Up To No Good

Chapter Seventeen: 20 December 1976

Sirius sat on the Potters' couch, grinning while James thumbed through a deck of Chocolate Frog cards. "Dumbledore, of course, I've got about five of those," he said as he dumped them onto the table. Sirius picked one up, watching as Dumbledore's soft blue eyes blinked at him from behind his half-moon spectacles.

It was the Christmas holidays. A huge, enchanted Christmas tree glistened with tinsel and different colored lights in front of a brilliant fire. Mr. and Mrs. Potter sat at the table reading The Daily Prophet, the latter stirring her tea with a lazy finger.

"Sirius," Euphemia Potter said, turning to him from next to her husband. "It's truly a pleasure having you around. I trust you know that."

Sirius looked up, an oddly bewildered look on his face. "Thank you, Mrs. Potter," he answered.

James knew that his family life was far from even adequate. Sirius spent most of the summer at James's house, including the Christmas and Easter holidays

"Which is why we'd like to ask you something," Fleamont went on. He was smiling brightly. "If only you wished for... a new home... you'd always be welcome at our house."

"You don't mean..." Sirius gaped. James set down his Chocolate Frog cards, just as taken aback as Sirius.

"To us, you will always be a Potter," Mrs. Potter smiled gently.

Sirius stood up, at first very slowly, before flinging himself at the Potters and throwing his arms around them. He hugged them very tightly for what felt like several minutes.

"Thank you." His voice was breathless. As he pulled away, James could have sworn he saw silvery tears swelling in his eyes.

James hugged him next. He never could have imagined this happening, but he was so incredibly glad it had. James had never had siblings, and not only would he be living with one of his best friends, but now he knew Sirius was somewhere that he felt safe in.

"Does that mean we'll have to collect his things?" James asked for him. He knew Sirius would be dreading it.

"Well," Fleamont thought aloud, "perhaps tomorrow, with Floo powder. I want you to go with him," he added.

Sirius only smiled; not the usual, mischievous smile that was often on his face, but a bright, genuine, elated smile that was quite rare with him. "I appreciate that," he said.

"Maybe I'll just go as a dog, no one will care then," Sirius added in an undertone to James, who sniggered. "God knows that would be more welcome than I in that house."

"D'you think Floo powder works on dogs?"

"Even if I'm an Animagus?"

They discussed this as they hurried up to James's room. The Potters' house was fairly large, considering Fleamont's family wealth, and Sirius would be able to have his own elegant bedroom. They could hardly stop talking about the possibilities. "We'll have to invite Moony and Wormtail over too before school," James nodded, "my parents haven't met them yet--"

"Yeah, and you can meet Kreacher again," Sirius rolled his eyes. "He's even more thrilling when he's kissing up to my mum."

James laughed. "Well, you won't have to deal with them anymore, will you?"

"Yeah. It'll be great. 'Oh, Sirius is running away again... Sirius is meddling in things he shouldn't...'"

"Does your mum know about the motorbike?"

Sirius scoffed. "Why do you think I still have my head?" he asked. "It has a Disillusionment Charm built in that I can activate if I need, that's how I keep it at my house. Only Regulus knows."