OHMYGOSH! I was rather surprised by the number of visitors (as you can probably guess I don't get many) so thank you for reading it!

Some strong language in this chapter – just warning you. It's not excessive though. :)

DISCLAIMER: I own no part of the Harry Potter books, films, etc. Everything belongs to JKR/Warner Bros.

All bits from the book(s) are in bold.

The Meaning Of Family

Chapter Two

'Wait!' Remus cried. He dragged Sirius back into the path of the motorbike, so that Hagrid couldn't drive off. Hagrid and Dumbledore looked confused, whereas Sirius looked angry.

'Sirius,' Remus whispered. 'Sirius, please listen to me.'

'I have to find Peter,' Sirius growled. 'I have to find him and make him pay for what he's done!'

'No you can't!' said Remus. 'You can't Sirius!'

Sirius growled under his breath. 'And why's that?'

Remus sighed desperately. 'He's already outwitted us once, who's to say he won't do it again?'

'That stupid fat little rat?' Sirius laughed. His laugh was hard and cold, and there was not a trace of amusement in it. 'He's too dim-witted to tie his own shoelaces, for Merlin's sake –'

'What if he runs back to You-Know-Who? Sirius…' Why was it so hard to say? He couldn't find the words that were needed at that very moment.

'What? I'm waiting, Moony.'

'I don't want you to get hurt.'

'Hurt?' Sirius exploded, not troubling to keep his voice down. 'Hurt? Lily and James are dead, Remus, and you don't want me to get hurt. Well, we'd better get our priorities right, eh?' His tone was laced with icy, knife-edged sarcasm. It tasted of acid.

Remus took a deep breath and added, 'James wouldn't want you to get hurt, either Sirius.'

'Don't try and guilt me out of it, Remus, I'm going, and I will find Peter and I will kill him!'

'JAMES WOULDN'T WANT THAT!' Remus bellowed. He had to make Sirius see, had to stop him from doing this. 'For God's sake, Padfoot, can't you see? You're just defeating the object if you go and get yourself into trouble. James wouldn't want you to get hurt or killed, but equally he wouldn't want you to kill someone else, either. Especially not one of his friends.'

'That little bastard is not James's friend. Friends don't betray you to the Dark Lord, Moony, remember?'

'Please, Sirius, please don't do it! I –' He hesitated, but after a moment proceeded. 'I couldn't stand to lose you as well.'

'What?' Sirius said, confused. What did his friend mean by that? Surely he didn't mean…?

He shook himself mentally. Of course Remus didn't mean that. After all, he'd never mentioned or hinted at or suggested anything of that sort, so why should he feel like that now? Sirius sighed. He was being stupid. It was obvious what Moony meant – he'd just lost one of his closest friends and since discovered that another of his best friends had actually been a catalyst in the other's death. He didn't want to be alone and friendless. After all, Sirius felt exactly the same – obviously that was all he meant. Wasn't it?

'Sirius?' Remus said quietly. 'Sirius, you can't go after Peter. I need you. Harry needs you.'

'Harry doesn't need me,' Sirius said, determinedly ignoring Remus's statement that he needed Sirius.

'Yes he does!' Remus protested. 'Of course he needs you, idiot! You're his godfather! You're his legal guardian now.'

'I'm not, Remus, Dumbledore said his aunt –'

'We both know Lily didn't mention Petunia a lot, and when she did it was exactly complimentary. How do you know if he'll be okay? You don't know that Petunia will care for him like one of her own, and neither do I, but I do know that you would – you will. Please, Sirius. Please. For Lily and James. You know they wanted you to look after Harry. Plus,' he added, and his tone would have been almost mischievous but for the events that had gone on that night, 'it might stop you from doing something stupid.'

He hadn't meant to offend Sirius, but Sirius seemed to take it as a personal criticism. He glared at Remus.

'And what do you mean by that?' he hissed, on the verge of drawing his wand and preparing to duel, such was his frustration and anger at Remus's refusal to let him go after Wormtail.

'Sirius? Remus?' Dumbledore's quiet voice broke the tension as the two friends jumped – they'd forgotten all about his and Hagrid's presence at the scene. 'Is something wrong?'

Still glaring at Remus, Sirius took a deep breath. 'No, Professor. Nothing's wrong,' he replied, his anger abating as quickly as it had risen. He glanced at Remus, once, for confirmation. Remus understood, and nodded. Sirius continued: 'I've decided that – that I want to take Harry.'

He could see the surprise on the old man's face at his change of decision, but Dumbledore kindly did his best to conceal it. 'Are you sure?' he asked. Remus could tell he was concerned, and to be frank he wasn't surprised. Sirius wasn't exactly renowned for being wise or careful. On the contrary, he was rash and hot-headed, often making quick decisions, and for twenty-one, he wasn't all that mature. On the other hand, he was compassionate and caring, especially for his godson, and Remus had no doubt that he would make a better guardian for Harry than Petunia ever could.

'Yes, I'm sure. Positive,' Sirius said. He'd better not try and back out of this, he thought, before adding, 'And Remus has offered to move in with me to help look after Harry.'

Dumbledore turned to Remus, who quickly cottoned on and nodded vigorously, adding, 'We thought we'd be able to cope better if the responsibility were shared. And of course, we both want to raise Harry right.'

'And give him the best childhood he can possibly have,' Sirius put in.

'Well, in that case…' Dumbledore nodded. Understanding as he was of James and Sirius's close relationship, he couldn't help but feel much more relieved now that Remus had apparently 'offered' to help. In fact, the young man had rather been put on the spot, it seemed to Dumbledore, but whether or not he had been forced into it, the old man knew that Remus would go to any lengths to make sure that Harry had a happy and loving childhood. He'd known that Petunia would take Harry, he'd been sure of it, but he was more than happy to let the two friends take over instead. After all, they might well discover something about themselves along the way.

'Hagrid,' he called over the engine's roar, 'I'm sorry to bother you, but it seems you needn't make the journey to Surrey after all. Sirius and Remus have agreed to look after Harry instead.'

'Well tha's wonderful! I 'ad a feeling, Professor Dumbledore,' Hagrid said, leaning conspiratorially towards Dumbledore, 'that them two would make great guardians fer Harry in the firs' place!' He turned off the engine, got off the motorbike and place Harry gently in Sirius's arms. 'Now you make sure yeh look after him alrigh', yeh hear me?' he said to Sirius.

'I hear you, Hagrid,' Sirius said, smiling for the first time that night. It felt odd, as though he hadn't smiled in years. 'And I promise that we'll look after Harry, come what may. Right, Remus?'

'Right,' Remus agreed, smiling back at Sirius. Something passed between them that reminded him of a dream he'd been having just before Sirius woke him that night, some kind of message or emotion that had gone previously unnoticed. It was odd, but not unpleasant.

Dumbledore noticed it too. 'I have a feeling,' he whispered to Hagrid as Sirius and Remus clambered awkwardly onto the bike, Harry in the baby-carrier that was now strapped to Sirius's chest and sleeping peacefully, 'that those two may become something more than friends – indeed, Harry will certainly bring them closer together.'

'How do you know that, Professor?' Hagrid asked.

'Oh, I don't – it's just a guess. But my guesses have, usually, been good.'

Hagrid chuckled, as the engine roared to life once more that night, and bright yellow headlights swept across the ground. Hagrid waved sadly as the motorbike rose gracefully into the air. 'Poor Lily an' James,' he sighed. 'An' poor Harry.'

'Yes. Poor Harry,' Dumbledore echoed, also raising a hand in farewell. The bike's tail lights were now no more than jewel-bright pinpricks in the distance.

'He'll never know 'is family, poor thing,' Hagrid murmured softly. Dumbledore looked at him.

'Oh, he'll know family Rubeus,' he contradicted. 'He won't remember Lily and James, true, and he'll probably never know his aunt and uncle. But while he has Sirius and Remus – and as long as Sirius has Remus, Harry will have Sirius for a long time – he'll be loved and cared for, and that, Rubeus, is the true meaning of family.'

Oh, how dreadfully cliché! I promise it will improve – give me your thoughts! Please R/R. :)