A/N I just want to make a quick observation in case there is any confusion. To any of my readers who have asked me why I changed the outcome of the First Task, the answer is simple. Its a completely different scenario here than it is in canon. So, of course, it won't play out like it does in the books. I wrote it taking into consideration the advice that canon Sirius was going to give. And certainly Harry would have followed that advice in my 'verse. Simple as that. And I agree with one of my reviewers that Harry is now allowed to act less mature because he doesn't have the canon amount of weight on his shoulders any more.

Also, canon Harry got hurt all of the time, and spent a ton of time in the Hogwart's infirmary. He wasn't indestructible. And I think that Sirius would have lost his shit watching Harry compete. In canon, Sirius was safely far away from Britain when he got Harry's letter about his scar hurting, and instead of keeping himself safe, he immediately returned to watch over Harry. Canon Sirius doesn't get enough credit. Had he been given freedom and guardianship, I can easily see him acting like my Sirius does.

In any case, here is some fluff, because everyone has just been too angsty lately. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Enjoy

**********HP**********

"You look like arse."

Sirius opened one tired eye and watched his oldest friend saunter over. "Well thank you very much, Remus. Always a pleasure to see your ugly face as well," he snarked as he stretched out his arms and cracked his neck.

Remus grabbed another chair from the next bed and carried it over, putting it next to Sirius' and plopping down into it. His eyes were also tired and slightly bloodshot. It always took a few days to recover after the full moon and worrying about Harry hadn't helped.

"How long has it been since you slept, Sirius?" he asked softly.

In the bed in front of them Harry was breathing deeply and evenly in a potion induced sleep. His face had lost much of the bruising from his crash landing of the day before and his skin was flushed a healthy pink which greatly relieved his guardian.

Sirius reached up and vigorously rubbed his face, sniffing a little to clear his nasal passage. He blinked his eyes trying to shake the sleep from them and took a deep breath. Lifting his left arm up, he squinted at the non-existent watch on his wrist.

"Oh, I don't know. Must be, mmm, a couple of hours before I watched my son almost become a campfire snack for an enormous dragon."

He sighed and pinched his nose, stretching out his long legs which were sore from lack of movement. The two men sat for a moment among the hushed noises of the infirmary, the mental overload clear on both of their faces.

"Have you eaten anything?" Remus tried again.

Sirius rubbed his eyes again and shifted position, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on the thin wooden armrests of the Chair of Infinite Torture. Or at least how he had begun to refer to it after almost a day of perching on it.

"My stomach is still doing flip flops from nerves," he answered, grimacing. "I'm afraid if I vomit, Poppy will bundle me off into one of the other beds. I'm positive that little minx has my old pajamas around here somewhere, just itching for the chance."

Remus smirked remembering all of the time that the Marauders had spent residing in the infirmary.

"True. But it still makes you a hypocrite. You'd never let Harry get away with that answer," he pointed out, making Sirius chuckle, his friend's mood lightening, which had been Remus' intent all along.

"Also true," Sirius agreed. "This whole 'being the adult' thing does have its perks."

They laughed quietly in good companionship for a moment. Across the room Poppy was redressing the burn on Cedric's face again with the shocking orange paste he had been covered with since his Task. The Hufflepuff boy had also been lucky.

If you consider having half your face licked by dragon fire lucky

The sight of that sobered the two friends as they watched the older boy wince from the contact.

"Look at them, Moony," Sirius said, his eyes troubled. "They're just boys. What kind of gormless wonder thinks its a good idea to make boys fight dragons for fun?"

"International Magical Cooperation," Remus muttered, enunciating each word like a foul oath, his amber eyes squinting in distaste.

Next to him, Sirius huffed and massaged his temples. He felt like an entire herd of hippogriffs had trampled over his head. And truly, given the circumstances, it was what he would have preferred to have been the cause of his current discomfort.

"Can you believe that with all of this," Remus started, making a little wave around Harry's sleeping form, 'he tied for first place?"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Sirius barked in frustration. "This," he emphasized with a wave of his own, "was completely unnecessary. He could have died!"

His last words were a touch frenzied and much louder than he had intended. On the bed Harry stirred, his forehead puckering, and seemed to be threatening to wake. Sirius mentally kicked himself for his outburst, leaning over quickly to smooth sleep damp hair and making soothing shushing noises. Eyes blessedly closed, Harry stilled from the touch and drew in a deep breath before releasing it slowly and allowing the sleeping draught to pull him back under.

"Poppy said he should sleep for a few more hours," Sirius said quietly, carding his fingers through Harry's messy spikes. "He's exhausted, physically and mentally. It hasn't been the best few days for him."

Remus frowned. It hadn't been the best few days for either of them, Sirius especially.

His trip to the infirmary was to check on Harry, of course, as well as Sirius, but that wasn't the only reason. He had some things on his mind, but he worried that if he brought them out into the open there was a very good chance that he would be crossing a line and stepping on Sirius' very last raw nerve. His concern however, was deep enough to take the risk.

"Sirius," he began hesitantly, leaning over to rest his arms on his knees, clasping his hands. "Are you still set on removing him from the dorm?"

"Yes."

The answer was softly spoken, but the word was final. It's delivery leaving no room for neither negotiation nor interpretation. Remus mentally paused and briefly reconsidered. It was probably best to hold his tongue if he wanted to remain on good terms with Sirius right now. His dear friend clearly was determined to do whatever it took to keep the boy out of harm's way.

But that wasn't necessarily the best way to approach a boy like Harry who chafed under restraint.

"Surely Gryffindor Tower is safe enough?" he tried again, attempting to keep the conversation in a casual tone. "With all of his friends around him it would be hard for someone unknown to get to him. And Minerva would never allow harm to come to him."

Sirius laughed. A semi-hysterical little laugh with absolutely no humor behind it. "Oh really? It didn't keep me out, did it?"

"Sirius, just listen," he tried again.

"No, Remus. You listen," the distraught godfather spat out, trying mightily to keep his temper from flaring. "This is not a decision I made lightly," he said, more quietly, although his teeth were gritted against one another. "Do you think, of all people, I would not know how much living in the dorms here has meant to him?"

Sirius turned to face him, his forehead wrinkled in aggravation and his gray eyes smoldering.

"I have agonized over this, but I'm just not willing to make that mistake again."

"Mistake?" Remus asked, confusion making his eyes squint.

Sirius turned towards Harry again, his shoulders sagging as if all the fight had gone out of him already. He reached out absently and began to smooth down Harry's blanket and sheets, his hands twitchy and desperately in need of something to occupy themselves.

"You and I should not be sitting here, Remus."

The tone was so soft that the other man was sure that he probably would not have heard the words if it not had been for the magical boost in senses that the inner wolf provided.

"I'm sitting in James' chair," he added, his eyes wincing in pain. "You're sitting in Lily's."

Remus reached over to put a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder, but his friend held up a hand to softly warn him off.

"It was my mistake, Remus. I thought it was the right choice, Merlin, I did," he hissed, his eyes contorting in pain. "I was the strong one, we thought. The logical target for information. They never would have gotten the location out of me. Never."

The wolf watched as his packmate slumped with his head in his hands, knowing that the words were true. Had Sirius been captured and tortured, he never would have broken. He valued their friends' lives and the life of their son far above his own.

Sirius didn't often talk about the change in plans. Whether it was because of his self flagellation for making the change or his eternal guilt in having suspected Remus the traitor, he didn't know. As it was simply too heartbreaking for either of them to talk about it, they generally just let it alone, but now Sirius' hurt was on full display to see. Raw and red and almost unbearable to watch.

"I made the catastrophical mistake to put their safety in the hands of another."

Sirius' voice was horse with emotion and regret and Remus' stomach churned with guilt of having led them both down this particular path. If he hadn't cared so much for the happiness of the small boy in the bed, he would have kept his damnably large mouth shut.

"I trusted them to someone else," he heard Sirius mutter from behind his hands. "And because I did, Harry lost his wonderful parents, lived for years in Hell with those people, and now he's stuck with me. A poor excuse for a father at times, and no excuse at all for a mother."

"Sirius," Remus rebuked, his tone a little harsher than it should have been. He got no further as the wretched man next to him straightened again, a cold wave of emotion washing over his face.

Sirius pushed back his shoulders and took the hard visage of the dangerous escaped prisoner. "Not again," he swore. "This time, he stays with me. This time I will be the one to protect him. I will not push the job onto someone else in the hopes that another will protect him as much as I can. As much as he deserves."

"A lot of people feel very protective of him, Padfoot," Remus reminded him gently.

Sirius whipped his head to glare at him. "Oh really, Remus? How's that been working out so far?"

Remus didn't have a good answer for that question. One of his eternal regrets was that he didn't insist on checking on Harry's wellbeing while he was growing up, nor after the boy arrived at Hogwarts and immediately embroiled himself in continuous life and death situations. He couldn't really chastise the other caretakers in the lives of James and Lily's small son since his own performance had been so poor.

Sirius rubbed his face again and looked decidedly middle aged. "You could always just think of it as his punishment, Remus, if it makes it easier for you. You've been quite insistent on him having those."

The soft spoken werewolf drew back physically from the words as if he had been slapped, his initial shock melting into hurt. On seeing his friend's gobsmacked expression, Sirius felt a twinge of guilt from the sharpness of his accusation.

"I'm sorry, Moony," he said sincerely. "That was monstrously unfair of me. Harry and I both deeply appreciate everything you for us." Their eyes met for a moment and the two long time friends wordlessly chose a détente over the less attractive choice of butting heads.

Remus sat back in his chair sadly shaking his head. This would only end in tears, he feared. Harry wasn't one to be locked away in an ivory tower. He'd had enough of that already.

"He'll suffocate," he predicted.

"He'll live," Sirius answered flatly. "And that's the important part."

***************HP**************

Long after Remus had taken his leave, Harry finally began to show real signs of waking up. Twisting and turning in the bed, face scrunched up as he felt the aftereffects of too many potion doses, he slowly opened his glassy green eyes and blinked at the blurry figure sitting next to the bed. The blur shifted out of his peripheral view and a second later the familiar frames of his glasses were gently settled on his nose and ears.

"Hey," he smiled, the pounding part of his brain soothed by the welcomed sight of his godfather. Sirius reached over and affectionately smoothed a wrinkle on Harry's cheek where the pillowcase had dented it from being slept on too long.

"Hey, kiddo."

Harry squirmed a little more as he tried to stretch his muscles, feeling pinpricks in his legs from lack of use. Overall he felt much better than the last time he had surfaced. The burning pain of his back was gone and he no longer felt like his face had been punched by a troll. His thoughts were quite a bit clearer, although his head ached monstrously.

"What time is it?" he asked, surprised by the rough and scratchy quality of his voice.

Frowning, Sirius poured a glass of water from the small table next to the bed. He helped Harry into a semi-sitting position and gave him the glass, keeping his own hand near in case Harry's hand faltered.

"It's just a little gone noon," he answered, taking the glass away again after Harry eagerly drained it. "You've been asleep since yesterday."

Harry grimaced and flopped back down into his pillows. The sharp movement didn't do his head any favors and he winced.

"Ugh," he moaned, pressing his hand to top of his head as if trying to contain the headache. Sirius pursed his lips but didn't fuss. Poppy had warned him that Harry's head injury would be tender for a bit. "I hate this place," his godson grumped, surveying the infirmary with distaste.

"I think you are supposed to," Sirius smirked.

He chuckled, pleased to see a return of his scowling mess of a teenager replacing the pale injured child he had painstakingly been keeping watch over. A whinging kid he could deal with. A sick one just simply ripped his guts out.

Harry was quiet for a moment, his lips pursed in concentration. He sneaked a peek at Sirius, his eyes squinting in anticipation of bad news.

"So, how badly did I do?" he asked hesitantly, knowing that his godfather probably wouldn't appreciate the reminder of why he was currently hospitalized.

Again.

Sirius's brief pause ramped up Harry's already growing unease over his failure as a champion and he huffed throwing an arm over his eyes, thoroughly disgusted with himself.

It was all for nothing.

"You're tied with Krum for first place," Sirius informed him, still sounding annoyed.

Harry threw his arm aside and gaped at his godfather whose face had morphed into a look of perfect paternal pride.

"What? Are you serious?"

Sirius lost his smile for a moment and grimaced. Merlin, did everyone have to do that to him at some point in their lives? He'd always hated that obvious play on his name. Another thing to despise his parents for.

"Yes, Harry," he sighed. "Always."

Harry winced apologetically, unable to suppress his first reactionary snicker.

"Sorry."

Quickly he beamed, however, and relaxed against the headboard, well pleased with himself, and Sirius didn't have the heart to tease him anymore. Leaning back over to the nightstand he retrieved the golden egg that Harry had risked his life to obtain.

"Your prize, Sir Champion," he announced grandly, winking as he placed it in Harry's lap.

"Brilliant," Harry gushed, his face beaming. "I was afraid I was going to be disqualified there at the end."

Sirius shook his head ruefully and shifted again in the chair. "We couldn't be that lucky," he muttered under his breath.

He ignored the glare from his godson who had heard him regardless and contented himself to watch Harry puzzle over the egg for a moment before a loud stampede seemed to take over the infirmary.

"Harry!"

Sirius turned to see an entire pride of Gryffindors pile into the room, Ron launching onto Harry's bed and bouncing. Clearly there had been too much consumption of pudding at the lunch they had just come from, the sugar high enhancing their general rowdiness.

A disapproving look from Sirius withered Ron's enthusiasm a little and his faced flushed red as he realized that Sirius was probably still sore with him over their ill fated outing from a few nights ago.

"Alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, genuine concern evident in her voice.

His godson blushed from the attention, but smiled, pleased to see his friends. He felt like it had been ages.

"Yeah, I've had worse."

"Isn't that the truth," Fred laughed. "Should be calling this the Potter Ward."

"Right you are, my brother," George agreed, nudging Ron aside to also flop on Harry's bed.

"Harry's propensity for injury is no laughing matter," Hermione scolded from where she stood with her arms crossed. Her tone and physical stance reminded Sirius so much of a teenaged Remus that his heart lurched from lingering guilt of their earlier clash.

George snorted. "Sure it is, Hermione. Everyone could use some humor now and then." His twin joined him in a laugh until they saw the frown on their Astronomy Professor's face. Sirius' worry lines and dark circles under his eyes immediately sobering them.

"His what?" Ron asked, confused. Sometimes he hated Hermione's vocabulary, except when she was helping with homework.

"We're planning a big party tonight for you, Harry," Neville said, trying to turn the conversation. Harry shot him a look of genuine gratitude. "Everyone's gathering in the Common Room after dinner to congratulate you."

With all the noise, Poppy had come sailing over to check on her patient. She shooed Ron and George off of the bed and assessed Harry's condition.

"You are coming along nicely, Mr. Potter," she decided, lowering her wand. "Assuming you agree to take it easy for the next few days, I believe I can release you into the custody of your godfather. Please do us all a favor and take him out of here." With a ruffle of skirts she was off again.

Harry whooped with joy and threw back his blanket. He tried to stand only to be overcome with a wave of dizziness.

"Perhaps just a bit slower?" Sirius scolded him as he supported Harry's weight until he was sitting again. Harry blushed and nodded, content to sit upright for a few moments until he got his bearings back.

George smacked the back of Ron's head and started heading for the door.

"Alright you lot, let's give the champion some breathing room. He'll sign all your autographs tonight at the soirée,' he teased.

"See you back at the tower, mate," Ron smiled, gently nudging Harry's shoulder.

Harry's eyes met his godfathers, green pleading against the silvery gray, apologetic but firm. Knowing that he wouldn't be allowed, he deflated and he began to fiddle with the intricate clasp of the golden egg.

"Harry is coming back to the residence with me," Sirius said in Ron's direction, keeping his attention firmly on his child.

Hermione, picking up the tension in the room, gently tugged on Ron's arm. "Come on, Ron. You heard Madam Pomfrey. Harry needs rest."

Sirius stood, lightly brushing the top of Harry's bent head. "Get dressed, so we can spring you out of here," he comforted his godson before heading towards the departing twins and pulling them aside.

Alone with his two best friends Harry gave up any visible show of cheerfulness, prompting them to bookend him on the bed. Hermione eased her hand into Harry's. Her brown eyes questioning and very concerned for him.

"It's just while you recuperate, right? I'm sure Sirius is frantic with worry about you."

Unable to face them, Harry just shook his head and absently tugged on the tog of his hoodie's zipper, the pile of clothing that Sirius had kept waiting for him now sitting in a lumpy pile on his vacant chair.

"He told me before the first Task that I had to move out of the dorm."

Ron's eyes widened but he bit back his first retort after Hermione threw him a stern glare. Harry didn't need to be upset any further than he clearly was already.

"He'll get over it mate," Ron assured him. "All parents are like that. You've seen my Mum."

Harry huffed out a little laugh knowing that it was true. Mrs. Weasley was a superpower when protective or irate.

"Don't you want to leave?"

Harry looked up and saw the teasing smile of his godfather who had rejoined them, his arrival prompting his friends to make their farewells and hurry after the others. He nodded and took Sirius' offered hand to tug him to his feet and then ducked behind the privacy screen next to his bed. Swiftly he changed clothes, discarding his infirmary pajamas as if they were infected by plague.

Dressed and more than ready to leave the antiseptic perfumed ward he allowed his godfather to snake a supportive arm around his shoulders and lead him back towards the Astronomy Tower. Even walking slowly they arrived too soon, and as Harry heard Sirius close the door of the residence behind him, he couldn't push down the uncomfortable feeling that it sounded depressing like a jail cell door.

***************HP**********

In the dankness of the dungeon, a single candle illuminated the dingy little bedroom full of cheap worn possessions that were covered in a thick layer of dirt and hair. The faithful servant of the Dark Lord smiled menacingly at the article in the Daily Prophet detailing the smashing success of Harry Potter's triumph over the First Task.

"Soon, my master. Very soon," he hissed, well pleased.

**************HP*******************

In the residence, Harry had spent the afternoon lounging on the sofa in the sitting room, his godfather fussing over him just a little too much for his taste. He didn't object too much however to the pampering and hovering, actually enjoying it a bit for a while. Upon their arrival Sirius had bundled him onto the sofa, a mound of blankets piled on top of him.

It would be December shortly and there was a definite chill in the air, but the fire in the sitting room was roaring and comfortable and Harry had happily accepted a warm mug of Honeydukes hot chocolate. Sirius joined him with a mug of his own, tucking Harry's blanketed feet onto his lap, and proceeded to give his godson all of the details of the other champions' performances. Harry sipped his chocolate as his mind whirred with the information about how talented his competitors were. Although he finished in first place, he felt very young.

While they chatted, a paper plane with the Hogwart's crest slipped itself under their door and zoomed across the room where it halted in front of Sirius and presented itself. Sirius plucked it out of the air and pressed the folds flat, quickly scanning the text.

"An official notice to the professors that we will be hosting a Yule Ball in honor of the Tournament. It's going to be announced at dinner tomorrow," he informed Harry, smiling. "Looks like you will be using your new dress robes after all, kiddo."

Harry wrinkled his nose at the prospect. Any kind of formality made him uncomfortable.

"A Ball? I don't have to go, do I?" he asked hopefully.

Sirius laughed and tossed him the paper. "As a matter of fact you do. The champions and their dates are expected to open the Ball with the first dance."

Horrified, Harry grappled at the paper and proceeded to read it for himself in the fading hope that his godfather was just taking the mickey. Seeing that it wasn't the case, he slumped against the back of the sofa.

"Can't I just face another dragon?" he begged. "I don't even know how to dance...or..or date!"

"I can teach you how to dance," Sirius promised, laughing. "All well brought up children of affluent Dark families are taught," he teased wiggling one of Harry's big toes. "And as for the date, maybe I can help too. Is there a girl, maybe? Someone you might like to ask?"

Harry immediately blushed deep red and lowered his face so Sirius knew right away that there was one. Dating pretty little witches was something that he had loads of experience with. For once, he felt on sure footing when guiding his child.

He reached over and tipped Harry's face back up. "Who is she?"

Still blushing furiously, Harry nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Cho."

"Cho Chang?" Sirius asked in surprise, quite pleased with the choice. He had the pretty little Ravenclaw in class, of course, and she had impressed him on several occasions. Plus she always seemed like a genuinely nice girl.

"Well done, Harry. Beauty, brains, talent. She's the full package," he said approvingly.

"And popular," Harry added, a little dismayed. "And probably barely knows I'm alive."

Sirius smiled at him fondly. "I highly doubt that, little one. Everyone knows who you are."

Harry winced, knowing it was true, and most of the time he hated that fact. Still, if he had to attend this stupid Ball it would be significantly less painful if he had Cho on his arm.

"She'll probably have a million guys asking her," he remarked sadly.

Sirius nodded his head in agreement. "Probably. So you better make sure that you're first. Right after dinner tomorrow, ask her before anyone else can."

If the topic hadn't been so serious, he would have laughed at the look of horror on his godson's face at the suggestion. Harry had gone completely bug eyed and was shooting him a look as if he questioned his guardian's sanity.

"I can't ask her!" he said, completely appalled. "She'll laugh in my face. In front of the whole school. No way."

Sirius shook his head in confusion. "And why would she do that?"

"Because she's...her," Harry practically squawked as his waved his hand in the general direction of Ravenclaw Tower. "And I'm..you know..me," he finished now frantically gesturing towards himself.

Sirius' face fell from the ardent declaration of his godson's self implied inadequacy. He gently grabbed the nervous waving hand and settled it onto Harry's lap.

"When are you going to start seeing yourself more clearly, Harry James?" he scolded. "Cho would be a very lucky girl to date you. Ask her. You'll probably be quite surprised by her answer. Telling you no isn't the worst thing that could happen," he advised. "The worst thing would be not asking her and then finding out that she had wanted you to."

Harry folded his arms across his chest and moped. "Okay. I'll do it. But if I get laughed at or told off, it's going to be your fault."

"I will take full responsibility," Sirius promised, laughing easily.

*************HP**************

"Harry, eat your dinner, please. You need to get your strength back."

From his seat where he had been slumped over his steak and kidney pie for the last fifteen minutes, Harry frowned at his guardian, although he did straighten up a little.

"I'm not hungry," he said morosely.

Sirius was immediately on alert, worried. "Are you feeling okay? You seemed alright all afternoon."

"I'm fine," the boy crabbed. "I just don't feel like eating."

Although he knew that Sirius was currently examining his condition with the laser focus reserved only for parents, Harry didn't care. Sometime soon, all his friends in Gryffindor Tower were going to be having a party. In his honor. That he wasn't allowed to attend. The unfairness of it made his stomach roil.

"May I be excused?" he asked, wanting nothing more than to go flop onto his bed and lick his wounds in private.

"Not until you finish at least half of your dinner," Sirius told him sternly.

Harry threw his godfather a glare, knowing that he would only get away with it because Sirius was still feeling soft about his hospitalization. However he did pick up his fork and proceed to stab at his dinner hoping to choke enough of it down to be allowed his retreat quickly.

He was only three bites in when he heard a soft knock at their door. Rising lithely from the table, Sirius answered it and Harry was genuinely surprised to see Ron, a large smile spreading across his face.

"I've finished that project you asked me to work on, Professor," Ron told Sirius. "It's in the classroom."

Sirius beamed at the boy and Harry's face fell, remembering that Ron still occasionally worked for Sirius. With Christmas fast approaching, of course his friend would be trying to earn extra money for gifts.

"I'll be right up to check on it, Ron. Thank you," Sirius answered. Ron nodded and Harry saw him sprint towards the stairs. "Harry," his godfather called. "Why don't you join me?"

Harry sighed and nodded. Anything was better than just sitting cooped up in the residence all night. And maybe he could persuade Ron to come back down and play chess for a while. He rose from the table and shuffled to the door, joining Sirius in making their way to the Astronomy classroom.

"Go on ahead in," Sirius nodded towards the door, absently checking his pocketwatch.

Assuming that Ron was already inside, Harry pushed against the heavy wood door and was immediately assaulted by loud cheers. The room that served as their classroom was packed with most of Gryffindor from what Harry could see. They were all cheering from their spaces on the floor, sitting on cushions and squashy chairs. The desks had been pushed to the side and were covered with food and butterbeer and there was a large sign saying Congratulations Harry! Gryffindor's Champion hanging on the stone wall.

Harry's face could have warmed the sun and he smiled at his godfather gratefully for allowing this. After so many weeks of being ridiculed for his place in the tournament it was so nice to see his housemates supporting him. Ron and the twins were immediately by his side, pressing a bottle of butterbeer in his hand and goodnaturedly punching his arm.

Sirius smiled and affectionately mussed his already wild hair. "The door is now charmed to let people out but not in," he said. "I'll be next door in my office, checking on you every now and then," he warned, "but I want you to have fun. You deserve this."

"Thanks," Harry said softly, his insides positively bursting with love for his godfather.

"Make sure everyone is back in time for curfew," Sirius instructed the twins. "And take it easy on him, boys. He's still not completely back on his feet."

"No worries, Professor," George promised.

"We'll look after him like our own little brother," Fred assured him.

"Anyone messes with him," George continued.

"Will learn why we're called Beaters," Fred warned, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Sirius laughed, very appreciative of the Weasley boys.

As he slowly made his way towards his office, his heart swelled with love for the boy being shepherded into the middle of the throng, his green eyes bright with happiness.

After all, it was all about Harry in the end.