Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Dangers In The Past
A knock on the door broke the silence. With a small sigh Ryan stood, Harry cradled in his arms a moment, and he put the boy back on the couch, tucking him in with the blanket that had fallen on the floor. He went to open the door and was not very surprised to see Ron and Hermione standing there. They were both looking at him anxiously. They had been very worried when Harry hadn't woken up the day before. He was more surprised, however, when he spotted the Marauders and Lily behind them. He looked at his godson's best friends, but they ignored his silent question, more worried about Harry.
Hermione tried to smile at him. "Hello, Ryan, is Harry awake?"
Sirius returned her smile gently and stepped aside to allow the two teenagers to go in. "Yes, he woke up some time ago."
Hermione hadn't even heard him, she had spotted Harry lying on the couch and had launched herself at him, sobbing into his shoulder and gripping him in a tight hug. Ron walked in confidently and quickly made his way to Harry and Hermione's side, joining them in a three-way hug. Ryan smiled at this. He was always happy to see how loyal and caring his godson's friends were towards him. Then, remembering the other teenagers, he turned to them. He could easily tell they were uncomfortable. He knew for a fact they never went to a teacher's room without being in trouble. Ryan motioned for them to come in, trying to put them at ease with a gentle smile. It was difficult to keep his composure with James and Lily in the same room, and even more difficult to not kill Peter on the spot, but if he could manage them in a classroom full of children he should be able to manage them here. Centring his attention once again on the trio, he walked back to the couch. The Marauder followed him, curiously looking around. Ron looked up and smiled, a little embarrassed at his display of affection. Ryan smiled back at him and after kissing Harry's cheek he walked to his room. "I'll be in my room if you need me, kids. Don't tire Harry out, okay?"
A chorus of yes's could be heard as he closed the door.
After Ryan left them alone, the Marauders moved in closer and sat down next to Ron, who was now sitting on the floor in front of the couch.
Ron was the first to break the silence. "Hey mate, how are you doing?"
Hermione let go of Harry's waist, and sat down between Ron and Remus. The black-haired boy smiled at them, his features still showing the tiredness he felt. "I'm fine, Ron, just rather sick of having to be in bed so much. I won't be able to go back to class for at least two more days."
Ron raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why don't you just sneak out? You always did that with the school nurse."
Harry snorted. "You're underestimating Ryan. He always seems to know when I am about to get up and he's told me that for every time he catches me out of bed I'll have to spent another day locked up in here."
Ron and Hermione began to snicker while the other teenagers looked torn between amusement and admiration for their teacher.
Ron was finally able to talk. "That's a good one. I didn't think anyone would be able to make you stay in a bed against your will. Ryan really knows what to say to make you listen to him."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to be a good thing?" Harry sighed when everyone laughed again. "Anyway, what's been happening these last few days? How have people been reacting to the attack?"
Ron smirked, clearly amused, and in a sing-song voice answered him. "Oh, Harry, it was wonderful! Just like at home."
Hermione covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her laugh. The Marauders looked confused; they were starting to feel a little left out. Lastly, Harry was looking suspiciously at his best friends. "Ok, out with it, what do you mean?"
Hermione finally controlled her laugh and answered instead of Ron. "When Ron and I went downstairs yesterday, everyone was just gaping at us."
Ron quickly put in. "Yeah, wait till you come back down, it will be just like the good, old times."
Harry groaned in exasperation and rolled onto his back, wrapping an arm over his eyes. "Why does this always happen to me?"
James's voice answered his rhetorical question. "Well, you saved Dumbledore and stunned two Death Eaters. You're pretty much the hero of the whole school now."
Harry looked at his future father and fought the urge to gag, the last thing he needed now was all this stupid hero-worship. He turned to his side and looked at the Marauders pleadingly. "Please, tell me you're planning to act normally around me. I really hate all that worshipping people seem to like so much. I wasn't really thinking that night, it was all some kind of instinct."
The Marauders looked at him a little surprised, they had seldom meet someone that didn't want the school's attention, but even so, they nodded, telling him he was just their friend, and that he didn't need to worry. Harry looked relieved. After that was out of the way, the conversation became much more relaxed. Harry was talking with Remus about a book on dark creatures he had just read a few days ago when he noticed Sirius wander to one side of the room, hiding something behind his back. When Sirius reached a corner of the room he shouted, "Hey guys!"
Everyone turned to him and he took a spray bottle from behind his back. With lightning fast reflexes, Harry rolled on the couch, took a deep breath and buried his head in the pillows, just when Sirius started to put the spray around the room. Thirty seconds later, Harry could hear squeals of laughter ringing through the room, he waited for a while longer, before looking up and seeing everyone laughing their eyes out, rolling on the ground. Unfortunately for Sirius, Ron had tackled him, making him breathe the spray and becoming the victim of his own prank. Harry had been sitting up slightly, amusedly watching his friends, when Daniel came in and took in the strange scene before him. A little confused, he walked over to Harry and looked at him questioningly, promptly joined by Ryan who had been wondering what all the ruckus was about.
"What's going on, Harry?"
His godson smiled mischievously at him. "Well, it seems Sirius wanted to have a good laugh and sprayed the room with that new laughing spray. Sadly for him, he got tackled by Ron and had to breathe some of the spray himself."
The two men nodded in understanding and then Daniel turned to him. "And you, Harry?"
The boy shrugged. "I saw him moving to the corner and was prepared for it."
Ryan rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair. "Sometimes you're too observant for your own good."
Harry smiled up at his godfather and then turned to look at his friends again.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks at Tanya and Gates for their beta reading.
Dangers In The Past
A knock on the door broke the silence. With a small sigh Ryan stood, Harry cradled in his arms a moment, and he put the boy back on the couch, tucking him in with the blanket that had fallen on the floor. He went to open the door and was not very surprised to see Ron and Hermione standing there. They were both looking at him anxiously. They had been very worried when Harry hadn't woken up the day before. He was more surprised, however, when he spotted the Marauders and Lily behind them. He looked at his godson's best friends, but they ignored his silent question, more worried about Harry.
Hermione tried to smile at him. "Hello, Ryan, is Harry awake?"
Sirius returned her smile gently and stepped aside to allow the two teenagers to go in. "Yes, he woke up some time ago."
Hermione hadn't even heard him, she had spotted Harry lying on the couch and had launched herself at him, sobbing into his shoulder and gripping him in a tight hug. Ron walked in confidently and quickly made his way to Harry and Hermione's side, joining them in a three-way hug. Ryan smiled at this. He was always happy to see how loyal and caring his godson's friends were towards him. Then, remembering the other teenagers, he turned to them. He could easily tell they were uncomfortable. He knew for a fact they never went to a teacher's room without being in trouble. Ryan motioned for them to come in, trying to put them at ease with a gentle smile. It was difficult to keep his composure with James and Lily in the same room, and even more difficult to not kill Peter on the spot, but if he could manage them in a classroom full of children he should be able to manage them here. Centring his attention once again on the trio, he walked back to the couch. The Marauder followed him, curiously looking around. Ron looked up and smiled, a little embarrassed at his display of affection. Ryan smiled back at him and after kissing Harry's cheek he walked to his room. "I'll be in my room if you need me, kids. Don't tire Harry out, okay?"
A chorus of yes's could be heard as he closed the door.
After Ryan left them alone, the Marauders moved in closer and sat down next to Ron, who was now sitting on the floor in front of the couch.
Ron was the first to break the silence. "Hey mate, how are you doing?"
Hermione let go of Harry's waist, and sat down between Ron and Remus. The black-haired boy smiled at them, his features still showing the tiredness he felt. "I'm fine, Ron, just rather sick of having to be in bed so much. I won't be able to go back to class for at least two more days."
Ron raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why don't you just sneak out? You always did that with the school nurse."
Harry snorted. "You're underestimating Ryan. He always seems to know when I am about to get up and he's told me that for every time he catches me out of bed I'll have to spent another day locked up in here."
Ron and Hermione began to snicker while the other teenagers looked torn between amusement and admiration for their teacher.
Ron was finally able to talk. "That's a good one. I didn't think anyone would be able to make you stay in a bed against your will. Ryan really knows what to say to make you listen to him."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to be a good thing?" Harry sighed when everyone laughed again. "Anyway, what's been happening these last few days? How have people been reacting to the attack?"
Ron smirked, clearly amused, and in a sing-song voice answered him. "Oh, Harry, it was wonderful! Just like at home."
Hermione covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her laugh. The Marauders looked confused; they were starting to feel a little left out. Lastly, Harry was looking suspiciously at his best friends. "Ok, out with it, what do you mean?"
Hermione finally controlled her laugh and answered instead of Ron. "When Ron and I went downstairs yesterday, everyone was just gaping at us."
Ron quickly put in. "Yeah, wait till you come back down, it will be just like the good, old times."
Harry groaned in exasperation and rolled onto his back, wrapping an arm over his eyes. "Why does this always happen to me?"
James's voice answered his rhetorical question. "Well, you saved Dumbledore and stunned two Death Eaters. You're pretty much the hero of the whole school now."
Harry looked at his future father and fought the urge to gag, the last thing he needed now was all this stupid hero-worship. He turned to his side and looked at the Marauders pleadingly. "Please, tell me you're planning to act normally around me. I really hate all that worshipping people seem to like so much. I wasn't really thinking that night, it was all some kind of instinct."
The Marauders looked at him a little surprised, they had seldom meet someone that didn't want the school's attention, but even so, they nodded, telling him he was just their friend, and that he didn't need to worry. Harry looked relieved. After that was out of the way, the conversation became much more relaxed. Harry was talking with Remus about a book on dark creatures he had just read a few days ago when he noticed Sirius wander to one side of the room, hiding something behind his back. When Sirius reached a corner of the room he shouted, "Hey guys!"
Everyone turned to him and he took a spray bottle from behind his back. With lightning fast reflexes, Harry rolled on the couch, took a deep breath and buried his head in the pillows, just when Sirius started to put the spray around the room. Thirty seconds later, Harry could hear squeals of laughter ringing through the room, he waited for a while longer, before looking up and seeing everyone laughing their eyes out, rolling on the ground. Unfortunately for Sirius, Ron had tackled him, making him breathe the spray and becoming the victim of his own prank. Harry had been sitting up slightly, amusedly watching his friends, when Daniel came in and took in the strange scene before him. A little confused, he walked over to Harry and looked at him questioningly, promptly joined by Ryan who had been wondering what all the ruckus was about.
"What's going on, Harry?"
His godson smiled mischievously at him. "Well, it seems Sirius wanted to have a good laugh and sprayed the room with that new laughing spray. Sadly for him, he got tackled by Ron and had to breathe some of the spray himself."
The two men nodded in understanding and then Daniel turned to him. "And you, Harry?"
The boy shrugged. "I saw him moving to the corner and was prepared for it."
Ryan rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair. "Sometimes you're too observant for your own good."
Harry smiled up at his godfather and then turned to look at his friends again.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks at Tanya and Gates for their beta reading.