Chapter Text
October 31, 1981
Godric’s Hollow
The moment Sirius Black stood up in front of Potter’s house, he knew something was off. Once he stepped in, despair took over his body, especially because Prong's wand was left on the sofa, alongside blood stains all over it. The careful steps upstairs turned into a rampant the second he heard a baby cry.
Harry.
His feet swept the floor as he ran to the last door down the corridor. The first thing he saw was his best friend, shaking, with a bleeding cut near his eyebrows that fell like a thin river down his shoulder. Kneeling near his son’s crib, his shoulders went up and down as his hands held the bars tightly. His tears wet the floor and he was clearly helpless, failing to look strong to the green eyed boy that, just like his ‘pa , was ugly crying. On the other side of the room, Lily looked so calm she could be sleeping, if it wasn’t for her icy cold skin and nonexistent heartbeat. Near the window, another body lay lifeless, covered in dark robes. Sirius didn’t want to get near it.
“Prongs, get up, It’s me… hey, hey…” He said, softly, kneeling near his friend. Better yet, his brother. Holding his shoulders, he helped the man get up, even if his knees felt weak. With two snaps, he heard Mary’s gasp.
“What happened here?” The woman covered her own mouth within the sight of her best friend laying on the cold floor. Carefully, she approached Lily, hands shaking. McDonald bent near her and held her neck, sitting the empty shell that once was a representation of life itself in long auburn hair. “We…-” Held back her tears “We need to put her somewhere else…”
“The chair.” Black recognized Remus’s choked voice. He swallowed “I can carry her…” Always soft spoken, Sirius thought, even in their darkest moments.
“No…” James cried “I wanna hold her. Please, let me hold her one last time…”
“You can barely stand up, mate!” Sirius held him.
“Don’ care. That 's my wife, Pads.” Murmured letting go of his friend’s embrace. Slowly, like he was about to break, he held his lover softly, the same way he held her in their marriage. He sat her in the armchair, pressing his lips against Lily’s forehead as his tears stained her jumper. The other three didn’t say a word while he got up, taking his son out of the crib.
More snaps were heard. This time, downstairs. As the calm steps approached the corridor, Dumbledore’s face seemed darker than usual. The old wizard sighed and shook his head, silently going near Lily’s body. He touched her head kindly.
“Such a loss…” Looked at James, who still focused on calming his son. His whole world “A brilliant witch, she was. And a brilliant person. That ’s very, very unfortunate… What is that?” He wandered off to the other body near the window. Shook his head again “A big problem is finally over, but at what cost?”
“No need for philosophical thoughts, headmaster.” Sirius snarled “Lily’s dead. That fucker might be, too. But I think she matters more.”
“Language, mr. Black.” The younger one felt his whole body burn. He was 21, for fuck’s sake. No longer his student for him to tell him what to do. Before he could answer, Lupin touched his shoulder.
They might have broken up, but Remus still had this power over him. Alastor Moody finally entered the room, like the storm he always was.
“Everyone's downstairs.”
“What’s ‘everyone’?” Remus turned to him.
“The Order, Lupin.”
“Is this house a party?” His face was serious “C’mon. She just died. Harry 's hurt. James needs to rest.” Harry is what?
“He also needs to explain what the fuck happened.” Sirius thought that was rude, but, still, what happened to Harry?
“He’ll do that, Alastor, but with a smaller crowd. Send everyone off, please, except for Minerva and Kingsley. Ask Alice and Frank to wait for me outside. I do need to talk to both separately.” Dumbledore asked, politely.
Moody went downstairs muttering something under his breath. Looking for his godson, Black finally understood what Remus said.The poor boy had a newly made lightning bolt scar in his forehead and it looked very sore. With that, a very small strand of his dark messy hair was white. He walked to his aid.
“ Pa’foo’ ...” the baby said, holding his finger. Black and Lupin locked eyes across the room as they silently agreed on something: James would move into their old flat. Remus may not live there anymore, but it wouldn’t be terrible to come back. He still had his keys and taking care of Prongs and Prongslet was the priority.
“We shouldn’t leave her here, next to this man.” Mary said, wiping a tear away “She hated him with her full heart. It isn’t fair.”
“I’ll lay her in our bed. Padfoot, hold Harry for me, will you?” James choked on his own tears. Black agreed and took the boy into his own arms “Oh, love. Come here…” He kissed her auburn hair again as he carried her to their bedroom, Sirius following right after. James laid a soft kiss on her lips. A last one, cold, salty. Sobbing, he got up and went downstairs, not accepting help from any of his friends along the way. James sat silently on the sofa, unable to look neither at McGonagall or Kingsley faces. Outside, near the garden, Alice’s spiked hair could be seen talking to silverish Dumbledore. Sirius thought she looked heartbroken before he heard two soft snaps. Then, disappeared.
As the headmaster walked in again, James took a big breath to hold himself back from crying as he told exactly what happened.
And Harry slept peacefully in his godfather’s arms.
࣪ ִֶָ☾.
November 2, 1981
London
Two days without Lily. Harry started asking for his “mumma “. And, whenever he did that, James pretended to be strong and told him she wouldn’t come back. Then, he started crying and James did too. And that was a circle.
Felt weird living with Remus again. Felt weird sharing a bed with him again, even if they ended it on good terms. Felt weird having him as the last thing he saw before falling asleep and the first thing he saw waking up in the morning. But there was comfort in that, somehow. There was comfort in having love around.
But that didn’t mean neither of them held hatred. Not towards each other, but towards the reason for all of that. The reason for James being asleep in their guest bedroom with puffy eyes after crying and for Harry having to grow up without his mother. Someone who was still on the loose, even if Sirius had threatened to kill them with his bare hands.
“Mooney,” he said the night they went back to London “You think they’ll catch Wormtail?”
“Not sure if he deserves that name, my star.” He didn't raise his eyes from Lily’s ‘Wuthering Heights’. The old nickname made Black blush “But I hope so.”
“That man’s the devil.” Said, shortly “A evil, backstabbing coward. I hope he rots in hell.”
“Mh-hm.” Lupin answered, visibly hurt. A friend should never betray another friend, no matter the circumstances.
“I would’ve died. Would never sell James and Lily.”
Remus silently agreed. They heard Prongs treat himself as the one to blame, even if the idea of making Pettigrew the secret keeper was Black’s. None of them would forgive themselves for it, even if it wasn’t their fault. They simply trusted too much. To love and to be naïve wasn’t a crime.
The next night Dumbledore sent a letter to Sirius. He read it silently, in the dark room, he felt his eyes be filled with tears and fear. As the words started sinking in, he rubbed his face and stared at nothing. Then, he got up, changed his clothes and left.
There was already a shining sun once he came back. In his arms, a small “package” made little giggly noises as it played with his zipper, mesmerized. Remus was sitting in the living room, holding the letter and reading it multiple times and James played with Harry on the ground.
“What…” James started.
“Her name ’s Ophelia. Couldn’t let her die. She 's my blood.” Said, simply. Then, looked better at the little girl he held. Same age, but smaller than Harry. Beautiful greyish blue eyes and soft black curls. So lovely for a so-called ‘Mistake’.
“Are you aware of the responsibility you’re putting onto us?” Remus said, frightened.
“Us? She’s my responsibility, idiot. I’ll take care of her.”
“Yours my arse, Sirius!” Lupin got up “Your responsibilities are my responsibilities too. She seems sweet, of course, and I kinda want to hug her. Still, well… Ugh. Nevermind. It’s fine, I suppose, right? We’re responsible adults. Not that I thought I’d be having kids at 21, but, still… Oh, no offense, Prongs.”
“All good, mate.” He answered “She looks like you, Pads. I think it’s the eyes.”
“Well, that’s great to hear.” Said, starting to play with the freckled girl’s face “Wait, Mooney… You’re good with that?”
“Listen, we said we’d get back once it was all over. And… It’s almost over now. And, frankly, she’s lovely and needs to be taken care of.”
“You mean…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Strong knocks on the door made him run to it. Emmeline Vance was pale, holding her wand and a Daily Prophet.
“Did yer see what… Who’s that?” She pointed to the girl.
“Ophelia.” Answered, promptly “Long story short… My daughter.”
“Didn’t see that comin’...” and, based on James and Remus faces, neither did them. Vance answered. “May I come in?”
“Please, do.”
“I bring sum news… Dumbledore said yer can’t stay here anymore. Too dangerous for the kids.I suppose Ophelia is the reason for plural. At least find somewhere else until things have calmed down…” She sighed “He recommended Fairlight Cove. Nice wizarding community there, though it’s a muggle city. There are two cottages, near the beach.”
“Now he’s a real estate agent.” Remus laughed a little.
“I’m being serious!” She complained.
“No, Vance, I’m Sirius” and there it was, James was laughing for the first time in two days. Not his normal laughter, but still something. Emmeline hit both with her newspaper.
“Anyways…” She scoffed “Now, it’s really tense. Did ye hear about the Longbottoms?”
“What’s with them?”
“Tortured ‘till insanity. Luckily, their boy wasn’t home.” The air felt heavy. “Your cous’ and Barty are the suspects. Found in the crime scene, those nut-heads. They’ll be at St. Mungus, the Longbottoms. Hope they get better..” She seemed blue. Emmeline and Alice were good friends in school and, well, those three boys there saw Frank as some sorta hero. When they still had hope, James would make bets with him on whose kid would be better at quidditch.
“Neville?” James asked
“Augusta 's takin’ care of him.” She said, with a tone of pity. “Poor kid, I can’t imagine.”
“That’s… A lot.” Remus sighed.
“You said Bellatrix was involved? That fucking mad woman!” Sirius growled “First… Well. Now this? That’s bat-shit insanity. Honestly, it might be better for us to go to that cove. I don’t want my godson and my girl to grow up in the middle of this mess. I’m packing our stuff. Let’s go, baby star.”
“You gave her a nickname, already?” Emmeline seemed shocked.
“That 's my kid. She’ll have thousands. Now, c’mon, you too.”
“We’ll pay a visit to Frank and Alice before leaving.” Remus said, calmly.
“Might be good. I’ll tell Dumbledore yer already leaving”.
“Great. Thanks, Emme.”
“No problem.” She said, leaving.
Now, out of Dumbledore’s new “job”, Sirius’s impulsivity and crazy decisions taken during grief, they had many bags, two kids and five train tickets to wherever those cottages were. And, also, hope for better days