Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Free.
Sirius pondered the boy's words for some time. He knew Harry wanted to have a parent, even if it was just for the time he was five. Even so, the man wondered if he could take James' place, would it be alright? Then looking at his godson, he realised something he hadn't before. For the first time he wondered what James meant to Harry.
The kid had never had the chance to know his father, the only things Harry knew about him was what he had been told by people, and even if his fourteen year old self was able to accept it, for a five year old the fact would remain that James was only a name, nothing more. What the child needed was someone who could help him, and love him and even if he wasn't the father's child in blood, he realised he could become his father in everything that really mattered.
Harry stayed curled up against his godfather, he shouldn't have said that, now Sirius probably was angry with him. He cringed slightly when a hand started to stroke his check, half expecting the man to slap him. When that didn't happen, he looked up into Sirius's smiling eyes. "You're not angry?"
The man shook his head slightly. "Of course not, kid. I just had to think about it for a little while. I was a little surprised." Harry nodded in understanding, but was still stunned at the man's next words. "And Harry, you can call me Dad if you want, I don't mind."
The boy quickly wrapped his arms tightly around Sirius's neck, hiding his smile and his tears in his godfather's shoulder.
Sirius carried Harry the rest of the way to their home. When they came in, Remus was already awake and had begun to cook lunch. Seeing Harry's clothes full of mud he smiled slightly.
"I see you had fun. Go change him Padfoot. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."
Sirius and Harry grinned at him happily and made their way upstairs to Harry's room, where Sirius changed his godson's clothes and then went to his own room to change his robes, because after carrying Harry they had become dirty. Harry, while Sirius changed, had gone downstairs to the kitchen. Remus was calmly sitting on a chair, waiting for the two to come down, when a little bundle jumped on his lap, hugging him tightly around the waist. Smiling down at Harry, he put his arms around the kid. "Hello Harry, had a nice morning?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, it was fun. But I missed you." He looked up at the man with his bright green eyes. "Are you alright, Uncle Remus?"
Remus smiled again, he suddenly felt very happy. The acceptance of this child meant more to him than he would have thought. Ruffling Harry's hair he laughed softly. "I'm fine, kid."
Harry blushed a little, realising he hadn't really asked Remus if he could call him that. Sensing Harry's thoughts, the werewolf laughed again. "You can call me Uncle Remus, Harry. I really don't mind."
With a relieved sigh, Harry relaxed against the older man and they both waited till Sirius came back downstairs.
They ate lunch quietly, Remus and Sirius calmly talking about some of Dumbledore's plans. When Sirius looked at Harry's seat to see what he was doing, a smile spread through his face. The child had curled up in his chair and was now sleeping softly. Obviously the walk that morning had tired him out. Silently, he and Remus looked at him for a while, before Sirius walked to the chair and picked him up, ready to bring his godson to his room.
Harry woke up with a start from the nightmare he had been having. He was sweating profusely and it took him sometime to realise he was in his room. Clutching the gryffindor lion to his chest, he remembered the nightmare with a shudder. Voldemort had been in it, he had been saying that in order to get to him, he would kill Sirius and Remus, his only protectors during the summer. Harry sat up slowly, he couldn't stay here, he couldn't bring them in danger like that. Silently, hopping no one would come up to check on him, he got his shoes on and silently walked to his desk. Taking some parchment, he wrote down a quick note, telling Sirius and Remus he couldn't stay and then left the room. Walking through the hall, he heard his guardians talking in the living room and decided to take the back door to slip out unnoticed. Once outside, he began to run into the forest as quick as he could. Once there he would be safe from the view of the house. It didn't take him long, despite his shorter legs he was able to reach the woods. Once he had calmed his raging breath, and made sure no one had seen him, he started to walk deeper into the forest. He knew it was dangerous, but at the moment he didn't care, it didn't matter if he was hurt as long as nothing happened to Sirius and Remus.
It was nearly half four when the two men decided to go wake Harry, they thought they would spent the rest of the day playing with the kid, and maybe tomorrow they could visit the burrow, Sirius still wanted to thank Ron and Hermione for their help. The man walked up the stairs whistling softly and cheerfully entered the room. He shut up quickly, his face paled a little when he saw the empty bed. Trying to calm himself down, he went to the bathroom, hopping to find the little boy in there. Swearing profusely when he saw the empty bathroom he started to run through the rooms shouting Harry's name. Remus rushed up the stairs when he heard the commotion, dread started to fill him when he came face to face with Sirius's panicked face.
"Sirius! What's wrong?"
The other man gripped his shoulders. "Harry, I can't find him!"
Remus rushed through him and entered the room, seeing that it was indeed empty. Sirius had already rushed downstairs to look through the rooms there, in hopes that Harry was playing some kind of game. His hopes were crushed when he heard Remus shout for him to get upstairs. Panting heavily he ran up the stairs again. Remus was in the room holding a small piece of parchment, his face grim. With trembling hands he took the letter and read it.
Dear Dad and Uncle Remus,
I'm sorry, but I can't stay here, Voldemort will kill you if I do. I love you.
Harry
Cursing softly, Sirius sank down in a chair, head in hands. Remus patted his shoulder and walked out of the room to go warn Dumbledore.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. I'm sorry I wasn't able to warn anyone about the update, but my mail account is acting strange. Thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.
Free.
Sirius pondered the boy's words for some time. He knew Harry wanted to have a parent, even if it was just for the time he was five. Even so, the man wondered if he could take James' place, would it be alright? Then looking at his godson, he realised something he hadn't before. For the first time he wondered what James meant to Harry.
The kid had never had the chance to know his father, the only things Harry knew about him was what he had been told by people, and even if his fourteen year old self was able to accept it, for a five year old the fact would remain that James was only a name, nothing more. What the child needed was someone who could help him, and love him and even if he wasn't the father's child in blood, he realised he could become his father in everything that really mattered.
Harry stayed curled up against his godfather, he shouldn't have said that, now Sirius probably was angry with him. He cringed slightly when a hand started to stroke his check, half expecting the man to slap him. When that didn't happen, he looked up into Sirius's smiling eyes. "You're not angry?"
The man shook his head slightly. "Of course not, kid. I just had to think about it for a little while. I was a little surprised." Harry nodded in understanding, but was still stunned at the man's next words. "And Harry, you can call me Dad if you want, I don't mind."
The boy quickly wrapped his arms tightly around Sirius's neck, hiding his smile and his tears in his godfather's shoulder.
Sirius carried Harry the rest of the way to their home. When they came in, Remus was already awake and had begun to cook lunch. Seeing Harry's clothes full of mud he smiled slightly.
"I see you had fun. Go change him Padfoot. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."
Sirius and Harry grinned at him happily and made their way upstairs to Harry's room, where Sirius changed his godson's clothes and then went to his own room to change his robes, because after carrying Harry they had become dirty. Harry, while Sirius changed, had gone downstairs to the kitchen. Remus was calmly sitting on a chair, waiting for the two to come down, when a little bundle jumped on his lap, hugging him tightly around the waist. Smiling down at Harry, he put his arms around the kid. "Hello Harry, had a nice morning?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, it was fun. But I missed you." He looked up at the man with his bright green eyes. "Are you alright, Uncle Remus?"
Remus smiled again, he suddenly felt very happy. The acceptance of this child meant more to him than he would have thought. Ruffling Harry's hair he laughed softly. "I'm fine, kid."
Harry blushed a little, realising he hadn't really asked Remus if he could call him that. Sensing Harry's thoughts, the werewolf laughed again. "You can call me Uncle Remus, Harry. I really don't mind."
With a relieved sigh, Harry relaxed against the older man and they both waited till Sirius came back downstairs.
They ate lunch quietly, Remus and Sirius calmly talking about some of Dumbledore's plans. When Sirius looked at Harry's seat to see what he was doing, a smile spread through his face. The child had curled up in his chair and was now sleeping softly. Obviously the walk that morning had tired him out. Silently, he and Remus looked at him for a while, before Sirius walked to the chair and picked him up, ready to bring his godson to his room.
Harry woke up with a start from the nightmare he had been having. He was sweating profusely and it took him sometime to realise he was in his room. Clutching the gryffindor lion to his chest, he remembered the nightmare with a shudder. Voldemort had been in it, he had been saying that in order to get to him, he would kill Sirius and Remus, his only protectors during the summer. Harry sat up slowly, he couldn't stay here, he couldn't bring them in danger like that. Silently, hopping no one would come up to check on him, he got his shoes on and silently walked to his desk. Taking some parchment, he wrote down a quick note, telling Sirius and Remus he couldn't stay and then left the room. Walking through the hall, he heard his guardians talking in the living room and decided to take the back door to slip out unnoticed. Once outside, he began to run into the forest as quick as he could. Once there he would be safe from the view of the house. It didn't take him long, despite his shorter legs he was able to reach the woods. Once he had calmed his raging breath, and made sure no one had seen him, he started to walk deeper into the forest. He knew it was dangerous, but at the moment he didn't care, it didn't matter if he was hurt as long as nothing happened to Sirius and Remus.
It was nearly half four when the two men decided to go wake Harry, they thought they would spent the rest of the day playing with the kid, and maybe tomorrow they could visit the burrow, Sirius still wanted to thank Ron and Hermione for their help. The man walked up the stairs whistling softly and cheerfully entered the room. He shut up quickly, his face paled a little when he saw the empty bed. Trying to calm himself down, he went to the bathroom, hopping to find the little boy in there. Swearing profusely when he saw the empty bathroom he started to run through the rooms shouting Harry's name. Remus rushed up the stairs when he heard the commotion, dread started to fill him when he came face to face with Sirius's panicked face.
"Sirius! What's wrong?"
The other man gripped his shoulders. "Harry, I can't find him!"
Remus rushed through him and entered the room, seeing that it was indeed empty. Sirius had already rushed downstairs to look through the rooms there, in hopes that Harry was playing some kind of game. His hopes were crushed when he heard Remus shout for him to get upstairs. Panting heavily he ran up the stairs again. Remus was in the room holding a small piece of parchment, his face grim. With trembling hands he took the letter and read it.
Dear Dad and Uncle Remus,
I'm sorry, but I can't stay here, Voldemort will kill you if I do. I love you.
Harry
Cursing softly, Sirius sank down in a chair, head in hands. Remus patted his shoulder and walked out of the room to go warn Dumbledore.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. I'm sorry I wasn't able to warn anyone about the update, but my mail account is acting strange. Thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.