Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
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Harry woke up fairly early the next morning. After having spent all day lying in bed, he longed to get up and walk around. Lazily, the boy stretched and jumped out of what had been his prison yesterday, eagerly walking around. He went to the door and was about to open it, when a sudden thought stopped him. 'Was he allowed to go out yet?' Uncle Remus had said he only had to stay in bed yesterday, but what if they had changed their mind and didn't want him wandering around the house? His thoughts were shattered when someone entered the room. Harry looked up from where he had been thinking and smiled when he saw Sirius's smiling face looking down at him. Without a second thought, the small child threw himself in his godfather's arms. Sirius picked him up from the floor and swung him around, making the boy laugh. When Sirius stopped twirling him around and drew him against his chest in a warm hug, Harry was slightly light-headed.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
Harry smiled and snuggled closer to the man, wrapping his small arms around his godfather's neck. "Morning, Daddy."
"How did you sleep?"
Harry closed his eyes. "Fine."
They stayed that way for a while, both relishing the warm and comfort the other offered. Finally Sirius pried Harry's arms from his neck and, ignoring a soft protest from his godson, put the child on the floor. Taking the child's hand into his own he steered Harry in the direction of the bathroom. "Come on, Harry, lets get you cleaned up and dressed." He looked down fondly at his godson. "Any idea what today is?"
Harry stopped walking, looking up at his godfather, confusion written all over his face. "No… why?"
Sirius laughed softly and picked him up again, hugging him tightly. Harry was even more confused now, that is until he heard a soft voice whispering in his ear. "Happy birthday, Son."
Harry drew away a little, gaping at his godfather. "It's my birthday? Are you sure?"
Sirius smiled at him. "Yes, of course I'm sure. And we are having guests, so we have to hurry a bit."
Harry tilted his head to stare at his godfather while they continued to walk to the bathroom. "Who is coming?"
Sirius grinned at him and ruffled his hair gently. "That is a surprise."
"Daddy!"
Harry began to pout slightly but Sirius paid him no heed and instead began to undress him. Twenty minutes later, Harry was cleaned up and dressed with a pair of dark blue jeans and a white and yellow T-shirt.
They walked down together and as soon as they entered the kitchen, Harry was lifted into someone's arms.
"Well, here's the birthday boy. Happy birthday, Harry."
The boy grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around Remus's neck. "Thanks Uncle Remus."
The man chuckled and deposited him in his chair, Sirius trailing behind them. Remus had prepared a plate of pancakes and for the first time in a long time, Harry felt like he wouldn't have much of a problem to eat it all up. They were half through breakfast when a sound came from the living room. Sirius and Remus exchanged knowing looks and the werewolf went to greet their guest. Harry looked at them confused but his face cleared up when Remus came back with a brown-haired girl. Jumping out of his chair he was about to run to her but a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist. Looking up he frowned at his godfather that was keeping him in place. "Daddy!"
Sirius chuckled at his godson's impatience. "Hold on just a minute, kiddo. I doubt Hermione would appreciate you hugging her with those hands."
Looking down at his hands he noticed for the first time that they were indeed full of Jell-O. With a resigned sigh he allowed Sirius to wipe his hands clean.
Hermione was standing next to Remus, taking all of this in with a mixture of surprise and amusement. She had been warned that Harry had taken a de- aging potion, but she hadn't really expected him to act like a child. She also hadn't anticipated the change in Sirius' behaviour. He seemed much more at ease around Harry than she had ever seen him, there was no longer guilt in his eyes when he looked at his godson. This experience was definitely turning out well for both of them. Looking at the man beside her, she realised that it had also been good for Remus. Her old teacher looked much more relaxed and healthy than he had been before. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard small feet approaching her. Smiling, she bent down and caught Harry in her arms when the child ran to her. Lifting him up, she was surprised when the boy hugged her around the neck but she hugged him back. Laughing softly she put Harry back down and took his hand.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!"
The boy beamed up at her and began to pull her to the table, where Remus and Sirius were sitting. The werewolf had already readied a plate of pancakes for her while his friend hugged her gently.
"Hello, Hermione. I'm glad you could make it."
The girl laughed. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She sat down in a free chair and allowed Harry to sit on her lap, trying to forget for a moment that he was really fourteen…well, fifteen now. "You are looking good, Sirius." Looking down at Harry she smiled. "I see family life is treating you well."
Sirius laughed a little and reached out to ruffle Harry's hair. "Oh, yes, we are doing fine."
"Is Harry giving you much trouble?"
She was somewhat curious how much Harry had gone back at being a kid. Sirius looked a little sternly at his godson. "Well, it's still Harry in there, Hermione. We already have had to search for him once in the Forbidden Forest."
Hermione felt the boy squirm in her arms and saw that Harry was refusing to meet his godfather's eyes. Trying to lighten the mood, she stated in a dry voice, "I'm not going to ask."
That did the trick and the two men started to laugh a little, making Harry relax in her arms again. She made a mental note to ask about it again when Harry wasn't around, she could clearly see Sirius wasn't happy about what had happened.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, also thanks to my beta reader, LAHoney.
Free
Harry woke up fairly early the next morning. After having spent all day lying in bed, he longed to get up and walk around. Lazily, the boy stretched and jumped out of what had been his prison yesterday, eagerly walking around. He went to the door and was about to open it, when a sudden thought stopped him. 'Was he allowed to go out yet?' Uncle Remus had said he only had to stay in bed yesterday, but what if they had changed their mind and didn't want him wandering around the house? His thoughts were shattered when someone entered the room. Harry looked up from where he had been thinking and smiled when he saw Sirius's smiling face looking down at him. Without a second thought, the small child threw himself in his godfather's arms. Sirius picked him up from the floor and swung him around, making the boy laugh. When Sirius stopped twirling him around and drew him against his chest in a warm hug, Harry was slightly light-headed.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
Harry smiled and snuggled closer to the man, wrapping his small arms around his godfather's neck. "Morning, Daddy."
"How did you sleep?"
Harry closed his eyes. "Fine."
They stayed that way for a while, both relishing the warm and comfort the other offered. Finally Sirius pried Harry's arms from his neck and, ignoring a soft protest from his godson, put the child on the floor. Taking the child's hand into his own he steered Harry in the direction of the bathroom. "Come on, Harry, lets get you cleaned up and dressed." He looked down fondly at his godson. "Any idea what today is?"
Harry stopped walking, looking up at his godfather, confusion written all over his face. "No… why?"
Sirius laughed softly and picked him up again, hugging him tightly. Harry was even more confused now, that is until he heard a soft voice whispering in his ear. "Happy birthday, Son."
Harry drew away a little, gaping at his godfather. "It's my birthday? Are you sure?"
Sirius smiled at him. "Yes, of course I'm sure. And we are having guests, so we have to hurry a bit."
Harry tilted his head to stare at his godfather while they continued to walk to the bathroom. "Who is coming?"
Sirius grinned at him and ruffled his hair gently. "That is a surprise."
"Daddy!"
Harry began to pout slightly but Sirius paid him no heed and instead began to undress him. Twenty minutes later, Harry was cleaned up and dressed with a pair of dark blue jeans and a white and yellow T-shirt.
They walked down together and as soon as they entered the kitchen, Harry was lifted into someone's arms.
"Well, here's the birthday boy. Happy birthday, Harry."
The boy grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around Remus's neck. "Thanks Uncle Remus."
The man chuckled and deposited him in his chair, Sirius trailing behind them. Remus had prepared a plate of pancakes and for the first time in a long time, Harry felt like he wouldn't have much of a problem to eat it all up. They were half through breakfast when a sound came from the living room. Sirius and Remus exchanged knowing looks and the werewolf went to greet their guest. Harry looked at them confused but his face cleared up when Remus came back with a brown-haired girl. Jumping out of his chair he was about to run to her but a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist. Looking up he frowned at his godfather that was keeping him in place. "Daddy!"
Sirius chuckled at his godson's impatience. "Hold on just a minute, kiddo. I doubt Hermione would appreciate you hugging her with those hands."
Looking down at his hands he noticed for the first time that they were indeed full of Jell-O. With a resigned sigh he allowed Sirius to wipe his hands clean.
Hermione was standing next to Remus, taking all of this in with a mixture of surprise and amusement. She had been warned that Harry had taken a de- aging potion, but she hadn't really expected him to act like a child. She also hadn't anticipated the change in Sirius' behaviour. He seemed much more at ease around Harry than she had ever seen him, there was no longer guilt in his eyes when he looked at his godson. This experience was definitely turning out well for both of them. Looking at the man beside her, she realised that it had also been good for Remus. Her old teacher looked much more relaxed and healthy than he had been before. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard small feet approaching her. Smiling, she bent down and caught Harry in her arms when the child ran to her. Lifting him up, she was surprised when the boy hugged her around the neck but she hugged him back. Laughing softly she put Harry back down and took his hand.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!"
The boy beamed up at her and began to pull her to the table, where Remus and Sirius were sitting. The werewolf had already readied a plate of pancakes for her while his friend hugged her gently.
"Hello, Hermione. I'm glad you could make it."
The girl laughed. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She sat down in a free chair and allowed Harry to sit on her lap, trying to forget for a moment that he was really fourteen…well, fifteen now. "You are looking good, Sirius." Looking down at Harry she smiled. "I see family life is treating you well."
Sirius laughed a little and reached out to ruffle Harry's hair. "Oh, yes, we are doing fine."
"Is Harry giving you much trouble?"
She was somewhat curious how much Harry had gone back at being a kid. Sirius looked a little sternly at his godson. "Well, it's still Harry in there, Hermione. We already have had to search for him once in the Forbidden Forest."
Hermione felt the boy squirm in her arms and saw that Harry was refusing to meet his godfather's eyes. Trying to lighten the mood, she stated in a dry voice, "I'm not going to ask."
That did the trick and the two men started to laugh a little, making Harry relax in her arms again. She made a mental note to ask about it again when Harry wasn't around, she could clearly see Sirius wasn't happy about what had happened.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, also thanks to my beta reader, LAHoney.