19 ⏤A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN
Sirius needed a break but he knew he needed to keep going, twelve years of being unjustly locked away in the worse prison that ever existed had helped him build up a lifetime’s worth of vengeance but the adrenaline of escaping Azkaban in his animagus form was gradually dissipating and the tremor in his limbs was becoming all too present to be ignored any longer.
Finally succumbing to his exhaustion, Sirius fell against an aged fountain decorating the centre of a small village not too far from Hogwarts just as small droplets of rain pelted down lightly before picking up to a shower. Sirius quickly looked around before dashing forth to take shelter under the window sill of a local bakery. It wasn’t adequate but it’ll do. He’ll rest tonight and continue his journey to Hogwarts again in the morning.
If he closes his eyes, he can pretend that the rain isn’t there for a moment and finally succumb to some sleep. The time is hard to tell from the clouds that covered most of the sky but if he had to guess, it was turning into the late afternoon so if he managed to sleep a few hours, he could still make it to Hogwarts on time. It’s been a long journey and was made longer by the people that disregarded and mistreated his animagus form, taking him for a stray. It wasn’t as bad as the treatment he received in Azkaban but the unwanted stares, abusive words and occasional kick to his side reminded him that despite escaping the prison, he was still not a free man - that was his worst torment.
Just as Sirius begins to sink into sleep, he suddenly hears an adorable, childish voice call out, “Puppy!” opening his eyes, his head and ears perk towards a cute little girl in a pair of yellow wellies and a matching yellow raincoat running up to him with a smile. Her head was hooded but the small strands of baby hairs on her forehead clung to her face from the rain and a toothy, chubby-cheeked grin was on her face. She grins at him happily, making his head tilt in confusion - what an odd creature, cute, innocent and without an ounce of hatred in her little body, she’s a breath of fresh air. Once she had made it a few steps away from him, she waved a small hand in greeting.
Sirius finds her adorable and nods back calmly, rising up to a sitting position, the aches of his earlier exhaustion suddenly dissipating from his bones. His response makes her burst into a fit of giggles.
“Hi puppy!” she greets more formally but also with even more excitement than her earlier acknowledgement of him. She steps forward and outstretches a hand to pet him, she’s clearly excited but her pets were gentle and welcome. It’s been a long time since Sirius had been greeted with such kindness and affection, he quite enjoys the treatment. Looking like a stray didn’t help his predicament at all as he was largely dismissed by many people but this little girl in front of him was pure light, he hopes she grows up with the same light that never dwindles but only brightens. He hopes Harry is like her, “Cute puppy! Good puppy!” She praises highly, continuing her pets as Sirius continues to enjoy the affection, touch-starved and always an attention seeker, he was given a little piece of heaven in that moment.
“Ellie!” you call out in relief spotting her in front of a large black dog and quickly making your way over, your umbrella gripped tightly in your hand. Whilst there was an original spike of fear in your heart at seeing the imposing creature, when you saw how calm and gentle he was being with her, your shoulders relaxed and a softness eased into your expression, “Honey, don’t go running off like that, okay? It’s dangerous and you made me really worried,”
Sirius had a lot of questions. Were you her older sister? Her babysitter? You were gorgeous. He attributes the thought to not having seen anything beautiful in so long, even when running through the streets to Hogwarts a majority of women and men dismissed him which only soured their image in his eyes.
“Sorry mummy,” there was his answer. You were the little girl's mother. It was a shocking revelation but it didn’t take away from your beauty, “but look at the puppy!” the little girl - Ellie - squeals happily and Sirius cracks a smile, her merriment was contagious. Was that the result of a truly loving mother, he wonders.
You smile lovingly at your daughter, her love for animals a characteristic you both shared, “he’s quite the handsome fella, isn’t he?” with his fur in the way, Sirius blushed freely from your compliment. A mangy mutt like him? From a stunning woman like you?
“He’s my friend now!” Ellie smiles and giggles when Sirius noses her cheek affectionately. It’s been too long since he was last considered a friend and to be the friend of this sweet girl was an honour. She’s an adorable girl that makes his heart sing from the vast extent of her wholesomeness. She is definitely the product of love in its purest form. How lucky your husband must be to have such a beautiful wife and daughter, there was a slight pang of jealousy in Sirius’s heart, however. If the war never happened and he never went to Azkaban would he have had a family like this too?
“That’s wonderful news honey but we need to return home quickly before you catch a cold,” you pointed out, the worry furrowing your brows.
“I want Puppy to come too…” Ellie whines looking down at her wellies and biting her lip as she clutches adorably at the hem of her raincoat. It was a cute display but Sirius highly doubts you would allow that to happen…
“You think so?” you hum in contemplation, shocking Sirius when you didn’t outright protest the idea; not everyone is open to taking in strays. What is this sudden luck and kindness he’s happened across?
“Please mummy, please!” Ellie pleads with her biggest puppy eyes and a wobbly bottom lip.
“He does seem like a good boy…” you ponder aloud as Sirius’s heart races with hope, “alright, he can come home with us,”
“Yay! Puppy! Come home with us!” Sirius is pulled into a hug around the neck from Ellie’s little arms and savours the short moment happily. This type of warmth is more pleasant than from any crackling fire; he wants to appreciate the feeling as much as possible.
With Ellie at his side and you on his other, the two of you lead him to your home. For tonight, Sirius will be greedy and selfish. He can allow himself this much after twelve years of torture. It’s been far too long since he last had a warm and welcoming place to stay.
Once home, you already knew you had a lot on your plate, especially with your new guest. Your first order of business was getting you and Ellie dry but a simple spell could fix that. Your new furry friend needed a more thorough washing, however. In your occupied state, you missed the shocked, wide-eyed stare Sirius gave your wand but he quickly blinked his shock away when you led him to the bath. Thankfully, Ellie was up for washing her new friend clean. It took a little longer as you wanted to give him a thorough wash but that was anticipated, at least the activity helped you work up an appetite.
Rid of his annoying fleas as well as all the mud and dirt his fur had accumulated, Sirius guiltlessly followed Ellie around your cosy home while you made a start on dinner. It was comforting to know that you were a witch too but as Ellie gave him the grand tour of each room, especially hers, Sirius came to notice the absence of a very important male figure in the home. Dinner was soon served however, and Sirius hadn’t had the chance to ponder on the issue too long.
“Mummy’s cooking is the best, right Puppy?” Ellie announced mid bite, her cheeks swelled up like a greedy chipmunk as she looked down at Sirius, who barked in return. There was no dog food in the house so you just gave him sausages, mash and vegetables too. It was heavenly finally being able to have a nice warm meal.
Dinner was over sooner than Sirius expected, he had quite the appetite so he finished his food quickly. Noticing this, Ellie saved him one of her sausages and fed it to him herself.
“You’re such a sweet girl, Ellie,” you praised your daughter for her kindness as Sirius licked her face in thanks. She really was a sweet girl.
Soon enough, Sirius found himself curled up under a warm blanket with Ellie who insisted on cuddling him by the fireplace. While Ellie petted and kissed his head under the blanket they shared together, you sat on the couch embroidering a handkerchief whilst telling a whimsical story about fairies, trolls and an adventurous knight, smiling as Ellie’s yawns and sleepy mutterings increased by the minute. Sirius noticed it too and anticipated she would be falling asleep soon, confessing that he was also on the way to a peaceful night’s rest.
As your story came to an end, Ellie knew you were soon going to lead her to bed and tried to prolong the night as best as she could with a distraction, “Mummy, give Puppy kisses too,”
You knew exactly what your daughter's ulterior motives were but complied with her request anyway, “Alright dear,” you set aside your embroidery and came to kneel down beside the two. Sirius’ heart was beating rapidly in his chest and he halted his breathing as he watched you lean in and pepper him with kiss after kiss after kiss, just like your daughter. Heavenly. Sirius was so happy he didn’t protest returning to your home because he had never felt so at peace. For a blissful moment, he wasn’t Sirius the falsely accused murderer of his best friend, he was just Puppy. The new identity was freeing and Sirius wished he could live like this forever.
Cuddling and kissing him made Sirius blush furiously under his fur as he practically melted into your lap loving the attention and affection.
“Maybe we should keep him,” you voiced, smiling fondly as Sirius picked his head up from your lap, “we need a man around the house,” Sirius felt both equal amounts of happiness and sadness all at once. As much as he has grown to love you both in the short time you’ve spent together, he knows he can’t stay longer than tonight; Harry is waiting for him and Peter needs to be exposed for his evil deeds. Sirius is only allowing himself tonight to be selfish and that was it. He can’t risk endangering the two of you either; he needs to leave as soon as possible.
“Yes yes yes! Puppy stays!” Ellie cheers, her sleepiness evident in that her hurrahs were much more demure than they were earlier that day.
“We’ll have to name him though, we can’t call him puppy forever, dear,”
Ellie ponders to herself with the cutest expression, “Black!- No! Noir! That means black in french mummy,” she finalises.
“I see I see, that seems like a fitting name for our handsome friend,” you affectionately stroke Sirius’s head as he chuckles to himself, how ironic this whole situation was.