Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the like are property of JK Rowling, her
publishers, and Warner Brothers. No profits are being made.
Chapter Three: New Homes and Birthdays
By the time Sirius and Harry were able to move into their house, it was closing in on Harry's second birthday. Wounds were starting to heal, and Harry seemed to have almost completely moved on. Lily and James were still sorely missed, but they all were able to go back to their everyday lives. Well, with the exception of Sirius now having a nearly two year old to raise, and the fact that he had quit his job, at least temporarily, and was using his inheritance from his Uncle Alphard to get by.
Currently Harry was running around the back yard with Snitch, which, being one of the few words Harry could say at the time, was what they named the dog. Keeping a mindful eye on the child, Sirius cut open a box labeled 'KITCHEN' in black permanent ink. Lifting the neatly stacked plates from the box, he removed the bubble-wrap, which Harry would no doubt find later and annoy him with endless popping, and put the dishes in the cupboard.
The house was hardly extravagant, but it was theirs, and upon walking in it it felt like home. It needed a bit of work, granted – the carpet was an atrocious shade of red, the façade of the kitchen cupboards was fading, and the main bathroom was done in faux marble—but it was nothing a few good spells and some elbow grease couldn't fix. The house was a bit off the road, giving it seclusion, and was situated on a half acre of land. There were three bedrooms, one for Sirius, one for Harry, and a guestroom he had no doubt would be in use quite often by Remus.
Hearing a cry from outside, Sirius turned to see Harry face flat on the ground. Running outside to comfort the child, Sirius rested him on his hip, brought him into the house and set him on the kitchen table. "What's wrong, chap?"
"Twipped. Boo-boo," Harry said between sniffles, pointing to his nose.
"Hmm, let's have a look shall we? It's not bloody, doesn't seem to have broken, I think you're gonna live! But, to make you feel better, how 'bout we have some macaroni and cheese, and maybe some chocolate milk?"
Injuries immediately forgotten, Harry smiled up at him and nodded his head vigorously.
Having already cooked the noodles while packing, Sirius managed to get Harry's favorite meal on the table within a few minutes. "Now, I want you to eat all your peas, too, Harry, okay? You wanna grow up big and strong like me right?" At Harry's reluctant nod, Sirius smiled and pushed the boys peas closer to him. "There's a good lad. Be sure to drink all your milk too, now."
He had only had Harry for a little over half a year, but despite his previous worries, Sirius took to parenting like a duck to water. Sirius loved Harry more than he could if he was his own flesh and blood, and regarding, if only to himself, him as his son.
Harry, it had seemed, was feeling a similar way towards Sirius, as he had taken a liking to calling him 'Daddy.' Sirius really didn't know how to react to this. By law, when he signed those papers in Dumbledore's office he legally became Harry's father, and for the next unforeseen amount of years he would be raising Harry as such, but he still felt a pang of guilt, because he wasn't really his father. That was James' title. But, so long as Harry understood that he wasn't his blood father, it was okay. At least that was what Remus had insisted when Sirius told him of the dilemma. And if Sirius was honest, hearing the delightful child call him Daddy warmed his heart every time.
"Finished!" Harry yelled as he bounded from the table and outside as fast as his little legs could carry him. He would have to teach the boy some table manners someday. But for now he'll let him be a child. He had taken a vow that night Harry landed in his care to not become his mother, and he was planning to stick to it.
Clearing Harry's dishes, Sirius smiled to see that, though he didn't finish all his macaroni, every last pea was eaten.
88888888
Harry's birthday arrived quickly, and with it came a herd of Weasleys, Remus, and the Longbottom boy—Sirius had been acquaintances with the Longbottoms before, well, before they were tortured past the point any human should be tortured—all of whom were running around the house and back yard.
"Hanging in there, Sirius?" Arthur asked, handing him a butterbeer.
"Yeah. Harry seems to be having a good time, huh? He needs to be with friends more, it's just so hard because he's so young. Flooing and portkeys make him cry, and he can't apparate. Which leaves my bike, but I like to use that only for emergencies these days. Could you imagine if he fell off?"
"You know, Sirius, if I were perfectly honest, I had some doubts about you raising children. You were quite reckless before you got Harry. But, to my surprise, you've totally proven me wrong. You mother Harry more than Molly does, and that's saying something."
"Thanks, I think. I love the kid a lot, you know? I'm constantly afraid that I messed up a charm on chicken and he'll get food poisoning, or that I forgot to lock the cabinet I keep the potions in, or I didn't secure the lock on his crib and he'll get out and hurt himself. I think I found a grey hair in the sink yesterday!"
"Just a bit of performance anxiety. After each kid I think I've got it under control, but now we have Ginevra it's all back in full force."
"She's a very cute baby, she is."
"Thanks. To be honest, I don't know how I'm going to handle her. Boys I know, Got six of them, one of them myself, but girls, they might as well be alitens."
"Alitens?"
"A muggle name for people from space."
"Hmm, interesting. Muggles, go figure."
888888888
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!"
"Blow out your candles, Harry!" Sirius insisted from beside him "And make a wish!"
After a moment of what could only be described as exaggerated thinking on behalf of Harry, he leant forward and blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Immediately, the twins lunged forwards and each took a candle out of the cake, licking the cake residue off the ends, earning a glare from Molly.
"Now Harry, what piece of the cake do you want?" Molly asked kindly, gesturing to the beautifully decorated cake, quidditch themed as that seemed to be Harry's favorite thing in the world. They all already knew he was destined to be a seeker when he grew up.
Grinning widely, Harry pointed happily to the snitch on the cake. Why they even bother asking, if there was a snitch involved, Harry wanted it. Smiling kindly, Molly cut the cake and handed him the requested piece, which he started eating with his fingers immediately.
"Harry, why don't you try it with a fork?" Sirius implored.
Shaking his head wildly— Sirius made a mental note to get him a hair cut soon—he continued his rather barbaric form of eating. Though, when the twins got their cake, you could've mistaken Harry for the Queen herself, for Fred and George decided the cake would taste best when thrown into each others mouths.
8888888888
By the time all the guests went home, Sirius wanted nothing more to collapse in bed. Walking into the living room to retrieved Harry from his play pen to put him to bed, he found that the young boy was already fast asleep, new toy still in hand. Smiling, Sirius lifted him up and carried him up the stairs to his room. He was about to put Harry in his crib when the child murmured, "Sweep wit tou." Kissing the child's head, he whispered, "Okay," into his ear and soon the two could be found fast asleep, arms around each other protectively.
AN: Please Review. Quite frustrated with right now because the stories are appearing differently than how I write them...
Chapter Three: New Homes and Birthdays
By the time Sirius and Harry were able to move into their house, it was closing in on Harry's second birthday. Wounds were starting to heal, and Harry seemed to have almost completely moved on. Lily and James were still sorely missed, but they all were able to go back to their everyday lives. Well, with the exception of Sirius now having a nearly two year old to raise, and the fact that he had quit his job, at least temporarily, and was using his inheritance from his Uncle Alphard to get by.
Currently Harry was running around the back yard with Snitch, which, being one of the few words Harry could say at the time, was what they named the dog. Keeping a mindful eye on the child, Sirius cut open a box labeled 'KITCHEN' in black permanent ink. Lifting the neatly stacked plates from the box, he removed the bubble-wrap, which Harry would no doubt find later and annoy him with endless popping, and put the dishes in the cupboard.
The house was hardly extravagant, but it was theirs, and upon walking in it it felt like home. It needed a bit of work, granted – the carpet was an atrocious shade of red, the façade of the kitchen cupboards was fading, and the main bathroom was done in faux marble—but it was nothing a few good spells and some elbow grease couldn't fix. The house was a bit off the road, giving it seclusion, and was situated on a half acre of land. There were three bedrooms, one for Sirius, one for Harry, and a guestroom he had no doubt would be in use quite often by Remus.
Hearing a cry from outside, Sirius turned to see Harry face flat on the ground. Running outside to comfort the child, Sirius rested him on his hip, brought him into the house and set him on the kitchen table. "What's wrong, chap?"
"Twipped. Boo-boo," Harry said between sniffles, pointing to his nose.
"Hmm, let's have a look shall we? It's not bloody, doesn't seem to have broken, I think you're gonna live! But, to make you feel better, how 'bout we have some macaroni and cheese, and maybe some chocolate milk?"
Injuries immediately forgotten, Harry smiled up at him and nodded his head vigorously.
Having already cooked the noodles while packing, Sirius managed to get Harry's favorite meal on the table within a few minutes. "Now, I want you to eat all your peas, too, Harry, okay? You wanna grow up big and strong like me right?" At Harry's reluctant nod, Sirius smiled and pushed the boys peas closer to him. "There's a good lad. Be sure to drink all your milk too, now."
He had only had Harry for a little over half a year, but despite his previous worries, Sirius took to parenting like a duck to water. Sirius loved Harry more than he could if he was his own flesh and blood, and regarding, if only to himself, him as his son.
Harry, it had seemed, was feeling a similar way towards Sirius, as he had taken a liking to calling him 'Daddy.' Sirius really didn't know how to react to this. By law, when he signed those papers in Dumbledore's office he legally became Harry's father, and for the next unforeseen amount of years he would be raising Harry as such, but he still felt a pang of guilt, because he wasn't really his father. That was James' title. But, so long as Harry understood that he wasn't his blood father, it was okay. At least that was what Remus had insisted when Sirius told him of the dilemma. And if Sirius was honest, hearing the delightful child call him Daddy warmed his heart every time.
"Finished!" Harry yelled as he bounded from the table and outside as fast as his little legs could carry him. He would have to teach the boy some table manners someday. But for now he'll let him be a child. He had taken a vow that night Harry landed in his care to not become his mother, and he was planning to stick to it.
Clearing Harry's dishes, Sirius smiled to see that, though he didn't finish all his macaroni, every last pea was eaten.
88888888
Harry's birthday arrived quickly, and with it came a herd of Weasleys, Remus, and the Longbottom boy—Sirius had been acquaintances with the Longbottoms before, well, before they were tortured past the point any human should be tortured—all of whom were running around the house and back yard.
"Hanging in there, Sirius?" Arthur asked, handing him a butterbeer.
"Yeah. Harry seems to be having a good time, huh? He needs to be with friends more, it's just so hard because he's so young. Flooing and portkeys make him cry, and he can't apparate. Which leaves my bike, but I like to use that only for emergencies these days. Could you imagine if he fell off?"
"You know, Sirius, if I were perfectly honest, I had some doubts about you raising children. You were quite reckless before you got Harry. But, to my surprise, you've totally proven me wrong. You mother Harry more than Molly does, and that's saying something."
"Thanks, I think. I love the kid a lot, you know? I'm constantly afraid that I messed up a charm on chicken and he'll get food poisoning, or that I forgot to lock the cabinet I keep the potions in, or I didn't secure the lock on his crib and he'll get out and hurt himself. I think I found a grey hair in the sink yesterday!"
"Just a bit of performance anxiety. After each kid I think I've got it under control, but now we have Ginevra it's all back in full force."
"She's a very cute baby, she is."
"Thanks. To be honest, I don't know how I'm going to handle her. Boys I know, Got six of them, one of them myself, but girls, they might as well be alitens."
"Alitens?"
"A muggle name for people from space."
"Hmm, interesting. Muggles, go figure."
888888888
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!"
"Blow out your candles, Harry!" Sirius insisted from beside him "And make a wish!"
After a moment of what could only be described as exaggerated thinking on behalf of Harry, he leant forward and blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Immediately, the twins lunged forwards and each took a candle out of the cake, licking the cake residue off the ends, earning a glare from Molly.
"Now Harry, what piece of the cake do you want?" Molly asked kindly, gesturing to the beautifully decorated cake, quidditch themed as that seemed to be Harry's favorite thing in the world. They all already knew he was destined to be a seeker when he grew up.
Grinning widely, Harry pointed happily to the snitch on the cake. Why they even bother asking, if there was a snitch involved, Harry wanted it. Smiling kindly, Molly cut the cake and handed him the requested piece, which he started eating with his fingers immediately.
"Harry, why don't you try it with a fork?" Sirius implored.
Shaking his head wildly— Sirius made a mental note to get him a hair cut soon—he continued his rather barbaric form of eating. Though, when the twins got their cake, you could've mistaken Harry for the Queen herself, for Fred and George decided the cake would taste best when thrown into each others mouths.
8888888888
By the time all the guests went home, Sirius wanted nothing more to collapse in bed. Walking into the living room to retrieved Harry from his play pen to put him to bed, he found that the young boy was already fast asleep, new toy still in hand. Smiling, Sirius lifted him up and carried him up the stairs to his room. He was about to put Harry in his crib when the child murmured, "Sweep wit tou." Kissing the child's head, he whispered, "Okay," into his ear and soon the two could be found fast asleep, arms around each other protectively.
AN: Please Review. Quite frustrated with right now because the stories are appearing differently than how I write them...
