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Sirius Black is brooding. something very unlike him, but then again he hasn't been much like himself in quite a long time. The order hasn't been like anything of it's past, the most obvious part being snape was a part of it now.
The dire fact was that everytime Sirius would have to enter a room to see Snape sit in the living room talking with other members of the order, Sirius can practically hear James calling him a slimy git and Sirius has to try very hard not to laugh to himself.
He's been trying very hard to not think about James as much but it's been frankly impossible. Sometimes, he thinks to himself how his best mate might have reacted to something ridiculous that happens during the meetings or the jokes he would make to lighten the atmosphere. Every time he says something unserious and Molly sends him a tired look, he thinks to himself that James would have given him a high five for that one. When Harry gives him a hug he sometimes thinks it's James, and it's rather pathetic of him.
It doesn't help when his godson contacts him through the fire in a panicked state, all worried about his parents.
"How did she marry him? She hated him"
Those words brought a wry smile, a smile filled with too many memories that made his small heart grow in size. He knew he should have been more worried or serious about Harry's questions like Remus was, but he couldn't help but use an old ruse he used all the time whenever someone at Hogwarts seemed too confused on how Lily Evan's started fancying James Potter especially since she seemed to hate him.
"Nah she didn't"
So when Christmas rolls around, Sirius decides to pick up Harry , risking almost everything (but what's new). Harry is ecstatic to see Sirius, and all the dark thoughts that swirl in his head constantly disappear. Mr. Weasley was recovering and looked much better, and after a rather rude wake up call from Ginny---- Harry tried his best to not let Voldemort to mess with his head. Things seem better than usual and he spends all his time with Sirius.
"I miss your father" Sirius said, taking a sip of firewhiskey. Harry looked up from the rug he was seated on, up at Sirius seated comfortably in the armchair. "He loved Christmas. Not as much as your mother though" He adds as an afterthought, and there's a delicate smile on his face when he mentions Lily.
"Really?" Harry asked, his eyes bright.
"I know you were struggling with everything that has been happening" Sirius said, turning to him and Harry looks at the flames dancing together in the fireplace. "Just know that I'll always be there for you, just like your parents were for me"
Harry tries hard not to let tears prick his eyes and continues looking at the flames, scared that if he met Sirius's eyes his resolve might melt. Sirius continues, "And I know you felt bad for Snivellus and thought you were similiar. I also know James would be up in the afterlife trying to figure out a way to kill himself again hearing you say that"
Harry chuckled at this, he still felt mixed feelings about the whole ordeal but he had to admit that spending time with Sirius and Remus had him feeling better about things. Maybe he had jumped to conclusions too quickly, he was always told his parents were wonderful people in love, so it wasn't right to jump to the conclusion that there wasn't love between them because of Snape's memories.
Sirius studies his godson for a couple of seconds before he decides to take weight off of his shoulders, "Look Hogwarts at my time was very different. There was an impending cloud of doom all around us because we knew a war was coming, and all of us were fighting on the side that could get us killed. Yet, those seven years went by in flash filled with mischief, friendship, love and happiness. It was the time the Marauder's welcomed everyone back with pranks and back when christmas balls were every year. Flirting with professors too" Sirius grinned as he told Harry, his insides feeling warm. "And oh god and the whole Lily Evans and James Potter saga, What a time!"
"Lily Evans and James Potter Saga?" Harry asked curiously, and he felt the ends of his mouth turn up. there was this warm feeling that filled him whenever he heard of his parents, and no matter where he was he knew that just thinking of them could conjure up this warmth.
"Oh yes" Sirius grinned. "It's no surprise I guess, but your father was a a heartthrob, though i'll never understand he looked like a loser to be honest, back at school and a charming flirt who used to charm any witch... well except your mother of course"
Sirius chuckled before continuing, "They bickered in our first year itself, and then this continued through third year before he asked her out and she rejected him. He didn't stop there though, and continued asking her out and at first he did it to tease her but at some point, we all knew that he really did fancy her and eventually was in love with her. Your mother on the other side found him an arrogant toerag and thought the whole thing was a joke, rejecting him in creative ways. A bit of personal input Harry but I'm sure she did find a bit of amusement being asked out by him she always had a ghost of a smile on her face. But then things went to hell I guess with the end of year five, which you saw in Snape's mind"
"Oh" Harry said, "so you guys did bully these people for fun"
Sirius flinched at the word choice, "It wasn't necessarily bullying, it was just teasing and pranking. very harmless and most of the school enjoyed it. but yes what you saw with what happened with Snape, was something that was reserved just for him. And don't be mistaken, you only saw one side of his memories, he certainly did horrendous stuff too. hurt your mother a great deal and of course James wouldn't tolerate that, would he know?"
Harry felt a smile start to form at that last sentence. His parents were something else, he could only hope of having a love like that, but he knew with Voldemort clouding his life, there was a slim chance. However, just hearing about his parents gave him a buzz that even firewhiskey didn't give hm.
"And like Moony was saying, James deflated his ego and matured meaning he stopped asking out Lily knowing that she didn't like him" Sirius grinned, and Harry could tell he enjoyed this part of the story. "And of course, when James stopped asking her out, dearest lilyflower starts developing feelings for him. I guess it helped that Lil's friends and us became close friends during our sixth year"
"But they didn't go out until seventh year?" Harry asks curiously, already smiling over the nicknames Sirius used for his parents.
"No and you won't believe it, but Jamsie made Head Boy and of couse as everyone knew it Lils became Head Girl. The line between friendship and love began to blur as they spent more time together and flirted a disgusting amount. And well personally I always knew she had a fat crush on him during sixth year which she tried keeping a secret since she thought he was over her." Sirius lets out a bark of laughter, "As if!"
"Anyways, they finally kiss and get together, then get married and have you and well the rest... you pretty much know" Sirius ends lamely.
"Wow" Harry whispers to himself, "and to think I was scared that they were forced or something to get married"
"Right!" Sirius laughs, "But I don't blame you, Harry, for thinking that way. You were supposed to be all our golden child, living with endless amounts of love and well...wealth. Your childhood has been exceedingly hard, something your parents would have never wanted. You didn't even know your parents well, that excuse of a human and walrus raised you"
Harry bursts out into laughter and the description of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. He doesn't even realise when tears fill his eyes or his heart grows heavy, recalling everything Sirius had told him.
He had been so robbed.
Soon hot tears pool in his eyes and he tries looking in another direction and prays that Sirius has had too much firewhiskey to notice.
But of course, he does.
He stands to his feet and pulls Harry into a hug. A long one, a hug in which he tries to communicate how much he missed Harry's parents and how much he loved Harry as his own.
When they pull apart, Harry is smiling and so is Sirius ,though, both their eyes are still damp with tears.
"Now the next time you say you feel like you're Snivellus again, James might actually find a way to come down here... though that might not be entirely a bad thing"