A/N Thank you all for your reviews it really helps to know that people are still reading my story. I can't promise as some of my more patient readers know how long it will be after this chapter for another update. I HOPE to have another chapter up sometime next week. No promises though. All I ask is that you please be patient with me.

Thanks to The Unicorn Whisperer for her continued help.

Now on to chapter 13:

      Sirius awoke the next morning to find he was being used as a pillow. Harry's head had, somehow, found its way onto his back and it didn't look like he was going to move it anytime soon no matter how loud his godfather whined.
 'Great' Sirius thought as he tried to turn his head to look at his godson's face. Being a dog had its advantages, long noses being one of them. He managed to nuzzle Harry's neck and found it very warm to the touch. 
    A moaned escaped Harry as the cold sensation hit his neck. It felt so good, and it was so hot. He didn't want it to go away. 'Come on buddy wake up.' Sirius thought as he heard the moan. He couldn't do anything to help while he was pinned under his godson. He didn't dare move, he was afraid Harry's head would hit the frame of the bed.
   He growled a little, but that didn't do any good leaving him with only one option open. Barking; and he did. He barked as loud and as many barks as he could. Loud, warning, sharp, demanding, light and playful; anything that would wake Harry up or at least get Remus's attention.
    Remus had been getting dressed for the day when he heard the barking. He finished getting his shirt on and ran to the room that held Harry and Sirius. When he got there he opened the door and prepared himself for anything. What he saw sent him into fits of laughter. Sirius growled throatily at his friend as if to say, "I don't see what you find so funny about all this."
     "Oh, Paddy this is just a Kodak moment." Remus said as he entered the room. He came over to the bed and picked Harry up off of the big dog. "Paddy he's burning up." Remus said as he laid the teen back on his pillows.
    Sirius jumped down from the bed, and transformed, (he was sporting a very bad case of bed-head) standing next to Remus.

     "Why do think I barked? For the novelty?"
"Well with you, one can never tell." Remus said sarcastically. Then added "I'll just freshen this bowl up." Remus said as he took his wand out from his pocket and said a small charm for the water to become cool.
Sirius picked up a clean washcloth, and started wetting it once the water cooled.

     "Sorry for being sharp, but it's not fun being a pillow."
    "It's alright I'm sorry as well. I just wish we could give Harry the fever reducing potion but you heard Attivus. Nothing until he stops by this afternoon at least." Remus said as he looked on. The worry in his friend's eyes reflected how he felt as well.
   "Only a few more hours," Sirius said optimistically, wetting Harry's feverish face with the cloth.
   "Yes." Remus agreed. "Do you need anything?" He added as an after thought.
  "Coffee would be nice," Sirius caught sight of himself in the mirror. "And maybe a new face and a comb, a vacation on the French Riviera couldn't hurt." Remus laughed

      "Well the coffee and comb I can help with, the other things well Paddy you're on your own." He said heading for the door. Sirius grinned.

     "I'll take what I can get for now."
Remus turned to retort and opened his mouth but thought better of it. He just shook his head as he left the room.
A moment later he heard a small and hoarse voice.
    "Sirius?"
Sirius looked down; Harry's half-open, clouded emerald eyes looked up at him.

     "Morning sleepy head," Sirius said, trying to sound cheerful. Harry just looked at him for a moment.

     "Siri I kind of have to ummm well..you know" He said with a bit of embarrassment. If it hadn't been for the fever his cheeks would have gone red from admitting he needed help at all. Sirius nodded, sliding an arm under Harry's head and another under his legs, picking him up gently. He didn't want to risk Harry being hurt again. He walked swiftly to the bathroom letting Harry down when they reached it.

      "Yell if you need help, I'll be right here, okay?" Harry nodded his head. Then regretted it as he got hit by a dizzy spell. After it had passed he said

     "Thanks Sirius."
    "No problem," his godfather replied offering him a small smile. Sirius didn't have long to wait when Harry had called to him for help. Sirius opened the door, sticking his head inside wondering what could be the matter.
   "Siri, I can't get up. Hurts too much." Harry panted. He had done it again, tried moving without help.
    "It's okay," Sirius said gently, coming into the room, and helping Harry to his feet. "Where does it hurt?"
    "Stomach." Harry answered. It had been since before the surgery. Every time he tried to move or to even sit normally it hurt terribly. Even standing hurt. Sirius put his hand over the area that had the incision and applied light but firm pressure. Tears spilled out of Harry's eyes, the pain had doubled. Sirius immediately took his hand away.

      "What is it?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"
Harry shook his head no. "It hurt already. It helped last time. Not this time though. Did I do something again?" Harry asked horrified.
     "I really don't know Harry," Sirius said. "Let's get your shirt off and see, if that's okay with you." Harry nodded then asked

     "How will you be able to tell?"
    "Well I can see if the incision is still sealed right?"
Harry nodded. He allowed his shirt to be taken off of him and he shivered when the air hit his warm skin. Sirius probed the incision with his fingers, it was completely intact. He sighed. Harry's pale skin was very hot and yet he shivered under his touch.
   "Siri, I feel dizzy again." Harry said as his eyes slid out of focus and the room became a blur. Sirius put an arm around Harry, letting the boy lean on him.

     "Do you want to go back to bed?" he asked. Harry just let a small moan escape him as he shivered more violently and the coughing started again. Sirius scooped Harry up and held him close, hoping that his own body heat would help until he could get him into a clean shirt and back under the covers.
Harry's coughing fit ended and he put his head down on Sirius's shoulder. He was still shivering though less now that he felt some warmth.
   Sirius's parental instincts were given a huge jolt then and there. As he felt Harry shiver against him, he just wanted to hold the boy until every shiver, every ache, and every pain went away. Stay with him so that every nightmare, every monster under the bed, every plot against his life simply went away. To protect him from things that he had already been through so they would never happen again. Keep him safe from the Dursleys, form Voldemort and Wormtail, and even safe for Snape's summer potion's essays. But most of all let him know he was wanted. The he was loved. Wanted because he was simply Harry, not the Boy-Who-Lived or because he cut down on the expense for a maid. Loved because he was just the most amazing kid he Sirius had ever known.
     Harry just lay there. He had only just woken up and already felt totally drained. A yawn escaped him as he lay against Sirius's shoulder.
     "Tired?" Sirius asked softly as they went into Harry's room.
   "Yeah, but I just got up." Harry said quietly. Sirius chuckled.

     "I didn't notice you fell asleep," he said, reluctantly laying Harry down on the bed. Harry smiled a small smile. The beads of sweat were visible on his forehead. He started coughing again.
    Sirius had him in his arms almost instantly; rubbing his back, hoping it would soothe Harry somewhat. He reached over with a free hand and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around Harry. After the coughing subsided he felt more drained then before.

      "I feel awful." Harry confessed as he leaned into his godfather's embrace.
    "I know," Sirius said. He didn't know what else to say. He even felt awful for letting Harry get this sick. 'Molly Weasley would kill me if she knew about this.' he thought dryly. "It's going to be all right soon," he added. He'd make it right.
    "Siri, was it like this when you had your appendix out?" Harry asked from within the embrace and folds of the blanket.
    "I can't quite remember," said Sirius truthfully. Sirius heard Harry sigh and then felt him snuggle closer to him. He then heard Harry yawn again. Inwardly sighing himself, Sirius gathered that Attivus wouldn't like the idea of Harry sleeping without a shirt on he forced himself to ask Harry to stay awake for one more minute while he got him a clean nightshirt. Harry just nodded a bit. But he was not very successful in staying awake. His eyelids were drooping as soon as Sirius turned his back to where they were keeping Harry's possessions.
    Sirius searched through Harry's things until he found a white nightshirt, and turned around to see Harry curled up on his side dozing. Sirius sighed as he carefully manipulated Harry's body into the nightshirt. After he finished that task he laid him back down gently and covered him up with both blankets. As he sat down on the near by bed that was still there a voice came from the doorway.
     "Double dose of caffeine and a comb for one." Remus said with a small chuckle as he came into the room and gave Sirius the coffee.
    "Thank you," Sirius said gratefully, taking the coffee and the comb from Remus.
   "I heard the two of you talking. I decided to wait to come back in. I still say what I said to you last night says it all. You'll handle tonight just fine." Remus said as he sat down next to his friend.
     "I hope so," Sirius said, taking a sip from the cup with one hand and running the comb through his hair with the other.
   "You'll do fine Padfoot. You always do." Remus said. Though his eyes held the look that said he had just lost a best friend.
    "I know," said Sirius bowing his head, guilt settling on his shoulders.
    "It's not that Sirius. I've been alone on many moons you know that." Remus said carefully not sure if he should go into why it actually took so long to get the coffee.
    "I know. I wish I could come though. It's been ages since you've had company on one but . . ." he trailed off.
    "What?" Remus asked at his friend's sudden stop in mid sentence. Sirius was never one to stop talking in mid thought. Usually he just plowed right through till the end.
    "Nothing, I just realized what I was saying it sounded . . well deja vu-ish."
    "No kidding. It's alright though. It was another time and another place." Remus said. The relief he felt for Sirius not realizing why he looked the way he did.
   "Just James was saying it," Sirius sighed.
    "Ahh." Remus said a bit distractedly as he looked at the teen sleeping on the bed. He sighed as he watched Harry sleep. He hated not being able to help protect the son of his deceased friend. Especially now when Harry needed it, not only because of being ill but from the Dursley's as well.
   "So, what really took you so long," Sirius said suddenly.
   "What?" Remus said coming back out of his thoughts.
   "First all, I was near whispering when I was talking to Harry so there had to be another reason why you took so long."
  "Oh, you realized then did you or was it my transparency?" Remus asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was not going to be easy.
   "I guessed, Azkaban may have taken a lot of things from me but my sense of perception is still in tact."
   "Alright, I was going to wait till tomorrow after I had a chance to sleep off what's happening tonight. Just promise me you won't scream and throw a temper tantrum and wake Harry up alright?" Remus asked. He meant every word of it. He would not continue until he had Sirius's word.
  "Would I ever wake him up?" Sirius said ruffling Harry's hair affectionately.
  "I don't know would you?" Remus questioned in the same meaningful manner.
    "No I wouldn't," Sirius promised.
   "Alright. Albus firewalled while I was down there. He seemed very concerned about what Snape found out at a meeting early this morning...or late last night. Apparently there have been spies on Privet drive. They know Harry is no longer at the Dursley's. They are looking for him. Because of Hedwig being intercepted they think that you are here with Harry." Remus stopped here to let the information sink in for a moment before continuing. "He said at the moment we can't even bring him to Hogwarts since there are death eaters all over the place. He wants you… us to take Harry back to the Dursley house. He also wants us to leave immediately after dropping him there for assignment."
Remus finished. Then added "Attivus will look in on Harry during the nights on Privet drive to keep him out of trouble."
Sirius growled deeply.

     "No way," he said flatly.
    "That's what I told Albus. I said we will risk what chances we have to. Harry will be safer with us then with the Dursley's. Albus is concerned about it." Remus said with a sigh. He knew Sirius wouldn't like the headmaster's answer.
    "What did Albus have to say?" asked Sirius as a strong sense of foreboding settled in the pit of his stomach.
    "He said that Harry would be better off with his relatives. That we have to do the right thing for all concerned." Remus answered sullenly.
    "What about the right thing for Harry?" demanded Sirius. "I don't CARE what Dumbledore says anymore, tell me has he ever been to the Dursleys?!"
    "As far as I know only the time he placed Harry there as an infant." Remus said.
    "Exactly!" snarled Sirius. "He doesn't know a bloody thing about what those sorry excuses for human beings do to him! Well I do! Work him from dawn to dusk like he was some common farm animal! Actually I think farm animals are treated better than that. If I wasn't there when he first got sick he'd be dead by now! I refuse to have Harry go back to those bastards. Harry's my godson, Jesus he's practically my son. I have more authority over him than Dumbledore. I don't care if he's brilliant anymore Remus, he's still human. Humans make mistakes, and he's making a big one now. Even if he does make us send him back," he gestured to Harry," I'd follow. He couldn't stop me. Harry's my kid for all intents and purposes and I'd like to keep him alive if that's not asking his royal highness, all-knowing, all bloody powerful Dumbledore too much!" Sirius finished by slamming his fist on the bedside table.
    "Sirius, don't you think I feel the same way?" Remus hissed as he put his fingers to his lips to tell Sirius to lower his voice. "What are we to do? We stay here they come for us. Of course I have protections around this place...wait I think I may have something. Attivus, he can help us. If he tells Albus Harry's too weak to travel, then it will put a stop to it." Remus said hopefully. But the headmaster seemed to know things before anyone else did.
    "Good idea, but there's one thing I'm not allowing, and that's for him to take Harry from me. It was last year, I asked Dumbledore if I could come and watch the Third Task or at least see Harry during the day. He said no because a dog of my size would cause quite a few eyebrows to rise. I had to wait until after the task to see my godson and well you know the story. And I bet 'let us all praise him' Dumbledore knows that Harry has nightmares about that night almost every single night? I'd like to see him answer that one, and no I will not lower my voice! Worried that Dumbledore is outside that door? Well I wish he was because I'd give him a piece of my mind, and you can bet he'd choke on it. "
    "Sirius, please calm down. Do you really feel like explaining this situation to Harry at the moment? At this time believe me I'm not too happy with Albus's decision right now. We can't go ranting and raving about what's happening. We have to think of what to do. Remember he wants this to happen tomorrow night. We need collected heads right now. Not running around like we've lost our heads." Remus said as he ran his hand through his hair.
Sirius sat down heavily on Harry's bed, pouting.

     "I know," he said after a long while. "I just don't . . . can't leave him now. He's too vulnerable right now, Moony. Anyone could hurt him; especially the Dursleys and no one would protect him there. For crying out loud I'd sacrifice myself to the dementors to know that Harry would be safe from them."
    "Sirius, I know you feel that you can't leave him right now. I don't think you could even if he was well. The only thing I can think of is to really get Attivus on our side. I wonder if he agrees with this plan or not. Harry may be safe from outside forces but not inside forces." Remus said bitingly. He would never tell Sirius about some of the things he had heard during his year as teacher at Hogwarts.
    "Right, so Attivus is our best bet right?" Sirius sighed.
    "I would think so. What I don't understand is why we can't put the protections around this house." Remus said out loud more to himself than anyone else.
    "Blood," Sirius growled.
    "I know." Remus sighed. "I just wish there was some other...."his comment was cut off by whimpering from the sleeping teenager. Sirius looked down at Harry; he was shivering again underneath the covers. Before he could move to do anything Harry started to mumble and the shivering increased. Sirius paled as he realized Harry was once again reliving the third task of the tri -wizard tournament. He started shaking Harry immediately

      "Wake up Harry! Wake up!" Harry sat up with a startled cry. Before anything could happen he started to cough. He couldn't catch his breath and was gasping for air as the coughing continued. Sirius gulped and looked at Remus for help. Remus looked alarmed and said

      "Padfoot, try to do what you did earlier to help his coughing and I'll call for Attivus."
      "Okay," Sirius said, reaching over and rubbing Harry's back. Upon doing that he realized that Harry's shirt was soaked through again. Right now he had to get Harry breathing normally again, then he could worry about getting him a change of clothing. He realized that rubbing his godson's back wasn't working and something told him to try a tactic he had learned during his time as an auror, since they were required to learn first aide so they could help until healers arrived. He said a mumbled "Sorry" to Harry before thumping him on the back.
Harry coughed one or two more times (quite a bit of phlegm hit the floor) before waving his hands telling Sirius to stop with the thump-a-thon.
    "Thanks." Harry said weakly and with a hoarse voice.
     "No problem," Sirius said. "Are you all right now?"
Harry just leaned against Sirius and closed his eyes. He was so exhausted from the fit of coughing he had forgotten what he was dreaming about. Sirius looked down at Harry curled up against him. The thought of Dumbledore more or less tearing him away was coming closer to reality with each passing second. It felt as if every cell in his body was screaming out every protest he could think of, and yet he remained silent, holding the boy he considered his son.
    "Well, what's this I hear about Harry not being able to breathe?" said Attivus Attlewart's voice as he came into the room. Sirius jumped, startled.

      "Attivus!" he cried regaining his composure. "Trying to give me a heart attack?"
    "Me, try to create more work for myself, now really one patient per household at a time is enough." Attivus said with a smile as he approached the bed.
    "Oh sure make me feel worse," Harry grunted, his words muffled by the fabric of Sirius's shirt. Sirius ruffled Harry's hair affectionately as Attivus started to unload his pockets to find the things he'd need.

      "Sirius, please lay him flat on his back and step back a bit so I can look him over, please." He said as he continued pulling items out of his pockets. Sirius did as Attivus asked; prying Harry's hands from around him was perhaps the hardest part of the task. He stepped back reluctantly as Attivus began his examination.
    "Harry, how long has your chest been hurting you?" Attivus asked as he listened to the boy's lungs.
    "Since morning," Harry said quietly.
    "Is that the truth Harry?" Attvius asked as he continued his examination by feeling Harry's forehead and then probing the area of the incision. Harry looked at Sirius for help.
    "Harry, Sirius can't help you answer the questions I am asking. Not to mention judging the look on your godfather's face I am assuming you hadn't mentioned this to him at all. Now please answer my questions truthfully so I can help you. Now is what you told me the truth?" Attivus asked again looking directly into Harry's fever clouded eyes.
    "During the night," he said guiltily. "Sirius was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him, sorry, I had to use your back for a pillow it was the only way I could get comfortable."
Attivus looked to the two adults in the room. Sirius had the look of disbelief that his godson would keep things again even after the conversation they had had. Remus also had a look of concern. "Well gentlemen, it looks like we've hit another bump in the proverbial road. He has developed a small case of pneumonia. That's why he had trouble catching his breath. Now we have a decision to make however, that decision is which potion to give him." He said looking at the marauders.
    "Excuse me for one minute Attivus," Sirius said softly.
    "Of course." Attivus said as he went back to looking at his notes on the situation thus far. Remus however followed Sirius out of the room.
    "Padfoot?" He questioned.
    "Remus, just go back into the room for one second I promise I'll be right back."
   "Sirius, running away isn't going to change what is happening, not to mention I am afraid you are going to firewall Dumbledore and let loose. No, not until you tell me what's going on in that mind of yours." Remus said stubbornly.
    "Why would I run away?" demanded Sirius. "Oh never mind I'll do it with you here," then he promptly turned to the wall and proceeded to bang his head against it.
   "Sirius, stop that!! What is going on? Tell me what's going on inside that head of yours this minute. You're not going to do Harry or yourself any good till you get it out of your system without killing yourself in the process." Remus said grabbing Sirius's shoulders to stop him from banging his head.
    "I'm banging my head against a wall, it's very therapeutic," said Sirius in an oddly calm voice.
    "Sirius." Remus said in an I'm not letting this drop till you talk tone.
    "What? Harry still doesn't have it through his thick that he can wake me up in the middle of the night even if he has a bloody paper cut. Now he has pneumonia, and our favorite headmaster wants us to ship him back to Mr. and Mrs. Cruella DeVille with a pat on the head and a pocket full of Prozac! I think it's time for me to get a little frustrated…annoyed…worried out of my mind and not to mention the small fact that I'm still on the run from the Dementors? So all this coupled together I think it would be okay for me to bash my head into the wall a couple of times or at least until I see pretty little Hedwigs flying around my head and then slip blissfully into unconsciousness, don't you Moony old pal, old friend?"
    "No, I don't. If you do that Attivus will have two patients." Remus said trying to get his friend to at least smile. After a moment shook his head and tried again.

 "Sirius, listen to me Harry needs you to be in one piece. You need to pull yourself together and keep your head about you. You escaped Azkaban and the dementors for over 2 years now. I think a calm head had a lot to do with it. Now you said you weren't running away yet you are trying to put yourself into a coma. And as far as Harry goes it's going to take time for him to get it through his head that you won't punish him for waking you up if something is wrong. Remember you've said yourself what those muggles are like." Remus said and finally had to stop for breath. He hoped he got through to his thick headed friend.
     "You're right as usual. Can I just do one more? Tapping not banging, please?"
    "No. Besides I think that we should get onto what Attivus has in mind. Besides with the pneumonia I don't think he will want Harry traveling at all period. What do you think?" Remus said trying to get Sirius back to the situation at hand.
    "All right, let's go," Sirius sighed and followed Remus back into Harry's room.
     "Siri, I'm sorry." Were the first words that Sirius heard upon entering the room. Sirius looked at Harry whose eyes were on the red bump on his godfather's forehead.

      "I would say it's all right but I can't Harry."  Harry gulped  

       "I guess you're sending me back then huh?" He said in a small voice.
      "Sending you back?' Sirius asked. "Why would I do something like that?"
    "I'm causing too much trouble." Harry said simply as he started coughing again. Sirius crossed the room in two, quick strides, and sat down on the bed.

     "You're not causing me any trouble, what you've been doing has been drilled into your head by them. And you know what?"
     "What?" Harry asked once his coughing had subsided.
     "Forget it all," Sirius said. "Everything they ever said to you or taught you (well except for the cooking skills) forget it. You're with me now, and nothing is going to come between us got it? I don't care if you have so much as a hangnail you can wake me up in the middle of the night, okay? I won't be mad, grumpy maybe but never mad."
Harry nodded his head slowly.

      "I'm sorry." was all he said again as he reached out to Sirius.

    "Now I'll say it's all right," Sirius said taking Harry in his arms.
     "Well, now that this part is settled," Attivus said smiling at the two of them for an instant before turning back to doctor mode." We still need to decide how to handle this situation."
    "You're the doctor, you tell me what to and I'll do it."
   "Well, Harry did the muggles ever take you to the doctor at all when you were small?" Attivus asked as he tried to decide what to do. Harry shook his head.
    "Just for shots and stuff so I could be in school," he added.
    "Do you know if they ever found any allergies?" The doctor asked as he looked through his pockets one more time for something.
   "No, I'm not allergic to anything," Harry said.
   "Very good, very good indeed. Now listen, Harry still has a fever and now with the added problem we are going to have to treat this a bit differently. We are going to go for curing the pneumonia first since if we don't it could lead to more problems that we don't want to deal with agreed? Agreed. Now Sirius I want you to give Harry this potion mixture three times a day. Now the side effects can be as follows, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, sleeplessness and loss of appetite. If anything persists for more than two doses you call me. As for the fever you're going to have to continue with the cool cloths as well as warm compresses if the incision area bothers him. Understood?" The doctor finished and looked around the room.  

     "Understood." The other two men in the room piped up. Then the doctor turned to Harry and said

     "I hope you've learned your lesson young man. You tell them when you need help. Understand?" A stern look appearing in his violet eyes.

     "Yes sir." Harry said softly. The doctor nodded. "No need to show me out gentlemen." 

     "Attivus, I would like to talk with you for a moment. Moony will you stay with Harry?" Remus sat on the unoccupied bed in the room. When the men had reached the fire place the doctor turned to the younger man.

     "Don't worry Sirius if you need me tonight I am only a firewall away." Said the doctor thinking that's what this private conversation was about.

     "Thank you Attivus but it's not only that. What about what Albus wants to do with Harry?" Worry was evident in his voice.

     "As far as I am concerned Harry is not well enough to be moved. I will tell Albus myself. I am against it and will not allow it to happen at this time. When Harry is stronger I will re-think the situation… maybe. For now however, if I have to put an anti moving spell on the inhabitant of that bed I will."

Sirius looked for a moment to make sure that the man was being truthful.

     "Thank you Attivus." Sirius said relieved. The doctor smiled and then with a puff of smoke was gone. Sirius feeling a bit better about the Dumbledore situation headed back up to his godson. He saw the werewolf mixing up something in a goblet.

     "Thought I'd give you a hand in making the potion for Harry."  Remus said without turning.

     "Thank you Moony. Harry Are you ready to take it?" Sirius asked taking one of the goblets and helping Harry sit up. Harry for his part just did as told without so much as a word. After he took it however his face looked as though he had just had a seriously sour lemon and what could be described as a vomit flavored Bertie Bot.

     "Yuck. That was awful." He said. After a few moments his eyes started to droop.

     "Sleep well Harry." Sirius said bringing the covers up over his shoulders. After a few moments of quiet Remus smiled at his friend.

     "What?" Sirius asked.

     "I told you that you could do this. I'm going for a nap before tonight. If you need me wake me." Remus said heading out. Sirius nodded and looked back to his sleeping godson.

      "I hope so… I really hope so Moons." He said to an empty room.

A/N: Well that's all for now thanks again for all the reviews. I am trying a new format for my paragraphs since I had some complaints on my Highlander story. Let me know if this works better for all of you.