The Darkest Star | Sirius Black |

2

Lily Potter was waiting anxiously as she walked up and down along the porch of her house. She had finally put little Harry to bed and was about to go sleep herself when she had received the message from Arthur. She could hardly contain her anxiety and thereby was unable to sit in one place.

Two men, one holding the other suddenly Apparated on to her lawn. She sighed in relief and ran quickly towards them. Arthur was holding a completely drunk Sirius Black, who was quite incapable of standing on his own feet. He was shirtless and his trousers hung loosely around his waist. He noticed her and gave her a huge smile.

"Evans, my love! How I have missed you! Oh shit- It's Potter now, isn't it? I hope your husband didn't hear me calling you love. He'll hex me so bad that I won't be able to diff-," He broke off as he fell forward into Lily's arms and buried his face in to her shoulder.

Lily's eyes filled with tears. She had seen the bruises on his face and body. Steadying him against her side, she placed his arm around her shoulders, even as his head flopped sideways, his beard prickling at her neck. She wanted to ask Arthur what had happened but she decided that she was better off without knowing.

"Thank you, Arthur. Thank you so much!"

"Any time, Lily. Where's James?"

"He's inside. Why don't you come in for a drink?"

"I would love to. But its poor Kinglsey's first day on the job. Mad-Eye had introduced him to me and when I got the message, he was the only one willing to help. I am afraid I left him in a quite sticky situation back there." Arthur was looking slightly embarrassed.

"I understand. Please give my love to Molly and the children."

"Sure Lily. Take care of yourself," said Arthur as he Disapparated.

Lily steadied Sirius against her side once again and made her way towards the house.

"Lily..I am so sorry..James, Remus, Rene,.. P-Peter...I am so sorry..I never meant..." mumbled Sirius as he broke off again. Fresh tears sprang once again in to Lily's eyes.

'How had it come to this? They weren't supposed to be broken pieces. They were supposed to be one strong family. How had it come to this?'

Lily helped him inside the house and in to the room reserved for him. She propped him on his bed and removed his shoes and socks. She cleaned up his injuries with her wand and wiped his face with a towel. Putting the covers on him and with a lingering look on his uncharacteristically messy face, she turned off the light and closed the door behind her as she left the room only to find James outside, looking stricken.

"How is he?" asked James.

"He is-," hesitated Lily as she couldn't quite finish the sentence. One would think that after Voldemort had been defeated, everyone would have been happy. But for Lily and her family, it had all gone downhill. Peter was dead, they didn't even know where Remus was, Sirius was a train-wreck but what hurt her most of all was the transformation of her husband who was now a shadow of his former self.

James covered his face with his hands and broke in to quiet sobs.

"Why don't you go and see him?" asked Lily.

She was aware of how James felt about the whole situation. She knew he partly blamed himself for Sirius turning out this way.

"I can't Lily. He is my friend, my b-brother! I can't bear to see him like this. This is not him. This is not Sirius!"

Lily understood which was why she had insisted on him staying inside when Sirius had arrived. But upon seeing the state of him, she knew there was only one way to bring the old Sirius back. And it was entirely in James' hands.

"James, my darling. You have never run from anything in your life before. Why are you starting now?"

James didn't reply. Instead, his sobs just grew louder. Lily embraced him and stroked his back soothingly.

"It's okay. But you know that this won't solve anything."

"What am I supposed to do Lily?"

"Remember our fifth year? The whole Whomping Willow incident with Severus?"

She could feel James nodding.

"That was the first time I saw Sirius like this. Even though I hadn't warmed up to you yet, I was pretty much friends with the others."

"I remember that vividly," said James.

Lily allowed herself a small smile.

"I saw you defending him against everyone. I thought you were pretty stupid to support what he had done. But then, after a few days, Sirius told me how you had given him an earful that night. He told me that he had never seen you that angry."

James remembered it very clearly. In a moment of madness, Sirius had almost ruined everyone's lives. James had indeed given him an earful that night but he wouldn't let anyone else whisper a word against Sirius.

"After that incident, the others wouldn't speak to him. He was beginning to go in to depression, just like now. Even though I was mad at him in the beginning, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I knew in his heart, he had thought he was doing some good. I thought I should be the one to be with him when he was all alone. "

She paused to take in a breath.

"However, he was never alone. Whenever, I thought of going to him and comforting him, you were always there first. You stood by him at his worst and brought him back."

James retracted himself from Lily and looked up at her. He understood what she was implying.

"That is what he needs right now. Sirius Black needs that James Potter. The James Potter who would fight the world for him. The James Potter who would stand by him no matter what."

James blinked out his tears.

"He needs the James Potter I fell in love with," she added softly, running her fingers along his tear laced face.

James smiled. It seemed very strange on his face as it had been a long time since he last smiled. And whenever he smiled like that, Lily always went weak in her knees.

She pulled him by the front of his shirt and kissed him on the lips.

"I know that you feel like you have to balance us and your friendship with Sirius. But as you always say, he is part of our family. Forget about everything else. I'll manage Harry. The Order can manage itself. Just be with him. Bring him back. We could all do with some Sirius in our lives."

James smiled once again and nodded at his wife. She was right. He turned towards a mirror and looked at his reflection. His eyes were red with crying, his forehead wrinkled with worry.

Lily was right. The sorry sod who was looking back at him from the mirror could never be James Potter.

"I'll take care of him. Everything will be back to how it had been," he said.

"I know," she smiled at him. " You better get some sleep," she added, nodding towards Sirius' room. "I already made your bed."

James smiled again. Everything was going to be alright.