I'd like to take this moment to say that I'm blown away with how much love the last chapter got, especially the ending? Would you believe me if I said I almost took that out. Also, shout-out to mykkila09 for betating this chapter for me, and to LittleNightDragon for giving me a great idea for the boys' Patronus charms. Appreciate the help.
Chapter 24: May the Truth Set You Free (Part 2)
What a strange, odd group they must have made. If someone were to look out the window, to the south side of the Forbidden forest and made out the squinted figures coming out from the Whoomping Willow, Harry imagined that person wondering if their eyes were playing a trick on them or if that was a sign from their brain telling them it was time to put away the books and get to bed.
In their odd group, leading in the front was Ron with his twisted leg, being propped up by Hermione and Sirius. Behind them was Severus was hanging off the ground, dangled like a puppet thanks to Harry and Draco who were levitating him with their magic. And finally, in the far back was Remus, who was dragging a half conscious, whimpering Pettigrew whose pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Sorry about the leg," Sirius said, noticing Ron's wince. "Got a bit carried away."
"A bit?!" Ron echoed, incredulous. "You nearly tore off my leg."
"I was trying to get the rat." Even from the angle he was in, Harry could see the sheepish grin Sirius shot Ron in hopes of softening the sting. Unfortunately for him, Ron wasn't charmed. "Spent so much time as a dog, the instincts just come on naturally. James tried to convince me more than once to make the transformation more permanent. The tail I can live with, but the fleas." He made a sour face as if he sucked a bad lemon. "They're murder I'm telling ya."
"Mr. Black?" Hermione said. "I'm still confused though. I've checked the records of all registered Animagus and, including Professor McGonagall, there are seven listed. You and Pettigrew weren't mentioned. Why is that?"
As Sirius launched into an explanation, Draco rolled his eyes. "Trust Granger to turn everything into a classroom lesson."
Trust Draco to make a snarky comment. Any other time Harry would've called him out. Right now, though, he simply let the comment slide, as a stream of tangled thoughts flooded his head.
"Hey, are you alright?" Irritation cleared from Draco's eyes as he looked at him.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, unsure what to say. After all, what could he say?
The man in front of him who for years people thought was the Dark Lord's right-hand man and betrayed his parents was actually innocent, just as he claimed. The man behind Harry was a werewolf that lied to him about who he was. The man that was being dragged by the werewolf was the actual traitor that had been masquerading as one of his friend's pet. The man Harry and Draco were holding up with their magic was knocked out because Harry was desperate to know the truth and would have his head as soon as he woke up, which Harry hoped wouldn't be for a long while.
It was all so strange, it was almost laughable. So unbelievable, he was sure he was dreaming. So ridiculous, his head was throbbing.
"Harry?"
"I-I don't know," he finally said.
Draco frowned, but he couldn't argue since Harry did give him a truthful answer. "This doesn't change anything. You hear me? Nothing."
As much as Harry wanted to believe that, wanted to think that things would fall into place after they were done here, he knew that wasn't going to happen. A glance at Sirius, who was watching him intently, confirmed that.
He was right about Sirius. Right for not doubting him,about the dog, the broom; everything. It should have made Harry feel light, almost weightless. Instead the stack of questions piling up in his head weighed down heavily on him.
Ron's pained moans were getting so loud, Hermione insisted that they stopped for a quick rest. She sat Ron down on one of the rocks and drew her wand at Pettigrew as Remus tended to Ron's leg, threatening to hex him if he as so much as moved. Draco propped Severus against another rock. Ron kept throwing Remus anxious, distrustful glances, still uneasy around the werewolf.
Despite his anger of having the truth hidden from him for so long, a twinge of sympathy went off in Harry's chest. He wondered how many of those looks Remus had to endure over the years.
Harry walked close to the edge of the cliff and looked over at the castle that was close enough to see but still far away. If they kept it up at this rate, they should be there in two hours or so. Maybe even an hour and a half if they got Ron to hussle along. A frown curved his mouth. They could try levitating him, but that would mean extra magic, and with his twisted leg, there was a good chance it would hurt him even more. Maybe they could-
"I can practically see the wheels turning in that head of yours." Sirius said.
Managing not to jump from surprise, Harry slowly counted backwards from three, trying to sort out his thoughts, and turned over to him. A stammered, tight breath escaped Sirus's mouth as he stared at Harry with red, glassy eyes.
He kneeled down and placed his hand against Harry's cheek, the skin rough with cuts and cool to the touch. "I expect you're tired of hearing this, but you look so much like your father. Except your eyes." He smiled."You have-"
"My mother's eyes." Harry finished in a murmur.
"It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and so little with you," he said. "But I swear, kiddo, I'll make it up to you. Once we clear up this whole mess, we'll be a proper family. You'll see."
The smile that had started to grow on his face vanished as realization hit him. After tonight, the truth would be known and Sirius would be a free man, which meant he'd no longer be hunted, which meant he could have his life back. Which also meant, if approved, he could have Harry back. Which…caused more thoughts to fill his head.
"Sirius-" Harry was cut off by a scream, calling their attention to the back.
Just as a cloud shifted in the sky, bathing them in moonlight.
Severus, who gained consciousness and was up on his feet, pushed Draco and Hermione behind him. Sirius grasped onto Harry's arm. Ron sat frozen.
Remus stood still, his eyes staring off into space, seeing nothing. Then his limbs began to shake.
"Oh my!" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"
"Run!" Sirius warned. "Run. Now."
Harry couldn't. Ron was dabbed in the middle between Remus and Pettigrew. He leapt forward but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back.
"Leave it to me. RUN!"
A sound slammed against their eardrums: terrible snarling, limbs twisting. Remus's head was expanding, as was his body. His shoulders hunched, hair sprouted everywhere-visibly on his face and his hands, which were curling into clawed paws. He backed away-
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. Then, in a flash of light, his enormous dog form leaped torwards Remus. As the werewolf wrenched itself free from the manacle binding it, the dog seized it around the neck and pulled it back, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, ripping at each other-
Harry stood, transfixed by the sight, too engaged in the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted him.
She and Draco were knocked onto their backs. Pettigrew knocked Severus away, against one of the rocks, and slammed Ron to the ground, diving for Remus's fallen wand.
Oh no you don't! Rage boiled in Harry's blood. He'd be damned before he let that bastard escape after everything he's done. "Stupefy!"
Pettigrew tried to deflect the attack, but he was no match for Harry's fury that caused the spell to fire from his wand like a lightning bolt. It knocked him against a thick oak tree, blood leaking from his forehead that sported a nasty bruise.
There was a howl and a pained cry. Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was racing into the forest. But the dog-Harry couldn't see the dog.
"Sirius!" he yelled.
A pained cry answered back. Then yelping, a dog in pain-
"Hermione, Ron, stay with them! Don't let Pettigrew out of your sight! Bind him!" Harry set off in a run, Draco hot on his heels. The yelping was coming from the lake. They pelted towards it, and Harry, running so hard his lungs were burning, felt the cold without realizing what it meant.
It was when the yelping stopped did he realize why. Sirius was back in his human form, body scrunched into a ball, hands over his head.
"No!" he begged. "No…please!"
That was when Harry saw them. Dementors, close to a hundred of them, gliding in a mass of black, around the lake, inching closer towards them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides. Fog was starting to cloud his vision. An unsettling ring blared in his ears. More dementors were coming out, appearing from the shadows, at every possible corner, closing in on them.
"Draco, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, blinking his eyes furiously to clear the fog, shaking his head to silence the faint screaming that started, building in volume.
Sirius wasn't the traitor. He didn't betray him. He didn't betray his parents.
"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"
Sirius shuddered, rolled onto his back, and laid motionless on the ground, pale as death.
He ran and hid for so many years because he wanted to clear his name. More than that, he wanted to make it right.
"Expecto Patronum! Draco, help me!"
"I'm trying!" he cried. "Too….many….s-so cold."
Draco couldn't do it. The dementors surrounded them; cold darkness like a round of punches swinging from every possible angle.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled, trying to block the screaming ringing in his head.
A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like a mist before him. At the same moment, Harry felt Draco collapse next to him. He was alone…completely alone…
"Expecto-Expecto Patronum-"
Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass, fog clouding his eyes. He fought against the dizziness, against the cold to remember.
Sirius was innocent-innocent-they were going to be okay-they were going to be alright-
"Expecto Patronum!" he gasped.
By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, he saw a dementor was right by him, blocked but unfazed by the cloud of sliver mist. A dead, slimy hand slid out from underneath the cloak.
"No!" Harry gasped. "He's innocent. Expecto-Expecto Patronu…"
He felt hundreds of their eyes watching him, hearing their rattling breathing like an evil wind around him. The one in front raised both rotten hands and lowered its hood.
Where they should have been eyes was only a thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. With a mouth, a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
A paralyzing terror filled Harry, taking away his ability to move or speak. His Patronus flickered and went out like a light.
White fog was blinding him. He had to fight…he had to…
"Don't worry so much, lion," Daddy said, lightly brushing his knuckle against Harry's cheek as if he could knock the frown off his face. "I'm sure this Malfoy kid will adore you. And if not, then it's his loss."
His head was pounding as if hundreds of searing-hot hammers were swinging against every inch of his skull.
Warmth curled his chest as the blond prince smiled at him, reaching for his hand. "I never had a best friend before either. I didn't like any of the other kids. They're not as fun as you."
He couldn't breathe. It was like his lungs turned to lead, completely frozen by the intense cold.
"I'm the shortest kid in my class."
"Well then you're the tallest short person I ever saw."
He wasn't being beaten by the cold. He was being consumed, his skin devoured by its teeth, bones ripped apart by its claws.
"You don't hate me, Mummy? Right?"
"Never," she smiled. "I could never hate you, Harry. There will be times when I get upset with you. Even angry, but never hate. You're my son and I love you."
He was being pulled under, dragged straight to the bottom of the sea, the ice filling him up. He reached for something, needing an anchor to keep him alfoat. He felt a cold, limp hand. It was hard to tell if it was Sirius's hand or Draco's. The fog blinded him.
"Looking fear right in the eye and telling yourself this: you may be strong, fear, but I'm stronger."
Dad…his goofy, fun-loving, brave Dad, dashing out of the room to face a madman in hopes of saving his family.
Mummy smiled at him. "That love still remains. Even if one day, your Daddy and I are gone, Harry, we'll always be around."
Mum….using every second of her remaining life to save him, pleading over and over that he be spared.
Sirius…Sirius, who was hunted down for a crime he didn't commit. Draco, unconscious next to him, who cursed at Harry for dragging him into danger but refused to have him face it alone. His parents, his fearless Dad and brilliant Mum, who did everything within their power to save him.
"Right," She placed her hand against his chest, where his heart was pulsing underneath. "here."
No. No, it couldn't end like this. Not after everything. Harry refused. It wouldn't end like this.
Mustering every drop of energy he had in his body, gathering every flicker of rage and hatred of what had been lost to him, channeling every ounce of determination to fight, Harry wrapped his cold fingers around his wand and raised his numb body off the ground. He looked into the dementor's eyeless face and raised his wand.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled.
At the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. Far bigger, more magnificent than the one he conjured up in the classroom. It charged onto the dementors head-on like a bull, its brightness cutting through them like paper, knocking them back, forcing them to retreat and scatter until the last one was gone.
The Patronus turned, walking back to Harry. It wasn't a bull, its body much broader and shorter. It was a lion, a beautiful, powerful lion glowing as brightly as the moon above.
It made no sound on the soft ground as it stared deeply into Harry's eyes with its own large, silvery ones. Slowly, it bowed its head.
He lifted his hand to touch the animal, but slowly it vanished from sight, just as heaviness started to settle in his body.
Harry fell onto the ground, blackness sweeping across his vision.
"James!" Daddy didn't turn back once as he ran out the room, his footsteps growing softer till they faded away.
Come back. Don't go. Those words were hanging off the tip of his tongue, but they refused to come out. Fear held a tight grip on him-on his mouth, his throat, everything.
"It's okay, baby," Mummy said. "It's okay."
Fear tightened its' grip as green light glowed from underneath the door and a heavy thump hit the floor. He didn't ask what it was, didn't want to know the answer, but the dry sob that escaped from Mummy's lips and the drips of tears that rained onto his head painted a clear picture for him.
Daddy. A sob rose to his throat, but it was like his tongue was frozen, blocking everything.
Mummy ran her hand through his hair and tilted his head up. Tears blurred his vision, stinging his eyes, but he made out the soft smile on her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You are so loved, Harry. Mama loves you. Daddy loves you. More than anything else in the world."
Creaking crept down the hall. They were different from Daddy's steps; slower and heavier, growing louder and louder with each step.
She attempted to wipe the tears away and cupped his face. "Be safe, sweetie. Be strong."
He didn't feel strong. He felt the exact opposite of strong. He felt weak. Worse than weak, he felt small and helpless.
Almost as if she could read his thoughts, she kissed his forehead, letting her lips linger there for a moment longer, hot tears falling onto his head. She then brought him to her chest, holding him tight, as the door burst open.
Dark magic filled the air like hot, thick gas, making it almost hard to breathe.
She placed him on the floor and stood in front. "Not Harry. Please. I'll do anything."
Biting his lip to hold in his sobs, Harry held himself tightly and focused on the back of Mummy's head, on the strands of crimson red that were almost as bright as the shade of her favorite lipstick, like the crumbling autumn leaves falling from the trees. He focused all his attention on the strands of red touched by the moonlight pouring in from his windows.
"Stand aside, foolish girl." The voice, so dark, so cold, caused goosebumps to prick his skin, digging underneath and twisting his insides.
"No, please!"
Green light filled the room, so bright that Harry could barely see anything. Except for Mummy's form standing in front of him, slowly swinging to the right as if she was pushed, streams of red as bright as her hair pouring out of her, raining down on him and the floor. Her screaming, echoing throughout the room like a horrible, soul-piercing crescendo, finally ended as she hit the floor.
His heart leaped up to his throat, blocking the screams trying to burst their out.
Mummy.
An invisible hand gripped onto his face, forcing him to look up.
I can be brave, he told himself, trying to remember what Daddy said. Look fear in the eye and say that you're stronger. Look fear in the eye and say that you're stronger. Look-
Crimson-red eyes stared down at him, gleaming in wicked delight, as the man raised his wand, the tip glowing bright green.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A gasp tore through his throat as he shot up from the bed, his heart practically leaping from his chest. The brightness of the room temporarily blocked his shock, burning his eyes. He shut them tight, reopening them slowly, bit by bit. As he took in slow, shallow breaths, shock melted away as his brain became more alert, picking up details.
Like the fact he was back in the hospital wing, lying in the same bed he was in last time he was hurt. That he was shivering despite the tight snug of the five layers of blankets wrapped around his body. That someone else was in the bed with him, someone who was rubbing his shoulder.
"Deep breaths, pup." Remus instructed. "Deep breaths."
Millions of questions rose in his head, but Harry focused on breathing, trying to calm his heartbeat. Once it was finally back to normal and his breathing was even, a mug was shoved underneath his nose.
Deciding not to waste energy protesting, Harry accepted the drink. Hot chocolate filled his mouth, the scent of mint tickling his nose. He finished his drink in several, large gulps, not even minding his burnt tongue, and the mug was filled up again by Remus who filled it yet again as soon as it was empty.
By the third cup, Harry stopped shivering, finally warm. By the fourth, he was finally, fully awake. Awake to take note of how heavy and stiff his limbs felt, as if he was frozen for years, the faint twinge of pain throbbing by his temples like he had a whole bottle to himself without taking a drop.
"How long have I been out?" he croaked, his voice groggy.
"About three days." Remus answered calmly, as if it was normal for a person to be asleep for that long.
"Three days?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Hush, hush," Remus gently said, filling his mug with more hot chocolate. "It's best not to strain yourself, pup."
"What about Draco? Hermione? Ron? Are they alright?"
"A few cuts and bruises. Mr. Weasley definitely was shaken, from both the late-night events and his leg. Thankfully the good Madame was able to treat him. However Mr. Malfoy seemed even more distort. Demanded to see you and each time he was denied, he threatened to revoke Madame's license-along with a number of other threats. Very colorful ones, mind you."
Yup, that definitely sounded like Draco.
Once Harry was done with his hot chocolate and he saw the kettle was empty, Remus left it on the nightstand and moved over to the chair, bringing it close to the bed and tucking a book near the side.
"Inferno by Dante Alighieri," he said, noticing Harry staring. "Or commonly known as Dante's Inferno. Very interes-"
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Harry cut him off. "Why did you lie?"
Remus's mouth hung open, his eyes widening at the blunt demand. When he looked into Harry's solemn face, he understood there was no other way around it. Sighing, he put away the book and stared down at his hands that were entwined together. "Pup, you must believe me when I say that was never my intention."
"Maybe not but that's what you did anyway. All this time I thought you were sick. That you had a weak immune system. When really you're just-just-" He took in a deep breath, trying to clear his thoughts. "Have you," Harry hesitated in asking the question, recognizing it as a heavy blow, but knew it needed to be asked. "Have you ever hurt anyone?"
Remus looked like he much rather be punched in the gut than answer the question. Still he did, although it looked like it was almost a painful thing for him to do. "Yes."
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
That questioned seemed almost twice as painful to answer. Remus miserably slumped in his chair. "Few times when instincts…triumphed over rationality, I came close. Incredibly close. One incident happened right here in Hogwarts when I was a student. The...person...who unfortunately crossed my path barely escaped."
Harry stared at him, blinking his eyes slowly.
"I was very young when I was bitten, Harry. About three or four. Till the end, that was a question that often troubled my parents. How did a werewolf manage to get past the wards, into the house? Sadly, there was no answer just as there was no cure. The bite is not like the flu. While they can share similar symptoms, the bite isn't treatable. You simply must live with it." Remus sighed, staring straight ahead, almost as if he could see his younger-self. "For my safety, as well as for tat of the community, my parents kept me strictly restricted in the house. Barely had any visitors and if so, then I was hidden. Often in my room or the library or…when the time came, in the cellar."
"That-" Harry struggled for the right words. "that must have been lonely."
Remus shrugged weakly with one shoulder. "I wasn't always alone. Not truly. I had my books. They made wonderful companions."
Harry's mind went back to how life was for him before he met Draco, when his only friends were Sirius, his toys, and his books.
"When I came to Hogwarts, my expectations weren't exactly high. I made plans to stay scarce and focus on my schoolwork. I had no idea I'd come across an understanding headmaster who'd help me through the rough nights."
Dumbledore. Harry wasn't too surprised. No matter how hard someone tried to conceal the truth, the headmaster always seemed to know. His mind went back to the Whoomping Willow with its mysterious passageway that led them straight to the Shrieking Shack. How the room looked like it was torn apart, such as the chair that was missing most of its parts, including a leg. "The Shrieking Shack? He built that for you."
Remus nodded. "I, well, I tend to get quite destructive during the full moon, and end up harming myself in the process. My screams got so loud that people from the village assumed it was ghosts."
Harry shook his head, amazed.
"As well as having an understanding headmaster, I also had a group of loyal friends," For once a faint smile appeared on his face and stayed there. "Friends who refused to have me go through the full moon alone. Naturally, all wizards and witches have to register to the Ministry for taking on an Animagus form, but, well, your father was never one for the rules. He picked a stag, Sirius a dog, and Peter a rat."
A scowl pinched Harry's face as he thought of him, the actual traitor who pinned his crimes on an innocent man and spent years hiding as a rat. "What happened to Pettigrew?"
"Well, he tried once more to escape but was severely weakened by your hex." Remus inclined his head in an approving nod. "Excellent shot may I add. Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley managed to bind him and bring him back to the castle. Dumbledore summoned Minister Fudge to his office, and also for Severus to bring a batch of Veritaserum. With the potion in his system, Pettigrew confessed to everything-being the real oathkeeper, framing Sirius, and pledging his loyalties to Voldemort a year before your parents' deaths."
"What?!" A year? The whole time his parents were planning to hide and the Ministry was trying to track Voldemort; Pettigrew was already under his thumb. "Are you serious?"
"Regrettably, yes. Sirius found out-sadly too late. When he confronted Pettigrew, he saw the dark mark on his arm. And over the years, he gathered up information about Pettigrew's missions."
Harry's mind was spinning, A whole year Pettigrew was serving the Dark Lord, and then for six more was living comfortably (in a way) while Sirius spent that time running for his life. "So what happens now?"
"Pettigrew has been sentenced to life at Azkaban. Originally the Minister was pushing for the Dementor's kiss, but Dumbledore thought life-time isolation was a much better-suited punishment."
As much as Harry would rather have the rodent dead, he had to admit Dumbledore's choice made sense. Death, as painful as it might be, especially when having your soul sucked out of you, was easy. Too quick. And the rodent deserved so much more after ruining so many lives.
However, his mind was still not at ease yet. Although some of his questions were answered, there was still others floating around his head. Including the most important one. "Were you ever going to tell me the truth?"
"Yes," Remus confessed. "Eventually. Later on though."
"How much longer? When I turn sixteen? When I finally graduate? When I have kids of my own and want them to meet their uncle Remus?" Harry couldn't contain the biting anger that slipped into the last sentence, even if Remus winced.
"Harry," Remus sighed so heavily, as if the breath was coming from the very depth of his body. "I…when your parents told me they were expecting you and they wanted me to be the second godfather, I declined because I was so scared that I would lose control and end up hurting you. I couldn't bear the thought. Then," A soft, whimsical look crossed his eyes. "Your dad handed you over to me." His eyes shifted back to him. "You were such a beautiful baby, pup, and I fell in love with you almost instantly. You nuzzled against my chest and smiled up at me. I never wanted to see that smile go away so I tried to be there as often as I could, and promised myself that I would tell you the truth later on. At first I planned to tell you when you turned seven since your parents started your lessons and you were beginning to learn about magical creatures. Then," The whimsical look broke into pieces as grief slammed into his eyes. "Your parents were gone and you were so sad and in so much pain. More pain than any boy your age should have gone through. I didn't want to add more weight to the overwhelming burden you were already carrying. When Dumbledore gave me the job to teach at Hogwarts, I promised myself no more games. I would finally tell you the truth."
"So why didn't you?" Maybe they didn't get to see as often as they should have, but all Remus had to do was send him a summons to his office and Harry would be there in an instant.
"Because I was a coward. Because after bearing this-this-" Remus struggled to find the right word. "condition for over thirty years, I still haven't gotten used to the look of pure fear and disgust people wore when they figured it out. And I knew, once I told you the truth, you wouldn't look at me like I was your uncle. You'd look at me like I-like I was a monster." He finished in a murmur, looking even more tired than he did a minute ago.
Seeing that unmistakable look of despair and defeat dimmed bits of Harry's anger. He thought back to how Remus changed into a werewolf and nearly tore Sirius apart. Then, before that, the distrustful glances Ron kept shooting him as he tended to his leg. The way Hermione fidgeted around him, as if one wrong step would have her gutted. Most of all Harry thought about how the vicious creature he read so much about at the library barely resembled the man sitting across from him.
"No," Harry corrected. Remus looked up. "Not a monster. A liar, yes, but not a monster."
A soft smile touched his face but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "I'm so sorry I kept the truth away from you for so long, pup. I suppose as much as I wanted to protect you, I also wanted to protect myself from the inevitable. Now that you know the truth, all I can ask is that you don't hate me. At least not too much."
Harry stared at him, remembering the sharp claws and teeth that could easily tear through flesh and also how gentle those hands were as he held Harry close when he'd read him a bedtime story, stroke his head whenever he needed comfort or ruffle his hair when he accomplished a goal. "It's gonna be a long while before I can trust you again, Remus."
He nodded, as if he didn't expect anything less.
"But I don't hate you," Harry told him. Stunned, Remus looked up at him, his mouth gape. Harry smiled gently at him. "I could never hate you."
Remus sucked in a sharp breath. He then rose from his chair and leaned over, pulling Harry into a tight hug, kissing him on the crown of his head. "I love you, pup."
"I love you, too, Moony." When he was released from the hug, another question popped into his head. "Wait, what about Sirius? Since Pettigrew confessed to everything, does that mean Sirius is free?"
"Well, there are still a few legal matters that need to be dealt with. Some people from the Ministry don't fully believe Peter's confession." Remus looked almost as annoyed by the fact as Harry was. His frown did soon change into a small smile. "But, yes, for the most part Sirius is a free man."
"That's-" Good. Amazing. Unbelievable. "Brilliant."
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
Harry blinked, surprised, and looked over at the door. Sirius stood in the doorway, dressed in a dark sweater and trousers he must have borrowed from Remus. In the three days Harry was resting, he looked a great deal better than how he did before. Though there were still dark circles under his eyes, his face looked refreshed, cheeks a healthy flush, hair combed and cut, touching his shoulders. He wore a look on his face Harry never saw before: anxious-and not the good kind-that built and built the longer he stared at Harry.
"Sorry for the intrusion." he said.
"No need to apologize," Remus said. "I actually need to discuss something with Dumbledore."
He ruffled Harry's hair, grabbed the empty tea-kettle and his book, and left. Sirius approached the bed and glanced between it and the chair, unsure where to sit. He finally went for the bed, sitting close but not too close.
Harry would have been amazed at the fact that the suave and confident Sirius Black was an anxious mess if he wasn't one himself. Which was horrible now that he thought about it. Sirius was one of the few people in the world Harry never felt nervous around. It shouldn't be that way now that the truth was out, but considering the six years apart and spending so much time going back and forth between believing Sirius was guilty to him possibly not, it was hard to find their footing.
"So," Sirius finally broke the painfully-long silence that dragged on for what felt like an hour. "Slytherin, huh?"
Feeling his brows cease, Harry looked up into Sirius's questioning eyes and nodded.
Sirius nodded back. "I see." he said. "Was the sorting rigged?"
What? It was the first thought that popped into Harry's mind as the question sank in, but when he opened his mouth to say it, what came out instead was a chuckle. One which soon grew into another as Sirius fired another question.
"Was the hat already drunk? Decided to celebrate the welcoming feast early?"
Only Sirius was crazy enough to think that Harry's sorting was done because of a drunken hat. As crazy as the thought was, it was certainly the most creative excuse he had heard, making him laugh even harder.
"No." he managed to say in between chuckles.
"Aha!" Sirius said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Then you were the one drunk off your rocker!" He tried to look serious but his faux-somber mask was cracking under the pressure of his badly-suppressed laughter. "And once the hat saw that, it took advantage of you and threw you into the slimy snake pit."
"No!" Harry cried, practically choking on his laughter.
Sirius dissolved into rounds of laughter, which made Harry laugh harder. For a few minutes they tried to keep themselves up, laughing so hard their stomachs hurt.
It felt so good to laugh, especially after the night they had, but as much as Harry wanted it to, he knew couldn't last forever. They were long overdue for a talk.
It took a few minutes to finally get himself together, his stomach aching. He sighed, took in a deep breath, and looked up at Sirius. "What exactly happened on Halloween night?"
All traces of humor were immediately wiped from his face. Even though it was a question that was bound to be asked, he didn't look thrilled to be answering it. In fact, given the pain-struck expression that crossed his face, he looked like he'd rather be asked to do anything else. "Your parents," He sighed heavily and wiped a hand over his weary face. "They-they knew something bad was happening. A war was brewing, kiddo, and you were smacked right in the middle of it."
"A war?" Harry echoed, stunned. He tried to think back to the days before Halloween for any signs that something bad was about to come: tense conversations between his parents, strained smiles plastered on. His dad had started asking him to go up to his room more whenever he really needed to talk to Mum. Back then, though, he dismissed it as boring grown-up talk. Other than that, nothing. Clearly his parents tried to shield him from the truth for as long as possible. "Why? How do I fit into it?"
"Well-the Dark Lord, Harry, his powers were growing as well as his follower count. He was becoming too powerful for the Ministry to handle, and panic was starting to spread throughout the wizarding world. A prophecy was made-and…well, I'll tell you the details later on. My head is pretty fuzzy at the moment. Point being, your parents planned to go into hiding. They already warded the house so you were mostly hidden from sight, and they planned on leaving the next day."
"But…" Harry supplied.
"But," Sirius continued. "Two or three days before they were ready to leave, I talked to your dad. I was picked as the oathkeeper, and, as much as an honor it was, I thought it was too obvious. I was James's best friend. Anyone with half a brain would be able to figure that out. So I told your dad that it should be Peter. No one would ever suspect it. At the time, I thought I was brilliant." He scoffed, his face mangled in rage and regret. "If I could go back in time and meet my past-self, I'd punch him in the face."
"Then what happened?" Harry asked gently, even though he already had a good idea.
"Halloween night-call it gut-instinct or canine senses-but something was off. I couldn't explain it but I just knew. I stopped by Peter's place and the place reeked of Dark Magic. I…I found my brother…Regulus…"
Harry only knew of the man based on the few family pictures Sirius kept in his house. Sirius barely talked about his family, and when he did the words that came out were not kind.
"He…he…" Sirius swallowed. "He-in the politest way I can say-was gutted like a fish. He was barely alive-" A dry, shallow gasp rocked his body. He grasped onto the blanket like it was an anchor that could keep him steady. "Choking on his own blood. He only had enough time to tell me this: 'The Dark Lord gained a new pet. A rat.'" The venom in his voice was so thick, so deadly, Harry flinched.
"I ran straight to your house, praying with everything I had that he was wrong, that I wasn't too late. The first thing I saw was your dad." Sirius was cut off by a sound that rattled his chest, a dry sob he tried to suppress by biting down on his fist, his eyes swelling with tears. "Kiddo, what I saw-I could have thrown up right then and there. I remember stumbling up to your room, hoping you were there, and came across a bloodbath. Your mum was lying in the middle of it and you were long gone. I went out of my mind in rage, grief, pain. Your dad was killed, your mum was killed, and you were gone. All I could do was hope was that you were taken somewhere safe. That, and that Peter was alive because I planned to kill the rat. With every dark hex I knew."
"Severus found me," Harry said quietly. "He came to the house before you did and took me back to Malfoy Manor."
Sirius slowly nodded his head. "I figured as much. As much as a nauseating, excruciating bastard he can be, Snivellus does care about you, so I'll give him that."
"What happened?" Harry asked. "After that?"
"I managed to track Peter down. I saw the dark mark on his arm. The stupid idiot didn't even bother to hide it. Before I could reach for my wand, he hit me with a spell. I almost thought he missed-he was always rubbish with spells-but the next thing I knew I was laughing. I was laughing so hard, I could feel my insides twisting. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. Then Peter cut his finger and fired a hex that hit the entire neighborhood. By the time the smoke cleared, I saw the rat running away. I wanted to go after him. I wanted to end him. All I could at the time though was try to keep my insides from bursting out and come up with a plan. I knew Aurors were coming. I also knew how bad it looked. Only three people knew about the switch and one was already dead while the other ran away. I knew even if I screamed the truth at the top of my lungs and swore on my magic, they wouldn't believe me. So I ran. I ran before I could get caught. Laughing my guts out, I zapped back home. I managed to find a counterjinx to the spell, then packed a bag and some money, and ran."
Harry could only stare at him in stunned silence.
"You know what's funny? Before he fired his wand, Pettigrew said to me I was as much to blame as he was. And the real kicker is he was right."
Harry leaned forward and touched his arm. Sirius slowly brought his head over to him, his eyes filled with so much pain it hurt to look into them. Harry forced himself to endure it. "Sirius, you didn't betray Mum and Dad. You weren't the one who killed them."
"I might as well have. I was the one who convinced your dad to switch oathkeepers. I was the one who thought Peter could be trusted and was the perfect choice," Sirius said. "And because of that, my brother ended up dead, your parents were killed, the world thought I was a traitor and a coward, I lost Remus, and I lost you too."
"You didn't lose Remus." Harry told him. "When Dumbledore and the Aurors came to the Manor, he refused to believe what they were saying about you. I don't think he ever lost hope."
That bit of information eased some of his pain. "What about you?"
"I-well-for the longest time I did believe it. And hated you because of it." The pain resurfaced in his eyes. "Till you sent me Scruffy and I listened to your message. More than once."
"You…you kept Scruffy?" Sirius stared at him, incredulous.
Harry nodded. "And the firebolt."
Tears filled his eyes but not a single one fell.
"After that, I wasn't fully convinced. Even though the evidence was clear, a part of me refused to believe it."
Sirius pulled him into his chest and hugged him tight. Harry returned the hug fiercely. "You were one of the few things that kept me grounded over the years. I missed you, kiddo. More than you'll ever know."
"I missed you, too." Harry didn't realize how true those words were until they slipped out from his mouth. He held Sirius for a moment longer, and then broke the hug as he heard footsteps entering the room.
Draco stood in the doorway, everything from his body language screaming tense from his clenched fists that were held to his sides, the tight lock of his jaw, and the narrowed-slit eyes that watched Harry intently.
Sirius noticed the tension and quickly slipped out of the room, giving them privacy. Draco didn't move an inch.
Harry could only imagine the rants that awaited him consisting of remarks about his recklessness and stupidity, complaints about ruined hair and expensive clothes marked with horrible stains that were impossible to get out, and, of course, more remarks about his stupidity and how it nearly got them killed. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but in a flash Draco sprinted across the room and jumped onto the bed, grasping onto his face.
Warm, soft lips crashed onto his, stealing Harry's breath before it was released.
To call it a kiss would be wrong. It wasn't a gentle meeting and parting, but a full-on attack. Lips pressed so hard together, they stung. Tongue darting wildly, so roughly, it was brutal. It was as if Draco unleashed every ounce of his anger and distress into their joint lips, making the kiss not a kiss but a bruising, violent storm that was tearing Harry apart.
Just as sudden as it began, it ended abruptly. Once Harry was released, he struggled to take in gulps of much-needed air for his lungs, but was captured once again by a pair of hands that grasped onto his face.
"Never EVER do that to me again!" Draco demanded. The words no softer than a murmur but the intensity behind it as powerful as a scream. "Do you understand?"
Harry didn't answer, not right away. His mind was still dazed from what just happened. Draco didn't accept that, tightening his hold on him.
"Never again!" he ordered.
Those eyes burnt as bright as the sun, silver orbs casting his mind into a daze, the intensity behind them threatening to consume him. Harry wouldn't look away even if he wanted to. He nodded weakly.
Draco exhaled sharply, releasing only a fraction of the tension. He pulled Harry into a tight hug, nearly cracking his spine and ribs. As uncomfortable as it was, Harry didn't pull away. He adjusted himself and returned the hug fiercely, recalling how Draco fallen under the Dementors' spell, collapsing beside him.
"I thought-" Draco began.
"I know." Harry finished.
Draco shuddered and tightened his hold.
"I'm not leaving you," Harry vowed. "I promise."
Draco buried his face in the nape of Harry's neck. Harry rested his chin on top of Draco's hair.
"Mine." Draco murmured.
"Mine." Harry repeated.
Unbeknownst to the boys, someone watched them from the doorway after they've broken apart, puzzled by the grip they had on each other.
Sirius turned over to Remus, questions swirling in his eyes. "Moony?"
Remus smiled gently, shaking his head, and took Sirius's arm.
"But-"
Remus was already leading him away, the left corner of his mouth rose slightly, brows arched suspiciously as he looked over once more at the boys that were oblivious to everything else happening outside their private bubble.
AN: And with that ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the end. And dear Christ, it was a journey.
*Sees the bewildered confusion and shock of your faces, realizing my poor choice of words.* I meant of 3rd year. We've reached the end of 3rd year *A round of relieved sighs* Not to worry, guys. The story is far from over. I have loads of plans for not only the boys, but for the Pansy x Theo, Blaise, Sirius and Remus-for all of them basically.
Because I've only started reading the 4th book so I can understand what happened and figure what to pull out and add to Stages, it may take some time before the next update comes out. Hopefully won't be too soon. And if any of you have great ideas for 4th year, please share. I'm open to any suggestions.