An interlude in the sun
The next day Severus awoke at daybreak, the day looked like it would become sunny and fine. He had long thought that he should have a trip into the forest to gather potion ingredients; this looked like a perfect day for that. Maybe he should invite Harry, and try to talk to him in the hope that it would be easier if he was collecting ingredients while talking. After dressing in his attire for going into the forest, he called softly for an elf asking it to prepare something light that he or they could carry with them. Then he braced himself and went into Harry`s room to wake him.
The boy mumbled sleepily for a bit before waking "what time is it Severus"?
"Very early, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me into the forbidden forest on a potion ingredient hunting trip".
"Oh, okay. Gimme a moment Harry said sleepily, dragging himself to the bathroom.
A bit later while Harry was waiting for Severus to finish his coffee, Trinket popped into the kitchen "Master must wake mistress quick please, the sick wizard in mistresses room is seeming ill" she said before popping just as fast away again.
"Wake Gem up please Harry, while I make sure we have everything we need" Severus asked.
Gem woke from being shaken by the shoulder and saw a pair of anxious green eyes looking at her "What is it Harry" she asked dragging her hair away from her torso, forgetting for a moment that this would let Harry see the state of her back as she was sleeping on her stomack.
Harry`s eyes seemed riveted to her scarred back for a moment before he gathered himself and told her what had happened. "Ok I`ll go check on him presently" she said as she wrapped the duvet around her, hopped out of the bed and strode towards the wardrobe.
"What happened to your back" asked Harry.
"My father" Gem said simply, and gathering up her clothes she vanished towards the bathroom.
Minutes later Severus and Harry were walking out into the still cool day laden with implements, bags and some snacks provided by the elves. Standing in front of forest Severus finally found his voice again "your mother loved potions, just as I did and still do. She was almost as good at them as I, but then I had an unfair advantage as my mother began teaching me potions well before I ever met Lily".
"How did you and my mum meet then" Harry asked.
Severus told him the story of his first meeting with Lily and Petunia, and continued telling small anecdotes as they pottered around searching for ingredients. Harry`s curiosity was unending, but he seemed to hesitate to ask questions, so some of the time was spent in comfortable silences.
Severus declared that he was finished collecting near lunchtime, and he suggested cooling off by paddling their feet in the Black lake. Harry seemed tired and hot, and readily agreed to this suggestion. As they walked back Severus sent his patronus to Gem telling her their plans.
"What was that sir" Harry wondered.
"My patronus, it is a powerful defense from some very dark creatures. Now I was using it as a messenger to Gem, so she knows what we are doing.
A ghostly white figure came towards them soon, and it solidified to a long legged creature which said in Gem`s voice "Mr. Black and I are already lounging outside, why not joins us and we can have a picnic.
Severus felt that picnicking with Black was a bit much to ask of him, but Harry`s face glowed so he gritted his teeth and resigned himself to his fate. When he and Harry reached Gem and Black Gem looked up asking "Hey Harry did you have a good day with Severus"?
"Yes, he told me lots of stories about my mum from when they were little. By the way what animal was that patronus, I`ve never seen something like it.
"It was an elk, it`s common where I come from but it does not exist here so it`s not too surprising that you haven`t seen it before".
Severus and Black kept glaring at each other through the rather tense meal, making Harry rather uncomfortable so Gem resolved to get Harry away for a while. "It`s so warm, let`s go swim in the lake for a bit Harry"
"I can`t swim" he said looking down at his hands.
"No problem, I can teach you, or if you`re uncomfortable with that we can ask Severus".
Harry looked at Severus automatically, seemingly more comfortable with that choice. But Black chose that moment to put his big foot in his mouth "Snivellus bathing, the lake would be full of oil from his over greasy hair".
Gem leaned forward menacingly saying "keep a civil tongue in your head Black or I may be tempted to remove it for you". Black glared back at her as Severus got up motioning to Harry to follow. Severus transfigured his clothes to a bathing costume and turned to walk away from the two combatants, Harry following.
It didn`t take long before Harry was frolicking in the water, Gem soon joined the two and started a small water throwing war. All of them were soon spraying each other and laughing, suddenly a big black dog appeared and tackled Harry. It tried licking his face, and when he showed it off it shook itself all over him. "Where did the dog come from" Harry asked laughing; but the dog itself answered his question by suddenly transforming into Black.
"Sorry" he said grinning widely "I just couldn`t resist".
"You shouldn`t do that" Gem admonished "for all you know Harry could be afraid of dogs.
"Just a bit of harmless fun" said Black "I didn`t want you three to have all the fun by yourselves, not that I`d ever have thought that Snape was capable of having fun".
"What you think of as fun Black does not always seem so to others, you might give a thought to that. Or is the concept to difficult for your tiny brain to understand" Severus all but snarled.
"Guys, calm down. You cannot keep snapping and snarling at each other, I know Severus is a grownup who should be able to control himself. I hope that you too Black may try to keep your foot from your mouth too, can`t you see how uncomfortable you`re making Harry".
Harry did seem uncomfortable so the two men managed to mumble "sorry", Black again transformed to the big black dog which promptly picked up a stick and placed this in front of Harry. He picked up the stick, looked from it to the dog a bit before finally throwing it far away, the dog yipped and pelted after it.
They all spent some time playing, and Black as a dog was a big hit with Harry making him laugh with his antics. By the time dinner came they were all ravenous, luckily the elves had anticipated their needs and provided a big hamper full of cold cuts and sandwiches. As they sat there eating a new patronus joined them saying in Remus Lupins voice "I heard Sirius was freed, do you by any chance know where he is"?
Black jumped to his feet yelling "moony" while Severus with a sigh sent a reply with his own patronus. "In for a penny in for a pound, you had better appreciate what I`m putting myself through for you two" he said sourly to Harry and Gem.
As Lupin appeared Black sprang to him and the two men stood there looking at each other for a minute. "Old friend, can you forgive me for thinking that you were a traitor" said Lupin, smiling grimly Black answered "if you can forgive me in return my friend for thinking the same of you at one point". Gem put up a privacy shield between them and the two men, letting them catch up for a bit. After a while the men joined the others joking together like they had never been apart. "Good to see you again Lupin, but you came here remarkably fast. I thought you said you were going out of the country and wouldn`t be available for a while".
"I suddenly got a message that I had been granted a job interview here in Britain. For once I was the lucky guy, and now I`m to be a caretaker for a big estate. Incredibly the guy owning it had specified that the caretaker should be muggleborn or have a creature heritage, the lawyer interviewing me didn`t even flinch when he heard what I was.
Harry looked enquiringly at Lupin who stopped for a bit before continuing "Harry, your adopted parents asked me to do something I find extremely difficult. I agree with their reasoning, but I`m still afraid you"ll turn against me because of it". He drew a big breath before saying "I`m a werewolf ".
Harry kept on looking at Lupin inquiringly so he continued "have you never heard of werewolves Harry"?
As Harry shook his head negatively Lupin looked helpless for a moment and then explained "once a month on the full moon I transform into a big wolf, this wolf will seek to attack and bite people. This means that I am extremely dangerous at that time, so you must never seek me out when I am in my wolf form".
"But from now on you will take the wolfsbane potion regularly, so that you won`t be dangerous" Severus said in a dangerously silky tone.
"Yes Severus, if it means that I may see Harry I will take wolfsbane, and since I am working now I will pay for it myself" Lupin agreed.
After a while Lupin helped Black back to the castle while the three others cleaned up after the picnic. "If I check up will I find that the estate that has hired Lupin is the Prince estate, Severus" Gem asked as the two men got out of hearing range.
Severus looked stonily at her before nodding slightly "thank you Severus, I know this is difficult for you".
"Yes well, I did it because I wanted Harry to have as much support as possible, and this way I don`t have to see the wolf every day".