Father and son
Chapter 2
Once Harry had finished the soup he lay back into his bed. Thinking of one person. Remus had spent so much time alone with him in his third year - he had seen him struggle to find a happy memory. Why hadn't he told him the truth and taken him in? Why had nobody known that they were related to each other?
There was a knock on the door and Ron entered with a pack of exploding snap cards. "Mum said I could come up now. She's in a right state. What's happening?"
"Hi Ron." Harry said quietly "I'm ill that's all."
"Its not serious is it?" Ron said sharply
"I need a member of my family to transfer some magic into me to save my life."
Ron paled "But - who-"
"Dumbledore scanned the wizarding population for a match. It was Lupin. Hes closely related to me."
"I don't understand. Why didn't he tell you?" Ron said
"I Don't know!" Harry exclaimed "Why? Why did he lie to me. All this time, and with Sirius and everything." Harry closed his eyes, distress overwhelming him.
Ron looked furious. "I thought he was a nice bloke - and yet he left you with those PEOPLE! Still at least he can cure you. He wont refuse now everyone knows the truth"
Harry bowed his head. "So why did he run away?"
Ron sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and sighed. "You look awful. Why don't you go to sleep?"
"Thanks Ron your comments are always so flattering."
Ron smirked. Harry smiled at his friend "How about you tell me about your summer so far? I'm sure I'll be bored to sleep in no time."
Ron shut the curtains and fluffed Harry's pillows. "Where shall I start?"
Harry yawned "Anywhere"
"Um - ok. Well, Hermione stayed here with me for the first week of the holidays. And guess what? We're going out. Don't tell Fred and George, they'd tease me like mad."
"You and Hermione? Well, at least you might bicker less now."
"You'd think so wouldn't you.." Ron said dreamily and he began telling the story of how Hermione and he had got together. Harry was only half listening. His head was pounding again. Eventually he couldn't surpress a groan
"And then she said- Are you ok Harry?!"
"No, Ive got a headache." Harry said
"Want me to get Mum?" Ron asked
"That wont be necessary." The bedroom door had opened and in walked Pomfrey and Lupin.
Harry glared at him. "I'm here to cure you." Remus said "And to explain myself. I'm sorry I ran away."
"Start talking." Harry said shortly
"In a moment." Poppy said "Mr Lupin, sit next to Mr Potter please." Remus flinched and sat down.
Poppy took Remus' hand and cut his palm then did the same to Harry. "I will say a joining spell and then you two have to hold hands for 15 minutes in order for Mr Lupin's magic to transfer to you, help you to destroy the infection and then transfer back to him. "
"Is there a chance that Harry could become a werewolf by mixing our blood?"
"There is the risk of that yes, but that is preferable to the boy dying in this bed before his 16th birthday."
"I didn't realise that I would die that soon without this." Harry said stunned.
"If it were not for the potions I gave you yesterday you would have been barely conscious right now."
Pomfrey said a spell and then Remus and Harry joined hands. Poppy waved a wand and another bed appeared on the other side of the room. "After this transfer you will both be weak and exhausted. It would be easier if you stay in here so I can tend to you both together." Poppy said to Remus. "I'll be back in ten minutes. Will you stay in the house that long or do I have to tie you together?" Poppy asked
"I'm sorry about that I will never leave Harry again. I always intended to return to help him." Poppy marched from the room. The two joined hands began to glow white.
"So? "Harry said "You told me you'd explain."
"I will. Please just let me talk and listen to what I need to say very carefully, don't interrupt."
"Ok." Harry said, thinking that this explanation had better be a good one.
"I loved your mother since the second I first saw her."
Harry gasped this was not what he was suspecting.
"I was entering Hogwarts as a very insecure boy. I was terrified of exposure as a werewolf, and soon I made fast friends with James, Sirius and Peter. They were popular and kept my secret when they discovered it like some kind of badge of honour. With them I was safe and normal, nobody would hurt me with James and Sirius around and they risked everything to accompany me on the full moon. They were the best friends I could have ever wished for. They were both intensely loyal people.
I was too shy to do anything in regards to my feelings for Lily. Even though by our second year she was one of my closest friends. I was worried that she would discover my secret, or that one day I might harm her if I got too close, what if the wolf inside me took over when we were together. In our forth year James began to see in Lily what I did. He was head over heels. I kept silent as he pursued her constantly. His showing off, his flirting. I didn't want to betray him and loose the only friends I had ever had, the only people of my own age who knew of my condition and did not fear me for it."
As much as Harry liked hearing about James he wished Lupin would get to the point.
"Eventually of course, James and lily began going out, got engaged. They were besotted with each other. They married. We all joined the Order, and were soon out on frequent missions. Everything was going smoothly for Lily and James until one night. James and Sirius were off on a mission. Me and lily were together in Godric's Hollow. Even now I cant remember the details of what happened, but that night something happened between us. It's as if we just didn't think. To Lily it was not much more than a one night stand, to me, it meant the world."
Harry's jaw dropped, suddenly it became clear.
"You must understand Harry that your mother was not a slut. War is one of the most stressful things in the world. It can make people act in unpredictable ways. That night could not have been predicted by anyone. We both felt so guilty the next day. Lily and me reached the agreement that it had never happened and we both swore that the secret would go with us to our graves."
Three weeks later Lily announced that she was pregnant. She told me that there was no way it could me mine. I didn't know what I was supposed to feel so I decided to try and be happy for my to best friends. When you were born any suspicion I had that you were my son disappeared as you looked so much like James. Again I was overjoyed to see Lily so happy, but I felt bitter as well as you were the symbol of what I could have had."
Harry felt cold all over, he shook slightly.
"A year later they died. The woman of my dreams and my best friend were murdered. Sirius appeared at the time to be guilty, Peter dead. I'd lost everything. I begged Dumbledore to be allowed to take you in. But he couldn't. The ministry wouldn't allow me to even see you. You were their saviour and I was just a werewolf.
When you were 13 I befriended you at the school. You are so like your mother. Again I wished you were mine. Wished I could offer you a home. Then Sirius reappeared. He had suffered for so long who was I to take you away, the thing he wanted most, the person that had kept him sane."
"So again I pulled back, tried to let Sirius lead, then last night I discovered the truth. I am not related to James Harry. Not even distantly. There was only one reasonable answer. Lily lied to me to protect her marriage. She loved James as much as I loved her. She must have charmed you to look like James. Maybe the charm will eventually wear off, I don't know. But looking at you now I realise you always looked a little TOO much like him."
There was a silence. Poppy came back into the room "Another minute or two should be enough" She said. And left to get potions.
"You're my dad." Harry said numbly as the news began to sink in. "My father."
"I ran away when I found out because I needed time to think about what I'd say. How to phrase it."
"I understand." Harry muttered
"We have both lived for the last 16 years being denied the greatest thing in the world. Parental love. Harry, would you like to start again. Me and you. Really get to know each other. You can come and live with me. If Dumbledore says no, I'll come and stay with you at the Dursleys."
"They'd love that." Harry said sarcastically.
"I don't care." REmus said.
Poppy came back and pulled the two hands apart. Remus slumped in his chair with exhaustion. Harry felt as though an electric charge had passed through him. "Ow!"
Remus and Poppy looked around. "Oh my!" Poppy gasped.
"Harry..." Remus said, stunned
"What."
"Your appearance, the charm that Lily put on you, it's broken!"
Poppy pulled a hand mirror from the sideboard and harry looked into it. Staring back at him was a teenage boy with reddish-brown hair, green eyes and almost a perfect synthesis of Remus and Lily in facial shape and features. "Woah" Harry said
"Us finding out the truth must have broken the charm." Remus said faintly
Harry stared at his new reflection as Remus