Disclaimer: all characters belong to J K Rowling and Warner brothers.
a/n Story dedicated to Moppet Poppet, Cheating Death's 500th reviewer!
Ended up uploading the next chapter for PoM anyway. *sigh* that's why this one was about 2 days delayed. Sorry!
Of Western Stars
By neutral
Chapter nine - of a road less traveled
A makeshift bed was fit into the small space, sheets lined with small patches of what looked to be black in the dimly lit room. But that wasn't what caught his eye. A small boy, lying against his chest with one of his arms trapped gawkily beneath him, laid in the enclosure. His shirt was plastered against his back, soaked with patches of both brown and crimson red. Harry's head dangled over the edge, eyes closed but expression anything but peaceful. His body was twisted in an awkward position in the small room, looking as if someone had dumped him there carelessly. Long lashes laced his chest; some cuts were so deep that they had sliced through the very fabric of his shirt. Sirius choked back a cry of rage and disbelief, falling to his knees beside the unconscious boy.
"Harry…" he choked out, his voice so strained that he couldn't even discern it.
Oh god… what have they done? How could they…? Harry was just a six year old boy! He was just six years old… how… what… damn them. Damn them!!
With a trembling hand, Sirius reached out and touched Harry's cheek softly. The boy's skin felt unnaturally cold beneath his fingers. His face was ghastly pale and his lips were taking a bluish hue. His breathing was ragged and unsteady.
Catching sight of a long overcoat hanging over a kitchen chair, Sirius tugged it free. As gently as he could, Sirius lifted the child from the tainted, cramped space, weary of the shredded skin of his back, and wrapped the frail boy tightly in the coat. Harry's face twisted into a faint contortion of pain, but he didn't so much as to make a sound.
Shaking with suppressed fury, Sirius could barely keep his hands steady. Looking at Harry's battered and blood streaked face, he was suddenly seized by an overwhelming urge to set fire to the flimsy walls, take his godson and just leave. He was so angry and it was so tempting…
Harry must have sensed those thoughts, because his brows knitted into a small frown and he writhed slightly in his godfather's arms.
"No…" Harry choked out, his voice soft.
Sirius' stomach churned at the childish innocence in his tone. "It's alright, Harry," he whispered, resting his forehead lightly against the tangled mop of dark hair. "Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise."
But his actions seemed to aggravate the boy more. Harry whimpered softly and stiffened against his chest. He squeezed his eyes tightly together, but amazingly, did not cry.
"Sorry…" he whispered.
Sirius was silent, words lost in surprise.
The Dursleys had hurt him! They beat him, and Harry was apologizing? What had they been telling the poor boy?
"What are you talking about?" Sirius couldn't keep the anger out of his tone.
"Sorry… I won't do it again… stop… don't be angry…" Harry turned his face away, squirming weakly.
It was as if someone had squeezed his heart and held it in an icy grip. Sirius drew a shuddering breath, his arms tightening instinctively around his godson. Forget the Dursleys and all the fury that threatened to burst without a moments warning. Forget all those dementors just waiting to suck out his soul. All he wanted to do was take Harry and hide him far, far away where no one could find him.
Carefully shifting the slight weight against him, Sirius stood up. He laid Harry carefully on the sofa, the boy huddling into a tight, protective ball the moment he left his godfather's arms. The thick fluid was still slowly seeping through his shirt; Sirius' tattered sleeve was a dark crimson from where the coat had pulled away. Brushing his fingers lightly over the child's back, his hands came away wet. Sirius could feel his stomach clenching in response.
Harry's injuries were serious. How much blood had he lost?
Sirius rushed through the bottom story house, eyes finally resting on a basket of folded clothes. He dragged it beside the duvet, using a clean shirt as a makeshift bandage, pressing it lightly against his back. Harry whimpered feebly, and Sirius jerked away.
By the wan countenance and shallow breathing, Harry had obviously lost too much blood for a frail six year old to endure. He couldn't take much more. He needed medical care, that much was obvious. Sirius had to get him out of there, get him away…
He rummaged through the clothes basket, careless of the racket he was making. It a way, he almost wished Vernon would step downstairs, and he would be at leisure to enact vengeance. His hand was just itching to spread over the fat neck of Harry's uncle. Sirius beat it back harshly, but body still shook with rage as he dug through their clothes. He selected a few articles that had a remote chance of fitting himself and peeled off his own tattered robes. Wearing the clothes of Harry's dreaded relative was the last thing he wanted, but raising eyebrows with his grimy black robes was worse.
Nevertheless, he'd still receive some odd looks every now and then. The pants were a several inches short of his ankle and the waistline was twice as wide as his. The shirt gave him an odd sensation of wearing a partly unbuttoned thing even though it was fastened to the collar.
Smaller clothes were folded at the bottom, but they were just as wide as they were long. Sirius just pulled out a few, not really caring and too frustrated to care. Several extra large shirts, a few pants as long as they were wide, a thick jacket that would probably hang about Harry like a cloak, a belt that might just manage to fit on Harry's narrow waist. He stuffed it all in a duffle bag that he nabbed from under the table.
As he stood up, Sirius noticed the fat wallet lying on the dinner table. He grinned, fishing out all the bills and counting the contents with some triumph. Although, Sirius decided, that excuse for a muggle deserved far more punishment than just losing a few pounds.
He stopped at the kitchen, digging through the cupboards for any food that didn't need to be cooked or preserved to be edible. A gleaming white box caught his eye. Sirius squinted at it, and realized with some relief, that if was the first aid thing that Lily always told them to use whenever one of the Marauders got a rather nasty scrape during the summer. He grabbed that and stuffed it in the bag.
The air was suffocating, and becoming thicker by the minute. Just standing in the house made Sirius feel sick, disgusted, irritable. His hands were shaking with impatience, itching to grip the kitchen knife that laid only a drawer away and avenge all the horrors they had put Harry through. But hose muggles hardly deserved the effort, and with Harry lying almost lifelessly on the duvet…
Sirius softened his footsteps as he approached the living room, the milky white moonlight illuminating the small figure, limp. His stomach clenched when he noticed the extreme paleness in Harry's face. Running his fingers soothingly over the boy's forehead, Sirius was alarmed by the clamminess of his skin.
As carefully as he could, Sirius lifted the light form. With the bag dangling from his arm and Harry nested comfortably in his arms, Sirius walked resolutely outside. It was strange to feel the wind without the thick fur of his animagus form, but he didn't even notice. Harry whimpered when the movement jolted the abused skin of his back, shifting feebly. Sirius swallowed, examining the pallid complexion with unease.
I shouldn't have taken so long, Sirius thought angrily. I should never have waited. I should have taken him away the moment I arrived a week ago.
Sirius' hand shook as he attempted to bandage the harsh streaks of frayed flesh; every whimper the child made sent anger fire down his spine. The uneven jerks and bumps of the muggle vehicle only aggravated it, making Harry wince in pain every time his body was jarred.
"I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath, his words choked in his throat. "I'm so sorry."
Sirius rearranged the overcoat, wrapping Harry tightly in its folds, pulling his godson closer. The boy was pale almost beyond recognition, his skin like thin paper that would break at the lightest touch. Even now and then, he would shiver violently and fall limp again. Sirius ran his fingers over the child's cheek, wincing when he felt how cold the boy was. Harry seemed almost lifeless if it wasn't for his slow and shallow breathing.
Sirius couldn't ignore the nagging suspicion that something was wrong with the boy. Harry was hurt far more than his exterior appearance. Those cuts couldn't affect him this much, could they? But the amount of blood that was soaked into his shirt…
Sirius chewed his lip worriedly, the anger against the Dursleys rapidly replaced by fear for his godson. Harry needed medical care, and fast. But Sirius knew nothing about healing, he didn't even have his wand. He couldn't call a doctor from the wizarding world without giving away both their identity completely, and leaving Harry was the last thing he wanted.
"Sir, we're here."
Sirius nodded at the taxi driver distractedly, handling over few bills.
"Can you drop us off at a hotel of some sort?" Sirius hoarsely asked.
The cab stopped in front of a drab-looking structure with blinking neon lights that muggles seem to be so attached to. It stood on the outskirts of the bright city, looking small and insignificant. But Sirius barely took in its appearance as he walked into the building, his godson in his arms. Harry shuddered when the cold morning air brushed against him, moaning softly.
"It's going to be alright soon, Harry. Just hold on," Sirius whispered, hugging the small child tighter.
He shoved the door open roughly, making the sleeping receptionist jump in surprise. Harry didn't even respond at the movement, his body only slumping further into sleep.
"What is it now? Could you…?" the lady began irritably. But one glance at Sirius' blanch and frantic face and the lifeless bundle in his arms shut her up instantly.
"I need a doctor," Sirius choked out, voice laced with anxiety. "I have a child whose very, very sick. I need a doctor immediately."
*
Umm... why doesn't someone recognize Sirius, and why can he go barging around? Well... Fudge originally hid the news of Sirius' escape to save his reputation (see chapter 2 or 3, can't remember which), so the world doesn't even know he's on the run but Dumbledore, some top notch ministry folk, Arabella, and Remus. With The Boy Who Lived disappearing because of his incompetence, he'll be even more motivated to hide it to save himself. That bastard…
Doesn't flow well between paragraphs... urg. Of Western Stars isn't as in depth here as Cheating Death *sighs* There was a lot of other ideas I wanted to add, but I was afraid it would be too repetitive of my old story. Maybe I should have followed my other idea altogether and chosen a new and nonrepetitive theme.
Something in this chapter seems lacking, doesn't it? There wasn't a mental link between some of Sirius' actions, it was just a bunch of imagery.
Plot bunny went running. It took me 11 chapters to set him free though.
Sirius seems out of character. He's too calm, it seems like something Remus might do if he was ever on the run, rob the house of everything before leaving. *sigh* I really didn't want Sirius to run around muggle London without any money and with Harry in need of medical attention, that'll just be sad. And plus, Sirius was too compulsive then to think about running over to Remus'. *sigh*
Sirius should have done something to the Dursleys though. Humm… but imagine Remus' mindset if he goes to the Dursleys the next morning and find everyone dead in their beds and Harry missing... definitely not.
Nicky - well... I'm not telling! *grin* Amazingly, Sirius left the Dursleys intact to meet Remus the next morning, and Remus' the one who takes his anger out on them. It's a strange role reversal... Ack, as for PoM... it's more character development ish... and I think it's being dragged out too long.
vmr - thanks!!
Linsday - Well... Harry's not doing so well... especially since he starved himself for a week prior. WS is actually about 26 - 28 chapters. It's pretty long... is that good or bad?
Lynx - thanks!! umm... Sirius... well... I don't know any places in England, so the town's not named. Thanks for being so understanding for PoM!
SiriusBPadfoot - it is... Remus hating anyone is wrong. Urg... chem!! Well... it's mostly math, so it's not that bad... well... sorta... *wails*
venus4280 - it gets explained here. *grin* the next part stretches quite long though... ack... 28 chapters or so... *bangs head against keyboard*
Lady of Arundel - oh... I wasn't even thinking about that... ack! It's a really good point... I don't think Remus would be so optimistic after this, poor guy. Sometimes, I feel more sorry for Remus having that sort of survivors' curse.
Sandrine Black - Vernon deserves a lot more punishments... grrr... that guy is just... grrr... I'm sure if he remained conscious, Remus would have punched him again *cackle*
Bumblebee Bucy - thanks!! I'm glad that you find Remus believable, that guy is extremely hard to characterize, and I keep writing Remus sort of hysterical. CD for example... and then PoM... oopsie.
Teigra - *grin* well... things happen that are sort of weird in PoM that drives James/Harry to an edge, but I shouldn't be telling you that. Sirius is going to have a hard time with little Harry in WS though...
nell - WS is a bit of an AU so Vernon's even worse in this fic than the actual book. Vernon's treatment of Harry is ridiculously... what's a good word to describe... urg... donnuo
clingon87 - they will! *grin* it's fun writing their interactions
Tilly & MercS - *grins* Remus deserves a big pat on the back for what he did... should have punched that piece of lard a couple more times. Yupz! Sirius has Harry, although now, he's in a bit of trouble with the state that Harry's in. And then he has to deal with explaining to Harry... well... it'll be... *cackle* Donnuo if its a good idea to stretch out the Sirius and Harry interaction 'cause it might get boring like what happened in CD... but Harry's so emotionally scarred otherwise, it wouldn't make sense... *groans* a dilemma...
Berkeley Halperin - love the email address! Sirius playing the overprotective godfather again. *grins* Remus should have beaten Vernon a lot more...
Hippy Flower - I will!! waah... don't cry!! It wasn't that sad... was it? *offers tissues*
Krissy - I will!! This is definately a story that I'll finish, I donnuo about PoM right now, but WS will be completed! Thanks for adding WS on your fav. story list!
fairygirl - yeah, I can imagine Remus exploding every down and then just because he's so repressed.
Firedrake - well... I kinda didn't want Remus to knock and find the Dursley household dead and Harry gone... that'll just be... disturbing. Glad you found Remus believable!
Lily Potter - humm... Remus is still a bit repressed, isn't he? I mean, he gets pissed enough to bang on doors to relieve anger, and only punches Vernon once... well, of course, he's a lot stronger than most humans, but still! *sigh* he needs one of those stress relievers...
Chuckles - the blood imagery is repeated a lot in the next chapter as well, and after that, it's eyes. They're hard to find synomyns for though... urg... *grin* Remus was really calm after he punched Vernon too... well... I didn't notice that until later... oopsie.
Keara Jordan - Yup! Sirius rescued little Harry, but now Harry's in a bit of trouble. *sigh* poor kid, he's been through quite a lot already.
Lady Foxfire - thanks!! I'm spitting out chapters for WS pretty fast, so you don't hafta wait very long. I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Giesbrecht - thank you!! I hope this story will still hold your attention in later chapters too!
Psyches - thanks!! It's sort of tricky tracing little Harry's development, hopefully, he stays believeable in later chapters. ack... it's really hard...
Taracollowen - Sirius does have Harry, and in a rather bad condition too. The logical thing to do is obviously go to Remus... but... *sigh* that's not like Sirius.
Kat - *grin* that's the fun part... especially after Remus told Harry about Sirius being evil... *cackle* uhh... ignore that...
Indarae - yeah, Remus seems to be the type who would live both in the past and present, try to forget and try to remember at the same time. He's a man of contradictions, a very interesting character that Rowling needs to write more about. Its hard imagining him as someone who played pranks...
moppet poppet - *grins* it is something interesting!! Ooo... tell Syndey I said hi! And give her less caffine!
TheRedFeatheryPlug - yeah, rather unfortunately... Harry's been rather poorly treated...
Harriet - well, I tried to make the characters as dynamic and as believable as possible, and I guess it made it seem unfortunately realistic. Children with that sort of domestic life and that sort of treatment... its so hard to imagine what life must be like for them
Midori-sama - Eh? wait! Sirius isn't hurt! He's perfectly fine *holds out Padfoot* see? It's okay! Don't faint!
Shinigami - Harry's willing to trust Padfoot because something about him seems familiar, and plus, he's a dog. Harry has bad expereinces with people. Well... things aren't usually that simple, bumps along the way makes things more interesting *grins evilly* as for Harry's reaction, well... you'll see.
Luna Rose - yeah, it'll be interesting. A very pissed off Remus is fun to write though
Child of Two Worlds - I update like crazy when I'm on a roll... then I sort of die off in the middle, like CD... its sad... Remus and Sirius sorting things out... yeah... you know, I have this horrible urge of making Remus irrationally pissed off at Sirius, and it's leaking into my writing. *sighs and presses delete key* Write faster and post more for your story!! It's murderous to wait! *glares*
Mihoshe - I will!! It's sort of hard trying to end WS... donnuo where this plot will go... ack
Carey - thanks! I will!
CatC10 - Oooo... ok, lets see, umm... 6, 9, 13, 19, 28, 33. Sun card? Is that good? humm... I don't know anything about fortune readings...
Poke me, I'm done - humm... interesting pen name! Does it have a double meaning?
gwen - well... Sirius left the Dursleys intact... can't kill them! then Sirius'll be in trouble...
Sherylyn - yeah, Remus does seem a little less composed in WS than PoA huh... with all the yelling at little kids and the like. Esp. since Harry's still a pretty important person too...
Slytherin Sweetheart - wait! No!! nothing bad happened, see? no need to be angry... uhhh... right?
Phoenix - thanks!!
kelly - thank you!
livic88 - I will!
SasseeSam - yeah, poor kid. Ack... he's going to be so emotionally scarred...
Tammy, Kiki, AllAboutMe - see Tammy, you're not last! Nope, don't kill the Dursleys Kiki, you'll be arrested on charges of manslaughter. Thanks Sarah! And WS started out pretty lighthearted too...
Me - thanks!
ginny5 - I will!
Kate Potter - I will! WS will not go on hiatus... hopefully, esp. after the little block with PoM.
Lassy D - I'm glad you find Remus believeable! humm... it's fun seeing the usually composed werewolf explode once in a while... since in PoA, he's so.. mellow.
Allocin - *grins* really? I had no clue how much things are priced there. I was thinking along the lines of $600, and in the US, that won't last for more than a week. *sigh* now that Harry needs medical care, they can't go very far. How much do hotel rooms usually cost around there? humm... Sirius has his gringotts account to fall back on, and then he can book a plane ticket. humm... Oo... Harry gets insights when something reminds him. You know those times you have a dream, but you don't remember it until something happens that reminds you of it? That's the sort of thing Harry has. That's why he was able to recognize Remus as what he was, and thought he was familiar. humm... it's not too far fetched is it? McGonagall does get referred to as cat lady... actually, it's more like tabby cat lady. *cackle* Dumbledore becomes that old man in the fireplace. *laughs evillly* I shouldn't be telling you that.
kaydee - PoM chapter 3 is pretty much polished, but it's not very good. I'll probably post it sometime this week. I have some plans for it, but I'm afraid it's not going to be very much of an action based plot. What kind of story do you have in mind?
oceansun - thanks!
Jayde - thank you!
Asian Goddess05 - I will!
Arabwel - I'm glad you think so! Remus seems really high strung doesn't he...
a/n Story dedicated to Moppet Poppet, Cheating Death's 500th reviewer!
Ended up uploading the next chapter for PoM anyway. *sigh* that's why this one was about 2 days delayed. Sorry!
Of Western Stars
By neutral
Chapter nine - of a road less traveled
A makeshift bed was fit into the small space, sheets lined with small patches of what looked to be black in the dimly lit room. But that wasn't what caught his eye. A small boy, lying against his chest with one of his arms trapped gawkily beneath him, laid in the enclosure. His shirt was plastered against his back, soaked with patches of both brown and crimson red. Harry's head dangled over the edge, eyes closed but expression anything but peaceful. His body was twisted in an awkward position in the small room, looking as if someone had dumped him there carelessly. Long lashes laced his chest; some cuts were so deep that they had sliced through the very fabric of his shirt. Sirius choked back a cry of rage and disbelief, falling to his knees beside the unconscious boy.
"Harry…" he choked out, his voice so strained that he couldn't even discern it.
Oh god… what have they done? How could they…? Harry was just a six year old boy! He was just six years old… how… what… damn them. Damn them!!
With a trembling hand, Sirius reached out and touched Harry's cheek softly. The boy's skin felt unnaturally cold beneath his fingers. His face was ghastly pale and his lips were taking a bluish hue. His breathing was ragged and unsteady.
Catching sight of a long overcoat hanging over a kitchen chair, Sirius tugged it free. As gently as he could, Sirius lifted the child from the tainted, cramped space, weary of the shredded skin of his back, and wrapped the frail boy tightly in the coat. Harry's face twisted into a faint contortion of pain, but he didn't so much as to make a sound.
Shaking with suppressed fury, Sirius could barely keep his hands steady. Looking at Harry's battered and blood streaked face, he was suddenly seized by an overwhelming urge to set fire to the flimsy walls, take his godson and just leave. He was so angry and it was so tempting…
Harry must have sensed those thoughts, because his brows knitted into a small frown and he writhed slightly in his godfather's arms.
"No…" Harry choked out, his voice soft.
Sirius' stomach churned at the childish innocence in his tone. "It's alright, Harry," he whispered, resting his forehead lightly against the tangled mop of dark hair. "Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise."
But his actions seemed to aggravate the boy more. Harry whimpered softly and stiffened against his chest. He squeezed his eyes tightly together, but amazingly, did not cry.
"Sorry…" he whispered.
Sirius was silent, words lost in surprise.
The Dursleys had hurt him! They beat him, and Harry was apologizing? What had they been telling the poor boy?
"What are you talking about?" Sirius couldn't keep the anger out of his tone.
"Sorry… I won't do it again… stop… don't be angry…" Harry turned his face away, squirming weakly.
It was as if someone had squeezed his heart and held it in an icy grip. Sirius drew a shuddering breath, his arms tightening instinctively around his godson. Forget the Dursleys and all the fury that threatened to burst without a moments warning. Forget all those dementors just waiting to suck out his soul. All he wanted to do was take Harry and hide him far, far away where no one could find him.
Carefully shifting the slight weight against him, Sirius stood up. He laid Harry carefully on the sofa, the boy huddling into a tight, protective ball the moment he left his godfather's arms. The thick fluid was still slowly seeping through his shirt; Sirius' tattered sleeve was a dark crimson from where the coat had pulled away. Brushing his fingers lightly over the child's back, his hands came away wet. Sirius could feel his stomach clenching in response.
Harry's injuries were serious. How much blood had he lost?
Sirius rushed through the bottom story house, eyes finally resting on a basket of folded clothes. He dragged it beside the duvet, using a clean shirt as a makeshift bandage, pressing it lightly against his back. Harry whimpered feebly, and Sirius jerked away.
By the wan countenance and shallow breathing, Harry had obviously lost too much blood for a frail six year old to endure. He couldn't take much more. He needed medical care, that much was obvious. Sirius had to get him out of there, get him away…
He rummaged through the clothes basket, careless of the racket he was making. It a way, he almost wished Vernon would step downstairs, and he would be at leisure to enact vengeance. His hand was just itching to spread over the fat neck of Harry's uncle. Sirius beat it back harshly, but body still shook with rage as he dug through their clothes. He selected a few articles that had a remote chance of fitting himself and peeled off his own tattered robes. Wearing the clothes of Harry's dreaded relative was the last thing he wanted, but raising eyebrows with his grimy black robes was worse.
Nevertheless, he'd still receive some odd looks every now and then. The pants were a several inches short of his ankle and the waistline was twice as wide as his. The shirt gave him an odd sensation of wearing a partly unbuttoned thing even though it was fastened to the collar.
Smaller clothes were folded at the bottom, but they were just as wide as they were long. Sirius just pulled out a few, not really caring and too frustrated to care. Several extra large shirts, a few pants as long as they were wide, a thick jacket that would probably hang about Harry like a cloak, a belt that might just manage to fit on Harry's narrow waist. He stuffed it all in a duffle bag that he nabbed from under the table.
As he stood up, Sirius noticed the fat wallet lying on the dinner table. He grinned, fishing out all the bills and counting the contents with some triumph. Although, Sirius decided, that excuse for a muggle deserved far more punishment than just losing a few pounds.
He stopped at the kitchen, digging through the cupboards for any food that didn't need to be cooked or preserved to be edible. A gleaming white box caught his eye. Sirius squinted at it, and realized with some relief, that if was the first aid thing that Lily always told them to use whenever one of the Marauders got a rather nasty scrape during the summer. He grabbed that and stuffed it in the bag.
The air was suffocating, and becoming thicker by the minute. Just standing in the house made Sirius feel sick, disgusted, irritable. His hands were shaking with impatience, itching to grip the kitchen knife that laid only a drawer away and avenge all the horrors they had put Harry through. But hose muggles hardly deserved the effort, and with Harry lying almost lifelessly on the duvet…
Sirius softened his footsteps as he approached the living room, the milky white moonlight illuminating the small figure, limp. His stomach clenched when he noticed the extreme paleness in Harry's face. Running his fingers soothingly over the boy's forehead, Sirius was alarmed by the clamminess of his skin.
As carefully as he could, Sirius lifted the light form. With the bag dangling from his arm and Harry nested comfortably in his arms, Sirius walked resolutely outside. It was strange to feel the wind without the thick fur of his animagus form, but he didn't even notice. Harry whimpered when the movement jolted the abused skin of his back, shifting feebly. Sirius swallowed, examining the pallid complexion with unease.
I shouldn't have taken so long, Sirius thought angrily. I should never have waited. I should have taken him away the moment I arrived a week ago.
Sirius' hand shook as he attempted to bandage the harsh streaks of frayed flesh; every whimper the child made sent anger fire down his spine. The uneven jerks and bumps of the muggle vehicle only aggravated it, making Harry wince in pain every time his body was jarred.
"I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath, his words choked in his throat. "I'm so sorry."
Sirius rearranged the overcoat, wrapping Harry tightly in its folds, pulling his godson closer. The boy was pale almost beyond recognition, his skin like thin paper that would break at the lightest touch. Even now and then, he would shiver violently and fall limp again. Sirius ran his fingers over the child's cheek, wincing when he felt how cold the boy was. Harry seemed almost lifeless if it wasn't for his slow and shallow breathing.
Sirius couldn't ignore the nagging suspicion that something was wrong with the boy. Harry was hurt far more than his exterior appearance. Those cuts couldn't affect him this much, could they? But the amount of blood that was soaked into his shirt…
Sirius chewed his lip worriedly, the anger against the Dursleys rapidly replaced by fear for his godson. Harry needed medical care, and fast. But Sirius knew nothing about healing, he didn't even have his wand. He couldn't call a doctor from the wizarding world without giving away both their identity completely, and leaving Harry was the last thing he wanted.
"Sir, we're here."
Sirius nodded at the taxi driver distractedly, handling over few bills.
"Can you drop us off at a hotel of some sort?" Sirius hoarsely asked.
The cab stopped in front of a drab-looking structure with blinking neon lights that muggles seem to be so attached to. It stood on the outskirts of the bright city, looking small and insignificant. But Sirius barely took in its appearance as he walked into the building, his godson in his arms. Harry shuddered when the cold morning air brushed against him, moaning softly.
"It's going to be alright soon, Harry. Just hold on," Sirius whispered, hugging the small child tighter.
He shoved the door open roughly, making the sleeping receptionist jump in surprise. Harry didn't even respond at the movement, his body only slumping further into sleep.
"What is it now? Could you…?" the lady began irritably. But one glance at Sirius' blanch and frantic face and the lifeless bundle in his arms shut her up instantly.
"I need a doctor," Sirius choked out, voice laced with anxiety. "I have a child whose very, very sick. I need a doctor immediately."
*
Umm... why doesn't someone recognize Sirius, and why can he go barging around? Well... Fudge originally hid the news of Sirius' escape to save his reputation (see chapter 2 or 3, can't remember which), so the world doesn't even know he's on the run but Dumbledore, some top notch ministry folk, Arabella, and Remus. With The Boy Who Lived disappearing because of his incompetence, he'll be even more motivated to hide it to save himself. That bastard…
Doesn't flow well between paragraphs... urg. Of Western Stars isn't as in depth here as Cheating Death *sighs* There was a lot of other ideas I wanted to add, but I was afraid it would be too repetitive of my old story. Maybe I should have followed my other idea altogether and chosen a new and nonrepetitive theme.
Something in this chapter seems lacking, doesn't it? There wasn't a mental link between some of Sirius' actions, it was just a bunch of imagery.
Plot bunny went running. It took me 11 chapters to set him free though.
Sirius seems out of character. He's too calm, it seems like something Remus might do if he was ever on the run, rob the house of everything before leaving. *sigh* I really didn't want Sirius to run around muggle London without any money and with Harry in need of medical attention, that'll just be sad. And plus, Sirius was too compulsive then to think about running over to Remus'. *sigh*
Sirius should have done something to the Dursleys though. Humm… but imagine Remus' mindset if he goes to the Dursleys the next morning and find everyone dead in their beds and Harry missing... definitely not.
Nicky - well... I'm not telling! *grin* Amazingly, Sirius left the Dursleys intact to meet Remus the next morning, and Remus' the one who takes his anger out on them. It's a strange role reversal... Ack, as for PoM... it's more character development ish... and I think it's being dragged out too long.
vmr - thanks!!
Linsday - Well... Harry's not doing so well... especially since he starved himself for a week prior. WS is actually about 26 - 28 chapters. It's pretty long... is that good or bad?
Lynx - thanks!! umm... Sirius... well... I don't know any places in England, so the town's not named. Thanks for being so understanding for PoM!
SiriusBPadfoot - it is... Remus hating anyone is wrong. Urg... chem!! Well... it's mostly math, so it's not that bad... well... sorta... *wails*
venus4280 - it gets explained here. *grin* the next part stretches quite long though... ack... 28 chapters or so... *bangs head against keyboard*
Lady of Arundel - oh... I wasn't even thinking about that... ack! It's a really good point... I don't think Remus would be so optimistic after this, poor guy. Sometimes, I feel more sorry for Remus having that sort of survivors' curse.
Sandrine Black - Vernon deserves a lot more punishments... grrr... that guy is just... grrr... I'm sure if he remained conscious, Remus would have punched him again *cackle*
Bumblebee Bucy - thanks!! I'm glad that you find Remus believable, that guy is extremely hard to characterize, and I keep writing Remus sort of hysterical. CD for example... and then PoM... oopsie.
Teigra - *grin* well... things happen that are sort of weird in PoM that drives James/Harry to an edge, but I shouldn't be telling you that. Sirius is going to have a hard time with little Harry in WS though...
nell - WS is a bit of an AU so Vernon's even worse in this fic than the actual book. Vernon's treatment of Harry is ridiculously... what's a good word to describe... urg... donnuo
clingon87 - they will! *grin* it's fun writing their interactions
Tilly & MercS - *grins* Remus deserves a big pat on the back for what he did... should have punched that piece of lard a couple more times. Yupz! Sirius has Harry, although now, he's in a bit of trouble with the state that Harry's in. And then he has to deal with explaining to Harry... well... it'll be... *cackle* Donnuo if its a good idea to stretch out the Sirius and Harry interaction 'cause it might get boring like what happened in CD... but Harry's so emotionally scarred otherwise, it wouldn't make sense... *groans* a dilemma...
Berkeley Halperin - love the email address! Sirius playing the overprotective godfather again. *grins* Remus should have beaten Vernon a lot more...
Hippy Flower - I will!! waah... don't cry!! It wasn't that sad... was it? *offers tissues*
Krissy - I will!! This is definately a story that I'll finish, I donnuo about PoM right now, but WS will be completed! Thanks for adding WS on your fav. story list!
fairygirl - yeah, I can imagine Remus exploding every down and then just because he's so repressed.
Firedrake - well... I kinda didn't want Remus to knock and find the Dursley household dead and Harry gone... that'll just be... disturbing. Glad you found Remus believable!
Lily Potter - humm... Remus is still a bit repressed, isn't he? I mean, he gets pissed enough to bang on doors to relieve anger, and only punches Vernon once... well, of course, he's a lot stronger than most humans, but still! *sigh* he needs one of those stress relievers...
Chuckles - the blood imagery is repeated a lot in the next chapter as well, and after that, it's eyes. They're hard to find synomyns for though... urg... *grin* Remus was really calm after he punched Vernon too... well... I didn't notice that until later... oopsie.
Keara Jordan - Yup! Sirius rescued little Harry, but now Harry's in a bit of trouble. *sigh* poor kid, he's been through quite a lot already.
Lady Foxfire - thanks!! I'm spitting out chapters for WS pretty fast, so you don't hafta wait very long. I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Giesbrecht - thank you!! I hope this story will still hold your attention in later chapters too!
Psyches - thanks!! It's sort of tricky tracing little Harry's development, hopefully, he stays believeable in later chapters. ack... it's really hard...
Taracollowen - Sirius does have Harry, and in a rather bad condition too. The logical thing to do is obviously go to Remus... but... *sigh* that's not like Sirius.
Kat - *grin* that's the fun part... especially after Remus told Harry about Sirius being evil... *cackle* uhh... ignore that...
Indarae - yeah, Remus seems to be the type who would live both in the past and present, try to forget and try to remember at the same time. He's a man of contradictions, a very interesting character that Rowling needs to write more about. Its hard imagining him as someone who played pranks...
moppet poppet - *grins* it is something interesting!! Ooo... tell Syndey I said hi! And give her less caffine!
TheRedFeatheryPlug - yeah, rather unfortunately... Harry's been rather poorly treated...
Harriet - well, I tried to make the characters as dynamic and as believable as possible, and I guess it made it seem unfortunately realistic. Children with that sort of domestic life and that sort of treatment... its so hard to imagine what life must be like for them
Midori-sama - Eh? wait! Sirius isn't hurt! He's perfectly fine *holds out Padfoot* see? It's okay! Don't faint!
Shinigami - Harry's willing to trust Padfoot because something about him seems familiar, and plus, he's a dog. Harry has bad expereinces with people. Well... things aren't usually that simple, bumps along the way makes things more interesting *grins evilly* as for Harry's reaction, well... you'll see.
Luna Rose - yeah, it'll be interesting. A very pissed off Remus is fun to write though
Child of Two Worlds - I update like crazy when I'm on a roll... then I sort of die off in the middle, like CD... its sad... Remus and Sirius sorting things out... yeah... you know, I have this horrible urge of making Remus irrationally pissed off at Sirius, and it's leaking into my writing. *sighs and presses delete key* Write faster and post more for your story!! It's murderous to wait! *glares*
Mihoshe - I will!! It's sort of hard trying to end WS... donnuo where this plot will go... ack
Carey - thanks! I will!
CatC10 - Oooo... ok, lets see, umm... 6, 9, 13, 19, 28, 33. Sun card? Is that good? humm... I don't know anything about fortune readings...
Poke me, I'm done - humm... interesting pen name! Does it have a double meaning?
gwen - well... Sirius left the Dursleys intact... can't kill them! then Sirius'll be in trouble...
Sherylyn - yeah, Remus does seem a little less composed in WS than PoA huh... with all the yelling at little kids and the like. Esp. since Harry's still a pretty important person too...
Slytherin Sweetheart - wait! No!! nothing bad happened, see? no need to be angry... uhhh... right?
Phoenix - thanks!!
kelly - thank you!
livic88 - I will!
SasseeSam - yeah, poor kid. Ack... he's going to be so emotionally scarred...
Tammy, Kiki, AllAboutMe - see Tammy, you're not last! Nope, don't kill the Dursleys Kiki, you'll be arrested on charges of manslaughter. Thanks Sarah! And WS started out pretty lighthearted too...
Me - thanks!
ginny5 - I will!
Kate Potter - I will! WS will not go on hiatus... hopefully, esp. after the little block with PoM.
Lassy D - I'm glad you find Remus believeable! humm... it's fun seeing the usually composed werewolf explode once in a while... since in PoA, he's so.. mellow.
Allocin - *grins* really? I had no clue how much things are priced there. I was thinking along the lines of $600, and in the US, that won't last for more than a week. *sigh* now that Harry needs medical care, they can't go very far. How much do hotel rooms usually cost around there? humm... Sirius has his gringotts account to fall back on, and then he can book a plane ticket. humm... Oo... Harry gets insights when something reminds him. You know those times you have a dream, but you don't remember it until something happens that reminds you of it? That's the sort of thing Harry has. That's why he was able to recognize Remus as what he was, and thought he was familiar. humm... it's not too far fetched is it? McGonagall does get referred to as cat lady... actually, it's more like tabby cat lady. *cackle* Dumbledore becomes that old man in the fireplace. *laughs evillly* I shouldn't be telling you that.
kaydee - PoM chapter 3 is pretty much polished, but it's not very good. I'll probably post it sometime this week. I have some plans for it, but I'm afraid it's not going to be very much of an action based plot. What kind of story do you have in mind?
oceansun - thanks!
Jayde - thank you!
Asian Goddess05 - I will!
Arabwel - I'm glad you think so! Remus seems really high strung doesn't he...