AN: I must firstly make my apologies for updating so late! :( I am a bad author and I won't blame you if you resent me, but I haven't been well so I've been unable to write! I know this chapters short but I hope it satisfies you until I can write the next...thank you all so, so much for your kind words, I had never even thought that this fic would be so popular! I am happy beyond words you all gave me so many smiles! Keep them coming and I will hopefully keep you all entertained!

Bad is never good until worse happens. - Danish Proverb

Harry returned to the common room after making sure Sirius got back to the Hospital Wing, when he climbed through the portrait hole he found Hermione sitting in one of the armchairs before the fire and working on their latest ream of Homework. When he entered she looked up, blinking sleepily.

"Harry, where have you been?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

Harry sat down opposite her. "I was talking to Sirius."

"How is he?" She straightened and put aside her work.

"As well as he can be with the knowledge he'll end up living with the Malfoy's." He replied bitterly. "There's nothing we can do!"

"There must be, Harry..." Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "We'll just have to look."

"I don't even understand why they would want the guardianship of a Bloodtraitor..."

"Oh Harry..." Hermione shook her head. "Isn't it obvious? Sirius is the last member of the Black household, he's not only got a lot of political weight, but he's got a lot of gold and he's extremely powerful in a magical sense. If they can join him to a member of their family they would stand to inherit everything that is his, and not only would that be a sore blow to the Order having to lose their headquarters, but it would also make them even stronger."

Harry crinkled his nose in confusion. "I don't understand..."

"It's all medieval politics, Harry. They used to join the most powerful houses to secure allegiances and even bring in 'Wards' or hostages to prevent another powerful house from attacking them. Sirius is acting as a ward against the Order, if they have him as a hostage it would limit their movements because they wouldn't want any harm to come to Sirius..."

"Right..." Harry slumped down in his seat, glaring at the flames in the hearth. "So we have to stop this at all costs, right?"

"Yes, because most of the Order would not want to risk Sirius' life and wellbeing...especially Remus. He's already lost him once..." Hermione sighed heavily. "I'll do some research, see if I can't find something in the old laws to undo it."

"Thanks Hermione, you're brilliant."

Hermione smiled.

Sirius was released a few days later, he was given a clean bill of health and a stern warning from Pomfrey concerning his ability to get himself hurt. He returned to the common room only to find it empty of Harry, Ron and Hermione, he sighed and turned up towards the dorms which were deserted. He frowned irritably and left Gryffindor tower, his feet took him through the hall ways, his brain hardly registering where he was going, he simply walked.

"Black."

Suddenly he looked up to find himself face to face with Draco Malfoy, the blond was smirking slightly. "What?" Sirius replied in a monotone.

"I just thought you would be interested to know that Andromeda Tonks has filed her counter claim on your guardianship."

"Good." Sirius replied. "Now get out of my way..."

"You honestly don't think she will actually win do you?" Malfoy's eyes gleamed with amusement. "She's a worse traitor than you! At least you carry yourself as one of pureblood, and haven't married a Mudblood."

"And what if I had? I'm much too young for marriage, Malfoy and even If I did marry, who I marry is of no consequence to you."

"Oh you will marry, be sure of that. My father will see to it..." He smiled as he leaned closer. "Even if they do pair you with some girl, you won't escape me." He chuckled as he walked off, leaving Sirius feeling angry.

He found Harry with Hermione and Ron in the Library, when he sat down at their table they looked up. "Sirius, how are you?" Hermione asked in concern.

"Fine...What are you doing?" He pulled a heavy leather bound tomb towards him and read the title; The Wizengamot and Family Law. He raised an eyebrow as he read other titles; Wizarding Law, The Magical Binding of Law concerning the Old Families, Fostering and Warding Young Wizards, Rights of the Wizarding Family. "Looks like some heavy reading." He said with a small smile. "But thanks, you don't have to do this for me."

"It's no problem, Sirius, we want you to be happy." Harry said earnestly. "And the Malfoy's won't make you happy..."

"It is boring though, mate...If we get you out of this, I want compensation." Ron muttered while rubbing his eyes. "I don't understand half of what's in these old books and the dust makes me sneeze."

Sirius chuckled and dragged a large tomb towards himself, opening it at the first page and scanning the contents. They spent the rest of the evening in silence, doing nothing but read and take notes until the Library closed, they took useful books with them to common room and continued. Finally, when Ron had fallen asleep Hermione looked up at Sirius. "There is one sure way to get this thing thrown out of court..." She began slowly, Sirius eyed her warily. "You could tell them about the abuse...you could tell them all what Draco did..."

"No!" Sirius gazed at her as if she'd gone insane. "I'd rather end up living with them than have people laughing at me behind my back...and any way, there are no laws protecting pureblood children from abuse..." He shook his head. "The child has no say in these things usually, only when he comes of age and into his own inheritance can he dispute custody, and by then it won't matter. I am not going up against the Malfoy's with accusations of abuse, not when people will just laugh at me..."

"But surely...Sirius, you're just a child!" Hermione exclaimed.

Sirius shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I might be heir to the most noble and ancient house of Black, but that doesn't mean I'm head yet. I will turn seventeen in a few months and only then will I be able to escape this nonsense..." he paused and sighed heavily, the book falling from his hands and back onto the table. "But by then it'll be too late...They'll have bound me in some other way. It's all so useless..."

"Don't give up." Harry muttered, clearing his throat from where he hadn't used it in a while. "Sirius, we'll get you out of this...I promise."

Sirius smiled weakly at him. "Thanks."

"Wait...wait a moment..." Hermione was gazing out the window as snow alighted on the sill. "Sirius, when's your birthday?"

"February...why?" Sirius asked with a frown.

Hermione looked at him. "That's only two months away or thereabouts...what if we could delay the case? Delay it until you turn seventeen?"

Sirius considered that for a long time before his eyes lit up. "Brilliant!" He said as a smile split his face. "You are truly the brightest witch of your age, Hermione." He leapt to his feet and began pacing, a small thoughtful frown creasing his brows. "How could we do it...?"

They spent the rest of the night talking about how they could delay the court proceedings, when dawn came they went to bed for the last few hours before they would have to go back to the burrow for Christmas.

The Burrow was covered in a small layer of snow when they arrived, Mrs. Weasley awaited them and greeted them all warmly as she ushered everyone inside.

Christmas Eve found Sirius standing in the snow with his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he gazed up at the white sky, he was considering all that they had discussed on how to prolong the court proceedings, they had yet to come up with any plausible excuse. A soft crunch alerted him to someone's presence, slowly he turned and smiled when he saw Remus walking towards him with his scarf around his neck. He was looking pale and ill, the full moon having only been the night before. "How are you, Remus?" Sirius asked softly as his old friend stopped at his side.

"I'm fine, more concerned about you to be quite honest." He replied.

"I'm alright, well...I'm alive at least." Sirius shrugged as if the impending hearing wasn't costing him sleep as he dreamed of cold hands in the dark.

Remus smiled sadly and looked down at him. "You don't have to lie to me, Sirius. I may not be young but I'm still your best friend."

Sirius cocked his head back with a small smile and stuck his tongue out so a few snow flakes fell onto it. "Harry and Hermione are working on a way to prolong the court hearings..." He said softly.

"But you don't sound too optimistic about the outcome."

Sirius sighed. "I am happy they would want to help me, but it's difficult trying to explain how the system works, they were brought up with completely different laws and they don't understand the sheer power the Malfoy's have. I...I can't tell them it's all futile...I can't make Harry look so sad." He whispered and lowered his head so a fall of ebony hair obscured his face. "Remus, I can't make him unhappy..."

Remus was silent as he looked up at the blank sky, he wore a thoughtful frown. "Sirius are you developing feelings for Harry?" Sirius said nothing, he scuffed his battered converse shoe against the snow covered grass and pushed his cold hands further into his pockets, but Remus didn't seem to need an answer. He sighed. "What will you do if they manage to find a way to send you back to your proper time?" He asked finally.

"I'll...I..." Sirius shook his head quickly, dislodging the white flakes and sending them spraying everywhere. "It won't happen...not now."

"There is always a possibility, Sirius. You're being reckless again...you need to distance yourself, you cannot afford to get too close, not only will you be breaking your own heart but his as well. Your futures run along different paths, you cannot have a relationship."

"It's not...I..." Sirius bit his lip and looked away so he was gazing across the barren hills. "He's James." He whispered, his breath pluming in white steam from his lips. He lifted his hands and shoved them into his hair, once again shaking his head. "He's James but...but he's not James! Remus...I-I'm so confused! Sometimes, when he smiles o-or say's something I think he's James...but then he's not! I keep trying to tell myself he's different but when we're together and h-he's...looking at me all I can see is his father! I'm so messed up its stupid!" He kicked a pile of snow so it scattered everywhere. "I don't know what to do anymore! He makes me so happy...I'd die for him! Remus...I'd throw my life away just as I would f-for you or James...b-but...I-I'm so confused when we're together...It hurts...it hurts inside here..." He put his hand on his chest and gazed desperately at the older man as if his face held all the answers.

Remus licked his lips slowly, his eyes narrowing as he looked out across the Burrow's lawn. "Not much has changed in that respect then." He said after a good long silence. "Even when you're an adult you get them confused...I would have to keep reminding you that Harry is not his father, he has his mother in him too. Sometimes..." He sighed heavily. "And don't tell Harry this, but sometimes I would find you looking at Harry in an odd way...the same way you had looked at James. I give you the same warning I gave you then; Harry is his own man, he is not James. If you start confusing them you will hurt him more than anything else would, please, Sirius, I beg you, distance yourself from him before it's too late! This relationship is doomed even before it begins, you will both end up hurt beyond repair and I don't want to have to pick up the pieces not again."

Sirius looked at him through his hair, his silver eyes were dark as he slowly digested Remus' words. "What did I...what happened?" He asked slowly.

Remus moved to the fence and leaned on it. "It was when James had proposed to Lily, he asked you to become his best man and although you agreed you disappeared for a week. James had nearly the whole Order looking for you but it was me who found you...you were curled up in a dingy alley way covered in dirt and surrounded by bottles...when I saw you I thought you were dead. You wouldn't wake up even when I managed to get you home and into the bath, then James came over after you had regained consciousness. You argued...well, you fought...I couldn't do anything even though I tried to stop you from hitting each other. When you finally told him how you really felt James walked away and left you. I was there to hold you but you wouldn't speak. For days you were silent until the wedding and then you seemed to return to normal, but your eyes...Sirius he broke you. You were never the same man after that."

Sirius lifted his head again. "All that because of one stupid confession, huh?" He muttered. "Then I guess that decides it. I'll never speak those words...I won't make that mistake. I'll lock it all away...I-I'll..." He felt something warm trickle down his face and wiped it away. "I'm...crying?" He whispered to himself in shock, his chest ached painfully and his eyes burned. "This is...stupid. I...I should break it off w-with Harry...I-I know I should...It's wrong...what we're doing i-is wrong..." He choked on his words and frowned as he turned his face from Remus who lowered his own so he wouldn't embarrass Sirius. "Remus?" Sirius whispered finally.

"Yes?"

"I should...find a way back...shouldn't I?" He was looking down at his hands, he wore fingerless gloves but he was twisting them in his coat as he warred with his emotions, trying so desperately to get them under control, but he had never been one for control. "Harry is...he makes me happy." He said almost too softly to hear, Remus had to strain to listen to his voice. "When I'm with him it's like...i'll never be sad again...When we're together I can smile, actually smile like I did when James would make some stupid joke or mess up his hair...he makes my chest hurt but it's not a bad feeling. I-I don't...I d-don't want to lose that..."

"Oh Sirius..." Remus sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He muttered.

Sirius nodded and turned away before trudging hopelessly back up to the burrow.