A.N. Hello again! This is Malena, and I would like to thank you for reading my story (That is unless you just read this author's note, think I'm crazy, and immediately leave.) Anyhoo, I hope that you enjoy this, and that you review!!!!!!!!!!! This story is dedicated to Tadariada, SEEKER_2000, and Novok, who are all great friends! Toodles!

Malena

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!!!!! NOTHING, I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!! But a girl can dream…

~*~

Days have passed

And still no sign of us

Not a hunt of what used to be

When you lived in that part of me

This blinding silence lives in every room

Of what was once a happy home

Now we're sitting here all alone

Could this be that it was all a lie

And we're just afraid to say goodbye…

~*~

Pacing. He could have one an Olympic medal for pacing. Cross-country pacing… long distance pacing… he could have surpassed anyone in that game. Hmmm… I wonder if he would be good in the long jump…

A small smile twisted on Sirius's lips as he watched his best friend glide back and forth across the room. He glanced over at Remus Lupin, who was sitting on a chair that looked like it was about to collapse, had a smile on his face too.

"I still can't believe that Lilly kicked you out," Peter snorted from the kitchen.

"She didn't kick me out," James said through slightly gritted teeth. "I told you. Arabella and Lydia wanted to throw Lilly a baby-shower sort of thing."

"The baby isn't even born yet! How can it take a shower?" Lupin said, a confused look on his face.

"They don't give the baby a shower," James said hastily. "It's when a bunch of women or something get together usually before a woman gives birth and giver her presents and stuff."

"Sort of like a bachelor party without a half naked woman jumping out of a cake?" Sirius asked, furrowing his brow.

"God Sirius, is that all you think about?"

"You know perfectly well that I think about other things!"

"Not for 99.9% of the time."

Sirius scowled and started to pout.

"Now, this showering-baby," Peter said, coming out of the kitchen, "Why exactly-"

"Oh for pete's sake, it's a Muggle thing!" James exclaimed. "Ask Lilly tomorrow."

"Do you think that they have a half naked baby jump out of the cake?" Sirius asked.

"Come on, lets play a game of Exploding Snap," Remus said hastily.

"I don't want to," James said.
"Well you're going to whether you like it or not," Remus said, pulling his chair up to the table. "We'll tie you up if we have to!" Sirius laughed and started shuffling the cards.

~*~

Am I the only one

Who sees what we've become

I see no sense in going on

We sit and stare at what could be

We both just grew apart you see…

~*~

Ten minutes later all four of them were seated around the circular table and Sirius was dealing the Exploding Snap cards. They picked up their hands, except for James, who was tied up to the chair and was unable to move his hands.

"James, your turn!" Remus said in a singsong voice. "Oh! What's the matter?" James glared at Remus.

"I would so love to hurt you right now," James said scathingly.

"I know," Remus said, reaching up and pinching James' cheek painfully. James attempted to bite Remus' finger in retaliation.

"Hey!"

"Do I have to separate you two!" Peter said jokingly.

"Boy, if I had a Sickle for every time I heard that," Sirius said, throwing two of his cards into the middle of the table.

"Sirius Black! What would your mother think?" Peter said.

"My mother thinks I'm a perfect angel, and it will stay that way," Sirius said mock-threateningly. Remus snorted.

"My hands are starting to go numb," James said. "Er… could someone loosen these ropes?"

"I don't think so Mr. Dad-to-be-but-still-won't-explain-what-a-baby-shower-is," Sirius said.

Remus rolled his eyes and flicked his wand, making the bindings that tied James to the chair disappear.

"With friends like you, who need enemies!" James said, rubbing his wrists. Sirius grinned and lay down his last two cards. The cards that remained in his other friend's hands exploded.

"OW!" Peter yelled, jumping up from his chair and rubbing his burnt hands. "God I hate it when that happens."

"Don't we all," Remus said, frowning at his own hands.

"You are all just sore losers," Sirius said, leaning back and putting his feet on the table. "I mean come on! It's just a game."

"I honestly think you've rigged this game," James said as he magicked the cards back together. "You always win."

"It's just natural talent," Sirius said, looking at his nails arrogantly. "Spend a lot of time around me and maybe it'll rub off on you."

Remus laughed, and started to deal out the cards again when an owl flew through the window and landed in the middle of the table.

"Jeanne!" James exclaimed. He took the small piece of parchment out of his beak and read it hurriedly. His blue eyes got huge and he said, "The baby's coming."

~*~

I've so many things I want to say

I'll be ready when the perfect moment comes my way

I had never known what's right for me

~*~

He was pacing again! Up and down the hall of the hospital. Remus was watching him too.

"James, do we have to tie you up again?" said Peter, who was spread out over three hospital chairs. "Honestly, all this pacing is giving me a headache."

"I think you have an obsession with pacing," Sirius said. He was looking through one of the parenting magazine.

"Nah, he's just nervous," Remus said. "He's going to be a father soon!"

"Then he has to deal with the crying-" Sirius said.

"And the cleaning-"

"And the feeding-"

"And getting up in the middle of the night-"

"And more cleaning-"

"And-"

"All right! I get the point!" James exclaimed.

"And the diapers," Sirius said. James whacked his arm playfully and Sirius tackled him.

"NO! Don't! Th-That tickles!" James exclaimed as Sirius found the sensitive spot below his ribcage. "No-no! AHHH!"

"This child is going to have the best influences in the world, isn't he Moony?" Peter said sarcastically.

"Oh of course…" Remus replied with a smile.

"I resent that!" Sirius said. He stopped tickling James, who lay panting on the ground.

"Ahem," said a nurse. She eyed James who was still lying on the ground. "You know, if you want to rest we do have beds that are much more satisfactory than the floor."

"Er… no, that's okay," James said, getting up of the floor and dusting his robes off.

The nurse raised her eyebrows and said, "Your wife gave birth a few minutes ago."

James perked up and said, "Wh-what? Can I go see her!?"

"Sure, right through that-" James didn't wait for her to finish and just burst into the delivery room (almost running into the door). Sirius, Remus, and Peter followed him inside.

James knelt beside the bed his wife was lying on. Lily was holding a bundle of blankets with a little face poking out of it. Sirius, Remus and Peter just watched as James smiled at his child.

"What are we going to name… him?" James asked.

"Harry," Lilly said softly. "Harry James Potter."

"Harry James Potter," James repeated. By this time the other friends had crowded around the bed as well. Lily held the baby out for James to take. James gently cradled his son as the baby gave a yawn.

"Oh look," Sirius said. "He's bored already." James laughed.

"Can I hold him?" Peter asked.

"As Godfather I think that it would be best that I hold him," Sirius said. "He might get some of that natural talent that I told you about earlier."

"Here you go Sirius," James said, passing the child to Sirius. Sirius smiled as Harry opened his eyes and scrunched up face at him. Remus looked over Sirius' shoulder.

"He has Lily's eyes," he commented. "Bright green."

"Uh oh. Problem." Peter said.

"What?" James said urgently.
"James' hair." Peter pointed at the small tuft of black hair. James laughed and let Peter hold the child next.

Peter looked down at the child with a half-smile on his face. Sirius watched as Peter started laughing. Laughing hysterically. Then Lilly and James gasped as Peter turned into Voldemort, and then they disappeared with a flash of green light. Remus, Sirius were left with Voldemort who still had Harry in his arms…

"Sirius…"

~*~

And the truth is

No one's to blame

Two lonely dreamers

Playing by the rules

All we thought of

Was me and you

Now we're faced with the simple truth

I'd love to say that this is all a lie,

But that just means I'm scared to say goodbye.

~*~

Sirius' eyes snapped open. He was nearly blinded by the sunlight that was streaming through the window. He struggled to remember where he was, how he had gotten there.
"SIRIUS!" yelled a familiar voice. "I'M LEAVING!"

Sirius rolled over and groggily said, "Whassamatter?"

"I'm leaving," said Remus Lupin. "You know, to go work on the cases."

"Huh?"

"Honestly," Remus said exasperatedly. "Your case. Harry's case. Do you remember?"

"Harry…" Sirius said groggily.

"Yes… Harry. Your godson." Remus said slowly. "I'll call if you're needed."

"Mmmph," Sirius said, collapsing back onto the pillow. Remus rolled his eyes and Disapparated.

Sirius remained in the bed for another hour, going over his dream. Lilly and James… Remus… Peter. Sirius growled into his pillow and punched it hard. Finally he sighed and rolled out of bed. That was one of the first times he had slept in an actual bed since he had escaped from Azkaban. He hadn't slept much of the previous month. There had been other things. Sirius went looking for the ragged robes that he had been wearing for ages, but couldn't find them. Instead he found some simple black robes lying on a chair for him. He pulled them over his head and walked out of the guestroom and down the stairs. He hastily pulled his long hair into a ponytail so it would stay out of his way. An owl flew through the window and landed next to the orange juice that was placed on an old table. He dropped a newspaper and scooped up five Knuts that had bee placed on the table.

Sirius unrolled the newspaper.

Harry Potter's Case is-

Sirius dropped the paper, not wanting to deal with that so early in the morning. He flopped down into a chair and poured himself some orange juice. He drank it hurriedly and then poured himself some more.

For the past 3 weeks Remus had been trying hard to prove Sirius' innocence. He dug through every record he could find, every newspaper, every little thing to try and find some way to make him a free man. They would need Sirius for the fight against Voldemort. More importantly, they needed Harry, and the only way to get Harry was to get Sirius free.

Sirius sighed and put his face in his hands. 3 weeks ago Sirius' already warped life became even more twisted. It all started when Sirius had traveled to see Remus, early July, to tell him what had happened during the Triwizard Tournament….

~*~

The enormous black dog jogged down the street, counting the houses until he reached a shabby looking one with an old Muggle car parked in front of it. He had never understood why Remus bothered with it. He would just say it was for emergencies. The dog walked through the overgrown lawn and clawed at the door.

"One moment!" Called a familiar voice from inside. The door opened seconds later and a tired looking Remus Lupin was standing there.

"Padfoot!" He hissed. "In!" He held the door open for the dog.

When he was inside and the door was locked and the shades were drawn Sirius transformed. His tangled hair went down past his shoulders and he was horribly skinny.

"What are you doing here?" Remus exclaimed. "What if you're caught!"
"Good to see you too, Moony," Sirius said.

"Huh? Oh right," Remus said. He moved forward and hugged Sirius. "But really, why are you here?"

"Dumbledore sent me," Sirius said. "It's about the Triwizard Tournament."

"Harry won, didn't he?"

"Remus… sit down." Remus looked at him questionably and then did as he said.

Sirius started to explain everything. How Harry and Cedric had took the cup together… how it had taken them straight to Voldemort and Wormtail… How Voldemort had been reborn using Harry's blood, Wormtail's hand, and his father's bone. When he finally finished Remus had his face in his hands and he was muttering incoherently under his breath.

"Moony?" Sirius said uncertainly. "We should contact Dumbledore to tell him that I told everyone in the old crowd."

Moony, who was glaring at a space on the wall, nodded and started to get up. Before he could move the fire in the fireplace flickered and Albus Dumbledore's face appeared in the middle of the flames.

"Sirius," he said seriously. "Remus, I have bad news…"

It was then. That was the time that five little words changed his life.

"Harry's being taken to Azkaban."