August 8, 1996

The next morning Remus went up to Harry's dorm to check on him. He didn't like how they had left things the evening before and desperately wanted to make amends. Unfortunately, Harry wasn't in his room. In fact, he wasn't even in the Gryffindor tower.

Remus left the tower and checked the library and the kitchens. He couldn't find Harry anywhere. He had searched almost the entire castle and still couldn't find him. He wracked his brains trying to think where the boy had gone, wishing that he had the Marauder's Map still. He was beginning to worry that Harry had run away or something. He wasn't still that upset with him, was he?

He paused for a moment to look at the pouring rain outside the castle, feeling quite melancholy. Suddenly, a blur passed by the window. He could have sworn someone had just flown by on a broom. Remus pressed his face up against the window and strained to see if it was Harry. It was just like him to break the same rule again out of spite. But surely the boy wouldn't be so misguided that he would risk flying in this kind of weather?

Remus half ran, half walked to the main entrance and hurried outside and out onto the lawn. He made his way towards the Quidditch pitch and saw that the boy was indeed flying laps around the stadium now.

"Harry, come down here!" Remus demanded.

When Harry saw Remus waiting for him on the ground, Harry took off in the other direction. Remus was fairly certain that the boy was going to bolt and quickly summoned one of the school brooms to him. He straddled it and set off after his ward, worried about what the boy might do.

Harry was much faster and more skilled than Remus was and the distance was continuing to grow between them. Then the boy did the unthinkable. He steered toward the direction of the Forbidden Forest and began flying above it, skimming the tops of the trees. Remus kept him in his line of sight and pushed his dilapidated broom to go faster.

Then all of a sudden Harry was gone. Remus pulled up on his broom to stop and frantically searched sky, assuming that the boy had changed course and he hadn't noticed. When there was no sign of him anywhere, Remus continued forward searching the trees.

A strangled scream pierced the canopy and Remus looked down to see Harry struggling with a ferocious looking vine that had apparently snatched him out of the sky. "Help me!" Harry yelled, as he was being dragged toward a large flower that had teeth.

Remus pointed his broom downward and pulled out his wand and aimed it at the plant. "Reducto!" he yelled.

The vine hissed in pain and then slowly began to retract its long plant like tentacle, dropping Harry in the process. The boy collapsed to the forest floor with a thud.

Fearing the worst, Remus quickly retrieved Harry before he could encounter anymore dangers and took to the sky once more, racing towards the infirmary.

* * *

Harry later awoke to find himself in the hospital wing. Remus was sitting beside his bed looking quite worried. He blinked at the man wearily and felt his glasses being guided onto his face.

"Harry, are you okay?" Remus asked.

Harry sat up gingerly, feeling quite awful. "What happened? Why does everything hurt?" Harry asked thickly.

"You don't remember?" Remus asked worriedly.

Harry shook his head, but then winced at the pain.

"You flew over the Forbidden Forest and were captured by a giant Venomous Tentacula Vine. You were punctured by some of the stinging nettles and I used a blasting spell to save you," said Remus. "Unfortunately, you fell before I had the chance to cast a levitation spell… sorry. You broke a few bones."

"Oh," said Harry, feeling quite foggy. "Why were you chasing me?"

"I thought you were trying to run away and I got worried when I saw you head towards the forest. And good thing too. I can't imagine what would have happened to you if I had not been there…" Remus said looking quite weepy.

"I-I'm sorry… I know I was outside again without telling you," Harry said softly. "I was angry and felt like flying."

"In the rain?"

Harry shrugged. He knew it wasn't rational, but the rain had made his flight even more exhilarating.

"You can't keep doing things like this, Harry," said Remus, his eyes looking even more glassy. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you too."

"I'm sorry…" Harry said once more. "I know it was stupid…"

"Don't say that," Remus chided him, reaching out and stroking his face softly. "You're not stupid… you just do things that might be a little irrational when you are upset. And I clearly made you upset. For that I'm sorry."

Harry, who was not used to such affection, leaned into it unknowingly. All of his anger toward the man had been forgotten and now he all he wanted to do was to make amends.

"I know I can be a pain. Uncle Vernon always said-"

Remus stopped him by putting a hand over his mouth. "I don't care what that man says. You are not nor will you ever be a pain. I love you no matter what- even when you do things that make me upset."

Harry felt taken aback by this. "You love me? You don't even know me?"

Remus smiled. "I've loved you the moment I laid eyes on you Harry. I was there when you were born and I was apart of your life for a year and half. You don't remember me, of course, but we were buddies, you and me. I regret not taking custody of you after your parents deaths, but I hope to make things better now… That's why I chose to be your guardian. It felt only right to be with the only family I have now."

"You consider me family?" Harry was surprised by this. He had assumed that Remus had taken him in out of obligation.

"Of course. I know we're still a bit like strangers, but I hope over time you will come to see me as family as well."

"I think I'd like that," Harry said with a smile.

"Me too."

"Where's my broom?" he asked worriedly.

"Right beside you," said Remus, pointing to the broom propped up against the bed side table. Harry sighed in relief.

"How long do I have to be here?" he then asked.

Remus chuckled knowing how much Harry hated the infirmary. "Just over night. Madam Pomfrey has already healed you. You should begin to feel better once you've gotten some rest," he replied.

Harry yawned loudly.

Remus stroked the boy's hair. "Get's some rest Harry… your body has been through a lot. You've missed lunch and dinner so the house elves will bring you something to eat when you awake up again."

Harry nodded as he yawned once more. With Remus by his bedside he fell into a relaxed sleep.