"Teddy! Are you almost ready? We are going to be late enough as is," I yell up the stairs to where my five year old son is scrounging around his room trying to find his missing shoe. I can't help but mentally add, make sure Teddy cleans his room this weekend to the never ending list of things that should have been done last week.
"Calm down Rem, you still have plenty of time to drop Ted off at your parents before flooing to meet with the realtor," Sirius says walking up to me and hugging me from behind.
"I thought you already left? You're usually gone by this time in the morning," I comment, turning around to face my husband.
"I know, but Albus flooed asking for me to stop by for mid-morning tea so I flooed the office and told them I would be a little late. You know babe, I have been thinking of maybe leaving the aurors," Sirius says turning me to face him, but we are interrupted by Teddy bounding down the stairs and jumping into his Daddy's arms.
"Papa said you had to work this morning and that I wouldn't see you until dinner tonight!" He says sending me a small glare. I open my mouth to reply, but Sirius beats me to it.
"Hey pup, don't give your papa that look. He didn't think I'd be here either, I surprised you both!" he says hoisting Teddy up and swinging him up into the air to make him laugh.
"Well, are we ready then?" I ask, looking Teddy over to make sure he is properly dressed, while he is five and definitely able to dress himself, he does have a tendency to put shirts on backwards or mess up buttons.
"Why now?" I ask Sirius.
"I just feel like I have missed out on a lot, and that I continue to miss out on things… I don't want Teddy to grow up with me never being around," he says passing Teddy over to me.
"We will discuss this later. Has Albus heard from Harry?" I ask walking Teddy to the front door and grabbing his coat, helping him to put it on and then letting him zip it up. I may be summer but it is early enough to be slightly cool and there is a nice breeze.
It has been four years since the war ended and Harry disappeared off into the world. Harry took care of Voldemort, was treated by Madam Pomfrey, and promptly left. No one knows where he went off to, but he has stayed in contact with Sirius and I, sending us letters every now and then to try and keep us from worrying. We can't help ourselves though, I know I for one won't stop worrying until I can see for myself that he is alright.
Sirius and I have both tried multiple times to try and get Harry to come home, even if just for a short visit, but every time we say something he ignores it. We know he misses everyone, because he always asks how everyone is doing, and we understand that leaving was his way of coping and grieving. But now he needs to be home with his family.
"No, but I know he is worried… it's been months since he has contacted anyone," he replies walking over to me and giving me a peck on the lips, and bending to kiss Teddy's forehead as I shrug on my own jacket.
I nod my head in reply to Sirius, before grabbing Teddy's hand and leading us out of the house and onto the front stoop of Grimmauld place. I pick Teddy back up before apparating us to my parents' house. My parents have been great in helping us take care of Teddy. I lost my job not too long ago, and have been desperately looking for a new one. With Sirius working long hours at the aurors, my parents have been irreplaceable when it comes to watching Teddy while I job and house hunt.
Sirius and I want to move out of Grimmauld place, too many memories for the two of us, but there is no way we can based on the little money we have saved up over the years. Sirius and I for once agreed on something when it came to our money situation, and that was that we want to keep as far away from the Black vaults as possible. There really is no real justification for it other than pride, and wanting to leave as much money as we can to Teddy and any other future children we have.
Sirius and I have slowly been saving up ever since we got together, not long after Sirius escaped Azkaban. Sirius was stuck in Grimmauld place for two years before Peter was captured, and Sirius was declared free. Those two years, were terrible. I could tell Sirius was miserable, and since I was working and he was not, I started to put money aside towards us getting a new place. A few months after Sirius was proven innocent, we got married, and just when the peak of the war hit, Teddy came into our lives.
It doesn't take me long to drop Teddy off, only stopping in to say a quick hello to my parents and making sure Teddy is settled in. I then quickly apparate to our realtor's office. Despite mine and Sirius' hesitation in using the Black vaults, we have decided to sell Grimmauld place. There is nothing but bad memories and dark magic in that house. We are hoping to sell the house for enough that we can by a new place. Hopefully somewhere out in the countryside.
For some reason, Sirius did not want to partake in choosing our new house, at all. He has given me full reign, his only request being that the new house is bright and has lots of windows, which given his history and time spent in Azkaban is totally understandable. This is the third time that I have met with the relator, and I am hoping it is the last.
We spend the majority of the morning looking at house after house, and finally just as we are drawing near lunch time and I am becoming desperate, we floo into a house that I can only describe as being perfect.
It has a large and open ground floor. The front door opens up into an entry way, and off to the left there is a large room that could be an office or small sitting room. Directly in front of the door is a grand staircase, just past the staircase leads into the family room (where we flooed in), and connected is the kitchen. To the right of the front door and connecting to the kitchen is the dining room.
Not only is the downstairs large and open, but the back of the house seems covered in windows. The fireplace is facing the front of the house, but there are large windows on either side of it. This makes the house look bright and cheerful.
We head upstairs, and there are four bedrooms. I don't know what we would ever do with that many bedrooms, but for a downside, that is really an upside. The house is set out in the countryside, Teddy definitely has lots of room to run around outside, and I can't help but cheer at that. Like any young boy Teddy is full of energy.
I tell the realtor that I will bring Sirius back to look at the house that night so we can make a decision. After leaving, I stop and buy a quick sandwich before heading to my other appointment of the day, aka my job interview at Florish and Blotts.
Florish and Blotts offers me a job as a day time manager, which I gladly accept. It is your typical day job, but I have always wanted to work at a bookstore so am excited to start. I apparate back to Grimmauld excited to tell Sirius about my successful day, and then spend the evening relaxing with my husband and son.
I find Sirius sitting in the kitchen staring off into the distance and absentmindedly stirring a cup of tea.
"Sirius? Everything all right?"
Sirius jumps before looking up at me and shrugging his shoulders. Not really sure what that means, I prod, "how was your meeting with Albus?"
"Interesting. Minerva was there. She offered me a job as the new transfiguration professor. Albus has finally decided to step down," he says staring down at the table. I frown, confused why this isn't making him happy. Wasn't it just this morning that he was saying he wanted to leave the aurors? Sounds like the perfect reason to.
"Well that's good isn't it? Why aren't you jumping up and down?"
"Albus found Harry, Remus."
"Really?! Where is he? How is he?" I ask unable to hide my surprise.
"He de-aged himself Remus. He was in Ireland and has been picked up by the child protective services there. They contacted Albus because Harry fudged the files before he did it. Listed Albus as his emergency contact. Apparently I am still listed as godfather. He asked if we would adopt him. I said yes. I know I should have talked to you first but-"
"No Sirius, you did the right thing. I can't image either of us ever saying no to taking Harry in. I guess it is a good thing the house I found today has four bedrooms…" I trail off.
"Harry wrote a letter to Albus explaining himself… He wanted a chance to be able to live life without constantly hiding from the media, and worrying about how others saw him. He changed files in the muggle world to ensure that Albus was contacted once he was deaged and found. He didn't want us to stop him, or try to talk him out of it."
"Oh Harry…" I mutter, collapsing into a chair at the table and staring down at my hands. I can't imagine what was going through his head to convince him to deage himself. Especially when we couldn't even get him to come home for a day.