I'm SO SORRY this took so long, I've had so much trouble with things
lately. I don't know where to take this story, I have a major case of
writers' block. Does anyone know what causes writers' block. Really, tell
me so I can get rid of it!
Besides all that, my friend just found out he has bone cancer, so I've been hanging with him a lot lately. I'll try updating more often though!
Chapter #41
James landed with a thump on the floor, his whole body covered in soot.
"Oh... my head...." He croaked, then turned his head and looked up at Dumbledore.
"You're sick!" Sirius screamed suddenly at him.
"But Sirius..." James began, his throat dry and parched from no water.
"I don't know who you are." Sirius whispered, his whole body trembling with rage. "But you should stop this. What do you want, anyhow?"
"Well," James answered with an obviously forced, yet cheerful all the same, smile. "firstly, water would be nice. Some clean clothes perhaps. A hot shower and warm food. Medical attention for that young girl who is on the brink of death while you stand there yelling at your best friend, who is supposed to be dead, that he should stop being so sick." James stopped and took a breath, then grinned weakly. "Need I go on?"
"Hermione!" Harry gasped, rushing to the smaller of the two figures. He gripped her by the shoulders and rolled her into a sitting position, repeatedly shaking her. "Wake up." He pleaded.
"She won't wake up. Neither will Severus. They're out of it. Hermiones' bleeding badly and Severus is exhausted. Headmaster, please." James begged from his position on the floor by the fireplace.
"Very well. I will bring them to the hospital wing. Harry, Ginny, stay here. Sirius and Remus, watch them for me. And please Sirius, don't do anything rash." Dumbledore replied, pulling out his wand and levitating the two unconscious ones.
As soon as they left James was looking at Harry as though he was a ghost, and everyone, save James, was looking at him in the same manner.
"You're alive." James breathed, staring at Harry. "Hermione was right, you're alive." Ginny glared at James.
"You leave him alone, he doesn't need someone who is pretending to be his father." She hissed.
"I was quite serious about that drink of water, Siri. Please?" James begged to the other man, who had now rested one hand on Harrys' shoulder. Sirius nodded and soundlessly conjured a glass of ice-cold water, then handed it the James. He drank it in one gulp, then examined himself.
"You..." Remus began, but James was busy muttering to himself.
"Soot and dirt all over.... Bloody brilliant. Ah, here's me old wand, couple o waves should do the trick, one, two, three!" He twirled his wand and pointed it directly at himself. The dirty clothes were replaced by a clean, simple black robe. "Better, don't you think?"
"Much." Remus agreed weakly.
"Anyhow," James said lightly. "What's this about me being sick? Begging your pardon, Siri, but I think I look quite well, don't you?"
"Who are you?" Sirius whispered.
"James Potter." James' face clamped down and a serious expression crossed it.
"Prove it!" Sirius retorted hotly.
"Prove it? Okay, let's see. Padfoot, and Moony. Right?"
"Anybody could have known that." Sirius replied angrily. "The whole bloody school knew back then!"
"Oh." James muttered. "Let's see. Ah yes, tell me Remus, does this sound familiar? Are you a werewolf, Remus? Yes James, I am a werewolf. But don't trouble yourselves with a trip to the headmaster. He already knows. I suppose you'll have to find someone else to do your homework now, Peter. Oh, but Remus, what makes you think that? Aren't you going to disown me now and deny that you ever knew a monster? No. Then what are you gonna..."
"Enough." Remus whispered. James voice had grown colder as he recalled their conversation.
"Peter could have told you that." Sirius replied angrily. "Something else."
"You had sex with Peters' crush?" James recalled hopefully. Sirius shook his head. Remus gave a startled hiccough.
"Peter never found that out." He whispered.
"So? Malfoy knew that." Sirius snapped. Harry stood up suddenly from his sitting position and met the man in front of him with a piercing gaze.
"If you're my father." Harry said heavily. "Tell me, what time, day, and month did Dumbledore offer to be your secret keeper?" James looked down at Harry, then closed his eyes and tried desperately to remember.
"See, he doesn't know!" Sirius yelled, pulling out his wand.
"It was after your party!" James cried suddenly. "Dumbledore came to your birthday party Harry. Sirius, you went to pick up that dog that you gave Harry for his birthday. Snuffles, I think we called him, and Remus, it was a full moon that weekend! It was 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 31st." he finished. Sirius lowered his wand and glanced at Harry, who was staring at James in shock.
"It's really you." He whispered. James glanced uneasily at Sirius, then nodded. "You're alive...." James outstretched his arms hopefully for his fifteen-year-old son, and Harry nervously stepped forward, accepting his fathers' hug. James felt a relieved smile grace his bruised, scratched face.
"Harry... you've grown. Last time I saw you, you hardly ever talked, and you had just started walking on your own, and now...." James trailed off, then hugged his son. Harry hugged him back tightly, a feeling welling up inside him, similar to the one he had felt with Mrs. Weasley, but much stronger, more supportive.
"No." Harry whispered. "Stop. I don't wanna talk about that." He nuzzled against his fathers' chest, warmth and security washing over him. And for once, just once, Harry let his problems in life go, let them wash away with all of the pain and loneliness he had felt before.
"Oh, alright." James gave in, his knees trembling with not physical weakness, but emotional. Harry backed away and turned to Sirius expectantly.
End of chapter
Besides all that, my friend just found out he has bone cancer, so I've been hanging with him a lot lately. I'll try updating more often though!
Chapter #41
James landed with a thump on the floor, his whole body covered in soot.
"Oh... my head...." He croaked, then turned his head and looked up at Dumbledore.
"You're sick!" Sirius screamed suddenly at him.
"But Sirius..." James began, his throat dry and parched from no water.
"I don't know who you are." Sirius whispered, his whole body trembling with rage. "But you should stop this. What do you want, anyhow?"
"Well," James answered with an obviously forced, yet cheerful all the same, smile. "firstly, water would be nice. Some clean clothes perhaps. A hot shower and warm food. Medical attention for that young girl who is on the brink of death while you stand there yelling at your best friend, who is supposed to be dead, that he should stop being so sick." James stopped and took a breath, then grinned weakly. "Need I go on?"
"Hermione!" Harry gasped, rushing to the smaller of the two figures. He gripped her by the shoulders and rolled her into a sitting position, repeatedly shaking her. "Wake up." He pleaded.
"She won't wake up. Neither will Severus. They're out of it. Hermiones' bleeding badly and Severus is exhausted. Headmaster, please." James begged from his position on the floor by the fireplace.
"Very well. I will bring them to the hospital wing. Harry, Ginny, stay here. Sirius and Remus, watch them for me. And please Sirius, don't do anything rash." Dumbledore replied, pulling out his wand and levitating the two unconscious ones.
As soon as they left James was looking at Harry as though he was a ghost, and everyone, save James, was looking at him in the same manner.
"You're alive." James breathed, staring at Harry. "Hermione was right, you're alive." Ginny glared at James.
"You leave him alone, he doesn't need someone who is pretending to be his father." She hissed.
"I was quite serious about that drink of water, Siri. Please?" James begged to the other man, who had now rested one hand on Harrys' shoulder. Sirius nodded and soundlessly conjured a glass of ice-cold water, then handed it the James. He drank it in one gulp, then examined himself.
"You..." Remus began, but James was busy muttering to himself.
"Soot and dirt all over.... Bloody brilliant. Ah, here's me old wand, couple o waves should do the trick, one, two, three!" He twirled his wand and pointed it directly at himself. The dirty clothes were replaced by a clean, simple black robe. "Better, don't you think?"
"Much." Remus agreed weakly.
"Anyhow," James said lightly. "What's this about me being sick? Begging your pardon, Siri, but I think I look quite well, don't you?"
"Who are you?" Sirius whispered.
"James Potter." James' face clamped down and a serious expression crossed it.
"Prove it!" Sirius retorted hotly.
"Prove it? Okay, let's see. Padfoot, and Moony. Right?"
"Anybody could have known that." Sirius replied angrily. "The whole bloody school knew back then!"
"Oh." James muttered. "Let's see. Ah yes, tell me Remus, does this sound familiar? Are you a werewolf, Remus? Yes James, I am a werewolf. But don't trouble yourselves with a trip to the headmaster. He already knows. I suppose you'll have to find someone else to do your homework now, Peter. Oh, but Remus, what makes you think that? Aren't you going to disown me now and deny that you ever knew a monster? No. Then what are you gonna..."
"Enough." Remus whispered. James voice had grown colder as he recalled their conversation.
"Peter could have told you that." Sirius replied angrily. "Something else."
"You had sex with Peters' crush?" James recalled hopefully. Sirius shook his head. Remus gave a startled hiccough.
"Peter never found that out." He whispered.
"So? Malfoy knew that." Sirius snapped. Harry stood up suddenly from his sitting position and met the man in front of him with a piercing gaze.
"If you're my father." Harry said heavily. "Tell me, what time, day, and month did Dumbledore offer to be your secret keeper?" James looked down at Harry, then closed his eyes and tried desperately to remember.
"See, he doesn't know!" Sirius yelled, pulling out his wand.
"It was after your party!" James cried suddenly. "Dumbledore came to your birthday party Harry. Sirius, you went to pick up that dog that you gave Harry for his birthday. Snuffles, I think we called him, and Remus, it was a full moon that weekend! It was 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 31st." he finished. Sirius lowered his wand and glanced at Harry, who was staring at James in shock.
"It's really you." He whispered. James glanced uneasily at Sirius, then nodded. "You're alive...." James outstretched his arms hopefully for his fifteen-year-old son, and Harry nervously stepped forward, accepting his fathers' hug. James felt a relieved smile grace his bruised, scratched face.
"Harry... you've grown. Last time I saw you, you hardly ever talked, and you had just started walking on your own, and now...." James trailed off, then hugged his son. Harry hugged him back tightly, a feeling welling up inside him, similar to the one he had felt with Mrs. Weasley, but much stronger, more supportive.
"No." Harry whispered. "Stop. I don't wanna talk about that." He nuzzled against his fathers' chest, warmth and security washing over him. And for once, just once, Harry let his problems in life go, let them wash away with all of the pain and loneliness he had felt before.
"Oh, alright." James gave in, his knees trembling with not physical weakness, but emotional. Harry backed away and turned to Sirius expectantly.
End of chapter