The Corpse That Lived.

Chapter 5:

When it became clear Dahlia would not rouse, Sirius gently picked her up and carried her up the stairs, keeping her close to his chest. It would be easier to levitate her, but on the off chance that the movement woke him, he didn't want to frighten the poor kid to death. He placed her in the only safe, unused room: Regulus's room. It looked exactly how it looked fifteen years ago, when Sirius ran away.

Convinced the Dahlia would be sleeping a while, Sirius made himself comfortable in the armchair and allowed himself to doze just after the first bits of sunlight crept beneath the curtains. His restless, bothered dreams were cut short just a few hours later, however, by a voice calling for him through the fireplace.

"Sirius Orion Black!" the person insisted rudely. "Don't make me step through, Padfoot!"

Sirius woke with a start, glancing over to the girl who was still sleeping, albeit fitfully now, on the sofa.

"SIRIUS!" the voice bellowed again.

"James!" Sirius panicked, knowing he could not allow his friend to step through, lest he receive the shock of his life. Quickly, he stuck his head into flames. "Prongs, what time is it? What's the emergency?"

"Finally. Where were you, mate?"

"Sleeping," he growled. "Like normal people in the morning."

"The day is young and full of promise. Want to join Hyacinth in a shopping trip?"James said cheerfully. Sirius wasn't entirely fooled – he could tell his friend was exhausted – but sometimes it was easier to just pretend. And right now was one of those moments.

"I'm all right. A bit sleepy. I didn't sleep well last night," he said honestly.

The smile instantly disappeared from his friend's face. "Us either."

"Lily insisted you call, then?" he asked knowingly.

"Of course," James sighed. "We're worried about you, Padfoot. I wish you'd been with us last night."

Sirius felt another wave of horrid guilt. He'd been up all night tending to Dahlia while James mourned the girl and faced the same nightmares of her dying in that fire. Just a little longer, he told himself, and then you'll tell them the truth.

"I'm all right," he assured James. "Think I'll take a kip."

"Cindy would love to see you. Dinner at the Three Broomsticks tonight? On me?" James tried again.

"Tell your lovely wife I promise I will not off myself or any of the other terrible things she's thinking," he responded wryly, imagining Lily standing right next to James kicking him to demand he keep going until he received some sort of acquiescence.

"It isn't just Lily, you know, I miss you."

"I do know and I miss you too," he agreed, "but I've promised I'm all right. I'll call if I need you, yeah?"

"I don't like it, but if you insist. I can't even convince you with a little emotional blackmail? Remind you that you haven't seen Cindy for weeks at this point?"

"Hyacinth received an enormous supply of Honeydukes and Zonko's products yesterday. She'll carry on."

"All right, Padfoot. Get some rest."

"Have fun with your witches. Tell your little one I expect a detailed letter next time, not this 'thank you and good day' nonsense."

Sirius turned around and it gave him quite the shock to see Dahlia was awake. And those striking green eyes of hers, so vivid, so full of fire, were locked onto him with enough intensity to burn a hole through his skull. She clutched her quilt like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world, her knuckles white from the grip.