Knock Knock.
Knowing it now had been a year since his whole world had changed, had fallen apart, Remus Lupin had been tossing and turning all night. It was common knowledge to him that sleep wouldn't come easy, but this night had been especially bad.
Knock Knock.
Maybe it was due to the one-year anniversary of the deaths of his best friends, James and Lily Potter and Peter Pettigrew and the incarceration of Sirius Black or maybe it was because of the full moon which would be coming up the following night.
Knock Knock.
What was that sound? There was a knocking sound disturbing his, well… not sleeping apparently. And on a Sunday morning as well.
Knock Knock Knock Knock.
The knocking sound was becoming more eager. Was someone at the door? At this time of the day? Remus decided to get up and check it out. Dragging his feet, he went to his chair to get his robe.
"Remus! Remus Lupin! Open the door!"
Okay, there was definitely someone at the door. And even though, the voice came through a thick, wooden door and was of a tone in between a whisper and a yell without being normal, there was no doubt as to who it belonged to. But it couldn't be. Could it? What would Professor Minerva McGonagall be doing outside his house on a Sunday morning? Well, there was only one way to find out.
Remus had barely opened the door before Professor McGonagall had come inside his house and stood before him in the hallway.
"Professor McGonagall? Please come in, apparently. To what do I owe you the honor? And on a Sunday morning…" Remus looked at his wall clock. "…at 7.30!"
"Yes, it's actually very important. Can we go in and sit down?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, Professor. Let's go in the living room and sit down. I can make some tea if you like, Professor?" After showing Professor McGonagall into the living room, he went into the kitchen to put on a kettle for tea. "So, what is this all about, Professor?"
Professor McGonagall hesitated a bit, made herself comfortable on Remus' couch, looked up and said: "Well, Remus, I guess you of all people are aware of what day it is today."
Remus dropped the bag of tea leaves he was holding, after preparing the tea. "I suppose, you didn't stop by to let me know that it is a Sunday today?" Remus kneeled to pick up the dropped tea leaves from the floor. As he looked up, Professor McGonagall was standing in front of him with a very serious look on her face.
"Remus, you are probably also aware that James and Lily's son, Harry, have been living with Lily's sister and her husband for almost a year now?"
At these words, Remus fell to the kitchen floor. His legs simply gave way under him. Harry. Harry Potter would be just over two years old by now and Remus hadn't seen him in a year. A whole year!
"Look Remus, I am aware that you weren't made Harry's godfather. But Sirius…" Remus held up a hand which stopped her in midsentence.
"Remus, I want you to know that I thought it best that you would be Harry's godfather, because well… well, you know James and Sirius way to well, so you understand what I am saying" Lily Potter chuckled as she finished her sentence. Remus couldn't help but laugh a bit too. She was right though. He had known both James and Sirius for ten years by now. He had lived with both for seven years while at school and knew all too well what kind of mischief they could produce when together. These memories made him laugh a bit also. They had probably been Hogwarts pair of biggest pranksters for the 1000 years Hogwarts stood and would probably keep that title for another 1000 years.
"Lily, I am honored that you thought about me, but I understand James. I really do and don't worry about it. As long as we all are one family, it doesn't matter who is Harry's godfather."
"Are you sure, Remus? Are you okay?"
"Lily, please. I really am honored. And aren't we already like one family? A family where Harry has one mother and four fathers?" Remus laughed a bit again at the sound of what he just said. "Even though… well, Peter has been acting kind of odd lately, hasn't he?"
"Remus, I came here to ask something of you. Something very important." Professor McGonagall reached out a hand to help Remus back onto his feet.
Remus, coming back out of his thoughts, shook his head. "Look, Professor, I think I know what you are going to ask me and let me just say one thing. I truly am honored, but I can't." Remus took Professor McGonagall's offered hand and got to his feet and picked up the kettle full of boiled water, getting ready to pour it over the tea leaves that he luckily had made ready before dropping the rest of the bag. But instead of pouring the water over the tea leaves, Remus put down the kettle again and dropped his head. "Look, Professor, I would love to take Harry in, I really would, but tonight is a full moon and you know… how I get under the full moon and Harry is much safer where he is. Besides Professor Dumbledore had his reasons for sending Harry to live with Petunia and one must trust Dumbledore's judgement."
"Professor Dumbledore chose Petunia Dursley as Harry's guardian because of an ancient protection spell. Petunia's blood will protect Harry, because of Lily's sacrifice, until his 17th birthday as long as he would call her home home, but what if he doesn't call it home? Look, Remus, I observed their daily life for a couple of days after Harry arrived and they mistreated him. Remus, they didn't care about him. His aunt didn't want him there!"
"What? Mistreating him?!" Remus could feel his anger rising. Harry had just been a baby when Petunia had received him! How could anyone mistreat a baby?! He didn't understand what he was hearing. Remus tried to remember that baby he had once known, once upon a time which seemed like so very long ago by now.
"Remus, what are you doing in here?" Lily had come very suddenly in behind him as he was watching a sleeping Harry, laying in his crib.
"Oh, Lily? You surprised me. I was just walking by and noticed Harry sleeping so sweetly. And I couldn't help but just stand and watch him for a while. I mean, can you really blame me?" Remus laugh quietly.
"No, I guess I can't." Lily had responded, also looking at Harry.
"He really is the sweetest baby, I have ever seen, Lily. Truly. I mean, he is also close to be the only baby I have ever seen, but you know, he's going to be hard to beat." Remus winked at Lily and she responded with a quiet laugh, very much like the one Remus has done a short moment ago. "And thank you for dinner, by the way. It was sweet of you to invite me over for dinner tonight." An awkward silence had occurred which Remus thought ought to be broken.
"We'd better go downstairs again. I bet, James is wondering where we went." Lily smiled at Remus before turning toward Harry's bedroom door.
Remus took a last look at Harry and smiled to himself. He knew he probably never would have children himself because… well, he had stuff to deal with on his own. James always called it his "furry little problem". Remus had always liked James and Lily for the way they dealt with his… well, yeah, his furry little problem. Remus laughed to himself. James had always made a joke about it, turning it into something funny whereas Lily was the more caring type. Lily always made sure that Remus was taken care of and got the help and care that he needed. She had even started brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for him, so the full moon wasn't as bad as it could've been. Remus felt very lucky to be a part of their family, and to be an "extra parent" for little Harry.
Remus turned toward the bedroom door. Harry really was the sweetest baby he ever knew.
"I'm sorry, Professor. You're right. We cannot leave Harry Potter with people who are mistreating him. He doesn't deserve that." Remus felt his anger turn into tears in the corner of his eyes. Had he known what the future had in store for Harry Potter, he would have picked up the sleeping baby and made a run for it. Had he known that that evening in Harry's bedroom would be the last evening Harry had with his mother and father… Remus couldn't bare to even think about it. James, and especially Lily, had been his best friends. If Lily's son needed him, how could he have let something as silly as… well, actually it was quite serious… as his "furry little problem" stand in the way of him coming to aid Harry Potter.
"Professor, if Harry needs me, I cannot let him down. But tomorrow is a full moon."
"Remus, I'll make the arrangements with Dumbledore and the ministry and you just take care of yourself tonight." Professor McGonagall smiled at him. She was very glad that Harry Potter could look forward to a better future. He would be in good hands with Remus Lupin.
She just hoped that she was correct about how the protection spell worked…