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HARRY POTTER, SIRIUS BLACK'S GODCHILD

A/N: This story was written back in 2007 when I had no fanfiction writing experience. There will be mistakes of all kinds the more you read. As much as it thrills me people are still reading this, I don't want you to think I am unaware of any mistake you list. I plan on fixing the story up one day but that will be a while. Until then, enjoy and try not to be bothered by some things that might slow the story down. I apologize again.

Full summary: Harry finally has everything he could ever want. A home with his now freed godfather Sirius, his best friend Remus and the security that comes with family. However his fifth year is one chaotic mess after another. Romance blossoms, troubles persist, Voldemort is out for something that everyone but Harry knows about, and even though his life is far better off than it was during the summer he still has little time to rest. New friends, new characters, new places, new ideas and new dreams follow Harry wherever he goes. He's about to find out that starting a brand-new year with a new outlook on life wasn't how he planned. Will he be able to figure out why Dumbledore is so keen on keeping from him in the dark? What starts out as a very eventful summer only leads to an even more eventful fifth school year.

Shipping warning: This story has Harry/Hermione and Sirius/OC romance.

PONDERING…..

It was a fairly cool night, on July the 15th, 1995, and far away in a house in London, England, was a man, pacing. He was a tall man, with slight muscle forming on his once wasted body. He had shoulder-length black hair which was still damp from the shower he had taken not long ago. The long locks shined when the candle's flame on his desk shown upon it. His face was still a bit gaunt and waxy, but he was looking more and more handsome as the days passed, and looking more like he did sixteen years ago. His blue-gray eyes sparkled with a look of worry and curiosity as he paced the cold wood floor of his bedroom. His deep blue robes billowed by as he walked up and down. This man was a wizard, thirty-five of age, and thanks to his room-mate and a lot of nutrient potions from the nurse who worked at the school he used to attend, he was now beginning to weigh as much as a normal six-foot tall man should weigh.

This man's name was Sirius Black and he has spent the past twelve years in the wizard prison Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. Thankfully, he had been freed not long ago, with a heaping bag of 1,986 Galleons as hearty forgiveness from the minister Cornelius Fudge who never did like to be made a fool. Sirius did not have a place to go (he refused to go back to his childhood home that was also in London), but thankfully, his best friend Remus Lupin had helped purchased a home quickly and Sirius, not caring where or what the house was moved in right away.

Just then, the sound of a door opening brought Sirius out of his musings and he turned round to face who had just stepped in the room. It was his best mate Remus Lupin. He was a wizard like Sirius, with golden brown hair with grey strands growing past his ears, and he was dressed in an old green robe. He bore a couple scars across his face for he was a werewolf, and had been since he was four. He rubbed his tired brown eyes as he looked to his friend.

"Sirius, why are you pacing again?" he said heavily. "I thought that shower would do you some good. Look, it's already midnight, why don't you just get to bed alright? You can finish your musing tomorrow. Just get some rest; you haven't been sleeping well lately."

Sirius growled as he turned his back to Remus. "I thought that shower would've done me up some good too, Remus, but- I don't know, something just has me pacing… Sometimes you just, go off in a daze and you can't get out of it and right now- my mind is racing," he finished looking troubled.

Remus rubbed his temples. "I know Sirius. You've been doing it for three nights now. Are you sure you don't know what's bothering you?"

Sirius turned to stare at his friend. "I already told you I don't." He then bit his lip. "Um, I have to ask you something…"

Remus folded his arms. "Alright, what is it?"

Sirius exhaled and said, almost desperately, "You haven't by chance seen Hedwig lately have you?"

"What?"

"Hedwig, Harry's owl! You haven't seen her, have you?" he asked again, this time, more seriously.

"No. Why?"

"Why? It means Harry obviously hasn't sent word of how he's doing yet. And he would've sent something out by now. Term ended weeks ago."

Remus raised a brow. "Harry wouldn't have sent you anything Sirius; he doesn't know you're freed yet."

"Well I need to obviously tell him that I am"-

"You know it'll do no good. Dumbledore said he wants Harry to remain at his aunt and uncle's and that it wouldn't be a good idea if we took him in."

"We don't know why he wants to leave him there Remus and I don't care the reason. Harry was left in my care and I have every right to"-

"How many times must you say this Sirius? It's not going to work, Harry will remain at the Dursley's until he's seventeen," Remus exasperated for the hundredth time.

Sirius glared. "Harry would have still sent me an owl by now even if he didn't know I was free. He did so last summer."

"We can ask about it tomorrow but it'll do no good worrying over this. Harry's fine."

"I don't know if he is Remus," Sirius said still looking uneasy.

Remus sighed. "He probably is Sirius. Don't stress over it. Dumbledore would've told us if the alarms and charms around the Dursley home went off. Harry's fine."

Sirius nodded, but stopped when a new thought entered his mind. "He hates his aunt and uncle Remus. And we both know how horrible they were to him before he started second year. Harry would be safest with us, we have these"- he held out his wand.

"You heard Dumbledore Sirius, Harry is better off with the Muggles. I know you want him here and so do I but it won't happen. You know why Harry has to stay at his aunt's, there's a protection there that can't exist over here. Do you not remember what Harry had to witness weeks ago? A boy died Sirius, and Harry had to witness Voldemort's rise again. If I were him I'd want to be on my own for a while."

Sirius still looked iffy. Remus took hold of his friend's shoulders and looked him in the worried blue eyes of his. "Harry is fine Sirius, say it with me, Harry's fine."

"I can't Moony, I can't. Call it parental instinct or not but I feel something is happening. It may not be life-threatening but I know Harry needs our help"-

"He probably only needs help with grieving but even then he won't listen to us. Leave him to his own thoughts for a while then maybe we could see if we can see Harry sometime this month."

"Yeah, I'd like Harry to come over here. It's a great house. I just wish he'd send us an owl stating he wants to be left alone that way I won't have to worry about him."

"Harry is very like his mother in the way that he's not going to show someone how he truly feels if he feels there's no need for it," Remus reminded the other man.

"That's true…"

"Stop fussing. You know Harry doesn't need someone fussing over him."

"I know, I know. Alright, Harry's fine. He just needs time alone to his thoughts," Sirius said finally smiling.

Remus nodded, smiling gratefully at his friend who was finally calming down. "We'll ask Dumbledore when it'd be alright for Harry to come over."

Sirius nodded after. "We'll do that. Thanks Moony."

"Well someone had to take your mind out of the gutter. Now get to bed. There's still work that needs to be done with this old house and it's not the best thing if you fall down the roof tomorrow…"

Fixing up the old house was the last thing Sirius wanted to do but hopefully it would keep his mind focused on anything but Harry's wellbeing so he decided to get a good sleep for tomorrow's tasks.

The thing that these poor men did not know was miles away Harry was anything but fine. In the small town of Little Whining, Surrey, Harry was as far as fine as you could be, (without being dead that is), and poor Remus and Sirius had not a clue in the world…

Love and magic: Rose April 29, 2009