"Can I go to the tavern with the others?" Harry asked. Sirius slowly lowered his goblet and wiped his mouth. "No." He said. Harry looked at him, dumbstruck. Sirius never said no. "But everyone else is going." Harry argued. "Gabriel?" Sirius said. Sir Gabriel looked up. "Was I unclear?" Sir Gabriel who sat to Sirius left looked uncomfortable. "No, sir. You were perfectly clear." Sirius nodded. "Is Cody going?" He asked knowingly. "He hadn't asked yet, but no." Sir Gabriel said, with a stern look to his son, who sat across from him next to Harry. "I'm fifteen." Cody said. "And I am your father, your paterfamilias." Sir Gabriel said. Cody opened his mouth to argue again, but Harry kicked him and shook his head.
"What did you kick me for?" Cody hissed as they walked into the stables. "If a direct approach doesn't work go around." Harry repeated Sir Ragnald's words. He opened the door and smiled at the small cub. In the month Godric had been with them he'd grown a lot. He now came to Harry's calf and eagerly gobbled all the food they gave him. They smuggled him out under a horse blanket and sat down and discussed their strategy for that night, till night fell.
Sirius looked up when Harry walked into his office and smiled. "There you are. I was beginning to think you'd disobeyed me." Harry scowled at him. "I know you think I am unreasonable." Sirius said, putting his quill down and getting up. Harry scoffed and turned to leave the room. Sirius followed in silence, until the door of Harry's room closed. "So, the silent treatment it is?" He asked. Harry ignored him as he laid of his cape, cloak and shirt and laid down on the ground. Sirius kneeled at his feet and held them down. Harry pushed his upper body up. "One, That is hardly fair, two, I've denied you nothing so far, three, I'm just doing this for your own benefit, four," Harry growled. "I'm eighteen." He said, straight through Sirius: "Five." Sirius sighed. "No, you are fourteen, six, and alcohol does bad things, seven, to your body in your age, eight, Not to mention the STD's, nine, those tavern wrenches have." It was silent for a while with only Sirius counting. "Twenty." He said, slapping Harry's knees and getting up. He sat down on Harry's bed and watched silently as Harry did his push-up and washed after that. "Goodnight." He said, sounding slightly disgruntled. "Goodnight. Look Sirius, I understand, but that doesn't mean I like it." Harry said. Sirius grinned. "No, I guess it doesn't." He ruffled Harry's hair and kissed the top of his head.
Harry grinned widely as he climbed to wall to his bedroom. This was the most fun night he had in times. It almost was like he was back in Gryffindor again. He climbed into the room and froze. The covers he had thrown over his pillows was folded open and a dark figure sat in the chair in front of the fire. He swallowed and swung his other leg in to. "Sirius." He said, dread settling in his stomach. The dark shape moved. He got up and walked to the door. The light fell on his face and Harry could see the tight anger coiling in there. "Good night." Sirius said, coolly. "Do stay in your bed this time." Harry bit his lip. "Sirius." Sirius froze his hand on the doorknob. "No, I'll talk to you in the morning. I have no desire to talk to you right now. I am going to try and get whatever kind of sleep I can still get."
The door banged behind Sirius and closed tightly. Harry tried to swallow the lump in his throat down, but it kept raising higher. He tried to take comfort that at least he would be sent back to his parents, but couldn't. He sat down in the chair Sirius had left empty, buried his face in his hands and cried.
That's how Sirius found him in the morning. Curled up on the chair, tear tracks drying on his face and small marks where his nails had pressed into his skin. He sighed. It was hard to stay angry at such a miserable sight. "Harry, Harry." He said, stroking the messy mop of hair. Harry blinked his eyes open. "Sirius." He breathed. He launched forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius neck. "Please don't sent me away." He begged. "Sent you away, where too in merlin's name? You belong here with me." Sirius said, holding the boy tightly. "I am very angry, you better not do that again or I'll tan your hide and all that nonsense." He said, gently pulling himself away from Harry. "Now, do tell your godfather, how drunk did you get."
Harry grinned when Cody walked over. "Did you get busted too?" Cody asked. Harry pulled a face. "Yes, in trouble?" The aspiring knight laughed. "No, got threatened with decapitation and being boiled alive and got treated to a conversation about subjects I rather not talk about with my dad." He said. Harry grinned at that.
"Hawwy, Hawwy!" A scared childish voice rang out. Harry cracked his neck, too find the source of the disturbance. Then he saw it, a balding man, with a scar over his eyes was pulling a one year old over the court yard. "Hey, you." Harry said, drawing his dagger. The man turned and tried to run. "Hawwy!" Teddy cried. "Stop that man!" Harry commanded and immediately set chase. For a second he lost the man out of sight. His heart drummed high in his throat.
"Over there." Cody yelled pointing left over the crowd of people. They took chase again and came closer. "Teddy!" Harry called out when he saw the man running towards the bridge. "Grab him." Cody yelled to the castle guards. They reacted immediately and grabbed the man by his arm. He overtook the space in big strides. "Teddy!" He said, lifting the boy in his arms. "Theodore Lupin? Marquis Lupin's son? Wasn't he kidnapped three months ago?" Cody asked. Harry nodded, holding Teddy tightly against his chest. "Arrest this man." Harry said. "Someone go get Prince Black." Sir Gabriel said, before turning to the crowd. "Move along. Move, you fools." Sir Ragnald came to the scene next, with ropes to tie the man down. Harry stood and held Teddy on his hips.
"Out of my way!" Sirius thundered, He rushed past the tied up man and to Harry. "Are you alright? Injured, hurt?" Harry shook his head. "No, I'm fine Your Highness." Sirius sighed. "This is Teddy?" He asked, in an undertone. Harry nodded. "Is he alright?" Harry looked at Teddy. "I think so." Sirius nodded and looked up. "Cody, go get Miss Jane." He said. Cody bowed and rushed off to do his bidding.
Sirius turned to the prisoner. "Where did you get the child?" He said angrily. The man spat at Sirius feet. "You are charged with kidnapping, disobeying a direct order from a lord, do you really want to add treachery to that?" Sirius said sternly. The man grinned his blackened teeth bare, but remained silent. Sirius growled. "Take him out of my sight." Sir Ragnald and Sir Blair took the man away and Cody returned with a huffing and puffing Miss Jane.
"Ah, there you are Miss Jane." Sirius said. "Would you terribly mind having another child to look at until his father can come and gather him?" He sounded way more polite than Harry have ever heard him. "One more or less won't make a difference." Miss Jane said. "Hey, Teddy bear, will you go with Miss Jane for me. She has some friends for you to play with and I will be there for story time, okay?" Harry said. Teddy nodded, shyly. "How does some bread with honey sound to you?" Miss Jane said. Teddy nodded eagerly.
After Teddy was in safe arms, Sirius turned to Harry and Cody. "Well done, you two." He said, fondly. "Come on. I was checking the market for illegal practices. Come with me, it'll be good practice for later." Sir Gabriel beamed, which made Harry wonder how he had gotten a compliment. "Thank you, your Highness." Cody replied. Sirius smiled and joined in conversation with Sir Gabriel. They checked the stables and confiscated some illegal substances and items. It all seemed rather boring to Harry, but Cody seemed really interested to learn.
An unsuspicious stall caught Harry's attention. It was muffled away in a corner and didn't have any bright colors, which made it stand out to the other stalls where people yelled and wore bright clothing. "Your Highness." He said, making Sirius look back. "There is something suspicious about that one." He said pointing. Sirius followed the line of his vision. "Indeed, good job." He said. Marching over to the stall, Sirius made people step aside to let him pass.
"Good afternoon." He said to the sweaty and bald merchandiser. "Good afternoon, milord." Sir Gabriel pulled a face and said: "That is Prince Black you are talking to." The man bowed low. "I am sorry your highness. Deeply sorry." Sirius waved his excuses away. "What do you sell?" He demanded. The man started sweating even more. "Nothing that could interest such a great prince." He said in an oily voice. "I'll decide that for myself, open your carriage." Sirius ordered. The man took off running. "Sir Gabriel." Sirius said, annoyed. The knight took off after the man, while Sirius opened the carriage. It was filled to the brim with, fur and crates. "A poacher." Sirius told Harry and Cody. "Doesn't use anything of the animal except its fur. A huge waste or resources and pointless. Not to mention illegal." Harry made a disgusted noise and Cody looked sick. He poked Harry in his side and pointed out a saber-tooth skin.
"I have him, your highness." Sir Gabriel said. Sirius looked at the man. "Tell me, do you have a wife, children, perhaps?" The man shook his head. "When was your last meal?" Sirius asked. "I had pork this morning, your highness." Sirius shook his head. "I see. Tell Ragnald to put him with our other guest if you'd please, Sir Gabriel." He said. Sir Gabriel took off again.
"Why did I ask those questions, Cody?" Sirius asked. "If he had a wife and children that were going hungry or if he was really poor it could be excused?" Cody answered unsurely. "Exactly. Now let's see what this fellow ships in live animals, shall we?" Sirius put his arm into the carriage and pulled out a crate. He put it on the floor and opened it. "Aw" Harry said. "Wolf cubs, off course." Sirius said. Harry plucked one out of the cage and hugged it. "Can we keep them?" He asked, hugging it tightly. Sirius looked at the carriage. "Let's first see how much we have."
"Thirty five cubs, seventeen male and thirteen female." Sirius summarized. Sir Gabriel had rejoined them and spoke up, urged by his sons pleading eyes. "The old stables are barely in use anymore, your highness. We could keep them there, raise them as hunting dogs." Sirius took a look at Harry's hopeful face and caved. "Fine, but when they're adults, you will sell them." He said sternly. Harry and Cody nodded eagerly. "You train them and if one of them attacks a human I will take it out on your hides." "Yes, Your highness." Cody and Harry echoed.
Soon enough they were busy redecorating the stables. The individual walls between the stalls were destroyed on both sides. The girls got the left side and the boy's right. They decorated it in the same trend as Godric and placed Godric with the male wolf cubs and pleaded with the boys who brought the cubs their food not to alarm their father or guardian.
"There was once upon a time a princess, who, high under the battlements in her castle, had an apartment with twelve windows, which looked out in every possible direction, and when she climbed up to it and looked around her, she could inspect her whole kingdom. When she looked out of the first, her sight was more keen than that of any other human being; from the second she could see still better, from the third more distinctly still, and so it went on, until the twelfth, from which she saw everything" Harry said. Rocking Teddy on his lap and smiling at Canis and Leo, who were nestled against him. She told the kingdom that no one should ever be her husband who could not hide himself from her so effectually, that it should be quite impossible for her to find him. He who tried this, however, and was discovered by her, would be banned from the kingdom. No one had come forward for a long time. The princess was happy, and thought to herself, "Now I shall be free as long as I live."" Harry put up a high voice much to the children's amusement. "
The youth went straight to the palace. The princess was already expecting him, and accommodated herself to her destiny. The wedding was solemnized, and now he was king, and lord of all the kingdom. He never told her where he had concealed himself for the third time, and who had helped him, so she believed that he had done everything by his own skill, and she had a great respect for him, for she thought to herself, "He is able to do more than I." Sirius placed the sleeping twin in their bed and placed Teddy between them.
"I wrote to Remus, He'll want to visit to gather his son." Sirius said. "And Frank Longbottom is coming next month, to discuss the trade between our castles." Harry nodded. "I expect you to be on your best behavior during that time." Sirius continued. "Off course." Harry said, trudging down the stairs. He's bringing the man who trained his hunting dogs. Take the opportunity to ask for tips." Harry nodded.
"Were all the cubs weaned?" Sirius asked. "Yeah, thankfully. They settled in easily after Cody and I were done redecorating the stables. They were sleeping when we left." Sirius nodded. "I wanted to ask. Could I take the children to meet the cubs tomorrow? It will be good for them to get used to each other." Sirius thought about that. "I suppose the cubs are small enough, do keep a close eye on them." Harry sat down at the head table on his seat across from Sirius. "How are your lessons going?" Sirius asked. "Very well." Sirius leaned forward. "How do you call the land of a marquis?"
Harry held Teddy tightly on his hip, while he opened the door to the male cub's side. The male and female cubs both were now investigating the new space and the other cubs. Canis and Leo clung tightly to Harry's leg, while Cody kneeled down and stroked some passing cubs. Godric trotted up to them and jumped up against Cody. "Kitty." Canis said. Godric looked at him and trotted over. He licked carefully at Canis face. Leo stuck out his hand and grasped the fur. Harry carefully lowered himself on his haunches and sat Teddy on his knee. "Kitty." Leo called. "Kiwi." Teddy echoed. He stretched his hands and whirled them into Godric fur. "Easy." Harry said. "Doggie." Canis said, abandoning Harry's legs and walking over to one of the cubs, to pet it. After a few moments of indecision Leo followed his brother in petting and playing tag with the small cubs. They ran around and played until it was bedtime for the small ones. Harry grinned, when he saw Teddy and Canis curl up on the floor and fall asleep. Leo was asleep on one of the crates. Harry and Cody quickly sorted the wolves into their own sides and carried the three lords to their bedrooms, before retreating to their room to change for dinner.
Dinner was a rather quiet affair. Sirius and his knights had went to the nearby farmers to collect the taxes and things like that and would not be back until late the next day. Using the opportunity Harry had invited Cody over for a sleepover, something which he had always wanted to do before. Cody was eager enough and after Sirius and Sir Gabriel had given their consents it was decided.
"Why is the stall door open?" Harry asked, walking up to the old stable and peering inside. "Milord." The highly distressed stable hand said. "I only opened the door and he rushed out, milord." Harry frowned. "Who did?" He asked dread settling in. "The tiger cub, milord. He just ran right past me." Harry groaned. "Do you have work to do this morning?" He asked. "No, milord. I will not have work to do, until the prince comes back." The stable hands said. "I would've just oiled the leather, milord and run some errands to earn some extra coins." Harry nodded. "I'll give you a silver coin if you help me look for Godric." The stable hand nodded eagerly and they rushed to find the stray cub, before trouble did.
Harry relayed the crisis to Cody when he bumped into to him and then he took started looking for Little Godric. "Here Godric!" Harry called out, "Come here boy." He looked in the kennel with the hounds and even in the chicken run. Cody came back from the open space in the valley where they usually took Godric empty handed. They searched the castle top to bottom, but nowhere a trace of the run-away was found. Harry heart banged in his throat and tear stung behind his eyes. What is Godric had run off? He would never survive in the wild. What if a knight had found him and killed him, for his fur? Fear tightened Harry throat, but he kept looking and even went as far as to visit places he had already been.
"Lord Potter, Lord Potter. Your Guardian is back, milord. You must come and greet him in the courtyard." Miss Jane said. She wouldn't hear of Harry's objections and pulled him to the courtyard where he was placed next to Canis, Leo and Teddy, to await Sirius return. He would have to tell Sirius about Godric, Sirius would help his search for the cub. Harry steeled himself in his resolve and for the lecture about honesty that would surely come, when the thundering of hooves sounded on the drawbridge. Sirius rode into view and Harry kept his back stiff and unmoving, until Sirius had dismounted. He made a stiff bow and almost grinned when the youngsters crowded around Sirius. Sirius hugged them and swung them around, before turning to Harry.
"Sirius, I." "Have you been doing your push-ups, boy?" Sir Ragnald interrupted him. Harry reluctantly turned to the knight. "Yes, sir. I have." He said, with a respectful nod, before opening his mouth to tell Sirius what was going on. "Your sit-ups as well?" Harry swallowed his annoyance. "Yes, sir." He said curtly. "I have to go and store the money." Sirius said, while he messed up Harry's hair. "See you later, kid." He took off. Harry turned to the elderly knight, who pushed a wiggling ball of fur in his arms. "Keep better track of this one, or I might regret my decision not to tell Prince Black." Harry hugged Godric tightly to his chest. "Godric! I was so worried." He murmured in the soft fur of the cub. "Thank you, sir Ragnald." Harry said, happily. Sir Ragnald sniffed. "Do thirty five sit-ups before tomorrow, tell you friend to do the same." Harry nodded obediently. "Yes, sir." He said obediently.
"Cody, Cody. Look!" Harry said, as he stormed into the stable, where Cody and the stable hand sat downtrodden and sad. "Godric!" Cody called out, happily. "Silly cub." He said, as he took the cub from Harry's arms. "I had some servant close off the spaces where the cubs are being kept, with the wire we used for the chicken runs." The stable keeper said. Harry thanked him and gave both him and the stable hand two golden coins of his own allowance, Sirius never asked him what he did with his money so he could do what he want with it. They took the wolf cubs out for walks in groups of five all of them had to be on leash. Lastly they took Godric into the woods, with two other cubs so he could play.