The house was on the moors, not in good condition at all, but it was shelter, and Sirius understood what a precious commodity that could be. He walked up to the front door and knocked in the elaborate pattern they had always used on the door of their dormitory. Remus opened the door and let him in. The inside was a good bit shabbier than Sirius remembered, but everything was clean. Remus's trousers and jumper were visibly patched and mended, but they looked like they still kept the cold out.
'You came,' Remus observed, motioning for Sirius to sit down. 'Would you care for some tea?'
'Yes, thank you,' Sirius said, finding a place on the sofa. Remus poured their tea and pointedly sat in a chair on the other side of the table, as far away as possible from where Sirius was sitting. Sirius took a sip of tea. 'How have you been?'
'This isn't a social call,' Remus replied sharply. 'I have invited you here to explain to me the circumstances you so greatly regret which persuaded you to betray your best friend and his family to the Dark wizard who wanted to kill them. So what's the excuse? Imperius?'
Sirius chewed his lower lip. 'I didn't do it.'
Remus raised an eyebrow. 'That's it? You came all this way just to tell me...'
'Shut up, Moony,' Sirius cut him off. 'Let me explain. I was never James and Lily's Secret Keeper.'
'Dumbledore said...,' Remus began, but stopped when Sirius held up a hand.
'Dumbledore didn't know,' Sirius said simply. 'I was originally going to be the Secret Keeper, but I thought that would be too obvious. Surely Voldemort would figure out it was me, and focus all his efforts on making me crack.' Sirius shivered. 'I didn't trust myself not to tell under torture, or perhaps Veritaserum. I suggested that we switch. I would be the decoy, and draw off all Voldemort's attention, but Wormtail would be the real Secret Keeper. We would place him in hiding, and everything would be fine.'
Remus frowned. 'I have to admit. It does sound like the sort of plan you'd come up with. But if that's the case, why didn't you tell me?'
Sirius's face fell. 'I thought you were the traitor. Peter kept pointing out all the times you were missing, all sorts of suspicious little details. Of course, it turned out he was the traitor. I discovered he was missing that night and realised the truth. I arrived at Godric's Hollow too late. It was like a nightmare, Moony. I found James and Lily's bodies. Harry, though, was still alive. Hagrid had him. He said Dumbledore was going to send Harry to live with his aunt and uncle. I argued with him, but he wouldn't listen. So, being me, I did something foolish. I ran after Wormtail.'
'And that's when you killed him?' Remus's voice was hard.
'I didn't kill him,' Sirius said, shaking his head. 'He shouted that I was the traitor, for the Muggles to hear, and then he cut off his own finger and blew up the street. He transformed and vanished, leaving me to take the blame.' He sighed. 'I would have explained all this at the trial, only...'
'You never got a trial,' Remus finished in a low voice.
Sirius jumped up and grabbed Remus by the shoulders. 'Moony, I would never betray Prongs. If I could, I would gladly die in order to bring him back. Surely you must believe that.'
Remus forced Sirius's hands off of him. 'I did believe that. Then it turned out I was wrong. James and Lily believed it too, and it killed them. Harry had to go live with those horrible Muggles, and then he was kidnapped, and no one knows what happened to him. He may well be dead!'
Sirius sat back down. 'He's not dead,' he whispered.
'What?' Remus responded sharply. 'What have you done with him? Where is he?'
'You already know, Moony,' Sirius said. 'Or rather, you did.'
'What do you mean?'
'I'm afraid you're the victim of a Memory Charm cast by my Aunt Cassiopeia,' Sirius replied. 'I only found out about it myself after our meeting yesterday. I did some research. I think I can fix the damage, if you'll let me.'
'You want me to let you point a wand at my head?' Remus scoffed. 'Are you mad?'
'Probably,' Sirius shrugged. 'I'd hoped you'd believe me.' He chuckled. 'I don't suppose you have any spare Veritaserum?'
Remus gave a small smile. 'Unfortunately not.'
'Then we're stuck,' Sirius said. 'Unless...' He trailed off.
'What do you have in mind?' Remus asked.
'I think I know someone whom you might find a bit more convincing,' Sirius said. 'He's also been around for much more of Harry's childhood than I have. But if you want to talk with him, we have to go to the house where I'm staying. Will you come?'
Remus took a deep breath and rose to his feet. 'Let's go.'
'You'll really do it?' Sirius was impressed.
'All my friends are dead or as good as,' Remus said bitterly. 'Harry's gone. I don't have any reasons to live anymore. If you're telling the truth, I could have a friend again, and Harry would be back. That's two reasons. The way I see it, I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.'
The two wizards Apparated to Windermere Court, and Sirius let them inside. The house, of course, was empty, and Sirius led Remus directly upstairs to Harry's bedroom. Remus stared at the impressive furniture and large wardrobe.
'Whose room is this?' he asked.
'This is Harry's room,' Sirius replied.
'Why did you bring me here?'
The answer came from a large portrait on the wall.
'Moony!' James exclaimed. 'You came back. It's been awhile.'
Remus turned pale. 'Prongs?'
'The one and only,' James said cheerfully. 'How have you been? You look rather peaky.'
Remus brushed the question aside. 'So Harry's been here all this time?'
'Of course,' James replied. 'Ever since he left the Muggles.'
'I wish I were alive so I could strangle Vernon and Petunia,' Lily said, stepping into the portrait. 'Hello, Remus.'
'Lily,' Remus choked.
'James told me you came by earlier,' she said. 'Why haven't you been back sooner?'
Remus looked at Sirius with confusion in his face.
'I told you, Moony,' Sirius explained. 'Aunt Cassie put you under a Memory Charm.'
Remus furrowed his brow. 'Tell me, Prongs. What happened? How did Harry come here?'
James and Lily related the entire story, with a bit of help from Regina's portrait, who had just come in from a party on the third floor.
'Aries is Harry?' Remus shook his head. 'That can't be! I remember Sirius going to France for the birth. Merlin, Prongs, I was there for the christening! You were godfather.'
James smiled. 'As Padfoot said, Moony, you were put under a Memory Charm.'
Silence hung in the air as Remus processed everything he had learnt. Finally he looked up at James and Lily's portrait.
'Tell me, Prongs,' he said hesitantly. 'Is Harry happy with Sirius? Is Sirius treating him well?'
'Well, I haven't seen Harry much since he met Padfoot,' James replied honestly. 'They've been in France for the past month, and apparently they had no need to take us with them.'
'We were outside most of the time, Prongs,' Sirius said. 'You would have missed all the fun anyway, and most of the portraits in the chateau only speak French.'
James wrinkled his nose. 'Good point. Where was I?'
'I was asking whether Harry was happy with Sirius,' Remus reminded him, amused at the familiar banter between James and Sirius.
'Right. As I said, I haven't seen much of Harry since he met Padfoot, and when I saw him yesterday morning he seemed positively despondent.'
Remus frowned. 'Why was that?'
James smiled. 'He said it was because he had enjoyed his month with Sirius so much that he didn't want it to end.'
Remus sighed in relief. 'Well, it sounds as though Harry's happy with him, then.'
'What can I say?' Sirius shrugged. 'I'm the world's greatest godfather.'
'How can I possibly trust you, Sirius?' Remus said quietly. 'After everything that's happened...if you only had some proof.'
'But we can't prove anything unless we find Wormtail,' Sirius protested. 'And for all we know he was hiding at Hogwarts and McGonagall got peckish.'
'Come on, Moony,' James urged. 'Don't be such an arse.'
'Shut up, Prongs,' Sirius snapped. 'You're not helping.'
'Do you think you can just give him your puppy-dog eyes and he'll believe you?' James shot back. 'He's being stupid. If I am the one you supposedly betrayed and yet I trust you to raise my son – my son, Padfoot – then who is he to keep holding a grudge?'
Remus laughed. For a second, he could imagine that nothing had ever happened, that they were all back in Gryffindor Tower. He took a deep breath and turned to Sirius. 'Go ahead.'
'Pardon?' Sirius gave his friend a quizzical look.
'Undo the Memory Charm. Quickly, before I change my mind. I want to remember what I figured out.'
Sirius gave him a broad grin. 'So you believe me after all?'
Remus sighed and nodded slightly. 'I believe you, Padfoot. I don't know why exactly, and I'm not sure what it means yet, but, God help me, I believe you.'
.....
Want to read ahead. Then join my patreon now.
2+ free advanced chapters from each of my books,
FOR ALL FREE MEMBERS.
Link: p*atreon.com/Nebula_Scribe (Remove the *)
Thank you once again for all the support, and I hope you enjoy the story.