A/N: Thanks for the encouragement. Hope you enjoy :)
"Hey, wake up! Get up now!"
Sirius Black stared up blearily at the bright intrusion into his cell. Light didn't exist within the walls of Azkaban unless someone willed it to, and that someone had to have a wand. Seeing as the only ones with those were the guards and wardens, light was only used as a taunt or torture to the inmates.
Of course, Sirius would have agreed with the practice not even a few months ago when he still worked full time as an Auror. Being on the other side of it though made the practice much more… distasteful.
No, not distasteful. Far worse than that, especially considering Sirius was innocent.
Oh, he'd wanted to kill that fucking rat, especially after the years he'd masqueraded as their friend. The Dark Mark hadn't appeared on his arm overnight, that was for sure.
The thirteen muggles were a loss that still pained him. Lil– Lily had taught him that muggles weren't just worthless because they had no magic.
Oh god, Lily.
He could even bring himself to say his name.
And Harry, all that was left of his dearest friends. He hoped Hagrid had brought him to safety, maybe taken him to Poppy Pomfrey to be checked.
Great godfather he was, ending up in this shithole.
"Black!" He snapped out of his stupor as the warden unlocked his cell and the guard holding the lit wand tip stomped in, grabbing Sirius roughly and lifting him to his feet. "You've got visitors."
Sirius' head lolled to the side as he gave them a sharp grin that probably had them thinking he was mad. They wouldn't be wrong, but the truly mad ones were whoever came to visit him. The world thought he betrayed the potters thanks to his ruse of acting as their secret keeper. He didn't have a friend left in the world who would vouch for him.
He went limp in the guard's arms, forcing the burly man to drag him down the cold, stone hallways. They'd removed the dementors from this level of the prison, so Sirius knew the shivering on his part was natural. It was for the benefit of the jailors, not him, but he was still thankful for the reprieve.
He must've spaced out in the journey, because before he knew it, he was being pulled through a thick door and set down in a chair. His arms were shackled to the table and ankles together by the warden, but Sirius didn't have the heart to fight it. He deserved it.
"When can I go back to my cell?" He muttered, half to himself.
The warden snorted. "What, not looking forward to a family reunion?"
Sirius' brow furrowed in confusion. "Family…?" He trailed off, raising his head for the first time to actually look at the man.
The wardan stared at him briefly before turning away in disgust and heading for the door. "Far more than you deserve after getting the Potters killed, especially to be visited by such high class ladies."
"Ladies?" He mumbled, even more lost now. What women was he related to that would come visit him–
The door opened again, and Sirius stared blankly, unsure if he was caught in a dream or nightmare.
"Hello, cousin," Narcissa Black Malfoy greeted him politely, not breaking the veneer of pureblood sophistication she'd worn for as long as Sirius could remember. Her blonde hair was perfectly arranged in an upsweep, allowing the Malfoy heirloom diamond necklace draped around her neck to glisten in the eyes of any beholder. If there were Slytherin uniforms for graduates of Hogwarts, she could've been wearing one with how the black of her outer robe complemented her emerald dress.
The two who entered after her had his muddled brain wondering for a split second when he was ever related to twins. The dim lighting had their hair looking identical in color, but when one of the women drew her wand and cast a heating and diagnosis spell on him, he knew he was looking at Andromeda and Bellatrix Black.
The Black sisters. He couldn't even remember the last time they'd all been in a room together– it'd possibly been over a decade ago, when Bellatrix was still at Hogwarts and all three had been in Slytherin together. It was before Sirius' time, so the sight before him had his mouth gaping open in shock and awe.
"Alright, I know I'm dead," Sirius announced, slouching forward to rest his head in his hands. "Last I checked, Dromeda was a blood traitor like me, dear old Bella was a Death Eater, and Cissa had married a prat– fuck!" He swore as a sharp stinging pain hit his shoulder. "Did you just hit me with a stinging hex?!" He shouted incredulously.
Bellatrix had a vicious gleam in her eyes. "Did you just call me old?" She asked, far too sweetly for his liking as she twirled her wand between her fingers.
Sirius glared at her. "Just hit me with an Avada while you're at it," he snarled.
Andromeda sighed. "Sirius–"
"Tempting, but haven't you heard, baby cousin?" Bellatrix spoke over her sister. "I'm reformed."
"We don't have time for this squabbling," Narcissa interrupted. "Meda, make him look presentable. Sirius," she called his attention back to her as his cousin crouched at his side and got started on a series of healing charms. "We need you to tell us what happened that night and the next day."
He glanced between Bellatrix and Narcissa from where they stood on the other side of the table. "Why?" He asked, his voice cracked with emotion. "Why are you all here? I'm sure you've heard what they say, that I got the Potters killed and then mass murdered a dozen muggles," he spat.
Bellatrix snorted in disbelief. "Please. If any of us Blacks were going to kill a bunch of muggles, we all know it'd be me." She seemed confused by the stares they all shot at her. "What? It's the truth! Sirius was practically raised by Great-Aunt Dorea and Charlus for ten years, and they weren't secretive about loving muggles."
"Why didn't you mention that before?" Andromeda asked. "We could've paid to put that in the prophet!"
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Nobody asked," she emphasized. "We'll just go bribe a reporter after we're done here."
"Thank Merlin we put up privacy charms," Narcissa sighed. "Sirius, we know you're Harry Potter's godfather."
"What does that have to do with anything?" The reminder of the little boy caused his chest to ache.
"His sworn godfather, Siri." Narcissa's gaze was as clear as a summer sky. "We found the certificate automatically filed in the Ministry archives. You couldn't have done anything that would knowingly put your godson in harm's way."
"I…" Sirius trailed off, blinking rapidly to fight tears that had begun to surface. "No one believed me."
"You were laughing and saying you killed them when they caught you,"' Andromeda murmured beside him.
"Because Peter got away!" He exploded. "I hunted that traitorous rat down and was going to kill him, but then he shouted that I'd done it, that I betrayed them! And then he blew the street up and left his finger behind as evidence in place of a body!"
"Siri, you make it sound like Pettigrew is still alive," Narcissa pointed out.
"He is alive," Sirius groaned, the adrenaline rush from his anger draining away. "He's an animagus. Me, him, Ja– Potter: we all were. Are," he amended.
Bellatrix placed her hands on the table and leaned in towards him. "All three of you, animagi? For how long?"
He shrugged. "Fifth year."
"You figured it out at 15?" Surprise seeped into Narcissa's voice, but Bellatrix didn't seem fazed.
"He's a Black," she brushed off. "And the Potters are known for their transfiguration skills. It's Pettigrew that doesn't add up…" Her eyes narrowed. "His form. What is it?"
"A rat."
"Small. That's why." Her hand came up to brush some of his hair out of his face, and Sirius did his best not to flinch. "What's yours, baby cousin?"
He frowned at the nickname. "A grim."
Bellatrix's cackle filled the room. "A grim!" She echoed proudly. "Only a Black could manage that."
"Your husband's going to have a field day with this case, Meda," Narcissa finally cracked a smile.
"Case?" Sirius repeated. "I don't understand. What case?"
"You're the case, Siri!" Bellatrix laughed. "We're getting you a trial in front of the Wi-zen-ga-mot," she said, tapping his forehead with each syllable.
"You're innocent, Siri, and you are a Black," Narcissa clarified. "We are no longer going to turn against our own… so tell us everything, from the beginning."
Sirius told all.