“Because you are a responsible git, just like your dad.” Sirius sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It was still a bit long, but much neater than Harry remembered. “Coming back the way you did,” his godfather said after a moment, “you have a lot of advantages. But it’s not everything. Maybe it’s easier to feel like it’s your fault than admit you can’t control everything.”
Harry thought about that for a moment. There was a certain… perverse logic to that, he supposed. At the same time, he felt bands around his heart, bands he didn’t even realize were there, slowly loosen a bit. “When did you get so wise?” Harry asked.
Sirius shrugged. “I nicked your mum’s notes every chance I got.”
Harry laughed at that, feeling a little better. Just like bloody Sirius to slip a joke in to break the tension. After a moment, he looked up at his godfather. “My dad was ‘responsible’?” Harry asked in a small voice, remembering Snape’s memory of James publicly taunting him.
“Yes,” Sirius replied. “Good thing too. Maybe, anyway.” He looked away, going suddenly serious. “When I was bloody pissed at Snape, I set him up to walk in on Moony on a full moon. James found out and decked me, then caught up to him and Stunned the tosser right before he opened the door.” Harry noticed the man’s fists clenching. “Of course, with what you told me, if he’d snuffed it, Voldemort would never have heard the prophecy and your parents would still be alive.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Remus would never have forgiven you if he hadn’t,” he snapped.
Sirius sighed. “It seemed appropriate at the time. Remus’ books had been scattered during a scuffle our seventh year and I saw Snape picking up a letter from his parents before McGonagall sorted everyone out. A week later, Death Eaters attacked their hideout and burned it to the ground. I thought it was too big a coincidence to ignore and arranged a little payback for the Lupins.”
“That’s quite a stretch,” Harry said, still a little annoyed, even though it was years ago and Remus had obviously forgiven him.
Sirius shrugged. “They’d gone into hiding over a year before, but the letter might have held clues as to their location and I never said Snape was stupid.” He shook his head. “It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“Even so, I don’t think Remus would have accepted that,” Harry said.
“Probably not,” Sirius agreed. “It took a month before he’d even talk to me after what did happen. But I think what Snape did later with that prophecy means I was right.”
Harry scowled. He didn’t think this argument was worth continuing. They’d probably never know.
Sirius seemed to agree, because he changed the subject; sort of. “So what did the greasy bastard do after you got him sacked?” His lips curled into a rather evil leer.
Harry grimaced. “I don’t know. He was gone by the time Dumbledore made the announcement.” He frowned. “If he really was accepting money from Lucius to spy on me first year, he may have gone to the Malfoys for help.”
“Better to have him clearly on the opposite side then,” Sirius said with a grim smile and a satisfied nod. “Harder for him to play us off against each other.”
Harry needs to hear this common fanon about his father and snape… right now he thinks his fathers a douchebag not a crazy kid that grew into a responsible adult who saved the lives of so many.
“Because you are a responsible git, just like your dad.” Sirius sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It was still a bit long, but much neater than Harry remembered. “Coming back the way you did,” his godfather said after a moment, “you have a lot of advantages. But it’s not everything. Maybe it’s easier to feel like it’s your fault than admit you can’t control everything.”
Harry thought about that for a moment. There was a certain… perverse logic to that, he supposed. At the same time, he felt bands around his heart, bands he didn’t even realize were there, slowly loosen a bit. “When did you get so wise?” Harry asked.
Sirius shrugged. “I nicked your mum’s notes every chance I got.”
Harry laughed at that, feeling a little better. Just like bloody Sirius to slip a joke in to break the tension. After a moment, he looked up at his godfather. “My dad was ‘responsible’?” Harry asked in a small voice, remembering Snape’s memory of James publicly taunting him.
“Yes,” Sirius replied. “Good thing too. Maybe, anyway.” He looked away, going suddenly serious. “When I was bloody pissed at Snape, I set him up to walk in on Moony on a full moon. James found out and decked me, then caught up to him and Stunned the tosser right before he opened the door.” Harry noticed the man’s fists clenching. “Of course, with what you told me, if he’d snuffed it, Voldemort would never have heard the prophecy and your parents would still be alive.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Remus would never have forgiven you if he hadn’t,” he snapped.
Sirius sighed. “It seemed appropriate at the time. Remus’ books had been scattered during a scuffle our seventh year and I saw Snape picking up a letter from his parents before McGonagall sorted everyone out. A week later, Death Eaters attacked their hideout and burned it to the ground. I thought it was too big a coincidence to ignore and arranged a little payback for the Lupins.”
“That’s quite a stretch,” Harry said, still a little annoyed, even though it was years ago and Remus had obviously forgiven him.
Sirius shrugged. “They’d gone into hiding over a year before, but the letter might have held clues as to their location and I never said Snape was stupid.” He shook his head. “It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“Even so, I don’t think Remus would have accepted that,” Harry said.
“Probably not,” Sirius agreed. “It took a month before he’d even talk to me after what did happen. But I think what Snape did later with that prophecy means I was right.”
Harry scowled. He didn’t think this argument was worth continuing. They’d probably never know.
Sirius seemed to agree, because he changed the subject; sort of. “So what did the greasy bastard do after you got him sacked?” His lips curled into a rather evil leer.
Harry grimaced. “I don’t know. He was gone by the time Dumbledore made the announcement.” He frowned. “If he really was accepting money from Lucius to spy on me first year, he may have gone to the Malfoys for help.”
“Better to have him clearly on the opposite side then,” Sirius said with a grim smile and a satisfied nod. “Harder for him to play us off against each other.”
Harry needs to hear this common fanon about his father and snape… right now he thinks his fathers a douchebag not a crazy kid that grew into a responsible adult who saved the lives of so many.