Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Web of Lies.
Harry woke up abruptly the next day to the sound of shouting coming from the headmaster's office. He had no idea how late it was; the heavy curtains in front of the windows didn't allow any of the light outside to come in so he couldn't guess either.
Groggily, he switched on the small light that stood at his side and looked at the clock hanging on the wall next to him. Six o'clock. Harry groaned softly and sank back into the pillows; he hated waking up so early, especially by shouts. It always reminded him of his aunt, who liked to shout him awake. Listening closely, he realized that the voices talking were somewhat familiar, and after a moment, he recognized the voices and groaned again. It seemed his godfather had arrived.
"I don't care, Remus. My godson's missing, and I want to talk to Dumbledore, NOW!"
The much calmer voice of his former professor answered. "Be reasonable, Padfoot. I'm sure the headmaster has been doing all he could to find Harry; besides knowing Albus, he won't have gone to bed until everything possible was done, even if it meant going to sleep at three o'clock in the morning. It's six o'clock right now, and the man needs his rest."
While his godfather and friend continued their argument, Harry got up, still a bit unsteady on his feet. He looked into a mirror to make sure his scar was not visible, but just in case he put some make-up. He touched the necklace, reassuring himself that he was still wearing it and flattened his hair as much as possible. After making sure everything was in place, he slowly walked towards the door. Before opening it, he couldn't help but stop abruptly. What if Remus smelled his scent? Turning back into the room, he looked around to find something he could use to mask it. Finding nothing, he sank back into the bed. What could he do? Dumbledore didn't want anyone to know and he was sure that that included Sirius and Remus. Harry thought for a few moments, until he realised that there was something wrong. Remus' scent was very sharp, if he had been able to smell him, he would have been in this room before he could even wake up. Frowning, Harry realised that either the necklace protected him from that too, or the werewolf had taken matters into his own hands and spelled himself so he wouldn't smell everything. Which actually would make sense, the poor man would go insane if he had to smell everything. Reassured that he wasn't about to be discovered, Harry stood up again, walked towards the door and stopped again. Would Sirius turn into a dog if he suddenly appeared? He hopped he wouldn't that could bring trouble. On the other hand, Dumbledore had probably done something to prevent the other man to find out their secret. The old man was too careful to forget something like that. He would have to ask the next time he saw him. For now, Harry decided he would go in carefully, trying to not startle his godfather much, he needed to know what was going on and he longed to see the other man, even if he wouldn't be able to talk to him. Having come to that decision, he finally opened the door, just in time to see McGonagall enter the office just as Sirius started to shout again. Harry had to hide a smirk when he saw the furious look in the woman's eyes.
"Sirius!" Her voice, although sharp, was still kept to a whisper, although it still made Sirius close his mouth. "Shut up! You're going to wake him up!"
Remus sighed and sank into a chair. "I think that's what he wants, Minerva."
The woman shook her head and glared at the two friends. "Not Albus, you dolts, his grand."
She hadn't even finished her words when she noticed the boy standing at the door. Keeping in mind that he was supposed to act shy, Harry stepped back, trying to lose himself in the room's darkness but so he could still see what was going on in the office. Minerva noticed this, and with a gentle smile, came a bit closer to him. "Hello, Alexander, I'm a friend of your grandfather. We met yesterday; do you remember?"
Harry nodded his head slightly and looked curiously towards the two men still standing behind Minerva. Sirius was looking kind of panicked, probably waiting for the child to recognize his face and start screaming, while Remus was glaring at his friend, obviously annoyed that he had not been more careful. Minerva ignored them and spoke again. "These 'gentlemen' standing behind me are also some friends. The dark-haired man is Sirius and the other one is Remus. They would like to speak with your grandfather. Do you know where he is?"
Harry had to stifle a laugh when he saw the expression on both Marauders' face change from scared to stunned in a second. Instead, he looked at the deputy-headmistress and shook his head slightly. He guessed Dumbledore was still sleeping; it was, after all, six o'clock in the morning.
Before McGonagall had the chance to ask him anything else, Twinkle appeared in the office with a soft pop. The house-elf looked around in confusion, probably wondering what everyone was doing there. Then her gaze fell on Harry and she hurried past McGonagall to go stand in front of him.
"Master Alexander! Master Alexander! What are you doing awake and out of bed? Master Dumbledore told Twinkle to make sure that Young Master rested and would not be disturbed. Young Master needs to sleep more!"
While she spoke, the small elf took his hand and started to pull him inside the bedroom. The three adults looked a bit amused and followed them. Harry, seeing he couldn't make the elf change her mind, obeyed and lay down in bed, curling up under the blankets. When Twinkle was sure that her master was once again relaxed in bed, she took a step back and looked towards him questioningly. "Does Young Master want some breakfast?"
Harry shook his head and spoke softly. "No, thank you, Twinkle, I'm not hungry." Then he looked towards his teachers and godfather, who had stayed at the door. "Granddad's friends may want something to eat, though."
Twinkle nodded and walked towards them, pushing them out the room. Once he was alone, Harry sat up in the bed. He really was not sleepy anymore; seeing his godfather in such a state had been enough to fully wake him. On the other hand, he couldn't leave the room; Twinkle would see him for sure and maybe even tell Dumbledore. The old headmaster would not be happy if he found out. His gaze fell on a small library, standing opposite of his bed and he stood up and went to look at it. It was full of muggle books, which suited him fine since he really was not in the mood to read any schoolbooks. He picked one up and returned to his bed. At least he wouldn't be bored anymore.
Back in Dumbledore's office, Twinkle had brought the adults some breakfast and then had left. McGonagall had then started to explain all she knew about what had happened, plus what little she knew about Dumbledore's new grandson. They spoke softly, trying to not bother the boy, since they thought he was asleep.
About an hour later, Dumbledore joined them in his office. He looked completely exhausted. He hadn't been able to sleep well because of his worries that someone might find out. Sirius, seeing how pale his mentor was, immediately felt sorry for having been angry with the man. He really should have known that Dumbledore would do anything he could to find Harry. The old man looked worriedly towards the door that led to Harry's room, but instead of going to check on the boy, he walked towards his desk and sat down in his chair.
"Well, do you have anything new about Harry?"
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks for my betas, Tanya and Vinnie.
Web of Lies.
Harry woke up abruptly the next day to the sound of shouting coming from the headmaster's office. He had no idea how late it was; the heavy curtains in front of the windows didn't allow any of the light outside to come in so he couldn't guess either.
Groggily, he switched on the small light that stood at his side and looked at the clock hanging on the wall next to him. Six o'clock. Harry groaned softly and sank back into the pillows; he hated waking up so early, especially by shouts. It always reminded him of his aunt, who liked to shout him awake. Listening closely, he realized that the voices talking were somewhat familiar, and after a moment, he recognized the voices and groaned again. It seemed his godfather had arrived.
"I don't care, Remus. My godson's missing, and I want to talk to Dumbledore, NOW!"
The much calmer voice of his former professor answered. "Be reasonable, Padfoot. I'm sure the headmaster has been doing all he could to find Harry; besides knowing Albus, he won't have gone to bed until everything possible was done, even if it meant going to sleep at three o'clock in the morning. It's six o'clock right now, and the man needs his rest."
While his godfather and friend continued their argument, Harry got up, still a bit unsteady on his feet. He looked into a mirror to make sure his scar was not visible, but just in case he put some make-up. He touched the necklace, reassuring himself that he was still wearing it and flattened his hair as much as possible. After making sure everything was in place, he slowly walked towards the door. Before opening it, he couldn't help but stop abruptly. What if Remus smelled his scent? Turning back into the room, he looked around to find something he could use to mask it. Finding nothing, he sank back into the bed. What could he do? Dumbledore didn't want anyone to know and he was sure that that included Sirius and Remus. Harry thought for a few moments, until he realised that there was something wrong. Remus' scent was very sharp, if he had been able to smell him, he would have been in this room before he could even wake up. Frowning, Harry realised that either the necklace protected him from that too, or the werewolf had taken matters into his own hands and spelled himself so he wouldn't smell everything. Which actually would make sense, the poor man would go insane if he had to smell everything. Reassured that he wasn't about to be discovered, Harry stood up again, walked towards the door and stopped again. Would Sirius turn into a dog if he suddenly appeared? He hopped he wouldn't that could bring trouble. On the other hand, Dumbledore had probably done something to prevent the other man to find out their secret. The old man was too careful to forget something like that. He would have to ask the next time he saw him. For now, Harry decided he would go in carefully, trying to not startle his godfather much, he needed to know what was going on and he longed to see the other man, even if he wouldn't be able to talk to him. Having come to that decision, he finally opened the door, just in time to see McGonagall enter the office just as Sirius started to shout again. Harry had to hide a smirk when he saw the furious look in the woman's eyes.
"Sirius!" Her voice, although sharp, was still kept to a whisper, although it still made Sirius close his mouth. "Shut up! You're going to wake him up!"
Remus sighed and sank into a chair. "I think that's what he wants, Minerva."
The woman shook her head and glared at the two friends. "Not Albus, you dolts, his grand."
She hadn't even finished her words when she noticed the boy standing at the door. Keeping in mind that he was supposed to act shy, Harry stepped back, trying to lose himself in the room's darkness but so he could still see what was going on in the office. Minerva noticed this, and with a gentle smile, came a bit closer to him. "Hello, Alexander, I'm a friend of your grandfather. We met yesterday; do you remember?"
Harry nodded his head slightly and looked curiously towards the two men still standing behind Minerva. Sirius was looking kind of panicked, probably waiting for the child to recognize his face and start screaming, while Remus was glaring at his friend, obviously annoyed that he had not been more careful. Minerva ignored them and spoke again. "These 'gentlemen' standing behind me are also some friends. The dark-haired man is Sirius and the other one is Remus. They would like to speak with your grandfather. Do you know where he is?"
Harry had to stifle a laugh when he saw the expression on both Marauders' face change from scared to stunned in a second. Instead, he looked at the deputy-headmistress and shook his head slightly. He guessed Dumbledore was still sleeping; it was, after all, six o'clock in the morning.
Before McGonagall had the chance to ask him anything else, Twinkle appeared in the office with a soft pop. The house-elf looked around in confusion, probably wondering what everyone was doing there. Then her gaze fell on Harry and she hurried past McGonagall to go stand in front of him.
"Master Alexander! Master Alexander! What are you doing awake and out of bed? Master Dumbledore told Twinkle to make sure that Young Master rested and would not be disturbed. Young Master needs to sleep more!"
While she spoke, the small elf took his hand and started to pull him inside the bedroom. The three adults looked a bit amused and followed them. Harry, seeing he couldn't make the elf change her mind, obeyed and lay down in bed, curling up under the blankets. When Twinkle was sure that her master was once again relaxed in bed, she took a step back and looked towards him questioningly. "Does Young Master want some breakfast?"
Harry shook his head and spoke softly. "No, thank you, Twinkle, I'm not hungry." Then he looked towards his teachers and godfather, who had stayed at the door. "Granddad's friends may want something to eat, though."
Twinkle nodded and walked towards them, pushing them out the room. Once he was alone, Harry sat up in the bed. He really was not sleepy anymore; seeing his godfather in such a state had been enough to fully wake him. On the other hand, he couldn't leave the room; Twinkle would see him for sure and maybe even tell Dumbledore. The old headmaster would not be happy if he found out. His gaze fell on a small library, standing opposite of his bed and he stood up and went to look at it. It was full of muggle books, which suited him fine since he really was not in the mood to read any schoolbooks. He picked one up and returned to his bed. At least he wouldn't be bored anymore.
Back in Dumbledore's office, Twinkle had brought the adults some breakfast and then had left. McGonagall had then started to explain all she knew about what had happened, plus what little she knew about Dumbledore's new grandson. They spoke softly, trying to not bother the boy, since they thought he was asleep.
About an hour later, Dumbledore joined them in his office. He looked completely exhausted. He hadn't been able to sleep well because of his worries that someone might find out. Sirius, seeing how pale his mentor was, immediately felt sorry for having been angry with the man. He really should have known that Dumbledore would do anything he could to find Harry. The old man looked worriedly towards the door that led to Harry's room, but instead of going to check on the boy, he walked towards his desk and sat down in his chair.
"Well, do you have anything new about Harry?"
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks for my betas, Tanya and Vinnie.