Harrietta somehow beat James to the door. She was opening the door by the time James had got there himself.

She opened the door, and Sirius collapsed into her arms.

"Sirius!" She said surprised, there were many people Harrietta would have expected to find knocking on her door in the middle of the night, and Sirius Black wasn't on the top of the list.

"Padfoot" James cried running to his Aunt.

Harrietta seemed to suddenly realise what was going on, and James could see her eyes thinking desperately what to do. "James, help me take him over to the couch"

James then helped Harrietta take Sirius who it appeared was still unconscious, to the lounge room.

"Did he have anything with him?" Harrietta asked as the lay Sirius down on the couch.

"I don't think so" James replied, still trying to come to grips with seeing the battered body of his best friend, on his families lounge room couch.

"Go and check" Harrietta said sternly, as she started to check over Sirius' body.

James went back out to the front door and opened it, he didn't see anything yet again, so he went quickly back to his aunt. "No nothing" James said on entry.

"He's barely gotten away from there with his life, I didn't think he'd be able to bring anything, but better to check"

"Is he going to be okay?" James asked. What was happening in front of him, was just starting to sink into James' mind.

"I don't know" Harrietta admitted, "I think we're going to have to wake your parents"

"Too late" said a voice from behind them. James turned around to see both of his parents in dressing gowns.

"Milli, I think he needs your skills" Harrietta said standing from where she was crouch beside Sirius, "He's pretty badly beaten"

"Take James into the other room" Millicent said quickly, walking to where Sirius was lieing.

"I don't think so" James said stubbornly, "He's my best friend, I want to be here"

"James!" Millicent warned, "Do as you're told"

"Milli, I think it's more important that you help Sirius, than if James is here or not" Douglas said quietly. Millicent looked at her husband in surprise, she thought that he would have supported her strongly, but conceded defeat, and went over to Sirius.

Millicent started to go over Sirius' body with her wand. "James, go and get my healer's bag from the kitchen" she said firmly, once she'd covered all of his body, from head to toe.

James paused for a moment, thinking that his mother was just trying to get him out of the room. "James go!" Harrietta said sternly.

Realising that his mother had meant it seriously, and not as and excuse, James rushed off towards the kitchen. His mother had been a extremely proficient healer before she had married Douglas. James wasn't sure why she no longer worked, and had never asked, but he knew that no matter what, his mother always kept a fully functional healer's bag under the sink in the kitchen.

Once James had found the bag and returned to the lounge room, Millicent started to look throughout the bag. James was impressed that she knew exactly what it was she wanted, the school nurse had always needed to consult a text book. James had spent enough time in the hospital wing at Hogwarts to know the general procedures of the school nurse. It got to the stage when he and Sirius were able to quote to the nurse what it was they needed, quicker than she could look it up.

James looked back down at his friend. Sirius' face was mangled, and his usual quite handsome face, was nearly unrecognisable. There were several deep gashes across his face, blood had clotted them, and so they were no longer bleeding. His robes were torn so badly, that he may as well have not been wearing any. At a moment of confused thought, James silently thanked that Sirius always wore boxer shorts under his robes.

Millicent started to prop Sirius up, and put a potion under his nose. Sirius started to stir, and he managed to blink his eyes. "Shhh" Millicent said as Sirius tried to speak, "Drink this" she said shoving another potion in his face, and poured it down his throat. It obviously didn't taste very good, as Sirius started to splutter all over the place.

"That's disgusting!" Sirius complained faintly.

"If you can taste it, you're going to be fine" Millicent smiled weakly, "Whinging is the first sign"

Douglas frowned slightly in thought, "We really should be getting him to St Mungo's" he then started to walk away from the couch.

"No" Sirius said strongly, obviously with more passion that Douglas had expected, as he'd stopped walking towards the family owl.

"You need serious help Sirius". James smiled slightly at the pun, his father had inadvertantly made, but quickly returned to looking worried.

"I can't go to St Mungo's" Sirius said firmly, "They'll find me!"

"Who'll find you?" Harrietta asked, "Who did this to you?"

Sirius remained silent.

"We should at least tell your family where you are" said Douglas kindly, "They'll be worrying"

"Not for the reasons you think" Sirius said spitefully under his breath, he said it so quitely, James was unsure whether his father had heard it, but James could tell by the look on his aunt's face, she certainly had.

"Now now, don't get yourself upset" Millicent said pushing Sirius back down on the couch, "You really need some rest"

"His family won't want to be bothered tonight" Harrietta said as a compromise, "We can tell them tomorrow, when Sirius is feeling better". Millicent nodded her head, and looked Douglas straight in the eye. Douglas rolled his eyes slightly, but didn't go towards the family owl, or the floo system. Instead he started to walk back up the stairs.

"I'm going to go back to sleep, some of us have to get up and go to work tomorrow" Douglas complained as he walked up the stairs.

"Please don't tell them where I am" Sirius croaked as Millicent poured yet another potion down his throat.

"We won't" Harrietta said softly, patting Sirius' head comfortingly.

"I'll put Sirius into the spare room" Millicent said, again drawing out her wand.

Harrietta nodded her agreement, and James just looked at Sirius' face in fear. Whatever potion Millicent had given Sirius, it had made the cuts to his face glow bright green.

"Is that supposed to happen?" he asked his mother.

She just smiled kindly, "Yes James, its most normal for those sorts of injuries"

"James, you mother is quite capable of healing Sirius" Harrietta said supportively, patting James on the back, "He'll be fine". With that Harrietta walked out of the room, towards the front door.

James was curious as to why she would do this, when he'd quite clearly said that Sirius hadn't brought anything with him. He got to the door just as Harrietta started to open it.

"I told you he didn't bring anything with him"

"I know you did" Harrietta replied. It was at this point that James noticed that Harrietta had put on her normal 'going out' robes. He hadn't noticed her change, as she must have magically done so on her way to the door.

"Where are you going?" James demanded of his Aunt, "Sirius asked you not to tell his family"

"I'm not going to his 'family' James" Harrietta said quickly, "And you aren't to say anything to your parents, just go off to bed". And with this Harrietta went off into the night, walking several steps away from the house into the darkness.

The only hint to what Harrietta was doing came to James with a loud 'crack'. She'd obviously apparated somewhere, where to, he didn't know.

James sighed, and walked back to the living room, to help his mother.

Sirius was sleeping, thanks to the potion Millicent had given him, so she had to levitate him up the stairs, and into the spare room. This was difficult, as Sirius was laying flat, the stairs were steep and she didn't want for him to hit his head on any walls.

Eventually, after some narrow misses with walls, and suits of armour, Millicent and James were able to get Sirius into the spare room.

Millicent didn't appear to notice that Harrietta was gone, but when James and her left the room, she looked around. "Where's Harrietta gone?" she asked James tiredly.

"I don't know, she didn't say"

Millicent sighed, "That girl is going to get herself into trouble one day"

"She can take care of herself" said James, starting to walk across the hallway to his own room.

James opened the door and started to walk through it when he heard his mother say, "I hope so"

As soon as James woke the next morning, he crept across the hallway to where Sirius was. He knocked quietly on the door, and then opened it.

Sirius had been sleeping peacefully, but had woken with the noise of James knocking. James walked in to see Sirius sitting up in the bed, with his hands placed on his legs.

"Sleep well?" James asked plopping down on the bed at Sirius' feet. He'd wanted to talk to Sirius since Harrietta had opened the door to him, but now that he was able to, James didn't know what to day.

"Yes" Sirius replied, "Comfy beds you've got here Prongs"

James sighed wryly, "With that potion my Mum gave you, you could slept on nails"

"How did your parents take it?" Sirius asked deliberately diverting his eyes away from James'.

"What do you mean?"

"Me turning up here like that?"

James looking at Sirius silently, using a trick his aunt had taught him, he knew that if he stayed silent long enough, Sirius would look at him. Sure enough, Sirius turned to face James. "They were happy to be able to help you, a little shocked at your appearance, but not worried by it at all"

"I couldn't think of anywhere else to go" Sirius said looking down at his hands.

"What happened to you?" James asked.

"The usual"

"What's the usual Padfoot?"

"You don't want to know"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know"

"Just trust me James, you don't want to know" Sirius said sternly, at the mention of his first name, James knew that Sirius truly meant what he was saying, he never used 'James'.

"So who did it to you?" James asked firmly.

"My Dad"

James face dropped in surprise. He knew that Sirius' parents didn't treat him well, but the last thing he'd expected, was the brutality that had been used on Sirius the night before.

"So that's why you didn't want my Dad to tell your family where you are?" said James softly, finally understanding what had happened.

"They won't be happy that I left"

James sighed sadly, and didn't know what to say to his friend. Luckily for James, he didn't have to, as there was a short curt knock on the door. It opened, and Millicent walked in.

"Feeling a little better this morning?" she asked Sirius.

"Yes thank you Mrs Potter"

Millicent looked slightly guilty as she started to fuss over Sirius, checking to see how he'd heeled. James couldn't understand what it was she could have to feel guilty about, and simply sat on the bed confused.

Noticing James' look, Millicent decided to confess, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation boys"

"So you heard it all?" Sirius said sadly.

"Yes" Millicent replied, apologetic, "And I want you to know Sirius, you are always welcome here"

"But I'm a Black!"

"I know you are dear, and that means nothing to me"

"But Mr Potter knows what the Black's are like" Sirius reasoned, "He won't want me here"

"Goodness Sirius" Millicent said sternly, "We all know that you aren't like the rest of your family, you are always welcome here"

"So can he stay for the rest of the holidays?" James asked cheerfully, as far as he was concerned, having Sirius around, couldn't be anything but fun.

"If Sirius wants to" Millicent smiled kindly at her son, and then at Sirius, "He can stay here as long as he wants"

"You're not worried about what my family will say?"

Millicent paused for a moment, and as she spoke James finally came to realise the true inner strength of his mother, "I'm not scared of your family, and neither is Mr Potter"

"Thank you" Sirius said finally looking brighter.

"Now its time for breakfast boys" Millicent declared, changing the subject, "James why don't you get Sirius some of your clothes, and then come down stairs"

James sat there beaming at his mother, he'd been unsure how she would take Sirius' arrival, but he now realised how great his parents were. He knew that his father wouldn't be pleased about Sirius staying there, but James realised that his father couldn't say no to his wife.

"Right away" James laughed, "We can't have him walking around like that"

James then went quickly back to his room, grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt, as well as a set of robes. He then went back to Sirius' room, and set them down on the bed. "There you go" James said brightly, "Now hurry up and change Padfoot, Minny makes a great breakfast!"

"Is Minny your house elf?" Sirius asked stepping out of his bed.

"Yes"

"I hope she's more pleasant that ours"

James smiled slightly, "She's as pleasant as the ones at Hogwarts"

Sirius laughed, "So in other words she'll feed us until we pop"

"Exactly". And with that, James turned and walked out of the room, to let Sirius change.

While he was waiting for Sirius to emerge from the room, James went and checked on Harrietta. He knocked on her door and waited for her to say he could come in. It didn't come so James opened the door. He looked in to see that Harrietta's bed hadn't been slept in. He frowned slightly, and went back out to meet Sirius at the entry to his room.

"Where's Harrietta?" Sirius asked.

James paused slightly, and then spoke, "Not sure, she might already be downstairs". James didn't want to tell Sirius how she'd left the night before, or what she'd said, he was sure it was nothing.

Even so, as he walked down the stairs to the dining room, James was starting to worry about his Aunt, and her whereabouts.

ahhhhh... another slight cliffhanger, sorry, you're going to have to wait to find out where Harrietta has gone...