Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Sirius closed his eyes tightly as he felt like he was being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. He never liked the feeling of apparition, but it was fast so he didn't mind it too much. He felt his feet slam into solid ground and opened his eyes to look around. He smiled at Remus who was next to him. "Nice place." He said hoarsely.
Remus smiled. "Thanks. The bathroom is just down the hall on the left if you want to..erm, clean up." He said, gesturing down the hall.
Sirius nodded gratefully. "Thanks Moony." He said with a grin, walking down to the bathroom. He filled the tub with hot water and took one of the longest baths..well it turned into a shower after a while..in a looooong time. It lasted a good 2 hours.
He came out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his thin waist and attempted to brush his hair. It was too long and unruly though and he figured he'd ask Remus to cut it with magic. He then realized that he had no clothes to change into.
He walked out of the bathroom in his towel and found Remus on the couch flipping through an old photo album. "Uhmm...Moony?" He asked. Remus looked up and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Why are you in a towel Pads?" Remus asked slowly.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I don't have any clothes..and I can't go and buy some naked."
Normally under a circumstance like this Remus would burst out laughing, but when he really looked it Sirius it was hard for him to contain a gasp. Sure, he looked thin when he first saw him in Azkaban, but now that Remus could see his chest and everything it was slightly disturbing. He could make out every last bone in Sirius' ribs and they looked like they'd poke through the skin any second. He looked like he couldn't possibly weigh more than 90 pounds and with one gust of wind he's be blown right off his feet and crack in half.
When he realized he had been staring at Sirius, Remus quickly snapped out of it and blush slightly. "Oh, right. Well then you can just borrow some clothes from me." He shrugged, getting up to get him some clothes to wear.
Sirius sighed in relief and followed Remus to his room. He had been staring at him blankly for so long that Sirius thought he'd say no and make him go naked until he got to a store. He shook his head at the thought and laughed slightly.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when a pair of boxers, jeans and a shirt hit him in the face. He blinked and saw Remus laughing at him across the room. "Thanks." Sirius chuckled. He slipped back into the bathroom and put the clothes on quickly. He had always been bigger than Remus, yet these clothes were extremely big on him..he must have lost more weight than he thought..
He came out of the bathroom in his..well Remus'..baggy clothes and sat down at the kitchen table next to Remus. Rem noticed that he seemed nervous about something. "Something on your mind Pads?" He asked in what he hoped was a casual voice, sipping a cup of pumpkin voice.
Sirius looked up and gulped slightly. "Yeah, Rem..I think I need a haircut." He said fearfully.
Remus blinked a few times before bursting out laughing. Sirius had only been declared innocent hours ago, yet everything seemed back to normal like it was before James and Lily died and their world crashed and burned around them.
"What's so funny?" Sirius asked indignantly. He didn't see the humor in this. He couldn't even run his hand through his hair anymore it was so long. He hadn't had a haircut in 4 years.
Remus' laughter began to subside slightly and he shook his head. "Never mind." He said, chuckling slightly. Sirius glared at him and he grinned, taking his wand out. "You're actually going to trust me with this?" He asked, feeling honored. The last time Sirius had trusted one of them to cut his hair it was James and he had indiscreetly stuck Sirius to the chair he was sitting in and then gave him a Mohawk. None of them had forgotten that one for quite some time...and James had only gotten off with a black eye for it too.
It was almost as if Sirius had read Remus' mind because he glared at him. "Don't even think about it Moony." He warned him, scowling slightly.
Remus chuckled. "Don't worry Pads." He said, getting up and waving his wand over Sirius' head. Sirius closed his eyes tightly. He never liked haircuts much. After a few minutes Remus grinned. "You can open your eyes now." He informed him with a snicker.
Sirius opened his eyes and gulped as he saw all the hair on the floor. Remus gathered it in a bag with a wave of his wand and directed it into the trash. Sirius ran a hand through his hair and Remus conjured up a mirror and handed it to Sirius. He looked into it, running a hand repeatedly through his hair and grinned, looking at Remus over the mirror. "Thanks."
"Better than when Prongs cut it?" Remus asked innocently, unable to keep from laughing at the look Sirius had given him. He hadn't been able to fix his hair with magic for 2 weeks due to the spell James had put on it. Now this might seem kind of mean, but not long before that Sirius had jinxed James bed to transfigure into a pool full of mud the second he sat on it and then snap pictures. Those 2 always had ongoing prank wars..[and I'm getting so off-topic lol
He just laughed harder when he felt a loaf of bread connect with his head. He finally stopped laughing and looked back up at Sirius. He looked a lot better now that he was bathed and groomed, but 4 years in Azkaban did a lot to a person and he had a feeling that it would take a lot of time until Sirius was completely back to himself, though they were already joking around like old times so it may not be as long as he thought...
After a few moments of silence while each of them were wrapped up in their own thoughts, Sirius finally spoke up hoarsely..it'd take him a while to get used to talking again."Earlier you said something about Harry..where is he?"
Remus nearly spit his pumpkin juice out. How could he forget?! "We need to go and pick him up at Hogwarts!" He said, standing up. Sirius shook his head at him and got up also, following Remus to the fireplace.
"I know you aren't much a floo person" Remus said, taking the pot of floo powder from next to the fireplace. "But it's the quickest way to get there." He said as Sirius reluctantly grabbed a pinch. Remus grabbed a pinch also and stepped into the fireplace. "You won't believe how much he looks like James." He said fondly before shouting his destination and dropping his powder. In a whirl of green flame he was gone.
Even floo travel couldn't dampen Sirius' spirits though. He was free! He was going to see his godson! He was going to live with him and his best friend. Smiling, he stepped into the fireplace, shouted his destination ("Headmaster's office, Hogwarts!") and dropped his powder and, just like Remus, disappeared in the green flames.
Remus came out of Dumbledore's fireplace, followed closely by Sirius, both feeling very queasy. Dumbledore smiled up at the both of them. "Ah, I was wondering when you would come to get Harry." He said, beaming at the sight of Sirius. "You're looking a bit better."
"Thank you sir." Sirius said, grinning. The only thing that didn't quite look right with him was the paleness of his skin, how thin he was and the deadened look in his eyes.
Remus resisted rolling his eyes as Dumbledore said "As I've been telling Remus, please call me Albus."
"Okay Albus.." Sirius said before raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. "This feels too weird." He said, causing both of the other men to chuckle.
"I think you'll be please to hear what Harry and Hagrid have been up to today." Dumbledore said as Harry came bustling though the door, laughing, followed by Hagrid who was carrying a toy broomstick.
"Remus!" Harry said happily, jumping into the man's arms. "I was flying! You missed it! Hagrid said I looked just like my dad!" He said happily, quickly and excitedly.
Remus looked over at Hagrid with a grin. "Toy broomstick?" He asked as Hagrid nodded. He smiled down at Harry. "that's great! Your dad was a natural flier." He said, ruffling the boys hair. He set him down on the ground and looked at Sirius who had at some point backed up slightly and was looking at Harry in awe. He looked exactly like James, except that he had Lily's eyes. He looked exactly like they thought he would..except for that scar.
Sirius was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a booming voice right in front of him. "You!" Hagrid roared as Sirius looked up at him, startled. "What in the hell are you doing here?!" He said, looking murderous and pushing Sirius up against the wall, nearly denting the wall in the process.
Sirius was shocked. He had never seen Hagrid this mad. He apparently had not heard the news. He was holding him pinned against the wall as Sirius' eyes started to water. His ribs felt like they'd crack any second when he heard Dumbledore's voice call sharply "Hagrid get off of him."
Reluctantly, Hagrid let go of Sirius who began to massage his ribs, but didn't take his eyes off him and Sirius couldn't see Dumbledore, nor Remus or Harry who had gotten scared and jumped back into Remus' arms. "Professor how did he get in here?!" He asked loudly.
"Hagrid, the news isn't out yet." Dumbledore began calmly. "Earlier today Sirius was found innocent of the crimes he was imprisoned for with the use of veritaserum."
Hagrid gapped at him and glanced at Remus as if asking if it were true. Remus nodded and Sirius was about to try and slip past Hagrid when he was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug..literally. He was almost positive he had broken a rib and could feel Hagrid's huge tear drops dripping down the back of the shirt he was wearing.
Sirius awkwardly patted the giant's back. "Uhm..there there...?" He said uncertainly attempting to see over his shoulder to Remus and Dumbledore for help and to most of all see Harry. He didn't want to take his eyes off him.
After a few seconds Dumbledore caught Sirius wincing as Hagrid squeezed him and put a fragile looking hand on the giant's shoulder. "Hagrid, we're all happy Sirius is alright, but you may break him in half if you keep squeezing him like that." He said gently, eyes twinkling.
Sirius sighed in relief as he was released and massaged his ribcage. "I knew ya was innocent all along." He could hear Hagrid say through the tears, blowing his nose loudly into his table-cloth sized handkerchief. Sirius resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing that must have been a lie. "I knew ya couldn't have betrayed 'em." He continued, eyes still tearing.
Sirius just smiled--well more like grimaced--at Hagrid and pat his shoulder. He then heard a small gasp come from Harry, who was still in Remus' arms, and his eyes go wide. Just as Remus was about to ask Harry what was wrong he spoke up quietly. "Y-you're the one they were talking about..?" He half stated and half questioned.
Sirius looked questioningly at Remus who was looking the same way at Harry until a thought hit him. "Yes Harry. This is Sirius Black." He started quietly, but was cut off by another small gasp from Harry.
"Why is he here?" He asked fearfully, not taking his eyes of Sirius, but tightening his grip on Remus' shirt. "Y-you said he was a bad person." Remus was about to answer, but Harry went on. "You said he's the reason my mommy and daddy are gone."
At this Sirius swallowed hard and looked at Remus to see what he was going to say, but Remus was too shocked to say anything. Hearing that from a 5-year-old he sounded so pathetic and helpless and it just completely shocked him.
After blinking a few times Sirius decided to try and speak up, his voice hoarser than it had been all day. "Harry, that's partially true." When everyone in the room looked at him oddly and Harry looked on the verge of tears, shrinking back against Remus, he continued quickly. "But only because I told them to switch to Pettigrew."
Harry looked up at Remus as if to confirm this information. When Remus nodded at him he looked so confused. First Remus said that he hates Sirius and how much he never wants to see him again and how he's a traitor and now he's standing here right next to him and saying that he's innocent? To Harry, that made no sense. "Harry, Sirius is innocent." Remus said for what seemed like the millionth time. "He's not the reason your parents are..are gone." He said quietly.
Harry nodded to show that he heard him and looked back at Sirius. "Why is he here though?" He asked Remus, as if afraid to ask Sirius himself.
Just before he answered Dumbledore whispered to Hagrid "Maybe we should step outside and let them have a minute to themselves." Hagrid nodded quietly and followed the headmaster silently out of the room, closing the door gently behind them.
"Harry, Sirius is your godfather, and he's going to be living with us from now on." Remus told him and smiled as he felt Harry's grip on his shirt lessen as he looked back at Sirius curiously who smiled back cautiously, not wanting to scare his godson off. God he looks so much like James. He found himself thinking. Except for those eyes...Lily's eyes.
new chapter soon.
