A/n: Re-posted 08/22/2013

italics = Thoughts

Chapter 18 – Sirius Black

Sirius Black was flying. But he wasn't on a broomstick or a sling or anywhere else that could be considered anywhere nearly normal. He was flying as the consequence of a very strong expeliarmus spell thrown his way by a Severus Snape.

Harry could just watch his godfather fly away from him, horrified when the man hit the wall.

"NO!" Harry screamed, hopelessly as Sirius fell to the ground.

Everything had happened so fast, Harry didn't understand what was happening. In a second he was inside the house, happy to see everything clearly for the first time in his life, happy to be able to look at Hedwig in all details, happy because he was going to watch the Quidditch Cup with his friends. And then, Severus reminded him about the letter Hedwig brought, and he opened it hesitantly, a little afraid of what Sirius had to say to him.

Harry,

Go to the backyard.

Padfoot.

Short and to the point. And very confusing. Harry asked his father the way to the back yard and he finally learned how to go out of the house for the first time since their trip to Diagon Alley.

A huge black dog was waiting outside. A huge black dog that jumped him as soon as he was out of the house, knocking Harry down, and starting to lick him all over the face. Two seconds after, and Harry heard Severus yell a spell and the dog was flying away from him.

Severus didn't thought twice when he went outside the house to see a huge grim on top of his son. He used a spell to get the animal off of him and saw, surprised, as the animal turned into a man before hitting the wall. Harry's scream only made Severus more and more confused by what was happening in front of him.

Harry ran towards his godfather. Luckily, Sirius seemed to be okay, and there was no blood either on the wall or on Sirius head.

"Sirius? Sirius! Can you hear me?" called Harry.

Severus stood there, open mouthed. But that only lasted a few seconds, and then he was at Harry's side, wand in hand, ready to defend his son if Black proved to be a threat.

"Go back inside, Harry" ordered Severus "I'll take care of this."

"No!" refused Harry "I can't abandon him like that! Sirius, please! Say something!"

"Harry..." murmured Sirius, trying to get up.

"Siri!" exclaimed Harry "how are you? Are you hurt?"

"Harry... Harry..." he kept murmuring.

"Shhhh..." said Harry "don't say anything. We're going to take you inside. Dad has the best pain potion, don't you, Dad?"

Severus looked from Black to Harry. The boy had a determined look in his eyes, a look that said without words that he wouldn't settle for less than what he had asked for, which meant that Severus would have to care for Black, or Harry would be very mad with him.

"Very well." said Severus conformed. With a wand wave he levitated Black and took him to the house with Harry following him. He lay Black on the couch and went to his lab, to look for a pain potion.

When Severus came back to the living room, Black was sitting on the couch, with his head supported in his hands. Harry was sitting by his side, a hand on his godfather's shoulder, whispering in his ear.

Severus hold the vial with the potion in front of the animagus eyes till the man caught it and drank it without actually looking what it was.

"Thank you" said Sirius after a few seconds "now I can think again."

"Sirius?" called Harry hesitantly.

"Harry." Sirius turned to look at his godson, hugging him "how are you?"

"How AM I? How are YOU? How did you got here? How did you know where I was?"

"That is a very good question." Severus intruded "HOW did you figured out where Harry is living now?"

"I followed Hedwig" answered Sirius "I needed to talk to you, Harry. Make sure you are fine living here, with... Snape."

Harry hugged Sirius again.

"I'm fine! You shouldn't have come! What if someone saw you? What if someone tell the ministry you're here? You could be arrested!" Harry said all that so fast neither Sirius nor Severus actually understood all he had said, but they both got the gist of what he was saying.

"No one saw me, Harry. I'm fine! And the potion is really good, so I'm not even feeling the headache anymore. I had to come. I had to be sure you were alright."

Severus couldn't watch that scene anymore. Sirius Black hugging Harry, his son, comforting each other, worrying about the other... it was just too much for him. It was so sweet a picture he almost gagged on the sugar coat. He had two options then. He could stop it all, send Black away and consequently loose Harry's respect, or he could leave them be for a while, let then talk it through. It wasn't much of a choice, so he left them be.

Harry didn't saw his father leaving. He was busy, making sure Sirius was really alright, and right there, with him.

"Siri... you... you don't... hate me... do you?

"Oh, Harry. Of course I don't hate you!" Sirius hugged Harry tighter "you're my godson! My Prongslet! Nothing in this world would make me hate you! Not even founding out your father is Sni... Snape. I'm here for you. Whenever you need me. All I want is for you to be happy."

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me. How much you mean to me."

They stayed there, hugging for a long time, just basking in the presence of the other. Sirius was the first person to care for Harry, the first one that said he wanted Harry. Wanted to give Harry a home. And that was really important to him. Sirius really cared about him. He cared enough to break out of Azkaban just to protect Harry. Sirius was the first to care, and for that, Harry cared about Sirius just as much, and Sirius opinion of him also mattered for him a lot."

"Harry." called Sirius after a while "can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything." was his answer.

"It's not that I'm not happy you wanted to live with me... but why did you accepted? Why did you accept it so quickly?"

"I don't know what you mean." Harry left Sirius arms, sitting on the other side of the couch, his legs against his body.

"You barely know me, Harry. I love you. I love you like you were my son. Since you were born I wanted you to be mine. But you spent last year thinking I was a murderer out to get you and then... right after you found out the truth... you were already trusting me to the point you wanted to live with me! I just want to understand, Harry. Tell me? Can you tell me how your life with your relatives was?"

"I... you wanted to give me a home..." said Harry.

"You should tell him the truth, Harry." said Severus, he had just come back, with a tray with tea and biscuits "Black deserves the truth."

"What truth?" asked Sirius "what are you talking about?"

"I had to go get Harry from his relatives' house." said Severus "Do you want me to tell him what I found when I got there, Harry?"

"NO! Nothing happened! NOTHING!" screamed Harry.

"Harry... denying what happened won't make it go away." said Sirius "I told you already. I wanted you to be my son since you were born! There's nothing you could say to me that would make me not love you."

"No... please..." pleaded Harry.

"Black is right, Harry." said Severus, even if it cost him greatly to agree with Black "you ARE my son. Nothing you could say will change it. I promise you. You can trust me."

"Ok..." said Harry in the end "I'll... tell you."

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