Wow. Okay. Wow. I'm SO sorry that this has taken, erm, too many months to remember since I've updated. Quite ashamed of myself, honestly. So, despite the looooong time I've had to you know, get this beta-ed, it's not. There was some e-mail mumbo jumbo that happened, and so, I thought, well, I could bother my LOVELY beta Emily, or I can post it TONIGHT. So I've decided to give it to you right this very moment and then go beg her to read it for me (again), and I'll try to get a beta-ed one up. Anyways, here it is, not really worth the wait, I'm going to try super hard to get a new chapter up within a few days just to make you all happy. If I've managed to keep any readers. Hugs and kisses for you all.
Chapter Eight: Amsterdam and Big Black Dogs
"Alright, so I think that's everything. I shouldn't be more than a couple days. If you've got a major emergency, you know how to reach me, but just in case let me write it again."
"Sirius, relax. Nothing is going to happen, and if something does I'll know how to handle it."
Sirius sighed. "I know, I know. It's just, I've never really left him since I've had him, what if he can't handle it. What if I can't handle it?"
"You'll only be a couple days, it'll all be fine. Just go, get this mission done as fast as possible, and come home. Or, if you're really fast, maybe have some fun there. Amsterdam, both the magical and muggle communities, is supposed to be a blast."
"It has been quite some time since I've had fun that didn't involve songs sung by a faux-dragon…"
"Exactly. Just be back by Saturday, if you're not I'll have to leave him at the Weasley's, full moon and all."
"I promise I'll be back by then. Thanks so much for this Remus. You're a life-saver."
"I love the little tyke, it should be fun. Now go. You're supposed to get there by noon."
"Let me just go kiss Harry bye. He really loves that, what do you call that giant hunk of muggle machinery that he can't seem to take his eyes off, even when his beloved godfather is about to leave him?"
"A television."
"Right. Telewision."
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"But Daddy! Why can't I go wit you? I'll be good, I pwomise. I haven't ever in my whole entire life been to Hamsterdam!"
"Harry, we talked this over. Daddy has to go off on grown up business, it isn't safe, and you would probably be bored to tears. Unlike here at Remus's! Word is, you guys are going to go to Hogsmeade. Won't that be fun? I gave Remus some spending money for you to buy a bit of candy and maybe something from Zonko's. You won't get to do neat things like that in Amsterdam!"
"But I don't want you to go!"
"I don't want to go either, Harry, but I HAVE to. I promise I'll be back very soon. Now give me a hug and be nice for Uncle Remus."
Harry's arms wrapped around Sirius like it was the last time they'd ever see each other. Sirius could feel his robe getting wet from the young boys sobbing.
"Hey there, there's no need to cry. I'll bring you back something really fun, okay? Then we'll go on our own mini-break, okay?"
"No! Daddy! Stay! I won't let you go!"
Prying Harry off him, he rested his hands on the boy's arms. "I need to go now Harry. Be good for Uncle Remus."
"Daddy NO! Pwease!"
"Sorry bud."
Sirius walked back to the kitchen, threw some floo powder in the fireplace, and was off, wincing at the sound of Harry's screams that he left behind.
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"Uncle Remus?"
Remus looked up from his papers, on which he was busily trying to write Werewolves: Looking Past the Myths and At the Facts. Someone should at least try to change the public's opinion. "Yes?"
"When is Daddy coming home?"
"A couple of days, just like I told you a couple hours ago."
"Oh. Yeah."
Remus went back to busily scrawling, while Harry played with his Merlin and King Arthur action figures.
"Remus?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Can we have macaroni for dinner?"
"I suppose so."
"Good. It's my favourite."
"So I've heard."
"Can we have chocolate milk, too?"
"You bet."
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"All ready to go, Harry?"
"Yep, but, um, can you tie my shoe-lace, pwease? I don't know how to." Harry was sitting on the ground, futilely trying to get the lace in a neat bow like Sirius was always able to do for him, but was only succeeding in getting the laces all knotted up randomly.
Remus' eyes flashed with amusement, and he kneeled down to tie the toddler's shoelaces, only to find the knots were far too tight to undo by hand, and had to use a few handy spells to get everything in order. "There you go. Now, shall we? You don't want us to be late for lunch with Hagrid, do you?"
Harry hurriedly began to scramble up, before Remus picked him up and carried him to the fireplace with him. "Close you eyes, and hold on tight, okay?"
Feeling the boy's head jerk up and down on his chest, Remus grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, shouted "The Three Broomsticks!" and all too soon felt the sickening spin associated with traveling by floo.
Falling out on to the hearth with a grace that comes only with years of practice, Remus set the young boy down and grabbed his hand, and quickly began scanning the room for the half-giant, finding him quickly at the back, nursing a rather large glass of fire-whiskey. Brilliant.
"Hagrid! How are you?"
"Hagrid!" Harry ran to the large man and jumped into his lap. "Are you gonna go to Zonko's wit us? My daddy give me two whole galleons to buy whatever I want! And then he's coming home tomorrow night!"
"'Fraid not, 'Arry. Just 'ere fer a spot of lunch."
Harry pouted but soon got over it when Madame Rosmerta came and took their orders.
As Remus caught up with the half-giant, the ever-energetic Harry scanned around the room, taking in the ever-familiar atmosphere that comes with all places magic. Spotting a large, black dog, Harry's eyes lit up.
Carefully sliding off his chair as to not attract the attention of his temporary guardian or Hagrid, Harry pattered over to the dog, whom he was positive was his god-father, back from Amsterdam two days early to see his little boy.
The only trouble with this was that this particular grim-look-a-like dog was most assuredly not Sirius black, but a real, not-so-friendly, one-hundred pound black dog. Whom was not very fond of young boys running into it and tugging at it's neck.
Before Harry knew what hit him, he found himself on his back in the middle of the floor, chest painfully constricted by two heavy paws a top of it, and jaw full of sharp, salivating teeth in his face.
Hearing the young boy scream bloody murder, Remus looked over to find one of the worst possible scenarios that could have occurred while he was trusted with his best-friends son and other best friends god son, short of discovering him to be kidnapped or catching the situation too late with the dog ravaging the young, small body.
Fortunately though, the situation did not have to succumb to that, and Hagrid managed to get over to the dog and lift him up off of the child, who was immediately engulfed into the werewolves arms where he continued to scream off his anxiety.
"Oh come on Harry, don't cry. Uncle Remus has got you. The mean old doggy can't hurt you. It's all over."
"Daddy doesn't like me anymore!"
"What?" Remus was lost to say the least. What Sirius has to do wi--- then it dawned on him. The dog looked rather similar to Snuffles. Practically identical through the eyes of someone who has not seen Sirius in his animagus form more than a few times, like Harry. "Oh, Harry, Harry, Harry. That doggy isn't your god daddy! That's another doggy. Your daddy is still in Amsterdam like we talked about earlier!"
"But, but., he looks just like Daddy!"
"I know, kiddo. But it's not. Now, are we gonna be okay? Do you want to go home?"
"I wanna go to Zonkos."
"Okay, whatever you want."
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Fortunately, the rest of Harry's stay with Remus, all was well, and there were no more traumatizing events to make Harry or Sirius adverse to Remus caring for the young child again.
Sirius arrived, well rested and with his manly needs fulfilled after a night at a club, and, after kissing Harry head to toe, relieved Remus of his duties.
Back home in Kent, Harry fell asleep, curled tightly around his godfather, listening to his tales of the exotic, fairy-tale like land of Amsterdam.
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