Werewolf's Territory

Wild: Well kids, I am still trying to get many stories updated, but I'm at least getting somewhere close to being done.

Aiya: Yeeaaahhhh- not!

Wild: Shut it!

Aiya: Make me!

Wild: *snaps her fingers; rabid Moony appears* Fetch.

Aiya: *attacks Moony and gets into a rumble* Let's go, you stupid mutt! CHA!

IV

Sirius landed the broomstick down very carefully, cautiously, and timidly when Remus pointed out the fine little cottage on the outskirts of a human town. It seemed relatively peaceful and calm. A flea market, a carnival of sorts, was proceeding noisily not too far away.

It was a pristine white, almost off-white, and looked to be very tidy. Sirius wanted to smirk as he imagined how the house must look in the spring, in full bloom rather than cold and shivering winter snow. H could imagine the beds of flowers outside, and the picture forming in his mind caused a small chuckle.

"Something amusing about my home, Black?"

"No, no, not at all, Lupin. Quite the opposite," he replied, grinning a crooked grin. He looked back at the home before carefully stepping forward. However, once he reached out to grasp the handle, he froze in time. His muscles locked, and he felt fear swamping him, almost choking him.

This was truly going to be his new life. Once he opened the door, there would be no chance of returning. He was here, now, standing right in front of the door to his new future. Could he really face it? He began shaking and shivering, gulping to inhale the breath he desperately needed and desired.

A light hand touched his shoulder, and Sirius glanced over his shoulder.

"It's okay," Remus whispered in assurance, and the Animagus looked at him over his shoulder. He stared for a long moment of accusation before nodding, gulping, and turning back to stare down the doorknob. His hand hovered just above it, shaking. He breathed in and out before grasping it firmly and swinging open the door.

He took a bounding step inside and stopped, his pupils dilating as he took everything in. he stepped forward slowly, examining everything while Remus scooted himself around Sirius. Sirius took in the pictures hanging on the walls; pictures of their dear friends, Harry's Hogwarts years, and even Remus and Sirius' years in the wizardry school.

It was indeed a small house, but well organized and definitely exquisitely furbished. The living room was homey, with a television, two sofas situated comfortably in the small room. It had a large table, perfect for resting feet on. A faded recliner sat closest to the window that peered out onto the street, encased in bright light.

Remus moved down the hallway, staring at the pictures in curiosity. He stared at the moving pictures of Remus and Harry, of the Order of the Phoenix, and of Harry's graduation day. He stopped and stared in admiration and pride at how his grandson's photo. He regretted the fact that he had missed so much in only a couple of years.

He quickly turned away before the photos, feeling his emotions begin to boil over in his mind. It saddened him with the idea of having not been apart in Harry's life as much as he desired.

He came to the kitchen and found it was actually bigger than the living room. A full, electronic stove, a double refrigerator, and a full-blown dining table was in that kitchen, yet even with all the stuff crammed in there, it was open. He looked around and stared at the forest wallpaper lining the walls.

"Typical of you, Moony," he muttered and smiled at Remus over his shoulder. "But where's Harry? Shouldn't he be here already?"

Remus nodded and said, "Harry is upstairs taking a nap. He's had a very stressful day, as I am sure you can imagine, Sirius…but how about while he is asleep, we get started on food?"

Sirius arched one bushy eyebrow and suddenly looked very nervous and skittish.

"Do you really trust me with a knife, Remus?" he asked, both teasing but cautious. "I haven't been in this world for two years. I don't remember as much about normal, everyday things as I should."

"Sirius, you were gone for two years, and although that is quite a bit, I highly doubt you have forgotten how to cut carrots and vegetables. And I know for a fact that you have the best choice in meats," Remus said, grinning and opening up the fridge to reveal a food nirvana.

Sirius stared in amazement, never before believing he had ever seen so much food in a fridge. He looked it over before seeing the open drawer of meat. He searched through each one before carefully holding out a chunk of lamb meat towards Remus.

"Lamb tastes the best in stew; depending on the vegetables and the broth, of course," Sirius said meekly, looking around the kitchen before rooting into the fridge again, bringing out various vegetable items. He froze when he noticed Remus staring at him. He averted his gaze and said, "That's, if you and Harry would like something else, that is fine also."

Remus grinned and patted Sirius on the back before putting on his apron and setting to work on making the broth and preparing the meat. He watched Sirius carefully pick up a knife and stared down at the vegetables. He observed, curious, as the Black cautiously began to slice the veggies into small chunks.

He smiled fondly at the way Sirius seemed to concentrate so hard on doing such a simple task. But he had to remind himself that indeed, Sirius had not had to do such things for the past two years while he resided in the Veil.

He listened to the silence, only being filled by Sirius' chopping and Remus' beginnings of the broth. It was going to be thick, but very tasty if Remus' sense of taste was anything to go by.

"Where is Tonks, Remus?" Sirius suddenly asked, never looking up from chopping the vegetables. Remus froze, his knife halfway cutting through the lamb meat; his eyes stared into space at the image of Tonks being killed flashed before his eyes. His son, Teddy, had lived, but his dear Nymphadora had not survived. He felt more pain course through his being as he looked back down at his current job.

"She died, during the battle," Remus whispered, and heard Sirius grow quiet. It remained like that for quite a while before he heard a hushed, "I'm sorry, Remus."

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled awkwardly.

"It's okay, Padfoot…Teddy survived, and the entire Order plus the family have pitched in to make sure he can live a healthy and comfortable life. He is already displaying small signs of possibly being a wizard, but we don't know for sure," Remus said and started to ramble on and on, "Maybe you'll get to see him, Sirius. He comes about once a week to play with Harry and me; that way I can still be with my son."

Sirius was silent, listening to the werewolf talk, and while his expression portrayed boredom, inside, he was actually beaming with enthusiasm. He liked listening to the things Remus told him. It was giving him a sense of what the world was like how.

He looked over at Remus then to a picture of Harry and him standing side by side on the wall. He examined the picture as he chopped and sliced, not even glancing at the board or how close the blade came to his fingers. They looked nice together, and once again, Sirius felt his heart crumbling.

It was a small hope that he'd be able to stay in the house for too long. It was a hopeful thought, but a foolish and selfish one. Harry and Remus were living a happy life; he couldn't intrude on such a life, nor would he become the cause of it breaking down.

He kept his thoughts to himself and just listened quietly.

IV

Hermione and Ron floated down onto the street in front of their small house. It was a large house owned by the Weasley's, having been given to them by Ron's family. It was a comfortable white house sitting on the curb, rather small on the outside; but on the inside, it was magical.

"Rose, Hugo, we're home darlings!" Hermione called, stepping inside and removing her furred winter hat and letting Ron take her fur lined coat. Her husband was so sweet and treated her like a princess, like how she should have been.

"Mom! Dad!" Hugo and Rose both cried out, running towards them, enveloping both in desperate hugs. Rose was back from Hogwarts on vacation, and Hugo was going to be starting his first year very, very soon. Rose's bright red hair flowed down her back, longer than her mother's, and Hugo's cut almost shorter than his father's.

"Hello, kids. Kiss your mother hello now. She's had a rough day with your uncles," Ron said, swinging a squirming Hugo up into his arms before ruffling his hair. Hugo and Rose immediately went to their mother and hugged her.

"Mom and Dad, we made you something!" Hugo exclaimed, jumping up and down on his feet with excitement. Hermione arched an eyebrow and smiled that close lipped smirk of hers and she sat down calmly in the gigantic living room. It was filled with at least three couches, four recliners, and a large center table to rest drinks and anything else on.

A rather large piano sat in the corner, by a large window that peered out at the town, giving anyone who sat amongst the cushions to become entranced by the gorgeous view. Hermione and her son often liked to sit there and just stare outside, remaining quiet yet silently talking about everything.

"Yes, we did! Actually," Rose said, and Ron couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He loved it when his daughter sounded so much like how Hermione had once sounded, "We made it while you two were gone, right after you left, Dad. So, you two just sit right here," she guided them to a seat, "and we will bring it to you!"

Hugo and Rose both disappeared into the kitchen. Ron and Hermione gazed at each other before smiling and joining their hands together. Hermione shifted to Ron's side and cuddled into his hip, absorbing his warmth and stared at the TV that flickered on.

Their minds drifted to memories of old days, their gazes locked on the screen but not really focused on the images.

"Tada!" Rose and Hugo popped out of the kitchen holding plates of piping hot food in their hands. Hugo was clamping his mouth shut, fingering the edges of the plates as steam rolled off the hard stone. "We made dinner; your favorites of course!"

Ron and Hermione sat up immediately and smiled, beaming at their children, and laughing joyfully at the thoughtfulness.

"Of how this brings back memories, doesn't it Hermione," Ron muttered as Hugo handed over the plate and rushed off to grab his own food so he'd get the best seat in front of the TV. Rose hurried after shoving her mother's plate at her so she'd get the TV remote and force her brother to watch Fashion Police.

"Yes, so, so many memories, Ronald."

IV

Harry roused from his sleep, yawning and sighing out heavy breathes of air, popping his neck multiple times to work out the many kinks causing his irritation and pain. He slowly sat up; feeling his back sore and like it was abused.

He glanced around the room, dazed as to why the room smelled so good, like food. He sniffed the air and smelt cooking meat, possibly some of the best he had ever had. He sniffed again, and felt himself drifting into nirvana. He slowly floated downstairs, not taking notice of the chattering going on in the kitchen.

"Hey, why does it smell so-good…Sirius," Harry whispered, striding into the kitchen before freezing in the doorway, staring at Sirius Black, his dear uncle, dressed in an apron and cooking like a madman. Remus was sitting contently at the table, stirring a cup of hot tea.

Remus looked up first and beamed bright as the sun before standing up.

"Harry, love, did you sleep well?" Remus asked, jogging across the small space to hug Harry tightly and pat him on the back. He pulled away to plant a small kiss on his lover's cheek before noticing how pale Harry was. "Why Harry, you look as if you've seen a ghost?"

Harry jerked his head at Sirius, who seemed so lost in his own little thoughts and private world to have noticed Harry walking into the kitchen. Remus grinned and waved him over to sit, bringing out another tea cup and putting the kettle onto a hot pad.

"Sirius, it seems, has had his cooking memory jogged by coming back from the Veil. Suddenly he is a great cook, and after a while, he started doing everything himself, not even paying attention when I spoke to him. Now he is doing double the work!" Remus said, pouring Harry a cup and adding in warm milk and sugar.

"Remus Lupin, don't go using him like a maid!" Harry snapped, frowning but accepting the tea anyway. He sipped it as he examined the way his uncle worked with a blank expression on his face. His brows creased together into a unibrow, which made him smirk. "Though I must say, he looks funny in the apron."

"And he can hear you too," Sirius' voice startled them both into a fright then a laughing fest.

"My God, Padfoot, you were so quiet I thought you didn't hear anything," Remus commented, and Sirius kept working, but his mind had snapped from the haunting memories of the Veil; all the weeping souls, the monsters that were harbored inside the prison for the damned and the dead.

"Just because I was silent doesn't mean I wasn't listening, Moony. You should know that better than anyone…or would it have been Severus that knew that better than anyone?" Sirius asked, glancing over his shoulder. Dark eyes stared at Remus, and the old Marauder looked away quickly.

Harry glanced between the two before finally saying, "Sirius, that food smells fantastic, but wasn't Remus going to make the food?"

"Thought I'd give cooking a try; turns out I was pretty good so I just took over. I am a dog you see, and we tend to be highly territorial. Only one male in this kitchen cooking for now, 'kay?" Sirius teased playfully, glancing back at them. Harry and Remus chuckled before Sirius stirred the last of the stew before bringing out plates.

He turned on them both and grinned.

"Come and get it, you two; please, do give compliments to the chef and be sure to tip your waitress," Sirius said, handing the two bowls of steaming hot lamb stew, putting them carefully on the table. Then he began cleaning!

"Uh, Sirius, aren't you going to eat with us?"

"I'm not so hungry anymore. After smelling so much food and making it, I'm tired and I've lost my appetite," Sirius said simply, and Harry looked worriedly at Remus. The werewolf stared at him, then Sirius back and finally down at the food set before him. He shrugged and picked up his spoon, shoving spoonful after spoonful into his mouth.

"This is actually quite good," Remus said between mouthfuls. Harry stared at him before gingerly eating his own food, blowing on the food. Soon, both were finished, and Sirius was washing the dishes. They both looked at him before saying in unison, "We'll be in the living room."

They received a gentle grunt in return, barely heard over the running water. And as they both left the kitchen, they didn't take notice on the small tears that were pouring down Sirius' cheeks and mixing in with the hot running water.

IV

Harry and Remus both lay in the living room, expecting Sirius to come out and sit down with them, perhaps talk with them about the scary times in the Veil. They expected him to maybe come in and eat his food while listening to them talking idly like always. They expected him to maybe just come in and sit down and crack jokes. Hell, they even expected him to just come in.

They did not expect him to walk through the living room, not even cast a glance n their direction and to say, "I'm not hungry, so I'm going to bed."

They blinked in complete amazement as he strode out the door of the living room and up the stairs. They listened to the creaking of the stairs and the gentle screeching of the guest bedroom door closing.

"Do you think he will be alright?" Harry asked, standing up and moving towards the stairs. Remus shrugged and they both turned out the lights, heading up the stairs very quietly, sneaky and ninja-like.

They walked up the stairs, leaning close and seeing the flickering of candlelight inside Sirius' room. They pushed the door ever so slightly open to see him sitting in front of the window, watching the snow flutter down outside. He stared at the moon, nearly a full moon, only a few days away from becoming entirely complete.

They watched as silent tears poured down his cheeks, and his sides heaved, but he wept mutely. Harry and Remus looked at each other before they walked slowly inside, feeling guilty for intruding, and unsure of their welcome.

Sirius flinched and stood up quickly, swinging on them both and unintentionally shifted into his Animagus form. Harry stared at the scrawny, boney, ragged furred dog that stood before them, ears flat and tail tucked.

Remus stared at the dog, and his wolf immediately grunted and purred at the familiar looking pack mate. His wolf remembered the endless full moons where he and the dog had played together; mock fighting and running around in games of chase the Black.

"Padfoot?" Remus asked, taking a careful step forward. The dog barked and darted, and Remus instantly whipped out his wand to protect Harry, but instead of the dog attacking, he hid underneath the bed, whimpering.

"Wait, wait, wait Remus!" Harry said quickly, stepping in front of his quickly. Then he gazed at the bed, where it was shaking from the Black's powerful emotions, affecting everything around him. "Sirius? Sirius, can you hear me?"

A whimper answered him and slowly a nose peeked out from underneath the bed sheet.

"Sirius, it's okay to cry," Harry whispered, slowly squatting down. Instantly the nose stilled and lips pulled up slightly to reveal sharp teeth. Another whimper echoed in his ears, and he said, "Uncle, it's alright to cry…after what you've been through, I would be crying too…but we are here for you, and now you don't have to cry alone."

"He's right, Padfoot," Remus said slowly, kneeling down on the other side of the bed. Instantly a low growl echoed underneath and a few items began to jingle harder. Harry looked at him, silently telling him to back off. Remus quickly understood; Moony was very dominant, and a dominant's presence could be very disturbing to an emotionally and mentally unstable could be petrifying and unsettling. "Sirius, it is okay…we are here for you."

"Please Sirius," Harry said, and watched in awe as the items slowly went still. And gazed with a bright smile as the furred head of the dog slowly emerged, and his uncle slid out, stretching his muscles before snuggling close to Harry, not parting and even growling and Remus. Harry laughed and looked at Sirius, "He's sleeping with us apparently."

Remus growled, as did Moony. There went their private fun time with their young mate. Now they had to deal with the older mate, growing ever possessive. But Moony saw this as a perfect opportunity to maybe get them to "know" each other all the more.

"Yeah, let's go to bed. Time to sleep tight," Moony growled in Remus' place, as the man let the wolf have some reign with only a promise not to scar either of them, especially their older mate.

Of course not, Moony promised instantly with a feral grin. We'll only have some pleasurable fun.

IV

Wild: Well, I feel as if I fell kinda short on this chapter. I mean, I got some of my points down, but am I the only feeling this chapter was a bit…pointless. Please help me out peeps!

Aiya: Yeah! My twin seems to be having issues, as she has to update at least each story once a week, so she's going bonkers. Too bad for her

Wild: You're the one forcing me!

Aiya: And remember children, I am open to beating her head into a wall about any issues you might have. I also just recently figured out how to get a bull's eye in archery! Whoopee!

Wild: Help me and REVIEW!

Aiya: Bye! *aims* FIRE AT WILL!