Sirius was having a good day. Well, a semi-good day. He was a free man and could do as he pleased. The first thing he did when he got out of that blasted courtroom was find the nearest bar in the muggle world with a glamour charm fully in place and drank in celebration. Remus had to come get him when he began spouting things about his wizarding school days. The Muggles were worried for the man that was so drunk as to believe that he was magic.
After the hangover had gone away the next day, he settled his claim on the Black family properties. He decided to move into Number 12 Grimmauld Place. When he stepped into that house, wow was it dusty. Not only dusty, but right when he walked in, he was attacked by a doxie! He quickly took care of that, but he had awoken something much more frightening. His mother. Yeah, Ol' Walburga had made a large portrait on the wall with an impossible to remove sticking charm. The woman screeched at him, "BLOOD TRAITOR! OUT OF MY HOUSE! OUT!"
He just shouted at her, "Oh, stuff it you old hag! No one wants to hear you're squawking!" That just riled her up even more. He tried everything. Silencing charms, flames, explosions and finally knives. He had stabbed the portrait once, but was shouted at by their wrinkled old house elf named Kreacher. The elf growled at him, "You dare not stab Mistress Walburga! You filthy blood traitor!"
Sirius just smirked and said, "Well, I so happen to be your new 'Blood Traitor' Master. So, I'd learn some respect if I were you." Kreacher screamed in outrage and Sirius told the elf to go away. Instantly, the elf did so. Yup. Kreacher was his. Dammit. Why couldn't they have a house elf that he didn't want to murder?
After that whole debacle, he went to his old room and fondly smiled at it. He was proud that his charms had stayed. The room was painted red and gold with quidditch posters on the walls. There were also posters of muggle motorcycles and other muggle stuff that his mother almost had a stroke seeing. There was intricate warding and sticking charms on every poster and piece in his room. Almost like the ones on his mother's portrait. Which, he couldn't wait to take his anger out on it.
Sirius removed the dust in the room with a flick of his wand and decided that he would keep this room the way it was. It was still who he was today, just older. Sirius exited that room and went through the rest of the house. It wasn't that bad actually. Everything still worked, but the infestation of magical creatures was really unwelcome. That would be a good project to keep busy with.
His last stop was the kitchen. That place looked to be the cleanest. It was grimy, dusty, and rusty, but everything was still usable. He quickly vanished any spoiled food and then realized that he had no food. He called Kreacher and sent him to go shopping. The elf did so with a reluctant bow and promise to poison any meal Sirius asked him to make. Sirius had no doubt that the elf was completely honest in that statement.
Sirius decided to get to cleaning. Harry was going to be there this summer after all. No matter what Dumbledore said.
Usually, Sirius would despise cleaning, but he enjoyed it at the moment. In Azkaban, everything was dirty. So, cleanliness was something he looked forward to. First, he used magic to get the tough things away, but then he resorted to scrubbing things manually. The counters, the island, floors, sinks and glasses were shining when he was done hours later. Kreacher came back with food and he cooked up a small meal of chicken soup and sandwiches. Something he did that surprised even him was made some extra for Kreacher. The elf first refused the meal, but at more insisting, the elf took it. Honestly! Skin and bones that Kreacher. Even Sirius wasn't that cruel as to let the elf starve more.
After his meal, he did dishes and killed anything that popped out from the cupboards. Which, was mostly ordinary house spiders, thank goodness! He went up to his room to sleep and passed the library on his way there. Sirius decided to not even look in there for the moment. Boggarts loved the library. He would have to take care of that. Hermione would love their library.
Sirius smiled at the thought of Harry's firecracker of a 'friend'. She really was like a mini Lily Evans. She took no nonsense and would surely shape Harry into a fine young man. Maybe even more than Sirius could. He knew something was off about their relationship. Sure, it was mostly normal, but they were so co-dependant. So, protective. It was like a bond on a completely abnormal level.
Sirius laid down on his bed and passed out. He decided that he would clean more the next day.
About two weeks passed and the children were meant to come back from school. He would meet them at the station to give the Dursley's his what for. He just hoped that that the Ministry had told the Muggles that he was a free man. He didn't want to get stuck in their jail either!
Sirius had been working hard to clean the house. Not everything was done, but it was close. There were two more rooms to be done and the library was half done. There was food and all the bathrooms worked. It was actually fun fixing it all up, but he wouldn't tell anyone that. The only room he didn't go in, even once, was the tapestry room. With the entire family tree and his face blasted off of it. No matter how much he pretended it didn't' hurt, it did. Having his family hate him that much was painful. Especially at such a young age.
Sirius headed out that day to the station. All it took was subtle apparation and then he was there, waiting for the express. Sirius yawned and sat down on a bench. He was tired. The nightmares kept him awake. On the nights when he really needed sleep, he would brew up a quick batch of dreamless sleep in the basement, but he didn't want to rely on the addictive potion. That was no way to live.
The express pulled up and he watched as everyone unboarded. Sirius kept an eye out for Harry and found him a minute later. He was talking to a group of people who were obviously the Weasleys with their flaming red hair. Hermione's brown eyes spotted him and he gave her a wave and a smile. Hermione elbowed Harry and pointed to Sirius. The boy's face lit up. He said his parting words to the Weasleys and ran over to him. Sirius meet him in a hug and he laughed. "Harry! I missed you too, but you seemed to have forgotten something." Harry released his Godfather and saw Hermione walking over to them carting two trunks and a bird cage. Harry blushed and Hermione passed him his stuff.
Hermione smiled at Sirius and greeted him, "How is freedom treating you, Sirius?"
Sirius smiled and said mysteriously, "Like a maid."
Sirius looked to the two confused faces and shook his head, "I'll tell you later. Now! I have some Dursleys to terrify?" Harry smirked and lead the three of them past the barrier. There were two things Sirius noticed when he stepped through the barrier. One, Hermione had gone strangely quiet and two, there was a man standing by the Dursleys that looked very much like Hermione. Harry held her hand and the two continued on with Sirius watching them closely.
Hermione quickly let go of Harry's hand and walked over to her father, trying to be as small as possible. The man was tall, well built, and a head of brown curly hair to match Hermione's. He wore a mean face, but turned it pleasant when he turned to Mr. Dursley and said, "I'll see you next week Vernon."
"Looking forward to it Henry!"
The man Sirius now knew as Henry roughly pulled Hermione forward and said, "C'mon girl. Chores need to be done. You're not living in my house for free you know."
Hermione obediently nodded and responded, "Yes, Papa." They went off to their car and drove off with Hermione giving Harry a reassuring smile. Sirius could almost feel Harry shaking with restrained rage.
Sirius's attention was called back to Harry's parenting situation when Vernon pulled Harry towards their car and said, "Let's move, boy!"
Sirius growled and said loudly, "Excuse me, Walrus, but last time I checked, children weren't things to push around."
Vernon Dursley turned around with a mean look and said in an affronted tone, "Well excuse me, but last time I checked, this was none of your business!"
"Well, think again tubby. That boy you're pushing around happens to be my Godson!" Vernon paused and let go of Harry, recognizing just who Sirius was. "That's right. Sirius Black, in the flesh. Now, get your greasy paws off of him or I may just get sent back to jail." Vernon stuttered and shook and pushed Harry back to Sirius.
The man gained his confidence back and spat to Sirius, "You care for the brat so much, fine! Keep him!" Sirius wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to. That however would be violating the custody laws. Going back to Azkaban is not something he wanted to do. Sirius could just take Harry for the summer and if worst comes to worst, he could say the Dursleys gave him permission.
Sirius quickly did some discreet magic and pulled a paper and pen from his pocket. He wrote an agreement that Harry could spend the summer at his home and passed it to the Dursleys. "Sign and Harry will be gone for the summer. At Least until I can get him into my full custody."
Vernon snatched the paper and signed it while saying, "Sounds heavenly."
The transition was done and the three went to their car and drove off. Harry hugged Harry extra hard and sighed in relief. "You're the best, Sirius."
Sirius ruffled Harry's hair and said happily, "Alright! Enough hugging. You'll only prove Hermione right that we're sappy."
Harry chuckled and released his Godfather. He then looked at Sirius sadly and said, "If only Hermione could get help that simply."
Sirius asked Harry, "What is that about anyways?"
Harry sighed and responded, "Well, her dad has the same feelings about magic as my Aunt and Uncle. He and Vernon meet at a bar when we were about five and became the best of friends. Hermione and I became friends due to that. We went to the same elementary school and everything. Really, she was my first friend and I was her's. Henry was still a complete ass to her then too. Hermione told me that he became bitter after her mum died." Harry sighed and continued, "We haven't had the best lives, but we've always had each other."
Sirius got a determined look and told Harry, "Well, we'll just have to kidnap her then won't we?" Harry still looked doubtful, but Sirius reassured him, "Hey, we'll spring her from her prison. Just like you two sprung me from mine." Harry finally smiled and the two headed to Grimmauld Place to prepare a plan for freeing Hermione and have some one on one time.