"Brumous"

"Chapter Sixty-Two: Sloughed Skin"

Sirius stood at the foot of Harry's bed, shifting his weight as he stretched his legs. He had insisted Ginny take his seat by Harry's bedside. She had arrived during dinner, bringing Sirius some food from the Great Hall. While he appreciated the gesture, he had only picked at it since he hadn't been all that hungry. Ron had stopped by briefly as well but couldn't stay long because he had prefect duty. Marlene stayed for a few hours before she too had to leave. It was her night to patrol the perimeter of the castle.

Wrapping his fingers around the footboard of the bed, Sirius watched Ginny carefully as she brushed Harry's hair off his head. Sirius had watched the two of them together for months now as they slipped into a comfortable companionship. Harry seemed more relaxed around Ginny, like he was able to forget he was the Chosen One and there was a bloody war surrounding them. Ginny seemed softer around Harry, less hard around the edges. They complimented each other in a way Sirius remembered James and Lily complimenting one another. That thought only made Sirius' heart ache.

Truth be told, he had been worried when Ginny found out about his sperm donor. That first summer at Grimmauld Place, they had chatted late into the evening about the Chamber of Secrets, the diary, and her general feelings. Sirius had seen a scared kid, a kid who wanted to word vomit all of her fears without sending her family into a worried frenzy. He had just listened, offered advice, and treated her like he would treat anyone else regardless of her young age. That only made her talk to him more and more. Sirius had liked her long before she started to date his godson and make him insanely happy.

But Sirius could remember the fear in her eyes on the mirror call. While Sirius knew that Harry loved Ginny, Sirius was also acutely aware that if Ginny didn't accept him then Harry would have broken it off. The kid had craved a parent his entire life. Sirius couldn't see Harry being able to handle a rift between his godfather and girlfriend. Luckily, he had been able to soothe Ginny's fears and things had gone back to normal between the two of them.

"Have you tried anything?" Ginny's voice broke Sirius out of his reverie. "To wake him up?"

"No," he replied.

Ginny looked over at him. "What about a bezoar? Bezoars can counter–"

"A bezoar is used for poisons," Sirius interrupted. "Harry was given a draught, not a poison. It won't work."

"You didn't even try?" Ginny huffed. "Maybe it's not what you think it is. What could be the harm?"

"It won't do anything," Sirius reasoned, raising to his full height. "His toxicology didn't report any components of poisons in his bloodstream. We believe it's a modified version of the Draught of Living Death."

Ginny furrowed her brows and Sirius could see the brooms flying around her head. She was competent at Potions, and her arrogance peeked through. Sirius could tell she had already spent plenty of time thinking about Harry's condition.

"It's a very powerful and dangerous sleeping potion," Sirius elaborated. "It being altered in a way that didn't kill him means that the antidote isn't an easy one to brew. We have to be extremely careful on the ingredients we use so we don't kill him."

Ginny swallowed, her gaze snapping back to Harry. "What does Snape say?"

Sirius hadn't spoken to Snape, but Andromeda had. She had forced him to speak with her about Harry's condition, coercing him to spend three hours going over ingredient interactions. Apparently, a snake's spleen as well as venom had been checked off the potential list of ingredients to try due to dangerous interactions.

"He's working with Andy," Sirius settled on saying. "He claims he didn't brew the draught nor did he have any knowledge of it."

"Do you believe him?" Ginny inquired.

Sirius nodded. "I do. I think Voldemort personally brewed this draught. I have a hunch about what he added."

Ginny turned her full attention to Sirius, her brows knitting together. When Sirius didn't elaborate, she rose from her seat and walked towards him. Her arms crossed over her chest as she tilted her chin all the way back in order to look at him. Little Ginny Weasley was the only person Sirius knew that was literally pintsize yet could be intimidatingly scary with just one hard glance. In any other situation, he would have found it more amusing since he was convinced that she had probably made a boy wee his trousers with one of her death glares.

"It's a long story," Sirius replied, waving his hand between them.

"I have time," Ginny argued.

"Ginny, it's… complicated," Sirius insisted, not wanting to really delve in deep with his Gaunt heritage and bring up his bloody biological father around her again.

"I'm not stupid, Sirius," Ginny snapped.

Sirius stared at her. "I have never thought that."

"I thought you were different," Ginny said with a huff. "You act like you care. You treat us like we're adults when it's convenient for you. How would you feel if I had a hunch on how to help Harry and refused to tell you because it was too complicated? I care about him as much as you do, Sirius. I'm tired of people acting like I don't."

Sirius pressed his hands on his hips, his face pulling. He knew what it was like to be a teenager in a war. It had started when he was Ginny's age. The hexing in the corridors. The Mark being taken by kids at sixteen. Fighting against people who attended the same classes as him. Hell, he had even dueled people he had considered friends at one point in his life. He had also seen his fair share of death and experienced more pain than he cared to admit.

"It's a lot of Voldemort shit," Sirius replied with a sigh. "Look, I know you're not a fan that I'm his biological son and all, so I didn't think you'd want to talk about this."

Ginny stiffened. "I don't treat you any different than I did before."

"I saw the fear in your eyes, Ginny," Sirius argued in a gentle tone. "If I wasn't Harry's godfather, you wouldn't have anything to do with me. Honestly, I couldn't even blame you."

"Well, I'm glad to know you have such a low opinion of me," Ginny retorted, her back straightening.

Sirius let out a small chuckle. "I have a very high opinion of you, Ginger Snaps."

Ginny's nostrils flared. "Don't call me that!"

"Well, you won't let me call you Gin, so what am I supposed to call you? Ginger for short?" Sirius pressed.

She rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with Ginny?"

"I'm told I give nicknames to people I like," Sirius reasoned, resting his hip against the footboard. "I like you, so I'm trying to find something that fits. I like Gin. Short and sweet. And you even identify with one of those attributes."

Ginny's jaw jutted to the side. "I only like Harry calling me that. Makes it special. He's called me it for years, before we were even dating. He was always the only one."

Sirius searched Ginny's face. She was really good at masking. Sirius would know. He was the bloody king of masking his emotions. But he had figured out her tells a long time ago.

"I won't call you that then," Sirius replied. "You just had to tell me that."

Ginny sighed, her eyes squinting up at him. "So, are you going to tell me or not?"

Sirius glanced over at his godson. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully, not being attacked mentally. Ginny knew all about Voldemort. She had been possessed and manipulated. If anyone knew just how sick and twisted Voldemort's mind was, it was Ginny.

"You know Voldemort's the descendent of Slytherin, yeah?" Sirius asked as he turned his attention back to her to see Ginny nod. "Well, that family line has a special relationship with snakes. Parseltongue being just one of many. It's said that they could also manipulate snake ingredients in potions in a way no one else could. I think that Voldemort put some snake ingredient into the draught. Though I have no evidence or any knowledge, I've been wondering if it's a snake's sloughed skin."

It had been a thought that had played on his mind for a while. What if a snake sloughed its skin when it slipped through the cracks amongst other reasons? What if that was the ingredient? A snake who sloughed his skin while going to or from the cracks? It was the first thing Sirius wanted to try.

"Why do you think that?" Ginny inquired.

Sirius shrugged. "I can't explain it. Just a hunch," he replied because he really didn't feel like getting into the whole dead people thing with her.

Ginny didn't push any further, and Sirius was grateful for that. Instead, she started spewing a bunch of facts about sloughed skin that reminded him eerily of Fleamont. But he listened to her, which wasn't something he had done often with Fleamont. He could remember locking eyes with James and the two rolling their eyes whenever they thought Fleamont wasn't looking at them. Merlin, Sirius had been an arse. He wished more than anything he hadn't written potions off as inferior magic.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes before curfew that Sirius sent Ginny away. He lounged in the chair next to Harry's bed, the map open on his lap as he watched Ginny make the trek back to Gryffindor tower by herself to ensure she didn't run into any trouble.

Once he knew Ginny was safe, Sirius leaned forward towards Harry. He sandwiched Harry's icy hand between both of his. Rubbing the kid's hand, he tried to warm it up but his body heat didn't seem to help. Sucking in a heavy breath, Sirius eyes slid closed as he willed himself to slip through the cracks, to be reunited with Harry. When nothing happened, Sirius only tightened his grip on Harry's hand. Snapping his eyes open, he stared at Harry's peaceful face.

"I'm trying," Sirius whispered, a lump congealing in the back of his throat.

Sirius brought their joined hands to his lips. He tried to level his breathing and relax his muscles as he stared at Harry's face. Swallowing, Sirius watched as Fluffernoodle uncoiled from where he laid on Harry's pillow. He slithered down Harry's arm until he met their joined hands. His body wrapped tightly around them, low hisses emitting into the air. Sirius' breath slowed as he watched his snake coil tighter and tighter and tighter.

Sirius felt himself falling, as though the chair had been pulled out from beneath him. His grip tightened around Harry's hand in a bruising fashion, trying to tether himself to his godson. When the feeling he of falling ceased, Sirius' eyes snapped open to see an oddly discolored navy sky with shadow-like clouds. He had never seen anything quite like it before. His hand reached out to touch one of the stony gray trees in front of him. His heart caught in his throat as he slowly turned around. He had no idea what to do besides walk around and try to gain his bearings.

Footsteps thundered through the trees. Sirius stiffened, his hand reaching for his wand in his pocket. He tugged it loose, holding it at his left side as his eyes darted around to find the source of the noise. Two bodies appeared through the thicket of trees, both tall with messy dark hair. Sirius' heart skipped a beat.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted.

One of the figures stopped and turned towards him. Sirius took a step forward when he locked eyes with his godson. The kid bolted in Sirius' direction. He couldn't help but run towards his godson to meet him halfway. Harry collided roughly against his chest, knocking the air out of Sirius' lungs. Sirius tightened his grip, not wanting to let go of his godson. His jaw pressed against the side of Harry's head, his eyes locking with none other than James.

Harry pulled back, his chin tilting back slightly to look at him. "How are you here?" he whispered, his big green eyes roaming across his face.

Sirius swallowed. "Fluff," he responded, his fingers coiling around Harry's arms as Fluffernoodle poked his little head out from the sleeve of Sirius' shirt. "Who did this to you?"

"It was Malfoy and Nott," Harry explained, his brows knitting together. "Malfoy had Polyjuiced himself into Cepheus. I should have known it wasn't Cepheus. Is he all right?"

Sirius nodded. "He's fine. Shaken up, but fine."

Harry let out a breath, his head nodding. "Anyway, Malfoy pushed me into the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and Nott disarmed me. Then Crabbe and Goyle grabbed me and held me while Nott poured this foul-tasting tar-like potion in my mouth. The next thing I know, I'm here."

Sirius gritted his teeth. "I'll fucking kill them."

"Sirius," Harry breathed.

Sirius pushed down his anger, his palms pressing against the sides of Harry's face. "Where's Fleamont?"

Harry didn't answer. Instead, James stepped up next to Harry, his wand dangling from his fingertips at his side. James looked grave, no indication that there was any laughter or amusement on his face. It was so unlike James not to be smiling. Sirius could remember him always smiling… except for the last few months of his life when the isolation and depression had started to consume him.

"Come on, we can find him," James said in a soft tone. "He was holding off Voldemort."

Sirius stilled, his heart pounding against his ribcage at the mention of Voldemort. The last person he wanted to see was his fucking sperm donor. He just wanted to gain the information he needed in order to help Harry wake up and put this horrible ordeal behind them. The only person who could help him with that was Fleamont.

His hands slid off Harry's face. Licking his lip, Sirius turned his full attention towards James. It was so odd to consider him corporeal… or whatever he was. It also seemed wrong to parent Harry in front of James. Clutching his hands at his side, Sirius tried to slip into godfather mode and not father mode. Surprisingly, Sirius couldn't remember the difference between the two. Sirius couldn't remember when the lines blurred as much as they had.

Sirius cleared his throat. "It's a variation of the Draught of Living Death," he explained. "Something had to have been added because Harry's blood results came back atypical for the potion, yet close enough to make the assumption that it's the draught. I'm thinking some sort of snake ingredient was added. There're rumors that Gaunts have the ability to manipulate potions with various snake materials."

Merlin, he felt downright awkward talking to James in a way he had never felt before. Especially considering James hadn't aged a day and Sirius felt like he had aged a hundred. He downright hated it.

James nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. "Dad's been thinking about it since Harry showed up here. I didn't understand half of his ramblings about it. We really botched the whole learning potions thing, didn't we?"

Sirius swallowed, his jaw clenching. "Something like that."

"I blame Sluggy," James continued, his hazel eyes searching Sirius' face. "I think we both wanted to ignore him as much as possible."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed in a clipped tone. "Can we find Fleamont?"

James only nodded, his brows lowering beneath his glasses. A moment passed between them before James indicated with a head nod to follow him. Sirius stuffed his hands into his pockets and started walking. Harry stayed close to Sirius, their shoulders brushing together frequently with how close they were walking to one another. Harry glanced up at Sirius.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I think I should be asking you that question, kid."

Harry shrugged. "Better now that you're here," he said in a soft tone. "It's… weird. I think I understand why you denied it for so long."

Sirius licked his bottom lip, his gaze focusing on the back of James' head. For the past fifteen years, Sirius had thought about James nearly every single day. He would have given anything to have his best mate back. Now, it just felt awkward. There was a gaping hole of time between them that seemed impossible to close. Not to mention, he didn't know how to even act around Harry when James was around. He wasn't the kid's father despite the fact that Sirius had been acting like it for a while now.

"Has Voldemort hurt you?" Sirius pressed, tearing his eyes away from James' messy hair to look down at his godson.

Harry shook his head. "No, he hasn't had the opportunity. Anytime he tries… well, my dad and grandfather show up," he replied, his nose scrunching. "That sounds so odd to say."

Sirius swallowed. "I'm assuming Fleamont is doing most of the fighting. James could hold his own, don't get me wrong, but Fleamont was another level. He's Dumbledore level good."

"I kind of got that impression pretty quick," Harry replied.

The two walked in silence. Harry still stuck close to him, seemingly uninterested in talking with his father. Sirius didn't know how to feel about that. He knew he should encourage Harry to spend his time with James over him. He really fucking did. But Sirius was a selfish bastard. He had fretted and missed Harry. Even though they weren't speaking, Harry's presence had a calming effect on Sirius.

They approached a little cottage that looked out of place. Sirius squinted at the familiar building, his heart skipping a beat. For reasons Sirius couldn't comprehend, he had the distinct impression that he had been here before. It was far too familiar for his liking, especially because he couldn't place why he knew the damn cottage. He paused in his stride, his heart thumping in his chest. Harry paused as well, turning around when he noticed Sirius was no longer in step with him.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

Sirius shook his head. "It just looks familiar, but I don't know why."

"Do you think you've been here before?" Harry inquired.

Sirius couldn't say. Maybe? If he had been, it was long ago in a locked away or faded memory that he couldn't quite recall. Perhaps the inside would help jolt something in his brain. Except, when they entered the cottage, Sirius couldn't pay attention to his surroundings. All he saw was Fleamont standing tall in front of him. Sirius' throat clogged.

Fleamont looked just as Sirius remembered with his salt and pepper hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and bright hazel eyes. Somehow, seeing Fleamont was worse than seeing James. While James had been his brother, Fleamont had been the father-figure he had desperately needed in his life. Fleamont and Euphemia had opened their home to him and tried to shield him as best as they could from his awful family. Sirius often tried his damnedest to emulate Fleamont whenever he parented Harry.

"Son," Fleamont uttered in a choked tone as he made his way towards Sirius.

Within moments, Sirius found himself crushed against Fleamont's chest. Sirius felt sixteen again, broken and sinking into Fleamont's arms. His fingers clutched at the fabric of Fleamont's shirt. Sirius screwed his eyes shut to keep his emotions at bay. He had practically begged for Fleamont's guidance for years.

"I'm proud of you, son," Fleamont said in a voice full of emotion. "I know things haven't been the easiest. I am so proud that you've dug yourself out of that hole. I'm even more proud of the way you've taken care of my grandson."

Sirius let out a shuddering breath as he pulled back to look at Fleamont. He's been a terrible godfather, leaving Harry for thirteen years and then barely being there for two. Fleamont gripped his arms, not breaking eye contact. It was almost as though Fleamont knew exactly what Sirius was thinking.

"I am proud, Sirius," Fleamont insisted in a fierce tone, his hands squeezing his arms. "Nothing that happened to James or Harry was your fault. You did the best that you could. You always have. You are putting your life on hold for Harry now, because you love him and you're the only one left that can protect him. I know he loves you too. You are worthy of his love. You are worthy of love in general. I told you that twenty years ago, but I don't think you believed me. I'm telling you that again, because you deserve to accept it and embrace it. You are so loved, Sirius. None of us blamed you for even a moment."

Sirius let out a dry sob, his shoulders shaking. A lifetime of guilt and regret rolled off his skin. Fleamont was right. He hadn't believed anything Fleamont had said to him as a teenager. Sirius had deemed himself unworthy of love and happiness. Even now, he denied himself more often than not. How long had he been tight-lipped around Harry? How many times had he pushed Andromeda and Remus away? He had denied himself the companionship of Marlene for so long. Potions and therapy had helped realize he had a slew of unhealthy coping mechanisms. But Fleamont's words were healing in a way he didn't expect.

"You are not your biological family," Fleamont insisted. "It's not our blood, but our choices that show us who we truly are. Every choice you have made in your life has been out of love for your chosen family. While those choices may have no always worked out in the way you envisioned them, your choices were always made with good intentions. That, son, is why I am proud of you."

Sirius let out a low breath. "You knew," he whispered, his eyes searching Fleamont's face. "You knew about Voldemort."

Fleamont smiled softly, reminding Sirius painfully of Harry's smile. "I suspected, but it honestly doesn't matter, Sirius."

"It matters to me," Sirius insisted, because he didn't want to turn out just like his family.

Fleamont let a heavy sigh escape his lips. "The sooner you realize that blood is meaningless, the happier you'll be. You are not Walburga. You are not Tom Riddle. You are just Sirius. That's all you will ever be. That's good enough."

Sirius swallowed, his head nodding. "Monty…" he trailed off, his voice cracking. "Tell me what to do. Tell me how to help Harry."

"Let's talk potions, son," Fleamont said, gesturing for Sirius to sit down at the wooden table.

His fingers wiped against his mouth as he made his way over to the table. Sirius sat across from Fleamont. A few moments later, Harry pulled out a chair to sit next to him. Sirius reached out a hand, clapping his palm around the back of Harry's neck. Their eyes locked and Sirius gave Harry the most reassuring smile he could muster.

Then, Fleamont began speaking. Plots and plans started to unravel as they discussed the finer details of potion making.

Harry's head spun after listening to Fleamont and Sirius talk potions. It wasn't long before his mother returned from wherever she had disappeared to and joined in on the conversation. Honestly, Harry was mildly impressed that his godfather could keep up with the nuances in potion making because he knew Sirius had never really enjoyed that branch of magic. Harry was downright lost at what they were even talking about, even with Sirius asking plenty of clarification questions.

Glancing behind his grandfather, Harry caught sight of his father standing with his arms crossed over his chest. His dad's eye caught his and he smiled warmly at him, his shoulders shrugging like he too was as completely lost as Harry was. Harry just wished he could find a way to wake up on his own already. It seemed laughable that he couldn't. Harry truly did find himself in such bizarre situations.

Glancing to his left, Harry watched as Sirius ran a hand through his hair before scratching his head. Three little vertical lines appeared between Sirius' brow as he stared straight ahead at Fleamont. The timing of adding sloughed snake skin had been the hot topic of discussion for a while now. Harry could read his godfather like a book. He was done with the conversation, wanting to stop talking and start acting. Although, Harry was under the impression that Fleamont was the only person that Sirius wouldn't snap at out of frustration.

James moved from his spot behind Fleamont, making his way to the window across the room. Harry's eyes followed him, wondering if he had heard something or had just wanted to get away from the conversation. Harry hesitated to follow him, curious to talk to him some more but also not wanting to leave Sirius' side. With a long-suffering sigh, Sirius leaned back in his chair and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Okay, but just hear me out," Sirius said, his hands gesticulating. "Wouldn't it make sense to add the sloughed skin after the Flubberworm mucus but before the honey water? You're putting in all the harsher ingredients before the calming ones."

"No," Fleamont replied. "That has nothing to do with anything. If the potion is simmering, you want to add the extra ingredients halfway through the simmer to receive optimal results."

"I think you should add it after you take the potion off heat," Lily interrupted. "That way it's more potent."

Yeah, Harry was done. He eased out of his chair. Sirius' attention snapped to him, concern shining in his gray eyes.

"You okay, kid?" Sirius asked as he sat up straight in his chair.

"I need a break from all the mucus talk," Harry said with a tight smile.

Sirius let out a bark-like chuckle, waving Harry along. Harry shoved his hands into the pocket of his trousers and made his way over to his father. James didn't move when Harry took a spot next to him, making sure not to knock shoulders with him.

"How long do you reckon before Sirius completely breaks down in exasperation?" James asked out of the corner of his mouth, his gaze still fixated out the window.

Harry glanced behind him to see Sirius was hunched over the table and gesticulating with his hands a lot more. That was a dead sign Sirius was beyond frustrated.

"He looks pretty close," Harry replied, turning to look at his father.

James grinned and turned to meet Harry's gaze. "Sirius suffers from the how hard can it be gene. When he's challenged, he loses his bloody patience so quickly. We had to wait forever for a lightning storm while becoming Animagi. Sirius grew so bloody impatient that he started researching how to manipulate the weather with magic. He didn't succeed."

Harry laughed, his head shaking. "Sounds like Sirius."

James sniffed as he turned to look back out the window. "Dad likes to work problems out loud. Apparently, it drove Mum up the wall when he was working on Sleekeazy's. It's all he talked about for months on end," he explained. "Lily enjoyed their potions talks. Mum and I used to sneak off and talk about something normal."

"I'm not a fan of potions," Harry said, engaging in the small talk.

"Well, I wouldn't be either if I had to sit through Snape teaching me," James reasoned. "Marlene's better though, I assume. A lot nicer at least."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, she's really nice."

James shifted, his hands pressing to his hips. "I'm glad you have Sirius and Marlene now. It was… painful watching before."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut. It seemed like the best option.

"Not to sound like Sirius, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I had my wand that night," James wondered, his words coming out choked. "I know I would have still died. That's fine. I don't regret that part of it. But maybe you would have had your mum by your side if I hadn't been so bloody stupid. If she was alive, Sirius never would have been arrested. You could have grown up with both of them."

Harry didn't need any more what if scenarios to plague his mind. He already had enough to last him a lifetime. Looking out the window, Harry looked at the odd stony trees. It all seemed so wrong, wherever they were. True as he may, Harry couldn't figure out why everything was a bit off between the cracks. Movement caught Harry's eye between the trees and his heart skipped a beat.

"Is that…" Harry trailed off, pointing towards where he had seen movement.

"Padfoot!" James hollered as he pulled his wand from his pocket.

Harry took a step back when he saw the billowing black robe between two closer trees. He turned to look at Sirius to see him scowling at the old nickname.

"What?" Sirius snapped in an exasperated voice, his head slowly turning to look at them.

The moment Sirius locked eyes with Harry, he instantly understood. Sirius pushed the chair back and rose from his seat.

"I need you to take Harry and run," James explained, not looking at either of them.

"Harry," Sirius snapped, his hand reaching out for him.

Not hesitating even a moment, Harry bolted to Sirius and grabbed his hand. Sirius propelled Harry in front of him, pressing a hand between his shoulder blades. They were out of the back door in mere seconds. Harry stayed close to his godfather, his fingers rubbing the sweat off his forehead. His entire body tingled, growing very tired of the constant cat and mouse game that he found himself unwittingly taking part in.

"If you slipped through the cracks, can't you just take me back with you?" Harry asked as he craned his neck around to ensure they weren't being followed.

Sirius huffed. "Trust me, kid, I would have already done that if I knew how any of this fucking worked," he replied, his fingers wrapping around Harry's wrist and tugging him to take a sharp turn into the wooded area. "I think if you weren't given a sleeping draught, I would probably try. But I can't drag you out of here if you can't wake up."

"What if you could wake me up by dragging me out?" Harry pressed, his hand raising to push the hanging branches out of his way as he walked.

Sirius stayed silent for a few moments. Harry only continued to follow him, waiting for Sirius to work out the problem in his head.

"Sleeping draughts need an antidote," Sirius reasoned in an uncertain tone. "There's never been an external factor that has woken someone up from a draught as powerful as this."

"How many people try to wake up with a person literally dragging them out of the cracks of… I don't know? Limbo? Where are we exactly?"

Sirius shrugged. "You're asking the wrong fucking person these questions. I've only just started embracing this shit."

They continued their trek deeper into the woods. The smell of salty water invaded his nostrils as they came across a clearing. Harry could see a cliff in front of him. Looking beyond the cliff, Harry could see the water meeting the horizon.

"What the fuck…?" Sirius trailed off, turning around to soak in the clearing. "I've been here before."

Harry's brow furrowed. "You have? When?"

Sirius breathed heavily, his eyes darting around the clearing. "When I was little. Really little. Walburga brought Regulus and I here to meet… to meet Voldemort."

Harry could only stare at Sirius, a squirming occurring in the pit of his stomach. "What happened?"

Sirius locked eyes with Harry. His mouth opened like he was going to speak but no words escaped his lips. Harry took a step closer to his godfather, wanting to convey that Sirius could tell him anything.

"Sirius, there's nothing you could say that would make me judge you," Harry reasoned.

"I know," Sirius said, running his fingers through his hair. "He wanted me to kill a snake," he whispered in such a soft tone that Harry had to strain his ears to hear him. "He forced me to hold his wand and told me to use my right hand. I didn't do anything but stand there."

"Your right hand?" Harry questioned, his brows knitting together. "Why?"

"Ancient and meaningless pureblood bullshit," Sirius explained. "So bloody meaningless that even Walburga and Orion hadn't cared that I was left-handed until Voldemort made a big deal about it to Walburga."

Harry supposed he never thought about it before. He knew Sirius was left-handed, but he couldn't really remember when he noticed it. It wasn't something they ever talked about before. But Harry had noticed that Sirius always stood to his left, leaving his right arm open to press a hand against Harry's neck or to push him out of danger.

"Do you think this place is special or something to Voldemort?" Harry questioned.

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't have any interest being in mine or Regulus' lives until we were useful, so I can't imagine why this place would be significant."

Harry didn't really think that it was the clearing that was significant to Voldemort. Perhaps the cottage. It had been the only place they could find to hide in. Maybe that meant something to Voldemort.

"Sirius," Voldemort's cold voice echoed behind them.

Harry whipped around to see Voldemort standing there, his dark eyes boring into Sirius. His heart pounded in his ears as Harry stepped in front of his godfather. The last thing Harry wanted was for Sirius to get hurt in this weird realm between the cracks. Voldemort had made it very clear he was angry with Sirius, demanding answers to questions that Harry himself didn't even fully understand.

Sirius' hand gripped his shoulder and pushed him gently to the side. Sirius then stepped in front of him, blocking him as much as possible with his looming frame.

"I'm growing very tired of this game, Sirius," Voldemort said, his top lip twitching.

Sirius let out a breath. "Leave my godson alone then," he bit out.

Voldemort's hand rose. A beat later, something wrapped around Harry's ankle and pulled him harshly to the ground. A scream escaped his lips as his hands scrambled to grip Sirius' leg as his body was dragged towards Voldemort. Sirius dove onto the ground, his fingers brushing against Harry's hand as he fumbled to hold on. Sirius managed, just barely. He held on with all his might as Fluffernoodle slid out from the sleeve of Sirius' shirt to wrap around their joined hands. Then, they both fell through the earth.

Harry collided into the ground, inhaling a mouthful of a grainy substance. He opened his eyes to see he was on a beach, the sun beating down on him. The bruising fingers around Harry's hand eased. Harry turned his head to his left to see his godfather lying next to him in the sand. Sirius heaved, his eyes focusing on the bright blue sky above. Swallowing, Harry sat up to see the Black family holiday home in Agde in front of him.

"Sirius…" Harry trailed off.

Sirius sat up next to him, dragging a hand through his hair. He scrambled to his feet, brushing the sand off his trousers.

"What the actual fuck?" Sirius whispered, his head turning to soak in their surroundings.

Harry stood up as well, his shoulder brushing against Sirius'. "Are we, err, are we awake? Or is this somewhere in the cracks as well?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea, kid," Sirius replied, wrapping an arm protectively around Harry's shoulders.

"What do we do?" Harry asked.

Sirius let out a breath. "I don't know."

Movement caught the corner of Harry's eye. His head snapped to see an unfamiliar man with dark blond hair walking towards them with his wand out in front of him. The tip blinked a white light and the man wasn't looking at them. Harry nudged Sirius in the side to draw his attention.

"Hello," the man said, smiling softly. "I don't mean you any harm. I've been following you for the past couple of months. I want to help you."

Sirius shifted his body to block Harry. "And you are…?"

"My name is Ominis Gaunt," he introduced himself, the name ringing familiar in Harry's mind. "I believe you are my great-nephew. I must admit, I only stumbled upon you by accident."

"What do you want?" Sirius snapped.

"I want to help you," Ominis replied, taking a step forward. "The more I learn about you, Sirius, the more similarities I see between us. I, too, hold a disdain for the Dark Arts. My family tried to force me to cast them willingly on Muggles for sport. I never had the stomach for it, unlike my brother Marvolo who not only excelled in them but seemed to enjoy them."

Lumos cast above Harry's head. "Your brother is Marvolo Gaunt?"

"As ashamed as I am to admit it, yes, he is. My niece Merope suffer under the hands of my brother. Years of abuse drove her to do unspeakable things even after she was free from their clutches," Ominis continued. "When Tom was born, I knew fairly early on that he would be just like the rest of them. Worse even. I lost faith in the family, thinking the family was cursed beyond repair. When the war started up again, I took an interest in how things would pan out. I heard your name, Sirius, months ago and believed you were probably just like the rest of them. A Gaunt and a Black. It seemed nearly impossible that you wouldn't turn out wrong just like the rest of them. But you've surprised me. I've been following you from afar until now."

Harry glanced up at Sirius to see his face has slipped into his classic stoic mask. "Why until now?"

Ominis raised his eyebrow. "Because I feel as though I could be useful. When one slips through the cracks, they can manipulate their surroundings. It's normally a place where they feel safe, a place laden with good memories."

Sirius scoffed. "This is my safe place?"

"It was the only place you felt safe as a child," Ominis replied. "Because your uncle was always under the same roof as you during these holidays."

"How the fuck do you know that if you just found out about me?" Sirius snapped in a tone that Harry knew all too well. His godfather was teetering on losing his mind.

"You'd be surprised the information you can find out if you only know where to look," Ominis said in a cryptic tone. "That forest, the cottage. It wasn't random for Tom. Although, that place has been overshadowed by negative feelings in recent years, hence the distortion."

Harry was intrigued enough to bite even if Sirius wasn't. "Why does he look normal?"

"Because for him to die, his soul needs to be reunited. Every time a Horcrux is destroyed, he grows closer to having his soul intact once more," Ominis explained, taking a step closer to them. "Had he not split his soul so grotesquely, that is how he would look now."

"Can you, err, can you help us get out of the cracks?" Harry asked.

Ominis nodded. "You have a snake that you brought with you, did you not?"

Sirius only looked suspiciously at Ominis. "Yes."

"May I see him?" Ominis asked, holding out his free hand.

"Look, I can get out fine by myself," Sirius said in a short tone. "I need to get my godson out but he's in some enchanted fucking sleep that he can't wake up from."

"Your snake can fix that as well," Ominis supplied.

Harry shot a glance at Sirius. He rose to his full height, his hand sliding into the collar of his shirt and producing Fluffernoodle.

"How?" Sirius demanded, holding the snake close to his chest.

"He brought you here, did he not?" Ominis asked. "You were right in your assumption that a snake will slouch its skin when slipping through the cracks. When you awake, you should find his sloughed skin. Only sloughed skin from traveling through the cracks will work in your potion. If he naturally sloughed his skin, it would be useless."

Harry looked up at Sirius. It was odd hearing someone talk about a conversation they weren't present for. Could the dead stay hidden if they wanted to? Could they linger nearby and just eavesdrop? That thought made Harry's insides squirm.

"Say I believe you," Sirius started, his gaze focused on the bright blue sky. "When should I add the sloughed skin?"

"While the potion is simmering," Ominis replied. "You'll know when to add it."

Sirius' face pulled. "I lack a severe interest in potions, so I don't think I'll be able to just feel when it's right."

Ominis chuckled, a smile crossing his face. "Trust me. You'll know. Have your snake with you while you brew it. He'll let you know."

Sirius sucked in a breath, obviously not thrilled with the answer he received. Harry couldn't provide any guidance. He wasn't any better at brewing potions than Sirius was.

"I must go," Ominis said. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sirius, Harry. I am happy to know that our bloodline isn't completely lost."

In a blink of an eye, Ominis was gone. Sirius growled in the back of his throat and let out a string of creative expletives. Harry could only stare at his godfather, wondering where they go from here. If Harry had been dragged from Voldemort's version of the cracks, did that mean he was safe for a while? Harry was keenly interested to wander around Sirius' mind.

"Will the others be able to find us?" Harry asked.

As soon as Harry asked the question, the answer stood before him. The Potters stood at the end of the sea, watching them from afar. Harry couldn't help but wonder if they were giving the two of them some space since they weren't making their way over towards them. Not that Harry minded. It was nice just to stand with Sirius and not worry about making a fool out of himself around his dead family.

"Harry," Sirius said in a quiet voice, his gaze locking onto him. "At some point, I'm going to have to leave you to brew this potion."

Harry nodded, trying not to let his disappointment show. "I know. I'll be fine. Especially since you dragged me somewhere where there are more places to hide."

Sirius let out a small chuckle. "Godfather of the year."

Harry grinned. "I'd vote for you."

"Thanks, kid," Sirius replied, wrapping an arm around him. "Glad your standards are so bloody low."

Harry only rolled his eyes. One mistake fifteen years ago wasn't something Sirius should dwell on. Even Harry's grandfather had said nobody blamed him for anything. Harry knew he certainly didn't. Over the past couple of years, Sirius had gone above and beyond for Harry.

Sirius tensed next to him. "Did you hear that?" he asked, his head turning to look around.

Harry furrowed his brows. "No?"

A beat later and Sirius was gone. Fluffernoodle dropped into the sand. Harry stumbled slightly, not even realizing that he had been leaning into his godfather's side. He caught his footing before he could embarrassingly faceplant into the sand. Fluffernoodle slithered his way through the sand towards Harry.

Harry stared at the spot Sirius had been, his heart sinking to the floor. Wrapping his arms around himself, he tried to swallow down his disappointment and fear. It wasn't as though Sirius left him in this strange place on purpose after all. He'd be back. Or he'd work to wake Harry up. For right now, Harry thought he was safe in whatever version of the cracks Fluffernoodle was able to drag him to.

To Harry's immense relief, Sirius may have disappeared but Fluffernoodle had remained. Harry bent down, opening his palm for the snake. Fluffernoodle coiled tightly around his wrist, ready to help him slip through the ground once more if need be.

"Harry."

Turning around, Harry caught sight of his dad. James took a step forward, his arms raising. Before Harry could say anything, he found himself in the arms of his father. It only took a moment before Harry wrapped his arms around James, his fingers gripping onto the fabric of his shirt and his chin resting on his dad's shoulder. Tears burned his eyes as James cupped a hand around the base of his neck.

"It'll be all right," James whispered, his cheek pressing hard against Harry's temple.

Harry couldn't hold back his frustrated tears any longer. His shoulders shook as he pressed his face into his father's shoulder, his lips wiring shut to try to stop the embarrassing sound of his sobs. James only held him tighter, whispering comforting words into his ear until Harry lost it completely as days of exhaustion and fear finally overtook him.

Sorry the chapter is so late. Life has been life-ing lately and my concentration just wasn't there. Anyway, don't forgt to drop a review! They motivate me to keep chugging along.

Special thanks to prewettpotter for all her help!