Responses:
Diosa Alexia: Thank you, thank you, I am glad that someone shares my feeling that Sirius is the absolutely hardest character to write, but I mean, considering that I have had more problems with this fic *my computer crashed twice in the middle of writing it* it is actually going fairly well. What is it about Sirius *sigh* there is so much to say!
Stinky Stan: I am totally digging your name Stan, and I'm glad you like.
Ginnygal189: I'm updating right now ;)
Ali: I'm glad that it keeps getting better!
Kantomon: Awww! I swear, you guys are all so sweet! I'm glad you're hooked!
Jessi Black: Hey Jessi!! I read your fic and reviewed, I must say, I LOVE it. And Sirius says hi! And also requests that you never call him Siri again, b/c I got to school with a girl with that name. Sirioo will do just fine, and it will get on his nerves, the best ;).
A Little Note:
This is to show just how much I love you. What I do is I type this up on the computer in my room and then I save it on a floppy disk and bring it in here…. My floppy disk decided to go to floppy disk heaven so I have NO way of transferring the stories besides writing it down on loose leaf and then retyping it…that takes a LONG time. But I love my reviewers so, here it is.
Rating:
PG-13, because I said so.
Disclaimer: You know the deal.
Chapter One- Paddy
Sirius's eye were pale, so unlike the rest of him. He had tan skin from hours on his motorbike, streaming through the English countryside with only an undershirt and dark black jeans on. His smooth hair that fell into his eyes in perfection was dark brown, nearly black, but then underneath the dark hair were those pale eyes. And when he transformed, his eyes were pale still. They were large and alert as if waiting for something, something to come.
He walked up to his best friend's house in the small neighborhood Godric's Hollow, the afternoon sun dancing as wisps of cloud flitted by. It was unusually warm for October and Sirius was carrying his leather jacket over one shoulder. He patted his motorbike, his prized possession and jovially walked up the steps. He didn't bother to knock, it was his second home, the home away from his cheery, though lonely, flat in London.
"Hello, Potters!" he called into the house hearing a squealing following the sound of pattering footsteps.
A little boy, who looked to be a little over a year, with jet black hair that stuck up all over the place came running into the all screaming with joy, "Paddy, Paddy, Paddy!"
Sirius swooped down and held out his arms waiting expectantly, Harry jumped into his godfather's arms and Sirius swung him round, "The smallest one! How's it Harry?"
"PADDY!" Harry said swinging his arms in the air. "Present?" Sirius smirked and reached behind his back and pulled out a short model of a broom that was nearly the height of the toddler.
A voice came from one room over, "Sirius! We said no brooms till he was two!" It was Lily; her hair was radiant and shining in the candlelight.
Sirius shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, Lils! I couldn't resist." He smiled his gorgeous smile that made girls go weak in the knees.
"Oh don't pull your it's-love-at-first-sight smile on me, I've known you for too long!" she snapped back playfully.
Then James walked in from the living room, "Are you trying to seduce my wife, Padfoot?"
"What, me?! No! I was just trying to sway her a bit is all," Sirius said, his smile growing wider. "So what are you being for Halloween little buddy?"
"DOGGY!" shouted Harry, laughing with glee.
"That's my boy!" Sirius said, handing him over to Lily. "So, what's for dinner?"
James shook his head, "You don't change, do you Sirius? Food's always on your mind!"
"You know it! I'm lost without the house elves at Hogwarts," Sirius smirked as he went into the den. He looked over at the calendar on the wall with a large picture of James, Lily, and infant Harry in a pumpkin patch, October thirty-first was magically highlighted in orange, as the calendar did every time the date changed. He plopped down onto the forest green, overstuffed, leather couch, taking in the place that felt more like home than anyplace he had lived before, besides perhaps Hogwarts. The pictures on the wall of his old school friends, then Lily, and then, Harry were embedded forever in the back of his mind and the sight of them was like looking at a picture you drew as a kid, it was bliss. Sirius sat up as Harry came tottering into the den; he had just learned to walk three weeks ago and was experimenting with running. He tripped over a toy and sprawled out on the floor.
Sirius jumped up to make sure that he was okay, but Harry just came bounding back to his godfather. "Moon come over?" Harry asked Sirius.
He nodded, "Yes, Moony's coming over Harry. And Wormy too." Harry clapped at the news of having a full house and tottered over to get his 'mummy' who had walked in and sat on a chase arm chair, rubbing her temple.
"I don't think that I can take another day stuck in this house Sirius! I've got to get out!" Lily said as she tickled Harry.
Sirius smiled, "Nothing much your missing, Lils. Just a bunch of blundering idiots running around the ministry, persecuting anyone who looks at them funny. Nope not missing much at all. Where's Jamesy?"
"I HEARD THAT!" James's voice carried through the house as he walked in from the kitchen. "Getting drinks if you must know. Cheers!" and he handed out the bottles. "Chocolate milk for you buddy," James gave Harry a bottle and he sat down on the floor, watching the candles flicker, one for each member of the order who had been lost. They were silent; it was a content silence, looking on at the candles, wondering where those who the candles represented were now. Suddenly, breaking their silence, there was a knock on the door and Sirius jumped up to get it.
"MOON!" Harry's voice called from the den. Sirius smiled at Remus.
A tall, pale man with shaggy blonde hair stepped into the house, his slightly yellow eyes glinting with happiness, though he looked rather tired. "Hello everyone!" he said as he walked into the living room where Lily and James were still sitting. "Peter here yet?"
"Nope, late as always," said Sirius. "So," he smirked. "Read any good books lately?" Lily and James smiled, it was an old joke, a part of their carefree past. When Sirius spoke these words an immediate smile would grace Remus and he would respond with a different book every time. Sometimes they were truthfully the books he had read lately and then other times they were absolutely absurd.
"Wonderful book, How to Control Twenty-One Year Olds Who Won't Grow Up. Completely pointless and a waste of time. But wonderful," he smiled at them all and then they burst out laughing. They didn't know why, it wasn't particularly funny what he had said, but it was like they were back at school, sitting around talking, laughing at stupid things that didn't deserve to be laughed at. The only difference now was that they had a tiny James running around them. Sirius fingered through his permanently messed up hair, something he hardly ever did now.
Lily swatted at the hand and said automatically, "Stop it!" Sirius and Remus exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Lily and James looked at them and said simultaneously said, "What?" Their laughter increased and Lily reached behind her, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Remus. James ruffled Lily's hair and she glared up at him. Harry let out a squeal of glee, and clapped his hands again. He was really a cute kid.
Lily stood up, her red hair swaying as she made to put the pillow that Remus had thrown gently back to her away and went into the kitchen to finish dinner. Remus and James stood up to go help her.
"Ah, I've got babysitting duty! My favorite!" and Sirius slid off the couch and sat cross-legged with Harry who was handing him toys from all over the room. Soon he was surrounded in teddy bears, wagons, air planes, trucks, trains, and numerous other toys.
Lily turned to watch Harry and Sirius with James, "I never would have guessed, knowing him in school. He's as good a father as you James." And the two moved out of Sirius's sight as he gave them a wink.
"Okay Harry. Lets learn!" Siriu said, rubbing his hands together. "Who is your favorite person?"
"Mommy!" Harry perked up.
Sirius shook his head, "No Harry!" His voice laughing with mock anger, "Me! So who's your favorite person?"
Harry looked a little confused, he didn't know that many people, "Papa?" Sirius shook his head again, grin widening.
"Try again," Sirius said patiently.
Harry thought for a moment then let out a squeal, "YOU ARE!"
"Who's your favorite person?" he repeated.
"You are!" Harry clapped at Sirius's obvious delight and pulled on his hand for him to get up. "Mummy, show Mummy!"
"Okay, okay I'm coming!" Sirius stood up and they walked into the kitchen where Remus and James were immersed in conversation as Lily pointed her wand about, vegetables chopping themselves.
"I don't want to do it. I can face whatever it is I'll have to face without all of you meddling!" James was saying.
"I know you feel that way, Prongs, but you have to understand, for Hogwarts! Fo the future of-" Remus responded, but as soon as Sirius walked in they stopped.
Sirius looked at them, his brows raised, "What were you just talking about, mate?"
"Not in front of Harry," Lily called from the sink. But Sirius had a fleeting feeling that they had stopped because he had walked into the room, not Harry. But he shrugged it off; it was pointless to think about it too much.
"Harry, you ready to show them?" Harry nodded vigorously, waiting for Sirius to ask him the question. "So, who's your favorite person?
"WORMY!" Sirius looked at him confused, but then saw a short, prematurely balding man, standing in the doorway. He raised a pale arm in greeting and came to sit down at the table with Sirius, Remus, James, and Harry. Harry crawled out of Sirius's lap, over James and Remus, in the large booth seat that they were sitting at, and sat in Wormtail's lap.
"Present?" Harry said expectantly again.
Lily put her hands on her hips, "Not everyone has to get you a present Harry!" Peter, however, smiled and reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of levitating sherbet, not as extravagant as Sirius's gift, but one that would make him fly none-the-less. He looked at Moony.
"Hey, I bought half of that broom there big guy," and Remus reached over and tickled the little boy until he screamed for him to stop.
James looked at Sirius. "I was going to wait until Rem got her, but he was very persuasive!" Sirius exclaimed in his defense, pointing at Harry..
"You're just too soft, Paddy," Remus looked back down to his copy of the Daily Prophet and continued reading. Peter handed Harry to James and up to help with dinner.
"What can I do Lily?" Peter made a move to grab his wand in his back pocket and started getting silverware out for the meal. Sirius glared at Peter behind his back. There were times, still, that he didn't trust Peter in the least. But he figured that if he didn't trust Peter then it was most likely that Voldemort wouldn't trust him either. He knew that Peter would be the most unlikely choice for secret keeper and Voldemort would never think that James and Lily would actually pick him. But James and Lily fought to keep Sirius, and Sirius had insisted. But Sirius also knew to never assume what Voldemort would think, so when Peter came over, being too friendly, not nearly as dunder-ish as he usually was, it was something for him to be concerned about.
Harry pulled on a lock of Sirius's hair, tugging hard until Sirius's head nearly collided with Remus's . James saw this, cough-finally-cough, and pulled Harry away from Sirius.
"Don't pull hair, Harry," James said, ruffling Harry's hair.
"Don't ruffle hair James!" Lily said, leaning in for a kiss from her husband. Sirius smiled and took a sip of his drink.
He has NO right to hold Harry, NO RIGHT! *runs off to kick Wormtail* NO FRIGGN' RIGHT! *fuming*