Chapter Eight

Harry was fuming for the rest of the week. He simply couldn’t believe that everyone was on Draco’s side except for him. Fortunately, he was somewhat mollified when Ron came to his defense, saying that he couldn’t believe that Dumbledore had fallen for ‘the little ferret’s trap.’

Hermione conceded that Harry had ample reason to be suspicious of Draco’s motivation, but she also said she trusted Dumbledore. Harry was annoyed at her for sitting on the fence, but decided not to bother arguing with her.

“You believe me, right, Sirius?” he asked that weekend, flopping onto the bed in Remus’ room. Remus was at his desk, grading papers, and looked over at this conversation with interest. “About Malfoy being a traitorous little git?”

“Well, I’m all with you that he’s a little git,” Sirius remarked. He was sprawled on the floor at Remus’ feet. “But traitorous is a slippery term.”

Harry gave him a disbelieving look. “You’re going to say that you believe him too, aren’t you.”

“I don’t know whether I believe him,” Sirius said quickly. “I’m willing to bet that none of us know everything that’s going on, including Dumbledore.”

Harry grumbled under his breath for a few seconds.

“Understandably,” Sirius added, “the term traitor makes me a bit leery and nervous.”

“All right, all right,” Harry said. “But you didn’t spend the last four years getting tormented by Malfoy. When I was in the tournament last year, he made buttons for everyone that flashed ‘Potter sucks.’”

“I did agree that he was a slimy little git,” Sirius said. “So was his dad. Actually, his father was worse.”

Remus look up at this. “He really was,” he said mildly. “You should cut Mr. Malfoy a little slack, Harry. He’s most likely not had the most wonderful life.”

“Like I did,” Harry retorted. “I didn’t get to go off and become obnoxious and evil.”

“Well, no,” Remus said. “But even though your aunt and uncle were hardly the most exemplary of individuals, there’s no way they could come close to measuring to Lucius Malfoy. The man is evil, Harry, and he’s probably the most cruel person I’ve had the misfortune to meet. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like for Draco, growing up with him. I was terrified of him in school. All the underclassmen were. If Polaris hadn’t been so vocal about standing up to Lucius, I most sincerely doubt he would have left us alone.”

Remus didn’t bother to tell Harry the rest of what he was thinking, which was an incident in their third year when he had taught the lesson on boggarts. Draco had surreptitiously backed out of the classroom before his turn. When Remus managed to corner him later and insist he go through the lesson, he hadn’t been particularly surprised to see that Draco’s boggart looked like his father.

“He’s still a prat,” Harry said, “and he’s still a Death-Eater. I don’t care why he’s doing it. I just don’t like the fact that he’s working for Voldemort and wandering around the school unchecked because Dumbledore’s a bleeding heart.”

Remus sighed. “And did it occur to you that maybe beating him up in the hallway isn’t the best way to convince him that being evil is a bad idea? I think perhaps that being kind to him might forestall it better. Which is, I assume, what Dumbledore is trying to do.”

“Well, it’s not like Dumbledore’s always right,” Harry said irritably. “He let Sirius get thrown in prison.”

Sirius blinked. “Yes, that wasn’t very kind of him,” he remarked. “Or very foresightful.” He slumped a little, resting his head against Remus’ knee.

“He’s not omniscient,” Remus replied. “And unfortunately, the evidence against you was rather damning, as you might recall.” As he spoke, his hand drifted down and smoothed Sirius’ hair in a comforting gesture.

“I recall that I was half-mad and didn’t get a trial, but this isn’t about me right now,” Sirius said.

Remus sighed. “All I’m saying is that I think Draco may be telling the truth. I wouldn’t want to defy Lucius Malfoy either, let alone Lucius and Voldemort at the same time.”

“Fine,” Harry said moodily. “Just fine. I’ll just have to watch him on my own, then.”

Remus just sighed again.

****

“Where are we going?” Sirius asked, bouncing around Remus as he calmly pulled his shoes on.

“I told you. It’s a secret that involves Diagon Alley. We’re taking Floo Powder there and then once we get where we’re going, you can go back to being human.” Remus poked Sirius in the ribs. “Now stop asking.”

Sirius pouted, but obediently followed Remus to the fireplace, through it, and down Diagon Alley. It took them a few minutes to thread their way through the crowds, until Remus pushed open the door to a shop with a black and silver sign. Remus hauled Sirius through the door before he had a chance to read the sign, then shut it after them.

“We’re here!” he called out.

Sirius’ father bustled out from behind the counter. “Remus, good to see you!” he said, busily pulling down the shades. He looked a great deal like both his sons, though his black hair was now greying. He flipped the open sign to closed. Sirius was just gaping at him.

Remus nudged him in the ribs. “Go on,” he said.

Sirius transformed, and still stared at his father. His mother now joined them, coming out of a back room. “Sirius, you’re here!” she said, and wrapped her arms around his waist without waiting for further confirmation. There was a brief moment during which he seemed stunned, then he hugged back. Mr. Black came over and added his own arms to the pile.

Remus grinned and hauled himself up to sit on the counter, watching the reunion.

“So how have you been?” Mr. Black asked, finally pulling away.

“Tell us everything,” Mrs. Black added sternly.

Sirius stammered for a minute. “From what point?” he finally managed.

“Oh, wherever you want,” Mrs. Black said. “Professor Dumbledore already gave us the specifics on what went wrong . . . you know, back then, and Polaris was here earlier this week and told us what you’d been doing. So really there’s not much to tell. So how have you been?”

“Um,” Sirius managed. “Pretty well, considering.”

****

Draco was slightly nervous at having been summoned to Dumbledore’s office. He knew that the Headmaster wasn’t pleased, given the fight he’d had with Harry. Usually, a summons such as this indicated serious trouble. He was hoping that whatever trouble it was, he wasn’t in it.

Dumbledore smiled at Draco as he walked in, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Ah, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for coming so promptly.”

“Not a problem,” Draco said.

“Please have a seat,” Dumbledore said, gesturing at one of the many chairs that were in the office. Draco settled in one of them. “Have you been summoned by Voldemort recently?”

“Thankfully, no.”

“I believe Severus and myself may have an idea of what you should say the next time you see him,” Dumbledore said. Draco looked interested in this. “You mentioned that Voldemort had asked you to keep a special eye on Professor Snape?”

Draco nodded.

“Then perhaps it would be best if you reported that he was, in fact, a traitor to his cause,” Dumbledore said. “Voldemort already knows this, we are most certain. Confirming it will do no real damage, and may be a way for you to convince him that you are loyal to him.”

“That is a good idea,” Draco said, impressed. “Um . . . but what if I’m not the only student in the school that’s spying for him?”

Dumbledore shrugged slightly. “Of course, if he mentions any other student, I would appreciate it if you tell me. Otherwise, I see no reason to worry about it. If they discover Professor Snape is on our side, they will merely report the same thing.” He smiled at Draco. “It is always best to tell the truth whenever possible. Less to keep track of that way.”

Draco blinked, unsure of what to say.

“If you’re worried about someone having realized that you have been having these conversations with me . . .” Dumbledore shrugged slightly. “Perhaps it would be best to admit them to Voldemort. He can believe you are a double agent of sorts, making us believe that you are on our side to gain information.”

Draco wondered if Dumbledore had gotten that idea from Harry accusing him of the exact same thing. “Sir, did you know that’s what Potter accused me of?”

“Is it?” Dumbledore smiled. “Perhaps that makes it all the more believable.”

Draco blinked, completely at a loss.

Dumbledore frowned slightly. “Though one has to wonder, are you now a triple agent? Or perhaps quadruple . . . I always did like the sound of that word.”

“I don’t think I’m a quadruple agent, sir,” Draco managed. “Because I think if I was, that would just be the same as a double agent.”

Dumbledore nodded. “An excellent way of looking at it. Triple agent it shall be. I’d appreciate it if you let me know after you next encountered Voldemort.”

“Yes, sir.”

****

Harry remained annoyed about what had happened with Draco for a good few weeks. Still, life went on, and everything else was going well, so it was hard to stay grumpy. He’d never made it so far into a year without almost getting killed by something before.

He liked to visit Sirius on the weekend in Remus’ rooms, where Sirius could be human but Harry wouldn’t get in trouble for being in the teachers’ wing. Knowing this, Remus often took Saturdays off to go into town and do ‘errands’, which usually didn’t require doing, but gave Harry and Sirius time together.

Sirius opened a knock Saturday morning to see Harry standing there. He broke into a large smile and stood back to let him in. He was looking very rumpled in the robes he had tossed on when he’d gotten up that morning, and his unbrushed hair. “Leaving Ron and Hermione to their own devices?” he asked.

“Hoping really hard that if I just keep leaving them alone, they’ll wind up kissing,” Harry said, reaching up to give his godfather a hug. “I heard that Remus had abandoned you for the day.”

“I wouldn’t say abandoned,” Sirius said, definitely not liking that word. “He’s off having his own life, which is nice. I’m sure he’ll have some sort of gossip or something for me when he gets back.” Maybe Butterbeer or chocolate frogs, since he had been going to Hogsmeade.

“I can’t picture him gossipping, really . . .” Harry said thoughtfully.

Sirius went over to the coffee maker in the corner. Remus had brought it from London, and Sirius was very fond of it. “He does come off as being awfully quiet, doesn’t he. You want some?”

“Sure.” Harry settled onto their unmade bed, pulling his legs up underneath him. “And it’s not so much that he’s quiet as that he’s such a private person.”

Sirius poured two mugs of coffee and started dumping cocoa powder into his own. “Cream, sugar, chocolate?”

Harry laughed. “Chocolate coffee?”

Sirius smiled slightly. “It’s the wizarding world’s answer to an anti-depressant,” he said, then shrugged. “Besides, it tastes good.”

“I’ll stick with cream and sugar, thanks.”

“All right, then.” Sirius added them, then carried the two mugs over and handed one to Harry, settling on the bed next to him. “And yes, Remus is a terribly private person. I think he would have been that way even if he hadn’t been a werewolf. What really gets to me is how well he can peg other people, even though hardly anyone can read him.”

Harry sipped the coffee, which was a treat he rarely got. He definitely liked this whole godfather thing. “All right, I’ll admit to a certain amount of curioisity about you two, all gossip aside.”

Sirius smiled at him over the rim of his mug, then leaned back against the headboard. “Ask away,” he said.

“He’s just so quiet,” Harry said, sounding slightly puzzled. “And from what everyone has told me, you were loud and obnoxious in school.” He gifted Sirius with a large grin at this statement. “I can’t imagine how you ever became friends.”

“Luck and your dad,” Sirius told him. “It was luck that we ended up in the same house, but James was the midpoint between us. He could con Remus into raising just as much hell as I wanted us to, and keep me from causing it all the time and getting myself tossed out of here on my head.”

“Remus raising hell . . .” Harry said, his eyes nearly crossing as he tried to picture it. “No, can’t see it. Not a bit.”

Sirius grinned widely. “That was the beauty of it. Most people thought he wouldn’t dare, that he just wasn’t that sort of person, so he could get away with murder right under the professors’ noses. I don’t know why people can’t see him getting into trouble. If he was that tightly wound, he would have been put in Ravenclaw.”

“I guess so,” Harry agreed. “But before this summer, I only ever knew him as a professor, so I have an excuse.”

“Fair enough,” Sirius said, nodding. “He was our detail man. James had flair, and I had guts, but it was Remus that checked the details to make sure everything worked out as it should.”

Harry wanted to know what Peter was responsible for, but didn’t want to set Sirius off by asking. Instead, he settled for, “Do I even want to know what kind of stunts you pulled that needed flair, guts, and details?”

“Well, the Map is sort of a long-standing example. But we managed some grand tricks. Usually played on the Slytherins.” Sirius suddenly grinned evilly. “Rigged up their showers wonderfully once. Instead of water, they got bright red ink.”

Harry grinned back. “We’ve never done anything on that much of a grand scale. Well, unless it involved saving the school or defeating Voldemort or something.”

“That takes guts and wits, if not flair,” Sirius said, slightly amused. “And in the long run, a much more worthwhile cause.”

“Well, you guys did your part against Voldemort the first time. I just wish we’d had the time to be pestering the Slytherins instead of diving into the Chamber of Secrets.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Sirius said with a slight smirk. “Voldemort is a Slytherin that Salazar himself would be proud of, and you piss him right the hell off.”

“Well, all right, but I never managed to dye Malfoy red, and given how pale he is, that would be a sight to see.”

“Oh, it’s all in the library if you know where to look and are creative enough,” Sirius told him.

“Okay, mental note: dye Malfoy and his two hired goons as soon as possible,” Harry said, pretending to jot this down on an imaginary notepad.

“What is it with the Malfoys and hired muscle anyway?” Sirius wondered aloud.

“Beats me,” Harry said. “Why, did his dad have a thing for hired muscle, too? I thought he was hired muscle, working for Voldemort and all.”

“Lucius, the slimy poncer, had Crabbe and Goyle seniors following him around,” Sirius told him. Although he knew Remus had lectured Harry on Malfoy the elder, he figured it couldn’t hurt to add his own opinion. “Even the muscle need muscle sometimes. Lucius was a self-righteous bastard even when he was in school, and liked to harrass any one smaller than Crabbe or Goyle. He didn’t bug us very often, though.”

“Was he really . . . everything that Remus said he was?” Harry asked curiously. He knew that Remus had a strangely soft spot for Malfoy, so he thought getting Sirius’ opinion on this subject might help.

“Yes, it sounded about right,” Sirius admitted. “We were horribly afraid he would find out about Remus. It would have been a nightmare ten times worse than what Snape engineered two years ago. And there would have been no way even Polaris could have protected us then.” He remembered from their school days the few times that Polaris had risked the wrath of the professors and beaten the hell out of Lucius for daring to lay a finger on Sirius and his friends.

“Polaris?” Harry asked, frowning.

Sirius blinked. “I forgot you wouldn’t know about him. He’s my older brother. By two years. We used to be a lot alike. I guess we still are in some ways.”

“I didn’t even know you have a brother,” Harry said, then added enthusiastically, “I want to meet him.”

Sirius smiled. “I’ll see what I can arange. Mom and Dad have been pestering me to no end, demanding to meet you. I think Mom may not consider you part of the family until she’s had the opportunity to interrogate you as to how your health is and make sure we’re all treating you right.”

“Sounds like Ron’s mother,” Harry said, amused.

“Mom is very . . . militant,” Sirius replied.

Harry was still laughing. “But you’ve distracted me. I was trying to ask about you and Remus.”

“Far be it for me to distract you,” Sirius said, smiling back. “What else do you want to know?”

“Just . . . how did it happen?” Harry asked curiously.

“I assume you mean how did we start dating?” At Harry’s nod, Sirius continued. “It happened after I commited my first truly mind-breaking act of stupidity.” He sobered slightly, thinking back. Slightly ashamed, he asked, “You heard about how Remus, as a wolf, had nearly killed Snape, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Harry said. “I’d heard that story. Somehow I’m having trouble picturing Remus being more willing to date you after you did that.” He laughed slightly, but he could tell that Sirius was truly remorseful, so he tried not to sound mean about it.

Sirius smiled slightly. “He wasn’t. I don’t think he’s ever been that angry with anyone. And I deserved every last ounce of it.” He laughed a little, in a slightly self- deprecating manner. “Every day that he refused to talk to me . . . I fell apart just a little bit more.” He shrugged. “And apparently, so did he. To make a long story short, James got a bit cranky and whapped us both upside the head and informed us that we would talk and work things out.”

“So you did?” Harry asked, enjoying the story.

Sirius nodded. “Something good came out of my act of raging stupidity.”

“Well, you might have gotten it together without the stupidity, you know,” Harry said, now amused.

“Maybe. It would have taken us longer.” Sirius looked away. “In which case we might never have gotten the chance.” He thought that it might have been better that way. At least Remus would have been able to move on, content to hate Sirius’ memory in peace.

Harry gave him a look and a frown. “You’re thinking something depressing. I can tell.”

Sirius forced a small smile, still not meeting his eyes. “I’m afraid I’m a bit transparent of late. I’m working on it, I swear.”

“But now I want to know what you were thinking,” Harry said.

“That maybe things would have been better for Remus if we had never dated,” Sirius said quietly. “In his eyes, I would have been exactly as The Rat painted me, and Remus could have hated me without confusion and been able to move on with his life.” Sirius’ eyes narrowed suddenly. “What the hell am I doing telling you all of this? I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around.”

Harry laughed. “But I don’t need that much taking care of, contrary to popular opinion. But if you don’t want to tell me, tell Remus -- I'm sure he’ll have a thing or two to say about it.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Sirius said dryly. “He’ll get all snippy and think of me before he thinks of himself.”

Harry just shrugged. “I think he’s happier with you than he would be without you.”

“I hope so. And between you and him, I’m starting to pull myself together.” Sirius grinned and added in a joking tone, “Who knows, someday we might even be able to act like we’re normal.”

“Aw, but being normal is so boring . . .” Harry protested.

“I don’t know,” Sirius said thoughtfully. “Boring might be relaxing for a while. But if you’d prefer to avoid normal, we’ll see what we can do.”

“All right, so maybe it would be okay to be bored. I still say that you and Remus should go take a vacation somewhere.”

“And leave you here?” Sirius sounded honestly surprised. “Never. I’ve missed too much of your life as it is.”

“I’d say I could come, but I think you two need your romantic time,” Harry teased. Seriously. You two need a honeymoon.”

Sirius looked down at his ringless fingers. “You have to be married before you can have a honeymoon.”

Harry folded his arms over his chest and gave Sirius an imperious I-know-better-than-you look. “And I suppose it would be silly of me to wonder if you’ve asked him.”

“It wouldn’t be silly at all,” Sirius protested. “I haven’t. There hasn’t really been a good time, you know.”

“It was silly to wonder because I already knew,” Harry said sternly.

“We’ve been busy,” Sirius said lamely, hoping that didn’t sound like as much of a pathetic excuse as it really was. Then he thought of a decent reason and added, “Plus, it should be nice and not hurried.”

“All right, all right.”

Sirius decided it was time for a strategic change of subject, before the look on Harry’s face got any more withering. “This may border into horrible parental nagging, but really I’m just curious. What do you want to do after you graduate?”

Harry blinked at him. Given that his parents were dead and his aunt and uncle weren’t given to nagging, he had never seriously pondered the question before. “I was really just concerned with living that long, actually.”

“Well, of course you live that long,” Sirius said, sounding vaguely insulted that Harry was even questioning this. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Harry laughed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.”

Sirius smiled back. “Given that your survival is a foregone conclusion, what do you think you’d like to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Harry replied. “Maybe be an Auror. That seems to be a foregone conclusion too.”

“Is that what you want to do?” Sirius asked curiously, thinking that Remus would have a heart attack, with both Sirius and Harry out having hexes thrown at them every day.

“I don’t know what I want,” Harry admitted.

Sirius shrugged. “Well don’t just be an Auror because you think it’s expected of you,” he advised firmly. “Do what you want. Your grades are decent, you’ve got talent in spades; so you have all sorts of options.” He laughed and added, “Hell, you’re good enough at Quidditch that you could play profesionally.”

“I know.” Harry shrugged and let out a little sigh. “But there’s stuff about Voldemort that I still don’t know. I mean, there must be some reason that he tried to kill me. Maybe I’m the only one that can defeat him.”

“There I’m afraid I’m just as lost as you,” Sirius said with another small laugh. “I mean, your parents were amazing people, but not in a way that I can fathom why you would have been dangerous to him. Though obviously you were. And are.”

“So, there you have it,” Harry said, sounding a strange combination of amused and gloomy. “My whole future, plotted out for me.”

“Hardly. He isn’t the end-all-be-all of your life.”

“No,” Harry said with a sigh. “He’ll just be the end.”

On impulse, Sirius reached over and pulled Harry into a hug. “No, he won’t,” he said firmly. “Now who’s thinking depressing thoughts? You’ve stood up to him before and lived. Alone as a baby, and in your first year with basica;ly nothing but your determination, and last year you walked away. You walk away from every encounter with him in one peice. He can’t say the same. And you won’t have to face him alone. Remus and I will do whatever we can, and I’m sure Ron and Hermione will as well.”

“Sure, I defeated him while he was dead,” Harry said, sounding almost irritated. “I kept him from coming back twice. But now that he’s back? I only got away last time through sheer luck. And as for when I was a baby, I can’t repeat what I don’t know how I did.”

“Well, then, we’ll all just have to try harder to keep you safe.” Sirius punctuated this statement by hugging Harry a bit tighter. “I already lost James and Lily, I will not lose you too.”

Harry sighed, although he didn’t pull away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Not your fault,” Sirius said. “I’m a natural worrier when it comes to my family.” He let go of Harry and decided to try lightening the mood. “Mom would accuse me of being incompetent if I didn’t worry.”

“I didn’t mean to dump it all on you. It’s just . . . I can’t help being scared, but I don’t really feel like I can tell anyone. Since I’m the Famous Harry Potter and all that,” he said, sounding bitter. “If I was scared, everyone else would probably panic.”

“Feel free to dump anything you want on me,” Sirius said, trying to sound comforting. For someone so new at this parenting thing, he felt surprisingly good at it. “That’s what I’m here for. And contrary to what people would have you think, fear is a grand tool to help aid in survival. Providing it doesn’t make you freeze up. And as I said, you can come to me or Remus anytime you need something.”

“I know.” Harry managed a smile. “Just no matter what you say, there’s no guarantee I’ll survive it if I meet him again. So I don’t like to bother people with it.”

“Are you insane?” Sirius asked, rolling his eyes. “‘Don’t like to bother people.’ Bother away. It’s better for you to get this stuff out in the open. And I know I can’t offer you any promises on the outcome if you have to face him again, but I can promise I will do everything I can to try and keep you safe.”

Harry gave him another wan smile. “Thus the bothering.”

“As I said, bother away. Makes me feel useful for something.”

Harry laughed at that. “You’re very useful.”

Sirius also laughed, although he soudned slightly bitter. “Yes, as a foot warmer.”

“And a protector, and a listener . . . and lot of other things that end in er,” Harry told him.

Naturally, the word that Harry meant, and the first word that popped into Sirius’ mind, was father. He grinned at Harry, all thoughts of being useless aside, and gave him another hug.

****

“So how’d it go?” Hermione asked, not looking up from the book that she was reading.

“I made the team!” Ron declared, dancing happily around the chair that Hermione was sitting in. “I get to be a Chaser! I’ve got to write Bill and Charlie. I made the team!”

Hermione closed the book and smiled up at him. “I’m proud of you,” she said, noting that Ron was remarkably endearing when he was excited.

Ron blushed up to the tips of his ears. “Ah, it’s not that much,” he muttered. “Anyway, that’s three Weasleys on the team this year, which is going to sound awfully funny in the announcements . . . plus Harry, and Alicia and Katie are still here. David, the third year with the blonde hair, is going to be the new Keeper. I hope he’s good, but I guess if he wasn’t, McGonagall would’ve been pitching a fit.”

Harry walked in. “Hi, Hermione,” he said. “I assume Ron’s crowed his news by now?”

“Yes, as we speak,” Hermione said. “Who’s the captain this year?”

“Fred and George are co-captaining,” Harry explained. “Since it’s their last year, we thought we’d be nice and let them have it.”

“That means you’ll have to get a new captain next year,” Hermione observed.

Harry nodded, then flopped down in the chair next to her. Ron was still bouncing around in celebration of his victory. “Well, the twins and Alicia are graduating at the end of the year, so we’re going to need serious new players next year,” he said. “But Katie will probably be captain, since she’ll be the eldest.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Hermione said complacently, opening her book again.

“Aw, d’you want Ron to be captain?” Harry teased.

“Technically speaking,” Hermione said stiffly, “it would be a brilliant idea.”

“Just because he can play chess doesn’t mean he’d be a genius at Quidditch too,” Harry pointed out. Ron came down off cloud nine long enough to glare at Harry.

“Do you actually know what it takes to be a good chess player?” Hermione asked pointedly. “Not just an all right one, but a good one?”

Harry grinned. “No. I just like to see you defend Ron.”

Hermione threw a cushion at him.

****

In all reality... that scene about Quidditch probably should have been like three chapters ago, but we forgot to put it in, so... just pretend it came earlier! Or something. Forgive us. ::grovels:: We just wanted to get another chapter out before the fifth book came out and was, well, way cooler than our fic could ever hope to be.

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