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The Visit 2

After dinner they went into the living room.  Sirius handed Harry a package.  "Belated happy birthday."

Harry was surprised.  "But you already sent that practice Snitch."  It had practically exploded from the package when he'd touched it.  Thankfully breakages in the Weasley household were common enough that everyone was skilled with a repairing charm. 

"Yes, but-- just open it.  You'll see."  Sirius sat next to Lupin on the sofa. 

Harry pulled the paper off.  "Oh, Sirius!  Brilliant!"  It was an entire set of Quidditch gear.  "I really needed this.  Thank you." 

He started putting it on.  It fitted him perfectly.  He looked at Sirius.

"It's enchanted.  It'll fit you forever, basically." 

Harry grinned.  "So can we play tomorrow?"  A sudden thought.  "Are there neighbors?" 

Remus nodded.  "But Sirius can cast an obscuring charm.  You'll look like two birds."  He shot a glance at Sirius.  "Sparrows, most likely."

Sirius donned an expression of mock affront.  "Don't listen to him, Harry.  We'll be two hawks.  Proud birds of prey."

Lupin must have used the obscuring charm when they flew in on the bike as well.  Harry returned to the main point.  "So does that mean we can play?  I mean, will we--"  He had no idea how his visit was supposed to work.  "Will you have time?" 

Sirius pretended to ponder this.  "Well, Remus might have chores for us.  He's a stern taskmaster, you know." 

Next to him Lupin was rolling his eyes.  "As if I've ever been able to make you do something you didn't want to, Sirius.  Play all you like.  It's Harry's holiday, after all."  He stood up and went to a cabinet in the corner, returning with a bottle and three glasses. 

He poured the drinks and handed one to Harry.  "Happy birthday."

"Moony!  What the he-- what are you doing?" 

Harry froze, holding his glass of-- something.  He thought it was probably some kind of whisky, but it didn't smell like the stuff Hagrid sipped surreptitiously from his pocket flask. 

"Well, he's sixteen, Sirius.  We were drinking at that age.  Earlier." 

Harry's mouth dropped open.  Sirius was making wild shushing noises.  Lupin smiled and went on.  "Remember the secret passage to the Hog's Head?" 

"Remus!"  Sirius looked desperate. 

"It's on the Map.  I'm sure he already found it."

Harry filed this piece of information away.  They hadn't found it, but now he knew what to look for.  He still wasn't sure whether to drink his-- whatever-- or not.  

"Remus, I don't think--"  Sirius sighed suddenly.  "All right, but we're not going to do this every night.  And--"  He looked at Harry sternly-- "no sneaking drinks when we're not around.  And for God's sake, don't ever try to drink as much as Remus.  We'll be scraping you off the floor if you do." 

"One of the side effects of being a werewolf," Lupin explained.  "Accelerated metabolism." 

"Okay," Harry said.  He sipped his drink tentatively.  It slid over his tongue and burned smoothly down his throat.  "Oh…"  He took another sip.  "Thanks." 

It was probably some combination of the alcohol, the long journey, and the huge dinner, but Harry found himself headed to bed relatively early that evening.  He paused at the foot of the stairs.  "Whose bedroom am I in?"

"What?"  Sirius was pouring Lupin another drink. 

"I saw that there are only two bedrooms.  I can sleep in the study.  Or down here."  He didn't want to be an inconvenience, didn't want this to be his last-- only-- visit.  

"No, it's all right.  I'm going to bunk in with Remus.  He has a big bed.  Big bedroom, I mean.  Plenty of room."  Sirius seemed a little nervous.  "Not to worry.  Um, good night." 

Harry blinked.  "Good night."  He headed up the stairs.  When he got to the room where he was staying, he hesitated.  Then he opened the door to the other bedroom and peered in.  One big bed, as Sirius had said.  He shut the door quietly and crept into his own room.  He lit a candle, opened the window, and let Hedwig out.  Then he looked around the room.  There were clothes in the wardrobe, but, as far as he could tell, only winter clothes, and, far in the back, a couple of sets of tatty robes.  He got into bed with every intention of working on this little mystery, but fell asleep almost instantly. 

… He was in the Potions classroom, and Snape was berating him.  Harry realized that they were alone, and Snape had fallen silent, was walking towards him.  The scene shifted abruptly and Harry was in some kind of workroom, talking with a tall, blond young man.  He felt anxious, but when he tried to leave, the ground fell out from under him, and he was on his broom, playing Quidditch.  Something hit him and he was falling--

He woke with a start, clutching the bedclothes.  His fingers went to his scar, but it didn't hurt.  Just a regular nightmare, then.  He was wide awake.  He lay in bed for a while; Hedwig returned, landed on his pillow, and stroked his face with her soft wing.  He decided to get himself a glass of milk.  Lupin had told him to make himself at home, after all.  

Harry opened his bedroom door as quietly as possible.  The house was dark and silent.  Strangely silent, he realized.  In fact-- he crept across the landing to the other bedroom and felt the complete absence of noise that meant a silencing charm.  

In the kitchen, he sat for a while, thinking.  He was pretty sure he knew what was going on.  Obviously they didn't want him to know.  Okay.  It was probably something else he was too young for.  Or they didn't trust him.  He washed his glass and went back to bed. 

Harry slept later than he thought he would.  Still befuddled by sleep, he wandered down to the kitchen.  It was empty.  Harry started the kettle and looked around.  No sign of his godfather or his ex-teacher.  In fact, it looked as if they hadn't even got up yet.  Harry tried not to think about why that might be.  He made himself a cup of tea.  As he sat down with it, he heard sounds on the stairs. 

"Good morning, Harry."  Sirius looked longingly at Harry's mug.  "Tea…"  Sirius was clearly not a morning person.

"Would you like me to make you some?"

"Yes."  Fervently.  "Stewed.  I like it very strong." 

"He likes it disgusting, he means."  Lupin came in, already dressed.  His damp hair showed that he had just got out of the shower.  Harry finally realized why Lupin looked different than he had at Hogwarts; not only was he wearing Muggle clothing, as he had the day before, but his hair was longer.  There was something else, but Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it.  Harry made two separate pots of tea as Lupin prepared an enormous breakfast.  Toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit.  Harry was impressed by the quantity of food the relatively slim Lupin put away.  The other man noticed him looking.

"That werewolf metabolism again." 

Harry nodded. 

Sirius was clearly energized by his revolting pot of tea.  "Quidditch?"  The blue eyes were gleaming.  "It's a beautiful day for it."

"Yes, you two, get out of here.  No, wait.  Do the washing-up--"  Lupin smiled-- "Then get out of here." 

Harry hesitated for a second.  "Um…  Don't you want to play too?" 

Sirius shot him an approving glance.  "Good idea, Harry.  Remus definitely needs to play more." 

"No, I have to--"  Lupin stopped abruptly.  "Do something.  Perhaps after lunch, if you decide to play some more then." 

There was a little silence.  Harry saw that Sirius' hand had clenched into a fist.  As he watched, the long fingers slowly uncurled.  "Right.  After lunch, then."  A deep breath.  "Well, let's get to the dishes, shall we?" 

As expected, Lupin didn't join them for lunch.  Harry wound up making it because Sirius' idea of a meal turned out to be eating the ice cream from the previous evening straight out of the carton.  At least he used a spoon.

"I'm a growing boy," Harry said firmly.  At least, he hoped he was still growing.  "I need actual food."  He searched the cupboards for a tin of something.  Anything.  Remus obviously cooked everything from scratch.  At length he settled on sandwiches made from the leftover roast chicken. 

Sirius was inordinately impressed by this modest effort.  "Good work, Harry.  Very resourceful.  Where'd you learn to cook, anyway?" 

If Sirius thought that making a sandwich qualified as cooking, it was a good thing for all of them that Lupin was around to help them keep body and soul together.  "I do all the cooking at the Dursleys'."  Harry had stopped calling it 'home' several years ago.  Hogwarts was home now.  He drank his milk in the sudden silence. 

Sirius had finished his sandwich and was pacing back and forth in the kitchen.  Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.  Rather, Harry thought suddenly, like a dog that had been left home while its owner went out.     

Harry decided it wouldn't be a good idea after all to ask where Lupin had gone.  "Um…  Can we play some more?"  Sirius had clearly been enjoying their game, such as it was; with only two players, there were hardly any rules.  And Harry wanted to see Sirius laugh again, as he had when he'd executed a particularly elegant maneuver and completely outfoxed Harry. 

"Hm?  Oh, right.  Of course."  Sirius put their plates in the sink.  "Let's leave these for later." 

They had been playing for over an hour when Sirius suddenly landed for no apparent reason.  Harry followed him down.  "What is it?" 

Sirius gave him a puzzled look.  "Remus is back.  Can't you tell?" 

Harry shook his head.  "How do you know?" 

"How do I-- what year are you again?" 

Harry blinked.  "Year?  Um, starting sixth." 

Sirius made a little exasperated noise.  They were at the house.  "Incredible.  Don't they--"

The door opened, revealing Lupin, who smiled at Sirius.  "Hello," he said in that quiet, husky voice.  His eyes flicked to Harry.  "Harry, I need to talk with Sirius.  Do you mind if I borrow him for a bit?" 

Harry had almost forgotten Lupin's ability to be simultaneously polite and straightforward.  "Oh.  No, of course not.  I'll just--"  He looked around.  "Would you like me to do some weeding?"  He was intensely aware of Sirius, standing silently at his side, looking at Lupin. 

"That would be wonderful, but you must be tired after playing Quidditch all day."  Lupin thought.  "Would you like to read in the garden?"  When Harry nodded, Lupin went into the house and returned shortly with an armful of books.

Sirius laughed.  "You don't expect him to get through all those, do you?" 

Lupin made a show of turning his back on Sirius.  "I brought you some options, Harry."  He transferred the books to Harry's arms.  "We'll be in the study if you need us."  The two men went into the house.

TBC