Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

A/N: Happy birthday to me! And if you celebrate, a very happy Valentine's day to you!

This story will have a few chapters but I'm not sure how many yet. A few things are already written but if you have things you really would like to see, now is your chance! Tell me what and perhaps it will happen.

So, as some of you might have noticed, I wasn't very kind to Remus Lupin in my story A very Black plan. While I certainly don't hate the character or actor, he is one of the adults who should have done more for Harry. Least he could have done was visit the poor kid. So I might have been venting a little bit in my characterisation of him in A very Black plan. Just a bit. So, sorry Remus.

To make up for it, here is a story in which Remus does try.

"Professor?"

Remus had a lot of regrets in his life, but the biggest one was now standing right in front of him as he was packing up his office. It was the end of the school year and for Remus, the end of a life-long dream. Once again his Lycanthropy ruined his chances for a normal life, to have a job he loved. Remus had always wanted to be a teacher but this year it had been even more important for him to be here at Hogwarts. He'd finally get the chance to meet Harry.

Harry.

The boy was his biggest regret. Remus had been a coward, he knew that. He'd been running for so long that he'd forgotten how to stop. After James, Lily and Peter died, and Sirius put in Azkaban for their murder, something had broken inside of him.

He had left. Left the last part of his pack, his cub, the boy who would, should have grown up calling him uncle Moony had James and Lily lived. James had been a brother to him and Lily was his best friend if not his sister, the one who was always there for him, his island of sanity between the insanity of James and Sirius. He abandoned them all.

It had taken the shock of Sirius breaking out of Azkaban for Remus to stop running and come back to England. Albus offered him a job as a teacher and knowing that Harry was in Hogwarts, he agreed.

Remus had taken one look at at Harry and had known Albus had lied. The thirteen year old boy wasn't happy. Wasn't healthy. Wasn't what Albus'd assured him Harry was. Remus should have asked more, shouldn't have trusted the Headmaster on only his word. What kind of family was he? Remus had known Albus was a busy man but looking at Harry for the first time in more than a decade, Remus knew that Albus had been wrong.

Harry James Potter was pale, skinny and wary. Wary of the adults around him, wary of the students surrounding him. It killed Remus to see the wariness in the boy's gaze directed at him. The boy wasn't anything like James or Lily as a child. Not as innocently happy as they had been, not as carefree. Honestly, Harry reminded Remus the most of Sirius after a bad summer.

That was not a good sign.

He might have looked like James, might have Lily's eyes and smile but he had none of their child-like innocence, their confidence or drive as he remembered from their Hogwarts days.

What happened to him? How could Albus, a Professor for longer than Remus had been alive, not have seen the signs? Something was wrong with Harry.

So Remus watched. He learned more about the boy who should have been his nephew. Still, Remus was careful. He didn't dare to tell the boy who he was, what he had been to his parents at first. Remus supposed he was still a coward after all. But then came the time when Harry asked for his help.

How could Remus refuse? Teach him the Patronus Charm. Help him protect himself and get to know him better while teaching him. Harry was a powerful kid, Remus learned. And while Harry might not try his best in his lessons, he did while Remus taught him the Patronus Charm.

But Remus did have a secondary purpose in these lessons, he had noticed that if he asked Harry questions while the boy was concentrating, he wasn't as careful with his answers as usual. While Harry was good, he wasn't that good if you paid close enough attention. Remus learned by some casual mentions where and how Harry lived all those years.

"My relatives."

"I don't like bullies."

"They don't like anything frea- abnormal."

"My cupb- my room."

"Hedwig was my first friend."

It took all of his control not to growl and flash his golden eyes like the furious wolf he was on the inside at those little snippets of Harry's life. Petunia. Harry had grown up with Petunia Evans. The same horrible woman who made Lily cry on her own wedding with her awful behavior. Who ignored her own little sister for years when she wasn't calling her horrible names. That was the woman who raised Lily's son.

Then the whole thing with Sirius came out and for a moment, just a moment, Remus had hope. That he could have his friend back in his life, yes, but also that Sirius could get Harry away from those people.

Remus couldn't do it. He was a werewolf. No one would give a werewolf custody of a child, let alone the Boy-Who-Lived. But Sirius could get custody, should get custody. He was the last of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. But that wasn't meant to be either, Remus now knew. Sirius had to run and Remus had to leave Hogwarts.

Remus had to let Harry go back to those people.

Remus had gone to Albus with his suspicions over the course of the year but the Professor seemed to be blind and deaf to his words. He refused to believe him, refused to even try and find out how bad it was. He even forbid Remus to do anything to help Harry. It was strange that someone as brilliant as Albus Dumbledore seemed to be so willfully blind.

Well, Remus thought with a uncharacteristic sneer on his face, fuck that. He had been running for long enough. Now it was time to help Harry.

In an ideal world Sirius would have gotten custody of Harry, but that wasn't likely to happen any time soon. So the mad scramble for a plan started. He only had a few days before the school let out and he made the absolute most of those days. He sent a letter to Sirius as soon as he knew for sure that his old friend had to go on the run and together they made a plan.

Realising he had been woolgathering, Remus turned his attention back to Harry.

Harry asked once again but this time a bit more unsurely, "Professor Lupin?"

Remus looked up and said, "Call me Remus, Harry. Or Moony if you like, I'm no longer your Professor."

It took a while for Harry to calm down after that bit of news. His infuriation about Severus telling the Board about Remus curse, well it warmed his heart to see. Harry was a good kid, truly his mother's son in the way he reacted to him being a werewolf. Even James had more of a reaction when they found out though he had gotten over it very quickly.

But Harry calling it his furry little problem was so like James that Remus had to fight to keep his hysterical laughter in. He was never getting rid of that misbehaving rabbit, was he? Perhaps he was a bit emotional after all the happening of the last few months, but how could a child who hadn't known his parents, be so very much like them? It boggled his mind sometimes.

Harry nodded, "What are you going to do now?"

Remus rested his elbows on his desk and sighed, "I think it's time for me to stay a bit closer to home for now. Perhaps I could even get a pet. I always wanted a dog."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in a look so like Lily that Remus had to fight to keep the grief of his face. It was a lovely but heartbreaking thing to see his old friends again in their son.

"A dog?"

"Yes, perhaps a nice stray without a home of his own. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Harry tilted his head and asked with a slight smirk, "And would that dog perhaps be called something like Padfoot?"

Remus schooled his face in a look of exaggerated surprise, "Well yes, how did you know?"

The boy snorted and smiled. Remus was so relieved that Harry could still smile after meeting Moony for the first time. He didn't know what he would have done if witnessing Remus transformation had traumatised the boy.

"Will you be safe?"

Remus smiled gently, "Of course, Harry. We will be careful and I thought perhaps, you would be willing to babysit Padfoot every now and then when my illness gets too bad? Perhaps once a month or so?"

Harry brightend up visibly, "Sure!"

"Thank you, that's very nice of you. If you could give me your adress we could meet sometime this summer so you and Padfoot could get to know each other."

Harry happily rattled of his adres and Remus carefully took note of it. Finally getting the adres was the last piece he needed. He and Sirius had decided to keep Harry in the dark, lest he told anyone while they were still in Hogwarts. Harry might be able to keep a secret, but Albus and Severus couldn't find anything out if he didn't know anything. Remus was never so grateful that his wolf protected his mind from intrusion.

"Harry, I know you haven't had the easiest life, and I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. But I will do better from now on, okay? I won't disappear again."

Harry looked like he didn't believe him and Remus could have cursed himself. He had so much to make up for.

"I will see you soon, alright?" It was the only warning he could give the boy, hopefully he wouldn't be too startled.

Harry, his nephew, his cub in all but blood, nodded unsurely.

Harry soon left, and Remus packed up the last of his stuff. He had owl ordered the last of the items he needed for their plan and now that the year was officially over, it was time to take his leave. Taking a last look of his classroom, he closed the door and left.

Apparating to Surrey was easy. Finding Number 4, Privet Drive was even easier. Standing in front of the house Harry had grown up in, Remus had to swallow back a growl. He might not know everything but what little Harry'd told him was bad enough.

Disillusioned he waited for the family of three to leave the house. Carefully crossing the property line Remus blinked. He felt the wards testing him, washing over him. Lily. The ward felt like Lily's magic welcoming him home.

Entering the house with a silent Alohomora, he took a quick look around before going up the stairs to look for Harry's room. Four bedrooms. Yet only one of the doors had a catflap and locks on the outside. Swallowing his fury, Remus went inside.

Old and broken furniture, broken toys that littered the floor, a thin matrass that had seen better days many years ago and a window that looked like there had been bars on the outside recently. A prison cell could look better than this sad excuse of a child's bedroom.

Oh Harry, what did they do to you?

Taking out his wand, Remus went to work. It took a few waves of his wand for the broken toys and furniture to be fixed and sorted, the cracks in the walls to be healed and given a nice color, and to Transfigure some nice sheets and a matrass.

Taking a look around, Remus was satisfied. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was decent. Then he took the tiny trunk he'd owl ordered out of his pocked and enlarged it. Gently setting it down, he went to do the hardest part, the wards.

He and Sirius had been debating on which wards to cast over the last few days. They had to be good, to protect Harry from both outside and inside threats yet they had to go unnoticed in this muggle neighborhood.

Eventually they agreed to do muggle repelling wards around Harry's bedroom door, wards to hide the door and the window, wards to make sure the muggles couldn't even remember where the fourth bedroom was let alone enter it.

Harry would be able to see the door and enter the room, as would Hedwig.

Remus also decided to try something new. He didn't want Harry to be seen walking in and out the door by his relatives, it would be dangerous if the muggles decided to take their frustrations out on their nephew. So he enlarged the bedroom and made a door. After checking the door worked as it was supposed to, he looked down into the garden in front of the house.

Remus was glad the muggle repelling wards seemed to work correctly because otherwise he'd have some explaining to do. Door made, he started to make a subtle staircase. It would have to be small and easily hidden but that wasn't a problem with magic. Neither was extenting the wards to cover the staircase leading out of Harry's bedroom.

He keyed in Sirius and himself and decided to wait to key in Harry. Otherwise the boy would be able to see the staircase when he arrived and Remus didn't want to spoil the surprise.

Wards and the new way out done, he settled in to wait with a nice cup of tea he got from the kitchen inside the trunk.

Soon he heard a car door slam and an angry male voice grumbling about freaks and nonsense. That must be Vernon, Petunia's husband. Remus remembered the whale-like male from James and Lily's wedding. The man had been terrified surrounded by magic and it'd made him angry.

Then footsteps approached with the sound of a trunk being dragged up the stairs. The door opened and there he was.

Harry dropped the trunk and froze when he saw Remus sitting calmly at his desk sipping from a nice cup of tea.

"Wha-?"

Remus kept the smirk of his face with some effort before asking mildly, "Hello Harry, why don't you close the door and join me for a cup of tea?"

Harry shaking his head in confusion decided to do just that and went to sit on his bed, "What are you doing here Professor?"

Handing the confused boy the cup of tea he had prepared for him, Remus explained, "Call me Remus, Harry. Or Moony if you like. You shouldn't have ended up here Harry. There were so many other people who would've been willing to take you in and raise you the way you deserve. I should have been there."

Harry made a noise in protest but stopped when Remus raised his hand, "No, Harry. It's the truth. I should have been here for you. At the very least I should have checked up on you instead of running from my problems. This changes now."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"It means that if you will let me, I will stay here with you. I'll have a little talk with your relatives, and then we will stay here the rest of the summer. Together."

Harry gaped, "You want to stay here?"

It was clear that the boy was utterly confused. So Remus patiently expanded on his explanation, "Yes, I've bought a trunk which is basically an appartment. I thought we could stay there together? Or if you want you can stay here and I will live in the trunk. That way the wards around Privet Drive still get charged and can keep protecting you from those outside threat, but you won't have to interact with your relatives. Also, you can use magic inside the trunk so I thought we could train a bit more."

Harry looked like he thought he was dreaming when he asked hopefully, "Really?"

Remus nodded, "Yes, really. Sirius and I agree that the way you live here isn't acceptable but unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore seems to disagree. So we decided on this solution without asking the Professor for his opinion. You will be safe under the wards, but still with an adult you can trust."

"Sirius knows about this too?"

Remus smiled at the overwhelmed boy, "Yes. Since he is your true legal guardian, I asked for his advice. He will be carefully making his way over here in the coming days so we will be living in the trunk with the three of us. That is, if you agree?"

"Won't you get in trouble?"

Oh Harry, this were the moments were Harry reminded him so much of his parents. Yet he was so very much his own person, he couldn't wait to discover more, to get to know Harry better. But Remus shouldn't forget that while he had a lot to make up for, he was basically an stranger to Harry even after being his Professor for a year.

Remus took a deep breath and said quietly, "Let us do this for you, Harry. Let us stand between you and those who mean you harm."

"Oh." Harry clearly didn't know what to do about that and Remus wondered if anyone ever helped the kid. Had no one truly ever seen what was going on in this house?

Harry cleared his throat and nodded, "Yeah, yeah okay. That sounds nice."

"Thank you, Harry. Now, go and take a look around in the trunk. The bedroom on the left is mine but you can choose one of the other two as your room. I've warded your room so that your relatives can't come in or even remember where it was so don't worry about them. I will have a talk with them while you explore."

"Alright. Just, be careful."

"It will be alright, Harry. Sirius and I will take care of it."

After watching Harry take the first few steps down the stairs of the Trunk, Remus went downstairs on silent feet where the Dursleys were sitting around the dining table. With a wave of his wand they were stuck in their chairs and spelled silent.

"Hello Dursley family. And hello to you, Petunia. Do you remember me?" Remus asked with a thin smile on his scarred face.

Petunia's eyes widened in recognition and she gave a short nod.

"Good. It has come to my attention that you people thinks it's alright to treat a child the way you did. It's not. So there will be some changes made from now on."

Vernon was turning very red, the veins pulsing in his neck and Remus wondered idly if he was supposed to do something if the man had a heart attack. Vernon was turning purple and Petunia made a high pitched noise deep in her throat.

Remus calmly turned his attention back to them and raised an eyebrow, "My apologies, did I say that out loud?"