the_debt_of_time

"Move, Hermione. Someone's over there!"
"Harry!" Kingsley bellowed.
The Order members who had arrived made to follow the boy, but Padfoot watched
as Hermione shook her head. She turned to Remus, who seemed to understand right away,
his attention drawn to Padfoot's hiding spot.
"Everyone inside then!" Molly ordered, and one by one, they all moved into the
house save for Harry, Hermione, and Remus.
Hermione put her hands on Harry's chest. "Harry, stop. I can explain."
"Explain what?" Harry's green eyes flashed with panic. "Hermione, what's going
on? Who's back there?"
Knowing it was inevitable now that he had fucked it all up, Sirius shifted back into
his human form and slowly stepped out of the shadows, hands held up in surrender to
show his godson that he was unarmed. He gave a very brief, apologetic glance to Hermione,
who looked like she was undecided whether she should be sympathetic to his need to see
Harry or incredibly angry over his imprudent impatience.
Sirius smiled. "Harry."
The look on his godson's face was agonising, and it broke Sirius's heart to know
that his foolhardy actions had left Harry in a grief that he himself understood all too well.
As he slowly moved forward, Harry shook his head and stumbled back.
"Wha...? No. No... Sirius? But.. ."
Remus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's really him."
"No." Tears began to gather in Harry's eyes, gleaming an unnaturally emerald hue
from the flickering light emanating out of the windows of the house. "No, Sirius died! I
watched him die. You told me, Remus; you told me he was gone!"
Sirius took one more careful step toward him but stopped immediately when
Harry's wand hand stiffened. "Ask me then. Ask me anything to identify myself. It's what
the Order does now, yes?"
"I... I.. ." Harry quickly used his free hand to wipe his cheeks, his voice trembling
as he asked, "What were the first words you ever said to me?"
Amused, Sirius said, "I assume you mean at the Shrieking Shack, in which case, I
told you that I thought you would come to help your friend, as your father would have