Disclaimer: all characters belong to J K Rowling and Warner brothers.
a/n umm… I have bad news. Something very bad, very, very, very, very, very bad happened. I brought my laptop to the trip and hooked it up to an T1 line for researching during the trip (it wasn't actually something for fun. A bunch of conferencing and debating, ack). And I ended up with a virus of some sort on my hard drive. Last night, I had to reboot my entire computer, so guess what? The story went poof!! And I was sort of done too! Well… sort of, considering I was rewriting five different chapters, but still! Urg! Well… oh well… damn. Don't worry, I won't stop this story just because of some stupid computer error (I will not give it that satisfaction! Grr…). Since it's already been written before, it shouldn't take that long. Maybe this time, it'll be better… ok, I'm trying very hard to convince myself not to bash my laptop to pieces… *sigh* and it's not working.
I should have done this a long time ago, but I kept forgetting! Ack! Ok, this chapter is dedicated to Firefairy for reviewing every single chapter all in one day (uhh.. I know that was like two weeks ago, but I'm slow… *hides*)! Thank you!!
Cheating Death
By neutral
Chapter seventeen - cheating misunderstandings
James watched his friend out of the corner of his eye, catching another worried glance that Sirius threw at the small form nested in his arms. James had to smile at the blatant concern he displayed to a child completely not his own.
"You should get married, Padfoot. Have some kids. I think you'd enjoy fatherhood," James said quietly.
Sirius grunted, "Like anyone would marry an ex-convict."
"But you're cleared! Find a girl, have some fun," James grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Watch it, Harry could be listening. What'll you do if Lily heard?"
James made a face, "You've become an old man. Remember, back then, we always used to say you'd be the first to have a crowd of children."
"Yeah, out of wedlock," despite his words, Sirius smiled wistfully. "Besides, you beat me to having the first kid."
"Harry always seemed to like you better though," James made his tone teasing, but a flicker of bitterness stirred in the back of his mind. Harry always seemed to side with Sirius when he was a child, and he seemed to side with him when he was older. The face of his son, twisted with a grimace of pain, but so desperately frightened by the prospect of Sirius dying sent a stab of pain in his stomach. It was almost as if his own son betrayed him; his godfather seemed more important to him than his father. He shook it away quickly. No, James told himself firmly, Harry should be worried about Sirius. He was afraid he had hurt himself.
Sirius didn't notice the pensive frown on his friend's face. His gaze was fixed on the gleaned forest path, glowing golden from the patches of sun. His grin became even wider, "Probably because I tried to impregnate Lily, and little Harry knew the truth."
James made an angry sound of protest, and Sirius laughed, dodging nimbly away in case his friend decided to do anything damaging. But his mouth curved up even more.
James glared, considering Sirius thoughtfully. He examined at the sleeping boy in his arms for a moment, before breaking into a sinister smile, "Padfoot, catch."
Sirius jerked to a stop, almost stumbling. Horrified, he rushed forward. "No! James, what are you…"
"I was kidding! You've lost your sense of humor, Padfoot," James said, sighing dramatically. He shifted Harry weight, nestling him more securely against his shoulder almost as if he was trying to compensate for the teasing at his son's expense.
Sirius frowned, "Prongs, that's your son! You can't…" he broke off, shaking his head. "Alright, that's it. Give me Harry, I don't trust you with him."
"Hey, I'm his father!" James said in protest, pulling Harry closer possessively.
Sirius grunted, still looking determined to steal his godson and the slightest chance. "Are you sure?"
"Hey, that's…," James sputtered, looking too flustered for words.
"I don't trust you with him," Sirius continued.
James flushed even more, the exact reflection of a rather embarrassed Harry. "Wait, what? What sort of…." James choked on the rest of his words, looking ready to punish Sirius severely.
"Remember how you almost dropped Harry on the head?" Sirius asked accusingly.
"That was years ago!" James argued indignantly. "Besides, I caught him."
"With the levitation charm! He almost hit the ceiling."
"I was a bit desperate, okay?" James muttered, pressing Harry close against his shoulder. It was rather embarrassing to him for Sirius to bring up such topics, especially those that reminded him of his failure as a father. Those words seemed to whisper just how much he couldn't fulfill in Harry's life, and how much more Sirius meant to him, even as a child. But Sirius knew very little about his thoughts; in the presence of his old friend, the urge to tease him was too great. He didn't realize just how much James tormented himself over it.
A gentle breeze rustled the trees and spread patches of sun on the closely cropped grass. Branches stirred overhead, moving strangely against the wind.
James stilled, all traces of worry in his thoughts dissipating in an instant. "Oh shit."
Sirius raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"This is bad."
"What is it?" Sirius asked, quickly catching on to the frustrated mood. He turned, scanning the area. The years of hiding had pounded the sense of caution into him, and made him unusually jumpy.
"We got off the path," James grumbled, scowling at the nearest oak bitterly. "Don't worry about it, this happens a lot. Trees here like to move…"
"What?!"
"They move every now and then," James said offhandedly. "They're pretty good at giving directions, and they really like you, they help guide your way."
Sirius threw a few suspicious glances at the trunks around him. "You've got to be kidding."
"They don't attack people," James added quickly. "Here, take Harry. I need to take a look around. I think we could be lost."
Sirius was momentarily distracted at the prospect of reclaiming his godson. Carefully, James slipped the sleeping boy into his friend's arms so that Harry rested comfortably against him. James was reluctant, it felt almost as if he was giving up Harry to his godfather. James crushed those thoughts away angrily, feeling foolish.
Sirius loved Harry like he was his own son. James should be proud. James should be happy. Harry would be in good hands when he returned, so why was he so upset?
"Don't move, Sirius," James said, shuffling through his robes for his wand. "There's probably someone coming this way whose a good friend of them or something. Stay here, I'll just take a look and be right back. It could be one of those annoying people like Diggle or Jorkins whose still convinced that you're guilty. But if you hear any sounds of fighting, take Harry and go."
Sirius shifted uncomfortably when James left, the forest suddenly became so much more lonely and grim. Death Eaters…
If it were the Death Eaters meeting James on that path, Sirius wasn't sure if he could bring himself to abandon his best friend. But he had Harry to consider, and if Sirius got him hurt again, he was sure that James would never forgive him. Absentmindedly, Sirius rested his head on Harry's untamed hair, listening to the steady breathing of the sleeping child.
A footstep, snapping a delicate twig.
Sirius snapped into focus, Harry moaning slightly in protest at the movement. A tall boy, in his late teens, with smooth features and warm eyes blinked at him, hand frozen in his hair where he tried to disentangle a few leaves. His expression soon turned into confusion when he failed to recognize Sirius' face, but they widened when he noticed the bloody bundle in his arms. The boy glanced back at him sharply, and Sirius could almost see the gears turning in his head.
"Sirius Black!" he hissed.
Sirius took a step back, reluctant to run but afraid to attack. "Wait, let me explain."
The boy snarled, face contorted in anger. "What have you done to Harry?"
Sirius almost dropped his godson in shock, realizing how the scene must have looked. A convicted murder, running around with the bloody body of The Boy Who Lived. Sirius quietly pleaded that the teen would listen, "No, it's not what it looks. Harry's…"
"Let him go!" the boy shouted angrily, his face red and his eyes narrowed.
"Expelliarmus!" Sirius shouted quickly when a murderous light reflected in the younger boy's eyes.
The boy made a small sound of protest, vainly trying to grasp his wand as it flew through the air. Sirius ducked when the polished wood came his way, his arms burdened by Harry's weight.
Harry made a soft groan, face set in a grimace of pain. The boy was instantly infuriated, rushing at Sirius in blind rage. Sirius barely placed Harry safely on the ground before he was knocked off his feet, the force draining all the air from his lungs. Sirius raised his hands to defend himself, hesitant to hurt the boy, trying to find his breath to explain. A fist slammed into the edge of his jaw; blood rushed into his mouth. Sirius could vaguely make out bits and pieces of the boy's angry whispers.
"…hurt Harry… his family… never deserved any of it… you bastard…"
He knew Harry?
The weight against his side abruptly disappeared. Dazed, Sirius sat up, nursing a sore jaw. James had rushed back when he heard the noise, and pulled the boy off him. He held the struggling boy back, trying to explain the situation.
Diggory, Sirius realized.
"Cedric Diggory?" Sirius said, words a bit slurred from the swollen jaw.
Cedric bristled with fury, trying to pull away from James. "How dare you… Mr. Potter, why are you trying to stop me? Look what he did to Harry!"
"Cedric," James sounded a bit awkward at the intimate reference to his name. "this was a misunderstanding. Sirius never betrayed us. He was never the secret keeper, he was the decoy. Peter Pettigrew was the one who sold us over and framed Sirius for it. He'd never hurt Harry in any way."
The boy looked at James with an expression that clearly said 'you're insane,' but it soon turned into doubt. He frowned, looking thoughtful.
James sighed, "It's a long story, I'll tell you the details later. Last night, Harry was attacked by former Death Eaters, and we're wondering if we could borrow a room of yours until he gets better."
"Of course," he said without hesitation.
Cedric glanced at Sirius uneasily when he gently lifted Harry from the ground, and Sirius could see his hand going instinctively for his wand. Sighing inwardly in defeat, Sirius shoved Harry back into his father's arms. James looked at him quizzically.
"That kid's going to blast my head off if Harry even coughs," Sirius said softly, trying to keep his voice low.
James frowned; he wasn't used to the treatment that his friend was receiving. He knew that he was framed as a murderer, but actually seeing people's reactions to him was disturbing.
"No, you take Harry. I'm going to explain to him," James said firmly, daring Sirius to argue. "Cedric," he called quickly, rushing forward to catch up with the younger boy. "You see…"
Sirius sighed, tuning James' out. James would be doing that a lot from then on.
*
The mention of Sirius trying to impregnate Lily is from Evie's story, called The First Word. If you don't read it, evil socks will attack you! *cackles*
Is the quality of the writing going down? I wrote this in one day and it seems sort of… how do you say it? Not up to standard? I'm so sorry!!
I am never going to travel on a school day again. After this, I have a ton of homework to catch up with and two tests this week which I'm not prepared for. Noooo!!
Nacasara - oh no! Are you ok? *chews fingernails nervously and calls the hospital*
Evie - yup! I'm back… but… my story isn't! *cries* The first of the allusions to your story! There's another coming up in the later chapters though, in the old copy. *cries again*
Taracollowen - really? Thanks! I don't know where the trees came from, really I didn't. The scene sort of came as a result of this weird dream I had that involved an evil squirrel that stood on some rocks and made me fall off a cliff and then I was at this forest… uhh… yeah… I wasn't smoking anything funny, I swear.
Vmr - thanks!!
Mihoshe - I'll try!! Thank you!
Tilly & MercS - see, this isn't a cliffe! Ooo… is that your favorite chapter? Yay! This chapter isn't as good, unfortunately. It makes James seem a bit strange and Sirius a bit clueless, doesn't it? Tell me what you think of this chapter, don't worry about bashing me! I really, really don't mind. I'm up for critical reviews, and if you feel bad about it, just email me personally. I encourage bashing, I really do!! I love to know what people think! But if you love it, then… *grins widely*
Lily Potter - ack, I know how you feel! Good luck!
Lin-z - Sirius has a lot on his shoulders, and I always wanted to have him meet someone who could reassure him and relieve some of his guilt. It's a pity that Remus didn't go. I always wanted to know what he thought, especially since Peter's ability to transform was because of him, and Peter got away was again his fault. It's a mystery what exactly goes through his mind. I was afraid Cedric's part would be repetitive with all these guilt no guilt trips. Humm… but since my story vanished, I guess I could plan this anew. But… urg!!
Rowan - I'll try!! I don't think it'll be very interesting though…
starkitty - thanks!
Sherylyn - I'll try! I think Harry does need some closure as well, but I'm not sure how to make the scene interesting. Sirius has dark eyes? Well… now that you mention it, I think you could be right. I keep reinforcing my own view of these characters, with James having brown hair and Sirius with blue eyes. Ack! It's too late to change now though…
Ice - I will! *wails* I hate my computer…
Tidmag and Gen Raid - well, the trick with the charm is to bring the spirit wherever. But in the wand, there are restrictions. I have that explained in the end, and why some stuff happens. Or… I had that in the end. *sigh* Oh crud, I forgot about those apparitions. Well, lets pretend that if they did, it wasn't remembered. I guess it wouldn't fit otherwise, especially since those Lily and James knew right away what was happening… urg.
Gwen - you will have Harry! Don't worry!
Tasha - no cliffe in this chapter either! *grin*
Connie - thanks! This chapter wasn't as good, sorry!
Nicky - I'll try!
Phoenix - really? Well, I was a bit worried, since Sirius and James' reunion was idealized a lot… thanks!!
Starlight - and the chapter afterwards is a disappointment! *hides with shame* I'm so sorry!! I hope I didn't disappoint you!
Angelic azreal - did you really cry? I'm so sorry! *offers tissues*
Moppet Poppet - okay!! Maybe I should offer the incentive that the 500th review gets to request a short story. Or maybe I'll just write a short story and dedicate it to the 500th reviewer since I can't write romance whatsoever. Or maybe… *rubs hands together excitedly.
Keara Jordan - you two sound like really close friends! Yeah, Harry's so oblivious. These two friends need to get reacquainted and everything. I wish Remus was there *sigh*
Slinky - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Did I throw another surprise? *smiles evilly*
Shayla - Harry with Harry? Yeah, James and Sirius were really serious, weren't they? But they're such good friends!
Googoo4you - I went to San Fransico, it wasn't that great. They had nice food there, but it was only for a few days so it wasn't much. I did get a lot of weird political bumper stickers though, but I don't think it'll be great if I suddenly pop a weird Bush joke in Cheating Death… *light bulb* or… maybe…
Madelaine - longer? Well… its hard to say…
Tsuki tatsu - more will be coming!
Teigra - well, Harry likes death a lot. For Harry to leave, he has to have absolutely no doubts. It'll be difficult…
Alexz - meditation! Be one with the tree! *runs away cackling* hi… I'm sane… I really am
Abby - I never thought Wormtail was that bad, he has a side to him and he is human after all. The same thing is, I don't really hate anyone. Heck, I even sympathize with Voldermort sometimes…. SOMETIMES… It's just Lucis I really have issues with.
Grayswandir - don't worry, I will finish this story. I will… I will…
Abby - humm.. The one after this may take some time, considering I am rebuilding it from scraps. *sniff*
Laura Blade - I will!
Trunks Admirer - really? Am I good writer? I have horrible grades in English though, but I'm great at painting. Maybe it's the creative part that gets to me….
Ayod Botla - yes! We need more chicken grease! I'll take your advice! But what's the werewolf registry?
Gia - here it is!
Kay - ooh, I have glasses too! Just recently got them. Yup, my dog has a bad temper though. She makes noises whenever I ignore her. She could be a Sirius if she wasn't a). a female b). pure white c). a bit small but everything else matches perfectly. She's a mini white grim!
Gwen De'Paul...o - really? Wow… that's such a great compliment even though I know it's bad to make people cry… but to know that it was powerful enough. *dances around* I'll try to make everyone cry again even though it makes me feel guilty later!
Hyper Princess - the trip was fun even though a bit hectic. Well, I had fun after the conference with all the bumper stickers…
Jay Jay - well, its just with Voldermort's victims.
Kat - thank you!
a/n umm… I have bad news. Something very bad, very, very, very, very, very bad happened. I brought my laptop to the trip and hooked it up to an T1 line for researching during the trip (it wasn't actually something for fun. A bunch of conferencing and debating, ack). And I ended up with a virus of some sort on my hard drive. Last night, I had to reboot my entire computer, so guess what? The story went poof!! And I was sort of done too! Well… sort of, considering I was rewriting five different chapters, but still! Urg! Well… oh well… damn. Don't worry, I won't stop this story just because of some stupid computer error (I will not give it that satisfaction! Grr…). Since it's already been written before, it shouldn't take that long. Maybe this time, it'll be better… ok, I'm trying very hard to convince myself not to bash my laptop to pieces… *sigh* and it's not working.
I should have done this a long time ago, but I kept forgetting! Ack! Ok, this chapter is dedicated to Firefairy for reviewing every single chapter all in one day (uhh.. I know that was like two weeks ago, but I'm slow… *hides*)! Thank you!!
Cheating Death
By neutral
Chapter seventeen - cheating misunderstandings
James watched his friend out of the corner of his eye, catching another worried glance that Sirius threw at the small form nested in his arms. James had to smile at the blatant concern he displayed to a child completely not his own.
"You should get married, Padfoot. Have some kids. I think you'd enjoy fatherhood," James said quietly.
Sirius grunted, "Like anyone would marry an ex-convict."
"But you're cleared! Find a girl, have some fun," James grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Watch it, Harry could be listening. What'll you do if Lily heard?"
James made a face, "You've become an old man. Remember, back then, we always used to say you'd be the first to have a crowd of children."
"Yeah, out of wedlock," despite his words, Sirius smiled wistfully. "Besides, you beat me to having the first kid."
"Harry always seemed to like you better though," James made his tone teasing, but a flicker of bitterness stirred in the back of his mind. Harry always seemed to side with Sirius when he was a child, and he seemed to side with him when he was older. The face of his son, twisted with a grimace of pain, but so desperately frightened by the prospect of Sirius dying sent a stab of pain in his stomach. It was almost as if his own son betrayed him; his godfather seemed more important to him than his father. He shook it away quickly. No, James told himself firmly, Harry should be worried about Sirius. He was afraid he had hurt himself.
Sirius didn't notice the pensive frown on his friend's face. His gaze was fixed on the gleaned forest path, glowing golden from the patches of sun. His grin became even wider, "Probably because I tried to impregnate Lily, and little Harry knew the truth."
James made an angry sound of protest, and Sirius laughed, dodging nimbly away in case his friend decided to do anything damaging. But his mouth curved up even more.
James glared, considering Sirius thoughtfully. He examined at the sleeping boy in his arms for a moment, before breaking into a sinister smile, "Padfoot, catch."
Sirius jerked to a stop, almost stumbling. Horrified, he rushed forward. "No! James, what are you…"
"I was kidding! You've lost your sense of humor, Padfoot," James said, sighing dramatically. He shifted Harry weight, nestling him more securely against his shoulder almost as if he was trying to compensate for the teasing at his son's expense.
Sirius frowned, "Prongs, that's your son! You can't…" he broke off, shaking his head. "Alright, that's it. Give me Harry, I don't trust you with him."
"Hey, I'm his father!" James said in protest, pulling Harry closer possessively.
Sirius grunted, still looking determined to steal his godson and the slightest chance. "Are you sure?"
"Hey, that's…," James sputtered, looking too flustered for words.
"I don't trust you with him," Sirius continued.
James flushed even more, the exact reflection of a rather embarrassed Harry. "Wait, what? What sort of…." James choked on the rest of his words, looking ready to punish Sirius severely.
"Remember how you almost dropped Harry on the head?" Sirius asked accusingly.
"That was years ago!" James argued indignantly. "Besides, I caught him."
"With the levitation charm! He almost hit the ceiling."
"I was a bit desperate, okay?" James muttered, pressing Harry close against his shoulder. It was rather embarrassing to him for Sirius to bring up such topics, especially those that reminded him of his failure as a father. Those words seemed to whisper just how much he couldn't fulfill in Harry's life, and how much more Sirius meant to him, even as a child. But Sirius knew very little about his thoughts; in the presence of his old friend, the urge to tease him was too great. He didn't realize just how much James tormented himself over it.
A gentle breeze rustled the trees and spread patches of sun on the closely cropped grass. Branches stirred overhead, moving strangely against the wind.
James stilled, all traces of worry in his thoughts dissipating in an instant. "Oh shit."
Sirius raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"This is bad."
"What is it?" Sirius asked, quickly catching on to the frustrated mood. He turned, scanning the area. The years of hiding had pounded the sense of caution into him, and made him unusually jumpy.
"We got off the path," James grumbled, scowling at the nearest oak bitterly. "Don't worry about it, this happens a lot. Trees here like to move…"
"What?!"
"They move every now and then," James said offhandedly. "They're pretty good at giving directions, and they really like you, they help guide your way."
Sirius threw a few suspicious glances at the trunks around him. "You've got to be kidding."
"They don't attack people," James added quickly. "Here, take Harry. I need to take a look around. I think we could be lost."
Sirius was momentarily distracted at the prospect of reclaiming his godson. Carefully, James slipped the sleeping boy into his friend's arms so that Harry rested comfortably against him. James was reluctant, it felt almost as if he was giving up Harry to his godfather. James crushed those thoughts away angrily, feeling foolish.
Sirius loved Harry like he was his own son. James should be proud. James should be happy. Harry would be in good hands when he returned, so why was he so upset?
"Don't move, Sirius," James said, shuffling through his robes for his wand. "There's probably someone coming this way whose a good friend of them or something. Stay here, I'll just take a look and be right back. It could be one of those annoying people like Diggle or Jorkins whose still convinced that you're guilty. But if you hear any sounds of fighting, take Harry and go."
Sirius shifted uncomfortably when James left, the forest suddenly became so much more lonely and grim. Death Eaters…
If it were the Death Eaters meeting James on that path, Sirius wasn't sure if he could bring himself to abandon his best friend. But he had Harry to consider, and if Sirius got him hurt again, he was sure that James would never forgive him. Absentmindedly, Sirius rested his head on Harry's untamed hair, listening to the steady breathing of the sleeping child.
A footstep, snapping a delicate twig.
Sirius snapped into focus, Harry moaning slightly in protest at the movement. A tall boy, in his late teens, with smooth features and warm eyes blinked at him, hand frozen in his hair where he tried to disentangle a few leaves. His expression soon turned into confusion when he failed to recognize Sirius' face, but they widened when he noticed the bloody bundle in his arms. The boy glanced back at him sharply, and Sirius could almost see the gears turning in his head.
"Sirius Black!" he hissed.
Sirius took a step back, reluctant to run but afraid to attack. "Wait, let me explain."
The boy snarled, face contorted in anger. "What have you done to Harry?"
Sirius almost dropped his godson in shock, realizing how the scene must have looked. A convicted murder, running around with the bloody body of The Boy Who Lived. Sirius quietly pleaded that the teen would listen, "No, it's not what it looks. Harry's…"
"Let him go!" the boy shouted angrily, his face red and his eyes narrowed.
"Expelliarmus!" Sirius shouted quickly when a murderous light reflected in the younger boy's eyes.
The boy made a small sound of protest, vainly trying to grasp his wand as it flew through the air. Sirius ducked when the polished wood came his way, his arms burdened by Harry's weight.
Harry made a soft groan, face set in a grimace of pain. The boy was instantly infuriated, rushing at Sirius in blind rage. Sirius barely placed Harry safely on the ground before he was knocked off his feet, the force draining all the air from his lungs. Sirius raised his hands to defend himself, hesitant to hurt the boy, trying to find his breath to explain. A fist slammed into the edge of his jaw; blood rushed into his mouth. Sirius could vaguely make out bits and pieces of the boy's angry whispers.
"…hurt Harry… his family… never deserved any of it… you bastard…"
He knew Harry?
The weight against his side abruptly disappeared. Dazed, Sirius sat up, nursing a sore jaw. James had rushed back when he heard the noise, and pulled the boy off him. He held the struggling boy back, trying to explain the situation.
Diggory, Sirius realized.
"Cedric Diggory?" Sirius said, words a bit slurred from the swollen jaw.
Cedric bristled with fury, trying to pull away from James. "How dare you… Mr. Potter, why are you trying to stop me? Look what he did to Harry!"
"Cedric," James sounded a bit awkward at the intimate reference to his name. "this was a misunderstanding. Sirius never betrayed us. He was never the secret keeper, he was the decoy. Peter Pettigrew was the one who sold us over and framed Sirius for it. He'd never hurt Harry in any way."
The boy looked at James with an expression that clearly said 'you're insane,' but it soon turned into doubt. He frowned, looking thoughtful.
James sighed, "It's a long story, I'll tell you the details later. Last night, Harry was attacked by former Death Eaters, and we're wondering if we could borrow a room of yours until he gets better."
"Of course," he said without hesitation.
Cedric glanced at Sirius uneasily when he gently lifted Harry from the ground, and Sirius could see his hand going instinctively for his wand. Sighing inwardly in defeat, Sirius shoved Harry back into his father's arms. James looked at him quizzically.
"That kid's going to blast my head off if Harry even coughs," Sirius said softly, trying to keep his voice low.
James frowned; he wasn't used to the treatment that his friend was receiving. He knew that he was framed as a murderer, but actually seeing people's reactions to him was disturbing.
"No, you take Harry. I'm going to explain to him," James said firmly, daring Sirius to argue. "Cedric," he called quickly, rushing forward to catch up with the younger boy. "You see…"
Sirius sighed, tuning James' out. James would be doing that a lot from then on.
*
The mention of Sirius trying to impregnate Lily is from Evie's story, called The First Word. If you don't read it, evil socks will attack you! *cackles*
Is the quality of the writing going down? I wrote this in one day and it seems sort of… how do you say it? Not up to standard? I'm so sorry!!
I am never going to travel on a school day again. After this, I have a ton of homework to catch up with and two tests this week which I'm not prepared for. Noooo!!
Nacasara - oh no! Are you ok? *chews fingernails nervously and calls the hospital*
Evie - yup! I'm back… but… my story isn't! *cries* The first of the allusions to your story! There's another coming up in the later chapters though, in the old copy. *cries again*
Taracollowen - really? Thanks! I don't know where the trees came from, really I didn't. The scene sort of came as a result of this weird dream I had that involved an evil squirrel that stood on some rocks and made me fall off a cliff and then I was at this forest… uhh… yeah… I wasn't smoking anything funny, I swear.
Vmr - thanks!!
Mihoshe - I'll try!! Thank you!
Tilly & MercS - see, this isn't a cliffe! Ooo… is that your favorite chapter? Yay! This chapter isn't as good, unfortunately. It makes James seem a bit strange and Sirius a bit clueless, doesn't it? Tell me what you think of this chapter, don't worry about bashing me! I really, really don't mind. I'm up for critical reviews, and if you feel bad about it, just email me personally. I encourage bashing, I really do!! I love to know what people think! But if you love it, then… *grins widely*
Lily Potter - ack, I know how you feel! Good luck!
Lin-z - Sirius has a lot on his shoulders, and I always wanted to have him meet someone who could reassure him and relieve some of his guilt. It's a pity that Remus didn't go. I always wanted to know what he thought, especially since Peter's ability to transform was because of him, and Peter got away was again his fault. It's a mystery what exactly goes through his mind. I was afraid Cedric's part would be repetitive with all these guilt no guilt trips. Humm… but since my story vanished, I guess I could plan this anew. But… urg!!
Rowan - I'll try!! I don't think it'll be very interesting though…
starkitty - thanks!
Sherylyn - I'll try! I think Harry does need some closure as well, but I'm not sure how to make the scene interesting. Sirius has dark eyes? Well… now that you mention it, I think you could be right. I keep reinforcing my own view of these characters, with James having brown hair and Sirius with blue eyes. Ack! It's too late to change now though…
Ice - I will! *wails* I hate my computer…
Tidmag and Gen Raid - well, the trick with the charm is to bring the spirit wherever. But in the wand, there are restrictions. I have that explained in the end, and why some stuff happens. Or… I had that in the end. *sigh* Oh crud, I forgot about those apparitions. Well, lets pretend that if they did, it wasn't remembered. I guess it wouldn't fit otherwise, especially since those Lily and James knew right away what was happening… urg.
Gwen - you will have Harry! Don't worry!
Tasha - no cliffe in this chapter either! *grin*
Connie - thanks! This chapter wasn't as good, sorry!
Nicky - I'll try!
Phoenix - really? Well, I was a bit worried, since Sirius and James' reunion was idealized a lot… thanks!!
Starlight - and the chapter afterwards is a disappointment! *hides with shame* I'm so sorry!! I hope I didn't disappoint you!
Angelic azreal - did you really cry? I'm so sorry! *offers tissues*
Moppet Poppet - okay!! Maybe I should offer the incentive that the 500th review gets to request a short story. Or maybe I'll just write a short story and dedicate it to the 500th reviewer since I can't write romance whatsoever. Or maybe… *rubs hands together excitedly.
Keara Jordan - you two sound like really close friends! Yeah, Harry's so oblivious. These two friends need to get reacquainted and everything. I wish Remus was there *sigh*
Slinky - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Did I throw another surprise? *smiles evilly*
Shayla - Harry with Harry? Yeah, James and Sirius were really serious, weren't they? But they're such good friends!
Googoo4you - I went to San Fransico, it wasn't that great. They had nice food there, but it was only for a few days so it wasn't much. I did get a lot of weird political bumper stickers though, but I don't think it'll be great if I suddenly pop a weird Bush joke in Cheating Death… *light bulb* or… maybe…
Madelaine - longer? Well… its hard to say…
Tsuki tatsu - more will be coming!
Teigra - well, Harry likes death a lot. For Harry to leave, he has to have absolutely no doubts. It'll be difficult…
Alexz - meditation! Be one with the tree! *runs away cackling* hi… I'm sane… I really am
Abby - I never thought Wormtail was that bad, he has a side to him and he is human after all. The same thing is, I don't really hate anyone. Heck, I even sympathize with Voldermort sometimes…. SOMETIMES… It's just Lucis I really have issues with.
Grayswandir - don't worry, I will finish this story. I will… I will…
Abby - humm.. The one after this may take some time, considering I am rebuilding it from scraps. *sniff*
Laura Blade - I will!
Trunks Admirer - really? Am I good writer? I have horrible grades in English though, but I'm great at painting. Maybe it's the creative part that gets to me….
Ayod Botla - yes! We need more chicken grease! I'll take your advice! But what's the werewolf registry?
Gia - here it is!
Kay - ooh, I have glasses too! Just recently got them. Yup, my dog has a bad temper though. She makes noises whenever I ignore her. She could be a Sirius if she wasn't a). a female b). pure white c). a bit small but everything else matches perfectly. She's a mini white grim!
Gwen De'Paul...o - really? Wow… that's such a great compliment even though I know it's bad to make people cry… but to know that it was powerful enough. *dances around* I'll try to make everyone cry again even though it makes me feel guilty later!
Hyper Princess - the trip was fun even though a bit hectic. Well, I had fun after the conference with all the bumper stickers…
Jay Jay - well, its just with Voldermort's victims.
Kat - thank you!