Has it really been almost a year?

I have no excuse besides real life... I'm sorry either way.

I'll try not to take as long to post the next update...

It's already mostly written. So that's a good sign.

Ugh.

I probably should have proofread it again, so if there's an issue please let me know.

Also I got a new computer, and I don't really know how to use it so hopefully this doesn't format weird cause I lost my word program.


As soon as we were far enough away from the play park I wasted no time in scooping Harry up into my arms and apparating home, knowing that Sirius was not far behind with Teddy. Once we were in the house I carried Harry over to the couch placing the boy onto it with Teddy sitting down right next to him. Sirius and I sat down next to each other on the coffee table so that we were right across from our boys.

"What happened back at the playpark?" Sirius asks the boys who are both sitting avoiding eye contact. Harry is staring down at his knees nervously while Teddy is staring off to the side showing his anger and defiance.

"I don't care what happened. Under no circumstances are you to be starting fights with anyone Edward Remus. If someone was being mean to you, you should have come to Daddy and me straight away," I add when neither boy replies.

"I'm sorry!" Harry finally bursts out after Sirius and I have been waiting for almost a minute for one of them to say something.

"What are you sorry for Harry?" Sirius prods gently.

"It's all my fault. I didn't know the rules of the playpark. I-I didn't know that the other kid wanted to go down the slide, I swear! I was waitin' for my turn and then that big kid came and told me that I was hogging it and pushed me down the slide but then Teddy saw and got real mad and- and I didn't know what to do," Harry says before jumping off of the couch and falling to his knees where he grabs my pant leg and starts again. "But I promise I'll be good next time and I'll just stay in the tunnel and I won't bother anyone I swear! Just please don't send me away!"

I swear I can feel my heart breaking in that moment and I know that Harry needs all of the reassurances that Sirius and I can give him right now but we also have to deal with Teddy. And we can't just send Teddy to time out without hearing his side of the story. And how do you punish one child while cuddling and calming the other? That would be devastating for Teddy. Well, we knew it wasn't going to be all roses and happiness forever.

"Calm down now Harry, no one is being sent anywhere. We are all a part of this family and family stays together no matter what happens," Sirius says hoisting Harry up and back onto the couch. Harry doesn't look any calmer though, I can tell he is holding back tears as he starts playing with the hem of his shirt.

"Now Teddy why don't you tell us what happened?" I ask him.

"No! That kid was being a big meanie and he knew it! And you never take my side Papa, you came over and didn't ask me what happened before making me say sorry and now I'm not telling."

"Alright. Come with me then," I say leading him into the kitchen where I pull out a seat from the kitchen table and motion for him to sit in it. "You can come out when the timer goes off," I add, setting it for 5 minutes and then walking back to the living room.

I'm not surprised to see that Sirius is now sitting on the couch with Harry wrapped in his arms but I am surprised to see that not only is Harry crying but Sirius is too. I sit down next to them and put my arm around Sirius' shoulder to let him know I am there if he needs me. I know Sirius will tell me what happened later. Once Teddy's time out is done I should make some hot cocoa for everyone and then I think Harry could use a nap.

I wait until I hear the timer go off before I walk back into the kitchen and what I find is one sad little boy. I pull out his chair and angle it so that I can sit facing him.

"Will you tell me what happened now?" I ask him softly, ducking my head to try and make eye contact.

"I'm sorry Papa I know I shouldn't have pushed that other boy but he was being mean to Harry and made Harry cry and run off!"

"Next time someone is mean to you or Harry I want you to come straight to me or Daddy, do you understand? Being mean and pushing or hitting is never acceptable behavior. It only leads to people getting hurt."

"Harry just wanted to go down the slide and he waited forever and kept letting other kids go and when it was finally his turn that big kid said he was taking too long and pushed him down and when I told him to say sorry he pushed Harry down. That other boy was mean first!"

"Nevertheless, I don't ever want to see you hurting another kid. He could have gotten really hurt when he fell and his head, how would you have felt then?" I ask.

"Bad. I didn't want to hurt him, I just didn't like that he made Harry sad. I'm sorry I was bad Papa, I promise I won't do it again," he says sniffling pitifully.

"It's alright pup. I know you were just looking out for your little brother but next time-"

"I'll come get you or Daddy, I promise," he says. And I grab him and pull him in for a bit of a hug and a cuddle.

Once he has calmed down some, I lead him up to his room and tuck him into bed. I tell him he doesn't have to nap but I want him to at least lay down and rest for a bit after everything that happened. I'm not surprised to run into Sirius coming out of Harry's room as I walk out of Teddy's room.

"He fell asleep on me. Sorry for not helping with Teddy, did you find out what happened?" he asks leading the way downstairs and into the kitchen knowing that I am going to want a cup of tea after everything that happened.

"We can't let him sleep too long, it's too late in the evening for that, and to answer your question yes I did," I say before recapping everything Teddy told me.

"Harry was convinced we wouldn't want him anymore because now we know that he causes so much trouble," Sirius starts after I've explained Teddy's story. "I tried to reassure him that there is nothing he could do that would make us want him any less but he definitely doesn't believe me. I'm worried about what will happen next week when you and I go to work and the boys start school. I'm afraid of how Harry will react to being away from us so much and without us there to reassure him all day that we want him here with us."

"I've thought some about that as well. But there isn't really much we can do until we know for sure how he reacts. He might love school and thrive and be happy or he might hate it and wish he was home with us every day but that's the thing we just don't know yet," I say trying to be reassuring but at the same time realistic. I know that there is a strong possibility that it is too soon for Harry to be going to school and that he won't be settled enough with us.

"What do you think about sending him to a Mind Healer? He just seems so reluctant to talk to us about anything that has happened to him and with that nightmare the other night I can't help but worry."

"I think we should wait and see how school goes and go from there. If we think that he needs a Healer we can ask the school for recommendations, he is surely not the first kid to come from a less than ideal household and he will definitely not be the last," I say with a heavy sigh.

Sirius nods his head before reaching out and pulling me from my seat at the table and leading me out to the love-seat out in the back sun room. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots in the house.


When I wake up in the morning it is way too early and I know I should try to roll over and go back to sleep for another hour or so but I also know that that won't be possible. Harry is in our bed, having woken up screaming in the middle of the night again. I can't say I was surprised after how stressful yesterday was for everyone.

I spend the quiet morning reading the Daily Prophet and looking through the few letters that arrived in the post. While there isn't a lot, there is a letter from Molly inviting us over for an end of the summer dinner at the Burrow. Apparently it is a fairly large bash this year, with not only all of the Weasley's and their families but also some of the remaining Order members as well. While I don't know how Harry will respond to a crowd of that size, I know Teddy will be ecstatic to visit all of his 'aunts, uncles and cousins'. I set it aside to discuss with Sirius but I know that we will be accepting the invitation.

We don't have anything on our agenda today and I can't help but feel grateful for the day spent at home. The past few days have been such a whirlwind that I am ready to just be home organizing all of our purchases and having the down time with the boys.


I get only about an hour and a half by myself before Harry comes down the stairs. He seems almost nervous, like without Teddy to follow he doesn't know how to act. I grab him a cup of juice before leading him into the family room. I figure he could use a bit of a snuggle while he wakes up.

By the time Teddy comes bounding down the stairs, Harry is almost fully awake and ready to start the day. I make a quick breakfast and send both of the now fully awake and bouncing boys back upstairs to wake up Sirius knowing he needs to be at Hogwarts this morning for a staff meeting.

After breakfast, we send Sirius off and I leave the boys to their toys going around and rearranging some of the things the house elves unpacked and finding places for the remaining stuff we purchased on our major shop day.

Sirius comes home around lunch and gets Harry settled in for a nap and Teddy relaxing with a show while I head out to the backyard to find where we want to build the shed that we are going to use for my transformations. Our property goes out into the woods and we both know that it is for the best if we build the shed out there where it is less likely to be spotted and/or stumbled upon. I clear out an area and lay the groundwork for it knowing that we need to get it started so we can finish it before the next full moon.

"Albus said he would come and put some protection and reinforcements spells on it if we wanted him to," Sirius tells me as I walk back in the house. "I told him we would let him know when we are done building it. When are you going to tell Harry about your furry side?"

"I just want him a bit more settled first," I say excusing myself from the conversation. In actuality I am just being selfish. I know that our old Harry didn't care about me being a werewolf, but he was thirteen when he found out then. There's no knowing how he will react this time around.

Sirius knows that I am afraid to tell him, but he also knows me well enough to let the matter drop for now.

"I saw the letter from Molly. Do you want me to floo her and ask what we can bring? Harry is going to have to meet them all eventually there is no point in putting off the inevitable," he says trying to change the topic and lighten the mood, but it doesn't work. I nod my head before walking towards the front of the house.

"I'm going for a walk," I announce before Sirius has any chance of stopping me. I just need some air to clear my head.


By the time I return it is close to dinner time and when I open the doors it is to the delicious smell of dinner cooking and the sounds of the boys running around playing some sort of game. I head to the kitchen intent on apologizing for my abrupt departure but before I can say anything Sirius storms over to me wielding a wooden spoon.

"Don't you ever leave like that again," he scolds using the spoon to gesture to me. "I understand that you didn't like the conversation but you have a family now. The boys have been asking about you since they woke up and I had no idea when you would be back. If I have to have the same conversation I had with our 4 year old son yesterday with you today, I will. Family loves no matter what, and I love you and your other side regardless of your hatred of it. It's not fair of you to keep it a secret from Harry and you know it."

"I'm sorry Sirius. I know I am going to have to tell him eventually I am just not ready yet," I explain.

"Good, I'm glad you understand. Whenever you are ready just know that I will do whatever I can to help. Now set the table, foods almost ready," he says before leaning in for a swift kiss and turning back to the stove.

I don't know what I did to deserve a man like him.


The next few days fly by and before we know it, it is the last weekend before school starts. Sirius has been running back and forth between Hogwarts and home like mad. He has been frantically trying to get ready, and the boys and I even spent an afternoon at Hogwarts trying to help him get his office and classroom setup.

The Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow and the opening feast is tomorrow night, but tonight is the Weasley dinner. Molly asked for me to bring along some snacks, because while we were all invited over in the afternoon, dinner is likely not to start until late.

I spend my morning making sure that everything we are bringing to the Weasley's is together (except for Stripes and Snuffles since the boys have them in bed). I then make sure that the boys' dress robes are clean and ready for the next day. I have to sneak into Teddy's room for this. But since Harry ended up in our bed again last night I don't have to worry about being quiet in his room.

I peek into mine and Sirius' room and find Harry awake in bed, so quietly pull him out of bed and get him settled downstairs with some juice and toast while I get showered and dressed for the day.

Sirius and I try to keep the boys calm in the morning and give them little activities that won't wear them out too much since we have such a big afternoon and evening planned. Both boys will probably end up skipping nap and will probably be little hellions to try to get to bed tonight. But you can't spend every day at home!

My mom bought the boys matching plaid button ups (I think it was a hint at the family pictures she wants done) and I can't help but love the idea of our two boys in matching gray plaid and jeans. Molly invited my parents along today as well and I know my mom is excited to see the boys again. We went over for dinner one night this week, trying to get Harry used to spending time with his new grandparents before school starts.

Once the boys are dressed we floo over to the Burrow. Sirius first with Harry and then Teddy and I following behind them. As soon as we step through the floo, Arthur is there grabbing the food and bags off of us and directing Teddy and Harry outside to where the rest of the kids are running around with Ron and George. Teddy is off without a second glance but Harry is hesitant to leave our side which doesn't surprise me at all.

"Sirius! Remus! It is so good to see you," Molly says bustling out of the kitchen. "You are one of the first to arrive, so enjoy the calm why it lasts," she laughs, walking over to give both of us hugs.

"Molly, Arthur this is Harry. Harry this is Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," I say indicating the boy who is standing at my feet. With the attention now on him he turns his face into my leg.

I card my fingers through his hair and send an apologetic look towards them but Molly just smiles and heads back to the kitchen. Arthur leads me into the family room where Hermione and Ginny are sitting chatting. I settle myself onto the couch with Harry and wave Sirius off to the backyard.

Hermione and Ginny barely glance in my direction as I sit down and pull Harry into my lap. Whatever it is that the two of them are discussing, it has their full attention.

"Hello Professor," I turn around to see Ron coming down the stairs behind me.

"Ron I have not been your professor in years. When are you finally going to start calling me Remus?"

"It just feels weird calling you that. Dunno," he shrugged, flopping down in the seat next to me. "Hi, my names Ron," he says once he notices Harry sitting in my lap.

"This is Harry, Harry do you want to say hi?" I'm surprised when he gives a little wave.

"Harry? Well that's a brilliant name! You know one of my very best friends was named Harry."

"Really? I've never had a friend before…" Harry shyly mumbles.

"Who wouldn't want to be friends with a great lad like you! You know what, can I be your friend?"

"Yes, please!" Harry grins leaning forward a bit to get closer to Ron.

"Well how about we go outside and see what the rest of the kids are doing? Maybe go on an adventure?" Ron offers, and to my immense surprise Harry nods his head before hopping off of my lap. Ron shoots me a crooked smile before grabbing Harry's hand and leading him out the back door.