Disclaimer: See front two chapters.

To:

Tielle -- You are nice! You are nice! I love you so much!
DiggoryTen4 -- XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Missa -- That's so encouraging! Thank you!
Serebii -- Uh-oh. Updating, updating. Please don't hurt me!
Mikee -- Hehe...haven't decided who said that but preferably Snape. :)
Lyss33 -- Love you lots!
Amie87, Siri Kat -- Longer, longer. *works feverishly* longer. For Amie and Siri Kat...longer.
Tati1 -- Oh, I really hope I'll see you again!
Japonica -- *blush*
Lupzy, Krylancelo. Angela, Mary Potter, demonlover, Ash of Mine, Loopy Luna Lovegood -- I LOVE YOU!
ParanoiaIn2005 -- You make me feel so happy! Hmm...well, Sirius' Harry's Godfather, and I have stated in the first chapter that Sirius hadn't gone to Azkaban at all, AU fic mind you, and the living problem is explained in Chapter 2. Beam.
Elvett -- You are so cute!! I suggest you sidle closer, I could do with more 'kill them'! That's a really good suggestion by the way.
AthenaKitty -- What? Huh? You are confusing me!
Queen and Remmy, Kalliope -- Yay, arrow, arrow! Review more!

Special Me-Love-You Owls to -- Amie87 and invisible2u. I am so touched. *grabs your sleeve and sobs*

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With Time Comes Trust: Sing to Me

Harry looked scared and forlorn as Sirius sat him down on one of the benches in the Great Hall. After taking a quick trip to the kitchen and ordering food, Sirius had taken him to a enormous room he called Great Hall.

Another woman and two men had joined them shortly, one of the men being the one Harry recognized who woke him up.

"How are you doing?" the woman bent down further towards the table to catch his eye. "I'm Minerva McGonagall."

Harry avoided looking at her, staring down at his lap instead.

"I'm Albus Dumbledore," someone said. Harry refused to look up. "Are you feeling hungry?"

Harry fervently wished everyone would stop talking to him when Sirius put a hand beneath his chin and tipped his head up gently. "Don't be scared, it's okay," he said, smiling.

"Ah!" Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Here comes the food! Let's tuck in, shall we?"

Harry looked at the table in pure fascination. Plates and plates of food lined up on the table, goblets and jugs in nooks and crannies. A large platter of chicken held center while rich side dishes sent steam in the air. The aroma was breathtaking. Harry had never ever eaten such a meal before. The Dursleys had only fed him bread and water through his 10 years.

"Would you like some turkey?" Sirius offered.

Harry hesitated. Aunt Petunia had slapped him when he tried to eat one of Dudley's leftover fries on a plate he was going to wash a year ago. He shook his head, although he longed for just a tiny bite.

Sirius frowned. "What would you like to eat? Help yourself."

Harry shook his head again, a little scared. He didn't want another beating. Not when he was already aching everywhere, he was sure he'll break down if he received one. Everyone had stopped eating, looking at Harry with concern. Even Snape looked a bit surprised.

"Harry?"

"Please don't," Harry whispered.

"Don't what?" Minerva asked, puzzled.

"Don't," Harry answered dismally. "I won't eat, please don't."

"We want you to eat!" Sirius exclaimed.

Harry looked up, fear clouding his beautiful emerald eyes. "Will you hit me if I do?"

Everyone froze.

Sirius rubbed his forehead. Damn those Muggles. "Harry, I would never ever hit you. I want, no, I need you to eat, you are way to thin for someone your age! You have my word, I would never do something to you that might hurt you in any way."

Harry raised tearful eyes to him. "Really?"

"I swear upon my life."

"You wouldn't beat or hit me ever?" he whispered.

"Never."

Trust seemed to settle for a moment in Harry's eyes. "Okay."

Sirius felt relieved. "Let's continue our dinner?"

"Yes, of course," Minerva snapped out of her shock.

Sirius ladled a healthy portion of potatoes onto Harry's plate. "Eat up!"

Harry looked unsure but he lifted a slice of potato with his fork, glanced at Sirius for any disapproving gaze, found none and bit a tiny bite. He looked at Sirius again.

Sirius responded by eating a whole slice of potato and beaming at Harry. Harry gave a tiny smile.

"Pumpkin pie?" Dumbledore scooped a large slice onto Harry's plate.

"Kidney steak?" Minerva poured a big portion onto Harry's plate.

Harry tried to protest but Sirius motioned to his fork.

"Better take the fork up before it gets buried under those," he joked.

Harry tugged weakly at the fork making a potato slice slip onto the table. Immediately letting go of the fork, Harry turned fear-filled eyes at Sirius, shifting uncertainly in his seat as if to avoid him.

"No, it's okay, Harry, it's okay," Sirius said dropping his own fork and knife.

Harry stared at him in total mistrust. Sirius' heart sank.

"Look," Sirius said suddenly. He picked up his cream tart and smashed it on the table. "See? It's alright! Mine is a much more bigger mess than yours." He reached over and picked up the fallen potato putting it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it. "There! No mess!"

Snape snorted into his chicken.

"No mess," Harry repeated slowly.

"No mess!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. He dropped his pumpkin pie on purpose into the nearest pot of soup. "No mess!"

The soup splashed all over McGonagall's robes. "Headmaster!" She stabbed her fork in the turkey and tried to clean her robes.

"No mess!" Sirius beamed. He picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice and splattered it all over the dish asparagus.

"Absolutely!" Dumbledore smiled, squashing a pot pie with his spoon, then looking at Snape expectantly.

"No mess," muttered Snape, unconvincingly. Looking up, he saw Sirius and Dumbledore looking at him. "Oh, alright, no mess!" He knocked over a whole jug of pumpkin juice and it splashed all over a plate of toast and marmalade.

Harry began to giggle.

"That's right!" Sirius said with pleasure. "There we are! Let's eat!"

"Again," Snape murmured.

McGonagall fished in the soup for Dumbledore's pumpkin pie. "I wonder how it tastes like..."

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"Are you really my Godfather?"

Sirius had pulled up a chair near one of the Hospital Wing's window and had Harry nestled in his arms, still in his white pajamas. Both of them had just sat in silence staring at the moon high in the sky half covered by dark clouds.

"Yes, I am truly am," Sirius answered.

"You will remain with me and never send me back to the Dursleys?"

"As long as I live, you will never need to step into their house."

"Why didn't you come and get me earlier?

"It's complicated, Harry, but trust me, I tried."

Harry snuggled in deeper into his Godfather's arms, closing his eyes. "I have this weird feeling."

"What feeling?" asked Sirius, taking one of Harry's hand and admiring the tiny fingers.

"It's like I trust you."

"That's good, Harry."

"I never trusted anyone before."

Sirius throat was stuck. "Harry..."

"Don't leave me."

"Never," Sirius finally unstuck his throat. "I love you, sunshine."

Harry hesitated. "I-I can't say the same."

"It's okay." Sirius said softly. "It's okay. Just give it time, Harry."

"Aunt Petunia always sang Dudley to sleep. I used to listen to her, then imagine her voice again when I went to sleep. Do mothers always sing their children to sleep? Does everyone have a mother?"

"Yes, they do, Harry. Everyone has a mother," Sirius could feel tears prickling in his eyes plus a surge of anger towards the Dursleys.

"Then where's mine? I mean, where is she? Why did she leave?"

Sirius lay a large hand gently on Harry's head. "She's somewhere far far away. Somewhere where there are fields and fields of flowers and everyone is happy. She sings to you too, high above the sky. You just didn't hear her."

"Does she have a name?"

"Lily. A lily in the garden of heaven."

"That's a nice name..."

"Hey, kid," Sirius did a screeching topic change. He was not ready to tell Harry everything. There was so much to tell. So much sorrow, so much pain, so much to understand about this magical world. And he doubted very much the Dursleys had even touched any of these subjects. Hell, he had to make notes and prepare for this. "Godfathers can sing too. Wanna hear?"

Harry giggled. "They can?"

As Sirius started to sing a lullaby, Harry closed his eyes again and when his breathing became even, Sirius knew that the next few days will be crucial to their building relationship. Either the little trust Harry had given him will continue to grow or be shattered and never rebuilt. Sirius would make sure it will never fall. He would make sure that one day, Harry will have full trust in him and will say 'I love you too' with confidence. He would live a normal happy life of a 10 year old and continue to grow into a fine young man with him. He will be the father and the mother Harry had never had.

He continued holding the warm body to his own until he fell asleep and a disapproving but smiling Poppy gently took Harry from him and tucked him into bed, then transfiguring the wicker chair Sirius was sleeping in into a soft leather couch.

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