"Are you not curious about your parents?"
The question was out of his mouth before he could second guess himself. Harry looked at him with a slight tilt of his head and a curious expression on his face as he nibbled on Honeydukes' Best Chocolate. They were just finishing there lesson for today and he decided that he would not get a better opportunity to voice his thoughts. Today the lesson had gone well really well. After a month of lessons on weekends Harry had finally managed to repel the boggart dementor back into the cupboard reliably. He would still struggle against a real dementor but he has made a lot of progress.
"What do you mean, Professor Lupin?" Harry finally asked him with that tilt of his head that was so much like Lily and that expression that was pure James that for a second he was back in Godric Hollow and promising a 14 month Harry that he would come back with gifts on Christmas and watching his face light up upon hearing the word gift. He forcibly pulled himself out of those memories. It always hurt dwelling on those memories and he had to focus on the conversation he was having with Harry.
"I was their friend in school. I can tell you about them if you want." He did not voice what he really wanted to know; why Harry never asked him but from the realization on his face he clearly understood what he meant. When he had decided to come to Hogwarts as the DADA professor; to teach and protect Harry: he had not wanted Harry to know about the connection he shared with his parents. He had not been ready to relieve those memories. After watching Harry almost fall to his death he had decided that he needed to teach Harry to protect himself from the dementors. It did not matter how painful it would be for him; Harry needed to be protected.
And so he had approached Harry to talk about the matter. He had talked about how he knew James and Lily and what they were like. He had fully expected Harry to ask him about his them; and he had prepared himself to answer him no matter how much it hurt. But Harry did not ask him anything about his parents; nothing. It's not like they did not talk. They did but never about Harry's parents and he wanted to; no he needed to know why the son of his best friends never asked about them.
"It's just.." Harry trailed off. He let out a sigh and after taking a deep breath started again,"When Hagrid took me to the Diagon Alley I asked him questions.A lot of them." his tone was almost sheepish, like he thinks he should not have asked about his parents,"Hagrid answered them. He was the one who told me that my dad was not a.." Harry stops abruptly and he wonders what did Harry think about James that was not true.
"Anyways, Hagrid told me anything I about my parents, but the whole time he had this sad look on his face, like he missed them so much and it hurt him that they were gone." the marauders had been close to Hagrid; the fact that despite knowing that he was a half giant they still visited him regularly and were friends with him had meant a much to Hagrid as it did to him. Hagrid had also lost a part of his family that Halloween night."So I just stopped asking him. Hagrid is my friend and I don't want him to be sad. Sometimes when I visit him he tells me about them and that is enough. He even gave me a photo album with photos of parents in it in my first year. It is the best gift I ever got and I make sure that none of it's pages are damaged or torn."
He is grateful to Hagrid for doing this much for Harry. It clearly meant a lot to Harry. "So I don't ask other about my parents so I don't bring up any painful memories." Harry finished and nodded to himself and the gesture was so much like Lily that it sent a pang through his heart. "Besides.." Harry had a small smile on his face just like James had when he had thanked him for helping him through his transformations."I know all I need to know about them, I know what really matters to me."
He looked at him curiously and Harry expanded,"I know that they loved me. They loved me so much that they died to save me. Whenever a dementor comes close to me it reminds me exactly how much they loved me. I hear my dad tell my mum to take me and run while he holds Voldemort off. I hear my mum beg Voldemort to kill her instead of me. So I know what I need to know about them and it is more than enough for me. I don't need to know if my dad was a quidditch fanatic or if my mum used to obsess over dresses and giggled all the time. It does not matter to me if they liked to drink or smoke. What matters to me is if they loved me and I know without a doubt that they did."
The earnest look on Harry's face eased his guilt a bit.I hope you can see what a fine young man Harry has grown up to be James, Lily. I promise, I will protect him even if I have to die for it. He gave Harry a smile and said,"Your parents would be proud of you." The bright smile that Harry gave him made lightheaded. That smile is so similar to his own when he held Harry in his hands for the first time. He is really glad that he came to Hogwarts. Teaching Harry is helping him finally heal the loss of his family and he cannot express how grateful he is.
I hope you enjoyed this.