Chapter Four

Fathers

A second cot was quickly set up in the nursery, and the two small children were put to bed for the night. Sirius stayed in the doorway, watching as Rory and Harry slept.

"Padfoot?" asked a soft voice.

Sirius turned to see Remus, holding out a cup of tea. "Is tea your answer to everything?" he asked.

Remus smiled slightly. "That or chocolate. What's on your mind, Sirius?"

His partner sighed, looking back again at the sleeping children. "I can't believe they're dead, Remus," he said. "James and Lily. Me 'n James had it all planned, didn't we? Top Aurors, families to come home to- well, in my case, that was you- and then maybe, becoming famous Quidditch players… All that's gone now."

"But we have Harry," said Remus. "The least we can do is raise James and Lily's son."

"I'm not going to take this case, Remus," said Sirius. His partner looked askance at him and he continued, "Finding Peter. I know you think I'm going to, and trust me, I'm tempted, but I know I can't."

"Why not?" The werewolf's tone was neutral; it wasn't an accusation.

"Because I'm not just me, Remus. We're a family now, all of us. What would happen to Harry, or Rory…or you, if I went and did something stupid? I can't risk that."

"That's…very responsible of you, Sirius."

The dark-haired man smiled. "What can I say, Remus? Fatherhood is growing on me."

November's full moon fell in the middle of the week. Rory was unusually quiet, as she had been during other full moons, but Harry seemed to understand that something was wrong. He didn't say anything, but he had been much more affectionate to Remus, and to Rory, in the week before the moon.

Sirius arrived home as soon as he could, arriving just after sundown. "How are you feeling, Remus?" he asked worriedly.

His partner smiled. "Tired, Sirius. Did you expect me to say something else?"

"No," Sirius admitted. "But you never used to say anything. You'd just go about your day like anyone else, the day before or after, until you fell asleep in the Common Room, and James and I had to haul you upstairs to bed."

"Yes, I remember," said Remus. "I promise tonight that Rory and Harry are all yours."

"I wish I could be with you tonight, love," said Sirius.

"I'm sure you do. I expect spending the night locked up with a werewolf is nothing compared to changing nappies."

"It was just that one time!" his partner protested. "And Rory's fine."

Remus laughed, then kissed him. "Seal up the wards once I'm in the Shed, Padfoot."

Sirius nodded. "Be careful, Moony. I'll be right here if you need me. Rory, Harry and I will come and get you tomorrow morning."

Remus emerged from the Shed early next morning, tired but smiling at his little family. Rory squirmed in Sirius's arms and he handed her to Remus. "She missed you, Papa," he said.

"I missed you, too, Rory," he replied.

"Papa!" she said clearly.

Remus, Sirius and Harry all stared at her.

"Papa," Rory said again, in case he had not been paying attention the first time.

"Rory, you talked!" cried Sirius. "Couldn't you have said 'daddy' first?"

Remus rolled his eyes and kissed Rory's forehead. "We're very proud of you, angel. Right, Harry?"

The boy grinned. "Yup!" He twisted in Sirius's arms to look up at him. "I'm hungry."

Sirius smiled. "And so are we, Harry. C'mon, Moony, let's get this lot some breakfast."

Sirius had taken off the day after the full moon. When Rory and Harry had been put down for their nap, he made a pot of tea and brought a cup to Remus, who he had sent to bed, but who he knew would be reading.

Sure enough, his partner was sitting up in bed, a thick leather-bound book in his lap. "You're supposed to be taking a nap, too, Moony," he said with a smile.

Remus looked up at him. "Oh, hello, Padfoot."

Sirius shook his head and handed over the tea, flopping onto the foot of the bed. "Drink your tea, Remus. I put a little energy potion in, but I know how much you hate it."

The werewolf smiled. "Thanks, Sirius." He took a long sip of the warm tea. "I can barely taste the potion."

"Remus?"

"Yes, Sirius?"

"What are we going to tell Harry?"

Remus held his teacup in both hands and set them in his lap. "What are we going to tell Harry about what?"

"About… Think how many things we are that's not normal, Remus," said Sirius. "We're two men, one of whom is a werewolf, raising a girl who was magically concieved by a spell and our best mate's son, the Boy Who Lived."

"Well, that is true," said Remus. "But we're raising them both as our own, and we'll tell Harry why his parents are gone, of course. He's bound to start asking questions soon; we've got pictures of James and Lily about."

Sirius smiled. "You always have an answer for everything, Moony. What would I do without you?"

"Nothing," said Remus, with a teasing smile. "You'd never wash up, and the mold growing in your flat would kill you."

His partner laughed. "Am I really that bad?"

"Don't you remember our room in Gryffindor Tower? Henry and Frank had a bet going as to whether you or James would overrun us with your mess."

Sirius smiled, then asked, "Remus, Harry's better with words than Rory, but we really haven't decided what he should call us. I don't want him to forget about his mum and dad."

"I don't, either, Sirius. What do you think?"

"Lily used to call us uncles, but we're raising Harry now. We're Rory's fathers… doesn't that make us Harry's as well?"

"I suppose we are," said Remus. "We won't let him forget James and Lily, Sirius. After all, she's Rory's mum, too."

Sirius nodded. "I knew you were the smart one, Moony."

"And what does that make you?" asked his partner, already laughing.

"The pretty one, of course. So, you'll need to get your beauty rest, Moony. Don't worry, I'll take care of the kids."