The Contract

Chapter 97

"Harry!" "Harry!" "Harry!" came the voices of his friends, as they caught sight of Harry on the platform. They'd known he was coming, and had been watching for him, it had been nearly a year since they saw him last. Rabastan and Rodolphus were there along with Sirius Black to see his godson off. It certainly set everyone talking and whispering, as if they hadn't seen Rabastan and Rodolphus at the grand opening of Sirius' shop just a week ago.

"Damn, we were late," Sirius shouted as the horn blared warning everyone that the train would be departing very soon. "Remember to write kiddo!" he said, wrapping his godson in a hug, hating that they were having to rush the first time he'd gotten to take his godson to the Hogwarts express. To see him off on the train. "Now go! Hurry!" not pushing but leading Harry gently towards the doors of the train. Harry wouldn't be able to run to catch up with it if it started moving without him.

Harry climbed on after his friends, the door closed, and Harry waved at Rabastan, Rodolphus and Sirius as the scarlet engine began and smoke bellowed everywhere, making it damn near impossible to see them for a moment.

Sirius waved enthusiastically back, while Rodolphus and Rabastan were more composed and waved for only a few seconds. "Bloody hell, I miss him already," Sirius confessed, as he watched the train depart, taking Harry away from him.

"It's only natural, you've been living with him for nearly a whole year," Rodolphus answered. Placing a calming hand on Sirius' back, which the wizard leaned into gratefully.

Inhaling sharply, Sirius nodded, despite what happened, the kidnapping, it was the best thing that could have happened. While he and Harry had got on, it was more like friendly acquaintances before the abduction. Now though? Now he felt like he and Harry were family, and it was the best feeling in the world.

"Are you heading to work today?" Rodolphus questioned, gripping his brother's shoulder. He would be feeling just as anchorless as Sirius right now, their entire focus had been Harry for a long time. It would take a few days to adjust.

"Workroom, yeah," Sirius murmured, Arthur had been the one working in the shop since it opened a few weeks ago. His personal workroom doubled as an office; all his ideas were stored there now. He didn't see the point of having more than one room in the shop. Thinking back to the Mirror Call that had started the ball rolling.

-0 Flashback 0-

"Hey, Arthur, I've sent the box containing the last lot of mirrors expressed delivery. You should get them within the next few hours. How's the construction going?" Sirius asked Arthur through the mirror, Sirius was still damp from his workout, in joggers and a t-shirt but spirited and happy in a way he hadn't been in so long. He wasn't just existing anymore...he was happy, and his godson was coming along in leaps and bounds and his company had a massive contract under its belt, already and it hadn't even officially opened.

"That's great!" Arthur all but chirped, his entire demeanour filled with childish excitement. "I'll make an appointment with Amelia later today. How is Harry doing? Is he okay?" he was dressed in actual professional dress robes, crisp white and black, ironed and he looked years younger.

"Do you have a date?" Sirius perked up, watching Arthur in fascination, a sly grin appearing on his face when Arthur flushed red in mortification at the question.

"I...no...not really," Arthur confessed, still red which clashed horribly with his hair. He didn't really have friends, or rather hadn't since Hogwarts. He'd gotten on well with Molly's brothers before their death. The rest of the time he was at the Ministry or home. His family had been his life, by family he meant his children.

"But there's someone you do like?" Sirius realized, of course, Arthur would be leery of another relationship like that. Desires and emotions weren't easily curtailed, he knew that. Wanting to dress well and impress someone they liked was different from actually dating them. "Amelia?" he guessed and Arthur flinched away as if Sirius had physically struck him.