Titanium

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait my friends. Life has had me swamped for the past few months. I've just been running about like a chicken with my head cut off, and honestly there isn't any other excuse. My muse had been pretty dead for a good while, and I was attempting to push out more chapters for more stories than I could actually handle. Hopefully this chapter is okay, I've been struggling with a writer's block for a few weeks now and have had little to no luck with it. Hopefully with this painful chapter out of the way the updates will come flowing from now on! Thank you for taking the time to read all or any of my stories! I love you all! - CJG

Chapter Six: Bag End

Characters: Sirius Black, Harrison Potter. Location: The Shire

Sirius was rather entertained watching three of the four Hobbits, who he had learned were much older than they appeared, hopping around Harry, asking what it was like being an Elf. Harry, who hadn't been an Elf all that long, answered to the best of his abilities. There was one who hung back, walking next to Sirius with a small smile on his face. Sirius noticed young Frodo snatching glances carefully out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you have a question, Master Baggins?" Sirius questioned carefully. His eyes trained upon the dark haired youth with a raised brow and a far less severe expression than he had before. "I will answer as well as my age and your innocence will allow." He said with a roguish smile and a playful wink. He allowed a gravely chuckle to escape from his lips when he noticed that the dark hobbit lad had suddenly become a bright shade of red.

"P-p-please, Master Baggins is my uncle, Frodo is just fine," He said looking down at his feet as they walked through the town that was not either preparing for slumber, eating their supper, or gathered happily at the tavern for a brew.

Sirius smiled happily at Frodo, nodding in acceptance to his request. He was inwardly attempting to hide the slight smirk that was trying to form on his lips at the shade that the male hobbit remained. Obviously innocence was something that wasn't lacking in this part of Middle-Earth. He focused on watching Harrison –whom had finally gotten completely used to his legs- hop around with Merry and Pippin, showing small bouts of wandless magic to keep the Hobbits entertained. While he was doing this the Elf also seemed to be holding a rather enthralling conversation with Sam about medical uses for common (and not so common) herbs.

Something about The Shire seemed to breathe a new form of life into Harrison. It was amazing to watch the normally so quiet boy come to life in this world. This world was so alive and so very old; it seemed to have some form of magic in every blade of grass, every animal that they passed, every single being seemed to thrum with even the slightest magic. It was like stepping into Hogwarts after summer vacation, still so awe inspiring to witness. The thought of their old world seemed to cause Sirius to frown momentarily. Harry had caught the action and sent a gentle prod into Sirius' mental line. They both shared a not so painless smile and kept on their way again. Not wanting to think about the world that was lost to ash millions of miles, years, dreams and lifetimes away.

"What's it like to be on an adventure, Sirius?" Frodo asked softly. The volume was almost too quiet for Sirius to hear, but someone he had managed to hear it over his thundering thoughts of home.

He slowly came to a halt placing a scarred yet gentle hand on Frodo's shoulder, taking the time to look directly into the Hobbit's eye. He was torn between sugar coating it, and being completely honest with the small creature, in the end he felt that honesty was the best quality.

"Frodo, I'm about to be very honest with you." He said softly sighing slightly through the sentence, "Adventure can be a blessed and wonderful thing, and it is something that most everyone takes in their time. It is a time when you learn your weaknesses, you learn what breaks you, and you learn just how far the world can push you before you crack. They are cold harsh and uncomfortable things at times, and honestly I wish I could have skipped many parts of my adventure." He paused, kneeling down so he was eye level to the beautiful creature, "But I know I wouldn't be who I was today if I skipped even a second. I have loved and hated my adventure, but I have met some of the most wonderful people," he paused, gently patting Frodo's cheek. "I would never risk what I have now; I have had the most amazing company on the way."

Sirius took a moment to look up the path to where Harrison and the Hobbits had trailed a head, he watched them move with conviction, he watched the interaction with the creatures that would change this world and make it so it would never be the same again. His eyes moved back to Frodo's for a moment before a smile spread across his lips.

"If life ever hands you a journey Frodo, take it with care. And remember that even if a task must be completed alone the path getting there is always wide enough for more than one person." He said with a deep husking passion in his voice. His eyes almost sparking with the spirit in the words he had spoken at that time. "You never have to be alone, no matter what anyone says." He finished quietly. Knowing that he had likely said far too much, but it had been exactly what the curious Hobbit had needed.

With that Sirius stood to his full height and patted Frodo on the back with a smirk, he did a bit of a spin and a mock bow before situating his hands behind his back and skipping off. Later he would describe it as a very school girlish act, and laugh that the entire internal conflict was all in all a bit pathetic.

Frodo watched as Sirius skipped over the crest of the hill, he sighed lightly contemplating the words that Sirius had spoken. It had honestly felt more like a bought of forbearing and much light someone who knew that Frodo's adventure was coming with much more haste than he could ever possibly contemplate. He shook his head and ran slim and graceful fingers through his hair before smirking, things were about to get a lot more interesting, and the Shire wouldn't know what hit it.

"Sirius put me down!" Harrison screeched as Sirius came from behind him and snatched him up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Merry and Pippin found Sirius's antics to be quite entertaining and went about chasing each other to imitate Harry and Siri. Sam stood back with his arms crossed against his chest, almost a complete twin of Frodo's stance, though obviously less amused than the latter.

They made pleasant small talk, Sirius almost completely back to normal. Every now and again Harry would catch Sirius with a very deep expression on his face, they would share a look and both nod as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking about. Remus, Neville, and their mates, were a few of the many things that they covered mentally with very few words. They were contemplating the many decisions they would have to make, and Harry was slightly frightened of telling the kind, rather sweet hobbit's their story. After all how many people would believe that the Master of Death was sitting in the exact same room as them? Or more who would believe that two Animagi were sitting in the room, one possessing exactly four forms, three of which he had mastered the fourth that he rarely dared to touch.

They finally arrived at a small gate, surrounding what looked remarkably like a barrow hole for an animal, only with a door. Again Sirius and Harry exchanged a look, but smiled pleasantly when one of the Hobbits asked what was wrong. They were pleasantly surprised on what they found inside of Bag End.

The house was warm, small, and Sirius had to bend down as to not hit his head, but lovely with the warm vibrant feeling of home. There was a small desk in the entrance way, and a place to hang your cloaks. There was a lamp of sorts which Sirius hit into while attempting to avoid hitting into an exposed beam, which he ended up slamming face first into anyway while recovering from hitting the candle powered lamp.

They were led into a small study that was attached to the main welcome hall, books were askew all about, maps littered the walls, and papers littered all over the floor and the large Pine table that claimed the corner of the room. There was a small, older looking Hobbit sitting at a desk scribbling something in a large book, every now and again dipping the quill into an ink pot.

"Uncle Bilbo, we have guests." Frodo announced softly, watching as his uncle turned around on his stool to face them.

"Oh? Well hello Guests, Welcome to Bag End!"