Shooting Star

Chapter Fifty-Six

Of course, there was a Death Eater attack at the Quidditch Game. They were all okay, though. The kids and Arthur, that is.
"You just go looking for trouble, don't you?" I'd asked Harry the next time I saw him.
"I don't go looking for trouble, trouble usually finds me." He'd shrugged.
When I took Harry to the train station, Sirius was still working on the same pack of cigarettes, so that was relatively good.
But, Sirius being Sirius, decided he was going to smoke as we were leaving. Harry looked at him, wide-eyed. I counted to ten before speaking, my eyes closed. "Sirius, darling." I began. "Do you think perhaps you could not smoke around Harry?"
"What?" He said, looking at the cigarette like he hadn't even known he was smoking. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry." He dropped it and stomped it out.
"Okay..." Harry said. "Well, I'll see you at Christmas." He hugged Sirius, still giving him a weird, confused look.
"Bye, love you." He said, hugging him tightly.
"Yeah, you too." Harry patted Sirius' back as he kept hugging him. "I gotta go, Dad." He finally said.
"Sorry. See you, kid." Sirius ruffled his hair as he'd done James' so many times.
"Harry! Why do you smell like smoke?" I heard Hermione demand as Harry was loading his things at the train station.
I waited for the train to leave, watching Narcissa Malfoy make a fuss over Draco. I liked her well enough. She was nice, for a Death Eater's wife. I assume she's one too, but I wasn't sure. I knew her sister was. I waved to Harry as the train went off.
"What the hell, Sirius?" I demanded when I got home.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize."
"Didn't realize what? That it might be bad to breathe nicotine into a child's face?"
"I didn't realize I was doing it."
"There are other ways to handle your problems than booze and tobacco." I informed him.
"I know. 'Let go and let God,' right?"
"Don't patronize me, Sirius." I said. "I've said that saying maybe a total of two times anyways."
"'God has a plan. He'll take care of you.'" He amended.
"Better." I glared.
"I'm only joking." He put his arm around me.

Don't be angry, Mum. I swear I didn't do it. But I may possibly be in the Triwizard Tournament. I didn't put my name in, honest. Fred and George tried to do their with an aging charm and it still wouldn't let them, so there's no possible way I could have done it. I swear I didn't.
Love, Harry

Merlin, Harry. What am I going to do with you? Snuffles, Remus and I are going to come. Professor Snape already told me what happened. Are you all right?

Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?

Snuffles is our 'new pet dog.' He is the most ornery dog I've ever met.
Remus and I were coming back from the grocery shopping (I had picked him up on the way and dragged him along). We were walking down the driveway when we heard a gunshot inside. I froze, but Remus dropped everything he was holding (thankfully not the eggs) and ran inside.
I did not want to walk inside, but when I heard a second shot, I ran in to see Remus on top of Sirius, holding him down, a gun a few feet away. There was a little drizzle of blood coming down Sirius' cheek, a hole in the window, and drywall raining from a hole in the ceiling, but otherwise, everything seemed okay. I watched them for a moment, my breaths heavy, before going over to the gun and emptying it. Sirius watched me, eyebrows raised in appraisal. "You know how to do that?" He said casually.
"Yes, I do. I know how to shoot it too, and if you pull a dumbass stunt like this again, the next bullet's going through you." I said.
"Please do."
"You bastard." Remus hissed at him. "You selfish bastard."
"Remus--" I began.
"You have a kid to raise, Black. James' kid. Your kid. You've got a wife to take care of. You've got me."
"You wanna get off me, Moony?" Sirius asked.
"Not yet. I'm still deciding if I want to punch you."
"I've had it coming for years. Go ahead, if it'd make you feel better."
"Remus." I said gently, pulling him off my husband.
He sat down, crying. I sat beside him, my arm around his shoulders, rubbing his arm. "What happened, Sirius?" I asked, my eyes wet, my voice shaky.
"I was going to, but then I decided not to." He pointed at the hole in the ceiling. "Then I decided I wanted to, and Remus tackled me." He pointed to the hole in the window. He didn't look at Remus. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.
"Sirius, do you want to help me bring in the groceries?" I asked.
He nodded and jumped up.
I kissed Remus' temple. "We'll be back." I said.
I gathered the bullets I'd taken from the gun and put them in my pockets, just in case, and Sirius followed me out. "What the hell was that?" I asked him quietly as we picked up the bags Remus and I had dropped.
"I'm sorry."
I threw my arms around his neck, making us both drop everything we'd picked up. "Don't you dare do that again." I whispered.
"Okay."
"Why'd you do that?" I asked.
"I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being stuck here all the time, never able to do anything. I'm sick of not being able to sleep. I'm sick of still feeling like I'm with the bloody Dementors. I'm tired."
My arms tightened around him unconsciously. "It'll get better, okay? They're working to clear your name. It might be a while, with everything being how it is. But it'll happen, I promise."
"I love you." He told me.
"I love you." I said.
"You've got to talk to Remus." I said as we gathered the groceries again.
"I know. What's his deal anyway?"
"I don't know. That's what you're gonna have to find out."
"Won't you have better luck with that? You're the girl." He smiled a bit.
"You're the best friend. Go."