A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and added alerts for the story. It made my day to see all of them! I'm so glad that you are all enjoying this and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Much thanks again to my beta delieriousdays. Let me know what you think! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am merely just playing in the world that J.K. Rowling created. The plot of this story, however, is my mine.

Chapter 2: That I

"Ah, Sirius, Severus, come in, sit down," Albus Dumbledore's voice drifted to them from beyond the fireplace. He sat behind his huge desk with the ever so gallant and magnificent Fawkes perched nearby. His blue eyes gazed at them behind the lenses of his half moon glasses, "Lemon drop?" he asked as they walked closer, extending a small glass bowl full of candies to them as if they were here on a social call and not here because just minutes earlier Sirius' godson left from the only place he was apparently protected.

Sirius was about to say as much when the headmaster retracted his arm that held out the candies to the two men, placing the bowl next to a curious looking orb.

"Harry is fine. I've sent Hagrid to give him his letter." The older man assured the two men before gesturing for them to take a seat in the two chairs positioned in front of his desk.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, still standing.

"Mr. Dursley took what he thought to be a much needed vacation. I assume he grew tired of his house being flooded by countless of unopened Hogwarts letters." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he folded his hands casually, seemingly relaxing in his chair a bit.

"Why couldn't we just give him the letters?" Sirius demanded as he took a step forward, his hands tightening to form clenching fists. His head was starting to hurt from the combined efforts of drowning himself in as much firewhiskey as possible and the tension that kept building up.

Severus glared at him but pursed his lips, biting back whatever comment was reeling through his head, and Dumbledore merely sighed, "I wish I had a simple answer for you, my boy."

"Yeah, it's as simple as going to get him from wherever they're hiding. He should be with us and they've got no right to keep the letters from him, no right at all. And what about the bloody wards? I thought they only worked if they remain at the house?"

"The wards will work wherever Petunia is and as long as she agrees to take him."

"And you had to twist her arm, didn't you?" Sirius questioned, raising his voice despite the pounding protests of his head.

"Sirius, we tried the wards when Harry was living with you and Severus. It didn't work and it wasn't prudent to take that risk."

"But what about-" Sirius paused to rub at his head as another particularly painful throb hit him and he knew he'd have to ask Severus for draught to get rid of the horrid headache, "-what about when he comes to Hogwarts?"

"I believe that he will be safe at Hogwarts. The remaining Death Eaters would not attack here. Wouldn't you say, Severus?"

Sirius turned to look as Severus glanced up sharply. His dark eyes narrowed for a minute, looking as if he would say something but instead he just nodded his head in agreement.

"When Harry comes to Hogwarts we will try a few things around his living quarters-"

"Gryffindor quarters, you mean?" Sirius asked.

Snape raised an eyebrow as if to scoff at the notion of Harry being placed in Gryffindor over Slytherin, "How sure are you that the boy will be sorted to Gryffindor."

"I'd bet my vault."

"Would you?" Severus asked and a ghost of a smile played on his features.

Sirius dropped the matter.

"As I was saying, when Harry is sorted, we will try a few spells to see if there is anything we can do. But I wouldn't dwell on it. We must not get our hopes up." Dumbledore said, "Now, will you two please sit?" he motioned again to the comfortable chairs. As much as Sirius wished to stand and not be treated as if he were a student again, he took a seat beside Severus.

"Again, I may ask a favor of you that you will probably find difficult." The Headmaster said, his posture straightening as he took on a more rigid look from the tranquil one he had moments before.

"Yes?" Snape answered.

"I don't want Harry to know of his-" In a rare moment, Dumbledore seemed to be at a loss of what to say, "-lineage. For his protection and yours I think it would be best if you and Sirius both, well, remain a secret."

"Are you mad?" Sirius asked surprised that he was able to keep his voice level despite the small bit of rage that rose from deep within him.

"Headmaster I-" Severus started to say.

"I know this will be difficult-" The older wizard began.

"Difficult? For eleven years I waited, just doors down, knowing that when Harry went to Hogwarts we'd be able to see him. Birthdays, Christmases I sat by, knowing that the Dursleys weren't doing a thing for him but I kept telling myself I'd make it up to him. And now you're saying that we have to be kept a secret?"

Dumbledore remained quiet and it was the Potion Master's low voice that broke through, "Perhaps there would be some way of contacting him?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "Once again I am terribly sorry. But I fear that things are starting up again. Horrible things and we may need your expertise in the matter." He looked at Severus when he said this and realization dawned on both Severus and Sirius.

"Because of his fucking mistakes I can't see my godson? So that Severus can continue to play for both teams?" Sirius shouted with his hands clamped around the arms of the seat he was at the edge of.

"This will only be temporary, Sirius."

The answer seemed to calm Sirius down, judging by the way he relaxed into his seat once more, hands no longer clutching at the wooden armrests, "How long is temporary?"

"I do not know," Dumbledore answered truthfully, "But Severus will see the boy during school and I hear that Padfoot gets along quite well with Mrs. Figg's cats." His eyes gleamed again and Sirius shrugged. So much for being stealthy.

"For the meantime while Harry is at school we will play around with some warding but you will remain a secret. Harry can have no idea. That isn't to say that you two won't be able to help behind the scenes, however." Albus smiled broadly, "Just because Harry cannot know of you does not mean that you may not see him. Sirius for you it might be a little more distantly but obviously that won't be true for Professor Snape, here."

Sirius blew out his breath and sat back. Help behind the scenes. That sounded better. And it was temporary. Temporary wasn't so bad. He turned to gaze out at the window which showed a starless night. The darkness was endless and lit up occasionally when a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky followed by a crack of thunder.

From beyond the black of the night, a shadow swooped to the window, all but slamming into the glass, causing the two younger men to jump.

"Ah, that'll be Hagrid's owl." The Headmaster said, standing from his seat before walking to the window, opening it a crack to take a rain soaked letter from the spotted owl and in return placing something in its beak. Sirius watched it fly away as Albus opened the letter. His eyes scanned it and then he folded it up and placed it on the corner of his desk.

Sirius' and Severus' eyes met for a brief second. And concern might have been mirrored there. It might have been comical if there wasn't so much nervousness in the room.

"Well?" Severus drawled.

Sirius sat forward in his chair as if he were Padfoot and waiting for a scrap at the table.

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said as if he didn't know the both of them were anxiously waiting for news, "Hagrid's given Harry his letter and he's taking him to Diagon Alley to get his supplies."

"Don't know why we couldn't have taken him." Sirius muttered under his breath but the Headmaster ignored him.

"Harry is probably very confused at the moment. Would you want to bombard him more with introductions?" Albus asked pointedly, lowering his head and raising his eyebrows, his blue eyes piercing Sirius.

"No I guess not." Sirius sighed, "Did Hagrid say that he was okay?"

Dumbledore smiled, "The boy is probably terribly excited. I would imagine he is fascinated and as I stated previously, a bit overwhelmed."

Sirius could only imagine Harry's face as they walked through Diagon Alley or the first time he held a wand or walked into Gringotts. Unfortunately, that was all he could do at the moment. Imagine.

"If we aren't going to tell Harry about his lineage then what do you plan on telling him? He will surely find out about-" Sirius was sure that Severus frowned as he followed Dumbledore's request not to say You-Know-Who or the Dark Lord. "Voldemort." There was a small pause before he continued, "And can you be certain that the giant won't be over excessive with what he wishes to divulge?"

"I do not know what Harry will hear and there is no way we can stop him from learning of the past. Hagrid will tell him nothing that will endanger him and nothing that I'm sure he will not learn on the train."

"Speaking of the train," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together as he sat forward, "I don't think that it would be reckless to have a stray dog walk around the platform, don't you think?"

Severus's eyes narrowed at him, "You heard what the headmaster said, Black. We aren't to make ourselves known."

Sirius snorted, "So you're going to pretend that you're not his Potion's professor? And he already knows Padfoot, remember?" He grinned at the other man, enjoying that the Potion's Master looked like he was growing more agitated with him at the minute. It was a small comfort that he could get on Severus' nerves.

"Oh yes, how could I forget that you would willingly put your godson in danger by-"

"Gentlemen," Albus cleared his throat, "Your verbal sparring match is quite amusing but perhaps you could save it for another time?"

Severus inclined his head and Sirius merely nodded.

"Good. Now, I see no reason why Sirius could not be present while Harry gets on the train." Dumbledore turned his attention directly to the ex-Auror, "If you promise to stay at a distance. We don't want anyone getting suspicious."

Sirius nodded. It was better than nothing. A crack of thunder followed by lightning lit up the dark sky in the window behind Albus. One of the portraits started to awake and grumbled something about blasting curses before getting back in a comfortable position.

Dumbledore glanced down at something on his desk and smiled softly, "Ah look at the time. Harry's been eleven for three hours now."

The comment sent Sirius into a state of nostalgia as he remembered the day Harry came into this world and how happy he had been then.

"Headmaster," Severus said, startling Sirius out of his memories of the day his godson had been born, "It wouldn't be possible for you or Hagrid to pass along a gift?"

Sirius felt his mouth drop. Severus, who most of the time avoided the topic of Harry altogether, was asking Dumbledore if they could get Harry something, a present none-the-less.

Dumbledore's smile grew as much as Sirius' jaw dropped, "I am sure Hagrid has something in mind. Now, I think it is best we retire for the night."

Severus nodded; about to get up before he saw the expression Dumbledore was wearing.

His lips were pursed and he looked as if he was mulling something over in his head, "I think that a conference a week would do, don't you Severus?"

Severus gave him a confused look and Sirius' eyebrows drew together, "What do you mean?"

"Well I just thought you'd want to be updated on Harry's progress. It won't make up for the fact that you cannot see him but alas it is better than nothing. So unless Severus or I decide to call you about everything, I think we can fire call once a week."

Severus got up from his chair, "I think that is a good idea."

Sirius smiled a bit despite himself. The Slytherin wouldn't have agreed if Sirius had suggested it, but because it was Dumbledore who had come up with the idea, the brooding Potion's Master had no objections. Sirius stored that particular observation away in the back of his mind for future use against Severus, "Me too."

"It's settled then. I think our first conference should take place the night of the sorting, agreed?"

"Definitely." Sirius said with a grin. And then I can see Snape's face when Harry gets sorted into Gryffindor.

Severus nodded his head and he and Sirius said his goodbyes and went through the Floo and back to Sirius' humble abode. He snorted as the green flames engulfed him. The house was more like a dungeon.

Sirius dusted himself off when got through and used a Lumos charm on the tip of his wand to navigate through the empty rooms and hallways. He had no intention of tripping over something he might have dropped carelessly.

He got as far as threshold of the living room when the fireplace crackled to life again and spat out another person. He raised his eyebrow and turned his wand to Severus, "You following me, Snape?"

"Someone has to make sure you don't drink yourself to death, Black." The Potion's Master exchanged dryly.

Sirius folded his arms so now the wand was lighting up a particular grimy section of wall with the ugliest wallpaper he had seen since Grimmauld place. His mother would have been proud, "Did the Headmaster send you to babysit me Snape? How nice. Did he tell you to wash your hair too?"

There was a quick movement and then Sirius was on his back staring up at the shadows of cobwebs on his ceiling.

In two strides Severus was standing over him his tight expression blocking his field of vision, "If you had been any less drunk you could have blocked that."

"'m not drunk," Sirius said although his head had begun swimming again and his stomach was churning awfully. He wasn't able to hold the whiskey as he used to, how pitiful, "Don't know why you care either."

Severus did something that eleven years ago would have made Sirius second guess. He reached his hand out so he could help the ex-Auror up. Rolling his eyes, Sirius took it and pocketed his wand after he whispered Nox. His eyes had adjusted and he could see the outline of the other man's pale face.

"Because, you fool, we are in this together. Like it or not."

Sirius laughed out loud at that, a maniac laughter that edged on being hysterical, "And what is this this that you speak of, Severus?"

Severus muttered something but Sirius wasn't able to hear as if he were a bit embarrassed to say it.

Sirius leaned forward, a cocky sort of smile on his face as he asked, "What was that?"

"Protecting Harry."

"Yes and raising Harry. When we get the chance."

"You really are drunk," Severus said and he could see the other man pinch the bridge of his nose.

"No. I'm just a bit knackered and now I'm going to bed. See to it that you see yourself out. Goodnight Snape."

Snape snorted, "Goodnight Black."

Sirius took it slowly going up the stairs; afraid he might trip and fall flat on his arse again. When he made it upstairs he purposely avoided looking at the bedroom at the end of the hall and went straight into his own, collapsing on his bed with a huff and shutting his eyes tightly as random images played burned across his eyes.

Like most nights his dreams were pleasant and random for the first half of his sleep but at some point they turned horribly wrong.

He had the same dream he always had, except with different variations. James was there, he had somehow come back to life but only to tell him that he had failed at protecting his son. Harry was dead and he had killed him. He was supposed to be living with Sirius and Snape, not the Dursleys. Sirius and Snape could protect him, not Petunia and Vernon. And then because he couldn't do the one thing that James and Lily had asked of him, he was murdered. Not by Lily or James but by fate. Or something. He never got that part down.

The dream used to scare the shit out of him. So much so that he used to call Severus in the middle of the night to make him a Dreamless Sleep Potion until Severus just gave him viles of it. He had the nightmare so much that he had gotten used to it. He'd wake up, shaking, sometimes having to stumble to the bathroom to throw up, and then he'd take some of the potion and go back to sleep. So much so that it had become a routine. Severus never asked about his nightmares and Sirius never told him. Because he knew the Potion's Master had enough of his own and he shuddered to think if they ever had to compare.

He reached in the side drawer of the end table and pulled out a vile, swallowed it down and then lay back down.

A few hours later he woke up to sunlight trying to peak its way though his heavy shades and an intruder messing around in his kitchen. Sirius grabbed his wand and swung his legs over the bed, puffs of dust coming up as his feet hit the hard wood floor.

The sound of a teapot whistling greeted him as he entered the kitchen as well as the sight of Severus Snape in the same robes as the day before and a tired expression which meant that he hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

"You might want to spend some time in the present and not waste all your days immersed in that Pensieve," Sirius said in greeting and padded over to one of the cupboards where he took out a mug. He planned on having a very strong cup of coffee this morning.

"I was saving memories as well as observing them." Severus said and with a flick of his wrist the tea pot poured steaming liquid into a brown mug.

"Never took you for a tea drinker, Snape."

"Who said it was tea? I will need something to keep me awake today as my project with the Pensieve and your whimpering kept me up all night."

"Whimpering?" Sirius scoffed, "I don't whimper."

Severus' eyebrows were drawn together and nothing said he wanted to volley back and forth. Sirius could be mistaken but was that concern he detected in those dark eyes?

"Everyone has nightmares, Sirius." Severus said softly.

"That they do but not everyone has seen the things that we have." Sirius wanted the conversation to end right there because neither of them was very adept at sharing things with each other and he didn't want to talk about it. The last thing he needed was to talk about it.

"Harry is safe, you know."

"Who said it was about Harry?" Sirius said, although he knew that question was ridiculous. Of course it was about Harry. Harry, James and Lily. Always.

When Severus didn't say anything Sirius set about making the coffee.

"Do we need to talk about this?" Severus asked.

"I don't see you sharing your nightmares."

"I don't think you'd wish to endure what I see." Severus said simply.

"Huh, as if my mind isn't already good at cooking things up." Truth was, Sirius didn't want to know. He could imagine and that was enough. He wanted this conversation to end.

The coffee had a dose of chocolate liquor he had gotten from the adult section of a sweet shop in Diagon Alley and was just what he needed. Severus stared at it for a moment before taking a sip of his own brew.

"What are you planning on doing today?" Severus asked and Sirius almost spat out his coffee at the normalcy of the question. He wanted to reply with a sarcastic comment but figured that adding bitterness to the conversation would only prove annoying and useless.

"I was thinking of Flooing over to Grimmauld place and working on the portrait. What about you, dear?" Sirius snorted to himself at the last part but Severus ignored him, instead folding his hands around the mug.

"You do know that you are wasting your time and magic on that portrait. There's a permanent-"

"Sticking charm, yes I know. Doesn't mean I can't figure out a way to set it on fire or something."

"Or you could just cut the wall away and put up a new one." Severus suggested sarcastically.

"That was the plan."

There was silence. Eleven years ago they would have loved to have a moment of silence where Harry was asleep and not fussing. Back when they completely loathed each other and now well, now it wasn't quite hate. They weren't best mates but there was an understanding there or something like it.

Sirius sighed loudly, "Or I could see what Remus is up too."

"Yes the werewolf. Any luck finding a job yet?"

Sirius wanted to blast him for the animosity but knew that just like his hate toward Sirius had faded, so did it for Remus. The words were empty, mostly.

"Yes having the Wolfsbane helps. And I'm sure he's ever so grateful."

Severus muttered something before taking another drink of tea. Sirius imitated him and felt the warmth travel down his throat, lighting small flames along the way. He loved the addition he put in.

"And you?"

"And you, what?" the other man snapped.

"You asked me my plans I thought it would be in good taste to ask yours. Getting together with more Death Eaters are we?"

"I meet only with a few and mostly Lucius Malfoy. He tells me your cousin is doing well."

Sirius turned away, a hint of distaste on his face. Narcissa was as much of a cousin to him as Walburga Black was a mother. "I cannot believe you'd bother to even associate with them."

Severus raised his eyebrows, "I have to or did you not hear the Headmaster last night? I might still be useful and that means-"

Sirius tried to ignore the chill that he felt by finishing the last of his coffee, "I know what that means." he said, gritting his teeth as the last of the liquor did not have the desired effect but instead the opposite one.

"But no, I won't be visiting them today. I've got some work to do at Hogwarts today to prepare for the new term."

"Yes and again I am reminded that you get to actually speak to Harry while I am stuck here staring at the dying shrubs."

Severus frowned, "We will meet every week. I didn't just say that to assuage the Headmaster, you know. I realize that it's important."

Sirius swallowed. It was important. He wanted to hear as much as he could about his godson, "Thanks."

Severus looked down at his robes, "I do think that there will be a time soon where we can talk to him. Both of us. As we are."

Sirius looked away, staring out the window at a few birds flying about a tree in the backyard, "Yeah well…" His sentence died off, left unfinished.

Severus must have been done with his drink because he tapped his wand to it and then levitated it toward the cupboard, "I will talk to you at our conference after the sorting."

Sirius' mouth lifted, "Gryffindor, I'm telling you."

It might have been a trick of light but the other man's mouth might have lifted in the same way, "We'll see, Black, we'll see."

From Harry's spot in the yard he could hear that Aunt Petunia was on the phone, spreading the story that Harry was going away to school and that Dudley had to have a small surgery done before he started at Smeltings. And wasn't he just a brave boy dealing with the sudden illness?

The Dursleys had been ignoring him since Hagrid dropped him back home with his trunk full of supplies of Hogwarts. That was perfectly alright with him. It gave him time to sit in the yard and think about what he had to look forward to. Or worry about it.

There was a possibility he would get there and they would figure out they had made some dreadful mistake. No magic for Harry Potter. And they'd send him back to the Dursleys where he'd have to go to the state school wearing Dudley's hand me downs. They'd never let him forget about the time where he was almost someone instead of the boy with the weird scar and no parents.

Petunia was now talking about how Vernon had taken them to a lovely retreat for the weekend. Of course she would lie to the neighbors. Harry knew it was all about keeping up with appearances.

He was about it go back to Dudley's second bedroom, which he still wasn't quite sure was his yet, when the noticed the big black dog edging its way onto the property.

He quickly glanced back at Aunt Petunia, but she had moved from the sitting room to the kitchen and wasn't around to chase after the dog with a broom or something.

"Hey boy," he said, getting up and moving toward it. He scratched him behind his ears and the dog closed his eyes thankfully. He had shown up a few times at Mrs. Figg's and had taken to lying comfortably at Harry's feet and eating any scraps he had given him. There was something familiar about the dog but it might have been that he has seen him around the few times as Mrs. Figg has said the dog's name was Padfoot and was great for making trouble and barging in where he probably shouldn't be. Harry thought he had been imagining but the dog seemed to hang his head at that.

"Don't suppose you know anything about Hogwarts do you?" The dog cocked its head to one side and Harry sighed, "I don't really know what to make of it."

A warm breeze floated past and Harry shifted his position on the ground. The sun was going to set soon. Uncle Vernon made sure that the doors were locked at nightfall so Harry would be forced inside. He may be avoiding speaking to the boy but he still controlled his movements.

"I probably won't see you for a while, so you'll have to hang around Mrs. Figg for scraps." Even when the Dursleys portions were small he tried to save some food for Padfoot. Mrs. Figg grudgingly gave the dog scraps from the table when it was nice enough to sit outside and her cats wandered between the legs of the patio table.

Harry sighed and drew his knobbly knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around them. The dog stared at him and Harry suddenly had the thought that the dog really wanted to speak. He smiled a little and scratched the dog's scruffy head.

"Do you have a family Padfoot? Do you have someone to belong to?" He didn't know why but he felt horrible at the thought that the dog had no where to go or anyone to go to. When the dog continued to pant at him Harry shrugged, "I don't have anyone either. Well, I have the Dursleys but they're not much."

Padfoot lay his head down with a whine that sounded so pitiful Harry shook his head quickly, "But I'm okay you know. And now I've got Hogwarts so-"

The dog looked up at him with his head still on the grass, an expression that was all too human and Harry trailed off, "We'll be okay now." He hated how his voice sounded so hopeful but he wanted to believe that everything would be okay. He reached out to scratch the dog's head again and Padfoot leaned into his touch.

Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned quickly to see Uncle Vernon standing with a glass in his hand as he stared critically out the front window.

"Be good, boy." Harry said to the dog again as he pushed up off the ground, "I'll see you again soon." And with that he left the only good thing about Privet Drive behind and went up the steps to the house, hopeful that Uncle Vernon was too engrossed in his drink than to cook up some plan to get rid of the dog. He lingered for a moment at the door, looking out at the window to see Padfoot move off down the street and tried to shake the feeling of familiarity.