Chapter 7 – "Waking to it all…"

It was three days before Harry woke up, weak and with pain flickering in all of his limbs.  Dull green eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at the ceiling as the teen moaned softly.

"Harry?" queried a familiar voice from his right.  The mattress creaked, as though someone had been leaning on it.

"Sirius?" gasped Harry, turning his head to stare blankly at his godfather.

A cool hand gently touched his forehead and Sirius murmured, "Yeah, kid.  Its me."

"Wh-what are you doing here?  If you get caught…"

"Tuna asked me to come."

"Aunt Petunia?"

"Yeah," said Sirius.  "She and your mum were twins, y'know.  Same class as your dad, Remy, and me.  Snape too.  Funny thing though…"

"What?" asked Harry.

"She somehow knew I was innocent.  Haven't had a chance to ask her how.  She's been with Snape all day."

Harry's cheeks flushed as he figured what that was refering to and coughed politely.  "Er…well…if that's what she wants…"

"Are you serious?"

"No, Sirius," said Harry with a laugh in his voice, "I'm not you."

Sirius frowned then chuckled, ruffling the dark head.  "Funny, kid," he joked.  "Now don't tell me you meant what you just said."

"What?  Snape's better than Uncle Vernon."

Sirius' expression darkened at the mention of Vernon and he growled, "Speaking of that ponce…"

Harry sensed his godfather's mood and reached out a hand blindly, expression one of fear.  He cried, "No!"

"What?" asked Sirius, grasping Harry's hand between his own.

"You can't…don't-don't do anything to him, Sirius."

"Harry, he's the one that blinded you!"

"I know," said Harry softly.  He turned his blind eyes to his godfather and continued, "But what if you get caught?  What then, Sirius?  Do you know how bad I'll feel if you get caught?  If you get Kissed?"

Sirius gripped Harry's hand tightly and hissed, "That won't happen, Harry.  I'm careful."

"Bull.  When I'm in the equation, you're as reckless as I am."

"You're not reckless…"

"Oh, and heckling Malfoy when I'm blind is just a hobby."  Harry frowned and said, "Speaking of which, what happened to Malfoy?"

"He," said Snape's voice from the direction of the hospital wing doors, "has been expelled, along with Mister's Crabbe and Goyle.  Attacking a fellow student is a serious offense, Mister Potter."

"What are you doing here, Snape?" snarled Sirius, half-rising from his seat.

"Sit down, Black," sneered Snape.  "I came to check on Potter."

"What do you care?"

Snape scowled and snapped, "I care a great deal, Black."

"Yeah," snorted Sirius.  "Sure.  Only because of Lily."

"Is it so inconceivable to you, Black, that maybe Lily and I were good friends?"

"No, its not, Snivellus.  And I'd like you to keep your grubby paws off my godson."

"Your hands are just as grubby as mine, Black."

"How dare you…"

"Sirius, Severus," growled Petunia warningly as she entering the hospital wing, closing the doors behind her and locking them.  "Shall I do what I did to the two of you in fifth year?"

"I would suggest against locking us in the moving broom closet again, Tuna," rumbled Snape.

Sirius drew his lips back from his teeth in a feral grin and spat, "Yeah.  Snape here might come out a bit bloodied…OW!  What was that for?"

"For being an imbecile," replied Petunia scathingly.  She then moved past him over to the awake (and now confused) Harry and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Sore," replied Harry.  "It hurts in some places…not much though."

"That's good," said Petunia.  "Young Malfoy was expelled."

"I know.  Snape told me.  Did you really lock him and Sirius into a broom closet?"

Petunia giggled and replied, "Yes.  They were both dreadfully furious at me when they got out.  Filch, caught them, of course…"

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes…but they got over it."

"I can see that.  Er – well, maybe not see…oh, you know what I mean."

Petunia smiled and patted Harry's hand, nodding.

"Yes, yes I do know.  Now, why don't you get back to sleep?"

"Where's Hermione and Ron?"

"They'll come see you soon, don't worry.  Until then Sirius is going to stay.  He's going to be your new guide dog – but don't tell him that yet.  It's a surprise."

Harry nodded then yawned, eyelids drooping.  Petunia smiled and brushed a few stray locks of hair off his face, her fingers brushing his scar.

"Get some sleep," she murmured, pulling a blanket up to his chin.  As Harry drifted off into sleep, Petunia turned to the two men arguing quietly behind her and ushered them to the other side of the room.  Once there, she grabbed both of their collars and jerked them both down to her height – which meant both 6'3 men were halfway bent over to meet her 5'5.

"Now," she rumbled darkly, "the next time the two of you decide to argue about old times, take it outside."

"Yes, ma'am," said Sirius.  "Anything else, ma'am?"

"Shut your hole, Siri.  And if you intend to stay in here with Harry, please do so in your Animagus form.  It would be quite hard to explain what a murderer is doing watching over an injured boy."

"Okay.  But I don't want him…"

Petunia jerked Sirius' collar hard, a fierce scowl upon her face.

"I will hear none of that!  I am not Lily, Sirius.  I do not go along with all of your pranks and plots.  He is your brother and whilst the two of you are in the same place, I will see you treat him as one.  That goes for you too, Sev."

Snape bowed his head and murmured, "As you wish."

Sirius snorted and snarled, "As if you'll put it away that easily…gag!"  Petunia twisted his collar in her hand.

Snape sneered.  "I can put my grudge away that easily, Black.  Unlike you, I can be civil for a short time."

"Why you…Tuna, yer chokin' me!"

"That's the point," growled Petunia, twisting Sirius' collar again.  "And may I point out that while Severus has a valid reason to hold a grudge, you do not."

"He…"

"You have no right to blame him for what his father – YOUR father did to you and your mother!"

Sirius scowled at that, revealing the famous Snape scowl, and spat, "Don't tell me what to do, Tuna…"

Petunia twisted his collar again and snarled, "I am telling you what to do, Sirius Orion Procyon Black!  And you will listen to me or Lord help me, I'll see you writhe in pain at my feet.  You know I can do it and the Ministry wouldn't know a thing about it."

Sirius looked scared for the first time during this conversation and only nodded, blue eyes wide.

"I'm glad we understand each other," remarked Petunia calmly as she released both men.  Snape straightened in a very elegant manner whilst Sirius slouched up to his normal height, scowling at his half-brother.  After a moment of this, a bear-like dog was in Sirius' place.  It growled at Snape then sauntered over to Harry's bed, lying down at the end of it, blue eyes glaring at the darkly clad man.

Snape returned the glare half-heartedly then offered his arm to Petunia, who took it.  Anger flared in her every stride as the left the hospital wing, heading back towards Snape's quarters.

"Merlin, I can't stand him sometimes!" she snarled as they walked down the steps into the dungeons.

"I know the feeling," grumbled Snape.

"Oh, Sev, I'm sorry about that…"

"No," interrupted Snape, "no, my dear, you are right.  You are right  We must put aside our grudges, he and I."

"He's stubborn as a mule," commented Petunia.

"As am I."

"Don't I know it…"

"But that is not the point," said Snape.  "The point is his grudge is still a very childish one."

"Child grudge's seem to hold longer."

"Indeed they do.  Gah.  Let this talk of Black die.  It gives me a headache."

"Sirius, Sev.  Sirius."

"Aye, Tuna," said Snape as they approached his door.  "Sirius is his name.  Morpheus," he said to the blank wall, which shimmered and revealed the heavy oak door that guarded his rooms.  Bowing slightly towards Petunia, he extended a hand towards the door and said, "Shall we?"

"Lead on, kind sir," quipped Petunia, smiling.

Snape returned the smile in kind and took her hand before leading her into the room.