14

Author's Note

Oh. My God. I am soooo sorry! I did not mean for it to take this long for me to update. So I confess, for the first month and a half or so I was just slaking going 'oh no, I'll just write it later' but after that my laptop broke! I gad no idea what had happened. I put it on hibernate and went to my friends graduation party and when I came back it just wouldn't come on. I was terrified. It took me a while to dig up the money to even have it looked at and then they said it was a problem with the motherboard (which apparently is a hell of expensive to replace/fix) but then, by some god send, they had another technician look at it and hallelujah! Here I am, 150 dollars poorer than I was, but with everything safe and sound!

But, in other news, guess what? I graduated! I start college in a matter of weeks! Yay me!

Holy crap! Do you know what I realized exactly after I posted the last chapter? I have over 200 reviews! I was so shocked and happy I gasped allowed and started chanting 'yes yes yes!' which in turn made my business tech. teacher stare at me very oddly. But anyway, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! YOU'VE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I'M LOVING YOU ALL!

Also, something funny happened when I was going through those reviews. Sometimes I go to the profiles of some of you to check out some of the things you write or like or to see if I'm addressing you by the right gender… Well, I was looking at someone's favorite stories list and I got really excited when I read this cool looking one about Harry and Remus. Then I realized I was looking at my own story.

/grins/ I was by myself but still felt rather embarrassed and more than a bit obnoxious.

ANYWAY… on to chapter, what is this? 14? Yeah, 14.

Chapter 14

"No, Gran… Yes, Gran…No, he's alright. He's upstairs if you want to talk to him….Oh? Okay… No, I spent the night at Hogwarts with Mister Sev'rus… No… No. But he remembered to lock the door, so I wouldn't have been able to get in anyway… Yes, he's been doing it… Well, that's what he told me…"

Remus walked into the kitchen and paused when he spotted Harry, dressed for the day and sitting on the counter with Maurice in his arms and with their newly acquired cordless phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear. After a moment of just standing there, Harry noticed him and the boy broke into a smile at the sight of him. Remus smiled back wondering idly how the boy had gotten up there as the counter was much bigger than he was…

"No, Gran." the boy said suddenly and he lifted his eyes to the ceiling and smiled fondly. "No, but you can ask him, he just walked in…okay… Yes, I love you too… Alright. I will. Tell aunt Lianna and Uncle Levi I said 'hi'… No, I talked to her earlier…Uh-huh… Okay…Bye."

Laughing lightly Harry replaced the phone on the receiver and looked up at Remus, eyes glinting brightly. "Good morning, Papa." the boy greeted cheerfully and Remus smiled back amusedly.

"Hello cub. How long have you been up?"

"Almost two hours," Harry shrugged. "(Aunt Mari called, the telephone woke me up.)" the boy continued switching abruptly to French. Remus felt amusement buzz in the back of his mind as he did so.

"(After I talked to her I got dressed and Gran called. She wanted to know how we were doing after the other day.)" Remus nodded in understanding. They'd only been back in England for a month, and it was his first full moon after their return. It was understandable that Maman would be concerned about how he was and where Harry had stayed.

"What did your Aunt Mari want?" Remus asked in English. He was glad that Harry was fluent in French and would never tell the boy not to speak it, but he also wanted him to get into the habit of speaking English again, if only for Poppy and Severus sake. Both had been a bit bewildered, though Severus would never say so, when, at Hogwarts, every time Harry opened his mouth his first several sentences would be it French until he realized his lapse into the foreign language and start again, embarrassed but in English.

"(She just wanted to know if you'd bitten anyone so she'd have new minions for her… err, army? Yes, army. Papa? Does aunt Mari really have an army?)"

"No cub, she does not. I'm sure she was only just teasing." Remus replied with a roll of his eyes. Would the woman never stop?

Harry hummed his displeasure at being fooled but a smile still graced his face as he watched Remus cross the kitchen and begin to rummage through the cupboards for coffee. It was well after ten, but he still needed the caffeine to wake up properly. "(What are we doing today, Papa?)"

Remus hummed to himself in thought. Since they'd been back he'd tried to keep Harry as occupied as possible. After the last year or so of constantly having people around he thought it would be a bit odd to suddenly leave the child to his own devices, he would be utterly bored. So far Remus had taken him to the zoo, several parks and out to the movies and on the days they didn't venture outside Remus had found activities to do around the house which mostly consisted of crafts but Harry enjoyed it. Today though he didn't really have anything planned. He was still a bit worn from the full moon and hadn't had the chance to think much on it.

"How about we… plan."

"Plan?" Harry repeated back curiously and cocking his head to the side. Remus smiled as he prepared his coffee.

"Well yes. I did promise you that if you wanted I'd take you some where. Maman and I though that Italy would be nice."

"You want to take me to Italy?" Harry blinked. "I thought you meant… I don't know… to the beach or something."

"We could go to the beach." Remus shrugged. "But I think that should wait until it's a bit warmer, don't you?" Harry smiled bemusedly.

"(Papa says that we're going to Italy!)"

Severus stared violently and almost dropped the text he'd been reading at the sound of the cheerful voice. He turned sharply and saw the green eyed imp standing directly behind his arm chair grinning from ear to ear. Lupin stood a bit behind him covering his mouth and trying in vain to keep from laughing.

"Didn't I just get rid of you?" Severus deadpanned ignoring the boys little announcement but Harry just giggled and grasped his right arm which was well within the boy's reach.

"That was a whole four days ago," the boy tutted, this time in English, in a reprimanding manner that had Severus narrowing his eyes. "I asked Papa to bring me back because I wanted to talk to you and not through a letter and Papa says I'm too young to use the floo for long conversations."

"So you break into my room to disturb my peace?" Severus raised an eyebrow and was mildly amused when the boy rolled his eyes.

"I would hardly call it breaking in, Severus." Lupin said speaking for the first time. "We did have the password after all."

"Yes, wolf, and how did you come across that by the way?"

"Professor Dumbledore told us," the boy answered for his guardian cheerfully. "He gave me candy too! Would you like a Lemon Drop?" At this Lupin snorted and Severus grimaced.

"I'll have to decline."

Harry shrugged and pulled one of the little yellow candies out of his pocket and popped in his mouth, making a face at the taste but sucking on the treat just the same. "All right then," Lupin suddenly said clapping his hands together. "I'll leave you two to it."

"What? Lupin!" Severus exclaimed standing up and effectively knocking Harry's hand form his arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have shopping to do," Lupin shrugged and smirked. "Harry insisted he'd rather stay and talk to you then trial after me as I looked around. He has a few books and Maurice in his bag, okay?" It was then that Severus noticed that the brat at his feet did in fact have a knapsack on his back.

"I'll be back in a while." Lupin continued and turned toward the door.

"You can't leave him here!" Severus protested feeling more than a little indignant. Lupin looked curiously over his shoulder.

"I'll be back," he repeated with a smile and winked at the brat before slipping out the portrait hole.

"Lupin!" Severus called angrily after him and stormed to the door, flinging it open so he could drag the man back down the hallway and demand that he take the brat with him… only to find the hall outside his door completely empty.

Severus scowled. The coward. He must have ran.

With an aggravated sigh he slammed the door closed again and turned back to his living room, intent on going back to his book an ignoring the boy for however long he was going to be there only to find his text was not on the floor where he'd dropped it when he stood up and his seat occupied. The brat had settled himself in Severus' seat and had pulled the large text into his lap. He was staring intently at the cover and his lips moved silently as he read the title.

"Mister Sev'rus? What's… Abstruse Potions for Brewing Virtuosos?"

Severus pressed his lips and could feel a headache developing. Well, as long as the boy was here he may as well learn something.

Over the next several days, Harry spent many hours with Severus as Remus prepared for their not so impromptu trip. He shopped for clothes and necessities that would be appropriate for whatever climate they ended up in. Yes, they were heading to Italy first but Remus had no doubt that they would travel much farther than that in the coming months.

He also gathered smaller, more travel appropriate games for Harry to play with as he'd decided, after much debate with Maman, that they would be traveling the muggle way for at least most of their journey. He'd argued with her for hours about the fact before there was an explosion on the other end of the phone line. Maman had immediately started snapping at Lianna in French talking about how she'd told her not to make that potion before promptly telling Remus she loved him, to give her love to Harry and hanging up. They'd spoken since but Maman hadn't brought up Remus' choice of travel plans again as she was still seething with Lianna about the destruction of one of her second floor bathrooms.

Remus had also conversed with Leverette a few times a week to get a housing situation worked out. Levi had contacts all over the world (as did Mari actually but he was weary to trust anyone who was an acquaintance of his sister) and so had little trouble working out arrangements for where he and Harry were going to say. For when they first arrived it was decided that Harry and Remus would just stay in one of Levi's houses. He and Maribell both owned quite a few in the city as the properties were left to them by their late father. Typically they rented them out, having no other use for them, but there was one that Levi frequented enough in the heart of Rome that he thought would be nice for both Remus and Harry.

Remus sighed as he lay down the papers he'd been reading over on the table in front of him.. A glance showed him Harry, still sitting at his side, concentrating immensely on a drawing he was making. Remus didn't bother to ask, more than likely it was for Severus. The boy held a certain fondness for the man that Remus couldn't explain much to Severus' chagrin.

He glanced back down at the papers, everything seemed to be in order, there was no reason for anything to go amiss. Due to the muggle travel methods they were taking, Harry actually needed a passport and all the documentation that, while easily enough forged through magic, Remus had decided to do the legal way. The boy currently way a legal magical citizen of both Britian and France but in the muggle world he was still under the British empire and so needed documentation to leave least they stay in the magical world the whole time they traveled.

Remus smiled at his son when green eyes looked up at him. "Papa, I'm tired." the boy told him and Remus chuckled.

"Then I think it's time for bed, yes?"

Harry smiled sweetly, the tiredness evident in his eyes and lifted his arms in a 'carry me' gesture. Remus out right laughed at that but obliged the boy and picked him up. Harry had grown so much over the last year and a half or so they'd spent together (a/n - that's a guesstimate, I've totally forgot my timeline and have to find where I stashed it). While still terribly shy, he'd relaxed completely in Remus' presence as well as the presences of those he considered close, that included Severus, Poppy and his friends. He spoke up and pouted and laughed and fussed and generally acted like the four-year-old he was. A very, very well behaved four-year old, but a four-year-old nonetheless.

Bedding the tired boy down took mere minutes and Harry was tucked in in what seemed like no time at all. "Love you, Papa." Harry whispered and belatedly placed his thumb in his mouth and pulled Maurice the bear toward. Remus smiled amusedly at both gestures he'd yet to be broken of and kissed his son on the forehead. "Love you too, cub. Sweet dreams."

Sort of a lack luster ending and yes, I know it's short but it is and update and honestly, was always sort of meant to be a filler chapter. BUT! I have something incredible! A TEASER! For one of the upcoming chapters (not sure which but soon). Don't have to read if you don't want. You're not missing anything.

Check it out!

Harry looked around with a frown. He was not going to cry. So he was a bit… lost. In the middle of the woods… in a foreign country… in the middle of winter. That was nothing to cry over. He was sure Remus would notice him gone soon and be on his way to find him and then they'd go back to their hotel and everything would be fine…

Harry sighed.

Slowly he sat down a patch of moss that looked the least snow covered and pulled his coat tighter around him. He was suddenly glad Remus insisted he wear so many layers today.

For several minutes he just sat and after a while he started to hum to break the defining silence of the woods. But soon he grew tired and try as he might to keep his eyes open, the warm snuggly feeling of his coat was getting to him and he just wanted to sleep…

"Who are you?" Harry jumped violently, his eyes he hadn't realized he closed shooting open and looking around wildly. "Up here." the voice called and his eyes traveled immediately upward and widened when they landed on a child. Light grey eyes stared curiously down at him from under a messy blond fringe. A queer look crossed the other child's face before they launched themselves off of the branch they'd been sitting on and landed in a crouch next Harry making the boy gape.

The other child straitened themselves and stared down at Harry, not in an unfriendly way but certainly not welcoming either. Harry frowned as he looked over the child. He couldn't tell whether or not they were a girl or a boy but they were defiantly older, or appeared to be. "Who are you?" they repeated again and out of habit, even after a year, Harry replied "Je m'appelle Harry."

The grey eyes widened significantly and a small smile crossed chapped lips. "Oh," The child said. "Nice to meet you. Mon nom est Skylar Martin-Lee. Pourquoi êtes vous ici?"

This takes place about a year after the current story line, it'll come to pass in a couple of chapters.

In other news, I'LL SAY THIS ONCE AGAIN: If you'd like to see more of Harry's childhood, I'm planning on making a series of oneshots dedicated to just that. You tell me what characters you want, children or adults or both (and feel free to be creative if you have a plot bunny in mind), and I'll post one-shots. Not only will it build my profile up, but it'll make me less guilty about my chronic lack of updates for this story. This way I can start and finish something relatively easily while adding more depth to my characters. Really, this is something I want to do if you guys are all for it. Let me know, 'kay?

I have one person interested so far (two if I take a suggestion from a review a bit out of context) and while I don't have it together yet, I'm working on it.

Love you all, hitori.