The Last Marauder

Sirius, Shopping, Photographs

Harry and Sirius travelled to the Leaky Cauldron by Floo Powder. During the travel, Harry tried to close his eyes and ignore the spinning and the passing fireplaces. He stumbled out of the fireplace in the pub and was only prevented from falling to the floor by Sirius who caught him.

"You okay Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Yeah. Not my favourite way to travel."

Sirius laughed.

"Not mine as well. But flying over London by broomstick would only have caused trouble and poor Arthur Weasley had enough trouble because of me lately. Now come."

They stepped out of the front door.

"Aren't we going to Diagon Alley?"

Sirius shook his head.

"No, I thought we might do some muggle shopping. You don't have your new list from school yet, we can buy you some robes when we have it and have to go to Diagon Alley anyway. But you need some everyday wear and I could not buy it all by eye measure."

"Though your eye measure seems to be very good. The clothes fit well, the jeans are only slightly too big."

Sirius' forehead frowned. "They wouldn't be if you had been fed properly during the last weeks. But you'll grow back into them, I'll make sure. Now, let's go."

"You sound like Ron's mom."

Sirius grinned but said nothing. Actually he was quite thankful towards Molly Weasley for having taken care of Harry during the time he had not been able to do so.

Unlike many other wizards, Sirius got along in the muggle world very well. They spent the rest of the morning in all kinds of clothes shops, buying everything Harry would need for the remaining four weeks of holiday. Sirius didn't wear his robes at home himself and Harry was more than used to muggle clothing.

At noon they had lunch in a restaurant. When they stepped out into the sun again, Sirius looked at his godson.

"Now, what do you want to do? We could either return home or we could spend the afternoon here. I don't know how well you know London already, but it's a great place to spend one's time. Your father, Remus and I have spent many afternoons here during our holidays."

"Actually I've hardly ever been here. Whenever the Dursleys couldn't get rid of me and have taken me here, there never was the time to see anything. I'd love to see something."

Sirius smiled.

"Okay, then let's pretend we're some muggle tourists and let's do some sightseeing. Just tell me when you get bored."

But there was no need for Harry to do so for he never got bored that afternoon. They did a boat tour on the Thames and Sirius explained Harry the sights they passed. Afterwards, they spent two hours in the London Tower where Sirius told about the lives and deaths of the prisoners quite graphically. Whenever he knew no historical information to pass to his godson, he told him about the time he, James and Remus had spend in the city and what mischief they had played even here.

"How come that you know so much about muggle history Sirius?" Harry asked this while they were sitting in an ice cream shop near the Leaky Cauldron in front of a large portion of ice cream each.

"Oh, there's still much I've never told you, isn't it? My Dad was a muggle."

Harry's forehead frowned.

"Actually, you've never told me about your family at all, that's right. But there has hardly been time in the past."

"Why not start it now? Okay, straight from the beginning.

My name is Sirius Black, no middle name like some other unfortunate fellows I know. I was born in Edinburgh on October 24^th 1962, but we moved to a London suburb when I was five. I'm an only-child, no brothers, no sisters. My Mom, Leticia, was a which and she was running a Potions supply shop in Edinburgh with three of her friends from school. She died in an accident when I was barely five. She was on a trip to the Scottish coast with her friends and they got into bad weather. There was a landslide and they got into it. But I hardly remember her. Three months later, Dad and I moved away. There was nothing that held him in Edinburgh anymore and I think it was too painful for him. He was an architect and he had an offer from a bureau in London. That's why I ended up here.

Dad, his name was Frank, had known that Mom was a witch right from the start and he had no problem with it. But when she was dead there was hardly anything he could tell me about the wizarding world so I was rather unknowing when I came to Hogwarts. I had gone to a muggle grammar school and never had any friends that were wizards.

But Dad had taught me a lot of muggle history. Whenever he had the time, we went to the city and he showed me things. He always said that as soon as I would come to Hogwarts, I'd learn enough wizarding history and he wanted to use the time he had to show me where he came from.

I think it wasn't easy for him to raise a child all by himself, but he always did the best he could. We were very close and I knew that it hurt him a lot to send me to a boarding school.

He had a heart attack and died in November during my seventh year, that was awfully hard for me. I was barely functioning for two weeks and had it not been for James I think I would have done some really stupid things. He went home with me and helped me organize everything, he never left my side during that time. That was great.

The only thing I'm glad about is that he didn't live long enough to think of me as a murderer, though I doubt that he would have ever believed it.

That's been my life, put in a nutshell."

Sirius smiled at Harry. "Want to know anything more?"

Harry smiled back.

"Actually, there's something that I've been asking myself for quite a long time. How did the four of you become so close friends? I mean, Ron was the first wizard I've ever met on my way to school and he never treated me as something special like the others did. And Hermione, well after that thing with the troll in our first year there was nothing that could separate us anymore. How about Dad, you, Remus and...oh sorry Sirius. If you don't want to talk about Peter, then it's okay."

Sirius shook his head.

"It's all right Harry. I've had a long conversation with Remus and he has given me the advice to think of two different Peters. The Peter at school, Peter the Marauder, and the Peter who has betrayed us. It helps. Peter is no evil person, at least he has not been at school and I have a lot of very happy memories which also imply him. Talking about them is perfectly okay. Even though I have to admit that I would like to know what troll you were talking about. But let's leave that for later.

So, how did the Marauders befriend each other?

Well, in case of me and James it was rather like with you and Ron.

Dad took me to Diagon Alley two weeks before my first trip to Hogwarts. He had been there with my mother before and only needed the help of Tom from the Leaky Cauldron to open the passage.

We went to Olivander's and bought my wand and after that, Dad met some of Mom's old friends. They started talking and Dad told me to meet him an hour later. So I went to Madam Maulkin's alone. I was rather confused by all those magic around me and I think I must have looked quite scared when I stood there and she took my measurements.

There was only one other boy in the shop and that was your father. He introduced himself as James Potter and we simply started talking. I told him that I had no clue about magic but he just laughed and told me that it didn't mean anything.

He calmed me down and did everything to distract me and I was more than thankful for it. So we did the rest of our shopping together. Just as we came out of Flourish&Botts with our books and wanted to head for an ice cream we saw that four boys were beating up another in a side alley.

That boy was smaller than the others but he seemed to be a hell of a brawler. Nevertheless, he had no chance against four bigger opponents and James and I headed towards them without even thinking about it.

The four others ran away shortly after we involved ourselves in the brawl. I think they were too cowardly to face three opponents instead of one but they didn't leave without telling us that we would regret the decision. They declared war even before we had started school.

The other boy looked awful. He had some nasty cuts in his face that bled like mad. One of his eyes was bruised and he had received some hard kicks into his ribs. But it was nothing really serious.

He told us that he had accidentally run into one of those four guys, a slimy boy with greasy hair, a pointed nose and an arrogant drawling voice."

"Snape?" Harry interrupted.

Sirius smiled. "Snape. The other three became part of his Slytherin gang later on.

The boy had ran into Snape accidentally and Snape's books had dropped on the floor. Before he even had the chance to apologize, they had pushed him into that side alley and had started beating him up.

He thanked us for our help and introduced himself as Remus Lupin. That's how I got to know good old Moony.

We realized how late it was and went to meet our parents. Dad nearly killed me when he saw that I had been brawling. James' father was lecturing him as well. Remus was looking around and soon a man stormed towards him and started talking to him in French at an immense speed. It was his father. After some confused moments, Remus told our parents that we had only be helping him out and they calmed down a little.

We knew each other for hardly an hour and already created fracas. It was more than promising to us and I knew the others were thinking the same because they grinned at me mischievously. That's how I met James and Remus. James saved me from getting lost and we saved Remus from being beaten up.

Remus sometimes remembers me of that day and teases me by calling me 'My Guardian Angel', but I can live with that."

Sirius laughed.

"Well, that's how we first met. We were more than glad that we were sorted into the same house at school. Peter we met in school, the four of us shared a dorm. It took some more time, but he soon got included in our circle."

Harry smiled.

"Sounds as if you had a lot of fun during the following years."

"Oh yeah, we did." Sirius smiled as he remembered some of their pranks. Suddenly, his face turned serious again.

"Harry, I know that you want to know about your parents. You can ask me whatever you want to know about them. I think the same is for Remus. Don't hesitate because you think it might be too painful for us. That they are dead is painful anyway, but there are some really good storied that want to be told."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem. Maybe we should go home now. It's been a long day."

The left and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron where they stepped into the fireplace back home.

Sirius sat down on the sofa with the Daily Prophet while Harry for the first time took a closer look at the living room. His eyes focussed on two framed pictures that stood on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. He took them and sat down beside his godfather.

"Who's that?"

He pointed at one picture that showed a man and a woman standing in the front yard of a house, but he needn't have asked. The resemblance between the man and Sirius was unmistakable.

"Those are my parents. The picture was taken two months before my mother died."

Sirius had inherited the black hair and the lines in his face from his father. At first sight there was no resemblance to the brown haired woman who was standing beside him but then Harry saw her eyes. They were the same bright blue eyes Sirius had and when Harry looked at her smile he realized that Sirius smiled just like her.

Harry put the picture on the table and looked at the other one. Unlike the first one this was a wizarding picture but the two people on it barely moved. It showed a man lying on a sofa, fast asleep. On top of his stomach lay a baby, maybe a year old and slept, gently sucking on one of the man's fingers. The man's other hand held the baby, preventing it from falling down.

Harry gave Sirius a questioning look and his godfather smiled.

"That one's actually the only picture I have which shows you and me."

Harry took a closer look at the picture and recognized the man as Sirius. A smile spread across his face.

"You were slightly less than a year old at that time. Your parents were invited to a party and it was full moon so Remus could not be there. We had been your babysitters before, but never one of us alone. I was a little nervous, I have to admit, but we enjoyed our evening very much. You were starting to talk at that time and your mother was mad at your father because he taught you our nicknames and not our real ones. You never reacted when the names Sirius or Remus were mentioned, but when we two showed up you squeaked 'Moony' and 'Pahfoo'. I could have kissed you for that but Lily always threw killing looks towards your father.

Well, we *talked* a little, I told you stories from the Marauders, we took a walk in the garden, then I made you something to eat and put you in the bath. You had shown a large interest in the mud that had been left from the rain, you had been chasing earthworms. Your mother would have killed me if I had put you to bed like that. Then I put you to bed, kissed you good night and went downstairs.

I had hardly sat down on the sofa when you started crying, so I went back upstairs. I calmed you down, put you back, but as soon as I had left the room you started crying again. I went like this for five or six times, you simply didn't want to sleep. I even sang you a lullaby but it didn't help."

Harry smiled as he tried to imagine Sirius bent over a cradle, singing a lullaby.

"I was so tired myself but I could not sleep as long as you were crying as if the house was on fire. So I took you in my arms and walked around in the house, hoping that you would fall asleep. I lay down on the sofa, put you on my stomach and before I even realized it, I had fallen asleep.

James later told me that when they came home late that night, Lily went straight into your room and wanted to look after you. She nearly had a fit when you weren't there, so she went into the guest room where I should have been sleeping. She thought that maybe I had taken you to my room, but when she saw that my bed was untouched she was really throwing a fit. James said that she had started swearing like he had never heard her before. Things about me being immature and unable to put a child to bed at the right time and things like that, only in a very graphic way.

They started searching the house and found us on the sofa. I was still sleeping and you too had finally given in to sleep. First thing Lily did was taking the camera and making a picture of us. Even the flashlight didn't wake us, so your father put a blanket over us and they went to bed.

I woke up next morning because you started jumping around on my stomach.

Lily and James told me that they had found us like that, Lily even apologized for cursing me even though I didn't know about it, but they never mentioned the picture. It was part of my birthday present two months later. It's very precious to me and I was more than glad that it was still here and undamaged when I came and looked after the house."

He looked at Harry and his expression turned serious.

"I've missed very much of your life and I'm really sad about it. It would have been my biggest wish to watch you grow up. But you've become a great guy anyway, brave, loyal, devoted, caring, honest, smart. You've developed all the traits that made James and Lily so special even though you did never know them. You've been through so many things but you've never complained and never given up. I'm really proud of you and I'd like to be part of your life for as long as possible. I love you Harry."

Harry looked away, startled.

"What's wrong? I...Did I say something wrong Harry?"

Harry shook his head and fought the tears that shot into his eyes.

"No, no you didn't say anything wrong, it's just...nobody has ever told me that before."

"What?"

"Nobody has ever told me that he loves me. Of course, Hermione always signs her letters with 'Love, Hermione', I know that she and Ron like me a lot and I know that Ginny had a crush on me once, but nobody has ever told me that he loves me."

Sirius said nothing but pulled Harry into his arms.

"Your parents told you everyday though you might not remember. Every single day of your life as long as they were able to be with you. I told you as often as I saw you. Remus told you as often as he saw you. Don't think that you haven't been loved just because your protection demanded that you had to live with those muggles who didn't give a damn about you because they were too blind to see what a great boy they had in their care, don't think that. You have been loved and you still are loved, very much so."

Twice in two days Harry lost his battle against the tears. He buried his head on Sirius' chest and closed his eyes.

"I love you too Sirius."

"You don't need to say that just because I told you."

"I don't. I say it because I mean it."

"But you hardly know me."

"You were there for me. Whenever you could. The first thing you thought about when we first met, after we left the Shrieking Shack, was not that you had the chance to be charged innocent. No, you asked me whether I want to live with you.

You were hunted by the Ministry as well as by the muggle police, but you put your own life in danger more than once to be there for me, to be close to me.

You were there after the Third Task, you didn't leave my side in Dumbledore's office. You did your best to make it easier for me to tell what I had seen.

You took me away from the Dursleys when I couldn't bear it anymore. Just one or two hours before you came, after Vernon had beaten me up again, I thought about giving up. I searched for a way to escape but I knew that I couldn't do it on my own. I gave up, I lost all hope. And then you came and took me out.

Last night, you didn't leave me alone with my nightmares though I can guess that your past gives you own nightmares enough.

You were there for me whenever I needed you.

For the first time in my life I feel completely safe, I feel at home. I know that there is somebody who really cares for me, not like a friend but more like a parent.

Believe me Sirius, I know you well enough to say that I love you."

Sirius tightened the embrace around the still crying Harry.

"Do you know what else?"

"No. What Harry?"

"It's not only the first time I heard it. It's also the first time I remember that I told somebody that I love him."

Sirius swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.