beater 2, qlfc forum, puddlemere united

season seven, round four

main prompt:

"Uh … no, thanks. No snip snip."

Co-written by falling winter roses

Sirius waved Lily and James out the door with barely concealed excitement. "Go on, go on, leave me with the child that I must babysit with no pay. Leave already, wouldn't you?"

Lily snorted. "You're excited. Just admit it."

"To take care of that little ruffian? Never!" Sirius replied, not being able to keep the smile off his face.

Sirius was always excited to babysit the little boy, but this time he was especially excited to be taking care of Harry. James and Lily were going out on a Valentine's Day date and Sirius had planned an epic evening for the two of them. The Potters had just moved back into Potter Manor after settling down from the whole debacle that had been the night of Halloween in 1981. James and Lily had both been hospitalized in St. Mungo's. While James had been released mere days after the attack, Lily had been stuck inside the hospital for more than a year. After several weeks of Sirius helping James move furniture from the Hollow back to the Manor, the Potters had finally moved back into their true home.

Sirius had stayed with James and his parents in Potter Manor many a time back in his teens, both before his mother had kicked him out and after. He knew the place almost as well as James himself: including, of course, the many secrets of the wizarding home. Little Harry, being James' son, was only destined to become another Marauder. Perhaps he'd even make some prankster friends and create a new Marauder family. And hopefully that family wouldn't have a rat like Peter in it…

Sirius pushed the unpleasant thought away and closed the door behind the happy couple. He sighed, ran his hand through his long hair, and set off up the stairs to Harry's room on the second floor.

The three year old boy was sitting on the floor, dejectedly ruffling at his newly-cut hair with one hand. Hours earlier, Lily had taken a pair of scissors to Harry's hair, insisting that it had grown much too long. Harry had struggled very hard throughout the whole ordeal, but in the end had settled down, dejected.

"Hey Prongslet, I thought you'd be at the door waiting for your favourite uncle."

The three year old turned from the window and stared at him with bright green eyes, tears ready to spill out. "Pah-fuh?"

"Yes, it's Padfoot," Sirius sighed. "Look at you with your big boy haircut." Apparently this was not the correct things to say as Harry immediately got a frown on his face.

"Don't like it."

Sirius gave Harry a once-over. "And why not? I think it makes you look handsome."

"Want long hair, like Pah-fuh." Harry crossed his arms and went into a sulk. Sirius wondered what he had done to deserve this. Did Lily have to cut Harry's hair, just before he came?

"Harry, big boys have short hair. It's a sign that you are a good boy and listen to your mummy and daddy." Harry thought about the sentence, before asking, "Pah-fuh naughty?"

Sirius was startled — where had his pup gotten that from? "Why would Padfoot be naughty?" He asked the little boy sitting in front of him.

"Pah-fuh has long hair," was the three year olds answer, as if the question was stupid. Sirius realised he had not used an ideal explanation. "No, no. Padfoot is a very good boy. But Padfoot likes his long hair."

"Me like long hair. You said long hair naughty." Harry looked pensive for a minute, before running off. Sirius had to scramble to follow the boy, who seemed to have received a blast of energy. When he caught up 1with Harry, the toddler was standing on a stool, scissors in his hand. "Pah-fuh snip snip!"

"Uh … no, thanks. No snip snip." The tears started to reform in Harry's emerald green eyes.

"Hello! Anyone here?" A voice sounded through the house.

"Moony?" Sirius shouted back.

"Yes!" came a quick reply from downstairs. "Where are you guys?"

"Bathroom!"

Harry looked up confusedly. "Mooey?"

"That's right Harry, Moony is here. He'll explain that I don't need a haircut."

It only took a few seconds for Remus to arrive in the bathroom. "What's happe—Harry, what are you doing with those scissors?!"

"Padfoot good." was the most logical reply. Remus looked over at Sirius raising his eyebrows at the same time. "Sometimes, but can you explain to me?"

The little boy gave a serious nod, "Pah-fuh said good boy, short hair. Want to make Pah-fuh good."

"Ah, I think I understand. Padfoot is right that good little boys have short hair."

"Me not wittle," came the interrupted response, as a sulk started to make its way onto Harry's face again.

Remus could hit himself on the head for that mistake. Harry had been insisting that he was a big boy now, for quite some time. "I'm sorry. All good boys have short hair, but that doesn't mean naughty boys have long hair. I have short hair don't I?"

After waiting for a nod, Remus continued. "Well the hair length tells you who is the best-behaved from those people. So if you look at daddy, padfoot and me, you'll see that I have the shortest hair. Padfoot has the longest out of us three. Now when your mummy and daddy get back and you ask your mummy who is the best-behaved out of your daddy, Padfoot, and me, your mummy will say me."

Harry looked pensive as if he wasn't going to believe it, but did nod after a moment. "Now, can I have those scissors please?" Reluctantly the scissors were handed over to Remus. Remus let out a sigh of relief as he put the scissors on top of the cupboard, where Harry could not reach them.

"Now come and give your favourite uncle a cuddle." Harry ran into Remus' arms, and gave him a big squeeze. "Love you, uncle Mooey!"

Sirius sighed and gave Remus an extremely grateful smile.