A Letter Unsent

ALetter Unsent

Number Twelve, Grimmauld place was less than glorious anymore. The general feeling of the ancient manor was dismal and even distressed. The one person who added even the least amount of humor was gone, and as far as anyone who knew even the slightest information about the black veil in the Department of Mysteries was concerned, he was not coming back.

It was the summer after fifth year, and a nearly sixteen-year-old boy should have been basking in the sun with his two good friends, but due to recent events he'd been inside the manor dwelling on things he could not change.

For Harry James Potter, life never seemed to improve. His parents were taken from him when he was only a year old; he'd been facing the worst Wizard in history since his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The hope of having some sort of real family with his Godfather was gone. And he still had some war to battle and he didn't know how to do it. The future seemed so bleak, there were so many things in his life that had been left unresolved, and each little let down was slowly starting to eat away at him.

The young wizard stood in the center of the room he knew to be Sirius'. It was a cold room, lacking life, and even an adequate source of light, but it wasn't as though the room actually needed to sustain any form of life. Even the mold on the wall had stopped growing since Sirius had left him. Ever so slowly, Harry walked around the room, taking in all of the earthly belongings that had belonged to Sirius. His dragon hide gloves that looked far too worn to be of any real protection. The vanity desk with that dingy backless stool and circular mirror lined in an intricate wooden design on the wall, a thick layer of grime making any reflection grainy and smudged. Everything was left exactly how it had been before the fight in the Ministry. Everything was as it would still be, had Harry of spent more time on his Occlumency with Professor Snape was. Or if he would have thought of the mirror Sirius had given him and sought the truth from it before jumping to conclusions. Sirius would have been alive. Harry would not be alone.

On the desktop rested a bottle of black ink, an old looking, thinning quill, and some randomly placed pieces of parchment. One of the said parchment papers was partially covered by another, and by the looks of it, it was a letter. A letter that Harry was soon to see was addressed to him. Taking a seat on the molding stool, Harry picked up the parchment, and slowly let his eyes read the words written in a thin, obviously male cursive handwriting.

Dear Harry,

I am sorry for how irrationally I acted tonight in the fireplace. You were right, I cant be seen, and you were only looking out for me. I shouldn't have over reacted.

It was such a petty argument they had gotten into that night. And in the whole big scheme of things it really didn't matter.

I didn't mean what I said, either, about you not being as much like James as I first thought. You are just like him; in more ways than I fear you're ever know.

It's a crime, really, that I was blessed with his time, and getting to know him, and you knew him, and your beautiful and genuine mother, so little. I hope you know I'd give up anything to give you the time I had, or anything to have them back. Anything, Harry. Your father and mother were so good to me, and to everyone else. James was like the brother I never had, you know. I never knew what unconditional love was until I met him and his family.

Don't let anyone ever make you think that he was a bad person, because they're stark mad if they think he was. Even Snape, but we already know he's mental.

Even a statement against Harry's least favorite professor couldn't bring even the smallest smile to his dry lips.

James and I did prank a lot of people, but at least for James it was all in good fun, he never meant to hurt anyone.

And Lily. I was rather hard on her when we were kids, but in all honesty she was one of the most beautiful and genuine people I've ever known. She was a friend to those who had none, and was kind to even Severus - and not out of pity, either. Lily was just a good person, and I know she would be pleased with how kind you are to others, even when you might not necessarily need to be.

What your long worded godfather is trying to say Harry, is that even in bleak times, such as these, your parents live on in you, Harry.

Harry felt a few tears start to well up in the corners of his eyes from reading about this. Sirius was rarely sentimental, but when he was it was honest and at least to Harry it meant the world. He'd been told to many times before that he was just like his dad and mum, but to hear the words from his father's best friend made them sink in just a little deeper.

Harry, I want you to know something.

When all of this mess with Voldemort and my warrant is said and done, I really would like you to live with me. And if it takes longer than your childhood then I'd still like to be apart of the great life you're going to lead. I want to watch your children grow, and your friendships strengthen as mine and James' did. I know I couldn't ever fill the gap you have from losing your parents, but I can be there to tell you stories from our school years, and help keep their spirits alive through memories.

I am truly sorry for how immature I acted earlier, Harry.

All of the love I have to offer,

Sirius

By the end of the letter that was never sent, Harry had a few tears staining his cheeks. Harry sat the letter back on the vanity desktop and placed a piece of parchment over it. It would remain a wonder in Harry's mind as to why the letter was never sent. There was time in the day where Sirius could have sent it, but he didn't, and Harry had been left to find it on his own when Sirius was gone.

Standing from the desk, he pushed the stool in some and looked around the room once more before he made his way to the heavy oak door and left the dark room that held so few of the many memories that were previously going to be made. The door was closed behind him as he silently started towards the stairs, a hand moving to wipe at his cheeks to hide any signs of his crying.