Sky full of stars {Harry Potter Fanfiction}

39. Dementor's in the Darkness

As our rag-tag group of friends and foe left the shrieking shack, we finally had a chance to talk to Dad without backing him up on his claims about Pettigrew.

"I never thought I'd actually get this far." Dad said quietly. "There had been so many chances when he slipped through my fingers..."

"One quick walk to the castle, and it'll all be over." Mum's eyes shone as we climbed into the damp tunnel towards the grounds. "We can be a family again."

Dad stopped in his tracks, and as a result Sasha and I did as well. "You—you want to be with me, Cara?"

Mum frowned at him. "Of course, I do, Sirius. I love you."

Dad turned pink. "I—I thought you meant as a friend when you said it earlier."

"We're married you idiot."

Dad turned a darker shade of pink—nice to see where my excessive blushing came from—"Well I didn't know if you'd found somebody else! I—I wouldn't want to step on any toes, raising my daughters is my priority."

Sasha reached for my hand, and I took it. This was all so new, and so exciting.

Mum pushed her hair behind her ear. As she glanced at Dad, I could see the love-struck teenager she'd once been. "There's never been anybody who could live up to you, Sirius."

Sasha sniffed loudly, and to my surprise tears were bubbling in her eyes. Dad looked alarmed and put an arm around her. "My Sasha-Star, what's the matter? Did you trip?"

Sasha scrubbed at her eyes. "I'm just—so happy we can be a family."

"Me too." I said firmly. I stared at my Dad. I'd been so focused on proving his innocence, I hadn't thought about what happened when I saw him again. "We—we have the same nose, Dad."

He beamed. "All the better for sniffing out traitors—and baked goods."

We walked a while longer down the secret passageway. In the semi-darkness I could hear rustling and stones being kicked against the Earthen walls. Shuddering, I stepped closer to Sasha. The last thing I wanted was more rats.

Harry soon hung back from Ron and Hermione and walked line-in-line with my parents. "So..." Harry trailed off. He looked guilty. "I'm sorry about—"

"Harry." Dad said gently. "You don't need to apologise for anything. I got a little, ah, over-excited at the thought of finding Peter."

"That's an understatement." Sasha snorted. "Only one will die tonight! Why didn't you say: Peter Pettigrew will die tonight?"

Dad sheepishly ran a hand through his unkept hair. "Oh shh, you." He looked towards Mum, and the two of them seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes. "So, Harry... Once my name is cleared... Well, if you want that is—you can come and live with us."

Harry's eyes widened, two green emeralds in the semi-darkness. "Really?"

Dad looked startled. "If you're happier living with your Aunt and Uncle that's fine, honestly, wherever you're happiest---"

"I'd love to live with you all!" Harry exclaimed so loudly his voice echoed in the tunnel. "I hate the Dursley's!" he lowered his voice. "I—I'd like to have a real family."

Mum intertwined her hand with Dad's. "We will be, Harry, don't worry. We've all missed out on this."

I nudged Harry with my shoulder. "You can share my room! We can paint it a different colour if you don't like blue—and we can get a vinyl player if you get sick of my violin, I hope you like the Beatles, Sasha is weird and doesn't like them—"