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For the rest of the day, Harry lay in his bed, bored to death. He had already thought all he could about what he had done and had come to the firm decision to not do it again, even if it only was because of the punishment and the pain he had seen in Sirius's eyes. Now he began to feel uncomfortable, partly because he had been lying in the same position for hours and his small body was getting restless, but also because he had been lying there for the entire day and he hadn't seen Sirius since that morning. Remus had been the one to bring him his lunch and his dinner. It had also been the werewolf who had brought him to the bathroom when he needed to go.
Harry curled up more tightly around the lion. What if Sirius hated him now? He didn't think he could survive if the only person in this world he considered a father rejected him. But why else hadn't he come? He didn't even want to see his godson. Without meaning to Harry began to cry softly into the stuffed animal.
Remus was alarmed when he came in with the sleeping potion. The sight of Harry silently crying was not something he had been expecting. The boy hadn't seemed that upset with his punishment and hadn't complained about it, so there had to be something else wrong. Quickly he strode across the room and sat on the bed next to the small boy. Harry looked up, with something akin to hopefulness but when he recognised him he buried his head back into the toy. Carefully he stroked the boy's hair, trying to get his attention, but the child didn't move. Finally he spoke. "Harry, what's wrong?"
The boy didn't answer, he just moved a little away from his hand.
Frowning, Remus decided to try again. "Harry, please, tell me what's wrong." His voice had gone from soft to slightly commanding and he saw the child stiffen a little. Still there was no answer. Finally, deciding Harry wasn't going to talk to him, he decided to go get Sirius, since he was nearly sure the man had something to do with this.
He found his friend sitting in the living room, staring into the fire. He only looked up when the werewolf put a hand on his shoulder. "There's something wrong with Harry, Sirius. He is crying and I couldn't get him to tell me what was wrong. You might want to talk with him."
Sirius looked hesitantly at his friend. He had been avoiding Harry all day, making Remus go up when the child needed anything. Secretly, he was terrified about what the boy would say to him if he went upstairs, so he had wanted to leave it for the next day. With a deep sigh, he stood up. He couldn't avoid it now. Silently he walked up the stairs and went to his godson's room. Harry was lying on the bed, still clutching the lion. The child didn't look up when he came in, but Sirius could clearly see he was still crying. Sitting on the bed next to him, Sirius gently stroked the boy's hair before asking, "Harry, what's wrong?"
The child looked up sharply; he had thought it was Remus sitting next to him. Without a second thought, he launched himself into Sirius's arms and clutched his neck tightly. Sirius was surprised but managed to steady himself and carefully wrapped his arms around the small boy. Then a soft childish voice whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry, Daddy, so sorry for worrying you. Please don't hate me."
Sirius was torn between relief that Harry wasn't angry with him for what he had had to do and shock that the child would think him capable of hating him. Tightening his grip on the small body he whispered back. "Harry, I would never hate you. I love you. You are my son and there is nothing you can do that would make me hate you."
Harry stayed still for a while, basking in the warmth his godfather's arms provided. Then he pushed away a little, so he could look at Sirius. The man looked down and saw happiness and confusion battling in Harry's eyes. "You don't hate me?"
Sirius shook his head decisively. "No, Harry, of course not. Why did you think that?"
Harry leaned against his godfather's shoulder again. "You didn't come to see me today. It was always Uncle Remus. I thought you didn't want to see me."
Sirius sighed and decided he might as well tell his godson the truth. "I didn't want to see you." Before the boy could react he continued. "I was afraid you would be angry with me because I had had to punish you. I didn't know if you would understand."
Harry relaxed against the man. "Daddy, of course I understand, even if I have a five year old body, and my mind is a jumbled mess of emotions and thoughts, I still know what is right and what is wrong, and I know the consequences of doing something wrong." The he grimaced a little. "But I'm not in any hurry to repeat something like that anytime soon. That hurt, you know?"
Sirius chuckled dryly. "That was the point, my dear son. If it didn't it wouldn't have driven the point across. Now I think it's time for you to go to sleep."
Putting the child down, Sirius picked up the goblet Remus had left and handed it to Harry. His godson drank it without a second thought and soon he was sleeping soundly in his bed.
Some time later, Sirius left the room and went to rejoin his friend in the living room. The werewolf looked up and smiled at the relieved look in Sirius's face. "Is everything alright?"
Sirius nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. "Yes, everything is fine. You know he really is a little angel."
Remus smirked. "I'm afraid you are somewhat biased, Padfoot. And you didn't think that when he drenched you in the bathroom a few days ago."
Sirius laughed. "Ok, maybe not."
They stayed silent for a while. Remus looked up from the book he was reading. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
Sirius smiled mischievously. "Of course! Tomorrow is going to be a blast. I hope Harry enjoys it as much as I think he will. It will be his first real birthday."
Remus laughed. "Yes, but I suggest you keep those Weasley twins at bay. God knows what could happen if they came near Harry."
Sirius looked a little worried for a moment, but then relaxed. "I'm sure Ron and Hermione will help me protect little Harry from the evil twins. Else I can use some of my ex-murderer charm on them."
Remus started laughing out loud. "Ex-murderer charm? I don't think that will work very well, Sirius."
Sirius shrugged. "Oh, well, if that doesn't work I can always tell them about being a Marauder. Harry told me the twins worshipped us and I don't think it sank in that day that Ron called me Padfoot. I might want to repeat it." Sirius smiled again. "How do you think they will react when I tell them their all-knowing Defence teacher from a few years back is really Moony?"
Remus looked up sharply. "Don't you dare tell them!"
Sirius shrugged and stood up. The twinkle in his eyes didn't reassure Remus in the least. A few moments later, the werewolf sighed and quietly said, "He is going to tell them. I'm never going to be able to teach at Hogwarts again."
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.
Free.
For the rest of the day, Harry lay in his bed, bored to death. He had already thought all he could about what he had done and had come to the firm decision to not do it again, even if it only was because of the punishment and the pain he had seen in Sirius's eyes. Now he began to feel uncomfortable, partly because he had been lying in the same position for hours and his small body was getting restless, but also because he had been lying there for the entire day and he hadn't seen Sirius since that morning. Remus had been the one to bring him his lunch and his dinner. It had also been the werewolf who had brought him to the bathroom when he needed to go.
Harry curled up more tightly around the lion. What if Sirius hated him now? He didn't think he could survive if the only person in this world he considered a father rejected him. But why else hadn't he come? He didn't even want to see his godson. Without meaning to Harry began to cry softly into the stuffed animal.
Remus was alarmed when he came in with the sleeping potion. The sight of Harry silently crying was not something he had been expecting. The boy hadn't seemed that upset with his punishment and hadn't complained about it, so there had to be something else wrong. Quickly he strode across the room and sat on the bed next to the small boy. Harry looked up, with something akin to hopefulness but when he recognised him he buried his head back into the toy. Carefully he stroked the boy's hair, trying to get his attention, but the child didn't move. Finally he spoke. "Harry, what's wrong?"
The boy didn't answer, he just moved a little away from his hand.
Frowning, Remus decided to try again. "Harry, please, tell me what's wrong." His voice had gone from soft to slightly commanding and he saw the child stiffen a little. Still there was no answer. Finally, deciding Harry wasn't going to talk to him, he decided to go get Sirius, since he was nearly sure the man had something to do with this.
He found his friend sitting in the living room, staring into the fire. He only looked up when the werewolf put a hand on his shoulder. "There's something wrong with Harry, Sirius. He is crying and I couldn't get him to tell me what was wrong. You might want to talk with him."
Sirius looked hesitantly at his friend. He had been avoiding Harry all day, making Remus go up when the child needed anything. Secretly, he was terrified about what the boy would say to him if he went upstairs, so he had wanted to leave it for the next day. With a deep sigh, he stood up. He couldn't avoid it now. Silently he walked up the stairs and went to his godson's room. Harry was lying on the bed, still clutching the lion. The child didn't look up when he came in, but Sirius could clearly see he was still crying. Sitting on the bed next to him, Sirius gently stroked the boy's hair before asking, "Harry, what's wrong?"
The child looked up sharply; he had thought it was Remus sitting next to him. Without a second thought, he launched himself into Sirius's arms and clutched his neck tightly. Sirius was surprised but managed to steady himself and carefully wrapped his arms around the small boy. Then a soft childish voice whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry, Daddy, so sorry for worrying you. Please don't hate me."
Sirius was torn between relief that Harry wasn't angry with him for what he had had to do and shock that the child would think him capable of hating him. Tightening his grip on the small body he whispered back. "Harry, I would never hate you. I love you. You are my son and there is nothing you can do that would make me hate you."
Harry stayed still for a while, basking in the warmth his godfather's arms provided. Then he pushed away a little, so he could look at Sirius. The man looked down and saw happiness and confusion battling in Harry's eyes. "You don't hate me?"
Sirius shook his head decisively. "No, Harry, of course not. Why did you think that?"
Harry leaned against his godfather's shoulder again. "You didn't come to see me today. It was always Uncle Remus. I thought you didn't want to see me."
Sirius sighed and decided he might as well tell his godson the truth. "I didn't want to see you." Before the boy could react he continued. "I was afraid you would be angry with me because I had had to punish you. I didn't know if you would understand."
Harry relaxed against the man. "Daddy, of course I understand, even if I have a five year old body, and my mind is a jumbled mess of emotions and thoughts, I still know what is right and what is wrong, and I know the consequences of doing something wrong." The he grimaced a little. "But I'm not in any hurry to repeat something like that anytime soon. That hurt, you know?"
Sirius chuckled dryly. "That was the point, my dear son. If it didn't it wouldn't have driven the point across. Now I think it's time for you to go to sleep."
Putting the child down, Sirius picked up the goblet Remus had left and handed it to Harry. His godson drank it without a second thought and soon he was sleeping soundly in his bed.
Some time later, Sirius left the room and went to rejoin his friend in the living room. The werewolf looked up and smiled at the relieved look in Sirius's face. "Is everything alright?"
Sirius nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. "Yes, everything is fine. You know he really is a little angel."
Remus smirked. "I'm afraid you are somewhat biased, Padfoot. And you didn't think that when he drenched you in the bathroom a few days ago."
Sirius laughed. "Ok, maybe not."
They stayed silent for a while. Remus looked up from the book he was reading. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
Sirius smiled mischievously. "Of course! Tomorrow is going to be a blast. I hope Harry enjoys it as much as I think he will. It will be his first real birthday."
Remus laughed. "Yes, but I suggest you keep those Weasley twins at bay. God knows what could happen if they came near Harry."
Sirius looked a little worried for a moment, but then relaxed. "I'm sure Ron and Hermione will help me protect little Harry from the evil twins. Else I can use some of my ex-murderer charm on them."
Remus started laughing out loud. "Ex-murderer charm? I don't think that will work very well, Sirius."
Sirius shrugged. "Oh, well, if that doesn't work I can always tell them about being a Marauder. Harry told me the twins worshipped us and I don't think it sank in that day that Ron called me Padfoot. I might want to repeat it." Sirius smiled again. "How do you think they will react when I tell them their all-knowing Defence teacher from a few years back is really Moony?"
Remus looked up sharply. "Don't you dare tell them!"
Sirius shrugged and stood up. The twinkle in his eyes didn't reassure Remus in the least. A few moments later, the werewolf sighed and quietly said, "He is going to tell them. I'm never going to be able to teach at Hogwarts again."
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.