Part 12 – Sirius

Harry had forgotten how much he hated traveling by floo: the flashing lights of other grates zipping by, the smell, the choking ash; all in all, a not so fun way to get from point A to point B. He would never forget when he flooed from the Burrow just before his second year and ended up in a nasty shop in Knockturn Alley.

Then, of course, there were the landings once you reached your destination.

He tumbled out of the fireplace and straight into a werewolf. Fortunately, this particular werewolf was Remus Lupin, and he had already been prepared to catch the boy as he came through. He cast a quick scourgify on the teen, clearing away the ash and soot from his face and robes, and grinned when the child muttered something about the vile means of travel.

"Harry Potter."

His head snapped up at the sound of that soft, velvet voice, and he found himself staring into warm, fathomless grey eyes. "Sirius," he whispered, taking a couple of hesitant steps forward. He wanted so badly to feel that he belonged with this man, his godfather, but he had no idea how to ask without coming across like a needy three year old.

As if reading his mind, Sirius solved his problem for him by opening his arms and offering a safe haven. Harry flew across the remaining few steps between them, buried his face in the man's chest, and wrapped his arms around him in a desperate embrace. It couldn't be possible that only a couple of months ago, this man had been a stranger he thought was trying to kill him. An escaped convict bent on revenge that had been responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter. Just one night had changed everything in the boy's mind.

This man had been his father's best friend, had been best man at the Potter's wedding, had been named as Harry's godfather at his birth, had actually escaped Azkaban in an effort to capture and kill the real traitor in order to protect Harry from facing the same fate as his parents, and had offered the young wizard a home as soon as his name was cleared, even after having just found the boy again after 12 years in prison. Sirius Black might be an impulsive man who tended to leap before he actually looked, but his devotion to his godson was absolute. When Harry had been born, Sirius had felt as if he'd been granted a son as well, all without having to deal with the headaches and hassles that went with it. He adored Harry as an infant and to this day regarded him as his own child.

He held the teenager tightly, pressing the boy's ear to his heart so he could hear its reassuring beat and know that he was safe and where he belonged. Sirius could feel the frantic hold and slight shudders that were running through the thin body attached to his chest; he knew the child was crying, but wasn't sure the reasons. Tenderly, the adult wizard carded his fingers through the thick black hair and murmured reassurances to him until he felt Harry's grip easing.

When the teen finally looked up at him, he smiled warmly down at him, "I missed you so very much, Harry James Potter, and I'm very glad that you're here where you belong."

Green eyes swimming with tears, Harry clung to the man's shirt with both fists, not quite ready to let go, "I'm glad I'm here, too, Sirius. I really missed you."

Trying to lighten the mood a bit, Remus piped up, "Merlin's ghost, you'd think the two of you had been separated for 12 years rather than a couple of months…hmmm…now that I think about it…never mind!"

Sirius exploded with one of his deep bark-like laughs, "Exactly, Moony, 12 years AND a couple of months!" One large hand came up to cup around the child's cheek, "But now, you're here and I will do everything in my power to be the father you've never known."

A blinding smile lit Harry's face, "I'd like that, Sirius, I really would."

Sirius gave him another tight hug before turning to his friend, "Food, Moony! We need food! I know why I'm still so thin, it's going to take a while for me to rebuild everything I lost in Azkaban, but Harry is much too thin, even for a growing boy!"

"There's a reason Harry's as thin as you, Padfoot, but that can wait until after we get some food into the three of us," Remus replied as he turned and headed for the kitchen. "Why don't you give Harry a quick tour of the house, while I put something together for supper?"

"Excellent idea, Mr. Moony; Mr. Padfoot agrees wholeheartedly with that idea!" He wrapped one arm around the boy to lead him from room to room as he told him about the place they were staying, "This, Harry, is obviously the sitting room of Paddy's Place; here next door is the library." The library would have sent Hermione into fits of glee with its floor to ceiling and wall to wall bookshelves filled to overflowing with books on hundreds of different subjects.

"That hallway leads to the kitchen, dining room, and formal dining room."

"Why do you need a dining room and a formal dining room," Harry inquired.

Sirius stopped dead in the middle of the floor, completely flummoxed by the question, "You know, pup, I haven't got a clue. Of course, I also don't know why I have a sitting room, living room, and formal living room, either."

The boy snickered, "Three rooms with the exact same purpose? That makes no sense!" He clapped a hand over his mouth suddenly, realizing he probably sounded as if he were criticizing the man over his home.

His godfather, however, didn't seem to think so as he agreed completely. "Oh, well! A puzzle for another time; on with the tour!" He led the way upstairs, pointing out his suite of rooms, the ones Remus would be living in, and then opened a door and stepped in, drawing the boy with him, "This will be your suite, Harry. We can change whatever you want, decorations, colors, furniture…whatever your heart desires!"

The room they stepped into was arranged as a study, complete with a large desk, table for four with comfortable chairs, and bookshelves filled with everything a Hogwart's student would need for studying. A door across from the one to the hallway was opened to reveal a bedroom completely decked out in Gryffindor colors. The huge bed was canopied in scarlet with a deep gold cover, the floor was hardwood with rugs done in scarlet and gold scattered around, with one large rug right next to the bed created with the Gryffindor badge on it. A large armoire sat in one corner, more bookshelves, a wonderful little nook with a wide window seat covered in cushions looked out into the garden below had a heavy drape that could be pulled across to keep out the light when he wanted to sleep in, a small fireplace, and best of all, a very large picture of Lily and James Potter taken on their wedding day hung in honor across from the bed.

Harry felt tears well up in his eyes as his parents waved at him from the picture and his mother blew his kisses. Sirius stepped up behind him and placed his hands tenderly on the thin shoulders, "If it hurts too much, I can move the picture to another room."

"NO!" Harry cried out, turning to face his godfather. "I…I…I mean, no, please; don't move it, I love it. Thank you, Sirius, thank you for everything."

He ruffled the boy's dark hair, "You're very welcome, Harry, but we're not quite done." He directed him to another door that revealed a walk-in closet filled with everyday clothes, nicer clothes, shoes of all kinds, boots for hiking, walking, riding, slippers, and other things he would get to discover later.

"Sirius! This is too much; you shouldn't have gone through so much trouble for me!" Harry protested.

"It was no trouble at all, pup, and I wanted to get you all these things." He drew the boy out of the closet, "Now, come see your bathroom."

It was as spectacular as the rest of the suite with its tile work done in creamy blues and greens. Harry rather thought that the bathtub was almost large enough to swim laps in and he could get lost in the sheer size of the shower and all the knobs and heads poking out of different walls and the ceiling. The vanity was large with a double sink and, he couldn't hold back his laughter, the toilet was cushioned for the comfort of the user.

Sirius grinned at him as they returned to the bedroom, then he pointed to the fireplace, "It's completely useable and makes the room quite cozy when it's cold outside." Then his gaze darkened as he turned to the boy, "However, it is NOT hooked up to the floo network, so it cannot be used for either travel or conversation. I want no surprises popping into this house while you are in residence. Your safety and wellbeing are very high on my priority list. If you need to use the floo for something, let me or Moony know and we'll open the connection with a password."

Harry climbed up on the high bed as his godfather draped himself across one end, "Sirius, how is it that you have this house and the aurors haven't found you here."

Sirius smiled, "This house was a private gift to me by a relative who has passed away and is completely unplotable with the Fidelius Charm. The Ministry couldn't find this house if I set up a gigantic neon sign that screamed 'Sirius Black lives here, come and get him!'"

The teen gave a sign of relief, not wanting anything to happen to his guardian, especially when he had only found him so recently! He saw a movement by the door and stiffened in surprise when a silvery leopard slipped into the room and approached them.

Sirius, catching the boy's expression, was off the bed and on his feet with a wand in his hand before Harry could even draw breath to ask what it was. Seeing the creature, he dropped his arm, "It's alright, Harry, this is Remus' patronus."

He nodded to the leopard and it opened its mouth, Remus' voice echoing from it, "Paddy, Harry, lunch." The silver animal then faded away.

"Cool!"

With a grin, Sirius turned to face his godson, "Is that a 'cool' it's time to eat, or a 'cool' that he sent a patronus to tell us?"

"I didn't know you could get a patronus to talk!" Harry exclaimed as he hopped off the bed, "Do you think I could learn to do that?"

Sirius slipped an arm around the teen's shoulders and began leading him down to the kitchen, "Harry, my boy, I have absolutely no doubt at all that you could learn it. But right now, let's eat!"

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Lunch was a relaxed affair made up of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and a hearty stew, washed down with milk; plenty of healthy calories for all three males who could do with some meat on their bones. After eating, they retired to the sitting room, where Remus gently coaxed Harry into explaining to his godfather everything that had happened to him while living in the care of his Aunt Petunia.

After an explosion that had a terrified Harry shivering in the corner of the couch he was sitting on, Sirius collapsed onto the cushion beside him and hauled the trembling form into his arms. Unerringly, the long fingers began their rhythmic stroking through his dark hair and that velvet voice whispered reassurances and apologies.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry you went through all that. I really am a selfish fool to have gone after Peter rather than seeing to you. If I had gone straight to Dumbledore and demanded you, this never would have happened. If I had just thought about what I was doing…"

"…then it would have been the first time in your life, Padfoot," Remus stated softly. His friend stared at him, "You know I'm right, Sirius; you've always been the hothead who shot off his wand and his mouth before thinking about what the consequences could be. Normally, James or I were there to pick up the pieces and smooth things over. That time…" The werewolf's voice trailed off in remembered pain, the pain of losing two friends to the Dark Lord, another to Azkaban accused of murdering another friend and having Dumbledore refuse him contact with Harry.

"Lovely," Sirius muttered sarcastically, "let's all join hands and start a pity party rather than figuring out where we go from here."

Moony sat up and glared, "Hey, you started it, you know!"

Not up to another Black tantrum while he was still shaking from the force of the first one, Harry intervened, "What do you mean, Sirius?"

Snuggling the child closer to his lean body for comfort, though which of them needed the comfort he wasn't sure, Sirius replied, "Well, you obviously aren't going back to that house every again, blood wards or not. However, I'm still wanted by the Ministry and Remus is a werewolf; but, this place should be completely safe for you to stay since it can't be found."

"We just need to make sure that no one knows where you are and with whom you're staying," Remus stated. "If they knew you were keeping company with a convict and a werewolf, heads would roll and wands would snap."

Harry pressed tighter to Sirius' warm side, "I don't want to go back there," he whispered. "I can't go back to being a nobody and a freak."

"Never!" Sirius growled, "You are NOT a freak; and you're not a nobody. You are the son of James and Lily Potter, my godson, Moony's nephew if you claim him, and the best friend of Ron and Hermione. Severus Snape guards you with his life, Hagrid dotes on you, and the Weasley clan sees you as another one of theirs. Never think that you're a nobody!"

Contrary to Sirius' harsh tone of voice as he tried to convince the boy of his worth, his hands continued to stroke over the dark hair softly, calming the riot of emotions seething in the teen's mind. He could not recall another moment in his life when he felt so loved and cherished by another individual. He knew that he was wanted and that he had found his place in someone's life. Right here. With Sirius.

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Completely worn out by the emotions of the evening and the excitement of the day (just something else that had nearly sent Sirius into orbit when he heard about the Death Eater attack), Harry went up to his suite to unpack the items Remus had been carrying in his pockets. He had just finished putting the last of the new clothes away in his closet and walked back into the bedroom to find Sirius sprawled out elegantly across the foot of his bed.

"Ready for some shuteye, pup?"

"I think so, I'm pretty knackered." He grabbed a pair of sleep shorts and tee shirt and disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. When he came out, his godfather had already pulled back his blankets and was waiting patiently to tuck him in. Part of him was indignant that he was almost 14 and didn't need to be tucked in like a toddler. But the other part of him, the neglected, lonely, fearful, desperate part, yearned to by shown this kind of love and affection.

He nearly dove into the bed and settled down on his stomach facing Sirius as the man drew the covers up to his waist and settled down to sit beside him. "Close your eyes, Harry, and I'll tell you a little about how your dad, Remus, and I met."

Harry closed his eyes, letting the soft voice wash over him, bringing him a peace he'd never known. As he talked, Sirius began to lightly rub the boy's back with one large hand, subtly encouraging him to relax further into sleep. Once he felt Harry's muscles all go limp, the animagus slid his fingers through the dark tousled hair and leaned over to press a tender kiss to the lightning bolt scar on the child's forehead. He rose cautiously, not wanting to wake his godson, and whispered, "Good night, pup, I love you."