Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their original creators. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Pairing: Sirius/Harry

Warnings: slash: male/male, profanity, sexual intercourse, and underage relationships (13).

Criminal Intimacy

Part One

Harry Potter hadn't even been thirteen for a day when he first saw the news report about a dangerous escaped criminal. As he stared intently at the picture, he pushed Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's condemning voices into the background. That face . . . he knew that face.

The rest of his birthday passed in a bit of a haze, though his Aunt Marge's presence and maligning comments about his parents angered the young wizard. He waited until they had all gone to sleep, then he slid off his bed and stretched an arm beneath it, prying the loose floorboard up.

He'd hidden his greatest treasures here: his wand, his invisibility cloak, and the album Hagrid had given to him at the end of his first year. Harry grabbed the album carefully and scampered back up onto the bed. Leaning back against the wall, he tried to angle the book so that the streetlamp nearest the house would illuminate it.

There was the face.

His pale, slender fingers reached forward and traced the smiling features. The man had an arm swung around his father, head falling back in laughter. The sound of that laughter was one of the few memories Harry retained from his time with his parents.

Most of his memories were impressions. He remembered being warm and rocked to sleep. He could hear a heartbeat, and he could hear that barking laughter. It made him feel safe.

His finger moved slowly, caressing the features of the man who had been friends with his parents. A man he could just barely remember – attached to a feeling of safety and that barking laughter. Harry's eyes pored over the moving photograph, taking in every detail: the silky black hair that fell to strong shoulders, the glittering gray eyes that shone like silver when he smiled.

"Sirius Black," Harry whispered.

There were no captions in the album, but the people on the telly had said his name was Sirius Black. A soft smile appeared on Harry's thin face. Whatever those people thought he'd done was a lie. If Harry Potter was sure of one thing, it was that the man with the barking laugh was good. Harry knew what evil felt like, and this man could not possibly be evil.

He hugged the album to his chest. "Goodnight," he quietly told the album before returning it to its hiding place. He curled back up under the thin blanket and snuggled his face into the flat pillow. He fell asleep to the sensation of warm fur protecting him.

-

For seven days, that was his ritual. The photograph album was hugged in the morning when he first woke, and then again at night before he sought sleep. Everything changed on that seventh evening.

The day had gone as it usually did, with Aunt Marge disparaging his character and the rest of the Dursleys pushing him around and making him perform a ridiculous amount of chores. No matter how much she irritated him, he ignored her cruel comments and speculations – until she took it too far.

Harry almost didn't hear her calling him a liar as she yelled that his parents had been alcoholics who killed themselves in car crash. He did hear the end of her rant though. "You are an insolent, ungrateful little . . ."

Harry clenched his hands into fists; his arms shook with the effort to hold in his magic. What right did she have to speak of his parents in such a way? They'd died trying to save him! His anger grew and, with it, his magic began to slip from his grasp. It swirled and coalesced around him, seeking to lash out at the sneering woman.

Just as he was sure he'd lose control, two large and warm hands settled on his shoulders. "Pull it in, Harry," the husky voice ordered.

Harry blinked in shock. He felt his magic suck back inside his body, instantly seeking to obey the voice and please its owner.

"You – you – you're that criminal!" Vernon yelled with a pale face as he cringed away.

Petunia sucked in her cheeks and pinched her lips. "Take the freak if you want him, but leave us alone; we're good, normal folk."

Those hands tightened on Harry's shoulders at the harsh words. Harry relaxed instinctively and shifted until his back pressed firmly against the man behind him. He leaned against the wizard and closed his eyes, smiling slightly. He recognized this feeling; he was safe.

One of the large hands rose and ruffled his hair. "Fetch your things, Harry. We're leaving."

"M'kay," he mumbled and obediently went to collect the stuff hidden in Dudley's second bedroom. He hurried up the stairs, not wanting to make his protector wait. He wasn't going to be stuck here anymore; he knew that Sirius Black would take him away and keep him safe.

He pulled his wand out and stuffed it in his pocket. The album and cloak were gathered in his arms, as were the few presents his friends had given him. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and carried the stuff down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Vernon's face turned a violent shade of purple. "Now listen here, boy, you won't be taking our things with you!"

"These are my things!" Harry glared at Vernon defiantly, arms tightening around his precious items possessively.

Marge and Dudley were watching the whole interaction silently, fear on their faces.

"You lying, little . . ."

"I'm not lying!" Harry snarled as his magic rustled beneath his skin.

Sirius came up behind him and placed his hands on Harry's thin shoulders. "Do you have everything?"

"My trunk is locked up under the stairs." Harry gestured to the cupboard door.

Sirius glared at the Muggle who was quivering with indignation. "Open it!" The fat whale paled before waddling away to comply. After Vernon unlocked the cupboard, Sirius withdrew a pale wand and levitated the trunk out onto the floor. It fell open and Harry placed the armful of items into it before locking it.

Sirius quickly cast a Shrinking Charm and shoved it in his pocket, before placing his hands on Harry's shoulders and steering him down the hall and toward the front door. The Ministry would have detected the use of magic and they only had a few minutes before someone realized Harry's wand had not cast the spell.

The Dursleys were peering around the entrance to the kitchen, waiting to see if the criminal had taken Harry and left yet. The pale wand rose once again. "Obliviate!" The stream of light shifted and twisted, slamming into all four of them. Their eyes glazed and Sirius tightened his grip on Harry, pulling him outside.

When they stepped through the wards, he pulled Harry against his chest. "Hold on tightly," he ordered. Harry's hands immediately fisted in his robes and Sirius tightened his grip, pressing Harry against his chest. A moment later, they Disapparated – a soft cracking sound was all they left behind.

They appeared in a large marble foyer. A grand staircase was immediately to their right. Harry's eyes grew wide as he stared at the splendor before him. "Where are we?"

"Black Manor, my ancestral family home," Sirius answered.

Harry turned away from the grand sight and looked at Sirius for the first time. He'd caught a brief glimpse earlier, but now he had time to inspect the man. Sirius Black was tall, almost six feet tall. His hair was a tangled mess, and he was wearing prisoner garb. His cheeks were sunken in and his body was thin and frail, yet held an underlying strength.

Sirius was, in turn, inspecting his godson. He easily towered over Harry's five-foot frame. The black hair was a wild and riotous mess, just as James's had been. His green eyes shone like emeralds behind the thick glasses. His frame was slender and bony, though he had some muscle from playing Quidditch and working in the garden.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Sirius asked, curious yet afraid of the answer.

"I remember you. You're a warm, barking laugh," Harry confessed. He blushed at the choice of words.

Sirius's gray eyes grew moist as he smiled down at Harry. His arms shot forward and pulled Harry back against him. "I didn't do it!"

"What?" Harry glanced at him worriedly.

"I didn't betray your parents! I didn't!" Sirius sobbed. Tears fell down his cheeks and landed in ebony hair.

"I know you didn't," Harry assured him. He was curious about why Sirius believed he thought Sirius had betrayed his parents, but that was something he could find out later. His small arms hugged Sirius tighter. Harry knew people – he could tell if they were good or bad. Sirius was a good man; he wouldn't have betrayed Harry's parents.

There was a soft cracking sound and a house-elf with large blue eyes peered up at them before sinking into a curtsy. "Can Twinkle be helping?"

"A bath, and then a light meal," Sirius choked out.

"Of course, Master," she replied before popping away.

Sirius slowly rose to his full height and wrapped one arm around Harry's waist, leading them both up the stairs and to a large bedroom. The walls and floor were all black marble. The bed was larger than king-size, and there was an armoire on both sides of the bed.

Harry stared at the beautiful room in shock, before worry began creeping into his mind. "Can I stay in here with you? I . . . I don't want to be alone." It took all of his Gryffindor courage to meet Sirius's eyes as he confessed his fear.

Sirius stared down into those watery green eyes, his own eyes saying he could deny Harry nothing. "Of course." He pulled the trunk from his pocket and enlarged it, opening it so that Harry could unpack the things he wanted.

Harry removed his schoolbooks and didn't miss the harsh glare that Sirius sent at them. Why did Sirius hate them so much? Maybe he just hated school? When Harry reached for the over-sized clothes, Sirius tugged them from his hands and burned them.

"The armoire will provide you with clothing to match your tastes in your size," Sirius informed Harry as he banished the ashes.

"Really?" Harry gasped. He'd never had new clothes before, excluding his school robes, and he'd certainly never had casual clothes that would fit.

"Yes, really." Sirius would have laughed at the exuberant, childish glee if it didn't reveal to him a childhood filled with suffering and lack of care.

Twinkle popped into the room. "Master, the bath is being ready."

"Thank you, Twinkle," Sirius said. He snagged Harry's hand and dragged the boy over to the en suite bathroom, pushing the door open wider.

"Wow," Harry breathed. He was gob-smacked. The bathroom, which was also black marble, was the most luxurious bathroom he'd ever seen. The bathtub was the size of a swimming pool, and full to the brim with bubbles. The shower, which was opposite a floor-to-ceiling mirror, could easily fit ten grown adults.

"Come on, pup, it's time to get clean." Sirius chuckled at the look of awe on Harry's face and placed his wand on the vanity.

"Pup?" Harry asked as he began pulling off the large hand-me-down garments he'd received from Dudley.

"That's what I called you when you were a baby," Sirius answered. A moment later, a large, shaggy-haired, filthy black dog stood where Sirius had been. He bounded over and swiped his tongue across Harry's face. A childish giggle escaped and a small hand rose to scratch behind his ears. Sirius curled around him for a moment and Harry closed his eyes in pleasure.

"I remember this," he whispered.

The dog barked happily at that confession and changed back into Sirius. Sirius's shucked off his filthy prisoner rags and slid into the pool carefully, sighing as the steaming water encased him. Harry slid out of the over-large trousers and sank into the water as well, poking the mound of bubbles before him. He smiled softly when they popped in his hands.

Sirius smiled at him fondly. "You like the bubbles."

"I've never had them before," he absently stated. "Only Dudley was allowed to have bubbles."

"How dare those Muggles treat you like a freak," Sirius growled and Harry's head jerked up in shock. "You're special."

Harry hated hearing people say he was special. He knew they really meant that he was Harry Potter: the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, and all the other titles that had been attributed to him since he'd destroyed Lord Voldemort. However, this time he didn't mind the words. He knew Sirius didn't think of him like that. After all, the title the man had given him meant more than all of those combined in Harry's eyes.

He was Sirius's pup.

Harry swam across the short distance and wrapped his arms around Sirius, not really giving a thought to the fact that they were both nude. "It doesn't matter anymore – you saved me."

Sirius's arms wrapped around him and pulled him close; their bare flesh rubbed and Sirius blinked before forcing himself to ignore the sensation. "I did."

"You won't leave me, will you?" Harry asked as he nervously bit his lip.

"No, Harry. I'm not going to leave you," Sirius promised.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and pressed an impulsive kiss to Sirius's stubbly cheek before slipping from his grasp and swimming away. He didn't notice the stunned look on Sirius's face.

Sirius visibly shook himself before reaching for one of the small bits of cloth perched on the edge of the sunken tub. He doused it in soap and began vigorously scrubbing at his body. Harry noticed what he was doing and began mimicking his actions.

When they finished with the soap, they each took a small vial that held a liquid used to clean hair like Muggle shampoo did. The liquid frothed and bubbled as they scrubbed their scalps clean. They held their breath and sank beneath the surface of the water, washing the substance away.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, as if enjoying the feeling of cleanliness after having been filthy for much too long. He climbed out of the tub and wrapped a fluffy towel around his hips, before stopping to pick up his wand as he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling mirror.

His wand was in his hand as he mumbled a charm to straighten his hair completely. When the mass was no longer tangled, he concentrated on holding his hand steady and spoke a Cutting Charm. The black locks fell to the floor; his hair was once again level with his shoulders – unkempt look vanished.

Harry blinked his eyes slowly, trying to figure out what all the blurry shapes were. He grabbed the rim of the tub and hooked his hands around it, knuckles pressing against the floor as he heaved himself upward. His hands were still wet, though, and he started to slip back down. A yelp of shock escaped his mouth; he closed his eyes as he waited for the pain of impact.

Warm hand grasped his waist and pulled him into the air. Sirius began running hands up and down Harry's back. "Are you alright?" His eyes were frantic as they followed the path his hands had just taken.

"M'fine . . . thanks," he mumbled with red cheeks.

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Mhmm," Harry whispered shyly.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and placed him on his feet. "What happened?"

"I lost my grip," Harry confessed. "I can't really see anything without my glasses." Harry wrapped his arms around himself and shivered.

Sirius grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him. "Well then, we'll just have to fix that."

"Fix it?" Harry inquired, his head tilted up and eyes squinting.

"Mhmm. An Eyesight-Correction Potion." Sirius ruffled Harry's wet hair and smiled widely.

"They have things like that?" Harry grumbled. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I don't know." Sirius trailed his eyes down Harry's dripping wet body before turning and heading from the room. "Let's get dressed and have something to eat."

"M'kay," Harry agreed. He hurriedly dried off and then wrapped the slightly damp towel around his waist. He padded back into the bedroom and headed over to the armoire Sirius had given him, noticing the glare directed at his schoolbooks once again. Harry concentrated on what he wanted and smiled in delight when the soft boxers, t-shirt and pajama bottoms appeared. He dressed quickly when his stomach rumbled loudly.

A blush suffused his cheeks when that barking laughter echoed in the room. It was his turn to laugh, a moment later, when Sirius's stomach rumbled as well. "Let's go eat, pup."

Sirius swung one arm around Harry's shoulders and grinned down at him. The messy hair reached the middle of his chest, and the shoulders underneath his arm were too thin and frail. Harry was in almost as bad of condition as he was, and he'd just broken out of Azkaban! The shadows returned to his eyes before fading quickly as Harry smiled up at him.

This little boy, Harry, was his light.

They entered the dining room and sat down next to each other at the center of the table, ignoring the rules that would dictate Sirius sit at the head with Harry on his left. The moment they sat down, a swarm of house-elves entered the room carrying trays of food. Finger sandwiches of turkey, lettuce, and tomato were on a platter next to bowls of steaming chicken dumpling soup.

"Twinkle is putting Nourishing Potions in the soup to help Master and mini-Master get better," she announced.

Harry bit his lip to keep from bursting into laughter at the title he'd been given. Sirius showed no such restraint and snickered loudly. "Thank you. Twinkle, I need you to go to the Apothecary in Diagon Alley and purchase an Eyesight-Correction Potion for mini-Master," Sirius ordered in a teasing tone of voice.

"Twinkle would be delighted to go!" She clapped her hands childishly before popping away.

They chuckled for a minute before reaching for the food on their plates. Harry picked up the sandwiches with his small hands and nibbled slowly; he hadn't been able to eat much this summer and he didn't want his stomach to reject the food. Sirius was eating in a similar manner. They consumed the food little by little, then picked up their spoons and began sipping their soup.

"Mmm," Harry purred in appreciation.

"Delicious," Sirius agreed.

The Nourishing Potions began work immediately, depositing vitamins and other necessary substances in the wizards' systems. The potions smoothed the slight cramping sensation and allowed them to continue eating without fear of rejecting the nourishment.

Twinkle popped back in as they placed their spoons down, having finished their meal. "I gots mini-Master's potion!" She held up the vial proudly. "It gots to be drunken right before sleep."

"Thank you, Twinkle," Harry murmured as he accepted the vial and held it carefully.

"You is being welcome!" She smiled and popped away.

Harry scooted his chair back and stood up; Sirius did the same. "Let's get to bed, pup." The arm wrapped around Harry once again and they walked back the way they had come. They entered the large bedroom and Sirius closed the doors behind them.

Harry yawned widely and stumbled sleepily over to the bed, pushing his glasses up with his fist as he rubbed his gritty eyes. Sirius grinned at the cute action and tugged Harry over to the bed, waiting for Harry to hop up on it. He pulled the glasses off Harry's face and said, "Drink the potion now."

"M'kay," he replied. Harry yanked the stopper out of the vial, lifted it to his lips, and drank the contents. His nose wrinkled and his face screwed up in a grimace of distaste. "Yuck!" He shuddered slightly.

Sirius chuckled and conjured a glass of water, then handed it to him. "Drink this." Harry accepted the cup and obligingly swallowed the contents, sighing in relief as the potion's flavor washed out of his mouth. He felt a slight tingling sensation in his eyes, but didn't pay much attention to it as he yawned again. It had been a long day and he was exhausted.

Sirius scooped Harry up in his arms and held his godson against his chest as he tugged the blankets down. He placed Harry on the bed and lay down on the other side, lifting the blankets until warmth surrounded them.

He was drifting off to sleep when a weight pressed against his side. Gray eyes snapped open and peered downward, landing on a messy black head of hair. "Pup," he mumbled in realization. His arm curled around his godson, tugging Harry back against him. He spooned behind Harry and held him tightly, safely.

Everything was all right. He had his pup.

-

Harry woke to the feeling of warmth and safety. He smiled sleepily and shifted backward, wanting more of the warmth. The arms holding him tightened, squeezing him firmly. His body tensed sharply. Where was he? Who was in his bed?

He rolled over carefully and stared in awe at the silky black hair. He knew the closed eyelids covered loving gray eyes. It was real. He'd been saved from the Dursleys. Sirius had come for him; he wasn't alone anymore. "It was real," he breathed, lifting a trembling hand. He brushed shaking fingers across a stubbly cheek. The fingers rose and touched silky hair. He stared at his hand, touching the fine hair, unaware of the now open gray eyes – unaware that Sirius was staring at him with an identical look of awe.

"Pup." Sirius's voice was sleep-roughened, but he was smiling tenderly.

Harry twitched and lowered his hand guiltily. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," Sirius assured him.

Harry blinked up at him with a blush on his face; astonishment slowly took over any other expression. "I can see!"

"The potion worked?"

Harry could only nod dumbly in agreement. His eyes pored over Sirius's features, taking note of things he hadn't seen the day before with his old glasses that held the wrong prescription. Sirius had bags under his eyes, though they looked like they were disappearing. He had stubble on his cheeks and chin. Harry reached forward and brushed his hand against the skin, giggling at the prickly sensation.

Sirius smiled and pressed a kiss to the small palm without a thought. "Let's get dressed and head to breakfast."

"M'kay," Harry agreed. He slid across the mattress and got out on his side of the bed. He concentrated on the clothes he'd like to wear and opened his armoire. A pair of new black jeans in his size appeared, along with a deep-red t-shirt. He smiled widely as he tugged the garments on before heading to the bathroom for his morning ablutions.

When they were completed, he stopped before the immense mirror and stared at himself. He loved the new clothes, and he was happy he could see, but he sighed when he looked at his body. It was so small and frail. His bones were delicate, and he hadn't hit a growth spurt like the other boys his age. A saddened look appeared on his face.

Sirius poked his head into the bathroom after several minutes, and noticed the crestfallen look on Harry's face. He stalked across the distance and pulled his godson back into his arms. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"But I'm skinny, and small, and . . ." His eyes moved away from his reflection with disappointment.

"You may be small, pup, but that isn't your fault. You don't look bad at all."

"I'm a runt," Harry grumbled. "An ugly runt."

"You are not!" Sirius denied. He placed a hand beneath Harry's chin and made him gaze in the mirror, hunching slightly so that his gaze was level with Harry's. "You are a beautiful boy, Harry. You may be small because of those Muggles," he spat, "but you are still a beautiful and wonderful person."

Harry's chin trembled. "No one ever called me beautiful before," he whispered.

Sirius closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in frustration, obviously wanting to curse those bloody Muggles! If killing them wouldn't get him sent to Azkaban and away from Harry, he'd do it in a heartbeat. "It's the truth," he repeated.

Harry's watery green eyes locked with his serious gray ones in the mirror and a very small smile blossomed on Harry's face. "You really mean that."

"I do." Sirius nodded decisively.

Harry spun around in the circle of his arms and hugged him, squeezing the only person who truly cared for him. "I love you," Harry whispered.

Sirius froze, staring down at the messy hair in shock. His arms tightened even further and tears welled in his shadowed eyes. When was the last time he'd heard those words? When was the last time someone had cared for him? He shuddered and clutched Harry desperately. He didn't think anyone had ever spoken those three words to him in such an honest tone of voice. "I love you, too, pup." He barely pushed the words past the lump in his throat.

Harry got up on his tiptoes and pressed a light kiss against the stubbly cheek. "Breakfast time, Siri. We need to get better."

"What did you call me?" He stared at Harry in disbelief.

"Siri . . ." Harry lowered his eyes. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry . . ."

"It's fine," Sirius assured him hurriedly. "I just haven't heard that nickname in a long time."

"I can call you something else . . ."

"Siri is fine, pup." Sirius ruffled his hair, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Are you sure?" Harry inquired.

Sirius shook his head, knocking the memories that had appeared back to their proper places. "I'm sure," he repeated.

The nervousness left Harry's face and he grabbed Sirius's larger hand, pulling the man lightly. "Breakfast!"

Sirius chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, let's go have breakfast." They padded down the corridors, same as the night before, hands clasped and swinging. Both wizards settled into their seats and began eating their pancakes, which contained Nourishing Potions in the batter.

Harry was delicately nibbling a piece of bacon when the Daily Prophet arrived. They stared in shock at the feature article.

Black Innocent! Pettigrew Guilty! Potter Missing!

In a turn of events yesterday evening, Sirius Black, escaped convict from Azkaban, was cleared of all charges. The capture of Peter Pettigrew proved his innocence.

As many of you will remember, earlier this summer Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw. Mr. Weasley then stated that he would be spending the money by taking his family on a trip to Egypt where his eldest son, William, works as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Peter Pettigrew's discovery and capture occurred during this trip.

During a day trip to one of the pyramids, Ronald Weasley, a student at Hogwarts in Gryffindor House, accidentally set off an unknown trap. The spell shot toward the thirteen-year-old, luckily missing him, and hit his pet rat 'Scabbers'.

To the surprise of everyone present, the rat twisted and changed, taking the form of Peter Pettigrew! He was stunned and bound before being taken into custody at the Egyptian Ministry of Magic. With the permission of Minister Fudge, he was brought by Portkey to the British Ministry with a contingent of Auror guards.

Pettigrew confessed under Veritaserum that he betrayed the Potters to You Know Who and faked his own death when Sirius Black came after him. After a full confession, he was Kissed for his crimes.

The Ministry declared that all charges against Sirius Black have been dropped and that he will receive compensation for the twelve years he was wrongfully imprisoned.

This pardon made it possible for Sirius Black to take over custody of Harry Potter, his godson, which we can only hope he did, because Harry Potter is missing!

Last night, magic use was detected within the wards of our savior's place of residence. When it was proven that Mr. Potter hadn't cast the magic, Ministry Officials hurried to the scene, but he was already gone.

The four Muggles residing in the house had no recollection of anyone named Harry Potter, leading investigators to assume they were Obliviated.

More information will be made available to the public as it is released.

Betty Braithwaite

Reporter

The Prophet slipped from Harry's trembling hands and he curled them into fists. "I slept in the same room as him," he gasped in horror. "I slept in the same room as the person who betrayed my parents."

Sirius reached over and lifted his godson, settling Harry onto his lap and wrapping his arms around the shuddering figure. "It's all right now."

"He told Voldemort and they died. He's the reason you went to Azkaban, whatever that is, and I had to live with the Dursleys." Harry trembled with rage.

"Azkaban is wizarding prison," Sirius explained in a haunted voice.

Harry's arms and legs wrapped around Sirius, clutching him desperately. "You went to prison for twelve years because of him, and he was sleeping in my dorm room." Harry began trembling even harder and he had trouble breathing.

Sirius rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Shh," he whispered. "I'm here now."

"He caused all this suffering and all he gets is a kiss?" Harry snarled angrily, hands fisting in Sirius's shirt.

"Being Kissed means that his soul was sucked out." The shadows in Sirius's eyes were spreading; he remembered the cold, the terror, the Dementors.

"It doesn't sound like he had a soul in the first place," Harry said bitterly.

Sirius didn't disagree. He remembered that night: the rage and the pain. He could still see the desperation in those beady eyes as they fought on a street full of Muggles. He'd wanted to capture the rat and punish him; instead, he'd been arrested, wrongfully accused, thrown in Azkaban, and lost his godson.

"It's okay now, pup."

"How can you say that?" Harry wondered as he leaned back.

"Because I have you," Sirius answered. "I don't want to remember the darkness. You keep it away."

Green and gray eyes locked. "I won't leave you," Harry promised.

Sirius's smile was full of pain. He knew that someday Harry would get tired of him. Someday Harry would grow up and then he wouldn't need Sirius as much and Sirius would be pushed to the side. He knew Harry was being sincere now, but the knowledge that things would change was inevitable and it hurt. Oh, did it hurt.

Harry saw the silent resignation in those gray eyes and barely kept the frown off his face. He meant it. He wasn't going to change his mind.