Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for reading. It means a lot to me, and I'm excited to see what you think of this new chapter. I just wanted to write a quick disclaimer because this chapter does contain both physical and emotional abuse so if you are uncomfortable with that I will highlight the areas to avoid that might be a little too intense for some readers. Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoy!
On the last day before summer holidays the Marauders entered the train together, with Sirius already overcompensating with far too much energy in order to combat his increasing anxiety over returning home. He knew that he had to at least make an appearance before disappearing to James' house for the summer, but it didn't make it any less painful every year. The group laughed and joked, sharing a compartment for a time with Frank Longbottom, a Gryffindor boy two years their senior. He had found their beach stunt both highly amusing and impressive, and joined them for a few rounds of exploding snap, discussing with them his own plans to become an auror now that he had graduated, before returning to his own compartment. Sirius laughed at first, but as the sun sank and the train traveled every closer to King's Cross his mood grew gloomier to the point where he was officially sulking when the rolling hills gave way to small villages dotting sloping plains.
"Hey Pads, you alright?"
He looked up, realizing that his friends were all looking at him with concern. James had been the only one with the courage to ask.
"Yeah, I'm great, no problems Prongs."
James nodded, turning back to his conversation with Remus and Peter who both were glancing at Sirius nervously. James just shook his head, encouraging the two of them to drop the subject. Sirius did nothing but shut down more when pushed, and today was no different. He stared out the window as King's Cross grew ever closer, letting his long hair fall heavily over his eyes. He loosened his Gryffindor tie, choosing to wear it when he met his family for the first time in nine months as a reminder of just how much he differed from them. He had removed his robes, per Ministry rules, as he had no desire to have to deal with the Ministry of Magic for flouting the Statute of Secrecy. However, there was no rule against wearing a scarlet and gold tie, no problem there, muggles wore them all the time. With a loud creaking sound, the train regretfully pulled to a stop in the station. The boys grabbed their luggage, making their way onto the platform, and heading for the brick wall which separated Platform 9 ¾ from the muggle world. The four boys walked through one after the other, getting their last jokes in before they were separated for the majority of the summer, returning to their respective homes except for the occasional visit.
"Are those my boys?" A deep voice, full of youth and life despite its age called out to the foursome who turned towards him with wide smiles, particularly Sirius.
"Hello Mr. Potter." They replied nearly in unison.
"Pretty impressive, maybe by next year you'll get it."
"Don't be too hard on us eh Fleamont old pal?"
"Sirius, I see you haven't changed much." He grabbed Sirius rubbing his hair good naturedly.
"Yeah, whatever." He ducked under Fleamont's grip.
"Oh, don't pay him any mind now Sirius. Come here sweetheart."
"Hi Mrs. Potter." Sirius replied, not even feeling embarrassed, too desperate to feel the warmth of her embrace.
"Sirius."
A boy's voice got his attention, making Sirius' face go dark once again. He looked up, noticed his mother and father standing impatiently at the edge of the station.
"They were about to leave without you." Regulus, Sirius' haughty younger brother, wore a sweater with Slytherin colors along with his dress pants, reflecting the opposite of what Sirius was trying to accomplish.
"Yeah, whatever." Sirius almost said he should let them, he was perfectly fine here, thank you very much.
But he knew his mother was listening, and he would regret that remark later so he turned to say one last goodbye to his friends. Instead, he found himself glancing at each of their parents in turn. Remus' father, a nervous-looking man who kept checking his watch was standing off to the side. He didn't know him too well but thought that he was probably quite handsome before he started worrying so much. Peter's mother and father were talking with James' mother and father as James and Peter stood next to their respective parents. They all looked so happy, so proud of their children, at least that's what Sirius assumed normal parents talked about. That had to be why they kept gesturing and laughing, it couldn't be laughter at Peter's bumbling tendencies or James' tendency to be a little bit cocky.
They were laughing too after all, well Peter was twitching nervously, not sure where to move, but he always did that. And besides James' eye was wandering elsewhere, towards a certain redhead hugging a tall man with thinning blonde hair and a woman, her long dark hair holding only a few traces of grey. An older blonde, who must be her sister, stood off to the side looking at Lily as if she was something she'd scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Sirius raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if maybe Evans had a similar situation to his own less-than supportive brother. Remus was smiling softly at his father who beamed back at him, evidently not used to seeing a smile on his boy's face. Sirius glanced up at his own parents, the dark look in his mother's eyes when she met him making him look away as if he'd been burned. He didn't need to look at his father to know that his eyes were full of that same cold indifference that they always held when Sirius dared to meet his gaze. Regulus cleared his throat. Sirius' nine-month reprieve was finally up.
"Prongs," James turned at the sound of Sirius' voice, then his face fell.
"Oh, it's time then?"
Sirius nodded.
"Alright, well, you'll come around mine in a few weeks, right? Just have to stick it out." James put a hand on his shoulder and brought him into a quick hug.
Sirius really didn't want to pull away.
"I'll see you Moony, Wormtail." He gave them each an awkward side hug, not one for physical affection, but also not wanting to short-change them after hugging James so abruptly.
"Sirius," Regulus gestured at their parents.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Sirius answered impatiently, leaving his friends behind in a huff moving towards his parents.
"Finally, I thought you'd never leave behind that riffraff."
"They're not riffraff," Sirius responded, already feeling his blood begin to boil.
"Of course not, blood traitors and half-bloods alike, not to mention that Lupin boy…"
Sirius closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and practice his long-standing tradition of closing his ears to his mother's yapping. Maybe one day he would be able to do it well enough that he would actually be able to escape it, but for now he could settle for the loud buzzing that filled his ears whenever she said…anything really.
When James finally arrived home to the Potter mansion, he and his parents enjoyed a fine meal of roast and potatoes that his mother had prepared for them. He laughed at all of his father's old jokes, all the while slightly preoccupied with images of his best friend stuck in a less than pleasant welcome home feast compared to his own.
"He'll be fine," thought James.
"Well, I'll clear the table. You boys want to go into the study? I'll join you in a little while."
"Excellent dinner Mum,"
"Welcome home sweetheart."
Mrs. Potter kissed James on the cheek, and he smiled, following his father to his study. He moved to his desk drawer, reaching for a good cigar, moving secondly to the cabinet where he pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey.
"So, am I seeing things in my old age, or was my boy staring at a certain red head on the platform?" Mr. Potter asked, giving James a knowing glance as he poured them each a glass.
"Oh, yeah that's Evans, well Lily." James replied, taking the glass his father offered him.
"She's prefect with Remus, going to be head girl for sure by seventh year, top of our class, beautiful…"
"So, you ask her out already or what?" His father cut him off abruptly.
James shrugged, replying: "Yes, many times, in fact," he failed to notice the amused glint in his father's eye, "but she has expressed her disinterest very strongly." He finished, not quite elaborating.
"Really? Any reason?" Fleamont said it like he knew the answer already but wanted James to come to his own conclusion.
"I don't know. Sirius mentioned that she thinks I'm conceited I guess."
"Well-" His father began to respond, but James interrupted.
"…But you always told me there's nothing wrong with being confident. And why shouldn't I be? I'm good at quidditch, I'm good at school…"
"Wonder why she finds you conceited," Fleamont said again, taking a sip of his whiskey.
James blushed.
"You know I had a girl who was very similar in her assessment of me when I was a young man."
"Yeah, who was that?" James asked, not fully listening.
"Your mother." Fleamont replied.
"Really?" James looked surprised. "Mum thought you were an 'arrogant toerag' as Evans put it?"
"I wouldn't say that." Euphemia spoke up, finally having made her way into the study to join her husband and son.
"Oh, sorry Mum." James said, blushing again.
"I did think he was a little too obsessed with his looks your father, along with his wealth, and of course his athleticism…"
James nearly choked on his whiskey at his mother's obvious eroticism, interrupting her swiftly: "So, what did he do, to win you over?"
"A simple thing really; he changed." She said, looking back at Fleamont lovingly.
"What do you mean?" He asked, becoming more enraptured with the idea by the looks on his parents' faces.
"Well, let's just say I got into a little wrinkle with the misuse of muggle artifacts office, realized that I wasn't exactly untouchable as I'd once thought. Your mother took notice of my new demeanor and boom she was mine," Fleamont said.
"Not exactly, but yes it was a contributing factor," Euphemia replied knowingly. "Plus it was quite nice to see you knocked down a peg." She smirked at the memory.
"Yeah, I guess, but he just had confidence right? What makes that a problem, femininely speaking?" James said, his eyes betraying his lack of belief in his parent's story.
"Confidence and cockiness is a fine line to walk James Potter, and I think we've talked about this before." Euphemia gave him another stern look, which he shrunk away from guiltily knowing that she was right.
He looked off again, thinking about those many conversations accompanied with this one, not certain if he understood, but filing that knowledge away to think over at a later time. He yawned loudly, the alcohol hitting his head a little bit, along with the good meal and the train ride, inducing a good bit of exhaustion.
"Alright, time for bed." Euphemia said right away.
"Mum, I don't need a bedtime I'm almost sixteen for Merlin's sake." James said.
"You are under my roof James Potter, and you've had a long year, now go on up to bed before I have to apparate with you up there." Euphemia replied sternly.
James rolled his eyes but didn't dare disobey his mother even at his more advanced age. He made his way upstairs, taking in his bedroom for the first time in four months. He looked over his shelf covered in dusty toys that he didn't have the heart to throw out, along with more recent books, quidditch supplies, and pranking supplies of course. He ran his finger along the wardrobe where he kept his clothes, and finally turned to the queen-sized bed which lay waiting for him. He flopped down on the bed, covering himself with his comforter and despite his tough act in front of his mother passed out almost immediately. He slept for a few hours before being woken up by a rough thump which came from the bedroom directly next to his. He jumped out of bed right away grabbing his wand without a second thought, holding it before him like a sword. He opened the door and was met with the startled face of his best friend Sirius Black, his trunk (the likely cause of the thump) sitting on the floor, and his broom in his hand.
BEGINNING OF ABUSE MENTION PLEASE AVOID IF UNCOMFORTABLE!
Sirius apparted back to Grimmauld place with his father, in relative peace and quiet, but dinner came right away, and that's where things began to, as usual, unravel. Sirius sat at the kitchen table, the silence suffocating him as he wanted nothing less than to move up to his room with its Gryffindor wall hangings and pictures of motorcycles. He would love to have a motorcycle of his own.
"Sirius Orion Black." Sirius snapped out of his daydream when his mother's sharp voice caught his attention.
"Yeah, Mum?"
"Will you get that sawdust out of your head and pay attention? We are discussing world affairs, ones that greatly concern you and your brother."
Sirius shrugged, picking at the meal Kreacher had prepared.
"Now, Regulus, have you discussed this issue with your head of house?"
"Yeah, but you know Slughorn. Real mudblood sympathizer."
Sirius felt his blood start to boil, having learned a hatred for that word through five years in a house where it was considered the worst of swears.
"Well of course he would be, that old codger Dumbledore has him right in his pocket. When The Dark Lord has finally got Hogwarts, that fool will be the first to go."
"He's not a fool."
Sirius said it before he could stop himself. His brother kicked him under the table, shooting him a warning glance.
"What was that, Sirius?"
His mother was warning him too, trying to give him an opportunity to avoid this fight. But Sirius had never been all that good at controlling his temper.
"I said he isn't a fool. Dumbledore's brilliant, best headmaster Hogwarts has ever had."
He continued taking another bite of his steak and kidney pie when what felt like a backhand struck him across the face. He knew that his father hadn't laid an actual hand on him, preferring to use magic to actual physical force.
"You will watch your tongue in this house young man." His mother preferred to fight with her words first.
"Watch it, spin it, do whatever you like as long as I don't think for myself right Mum?"
Another slap, Sirius smirked, feeling the pain like an old friend.
"Watch yourself boy." His father spoke up this time.
"You really have to hide behind your wand there Orion? Go on, use your hands like a man."
This time the spell drew blood from Sirius' lip. The next would be an imitation of a lash from a belt, Sirius knew from experience, and didn't feel like going to bed sore.
"Alright, I'm sorry, go on with your politics."
"You will be joining up with The Dark Lord, of course, Regulus."
Sirius looked up at that, immediately forgetting his vow to remain silent.
"I should bloody well hope not."
"Oh, and why not? You'd rather join up with that mudblood loving Dumbledore would you?" His mother asked.
"I'd rather hurl myself off the bloody astronomy tower than join up with You-Know-Who if that's what you're asking."
He turned to Regulus this time.
"Come on Reg, the man's a psychopath, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sirius felt the lash this time from his mother, rather than his father.
"You will not speak of him that way not in this house." She slashed at him with her wand again and again, Sirius began to laugh.
"Keep going Mother and before long my body will be evidence to send you to Azkaban for life; I may just stick around as a ghost just to witness that pleasure."
Sirius knew he'd gone too far, but he didn't care. He never cared and that was the problem. He looked at his mother who seemed to be considering something, but before he could mutter a half-hearted apology she had made her decision.
"Crucio!" It was spoken in a calm and collected tone, everything Sirius wasn't and it was pain like Sirius had never experienced it, nothing but agony as if he was being stabbed by a thousand needles all at once across his entire body. He could feel nothing but the electric shock of that pain before he heard two words that gave him hope.
"Mother, stop!"
The sensation stopped as soon as it had come, although just because the sharpness of the initial wound was gone didn't mean anything. Sirius was left with a dull ache where the sharpness had receded. Sirius stood quickly, only glimpsing a cold and unrepentant look in his mother's eyes. This made his decision far easier as he pulled his gaze away, limping upstairs to his room. He rapidly pulled varying items from the shelves, luckily he had yet to unpack his trunk so most of his things were still stored away. He grabbed a few trinkets from childhood, not that there were many fond memories there, along with the box of letters he'd received over the years from some special people in his life, The Marauders of course, along with his Uncle Alphard, and his favorite cousin Andromeda who always remembered his birthday even when his mother and father had long since decided to stop celebrating. Sirius turned around, wand at the ready when he heard footsteps outside of his door. He needn't have prepared, of course it wasn't his mother or father coming to check on him, but Regulus, always Regulus. He put his hands up, as if Sirius could ever really attack him.
"Sirius, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm not wanted, haven't been for a long time. Good riddance."
"Sirius you're being a little bit melodramatic don't you think?"
"I've always had a flare for the dramatics Reg, but for the first time in my life I'm seeing clearly."
"Sirius, you know that's all just talk down there. You don't really have to join up or anything. I won't think any less of you, you know that."
Sirius could only stare at his brother in horrified shock, not believing what he was hearing from him.
"The thing is that I'm going to…
Sirius didn't respond, so Regulus continued.
"…join up that is, and I'd really appreciate some support."
"You know, I'm glad you won't think any less of me Regulus." Sirius said, with a look of contempt as he moved towards his bedroom window.
"Sirius, come on."
"No, I'm so proud that my death eater little brother will still be proud of me no matter where I end up."
"I didn't say that."
"Yeah, I know. I thought not, see you around Reg."
With that Sirius hopped on his broom, casting a feather light spell on his trunk, and taking off. He didn't care that he'd just used underage magic because there was no other way for him to remove his stuff, and Regulus used magic all the time in their house anyway. "Proper wizards should be allowed to use magic." His mother and father would always say, as long as they agreed with their ethics. Sirius had flown for nearly a half hour before he realized that he had no clue where he was going. He checked the compass attached to his broom, and realized that he had been traveling North anyway, and he happened to know a boy with messy black hair and glasses who lived about thirty miles NorthEast, he just had to adjust his trajectory a bit.
END OF ABUSE SECTION (CONTINUED MENTION THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CHAPTER)
"Sirius, you didn't even last a day?"
Sirius paused, not looking James in the eye, a look of shellshock across his face. All amusement was gone as James moved forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You alright, mate?"
"Is it cool if I stay here for a few days? Just until I figure something out." Sirius' voice was hollow and raw, as if he had been shouting.
"What happened Sirius?" James asked.
"Mum was just talking her usual talk about blood purity and all that, and then she started talking about You-Know-Who, how me and Regulus would of course be joining up after we graduate."
James ignored the shock of that realization, tucking it aside for later. Sirius took a deep breath before he continued.
"I always knew how they felt with blood purity and all but trying to get Reg involved in something like that. So, I told her to shove it and…"
He didn't finish, but James didn't push. He never pushed. Sirius picked at a hole in his jeans.
"Alright, well, we can sort this out. I can get my mom up, have her make some hot chocolate and…"
"No, no don't bother with that. Let her sleep."
James nodded, biting his lip, glancing at Sirius as if waiting for him to snap.
"Will you stop looking at me like that?!" Sirius shouted, causing James to immediately shush him. However, James' parents weren't woken by the shout, their room being on the other side of the house.
Sirius stood up, pacing up and down the bedroom floor while James sat patiently watching. He kicked a cabinet, swearing furiously at the pain that filled his toe. He quickly moved back to pacing, running his hands through his hair, while James just sat there all the while, examining his fingernails in order to give Sirius some semblance of privacy to let his anger out. Hot, angry tears began to run down Sirius' face as the reality of his situation finally began to set in. He turned his back on James who pretended not to notice as he wiped them away. Finally, exhausted and having nowhere else to turn, he turned back to face James who was sitting on the bed, just waiting.
"What am I going to do?"
James took the broken tone of voice in the boy who was closer than a brother before him as permission to finally pull him into a tight embrace. Sirius cried quietly holding James, finally letting himself break down.
"I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to stay here like you've done for the past three summers anyway, we're going to go back to Hogwarts, and Gryffindor's going to win the quidditch cup for the fourth year running."
"Bloody Ravenclaws. We were robbed those first two years they won."
"The Gryffindor team didn't have me yet. Their mistake."
Sirius chuckled, then he turned stoic again.
"You mean it Prongs?"
"We'll sort it out with Mum in the morning. She's always loved you. And Dad won't care you know him."
"Yeah, I reckon he'll just be glad someone in this house actually knows how to style their hair."
"Shut up," James said, giving him a light shove. He became quickly concerned when he noticed Sirius wince, but when he made to check on him Sirius put a hand up.
"It's alright, just a little sore."
"Come on, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." James said, motioning to the bed.
Sirius nodded, watching James move out of the room.
"Goodnight Prongs." He whispered, quietly so James wouldn't hear him. James turned around.
"Night."
Sirius grinned for a moment as James left the room before falling onto the bed, exhausted and beaten. His entire body was sore, but James didn't have to know that. And he really didn't have to know why. They were called unforgiveable curses and what would happen to Regulus if he reported his parents. He couldn't take that risk. In his mind Sirius floated back to the night he was sorted once again, the night he knew that nothing with his family would ever be the same.
The group of first years entered their dorm for the first time so tired that all of them passed out…except for one. Sirius Black lay awake, keeping his eye on the ceiling in the hopes that it would make time freeze so he wouldn't get the Howler that was inevitably going to come when Mom got word. He heard the tap of an owl on a window and gulped, wondering if she had managed to hear already. Sirius was relieved to see that it was Hook, Regulus' large Tawny Owl that Dad got him for his 10th birthday. Sirius had received a Slytherin scarf for his last birthday, along with a stern glance given his history of rebellious behavior. The owl was holding a letter with neat handwriting on the outside which said simply "Sirius". Sirius tore the letter open eagerly, reading:
"Hello Sirius,
I just wanted to write you a letter to say good luck at Hogwarts! I figure your sorting is done by now and you've met all of your housemates. I'm sure you're going to be brilliant as usual over there. It's so frustrating not having you here. Mom's going mental without someone to yell at all the time. Good luck.
Your brother,
Regulus
Sirius bit his lip, glancing at the owl who seemed to be waiting for him to write out a response. He moved to get out of bed, and fetch some parchment, before thinking better of it. Regulus didn't need any of his big brother's trouble. He dropped the quill and ink he'd picked up and opened the window, shooing the owl out of it receiving an indignant hoot.
"Sirius?"
A voice spoke up. He looked over at James who had woken up at the sound of the owl and slamming window.
"Sorry, letter from my brother."
"Oh, that's nice." He replied, still half asleep. "Goodnight Sirius."
"Goodnight." Sirius responded as James rolled back over snoring. He put Regulus' letter in his trunk.
Sirius read over that letter along with the five or so others he had received before their mother had told Regulus to stop writing him shortly after his first Christmas break when he had come home proudly adorned in Gryffindor attire. Regulus was never great at rebellion. When Mother told him to stop, he stopped. Sirius didn't hear from him again until the end of his first year when he came home for the summer. That was the last summer he spent more than a month at home. Almost the whole summer, only spending the last two weeks with the Potters.
They invited himself, Remus, and Peter to come for those two weeks to their home where Sirius learned to his great surprise what it was like to live in a house without having to feel afraid. Mrs. and Mr. Potter didn't just tolerate the boys at dinnertime but included them in the conversation. They actually seemed interested in what he had to say, asking him what classes he was looking forward to and what he liked most about the castle. Mr. Potter had been a proud Gryffindor in his days at Hogwarts, insisting that his son follow in his footsteps. Mrs. Potter, on the other hand, had been in Ravenclaw, and although proud of James, expressed her great wish that he would "think things through more", and "not be so impulsive like his father". But you could tell that for all their criticisms they loved their son more than life itself, and had displayed that great love by buying James anything he could ever want.
In Sirius' house, although he was also incredibly wealthy, the money was spent differently. He very rarely got anything he was actually interested in, constantly bombarded with all manner of books on the dark arts, too much Slytherin wear to count, along with a number of family heirlooms that he gritted his teeth and thanked his parents for before shoving them under his bed. James, on the other hand, seemed to have everything by comparison, not that Sirius was jealous at all, merely fascinated. His room was decorated spectacularly with posters of his favorite Quidditch team, Puddlemere United, and he had so many books on the subject cramming his shelves that Sirius was sure there must be many more in the Potter library. James also had an impressive display of Quidditch supplies including his own box set of Quidditch balls, along with a superb racing broom (Nimbus 1500), and of course a miniature set of quidditch hoops in his backyard set around 20 feet in the air rather than 50. Sirius marveled at the many toys that still adorned James' shelves that first summer, many of which he still played with every now and again. He spent hours each night asking James what this or that did, learning about the wonderful world of Zonko's products and Honeydukes sweets. His parents had never dared let him enter a joke shop, and where sweets were concerned, he only got one if he was a good boy, which only really happened on rare occasions. And even then, his mother and father preferred that he buy something that couldn't get him into more trouble, pushing him away from the acid pops and even Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to buy a nice simple Chocolate Frog.
"And look, Salazar Slytherin, it's a sign son." His mother had said when she had bought him that treat right before he headed off to Hogwarts only to be sorted plainly opposite to what that card had read.
Sirius marveled at the thought, remembering those innocent days of sweets and toys, playing with his three best mates behind James' large estate. Maybe if he thought back far enough, he would find himself there again, eleven years old, his main concern being the end of what had been the best two weeks of his life. He had been innocent then, thoughtless, believing that no matter where he had been sorted his parents would always love him. Despite how cold they had been that summer, Sirius swore that maybe, just maybe, they would find it in their hearts to forgive him. But when Regulus was sorted into Slytherin that year, all bets were off. Their favorite son was following in every bit of his parents' footsteps, and Sirius was alone. He lay in the guest bedroom of his best friend's house and took it upon himself to correct that statement. For, he really wasn't alone. He had Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. The only friends he had ever been able to count on, and the best of them was snoring loudly right on the opposite side of this wall. No, Sirius Black wasn't alone. And he would never again give his parents the satisfaction of making him believe it even if just for a moment in his own mind. He closed his eyes, then, a feeling of peace overcoming him as he drifted off to sleep.
Sirius woke up, forgetting exactly where he was for a moment before he noticed the familiar view of his guest bedroom in James' house. Over in the corner was the bookshelf with the books he'd borrowed from Mr. Potter's library over the years to the point where they told him to just keep them in "his room". He noticed the fading striped wallpaper and the nightlight that they had bought for him when he was still afraid of sleeping alone in the dark room in first year. He rubbed his eyes, actually sore from the tears from last night. He brushed some hair out of his eyes and finally worked up the courage to move to the door.
The moment he opened it the Muffliato charm on the bedroom disappeared, replaced with the warm sounds of laughter and the clatter of pots and pans as Mrs. Potter cooked breakfast. His scent had been mildly heightened since his Animagus transformation and he could detect the scents of bacon and sausage, eggs and toast, and Mrs. Potter's fantastic pancakes. He made his way down the stairs where he moved through the front entryway towards the kitchen. The clashing of dishes immediately stopped as Mrs. Potter moved towards him with a cheery smile. She was thin, but unlike his own mother, this wasn't a deterrent. Mrs. Potter had always held herself with an elegant grace that rivaled most of the Veela of Bulgaria which Sirius had seen only once on a family trip to visit some cousins of his who attended Durmstrang.
"Sirius." Mrs. Potter said it with a warmth that he had never received, and he welcomed her hug with grace, holding her tightly as if she would disappear once he finally let go.
"Morning Padfoot, sleep well?" James looked up from his sausage and pancakes, his bedhead somehow making him look even more handsome, as Sirius made his way to his spot across from him at the table.
"I did in fact, haven't slept that well in years."
"Excellent," James responded with a grin.
"Take a look at this boys, Puddlemere United won again last night. If they keep this streak up, we're going to have to get tickets to their next home match."
"That would be great Dad, how about it Pads?" James glanced at Sirius, but he didn't respond, picking at the food Mrs. Potter had piled on his plate upon his entrance.
"Pads?" James asked, getting his attention again.
"Oh yeah, that would be great James."
Sirius pushed his plate away, mumbling thanks before making his way outside. He walked across James' large property, staring across the fields ending in a large forest which stretched for about 2 miles before finally ending. Sirius would love to live in the country like this, compared to his own home. When it was night-time you could see every distant star, and during the day there was no noise other than the tweeting of the birds and rustling of the trees. Living in London had no benefits that Sirius could detect, other than being closer to their lovely cousins of course and Diagon Alley which they could get to in a minute from James' place with Floo Powder anyway. He closed his eyes and let the wind caress his hair, hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching from behind.
"You alright Padfoot?" He turned to see James approaching him.
"Yeah, of course I am." He replied, even though they both knew it was a lie.
"Good." James put a hand on his shoulder and Sirius leaned into his touch.
"Up for some Quidditch?" James shot him a raised eyebrow and Sirius couldn't help but smile…just a little bit.
"Game on Prongs." He replied, "Race you to the house!"
He took off first, James shouting obscenities at Sirius' "cheating arse" for taking off without counting down. They made it into the house where Mrs. Potter scolded them good naturedly for running through the house to get their brooms, complaining to Mr. Potter about "her boys". Sirius blushed, trying not to let on how much those two simple words meant to him. They played all afternoon, grabbing some dinner with James' parents before heading to their respective bedrooms for Sirius' first night as an official member of the Potter family. Mr. and Mrs. Potter of course had approved the minute James asked, promising to buy Sirius anything he needed to make him feel settled in. Sirius had muttered that he didn't need anything, but Mrs. Potter had insisted they would go to Diagon Alley the next day.
Sirius thought about all the kindness he'd been shown by these people who were once strangers as he was lying alone in his bed that night, while at the same time unable to stop himself from dwelling on the cruelty he had endured from his own flesh and blood. Every time he closed his eyes to try and sleep, he heard his mother's cruel voice, telling him he was a disappointment, he was a failure, and that they were all better off without him. He refused to let himself cry, but he ended up opening his eyes realizing that he probably wouldn't get to sleep tonight. He rubbed his eyes and made his way over to the bookshelf figuring he might as well read something. He pulled off the first book he could find: the cover read "The Art of Becoming an Animagus". It was an old book, old enough that it was written for the curious wizard before the ministry began regulating anyone who wanted to make the change. He flipped through the book, landed on an image of a wizard who had changed into a dog, and was chasing his tail. Sirius stared at the image for a moment before closing his eyes and transforming into his own animagus form. He didn't quite feel like chasing his own tail, but he did already feel better. His emotions weren't nearly as complicated as a dog, there was only the fierce loyalty he felt to the people who had taken him in, and the desire to protect them from anyone, no matter any previous loyalty that had long been beaten out of him. He settled himself on his bed, putting his head between his paws, letting out a huff of air. His head moved up quickly when he heard the opening of the door.
It was James, who looked shocked for a moment before sighing. He made his way over to Sirius, bending down on his knees. Sirius made to stand up and change back, but James seemed to get the idea and shook his head. He bent down further and before Sirius picked up on his goal a large stag was standing before him. It used its great antlers to shove Sirius out of the bed with a yipe. He shook his head, floppy ears moving profusely, staring at the stag before him indignantly. He could have sworn he saw it grin, and immediately took off after it as it made its way towards the bedroom door. Using his antlers James was able to unlock the door and open it, and the two boys made their way out onto the lawn with ease, chasing each other and nipping at each other in their animal forms. James galloped ahead of Sirius, before coming to a stop and lying on the ground. Sirius soared over him landing with a thump as they had done so many times before. James quickly lifted him with his antlers once again dragging him into the woods behind his home where they stopped to drink from a river's edge. Sirius sniffed at the ground before barking running off after some squirrel or another finding his instincts as a dog hard to ignore. James made a snorting noise which sounded very much like a laugh as he made to follow Sirius, taking a moment to nibble some clover at the water's edge. It surprisingly had a sweet and pleasant taste which his own instincts suggested he sample.
The boys ended up tiring themselves out, finding a nice clearing in the forest to rest. It was only in these forms that Sirius dared snuggle up against James, always using the excuse the next morning that it was cold outside, and he couldn't always help what the dog wanted to do. James didn't protest, allowing him to snuggle up with him. It would be quite an odd sight if anyone were to come upon them, a dog and a stag sleeping together by a river with an oddly human glint in each of their eyes. But given that this was James' private property they never had to worry about that sort of thing, and they were able to just have a night's peace, no abusive parents or idiot little brothers able to break apart the bond which held those two boys together in that moment.