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Harry stood outside Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in the dark, staring, not quite able to make himself go in yet. He fingered the Time Turner on his neck nervously, looking about for any Muggles out for a midnight stroll.

Harry and the others had been tracking the Horcruxes down, one by one, and the locket was the last one they needed to find before going after Voldemort. The same locket they had thought was in the cave he had accompanied Dumbledore to, only to find that Regulus Black had gotten there first. From there, it was a simple matter of Ginny remembering the heavy locket they had found while cleaning the drawing room at Grimmauld Place. But once they figured out that Mundungus had stolen it and long since fenced it, the trail had gone cold. He couldn't, or wouldn't, remember who he sold it to.

All of which led to Harry standing here, more than two years earlier, on a cold, moonlit night in front of his godfather's home, trying to summon up the courage to go in. He stuck the Time Turner back under his shirt, mentally thanking Dumbledore's portrait for telling Harry where to find it in his office.

Harry had been very careful, watching the house for a couple days to find a time when the fewest people were around. All the Order members were away on other business or at home in their beds - except for Sirius. And Harry thought it might be late enough that he could sneak in, grab the locket, and get back out without Sirius ever knowing. And it might have worked, if he had remembered one thing: Walberga Black, mother of Sirius Black. As Harry shut the door to the house behind him, he knocked over an umbrella stand, and the woman's voice filled the air.

"Filth! Scum! Half-breeds! Be gone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers -- "

Harry quickly started to leave, but Sirius appeared out of nowhere. "Harry? What are you doing here? Is there trouble at Hogwarts? What's ...." He pulled the curtains shut on his mother, then trailed off as he got a good look at Harry. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Harry stood there, gaping at his godfather. His mind raced - he couldn't tell Sirius anything, Hermione had drilled that into him over and over again. He knew he shouldn't, and yet ... Here he was, alive! He could warn him, keep him from going to the Ministry that night!

He steeled himself, then spoke in a quavering voice. "I can't tell you anything, Sirius, I'm sorry. It's better ... better if you don't know."

Sirius fixed Harry with a penetrating look. "I'm not stupid, Harry. I've been shut up here for a long time, but it hasn't dulled my wits. You look older, you sound older. Tell me what's going on!"

Harry was silent for a moment, realizing he wasn't going to get out of here without an explanation. He quickly weighed how much he could tell Sirius.

"It's a Time Turner. There's something here that I need that I can't get in the future. I was hoping to be able to get it without letting you know I was here."

Sirius studied Harry for a minute, then nodded. "Well, let's get it then. What do you need?"

They quickly retrieved the locket from the glass case in the drawing room, but Harry wasn't eager to leave just yet. He told Sirius he didn't have to leave just yet, and they settled in the kitchen over a cup of tea. They talked of inconsequential things, things that wouldn't make Harry slip up and tell him too much. Sirius told Harry a few tales from Marauding days, and for a little bit, Harry forgot about the war, the Horcruxes, and his godfather's death. After a couple hours, a comfortable silence fell, and Harry sipped at his third cup of tea while he debated telling Sirius something. Suddenly, he made up his mind.

"Sirius ... your brother, Regulus ... he got in over his head, but at the end, he was trying to get out of the Death Eaters. Voldemort killed him because he betrayed him and took something that was very important to Voldemort. ... I just wanted you to know."

Sirius hung his head for a minute, his hair covering his expression. He nodded, but didn't say anything. Harry pretended not to notice when he wiped the back of his hand across his eyes.

"Thank you, Harry. Well, it's probably about time for you to be getting back. Some of the Order members might be coming in any time now, and we can't have them seeing you here."

Harry nodded, not wanting to leave. There was so much to say, so much he needed to ask Sirius. They stood up and walked to the door together. Harry turned around, and without a word, threw his arms around Sirius and hugged him tight. Sirius, momentarily taken aback, quickly put his arms around Harry, only to realize that Harry was shaking with sobs. If Harry had been looking at his godfather's face, he would have seen the look of sad understanding quickly pass over his face. But by the time Harry pulled away, Sirius only looked concerned for Harry.

"I'm sorry ... there's just so much going on, and I can't talk to you about it. I didn't mean to ..."

"Shh. It's OK, Harry. Don't worry about it ... I understand. Just remember ... remember that I love you, and that I will always be there for you. Always." He stared intently into Harry's eyes as he said that last bit, and Harry nodded. Not trusting himself to say another word, Harry turned and walked silently out the door.