the boy that could have been

Padfoot

"BABY!" James screamed loudly, causing Harry and Lily to flinch and the latter to whack him, "I'VE MISSED MY LITTLE POOCHKINS!!!"

"He's only been awake for an hour" muttered Lily, and Harry laughed. A thin, rugged-looking man with yellow teeth and scraggly hair came into the room wearing some form of tattered pyjamas, but Harry only caught a glimpse of him before he leapt into James' awaiting arms. Bewildered, he watched as the new man - Padfoot, Serious, whatever his name was - wrapped his legs around James' waist, and his dad spun around the kitchen carrying him. Harry turned to his mother, who was smiling and rolling her eyes.

"Are they- is he- gay?" Harry whispered nervously. Lily burst out laughing, and behind him he could hear James and Padfoot laughing too. Padfoot had a lively, bark-life laugh that contrasted with his dead-looking appearance. James gently pushed the back of Harry's head.

"No I am not, thank you very much young man, otherwise you wouldn't be here." He exclaimed, pretending to be offended before smirking at Sirius, "Although I can't speak for Padfoot."

Sirius let out another bark-like laugh, "No, not gay my dear boy, but I don't only like women. In fact, this one time-"

Harry looked curiously intrigued, but Lily cut him off before he could say any more, "Black, judging by your attire I can presume that you've had a rough ten years, but he is eleven, I don't think any of your stories will be appropriate."

"Okay, okay, fine, but you better make sure your son knows that he can love whoever the hell he wants to!" Sirius grinned and winked at Harry, who uncertainly smiled back.

"Anyway, enough of that bestie, give me all the tea!" Said James excitedly in his best teenage-girl impression, but there was concern hidden in his face and Harry noticed that he hadn't let go of Sirius' arm. Fair enough, he thought, the man looked a mess.

"Harry, dear." interrupted Lily, "Why don't we go upstairs and clean out a couple of bedrooms whilst these two catch up?"

Everything was still very new and confusing for Harry, but it was obvious that there was a lot going on and they needed to talk - plus, he needed a bit of time to process everything that had happened in the last hour. 

He followed Lily out of the room and began to climb the stairs, but before he had even reached the first landing, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. A small part of him was aware that he was in the middle of a staircase and he should probably find a bed, but the next thing he knew, his mind had slipped into darkness.