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Sirius was tired, the relentless cold wind had already numbed his senses, his brain staunchly refusing to further process the continuous coldness surrounding him. His legs had fallen numb ages ago, the slightly uncomfortable sensation of Buckbeak's muscles underneath him had changed into a soothing rhythm that refused to let him fall asleep.

While his physical state was bone tired and had run out off of adrenaline the only reason he was able to stay away and was guiding Buckbeak in a certain direction was because he knew there was only one person who could help him now, only one person who was clever enough, with just the right amount of Black madness needed to help him pull off the slightly deranged plan he had the rudimentary formings on in his mind. There was only one person he could trust who had the connections, the power, the cunning he needed to pull off this plan. The one person who had warned him before he had made the biggest mistake of his life, and he had refused to listen. Frustrated he closed his eyes against the onslaught of memories, of rage, of regret. Now was not the time. Right now, he needed to make sure he reached his destination instead of plummeting to his death.

After what felt like a week of flying instead of the 6-hour flight, Sirius finally located his destination and bent low over the hippogriff's neck, urging him downwards.

As he crossed the wards of the property, he felt the Black family magic washing over him, the magic pulsing with strength and ruthlessness and as much as he hated it familiarity.

Buckbeak settled onto the immaculate sprawling lawns, stopping and bending a little to let Sirius down, his legs cried out in pain and relief as he settled down onto the ground his trembling legs criss-crossed beneath him. He reached out with slightly trembling hands to stroke Buckbeak's feathers as he heard slight footfalls behind him, alerting him to the presence of someone behind him. He paid the person no mind as he continued to stroke the hippogriff, relief surging through him. He was here. He was here and he was safe.

The footsteps continued before stopping a few feet away from him, he tensed slightly as the other person too stood still, letting the sounds of nature fill the silence between them.

After what felt like forever, a low chuckle escaped the lips of the host of the house. A bit of the tension in his body left him as Sirius stopped petting the great beast and stood up turning around slowly.

The woman in front of him was as unchanged as ever, her rich brown hair tumbling freely in the wind. She hadn't inherited the famous Black grey eyes but had startling violet ones. Apart from that, she looked every inch the black she was, from the shape of her eyes to the set of her jaw to the casual arrogance that seemed to exude from her and that used to exude from Sirius before Azkaban.

"Sirius Black! As I live and breathe!" She remarked with a wide grin that was just the right side of insane.

"You don't look too scared of a mass murderer suddenly showing up in your backyard." Sirius croaked before wincing, all that sudden shouting after not using his voice properly for years had left its impact on him.

The woman shrugged delicately, "I always knew you would get out one way or another. Besides, even if you had done all those things who am I to judge?" She asked.

Sirius just narrowed his eyes slightly, again at a loss at her uncanny ability to put him speechless and at ease all at once.

Just as suddenly as the wind blew, her whole demeanour shifted as concern flowed through her eyes.

"I did try you know? To find out what had happened, but no one would answer me, all they said was that you were the traitor, and Remus was so entrenched in his guilt, that he wouldn't even see me. When I tried to ask the Wizengemot about an appeal they all but laughed me out of court."

Remorse and guilt flowed through her voice, warming Sirius's heart, knowing that his cousin had gone out of her way to ignore her instincts and still try to get him a trial. She had never failed when she followed her instincts, and she had never done anything without them.

"Well, maybe you could tell if those same instincts of yours are telling you what I should do now?" He said trying but failing to smile if her wince was anything to go by.

A mischievous smirk made its way onto her face as she bounded over to him, slipping her arm through his and leading him inside.

"Well Cousin dear, guess what? I just had the strangest urge the other day to buy this charming little house in Little Whining, Surrey. Care to accompany me to it? After a thorough bath of course."

She added as an afterthought, wrinkling her nose.

"Why my dear Astrid, I would be delighted," Sirius replied, some of his youthful prankster peeking through.

Harry tried and failed to keep his grin off of his face, the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face as he revealed that the mass murderer Sirius Black was his godfather a constant beacon of such happiness that he was sure he could produce a thousand Patronuses at that moment. The ride to the house passed in silence, pulling up to the house, his joy diminished as he realized that if that rat had been caught, he wouldn't have had to come back here if Sirius had been freed he could have been spending the holiday with his godfather. The various what-ifs roamed his mind as a lump formed in his throat. Pushing down the wave of self-pity and loathing for the universe Harry forced his eyes to focus outside, curiosity blooming on his face as he noticed a very new and shiny car in No.5 Privet Drive along with several moving trucks.

He couldn't tell which model it was, but the approving and slightly jealous glance Vernon gave the car as they walked in showed that it was someone very rich who his family would suck up to.

Great. Another family who would see him as nothing more than a good-for-nothing delinquent. A prick of irritation welled up in him at this thought, but he smothered it down.

He dragged his trunk and cage behind him as the slight mutterings of his Uncle reached his ears.

Just as they entered the house, he wished he hadn't. His Aunt came flying at his Uncle, her usually high-pitched voice even higher.

"Vernon! Vernon! You will never believe who moved in next door!" Her harpy-like screeches drilled into Harry's ears, making him wince and wish he could do something to stop it. He dragged his feet across the floor, as much as he wished to be up in his room, his need to learn of their neighbour who made his aunt screech in excitement won over.

His Uncle looked bewildered at this out-of-control behavior of his usually well-behaved, docile wife.

"Now, now, calm down Pet. Who is this new neighbour who has had you in such a tizzy?" He stated gruffly trying to calm her.

"The Grises'!"

Comprehension dawned on his face as an ecstatic look overtook his face, making his already walrus-like face seem more, well like walrus-like.

"The couple who bought the highest stock in my company last quarter!" his booming voice spit out. This was finally too much for Harry, who fearing for his ears and relieved that they didn't bother him much sped into his bedroom.

He was careful to lock the door behind him before letting Hedwig out. Harry perched on the windowsill, watching as Hedwig soared into the night, letting his thoughts wander to his Godfather and wondering where he was and if he was okay, and almost as if materializing by his thoughts, Harry caught sight of the huge grim like dog right over the fence in his new neighbor's backyard!

Falling over himself in a haste to get a better look, Harry fell to the floor, his glasses sliding off his face.

He hastily pushed himself off of the ground, his eyes and nose pressed up against the glass as his heartbeat increased in anticipation.

The small curl of hope that had flared in him, died away as he realized Sirius wouldn't be here, it would be too dangerous for him.

Berating himself for his selfish thoughts, Harry pushed away from the window and went to lie down on the bed, swallowing the bitter pill that somehow his life would always be the same.