"Merlin!" He exclaimed, picking up one of the books reverently. "This is incredible! Minerva, Bertie and I have been searching high and low for a copy of this book." His head snapped around to Sirius. "Why would your grandfather have it?"
"Probably because one of these memories," Sirius tapped the box he'd unearthed, "will be the one Bertie played for me in the pensieve."
Remus nodded slowly. "I wouldn't mind seeing that memory." He frowned. "There's more?"
"Here." Sirius handed Remus his grandfather's letter and moved away, ostensibly to examine the books but really to hide.
Eventually, he heard Remus clear his throat. "We should probably see if this Irish Seer of his is still alive."
"Yes."
"Sirius…"
"Don't, Remus." Sirius ordered briskly. He shook himself and turned back, avoiding the sympathetic eyes of his old friend. "Where are Harry and the others?"
"Out in the garden in the old Summer pavilion." Remus said. "The house elves brought elevenses. Do you want to join us?"
Sirius shook his head and retook the seat behind the desk. "I should go through the memories."
Remus nodded, understanding without Sirius saying anything that he wasn't in the mood to rejoin the family and act as though nothing was wrong. "Right, well you set up the pensieve and I'll go and tell Andy to take over the tour. I'll be right back." He started for the door.
"Remus, I can go through the memories myself and…"
"Don't be stupid, Padfoot." Remus cut him off and caught his eyes firmly. "You're not going through them alone."
Sirius didn't really want to argue; wasn't sure he could with the lump in his throat so he settled for a sharp, brief nod. Remus hurried out and Sirius went about setting up the pensieve, losing himself cleaning the bowl and ensuring the runes were good to prevent himself from thinking about his grandfather's letter.
"If you had come to me that night rather than the Potters, Sirius, I would have chosen you, protected you."
He hadn't even thought about going to his grandfather in his flight from Grimmauld Place. He had taken the Knight Bus to the Potters' place, hiding his injuries as best he could. He had walked up the long driveway with nothing but the robes on his back and his wand. He had managed to ring the doorbell and then he had collapsed. He'd regained consciousness, sobbed his heart out on Charlus Potter's shoulder, been ushered into bed where a Healer had taken care of the worst of the damage and Dorea had fussed over him before a sleeping potion had been poured down his neck. He'd woken the next day with James sprawled on the bed next to him, snoring away. Three days after that, Charlus had brought him his possessions from Grimmauld and told Sirius that it was official; his grandfather had agreed that Sirius would stay with the Potters. Charlus had sent them to the French chateau for the Summer.
Sirius took a shaky breath. He had later learned from his brother that his grandfather had confined their mother to Grimmauld Place for her actions. He had assumed at the time that his grandfather had only punished her because she'd gone after the Heir not because she'd gone after Sirius. Maybe he had been wrong about that.
"Ready?" asked Remus gently, startling Sirius out of the past and back into the present.
"Yes," Sirius said before he sighed, "no."
"We don't have to do this now." Remus pointed out in the same gentle tone.
"Yes, we do." Sirius countered. He squared his shoulders and opened the box of memories. The vials were set out neatly in holders and numbered. He picked up the one marked '1' and poured it into the pensieve.
Remus nodded at him and they entered at the same time.
The memory was the same as the one Bertie had shown him on the day of Harry's adoption and blessing – only the viewpoint differed. Sirius watched amused as Remus clutched at his arm as Harry took over Lily, as he took control of the family magic. As Sirius arrived back and his grandfather swooped over to tend to him, the memory faded and they were pushed back out into the study.
"Merlin!" said Remus awestruck. "You told me and I believed you but to see it!"
"I know!" Sirius agreed. It was his second viewing but he was still blown away.
"Yes," Remus continued, "that right hook of Lily's was just miraculous!"
Sirius's head whipped around to Remus's mischievous 'gotcha' face so fast that Sirius felt a rush of dizziness. He did the only thing he could do; he burst out laughing. If the giggles at the end edged hysteria, neither he nor Remus commented about it.
"Thank you, Moony," Sirius said eventually, as he straightened up and brushed away the tears of laughter that had eked out the corners of his eyes, "I needed that."
"Shall we take a gander at number two?" Remus gestured at the box and a moment later Sirius had emptied the pensieve of the first memory and they were diving into the second.
They landed in a St Mungo's waiting room. Sirius's grandfather sat on one uncomfortable chair by the door while on the other side of the room, Bertie, Albus, Bagnold and Crouch conferred in low voices. It took a moment for Sirius to figure out that Charlus and James would probably be with Lily who must have been taken off to a Healer after Harry's impromptu take-over. The four officials seemed embroiled in a heated discussion with Bertie on one side and the rest on the other. A shiver of foreboding ran down Sirius's spine.
"May I sit with you?" Lily's sweet voice yanked his grandfather's attention away from the group and he rose to his feet automatically, his wand already out and transfiguring the seat next to him into something more comfortable even as he gestured for her to take it.
"You are recovered?" Arcturus asked politely as they sat down.
Lily nodded, a faint hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Thank you for your understanding about my son borrowing your family magic."
"It is his family magic too." Arcturus said mildly.
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