Chapter 8 - Padfoot Returns
His hair was mangled and he was very thin. He had grown a small beard and moustache. He looked so different that it was no surprise that they didn't recognise him at first.
"Sirius!" Mrs Weasley cried and ran at him.
She pulled him into a tight embrace and started sobbing.
"Molly!" Sirius exclaimed, scared of this uncharacteristic display of affection.
They had parted on bad terms.
"I'm so sorry Sirius!" She sobbed.
He patted her gingerly on the back.
"It's ok Molly" he said softly.
When Mrs Weasley finally let go of him he looked around the room. His eyes rested first on Remus, who still had his wand out and had a strange expression on his face.
"Remus it's me" Sirius said, walking a couple of steps towards him.
Remus backed away, his wand still drawn.
"Prove it" Remus said.
Sirius thought for a moment.
"Let's see, we can't use the Marauder's because Peter was one of them, and you suspect me of being a deatheater don't you?" Sirius waited for confirmation.
Remus nodded slowly, not taking his eyes away from Sirius' face. Sirius thought hard, then his expression turned to a huge smile
"In 6th year I caught you coming out of the prefect's." he was cut off by Remus.
"That will do" Remus said, a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.
Ron and Hermione looked at Remus with surprise, wondering what had happened that would make Remus blush. Sirius grinned as Remus lowered his wand and embraced Sirius like a brother.
"You took your time old friend" Remus said in a choked voice.
"I came as soon as I could" Sirius replied softly.
"How? No one has ever come back before" Remus pointed out.
"Not now. I'll tell you another time" Sirius said, looking at the other faces around the room.
His eyes found Sera. His expression changed instantly.
"What are you doing here?" he exploded.
"I had to come. I couldn't just watch what was happening from the sidelines" she replied. "I can't stay in a cage when people need my help" she added.
Sirius thought about this for a moment before smiling and nodding.
"It's good to see you again Sera" he said evenly.
Sera nodded. He continued looking around the room. He saw Megan. His head tilted and he looked slightly confused. Mel moved in front of her daughter protectively, hiding her from view. Sirius' expression changed.
"Mel" he said, his voice so choked that it was little more than a whisper.
Mel nodded and smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes showed only hurt and confusion. After a moment, Sirius came out of his trance-like state and looked at the others.
"Where's Harry?" he asked anxiously.
"He's up in his room. He's been taken ill" Mrs Weasley said gently.
Sirius' eyes filled with concern and he ran up towards the bedroom, with Mrs Weasley in hot persuit. He sat down next to the bed where Harry lay, sweating and murmuring something.
"Sirius!" Harry called out in his sleep. "No! He's not dead! Sirius where are you?"
"I'm here Harry" Sirius said urgently. "I'm here"
Harry started shaking. Mrs Weasley pulled out some water and a towel and began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's sweat covered face. Sirius took it off her after a moment.
"Let me, Molly" he said quietly.
Mrs Weasley was going to protest, but Ginny came to the door and told her she was needed downstairs. Mrs Weasley nodded resignedly and left Sirius to attend to Harry. Sirius began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's face and throat. Harry was still shaking. Sirius began speaking softly to him to try and sooth him. Harry began to relax a little and stopped shaking as much.
"I love you Sirius" he murmured and then fell silent.
"I love you too" Sirius whispered, tears of worry falling down his cheek. Once Harry looked comfortable, Sirius made his way back downstairs.
Sirius stopped at the doorway to the dining room when he heard voices.
"So you're certain it's him then?" came Dumbledore's voice.
"I'm positive" Remus assured him.
"Maybe we should stop talking about him now, seeing as he's right outside the door" came the growl of Mad eyed Moody.
Sirius took this as his cue to enter and walked into the room. All eyes were turned on him. He realised that everyone in the order was here. The children were no where to be seen.
"Where did the children go?" Sirius asked.
"In bed. I've put Ron into Fred and George's bedroom so that Harry's got the room to himself while he recovers" Mrs Weasley said.
Sirius nodded.
"Welcome back Sirius" Dumbledore said, shaking his hand.
Sirius grinned at him. He noticed Snape from the corner of his eye. He was scowling. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked around at the others.
"Where's Emmeline? And Mundungus?" he asked suddenly.
The expressions of the people in the room turned stony.
"Taken for questioning" Dumbledore said after a moment.
Sirius looked at him questioningly.
"The ministry has now acknowledged that Voldemort has returned, and Fudge has allowed aurors to use the unforgiveable curses on suspects" Dumbledore said.
His voice was expressionless, but his eyes flashed with anger.
"He hasn't! Not even he is that stupid" Sirius said in disbelief.
He stared around the room and his fears were confirmed.
"So what about Emmeline? Is she alright?" he asked, worried.
Dumbledore was quiet for a moment.
"They used cruciatus in their interrogation of her and found out where Emily was. It was very lucky that we managed to get there first" he said.
Sirius' eyes widened.
"Where's Emily?" he asked immediately.
"Here" came a voice behind him.
The short, thin witch strode in and embraced him warmly.
"Glad to see you're still with us Sirius Black" she said with a smile.
Sirius smiled back, relieved.
"I could say the same about you Emily Potter" he said, grinning.
Dumbledore coughed and they looked back towards him. The meeting progressed long into the night, and Sirius felt his mind constantly wandering to Harry. He didn't get up, but promised himself that he would be going up to see Harry as soon as the meeting ended.
His hair was mangled and he was very thin. He had grown a small beard and moustache. He looked so different that it was no surprise that they didn't recognise him at first.
"Sirius!" Mrs Weasley cried and ran at him.
She pulled him into a tight embrace and started sobbing.
"Molly!" Sirius exclaimed, scared of this uncharacteristic display of affection.
They had parted on bad terms.
"I'm so sorry Sirius!" She sobbed.
He patted her gingerly on the back.
"It's ok Molly" he said softly.
When Mrs Weasley finally let go of him he looked around the room. His eyes rested first on Remus, who still had his wand out and had a strange expression on his face.
"Remus it's me" Sirius said, walking a couple of steps towards him.
Remus backed away, his wand still drawn.
"Prove it" Remus said.
Sirius thought for a moment.
"Let's see, we can't use the Marauder's because Peter was one of them, and you suspect me of being a deatheater don't you?" Sirius waited for confirmation.
Remus nodded slowly, not taking his eyes away from Sirius' face. Sirius thought hard, then his expression turned to a huge smile
"In 6th year I caught you coming out of the prefect's." he was cut off by Remus.
"That will do" Remus said, a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.
Ron and Hermione looked at Remus with surprise, wondering what had happened that would make Remus blush. Sirius grinned as Remus lowered his wand and embraced Sirius like a brother.
"You took your time old friend" Remus said in a choked voice.
"I came as soon as I could" Sirius replied softly.
"How? No one has ever come back before" Remus pointed out.
"Not now. I'll tell you another time" Sirius said, looking at the other faces around the room.
His eyes found Sera. His expression changed instantly.
"What are you doing here?" he exploded.
"I had to come. I couldn't just watch what was happening from the sidelines" she replied. "I can't stay in a cage when people need my help" she added.
Sirius thought about this for a moment before smiling and nodding.
"It's good to see you again Sera" he said evenly.
Sera nodded. He continued looking around the room. He saw Megan. His head tilted and he looked slightly confused. Mel moved in front of her daughter protectively, hiding her from view. Sirius' expression changed.
"Mel" he said, his voice so choked that it was little more than a whisper.
Mel nodded and smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes showed only hurt and confusion. After a moment, Sirius came out of his trance-like state and looked at the others.
"Where's Harry?" he asked anxiously.
"He's up in his room. He's been taken ill" Mrs Weasley said gently.
Sirius' eyes filled with concern and he ran up towards the bedroom, with Mrs Weasley in hot persuit. He sat down next to the bed where Harry lay, sweating and murmuring something.
"Sirius!" Harry called out in his sleep. "No! He's not dead! Sirius where are you?"
"I'm here Harry" Sirius said urgently. "I'm here"
Harry started shaking. Mrs Weasley pulled out some water and a towel and began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's sweat covered face. Sirius took it off her after a moment.
"Let me, Molly" he said quietly.
Mrs Weasley was going to protest, but Ginny came to the door and told her she was needed downstairs. Mrs Weasley nodded resignedly and left Sirius to attend to Harry. Sirius began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's face and throat. Harry was still shaking. Sirius began speaking softly to him to try and sooth him. Harry began to relax a little and stopped shaking as much.
"I love you Sirius" he murmured and then fell silent.
"I love you too" Sirius whispered, tears of worry falling down his cheek. Once Harry looked comfortable, Sirius made his way back downstairs.
Sirius stopped at the doorway to the dining room when he heard voices.
"So you're certain it's him then?" came Dumbledore's voice.
"I'm positive" Remus assured him.
"Maybe we should stop talking about him now, seeing as he's right outside the door" came the growl of Mad eyed Moody.
Sirius took this as his cue to enter and walked into the room. All eyes were turned on him. He realised that everyone in the order was here. The children were no where to be seen.
"Where did the children go?" Sirius asked.
"In bed. I've put Ron into Fred and George's bedroom so that Harry's got the room to himself while he recovers" Mrs Weasley said.
Sirius nodded.
"Welcome back Sirius" Dumbledore said, shaking his hand.
Sirius grinned at him. He noticed Snape from the corner of his eye. He was scowling. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked around at the others.
"Where's Emmeline? And Mundungus?" he asked suddenly.
The expressions of the people in the room turned stony.
"Taken for questioning" Dumbledore said after a moment.
Sirius looked at him questioningly.
"The ministry has now acknowledged that Voldemort has returned, and Fudge has allowed aurors to use the unforgiveable curses on suspects" Dumbledore said.
His voice was expressionless, but his eyes flashed with anger.
"He hasn't! Not even he is that stupid" Sirius said in disbelief.
He stared around the room and his fears were confirmed.
"So what about Emmeline? Is she alright?" he asked, worried.
Dumbledore was quiet for a moment.
"They used cruciatus in their interrogation of her and found out where Emily was. It was very lucky that we managed to get there first" he said.
Sirius' eyes widened.
"Where's Emily?" he asked immediately.
"Here" came a voice behind him.
The short, thin witch strode in and embraced him warmly.
"Glad to see you're still with us Sirius Black" she said with a smile.
Sirius smiled back, relieved.
"I could say the same about you Emily Potter" he said, grinning.
Dumbledore coughed and they looked back towards him. The meeting progressed long into the night, and Sirius felt his mind constantly wandering to Harry. He didn't get up, but promised himself that he would be going up to see Harry as soon as the meeting ended.
