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When Harry woke up he knew something had changed, he couldn't pint-point why he felt strange, he was much to comfortable and sleepy to think about it. He tried to get back to sleep, but the feeling wouldn't go away so finally he decided he should wake up, even if it was for a little while. The instant he opened his eyes and his mind began to work properly, the images and memories that had been assaulting him for a long time were there again. Suddenly the warmth and comfort he had been feeling were replaced by fear, cold and guilt. He felt lost, alone, and then he did the only thing he could think, he started to cry. Some part of his mind, the one that still belonged to his fourteen year old was struggling desperately to regain control of his emotions but to no avail, he discovered he was no longer in control. He continued to cry as he had never done before. When he had been at the Dursleys he had never been allowed to cry, only doing so sometimes in his cupboard, but that had always been a quiet affair, never had he cried like this. He continued wailing at the top of his lungs, trying to drive out all the hurt and frustration, all his anger and fear he had kept inside for so long.
Sirius was just walking out of his room, where he had gone to get one of his books, when a strange sound reached him. At first he was startled at the sound, not being able to recognise it, but then realisation hit him full force. It was the sound of a crying child. It was the sound of Harry crying. Without a second thought he stormed down the stairs and entered the living room, where he had left Harry. His godson was sitting up on the couch, the blanket that had been covering him had slid to the ground. Harry's childish face was already red from crying and a stream of tears was flowing down his checks from his closed eyes. Carefully, Sirius walked to the couch and gently, trying not to startle the kid, picked him up. Harry closed his mouth abruptly, trying to stifle the sobs that still racked his body. Sirius looked down on him and his eyes met with a Harry's big ones. He could see they were filled with fear, fear for him. The man was confused, he couldn't understand why Harry was afraid of him, he hadn't done nothing to upset the child as far as he knew. He had only picked him up... Realisation dawned on his mind, he didn't know for sure, but he could bet the Dursleys had never allowed Harry to be loud, probably including crying. Pushing down his annoyance towards those muggles, Sirius sat down in an armchair and gently pulled Harry towards his chest, letting the child's head rest on his shoulder.
Softly, Sirius whispered into Harry's ear. "Come on, little one, cry as much as you want, you don't need to be afraid, never again will anyone shout at you for crying."
Harry didn't need to be told twice, burying his head in Sirius's neck he began to cry again, his whole body shaking in his godfather's arms. Sirius held him closer, making comforting sounds and rubbing his back gently.
Nearly an hour later Sirius's shirt was soaked, but Harry didn't seem to want to stop, his voice was now hoarse and he was now lying limply against his godfather, his strength long gone, yet the tears kept coming steadily. Sirius was becoming worried, he knew he had to get Harry to calm down, but nothing seemed to be working, no matter what he said he was not able to get his godson to quiet down. He also had to be carefully with what he said, he didn't want Harry to think again that he was not allowed to cry. The sound of the front door opening, drew his attention away from the child. With Harry securely nestled in his arms, he stood up and went to out to the hall, where Remus was just putting his drenched coat away. The werewolf looked up a little startled. He looked them over and quickly made his way towards them.
Softly he asked. "What's wrong?"
Sirius shrugged softly. "I'm not sure, but I can guess."
Remus nodded in understanding, the memories had probably caught up with the child. "How long has he been at it?"
Sirius shifted Harry so he was supporting him with only one arm and looked at his watch. "It's been nearly an hour since he started crying."
Remus's eyes widened and he became even more concerned. Swiftly he turned around and walked to the front door where he had dropped the things he had bought. Sirius watched him while he rummaged through the things and finally saw him stand up, a cute gryffindor lion clutched in one hand. For a while Sirius looked disbelieving from the toy Remus had handed him to his friend.
Lupin shrugged, mildly amused at Sirius's confusion. "Try calming him down with it Padfoot, maybe it will work."
With a last glance to his smiling friend, Sirius turned around and walked back to the living room, Harry still clutched in his arms. Sitting down, he put the toy down at his side and then carefully started to untangle Harry's arms from his neck, making the kid cry louder in protest. Finally he was able to sit Harry in his lap, supporting him with one arm while he took the lion with the other.
Softly he nudged his godson. "Hey, Kido, look what I have here."
Sirius was feeling a little embarrassed, he needed to remember his godson was not longer fourteen. Gently he kept coaxing the child till he finally opened his eyes and looked at the toy. For a few moments, Sirius thought it wasn't going to work, but then Harry began to stop crying.
Harry's first urge when he saw the toy was to demand from Sirius why on earth he was giving it to him. While that thought played through his mind, he didn't stop crying, but then it was overruled and the realisation that the lion was cute began to fill his mind, making him stop his wailing. He looked tentatively up at Sirius, he knew very well he was not allowed to touch any toys, but he was no longer with the Dursleys and his godfather looked like he wanted him to pick up the toy.
Understanding his godson's train of thought, Sirius smiled gently and reassuringly down at him, and drew the lion closer. "Here Harry, don't you want to take it? It's yours."
Harry looked once again at the toy and tentatively stretched one of his small arms to it, softly stroking his fur. When the shouts he had been expecting didn't come, he took the toy into his arms, clutching it tightly against his chest.
Sirius watched pleased how Harry hugged the toy, he would have never guessed that a simple toy would have been able to calm his godson down. Yet he noticed Harry was now clutching the toy with one arm while the other still held his robe tightly, as if the kid was afraid he would disappear. With a small smile, Sirius relaxed into the chair, hugging Harry close to him.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.
Free.
When Harry woke up he knew something had changed, he couldn't pint-point why he felt strange, he was much to comfortable and sleepy to think about it. He tried to get back to sleep, but the feeling wouldn't go away so finally he decided he should wake up, even if it was for a little while. The instant he opened his eyes and his mind began to work properly, the images and memories that had been assaulting him for a long time were there again. Suddenly the warmth and comfort he had been feeling were replaced by fear, cold and guilt. He felt lost, alone, and then he did the only thing he could think, he started to cry. Some part of his mind, the one that still belonged to his fourteen year old was struggling desperately to regain control of his emotions but to no avail, he discovered he was no longer in control. He continued to cry as he had never done before. When he had been at the Dursleys he had never been allowed to cry, only doing so sometimes in his cupboard, but that had always been a quiet affair, never had he cried like this. He continued wailing at the top of his lungs, trying to drive out all the hurt and frustration, all his anger and fear he had kept inside for so long.
Sirius was just walking out of his room, where he had gone to get one of his books, when a strange sound reached him. At first he was startled at the sound, not being able to recognise it, but then realisation hit him full force. It was the sound of a crying child. It was the sound of Harry crying. Without a second thought he stormed down the stairs and entered the living room, where he had left Harry. His godson was sitting up on the couch, the blanket that had been covering him had slid to the ground. Harry's childish face was already red from crying and a stream of tears was flowing down his checks from his closed eyes. Carefully, Sirius walked to the couch and gently, trying not to startle the kid, picked him up. Harry closed his mouth abruptly, trying to stifle the sobs that still racked his body. Sirius looked down on him and his eyes met with a Harry's big ones. He could see they were filled with fear, fear for him. The man was confused, he couldn't understand why Harry was afraid of him, he hadn't done nothing to upset the child as far as he knew. He had only picked him up... Realisation dawned on his mind, he didn't know for sure, but he could bet the Dursleys had never allowed Harry to be loud, probably including crying. Pushing down his annoyance towards those muggles, Sirius sat down in an armchair and gently pulled Harry towards his chest, letting the child's head rest on his shoulder.
Softly, Sirius whispered into Harry's ear. "Come on, little one, cry as much as you want, you don't need to be afraid, never again will anyone shout at you for crying."
Harry didn't need to be told twice, burying his head in Sirius's neck he began to cry again, his whole body shaking in his godfather's arms. Sirius held him closer, making comforting sounds and rubbing his back gently.
Nearly an hour later Sirius's shirt was soaked, but Harry didn't seem to want to stop, his voice was now hoarse and he was now lying limply against his godfather, his strength long gone, yet the tears kept coming steadily. Sirius was becoming worried, he knew he had to get Harry to calm down, but nothing seemed to be working, no matter what he said he was not able to get his godson to quiet down. He also had to be carefully with what he said, he didn't want Harry to think again that he was not allowed to cry. The sound of the front door opening, drew his attention away from the child. With Harry securely nestled in his arms, he stood up and went to out to the hall, where Remus was just putting his drenched coat away. The werewolf looked up a little startled. He looked them over and quickly made his way towards them.
Softly he asked. "What's wrong?"
Sirius shrugged softly. "I'm not sure, but I can guess."
Remus nodded in understanding, the memories had probably caught up with the child. "How long has he been at it?"
Sirius shifted Harry so he was supporting him with only one arm and looked at his watch. "It's been nearly an hour since he started crying."
Remus's eyes widened and he became even more concerned. Swiftly he turned around and walked to the front door where he had dropped the things he had bought. Sirius watched him while he rummaged through the things and finally saw him stand up, a cute gryffindor lion clutched in one hand. For a while Sirius looked disbelieving from the toy Remus had handed him to his friend.
Lupin shrugged, mildly amused at Sirius's confusion. "Try calming him down with it Padfoot, maybe it will work."
With a last glance to his smiling friend, Sirius turned around and walked back to the living room, Harry still clutched in his arms. Sitting down, he put the toy down at his side and then carefully started to untangle Harry's arms from his neck, making the kid cry louder in protest. Finally he was able to sit Harry in his lap, supporting him with one arm while he took the lion with the other.
Softly he nudged his godson. "Hey, Kido, look what I have here."
Sirius was feeling a little embarrassed, he needed to remember his godson was not longer fourteen. Gently he kept coaxing the child till he finally opened his eyes and looked at the toy. For a few moments, Sirius thought it wasn't going to work, but then Harry began to stop crying.
Harry's first urge when he saw the toy was to demand from Sirius why on earth he was giving it to him. While that thought played through his mind, he didn't stop crying, but then it was overruled and the realisation that the lion was cute began to fill his mind, making him stop his wailing. He looked tentatively up at Sirius, he knew very well he was not allowed to touch any toys, but he was no longer with the Dursleys and his godfather looked like he wanted him to pick up the toy.
Understanding his godson's train of thought, Sirius smiled gently and reassuringly down at him, and drew the lion closer. "Here Harry, don't you want to take it? It's yours."
Harry looked once again at the toy and tentatively stretched one of his small arms to it, softly stroking his fur. When the shouts he had been expecting didn't come, he took the toy into his arms, clutching it tightly against his chest.
Sirius watched pleased how Harry hugged the toy, he would have never guessed that a simple toy would have been able to calm his godson down. Yet he noticed Harry was now clutching the toy with one arm while the other still held his robe tightly, as if the kid was afraid he would disappear. With a small smile, Sirius relaxed into the chair, hugging Harry close to him.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.