Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Free.
After Dumbledore left, Sirius stood up, Harry still cradled tightly against his chest He took some clean clothes out of a dresser, and then he looked at Harry. The child's face was still sweaty; his green eyes were shinning brightly from the tears. Brushing some hair from his godson's eyes, he smiled gently at him. "Come on, Harry, let's get you cleaned up."
The child nodded slightly and put his free arm around Sirius's neck while the man carried him out of the room and into the bathroom.
Sirius sat him on the toilet, and began to draw a bath, making sure it would not be too warm. When the man turned to Harry again, he saw his godson curled up against the wall, with his knees against his chest and his head buried hi knees. Silently he walked over to the slight form of the kid and knelt in front of him.
"Harry." The child looked up, leaning his chin on his knees. "The bath is ready."
Then his godfather put him on his feet on the toilet and lifted the top of his pyjamas from his small body, starting to undress him. The last time that had happened, Harry had felt embarrassed. Now it only felt natural and even his fourteen year old mind kept quiet, relishing in his godfathers gentle touch.
Sirius carefully lowered Harry into the warm water and started to gently wash him up. First he washed Harry's messy hair with the shampoo Remus had bought. When he was cleaning out the soap, some of it entered Harry's eyes, making the kid gasp and close them tightly.
Sirius was immediately concerned since he hadn't seen what had happened. "Harry, what's wrong?"
The child whimpered a little. "There's soap in my eyes."
Sirius sat there, unsure of what he should be doing. "Sirius!" Some tears began to fall down his closed eyes and Sirius snapped out of it. Taking a clean washcloth he put it under the spray of warm water and then gently moved Harry's head to him. Carefully he began to clean Harry's face. Once he was finished, he took a cup and filled it with water.
"Harry, please, open your eyes."
His godson obeyed and his eyelashes fluttered open, but then closed again abruptly.
"It hurts."
Sirius caressed his check and comfortingly said. "I know, I'm sorry, but if I don't get the soap out of your eyes it won't stop hurting."
Harry sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Sirius quickly but carefully poured some of the water into his sensitive eyes, making the boy grimace. "There, done. Is it better now?"
Harry blinked a few times and then nodded his head.
"Yeah, thanks."
Sirius nodded and once again set to clean Harry's hair, this time taking extra care that none of the soap went into the child's eyes. Ten minutes later, Harry was cleaned up and Sirius gave him a plastic hippogriff that had been enchanted to swim through the tub. Harry looked at it but didn't move to touch it.
"Don't you want to play, Harry?"
His godson looked at him questioningly. "Am I allowed?"
An annoyed flash passed through Sirius's eyes and he wondered once more what those stupid muggles had done to his godson, it was not natural that Harry asked every time if he was allowed to play. Sirius turned Harry's head to him and looked at him intently. "Harry, why do you think you're not allowed to play?"
Harry titled his head to one side, returning his gaze thoughtfully. "Aunt Petunia always said freaks didn't have a right to play with normal toys. She always shouted at me and slapped me on the head if I ever touched Dudley's toys."
Repressing his anger, Sirius put a gentle hand on Harry's head. "Harry, you're not a freak, you're just a child and, as such, you're allowed to play. Remus and I bought you all these toys so you could enjoy them, they are yours, ok?"
Harry thought about it for a while and then nodded. Some time later, squeals of laughter could be heard through the closed door. Harry had finally found out the joys of playing and was having a wonderful time. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't share his enthusiasm anymore, but that was probably due to the fact Harry had left the hippogriff swimming around and had discovered that soaking his godfather was much more fun. Sirius allowed him to play until the water was cold. The he resolutely picked the child up and wrapped him in a fluffy towel, making him squirm. He dried him off, then put his clothes on. Then he waved his wand, cleaning up the mess his godson had made. Taking Harry's hand they went downstairs, where Moony had finished making lunch.
Harry hopped onto a chair, Sirius sitting next to him and Remus gave them the plates full of food. Harry saw that his old professor had put less food on his plate and was happy about it, he still wasn't really hungry. Sirius also noticed and frowned at his friend. Catching his gaze, the werewolf shrugged and sat down, answering the silent question. "He's a five-year- old, Padfoot. You can't expect him to eat as much as a teenager. That is more than enough for him."
Sirius nodded, still a little unsure, and proceeded to help Harry cut the meat, unwilling to let the boy handle a sharp knife. Harry gave him a slight frown. The Dursley's had never done this for him. They didn't care if he hurt himself while eating, so he had learned at an early age how to properly use a knife. He tried to tell Sirius that but his only answer was that five-year-olds shouldn't handle sharp objects and that there was no way he was allowing him to take a chance to hurt himself.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and specially thanks to my new beta reader, LAHoney.
Free.
After Dumbledore left, Sirius stood up, Harry still cradled tightly against his chest He took some clean clothes out of a dresser, and then he looked at Harry. The child's face was still sweaty; his green eyes were shinning brightly from the tears. Brushing some hair from his godson's eyes, he smiled gently at him. "Come on, Harry, let's get you cleaned up."
The child nodded slightly and put his free arm around Sirius's neck while the man carried him out of the room and into the bathroom.
Sirius sat him on the toilet, and began to draw a bath, making sure it would not be too warm. When the man turned to Harry again, he saw his godson curled up against the wall, with his knees against his chest and his head buried hi knees. Silently he walked over to the slight form of the kid and knelt in front of him.
"Harry." The child looked up, leaning his chin on his knees. "The bath is ready."
Then his godfather put him on his feet on the toilet and lifted the top of his pyjamas from his small body, starting to undress him. The last time that had happened, Harry had felt embarrassed. Now it only felt natural and even his fourteen year old mind kept quiet, relishing in his godfathers gentle touch.
Sirius carefully lowered Harry into the warm water and started to gently wash him up. First he washed Harry's messy hair with the shampoo Remus had bought. When he was cleaning out the soap, some of it entered Harry's eyes, making the kid gasp and close them tightly.
Sirius was immediately concerned since he hadn't seen what had happened. "Harry, what's wrong?"
The child whimpered a little. "There's soap in my eyes."
Sirius sat there, unsure of what he should be doing. "Sirius!" Some tears began to fall down his closed eyes and Sirius snapped out of it. Taking a clean washcloth he put it under the spray of warm water and then gently moved Harry's head to him. Carefully he began to clean Harry's face. Once he was finished, he took a cup and filled it with water.
"Harry, please, open your eyes."
His godson obeyed and his eyelashes fluttered open, but then closed again abruptly.
"It hurts."
Sirius caressed his check and comfortingly said. "I know, I'm sorry, but if I don't get the soap out of your eyes it won't stop hurting."
Harry sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Sirius quickly but carefully poured some of the water into his sensitive eyes, making the boy grimace. "There, done. Is it better now?"
Harry blinked a few times and then nodded his head.
"Yeah, thanks."
Sirius nodded and once again set to clean Harry's hair, this time taking extra care that none of the soap went into the child's eyes. Ten minutes later, Harry was cleaned up and Sirius gave him a plastic hippogriff that had been enchanted to swim through the tub. Harry looked at it but didn't move to touch it.
"Don't you want to play, Harry?"
His godson looked at him questioningly. "Am I allowed?"
An annoyed flash passed through Sirius's eyes and he wondered once more what those stupid muggles had done to his godson, it was not natural that Harry asked every time if he was allowed to play. Sirius turned Harry's head to him and looked at him intently. "Harry, why do you think you're not allowed to play?"
Harry titled his head to one side, returning his gaze thoughtfully. "Aunt Petunia always said freaks didn't have a right to play with normal toys. She always shouted at me and slapped me on the head if I ever touched Dudley's toys."
Repressing his anger, Sirius put a gentle hand on Harry's head. "Harry, you're not a freak, you're just a child and, as such, you're allowed to play. Remus and I bought you all these toys so you could enjoy them, they are yours, ok?"
Harry thought about it for a while and then nodded. Some time later, squeals of laughter could be heard through the closed door. Harry had finally found out the joys of playing and was having a wonderful time. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't share his enthusiasm anymore, but that was probably due to the fact Harry had left the hippogriff swimming around and had discovered that soaking his godfather was much more fun. Sirius allowed him to play until the water was cold. The he resolutely picked the child up and wrapped him in a fluffy towel, making him squirm. He dried him off, then put his clothes on. Then he waved his wand, cleaning up the mess his godson had made. Taking Harry's hand they went downstairs, where Moony had finished making lunch.
Harry hopped onto a chair, Sirius sitting next to him and Remus gave them the plates full of food. Harry saw that his old professor had put less food on his plate and was happy about it, he still wasn't really hungry. Sirius also noticed and frowned at his friend. Catching his gaze, the werewolf shrugged and sat down, answering the silent question. "He's a five-year- old, Padfoot. You can't expect him to eat as much as a teenager. That is more than enough for him."
Sirius nodded, still a little unsure, and proceeded to help Harry cut the meat, unwilling to let the boy handle a sharp knife. Harry gave him a slight frown. The Dursley's had never done this for him. They didn't care if he hurt himself while eating, so he had learned at an early age how to properly use a knife. He tried to tell Sirius that but his only answer was that five-year-olds shouldn't handle sharp objects and that there was no way he was allowing him to take a chance to hurt himself.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and specially thanks to my new beta reader, LAHoney.