The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The Potters

Dora took a step toward him, "What's to stop them anyway? Whether we have the boy here or not?"

"Why give them another reason to target us?" Charlus asked, "We've draw enough attention being in the resistance... They've already threatened us, Dora, for all the work I've done in protecting the muggles 'round here - all those protective charms we've cast... everything we've done... It could've been us they went for when they killed the Bells."

"Where else is he supposed to go?" Dora asked, "He said he doesn't have any place else. You heard the boy. What do you want to do? Send him out into the street? Or back to that place with those people? With Orion Black?" 

A voice squeaked behind them, "Please don't send me back."

Charlus and Dora both turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of James's brand new pyjamas that he refused to wear for the sake of his old quidditch ones. Sirius's hair was a mess from changing, standing up all unruly and shaggy and his eyes were wide and brown and pleading. He took a step into the room in his stocking feet, clutching his hands together like a beggar. "Please. Please."

Charlus felt a lump rise up in his throat - torn between this begging boy and the safety of his family, fear waging a war within him.

Sirius said. "They hate me, they'll kill me if I go back." Tears filled his eyes. "She uses the Cruciatus Curse on me, nearly everyday."

Dora gasped.

Charlus's eyes softened, "Bloody hell," he murmured and he sank into the chair Sirius had been in by the fire and he ran a hand over the back of his neck, staring down at his shoes.

Dora touched his shoulder. "Of course we aren't going to send you back there," she said. "We'd be as bad as them if we did," she added, looking down at her husband. He looked up at her and he nodded his consent. Dora looked at Sirius, "You'll stay here as long as you need."

"We'll fix up the guest room in the morning," Charlus said.

Sirius didn't know what to say or what to do - he felt so grateful. James's parents were splendid and he wanted to tell them so but he didn't know how. "Thanks," he said. "That's what I wanted to come and say... just... Thank you."

"You're welcome dear," Dora said.

Sirius turned and ran back up the stairs to James's room again.

Dora looked at Charlus.

Charlus took a deep breath, "We need more charms on the house," he said, standing up. "I'll be outside setting them."

Dora nodded.

It was two in the morning when Dora woke up, a strange feeling filling her. She looked over to see that Charlus was there and he was, asleep and peaceful. She pushed herself out of the bed and walked to the window, staring out at the street below and scanning her eyes about, searching for anything out of place. There wasn't a thing to see except Bubo, who James must have let out his window before going to sleep, perched on the lamp post. Bubo ruffled his feathers to shake off the snow and gave a little owl yawn with his beak before nestling back up. She turned away from the window and walked across the room, pulling on a plush, warm robe and stepping into her slippers.

The house was silent. She walked downstairs and checked each of the windows, casting a little protective charm on each one as she went, just to reinforce the charms her husband had set. She stopped in the kitchen and made herself a small cup of camomile tea to rest her nerves, stirring in a bit of honey and just a spot of milk. She stood at the counter, staring out the window into the backyard, at the moonlight on the snow, and sipped her tea.

She was on her way back to bed when she heard the noise that had woken her up again. It was coming from James's room. She withdrew her wand - just in case - and carefully pushed open the door to peek inside.

James's snitch-shaped night lamp cast a soft golden glow about the room, bathing his Gryffindor quilt in the warm light. She could see the sleeping forms of both James and Sirius in the bed. Sirius, she noticed, was twitching... and whimpering. The noise she'd heard. She'd always been sensitive to that sound - ever since James was a wee little thing. She crossed the room and knelt down beside Sirius's side of the bed, worried, and gently touched his shoulder. He was having a nightmare, she realized, seeing how his eyes moved behind their lids, franticly. He was trembling and his muscles giving little spasms as he slept, his face contorted into a look of pain.

"Sirius," she whispered gently, "Sirius, dear, wake up." She shook him ever so softly to break the dream.

His eyes popped open, panicked. He sat up quickly and Dora leaned back as he gasped, his heart beating wildly as he looked around. He looked so disoriented and lost for a moment, and she watched as the memory of where he was came back to him. "Shh," she whispered, "It's alright now. You're safe."

Sirius looked at her, still breathless, a sheen of sweat across his forehead and tears in his eyes. He looked so lost and so afraid... Being a good mother, Dora couldn't imagine what sort of person could look into the eyes of their child and treat them so horribly that they had nightmares like the one she'd just found Sirius in the midst of. She couldn't imagine being so cruel as to use the cruciatus curse on a child. She looked at Sirius as he sat there, tears streaming down his face, fresh out of the nightmare, and she couldn't stand it. She sat herself on the edge of the bed and she held out her arms and wrapped Sirius into a hug. "Shhh," she said into his hair as he clung onto her, crying all the harder. She swept her fingers softly through his long hair and felt him shaking in her arms, crying into her chest. It was quite obvious, the way he shook and clung on, that he'd been starved for affection. She rocked him slowly. "Hush now, it's okay," she whispered.

Sirius cried as she rocked and hummed softly until he'd fallen asleep in the arms of a borrowed mother.