Harry fell asleep in Sirius' arms for the rest of the day. Sirius carefully though, returned to the bed so his but wouldn't go num sitting on the floor for a long time. He didn't know how much time passed but he soon was also fast asleep as Harry's sleeping head lay against his chest.
Harry awoke first the next day, only to roll over and fall right out of bed dragging a pillow down along with him. "Ou." Harry murmured as he landed on his rump. 'How did I get on the bed?' Harry wondered and stood up. Sirius' was still sleeping peacefully on the bed. Harry pulled the covers up to his chin and sat in the chair next to the bed.
Harry took this time to resurvey his surroundings. The room had two rows of beds in it, each side there was... Harry counted out the beds on each side... 12 beds. Wow... there must be a lot of sick people in this place. Some of the beds weren't made so Harry, due to his up brining jumped off the chair and started to make the bed. He was on his third bed when a little green elf popped in next to him. Harry jumped and backed away from the strange creature.
"Sir is not to be doing beds sir. Beds is Squeakers' job." The little elf said bowing respectfully. Harry never being around a house elf before bowed back making the elf bow again. So it went on for a couple of minutes before Harry started coughing from the exertion of so much moving his body wasn't used to.
"Oh sir Squeakers is sorry." The little green elf helped Harry into the nearest bed. "Here Sir you's should drink this." He waved his hand and out of thin air a shiny blue bottle of something appeared. Harry shook his head and started coughing again. "Sir... this will help." Harry again shook his head. He didn't know who this person was... he didn't know what was in the bottle.
"N... No thank you." Harry said quietly when he stopped coughing. He tried not to take deep breaths as not to cause another fit.
Squeakers looked sad as he made the goblet of coughing potion disappear he only wanted to help. "I am sorry sir. I did not know that sir was sick." He said wringing his hands, as thoughts of late punishment dashed through his mind.
"What was you name again?" Harry asked cautiously ready to jump out of the bed if the little green guy decided to hurt him.
"Oh Squeakers sir. I'm Squeakers the house elf."
Harry looked at Squeakers oddly. "Okay. Well I'm Harry. Not sir... that's what I'm supposed to call my Uncle." Harry quickly looked around the room making sure that his uncle wasn't in there.
"You want me to call Sir by his first name?" Squeakers double-checked, Harry nodded sitting up in the bed making room for Squeakers to sit down.
"Sit down." Harry said patting the spot in front of him. Squeakers did as he was told and sat down in front of Harry. "So what are you?" Harry asked feeling brave, he didn't know why but he didn't think that Squeakers would hurt him.
Squeakers shifted around nervously across from Harry, his gaze kept landing on Sirius. "I am a house elf sir... Harry."
"Oh." Harry said not really understanding. "What does a house elf do?"
Squeakers looked shocked that Harry didn't know what a house elf was. "A house elf is bound to one family and serves that one family no matter what." He said proudly. "Unless we is sacked... then we come here to Hogwarts."
Harry nodded his head. "What do you do for the families?"
"Um... We's work for them. We do there house work and such for them." He said smiling proudly.
"Oh... I guess I'm a house elf too them." Harry said quietly missing the odd look that came over the little elf's face as he jumped off the bed.
"No Harry... you is not a house elf. You is a human... a master." Squeakers protested in what sounded like a begging tone.
Harry shook his head repeatedly. "No... no I'm a house elf. I did all the stuff at my Aunts and Uncle's house." Harry explained. "I did all this stuff they asked me to do..." He looked away from the house elf.
"You is not a house elf. You are a human. You are not green." Squeakers looked like he hand won the debate and with a smile on his face he sat back down.
Harry though was sure he was a house elf at the moment and shook his head. "I can be green. My cousin once roped me to a tire swing and spun me around and around for a whole hour... I was green after that." Harry said proudly trying not to remember what happened after that incident.
"That is not the same thing Harry." The elf looked around for help. There wasn't any. "You is human. Just believe me." He finished the argument.
Harry didn't look please but nodded his head any way. They sat in silence for short bit before Harry got the courage to ask something. "Are you my friend?"
Squeakers looked shocked at the question. He had never been asked that question before in his 9 years of life. "I don't know Harry." He said shrugging his shoulders.
Harry smiled widely and leaned forward hugging the little elf. "Then we are friends. You're my first friend in the whole wide world!" Harry said excitedly pulling a shocked and speechless elf off the bed and over to Sirius who was now snoring softly.
Not thinking about the consequences, that Sirius might get mad at him for waking him up Harry shook Sirius' shoulder waking him up instantly. Sirius' bolted up in the bed. With bleary eyes he looked down at his godson... and an house elf?
"Harry what is it? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
Harry nodded his head. "I want to introduce you to my first friend. His name is Squeakers and he's a house elf. I said that I was a house elf too but he said that I wasn't one. Then he said that I wasn't green and I said that I had been green and then he said just to believe him... I do but do you think I'm a house elf?" Harry asked Sirius seriously.
Sirius looked down at his godson, his eyes had such great big eyes that would put any dog to shame. It would be his down fall he knew it. "I'm sorry Harry but you are not a house elf." Sirius said quietly as Harry's face fell and Squeakers laughed. Harry glared at his new friend.
"I told you Harry." Squeakers said quietly, and then realizing what he said looked up at Sirius frightfully.
Just as Sirius was about to reply Poppy came bustling into the ward. "Good your awake. What is that house elf doing about?" She asked glaring at the little elf who tried to leave but was stopped when Harry grabbed his arm.
"H...hh...he's my ...f...f...friend." Harry said amazed at what courage that he was showing. He looked up frightfully at the Matron who looked quite shocked.
Poppy recovered quickly and shrugged her shoulders. "Well okay what ever. Harry it's time for you bath." She said pointedly.
Harry looked at Sirius pleading with his eyes that he wouldn't make him go alone with the scary nurse. Sirius nodded his head. "Go with Madam Pomfrey... I'll be right there I just need to talk with Squeakers for a minute.
Harry trusting his godfather reluctantly followed Poppy out of the room towards his doom, the bathroom.
Sirius looked down at the shivering elf in front of him. "I won't hurt you." He said smiling down at the elf who nodded his head shakily. "Look I know you and Harry want to be friends and I have nothing against that it's just a little odd. We're going to be moving back to my house... I'll ask Professor Dumbledore if its okay but we need a house elf. We'll pay you well and be good to you if you came." Sirius said bluntly. The little house elf looked shocked at what he was being asked. "I don't want you to come unless you want to." Sirius said levelly.
Squeakers thought about it for a moment. He was still young enough to go to his own family. He had to be bound to a family before he turned ten years old. He could go... "Squeakers would be happy to!" He said happily bowing.
Sirius looked happy. "That's great." Sirius said. "Okay there are a few rules though." Squeakers' ears fell in dismay. "They aren't that hard. Okay the first is that you have to call us by our first names. My name is Sirius. The second rule is that you are not to bow or anything like that. You don't have to do all the work. If you want you can being another House elf with you to Padfoots Den if you want." Squeakers looked happy at that. "Um... so yah... you don't have to do every thing all the time... like... the fireplaces only need to be cleaned like... once every week.. things like that. And yah... um... That's all the rules I can think of first so after we get Harry washed I'll tell him and then I'll go ask Dumbledore..."
"Ask me what my dear boy." Albus Dumbledore asked walking into the ward wearing a long purple robe, with a purple hat.
"Oh... sir... you don't have to or anything... it's just that we're going to be moving into my house soon... and Harry doesn't take to many people you know... and well he's gotten attached to Squeakers here..." Albus held up his hand to Sirius to stop his rambling.
Smiling he nodded his head. "I personally think I owe you much more than I can give in this life time. By all means you can have some house elf's. How many?" He asked calmly.
Sirius was a little shocked. "Oh... uh... I don't know... it's up to Squeakers really... I guess two is good... three wouldn't be bad. My house isn't that big... All it has is 6 bedrooms."
"Five should be good. Squeakers go pick five of your friends to take with you to Sirius' house. And pack your things you will be leaving in an hour." He orders softly. The little elf nodded he head and left with a pop.
"Five!" Sirius asked shocked. Dumbledore nodded his head. "We don't need five."
Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "I have a feeling that Harry will want to keep Squeakers as more of a friend than a servant." He said.
"We aren't leaving in an hour. Poppy won't let us. She wants to do more checks on Harry." Sirius stammered, wanting to get control of this situation.
Chuckling Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders. "You never know my dear boy... And I think it would be wise if you did... Harry needs a home. A family... He needs you. This hospital ward is a good place, but for a little boy trying to get his bearings, this is not a good place to be. And... school will be starting soon... oh... um..." Dumbledore looked at his watch. In 6 hours. If you leave now there should be anyone in Hogsmeade. You can use this port key to leave by. The house elf's will know how to follow the magic traces. I will see you soon. I will be in touch." He set a box, that he wasn't carrying before down on the bed and walked out of the ward not letting Sirius get two words in on the matter.
Sirius ended up going for a swim in the prefects bathroom while Poppy insisted that she would either stun him and wash him, or not let him in the ward due to the horrible smell emitted around him. Sirius reluctantly did as he was told and took a shower/swimming bath playing in the bubbles and wonderful smells.
He ended up getting back to the hospital wing just as the house elf's were getting there. They all bowed except Squeakers who waved happily at him. Sirius waved back and walked into the Hospital wing.
Harry was laying as still as possible as Poppy did the last tests with her wand. He jumped up though when Sirius entered the Hospital scooping up the little boy.
"Sirius!" Poppy yelled hard of breath when she noticed him hovering right behind her. "Don't sneak up on me like that." She scolded laughing. Sirius smiled innocently and sat down on the bed holing Harry on his lap. "Don't give me that look Mr. Black." She joked smiling at them. "You can leave he's fine. There's nothing wrong with him besides him being a little weak. That's all. Don't let him go running around for at least a week." Poppy said before smiling at the two before leaving, Dumbledore had left a note on her desk saying to release Harry that day.
Sirius smiled down at his godson who smiled back. "Harry... um... I have a house..."
Harry hearing those words, his smile dropped getting off Sirius' lap he stood in front of his godfather with his head down. "I understand... you don't have to finish. I'll go back to the Dursleys, I'm sorry I've been an incon-"
Sirius intervened in what Harry was saying. "No no no Harry. That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say that we were going home. To our house. Padfoots Den. We're going home. Both of us me, you, and Squeakers." Sirius explained smiling down at Harry's shocked face.
"Both of us? Together? Like a... a family?" Harry whispered the last words not quiet believing it.
Sirius nodded his head happily. "yah.. me and you... as a family... if that's what you want." Harry nodded his head his smile not coming back. "Aren't you happy?" Harry put on a fake smile and hugged his god father.
"When... When are we going?" He said with fake happiness.
Sirius smiled widely and picked Harry up. "Now." Harry felt his stomach drop some where around his feet.
He wanted a home... he just didn't want to live any where. It was going to be just like the Dursleys. Sirius would like Squeakers more... and not him... and he would have to do all the work... except this time no one would come and save him...