"Ugf!"
Remus looked up from his bed, where he'd been comfortably trying to finish up the last ten pages of his novel. The interruption was a small body, which managed to loudly toss itself onto the center of the large rug that took up most of the room. Harsh breaths raised and lowered the little tummy, despite the dramatically sprawled pose (complete with eyes rolled all the way upwards, though they kept flicking towards the bed), which would otherwise have one believe the boy to be at least comatose. Naptime, Remus realized, was decidedly over.
"Help," a small whisper flew from the otherwise still mouth, "Help me. The Hungarian Horntail just fireballed me out of his cave."
"He did, did he?" Remus raised an eyebrow, sticking a bookmark at his page and placing the book on the night table, hopefully far from danger. "I thought a brave prince such as yourself would be able to slay a beast such as that!"
Harry sighed, breaking character as he ran out of the room, making Remus smile. These past few months hadn't been easy; trying to free Harry from the mold his previous guardians had shoved him into. Pretend games, such as this one, were relatively new and exciting progress. Similarly exciting (and woeful) was realizing that Harry was picking up on Sirius's penchant for the dramatic.
"I'm a knight, not prince!" The child was back, waving a small book above his head. Of course, Remus understood, this was a reenactment of last night's bedtime story. That would make Harry "Sir Singington," and if he appeared before Remus after the dragon, that would make the older man…
"I'm not Princess Purplefoot, am I?" Remus exaggeratedly moaned.
Harry spent a moment in contemplation before giggling. "No, you're not a girl! In our version it's Loopy Lorgaan who fixes Sir Singington. That makes more sense, anyway, and it's not fair that Loopy Lorgaan is only in the beginning."
Remus smiled, inwardly grateful. He much preferred playing the eccentric medicine man than the dewy-eyed ingénue. "Sir Singington, you've been hurt!" He exclaimed, in a put on voice.
"I was fireballed." Harry said again, very impressed with his made up word. "I'm burnt here, here, and here and here." He pointed to his forehead, chin, and both knees, and then dropped back onto the rug. "I've also got Dragon Pox, and I walked so much I don't think I even have feet anymore."
"That's quite a list!" Remus laughed, and immediately quieted at Harry's this is serious glare.
"I'm a knight, Loopy Lorgaan. I get hurt a lot because it's my whole job to protect everybody!" The child proclaimed, shooting to stand. "Look, I can stand up, even though I don't have feet. That's how brave I am."
It was heartening to see more and more James peek out, every day. Lily was there from almost the beginning, evident in her son's inclination towards good will, and insatiable inquisitive nature. Egging out his father took more effort, but Harry was slowly latching onto the gutsiness and confidence that naturally accompanied his legendary Potter hair.
"You don't need to get hurt to be brave."
"Scars are awesome! Padfoot says my scar is awesome, and it's proof how brave me and my mom and my dad are."
Heartening and a headache, Remus supposed.
"Padfoot is right, of course." He reassumed his "Loopy Lorgaan" voice: "What shall I do for you, sir? How can I heal your ailments?"
"Magic!" Harry gasped, falling back to the rug. "You have to magic my feet back on, and magic the burns back to normal. Then I can go to the Diamond Geyser and drink up to make my Dragon Pox go away. You can't fix those."
"Got it." He made a show of rummaging for his wand, did a few nonsensical spells and overdone wand work for effect. Harry's preliminary understanding of magic was endearing: it was a verb to be used anytime no other solution came to mind. Remus and Sirius hoped to uphold this innocent rational for as long as possible.
He eventually incanted a simple charm that blanketed Harry with illusionary blue glitter. "Do you see the magic? Is it working?"
"It's…" Harry dramatically rolled onto his side. "It's…" Another theatrical flop, now onto his stomach. "I'M FIXED!" He jumped into the air and ran circles around the room.
"Thank you, Loopy Lorgaan!" Harry finally ended his celebratory jog to stand before Remus. "As a reward, you can travel with me on the rest of my journey. Do you accept?"
"Hm, I'll have to think about it." Remus walked to his dresser and toyed with the framed pictures on top: him and Sirius fooling around (in the most innocent of ways) while making dinner, a baby picture of Harry getting his face squished by Lily and James, and a very recent picture of Harry with his arms around Padfoot's (dog version) neck.
"You can drink up at the Diamond Geyser, too!" Harry offered as incentive.
"I don't have Dragon Pox." Remus drawled. "Why would I want anything from the Diamond Geyser?"
"Because maybe one day you'll get Dragon Pox, but your body will remember that it got to drink at the Diamond Geyser and you won't get sick." The child suggested.
Remus had to bite his tongue to stop the compliment that was already forming on his lips. He used to roll his eyes at the sappy parents who waxed poetic on their gifted and talented children, but now he understood. Besides, how could other kids hold a light to this? Harry was so smart.
"Good thinking, Sir Singington. Let's be off."
The boy gestured for Remus to lean in. He cupped his hands to the older's ear, in secrecy.
"You have to play the noble steed, too. I can't carry you."
"Aye, Sir Singington." He grabbed Harry around the middle and swung the boy all the way up, to sit on his shoulders.
A burst of raucous laughter was all it took for Remus to decide he'd be lifting Harry like that on a daily basis. "I'm the tallest kid in the world! I'm even taller than you up here, Moony!"
The man had to join in, as the child's giggles were infectious. "What's it like, all the way up there?"
"I can see my house from here!" Harry joyfully cried.
"So can I – you're in your house, goofball." Remus freed one of his hands to tickle Harry's bare feet.
In an effort not to fall from the sudden attack, Harry wrapped his arms around Remus's head, effectively blinding his "noble steed."
"Stop it, stop, you're a horse!" Harry managed to speak between bursts of laughter.
Remus complied, moving his hand back to secure Harry by the ankles. He neighed, and started in a light jog around the room.
"The Diamond Geyser is in the kitchen. This way!" Harry pointed forward, poised for battle.
Remus neighed again and made way by Harry's instruction. They were exiting the room when - shite.
How thick would someone have to be to not realize they needed to duck to get through a doorway, when carrying a five-year-old on their shoulders?
The wails were instantaneous. Remus felt a great wave of relief beneath his guilt; crying was a good indicator that the injury wasn't critical. Gingerly, he set Harry back down to the ground.
"I'm so, so sorry, Pup. Does it hurt awfully?" Remus heard his voice break with his words.
Harry had one hand rubbing his forehead, and the other wiping furiously at tears. "Lots. Hurts lots. Why did you do that?"
"I didn't mean to." He apologized, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. "Hold on, I'll get some medicine, and we'll see if you have to go to St. Mungo's."
He lifted Harry onto the bed, and hurried into the bathroom for the potions cabinet.
"No!" Harry yelled from the adjacent room as Remus shuffled through the jars. "Not going to the doctor's!"
"Only if I can't fix it, Puppy." He brought the Deflating Draught and Murtlap Essence in, sitting gingerly on the bed beside Harry.
About a week into their new living arrangements, it came to light that Harry hadn't had a proper medical examination since being in the care of James and Lily. It was fortunate that his school nurse had been observant enough to occasionally diagnose the child, but that simply wasn't enough healthcare for a growing boy. The subsequent trip to St. Mungo's had been a disaster, to say the least. The staff couldn't get enough of The Boy Who Lived making his first quasi-public appearance since earning the title. Harry was just as passionately disinclined to make their acquaintance, once he realized they'd also be poking him, prodding him, and forcing nasty potions into his mouth.
It was an experience that Remus wasn't anxious to relive.
"It was an accident, Harry. A big mistake, because your Moony is a right doofus, aren't I?"
The child let out a little sigh, perhaps almost a laugh. "I thought Padfoot was the doofus. 'Swat you said when he burned my pancakes yesterday."
"Well it wasn't fair that you had to suffer because he doesn't know how to talk and cook at the same time." Remus explained. Harry laugh-sighed again.
Remus uncapped the murtlap and rubbed some onto Harry's forehead, hoping to soothe it before a bruise formed. He then uncorked the draft. "Three big sips, okay?"
Harry obliged. After a minute or two of silent cuddling, spirits seemed to pick up. "When do I get to make magic stuff like this? Then I'd never get hurts or ouches again!"
Remus smiled. "We told you all about Hogwarts, remember? When you turn eleven, you get to go away and learn all about doing magic."
"But that's so far!" Harry protested. "I can't do anything before?''
"Nope. It's too dangerous, and didn't Padfoot and I promise to keep you extra-super-duper-safe?" He reminded the child.
"You can watch me!" Harry bargained.
"I think it's better that you watch us, for now. Besides, don't you like having two personal wizards do all your magic for you?" That earned Remus a giggle, sweeter than any spell.
"Make my walls polka dot again!" Harry cheered. Remus was more than happy to oblige.
xxxxxxxxxx
Hours later, Remus sat down in the living room, intent on finishing up those last ten pages of his book.
This plan was very short lived. The door swung open, and Sirius marched in with all the grace and poise of an injured hippogriff.
"Moony!" He loudly whined, dropping his briefcase and outer robes to the floor as he approached the couch. "Moony, I'm so exhausted."
"Quiet!" Remus gently scolded. "Harry's sleeping."
"S'not my fault you put him to bed so early. Why can't he stay awake to see me once I'm home?" With an inelegant crash landing, Sirius was laying on the couch, head in Remus's lap.
Despite his previously attempted admonishment, Remus found his hands gently playing through his lover's hair. "He's five. He can't stay up until midnight for you. Let's work on petitioning for a better schedule, next quarter."
"'M gonna. 'M on it." Sirius cuddled in closer, apparently settling in for the night.
"Rough day?" Remus set his book aside, certain he'd get to actually completing it tomorrow. Well, almost certain.
"Some Aurors are right pricks, you know that?" Sirius shook his head. "Of course you know that. Never mind our training is about five times more rigorous, never mind we land 'bout half as many men in St. Mungo's, compared to them – they're so high and damn mighty because they're employed by the Ministry."
"They're jealous; the private defense industry boom is really putting them out." Remus rationalized.
"Still pricks."
"Right you are."
Sirius grabbed onto the hand running through his hair, bringing it lightly to his lips before resting it between his own hand and his chest. "What of your day, love? How was it?"
"Could've been better. Managed to bodily injure Harry after his nap." Remus bit at his lower lip again.
"With malicious intention, I'm sure." Sirius teased.
"It isn't funny." Remus sighed. "Harry doesn't come naturally to me, not like you. I whacked Harry's head on the doorframe pretty hard while playing. He's only five, Sirius. What'll I manage to screw up for him when he's on his way to Hogwarts? When he's sixteen? When he's getting married? When he's-"
"Hush." Sirius squeezed the hand beneath his. "You think that banging a kid's head makes you any sort of bad, Moony?" He suddenly sat up, wrapping his arms round the man beside him. "I suppose it's because you haven't had the fortune of meeting honestly bad parental figures. Mine tried to ruin my life eight ways to Sunday by the time I was Harry's age. They didn't care if I was happy, or healthy, or developing like a regular kid. They cared that I was a Black – acted that way, and stayed that way."
He paused to drop a kiss to his lover's head. "You and I don't care what Harry is. He could be a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Ape, and we'd love him just the same. I see how you watch him, Moony. You love him like he'd been ours from the get go. You're quite the natural at this."
Remus let himself smile, just a bit. "It's tough."
"Yeah, well so are we."
The conversation was cut short by the pattering of little feet down the hallway. Harry approached the men, apparently having decided to drag his whole blanket with him instead of properly getting out of bed.
"Pup, you're awake!" Sirius lifted Harry onto his lap, uncaring of the late hour or his own exhaustion.
"You shut the door too loud when you got home." Harry commented, making both men snicker.
"Padfoot'll be more careful in the future, okay? Let's get you back to bed now." Remus stood in an attempt to coax Harry down the hall.
"I'll take him, you have a seat." Sirius stood with Harry in his arms, gathering up the blanket behind the child.
"You sure?" Remus asked.
"I hardly get to see him enough as is, and you've already gotten the chance to put him to bed once tonight. Harry, say goodnight to Moony." Sirius passed Harry to Remus for a hug.
"Night Moony." Harry said, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Love you."
The two adults froze. They'd said the phrase to Harry before, and certainly he'd heard it shared between the Dursleys, but this was the first time the boy had expressed the sentiment to either of them. To anyone, actually.
"Love you too, Pup." Remus finally returned, his voice more than slightly cracking. "Love you so much."
"All right, here we go." Sirius reluctantly took Harry back, and headed down the hall. "I think you broke Moony, Pup."
"Will you fix him?" Remus heard the conversation continue.
"I'll work on it. He's a sappy one, isn't he?"
Harry giggled, and the soft "plop!" Of a child being playfully dropped onto the bed could be heard. More words were exchanged, the light went out, and just when Remus thought he'd see Sirius reenter the hallway, the little voice spoke again.
"Love you Padfoot."
A voice (just as cracked as his own had been, Remus noticed) replied, "Love you Harry. Sleep well."
Perhaps, Remus reconsidered, they weren't messing up Harry too badly, after all.
A/N: Wow not delayed at all! So sorry about it – I could give you the whole dramatic tale of life, or I could realize that life literally happens to everyone and I should've scheduled writing time in. I haven't given up on this, or FCFC! Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they truly mean the world to me. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, as well! Xoxo