The Brothers Black

im rusty. so rusty. and also extremely late for christmas. i may as well have waited 350 days until the holidays came around again, but im trying to write more this year, so hear you go? eek im nervous. please pardon any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. enjoy! also tumblr doesn't seem to have line breaks so sorry if any time jumps are confusing.

also a warning for language and mentions of wanting to step in front of a bus as an extreme response to being embarrassed. i swear this is all fluff otherwise.

Harry doesn't know what to get Sirius for Christmas.

Well, to clarify, Harry doesn't know if he can get Sirius anything adequately worth a damn. Because how can a game (magical or not) or piece of art or trinket or any sort of anything say hey Merry Christmas and by the way, thanks for saving me from my horrible abusive household where I lived in a cupboard and for wrangling a fucked up wizarding judicial system so that it both exonerates you from a murder you didn't commit and lets you adopt a kid you only properly met six months ago.

Harry would also like the gift (if he ever manages to find something) to say also thank you for giving me my own bedroom and for making pancakes every Saturday morning and for letting me visit my friends and for playing two-man Quidditch with me and for ruffling my hair and for always letting me pick the film that we watch and for telling me stories about my parents and for always being just enough and for not pushing me when I have nothing to say and for calling me by my name instead of shouting boy angrily-

Harry figures that he should cut himself off there. Any more gratitudes and the gift will literally be impossible to find, lest it be the size of Hogwarts in an effort to cram any and all unspoken messages Harry doesn't have the courage to voice out loud.

So Harry does what he usually does in a sticky situation. He turns to his friends.

No clue mate, Ron writes. I normally get Mum perfume and Dad whatever Muggle trinket he's been obsessing over. So unless Sirius wants a rubber duck, I probably won't be much help. But you could probably give him one and he'd be ecstatic. You're pretty much his favorite person right now.

Ah bloody hell. Do you think I should get Sirius something as a thanks for Pig?

Even though he's sure Ron's right (although Padfoot might enjoy a rubber duck more than Sirius), Harry doesn't have time to add Ron's own gift conundrum to his list of problems, so he turns to Hermione, who ends up being a bit more helpful.

I know you said that Sirius was interested in curse-breaking and how it can be used to help with cleaning up Grimmauld Place, so maybe something pertaining to that? A book or starter kit? Or perhaps something a bit more personal, something he couldn't just buy in a shop. Don't worry too much, Harry. He'll love whatever it is you give him because it's you.

Harry disregards the book suggestion immediately. Sirius does read; over the holiday break the two of them have taken to sitting quietly on opposite sides of the couch in the sitting room, reading books from the Black family library and munching on the latest treat Mrs. Weasley has sent them while flames blaze in the fireplace, only breaking the peaceful quiet occasionally to share whatever interesting passage has just been read. But Harry doesn't want to give a present that reminds Sirius of the exhausting work they do every day trying to make Grimmauld Place a habitable home.

Hermione's other suggestion, however, gets Harry thinking. Something he couldn't just buy in a shop. That obviously eliminates all of the last-resort items Harry had on his mental list, as they were dumb things he had planned to frantically order by mail once he gave up on the idea of finding something good enough for Sirius. But it also opens up a new idea, something that Harry himself had appreciated when he had received it a few years ago.

He begins firing off letters and mail-in order forms with an efficiency Hermione would admire. The owls return in quick fashion, up to three or four a day. Sirius doesn't notice anything at first, but when Hedwig taps on the kitchen window for the second time that day during breakfast, he gets up and lets her in with a raised eyebrow at Harry.

"Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment?" he asks, somewhat incredulously, peering at the label on the package. "Harry, love, you know we can just go to Diagon Alley whenever you'd like. No need to rely on owl post if you're running low on supplies."

Harry flushes and snatches the small, soft package from Hedwig, stuffing it under his armpit and looking determinedly at his porridge. He hopes he doesn't have ACTUALLY IT'S PART OF YOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENT written all over his face.

"It's fine," he shrugs, aiming for casual nonchalance with his tone. "It's just a small thing. No point in going all the way down to Diagon Alley. Besides, the crowds would drive you crazy. They'd probably give you a concussion trying to get a picture."

Sirius grimaces, probably thinking of their last attempt to go for an ice cream at Fortescue's shortly before Harry had left for the fall term. They'd returned to Grimmauld Place ice cream-less and with a giant tear down the front of Harry's robes.

"Nothing a Glamour Charm wouldn't fix," he responds, grabbing his own empty bowl and bringing it to the sink. "Anyway, it's not fair for us to be shut up in this damned house because some people can't behave themselves in public. You just let me know whenever you want to go out, alright? I promise I won't breathe down your neck while you look at potions ingredients and whatnot. Even if they all suspiciously happen to be ingredients for an Enlarging Potion."

He manages to ruffle Harry's hair before the boy squawks out a "Sirius!" and darts out the kitchen, cackling in response to Harry's sputtered "I'm not... I wouldn't... SIRIUS!"

As Christmas approaches, Harry begins to stay up later and later into the night, working frantically to finish Sirius' present. One late night (or early morning, really), he hears a gentle knock on his door. He jumps and shoves the half completed project under his comforter.

"Come in!"

Sirius peeks his head through the cracked open door. "Are you alright? I was getting a glass of water and noticed your light was still on."

Harry nods, trying to convey a casualness he doesn't feel beneath the stress of wanting to have the present ready by Christmas morning. "Yes. Fine. I was just... reading." He reaches for his nightstand and holds up the latest book he's knicked from the Black family library for this exact purpose.

Sirius raises an eyebrow. "You sure? I've read that one before. Couldn't last more than thirty seconds at a time without falling asleep."

Harry glances at the cover. He hasn't even cracked it open yet. "It's actually quite interesting. I've always been fascinated by... the evolution of wizarding legalese from 1500 to 1800." He internally winces as the subject matter is finally made apparent to his sleep-deprived brain.

Sirius pauses, clearly sensing that something's up. He must decide that now's not the time to probe further because he says, "Alright. You're stronger than me, then. Let me know if you need anything though." He begins to retreat and close the bedroom door but stops right before he actually does. "I forgot, " he murmurs, opening the door wide and stepping fully into Harry's bedroom. He approaches Harry where he's sitting on his bed. Harry tries to discretely shove the half-finished present further under the covers. "You had a letter downstairs. We must have missed it earlier. I only saw it when I was getting water." He hands over a rather thick envelope to Harry, who flips it over, notes the name of the sender, and smiles, relieved.

Sirius lets out a small puff of air, and Harry looks up at the sound. Sirius pastes on a rather strained smile. "Do you often write to Mrs. Weasley?"

Harry's brain scrambles for a response. "Erm. Not really."

He doesn't say anything else, unsure how to explain away the situation convincingly. A rather awkward silence settles between them. Sirius looks as if he's summoning the courage to say something.

Sirius takes a deep breath. "I'm here if you ever want to talk, Harry. I know the Weasley's have always been great to you, and I never want to feel like you're getting that taken away. But, I just want you to know that I'm also here, in addition to them. For anything. No questions asked or judgement cast. Alright?"

The letter slips out of Harry's grip, as he frantically waves his hands in front of him, desperate to correct Sirius' perception of the situation. "Oh, no, Sirius, I know! I swear it. We were just... planning Ron's birthday present this year. They wanted to throw him a party." The fib comes easily.

Sirius visibly relaxes. "Oh. Ron's birthday's not until April though."

"Yes," Harry's brain scrambles for an explanation. "But you know how Mrs. Weasley is. Always trying to stay ahead. She's already starting to plan the menu. Fretting between bacon sandwiches or chicken legs for the main course."

Sirius shakes his head, a genuine smile starting to form on his face. "Well you know my vote is always for chicken legs. Assuming I'm invited of course."

"You know you're always invited. Mrs. Weasley always wants an opportunity to make sure you're feeding me properly," Harry rolls his eyes. "And Ron thinks you're pretty cool too. Even though you broke his leg."

Sirius gives him a mock scowl. "Hey now! I wasn't in my right mind that night. And I gave him an owl to make up for it! Even though I was probably doing myself more of a favor than him. That damned owl was driving me mad."

Harry giggles, and Sirius' smile grows wider at the sound. He lets out a dramatic sigh and leans over to ruffle Harry's hair, ignoring the sounds of protest that come in response to the action.

"Alright then, love. I'm off to bed. Shout if you need anything, and I'll be here in faster than you can say chicken legs. You hear me?"

Harry nods. "Yes sir."

Sirius scowls for real this time. "None of that now, remember?"

Harry nods again, this time rather sheepishly. Sirius bends over to kiss his forehead before heading out of the bedroom, shouting a "Good night!" over his shoulder before he closes the door behind him.

Harry sighs in relief, pulls the present out from underneath the comforter, tears open Mrs. Weasley's letter, and gets back to work.

The morning of the 25th is bright and cold.

Harry is a ball of nerves as the breakfast plates get cleared away and the two of them prepare to go to the sitting room to open presents. Padfoot had barged into Harry's room at half past seven, barking loudly and leaping onto the bed, nearly giving Harry a heart attack in the process. He'd only finished Sirius' present in the wee hours of the morning and had barely managed to shove it into his desk drawer before he'd fallen asleep.

Sirius had dragged Harry into the kitchen for special Christmas chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate but had only allowed Harry to start eating once he agreed to don a ridiculously oversized Santa hat that matched the one Sirius had on his own head.

"If I'd known you liked Christmas so much, I'd have taken you to the Muggle mall to get a picture with Santa," Harry grumbles only half-heartedly as he watches the milk heat up on the hob. Sirius was adamant about making hot chocolate the old-fashioned way.

Sirius laughs loudly and hooks his arm around Harry's neck, pulling him close and planting a kiss on his forehead with a loud smack. "It's our first Christmas together, kiddo! First of many. You can get past your anti-morning attitude for that, can't you?"

"I gueeeeeeees," Harry mock-whines, drawing out the word as he adds the chopped chocolate to the steaming milk. He's secretly pleased that Sirius seems to somewhat enjoy his company. It shows he's not such a terrible charge.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," Sirius states dramatically. He gives Harry one last squeeze before releasing him. "Now come on, let's get to presents. I call going first!" He darts off to the sitting room where, overnight, a large pile of presents has piled in front of the eight-foot tall tree Sirius had dragged home one afternoon (with lots of swearing).

Harry gulps nervously as he pours hot chocolate into two mugs and tops them both with a handful of marshmallows. His hands are slightly shaking as he brings them both to the sitting room. Sirius is poking around the heap of gifts as he enters the room, and Harry spots the hastily wrapped, lumpy package he completed only a few hours ago.

Please like it, please like it, please like it, he silently begs as he sets the mugs on the coffee table. The sight of the gift is almost nauseating, and he keeps his eyes fixed on the hot chocolate.

Sirius turns at the sound to spot Harry and grins. "Alrighty, kiddo, what do you want to unwrap first? I did go a bit overboard this year, you'll have to forgive me. But there's plenty here from your friends!" He's practically vibrating with excitement.

Harry straightens his back and clears his throat. "Actually, do you mind if you do the opening first?"

Sirius pauses. "Are you sure? I swear mine are quite good."

Harry nods vigorously. "Yes. You can start with mine. It's right on top. The green wrapping." Let's just get this over with, he thinks.

Sirius picks up the package and shakes it gently. It makes no noise, and Harry can't help but let out a chuckle despite the knots in his stomach. Sirius grins at him and begins to carefully unwrap the gift.

Harry's legs suddenly feel like treacle tart filling. He lowers himself onto the couch so he doesn't pass out.

The wrapper paper gently falls to the ground, revealing a mound of knit material. Sirius unravels the pile to reveal a rather lumpy, oversized navy blue sweater with a slightly misshapen black dog woven onto the front.

Sirius doesn't say anything.

Harry's heart drops to his stomach. He opens his mouth, desperate to explain away the situation. "It's uh... it's... erm... it's a sweater? I made it?" As if that wasn't fucking obvious, he internally snarls at himself. He shakes his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "Yes, I, um, I made it. That's uh... that's Padfoot. On the front of it. I knitted it."

Sirius doesn't say anything.

Harry's words start coming out faster and faster, hoping something comes out that remedies this clusterfuck of an event. "Mrs. Weasley helped me. She sent me instructions. And the patterns? That 's why she was sending me so many letters. I didn't know how to do it. They aren't throwing a party for Ron."

Sirius still doesn't say anything.

Oh fuck! Harry thinks wildly. He's probably livid I lied. Oh fuck fuck fuck. "I'm sorry I lied to you! I just wanted it to be a surprise," he manages to get out. "That's why I was ordering so much through owl post. I had to get the yarn and the needles. And I kept having to order more yarn because I kept getting frustrated and messing up a lot. I didn't want you to know. Until now, that is. Obviously."

Sirius. Still. Doesn't. Say. Anything.

Harry wants to crawl into a hole and die. But for some stupid, idiotic reason, he keeps speaking. "I wasn't sure if you'd like the color? I actually realized that I don't know what your favorite color is. But whenever Mrs. Weasley makes one for me or for the Weasley kids, she usually does our favorite color. Or house colors. But I figured you have lots of things in Gryffindor colors? Like your wand holster. And then I noticed that you wear a lot of navy. So I thought that might be nice."

If Sirius doesn't say anything, Harry just might call the Knight Bus so he can step in front of it. He decides to get everything off of his chest before he has to do so.

"Mrs... uh... Mrs. Weasley made me one," he explains softly. "My first year. And every year after that. It means a lot to me. I think it was probably the first gift I ever got. And it kind of made me feel like part of their family? A little bit at least. So... so I wanted to give you one. Not from her, of course. But from me. So you could feel like a part of... our family?" His sentence embarrassingly ends like a question, so he hastily tacks on, "If you want to, of course."

Sirius finally moves, and Harry shuts his mouth. He gently sets the sweater down on the armchair next to him, walks over to where Harry is sitting, and pulls him up into the tightest, fiercest hug Harry has ever experienced.

Neither say anything for a few moments. Until Harry can't deal with not being able to breathe and squeaks out, "Uh? Sirius? I can't really inhale."

Sirius releases him quickly and takes a step back. "Sorry."

Harry feels awkward again. He clears his throat, hoping to fill the silence with something. "I hope you like it. But I know it's not done very well. So I can take it apart if you'd rather that. The shop said they'd take the yarn back as long as it wasn't too worn."

Sirius' head snaps up. "What? Harry, my love, I don't not like it. I love it."

Harry's mouth goes dry. "What?"

Sirius gives him a small smile. His eyes look suspiciously glassy. "Harry. You made this for me. You made this for me! It's my favorite color, and it's got me on it! Of course I love it. Not just because you took the time and the effort to make something for me. Because, my goodness, how do you even start with something like this? It must have taken you ages. But also because, well, you said it yourself. I mean, I already felt like part of the same family with the whole adoption bit and knowing you since you were a baby and whatnot, but it's always nice to know you feel the same. And I'm so honored to be a part of your family. Always will be. You have to know that, alright?" Sirius presses their foreheads together. "Alright?"

Harry nods, feeling a little something catch in his throat. He nods.

"Thank you for my gift," Sirius says softly. "I love it. No talk about talking it apart. I'll be proper mad if you do, you hear me?"

Harry nods again. Sirius releases him. He grabs the sweater from the armchair and pulls it over his head. The hem is uneven and the dog looks more like a cat once the sweater settles on his body, but Sirius only looks down at it and grins.

"Now come on, it's your turn to open presents. I don't think any of mine are as good as a handmade sweater, but I hope you like them anyway. And that's got me thinking, we ought to do a Christmas card no? Especially now that I've got a nice sweater on. Mrs. Weasley might tear up at the sight of a photo of the two us. Come on, come on, pick a present."

Harry rolls his eyes without any real heat behind the action. And he doesn't say anything later when he feels a burst of pride when he sees the photo they take in front of the Christmas tree that afternoon, Sirius wearing the sweater with the biggest, proudest smile Harry has ever seen.

He just bottles the feeling and hopes to remember it forever.

This is soooo cute I am going to puke rainbows and confetti

The Black Brothers

(I’m writing fluff of them because I can’t find any. Oh and of course there will be angst, but angst with a good ending. Lots of comfort💗)

Regulus listened to the pouring rain that hit the windows of the tower. How the fuck did he get himself into this? Sirius was an asshole, he had abandoned Regulus, when he made friends with potter that is, right…? But now he was laying down in Sirius’ cozy Gryffindor bed, with a heating charm over him. Sirius silently putting homework in his bag, after giving up trying to do it. They weren’t saying a word to each other, Sirius occasionally muttering to himself. Sirius had said he had wanted to talk to him about something important, that’s why he had searched for Regulus, he had found him, in the bloody lake! Regulus had felt a sort of stability, not because of the water, but because he was alone. Well, until Sirius came. Sirius had found him and said he had wanted to talk with him, Regulus snapped at him. Sirius convinced Regulus to come out of the water, as he did so, Sirius took his cloak off, putting his own Gryffindor cloak on him. Since his cloak was soaking wet from the water, not to mention his entire uniform.

Because of how the cold was effecting him, Regulus had lost balance, his knees buckling, Sirius caught him, and even though Regulus tried to resist, Sirius had picked him up and settled him into his arms like a child. Like how it used to be… Sirius had refused to leave Regulus alone, he was confused. Regulus and Sirius weren’t close friendly brothers anymore, and he thought Sirius hated him, but he was second guessing now. Because Sirius had given him clean warm clothes, a bed, warmth, food, water, he had gave him hospitality and shelter when he had denied it.

Regulus needed to get better, apparently the coldness of the lake was quite dangerous, it had really affected Regulus. And Sirius just willingly took him in…why? Did he still- well..- care….? Regulus had been snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Sirius pull his blanket down slightly. He lightly shivered, even while being under a heating charm. Regulus locked eyes with Sirius. “Why…are you doing this..?” Sirius went back to doing whatever he was doing, probably examining his body for anything he would have to worry about. “Doing what?” Regulus let out a deep breath, when he spoke he didn’t expect his voice to be broken and wet with sadness, tears he didn’t know he was holding falling down his face. “Why….why..are you taking care of me…you hate me, so why.” Sirius stopped examining Regulus’ body, instead looking at him. “Tell me why, I would hate you, Reggie. Why would you ever think I hated you.?” Regulus let out another shaky breath, before going on about all the reasons why he would hate him, why he SHOULD hate him.. “Regulus, I would never hate you, I need you to understand that, alright? I’m sorry for…everything. Everything I’ve done, I’m a horrible brother….I’m so sorry, Reg..” Sirius was sitting on the bed now, crying as well. “I’m sorry for not paying any attention to you, making you feel like the second choice, never being even a decent human being towards you…” Sirius shook with sobs, Regulus was staring wide eyed at his brother, crying as well. He rarely saw his brother vulnerable, he always put on the strongest brightest face. Sirius seemed to choke on his sobs. “Fuck, I’m SO sorry, Regulus..” In one quick motion, Regulus embraced his brother, crying into his shoulder. “Stop it..” he had barely managed to mutter that out..

It was not even twenty minutes later, when the rest of the marauders had rushed back into the Gryffindor boy dorms, very concerned by why there best friend hadn’t been at dinner. Only to find him, fast asleep in his bed, cuddling- wait..his brother? Everyone thought they hated each other…But they didn’t do or say anything about it, just got ready for bed like usual, and fell asleep. Sirius peeked his eyes open after a bit, he almost thought his little brother would be gone when he opened his eyes, but he was still there, in his arms, head buried in his chest. He was so indescribably happy to have his little brother back. He started humming, humming a song only him and Regulus knew. And eventually, he fell asleep again, and apparently Regulus did too, even if Sirius hadn’t known he was awake at all.

I hope this wasn’t a waste of your time, I know it’s badly written, please just give me a break about it, I’ll try to get better at writing💗 I’ll try to write something more detailed and less cringe soon🫶

can someone tag me the name of this fic pls?

picturing harry and sirius bonding moments right now because i’m having a terrible time and i need to distract myself from real life bullshit

- cooking together. sirius learnt some from effie yeaaaaaaars ago but time + azkaban has effectively taken him back to square one. harry, who grew up having to cook for the dursleys and act as sous chef for petunia all the time, is very proficient. he’s got all the basics down pat (bc efficiency was—necessary when cooking for vernon and dudley) and now that he can, he’s not afraid of experimenting and trying things out. harry teaching sirius little tips and tricks, both of them spending hours in the kitchen just getting to know each other in a way they hadn’t been able to so far.

- sirius and harry going out into the muggle world. it’s an act of rediscovery for both of them. harry, who’d never been allowed to go out, and sirius, who’s last excursion was with james before azkaban the potters had gone into hiding. they do all the cringy tourist shit like going on the london eye, taking a photo in front of the buckingham palace, wearing trashy ‘l<3nd<3n’ t-shirts, the whole deal. eating greasy fish and chips, and waffles on a stick, and everything in between.

- harry taking padfoot out for a walk (bc sometimes sirius needs to just,,,unwind), playing fetch and jumping into fountains. padfoot chasing pigeons and harry laughing his head off. laying down, exhausted, on the grass, harry fully draped over padfoot’s back.

- stargazing. sirius pointing to different stars, connecting it to people, and telling harry about funny, mildly concerning, black family history that operated as nighttime stories for anyone who grew up in that household. it’s all gruesome tales about murder and betrayal and illegal magic usage and dark magics. harry is so concerned for his godfather like ‘wtf how did u turn out ok??’ and sirius is just like ‘are u absolutely sure about that 🤭’

anyway. i just want slice-of-life bonding to make up for 12 years of separation. sirius getting to know his godson as a teen/young adult instead of the babbling toddler he was used to. harry basically getting to know him for the first time. not having to worry about shit like the war and voldy and dementors, just having fun and living their best lives.

(wrote this for all the sirius + harry fans who were having rough days yesterday ((more than one??? y'all good??)). have some fluff? maybe? i don't even know anymore.)

-

"Budge over," Sirius said as he sat down on the edge of his godson's bed, Harry currently laying in it with a hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head in the dead of summer, and as far as Sirius knew, this had been the outfit of choice for a few days now.

Since Harry had come home from a date and retreated to his bedroom, some melancholic record playing loud enough to signal to Remus and Sirius that something terrible had happened.

The first night Harry had cried.

The second night Harry had shouted at the both of them.

The third night Harry had decided the silent treatment was the best course of action and he was going to stay in his bedroom no matter how many times Sirius offered to buy him anything under the sun or Remus tempted with heartbreak dessert.

"I don't want to talk, Sirius," Harry mumbled, scooting over a minuscule amount to allow his godfather to join him in bed. Sirius took the space though, moving so he could lean against Harry's headboard, one arsecheek on the bed, the other hanging half off.

"Okay, you don't have to," Sirius said, clasping his hands together and resting them on his stomach. "Thought you might like some company though."

"Why would you think that?" He asked roughly, rolling to his side to avoid eye contact or interaction.

"Because you're sad. Because I raised you and know that when you get hurt, you want someone to stay with you. Like when you fell off your bike down that hill?" Harry twisted his neck slightly so he could look at Sirius, "Went too fast...fell so hard. I don't think I've ever ran so quickly in my life to get to you."

"I was fine though...nothing was broken."

"Oh no, but your knees had some bad scrapes on them, a few bruises. I didn't know having something physically broken was the threshold for injury."

"I just mean it wasn't that bad."

"At nine it was. And the whole day you just wanted to be around one of us. Slept in our bed too."

"I'm not nine," Harry muttered, though he moved so he could mimic Sirius's position, sitting up slightly and folding his hands over his stomach, Harry's pointy elbow touching Sirius's.

"You're not, I don't even wish you were anymore, you were a little hellion."

"What? No, I wasn't."

"You used to hang upside down off the third floor, do you remember that? Climb over the railings and hook your feet in and just drop. I'm actually shocked I'm still alive after witnessing that a few times."

Harry cracked a small smile, "Well that was the fun part..."

"Mhmm, I know it was. See? Nothing but trouble," Sirius nudged Harry with this shoulder, noticing that his godson had moved closer to Sirius as he spoke, their elbows overlapping. "But...thing is, even if you had fallen off the railing, or the banister collapsed and you came with it. We'd bandage you up, figure it out, fix the railing. It gets a bit harder when the hurt isn't physical. Nothing's broken, not really, right now and yet..."

"Fucking sucks."

"Broken hearts really fucking suck," Sirius responded, nodding.

"It...just sucks to feel like he didn't want me anymore. What do I do about that?" Harry asked and looked up to Sirius, their shoulders now pressed together. Sirius took a chance, moving one of his arms off his stomach and wrapping it around Harry.

Harry didn't pull away or fidget under the touch. Not a single eye roll.

"You...sit here, and you listen to all the sad music," Sirius started, deciding to leave out the moment in time where he thought he was going to charm Harry's record player off after hearing "I Had a King" for the 30th time, "and you...let someone sit with you until it doesn't hurt so much. Scrapped knees heal, so do hearts."

"You sure?"

"Well the alternative is you being heartbroken for the rest of your life and never leaving your bedroom and I'm okay with that too," Sirius said, "I'll still hang out with you. I'll grow a long white beard sitting here with you."

Harry put his head on Sirius's chest, and Sirius's hand went to the back of Harry's head, resting on messy black hair. "I...I don't think it'll be that long. You know?"

"Yeah."

Thats literally me! Sounds narcissistic (no pun intended)!

Sirius Black is that kid who claims he’s dumb and doesn’t know anything and then does amazing in all of his exams because he just remembers stuff. Remus gets a bit jealous.

GGSB Fest 2024 - You're My Hero

@goodgodfathersiriusblack

Prompt - hero

When Harry is tasked with a holiday paper about his personal hero, Sirius is surprised to learn that it's *him*.

AO3

***

“Hey kid, what are you working on?” Sirius asks, as he sees Harry at the table writing something on parchment.  It’s their first winter holidays that they’re spending together after his breakout and subsequent freedom the previous year.  “Thought you wouldn’t have any homework for the holidays.”

“Oh, erm, McGonagall heard about this… muggle paper… that she wanted us to try writing.  She’s hoping that it might help people see that I’m just an ordinary kid and stop people from treating me differently.”

Sirius frowns.  “Muggle paper … about what that would do that?”

“Your personal hero,” Harry states.  “Since we have to list three reasons why this person – a real person – is our personal hero, she thinks it’ll help people realize that they don’t have three reasons to consider me their hero and might, you know, think of me as a kid.  Not a mythical hero.”

Sirius hums.  “She waited until your fourth year for this?”

“I think she just realized that it was kind of a big deal the last few years and she just finally wanted to do something,” Harry states.  “She mentioned something about your talk with her?”

“Oh,” Sirius offers.  He had had a talk with her after Harry had admitted to some difficulties he’s had with the students in previous years.  Higher expectations, badgering him when he just wanted to go to class, and treating him overall differently.  Harry wants to be normal, and he deserves that.  So, Sirius wanted to deal with that.  “That … explains a lot.  I hope it helps.”

“Me too.”

Harry returns to his paper, and honestly, Sirius is curious about who Harry might write about: Lily, since she saved him?  James, since he tried to protect them both?  Maybe the Weasleys since they tried to be there for him – (not enough for Sirius’ opinion, but to Harry, it probably was)?

He wants to ask, but before he can, Harry says, “It’s not done yet, but … when I’m done, do you – you want to read it?”

“I’d love that,” Sirius says, smiling. 

“Good.”

***

Three days later just before Harry’s about to go to bed, he says, “I left the paper on the counter.  If you don’t like it… I could… write about someone else.  Just … let me know.”

Sirius tilts his head in confusion even as he says, “I’m sure it’s great.  I’ll go read it now.  Have a good night.”

“Night, Pads.”

Harry rushes up the stairs and Sirius moves to the table to read Harry’s paper.

My godfather is my hero because… 

And Sirius can’t stop the “Oh,” from slipping out.  

Harry had written about him.  He – he thought Sirius was his hero.  

He saved me from my relatives, he gave me a home, and he chooses to love me for who I am and not what I am to the world…

Sirius can’t stop the tears rolling down his cheeks as he reads all about how Harry truly felt since the moment that Sirius offered him a home that night that they caught Pettigrew.  Harry had detailed a very long paper about how amazing Sirius was just for simple things like writing letters and making his favorite dinner.  Things like letting him decorate his own room and the fact that he has a legit room to live in.

It's … beautifully written.  The love splashed across the page is hard to miss and it melts Sirius’ heart.  

(Of course, he also wants to kill the Dursleys because basic care for a child should not be hero-worthy, but that’s for another time).  Right now, he just wants to go hug his kid tight and tell him he loves him.

Thus, when he reaches the end of the paper, he gets up to do just that and isn’t surprised that Harry’s anxiously waiting at the top to the stairs.  

Oh right, he sounded like he was worried that Sirius wouldn’t be thrilled with being the subject of the paper.

But he is… he so is.

He rushes up the stairs and pulls Harry into a hug.  

“I love you, Kid, so much.”

“You’re okay with it, then?” Harry asks, still worried despite being in Sirius’ arms.  

“I’m thrilled, kid.  It’s such an honor.  I hope that I continue to live up to the honor of being your hero.”

Harry hugs him tightly back.  “You will, I know you will.”

“Good.”

to me too... I was crying rivers and canals and my friends were just at me and saying "Hey what happened?" And the MFs cried over cedrics death😑

Fuck this shit

Sirius is explicitly, canonically, the closest Harry has to a parent.

Here’s why:

Sirius is his godfather. He was appointed as his godfather in the middle of a war. He is his rightful guardian and is literally the only one with actual legal authority when it comes to Harry.

(He is also the only one Harry actually regards as as a parental figure, which is why it confuses the heck out of me when people make it out to be some kind of competition. There is no competition. There is no list of candidates to choose from. Sirius is the only adult Harry actually thinks of as a parent to him. He is literally the only legitimate candidate.) 

The first thing he did after seeing that Lily and James were murdered was try and take custody of Harry. He argued against giving him to the Dursleys. He wanted to take responsibility for his godson right from the get-go. His first priority was always Harry.

He single-handedly breaks out of Azkaban, a feat no one has ever accomplished or will ever accomplish in history, literally risking his soul, because he wants to protect Harry.

He travels all the way to Privet Drive just to catch a glimpse of Harry. A glimpse. 

He comes to watch Harry play Quidditch just cause. 

He sees that Harry’s broom is broken and sends him a motherfucking Firebolt as 13 years’ worth of birthday presents from his godfather, shut up, i’m not crying

His first instinct when they meet (other than killing the piece of scum that is Wormtail) is to shield Harry. He gets furious at Wormtail for even looking at Harry, he relives some of the worst moments of his life to try and give Harry and the others some context on the situation, he respects and listens to Harry when he requests them to not kill Wormtail.

He asked Harry if he wants to live with him at his first available opportunity, fully understanding if Harry would prefer otherwise, but being so fucking happy when Harry says yes. They don’t even make it to the end of the tunnel before he asks him that!

(This is the moment where Harry officially starts thinking of him as family, btw, to the extent to which it becomes the happiest moment of his life so far.)

He somehow realizes that Harry isn’t allowed in Hogsmeade and signs the form for him.

He sent Harry a gorgeous birthday cake while being on the run.

He has been writing letters to Harry over the summer, getting to know him, inquiring about Harry’s daily life, and it’s gotten to a point where Harry feels comfortable low-key bitching about Dudley’s diet habits to him. 

He also keeps reminding Harry to call on him if he needs help in anything.

When Harry’s scar hurt, and he wishes that he had a parent to confess to, he immediately feels stupid for not thinking of Sirius sooner. At this point, he has known Remus for a year, he has stayed at the Weasleys’ house, and he regularly visits Hagrid, and yet the first and only person he thinks of is Sirius. Sirius is the only adult he actually regards as a parental figure in his life.

When Sirius receives the letter, he flies back into the country, crouches in caves, lives on rats, and risks recapture, all so he could be closer to Harry.

The entire fireplace scene. The thought of talking to Sirius is the only thing getting Harry through the worst two weeks of his life. And the moment he sees him, the entire fucking dam shatters, and he pours out all his emotions to Sirius, from his terror at what he’s going to face to more trivial worries like his sudden unpopularity and the lack of support from Ron. This is the first time he has actually let himself vent to an adult like this, the first time he actually wants to vent to an adult. And Sirius listens patiently to him blow off steam with an expression so full of concern, and would have solved all his worries by telling him how to get past the dragon had they not been interrupted.

But people will still claim that (*insert any other adult*) somehow knows Harry better than Sirius. Lmao. 

While Mrs. Weasley was believing  Rita Skeeter’s articles on how Harry weeps over his dead parents and sending Hermione immature passive-aggressive Easter Eggs, Sirius was listening to Harry’s actual feelings regarding this whole mess, but no, by all means, keep arguing that she is somehow more of a mother to him than Sirius is a father.

Sirius also informs Harry about the various current and historical contexts + his personal suspicions regarding this whole mess, to try and let him have a more comprehensive view on the whole situation so he can be on his guard.

His first reaction at actually explaining things in-depth to the Trio was to say “you’re too young, you won’t understand”. But after they ask him to tell them more, he does, and he does it in a very articulate way that gives both us and them proper clarity on how things were back then.

He keeps reminding Harry to stay cautious and to be on his guard, reprimands him when for being out-of-bounds past curfew, and makes him promise to remain within the castle and to not venture out. This is totally someone who is careless and irresponsible when it comes to his godson’s safety, amirite? 

He gives Harry good practical advice, telling him to try and practice useful hexes and jinxes, which we know are extremely useful to Harry both for the task and for his life later on.

He sends Harry daily letters before the last task, and then gives him an adorable good-luck paw print. Aww.

He apparently made arrangements with Dumbledore to meet Harry after the third task.

He immediately argues for Harry to sleep after he emerges from the graveyard.

He stays behind Harry, with his hand on Harry’s shoulder, as Harry recounts what happened to him.

He stays with Harry through the night in the hospital wing and is pissed as fuck at Fudge for doubting Harry’s credibility. 

He sets off to alert the other Order members, but reassures Harry that they will meet again very, very soon, realizing that Harry didn’t want him to go.

He has, once again, been sending Harry letters over the summer, and is 1) the only one who is understanding for how hard his situation must be, and 2) the only one reminding him not to act out and encouraging caution.

He sends Harry a letter immediately after Arthur informs them of what happened, which says, “STAY INSIDE THE HOUSE NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO”. This is totally someone who is brashand irresponsible, right?

He is the single adult who actively wants Harry to have a general idea of what has been happening, both with the Order and Voldemort, because he correctly recognizes that Harry has been frustrated while being at his aunt and uncle’s the whole summer, and that Harry has been through enough to deserve to know what is happening. This is good.  Giving Harry general information is 100% in Harry’s best interests, because Harry likes being respected, likes being aware of what is going on, and feels unrested and worried when he’s kept out of the loop. Dumbledore acknowledges at the end of the book that he should have told Harry everything and should not have left him in the dark.

He is also the single adult who shows even the slightest, mildest inclination to tell Harry anything about the prophecy, which Dumbledore once again admits he should have done right from the start.

It takes a special kind of mental gymnastics to feel furious on Harry’s behalf that no adult kept him informed on what was going on, and then say that Sirius, the only adult who did want to keep him informed on what was going on, was brash and irresponsible for having those opinions. 

He answers Harry’s questions regarding his family, even though you can tell talking about them is clearly affecting him.

He reassures Harry about the trial when he realizes that Harry is upset, and then once again reassures him and gets him to smile on the morning before it.

He wants to accompany Harry to the trial because he wants to get out of his depression-inducing house for moral support.

He shuts himself up in the room rather than burden Harry with his problems and his unwanted thoughts.

He tries to give Harry a farewell-hug as a dog. Awww.

He shows up at the Gryffindor fireplace to reassure Harry about his letter and to answer the Trio’s questions on Umbridge and Hagrid, and reminds Harry to not go around asking too many questions. He also lashes out with the “you’re aren’t as much like your father than I thought line”, which I have always seen as a petty, immature guilt-trip that is a direct parallel to Remus also using James to try and guilt-trip Harry in DH. And while it definitely doesn’t change the fact that it’s a shitty thing to say to your godson, I wish more people would realize that this is the one and only time he actually screws up when he comes to Harry. He has never spoken to Harry like this before and never will again. It is completely ridiculous to define his relationship with Harry on his single and only bad moment as a godfather.

He shows up at the Gryffindor fireplace and supports the idea of the D.A because “there is someone outside school wanting to kill us all and the Ministry isn’t teaching you anything, so I think learning to defend yourselves is a very good idea!” Which I 100% agree with. The D.A is a good idea, the fandom and the text both agree with it. Which makes them criticizing Sirius for having the exact same opinion as them even more confusing. Because the fact is, he gives us his reasons for approving of it, and they are all valid reasons. Nothing from what he says at all indicates that he is living through them or egging them on the way Hermione says he is, which makes it perfectly reasonable for me to completely disregard her view on it.

When Arthur is attacked, he is absolutely wonderful, keeping the kids from doing anything stupid, trying to make them understand the situation at hand, keeping his temper even after Fred lashes out, and staying with them through the night, reassuring them that they will know what happens because their mother is there with Arthur. And yet the only thing the fandom seems to remember from this scene is that he had been drinking.

When Harry tells him that he felt Voldemort rising in him, he tries and fails to convince Harry that it’s nothing, telling him to sleep, and immediately informs Dumbledore of what Harry told him.

He is determined that Harry and the others have a good Christmas at Grimmauld Place, and spends all his time decorating the house to ensure that.

He insists on remaining in the room during Snape’s conversation with Harry.

He tells Snape to stop giving Harry orders in Harry’s own godfather’s house.

He tries to argue for Dumbledore teaching Harry Occlumency instead of Snape.

He warns Snape not to give Harry a hard time during Occlumency, and then gets furious when Snape insults both Harry and Harry’s dead father as a response.

He gives Harry a mirror to let him know if Snape is acting like an ass.

He is literally the only adult to correctly realize that Snape teaching Harry Occlumency was a disastrously terrible idea, something that Dumbledore admits he should have realized right from the get-go.

He tries and succeeds in giving Harry proper context after SWM and reassuring him that his father was a good guy, which allows Harry to have a more balanced view on his father while also comforting Harry.

He refuses to stay hidden in Grimmauld Place after learning that Harry was in danger, because he knew he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he did. He risks his freedom, his life, his soul, all to protect Harry.

He is the first one to realize that Harry is in danger from Dolohuv and rams into Dolohuv to keep him away from Harry.

He tells Harry to grab his friend + the prophecy and get out of the Depatment of Mysteries.

He very specifically calls Harry by his own damn name.

He leaves everything he owns to Harry, including his house and his money.

He gives Harry all his love as a ghost, reassuring him that death is not painful and telling him that they will always be a part of him.

HE IS CANONICALLY THE CLOSEST HARRY HAS TO A PARENT AND THE ONLY ADULT HARRY ACTUALLY REGARDS AS A PARENTAL FIGURE TO HIM

LISTEN TO HARRY ON THIS

gave me this fuzzy feeling

Shy!reader who's brain is running a million miles per hour and Sirius who notices and decides to pull her into a secret room for doting kisses and sweet compliments???

thank you for your request lovely! <333

sirius black x fem!reader

You don’t know how Sirius has managed to weasel you out of the thick of the party and into his friend’s bathroom, but here you are, alone with Sirius in Remus Lupin’s bathroom and trying not to act like this is exactly what you wanted.

“Sirius,” you say, breathless as you watch him close the door and then spin round to face you, grinning. “What are you doing?”

Sirius shrugs. “Just trying to get some alone time with my girl. Sue me.”

My girl. You try not to buckle at the knees. “Alone time? I thought you liked parties.”

“I only like whatever you like.”

You glare at him. He’s being awful on purpose. “Don’t you want to go hang out with your friends?”

“Not if you don’t want to,” Sirius says, moving towards you. You know he’s gonna grab you before he does, hands hot at your hips as he pulls you towards him. “I was watching you out there, you know. You looked like you weren’t having a good time.”

“Did I?” You ask, horrified. “Sirius, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” You push at his chest as if that’s gonna do anything. He’s much stronger than you. In more ways than one. “I don’t want Remus to think I’m a priss.”

Sirius laughs. “Dove,” he says, chiding and amused. “He doesn’t think that. The only reason I noticed is ‘cos I know you so well.” He strokes your cheek with his thumb as if to say, yeah, I know you, and I love you all the same. “You’d’ve looked completely lovely to everyone else.”

“Ugh,” you say, as if you’re grossed out by his fondness rather than totally enthralled. Your burning cheeks say otherwise.

“Ugh,” Sirius copies agreeably. “You’re okay, though? We can leave if you need, babe. I swear I don’t mind.”

You’re shaking your head before he’s even finished his sentence. “No, I’m okay. We can stay.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you having an awful time.”

“I’m not,” you say honestly. You were overwhelmed earlier but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have handled it for Sirius’ sake. He’s handled a lot worse for your sake.

Sirius raises his eyebrows, looking incredibly handsome. “Promise?”

You smile at him. “Promise.”

Sirius smiles back, all pearly white teeth and the dusty pink lips. You’re not surprised when he ducks in to kiss you. You let him because you like him a lot and you could really use a kiss right now. He’s right of course, you had been having a hard time out in the living room. You’d just been beginning to spiral when Sirius had appeared out of nowhere and whisked you away like he could read your mind. Now, he kisses you with all the care of someone who knows you like the back of his hand, and all the electricity of a boy in love.

He backs you up against the sink, hands firm at your hips, kissing and kissing, but pulls back just when you think he’s about to really get carried away. You’re grateful because you’d hate to be discovered like this by one of his friends and you think he knows that.

“I love you,” he says, ducking in for another quick kiss that’s brief but sweet enough to leave you reeling. “Promise you’ll let me know if you want to get out of here, yeah?”

“Okay,” you nod, frazzled by his kissing and his sweetness.

Sirius smiles a dizzying smile and chucks you under the chin. “C’mon, lovely girl,” he takes your hand and tugs you towards the door. “Wanna help me win poker?”

He knows you’re no good at card games — he just wants you in his lap as his so-called lucky charm. Lucky for him, you can’t think of anything else you’d rather do.

Anything for marshmallows, and chocolates and chips and s ' mores!

sirius and regulus are eavesdropping on their parents while they’re discussing politics, and are texting each other whatever they hear.

sirius: did she just say that voldy’s going to enforce a marshmallow?

regulus: a martial law, you gormless git.

I'm sick of people saying that it's homophobic to not like Wolfstar, or that being interested in the Marauders having platonic friendships means you're low-key homophobic. It's not a crime to not want everything to be about romance.

I've got nothing against same-sex relationships, I just like the dynamic of the Marauders' friendships being purely platonic and would rather see them with in romantic relationships with people outside of their group, whether their partner is male or female.

…