Chapter Three

Understandings

"I'm sorry she can't come over," Sirius said placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry had excitedly told him about Hermione Granger on the way home from Diagon Alley and admitted that he was worried Professor McGonagall would tell her that she shouldn't be friends with him. He had suggested writing to her and apologizing for the situation, explain it is a personal issue between them and her and that he hoped there were no hard feelings. Hermione had immediately replied back that she accepted the apology though she felt he had no reason to apologize in the first place and then proceeded to ask Harry all sorts of questions about the wizarding world. Apparently, while Hermione had no concerns about her new friendship, her parents, on the other hand, did. Sirius mentally cursed and promised retribution on Minerva for putting his son in this situation.

"I just…" Harry shrugged his shoulder. "It was nice to have a friend, you know. I don't know anyone here, and I was looking forward to maybe getting out of the house."

"My company not good enough for you?" Sirius growled playfully. He was pleased to see a smile dance at the corners of his son's mouth.

"Padfoot is great company, you on the other hand …" Harry smirked.

"Well I certainly feel appreciated," Sirius harrumphed, folding his arms and slumping back in his seat. Harry chuckled, but then his despondent mood came back again. Sirius sighed and leaned forward. "How about I write to the Granger's? I don't want you getting your hopes up. They might not even agree to meet with me."

"I won't," Harry agreed seeming much more relaxed. "Thanks Sirius."

Dear Dr. Granger and Dr. Granger,

I am to understand that our children have developed a friendship since their accidental meeting at Florish and Blotts. My son speaks quite fondly of your daughter and from what I have been able to derive from our conversations I saw no reason to discourage the friendship. However, quite arrogantly of me I suppose, it did not occur to me that you might have your own concerns. Judging by Hermione's last letter I am to assume that certain rumor's have made their way to your ears. Going by this I understand that your concerns are very valid. However, I do not wish to deprive my son of a friendship with someone who seems to be highly intelligent, kind and loyal simply because of false truths. Therefore, I am asking for a chance to defend myself against these rumors.

I'm sure you would also be more comfortable, under any circumstance, knowing the responsible party of any friend your daughter may have. Since they will be attending school together and we cannot monitor their actions I hope that you will join me for dinner at a place of your choosing.

Sincerely,

Sirius Orion Black

Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black

Sirius looked upon the restaurant the Granger's had chosen. It wasn't posh, but it was just fancy enough to declare fine taste while creating a comfortable atmosphere. He could tell why they chose this location. It was busy, but the establishment hinted at a more private seating arrangement. He wasted no more time outside and hurried through the door to the maitre de. As he glanced around he noticed that he was right in his assesment. He would be comfortable in talking with the Granger's here.

"Can I help you sir?" the maitre de asked.

"Yes, I have a reservation," Sirius announced with a kind smile. "It's under Black."

The man scanned the list, smiled when he found the name and grabbed three menu's. "Right this way sir," He declared guiding him forward through the maze of tables. "You requested a booth and for it to be private?"

"Yes," Sirius assured as he looked around at the food items that were laid out on different tables.

"Here we are then," the man said stopping at a corner booth to the side and back of the restaurant. "Will this do sir?"

"It's excellent," Sirius smiled. "May we get three glasses of water and I would like to know what your chef's recommendations are for tonight's meal?"

"I'll get that information for you," the maître de assured.

"I'm also paying for my guests tonight," Sirius explained as he pulled out some notes from his wallet. He placed them in the man's hand. "I'm sure that should cover the meal. Whatever is left should go to yourself and the rest of the helping staff as a tip. If you would be willing to sort out who gets what?"

"Of course sir," the man stuttered staring at the amount in his hands. "You will be well taken care of tonight I assure you. I'll be back in a moment."

Sirius watched him make a hasty retreat and then slid into his seat. The man came back with the waters and the answers to his question moments later and then left to wait for his guests at the front. He thought about waiving down one of the wait staff to get a steadying drink of scotch, but decided that it would not make the best first impression with the Granger's something he was trying very hard to do for his son. He did, however, waive down a waiter to order their sampler platter of hors d oeuvres. It arrived just as the Grangers did.

Sirius stood up from the table as they approached and shook Dr. Grangers hand and kissed his wife's as he was raised. "Dr. Granger, Dr. Granger it's very nice to meet you. Harry has been telling me so much about your daughter," he smiled kindly. The Granger's shifted nervously at the pronouncement but smiled back politely. "Please sit," Sirius gestured. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering us some appetizers."

The Granger's murmured their approval as they made themselves comfortable at the table. They gave their drink order to the waiter and Sirius was relieved to hear Dr. Granger order a scotch himself so he could order one without feeling like he was setting a bad precedent. Once the waiter was gone Sirius turned back to the Grangers intent on getting the unpleasant business of his past out of the way. "Dr. Granger…"

"Please, call me John. It get's confusing referring to us by our profession," John said, with his wife Jean offering the same familiarity. It was clear by their tone that they did this only because of confusion and not because they had any real desire to be more closely acquainted with him. Sirius smiled anyway.

"Then I must insist you call me Sirius. Anytime someone refers to me by my title I look over my shoulder to find my thrice cursed father." John frowned at this, but Sirius shrugged it off. He would understand by the end of dinner. "Now, I understand that you both have concerns in regards to Hermione's friendship with Harry because of me. First I'd like to know exactly what you've been told. There are a lot of rumors circulating about me and I would like to know what I am defending myself against from the get go," Sirius explained as he picked up a cherry tomato from the appetizer platter and popped it in his mouth.

"Professor McGonagall wasn't very clear on the matter," John said looking at his wife for her own impute.

"She was...well we had some concerns with how she treated Harry in the shop and naturally we asked our questions," Jean explained. "She didn't really go into the matter, merely that there was a legal matter concerning Harry and that he had been missing from his home for five years when you had kidnapped him. She assured us that she had been unaware of the development that you had adopted him, but was certain that you did not have Harry's best interests at heart. She also warned us that you came from a very dark family and committed crimes she was not willing to discuss, but that you were an escaped prisoner."

"That was … kind of her. It could have been so much worse," Sirius smirked. Maybe Minerva had some doubts or perhaps she cared a great deal more for Harry than he thought she would. It was abundantly clear to him however that he would need to speak with her seeing as how she was more than likely to be his son's head of house. "As for my history, well, that is a complicated mess. First off, allow me to assure you that I have stood trial for those crimes and was found innocent and secondly if I do nothing else in this world I will make certain my son is happy."

Sirius was stopped from continuing as the waiter arrived with their drinks and to take their order. Sirius passed on the suggestions of the chef and once they made their decisions the waiter left leaving them alone once more. John and Jean shared a significant look before turning to him and nodding for him to continue. "Firstly you have to understand that our society is very different than yours'. It took different roads to advancements and it holds on much more tightly to traditions. Traditions are seeped with magic and are powerful in more than just significance because of that. Also, Blood is very important in magical rituals and potions. It is also very dangerous to be used in magic. Most magic that requires blood is forbidden. As a result our culture puts a great deal of emphases on bloodlines. Muggleborns are a threat to both of these things in our society. They come from a world that is highly advanced technologically into a society that is nearly third world by their standards. They also don't hold the same significance that we do on tradition. So on one hand you have the Pureblood wizards who are determined to keep things as they are and you have the muggleborn on the other hand determined to change it merely because they view it as outdated. Secondly, reverting back to blood, it is believed that magic is in our blood and it is also believed that magic matures. Many Purebloods hold to the belief that because they have no muggleborn blood in their family trees their magic is more powerful. In a way it's true. For example my family has an affinity for wards that is unmatched by any other family. The magic cultivates with each generation and the Pureblood family's believe that mixing muggleborn blood with theirs weakens their magic. Am I making sense so far?"

"I think I follow, but I'm not sure what this has to do with you and our children?" John replied a bemused expression on his features.

"I want you to have the landscape," Sirius explained. "As with any two groups believing in something to such an extreme that they are unyielding, the ideas blew up and all hell broke loose. A man by the name of Lord Voldemort used the Pureblood's bigotry as a breeding ground for his own hate and ideals. He brought them together under his banner to wage war against the muggleborns with the promise of blood purity to his followers. Now my parents didn't follow him outright, but they certainly thought he had the right idea. I'm not certain where I got the idea that they were wrong but I do know that I was a disappointment to them because I would not conform to their beliefs. I rebelled against them at every turn and at every opportunity I announced my defiance to the world to ensure that they knew I was nothing like my family. I met James Potter on the train to Hogwarts and as anyone could tell you, if the Black's were the very epitome of a dark family then the Potter's were the very peak of what was a light family. No two people were less likely to make friends than James and I, but we hit it off and entered Hogwarts like bats out of hell. Charlus and Dorea Potter always welcomed me to their home, because after I entered Hogwarts I was never allowed home for the holidays. As the war escalated so too did my estrangement with my family. The younger generation of Black's were gearing up to join Voldemort's ranks and I was preparing to be the asshole that arrested them. When I was sixteen my mother tried to force me to go into Voldemort's service. I showed up at James doorstep bruised, bloody and disowned. The Potter's practically adopted me after that. Not a lot of people realize that I was disowned. I realize now it was because my grandfather refused to follow through with the matter and forbade my mother and father to speak of my 'disgrace'. Still following?"

John and Jean nodded. Sirius smiled, "Feel free to interrupt with questions. Anyways, when James and I graduated we decided to join the Auror corps. It's a type of police force. We rushed through the training eager to prove ourselves, eager to fight for what we believed in. We even joined a rebellion group that was fighting from a different angle. It all went wrong just after Harry was born. We received word through a spy network that Voldemort was looking for James and Lily and they immediately went into hiding with Harry. We performed a charm that makes it impossible for them to be found by storing the information in the heart of a person. Only that person, referred to as a secret keeper, could tell you where to find them. I was their Secret Keeper. At first everything was going great, but as the months went on and I became heavily targeted I began to fear that my heritage would rise up and win over my need to protect James, Lily and Harry. I was raised by my parents to do what was best for number one and while I didn't agree with their teachings I was terrified I would fall back on it under torture. So I convinced James and Lily to secretly change keepers to our other friend. One we counted as a brother. I would be the decoy. I was more than willing to die for them. James and Lily didn't last the week. On Halloween I arrived at Peter's flat to check on him as was arranged only to find that he wasn't there and no signs of a struggle to suggest that he was forced to leave. I went straight to the Potter's hoping to warn them only to find the house had blown up near the nursery."

Here he paused to gain control of the tears that were gathering in his eyes. He would not allow them to pity him. He merely wanted their understanding. "I knew I was going to be blamed unless I could find Peter. When I finally caught up with him he faked his death and made it look like I committed the crime. In the chaos of the aftermath of Voldemort's defeat, there was not time for a trial and the case seemed fairly cut and dry. I was thrown into Azkaban with out a trial accused of the murders of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles and accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter and the attempted murder of Harry Potter." John and Jean Granger stared in shock at the him as silence reined over the table. No one said anything for quite a while and it was only the arrival of their dinner that brought them out of their thoughts.

"So that's why Minerva was so distraught. She thinks you're a murderer," Jean whispered once the waiter left.

"If she hadn't been trying to take Harry away from me I might even say I approve of her actions," Sirius smirked. "As it is, I understand that she was trying to protect Harry." "how do we know that you are telling the truth?" John demanded. Sirius thought about it. "I won't lie to you and say that I'm as innocent as a baby. If I ever get my hands on Pettigrew I won't hesitate to kill him. There are incidents in my past as well that may have helped to convince people of my guilt more easily. I have killed people, when we were in the war, I didn't hesitate. I certainly don't loose any sleep at night and I certainly wish I had gotten my hands on a few of them," Sirius admitted unapologetically. He regretted very little in his life, his most heartfelt was failing to protect the Potters. "After I rescued Harry from his relatives we escaped to the states and I requested amnesty. They made me stand trial first and then through it out when it was decided that the state had no evidence proving my guilt other than location." Sirius could still see the hesitant looks in their eyes and the distrust they displayed in the tense shoulders. "I understand that you can't take my word for it. But if you believe nothing else I say to night, believe this - I failed to protect the Potter's once. I will not fail again. The only reason I'm still fighting in this life is because of that little boy. I will do everything in my power to protect him, teach him, and prepare him for his destiny. The rest of the world be damned. I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm asking you not to deprive my son of the only friend he has on this continent because I screwed up in my past. Surly you can agree to hosting Harry on occasion and permitting public outings?"

Again the Granger's exchanged a significant look and seemed to share a silent conversation. Finally Jean turned back to Sirius and nodded her head. "Harry will be welcome at our home," she agreed. "Admittedly, Hermione doesn't have any friends of her own and it broke our hearts to tell her that we didn't want her to see Harry because of you."

Sirius bowed his head in understanding, "I'm glad we could reach a compromise. As for your daughter, should you have any concerns during the school year please feel free to call upon me for help. Unfortunately muggle's cannot see Hogwarts so it makes it difficult for the parent's in emergency situations. I'm more than happy to play guardian to Miss Granger in the magical world and you have my word that I would keep my relationship to her hush-hush. It's something for you to think of and you can call upon the offer at any point in time even if you should refuse now."

"Thank you," John acknowledged his features full of gratitude. "It's not easy sending our daughter out into a world we know nothing about."

Sirius shrugged, "From what Harry has described and I have been able to derive from the letters Hermione is very much like Harry's mother. She was a muggleborn. Very intelligent and far to fond of rules to break them. Hermione sounds very much the same."

Jean laughed, "Yes. We worked hard to instill in her an honest and ethical mind, but she has a tendency to take things to extremes."

"She just needs to find someone who goes to extremes in the other direction," Sirius grinned mischieviously. The tense atmosphere mellowed and Sirius sat back to enjoy the easy companionship that they had lulled into. They spoke more of their children and Sirius told them more about Hogwarts and a little of the Ministry of Magic. They were eager to soak up all the knowledge they could of the world their daughter would be entering into and Sirius was more than happy to oblige them if it meant Harry could keep his new friend. By the time dinner ended the Granger's had agreed to have Harry over that Saturday so that Harry and Hermione could enjoy themselves. All in all, Sirius enjoyed his time with the Granger's and made it clear that he looked forward to future visits with the two. The Granger's left in a way that told sirius that while they were still weary of him, they no longer feared him, that they would reserve judgment and not try to force information out of Harry. The evening, Sirius later deemed, was a success.