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Sirius Black was standing in the doorway to Grimmauld Place, wistfully staring outside when Molly Weasley found him.
"Sirius," she murmured, a hand resting on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about earlier."
He didn't look at her, but he relaxed, ever so slightly. "Me too, Molly. I just feel like hiding Harry away isn't doing any favours for him."
Molly closed her eyes, wishing she could help. "He's just a boy, Sirius. A child. I—" She paused, swallowed. "I just want him to be happy."
Sirius softened, and when he next spoke, his voice was rough. "I know, Molly. I do too. But by keeping secrets from him, treating him like a child—"
"He is a child!"
"—He feels left out. He feels like we doubt him, and we don't trust him enough to include him. I would have felt that way, too."
Molly stifled a chuckle. "There's too much of James in him."
Here Sirius threw his head back and barked a laugh, lighting a cigarette. He held one out to Molly, who looked at him, overbearing house-wife mode activated.
"Sirius Orion Black! Do you know just how dangerous these thinsg are to someone of my age?"
Sirius winked. "You don't seem that old yourself, you know."
"I am married, you know."
"Is this your way of telling me I'm not hot after Azkaban?" he teased.
Molly rolled her eyes, and said fondly, "Sirius—"
"This is betrayal, you know. You were my one and only ally—"
"Just give me a Merlin-damned cigarette, will you?"
Sirius let out a roguish grin and flipped one over to her. "I knew you'd come around."
They stood in silence for a while, lost in their thoughts. Sirius was the first one to break it.
"He's incredible, y'know? I thought I was a goner, then he turned up on the back of a hippogriff to let me out. A hippogriff! Can you believe it?"
Molly rolled her eyes. "That's nothing. In second year he charged a basilisk with a sword and the year before that... well, that was Quirrell."
"He's an incredible boy, my Harry."
"Our Harry."
For a second, Molly thought that Sirius was going to restart their earlier argument, but Sirius merely turned to her with a smile. "Yes, I suppose he is. Thank you, Molly."
"It's no problem, Sirius. I love Harry like he's my own son - and I suppose he is, in a way."
He grinned at her, and she couldn't be gladder to see the earlier tension gone.
"Now, if only my Ronniekins could pick up his Potions grades..."
Sirius' eyes turned serious (if you'll pardon the pun). "He may not be the best academically, but he's got a lot of other qualities, that Ron. He stood up on a broken leg to shield Harry, and I believe his words were 'If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us first!'. A brave boy, that one."
"Oh, Merlin, he did? I know he thinks of Harry as a brother but—oh, wow. He's so sweet." She wiped her eyes, and smiled.
"At least we know that Harry'll always have his reckless friends charging in alongside him."
The pair laughed, and spent the rest of the night smoking and laughing over the children's antics.