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Hogwarts Assignment 5 - Gardening Task 3 - A Story that spans a year.

Other challenges at the bottom.

Beta'd by the lovely Sophie

AN - Don't know much about the prison system, so I'm sure I've taken liberties. Apologies for anything I got wrong.

Word Count - 1820

A Year To The Day

He felt a surge of nerves as the clanging of the gates sounded behind him, effectively locking him in the human cage that was prison. At eighteen, Harry had never been near a prison before, let alone in one, and now he was about to meet a man who should have been the one to bring him up.

He sat at the table he was directed to and glanced around at the other visitors. People of all shapes and sizes and ages were sitting at the small tables that had been set out in rows.

Babies lay in mothers arms, and pensioners wobbled along on walking sticks.

When the doors holding the prisoners back opened, Harry swallowed hard. He tapped a rhythm out onto the table top to calm himself. He'd been warned against this visit by many, but he had to know the truth.

He had to try and understand.

Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to see a man staring at him. He looked pale, and had long dark hair to his shoulders. Harry could barely see the man who stood beside his father on the few photos he had of his parent's wedding day.

Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer, evil man and also, Harry's godfather.

He'd only been told recently that he had a connection to the man. Growing up in care, he'd thought that there was nobody alive in the world for him to call family, and so he'd been unspeakably excited when he found out he had a godfather.

That had lasted as long as it took the lawyer dealing with Harry's inheritance to explain that the man hadn't brought him up because he was serving life for the murder of thirteen people.

All he'd ever wanted in his life was somewhere to belong. To find it and have it snatched away in the same conversation stung.

He stood up as Sirius approached him. The man's arms twitched as though to reach out for him, but he restrained himself by offering a hand to shake.

Harry took it, staring at the face of the man who could have, should have, brought him up.

"I've waited sixteen years for this day," Sirius choked out as the two sat down. "And even though you're right in front of me, I'm still amazed that you're here."

Harry didn't know what to say. He'd been thinking of everything he wanted to say since he'd received the visiting order, but now that he was here, in front of Sirius, his mind was completely blank.

"Why the stag?" he asked, pointing to a tattoo on Sirius' arm.

Sirius blinked. "Your dad, actually. He was obsessed with them, that obsessed that I called him Prongs for years. He drove your mum to distraction with it."

A small smile lifted Harry's lips. He hadn't known that.

"What were they like? My mum and dad, I mean."

"They were the best kind of people, Harry. The best kind. Your dad was funny and clever, and your mum was bright and bubbly; unless we made her mad and then she was scary as hell. They were so excited when they got pregnant with you. I've never seen a couple so in love."

Harry nodded. He could tell from the pictures he had that they loved each other.

"Why did you do it?"

He didn't mean to ask, not yet at least, but he had to know. He met Sirius' eyes and found the man staring at him unwaveringly.

"I didn't," Sirius replied immediately. "I was set up."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"

Sirius smiled sadly. "No. But I won't lie to you either. I didn't murder anyone, but I intended to, so I suppose it's just as well that I'm here."

Frowning, Harry asked, "Who did you intend to kill?"

"Peter Pettigrew. The rat who gave your parent's witsec location to the man who murdered them."

…

"He's amazing, Remus," Sirius gloated later to his cellmate and partner. "So intelligent and handsome, he looks just like James did when we were younger. And he believed me, he knows I'm innocent!"

Remus smiled, rubbing his hand up and down Sirius' back. "Is he coming back?"

Sirius nodded happily. "He says he'll visit every week. I'm just… I might not have been in his life, but I love him so much, Rem. I'm so happy he wants me in his life."

Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius and pulled him back so they were both lying down on the single bunk. "I'm glad you're happy, love."

Sirius grinned wickedly, a suggestive twinkle in his eyes. "I can think of something else that will make me happy."

"Hmm? I'm sure I'd be more than happy to oblige."

…

The lawyer, Frank Longbottom, blinked at Harry. "You want me to run an appeal. For Sirius Black. Are you out of your mind?"

Harry shook his head.

"You know what he's capable of, right? You know what he did?"

"You've got it wrong!" Harry replied. "He didn't do it!"

"Look, kid -"

"Harry Potter," Harry interrupted, glaring at the lawyer. "And I have whatever money you will charge to run him an appeal, I'll pay you whatever it takes. I want my godfather free!"

Frank stared at him for a long moment before he nodded. "It's been sixteen years, right? Park yourself in that seat and tell me everything he told you."

…

"Harry's been to see Longbottom. There's going to be an appeal against my sentence."

Remus blinked. "Oh."

Sirius nodded, sitting down on the bed facing the one Remus lay on. "I… He wants me to live with him. Wants to make up for the years I wasn't there when I should've been."

Remus nodded. "He deserves it. You deserve it."

Sirius shook his head. "What about you?"

Snorting, Remus sat up, taking Sirius' hand in his own. "I committed the murder I was put in the dump for, you didn't."

"You committed a public service," Sirius snarled. He knew all about Fenrir Greyback, the paedophile who'd prayed on Remus as a child. He knew and understood why Remus had gone back to his hometown when he heard from his mother that a child had admitted to be touched by the man. He couldn't fault Remus for slitting the monster's throat.

"It was revenge, and murder is illegal, no matter the reason."

Sirius snorted. "Ain't no justice in the world, and there ain't nothing we can do about it, right?"

Remus smiled sadly. "Right."

…

"We could try again," Harry snapped. "It doesn't have to be over yet."

"Harry… there would be riots if the British Public was alerted that I was free. I'm hated, and, given the crime they believe I committed, with good reason."

"I just… I wanted to finally have someone… somewhere to belong, you know? My whole life almost, I've been passed around from home to home. I just… for once it would have been nice to have a family."

Sirius squeezed Harry's hand. "I'm still your family, Harry. I always will be. Family doesn't end with blood, okay?"

Harry nodded. "Okay."

…

Sirius settled his head on Remus' chest, the sound of his heartbeat calming him. Remus' hand shifted through his hair absently.

"I wanted to cry, Remus. He looked… so done in."

"Harry's young," Remus replied quietly. "He'll find his place in the world, and he'll visit you and tell you all about it. All you have to do is be there for him while he does."

"Right. I knew that. I can do that."

"Of course you can," Remus murmured.

As Remus' breath evened out, and his hand fell to rest on Sirius' shoulder, Sirius couldn't help but feel a little bit happy that the appeal hadn't worked. He couldn't imagine being anywhere without Remus. He couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere without him.

…

He wore black; he assumed that was what people did, and in fairness, it helped him blend into the shadow as he stalked the short man down the street.

It had taken months to find him, and even longer to actually see him in person. He waiting for the opportune time and jogged forward when the short man turned down an alley.

"Peter Pettigrew. I've been looking for you."

The man turned, fear in his watery eyes as he looked around wildly for the speaker.

Harry stepped out of the shadows, pulling the balaclava he'd been wearing from his head.

"Harry Potter," he introduced himself quietly. "You ruined my life."

"I, no, you've got the wrong man, I didn't, it wasn't -"

"Shut up," Harry snapped. "You had my parents murdered, and then you set my godfather up for a crime he didn't commit."

Harry felt a savage jolt of pleasure when Pettigrew whimpered pathetically, pressing himself back against the wall.

"Sirius told me all about you. About how he and my father protected you from bullies, about how they accepted you under their wing. About how you betrayed them."

Approaching him, Harry pulled a knife from his pocket and twirled it in his fingers. "Time to pay for your crimes, Peter Pettigrew."

When the police arrived in the alley, it was to find Harry sitting against the wall, the body of Peter Pettigrew splayed a few foot away, blood still leaking onto his velvet jacket.

When they cuffed him, Harry Potter laughed.

…

Sirius found Remus outside, crunching his way through an apple.

"Harry didn't turn up again," he murmured, sitting down beside him. "I don't know what happened, Remy. We were getting on brilliantly."

Remus looked at him sympathetically. "There will be an explanation, Sirius. Maybe he's just busy."

"What? Too busy to pick up a fucking phone?"

Remus pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Let's go back to bed. I'm over today."

...

Sirius nudged Remus' shoulder with his own as the two leant against the railings outside their cell, nodding down to the newbies shuffling in.

"Newbies are invading."

"That one, second from the front, is going to be trouble," Remus commented, eyeing a lad who was swaggering behind the guard with distaste.

Sirius nodded. "It's fine. We'll show the pup who runs the joint if he gives us any trouble."

Remus snorted his amusement. When Sirius was silent for a few moments, Remus looked at him to find him pale, his hands gripping the railings tightly.

"What's wrong?"

"You know like you said you wanted to meet my godson," Sirius choked out, his voice rough. "You will."

Remus blinked and looked down at the new inmates. Towards the back of the line, a mop of black hair could be seen.

Sirius moaned quietly when, a year to the day that'd he reconnected with his godson, bright green eyes suddenly looked up and met his.

What had he done?

Written for;

Creativity Month - Harry&Sirius - P12; "You know what he's capable of, right?"

Character Appreciation - 23. Inheritance

Disney - S1. Part of your world - Someone who wants to belong somewhere.

Book Club - Cliff Ackerley - Bully / Paying someone / Getting revenge

Showtime - 11. Class - "Ain't no justice in the world and there ain't nothing you can do about it."

Days of the Month - Smart and sexy day - Sirius Black

Buttons - O5. Cage / D4. "Right. I knew that."

Sophie's Shelf - 8. Rhythm, Velvet, Invade, Surge, Savage, Suggestive.

Caffeine Awareness, 28. Turkish Coffee - "Family don't end with blood."

Scavenger Hunt - 1. Prompt Set - Apple, Stag, "You've got it wrong!"