"Remus, why are you waking me?" Sirius growled.
"I think something's wrong," the man answered. "I don't really know. I thought I heard something that woke me up, but then I didn't hear it again. There's a weird scent in the air. It's...salty, and musty? There's something wrong, Sirius. I just know it."
"Okay, okay, I'm up. Can you describe the noise you think you heard?" Sirius asked as he sat up.
"Umm...well it reminded me of a yelp from a hurt dog. That's why I came to wake you, I thought you were hurt," Remus admitted sheepishly.
"Okay, well there's one other person on this floor. I'm not hurt so why don't we go make sure Harry's still asleep," Sirius suggested. "What?"
"It's just...that was a really reasonable suggestion," Remus said with a half-hearted laugh.
"No need to sound so surprised," Sirius shot back feigning injury.
"You just sounded so mature. Are you feeling okay?" Remus said with a laugh.
Once at the boy's door, Sirius slowly, quietly pushed the door open. His heart almost stopped when he didn't find the boy on his bed. "Remus, he's gon!" Sirius called frantically before screaming, "Harry!"
"Wait, Sirius, I smell it...the salty, musty smell...it's coming from the wardrobe," Remus said quickly taking back his mature adult role.
Both men moved to the wardrobe with their wands drawn. When they opened the wardrobe, a juvenile silencing spell was broken and earsplitting screams quickly turned into heartbreaking sobs.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Please, please stop. I swear, I didn't mean to wake you. Please stop. It hurts. It hurts," the young sleeping boy cried curling in on himself and whimpering.
Sirius and Remus holstered their wands, and Sirius sat on the edge of the wardrobe. "Harry, Harry you're safe. You're with me, Sirius, and Remus. We won't ever hurt you, pup. Please open your eyes, Harry," Sirius pleaded.
"Sirius, he'll need his glasses once he wakes up," Remus pointed out handing over the frames.
Sirius took the glasses and continued talking to the whimpering, sobbing boy in a soothing voice. "Harry, it's Sirius, I'm here with you and I won't let anyone hurt you. We won't hurt you, Harry. Remus is here with me. We just need you to open your eyes, pup. Come on, Harry, open your eyes. We've got you. You just need to wake up, pup," Sirius pleaded.
Sirius and Remus heard the whimpering stop, the sobs were slowly dissipating, so Sirius continued talking.
"Harry, you're at Grimmauld place. I'm here with you. It's Sirius. Remus is right behind me. You were dreaming pup. Now it's time to wake up. Remus and I are here with you, we won't let anything hurt you. You're safe, Harry. Just wake up. Open your eyes for me, pup."
Slowly the young boy uncurled himself and Sirius found himself looking into terrified emerald eyes wet with tears blinking at him with confusion.
"That's good, pup. You're here with me and Remus. We've got your glasses. I'm gonna put them on you, okay?" Sirius asked not wanting to scare the boy as he reached out and slipped the frames on the tiny child.
Harry blinked a couple more times, and then Sirius found himself with an armful of sobbing Harry. Sirius looked over at his friend with a lost look on his face. Remus motioned for Sirius to bring the child over to the bed. Sirius picked up the sobbing child and sat on the bed next to his friend. Remus rubbed the boy's back and Sirius kept his arms comfortingly around the child until some time later the sobs dissipated once more and Harry pulled away from his godfather to rub the tears off his face. Remus pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and passed it over to the boy.
"Harry, are you hurting anywhere?" Remus asked gently. The boy shook his head no.
"Pup, did something scare you?" Sirius asked quietly. The boy nodded his head yes.
"Harry, did you have a nightmare?" Remus prompted gently. The boy nodded his head yes again.
"Pup, will you trust us with the nightmare, please? We might be able to help you," Sirius asked.
"There was a green light. My mom screamed. They died. Because of me. Then Aunt Petunia held my hand against the burner 'cuz I burned their food. And Uncle Vernon beat me with his belt 'cuz I didn't finish my chores. I was trapped in my cupboard again while they reminded me how worthless I am. How useless I am. How much of a freak I am. How everyone around me dies. How no one wants me. How I am nothing. How I am lucky to have anyone at all. How they give me more than anybody else would ever dare. How I deserved everything I got. Then Voldemort was talking to me from Quirrel's head again. Then the basilisk bit me again. Then the dementors brought back the green light and my mom screaming. Then Cedric...he died. I killed him. Then Umbridge, and my hand, and the crucio, and the pain, and her touch. I-It's all just too much. I'm sorry," Harry cried in a tender voice before he took off toward the bathroom.
Sirius was quick to follow his godson followed close behind by Lupin. They watched the young boy kneel in front of the toilet and vomit until his body was wracked with dry heaves and trembling. Sirius knelt behind his godson and rubbed his back comfortingly. Lupin wet a washcloth and filled a cup with cool water. He dabbed the boy's face with the cool washcloth and kept the cup close at hand for whenever the boy was ready. Remus and Sirius exchanged a glance between the two. They would get their kid through this. They would make sure he was okay. No matter what it took, they would do whatever it took to help the child heal.