Start of time by Hopeless Wanderer

Chapter eleven.

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Today

His brisk steps on the marble floored porch was met with a house elf hurriedly opening the huge double doors. Severus had chosen to Apparate to the borders, instead of flooing home and then to the Malfoy Manor. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it was mainly because that if he did, he overcome with the crushing guilt and self loathing again. The potion master couldn't afford that. Not when Harry was at stake.

With an internal shrug, Severus narrowed his eyes and slipped past the doors, his eyes lazily surveying the luxurious design around him. His mind was currently on spy mode, his shields were firmly set and his emotions locked away in a box, with Harry as the key.

Simply put, Severus Snape the stoic double agent had resurfaced over night. And he would be so as long as it took for the danger to pass and for Harry to forgive him.

Those were the most important goals.

"Masters will going to meet you master potion master Snape in the library, shall Poppy get anything for you?" Snape waved a dismissive hand and strode to the stairwell, fully familiar with the house.

Not that he visited that often, ever since he had adopted Harry, his only communication with the Malfoy patriarch has been via letters, and mostly on Lucius's side, whenever the man had felt like having a rare potion at hand or spoil Severus with rare ingredients in return.

He descended his way up the circular stairwell and to the second floor, knowing full well hat his friend was most likely leaned back in his leather chair, rolling his ebony wand between his absurdly long fingers with that ridiculous aristocratic smirk on his face. With Narcissa and Draco seated next to the fireplace.

The house elf led him to the end of the hallway, and straight to the dark cherry wood double doors, carved beautifully with Malfoy's royal family Crest. Dragons.
Ignoring the complaining portraits and the house elf alike, Severus pushed the doors open and stepped in the posh library, stacked from the ceiling to bottom and right back up. Worthy of the Malfoy name indeed.

"Severus." Lucius called from his office right at the far end of the library. Severus turned and walked between the shelves, his eyes only set on his friend. He cringed, not friend. No, more like...

"Lucius." he greeted the man, his eyes narrowing as he caught Narcissa turning her head towards him, her brow furrowed as it usually was.
"Long time no see my friend." the man made no move to greet his friend, instead he curtly turned his away and nodded at the house elf. Severus saw the poor creature quiver with ill contained fear, disappearing with a soft pop.

Harry would be repulsed, Severus thought idly before shaking his head. No point in thinking about that.

"Now how may we help you?" surprisingly, it was Narcissa who pointed at the armchair next to hers and rewarded him with a small smile.

"You might already know Lucius. But for tradition's sake, is this house safe?" he side glanced at Narcissa and Lucius nodded.

"Narcissa dear, take Draco out of the house." there was no doubt that the young Malfoy was listening in their conversation right now, Severus had raised a son just as mischievous and stubborn, he would know that his godson was sneaky enough to ramble out his juicy news to everyone who would listen.

"You look horrible by the way Severus." Narcissa squeezed his shoulder and departed, leaving the two men alone.

"How much of it do you already know?" Severus was not about to waste time telling things the man already knew. He swallowed.

The smirk on the man's face fell and he leaned forward. "How much of it is true?" the man narrowed his blue grey eyes, boring into the potion master's black ones as if seeing I tithe depth of his soul.

"That depends on what you've heard Lucius. I'm not here to play games with you, I need help."

Lucius leaned back in his chair once again, his face stoic. "Potter pleaded for a trial this morning." it was a statement.

"A day after Black." Severus was having a very hard time containing his utter rage at the mutt for starting this mess, and also his sorrow and guilt regarding his son. Severus pushed it away, that thought didn't belong to his mind, not now.

"What brought this on? Did Potter junior get tired of you? Was it teenage rebellion, or the boy finally found out that you're shagging his filthy aunt?" Severus snapped his jaw, sneering.

"Keep your deluded opinions to yourself Lucius. Do not insult my fiance or son, because I might just do the same."

"What do you want from me?"

"Influence. I want this case to be taken care of quietly, Harry is already on the spot light as it is."

"Well I'm afraid I can't help you."

"That's the one thing out of my hands Sev. The case is sealed and on its way to the child support department, if it had been any other child, maybe... But a Potter? Those half wit walruses sniffed it out the moment Black set foot in the ministry."

"But I was just at the ministry..."

"Potter is back Severus. And he's coming to stay this time, I got a letter from the council this morning..." the man rummaged his drawers and pulled out a long expensive looking parchment.

"Potter wants his seat back, you are aware that doesn't happen unless the man's back to stay?"

"Janet and I discussed the possibility, but I never thought he would catch on so fast." how did that Bastard get the whiff of it so fast? Black left only this morning!
Lucius leered, shaking his head as if he was talking to a child. He clicked his tongue.

"Against contrary belief, Potter is not an idiot. Disowning your squib pawn is something frowned upon, but throwing away your very powerful prodigy child on the streets? Now, that's..." he paused when the house elf popped back in, a tray in his shaking hands. Severus followed the elf as it set the liquor tray in the table and vanished with a bow. Lucius smirked.

"That's just disgusting." he reclined the rum (or some sort of mead, Severus couldn't be sure) and poured them both a glass.

Severus clenched his fists, his eyes on the honey colored liquid lapping at the glass. His glare flashed back to Lucius, narrowed with rage and disgust.

"A child is a child no matter the heritage or power, both are repulsive, and your opinions above everything else." his words went ignored as Lucius just smiled and handed him the glass, gulping down his own drink with great enthusiasm.

"Chill out Snape, you've spent too much time with the old fool. /My/ point, is that Harry is the reason they left. Their name and some of their grace died with him, now they can take that name and wealth back. Who would resist such an opportunity?" He said, gesturing at the untouched glass with his hand. Severus picked it up and took a hasty sip, feeling the frustration bubbling in his chest.

"I know all of that. I need your help to /prevent/ this from happening Lucius."

Lucius sat back in exasperation.

"Why would I help you Severus? Have you seen that boy? He looks dreadful, burned to a crisp has never been a more fitting definition, but the reason behind it, is what matters. The boy knows his shit, that's why he ran away." he took another long sip, his hair flicking.

Severus stiffened and snapped his jaw.

"Lucius..." the man interrupted him. Looking at him with cold unforgiving eyes.

"He has every right to be furious with you. You knocked up the only person he hates, a /muggleborn/ nonetheless, and he's just a whimsy abused teenager, what did you expect in the end? Tearful apologies and kisses? Rainbows and weddings? Maybe children with curly auburn hair running around your house with your older adoptive son?"

He felt like he had just been hit by a train, heavy, battered and tired of everything. Severus drank his rum.

"You're not helping." his occlumency shields were the only thread keeping him from hysterics. Every time he thought about it, Harry's face came in focus. Not the Harry he had raised. Not the child he had grown to love, but the Harry he had ruined, all he could see was Harry's face screwed in a big grimace of pain and anger... Shouting at him. Severus shook his head, but Lucius continued ruthlessly.

"You made a mistake. This is the reality, not your hopes and dreams, you hid this from him and he burned. You dated his...."

"I know all of this Lucius, and I regret that..." he did, that's why he was here and not at the hospital. He wanted to stay, of course he wanted to, he wanted sat by Harry's door hand and knees and beg for forgiveness. But he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the look on Harry's face. And this was much more productive. He just hoped that he got to punch Lucius before leaving.

The said man snorted disbelievingly, his eyes crinkled in dry amusement.

"If you really regretted your actions, Black wouldn't have to knock some sense into you of all people." he spat out the name, looking disgusted.

Severus frowned, feeling the light buzz in his head, he put down the glass.

"I won't let a bunch of reckless children take care of my child, not now that he needs me the most." he would not make the same mistake again, never again would Severus lie or deceit, he would never hurt Harry ever again.

"What did you do to deserve this title? /Your/ child? If it had been important to you, you wouldn't have betrayed him like that." Lucius, clearly using Narcissa's absence, poured himself another glass, and glared at him.

"You do realize, that the moment Potter's out of the hospital, that he's basically in James's arms? Even if Black and Lupin get custody." he went on, flicking his wand, a file levitated from one of the desks and flew over to the blonde man.

"I know all of that, why do you keep reminding me? That's the reason I came!" thus is a waste of time, he thought, every minute that he was here was a waste of time. Lucius oblivious to his outburst opened the file and continued.

"Potter gets sent back to his family. You are nothing in comparison Severus. Potter's a pureblood, you're not. Potter has name. You don't. You're /rich/, but he's wealthy. You're a deatheater under cover and the Potters are both high ranking aurors."

"You're fighting a lost war." he finished, and looked up to meet the potion master's gaze to prove his point.

Severus shook his head. "What are you saying? That you're not willing to help?"

"That you should flee. Run away. I will not help you ruin your own life."

"I am not giving up on Harry. I can't send him back to those people." he promised. This was the first thing Severus had promised to Harry, he would die trying to keep this one promise.

"This is a lost cause. Potter already has the ministry under his belt, Black and Lupin would be crossed out the moment Potter stepped in. And can you honestly imagine /yourself/ against /him/?" the Malfoy patriarch picked up a quill and started scribbling on a parchment.

"I did it once, what's to say that I can't do it again?" Severus sneered at the man's antics and leaned back in his seat.

"Harold was a child when you did that. A child with physical injuries and valid evidence. Now? Even if you can profile another case for child abuse, you would be the one put under investigation. So far the only physical evidence is against /you/. Harold runs away from you, hides in a tree form you, out in a storm, freezes to his demise for almost three hours and then gets hit by a lighting. That, topped with his last few years at Hogwarts, his depression and anxiety problem... Would lead you into azkaban, and him back into his father's warm embrace, if he ever recovers."

"Don't you....!" he stood and stomped to the desk, Lucius stood as well.

"Show some ambition Severus. For melrin's sake, you are a Slytherin! " the man rounded his work desk and stood in front of Snape, his eyes narrowed. "Black and Potter are going to court over Harry. They get crossed out, bottom line? Their broken hearts. You get into trial with Potter or the canines? What is your bottom line Severus? A dementor's kiss, or life in azkaban. That's what."

He snarled out the last part, his lips stretched back, revealing white straight teeth. Countering back Severus gnawed his own teeth.

"I'm not abandoning him. I would rather die. He's my son. My child, I raised him Lucius. I made him the person he is today."

Harry might hate me now, but I know him. His mine. /My/ baby. He thought to himself fiercely.

"The very person who might vote against you if needs be." Lucius backed down, and sat down back in his chair.

"Harry would never do that. Lucius, Harry would not he involved in any of this. He would be crushed. Shattered into pieces if he knows."

"And what is he now? The Harry you sent that night in the woods, is not the Harry who is lying in a hospital bed right now. He can sue you, all of you, and if he's smart? He will." he answered, somewhat unhelpfully.

"Harry doesn't know everything, and neither do you Lucius. There are more to this bleak situation." they didn't even know a wisp of what they thought they knew, Severus knows everything. And that's why he's determined to take his son back without damaging their fragile relationship any farther.

"His sympathy wouldn't win the court for you at any rate Severus. In fact, if I was you, I would pack my stuff and flee. Potter had found the legal loophole he needed for the revenge he has been plotting for years. Don't you know him? He's ruthless, he would hit you down so hard that you won't be getting up this time, he's a marauder above all that. And you...." he twirled the glass in his hand and drowned the last sip.

"Are the victim. Greasy Snape. Snivelous as he fondly used to call you." Severus's fingers clenched around his own glass of wine, tight enough to break.

"I will not yield. I need your help Lucius. If Potter can buy the ministry, then surely you can do the same?"

"At what stake my friend? To send you right to your inevitable death or destruction? If James Potter wants something, then he will have it. You know that as well as I. You can't beat him if you play fair." the man heaved a sigh in resignation. Severus instantly felt the heavy weight leave his lungs and his back to suddenly lose the strain.

"I don't want to complicate things further." he stated, feeling more confident than he had since these last few days.

"If you want to win your son, and your freedom, then you have to play dirty Severus. The question is.... How much are you willing to lose, in order to gain Harry." he put the parchment in Severus's hand, closing it into a loose fist.

"Everything." he answered without a beat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

/As a child, Harry had been very quiet. Not the shy kind of quiet, or the sudden impulse kind that wore off as soon as the parents attended to his needs. No. He would shut down.

Dad had been worried about it for a long while, Harry remembered, that there were days, or nights, that suddenly he felt like his plug to life had been wrenched out of his chest, leaving his hallow flesh behind. It was like those squeezing hands often around his throat or pressing down on his chest, when it happened Harry would let go of everything.

He would just lie where he was and stare at a certain point, until he felt like getting up again, with no grasp of time, or any concept of his basic human needs.

When he was five years old, it happened on a bad day, for the first time. He had been locked in his cupboard for two whole days, maddened with the smell of food drifting around the small place while he had gone hungry and the darkness which seemed to just drag on and on with no mercy. It was freak time out again.

One of the many reasons for hating Janet so much in the first place was this. Freak time out, was a plan mommy and daddy forced on him when Janet had suggested maybe sudden fear or shock could be a good trigger since they still couldn't find out if he was a squib or not.

Mommy and Daddy researched, and found out, that yes, those things along with pain and pressure did trigger accidental magic. So now, Harry was locked in, not because he had lacked off while doing his chores, but because he simply existed.

For a long time, perhaps the first day, Harry had simply assumed that he had gone blind, it wasn't a wild theory, everything around him, everything he /could/ see was blurry, his eyes ached when he squinted, and then his head would hurt seconds after.

First Daddy (James) , he unlocked the cupboard a day after that. Harry was ecstatic, he could see! By then, his belly had gone numb from the hunger and his throat scrapped like sand paper, he smelled very bad, shamefully of wee, and he felt very sick. He was hot, all over, his pants itched and his head was killing him by then. Simply put, he felt awful.

Harry had whimpered when James harshly grasped his leg, and /pulled/ him out with a sudden tug.

It clicked.

The pain was excruciating for the five year old, the sound of his bone popping literally left him breathless. He didn't cry out, the pain was that bad that he couldn't cry out. His head and back were dragged on the rough surface beneath him.

The pressure was too much for him to handle. Everything was too much, the lights, the sounds, the pain. He couldn't move to cover his ears, he couldn't cry out, he could /see/ though. Harry had seen everything.

"you... Ungrateful... Freak! Why can't you do it?!!.... You worthless piece of shit!" James bellowed between every kick he delivered to the small boy's ribs and stomach. In that moment it occurred to him, that Aiden and mommy must be out, for Daddy to get this loud and more strict this time. Mommy and Daddy usually laid off a little when Aiden was around.

Tears gushed out of his eyes, but then again, no sound came out. His eyes were glazed over, but he could absorb every detail, to the expensive watch around James wrist as he was being chocked, to his harsh words, to every twitch and crinkle in the man's face.

Everything. Every single detail was there for him to see. James continued his angry rant.

"I HAD TO LIE FOR YOU! You fucking squib! You're a disappointment! A mistake!" Daddy wanted him to heal himself, Harry knew it, he had overheard mommy and daddy talking about it. They called it freak time out, locking in him for days and then beating him or depriving him of food and water for his magic to kick in. Harry hated freak time out. He hated /himself / even more for existing and enduring it.

"You ugly freak! It's always you isn't it?! It's always you!"

He it didn't heal. He didn't have magic, he was a squib, a freak and a good for nothing who didn't even have enough magic to heal his own broken bones. Useless. A mistake.

Instead of nails and scratches, now there were bruises blooming everywhere, he didn't close his eyes or flinch back. Harry stared right ahead. Incapable of talking. Lost in his mind.

"Why aren't you talking?! Say something! You freak! Talk! Apologize!" the words were like daggers carving into his heart, so familiar, repeated more than he could recall.

Harry couldn't. And James seemed to know that too. It infuriated him more, and the beating dragged on, and on and on. A kick or punch here and there, bones popping, his eyes forced close by the big purple bruise covering the left side of his face.

He could only manage a long whimper as the last kick was to his head and his mouth filled with blood. If he smelled terrible before, Harry had no idea how did he smell right now, his bladder had given away from the pain and he had puked all over his shirt and face. He reeked of filth.

"You Filthy Scum! Clean it! Clean it all you freak! I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE A SON LIKE YOU!"

"I' so'y" he sobbed, sniffling blood.

James sneered. "You don't mean that. You don't mean /anything/." he put his foot on Harry's broken leg and pressed down.

Harry screamed. /

He knew instantly where he was, and he knew that the memory he had just played out as a nightmare was just that. A nightmare. A real memory, but right now, it had no meaning of him. That's what he tried to tell himself later.

Still, he jolted up in a sitting position, trembling from head to toe. His body coated in cold sweat and his breathing labored. Widening his eyes, Harry's sore hand clumsily fumbled in the pitch dark to find his glasses, his panting didn't seem to abate.

Harry wasn't coherent enough to thank merlin for the lack of that stupid heart monitor and the charm around his chest that prevented his heart from sudden failure. None of those crossed his mind at that moment.

His legs were immediately pulled to his chest, hands covered his creased ears and he /smelled/ urine for the second time. Scared, ashamed, helpless, alone, Harry cried loudly, feeling like he was eleven again, words swirled in his mind.

/"Mommy, Harry 's freaky again!/

"No I'm not!" he shouted back. He wasn't! He wasn't being freaky, he promised! He was just..... He was....

The childish voice changed morphed into Janet's sweet laugh, ringing in his ears.

Out of instinct he called for his dad.

"Dad! DAD! DAD!"

/He was eleven, he was left alone at home for the first time, like a good boy, Harry ate his dinner, cleaned out his room, took a bath and slept at nine. Hoping that Dad would be home till ten so he could comfort him after a nightmare.

He wasn't.

The rain pelted against the roof, it dribbled down the panes just as fluidly as the tears that ran down his face.
He needed Dad, needed the man now! Even though he knew that Dad wasn't home and he was all alone, Harry tried his best. He kicked and screamed, he called for his dad, praying that Dad would somehow come and get him.

Save him./

"DAD!"

Nothing mattered, in Harry's half asleep mind, just Dad mattered. He didn't care about Janet or Aiden, whose voice was still driving him insane. Harry needed Dad. Just Daddy and no one else.

/"He doesn't want you! You're a freak! Hideous! Ugly!" /

No he wasn't, Harry shouted back, Dad wouldn't think that he was ugly, would he? No. Dad would hug him, dad would make him safe, make Harry unfreaky .

"Dad!"

/"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Harry?" the voice soothed his heart, bore down to his very soul. Just like that his fight with Ron seemed petty. His tears seemed bratty and he was on the top of the world again. Because Daddy was there. /

"Call Severus! Someone, now!"

/"Not like that Harry. You should crush the roots and then slice them. Like this." Harry smiled as Dad's hands closed on his, helping him sort out how to crush ginger roots.

"Wouldn't other kids be jealous that you're only helping me?" he asked and Dad paused, Harry last stiffened.

"If they have a brain then they won't Mr. Potter. And it's professor Snape for you."

Harry smiled and hugged his dad, covered in black goo and all.

"I love you Dad, thanks for not hating me." one of the only things he was grateful for.

"I could never hate you baby boy." Dad hugged him back. /

"Harry?!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

/Yesterday morning

A black shaggy dog tagged along the pavement, his tongue rolling out occasionally from the heat and his brow furrowed.

Sirius usually preferred to travel in his animagus form if not with forms of magical transportation, he liked being a dog, and he also guiltily admits, that while it heightened his senses, it also lowered his human consciousness, thus resulting a few pointless squirrel chases and a blissful silence that for once wasn't filled with vengeance and jealousy.

If denying the possibility, that the ministry official and segments were all biased wasn't bad enough, Sirius also cursed himself for foolishly rushing into the said ministry and demanded a custody plea_for the Harry Potter_ his godson, whom by his rotten luck turned out to be James Potter's son, you know who's number one target, and the most controversial figure in the wizarding world.

The eye bulging results of the weight Harry pulled was very evident in the way the ministry treated the case, whereas in other cases the matter would be taken care of quickly and with outpost respect, especially in child abuse or child custody cases, thus was different. Like the exact opposite of what Sirius thought would actually happen.

Of course /everyone/ had heard of what happened to Harry the moment he had stepped away from the red telephone booth, there wasn't a moment that Sirius felt at ease or at least not as agitated as he was before. Every eye was on him, be it magical or nonmagical, creature or human, all of them were staring expectantly, waiting for him to say something to the reporters or give report on Harry's current health statue.

Which he didn't know, by the way. He had no idea how his godson was doing, after his rather loud and informative argument with Evans at the hospital and storming out, he didn't get the chance to visit Harry.

Remus came back with him, so he wouldn't either and since they were both on babysitting duty for a while, and they had things to talk through. It would be better if they saw Harry later anyway.

The dog avoided street lights and rushing pedestrians and stirred in a narrow alleyway, just two blocks away from his house. Sirius black morphed back into a human and sighed.

The envelope in his coat weighted heavily near his chest, all he could think about was Remus's response. Were they really doing this? Did they finally got Harry?
That sounds very selfish, he bit his lip and glanced at up at the door leading to his house.

"I'm home!" he shouted in spite of his mother's portrait upstairs and paused when no one answered.

He narrowed his eyes. By Sirius's calculations, there should be about ten people in this house right now, plus Remus. And still no sound. Not even a peep came out.
"Okay." he said slowly and made his way through the narrow hallway, leering into the drawing room only to see a somber circle of red heads slumped on the ground. He frowned and cleared his throat. His heart picked up beat.

Ginny and the twins looked up, their faces etched with solemnity while others just tried to make themselves smaller.

Sirius paled. "What's going on? Are you guys okay? Where's Remus?" they would've called him, if it was an emergency, Sirius told him himself. At least he hoped they would. Sirius let out a slow breath and looked at Ron for answers. Stay calm, he told himself.

"Kitchen."

"Did something happen? Is Harry alright?" what the hell is going on? He finished the thought.

Ron nodded, his face red in anger and his freckles abnormally shaded brown. "A guy came." he replied quietly, his voice barely audible.

"A guy came? What guy? Would someone please talk?!"

"James came by." Remus's hoarse voice came from his back, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, Remus looked like a corpse, even worse than the state Sirius had left him in, Sirius gulped and stepped closer to the man. Remus blinked and nodded his head to the kitchen.

He opened his mouth but the werewolf beat him to it again.

"Your parents flooed children, I think they want you back home." Remus interjected softly, his tired features drew into a frown as the red heads reluctantly got up and passed the couple mutely.

"Remus..." Ron trailed off, gulping, he closed his mouth and followed Percy out of the room. Sirius looked dumbfounded, his mind raging like a storm, inwardly spouting off insults and half cooked theories, as to why James would want to come here again.

"Thanks for looking after us Remus, bye Sirius." Charlie, the eldest, bowed his head and stepped in last in the floo, engulfed in green flames.

Sirius wildly turned his head back to Remus before the man slumped in a chair, cradling his head as if he had a headache.

"Remus? Remus what the hell is going on?! What the fuck was James...?!" in England? he had no words at his disposal. It's like his common sense had fleed his mind
"He came by unannounced." he wheezed out, rubbing his eyes vigorously.

"But what...?" Sirius was confused.

"He knows. He knows what happened to Harry." Remus clarified, he turned back and glared at Sirius with an accusing gaze. Sirius snapped out of his daze.

"What did he want?! Did he come alone? To gloat or something?"

Remus growled, grazing his teeth at the man threateningly.

"To gloat?!! Sirius, did you just hear me? I said /he knows/. He knows /everything/." Sirius did a double take, blinking.

"Moony.."

"What have we done?! Sirius what have we done?!" the man exclaimed, flailing his arms around madly.

"What are you talking about?! Remus just seat down and bloody explain!" he snapped, forcing the other man down by his shoulders.

"He has ears in the ministry, he knew that you were pleading a trial. He knew it the moment you filled out that bloody form. He wants Harry too." the man admitted, looking seconds away from crying.

"What?!" that is not possible. impossible. Remus shook his head at him in misery.

"He said.... That we, we created a loophole for him. A legal loophole so he can also get Harry back."

"..." what was he playing at?!!!

"He wants to get Harry's custody back." Remus repeated, empathizing on each bloody word.

"He can't. He can't do that! Harry was disowned, it's not possible! Remus, he was talking bullshit..." it didn't work like that. it /shouldn't/ work like that.

"He said... He could. He had /the look/ Sirius. He wasn't kidding, we're so screwed.... We're so screwed." moony covered his mouth, shaking like a leaf. Sirius could only cringe. James departure with Remus all those years ago was a truamatizing one , no wonder his partner was so shaken up.

"Moony, calm down. That couldn't be possible. What he said, Harry was disowned, it's not legally possible..." James was a bluffer, he could've done it out of spite or just trying to ruffle them up. it couldn't be valid. Sirius was drenched in denial.

"It is legally possible. He said it himself, and he's rich... Sirius he can buy people, the wizagoment, he can buy every fucking department in that goddamned place! We acted too soon! Too rash! Look what we've done!"

"It's going to be okay, Remy... We'll fix it." Sirius tried to sound as soothing as possible, not having experience with comforting people. That was Remus's job, not his.

"No we can't. We can't just /fix/ this." he gestured around the room wildly, his eyes catching Harry's golden snitch by accident. The man slumped down in defeat.

"He wants Harry back, he said that he was looking for a loophole, the one we just created by questioning Snape's custody claim. Sirius, can you even comprehend what's at stake here?" as if hit by a train, his partner fell down next to him, his eyes wide and glazed over.

Denial was over, those words hit him like a herd of trolls, the realization finally dawned on him. He could have Harry back.

"What did he say exactly? Did he threaten Harry? Fuck, he's still in a hospital!"

"How long do we have?" ignoring his question, Remus asked with dread, pulling at his hair with aching knuckles.

Sirius turned to him, his mouth moving but no sound came out. "They'll owl us."

Remus nodded blankly, licking his chapped lips.

"He said that, if he wanted Harry back then he would be back, he said something about power and innocence and then said that he wouldn't let Harry to be controlled again."

"He said everything we say or do would be used against us in the court, and I punched him and then throttled him. We're going to trial." Remus said monotonously.
Sirius swore, and swore again and again and then he attacked his throbbing temples with his fists.

"What are going to do? Can't we call it off?! Cancel it or something?!" he asked weakly, his husky breath down the dog's neck.

Sirius shook his head. "It doesn't work like that, you can't 'undo' a custody trial, I mean you could, but.... I don't know."

His ears rang as he recalled the strange looks from the officials, thinking that they were just looking for juicy news about Harry. But no, some of those were the ones who ratted him out, leaked the news to James all the way to France.

"What are we...."

"I owled Snape, well Bill did technically... He... He and Evans left for the ministry again." Sirius cursed. They both fell silent.

"Harry? How's he? Maybe we should go visit him?" his heart ached to see his godson. Sirius needed to see the boy, needed to know how he was doing, and if he was fully healed or not. Last time Sirius had seen the boy, he was retching his guys out in a bush with Remus doing the same. Then it all had been prescribes notes and potions, shouts and curses, and at one point Sirius thought he actually tried to punch Evans in the face when she tried to stop him from leaving.

Oh well, Shit.

Remus gave him a skeptical glance. "I don't think Harry wants to see us right now."

"Why? Does he.... Does he know?" he can't know, Harry can't know. He would kill them. Sirius couldn't let Harry get hurt than he already was.

"I have no idea. James..... James said he would.... Or left, I don't know, some kind of gift for him." Remus spat out.

"Shit." Sirius dragged on the curse, and pursed his lips, his face turned upwards and he cursed again.

"Did Snape see anyone... Or Harry...." James is a such Bastard. He felt like murdering the man, maybe by beating him with fists...

"No, I don't know Sirius. Harry isn't allowed to have visitors anyway." it would be impossible for some outsider to plant a 'gift' for Harry when the child isn't allowed to have visitors. No way.

"Why isn't he allowed to have visitors?" Sirius interjected, his eyes wide with adrenalin and rage. Irrational, bull like rage.

"Evans said it had to do with his heart or something..... Listen, that's not the problem right now, what are we going to do?"

Sirius took a few moments to think.

"We have to go through with the trial. The incentive hasn't changed Remus. Even if James wants Harry_which he won't have_ we have to ensure what Harry wants. And I doubt he wants to live with Snape and Evans... Who would?"

Even if he wanted to, even if James wanted Harry, Sirius couldn't allow the boy to stay with Snape, not now the cat was out of the bag. Things weren't going to be the same. They could take Harry to Australia as planned. Sirius was not joking around when he offered it to Harry.

A care free life, away from abuse, and the Potters and Snape...

Remus didn't seem to think the same.

"What if we lose, Sirius? This isn't a game! If we lose this , then we'll lose Harry! Harry is at stake here you moron! We can't just keep going, we'll lose." the man yelled, his face screwed up into a wince/scowl as he shouted off curses.

Sirius shook his head, they needn't shrink their options down to the court. They could still have Harry if only they got rid of James. Snape had a soft spot for Harry. If the child wanted to live with them when this madness was all over, then the man had no choice but to agree to it. He told Remus that. Feeling the man's desperation to save their cub, but fearing James too much to continue on.

"I didn't say that we should keep going to get custody for Harry, we'll clean up this mess, and Harry will come live with us quietly after everything's over." he repeated after Remus asked him to repeat himself for the second time.

The man just looked at him blankly.

"So what? You want to help Snape?" he asked carefully, his eyes narrowed and his posture slumped, both in exhaustion and resignation.

"Do you see another option here? We would have won against Snape, we could /still/ win against him. But James? No. James will crush us." he summoned a glass of water with his wand, uttering a quick 'aguamenti'

He chucked down the drink, not realizing just how thirsty he really was. He put down the glass, and rolled his tired neck.

"Harry can't go back." Remus stated grimly, both looking like those pair of zombies they had encountered back in Brazil three years ago.

"No he can't." Sirius agreed, lying his head on the man's shoulder and huffing a sigh.

"I'll talk to Snape, you just go and rest moony. You look like shit." he said to Remus, and the man smacked him right in the face. A hollow of a smile passed his face.

"I can't sleep now. You think we should find a lawyer?" the werewolf suddenly wondered out loud.

"I think we should just talk to Harry first." Sirius was done hiding things from his godson.

"Sirius?" Remus's biceps stiffened and Sirius opened an eye.

"Yes?" the man looked past him and to the window just near the back door. Sirius thought he heard a tap.

"You said the ministry will alert us via owl?" Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, it could be weeks, even a month from now on..."

"Then you better hope that, this ministry owl isn't here for what I think it is." Remus gulped and pointed at the window with a shaking hand.

"Bloody hell."