Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Free.
Breakfast continued without further incident. While Sirius and Remus cleaned up, Hermione went into the living room with Harry. The small child sat in one of the armchairs while the girl sat in front of him. They stared at one another in silence for a while. Hermione was unsure about how she should be acting around her friend. Finally she spoke. "Harry, can I ask you something?" The child tilted his head to a side and looked at her questioningly. "Are you really a child now, or are you only acting like one?"
Harry frowned pensively. "I am not a child, I mean, I remember all that happened and know all I have learned and such. But I am not acting either. I really can't help it. Even when I try to act like a teenager the potion doesn't allow it." Then he grinned a bit. "It's actually a lot of fun, …usually."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the last comment. "Has that 'usually' something to do with you running off to the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry blushed but was spared an answer when the fire that had been burning in the living room became green. Both children stood up just when the first redhead stumbled out of the fireplace. Ron was the first to come out. Once he got his balance back, he looked around the room. His eyes fell on Hermione and he smiled brightly at her. A few seconds later, he caught sight of Harry and his jaw dropped in shock. He stood there for a few minutes, trying to say something while Hermione and Harry waited patiently for him to recover. Finally, when the fire became green again, Ron moved to them. "My God, Harry, you are so small."
Hermione began to laugh while Harry giggled and went to hug his best friend. Ron looked a little unsure at the kid that was now hugging him around his legs, but after some hesitation, he picked him up carefully. Nervously looking at Hermione he asked, "Are you sure I'm not going to break him?"
Hermione sank into a chair in helpless laughter, while Harry hugged Ron tightly around the neck, making sure his friend noticed he was still quite strong. Ron made some choked sounds before Harry released his neck, all the while grinning at the red-haired boy.
A small squeal rang through the room, and suddenly Harry found himself in another pair of arms. Looking up, he saw Mrs Weasley smiling down at him. The woman gave him a peak in the check, making him laugh brightly. When Mrs. Weasley put him back on his feet, after having fussed over him for a while, Harry found himself once again lifted up in a different pair of arms. Before he had the chance to see who had picked him up, someone got him out of those arms and he found himself pressed against his godfather's chest. Looking around confused he saw Fred looking surprised at his godfather who was, in turn, glaring at the twins.
"You two and I are going to establish a few rules, got it?" The two boys nodded, rather startled. "Good. First and foremost, no pranks around Harry. Second, don't leave any of your... products, around the house. And last don't play any tricks on Remus or myself." Then he grinned evilly. "Or else you will feel the wrath of Moony and Padfoot. Understood?"
The twins nodded quickly, their eyes had glazed over and were looking from Sirius to Remus, who had been standing at the back of the room. The werewolf was smiling, waiting for a response from the boys. Hermione and Ron had sat down in a couch and were looking at the others, obviously knowing who the marauders were. Finally George spoke. "Er… Mr Black?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow and handed Harry to Ron, who cradled the child on his lap. "Yes?"
"No offence, but who are Moony and Padfoot?"
Sirius smirked. Innocently he asked, "You don't know who Moony and Padfoot are?"
Fred looked at his twin. "Mmh, well… we know they are two of the Marauders, but we don't know their real names. Do you know their real names, sir?"
Sirius grinned and looked at Remus. "Oy, Remus, do you hear this? They want to know Moony's and Padfoot's names. Do you think we should tell them?"
The werewolf smiled and went to stand at his friend's side. "Oh, well, since they are asking so politely, I guess we could include them in our secret." He turned to Ron, Hermione and Harry. "What do you three think? Are they worthy enough to know the secret of the Marauders?"
The twins turned sharply to the trio. Ron was snickering softly, while Hermione was trying to hold in her laughter. Harry had wriggled out of Ron's lap and was now sitting between his two friends, grinning impudently at the twins, who were in turn gapping at the trio.
"You know?"
Fred breathed deeply, trying to clear his thoughts. "You know and you never told us?"
Finally Hermione spoke. "Yes, we have known for a while. And Remus, I think they are worthy, after all they rescued the map from Filch."
Sirius nodded solemnly. "You are right, Hermione, they have earned the right to know the secret of the great Marauders." Turning to the twins he and Remus bowed low. "Fellow pranksters, I might want to introduce myself properly, I am Padfoot, and this is my partner in crime, Moony."
The two men stood up again and saw the twins standing motionless in front of them. Finally George spoke. "No way, there's no way Professor Lupin is Moony."
The werewolf smirked. "That now I am a responsible adult…" Sirius smirked at that but a glare from his friend shut him up. "That now I am a responsible adult doesn't mean I didn't enjoy turning Severus's hair pink from time to time."
Sirius snorted. "Not only Severus's, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who charmed Dumbledore's beard neon yellow."
Remus blushed, remembering that particular event. "You made a bet with me, I couldn't have put it back."
"Whatever, Moony, whatever. It was still hilarious."
"Not more than the time you made the Slytherin quidditch team dance a tango before a match."
Everyone in the room was laughing by now, even Mrs Weasley was half smiling at the two men. Harry sighed happily and snuggled closer to Hermione's side, the day had just begun, but it promised to be one of the best days of his life.
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.
Free.
Breakfast continued without further incident. While Sirius and Remus cleaned up, Hermione went into the living room with Harry. The small child sat in one of the armchairs while the girl sat in front of him. They stared at one another in silence for a while. Hermione was unsure about how she should be acting around her friend. Finally she spoke. "Harry, can I ask you something?" The child tilted his head to a side and looked at her questioningly. "Are you really a child now, or are you only acting like one?"
Harry frowned pensively. "I am not a child, I mean, I remember all that happened and know all I have learned and such. But I am not acting either. I really can't help it. Even when I try to act like a teenager the potion doesn't allow it." Then he grinned a bit. "It's actually a lot of fun, …usually."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the last comment. "Has that 'usually' something to do with you running off to the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry blushed but was spared an answer when the fire that had been burning in the living room became green. Both children stood up just when the first redhead stumbled out of the fireplace. Ron was the first to come out. Once he got his balance back, he looked around the room. His eyes fell on Hermione and he smiled brightly at her. A few seconds later, he caught sight of Harry and his jaw dropped in shock. He stood there for a few minutes, trying to say something while Hermione and Harry waited patiently for him to recover. Finally, when the fire became green again, Ron moved to them. "My God, Harry, you are so small."
Hermione began to laugh while Harry giggled and went to hug his best friend. Ron looked a little unsure at the kid that was now hugging him around his legs, but after some hesitation, he picked him up carefully. Nervously looking at Hermione he asked, "Are you sure I'm not going to break him?"
Hermione sank into a chair in helpless laughter, while Harry hugged Ron tightly around the neck, making sure his friend noticed he was still quite strong. Ron made some choked sounds before Harry released his neck, all the while grinning at the red-haired boy.
A small squeal rang through the room, and suddenly Harry found himself in another pair of arms. Looking up, he saw Mrs Weasley smiling down at him. The woman gave him a peak in the check, making him laugh brightly. When Mrs. Weasley put him back on his feet, after having fussed over him for a while, Harry found himself once again lifted up in a different pair of arms. Before he had the chance to see who had picked him up, someone got him out of those arms and he found himself pressed against his godfather's chest. Looking around confused he saw Fred looking surprised at his godfather who was, in turn, glaring at the twins.
"You two and I are going to establish a few rules, got it?" The two boys nodded, rather startled. "Good. First and foremost, no pranks around Harry. Second, don't leave any of your... products, around the house. And last don't play any tricks on Remus or myself." Then he grinned evilly. "Or else you will feel the wrath of Moony and Padfoot. Understood?"
The twins nodded quickly, their eyes had glazed over and were looking from Sirius to Remus, who had been standing at the back of the room. The werewolf was smiling, waiting for a response from the boys. Hermione and Ron had sat down in a couch and were looking at the others, obviously knowing who the marauders were. Finally George spoke. "Er… Mr Black?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow and handed Harry to Ron, who cradled the child on his lap. "Yes?"
"No offence, but who are Moony and Padfoot?"
Sirius smirked. Innocently he asked, "You don't know who Moony and Padfoot are?"
Fred looked at his twin. "Mmh, well… we know they are two of the Marauders, but we don't know their real names. Do you know their real names, sir?"
Sirius grinned and looked at Remus. "Oy, Remus, do you hear this? They want to know Moony's and Padfoot's names. Do you think we should tell them?"
The werewolf smiled and went to stand at his friend's side. "Oh, well, since they are asking so politely, I guess we could include them in our secret." He turned to Ron, Hermione and Harry. "What do you three think? Are they worthy enough to know the secret of the Marauders?"
The twins turned sharply to the trio. Ron was snickering softly, while Hermione was trying to hold in her laughter. Harry had wriggled out of Ron's lap and was now sitting between his two friends, grinning impudently at the twins, who were in turn gapping at the trio.
"You know?"
Fred breathed deeply, trying to clear his thoughts. "You know and you never told us?"
Finally Hermione spoke. "Yes, we have known for a while. And Remus, I think they are worthy, after all they rescued the map from Filch."
Sirius nodded solemnly. "You are right, Hermione, they have earned the right to know the secret of the great Marauders." Turning to the twins he and Remus bowed low. "Fellow pranksters, I might want to introduce myself properly, I am Padfoot, and this is my partner in crime, Moony."
The two men stood up again and saw the twins standing motionless in front of them. Finally George spoke. "No way, there's no way Professor Lupin is Moony."
The werewolf smirked. "That now I am a responsible adult…" Sirius smirked at that but a glare from his friend shut him up. "That now I am a responsible adult doesn't mean I didn't enjoy turning Severus's hair pink from time to time."
Sirius snorted. "Not only Severus's, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who charmed Dumbledore's beard neon yellow."
Remus blushed, remembering that particular event. "You made a bet with me, I couldn't have put it back."
"Whatever, Moony, whatever. It was still hilarious."
"Not more than the time you made the Slytherin quidditch team dance a tango before a match."
Everyone in the room was laughing by now, even Mrs Weasley was half smiling at the two men. Harry sighed happily and snuggled closer to Hermione's side, the day had just begun, but it promised to be one of the best days of his life.
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader LAHoney.