Chapter Two
Back to Grimmauld Place
" I'm-er-fine professor Lupin" Harry replied stepping to the side so they could enter the house.
" No need to call me professor anymore, Harry, I haven't been your professor for three years" He said, smiling warmly as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded as he watched Tonks examine the Dursley's tidy living room.
" This place is always too tidy" she said matter of factly, her hands resting on her hips. Lupin gave a small laugh and then turned his attention back to Harry.
" You all ready, Harry?"
" Yea, I have everything with me" he replied, pointing to the large trunk and the empty birdcage by his feet. He had told Hedwig earlier in the day to go and meet up with Ron and that he'll be there shortly, which was less of a hassle for him.
" We are travelling back by broom, since you are still too young to apparate and I reckon your relatives wouldn't be too pleased if we used their fireplace again" Lupin said warmly.
" Er-where are we going? Are we going to the Burrow?" Harry questioned. He couldn't wait to go back to the Burrow, he loved it there. When he was there he felt like he was part of the Weasley family. Harry thought back to the time last year when Mrs. Weasley stated that Harry was like her son and a small smile krept to his face.
He then noticed that Lupin and Tonks had given each other uneasy looks. Lupin gave a nervous cough before he spoke.
" No, Harry, we are heading back to Grimmauld place, actually."
"What?" he said, his heart dropping. The last place he wanted to be right now was in the house of his deceased godfather. The place just brought back too many memories that Harry wasn't ready to deal with.
" Harry, we have no other choice" came Lupin's calm voice.
" Why can't we head to the Burrow? or-or some other place?" Harry said, his voice beginning to rise.
" Grimmauld place is much more safe right now, Harry. " Lupin replied in a sympathetic voice. " I know how hard it is for you to go back there-"
" I don't want to go there," Harry said, urgently. Lupin sighed, running his hand through his speckled grey hair.
" I know you miss him, Harry, I do too."
" You don't act like it" Harry said, instantly regretting what he had said when he saw the look on his old professors face. He knew it wasn't Lupin's fault he had to go back to the house he wasn't ready to see, but Harry couldn't understand how Lupin could loose another best friend and still act so calm. It was like he didn't want anyone to see his feelings.
Lupin looked down at Harry for a few seconds before speaking, hurt written all over his middle-aged face.
" Right then... let's go you two..grab your broom Harry" he said, not glancing at Harry as he exited the front door. Harry sighed as Tonks put her hand on his shoulder.
" Come on, Harry, let's go" she smiled, leading him outside onto the front lawn.
They proceeded out onto the Dursley's front grass and waited for Lupin's signal
" Mount your brooms!" he called back to Tonks and Harry.
Harry did what he was told and soon found himself soaring high into the air on his Firebolt which Sirius had given him in his third year. He felt free on his firebolt, the wind whipping through his hair, felt like he didn't have a care in the world.
It didn't take them long to reach Grimmauld place. Memories instantly came flooding back to him as he stepped into the familiar, gloomy house. He half expected Sirius to rush into the room any second now and greet him. His heart sank as he realised that that would never happen.
" Harry, dear!" came Mrs. Weasley's voice. She wrapped Harry into a motherly hug.
" How are you?."
Harry gave her a forced smile as Lupin set his luggage down onto the floor.
" Good" he lied.
Mrs. Weasley must of knew that he was lying since she gave him a worried stare.
" Why don't you head upstairs to where Ron is, Harry, he should be in the same room that you were in last summer."
Harry nodded as he picked up his luggage.
" Would you like help with that, Harry?" Tonks asked in her cheerful voice.Harry shook his head.
" I've got it, thanks"
He headed up the creaking stairs and made his way to the same bedroom Ron and him had slept in the previous summer. Opening the door quietly he noticed Ron and Ginny were in a good game of wizards chess, while Hermione sat cross legged beside Ginny, looking bored out of her mind. She was the first to spot Harry.
" Harry!" she shouted, jumping of the bed and giving him a hug that felt like it was going to break one of his ribs.Her usual bushy brown hair was tamer than he remembered it.
" Er-hey" he replied looking at Hermione first then at Ron and Ginny, their game of chess lay forgotten on the bed.
"Harry, mate, we didn't expect you so soon" Ron spoke up.
"Yea, well.." he trailed off, not wanting to tell them about his conversation with Lupin. He decided to himself he was going to go and apoligise to his former teacher before dinner.
" How are you, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry made his way over to the opposite bed they were sitting on and threw his luggage on it.
" I've been better" he sighed, sitting down on the bed and looking around the familiar room.
His three friends eyed him as he sat there more quietly then he usually did. He still hadn't told them about the biggest secret of all, the one he had been hiding inside of him since last June. The one about the prophecy. He spent all summer trying to push it out of his mind and thoughts, just like Sirius' death.
" It's just weird being back here." he finally spoke up.
Hermione gave him a resurring look from the opposite bed as an awkward silence filled the room.Fortunatly, it was broken by Mrs. Weasley opening the door and looking around.
" Dinner is on the table" she said cheerfully. " Harry, dear, I think Remus is upstairs with Buckbeak, would you mind telling him dinner is ready?" Harry nodded at her as he left the room. This was the perfect time to apoligise for his comment at the Dursley's earlier. His frustrations at coming back here had gotten the better of him and that usually caused him to say things he didn't always mean. He knew he had to work at controlling that.
He slowly made his way to the room that Buckbeak occupied. Opening the door slowly he saw Lupin sitting down beside Sirius' former pet, stroking it's back. He must have been deep in thought since he didn't hear Harry enter.
" Lupin?" Harry said quielty, remembering that he didn't want to be called professor anymore. Still, it felt awkward calling him by his surname.
Lupin looked up, shocked to see that someone else was in the room.
" Harry, I didn't see you there." he said, smiling.
" Mrs. Weasley wanted me to tell you dinner is ready" Harry informed him, making his way over to Lupin. As he got closer he realised he was looking at what appeared to be a photo album. Laying by his feet was a small case of old looking objects. The case resembled a muggle shoe box.
" This picture right here," Lupin began, pointing at a small picture of four boys " Was taken at Hogwarts, third year I believe. That in the middle, of course, is your father, then Sirius myself and Peter."A small smile seemed to develope onto his face as he observed a picture that must have brought back happier times.
Harry looked over the picture a he took a seat next to Lupin. His father, indeed, stood in the middle of the group, one arm on Sirius' shoulder the other on Lupin's with Peter beside him. All four boys had big smile's on their faces and Peter waved happily at Harry.
" This one was taken in seventh year when your mother finally agreed to go out with James" he said with a small laugh in his voice.
A happy smile came to Harry's face as he looked down at a picture of his seventeen year old parents. They were sitting outside by the lake, holding hands while Sirius was making a goofy face behind them. But, Harry's smile faded as he looked at his happy parents and godfather. They didn't know what was going to happen...that in a few short years they were going to be dead while their best friend spent over a decade in prison.
" Look, professor Lupin, I just wanted to say that-"
Lupin waved his hand at Harry signaling for him to go no further. " You were right Harry, I don't show it. " He sighed, looking down at the photo album once more.
" You're father, Sirius and Peter were the best friend's I've ever had. I never had any friend's when I was a child, because of what I am and I guess I am use to bottling all my feelings up."
" When your father died, Harry, I couldn't believe it. With Sirius is Azkaban, Peter, who I thought was dead...I felt like I had no one. " he took a deep breath, not looking at Harry but at the floor as he played with his hands." But in your third year, when we both learned the truth about Sirius, it was like, like I had one out of my two best friends back. Now, again...I'm alone"
" You're not alone.." Harry trailed off " You have me and everyone in the Order."
Lupin smiled down at Harry and out an arm around his shoulder.
" You know...um....I know you use to tell Sirius everything...I just want you to know that if you ever need anything or want to talk, I am there."
" Thanks professor Lupin" Harry grinned. For the first time since June he felt his spirits lift but he couldn't help but wonder in the back of his mind if he would loose Lupin too. It felt like every parental figure he ever had he has lost and he didn't want to loose Lupin as well.
" Harry, about this professor Lupin Stuff...it just sounds so....formal and well, old" he smiled. " From now on...call me Remus."
" Ok-er-Remus." Lupin smiled warmly down at his best friend's son.
" Here...." he replied, handing Harry the old, worn photo album. " It was Sirius' book. I came across it up here while cleaning up."
" Wow...thanks. What are you going to do with all of his stuff?" Harry asked, curiously. Remus rubbed the back of his necked and scanned the room.
" That's the thing, Harry, he left it all to you."
A/N: Please Review guys! I swear it will get better and the chapters longer :)
Back to Grimmauld Place
" I'm-er-fine professor Lupin" Harry replied stepping to the side so they could enter the house.
" No need to call me professor anymore, Harry, I haven't been your professor for three years" He said, smiling warmly as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded as he watched Tonks examine the Dursley's tidy living room.
" This place is always too tidy" she said matter of factly, her hands resting on her hips. Lupin gave a small laugh and then turned his attention back to Harry.
" You all ready, Harry?"
" Yea, I have everything with me" he replied, pointing to the large trunk and the empty birdcage by his feet. He had told Hedwig earlier in the day to go and meet up with Ron and that he'll be there shortly, which was less of a hassle for him.
" We are travelling back by broom, since you are still too young to apparate and I reckon your relatives wouldn't be too pleased if we used their fireplace again" Lupin said warmly.
" Er-where are we going? Are we going to the Burrow?" Harry questioned. He couldn't wait to go back to the Burrow, he loved it there. When he was there he felt like he was part of the Weasley family. Harry thought back to the time last year when Mrs. Weasley stated that Harry was like her son and a small smile krept to his face.
He then noticed that Lupin and Tonks had given each other uneasy looks. Lupin gave a nervous cough before he spoke.
" No, Harry, we are heading back to Grimmauld place, actually."
"What?" he said, his heart dropping. The last place he wanted to be right now was in the house of his deceased godfather. The place just brought back too many memories that Harry wasn't ready to deal with.
" Harry, we have no other choice" came Lupin's calm voice.
" Why can't we head to the Burrow? or-or some other place?" Harry said, his voice beginning to rise.
" Grimmauld place is much more safe right now, Harry. " Lupin replied in a sympathetic voice. " I know how hard it is for you to go back there-"
" I don't want to go there," Harry said, urgently. Lupin sighed, running his hand through his speckled grey hair.
" I know you miss him, Harry, I do too."
" You don't act like it" Harry said, instantly regretting what he had said when he saw the look on his old professors face. He knew it wasn't Lupin's fault he had to go back to the house he wasn't ready to see, but Harry couldn't understand how Lupin could loose another best friend and still act so calm. It was like he didn't want anyone to see his feelings.
Lupin looked down at Harry for a few seconds before speaking, hurt written all over his middle-aged face.
" Right then... let's go you two..grab your broom Harry" he said, not glancing at Harry as he exited the front door. Harry sighed as Tonks put her hand on his shoulder.
" Come on, Harry, let's go" she smiled, leading him outside onto the front lawn.
They proceeded out onto the Dursley's front grass and waited for Lupin's signal
" Mount your brooms!" he called back to Tonks and Harry.
Harry did what he was told and soon found himself soaring high into the air on his Firebolt which Sirius had given him in his third year. He felt free on his firebolt, the wind whipping through his hair, felt like he didn't have a care in the world.
It didn't take them long to reach Grimmauld place. Memories instantly came flooding back to him as he stepped into the familiar, gloomy house. He half expected Sirius to rush into the room any second now and greet him. His heart sank as he realised that that would never happen.
" Harry, dear!" came Mrs. Weasley's voice. She wrapped Harry into a motherly hug.
" How are you?."
Harry gave her a forced smile as Lupin set his luggage down onto the floor.
" Good" he lied.
Mrs. Weasley must of knew that he was lying since she gave him a worried stare.
" Why don't you head upstairs to where Ron is, Harry, he should be in the same room that you were in last summer."
Harry nodded as he picked up his luggage.
" Would you like help with that, Harry?" Tonks asked in her cheerful voice.Harry shook his head.
" I've got it, thanks"
He headed up the creaking stairs and made his way to the same bedroom Ron and him had slept in the previous summer. Opening the door quietly he noticed Ron and Ginny were in a good game of wizards chess, while Hermione sat cross legged beside Ginny, looking bored out of her mind. She was the first to spot Harry.
" Harry!" she shouted, jumping of the bed and giving him a hug that felt like it was going to break one of his ribs.Her usual bushy brown hair was tamer than he remembered it.
" Er-hey" he replied looking at Hermione first then at Ron and Ginny, their game of chess lay forgotten on the bed.
"Harry, mate, we didn't expect you so soon" Ron spoke up.
"Yea, well.." he trailed off, not wanting to tell them about his conversation with Lupin. He decided to himself he was going to go and apoligise to his former teacher before dinner.
" How are you, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry made his way over to the opposite bed they were sitting on and threw his luggage on it.
" I've been better" he sighed, sitting down on the bed and looking around the familiar room.
His three friends eyed him as he sat there more quietly then he usually did. He still hadn't told them about the biggest secret of all, the one he had been hiding inside of him since last June. The one about the prophecy. He spent all summer trying to push it out of his mind and thoughts, just like Sirius' death.
" It's just weird being back here." he finally spoke up.
Hermione gave him a resurring look from the opposite bed as an awkward silence filled the room.Fortunatly, it was broken by Mrs. Weasley opening the door and looking around.
" Dinner is on the table" she said cheerfully. " Harry, dear, I think Remus is upstairs with Buckbeak, would you mind telling him dinner is ready?" Harry nodded at her as he left the room. This was the perfect time to apoligise for his comment at the Dursley's earlier. His frustrations at coming back here had gotten the better of him and that usually caused him to say things he didn't always mean. He knew he had to work at controlling that.
He slowly made his way to the room that Buckbeak occupied. Opening the door slowly he saw Lupin sitting down beside Sirius' former pet, stroking it's back. He must have been deep in thought since he didn't hear Harry enter.
" Lupin?" Harry said quielty, remembering that he didn't want to be called professor anymore. Still, it felt awkward calling him by his surname.
Lupin looked up, shocked to see that someone else was in the room.
" Harry, I didn't see you there." he said, smiling.
" Mrs. Weasley wanted me to tell you dinner is ready" Harry informed him, making his way over to Lupin. As he got closer he realised he was looking at what appeared to be a photo album. Laying by his feet was a small case of old looking objects. The case resembled a muggle shoe box.
" This picture right here," Lupin began, pointing at a small picture of four boys " Was taken at Hogwarts, third year I believe. That in the middle, of course, is your father, then Sirius myself and Peter."A small smile seemed to develope onto his face as he observed a picture that must have brought back happier times.
Harry looked over the picture a he took a seat next to Lupin. His father, indeed, stood in the middle of the group, one arm on Sirius' shoulder the other on Lupin's with Peter beside him. All four boys had big smile's on their faces and Peter waved happily at Harry.
" This one was taken in seventh year when your mother finally agreed to go out with James" he said with a small laugh in his voice.
A happy smile came to Harry's face as he looked down at a picture of his seventeen year old parents. They were sitting outside by the lake, holding hands while Sirius was making a goofy face behind them. But, Harry's smile faded as he looked at his happy parents and godfather. They didn't know what was going to happen...that in a few short years they were going to be dead while their best friend spent over a decade in prison.
" Look, professor Lupin, I just wanted to say that-"
Lupin waved his hand at Harry signaling for him to go no further. " You were right Harry, I don't show it. " He sighed, looking down at the photo album once more.
" You're father, Sirius and Peter were the best friend's I've ever had. I never had any friend's when I was a child, because of what I am and I guess I am use to bottling all my feelings up."
" When your father died, Harry, I couldn't believe it. With Sirius is Azkaban, Peter, who I thought was dead...I felt like I had no one. " he took a deep breath, not looking at Harry but at the floor as he played with his hands." But in your third year, when we both learned the truth about Sirius, it was like, like I had one out of my two best friends back. Now, again...I'm alone"
" You're not alone.." Harry trailed off " You have me and everyone in the Order."
Lupin smiled down at Harry and out an arm around his shoulder.
" You know...um....I know you use to tell Sirius everything...I just want you to know that if you ever need anything or want to talk, I am there."
" Thanks professor Lupin" Harry grinned. For the first time since June he felt his spirits lift but he couldn't help but wonder in the back of his mind if he would loose Lupin too. It felt like every parental figure he ever had he has lost and he didn't want to loose Lupin as well.
" Harry, about this professor Lupin Stuff...it just sounds so....formal and well, old" he smiled. " From now on...call me Remus."
" Ok-er-Remus." Lupin smiled warmly down at his best friend's son.
" Here...." he replied, handing Harry the old, worn photo album. " It was Sirius' book. I came across it up here while cleaning up."
" Wow...thanks. What are you going to do with all of his stuff?" Harry asked, curiously. Remus rubbed the back of his necked and scanned the room.
" That's the thing, Harry, he left it all to you."
A/N: Please Review guys! I swear it will get better and the chapters longer :)