Harry Potter and the New Start: Two Friends, Two Worlds
Hello everyone. Thanks so much to all of the reviewers. Okay, I admit it, I've gone past my self-imposed two week limit. This chapter has given me a lot of problems. I couldn't decide what to do. I've decided now, though I know that some of you aren't really getting what you want (for now at least).
I'm going to go with what my outline has in it. And one of these days, when this story is over and if there is an interest, I will write the flip side of what happens.
---------------------------Emerald's Palace
Sirius lay out next to Harry on the boy's bed. For the first time in his godson's life he was afraid to let Sirius leave him while he went to bed. There had been times, many in fact, where Harry had simply wanted to spend the night in his godfather's room, but it had never been out of fear.
It had nearly broken Sirius's heart when Harry shot out a small hand to latch onto Sirius's own. Harry hadn't actually asked for Sirius to stay with him, but his frightened, pleading green eyes had asked enough for Sirius to understand.
He hated that their trip had gone so wrong. It started out fine. Fun for Harry and liberating for Sirius. They were as normal as they could get for all of a few hours. The pranking store to the quidditch supply shop had been thrilling for them both.
But the moment that he'd looked down and seen that Harry was nowhere to be seen, all the fun had ended. Fear had gripped him, making breathing almost painful. And he couldn't even imagine how Harry had felt.
Sirius was still unsure if it had been good or bad that Remus had found him. On the one hand, it was Remus. Moony. He wouldn't hurt Harry. And Sirius knew that Remus felt that he was only trying to protect Harry, no matter how misguided that notion was. The whole Azkaban thing aside, Remus was one of the genuinely best people that he'd ever met. Sirius himself was far from perfect, he wasn't even close. Many would have said that Sirius was rash, loud, slightly cruel and oblivious to what was really going on. But Remus was the complete opposite. The cruelty shown to him hadn't turned Remus over to the Dark Side. He thought carefully before leaping into situations – something that Sirius had never really learned. If anything were to ever happen to him, there was a letter in Boo's safekeeping to be sent to Remus – along with Harry. He'd made that choice a long time ago.
But then, on that other more hateful hand, it was Remus. Remus, the man who'd allowed the Dementors to take him away. Remus, who didn't believe in him. Remus, who hadn't even come to listen to his side of things.
And, most importantly, Remus, who had allowed Dumbledore to send Harry to a place he knew to be horrible.
He could admit that he was being a little irrational. After all, he'd planted the seed of doubt in James's mind regarding Remus. A fact that he wasn't proud of and would love the chance to apologize for. But Remus had been kept out of the loop, even though he and James had hated themselves for suspecting him. Remus's lack of faith in him hadn't merely kept Sirius from knowing something. It had sentenced him to Azkaban. And he hadn't even come to find out the truth. A fact that Sirius could state he would do with conviction. Azkaban wasn't someplace to ship someone off to unless they were damn sure.
Of course, that could also be what he was still a little bitter about. That Remus could have been absolutely sure of his guilt. Even Sirius hadn't been entirely convinced that Remus was the traitor. There had always been that loyal voice in the back of his head reminding him that it was Remus, good old Moony.
Sirius sighed, tightening his hold on Harry unconsciously.
He wished he could say that he was entertaining the thought of going to Remus to finish their conversation. But he knew he wouldn't. He knew he wasn't even thinking of it.
Because, when it all came down to it, the only thing that really mattered was Harry.
----------------------------Remus's Cottage
The fire's heat warmed him up, though not nearly enough to stop the chill that was inside of him. Remus sat in his armchair, the only armchair in his worn cottage, and stared at the fire. Though, he didn't really see it. Instead he saw past it.
He saw Harry, the little boy that he had grown into. Still, he looked so much like James it was almost scary. What was worse though, what tore at him, was that during much of their encounter, Harry seemed afraid of him.
And that was Sirius's fault, Remus knew that. His friend, former friend, looked unchanged, almost no different. With a noticeable exception.
His eyes, the carefree silvery-blue, were so much older.
It was as though he'd seen just a bit too much to be quite the way he was, but not enough to smash the joking person he was. Azkaban could do that, Remus realized. But it seemed to be more. Something else, and Remus didn't find that he could place it.
Of course, it could have been from service to Voldemort, being a Death Eater.
Remus shook his head, tilting it upwards and closing his eyes. What would James say if he could see them now? He didn't want to figure it out, or even imagine.
"Remus."
The werewolf's ears perked up and he dropped his head back down. Albus Dumbledore's head floated in his fireplace, in the same spot he'd been staring at before. The man looked grim, and Remus knew why. Even after Sirius had apparated himself and Harry away, they were still left with the aftermath. The man had seen Sirius, though he hadn't noticed Harry. The damage was done, however.
Tiredly, Remus got up and knelt in front of the fireplace. "Hello, Albus." He greeted wearily, and then he asked a worthless question, "Did they find anything?"
"No, but an investigation has been launched, they are still questioning the store keepers to see if anyone matching the description that you gave had come in." Dumbledore told him, his eyes concerned. And Remus wasn't sure if it was for him, or for the situation at hand.
Nodding, Remus ignored the nagging voice in his mind that would say how much of a dead-end it would lead to. "That's good." He answered noncommittally.
"Remus, what is the matter?" Dumbledore asked, narrowing his blue eyes. Apparently, some of that concern was for him too.
A sigh escaped his lips, sounding as confused and dejected as he felt. "Just…some things Sirius said." He mumbled, feeling almost foolish that it was causing him so much of a problem.
Dumbledore caught it. He always did. "And what were those things?" He asked evenly.
Holding back would do no one any good, and Remus knew that. "He said he didn't do it. He said Peter did." Remus paused, "He says Peter is still alive." He whispered, pain for his long dead friend coating every syllable of the words, lacing his eyes. He missed James and Peter with everything in him. And a part of him, that teenage boy who was stunned by the loyalty of his three best friends, that part missed Sirius just as much as James and Peter.
"He did?" Dumbledore prodded, keeping his voice level and betraying nothing.
"Could he be telling the truth? He said it so…like he was really innocent." Remus mused, almost hopeful. "He sounded regretful too, and Harry. Harry clung to him, wouldn't let him go. And Sirius stood in front of him as though I were the threat."
Dumbledore looked pensive, even as his face danced in the flames. "You cannot let these things get to you, Remus. This is what Sirius wants." He said at length.
Remus's hopes crushed themselves as reality came down on him. Sirius Black was not innocent, though he was a good actor. A very good one. How could he let himself get lulled in like that.
He knew why, he wanted it to be true. But it was not, and his mind knew that. Even though his heart did not want to believe it. Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Though, unlike when he'd first heard the news of Sirius's betrayal, a little part of him would never quite believe his guilt.
---------------------------------Diagon Alley
The rats sped down the tunnels, all oblivious to the frantic people above the ground. They didn't care why there were so many people swarming around. They didn't care that the people above were aurors. And they certainly didn't care that those aurors were looking for traces of Sirius Black.
All those rats didn't care, but one did.
Peter sat near a grate in the sidewalk, listening. In rat form he had such good hearing. He could hear the vibrations of feet, the dripping of water, and the voices of men six feet above him.
"I can't believe Black choose here of all places to turn up!" One exclaimed to the other, a man that Peter vaguely recognized as one of the aurors James once knew.
Peter had been listening in, waiting for the false alarm to be called. But he'd waited for hours, and it appeared that this was the real deal. Sirius had shown up, and he'd had Harry there too. This only meant bad things for Peter.
"Black always was crazy. But to flaunt that he's got that little boy still? That's sick." The man responded to the first.
Sick was what Peter was feeling. Sick with worry.
"I hear you. We'd best get back to the Ministry though, Fudge will want to hear all of this. We can compare notes." The men disappeared, the vibrations of their feet ringing in Peter's small ears.
He knew where he had to go.
------------------------------Emerald's Palace
Sirius stared at the ceiling, sleep not coming to him. His mind still wandered, hardly focusing on one thought for long. He kept coming back to that look in Remus's eyes, that look of shock. Could Remus, after everything, believe in him again?
But more importantly, did Remus even believe him? Sirius's mind begged to know the answer, for his piece of mind. He'd already created fantasies about being declared free, able to renew his friendship with Remus and raise Harry in their world again.
He could not return without knowing though, and there was really only one way to know. He could be back before morning, before Harry ever knew that he was gone. Resolve formed and Sirius knew what he had to do.
Gently, he detangled himself from his godson. He'd get Boo to sit with Harry until he returned, he'd only be gone an hour at the most. It would be fine. There was a point that he and James used to apparate to when they worked as Aurors, it was hidden from view and Sirius doubted that anyone knew of it.
Just as he apparated, the very second, a small pair of hands grabbed his leg. "Siri, no!"
Okay, nice cliffhanger, right? Excuse that. And I promise the wait won't be half as long as it was between this chapter and the last. Special thanks to GNatgirl for getting my ass in gear.
Stars Enchantress