Harry Potter and the Fifth House

Chapter 49: Fathers and Brothers


Hermione was walking to class by herself when she felt something heavy land across her shoulders. George flipped around into her line of side, walking backwards through the hall, before saying, "It's time to talk about it."

"I disagree," she answered. "Considering I didn't do anything wrong, I don't see how there could possibly be anything to talk about."

Fred, who had his arm around her shoulders, tsked before saying, "You know that's not true. You told him you were never going to talk to him. You were both being emotional and stupid."

"He is still being stupid," Hermione huffed. "I feel horrible about what happened to Scabbers but I highly doubt Crookshanks had anything to do with it."

"We're not saying Crookshanks did it," Fred began.

"And we're not saying he didn't do it," George added.

"But you both need to apologize."

They didn't allow her time to argue before George followed their joint statement with, "You know how important Scabbers was to him, despite his much he hated him, and I know you were angry with him but you should apologize for not thinking about how Ron had to have been feeling."

Hermione could already feel the anger draining out of her as she murmured, "He could at least apologize for calling my cat a murderer."

Fred laughed, musing her hair with his hand, "Ron's too much of an idiot to apologize first. You know that."


"Where does he get off putting himself in danger like that after what happened?" Snape screeched, his chest heaving from the anger raging in him as he stormed into his apartment.

"I'm so sorry about this Septima. He's just upset," Charity apologized, giving a brief smile to the arithmancy professor. "Sorry, sorry, just go back to sleep."

She closed the door with a deep breathe before throwing her coat into the closet and taking a seat as Snape paced around the room. "His common room was just broken into a few days ago so he decides to sneak around the castle in the middle of the night?! He's going to get one day and there won't be someone there to pick him up and-"

"Sh," Charity shushed. She grabbed him by the hand as he went to pass her again. "He's okay. There's not a single scratch on him."

He glared down at her, "Throwing my words back at me is not appropriate in this situation Charity."

"I'm not throwing them back at you," she declared as she twined there fingers together. It took a bit of effort on her part, but she managed to use the hold to yank him closer to her and grab his other hand as well. "They're perfectly reasonable things to say to each other considering how often Harry gets hurt. Severus, we're raising James Potter's son there's going to be a ridiculous amount of worrying."

Snape's gut flared at the mention of the man, all sorts of insults on his lips, before what came out instead was, "Why couldn't he be more like Lily?"

Charity grinned as she used his hands to heave herself up, "Harry's troublesome like his fathers and smart like his mothers."

"I don't know why your grinning and saying stupid things," Snape declared. "Our son was sneaking around the castle while Sirius Black is on the loose-"

"I'm grinning and saying stupid things because if I don't trust that Harry will find a way to keep himself save, or that his friends will find a way to pull him back," she interrupted again, "I will break down."

Snape fumbled for a minute, feeling her step closer to him, before sighing, "That was a stupid thing to say. I know you're worried as well."

"I know. I should go, I don't want to listen to one of Septima's ridiculous rants in the morning." She leaned up, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "Don't destroy the whole place, yeah?"

The door had already clicked behind her, and he was in the kitchen stewing over a cup of tea he was making, when her action caught up to him. His eyes widened before he placed his fingers over the spot.

Charity was a very affectionate person and he had certainly noticed the difference in her affections towards him and Harry but this...new.


Draco looked between Blaise and Theo, the other two boys pretending to be focused on the books in front of them but he could see the way they kept glancing up at him.

"Okay," he said at last, snapping his Care of Magical Creatures book shut. "What did I do that has the two of you idiots so on edge?"

"We're not on edge," Theo tried to deny.

"Bullshit. What did I do?"

They exchanged a glance before Blaise spoke, "I'm worried about what's been going on between you and Harry. You've been a bit of an asshole to him about the whole thing."

"I'm just here because Blaise wanted backup and I honestly need to study for Transfiguration. He promised to help me if I stood with him on this." At the sharp glare Blaise sent his way, Theo added, "I mean...I noticed how you had been avoiding Harry lately and was very worried about you."

Blaise rolled his eyes as he turned his attention Draco, "Despite his dick way of saying it, we are worried. Harry is one of your best friends, Draco, I don't understand why your letting your crush on him get in the way of everything."

"It's just hard to be around him when he likes someone else."

"I confessed to Neville literally two seconds after he told me he liked someone else."

"You avoided him for like two weeks after that," Theo pointed out.

"It's not that okay," Draco cut in. "At least you knew Neville liked guys. As Anthony pointed out, Harry likes girls and I am not one. I'm going to talk to Hermione about my Muggle Studies homework and see if she'll help."

Theo watched him leave for a minute before murmuring, "I don't think we fixed anything, Blaise."


Charity gave a soft smile at the students flowing out of the classroom before slipping into the room, "Remus could we speak for a minute?"

Lupin looked up from the stack of papers he was shuffling, smiling when he saw her, "Oh, Charity. A few of the sixth years are dropping by for an extra lessons in a few minutes, they're worried about NEWTS."

"That's fine. It'll only take a few minutes." She walked across the room, propping herself on one of the student desks as he leaned against his. "I just wanted to talk to you about what happened with Harry."

Something flashed across his face before he started, "Charity, I can't tell you what-"

"I don't want to know," she cut in. "I just want to know that whatever it is doesn't put my son in danger because if it does-" She smiled widely, "Well, just because I teach muggle studies doesn't mean I didn't learn how to completely destroy a werewolf when I was in school."

Remus regarded her with a firm press of his lips before they twitched up a bit, "Your name is a bit deceiving Charity." She hummed, not saying a word. After a moment he nodded, "Harry is safe. If he wasn't, I would do anything to make him safe. Believe me."

She took a pause of her own before sighing, running a hand through her hair, "I do believe you. I just wanted to make sure, Severus is very antsy about who your alliance would be towards if it came down to Harry or Sirius."

"Harry," Remus said without a beat. "I wouldn't ever chose someone who had betrayed James and Lily. James was my brother in all but blood, Charity, and after Harry was born all he wanted was for Harry to grow up safe and happy and you and Severus... My friends and I did horrible things to Severus in school but you two still invited me to be a part of Harry's family again. I would never betray any of your trust in me."

Charity smiled as she hopped off the desk to wrap her arms around Remus in a tight hug, "I hoped you would say that."


E/n: Little bit of badass Charity there at the end and mentoring between Fred and George and Hermione b/c they're...second in the poll i think?

Isobel and Draco are in first, or where the last I checked, so I'll get some of that in at some point.

This is the last unbetaed chapter! Emma got back today so she'll be back for our fiftieth chapter! I'll keep the long emotion spiel for that, but I'll see you all later gators