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Chapter 4

"Have a nice sleep, Harry," Remus asked as Harry slowly made his way down the stairs. Remus was sitting by the fireplace in the main sitting room done in various shades of green and white. He had a book open on his lap and he was sitting with a blanket the same color as Harry's eyes covering himself as if he were cold. Which he probably was because Harry was even cold.

Harry shrugged and walked to Remus and leaned over his shoulder to peer at the book he was reading. "Pretty good," he said. "I feel much better. I suppose you're one of the ones working to find a cure for lycanthropy. I'd be very surprised if you weren't."

"Of course, I am, Harry," he said, shaking his own head at the book he was reading. Lycanthropy: Disease or Not? The History of Lycanthropy. "I want to be human as much as everyone else."

"Being human is vastly overrated, just like being normal, Professor Lupin," Harry said, leaning away from the old werewolf and moving to sit across from him on the table. "Our differences make us who we are. We don't care if you are a werewolf, professor. We accept you for who you are because to have you any other way, it wouldn't be the same Professor Lupin we know and love."

"But I have a feeling that we are so close. Every time I get this feeling something goes wrong and I lose it. It's somewhere hidden in the history of it. I can find it if I just look close enough."

"Don't look too hard, professor," Harry said gently. "You'll get weary of it before you even begin."

Remus looked at him for a minute and smiled, closing the book after marking his place. "Well, if you think it is so boring, like Sirius does, we'll go do something fun."

"I didn't say that it was boring, professor. Just ridiculous to spend your life trying to find a cure for what you are when there are other people who love you for who and what you are. My parents did, Sirius does, I do. There are many more others too, if you just looked around."

"Harry, you know you can call me Remus. It isn't the school year," he said.

He hesitated but nodded. "Okay, Remus. But you do understand what I'm trying to say, don't you? Being a lycanthrope makes you who you are. But if you really want to be free then I will help, if I can."

"Thanks, Harry," Remus said after a moment. "There are a lot of lycanthropes in the world but some really don't help or really care. It means a lot to me that you care."

"You know, Hermione would get a kick out of this too, if you get my meaning. She'd love to help too. And Ron and some others would probably give a hand or two."

"Anyone that will help is fine. The more people there is, the faster it might be found and done," he said.

"Sirius doesn't help," he asked.

Remus smiled. "He would, if I tied him to a chair and threatened him with no food. But he has other more important things to be worrying about."

"What things," Harry asked.

"Nothing really."

"You know how I hate being kept in the dark, professor," Harry said darkly. "I hate it."

"I know, Harry. It's just that the less people who know about it now, the better. Hopefully, if everything goes right, you'll know soon. It's nothing bad."

"Is it for the Order?"

Remus shook his head. "No, not for the Order. Something for him, and you…For everyone."

Harry nodded and said, "I just don't want him to get hurt. I don't you or anyone to get hurt because of me. Not even Snape. I'd feel guilty beyond belief. I'd never be able to forget it."

"You could love Snape, Harry," Remus said, his face playful though his voice was serious.

"Maybe," he said thoughtfully though seriously. "Maybe if he weren't such a snarky git. I remembered how you guys used to treat him. It wasn't very nice, professor."

"I know, Harry. And I did nothing to stop it. I was afraid that I'd lose them as my friends if I did. But it all worked out, even if Severus turned too snarky for comfort. He wasn't exactly from the best family, so I suppose we did help him along to becoming who he is today. I'm not proud of it, Harry. Know that."

"I know. I didn't say you were, professor."

"Harry, it's not the school year and I am no longer your professor. You can call me Remus or of course, Moony. That's the second time in under five minutes I've told you that."

Harry hesitated. "Of course, Moony. How about we go and find the others? It's getting a little too quiet for my tastes. Especially for Fred and George to be here."

"Oh, yes, I've been wondering about those two. It seems they may make the Marauders a run for. They are wonderful pranksters. Better than Prongs and Padfoot were at times." He paused. "You don't think that they are planning anything, do you?"

"Fred and George," Harry asked, looking at Remus in surprise. "Moony, really. If you are going to live in a house with those two, you have to realize, they are always planning."

"Yes, it certainly does seem that way," he said, standing and placing the book carefully on the table, as if it were something precious and meant to be treasured. To him, it probably was. "How about we go to the kitchen for something to eat? We both missed dinner as it is past midnight."

Harry blanched. "Past midnight? How could Sirius let me sleep that long? Why did you miss it?"

"I was sleeping," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "If you remember the full moon was only a day or so ago. I'm still tired. And obviously Sirius thought you could do with some sleep too."

He nodded, wondering why he hadn't thought of that. "Of course. I remember you telling me that the full moon was coming. You spent it with Sirius, right?"

"Right," he said, a slight smile curling on his lips. "Who else would I spend it with?"

"Buckbeak," Harry said, smiling his own little smile.

"Yeah, right. I'd be bored out of my mind. At least with Sirius I would have someone I could actually understand, even if he was boring also."

"Wow, Moony, I'm hurt," Sirius said as he clutched his chest in mock hurt as they entered the kitchen. He was sitting at the table by himself and eating a sandwich and drinking something out of a plain silver goblet. "I didn't know you thought I was so boring."

"You assume that you're boring," the werewolf countered as he sat down on Sirius's left and Harry at his right. He waved his wand and a plateful of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice appeared on the table. Both Harry and Remus grabbed a sandwich and poured themselves some pumpkin juice.

Sirius snorted and turned to Harry, effectively ignoring his werewolf friend. "So, how did you like your room? Did you sleep well? Molly and I thought it was best not to wake you. It looked like you really needed the sleep. The circles under your eyes have faded a bit."

"Wow, that's a lot of questions," Harry said, blinking from trying to keep up with his fast talking godfather. "You forget that I only just woke up," he paused and looked at his wrist that held no watch, "only about ten minutes ago. One question at a time, Sirius."

He snorted again as Harry took a bite from his food. "How do you like your room?"

"It is very nice. Like I said earlier, I can't believe it's mine."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Like a dream," he replied flippantly while sipping his drink. "I really like that bed. I'll have to change it around a bit though."

"What do you mean, change it around," Sirius asked, trying to sound outraged but failing. "I made that room up myself. Sirius Black makes no mistakes while decorating. What's the problem?"

"You do know that there are more than two colors in the world, right? Don't get me wrong, I do not mind red and gold, but there is just too much of it in the room. If you get my meaning."

"There is absolutely no green and silver colors in that room allowed period," he said, seriously.

"I'm not a Slytherin, Sirius. Don't worry about those colors. Though I shouldn't be talking since the room I just came from was practically but."

"Snape's idea," Sirius said sourly.

"Just chill a little, Sirius. The room is perfect. I'm just kidding. You know that, right," Harry asked.

"Of course," he replied, though it was said a little too tightly.

"Sirius, please don't do anything to him," Harry said softly.

"What do you mean? Do what to whom?"

"Don't do anything to Snape. He doesn't deserve it. Not anymore. Not after what you guys put him through when you were younger. For a time there I was ashamed of my father, not matter what you said to think about him. Just promise me you won't do anything."

Sirius stared at his godson in surprise. "I promise," he said finally with a heavy sigh. He pushed away from the table and said as he was going out the door. "Dumbledore's dropping by tomorrow to see you. Don't sleep late if you can."

Harry looked a little put out by his quick departure but shrugged it off when Remus began to talk again. No one noticed the shocked presence of the man outside the room.

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