July 31, 1995
It was just him and Tonks as it was a Monday and no Order meeting was scheduled for the evening. Tonks had switched shifts with Hestia on a hunch and was proven to be correct. Not only did Harry meet with Hermione that day in honor of his birthday...her parents had joined as well.
He laughed at Harry being subjected to what sounded like a truly horrible birthday song and fought the urge to be jealous of Hermione's father. He should have been the one embarrassing Harry. He had been a truly awful godfather to his truly exceptional godson.
Harry seemed to be happy in spite of him...not because of him...never because of him. He felt selfish and petty and immature and all the other emotions associated with being so self absorbed. Thankfully the feeling was muted and overwhelmed by the fact that Harry had finally...finally...enjoyed a proper birthday. He made a note to find out all of the Grangers birthdays as they all deserved something special.
He was so busy stewing on Harry being afraid to take his presents back to the Dursleys that he nearly missed the next part. Three words...the best words.
"She kissed him," Tonks informed joyfully, losing herself in the memory.
"You should have seen them, Sirius," Tonks sighed wistfully, "it was lovely. I don't think I've ever been kissed like that. I felt like a proper idiot being jealous of a fifteen year old girl."
"It sounds like James and Lily," he mused, staring at his glass, "they were always different...special. Bloody annoying."
"Then Hermione's father had to ruin it by honking the car horn," Tonks muttered.
Sirius laughed. That sounded like something he would do.
August 3, 1995
It was past two in the morning but Sirius was still awake. He should have known that Harry's happy summer was too good to be true. Harry had done everything they had asked of him. He'd kept his head...been safe...heeded their stupid instructions...all so he could be protected in the safest way possible. What a crock of shit.
Dementors. Fucking dementors. Not for the first time he was amazed at his godson, but he realized he shouldn't have been. The boy had fought off a hundred dementors to save his life...two must have seemed like child's play. But the fact that Harry come through magnificently once again was beside the point.
Sirius paused to count how many times Harry had to deal with those foul creatures. Four...four fucking times. They had all failed him on such a profound level.
He eyed the cabinet where the firewhisky was stored and desperately fought the urge to drown his feelings of sorrow and guilt toward Harry once again. He settled for soberly wallowing in his feelings of sorrow and guilt. It was much more difficult but exactly what he deserved.
He was broken out of his wallowing by someone entering the room in a near sprint. It was Bill.
"The Grangers just showed up at the Dursleys and Harry says we have thirty minutes to fetch him or he's leaving with them," Bill said in a rush.
Despite the seriousness of the situation he barked out a laugh. It was exactly what James...and Lily now that he thought about it...would have done.
"Who else knows?" he asked.
"I came here straightaway," Bill informed. "I reckon if I told Dumbledore he'd do everything he could to make him stay there and...it's not right Sirius. How we've been ignoring Harry isn't right."
The thing Sirius had been fighting against all summer...the urge to do something rash and impulsive...was stronger than ever. He'd fought it off successfully so far...remembering how badly succumbing to those urges had worked out the last time. But this felt different.
He thought about Hermione's parents...thoroughly vulnerable and defenseless against magic...but they had showed up at Harry's doorstep just the same despite the risk. For Harry.
"I'll contact Tonks. Go wake your dad and tell him what's going on and then head back to keep watch...and tell Molly not to blab to Dumbledore before we're back with Harry."
"Don't worry about Mum. She sent Dumbledore three Howlers before she went to bed," Bill informed with a grin as he headed for the staircase.
Sirius conjured the brightest patronus he'd ever managed and quickly sent it on its way before bounding up the steps. He needed to fetch his communication mirror and let Moony know what was going on.
Ten minutes later the group had assembled and was ready to head out on their mission. Tonks looked him over and quirked an eyebrow.
"Did you...fix your hair?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.
"Come to think of it those clothes are much nicer than what you had on earlier," Remus observed wryly.
"I've got to look my best for Harry's future in-laws don't I?" he protested. "Wouldn't want to embarrass him."
"Well I think you look very dashing," Tonks complimented falsely.
"Thank you, Tonks," he replied before sticking his tongue out at a now laughing Remus. He felt more alive than he had in years.
"Back to the task at hand," Arthur gently reminded.
Sirius nodded and took a calming breath. It was time to finally be irrational and impulsive for the right reasons. For Harry.
"Let's go get my godson."
YOU ARE READING
Live Forever
RomanceThe summer after Harry's fourth year would have been much better if just one person in his life had disregarded Professor Dumbledore's instructions to ignore him. And if that person was Hermione Granger? It would have been much, much better
