AN- Once again thank you for all the reviews. Because I was a day late last week, I am updating a day early this week. I really like this chapter, and I think that you will to!
My Parent's Secret Keeper
Chapter Four: Meetings
Sirius was nervous. It wasn't a good feeling. He had been waiting at the Leaky Cauldron for two and a half hours now, anxiously watching the fireplace for the appearance of his godson. Actually, ever since his meeting with the Minister, Sirius had been nervous about this day. He had decorated, undecorated, and redecorated Harry's room at least three times in the last week.
Sirius knew very little about his godson; practical exile from the Wizard World for the last 11 years made it almost impossible to keep up with what his godson was up to. He didn't even know what house Harry was in! Of course, Sirius assumed that he was a Gryffindor and had decorated the room accordingly. Suddenly out of the side of the hood he had drawn over his head Sirius saw the flames in the fireplace turn green. He perked up slightly, ready to leave the booth he was sitting in. To his great disappointment it was not Harry that came out of the fireplace, it was a tall, lanky red headed boy came out. Shortly after the red head came a girl with very bushy brown hair arrived. Sirius' eyes watched the fireplace closely as the flames turned green a third time.
'Third times a charm,' Sirius thought to himself.
III
Harry tumbled out of the fireplace, coughing and spluttering. He hated floo powder. Ron laughed at him as he came out and slammed Harry roughly on the back. Harry glared.
"I hate floo powder," he grumbled at Ron.
"Better be careful of what you say mate, that could become a headline story. The Great Harry Potter calls for ending of floo traveling! You could run the whole thing out of business." Ron teased the now beet red Boy-Who-Lived.
Hermione, for once finding the boys' antics funny said, "Oh the famous Harry Potter hates floo powder. I can't wait to report it to my newspaper; do you have anything else you would like to say Mr. Potter? Perhaps you would like to say that flying carpets shouldn't be banned? Or you, the marvelous genius boy-wizard has created a new type of travel to once again save all our lives! Oh Harry what do you have in store for us now?"
Fred and George Weasley appeared behind Hermione and joined in the fun.
"Harry, Harry! Whose your next girlfriend?" One (Harry wasn't sure which) asked him.
"Harry could you tell me how you manage the 'just out of bed' look all the time?" The other twin teased.
"Harry, the readers Witch Weekly would like to know what you like most in a girl?" Hermione asked, but it was the last question asked of Harry, because before anyone could ask any more annoying questions a black blur came hurling over to the group. The figure stood between Harry and Hermione in a protective way.
"Stay away from him you slime," the man growled.
"Don't talk to her that way!" Ron interjected, coming to Hermione's defense.
"What's she done to you anyway."
"You're just as bad, bothering innocent boys, just because he's famous. Reporters these days…" The man said, getting into Ron's face.
"But there not-" Harry tried to say, before being cut off.
"Don't bother protecting these roaches, Harry they-"
"Who're you calling roaches?" One of the twins demanded, stepping between the man and Ron.
The man's face turned red, and he pointed his finger in the twin's face. "You, you slimy, two-faced snake, if you ever come near Harry again I'll-"
"That's my son your threatening Mr. Black!" Mr. Weasley had finally arrived.
Harry froze. That man was Sirius Black? He didn't look the way that Harry had expected. He looked him over closely. Black was clean cut, and it looked as though he had spent a lot of time on his dark brown hair. He was wearing a brown leather coat, and nice black slacks. If his face weren't red, he would have looked perfectly sane. And he was red--purple almost as he turned around and sneered at Mr. Weasley.
"I thought I made it clear that I wanted no ministry presence here, Minister."
Mr. Weasley responded calmly, "I'm not here on Ministry business Mr. Black. I'm simply here to see my son's friend off."
"Friend?" Black asked, surprised.
"Yes, the youngest boy here, Ronald, is young Harry's friend."
"Best friend," Ron said, glaring and Black.
"Ah yes, and this young lady here is Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend. And that boy you were threatening. That's George, a teammate of Harry's, and right next to him is Fred, also a teammate of Harry's."
"Last time I checked teammates and friends didn't sell out to magazines." Black practically shouted.
"And the last time I checked friends didn't sell each other away to dark wizards." The Minister quipped.
Harry watched Black's face carefully. There was a trace of hurt for a second- a millisecond really- before the expression changed back to a look of extreme anger.
"If you remember correctly, Minister, I was acquitted."
"Well we can't catch all deatheaters."
"Don't you dare-"
"What don't want to face the truth Mr. Black?"
"No I- Never mind you're not worth my breath Minister. I've already been proven innocent. I'm not here to prove that to you. I'm here to pick up my godson. Come on Harry, let's get away from these people."
"But-" Harry protested, looking at Mr. Weasley with pleading eyes.
"Now," Black said in a stern voice.
Hermione's eyes began to water as she gave Harry a huge hug. "Be safe," she whispered to him.
Ron looked solemn, "See you around mate. Owl us at the Burrow."
"He will owl you if I allow him to owl you, young Mr. Weasley," Black said with a smirk. He put a hard hand on Harry's shoulder and started to lead the terrified teen out of the pub.
"Oh, Mr. Black," Mr. Weasley called after them, "expect some…visits from ministry social workers."
"WHAT?" Black turned around quickly, his temper rising again.
"It's ministry procedure Black. When custody is changed from one guardian to another, the home and surroundings must be deemed fit. And if they're not-well, I think you can understand what could happen then."
Black fumed. "There will be nothing wrong with our home, Minister. That's a promise."
"We'll see Mr. Black," Mr. Weasley said, before approaching Black and leaning in close to whisper, "If you hurt one hair on that boy's head I will see that you are sent to Azkaban quicker than you can say 'innocent.'"
Black didn't respond. "Let's go Harry," he said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder again and leading him out to a waiting taxi outside the Leakey Cauldron. With that they were gone.
III
The taxi ride was awkward, to say the very least. Harry sat stiffly as far away from Sirius as possible. For his part, Sirius tried his best to make conversation.
"So you play Quidditch?" He asked, assuming from the fact that Fred and George were Harry's teammates. Harry grunted in an affirmative way in response.
"Did you know that James used to play as well?" Sirius asked in a wistful way.
Another grunt. "You're dad was one of the greatest chasers I had ever seen, could've played for England. I don't suppose that you play chaser too?"
Harry shook his head, no.
"You're too small for a beater-do you play keeper then?"
Another shake.
"Ah, of course, you have Lily's build. You must be the seeker."
Harry grunted yes.
"Playing seeker is difficult. You must not be half as blind as James was. Lily always said that if James lost his glasses he would fall flat on his face."
Harry said nothing, but further concentrated on staring out the window. He was furious. How dare Black talk about Harry's parents in a fond way when he was responsible for their death!
There was an awkward silence. "…So those were your best mates?" Sirius asked, in a desperate attempt to make conversation. Harry nodded. "The girl-Hermione was it- was cute, is there a Mrs. Potter is sight soon?"
"NO!" Harry yelled loudly, before forgetting that he was temporarily mute.
Sirius chuckled.
"Wow, an answer with one full word, maybe soon we can move onto three word phrases."
Harry ignored him. Thankfully, at that moment, before Sirius could try any more conversation the taxi arrived outside a brick house, that couldn't have been more than an hour outside of London.
"We're here," the taxi driver announced.
"Er- thanks," Sirius said. "How much is it?"
"90 pounds sir."
Sirius fumbled with his wallet, looking clumsily at the muggle money.
"Harry, do you know which is which? I can never tell, I'm rubbish with muggle money," Sirius whispered.
Harry took the money from his godfather and started calculating it out.
"I'll just go inside then- come in when you're done with-this."
Harry nodded. In his head, he was trying to figure out how much tip would be, while Sirius bounded up to the house. Finally, Harry figured it out and handed the money over to the driver.
"Thanks much!" The driver said before driving away quickly. Harry sighed and looked up at the house. It was brick, and appeared to be three stories from the outside (Harry couldn't tell if there was a basement or not) and it wasn't quite as magical looking as The Burrow. There was a garden that looked well kept, and a pool in the back. Harry sighed again and started heading up to the house. He hesitated a moment before opening the door, thinking of running. If only it wouldn't cause Mr. Weasley so much trouble. With much trepidation, Harry opened the door.
Inside, the front hall was tiny, but wasn't huge either. There were picture everywhere, of Harry's parents when they were young, and to Harry's anger, a young Sirius Black. They all looked so…happy. Suddenly Harry heard voices coming from the other room.
"But he hates me Moony!"
"Well, with the entrance that you just described to me, I'm not surprised Padfoot. You always do manage to make the worst first impressions."
"What am I going to do Moony? I thought everything would be so perfect, all I've thought about for the last 11 years is how to get custody of Harry, and I finally do, and now I don't know what to do with him!"
"Just give him time Sirius, he'll come around. I did. Meanwhile, I believe that he's standing right outside the door, why don't you let him in Padfoot?" Harry was startled and backed away slightly as a distraught looking Sirius Black flung the door open.
"Come in Harry, there is someone you should meet," He said in a tired voice. In an armchair by the fire Harry saw a man that was in some of the pictures in the hall, only older with graying hair, sitting in a chair by the fireplace.
"Hello Harry, I'm Remus Lupin."