Hey This actually goes with the poem Thirteen Years which you'll find in my author directory thing. Please enjoy.
Title. Of baby powder and blood
Author. Ferality Red
Rating. PG-13 for mention of child abuse and death and Padfoot's foul mouth.
Warning. Spoilers for book 1-4 has nothing to do with book 5 except for some facts.
Disclaimer. I don't own any thing but the plot. And please R and R because I don't have a clue on what I'm doing..
Stretching out and smacking his alarm clock which was making the must irritating sound he had ever heard. Remus turned over, sighed as the sound cut off and lay there for a moment listening to the sounds of the house. The quiet and peacefulness of the house was mirrored in the outdoors. The house was surrounded by trees for miles around and human life even further away. Though a lonely life it was peaceful and no one to guess that a werewolf lived within a house surrounded by a jumble of trees.
He could hear the willow tree tap against the kitchen window downstairs and other normal sounds of the house that soothed him. But there was something off and the werewolf couldn't put his finger on what it was. The normal rhythm of the house was not compete. I don't hear Sirius rummaging for food. Most mornings Sirius was up at the crack of dawn to look for food he deemed edible, which was just about everything. Azkaban had installed a deep rooted appreciation for many things, especially food, and family above that.
Remus pushed himself of the bed with a throaty grunt. It had been three nights since the full moon and even if it had been the easiest one he'd had for over ten years. Thirteen year to be more exact. It was still hard to get out of beds, chairs and the like. The reappearance of Moony's pack mate calmed the wolf in the way that he had craved for so very long. Padfoot and Moony had tumbled underneath a full moon like pups.
Bringing new life into him and making everything ten times easier then they had before. Shaking those thoughts off he threw on his favorite dark green robe before padding down the hall to the guest room were he had put Sirius. The transformation the escaped convict had gone through since arrival was astounding.
Though his hair was still long it now went to his waist in a smooth neat cut. With the layer of filth and the growth of beard on his chin gone he looked like a completely different person. His body though still thin had filled out quickly making him look more natural. Of course telling him that might give him ideas and Sirius with ideas was a dangerous thing.
Sighing for about the hundredth time that week he opened Sirius's door and stopped dead. Remus blinked several times, pushing the heels of his hand into his eyes and breathed slowly to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. The little body that was spooned against Padfoot's furred back was familiar. He knew exactly who it was and he hoped to Merlin that whatever excuse Sirius had was good. Harry was tucked under one of his thicker quilts and looked pretty much dead to the world. The way Harry seemed to snuggle against Padfoot was so full of innocent trust that he was thrust back in time for a moment. Back to a time when Lily would lay baby Harry down beside Padfoot without thought and let them sleep together.
He brought himself back into the present sharply. Remus stepped over to the bed with light feet and slid the curtain of black hair away from Harry's face. Feeling the heat of coming off excessively pale skin he turned to his friend to wake him only to find him already awake and staring right back at him. He waited for Sirius transformation back into a human to speak."We're going to talk later about this but right now you're going to get a fever reducer and a wet towel. I'm going to Fire Call Albus and tell him that Harry is here."
As Remus turned away Sirius captured his hand bringing him to a halt. "I wouldn't have brought him here unless it was important." Remus stared levelly at Sirius his eyes telling him to continue and so he did. "They hurt him. I couldn't let him stay there." Sirius trailed off. His gaze went to his godsons sleeping form. Harry was still curled up on his side, the bruised side of his face was burrowed into the pillow and the blanket he had tucked over the child last night hid the rest of his body from view. Sirius turned back sharply when he felt Remus's other hand cover his.
" I never doubted you on that. It's just that you do things sometimes that are rash and it frightens me." Remus spoke gently his eyes had softened and the gaze that they shared spoke silently between them. I need you. Don't leave me. I couldn't survive without you. I can't lose you. Not again. With one last squeeze and a quick glance at Harry, Remus was out the bedroom door and Sirius went to find the potion.
Sirius came back into his room after rummaging around in Remus's medicine cabinet and finding what he needed. He held a water filled bowl in one hand and a rag rapped around a bottle in the other. Setting it all on the floor near the bed he sat down were he was before on the bed and braced himself for a very confused godson. "Hey Harry wake up. Its morning and Moony's going to be grouchy if you don't get up." Harry stirred at the light shake of his shoulder. He cracked his eyes opened before bolting up, gasping in pain then collapsing back into the bed. "Sirius what are you doing here? You could be caught. What? Where am I?" the rapid fire words trailed off as he realized he wasn't at the Dursely.
Harry blinked several times looking slightly dazed. His voice was rough and soft like someone who hadn't used it for awhile and there was a trace of wetness deep in his lungs by the sound of it. Sirius felt his heart constrict that this creature before him didn't seem to understand that Sirius wasn't the one who needed to be worried about.
The wide eyed look that was currently looking up at him was much too green, too much like a similar haunting shade of murder. He could not remember Lily's eyes being that bright or that sad, older like a Azkaban prisoner left without hope of release. Sirius lightly touched Harry's shoulder in a hopefully soothing manner. " You were sick so I took you to Remus's house. That's where we are. Everything's fine. No one knew I was even there." He tried to put as much sincerity in his voice as possible knowing he could not lie to that acid green light swirling in his godsons eyes.
He helped Harry sit up his bruised face now bared to the world. He turned for a moment and scooped up the objects he has set down and balance the bowl in his lap. Cradling the child against his side he held up the filled bottle not knowing how to broach the subject. "What is it?" Sighing in relief he responded to Harry's question, "it's a fever reducer potion." Harry blinked slowly with his unfocused eyes and pressed his hand to his forehead.
He didn't do anything but nod, remove his hand from his head and rap it around the bottle. Sirius helped him uncork the bottle, tip his back and swallow with a grimace. His godson suddenly jerked slightly and blinked repeatedly. "Harry?" Sirius asked his worry growing not understanding what was wrong. "Sleeping potion too." Harry whispered his head drooping and eyes fluttering shut. Sirius waited for a moment as the limp form in his arms stilled, he sighed and tucked him in, smoothing hair and his control back into some type of order.
A shift of movement caught his attention and he tuned to see Remus had returned and brought two others with him. Dumbledore looked sad as he watched what had happened and Snape face was unreadable, no emotion not even hate showed forth. All three stood right inside the door of the room as if waiting for his permission to step forward. Sirius nodded and returned to his sleeping godson only to look up when the others had congregated around the boys bed.
"How is he?" Dumbledore asked. Sirius grimaced before replying. " Fever, congestion in the lungs, bruises in multiple places, especially his shins." Sirius snarled suddenly, "it looked like someone stomped the shit out of them. I don't think there broken but they should be checked for a fractures at least. I don't like how they look." The silence after his outbreak was uncomfortable in its tenseness. Sirius scowled protectively as Snape lifted one of Harry's wrist up, turning it over in a almost thoughtful manner. Studying the dark markings with the same blank expression.
Watch it grease ball or Voldemort going to be the least of your worries. Snape looked up, sensing the glare, but did nothing but turn to Remus to speak to him. "He should stay in bed for several days. Give him fever reducers when he needs them, keep him hydrated and give him this for his legs." Snape was laying down several bottles on the night stand. All of them looked the same except one that was a bright azure blue. With one curt nod he stalked out off the room.
There was a moment of silence before Dumbledore stepped back from the bed and motioned the two men to join him. Dumbledore settled into the kitchen as Remus bustled about the counters preparing tea with Sirius on his heels trying and failing to get him to sit down. "Now that we got that out of the way we can discuss how this happened and how we shall proceed.
Sirius squared his shoulders in defiance and opened his mouth to speak.
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Sochaptertwo is up/does a little jig/ I hope you liked it. Paternal!Padfoot and Exasperated!Mooney always make me laugh. I have no clue on how I'm doing so/points down/ please R and R.