The Closest Thing to a Dad

AN: Harry lives with Sirius. This is a prequel to A Christmas to Remember.

Father's Day, it had arrived. The day when students would be sending off letters, cards, and gifts to their fathers. The letters and the cards would include how they loved them and how much they meant to them. To Harry Potter, however, it was a day of false smiles and bitterness. Then there was keeping his voice on a monotone of "I'm fine," when his friends asked if he was okay.

In truth Harry was jealous. Jealous of the fact that his friends would happily prepare their presents, letter, and cards and send them to their fathers. Harry couldn't help the pangs of jealousy flare up when he saw someone kissing a kiss at the end of their letter or wrapping their present with care when he couldn't remember his own father. As he did every year on Mother's Day and Father's Day, he would find a private place in the castle, taking the photo album with him.

On Mother's Day, he snuck down to an unused classroom where he could cry in private, looking at a picture of a smiling redhead with emerald eyes, holding a baby Harry. When returned to the common room, he declined Hermione and Ron's offer to stay with him and he headed up to his dorm where he went to bed.

What they didn't know was that Harry cried himself to sleep that night.

Now Father's Day had arrived, Harry repeats his tradition of getting out the photo album and gazing at the picture of his father.

The photo was of a tall man with messy raven black hair, holding a baby that had an uncanny resemblance to him. Only his eyes, which practically glowed, were bright green like his mother's. He was smiling and waving at the camera, while his father laughed with joy.

Then Harry turned the page and was met with the photo of another man, holding a newborn Harry with the biggest smile on his face. The man was looking down at the infant, whose eyes were open and looking back at the man who was holding him.

Harry studied the photo for a minute, and then realization dawned on him.

The man in this picture holding him when he was barely an hour old was his godfather….Sirius Black.

Harry thought back to last year, it would soon be a year since Harry's life changed for the better.

On that night, when Sirius and Remus confronted Pettigrew, they thought they had the rat captured and was taking him to Professor Dumbledore. But the full moon happened that they weren't able to catch him again. Sirius thought his chance at freedom was over. He'd never get to know his godson or to get his life back. But luck was on their side when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks showed up in the Common Room with a familiar looking rat. A rat that was missing a toe. Harry and Ron chased the cat until they corned the cat in the common room. After fighting with the cat, they managed to get the rat in a cage and rushed it to Professor Dumbledore.

A trial was set up the next day where Peter Pettigrew confessed to the betrayal of James and Lily and all the crimes Sirius was falsely accused of. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban and Sirius was free, cleared of all charges.

After Sirius was cleared, he was given back his family estate and vaults since he was the only non death eater in the family and last living male. He was also given compensation for his time served.

The last thing he asked for was custody of Harry, which was immediately granted.

Harry thought about how much his life had changed over the last year. He was now living with Sirius and Remus, he was loved, cared for, and then it came to him.

He slid onto the floor and pulled out his trunk. After digging around, he found what he was looking for a present he could send Sirius.

"Aha." He found what he was looking for and laid them on the bed. He flipped through the album and selected two pictures.

He took them and the frames he found in his trunk he had bought for something else and headed down to the common room. He scanned the room for his bushy headed friend and found her, reading at a table with Ron beside her, putting the finishing touches of his present for Arthur.

"Oi, Hermione," Harry called.

"What?" Hermione replied.

"I need help with something," he admitted.

"With what?" She inquired.

"Duplicating these photos for Sirius." Harry sat his stuff down. He was thankful that the common room was empty because of what happened next.

Hermione picked up the pictures, recognizing the one of a fourteen-year-old Harry and Sirius as it was taken at the Yule Ball by Collin. Sirius was asked to help chaperone the ball and enjoyed watching his godson. But the other one she studied for a second before she realized what she was looking at.

"Aw, you were a cute baby," Hermione cooed.

Harry blushed three shaded of crimson. Ron peeked over Hermione's shoulder and turned to his best mate.

"Is this Sirius's present?" he asked.

"Yeah," he told him and then turned to Hermione. "If you're done, can we get started?"

Hermione waved her wand and there were two copies of the pictures. Ron and Hermione helped Harry put the photos in the frames and then wrap them in old copies of the Prophet.

"Thanks, guys. I'll go and get Hedwig and send it out when I'm done."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other with a smile. They were both happy for Harry that he now had a loving family and they had Sirius to thank.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry watched Hedwig fly off towards Marauder's Cottage, the name of the house he lived in with Remus and Sirius.

After fixing Sirius's present, Harry realized that Remus might feel left out. After digging around in his trunk, he came across two bars of Honeydukes chocolate, perfect for the chocolate-loving werewolf. He wrapped them in paper and wrote a quick note to Remus before running to the Owlery.

When Hedwig was out of sight, Harry headed back to the common room where Hermione and Ron were waiting for him so they could work on some spells that Hermione found would be helpful for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sunday morning brought clear skies and beautiful sunshine. In a house in the country, not far from the city of London, were two men, one with sandy brown hair with scars on his face and the other had black hair down to his shoulders.

They were sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of tea. Remus was reading the Prophet while Sirius was looking out the window.

Today was Father's day, a day that brought heartache to the both of them.

"Wonder what Prongslet is doing today?" Sirius pondered.

"I don't know, maybe relaxing by the lake with Ron and Hermione," Remus guessed.

Sirius didn't know Harry's feelings about Mother's Day or Father's Day. He had made plans to take Harry to their grave when he came home for the summer because he had never been before and neither had Sirius for that matter.

That was a wound that Sirius wanted to heal, but didn't want to face just yet last summer.

They were busy getting adjusted to living as a free man for Sirius and living with a teenager for both Sirius and Remus. However, it was Harry who had the hardest time adjusting. He had told Remus and Sirius about living with the Dursleys and together, they managed to work through any problems.

By the time Harry returned to Hogwarts for his fourth year, they all were used to living with each other.

"Sirius, is that Hedwig?"

The question brought both men's attention to the snowy white owl that had flown in the open window and landed in front of Sirius.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other and took their packages from the owl.

Sirius picked up the note that was with his and began to read. Soon, tears were running down his cheeks.

Sirius,

It's Father's Day and everyone had been sending letters, cards, and gifts to their Dads. It makes me feel jealous because I don't have a Dad.

But this year seems different. Yes, the old feelings are still there but still, something's different.

I realized because now I have you. I know we've only known each other for almost a year, but I consider you the closest thing I have to a Dad. I know you don't want to take his place, Sirius, but I think he'd appreciate you looking out for me and taking care take of me.

You and Remus have been the biggest support system through this year and the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You don't know how much your support means to me.

Over the last year you've taught me Quidditch moves, gave me ideas for pranks (I used a few of them on Ron and Hermione. Ron liked it, Hermione turned the silence treatment into an art form), helped me with my homework and took care of me when I'm sick, whether it's because I got a cold or a stomach ache from eating too many chocolate frogs.

You've stayed up with me on the nights I couldn't sleep or had a bad dream. I don't think I could thank you enough for everything you've done over the last year.

I hope you'll like the present I got you. Actually, I know you'll like it.

Thanks, Sirius, for everything. You mean the world to me, and I'm really glad you found me.

Happy Father's Day, Sirius. I love you.

Love,

Prongslet (Harry)

With shaky hands, Sirius untied the string that held the package together. Then he pulled apart the paper and stopped with he saw what his present was.

There was him and Harry during the Yule Ball during last Christmas. He smiled as he sat the picture frame aside then he was shocked to find the next picture.

It was of a younger Sirius with a newborn Harry.

"I remember that picture, I was the one who took it with that camera of Lily's," Remus murmured.

Sirius sat the photos up looking at them. "What did Prongslet send you?"

"Chocolate, he said in his note that he didn't want me to feel left out."

Sirius smiled. Harry made look like James, but with Lily's eyes, but he had his mother's kind and forgiving heart.

"He's a good kid, isn't he?" Sirius intoned.

"Yes, he is."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

One morning a week after Harry came home, the fourteen-year-old sneaked into his godfather's bedroom. He had just managed to cook breakfast without waking up Remus or Sirius. Remus was awake when Harry returned upstairs.

"Good morning, cub," Remus greeted.

"Morning, Remus. Breakfast is ready," he informed the man he considered an uncle.

"Okay, are you going to wake up Sirius?"

Harry nodded and headed into Sirius's bedroom.

Sirius was still snoring as Harry approached the bed.

Remus leaned against the doorframe, waiting to see how Harry woke up Sirius.

The teen bent over and then was nose to nose to his godfather when he shouted, "WAKE UP!"

Sirius jerked awake then tumbled out of bed. He was met with his best friend and godson hollowing in laughter.

"Breakfast is ready, better eat before its cold."

Sirius shared a look with Remus as they headed downstairs. When they reached the kitchen, they were surprised at what they found.

There were eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, scones, crepes and orange juice along with pumpkin juice.

Without prompting, they washed up in the downstairs bathroom and dug into breakfast when they sat down at the table.

"This is good, cub," Remus complimented.

"Thanks." Harry handed Sirius the platter of eggs.

"Thanks for breakfast, Pup," Sirius told his godson.

"I figured since I wasn't here for Father's Day, I'd make up for it."

Sirius and Remus shared a smile as they continued to eat their breakfast.

When breakfast was over, Remus shooed Harry into the family room saying he would clean up.

"I don't know if I told you thank you for your father's day present?"

"You did," Harry reminded him. "Twice."

"You didn't have to…." He was cut off by Harry.

"I wanted to." Harry sat down next to him on the couch, letting Sirius wrap an arm around him and lean into his godfather's embrace.

"Because you're the closest thing to a Dad, I got."

And from then on, Sirius made sure that he would be the father figure Harry wanted and needed. Because Sirius knew he was the closest thing to a Dad Harry had