Insane House Competition: Sirius Black
365 Prompts Challenge: single parent!au
Tea Challenge: Nutty Chocolate- write about Wolfstar
Bath Bomb Appreciation, Goodnight Honey: Write about someone receiving a bedtime story
Book Club, Sam: light, beach, Harry Potter
Showtime, "Waving Through a Window": waving
Television Show of the Month, Mrs. Hudson: Andromeda Tonks, teacup, "Family is all we have in the end."
Sticker, Topaz: affection
Word: 2,794
Sirius glances in his rearview mirror, smiling softly at the little boy sitting in the back seat.
He never planned to come home so soon. He's been perfectly content with his life on the road, moving from city to city, entering every race he can. Sirius has just made a name for himself, and now he has to give it up.
He quickly turns his attention back to the road. Getting distracted isn't an option now that he has a kid to look after.
A small, sad smile tugs at his lips. It shouldn't be like this. James and Lily should still be here. Harry doesn't deserve to live in a world where his parents are dead. He's Harry's godfather, and now he's his guardian, but he doesn't know the kid as well as he'd like. Over the past six years, he's only seen Harry every birthday and Christmas.
"Christ," he mutters to himself. "What the hell am I gonna do?"
"That's a bad word!" Harry chimes in. "You aren't s'post to say hell!"
Sirius chuckles. "Sorry, kiddo. I'll work on it, okay? Promise."
"'Kay!"
He's never entertained the idea of having kids. Whenever Lily would mention it, he'd point out that it's more fun being an uncle. Uncles are free to just spoil the kids and hand them back to their parents. Now, though, Sirius wishes he had taken the time to actually learn what children do. He should have been in town more and offered to babysit Harry. Maybe he wouldn't be so lost now.
"Uncle Sirius," Harry calls, "I'm hungry!"
"Hang on, kiddo. We're going to get something."
"'Kay!"
Sirius chuckles. Harry is such an agreeable child. He wonders where he picked that up from; Lily had been the most fiery woman alive, and James had been a stubborn sod.
He slows down as the scenery slowly changes. The urban sprawl fades, slowly giving way to lush green plant life on either side of the road. Soon enough, that will change, and they'll be at the sea, and Sirius will be in good hands.
…
"Beach!" Harry cheers as his green eyes find the white sand and turquoise water in the distance. "Can we swim, Uncle Sirius?"
"Thought you were hungry," Sirius chuckles, opening Harry's door and helping him out.
"I can eat while I swim!"
Sirius' heart breaks. It sounds like something James would have said. He holds Harry closer for a moment, blinking back tears. "We may go to the beach later, okay?" he suggests, guiding Harry to the small cottage.
"I can hold my breath underwater for twelve seconds!" Harry tells him proudly. "Mummy timed it for me last summer! Bet I can hold it longer!"
Sirius ruffles this little boy's hair. "I bet you can," he agrees, knocking on the door.
A moment later, his cousin appears at the door. Andromeda stares at him for a moment before turning her curious eyes to Harry. Her brows knit together in confusion. "Did you steal a child?" she asks hesitantly.
"I'm Harry! This is my uncle!" Harry announces proudly, jabbing his tiny index finger against Sirius' side to make sure Andromeda notices him.
"James and Lily left him in my care after their deaths," Sirius explains, keeping his voice as low as possible. The reality still hasn't quite hit Harry yet, and Sirius finds himself walking on eggshells, carefully dancing around the topic.
Andromeda frowns but nods. "Come in," she says. To Harry, she adds, "I just baked some cookies. They should be cool enough to eat now."
"Gramma!" A young boy, maybe a few years younger than Harry rushes in. He pauses, looking at Sirius with wide eyes and waves shyly.
"You remember Teddy, don't you?" Andromeda asks.
Sirius nods. He hasn't seen his baby cousin since Dora's funeral shortly after the baby had been born. "Does he live with you?" he asks.
"His father works, so I keep him until Remus comes to get him," she answers. "He's good kid. So much like Dora." She plucks two cookies from the plate and hands one to each boy. "Teddy, why don't you show Harry your playroom, sweetums?"
The little boy stays silent for several moments. Finally, he nods before guiding Harry along. Sirius smiles as he hears Teddy telling Harry all about his toys. "Do you like dinos? I gots a bunch!"
Once they're alone, Andromeda busies herself with the kettle. Sirius chuckles to himself. The Blacks may not always handle emotions well, but one tradition still holds true. When there's a tragedy, make tea.
"Here you go," she says, pouring the tea into a teacup.
"Thank you," he says, adding milk and sugar to his and stirring.
Andromeda reaches out and rests her hand gently on his. "Family is all we have in the end. You don't have to thank me."
Sirius slumps forward slightly, exhaling deeply. "I don't know what I'm doing, he admits. "I don't know the first thing about kids, Andi. What do they even eat?"
"The same things we do, but smaller portions."
Sirius feels like an idiot at that. It should have been obvious, but his mind has been racing, thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong with Harry in his care. Kids are good and all, but they require so much responsibility. Hell, even at thirty, he sees himself as practically a child himself. He isn't proud of it, but part of him has wondered if it might be kinder to put Harry up for adoption and let someone who is ready for a kid raise him. He can't, of course; it's the last thing he will be able to do for James and Lily, and he won't let them down.
The front door opens. Sirius listens to the soft footsteps slowly getting closer. A man with brilliant amber eyes and tawny hair enters the kitchen. Sirius can't help but notice how handsome he is.
"Evening, Andi," the man says. "And who is this?"
"My cousin Sirius," Andromeda answers. "Sirius, this is Remus Lupin. I don't think you two ever had a chance to meet."
Remus offers Sirius a shy smile and a polite dip of his head. "Pleased to meet you," he says.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Teddy runs into the kitchen, Harry following suit. "I got a new friend, Daddy! This is Harry! Can we go to the beach tomorrow, Daddy? Harry never been to the beach! I wan' show him the beach!"
Remus ruffles his son's hair affectionately. Sirius watches, studying the other man intently. Already, Remus seems like an amazing father, and Sirius thinks he can learn a lot from him.
Remus scoops the boy into his arms before smiling and waving at Harry. "Good to meet you, Harry," he says before turning his attention to Teddy. "I think we can do a picnic on the beach tomorrow, if Harry's dad doesn't mind."
"My daddy and mummy are with God now," Harry says simply. "They aren't coming back, so I'm staying with Uncle Sirius until I get to see them again."
Remus' face pales, and his eyes widen. "Oh God. I'm so sorry."
Andromeda is kind enough to intervene. She swoops in, plucking Teddy from Remus' arms and sending the boys on their way. "Go play, my loves," she tells them. "We're going to cook dinner, okay?"
"Okay!" the boys say before running off, giggling.
"I didn't realize," Remus says quietly.
"You couldn't have known," Sirius assures him.
Remus takes Andromeda's place at the table. He remains quiet for several moments, staring at his hands. "He's lucky to have you," he says at last.
Sirius nods, but he doesn't really agree. The only thing he can offer Harry is familiarity. He has no parental instinct, no basic knowledge of children at all. "We would love to go to the beach with you," Sirius tells him. "Harry wanted to go swimming the second we pulled up."
Remus chuckles. "Teddy is learning to swim. He says he's going to be the bestest swimmer England has ever seen." He smiles warmly, pride glowing in his eyes.
Andromeda clears her throat. "You two just going to sit there?" she asks. "Or are you going to help me with dinner?"
…
Once dinner has been eaten and dishes have been placed in the sink, the boys say their goodbyes. Remus assures Harry that they'll be able to play again tomorrow before leaving with Teddy.
"Can we stay here for a little while?" Sirius asks Andromeda as Harry sits on the couch and watches cartoons. "I don't know where to go. Never really had a mailing address. It won't be long. I just need to regroup."
Andromeda pulls him close, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Of course. You're family; family helps."
That really can't be said for the rest of their family, and it's certainly never been the motto of the dysfunctional Blacks. Sirius guesses she must have picked it up from Ted before his death. Whenever it came from, though, Sirius likes it. It makes him feel like maybe he can belong somewhere.
"Uncle Sirius!" Harry calls. "Can I have a bedtime story?"
"I don't know any," Sirius admits.
He doesn't like knowing things, especially now. It makes him feel useless, like James and Lily should have chosen someone better to look after Harry.
Andromeda offers him a kind smile. "You'll figure it out," she assures him before offering Harry her hand. "Come on, dear. Have you ever heard the story of Babbity Rabbit?"
Sirius stares after his cousin for several seconds until she disappears into one of the bedrooms. He doesn't know how she does it. She's raised a child, and now she's helping raise her grandchild. Guilt gnaws at his stomach; he shouldn't burden her with this, but he doesn't know what else to do. He just knows he isn't ready to do this on his own.
…
"Coming to the beach with us, Andi?" Remus asks as he takes the picnic basket from the older woman.
Andromeda smiles and shakes her head. "I think I'll stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet," she chuckles. "Can't remember the last time I had a moment to myself."
Sirius nudges his cousin gently with his shoulder. "If you change your mind—"
"The beach is right across the road," she assures him, patting Sirius' cheek. "I'm sure I can find my way."
"Come on, boys!" Remus calls. "Hold someone's hand while crossing the road, okay? There we go."
Harry places his tiny hand in Sirius'. He looks up at his godfather with eager eyes. "Teddy is gonna build a castle with me!"
"I bet it's going to be the best castle ever," Sirius says.
Harry's eyes light up, and he offers Sirius a toothy grin. With that, the four of them cross the road to the beach.
Sirius can't remember the last time he's been to the beach, but he's hit with a sense of nostalgia as his feet sink into the soft white sand and the salty air fills his nostrils.
Harry releases his hand, and he and Teddy sprint forward, their movement made awkward by the sand. Sirius watches as Teddy leads him close to the water and plops down, scooping the damp sand into his bucket.
"How do you do it?" Sirius answers. "Because I don't know how to be a dad."
"No one does. That's what the parenting books never tell you." Remus sighs and shakes his head. "None of us have a damn clue, and we're figuring it out day by day."
Sirius frowns at that. He had hoped for more solid advice. Knowing that Remus doesn't really know what he's doing either isn't particularly assuring. Still, he's seen the other man with Teddy. He may be taking it day by day, but Remus at least has some inkling. Sirius wonders if he'll be like that one day.
"So, Harry is your friend's son."
Sirius nods. "Not mine," he confirms. "Not by blood, anyway. Pretty sure it's impossible."
"Why?"
Sirius clenches his jaw as he realizes he's probably said too much. Something about Remus is just so warm and comfortable, though. It's easy for Sirius to forget that they're complete strangers. "I don't really get close to people long enough to form an attachment," he says. "When I do, it's usually a man."
"I see."
There's nothing in Remus' tone to suggest he's bothered by this revelation, but Sirius can't be sure. While the world is making progress, there are still people who say they can accept it but are uncomfortable actually knowing people attracted to the same sex.
"Before Dora died, we were planning to separate," Remus admits. "It was going to be perfectly amiable. She found out I'm gay, and we agreed it was best to just be friends and co-parent."
"Wow."
"Andi knows," he adds. "I'm surprised she didn't try to set us up. She means well, but her matchmaking attempts get to be a bit much."
"She's probably making sure you end up with someone who will care for Teddy like their own child," Sirius says.
Remus considers for a moment. "Huh. I never thought of it that way."
"Uncle Sirius! Look! Castle!"
The pile of sand doesn't resemble a castle in any way, but Sirius doesn't say this. He may be clueless about children, but knows not to discourage their imagination and sense of wonder. "Beautiful!" he calls.
"Let's be monsters!" Teddy suggests eagerly. "And 'stroy the castle!"
"Yeah!" Harry begins to stomp around, and the boys make growling noises.
"Kids," Remus chuckles.
"They're pretty great," Sirius agrees.
…
That night, Sirius tucks Harry into bed.
"Uncle Sirius, if you and Remus marry, will Teddy be my brother?"
"Who said anything about getting married?"
Harry frowns, pulling his teddy bear closer and snuggling it. "He's really nice to you. You could get married."
Sirius chuckles and strokes Harry's messy hair affectionately. "Marriage doesn't really work like that, kiddo," he tells him.
Admittedly, Sirius doesn't know exactly how marriage works. As with having children, marriage is something he's never given much thought to. If anything, he's spent the past few actively avoiding anything serious that would require commitment.
Harry doesn't say anything for several moments. Sirius assumes that's a sign for him to leave, but as he climbs to his feet, the little boy says, "Can you tell me a bedtime story?"
Sirius sits back down. He doesn't know any stories; his own parents never read to him or his brother. Still, Andromeda had assured him he'd be able to figure it out, and he trusts his cousin's judgment.
"Once upon a time, there was a prince named Sirius," he says. "Sirius didn't know much about the world because his parents were very mean and kept him locked away. So, Sirius ventured out into the world one day when he managed to sneak out of the castle. On his journey, he met a little boy named Harry, and he knew that he would protect this child from all the bad things in the world."
When he glances down, Harry has fallen asleep. Sirius smiles to himself before kissing the boy's forehead. "Sweet dreams, kiddo," he says softly.
…
It doesn't take Sirius long to fall into a pattern. He helps Andromeda look after Teddy and Harry, and he slowly begins to learn. It amazes him how comfortable he becomes. Once, he had been so afraid of screwing everything up, but he soon finds himself growing more and more confident.
Remus proves to be an amazing help. The two slowly become close, and Sirius doesn't know what he would do without the other man.
…
"Teddy asked me if Harry could be his brother," Remus tells him as the two of them walk along the beach one night.
"Harry asked me the same thing."
Silence hangs between them, broken only by the soft roar of the waves as they crash against the shore. Silence used to bother Sirius, but it feels comfortable with Remus, almost natural. There is no awkwardness to it, no inexplicable urge to fill it with useless, nervous chatter.
"Would you…" Remus trails off, clearing his throat. "I haven't dated anyone since Dora, and I would hate to assumed that you'd be interested… But, maybe…"
Sirius comes to a stop. A small smile plays at his lips as he realizes what Remus is trying to ask. He leans in and pecks the other man's cheek gently. "I'd love to try."
With that, the two of them continue their trek across the beach. Remus takes Sirius' hand, and Sirius feels a flutter in his stomach. Whatever happens between them, at least he knows that they'll have a chance at being a family.