Chapter 8 – Freedom

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves – Abraham Lincoln

"There is however, some further conditions that we wish to add" Sirius and Remus pulled apart, the grins sliding off their faces. "Mr Black must join the animagi registration and if he wishes to rejoin the auror department he will have to redo the final year of training"

Sirius didn't care what they said, he just nodded quickly. The act of nodding however proved too much for his Azkaban wasted body to handle and he swayed slightly. Remus grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back into his seat. He was in bad shape, and he knew it. He was pale, dirty, starved and trembling. Remus noticed and rummaged in his pockets. Sirius grinned. Remus always had been addicted to chocolate, but Sirius wasn't going to complain if it stopped him shivering.

Remus handed him a small bar of chocolate and Sirius tore into it, his hands shaking so much that it took a while. Sirius bit into hit hungrily and savoured the taste in his mouth. It melted in his mouth, warmth spreading through his entire body. He smiled, feeling truly warm for the first time in three years.

"Professor, where do we go now? My house isn't big enough for two people and Sirius doesn't have a house anymore" Remus asked, the difficulty of caring for an ex convict obviously catching up with him.

Dumbledore took a moment to reply, as if he were debating the wisdom of the answer that he wanted to give. "I feel that it would be prudent for Sirius to go to St Mungo's for recovery"

"No! I will not spend my first night as a free man trapped in a hospital bed" Sirius retorted firmly. He wanted to be somewhere he could see the stars, or hear the sea. He most definitely did not want to spend the next few days cooped up in a small hospital ward.

Dumbledore sighed, even though he probably already knew what Sirius would say to that suggestion. "The Potter's had a holiday home in rural Wales? That would do until you can buy a house?" asked Remus. Sirius didn't know how well he could handle the memories that the house would bring, but he didn't have any other choice. He nodded and Remus reached forward, helping him to his feet. He took a deep breath as Dumbledore led them through the door.

Shouts and blinding flashes of light greeted him as Remus led him into the corridor. After three years of living in murky, dirty light the light from their cameras was almost blinding. Questions assaulted him from nearly every direction. He didn't like it. They were awfully close. It felt like they were getting closer, pressing in on him. Dumbledore must have noticed his discomfort because he cast a shield charm around Sirius, pushing the reporters back. Dumbledore let them into the atrium and then took hold of both Sirius and Remus' arms and disapparated.

Sirius shook his head as soon as they arrived and looked around. They were in a secluded cove that led onto the sandy shore, where Sirius could hear the waves calmly washing against. A small stone cottage was the only other resident of the cove. It would be perfect. Dumbledore remained outside to set up protective spells and enchantments while Sirius and Remus walked inside carefully. Everything in here was a light and airy colour, but the true beauty of the room was only revealed when Remus fumbled for the lights. Photographs of the Potter's littered nearly every surface. It was perfect.

There was one photo that drew Sirius' attention. It was of James and Lily, grinning and waving madly outside of their new house. Sirius choked back a sob as he picked the photo up. "I'm so sorry". Tears were beginning to drip down Sirius' gaunt cheeks and Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, unshed tears glistening in his own eyes.

"It was not your fault Padfoot" Remus said forcefully, furiously dashing away the tears that threatened to cascade down his cheeks.

"Then why does it feel like it is?" Sirius choked out. He looked Remus straight in the eye, almost as if searching for the answer in Remus' golden eyes. Remus didn't say anything, he just moved forward to hug Sirius.

That was how Dumbledore found them, each trying to comfort the other, the photograph crushed to Sirius' chest. Sirius was sobbing onto Remus' shoulder and Remus wasn't much better. One of the problems with being sent to Azkaban straight after their murder was that Sirius had never had his chance to grieve for two of his best friends. The pain of losing them still felt raw, and once he started crying Sirius found it very difficult to stop. He finally pulled away, one lonely tear still tracking its way down his face.

"I shall leave you two gentlemen here for the night, and return in the morning. We have many things to discuss" Dumbledore said. He waved his wand and food appeared on the table, before bidding them goodbye.

"I feel like I need a shower, and then I'll try and do something with my hair. And then I shall eat until my heart's content" Sirius announced, before searching for the bathroom.

It was plain and obviously out of date, but it was far superior to what he was used to in Azkaban. He turned the faucet and let the water warm up before climbing into the shower. He'd never appreciated before the joy and peace that having a simple shower gave. He smiled. It felt like the years of horror and guilt in Azkaban were being washed away. The dirt was practically falling off his skin and out of his hair. He scrubbed fiercely at his hair ignoring the tugging and pulling of the knots in his hair.

He stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out and he climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. Remus had obviously been in while he was in the shower, because there were clothes waiting for him. Just a plain t-shirt, pair of boxers and a plain pair of trousers. Sirius didn't care what they were as long as they weren't the thin grey Azkaban robes that he was used to.

He walked out into the main room where Remus was waiting with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. Sirius grinned and grabbed a cup. He smiled as he felt the warm liquid flow down his throat, making his entire body tingle with warmth.

"Sirius, I think we need to do something about your hair. You look a madman"

"But I am a madman," Remus looked appalled by what he'd said. He opened his mouth to apologise, "Stop it Remus, it was a joke. Will you help me cut my hair? I mean I could do it myself, but…"

"You're likely to cut your own head off" Remus answered, smiling as he gestured for Sirius to take the seat in front of him. Sirius did as he was told and Remus began to cut what could only just pass for hair. He smiled as chunks of hair fell past his eyes, it felt like the weight of Azkaban was slowly being lifted from his shoulders.

"I wonder what happened to my bike?" Sirius asked curiously. He'd loved that bike, and the feeling of freedom that it gave him would most definitely be welcome.

"Hagrid still has it. I'm sure he'd let you have it back if you asked. What do you think?" Remus asked, holding up a mirror so Sirius could inspect his hair. It was curly and rested just above his shoulders. He smiled at Remus, who obviously needed no more thanks and turned away, heating the food that Dumbledore had left them.

Sirius smiled broadly as Remus set down two plates of steak and chips. One thing Remus had always been good at was cooking, but Sirius had a sneaking suspicion that he would have eaten any food with the same amount of relish, even if somebody as poor a chef as James had made it. James. Why did he have to think of him now? He closed his eyes in pain as the grief and the guilt came crashing back. It felt like he was drowning.

"I guess we need to get to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Sirius latched onto Remus' words like a lifeline, dragging himself away from dwelling on his feelings about James.

"Yeah, I need a wand…and some clothes" It almost seemed unreal that Sirius was having this conversation when this time yesterday he was in Azkaban. But the thought of having a wand again was almost too good to be true. "And then I'll look for a house, get my bike back and talk to Dumbledore about Harry"

"Harry? Dumbledore seems to think that he's perfectly happy with the Dursleys"

"You mean Lily's horse of a sister? Remus, she hated Lily. I was made his godfather for a reason. James and Lily wanted me to take him if something happened to them. And I can now"

"Calm down Padfoot! I wasn't arguing with you, I just…What if he's happy with them? You can't take him away from a happy family Sirius"

Sirius didn't have a reply to that. He knew, somewhere deep down that Harry wasn't happy. He'd only met Petunia once, and granted it hadn't been under the best circumstances, but even then she'd seemed cold-hearted, and dead set against magic. And Harry would most certainly be a wizard, so most likely he would be treated with contempt, and possibly dislike. He would not leave his godson to suffer through that.

Sirius rose to his feet, trying to fight against the anger coursing through his veins. He'd already been sent to Azkaban for letting the anger take over, he would not make that mistake again. He opened his mouth to make a furious remark to Remus and then closed it again, stalking out of the house in a fit of rage. He stormed over to the beach and threw himself to the ground, staring at the waves. He didn't know how long he sat there, just watching the waves, but when he finally climbed to his feet, shivering from the October air, he was perfectly calm and felt like a dick for shouting at the only friend he had left.

"Remus I-"

"Don't apologise Sirius, I'm the one who should apologise" Remus interrupted. Sirius smiled at him and moved towards his bedroom. He was looking forward to his first proper night's sleep in nearly three years. He had a suspicion that he wouldn't suffer any nightmares tonight, he was so exhausted that he could barely form a coherent thought. Only one thing permeated his sleep-starved mind as he climbed into bed, he was free.

AN: There isn't really much that I have to say about this, but I really hope you enjoy it! Please leave a review x