Faultlines

Godfathers

Godfathers

Harry was hastily cleaning the living room of his apartment in London. It wasn't that he was expecting his guest to judge him for the strewn toys all over the floor or the scattered items of clothing (mainly socks Teddy tended to pull off his feet when Harry wasn't looking), but Harry had a bad feeling about this meeting. Andromeda had been weirdly okay with the whole thing. Harry had expected a bigger fight, but the assurance that she would always stay Teddy's grandma and that they would never hide his true parentage from him, had softened the blow. The only person he really did worry about was Sirius. Sirius, who still refused to call Lily and James Potter anything but his parents. Harry sighed. He liked Sirius, he really did, but he often felt the man expected him to be something he really, really wasn't and the older he got, the worse it became.

The doorbell rang and Harry hurried towards the door. The doorman downstairs hadn't rung up, so it had to be someone who had apparated into the penthouse hallway.

He opened the door with a cautious smile, happy to see his godfather despite the difficult conversation ahead. Sirius looked equally happy to see him and gave him a quick hug. He looked good, Harry thought, spouting his now normal tan. France was treating him well.

"Harry! Thank you for the invitation!"

"I am happy to see you, Sirius.", and he really was.

"I was a bit surprised, to be honest. Normally you just come and see me. But I left enough food. Buckbeak should be fine."

"I have a lot of things to organize here and not really time to take off of work. I hope that's fine. I got the guest room ready for you.", this conversation sounded oddly wooden, Harry thought. Sirius had only brought a small duffle bag and there wasn't much for Harry to do, as Sirius simply plopped down on one of the couches, before a squeaking sound made him jump up again.

Sirius laughed and held a little rubber fire engine out for Harry to see.

"Ohhhhh, so that's where that went. Sorry!", Harry grabbed the toy and put it in the corner meant to be Teddy's play area. 'Meant to be' being the important bit here.

"Harry.", Sirius told him sternly, "You are making me nervous. What is it?"

Harry sighed again and set down opposite the older man.

"I have news.", he stated simply, "Ginny and I are getting married. This summer, actually."

"What?! Harry, that's great news!", Sirius jumped up and embraced Harry, who was still half sitting on the couch, "But hardly unexpected. Why were you nervous about telling me that?!"

"I wasn't. Ginny and I have decided to officially adopt Teddy."

The smile vanished off of Sirius' face.

"What?"

"Teddy already calls us Mummy and Daddy. He started that months ago."

Sirius blinked.

"He does what? And you just let him?"

"He picked it up from the other kids. You think I'd tell him 'No. I am Harry?"

"You should have.", Sirius' voice was getting dangerously low. Harry on the other hand was not impressed. He had hoped for Sirius' understanding, but planned for the worst.

"I am not doing that to him."

"His parents are dead. They died to protect him."

"Yes. They did. And he will know that. But that is no excuse to do that to him."

"Do what, exactly?"

Harry tried not to lose his temper then and there. It wouldn't do him any good.

"Sirius, every child deserves the chance to have parents. You can't really expect me to deny him that."

"He had a chance. It was taken from him by Voldemort and his bunch of murderers."

"And you want me to deny him his second chance. Because of what exactly?"

"Because they died for him. They were his parents and they LOVED him!"

"Yes. They loved him and they would want him to be happy. Like I was.", Harry knew the moment he said it that he had hit Sirius' sore spot with full force.

"Oh yes. Those people took your name, your identity from you. You are a Potter. The last Potter and they... what? Gave you a new name and pretended to be your parents! Your parents gave EVERYTHING for you and they tried to replace them like it was NOTHING!"

"No. They loved me. They saved me. They raised me and they were my PARENTS. Still are. I am sad that I never got to meet Lily and James and grateful for what they did, but I never knew them. They are part of me, but I am a STARK. And Remus and Tonks will always, always be part of Teddy. But he deserves to call someone Mum and Dad. He deserves a chance to maybe have siblings. Sirius, I know what it's like. I understand. And I KNOW that Remus and Tonks understood, too."

"You think they wanted you to take their son and completely disrespect them?! Ignore them like they never existed at all?!"

"They KNEW me. They knew my backstory. And during a war in which they were both hunted and in constant danger, they made me Godfather!"

"I am sure they thought you'd help raise their son like they would have wanted!"

"Oh please, if they had wanted him raised as nothing but their child, with constant reminders of his dead parents, they would have picked you. Not me!"

Sirius turned completely white, but Harry didn't care. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry, "You never really understood this and you never cared to even try. For you I am not Harry. I am not allowed to be my own person. You see me as nothing, nothing other than James Potter's son. Because I look like him? Because you miss him so much? Why else would you refuse to accept my parents? Why else would you huff every time I even mention my brother?! You are not here because of me. You don't give a fuck about me. You do this for James. Why else would you care so much about my last name?! And I am not letting you do this to Teddy! He does not need to grow up like he is missing something. He will be a happy, well-cared for boy with two loving parents, a whole bunch of aunts and uncles and maybe, hopefully, some siblings. He will NOT be left behind in some cupboard! And if you can not be supportive or helpful, if you continue to be a drag on my life, then I am sorry, really sorry, but I do not need you to be here!"

Harry was breathing so hard, his fists clenched at his sides. Sirius was just looking at him, eyes wide open in horror or anger. He didn't say a word to Harry, instead picking up his duffle bag, leaving the apartment and slamming the door behind him.

It took Harry some time to cool down and let the whole thing sink in.