Sirius was sitting on a Slytherin green sofa with a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe what he just agreed to, but it was the only way that he would be able to be in his – his, not that slimy bastard's - godson. He always thought that Albus was smarter than to trust that Slytherin. He sighed again when he looked over at Snape and his previous feelings of anger and rage bubbled up in his gut again.

"Give me my godson," Sirius growled.

Severus' gaze was as steel, looking at the animagus sitting on his sofa. He couldn't believe that he got roped into sharing responsibilities with someone who tormented him during their school days. Though he was a little shocked that little Potter was clinging more to him than Black. He couldn't help a small smirk as he remembered finding out that small fact.

"Give me back my godson," Severus said.

"You will not touch my godson," Sirius growled, stepping back away from Albus.

"Severus, you were squeezing Harry, tightly," Albus cut in. "We had to remove him from you, or you probably would have hurt the baby."

Harry began to mewl and whimper in Sirius' arms. The clothing was all wrong. Harry could feel the cloth in his fingers and he could tell that they weren't the dark comforting fabric that he was holding just moments ago. Where was his darkness?

Digging his forehead in the shoulder he was laying on, Harry began to whimper.

"Give him to me," Albus said, holding out his hands to Sirius.

Sirius took a step back. He wanted to comfort his godson. So much has happened in just the last few hours alone and the only living evidence of his best mate was in his arms. Sirius did not want to let him go.

"Sirius," Albus soothed. "Harry is becoming fussy. Give him to me."

With great reluctance, Sirius handed over his only link to his best mate to the man who he saw as a father.

Harry felt the transfer from one to another and feeling that it still wasn't the same comforting darkness he wanted his whimpering turned to softly crying. Harry just wanted his darkness. Why no one was giving him his darkness he couldn't understand. Though he had to wonder what was it about this one he was with now. There was something different about this shoulder he was laying on. Trying to grip the fabric that was holding him, Harry could feel hair in his fingers. It almost reminded him of his mum's hair, but it was different.

Albus walked around his office aimlessly, slightly bouncing his arms in a soothing manner trying to calm the babe. But nothing was working. Albus could see Sirius trying to restrain himself from taking Harry again. But what happened next completely surprised everyone in the office.

Severus could see that Harry was getting more and more fussy by the minute. The last thing he wanted to hear was the child screaming his head off. Obviously, neither Black nor the Headmaster could calm the child. Once he felt that he could stand on his own legs, his nightmare, though he really didn't want to relive that pain again, fading from his memory, stood up and slowly walked over to where Albus was. Before Sirius could even say anything, before Albus could protest the baby's removal, Severus grabbed Harry from Albus' arms and brought the child to his chest. Almost instantly, Harry stopped crying, as two little chubby fingers went into his mouth.

Harry felt he was being moved again, but this time he was brought to his darkness. Feeling the comforting fabric under his cheek, Harry nuzzled down against the shoulder, let out a jaw-breaking yawn, and instantly fell asleep.

Sirius was enraged. Albus was shocked, but there was a hint of a smile in his twinkling eyes. Severus slowly walked back to the chair he was sitting in and sat back down.

"How dare you," Sirius growled.

Albus quickly walked to the animagus' side and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Sirius," Albus said.

Sirius could hear the no-nonsense tone in Albus' voice and he knew he would have to give in.

"Sit," Albus ordered.

Sirius sat down in the chair next to Severus, his gaze hard on the young Potions Master.

"Well, we have a few things to discuss," Albus said, sitting down behind his desk.

"I want my godson," Sirius growled.

"He doesn't want you," Severus retorted.

"Why you …"

"Enough," Albus cut in. "You two arguing is not helping matters."

"But, Albus," Sirius pleaded.

"That's enough, Sirius," Albus said with finality. "Right now, Harry is comfortable with Severus, and since we have to talk about what we are going to do with the child, I would like said child not to be fussy and crying throughout our discussion."

Sirius sighed, sitting back in his chair, folding his arms like a petulant child.

"Yes, that is so mature," Severus said, snidely.

"That's enough from you as well, Severus," Albus admonished. "I meant what I said before. If you two can not speak cordially to each other, then you will not be a part of this conversation. Don't think that just because you are currently holding Harry that gives you free pass to where Harry will be placed."

Severus averted his eyes. He hated that Albus could make him feel like a chastised school boy all the time.

Albus looked at the two men sitting across from him and shook his head. Both men were stubborn, strong willed, but also loyal and compassionate. He had never seen two men that were so alike be dead set against working together. They both made mistakes that had costed them dearly. Maybe this child could help bring his remaining family together.

"Now," Albus continued after a moment of silence between the three men. "Severus, you mentioned there was a letter."

"What letter?" Sirius interrupted.

"Sirius, please," Albus said, then turning his attention back to Severus. "The letter?"

Very carefully, Severus removed Lily's letter from the inside of his frock coat, without waking Harry. Not wanting to move too much and cause the baby to wake, Severus levitated the letter over to Albus' waiting hand.

Albus opened the letter and read its contents.

Sirius looked from Albus to Severus. One thing he had always hated was being left out the loop of things. He never liked not having all the information about anything.

After finishing the missive, Albus looked up at Severus.

"It's her handwriting," Severus said.

"What does it say?" Sirius asked again.

Albus slid the parchment across the desk. Sirius picked it up and read it. Severus' gaze did not leave Albus', and Albus watched Sirius for his reaction to the letter, preparing himself for whatever Sirius' reaction was going to be.

"You slimy git," Sirius growled.

"Sirius," Albus said, a warning in his tone.

"I had no idea," Severus said. Both men ignored the Headmaster.

"It's your fault they're dead," Sirius yelled.

Severus finally looked over at Sirius. He had a scathing retort sitting on his tongue, but his voice died in his throat. He was right. Deep down, Severus knew that it was all his fault that Lily was dead. Severus looked down at the child currently in his arms. It was all his fault.

"I said enough," Albus said. "You both made mistakes that caused the death of James and Lily."

At that statement, Severus' head popped up and looked at the elderly man across from him.

"What are you talking about?" Severus questioned.

Albus looked from Severus to Sirius. Now Sirius was looking guilty. Severus looked over at the man sitting next to him and could practically feel the guilt oozing off of the man.

"What did you do?" Severus all but growled.

"When we planned for James and Lily to go into hiding," Albus began. "In order for the Fedilus Charm to work, they would need a secret keeper."

Severus' eyes widen as he looked over at Sirius.

"You told," Severus said, accusingly. "You risked Lily's life. Harry's life."

"I wasn't the secret keeper," Sirius admitted, brokenheartedly.

"What?"

"I wasn't the secret keeper. It was my idea to change secret keepers at the last minute."

"Who?" Severus growled. "The wolf?"

Sirius shook his head. Realization came over Severus like a splash of cold water. A anger he had never felt before began to boil in his gut. How could he?

"I'll kill him," Severus whispered. "I'll kill him."

Sirius looked over at Severus for the first time there was no hatred behind his eyes towards the man. For the first time, Sirius could see that Severus was feeling the same way he was.

"Right now," Albus spoke, bringing the two men out of their own thoughts, "our main concern should be where Harry will be placed. I believe that he should be with family. Now, I know that James' parents passed away while you all were still in school, but it is my understanding that Lily still has a sister..."

"Absolutely not," Severus said.

"I beg your pardon," Albus said, raising his eyebrow.

"Harry will not go into that house," Severus said with finality.

"They are his only family," Albus said.

"I am currently the only one that can calm this child," Severus said, defiance in his tone. "I will run if you plan on placing him there. Have you forgotten how that woman treated Lily?"

"You will not take my godson anywhere without me," Sirius snapped.

A smile slowly came across Albus' face. His eyes twinkling, madly. Severus, always quick on the uptake, was about to continue his tirade, when he saw the look on Albus' face and he knew what was going to be asked of them. And after the declaration the mutt just made, Severus knew that they were about to be roped into something together.

Now, they were back at Spinner's End, Sirius sitting on his sofa and Severus, who was still holding Harry, sitting in the armchair.

"Give me my godson," Sirius growled, again.

Severus sighed. If he thought life was hard before, it was just about to get even harder.

TBC