Neville, who had taken the seat next to Harry, looked surprised when Harry offered him the book.

"Did you want to read," Harry asked when Neville continued hesitating. "I guess you don't have to, but everyones probably going to at some point."

Neville couldn't help but be a little flustered at being spoken to so directly by the Boy Who Lived, but finally did manage to say, "err, yes alright."

Before he could get started though, Remus kindly interrupted, "actually, how about we stop for the night, it's getting rather late."

Harry was disappointed, at once wondering what he'd done wrong to cause such a reaction. Should he not have given the book up, but read the entire thing by himself? He'd be willing to of course, even with the assurances he was going to get to read the letter, he'd still like to see it in action!

Arthur quickly agreed with a sideways glance at Harry himself, but the moment everyone made as if to start leaving Sirius darted out first, and Harry didn't get the option to keep going anyways.

Remus wanted to follow after him, still struggling between giving him his space and trying to pitifully explain himself, and nearly walked past the table of food in his distraction to go back towards the bedrooms. Then he did a double take and realized what he was seeing.

"Oh that's fair," Tonks scoffed as she eyed the feast. "Our magic won't work, but this place'll supply us with food. Anybody else starting to feel hinky about this place?"

"Starting to?" Charlie frowned at the turkish delight, his favorite dish, which didn't feel like a coincidence. "I was the moment we got zapped in here."

"Well what are we supposed to do," Remus asked, scratching absently at his face as he eyed the meal, "starve?"

"Unless someone wants to guinea pig it," Tonks smirked.

"Perhaps we should-" Dumbledore began but was cut off by a panicky Arthur screaming, "Ron!"

The youngest Weasley, who clearly hadn't been listening to a word, had wandered over to the food as well and grabbed a fistful of crisps and began popping them in his mouth, having just offered some to Harry when his dad startled him so bad he coughed and nearly choked on one. Despite his panicky family though, nothing obviously bad was happening to him.

There wasn't too much deliberation after that, as Dumbledore finished what he'd been trying to say, "I do not believe we are in any harm in this place. If we are to be here for however long it is ordained, then obviously we need sustenance." Dumbledore reached over and plucked a cherry from a candied ham and popped it in his mouth, chewing with emphasis.

Most arguments faded out after that, the food smelled too delicious to pass up.

Harry took a seat uneasily between Ron and Neville again, but any feelings of awkwardness died down as they all shared the food. Harry had never realized he'd felt starved at the Dursleys, but he'd certainly never been allowed to have as much of whatever he wanted, and the plates kept refilling until everyone was satisfied. All except for one, which Remus had oddly been setting aside, and it wasn't until Harry finished his own plate did he realize that that Black character had never made a reappearance.

Harry felt bad for not noticing this earlier of the man who'd clearly been keeping an eye on him for whatever reason he still couldn't figure out, but he'd been rather distracted talking to those his own age. Though Neville and Ron would occasionally say something that went straight over Harry and Hermione's head, the four discovered that they actually enjoyed chatting and even having come from such different upbringings found they had a lot in common.

Now though as Harry's eyes started feeling droopy with such a proper meal, he was looking around for some sort of clue as to where a place to sleep would be when he'd noticed the missing person, and so was the first to notice when Remus took the plate and left through the door. Hoping that's where the bedrooms where, he got to his feet, walked that way, hesitated and waited for someone to call him back, but when no one did he kept going.

He quickly found the hallway lined with doors, and while he noticed Remus making his way to the last one, Harry didn't really want it to look like he was following him, so he slipped into the first available room. It was circular with a four poster bed that looked comfier than Harry had ever seen. Behind it was a closet stocked with clothes, and he'd been getting so many odd looks for his wardrobe he decided it may be best to try some on in the morning. For now he was so exhausted that he slumped down onto his bed, and remained passed out for quite some time, until a churning in his stomach abruptly started.

"Glory Sirius!"

Sirius didn't even glance up from the mirror, he'd probably already seen me in the reflection, but I couldn't help it. He'd clearly been in the bathroom this whole time, because his hair was dripping wet, and much shorter than I'd ever seen it. He must have found something to cut off the mounds of tangles, though he'd hardly done a clean job as it was still uneven and sloppy, though less ruly looking.

It was the rest of him that was so shocking. He was only wearing a pair of loose pants that showed off his concave stomach and protruding bones. Along with his mind, Azkaban seemed to have starved every last drop of fat right off of him. His skin was devoid of color, like all that had been sapped away as well. If Remus didn't know better, he'd have called him a vampire.

Sirius quickly tugged a shirt on over himself, turning to glare at him with arms crossed, his nose twitching as he zeroed in on the food.

Remus held it out, knowing it wasn't much of a peace offering, but still saying, "Look Sirius, I know this didn't start by my choice, but I really do want-"

He turned on his heel, walked out the door, and slammed it shut behind him.

Remus sighed, not exactly surprised, but definitely at his wits end tonight. He set the plate on the bed and left as well.

Sirius didn't know where he was going, but he knew he didn't want to be alone in a room with him. His feet dragged him back towards the bathroom, the only place so far he'd been able to find some peace. Being alone in a cell for so many years made being surrounded by all of these people a real freak out on his mind.

He passed all the rooms, not meaning to but cataloging who'd been inside each one. The red headed boy and the other kid his age who wasn't Harry were chatting in one, that Tonks girl and the Muggleborn were having some whispered conversation in another. He couldn't help but pause at one he could tell Dumbledore was in, peeking inside and finding the man sitting on the bed, eyes closed and fingers pressed together as if in prayer, though Sirius suspected it was more like deep thought. The last room housing voices was the two eldest Weasley's, he could hear they sounded stressed as they discussed whatever but Sirius really wasn't listening for specifics.

Finally Sirius' feet made it, but he paused before pushing the door open as he heard retching. His mind went back, he realized who he hadn't seen, and without further ado shoved the door open.

It was still disorienting to see James, not James. He'd only ever gotten to see Harry as the toddler he was, and even memories of him like that had all been slipped away. Now he could have been looking at an old photo of his best friend, leaning over a toilet and vomiting.

Sirius stood in the doorway, feeling panicky and at a total loss what to do as Harry's shoulders heaved, but then Sirius' feet were moving without command, and he was leaning down beside Harry and snatching his glasses away before they could fall into the bowl of sick, his hand wanting to reach out and pat the kids back in sympathy or something before quickly snatching that back away.

"Are you okay?" His face twitched with the force of his own stupid question before he quickly added on, "what made you sick?"

Harry reached up blindly for the handle, flushing the toilet and the smell as he sat back, rubbing at his lips and squinting at him as he muttered, "think I ate too much."

He gave one last spat into the porcelain before getting to his feat and unsteadily making his way to the sink. Sirius kept hovering and watching his progress, wishing he'd darted off to get him some water or something, but Harry took matters into his own hands and dipped his mouth below the faucet, swirling that around a bit before spitting that out as well. He wiped his mouth one more time with the sleeve of his too large shirt, and held his hand out for his glasses.

Sirius quickly handed them back, licking his lips with nerves as it finally occurred to him this was the first time he'd had an alone moment with Harry. So many things he wanted to say to his Godson built up in his throat, but each of them failed as he kept studying a boy he should know better than himself. Instead he was left wondering what that pucker of his lips was, why he had that crease above his brows as he studied Sirius right back.

Finally as the awkward silence continued to drag on and Sirius felt compelled to say something, he blurted out, "I know what you mean. It's why I skipped dinner, if I'd gorged myself I'd be sharing your spot." Oh yes, brilliant idea Sirius, share your miserable time in Azkaban with the kid, spiffing start!

Harry didn't seem too concerned with the topic though, actually giving a small smile as he said, "well you look better doing whatever you did, more human."

Then he blushed, realizing after the fact that had probably been rude, but Sirius cracked an honest grin and brushed at his hair, nodding and admitting, "figured I should take the benefits while we're stuck here."

Harry rocked back on his heels and glanced at the door, then back to Sirius. If he had to guess, Sirius thought Harry wanted to ask him something, but whatever that came out didn't seem to be it, he seemed to have lost his nerve at the last second. "Well, I'm back off to bed."

Sirius pursed his lips tight, but he'd always had a terrible compulsion control, so blurted without thinking, "you should still have something in your stomach though."

Harry turned back around curiously, so Sirius quickly tried to shrug off his concern and turn it into a joke, "dry heaves are the worst, trust me. You should go back to the kitchen, sip a little water, eat something extremely light, like crackers. In case you have a relapse."

Those dark green eyes had been haunting his nightmares for the past ten years, that look of fear traced into his mother's orbs the last time Sirius had ever seen them, but looking at Harry's now, wide and quizzical, Sirius actually felt something ebbing into him he hadn't felt in he'd lost track of the years. He was worried Harry had taken his concerned suggestion as an order though, because he turned towards the kitchen without remark.

Sirius followed after, feeling like kicking himself for not somehow phrasing this like a question and trying to reword it in his head. When they got to the kitchen though, Harry spoke up first, "do you know me?"

When Sirius didn't immediately answer, Harry turned back to face him with a bowl of nuts in his hand. There were so many ways Sirius wanted to answer that, but all he could imagine was the hate, and fear that would appear on his face when he found out what Sirius had done to his parents. He already had to deal with Remus thinking all that, he really couldn't stand Harry doing so as well. When he didn't answer, Harry had supplied himself with a glass of water as well and taken a seat at the table while he was talking, and Sirius hesitantly joined him while Harry kept going. "It's just that, you've been watching me the whole time we've been here, but not, you know, creepy. Like, like the strangers that passed me on the street sometimes and seemed to know me, you kind of look at me like that, but also..." he trailed off expectantly, as Sirius had just bolstered himself to open his mouth even though he still had no idea what would come out when Harry tried a new tactic. "How come all those people recognize me anyways? Is there some picture of me all wizards have?"

"Well I know there's a statue."

Both boys jumped and looked around to see Remus standing there in the doorway looking curiously at them.

Sirius felt his face freeze over as he turned away even as Remus kept going, "and Merlin do you look like your father, which I suppose is a general answer, but it doesn't depict you with a scar, and I can't answer for the strangers who wouldn't know you by sight."

Harry looked from Sirius to Remus, he'd long since noticed like everyone else the tension between the two, but still Harry was turning Remus' words in his mind over and was far more curious by what that could mean. He didn't know what it was, normally he wouldn't have dared ask any questions to begin with, but so far no one here had told him off for it, and so he decided he'd keep asking as long as he could. "Why would you know me by sight, without it?"

Remus flushed in shock as he tried to stutter out, "ah, err, well I-" he faltered, his eyes flickered to Sirius and away, then he sucked in deep breath and admitted, "I knew your dad."

Harry's eyes lit up like never before, suddenly watching him with a whole new longing he'd never known. Harry had never met anyone who even knew his parents in passing! Which is why he was all the more disappointed when Remus gestured vaguely back behind him and muttered, "it's getting late, I should-"

Then he left without further ado.

Harry slumped back in his chair, picking restlessly at the bowl of nuts before popping a few more in his mouth, sipping the last of his water, but finally turning back to Sirius and asking, "was it something I said?"

Sirius watched him for a long time, then gave one last look towards the shadowed door, his mind grappling for a moment because he didn't want to lie, but then deciding it wasn't that far from the truth when he grumbled, "don't ask me, I never really knew him."

Harry didn't know if he meant the man that had just walked away, Remus, or his dad James, but regardless he still wasn't getting an answer. Sirius Black watched patiently until Harry had finished the light snack and after he was clearly done he to left Harry with more questions than ever.

HPHPHP

Don't worry, Sirius is still really pissed and that seems really harsh because of it, but I promise I'll force them to have an actual conversation during the next break...just deciding when that's going to happen. For now, hope you enjoyed the interlude, more reading next time.