The Present

"Well?" Remus Lupin asked when Sirius finally left Harry's room a few hours later. "How is he?"

A thin smile danced across Sirius' livening features, and although his eyes did not meet his friend's, Remus could see the happiness burning deep within them.

"He's better than I could have ever hoped for."

Remus sighed. "Is he resting now?"

Sirius nodded, sinking into an armchair nearest the door to Harry's room. Remus followed suit. "And how are you?"

Looking up, Sirius frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how are you doing with all of this?"

A thoughtful expression dawned on the old man's face, but only for a moment. "I'm doing well."

"You look tired."

Sirius laughed. "I'm suddenly feeling all the tortures I put myself through...for the first time."

A grin flashed over Remus' face. "I don't doubt it. Would you like me to get you something to eat?"

"Please."

Within a few moments, Remus was gone from view, and Sirius was left to consider this past month of hell. And also left to rejoice alone. All of that waiting was over. All of that torture, all of that heartache. It had ended now. Life could return to normal.

A crash sounded a few meters down the hall adjacent to where Sirius sat. He jumped in his chair, taken off guard, and slight spooked.

All at once, a mass of red headed children came pouring around the corner, a high pitched voice yelling after them.

"Fred! George! Do you realize what you've just done?"

"Honestly, mum! It was Ron!"

"Was not!" piped the youngest of the Weasley males, fighting to be freed from the crushing weight of his twin brothers. They had all ended up sprawled out on the floor after having an unfortunate incident with a few of the hall lamps. "Fred pushed me into it!"

"Only cause you were pushing me!"

"I was not! That was Ginny!"

"Don't you dare blame this on me!" squeaked the only female Weasley in the massive heap of red heads and flailing, freckled limbs.

Sirius stared on, not certain if he should help or simply laugh at the spectacle before him.

Considering his mood recently, he chose the latter.

All four heads looked up to find the scene before them both uplifting and surprising: Sirius? Here? Laughing?

The four exchanged flabbergasted expressions before finally pulling themselves out of the mess they were in and ran as one toward the sitting man. A maelstrom of questions erupted all at once, but Mrs. Weasley silenced them with one bellowing: "All right! That's enough!"

Sirius winced. "Keep it down, Molly. Harry's resting."

At this statement, the Weasley's paled. Sirius soon realized why.

Molly rounded on all of them in a corked rage which showed only in her eyes. Pursed lips managed to get one statement out, however. One that Sirius had not quite expected from this lovely, plump little women.

"If you four make one more sound, I will personally have you all sent to sit in Azkaban for a week!"

The Weasley children nodded as if they truly believed this empty threat.

Sirius would wonder later on if the threat had really been that empty.

Molly turned her eyes on Sirius next. She disregarded his haggard state, his unkempt hair, and his tattered robes, and simply smiled gently upon him, pulling him down into the motherly embrace that Molly Weasley was always so appreciated for.

"Sirius, you look-"

"Awful, Molly. I know."

The woman smiled sadly at him. There was no way to disprove what he had said, and Molly was smart enough not to argue. She knew she would not be in a much better state if it had been her in this position.

"How is he?" she asked, her voice suddenly cutting low. Sirius sighed.

"He's better than I could have hoped for, but they want to keep him an extra night. Just in case."

Molly looked away, tears in her eyes. "They said that when they found him...he was half dead."

"The doctors told me that too. What they meant, I don't know. I'm not sure I want to know."

"Probably not. Arthur's told me first hand what some prisoners look like when they're discovered on raids."

Sirius cocked his head, slightly intrigued, though he knew it was foolish to be so. "Really?"

Molly nodded. "Pale. Thin. Shaken. Don't know up from down or left from right. Paranoid. Sometimes crippled."

Sirius' brow knit in confusion. "You mean physically?"

"Or mentally. Even both in major cases."

Sirius suppressed a shudder while a sudden chill whipped down his spine. He rubbed his arms above the elbow and glanced over his shoulder toward the door.

How fortunate he was this night.

"How long are you staying, Molly?" Sirius asked after a few moments of silence.

"Arthur will be heading in soon." She stopped, a small smile on her face. "We were thinking we'd spend the night here with you. To be here when Harry gets out in the morning."

Sirius smiled, appreciative for such good friends. "I would like that," he admitted honestly.

There wasn't a redhead in that corridor that was not grinning broadly at that moment.

True to the doctors' words, Harry was home the next day.

And awaiting him was a host of friends and peers, all overjoyed to see him.

Half of the Order was there, even faces that Harry was not completely familiar with. Dedalus Diggle make a point to shake Harry's hand, while Nymphandora Tonks planted comical kisses on his cheek, causing him to blush considerably. The Weasley's, of course, made the biggest uproar, joined by a tearful Hermione Granger and a fretting Neville Longbottom.

Albus Dumbledore was among the throng, welcoming both Harry and Sirius back to the lives they had missed. Minerva McGonagall was there also. She shook Harry's hand, trying very hard to maintain a stoic visage while tears of joy trickled into the corners of her eyes.

Snape was conspicuously absent, but there was a wide load of other faces from Hogwarts and the Order to make up for one unwelcome presence.

Remus, of course, was there, much to the surprise of others. The next night would be the full moon, and even Sirius had suggested Remus stay in to get some rest. His excuse was logical, even though his decision was not considered wise by many who had also attended the "Welcome Back" party.

"So, are you happy to be back?" Sirius whispered into his godson's ear while they all enjoyed a social romp in the sitting room.

Harry grinned. "When have I ever been unhappy here?"

Somehow, that made Sirius feel very warm inside.

The Past...

Harry was reading in the study.

Perfect.

Sirius grinned slyly, his old Marauder grin, and slipped through the threshold. Harry never made a sign that he had sensed his godfather's presence, and that boosted the man's confidence considerably.

It was the perfect plan. Harry had no idea about anything that was to happen today, and now this extra option to scare the crap out of the kid was only too tempting.

The grin widened as Sirius inched closed to the arm chair. Harry was facing the opposite direction, completely absorbed in his book.

He crouched low, like a lion ready to pounce on his prey.

Harry chuckled, but Sirius thought nothing of it. Most likely it was something in the book. Right?

Sirius crouched lower, wagging his fingers in eager anticipation. He inhaled, opened his mouth, and...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Harry had leapt up on the chair, whirled around, and shouted quite literally into Sirius' face.

The man stood stunned for a second, then blinked away the surprise.

"How did you-"

"Remus told me!" Harry grinned and winked. He leapt down from his chair and took Sirius around the arm, leading him back into the sitting room. "Do you have anything planned?"

"I...uh..."

"Good," Harry laughed. "Because I do."

"Wh-what?"

The young man chuckled. "You'll see."

Sirius most certainly did see.

Harry had invited half the Order (the half he knew Sirius could stand). Even the Weasley's showed up, oddly enough with Hermione in tow. She and Ron exchanged odd glances the entire duration of the stay, but Harry never seemed to be bothered.

The day had been eventful, and with some help from Remus afterward, there was very little mess to be cleaned up.

"Well?" Harry asked as they enjoyed a mug of butterbeer together.

Sirius grinned and threw an arm over Harry's shoulders. He chugged the last of his drink, set down his cup, then proceeded to rub his knuckles into the boy's mop of messy black hair.

"Ow-ow-ow!" Harry yelped.

Sirius laughed out loud, winking when the boy sat back up to find his hair in even more of a state than it normally was.

"Thanks," he grumbled, trying to flatten his hair.

"No, thank you," said Sirius. "I didn't expect this."

Harry grinned. "I know. That's what made it so fun."

The Present...

Sirius watched Harry sleep idly on the couch. A smile formed on his face at the image of innocence that lay before him.

Two days ago, he would not have imagined this. Now, he was living it.

Not having the heart to wake Harry, he pulled a comforter out from underneath the sofa (for guests) and wrapped the boy up in it. He rubbed his head affectionately before finally whispering "Goodnight, kiddo."

He started off toward his bedroom, but then thought better of it.

Sirius was still far too paranoid to willingly leave Harry downstairs on his own.

Pulling another comforter out of the hall linen closet, Sirius nestled down into the reclining chair nearest Harry and settled in for a good sleep.

The best he had had in over a month.