A/N: So I haven't written anything in awhile so I'm going to dive in with this random little story. So I hope you like it if you're reading!
Harry laughing was perhaps on the very top of the list of things both Sirius and Remus loved. All three of them were sitting and talking in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, talking about Harry's adventures and laughing at old pranks the Marauders had pulled or new pranks Fred and George had come up with, which left Harry snorting at the mingled worried and impressed look on Sirius' face as he heard of two pranksters who may just surpass them.
It was turning out to be very good quality time for the three of them when Harry completely shut down. He still answered questions as usual but the answers were guarded and his eyes were cold. Sirius and Remus tried to continue the conversation as normal but they couldn't miss Harry's shuttered looks and evasions.
Sirius held his smile in place until the kitchen door clicked closed behind Harry as he went in search of Ron and Hermione before slumping where he sat. Sirius rubbed his eyes tiredly, blowing out a frustrated breath before saying "He's hiding something. I can tell. And he's not happy… he tries so hard to cover up his slips but I can tell there something he doesn't want us to know. Probably a few things."
Remus hesitated, disbelieving of his own words. "Well he is a teenager…"
"This is different and you know it." Sirius sighed back, throwing his friend an exasperated look.
Remus sat down heavily before answering "He's had a tough start Sirius, he never even knew about us until recently nor did he have the opportunity to know his parents. Now as far as I know his aunt and uncle aren't the kindest of people but that doesn't give us any reason to suspect they're unduly cruel."
"Bullshit, you've met Petunia; you know exactly how she treated Lily" Sirius snapped, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Maybe she-"
"Changed? I doubt it with the way Harry acts when we bring her or her fat lump of a husband up." Sirius sighed heavily. "Do you see the way he hesitates before telling us anything about what happened to him before Hogwarts? How he has to think through every answer before saying it? I don't even know half of what happened in… that place but I know it was nothing good…"
Sirius stared at his friend, almost surprised by the sudden anger that flared up in him as he turned on Remus, needing answers. "Where the hell were you? He needed someone, and you were right there, you could have taken him in. You could have made him happy."
Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes but never taking them off of Sirius, "You don't understand, I tried so hard but they said I was unstable, that I would be a danger to Harry, that it was for his own good… and I believed them."
"Why didn't you write then?" Sirius demanded "Visit? Call? Anything? Why didn't you contact him?"
Remus stared at his hands, taking his eyes off of Sirius' "I would be a stranger to him; I didn't know what he would think of me" he heaved a sigh "I don't think he needed anymore disappointment really." He added with a bitter chuckle.
The table shook as Sirius slammed his fist against it "That's not good enough!" he burst out, standing and starting to pace frantically, "Who cares what he thought of you as long as he knew there was someone in the world that actually gave a damn about him?!"
As though the room had suddenly leached the energy from him, Sirius dropped back into his chair like a stringless puppet, the wind entirely taken out of his argument.
"Look Moony, I know how you feel about yourself, and I know I can tell you that being a werewolf doesn't matter, that it doesn't mean you are any less of a man or a brilliant person because of it, but that's not what's important right now," Sirius smiled at Remus half-heartedly, "we're both pretty messed up, but we can't afford to be. What's happened… well it's happened, and we can't let it keep going like this. Harry needed us, he still needs us, and we can't afford to let him go now."
Remus nodded grimly, a small smile gracing his face "I agree." His eyes flicked up, once more, to Sirius' the old fire back in them as he continued on "no more summers with the Dursley's. I can't in good conscience send him back there."
"Brilliant Moony" Sirius grinned "we'll keep him here." He said trying to hide his distaste "just untilmy name is cleared. Between the two of us we can make a half decent parent" he smirked "and with Tonks it'll be-"
"Stop" Remus snapped "don't even go there Sirius. It'll never happen" he added wistfully before turning to leave.
Sirius simply smiled wickedly at the door as he kicked his feet up onto the table.
"That's what you think Moony..."