Interlude: Sirius Becomes a Potter

A/N: I had debated showing this scene so many times. Didn't really know if I wanted to write it or not, but honestly I love Sirius so I can't not. Sirius ran away in '75 when he was going into 5th year – before they had managed to become animagi or completed the map.

TW FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INVOLVING A CHILD – if you want to skip the spooky stuff just skip down to James' POV, after the first set of asterisks.

Sirius Black had had quite enough. He had been left some hours ago curled up in the fetal position in the cellar of Grimmauld Place – the only location in the house that his mother would allow him to bleed on.

He wasn't sure why, this time. If he were honest, he didn't know how long it had even been since he'd left Hogwarts for the summer. But no, he didn't know why – because the first week he'd been uncharacteristically quiet. He'd kept his head down, stayed in his room as much as he dared. He knew they'd heard things, of course – Reg was always a tattle, writing home all the time from Hogwarts to inform him of Sirius' great misdeeds. Perhaps they found the letters he exchanged with Lily, or maybe it was the new poster he had put up of the Muggle band Queen.

But at some point, after that first week, his father, drunk as a sailor, had pulled him out of his room to talk "man-to-man," or some shite like that. His father had always been creative with punishment – curses that didn't leave marks, hexes in places that clothes covered. This time, though, his father told him if he loved muggles so much, maybe he'd see sense if he was punished like one.

That's when the beatings started – and, of course, if he were punished like a muggle, they'd let him heal like a muggle, too. His father would mutter about blood-traitors and mudbloods as he beat Sirius. Eventually he'd leave him in the cellar to heal. Sometimes Reg would sneak him food when his parents forgot to feed him, or quick healing spells here and there – as if he were guilty. And he probably was. But at this point, it didn't matter. Sirius couldn't tell up from down and he would sell his soul for a glass of clean water.

He needed to leave if he wanted to make it back to Hogwarts alive, because Sirius Orion Black sure as hell wouldn't give in to his father's cruelty and mother's ignorance. Slowly, he dragged himself to the cellar stairs. Blood smeared behind him – he hadn't logically understood he was bleeding until now – and he wasn't sure where it was coming from. His head? Mouth? Side? Everything was fuzzy, at this point he wasn't sure that he was even still alive.

Somehow he got through the cellar door – they must not have locked it, expecting him to be too injured to make it this far. Or perhaps not caring if he left.

He needed only to round the corner and he'd be at the fireplace – praying it was already lit. He didn't know where his wand was, couldn't light the fire even if he wanted to. He'd also have to stand to reach the floo powder. It might kill him, he considered, but he did not very well care at this point.

He rounded the corner on all fours and naturally ran smack into Regulus. "Shit," he heard his brother breathe.

"What the fuck are you doing," Regulus hissed at him. "If they wake up and you're out here, they'll kill you."

Sirius cast a glance towards the fireplace – calculating if he could beat Regulus there, knowing it was useless. It wasn't even lit, he'd never get out.

Reg caught his eye movement, looked between Sirius and the fireplace. "Merlin's balls," Regulus groaned. "You'd better show up alive and well at Hogwarts this fall, okay?"

Before Sirius knew what was happening, a fire had been lit in the grate. He watched as Regulus threw floo powder in and the flames turned green. The younger boy turned to Sirius, who groaned in agony as hands hooked under his armpits and dragged him toward the fireplace.

He felt the tickle of the green fire as Reg shoved him inside and gasped out the words he knew so well, "James' room, Potter Manor." The floo swirled and he felt himself sucked away, slipping into oblivion.

James Potter was woken by the floo in his room swirling to life. There were a very few people who had access to the personal one in his room – really just the Mauraders and his parents, of course. Whatever he was expecting, though, it wasn't the crumpled body that lay on his hearth.

"Merlin," he breathed, rushing over to the too-still form of Sirius on the ground. The other boy was unmoving but whimpering – calling out something. It took James a moment to make it out – the older boy was mumbling "Mum" over and over, almost a prayer.

It took James a moment to realize that Sirius was not calling out for his own mum, but rather for James'.

He took a shaky breath and began to yell. "MUM," called James. "DAD!" He pulled out his wand, intent on healing Sirius, but there was too much. He could do basic charms – all the Mauraders were prone to accidents, after all, but this was too much. He was worse, even, than Remus was after most full moons.

He could hear a set of footsteps approaching his room. James wasn't really sure if his parents had heard him calling or had been alerted to the floo connection opening in the middle of the night.

"Jamie?" his dad asked, entering James' room. James gestured, helplessly, towards Sirius on the ground. "Merlin, fuck. What happened?" Fleamont Potter was already on his knees next to the helpless boy, whispering healing spells between breaths.

James felt surprise behind his shock – his father never swore. If he was worried…it wasn't good for Sirius. His dad was unshakeable, normally.

His mother came through next, her eyes zeroing in on the boy on the ground as soon as she entered the room. She spared a passing worried glance for James – who wasn't offended, really; he wasn't the one bleeding out on the ground – before rushing towards Sirius.

"I'm here, love," he heard her whisper to Sirius who had stopped whimpering at her presence and was lying still. James watched as they levitated him to his bed.

"Shouldn't we take him to Mungo's?" James finally asked in a small voice.

His father looked up, as if seeming to remember James was there, and gestured him to come forward. "He's saying your name," Fleamont said by way of explanation. James approached the bed with some trepidation. He was no stranger to injuries – they visited Remus after every full moon, after all – but this was different. His boisterous best mate, the boy who was practically his brother, lying in his bed a shivering, bloody mess was so very far from what he was used to seeing.

It didn't matter, though. As he hovered over the bed, Sirius reached out and grasped his hand. His dark eyes cracked open for a moment and he smiled softly at James, who sighed in relief. In the next moment, his mother was forcing a potion down Sirius' throat. He fell asleep almost immediately.

His parents stepped back for a moment, his mum collapsing in a chair before she spoke to him. "If we took him to Mungo's they'd have to notify his parents, Jamie," she said softly. She pulled him towards her and bundled James in her arms. He let himself curl up for a moment, feeling suddenly like a small boy in a much to big and dangerous world.

"Your father can brew whatever we need," she whispered softly in his ear. "I'll call in Madame Pomfrey if we can't handle it, she and Headmaster Dumbledore will be discreet."

He nodded into her shoulder, not bothering to hide the tears. He had knew Sirius had a hard time at home and sometimes angered his parents, but James had never imagined for a moment that something like this could happen – couldn't fathom having parents who did anything but love their children.

"We'll set up the room next door for you," his father said. "We all need rest."

James shook his head. "I'm staying here," he responded stubbornly.

His parents just looked at him, mother nodding in understanding. "Go get changed then," she finally sighed. "You have blood on your clothes. I'll change the sheets." He extracted himself from her to do as she asked.

"I'll stay with them tonight," he heard her add to his father. "Make sure he makes it out of the worst of this."

"I'm going to fucking kill him," James Potter muttered quietly – he probably thought he wouldn't' be overheard, but James wasn't a maurader for nothing.

And honestly, James thought, he hoped his father did kill Orion Black.

Sirius awoke to a body wrapped around his and a soft lullaby sung from somewhere above him.

Bonne nuit cher enfant

Dans tes langes blanches

Repose joyeux

En rêvant des cieux

He quickly realized he couldn't open his eyes and everything hurt. Bits and pieces of the night before came back to him. What had happened? Where was he?

Quand le jour reviendra

Tu te réveilleras

He tried to shift, to figure out where he was, but pain lanced through him and he cried out. The singing stopped, the body beside his shifted, and someone grabbed his hand. There was something whispered in a hushed tone and he felt his body relax. His eyes opened a fraction.

"Jamie?" he croaked, trying to make sense of the shape beside him.

"I'm here," the voice of his best friend whispered back, the hand in his squeezing slightly.

A softer voice spoke, then. "Drink this, love," it said. Slowly, his brain connected the dots. It was Mrs Potter. Before he could say anything, he felt a cool liquid in his throat, and sleep claimed him again.

It had been a week since Sirius had shown up in James' fireplace. Mrs Potter allowed Sirius up and out of bed for meals, but other than that he was on strict bedrest in order to heal – and honestly, it was the worst thing he had ever experienced.

James was with him almost constantly, reading to him from their school books, or prank planning with him for the upcoming school year. Moony and Peter were to join them at the Potter Manor when he was fully healed, but not before. According to Mr Potter, they were prone to too much troublemaking to all be in the same place at once while Sirius was injured. It was alright anyways, there was a full moon to think about yet that month and Pete was travelling with his parents, anyways.

Moony had visited a couple of times – James had convinced his parents on behalf of Sirius. After all, no one knew better than Remus what it was like to be confined to bed rest.

On one of such occasions, the three boys were sitting at the table eating lunch, Sirius braced upright on the large chair in the sitting room, the boys on the floor below him. Moony was busy recounting a colossal argument between an unfortunate Ravenclaw and their own Lily Evans that resulted when the latter made an unwise comment about female teachers at Hogwarts when James' dad stormed in, followed by his worried-looking mum.

"What is it, Da?" James asked as Remus broke off abruptly in the middle of a sentence.

The man was fuming; Sirius flinched out of habit as he approached. Both the elder Potters stopped short, and Remus put a tentative hand on Sirius' knee.

Fleamont Potter took a moment to collect himself, before giving a pained smile to Sirius and extending his hand slowly. It took a moment to see what was in it – but it was unmistakably Sirius' wand, offered handle first towards him.

"My wand?" Sirius asked in awe. He hadn't seen it since his parents had confiscated it weeks ago at Grimmauld Place. Right before the beatings had started.

Fleamont Potter smiled at him. "All yours again," he said. "Just keep the mischief making out of the house," he added with a wink.

Sirius snorted. He could hardly move in his state, much less find mischief to get up to. But then again…James, seeming to read his mind, gave him a distinctly evil grin.

James' parents both sat down on the couch across from Sirius, looking somber again. "Now, we need to talk about the rest of the summer, boys. And about what will happen after that."

Sirius swallowed in apprehension. He knew how this talk went – they had it every time he visited James over the hols. It was where James' parents told him it was time to go home, and to keep his nose out of trouble.

James hoisted himself from the floor and lowered himself to the arm of the chair beside Sirius. Remus shifted closer, his shoulder now pressed to Sirius' leg.

"You're not sending him back," James said, his voice hard. Sirius relaxed minutely. James' parents never, ever said no to him.

To all the boys' surprise, Mr Potter nearly chuckled. "We never would, Jamie." He turned to Sirius. "I went today to retrieve your wand and your belongings. Your parents were…less than helpful." He sighed and looked to his wife, who took over with a sigh.

"They wouldn't hand anything over except your wand," she said, looking sympathetically at Sirius. "We'll have to go to Diagon to get you more school things and clothes."

"Muggle London," James interjected.

"Muggle London?" his father responded, looking confused.

Sirius let a grin split his face, but Moony answered somberly for him. "A man cannot survive on robes alone."

Mr Potter looked extraordinarily confused, but smiled nonetheless. "We can shop wherever Sirius pleases," he amended. "The problem is, lad, your parents have disowned you."

They paused to let the news sink in. Sirius looked back and forth, sure this must be some kind of sick joke.

"They have?" he finally asked. James' mum nodded affirmitavely.

"So I never have to go back?"

Fleamont Potter smiled tenderly. "Never. We've talked and you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, but we insist you live with us until you graduate Hogwarts, at least." Sirius' eyes widened in shock, and he felt James squeeze his shoulder.

"The ministry has given us guardianship of you," James' mum continued, "Until you turn seventeen. We'll make up a room for you beside Jamie's. Is that alright, love?" she asked Sirius.

He was grinning too wide to answer, but Moony did for him, in his usual way. "Wicked," said the werewolf with a grin.

Sirius looked at James. "We're brothers now."

James' smile screamed mischief, and Sirius had not felt so happy in years.