After filling Sirius in on the potential house and my job offer, he explains that while he accepted Minerva's offer he declined on the offer to live in the castle. He says he doesn't want to ruin the magic of Teddy's first time at Hogwarts, but I think he was just using that as an excuse.
We went to the realtors, and Sirius got a tour of the house, before we agreed that we wanted it. We signed all the necessary paperwork before going and picking up Teddy from my parents. Dinner that evening was much quieter then usual. Sirius and I both had a lot on our minds and we knew that we had to address it all with Teddy, preferably tonight.
"We should ask Albus if we can borrow some house elves to help us move. When are we supposed to be getting Harry?" I ask while Sirius and I are cleaning up after dinner and Teddy is upstairs playing with his toys.
"He apparently flew in last night. Albus was going to go tonight and alter Harry's appearance, and the necessary memories to ensure that he isn't recognized. But he wanted us to go meet with Harry tomorrow."
"I only ask because it would be unfair to Harry if we were to get him settled in here just to move a couple of days later…"
"I'll write to Albus."
After cleaning the kitchen until it is nearly spotless, I know that we can delay the inevitable no longer. Sirius and I head upstairs and into Teddy's room, sitting down on teddy's bed on either side of him.
"Well Teddy, today I met with Grandpa Albus and Auntie Minerva-" Sirius starts.
"At Hogwarts! Why didn't you take me with you! I could have gone and seen Fang and Hagrid!"
"I know you love to go visit them, but this was not a meeting for little boys," Sirius says, continuing, "Well, Auntie Minerva offered me a job teaching at Hogwarts. I accepted, and Papa was also offered a job today, working at Florish and Blotts in Diagon Alley."
"And you know that Daddy and I have been thinking of getting a new house, right? We have talked about this already?" I ask waiting for his nod before continuing. "Well I found a great new house for us today!" I say before explaining the new house and its location to him.
Sirius and I both hold our breath waiting to see what the reaction will be to this news. Teddy looks deep in thought before he starts talking.
"Well that's alright I suppose. We don't even have a yard here! And you said that out new house has a huge yard so there is lots of room to run around!"
After this declaration, I can't help but laugh. I have been so worried about what Teddy would say, and he definitely has seen the most out of the situation.
"Will I still go to school this year?"
"Well, not the one we were planning on sending you to, but you will go to Hogsmeade Primary School," I say running a hand through his hair. This is Teddy's first year of school, and I know that he is looking forward to starting and to meeting some new friends.
"Well I am glad that was settled so easily! Though we do have one more thing to talk to you about," Sirius says leaning back a bit so he can look Teddy in the eye. "As I said, I also saw Grandpa Albus today, and he told us about a little boy who is my godson whose parents passed away when he was younger, and he no longer has a place to stay. He is only four, so you are bigger than him, but-"
"Is he going to come stay with us?" I am almost happy he asks the question, stopping me from figuring out a way to tell him.
"We would like to adopt him and make him a part of the family, yes."
"So he'd be my little brother? I've always wanted to be a big brother."
"Yes, he'd be your little brother. And it will never change the way Sirius and I feel about you, we aren't trying to replace you, and we will never love you any less than we do now," I say pulling my little boy into a hug. Sometimes it surprises me how understanding and wise little kids can be.
"I think we should do it. He doesn't have any parents, and if I didn't have you or Daddy I'd be very sad, and I'd want someone to share their parents with me too."
"How did we luck out and get such a great kid?" Sirius jokingly asks leaning in to give Teddy and me a hug as well.
"When can I meet him?" Teddy asks, surprising us both.
Many hours later, after Sirius and I have answered all of the random questions Teddy had, and he is tucked up in his bed fast asleep, I find myself sitting in the kitchen with a glass of tea thinking of how this one day turned our whole family upside down, hopefully for the better.
Sirius and I wake up Teddy the next morning and Sirius floos him right over to my parents' house, still in his pajamas. I quickly shower and get dressed knowing that both Sirius and I can't wait to see Harry and start to settle our little family in to our new home. Sirius quickly explains the situation to my parents, and though they are shocked at the fact that we are adopting a new son they are happy for us.
We arrive at the Headmasters office to meet Albus.
"I was wondering when you two would be arriving. Sirius I got your letter last night, and I am sure that we have a few house elves that could help you pack up your house and move into your new place," he says smiling at us standing basically in the mouth of the fireplace.
He calls a house elf to lead a group to help us, and quickly hands out his instructions to it before leading the way to the floo. He leads the way through the floo network and to our meeting with Harry.
Harry and the government official had been notified that we were coming, and were sitting waiting for us in some government office. I don't even know what town I am in, but I trust Albus to know where we are going. Sirius and I follow him out of the floo and out of the restaurant that we had arrived in. We walk through the streets for a while, before we finally reach a large brick building and head inside, where Albus exchanges some quick words with the secretary before motioning us to follow.
We walk into a small office that contains only a few book shelves, a couch, and a desk. There is a stern looking woman sitting at the desk, but my eyes are immediately drawn to the young boy sitting on the couch looking miserable. I immediately head towards the boy, who has light brown hair, not far different than my own, but with a slightly red tone, and Sirius follows not far behind me while Albus heads over to the woman.
"Hi Harry," I say softly kneeling down in front of him. He looks up, and I am slightly startled to see bright blue eyes. I knew he was going to look different but it is still unexpected. When he doesn't say anything I continue. "My name is Remus, and this is my husband Sirius," I say while the boy continues to stare.
"We were both real good friends of your parents, and I am your godfather. Do you know what that means?" Sirius asks while trying to make eye contact with the boy, who shakes his head. "It means that if something were to happen to your parents that made them unable to take care of you, they wanted me to take over for them. So that's the question, do you want to come live with us?"
"You don't have to make a decision right now, when can spend a couple of days just meeting and getting to know each other if you'd like. But either way, you also need to know that the two of us also have a son. His name is Teddy and he is five, so just a year older than you," I say taking back over the conversation. He nods his head, before taking a deep breath and seeming to have an internal debate. Harry may not have told Sirius and me everything about his life with the Dursleys, but we know enough to know it wasn't a happy home.
"It's alright Harry, you can ask whatever you want," I say while laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. I feel him tense, like he isn't used to being touched but he doesn't toss my hand off. I frown slightly when I realize that that is probably true.
"Do you think Teddy will like me?" he mutters staring down at his knees.
"Oh, I am sure he will! As long as you are nice to him, but Teddy has always wanted to have a little brother," Sirius says sending me a small smile.
"A-a brother?"
"Yes Harry. If you come and live with us, we would want to adopt you and make you our son as well. That way no one can take you from us, and we will all be together as a family," Sirius says, never breaking eye contact with the boy.
"Really?! You want to adopt me? Honest?" he asks looking up at me as if I am going to deny everything Sirius has said and claim it all as a joke.
"Yes Harry. We want to adopt you and have you come live with us and Teddy," I say softly, pulling the boy into a hug when I see the tears in his eyes. "Hush pup, it'll all be alright soon," I mutter as I feel him tremble in my arms, and I begin to rub his back.
I stand up, still holding Harry in my arms and take a seat on the couch, my knees were starting to protest kneeling on the ground the way I was, but I was unwilling to let go of Harry so I settle him on my lap, where he continues to press his face into my shoulder. I feel Sirius sit down next to me, and look up to see the sorrow in his face that I am sure I am reflecting. The amount of pain in this little boy makes me feel like I didn't do nearly enough for Harry in his first childhood.
"You feel better now Harry?" I ask as his sniffles settle down. I feel him nod his head. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy fell asleep after a big cry like that. I start to sway my body a bit rocking him slightly, feeling him relax even more.
I look down at him, to find him staring up at me studying my face.
"Will you be my daddy then?" he asks me, and I can't help but feel startled. I never expected him to want to call me that so early on.
"Well, Teddy calls me Daddy," Sirius says cutting in, and Harry looks heartbroken for a moment, so Sirius is quick to continue, "But, he calls Remus Papa. Would it be alright if I was your daddy, and Remus was your papa as well?" he asks while leaning over to card a hand through the boy's hair.
Harry breaks into a huge grin while quickly nodding his head, and I can't help but smile myself. Sirius and I spend the next little while introducing Harry to the concept of magic, before telling him about Hogwarts, and a little bit about Teddy as well. Once we finish talking, I look down to see that Harry is only minutes away from sleep. So I stand up, holding him in my arms and gently rock him off to sleep.