Home Is Where the Heart Is

PROLOGUE

It was a cold, crisp day in the middle of winter, the sun was slowly moving lower in the sky, the few leaves left on the trees rustled with a cold northerly breeze. The sun flamed low in the sky, causing drivers going up the hill to squint and shade their faces with a hand. A man appeared at the top of the hill, a tall, slim figure with dark hair, most of his face was covered with a black scarf ; his striking handsomeness hidden from the world. He walked lightly on the snow, his feet leaving only shallow imprints. The road was now quiet, the traffic gone, and all that could be heard was the occasional crunch of ice from under his boots. As he neared the bottom of the hill, the man stopped, looked around, and muttered something under his breath. He glanced around once more, but there was no one in sight, so he darted off the pavement and into the surrounding bushes. Even if anyone was following him, he doubted whether anyone but Aunt Petunia, his godson's aunt, would notice that as he moved, his footprints appeared in the snow, but then vanished a few seconds later.

He was thinking about his godson as he walked along; how there had been that terrible year in which Harry had thought he, Sirius to be dead. When he had toppled through that hole into oblivion at the ministry more than a year ago, everyone had thought him to be dead, hit by his cousin's stunning spell. However, plunging into the hole had revived Sirius, and as he fell, he cast a spell holding himself to life, and to the real world. His spell had secured him floating near to the hole he had fallen through, but his strength had failed him, and he couldn't get back out. He was lost, drifting in timeless space near the hole, slowly gathering his strength back.

Sirius finally managed to escape from the hole days later, to find that everyone had gone. Then, only minutes after he had left the ministry he was captured by a band of rogue death eaters who fortunately did not know who he was, as they had left Voldemort years ago. However, unfortunately for him they had not lost their hunger for dealing pain, and Sirius was subjected to much torturing, before being left in a cell and forgotten about. A house-elf slipped Sirius food to keep him from starving but could do no more for him, bound to her master's will. However one day a new house-elf replaced the old one, and she took great pity on him, slipping him the key at great risk to herself. Her master had told her not to let Sirius out, but she told him that she had decided she was not actually letting him out, only giving him the key, with which he could do as he pleased!

When Sirius arrived back at Hogwarts, he discovered that it was a week after a great battle had taken place between the Death Eaters, the Order, and the older students of Hogwarts. Although relieved that Harry had survived and destroyed the Dark Lord, he was angry to have missed such a fight, he was even angrier still when he discovered Remus' plan to place him as carer to Hermione; looking after her and keeping the location of her sanctuary secret. All of the students who were not needed had gone home, and those who were well known had gone into hiding. Remus had decided that Hermione and Ron were possible targets, as remaining Death Eaters may try and capture them to use as blackmail on Harry. Remus had also decided that Sirius was in danger of being attacked, not only by Death Eaters, but also by confused wizards who might think he was one. Ron had been sent off to live with Mrs Figg, Harry's old next-door neighbour, whose house, and self smelt strongly of cabbage and cats. Sirius chuckled at the look on Ron's face when Remus had informed him where he was going, and at Ron's angry complaints of "how is a Squib going to protect me anyway if she can't perform any magic! What's she going to do? Wave her handbag at the Death Eaters and ask them politely to leave?!"

A twig cracked, and several birds cheeped in alarm, flying away from the disturbance. Sirius cursed himself for his daydreaming. He had to be alert; no matter how much he hated this job, he couldn't let his guard down. Sirius turned round the corner and approached a small cottage. He sighed deeply, he could see light shining from a downstairs window, and as he approached, could see the back of a bushy head; Hermione was sitting at her desk, reading a book, so no surprises there then! He was not concerned however, because he knew that no Muggle would be able to see Hermione's studious back, bent over another boring book, nor the light radiating from the window. All a Muggle would see was a broken down house, with a warning sign telling them it was liable to collapse at any moment. He also knew that if they did feel the need to get closer, then they would soon remember an important appointment, and rush off. Sirius collected his thoughts, and tried to appear as cheery as possible, before he opened the door. He stepped inside, and Hermione hearing the door open, looked up from her book to greet him.