This may seem completely unrealistic to how police investigations and hospitals usually go but please bear with me wanting to get the story underway. Review!
The boy who lived, just – Sirius ran, there was no point apparating now for where would he go? This place was foreign to him, as was the whole of the muggle world. He could not go to St Mungos or the hospital wing in Hogwarts; both were places he'd frequented enough to apparate to with ease without splinching himself or a passenger, but then what would become of him? Oh yes he knew Harry was his priority, and he would sooner die, sooner be arrested, sooner get kissed, than allow his pup to be lost. However, self-preservation mattered and he would be doing Harry no favours by getting himself arrested again. Harry needed someone to look after him, now more than ever, he needed the nurture he'd been denied thus far, he needed someone to reverse the damage and Sirius Black fully intended to be that person.
His cub was hurt and he was not going to allow anyone else to take his rightful place as Harry's guardian. Harry was his to look after and nobody was going to hurt him ever again, nobody Sirius had not tested was going to get close enough to try. Harry would not be able to plead his innocence and he would probably not be able to prove his aunt and uncle abused him either if Sirius got caught. He could trust no one; he had no friends left to turn to, not ones that had enough sway to look after her and save Harry's life which was swiftly running out. The ones he should be able to turn to, that everyone should be able to turn to in their time of need were the ones he had to escape at all costs instead.
The ministry did not listen to him almost two years ago, so why would they listen to him now? If Harry was anything like Sirius had been when he was a child, although his abuse had only started once he became eleven, and it had never been this bad, Harry would be shy. He had not wanted to admit that abuse had gone on and pretended to love his summers like everyone else until he turned sixteen and ran away to live with James, becoming the brother he already considered himself to be. If this had been happening ever since he had been brought to the family he probably did not know or remember anything else, he may not even know that how his relatives had been treating him was even wrong. Would they even make an enquiry – given his poor state it should not even by up for debate – but he did not trust authorities.
No, if it even got to an inquiry stage in the wizarding world then Harry would almost certainly either deny it or say nothing and Sirius would not be there to save him. No, they would take Harry from his arms, probably believing he had been the one to get him into this state, and had an unexpected flash of guilt. He could try to plead, for Harry's sake, but it hadn't worked before so he knew there'd be no point, the only one who was going to look after them was him. He could probably avoid being arrested, but if they got a lead, even with his tapped into core his chances were slim, if they learnt how he escaped last time, even with his newfound ability to apparate around some barriers, they would find a way to apprehend him.
He vaguely remembered the latest headlines, 'kiss on sight', 'anyone who kills Black will not be charged'. No, he had to stay away from the wizarding world for now. He sighed, the odds sure were stacked against them both – he just had to stay one step ahead. He ran faster, heading for the main road before grabbing a taxi, a taxi driver would know his way around the county. He practically charged into the backseat as soon as one stopped by him, holding Harry to his chest as if he could physically fill the whole he could feel widening in his battered heart. "Hospital," he gasped, seating Harry on his lap, "as fast as you can." He did not have to use magic to make the taxi driver do what he wanted; the parental instincts took over and did that for him.
Of course, the muggle world, he did not know why it did not come to his mind sooner. The driver said nothing; they were speeding down the road before Sirius had even fastened the seatbelt around the two of them. Sirius was glad because of that, Sirius could see the questions on his face, but none of them were voiced. He could not heal Harry himself as much as he wanted to himself, he had the power but he did not have the skill, so muggle medicine would have to do. It was not as bad as many wizards seemed to think, in fact it was more refined than wizard magic and they usually relied on potions and a strong core to do most of the work for them. It was a rather lazy way of healing, the muggle way however was slow, it was his only objection.
Harry was hours away from death, they were odds he did not like, where speed was imperative. Still, although Harry was magical, and must have a strong core to survive this long, Harry was in a grave position, he just hoped that muggle medicine, as slow as it was would be enough to save him. The hole in his heart which had been formed the day Lily and James died and widened with every accusation thrown his way was threatening to engulf him as the harsh truth that he had failed to protect Harry just as he had failed his parents before him struck him. He was scared, he cradled his cub to him, he was so small, so young, so fragile, and there was so little he could do. He could feel, almost hear the little heartbeat as faint and as dainty as a little caged bird, slowing.
He hugged Harry tighter and noted that his ragged breathing was doing the same as his heart, failing him. He did not have hours left anymore; if nothing was done right away Harry was not going to survive the next few minutes. Panic overtook him, he was not a medic, but right now in this second, he was all Harry had. He had no idea how to treat this, so he did the only thing he could think of, he gave him his strength. He knew it would not be enough to solve the problem, Harry was not trained in healing, hell he was not even conscious, so he could not direct the power to where it was needed; only medics could do that. But it was better than nothing and he there was nothing else he could give but this chance that he may live, strength was strength, it would keep him alive, for now.
He tapped into his core and he felt it whispering to him, 'let us go to him, we shall help him, we shall save him'. He took a hold of it and used it to flood the tiny body he was clutching. He felt himself get a little fatigued, but that was to be expected, Harry was small, but the damage was extensive, he was not planning on partaking in any magical battles today, his core would be replenished by tomorrow morning. Unlike him, it would take a lot more than a good night's sleep for Harry to be better. He heard the rattled breathing of his precious cargo start to stabilise as his magic adjusted to the new body it was aiding, and the heartbeat strengthened, it was still faint, but he was not going to go into cardiac arrest while he was still in the car, his panic subsided slightly.
He touched one long finger to his pale ashen grey cheek, it was still cold, so very, very cold, but Harry was also very much alive, he was such a strong little mite, he had to be to survive with those monsters for so long. He traced his scar and felt a small smile tug at his mouth, yes it would take more than this to kill Harry, he was tough for an infant, just like his father and mother. As long as he had Sirius, and Sirius planned to look after Harry for the rest of his life, there wouldn't be anything that could kill him. He could feel his brain activity and his own core inside the tiny body shining brightly like a candle flickering in the darkness. 'He will live' and Sirius agreed, yes he would, and he'd grow up smart, powerful and very loved.
"Hold on," he found himself whispering to the little boy as if it would make a difference, as if he could hear and had any choice in obeying him. "Everything is going to be ok now, I've got you, Padfoot's got you, I'm never going to let anything hurt you, never again," He continued to whisper these sweet nothings until they arrived at the hospital. He was not lying, now he was here, he was never going to be hurt this way again and his magic and medical aid would save him. Sirius threw £20 at the man who had taken them there and ran into A the taxi driver had taken them right to the door, without waiting for a price. Harry in his arms he shouted for a doctor until a nurse came up to him and told him to be quiet and wait in line with everyone else.
Her voice was kindly but strict, she reminded him of Minerva, and he'd always liked Minerva, until she left him to rot like everyone else. She gestured to the chairs where the whole of Surrey was waiting to be seen, it would seem as if the county had decided to decapitate itself that night, Harry would not survive waiting. Could they not wait until tomorrow to get into fights or whatever, hordes of teenagers with bloody noses and torn up limbs. The old people sat with their partners rubbing their back as they struggled to breath, even a cold would affect the old people in bad ways. A baby was crying with a burn. He sneered, he could heal all of these injuries and illnesses, everyone except Harry, which clearly showed Harry was an emergency.
"There is no time to wait!" He exploded before it dawned on him that he would probably get more favourable results if he spoke like a civilised person instead of a madman. "Please," he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks at the thought of losing Harry and he prayed that for once in his life that the word would work and he'd get what he wanted – needed. "Please," he beseeched again, it was only by magic, both his and Harry's that he'd survived this long, and how he had survived the year and a half alone with them Merlin only knows. Had he arrived at the Dursley's but an hour later he may be dead, "I have a child here who's very, very sick, he won't survive waiting, he needs immediate medical attention, can't you see that?" His voice went high at the end of the sentence like it always did when he was upset.
The nurse gazed down at his arms with a startled expression as if this was the first time she'd noticed he was holding a child. He watched her. He watched her take in his pale, ashen grey complexion and his blue lips. He watched her take in his horribly still and malnourished form and his fluttering eyelids. He watched her absentmindedly lift a hand to lovingly, sorrowfully run her fingers through his greasy black hair. She felt how cold he was, and he watched her pale herself as she realised how life threatening his condition was and she gasped. Rather amusingly, she did exactly what he had done a couple of minutes previous and started to shout for a vacant room, but unlike him, she was obeyed and once again he did not have to use magic to persuade her.
They were hustled into a room and the doctor wasted no time in setting up the examination chair and sending the nurse out for cold water and every medicine under the sun. He took Harry from his arms, being careful not to jostle the leg and laid him on the chair so he could examine him and Sirius let him. He very almost growled in outrage, the dog inside him surging up to protect his pup, the doctor had not even asked. His core was equally unimpressed at this and tried to reach out and snatch his cub back, send him flying back into the safety of his arms but Sirius beat the urge down when reason worked through his mind. The doctor was here to help, that was why he was here in muggle A&E in the first place, to get Harry help.
'He's taking Harry,' the whisper was urgent, fearful, possessive, outraged. 'He can be trusted', he answered soothing, 'our cub is still close, he is on the chair next to me.' 'We cannot let anyone we do not know and turst near our cub, what if he hurts him?' 'He will not, Harry is almost dead anyway, this is our last chance'. He waited until his magic's panic had soothed into its normal gentle hum to show it had been placated.
For several long moments nobody said anything, there was no need to converse. The nurse was out tending to other patients, deciding which ones were truly emergencies, and which could wait an eternity. The doctor did not care to say anything; he was busy trying to break Harry's fever, getting him stable before transferring him somewhere to finish his healing. Sirius was busy watching him work, silently admiring the care he put into his practised movements and the parental emotion on his face as he tended to him. He wondered how he did it, surely he had seen countless children like this, did he feel for every single one of them, how was he still sane? He stroked Harry's jet black hair and he held onto one of his little hands and he stopped the cold water from dripping into his closed eyes and he said nothing.
Even though it felt awkward, even for some reason, unorthodox, to be sitting here, saying nothing, really, what could he say? 'Thank you for treating him?' Hardly, it was their job to treat him and it was clear from the emotion on this man's face that he wanted to treat him, it brought him pleasure to be caring for someone who needed his help. All he'd get would be a withering look should he say that and he already knew the answer to the famous question 'is he going to be alright?' He knew he would be, he would make sure of it. So he stayed silent. He hoped the nervousness and awkwardness that he had no business to be feeling but for some reason could not get rid of, did not show on his face, it would give the wrong impression.
If he had to pour the entirety of his core into the child every day he would do it, if he had to risk arrest and take the child to St Mungos and Hogwarts because muggle advances in medicine were not enough to save him then he would do it, hell he would force the kid to ingest unicorn blood if that is what it took to save him, he was not going to lose him. Then the doctor spoke, "is this your fault?" The quiet voice made him look up to meet two hard brown eyes burning in fury. The doctor had noted his leg and the bruises and scars criss-crossed on his back, torso and thighs, the abuse visible under the tattered rags that served for clothes. He had done all he could for the moment and wanted to know the culprit.
His immediate instinct was to jump up and down and shout 'NO' and continue to scream expletives at how he could possibly even suggest he would do such a thing to his cub for he would say he was one step away from being physically unable to hurt him. But he held the tide back; it was glaringly obvious that someone had been capable of doing so much evil towards a young, innocent child and he was the one to bring him in. The doctor was not to know who it had been, and, logically speaking, how else would he come to have the young child in his possession? He could and would not hold it against him and unlike Gate Master he did not have another underlying reason to justify punishing his words, this man had just saved Harry's life.
But that was not why he held back, he hesitated because he would feel like he was lying, he would never raise his hand against his cub, but that did not mean he was not responsible. When he spoke again he realised his ire was not directed at him but to whoever had hurt Harry. The doctor looked away and added lowly, "because if you are, you are a bloody good actor." He felt a surge of love for him. The people who claimed to love him abandoned him when he needed them the most and this doctor who did not know him was telling him that he believed he was a good person. He had a flash memory of Rita screaming that he was a murderer as he flew off into the night; the smile on his face now was genuine.
"I am not the monster who did this," he said carefully, and then for some unknown, idiotic reason he added, "but I cannot deny that it is my fault." Then, like a dam bursting it all came rushing out in a crazy dash of words uttered too quickly to catch and badly concealed tears he'd been wanting, meaning and needing to shed but not quite managing it. He did not know these people but for some reason he told them everything, everything he had been feeling since that Halloween night when he'd lost his brother and Lily flower and little Prongslet, and he told them that everyone who had loved him were lost and turned from him now, though of course he neglected to tell them why. Sirius Black was still a criminal on the run to them, and would be until further notice.
"I was meant to be his parents' protector, I was meant to keep them safe but I didn't think it was a good idea, I suggested someone else, I told them that would be safer. They believed me, they always believed me, they trusted me and they did what I suggested, and that someone else betrayed them. I orphaned him, little Harry and he had to go to those awful people and now he's in this state, he's hurt and he's starved and he's ill and they did not care. They were going to leave him to die in there, if I'd arrived but minutes later..." He did not know why he was saying all this to someone he did not even know no less, but now he had started he could not stop. He needed to say it, he needed to let it out, it was healthy, and suddenly he felt the overwhelming need for comfort.
"I was out of the country so I didn't win custody of him; I had important business to deal with there." That was a good enough explanation as he'd probably be forgotten in a week anyway. "Harry went to his aunt and uncle and I did not check on him until today. I could have come earlier, but I thought he was ok, I didn't suspect, I didn't even dream that..." he trailed off and tried to reign in his sobs, "he is such a sweet boy. They did this to him and I didn't even know where he was, until a week or so ago I did not even try to find out. He was locked in a broom cupboard, I promised to protect him, James wanted me to have guardianship should anything happen to him but I wasn't there for him when he needed me the most, I let this happen."
Then suddenly arms were wrapped around him and he looked up to find the doctor had pulled his head to rest on his white clad shoulder offering himself as a pillar of strength. He needed no further invitation and he sobbed openly into his shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist, he could not be all powerful all the time, he needed a time when he could be weak, no, not weak, when he could be human too. He was reminded of a time when he had finally come out about being abused at home and how he had cried like this and Remus and James and Peter had held him for hours before James practically adopted him. But James was dead, Peter had joined the dark and Remus hated him, called him a murderer, and did not even give him a chance.
He wanted someone to hold him so he could rely on another for a moment and have sweet nothings whispered to him. He wanted to be told that everything was going to be ok, that he didn't have to worry, that it wasn't his fault, and that he'd done well. He did not lift his head from the doctor's white clad shoulder until all of these things had been said. As soon as the doctor walked out of his life it would just be him and Harry and he daresay Harry would need the comfort far more than him, he was the one who had suffered. But that was ok, he was the adult and he did not have to be comforted regularly, children were far more emotional. He held the doctor who was being his pillar until his cries subsided and he pulled away.
The doctor said nothing more, maybe he did not want to embarrass him, maybe he just had nothing left to say. He called the nurse back in and told her to fetch him some hot chocolate to calm him down seeming as everyone else had been treated and sent on their way whilst he had been tending to Harry and now they were the last ones there and she had the time. Later that night, a still sleeping Harry carried by a now calmed Sirius climbed into the back of an ambulance to take them to the intensive care unit that specialised in paediatrics. Now two days later Sirius was sitting by Harry's bedside, he had slept very little but with his huge tapped core it was not bothering him. He just sat there holding his little hand and praying for him to open his eyes.
Eventually the tiredness overtook him and he fell into a deep slumber. He did not know how long he was asleep but when he opened his eyes once more he saw two bright emeralds staring back at him. "Where am I?" He asked in a quiet voice.
He kept his voice level and calm and kindly so as not to startle to him and could not help but smile that he was finally awake. "You're in hospital Harry."
"How do you know my name?" His voice was raspy, as if he was not used to using it and faint, barely more than a whisper. Sirius did not raise his voice to a volume even slightly louder than his in case it frightened him, but made sure he could be heard all the same. 'We must be gentle and calm, our pup is going to be as nervous and jumpy as a baby gazelle.'
He could just tell the boy he knew his parents, the biggest understatement of the year, but that would bring on a load more questions eventually getting to what was his past. There was no short answer to that, so he gave him the long one. He told him how he knew his parents when they were still alive and were still at school; how they became so close they were like siblings, so that when he was born he was named his Godfather. He told him how they loved him very much and were very good people who fought a very bad man who eventually decided they had become too much of a nuisance, the next bit was too hard to say. Losing James and Lily was still a fresh wound, it was strange how he had become desensitised to being called a murderer, but could not handle talking about their deaths.
He told him how he was out of the country when they died, again he left out the prison part, and the child was meant to want to be with him after all. He told him that therefore he was given to his aunt and his uncle so he could not come for him before. He said that he was angry and hurt by what they had done to him and that he did not deserve to be treated by that. He said that he was going to take him away from the Dursleys, out of Surrey altogether, and he was going to look after him now. He told him he was sorry he was hurt and that he had been abused and was so alone. He told him he was safe now, and they were probably some of the most heartfelt things he'd ever said.
Harry just looked at him with wide unblinking eyes and Sirius suddenly grew nervous. He thought of all the things money could buy, practically everything. His mother had thought like that, his father had thought like that, Narcissa and Bellatrix, the members of his family that were still alive, still thought like that. In a way they were right, if you had money and prestige you were a fool not to use them as he'd told Regulus once, the only one in his family he'd cared enough about to teach otherwise. However he'd forgotten his own rules and had gone and brought Harry toys and got the room decorated so that his Godson would have everything he wanted when he claimed him but his plan had a major flaw. Money could not buy him Harry; you cannot throw money at a small child and expect it to love you.
It could buy him clothes and toys and the best health care and private education, but it could not buy him his life. It would not buy his affection either, he knew first hand money did not do that, his mother had tried to buy his affection when he was younger, but failed and when that happened tried to beat respect out of him. You could not throw money as a child and expect him to love you and he did not plan to. He did not know the first thing about parenting but he was willing to learn for Harry. He would love him and care for him and raise him like his dead best friend wanted he just wished Harry would give him a chance. "You're going to take me away from aunt 'tunia and un'le Vernon?" He asked, pulling himself into a sitting position against his pillows.
"Careful not to jostle your leg, it's not broken," he'd made sure of that, "but it's hurt bad. And in answer to your question, yes, I am taking you away from them, in fact I have already done so," he said smiling at his cute voice, he was only four. "I am going to make sure that you never, ever have to go back there, or even ever see those people again if you don't want to."
"Where will I live?"
"You are going to stay with me from now on," he said, sure that he'd said this already but repeated himself anyway. "We might get off to a shaky start, I've never been a parent before but a little under two years ago we knew each other and those memories might still resurface or we can just create new ones. You'll never want for anything and you'll never have to be scared because I love you pup, I always have and I always will." He did not care that a four year old would not even understand some of what he was saying but he did not care, he said it anyway.
"You want me to live with you?"
"More than anything."
Harry looked at him for a long moment, examining his face for a sign of deceit but Sirius held his green eyes and after a moment Harry grinned, the purest most innocent grin to ever be worn and he catapulted himself at his godfather, completely disregarding his leg, thank God it was supported really. Sirius let out a small oomph as the child landed in his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. Sirius froze for all but a second, overwhelmed by the quick acceptance, and the fact that he finally had Harry in his arms, willingly, awake, loving, it was enough to make his healing heart explode in happiness. His magic thrummed contentedly inside him, it enjoyed having Harry in his lap and arms, this was where he belonged.
He relaxed and his arms tightened around him, holding onto him for all he was worth apologising over and over again, and that sorry had a lot of weight, he had an awful lot to apologise for. He was sorry for not coming earlier, for the fact he had to go to them for any length of time, for not protecting him, for not keeping his promise to James. Even though Harry did not really know half of what he was saying he said it anyway just like how he had poured his heart out to the doctors despite him not knowing what he was on about. He had to have someone else be a pillar of strength and hold him for a moment because he was not getting a chance like that again. He just had to say it, to let him know anyway.
"I'm sorry too," he murmured into his neck, "for stopping believing." Harry never explained that and Sirius never asked him to, he was just happy to have his godson in his arms where he belonged.
Three days later he was allowed to take Harry home with him, it was amazing how far a little magic and a lot of money could get you in the adoption process in the muggle world at least. Kreacher had shown him how to convert wizarding money into muggle money and he had done so, it was a very helpful process as Arnold's cash would only get him so far and he would be able to pay him back in no time that is if he ever got the chance. Before he could take him home though a policeman came to ask him questions about the conditions in which he found him and what he knew about the Dursleys, mainly their address. They were going to be arrested at long last; Sirius hoped they got a harsh sentence. "I do have one condition," he said.
The policeman looked at him in shock and deadpanned, "you have a condition before I arrest a couple for severe child abuse?"
Sirius just stared back apathetically, not noting his surprise, "yes."
There was nothing left for him to do but shrug and say "let's hear it."
"I want it to be a quiet arrest, have a small column in the newspaper if mandatory but this is not to go on the news, I do not want to have the press on this. I want to turn on the television and see the weather, and pick up a newspaper and flick to the crossword without a great deal of concern for what I saw on the way like I always do. Understood?"
The policeman shrugged, "that can be arranged," he mumbled, jotting something down in a small notebook and then got a good look at his face, "hey, you look familiar."
"I know, I ran into you a few days ago. That reminds me, you dropped this," he said handing over the badge he had stolen those few days ago.
"I have been looking everywhere for that!" He exclaimed, taking it from his outstretched hand, "thank God you found it, the embarrassment if I had to get a replacement," he shuddered, "why did you not hand it in earlier." He completely forgot anything else he may have wanted to say and tucked it into his inside pocket of his jacket for safekeeping.
Sirius blinked, "forgive me," he said icily, he nodded towards his godson who was still on his lap, latching onto him via his neck, "I was otherwise occupied."
The policeman looked down, a little red, "ah, of course, no harm done now anyway."
"Indeed, they live at 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinning. If they have fled, contact me and I promise I will find them," there was fire in his eyes, "they can tell you the rest. If they refuse or deny it, again, you can tell me and I will persuade them to talk," after all, he had veritaserum back at Grimmauld Place, brewed by the youngest potions master in Britain, "can we go now?"
The policeman gave him an assessing look, probably from his earlier statements, but soon shrugged it off and said, "sure, you can go, you've already been discharged, just make sure you are checked out. The doctors said it is amazing how quickly he recovered, maybe it is because you have been sitting beside him." Sirius tried not to laugh, because he did not know just how true that statement was, Harry had been pumped with his care every day he'd been lying to aid his recovery, which was why he was just as tired as his charge now. "I promise, just one column, don't worry, take care now and... take good care of him."
Sirius smiled, "you don't have to tell me to do that, I plan to." He picked a sleeping Harry up, the medication he was taking was making him tired a lot, and he started to casually walk towards the exit, "take care." Feeling cocky, he decided to add, "Oh, and don't let this little hiccup distract you from catching that Sirius Black figure, I don't want people to keep stopping me because of my face, take care yourself, good sir."