I've always wanted to do my own reading the books fanfiction, and while yes I know I tried once before and gave up on it, bookhater95's recent one shot What's at Heart has inspired me to try again dang it, especially as they've almost finished their second one in another kind of style that I'm so obsessed with and want to give a try. There will be zero book dialogue in this and only mentions of what is happening in the book will be spoken of but never directly quoted.
Go check both out if you want to see what kick-started this. If you do end up reading All in the Family, I apologize for the repeat locations that will be happening, but I've been given permission to do so and it really can't be helped, but know I'm going to do my very best to put my own spin on them. Enjoy!
"You'll be godfather," James told him with that smile he felt like he'd known all his life, because everything before didn't matter when he'd first seen it that day on the train. That quirk of the lips was certainly the first one he'd ever received that expected nothing in return except a laugh back.
"Me?" Sirius jerked his hand out of Lily's, off her stomach, finally believing the two were not joking about this as his ears apparently did not deceive him, she was smiling in just the same way. "But- Remus-"
"We could pick Dumbledore if I wanted someone with a level head," Prongs shrugged.
"There's no one better Padfoot," she told him fiercely.
Sirius didn't realize he was crying until a few little drops appeared on the letter in his still shaking hand. He hastily tapped it to banish such a thing, his voice was surprisingly steady. "Thanks Moony."
He sat down at the table next to him, watching him somehow with even more concern than when he'd hesitantly handed it over. "Did, did it not help? I can't apologize enough I couldn't find more, I-" It had only survived this long because it had somehow ended up in the pile of information about the Order he'd meticulously feared losing, or his past would be for nothing. Rather than the many keepsakes of the Marauder's he'd burned after that night.
"I know," Sirius firmly stopped him before Remus had to say it all again, the argument to start all this still ringing in his ears far more than Walburga Black's portrait could ever do to him. "This is, more than enough. Yes, it worked, I actually remember them, telling me-" his voice broke. The knowledge had always been there, but he'd really began to believe Molly's terse mutters about him going crazy lately, that maybe he'd invented this fact along with so many other things he'd forgotten...
The exact moment was blurry around the edges, like a poorly done photo that kept looping out of step. He had no idea if he'd been at their house, or the couple had come to visit him that day, what had happened before or after this most precious day of his life, or even how exactly he'd felt. The words echoed like a bad connection in his ears, but it was still there at all. More than he could recall seconds before as he stared at Lily's familiar handwriting, the picture of Harry zooming along on his first broom finally to replace the startled teenager he'd only gotten a glimpse of before the Knight Bus had nearly run him over.
He'd missed Harry's first birthday and every one ever since, but he'd been there when Harry was born. He knew that as fact now and nobody could take it away from him even if he couldn't recall the exact memory. He had been there for Harry in the past, and he would be again, nothing was going to stop that.
'Except yourself,' the nasty, Kreacher like bullfrog voice echoed clear as day in his head now despite the vile thing never having spoken those words to him. 'You abandoned Harry once before for your own revenge and look at how well that splendid decision turned out!' It's no wonder Harry didn't seem to need him, what had he ever done to earn his godsons trust when it mattered? Harry had done more to help his useless arse than he'd ever managed in return his whole life.
Remus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and watched him sit in silence. It could have lasted another lifetime as he watched his old friend drink in some actual good memories watching the photo, unnaturally still as his time away had forced upon him. The dementors had eaten so many away and it was a struggle to get any back...
The front door opened, shattering their past to violently remind Sirius of where he was as the screeching of his loathsome mother began the moment the door wacked against the wall. He tucked the two away, his hand brushing over the mirror he always kept on his person now, though it had been months, and still Harry had said nothing.
She looked frazzled, still in her Auror robes and half disguised as somebody with turquoise hair and an oddly mushroom nose, meeting them halfway up the stairs, not a good sign at all.
Sirius' leap may have been unfounded, but the impulsive question was never far from his mind since he'd seen that fateful news clipping to set him free of his mental prison. "Harry?"
He'd struck gold, but that was nothing new for him no matter his want for it. She bit her lip, and that was all he needed to finish charging up the stairs.
Remus seized him and threw him from where his hand was inches from the door. He crashed so hard into the wall, the miracle for the day was he did not go through it. Nobody had silenced the ever increasing rant in the background this time, it added an appropriate background noise to his own scathing's of what Sirius called him. Remus kept his place, knowing it could well be his last stand as he demanded of Tonks in detail, "he's okay. What happened?"
Tonks would not look so calm if he were somehow laying in a ditch dead, she just looked anxious. Sirius had not taken the time to see such a thing; but she would not be here if it was not something.
The girl looked even more unsure of herself now, bouncing on the spot, a terrible idea really as she kept losing her step and faltering as if her ankle rolled out from under her and then she'd keep at the movement as she looked from one to the other before answering Remus, "Um, Kingsley's only just told me, I was out of office when it happened and I don't know what you two hear or if any one else has told you, but I have guard duty tonight and needed to come by anyways to fill out the report and I thought it would be more awkward if you didn't know but if you do-"
"Tonks," Remus instantly bristled at the clear threat in Sirius' voice, she did not deserve it anymore than Molly had. "Harry."
She gave one last guilty look at the door as if still wishing she'd thought better of her actions, before relenting, "Umbridge is Headmistress of the castle, paper work just went through. Harry's group was ratted out by some Edgecombe girl. Dumbledore's gone."
Harry was in danger. He could not just stay at that castle with out Dumbledore there in case something happened. He did not trust Snape to continue those Occlumency lessons anymore than he thought they were doing his godson any good now.
He would not just storm up to Buckbeak's room and toil away. He could not hesitate again as he had been allowing since that door had shut on him September first, because Dumbledore had been right in his past and James had suffered for it. If he got caught, Harry would again. He should have trusted the headmaster then about Albus being the Secret Keeper, anyone than who Sirius had picked.
Dumbledore had been wrong this time. Snivilius was not to be trusted, for he was going to leave his godson vulnerable to Voldemort's mind games.
"Move Remus."
His old friend shifted for just a moment, but corrected himself and held his ground while Sirius already ached to go for his wand.
"Sirius don't-"
"No." He would not allow Remus to talk him down this time as Moony had done so many times in the past. Not about this, he was done letting other people make decisions about James- Harry!
His will crippled, he'd been so very wrong before, if he'd just trusted Remus back then, like he was forcing himself to comply to Dumbledore now...
"You'll be godfather." James had trusted him and now he could never ask Prongs for advice again on what to do. Wormtail was still out there, his fault. Harry had suffered horrors' unmatched last year because of that Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore had not been able to stop it. Dumbledore was wrong about Snape, he'd known it from the beginning and the headmaster was not around to bare witness to his proof.
Remus had always listened though, to every rant he ever had when he could be apart from his underground work to spare him company in this desolate place. If he could not trust himself or Dumbledore, he would take Moony's approach, a compromise then.*
He transformed into Padfoot.
Remus watched him for a long time, and then looked at Tonks and asked quietly, "it'll, appease him, if we could talk to Snape about this now, and he's promising he'll stay like this no matter what, not attract attention. Any chance you can get us into Hogwarts?"
"As if you couldn't yourself?" She laughed at the idea the Marauders needed anyone's help sneaking in and out of that school.
"Umbridge will have that school on high alert," Remus cautioned her not to get complacent, "and Harry's told us Filch and Snape together know of all our old secret entrances. Better to walk in the front door on this one."
She contemplated for a moment, looking at the large black dog with his pleading gray eyes and back to Remus' own face, lined with worry and scars, their worry all for Harry. She didn't want to say no anyways. "Wait one more week," she decided. "It'll be Easter Holiday and I can walk you two right through the front gate, I'll bet I can even get Kingsley or Scrimgeour to sign something giving me a reason to be there, following up on clues about Dumbledore or something."
Remus nodded at once while watching Padfoot. He stayed silent and kept glaring at the door before finally nodding and agreeing to those terms.
As for pairings in this, only Ron/ Hermione is set in stone, I know the exact place I want them to get together, and it'll be sooner than cannon, have fun guessing where. I'm not opposed to any others that are optional here, but I've also never written for any of them before, so I'll just feel it out and see what I lean towards as this goes on. Let me know your thoughts?
Mostly I'm not concerned with pairings in general, I'm writing this mainly for Godfather Sirius which I so enjoy.
The Boy Who Lived is already up, and I'll have The Vanishing Glass up soon!
*This is where bookhater's fic stops and mine deviates.