He awoke with a start, his arm tensing around Lily's waist. Not that she noticed, not with the sort of charm he'd placed on her less than an hour before. No sudden spike of adrenaline, he was too content with the wards Sirius had forged around the house. Still, his wand was held ready in his hand when he slipped into the hallway, quietly shutting the bedroom door behind him.
No raking fingers to stir up his sleep-mussed hair. It didn't make any sense, the image of Sirius in front of him. Or maybe too much sense. The thought was gruffly shoved from his mind. Maybe Sirius had just gotten in. Maybe Remus was in the kitchen, making coffee. He doubted all of it, but they were the only considerations he permitted himself. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? It wouldn't mean anything if Sirius and Remus had gone out and gotten a bit pissed. In fact, it'd be a bit closer to the way the world should work. Back when things made sense and clicked without so much as an errant thought.
"Padfoot?" he practically mumbled, the words still rough with sleep.