My Badger | Sirius Black

XIV: Alohomora

SIRIUS BLACK WAS STILL IN SHOCK AFTER WHAT TRANSPIRED IN HIS CELL TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AGO. He couldn't believe it. This must be a dream. He was imagining this. He was dying, right? He was not outside his cell. He was not at his trial - after nine long years. He was not in the ministry of magic, in front of the Wizengemot. Right? 

This was all a prank. A cruel, cruel prank. 

What was even crueler about it was the fact that he spotted Edgar Flynn among the sea of people that were watching him closely. He was leaning forward, to the point that he almost toppled over the person with a seat in front, and below him. There was a hand that was holding him back, belonging to Dumbledore. This was real. He could not imagine all of this for himself, right? 

Nerves finally filled him. If this went badly, he might get kissed by a dementor. He needed to stay calm, be cooperative, so he looked up at the face that calmed him down so many times before when he was younger and still a free man and Edgar were smiling. Barely noticeable, but enough for Sirius to almost burst out in laughter. That stupid smile.

And then the trial began. It was like opening up a fresh wound, time and time again as he was forced to live through the night that James and Lily Potter were killed. That he was forced to tell them about how it was his idea to switch the secret-keeper to Peter Pettigrew, that he trusted him. 

He would sometimes look in the direction of Edgar for some sort of comfort. The badger would always meet his gaze and give him an encouraging smile. Sirius was reminded of the last time they spoke. 

   "I'll miss you", Edgar whispered softly in Sirius' ear as they, for once, woke up in the same bed, passed seven in the morning.  

   "Most people do", Sirius said in his cheeky way as he turned around to face his boyfriend who smiled down on him. Sirius leaned up and captured his lips with his own in a soft kiss. "I'll miss you too, I'll have you know", he whispered and softly let his fingers trace one of the scars that faintly showed up on his chest. 

   "Be careful", he said as he remembered a night a year ago when Edgar almost died on one of his missions. 

   "You too."

   "I'm always careful". This statement made Edgar snicker. "Why are you laughing?"  Sirius tried to sound offended.

    "You always get yourself in trouble, Mr. Black. Even when you don't mean to."

   "I'm going to visit the Potter's all week, not fight death eaters across the country", his voice got a little smaller at the end. "I can't lose you". 

Edgar hugged him closer and smiled. "You won't".

   "You are a free man from now, Sirius Black."

At the words of the minister himself, the chains that had been holding him in place, suddenly unlocked and fell from his arms. What the hell just happened? They just questioned him about the night he lost everything. Was that it? And no one thought of doing it nine years ago? Before he went into prison? 

He started to feel a surge of anger within him. 

As he started to get up on his two legs he could feel how his knees buckled under him and he almost fell face first, but a couple of strong arms caught him last minute and helped him stand up straight. He looked up into the eyes he had dreamed of so many times and all traces of anger were gone. "Ed", he whispered, and that stupid smile grew bigger.

The next hour was like walking in a dream, only Sirius wished with all his heart that it wasn't. He followed Edgar through the ministry, barely registering his surroundings. He just remembered that Edgar had offered him a place to stay. "For as long as you need", he told him. Sirius just nodded, still believing that this would all go away soon. He couldn't be free? How? He was declared innocent, and it had not been a long trial as he feared once it started. 

   "Let's get out of here before the press hounds you down", Edgar said as he dragged him with him toward a fireplace connected to the floo network. Next thing he knew he was dropped down in an unfamiliar home, but it still looked familiar, smelled familiar. This must be Edgars home. It was small and cozy, reminding him of the Hufflepuff common room in many ways. It reminded him of Edgar. 

   "I don't have a bath, but if you need a shower, it's there", Edgar said and pointed to a door close to the front door as they stepped out of the fireplace. 

   "Ed", Sirius said. "If this is a dream or a prank - tell me now", he begged. Edgar shook his head and smiled with tears in his eyes. 

   "It's not". And at that, Edgar engulfed him in a hug so tight that Sirius thought he might pass out, and he didn't want to do that since he was afraid that all of it would go away if he did, so he gently pushed away from the hug a little, but still held onto Edgar, taking in the familiar smell of him. 

   "A shower sounds nice", he hummed but when he caught sight of the small windows he went over to them, looking out at the night sky. The ground was covered in white snow, as well as the small houses scattered around. As he caught sight of the full moon as it came out from hiding behind the clouds, his mind immediately went to Remus. He turned around and saw Edgar at the kitchen nook, starting to prepare something for them to eat. 

   "Where is Moony?" 

   "He has a cottage in Northen Ireland at the moment, he works as a muggle Gardner over there", Edgar looked up from what he was doing. "He wanted to be at your trial but since he wouldn't be just Remus tonight..."

   "Harry?" Sirius asked and Edgar shook his head. "I'm not too sure of where exactly, I just know that Dumbledore took him to live with some of Lily's relatives and that he is safe there".

Sirius nodded slowly as he decided that he needed to at least see Harry. What he remembered, Lily's sister was the only living relative she had left and she never treated her very kindly because she was 'different'. 

He decided that he would pay the boy a visit as soon as he could, but first, he needed to apologize to someone and make sure that he was okay, he thought as he looked up at the moon, unlocking the window and leaned out of it. He didn't care that it was freezing outside, he was just happy to feel the winter air on his skin, not smelling the salty sea outside of the Azkaban's walls.