Disclaimer: As always, the HP universe and its canon elements belong to JK Rowling.
Warnings/Author's Notes: This story contains the depiction of corporal punishment and a homosexual relationship. If this bothers you, please read something else. As you may have noticed from Chapter 1, there are parts of this story that go along with canon and parts that do not. This trend will continue throughout the story.
Parings: Sirius/Remus with references to Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny
Reviews: Always welcome
Chapter 4: Settling In
Remus became more and more anxious as the afternoon wore on before the full moon. Aethra had proved very resilient and although she was disappointed to hear that her daddies were going away for a day or two, she didn't make the slightest fuss. That meant, of course, that Sirius won the discussion regarding his own plans for that night.
"When do you want to go over there?" Sirius asked as he hung a portrait frame on the wall. He was hoping that James would show up if a portrait was made for him.
Remus shrugged. "Around seven or eight," he replied as he hung a grandmother clock on the wall near the front door.
"Do you want to eat beforehand?"
Remus shrugged again. He wasn't hungry, but he knew from experience that going through the ordeal hungry was not a good idea.
"I'll heat up the stew," Sirius replied and disappeared into the kitchen.
They had spent the last two afternoons working on the house. Remus would want to recuperate the following day, but after that, they intended to welcome Harry and Aethra home.
"Hello!" came a voice that sent a shiver up Remus's spine. He should have been expecting it since Sirius had just hung the portrait frame, but somehow he thought it would take longer.
"James!" Remus replied, forcing a smile as he turned around.
"Where on Earth is this?" James asked as he looked around.
"It's a little cottage we bought just outside of Hogsmead," Remus explained. "Sirius! He's here!"
Sirius rushed into the sitting room and grinned at the portrait of James. "That was fast!"
"I've been waiting," James replied with a broad smile. "Where's Harry?"
"With the Weasleys," Remus answered. "Tonight's the full moon so I," he paused and looked over at Sirius, "We are going down to the Shrieking Shack."
James nodded with understanding. "You should hang a frame over there too," he suggested eagerly.
"Good idea!" Sirius agreed with a grin.
Remus shook his head as he laughed. "I'm glad you two are looking forward to it."
"Awe, Moony, don't take it like that," Sirius replied. "It's just nice to be getting back to normal."
They spent the next hour or so chatting, eating the stew, and catching James up on Harry. It seemed the dead were able to gets bits of information, but never an entire story. They didn't have time for very much, though, because the sun was starting to set and Remus knew that he had to get to the Shrieking Shack.
"Take care of yourself, Mooney," James called as Sirius and Remus headed out the door. "And be careful Padfoot! You're not as young as you used to be!"
Sirius playfully blew him a raspberry before closing the door behind them.
"He's right you know," Remus said as they took the shortcut to the shack.
"Nah, I'm good," Sirius replied.
Remus stopped just short of the Whomping Willow's range and took a deep breath. He went through the same ordeal every month, but something about spending the night in the Shrieking Shack made him both comforted and depressed. It was probably because James wasn't there. Not to mention it was a poignant reminder of Pettigrew's betrayal. "James is right," he finally said as he took out his wand.
"About what?" Sirius asked once Remus had halted the Willow's whomping.
"We should put up a frame in here."
Sirius grinned at him as they headed down into the passageway. "And one in the Gryffindor common room," he suggested.
Remus had to laugh. "To spy on the students for you?"
Sirius gave him a look of innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Lily too," Remus added after a long pause.
"In the Gryffidor Common room or the shack?" Sirius asked.
They were climbing the stairway and Remus began to feel the usual sensations stirring within him. He knew it would only be another minute or so. "At the house," he said before collapsing onto the bed. All the furniture that Sirius didn't want from Grimmauld Place had been sent to the shack so that they wouldn't have to sit on uncomfortable pieces of broken furniture.
Suddenly he saw a ray of moonlight shine across the floor through the boards at the window and he couldn't keep the monster back anymore. He was a prisoner in his own body.
Arthur and Molly had gone to London to see Percy so it was only Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry at The Burrow with Aethra. Harry had physically recovered from his episode, but he was till a little anxious. He'd managed to avoid the transfiguration, because Sirius had to admit that he needed Harry to watch Aethra. Still, with the full moon upon them, he realized that in a day or so, he'd be forced to take the transfiguration whether he liked it or not. He hoped he could talk himself into it so that Sirius wouldn't have to be the big, mean, godfather.
"No!" Aethra asserted rather loudly.
Harry turned around from the table where he was reviewing some potions notes from the Half-Blood Prince, or Snape rather, to find Aethra glaring at Hermione and Ginny.
Hermione shook her head, though. "We can play something else, Aethra, but you have to help clean up the other game first."
"NO!" Aethra yelled again, but it was louder the second time.
Ginny winced since she was closest to Aethra's mouth.
Harry sighed and stood up, walking over to the three of them. Ron was watching from a safe distance. Aethra, without a bonafide adult around, seemed to intimidate him. "Aethra," Harry said, squatting down to her level. "Why won't you pick up the game with Hermione and Ginny?"
"Because I don't want to," she said with a pout. She even crossed her arms in a little huff.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I thought you just had a birthday," he said.
"I did!" she said angrily.
Harry shook his head. "Then you must have turned two, not five. Big girls don't throw tantrums." He had no idea if what he was saying was true, but it sounded good.
Aethra glared at him and then suddenly, without warning, she snapped at him with her teeth as if she were going to bite him.
"Oh no," Hermione said quietly.
Harry looked out the window to see that the sun had gone down and the moon was shining on The Burrow.
"She's goin' mental," Ron said with a little shaking in his voice.
Harry shook his head. "She's just having a tantrum." He turned back to Aethra and frowned at her. "If you're going to be like that, you can go to your room. We don't want to play with you if you're going to bite."
Aethra bit her lip and Harry could see the conflict of rage and distress wash over her face. Hermione and Ron were right. She was definitely having a problem. Before Harry could come up with an idea of how to avert a possible disaster, she shoved Ginny backwards and ran past them to the stairs. "I don't like you guys anyway!" She kicked the wall and then took off up the stairs.
"Ginny, you okay?" Harry asked, offering her a hand. He had a momentary flash of seeing her rise to her feet and him pulling her into a kiss that would last almost forever. He was so hungry for physical contact with her it was driving him mad. Still, Ron had told him to back off, and he wasn't ready to tell Ginny everything about the months that they'd been separated.
Ginny nodded as she took it and let him pull her to her feet. "She didn't push me that hard. Mostly I lost my balance."
"Alright, Hermione, what do we do?" Ron asked as they gathered around to clean up the game.
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. It's hard to tell if she's just throwing a tantrum of if something's really wrong. If it's the lycanthropy, I don't know how wise it would be to scold her."
"It's the lycanthropy," Harry said. "I could see it in her face."
Ginny shivered. "Maybe we should call Mum and Dad."
Hermione shook her head. "No, as long as she's upstairs, everything's okay. There's nothing to destroy up there and I don't think she could get out of the window."
Ron shook his head. "Mom made it so that you can only open it halfway. Fred and George were always sneaking out otherwise."
Harry had to smile at that.
"If she comes back down, though," Hermione warned. "Do not let her bite you."
The other three nodded solemnly, but Harry sincerely hoped that Aethra would stay in her room until the Weasley's got back.
Sirius had been forced to take his dog form when Remus lost control. They'd found over the years that Remus didn't usually react violently to Padfoot or Prongs unless they attacked him. So Sirius took his dog form and waited out the storm of Remus attempting to break apart the shack from the inside. The potion certainly helped, but Remus still wasn't himself.
Remus finally exhausted himself and fell into a frustrated heap on the floor around midnight. Then he started howling. It was a sad howling that Sirius knew was Remus crying on the inside. It took every ounce of his own self-control not to return to human form and attempt comforting him. He knew that if he did that, though, the werewolf would take over, and Remus would become violent towards him.
Sirius had to settle for licking Remus's ears when he was docile and then jumping back when the werewolf lashed out. James had been right. Sirius wasn't young anymore, and being up all night with that level of stress took a toll on him. He was more than exhausted when Remus returned to normal with the sunrise.
Sirius didn't let himself relax, though. He still had to get Remus back to the house and into bed. He turned back into a human and pointed his wand a Remus. "Wingardium Leviosa." Remus lifted into the air, and Sirius directed him out of the shack.
"I'm sorry, Sirius," Remus mumbled in his half sleep.
"Shhh," Sirius replied. "Just rest."
They got back to the cottage without being seen and Sirius floated him up the stairs to the bedroom they'd decided was theirs.
"Still glad to be back to normal?" Remus asked with a weak smile as Sirius got him undressed and into a pair of pajamas.
Sirius laughed. "Absolutely." He lowered Remus into the bed and then pulled the blankets up around him.
"Thank you so much, Padfoot."
Sirius kissed his cheek as he got in beside him. "Anytime, my dear Mooney."
The next morning, after having breakfast at The Burrow, Sirius, Remus holding Aethra, and Harry apparated into Hogsmead. They could have used the floo, but Sirius and Remus thought it would be better if the kids saw their new home from the outside first.
"Candy!" Aethra shrieked excitedly as they passed Honeydukes.
Remus laughed, squeezing her hand that he was holding. "Maybe we'll walk back later and a get a very small bag as a treat."
"But only if you're a good girl," Sirius added. "No more tantrums." He was referring to the tantrum she'd had while they were gone. Remus thought Harry was probably right and that she was probably having a reaction to the lycanthropy, but that was all the more reason to firmly teach her emotional control.
Aethra nodded up at him. "Okay," she agreed solemnly.
"Do I really have to do it today?" Harry asked, turning to them with a pleading expression on his face. Even without the transfiguration, he looked more like a thirteen-year-old than an eighteen-year-old.
Sirius nodded. "Yes. Our deal was to wait until now so now is when you'll do it."
Harry sighed. "Alright."
"There it is!" Remus announced as they came around a bend. The cottage was right in front of them, nestled against some trees.
"Wow!" Harry replied with a smile, in spite of his anxiety. "It looks so cozy!"
Sirius laughed. "We'll you've been used to The Burrow," he answered. "There's a lot to live up to."
Harry laughed too.
"Daddy, there's a swing!" Aethra exclaimed, pointing to a handmade wooden swing that Sirius had hung from one of the trees in the front of the house.
Remus laughed. "I see it. Daddy Sirius put it up."
Aethra ran around Remus's front and leapt at Sirius. Thankfully he anticipated her enthusiastic response and scooped her up without stepping on her. "Thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome, you're welcome!" he replied before kissing her cheek. He put her back down on her feet and let her run up the steps to the cottage.
"Ready?" Remus asked the three of them as he rested his hand on the door.
Harry and Aethra nodded eagerly.
"Welcome home," Sirius said as Remus opened the door.
Aethra darted inside without a moment's hesitation. Harry paused and smiled up at them. "Thanks."
Sirius grabbed him in a quick, loving hug and then ushered him into the house.
"Aethra? Where'd you go?" Remus called since she was nowhere to be seen.
"My room is purple!" she squealed with delight from the top of the stairs.
Remus and Sirius laughed. "Does that mean you like it?" Sirius asked.
Aethra nodded. "Harry, look at yer room!"
Harry jogged up the stairs and followed her to the first bedroom. "How do you know this one's mine?" he asked her.
"I peeked," she said with a giggle.
Remus chuckled and nodded to the door. "Go ahead, Harry. Take a look."
Harry opened the door and let out a little gasp. "It's great!" he breathed.
Remus and Sirius hadn't been sure about decorations. Harry was a Gryffindor, but they thought it might be a little over the top to coat the room in maroon and gold. A million Quidditch posters for wallpaper seemed to be a little too juvenile. In the end, they'd painted the walls maroon, put Gryffindor bedding on the Hogwarts style four poster bed, hung up one poster of England's seeker and one poster showcasing some of the ministry's best aurors. There was also a relatively large portrait hung on one of the walls, but it was shrouded with a sheet for the moment.
"What's that?" Aethra asked, pointing to it.
Harry turned to Sirius and Remus as well. "A picture?" he asked.
"A portrait," Sirius answered. He stepped around Aethra, went over to the frame and pulled the sheet down. Staring back at them were James and Lily in the classic couple's position. Lily's back was against James's front and they were so close that it almost looked like she was on his lap.
Harry took a couple of steps forwards, his mouth hung open in surprise.
Sirius and Remus very quietly backed out of the room, taking Aethra with them. It was essential for Harry and his parents to have their first few moments together alone.
Harry turned around when he heard the bedroom door close. He wasn't completely surprised to find he was alone in the room.
"Hello, Harry," he mother said.
Harry had dreamed about her voice thousands of times, but he never realized how accurately his mind remembered her soft, lyrical tone.
"I think he's in a bit of a shock, Lil'," his father said.
Harry blinked, finally closed his mouth, and tried to shake the cobwebs out of his mind. Even after that, they were still there and still smiling lovingly at him.
"How?" he asked.
"Sirius had this portrait made from some pictures he had," his dad explained. "There are a couple of single frames downstairs as well, and I think I heard Sirius mention the Gryffindor common room yesterday when he and Remus were recovering."
Harry laughed a little in disbelief. "This is okay, though?" he asked with concern. "I mean, it's not like the mirror?"
His mother smiled and shook her head. "No, it's not like the mirror," she answered in a reassuring tone.
Harry felt his eyes sting. He bit his lip to keep himself in control, but he couldn't help thinking that it was just one more thing that was so close, but not quite right. He couldn't hug portraits!
"Oh, Harry!" his mother exclaimed. "Don't be upset, darling. We want to be here to help, not make you feel worse."
"Maybe it's too much," his dad mused with concern.
Harry shook his head violently. He'd defeated Voldemort for crying out loud! He could certainly handle seeing his parents in a portrait. Heck, he'd seen Dumbledore's portrait in McGonagall's office. That hadn't made him lose control. "I'm alright," he said with as much confidence as he could. He was humiliated to here it sound so pathetic, though.
James smirked. "Mostly," he answered. "Harry, you got a raw deal. There's nothing that you or I or your mother or Sirius or Remus or anyone else can do about what is past. What we can do now is work with what is available to make the future as great as you deserve it to be."
Harry sighed and sat down on his new bed. "Sirius told you about the transfiguration."
His dad laughed. "Yes. You don't like the idea?"
Harry shrugged.
"You don't know what to expect," his mother stated in an understanding tone.
Harry looked down at his lap and nodded.
"If you ever want to know what it would have been like, Harry, I promise Sirius and Remus will provide you with as close to the real thing as you can get. There's a reason they're our best friends and your guardians," his dad reminded him.
"But what if I make a mistake or something?" Harry asked a little hoarsely. "I've already had Remus scold me once back in the third year and that was plenty for a lifetime!"
His mother laughed a little. "Yes. He can be a little intimidating when he wants to be," she agreed.
"If you mess up, you'll be punished. That's a normal part of childhood, kiddo," said his dad in such a casual tone that Harry wondered if the man knew what the definition of punished was.
"We certainly wouldn't have locked you in a cupboard!" his mother exclaimed in an almost angry tone. It surprised Harry, and he looked up with an appreciative smile on his face.
"But. . ." Harry started. He still felt so stupid for worrying about the issue of punishment. He had no intention of misbehaving. Why was it even an issue for him?!
"Harry, listen to me," his father said in a gentle voice. "If everything had gone perfectly and we'd been the ones to raise you, you would have had the same sorts of punishments at home that most wizarding kids do."
"None of the other kids have ever talked about it at school," he said.
His dad nodded. "So it's only reasonable that you're a little apprehensive. Your mother and I had decided, and Sirius and Remus are on the same page, that spankings are often the fastest and most effective ways to correct a child's behavior. There's no hold over from day to day as it is with grounding and chores are simply your responsibilities, not something dreadful to punish you with. If it was me, and I had to punish you, it'd be a bare bottom spanking over my knee and you'd stay there until I was sure you'd learned your lesson."
Harry didn't know how to express the odd feeling that was rolling through him. On one hand it was weird to here his dad, who he'd never properly met before, talk about giving him a bare bottomed spanking. On the other hand, it was strangely comforting. He understood the weird part, but the comforting part made absolutely no sense.
"Is that what Sirius and Remus will do?" he asked a little nervously.
His mother and father nodded.
"I just. . . I don't want them to start hating me when I'm little. What if I really like it, but they don't and they don't let me do it anymore?" he asked them.
"Oh, Harry, they will never hate you," his mother assured him, and he believed her. He didn't understand why, but he knew she wasn't saying something just to shut him up. He could trust her one hundred percent.
"What if I accidentally call one of them dad?" he asked meekly. He couldn't look his father in his the face as he spoke, though. The thought alone made him feel so guilty.
His dad actually laughed. "Then I'll know we made the right choice," he answered. "Really, Harry, it's going to be alright. You can't go through the rest of your life with this much pent up resentment. Get it out! For your friends' sakes, if not your own."
Harry looked over at his mother who was nodding her agreement.
"Are you going to be here all the time?" he asked with a little concern as he realized his privacy was potentially threatened.
His dad let out a long appreciative laugh. "No," he answered. "We'll only be in your room when you want us to be. Otherwise we'll be in the other portraits or elsewhere."
Harry smiled gratefully. "I should get back downstairs and help with lunch."
"Harry," his father said suggestively.
"Now?" Harry asked, almost whimpering.
"Now." His father was being firm and it was one of the best sounds Harry had ever heard.
"Yes, sir," he replied. He set his wand on the chest of drawers and stood in the middle of the room. "Regresso decaro," he said and he immediately felt himself shrinking. The second word of the incantation was to indicate how many years should be removed from his natural state. He'd already decided to be seven for his first experience. It made him older than Aethra and old enough to take care of himself, but not so old that he'd have a ton of responsibilities.
He heard his mother give out a happy little gasp. "You're just so cute!" she exclaimed.
"Lily," his dad said. "Don't embarrass him. We want him to do this again."
Harry laughed, surprised to hear his own voice so young. "That's okay," he assured his parents. He turned and left his room, ready to join the rest of his family.
"You know what we should do?" Sirius asked Remus as they made lunch together in the kitchen. Aethra was painting with magic paints at the kitchen table. They were more fun than muggle paints because their pictures moved. Sirius was also thankful that the paint dried quickly.
"Hmmm?" Remus asked as he counted out eight pieces of bread.
"Holiday!" Aethra answered for Sirius.
Sirius laughed. "Were you eavesdropping?"
Aethra giggled. "What's eavesdropping."
"Listening in on a grown up conversation without being invited," Remus explained patiently. He and Sirius had no intention of talking like children just because they had one. Aethra could develop a larger vocabulary if they maintained adult levels of conversation. They just had to be patient about defining terms for her from time to time.
She just giggled again.
"So I take it this idea came from someone else?" Remus asked Sirius.
Sirius laughed lightly. "Hermione, actually."
"Smart girl," Remus remarked. "Do you have the money for that?" he asked.
"We, Remus," Sirius replied. "We. And yes."
The kitchen door swung open and Harry walked in, thoroughly shrunk to a pre-pubescent age.
"I'm seven," Harry explained as he sat down at the table next to Aethra.
"I'm still littler!" Aethra said happily. "Wanna paint?"
"Okay," Harry agreed a little nervously.
Sirius and Remus exchanged glances. "So you talked to your parents?" Sirius asked slowly.
Harry nodded. "Dad made me."
Sirius chuckled softly. "Good, James. Good." He was glad James had put his foot down, because Sirius really didn't want to be the one to force Harry into his therapy.
"It's for the best," Remus said with a satisfied nod. "Now who wants turkey and who wants beef?"
"Beef please," Harry replied politely.
Aethra shook her head. "I want peanut butter."
Remus started putting Harry's sandwich together. "It's beef or turkey today," he told her firmly. They had peanut butter, but they'd agreed not to let her special order every meal. All that did was raise a picky eater.
Aethra frowned. "I'm not hungry," she decided.
"Aethra," Sirius warned sternly. "You hardly had anything for breakfast. I know you're hungry. Daddy's giving you two tasty choices. You need to pick one." He'd witnessed the battle of wills regarding a nap and he'd heard about the episode with the game during the full moon. He had no intention of letting his daughter make the defiant attitude a habit. She was half Black and that came with a certain stigma, but Sirius wanted to do everything in his power to make sure she resembled only him or Tonks and no one else from his family.
Aethra ignored him, continuing to paint her parchment a purple that almost matched her new room.
Remus looked at Sirius questioningly. Obviously he didn't like her behavior any more than Sirius did, but he wasn't as confident about correcting it.
"Aethra, answer Daddy," Sirius said sternly. "If I have to tell you again, you're going to be in trouble and you'll eat whatever Daddy feels like making."
Aethra seemed to consider the threat for a moment as she painted and then she looked up. "I'm not hungry," she said again.
Sirius sighed. "Alright," he agreed as he walked over to her. "I warned you. Remus, make her whatever you want. We'll be right back."
"No!" she exclaimed hopping off her chair. The look on her face showed that she suddenly believed his threat. "I want what Harry's getting!"
Sirius shook his head. "No, Aethra. Daddy's choosing for you and you're getting a spanking. I warned you to answer Daddy like a good girl."
Aethra immediately started crying, running in place out of distress.
Sirius was very tempted to change his mind. It pained him to see her crying. He wasn't used to it and she was his baby. He knew he had to follow through, though. If he didn't, she wouldn't take him seriously the next time. He took her by the hand and walked her out of the kitchen. "We'll go to the study."
Aethra was dragging behind, covering her backside with her free hand and pleading with him. "Nooooooo, Daddy," she begged.
Sirius steeled himself to do what was necessary, though, and escorted her into the study. Sirius and Remus arranged both of their desks so that they were facing the door, but up against opposite walls. Behind the desks the wall was covered from one end to the other and top to bottom with bookshelves. Sirius led Aethra to the desk on the left and sat down in his chair. "Aethra Lily Lupin, can you tell me why you're going to get a spanking?" he asked as he set her on his desk and started to unbuckle her shoes.
Aethra sniffed, a pout that was adorable despite its naughtiness on her face. She shook her head.
"Why don't you think about it?" he suggested. "What did you do that was naughty?"
Aethra shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. Apparently, the shock of her sentence was wearing off, and the defiance was returning.
Sirius sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "Then I'll let you think about it in the corner." He quickly stripped her tights off her legs before escorting her over to one of the empty corners of the room. "When you can tell me why you're being punished you may come out."
She started crying again, but she didn't move from the place Sirius had put her.
He went back to his desk and started brainstorming about possible locations for the family to take a holiday. He noticed that after a brief period of crying, Aethra quieted down. Well, as much as he didn't like having to punish her, it seemed to be working the way it was supposed to.
"Daddy?" he finally heard the little voice call after about five minutes.
"Hmm?" he asked, looking up. She was still facing the corner, though.
She craned her neck to look at him. "I'm ready now."
He was so glad that she wasn't going to make him draw her punishment out all through lunch. "Alright. Come here."
Aethra turned around and padded over to him, her hands behind her back. "I wasn't being very nice," she told him.
"No, you weren't," he agreed. "What should you have done?"
"Told Daddy what I wanted," she replied quietly.
Sirius nodded. "That's right. Was it okay to lie and say you weren't hungry?" he asked.
Aethra shook her head. "Lying's bad," she answered.
"That's right. The next time you lie, young lady, I'm going to paddle you with a hairbrush. Do you understand me?" he asked sternly as he prayed she would never push him that far. A hand spanking was going to be hard enough on him as it was.
Aethra's eyes widened a bit at the mention of the hairbrush and she nodded. "No more lying," she agreed.
"Alright." He took her by the hand and moved her around to his right side. Then he pulled her panties down. "Step out," he instructed. He had a feeling she was going to be a kicker, and he really didn't want her underwear smacking him in the face when it flew off her foot.
Aethra stepped out of her panties and Sirius saw her shiver a little. It wasn't cold in the room so he assumed it was from anticipation. "Aethra? Have you ever been spanked before?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.
Aethra nodded, biting her lip.
"So you know its going to hurt your bottom, right?"
"Yes," she replied as she started to whimper.
Sirius wrapped his arm around her lovingly and squeezed. "Even though I'm going to punish you, I want you to know that I love you very much, and I'm doing this because I love you. I want you to grow up into a nice girl that everybody likes and who has lots of friends to play with. Being mean doesn't help you make friends. Do you understand?"
Aethra started crying, but she nodded.
"Okay." With that, he lifted her up and laid her across his lap, positioning her little bottom so that it his hand would fall on the fullest part. Even he knew, despite his lack of parenting experience, that it took more care on a younger child to strike their backside only, and not their lower back.
He held her firmly in place, raised his hand and then brought it back down with a sharp SMACK! in the middle of her bottom.
"Ow!" Aethra squealed, her legs kicking out involuntarily.
"Are you going to argue with Daddy or me anymore?" he asked as he spanked her again, this time more to the right.
"No!" she squealed, squirming as much as he would let her.
"And no more arguing with Hermione, Ginny, Harry or Ron," he continued, spanking her three more times on the left and the crease.
"Nooooo!" Sirius could feel her try to grip his leg through his pants and his heart was aching to hear her cry, but he knew it would ache even more if he let her grow up to be a Slytherin.
"Next time we give you a choice, you need to choose from what we say." Now he started giving her the spanks a little faster.
"Okay!" she squealed through her tears.
He wrapped his arm around her a little tighter to hold her steady and administered the last ten spanks in rapid succession, covering the entirety of her bottom. It was almost red when he decided that she'd had enough. Her unrestrained wail was certainly indicative of a contrite little girl.
"I'm sorry, Daddy!" she cried as she squirmed.
Sirius immediately lifted her up and held her against him, rubbing her back in slow circles. "I know, sweetheart. I know," he said softly into her ear. He knew her backside was burning and that rubbing it would help relieve the discomfort, but he wanted her to sit on it during lunch first. It would help remind her about how to behave. First she had to stop crying, though. "It's okay, Aethra," he said before kissing her temple. "It's all over. You're forgiven."
She leaned back to look at him, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand. "All over?" she repeated.
Sirius nodded. "Yes. Now we start fresh, and you're still loved a WHOLE BUNCH!"
He squeezed her tight when he said that and then kissed her all over, hoping it would tickle a little.
It must have, because she laughed and squirmed in a good way.
"Ready for lunch?" he asked as he helped her put her panties back on.
Aethra nodded.
"And you're going to eat whatever Daddy made, right?"
Again, Aethra nodded. "Right."
"Good girl," he praised. He took her by the hand and led her, leaving her tights and shoes behind, back to the kitchen.
Harry watched as Sirius took Aethra out of the kitchen, and it seemed like the bottom of Harry's stomach fell out. Sirius had said he was going to spank Aethra and Harry's feelings were a confusing mix. First, he was scared for Aethra. She was his little sister and he didn't want her to be upset. Then he was grateful it wasn't him. That was accompanied by a strange anxious tingling in his own backside. It was sort of like the prickling he'd feel on the side of his face whenever he saw Dudley's fist aimed at it. It made him squirm a little in his chair.
"Don't worry, Harry," Remus said in a soothing voice. "Sirius isn't going to beat her."
Harry laughed nervously. "I wasn't worried."
Remus raised an eyebrow at him. "Mmm-hmmm."
"Honest," he tried again, but he knew he didn't sound convincing.
"What are you painting?" Remus asked, changing the subject.
Harry grinned and looked down at his artistic effort. It wasn't very good, even for him, and he wasn't an artist by any stretch of the imagination. Physical coordination must have been one of the things to be regressed too. "It's our family," he explained.
Remus smiled at him. "We'll put it on the refrigerator when you're finished."
"Really?" he asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Remus replied. "That's what you do with kids' masterpieces."
Harry laughed a little. "It kinda takes getting used to," he confessed.
"I know," Remus replied with understanding. "Do you feel different?"
"Sort of."
"Do you feel better?"
"In a way."
Remus nodded. "What way?"
Harry tried to think of the right word. He knew that it was word he should know, but he was having a hard time remembering it. "Um. . .Not so worried?" he tried.
"Not as worried about as many things?" Remus offered.
Harry nodded with a grateful smile. "Yeah."
"Good," Remus replied.
Harry glanced at the kitchen door a few times as he finished up his painting. "Spankings take awhile, huh?"
Remus chuckled again. "Relative to what?"
Harry just shrugged. He got up and took his picture to Remus. The figures were already moving about. "I'm finished," he said.
Remus took it and held it front of them, wrapping an arm around Harry. "Tell me about it."
Harry allowed himself to lean against Remus. It felt so nice! "Well that's Dad and Mum in the portraits," Harry explained.
Remus nodded as the hand that was resting on Harry's shoulder began to move up and down a little on Harry's arm. It was the sort of affectionate gesture Harry'd seen Mr. Weasley do to Ginny and Ron, but it was entirely new to Harry and he got lost trying to memorize what it was like.
"What are Sirius and I doing?" Remus asked.
Harry snapped back to his picture and grinned. "Kissing."
Remus laughed. "What's with you and us kissing?" he asked good naturedly.
"It's sort of like you're making the room as happy as you are," Harry explained as best as he could. He was finding he had a hard time expressing himself, despite his eighteen-year-old vocabulary.
"I see," Remus replied. "Then you can revel all you like."
"And there's me and Aethra playing a game," Harry finished.
"It's a great picture, Harry."
Harry blushed a little.
Remus let go of Harry so that he could stick the parchment to the refrigerator with a magnet. "Would you set the table please?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Sure! Where're the plates?"
Remus nodded to a cabinet above the counter. "Can you reach it?"
Harry reached for the handle but he was too short as a child. "I could go back to my normal size and help," he offered.
"No," Remus replied patiently. "Think of something else."
Harry stared at the cupboard. "I could use magic," he suggested.
Remus shook his head. "How about a non-magical solution?"
Harry frowned. "A step stool?"
Remus shrugged. "That's one option. Unfortunately we don't have one in the house. We'd better get one though," he added, jotting it down on a list he'd been making.
"Then I don't know!" Harry exclaimed in frustration.
Remus blinked in surprise. "Yelling isn't necessary, Harry," he scolded gently. "Try asking for help."
Harry looked at him quizzically for a long hard moment. He hadn't thought of that because Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would have never helped. There was no point in asking. He felt stupid for not thinking of something so obvious, though. "Would you help me, Remus?" he mumbled.
Remus pretended not to hear him. "Did you hear something? Rumbling in the hills maybe?"
Harry sighed. "Will you please help me, Remus?" he repeated with exasperation, but he didn't yell this time.
"Yes," Remus replied with a smile. "And thank you for remembering the please the second time." He opened the cupboard and got down four plates, four bowls, three glasses, and 1 kiddie cup. "We'll just need forks from the drawer."
Harry nodded and started carrying the items over to the table a few a time. He really didn't want to drop anything and break it. He was getting the forks set next to the plates when Sirius and Aethra walked back in. Sirius seemed pleased, and Aethra seemed quiet, but no longer angry or argumentative. She was rubbing one of her eyes and she was missing her tights and shoes.
"Good job with the table, Harry," Sirius said with a smile.
Harry smiled back. "Thanks."
"Where's my picture?" Aethra asked with worry.
"I put it on the other counter when I started setting the table," Harry explained.
Aethra peered over to the far counter and the nodded. "Kay."
"So what's Aethra having for lunch, Remus?" Sirius asked as he pulled Aethra's chair away from the table so that she could climb into it.
Remus started for the table and put sandwiches on everyone's plates. "Turkey," he answered. "Did you two wash your hands?"
"Of course," Sirius replied.
Harry sat down across from Aethra. He looked at both ends of the table and tried to figure out which one was more the head than the other, because it always seemed like dads sat at the head of the table. Of course, Remus and Sirius were both dads so maybe it didn't matter.
"Aethra? Milk or water, honey?" Remus asked as he poured Harry a glass of milk.
"Milk please," she replied politely, shifting a little on her chair. It looked like sitting wasn't terribly comfortable for her.
Harry had to admit the spanking sure seemed to have worked. Then he realized that Remus had not asked him what he wanted to drink. He'd just started pouring the milk. "How come I didn't get a choice?" he asked a little grumpily.
"Quidditch," Sirius replied simply. "The fewer the broken bones the better."
"I like quidditch!" Aethra exclaimed excitedly.
Harry laughed a little. "You can watch me next year when I play at Hogwarts," he offered.
Aethra grinned and nodded excitedly.
By the time Remus finally sat down, they each had a sandwich, a pile of carrot sticks, a small bowl of fruit cocktail, and Harry was pretty sure that he could smell brownies. It wasn't as luxurious as the meals at Hogwarts, but it was certainly better than Privet Drive and the company was a thousand times better too.
Remus glanced at the clock again and sighed. "Maybe one of us should go look for him," he said. He was trying to be the calm one, but he couldn't help feeling apprehensive.
Sirius nodded grimly. "We shouldn't have let him go alone."
"It was to Honeydukes!" Remus replied. "It's no more than a five minute walk and it's not like anyone's after him anymore."
Harry had been given permission to go outside for a walk and he was even given some money to go to Honeydukes with. Sirius had reminded him to be mindful of his current age and he instructed him to be home by three-thirty; in time for tea.
By four o'clock, though, Aethra had already had some milk and a butter cookie, Remus had gone through two cups of tea, and Sirius was pacing with his teacup in his hand.
"Prongs!" Sirius called out in frustration.
James immediately sprinted into the portrait in the sitting room. "What is it?"
"Your kid's over half an hour late," Sirius replied grumpily.
"Sirius, mind your tone. Let's avoid scaring our five-year-old to death. Okay?" Remus said, glancing up the stairs. Aethra had excused herself to her room, informing them in her adorable way that she was going to play with the doll that Ginny had given her until supper or until they thought of something more fun to do than waiting around for Harry, whichever came first.
Sirius took a deep breath and pointed to the hall clock. "It's been forty minutes, Remus."
Remus nodded. "I can tell time." He turned to the portrait of James. "Where would you go?"
"He's not a clone," James reminded them with a smirk.
"Close enough," Sirius replied.
Remus had to laugh at that one. "He has a point, James."
James shrugged in concession. "Maybe he went up to the school to see Hagrid," he suggested. "It's easy to lose track of the time with Hagrid. I doubt he's deliberately coming home late."
"Another good point," Remus remarked, turning to Sirius.
Sirius laughed. "You don't have to referee Mooney. We're all on the same side."
"Well you were yelling," Remus replied in a mock huff.
"Harry's coming!" Aethra called, skipping down the stairs with excitement. "I saw him out the window. He's on a broom!"
Sirius and Remus looked at each other, both clearly at a loss. They hadn't forbade him from riding his broom, but then they thought they were dealing with a seven-year-old and they don't generally ride their own brooms. The question was: Was there anything wrong with regressed Harry using his own broom?
"Oh, this should be interesting," James said with a chuckle.
Aethra looked over at the portrait and studied James carefully. "You look like big Harry," she told him.
James laughed. "Harry looks like me," he explained to her. "I'm Harry's daddy."
"Oh! I remember you now! I saw yer picture in Harry's book."
"I'm back!" Harry exclaimed as he burst through the front door. Initially, he looked relieved, as if he hadn't expected to arrive at all. Then he saw Sirius, Remus, and finally James in the portrait and his expression shifted to dread. "I'm okay," he added for good measure.
"James?" Sirius asked again.
James shook his head. "I'm not giving a sentence I can't carry out."
Sirius sighed. "Alright, I won't take your opinion as the final ruling, but your opinion would be nice."
"Fair enough," James replied. "Let the broom slide this time."
Harry looked surprised. "What's wrong with the broom?" he asked in a bit of a panic.
"You're underage, Harry," Remus explained patiently.
Harry frowned. "I've been flying for the past six and a half years!"
"How did you get it?" Sirius asked. He had generally calmed down since the moment Aethra announced Harry was within sight.
"I called for it," Harry answered.
Sirius sighed. "Do you think he even registers as an under aged wizard?" he asked Remus.
Remus shook his head. "No idea. Maybe we should send an owl to that Eric Baldur and ask him."
Harry was trembling with rage. "You can't make me give up magic just because of this stupid therapy!" he exclaimed.
Aethra recoiled, looking terrified.
"Harry," James and Sirius said in unison.
"No, you listen!" Harry yelled. "I agreed to this so that I could have a family, but I'm not giving up all my freedom. That isn't fair!"
Remus could see Sirius's hand twitching near his wand and he could see that the man was ready to command Harry back to normalcy. That was exactly opposite of what they were supposed to do. There had to be a way to get everyone calmed down and talking, without ruining their chances at helping Harry through his problems.
"Son," James tried. "Calm down. Let's talk about the situation."
Harry stared at James in the portrait long and hard before he finally stormed up the stairs. It was more than a little odd to see the body of a seven-year-old going up as if it were much bigger.
They waited for the bedroom door to bang shut and then they all turned to look helplessly at one another.
"What's wrong?" Aethra asked, her voice shaking.
Remus went over to her and scooped her into his arms. "Harry's having a temper tantrum," he answered, hugging her tight.
Aethra shook her head. "Naughty."
Sirius nodded. "Yes. But he has to know he's naughty before Daddy can make him stop."
James held up a finger and rolled his eyes away from them, listening to something. "Lily says he's wearing himself out with crying."
"Maybe I should talk to him," Remus suggested as he put Aethra back down.
"Don't negotiate with him, Mooney. He needs to be punished for coming in late," Sirius said.
"And the tantrum," James added.
"Alright," Remus agreed. "In the meantime, send an owl to Baldur and find out about the magic issue." He headed up the stairs, trying to figure out what he was going to say. It had been so much easier when Harry was a third year. For one, he was still a kid in almost every way. For another, he hadn't been through as much emotional hell. He knocked on Harry's door. "Harry?"
"Go away," came the reply, but it wasn't as sharp as Remus was expecting. Lily was right. He was wearing himself out.
"I can't," Remus replied as he opened the door. "You're having a rough afternoon and we need to work it out."
"Say the counterspell," Harry begged as he sat up. He'd been face down on his bed, clearly crying into the pillow. His face was red and tear-streaked. "Please?"
Remus walked over to him, shaking his head. "That won't solve the problem, Harry."
"But it's not working!" Harry cried.
Remus put his arms around Harry and rocked him back and forth a little. "I think it is. Didn't you want to know what it was like to have people love you the way the Grangers and Weasleys love their kids?"
"Well yeah," Harry replied, wiping his eyes.
"And didn't you want to know what being a kid in a nice family would have been like?"
"Yeah."
"Then it's working. Your dad, Sirius, and I were very worried when you were late the same way Molly and Arthur would be worried if Ron was late," Remus pointed out as he stroked Harry's hair.
"Well yeah, but. . ."
"And in nice wizarding families, parents don't let their children do magic when it's illegal," Remus continued.
"But I'm not a kid!" Harry protested unconvincingly. If nothing else, it only made him seem more childish.
"Oh really?" Remus replied. He stood Harry up and walked him over to the door where a mirror was hung on the back of it. "Who's that in the mirror with me?"
Harry must not have seen himself since performing the transfiguration because he looked truly shocked. "I'm barely older than Aethra!"
Remus nodded. "And your outburst was extraordinarily similar to a tantrum. I don't know too many seventeen and a half year olds that throw temper tantrums."
Harry blushed. "I guess I can let my temper get the better of me, huh?"
"Oh yes," Remus agreed.
"Is Dad mad at me?" he asked worriedly.
"Worried. None of us are mad. We're a little surprised and disappointed that you broke the rules at the first opportunity, but then, you were breaking rules as a first year so I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised."
Harry sighed. "Hagrid and I were talking about the Death Eaters that killed Pearl. He's heard some things from McGonagall."
Remus shook his head. "And as interesting as I'm sure it is, you're seven, Harry. It isn't something you need to worry about."
"But Aethra's my sister!" Harry argued. "I don't want her to be next!"
Remus put his arms around Harry and squeezed tightly. "I understand, but you're not helping the therapy if you're trying to be an adult in a seven-year-old's body."
Harry sighed. "I really am sorry," he said as he turned around and buried his face into Remus's stomach.
Remus rubbed his back affectionately. "I know. It doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed and then reacted very rudely when we were trying to talk about the situation downstairs. You terrified Aethra."
Harry whimpered. "I didn't mean to."
"Emotional control is one of those things Sirius and I are going to try to teach you," Remus replied. "Now lets go down to the study and get your punishment over with so we can have dinner."
"Can't we just call the therapy a failure and I'll go back to normal?" he asked, the sound muffled by Remus's shirt.
Remus shook his head. "If you really wanted that, you would have subconsciously turned yourself back to normal by now. Come on." Remus gently guided him out of the room and back down the stairs. Aethra and Sirius weren't in the sitting room anymore. That was good. It would be best if Harry didn't have to see them until after his punishment.
"Couldn't you give me a detention or something?" Harry asked as they went into the study.
Remus chuckled. "No," he replied. "Your dad would spank you so that's what I'm going to do. If you'd rather Sirius did it, I can go get him, though." Technically, Sirius was the godfather. Maybe Harry would accept punishment from him easier.
Harry shook his head, though. "I don't mind it being you."
Remus nodded and took Harry over to his desk on the right. He immediately started unbuttoning Harry's jeans. "Harry James Potter, tell me why you're going to be spanked."
Harry whimpered, but he wasn't a Gryffindor and the destroyer of Voldemort for nothing. His core was great big block of courage. "Because I came home late and I lost my temper. I was rude and I scared Aethra," he replied.
"That's right," Remus replied as he pulled the boys shorts down. He guided Harry over his lap and made a little wish for his own courage. He almost couldn't believe that he was going to spank James and Lily's son. Harry! Still, he wasn't an adult, and he'd been entrusted to Sirius and Remus, so Remus found his own inner lion and brought his hand down firmly on Harry's bare backside.
"Ow!" Harry exclaimed.
"I love you, Harry, but the temper tantrums have got to stop," Remus replied as he continued spanking Harry firmly, making sure to cover all sides and angles of the boy's behind.
"Ooh! Ouch!" Harry yelped as he squirmed. His nose was beginning to run again too.
"And just because breaking rules at Hogwarts seemed to work out for you more times than not, you can't break every rule you come across," Remus continued.
"OH! Uncle Remus it hurts! Stop! I won't disobey again!" Harry begged.
"It's supposed to hurt, Harry," Remus replied, spanking him a little harder now. He was endeared to be called Uncle Remus, but it only made him take his responsibility more seriously. "Losing points didn't deter you too much." SPANK SPANK SPANK "Detentions did not appear to have that big of an effect." SPANK SPANK SPANK "But one way or another, young man, you're going to have to learn that rules do not exist to be broken. Most of the time, adults really do know what they're doing when they set rules."
"Yes, sir!" Harry cried, squirming like a worm under Remus's relentless hand.
"Any more rule breaking in this house, and you'll find yourself in this situation again," Remus warned. "It's not because we want to control you or limit your freedom. We just want you to survive to enjoy the life you won by destroying Voldemort. Understand?"
"YES!"
Remus administered five more hard smacks to Harry's sit spot and then stopped. He let Harry lay over his lap crying for a bit, rubbing circles on his back. When the sobbing began to ebb, Remus patted Harry gently on the rear end one more time. "Alright, Harry. It's all over."
Harry scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around Remus's neck, holding on fiercely. "I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.
Remus rose Harry's shorts with a wave of his hand before enveloping the little boy into an equally fierce hug. "I know, Harry," he said as he carefully set Harry on his lap to be cuddled. "It's forgiven now."
"It is?" Harry asked.
"Yep," Remus replied. "Back to square one."
"That really wasn't fun," he said, rubbing his butt a little.
Remus shook his head. "I would hope not. Think you're ready to go out and apologize to Sirius, Aethra, and your dad?"
Harry looked at the door for a long hard minute and then nodded. "Yeah."
"Alright." Remus helped Harry get his footing and then held his hand as they left the study. "Sirius?" he called through the house.
"Kitchen!"
When they walked in, Sirius and Aethra were cooking something at the stove. Remus's first reaction was deep concern for the family's health, but he put his attention back on Harry. "Harry?"
"I'm sorry that I yelled, Uncle Sirius," Harry said as he walked over to Sirius. He sounded even younger than he had before. He hadn't shrunk anymore, but somehow he looked less like an adult in a child's body and more like a child. Maybe a good spanking was what he'd needed to finish the transfiguration.
Sirius smiled down at him and wrapped his arms around him. "It's forgiven," he promised. "I don't think you'll be going to Honeydukes alone again, though. At least not until you can show us that you'll get back on time."
"Kay," Harry replied, but he didn't sound disappointed. Then he turned to Aethra. "Sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to."
Aethra grinned, slid off her chair, and ran to Harry, wrapping her arms around him. "It's okay, big brother."
Harry grinned and hugged her back. Then he looked up at Remus. "Are you sure Dad. . ."
"I'm sure," said Remus. "Go on."
Harry sighed, obviously a little scared, and headed out to the sitting room.
Sirius sighed as he slapped pads of butter onto the top of some mashed potatoes. "Well, I think it's gone from a house to a home."
Remus laughed. "Why?"
"Well, it's been. . ." he looked at Aethra and then back at Remus. "Ordained by our love. . ."
Remus laughed again.
". . . and the kids have each been spanked soundly in it. Now it's got that lived in feeling."
Remus scooped Aethra up and tossed her into the air a little. "I hate to admit it, but I think you're right. What do you think, Aethra?" he asked he as kissed her cheek and tickled her. "Are we home?"
Aethra grinned and nodded. "Yep! Yer wands are on the mantle and home is where your wand rests!"
When Harry meekly approached the portrait of his father in the sitting room he was a little disheartened to see that it was empty. His initial concern was that his father had been so angry, he'd left. Then he realized that fear was silly and he ran up the stairs to his room. Sure enough, in the portrait on his bedroom wall, his parents were talking quietly.
"I. . ." Harry started as he stepped into the room a few feet.
"Oh, Harry!" his mother exclaimed. "Are you feeling better?" she asked.
Harry nodded as he reflexively rubbed out some more of the sting in his backside. "Uncle Remus made me feel better," he said. "I'm sorry I was rude, Dad."
His father smiled at him warmly. "I know. And it's all over now."
Harry couldn't help grinning. At first it was hard for him to believe that people would still care about him as much after he'd been punished, but Uncle Sirius, Uncle Remus, and now his parents were all proving that a punishment was simply the effect of misbehaving. It had nothing to do with losing their love and affection.
"You look tired," his mother noted.
Harry nodded. "A little."
"Why don't you lay down and rest," she suggested.
"Okay," he agreed without hesitation. He shuffled over to his bed, kicked off his shoes, and climbed under the coverlet. He didn't even mind that his parents were watching him fall asleep or that he'd probably miss dinner. At that point, he just wanted a nice long rest. The last thing he remembered was his mother singing him a lullaby and although he couldn't have recited the lyrics, he knew he'd heard it before, and it made him smile.