Hello Fam :)

Warning: Use of unforgivables, hurt, and pain. 

Happy Reading...

Sirius was on cloud nine. He had scored O's in 10 out of twelve OWLs and passed the other two. It was all James because after their talk with Mrs. P, James had sat Remus down, forced him to make a timetable and organized group studies. Before the exam, even Peter felt confident about writing exams. He couldn't wait to tell his results to Dorea. She would be so happy.

"How many O's?"

Sirius was startled but then shoved the paper under Regulus's nose and said 10.

Regulus snorted. "I could score 12."

"And be the Slytherin nerd?"

The younger boy just rolled his eyes. "I can't believe they gave you marks. I would have failed you in every subject if I were a teacher for all the ruckus you create in the school."

Sirius grinned. "Don't be jealous, baby Reg. If you wouldn't be the Pureblood snob, you would also see the fun behind the things I do. Seriously, what do you do for fun in your house? Play with the snakes?"

Sirius Black

Sirius was startled for the second time but this time Reg did too on seeing their mother at the door. Walburga stalked into the room, crossed her arms, and raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Is your result even satisfactory?"

"I got 10 O's", he replied. If it was arrogant, he didn't care.

"I see", said Walburga. She turned to Regulus then. "Regulus, Malfoys are organizing a party on the occasion of Lucius's graduation. I want you to attend it. Ask Kreacher to get your tux ready."

"Yes, mother."

Once Regulus left, Sirius turned to his mother. "Funny, you aren't forcing me to that stupid party?"

She glared at him before she gave a glance at his room with disdain. Early during the vacation, Sirius had wandered into the muggle street and bought a few muggle posters of the half-dressed girls and a motorbike. After returning, he had stuck the posters with a permanent sticky charm knowing fully well that if his parents saw it, they would try to remove such 'indecency in the noble house of Black'. "Sirius, your father wants to have a talk about your future prospects in the evening. I will fetch you when he returns", said Walburga and left the room.

Sirius was surprised there wasn't any yelling. And did she say fetch? As if he were a dog. Well, she doesn't know what she is up against. What would the great Walburga say if she gets to know that the heir of the Ancient and Noble house is an Animagus and not any magical creature but just a big Black dog? The thought brought a grin to his face.

XXX

Everything was off the moment Regulus left for the party. It wasn't possible but the house felt colder than usual. Sirius was waiting in his room in a casual pair of muggle trousers and a t-shirt, writing a letter to James, when Kreacher apparated into his room.

"Master Sirius, Master and Mistress asked for your presence."

"Of course, Kreacher. Let's talk as if we were in the fortieth century", he said before standing up. "After you, my sweet." If it made the elf frown in disgust, it was all he was hoping for.

Orion and Walburga were sitting on the living room couch as if they were king and the queen themselves. Along with them sat Yaxley and Cygnus.

"Uncle Cygnus, weren't you expected at the party of your future son-in-law?", he asked, faking the excitement. They were talking about marrying Lucius to Bellatrix. Sirius didn't know whom to pity more, the groom or the bride.

"Sirius, sit down", said Orion before turning to Yaxley. "Yax, this is my firstborn. You must have seen him somewhere."

The man sized him up and down before humming. "Looks good to me but has quite a mouth on him."

"Blame the Gryffindors he hangs out with. I thought I would pull him out and send him to Beauxbatons when he was sorted so as not to let him associate with those brats but the old coot didn't allow me to", said his father.

It was news to Sirius. They were ready to send him to France? He mentally thanked Professor Dumbledore. He couldn't imagine his life without James. Remus or Peter either. Also, the way Yaxley didn't take his eyes off Sirius, a dread crawled up inside him. His hand went to his wand automatically as he glanced at his parents, ignoring the other two for the moment. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Too smart for his own good", muttered Cygnus. "But wasting his brains in that house. Imagine what he could do with us."

Sirius turned to his uncle and saw he was talking to Yaxley. It was when Sirius noticed the mark on his hand. Yaxley was a death eater and the moment he realized it, his body felt like a number of pins were stabbing simultaneously as he fell to the floor. Someone launched the crucio on him. Sirius writhed on the floor, trying to make out the words of the people. They were laughing as they looked at him until Orion leaned forward to Walburga and then there was a moment of relief. "You coward", he spat at his mother.

"That's enough, Sirius", said his father. "Yaxley is here to give you the mark. It's not official but he would train you to be fit enough to take the mark when you are of age. Everything would go well if you would silently let him mark you."

Sirius was anything but silent. He raised his wand and threw curses at them until there was another crucio at him. This one continued longer but it went in cycles. They gave him time to let him breathe for a moment but by the time Sirius grabbed his wand, there was another curse. There might be a cutting curse somewhere in between too because Sirius felt something wet at his side.

After what felt like an eternity, he tried to breathe. His vision was blurring. He couldn't make out the people in front of him but then someone grabbed his arm. His left arm. Sirius concentrated on his magic, praying on one single point of not to let them mark his skin. He felt something bubbling inside him and then there was a blast. He didn't turn around to see who was knocked out of their feet as there were collective groans before he was running onto the streets.

Sirius ran and ran without ever turning back. He couldn't grab his wand to call the knight bus. He didn't know where to go but he wanted to leave. He finally halted at an abandoned street and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. Breathing was an issue. It felt like something was broken inside. He didn't know where to go. When he finally made up his mind, he slapped himself for not thinking about it sooner. Turning into Padfoot, he ran towards his home.

XXX

The Potters were flying in their backyard when they felt the wards breaching in the compound. Charles went down instantly followed by the other two. Both the elder Potters drew their wands out as they went to the front side when Charles glanced at James. "James, stay here or go in. Don't follow."

"Okay", said James but follows them anyway.

Dorea turned to him before rolling her eyes and slapping Charles on his back. "You should know better than to ask him not to do anything. He is following."

"Well, not my fault that I would remember your son's reverse strategy when someone breached my wards and we are in possible danger", said Charles.

"Mom, am I not his son? Did you cheat on dad? Do I need to call someone else as my dad?", he asked just to rile his dad up.

As expected, Charles groaned. "I am coming as the guest teacher this year to give defence classes to Hogwarts students. James, the first rule to going into any fight, don't talk."

"Dad, the second rule is not to teach in the middle of the fight", said James. "Also, chill dad. There aren't curses flying, so it's probably Sirius visiting."

Charles frowned at that. "The wards wouldn't alert if it's Sirius. His blood is already keyed into the family."

James grinned. "When did you do it?"

"Years back", said Charles before sighing. "Oh, it's just a dog."

James perked up at that and peeked around his parents when he saw the familiar form of a shaggy black dog. "Sirius", he yelled and pushed himself between his parents to reach to him but Dorea was quick to pull him back.

"James, it's not Sirius", she said.

"Mom, it is Sirius", he said, and freed himself from her before kneeling in front of his best friend. Padfoot whined in his arms and licked his hands. "Pads, what happened? Are you hurt?", he asked. When there was more whining, he glanced at his parents who were looking as if he was mad or he was trying to prank them. "Mom, please help him. He is hurt."

Dorea might have sensed something in his voice and looked at Charles, who nodded at his wife before stepping forward and pulling his wand out. She grabbed his shoulder when James refused to let the dog go. "Kid, you would jostle him. Let your dad levitate him into the house, okay? We will check his wounds." She pulled the boy beside her, putting a firm hand around his shoulder so as not to let him break free.

When they were inside, James forced himself to sit beside Padfoot as Dorea checked him. He snapped his head towards her when he heard her gasp. "There are the after-effects of the cruciatus curse. I will prepare the salve. It was cast multiple times", she said to Charles. "You heal the other wounds. There might be one or two broken ribs and a few broken bones."

James tuned them out to scratch behind Padfoot's ear. If he was listening, he would be apparating somewhere to use the killing curse on someone right then. Other than the occasional whines, there wasn't any other proof of Sirius being alive. He was hardly breathing and James held onto the whines praying the stupid mutt to come back to him.

Charles healed the rest of the wounds and Dorea applied the salve on Sirius's body without disturbing James.

It was only hours later when Padfoot had shown any movement as he whined and climbed on James's lap. James hugged the dog, petting him all over. "Padfoot, can you change? Could you try?", he muttered and sighed when Sirius shook his head. "Try at least? I don't want to force you so give it a try?"

A minute later, Sirius was on his lap instead of the dog and there were twin gasps beside him which James ignored again. He felt his parents were just humoring him until then.

"Jay, I ran away from there", muttered Sirius, sobbing into James's neck. "I didn't know where to go. They were forcing me to take the dark mark."

As if it was the only important thing to tell him, Sirius passed out in his arms.

XXX

An hour later, when Sirius woke up, James was still beside him, carding his hands through Sirius's hair. He was possessive about his hair and remembered hexing someone in his first year for touching his hair. No one has touched his hair since then. Except for James. James would always be an exception. James was family. James was home. Hence, when everything goes wrong, he has this urge to run away to James. Because James would make everything right. When he felt his magic slipping off, he knew he had to see James. He isn't safe anywhere else and so he turned and ran towards the Potter Manor. It was a long run and he had all but collapsed as soon as his magic breached Potter magic. But James was there to hold him, to pick him up and mend him. James and his wonderful family.

He tried to sit up and felt James's hand around the nape of his neck, supporting him, before throwing an arm around him. Sirius concentrated on the hand to ground him. "Jay?", he muttered, blinking his eyes to clear his vision. He remembered running blindly hours back, following only his nose. It all felt wrong until now when he is surrounded by the Potters. He wanted to turn back to Padfoot but he didn't want to put Jay into more trouble than he already did. Unregistered animagus? At least they didn't know James was one. Small mercies.

"You aren't going back to that house again", said James firmly.

Sirius looked at him and saw the seriousness in his voice. Jay would tie him up to the bed to forbid him from going back again if his tone was anything to go by. Sirius didn't need any persuasion. He nodded, agreeing with him. "I would go back to Uncle Alphard."

"Whom you don't know where he is", said Dorea with a sigh. Sirius did not lookup. He didn't want to see the pity on their faces. "Sirius, you already have a room here. You are staying here from now on."

Sirius understood where James got his sternness from. Mama's boy. He stifled his urge to laugh at the image.

"I will arrange for your clothes and school stuff", said Dorea.

"Sirius could use my clothes for now", declared James.

Dorea nodded.

Sirius finally glanced at the Potters. It wasn't a pity. It was some sort of rigid determination in their faces. "Mrs. P", he called hesitantly, afraid he would break something between them. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You are not a bother, Sirius", said Charles. "You never would be."

"You are my little one, isn't it?", asked Dorea, giving one of the pleasant smiles he had witnessed when he was a child. When he thought she was the prettiest lady he had ever seen. "How can you be a bother?"

Sirius thought she wanted to hug him but then saw Charles holding her hand to restrain her. They might probably be giving him space, so as not to crowd him. Sirius mentally thanked them for their thoughtfulness. He had James. Ignoring all the emotions spiraling inside him, he buried his head on Jay's shoulder and cried his heart out.

XXX

Sirius felt like he had been crying for years. James and he were curled up on the couch while Dorea fed food to both the boys. It was the first time someone had hand-fed him. It felt weird but James kept on bumping their shoulders and grinning. "I don't even have my wand with me", he said suddenly once they were done eating.

James shrugged. "You can use my spare wand. I don't know if my wand would suit your magic but something is better than nothing, right?"

"And we are grabbing your wand tomorrow from Grimmauld's", said Charles. "We are going tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to. I could just buy a new wand", said Sirius. He didn't want any of the Potters to step into that house.

Dorea sat on the other side of him, a bit hesitant as she hovered her hand above Sirius as if asking permission. Sirius gave her a weak smile. Taking that as affirmation, she held his face so gently and hugged him close that the tears were threatening to fall again. He didn't know where all the tears were coming from. "Sirius, love, what happened today wasn't your fault in any way. You were really brave to escape from there or to come here. Anyone in your place would have given up long ago. From now on this is your home and we are your parents if you need one anytime. You were always a Potter and today by choosing to come here, you made it official. You are my son and I would cut the tongue of anyone who would say otherwise. Your blood is already keyed into the Potter wards and our house-elves recognize you as a Potter. The wand chooses the wizard so we are getting your wand along with the school stuff. Coming to what happens next, you would go back to school as always and we would drop you home. You can come back home for holidays if you want or else you could choose to stay if you plan to have fun. And when you come home, we will be there at the station to pick you up. You will study well because we care about our son's education and his future. You would live a life you should be living and if you make mistakes, well James had his share of punishments and he hardly cares. You would be treated as equal to James. Understood."

"You already treat me as equal to James", he muttered.

"Well, I guess it shouldn't be so hard to believe then."

"I love you, Mrs. P", he said and when he felt her dropping a kiss on his head, he thought it was enough. For now.

"Well, love me more because I got you a spare wand", said Charles, handing over James's old wand.

The wizarding families started their kids with a baby wand until they could go to Hogwarts when they got their real wand.

"Come on, give it a wave", said James.

Sirius took the wand hesitantly. He had never used someone else's wand. His magic was weird, it would destroy the things within the reach if he used anything other than his chosen wand.

As if reading his dilemma, Dorea patted his head. "Nothing a quick reparo can't fix. Come on. Wave now."

He nodded, taking the courage from James's smile and giving it a wave. There were sparks at the end of the wand. Feeling confident, Sirius muttered a few initial charms and it felt as if the wand was supporting his magic, not as good as his wand but close enough. He lifted his head up when he heard Dorea squeal.

"Are you sure you two are not real twins?", she asked, making Sirius grin.

Beside them, James was doing the same.

"Merlin, look at their identical grins", muttered Charles. "James, how about you get married to that pretty redhead? She could be in my team while you boys would side up with your mom."

"Bad for you. She wouldn't give me the time of her day", muttered James, with a glare directed at his father.

Dorea ruffled his hair. "She would come around. Now, you two. Off to bed. Sirius, shall I get your bed ready?"

"Mrs. P, can I stay with Jay tonight?"

"Of course, but no playing till late night, yeah?"

He nodded. As both the Potters kissed the boys goodnight and as James dragged him to his room, he never felt more at home ever before tonight. 

Sirius has come home finally. I love the Potters. And James. When I was writing, it was Sirius I had in my heart but somehow now James had become a sweetheart too. 

Spoiler: Friends reunion. Casual stroll in muggle London and guess who hasn't forgotten that Sirius is an unregistered Animagus? :P