A/N
Not proofread, yet again. I did, however, glance over it and run it through Grammarly. No, I don't own the property of HP.
words, 3302
3:What Are Friends For?
Some thirty minutes later, Sirius came back into the room in a foul mood, apparently. A clipboard and tray of lunch were balanced in his hands, which were shaking from silent rage. He sat the tray in front of Lily, not saying a word to her. The yogurt and fruit bowl did, however, look rather appetizing. Lily frowned, was he not eating? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him eat or sleep, and there were no signs that he had while she was unconscious.
She would be lying to herself if she were to say she hadn't started worrying about him, especially after what he told her about the Prophet that morning. Maybe Dumbledore had cleared it up. Wait, had Sirius told Professor Dumbledore what they had actually done? He must have, right? The redhead began worrying her bottom lip between her teeth unconsciously.
Sharply, he spun away from the bed, hands curled into fists by his sides. "That stupid little tramp, can't even do her bloody job right," Sirius was muttering under his breath as he moved around the room, shuffling papers and flinging things this way and that, his anger palpable in the silent air.
Lily kept her eyes down, ears perked to hear, curious of what had happened. One couldn't leave Sirius Black alone for five minutes.
"Waving her blonde hair. It's platinum, though," Sirius scoffed, "I don't like blondes," he continued, running water in the sink and washing his hands with enough force to spray droplets of water across the room.
Sirius didn't like blondes? Lily found herself in shock when remembering their Hogwarts days, he had been all over Marlene at school and Order meetings. Maybe he liked the person underneath the locks.
"I can't find your signature for," Sirius cut himself off, slamming something down on the counter beside the sink, "bloody h," he stopped, seeming to remember the small ears in the ward.
Lily wanted desperately to ask him if he was okay, but she knew that it would be a rhetorical question, probably setting him off even more.
"Open your eyes, woman," the sound of a quill forcefully scribbling on parchment filled the room, "I am. I am. I am," the sound of the quill snapping from pressure filled the room, followed by silent cursing.
Harry shifted beside his mother, his tiny hand wrapping around two of her fingers as he continued sleeping, not hearing his godfather swearing under his breath.
"I am different. I am different," Sirius chanted under his breath, continuing to scribble away with a new quill from a cabinet drawer.
Lily sighed, enough was enough. "Sirius?" She said in a surprisingly gentle voice, the tone not reflecting the pent-up emotion inside.
The scribbling stopped all of a sudden as Sirius kicked the cabinet.
"Sirius," she said more forcefully.
Slowly, Sirius turned, locks of Ebony framing his pale face perfectly, making him look like he had been carved from a 1950s vampire film with the whole hallow-eyed and gaunt cheeks going on, not that he knew what that was, of course. (Or what the author was talking about.) "Yes?" He asked, eyes downcast and hands fidgeting nervously at his sides.
Lily stared down at her yogurt, flipping the cherries around in the thick substance, and swirling it around the cup. How to ask Sirius what was wrong without him blowing his lid more? Afraid he might not think she meant— she quickly glanced up, ignoring the spinning in her head as she met those piercing grey eyes. "What happened when you left?" She asked, carefully gauging his reaction.
Sirius took a shuddering breath, bottom lip pulled between his teeth as he tensed up, the fingers of his right hand flexing by his jacket sleeve. "I was— it was nothing," he finally said, giving himself a reassuring nod.
"Tell me what happened."
He sighed audibly, "I feel as though everyone is against me."
Lily frowned over her yogurt cup at him.
Sighing, Sirius leaned back against the white cabinets separating the sink and wall from the washroom, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "First, Dumbledore acts . . . suspicious back in Godric's Hollow, like he knew what was going to happen before it even did, and something didn't go right. Then, he tries taking Harry from me, despite you— well. And now the healer at the front desk is making me redo some," he cut himself off, letting his head fall back against the cabinet door with a thud, "look, I'll continue the plan when I'm done. Just, just let me do this," he nodded to her before leaning over the parchment again
"Sirius, I'm still here," Lily reminded him softly, wishing she had the strength to get to her feet so as to be able to comfort him, "nothing is going to happen as long as Harry has us both."
A clipboard appeared under her nose. Slowly, Lily followed the arm up to his face. "I need your signature," stated Sirius coolly.
She stared, "but we did this months ago!"
Sirius scowled, "I know."
Taking the quill, Lily dropped a badly written Lily J. Potter on the bottom of the page before shoving it away. "When you get back, rest," she told him, turning towards Harry.
Sirius walked off, grumbling under his breath, "yes, mother."
Sirius awoke with a start, and it had nothing to do with the crick in his neck, or that his back felt seven times its actual age. No, he had grown used to the weird angles he ended up sleeping in back when he was an Auror and would fall asleep at the desk. The reason he woke up was because of a steady tap, tap, tap, tapping at the window.
Sirius groaned, throwing a glance over at Lily, she was sound asleep, her hair fanned out across the pillows. It was evening, judging by the pink clouds floating across the purple-blue sky with soft streaks of gold. And sitting on the windowsill, with a letter in its beak, was a Hogwarts Barn Owl, its feathers ruffled from the wind and head held high.
Sirius groaned again, getting to his feet, not wanting anything to do with the bird, but being the only one able to stand and move about. He rather hated dealing with the Hogwarts Owls, they were proud and arrogant, and he was positive they all held a special grudge against him.
Harry's bright green eyes flew open, fixing on the young wizard's movements.
Sirius opened the window, a cold gust of wind blowing in. "Come on," he said impatiently, "give me the bloody letter."
He tried pulling the brown parcel from the owl, only for it to squawk in his face and scratch him before flying inside, dropping the letter beside Lily.
"Stupid bird," muttered Sirius as the Barn Owl ruffled its feathers importantly. Flying back by him, the owl gave him a peck on the knuckles before sweeping out into the Autumn night.
"Good riddance," with a huff of irritation, Sirius slammed the window shut, causing the panes of glass to rattle.
"Sirius?"
Quickly, he turned to find Lily staring at him in confusion. "Hey," he greeted, "how are you doing?"
She gave a barely noticeable quirk of her lips, "a tad better."
Sirius nodded, "maybe we can go home tomorrow."
"Home?"
"I mean, my flat. My home."
"Oh-h!" She exclaimed silently, "I forgot."
Wondering how she could have ever forgotten, Sirius shook his head at her. "Don't let Harry fool you, he's awake," at that, the boy in mention perked up, beaming.
Lily smiled. "He's a little trickster like his," she shrugged, snatching up the letter that had been dropped on her not five minutes ago.
Sirius sat beside her, pulling Harry onto his lap and choosing to ignore the almost slip-up of James. "Who's it from? Bloody bird had it in for me," he asked, not taking his eyes off the child who had his hands in his smaller ones, trying to wave them side to side.
"Professor McGonagall. Here, this is for you," she handed him a birthday card with his name written across the front in emerald green ink.
"Yay! I get Hogwarts mail," he exclaimed, pretending to be excited and not revealing that he had forgotten about his own birthday.
"You can't open that until Thursday," replied Lily, giving him a stern look.
"Fine," mumbled Sirius, deciding to act like a child.
Lily held her hand out.
Sirius stared at it.
"Give."
"But it's mine," he whined, clutching the card to his chest.
"I don't care."
"Mean."
Lily huffed.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at her.
Faster than Sirius could react, Lily yanked the birthday card away from him. "Get me out of here," she demanded, pointing a finger in his face.
Sirius nodded.
The next day, the Mediwitch released Lily and Harry, Harry placed in the care of his godfather due to Lily recovering and Harry desperately clinging to the man for dear life. Lily had taken one look at the pair before a few tears finally managed to escape her lids, and Sirius had immediately rushed to her side and hugged her close, muttering words of nonsensical comfort in her hair, and Harry crying to be held once more.
"Th-things will-will never b-be the same again," she had sobbed into his shoulder, Sirius continuing to rub her back.
"I," Sirius' voice had become choked, "I know, Lily."
To the people that found Sirius to be an uncaring, selfish man were wrong. Maybe he had been back in school, but war changes a person, tearing them down and rebuilding them anew. Lily had once felt annoyance and disgusted towards him at one time, and now she felt safest with him. How relationships could change a view.
"You ready?" Asked Sirius, breaking through her thoughts.
Lily nodded.
When she got up, trying to stand, she found herself having to lean on Sirius for support. She looked down at her feet, "sorry."
He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "It's okay," he promised, grabbing her bag of potions as she lifted Harry from the bed where Sirius had set him.
"I . . . I need— let's go," Lily shifted the toddler in her arms, trying to find a comfortable position to carry him in.
"Here," said Sirius, looping the bag on her arm and lifting Harry under his left arm, where he preceded to climb and perch on his shoulder. "Harry," grumbled Sirius, trying to reposition him, but Harry wasn't having it.
Harry swung his arm around Sirius' neck, holding onto his other shoulder for all he was worth.
"Let's go," whispered Lily, still leaning against him for support, "before they change their minds."
Taking her arm and holding Harry by the ankles in his other hand, Sirius swept from the room, determined to leave St. Mungo's behind and not return. They headed down the hall, receiving a few strange looks, but Sirius glared until they realized they were risking their health. But it wasn't until they were on the lift that things got awkward. And Sirius wondered just how many people who didn't recognize them from the Daily Prophet thought he and Lily were married.
An elderly witch with a walking stick was leaning against the wall across from them, her murky green eyes studying them from under greying bangs. "How are you dears?" She asked in a kindly voice, a smile tugging at her lips.
Sirius blinked. "Oh, um, good. We're good," he responded automatically, shifting beside Lily.
She smiled, giving him a nod. "What's his name?" She peered closer at Harry.
On some weird instinct, Sirius flattened the bangs over the boy's scar. "Oh, um," had the woman not read the Prophet? Did she at least recognize him? "Harry," Sirius said, feeling a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Harry stared over at Sirius, spinning a strand of said godfather's hair around his finger. "His name is Harry," he said, grabbing Harry's small hand in his.
The woman's smile grew wider. "They grow up fast," she explained to Lily, giving Sirius another nod. At that moment the doors dinged open, revealing the lobby of St. Mungo's.
Sirius sighed in relief, grabbing Lily by the hand and marching her away from the lift and gathering of witches and wizards, not caring how it looked at that exact moment. As he weaved between chairs and dodged from roaring fireplaces, sickly people stumbling from the green smoke, he ducked from the flashing of cameras. Sirius hurried their pace, pushing through a group of warlocks and towards the door.
"Wait," someone cried.
"It's Sirius Black!" Exclaimed another.
Sirius pulled Lily closer as he reached for the door, ready to jump out into the streets of London.
"It's the Boy Who Lived!"
"Mr. Black."
Sirius turned at that, getting a face full of flashing light, creating dark spots to swim in his vision.
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"What happened?"
"Are you and Lily-"
"Come on," he growled, ignoring the sound of cameras clicking behind him as he ushered Lily from the Wizarding hospital, pressing his hand into her mid-back.
"Sirius, make it stop," whispered Lily by his shoulder, beginning to dig her nails into the tender underside of his forearm.
The door was elbowed open, freezing air slapping them in the face without warning, Lily's hair waving around her head.
Sirius gripped her hand tightly as he darted across the sidewalk and leapt on a curve, pulling Lily beside him. "I think it would be better to ride," he shouted over the traffic of muggles running from one shop to another, greeting friends and loved ones.
"You're probably right," Lily yelled back.
One Knight Bus and sick Harry later.
Sirius rushed inside the flat, using his wand to unlock the door and caring less and less if a muggle saw him. Lily was on his heels, dropping her bag on the counter, not looking around her surroundings as she ran after Sirius towards the washroom, somehow finding energy deep down. Mum power, Sirius would probably say later.
Sirius flicked the hall light on before pushing inside the bathroom, and making it just in time to the commode with Harry. "Well, now we know he gets motion sickness," said Sirius, rubbing the boy's back.
Lily knelt beside him, lines of worry etched across her face, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth yet again. And Sirius was tempted to reach up and pop the abused flesh from her needy teeth, but he didn't, by some unknown restraint. "He's been through a lot," she reminded him in a gentle voice, reaching over to pat Harry's back.
"We all have," replied Sirius, wiping sweat from Harry's forehead with the back of his hand.
At that moment, Lily clapped her hand to her forehead, shooting to her feet to open a random cabinet above the commode.
Sirius watched her in confusion.
"Washrag," she explained, glancing over her shoulder at him, a strand of her red hair sweeping across the front of her face.
Sirius nodded, feeling rather stupid as he pointed to a cabinet beside the one she had open. In Sirius' defense, though, he wasn't used to taking care of small children anymore, not since his brother was around eight or so. He shook his head to clear the thoughts of Regulus as he turned back to Harry, who was sitting back to watch his mother silently, with a frown plastered between his eyebrows.
Water ran from the tap in an icy rush, making Lily visibly shiver when the chill splashed on her skin. Turning, and kneeling back beside Sirius, Lily proceeded to place the cool rag on Harry's forehead and put Sirius' hand against it before rising to her feet to get another for his neck.
Sirius shifted with Harry on his lap, scooting across the floor to lean against the tub with a firm arm around the sick child, who had begun squirming in his grip.
Lily handed him a folded washcloth to press on the back of Harry's neck.
Harry sighed contentedly, closing his tired green eyes and leaning his head on Sirius' chest.
Playing with a loose string on the dark green cloth, Sirius spoke. "You can have my room, I'll take the couch," he glanced up at Lily, meeting her emerald eyes, begging her silently not to argue. And after a long moment of staring at one another hard, Lily nodded, although,not looking happy.
"Thank you, Sirius," she finally whispered.
He gave her a generous smile, "what are friends for?"
They went to Sirius' room, where Lily tucked Harry in and Sirius moved Harry not safe stuff to the closet.
When Sirius was shoving a box of knives to the back of a shelf, Lily asked the question he had been pondering. "What about Pettigrew?"
Sirius emerged from the dark space, spitting strands of hair from his mouth. "You ask great questions," he answered, snatching up a container of peppermint floss to fling high above his head, there was a soft thud as it landed somewhere in the darkness.
Lily made sure the curtains were shut, blocking all sunlight from the room.
Whipping out his wand, Sirius cast a silent charm, tearing the posters and magazine clippings from the walls before tossing them in the trash. Then, he finally gave it another wave, cleaning and tidying the room farther.
Lily faced him. "I guess we're done here?" She gestured towards the door, signaling that they should leave Harry to rest.
In the kitchen, Sirius pulled the kettle from a cupboard by the stove, before summoning two tea mugs and setting water to boil.
Lily swung up onto the bar, looking around the small area. A table sat beneath the window, with four chairs sitting around the simple oak. Where the four friends sat, probably. The floor was plain dark wood, the same as the rest of the flat, except for the washroom. Sirius stood at a small counter, drumming his fingers on the surface as he waited for the kettle to whistle.
Lily finally realized something for the first time. "Sirius, where is my wand?" She asked, fiddling with the edges of an old copy of the Prophet. "Lucius Malfoy announces the health of his one-year-old son, Draco Lucius Malfoy. And underneath the headline was a photograph of the man, hair cascading around him as he looked up through long lashes to sneer at Lily Potter.
"I don't know. It wasn't with you," the kettle went off, forcing Sirius to turn away from her.
She nodded, more tears pricking at the backs of her lids.
Sirius appeared in her line of blurry unfocused vision.
"Hey," he said, hurrying to place the mug down behind him before approaching her. Sirius didn't ask if she was okay, it would be his dumbest question ever. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her against him and gently holding her close. Maybe eventually they— she would be okay, but not today, or tomorrow. He hurt, but he couldn't imagine how she felt, losing her husband and the father of her son. Sirius sniffed, burying his face in her hair as hot tears stung his cheeks.
Maybe to those outside their grief, their closeness and developing relationship looked all messed up. But to Sirius, they were two friends with a few things in common, Harry being the top one, losing someone dear and near the other.
Screw the old witch on the lift trying to make life awkward for him. He was a grieving man and a godfather for heaven's sake.
Sirius choked on a sob, turning his head to the side to stare out the window at the fading gold and pink of the sunset.
A/N
I'm not the best at what I do, far from it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You're welcome to check out my Twitter and Tumblr. Twitter, autumnsdusk21 Tumblr, autumns-dusk
