***7 November, 1986-8:47 p.m. ***

Staring into the crazed yellow eyes of the man he once called friend, Sirius knew he was in big trouble. Remus' wand was shoved so far up under Sirius' gullet that it was close to causing a gag reflex.

Not that Sirius could blame the wizard, he understood exactly how Remus felt. Sirius knew that if he ever caught up with Wormtail, he would make sure the rat would bloody pay for his betrayal of James and Lily. For that very reason, Sirius had never been more frightened than what he was at that moment.

"Re…mus," Sirius barely managed to choke out. Sirius' head was forced up into an unnatural position and the wand was hindering his ability to speak.

"Re…musss, It wasn't me," he managed a desperate, guttural cry.

"Bullshite!" Remus spat, more determined than ever. His face contorted almost painfully as he uttered, "Avada Kadav…"

"STOP!" Snape shouted as he put a restraining hand over Remus' wand hand. Severus kept his own wand fixed on Sirius' head. "Lupin, if you cast an Unforgivable it will still be your head, Black or no."

Sirius could breathe again, but just barely. He had just been one syllable away from death, and irony of all ironies, it was Snivellus who saved his life. Over the past few days Sirius' world had turned upside down from everything he had ever known. Snape saving him from the wand of the man he once called 'brother' was almost more than his brain could process.

The pressure from Remus' wand slackened slightly, but the wand was still planted firmly enough that an attempt to escape would be suicide, especially since Snape still had his wand squarely targeted on Sirius' temple. Snape was a yard away, but Sirius was no fool. Although James had been a faster wand than Snape in their formative years, the darker wizard was lighting fast and deadly accurate as a teen. Age and experience had undoubtedly honed his skills.

Sirius knew the only way he was going to come out of this night alive, would be to reason with the two incensed wizards before him.

If he failed, he was a dead man.

"I swear to you, Remus," Sirius pleaded."It was Peter-Peter was the Secret Keeper."

"You lie," said Remus in a deep, feral growl. His nose was practically touching Sirius' as he glared into his former friends eyes.

"You were all known associates of the Potter's and therefore targets of the Death Eater's," Snape said in even yet even more dangerous voice. "I find it hard to believe that even Potter would be so imbecilic as to trust the life of his family to the weakest link in his little band of scuttlers."

Sirius had no idea what the hell a 'scuttler' was, but he was pretty sure from the way Snape sneered as he uttered the word, it was derogatory and referred to the Marauders.

But now wasn't the time for posturing or defending the actions of the dead. He had to convince Remus of the truth.

"It's the truth. We didn't think anyone would suspect Peter. He wanted a chance to do something important," Sirius said desperately, his eyes darted back and forth between the two angry wizards for any sign that one of them may believe him. "Remus…It was Peter. He betrayed James and Lily…he killed all those Muggles."

"Yes…," Remus said mockingly through his gritted teeth. "How convenient that no one has seen him in over five years. Where the hell did he go if you didn't kill him?"

"I don't know," Sirius admitted through his frustration. "He turned into his Animangus and fled into the sewer. For all I know, he's still down there, probably trying to play king rat!" he said vehemently.

Remus a jabbed is wand harder into Sirius' craw ready to mutter a curse. To his surprise, Snape stayed his old enemy's hand once again. Sirius knew better than to think it was from any sense of mercy on the dark wizard's part. Snivellus wanted answers, and by Merlin, Sirius was going to give them to him.

"Why did this not come out in the trial?" Snape asked sceptically. "If you are innocent, why did you not offer up your memories to the Wizengamot?"

"What trial?" Sirius finally had a chance to spit out his own indignation. "I had no trial!" He began to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Remus and Snape both lowered their wands ever so slightly, looking at each other in stunned disbelief and then back again at Sirius.

As Sirius' brief bout of hysteria began to ebb, his eyes pleaded for someone to believe him.

"Move," Snape said abruptly to Remus and took his place standing before Sirius. Snape's long fingers pinched the sides of Sirius' face and forced the escaped felon to stare at him. Sirius couldn't help but to become transfixed on the fathomless black tunnels that were Snape's eyes. He could smell the faint trace of port and on Snape's breath that he had consumed with the evening pudding, mixed with Sirius' own fetid inhalations. Snape's deep baritone uttered, "Legilimens."

Sirius' psyche was all at once awash in a flood of memory. Despite his mental protest, he was unable to prevent the invasion. The memories kept flying into his vision, faster than he could control. In fact, he had no control. The flashes of memory stopped when Snape came upon what he was looking for.

The day James Potter chose his Secret Keeper.

When Snape broke the connection, the expression on his countenance as he stared back at Sirius was one of both bewilderment and horror.

"Severus?" Remus asked hesitantly as he stepped forward. "What did you see?"

Sirius gazed back at Snape, wondering if his nemesis would tell the truth.

"Black speaks the truth," Snape said in awed disbelief. "He is innocent."

Until that moment, Sirius hadn't realised how much his body was running off of pure adrenaline. A rush of relief overtook him. Somebody finally believed him.

Sirius' back slid down the rough brick surface of Snape's home. He then collapsed to his knees and gratefully wept to the heavens.

Sirius was still trying sort out everything that had happened. He couldn't say that Snape and Remus had been exactly kind to him. But at least he was clean for the first time since he could remember. It was all he could do to remember his manners as he devoured the cold roast beef sandwich at Snape's kitchen table. A fire had been started in the sitting room hearth, and the unfamiliar sensation of warmth began to permeate his body. Sirius exhaled an unconscious sigh of comfort.

Snape had not allowed Sirius to enter his home in the filth encrusted shape the escapee was in. So, Snape retrieved a new bar of soap and Remus cast a warming spell on the water from the garden hose. It was still a cold shower in the chill night air, but with the addition of soap, Sirius had to admit it was much more satisfying and effective than a dip in the fishy-smelling lake.

Snape had even managed to scrounge up some old clothes. They looked to be of some outdated Muggle fashion that Snape hadn't worn since his summers away from Hogwarts when they were students. The faded denim jeans were obviously too small for Snape now, but in Sirius' emaciated state, they would do. Sirius groaned at the threadbare Slytherin jumper Snape threw at him with a self righteous smirk. His was completely mortified when Snape presented him with a pair of decade old, greying underpants. Payback was a bitch, but Sirius took the clothing-begrudgingly. At least they were whole and clean.

As Sirius gulped down the last of his sandwich and tea and looked up at the two wizards. Remus was leaning against the green faux marble linoleum counter and Snape had his back against the faded marigold coloured kitchen wall. Both men had their arms crossed over their chests and neither looked happy.

Both Sirius' plate and cup abruptly vanished from view. Snape indicated with a scowl and a flick of his head that he wanted Sirius to move into the sitting room.

Sirius sat on the new chocolate brown fabric sofa in front of Snape's Floo. He noticed that despite the outdated decor in the small house, the furniture was new and the place was clean. Even the over-abundance of books that lined the walls from floor to ceiling were free of dust.

It also did not go beyond Sirius' notice that there were no Dark tomes anywhere in sight. It had gone that much further to confirm what Sirius had come to suspect since the day before. Musgrave had lied to him over the conditions in which Harry was being raised. The day before, Sirius had watched the entire scene. From the moment Harry had exited the castle with Snape and the Weasley's in tow, until Remus and the barkeep from the Hog's Head chased him into the Dark Forest.

Harry looked to be an exceedingly happy and healthy boy. Snape had actually removed his cloak and rolled up his shirtsleeves so he could teach a flock of young children, most of whom came from a family of blood traitors, a Muggle game. Sirius saw nothing to indicate any Dark doings.

And he was with the Weasleys...of all families.

Sirius had only met Arthur Weasley's wife, Molly, once at an Order New Years Eve party. Arthur had been a mole inside the Ministry. His wife stayed home and raised their rather substantial family. They had a son just a few months older than Harry and had announced that night that they were expecting their seventh child. From the looks of things, they had the daughter they so desperately wanted.

Sirius did not know the Weasley's as well as James and Lily had, but he did know one thing. Arthur Weasley was an ardent Muggle sympathiser and had despised the Dark Arts every bit as much as James had. He would never allow his family to associate with a Death Eater, or anyone else who would pose a Dark threat to his family.

Upon noticing the people of the village and the students in the school, nobody had seemed to be scared or oppressed, as Sirius would have expected should the Death Eaters had managed to take over the Ministry.

Life looked to be normal, or at least what Sirius had imagined to be normal. In all honesty, Sirius could not remember a time that the world had not been under the threat of You-Know-Who. But the world looked to be as the world as they had all imagined a world without You-Know-Who to be. A world James and Lily had fought and died for.

Sirius was seriously confused. If everything was so perfect, why had he been thrown in prison without a trial?

He decided that the best way to find out would be from the inside. Years of hating the man had left Sirius with his suspicions. But for some odd reason, Lily had began to fervently defend Snape after she and James had gone into hiding with Harry, and from the looks of things, her defence of the git may have been justified. Sirius was still not fully convinced.

So Sirius made a hasty change in his plan. Rather than simply tear out Snape's throat and run off with Harry, he decided to try and ingratiate himself to the boy. Perhaps Snape would not be adverse to the child having a dog. Once Sirius had managed to get inside, he could see the truth for himself.

Oh, Sirius still had every intention of eventually taking Harry if he ever managed to become acquitted or if Snape was indeed harming the child. After all, he was Harry's real godfather. It was Sirius' job to ensure that Harry was safe, healthy, and happy...not Snape's. Sirius had no intention upon letting James down in the duty his best friend had bestowed upon him.

Yesterday, Sirius had finally managed to capture Harry's attention. He was only trying to get the child to play, in hope that Harry would make mention of the 'nice doggy' to his guardian. It may have taken a while, but even if Sirius had to lick Snape' boots, he was going to get into their home.

Leave it to Moony to coming running and blow his cover...and when had Remus and Snape become friends? Sirius couldn't return to the Shrieking Shack now. That's the first place Moony would send the hounds. Sirius had already tried his bachelor flat in Soho earlier in the week. It was being watched by Aurors, so that was out.

Once Sirius a had managed to distance himself far enough away from his pursuers to transfigure himself and Disapparate to a cave outside of town that he had chosen as an alternative hiding place, he stopped to think. He was obviously not going to get back into Hogwarts.

The only other place Snape would take Harry would be his own home. The only problem was Sirius had no idea where Snape could possibly live. Sirius did, however, remember where Lily had lived. The Marauders had visited her home on many occasions after they left Hogwarts. Lily had her own flat in Manchester. On one fine summer day, James and Sirius had come to visit without Peter and Remus. Remus had been recovering after one of his transformations and Peter...well...Sirius couldn't remember where Peter had been. Lily had taken new her fiancé and his best friend to see where she was raised and introduced them to her parents. Lily had written home about James, but the Evans' had yet to meet him. She had given them a tour of the neighbourhood and the playground she had once frequented. She had even showed them the childhood home of one Severus Snape.

Sirius had not hoped that Snape still lived there. In fact, the last Sirius had heard, Snape had taken a rundown flat above an apothecary in Knockturn Alley whilst he apprenticed for his Potions Mastery. But he gambled that perhaps Snape's father was still alive. According to Lily, Mr. Snape had been alive at the time she had pointed out the dilapidated two up and two down.

Sirius thought that if he managed to make himself presentable, he could get some information from Snape's father.

Imagine Sirius' surprise, when he could feel the unmistakable aura of magic around the recently renovated house. A wizard lived there. Could Snape have possibly reclaimed his childhood home?

The semi-detached house sat at the end of a cul-de-sac named Spinner's End. It was the last in a series of row houses. When Sirius investigated around the side of the building, he noticed the garden was walled. There was row housing on the opposite side of the way, but on the right and to the back of Snape's home, there was nothing but woods. Unfortunately, the trees were nearly bare, but there were enough bushes about to afford adequate cover if needed. It was a living wood. Sirius could smell the hart, rabbit, and foxes that frequented the area. At least there was game to hunt.

Sirius sniffed around the red brick garden wall. At the far back corner there was one brick that had crumbled and afforded Sirius a view into the garden. The view was partially obstructed from holly bushes that lined the back wall, but he could see well enough. In the middle of the yard was a large, bare birch tree with a Muggle tire hanging by a rope from the largest branch. He could see that the draperies that covered the French doors were drawn. The place looked deserted, as if the residents had left for an extended holiday.

Sirius took stock of the layout of the yard. Once he was sure he could Apparate without landing himself inside the tree, he transfigured himself back into human form and Disappirated into the garden. As he breached the barrier of the property, he thought he might have felt a strange tingling sensation, but thought nothing more of it once he materialised whole.

Sirius had stopped and took a moment looked around. He had not seen it through the bushes whilst he was peering through the hole in the garden wall, but along the left side of the back wall was a greenhouse that took up nearly an entire quarter of the garden. He walked over to the glass building and tried to enter, but it was magically locked. It would probably only take a simple Alohomora to open it, but that proved problematic without a wand.

He looked behind the holly bush that lined the other half of the back wall. There was just enough space between the bush and the wall to offer him cover if needed in a pinch. The sun was beginning to set when Sirius made his way to the obscured window and peered into a small gap in the drapes. It was much too dark inside for Sirius to see anything. Suddenly, the familiar 'Whoosh' of a Floo coming to life startled him. Miraculously, he heard Snape and Albus Dumbledore speaking earnestly to one another. Sirius Disappirated to the other side of the wall before he was discovered and decided to try his luck the next day.

Sirius returned before sunrise and quickly transformed into his Animagus and hid behind the holly bush. He was stunned to actually see Harry. His heart ached at the sight of James' boy. It took every ounce of control Sirius had not to run into the house and take Harry right out from under Snape's hooked nose.

He observed everything that happened in the sitting room that day. Sirius watched Snape fix a breakfast that morning, the smell of fresh eggs and kippers wafted into the garden and for a moment Sirius was afraid the grumbling that stirred in the pit of his stomach may be audible to the inhabitants of the house. The hare that he caught the day before was long since digested. Sirius noticed when Remus arrived by Floo, Snape left for work, and Remus happily taught lessons to Harry at the dining room table. In the early afternoon Harry had vanished to an unknown portion of the house and had not returned to the sitting room until Snape had returned late in the day.

So much, for being Harry's pet dog. The child had a rabbit, and honestly, it looked quite plump and tasty. Sirius snapped himself out of his baser, feral instincts. In fact, he wondered if he was in some alternate reality.

Snape had been sitting on the floor playing Gobstones with Remus and the Hog's Head proprietor. The scene was too domestic. It was obviously a gathering of close friends and family. There was no hint of anything insidious or Dark. Even from his position, Sirius could tell that Snape was patient with and fond of Harry.

Sirius was surprised once again when Snape got up from the floor and escorted none other than Musgrave's Lucy into view. Funny...she did not look Confunded.

The sun had set by the time the gathering had eaten supper and continued with their diversions. Under the cover of darkness, Sirius thought he would try getting closer to the house so he might hear, as well as see what was happening. When he heard a snap under one of his paws, without thinking he looked down to see what it was he stepped on. He did not see the rabbit give warning and bolt from sight. By the time Sirius could audibly discern what was going on in the residence, Snape had announced Harry's bedtime.

Severus stood before the Floo with one hand outstretched to the mantle and the other nursing his ever increasing headache. He didn't know what compelled him to feed the damn mutt and offer him clean clothes, but his charitable mood was quickly vanishing with each resounding 'thump' in his temple. Remus was standing along a side wall, managing to practically blend in with the books and the shadows. The werewolf looked as confused as Severus felt.

"How did you do it, Black?" Severus' sharp inquiry seemed to snap the mangy mutt out of his stupor. "How did you find this house and why are you here?"

He did not bother to ask Black how he breached the Wards. It was obvious that the mongrel meant no harm to Harry. That did not mean, however, that the cretin was not beyond kidnapping the boy. Severus could see memories, not read minds. He needed to find out what Black was up to.

When Severus entered Black's mind, he was only looking for proof of guilt or innocence in his role in the Potter' deaths. He wasn't looking for any details in Black's escape. A decision in which Severus now regretted. Now he was forced to actually play twenty questions. His headache, induced by his own emotional responses, would not allow another trip down Memory Lane with Black of all people.

Severus had seen the exchange where Potter and Black had asked Pettigrew to be the Secret Keeper and the later confrontation between the two former friends that led to the Muggle massacre. Severus also witnessed the grim circumstances where Black was thrown into prison...without the benefit of a trial. Nowhere in Black's mind did Severus find one personal memory of the Dark Lord. The one point in which Severus found himself envious of Black.

"Lily," Black said simply as he nervously ran his hand through his tangled dark hair. "I knew I would be warded out of Hogwarts. I was going to try to find out where you lived from your father."

Severus stiffened slightly at the mention of the abusive lout, but quickly slammed those memories away.

"My father is dead," Severus said impassively, not bothering to ask when Lily had betrayed that particular trust. He then startled the men in the room with a sudden outburst as he turned and pointed an accusing finger at his uninvited 'guest'. "Why where you looking for my home? What do you want?"

"Harry!" Sirius barked as he bolted up from the sofa. He inexplicably shot backwards right back into the seat and briefly struggled against a Sticking Charm. Severus glanced over at Remus just in time to see the wizard slip his wand back into his robes. Despite the fact that it had just been revealed that Black was indeed innocent, Lupin did not look very happy with his old friend.

When Black realised his efforts against Lupin's rather effective Sticking Charm was fruitless, he once again directed his venom towards Severus. "He's my godson," he spat with one more good effort to jerk away from the cushions for effect. "What the hell are you doing with my godson?"

Severus leaned into Black's personal space and told him bluntly. "I just so happens, that Lily was not the imbecile her husband was," Severus smirked as Black shot him an ineffective look that was meant to kill. "She took advantage of her right to name a secondary godfather. She named me, her oldest friend, probably in knowing that you were too reckless and irresponsible to be up to the task."

"Now you lie!" Black accused. "Lily would never trust her son to a Death Eater! Everybody knows you were involved in Dark Magic up to that crooked nose of yours!"

Severus scowled and grabbed Black by the collar of the thin jumper. He managed to yank out several of the S.O.B.'s chest hairs in the process and the subsequent yelp from Black brought a grim smile to Severus' face.

This time, it was Remus who prevented the violence from escalating when he abruptly interrupted the exchange as he stepped forward out of the shadows. "He was a spy, Sirius." Severus and his intended victim both directed their attention to the man they had nearly forgotten was in the room. "It was Severus' information that touched off Dumbledore to the fact that You-Know-Who was after Harry. Perhaps Dumbledore told Lily. And truth be told, Severus is a wonderful father to Harry. If you care a whit about the boy, you won't interfere."

Severus and Black both looked at Remus in disbelief. In all honesty, Severus hadn't believed that Lupin would continue to defend him after the werewolf found out his old friend was innocent. That one statement had won Remus Lupin the rare honour and title of 'friend' in Severus' world.

"Yes..." Black said bitterly. "Where was Dumbledore when it came time to defend my innocence? He is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot for Merlin's sake."

"He was in the States at my grandmother's funeral."

The stern feminine voice directed everyones attention once again to the staircase.

"Lucy? What are you doing...?"

"Harry is asleep, Severus. Pawpaw is watching him," Lucy said as he slowly descended the stairs with one had on the railing and the other setting protectively on her belly. Her eyes were narrowed and she kept a suspiscious glare fixed on Black. "I have a few questions to ask your 'house guest'." Her tone was even, but one could detect that the acid in the last two words.

Severus let go of his grip on Black and met Lucy at the foot of the stairs. He put a gentle hand around her bicep, as if he were going to lead back up the stairs. "What are you doing down here?" he asked in a voice low enough not to be heard by the others. "You don't have your wand and..."

Lucy cut him a look that warned him not to patronise her. "I'm not a child," she said in her own low and dangerous tone, but her eyes immediately softened and she exhaled a sigh when she must had realised she sounded harsher than she intended. "I'll be okay," Lucy promised and smiled, her blue eyes pleading for him to understand. She brushed a soft finger across his worried brow. "There are some things I have to know, Severus, and I trust that you won't let anything happen to me."

Lucy stood on her toes and gave Severus a soft kiss on his lips, oblivious to the witnesses in the room. He did not like the fact that she was unarmed, or that he knew she would eventually end up angry and upset. But he did acknowledge Lucy's need to know Musgrave's hand in this debacle. Severus exhaled his own sigh of resignation and nodded to Lucy his understanding.

Severus put his arm around Lucy's waist and escorted her to the sitting area. Remus stood behind the chair that was furthest from Black and pulled it in an angle to allow Lucy easier access in the small space. Lucy ignored the offered chair and instead took the seat closet to Black.

Severus watched as she sat down gracefully, her small form neat and composed, whilst she silently assessed Black with stony blue eyes. She was the epitome of control, showing no fear and no sign of what she might be thinking.

The house was completely dark with the exception of the fire light from the hearth. It was a tenebrous illumination and Severus marvelled at the way Lucy glowed in the wan light and at her quiet strength in the face of a man she still had yet to be convinced wasn't mass murder. Vermeer himself could not have portrayed her any lovelier. Severus hadn't thought that it would be possible to love Lucy more than he had already, but he most definitely did. Everything and everyone else was bathed in shadow and at that very moment, Lucy was the brightest light in his world.