Disclaimer: these are not my characters or my situations, and I don't give
myself credit for them. Don't sue me thinking otherwise.
AN: thanks for the reviews, even though the last chapter *was* a bit under- explained (thanks to Nikki for pointing this out). It's sort of cleared up in this chapter. I guess you can say Sirius is really affected - gosh I'm such a sucker for conflict.
~~
It was difficult for Sirius to finally accept Dorcas's death. In fact, he never really did. It only made him realize what he'd gotten himself into, and what she'd signed up for.
He'd grown more reckless since then - with no real caution or regard for his own safety. He didn't talk as much, and it was hard to get a smile out of him (which was really difficult to believe).
But a part of the old Sirius Black still remained, and was quickly reawakened. He dropped everything he'd planned when he found out about his best friend's big day.
He rushed into the hospital room, completely out of breath. James grinned. "You're late."
Sirius looked over James's shoulder. "It already happened?"
"Yeah. Lily's asleep and so's the baby. But don't blame me. What took you so long?"
Sirius cast his eyes downward. "I. . . er. . . took my motorbike."
James laughed in disbelief. "Why didn't you just Apparate, you idiot?"
Sirius shrugged sheepishly. "I was already on my bike, and I didn't have the time to take it all the way back to my place."
James glanced out the door. "Did you send the owls?"
Sirius nodded. "Rebecca couldn't come. I think a healer told her she'd be having hers in a few weeks. She can't really Apparate now."
"And Remus?"
Sirius shrugged, his expression growing cold. "He wanted to be with her, so. . ."
"What about Frank and Alice? Are they coming?"
At this, Sirius laughed out loud. James looked puzzled, but Sirius only shook his head. "They're in the room next door, mate."
"Is that Sirius?" came a voice from behind James. He turned around and saw that Lily was already awake.
"That wasn't a very good Sleeping Potion they gave you, was it?" he said.
"Well, I didn't drink the whole thing," Lily replied quietly.
"You have a name for the little guy yet?" Sirius asked, walking over to look at the baby.
Lily nodded proudly. "Harry James Potter."
Sirius frowned with immense disappointment. "You didn't name him after me?"
Lily smiled weakly. Her smile faded when she noticed her husband in deep thought. "He needs a Godfather," James said, gazing at the wall blankly.
"No he doesn't," Lily replied, a little uncertain at what James was getting at.
James looked down at his son's small face, and nodded his head slowly. "He does." His eyes traveled up to his wife's worried face. "What if something happens to us?" he said.
"Nothing's going to happen to us, James," Lily replied distanly, pulling a dark lock of hair from her son's face.
"Lily," James replied softly.
"Who, then?" she snapped, cutting him off from telling her the dark possibilities. She'd already considered what her fate could turn out being, and she wouldn't cry over it any more.
"Well, Sirius is the only one here. And it's the natural choice - him being my best friend, and all." Sirius smiled slightly.
"What kind of a. . ." Lily let her voice trail off, holding back her doubts of Sirius's responsibility - especially for a small child. She couldn't argue about this with Sirius in the room. "All right," she said finally.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next week, Edgar Bones had news of a healthy baby girl named Susan, just in time for his sister's graduation from Hogwarts.
As the morning of August 18th dawned bright and clear, Rebecca went into labor, giving birth to Jasmine Sybil Waters that evening. It didn't take long for Remus to hear the news.
Rebecca gazed in awed wonder at her sleeping child. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that she was crying. "She won't have a father," Rebecca said quietly, almost to herself.
"Sure she will," Remus said, and Rebecca brought her head up. He smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~
James felt pretty content with how things seemed to be dying down. He hadn't heard anything about Voldemort seeking revenge or any of that - at least not yet. But he noticed that Dumbledore didn't seem to be feeling comfortable, or victorious for that matter. In fact he seemed as troubled as ever.
James knew something was definitely going on when he found an owl addressed to him and Lily saying that it was imperative that they speak with him.
Harry was far too young to leave in his Godfather's care. In fact, Lily felt it would never be a good time to leave her son in the hands of Sirius. So she had no choice but to bring Harry with them to the meeting.
Neither of them had expected that they were the only ones Dumbledore wanted to speak with, but they found that that was the case when they stepped into the Hogwarts Headmaster's office.
"Please sit down," Dumbledore said quietly. James and Lily quickly glanced at each other before taking a seat. Fortunately, Harry was still asleep.
Dumbledore sat back, sighing heavily, and quickly glanced skywards, as if for courage to speak. "I have called you here to speak about matters concerning your son," he said, allowing a quick glance at Harry. His eyes smiled and twinkled blue, but his face remained grave.
James and Lily only nodded for him to continue.
"A prophecy has been made concerning the downfall of Voldemort, and I am beginning to think it is genuine," he began.
James only blinked in confusion. "That's great, Dumbledore, but what does that have to do with our son?"
Dumbledore sighed heavily, searching for the right words. "The Seer who gave the prophecy spoke of a baby being born as the seventh month dies."
Lily frowned as she contemplated this. "That's the last day of July." James gave her a sidelong glance, but she didn't notice - her eyes were fixed on Dumbledore, who nodded calmly.
"It was said that the witch or wizard who was born that day would be destined to defeat the Dark Lord."
James's mouth dropped open slightly, but the next moment, he closed it quickly and smiled broadly. He even gave a short laugh. "You mean to say that Harry - this little boy sleeping here - is going to defeat Voldemort? Not me, not you, not anyone in the Order. . ." He laughed again, but Lily gave him a sharp look to silence him.
"Not necessarily, Mr. Potter. You see, I've already spoken to the Longbottoms about this - "
"The Longbottoms?" Lily interrupted with surprise. "What do Frank and Alice have to do with this?"
"You fail to notice that their son was born the same day," Dumbledore replied.
"What if it's all a joke?" James said, looking to Lily for agreement. "What makes you think it's really true? I mean, I'm sure hundreds of magical little brats were born on July 31st."
"Ah, you see," Dumbledore began, holding up his hand. "There's more to the prophecy that bears witness to its authenticity. It says that that very person would be born to those who have thrice defied the Dark Lord." He paused to note their reactions. "I must admit, there aren't many who have faced Voldemort exactly three times and lived through it. What's even more curious is that two of them would have a child on the exact day as was foreseen."
A draft of silence swept through the room as if it were a swift breeze. The couple seemed to be having difficulty speaking what was on their mind, as if they were grasping loose ends - unable to follow their own racing thoughts.
"My own son," Lily said softly after a while. She looked down and her eyes softened.
James, however, decided to take matters further. "So, if it really is Harry, or whoever, then we'd have to wait a while, right? I mean, a baby doesn't stand much of a chance against a full grown Dark wizard."
Lily lost her loving smile as her head snapped up. "Are you meaning to say that - " she stopped, her eyes wide at the thought she'd stumbled upon. " - that Voldemort will live for years and years until our son is old enough to fight him? What will become of the world? What will become of us?"
James shook his head, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes.
"It's does no good to dwell on the future," Dumbledore sighed, noting Lily's panicked face. "While we must prepare for it."
"And how will we do that?" James asked with a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
"Protect Harry, as you would protect yourself."
James nodded his head in understanding, bit couldn't help speaking in defense. "But Voldemort's not after Harry, is he? He's after me. He's always been after me. . ."
Dumbledore closed his eyes, wishing he didn't have to be the bearer of such terrible news. "You see, this is why it is dangerous for Harry to be your son. But even above all that, I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord cares nothing for your death in comparison of what he knows about Harry."
"He knows?" Lily cried. "Voldemort knows?" She turned to James for comfort, but only found the reflection of her own horrified state.
Dumbledore sighed once again, each sigh adding to his age and weariness. "He only knows the half of it, and so do you. It is better that way. Good day."
~~~~~~~~~~
"She wasn't supposed to die," Sirius said with a bitter shake of his head. Remus gave him a sidelong glance. *Why was he bringing it up again after a month? Hadn't they suffered enough without hearing it all over again?*
James only shook his head in agreement, trying to restrain the thoughts that had been tormenting him for the past month.
Whether James was listening or not, Sirius didn't seem to care, and continued his contemplation. "The plan was for her to stay until someone from the Order showed up."
James gripped his hair in frustration. *Couldn't he just shut up for a moment?* Remus seemed to notice James's pain, but didn't dare interrupt Sirius while he looked so broken and furious.
"But no one seemed to show up, so she kept up the disguise until it was too late. . ." Sirius let his voice trail off while his teeth clenched together angrily.
Remus rubbed his eyes, letting go of a little self-control. "Just shut it, Padfoot," he said quietly, but firmly.
Sirius's head snapped in Remus's direction, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why? Afraid to hear the truth?"
James let out the breath he'd been holding in. "It's my fault, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear? I was late."
Sirius sat back, a little stunned. "No, I wasn't blaming you at all, Prongs. I never even thought that."
"Then what are you getting at?" Remus asked, quickly losing interest in the meaningless conversation.
Sirius brought out his wand and set it down on the table next to him. "How'd Voldemort know where she was?" he asked, still piercing Remus with his glare.
Remus shook his head nervously. "I don't know."
Sirius started scratching his chin in thought, tipping his chair back on two legs. "There's a leak in our security, and she knew it. She knew it so well, that her plan depended on it. And you know what? It worked."
Remus narrowed his eyes, and brought out his own wand, setting it down beside him. "Yes, I noticed."
Sirius let a bitter grimace spread across his haunted face. "So, someone among us is in league with Voldemort."
Remus rolled his eyes. "We all know that. Snape."
Sirius shook his head, leaning forward. "But Snape stayed at Headquarters that whole day."
James looked warily at both friends, a little nervous at what Sirius might be getting at.
"Are you suggesting something?" Remus asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
Sirius leaned back in his chair, letting it tip comfortably on two legs again. "All I'm saying is that it's curious that James lost his parents, Lily lost her parents, Rebecca lost her parents, but yours were never killed. They're purebloods, aren't they? Aren't you?" He paused to note Remus's reaction. "How did Voldemort know where James would be eating on Christmas day?"
James's mouth dropped open in shock. "Stop it, Sirius."
Remus only glared at the wizard sitting opposite of him, who continued. "The only people who knew were Rebecca, Lily, and us four. It wasn't James who told the Dark Lord, that's for sure. I'm pretty certain it wasn't me, and Rebecca and Lily would never do a thing like that. Peter worships us. But you? What excuse do you have?"
Remus didn't answer.
"Why is your family so safe?" Sirius asked finally, grabbing his wand.
Remus stood, his characteristic solemnity forgotten. "You want to know what happened to them?" he said fiercely, grabbing his own wand. Sirius stood as well, as if accepting his challenge. He brought his wand before him, pointing it dangerously at Remus.
"They left me," he replied simply and yet painfully.
Sirius frowned, unsure whether to believe him, but didn't lower his wand.
"They left me to find a cure for me," Remus continued bitterly. "They were sick of hiding me in my room and locking the door, no matter how much I tore the place apart. They knew I was suffering, so they left for research." He stopped, and lowered his own wand, not even caring to see if Sirius had lowered his.
"I got a letter a year later saying they were killed. I was sixteen. I didn't tell anyone, except for now in my own defense against accusations of betrayal."
Sirius stepped back, his face still twisted with anger, though a little softer than before.
James sat wide-eyed at the scene before him, but said nothing.
Remus broke the silence, gaining control once again. His voice got quieter, and his face grew calm again. "You're the only family I have, and I'm surprised that you'd suspect me after all the years you've known me."
Sirius pocketed his wand, showing no sign of regret or embarrassment. In fact, he looked even angrier than before, though his voice was just as steady as Remus's. "Who is it, then? Who is it we shouldn't be trusting? Tell me, who has more credibility - someone who ran from their own family in order to do what's right, or a werewolf that keeps secrets?"
Remus shrugged, shooting his own angry glare back at Sirius. "I don't know, but I must say you've changed, Sirius. And not for the better, I'm afraid." With that, he Dissaparated.
Sirius stood there a few moments, still gripping his wand tightly. "And you haven't changed at all," he said resentfully, before leaving as well.
James sat as a silent witness to an age old friendship falling apart at its final test of loyalty and trust - speechless.
~~
AN: Kudos to anyone who saw this coming. I doubt anyone did, but I think I left clues. Didn't I? Well, anyhoo, hope you liked it, and I hope things were cleared up and all. Happy 2004!
AN: thanks for the reviews, even though the last chapter *was* a bit under- explained (thanks to Nikki for pointing this out). It's sort of cleared up in this chapter. I guess you can say Sirius is really affected - gosh I'm such a sucker for conflict.
~~
It was difficult for Sirius to finally accept Dorcas's death. In fact, he never really did. It only made him realize what he'd gotten himself into, and what she'd signed up for.
He'd grown more reckless since then - with no real caution or regard for his own safety. He didn't talk as much, and it was hard to get a smile out of him (which was really difficult to believe).
But a part of the old Sirius Black still remained, and was quickly reawakened. He dropped everything he'd planned when he found out about his best friend's big day.
He rushed into the hospital room, completely out of breath. James grinned. "You're late."
Sirius looked over James's shoulder. "It already happened?"
"Yeah. Lily's asleep and so's the baby. But don't blame me. What took you so long?"
Sirius cast his eyes downward. "I. . . er. . . took my motorbike."
James laughed in disbelief. "Why didn't you just Apparate, you idiot?"
Sirius shrugged sheepishly. "I was already on my bike, and I didn't have the time to take it all the way back to my place."
James glanced out the door. "Did you send the owls?"
Sirius nodded. "Rebecca couldn't come. I think a healer told her she'd be having hers in a few weeks. She can't really Apparate now."
"And Remus?"
Sirius shrugged, his expression growing cold. "He wanted to be with her, so. . ."
"What about Frank and Alice? Are they coming?"
At this, Sirius laughed out loud. James looked puzzled, but Sirius only shook his head. "They're in the room next door, mate."
"Is that Sirius?" came a voice from behind James. He turned around and saw that Lily was already awake.
"That wasn't a very good Sleeping Potion they gave you, was it?" he said.
"Well, I didn't drink the whole thing," Lily replied quietly.
"You have a name for the little guy yet?" Sirius asked, walking over to look at the baby.
Lily nodded proudly. "Harry James Potter."
Sirius frowned with immense disappointment. "You didn't name him after me?"
Lily smiled weakly. Her smile faded when she noticed her husband in deep thought. "He needs a Godfather," James said, gazing at the wall blankly.
"No he doesn't," Lily replied, a little uncertain at what James was getting at.
James looked down at his son's small face, and nodded his head slowly. "He does." His eyes traveled up to his wife's worried face. "What if something happens to us?" he said.
"Nothing's going to happen to us, James," Lily replied distanly, pulling a dark lock of hair from her son's face.
"Lily," James replied softly.
"Who, then?" she snapped, cutting him off from telling her the dark possibilities. She'd already considered what her fate could turn out being, and she wouldn't cry over it any more.
"Well, Sirius is the only one here. And it's the natural choice - him being my best friend, and all." Sirius smiled slightly.
"What kind of a. . ." Lily let her voice trail off, holding back her doubts of Sirius's responsibility - especially for a small child. She couldn't argue about this with Sirius in the room. "All right," she said finally.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next week, Edgar Bones had news of a healthy baby girl named Susan, just in time for his sister's graduation from Hogwarts.
As the morning of August 18th dawned bright and clear, Rebecca went into labor, giving birth to Jasmine Sybil Waters that evening. It didn't take long for Remus to hear the news.
Rebecca gazed in awed wonder at her sleeping child. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that she was crying. "She won't have a father," Rebecca said quietly, almost to herself.
"Sure she will," Remus said, and Rebecca brought her head up. He smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~
James felt pretty content with how things seemed to be dying down. He hadn't heard anything about Voldemort seeking revenge or any of that - at least not yet. But he noticed that Dumbledore didn't seem to be feeling comfortable, or victorious for that matter. In fact he seemed as troubled as ever.
James knew something was definitely going on when he found an owl addressed to him and Lily saying that it was imperative that they speak with him.
Harry was far too young to leave in his Godfather's care. In fact, Lily felt it would never be a good time to leave her son in the hands of Sirius. So she had no choice but to bring Harry with them to the meeting.
Neither of them had expected that they were the only ones Dumbledore wanted to speak with, but they found that that was the case when they stepped into the Hogwarts Headmaster's office.
"Please sit down," Dumbledore said quietly. James and Lily quickly glanced at each other before taking a seat. Fortunately, Harry was still asleep.
Dumbledore sat back, sighing heavily, and quickly glanced skywards, as if for courage to speak. "I have called you here to speak about matters concerning your son," he said, allowing a quick glance at Harry. His eyes smiled and twinkled blue, but his face remained grave.
James and Lily only nodded for him to continue.
"A prophecy has been made concerning the downfall of Voldemort, and I am beginning to think it is genuine," he began.
James only blinked in confusion. "That's great, Dumbledore, but what does that have to do with our son?"
Dumbledore sighed heavily, searching for the right words. "The Seer who gave the prophecy spoke of a baby being born as the seventh month dies."
Lily frowned as she contemplated this. "That's the last day of July." James gave her a sidelong glance, but she didn't notice - her eyes were fixed on Dumbledore, who nodded calmly.
"It was said that the witch or wizard who was born that day would be destined to defeat the Dark Lord."
James's mouth dropped open slightly, but the next moment, he closed it quickly and smiled broadly. He even gave a short laugh. "You mean to say that Harry - this little boy sleeping here - is going to defeat Voldemort? Not me, not you, not anyone in the Order. . ." He laughed again, but Lily gave him a sharp look to silence him.
"Not necessarily, Mr. Potter. You see, I've already spoken to the Longbottoms about this - "
"The Longbottoms?" Lily interrupted with surprise. "What do Frank and Alice have to do with this?"
"You fail to notice that their son was born the same day," Dumbledore replied.
"What if it's all a joke?" James said, looking to Lily for agreement. "What makes you think it's really true? I mean, I'm sure hundreds of magical little brats were born on July 31st."
"Ah, you see," Dumbledore began, holding up his hand. "There's more to the prophecy that bears witness to its authenticity. It says that that very person would be born to those who have thrice defied the Dark Lord." He paused to note their reactions. "I must admit, there aren't many who have faced Voldemort exactly three times and lived through it. What's even more curious is that two of them would have a child on the exact day as was foreseen."
A draft of silence swept through the room as if it were a swift breeze. The couple seemed to be having difficulty speaking what was on their mind, as if they were grasping loose ends - unable to follow their own racing thoughts.
"My own son," Lily said softly after a while. She looked down and her eyes softened.
James, however, decided to take matters further. "So, if it really is Harry, or whoever, then we'd have to wait a while, right? I mean, a baby doesn't stand much of a chance against a full grown Dark wizard."
Lily lost her loving smile as her head snapped up. "Are you meaning to say that - " she stopped, her eyes wide at the thought she'd stumbled upon. " - that Voldemort will live for years and years until our son is old enough to fight him? What will become of the world? What will become of us?"
James shook his head, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes.
"It's does no good to dwell on the future," Dumbledore sighed, noting Lily's panicked face. "While we must prepare for it."
"And how will we do that?" James asked with a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
"Protect Harry, as you would protect yourself."
James nodded his head in understanding, bit couldn't help speaking in defense. "But Voldemort's not after Harry, is he? He's after me. He's always been after me. . ."
Dumbledore closed his eyes, wishing he didn't have to be the bearer of such terrible news. "You see, this is why it is dangerous for Harry to be your son. But even above all that, I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord cares nothing for your death in comparison of what he knows about Harry."
"He knows?" Lily cried. "Voldemort knows?" She turned to James for comfort, but only found the reflection of her own horrified state.
Dumbledore sighed once again, each sigh adding to his age and weariness. "He only knows the half of it, and so do you. It is better that way. Good day."
~~~~~~~~~~
"She wasn't supposed to die," Sirius said with a bitter shake of his head. Remus gave him a sidelong glance. *Why was he bringing it up again after a month? Hadn't they suffered enough without hearing it all over again?*
James only shook his head in agreement, trying to restrain the thoughts that had been tormenting him for the past month.
Whether James was listening or not, Sirius didn't seem to care, and continued his contemplation. "The plan was for her to stay until someone from the Order showed up."
James gripped his hair in frustration. *Couldn't he just shut up for a moment?* Remus seemed to notice James's pain, but didn't dare interrupt Sirius while he looked so broken and furious.
"But no one seemed to show up, so she kept up the disguise until it was too late. . ." Sirius let his voice trail off while his teeth clenched together angrily.
Remus rubbed his eyes, letting go of a little self-control. "Just shut it, Padfoot," he said quietly, but firmly.
Sirius's head snapped in Remus's direction, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why? Afraid to hear the truth?"
James let out the breath he'd been holding in. "It's my fault, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear? I was late."
Sirius sat back, a little stunned. "No, I wasn't blaming you at all, Prongs. I never even thought that."
"Then what are you getting at?" Remus asked, quickly losing interest in the meaningless conversation.
Sirius brought out his wand and set it down on the table next to him. "How'd Voldemort know where she was?" he asked, still piercing Remus with his glare.
Remus shook his head nervously. "I don't know."
Sirius started scratching his chin in thought, tipping his chair back on two legs. "There's a leak in our security, and she knew it. She knew it so well, that her plan depended on it. And you know what? It worked."
Remus narrowed his eyes, and brought out his own wand, setting it down beside him. "Yes, I noticed."
Sirius let a bitter grimace spread across his haunted face. "So, someone among us is in league with Voldemort."
Remus rolled his eyes. "We all know that. Snape."
Sirius shook his head, leaning forward. "But Snape stayed at Headquarters that whole day."
James looked warily at both friends, a little nervous at what Sirius might be getting at.
"Are you suggesting something?" Remus asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
Sirius leaned back in his chair, letting it tip comfortably on two legs again. "All I'm saying is that it's curious that James lost his parents, Lily lost her parents, Rebecca lost her parents, but yours were never killed. They're purebloods, aren't they? Aren't you?" He paused to note Remus's reaction. "How did Voldemort know where James would be eating on Christmas day?"
James's mouth dropped open in shock. "Stop it, Sirius."
Remus only glared at the wizard sitting opposite of him, who continued. "The only people who knew were Rebecca, Lily, and us four. It wasn't James who told the Dark Lord, that's for sure. I'm pretty certain it wasn't me, and Rebecca and Lily would never do a thing like that. Peter worships us. But you? What excuse do you have?"
Remus didn't answer.
"Why is your family so safe?" Sirius asked finally, grabbing his wand.
Remus stood, his characteristic solemnity forgotten. "You want to know what happened to them?" he said fiercely, grabbing his own wand. Sirius stood as well, as if accepting his challenge. He brought his wand before him, pointing it dangerously at Remus.
"They left me," he replied simply and yet painfully.
Sirius frowned, unsure whether to believe him, but didn't lower his wand.
"They left me to find a cure for me," Remus continued bitterly. "They were sick of hiding me in my room and locking the door, no matter how much I tore the place apart. They knew I was suffering, so they left for research." He stopped, and lowered his own wand, not even caring to see if Sirius had lowered his.
"I got a letter a year later saying they were killed. I was sixteen. I didn't tell anyone, except for now in my own defense against accusations of betrayal."
Sirius stepped back, his face still twisted with anger, though a little softer than before.
James sat wide-eyed at the scene before him, but said nothing.
Remus broke the silence, gaining control once again. His voice got quieter, and his face grew calm again. "You're the only family I have, and I'm surprised that you'd suspect me after all the years you've known me."
Sirius pocketed his wand, showing no sign of regret or embarrassment. In fact, he looked even angrier than before, though his voice was just as steady as Remus's. "Who is it, then? Who is it we shouldn't be trusting? Tell me, who has more credibility - someone who ran from their own family in order to do what's right, or a werewolf that keeps secrets?"
Remus shrugged, shooting his own angry glare back at Sirius. "I don't know, but I must say you've changed, Sirius. And not for the better, I'm afraid." With that, he Dissaparated.
Sirius stood there a few moments, still gripping his wand tightly. "And you haven't changed at all," he said resentfully, before leaving as well.
James sat as a silent witness to an age old friendship falling apart at its final test of loyalty and trust - speechless.
~~
AN: Kudos to anyone who saw this coming. I doubt anyone did, but I think I left clues. Didn't I? Well, anyhoo, hope you liked it, and I hope things were cleared up and all. Happy 2004!
