Disclaimer: all characters belong to J K Rowling and Warner brothers.
a/n Story dedicated to Moppet Poppet, Cheating Death's 500th reviewer!
I'm an idiot, I posted the wrong draft, again!! This is the second time too, but that was with PoM. There aren't that many changes, just bits and pieces. Sorry.
Of Western Stars
By neutral
Chapter twenty-six - of re-acquaintance yet again
Sirius found a smile tugging at his lips despite himself. Even though appearances had changed, his friend's blind optimism would never go away. "Always looking at the bright side of things, Moony. You never change, do you?"
Remus opened his mouth as if wanting to speak, but instead covered it with a grin. The conversation between the two was still sparse, but after five years of misunderstandings, it was expected. Remus' smile it faltered quickly.
"I made mistakes because of it though," Remus said finally. "I always suspected the Dursleys, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Look what happened."
"We both made mistakes," Sirius repeated firmly, an echo of his friend's earlier words to reiterate his point.
Remus shook his head. "Too many…" he murmured with a sigh. He leaned against the chair, quietly thoughtful, but gradually, a teasing glint made its way into his eyes. "I'm surprised the Dursleys were intact when I came the next morning. Knowing your temper, you probably would have set fire to the house or something similar."
"I wanted to. I really wanted to skin that piece of meat, but Harry was more important then…" Sirius trailed off, growing distant again.
During their conversation, Remus couldn't help but notice Sirius' disjointed thoughts and frequent lapses into silence. Azkaban must have affected him more than previously thought. It was subtle, but five years with dementors would torment anyone, even an innocent man. It must have been hell for someone like Sirius, who already begun to place some amount of blame on himself for his best friends' deaths. He seemed trapped under an unbearable load of guilt that he left himself sink into, that no amount of redemption would ever wash away. Remus averted his gaze, flinching inwardly but trying hard to keep the sadness from seeping into his face.
"You didn't do anything to them, did you?" Sirius suddenly asked, eyeing Remus skeptically.
Remus suddenly flushed. He cleared his throat nervously, "Not much…"
"Not much?" Sirius echoed. He leaned forward with a suspicious stare.
"I just… he said some things that made me angry," Remus admitted reluctantly. "I didn't mean to actually break his jaw though."
Sirius gaped, staggering back shock. It took a good half minute for him to recover, still visibly stunned.
"Moony, you've acquired quite a temper," Sirius said, looking quite pleased. "You punched two people in a week, and I was the one accused of murder?"
It was a wild attempt at turning a touchy subject into something humorous, but Remus sobered.
"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have hit you. I…"
Sirius waved it away indifferently. "If you could break that fat lard's jaw bone, I'm sure you would have been able to give me something more than a bruise. You were holding back."
Remus sighed, leaning against the armrest. "I don't know what I was thinking then…" he ran a hand through his hair; it was obvious he hadn't slept at all the night before.
"So what's going to happen now?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his tone nonchalant.
Remus' expression darkened even more. "The minister isn't… completely competent. He covered up your escape and nearly had a heart attack when Harry disappeared. We're afraid that he caught wind of Harry being found, and is hoping to use that as a stepping stone. He's going to frighten the child half to death, or get him ripped to pieces by reporters. If he finds that you're here as well, then…"
Although those words were spoken bitterly, Sirius' mouth twitched in an odd grin, "Maybe I should kidnap Harry again."
"Don't even consider it, Sirius," Remus muttered, smiling nonetheless. "Harry's condition isn't fit for excessive traveling. But he'll be moved to a secluded location before Fudge comes. We need to gain some support within the ministry in the meantime."
"When did life ever become so complicated?" Sirius grumbled, mostly to himself.
"Since we aged," Remus said. He averted his gaze to the floor, sighing inaudibly in thought. Abruptly, he smiled. "Padfoot, what did happen at Mrs. Figg's that day?"
At the change of topic, it took a while for Sirius to realize what he meant. He found an answering smile tugging at his lips, albeit sheepish.
"Oh, that," Sirius mumbled. "Harry tried to give Padfoot a bath."
Remus mockingly glared. "Tried? The garden was completely maimed. Harry was dead tired afterwards."
"Harry's ticklish," Sirius said simply. "And the shampoo smelled like flowers."
Remus despairingly shook his head. "I won't even ask."
Sirius sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted. He still had one true friend left. Although he knew they both restrained their subjects to only more fortunate memories of the past, maneuvering around the subject of Sirius' predicament, it was still a relief.
Sirius was too distracted to hear the portrait slide open a second time. But when loud, raspy breathing met his ears, he stilled. Sirius' position on the bed gave him a full view of the room, and he jumped the moment he saw the frame slide shut again.
The figure of a child was leaning heavily against the wall. Clouded emerald eyes blinked back at him from the shadows, swaying dangerously in his precarious position. In an instant, Sirius was kneeling beside him, steadying the six year old when he threatened to collapse. But Harry all but sagged against him like a boneless heap, half falling, half throwing himself against his godfather. His breath came in erratic gasps, and his entire body shook from stress and weariness. Sirius was alarmed by the cold sweat that seemed to have soaked through Harry's shirt, making him shiver from the chill. Instinctively, he slipped off the cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around the shivering child.
"Harry?" Sirius whispered incredulously. He brushed some thick strands of hair, plastered to the child's forehead, surprised.
Harry was suppose to be in the infirmary, sleeping. From what he heard from Remus, the sleeping potions that the child was drugged with should have kept him asleep until tonight. Madam Pomfrey, despite Dumbledore's request to move him to Sirius' guestroom, wanted to keep Harry for the day for observation in case his condition worsened. Harry's recent injuries were only partially healed, and the nurse didn't want to risk it being aggravated. Having the child suddenly burst into his room gave Sirius some amount of shock and confusion.
Harry lifted his head with obvious effort, giving Sirius an ecstatic smile before falling against him again. He seemed to be too tired to speak, and his limbs hung lifelessly when Sirius lifted him. He tugged the sheet lose and fit it snugly around the small form. Harry hung in a sort of exhausted unconsciousness as Sirius leaned him in the divan and knelt beside him. The child made no response when Sirius tapped him lightly on the arm.
"Harry?" Sirius asked gently.
Harry uttered a soft moan, shifting feebly. He seemed too wasted to even turn his head.
Sirius chewed his lip worriedly, rubbing the thin arms to warm the shivering boy. "Harry, how did you get here?"
"Walked," Harry murmured softly. His words were slurred and thick in his throat.
"What?" Sirius sharply asked. Despite the mended bones, Harry's bruised frame still wasn't able to sustain the strain of walking. He held the child at arm's length, examining him worriedly. "How? You weren't suppose to be moving!"
Harry slowly looked up, eyes glazed with weariness. "You're angry?" he asked apprehensively, tensing reflexively but too drained to move much more than his head.
Sirius sighed, running his fingers through Harry's hair soothingly. It was impossible to be exasperated against someone so timid, naïve, and innocent no matter how ridiculous his actions were.
"No," Sirius murmured, tilting his head to one side to peer him. Harry's bangs were plastered to his forehead with perspiration, appearance so washed out that he seemed ghastly. Sirius dabbed at the child's face with his sleeve, concerned. "I'm just surprised, that's all. How? Weren't you tired?"
Harry nodded jerkily, dropping his head on the armrest. Sirius moved to sit beside him on the divan, easing him from the awkward position and letting the child rest his head on his shoulder. Harry walked from the infirmary? That must have been nearly impossible with the recently healed injuries; it must have cost him over an hour of unbearable pain. Sirius chewed his lip guiltily; the child must have been so terrified and confused when he woke up alone. He should have fought against harder Madam Pomfrey.
"How did you find your way?" Sirius asked quietly. "Hogwarts is huge. How did you manage?"
Harry shifted, glancing Sirius groggily with a half open eye, the other still hidden against the shirt. "Don't know," he admitted wearily, dropping his head as the endeavor of keeping it upright became too tiring.
"But you need a password to cross the door," Sirius said, perplexed. "How did you pass the gargoyle?"
Harry shrugged slightly, "It moved by itself."
Sirius' hand tensed convulsively around the child, and he bent to examine his face. Harry was so drained that he dropped his head against Sirius' arm, entire body slackening flaccidly.
How could the statue move by itself? Dumbledore guarded his office with countless protection charms, it would be impossible for Voldermort to even bypass it without triggering the wards. Unless the headmaster preset the gargoyle to recognize the boy, it would be impossible.
Sirius frowned slightly as he watched him. He should probably call Dumbledore and ask, or at least inform him that Harry escaped from the infirmary. But that would mean they'd take the child away again, and he was reluctant. He would wait a bit, let Harry rest, and then wait until Remus returned before he told them what happened.
Harry shifted feebly, grip loosening on his sleeve, and sliding away to leave pale red stains on his shirt.
"Oh god, Harry, your…" Sirius broke off abruptly when he gently lifted the child's small hands. Harry's palm was laced with countless shallow scratches, raw and bleeding. He pressed an edge of the blanket against it lightly; the child didn't even flinch. "What were you doing? What did you think you were doing?" he said haltingly, feeling his stomach clinch.
Harry abruptly tensed; Sirius could feel his arm stiffen uncomfortably and a tremor run through his slight frame.
"I thought you left… those people said you were guilty," Harry whispered, sounding close to tears at the extent his voice shook and broke. "I thought they took you away."
That statement drove all the previous questions and confusions of Harry's appearance away. Sirius gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, wary of the numerous scrapes and gashes. He couldn't imagine the kind of blow Harry had suffered, when two people seemingly appeared through thin air and all turned their wands on him. He knew how sensitive the child was to any raised voice, especially during his agonizingly slow recovery. Harry must have been petrified.
"Don't worry. Everything's fine now," Sirius said as reassuringly as he could. "They know I'm innocent, and they know what happened. They're going to try to work everything out."
"That lady tried to hurt you!" Harry choked out in frustration, huddling against the divan in a shivering ball. He buried his head against his knees in an action that was aimed to hide his face.
Harry seemed terrified at the memory. Sirius paused, unable to meet the child's eyes. The six year olds attachment to his godfather sneaked up on them so suddenly that it caught them both by surprise; Sirius was torn between guilt and relief at the thought. He drew the child in an reassuring embrace, slinging an arm around the thin shoulders and resting his chin lightly over the unruly hair.
"She was just upset, and so was Remus. They're really good people," Sirius explained softly. He rubbed the frighteningly thin child's back calmingly in an action that soothed them both. Another memory slowly made his way to the surface of his mind, and he looked down at the top of Harry's head curiously. "How did you know Remus was there?"
"I… I'm not sure," Harry murmured, words slightly muffled against his shirt. He was still trembling from his earlier outburst, and had to take several unsteady breaths before he could speak again. "I thought there was something in the room, like when Padfoot, you were hiding in the park. Then there was a… silver thing, and he was under it. But it was so fast, I thought I imagined it…" Harry broke off, voice breaking into a weak cough.
Harry saw through an invisibility cloak? Sirius thought with some amount of bewilderment. Distractedly, he rubbed the child's back to alleviate his coughs. Either Harry was a disturbingly powerful wizard, or his clairvoyant abilities stretched far above the norm. The six year old was an enigma; Sirius had been surprised so many times that he was already numb against it.
"You're beginning to scare me," Sirius whispered under his breath, tone teasing.
Harry startled, blinking at him, obviously stunned. "I… I am? Sorry…"
"No, it's not that," Sirius said hastily, lightly ruffling Harry's hair. "It's just, you do really surprising things every now and then. Like when you figured out I was Padfoot, knew my name, saw Remus… How do you do all these things?"
"I don't know," Harry looked truly at a loss.
Sirius sighed inwardly, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. Go to sleep, you look tired."
"But…"
Sirius brushed back a few strands on the child's hair reassuringly at Harry's suddenly frightened expression. "Don't worry. I'm not going to go anywhere."
Harry made a small noise in the back of his throat that was lost in his shirt. Sirius grinned, arranging the thin cloak more snugly around his godson, letting him rest his head sleepily against his shoulder. They sat in a tranquil, comforting silence, with Sirius gently patting the child's back, lulling him into a soothing calm. Harry was still, his hand still stubbornly clutching Sirius' shirt sleeve, but his eyes were peacefully closed, his breathing even.
A white rat squeaked sleepily in the child's pocket.
*
Oh, since some people were wondering. In the last chapter, Harry passed the portrait of the fat lady and had a vision of the rat. Then he touched the frame and made it open without the password, and saw the animal on the chair. *dun dun dun!* Well, that's basically what happened...
I'm going to be gone all next week, so I'm trying to make it up by posting quickly. The next post will be Saturday or Sunday, and then, I'll vanish. Sorry about that!
Oh, there was something I should have cleared up earlier. WS takes place in mid to late May. Unfortunately, it was only mentioned once in the second chapter. Percy is still in school, although in classes, and that of course… *nudge nudge* That's why I had so much trouble in making Harry almost eight or almost seven, because there were really no other months to set the time in when the weather was good enough so that Harry could wander in the park, but early enough so that Hogwarts was still in session. Plus, the symbol of spring had an added bonus, but that's overdoing it…
Harry's creepy, isn't he? He's one of those kids who are naturally creepy and don't even know they are, like those insanely smart kids who just know everything without studying, and you just want to wring their necks for absorbing your brain cells? Don't worry, he's not going to grow up like this. It's just his illness. You know, when you get sick, things seem funny? When Harry gets sick, he's far less logical and relies on his instincts a lot more. It'll be explained later.
It's sort of strange though. Harry wanders over half a mile from the infirmary to Dumbledore's office, and still no one notices a little six year old kid wandering through the halls of Hogwarts. Well, maybe it's a double period and everyone was still in classes? There was no one in the common room since it was still class time. Humm…
¤Endriago Luna¤ *coughTsukiTatsucough* & Nicky, well, about the sequel, I can't tell you much! It'll ruin it for you. Umm... all I'm going to say is its really different from what I've written before in that it focuses on another emotion of the human condition which I never touched on before. That probably just made it even more confusing. Ack! I've been obsessed with the sequel, I started writing from chapter 2 on and couldn't stop. It's like a breath of fresh air compared to all the other fics since its so different from what I've tried before... well, not in the genre aspect. It's still action adventure angst drama with no romance, and tons of Harry torture... *sigh* but it... humm... its doesn't have to do with the resurrection of Voldie. Oh, Indiana Jones, Harry will have his first meeting with Snape in the sequel.
I'm glad you all liked Sirius and Remus conversation! (ack! Don't cry, Tarwen *offers tissues*) Eh, you reviewed last chapter, Nacasara? I didn't see you! Aww... your brother can't be that bad. Give him... a tissue box!
I'm flattered, Pantoulfe! Its great that you found time to read my story, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you very much!
Oh, wow, kaydee, that is the record longest review I've ever received! When I was scrolling up from the bottom of a review page and it took me thirty seconds to get to the beginning, I was thinking, yup, this is kaydee. Its great! Really fun to read and reply to. *grins* Ooo... on the subject of theories, I have this other one that's a bit far fetched. doesn't Ollivander sound like Olliander, the kind of flower? Its a really large, beautiful power whose center is poisonous, doesn't that sort of reflect on Ollivander's wands whose core is the power? Either Rowling as a really twisted sense of humor, or Mr. Olliavnder's in league with big bad Dumbledore. But then again, you could be right. Fawkes was the name someone else gave him... Ack!! PoM... I don't know why but that fic is giving me so many thumbscrews!! It shouldn't be that hard, but... *groan* I have the ending all perfectly planned out, but the middle is a bottleneck. *sigh* Humm... you're right, I do use ack a lot...
summer is great without summer schoo, rowan. You're so lucky!! Speaking of summer school... urg!! I have to read 150 pages by tomorrow 8:00 am! And I haven't even started... ack... gotta run. Thank you for all those great reviews!! I want to reply to them to badly, but... *tears hair out* someone lynch my political science teacher...
a/n Story dedicated to Moppet Poppet, Cheating Death's 500th reviewer!
I'm an idiot, I posted the wrong draft, again!! This is the second time too, but that was with PoM. There aren't that many changes, just bits and pieces. Sorry.
Of Western Stars
By neutral
Chapter twenty-six - of re-acquaintance yet again
Sirius found a smile tugging at his lips despite himself. Even though appearances had changed, his friend's blind optimism would never go away. "Always looking at the bright side of things, Moony. You never change, do you?"
Remus opened his mouth as if wanting to speak, but instead covered it with a grin. The conversation between the two was still sparse, but after five years of misunderstandings, it was expected. Remus' smile it faltered quickly.
"I made mistakes because of it though," Remus said finally. "I always suspected the Dursleys, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Look what happened."
"We both made mistakes," Sirius repeated firmly, an echo of his friend's earlier words to reiterate his point.
Remus shook his head. "Too many…" he murmured with a sigh. He leaned against the chair, quietly thoughtful, but gradually, a teasing glint made its way into his eyes. "I'm surprised the Dursleys were intact when I came the next morning. Knowing your temper, you probably would have set fire to the house or something similar."
"I wanted to. I really wanted to skin that piece of meat, but Harry was more important then…" Sirius trailed off, growing distant again.
During their conversation, Remus couldn't help but notice Sirius' disjointed thoughts and frequent lapses into silence. Azkaban must have affected him more than previously thought. It was subtle, but five years with dementors would torment anyone, even an innocent man. It must have been hell for someone like Sirius, who already begun to place some amount of blame on himself for his best friends' deaths. He seemed trapped under an unbearable load of guilt that he left himself sink into, that no amount of redemption would ever wash away. Remus averted his gaze, flinching inwardly but trying hard to keep the sadness from seeping into his face.
"You didn't do anything to them, did you?" Sirius suddenly asked, eyeing Remus skeptically.
Remus suddenly flushed. He cleared his throat nervously, "Not much…"
"Not much?" Sirius echoed. He leaned forward with a suspicious stare.
"I just… he said some things that made me angry," Remus admitted reluctantly. "I didn't mean to actually break his jaw though."
Sirius gaped, staggering back shock. It took a good half minute for him to recover, still visibly stunned.
"Moony, you've acquired quite a temper," Sirius said, looking quite pleased. "You punched two people in a week, and I was the one accused of murder?"
It was a wild attempt at turning a touchy subject into something humorous, but Remus sobered.
"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have hit you. I…"
Sirius waved it away indifferently. "If you could break that fat lard's jaw bone, I'm sure you would have been able to give me something more than a bruise. You were holding back."
Remus sighed, leaning against the armrest. "I don't know what I was thinking then…" he ran a hand through his hair; it was obvious he hadn't slept at all the night before.
"So what's going to happen now?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his tone nonchalant.
Remus' expression darkened even more. "The minister isn't… completely competent. He covered up your escape and nearly had a heart attack when Harry disappeared. We're afraid that he caught wind of Harry being found, and is hoping to use that as a stepping stone. He's going to frighten the child half to death, or get him ripped to pieces by reporters. If he finds that you're here as well, then…"
Although those words were spoken bitterly, Sirius' mouth twitched in an odd grin, "Maybe I should kidnap Harry again."
"Don't even consider it, Sirius," Remus muttered, smiling nonetheless. "Harry's condition isn't fit for excessive traveling. But he'll be moved to a secluded location before Fudge comes. We need to gain some support within the ministry in the meantime."
"When did life ever become so complicated?" Sirius grumbled, mostly to himself.
"Since we aged," Remus said. He averted his gaze to the floor, sighing inaudibly in thought. Abruptly, he smiled. "Padfoot, what did happen at Mrs. Figg's that day?"
At the change of topic, it took a while for Sirius to realize what he meant. He found an answering smile tugging at his lips, albeit sheepish.
"Oh, that," Sirius mumbled. "Harry tried to give Padfoot a bath."
Remus mockingly glared. "Tried? The garden was completely maimed. Harry was dead tired afterwards."
"Harry's ticklish," Sirius said simply. "And the shampoo smelled like flowers."
Remus despairingly shook his head. "I won't even ask."
Sirius sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted. He still had one true friend left. Although he knew they both restrained their subjects to only more fortunate memories of the past, maneuvering around the subject of Sirius' predicament, it was still a relief.
Sirius was too distracted to hear the portrait slide open a second time. But when loud, raspy breathing met his ears, he stilled. Sirius' position on the bed gave him a full view of the room, and he jumped the moment he saw the frame slide shut again.
The figure of a child was leaning heavily against the wall. Clouded emerald eyes blinked back at him from the shadows, swaying dangerously in his precarious position. In an instant, Sirius was kneeling beside him, steadying the six year old when he threatened to collapse. But Harry all but sagged against him like a boneless heap, half falling, half throwing himself against his godfather. His breath came in erratic gasps, and his entire body shook from stress and weariness. Sirius was alarmed by the cold sweat that seemed to have soaked through Harry's shirt, making him shiver from the chill. Instinctively, he slipped off the cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around the shivering child.
"Harry?" Sirius whispered incredulously. He brushed some thick strands of hair, plastered to the child's forehead, surprised.
Harry was suppose to be in the infirmary, sleeping. From what he heard from Remus, the sleeping potions that the child was drugged with should have kept him asleep until tonight. Madam Pomfrey, despite Dumbledore's request to move him to Sirius' guestroom, wanted to keep Harry for the day for observation in case his condition worsened. Harry's recent injuries were only partially healed, and the nurse didn't want to risk it being aggravated. Having the child suddenly burst into his room gave Sirius some amount of shock and confusion.
Harry lifted his head with obvious effort, giving Sirius an ecstatic smile before falling against him again. He seemed to be too tired to speak, and his limbs hung lifelessly when Sirius lifted him. He tugged the sheet lose and fit it snugly around the small form. Harry hung in a sort of exhausted unconsciousness as Sirius leaned him in the divan and knelt beside him. The child made no response when Sirius tapped him lightly on the arm.
"Harry?" Sirius asked gently.
Harry uttered a soft moan, shifting feebly. He seemed too wasted to even turn his head.
Sirius chewed his lip worriedly, rubbing the thin arms to warm the shivering boy. "Harry, how did you get here?"
"Walked," Harry murmured softly. His words were slurred and thick in his throat.
"What?" Sirius sharply asked. Despite the mended bones, Harry's bruised frame still wasn't able to sustain the strain of walking. He held the child at arm's length, examining him worriedly. "How? You weren't suppose to be moving!"
Harry slowly looked up, eyes glazed with weariness. "You're angry?" he asked apprehensively, tensing reflexively but too drained to move much more than his head.
Sirius sighed, running his fingers through Harry's hair soothingly. It was impossible to be exasperated against someone so timid, naïve, and innocent no matter how ridiculous his actions were.
"No," Sirius murmured, tilting his head to one side to peer him. Harry's bangs were plastered to his forehead with perspiration, appearance so washed out that he seemed ghastly. Sirius dabbed at the child's face with his sleeve, concerned. "I'm just surprised, that's all. How? Weren't you tired?"
Harry nodded jerkily, dropping his head on the armrest. Sirius moved to sit beside him on the divan, easing him from the awkward position and letting the child rest his head on his shoulder. Harry walked from the infirmary? That must have been nearly impossible with the recently healed injuries; it must have cost him over an hour of unbearable pain. Sirius chewed his lip guiltily; the child must have been so terrified and confused when he woke up alone. He should have fought against harder Madam Pomfrey.
"How did you find your way?" Sirius asked quietly. "Hogwarts is huge. How did you manage?"
Harry shifted, glancing Sirius groggily with a half open eye, the other still hidden against the shirt. "Don't know," he admitted wearily, dropping his head as the endeavor of keeping it upright became too tiring.
"But you need a password to cross the door," Sirius said, perplexed. "How did you pass the gargoyle?"
Harry shrugged slightly, "It moved by itself."
Sirius' hand tensed convulsively around the child, and he bent to examine his face. Harry was so drained that he dropped his head against Sirius' arm, entire body slackening flaccidly.
How could the statue move by itself? Dumbledore guarded his office with countless protection charms, it would be impossible for Voldermort to even bypass it without triggering the wards. Unless the headmaster preset the gargoyle to recognize the boy, it would be impossible.
Sirius frowned slightly as he watched him. He should probably call Dumbledore and ask, or at least inform him that Harry escaped from the infirmary. But that would mean they'd take the child away again, and he was reluctant. He would wait a bit, let Harry rest, and then wait until Remus returned before he told them what happened.
Harry shifted feebly, grip loosening on his sleeve, and sliding away to leave pale red stains on his shirt.
"Oh god, Harry, your…" Sirius broke off abruptly when he gently lifted the child's small hands. Harry's palm was laced with countless shallow scratches, raw and bleeding. He pressed an edge of the blanket against it lightly; the child didn't even flinch. "What were you doing? What did you think you were doing?" he said haltingly, feeling his stomach clinch.
Harry abruptly tensed; Sirius could feel his arm stiffen uncomfortably and a tremor run through his slight frame.
"I thought you left… those people said you were guilty," Harry whispered, sounding close to tears at the extent his voice shook and broke. "I thought they took you away."
That statement drove all the previous questions and confusions of Harry's appearance away. Sirius gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, wary of the numerous scrapes and gashes. He couldn't imagine the kind of blow Harry had suffered, when two people seemingly appeared through thin air and all turned their wands on him. He knew how sensitive the child was to any raised voice, especially during his agonizingly slow recovery. Harry must have been petrified.
"Don't worry. Everything's fine now," Sirius said as reassuringly as he could. "They know I'm innocent, and they know what happened. They're going to try to work everything out."
"That lady tried to hurt you!" Harry choked out in frustration, huddling against the divan in a shivering ball. He buried his head against his knees in an action that was aimed to hide his face.
Harry seemed terrified at the memory. Sirius paused, unable to meet the child's eyes. The six year olds attachment to his godfather sneaked up on them so suddenly that it caught them both by surprise; Sirius was torn between guilt and relief at the thought. He drew the child in an reassuring embrace, slinging an arm around the thin shoulders and resting his chin lightly over the unruly hair.
"She was just upset, and so was Remus. They're really good people," Sirius explained softly. He rubbed the frighteningly thin child's back calmingly in an action that soothed them both. Another memory slowly made his way to the surface of his mind, and he looked down at the top of Harry's head curiously. "How did you know Remus was there?"
"I… I'm not sure," Harry murmured, words slightly muffled against his shirt. He was still trembling from his earlier outburst, and had to take several unsteady breaths before he could speak again. "I thought there was something in the room, like when Padfoot, you were hiding in the park. Then there was a… silver thing, and he was under it. But it was so fast, I thought I imagined it…" Harry broke off, voice breaking into a weak cough.
Harry saw through an invisibility cloak? Sirius thought with some amount of bewilderment. Distractedly, he rubbed the child's back to alleviate his coughs. Either Harry was a disturbingly powerful wizard, or his clairvoyant abilities stretched far above the norm. The six year old was an enigma; Sirius had been surprised so many times that he was already numb against it.
"You're beginning to scare me," Sirius whispered under his breath, tone teasing.
Harry startled, blinking at him, obviously stunned. "I… I am? Sorry…"
"No, it's not that," Sirius said hastily, lightly ruffling Harry's hair. "It's just, you do really surprising things every now and then. Like when you figured out I was Padfoot, knew my name, saw Remus… How do you do all these things?"
"I don't know," Harry looked truly at a loss.
Sirius sighed inwardly, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. Go to sleep, you look tired."
"But…"
Sirius brushed back a few strands on the child's hair reassuringly at Harry's suddenly frightened expression. "Don't worry. I'm not going to go anywhere."
Harry made a small noise in the back of his throat that was lost in his shirt. Sirius grinned, arranging the thin cloak more snugly around his godson, letting him rest his head sleepily against his shoulder. They sat in a tranquil, comforting silence, with Sirius gently patting the child's back, lulling him into a soothing calm. Harry was still, his hand still stubbornly clutching Sirius' shirt sleeve, but his eyes were peacefully closed, his breathing even.
A white rat squeaked sleepily in the child's pocket.
*
Oh, since some people were wondering. In the last chapter, Harry passed the portrait of the fat lady and had a vision of the rat. Then he touched the frame and made it open without the password, and saw the animal on the chair. *dun dun dun!* Well, that's basically what happened...
I'm going to be gone all next week, so I'm trying to make it up by posting quickly. The next post will be Saturday or Sunday, and then, I'll vanish. Sorry about that!
Oh, there was something I should have cleared up earlier. WS takes place in mid to late May. Unfortunately, it was only mentioned once in the second chapter. Percy is still in school, although in classes, and that of course… *nudge nudge* That's why I had so much trouble in making Harry almost eight or almost seven, because there were really no other months to set the time in when the weather was good enough so that Harry could wander in the park, but early enough so that Hogwarts was still in session. Plus, the symbol of spring had an added bonus, but that's overdoing it…
Harry's creepy, isn't he? He's one of those kids who are naturally creepy and don't even know they are, like those insanely smart kids who just know everything without studying, and you just want to wring their necks for absorbing your brain cells? Don't worry, he's not going to grow up like this. It's just his illness. You know, when you get sick, things seem funny? When Harry gets sick, he's far less logical and relies on his instincts a lot more. It'll be explained later.
It's sort of strange though. Harry wanders over half a mile from the infirmary to Dumbledore's office, and still no one notices a little six year old kid wandering through the halls of Hogwarts. Well, maybe it's a double period and everyone was still in classes? There was no one in the common room since it was still class time. Humm…
¤Endriago Luna¤ *coughTsukiTatsucough* & Nicky, well, about the sequel, I can't tell you much! It'll ruin it for you. Umm... all I'm going to say is its really different from what I've written before in that it focuses on another emotion of the human condition which I never touched on before. That probably just made it even more confusing. Ack! I've been obsessed with the sequel, I started writing from chapter 2 on and couldn't stop. It's like a breath of fresh air compared to all the other fics since its so different from what I've tried before... well, not in the genre aspect. It's still action adventure angst drama with no romance, and tons of Harry torture... *sigh* but it... humm... its doesn't have to do with the resurrection of Voldie. Oh, Indiana Jones, Harry will have his first meeting with Snape in the sequel.
I'm glad you all liked Sirius and Remus conversation! (ack! Don't cry, Tarwen *offers tissues*) Eh, you reviewed last chapter, Nacasara? I didn't see you! Aww... your brother can't be that bad. Give him... a tissue box!
I'm flattered, Pantoulfe! Its great that you found time to read my story, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you very much!
Oh, wow, kaydee, that is the record longest review I've ever received! When I was scrolling up from the bottom of a review page and it took me thirty seconds to get to the beginning, I was thinking, yup, this is kaydee. Its great! Really fun to read and reply to. *grins* Ooo... on the subject of theories, I have this other one that's a bit far fetched. doesn't Ollivander sound like Olliander, the kind of flower? Its a really large, beautiful power whose center is poisonous, doesn't that sort of reflect on Ollivander's wands whose core is the power? Either Rowling as a really twisted sense of humor, or Mr. Olliavnder's in league with big bad Dumbledore. But then again, you could be right. Fawkes was the name someone else gave him... Ack!! PoM... I don't know why but that fic is giving me so many thumbscrews!! It shouldn't be that hard, but... *groan* I have the ending all perfectly planned out, but the middle is a bottleneck. *sigh* Humm... you're right, I do use ack a lot...
summer is great without summer schoo, rowan. You're so lucky!! Speaking of summer school... urg!! I have to read 150 pages by tomorrow 8:00 am! And I haven't even started... ack... gotta run. Thank you for all those great reviews!! I want to reply to them to badly, but... *tears hair out* someone lynch my political science teacher...