Chapter Two: An Unexpected Guest
Lily knew she'd make up with Severus over summer and it had only taken a week of her sister being ever so mean to her to drive her back to the park. One month into summer and it was like the whole year at Hogwarts never happened. She was so relieved to see him back to normal. If it wasn't for Severus her summer probably would have only been full of her sister's insistence she was a freak and therefore pretty gloomy. All her old muggle friends wouldn't talk to her at all and she caught her sister telling them she had been in juvie all year! Of course, she told her parents immediately and Tunney had gotten in a lot of trouble and hated her even more but at least she wasn't using magic to "put her in her place" as Severus had hinted at several times.
Her parents were wonderful but even though it was Tunney's fault they argued their parents were getting frustrated at both of them. It was much worse than the short breaks during the school year and Tunney's resentment of her seemed to grow with each passing week.
"I reckon she really does hate me a little more every day. And she did the worst thing yet she ruined my book, Severus, she absolutely ruined it!" She shouted to Severus who sat on the swings listening to her patiently his expression darkening. Of course, her sister had said it had been because Lily had ruined her room. But she had only been trying on a few of her sister's lipsticks out of simple curiosity and it had been an accident that she dropped one onto the carpet and it barely made a mark! But anyways Severus certainly didn't want to hear about that.
"Sounds like she needs to be taught a lesson." He replied and it took her a moment to realize what he was, yet again, hinting at.
"Oh, Severus you mustn't you could get in trouble and my sister is not all that bad she's just ...just so mean." She huffed her cheeks coloring when she realized how spoiled she sounded. Severus told her everything about his parents and how terrible his dad was to him and his mom, his own father! But if Severus minded he didn't let on. In fact, despite his mother's constant criticism of him and the darkening bruise on his cheek he actually seemed to be in a good mood. A much better mood than he had been in all year at Hogwarts with his supposed Slytherin "friends" but when she tried to point it out to him he grew angry and wouldn't respond to her until the next day so she stopped bringing it up.
"Oh come on Lilly it wouldn't be anything that bad." He attempted again trying to give her a pleading look that only made him look angrier.
"No, you mustn't. Don't be mean Severus." She scolded, she wouldn't be mean to her sister no matter how mean she was to her which her parents were so proud of. She'd just stay away from Tunney and tell her parents if she was being too cruel, she had been getting by that way pretty well overall.
"You don't seem to care when Potter, Black, and Lupin do mean pranks." He scowled his good mood disappearing abruptly. She frowned at him, they had done a really good job of not bringing up anyone else from Hogwarts which had been Severus rule from the start.
"Of course I care." She replied with all the patience she could muster, after all, they had been cruel to him, Black and Potter anyways, especially that terrible Potter!
"Well, you're still friends with them."
"Sev why are you bringing this up?"
"Well, you are!"
"No, I'm not I'm not friends with them!" Severus smiled and she smiled back. Good, she didn't want him to be cross with her, she couldn't bear it if he was cross with her too.
"Even Lupin! That's good to hear, in that case, let's not study with him next year." He replied happily and Lily gasped.
"What? No, I didn't mean him I'm friends with him!" Severus glowered at her but she starred firmly back and eventually, he dropped his gaze.
"He's one of them though."
"Severus, how can you say that? He was nothing but nice to you even when you and those terrible Slytherins…."
"Don't call them terrible Lily." He cut her off sharply and she felt her cheeks heat, this time in anger.
"Why not? They are Sev. They are dreadful and if you would just not hang out with them…"
"Just stop it!" He shouted, shooting her an angry glare.
"You were the one who brought it up!" She shouted back indignantly.
"I know but let's just stop it." So they sat there in silence the only sound the creaking of the chains as they moved their swings slightly.
"Fine." She finally relented and they went back to talking about Tunney and difficult potions and other things that wouldn't cause Severus to get so mad. She'd convince him by the end of summer to be better towards Remus and to stay away from those terrible Slytherins, she just had too.
After another hour it was time to head home and she hugged Severus bye before walking back to her house just as it was getting dark. She found her mom and dad watching the telly and entered just as Petunia headed out dressed in an outfit her parents never would approve of.
"Mom! Dad!" She called ignoring Peuatinia trying to get around her.
"You're such an annoying tattletale." Her older sister snapped and tried to shove past her again but Lily held her ground and soon her parents were yelling at her sister.
"You can't leave the house looking like this young lady!"
"Why not it's what everyone wears!" She shouted back as Lily climbed the stairs to her room feeling quite satisfied.
"I'm fifteen mom I'm not a child. No NO! You can't ground me!" She heard her sister shriek as she closed her bedroom door. Even if Tunney hadn't been so mean the fighting between her and their mother was absolutely dreadful and would have made her summer terrible if she wasn't allowed to escape to the park every day. Lily flopped down on her bed and turned on her home player so music filled the room and masked her sister's screeching downstairs.
She was about to journal, it always helped her sort things out, but just then she heard a tap-tap and jumped from her bed rushing to the window. There was only one thing that could be! She laughed excitedly expecting another letter from Dorcas but instead a beautiful spectacled owl dropped a package into her hand with a quickly scrawled note on it.
"Have you been thinking about me all Summer don't worry I won't tell Snivillus" She nearly threw the package across the room, Potter infuriating Potter, who she might have thought about a bit but only because he was such a moron! But she realized what the package might be and forced herself to keep reading.
"Just kidding. Look Remus hasn't talked to anyone and we're really worried. I figured he might as well talk to you since you're basically his girlfriend or whatever so good luck." Lily's face went very hot. Girlfriend! She wasn't anyone's girlfriend and she liked Remus a lot but she wasn't entirely sure in what way yet. Could Remus have implied they were? Well, she wouldn't contradict if he had...if he wanted to anyway. She shook herself feeling silly and unwrapped the package a familiar mirror falling into her hands. Obviously James was just being foolish! She couldn't imagine Remus suggesting such a thing and it was much more likely Sirius and James had concocted the silly notion in hopes of causing trouble as usual.
It was odd though, James sounded sad in the little note he had left. Maybe he was he did seem very loyal to his friends. Of course how far would that loyalty go if they realized Remus was…. she shook herself again.
"Remus Lupin!" She called hopefully. Yes, she liked him a great deal how could she not when he was unlike any other boy she had ever talked to. But when she imagined the two of them 'together together'...well it was nothing like Tunney and the boy she was dating right now. She just pictured them reading books and talking and cuddling up on the couch and it was all very platonic in her head. She didn't think it was that way just because he was a werewolf, she didn't care about that in the slightest. She just...still wasn't sure how she felt about him or dating in general. Afterall she couldn't picture snogging anyone.
She found herself staring at James' messy scrawl and she could just picture him writing that first sentence all cocky and then deflating as he admitted Remus hadn't contacted them. Oh, Remus!
"Remus Lupin." She called again in a clear voice trying to will the mirror to let her see the face of her dear friend. He must be so scared and lonely. Did he have anyone to talk to? She had read transformations were painful and she couldn't imagine such a thing. It made her feel cold and when she remembered his nonexistent reaction to the painful potion that had spilled on his hand or the scar on his hand and the others there must be she wanted to cry. She didn't know how she felt about Remus but she did know she wanted to wrap him up in a big hug and keep him safe, safe from the wizards' ridiculous prejudices, safe from himself, just safe. As she stared at the empty mirror that still hadn't moved she clutched the mirror to her chest and cried wishing there was some way she could help her dear dear friend!
….
It was storming out and he stood in front of the large house unable to take another step. He sneezed only wearing his cloak which wasn't very warm and watched who must be James' mom walk past the window smiling. He moved a little out of the way but only saw through another window James leaping on the couch talking animatedly and his father laughing at whatever he was saying.
Sirius' chest ached at how happy they looked. His family had never looked that happy. He felt heavy and dizzy and swayed slightly. He had tried to behave over summer but Regulus had been completely corrupted which just begged for Sirius to prank him. Maybe it wouldn't have all gone so wrong if his mother had decided not to leave him with a single one of his Hogwarts belongings including the mirror. Or perhaps summer would have been tolerable had she not shut down him going to see his uncle even after a whole month of being the best stupid son he could be!
He shivered again as a gust of wind knocked into him. He had snuck into the attic where his stuff had been hidden every night but it was always late and unless Remus slept with the mirror next to him he didn't retain much hope he could contact him. At least his mother hadn't bothered to check his Hogwarts belongings, though he had to threaten Kreacher into not doing so, which meant that he was able to ship the mirror to Peter even though James was supposed to have it next. They should have thought about it when they were planning, well fighting over the order, but if the package was intercepted and he was caught sending something to a Potter he'd be a dead man, which he was trying to avoid. Luckily he knew that Peter would send the mirror right onto James, maybe had hung out with him. Maybe the two of them had such a good time now Peter was James' favorite.
He shook away the ridiculous thought and sighed heavily thinking of what a failure his plan had been. Really he had been good and hadn't gotten into an ounce of trouble all that first month at being back but he realized it didn't make an ounce of difference. When he had asked his mother ever so nicely if he could go help out his Uncle Alphard, not even to hang out but to help the man she had told him no!
So Sirius put a potion in her morning tea that was supposed to make her hair grow like crazy but he must have gotten the brewing a bit wrong, considering he was doing it in the dark in the attic. Or maybe the ingredients were a bit expired because it made his mother's nose hair grow rapidly instead. Not that Sirius minded much, though he wished he remembered what he had done to replicate it for the fall. It had even been the first time he had smiled all summer. However, if it had been just her hair the potion caused to grow she probably would have yelled at him, which at least would have been her talking to him besides saying 'pass the salt' or 'no'. But her nose hair growing resulted in him spending some time with the dementor and it had been a rapid descent from there.
Going crazy with boredom and upset he didn't even have a slim chance of talking to Remus anymore he pranked Regulus left and right. For a while it was fine, he could make Regulus cry and tell him it was because he was a suck-up without worrying about his brother telling, he wasn't that stupid. But Kreacher happened to see without him realizing it and his mother found out. Needless to say, she was not pleased. Her screaming at him had lasted a good two hours and had ended with him being caned repeatedly.
At least Regulus hadn't hated him enough not to apply the ointment and they had even had a halfway decent conversation with Regulus, not telling Sirius he was a failure and had betrayed the family by the end of it for once. Sirius scowled just thinking about it and ducked quickly behind a bush framing the sidewalk as Fleamont Potter looked out the window.
Why had he come here? Stupid Potter wouldn't understand, his life was perfect. Not to mention he'd get in even more trouble for running away, even if there were only two weeks of Summer left. He hoped James had been able to contact Remus. A sad letter from Peter after he had sent him the mirror weeks ago had told him Peter trying to contact Remus once before sending the thing to James had ended in failure. Now Lily probably had the mirror and he didn't even care if she was the only one who got a hold of Remus as long as she did, as long as he was alive.
A light on the patio flicked on and he jumped. Had Fleamont seen him after all? He was sure he ducked really quickly. He waited tensely but the front door didn't open and he relaxed. He should just go home only he couldn't. He wiped his cheeks which were wet with rainwater and definitely not tears and sniffed. James had said there was a room for him. It might be worth his mother's wrath to maybe have a bit of fun before summer ended. Besides she probably had already read his, pretty angry letter to her, telling her he was going to finish up the summer at a friends' house.
He really was going to go stay with his uncle Alphard but after using a lot of his floo powder reserve he had stolen from home a pinch at a time, he had found out his uncle was off to another country. His attempt to get inside his house was unsuccessful and he had used the last of his floo powder to appear in Diagon alley and had taken the Knight Bus to the address James had made him remember. It's not like he could go home but would the Potter's really let him stay here for the last two weeks?
Peaking over the bush he realized Fleamont Potter had left the window and relaxed standing back up and watching the happy family trying to decide if they were really that nice. James was jumping on the couch now waving his arms wildly clearly pleased being the center of attention of both his adoring parents. He was happy for James but it made him feel sick with envy. Then James saw him, their eyes locked and Sirius knew ducking was futile. So instead he ran, and so did James disappearing from the window in a flash.
"Sirius! Sirius wait!" He didn't wait. His already wet socks quickly became soaked again as his shoes sloshed through deep puddles. He could hear a reciprocating sloshing from behind him and by the sound of the sloshes, James was gaining on him. Maybe he would have had a chance of outrunning Potter if he wasn't still badly bruised from his last caning after that one Regulus hadn't given him the ointment.
"Go away, Potter!" He shouted unsure if he wanted to cry or laugh at how ridiculous this was. Both of them sprinting down the sidewalk nearly to their ankles in puddles that littered the way and James shouting for Sirius to stop like they were both in some cheesy drama.
"Dammit, Sirius STOP!" If they were in a soapy drama James would have grabbed his wrist and spun him around declaring his undying love for Sirius. That would have been preferable to stupid James tackling him. He let out a shout of surprise and pain, and they both hit the sidewalk soaked, and even though Sirius was hurt all over, laughing. Sirius couldn't help laughing once he took one look at James with his hair in his eyes looking like a washed-up kelpie. He wasn't sure why James was laughing since he himself always looked fine but James scrambled up still chuckling and pulled Sirius up and into a wet cold hug that felt like home.
"Aw don't cry, Sirius. If you do I will." He sniffed.
"I missed you." He admitted and didn't even care how damn cheesy it sounded.
"Not as much as I missed you!" Sirius laughed and cried the rain still crashing down around them until it suddenly wasn't. He looked up expecting to find it had stopped and maybe he'd even find a bloody rainbow in the sky because this whole scenario was still ridiculous, but instead, he found himself staring at Fleamont Potter holding an umbrella over the two soaked boys looking torn between amusement and concern.
"Come inside boys. It's good to see you Sirius we were wondering when you'd show up." Just like that, as simple as that! No questions as to why he was standing in the rain with no raincoat or why he hadn't given them warning, no the Potters just welcomed him into their home like he belonged, like he had always bloody belonged!
It was the best time of his life for that week and a half. James and he got into all sorts of trouble and raced brooms and took hikes and stayed up late telling stories. Fleamont was a tad boring when he started talking about the hair stuff he invented way back when and how the current owner was ruining the sales. Which was sort of confusing because Fleamont still consulted for them but was retired. Luckily though James could get him to talk about Hogwarts and most importantly all the dueling he had to do because he was bullied. He was a kind man and Sirius felt bad he had been bullied so mercilessly at Hogwarts but it was also really cool since he trained them how to duel until James' mom caught on and put a stop to it.
Even when James' dad wasn't training them he could and would take interest in whatever he caught them talking about, he even gave them a few ideas for pranks. Euphemia Potter though she was more strict than Fleamont, if not by much, was everything his mother was not and it was absolutely incredible. Not only did she bake yummy treats, but she came up with crazy stories about her time as an Auror before she met Fleamont and those stories had them all at the edge of their seats. After hearing James' mom speak Sirius finally understood why James was always going on about Aurors, they were so cool! Of course, he still thought his uncle being a curse breaker was cooler but he wasn't going to tell them that.
They were quite honestly the coolest parents ever! He and James could basically get away with murder and even Euphemia who had and would again ground James, unlike Fleamont who'd cancel the grounding "once the lesson was learned", also was pretty lenient. She too had a great sense of humor and had even helped them prank Fleamont which started the most well-received prank battle he had ever been in. He was particularly proud of concocting a potion, anything went as long as it wasn't wandwork since they weren't allowed to do that, that made James' nose grow five times its original size.
James could be a bit of a poor sport about a lot but not pranks and he laughed it off as easily as his parents, Sirius had held back the first two days before he realized even if he put his genius into the pranks they wouldn't kick him out. James and he had even made extra of the potion to use on greasy Snivellus the first chance they got.
But Sirius knew it couldn't last forever and when they went to get their books at Hogsmeade he was proven right though he wished he had been wrong.