"Brumous"

"Chapter Sixty-One: Padfoot and Prongs"

Sirius felt a wide smile spread across his face as the warm sun beat down on him. He sat in the sand on the beach in Agde, feeling light and happy as he watched Harry build a sandcastle with a couple of buckets. The small child of around six pouted when he lifted the yellow castle bucket to have the peeks crumble. Tears brimmed his big green eyes, fogging up the corners of his glasses. Sirius reached out a hand, grabbing his godson by his wrist and tugging him closer.

"Hey, come here, kid, it's all right," Sirius said in a soothing voice, pulling Harry onto his lap. "I'll help you, all right?" he assured him, running his fingers through the kid's sand-coated locks before pressing a kiss onto his forehead. "We need some water to help the sand stick together."

The kid snuggled against Sirius' bare chest. Sirius only held his godson tightly, not wanting to ever let him go. He was so little, so innocent, so bloody perfect. Sirius' heart ached in his chest at the very thought that Harry was upset. It was Sirius' job to protect him and make sure he never felt a speck of hurt, disappointment, or pain. The line between godfather and father blurred as every single day he loved the kid more than the last.

"Can we have fish too?" Harry asked in a small and squeaky voice, looking up at him. "I like the fish."

Sirius grinned. "Of course, we can conjure some fish. Do you want to put the fish in the middle of the sandcastle?"

"Yeah!" Harry exclaimed, the tears disappearing from his eyes.

Sirius felt at peace, knowing he had fixed what was wrong. "Here, give me your glasses. I'll clean them."

Harry handed over his glasses. Sirius grabbed a cloth from the beach bag next to him. He carefully cleaned the lenses as Harry waited patiently. Once finished, he slid the glasses back onto Harry's face and grinned at him.

"Sirius!" a voice called.

Sirius turned his attention to his right to see a very pregnant Marlene walking towards him with a small little girl with black pigtails on her hip. They both had coverups on over their swimsuits. Sirius could only smile broadly. He had everything he had ever wanted. Married to Marlene, children with her, and custody of their godson. It was perfect. Utterly perfect. Sirius didn't know what he did to become so lucky in life.

"Build a sandcastle with me, Daddy," Harry said in his childish voice, his chin tilting up to look at Sirius and giving him a smile with his front tooth missing. "I wanna see the fishies!"

Sirius obliged, allowing Harry to scoot off his lap. Marlene sat down with their daughter, plopping her next to Sirius. He reached out to brush a strand of dark hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear, his chest bursting with affection.

"Padfoot," James' voice echoed in his head.

Sirius froze at the familiar voice. His eyes flickered over to Harry. The child had called him 'daddy' and Sirius hadn't even bat an eyelid. For a moment, he had forgotten James had ever existed, which seemed wrong and terrible. Not to mention ridiculous. How had he forgotten James existed? Sirius' brows furrowed as he watched Harry grow from a child to a teenager in a matter of seconds. His body collapsed into the sand, still and pale. The lightning bolt scar bright red on his forehead.

"Harry?" Sirius whispered, his head turning to tell Marlene to call the Mediwitches but she was gone. So was the little girl.

"Pads, you need to listen to me."

Sirius snapped his attention up to see James standing before him, looking grave. He crouched down to Sirius' level and forced a smile on his lips.

"This is a dream," James explained, his eyebrows raising above his glasses. "I know it's a pleasant dream. It's what your life should have been if Marlene had not been at her father's birthday dinner that night. You would have had this. Harry and the daughters and the whole countryside cottage dream you've always had but refused to admit to anyone. You, out of everyone I know, deserved this happiness. I'm sorry you never got it."

Sirius screwed his eyes shut, willing himself to wake the fuck up. "Go away."

"I have Harry," James pressed. "Voldemort has dragged him between the cracks. I'm worried he'll figure out about the Horcrux in Harry's scar if he's there too long. I can only assume he was able to slip through because of Horcrux."

For a moment, Sirius forgot how to breathe. His eyes snapped open, his eyes searching James' grave face. Harry. Harry wasn't six. He was sixteen. He was unconscious and nothing was working to wake him up. Reality suddenly crashed into him. He glanced at the still form of Harry in the sand.

"What do you mean Harry's between the cracks?" Sirius croaked.

James jerked his head back. "You believe me? Here I was with a grand plan on how to convince you I've been trying to talk to you for bloody years. What's the point of being Voldemort's spawn if you don't even appreciate the gift of being able to talk to your best mate even in death?" he said, shooting Sirius a lopsided grin.

"You told me to check the time," Sirius insisted.

That had been real. It was what allowed him to find Harry before anything else awful could happen to the kid. That wasn't just a coincidence or his mind playing tricks on him. He had come to realize that James had actually come to him. It was a thought that had lingered as he sat by Harry's bedside all evening.

James nodded, settling down on the sand in front of Sirius. "I did. While I am happy you and Marlene are officially reacquainted, I would have preferred not to see my cousin naked and having sex with you. It was a tad bit traumatizing, but I had a pretty good reason to interrupt."

Sirius licked his bottom lip. "How is Harry?"

"He's scared," James replied with a frown. "He's really scared and confused. He asked for you."

Sirius buried his head in his hands, trying to regulate his breathing.

"I'm not upset that you see him as a son," James added in a sad voice. "You're more of a father to him than I ever was. Don't feel guilty for being called dad in some dream."

Sirius' hands dropped from his face as he turned his attention to James. "That's not true. You were a really great dad."

James smiled tightly. "Maybe, but Harry doesn't remember any of it. He remembers you and everything you've done for him. He sees you as his dad now, not me. You're just fulfilling your promise to me. You're the only one I could stomach being Harry's dad if I couldn't."

Tears burned Sirius' eyes. James' icy hand pressed against Sirius' neck.

"Voldemort is attacking his mind," James explained, his fingers coiling around the back of Sirius' neck. "Dad and I showed up just in time to get him away. I don't know if he can be injured or, or…" he trailed off, biting his lip and dropping his hand useless into his lap.

"We can't wake him," Sirius explained, his brows tugging together. "Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore both tried. I tried. Nothing is working."

"He was poisoned," James explained.

Sirius nodded numbly. "That's what we figured. Madam Pomfrey is running some spells on his blood so we can see what's in his system."

"Dad wants to talk to you once you have the results back," James said, his eyes searching Sirius' face. "He thinks he can work with you to brew an antidote."

Sirius sucked in a breath. He was pants at Potions. By far his worst subject while at school. Sirius had found it boring just standing in front of a bloody cauldron. He had liked using actual magic, conjuring and transfiguring and ruddy dueling. He didn't have the patience it took to brew a potion. There was no way he'd feel comfortable enough brewing it by himself. He'd have to pull Andromeda in and tell her about his little ghost visits.

"I'll pull Andy in," Sirius concluded, his hand carding through his hair. "I wouldn't risk brewing anything myself and giving it to Harry."

James nodded. The silence stretched between them. Sirius took the opportunity to really look at James. It had been something he had avoided, trying to pretend that he didn't exist. James looked exactly like he had at twenty-one. He looked so bloody young. He looked like Harry from the wild hair to the thin lips to the jaw line. Looking at James now seemed wrong. Like he was wrong. He was Harry except for a few small differences.

"You're taking this rather well," James said with a frown. "I mean, I asked Harry to tell me something nobody knows but him that you could fact check to prove to you this was real. I'm thinking I should tell you in case you wake up and think this was a just a dream. I know you, Pads. You could be the king of denial when you want to be."

Sirius' face pulled. "What did he say?"

James sighed. "You have to promise me that you won't freak out."

Sirius' eyebrows raised. "What the fuck did he tell you?"

Sirius wasn't really in the fucking mood.

"That the Dursleys used to punish him by locking him in the cupboard under the stairs and he carved his name in one of the steps when he was locked in there once. He thinks it's the fourth step up," James explained. "But, Pads, we watched over him. It wasn't used as a punishment tool. That was where they kept him. He'd be locked in there for hours, denied basic necessities for made up indiscretions. He didn't have a bedroom until he started Hogwarts."

All of the air left Sirius' lungs. His muscles tensed. He'd murder them. He'd fucking torture them, making them beg for mercy. Harry had been a child. A fucking child locked away and forgotten about in a cupboard. No wonder Harry had a hard time trusting people. It made sense why Harry had been worried Sirius would get sick of him and cast him aside for so long. Every time he found out something new about Harry's childhood, Sirius only wanted to scream. It just kept getting worse and worse and fucking worse.

"Do not go there alone," James warned. "Take Andy with you so you keep your head. Murder is not on the table."

"Like hell it isn't!" Sirius seethed through clenched teeth.

James reached out, pressing his icy hand over Sirius'. "Harry needs you more than he needs you to get revenge for him. They're awful people, Sirius. I get it. I hate them. But they'll get theirs eventually," he assured him. "Harry would be devastated if you were arrested and the two of you were separated again. He's finally starting to heal. That's all thanks to you."

Sirius' face pulled as he attempted to keep his emotions at bay. Harry shouldn't have had to heal in the first place.

"You're his Fleamont," James insisted. "You are everything to him that Dad was to you, Padfoot."

Sirius' lips pulled back, his teeth bearing. "Stop calling me that. I hate when you call me that. We're not fucking fifteen anymore."

James frowned. "Peter doesn't get to take that away from us. He's taken too much already," he said in a sad tone. "I don't know what happened. I don't understand it. Peter was my friend. He was my brother."

Sirius only shook his head. He had no idea where everything had gone wrong. While Sirius and Peter hadn't been the closest ever, Peter and James were close. James was the Sticking Charm that kept their friendship group together, refusing to let them break off into factions. Sirius hadn't really cared either way. Peter irritated him. Remus annoyed him with his woe-is-me personality. But he thought of them as brothers because James thought of them all as brothers. Sirius would have died for any of them, despite his frustrations with Peter and Remus.

But now he wouldn't. Peter needed to just fucking die. Despite his friendship with Remus being stronger than it had ever been, Sirius wouldn't die for him anymore. Sirius wouldn't die for anyone except for his godson and Marlene.

"You can use the snakes to contact us, Sirius," James explained. "It's how Voldemort is doing it as well. The more snakes, the easier it is to slip through at will."

Sirius hated the fucking thought of that. He wanted to use only Fluffernoodle. He had done it before with Fluffernoodle, hadn't he? He had slipped through the cracks.

"I'll try after I speak with Madam Pomfrey," Sirius promised. "If I can't do it…"

"I'll come to you in your dreams," James assured him. "It's easier to hold on in a dream than it is when you're awake."

Sirius rubbed his fingers across his jaw. He couldn't believe he was actually trusting that this was real. It seemed surreal after denying it for so long.

"I'm sorry, James," Sirius croaked, his voice cracking at his best mate's name. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm even more sorry that I didn't take Harry and run that night."

"I know," James whispered, tears brimming his eyes. "I know you are. Everything you did, you did to try to protect us. I don't hold anything against you. You need to know that Harry doesn't either. None of us do," he said in a fierce tone. "Sometimes, I think, simple is better. I only say that in hindsight, mate. Simplify it."

Sirius' eyes searched James' face. "What do you mean by simplify it?"

"Voldemort's greatest weakness is that he doesn't understand the power of love," James explained. "It's what defeated Voldemort before. It's what will defeat him again. Destroy the Horcuxes and let the power of love defeat him."

That was the stupidest thing Sirius had ever heard, though it wasn't the first time he had been told that.

"Look at your love for him, Sirius," James added. "You would burn down a village of innocent people if it meant you could keep Harry safe. You would have done the same for me, for Lily. You have embraced Dad's mantra of blood is merely a suggestion for family with your entire heart. You have built the family you want. Not by blood. But by love. Lily's love for Harry protected him against the Killing Curse. That's how bloody powerful love is."

Sirius swallowed. James wasn't wrong. Despite everything that Harry had been through, his ability to love astonished Sirius. The kid loved with his entire heart. There wasn't anything Sirius wouldn't do for the kid.

"Think on it, Sirius."

With a jolt, Sirius' body snapped upward. His heart raced as he looked around the infirmary at Hogwarts. Harry still laid motionless in the hospital bed. Marlene sat curled up in a chair sleeping. The sun had only just started to poke through the windows.

Sirius stared at Harry. The kid was still pale, his features so ashen that they made the couple of faint freckles on his cheeks stand out. A soft stubble trailed down his jawline, looking patchy. Reaching out a hand, Sirius' trailed his finger down Harry's red scar. It was hot and throbbing. Sirius felt sick to his stomach as he thought about Harry slipping through the cracks. He could only imagine how scared the kid was.

Curled up by the kid's neck was Fluffernoodle. His little head laid on Harry's collarbone. The snake looked over at Sirius. He vaguely wondered where Harry's damn snake was. Maybe it was still trailing the baby Death Eaters. Fucking load of good that fucker did following Malfoy if Cepheus had been stunned and Harry poisoned. Fluffernoodle wasn't that incompetent.

Sirius rubbed his finger on top of Fluffernoodle's head. "Stay with him, Fluff."

For the first time since he had brought Harry to the infirmary, he rose from his seat. Running his hand through his hair, he snagged the map and his mirror from the bedside table. He stuffed them in his back pocket before he headed out of the infirmary. This was his chance to finally find out if he was bloody well crazy or if he really did possess some weird Gaunt family trait. He just had to remind himself not to kill anyone in the heat of the moment. He'd get his revenge though. He'd just have to be methodical about it and make sure nothing could be traced back to him.

The cold air licked Sirius' bear arms. He only wore a t-shirt, not bothering to grab his jacket from Marlene's living quarters. As soon as he crossed the gates, Sirius Apparated to Little Whinging. The walk to Number Four Privet Drive was too familiar for Sirius' liking. He hated fucking Surrey. Glancing down at his watch, he figured the Dursleys would still be sleeping. Perfect.

Letting himself into the Dursley's home, Sirius saw the cupboard under the stairs immediately. He made his way towards it, not bothering to make sure he was quiet. He didn't really fucking care if he woke up the entire bloody house. He crouched down and opened the door to see it mainly empty except for some cleaning supplies. Laying down on the floor, with his head in the cupboard, he looked up at the stairs. He cast Lumos and inspected the wood. On the fourth step up, in shaky and childish writing, was the name Harry.

Sirius' entire body felt hollow as he reached up his trembling right hand towards the name. His fingers traced the letters as a pain throbbed in the back of his throat. Fuck being methodical. He could kill them right now in their sleep. He was definitely in the right mindset to cast some Unforgivable Curses.

"Leave, Sirius," the warm voice of Fleamont filled his head. "Harry needs you. Harry is asking for you."

Chest heaving, Sirius pulled his body out from the cupboard. He glanced around the entryway for Fleamont but didn't see him. Nobody was there. All he could hear was his ragged breathing. His gaze slowly glided to the staircase where he knew Petunia and Vernon were sleeping. They had hurt Harry. They hurt his godson. The boy he considered to be his son.

It was a fucking house of horrors. No better than Grimmauld Place. A jail that no child should suffer to in.

Sirius' limbs shook as he stared at that fucking cupboard. Had Harry been kept in there from day one? He could imagine his tiny fifteen-month-old godson crying to be let out, his little fists hitting against the door. They had ignored him, or maybe they hit him until he stopped. Sirius didn't want to think what they had done to him while Sirius had shouted at ghosts in Azkaban.

Sirius couldn't understand how anyone could hurt a child, let alone Harry. The kid was kind and funny and smart. He's the type of kid who would give someone the shirt off his back if they needed it. The Dursleys had only shunned him, abused him, neglected him. A cupboard. Sirius couldn't get over the fucking cupboard.

His chest burned as he continued to stare at the cupboard. He raked his hands through his hair as he tried to control his breathing. Suddenly, the cupboard burst into flames. Sirius stumbled back, his brow furrowing as the door became a wall of flames. His entire body shook, not quiet believing what had happened. He hadn't performed accidental magic since before Hogwarts.

His breaths came out in harsh huffs as the flames engulfed the entire staircase. He stared at it mesmerized. Burning to death seemed like a fitting punishment for the Dursleys after the way they terrorized Harry for years on end. But there was a stab of nausea that shot through him

If he let them die, then he was no better than Voldemort. Killing Muggles in a horrific manner. It wasn't in self-defense like Malfoy or Nott. No, it was for his sick pleasure. That made him feel too close to Voldemort for his comfort. But he had zero interest in saving their sorry arses.

A beeping sounded in the house. They'd be awake soon enough. Sirius could let them die or save them.

"Fuck," Sirius hissed. "I can't fucking believe…"

Sirius tugged his wand from his back pocket and pointed it at the stairs. He didn't want to save them. He really fucking didn't. They deserved to die. They deserved to burn to death for what they did to his godson. The sound of scrambling could be heard above him.

A hand touched his shoulder. "You're better than this, Sirius," Fleamont's calming voice filtered in through his ears. "Harry wouldn't want you to kill them."

Sirius knew that. Harry was a good person. Thoughts of him wanting to spare Peter floated to the forefront of his mind. He couldn't let Harry down. Wouldn't. So, with a flick of his wrist, water jetted out of his wand and the flames started to die down. The stairs were gone though, including the step that bore Harry's name. There was just a gaping hole. Vernon and Petunia appeared at the top of the stairs, their mouths hanging open as they stared at Sirius.

"What in the devil!" Vernon exclaimed with crazed eyes.

Sirius' chest heaved. "You locked him in a cupboard," he said in a dangerously low voice. "You locked him in a fucking cupboard?" he shouted, his throat aching. "What is wrong with you?"

"We never wanted him!" Petunia shrieked.

"Nobody wanted him!" Vernon sneered.

"I wanted him!" Sirius hollered, his grip tightening around his wand. "Tell anyone about this and I'll make sure I burn down more than that fucking jail cell you kept my godson in!"

"What about our stairs?" Vernon exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the lack of stairs.

Sirius sneered. "Consider it a small inconvenience for the abuse my godson suffered at your hands," he said, taking a step closer to the stairs. "There are ways to retrieve memories, Dursley. I can pluck plenty of examples of abuse out of Harry's head and give them to our Ministry. Being at the mercy of the Ministry of Magic? Good fucking luck. They don't give trials and they're definitely not fair. I suffered twelve years in prison with Dementors because the Ministry couldn't be fucking bothered to hold a trial. You do not want to mess with me, because I will make your life a living hell."

The Dursleys visibly paled. It wasn't the revenge Sirius wanted. But he knew he had to leave the house before he did something he'd regret. It was taking everything he had in him to control himself so he didn't have another outburst of magic. It took every ounce of self-control he had to leave the house without hurting the Dursleys, because he wanted to lock them in a fucking cupboard and starve them more than anything. An eye for an eye. Sirius always liked that kind of justice.

Ginny made sure she was awake shortly before curfew was to end. She got ready quickly for the day before bolting down the staircase. Standing by the portrait hole was Ron. When he saw her, he kicked off the wall and walked towards her.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked, glancing down at his watch. "In two minutes?"

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "You really think they'll stop us for leaving two minutes early?"

Ron shrugged. "I'll risk the detention if you want."

Ginny looked at him like that was a dumb fucking question. Of course, they would risk it. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed Ron by the wrist and tugged him towards the portrait hole. Upon exiting, no one was outside. Ginny didn't bother to look around for anyone either before her and Ron dashed down the corridor just in case.

Even when curfew officially passed, they didn't stop running. Ginny wanted to make it to the infirmary as soon as she could. Ron didn't seem to mind at all either by the pace they kept. By the time they reached the hospital room, Ginny was slightly out of breath she pushed open the door.

She saw Sirius first. He sat in a chair next to a hospital bed, his back to her. Ginny walked deeper into the room, trying to catch sight of Harry in the bed. Sirius must have heard them because he turned around to look at them for a few seconds. He offered her a tight smile before he turned back around.

Ginny stopped next to Sirius and pressed both of her hands to her mouth as a strangled sob sounded in her throat. Harry's pallid face shone brightly against the green quilt draped across him. He wasn't moving. Not even a twitch in his eyelid. Nothing. Ron stepped up to the foot of the bed, his fingers coiling around the footboard as his pale face stared at Harry.

Sirius rose from his seat and touched Ginny's arm. "Hey, it'll be all right. We're going to help him."

Ginny dove at Sirius, wrapping her arms around his chest and pressing herself close to him. Sirius reciprocated, holding her tightly against him. His fingers laced through her hair and held the back of her head steady against his chest.

"Do you know who did this to him?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.

"I have my guesses, but we don't know for sure," Sirius replied.

Ron nodded. "We wanted to come last night but Marlene wouldn't allow us to."

"We're fairly certain the attack was by a student or a group of students," Sirius explained. "But we didn't know for sure. The professors and Aurors combed the castle last night for any sign of entry."

Ginny pulled away from Sirius, her hand angrily wiping at her face. "She could have escorted us here herself."

Sirius nodded, his hands sliding into his pockets. "She doesn't know you like I know you."

"Then why didn't you come get us?" Ginny demanded to know.

Sirius only stared at her with dull eyes. "I wasn't leaving Harry's side. Honestly, after Marlene described your response, I assumed you'd find your own way here. I suppose you couldn't?"

Ginny's jaw tightened. "She placed guards outside of the portrait hole. Ron heard her talking to McGonagall right outside the common room."

"She was just trying to protect you two," Sirius reasoned, though Ginny could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"I don't need protecting," Ginny retorted, her head shaking.

"You're fifteen years old, Gin," Sirius said in a tired voice.

"Don't call me that!" Ginny snapped.

Sirius' jaw tightened. "All right, Ginger Snaps, listen to me. We are at bloody war and there are enemies within the castle!"

Ginny's face tightened as she stared up at Sirius. She had never wanted to hex him more. Who the hell did he think he was?

"You want to cut out the crap nicknames?" Ginny seethed, her arms crossing over her chest.

Sirius arched an eyebrow at her. "Since I've heard Harry call you Gin more times than I can bloody well count, I'm assuming the only crap nickname is Ginger Snaps?" he asked as he sank down into his chair. "I thought it was rather fitting."

"You're a wanker," Ginny retorted, trying to calm her spiking anger.

Sirius squinted up at her. "Somehow, I thought your insults would be more creative," he said, waving a dismissive hand between them. "Anyway, take all your anger and frustration out on me. I promise you, you won't hurt my feelings and I won't hold a grudge. There's nothing you can say that I haven't already heard from Walburga. If I was in your shoes, I'd be cursing people out left and right too."

Her anger receded just a tad. She didn't want to be nasty like Walburga Black, that was for damn sure. Ginny huffed and took the seat next to Sirius. She tried to keep her tears at bay. Letting out a long shaky breath, she stared at Harry's face. He looked different without glasses on, reminding her of all the nights they spent together in bed. Her heart ached to touch him, to hold his hand, something. But she fought her urges with Sirius and Ron in the room.

"We're waiting for blood results," Sirius supplied. "We need to know what's in his system if we have any hopes of finding an antidote."

"He was poisoned then?" Ron asked.

"That's the general consensus," Sirius replied in a dry tone, his head tilting back so he could look at the ceiling.

Ron nodded, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he maintained of the footboard. "At least he's here, yeah? I mean, they could have taken him out of the castle."

"I don't think they would have been able to," Sirius replied. "The castle is swarming with Aurors and Order members."

Ginny's brows knitted together. "Then what was the point of this?"

Sirius cleared his throat, his chin tilting down to look at her. "The point was to make his mind vulnerable to attack by not allowing him to wake up and potentially making it harder for him to implement his Occlumency skills."

Ginny's stomach plummeted. Her eyes snapped to the bright red scar on Harry's forehead. The thought of his mind being invaded for potentially the past… Merlin, twelve hours was frightening. Did Harry even understand what was happening to him? Did he know he was dreaming? Did he think he was awake and trapped?

"Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know what to do to help him besides entering his mind myself."

Ginny blinked. "Can you do that?"

Sirius scratched his chin with his thumb nail. "I've been working out the logistics in my head."

Ginny had no idea what that even meant. The thought of Sirius being able to communicate with Harry would ease some of her fears. Maybe he could wake him up by talking to him. Her attention pulled back to Harry. Her nose wrinkled when she noticed the little green head of Fluffernoodle poking out from Harry's shirt.

With a sigh, Sirius rose from his chair. He looked between Ron and Ginny.

"Can you stay with him? I need the loo," Sirius asked.

"Yeah, mate, of course," Ron replied back automatically.

Ginny only nodded as Sirius muttered his thanks before sliding past her. Without thinking about it, she moved over to Sirius' chair so she could sit closer to Harry. She leaned forward, her fingers brushing along the back of his icy hand. Harry had always been so warm, like a little Heating Charm when he wrapped his arms around her. It was odd to feel him run so cold.

"I can't bloody well stand this," Ron announced, dragging his hands through his hair. "I should have been there to have Harry's back. I should ruddy well quit the stupid prefect position."

"Harry wouldn't want you to do that," Ginny argued, her fingers wrapping around his hand.

"What was he even thinking going off alone with Cepheus?" Ron continued his rant, ignoring that she even spoke. "Nice bloke and all but I wouldn't want him to be my second in a duel!"

"None of this is Cepheus' fault," Ginny reasoned, her head shaking.

Cepheus had enough problems and guilt to begin with. He didn't need to pile this on as well.

"I'm not saying that it is, Ginny!" Ron protested as he started to pace in front of Harry's bed. "Sirius said before that they used to all have code words during the first war. We should do that from here on out!" Ron snapped his fingers. "We could have code names. I'll be Roly-Poly because I love me some jam roly-polys."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Could you be any more embarrassing, Ron?"

"Ah, we can code name you Pain-in-the-Arse!" Ron retorted.

Ginny shot him a nasty look.

"Or we can take Sirius' name and call you Ginger Snaps," Ron suggested with a grin. "Harry could be Fleamont after his grandfather. Ginger Snaps and Fleamont, what a pair."

"Just stop, Ron, please," Ginny begged him, because she really didn't know how much longer she could listen to him talk.

Ron sank down into the seat that she had vacated. He clasped his hands in his lap, his face sobering.

"Harry will be all right," Ron said in far too serious of a tone for him. "He's made of some pretty tough shit."

Ginny couldn't agree with that more. Harry had been through the ringer in life and had always come out on top. She had to hold out hope that his luck hadn't run out yet because she wasn't ready to lose him. She didn't even know if she could.

Harry had found himself in some pretty unbelievable circumstances over the years. But sitting next to his dead mother in some limbo dreamscape was an entirely new kind of weird. He wanted to enjoy it, because he'd never have this opportunity again… but he just couldn't. Not with the way his grandfather paced in front of the door and window, peeking outside every twenty or so seconds. Not with the way his grandmother wrung her hands as her gaze flickered between Fleamont and him. Not with the way his mother forced a fake smile on her lips to try to keep everyone calm.

Harry stared at his hands in his lap. Truth be told, Harry had believed everything the instant he heard it. Now, he couldn't help but wonder if he was going insane. He suddenly understood why his godfather was so hesitant to believe it. It seemed too good to be true. How was it even possible that he had been dragged through the cracks? He had no Gaunt blood. Not like Sirius and Voldemort.

Swallowing, Harry thought about his scar. Harry had tried to deny it for a while now. He dismissed it out of fear. But he knew what it was. Somehow, someway, it must be a Horcrux. A bit of Voldemort's soul that had slithered its way into his forehead the night his parents died. It was the only explanation that made sense, especially given Sirius' reactions lately.

Essence. Soul. Horcrux. It was all the same thing but just a different name. Essence just packaged nicer with a big pretty bow.

"I can't even begin to tell you how upset it makes me that Sirius and Marlene weren't able to raise you," Lily said with a sniff, the hand wiping at her face. "You would have been so happy with them. They love you as much as James and I love you. I don't think either one of us could have predicted the outcome of your lives in a million years."

Harry glanced down at his hands. His mother sat so close to him that their shoulders were touching. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have had a fantastic childhood with Sirius and Marlene. But Harry didn't want to think about something what could never be. He'd never get a childhood with his godparents just like he'd never get a childhood with his parents. There was no going back in time. Instead, he wanted to seize the opportunity he had with his mother to answer a question that had been plaguing his mind for ages.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked in a soft tone, his head turning to look at his mother once more.

Lily beamed. "Anything. Always."

Harry's brows knitted together. "I saw a Pensieve of you and Dad last year."

Lily's smile fell from her face, her body stiffening. "I know."

"You acted like you hated him," Harry whispered, casting a quick glance at his grandparents to ensure they didn't hear.

Lily sucked in a breath. "I didn't."

"That's what Sirius said," Harry replied, his eyes squinting behind his glasses at her.

"I had liked James for a while," Lily explained. "He was handsome and funny. He could be extremely kind when he wanted to be. He was intelligent. He was also incredibly confident which could come off as very arrogant sometimes. The one thing your dad hates the most is the dark arts. He has no tolerance for it. He had a tendency to sometimes be cruel to people he deemed cruel, people who liked the dark arts."

"Like Snape," Harry said, not intending it to be a question.

Lily sighed. "James and Sev never liked each other."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "Sev?"

"Sirius and Sev never liked each other either," Lily added.

"Wait, can we backtrack for a second?" Harry interrupted, his head shaking. "You called Snape Sev?"

"Harry, that's not the point of this conversation," Lily replied, his lips twitching. "My point is, teenage boys have the tendency to be immature and annoying. Unfortunately, as much as I liked your dad, his immaturity turned me off sometimes. When he grew up a bit, I was more than willing to go out with him."

Harry supposed that made him feel a bit better about his dad. Honestly, Harry had seen firsthand how annoying some of his male classmates acted. It was why he stuck close to Ron and only Ron. His best mate wasn't a berk like half of the student body at Hogwarts.

"Severus was just as immature," Lily added. "Honestly, I don't think he ever did grow up sometimes with the way he treats his students. I can't see James acting the same way if roles were reversed. He would never talk to a child in the same manner just because he was Severus' son."

"You think?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't think," Lily said, shaking her head. "I know. James never judged someone based on who their family was. Regardless of what it seemed, James always saw the good in people until they proved him wrong. What else do you want to know?"

Harry picked at a piece of lint on his trousers. "I feel like I have so many things I want to ask but I don't even know where to begin."

"Well, we have some time so you can just ask whatever comes to mind first," Lily suggested, her hand reaching out to clasp over his in his lap. "What you don't have time to ask, you can always ask Sirius or Marlene."

Harry nodded. Marlene was way more open to discussing the past than Sirius was. While his godfather had never avoided answering one of his questions, Harry could always tell when Sirius was less than thrilled to talk about the past. There were clearly some topics he talked about easier than others.

Harry glanced over at his mother. She smiled at him. Harry could only soak in her features, all the little details that couldn't be seen in photos. Like the small indented scar above her right eyebrow and the fact that she only had one lone freckle on her face on the left side of her chin.

"Can you just tell me a story?" Harry asked, his voice cracking. "Any story."

Lily blew out a puff of air. "There are a lot of stories, darling," she said, her eyes flickering up to the ceiling. "But I think my favorite times were those few months that we were all together. We couldn't leave our home. It wasn't safe for you. So, your grandparents and godparents came over every single Friday for dinner. Just the seven of us. We'd all take turns passing you around. Well, your grandparents and godparents would fight over who would hold you. Sirius and Euphemia were the worst. They were the Harry hogs. I swear Sirius and your grandmother both tried to beat each other to our house, each week coming earlier and earlier to see who could grab you first. We would talk and laugh for hours. It was like all the worries and fears just slipped away."

Harry smiled softly. It sounded nice. Friday night dinners with his family. He wished so badly that he could remember these times. Even just one memory. That's all he needed. One memory he could replay in his head and cherish forever. That that was solely his and not from a Pensieve where he felt like an outsider looking in.

"Harry," Fleamont said suddenly in a tight voice. "I need you to run."

Ice ran over Harry's skin. He jumped up from his chair, his heart racing. There was nowhere to run to. Even if there were, Harry had no idea where that even was.

"Now, love," Euphemia said as she closed the space between them. "Let's go, Lily."

Euphemia wrapped her arm around Harry's shoulders, steering him towards a back door. His mother flanked on the other side of him. Harry looked over his shoulder to see Fleamont exiting the house with his wand out.

Harry had no idea what to make of everything. It seemed ridiculous that anything could actually happen to him… wherever he was. He wasn't exactly sure what it even meant to slip through the cracks. He knew that his body had been left behind. So, did that mean his mind traveled? Was he just sleeping? Just how real was the threat?

Exhaustion settled into his bones. He was too mentally fatigued to wrap his brain around the situation at hand. More than anything, he just wanted to go home. He wanted Sirius to wake him up. He wanted to lay in bed with Ginny for an entire day. He wanted Ron to tell him one of his stupid and corny jokes. Glancing over at his mother, Harry felt guilty for wanting to leave this once in a lifetime opportunity so quickly. He suspected a couple of years ago, he wouldn't want to leave even with the threat around him. Now, he was older and tired. His real life was exactly what he had always wanted. The last thing he wanted was to die in some weird limbo.

Something coiled around his ankle and yanked him down. Harry felt himself falling into a pit of darkness through the earth, his hands clawing at something to stop the descent as his mother's and grandmother's screams rang in his ears. His back collided with the hard ground, knocking all of the air out of his lungs. His eyes stared up at the discolored sky for a few moments before he looked down at his leg to see a snake had hold of his ankle.

Harry struggled to sit up so he could try to pry the snake off his leg when his body was pushed back by an invisible force. His head knocked hard against the ground, causing his vision to distort for a few moments. Movement sounded and Harry could only move his eyes. Lord Voldemort walked towards him, his stony face looking unimpressed.

"I should have foreseen the nuisance the Potters would be," Voldemort said in a measured tone as he loomed over Harry's body. "They were a nuisance when they were alive as well."

Harry's chest heaved as he tried to move his limbs but failed. He hated feeling helpless and trapped.

"Let's continue where we left off, shall we?" Voldemort asked, his head cocking to the side. "Tell me what Sirius did."

Harry didn't say anything.

Voldemort crouched down, his dark eyes boring a hole into Harry. "You can't hide from me here. You could simply tell me or I can brutally invade your mind," he threatened, drawing his wand from his pocket and pressing the tip against Harry's temple. "The choice is yours, Harry. I will get the answers I seek eventually."

"I told you before that I can't tell you what I don't know," Harry said through clenched teeth.

Voldemort dragged his wand across Harry's forehead, flicking a piece of limp hair to reveal his scar. The tip of the wand traced the scar and Harry struggled to keep breathing. He screwed his eyes shut, his limbs tensing all over his body.

"I couldn't help but laugh when I heard Sirius had adopted you," Voldemort said in a cold tone. "Did he think I wouldn't hunt you if he made you my grandson?"

Harry's eyes snapped open. The thought of that connection sickened him.

"I fear there is nothing that Sirius could do to stop me from killing you," Voldemort continued, trailing his wand down Harry's face before shoving it painfully against the bottom of his chin. "I will not risk losing to a weak child."

"I think I bested you a time or two already," Harry replied in a surprisingly even voice.

Voldemort's nostrils flared. In a swift motion, the back of Voldemort's hand struck Harry across the face. The slap stung, causing Harry to suck in a breath. Fingers coiled around his chin, squeezing tight as Voldemort forced Harry to look at him.

"Enough of this nonsense," Voldemort hissed as he pressed the wand back to Harry's temple and still kept hold of his face with his other hand.

Pain seared through Harry. Flashes of memories rose to the forefront of his mind in rapid succession. Harry sitting in Dumbledore's office after the third task of the Triwizard Tournament with Sirius' hand clamped down on his shoulder. Sirius chasing pigeons as Padfoot. Harry at thirteen when Sirius offered him a different home. Sirius laughing at Grimmauld Place at some joke the twins told. Harry and Sirius sitting on the beach in France just talking. Harry in medical robes right before the procedure.

Voldemort slowed the memory, not flicking it aside like all the others. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he tried desperately to push Voldemort out. The memory of Andromeda pinning his hair back flittered across his eyelids. The dreadful walk to the trolley and being secured to the table. Voldemort saw it all, knowing it was the memory he sought.

Suddenly the memory stopped as the grip on his chin disappeared. Harry's eyes flung, his heart racing. Sparks from spells flew over Harry's head. A beat later, James gripped Harry's arm and urged him up. Harry found himself able to move. With a slash of James' wand, the snake was severed from around his ankle.

The muted green bushes became uprooted and started rolling towards Voldemort. The black berries burst into flames. Harry scrambled to his feet, falling back against his father's chest. His neck snapped to see his grandfather yanking leaves off the stony trees with a flick of his wrist and shooting them like torpedoes at Voldemort.

"Come on," James said in a gruff voice, trying to pull Harry away from the duel.

Harry hesitated for a moment. He had never seen a duel so intense before from two very capable wizards. Spells collided in midair with loud cracks filling the air. While Fleamont favored using his environment in a duel, Voldemort favored conjuring. When Voldemort conjured a fireball and hurled it at Fleamont, James roughly tugged on Harry's arm and forced him to leave.

Harry followed. He had no idea where they could go. There seemed to be no hiding in this nightmare land. If Sirius wasn't able to wake him up soon, Harry feared it was only a matter of time before he wound up dead.

Marlene nodded her head, listening to Madam Pomfrey relay Harry's blood results. Her gaze lingered on Sirius sitting in the chair he had barely moved from. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head tilted all the way back so he could stare at the ceiling. Marlene knew that Sirius was waiting for the information session to be over with so Marlene could explain it to him in more layman's terms. Sirius had never cared for Potions nor was he ever interested in Healing.

Her gaze flickered down to Harry, her heart aching in her chest. Harry's toxicology report sounded a lot like he had been given the Draught of Living Death, except there was one anomaly in his blood that made her believe it was either a. a botched potion or b. a potion that had been altered in a way nobody had ever seen before. If the potion was altered, Marlene had no idea what the added ingredient could even be.

"What do you think?" Marlene asked. "Obviously, it's the Draught of Living Death, right? Do you think it was botched because his blood results are a little atypical?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't answer right away. She tapped her fingers against her lips as she stared down intently at Harry.

"Well, I don't think it's a botched potion," Madam Pomfrey said thoughtfully. "If it was a botched draught, he'd most likely be dead. Botched draughts never end well."

Marlene could agree with that assessment. The potion was so delicate that one misstep could actually kill with one single drop. That fact scared her more than she was willing to admit.

"You think something was added to the draught then?" Marlene asked, trying to keep her voice even.

Madam Pomfrey's eyebrows raised. "Oh, Merlin, most likely, yes. I don't even know where to begin to figure it out. I've never heard of a component being added to the Draught of Living Death before. It's such a finnicky potion."

"Something from a snake," Sirius croaked, his gaze still focusing on the ceiling. "Blood, sloughed skin, maybe a fucking spleen. Who the fuck knows. I'd bet my bloody prick it's something from a snake."

Marlene frowned. "It's somewhere to start," she said slowly. "Can we run some experiments with the draught by adding snake ingredients? See if we can replicate anything?"

"Well, I suppose we'd be able to tell if the added ingredient would be deadly or not," Madam Pomfrey mused. "If it's not deadly, then we'd have to find a way to test it further."

Sirius let out a long sigh. "You're not going to be able to replicate it. I have to do it."

Marlene squinted in Sirius' direction. "I know that you have a how hard can it be mentality, but this is a complicated potion, Sirius."

"Yeah, I'm well aware," Sirius replied, tilting his chin down so he could look at them. "But neither one of you have Gaunt blood to manipulate the snake ingredients in the way you need to."

"You've been reading about Ominis Gaunt, have you?" Madam Pomfrey questioned, her head shaking. "He was a fraud."

"He was a Gaunt," Sirius said in a flat tone. "Gaunts are descendants of Slytherin."

"He was a pureblood who said he was special but was no different than the rest of us," Madam Pomfrey argued. "You think because you're a Black that you have some Gaunt blood in you, do you? They were so inbred that the line died out."

"I know I have Gaunt blood in me and I don't say that because I'm a pompous pureblood git," Sirius retorted, his jaw tightening. "Nobody will be able to replicate the potion unless they have Gaunt blood."

Madam Pomfrey huffed out a breath of air. "Who has Gaunt blood that could even brew the initial potion?"

Sirius' cold dull eyes stared at the matron. "Lord Voldemort."

Madam Pomfrey stiffened at the name. Marlene only peered curiously at Sirius, wishing she could read his bloody mind. His face gave away nothing. He was so bloody stoic that it drove Marlene up the ruddy wall sometimes.

"Can you just get me the supplies? I'll figure it out," Sirius snapped.

"Please," Marlene added with a soft smile.

Madam Pomfrey nodded before she made her way out of the infirmary. Marlene glanced down at Sirius, her brows knitting together.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sirius said shortly before turning his attention back to Harry.

Marlene sighed as she stepped closer to Harry's bed. She bent down so she could touch the back of her hand to his icy cheek before pressing her palm against his burning forehead. The juxtaposition puzzled her. But Sirius no longer seemed bothered by it. He had woken up with an annoying clarity that he refused to share with Marlene.

"When exactly are you going to share your thoughts with me?" Marlene asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "We agreed he was our godson, did we not?"

Sirius' damn snake poked it's head out of the collar of Sirius' t-shirt. He didn't even seem to notice.

"I would prefer you just trust me," Sirius replied in a dull voice.

Marlene cocked her head to the side. "I trust you with my life. I trust you with Harry's life. I would just like to be kept in the loop."

Sirius' swallowed visibly. "Voldemort's slipped him through the cracks."

"I have no idea what that even means, Sirius," Marlene replied, her brows furrowing.

"The whole I talk to dead people bullshit, yeah, that's real and not me just being fucking mental," Sirius replied, his gaze dropping to Harry's still body. "Apparently, Voldemort can do it to. He somehow dragged Harry with him."

Marlene blinked, her mouth opening but no words escaping. She had no idea what that even meant.

"Dragged him where exactly?" Marlene pressed, her eyes searching Sirius' gray face. "I don't understand what the cracks are."

Sirius' eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "Somewhere between, I suppose. I don't know exactly."

Before Marlene could push further, the infirmary door opened. Molly and Arthur Weasley entered. Marlene straightened her back as she glanced quickly over at Sirius. She had known how close Sirius and Molly had been. But when Molly didn't say anything to Sirius after the last Order meeting he attended, Marlene could tell his feelings had been hurt even if he hadn't said anything.

Sirius twisted around to see who had entered. He didn't say anything before he turned back around let out a low breath. His fingers rubbed against his forehead as they approached.

"Ron contacted us and told us what happened," Molly explained, stopping next to Sirius' chair.

She pressed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her, his face pulling.

"How are you, dear?" Molly asked, her fingers pushing a piece of hair off his forehead.

"Terrible," Sirius admitted, his eyebrows raising.

Molly nodded, sinking into the chair next to Sirius. "I wanted to vomit when I heard," she said, wringing her hands in her lap. "I hope it's all right we came."

Sirius' brows furrowed. "Of course, it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

Molly swallowed. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I should have contacted you sooner after your announcement. I was just… well, it was shocking. Then, I suppose I was a bit hurt that I found out with everyone else so I kept away. I didn't know if you'd be angry with me, and I can only imagine what you're going through right now with Harry."

Marlene watched Sirius' face carefully, his face instantly melting. He reached out a hand and laid it on top of hers.

"I'm sorry too," Sirius whispered. "I should have told you before I told the entire Order."

"It's not that big of a deal," Molly assured him, sliding one of her hands out from underneath his so she could sandwich his hand. "You shouldn't worry about Elphias or Emmeline or anyone for that matter. The only person's opinion who truly matters is Harry's. I don't think you could do anything to make that boy love you less."

Sirius' posture relaxed as Molly's thumb brushed across his hand. Arthur stood at the foot of the bed, his hands wrapping around the footboard of Harry's bed. Harry was clearly so loved. Marlene could see it. So many people had stopped by to check on him and had sat by his bedside. Marlene's heart warmed at the outpouring support her godson was receiving. Now, they just had to wake Harry up. That would be the hardest part of all.

Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Don't forget to drop a review! They keep me motivated to keep on writing!

Special thanks to prewettpotter for all her help this chapter! Special thanks to justalittleconfusing for Sirius' nickname for our little Ginger Snaps!