Established Bond

The creaking wooden door announced Sirius Black's entrance into Lupin's office, where his eyes immediately found Lucas. His gaunt face displayed many emotions - hope, anxiety, and an intense longing.

"Harry..." Sirius breathed, taking a hesitant step forward. His robes hung loosely on his malnourished frame.

Lucas studied the man before him, committing every detail to his eidetic memory. Despite the haunted look in Sirius's eyes and the lines etched deep into his face, there was an unmistakable resemblance to the young, mischievous boy in the photos Lupin had shown him.

"It's good to finally meet you," Lucas said, injecting warmth into his tone. He extended his hand. "Professor Lupin has told me a bit about you."

Sirius's calloused hand engulfed Lucas's in a firm, tight shake as if afraid to let go. "Remus told you about our days at Hogwarts, did he?" A ghost of a smile played on his lips. "The stories he could tell..."

Lupin chuckled softly from beside them. "Nothing too bad, I assure you."

Sirius slowly released his hand, and Lucas couldn't help but notice the man's gaze drinking in every detail of his face, as if committing it to memory. It was the look of a man who had been starved of something precious for far too long.

"You look so healthy, and resemble your father when he was your age," Sirius said wistfully. "But you have your mother's eyes."

"I wish I could have known them," Lucas spoke, letting a trace of melancholy colour his voice. "To hear about them from you and Professor Lupin..."

Sirius's expression softened, and he reached out, placing a hand on Lucas's shoulder in a gesture reminiscent of Lupin's earlier. "We'll have plenty of time for that, Harry. I promise."

Lucas forced a small smile, leaning into the touch ever so slightly. "I'd like that."

Sirius's grip on Lucas's shoulder tightened fractionally, as if reassuring himself that this moment was real. "You have to understand, Harry, you're the last link I have to James and Lily. When I thought I'd lost you too that night..." His voice cracked, thick with emotion. "It very nearly broke me."

Lupin moved to stand beside his old friend, offering a supportive hand on Sirius's arm. The two men shared a loaded glance, a lifetime of hardship and loss passing between them in that moment.

"Why don't we have a seat?" Lupin suggested gently, gesturing to the worn but comfortable armchairs arranged before the fireplace. "I suspect you both have questions for each other."

Sirius seemed to shake himself from his trance and nodded, the first genuine smile Lucas had seen creasing his haggard features. "You're right, Remus. Of course."

They settled into the armchairs, the crackle of the fire filling the brief silence. Lucas leaned back, adopting an open, attentive posture as he studied the two men through hooded eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin," Sirius admitted, running a hand through his unkempt hair. "These past ten years... I've replayed that night over and over in my mind, tormented by what might have been." His haunted gaze found Lucas's. "If I had just realized Peter's deception sooner..."

Lupin made a soft noise of consolation, but Lucas remained silent, waiting.

Sirius shook his head, as if to dispel the dark memories. "But that's not what's important now. What matters is that you're here, alive and well." His eyes shone with fierce protectiveness. "I failed your parents, Harry. But I won't fail you - I swear it on their memories. You'll never want for family again."

The words rang hollow to Lucas's ears, but he gave a small nod of acknowledgment all the same. Let the man believe what he would - it would make it easier for him to access Grimmauld Place in the future.

"I appreciate that, Sirius," he said, pitching his voice to carry just the right tone of vulnerability. "Truly, I do. But I have to admit, there's still so much I don't understand about... well, everything."

He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "My parents, Voldemort, that night... it's all one big mystery to me." He lifted his gaze to meet Sirius's, letting it smoulder with repressed emotion. "Could you tell me about more about what led to that night? I need to know, Sirius. I need the truth, no matter how difficult it might be to hear."

The raw longing in Lucas's voice seemed to pierce Sirius to his core. The man leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees as he struggled to find the words.

Sirius took a deep, shuddering breath as he began to speak. "The truth is, Harry, we were at war - a secret war against Voldemort and his followers." His voice hardened with barely restrained bitterness. "Your parents were two of the bravest people I knew, right at the heart of the fight against the Death Eaters."

He paused, lost in the memories for a moment before continuing. "James was like a brother to me, you see. When my horrid family disowned me, he and his parents took me in without hesitation. Gave me a real home for the first time in my life."

A wistful smile ghosted across Sirius's lips. "Merlin, the trouble we used to get into back then. Your dad had a mischievous streak a mile wide." He chuckled softly. "But when it came to standing up against Voldemort's reign of terror, he was as brave and dedicated as they come."

Lucas listened intently, nodding along at the appropriate moments to keep Sirius talking. He could sense the man's yearning to share these stories, to keep the memories of his friends alive.

"And your mother, Lily..." Sirius's expression softened. "She was the most talented witch I ever met. Brilliant mind, kind heart - she had a way of keeping James's feet on the ground when the rest of us were getting up to no good." His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "They loved each other something fierce, your parents."

Remus remained silent, letting his old friend find his voice. Lucas could see the pain etched on the werewolf's features, but he refrained from interrupting.

"When you were born, Harry, you gave us all such hope in those dark times," Sirius continued, voice trembling with emotion. "Your parents were overjoyed, and I was so honoured when they named me your godfather." He locked eyes with Lucas, regret filling his own. "If only I could have protected them better... protected you."

Now is my chance.

"I'm sure you did everything you could, Sirius," he said gently. "From what Professor Lupin told me, you were like family to my parents. I can't imagine how difficult that loss must have been for you."

Sirius's eyes glistened with unshed tears at Lucas's words. "I tried, Harry. I really did. But in the end, I let my anger and thirst for vengeance cloud my judgment. I went after Peter instead of staying with you like I should have." He shook his head, a bitter twist to his lips. "And look where that got me - locked away in Azkaban while you were left alone."

"Sirius, you couldn't have foreseen any of this," Lucas said, leaning forward with a look of empathy. "The important thing is that you're here now."

Sirius gave a jerky nod, seeming to draw strength from Lucas's reassurance. "You're right, of course. I just... I can't help but think about all the time I've lost with you. All the things I should have been there for."

Lucas's gaze flickered briefly to Sirius's, a flash of something unreadable in his emerald eyes. "Well, we have time now, don't we? To get to know each other, to build the relationship we should have had all along."

Sirius's answering smile was uncertain but genuine. "I'd like that very much, Harry."

Settling back into his chair, Lucas adopted a relaxed but attentive demeanour. "Tell me more about yourself, Sirius. I feel like I barely know my own godfather."

Sirius barked out a laugh, though there was little humour in it. "Not much to tell, I'm afraid. I was the black sheep of the Black family - quite literally." His eyes darkened with old resentment. "My parents were obsessed with blood purity and all that rubbish. Thought Voldemort had the right idea."

His head tilted and eyes curious, Lucas asked, "You didn't see eye to eye with them?"

Sirius shook his head vehemently. "Not for a second. I couldn't stand their bigotry and cruelty. As soon as I was old enough, I ran away from home - went to live with your dad's family." A hint of warmth crept into his voice at the memory.

Lucas hummed thoughtfully. "It must have been difficult, going against your whole family like that."

Sirius shrugged, but the tension in his shoulders gave away his true feelings. "I had to do the right thing. Embracing their pureblood supremacy nonsense was out of the question for me."

Lucas's gaze seemed to sharpen almost imperceptibly, but his tone remained casual. "Do you still have any contact with your family? Your parents?"

Sirius's face darkened, a scowl twisting his features. "My parents are long dead, and good riddance. My brother Regulus got himself killed working for Voldemort. As for the rest of them..." He waved a dismissive hand. "I couldn't care less. They're not my family - not in any way that matters."

Lucas leaned back, as if to better process the information. "It sounds like your upbringing was tough. I can't imagine growing up in a home like that."

Sirius's eyes took on a distant, haunted look. "Grimmauld Place was a nightmare, especially after I was sorted into Gryffindor. The screaming, the house-elf heads mounted on the walls..." He shuddered. "I try not to think about that place if I can help it."

Lucas nodded sympathetically, though a calculating glint in his eye went unnoticed by Sirius, who was lost in his memories. "Is the house still standing? Do you own it now, being the last of the Blacks?"

Pondering for a moment, Sirius frowned. "I guess Grimmauld Place would be part of the Black family estate," he replied slowly. "My grandfather Arcturus is the head of the family, but he's very old and won't be around much longer."

He shrugged, a bitter twist to his lips. "After him, I'm not sure who would inherit it. I was officially disowned when I ran away, but my dear old mum never got around to striking me from the family tapestry before she died." A humourless chuckle escaped him. "Leave it to her pettiness and spite to inadvertently keep me in the line of succession."

Sirius sighed deeply as he recounted the bitter memories of his familial home. Lucas could sense the simmering resentment just beneath the surface, on the verge of boiling over.

Best to change the subject before Sirius becomes too mired in the past.

"Well, it sounds like you're well rid of that lot," Lucas spoke. "The important thing is that you forged your own path, despite your family's... unpleasant views." He offered Sirius a small, reassuring smile. "I can only imagine how difficult that must have been at such a young age."

The hard lines of Sirius's face softened as he relaxed at Lucas's words. "You're right, of course," he said, sighing wearily. "No sense in dwelling on ancient history, eh?" He mustered a crooked grin. "Especially when we have so much to catch up on."

Sirius's eyes were bright with curiosity as he leaned forward. "Tell me about your life, Harry," he eagerly asked. "I want to know everything - what it was like growing up, your favourite subjects, friends..." He hesitated, uncertainty crossing his features. "If you're comfortable sharing, that is."

"Of course, Sirius. I'd be happy to tell you," Lucas said with a reassuring smile. Leaning back in his chair, he became thoughtful. "Well, as you may know, I grew up with my aunt and uncle, the Dursleys."

A shadow passed over his face, and he seemed to hesitate for a moment. "It was... difficult, at first. They didn't quite know what to make of me, and I ended up sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs for a while."

Shock filled Sirius's wide eyes, and Remus made a soft noise of dismay. "A cupboard?" Sirius echoed, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "Those miserable-"

"It's alright, Sirius," Lucas interrupted gently. "Things got better when I started attending school at around three years old. The school officials noticed my intelligence and intervened."

He smiled faintly at the memory. "That's when everything changed. I was admitted into a prestigious Muggle school in Cambridge, and I just... took to it like a duck to water." His eyes shone with pride. "I flew through the grades and finished University a couple of months ago, just before coming to Hogwarts."

Remus nodded, a look of admiration on his face. "Yes, I've read about your accomplishments in the Muggle newspapers. Very, very remarkable, especially at such a young age."

Lucas ducked his head, looking slightly abashed. "It wasn't all smooth sailing," he admitted. "My advancements in technology did attract some... negative attention."

Sirius frowned, leaning forward in concern. "Negative attention? What do you mean, Harry?"

Lucas hesitated, seeming to wrestle with himself for a moment. "When I was six, I was attending a well-known conference in Germany," he began slowly. "I had just finished giving a speech in front of a large crowd when it happened."

He looked away, taking in a shuddering breath. "Assassins," he whispered. "They tried to kill me in the forest, just as I was leaving with my convoy of bodyguards."

Sirius and Remus both looked horrified at the thought of a child facing such danger.

"Survival was only possible because of my bodyguards," Lucas spoke, his voice faltering and his hands clenching into fists. "They... they sacrificed their lives for me. They told me to get in the driver's seat and drive away with all my might while they fought off the assassins."

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if pushing back the painful memory. "I was lucky to escape. Later, we discovered that both my bodyguards and the assassins had all… died fighting each other."

Sirius reached out, gripping Lucas's shoulder tightly. "Harry, I... I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he said hoarsely. "No child should ever have to face such horrors."

Lucas's smile was small and sad. "It was a long time ago," he said in a soft voice. "I've learned to live with it." The haunted look in his eyes, though, revealed the 'truth'.

Clearing his throat, Remus looked both shaken and compassionate. "Your bodyguards were incredibly brave," he said gently. "They must have cared for you immensely to make such a sacrifice."

Lucas nodded, swallowing hard. "They were like family to me," he admitted. "Losing them was... it was hard."

With a fierce look of protectiveness, Sirius tightened his grip on Lucas's shoulder. "You'll never have to face anything like that alone again, Harry," he vowed. "I swear it. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Looking up at his godfather, Lucas's emerald eyes glistened with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "Thank you, Sirius," he whispered. "That means more to me than you could ever know."