Chapter 22

The ride home from Hogwarts was really short, in Sirius's opinion. He didn't want to risk running into his parents, although the chances were slim, considering he had basically been forgotten about the past few years. So when he got off of the train with James at his side and Anastasia in his arms, he was half afraid that they would swoop down on him and order him to kill his child and forbid him to see James ever again (although they had done that several times before).

"Are they here?" James asked as he looked around the platform. His parents had sent a driver for them, but he was just as afraid as Sirius was that the Black family would show up. However, neither of them saw Sirius's family, so they gathered up their belongings and dragged them out to where the driver was waiting with the car.

When the driver saw them his eyes widened. He had not been expecting a baby to be in one of the boys' arms. He blinked, but quickly hid his surprise as he helped them load their trunks. James smiled his thanks but Sirius just completely ignored him. He was getting tired of all of the stairs. Yeah, he was a teenage boy, yeah, he had a baby daughter. What was the big deal?

James and Sirius got into the back of the car and settled in. Anastasia stirred and then woke up. Loud cries immediately filled the back of the car. The driver jumped in mild shock, and then seemed to block out the noise by humming a song. James immediately began to fumble around for a bottle while Sirius began to sing her favorite song in hopes of sedating her. However, she was hungry, so she only stopped once the bottle was held up to her lips and she was drinking in contentment. She drank until she was full and when she was done Sirius burped her.

"Thanks, James," Sirius said once she fell back asleep. "I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well," James joked, "you'd have a crying baby in your arms right now instead of a sweet, quiet, sleeping baby."

Sirius laughed and leaned his head on James's shoulder in contentment. He was still worried about what his family might attempt to do, but right then the only thing he wanted to concentrate on was breathing. He was so tired. It seemed like forever since he had gotten the right amount of sleep.

"Are you alright, Siri?" asked James softly. He could sense that he was exhausted beyond caring about much, but…he still had to ask. Something could seriously be wrong with his boyfriend if he was really suffering from this much sleep deprivation. Then again, it could just be everything finally piling up to an unmanageable load of crap.

Sirius nodded and cuddled into James's side when he wrapped his arm around his waist. "I just need sleep," he murmured against his torso. James smiled and clung to his boyfriend tighter, effectively ignoring the driver's interesting looks. He apparently hadn't been expecting two gay boys when he had been told that he had to pick up the Potters' boy and his friend. Next time he would wary when a "friend" was added into the picture.

It took about thirty minutes to arrive at the Potter house. During the drive, Sirius and Anastasia slept while James kept watch over both of them. When they got to the house, he reluctantly woke up Sirius and picked up Anastasia to take into the house. Considering Sirius was uncoordinated when he first wakes up, James politely asked the driver to help with the trunks. He unenthusiastically helped him and left as soon as Mrs. Potter came out and paid for them.

"Hey, mom," James said when he saw her and after the driver had gone. "Why couldn't you come pick us up?"

She shrugged. "I had a meeting at the same time your train was due to arrive, but it was cancelled last minute for no good reason as far as I can tell, and by that time it was apparently too late to pick you up."

James nodded and she hugged him tightly, being mindful of the baby in his arms and then she turned her attention to Sirius, who was swaying on his feet from his fatigue. "How are you doing, dear?" she asked. Sirius just looked at her as if to say, "What the hell do you think?"

She saw the look and didn't say anything else, other than gave him a tight hug and then ushered both boys inside, having a house elf come out and take the luggage inside the house. When they entered the house, she called out, "Honey, the boys are here!"

Mr. Potter came out of the kitchen, mumbling under his breath some type of mathematical equation. "Hello, boys," he said as he walked by them and up the stairs, apparently distracted.

"Well, you must both be starving," Mrs. Potter said after a moment of standing in the hallway staring after her someone disillusioned husband.

Anastasia woke up just then and began to cry. This caused Sirius to break out of his stupor of exhaustion and he immediately went for her. As he reached for her though, the world suddenly went spinning, causing Sirius to grasp for James, who helped steady him with concern on his face. Mrs. Potter went around him to make certain he didn't fall backwards.

Shaking his head slightly to get rid of the dizzy sensation, Sirius bent down again to pick Anastasia up out of her baby holder. As he did, though, the world went black and Sirius fell to the floor in a dead faint.

James watched his boyfriend fall to the ground in horror and immediately went to help him. Mrs. Potter intercepted him though, saying, "You take care of the baby, I'll watch over Sirius." And with that she carefully magicked him onto a stretcher, which she also had conjured up, and directed him up the stairs to his room, leaving James alone to take care of the screaming baby.

James picked his daughter up and began to sing softly to her. It wasn't the same song that Sirius sang to her, but it was also soothing to her. In fact, it was one of the songs that was on the cd that he had given to Sirius just a week before. He only sang the chorus, but it was enough to calm the child down.

Mrs. Potter came back down the stairs as he finished singing. He felt that he wasn't nearly as good as Sirius was in the vocal area, and in truth, he wasn't, but he still had a fairly decent singing voice.

"Well, I didn't know you were brave enough to sing," his mom said as she stopped at the bottom stair. James looked at her with the unasked question in his eyes. She sighed slightly and nodded. "He's just tired. He's been working too hard and not been getting enough rest for it. He'll be fine as soon as he gets some rest. You, however, need to eat before you go check on him. So come on," and she bustled him into the kitchen without leaving any room for debate.

A.N. I want to make the Potter family a bit eccentric, but still family like. I don't know. Anyways, please review. Thanks!