laughed at this. Sirius looked up at his godson and definitely couldn't stop smiling. "You look so much like your dad when you laugh. And your mum too. She had a contagious laugh you just couldn't forget." said Sirius.
Harry simply stared at Sirius and then grabbed his bags, leaving the ones for Sirius on the floor. "Good night, Sirius. Love you." Harry said, climbing the first step of the stairs.
"Love you too, Prongslet. Sleep tight." replied Sirius.
Harry continued up until he reached the small landing between the stairs. He stopped in his tracks, thinking about the father and son that they had seen in the first store they went to. And he remembered that Sirius had gone over there to see what was wrong. Harry then turned around and saw Sirius grabbing his things and heading to the kitchen.
"Sirius?!" yelled Harry from the top of the landing.
Sirius turned around and walked back to the foot of the stairs and said, "Yeah, Harry?"
"What was that fight all about with the father and son?" Harry asked.
Sirius looked confused. What fight? What father and son? It had been a long day. They went to various clothing stores, met quite a few people, and bought quite a lot. Sirius wasn't really in the mood to remember who they met. He wracked his brain though to try and think of who Harry was talking about. And then, he remembered.
"Oh! That," he said, a little disheartened that Harry had brought that up, "the father was being hard on the son about his clothing choice. I just told him that he needed to accept that his son had a particular style that he wanted. I also told him that everyone's different. Not everyone has to wear the same or similar thing."
Harry nodded. "Oh, gotcha. Good night."
"Good night. Love you." said Sirius.
Harry turned back around and continued on up the stairs. Sirius watched from below as Harry disappeared to the top. Leveling his head, Sirius went over and sat on the steps. He thought about the father and son and what the father had said. "…guys who wear pink are usually faggots." He thought about that and how the kid must have felt. And then, he remembered that night, a slap, anger, James's father storming out. How similar were those two incidents. He continued to sit on the steps, thinking about the son and his best friend. Soon, a tear fell down his face as he remembered what happened months after that.
November 1, 1977
Sirius was finished with his homework. He walked out of their dormitory, in search for James. Coming off of the last step into the common room, Sirius saw two people over on the couch by the fire. Walking closer, he noticed that one of them was James. He smiled widely at finding his best friend and began to go over to him. Before he could say anything, however, he then noticed that the other person was Lily Evans. He saw that she was putting something around her neck. When she pulled her hair back and lifted her head, he then saw that it was the locket, and it was glowing once again. James then leaned over to Lily's portion of the couch and planted a kiss upon her lips. Pulling away, he smiled at her.
"I love you, Lily Evans." said James.
A tear fell down Sirius's face. He backed away slowly from the couch, not wanting James or Lily to notice he was there. He quietly went back to the dormitory, silently crying along the way.