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Sirius had been searching for hours. McGonagall had joined Sprout half and hour ago when she and Sirius had met up with Remus' group. The two teachers were tired and had decided to regroup at the house, along with the other search parties. Sirius had refused to go back and Remus had decided to stay with him. Even if he was even more tired than the teachers because of the full moon, he wasn't about to leave Sirius alone in his current state. Padfoot was still walking ahead from his friend, trying desperately to find the boy's scent. With every hour that passed the probability of finding his godson became smaller, but he couldn't give up, he had to find the little boy.
Suddenly they both stopped in their tracks. There was something coming towards them through the forest. With a soft pop, Sirius changed back into his human form and drew his wand. He hoped it wasn't something dangerous, because he really wasn't in the mood to fight it. A large form appeared from behind some bushes. They relaxed when they recognised it was a centaur. Sirius's eyes travelled down to his arms and saw he was carrying a small bundle. The centaur stopped a few feet away from them. "You are Sirius Black, am I right?"
The man nodded, his eyes didn't leave the small bundle. The centaur extended his arms, offering him his charge. Sirius walked a little hesitantly towards him and felt relief surge through him when he recognised Harry's small form. Eagerly he picked the child up in his arms, careful not to wake him, and then looked up at the centaur that was looking at him with a small smile. Remus joined them. "I found him a little ways away. I have talked a little with him and I think he understands more now, but you should be careful, he is very troubled."
Without another word, Firenze turned around and walked away. Sirius hugged the small body of his godson closer to him, and felt him stir in his arms. Looking down, he saw tired green eyes looking up at him. "Dad."
Harry's voice was soft. Sirius hugged him even closer. Some of Sirius' relief was fading and anger began to replace it. He knew very well he had a temper and he didn't want Harry to take the brunt of it, so, taking his wand, he muttered a sleeping charm. The boy didn't even try to fight it. It was obvious that he was exhausted. Remus watched silently. For a moment he had been afraid Sirius would start to shout at Harry. He knew that the child would still have to face his godfather, and that it wouldn't be pleasant for either of them. Still it was better if they talked in the morning, when Sirius had calmed down somewhat.
They silently made their way back, arriving just in time to see the teachers readying themselves to begin their search again. Sighs of relief were heard when they entered. Sirius paid them no heed and walked up the stairs. Remus looked worriedly at the headmaster. The old man was looking pensive. "Where did you find him?"
"A centaur found him. He brought Harry to us."
Hagrid smiled, relieved. He knew centaurs were often reluctant to help humans. He could nearly bet it had been Firenze. The centaur had always had a soft spot for Harry, although Hagrid couldn't figure out why. Dumbledore nodded and looked to the stairs. "Sirius is very angry," the headmaster noted. Remus sighed. "Yes. I hope he has calmed down enough by tomorrow morning."
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sure he will. But I suggest you stay close just in case."
Remus nodded and led them out of the house, thanking them for their help. When everyone had left, he walked quietly upstairs and went into Harry's room where he was sure he would find his friend. Sirius was sitting in a chair, his eyes fixed on Harry's sleeping form. The werewolf saw his friend had changed Harry into a pair of blue pyjamas and had also washed him up as much as he could without waking him. Remus studied his friend's face. Even if his face was expressionless, he could see an angry fire roaring in his eyes. Carefully, he wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders. Sirius looked up. "Come on, Sirius. Let's go sleep. I'm sure you're tired."
His friend didn't move, his eyes once again trailing to his godson. "I can't. What if he leaves again?"
Remus thought about it for a moment. The he waved his wand muttering some charms. "There. The windows are closed and a bell will ring through the house if he walks out of this room. Is that ok?"
Sirius nodded and reluctantly followed his friend out, closing the door after him. They walked silently to their rooms. Before going in, Remus turned to Sirius. "You're going to punish him, aren't you?"
Sirius looked at him startled and then frowned. "Yes, of course. Don't you think he deserves it?"
Remus nodded. "Yes, he does. I just wanted to make sure you did."
Sirius looked at him confused and Remus elaborated. "One of the many faults a parent can have, Padfoot, is being afraid to punish their children when they deserve it. You love Harry very much, I was afraid you wouldn't want to."
Sirius shook his head. "Remus, I loved my parents very much and they me, but they knew exactly when I had gone to far. I would have been killed by one of my pranks by now if they hadn't implanted some sense into me."
Remus chuckled softly, he had never been much of a troublemaker when he was smaller and his parents hadn't had the need to 'implant some sense into him' as Sirius carefully stated. Deciding to let the matter rest, the werewolf turned around and, after bidding goodnight to Sirius, walked into his room and closed his door.
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader, LAHoney.
Free.
Sirius had been searching for hours. McGonagall had joined Sprout half and hour ago when she and Sirius had met up with Remus' group. The two teachers were tired and had decided to regroup at the house, along with the other search parties. Sirius had refused to go back and Remus had decided to stay with him. Even if he was even more tired than the teachers because of the full moon, he wasn't about to leave Sirius alone in his current state. Padfoot was still walking ahead from his friend, trying desperately to find the boy's scent. With every hour that passed the probability of finding his godson became smaller, but he couldn't give up, he had to find the little boy.
Suddenly they both stopped in their tracks. There was something coming towards them through the forest. With a soft pop, Sirius changed back into his human form and drew his wand. He hoped it wasn't something dangerous, because he really wasn't in the mood to fight it. A large form appeared from behind some bushes. They relaxed when they recognised it was a centaur. Sirius's eyes travelled down to his arms and saw he was carrying a small bundle. The centaur stopped a few feet away from them. "You are Sirius Black, am I right?"
The man nodded, his eyes didn't leave the small bundle. The centaur extended his arms, offering him his charge. Sirius walked a little hesitantly towards him and felt relief surge through him when he recognised Harry's small form. Eagerly he picked the child up in his arms, careful not to wake him, and then looked up at the centaur that was looking at him with a small smile. Remus joined them. "I found him a little ways away. I have talked a little with him and I think he understands more now, but you should be careful, he is very troubled."
Without another word, Firenze turned around and walked away. Sirius hugged the small body of his godson closer to him, and felt him stir in his arms. Looking down, he saw tired green eyes looking up at him. "Dad."
Harry's voice was soft. Sirius hugged him even closer. Some of Sirius' relief was fading and anger began to replace it. He knew very well he had a temper and he didn't want Harry to take the brunt of it, so, taking his wand, he muttered a sleeping charm. The boy didn't even try to fight it. It was obvious that he was exhausted. Remus watched silently. For a moment he had been afraid Sirius would start to shout at Harry. He knew that the child would still have to face his godfather, and that it wouldn't be pleasant for either of them. Still it was better if they talked in the morning, when Sirius had calmed down somewhat.
They silently made their way back, arriving just in time to see the teachers readying themselves to begin their search again. Sighs of relief were heard when they entered. Sirius paid them no heed and walked up the stairs. Remus looked worriedly at the headmaster. The old man was looking pensive. "Where did you find him?"
"A centaur found him. He brought Harry to us."
Hagrid smiled, relieved. He knew centaurs were often reluctant to help humans. He could nearly bet it had been Firenze. The centaur had always had a soft spot for Harry, although Hagrid couldn't figure out why. Dumbledore nodded and looked to the stairs. "Sirius is very angry," the headmaster noted. Remus sighed. "Yes. I hope he has calmed down enough by tomorrow morning."
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sure he will. But I suggest you stay close just in case."
Remus nodded and led them out of the house, thanking them for their help. When everyone had left, he walked quietly upstairs and went into Harry's room where he was sure he would find his friend. Sirius was sitting in a chair, his eyes fixed on Harry's sleeping form. The werewolf saw his friend had changed Harry into a pair of blue pyjamas and had also washed him up as much as he could without waking him. Remus studied his friend's face. Even if his face was expressionless, he could see an angry fire roaring in his eyes. Carefully, he wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders. Sirius looked up. "Come on, Sirius. Let's go sleep. I'm sure you're tired."
His friend didn't move, his eyes once again trailing to his godson. "I can't. What if he leaves again?"
Remus thought about it for a moment. The he waved his wand muttering some charms. "There. The windows are closed and a bell will ring through the house if he walks out of this room. Is that ok?"
Sirius nodded and reluctantly followed his friend out, closing the door after him. They walked silently to their rooms. Before going in, Remus turned to Sirius. "You're going to punish him, aren't you?"
Sirius looked at him startled and then frowned. "Yes, of course. Don't you think he deserves it?"
Remus nodded. "Yes, he does. I just wanted to make sure you did."
Sirius looked at him confused and Remus elaborated. "One of the many faults a parent can have, Padfoot, is being afraid to punish their children when they deserve it. You love Harry very much, I was afraid you wouldn't want to."
Sirius shook his head. "Remus, I loved my parents very much and they me, but they knew exactly when I had gone to far. I would have been killed by one of my pranks by now if they hadn't implanted some sense into me."
Remus chuckled softly, he had never been much of a troublemaker when he was smaller and his parents hadn't had the need to 'implant some sense into him' as Sirius carefully stated. Deciding to let the matter rest, the werewolf turned around and, after bidding goodnight to Sirius, walked into his room and closed his door.
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader, LAHoney.