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Harry was sitting on a chair in his room, starring blankly outside, letting his thoughts whirl around his mind without paying them any heed. Someone opened the door and Harry knew it was Sirius or Remus that had come up to get him out of his room. Sighing, Harry stood up, knowing very well that if he didn't go on his free will, whoever had come to get him would drag him downstairs. Turning around, he saw it was Remus, standing at the door, looking at him worried. When he saw the teenager was looking at him he replaced his worried look by a fond smile and walked further inside the room.
"Good, you have changed. Since Sirius has to go to the ministry this morning to arrange some papers, I thought we could start on your homework. I know school is still a month away but if you do it now you wont have to do it latter."
Harry moved his eyes to his trunk and then back to Lupin, with his soft, dull voice he told him, "I've already done all my homework."
Remus looked surprised at him but quickly hid it and nodded. "Then, how about we study some, I'm sure that with all that happened last year you missed a few assignments and with the OWL's approaching it might be a good idea to get a head start."
The boy shrugged slightly and moved to the trunk to get his books, at least it was better than going outside and facing all those gapping people.
Remus spent a few hours studying different charms and potions with Harry and at the time Sirius came back he was ready to strangle the boy out of frustration. Harry's answers when Lupin asked something were minimal and as short as he could manage. He didn't really show any interest in what they were doing and more than once Remus had been tempted to let the boy go back to his room. Sirius immediately saw his best friend wasn't doing very good, he knew that when the full moon approached Remus's patience lessened. He shook his head, he shouldn't have left.
Putting a calming hand on his friend's shoulder he gently told him. "Hey Moony, why don't you go get some sleep, you look tired and tomorrow is the full moon, you want to be rested for it."
The man nodded gratefully and left his seat next to Harry without a word. After Remus had closed the door, Sirius turned to Harry and saw the boy had curled up on his chair, a single tear sliding down his check.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Sirius quickly went to his side and put an arm around him. "Hush, Kido, it's alright, it's not your fault, Remus just gets short tempered when the full moon approaches."
Harry nodded slightly, but he couldn't repress his guilt, he was causing both men so much trouble, it would have been better for everyone if they had just let him stay at the Dursleys, at least he couldn't hurt them because they simply didn't care.
Sensing his mood, Sirius got up and pulled Harry up with him. "Come on, Harry, lets go for a walk."
The boy started to struggle forcefully and Sirius had to grip him, slightly surprised at the boy's reaction. "Harry, Harry, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to go back there, all people were starring at me."
Sirius understood and gripped Harry tighter. "Calm down, sweetheart, we are not going to Hogsmeade, just a little walk through the woods, is that ok?"
Harry stopped struggling and thought about it for a while, finally nodding. "That's ok, I guess."
Sirius let him go and they both walked out of the house in silence. Knowing there was no use in trying to stick up a conversation, Sirius just walked next to Harry with his arm comfortably resting around the boy's shoulders. While walking next to Sirius, Harry could feel peace embrace him. He was very relieved there was no one around, he just didn't want to have to dodge the gazes of all those people like yesterday.
An hour later they returned and found Remus already making lunch, Harry walked to him, his head bowed and mumbled an apology to the older man.
Lupin smiled softly at him and put his arms around him in a gentle embrace. "Hush sunshine, it's alright, I'm sorry too."
Harry nodded somewhat relieved and helped Sirius to put the table.
That evening, Sirius and Harry had just started a game of chess when someone knocked on the door. Remus went to open and returned shortly after with Dumbledore.
The old wizard smiled gently down at the teenager that had stood up as soon as he had seen him. "Hello Harry, how are you feeling?"
Unconsciously, Harry moved a little to Sirius, who was standing next to him. "Fine, sir."
Dumbledore nodded and then turned to Sirius. "A word please, Sirius?"
The man nodded and followed Dumbledore out of the room leaving Remus and Harry alone. When the door to the study closed the headmaster turned to Sirius.
"How is he doing?"
Sirius sank into a chair and put his head into his hands. "I don't know, sometimes I get the feeling we are making some progress and the next moment he's like before. It's very difficult to get him to do things on his own. Yesterday I nearly had to throw him into the bath fully dressed, he refused to undress himself and fought me all the way while I was trying to do it. I don't know how much we can do if he's not willing to cooperate." Sirius looked thoughtfully for a moment and then continued hesitantly. "Today went a little better, sometimes he seemed to be willing to try, but there's something holding him back. You know Madam Pomfrey told us to treat him a little like a child, but it's not going to work if he keeps fighting it. I think it embarrasses him, but yet he wants it. I don't know what to do."
Dumbledore nodded and looked pensive for a while. "Poppy told me about it, and I have a solution, but I don't know if Harry will allow it, and it will be hard on you and Remus too."
Sirius looked up questioningly and Dumbledore continued "We were thinking on using a deaging potion. To reverse him at the age of five or six would allow you to treat him like a child without him being embarrassed."
Sirius looked shocked for a moment but then shook his head. "Harry would never allow it."
Dumbledore smiled softly at him. "I wouldn't be so sure about it, Sirius. You would be giving him the chance to be a kid again, this time with a loving family, I'm pretty sure he would want to try it."
"Let me think about it. You may realise, not Remus nor I have any experience in being parents. It's difficult enough to take care of Harry when he's fourteen, I don't want to imagine what it could be like when he's five."
Dumbledore laughed softly. "Yes, it certainly would make a change. Think about it Sirius and talk it over with Remus. Tell me when you have decided."
Then Dumbledore turned around and went to the living room with Sirius trailing behind him.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.
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Harry was sitting on a chair in his room, starring blankly outside, letting his thoughts whirl around his mind without paying them any heed. Someone opened the door and Harry knew it was Sirius or Remus that had come up to get him out of his room. Sighing, Harry stood up, knowing very well that if he didn't go on his free will, whoever had come to get him would drag him downstairs. Turning around, he saw it was Remus, standing at the door, looking at him worried. When he saw the teenager was looking at him he replaced his worried look by a fond smile and walked further inside the room.
"Good, you have changed. Since Sirius has to go to the ministry this morning to arrange some papers, I thought we could start on your homework. I know school is still a month away but if you do it now you wont have to do it latter."
Harry moved his eyes to his trunk and then back to Lupin, with his soft, dull voice he told him, "I've already done all my homework."
Remus looked surprised at him but quickly hid it and nodded. "Then, how about we study some, I'm sure that with all that happened last year you missed a few assignments and with the OWL's approaching it might be a good idea to get a head start."
The boy shrugged slightly and moved to the trunk to get his books, at least it was better than going outside and facing all those gapping people.
Remus spent a few hours studying different charms and potions with Harry and at the time Sirius came back he was ready to strangle the boy out of frustration. Harry's answers when Lupin asked something were minimal and as short as he could manage. He didn't really show any interest in what they were doing and more than once Remus had been tempted to let the boy go back to his room. Sirius immediately saw his best friend wasn't doing very good, he knew that when the full moon approached Remus's patience lessened. He shook his head, he shouldn't have left.
Putting a calming hand on his friend's shoulder he gently told him. "Hey Moony, why don't you go get some sleep, you look tired and tomorrow is the full moon, you want to be rested for it."
The man nodded gratefully and left his seat next to Harry without a word. After Remus had closed the door, Sirius turned to Harry and saw the boy had curled up on his chair, a single tear sliding down his check.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Sirius quickly went to his side and put an arm around him. "Hush, Kido, it's alright, it's not your fault, Remus just gets short tempered when the full moon approaches."
Harry nodded slightly, but he couldn't repress his guilt, he was causing both men so much trouble, it would have been better for everyone if they had just let him stay at the Dursleys, at least he couldn't hurt them because they simply didn't care.
Sensing his mood, Sirius got up and pulled Harry up with him. "Come on, Harry, lets go for a walk."
The boy started to struggle forcefully and Sirius had to grip him, slightly surprised at the boy's reaction. "Harry, Harry, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to go back there, all people were starring at me."
Sirius understood and gripped Harry tighter. "Calm down, sweetheart, we are not going to Hogsmeade, just a little walk through the woods, is that ok?"
Harry stopped struggling and thought about it for a while, finally nodding. "That's ok, I guess."
Sirius let him go and they both walked out of the house in silence. Knowing there was no use in trying to stick up a conversation, Sirius just walked next to Harry with his arm comfortably resting around the boy's shoulders. While walking next to Sirius, Harry could feel peace embrace him. He was very relieved there was no one around, he just didn't want to have to dodge the gazes of all those people like yesterday.
An hour later they returned and found Remus already making lunch, Harry walked to him, his head bowed and mumbled an apology to the older man.
Lupin smiled softly at him and put his arms around him in a gentle embrace. "Hush sunshine, it's alright, I'm sorry too."
Harry nodded somewhat relieved and helped Sirius to put the table.
That evening, Sirius and Harry had just started a game of chess when someone knocked on the door. Remus went to open and returned shortly after with Dumbledore.
The old wizard smiled gently down at the teenager that had stood up as soon as he had seen him. "Hello Harry, how are you feeling?"
Unconsciously, Harry moved a little to Sirius, who was standing next to him. "Fine, sir."
Dumbledore nodded and then turned to Sirius. "A word please, Sirius?"
The man nodded and followed Dumbledore out of the room leaving Remus and Harry alone. When the door to the study closed the headmaster turned to Sirius.
"How is he doing?"
Sirius sank into a chair and put his head into his hands. "I don't know, sometimes I get the feeling we are making some progress and the next moment he's like before. It's very difficult to get him to do things on his own. Yesterday I nearly had to throw him into the bath fully dressed, he refused to undress himself and fought me all the way while I was trying to do it. I don't know how much we can do if he's not willing to cooperate." Sirius looked thoughtfully for a moment and then continued hesitantly. "Today went a little better, sometimes he seemed to be willing to try, but there's something holding him back. You know Madam Pomfrey told us to treat him a little like a child, but it's not going to work if he keeps fighting it. I think it embarrasses him, but yet he wants it. I don't know what to do."
Dumbledore nodded and looked pensive for a while. "Poppy told me about it, and I have a solution, but I don't know if Harry will allow it, and it will be hard on you and Remus too."
Sirius looked up questioningly and Dumbledore continued "We were thinking on using a deaging potion. To reverse him at the age of five or six would allow you to treat him like a child without him being embarrassed."
Sirius looked shocked for a moment but then shook his head. "Harry would never allow it."
Dumbledore smiled softly at him. "I wouldn't be so sure about it, Sirius. You would be giving him the chance to be a kid again, this time with a loving family, I'm pretty sure he would want to try it."
"Let me think about it. You may realise, not Remus nor I have any experience in being parents. It's difficult enough to take care of Harry when he's fourteen, I don't want to imagine what it could be like when he's five."
Dumbledore laughed softly. "Yes, it certainly would make a change. Think about it Sirius and talk it over with Remus. Tell me when you have decided."
Then Dumbledore turned around and went to the living room with Sirius trailing behind him.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.