[ He watches Harry closely as the boy seems to dance around what he can and can't say, and after he trails off Sirius shrugs and reaches up to pull his cigarette out of his mouth. ]

[ Get the chance? That's what you mean, right, you didn't get the chance. He raises an eyebrow but before Harry can respond Sirius raises his hand, halting whatever words could come up. ] You don't have to tell me. Between you and the way your friend spoke, I can tell that either my name was never cleared or I'm dead. Either way.

[ For a moment Sirius begins to stare off, over Harry's head to the sky beyond him as he loses himself in thought. And just like that he's back, blinking once and giving Harry a smile before bringing his cigarette back to his lips and taking a drag. ]

That's what war is about, isn't it. We all knew the risks. [ It seems like the right thing to say, but the amount of truth in it is debatable.

Sirius grins, then, and reaches out to clap his godson on the shoulder with a strong hand. ]

You're right, that's not very fair of me. I'll give you a chance. One chance. [ He says it quite seriously, holding up a single digit between them ]. Don't ruin it.