Chapter 1

When the ministry got word of Sirius' Blacks application to take truth serum, none of them could believe the audacity of the man.

Everyone argued against the fact that he should be given it. The new regulations were for only those prisoners whose cases were surrounded by doubt. And the fact was in all the years he had so far been jail, there had been not a single murmuring about his innocence.

And yet by law they were required to put his case through. Ministers had grumbled that the new laws were to general. Now many who had pushed for them agreed. Surely looking at a case such as his was nothing more than a waste of ministry time?

The decision was taken to put his case through however, because of the moral face they wanted to ministry to gain. No one doubted that there was going to be a back lash against them for given the man who so many believed to be the most abominable man their world had produced since He Who Must Not Be Named a fair trial.

But they had to do it.

For the first time in a long time, in fact, maybe the only time in his life, Sirius was grateful to be a Black. The alphabetic system that the ministry intended to use to clear the back log of prisoners meant that he only had to wait for the A's to be sorted through before they got to him.

Somehow, when he knew he was so close to freedom it was worse to be in jail for all he wanted was to get out of there. He should not have been put there in the first place.

And then he was going to be able to asleep out under the stars again and he was going to be able to his little godson in his arms and tell him that everything was going to be fine for them. Just as long as they were together.

As his case got nearer and nearer the wait become more and more excruciating, so much so that by the time the day did come he was not sure whether to trust it or if they were going to say to him he had to wait for what felt another million days before the his turn came about.

Freed or not, Sirius soon released it was worth applying just for the day trip.

As soon as he got out of that godforsaken place he felt as if a fresh breathe of life had come into him and it gave him the will he needed to believe he was going to be free and with his godson as soon as he could be. If he had been losing heart then he was not any more. He had stayed sane but if there was nothing left to come back for then that was pointless.

But he had Harry. He was going to have Harry back. And when he saw those green eyes light up then the last five years were not going to matter he said to himself. They were not going to matter. The wait would be worth it when they were together once more.

Making it back to dry land, he grimaced. The next few hours, were all he had to get through.

That was all.

Together with the Aurors who were guarding him, (who he soon hoped to make his colleagues once more) he apparated under supervision to the ministry, to the court room he had never been given the chance to appear in before.

It was there that he was given the truth serum.

It was there that his life changed. And it was there that the effect of the new law came full force at the wizarding world.

"It must be a faulty dosage!" said one of the Wizengamot.

But the fact remain that when under the effect of Veritaserum, he had been asked if he had been the one to sell his best friends to Voldemort and he had been able to say no with a clear conscience. The same answer came when he was asked if he had been the one to kill the twelve muggles who had lost there life after that dreadful Halloween night. You couldn't lie under Veritaserum and he knew he was soon to be a free man despite the protesters.

"This has to be dark magic!" called another.

"Test me again!" laughed Sirius. "You'll get the same result – I never did it. I am not guilty."

"I do not think that is going to be necessary," He heard a voice call out and he felt his heart swell. It was all going to be ok.

The blind faith he had had in Dumbledore since he was a kid returned.

He remembered that voice so well from all the feasts he had had at Hogwarts. That had been the voice which had welcomed him back home after every awful summer he had had with his parents until he had run away.

As soon as he knew he was there he knew he was going to be fine. He just knew it.

Dumbledore represented the Order to him and everything else that was good in his life.

"The man is innocent. Anyone can see it now. The Veritaserum came straight from Hogwarts and it was accompanied every step of the way to the ministry. There was no way it could have been tampered with. Sirius Black is an innocent man."

It was when he heard someone else say those words that it really hit Sirius what he had been through.

He hadn't meant too. He did not even now he was going to do it. But he began to cry out of nowhere.

Five years after it happened for everyone else in the room, the war came to an end for him and he knew he was going to go home.

There was another cry in the room. Behind Dumbledore, he saw the face of Remus Lupin. His best friend was there for him and he knew he had not been the one who had killed James.

As soon as he and Remus caught eye contact he knew nothing had changed between the two of them. They had been brothers when they had been at school and they were still brothers then.

For the emotional Animagus, the rest of the trial passed as if he was in a dream. He did not concentrate. He could feel it in his heart he was going to be freed and he knew he was soon to be safe but it was then that it dawned on him that as well as excited, he was a little scared of the outside world.

He had been good at being a godfather before because he had been able to give Harry back when he had got upset or when he had been grouchy.

But that was not going to be an option anymore.

And he knew there was going to be no James either and that was the thing that really hurt him.

There was going to be a Moony but no Prongs.

At that realisation, he felt as if he had had lost his right hand. The outside world suddenly seemed a terrifying place even though he knew it was where he wanted to be without a shadow of a doubt.

When at last the court case did come to its collusion, as he had known he was going to be, he was told he was a free man.

And he didn't feel joy.

He was happy he was going to be with his beloved godson once more but without James there he could not help but feel it was a bit of a hollow victory for nothing in the world was going to bring his brother back to him was it? James and Lily really were gone for good. In Azkaban, part of him could pretend they were still in the outside world. No more.

Let out of the chair and unchained, he knew he was allowed to go just where he wanted to again.

He was free.

He was free!

Leaving the court room he saw just outside of the door that Remus was waiting for him and he looked guilt ridden.

"I am so sorry," Said the werewolf as he did not know what else to say. He knew he had let his faith in their friendship far too quickly but the fact was Sirius was to tired of being by himself to be angry with him.

He couldn't have James. But he could have Remus in his life. And he wanted his best friend there for him more than thing. He was not going to reject the friend that he did have because he was not the one he didn't.

He knew he was going to need him.

Especially when he - they – got Harry and bought him home.

Shaking his head Sirius made it clear he did not care about his apology. There was nothing to be sorry for in his eyes. He just wanted to have someone on his side once more which he knew he had in the faithful marauder.

Sirius and Remus wasted no time in embracing one another like the brothers that they had been for so long.

"Come on let's get out of here," said Remus to him knowing Sirius had been out of the life he should have been living for too long already.

"We have to go and get Harry," said Sirius to him. Remus had been expecting it and as soon as he heard those words his heart lifted.

Ever since he had lost the friends he considered to be his family, he had been by himself and there had been days when all he could think of was Harry, just like Sirius. He missed being an Uncle.

He agreed with Sirius that they did have to go and get the boy; He had never agreed with Dumbledore that he should not be brought up outside of their world. Part of him saw the wisdom but the other half (the greater part) of him said that Harry had to be in the world where his mum and dad would want him to be.

Sirius and he were going to get him back.

But not yet.

"No Sirius, one night longer my friend. We need to talk and you need to sleep," He said to him.

Harry was six, and they were going to need their energy and their wits about them when they did bring him home.

Sirius felt his heart sink because as much as he knew what Remus was saying, he did not want to spend another single night away from Harry. But when they had been gone from one another for five years was one more night going to make a huge difference?

No.

And he did want to have a shower. Ever since the day he had been shut in his cell he had just felt dirty. He wanted to get Azkaban off of him before he saw his godson. He just wanted to be plain old Padfoot again more than anything else.

And he definitely did not want to scare the lad.

Nothing could be worse in his head than that. When Harry saw him, he had to be able to trust him,

Reluctantly he nodded.

"Can I come back to yours then?" he asked. He knew he had not had to though.

But all the same, he had.

"Ours, my friend. Ours."

The journey out of the ministry did not prove to be easy. Had the two friends thought about it then they would have been able to predict it. It was only when they were trying to fight their way past the reporters that it dawned on Sirius he was going to be headline news for a few days to come and he was going to be careful about what he did. He hated going through the reporters and he did not want to inflict them on his godson but that did not mean he was not going to go and get him the very next day because he knew he was going to. It was his right as Harry's guardian and he was going to exercise that right to the full. No fear was going to stop him.

Unless the lad wanted to stay with his aunt and uncle. Then they were going to be playing a completely different ball game. But Sirius could not even consider that in that moment. It hurt too much to think his one guiding light in all of this might not want him.

Two hours after it was declared he was once more a free and he found himself back in his friends flat having a coffee with him as they had done in times gone by.

Sirius put his head in his hands. They were sitting in a comfortable silence because neither could think of what to say. What was there to say?

They were twenty six years of age and they had lost one friends and Sirius knew he was going to have to tell Remus of Peter's betrayal of them for this all to make sense and why he hadn't been the Secret Keeper.

If only he had been. It struck him it did not matter if he had been the obvious choice just as long as he had been the safest.

If only he had thought like that when they had been young.

"This is all such a mess," he sighed as he sat trying to figure out why Peter had betrayed then for the millionth time.

"Well, at least we can clear some of it up," Remus sighed. "While you were in the shower Dumbledore fluued and said he was going to come and see us later on tonight."

"Good. I suppose we are going to have to talk to him about when we can bring Harry home," He sighed and the faintest smile played on his lips.

He did not know if he could bring himself to believe in everything that had happened to him yet.

Just hours before he had woken up in Azkaban and now he was once more a free man. He had never felt so alive in all of his life.

And the ideas were whizzing about his head faster than he was able to keep up with them.

When he had his Harry back they were going to need a house rather than a flat. The lad was going to want a garden and he was going to want a big room and he was going to buy him so many toys that he was going to think he lived in a toy shop.

And then he was going to go back to work and he was going to find Peter and he was going to make damn sure that the damned rat paid for everything he had done to them since they had been at school. He was never going to be able to hurt them again.

And he was going to take Harry to Quidditch games and he was going to do everything Prongs should do with him while never taken the place of the lad's fathers, whose memory he was going to keep every green in Harry's head.

And they were going to be best friends, he and his boy. And he was going to tuck the lad into bed every night and he was going to make sure he knew how loved he was.

Everything was going to be ok.

"I want him, Moony. I don't know if I can wait till the morning," He realised. There was so much he had planned for the two of them and they were going to have to get going soon if they were going to fit it all in before Harry had to leave to go to Hogwarts.

"At least wait till Dumbledore is here."

"You always were the sensible one Moony," Sirius nodded.

He knew it was just as surreal for Remus to have him as it was for him to be there. It had been a long time coming though.

"Sirius, I know I should really wait until you are settled, but I have to know something. If it was not you then who was it?" he had not been as close to James as Sirius had been for no one had been. The two of them had been twins separated at birth. "Who was the Secret Keeper?"

But he had loved him and he did not think he was ever going to forgive the person who had taken him away.

"Can you think of no one? No one who under other circumstances would be sitting here with you rather than me? No doubt feeding you his lies about how when he had heard about the death of James he had come after me to take his revenge, as if he could have." He said grimly.

Remus face had been blank or a moment until he realised who his fellow marauder had been referring to.

"No... But he died..."

"He cut off his finger Moony, he did not die. And he is out there still and this is all his fault; he's responsible for every bit of bad luck our family has had since and, I am minded to believe, before the war. I hate him more than I hate Snape and that is saying something. And I am not going to rest until he is where he belongs in Azkaban and I promise you, when he is put in there. There is going to be no reprisal for him after five years. Not after what he did; I am going to make sure of it."

Sirius had said it with such passion that Remus knew he could not doubt it. And it made sense.

"When did the two of you make the swap?" he understood perfectly why he had not been told about it at the time.

"The week before Halloween," Said Sirius with a guilt look and a deep sigh. "And before you ask it was my idea. I thought I was too obvious, but then at least I know had I been the Secret Keeper till the end then they would have been safe and now when I look back, I understand - that should have been everything." Sirius was only beginning to understand that he was going to carry the guilt over what he had done when he had suggested the swap green to his grave.

Knowing what he was thinking Remus reached over and patted him on the back. "Then none of this was your fault."

"All of it was my fault, Moony. Had it not been for me over thinking everything then James and Lily would still be here and I would know which Quidditch team my godson supports and whether he prefers chocolate or strawberry ice cream and whether his favourite colour is red or gold or if –" Sirius gave way to the tears again as he realised just how much he did not know about Harry and how much time they had to make up. But at least now he was out they were going to be able to do it, a small voice in his head said to him. Things were going to be fine just as soon as they were together.

"It is not going to be long now Sirius and the three of us are going to be together again as a family, I promise you," said Remus as he felt his throat go tight. Sirius had never taken anything so seriously except his duties of godfather, in which role he had ever been doting. It was painful to see him so choked up.

It was all that Sirius wanted to hear; that everything he had been longing for since he had been put into jail was going to come to him.

As the two of them sat there at the table there was a soft pop and they were aware that they had been joined by a third wizard and the greatest of their time supposedly.

"Professor." Said Sirius as he rose to greet him.

The first thing that struck the aging headmaster about the once handsome young man was the bags under his eyes. He looked as if he should sleep for a week of Sundays but there was something in those eyes that told him it was no use even suggesting that to him.

The headmaster was not stupid and he knew Black and what they were going to be talking about. As much as it was an annoyance to Dumbledore, he knew if Sirius wanted to take up his role as guardian of Harry Potter there was nothing in the world he could do to stop it as James and Lily's last will and testament clearly stated that if they were gone, then they wanted Sirius to be the primary care giver to their son.

But he had to try and make Sirius see that the best thing for the boy was to stay where he was out of the wizarding world and in the care of his aunt and uncle whose blood was going to be able to protect him better than any of them could.

As soon as he thought it though, he knew such arguments were not going to persuade the rash Sirius Black. He believed he knew what was best for the Boy Who Lived and that was what he was going to do.

"Can I say how good it is to see you back where you belong Sirius? Even if it took us all forever to release that fact. Had I known that you had made the swap, then you know I would have come to your aid a lot quicker than I did."

Sirius nodded for of that he was confident in that fact and he did not need to be told it. He had been a follower of Dumbledore in the war and he still was.

"I believe you have a very interesting tale to tell for all of those in our world who are open minded enough to listen, but then I also believe there is something a lot more pressing on your mind right now than what hundreds of people you don't know believe to be the truth about you."

He nodded. "When can I go and get Harry?"

He was not going to beat about the bush for he saw no point in it and when he was beating about it then he knew he was going to be wasting time he might be spending with the centre of his whole world; for that was what the boy had to be to him as he could not be it for his parents.

Dumbledore looked at the young man over the top of his half moon glasses and he was shocked at the changed that had taken place since he had been at Hogwarts but then he knew that was what Azkaban did to a man. He had been there more than enough times as if once was not enough, visiting prisoners when he had been aiding the ministry.

"The care of young Mr Potter is indeed what I am here to talk to you about Sirius, but maybe I might have a cup of tea first. It has been a very long if revealing day for all three of us I believe."

Remus nodded as he put the kettle on.

"Sir, you know I trust you but I fail to see what we have to talk about when it comes to Harry's care. He is coming home to me which is where he belongs," he said in a tone that told both the other men in the room that he was not for changing his mind.

But then Dumbledore knew for the sake of the sacrifice Lily Potter had made that he had to try.

"Can I explain something to you Sirius?" he asked.

"If you must sir."

"I know the deaths of your friends are still very raw for you and rightly so. Unlike so many of us, you have never been given the time you needed to grieve for Lily and James and I don't there is a man alive who was as close to them as you were. But you have to understand that now they are gone there are forces better to protect Harry than you. Lily left a blood protection spell on her son and it is only with his aunt Petunia that it will work to full effect."

But Sirius shook his head for he had heard enough. He knew he might be doing wrong but the paternal heart in him had come out in full swing and he did not want to hear it. What he wanted was the boy he loved like a son.

"I am sorry to say professor I do not believe anything could protect Harry better than I could." He said determinedly with a hint of anger at the suggesting. "And I am not going to listen to this anymore. I am bringing Harry home which is my right to do as his guardian. Nothing you can say can stop me doing that." Sirius knew he sounded selfish. He knew he might be being selfish. But he was beyond caring ...

Dumbledore was crest fallen. He had thought what with the time he had spent in Azkaban so recently hanging over him that he was going to be easily persuaded. But he seemed more stubborn than he had ever before he had gone to jail.

"And if the boy is happy where he is? Are you still going to take him away?"

It was the question he had been avoiding for so long.

If Harry was happy then what was he going to do? He had been the one bright spot in his life for so long. It had been the thought of holding and seeing that little boy again that had kept him sane when he had been enduring the darkest days of his life to date.

He sighed. He did not think he was going to be able to walk away from him. Not from James's son. He wasn't afraid to admit to himself that the lad meant so much to him because of his DNA. Was that wrong? Perhaps.

But he also meant so damn much because Harry was – well, Harry. He had those great big green eyes that had a look in them that told his godfather he wanted to know everything about life he could and he had been the baby he had cradled and told stories to about his schools days when he had been months old. He had gurgled in all the right places as if to tell him he understood every word of what he had been saying to him though.

As he remembered, he thought about when he had first seen Harry; when he had seen that tiny baby he felt his heart clench. He had never fallen in love till he had been named godfather to that boy. But then he had lost his heart so utterly he knew all the lad had to say to him was to jump and automatically he was going to ask him how high.

And yet if he was happy? If he turned to him and said he loved his aunt and uncle and did not wish to leave them to be with him. Where did that leave him?

The only place it possible could. Without his godson. And if Harry wanted to be there then of course he was going to leave him be, because he was going to have to.

But that thought hurt and what sort of godfather did that make him?

Did he want his godson to be so unhappy that he wanted a new home with a man he did not know? No, of course, he didn't. He wanted his godson's life to be defined by the fact it was happy from start to end. That was all he had ever wanted for him.

But the chances of that now he had lost his parents were slim. It was already marred by tragedy.

Did he wished the lad to have three homes, looked after by three different people before he was seven? No.

However, if he did not come to him then Sirius knew he might have just as well stayed in Azkaban. If he had no Harry, there was no point to being free.

Tears filled his eyes for the third time that day. It was too much for the man think about when he a just got his life back.

"If Harry is happy then naturally I will leave him be." he said to the professor without looking at him. But he turned his face upwards as he declared – "if he is unhappy however, nothing anyone could or can say will prevent me from taking him away from them."

Lily's horror stories about her sister and her fat husband came back to haunt him and somewhere inside of him, the James part of him, told him not to worry and that god father and son were going to be together soon. Indeed when they were back together, they were going to make one another very happy after the misery of the past five years.

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