Disclaimer: I own……nothing…honestly, I'm a student so I'm about err fifteen grand in debt…and I still have another year and a half to go…sigh
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oChapter 40: I'd die for you
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Late October 1981
Twenty year old Sirius Black stared into the roaring fire in his modest flat. The temperature was uncharacteristically cold for late October and the black haired wizard drew the warmth in from the orange fingers lapping at his hearth.
This young wizard had more on his mind than anyone, wizard or muggle, should have at his age.
His best friend and wife had just gone into hiding with their one year old son.
Harry.
Sirius loved Harry like he was his own son.
Harry, after the short eternity without Hermione, had filled in a piece of the giant chasm her disappearance had left inside of him.
Hermione.
That was another thought constantly accompanying the newly graduated Auror. His study walls were covered in Prophet clippings containing anything that might lead him to Hermione, a hidden clue that would uncover the mystery that occurred on their day of graduation.
The Animagus drew in a shuddering breath, the tears threatening to spill once again as he thought of his beloved witch out there somewhere.
Alone.
His friends were still behind him in his search but they were beginning to fall behind.
James had a family now to worry about. Remus was working full time with the Order that Dumbledore had founded. Peter was working for the Order also, positioned undercover in a small muggle store that had supposedly been targeted by Death Eaters.
And now, now Dumbledore announced there was a spy among the ranks. Someone they trusted, someone Dumbledore trusted, had betrayed them all.
Sirius ran his hands down his face, hands scratching over the one week old stubble, as Remus' face appeared in his head.
Remus
Sirius hated himself with every fiber of his being for suspecting his werewolf friend but through many deductions it was always the golden eyes that appeared.
Sirius sighed and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands 'when did life become so hard?'
A soft knock at the door brought Sirius out of his thoughts; he stood, picked up his wand and hid it behind his back as he approached the door to his flat. Before he got to it there was another knock, low down, like a short adult or a child. Sirius frowned in confusion and opened the door revealing an array of brightly dresses children.
Sirius counted three ghosts, a vampire and what looked like a werewolf in all.
"Trick or Treat." They all cried out in unison.
Sirius felt his heart lift slightly, if there was anything that made him feel better it was children. Unfortunately Sirius had no readily supply of sweets nearby, having forgotten about the holiday that seemed so unimportant in the real world.
"How about a Trick," Sirius suggested. "But let me do the trick."
The faces in front of him dropped at the comment, and one of the ghosts started shaking in fear of what might come.
Sirius laughed. "No, not your kind of trick," he said gripping his wand discreetly behind his back. "My kind."
He reached forward and ran his hand behind the werewolf's ear before revealing a small muggle coin. The children stared at the coin in awe and Sirius took this opportunity to mutter a small spell.
"Take a look in your bags," he suggested.
Simultaneously three ghosts, a vampire and a werewolf all dipped their heads and opened up their bags which were now filled with a lot more sweets than had previously been in there. Five seconds later Sirius had five sets of curious eyes staring up at him. He merely grinned and waved. "Have a happy Halloween."
"Thanks mister," one of the ghosts called out as they left chattering to themselves about telling all their friends the trick they'd seen.
Sirius smiled again and closed his front door before a searing pain shot through his chest, his veins spreading a cold feeling through the rest of his body.
"James"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
One year old Harry giggled as his father made silly faces at him while playing with a plush black dog. Harry himself was holding an almost identical canine except his had an uncanny resemblance to a certain wolf the family knew.
"ooney," Harry squealed bouncing the toy up and down.
James laughed as Lily entered the room with a frown. Harry's vocabulary had grown slightly but Remus would never let the couple forget that Harry's first word had been 'Moony', or a slight variation of 'Moony' at least.
"Mummy," Harry gurgled as he saw his mother walk into the room, instantly the redheads face lit up and she went to join her family on the floor of the living room.
"What do you have there?" She asked her small son.
"ooney," Harry then reached out and tried to grab the black dog from his father, "aaoot."
James burst out laughing, "Padfoot, yes close enough."
The miniature version of James grinned and raised his arms up to his dad, asking in his own way to be lifted up.
James swooped his son in his arms and stood from the floor, running around the room holding his giggling son out like a small muggle plane.
Lily smiled at her families antics and settled herself on the couch gazing fondly at the messy haired wizard in front of her. James turned and caught his wife's loving gaze and smiled at her warmly before moving over to sit next to her and placing Harry in her lap ruffling up his small head of hair as he did so.
"Don't teach my son your bad habits, look at his hair already," Lily warned.
"There is nothing wrong with his hair, it's exactly like mine."
Lily smirked. "No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it."
James mock glared Lily. "I'm hurt Evans, I thought it was my hair you were attracted to all this time."
"Its Potter now Potter, in case you needed reminding that, for some reason, I did marry you."
Harry had been following his parents teasing spar and looked backwards and forwards between the pair wondering why he no longer had any attention. He waved his small hands around, his mothers own pair holding him steady in her lap.
Immediately two sets of eyes focused on the small child, happy again now he had their attention, he went to giggle but a yawn escaped his mouth instead.
"I think our little man is tired," Lily stated lifting her son higher in her arms and standing up. "I'll go put him down," she said to James. "Can you just check the back door before you come up?"
"I already checked it."
At a slight glance from Lily, where for a second her fear showed through James smiled reassuringly. "I'll check it again," he murmured and watched as she turned and wandered up the stairs to the nursery.
James checked the back door, which was already locked, before double checking the wards, he had a family to protect now, and he was taking no chances. Pleased with securing his house James climbed the stairs listening to the melody of Lily's voice as she sung Harry a lullaby, something that James had been forbidden to do the moment Harry was born.
He stepped in behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist watching his small son slowly begin to drift off to sleep.
Lily's song however was interrupted by a warning that someone was walking through one of the wards.
Lily glanced at her husband, worry flickering in her emerald eyes.
"I'm sure its just Pete or Sirius," he assured moving to the window and pulling a curtain back, what he saw walking up the path however made the blood drain from his face and a painful realization hit his heart. He spun around to his beloved wife.
"It's him, he's here. Stay with Harry, I'll hold him off," James said, moving closer to his wife whom he'd never seen so afraid.
"But how?" she asked as James moved close for a lingering kiss.
"Peter," he spat as he moved to leave the room.
"I love you, James," Lily called before he'd left the room.
The dark haired wizard spun on his heel and moved swiftly to the witch in front of him, pressing his lips to hers in a searing kiss. "I love you too, look after our little man," and with one last glance at his family he exited the room.
He walked to the base of the stairs before he spotted the dark hooded figure moving across the room, he raised his wand which was received with a cold laugh.
"Stupid boy you know you can not defeat me."
"I will NOT let you harm my family." James spat out "Stupefy."
A bolt of red light shot out of his wand but Voldemort stopped the spell with ease, still laughing coldly. "You can't stop me, your son is helpless."
"Don't you dare go near my son," James warned, holding his ground sadly knowing that his wife could hear everything that was happening.
Voldemort raised his own wand and James stood ready 'Please Merlin protect them,' he silently prayed as he stood to duel for the lives of his family.
"Avada…
"Protego"
Kedavra"
Lily stifled her scream as she heard a body slump to the ground before footsteps slowly made their way in her direction.
Her heart broke and quickly sank as the hooded wizard entered the room.
"James," she whispered before lifting her wand high, tears streaming down her face as she moved in front of her son.
"Move aside Mudblood, it's the boy that needs to die."
Lily's eyes hardened. "You will not harm my son," she whispered menacingly.
Voldemort flicked his wand slightly. "Expelliarmus."
Lily was shoved against the wall, her wand flying from her hand. Stunned slightly she was vaguely aware of her enemy's wand trained on her son.
"Avada…
"NOOO"
"Kedavra"
The bolt of green light hit Lily as she threw herself in front of her son, emerald eyes meeting their matching pair as the light of one was extinguished.
"Stupid Mudblood."
Harry was now staring at the stranger in front of him he began to cry for his parents to come, but for the first time ever neither of them heeded his wails
"Avada Kedavra"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Sirius flew down to Godrics Hollow, his bike not even coming to a stop before he leapt off it and ran up to the house.
"No," he whispered as he took in the house that was barley standing. "NO!" he yelled, running up to the front door and through the living room.
"JAMES," he called for his friend. "PRONGS, where are you!"
Then he saw him, his best friend, his brother, at the base of the stairs. He dropped to his knees and crawled over to the prone form that was face down on the carpet.
"James," he whispered turning his friend over, he gasped and tears sprung to his eyes as he took in James' lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. He pulled him into a tight hug rocking backwards and forwards, not wanting to believe he was really gone. A few minutes later another thought came to him.
"LILY?" he called out.
No reply
"LILY?" he tried again. He sniffed and gently closed his brothers eyes and lay him back down on the carpet before heading up the stairs.
He ran down the upstairs hall and into the nursery, his shoulders sagging at the lifeless redhead on the floor in front of Harry's crib
"Oh Lily," he murmured kneeling down and gently closing her eyes.
He then looked up at the crib, there was a lump in the middle, covered by a soft blue blanket. Sirius closed his eyes and slowly reached out and pulled the blanket back.
"Oh Merlin," he breathed as Harry stared curiously back up at him, blood creeping out from a nasty cut on his forehead.
"Its ok mate, Uncle Sirius is here," the black haired wizard said, bundling up the small boy in his arms and gently dabbing at the cut with the blanket.
He made his way back down the stairs, hiding Harry's eyes from view and strode out of the house where he was confronted by a giant man.
"Hagrid," Sirius managed to chock out.
"Sirius," the half giant breathed. "Are….James and…"
"Gone," Sirius said, his voice barley audible.
"Harry?"
Sirius revealed the small boy in his arms.
"Give him here Sirius," Hagrid asked, holding out his tree like arms.
Sirius didn't budge.
"I have to take him to Dumbledore, to a safe place."
'He's safest with me,' Sirius thought. 'They don't know that, they think you're the secret keeper.'
Sirius took one last look at his Godson. "You're going to go with Hagrid now ok my little one? I'll come back for you soon," he promised handing the small child over. "Take my bike, I don't need it anymore."
Hagrid stared at the wizard in front of him before taking the small blue bundle and walking off towards the bike.
Sirius took one last look at the house before apparating, there was something he needed to do.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Remus looked around the small muggle street, muggle policemen were working overtime in clearing the site that one of his friends had caused.
'Why?' he thought desperately looking at the blue sky.
There was a small commotion at the other end of the street and the werewolf went to investigate.
There he was.
Surrounded, and struggling, was Sirius Black. The name was dirty to Remus now; it meant nothing, no long years of friendship, long years of acceptance. No that name was no longer worthy of being said in the same sentence as friendship.
Sirius' grey eyes flickered over and met Remus', that's when the werewolf turned and started to walk away.
'Remus!' Sirius tried to yell, but what came out was a manically sounding scream. 'Moony, it was Peter, I didn't do it'. Why for the love of Merlin was his voice not working? Remus turned then and began to walk away, that's when he gave up, he had nothing, he'd lost everything, Hermione was gone, James and Lily were gone, and it was all his fault, he felt he deserved to rot in Azkaban he had failed James, failed Harry. He'd lost.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Hermione walked up behind Sirius and linked her arm with his as she read the names written on the small standing stones in front of her.
"I tried," she confessed. "I was going to warn them, warn all of you."
Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I know."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
