The Only Family I've ever had...

01. Rise of the Dark Lord

"Lie low at Lupin's." Dumbledore told me, clasping my shoulder briefly. I nodded, checking my watch, hoping that Remus was still awake.

"But.." called Harry and I turned around and walked up to him, ignoring the appalled look on Molly's face.

"I'll see you very soon Harry, take care." I told him, giving him a hug. I knew he needed me and I wanted to stay and protect my godson. James and Lily had trusted me to take care of Harry from the day he was born and I had failed to do exactly that. Harry was the most important person in my life, to see him like this so hurt and so vulnerable. I looked into his eyes, so like Lily's and gave him a curt nod, a promise of sorts. I didn't dare speak, my throat was constricted and my heart was bounding. Remus, I needed Remus.

"You two," I said to Ron and Hermione, "take care alright?"

They nodded and with a final glance at my godson, I transformed into the great black dog and padded out quietly. It was gonna be okay, we had gotten through the last war and we would get through this one too, together.

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'Curse Moony and his 6, 2" ass' I thought as I failed at ringing the bell for the 5th time. Wasn't this supposed to be easier as a dog? I ran back a little and then leapt forward, finally managing to press my paw on the bell. The resounding sound made me jump again, in shock. The prat hadn't changed his doorbell in 13 years! I heard the sickeningly sweet tinkle as it echoed in the house and then the unmissable sound of something thudding into the door. There were more clatters as Remus approached the door and I let out a bark of impatience. I knew the bloke couldn't see in the dark and I was willing to bet my inheritance that he'd forgotten his glasses on his table. When the door finally opened, I looked up eagerly at Remus, in his fluffy sweater and pajama bottoms. He rubbed his eyes looking down blearily and scrunched up his face at the sight of me.

"Get in and then explain why you're here so late." he said, voice gruff and thick with sleep. I entered the door and transformed as Remus shut the door immediately.

"A sweater in June, really?" I asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Not everyone is a fashion icon Padfoot, especially not at midnight," he replied, "anyway how the hell are you here?"

My face paled as I recalled the task Dumbledore had given me, at the look on Harry's face when I had seen him, "Voldemort. He's back." I informed Remus, who stared at me in shock.

"You're kidding Pads! There's no way," he began but I glared at him, "how? Didn't Harry finish him off that.. that night?" he sighed.

"Well no. He's back and Harry saw it. Harry fought him off and a boy was killed. Diggory I think he was called."

"Cedric Diggory?" Remus asked sharply, "Not the kid from Hufflepuff!"

"Yeah that's him, it was Peter who did it. On Voldemort's orders obviously."

"How, what happened? Where's Harry? Sirius, please tell me he's okay." Remus blabbered on.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Shush Moony, I'm telling you, wait."

An hour later, I had finished telling Remus everything that Harry had told Professor Dumbledore and I in his office and the look on his face reflected nothing but panic.

"So he saw Lily and James? And their wands connected? And Barty Crouch was alive this whole time? How the hell is this possible." Remus muttered, "we should have killed him while we had the chance Padfoot, killed both of them."

"Crouch senior took his wife to Azkaban soon after I'd been captured, they came to visit the boy and that's where they took Polyjuice, Crouch's wife took on his appearance and died while his son lived in Crouch's control until last year. They managed to fool Mad-eye too and Barty took on his appearance at Hogwarts. He's the one who put Harry's name in for the tournament." I explained, fists clenched, "Fudge gave him the dementor's kiss the boy's worse than dead."

"Why didn't you do anything?" Remus asked in anger, "Why did you let him get away, that bastard who did this to our Harry?"

"Believe me Remus, I wanted to go tear his head off, but it was more important that I stay near Harry, he's traumatized. It's disgusting what he just went through and I feel like the most useless godfather in the world! I'd march up to Voldemort right now if I had my wand." I said helplessly.

"You don't have your wand back?" Remus said incredulously.

I let out a dry chuckle, "See Moony, they confiscated my wand when they threw me in that hole of despair. I have no clue where it is. And I can't just prance down to Ollivander's and ask for a new one- it'd give the bloke a heart attack."

"No wait, they gave you wand to Professor Dumbledore and I took it from him," he said, "It's in my bookshelf, hang on I'll bring it over."

"Wait a minute," I said cautiously, "so you've had my wand all this time and didn't think I'd like to use it?"

"Well I would've handed it to you if I'd known where the hell you were!" he retorted as he opened up the door to his shelf. A moment later he passed me my wand and a feeling of great warmth spread through my fingertips.

"I wanted to break it you know, break everything related to you after James and Lily... but I couldn't do it. You're my best friend Sirius, I always thought you were innocent. I protested to Dumbledore after your arrest, begged him to re-check but he didn't listen. I'm sorry you had to spend so much time in that place." he said softly and I ran forward to give him a tight hug.

We broke apart a while later and settled on the creaky old couch, "When I was in there, surrounded by the dementors, there were two things that kept me sane Remus," I said, my voice cracking as I remembered how painful it had been, the first few days in my cell, "the fact that I was innocent and that maybe, just maybe there was a chance that Moony believed in me. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too Pads, living alone is the worst. Especially with dealing with full moons on my own because I didn't have you three- two around."

That sparked something in my brain and suddenly I remembered, "Hey Moons, do you have a few pieces of parchment and a quill?" I asked suddenly.

Taken aback by my request, Remus furrowed his eyebrows but went up to the table and got a stack of parchment, a new ink bottle and a eagle-feather quill all the same. "What're you doing?" he asked

"Writing a letter. A letter to my family."

"What like your cousin Andy?" Remus questioned, "Or the Malfoys?"

"No you dolt!" I said, giving him a shove, "to our family. Our Marauder family."

"But it's just us, Frank, Alice and Peter now." he told me even more confused when I smacked my forehead.

"I heard about that, but I never got to attend their well funerals, and I guess I just wanted to say goodbye, you know?" I said, swallowing the lump that had risen in my throat.

He looked at me for a moment and nodded, "I knew you were too soft." he mumbled reaching for a piece of chocolate.

"I am not soft Moony! I am tough okay?" I protested half-heartedly. Just as I'd always done.

"Sure, a soft cookie more like." Remus breathed, thinking I wouldn't hear and we both burst out laughing. For a moment as we laughed with just the flames keeping us company, everything felt the same as it had done before this war had begun and then there was the blast of a firework and as its bright red sparks erupted I remembered that nothing was the same. Sure we were still Padfoot and Moony but we didn't have our Prongs and Wormtail with us.

A/N: Introductory chapter which kinda hurt me to write because Peter was a bastard but I feel bad for him sometimes, except if he hadn't been such a idiot Harry would've had a loving family and would've grown up with them instead of Petunia and Vernon. Letters start from the next chapter and first letter is of course to Sirius' brother and everyone's favorite arrogant toe-rag: James Potter!

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Thanks for reading, stay safe.
lots of love,
writinganewtale ✨