The fourth time I shared a bed with Sirius Black was in fifth year. It was the Christmas Holidays, Christmas Eve in fact. I was just wrapping the last of my presents for my parents when there was a knock on our door. It was late, almost midnight in fact, so I wondered who would be calling on us. My parents were both in bed so I answered the door.
Sirius fell into my arms. He was shivering, icy cold and shaking. There was a bruise forming around his right eye and his shirt was ripped. I dragged him inside, not even considering my actions, and slammed the door shut, dragging him into my kitchen.
'Sirius, what happened?' I gasped, surveying him, trying to see if there was any more damage. He looked up at me and I recoiled. There was something in his eyes that scared me.
'Mum finally pushed it too far. I left. I left home. Ran away.' I could guess what he meant. I'd guessed over the years. The bruises at the end of every holiday, the reluctance to leave school, the wide knowledge of healing spells and potions like skelegrow. It angered me, and yet there seemed to be nothing I could do but offer to be there if he ever asked. And now he was asking. He was too proud to ask out loud, but he was asking anyway, for my help, for my acceptance, for my love, all of which I was willing to give.
'Come on Padfoot, let's get you some clean clothes. You're staying here tonight. Tomorrow we'll talk to my parents, alright?' I grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs like a lost puppy. I didn't even debate. I just got him changed and pushed him into my bed, following him in and holding him tight when the inevitable tears started to flow. This would just be one more time that I would never mention.
The next night was the fifth time I shared a bed with Sirius Black, and was followed by the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth times. Each time I held him as he battled the demons of his past, and each time we held our silence in the morning, never speaking of what had occurred the night before.