Second Chance (J. Potter) (au)

Chapter Thirty

When things go well for too long, that's when things start going bad. It always happened, and that's how it always worked. Honestly, it was one of the facts of life, and it was something everyone had to get use to. No matter how prepared a person is, they never expect bad things to happen to them.

Talinda and James had been feeding Harry dinner, when Sirius arrived. They instantly realized that the poor boy was suffering, and they didn't know what was wrong. Talinda sent James to comfort Sirius, as she took care of Harry. After dinner, she gave the boy a bath, then she read a bedtime story to him, and finally he was put to bed for the night.

As soon as Harry was in bed, Talinda went to check on Sirius and James. Her heart broke when she seen the tears running down Sirius' face. Someone had really hurt him, and Talinda was determined to make that person pay for what they did to him.

Instead of saying anything, Talinda simply walked over to the two and wrapped her arms around Sirius. Sirius cried in their arms for a while, until he finally wore himself out. When he fell asleep, James carried him up to bed, even though it wasn't easy. James took off Sirius' shoes and jeans, leaving him in a shirt and briefs. Talinda then covered the boy with a light blanket, before turning out the light in his room.

She and James quietly left the room, not wanting to bother him anymore. They worked together in silence to clean up the kitchen, and once the kitchen was clean, they went to their room to change and lay down. James had asked Talinda to move her things permanently into his room, and she had agreed almost instantly. They liked staying in the same room together.

"What happened to him?" Talinda asked, as she laid down next to James.

"Remus broke up with him," James replied, making Talinda frown.

"What? Why?" She questioned, her heart breaking for the poor guy that was asleep in the other room.

"They had an argument over something. Pads didn't really go into detail, but it had to do with Moony's furry little problem and work or something along those lines," James answered, and Talinda sighed.

"I hope they make up. I thought those two were perfect for each other," She commented, causing James to nod in agreement.

The next morning when they woke up, Talinda immediately went to Sirius' room to check on him. She felt her heart shatter when she seen the tear stains on his cheeks. They were from after she and James went to bed, since she had cleaned his face up before she left him for the night. He was still asleep now though, so Talinda simply pet his hair, then walked out of the room.

When Talinda came to the kitchen, James wrapped his arms securely around her waist. It was as if he was making sure she stayed at his side, and that she wouldn't leave him like Remus had left Sirius. Honestly, James wouldn't be able to handle that heartbreak. He wasn't strong enough for that.

"I love you, Tally," He murmured, leaving a kiss on her neck.

"I love you, James," She replied, kissing his cheek.

The two let go of each other, and Talinda started making breakfast. Harry woke up moments later, and by the time breakfast was finished, Sirius had woken up. Sirius came to the kitchen, and Talinda could tell that he had cleaned his face. He seemed to not want James, Talinda, or Harry to see that he had been crying again last night. He especially didn't want Harry to see, since Harry always seen him happy and having fun.

"I'm going to take Harry out later today, so you and James can have time to talk," Talinda commented, and Sirius smiled slightly.

Talinda could tell that Sirius' smile was forced, but she wasn't going to comment on it. Instead, she finished eating her breakfast, then brought Harry to his room to get dressed. Once she and Harry were ready, they said goodbye to James and Sirius. James was a little nervous letting them leave, but he knew that Talinda could protect herself and Harry if she needed to.

Anyhow, first Talinda took Harry to get a new toy. He picked a stuffed dragon, that looked exactly like a Hungarian Horntail. After he picked a new toy, Talinda brought him to a sweets shop. She knew he didn't really need sweets, but she had to keep him distracted long enough for James and Sirius to be able to have a heart-to-heart.

Talinda then brought Harry to a muggle arcade, which he absolutely loved. In the arcade, he could win tickets, and after a couple hours of playing games, he was able to gather his tickets and get a prize. He had gotten a pretty cool Spider-Man action figure, as well as a few other small toys that didn't cost many tickets.

After playing in the arcade for a bit, Talinda decided it was time for lunch. She took him to a pizza place, since she knew Harry didn't get pizza often. He loved when Talinda made pizza. They both got two slices each, and Talinda was surprised that Harry had eaten both of his. She figured it was because he had played so hard that he worked up an appetite.

"I'm tired," Harry said, and Talinda smiled.

"Let's get home," She replied, picking him up off the ground.

Luckily, Talinda had brought a bag that she was able to put all of Harry's things into. Talinda apparated home once she was out of the muggle village. She walked inside of the home, and she caught eyes with James. James smiled at her, and his smile widened when he seen Harry sleeping on her shoulder. He was glad they had fun, and didn't have to hear all the things Sirius said about Remus...