Part Two: Three's Company

When Hedwig tapped at Harry's window with a reply tied to her leg, Harry nearly fell off his bed from the shock of a break in the silence that had filled the room. The few hours that had elapsed since he sent off his letter had been the most awkward of his life. Sirius hadn't moved from his spot on Harry's bed the entire time, and Harry had noticed that he was, in fact, drooling, and didn't exactly smell lemon-fresh. His suggestion that his godfather go clean himself up was responded to with silence, and when Harry brought him a wet cloth he grunted and seemed downright surly until Harry backed away. The subject wasn't brought up again.

Recovering his composure, he opened the window and she flew in and landed on his shoulder, her talons digging into him with a sense of urgency. He took the note from her leg and read the three words it contained.

Open your door.

Hedwig flew from his shoulder into her cage, and Harry approached the door to his room, hoping that the answers to his problems were on the other side.

Instead, he found one very angry Remus Lupin.

'What do you think you're playing at?' his former professor said in a very angry whisper, quietly entering Harry's room and closing the door behind him. 'I don't know what you meant by that note, but...' His eyes widened and he stopped his quiet tirade when he noticed the person sitting on the bed.

'Oh my god...' Lupin muttered as he slowly stepped forward, looking as if he were a dream. He quickly snapped back to reality, however, and turned to Harry. 'What exactly is going on here?'

'He just showed up at my doorstep…'

Lupin cut him off, 'And you brought him in? Sirius died, Harry, we have to accept that.' He paused, as if that hurt him to say, but quickly regained his composure, 'For all we know he's a Death Eater pretending to be Sirius so he can take you straight to Voldemort!'

Harry flinched, for he realized how foolish he had been, believing without a doubt that this person sitting on the bed, seemingly oblivious to what was going on, was his godfather. But still…

'Is there any way…' Harry asked, 'I mean, to find out if it's him or not?'

Lupin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then pulled his wand from his sleeve. 'There was one spell, but I haven't used it in ages.' He pointed his wand at Sirius, and said the spell so quietly Harry could barely hear him.

'Verus.'

At first it seemed like nothing was happening, but then slowly a pale golden glow spread all over Sirius' body, shining even through his clothes. Sirius didn't seem to like that, and starting grunting and uselessly clawing at his arms. It didn't last long though, because Lupin suddenly dropped his wand and fell to his knees, breaking the spell as his concentration was lost.

'Professor Lupin!' Harry exclaimed, running to his side, 'Are you alright? What was that?'

'It's him,' Lupin said, pushing away Harry's hands and getting to his feet, 'It's really him.' Within the span of a heartbeat he had crossed the distance between himself and Sirius and, eyes welling with tears, thrown his arms around the other man. Sirius responded by slowly reaching up, taking Lupin's head in his hands, and then leaning forward to press his mouth against the spot right above Lupin's temple.

Lupin cried out and pulled back, his hand going up to his temple. Sirius reached for him, but Lupin stepped back, mumbling something Harry thought was along the lines of 'not in front of Harry.'

'Are you alright?' Harry asked him, slightly concerned over Lupin's reaction.

'I'm fine,' Lupin said, not looking at all fine, 'It's just, he… Well, he bit me.' He lowered his hand and Harry saw that it was covered in blood, which was seeping from his temple. Lupin quickly magicked the wound away, but that didn't get rid of the fact that Sirius had drawn blood.

'Why did you bite Lupin?' Harry scolded. Sirius blinked, then reached out for Lupin while making a strange gargling noise.

Lupin looked at his old friend sadly. 'Who knows what he went through on the other side of that veil? In fact, who knows how he got back through?'

'What does it matter?' Harry said, 'He's back!'

'I suppose you're right. But still, there are a few things I'd like to check out, some people I'd like to talk with. Harry, can I ask you something?' He took his eyes off Sirius and turned to the young boy.

'What?'

'Can you hide Sirius here for a couple days? I'd take him back to my house, but tomorrow's a full moon...' He trailed off and looked out the window.

'Of course!' Harry exclaimed, 'I don't mind having him here! The Dursleys never come into my room!'

'Ok,' Lupin looked as if he weren't entirely certain that it was a good idea, but Harry didn't care. Sirius was back, and Sirius was staying with him. 'Just let me know if anything goes wrong. But if it's tomorrow night, alert Dumbledore. Promise me?'

Harry promised, and then Lupin gave Sirius one last look before turning to the door. But before he had shut it behind him, he turned and looked back into the room at Harry.

'Remember, if anything goes wrong, anything at all.'

'Of course!' Harry practically shooed him from the room. He heard a faint pop, which meant that Lupin had disapparated.

'So I guess it's just you and me now?' Turning back to his godfather, Harry's face broke out into the first true smile in months. Sirius gurgled again, and Harry took it that that meant that he was happy too.