Chapter Text
Remus,
I need you to trust me, I know that’s difficult. I know I’ve been difficult, I know things aren’t okay between us. But please, trust me.
Don’t leave the flat.
Peter and I switched, something’s happened. I’m going to check on Prongs.
I fear the worst.
Stay. Here.
If I’m not back by the morning, you know where to go.
I know I’m asking a lot, please.
Ward the flat, and don’t answer to ANYONE.
Please Moony.
I love you.
-Pads.
Sirius sets the parchment on Remus’s night stand, where he knows he’ll see it.
He pushes his sandy curls off of his forehead, placing a kiss there.
Remus stirs, but doesn’t wake.
Sirius looks back at him one last time.
All that’s happened, the secrets, the distrust, the silence, it’s all his fault.
He should have known. He should have known it couldn’t have been Remus. This is all his fault.
All of it.
He can only hope Prongs, Lily, and Harry are okay.
That they haven’t yet paid for his mistakes.
He takes his motorcycle, rushing to Godrick’s Hollow.
He can see the smoke from the air.
He knows immediately.
He can feel it.
There's a tall figure in the front yard, his large frame is lit up with the light of the flames coming from the house.
“Rubeus!”
The man seems to have just arrived, his face is red, and wet with tears.
“M’so sorry Black.”
His heart drops.
“No.” He whispers. “No.”
He runs into the house, ignoring the screams begging him to stop.
“Prongs!” He yells, “Lily!”
He immediately runs for the stairs, pushing through the smoke to get to Harry’s room.
There’s something lying at the bottom of the stairs.
It’s large, and still.
“No no no no no” he rushes over, falling to his knees and checking for a pulse, “James! No no no, Prongs!” He starts pressing on his chest, as if CPR will do anything.
“James get up!” He cries, “You asshole!! Get up! Get up!”
He’s frantic, there are tears falling from his eyes, “Don’t you dare leave me here! Don’t you fucking dare!”
“Black!” He hears his name being called from the front yard, “Black, the boy.”
Harry.
He has to tear himself away, James would want Sirius to find his wife and child.
“Lily?” He calls, knowing he’s not going to get a response.
He sees her socks first. He can see them in the doorway, they are Bambi socks. Remus found them a few months back, he thought it was hilarious. He sees them now. They have bits of blood in them. Sirius notes the broken glass covering the floor. It crunches under his boots.
“Lily.” He whispers, pushing the door slowly, not wanting to know.
Once he sees, it will be real.
A cry comes out from the room, and his hesitation is gone.
He pushes the door open, throwing himself into the room, he sees her first. Eyes open, forehead bloody from impact with the floor.
He chokes on a sob.
She’s laying in front of Harry’s crib, and he is standing against the edge, holding himself up, crying. Big crocodile tears stain his face and pajamas.
“Pafu!” He yells through his sobs, reaching for Sirius.
“Oh love,” he rushes forward, picking up the young boy. “I’m here. I’m here. Oh Harry. You’re okay. I’m here.”
He bounces him in his arms, trying to get him to calm down.
He still hasn’t fully taken a breath since he saw Lily.
“Mamamama” Harry wails.
“Harry, I’ve got you love. Padfoot’s got you.”
Harry starts to choke on the sobs, but at least they’re slowing down.
He crouches down, closing Lily’s lifeless green eyes, and pushing her hair back to kiss her forehead. The way he did earlier, with Remus.
“Shitfuckshitfuckshitshitshit!” He mutters, tears streaming down his face.
He holds Harry’s head tight to his chest, still bouncing him. He steps back from the crib, and from Lily, then he sees black robes.
He knows the robes.
The wand lays on top of them.
Confusion fills his mind, the dark lord would never leave his wand.
He’s gone? He has to be. Dead? Destroyed?
He doesn’t have much time to think, Hagrid yells from downstairs, “Sirius!”
He looks at Lily one last time. Her red hair fanning out around her. Her body, lying there in all the wrong angles.
“Oh Lily, oh Lily.” More tears fall from his eyes. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I love you. I’m so sorry.”
“Black!” Hagrid calls again, and he turns for the door. Leaving his best friend’s soulmate, one of his own best friends, lying dead on her son’s bedroom floor.
Hagrid is crying over James’s body at the bottom of the stairs.
“He’s gone and done it hasn’t he? Killed the bravest man I’ve ever known.” He says through tears.
Sirius steels his face, forcing his brain to think logically about the situation.
“Hagrid, how did you know to come here.”
“Dumbledore sent me, sir. Said I’m to take the boy to Lily’s muggle sister.”
“You will do no such thing.” He says, moving on before Hagrid has time to argue, “How did Dumbledore know? Why didn’t he come himself?”
“Not sure. Told me sumn awful happened, and I was to retrieve Harry Potter in Godrick’s Hollow.”
Sirius nods, knowing he needs to leave. He needs to get Harry far away.
“Sirius,” he starts, “Dumbledore mentioned that you were the Potter’s secret keeper. Told me to look out for you, and not let ya take Mr. Potter here.”
Dumbledore.
He knew they switched.
That bastard.
He knew, he cast the fucking spell.
This was Peter. It’s all Peter. He fucking killed them. Sentenced them to death.
And Dumbledore is saying that it was him, as if Sirius could do this to James. Surely everyone knows that’s impossible.
It’s a set up, but he’s not sure by who.
He needs to leave.
“Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper, Hagrid. Dumbledore knows this.”
“Sir, I-“
“You will not be taking Harry. I’m his Godfather. He is mine, and I shall be leaving with him.”
“Listen, Black.” Hagrid leans in, like he has a secret, “The order is supposed to be showing up soon. T’s wrong to take Harry from you, but I was given direct orders not ta let you have him.”
“I’m leaving with Harry. Are you going to stop me?” Sirius asks, having moved Harry to cradle him a few minutes previously, he pulls him closer to his chest.
“No sir. T’s what I’m saying.”
Sirius nods. “Will you get in trouble?”
“Maybe,” Hagrid responds, “but I’ve heard Ms. Lily talk about her family, and they seem to be a terrible lot. I can’t in good conscience take Harry from his Godfather.”
“Thank you Hagrid.” Sirius looks over at his bike, there’s no way for him to put Harry in the side car safely. He left the child seat at home, plus, it wouldn’t get him where he was going fast enough, and it was too cold to fly for that long.
“Listen, my bike.” He nods his head in the direction of the motorcycle, “Can you fly it back? Anywhere, hell, even take it to your house, but will you be sure to get it out of here?”
“Sure will.” Hagrid nods. “Best get going, the order outta be here soon. Don’t want em catchin ya.”
Sirius tightly squeezes Hagrid’s arm once, in thanks.
He runs back into the house to floo home, and to see James one more time.
“I’ve got him Prongs. I’ll keep him safe. Promise.”
He throws the powder, and immediately the boy and his godfather are gone. Leaving the house in Godrick’s Hollow without a living soul.