Nope, I still don't own the characters, so don't sue me. I'd have to sell my microwave and then I'd starve to death.
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Coming Home
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Sirius looked up, examining the ceiling in wonder. It seemed as if everything around him was alive, breathing. He could have sworn that the marble pillars were moving, undulating beneath his touch, and even the absolute darkness seemed brighter. Everything he saw seemed sharper, more defined, as was every smell and sound.
Intense blue eyes slid shut, the slender man exhaling slowly. It felt like he had just awakened, that he had been dreaming, only dimly aware of the sounds around him. But….. How long had he been asleep?
He couldn't remember.
Reaching up, he straightened slightly crooked robes, and turned to find the exit. Here he was, stranded, in the heart of bustling London, in the middle of the night. At a loss for what else to do, he headed to the only home he knew, number twelve Grimmauld Place.
Sirius moved faster than he thought he could, long, graceful strides weaving him down and though the narrow streets. The city's lights were more vibrant than he remembered, and the couples now wandering down the roads barely spared him a passing glance.
Gradually, the sights and sounds of the city lessened, the atmosphere becoming more relaxed. Nearing his destination, Sirius felt his heart start racing. The thrill of seeing his friends and family again was exhilarating, and he could barely contain himself for joy. But the black sky was quickly fading to blue, and for some reason Sirius could not explain; he felt a renewed sense of urgency. The sun was rising.
And for the first time in years, Sirius was terrified.
It felt like an eternity, waiting for the house to materialize, and Sirius could all but feel the sun bearing down on him. No sooner had the door appeared, than his pale hand grasped the knob and he flung the door open, throwing himself into the blessed darkness of his house.
In the minutes that followed, Sirius leaned his weight against the door, relieved, and feeling suddenly exhausted. Where just a few hours before, he had felt more alive than ever before, now Sirius felt as though his entire body was made of lead, weighing him down, slowing his movement.
With monumental effort, he dragged himself down to the basement kitchen, where, thankfully, the fire was still going. He felt half frozen and groggy, barely able to stay awake any longer. Casting one last look around to make sure that there was no chance of the sun getting in, Sirius propped himself up against the wall nearest the warm blaze and promptly passed out.
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Molly woke up early, as she always did, preparing to go make breakfast for the house's occupants. She didn't mind the work; in fact, she rather delighted in it, the sense of normalcy. Her sons, no doubt, were still sound asleep, and Hermione and Ginny would wake soon themselves. She was surprised to find that Tonks, and especially Lupin, were not already up.
Sliding on a worn pair of slippers, she quietly closed the bedroom door, padding down the hallway. It seemed like a perfectly normal morning, but for some reason, Molly Weasley felt as though something was amiss.
The nagging suspicion became full-fledged foreboding when she reached Harry's room. I'm probably just being irrational, over-reacting again…. But erring on the side of caution, she decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. As silently as she could, the red-haired woman twisted the knob, the door slowing creaking open. She peeked in; hoping to find Harry tucked into his blankets, still sound asleep. Instead, the boy lay on the floor, covered from head to toe in blood that was leaking through his pajamas and forming a puddle on the floor.
Molly Weasley screamed.
All at once, the house came to life, Lupin and Tonks rushed out from their respective rooms, wands at the ready. Ron, Fred, and George tore out of their rooms faster than you could blink, rushing to their mother's aid, just as Hermione and Ginny flung the door open, brandishing wands as well.
At the end of the hall, the portrait was shrieking bloody murder.
"Mum! What's wrong! What's the matter?" Ron squeaked out, going to his mother's side. "What're you-" He trailed off, turning to see what exactly she was looking at.
"Harry!" he yelled, and in that instant, Hermione was at his side. "Oh my god…."
Immediately, Remus took charge. "Ginny, run and get some water, we'll need to clean him off to see the extent of the damage. Fred, George, fresh linens, and hurry. Molly, check the locks, make sure no one's broken in. Ron, owl Dumbledore, tell him what's happened. Tonks, go cover the portrait, please."
The Weasleys took off like a shot, each rushing to complete their respective tasks. Thankfully, by the time Ginny had returned with the basin of water, Tonks had silenced the screaming woman, pulling the moth-eaten curtains shut.
Remus and Hermione rushed to Harry's side, hurriedly pulling his shirt off. "Harry!" Hermione called, leaning down close to his face. "Harry, what happened? Can you speak?"
"He's breathing normally." Remus said softly, more to himself than anyone else. At this point, Fred and George dumped half of the cloth they'd gathered into the basin, drenching it in water. Remus took one and gently began cleaning his face, the dried blood flaking off.
Harry groaned softly. "What's….going on?" he asked, voice groggy and confused. "You're hurt Harry." Hermione answered, cleaning his chest tenderly. "What happened? Who hurt you?" Ginny set to drying the newly cleaned skin in front of her, slowing when she didn't see a wound. "Hermione…." She trailed off, looking at the bushy haired girl, bewildered. Hermione looked down with furrowed brows, puzzled, an expression that mirrored Lupin's.
Molly, who had, at some point, returned to the room, now spoke up. "Oh goodness…." She strode quickly across the room, picking up the book that had been, previously ignored.
"Molly. What is it?" Tonks asked from the doorway, one hand on Ron's shoulder. "A book about the dark arts." The woman replied hollowly, looking down, she read directly from the page. "Waking Midnight. A spell for raising the dead."
All eyes turned to Harry, but they remained silent. Pain, and worry, and heartache almost tangible. Remus looked from Molly, to Harry, and exhaled softly. He shut his eyes briefly, then resumed washing the boy's skin.
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"There were no wounds Molly, and whatever ones were there, have healed. It was some nasty backlash, and he'll be a little dizzy, but he'll recover." The red-haired woman nodded, standing mutely in the hall with Tonks and Lupin. Tonks sighed, dragging a hand through her spiky hair. "You should talk to him Remus." The older woman said simply, quietly. "He needs you."
Remus suddenly felt much older than he usually did. "Alright. Molly, Tonks, please talk to the others. I'm sure they'll want some sort of explanation. If you'll excuse me."
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Harry was silent, freshly dressed, and sitting on the edge of the bed. It was only a matter of time now. Mrs. Weasley would send Lupin in to come and talk to him and it'd be a huge lecture. He heaved a sigh, standing up and walking over to the mirror, trying to access the damage. He had wandered over to the window by the time the door clicked open.
There was an awkward silence after the older man had shut the door. Looking at the back of Harry's head with weary eyes, Remus realized how horrendously bad at this he was. Instead of torturing himself further, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"How're you feeling Harry?"
"I'm fine." He replied, voice slightly rough.
"Harry, why?"
The dark-haired boy scoffed. "You have to ask?"
The older man sighed. "Harry" he began, voice soft. This had always been a touchy subject for him, and while Harry outright refused to accept it, Remus found the matter too painful to discuss.
"I feel for your loss, I really do. Sirius meant a lot to me too, but he's dead Harry. He died and he isn't coming back." He reached out, resting a warm hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're wrong." Harry said, turning and meeting Lupin's gaze with green eyes that looked ready to burn right through him. "Harry-"
"YOU'RE WRONG!" He bellowed, trembling with rage.
Remus stood silent, watching the boy with sympathetic eyes. "You'll see. The spell worked, and he'll come back. I know he will." He finished, in a low voice. Remus knew this sort of passion. He'd seen it in both James and Sirius, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stand up to it. But he also knew that he didn't have to. The failure of the spell itself would break Harry's heart with or without the debate. For now, the best thing would be to let Harry recover.
"Alright." He said softly. "Alright Harry. I'll believe you. Now more importantly, I believe we should head down for breakfast. Your friends are terribly worried."
Harry's anger seemed to dissolve almost instantly, and he nodded slowly. "Yeah."
Lupin opened the door and followed Harry out of the room, meeting Hermione, Tonks, and the Weasley children; who had been waiting anxiously in the hall. They exchanged a few tense and wary smiles before somehow deciding that everything was alright between them and began heading downstairs, only to hear Molly Weasley's heart stopping screech for the second time that morning.
The group raced downstairs, piling into the kitchen. "Mum!" "Mom!" "Mrs. Weasley!" "Molly, what's the-?" Molly stood perfectly still, one hand clutching her chest, the other, pointing towards the fire place, her face contorted by a mixture of fear and surprise.
Eight heads turned simultaneously, trying to find the source of Mrs. Weasley's terror, and in turn, received the shock of their lives. Crumpled in the dark corner, lit only by dim fire light, was a pale, thin, dark-haired man in worn and tattered robes.
"Oh my god…."
"Is that….?"
"It's…it's…"
"That's impossible…."
"It can't be."
Harry felt his heart soar, and suddenly any guilt he had felt for causing this morning's chaos was worth it. He ran over, throwing his arms around the sleeping man, a wide smile on his face.
"Ron, Hermione, Lupin- it worked! I told you it worked! Sirius is alive!"
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reviews are the lime in my coke you nut, so mix 'em both together. I'm just playing around, but I do love reviews, so if you'd be so kind, it's motivation to keep writing.
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Quickwolf- will do! Hope you like the new chapter, and thank you for the review!
Feelinfawkesy- huzzah! I was worried people would get a bit snicky over the vampirism, but I'm glad you like it so far.
KawaiiTenshi27- thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it :)