Authors Note:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the lyrics to the song by The Rolling Stones.

Reviews and Comments: To Cheeeesy-Bagles: Sorry for making you cry, but I'm going to take that as a compliment! To ObsessedWithHPFanFic: Harry was suffering a terrible life, the poor boy. Thank you!

Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!

CHAPTER NINE:

The One Where Sirius and Harry Make Grilled Cheese

Sirius left Dumbledore's office still feeling rather enraged. He needed to get the paperwork in order for the next morning to pass onto Dumbledore about filing for custody of Harry. He needed to find a paediatric healer to look him over and make sure that he was all right.

He was about to become a full time guardian to a five-year-old-boy. He leaned against the castle wall and let out a long breath.

He had never been so terrified in his entire life. What if he messed it up?

Then without a second thought, he turned and headed down to the lower east floor to the transfiguration wing, knocking briskly on Professor M. McGonagall's door.

She opened it and smiled at him in surprise. "Sirius, this is a pleasant surprise. Come in."

Sirius took a seat in the chair in front of her desk, smiling when she opened a tin of ginger biscuits and offered one to him. "I remember the first time that I ever sat in here." When McGonagall only raised her eyebrow in question, he smiled. "I'd only been at Hogwarts about a month. My family was furious that I had been chosen to be in Gryffindor; my mother had sent that Howler and come down to the school to try to force Dumbledore's hand into switching me into Slytherin House. It was beneath me to be friends with blood traitors like James Potter and a half-blood like Remus Lupin; she forbade it. She told me that my cousin was watching my every move and would report back to her what I was doing. So I listened and I pushed them away. You sat me down in here and you told me that I was brave and that's why the Sorting Hat had chosen me for Gryffindor and that sometimes being brave meant going against the tide and making friends with who I wanted to be friends with. That family didn't always mean blood."

"I sound wise," McGonagall said, taking a seat on the edge of her desk.

"Wisest woman I know," Sirius told her. "You told me not to push my new friends away. That I needed them and that not being friends with them only because my mother told me that I couldn't be, wasn't a valid reason to push them away. And I listened — and it was the best choice I ever made. James and Remus and Peter, they were… they were my family. And Pete he… he destroyed that."

McGonagall reached out and took Sirius' hand in her own. "I know what kind of household you came from, Sirius. You never told me details, but I could see the pain in your eyes and when you were with your friends that pain lessened. All of your friends, even Peter. I can't tell you why he made the choices that he did. Maybe one day he will tell you, but he made the wrong choice and has been in hiding ever since which tells me that he knows he made the wrong choice and most likely has regretted it every day since. Sometimes fear brings out the worst in a person and they do things out of that fear that they normally wouldn't do."

Sirius only nodded, squeezing her hand. "Those Muggles… they weren't treating Harry right and I can't… I can't let that little Marauder stay with them. I told Dumbledore that I want custody of my godson. He should have been with me from the moment that James and Lily died. The abuse he's suffered in their care, I blame Peter for that as well. I know that it was my choice to go after him — I made that decision when I should have taken Harry and ran but… I still blame Peter." He pulled his hand away and covered his face. "And I'm terrified of being a parent to that little boy. What if I mess it all up? What do I even know about being a parent?"

McGonagall smiled warmly. "When I lost my… I thought my world would end. Teaching here has been everything that I could have hoped for, seeing all of these young and eager faces, some more trouble than others," she added as Sirius smirked. "But I've seen them and I've watched them grow up to be incredible witches and wizards and you, Sirius Black, you are a good man. James and Lily Potter never doubted for a second in choosing you as Harry's guardian. Will it be hard? Undoubtedly. Will you be scared? Every day. Will you mess it up? Not everything is going to be as right as rain. But you won't be alone. You have friends who will step in and help like Remus Lupin for instance and don't be afraid to ask for help. Now, did you just come and see me for a pep talk?"

Sirius laughed, standing up and wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, Minnie."

"For Merlin's sake, Sirius, these nicknames you continue to bestow upon me —"

He laughed and hugged her tighter. "Minnie McG, always." When she smiled, he grinned back. "I love you. You were always there for me when I needed you even before Fee and Monty took me in. You always believed in me, even when you put me in detention."

"I don't think I've ever given as much detention to any other student as much as you and Potter."

"I was an angel who did not deserve the months of detentions that you bestowed upon me."

McGonagall snorted. "More like a hellion, but sure, you can believe what you want."

Sirius grinned at her. "You always believed in me; you always went out of your way to look after me. You always told my mother exactly what you thought when she came to the school to cause trouble and you were the first person to tell her that my real family was with the Potters. You believed in me when I went to prison and worked tirelessly for over four years to get me a fair trial — and you succeeded. I guess I just wanted to say thanks."

McGonagall sniffed back tears and pat his arm gently. "Oh, you, getting an old woman all emotional!"

"Minnie McG, you are not old!"

She laughed and hugged him. "If you need anything from me in terms of getting custody of Harry, let me know. You will always hold a special place in my heart, Sirius."

"You love me like a son," he told her as she laughed.

"Merlin, Black, I have missed you!"

Sirius nodded, smiling at her. "So, McG, just out of curiosity, did you ever know how many things Potter and I actually got away with in school?"

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "So help me, Black, I don't want to know."

Sirius only grinned wickedly at her. He really had missed her too.

~ ASC ~

Sirius arrived back at the cottage just before lunch, feeling better about Harry and about himself. He had gone to St Mungo's afterwards and made an appointment for the next morning with a paediatric healer for Harry. The receptionist had told him a Healer A. Castellanos was free at ten the next morning. Sirius had put his own name down, not wanting to broadcast the fact that The Boy Who Lived was going to be around the hospital.

When he stepped inside, he saw that Remus was lying on the couch, his head tilted back as he snored and his long legs stretched out across the chesterfield. The familiar sight made him smile and then he jolted in panic.

If Remus was sleeping, where was Harry?

He hurried forward and froze when he saw the tiny boy, snuggled between Remus' arms, his face resting on his stomach, rising and falling with Remus' snores. They looked comfortable, he thought. He turned to make his way into the kitchen and froze when he saw the staircase behind the living room. The cupboard under the stairs where his uncle had always kept their shoes now seemed menacing. Without a second thought, he used his wand to tear the door down, tossing it out the front door onto the porch. His eyes took in the shelves there and he nodded. He'd keep it open and make sure that Harry never saw it and remembered his place at the Dursleys. He'd fix it up, make it part of the room, he decided.

It would be his next project. With that in mind, he put a charm over the living room to not disturb Harry and Remus and got to work. An hour later, it looked completely different and he was satisfied. It would no longer be a scary sight for Harry. He thought he could store his records there. He made his way into the kitchen, lifting the charm from the living room, and leaving Remus and Harry to their nap as he thought about what he was going to make for lunch.

Sirius opened the ice box and looked inside. He really needed to learn how to cook. He decided on tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. He turned on the wireless record player, deciding to play The Rolling Stones on low as he worked, humming along to himself as he pulled out the bread, butter, and cheese.

Harry woke to the music, startled to find himself wrapped in the man's arms on the couch. Remus, he remembered, Uncle Moony. He had been telling him a story about a knight. He scrambled away, his heart beating in his chest, but then he stopped, standing over and looking at the face before him. The man had been holding him but he hadn't been scared, he realized. His small hand reached out and gently traced the thin white scars on his face, the roughness of the stubble surprising him.

The singing from the kitchen caught his attention and he wandered towards the sound, hiding in the doorway, not wanting to be seen.

"I said I know it's only rock 'n' roll but I like it, I know it's only rock 'n' roll but I like it, like it, yes, I do, Oh, well, I like it, I like it, I like it, I said can't you see that this old boy has been a lonely?" Sirius sang and Harry's face split into a grin as he watched him wiggle his hips and dance around the kitchen, pretending the wooden spoon in his hand was a microphone.

He spun in a circle, catching sight of Harry and almost tripping.

"Harry! Didn't see you there, little man!" Sirius said, catching himself on the counter and putting the spoon down. "Did you have a good time with Uncle Moony?"

Harry nodded, his hands staying on the edge of the door frame.

Sirius smiled at him. He was going to put a stop to this constant fear in his godson's eyes. He wanted Harry to understand that he was safe here. That he was free to be affectionate and happy. He knelt down and crooked his finger.

"Come here, Prongslet."

Harry hesitated and then he stepped into the kitchen and walked towards Sirius, staying cautiously a few feet away.

"Come here, come closer." Sirius said, crooking his finger again.

Harry's big green eyes stayed on his face for a moment and Sirius thought that he wasn't going to move again, but then he took a tentative step, and moved closer.

Sirius smiled warmly at him and then he carefully put his hands on Harry's waist and lifted him up into his arms as Harry's eyes widened in fear. He stiffened as Sirius simply sat him on his hip, handing him the wooden spoon.

"Want to help me stir the soup?"

Harry stared at the spoon for a moment before he accepted it and carefully stirred the tomato soup in the pot, relaxing slightly. The arms holding him were strong and the man smelt like a wood and leather. It felt weird to be held like this, but he felt secure; not afraid that he was going to be thrown to the ground. When he finished stirring, Sirius took the spoon from him and placed it on the counter, walking to the icebox and pulling out a pitcher of milk.

"Pour a little in the pot, little man," he instructed as Harry did so, taking his time to be extra careful, but when he still spilt on the counter, he stiffened in panic, and he covered his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to waste it! I'm not ungrateful!"

Sirius leaned in and kissed the hands that covered his face. He kissed the fingers and the backs of his hands until Harry lowered them from his face, looking at him in bewilderment. Sirius leaned in and kissed Harry's forehead.

"Harry, it's okay. It was an accident. I spill things all of the time too."

"You do?"

Sirius nodded. "Sure I do. Accidents happen." He grabbed his wand off of the counter and quickly cleaned up the spill. "See? All clean. Good as new." He handed Harry the wooden spoon again. "Now, I need help stirring this soup again. Would you like to help me?"

Harry nodded, accepting the spoon and stirring the soup. Sirius kept him on his hip as he worked around the kitchen, buttering bread and slicing up thick chunks of cheese, giving pieces to Harry to eat as he worked and Harry smiled.

"I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the whole world, you know. They are so cheesy delicious and full of melty goodness," Sirius told him as Harry ate the chunk of marble cheese in his hands. "You know what I love most about making them? When you pull them apart and all the cheese melts away in this web. It looks brilliant, do you think so?"

"Uh-huh."

Sirius grinned at him. He put the bread together and placed the sandwiches in the pan. He used his wand to flip them high into the air and Harry giggled, making him smile. He flipped them twice in the air and caught them on the plate. "Voila! Sirius' Grilled Cheese Perfection!" He cut the sandwich into fours and picked up one quarter showing Harry how the melted cheese seemed to go on forever. "What do you think? Does it look good?"

Harry nodded, licking his lips.

Sirius smiled and put the plate on the kitchen table. He plopped Harry down into the chair and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard to put the tomato soup in and placed it down in front of Harry. He poured a little extra milk in the soup to cool it down and then poured a second bowl for himself and helped himself to a grilled cheese sandwich.

He took a seat next to Harry who was looking from the soup to the sandwich in confusion.

"What is it, little man? Do you not like tomato soup?"

"They're both for me?" he asked, pointing to the soup and the sandwich.

Sirius nodded, smiling. "Of course. You can't have tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich."

Harry picked up his spoon and took a small bite of the soup, licking his lips.

Sirius smiled and picked up his sandwich half. "This is how I like to eat mine." He dipped it into the soup so the melted cheese blended with the thick creamy soup and then he took a bite. "Mmm, Sirius' Grilled Cheese Perfection! You try it."

Harry put his spoon down and carefully picked up a quarter of his grilled cheese, dunking it in the soup. It fell right inside with a plop and soup spilt onto the table. Harry's back flung against the back of the chair, his eyes looking at the mess that he had just made in horror.

Sirius laughed, reaching into the soup to pull out Harry's sandwich. "Try it, Harry."

Harry took the sandwich quarter, covered in thick creamy soup and took a bite, his eyes widening in pleasure and his hands sticky. He ate every bite, drinking the milk Sirius provided him and then moving to his second sandwich quarter in silence.

Sirius watched him. He seemed surprised by the options of getting more than one thing for lunch, which made Sirius wonder exactly what kind of food Harry had been eating at the Dursleys. He had watched his godson serve bacon and eggs to his family, but had only ever seen Harry himself eating toast. He hadn't even tasted a grilled cheese before which made him even more sure that he hadn't tried tomato soup. They ate in silence as Sirius' foot tapped to the music and Remus stepped into the kitchen.

"Sirius! So sorry, I conked out!"

"It's all right," Sirius said smiling at his friend. "I know it was a full moon two nights ago so I imagine you needed it. There's a sandwich over there for you and help yourself to some soup."

Remus smiled gratefully at him, making himself a bowl as he took a seat across from Harry. "Harry seems to be enjoying his lunch."

Harry's eyes met Remus' for a brief moment before he turned back to his soup.

Sirius smiled at his friend. "He knows that I make the best sandwiches. How did the morning go? Before your nap?"

"Fine," Remus said, dipping his own sandwich in the soup. "We had pancakes and then we washed up and I started to tell Harry the story of King Arthur. The potion knocked him out before we were halfway done."

"Good. He can have the last dose tonight. We're going to St Mungo's in the morning. I made an appointment with an A. Castellanos, a paediatric healer. I want her to look him over and make sure that he's healthy. I think that they were starving him, Moony."

Remus nodded as he watched Harry eat with enthusiasm. "I suspected the same. I don't think that he's tried very many foods before."

"I have to learn how to cook," Sirius said with a laugh. "Or we'll be living on grilled cheese, marmalade sandwiches, and lasagna."

Remus chuckled at his friend's predicament. "I can help with that. You know I'm going to be here for you both, right?"

Sirius nodded, smiling at his friend. "Without question."

Remus smiled. "I saw that you had some chicken breasts in the icebox. I'll head into town and pick up some fresh rosemary and thyme to marinate it with for dinner. Maybe I'll stuff them with cheese."

"Moony, you're a godsend."

Remus laughed and picked up his spoon. "I'll lend you a cookbook."