AN: sorry for the wait, but chapter 15 is here now! Enjoy!
By the time Zacharias and Sirius made it back to Harry's hospital room, Remus was feeding him a bottle again, this time sitting in the chair with Harry cradled in his arms. When he looked up and saw them enter, looking surprised, he smiled at them sheepishly.
"The nurse said to keep him hydrated. And he likes me, he's not afraid of-"
Sirius walked over to the chair where he sat and crouched down, careful not to disturb Harry but wanting to be face-to-face with his best friend, "Rem, no one here is scared of you. Especially not Harry. You're his second godfather-"
"Not officially," Remus ducked his head down to focus his attention on the little boy in his arms, trying to hide his upset even though the other man knew him so well, "Not on paper."
"Not on paper, no, but I will never take what Lily gave you the right to just because it's not official. Okay? Oh, Moony…" He hugged the man's hunched form carefully, mindful of the small treasure he held in his arms.
"I will never have a baby, a family…" He sobbed. Harry, deaged for his hospital stay because Zacharias thought it best not to overwhelm the teenager more than he already was.
"Here is your baby, Rem," Sirius held Harry's head cupped in his large hands gently, Harry snuffling around the nipple of the bottle between his lips, "Harry doesn't mind that you aren't his official godfather, because he knows you love him. And guess what? I know for a fact that he loves you just as much. Okay? Shush now, Rem. Shh shh…"
Remus looked up at Zacharias briefly, shaky and with tears streaming down his face, "Can you- can you please-" he held Harry out to him, the baby still nursing the bottle he held.
"Yeah, oh yeah," Zacharias stepped forward to take his baby boy and hold him close, stunned to see this open display of emotion from the man who had been his teacher not so many years ago. With his arms now free to move, Remus turned to Sirius and buried his face into his neck, sobbing.
It was all Zacharias could do to turn and leave the room quietly, making sure the door shut behind him. A mediwitch at the nurses' station looked up as he appeared, and he shook his head at her, trying to explain that the room was occupied but not to disturb it without speaking before turning and beginning to pace the long, sterile corridor while caring for the sick baby in his arms.
