Charlie knew he was to have headed home this morning, and he told his fiancé that he would not sick the twins on the man, and he did not. Even during the actual wedding he could not take his mind from Harry, and from the letter he had brought, and some how he could not send it with an owl. He knew the twins would come, they were as bad as his fiancé at taking no for an answer, if they knew, so he simply didn't tell them.
He found the cottage easy enough, and he reminded himself Remus was beating himself up a lot, but that went little. Remus had not even returned to the UK since hearing, made no attempt to be there for his cub, and Charlie was having a hard time understanding. He barely knew Harry, but it was bothering him to be away.
Severus spotted him, the two men curled up on a porch swing, and he could have sworn they had been kissing. "What are you doing here?"
Charlie looked at Remus."The better question is what are you doing here? I was under the impression it was to mourn, not as some romantic tryst."
Remus was a mix of angry and ashamed, his cheeks blushing, and the rest of him as pale as a ghost. Remus had come down here to physically heal, and mentally recover from the loss, and Severus had come down to help him. They had not come to rekindle an old romance, but fait seemed to have different plans.
Remus looked at him. "I have had enough from your fiancé, I owe you no explanation. Leave"
Charlie turned to leave but he called. "I would have thought you would want a letter from your godson. But I am starting to even wonder if you care."
Remus got to his feet and came over to him. "You have a letter from Harry?"
For a moment Charlie was not sure if he was right to give it to him, Draco admitted Harry was not sending it, and Remus did not seem to care much about Harry. He had permission to come to the manor, Lucius had told him he did, and yet he sat here and seemed to have no plan to return. Remus was not the only one mourning, and as far as Charlie could see, he was simply being selfish, to leave his son to his pain, to deal with his own,
He handed the letter to Remus though, who held it to himself for a moment like it was precious, before he went and sat down. Charlie kept reminding himself the man was not pretending, he did care in his own way.
Severus watched Remus for a moment but spoke to Charlie. "How is he doing?"
Charlie sighed. "He won't speak to anyone except a few times to Draco so far. Andromeda gave him the paper hoping he might write, since he refuses to speak."
As Remus read, he admitted what Draco had told him, including the crumpling of the letter. Remus had been in bad shape over Sirius, but he was nearly suicidal since Lucius came, and it was Severus who kept him here. The wolf was mourning Sirius, and the human was in agony over Harry, and it was a dangerous mix for certain.
Remus was not sure what to expect, but he was shocked to the core by the few words he saw there.
Moony
I could not understand why you left me, but I do now. I don't deserve family, I killed my own. I deserve to be alone. I hope you're happy, where ever you are, truly. I won't bother you again.
Harry
Severus sunk down next to Remus who was now on the rail, for he could see the tears coursing down his cheeks, and his heart was aching for Remus. He knew Charlie and the others believed Remus was purely selfish, and did not care about Harry. Severus knew it was killing Remus to be away from Harry, like this.
Remus looked up from the letter."I want to be there. But the full moon is in two days and then..............."
Charlie shook his head. "Don't worry; Harry doesn't know you got the letter. He needs a family. Lucius and I are willing to give it to him, since you are not."
With that Charlie left and Remus sank back into the arm of Severus, a man he dated in school, but was forced to split up because of the war. He would have gone nuts if Severus had not been there, he barely clung to sanity as it was, as the wolf and human in him seemed to fight for control.
He held to the man. "I want to be there for him, I do. I want to be there for him. I love my cub Sev. I thought I was doing right by him. I love him."
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Lucius knew why Charlie was late coming back, Draco had told him about the letter, but he said nothing. He knew his fiancé, he would not have hexed Remus like the twins would have, and maybe it was better Remus was confronted. He had told the wolf he was welcome in the manor, even if Harry refused to see him, and yet he had not come. If he had truly wanted Harry, if he wanted to mend what he broke, he would have come, and would have fought.
They went up to the bedroom, where Andromeda was done seeing to Harry and passed them. She told Lucius Harry could likely leave the bed in a few days, but would have to take it easy for the summer, though they were not sure if they would ever convince him from the room.
Draco was there as always and plopped down on the bed. "You know I have come up a way for you to be entertaining for me without talking."
Harry just eyed him but Dobby appeared next to the bed. "Your chess sets Mater Draco."
Draco had always loved a good game of chess, he had been playing since he was four, on of the few memories he had of his grandfather, was his teaching. Draco was told it was a proper game for a young future lord to play, for it was about strategy and brains. Harry had played with Ron enough, but Ron excelled at the game and he ha never seemed to last more then a few moments but he picked up a piece and played He did not last much longer against Draco, but they played a few rounds.
Draco confided in Harry."My grandfather played a game through mail for over a year, with a friend. When I was three I wanted more men for my army, messed it up."
Lucius, who had come across and saw a tentative smile on Harry, smirked at his son. "I believe your mother's cat got the blame for knocking over the board."
Giving his dad a sheepish grin, Draco reminded his dad he was the one who blamed the cat Lucius could not deny it, he thought it was cute, besides he had hated his wife's horrid cat, and had not been unhappy to see the last of it, sent Merlin knows where by Abraxas. His father was a man who took his chess very seriously.
Harry surprised them when he spoke up as the board was taken away. "Maybe tomorrow."
Draco knew he was asking for more chess and nodded. "You're better to play then dad, I can actually beat you"
It seemed a perfect solution, something which got Harry out of his thoughts, and interacting with them, even if he still was not talking. It amazed Lucius sometimes how well his son handled all of this, considering the two had never been friends, but Draco seemed to really have meant it when he said brothers.
Lucius had some food brought for them all to eat. "We will have to keep you playing. We have a rule in the family; all Malfoys have to learn to play good chess."