Chapter Five: And You Are?

Summary: Fifth chapter. Forty-four to go. That about sums it up.

Harry soon decided he should have requested what sort of time frame was usually required for Arabella to 'calm down'. It seemed to him that the tension between her and Sirius was going to last the rest of the day. She cordially made breakfast for them all, amid several rather scathing, though covert, comments from Sirius to Harry about Arabella's muggle manner of cooking, as though warning him about some harm that was about to befall him. But Harry noted as they all sat eating that however bad Sirius thought the food was going to be, it didn't slow him down one bit as he went for his third plate of scrambled eggs.

When breakfast was done, Arabella showed Harry to a spare upstairs bedroom that she said would be his for however long he stayed there. She had grumbled something about 'not' when Sirius asked where he was staying.

The rest of the morning Arabella seemed to spend apparating here and there on various errands. Each time she returned though, none of her anger toward Sirius seemed the least bit dispelled. If anything, it seemed to increase. Toward Remus she was cordial enough, and to Harry she was down right solicitous. She didn't return from one errand that she didn't have something for him.

The first trip brought a new set of cloths, which she waited for him to try on before she left again. The second and third trips brought two different games which Harry had never seen before but that Sirius and Remus seemed extremely familiar with and eagerly agreed to teach Harry how to play. The next few trips brought back a variety of trinkets. Each one more exotic than the one before.

On her eighth or ninth trip back to the house (Harry had lost count) Arabella proudly presented him with a gift that ranked in Harry's mind as being nearly equal to his Firebolt. A Pensive. But unlike the one he had seen so often in Dumbledore's office, this one was trimmed around the outer edge in green. Harry was thrilled as he looked over the edge of the bowl. He had never seen an empty Pensive, and in this state, they were fairly unremarkable, looking like little else than deep bowl with a gray mist swirling about in the bottom.

Sirius gave Arabella a half-serious sneer. "Show-off." He stated dryly.

Arabella ignored him past one quick heated stare, then turned her usual solicitous smile back to Harry and began explaining how to work with the Pensive.

But as soon as Arabella left on her next errand, both Sirius and Remus seemed to show equal amounts of interest in Harry's newest acquisition.

"Merlin's Beard!" Breathed Remus. "Wherever did she find this? I don't remember the last time I saw one in Diagon Alley. And the shops that do sell them usually have waiting lists a mile long."

"Well," Sirius stated empirically, "she's had fourteen years to be on a waiting list, hasn't she?"

"Oh, stop being so put off about it." Remus stated, glancing over at Sirius' envious expression. "You gave the boy a Firebolt. She's allowed to catch up."

Harry had turned from studying the Pensive to listening to the conversation going on behind him.

"It just seems awfully..." Harry began.

"Pretentious?" Sirius offered helpfully.

"Expensive." Harry corrected. "Especially from someone I just met."

"Well," Remus offered by way of explanation. "Arabella has been looking out after you for a long time, Harry. I guess she just a little enthusiastic now that she can openly give you gifts. She just wants to catch up for the fourteen years she's missed. Not unlike someone else did."

"That was a practical gift!" Sirius defended. "What does the boy need with a Pensive?"

Remus rolled his eyes and went back to studying the Pensive.

Harry turned back to his godfather. "But why is she doing all this, Sirius? I mean...she's treating me like I'm..." Harry couldn't find the right words.

"Someone special?" Sirius offered. "To Arabella you are. Very special."

Harry gave an inward groan. "Sirius, everyone treats me like I'm 'someone special'. But their not exactly stopping me on the street and handing me Pensives because of it."

"Oh!" Sirius stated, catching on to Harry's train of thought. "I see. So what makes Arabella different from all the people on the street who aren't handing you Pensives, is that it?"

Harry nodded.

"Well," Sirius asked, fanning his arms out. "Didn't you ever wonder what Arabella's part in all this was? Why she's been sitting in this house for fourteen years watching over you?"

"Oh. Well, she explained that." Harry suddenly remembered. "Because Dumbledore..."

"No." Sirius cut him off quickly. "Not just because Dumbledore asked her to."

"Then what else?"

"Didn't you think that Dumbledore must have had a reason for choosing Arabella? Hundreds of Aurors would have come forward to take the job of guarding you. But he specifically chose her ."

"So what made her so much better than all the rest?"

"It wasn't that she was 'so much better', Harry. Though I'd be hard pressed not to defend that. It was that...Dumbledore felt that Arabella might take the assignment a bit more personally than anyone else would."

"Personally?"

"Yes. Look, I'm your godfather. Right?"

Harry nodded again.

"So 'what'? You think your parents chose a godfather for you and then got bored with the whole thing and never bothered to choose a godmother for you as well?"

Harry stared up at Sirius, his eyes growing wider with understanding.

"Arabella was your mother's best friend, Harry. Since your godfather was your father's best friend, the choice just seemed natural."

"So Arabella is my godmother." Harry said thoughtfully. He stood for a moment taking in the new information. This certainly did put a new twist on 'crazy old Ms. Figg'. Harry smiled slightly as he thought back over all the times he had been in her care. The Dursley's had had no idea all those times that they had been handing him over to a witch, let alone it appeared, his godmother.

But as Harry thought over the last fourteen years, a frowned slowly etched itself across his face as a new thought materialized. But he quickly hid the frown under a neutral expression as he turned back to Sirius. "Well, that explains a lot I guess." He said quietly, shrugging slightly at the thought as he turned to the carpet. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs for a little while." He added as though it were an afterthought.

Before Sirius or Lupin could think of what to say, he was already up the stairs.

Harry had been up in his room for perhaps a half hour when Professor Lupin knocked on his door. By the third knock, having not received an answer, Lupin stuck his head in the door.

"Mind company?" Lupin asked.

Harry was sitting on his bed, staring at the floor. He didn't bother answering Lupin, who took Harry's lack of invitation as one.

Lupin sat down on the comfortable bed next to Harry, folding his hands in a similar manner in his lap as he looked over at his former student.

They sat for a very long time in silence before Harry said anything.

"All those years she was living just down the street.' He said quietly, still staring blankly at the carpet. "I was over at her house a half a dozen times a year. And she never said a word to me."

"She couldn't." Lupin quickly came to Arabella's defense. "Harry, she wanted to, but she had made a promise to Dumbledore. One she understood the need for and took very seriously."

Harry fell back into silence.

"Do you think it was easy for her?" Lupin asked finally. "Harry, it was breaking her heart. She used to owl me about it constantly in the beginning. She pleaded with me to find some viable argument to take to Dumbledore that would make him see that you would be better off with her.

Soon her pleadings turned into angry rampages. I was getting owls everyday from her telling horrible stories of how you were being treated. But through it all, Dumbledore never relented on his decision. He insisted you had to stay where you were. Constantly he reminded Arabella of her agreement. She was not to interfere with your aunt and uncle. She was never to tell you the truth of who she was." Lupin paused for a moment. "I don't think you can ever really understand what she went through, Harry. But I would asked that you please try. And don't blame Dumbledore for his decision either. Don't fault those around you for what we did. We always did it with your best interest at heart. Especially Arabella.

She used to tell me how often she would see you...sitting in the garden behind your aunt and uncle's house. She told me the first night she saw you sitting there crying. When you thought no one was watching and you were sure no one cared." Lupin gave him a soft, sad sort of smile. "She cried on my shoulder for hours that night. Heartbroken that you felt that unloved and that unwanted when there was someone in the world who would have given her very soul to take you out of that place. But she knew the best she could do was sit and watch. Make sure no serious injury or danger ever came to you. And she's held the role of your silent protector for fourteen very long years, Harry. And it hasn't been an easy role by any means. She took a great risk in taking you out of that house today. More than you know right now. But I hope that someday you'll understand what she stood to lose by doing it."

Harry turned to look at Lupin.

"I can think of only one person in this world right now, Harry, whose love even comes close to Arabella's for you." Lupin smiled at him. "And that would be the idiot downstairs, who has no business ever being in charge of a child."

Harry gave Lupin a small smile. "So now what?" He asked, slowly sorting out all that Lupin had told him.

"Tell her that you know." Lupin suggested. "And try to be understanding. It would mean a lot to her if she knew you didn't resent her absence in your life too much."

Harry turned from Lupin.

"Give her a chance." Lupin advised. "You might just like her."

Harry thought for a moment. "Can I asked you something?" He said finally.

"Of course." Lupin replied, returning to his usual jovial manner.

"Why did my Dad pick Sirius and not you to be my godfather? I mean, don't get me wrong, Sirius is great as a godfather. But you seemed to be just as likely a candidate."

Lupin laughed softly. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment, Harry. And there were probably a lot of reasons. Foremost, Sirius and your father had known each other much longer than I had known either of them. And I would never fault James his choice. Oh no. Sirius has made an excellent Godfather. Well, sort of. I mean, he can be a bit of a git sometimes to be sure, but he's always taken the roll very seriously. Since you were a little baby. Determined to bring you up a marauder if it was the last thing he did. That man had you in more trouble before you were one year old than all your years at Hogwarts will likely ever amount to."

"Trouble? At one year old?"

"Well, 'mischief' is probably a better word. Kept your Mum on her toes, I'll tell you. But as to their choice, I also think Lily and James were out to play matchmaker."

"Matchmaker?"

"Oh yes." Lupin replied with a grin. "Sirius and Arabella were quite the couple in School. Never out of each others company the whole of their seventh year."

"Them?"

"Oh yes. 'Them'."

"So what happened? I mean, I would never have guessed they were ever dating. They don't seem terribly fond of each other, really."

Lupin laughed again. "Well, it's been fourteen years, Harry. Give them a little time. The type of fire they had going can re-ignite fairly quickly would be my guess."

Harry smiled again slightly.

"Are you going to be all right?" Lupin asked seriously.

Harry gave a small nod. "It's just a lot has happened in one day." He replied, gingerly rubbing his cheek, which had begun to sting slightly again.

"Let me see that." Lupin said, pulling Harry's hand back from the mark. A large purple bruise was now clearly visible on his cheek.

"You know," Lupin added, gently rubbing his thumb over the mark, "your uncle was very lucky to have gotten away without any retaliation for that. And I would only attribute that to Arabella's simply being focused on nothing else at the moment than getting you out of there. But you might want to mention your appreciation if she weren't to do anything to drastic to them in return."

Harry looked up suddenly. "She wouldn't...you know?"

"As I said," Lupin repeated, "you might want to mention some appreciation to her for not...'you knowing'. Girl's got a worse temper than your godfather."

Harry remained in his room the rest of the morning. He was none too eager to see Arabella Figg again, unsure as he was of what to say to her. But on hearing her voice downstairs calling his name, his stomach suddenly drop like a lead weight. He didn't want to appear ungrateful for all she had done for him, especially in just the one day. But he honestly didn't know what to say to her now. Part of him was excited at the prospect of having a godmother now as well as a godfather. But whereas they had both been absent from his life for the better part of it, Sirius at least had a reason. And Arabella had in fact been in his life, she just hadn't told him the truth of things.

Again and again he went back to the things Lupin had said to him. That he try to understand her side of it. That he try to think of what she had been through as well. Not blaming her for decisions others had made.

He listened in silence to the soft rush of voices downstairs. Mostly the hushed tones sounded like Lupin's voice. But they were so soft, it was hard to be sure. Then suddenly there was complete silence. Harry had started to think that perhaps they had all gone outside when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs. The steps weren't rushed. They in fact seemed to be taking their time. As though the person they belonged to were in no great hurry to reach their destination.

The soft footsteps continued until they came to a halt outside his door. A long pause preceded the knock on his door.

Harry looked up, but didn't answer the knock, much as he had done with Lupin.

"Harry?" A soft, female voice called through the door. The voice sounded very different to him now. It had lost it's eagerness. It's contagious enthusiasm. The sheer joy that had been behind it all morning.

Harry felt that he at least owed her an answer. "You can come in." He replied quietly.

Arabella slowly pushed the door open, as though she weren't quite sure what she would find inside. Sticking her head in, her kind, solicitous smile settled on him, though this time, to Harry, it seemed a bit unsure of itself.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Harry nodded slightly, turning back to the carpet.

Arabella came in and slowly approached the bed, finally lowering herself gracefully onto it as she took a seat next to him. Much as with Lupin, they sat for a long time in silence before anyone spoke a word. But this time it was the visitor who spoke first.

"Remus told me what happened." She said quietly. She paused again as though waiting for him to say something. Then she went on. "I didn't mean to lie to you, Harry. I didn't want to." She turned fitfully to the ceiling, her hands balled in her lap. "By the heavens above, all I wanted to do was tell you the truth."

"I know," Harry said softly. "That's what Professor Lupin said."

"Bless him, he did a lot of the talking for both of us." She sighed gratefully.

"He said I should thank you...for not doing anything to Uncle Vernon for..." Harry gestured to his bruised cheek.

Arabella laid a finger under his chin and turned the cheek to her. "Let me see that." A bit of the fire came back into her eyes as she gently stroked the mark with her finger. "Does it feel any better?" She asked, her voice softening with concern.

"It doesn't hurt too much." Harry lied, pulling back from her touch. He hated everyone making a fuss over it. "I just didn't want you to think you had to...do anything...about it."

"Someone should do something about it, Harry. A grown man should have better control over himself than to strike a little boy."

"I'm not little." Harry defended quickly. But he immediately pulled back the harshness he hadn't intended in his tone. "Besides, I doubt with as badly as you scared him that Uncle Vernon will ever do it again."

"If I have anything to say about it, he'll never get the chance."

Harry turned quickly to her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, a large part of the errands I've been running today have been about this incident. And I'm pretty sure that I have everyone in agreement that it isn't in your best interest that you be returned to the Dursley's. At least not for the rest of this summer."

"Then where are they planning on sending me? Back to Hogwarts?"

Arabella's face lit with a light of anticipation. "Well, I was hoping you might want to stay with me."

But the light quickly faded when Harry didn't respond immediately. Instead he simply sat on the bed and stared at her with his mouth open.

"With...with you?"

"Why yes, Dear. I am your godmother, after all. I would be the most logical choice."

"What about Sirius? He's my godfather."

"Harry," Arabella said gently, "Sirius is a convicted murderer. I don't think the ministry's going to jump at the idea of his taking over your care."

"But he's innocent." Harry stated, getting tired of having to make that statement to every person he ever entered into any sort of conversation with about Sirius Black.

Arabella stared silently back at him, her expression unreadable.

"You believe he's innocent, don't you?" Harry asked.

Arabella sat for a few moments before answering. "Actually, Harry, yes I do believe he's innocent. But the ministry cares very little for the opinions of those who believe that."

Harry sighed quietly to himself. "Well, at least you believe him."

Arabella gave him a kind smile. "I've known Sirius for a very long time, Harry. And I think I know what he is and isn't capable of. Killing a street full of innocent people is not under the 'capable' list."

"So, my choices then are either to go with you or back to the Dursley's?"

Arabella stared sadly at her godson. He had sounded less than please with the prospects.

'Stupid girl.' a voice sounded in her head. 'He doesn't even know you. Why would he want to live with you? He told you his preference. He wants to live with Sirius.'

Arabella turned back to studying her hands, trying not to let her tone sound disappointed. "I'm afraid so, Harry." She forced a smile as he turned to her. "But I wouldn't be so bad. I mean, at least I hope I'd be better than..."

"Oh no, It's not that I wouldn't want to live with you." Harry put in quickly, suddenly realizing how his last statement must have sounded to Arabella. "It's just...I wish Sirius could live with us. I mean..." Harry stopped, trying to find the right words to convey his feelings, but gave up. "I'm sorry." He said finally. "No matter what I say, it's going to come out wrong. It's just that...Sirius is my godfather. And...he means a lot to me. Last year...with everything that went on...he was there for me as much as he could be. More than he should have been. And even though he could have been caught for it, he stayed close by, just to watch after me." Harry looked up at her. "Sirius is the closest thing to a father I have. And I've hardly had any chance to spend any time with him."

Arabella gave his hair a gentle caress as she met his stare. "I'm sorry, Harry. But there isn't much I can do about that. I'm afraid it would have to be just me."

Harry considered the situation, remembering the things Professor Lupin had told him. Of all she had been through while she served as his silent protector.

"So," Harry said finally, giving her a genuine smile at the thought, "When can I move in?"