Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.
A/N: Grab the tissues! I think this is the end of my tale, so I'm going to try and make it a long chapter. It's upsetting, I was virtually in tears when I was writing it //Sniffs//. Thanks for all your reviews, and thanks Lex for giving me that twisted idea, earlier. Enjoy.
Chapter 11
Harry sat mournfully at the Gryffindor table that evening thinking. People came by, patted him on the shoulder and offered their support, even Dumbledore came up to him to ask if there was anything he could do, but there wasn't. He was cheered up slightly though by Snape, as Madam Pomfrey hadn't healed his nose for reasons that Harry couldn't think off, having a heavily bandaged up nose.
It wasn't until the Great Hall doors opened, did Harry feel the slightest bit better, as Professor Lupin walked in, with a black shaggy dog at his heal. As Sirius came bounding up to him, Lupin went to talk to Dumbledore.
"Hey Snuffles." Harry said weakly. Sirius pinned and offered his godson a paw, which Harry took gratified, but then he put his face in Sirius' soft fur, and clung onto him tightly.
"I missed you." He whispered, and Sirius licked his face. Lupin soon came over, put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Want to talk?" he asked. Harry merely smiled
"Maybe later."
Lupin looked up at the staff table, and saw Snape glaring at him.
"Oh dear, he's not going to like that isn't he." He went into his robes, and brought out an aged envelope and gave it to Harry. "Here, he wanted me to give you this."
Harry took the letter very carefully, not wanting to spoil the moment. He felt a lump in his throat and the corners of his eyes burn. When he realised he was crying he buried his head in Sirius' fur once more.
Lupin waited patiently and once Harry emerged from Sirius' coat, he took Harry away, to the classroom that they had inhabited. Slowly again, Harry opened the letter and read;
Harry,
I don't really know what to say, I've been holding off writing this for what seems years now. I guess that I just don't want to think what this letter will mean to you, I don't want to think that this might be all you have of me. But I'll just have to except that at least I //have// this, at least you do.
Meeting you was an enlightening experience, as was giving Snape that broken nose. But I guess that I have got through these past ten years knowing that at least you have that, even though I was a boy your age now. At least it's something to cling onto.
This is probably extraordinary strange to you, but I'm writing this and I'm looking at you. You seem to be in a mood over something demanding attention. I think that Sirius has been giving you too much chocolate, again, or perhaps it's that you and I have been expelled from the kitchen and you can no longer play with the towel rail, (which for some strange reason you like doing.) Your mother you see is making dinner and well…sometimes that doesn't turn out too well. I fear for my taste buds I do.
I shouldn't say such things about your mothers' cooking, well…we did have to order a takeout last Christmas because she burnt the turkey…but that could happen to any one. But apart from her cooking she is the most wonderful woman you could wish for a mother. Gentle, kind, and most beautiful.
I heard from a few of your class mates that dear old Severus isn't all that fond of you, well we all guessed that it was because you being my son. That may well be the case but also, not to my enjoyment, he had to come round last week to arrange something about this charm we are under, god knows why it had to be Snape. Well (as your doing now, clambering on my back) you demanded attention, so you clambered your self on Snape's knee, and said to him, for reasons I do not yet know; 'you need to wash your hair, do you know that?' We nearly died laughing. I thought that you might just want to know.
It's three days until Halloween, and if you are correct, which I hope for more your sakes than mine that you are wrong, Voldemort should be attacking us soon, and you will be left an orphan. It pains me more than I can bear to think that you will be growing up not knowing us, not knowing how much we love you. How much you mean to us. But you told me that the reason that you survived the attack was that Lily died to save you. It gives me some warmth to know that the love that we hold for you is what saves you from this awful attack.
I'm afraid that now I must draw this letter to a close. I just want you to know that you mean the world to us and that we love you more than I knew a person could love. Always remember that. Always remember that we did not die without a reason, our reason was to protect you.
Love,
Dad.
Harry looked up a Lupin with tears streaming down his face. Lupin it seemed hesitated for a while before pulling Harry into his embrace, and Harry just cried onto his shoulder not caring if any one saw him. His pride didn't seem to matter anymore he just wanted to mourn, as Sirius lay at Harry's feet showing that he understood.
Lupin broke off and took Harry by the shoulders who was still crying. "I miss him too. He denies it but I heard him cry himself to sleep every night for an age. He couldn't deal leaving you. He loved you, he wanted us to make sure that you knew that."
That just made Harry go into more tears and bury himself again in Lupins' shoulder. Once the tears came he found that they couldn't stop, but Lupin didn't mind he just carried on holding Harry, until finally Madam Pomfrey found them and gave Harry a sleeping potion.
"How's he dealing?" Poppy asked. Remus jumped slightly and looked away from the sleeping figure on the hospital wing bed. It was the next morning and they were waiting really for Harry to wake up.
"Oh, I don't know." Remus said resting his chin oh his thumb and index finger. "I hardly know him really." He heard Sirius pine some more at his feet. "He'll be alright yeah?"
"Of course, there's really nothing wrong with him, I just like to keep an eye on those who are under sleeping potions that's all, and well Mr Potter here really did need one, never seen him cry before, well the once after the maze…"
She didn't need to continue. "What did the letter say?" she asked.
"I don't know, I never read it, I kept to my word, it was for Harry not me. I was just the messenger." He waited a while. "We knew you know, we knew that he was going to die." He glanced over at Madam Pomfrey who was aghast.
"Well Remus we all knew of the possibility."
He shook his head. "No, we knew when we were here, we overheard them talking, that's probably what the letter was. It wasn't a letter, in case something happened, it was a letter knowing the inevitable." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't have read it without bursting into tears."
Remus saw her dab the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, so he smiled slightly. He walked over to Harry's bed, grasped his hand, when he woke up. Poppy then rushed over to give him a morning check up and gave him his breakfast.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled while having a bite of cereal.
"For what?"
"For crying."
Remus laughed slightly, "Sorry for crying, Harry I really don't give a dam." Harry smiled a bit but not much. As the coast was clear, Sirius turned back into a man and gave Harry a long hug.
"You never told me I was you Godfather you should have." He was pretending to sound angry but he had a smile on his face.
"I know Harry, that you probably hear this a lot," Remus said "but believe us when we say it. It isn't a case of 'Your Father would have been proud.' He //was// proud."
~~~~~~END~~~~~~~
A/N: Sorry for just leaving it like that but I couldn't think of anything else to say. Lick I said I suck at endings. Hope you have enjoyed my story, cos I've enjoyed reading it.
Rain
A/N: Grab the tissues! I think this is the end of my tale, so I'm going to try and make it a long chapter. It's upsetting, I was virtually in tears when I was writing it //Sniffs//. Thanks for all your reviews, and thanks Lex for giving me that twisted idea, earlier. Enjoy.
Chapter 11
Harry sat mournfully at the Gryffindor table that evening thinking. People came by, patted him on the shoulder and offered their support, even Dumbledore came up to him to ask if there was anything he could do, but there wasn't. He was cheered up slightly though by Snape, as Madam Pomfrey hadn't healed his nose for reasons that Harry couldn't think off, having a heavily bandaged up nose.
It wasn't until the Great Hall doors opened, did Harry feel the slightest bit better, as Professor Lupin walked in, with a black shaggy dog at his heal. As Sirius came bounding up to him, Lupin went to talk to Dumbledore.
"Hey Snuffles." Harry said weakly. Sirius pinned and offered his godson a paw, which Harry took gratified, but then he put his face in Sirius' soft fur, and clung onto him tightly.
"I missed you." He whispered, and Sirius licked his face. Lupin soon came over, put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Want to talk?" he asked. Harry merely smiled
"Maybe later."
Lupin looked up at the staff table, and saw Snape glaring at him.
"Oh dear, he's not going to like that isn't he." He went into his robes, and brought out an aged envelope and gave it to Harry. "Here, he wanted me to give you this."
Harry took the letter very carefully, not wanting to spoil the moment. He felt a lump in his throat and the corners of his eyes burn. When he realised he was crying he buried his head in Sirius' fur once more.
Lupin waited patiently and once Harry emerged from Sirius' coat, he took Harry away, to the classroom that they had inhabited. Slowly again, Harry opened the letter and read;
Harry,
I don't really know what to say, I've been holding off writing this for what seems years now. I guess that I just don't want to think what this letter will mean to you, I don't want to think that this might be all you have of me. But I'll just have to except that at least I //have// this, at least you do.
Meeting you was an enlightening experience, as was giving Snape that broken nose. But I guess that I have got through these past ten years knowing that at least you have that, even though I was a boy your age now. At least it's something to cling onto.
This is probably extraordinary strange to you, but I'm writing this and I'm looking at you. You seem to be in a mood over something demanding attention. I think that Sirius has been giving you too much chocolate, again, or perhaps it's that you and I have been expelled from the kitchen and you can no longer play with the towel rail, (which for some strange reason you like doing.) Your mother you see is making dinner and well…sometimes that doesn't turn out too well. I fear for my taste buds I do.
I shouldn't say such things about your mothers' cooking, well…we did have to order a takeout last Christmas because she burnt the turkey…but that could happen to any one. But apart from her cooking she is the most wonderful woman you could wish for a mother. Gentle, kind, and most beautiful.
I heard from a few of your class mates that dear old Severus isn't all that fond of you, well we all guessed that it was because you being my son. That may well be the case but also, not to my enjoyment, he had to come round last week to arrange something about this charm we are under, god knows why it had to be Snape. Well (as your doing now, clambering on my back) you demanded attention, so you clambered your self on Snape's knee, and said to him, for reasons I do not yet know; 'you need to wash your hair, do you know that?' We nearly died laughing. I thought that you might just want to know.
It's three days until Halloween, and if you are correct, which I hope for more your sakes than mine that you are wrong, Voldemort should be attacking us soon, and you will be left an orphan. It pains me more than I can bear to think that you will be growing up not knowing us, not knowing how much we love you. How much you mean to us. But you told me that the reason that you survived the attack was that Lily died to save you. It gives me some warmth to know that the love that we hold for you is what saves you from this awful attack.
I'm afraid that now I must draw this letter to a close. I just want you to know that you mean the world to us and that we love you more than I knew a person could love. Always remember that. Always remember that we did not die without a reason, our reason was to protect you.
Love,
Dad.
Harry looked up a Lupin with tears streaming down his face. Lupin it seemed hesitated for a while before pulling Harry into his embrace, and Harry just cried onto his shoulder not caring if any one saw him. His pride didn't seem to matter anymore he just wanted to mourn, as Sirius lay at Harry's feet showing that he understood.
Lupin broke off and took Harry by the shoulders who was still crying. "I miss him too. He denies it but I heard him cry himself to sleep every night for an age. He couldn't deal leaving you. He loved you, he wanted us to make sure that you knew that."
That just made Harry go into more tears and bury himself again in Lupins' shoulder. Once the tears came he found that they couldn't stop, but Lupin didn't mind he just carried on holding Harry, until finally Madam Pomfrey found them and gave Harry a sleeping potion.
"How's he dealing?" Poppy asked. Remus jumped slightly and looked away from the sleeping figure on the hospital wing bed. It was the next morning and they were waiting really for Harry to wake up.
"Oh, I don't know." Remus said resting his chin oh his thumb and index finger. "I hardly know him really." He heard Sirius pine some more at his feet. "He'll be alright yeah?"
"Of course, there's really nothing wrong with him, I just like to keep an eye on those who are under sleeping potions that's all, and well Mr Potter here really did need one, never seen him cry before, well the once after the maze…"
She didn't need to continue. "What did the letter say?" she asked.
"I don't know, I never read it, I kept to my word, it was for Harry not me. I was just the messenger." He waited a while. "We knew you know, we knew that he was going to die." He glanced over at Madam Pomfrey who was aghast.
"Well Remus we all knew of the possibility."
He shook his head. "No, we knew when we were here, we overheard them talking, that's probably what the letter was. It wasn't a letter, in case something happened, it was a letter knowing the inevitable." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't have read it without bursting into tears."
Remus saw her dab the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, so he smiled slightly. He walked over to Harry's bed, grasped his hand, when he woke up. Poppy then rushed over to give him a morning check up and gave him his breakfast.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled while having a bite of cereal.
"For what?"
"For crying."
Remus laughed slightly, "Sorry for crying, Harry I really don't give a dam." Harry smiled a bit but not much. As the coast was clear, Sirius turned back into a man and gave Harry a long hug.
"You never told me I was you Godfather you should have." He was pretending to sound angry but he had a smile on his face.
"I know Harry, that you probably hear this a lot," Remus said "but believe us when we say it. It isn't a case of 'Your Father would have been proud.' He //was// proud."
~~~~~~END~~~~~~~
A/N: Sorry for just leaving it like that but I couldn't think of anything else to say. Lick I said I suck at endings. Hope you have enjoyed my story, cos I've enjoyed reading it.
Rain