My Brothers Love
Chapter 37
Finding answers and perhaps someone to rely on
Harry and Jamie made their way up to the Defence classroom; Jamie and Harry were deeply conflicted. They didn't want to trust Remus and Sirius, for fear of them getting burned again. They didn't know just how many times they could cope with authority figures letting them down. So Harry had decided he wanted answers, and Jamie who had silently agreed knocked on the door. Wondering if they would still have their 'Uncle's' to talk to when this was all said and done.
"Come in" grinned Sirius his black haired face peaking around the door, inviting them in and opening the door wide enough.
"Thank you" said Jamie softly.
"Sit down do you want some pumpkin juice?" asked Sirius trying to not show how nervous he was. He wasn't sure how to react to them, the night after the feast Sirius and Remus had begun really thinking about everything. When had been the last time they saw Harry and Jamie? They couldn't remember seeing them at the parties. It pained them to think that Jamie and Harry probably thought they didn't care.
They had of course greeted Godric they remembered that much, but for the life of them they couldn't remember greeting Jamie and Harry. A pained look had been mirrored on both men's faces. All they could do was try and make it up to the two children and find out why they had been abandoned by their parents. They just weren't sure how to exactly ease it into a conversation without hurting them further.
"Sure" said Jamie a little more kind towards them than Harry who just nodded curtly.
Juice and coffee was passed around, juice for the teenagers and coffee for the two adults. Sirius and Remus shared a look before they began saying what they wanted to say. Sirius had decided there was no point in beating around the bush and just come out with it - they didn't look particular upset so he hoped his last minute decision wouldn't blow up in his face. Remus would have him sleeping on the couch for months if that happened.
"Why did your parents disown you?" asked Sirius his voice quiet and pained. He remembered how he had felt when he had been disowned; unlike Jamie and Harry he had continued using the Black name regardless. Then they had all died and got imprisoned really so it left him as head of the Black estate and the money went to him regardless.
"We don't know, it's been brewing since I got sorted into Slytherin…even worse when I was revealed as a Parseltongue. Anyway Dumbledore called us into his office and told us himself…we haven't seen Lily or James in well since the end of our first year" shrugged Harry.
Sirius and Remus shared surprised looks, they didn't look bothered, and Sirius wondered silently if they were just putting on brave faces for them. They truly didn't look the slightest bit upset, which was weird because even Sirius who had run away was hurt when he had been blasted off the family tree.
"I see" said Remus looking even more disturbed, their friends hadn't even told Jamie or Harry themselves? They had left it to Dumbledore? Jesus even Sirius' mother had told Sirius to his face.
"Why are you acting as though you care now?" asked Harry bitterly.
"What?" asked Remus looking surprised, a frown marred his usually soft looking features. For those that had never seen him during the full moon at least, that's a whole other story.
"Hasn't your parents told us what we have been doing? We have been hunting down Peter Pettigrew for the past nearly twelve years!" said Sirius indigintly.
"You have?" blurted Jamie before she could help herself.
"I guess they didn't tell you…but surely you read our missives?" asked Remus sadly, his amber eyes peering at the teenagers solemnly.
"Missives? What missives?" scoffed Harry, they didn't think he was going to believe they had sent letters to him and Jamie over the years.
"Well they were addressed to your mother but there was always letters for all of my godsons and daughters" said Sirius looking deeply distressed at the thought of Jamie and Harry never receiving the letters they had sent over the years.
"Well if you didn't get the letters sent by your parents surely you got your cards we wrote in those too!" said Sirius, a triumphant sound leaving his lips as if he had caught them out in a lie.
"You sent cards?" gasped Jamie looking shocked, angry, indignant and sad all in one go. Harry's eyes had steadily darkened at each word coming from the adults. Harry wasn't sure what to believe anymore, they seemed so genuine but he knew how good adults were at that. The way Sirius kept going on made Harry think and be a little hopeful that he was telling the truth.
"Along with presents please tell me you go them" sighed Remus sadly; he had skimped and saved to buy those presents. He had refused to accept money from Sirius; it was usually just something from the country they were visiting (trying to find Pettigrew). Usually pieces of jewellery such as bracelets and necklaces with their names on it from the country. There had been one year he had been able to buy them both a nice nine caret gold Turkish eye from Turkey. Or some books as they got older to know everything had no doubt went to Godric astonished them all more than words could ever express.
"Godric always took the presents, I'm guessing James and Lily let him" said Sirius grimly.
"But why!" cried Remus bewildered.
"Nothing was ever the same when Voldemort attacked" sighed Harry truthfully; he would give both men the benefit of the doubt. However, he wasn't going to tell them how he was truly treated, maybe he would drop hints here and there but nothing more. They certainly weren't going to be told about them being the ones to defeat Voldemort. No it was much safer to be cautious and not trust them fully - not yet anyway.
Only two adults and two children knew the truth, Severus, Lucius, Hermione and Draco and that's how it was going to stay.
"Merlin how did we not see?" asked Sirius looking sick.
"We did see, we always knew they treated Godric like glass we just didn't know how they treated you" sighed Remus sadly.
"You were never there…when we visited…usually just at the party and there were too many children around to even count! To see where you were!" sighed Sirius furious with himself for not actually asking where they were.
"Of course we weren't, we were locked in our room…or if it was a school day we were at Muggle Primary" shrugged Jamie.
"You went to school?" choked Remus wide eyed.
"Yes, for seven years" said Harry.
"But weren't you home schooled? I know Godric was" said Sirius frowning, it wasn't often pureblood's or half blood's come to that were sent to Muggle primary school. Only time it did happen was if they were actually living in the Muggle world.
"We weren't allowed" sighed Harry getting agitated with Sirius' questions especially having to repeat himself.
"Anything else you want to tell us?" asked Sirius exasperated.
"Nothing much other than the Malfoy's have temporary guardianship of us until we turn seventeen. That we have taken the Evans name apparently Hermione is the Grindelwald heir which merged with the Evans line. Which Hermione shared with us and allowed us to take the name on, Lily's not Muggle born" said Harry with a smirk.
That shocked Sirius and Remus to the core; they gaped like fish out of water for a good ten minutes. Before they snapped out of it sharing incredulous looks at the information they were receiving. The only reason Jamie and Harry told them was to test them, if Lily finds out then she would try to get the money and vaults only to fail of course. So this was the first test for Sirius and Remus and the teenagers could only pray that their 'uncles' came through loyal.
"Dumbledore convinced your parents to give you up, do not trust him and don't look him in the eye" said Remus sitting forward looking them both in the eye.
"We already know that" shrugged Jamie "He's been trying to get us expelled; I think he wanted James and Lily to disown us so he could get his hands on us. If it failed he wasn't fussy because he thought we wouldn't be able to get back to Hogwarts. He's been on the war path ever since Godric confessed to Dumbledore that he saw himself as an only child when he looked in the Mirror or Erised".
"What the hell was Dumbledore doing having that thing lying around?" shirked Sirius furiously, that mirror was extremely dangerous. Many women and men had wasted away in front of it, seeing something they could never have. It had been taken to the department of mysteries and covered up how had he got it into Hogwarts? He had half a mind to go to the board of directors and tell them what he knew.
"He was testing Godric, Voldemort tried to come back in first year with the Philosopher stone" explained Jamie.
Remus and Sirius closed their eyes in silent horror, their faces contorted in rage at Dumbledore's actions. Who in their right mind would allow an eleven year old to face that monster? They didn't for a moment disbelieve the teenagers. It seemed they were the only ones who seemed to want to tell the truth around here. Dumbledore was going to have a long talking to with those two furious men; Godric as much as they were unhappy with him at the moment was their godson too. They were going to have to try and undo the damage Dumbledore and his parents were doing to the thirteen year old. They wondered silently if it was too late or if there were any redeeming values of Godric left to be had.
"Last year the Chamber of Secrets opened up too…wonder what will happen this year" said Harry almost sarcastically.
"Yes we were told about that" said Remus his eyes darkening in fury.
"I got the feeling Dumbledore was leaving something out though" said Sirius.
"Apart from the fact he accused us and tried to expel us when we found Mrs. Norris Flitch's cat" sneered Harry. He truly hated Dumbledore with a passion; it was a good thing his friends felt the same so he could let off some steam. Lucius and Severus didn't even know the extent of the bitterness he felt towards him.
"I'll be having some words with him" growled Remus furiously.
"Don't worry at least you have us here" said Sirius adamantly.
"And Severus…I mean Professor Snape he's been brilliant" said Harry, he had spend his entire summer almost with him. Sure he had doubted him but at least he had a reason for that, once that had been shifted aside they had gotten on much better. Harry was rather good at potions well all his friends were too so Severus tolerated them even more especially in his lab. They had helped Severus brew the potions for the Hospital wing, just the basic of course but it gave Severus more time to concentrate on other more important potions.
"Professor Snape is nice to you?" asked Sirius so bewilderedly surprised.
"Of course he is our head of house" murmured Harry giving Sirius a weird look.
"I didn't expect that…Severus and James were enemies you see when they were in school. I know he's horrible to Godric, James has commented on it a few times. He's also been complaining to Dumbledore about it, but he refuses to do anything about it" said Remus.
"Well he's good to us" said Jamie adamantly.
"Well that's good…at least you have had someone on your side" nodded Remus happy that at least the children had someone.
"We did" said Harry just as adamant as Jamie who had spoken.
"I guess your friends will want you in the great hall for lunch?" asked Remus, he had noticed how close they were.
"Yeah I guess we best, Hermione and Draco will be worried" grinned Harry, the first outwardly positive emotion he had showed since entering the room other than a smirk or grin.
That's when it hit Remus and Sirius how unhappy they were how bitter and twisted everything was to him. They swore there and then they would do anything they could to help them, even if it meant going to Lucius Malfoy and begging to be allowed to see their godson and goddaughter for a few days of the summer. They knew Severus was best friends with Lucius so perhaps they should think about not making him angry, rising to his baits and perhaps trying to talk civilly to him. No doubt Severus would be shocked to the core that the men who had made his life hell were trying to be friendly to him. Not that Remus was horrible; things weren't bad between those two as Remus was Severus' test subject for the Wolfsbane potion. They could only hope it would work, for Harry and Jamie who had already lost too much they would do anything. Even if it did mean begging Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape of all people their godchildren could end up staying with and befriending.
"Well come by any time you like!" grinned Remus suddenly.
"By that we do mean any time! Even tomorrow tonight if you wanted to" said Sirius sternly.
"Ok" grinned Jamie happily.
"We shall see you in class if you are too busy this weekend" conceded Sirius knowing most children wanted to have the first weekend at Hogwarts by themselves to catch up and just be happy for a while before school truly began.
"Bye" said Harry standing up putting the empty goblet of Pumpkin juice on the table. His sister did the same as him and before long they were entering the Great Hall and sitting down beside their friends.
"How did it go?" asked Draco softly as Jamie sat down next to him, Harry sat next to Hermione. Across from one another, at the middle of the Slytherin table now. The new seconds years had taken their place, New Year and new seats that's how it went.
"Wonder when we will get our new timetables" murmured Hermione cautiously.
"Today Miss Granger" smiled Flitwick handing over a timetable to her and Jamie, as they were both half Ravenclaw, and Ravenclaw had gotten less students Flitwick had agreed to do their timetables this year. Severus had more Slytherin's than ever so Filius didn't have a problem with it he got on well with Severus as he was a fellow master. Even if his mastery was charms and Severus' was potions they worked hard for their position and respected one another for that fact alone. Of course they had gotten to know one another better over the years as head of houses. It helped that they were the only men in the in their capacity as Head of houses. The other two were woman, Sprout and McGonagall, Huffelpuff and Gryffindor.
"Brilliant! We don't have potions first thing again" sighed Hermione gratefully.
"Yeah, true" grinned Jamie. Even more excellent they had potions with Slytherin's which meant they would be with Draco and Harry. There were a few they had with Huffelpuff's and Gryffindor's but it couldn't be avoided. They had gotten used to it over the years; Draco and Harry were busy looking at their own timetable that Severus had just handed them. The four were finding it hard to go back to Professor Snape.
"Well I'm done what we going to do today?" murmured Jamie thoughtfully.
"Good question its going to be so weird not doing whatever we want to" said Hermione, she had loved Malfoy Manor.
"Nothing new for me" said Draco with a smirk.
"Can I speak to you?" asked a new hesitant voice from behind Jamie.
"Uh…sure" said Jamie looking at the three others a curious look on her face.
"Come with us!" said Harry, taking the lead, Luna and Ginny nodded and followed the four of them.
Will ginny and luna join the group? will Remus and Sirius be true to harry and jamie? will Dumbledore try anymore? will dumbledore be given a lecture/shouting at by remus and sirius? how many want Peter pettigrew to go after Godric? the perseved boy who lived? will lily find out about her line and realize what shes lost? will lily be furious that they are using her last name to get by? her daughter and son? uing the evans name? will severus continue to be a constant in their lives? or will lucius pass over guardianship to sirius and remus or will they continue to go to malfoy manor for summer? R&R plz