Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Dangers In The Past:
Sirius entered the dimmed room once again. It was now a few hours past lunch and Harry hadn't even stirred. He was becoming worried. Remus was off to teach one of his classes and had left him alone to watch over the boy.
A soft knock startled him from his pacing. "Come in."
The door opened and Dumbledore came in. "Hello, Ryan."
"Hello, headmaster."
"I noticed you and Daniel were not at lunch and wondered if something was wrong."
Sirius sighed and sat down in one of the armchairs. Dumbledore took a place in front of him. "Harry has not awakened yet, and I'm getting worried. I knew he was tired, but I hadn't realised it was this bad."
Dumbledore looked concerned. "Maybe we should ask for Madam Pomfrey to have a look at him?"
Sirius nodded and watched as the headmaster walked to the fire and summoned the nurse. She was there a few minutes later, her wand ready in her hand. Sirius led his two companions to his godson's room. Harry was silently laying in the large bed covered up to his chin with a red blanket. Godric was perched on the headboard, sleeping, just like his master was. Echo and Derek had left, most likely to get something to eat since they had stayed with Harry nearly all night. Madam Pomfrey immediately rushed to his side and began muttering spells. It took her about ten minutes before she rejoined Sirius and Dumbledore at the head of the bed.
"Well, as far as I can tell he's more or less ok, just exhausted. He still has a few of the after effects of the Cruciatus curse on him, but they are slowly diminishing while he sleeps."
Sirius frowned in confusion. "The Cruciatus?"
Dumbledore turned to him and nodded. "Wormtail put him under it yesterday. It didn't seem to have much effect on him, though."
Sirius cursed in his mind. He hadn't even noticed. He'd been too focussed on the Death Eater he'd been watching, and then on Wormtail, to notice his godson was in pain. He also was slightly annoyed with Harry. Why did the boy always have to put up that brave facade of his? It was really difficult to look through it and Sirius was sure he had been fooled more than once. He shook his head and turned to Madam Pomfrey. "What should we do?"
The nurse smiled gently at him. "Just let him sleep it off. I think he'll wake up tomorrow, but if he doesn't, call me. I'll also be sending you some more potion. Make him drink it and keep him in bed at least until Friday."
Sirius nodded. "Ok, and thanks."
"You're welcome. I'll see you later."
She left the room and Dumbledore followed her out, reminding Sirius that if he needed something he only had to call. Sirius closed the door after them and sat down. He knew there was nothing he could do but wait.
A soft sound woke Harry up. He could hear Godric singing softly from somewhere above his head. He was feeling better than he had before and briefly wondered how long he had been sleeping. He felt too rested for it to have been only a few hours. Stretching his sore muscles, he sat up. The Cruciatus had left him stiff and more worn out than he had felt for a long time. Remembering his promise to Dumbledore, he laid back down, knowing Sirius would throw a fit if he disobeyed the headmaster. He turned to his side and looked at the still singing Godric. The bird flew down and landed next to him. As Harry petted his soft, warm feathers and he felt comforted by his presence. The pain that ached his body left. A soft sound made him turn around and he saw Sirius standing at the door, wearing a concerned look. With a few strides, his godfather was at his side and had gathered him in a strong hug.
"Harry, are you alright?"
Harry relaxed in the embrace. "I'm fine, Sirius, no need to worry."
Sirius backed away a little, still keeping his arms around his godson and looked at him incredulously. "You sleep for nearly two days and then tell me not to be worried? Sorry, kid, but I can't do that."
Harry blushed a little. "Sorry, I hadn't realised I had slept that long."
Sirius shook his head, finally a small smile coming to his lips. "That's alright, but I suppose you know what that means?"
Harry looked at him wearily. "That means I'll be staying cooped up in my room until you or Madam Pomfrey says I'm okay to go."
Sirius nodded. "Yes, but if you're good, I'll make you a bed in the living room and you can stay there."
Harry immediately perked up and he looked at his godfather pleadingly. "Please?"
Sirius laughed and put his hands up. "Ok, ok, you stay in here and I'll make up the couch. Then I'll call the house-elves to bring you something to eat."
Harry smiled and nodded. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. Sirius returned shortly and picked him up. Harry considered protesting, but didn't want to risk it. He didn't want to stay closed in his room any longer than necessary. After Sirius had tucked him in, he handed him a tray full of food and sat down.
When Harry was halfway through his meal, Sirius finally spoke. "Dumbledore told me you don't want to go back to the future, even if it's for a little while."
Harry lowered his fork and looked down.
"Is it because you want to be here with your parents?"
"Well, that's part of it. I guess I'm afraid he will send me… there."
Sirius frowned in confusion. "There? Where, Harry?"
Harry answered in a small voice. "The Dursleys."
"Oh, Harry, Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
Harry looked up sharply. "Why not? You won't be there and neither will Remus! Dumbledore always insists that I stay with them." After a short silence he spoke again with a small, subdued voice. "I don't think I could take it this time with everything that's happened."
Sirius didn't answer, instead, he stood up and took the tray from his godson's lap and put it on the table. Then he picked the boy up from the couch like he was a small child and sat him on his lap, wrapping his arms around him. Harry snuggled closer, putting his head on his godfather's shoulder.
"Listen, Kido. I don't know exactly what reasons were for Dumbledore sending you to those muggles, but I know it had something to do with Voldemort. Now that he's gone, I don't think there's any reason for you to have to stay with your relatives if you don't want to. I'm rather sure Dumbledore would want to keep you close to him at Hogwarts if you went back."
Harry thought about it for a while, but then nodded. "I guess, but I still prefer staying here with you, even if you're annoying sometimes."
Sirius laughed softly and gently ruffled Harry's hair. "It's not that I'm not happy to have you here, Harry, I'm just worried this will be too much for you right now. You've already gone through so much."
Harry snuggled closer against Sirius's chest and looked intensely at the fire. "Sirius, I'm not made of glass, I can take it."
Sirius's reply was rather dry. "If you were made of glass, Harry, I would have had to gather the shards a long time ago."
Harry frowned. "That's not funny."
Sirius looked at him intensely. "No, but it's the truth."
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. And thanks to my beta readers Gates and Tanya.
Dangers In The Past:
Sirius entered the dimmed room once again. It was now a few hours past lunch and Harry hadn't even stirred. He was becoming worried. Remus was off to teach one of his classes and had left him alone to watch over the boy.
A soft knock startled him from his pacing. "Come in."
The door opened and Dumbledore came in. "Hello, Ryan."
"Hello, headmaster."
"I noticed you and Daniel were not at lunch and wondered if something was wrong."
Sirius sighed and sat down in one of the armchairs. Dumbledore took a place in front of him. "Harry has not awakened yet, and I'm getting worried. I knew he was tired, but I hadn't realised it was this bad."
Dumbledore looked concerned. "Maybe we should ask for Madam Pomfrey to have a look at him?"
Sirius nodded and watched as the headmaster walked to the fire and summoned the nurse. She was there a few minutes later, her wand ready in her hand. Sirius led his two companions to his godson's room. Harry was silently laying in the large bed covered up to his chin with a red blanket. Godric was perched on the headboard, sleeping, just like his master was. Echo and Derek had left, most likely to get something to eat since they had stayed with Harry nearly all night. Madam Pomfrey immediately rushed to his side and began muttering spells. It took her about ten minutes before she rejoined Sirius and Dumbledore at the head of the bed.
"Well, as far as I can tell he's more or less ok, just exhausted. He still has a few of the after effects of the Cruciatus curse on him, but they are slowly diminishing while he sleeps."
Sirius frowned in confusion. "The Cruciatus?"
Dumbledore turned to him and nodded. "Wormtail put him under it yesterday. It didn't seem to have much effect on him, though."
Sirius cursed in his mind. He hadn't even noticed. He'd been too focussed on the Death Eater he'd been watching, and then on Wormtail, to notice his godson was in pain. He also was slightly annoyed with Harry. Why did the boy always have to put up that brave facade of his? It was really difficult to look through it and Sirius was sure he had been fooled more than once. He shook his head and turned to Madam Pomfrey. "What should we do?"
The nurse smiled gently at him. "Just let him sleep it off. I think he'll wake up tomorrow, but if he doesn't, call me. I'll also be sending you some more potion. Make him drink it and keep him in bed at least until Friday."
Sirius nodded. "Ok, and thanks."
"You're welcome. I'll see you later."
She left the room and Dumbledore followed her out, reminding Sirius that if he needed something he only had to call. Sirius closed the door after them and sat down. He knew there was nothing he could do but wait.
A soft sound woke Harry up. He could hear Godric singing softly from somewhere above his head. He was feeling better than he had before and briefly wondered how long he had been sleeping. He felt too rested for it to have been only a few hours. Stretching his sore muscles, he sat up. The Cruciatus had left him stiff and more worn out than he had felt for a long time. Remembering his promise to Dumbledore, he laid back down, knowing Sirius would throw a fit if he disobeyed the headmaster. He turned to his side and looked at the still singing Godric. The bird flew down and landed next to him. As Harry petted his soft, warm feathers and he felt comforted by his presence. The pain that ached his body left. A soft sound made him turn around and he saw Sirius standing at the door, wearing a concerned look. With a few strides, his godfather was at his side and had gathered him in a strong hug.
"Harry, are you alright?"
Harry relaxed in the embrace. "I'm fine, Sirius, no need to worry."
Sirius backed away a little, still keeping his arms around his godson and looked at him incredulously. "You sleep for nearly two days and then tell me not to be worried? Sorry, kid, but I can't do that."
Harry blushed a little. "Sorry, I hadn't realised I had slept that long."
Sirius shook his head, finally a small smile coming to his lips. "That's alright, but I suppose you know what that means?"
Harry looked at him wearily. "That means I'll be staying cooped up in my room until you or Madam Pomfrey says I'm okay to go."
Sirius nodded. "Yes, but if you're good, I'll make you a bed in the living room and you can stay there."
Harry immediately perked up and he looked at his godfather pleadingly. "Please?"
Sirius laughed and put his hands up. "Ok, ok, you stay in here and I'll make up the couch. Then I'll call the house-elves to bring you something to eat."
Harry smiled and nodded. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. Sirius returned shortly and picked him up. Harry considered protesting, but didn't want to risk it. He didn't want to stay closed in his room any longer than necessary. After Sirius had tucked him in, he handed him a tray full of food and sat down.
When Harry was halfway through his meal, Sirius finally spoke. "Dumbledore told me you don't want to go back to the future, even if it's for a little while."
Harry lowered his fork and looked down.
"Is it because you want to be here with your parents?"
"Well, that's part of it. I guess I'm afraid he will send me… there."
Sirius frowned in confusion. "There? Where, Harry?"
Harry answered in a small voice. "The Dursleys."
"Oh, Harry, Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
Harry looked up sharply. "Why not? You won't be there and neither will Remus! Dumbledore always insists that I stay with them." After a short silence he spoke again with a small, subdued voice. "I don't think I could take it this time with everything that's happened."
Sirius didn't answer, instead, he stood up and took the tray from his godson's lap and put it on the table. Then he picked the boy up from the couch like he was a small child and sat him on his lap, wrapping his arms around him. Harry snuggled closer, putting his head on his godfather's shoulder.
"Listen, Kido. I don't know exactly what reasons were for Dumbledore sending you to those muggles, but I know it had something to do with Voldemort. Now that he's gone, I don't think there's any reason for you to have to stay with your relatives if you don't want to. I'm rather sure Dumbledore would want to keep you close to him at Hogwarts if you went back."
Harry thought about it for a while, but then nodded. "I guess, but I still prefer staying here with you, even if you're annoying sometimes."
Sirius laughed softly and gently ruffled Harry's hair. "It's not that I'm not happy to have you here, Harry, I'm just worried this will be too much for you right now. You've already gone through so much."
Harry snuggled closer against Sirius's chest and looked intensely at the fire. "Sirius, I'm not made of glass, I can take it."
Sirius's reply was rather dry. "If you were made of glass, Harry, I would have had to gather the shards a long time ago."
Harry frowned. "That's not funny."
Sirius looked at him intensely. "No, but it's the truth."
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. And thanks to my beta readers Gates and Tanya.