Summary: Sequel to Starting From Scratch. Harry returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year, where dangers threaten to destroy the peace he and Sirius found over the summer.

Beta: ObsidianEmbrace

Story Notes: As this is the second part in a series, be sure to read the original, Starting From Scratch, before you begin this one! Hope you enjoy :-)

Starting From Scratch: Part II

Prologue: August 1994

"Here, take these pajamas. Make sure you fold them..."

"What did you think I was gonna do? Roll them up in a ball?"

"I guessed wrong, then?"

Harry shrugged, slipping his bundle of pajamas underneath his armpit. He hid a smile. "Probably not."

"Didn't think so."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Sirius grinned to himself as he bent back over the laundry basket sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. "Erm," he drawled in thought, "wait a moment--take these socks as well."

"I've got twenty pairs packed already, Sirius." Harry nearly dropped his pajamas as he lunged to catch the flying socks.

"Well…" Sirius commented, turning back to the mountain of fresh laundry, "now you've got twenty-one."

Pulling out a chair from the small kitchen table, Harry sat down, laid his clothing in his lap, and watched as Sirius rifled through the pile.

"Ron's going to Diagon Alley on Monday with his mum," Harry told his godfather. "Can we go then instead of tomorrow?" The crowded stores in Diagon Alley on Saturdays tended to give Harry a bit of a headache. He wasn't much of a shopper.

Without turning around, Sirius passed back a wad of clean underwear. "You already asked me about that, nutter…"

Harry quickly grabbed the handful of white pants and folded them, along with his socks, into his flannel pajamas. "I only told you about it this morning," Harry reminded him. "I didn't ask you then if we could go."

"Yes, you did."

"I didn't, Sirius…"

Swiping a wavy shock of hair out of his eyes, Sirius twisted around in his squatting position and gave Harry a peculiar look. "You did so," he insisted, reaching into the basket and flinging a random t-shirt at Harry's nose.

Harry's eyelids fluttered as the shirt flew into his face. "I did?"

Sirius lowered his chin, pulling an exaggerated face of incredulity. "You did." He cocked the corner of his mouth, as if preparing for a laugh. "It hasn't been that long since morning, Bub…don't you remember?"

Harry shrugged. "All I said was that it sounded like fun…"

"Ah," Sirius teased, really grinning now, "quite different than asking if we could go, is it?"

"Yeah…"

Emitting a silent chuckle, Sirius winked at him. "Slide down off your bum and help me. I'm almost finished."

"Can I pack these first?" Harry held up his rumpled clothing.

"If you fold them…"

"I will." Harry stood, doubling over his pajamas and t-shirt as he walked over to his open school trunk in the living room. Kneeling down, he stuffed them in an empty corner. A few more things to pack and his trunk would be full to the brim. He smiled to himself as he surveyed everything he'd organized.

It was loads easier to pack for school with someone helping; besides, this was the first year every piece of clothing in Harry's trunk was clean and unwrinkled. It felt nice.

"Did you save room for your books?" Sirius asked from the doorway; he stood with his shoulder against the jamb. "As much as you'd like to, we can't leave those behind, I'm afraid…"

Harry glanced over his shoulder, squinting at his godfather as if he'd gone round the twist.

Sirius shrugged; his mouth twisted a bit as his eyes danced with mirth. "All right, then. Be studious if you'd like."

Reaching into his trunk, Harry chucked a bundle of socks at Sirius' torso.

"Oy!" Sirius stooped, twisting his wrist to catch them. "These had better be clean."

"You just washed them…"

"Never said I was an expert." Sirius mimicked Harry's surprised expression with ridiculous exaggeration as he strode forward, trying to poke his godson in the armpit as he squatted down. He grinned when Harry immediately dodged; he was getting rather quick.

"You excited?" Sirius asked softly, his eyes still shining, even though his tone was less joking. "I always was."

Harry nodded. "This summer was fun, though."

"Yeah?"

"The best."

Sirius' grin deepened, exposing a small dimple near his jaw line. He tossed Harry's socks back into the trunk, reaching in to lift a pile of clothes. He frowned a bit. "You'll need more pajamas…"

"I've got a different pair for every day of the month, Sirius!"Harry sank back on his heels as he watched Sirius hoist himself up and walk into the kitchen. "Two months, probably…"

Another wad of socks flew into the sitting room, landing on Sirius' favorite reading chair.

Twenty-two.

TBC…

Author's Note: Couldn't resist writing these two again. I hope you stick around for the next chapter! Thanks for reading.